Story Ideas for Media 11-28-05

Research

Squinting while staring at a computer monitor can cause painful dry eye – Squinting at a computer screen can cut in half the number of times someone blinks each minute, which could lead to an irritating condition called dry eye, new research suggests.
The more that the participants in this study squinted their eyes, the less they blinked. And the less they blinked, the more their eyes ached or burned, along with sensations of dryness, irritation and tearing.
James Sheedy, professor of optometry at Ohio State and the study’s lead author says, “People tend to squint when they read a book or a computer display, and that squinting makes the blink rate go way down. Blinking rewets the eyes. So if your job requires a lot of reading or other visually intense work, you may be blinking far less than normal, which may cause eye strain and dry eye.” CONTACT: James Sheedy, (614) 247-7632; JSheedy@optometry.osu.edu, SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/squintrz.htm

Experts

Holiday spending – Research shows many college students risk long-term damage to their credit and financial future. As the 2005 holiday shopping season gets into full swing, many Americans will accrue vast amounts of credit card debt, particularly with anticipated high heating costs this year. Creola Johnson, an associate professor at the Moritz College of Law, has conducted research, which she reported in the paper, “Maxed Out College Students: A Call to Limit Credit Card Solicitations on College Campuses.” She offers strategies for avoiding overspending on credit cards this holiday season. CONTACT: Creola Johnson (614-292-9992) or Liz Cutler Gates (614) 292-0283.

Events

Gen. Barry McCaffrey will speak to reporters – Nov. 29. Reporters are invited to a news conference with Gen. Barry McCaffrey and Sen. John Glenn from 3 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday (11/29) during his visit to The Ohio State University. It will take place in the Page Hall Third Floor Lounge Library, 1810 College Road.
McCaffrey is the first speaker in the Battelle Headline Lecture Series, sponsored by Battelle and Ohio State’s John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy. The news conference will take place immediately before his lecture on “Security in the New Global Economy,” which will be held at 4 p.m. in the Wexner Center’s Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St.
During his visit to campus, McCaffrey, senior national security advisor to Battelle and a terrorism expert in the national media, will provide an update on the war on terror, including Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as national security at home.
During his military career, McCaffrey served overseas for 13 years and commanded an Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm. CONTACT: Laura Sipe, Glenn Institute, (614) 292-4545.

Candlelight vigil will commemorate World AIDS Day – Dec. 1. Ohio State’s Student
Wellness Center (SWC) will mark World AIDS Day Thursday (12/1) with a candlelight vigil on the Oval at 6 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to wear red to be part of the “human red ribbon” symbolizing support for people living with HIV and a symbol of hope for the future. Later that evening, the SWC offers Late Night at the RPAC: Pre-Finals Stress Relief from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The event will offer music, free massages, food and drinks, a scrabble tournament, crafts,
fitness advice and free, anonymous HIV antibody testing. CONTACT: Katye Miller, Student Wellness Center, (614) 292-4527.

Ohio State University Trustees to meet Dec. 1 and 2 – The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and its committees will meet on Thursday and Friday (12/1 and 12/2).
The schedule will include a Medical Center Affairs Committee meeting from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday (12/1) in Room H1225 of the Ross Heart Hospital, 452 W. 10th Ave.
On Friday (12/2), all meetings will be held at the Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road. The schedule includes meetings of the Agricultural Affairs Committee at 8 a.m., the Investments Committee at 9 a.m. and meetings of the Academic and Student Affairs and Fiscal Affairs Committees at 10 a.m. The formal Board meeting will begin at 11 a.m. in the Sanders Grand Lounge. Following lunch, Trustees will recess into executive session at 1:15 p.m. CONTACT: Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748.

It’s the final week of classes -- students mark the occasion with special events.
*Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between the Arts and Sciences in Interpretation of the Polar Regions For the past 9 weeks, Art and Geoscience students have attended weekly lectures at the Byrd Polar Research Center (BPRC) to study the nature of polar science and connections to art. The collaboration between Professors Todd Slaughter, Department of Art, and Garry McKenzie, Department of Geological Sciences, will culiminate on Friday (12/2) at 3:30 in 240 Scott Hall as students present their final projects for the course as students give 10-minute presentations that range from a discussion of their own discoveries to how the new information will impact their art. CONTACT: Todd Slaughter: slaughter.1@osu.edu; Garry McKenzie: 292-0655 mckenzie.4@osu.edu; Prudence Gill: gill.1@osu.edu
*Final Peak Oil Class Meets at the Movies –Students from Geological Sciences, Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Biology, Anthropology, Public Policy and Management, and Rural Sociology have spent the quarter investigating the concept of Peak Oil, including its relationship to sustainability exploring how societies can cope with, and adapt to, decreasing supplies of fossil fuels, and the status of alternative energy sources and conservation. Students in Geological Sciences 694 have been given the option of extending their class one day beyond finals week to attend and discuss a movie opening related to their course, “Syriana.” CONTACT: Kees van der Veen (614)292-6704, vanderveen.1@osu.edu, Garry McKenzie (614) 292-0655, mckenzie.4@osu.edu

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 or cook.17@osu.edu,Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748 or hoffman.511@osu.edu, or Amy Murray,(614) 292-8385, murray-goedde.1@osu.edu