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October 8, 1999 JOURNALISTS: Here are five story ideas and a list of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks. BCC dedication: Homecoming highlight Purdue President Steven C. Beering will dedicate the new Black Cultural Center building at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. Journalists are invited to tour the $3 million facility at 1100 Third St. before and after the ceremony. The building was designed to capture the vigor of African-American culture and the spirit of traditional African architecture. "Its appearance evokes a feeling of community, reminiscent of the bonds that form within a traditional African village," said Renee Thomas, BCC director. Attending will be representatives of groups that made donations toward the new center, including Ford Motor Co., State Farm Insurance Cos., Caterpillar Inc., Bank One and Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc. CONTACT: Renee Thomas, BCC director, (765) 494-3091; rathomas@hfs.purdue.edu Journalists to get sneak peek at PMO show Purdue Musical Organizations invites journalists to a media night Wednesday, Oct. 13, for an informal unveiling of this year's PMO Christmas Show. The annual December extravaganza is seen live by about 36,000 people during six shows over three days, and millions also see it on public TV stations from coast to coast. The preview will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Albert P. Stewart Lounge on the first floor of the PMO offices in Elliott Hall. R.S.V.P. to Julie Ricciardi, director of the PMO Club, (765) 494-3947, jericciardi@pmo.purdue.edu And now for the drum roll .... Purdue Bands officials will announce the grand total raised during their first fund-raising campaign at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 15. The announcement will be made on the southwest side of Elliott Hall of Music, on the outside steps leading to the bands office. Journalists will be able to interview bands officials, fund-raising campaign organizers and several "All-American" Marching Band members. The campaign, "A Song Anew: Tuning Up for the Future," kicked off in April 1997 with a goal of raising $2 million. CONTACT: Kathy Matter, Bands publicist, (765) 496-6785; kcmatter@bands.purdue.edu Filmmaker makes Purdue appearance The man behind a documentary chronicling his search for descendants of the slaves from plantations once owned by his family will be at Purdue to answer questions about his award-winning film "Family Name." Videographers and photographers may take pictures during the audience question-and-answer session with filmmaker Macky Alston following the showing of the film at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18. Journalists also can arrange interviews with Alston either before or after the event. The film, which will be shown in Matthews Hall, Room 210, won a Sundance Film Festival award and was nominated for an Emmy. CONTACT: Jeanine Smith, News Service, (765) 496-3133; jeanine_smith@purdue.edu Astronauts reunite on campus Journalists are invited to cover three events in conjunction with Purdue's reunion of 18 of its 19 living alumni astronauts on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23. News conference: 3:30 p.m. Friday, Krannert Building Auditorium. KU band satellite feed available from Galaxy 7, transponder 14 upper; downlink frequency, 12005 horizontal. Broadcasters also may reserve time in advance to ask questions from their studios via satellite. Time will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Luncheon: President Steven C. Beering will talk about Purdue's engineering master plan during a speech to astronauts and other engineering alumni at a lunch that starts at noon Friday on Memorial Mall. Purdue vs. Penn State football game: The astronaut alumni will be honored Saturday on the field during halftime of the Purdue vs. Penn State football game. CONTACT: Jeanne Norberg, News Service director, (765) 494-2084; home (765) 449-4986; jnorberg@purdue.edu Events • Friday-Sunday, Oct. 15-17. Homecoming Weekend. Events for alumni include breakfasts and brunches, receptions and open houses, lunches and tailgate parties, all revolving around the football game against Michigan State University. Kickoff will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. For a full list of events on the World Wide Web. CONTACT: Nikki Horner, Purdue Alumni Association associate director, (765) 494-5175 • Friday, Oct. 15. Julie Wainwright, chief executive officer of Pets.com, San Francisco, will talk about "Frenetic, Manic, Chaotic (All Is Under Control, Really, It Is)" at 11:30 a.m. at the Krannert Executive Forum in the Krannert Building Auditorium. Reporters are asked to refrain from asking questions, videotaping or taking photographs during the lecture, but all are allowed during the student question-and-answer sessions. CONTACT: Tamyra Gibson, director of public relations, School of Management, (765) 494-4392, gibson@mgmt.purdue.edu • Friday, Oct. 15. Lecture and slide presentation by internationally recognized industrial designer Mark Sanders, principal of MAS Design, London, England. 4 p.m. Room 1144, Civil Engineering Building. Co-sponsored by the Art and Design Department at Purdue, Columbia College in Chicago and the Industrial Designers Society of America. Sanders will be available for interviews with journalists immediately after the presentation. CONTACT: Steve Visser, associate professor of visual and performing arts, (765) 494-2295, svisser@purdue.edu • Saturday, Oct. 16. A steel sculpture that doubles as a teaching tool will be unveiled on the south side of the Civil Engineering Building at 10:15 a.m. The sculpture displays various types of steel connections needed in structures such as buildings and bridges. • Thursday, Oct. 21. Walter Conti, former chairman of the National Restaurant Association and of the Culinary Institute of America, will deliver this year's Eva Goble Lecture at 4:30 p.m. in the East and West Faculty Lounges, Purdue Memorial Union. CONTACT: Deb Booth, administrative assistant, School of Consumer and Family Sciences, (765) 494-7890, boothd@cfs.purdue.edu • Monday, Oct. 25. The University Senate will meet at 2:30 p.m. in Room 302, Stewart Center, to hear Arthur Hansen talk about the challenges he faced as Purdue president from 1971 to 1982 and some of the qualities a Purdue president should have. A search is under way to find a successor to President Steven C. Beering, who is scheduled to retire June 30, 2000. CONTACT: Solomon Gartenhaus, secretary of faculties, (765) 494-2585, garten@physics.purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page