Monday, October 2, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The first Monday in October

The U.S. Supreme Court goes into session today with cases involving affirmative action, state sentencing, late-term abortions and several other hot button issues slated for consideration. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor, says the new term should provide key insights into the workings of the court under Chief Justice John Roberts. “It remains an open question as to how much he will change the internal operations of the court from that of his predecessor, William Rehnquist,” Hudson says. “From a substantive matter, the term affords an opportunity to examine the jurisprudence of the two newest justices—Roberts and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.—who joined relatively late in the term last year. Will Justices Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy control the center of the court, a position usually taken by the retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor?”

Contact Hudson at dhudson@freedomforum.org

The JET set

Would you like a round-trip plane ticket to Japan and an annual salary of about 3,600,000 yen? That’s part of what awaits participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. Emily Winckler, program coordinator of the Culture and Education Division of the Consulate General of Japan in New Orleans, will discuss JET from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. TODAY in Keathley University Center. Winckler says the most popular job offered by JET is the Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) position, in which an ALT teaches an elementary school, middle school or high school class with a Japanese educator. “The JET program provides wonderful opportunities for young college graduates to teach English and learn culture in Japan regardless of their major or minor field of study,” Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, director of MTSU’s Japan-U.S. Program, says.

Contact Kawahito at 615-898-2229.
kawahito@mtsu.edu

The spin cycle

Where does the news leave off and propaganda from special interest groups begin? Dr. Jay Black, Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics, emeritus, at the University of South Florida, will address that question in a guest lecture at 6 p.m. THIS THURSDAY in Room 104 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “He will initially describe and analyze the new and often-deceptive media mosaic, making note of relevant semantic and ethical dilemmas, and then outline possible remedies for media consumers and practitioners,” Dr. Thomas Cooper, ethicist-in-residence at MTSU, says. Black says, “My fundamental argument is that propaganda is inevitable, that it is not just what the ‘bad guys’ do, that contemporary society relishes propaganda [and] that media cater to our closed-mindedness as willing recipients of propaganda.”

Contact Cooper at twcooper@comcast.net

TR EXTRA

WHO WILL PASS THE MIDTERM (ELECTION)?--Rutherford County candidates for the state legislature will square off in a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. TOMORROW in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and all guests must be seated by 6:55. “This forum will provide voters a chance to familiarize themselves with the candidates and the issues in this important election,” Dr. Mark Byrnes, professor of political science. This event is made possible through the League of Women Voters and MTSU’s participation in the American Democracy Project. Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, will be the moderator. Media welcomed. Contact Byrnes at 615-898-2351 or mbyrnes@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. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS THIS FRIDAY. For more information, contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or eyh@mtsu.edu or jiriarte@mtsu.edu

GET PUMPED!—The blood drive originally slated for Sept. 25 has been rescheduled for TODAY from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 109 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. For more information, contact Jenny Sauls at 615-898-5441 or jsauls@mtsu.edu

ALUMNI ART--The art works of 24 MTSU alumni are on display at the Todd Gallery through THIS FRIDAY. 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

TERRIFIC TRIO—MTSU music professors Todd Waldecker (clarinet), Caleb Harris (piano) and Deanna Hahn-Little (flute) will present a concert at 8 p.m. TONIGHT in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Music by Milhaud, Ben-Haim, Weiner, Gershwin, and others will be performed. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call 615-898-2493 or visit the calendar of events at http://www.mtsumusic.com.