Conference to cover consumer
issues
By Anna Herkamp
Summer
Reporter
Next week, a conference will be held that will
display consumer areas of interest in relation to Indiana families in
the areas of human development and consumer retail science.
The annual Home and Family Conference will take
place Tuesday through Friday. The conference is part of Purdue's extension
service, and it is designed to let the community know about the research
going on at Purdue in the areas of family and consumer science.
Approximately 400-600 people are expected to attend
the conference. Many members of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association
will attend, but the public is welcome. "We try to make topics diverse
so many interests are covered," said Betty Krejci, conference chair
and assistant program leader with Purdue Extension.
The conference began 88 years ago, originally a
meeting for the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association. It has since
grown into a public conference of home and family topics.
This is a way to get research from the University
to the public in ways to enhance life for Indiana families, said Krejci.
The conference will include a variety of topics
presented through educational presentations, speakers, tours and entertainment.
One presenter is Jolene Brown, a professional speaker
who will be giving the keynote address titled, "The Celebration of Change."
Brown specializes in helping people celebrate the human and sometimes
humorous sides of life, said Krejci.
Ed Bell will also be speaking at the conference.
Bell is a family man, speaker, disability consultant and strawberry
farmer. His talk will center on his survival of a violent criminal attack
and how his conquering attitude has helped him and brought joy to his
life, said Krejci.
Kirby Player, a coordinator of student relations
and recruitment for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
at Clemson University in South Carolina, will also be speaking about
"arching toward success," both in one's personal life and in organizations.
The conference will also offer tours including
one for the William H. Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center, the
food science building and technology center.
One popular tour given every year is the tour of
the Samara House. The house is now the John and Catherine Christian
house. Located in West Lafayette, the house is a Frank Lloyd Wright
design. Wright is considered by many to be the world's greatest architect,
said Linda Bryant, administrative assistant of the School of Family
and Consumer Science.
Concurrent sessions of the conference begin Wednesday
with presentations on the role of grand-parenting changes following
divorce. That day, there will also be a session about foods that can
contribute to better health.
On Thursday, sessions will include one about animal
contact for children and their families and a session about effective
strategies for organizing important records and documents.
The entertainment will include a choral festival
on Tuesday. There will also be events in Loeb Theatre. On Thursday,
there will be a presentation called "Civil War Women." The play
is based on diary and autobiography excerpts of women who lived through
the war.
Friday, a local male quartet will perform in the
North Ballroom of the Purdue Memorial Union as part of the closing luncheon.
Bryant said there is no common theme to material
presented at the conference, but topics are presented that affect everyone..
"The information is designed to give them a better
quality of life in regards to parenting, money management, food science,
exercise general well being," said Bryant.
l If you go: Sign up is still available. You
can sign up Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The cost is $32 for one day
or $42 for three days. The three-day fee includes the choral festival.
Tours must be pre-registered for $5. For more registration information,
call Barbara Meyer at (765) 494-7231.
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