* The University of Findlay has a vibrant international student population that includes individuals from 41 countries. But many, from United States citizens to Saudi Arabians, tend to remain socially exclusive, according to Rayshawn Eastman, director of the Office of Intercultural Student Services. Given today’s global interconnectivity that influences everything from business to politics, the University hopes to encourage more multicultural interaction.

“I think one of the things that we always talk about here at the Buford Center is getting people to engage with each other from different backgrounds,” Eastman stated. He says that this is as simple as students chatting with other students from different backgrounds at an event, in class or through sports. Eastman strongly believes that intentional programs such as international game night hosted by the Office of International Education and the Buford Dialogue Series are helping to bridge the multicultural gaps and help students get to know each other on a more personal level.

The Buford Center for Diversity and Service, located at 1222 N. Cory St., has launched multiple efforts targeted at achieving greater interaction between the different cultures at UF. Cultural appreciation and exploration initiatives are helping students to feel invested in other cultures.

* Livestock producers need to take extra care when creating and maintaining stored silage piles to not only ensure they produce quality animal feed but also to lessen the risk of injury or even death from suffocation caused by an accidental silage avalanche.

Creating safe and nutritional silage piles starts with making sure the height is never higher than what your loading or unloading equipment can safely reach, which is typically 12-14 feet above the silage floor, said Rory Lewandowski, an Ohio State University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator.

While that may sound intuitive, Lewandowski said, numerous silage avalanches have occurred nationwide in recent years that have resulted in several deaths, according to data compiled by Ruthie and Keith Bolsen, nationally known silage safety experts.

“The biggest concern is that we can have these silage avalanches where silage will break off the face of the pile that you are drawing feed from, burying anyone beneath it,” he said. “These avalanches or pileups can occur in a second, creating a silent burial for anything that happens to be near, resulting in injury or death.”

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Staff report