“Masquerade of Fools,” a Shakespearean masquerade ball, will be held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, April 1, in the Webb Center cafeteria.

Sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, the ball is open to the campus community and the general public.

Masquerade costumes or semiformal attire are required to attend. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and music will be provided by Astro Disk Jockeys. Jesters, games and a staged Elizabethan sword fight will highlight the evening. In addition, refreshments representative of the Elizabethan period will be available.

The masquerade ball was planned by Sigma Tau Delta to stimulate interest in literature and writing. Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase books for needy children in Hampton Roads.

Tickets are $5 in advance or $7.50 at the door, and are available in the English department (220 BAL), from a Sigma Tau Delta member or at Naro Expanded Video in Norfolk.

For more information call 421-7634.

A recent study by Roger A. Johnson has found a significant link between poor vision and reading difficulties.

Johnson, associate professor of educational curriculum and instruction, worked with Dr. Joel Zaba, a Virginia Beach optometrist, to study poor vision in Title 1 students. Title 1 is a federal education program that provides supplemental reading and other services to disadvantaged students.

After giving vision tests to 186 students, which included 93 Title 1 students and 93 students who did not qualify for admission into Title 1, the pair found that 85 percent of the Title 1 students failed at least one of the vision screening battery tests. In addition, 93 percent failed at least one developmental eye movement test, a tracking battery.

The study indicates the importance for educators to look for students who display signs of poor eyesight, like holding a book too close to the face, squinting or using a finger as a place mark when reading.

“Educators as well as the students themselves are not likely to realize that many youngsters may have deficient visual skills. Instead, everyone may believe that students have a learning or reading disorder,” said Johnson.

Previous studies by Johnson and Zaba have shown a prevalence of visual difficulties among illiterate populations, academically at-risk college students, at-risk inner-city youth and juvenile offenders.

The pair’s study will be published in the next issue of the Journal of Behavioral Optometry.

Old Dominion’s International Textile and Apparel Association student affiliate chapter and Relay for Life chapter are co-sponsoring a clothing drive Thursday, March 30, for the Discovery Shop, an upscale resale store located in Virginia Beach’s Hilltop Shopping Center.

New and “gently used” spring and summer clothing, accessories and home fashions will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the South Mall of Webb Center. Tax-deductible receipts will be issued.

Denise Threlfall, assistant professor of occupational and technical studies, said the clothing drive will benefit the community and the efforts of the American Cancer Society.

Perry Library will introduce a new service next week that offers electronic delivery of journal articles requested by faculty and staff.

Starting Monday, March 27, a new software program, Prospero, will provide the transmission of electronic files from the Internet for viewing or printing. Interlibrary loan users will be notified by e-mail when their materials are available.

Adobe Acrobat software and an e-mail account are required to use this new service. For instruction on the installation of this software, access the library’s Web site, www.lib.odu.edu, and click on “Help.” For more information, contact Wayne Burton at 683-4170 or wburton @odu.edu.

Participants and teams from the campus community are being sought to take part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the society’s largest fund-raising and community awareness event.

The relay at Old Dominion will begin with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. April 14 at Powhatan Field, followed by a luminary ceremony at 9 p.m.

An overnight community celebration, the event will feature teams of 10 to 15 members that raise donations before and during the relay. Teams pledge to have one member on the track at all times, walking or running. Each team is offered a campsite and encouraged to stay overnight, enjoying a festival-style atmosphere with music, food, games, entertainment, competition and camaraderie. Prizes will be awarded based on the amount of money raised.

Old Dominion is reportedly the only university in Virginia to have its own relay. Last year 12 teams raised $12,500. This year’s goal is 25 teams and $25,000. Each team member is asked to collect $10 from 10 people for luminaries to recognize cancer survivors they know or to honor the memory of a family member, friend or co-worker who has died of cancer.

Friday, March 24, is the deadline to register a team, and a $5 team registration fee is due Friday, March 31. To register or for more information contact Sharifa Charlery: 683-3446 or schar001@odu.edu.

The Spring Monarch Golf Classic will be held Saturday, April 8, at Bide-a-Wee Golf Course in Portsmouth, and entries are due Friday, March 31.

The annual event is open to faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of Old Dominion. The entry fee is $51, which includes 18 holes, greens fee, cart, awards and post-tournament buffet. There will be formats for two-man best ball, individual and senior (50 and older) categories, as well as for men’s, women’s and co-rec teams.

For more information or to register call the recreational sports office at 683-3384.

The Hugo A. Owens African-American Cultural Center and the Women’s Center will co-sponsor “Sisterhood 2000: Black Women Poised for Empowerment” Saturday, April 1.

A forum designed to address the needs of black female college students, the one-day conference will include workshops, speakers and networking opportunities. The event will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast in Webb Center.

To register or for more information call 683-5490.

Old Dominion will sponsor the first 2000 AstroTurf Surfaces Lacrosse Scholarship game Saturday, April 1, when the Lady Monarchs host Loyola College.

The contest begins at 1 p.m. at Foreman Field.

Tickets are $5 for the event, with all proceeds going to the Intercollegiate Foundation for lacrosse scholarships. A halftime shoot-out, door prizes and ticket drawings will be featured. For more information call the ticket office at 683-4444.