Campus & Community is not just its name, the phrase defines the mission.

Ohio University Southern's off-campus center that, fittingly, focuses on linking the college campus with more offerings for the community plans to do just that every other Friday this fall with its inaugural coffee house series at 7 p.m. Friday.

"It will continue the theme we have established of trying to connect the campus and the community in better ways," said. Dr. Jim Crawford, director of OUS' Center for Innovation and Leadership. "We have to be proactive and do it in creative ways."

Crawford said the sound system and new cappuccino machine are each ready to do their part to serve up treats to please the ears and the taste buds.

Making use of the stage in the converted church at 1508 S. Ninth St. across from the city pool, admission is $3 per person that will go to the entertainers. Up first is OUS' own Dr. Kim Keffer, director of student services, who will perform a mixture of blues, jazz and old standards.

"People can come by and visit with their friends. We want to provide a relaxing evening with a coffee house feel," she said, adding that she always loves to perform in front of a home crowd. "It will be a place to go kick back for a while and transition from the week to the weekend."

If her musical stylings are not what someone is interested in, Keffer emphasized that there will be something for everyone in upcoming weeks.

"Each show is different. We have different musical genres every other week," she said of the shows that are scheduled through the end of November. "We will have a country band one night, acoustic guitar another, a few rock bands. Really it will be a broad range of music."

For those who can't wait to get the beats bouncing and prefer a more hands-on approach, Campus & Community will host a karaoke contest from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight. Admission is free to students and the public.

Anyone wanting to show off their pipes will have to ante up $5 for a shot at the $50 grand prize.

"We have done karaoke contests here on campus and they are always a blast," Keffer said. "I am always amazed at how talented many of our students are."