Contemporary Music Festival features Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki

Preeminent Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki will be the featured guest for this year's Contemporary Music Festival, taking place Jan. 9-13 on campus and in downtown Columbus. The School of Music is collaborating with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra to feature Penderecki's distinctive music in numerous concerts -- including two U.S. premieres.

Penderecki will guest conduct the CSO at 8 p.m. Jan. 11 and 12 in the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., with Charles Wetherbee as violin soloist, and will conduct the OSU Wind Symphony, OSU Chorales and OSU Symphony Orchestra during the festival's closing concert, at 3 p.m. Jan. 13 in Weigel Auditorium.

"The School of Music is pleased to join forces with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for the first time in this presentation of new, cutting-edge music," said Donald Harris, professor of music and festival organizer. "By collaborating, the CSO and School of Music combine their resources to present a cross-section of Penderecki's work, running the gamut from chamber to symphonic music, from choral to solo instrumental pieces."

The festival concerts will begin with a retrospective look at Penderecki's chamber music, including the premiere performance of Sextett, at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 in Weigel Auditorium. A concert featuring original compositions by Ohio State faculty, student and alumni composers will take place at 8 p.m. in Weigel Auditorium on Jan. 10. Alumni selections include a chamber music piece by Vera Stanojevic and the world premiere of a jazz piece, Wild Man, Dead Man, Jelly Roll Blues, by Brian Harnetty. Tom Wells, professor of music, will present the world premiere of Five Pieces for Saxophone & Piano. Student Adam Schweigert's piece, Episodes, is written for eight percussionists. Born in Debica, Poland, Penderecki is one of the most esteemed and widely discussed composers today. For more information about the Contemporary Music Festival 2002, contact the School of Music at 292-2300 or the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at 228-8600.

Krzysztof Penderecki Photo courtesy of the College of the Arts

Disability rights focus of Diversity Lecture

The President and Provost's Diversity Lecture Series continues at 9 a.m. Jan. 9 in the Ohio Union, with a presentation by Judith Heumann, co-founder of the World Institute on Disability, the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities and Disabled in Action. She was appointed assistant secretary of education for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Clinton administration.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For details on this lecture, call Frank Hale at 688-4255 or Trina Phillips at 688-4240. Those with questions concerning access, or who wish to request a sign language interpreter or accommodations for a disability, should contact Phillips at 688-4240.

For details on the series, visit the Web at www.osu.edu/diversity/.

Medical database workshops to be held

The Health Sciences Library is offering the following workshops this winter:

• Searching the Health Sciences Databases (Basic), 1:30 to 4 p.m. Jan. 14 and 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 17, Health Sciences Library Computer Lab (room 460B). These hands-on sessions emphasize effective techniques for searching MEDLINE using the OhioLINK interface. Skills learned in the workshop can be transferred to other health sciences databases (i.e. CancerLit, CINAHL) available through the OhioLINK system.

• Searching the Health Sciences Databases (Advanced), 9:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 5, Health Sciences Library's Classroom (room 400 A&B). The session includes a brief review of skills and techniques from the basic class, and demonstrations of advanced techniques for using subject headings and keywords for searching MEDLINE and related OhioLINK databases.

• Evidence Based Medicine Databases, 9:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 22, Health Sciences Library Computer Lab (room 460B). This workshop includes overviews of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Best Evidence Database, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness. Participants learn how to execute effective searches in these databases, and also how to find evidence-based health care information via MEDLINE.

• Beyond the PDR: Finding Drug Information Online, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Jan. 28, Health Sciences Library's Classroom (room 400 A&B). The session will include finding information in the full-text database Micromedex (DRUGDEX, REPRORISK) and MD Consult, and will also cover finding herbal medicine information in the Natural Medicine's Comprehensive Database.

Registration is required. To register, visit the Web at http://bones.med.ohio-state.edu. Click on "Workshops" and follow instructions. Registration will be confirmed via e-mail.

For details, contact Carol Powell at 292-4871 or powell.225@osu.edu.

New Year's Eve party planned at Ohio Union

The University will host an international New Year's Eve Party in the Ohio Union on Dec. 31. "Times Square at the Ohio Union" will be held from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the West and East Ballrooms and will feature world music by D.J. Ramon "Ray" Arebalo, Ritmo Productions.

The event is open to American and international students and scholars, as well as to staff and faculty and their families. Food and beverages will be provided at this alcohol-free event.

The party is planned in consideration of Ohio State's 5,500 international students and scholars, an unprecedented number of whom may not be returning to their home countries during the quarter break for a variety of reasons related to the events of Sept. 11.

Admission is $1, with all proceeds benefiting America's Fund for Afghan Children. Tickets are available from the Office of International Education in 100 Oxley Hall, the Buckeye Village Student Family Housing Office, the Jones Graduate Tower Reception Desk, and the Student Activities Office in room 211 of the Ohio Union.

Numerous Ohio State units are collaborating to host the event, which is part of the Student Affairs Late Night Programming Initiative. Supporting units include the offices of International Education and International Affairs, student government groups, the Office of Minority Affairs, the Middle East Studies Center and OSU Police.

Call 292-1993 or e-mail oia@osu.edu for more information about the party.

Distinguished Staff Award deadline nears

The Office of Human Resources will accept nominations for the 2002 Distinguished Staff Awards through Jan. 18. All currently employed staff members with at least five years of continuous service to the University may be nominated for these awards.

Nominations must include a completed nomination form, a nominating statement that describes the accomplishments of the nominee (five pages maximum), and three letters of recommendation.

Twelve staff members will be honored for outstanding leadership and accomplishments in service to the University community, faculty, staff, students and/or other customers at an awards luncheon ceremony. Each award recipient will receive a trophy, a $1,500 cash award and a $700 base salary increase.

For details, contact Ned Cullom at 292-4341 or cullom.1@osu.edu, or visit the Office of Human Resources Special Events Web site at http://hr.osu.edu/special/specevents.htm.

OSU Hospitals East celebrates Kwanzaa

University Hospitals East is hosting a Kwanzaa celebration from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 28 in the Wallace Auditorium at Talbot Hall, 1441 Clifton Ave. Festivities include refreshments, storytelling, African music and dancing, and children's art activities.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day, cultural holiday for African Americans. Each day recognizes one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

In conjunction with the celebration, the hospital and Dell Computers are giving a computer to a middle school student who wins an essay contest on the principle of Ujima, which means collective work and responsibility.

Admission is free and the community is invited to attend.

For details on the celebration or essay contest, call 257-3928.

OSU Newark Theatre events announced

The Theatre Department of Ohio State Newark will hold open auditions from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 10 and 11 in Founders Auditorium for its winter quarter production and reading.

The play is Moliere's classic comedy The Misanthrope, with acting opportunities for six men and three women; the reading is "The Poetry of Rock," requiring four male and two female readers. No preparation or experience is required.

The reading, to be held at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18, will feature the works of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Al Stewart, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen and other rock bands.

For details, contact Dave Williams at (740) 366-9474.