Story Ideas for Media 10/5/09

News

Ohio State solar house competes in Washington. Ohio State’s first solar house is being reconstructed on the National Mall ahead of the opening ceremony for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Ohio State’s energy efficient solar house, which was built next to Ohio Stadium all summer, will be judged in 10 contests that evaluate engineering, architecture, comfort and other aspects of the house. The teams will have to perform everyday tasks, including cooking, laundry and washing dishes, to test the energy efficiency of their homes.
Media open house takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. An Ohio State student has been selected to make remarks at the opening ceremony at 1 p.m. on Thursday (10/8). Houses are open for public tours Oct. 9-13 and 15-18. The winning team will be announced on Oct. 16.
For this year’s solar decathlon, OxBlue Corporation is providing three solar powered high definition construction cameras for the event. One has Ohio State’s house front and center. It’s the gray one on the left. http://oxblue.com/pro/open/solardecathlon/cam2 CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

Research

Ohio State study: Body posture affects confidence in your own thoughts. Sitting up straight in your chair isn’t just good for your posture – it also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts, according to a new study co-authored by Richard Petty, professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
Researchers found that people who were told to sit up straight were more likely to believe thoughts they wrote down while in that posture concerning whether they were qualified for a job.
On the other hand, those who were slumped over their desks were less likely to accept these written-down feelings about their own qualifications.
Petty says the results show how our body posture can affect not only what others think about us, but also how we think about ourselves.
“Most of us were taught that sitting up straight gives a good impression to other people. But it turns out that our posture can also affect how we think about ourselves. If you sit up straight, you end up convincing yourself by the posture you’re in.” CONTACT: Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/posture.htm

Events

A Dialogue with the President of Somalia – Oct. 7.(Invitation Only Event) Ohio State University will host the President of Somalia, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, in a dialogue with faculty, staff and students as he presents his viewpoints on higher education and prospects for peace in Somalia. The President will take questions from the audience with the assistance of an interpreter. The event is Wednesday, October 7 at 1:30 p.m. at the Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road. Media Availability: There will be an opportunity for the media to interview the president immediately following the program at 2:30 p.m. Please contact Maureen Miller at the Office of International Affairs, (614) 247-2462, (614) 307-0062 cell, or miller.4468@osu.edu in advance.

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: Liz Cook, (614) 292-7276, Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748, Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110, or Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.