NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic offers free screenings

The NIU Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic offers free hearing screenings for the community. The screenings are available for individuals of all ages. The clinic is open all year and provides speech-language assessments and family-based treatment to more than 1,000 patients, as well as hearing evaluations and hearing aid evaluations and fittings to more than 1,000 individuals.

For information or to schedule an appointment, call 753-1481.

Trails for TAILS Bike-a-thon rides Saturday

The annual Trails for TAILS Bike-a-thon, sponsored by the Vegetarian Education Group, kicks off Saturday. Riders will start between 9 and 10 a.m. from the East Lagoon on the NIU campus. All proceeds from the ride this year will be donated to TAILS Humane Society for its low-cost spay/neuter program.

Cyclists have the option of riding 10, 20 or 55 miles to raise pledges for TAILS, although actual distances are left up to the discretion of the riders. All riders will receive a T-shirt, refreshments on the trail and a vegan barbeque at 2 p.m. at the East Lagoon. Pledges can be made by the mile or as a flat donation, and there is no minimum pledge.

For information, call Bill McCarthy at 787-7402. Riders may register the day of the ride at the East Lagoon.

NIU Steel Band to celebrate three decades with concert

The NIU Steel Band, directed by Al O’Connor, Cliff Alexis and Liam Teague, will celebrate its past, present and future with a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Music Building’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. The program features four pieces by guest artist, world-renowned calypso singer David Rudder.

Anyone buying a David Rudder or Liam Teague CD also will receive a complimentary NIU Steel Band CD on the day of the concert. For information, call Lynn Slater at 753-1546.

NIU Wind Symphony presents final concert of the semester

The Wind Symphony under the direction of Lawrence Stoffel will perform its final concert of the semester at 8 p.m. today at the Music Building’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. Clarinet professor Greg Barrett will be the special guest playing “Adagio & Tarantella.”

The concert is free and open to the public. For information, call Lynn Slater at 753-1546.

Narayan Hosmane honored by Indian university

Narayan Hosmane, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has been selected to serve as the Jawaharlal Nehru Distinguished Chair of Chemistry for a period of five weeks later this year at the University of Hyderabad, India. In 2001, Hosmane received the NIU Presidential Research Professorship, the university’s highest award for distinguished research.

Later that year, he won the prestigious Humboldt Research Award for senior scientists. Hosmane’s area of expertise falls under the broad category of boron chemistry research, but his interests are widely varied.

Author examines West African influence on women writers

Amy Levin, director of the NIU Women’s Studies program, has a new book out exploring the influence of West African women’s traditions in contemporary literature. The book, “Africanism and Authenticity in African-American Women’s Novels,” demonstrates how these influences permeate both theme and imagery in novels by such writers as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Jamacia Kincaid and Gloria Naylor. For Levin, who also is an English professor, the book culminates 10 years of work.