EVENTS

EVENTS
GED practice test
CANFIELD -- The Mahoning County Career & amp; Technical Center will be offering a free GED practice test. The exam will be given on a walk-in basis and will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 5, Dec. 3 and Jan. 7 at the career center. The practice test also will be administered from 4 to 9 p.m. Nov. 4, Dec. 2 and Jan. 6 at the Educational Resource Center in the Southern Park Mall in Boardman. Participants must be at least 18 years old, not enrolled in high school and have an Ohio driver's license or state identification card. For more information, call the career and technical center at (330) 729-4100.
Conversation Salons
YOUNGSTOWN -- A series of Conversation Salons began this month at the Austintown, Boardman, Poland and main branches of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. The salons, sponsored by the public library system and Youngstown State University's Center for Creative Retirement, provide those 55 and older a forum to discuss current events, arts, sciences, government, education and other topics. The salons meet monthly at the libraries and will run through May. For more information and a schedule, call (330) 965-5800.
Arts festival fund-raiser
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Bill McKinney, Slippery Rock University's dean of the College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts, will be playing the drums as part of an effort to raise money for Kaleidoscope, the university's arts festival held each spring. McKinney is a member of Making Trax, a four-piece band that will play blues, rock and alternative music from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. next Saturday inside a tent that will be set up on campus near the university's ski lodge, located near Vincent Science Hall. Admission will be $5 per person.
EDUCATOR NEWS
MS volunteer of the year
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Susan Kushner, an associate professor of physical therapy at Slippery Rock University, was recently named Volunteer of the Year by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for 16 years of service to the organization. Kushner was recognized for volunteering at the local and national levels, giving speeches, teaching and serving on many committees. She is chairwoman of the programs committee and a member of the professional education committee for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the MS Society. For 17 years, she was part of the medical staff for the Jimmie Heuga Center, a nonprofit organization that provides health education and five-day wellness workshops for those with MS in Edwards, Colo. Kushner will be inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame at the society's leadership conference in November in Denver.
COLLEGE NEWS
EPA to honor YSU
YOUNGSTOWN -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will present Youngstown State University with a Program Champion Award for surpassing its solid-waste reduction goals. The university will be one of 15 organizations to receive the award and will be honored Thursday at the WasteWise annual meeting and awards ceremony
In 2003, YSU ran two "Dump and Run" events that allowed students to drop off lamps, rugs and other items while moving out of residence halls and apartments. The university's Re:CREATE program matched donors of furniture and other supplies with schools and nonprofit organizations that needed the materials. WasteWise works with more than 1,500 organizations to help them find practical methods to reduce municipal solid waste.
YSU hosts Brazilians
YOUNGSTOWN -- YSU's Williamson College of Business Administration recently hosted 45 students and faculty members from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, marking the fifth year the university has hosted USP's extension course in retail management. During the five-day program, the students and faculty heard lectures and visited local businesses. YSU visiting professors Tony Kos, Ron Volpe, Ram Kasuganti and E. Terry Deiderick have taken part in USP's master's in business administration program and several USP faculty have served as visiting professors at YSU.
Homecoming finalists
YOUNGSTOWN -- YSU will crown its 2004 Homecoming king and queen during half-time ceremonies of the YSU-Northern Iowa University football game next Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.
Finalists for king : Bob McGovern, a junior political science major of Boardman; Scott Minadeo, a senior mechanical engineering major of Kirtland; Jaymin Patel, a senior industrial engineering major of New Castle, Pa.; Alexi Stavrou, a senior theater major of Youngstown; and William Tate, a junior electrical engineering major of Cleveland.
Finalists for queen: Nicole Cunningham, a junior mathematics major of Boardman; Jennifer Davidson, a senior mechanical engineering major of Poland; Shivani Jindal, a senior biology major of Columbus; Jessie Kinsley, a junior accounting major of Austintown; and Diana Samad, a senior criminal justice major of Boardman.
PUPILS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Merit commendation
STRUTHERS -- David Fox, a Struthers High School senior, was named a Commended Student in the 2005 National Merit Scholarship Program. David, son of Dan and Doreen Fox of Struthers, was one of about 34,000 Commended Students around the country to be recognized for academic promise and achievement. Such students placed in the top 5 percent among more than 1 million who entered the 2005 competition by taking the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Young leaders conference
WASHINGTON -- Aaron Shields of Canfield and Mark Motheral of Boardman were picked to participate in the National Young Leaders State Conference in Columbus. National Young Leaders recognizes ninth-graders for their leadership potential and academic achievement. The theme of the conference was "Courageous Leadership," and Aaron and Mark were among those who worked toward building strategies to help create and implement plans that will change how they view their role as community leaders.
K-12 NEWS
Career center recognized
LISBON -- Columbiana County Career and Technical Center has been recognized as one of the top 50 high schools in the High Schools That Work network of 1,100 high schools, based on the responses to a 2004 survey of its students. High Schools That Work is an education reform model used to improve student achievement. The career and technical center has been involved in High Schools That Work since 1998. Representatives of the High Schools That Work northeast region will make a presentation at the career center board's next meeting, 6 p.m. Oct. 20.