Communication Studies Week offers national, international perspectives

Jeffrey Simpson, national affairs columnist for the Toronto Globe and Mail, will discuss "Writing Across Borders: Canada-U.S. Perspectives" as the keynote speaker for Communication Studies Week (April 11-15). The week’s theme is “Communication as Engagement.”

Simpson, who has received all three of Canada's leading literary prizes and has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his achievements in journalism, will speak at 7 p.m. in 202B Bowen-Thompson Student Union. His speech is sponsored by the Florence and Jesse Currier Endowment in conjunction with BGSU's Canadian Studies Center.

Throughout the week, a number of working journalists, corporate and public agency representatives and visiting scholars will address various aspects of communication.

The communication studies school will welcome back alumni for a panel discussion on career paths for journalism students, from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Friday (April 15) in 201 Union. Among those discussing their careers will be Benjamin Marrison, editor of The (Columbus) Dispatch, and Rick Redman, a former reporter who covered Presidents Carter and Reagan and is now vice president of the company that manufactures Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

Also among the week’s presenters is Dr. Orayb Aref Najjar of Northern Illinois University, who will discuss communication issues between the United States and the Middle East and North Africa. His first presentation will be “In Search of the Real Al-Jazeera: Insights by a Subscriber to an Arab Network,” at 1:30 p.m. Monday (April 11) in 201 Union.

Dr. Mohsen Hamli of the Institut de Presse et des Sciences de l’Information (Institute of Press and Information Sciences) in Tunisia, where BGSU is engaged in a joint journalism teaching project, will take part in a number of discussions as well, including “Women, Media and Diversity in the Arab World,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (April 14) in 202B Union.

To view the week’s schedule, visit www.bgsu.edu/departments/commst/CommWeek05.html.

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Give a pint of blood—get a pint of ice cream

A blood drive will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (April 12) through Friday (April 15) in the Multi-purpose Room of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union to help meet the needs of patients throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

The American Red Cross Western Lake Erie Region must collect 300 units of donated blood per day to provide an adequate supply to its 23 area hospitals.

The process of giving blood takes about one hour. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh between 110 and 350 pounds, and be in generally good health. Each donor will receive a coupon for a pint of ice cream.

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Former Toledo Museum of Art chief to speak at BGSU

The College of Arts and Sciences will present a lecture by Roger Mandle, president of the Rhode Island School of Design, at 4 p.m. Thursday (April 14) in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Theater. His talk, “Engagement with the Arts,” will focus on the centrality of the arts and design in creating and sustaining vibrant communities.

The impact of creative people—artists, writers, musicians, dancers, architects and others—on the economy and quality of life across America is significant. While support for the arts and the creative process has increased, funding for art and design education in public schools continues to decline.
America is at a crossroads, Mandle argues. In order to keep pace in the international economic race, the nation must inform and inspire students to both participate in and appreciate the arts.

Before assuming the presidency at RISD, Mandle was deputy director and chief curator for the National Gallery of Art from 1988-93. Prior to that, he was director of the Toledo Museum of Art from 1974-88.

The lecture is being held in honor of Dr. Elizabeth Cole, an arts advocate who is retiring as associate dean for college advancement in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The presentation will be followed by a reception from 5-6 p.m.

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