Purdue Best Bets
September 26, 1997
JOURNALISTS: Here are two story ideas and some newsworthy Purdue events during the
next two weeks.
Purdue Learning Center in 25th year of service
The Purdue Learning Center in the School of Liberal Arts has enhanced student retention
at the university for 25 years. The Learning Center started in 1972 through the efforts
of Helen Bass Williams, Purdue's first African-American faculty member, and Earl B. Notestine, former associate dean who now is professor emeritus of education studies.
The center helps students develop study skills and overcome learning problems. "The
Learning Center provides the necessary support and opportunity to make a college
education a reality for many students," says director Kathleen Thayer. From its start
in a classroom in Recitation Hall where students received one-on-one instruction,
the Learning Center has grown to include a staff of six instructors who help meet
the needs annually of between 6,000 and 7,000 students from all schools on campus. It offers
workshops, audiovisual tapes and television programs on topics such as Lecture Notetaking,
Time Management, Reading Efficiency and Test-Taking Skills. CONTACT: Thayer, (765) 494-8720.
Videoconference on how to safely feed the hungry
Volunteers at nearly 1,200 food assistance programs work to meet the nutritional needs
of Indiana's hungry. Providing these workers essential nutritional and food safety
information is the goal of the Safe Food for the Hungry videoconference. The program,
to be viewed at locations around the state and nation, will originate from Purdue
on Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. "This videoconference will stress the importance
of food choice for a variety of reasons, such as nutritional needs, health status,
religious or ethnic background, or just personal preference or limited knowledge or
equipment," says Willie Burgess, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service specialist
in foods and nutrition. The presentation is combined with local workshop activities
at each site. In Indiana, almost 12 percent of families with children, 11 percent of senior
citizens, and 40 percent of single mothers live beneath poverty level. CONTACTS:
Burgess, (765) 494-8186 ,or April Mason, assistant director of the Purdue Cooperative
Extension Service, (765) 494-8285.
Events
Oct. 9-11.
The Ninth Annual Purdue Conference on Romance Languages, Literatures and Film will
take place at Stewart Center. The conference will draw 150 scholars worldwide for
the purpose of promoting the study of romance languages. John Paul Russo, professor
of English from the University of Miami, will deliver the School of Liberal Arts Dean's
Lecture at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in the Anniversary Drawing Room, Purdue Memorial
Union. His topic: "The Future of the Humanities in a Technology Society." Manuel
Duran, professor of Spanish from Yale University, will deliver the keynote address, "Two
Paths in a Renaissance Grove: Shakespeare and Cervantes," at 5:45 p.m. Saturday,
Oct. 11, in the Anniversary Drawing Room of the Union. CONTACT: The Department of
Foreign Languages, (765) 494-3828 or (765) 494-7691.
Oct. 9-11.
1997 National Collegiate Waterski Association Championships at Waters Edge Estates,
Wilmington, Ill. Purdue University will be the host school for the event that will
feature about 200 skiers from 12 teams who earned spots in the nationals from six
regional competitions. CONTACTS: Chad Kodiak, tournament coordinator, (765) 495-1126; e-mail,
cjkodiak@expert.cc.purdue.edu; Web: expert.cc.purdue.edu/~h2oski/ or Jeff Surdej,
team president, (765) 497-4588; e-mail, surdej@expert.cc.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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