Diversity Lecture Series

Police design festival changes

Redirection of the"cruising" route is among the improvements occurring during this year's celebration of the 23rd Annual African American Heritage Festival at Ohio State, May 14 through 20.

"We are trying to preserve the spirit of the event while responding to community concerns," said Rebecca Parker, assistant vice president for student affairs and chair of the Heritage Festival's program core committee.

The"cruising" route, which traditionally flowed through neighborhoods surrounding campus, is being redirected onto campus this year. While the cruising is not a planned element of the festival's program, both the University and the city are prepared to manage it.

William H. Hall, interim vice president for student affairs and chair of the Heritage Festival coordinating committee, said University and Columbus officials decided to redirect traffic this year to minimize inconvenience to the surrounding neighborhoods."Experience in other cities with similar events as well as our own past experience shows that the Ôcruising' associated with this event cannot be stopped," Hall said."Instead, working collaboratively with the Columbus Division of Police, we are attempting to control it and to minimize impact on area residents."

The Heritage Festival coordinating committee brings together numerous Ohio State units as well as representatives of the City of Columbus Public Safety Division, neighborhood civic and business leaders, corporate sponsors and others to plan festival activities and to deal with traffic and public safety issues associated with the festival.

The route, which primarily will be used by festival attendees on Friday and Saturday evenings, will be directed up High Street and through the campus. On Friday and Saturday evenings of the festival, High Street will be one-way northbound between Fifth and Lane avenues. Lane Avenue will be one-way westbound from High Street to Olentangy River Road. King Avenue will be one-way eastbound from Cannon Drive to High Street."Cruising" traffic will be directed west on Woodruff Avenue, south on Cannon Drive, east on King Avenue and back up to High Street.

If gridlock seems to be developing, traffic officers can direct cars out of the route in order to keep things moving. Cruise traffic will not be permitted to turn from the approved route into area side streets, but local residents will be given access -- they just need to tell the traffic officers their destination. A Columbus police helicopter will be in the air to help monitor and coordinate traffic flow. Officers also will be posted at all major intersections to help guide the traffic.

University Police Chief Ron Michalec said police officers from four departments -- University Police, Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department -- have been advised to control access to the interior of campus.

"We're paying special attention to the hospital area," he said."Officers have been advised to help the people who need to exit or enter the area."

Michalec also said residents and others who need to get onto campus will be able to reach their destinations."We're going to sort the traffic routinely to make sure people get where they want to go."

In order to avoid getting caught in a jam, neighborhood residents or those coming to the University for reasons other than the Heritage Festival are advised to approach from the west on Lane or King avenues and to allow extra time.

Parking will be reserved in the Cannon Drive lot immediately south of Lincoln Tower for those attending the Department of Theatre's production of"Wit" at the Drake Performance and Event Center on Friday and Saturday night. Those attending the performance are encouraged to arrive on Herrick Drive, which is easily accessible from the Kinnear Road and Lane Avenue exits of state Route 315. Traffic officers will direct them across Cannon and into the lot, which is less than one block from Drake Union. A golf cart and driver will be available for those who need assistance.

Another improvement to this year's Heritage Festival is the substantial support from Bank One, United Parcel Service, Coca Cola and the Greater Columbus Hotel-Motel Association.

"We are extremely pleased to have significant corporate support for the first time," Hall said."Bank One, in addition to sponsoring several entertainment events, is also leading the effort to recruit several hundred community volunteers to assist with all aspects of the festival, including a community cleanup on Sunday afternoon."

The campus cleanup is another addition to this year's Heritage Festival. Volunteers will be in the neighborhoods on Sunday to clean up in an effort to reduce the inconvenience to residents.

Finally, the Heritage Festival's programming reflects several alterations from last year. The In the Town Square event on Saturday offers activities for everyone, from adults to young children. This year, interactive art and craft projects and carnival rides will be set up on the Oval for children. Food, craft and clothing vendors and African dancers are among the appeals for adults.

"We are really working hard to make sure the Heritage Festival is a great event for everyone in attendance," Parker said."This year we are expanding our targeted audience."

Events that occur during the week of the festival are geared toward students, staff and faculty. The community is also encouraged to attend. The daylong event on Saturday is designed for families and the Columbus community as a whole. The evening activities on Friday and Saturday will be most appealing to a college-aged audience.

Heritage Festival is May 14-20

The history of the African American Heritage Festival at Ohio State is as rich as the activities designed to commemorate it. This year's Heritage Festival, titled"It Takes an Entire Village," will be held on the Columbus campus from May 14 to 20.

What began as a one-day"block party" for Ohio State students in a campus parking lot 23 years ago has grown to a week of events that celebrate AfricanAmerican culture. Currently, the Heritage Festival spans across Ohio State's campus and attracts between 30,000 and 40,000 people during the weekend.

The event officially became the Heritage Festival in 1990 when organizers wanted to address negative connotations associated with the name"block party."

According to Patty Cunningham, co-chair of the Heritage Festival's Communications Committee, the Heritage Festival is an important tradition at Ohio State.

"It is of great importance to Ohio State because the celebration of African-American culture and heritage is synonymous with embracing American history and culture," Cunningham said."The Heritage Festival is one of the opportunities on campus to create a sense of family and solidarity."

Events include:

May 14: Experience Ghana, 7 to 9 p.m., Ohio Union Main Lounge.

May 15: Music is poetry in motion -- Poetry is music in rhyme, 7 p.m., Wexner Film/Video Theater. Members of the Ohio State and Columbus communities will share their poetry with the audience. Ted McDaniel, professor of music and African American and African studies, will narrate this event.

May 16: Follow the North Star, 7:30 p.m., Ohio Union Conference Theatre. WBNS-TV's Jerry Revish will discuss the Underground Railroad.

May 17: Gather the Children, Ohio State faculty, staff and students will join kindergarten students at Hubbard Avenue and East Linden schools to share the African tradition of story telling; History of Black Fraternities and Sororities, 7:30 p.m., Ohio Union. Lawrence Ross, author of Divine Nine -- History of the Black Fraternities and Sororities, will discuss the roles and responsibilities of black Greek organizations to the campus and the Columbus community.

May 18: The 14th Annual Pan-Hellenic Black Greek Step Show, 7 p.m., Mershon Auditorium; Comedy Showcase, 10 p.m., Jerome Schottenstein Center. J. Anthony Brown, Miss Dupree and Myra Jay, from the"Tom Joyner Morning Show," will perform. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet.

May 18-19: Bounce with Me, midnight to 3 a.m. on May 18, and 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on May 19, French Field House.

May 19: In the Town Square, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Oval. This event is complete with African dancers, food, clothing and craft vendors. There also will be a recognition ceremony for AfricanAmerican Ohio State alumni and appearances by Ohio State athletes.

May 20: Remember the Sabbath, Second Baptist Church, 186 N. 17th St.; Cookout, noon to 3 p.m., the Oval.

For more information, see www.osuheritagefestival.com.

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