For Immediate Release

February 12 , 2008

history channel to film xtreme rat challenge training

LINCOLN, Neb. —China is celebrating its new year, the “year of the rat.”

Nebraska Wesleyan University and the History Channel are celebrating the “year of the rat” too. On February 18, the History Channel’s hits series “Modern Marvels” will be on campus to film footage for an upcoming episode titled, “Modern Marvels: Rats.”

“Modern Marvels” will film students training rats for the annual Xtreme Rat Challenge, held each December. In “Modern Marvels: Rats,” viewers will learn about the history of and technologies related to the rat. Topics for the show will include cultural significance, intelligence, training, and groundbreaking experiments.

Nebraska Wesleyan University is home to the Xtreme Rat Challenge. A 33-year-old tradition, the event is the capstone project to a psychology course in which students train white lab rats for athletic events including hurdles, rope climb, tightrope walk, long jump, swimming, and lever press.

The event was originally called the “Rat Olympics” until 2003 when the United States Olympic Committee threatened a lawsuit against Nebraska Wesleyan for using the word “Olympics.”

“Modern Marvels: Rats” is expected to air later this spring.

***

Learn about other news & events happening at Nebraska Wesleyan University.