Monday, July 17, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Terrorist tactics

In response to the latest escalation of violence in the Middle East, many members of the international community have pointed fingers at Israel for what they call a “disproportionate” response to the kidnapping of its soldiers. Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, left Israel, where she attended a conference on terrorism, on June 7. She says the terrorists had to turn attention back to Israel due to the division of Palestine into political factions following the election of Hamas. “The leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran know that Israel will respond harshly to the tactics and that the international community (for the most part) will lash out at Israel,” Petersen says. “It is really a win-win for the terror organizations and a loss for the Palestininans and Israelis.” (Petersen will be the guest on “MTSU On the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5) this Sunday at 7 a.m. and on the Internet at http://www.wmot.org/.)

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

Blackberry whine

The mayor of Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) is on the verge of banning Blackberry units from civic meetings. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says electronic devices such as the Blackberry have made our lives easier, but they also have raised many cultural issues. “Which is more important—the person you are talking to or an incoming e-mail?” Burriss asks. “Interrupting a conversation to check on e-mail says to the person you were talking with, ‘You are not as important as this e-mail.’” Burriss says companies came to rely more and more on “hard” skills such as engineering, programming and technology during the last part of the 20th century. “Here the rules are clear-cut: something either works or it doesn’t,” Burriss says. “You didn’t need to be polite; you only had to be successful.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2963.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

Trees that please

The Nashville Bonsai Society and the Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU will co-sponsor the Middle Tennessee Regional Bonsai Show Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center. “We hope to have well over 50 trees displayed in the show,” Barbara Walton, president of the Nashville Bonsai Society, said. “Bonsai is ‘living art’ and can be enjoyed by any age group.” Bonsai Master Warren Hill, former supervisory curator for the U.S. National Bonsai Collection, will conduct a demonstration at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The tree he sculpts will be auctioned off during the demonstration. Admission both days is free. Media welcomed.

To register for the show or for more information, contact Barbara Walton at 615-337-4728 or 615-449-6693 or cuchem@charter.net.

TR EXTRA

FROM CAMP TO COLLEGE--Kayley Kravitz is a veteran of all three years of Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp. She studied guitar, bass and piano. In the fall, the 18-year-old graduate of The Webb School in Bell Buckle will attend Boston’s Emerson College, where she will major in journalism with an eye to becoming a music journalist. Simultaneously, Kayley will minor in music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She encourages parents to enroll their daughters (ages 10-18) in this year’s camp, which is slated for July 31-Aug. 5. “Not only will they get to learn the ins and outs of the music business—they will gain a self-confidence that will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” Kayley says. Contact Kelley Anderson, Anna Fitzgerald or Courtney Sharpe at sgrrc05@gmail.com or call 615-898-8140.

COACHES’ CORNER--MTSU alumni, friends and fans are invited to attend two Blue Raider Blasts from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. TOMORROW on the courthouse square in Woodbury and Thursday, July 20 at the Celebration Pavilion off Celebration Way in Shelbyville. Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head doaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be on hand to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming season. There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy. Whitt’s Barbecue will provide dinners for $5 per plate. Admission is free. Contact the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or at http://www.mtalumni.com/.

GET ACCUSTOMED TO IT--Nine sessions of orientation for new students, called CUSTOMS, will be offered in July for freshmen and transfers on a first-come, first-served basis. Students pursuing majors in the colleges of Basic and Applied Science and Mass Communications and undeclared majors will have CUSTOMS July 24-25. Students pursuing majors in the colleges of Education and Behavioral Science, Liberal Arts and Business and undeclared majors will be held July 20-21. Transfers may complete CUSTOMS online and be cleared by their advisers to register for fall classes. For more information, call the Office of New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-5533 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~customs.

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.