By Kevin Fitzsimons David Pahl, manager of TI's imaging business unit, talks on Sept. 24 to an Introduction to Photography class about the TI-sponsored digital camera contest.

Shoot to win

TI donates 150 digital cameras to Department of Art for contest

By SUSAN WITTSTOCK, onCAMPUS staff

Ohio State art students have been viewing the world through digital cameras this month, seeking images that convey the theme of "Intelligence" for a photography contest sponsored by Texas Instruments.

TI donated 150 cameras to the Department of Art for the contest, which gave students the opportunity to compete in three areas: lighting, action or motion, and moving images. The three winners, to be announced this week, will travel to a national PhotoPlus show in New York on Oct. 30, where their work will be on display in the Texas Instruments booth and they will have the chance to interact with photographers, journalists and experts from across the country.

"Digital Intelligence: The Digital Media Contest" marks the first time TI has sponsored a photography contest at a university, said David Pahl, manager of TI's imaging business unit. "We were looking for universities with strong creative arts programs and Ohio State came to the top of the list," said Pahl, who noted that TI was impressed by Ohio State's photography and art and technology tracks within the Department of Art. "When we contacted the department, they greeted us with lots of enthusiasm and embraced the idea from the get-go."

Ardine Nelson, interim chair of the Department of Art, said she is excited that the department will now be better prepared to teach students a form of technology that is rapidly becoming the norm in the photography industry. "What this has done is bring 150 cameras into the department to stay with us," Nelson said. "The wonderful thing is it's going to mean that students will be able to take a digital section of the beginning photography class and check out cameras from the university."

The donated cameras are Kodak DX4330 and DX6340 digital cameras, which cost in the range of $250 to $300 each. "Kodak makes a great camera and they use our product on the inside," Pahl said.

Interest in the contest was high, with 265 students signing up. A cross-section of undergraduate and graduate photography and art students were then selected to participate.

"For me, it was a good opportunity to explore the digital camera," said Mary Fahy, a graduate student in photography who normally works with a pinhole camera.

Fellow graduate student Nora Herting, agreed. "I think it was great for students to see the applications of technology and to get the chance to use a different type of machine," she said.

"We wanted to make it fun," Pahl said. "We wanted it to be a short time so that people were picking up the camera and just learning how to use it. We wanted to see what kinds of images they could come up with."

The students received their cameras on Sept. 29 and 30, and were able to keep them through Oct. 10. The cameras' memory cards were sealed into the cameras, so the photos could not be touched up. The images were downloaded onto a private Web site where a panel of judges could log in and view them. The judging panel included a range of photography experts, as well as Ohio State's Nelson and Ken Rinaldo and Amy Youngs, assistant professors of art.

A campus exhibition of the finalists' photographs is being planned, with details to be announced later.

CSO plays on campus

By Jo McCulty David Citino, right, Ohio State's poet laureate, narrates Lincoln Portrait with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. The CSO played Oct. 7 in Mershon Auditorium as part of the welcome effort for first-year students. The performance was originally scheduled to be held on the Oval, but the threat of rain forced a change in venue.

Student group to host Palestinian conference

Prior meetings held at University of Michigan, U-C Berkeley

By ELIZABETH CONLISK, Media Relations

An Ohio State student group, the Committee for Justice in Palestine (CJP), will host the Third National Student Conference on Palestine Solidarity Nov. 7-9 in the Ohio Union. CJP is a registered Ohio State student organization whose stated mission is to promote the causes of the Palestinian people. Approximately 500 people may attend.

Bill Hall, vice president for student affairs, said that both the U.S. Constitution and university policy are what give the student organization the right to hold the conference.

"The First Amendment protects the rights of groups to meet, and any attempt to deny access or control of the content of meetings would be illegal," he said.

Because the group is a student organization in good standing, university policy also allows the conference to go forward. The conference will be funded by participant registration fees and not taxpayer funds.

"The university's policy is to foster a spirit of free inquiry and timely discussion of ideas as long as the views expressed are stated openly and subject to critical evaluation," Hall said. "The views of the conference and its organizers are solely theirs and do not reflect the views of The Ohio State University."

Hall said academic institutions are places where a wide array of ideas, diversity of thoughts and opinions, and the challenging of assumptions should be encouraged and fostered. At the same time, Hall said the sponsoring organization has the responsibility to conduct a meeting within the parameters of civility and legality. The university will work with the group to ensure that all policies are followed so that the event is conducted in a safe and civil manner.

Hall also said that he understands why some individuals are disappointed that the conference is going forward. "We have received hundreds of e-mails from people who have expressed views ranging from deep concern to outrage, and we take these messages very seriously. We also appreciate their right to express them.

"At the same time, we pledge to work with the student organization and other groups on campus to promote dialogue that is open, tolerant and reasonable," Hall said.

Tiberi learns impact of financial aid

By Kevin Fitzsimons U.S. Rep. Patrick Tiberi, a Columbus Republican who represents Ohio's 12th District, spent time Oct. 14 visiting the Ohio State campus to learn about financial aid issues impacting the university and its students. Here, Tiberi, far right, listens to Policy Analyst/Compliance Officer Cheryl Medley in the Office of Student Financial Aid. Graduate student John Curry, center spoke with Tiberi about his experiences studying in Turkey and how financial aid helped him.

TRUSTEES

The Ohio State Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting Oct. 3 in Longaberger Alumni House. Ohio State is governed by a board of 11 trustees (including two nonvoting student members) who are responsible for oversight of academic programs, budgets and general administration, and employment of faculty and staff. The governor annually appoints one voting member to a nine-year term and one nonvoting student member to a two-year term.

This is a continuation of coverage published in the Oct. 9 onCampus, which can be accessed at www.osu.edu/oncampus/v33n4/thisissue_12.html#report.

Construction projects approved

The board authorized the university to select qualified architectural/engineering firms for the following:

• Renovation of 30-year-old laboratory space on the 6th floor of the Biological Sciences Building. The preliminary cost estimate is $1.07 million to $1.08 million with funding to be provided by House Bill 675.

• Continuation of the upgrade of the ceramics facilities in the lower level of Hopkins Hall. The preliminary cost estimate is $1.3 million to $1.4 million with funding to be provided by House Bill 675.

• Addition of chiller capacity to the McCracken Chilled Water Plant to support the increased cooling load associated with new campus construction. The preliminary cost estimate is $8 million with funding to be provided by future university bond proceeds with debt service paid by an increase in the central utility assessment.

• Repair and redesign of major components of the McCracken Power Plant Coal Boiler to improve reliability and performance. The estimated project cost is $3 million with funding to be provided by future university bond proceeds with debt service paid by an increase in the central utility assessment.

• Renovation of the roof, HVAC, lighting and related improvements at the OSU ice rink. The estimated cost is $874,000 to $975,000 with funding to be provided by the Athletic Department.

The board authorized the university to request construction bids for the following:

• A biomedical research facility to house biomedical research programs, faculty and staff. The construction document project cost is $120 million with funding to be provided by research development funds and future university bond proceeds, with debt service to be paid by indirect cost recovery generated by new research grants and other sources.

• An addition to Wiseman Hall for the Laboratory Animal Resources Department. The construction document project cost is $15.7 million with funding to be provided by House Bill 675 and future university bond proceeds, with debt service paid by the Laboratory Animal Resources Department.

• Renovation of the old laundry building at 2560 Kenny Road as part of the Physical Facilities shop relocation. The construction document project cost is $875,683 with funding to be provided by university central funds.

• Construction of a training and development center at OARDC in Piketon. Trustees approved the project in May 2003 for $3.1 million, but the construction document project cost has risen to $3.7 million due to higher than expected construction bids. Funding will be provided by federal grants, House Bill 675 and OARDC local funds.

Regional board appointment

Christen Daniel has been appointed to a one-year term as a student representative on the Ohio State Lima Campus Board, effective July 1.

Committee notebooks distributed

Copies of a "Capital Projects Reference Guide" were distributed to members of the fiscal affairs committee to keep them updated on the plans, status and budgets of all capital projects in various stages of completion.

Welcome Week highlighted

Trustees heard a report on Ohio State's Welcome Week, which took place Sept. 21-28.

Following Residence Hall Move-In Sept. 21, a variety of traditional events, including Convocation, Community Commitment Day and the Scarlet Fever Pep Rally, combined with new events such as Creating a World of Difference, welcomed students back to campus.

Resolutions in memoriam

• Franklin D. George, instructor emeritus in the Ohio State Extension, who died Aug. 1.

• Orena M. Haynes, professor emeritus in the Ohio State Extension, who died Sept. 14.

• Thomas E. Shaffer, M.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Pediatrics, who died July 31.

Emeritus title

Dennis L. Elliott, assistant professor emeritus in Ohio State Extension, effective Oct. 1.