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December 3, 1999 JOURNALISTS: Here are two story ideas and a list of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks. Purdue prepares for winter commencement Approximately 2,920 students are eligible to participate in West Lafayette commencement ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19 in the Elliott Hall of Music. The morning ceremony is for the Schools of Agriculture, Education, Liberal Arts, Management, Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Science. The afternoon ceremony is for the Schools of Consumer and Family Sciences, Engineering, Technology, and Veterinary Medicine. Purdue President Steven C. Beering will address the new graduates during both ceremonies. C. Tristan Stayton, Lexington, Ky., will give the student response during the morning ceremony. Stayton is earning a bachelor's degree in earth and atmospheric sciences. Megan Nicole Ober, Indianapolis, will give the student response during the afternoon ceremony. She will earn a bachelor's degree in child development and family studies. Journalists who want to cover either ceremony will need tickets. To make arrangements, call Mike Willis, (765) 494-0371, or Jesica Webb, (765) 494-2079, at the Purdue News Service. Holiday pet hazards 'Tis the season to be cautious, especially when it comes to safeguarding your pet against potential holiday dangers. As pet owners enjoy their holiday indulgences, they must take care to protect their pets from doing the same. Alan M. Beck, director of Purdue's Center for the Human-Animal Bond, gives the following safety tips for your pet: • Make sure chocolate gifts and alcoholic beverages, which can be life threatening, are out of reach. • Don’t let your pet chew on the Christmas tree or drink the water – both contain volatile oils that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. • Keep seasonal plants such as holly, poinsettia, mistletoe and amaryllis out of reach, since they not only upset the digestive tract, but also can suppress the central nervous system • Watch electric cords for tree lights. Animals can get a fatal shock if they chew through a cord. For more information regarding pet health, safety and socialization during the holidays, you can reach Beck, who is the Dorothy N. McAllister Professor of Animal Ecology, at work (765) 494-0854 or home (765) 497-7881. National Animal Poison Control Center 24 hours, (888) 426-4435. Events • Wednesday, Dec. 8.  Dan Berkovitz, deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, will talk about "The Environmental Legacy of the Cold War: The Challenge of Cleaning up the Department of Energy's Nuclear Weapons Complex." The 4:30 p.m. lecture in Room 1252, Civil Engineering Building, is part of the Monsanto Colloquium series about remediation engineering and science. CONTACT: Suresh Rao, the Lee A. Rieth Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, (765) 496-6554, pscr@ecn.purdue.edu • Monday, Dec. 13.  A Jewish New Yorker and a Christian New Yorker will engage in a "Diversity Dialogue" at noon in Room B2, Stone Hall. The series, co-sponsored by the Purdue Bahai Club and the Purdue Diversity Resource Office, features guided discussions between two people with a specific thing in common and a specific difference. CONTACT: Alan Manifold, series coordinator, (765) 494-2857 • Saturday, Dec. 18.  Board of Trustees meeting. 10 a.m. Room 304 (Anniversary Drawing Room), Purdue Memorial Union. CONTACTS: Jeanne V. Norberg, director, Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2084; jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu, or Joseph L. Bennett, vice president for university relations, (765) 494-2082; joe_bennett@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page