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.