Friday, October 6, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Hawkish on Iran; dovish on Iraq?

According to the latest MT Poll, more than half of Tennesseans (56 percent) say the U.S. should take military action against Iran if that country continues to develop nuclear capability. Party identification and evangelical Christian identity are the strongest predictors with 72 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of evangelicals favoring military intervention. On the other hand, 51 percent of all respondents say sending troops to Iraq was a mistake. Eighty-three percent of Democrats believe the war was a mistake, compared with 62 percent of independents and 21 percent of Republicans. The telephone survey of 549 Tennesseans was conducted Sept. 19-30 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Contact Dr. Ken Blake, acting director, MT Poll, at 615-210-6187.
kblake@mtsu.edu
For total poll results, go to http://www.mtsusurveygroup.org.

A million reasons to vote?

With a proposal on the Arizona ballot to give each voter a chance at a $1 million lottery, the MT Poll asked Tennesseans how they felt about economic incentives for voting. Thirty-two percent supported the idea. But, among those who were concerned that the money might lure “the wrong people” to the polls, support fell to 24 percent. For those who did not fear drawing “the wrong people,” 44 percent backed the idea. Thirty-one percent favored increasing voter turnout with a drawing for a new car; 64 percent liked the idea of free child care; and 55 percent wanted to make every Election Day a holiday.

Contact Dr. Bob Wyatt, founding director, MT Poll, at 615-477-8389.
rwyatt@mtsu.edu
For total poll results, go to http://www.mtsusurveygroup.org.

The “assassination” of George W. Bush

A British cable network plans to show “Death of a President,” a fictional film about the assassination of President Bush produced in a documentary style, this Monday. It combines archival footage of the real Bush with computer-generated images and a body double. Many people who have seen it say it looks very realistic. A Los Angeles-based company plans to open the film in the U.S. October 27, just in time for the midterm election. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Despite all of the publicity surrounding the film, there will undoubtedly be some people who won’t get the word and will assume the story is real. But as for actually blocking the film? Well, offensiveness has rarely succeeded as a criterion for censorship. The next few weeks should prove just what kind of reaction this hot-button film will produce.”

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

TR EXTRA

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 X161, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 37132. REGISTRATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO OCTOBER 13. For more information, contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or eyh@mtsu.edu or jiriarte@mtsu.edu

ALUMNI ART--The art works of 24 MTSU alumni are on display at the Todd Gallery through TODAY. Paintings, prints, clay work, sculpture and graphic design imagery are among the featured media. The artists represent alumni from 1960 through 2004. Dr. Lon Nuell, art, says, “Their works are seen across the country and internationally in galleries and museums, are found in private collections, and seen in regional and national publications.” The Todd Gallery is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday-Friday and closed on all state holidays. Admission is always free. Contact Nuell at 615-898-2505 or lrnuell@mtsu.edu

FOUR CONCERTS FOR FREE--The four-event Presidential Concert Series at MTSU will open with Requiem by Frigyes Hidas and will feature the MTSU Wind Ensemble, MTSU Concert Chorale and soloists beginning at 7:30 p.m. TOMORROW in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Requiem has been noted for its groundbreaking scoring. Written in memory of the deceased from every war in history, it is the first work of its kind composed for winds rather than full orchestra, although it follows the traditional form of a requiem. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or visit the calendar of events at http://www.mtsumusic.com.

ABLE IN THE ARTS--Internationally renowned actress/writer/teacher Estelle Condra will deliver the keynote address for Arts Talk, a two-day conference and career forum for artists with disabilities, TODAY AND SATURDAY at MTSU. Condra, who is blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, will speak at 12:45 p.m. in the Business Aerospace Building. Another feature of the conference will be the Tennessee premiere of “The Goal,” an award-winning film by Darla Rae that stars MTSU alumna Laura Dodd, from 4-6 p.m. Oct. 6 in Tucker Theatre. In addition, “we will have people on campus discussing Social Security issues, legal issues, portfolio development and more,” says Lori Kissinger, MTSU speech and theatre instructor. Contact Kissinger at 615-826-5252 or userk7706@aol.com

REAL MEN DON’T HIT WOMEN--Author and educator Rus Funk (spelling is correct) will deliver an address titled “What’s a Guy to Do?” from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. TUESDAY, Oct. 10, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre. Funk will talk about the effects of domestic violence, prevention strategies and educating men to be allies in this Domestic Violence Awareness Month event sponsored by the June Anderson Women’s Center and the student organization Women 4 Women. In addition, Funk will provide specific training for various groups in the campus community in a workshop from 4 p.m to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11 in the KUC Theatre. The author of Reaching Men: Strategies for Preventing Sexist Attitudes, Behaviors and Violence, Funk is on the faculty of the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville and the Spalding University School of Social Work. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu