Thursday, August 31, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Brain power

The Student Activity Fee funds are making possible two free workshops that can provide students with the necessary tips to earn better grades. Plymouth, Mich.-based Jamie Nast, a nationally acknowledged expert on helping individuals organize their thinking, will lead the “Mind Mapping” sessions from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building. In 1998, Nast and her husband founded NastGroup, a consultancy organization specializing in optimizing mind potential. Her first book, Idea Mapping: How to Access Your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More, and Achieve Success in Business, is slated for publication Sept. 20.

For more information, contact Dr. Carol Ann Baily, Adult Services Center director, at 615-898-5989.
cabaily@mtsu.edu

The eight planets

If you’ve been intrigued by the recent declassification of Pluto’s status as a planet, the Department of Physics and Astronomy’s first Star Party of the academic year should be an eye-opener. Titled “What is a Planet?,” the party will last from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. TOMORROW in Room 102 of the Wiser-Patten Science Building. A 30-45 minute public lecture will be followed by outdoor telescope observation (weather permitting). The Star Party is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. There will be free parking behind Wiser-Patten after 4:30 p.m. Please park only in areas designated for parking.

For more information, contact Donna Wolke with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-5946.
dwolke@mtsu.edu

Mother Earth in a bad mood

Ernesto proved not to be so much of a threat, but Hurricane John is bearing down on the Mexican coast. Why, with enormous advances in meteorology and geology, is the human race still plagued and perplexed by natural disasters? The Fall 2006 Honors Lecture Series at MTSU will strive to answer that question and many more. Titles range from “The Role of the Military in Natural Disasters” to “New Media and Natural Disasters” to “Natural Disasters: A Public Health Perspective.” All lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures are held on Mondays (except Labor Day, Sept. 4) from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.

For more information, contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.


TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

THE SWEET SMELL OF SCIENCE--Registration is open for the 2006 Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science. The conference for girls in grades 5-8 will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, across the MTSU campus. Open to the first 300 girls who register, EYH will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on campus. To register, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~EYH. Look for the registration button on the left side. Complete, print out, and mail the form to: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, c/o MTSU EYH, P.O. Box 161, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132. For more information, contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu

PROTECT YOURSELF--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge beginning Thursday, Sept. 7 through Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the MTSU Public Safety Training Room, located at 1412 East Main Street. The classes will be open to all MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. RAD is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training. For information or to enroll, call Officer David Smith at 615-494-8855.

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties TOMORROW. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Mind Mapping”

Regardless of how experienced students are, they can use new and better study tips to make the semester flow more smoothly. That is the goal of Mind Mapping, two free workshops from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building. Dr. Carol Ann Baily, Adult Services Center director, says Mind Mapping is a “technique for note-taking, organizing your notes and reading materials for test preparation, even for generating ideas for writing papers.” Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Mind Mapping is limited to 50 students per session.

For more information, contact Baily at 615-898-5989.
cabaily@mtsu.edu

Welcome to the neighborhood!

After some seven years as an Interfraternity Council organization without an official brick-and-mortar home, Pi Kappa Phi has moved to Greek Row on Rutherford Boulevard. “They’re consistently number one or number two among all MTSU fraternities in terms of grades,” Gentry McCreary, director of Greek Life, says of the MTSU chapter. McCreary adds that the Pi Kapps meet all qualifications, including support from the national organization and local alumni, chapter size, and the ability to fill or almost fill the house. The Pi Kapps have spent the last several weeks painting and overseeing minor repairs to the house.

For more information, contact McCreary at 615-898-5812.
mccreary@mtsu.edu

“Natural Disasters”

While the threat of terrorism continues to loom, Tuesday’s one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina reminds us that natural disasters must not be ignored. The Fall 2006 Honors Lecture Series at MTSU is all about “Natural Disasters” from a variety of perspectives. Titles range from “The Threat of Urban Earthquakes in the Southeastern United States” to “Global Warming: The Facts and the Fiction” to “How Do We Decide Who is to ‘Blame’ for Tragedies and Disasters?” All lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures are held on Mondays (except Labor Day, Sept. 4) from 3 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.

For more information, contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

THE SWEET SMELL OF SCIENCE--Registration is open for the 2006 Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science. The conference for girls in grades 5-8 will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, across the MTSU campus. Open to the first 300 girls who register, EYH will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on campus. To register, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~EYH. Look for the registration button on the left side. Complete, print out, and mail the form to: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, c/o MTSU EYH, P.O. Box 161, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132. For more information, contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu

PROTECT YOURSELF--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge beginning Thursday, Sept. 7 through Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the MTSU Public Safety Training Room, located at 1412 East Main Street. The classes will be open to all MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. RAD is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training. For information or to enroll, call Officer David Smith at 615-494-8855.

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties THIS FRIDAY. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Protect yourself

A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge beginning Thursday, Sept. 7 through Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the MTSU Public Safety Training Room, located at 1412 East Main Street. The classes will be open to all MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. RAD is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training.

For information or to enroll, call Officer David Smith at 615-494-8855.

The sweet smell of science

Registration is open for the 2006 Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science. The conference for girls in grades 5-8 will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, across the MTSU campus. Open to the first 300 girls who register, EYH will be celebrating its 10th anniversary on campus. To register, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~EYH. Look for the registration button on the left side. Complete, print out, and mail the form to: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, c/o MTSU EYH, P.O. Box 161, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132.

For more information, contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253.
jiriarte@mtsu.edu

Welcome to the library!

The James E. Walker Library is conducting the second day of its Greeter Program today. “Staff and faculty will be at the door to welcome students, provide information, and offer assistance to those who might be unfamiliar with the building,” Bill Black, the library’s associate professor of administrative services, says. Among the library’s other outreach efforts are classes on data bases and a program to link students with research coaches on a one-on-one basis for work on term papers. Library personnel also enlighten the campus community about their services during CUSTOMS, the student orientation program, and with information tables in the Keathley University Center.

Contact the James E. Walker Library at 615-898-2772.

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. TODAY next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties THIS FRIDAY. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Cameras in the courtroom

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Riley Anderson has been quoted as saying, “It has been my hope since the adoption of Rule 30 (allowing cameras in the courtroom) that cable television will provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of everyday trials on a daily basis.” Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says that would be a good thing as long as coverage is handled the way C-SPAN handles coverage of the Congress. “Clearly, the presiding judge would (and should) have control over any TV transmission from his or her courtroom,” Pondillo says. “A judge may not wish to present, say, children who are asked to take the stand or any transmission that, in the court’s opinion, would compromise justice or a fair trial.”

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

Sweat addiction

Even in a nation where obesity is an epidemic, some women suffer from what is known as “compulsive exercising” or “exercise abuse.” Dr. Rebecca Johns-Wommack, health and human performance, says, “Women are getting pressure from every angle in their lives: from the media, clothes manaufacturers, family, men and other women. It is an epidemic that is getting worse and worse and at younger and younger ages.” Johns-Wommack says some women exercise more than two hours a day while consuming only 1,000 calories a day. Still, they don’t understand why their bodies are under enormous stress.

Contact Johns-Wommack at 615-898-2904.
rjohns@mtsu.edu

Pluto is still Mickey Mouse’s dog.

Does it matter that the International Astronomical Union has lowered Pluto’s status from that of the ninth planet in our solar system to that of a “dwarf planet?” Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “… most, if not all, scientists would agree that it is important to classify planet-like objects in some way. It is only through measurement and classification that regularities (or irregularities) in the natural world become apparent. … Systematic and agreed-upon methods of classifying such objects may one day lead to an understanding of the requirements for Earth-sized planets. This would focus the scanning for Earth-like planets themselves, which is currently like searching for a needle … in a haystack.”

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

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. TOMORROW next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties THIS FRIDAY. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The long lens of the law

NewsChannel5+ had better ratings at times during the Perry March murder trial than network news channels. Will the March trial coverage pave the way for more live televised coverage of local trials? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says we should remember that our tax dollars pay for the maintenance of our public courts. “So long as a fair trial is in no way compromised or sensationalized by television cameras in the courtroom, I think it’s our right—indeed, some might argue our responsibility—to be able to see undiluted, gavel-to-gavel coverage of any given trial.”

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

Jumping jacks junkies

Is there an increase in “exercise addiction” among women? Dr. Rebecca Johns-Wommack, health and human performance, says, “I teach women every semester who confess to me that they know exactly how many calories are in a Subway sandwich or brownie and exactly how long they have to exercise to work it off. I analyze their food diaries and see that they are only consuming 1,000 calories a day (while) exercising two-plus hours a day and can not understand why their bodies can not respond to the stress and demand placed upon them.”

Contact Johns-Wommack at 615-898-2904.
rjohns@mtsu.edu

The commercialization of “cool”

You know the counterculture has become the mainstream when what once was considered edgy ends up in a television commercial. That said, consider the first Woodstock festival, which occurred 37 years ago this month. Woodstock was supposed to be about free music, free love, and relatively cheap drugs. But, says Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, “The original Woodstock has also been commercialized and commemorated twice with a 1994 25th anniversary concert (and) in 1999 (with a) 30th (anniversary concert).” Moreover, “now the bongs have disappeared as coffee-table accessories, theembroidered gauze shirts and tie-dyed tees are in the back of the closet, and the psychedelic posters are fetching high prices on eBay.”

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

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. TOMORROW. Tickets will be $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair through TOMORROW at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. THIS SUNDAY at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. FREE and OPEN to the public. Media welcomed. Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The wind-up and the pitch on the way

If your child pitches for his or her Little League Baseball team, would you want a limit placed on the number of pitches the child could throw in each game? The sport’s board of directors will consider such a proposal tomorrow, and Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, is all for it to protect children’s health. “One source of the problem is that coaches want to win in youth sport as much as they do at advanced levels, and that means younger players will be exposed to intense competitive pressure,” Anshel says. “Highly skilled pitchers will continue to be overworked and develop arm problems because coaches do not understand the physical limitations of child and adolescent aged athletes. This is a rule that has been long overdue.”

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

Music and lyrics by MTSU

MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry is working with the Nashville office of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) on a new songwriting program called “Partners in Craft.” The program will be explained fully at a news conference and reception at 10 a.m. TODAY in the lobby of the ASCAP building at 2 Music Square West in Nashville. MTSU songwriters The Karg Boys are slated to perform. (MTSU graduates who have found success in songwriting include Erin Enderlin (“Monday Morning Church” recorded by Alan Jackson) and Adam Dorsey (“Old Green Tackle Box” recorded by Craig Morgan).

Contact Michelle Goble at ASCAP at 615-742-5000 or mgoble@ascap.com
or MTSU’s Dr. Tom Hutchinson at 615-513-6278.

We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Thirty-seven years ago this month, the Woodstock Nation assembled on Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York for four days of unbridled freedom. The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and many others performed. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Today most members of Woodstock Nation are more than half a century old, and most of us look back with mixed feelings at the summer of peace and love. It was filled with controversy (the war in Vietnam), a sense of promise (that walk on the moon) and a thrill of hope (Woodstock itself). … But we can still sing along with Crosby, Stills and Nash, even if they are playing at a nearby casino instead of Yasgur's Farm, and we canstill look back with fondness at the innocence and promise of that not-so-long ago era.”

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

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. THIS SATURDAY. Tickets will be $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair through SATURDAY at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day Saturday. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. THIS SUNDAY at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

You don’t have to twist his arm!

This Friday, Little League Baseball’s board of directors will meet to consider limiting the number of pitches the youngsters would be allowed to throw beginning next season. A pilot program already is in place. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says this is a terrific idea. “Many young pitchers are coached by parents with no experience in understanding the limits of physical performance among their younger athletes,” Anshel says. “Dangerous long-term consequences may emerge if children overuse certain joints or muscles, which may prevent them from competing in sport and result in chronic pain.”

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

“Partners in Craft”

The Nashville office of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is teaming with MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry to create a new songwriting program called “Partners in Craft.” Representatives from both ASCAP and MTSU will explain the program at a news conference and reception at 10 a.m. TOMORROW in the lobby of the ASCAP building at 2 Music Square West in Nashville. The event will feature performances by MTSU songwriters The Karg Boys, and many professional mentors and MTSU recording industry alumni will be in attendance.

Contact Michelle Goble at ASCAP at 615-742-5000 or mgoble@ascap.com
or MTSU’s Dr. Tom Hutchinson at 615-513-6278.

The appearance of truth

So much for the global village’s egalitarian new world where ideas could be debated and everyone could participate. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says that would be great if those doing the debating would stick to the issues instead of attacking personalities. “Butunfortunately, the ads, particularly those on television, instead of bringing out the best, sometimes tend to bring out the worst,” Burriss says. “The media, as we all know, create their own kind of reality; a reality that builds, not so much on substance, but on the appearance of substance--where we are not so much seeking the truth, but instead areseeking an appearance of truth.”

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

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair through Aug. 26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on Aug. 26. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Shhh! Someone’s listening!

The Bush Administration promises to appeal Thursday’s U.S. District Court decision in ACLU v. National Security Agency, in which Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of Michigan struck down the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program. Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science and a constitutional scholar, says Taylor “relied fairly heavily on the Steel Seizure Case of 1952 in arguing that presidential powers are especially limited when they conflict with congressional laws. Taylor also limited the ‘state secrets privilege’ by pointing out that Bush had already admitted to skirting existing law without, therefore, necessitating further disclosure of state secrets.”

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

Age is for wine and cheese.

What age would you prefer your doctor to be? Your lawyer? Your therapist? A study by two MTSU professors and a graduate student found that people between the ages of 18 and 24 don’t want the service professionals they hire to be much older than they are. The young people’s preferred mean age was 35 for a physician, 35 for a lawyer, 35 for a therapist--and 34 for a college professor! The study was conducted by Drs. Kevin Breault and Ron Aday, sociology and anthropology, and Lori Farney and published in the trade publication “Educational Gerontology.”

Contact Aday at 615-898-2693 or raday@mtsu.edu
Contact Farney at Lorifarney@aol.com

I approved this message.

Although the primaries are over, voters will have to live with about three more months of campaign ads. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says the evidence indicates that the public doesn’t learn much about candiates’ positions from these paid messages. Burriss says, “All those great campaign commercials we've seen recently have produced a lot of smoke and sparks, but not much illumination and light. And if we didn't learn very much about the candidates or the issues through the media, we sure learned a lot about their power toshape the message--the (Marshall) McLuhan notion that the medium is the message. What we need is more one-on-one debate by the candidates and less posturing on the part of everyone.”

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

TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair through Aug. 26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on Aug. 26. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit http://www.wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp. Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. (Listen to a radio interview with Greg Critzer on “MTSU On the Record” at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 20 on WMOT, 89.5 on your FM dial..) Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

BLOOD SPORT--MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept. 12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSU will compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see which school can “pump up” the most blood. For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

No dim bulbs

Did you know that all objects—alive or dead—emit energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation? “Your body heat is just one example,” says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry. “It is only one small portion of the wide spectrum of light that matter can absorb or emit. Another small portion is the visible light that our eyes can detect. All totaled, on average, we are all equivalent to 50-watt light bulbs. Some people are brighter than others, of course, and you are brighter than normal after a heavy workout.”

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

How old is too old?

A study by two MTSU professors and a graduate student shows that the young, the middle-aged and the elderly have different perceptions of the appropriate age for workers in various service professions to step down. The research was conducted by Drs. Kevin Breault and Ron Aday, sociology and anthropology, and Lori Farney and published in the trade publication “Educational Gerontology.” Participants between the ages of 18 and 24 registered a mean age of 64.68 years for their preferred President of the United States. People between the ages of 35 and 55 were willing to accept a president of 74.37 years, while the elderly were willing to settle for a president of 72.38 years.

Contact Aday at 615-898-2693 or raday@mtsu.edu
Contact Farney at Lorifarney@aol.com

Blood sport

MTSU vs. Tennessee Tech: It’s the Thursday, Sept. 14 football game and Sept.12-13 blood drive. MT athletics and the Student Government Association arefully behind the Red Cross blood drive that will be held from 10 a.m. until4 p.m. both days. Anyone 17-and-over with a valid ID can participate. MTSUwill compete against its longtime Ohio Valley Conference rival to see whichschool can “pump up” the most blood.

For more information, call Jennifer Kirk, KUC event coordinator, at 615-898-2590.

TR EXTRA

FENTON PAYNE AND FRED--Three years ago, the first Fenton Payne and Fred 5K Run was held to honor oral surgeon Fenton Payne Hardison and anesthesiologist Fred Lovelace, both dedicated runners. Last year, some 700 runners and walkers participated. This year’s Fenton Payne and Fred 5K will start at 7:30 a.m. THIS SATURDAY in front of Peck Hall. Register in advance at http://www.active.com/ or beginning at 6 a.m. on race day. Pre-registration fee is $20 or $25 on the day of the race. Prizes will be awarded in age groups ranging up to the 70-plus crowd. Overall and masters (age 40-plus) category winners will win cash. Door prizes will be donated by Bink’s Outfitters. All proceeds will benefit the Tennessee Medical Center Foundation’s Primary Care and Hope Clinic and the Blue Raider Athletic Association. For more information, contact Mark Hardison at 615-848-9063 or mtoms1272@hotmail.com

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed.
For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair Aug. 18-26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on two Saturdays, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sun. Aug. 20. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. (Listen to a radio interview with Greg Critzer on “MTSU On the Record” at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 20 on WMOT, 89.5 on your FM dial..) Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE, DOUBLE YOUR FUN—Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.” For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Double your pleasure, double your fun

Enjoy Japanese hospitality and learn more about the Asia-related courses offered at MTSU as the Japan-U.S. Program welcomes new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses at TWO parties Friday, Sept. 1. The first event will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. The follow-up party, or niji-kai, will take place at the home of Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 p.m. Guests will include exchange students from partner institutions in Japan, Korea and the Philippines. But Kawahito says, “ … many returning Japanese students take this as a ‘welcome back party’ for them and as a great occasion to eat good foods—as much as they want. During the second party, I keep cooking, cooking and cooking.”

For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

Chatting about Chavez

Photos of entertainer/activist Harry Belafonte and Cuban President Fidel Castro and his brother Raul with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have raised the ire of some Americans. But Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, who recently returned from a trip to oil-rich Venezuela, says Chavez is getting a bum rap. Franklin says there is a major campaign to discredit Chavez because there are fears among the American foreign policy establishment that his political methodology will spread to other Latin American countries. There have been three major attempts to remove Chavez from office to date. Franklin says, “Ninety-nine percent of the Venezuelans and many nonpartisan foreign policy specialists believe (these removal attempts) were backed by the United States.”

Contact Franklin at 615-898-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

Fenton Payne and Fred

Three years ago, the first Fenton Payne and Fred 5K Run was held to honor oral surgeon Fenton Payne Hardison and anesthesiologist Fred Lovelace, both dedicated runners. Last year, some 700 runners and walkers participated. This year’s Fenton Payne and Fred 5K will start at 7:30 a.m. THIS SATURDAY in front of Peck Hall. Register in advance at http://www.active.com or beginning at 6 a.m. on race day. Pre-registration fee is $20 or $25 on the day of the race. Prizes will be awarded in age groups ranging up to the 70-plus crowd. Overall and masters (age 40-plus) category winners will win cash. Door prizes will be donated by Bink’s Outfitters. All proceeds will benefit the Tennessee Medical Center Foundation’s Primary Care and Hope Clinic and the Blue Raider Athletic Association.

For more information, contact Mark Hardison at 615-848-9063 or mtoms1272@hotmail.com

TR EXTRA

BLUE RAIDER BARBECUE—TODAY--Few people can turn down free barbecue, but the Blue Raider Blast from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Smyrna’s Lee Victory Park offers much more. MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be joined by University President Sidney A. McPhee to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming athletic seasons. There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy. Crosslin Supply will provide the food from Bob’s Barbecue. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Patience Long at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878).

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed.
For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit mtalumni.com.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair Aug. 18-26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on two Saturdays, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sun. Aug. 20. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherter Learning Resources Center through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. (Listen to a radio interview with Greg Critzer on “MTSU On the Record” at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 20 on WMOT, 89.5 on your FM dial..) Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Welcome back!

The Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU will host a reception to welcome new Japanese students, their friends and all students enrolled in Japan-related courses from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1 in the SunTrust Room of the Business Aerospace Building. A follow-up party, or niji-kai, will be hosted by Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, program director, at his home, 202 Eventide Drive in Murfreesboro, at 7 o’clock that evening. Kawahito says the second
Party has become very popular and has attracted 70 to 80 persons in recent years. All interested parties are invited. Dress is casual.

For further information, especially about directions and parking, call the Japan-U.S. Program at 615-898-2229 or send an e-mail to japan@mtsu.edu

A different take on Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been “unfairly demonized by the American press over the last four or five years and called a ‘dictator,’” Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says. But he adds this depiction of Chavez is “factually inaccurate and a distortion of major proportions.” Franklin recently returned from a trip to Venezuela, where he met with social activists and community leaders, as well as the major opposition group to Chavez. He concludes, “The real angst about Chavez is that he has taken the oil industry profits, which have historically served the interests of the top 5-10 percent in the country, and is now using it to serve the interests of the poor.”

Contact Franklin at 615-898-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

Blue Raider barbecue

Few people can turn down free barbecue, but the Blue Raider Blast from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. TOMORROW at Smyrna’s Lee Victory Park offers much more. MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be joined by University President Sidney A. McPhee to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming athletic seasons. There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy. Crosslin Supply will provide the food from Bob’s Barbecue. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed.

For more information, contact Patience Long at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878).



TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit mtalumni.com.

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.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair Aug. 18-26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on two Saturdays, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sun. Aug. 20. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

FAT ISN’T PHAT--Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. (Listen to a radio interview with Greg Critzer on “MTSU On the Record” at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 20 on WMOT, 89.5 on your FM dial..) Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or news@mtsu.edu

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Check your lotions at the trash can

The Transportation Security Administration is changing the rules on what can be taken on board airplanes almost as frequently as airplanes take off from and land at major airports. Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “It is simply a matter of how high of a price (in terms of liberty and dollars) we are willing to pay for security. As far as the impact on air travel, one extreme would be for every flight to be screened in a manner similar to El Al (Israel’s airline). However, this would lead to gridlock and a lot of work for the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). … I presume that screening liquids will become commonplace but that the restrictions will be loosened once the process is better developed.”

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

Venezuelan venues

Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, recently returned from a trip to the oil-rich South American nation of Venezuela. Franklin is gathering information for a book chapter on African Americans, race and the Venezuelan experience that he is authoring. “My trip focused specifically on Afro-Venezuelan issues,” Franklin says. He met with leaders and activists from the Afro-Venezuelan network, a coalition of groups working on civil rights and anti-racism policies and legislation. Franklin also attended the San Juan festival, a three-day event that was a product of the slavery period, and met with community leaders in two towns founded by runaway slaves.

Contact Franklin at 615-898-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

Fat isn’t phat

Greg Critser, author of Fat Land, will be MTSU’s University Convocation speaker at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 27 at Murphy Center. Fat Land, which investigates why 60 percent of Americans are now considered overweight, is this year’s summer University reading selection. The book examines the many factors involved in American life—from supersizing to Super Mario, from high fructose corn syrup to the high cost of physical education in schools. The annual convocation welcomes new students into the MTSU learning community with faculty marching in regalia, dramatic music played by the university band, and explanations of MTSU traditions and rituals. Free and open to the public. Media welcomed. (Listen to a radio interview with Greg Critzer on “MTSU On the Record” at 7 a.m. Sunday, August 20 on WMOT, 89.5 on your FM dial..)

Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
news@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit mtalumni.com.

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.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair Aug. 18-26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on two Saturdays, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sun. Aug. 20. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu

AGRARIAN ART—“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m. For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu

Monday, August 14, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The foiled al Qaeda plot

Does the capture of 20-plus suspected terrorists in Britain mean anti-terrorist intelligence is getting better? Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says the plot to blow up airplanes en route to the U.S. “is a demonstration of the resilience of the terror networks in the face of an increasingly sophisticated anti-terror campaign on the part of states. Second, Great Britain has been fighting terrorism for decades longer than the U.S. and has far fewer protections for civil liberties. Therefore, the state operates in ways that would be countercultural for the United States (at least, at this point).”

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

The news “cycle”

Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been hitting the media circuit in an attempt to gain public goodwill. Seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong says Landis would have done well to just keep his mouth shut. In any event, Landis might be out of luck, even if he is correct in saying his elevated testosterone levels were produced by his own body, not a synthetic substance. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “The athlete may or may not be fabricating his/her innocence, but the test data—the numbers based on scientific evidence—must carry the decision, and that decision reflects an organization’s policy, which is almost never contested in court.”

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

Agrarian art

“The Upper Cumberland Collection: The Plateau Years” is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery through Sept. 8. These photos are by Jack Stoddart, who began his career photographing a disappearing culture between 1971 and 1974. The gelatin silver images became a mainstay of future exhibits chronicling the last vestiges of an agrarian lifestyle that still existed in rural north central Tennessee. There will be a lecture by Stoddart at 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 6 in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. A reception will follow in the gallery. Exhibitions are free and open to the public Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sat. Noon-4 p.m.

For more information contact Tom Jimison, curator, at 651-898-2085.
tjimison@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

RUN FOR THE VETERANS--Pay tribute to the MTSU faculty, staff, alumni and students who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces by taking part in the MTSU Veterans Memorial Run/Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. There will be individual and team awards for top finishers in all age and gender divisions. Each pre-registered entrant will receive a race T-shirt. Early registration is $15, and online registration will close at 8 p.m. Central time Friday, Sept. 15. All proceeds will go towards construction of an on-campus memorial to military personnel. Media welcomed.
For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 1-888-682-7682 or cgiles@mtsu.edu

GET A HEAD START ON TAILGATING--Football weather has not arrived yet, but plans are in the works for the upcoming football season. This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held from 7 p.m. unil 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets will be $20 if purchased by Tuesday, Aug. 22, or $25 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurant, Kirkenburt’s Smokehouse Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. Parking will be available at Central Middle School. All proceeds from Pigskin Pregame will benefit the Rutherford County Chapter Scholarship Fund. Media welcomed. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit mtalumni.com.

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.

FAIR ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE--Memorabilia and free goodies will be available at MTSU’s booth at the Wilson County Fair Aug. 18-26 at the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon. The fair is regarded as the top fair in the state and is listed in the Top 20 Events in August by the Southeast Tourism Association. Wilson County alumni and personnel from MT athletics, athletic marketing and the alumni office will be staffed starting at 5 p.m. on weekdays and virtually all day on two Saturdays, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sun. Aug. 20. The fairgrounds are located one mile off Interstate 40. Festival goers should take I-40 to exit 239B, then U.S. 70 West. Contact the MTSU Alumni Office at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit wilsoncountyfair.net.

BAKE IT AND TAKE IT--The Blue Raider Bake Off and Blue Raider Bash are slated for 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 next to Cummings Hall. Members of the campus community will enter delicious desserts for a chance to win a tailgate party to feed 15 people. There are two categories—one for students and one for staff, faculty and administration. There will be a winner in each of the two categories. The applications are available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~nsfp.Click on Welcome Week, then Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off, then application. Fill it out and turn it in to Keathley University Center, Room 326. MTSU student athletes will be on hand and there will be plenty of barbecue. All the eats are FREE, and the event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Media welcomed. Contact Rob Patterson, coordinator, New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454 or rpatters@mtsu.edu.