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Pomp, circumstance and a moment of history

June 16, 2010

Metro HS celebrates its first graduating class — and all of them are headed to college

By Julia Harris

On June 12, COSI played host to not one but two one-of-a-kind exhibits: An array of artifacts from the Titanic and a parade of beaming high school seniors, graduating as the first-ever class of Metro Early College High School.

For the group of 75 students, it was a day of family, friends and endless photographs.

For Marcy Raymond, their proud and misty-eyed principal, it was just about perfect. “I love them all,” she said. “They’ve done everything we asked them to do, they’ve done things that no one else has done before and all of them are going on to college. It’s very cool.”

Raymond is not afraid to admit that four years ago, no one was quite sure how the fledgling STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school was going to accomplish the lofty goals it had set for itself. Paramount among those goals was that every Metro student, given the opportunity to take classes at Ohio State and engage in learning experiences with school partners like Battelle and COSI, would go on to college.

Launching any new venture, particularly one as ambitious as Metro, is bound to be fraught with challenge and even the occasional mistake. Just ask three of the newly minted grads, students onCampus has been following since they walked through the doors at the school four years ago.

“Oh, man, no one liked Metro,” said Uneek McKnight, one of the original 93 members of that very first class (now there are 354 total students, a full complement from grades 9-12).

McKnight plans to attend Columbus State for two years before pursuing an art degree at either CCAD, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh or the Art Institute of San Francisco. “We were like guinea pigs and a lot of things didn’t go right.”

Brittany Krause, who has been accepted to Ohio Dominican for next year, chimed in with a smile. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”

And strong they have become. They have learned to be flexible when they have to be, says Raymond, and they’ve learned to advocate for their own learning and achievement. They have learned to push themselves and to have high expectations of themselves and others.

“They’ve learned to be agile, they’ve learned to accept ambiguity — which is exactly what we need in the 21st century. It’s always harder for the pioneers,” she said.

Of course, not all was gloom and doom. This spring, Metro held its very first junior-senior prom at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

“It was beautiful and well-organized and a lot of fun,” said Krause, who was a self-proclaimed social organizer her first two years at Metro. She toyed briefly with the idea of a career in fashion but has since declared a major in biology and wants to become a doctor.

“Service-learning opportunities I had at Metro taught me that I really like giving back, watching people succeed and be happy.”

She’s not the only one who has a fairly secure grasp on her future. Zach Haynes, who has grown from a shy and reluctant scholar into a well-spoken and ambitious young man, credits Metro with sharpening his own outlook. He has accepted a place at Marietta College, where he plans to pursue a career in petroleum engineering.

He’s only a bit sheepish about choosing Marietta over Ohio State, even though he’s earned 43 credits from OSU — enough for an impressive jumpstart in his undergraduate education. He said he was more comfortable with the size of the college in southeastern Ohio.

“When I went looking at colleges, Marietta had more of a small-classroom feel,” he said.

While none of the three have chosen to enroll at Ohio State, Raymond says 44 percent of the graduating Metro seniors will attend OSU in the fall, a statistic with which she is more than pleased.

And for Metro itself, while funding continues to be tight and the balancing act of personalizing education for 300-plus students will always be tricky, the future remains bright. It’s a bit of a pioneer itself, after all — a model for the application of STEM learning models in schools across the country.

Raymond, somewhat of an ambassador for this new way of “doing” school, has been working with schools in New York and Tennessee as they move toward a STEM model and is excited by the possibilities.

“STEM is a way of thinking and doing, not about the courses,” she said. “Agility is key. It’s what kids need to survive in a collegiate environment.”

The Metro habits

All members of the Metro community seek to improve their practice of the “Metro Habits of Heart and Mind:”

• Effective Communicator
• Inquiring Learner
• Active and Responsible Decision Maker
• Effective Collaborator
• Critical Thinker
• Engaged Learner

Intervention program helps breast cancer patients live longer

June 16, 2010

By Jeff Grabmeier, Research Communications

A psychological intervention program designed for breast cancer patients reduces the risk of dying if the cancer recurs, new research shows.

The study is the latest in a series at Ohio State that have shown that an intervention program that teaches patients how to cope with the disease can boost their health, well-being and even their chances of survival. Continue reading ‘Intervention program helps breast cancer patients live longer’

Mike Thompson, WOSU Public Media

June 16, 2010

Though many pundits have been sounding the death knell of newspapers because of new technology and people’s reading habits, it hasn’t happened yet. Does radio face a similar situation? While every media organization is in a state of flux due to the changing ways listeners can access our services, radio probably has a little more time than the newspaper industry to adjust and take advantage of the opportunities new technology brings our way. For now nothing beats the convenience of hopping in your car and turning on the car radio to get a combination of music, news, weather, sports and traffic. But the car “radio” is definitely changing. Fairly soon every dashboard will feature a wireless Internet device that offers on-demand streaming audio from around the world. When those devices become ubiquitous and as easy to use as current over-the-air radios, if we don’t offer the unique programming that our listeners want, then we will face what newspapers competing with the web face now. We are already planning for that day by producing unique local content that will cause drivers and passengers to listen to WOSU rather than to web stream a public radio station in, say, Austin, Texas.

Where does radio fit in terms of how people get their news, their music or their unique programming? Radio is still strong but it’s true that the marketplace for “ear drum” time continues to fragment. According to the Arbitron rating service, 93 percent of people still listen to the radio and about 26 percent listen to it for news and or news/talk information. The way in which people access music, news and special programs is migrating to desktop computers, mp3 players and smart phones — but the news and talk information they are listening to remains the same. That’s why it is extremely important for stations like WOSU to find their niche and produce quality news and music programming that cannot be heard anywhere else. We recently won a series of awards from the Associated Press for our investigative news reporting, and that’s important to us because our listeners know they can trust us to deliver accurate news — however they may access that information.

How is radio expected to change over the next 10 to 20 years, and how much does social media and/or technology have an effect on that? TV was supposed to kill radio. Cassettes, CDs and iPods were supposed to kill radio. Radio is still here and will be for quite a while. But clearly, WOSU and other stations must adjust.  We cannot think of ourselves as just a set of radio (or TV) stations; we are a multimedia content provider. Our mission remains the same: Create great unique programming and engage our audience in meaningful ways. But we must deliver that content via the web, social media and probably in ways we haven’t even thought of yet. Content will always be king: A good story is a good story and that has not changed since the day when the town crier was replaced by the printing press. The delivery methods change, but the story — the news — remains of primary importance. So at WOSU, we are committed to making sure that we provide the stories that are important to people in central Ohio — through the radio, through television, through social networking and through any other means we can.

Top 3 on 2, 6/17/10

June 16, 2010

Why did you choose to work at Ohio State? I wanted to work around smart people that I knew were going to change the world.

What do you like about your job? I like the fast-paced world of technology and the great minds that make it work. My job is to help really intelligent people promote their critical research in a way that is easy to understand. It is not always easy, but I am lucky to be a part of a team that does this well, and so it is very rewarding.

What advice would you give a new employee? Join the Faculty Staff Fitness Program (FSFP). You get to work out in a really nice facility for just $10 a month.

If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing? I would probably be running my own business in the University District. I also would be running an Old North Columbus Business Association. I have owned and operated small businesses in the past and I love the challenge of entrepreneurship.

What would you improve at Ohio State? I would like to see more incentives from the university for faculty and staff to move into the University District and improve the homes in the neighborhood. This would really help to change the surrounding community for the better.

Who is your hero? Johnny Cash: He had an amazing way of weaving into the American conscience important social issues through the beauty of music and storytelling.

Of what honor or recognition are you most proud? I was recently chosen for Business First’s 40 Under 40 Award. It was great to be honored for work I truly love to do both at the university and in my community.

What is your favorite activity outside of work? I enjoy gardening with my wife Christa and fishing with friends. They are a respite from the day-to-day pressures of the world.

What are you going to do when you retire? Travel the world and volunteer my free time to making it a better place.

If you were the university president for a day, what would you do? I would create an incentive program for returning veterans to purchase homes in the University District and make it as easy as possible for them to acclimate back into civilian life as students. They have sacrificed so much and we owe it to them to help them in any way we can.

To nominate a staff member for an upcoming issue, e-mail oncampus@osu.edu.

Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, OSU President Gordon Gee and Medical Center CEO Steven Gabbe announced a partnership between Columbus and Ohio State to reinvest $10 million in tax incentives from ProjectONE to improve health care and housing on the East Side.

ProjectONE, the Medical Center’s $1 billion expansion which will provide a new home for the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute as well as a new place for critically ill patients to receive care, will generate up to 10,000 jobs for Columbus — 6,000 at the Medical Center and 4,000 other jobs related to the growth. The city has offered a performance-based tax incentive for a portion of each job added to help with the financing of ProjectONE.

Specifics on exactly how these dollars will be reinvested will be determined through a study of the neighborhood and from feedback from residents. Some ideas being discussed include reclaiming vacant houses, offering help to new homebuyers and addressing problems with residents’ health and their access to health care services.

On June 18, Gee and Gabbe will lead a groundbreaking for the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and Critical Care Center at 3 p.m. with a ProjectONE Expo from 2-4 p.m. Activities will occur behind Cramblett Medical Clinic. A live webcast of the ceremony will be available at projectone.osu.edu.

Route 315 construction information

June 9, 2010

The second phase of the State Route 315 construction project is scheduled to begin the day after Spring Commencement, June 14 and run through early September. During this time, traffic will be shifted to the northbound lanes so that construction crews can work on the eight bridges and three miles of highway in the southbound lanes between I-670 and Ackerman Road.

Several 315 entrance and exit ramps will be closed throughout the construction, including those at Lane Avenue. (Only the exit ramp from SR 315 north to Lane Avenue will be open at the beginning of construction. It will close on July 12 for about 30 days.) Faculty, staff, students, patients and visitors are encouraged to pay close attention to detour signs and expect some delays.

Below are specific directions to reach central campus, the Medical Center and the Veterinary Medical Center as well as directions for exiting campus:

Central Campus:

To reach central campus, motorists should take the Ackerman Road exits. Southbound motorists should turn left while northbound motorists should turn right onto Ackerman Road, then turn right onto Fred Taylor Drive and then left onto Woody Hayes Drive. Woody Hayes will connect motorists with Cannon Drive, College Road and High Street.

Medical Center:

Northbound motorists should take the Medical Center Drive exit, and turn left onto Cannon Drive. Southbound motorists should take the King/Kinnear exit and then turn left onto Olentangy River Road. Turn left off Olentangy onto King Avenue and then left again onto Cannon Drive.  The blue “H” hospital signs will help to guide you.

NOTE: There is heavy construction in the Medical Center area, especially on 10^th and 12^th Avenues. Pay close attention to detour and construction signage and expect delays.

Veterinary Medical Center:

All motorists should use the Ackerman Road exit to reach the Veterinary Medical Center.

Southbound motorists should turn left while northbound motorists should turn right onto Ackerman Road. Then turn right onto Fred Taylor Drive, (past Lane Avenue) turn right onto Woody Hayes Drive, left onto John Herrick Dr. and finally left onto Vernon L. Tharp Street.

Exiting Campus:

To State Route 315: To get to 315 northbound, take the Ackerman Road entrance ramp to 315 north.  To get to 315 southbound, take Cannon Drive to King Avenue. Turn right on King Avenue and proceed to Olentangy River Road. Turn left or south onto Olentangy — the entrance ramp to 315 south is on the left just before Goodale Street.

To I-670: To reach 670 east, take Olentangy River Road south to Goodale. Turn left on Goodale, then left on Neil Avenue and then right onto 670 east.

For more information about the SR315 project, visit www.buckeyetraffic.org/315

Construction Map:

The occurrence of road closures/detours and the loss of surface parking spaces during summer construction will impact daily travel and may create a ripple effect in other areas of campus as customers use alternate roadways or relocate to new parking areas. For a list of current construction projects, visit: www.osu.edu/map/construction.php

Alternative Travel Options:

Congested roads might offer the opportunity to try new travel modes to and from campus.

• COTA offers several bus routes to campus. Visit www.cota.com.
• MORPC VanPools are available. Visit osuvanpooling.morpc.org.
• Bicycle information and support can be found through the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Visit www.morpc.org/transportation/bicycle_pedestrian/main.asp.

The fundamentals of civil conversation

June 2, 2010

By E. Gordon Gee

Editor’s note: President Gordon Gee’s semi-annual address to the faculty in May was part celebration of the excellence of this year’s faculty award-winners and part discussion of Ohio State’s broader potential. He focused in part on the unique opportunity the institution has in fostering civil discourse  and “setting a new cultural standard, committed to civility and to service for the greater good.” The following is excerpted from the speech:

We have to assume a central role in reestablishing civil national discourse. And we have that opportunity because of the strong and growing quality of the university’s intellectual life and our aggressive approach to collaboration. Continue reading ‘The fundamentals of civil conversation’

New class of facilitators named as unfreezing revs up

June 2, 2010

The university’s goal is to stage 200 more unfreezing retreats during the next year

“I’m fortunate to be at a very nice place right now,” said Meyer, director of communications and organizational planning at WOSU Public Media. “But when I heard of Ohio State leadership’s desire to shape the university as a whole into a great place to work, I wanted to be part of it.”

So Meyer signed up to be among the first group of facilitators to lead unfreezing retreats — the two-day seminars designed to get employees thinking about their own habits and exploring their own personalities as a way to replace unproductive behaviors with more productive ones. Continue reading ‘New class of facilitators named as unfreezing revs up’

SR 315 construction begins anew June 13

June 2, 2010

Altering driving routes to, from campus part of the process

The State Route 315 construction that occurred in 2009 will resume almost as a mirror image of itself right after Ohio State’s Spring Commencement this month.

The first half of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s $24 million project to improve a trio of bridges and roadway between Interstate 670 and Ackerman Road upgraded the northbound side of 315, and on June 13 the southbound upgrades begin. Northbound access does not go unscathed, however. Continue reading ‘SR 315 construction begins anew June 13′

Senate approves formal merger of arts and sciences

June 2, 2010

Gee calls it ‘one of the most significant colleges of the arts and sciences ever created.’

To be sure, members of University Senate still have some unanswered questions about merging the five arts and sciences colleges into a single College of Arts and Sciences.

But they have enough faith that those questions will be satisfactorily answered that the full body gave unanimous consent May 27 to the merger. It moves on to the Board of Trustees and would be effective with that body’s approval. Trustees next meet June 17 and 18 at the Ohio Union. Continue reading ‘Senate approves formal merger of arts and sciences’

Program teaches central Ohio youth about agriculture

June 2, 2010

By Candace Pollock, FAES communications

George Keeney, manager of Ohio State University’s Insectary in the Department of Entomology, pulls an insect from a clear plastic container for a group of attentive fourth- and fifth-grade students.

“It’s a scorpion!” yells one student, as others “ooh” and “ahh.”

Well, not exactly. The insect, which looks intimidating, is actually a harmless Australian walking stick. But it was the kind of excitement that could be witnessed throughout the day as more than 600 central Ohio students recently made their way through the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences campus for Scarlet and Gray Ag Day. Continue reading ‘Program teaches central Ohio youth about agriculture’

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