The Model United Nations Society’s “Great Decisions Lecture Series” resumes this month with talks by three faculty members from the political science and geography department. All begin at 3 p.m. on successive Mondays in the Burgess Room of the Batten Arts and Letters Building.

Scheduled are: Francis Adams, “Defining Humanitarian Intervention,” March 13; Chris Drake, “Turmoil in Indonesia,”March 20; and Philip Gillette, “Russia: Report Card on Survival,” March 27.

“Finding and Using Tests and Measurement Resources” is the title of a March 15 workshop for faculty, staff and graduate students, sponsored by Perry Library.

Participants will learn about print and online resources that describe various mental measurements and spend time doing hands-on exploration.

The workshop will be held from 2-3 p.m. in Room 163 at Perry Library. For more information call Nancy Schafer at 683-5909.

“Ready or Not,” a preretirement seminar for employees 40 years and older who are members of the Virginia Retirement System, will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, in the River Rooms of Webb Center.

Sponsored by the Department of Human Resources, the program is being presented by VRS. Registration is required. To register or for more information call 683-4237.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to discover the depth of diversity among Old Dominion’s international student population Thursday, March 16, at the annual Festival of Nations.

Students from more than 20 countries will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the North Mall of Webb Center to talk about their cultures and display information and artifacts.

A popular stop for elementary school students, Festival of Nations is sponsored by the Office of International Programs.

Michael Pearson’s third book, “Dreaming of Columbus: A Boyhood in the Bronx,” a recollection about growing up in in the 1950s and ’60s, has been selected for the “2000 Books for the Teen Age List,” published by the New York Public Library.

Now in its 71st year of publication, the list chooses the best of the previous year’s publishing for teenagers and is distributed to school and public libraries.

In “Dreaming of Columbus,” published last year by Syracuse University Press, Pearson juxtaposes descriptions of adolescent escapades with the grim discipline of parochial schools, and shares both his childhood dreams of escape and his adult longing for this “close to paradise” youth in the Bronx.

While the book was written primarily with adult readers in mind, Pearson said he was gratified that it was recognized as a valuable read for teenagers as well.

Authors whose books were selected for the list will be honored March 18 in New York City.

The music department will present portions of Claudio Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” in the Huber Court of the Chrysler Museum of Art at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11.

The performance is being given in connection with the museum’s “Ancient Gold Jewelry” exhibit, “the connection being the Greek story of Orpheus and Euridice,” said Lee Teply, professor of music.

Frank Ward, associate professor of music, and Elizabeth Hogue, humanities reference librarian at Perry Library, will sing the leading roles. They will be joined by the Old Dominion Madrigal Singers and Collegium Musicum, as well as several period instrument specialists.

A brief tour of the exhibit will begin at 1 p.m. There is no charge for the performance or the tour, but there is an admission fee for entrance to the museum.

Vaccinations for meningococcal meningitis will be available to Old Dominion students from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, in the North Cafeteria of Webb Center. They are sponsored by the Student Health Center.

Spurred by alarming estimates of a greater than three-fold increase in risk for the disease among on-campus undergraduates over the past five years, a federal advisory panel has recommended that college freshmen living in dorms have access to vaccines, according to USA Today.

Meningitis, which is caused by both viruses and bacteria, is an inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. The bacterial form can cause meningococcal disease, which strikes about 3,000 people nationwide annually and kills up to 15 percent of its victims.

Each year, 150 to 200 college students nationwide contract the disease, which is spread by close contact with others who are infected. About 65 percent of those cases would be prevented by vaccination, the American College Health Association said in the USA Today article.

The meningitis vaccine carries fewer risks than a flu inoculation, according to the ACHA. The cost for the vaccine is $75. Payment may be made by billing the student’s home address or by credit card, check or cash.

For more information call 877-482-2237.

“Changing Practices in Evaluating Teaching,” a live teleconference offering a practical guide to improved faculty performance and promotion/tenure decisions, will be held from 1-3 p.m. Friday, March 24, at WHRO-TV on Hampton Boulevard.

Featuring Peter Seldin and Bill McKeachie, the session will explain the changing practices in evaluating teaching and demonstrate how to build a successful evaluation program. It is sponsored by the Virginia Tidewater Consortium.

To register call 683-3183.

Men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel has signed a two-year extension to his contract through the 2002 season, athletic director Jim Jarrett announced recently.

Capel, CAA Coach of the Year in 1995 and honored in 1997 as the state Coach of the Year by the Virginia Sports Information Directors, has compiled a 109-80 record through six seasons at Old Dominion, leading the Monarchs to CAA crowns in 1995 and 1997. Three of Capel’s Monarch teams have advanced to postseason play.

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures” will present “Cabaret Culture: Paris - Berlin - New York,” a multimedia presentation, from 3-5 p.m. Friday, March 24, in the Burgess Room of the Batten Arts and Letters Building.

Using slides, film clips and musical excerpts, the program will trace the evolution of cabaret from the bohemian quarters of Montmartre in Paris at the end of the 19th century to the Weimar Republic of Berlin to New York’s Broadway stage and Hollywood’s silver screen.