Back by popular demand is Open House at the College of Veterinary Medicine, scheduled this year for Saturday, April 10, 1999 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cornell University.

Each spring, students in Cornell's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program invite families to visit the campus and see what veterinarians and veterinary students do. This year's event will be the 33rd annual open house at the college.

"Our Open House is an opportunity for children and families to learn about and handle various animals," explains Alexa Cox, Class of '01, one of two co-chairs for the event. "Everyone is invited to visit during Open House and speak with future animal doctors and other participants in this family-education event, " she says, noting that veterinary students will be on hand to provide assistance and answer questions during the self-guided tours.

Among the most popular exhibits for children are "Teddy Bear ER," where youngsters bring "injured" stuffed animals for repair by Cornell's own veterinary students, and "Surgeon Dress-Up," a chance for kids to gown-up in surgical scrubs and have their photographs taken as they pretend to be veterinary surgeons.

Other exhibits include milking cows, veterinary dentistry, poisonous plants, a petting zoo, a parrot exhibit, a bird-of-prey exhibit, an anatomically painted horse and cow and modern technology in veterinary medicine. For those interested in applying to Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, there also will be admissions information sessions throughout the day.

"For us, Open House is an opportunity to show the community our commitment to both animal and human health and well-being," says Thea Wallace, Class of '01, also a co-chair for the event.

Admission to Open House is free and so is parking in the large "O" lot, off Route 366 between Tower and Caldwell roads. From the parking lot, a marked walkway leads around the Veterinary Medical Center and Veterinary Research Tower to the college plaza on Tower Road, where the entrance to the Open House is through the atrium of the Veterinary Education Center.