Thursday, October 26, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Something fishy’s going on.

A new report out of Harvard University indicates that the benefits of eating a couple of servings of most fish or seafood weekly outweigh the potential health risks of mercury or other contamination for adults and children. Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith, human sciences, says, “Fish and shellfish, as part of a well-balanced diet, can contribute to heart health. These protein-rich foods are low in saturated fat and contain omega-3 fatty acides. However, most types of fish and shellfish contain mercury. For most people, the risk is not a health concern, but high levels of mercury can harm the developing nervous system of an unborn baby or young child.”

Contact Sheehan-Smith at 615-898-2090.
lsheehan@mtsu.edu

She blinded me with science.

More than 300 young women in grades five through eight are slated to attend the 10th annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference in Science and Mathematics SATURDAY. The Murfreesboro branch of the American Association of University Women and the Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley are co-sponsors. EYH gives girls a chance to learn about career opportunities for women in science, technology, math and engineering in hands-on workshops with titles including “Concrete is More than a Birdbath,” “Ooze, Goo and Slime,” and “Open Up and Say ‘Woof’”. A celebration reception is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. TOMORROW NIGHT in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. To find out more, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~eyh.

Contact Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253.
jiriarte@mtsu.edu

I’m your biggest fan.

Never mind the political candidates—the polls agree that the National Football League ranks first among professional sports leagues in Middle Tennessee for familiarity and affinity. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says that has been the case in all three Middle Tennessee Sports Affinity Surveys conducted by MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research. The NBA realized the greatest increase in popularity from Fall 2005 to Fall 2006. Scores for the NHL, NASCAR, Major League Soccer and the Arena Football League all declined. Among collegiate leagues, NCAA football ranked first in both familiarity and affinity. The results are based on telephone interviews with 435 randomly selected adult residents aged 18 and older from Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties on Oct. 3 and 4.

Contact Roy at 615-904-8464.
droy@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

DYNAMISM AND SENSITIVITY--Masaaki and Chikako Tanaka, two distinguished Japanese artists, will display their word through Friday, Nov. 3 in the Todd Gallery at MTSU. A reception for the Tanakas is slated for 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. SATURDAY in the gallery. The receptions are free and open to the public. “(Masaaki Tanaka) is a master in the use of the paper stencil technique of screenprinting, the process by which colors and shapes are layered onto paper and coalesce, after many applications, into the finished image,” Dr. Lon Nuell, professor of art, says. By contrast, Nuell says Chikako Tanaka’s work is “fanciful, ethereal in some instances, suggesting the dream-like imagery of the surrealists.” Contact Nuell at 615-898-5653 or 615-898-2505 or lrnuell@mtsu.edu

A WHOLE NEW WORLD--Your children can be transported to Japan, China and Indonesia without flight reservations. A new exhibit at the Discovery Center enables youngsters to play dress-up with sarongs and kimonos, view animated superhero Astro Boy or learn about Japanese folklore on a 20-inch DVD player, construct their own colorful kites, make origami figures, work challenging tangram puzzles, stage their own hand puppet theatre and hold Japanese tea parties. The interactive exhibit is made possible by generous donations from Toshiba, Nissan, the Foreign Ministry of Japan and the Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU. The Discovery Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for anyone age 2 and up. Contact Steve Hoskins at the Discovery Center, 502 SE Broad Street, Murfreesboro, at 615-890-2300.

CURRY FAVOR WITH A DANCE MASTER--Sample some savory footwork with guest dancer Ivan Pulinkala next week. The director of dance at Kennesaw State University, Pulinkala will present a lecture on “The Sensuality of Indian Movement” from 9:10 a.m. to 10:05 a.m. FRIDAY in the University Honors College Ampitheatre. The lecture is free and open to the public. Pulinkala will teach a modern dance class and work with members of the MTSU Dance Theatre to produce a show at 10:15 a.m. SATURDAY in Room 140 of the Fairview Building following a Dance Theatre class. According to his online biography, Pulinkala, a New Delhi native, has served as the choreographer-in-residence for Delhi Music Theatre and was named among the 25 Indian artists of the Millennium in the December 1999 issue of India Today magazine. Media welcomed. Contact Kim Neal Nofsinger, director of MTSU’s dance program, at 615-904-8392 or nofsinge@mtsu.edu
To request interviews, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

MUSIC MASTERS--Ninety faculty, student and guest musicians will perform 30 new works by visiting composers during five free public concerts and two paper sessions at the Society of Composers Inc. (SCI) Region IV Conference on Oct. 26-28. The free and open concerts will be held at 8 p.m. THURSDAY; at 1:30, 4 and 8 p.m. FRIDAY; and at 1:30 p.m. SATURDAY in the Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building. George T. Riordan, director of the School of Music, says 35 composers hailing from 13 different Eastern states will participate. Also, composers from Korea, Taiwan, Argentina and Turkey will be involved. “This is the first time that MTSU has hosted a large composition conference with national exposure,” Riordan says. Contact Tim Musselman in the School of Music at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu