19
February
2012
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18:00 PM
America/New_York

Story Ideas for Media 2/20/12

News

BuckeyeThon dance marathon bigger than ever this year – Feb. 25-26. Approximately 2,500 Ohio State students are expected to dance the night away in the annual BuckeyeThon, Ohio State’s largest student philanthropy which raises money to fight childhood cancer. BuckeyeThon begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday (2/25) in the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St. Students dance and participate in activities until 8 a.m. on Sunday (2/26) with all proceeds going to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Central Ohio’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
With 1 in 17 undergraduates registered to participate in the dance marathon, BuckeyeThon is currently the seventh largest Children’s Miracle Network dance marathon in the nation. Last year’s BuckeyeThon raised nearly $225,000; a 126% increase. Now in its 11th year, BuckeyeThon has expanded its goals and record setting registration numbers and a fundraising goal of $275,000. CONTACT: Alexis Murray, Media Relations Chair, BuckeyeThon 2012, (410) 925-3133.

Research

In the mouth, smoking zaps healthy bacteria, welcomes pathogens. According to a new study, smoking causes the body to turn against its own helpful bacteria, leaving smokers more vulnerable to disease.
Despite the daily disturbance of brushing and flossing, the mouth of a healthy person contains a stable ecosystem of healthy bacteria. New research shows that the mouth of a smoker is a much more chaotic, diverse ecosystem—and is much more susceptible to invasion by harmful bacteria.
As a group, smokers suffer from higher rates of oral diseases – especially gum disease – than do nonsmokers, which is a challenge for dentists, according to Purnima Kumar, assistant professor of periodontology at Ohio State University. She and her colleagues are involved in a multi-study investigation of the role the body’s microbial communities play in preventing oral disease.
“The smoker’s mouth kicks out the good bacteria, and the pathogens are called in,” said Kumar. “So they’re allowed to proliferate much more quickly than they would in a non-smoking environment.”
SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/smokingbiofilm.htm. CONTACT: Pam Frost Gorder, (614) 292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu

Events

College of Social Work hosts workshop in response to recent sexual abuse scandals – Feb. 22. Millions watched The Oprah Show as Dr. Howard Fradkin offered hope and inspiration to male survivors of sexual abuse. On February 22, from 1 - 4 p.m., Fradkin will lead a workshop to enhance participants’ ability to recognize sexual victimization and identify survivors of sexual abuse. This workshop is especially relevant in light of the recent sexual abuse scandals that have occurred throughout the country. It is targeted toward the campus community, athletic directors, administrators, child-care facility workers, parents, and human service professionals and will be held at the Archie Griffin Ballroom in the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St. CONTACT: Frankie Jones-Harris, (614) 292-3540, (614) 330-2206, or jones-harris.1@osu.edu.

Justice Yvette McGee Brown to deliver lecture – Feb. 23. The College of Social Work will host its annual Robert J. O’Leary Memorial Lecture at 6 p.m. on Thursday (2/23) at the Fawcett Center auditorium, 2400 Olentangy River Rd. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown will serve as this year’s O’Leary speaker. She will speak on the theme, “Justice in the Child Welfare System.” This event is free and open to the public. CONTACT: Frankie Jones-Harris, College of Social Work, (614) 292-3540, (614) 330-2206, or jones-harris.1@osu.edu. SEE: http://csw.osu.edu/research/oleary.

Screenings of documentary Miss Representation and panel discussions – Feb. 26-27. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The documentary premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network in October. Ohio State’s Department of Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies, The Women’s Place, the Office of Outreach & Engagement, The Girls Circle Project, and King Avenue United Methodist Church bring the film to Columbus for its first local showings which take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday (2/26) at the Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St; and at 6 p.m. on Monday (2/27) at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St.
Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion (Sunday panel: Barbara Riley, former director of the Ohio Department of Aging; Mary Jo Hudson, former director of the Ohio Department of Insurance and Columbus City Council member; and Ohio Senator Charleta B. Tavares. Monday panel: Dr. Shari Savage from the Department of Art Education and Victoria Genetin from the Department of Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies. CONTACT: Wendy Smooth, (614) 247-8449 or smooth.1@osu.edu. SEE: http://womensplace.osu.edu/the-womens-place-events.html

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