Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Big “E”

Don’t put too much stock in the Enron verdicts, says Dr. John Mullane, management and marketing, as some sort of cautionary tale for American business. The convictions of Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling don’t necessarily mean there will be more pressure on boards of directors in choosing their executives. “Unfortunately, a board can not look into the future to see how their appointed CEO will respond to situations,” Mullane says. “More board oversight may be part of the solution, but it has never been a board’s responsibility to micromanage, either.”

Contact Mullane at 615-898-2747.
jmullane@mtsu.edu

The money monster

Why do some college freshmen have so many credit cards? Why do some of them get sucked in by advertising by title loan businesses? A University 1010 financial literacy pilot program offered this past semester at MTSU helped students get their college careers off to a sound start by emphasizing prudent money management. Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the College of Business, says, too many students come from homes where the only question asked is, “Can we make the payment?” Burton says, “They don’t think about what happens if I miss a paycheck. Parents try to help their kids … and we bail them out. There comes a point in life when you have to bail yourself out.”

Contact Burton at 615-898-2764.
eburton@mtsu.edu

What price reform?

Certain proposed Social Security reform measures might not be the best thing for the U.S. economy overall. So say Drs. William Ford and Frank Michello, economics and finance, authors of a paper published in the April 2006 edition of “Business Economics.” They conclude that certain reforms which would encourage delayed retirement decisions might actually cause the unemployment rate to go up. Ford and Michello analyze recent trends in the age of the national workforce and find that urging older workers to stay on the job longer would ease labor market pressures if and only if joblessness stays near the non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment.


Contact Ford at 615-898-2889
wfford@mtsu.edu
or Michello at 615-898-2381.
michello@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE GOVERNMENT--The American Legion Auxiliary’s 60th session of Volunteer Girls State will be held through June 3 at MTSU. Gov. Phil Bredesen will address the gathering at 10:30 a.m., TODAY, May 31, at Tucker Theatre. More than 500 rising seniors from across the state will engage in a week of activities, including debating the issues that challenge Tennessee’s state legislature. The girls will form their own city, county and state governments, as well. Two Girls State delegates will be picked to represent VGS at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. in July. Program leaders will select one delegate to compete for a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Samsung Corporation. For more information, including pictures and updates on this year’s VGS event, please visit the Web site at http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org or call Heather Hargis at 615-300-3238.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS!--Some 16 MTSU alumni and several faculty members have contributed to the newly published “Encyclopedia of Appalachia.” The title has more than 2,000 entries which provides ready reference to information about the people, culture and history of Appalachia. MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation was contacted by scholars at East Tennessee State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Services about collaborating on the project. CHP Director Dr. Carroll Van West says he agreed to participate because of his interest in southern architecture and because the Applachian region suffers from stereotyping. Contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.

CANCER ANSWERS--“Taking It to the Streets: Summit on the Burden of Cancer in Tennessee,” a state cancer summit, will be held Thursday, June 15, at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center. MTSU is a partner in providing funding for several initiatives aimed at reaching more people with information on the deadly illness. Issues to be addressed include creating access to services for the homeless and the utilization of churches to raise awareness of the importance of cancer screenings for African Americans. The Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, which is made up of 272 individuals and organizations in Tennessee, is the driving force behind the gathering.
Contact ReJeana Colman at 615-435-5739 or Gail Hardin at 615-936-5885, or visit http://www.vicc.org/2006summit.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Enron effect

Former Enron chief executive Jeff Skilling and founder Ken Lay were found guilty last week of conspiracy and fraud charges. What should this say to corporations about how they handle their affairs and who they hire to run things? Dr. John Mullane, management and marketing, says, “No legitimate board of directors would ever appoint a CEO they thought would break the law. Thus, the Lay and Skilling convictions don't add any additional weight to these type of decisions, in my opinion. It always has been important to find qualified individuals who will run the organization properly.”

Contact Mullane at 615-898-2747.
jmullane@mtsu.edu

The color of money

How can college freshmen avoid amassing enormous debt as they try to manage their finances largely unassisted for the first time in their lives? MTSU launched a University 1010 financial literacy pilot program last semester to address this very issue. Dr. Marva Lucas, director, Academic Enrichment and one of the 1010 instructors says of the students who participated, “Their comments, questions and the interchange of ideas clearly demonstrated that this information was timely and needed. Many students remarked how … they will adapt new behaviors that result in making wise financial decisions.”

Contact Lucas at 615-898-2568.
mlucas@mtsu.edu

Cancer answers

“Taking It to the Streets: Summit on the Burden of Cancer in Tennessee,” a state cancer summit, will be held Thursday, June 15, at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center. MTSU is a partner in providing funding for several initiatives aimed at reaching more people with information on the deadly illness. Issues to be addressed include creating access to services for the homeless and the utilization of churches to raise awareness of the importance of cancer screenings for African Americans. The Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, which is made up of 272 individuals and organizations in Tennessee, is the driving force behind the gathering.

Contact Rejeana Colman at 615-435-5739 or Gail Hardin at 615-936-5885 or visit http://www.vicc.org/2006summit.


TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE GOVERNMENT--The American Legion Auxiliary’s 60th session of Volunteer Girls State will be held May 28-June 3 at MTSU. Gov. Phil Bredesen will address the gathering at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 31, at Tucker Theatre. More than 500 rising seniors from across the state will engage in a week of activities, including debating the issues that challenge Tennessee’s state legislature. The girls will form their own city, county and state governments, as well. Two Girls State delegates will be picked to represent VGS at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. in July. Program leaders will select one delegate to compete for a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Samsung Corporation. For more information, including pictures and updates on this year’s VGS event, please visit the Web site at http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org or call Heather Hargis at 615-300-3238.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS!--Some 16 MTSU alumni and several faculty members have contributed to the newly published “Encyclopedia of Appalachia.” The title has more than 2,000 entries which provides ready reference to information about the people, culture and history of Appalachia. MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation was contacted by scholars at East Tennessee State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Services about collaborating on the project. CHP Director Dr. Carroll Van West says he agreed to participate because of his interest in southern architecture and because the Applachian region suffers from stereotyping. Contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A Memorial Day to remember

There is no better way to turn Memorial Day into a true tribute to America's fighting men and women than to contribute to the MTSU Veterans Memorial Fund. An account has been opened for tax-deductible donations for construction of a living on-campus memorial to members of the university community who lost their lives serving their country. The project has university support and a five-thousand-dollar start-up grant. More than 50 names have been collected. The idea for the memorial was inspired by a young first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Ken Ballard, an MTSU student who served in Bosnia and Macedonia before being assigned to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The M-1 Abrams tank commander was killed near Najaf in 2004.

For more information or to contribute online, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~veterans.

Fight cancer with a computer

Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “If you have a PC and are interested in doing something to fight cancer besides donating money, you don’t have to work in a research lab. If you Google the phrase ‘screensaver lifesaver,’ your first hit will be the homepage” for an ambitious project at Oxford University. It’s the world’s largest computational research project. MacDougall says you will “learn something about how drugs interact with proteins in our bodies and a lot about how computers can augment bench research.” You also can download the screensaver for free, learn which cancers have been targeted, and find out how the drugs that will be discovered could have an impact.

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Private people, public exposure

Which public events or participants in those events are newsworthy enough to be covered by the “public’s right to know?” Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says, “If the wrong call is made (by journalists) and a person who is not a celebrity or public official is dragged into the news, that person may sue and seek Ninth Amendment relief, claiming ‘privacy rights’ protection. But those who trade in the currency of publicity—politicians, actors, authors, or other celebrities—are pretty much fair game!” But he says two questions must be answered: 1) Is the unauthorized use of an individual’s identity really news?, and, 2) Is there a clear relationship between the individual’s identity and the “news” and question?

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE GOVERNMENT--The American Legion Auxiliary’s 60th session of Volunteer Girls State will be held May 28-June 3 at MTSU. Gov. Phil Bredesen will address the gathering at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 31, at Tucker Theatre. More than 500 rising seniors from across the state will engage in a week of activities, including debating the issues that challenge Tennessee’s state legislature. The girls will form their own city, county and state governments, as well. Two Girls State delegates will be picked to represent VGS at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. in July. Program leaders will select one delegate to compete for a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Samsung Corporation. For more information, including pictures and updates on this year’s VGS event, please visit the Web site at http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org or call Heather Hargis at 615-300-3238.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS!--Some 16 MTSU alumni and several faculty members have contributed to the newly published “Encyclopedia of Appalachia.” The title has more than 2,000 entries which provides ready reference to information about the people, culture and history of Appalachia. MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation was contacted by scholars at East Tennessee State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Services about collaborating on the project. CHP Director Dr. Carroll Van West says he agreed to participate because of his interest in southern architecture and because the Applachian region suffers from stereotyping. Contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Today's Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Jeffersonian politics?

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican, and Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi agree—the Justice Department should return the papers it seized from the Capitol Hill office of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA). Jefferson asserts that the search in connection with an investigation of alleged fraud and bribery is an “unprecedented” breach of separation of powers. Do they have a point? Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, says “There would be great cause for concern if the executive branch embarked on a warrantless search, particularly if it were based on something Congressman Jefferson said. … It appears, however, that the government established probable cause to get a warrant …The case against Richard Nixon established that no one was above the law, and, if this applies to someone who is chief executive, then it surely applies as well to a member of Congress.”

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

Tell your loved ones now

Judy Campbell, associate professor of nursing, says it’s not necessary to have a lawyer or a notary to initiate an advance directive indicating your wishes in the event you become incapacitated. “If you have designated a power of attorney for health care or health care proxy, then you should share all of your wished-for end-of-life care with that person,” Campbell says. “Then the proxy will carry out your wishes when you are unable to speak for yourself. … This is a health care system that still promotes life and it takes an ‘approved system’ to honor one’s wishes. The advance directive process is in place. We must do a better job of making sure that everyone is informed and reminded regularly to share your wishes in the acceptable way.”

Contact Campbell at 615-898-5729.
jcampbel@mtsu.edu

Head for the mountains!

Some 16 MTSU alumni and several faculty members have contributed to the newly published “Encyclopedia of Appalachia.” The title has more than 2,000 entries which provides ready reference to information about the people, culture and history of Appalachia. MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation was contacted by scholars at East Tennessee State University’s Center for Appalachian Studies and Services about collaborating on the project. CHP Director Dr. Carroll Van West says he agreed to participate because of his interest in southern architecture and because the Applachian region suffers from stereotyping.

Contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE GOVERNMENT--The American Legion Auxiliary’s 60th session of Volunteer Girls State will be held May 28-June 3 at MTSU. Gov. Phil Bredesen will address the gathering at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 31, at Tucker Theatre. More than 500 rising seniors from across the state will engage in a week of activities, including debating the issues that challenge Tennessee’s state legislature. The girls will form their own city, county and state governments, as well. Two Girls State delegates will be picked to represent VGS at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. in July. Program leaders will select one delegate to compete for a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Samsung Corporation. For more information, including pictures and updates on this year’s VGS event, please visit the Web site at http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org or call Heather Hargis at 615-300-3238.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Civil war in Iraq?

In a column in the Daily Telegraph of London, Edward Luttwak, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, stated that the U.S. is making a mistake by interfering with Iraq’s civil war. He cites England’s civil war in the mid-17th century and the U.S. Civil War as examples of civil wars that “worked.” Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “Making comparisons between the civil wars of the United States and England and the current situation in Iraq is a deeply flawed exercise and indicates a lack of understanding of the research on conflict.” Regarding Luttwak’s assertion America should pull its troops out of Iraq, “If we set aside the issue of nuclear weapons (and other WMDs), the pattern of internationalization of civil conflict, the civilian casualties that would result, the interests of other powers in the region (Iran, for example), the Kurdish minorities in other states, and the resulting damage to an already battered U.S. reputation internationally, then perhaps he has a point,” she says.

Contact Petersen at 615-898-2708.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

No tattoo necessary

Eighty-year-old Mary Wohlford, a retired nurse, recently made headlines by having the words “DO NOT RESUSCITATE” tattooed on her chest. Judy Campbell, associate professor of nursing, says, “It is unfortunate that we have come to this point that someone would feel that the only way that they feel confident that their wishes would be implemented would be such an extreme measure as a tattoo. The documents in the state of Tennessee have been revisited and are much easier for someone to utilize now. An advance directive consists of a living will and the identification of a health care proxy. This is what is needed for all adults to do.”

Contact Campbell at 615-898-5729.
jcampbel@mtsu.edu

Girls just want to have government

The American Legion Auxiliary’s 60th session of Volunteer Girls State will be held May 28-June 3 at MTSU. Gov. Phil Bredesen will address the gathering at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 31, at Tucker Theatre. More than 500 rising seniors from across the state will engage in a week of activities, including debating the issues that challenge Tennessee’s state legislature. The girls will form their own city, county and state governments, as well. Two Girls State delegates will be picked to represent VGS at Girls Nation in Washington, D.C. in July. Program leaders will select one delegate to compete for a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Samsung Corporation.

For more information, including pictures and updates on this year’s VGS event, please visit the Web site at http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Pulling out of Iraq

Edward Luttwak, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, opined in the Daily Telegraph of London that the only way to bring peace to Iraq is to let civil war happen and let the combatants fight it out without the U.S. or its "coalition," which probably will result in distinct boundaries between Kurd, Sunni, and Shiite areas. Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “While pulling U.S. troops outof Iraq with justification might be appealing to some, it would be incredibly irresponsible and would result in enormous problems in the Middle East and to the reputation of the U.S. We missed more than one opportunity to deal with Saddam Hussein over the last two decades; now we must see that he is not missed.”

Contact Petersen at 615-898-2708.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

Lost in cyberspace

Since there is no body language or tone of voice in e-mail, the recipient can think the writer is assuming a sarcastic tone when none is intended and vice versa. Since computers are so important to business, how are these misunderstandings affecting the business world? Dr. Virginia Hemby-Grubb, a professor of business education, marketing education and office management, says, “If a project was to be undertaken or a deadline to be met, and the email messages were not written so they could be understood and followed, the business may lose a customer, client, or project. For this reason, the number one job requirement posted by employers for graduating college students is the ability to communicate--written, oral, listening.”

Contact Hemby-Grubb at 615-898-2902.
kvhemby@mtsu.edu

Corn reborn

Dr. Cliff Ricketts, agriculture and agribusiness, recently testified about the future of alternative fuels before a Congressional panel. He says the renewed emphasis on ethanol could be great for five or 10 years, but corn prices could go sky high if ethanol’s popularity begins to soar over the long haul. He says, “That would then put the ethanolmanufacturers out of business. This happened in the early eighties. The other issue is what the eventual high price of corn will do the dairy and livestock industries. Corn is the basic concentrate product for both these."

Contact Ricketts at 615-898-2430.
srickett@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

You can’t make book on it

Frank Wang, a former textbook publisher who left the field to teach at the University of Oklahoma, is highly critical of the textbooks being used in K-12 schools. He advocates doing away with the approval process altogether because it has become too political. Should teachers and local school officials pick their own books? Dr. Ann Campbell, elementary and secondary education, says she can see both sides of the issue, but “with No Child Left Behind and the testing that is in place, there needs to be some consistency in what students are receiving in their classes. Commonly adopted textbooks help with the consistency of all students being presented with the same content.”

Contact Campbell at 615-898-2321.
acampbel@mtsu.edu

The shortcomings of e-mail

A study by the University of Chicago finds that e-mail senders overestimate their ability to communicate feelings and e-mail readers overestimate their ability to correctly decode feelings. The researchers say one reason for this is that people are egocentric enough to assume others process stimuli the same way they do. Dr. Virginia Hemby-Grubb, a professor of business education, marketing education and office management, says, “E-mail messages are often written in a choppy, disjointed fashion forcing the recipient to reply to the message asking for clarification or more information. Many times the email messages fly back and forth between individuals because they cannot be processed or understood, requiring more explanation and more emails, etc. This exercise in futility results in lost work time for companies.”

Contact Hemby-Grubb at 615-898-2902.
kvhemby@mtsu.edu

The power of yellow

Five-point-seven billion dollars in federal tax credits will support the ethanolmarket over the next five years. What will the corn growers get out of this?Dr. Cliff Ricketts, agriculture and agribusiness, recently testified about the future of alternative fuels before a Congressional panel. He says, “Corn growers should benefit greatly in the short run with the increased emphasis on ethanol from corn. However, my concern is the long term effect. I believe we are OK for five to 10 years, but, if ethanol gets extremely popular as a fuel, it could drive corn prices out of sight.”

Contact Ricketts at 615-898-2430.
srickett@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Ethics on tap

Dr. Thomas Cooper, a professor of visual and media arts at Boston’s Emerson College, will be the new Ethicist-in-Residence at MTSU’s College of Mass Communication for the 2006-2007 academic year. Cooper served as an assistant to media theorist Marshall McLuhan, assisted White House speechwriters and co-produced some of the first audio spacebridges between U.S. and Soviet communications professionals. He is the author or co-author of five published books and more than 100 articles and review. He is also the co-publisher of Media Ethics magazine. Cooper’s tenure as ethicist-in-residence is funded by a $120,000 grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation in Oklahoma City.

Contact the College of Mass Communication at 615-898-2813.

The Da Vinci mode

With all the commotion over the motion picture version of Dan Brown’s bestseller “The Da Vinci Code,” perhaps the real Da Vinci has gotten lost in the shuffle. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says Leonardo Da Vinci “was dismissive of pure philosophy and abstract theory—pseudo-knowledge that ‘begins and ends in the mind.’ He saw artists and engineers as ‘human creators’ whose careful observations of nature allowed them to be a ‘second nature in the world,’ but only if they remained true to the causes and effects that they experience.” MacDougall also notes that Da Vinci was a supremely gifted student of geometry, and this enabled him to experience light in ways that are invisible to you and me.” This unique vision can still be experienced and enjoyed in his paintings such as “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Sex and the media

Dr. Carol Pardun, director of the School of Journalism, is one of the authors of an in-home longitudinal study to determine whether exposure to sexual content in four mass media over time by early teenagers predicts sexual behavior. More than 1,000 black and white adolescents from 14 middle schools in central North Carolina were surveyed. The research found that “exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television and magazines accelerates white adolescents’ sexual activity and increases their risk of engaging in early sexual intercourse. Black teens appear more influenced by perceptions of their parents’ expectations and their friends’ sexual behavior than by what they see and hear in the media.” However, the scholars caution that more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between sexual media content and teens’ sexual activity.

Contact Pardun at 615-898-2814.
cpardun@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

THE ART OF GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL--High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to dorms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.” Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274 or dmcgilli@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Waiting to inhale

The use of altitude tents by athletes is intended to simulate training at a high altitude, similar to running in the mountains. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says this technique is not analogous to the use of steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. “Using a tent does not have an adverse (nor long-term) effect on the body, and it is non-addictive,” Anshel says. “Further, it is not viewed as cheating because it’s a common practice and not done surreptitiously. It can also be viewed as similar to training with advanced equipment, perhaps developed in a lab to improve performance outcome.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

The art of Governor’s School

High school students can spend a fun and productive summer at the annual Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts June 11-July 15 at MTSU. Youngsters will enjoy intensive study in art, dance, theater and music during the five-week residence program. Students now will receive six hours of college credit instead of three, as was the case in prior years. “We had a fantastic school in 2005, with more than 200 talented students who had a wonderful, life-changing experience at MTSU,” Dale McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, observes. “Everything from registration into classes, to buses to corms, to the smallest detail was excellent, thanks to all the school’s teachers who worked so hard to make things happen for these young artists of Tennessee.”

Contact McGilliard at 615-898-2274.
dmcgilli@mtsu.edu

“The DaVinci Code”

Why has the movie version of “The DaVinci Code” generated such an uproar even before it opens officially? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says all the discussion and debate is good for us. “The book and movie have sparked renewed interest in history, have generated reading and discussion groups, and have challenged people to ask questions about their belief,” Burriss says. He points out that many novels have taken their cue from the Bible, but they were not accepted as fact or even debated as such. “The idea of adding fictional elements to basic Bible stories is nothing new,” Burriss adds. “It’s been going on for years. In fact, Bible scholars today are hard-pressed to say which parts of those ancient parchments represent reality and which do not.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Y’ALL COME!—TODAY, 4 p.m.--The MTSU Office of Alumni Relations has a new home. Two newly renovated properties at 2259 and 2263 Middle Tennessee Boulevard will house the staffers. The upcoming open house is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. “We hope members of the community will stop in and look around,” says Ginger Freeman, Director of Alumni Relations. “The renovation of the space is truly remarkable.” The facilities, which previously served as private residences, have been revamped to accommodate the staff’s offices, conference areas and workrooms, as well as to assure compliance with handicapped accessibility regulations and fire codes. Contact Allison Payne, assistant director, Office of Alumni Relations at 615-904-8199 or go to http://www.mtalumni.com/.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

That rarefied air

Is the use of altitude tents to give athletes a performance advantage fair? “Tents cost money and, therefore, may create a two-tiered competition system in which athletic success reflects economics (i.e., affordability) instead of training,” says Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance. “But does this not happen anyway? Athletes always differ on the level of nutrition or use of nutritional supplements based on their economic base. Notice how well the Africans run long distances despite living in inferior economic conditions as opposed to U.S. runners?”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

How students got sneaky, got caught, and got an “F”

Does the story of Harvard sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan and her alleged plagiarism of her novel “How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life” serve as a cautionary tale to today’s students? Dr. Ellen Donovan, English, says the Viswanathan case is different than the Internet plagiarism most students commit. “The Internet is tempting for students,” she says, “but professors can also very easily find plagiarism when students have used the Internet. I think the ease of using the Internet encourages students to cheat, but I also think that students cheat because they find themselves behind in their work or they don’t want to learn how to do their work well.”

Contact Donovan at 615-898-2579.
edonovan@mtsu.edu

A grade of “D”

Federal officials say more than 37 million Medicare beneficiaries have signed up for the Part D prescription drug program since January 1. (The enrollment period ended Monday.) But will seniors understand what the program can do for them? Christine Lombardi, Director of Case Management for Middle Tennessee Medical Center, says, “Many seniors have received multiple and often conflicting mailings from Medicare, as well as from provider companies looking to attain new clients. Compounding the problem is the fact that this program is primarily administered through the Internet. While many seniors have become Internet-savvy, still many others are not computer literate, and some do not even own computers.”

Contact Lombardi at Christine.Lombardi@mtmc.org or MTMC’s Kim Reynolds at KREYNOLDS@stthomas.org.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Y’ALL COME!—THURSDAY, 4 p.m.--The MTSU Office of Alumni Relations has a new home. Two newly renovated properties at 2259 and 2263 Middle Tennessee Boulevard will house the staffers. The upcoming open house is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. “We hope members of the community will stop in and look around,” says Ginger Freeman, Director of Alumni Relations. “The renovation of the space is truly remarkable.” The facilities, which previously served as private residences, have been revamped to accommodate the staff’s offices, conference areas and workrooms, as well as to assure compliance with handicapped accessibility regulations and fire codes. Contact Allison Payne, assistant director, Office of Alumni Relations at 615-904-8199 or go to http://www.mtalumni.com.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The air that I breathe

Anti-doping agencies are considering regulating or banning artificially induced altitude conditions (altitude tents) used by elite athletes. If the effects of an illegal drug can be simulated naturally, is it ethical to use artificial means to reproduce that environment for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says researchers need to study the tents’ impact on performance outcome first. “It could have a placebo effect or be absolutely useless to performance,” he says. “What’s next—banning shoes with computer chips that alter flexibility of the cushion in the sole?”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

Y’all come!

The MTSU Office of Alumni Relations has a new home. Two newly renovated properties at 2259 and 2263 Middle Tennessee Boulevard will house the staffers. An open house is slated from 4-7 p.m. this Thursday. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. “We hope members of the community will stop in and look around,” says Ginger Freeman, Director of Alumni Relations. “The renovation of the space is truly remarkable.” The facilities, which previously served as private residences, have been revamped to accommodate the staff’s offices, conference areas and workrooms, as well as to assure compliance with handicapped accessibility regulations and fire codes.

Contact Allison Payne, assistant director, Office of Alumni Relations at 615-904-8199 or go to http://www.mtalumni.com.

Medicare Part D

The sign-up period for Medicare Part D ended yesterday amid as much confusion and controversy as when the program was announced. Christine Lombardi, Middle Tennessee Medical Center’s Director of Case Management, says, “While the Medicare prescription drug program is a federally administered supplemental benefit program, most seniors have been engaged more frequently and persistently by providers and vendors than by representatives of the government. This can add further confusion as each provider claims to offer the best benefit to the subscriber, leaving the senior to decide what information to trust for their best interest.”

Contact Lombardi at Christine.Lombardi@mtmc.org or MTMC’s Kim Reynolds at KREYNOLDS@stthomas.org.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The new town criers

“Comedians, satirists, songwriters and singers ARE the right people to take on the Bush White House and Republican-controlled House and Senate,” asserts Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication. “More people watch entertainment television and listen to music than pay attention to C-SPAN or read or watch the mainstream news media,” he says. Pondillo cites studies by Gallup, the Pew Center, Times Mirror and the American Society of Newspaper Editors that show over the last 20 years, the number of Americans who think news organizations are highly professional declined from 72 to 49 percent. Furthermore, newspapers’ circulation peaked in 1987, and the decline is accelerating.

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

Intolerance

Two Georgia Tech students, a Christian and a Jew, are suing the university because they are not allowed to speak out against gays and lesbians. Gays and lesbians say such speech is offensive and discriminatory. But Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, contends that the rule that prohibits such speech, however objectionable it may be, is itself intolerant. “Throughout history, we have seen the results when one group is favored over another group, when one group has rights at the expense of others,” Burriss says. “So the American experience is supposed to be one of tolerance. But toleration doesn’t mean you have to approve of every beharior and idea that comes down the road. Rather, tolerance means that those who are offended have to tolerate the offensive speech.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

The chemistry of education

The vice chancellor at the University of Sussex has announced a plan to cut most of the chemistry faculty and end the school’s world-renowned chemistry program. Similar actions have been taken at Swansea in Wales. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, while this might just look like another cost-cutting measure, it raises questions about the purpose of a university. “Traditionally, universities exist to create and share knowledge,” he says. “Training students so that they will secure a particular job when they graduate is not a traditional role of a university. … since ever fewer people’s lives are occupied by a single profession, a university must provide a universal education. To this end, healthy programs in all of the unhyphenated core branches of knowledge should exist.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

GET TEED OFF—TODAY, 10:30 a.m.--Join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MTSU head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Rick Insell (women’s basketball) for a golf scramble Monday at Temple Hills Golf Club, 6379 Temple Road in Franklin. The event begins with a 10:30 a.m. lunch followed by the scramble at noon. Following the scramble, a reception open to all alumni and friends will be held at 5:30. The cost for the entire event is $125 dollars per person or $10 for the reception only. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-6878 or go online at http://www.mtalumni.com.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, www.mtsunews.com.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The mainstream is polluted

The conventional wisdom in the mainstream media is that comedian Stephen Colbert bombed at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. But the blogosphere found him hilariously funny, and so did Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication. “The ossified and useless conventions of the mainstream media straitjacket it, making it unable to point out some of the irony and clear disengenousness of the Bush White House,” Pondillo says. He also points out that Colbert might have gotten a chilly reception in the room partly because he refused to spare the corporate press from his pointed barbs.

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

Fill ‘er up!

Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says food helps some people get out of a slump. Usually, Colson says, the foods people choose for this purpose are high in fat, sugar and calories. “Substituting an activity that requires physical use of the body is the best way to avoid the nervous junk food habit,” Colson advises. She recommends cross-stitching, knitting, painting or gardening. “Or, better yet, putting in an exercise video or going for a long walk can relieve the nervousness and keep you occupied. That lets you avoid the junk food attack.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2884.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

Get teed off

Join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MTSU head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Rick Insell (women’s basketball) for a golf scramble Monday at Temple Hills Golf Club, 6379 Temple Road in Franklin. The event begins with a 10:30 a.m. lunch followed by the scramble at noon. Following the scramble, a reception open to all alumni and friends will be held at 5:30. The cost for the entire event is $125 dollars per person or $10 for the reception only.
Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-6878 or go online at http://www.mtalumni.com.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

SEE SPOT RUN!—TOMORROW, 8 a.m.--Runners, walkers and their dogs will jog, trot and pant for a good cause in the See Spot Run 5K event on the west side of Peck Hall near the starting line. Proceeds will benefit MTSU’s goal of building a house for Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee is $15 and includes awards, t-shirts and doggie bags for all participants. The course is certified, flat and fast. Additionally, Tennessee Performing Arts Center staffers will be on site to select one lucky canine for a walk-on role in the May 16 performance of “Annie.” The dog’s owner will receive four complementary tickets to the musical and will be invited to the cast party following the show. The race is sponsored by Raider Habitat, Eta Sigma Pi, MTSU Alumni Relations, and the Office of Student Organizations & Community Service. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or via http://www.mtalumni.com.

KEEP IT CLEAN!—TOMORROW, 8:30 a.m.--Have fun this weekend for a good cause! Volunteer for Raiders on the Harpeth, a family-oriented stream cleanup and picnic at the Aspen Grove Park Pavilion in Cool Springs at Cool Springs Boulevard near P.F. Chang’s. MTSU will provide lunch for all volunteers at 12 noon. The first 25 people to register will get a free MT T-shirt. The City of Franklin will provide equipment, including work gloves, trash bags and grabber tools for removing trash and debris from the Harpeth, along its banks and from areas adjacent to the watershed. This event is sponsored by the MTSU Williamson County Alumni Chapter. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, www.mtsunews.com.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Keep it clean!

Have fun this weekend for a good cause! Volunteer for Raiders on the Harpeth, a family-oriented stream cleanup and picnic this Saturday. Participants will gather at 8:30 a.m. at the Aspen Grove Park Pavilion in Cool Springs at Cool Springs Boulevard near P.F. Chang’s. MTSU will provide lunch for all volunteers at 12 noon. The first 25 people to register will get a free MT T-shirt. The City of Franklin will provide equipment, including work gloves, trash bags and grabber tools for removing trash and debris from the Harpeth, along its banks and from areas adjacent to the watershed. This event is sponsored by the MTSU Williamson County Alumni Chapter.

Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU or visit http://www.mtalumni.com/.

Summer school

As of May 8, 8,553 students had registered for eight sessions of classes at MTSU, where the summer semester will begin this Monday. Dr. Sherian Huddleston, assistant vice provost for enrollment services says that appears to be on par with the previous two years’ totals. About 60 fewer students had registered by the same date in 2005. But Huddleston says the 9,096 students who were enrolled in 2005 “was actually a slight increase over the previous summer (9,027), but going into the summer we were slightly behind. We had not quite a one percent increase.” Students planning to attend classes this summer should be aware that the final dates to register are the first days of classes for the session.

Contact Huddleston at 615-898-2828.
shuddles@mtsu.edu

Siesta time

Some reports indicate that taking a nap in the middle of the day would help all of us perform better on the job and in our social activities. But Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says “napping is not the answer because it reflects our failure to be more efficient in our sleep and daytime recovery.” Anshel suggests a short recovery period from non-stop mental activity is in order. He defines “short recovery period” as “distracting ourselves from the task at hand and any task that has reenergizing effects, such as going for a walk, closing one’s eyes and thinking relaxing thoughts, laughter.” This will replenish the brain chemical acetylcholine, which is depleted with constant cognitive activity.

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

DON’T HIT THE CHOO-CHOO!—TODAY—If you’re in the Chattanooga area on May 11, you might want to join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MTSU head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Rick Insell (women’s basketball) at Creeks Bend Golf Club, 5900 Hixson Pike in Hixson. An 11 a.m. lunch will precede a 12:30 p.m. golf scramble. Following the golf, a reception will be held at 5:30 for MTSU alumni and friends. The charge is $75 per person for the entire event or $10 for just the reception. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-6878. Media welcomed.

SEE SPOT RUN!—SATURDAY, 8 a.m.--Runners, walkers and their dogs will jog, trot and pant for a good cause in the See Spot Run 5K event on the west side of Peck Hall near the starting line. Proceeds will benefit MTSU’s goal of building a house for Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee is $15 and includes awards, t-shirts and doggie bags for all participants. The course is certified, flat and fast. Additionally, Tennessee Performing Arts Center staffers will be on site to select one lucky canine for a walk-on role in the May 16 performance of “Annie.” The dog’s owner will receive four complementary tickets to the musical and will be invited to the cast party following the show. The race is sponsored by Raider Habitat, Eta Sigma Pi, MTSU Alumni Relations, and the Office of Student Organizations & Community Service. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or via http://www.mtalumni.com.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.com/.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The death of a comet

Comet 73P Schassman-Wachman 3 will be observable this weekend, May 12-14. Dr. Chuck Higgins, physics and astronomy, says the best time to see it will be in the morning before sunrise. The comet “was discovered in 1930 and is known to have an orbit period around the sun of about five years,” Higgins says. “Back in 1995, the comet broke into several pieces, and all the pieces are orbiting the sun like ‘beads on a string’.” But, since the comet is fragmented, each piece is not terribly bright. Higgins advises viewing Schassman-Wachman 3 with a good pair of binoculars or a telescope near the constellation Cygnus. “The reason this comet is special is that we are seeing it break apart and ‘die’ right before our eyes,” Higgins says.

Contact Higgins at 615-898-5946.
chiggins@mtsu.edu

Another reason to celebrate Mother’s Day

“Your mother not only gave you your start in life; she also took molecular steps to minimize the odds of an early finish,” says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry. The ends of chromosomes, which are called telomeres, are long when we are conceived. But they get shorter as we develop normally. “It is thought that the aging process is closely tied to the intricacies of telomere chemistry,” MacDougall says. But why are we still born with long telemeres after thousands of years of human ancestry? There is another enzyme that can extend the telomeres back to their original length. “This enzyme has since been isolated, and it is called telomerase,” MacDougall explains. “It is active in sex cells … and some stem cells, but not in normal adult cells that show signs of age.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

It’s not just for kids!

Don’t underestimate the mumps! Dr. Marcie Castleberry, an internal medicine specialist, says, while death from mumps is rare, severe cases are more common in adults than in children. “People sometimes develop inflammation of the brain tissue associated with mumps,” Castleberry says. “Orchitis, inflammation of the testes, can occur and can lead to sterility. An increase in first trimester spontaneous abortion is seen in affected pregnant patients, but mumps virus is not known to be associated with fetal malformations.” And, while mumps is associated with a detectable swelling of the salivary glands, Castleberry says up to a third of people with mumps don’t have that symptom.

Contact Middle Tennessee Medical Center’s Kim Reynolds at 615-284-6468 or Dr. Castleberry at mcastleberry@mmclinic.com.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

DON’T HIT THE CHOO-CHOO!—THURSDAY—If you’re in the Chattanooga area on May 11, you might want to join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MTSU head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Rick Insell (women’s basketball) at Creeks Bend Golf Club, 5900 Hixson Pike in Hixson. An 11 a.m. lunch will precede a 12:30 p.m. golf scramble. Following the golf, a reception will be held at 5:30 for MTSU alumni and friends. The charge is $75 per person for the entire event or $10 for just the reception. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-6878. Media welcomed.

SEE SPOT RUN!—SATURDAY, 8 a.m.--Runners, walkers and their dogs will jog, trot and pant for a good cause in the See Spot Run 5K event on the west side of Peck Hall near the starting line. Proceeds will benefit MTSU’s goal of building a house for Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee is $15 and includes awards, t-shirts and doggie bags for all participants. The course is certified, flat and fast. Additionally, Tennessee Performing Arts Center staffers will be on site to select one lucky canine for a walk-on role in the May 16 performance of “Annie.” The dog’s owner will receive four complementary tickets to the musical and will be invited to the cast party following the show. The race is sponsored by Raider Habitat, Eta Sigma Pi, MTSU Alumni Relations, and the Office of Student Organizations & Community Service. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or via http://www.mtalumni.com.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.com/.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

See Spot Run!

Runners, walkers and their dogs will jog, trot and pant for a good cause in the See Spot Run 5K event starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 13, on the west side of Peck Hall near the starting line. Proceeds will benefit MTSU’s goal of building a house for Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The entry fee is $15 and includes awards, t-shirts and doggie bags for all participants. The course is certified, flat and fast. This event is sponsored by Raider Habitat, Eta Sigma Pi, MTSU Alumni Relations, and the Office of Student Organizations & Community Service.

Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or via http://www.mtalumni.com/.

Middle East minor

Subject to the approval of the Tennessee Board of Regents, MTSU will begin offering an interdisciplinary minor in Middle East Studies in the fall semester. This minor is a precursor to the establishment of a Middle East center at the university. “The center, in addition to serving students on campus, will promote greater understanding of the Middle East throughout the region,” Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and chair of the Middle East Center Steering Committee says. “Ever since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, a growing interest has been brewing among MTSU students in particular and the public in general in the Middle East culture, geography, religions, languages, and politics,” Dr. Saleh Sbenaty, professor of engingeering technology and industrial studies and adviser to the Muslim Students Association, adds.

Contact Hibbard at 615-898-2665
ahibbard@mtsu.edu
or Sbenaty at 615-898-2966.
ssbenaty@mtsu.edu

Down in the dumps with the mumps

Although the mumps is thought of as a childhood illness, the largest mumps outbreak in the U.S. in the past 20 years erupted in December 2005 among college students in the Midwest. “College students are a particularly susceptible population because they interact with large numbers of people on a daily basis and tend to travel often, spreading the virus to other susceptible populations,” Dr. Marcie Castleberry, internal medicine specialist, says. “The main reason for the outbreak is undervaccination of the population.” Castleberry says the MMR vaccine provides 80 percent immunity against mumps with one dose and 90 percent immunity if two doses have been administered.

Contact MTMC’s Kim Reynolds at 615-284-6468 or Dr. Castleberry at mcastleberry@mmclinic.com.

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

DON’T HIT THE CHOO-CHOO!—THURSDAY—If you’re in the Chattanooga area on May 11, you might want to join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MTSU head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Rick Insell (women’s basketball) at Creeks Bend Golf Club, 5900 Hixson Pike in Hixson. An 11 a.m. lunch will precede a 12:30 p.m. golf scramble. Following the golf, a reception will be held at 5:30 for MTSU alumni and friends. The charge is $75 per person for the entire event or $10 for just the reception. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-6878. Media welcomed.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.com/.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Monday, May 8, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

History or hysteria?

“United 93” dropped to fifth place in the national box office receipts over the weekend with a take of $5.2 million dollars. But the larger issue persists of how accurate the movie could be given that no survivors of the tragic 9/11 flight are available to tell their stories. Dr. David Rowe, a history professor who uses films in his classes, says, nonetheless, film is a good medium for exploring history. “You don’t always get the facts right, but sometimes you get the message right,” Rowe says. “Sometimes it’s bigger than the facts.” Rowe adds that film can be a dangerous medium for historians “because it can be manipulated so easily. But it’s also what makes it so rich because it can evoke so well.”

Contact Rowe at 615-898-2646.
dlrowe@mtsu.edu

Snow on the verge of summer

Today is Tony Snow’s first day on the job as the new White House press secretary. Will a new face and new voice really make a difference in dealing with the news media? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says “Snow is a competent man and will do, I’m sure, a much better job of ‘appearing’ to inform a finally feisty and reawakened press corps than did Scott McClellan.” But Pondillo says he doesn’t think Snow or anyone else can help President Bush with the chief executive’s poll numbers at an all-time low. “I think Snow will be spending much of his time plugging leaks, spinning bad news about high gas prices, the continuing and intractable problems in Iraq and Iran and working to keep as much damaging info as possible from the press.”

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

Politics at the pump

Will gasoline prices affect the 2006 midterm Congressional elections? Dr. Reuben Kyle, economics and finance, says that might happen, but Congress is largely powerless to have an impact on those prices. “Nonetheless, people are frustrated and angry about $3 per gallon gasoline, and they may take it out on incumbent politicians,” Kyle says. “In the longer term, American consumers will have the final word based on their decisions about the cars they drive and the products they consume. That impact will not be overnight.”

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

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.com/.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The “fight-or-flight” response

With the Robin Williams comedy “RV” being panned by the critics and mixed emotions about the life sentence administered to convicted 9/11 terrorist Zacharias Moussaoui swirling, will “United 93” do better at the box office this weekend? Dr. David Rowe, a professor of history who uses films in his classes, says he has no intention of seeing the movie because he has moved on from that point. He acknowledges that “United 93” still could be a very emotional experience for some viewers. Rowe says, “Emotions are facts, too. The Enlightenment approach to history was ‘Detach yourself from everything. Don’t have any emotional connection to anything you look at.’” But Rowe says we can’t do that, nor should we because it would be dishonest.

Contact Rowe at 615-898-2646.
dlrowe@mtsu.edu

The long, hot summer

It could be a long, hot summer for businesses expecting to benefit from the usual summertime vacationers. The Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index conducted by the Office of Consumer Research , while showing an overall increase, showed drops in the purchasing situation index and the future expectations index. “Further, there were decreases in the percentage of consumers who believe that now is a good time to buy large items for the home, a good time to buy a home, and a good time to buy a car,” Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the OCR, says. “Increased gasoline prices can cut sharply into consumers’ budgets when planning summer vacations, especially if they plan to travel by car. In addition, recent storms and tornadoes have made consumers mindful of the financial costs associated with natural disasters.”

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

Fossil fools

Is the Bush administration doing enough about high gas prices? Dr. Reuben Kyle, economics and finance, says, “The most effective thing that the Bush administration could do to reduce oil and gasoline prices is to peacefully settle its differences with Iran. Speculation in oil derived from concerns about possible supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf, i.e., Iran and Iraq, as well as political problems in Nigeria, not to mention Venezuela, are the major contributors to the recent spike in prices. Windfall profits taxes would do nothing to reduce those prices and neither would price regulation.”

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

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE—TOMORROW, 5 p.m.--Darrell S. Freeman Sr., president and chief executive officer of Zycron Computer Services Inc. in Nashville, will be the featured speaker for the African American Awards Ceremony in the Tom H. Jackson Building (Alumni Center). Freeman founded Zycron in 1991 after earning his master’s degree at MTSU in 1990. The firm now employs more than 100 people. For the first year, the event will recognize both student and alumni award recipients at the same ceremony. Tickets are $10 per person or $5 for students. They may be purchased by calling 1-899-533-MTSU (6878) or by visiting http://www.mtalumni.com/. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY—TOMORROW, 6:30 p.m.—Dr. Eric Klumpe, physics and astronomy, will lecture on “How Do Telescopes Work?” in the final First Friday Star Party of the academic year in Room 102 of the Wiser-Patten Science Building. Telescopes will be set up in the field in front of the building for observing if the weather is clear. For more information, contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-2130.

MULTICULTURAL KIDS—THROUGH TOMORROW--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.

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE—SATURDAY--The Right Honorable Perry Gladstone Christie, prime minister of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, will be the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. Spring 2006 commencement ceremony at Murphy Center. The guest speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony will be Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. This semester’s commencement marks a record number of degree candidates for a spring semester event—2,042. The doors to Murphy Center will open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony. Both ceremonies will be Webcast at http://www.mtsu.edu/. The link to the Webcast will not be active on the day of commencement until about 15 minutes prior to the star of each ceremony. Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, http://mtsu20.mtsu.edu:880/redirect?http://www.mtsunews.com/.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.

Monday, May 1, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“United 93”

“United 93,” a feature-length dramatization of what happened on a plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 9, 2001, opened in theatres this past weekend and finished second at the box office. While praised by most critics for its realistic documentary style, many also admitted that the movie made them somewhat uncomfortable. But Dr. David Rowe, an MTSU history professor who uses films in his classes, says waiting until we as a nation achieve more emotional distance from 9/11 wouldn’t necessarily have been a better move. “Distance from an event does not always lead to perspective,” Rowe says. “Distance from an event can create illusion. We can cover things up so well that we convince ourselves that something is true that is not.”

Contact Rowe at 615-898-2646.
dlrowe@mtsu.edu

Pomp and circumstance

The Right Honorable Perry Gladstone Christie, prime minister of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, will be the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. Spring 2006 commencement ceremony Saturday, May 6 at Murphy Center. The guest speaker for the 2 p.m. ceremony will be Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. This semester’s commencement marks a record number of degree candidates for a spring semester event—2,042. The doors to Murphy Center will open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony. Both ceremonies will be Webcast at http://www.mtsu.edu. The link to the Webcast will not be active on the day of commencement until about 15 minutes prior to the star of each ceremony.

Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

I’d like to send a telegram. Stop.

The world paid scant attention to the end of an era on January 27th when Western Union sent its last telegram ever. But Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “The legacy and impact of the telegram is still with us, even if people who think they are being clever don’t know it. You know all those cute coded text messages kids send to each other? I bet most of them think they made all of those abbreviations up. Well, they didn’t. They were being used by the telegraph company more than 100 years ago.” And, just as cell phones and text messages have rendered the telegraph outdated, the telegraph itself replaced another form of communication when the first continental telegraph line debuted in 1861—the Pony Express.

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SAVE THOSE TICKETS!—Due to illness, “Fresh Air” radio show host Terry Gross was notable to fulfill her previously scheduled commitments at MTSU. Her appearance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19. Marc J. Barr, electronic media communication, says new tickets will not be printed. Therefore, people with the original April 17 tickets are encouraged to keep them for the September event. For more information, contact Barr at 615-898-5118 or at mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

THE THRILL OF DISCOVERY—TODAY—The deadline for registering for MTSU’s Summer Discovery Institute program is TODAY. Two potentially life-changing learning opportunities—“In Flight!” and “On Stage!”—await interested African American high school students who would like to learn how to pilot a plane or star in a theater production. “This program is a combination of campus projects, experiments and off-campus field trips,” Dr. Debra Sells, associate vice president of Academic Support Services, says. “Students will have time to visit and learn from topnotch faculty at our university. It is also meant to be a lot of fun.” The program is free, but students must register in advance. Contact Sells at 615-898-5342 or dsells@mtsu.edu.

SUPERVISING STUDENTS—TOMORROW, 12 p.m.—A panel of staffers from the Office of Financial Aid will discuss policies and procedures for the Federal Work-Study Program and the Scholarship Service Program at the June Anderson Women’s Center’s next Career/Professional Development Brown Bag luncheon. The event will take place in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building and is available to staff, administrators, faculty and students. Sign up by contacting the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

FORE!—WEDNESDAY—The second MTSU Concrete Industry Management program golf tournament tees off at Indian Hills Golf Course in Murfreesboro to raise money for CIM’s building fund. Last year, the tournament raised more than $100,000. As of April 28, 20 teams (a total of 80 golfers) had committed to play. Interested golfers should contact Jessica Ramm NO LATER THAN TODAY by calling 615-904-8599 or fax entry forms to 615-898-5296.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES—WEDNESDAY, 6 p.m.--Ten high school seniors whose perseverence has seen them through tough times will be honored at the eighth annual Neill-Sandler Strive for Excellence Banquet in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. The students were nominated by their schools and school systems to receive scholarships for achieving academic triumphs. “These students have weathereed many losses and hardships with gret courage and determination,” says Kippy Todd, assistant director for annual giving in the Office of Development. The youngsters hail from the Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin, Rutherford, Warren, Williamson and Wilson county school systems and Tullahoma City Schools.Contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE—FRIDAY, 5 p.m.--Darrell S. Freeman Sr., president and chief executive officer of Zycron Computer Services Inc. in Nashville, will be the featured speaker for the African American Awards Ceremony in the Tom H. Jackson Building (Alumni Center). Freeman founded Zycron in 1991 after earning his master’s degree at MTSU in 1990. The firm now employs more than 100 people. For the first year, the event will recognize both student and alumni award recipients at the same ceremony. Tickets are $10 per person or $5 for students. They may be purchased by calling 1-899-533-MTSU (6878) or by visiting http://www.mtalumni.com. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, Office of Multicultural Affairs, at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY—FRIDAY, 6:30 p.m.—Dr. Eric Klumpe, physics and astronomy, will lecture on “How Do Telescopes Work?” in the final First Friday Star Party of the academic year in Room 102 of the Wiser-Patten Science Building. Telescopes will be set up in the field in front of the building for observing if the weather is clear. For more information, contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-2130.

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.

NEW WEB LOGS

We’ve made some changes on the News and Public Affairs website that will make your job a little easier. These changes won’t replace the mail, faxes and e-mails for those who prefer to get their information that way. The changes will be in addition to those methods. We now post TODAY’S RESPONSE and our NEWS RELEASES in a web log (blog) format. Links to TR and the news releases will be in the right column of the NPA website, www.mtsunews.com.
One of the advantages of using the blog format is that the media will have an expanding, searchable archive of MTSU expert opinion and MTSU news releases. Thanks in advance for visiting these new features. If you have comments or questions, please contact John Lynch, director of marketing technologies, jlynch@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5591.

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.