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.