April 28, 1999

It is a very busy week at Ohio State--so busy that we’re sending you a special tipsheet to outline events that take place over the next few days. We’ll send a new schedule for next week on Friday (4/30).
This and every University Communications news release is available at http://www.osu.edu

PEACE CORPS DIRECTOR ON CAMPUS FOR INTERNATIONAL WEEK--April 28. With nearly 7 percent of students coming to Ohio State from 139 foreign countries, Ohio State is an international university. The university celebrates its multi cultural dimension during International Week with a chance to experience the world, taste new foods and celebrate cultural diversity. Among the highlights: National Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan will speak on Peace Corps: Looking into the Next Millennium at noon today (4/28) in 122 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Ave. At least 120 nations will be represented at The Buckeye World Tour 1999 on Saturday (5/1) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lane Avenue Park, at the corner of Lane Avenue and Kenny Road. A complete listing is available at the Office of International Education.
CONTACT: Kim Diehl, Office of International Education, 292-6101 or diehl.36@osu.edu.

JOB-HUNTING STUDENTS REPORT TO SCHOTTENSTEIN CENTER--April 28. Ohio State is teaming with the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and nine other central Ohio institutions to present the area's first Student Job Information Fair, 3-8 p.m. today (4/28) at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Students can register with an online job search bank, generate employment and internship leads, meet with more than 200 exhibiting companies and about 1,000 Chamber member attendees, and become a student member of the Chamber. The job fair is part of a partnership aimed at retaining college graduates in the region.
CONTACT: Dave Ferguson, Academic Affairs, 292-6743.

COME AND WATCH SMOKE SIGNALS--April 28. You’re invited to watch the screening of Smoke Signals, a 1998 film by Sherman Alexie that is filled with the rich American Indian Culture, at 7 p.m. in 074 University Hall, 230 N. Oval Mall. The event is sponsored by American Indian Student Services in conjunction with the Office of Minority Affairs-Retention Services, Ethnic Student Services and The American Indian Council.
CONTACT: Marti Chaatsmith, American Indian Student Services, 292- 0524.

FOOD AND CULTURAL FAIR KICKS OFF ASIAN AWARENESS MONTH--April 29. The Asian Food and Cultural Fair, Thursday (4/29) from 5-7 p.m. in the Ohio Union Ballrooms, 1739 N. High St., showcases food and entertainment from 25 participating Asian American and International Asian student groups. Tickets for the event are $5 with food and $1 without. A talent showcase follows from 7-9 p.m. A Holi Celebration of India takes place Friday (4/30) at 7:30 p.m. at the Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road. For more information or a complete calendar of events, call Asian American Student Services, 292-0625.
CONTACT: Sheila Kapur, 292-0625.

CEREMONIES AND CELEBRATIONS HONOR STUDENTS.
--April 30--61 students will be honored for leadership at the 38th annual Student Leadership Awards dinner at 8 p.m. at the Westin Great Southern Hotel, 310 S. High St.
CONTACT: Tracy Stuck, Director of Student Activities, 292-8763.
--May 2--550 freshmen will be inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma, two academic honorary societies, in a ceremony at 2 p.m. in Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St.
CONTACT: Ann Pavlov, ALD/PES Advisor, 292-3135.

TORNADOES ARE TOPIC OF SEVERE WEATHER SYMPOSIUM--April 30. The tornadoes that struck southwestern Ohio on April 9 and Xenia in 1974 are the topic of the Third Annual Ohio Severe Weather Symposium at Ohio State, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday (4/30) in the Ohio Union Conference Theatre, 1739 N. High St. Four people were killed and 90 homes destroyed when a pre-dawn twister struck Hamilton County earlier this month. The 1974 storm is known as the Super Outbreak among meteorologists. During a two-day span in 1974, a single storm spawned a record 148 tornadoes, of which 30 became an F4 or F5 on the Fujita Scale. More than 300 people died, including 34 in Xenia when an F5 tornado destroyed over 300 homes. Among the highlights: A Case Study of the April 9, 1999 Southwest Ohio F-4 Tornado, 1 p.m.; A New look at the Super Outbreak of 1974 Using Today’s Models, 2:30 p.m.; The 1974 Super Outbreak in Retrospect, 3:30 p.m.
CONTACT: Mike Ryan, Conference Coordinator, Atmospheric Sciences Program, 292-1957.

OSU MOTORSPORTS INTRODUCES NEW ENTRY--April 30. Ohio State Motorsports and Woltz Racing Ltd. will unveil their newest entry to NASCAR in a news conference at 2 p.m. at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe, 3025 Olentangy River Road. The car, owned by a group of OSU staff members, will race in a full Winston Series schedule locally, competing April-October in the Super Late Model Division at Columbus Motor Speedway. The car is another example of the alliance between education and technology, and joins with the Jim Lachey-Mike Tomsak Busch Grand National Alumni Motorsports entry to offer NASCAR two more university-associated professional race programs. Both teams will involve students enrolled in the College of Engineering and the Center for Automotive Research.
CONTACT: Jim Woltz, Physical Facilities, 292-1513 or 209-1064.

UNIVERSITY SETS UP VIRTUAL CLASSROOM ON CAPITOL HILL--April 30. Students in Columbus are talking to politicians in Washington as part of a class that uses the latest in interactive education methods. Twenty-five undergraduates enrolled in Political Science 517, “The Classroom on Capitol Hill,” are using campus video conferencing facilities to talk to local congressional representatives, political correspondents, lobbyists, pollsters and federal bureaucrats. Students pose questions for their virtual lecturer prior to the class on a special classroom web site. Students will talk with Sen. Richard Luger (R-Indiana) on Friday (4/30) Reporters interested in covering the video conference lectures should come to room 3140 Derby Hall, 154 N. Oval Mall on Friday, from 1:30-3 p.m. Janet Box-Steffensmeier, associate professor of political science, designed the class to actively engage students in the political process. “Students will learn the importance of educating themselves on policy leaders so they can ask important, informed questions,” she says. Funding for the innovative class comes from Ameritech.
CONTACT: Janet Box-Steffensmeier, Political Science, 292-9642.

For your planning purposes, here are a few upcoming events. We’ll have more information in upcoming tipsheets.
May 1 Renaissance Festival
May 1 Concrete Canoe Race
May 1-7 Greek Week
May 2-4 Philosophy Conference
May 3 Tort Lecture “Suing Over Spilled Coffee”
May 4 English Professor lectures on “Smarts”
May 4 Ohio State hosts national Minority Affairs conference
May 5 Free Anxiety Screenings offered
May 5 Lecture offers tips to working parents
May 7 Board of Trustees meets in Columbus
May 4 New Director of Biomedical Engineering welcomed
May 7 Animation Celebration with seven OSU alumni who work in computer animation
May 7-8 Chadwick Arboretum Garden Fair & Spring Plant Sale
May 8 Reggae Fest
May 14 Undergraduate research showcased
May 15 Stephanie Hummer Memorial Golf Tournament

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--Amy Murray, 292-8385; Ruth Gerstner, 292-8424; and Emily Caldwell, 292-8309.
**Compiled by Amy Murray, University Communications, (Murray- Goedde.1@osu.edu).