Purdue News Digest
Purdue News Digest
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January 8, 1999
***View full text of news releases in this digest***
Purdue news summary for week of Jan. 3-8This digest contains summaries of the following stories from Purdue News Service and Agricultural Communication Service. All these stories, and more, are available on the World Wide Web http://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/3month.html(Instructions for retrieving stories and photographs via the Internet are at the end of this document.)
1. New equation can overcome math phobia 2. Thinkers enjoy added influence 3. Snow-choked campus, city to greet returning students 4. Winter weather delays spring semester payment date 5. Tony Brown to speak at Purdue in honor of MLK Day 6. Ag Alumni Fish Fry to support Indiana hog farmers 7. Videoconference examines future of Indiana pork producers 8. Purdue News Roundup (9901f7)
12. Best Bets for Journalists 13. Tax experts 14. Inside Purdue and Perspective
RESEARCH NEWS AND SPECIAL REPORTS
1. New equation can overcome math phobia One of the nation's leading mathematics educators has a formula for eradicating math phobia: Recognize that basic calculation skills and rules are only about one-fourth of what students need to know, even though those are the easiest skills to measure. "We must broaden the definition of what constitutes good mathematical skills and create new ways to measure them," says Richard Lesh, the new director of Purdue's School Mathematics and Science Center. "Calculation and rule-following only make up a small part of the big picture in terms of what students need to know, but because they are the easiest skills to measure, that's what schools emphasize."
2. Thinkers enjoy added influence Charm, looks and personality can take you only so far. If you want to influence people -- try using your brain. "In studying influential people, researchers are seeing that persons who enjoy thinking have added impact," says Duane Wegener, associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue. These thinkers are described as having a "need for cognition," or NC. Wegener says these people have a desire to use their brains, which results in their forming strong opinions. "One of the reasons they are influential is the strength of the attitudes they hold," he says. A study by Wegener and two colleagues about how jurors make decisions supports the proposition that persons high in NC have more influence.
GENERAL INTEREST NEWS
3. Snow-choked campus, city to greet returning students The thousands of students returning to West Lafayette for Monday's (1/11) start of the spring semester will encounter driving and parking problems because of snow-packed streets and parking lots. Purdue administrators are urging students to leave cars home if possible. Those who do drive should allow extra time to find parking. Purdue is making arrangements for students to park cars on cleared lots to facilitate further plowing of city and campus streets, Bill Coghill, director of safety and security and chief of police, said. Additionally, West Lafayette officials are making the old Sears parking lot and the old McDonald's parking lot in the Levee area available for students.
4. Winter weather delays spring semester payment date The severe snowstorm last weekend has pushed back fee payment and class cancellation deadlines at Purdue. Registrar Marlesa Roney said student fees for the spring semester were due Jan. 4, but the weather has interrupted mail delivery for many Indiana communities. "Because of the weather, we have extended the deadline to Monday, Jan. 11," Roney said. "We will not be canceling any student's class schedule until after 5 p.m. Monday."
5. Tony Brown to speak at Purdue in honor of MLK Day Tony Brown, host of the nation's longest-running African-American public affairs show, will help Purdue remember the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Brown will talk about "Addressing the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr." at 7 p.m. that day in Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center. The speech, sponsored by the Office of Human Relations, is part of the university celebration of King's birthday. The event is free and open to the public.
AGRICULTURAL NEWS
6. Ag Alumni Fish Fry to support Indiana hog farmers Although Purdue agricultural alumni far and wide know it as the Ag Alumni Fish Fry, this year a more appropriate name might by the Ag Alumni Pork Fry. For the first time in at least 50 years, fish will not be on the menu at the fish fry, which will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 22, in the Purdue Armory. Instead, the menu will consist of boneless pork loins. "This is our way of showing support for the tough times the Indiana pork industry is going through," said Donya Lester, executive secretary of the Ag Alumni Association. The day will begin with the Purdue Ag Forecast at 9:15 a.m. at Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center. A panel of experts from government and the financial sector will discuss monetary policies and international trade's effects on U.S. agriculture. That program is free. Fish fry tickets cost $12 and must be purchased in advance. They are available from all county Extension offices, Purdue agricultural departments, and the Ag Alumni Association, (765) 494-8593.
7. Videoconference examines future of Indiana pork producers To help pork producers cope with the lowest prices for pork since the Great Depression, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service specialists will hold a videoconference, "The Future of Indiana Pork Producers," at 7 p.m. Thursday (1/14). This is the second videoconference Purdue has broadcast with advice and strategies to help pork producers. The first, "Crisis in the Pork Industry," aired Dec. 17. The videoconference will be shown at select Purdue Cooperative Extension Service offices in counties across the state from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST. Producers can call their county Extension office or (888) EXT-INFO to find out which counties will carry the program.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
8. Purdue News Roundup See summary of headlines at beginning of this document.
9. Ag News Roundup See summary of headlines at beginning of this document.
10. Arts News Roundup See summary of headlines at beginning of this document.
11. Purdue calendar This calendar lists entertainment events, lectures, exhibits and meetings involving Purdue people during the next four weeks. An interactive, on-line calendar of Purdue events.
12. Best Bets for Journalists Best Bets has a tip from a nutrition professor about how restaurant patrons can make sure they order healthy foods, plus details about these events: Purdue President Steven C. Beering will speak at Jan. 14 dedication of Subaru-Isuzu Automotive's new training and reception center; Purdue students, faculty and staff will participate in "A Day of Service" on Jan. 18, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday; Tony Brown, host and executive producer of "Tony Brown's Journal," will lecture Jan. 19 as part of the university celebration of King's birthday; an award-winning history professor will conduct a "Conversation About Teaching" on Jan. 20; the Student Union Board will sponsor an activities carnival Jan. 21; the Ag Alumni Fish Fry begins at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 22; and the Purdue Jazz Festival on Jan. 23 will bring 89 middle- and high-school jazz groups to campus. 13. Tax experts These experts can discuss end-of-year tax issues and the "bigger picture" tax questions such as proposed tax cuts, state surpluses and capital gains taxes.
14. Inside Purdue and Perspective Check the on-line versions of Inside Purdue , the faculty/staff newspaper, and Perspective , a quarterly publication for alumni, parents of students, faculty and staff, for other news about Purdue.
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