RU Today
10-29-09
A newsletter published by the Office of University Relations, Radford University.

Today's Stories:
Music Business Major Scores Big Hit on Games Internet Site
Dark Tourism Nothing New, Says RU Professor
Banner Launch Set for Class Registration
Student Health Center Recommends Self-Isolation
Professors to Discuss "Emotional Eating and Self Compassion"
Grad Students Create Scale to Measure Personal Tempo
Dance Presents Eating Appalachia: Selling Out to the Hungry Ghost
"Musica Viva" Headlines November Arts Calendar
RU Sustainability: "You Have the Ability!"
Athletics Update
Alumni News: Alumna Living Her Dream at National Weather Service
Kudos: Assistant Professor Gaston Dembele
___________________________________

Today's Top News

Music Business Major Scores Big Hit on Games Internet Site
Alex O'MastaIt's a cliché, but true. Sometimes it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Ask RU junior music business major Alex O'Masta whose digital tune "Dryll" recently appeared on the flash games-audio community Web site. He says prior to the site administrator contacting him for permission to use it, he didn't even realize the piece he had posted for feedback almost three years ago was still out there in the online community. "I'm surprised the guy found it because it was the first song I ever submitted out of more than 100 submissions," O'Masta says. To learn more, see the RU News Release.


Campus News

Dark Tourism Nothing New, Says RU Professor
The town of Shanksville, Pa., was relatively unheard of until it became a Mecca of sorts for people to gather and reflect on 9/11. Folks have been traveling to Romania for centuries in hopes of connecting with Count Dracula. At some time in their lives, many could admit to chasing a fire truck just to see where the fire was. And right here in the New River Valley -- including on campus -- stories of morbidity are unending. Recreation, Parks and Tourism Professor Teresa O'Bannon is hoping her research on "Dark Tourism" will shed some light on the subject. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

Banner Launch Set for Class Registration
Registration for spring 2010 classes begins on Monday, Nov. 2. On that day, students will begin registering for spring classes using Banner, a brand-new student information system. With that new system, there are new registration policies and procedures of which students should be aware. It is very important that each student review the registration information. Students should visit the "Registration Information" section of the Registrar's Office Web site to view the Spring 2010 Course Schedule, view tutorials on how to navigate the course schedule and how to register for classes, determine registration times and more. Learn more about Banner Registration.

Student Health Center Recommends Self-Isolation
The Radford University Student Health Center (SHC) continues to see students who present with flu-like symptoms, most probably H1N1 influenza, according to Jeannie Seay, SHC director. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the local health district department recommend that those with such flu-like symptoms "self-isolate," or withdraw from all social activity until at least 24 hours after a normal body temperature has been achieved without fever-reducing medication. The CDC, according to Seay, says the recommended self-isolation period is seven days and that the vast majority of people with flu recover without complications. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

Professors to Discuss "Emotional Eating and Self Compassion"
It is commonly recognized that people respond to stress in a variety of ways and emotional eating has recently come to the attention of researchers who are interested in understanding the role of using food in regulating mood. RU psychology professors Sarah Hastings and Tracy Cohn will talk about "Emotional Eating and Self Compassion" in a presentation at 2 p.m. Friday in Heth Hall room 104. The presentation is sponsored by the Center for Gender Studies and the Psychology Department. The event is open to the public, and admission is free. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

Grad Students Create Scale to Measure Personal Tempo
Psychology graduate students recently presented preliminary results of their research projects at the 6th Annual River Cities I/O Conference in Chattanooga, Tenn. Industrial and Organizational psychology graduate students Marcelle Clavette, Jeanne Donaghy and David Sharrer along with experimental psychology graduate student Robert Lytle have been working with Professor Emeritus Mike Aamodt on a series of studies investigating the concept of personal tempo. Personal tempo is the speed at which individuals consistently complete a wide range of tasks ranging from taking a multiple choice tests to placing an order at a restaurant. The students created a new scale to measure personal tempo and are investigating the relationship between personal tempo, test completion speed and test performance.

RU Dance Presents Multimedia Performance
Eating Appalachia: Selling Out to the Hungry Ghost

Dance PerformanceThe RU Department of Dance is presenting Eating Appalachia: Selling Out to the Hungry Ghost, a multimedia dance/theatre piece produced in response to mountaintop removal, at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tenn. The performance will also be presented in RU's Bondurant Auditorium at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 as part of the Appalachian Teacher's Network Conference. Eating Appalachia: Selling Out to the Hungry Ghost is based on the beauty of Appalachia, its culture and the effects of both mountaintop removal and a consumer-driven society. To learn more, see the RU News Release.

"Musica Viva" Headlines November Arts Calendar
The Radford University Performance Series will present "Musica Viva" featuring selected musicians from Virginia and North Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m., in the Performance Hall of the Covington Center. Tickets are on sale now at Hurlburt Hall Information Desk. Admission is $18 general public, $5 children, $8 Virginia Tech students and free with RU I.D. Call (540) 831-5420 to learn more.

To read about other visual and performing arts events at RU for November, see the RU News Release.

RU Sustainability: "You Have the ABILITY!"
sustainabilityThis edition of "You Have the ABILITY!" focuses on how each of us can manage our computers and printers to save energy.

  • Set your computer energy management settings to the most efficient settings and turn off your computer at the end of the day.
  • Share a printer with your roommate or the rest of the office and use "draft quality" for everyday use.
  • Turn off screensavers and use only one monitor unless it is necessary for you have a multiple-monitor set-up.

Last year, RU spent more than $140,000 in electricity, $35,000 in water and $7,000 in paper costs every month. Every kilowatt of electricity, gallon of water or sheet of paper saved is money that can be used for instructional and support services at RU. For more information on RU' s sustainability activities, visit www.radford.edu/rugreen. "You Have the ABILITY!" is a weekly reminder from RU Green and RU's Sustainability Steering Committee.

Radford Athletics Update
Men's BasketballMen's Basketball Preview -- In 2009-10, even the offensive formula for Radford is this basic: establish the inside game, take good shots and take care of the basketball. Defensively, the Highlanders want to protect the paint, contest three-point shots and limit teams to just one shot per possession. Read more>>

Radford Field Hockey claimed a share of the NorPac East Division crown with a 3-1 victory at Appalachian State Sunday. It is the third division title in five divisional seasons for the Highlanders since joining the NorPac in 2001.

Radford Baseball's White team rallied from an 8-6 seventh-inning deficit, out-slugging Gray in extra innings for an 11-10 win to clinch the RU 2009 Baseball Fall World Series title. Senior second baseman Rick Hoogstraten was named series MVP.

For more on these and other Highlander highlights, visit RU Athletics.


Alumni News

Alumna Living Her Dream at National Weather Service
Robyn BrownPhysical science alumna Robyn Brown '03, formerly Robyn Van Dyke, is living her dream of predicting the unpredictable. The Vansant native is a Journeyman Forecaster for the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. "You learn something new every day," says Brown. "Even on a quiet weather day where it's sunny and 90 degrees anything can happen. You're always trying to figure out what is going on, what is going to happen and why," says Brown. To learn more, see the RU News Release.


Kudos

Professor Dembele Is Founding Member of Online Magazine
Gaston DembeleRadford Assistant Professor Gaston Dembele of the School of Teacher Education has been invited to be a founding member of the editorial board for the national online journal Understanding and Dismantling Privilege. The interdisciplinary journal features ongoing research and practices at the forefront of the annual White Privilege Conference, a premier venue for activists, scholars, teachers and students involved in challenging dialogues that address privilege and oppression. Articles will examine intersections of systems of privilege based on race, gender, sexuality, class and more. To learn more, e-mail Dembele at gdembele@radford.edu.


The Back Page

Friends of Selu held its annual country picnic recently at the Conservancy. The event was sponsored by (from left in the photo) Jeff and Anne Armistead, David and Priscilla Moore, Bob and Lucille Cruise and Jon and Mary Wyatt. The Friends of Selu was established in 1989 to assist RU in realizing the potential of the Selu Conservancy.
RU Centennial

RU in the News

The Roanoke Times
Learning how to get your child to open up
RU psychology professors Jayne Bucy and Eric Mesmer discuss parent strategies for helping children talk about school.

Recent Releases from University Relations

President Kyle Signs Climate Commitment >>Story

Waldron College Names Student Ambassadors >>Story

Coming Up at RU

10/29, Jazz Ensemble and Jazztet Concert
10/30, MSOC vs. Elon
10/30, VB vs. Winthrop
10/30, Guest Artist Recital
10/31, SWIM vs. JMU
10/31, VB vs. Coastal
11/3, MSOC vs. High Point
11/4-7, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)
11/5-7, FH at NorPac Tourn.
11/5-8, WSOC at BSC Tourn.
(See RU Calendar for more information and listings)


RU Today Home
About RU Today
RU Today FAQ
Submit an item for RU Today
RU Today Archives
Contact RU Today

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
704 Fairfax Street
PO Box 6916
Radford, Va. 24142
540-831-5324

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

RU Home
RU Calendar
News@RU
Highlander Athletics
What's for lunch?

Subscribe to RU Today