Story Idea for Media 5/3/13

Graduates gather for Commencement Eve Candlelight Ceremony – May 4. On the night before commencement, graduating students and their families congregate at 9 p.m. in front of the Thompson Library on the Oval for a very special candlelight ceremony. Students will hear from university leaders and also student Nick Meeks of Massillon, who will receive his BS in marketing. Meeks was chosen through a competitive application and audition process for the right to speak at the ceremony. The event will also include a photographic retrospective made up of images submitted by graduating students and ends with a candlelight rendition of "Carmen Ohio," Ohio State’s alma mater. CONTACT: Dave Isaacs, 614-292-8424. SEE: commencementweek.osu.edu.

Capital City Half Marathon impacts streets near campus – May 4. The Capital City Half Marathon will take place on Saturday, May 4 from approximately 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Several campus area streets, including portions of Lane Avenue, High Street and Olentangy River Road, will be closed at various times throughout the race. Motorists may experience traffic delays while traveling to and from campus. For more information, please see Capital City Half Marathon - http://capitalcityhalfmarathon.com/.

Ohio State will award 10,143 degrees – May 5. More than 10,000 students will receive their Ohio State diplomas on May 5 and become the next generation of leaders. The graduates, who are among the brightest in the university's history, enter Ohio Stadium at noon. The ceremony celebrates the academic achievements, dedication and commitment that each student has put forth to earn his or her degree. Diplomas will be given individually to each graduate, a practice rarely attempted by a university the size of Ohio State. The class includes 130 veterans, the first class of Post-911 GI Bill recipients to graduate, after the program was implemented in 2009; 50 ROTC cadets and 117 student athletes.

President Barack Obama will deliver the commencement address. Also during the commencement ceremony, honorary doctorates will be presented to President Obama, Annie Leibovitz, one of the most influential photographers of our time; Thomas D. Pollard, a professor of cell biology and molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University, and Reinhard Rummel, who has dedicated his career to determining the earth's gravity field with the utmost accuracy

Distinguished Service Awards will be presented to Carole A. Anderson, who has dedicated more than 25 years to The Ohio State University, both as a key administrator and a distinguished professor in the health sciences; George A. Skestos, who has three decades of leadership and philanthropy at the university and in the central Ohio community; and Justine "Tina" Skestos, a devoted public servant and Ohio State ambassador. Additional information is available at http://commencement.osu.edu/. CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

Ohio State University Airport hosts college flight competition – May 6-11. The best and the brightest in collegiate aviation will descend on the Ohio State University Airport to display their talents at the annual National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON), May 6-11.

The Ohio State University Flight Team, 2012 Region III champions, is one of the teams that will be competing.

SAFECON is a national competition that brings together students from colleges and universities across the country to vie to be the National Champions for both team and pilot honors. This year we will have 29 teams totaling almost 500 students; all competing in 12 different events. This competition develops and advances aviation education through a strong emphasis on aviation safety. The conference that envelops the competition provides a foundation to promote and foster communications and cooperation between aviation students, educators, and the aviation industry. SEE: http://safecon2013.com/. CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

Ohio State offers free eye exams for service dogs – May 6, 15 and 20. Veterinary ophthalmologists from The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) will offer free sight-saving eye exams for service dogs in May. Service Dog handlers and owners pre-registered in April. Ohio State’s board certified ophthalmologists are part of the ACVO®/Merial® National Service Dog Eye Exam Day, during which hundreds of veterinary ophthalmologists across the U.S. and Canada offer sight assessments to thousands of service dogs. Service dogs include those that assist people who have physical limitations, as well as search and rescue dogs, police dogs, lead dogs, and pilot dogs. These animals are devoted helpers to their owners so it is important that they are in optimal health. This is the fifth year the VMC has participated in National Service Dog Eye Exam Day. In 2012 the VMC provided 25 free exams. Exams are scheduled for Monday, May 6 with Dr. David Wilkie and on Wednesday May 15 and Monday May 20 with Dr. Anne Gemensky-Metzler. CONTACT: Melissa Weber, 614-327-6024 or weber.254@osu.edu.

Foreign Language Center launches free language app – The Ohio State University’' Foreign Language Center announced today the launch of a new, free language app, Expand Your World. Users of the Expand Your World app will be able to enjoy a cultural, demographic, economic and linguistic journey through the 31 languages taught at Ohio State.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to learn about the array of languages taught here at Ohio State," said Abhijit Varde, systems designer/developer in the Foreign Language Center. CONTACT: Abhijit Varde at Varde.1@osu.edu.SEE: http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/news/foreign-language-center-launches-free-language-app

The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Jane Carroll, carroll.296@osu.edu; Liz Cook, 614-292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; or Amy Murray, 614-292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu.