Purdue Best Bets

April 7, 2000 JOURNALISTS: Here are some story ideas and a list of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks. Bug Bowl and Springfest: Sure signs of spring The 10th annual Purdue Bug Bowl on April 15 and 16 will feature more of the antics traditionally associated with this party of pests. Cockroach racing, cricket spitting, a cake-decorating contest, insect crafts, an insect petting zoo, and the caterpillar canter, a six-legged race where children imitate caterpillar locomotion, are among the activities. The Bug Bowl is part of Purdue's Springfest, which draws more than 10,000 people to campus each year. Activities run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Springfest also includes the 87th annual Horticulture Show, the 37th annual Veterinary Medicine Open House (Saturday only), the Agricultural Economics Marketing Madness tent, an animal sciences open house and scores of other activities. The events are held in and around the agricultural buildings on campus. CONTACTS: Bug Bowl, Tom Turpin, (765) 494-4568, tom_turpin@purdue.edu; Springfest, Dana Neary, (765) 494-9113, dn@aes.purdue.edu 4-H volunteers: Lifeblood of the organization National Volunteer Week is April 23-29, and for 4-H, it's the volunteers that help keep it one of the top youth organizations in the country. Last year in Indiana, nearly 15,000 adults and 5,900 teens gave their time to support 4-H clubs and activities. "We really appreciate the efforts of these volunteers," says Janet Gordon, state 4-H program leader. "Many of our volunteers serve 4-H for years, giving youths dedicated, stable role models." Some volunteers work with 4-H for 50 to 60 years. For information on local volunteers, call (888) EXT-INFO and ask for your county 4-H educator. CONTACT: Janet Gordon (765) 494-8422 Events • Monday, April 10.  Women in Engineering Career Day. This daylong event, sponsored by Purdue's Schools of Engineering and the Society of Women Engineers, is open to all young women in their junior year of high school, as well as their parents and teachers. Amy Ross, a space suit project engineer with NASA who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue, will deliver the keynote speech during a noon luncheon at the Purdue Memorial Union North Ballroom. CONTACT: Jane Daniels, director of Purdue's Women in Engineering Program, (765) 494-3889, jdaniels@purdue.edu • Wednesday-Friday, April 12-14.  Advisory board meeting of the Global Trade Analysis Consortium. The group helps support Purdue's Global Trade Analysis Project, which maintains the world's most complete database and computer modeling software for analyzing world trade issues. The project is coordinated by the Center for Global Trade Analysis, housed in Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics. The GTAP membership roster includes the World Trade Organization, World Bank, European Commission, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and several national governments. The sessions are not open to the public, but journalists can arrange interviews with participating trade officials. CONTACT: Steve Leer, Agricultural Communications, (765) 494-8415 • Thursday, April 13.  Jewish Studies Public Lecture –The Ben and Louise Klatch Distinguished Lecture. 4:30 p.m. Krannert Building Auditorium. Robert Alter, Purdue Class of 1937 and professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley, will discuss "The Bible and the Challenge of Interpretation." CONTACTS: Sandor Goodhart, director of Jewish Studies, (765) 494-3720, goodhart@purdue.edu, or Alice Wenger, (765) 494-965, awenger@sla.purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page