HEARD ON CAMPUS — John Walsh
"Nobody will go out and drive a car without a license. But in this country, you can be a raving, drooling, maniac idiot, drunk and high as heck, mad at your wife or girlfriend, and you can go out to a gun show, buy a gun, and come home and kill your girlfriend. That’s insanity." — John Walsh, host of "The New America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back." Walsh spoke Tuesday evening in Eisenhower Auditorium as part of Penn State’s Distinguished Speakers Series.
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DRUG OVERDOSE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEMS OF ACCESS
Researchers at Penn State's College of Medicine report a significant increase in the number of suspected cases of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and a drug called ecstasy. "We know many of these substances are available over the Internet," explains Keith Burkhart, associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. "This new availability is presenting new cases to us regularly at the poison center." Often doctors have difficulty isolating exactly what drugs are involved, partly because alcohol has been part of the mix. Case in point: Last weekend six young people, several of whom were Penn State students, were rushed to the Center County Community Hospital in State College for treatment for a drug overdose, which investigators suspect was GHB or GBL, a related drug. These date-rape or designer drugs are extremely dangerous, and according to Margaret Spear, director of University Health Services, the difference between a dose that causes a high and one that causes death is miniscule. Spear and members of the State College police department held a press briefing Monday to alert students and the public to the danger of these drugs. In Pennsylvania, it is now illegal to possess or distribute GHB.
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USING INTERNET2, PSU UPGRADES VIDEOCONFERENCING
Penn State is using recent advances in videoconferencing technology and the superior capabilities of the Internet2 network to possibly reduce costs and improve performance. An upgrade to most of its approximately 50 PictureTel room-based videoconferencing systems — and underlying infrastructure — involves using the emerging IP (Internet Protocol) transport with the University's existing statewide IP-based backbone network. Currently, videoconferencing connectivity relies on the use of long distance digital phone lines, which result in costly per minute charges. By using Internet2 for transport, the University maybe able to eliminate the connectivity charges and improve performance. In addition, Penn State community members will be able to collaborate more closely with colleagues and students all over the world via Internet2. For more information, contact Julie Eble at
. To see University's IP network, go to http://www.otc.psu.edu/services/staff/data/backbone/ip-network.html.
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CHINA APPOINTS HONG MA AS OVERSEAS ASSESSOR
Hong Ma, associate professor of biology, is one of 33 Chinese-born scientists worldwide appointed recently as an Overseas Assessor for the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Although the Chinese Academy of Sciences has worked on an informal basis with Chinese scientists outside the country in the past, the academy's work with this latest group represents its first move away from the exclusive use of internal experts for things such as evaluation of grant proposals, review of job candidates, and consultation on scientific initiatives and direction. For more information, contact Barbara Kennedy at
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WILMORE TO GIVE KING MEMORIAL LECTURE
Gayraud Wilmore, an internationally renowned scholar of African American religion and the history of the African American church, will give the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, in the All-Faith Chapel in Eisenhower Chapel. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs and the Department of African and African American Studies. The full announcement is online at http://www.psu.edu/ur/2000/wilmore2.html
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SONNY ROLLINS TO PLAY AT EISENHOWER, APRIL 7
The Center for the Performing Arts presents jazz legend Sonny Rollins at 8 p.m., Friday, April 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium. Joining Rollins for this show will be Clifton Anderson (trombone), Bob Cranshaw (electric bass), and Victor See-Yeun (percussion). The Village Voice calls him the last jazz immortal and fans worldwide agree that he is jazz’s greatest living legend. At 69, Rollins has played with the best of the best and continues to forge ahead. He was also nominated for the First Annual Jazz Awards in 1998 by both industry and journalists for Best Tenor Saxophone. For tickets or more information, contact the Arts Ticket Center, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, phone (800) 278-7849. Major credit cards are accepted.
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The Penn State Sports Newswire is brought to you twice a month as a service of Intercollegiate Athletics' Sports Information Department. Please send comments and questions to
.
(TRIVIA TEASER: Can you name the student-athlete whose father was the quarterback of the last Ohio State football team to win a National Championship (in 1968) and later in the NFL with both the Baltimore Colts and Buffalo Bills? Answer at the end of this Sports Newswire.)
ANOTHER REASON TO BE PENN STATE PROUD: Former women's swimming coach Bob Krimmel recently was inducted into the Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame. Now an assistant athletic director, Krimmel guided the women's program for 17 years, posting a dual meet record of 162-38-1. His swimmers captured seven individual conference titles and in 1996-97 were ranked first in the nation academically among Division 1 swimming programs.
LION SIGHTING: Former All-America quarterback Todd Blackledge, now a color commentator for CBS Television Sports, is scheduled to make an appearance at the United Sports Training Center in Downington, Pa., on Saturday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Blackledge's visit will benefit the START Foundation, a Chester County-based organization designed to target local athletes and help them achieve their sports goals and dreams. For information, go to http:www.go2ustc.com.
1. LADY LIONS ADVANCE TO KANSAS CITY AND NCAA SWEET 16
Coach Rene Portland's Lady Lion basketball team disposed of Auburn 75-69 in an NCAA Second Round game Sunday and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the women's basketball tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The Lady Lions will play Iowa State, which defeated Illinois 79-68 in the Midwest Regional. Behind by seven points in the second half, the Lady Lions rallied to pulled out the victory, their 28th of the season in 32 outings. Lisa Shepard showed the way with 19 points. Maren Walseth added 17 and Andrea Garner pitched in with a double-double of 15 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. The Penn State-Iowa State game will tip-off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and will be televised by EPSN2. For more on this story go to: http://www.psu.edu/sports.
2. NITTANY LIONS ADVANCE IN NIT WITH THRILLING WIN OVER SIENA
In what will go down as one of the most thrilling games in Penn State basketball history, the Nittany Lions outgunned Siena 105-103 to advance to the third round of the National Invitation Tournament. Penn State will entertain Kent State (23-7) Wednesday night in the Bryce Jordan Center for the right to advance to the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. The game will be telecast by ESPN and will tip-off at 7 p.m.
Monday's Siena game was the first time in Penn State history that two teams eclipsed 100 points in the same contest. Penn State shot 49 free throws in the fast-paced game and made 42. Joe Crispin had 28 points to lead the Lions while Jarrett Stephens pitched in 22 and Jon Crispin 17. For more on this story, go to: http://www.psu.edu.
3. JEREMY HUNTER WINS NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP After losing in the NCAA Final a year ago and the Big Ten Final this year, Jeremy Hunter chased all of his past demons by defeating Steve Garland of Virginia 7-3 for the NCAA 125-pound title in the National Finals at St. Louis Saturday night. "Oh, it feels great," Hunter said. "I was so close last year. Losing at home wasn't very nice, but this is really great. It pretty much motivated me all year, losing last year. You get that feeling that you're that close. You work all those years to win this tournament." Ross Thatcher of the Nittany Lions placed sixth at 197 pounds to earn All-America honors. The Nittany Lions wound up in a 16th place tie with Arizona State in the team standings. For more on this story, go to: http://www.psu.edu/sports.
4. NIKKI SMITH POSTS 10.0 ON BEAM IN BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: Penn State senior Nikki Smith scored a perfect 10.0 on the balance beam as Penn State finished second to Michigan in the 2000 Big Ten Women's Gymnastics this past weekend in Rec Hall. The perfect score was the first of Smith's Penn State career and the first on the balance beam in the Big Ten Tournament since the event started in 1982. "I was trying not to be as nervous. It's the perfect event to screw up," Smith said. "I had a horrible warmup. I was falling all over the place."
5. LADY LION GYMNASTS ARE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: As for most freshmen, it is a big adjustment to be on your own in a new place, but these three women are in a whole different country. This year, the women's Penn State gymnastics team has three new athletes who are former members of the Canadian team. They all came here for the first time in August to live for their next four years of college. They all said in unison, "I love Penn State." For more on this story, go to http://www.psu.edu/sports
6. NACDA SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDENT ATHLETIC TRAINER: One of the little-known benefits of an NCAA Championship is the academic scholarship such an accomplishment creates for a non-student who works in a support capacity. Lauren Haynie, a student athletic trainer from Washington, D.C., recently received $1,000 toward her postgraduate degree in athletic training. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics supports the scholarship program in recognition of NCAA Championship teams, in this case the 1999 Penn State men's and women's fencing squad.
(TRIVIA TEASER ANSWER: Junior lacrosse standout Mike Kern is the son of Rex Kern, the Buckeyes All-America quarterback and field general of the 1968 OSU National Champions. Mike, a junior, scored three times in the Nittany Lions' loss to Georgetown in their home opener.)