sealPurdue Story Ideas, Events
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JOURNALISTS: Here are story ideas and a list of selected Purdue events during the next two weeks.

November 25, 2002

STORY IDEAS

1. Service learning links volunteerism with class curricula

PURDUE EVENTS

Monday, Dec. 2 – Indiana's largest indoor holiday tree to be raised in Purdue Memorial Union
Friday, Dec. 6 – Black Cultural Center sponsors Cultural Arts Festival
Dec. 6-8 - Curtains to rise for PMO Christmas Show

 

Service learning links volunteerism with class curricula

Universities across the country are combining volunteerism with class projects, and Purdue has embraced the trend with several such service-learning projects.

Last year Purdue began a national program to link engineering students to Habitat for Humanity through the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program. Another program involves Spanish students at Purdue who are helping native Spanish-speaking children with their homework at Glen Acres Elementary School in Lafayette. Purdue classes in urban design are planning for downtown Chicago's widespread use of the environmentally friendly Segway scooter, which is scheduled to go on the market in April.

Through these service-learning programs, Purdue is among the leaders in higher education working to simultaneously provide students with real-life experience and respond to community needs.

CONTACT: Sally Frost Mason, Purdue provost, (765) 494-6389, sfmason@purdue.edu; Leah H. Jamieson, EPICS co-founder, (765) 494- 3653, lhj@purdue.edu; Teresa Nunes, Spanish service learning co-founder, (765) 496-6298, sergipe1@yahoo.com; Monica Casanova, Glen Acres club coordinator, (765) 771-6150; Howard Grabois, Spanish service-learning program director, (765) 496-6082, hgrabois@purdue.edu; Kim Wilson, landscape architecture professor, (765) 494-1308, wilson@hort.purdue.edu.

 

Events

Indiana's largest indoor holiday tree to be raised in Purdue Memorial Union
Monday, Dec. 2. Noon. Purdue Memorial Union. A 25-foot tree, offered by Murdock Elementary School in Lafayette, will be raised. The holiday tree will be decorated later that afternoon by Purdue Student Union Board students and Purdue Memorial Union staff. Lafayette area performing groups will provide entertainment near the tree on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The tree will be remain standing through Sunday, Dec. 15. Holidays Around the World, in which cultural and religious groups will provide table displays to demonstrate how more than 15 different holidays are celebrated, will be from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Breakfast with Santa will take place from 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, on the ground floor of the Purdue Memorial Union. CONTACT: Heather Owen, PSUB program adviser, (765) 494-8909, owenh@purdue.edu.

Black Cultural Center sponsors Cultural Arts Festival
Friday, Dec. 6. 7 p.m. Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center. Journalists are invited to attend the Cultural Arts Festival. The event will wrap up the Black Cultural Center's Cultural Arts Series, which has featured the Harlem Renaissance. The BCC Performing Arts Ensembles, including the Black Voices of Inspiration, the New Directional Players, the Jahari Dance Troupe and the Haraka Writers, will collaborate in song, dance and drama. The festival will be followed by a "rent party," modeled after the informal gatherings of the 1930s when tenants in Harlem who needed rent money would throw parties. Admission is $5 for music, dancing and card playing. Proceeds will be donated to a local charity. CONTACT: Renee Thomas, BCC director, (765) 494-3091, rathomas@purdue.edu.

Curtains to rise for PMO Christmas Show
Dec. 6-8. The 69th annual PMO Christmas Show will take the stage six times in three days in the Elliott Hall of Music. Show times are: Friday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 7, at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Journalists are invited to attend a dress rehearsal from 8-9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, in the Elliott Hall of Music. Meet PMO staff before the rehearsal at the office door on the south side of the Elliott Hall of Music. Photos are permitted and student interviews can be arranged. Parking is available at the University Street parking garage. CONTACT: Julie Ricciardi, PMO Club director, (765) 494-3947, jericciardi@purdue.edu.

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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