9-25-98

This and every University Communications news release is available on the Internet and World Wide Web. Our Web address is www.osu.edu.

STUDENTS WELCOMED WITH WEEK OF ACTIVITIES--Sept. 25-26. Some 48,500 students returned to campus last Sunday (9/20) as Ohio State began a new academic year Wednesday (9/23). Welcome Week is a series of activities and programs designed to welcome and introduce faculty, staff and school traditions to new and returning students to Ohio State. Welcome Week included more events than last year as a result of efforts to continue to improve the student experience. Among the many activities scheduled for the remainder of the week: Tonight (9/25)- The Second City, the Chicago-based comedy troupe that launched careers of many well-known comedians, gives a free performance from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Mershon Auditorium. Saturday (9/26)- A street fair on High Street with music, food, vendors and carnival-like games and activities, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. High Street will be closed to traffic from 12th to 16th avenues from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; 15th Avenue will be closed at Pearl Alley, except for access to Long’s Bookstore.
CONTACT: Tracy Turner, News Services, 688-3682.

HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS TO LEARN ABOUT PLANT GROWTH IN SPACE--Sept. 26. High school science teachers from around the state will gather Saturday (9/26) to participate in a workshop on plant space biology with two Ohio State professors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 128 of the Botany and Zoology Building, 1735 Neil Ave. Professors Mike Evans and Hideo Ishikawa will introduce the teachers to plant-growth experiments the professors will send into space aboard the space shuttle Discovery with Sen. John Glenn in October. The experiments are designed to test the response of plants to an applied electric field in the absence of gravity. Each teacher will receive a research kit to duplicate the plant-growth experiments in their classrooms.
CONTACT: Mike Evans, professor, 292-9162.

DOG WASH BENEFITS CAPITAL AREA HUMANE SOCIETY--Sept. 27. The Veterinary Fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma (OTS), will wash your dog from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Veterinary Hospital, 601 Tharp St., in the Large Animal Operative Practice, located in the back of the building. Proceeds benefit Capital Area Humane Society. Cost is $10 for a large dog (more than 25 lbs.), $8 for a small dog and $5 for a second dog. Students with valid Ohio State identification will be charged $5 per dog.
CONTACT: Kristine McComis, College of Veterinary Medicine, 688-3517.

NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY CONFERENCE--Sept. 27-29. Ohio State University Extension is sponsoring a national conference on food safety, “From Farm to Table, Safe Food for America: A Symposium on Shared Responsibility,” at the Columbus Marriott Northwest, 5805 Blazer Parkway. The conference focuses on how farmers, processors, retailers (restaurants and grocery stores) and consumers must take responsibility for the safety of the food supply. The conference begins with a general session at 4 p.m. Sunday (9/27) featuring Bonnie Buntain, director of the animal production food safety staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Sessions continue from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday (9/27-28).
CONTACT: Martha Filipic, news and media relations, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, 292-9833 (direct line) or 292-2011 (main office, with someone who can fax the one-page schedule of events). During the conference, contact Filipic or conference organizer Lydia Medeiros, associate professor of human nutrition and leader of OSU Extension’s food safety effort, at the Marriott at 791-1000.

PREVENTING SPORTS INJURIES IN KIDS--Sept. 28. The fall season allows several opportunities for children to participate in team sports. On Monday (9/28) at 7 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore, 3685 W. Dublin-Granville Road, Ohio State University Hospitals sports medicine specialist Doug Diorio will offer practical tips for preventing and treating injuries. The class is free but registration is required. To register, call 293-5123.
CONTACT: Heather Jacobson, Medical Center Communications, 293-3737.

KATHRYN SULLIVAN TO SPEAK TO EDUCATION FACULTY AND STUDENTS--Sept. 29. Mathematics, Science and Technology students and faculty in the College of Education will hear from Kathryn Sullivan, president of the Center of Science and Industry, at 1 p.m. Tuesday (9/29) in 274 Arps Hall, 1945 N. High St. Sullivan will discuss “COSI: Into the 21st Century” with members of the School of Teaching and Learning. A former astronaut and veteran of three space shuttle missions, Sullivan was the chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before joining COSI in 1996.
CONTACT: Barbara Thompson, College of Education, 292-5381.

COME MEET AND GREET PRESIDENT KIRWAN--Sept. 29. The National Engineering Honor Society Tau Beta Pi will hold an open forum with Ohio State President William E. Kirwan Tuesday (9/29) at 5 p.m. in the Hitchcock Hall Auditorium, 2070 Neil Ave. The College of Engineering is invited to participate in the question- and-answer session.
CONTACT: John Sheridan Fisher, Tau Beta Pi president, 299-0658.

FORMER TOBACCO RESEARCHER TO SPEAK ON NICOTINE AND ADDICTION--Oct. 1. Victor J. DeNoble, a former researcher at Philip Morris and a key witness in the case against tobacco companies, will discuss the addictive nature of nicotine Thursday (10/1) at 7 p.m. at Chemical Abstracts, 2540 Olentangy River Road. DeNoble has appeared on “60 Minutes” and “Dateline.” He will give a personal account of the research within the tobacco industry, including the amount of money spent by the industry to study why smokers smoke and how to keep them smoking, and his proof that nicotine is a highly addictive drug, not a flavor factor in smoking. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call 293-5123. The event is sponsored by The Ohio State University Medical Center.
CONTACT: David Crawford, Medical Center Communications, 293-3737.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETS IN CLEVELAND--Oct. 2. The Ohio State University Board of Trustees will meet Friday (10/2) at 11:15 a.m. at the Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. The board will meet in the John Sherwin Research Building, Room NC1-202. Call Emily Caldwell at 292-8309 for directions and a map.
CONTACT: Emily Caldwell, University Communications, 292-8309.

IMPEACHMENT EXPERTISE--The question of whether President Clinton should be impeached is as much a political issue as a legal one, says Michael Les Benedict, an expert on impeachment and a professor of history at Ohio State. Benedict, who is also an adjunct professor of law, is the author of the book The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson (1973). “Impeachment is a mixture of law and politics,” Benedict said. The process is political in that Congress -- with the guidance of the American people -- must decide whether Clinton’s actions pose a threat to the nation or make him unfit to serve. Because of this political aspect, there is no clear-cut right or wrong answer about whether Clinton should face impeachment. “The real question will be for the American people, who will have a strong influence on their representatives as to whether Clinton’s conduct renders him unfit for his public duties.” But impeachment is also a legal process in which Congress must weigh evidence in a manner “that is fair and not partisan,” he said.
CONTACT: Michael Les Benedict, 292-5479 or 292-2674. (Note: Professor Benedict will not be available until Monday, Sept. 28.)

The person listed as the contact for each item will have the best information about the story. Feel free to call on our news services staff for assistance with these or other Ohio State news stories--Ruth Gerstner, 292-8424; Tracy Turner, 688-3682; and Emily Caldwell, 292-8309. **Compiled by Tracy Turner, University Communications, (Turner.44@osu.edu).