Coming events

The Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra holds its annual Halloween Pops Concert at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Shryock Auditorium. The School of Music's Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Concert Choir and Opera join the symphony orchestra in its performance. Tickets are $15 general admission; $6 for students of all ages. The event is part of the Southern Illinois Symphony Series.

Native American Heritage Month kicks off Thursday, Nov. 1, with a variety of activities at Lentz and Grinnell residence halls that run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., lunch featuring meat dishes prepared with bison from Bison Bluff Farms near Cobden will be available in the Lentz Residence Hall dining area. The drum/dance group Maza Napin (Iron Necklace) performs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guest meal tickets may be purchased at the door for $6.00. From 5 to 7 p.m., a limited supply of free Indian tacos will be available at Grinnell Hall. Maza Napin performs again, and Clifton and Kim Howell of Bison Bluff Farms will answer questions on bison and its meaning to Native Americans. The event is part of Native American Heritage Month.

A symposium that looks at the academic response to natural disasters is set for noon, Thursday, Nov. 1, in the Student Center Fourth Floor Video Lounge. "Disaster Planning and Response: What Can the Academy Bring to the Table?" features several panelists discussing how academics can assist in disaster preparedness.Gregory Button, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee and an adjunct professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan, is the keynote speaker. The symposium is free, and open to the public.

The Saluki women’s basketball team opens its 2007-2008 season when it hosts Harris-Stowe at 7:05 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, at the SIU Arena.

The SIU Jazz Ensembles, under direction of the School of Music's assistant professor Tyler K. Kuebler and associate professor Philip Brown, perform at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 2, at Shryock Auditorium. Tickets are $7.50 for the general public; $3 for students, senior citizens 60 and older, and children 15 and younger.

The Saluki men's basketball team — ranked No. 23 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll — opens the 2007-2008 season with an exhibition game against King College at 2:05 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3, at the SIU Arena. Fans can get in free to the game with the donation of a new preschool book for SIUC Head Start's "Book in Every Home" campaign.

Arias and duets from opera and musical theater fill the air at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 3, when soprano Emily Pulley and baritone Curts Olds perform at the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. Admission is $15 for the general public. The performance is free for SIUC students with a valid student ID, and $7.50 for all other students.

The Saluki women’s basketball team hosts 2007 NAIA National Champion Lambuth University in its final exhibition game at 2:05 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 4, at the SIU Arena. Fans can get in free to the game with the donation of a new preschool book for SIUC Head Start’s "Book in Every Home" campaign.

Noted spiritual leader Mike Vargas presents an in-depth discussion of Native American spirituality and religion at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5, with "Native Spirituality and its Importance in the Circle." The discussion is in the Student Center's Illinois Room. The event is part of Native American Heritage Month.

Live classic music and jazz for babies through pre-kindergarten children will be featured in Klassics for Kids, 10 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, in Altgeld Hall, Room 112. The performance is free.

Morris Dees, a co-founder and chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center, discusses "With Justice for All," at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, in the Student Center Ballroom D. He is presenting the Bill and Molly Norwood Fellowship Lecture for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Door open at 6 p.m., and admission is free. Because of enhanced security measures, backpacks and other similar items — excluding women's purses — will not be allowed. Metal detectors will also be in use. Organizers encourage early arrival.

Contemporary Native American poet Sherwin Bitsui reads poetry from his book, "Shapeshrift," along with some of his additional work at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, in the Student Center's Ohio Room. The event is part of Native American Heritage Month.

Gray H. Whaley, an assistant professor in SIUC's history department, presents a lecture on "Hearsay or Knowledge?: Contesting Indian Identity & Land Claims in Western Oregon, 1919-1938." The presentation is at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the Student Center's Mackinaw Room. The event is part of Native American Heritage Month.

Please visit the SIUC Public Events Calendar for information on these and many other happenings on campus.