Friday, April 14, 2006

Today's Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Counting the days

The History Channel is running a 10-part documentary series titled “Ten Days That Shaped America.” The parts are: Antietam, Massacre at Mystic, Einstein’s letter to FDR, McKinley’s assassination, Elvis on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the California Gold Rush, the Scopes trial, the Homestead strike, Freedom Summer, and Shay’s Rebellion. Conspicuous by their absence are Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and the Kennedy assassination. The topics were picked by polls and historians. Do historical lists like this have any educational value? Dr. Robert Hunt, history, says, “Not really. As a storytelling device they’re perfectly fine. But, as with most of these listed, they’re of ‘obvious’ events. You can’t build much context through these means.”

Contact Hunt at 615-898-5519.
rehunt@mtsu.edu

Metriculating in Manila

Opportunities for students to broaden their worldviews are expanding with the new partnership between MTSU and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) in Quezon City, just outside Manila in the Philippines. Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, economics and finance professor and director of the U.S.-Japan Program, was the pivotal figure in arranging the agreement. He says ADMU is considered the finest private institution of higher learning in the country. “This is a good place for development studies and Chinese and Japanese studies,” Kawahito says. “Any MTSU student can take courses in English, and transferring credits is easy.” Students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. Three ADMU students are slated to arrive at MTSU in August for a semester’s study.

Contact Kawahito at 615-898-5751.
kawahito@mtsu.edu

Can you hear them now?

Dr. Reuben Kyle, economics and finance, says antitrust agencies will examine the pending merger of AT&T and BellSouth very carefully, “if just for the sake of reassuring the public. But it will likely be approved with few objections from any corner.” Kyle says the new relationship would not herald the resurrection of the old Ma Bell, but it might signal the beginning of the end of the land line. “Telephones with lines are going the way of the horse and buggy,” Kyle says. “Increasingly, households choose not to even have a land line phone. … Voice over Internet service threatens long distance service, which was AT&T’s main business. Consequently, these companies are no longer the the financial powerhouses that they were just a few short years ago.”

Contact Kyle at 615-898-5617.
rkyle@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

DEDICATED FOLLOWER OF FASHION—TODAY, 3:30 p.m.--The second and final lecture in the Philosophy Lyceum lecture series for Spring 2006 is “Dressing Down, Dressing Up: The Philosophical Fear of Fashion” to be presented by Karen Hanson in Room 304 of the James Union Building. Hanson, who begins an appointment as dean of the Honors College at Indiana University this year, is the author of “The Self Imagined: Philosophical Reflections on the Social Character of Psyche” and a co-editor of “Romantic Revolutions: Criticism and Theory.” Her principal research interests are in philosophy of mind, ethics, aesthetics and American philosophy. Contact Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907 or Dr. Michael Principe at principe@mtsu.edu.

“THE TEACHER” IS IN THE HOUSE—TODAY--Hip-hop legend KRS-One will deliver a special guest lecture at 5 p.m. in Room 221 of the Learning Resources Center. Reporters will have an opportunity for questions and answers at 4 p.m. in the same room. Born Lawrence Krisna Parker in Brooklyn, N.Y., KRS-One originated Boogie Down Productions, “one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the ‘80s,” according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of All Music Guide. “KRS-One was known for his furiously political and socially conscious raps, which is the source of his nickname, ‘The Teacher.’” This event is free and open to the public thanks to support from the Center for Popular Music, the Robert W. McLean School of Music, the Department of Recording Industry and the MTSU Urban Music Society. Contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa, music, at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

SAY “HI” TO HIATT—WEDNESDAY, 7 p.m.--John Hiatt, one of America’s finest songwriters, will discuss his craft and perform a few numbers in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. This event is free and open to the public. MEDIA WELCOMED. Hiatt is this year’s participant in the Tom T. Hall Writers Series, which celebrates songwriters, authors, poets and screenwriters. He is known for such hits as “Slow Turning,” Perfectly Good Guitar,” “Riding with the King,” “Cry Love,” and “Have a Little Faith in Me.” His songs have been covered by artists ranging from Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt to B.B. King and Iggy Pop. Contact Beverly Keel at 615-898-5150 or bkeel@mtsu.edu.

MULTICULTURAL KIDS—THROUGH MAY 5--It’s time for the annual “Diverse Tales for Diverse Tots” book drive. The Diversity Committee of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women is asking for donations of children’s books that reflect or teach about any aspect of diversity and/or multiculturalism. These books may be old or new and for any age group. They will be presented in May to the MTSU Extended Evening School Program at the Homer Pittard Campus School. Dropoff locations include in the Sociology and Anthropology office (307 Todd Building), the English office (302 Peck Hall), the June Anderson Women’s Center (206 James Union Building), and the Older Wiser Learners office (320 Keathley University Center). Contact Dr. Ida Fadzillah at 615-898-8275 or ifadzill@mtsu.edu or Dr. Elvira Casal at 615-898-2668 or ecasal@mtsu.edu.

ATTENTION: MTSU AUDIO CLIPS

MTSU Audio Clips and radio-ready stories for your newscasts are available at:http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.comClick on "MTSU Audio Clips" on the right side of the page.TOPIC 1—BATTER UP!: It’s spring, when every young fan’s heart turns to baseball. Dr. Ron Kates, associate professor of English and Chicago Cubs fan extraordinaire, will celebrate this annual rite of rebirth with the Baseball Literature Conference March 31st. Special guests will be East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Don Johnson, editor of the sports literature journal “Aethlon,” and former Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos pitcher Bill “The Spaceman” Lee.

TOPIC 2—NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: The president of the American Civil Liberties Union, Nadine Strossen, will be the keynote speaker for National Women’s History Month at MTSU. Dr. Elyce Helford, chair of the Women’s Studies program, discusses Strossen’s upcoming appearance and the other events on tap to celebrate women’s fight for equality and justice.
Radio stations, if you need audio from MTSU, please call 615-898-2919 or email news@mtsu.edu. We will be glad to send MP3 audio via email or post the audio on our Audio Clips web page http://www.mtsunews.com/. Click on "MTSU Audio Clips" on the right side of the page.

VIDEO UPLINK

TV stations, if you need video from an event at MTSU, interviews with MTSU experts, or other specific video from the MTSU campus, please call 615-898-2919 or email news@mtsu.edu. With sufficient advanced notice, we have the capability to uplink video to stations with digital decoding equipment, or we can make arrangements to deliver tape or DVD to you.