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The peer organization Friends Living Under Serious Hardships brought students a new twist to Valentine's Day at the 6 O'Clock series Monday by acting out a skit on relationships. The skit, titled "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Sides of Relationships," gave students first hand advice on relationship with friends, lovers and themselves.

Six resident advisers founded F.L.U.S.H. Sep. 8, 1996 by having skits in resident halls. Their goal was to create a fun way to inform their residents about issues on domestic violence, sexual assault, drug and alcohol addiction, racism and many other issues that may play a role in student life.

F.L.U.S.H. now has roughly 14 members who influenced over 10,000 people, according to the program handed out at the event. They perform skits in select resident halls every Wednesday at 9:15 for students.

"In the time it takes you to read this, three people have died from AIDS/HIV, one life ... one chance."

Every school year F.L.U.S.H. organizes a penny-war to raise money for a charity. This year they are raising money for the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.

"The PATF is dedicated to saving, sustaining, and empowering the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of infection," according to a F.L.U.S.H. handout.

Each member is assigned a character that develops solutions to made-up problems throughout the semester. By acting out a character, "students get to see different ways to deal with different situations," said Mara Letterle (junior, theater) F.L.U.S.H.'s secretary.

To honor Valentine's Day, this week's common theme for the characters was finding a valentine. Amanda Kilgore (junior, art education) and Niki Wise (senior, sociology/psychology) acted out a skit on pledging a sorority. Kilgore played Erin, Alpha Sigma Sigma's pledge mom and Wise played Ashlynn, Erin's pledge. A.S.S. pledges and sisters participated in an anti-Valentine's day ritual in which all members were required to wear black shirts and were not permitted to have a valentine. Instead, they pretended to be each other's valentines, so that all girls in the sorority would have a valentine. This raised concerns for Ashlynn because she had a Valentine's Day date. Kelly Hayes (junior, English education) played Ellie, a lonely girl searching for a valentine. Her roommate was in love with her boyfriend, and Ellie was left alone to celebrate Valentine's Day by herself. Her conflicts grow when her friend encourages her to pledge A.S.S.

"If you touch one person's life, you've done your job," said Beach.

Acting out situations that are close to home with their audience allows F.L.U.S.H. members to engage their audience and get them mentally involved in the character's situations.

"To know we have the power to [touch student's lives] is the best thing," said Letterle. "It gives me goose bumps."

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