Story Ideas for Media 2-12-07

News

Using editorial cartoons to teach history. When it comes to explaining a complex idea, sometimes a picture is worth a thousands words. Because of increased interest among Ohio's K-12 teachers in using editorial cartoons as a tool for teaching history, Ohio State has created The Opper Project. The website, http://hti.osu.edu/opper, offers lesson plans that integrate editorial cartoons on topics that include American Imperialism, the Red Scare, the Civil Rights Movement and others. The lesson plans were designed by teachers and aligned with the state's content standards for social studies. The Opper Project is a joint effort by Ohio State's Cartoon Research Library, The Ohio State University History Teaching Institute, and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. The site is named for Ohioan Frederick Burr Opper (1857-1937), who was the first great American-born editorial cartoonist. CONTACT: Stuart Hobbs, director, History Teaching Institute, (614) 247-9015, hobbs.2@osu.edu

Research

To avoid back injury at work, study recommends taking more breaks. Workers who lift for a living need to take longer or more frequent breaks than they now do to avoid back injury, according to a new Ohio State University study. The study also suggests that people who are new on the job need to take breaks even more often than experienced workers, and that the risk of injury is higher at the end of a work shift. People who participated in the study lifted boxes onto conveyor belts for eight hours, while researchers measured the amount of oxygen that was reaching the muscles in their lower back. William Marras, professor of industrial welding and systems engineering, says the oxygen level indicated how hard the muscles were working, and whether they were becoming fatigued. Marras' research and others' has shown that muscle fatigue is linked to back injury.
The study, which appeared in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Biomechanics, is the first to examine what happens to muscle oxygenation over a full workday. CONTACT: William Marras, (614) 292-6670; Marras.1@osu.edu, SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/muscleox.htm

Events

Policy forum series explores drugs and sports – Feb. 15. William Morgan, professor in the School of Physical Activity and Education Services, delivers "A Moral Look at the Performance-Enhancing Drug Wars in Elite Sports and the Implications for the Larger Public," at noon on Thursday (2/15) as part of the new Food for Thought Policy Forums sponsored by The John Glenn School of Public Affairs. Morgan teaches classes in the philosophy of sport, sport ethics, and social theories of sport and also serves as interim director for the Sport & Citizenship Initiative housed in the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. His publications include two books: Why Sports Morally Matter, and a book dealing with critical theory entitled Leftist Theories of Sport: A Critique and Reconstruction. All forums are held in Page Hall's Policy Forum, 1810 College Road and are free, but RSVP's are required to feb15@jgippm.ohio-state.edu. CONTACT: Patti Confar, (614) 247-8181.

Senator/Astronaut John Glenn marks 45th anniversary of historic 1962 flight – Feb. 20. On Feb. 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth. Ohio State's John Glenn School of Public Affairs is hosting two events to celebrate the achievement. At 9:47 a.m., the exact time of the launch 45 years ago, Glenn will talk about the experience in a public lecture, "Friendship 2007: A Conversation with John Glenn," in the John Glenn Extreme Screen Theater at COSI, 333 W. Broad Street. The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. A limited number of tickets are available beginning today (2/12) at the 350 reception desk in Page Hall. Each person can pick up a maximum of two tickets.
In addition, the Glenn School will present a special exhibit of archival material from the John Glenn Archives related to the historic Friendship 7 flight. The exhibit will be located on the ground floor of Page Hall for the next 45 days. CONTACT: Laura Sipe, (614) 247-6369.

BuckeyeThon dance marathon benefits Columbus Children's Hospital – Feb. 17. Ohio State students and members of the Columbus community will participate in the sixth annual BuckeyeThon, a 14 hour dance marathon benefiting Columbus Children's Hospital. The marathon, called "A Party With a Purpose," is from noon on Saturday (2/17) through 2 a.m. on Sunday (2/18) in the Tom W. Davis Event Center/Gym at the RPAC, 337 W 17th Ave. More than 350 dancers are expected. The event has raised more than $135,000 since it began, including over $37,000 last year. CONTACT: Lindsey Ruwe, (513) 289-3224. SEE: http://www.buckeyethon.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; Jim Lynch; (614) 247-4110 or lynch.270@osu.edu; or Amy Murray; (614) 292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu