Purdue News
Purdue News
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March 23, 2001 Purdue goes buggy over Spring Fest, other activities, April 7-8WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Craving exotic foods? Try a mouthful of bug stir fry. Sound too grubby? Milk a cow instead. Lactose intolerant? Go climb a tree.
Purdue University's Spring Fest activities, which occur during Mother's Weekend, will offer fun for kids of all ages, Saturday and Sunday, April 7 and 8, on the West Lafayette campus. Sponsored by the schools of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Science and Consumer and Family Sciences, Spring Fest offers a schedule that includes nearly 100 different events, activities, demonstrations and seminars. In addition to Spring Fest, other weekend events are the national Rube Goldberg competition, a children's theater performance, a free Purdue Bands concert and the Jahari Dance Troupe Spring Revue. "The nice thing about Spring Fest is that it gives people an opportunity to interact with professors and students in a way that's fun and educational," said Dana Neary, special events coordinator for Purdue's School of Agriculture. "Not only does Spring Fest make the West Lafayette campus accessible to people who would normally not visit, but the event helps kids cultivate an interest in the sciences and agriculture." Visitors can plan their day in advance by calling 1-888-EXT-INFO for more information or by visiting the Spring Fest Web site. Spring Fest maps with site locations and a list of activities will be available both days of the event at the information tent, located next to the Agricultural Administration Building on State Street. All events are free and open to the public. Parking also is free in Purdue parking garages and lots. Spring Fest hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Saturday and Sunday events and participating schools are: • The Bug Bowl, which returns for both days with a line-up that includes cockroach races, a petting zoo, face painting, honey tasting, a butterfly exhibit and a cake-decorating contest, featuring cakes with insect shapes and motifs. Bug Bowl events will be in Smith Hall and in and around the Agricultural Administration Building. • The Horticulture Show, one of Purdue's longest-running traditions, which will feature a "Garden of the Senses" built by Horticultural Society members especially for the 88th annual edition of the event. There also will be a plant sale, children's activities and advice for gardeners and homeowners. The show will be in and around the Horticulture Building. • Special activities for infants and toddlers, a geography quiz game and a "Financial Fitness" table on the Memorial Mall. The activities are sponsored by the School of Consumer and Family Sciences. • The Boiler Barnyard with cow milking, sheep shearing demonstrations and live animals. These activities are sponsored by the Department of Animal Sciences in front of South Hall. • A walk-through maze and coloring activities with Bob the Bacterium and the Apple Scab Fungus highlight events sponsored by the departments of Agronomy and Botany and Plant Pathology in front of the Lilly Hall of Life Sciences. Other exhibits will teach about genetic resistance, fungi, microbes, weeds and pesticide safety. • The Department of Biology will present a hands-on tidal pool in the Lilly Hall of Life Sciences lobby with sea urchins, starfish and sand dollars. Other exhibits will show how a fly's eye develops, how the brain works and the mystery of viruses and proteins. • Classic tractors on display at the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering's site near the Agricultural Mall. Children can steer their way through a pedal-powered tractor obstacle course and adults can enter for a chance to win a children's playhouse that will be built during the weekend. • The Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences' dinosaur and fossil displays on the Memorial Mall. Visitors will be able to create fossil artwork and make dinosaur tracks. • The fourth annual Spring Fest scavenger hunt, which also will take place on Saturday and Sunday, begins at the information tent in front of the Agricultural Administration Building. The hunt will require participants to find what pine cones and string beans have in common, how many toes a squirrel has on its front foot and what vegetable has more organic minerals than a swimming pool full of water. This activity is being promoted in area schools as a class project, and teachers can access the questions via a Web site. Saturday-only Spring Fest events and participating schools are: • The School of Veterinary Medicine open house at Lynn Hall with demonstrations of live animal spaying, a sheriff K-9 unit, guide dogs and horse training, as well as tours of the school. • The Brick Bowl, on the Agricultural Mall, which challenges teams of Purdue landscape architecture and landscape horticulture students to design and build residential address markers. A demonstration of bricklaying begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. The contest begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. The winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m., and finished products will be on display Sunday. • Exhibits from the Forestry and Natural Resources Department, Agricultural Economics, 4-H Youth Development, Food Sciences and the Department of Biochemistry on the south campus. The School of Science will have exhibits on the Memorial Mall. • The third annual Mothers' Weekend Arts and Crafts show in the Purdue Memorial Union, presented by the Student Union Board. Vendors will display their work in the Union ballrooms and first floor lounges. Campus events on April 7-8, which are not related to Spring Fest, include: SATURDAY Purdue Varsity Glee Club. 9-9:15 a.m. Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center. Open to middle school children. Contact: Frank Kuntz, (765) 494-6821, kuntzf@purdue.edu. Free. ENVision. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Engineering Mall. An engineering open house sponsored by the Engineering Student Council. National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. 11 a.m., West Lafayette High School Gymnasium, 1105 N. Grant Street, West Lafayette. This year's task is to select, clean and peel an apple. Sponsored by Theta Tau Fraternity, the event is free and open to the public. Grand Prix practice run. Noon at the go-kart track north of Ross-Ade Stadium. Free. Science Undergraduate Research Day. Student summary sessions will be presented from 1-2 p.m. in Room 202, Stewart Center. Student posters will be on display from 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 218, Stewart Center. Free. "GOLD RUSH!" Theatreworks/USA. 2 p.m., Long Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Lafayette. A musical that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the opening of the West by the pioneers. A part of the new Family Adventures series presented by Purdue Convocations. $7 general public, $5 Purdue students. Contact: Larry Sommers, (765) 494-5045, lsommers@purdue.edu. Prairie Home Companion. 4:45 p.m., Elliott Hall of Music. Sold out. Contact: Larry Sommers, (765) 494-5045, lsommers@purdue.edu. Society of Professional Engineers banquet and ball. 7-10 p.m., West Faculty Lounge, Union. Contact: Edwin Schneider, (765) 743-1171. $15 for individual tickets, $25 for couples. Drill Team Reunion. 7 p.m. Armory. An event for Purdue University's award-winning ROTC drill team from the 50s and 60s. Contact John Trott, (765) 538-3795, jtrott007@earthlink.net. SUNDAY University Honors Convocation. 11 a.m., Elliott Hall of Music. The annual awards ceremony honors outstanding faculty members universitywide and in each of the undergraduate schools. Dean's list or semester honors students from the spring and fall semesters are recognized, as are winners of yearend student and staff awards. Percussion/Winter Drum Line Concert. 7 p.m. Fowler Hall, Purdue Stewart Center. Look for Purdue's percussion specialist Pam Nave to create a percussion program with unusual twists – brooms and cans have been featured instruments in past specialty numbers. Contact: Kathy Matter, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu; phone. Free. Source: Dana Neary, (765) 494-9113; dn@aes.purdue.edu Writer: Bob Johnson, (765) 496-7704, bobwjohnson@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu PHOTO CAPTION: A publication-quality photograph is available at the News Service Web site and at the ftp site. Photo ID: Springfest.preview
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