BLOOD DONORS ASKED TO GIVE A “SCHOTT AT LIFE” -- August 16. The home of The Ohio State University NCAA Final Four men’s basketball team will be the site of the largest blood drive in central Ohio as the “Schott at Life” American Red Cross Blood Drive is held Monday (8/16), 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Ohio State President William Kirwan, along with student athletes and other personalities, will visit and donate throughout the day. President Kirwan is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eligible donors can call 688-8556 to schedule an appointment. Following registration, donors answer simple medical history questions and receive a mini-physical. The actual donation takes eight to 10 minutes.
CONTACT: Bethany Dohnal, American Red Cross, 253-2740, ext. 320.

DR. BERNADINE HEALY ADDRESSES NEW MEDICAL STUDENTS -- August 18. Medical students beginning their studies at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health will attend a “White Coat” ceremony at 4 p.m. Wednesday (8/18) in the ballroom of Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St. Dr. Bernadine Healy, former dean of the college, will give the keynote address. At the ceremony, 210 medical students will put on their white laboratory coats for the first time as they prepare to begin medical school. They also will take a medical student oath articulating their responsibilities to their patients. More than 800 people are expected to attend, including students, families and college faculty. Parking for marked media vehicles is available at the front or south side of the building. Healy, dean at Ohio State since 1995, leaves at the end of the month to lead the American Red Cross.
CONTACT: David Crawford, Medical Center Communications, 293-3737.

NEW LAW STUDENTS ATTEND ORIENTATION, START SCHOOL -- August 19. Approximately 220 new students in the College of Law will prepare for the start of the new school year on Aug. 23. As part of orientation, Aug. 19-20, about 100 new students will participate in public service projects on Thursday (8/19). They will be going to the Salvation Army, MidOhio Food Bank, and Habitat for Humanity. The new class includes 32 students with advanced degrees, several with extensive military backgrounds, a co-owner of an automobile dealership, a magician, a former chief of staff for an Ohio state senator, a former senior vice president of a large commercial bank, and the editor of a Nigerian magazine. The students come from Nigeria, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, as well as Ohio and 15 other states.
CONTACT: Liz Gates, College of Law, 292-0283.

NEWS SOURCES FOR DROUGHT STORIES. Ohio farmers are facing a double-whammy this summer. Drought is putting the pinch on crop yields here, but strong yields elsewhere are pushing prices low. A Web site, developed by the Section of Communications and Technology in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, is full of information to help farmers-- and media--deal with the crisis: http://www.ag.ohio- state.edu/~corn/drought99/
Scientists from the college, which includes Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, can provide expertise on the impact of the drought on lawns and gardens, food prices, the farm economy and the quality of food.
CONTACT: Suzanne Steel, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 292-9637, to be linked with these experts.

The person listed as the contact for each item will have the best information about the story. Call on our news services staff for assistance with these or other Ohio State news stories--Amy Murray, 292-8385; Ruth Gerstner, 292-8424; Emily Caldwell, 292-8309; and Karissa Shivley, 292-8295.
*Compiled by Amy Murray, University Communications, (Murray- Goedde.1@osu.edu).