Thursday, November 30, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

NOTE: With classes slated to end Dec. 6 and professors planning to leave campus, “Today’s Response” will go on hiatus Monday, Dec. 4 for the holiday season. “Today’s Response” will return on Monday, Jan. 16, 2007.

An early frost for Frist

The news that U.S. Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) will not seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination follows a similar announcement by former Virginia Governor Mark Warner regarding the Democratic nomination. Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, says, “Frist showed himself to be a capable legislative leader in the Senate, but he made a few missteps, and exit polling, even among Tennesseans after the election, suggested that he did not have a very good chance. Frist could still be one of those candidates (Al Gore is another, with a somewhat better chance on the Democratic side.) who could later step in IF (a pretty big if) the other major candidates self-destruct.”

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

“What we done in France we had to do.”—Gary Cooper in “Sergeant York”

More than 1,400 artifacts from German gas masks and mess kits to collar insignia and grenades were unearthed in Chatel-Cherey, France, during an expedition led by Tom Nolan of MTSU’s geosciences faculty and Michael Birdwell of Tennessee Tech’s history faculty Nov. 12-26, 2006. The trip was the researchers’ second sojourn in the past year. On this trip, the exact locale of Sgt. Alvin York’s heroic WWI victory was pinpointed at last with the use of geospatial technology, ending an 88-year mystery. Nolan and Birdwell will announce their findings at a joint news conference at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in the R.O. Fullerton Laboratory for Spatial Technology in the Kirksey Old Main building. A question-and-answer session will follow opening remarks. Media only, please. Videographers and broadcasters must arrive at least 20 minutes early to set up their equipment.

Reporters, please RSVP to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
lrollins@mtsu.edu

Cyberspace in China

The group Reporters Without Borders claims more than 30 journalists and 50 computer users are in jail in China for “inappropriate use” of the Internet. “Inappropriate use” could mean anything from reading foreign Web sites to hosting sites critical of the Beijing government. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, is concerned about American software companies’ complicity in all this with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo turning the names of users over to the government. “Well, the answer to that problem is not to do business with countries that abuse human rights—or to say to the repressive government ‘if you want our products, here’s what we want you to do,’” Burriss says. “After all, software companies do that sort of thing to American consumers all the time. Just look at the licensing agreement.”

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


TR EXTRA

SHOW ME THE MONEY!--THIS FRIDAY is the deadline for prospective freshmen and current MTSU students to apply for scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year. Merit scholarships and awards available include freshman merit scholarships, National Merit Finalist scholarships, awards for valedictorians and salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost, and Raider scholarships. For more information, contact the Admissions Office at 615-898-2111, the Office of Financial Aid at 615-898-2830, or visit the Admissions Web page at http://www.mtsu.edu/~admissn.

CLEAN AND SOBER--MTSU’s Department of Public Safety will establish field-sobriety check points on campus the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7, and repeat them on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Police officials say there is a higher incidence of drunk driving right before and during traditional academic breaks. “Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers by being proactive,” Associate Chief Roy Brewer says. The check points are made possible in part through a grand awarded to the department with funds administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. The overall goal is to reduce alcohol- and drug-related fatalities in Tennessee to 35 percent in 2006 from a baseline of 41 percent in the year 2000. Contact Police Chief Buddy Peaster or Associate Police Chief Roy Brewer at 615-898-2424.

“PERFORMING GENDER”--“Performing Gender” will be the embedded theme for the 2007 Interdiscipinary Conference in Women’s Studies Feb. 22-24, 2007 in the James Union Building. Among the guest speakers will be keynote speaker Jill Dolan, author of Presence and Desire: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Performance and Utopia in Performance: Finding Hope at the Theater. Marissa Richmond, historian and president of the Tennessee Transgender Action Committee, will discuss transgender history. Playwright and performance artist Deb Margolin will introduce her new full-length work. Margolin has been awarded an Obie for sustained excellence of performance and the Joseph Kesselring Prize for playwriting. Conference registration will be $75 ($85 on-site) for non-students and $30 ($35 on-site) for students and unemployed and underemployed individuals. The conference fee is waived for the MTSU community. For more information on the conference and registration, visit http://www.womenstu.web.mtsu.edu and click on “Women’s Studies Conference.”

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.

ALL RIGHT, LET’S TAKE IT AGAIN FROM THE TOP!--The MTSU Women’s Chorale will present a free “sounds of the season” concert at 7:30 p.m. TONIGHT in the Hinton Music Hall on the MTSU campus. The group will sing works by Brahms, Schumann, Schubert and others, and will feature a premiere piece of an unpublished, recently composed work by Dr. Mark Simmons of the University of Tennessee at Martin. Other selections to be performed will include Carol of the Bells, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Coventry Carol, and A Virgin Most Pure. The Nov. 30 performance is free and open to the public. Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

NOTE: With classes slated to end Dec. 6 and professors planning to leave campus, “Today’s Response” will go on hiatus Monday, Dec. 4 for the holiday season. “Today’s Response” will return on Monday, Jan. 16, 2007.

Home sweet home

All profits from the sale of a house to be built in the Blackman Farm community in Murfreesboro will benefit the Land Development and Residential Home Building Program at MTSU. This program, which is only about 18 months old, is the only one of its kind in the United States. The groundbreaking for the land on which the house will be built is to be held at 1 p.m. TODAY on Lot 219 (3517 Blaze Dr.) in the Blackman Farm community. Regent Homes will lead at team of professionals and MTSU students in the construction of a 2,600-square-foot, four-bedroom home with a wrapped front porch and a metal roof. Students graduating rrom the program will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management with a concentration in Residential Land Development and Home Building.

Contact Walter Boles, chairperson, Engineering Technology and Industrial Studies, at 615-898-5009. wwboles@mtsu.edu

Show me the money!

THIS FRIDAY is the deadline for prospective freshmen and current MTSU students to apply for scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year. Merit scholarships and awards available include freshman merit scholarships, National Merit Finalist scholarships, awards for valedictorians and salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost, and Raider scholarships.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office at 615-898-2111, the Office of Financial Aid at 615-898-2830, or visit the Admissions Web page at http://www.mtsu.edu/~admissn.

All right, let’s take it again from the top!

Because incorrect information was provided about the MTSU Women’s Chorale concert was provided to “Today’s Response,” we would like to apologize and issue the following correct information. The MTSU Women’s Chorale will present a free “sounds of the season” concert at 7:30 p.m. TOMORROW NIGHT in the Hinton Music Hall on the MTSU campus. The group will sing works by Brahms, Schumann, Schubert and others, and will feature a premiere piece of an unpublished, recently composed work by Dr. Mark Simmons of the University of Tennessee at Martin. Other selections to be performed will include Carol of the Bells, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Coventry Carol, and A Virgin Most Pure. The Nov. 30 performance is free and open to the public.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493. tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

A UNIQUE TAKE ON ANOREXIA—Dr. Richard A. O’Connor of the Department of Anthropology at the University of the South will present a lecture titled “From Virtue to Vice: Applying Anthropology to Anorexia” from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. TONIGHT in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Karen Ann Demonbreum at the University Honors College at 615-904-8431.

CLEAN AND SOBER--MTSU’s Department of Public Safety will establish field-sobriety check points on campus the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7, and repeat them on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Police officials say there is a higher incidence of drunk driving right before and during traditional academic breaks. “Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers by being proactive,” Associate Chief Roy Brewer says. The check points are made possible in part through a grand awarded to the department with funds administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. The overall goal is to reduce alcohol- and drug-related fatalities in Tennessee to 35 percent in 2006 from a baseline of 41 percent in the year 2000. Contact Police Chief Buddy Peaster or Associate Police Chief Roy Brewer at 615-898-2424.

“PERFORMING GENDER”--“Performing Gender” will be the embedded theme for the 2007 Interdiscipinary Conference in Women’s Studies Feb. 22-24, 2007 in the James Union Building. Among the guest speakers will be keynote speaker Jill Dolan, author of Presence and Desire: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Performance and Utopia in Performance: Finding Hope at the Theater. Marissa Richmond, historian and president of the Tennessee Transgender Action Committee, will discuss transgender history. Playwright and performance artist Deb Margolin will introduce her new full-length work. Margolin has been awarded an Obie for sustained excellence of performance and the Joseph Kesselring Prize for playwriting. Conference registration will be $75 ($85 on-site) for non-students and $30 ($35 on-site) for students and unemployed and underemployed individuals. The conference fee is waived for the MTSU community. For more information on the conference and registration, visit http://www.womenstu.web.mtsu.edu/ and click on “Women’s Studies Conference.”

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.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

NOTE: With classes slated to end Dec. 6 and professors planning to leave campus, “Today’s Response” will go on hiatus Monday, Dec. 4 for the holiday season. “Today’s Response” will return on Monday, Jan. 16, 2007.

“Performing Gender”

“Performing Gender” will be the embedded theme for the 2007 Interdiscipinary Conference in Women’s Studies Feb. 22-24, 2007 in the James Union Building. Among the guest speakers will be keynote speaker Jill Dolan, author of Presence and Desire: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Performance and Utopia in Performance: Finding Hope at the Theater. Marissa Richmond, historian and president of the Tennessee Transgender Action Committee, will discuss transgender history. Playwright and performance artist Deb Margolin will introduce her new full-length work. Margolin has been awarded an Obie for sustained excellence of performance and the Joseph Kesselring Prize for playwriting. Conference registration will be $75 ($85 on-site) for non-students and $30 ($35 on-site) for students and unemployed and underemployed individuals. The conference fee is waived for the MTSU community.

For more information on the conference and registration, visit http://www.womenstu.web.mtsu.edu and click on “Women’s Studies Conference.”

Clean and sober

MTSU’s Department of Public Safety will establish field-sobriety check points on campus the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7, and repeat them on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Police officials say there is a higher incidence of drunk driving right before and during traditional academic breaks. “Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers by being proactive,” Associate Chief Roy Brewer says. The check points are made possible in part through a grand awarded to the department with funds administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office. The overall goal is to reduce alcohol- and drug-related fatalities in Tennessee to 35 percent in 2006 from a baseline of 41 percent in the year 2000.

Contact Police Chief Buddy Peaster or Associate Police Chief Roy Brewer at 615-898-2424.

Sing ye chorus, all together!

The MTSU Women’s Chorale will present a free “sounds of the season” concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 in the Hinton Music Hall on the MTSU campus. Dr. Jamila McWhirter, Women’s Chorale director, says the concert will begin with four piano preludes arranged and performed by sophomore Tracey Phillips. The preludes will be The Christmas Song, I Saw Three Ships, In the Bleak Midwinter, and The Christmas Waltz. Other selections will include Ave Maria, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Let It Snow, Deck the Halls, and Carol of the Bells. The Nov. 30 performance is free and open to the public.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

VIBRANT VERSE--Students and teachers in grades 6-8 will delve into poetry in “Promoting Student Thinking: Using Poetry to Scaffold Student Creativity,” a satellite videoconference slated for 9 a.m. CST TODAY. Dr. Bobbie Solley, elementary and special education, and Beverly Barnes of Community High School in Bedford County will demonstrate ways in which poetry from both published poets and student poets can foster creativity. They will examine poems and poets that are especially appropriate for middle grade learners. In addition, students will write their own original poems. For more information, contact Jenny Marsh at 615-898-2737 or vmoxley@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.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

NOTE: With classes slated to end Dec. 6 and professors planning to leave campus, “Today’s Response” will go on hiatus Monday, Dec. 4 for the holiday season. “Today’s Response” will return on Monday, Jan. 16, 2007.

The Altman alternative

Robert Altman, who died last Monday at the age of 81, was a creator who insisted on doing things on his own terms. The director of M*A*S*H, Nashville, The Player, and Gosford Park, among others, was nominated for competitive Oscars five times, but never fit into the Hollywood mold, says Dr. Robert Kalwinsky, electronic media communication. “He interwove dialogue, genres and cultural forms in a sometimes confusing but ultimately revelatory fashion,” Kalwinsky says. “His camera zoomed and arced in ways often more lyrical than illuminating. He cast stars against type and allowed a great deal of improvisation. He disdained straightforward narratives. … He critiqued gender roles, class and ethnicity far before the mainstream got to it. In many ways, he was ahead of his time. In fact, always. He will be missed.”

Contact Kalwinsky at 615-904-8366.
rkalwins@mtsu.edu

Squeezing the Juice

Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, has his own take on Rupert Murdoch’s decision to pull the plug on a book and a TV special allowing O.J. Simpson to talk about the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman with O.J. in the hypothetical role of the killer. Burriss says more serious than the issue of taste is the continuing blurring of reality and fiction. “Look at so-called ‘reality television,’” Burriss notes. “Just how real is the danger when there is a television crew standing a few feet away? … And then there are the docudramas, a blending of the time-honored documentary tradition with entertainment programs in which creative license is the norm. … Oh, and don’t forget all of the movies and television programs that begin with the words ‘based on a true story.’ ‘Based on a true story’ probably means the events you are about to see may have some slight connection with real events.”

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

Vibrant verse

Students and teachers in grades 6-8 will delve into poetry in “Promoting Student Thinking: Using Poetry to Scaffold Student Creativity,” a satellite videoconference slated for 9 a.m. CST TOMORROW. Dr. Bobbie Solley, elementary and special education, and Beverly Barnes of Community High School in Bedford County will demonstrate ways in which poetry from both published poets and student poets can foster creativity. They will examine poems and poets that are especially appropriate for middle grade learners. In addition, students will write their own original poems.

For more information, contact Jenny Marsh at 615-898-2737 or vmoxley@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“TALENT WORKS, GENIUS CREATES.”—ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)—H. Stephen Smith, associate professor of voice, and collaborative pianist Caleb Harris will present “An Evening of Schumann” at 8 p.m. TONIGHT in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. “This year … marks the 150th anniversary of (Robert) Schumann’s death,” observes Smith, who, along with Harris, will perform two song cycles from the year 1840, which is known as Schumann’s “Year of Song.” These cycles are Liederkreis (Song Cycle) Op. 39 and Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love) Op. 48. “The Liederkreis is a cycle of 12 songs about life and love,” Smith explains. “Dichterliebe is a cycle of 16 songs reflecting the intense feeling of the joy that only true love can give and the intense feeling of sadness one can feel having been rejected by the object of that true love.” The concert is free and open to the public. Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@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.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Keeping the kiddies

College students who have children need to feel secure in the knowledge that their youngsters will be treated well while Mommy and Daddy are pursuing their studies. To make this possible, the MTSU Childcare Consortium provides options for students with infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and school-age children through the eighth grade. Through the Child Care Lab, the Child Development Center Lab, the Evening Extended School Program, and the university’s private sector partner, Kids R Kids, a variety of safe, convenient care is made available. The Adult Services Center, the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women and the Administrative Services Office have been the driving forces behind this effort.

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

Don’t forget the vets.

Members of the MTSU community have been proud to serve their country’s armed forces virtually since the school’s inception. Did you know, for example, that “approximately 230 students from Middle Tennessee State Normal School, or ‘Normalites,’ served in uniform during the Great War,” Dr. Derek Frisby, history, says. “During World War I, a Student Army Training Corps and a Machine Gun Regiment were formed from the university’s student body.” While there have been memorials to those who perished in various armed conflicts over the years, including service flags, trees and Alumni Memorial Gym (the latter being dedicated to WWII vets), there is no unified memorial to MTSU veterans. That’s why a committee of faculty, staff and students has launched a campaign to create a permanent on-campus memorial to all MTSU veterans.

To find out more about the Veterans Memorial Project, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/veterans or contact Frisby at 615-494-8856.
dfrisby@mtsu.edu

“Talent works, genius creates.”—Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

H. Stephen Smith, associate professor of voice, and collaborative pianist Caleb Harris will present “An Evening of Schumann” at 8 p.m. MONDAY in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. “This year … marks the 150th anniversary of (Robert) Schumann’s death,” observes Smith, who, along with Harris, will perform two song cycles from the year 1840, which is known as Schumann’s “Year of Song.” These cycles are Liederkreis (Song Cycle) Op. 39 and Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love) Op. 48. “The Liederkreis is a cycle of 12 songs about life and love,” Smith explains. “Dichterliebe is a cycle of 16 songs reflecting the intense feeling of the joy that only true love can give and the intense feeling of sadness one can feel having been rejected by the object of that true love.” The concert is free and open to the public.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

STRINGING ALONG--MTSU Guitar Ensembles will present a concert of Brazilian and Baroque music at 8 p.m. TONIGHT in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on campus. The group will perform works by composers such as Piazzolla, Bach, Domeniconi, Vivaldi and Albeniz. They will be led by instructors Salome Sandoval and Josh Tannehill. “These students have been working hard on this repertoire all summer,” Sandoval says. “Talent will range from more experienced students to those who will be performing for the first time.” This concert is free and open to the public.Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TEN-HUT!--Local and regional military veterans will be recognized SATURDAY during the 25th annual Salute to Veterans at MTSU’s 2:30 p.m. football game against Troy University. Maj. Chuck Giles, military science, says about 250 to 300 veterans and their families are expected to attend. All service groups will have activities and recruiters in Walnut Grove with other campus and student organizations during pregame tailgate events. There will be a picnic at 11 a.m. outside Forrest Hall (or inside the hall in the event of inclement weather). Four Army ROTC cadets who served in Iraq will be honorary captains for the pregame coin toss. They are Spcs. Matt Wallace of McMinnville and James Lax of Murfreesboro and Sgts. Ken McDevitt of Christiana and Paul Wiles of Smyrna. Contact Giles at 615-898-2470, or Harriet Howard at 615-355-0746.

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.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Milton Friedman (1912-2006)

Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist whose theory of monetarism influenced the policies of three U.S. presidents, died Thursday at age 94. Dr. Bill Ford, holder of the Weatherford Chair of Finance, calls Friedman “arguably the most distinguished and important economist who lived during the 20th century. … His treatises on welfare program reforms, a simplified flat-tax system, privatization of Social Security, and the case for using education vouchers to provide a better education for inner-city school students are still shaping the ongoing debates of all those subjects.” On a personal note, Ford remembers the “wit, personal charm and warmth he always exhibited toward his professional colleagues, including those who did not share his views,” and Ford extends his sympathies to Friedman’s wife, Rose, his lifelong partner and sometime co-author.

Contact Ford at 615-898-2889.
wfford@mtsu.edu

Stringing along

MTSU Guitar Ensembles will present a concert of Brazilian and Baroque music at 8 p.m. TUESDAY in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on campus. The group will perform works by composers such as Piazzolla, Bach, Domeniconi, Vivaldi and Albeniz. They will be led by instructors Salome Sandoval and Josh Tannehill. “These students have been working hard on this repertoire all summer,” Sandoval says. “Talent will range from more experienced students to those who will be performing for the first time.” This concert is free and open to the public.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

I’d like to be under the sea in an octopus’s garden in the shade.

A report by Dalhousie University in the journal Science warns that the population of almost all seafood face collapse by 2048 if current overfishing and pollution trends continue. Dr. Padgett Kelly, biology, says, “The timeline may be a bit dire, but the trend is there. There are many organizations worldwide, including the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, that are publishing lists of sustainable fish populations for human consumption. Currently, use of these fish stocks is increasing. So they may soon start declining, as well. Most of the ‘large fish’ species are already drastically reduced and the ecological effects of this decline may greatly outweigh the economic aspects of the problem.”

Contact Kelly at 615-898-5615.
jpkelly@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

TEN-HUT!--Local and regional military veterans will be recognized SATURDAY during the 25th annual Salute to Veterans at MTSU’s 2:30 p.m. football game against Troy State University. Maj. Chuck Giles, military science, says about 250 to 300 veterans and their families are expected to attend. All service groups will have activities and recruiters in Walnut Grove with other campus and student organizations during pregame tailgate events. There will be a picnic at 11 a.m. outside Forrest Hall (or inside the hall in the event of inclement weather). Four Army ROTC cadets who served in Iraq will be honorary captains for the pregame coin toss. They are Spcs. Matt Wallace of McMinnville and James Lax of Murfreesboro and Sgts. Ken McDevitt of Christiana and Paul Wise of Smyrna.Contact Giles at 615-898-2470, or Harriet Howard at 615-355-0746.

SANTA’S LITTLE RAIDERS--The “Santa’s Little Raiders” program, sponsored by MTSU Public Safety, is in full swing. It helps to make the holidays a little brighter for some of the children of MTSU students. The gift tree is up in the lobby of police headquarters on East Main Street, and several “Little Raiders” are available for “adoption.” The cards on the tree have the gender and age of each child. A “party gift” with a value of $10 to $15 for each “Little Raider” may be purchased. That gift will be opened on the evening of the holiday party in the James Union Building on Friday, Dec. 8. All gifts must be wrapped and returned to Public Safety by Wednesday, Nov. 29. Contact Officer Brett Huskey at 615-898-2424.

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.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Ten-HUT!

Local and regional military veterans will be recognized SATURDAY during the 25th annual Salute to Veterans at MTSU’s 2:30 p.m. football game against Troy State University. Maj. Chuck Giles, military science, says about 250 to 300 veterans and their families are expected to attend. All service groups will have activities and recruiters in Walnut Grove with other campus and student organizations during pregame tailgate events. There will be a picnic at 11 a.m. outside Forrest Hall (or inside the hall in the event of inclement weather). Four Army ROTC cadets who served in Iraq will be honorary captains for the pregame coin toss. They are Spcs. Matt Wallace of McMinnville and James Lax of Murfreesboro and Sgts. Ken McDevitt of Christiana and Paul Wise of Smyrna.

Contact Giles at 615-898-2470, or Harriet Howard at 615-355-0746.

The heart of the matter

Next month, Ohio State University will begin a study of student-athletes to find out why heart attacks occur in young athletes. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of death in athletes, which prompted the International Olympic Committee to recommend routine EKGs in 2004. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says the direct cause of cardiomyopathy is unknown. “But one theory is that an athlete will engage in vigorous aerobic exercise while he or she is already fighting a virus and that the virus already in his or her body will travel to the heart,” he says. Anshel, who is not a physician, says the advice given by most cardiologists is NOT to exercise when feeling ill, especially if the illness is located in the chest (respiratory tract, for instance).

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

Big Hubble, no trouble

Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, is gleeful about NASA’s commitment to refurbish the Hubble Space Telescope. “Thanks to NASA’s polished public relations efforts, many of Hubble’s images have made a personal impact on a large number of people,” MacDougall says. “Even so, I think that there is a lot that the public doesn’t yet appreciate. For instance, in addition to seeing with spectacular detail the massive nebulae that are literally ‘star factories,’ Hubble is able to look for tell-tale molecular fingerprints in the starlight that it takes in. Such information can be analyzed with reference to data collected in Earth-bound laboratories, enabling us to identify molecules floating around in distant galaxies.”

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

TR EXTRA

JOURNALISM UNDER FIRE--Covering armed conflict and getting the story out is a unique talent, and the reporters who do it are special people. That’s why MTSU’s Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies will host a one-day event titled “Covering the Front Lines: The evolution of War Journalism and Lasting Effects of War Coverage on Journalists” TODAY at the Keathley University Center. Pulitzer Prize-winner David Halberstam will deliver the opening address at 11:30 a.m. War correspondents, authors and academics will participate in two afternoon panels on the evolution of war journalism and the effects of war reporting on journalists. At 7 p.m., Time magazine’s Michael Weisskopf, author of “Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57,” will deliver the keynote address. Contact Beverly Keel at 615-898-5150 or bkeel@mtsu.edu

SANTA’S LITTLE RAIDERS--The “Santa’s Little Raiders” program, sponsored by MTSU Public Safety, is in full swing. It helps to make the holidays a little brighter for some of the children of MTSU students. The gift tree is up in the lobby of police headquarters on East Main Street, and several “Little Raiders” are available for “adoption.” The cards on the tree have the gender and age of each child. A “party gift” with a value of $10 to $15 for each “Little Raider” may be purchased. That gift will be opened on the evening of the holiday party in the James Union Building on Friday, Dec. 8. All gifts must be wrapped and returned to Public Safety by Wednesday, Nov. 29. Contact Officer Brett Huskey at 615-898-2424.

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.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Journalism under fire

Covering armed conflict and getting the story out is a unique talent, and the reporters who do it are special people. That’s why MTSU’s Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies will host a one-day event titled “Covering the Front Lines: The evolution of War Journalism and Lasting Effects of War Coverage on Journalists” on MONDAY at the Keathley University Center. Pulitzer Prize-winner David Halberstam will deliver the opening address at 11:30 a.m. War correspondents, authors and academics will participate in two afternoon panels on the evolution of war journalism and the effects of war reporting on journalists. At 7 p.m., Time magazine’s Michael Weisskopf, author of “Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57,” will deliver the keynote address.

Contact Beverly Keel at 615-898-5150.
bkeel@mtsu.edu

The winds of change

The MTSU Chamber Winds will present a free and open concert 3 p.m. SUNDAY in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. The group is slated to perform Bach’s Six Sonatas, Carl Ruggles’ Angels for Muted Brass, David Gwilt’s Suite, and Beethoven’s Grand Serenade. The Chamber Winds are musicians who are dedicated to the study and performance of wind literature from the Renaissance to the latest compositions. The ensemble was founded in 2003 as an outgrowth of the MTSU Wind Ensemble and performs several concerts each semester.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

Santa’s Little Raiders

The “Santa’s Little Raiders” program, sponsored by MTSU Public Safety, is in full swing. It helps to make the holidays a little brighter for some of the children of MTSU students. The gift tree is up in the lobby of police headquarters on East Main Street, and several “Little Raiders” are available for “adoption.” The cards on the tree have the gender and age of each child. A “party gift” with a value of $10 to $15 for each “Little Raider” may be purchased. That gift will be opened on the evening of the holiday party in the James Union Building on Friday, Dec. 8. All gifts must be wrapped and returned to Public Safety by Wednesday, Nov. 29.

Contact Officer Brett Huskey at 615-898-2424.

TR EXTRA

MASTERS, SPREAD YOURSELVES--The MTSU Opera Workshop will present two performances of Benjamin Britten’s opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY and SATURDAY in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. The plot of the opera is an ethereal story of three pairs of star-crossed Athenian lovers involving magical potions, spells and fairies. Primarily, it focuses on the subject of the madness of love and follows William Shakespeare’s play with several alterations. The performance will feature music and preparations by Caleb Harris, assistant professor of music, and Dr. Raphael Bundage, director of choral activities. General admission tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased at the door. MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as high school students, will be admitted free. Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@mtsu.edu

SCIENTIFIC DIVERSITY--Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning will be one of the keynote speakers at the 4th annual Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Undergraduate Research Conference FRIDAY at the Holiday Inn on Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. The conference theme is “Increasing Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” Students and faculty from Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, LeMoyne-Owen, the University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis and MTSU are scheduled to attend. Dr. Calvin Mackie of Tulane University also will make a keynote speech. Mackie recently participated in director Spike Lee’s HBO documentary on Hurricane Katrina titled “When the Levees Broke.” Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Barbara Knox at 615-898-5311 or Dr. Tom Cheatham at 615-898-2613.

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.

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 TONIGHT through SATURDAY NIGHT. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Midterm post-mortem

What did we learn from all those political advertisements in the runup to last week’s election? “Well, the high point was the office pool based on how fast (Harold) Ford and (Bob) Corker would respond to each other’s ads,” Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says. “Then there were the endless polls. We learned how the young compared to the Presbyterians, the old compared with workers, how students compared to taxi drivers, and how farmers compared with redheads. And through it all, both candidates denied the polls were valid, while with every tick in the percentages we saw changes in campaign strategy. You know, I bet we could save a lot of trouble if we just picked a random day and said that whoever is ahead in the polls is the winner.”

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

No more Mr./Ms. Nice Guy?

A Massachusetts-based consulting firm called Nice Guy Strategies is making a living out of showing companies how to create an environment that is more worker-friendly and warmer without sacrificing accountability and success. According to a recent Christian Science Monitor article, some believe the workplace is getting nicer. Others believe it’s the same old phony, backbiting place with a veneer of political correctness. Dr. Jackie Gilbert, management and marketing, says she thinks the commitment to respecting human dignity must be part of a company’s overall corporate philosophy. “Southwest Airlines, for example, has a corporate value system which it calls ‘Luv,” Gilbert says. “Components include patience, affirming statements, courteousness, compassionate behavior, grace and forgiveness.”

Contact Gilbert at 615-898-5418.
jgilbert@mtsu.edu

Masters, spread yourselves.

The MTSU Opera Workshop will present two performances of Benjamin Britten’s opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY and SATURDAY in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. The plot of the opera is an ethereal story of three pairs of star-crossed Athenian lovers involving magical potions, spells and fairies. Primarily, it focuses on the subject of the madness of love and follows William Shakespeare’s play with several alterations. The performance will feature music and preparations by Caleb Harris, assistant professor of music, and Dr. Raphael Bundage, director of choral activities. General admission tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased at the door. MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as high school students, will be admitted free.

Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SECURING THE FUTURE--Environmental awareness is the theme of “Securing the Future: Global Warming, Oil Dependence, and You” through TODAY. Students are being asked to walk, bike or carpool to school on the days of the event. Three faculty experts—Drs. Warren Anderson and Cliff Ricketts from agribusiness and agriscience and Dr. Ngee Chong from chemistry--will conduct a panel discussion on “Securing the Future” at 7 p.m. TODAY in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. This event is sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy.Contact Angie Feeney, AID president, at amf3g@mtsu.edu

LESSONS FROM KATRINA--“Resiliency and Change in the Wake of Disaster” is the theme for the 15th annual Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium, a free and open event to take place TODAY and TOMORROW in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. Students will present research papers on social problems, crime and deviance, environmental issues and other topics. The event will include a panel discussion with first responders to disaster relief and crisis situtations. Dr. Pamela Jenkins, a professor of sociology and director from the women’s studies program at the University of New Orleans, will deliver the keynote address, “Loss and Resiliency: Lessons from Katrina,” at 7 p.m. TODAY. For more information, contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~soc/socscisymp/symposium.html.

SCIENTIFIC DIVERSITY--Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning will be one of the keynote speakers at the 4th annual Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Undergraduate Research Conference FRIDAY at the Holiday Inn on Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. The conference theme is “Increasing Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” Students and faculty from Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, LeMoyne-Owen, the University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis and MTSU are scheduled to attend. Dr. Calvin Mackie of Tulane University also will make a keynote speech. Mackie recently participated in director Spike Lee’s HBO documentary on Hurricane Katrina titled “When the Levees Broke.” Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Barbara Knox at 615-898-5311 or Dr. Tom Cheatham at 615-898-2613.

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.

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night TONIGHT through SATURDAY NIGHT. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Middle East matriculation

Dr. Aswan Hamza will lecture on “Higher Education in the Gulf” at 4:30 p.m. TODAY at Cantrell Hall in the Tom H. Jackson Building (formerly Alumni Center). Hamza, a native of Yemen, recently completed her Ph.D. in higher education from Texas Tech and holds several degrees in higher education and civil engineering. Much of her research has focused on women in higher education, particularly in Arab countries, and cross-cultural issues in education. This lecture is presented by the Department of Human Sciences and the Middle East Center.

Contact Dr. Allen Hibbard at 615-898-2665.
ahibbard@mtsu.edu

Lessons from Katrina

“Resiliency and Change in the Wake of Disaster” is the theme for the 15th annual Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium, a free and open event to take place WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. Students will present research papers on social problems, crime and deviance, environmental issues and other topics. The event will include a panel discussion with first responders to disaster relief and crisis situtations. Dr. Pamela Jenkins, a professor of sociology and director from the women’s studies program at the University of New Orleans, will deliver the keynote address, “Loss and Resiliency: Lessons from Katrina,” at 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY.

For more information, contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~soc/socscisymp/symposium.html.

Scientific diversity

Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning will be one of the keynote speakers at the 4th annual Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Undergraduate Research Conference FRIDAY at the Holiday Inn on Old Fort Parkway in Murfreesboro. The conference theme is “Increasing Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” Students and faculty from Tennessee State, Vanderbilt, LeMoyne-Owen, the University of Tennessee, the University of Memphis and MTSU are scheduled to attend. Dr. Calvin Mackie of Tulane University also will make a keynote speech. Mackie recently participated in director Spike Lee’s HBO documentary on Hurricane Katrina titled “When the Levees Broke.” Media welcomed.

Contact Dr. Barbara Knox at 615-898-5311 or Dr. Tom Cheatham at 615-898-2613.

TR EXTRA

SECURING THE FUTURE--Environmental awareness is the theme of “Securing the Future: Global Warming, Oil Dependence, and You” through WEDNESDAY. Students are being asked to walk, bike or carpool to school on the days of the event. TODAY, students may make pledges to do something environmentally friendly at booths located in front of the Keathley University Center (KUC) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In exchange, those who pledge will receive green ribbons to tie around their fingers as a sign of support. Three faculty experts will conduct a panel discussion on “Securing the Future” at 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. This event is sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy.Contact Angie Feeney, AID president, at amf3g@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.

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night Nov. 15-18. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Techonomics

Dr. H. Lee Martin, managing partner of Clarity Resources, will lecture on “Technonomics: Understanding the Sources of Global Change,” at 3 p.m. TODAY in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. TVA Chairman Bill Baxter says, “The principles of techonomics will give you and your company or organization a competitive advantage.” Martin, a former Oak Ridge National Laboratory development engineer, is the co-founder of iPIX, a technolgy that has many applications, including virtual tours used in the real estate industry. He holds 20 U.S. patents in the fields of robotics, image processing and electric vehicles.

For more information, contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152 or the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at 615-898-2764.

You’ll just flip!

Watch a demonstration of the new Thunder Virtual Flipchart System at MTSU TODAY from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room 218 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. You’ll see a teaching and learning enhancement tool to improve classroom interaction among students and interaction between interior and exterior learning groups. “MTSU is on the cutting edge of advanced technology for education, and Thunder will enable MTSU’s faculty and staff to continue this tradition with the breakthrough communication capabilities of Thunder,” Mike Dunn, PolyVision CEO, says. Slated to be on hand will be Cingular Wireless CEO Jim Thorpe, PolyVision Executive Vice President for Global Sales Ian Hutchinson and Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, MTSU President.

Contact Barbara Draude at 615-904-8383.

Securing the Future

Environmental awareness is the theme of “Securing the Future: Global Warming, Oil Dependence, and You” TODAY through WEDNESDAY. Students are being asked to walk, bike or carpool to school on the days of the event. Today and tomorrow students may make pledges to do something environmentally friendly at booths located in front of the Keathley University Center (KUC) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In exchange, those who pledge will receive green ribbons to tie around their fingers as a sign of support. Three faculty experts will conduct a panel discussion on “Securing the Future” at 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. This event is sponsored by Americans for Informed Democracy.

Contact Angie Feeney, AID president, at amf3g@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

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.

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night Nov. 15-18. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Flying high

The Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame will present a special citation to Joe Hawkins, associate professor of aerospace, during the 5th annual Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony SATURDAY NIGHT at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation in Sevierville. Hawkins will receive the prestigious FAA Award as the National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year for 2006. Hawkins made aviation history for himself and for the state as the first Tennessean ever to receive the Technician of the Year honor, which was formally awarded to him in July in Oshkosh, Wisc. The event wil include a reception, dinner, the ceremony, and a silent auction fundraiser. The public is invited to attend.

For more information, contact Robert E. “Bob” Minter, Chairman, Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame, Inc. at 865-908-9372 or info@tnaviationhof.org

The courtroom comes to the classroom.

Seventy teams from 20 states will ply judges with arguments and motions as they try a make-believe case TOMORROW AND SATURDAY at the MTSU Mid-South Invitational Mock Trial Tournament. Teams will alternate on the plaintiff side and the defense side in a civil suit filed by the parents of a youth rendered comatose by a police officer’s bullet. Was the officer justified? Was he psychologically and emotionally impaired? If he was, did the police department know about his condition and do nothing? Local attorneys are invited to serve as judges to give the students the most realistic critique possible of their techniques as attorneys and witnesses.

For more information or to participate as a judge, contact Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, at 615-898-2695.
jvile@mtsu.edu

Come, let us reason together.

Members of MTSU’s Student Mediation Assocation came home from the National Intercollegiate Mediation Tournament at Drake Law School in Des Moines, Iowa with their arms full of honors. Seven students earned the title of All-American by being named one of the top 10 mediators or attorney-client pairs in the event held November 3 and 4. They are Andrea Borella, Brian Clifford, Robyn Diez, Ashley George, Jordan Sluder, Tessa Swartz, and Marshall Weber. Mediation students practice the skills necessary for helping settle disputes in a non-confrontational manner short of going to a court of law. Students master peacemaking skills and the special skills of an advocate for clients in mediation.

Contact Dr. Clyde Willis, political science, at 615-898-5457.
cewillis@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

READING, WRITING, AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL--Local music artists Seth Moore, Bo Daddy Bo, Bent Fur and Cuttlefish will join forces from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. SATURDAY at the Boro Bar and Grill, 1211 Greenland Drive, in The Writing Center Rock Show, a fundraiser for the University Writing Center. Under the direction of Dr. Jimmie Cain, English professor and author, the center offers free writing instruction and support for those who seek their help, including online services such as a Grammar Hotline for quick questions and an e-mail drop box and chat room. Admission to the benefit is $5 per person at the door and any additional donations will be accepted inside the venue on the evening of the show. For more information regarding the benefit, contact graduate writing assistant Sarah Hildenbrand via e-mail at skh2t@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-268-7011.

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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. TONIGHT in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Reading, writing and rock ‘n’ roll

Local music artists Seth Moore, Bo Daddy Bo, Bent Fur and Cuttlefish will join forces from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. SATURDAY at the Boro Bar and Grill, 1211 Greenland Drive, in The Writing Center Rock Show, a fundraiser for the University Writing Center. Under the direction of Dr. Jimmie Cain, English professor and author, the center offers free writing instruction and support for those who seek their help, including online services such as a Grammar Hotline for quick questions and an e-mail drop box and chat room. Admission to the benefit is $5 per person at the door and any additional donations will be accepted inside the venue on the evening of the show.

For more information regarding the benefit, contact graduate writing assistant Sarah Hildenbrand via e-mail at skh2t@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-268-7011.

The truth is out there?

Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says he disagrees with the Society of Professional Journalists’ tendency to preach that “the truth is out there,” to quote the old line from “The X-Files.” “We … know an objective truth is not out there,” Pondillo retorts. “If I, for example, were to dump a pile of facts onto the middle of the floor, CNN will interpret the ‘truth’ of those facts one way, Fox another. And that’s fine! Because the First Amendment does not protect truth … it protects argument! And I think a great democracy is served by lots of ideas, perspectives and arguments. All ‘truth’ comes with its own political, economic, cultural and social baggage. Despite what Bill O’Reilly says, there simply can not BE a ‘no spin zone.’”

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

May it please the court

The MTSU Mid-South Invitational Mock Trial Tournament, at which college students try their hand at playing attorneys and witnesses and adhering to rules of evidence and courtroom procedure, is slated for FRIDAY and SATURDAY. Seventy teams from 20 states will compete for trophies and recognition. The fictional case is a civil suit in which the parents of a youngster shot and rendered comatose by a police officer sue the make-believe police department, alleging a pattern of police brutality and excessive force. Local attorneys are invited to serve as judges in this unique and entertaining educational endeavor.

For more information or to participate as a judge, contact Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, at 615-898-2695.
jvile@mtsu.edu

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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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. TOMORROW in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu

MERCURY RISING--TODAY, Mercury will slide slowly across the face of the Sun during an event known as a transit. A transit of Mercury is relatively rare—there are only about a dozen in a century. The planet will be seen in silhouette against the Sun for the first time since 2003. Our next chance to observe Mercury transit the Sun will be in 2016. The Department of Physics and Astronomy, weather permitting, will have solar telescopes with special filters available for safe viewing of the transit, which will start at 1:12 p.m. CST. Come by the Uranidrome between 1:12 p.m. and 3 p.m. In case the weather doesn’t cooperate, checkout the Exploratorium’s Webcast of the entire event, a live five-hour, telescope-only feed beginning at 1 p.m. CST at http://www.exploratorium.edu/transit. Contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-5946.

CHICKS AND DUCKS AND GEESE BETTER SCURRY!--Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance. For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The battle of the ballots

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Tennessee TODAY, but will the traditionally low turnout for midterm elections hold true this time? Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, reminds us that voting was a right once reserved only for “white, male, property-owning, professing Christians” and is now open to almost all U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older and are not felons (or ex-felons, in some states). “I rather think voting is a requisite to complaining,” Vile says. “I don't mind seeing bumper stickers saying ‘Don't blame me--I voted for Kerry,’ but I wouldn't be very sympathetic to one that said, ‘Don't blame me--I didn't know or care enough to vote in the last election!’”

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

Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry!

Curley, the handsome cowboy, and Jud, the hired farmhand, compete for the affection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. The plot is familiar to all fans of the American musical theatre. It’s “Oklahoma!,” Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic creation, as performed by MTSU students as part of the CenterStage Series. “It’s energetic entertainment perfect for the family, but most of all it is important that our students are introduced to a show that has greatly impacted the theater industry,” Dale E. McGilliard, professor of speech and theatre, says. “Oklahoma!” will run at Tucker Theatre at 7:30 each night Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18. Tickets range from $4 to $8 and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the desired performance.

For more information, call 615-494-8810, or visit the Department of Speech and Theatre’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Name That Tuna!

A report commissioned by the federal government asserts that the benefits of eating fish each week are a greater priority than concern over possible health risks posed by mercury. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says moderation is the key. “The consumption of two servings of ‘cold water fish’ that contains generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids helps reduce disease risk in adults and many reports show benefits in brain functioning,” Colson says. “The amount of mercury in two servings per week will not cause mercury excess IF the right types of fish and seafood are selected. However, eating a generous serving EVERY single day might.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu


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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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. THURSDAY in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu

MERCURY RISING--On WEDNESDAY, Mercury will slide slowly across the face of the Sun during an event known as a transit. A transit of Mercury is relatively rare—there are only about a dozen in a century. The planet will be seen in silhouette against the Sun for the first time since 2003. Our next chance to observe Mercury transit the Sun will be in 2016. The Department of Physics and Astronomy, weather permitting, will have solar telescopes with special filters available for safe viewing of the transit, which will start at 1:12 p.m. CST. Come by the Uranidrome between 1:12 p.m. and 3 p.m. In case the weather doesn’t cooperate, checkout the Exploratorium’s Webcast of the entire event, a live five-hour, telescope-only feed beginning at 1 p.m. CST at http://www.exploratorium.edu/transit. Contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-5946.

Monday, November 6, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Keep the home fires burning.

The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees employees 12 weeks of unpaid leave to take care of family medical issues. However, studies find either small or insignificant effects of the legislation on employment, work, leave-taking and wages. Dr. Charles Baum, economics and finance, says, “Perhaps employees are unable to use the leave because it is unpaid or they do not need family leave because they already may take off work via vacation, sick leave and disability leave policies. If so, then family leave legislation may have increased employer-provided family leave without corresponding effects on employment-related outcomes.” In an upcoming academic paper, Baum examines family leave legislation’s effects on employers’ family leave policies, finding positive effects.

Contact Baum at 615-898-2527.
cbaum@mtsu.edu

Mercury rising

On WEDNESDAY, Mercury will slide slowly across the face of the Sun during an event known as a transit. A transit of Mercury is relatively rare—there are only about a dozen in a century. The planet will be seen in silhouette against the Sun for the first time since 2003. Our next chance to observe Mercury transit the Sun will be in 2016. The Department of Physics and Astronomy, weather permitting, will have solar telescopes with special filters available for safe viewing of the transit, which will start at 1:12 p.m. CST. Come by the Uranidrome between 1:12 p.m. and 3 p.m. In case the weather doesn’t cooperate, checkout the Exploratorium’s Webcast of the entire event, a live five-hour, telescope-only feed beginning at 1 p.m. CST at http://www.exploratorium.edu/transit.

Contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy at 615-898-5946.

What a long, strange trip it’s been!

While many think LSD is a relic of the psychedelic ‘60s, a nonprofit organization named for the man who discovered the chemical compound in 1938 has been active for the past 18 years. The Albert Hofmann Foundation’s purpose, according to its Web site, is to record the uses of mind-expanding substances and “to further the understanding and responsible application of psychedelic substances in the investigation of both individual and collective consciousness.” Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says Hofmann accidentally ingested the drug himself in 1943. “Of the ensuing effects, he wrote in his notebook, ‘Everything I saw was distorted, as in a warped mirror.’ Three days later, he intentionally tested a larger dose, using himself as the guinea pig, but had a far different experience. His neighbor ‘was transformed into a witch,’ and he ‘was filled with an overwhelming fear that (he) would go crazy.’” Whatever happened to Albert Hofmann? He turned 100 years old on January 11.

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

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OLDER AND WISER--The Adult Services Center, the Older Wiser Learners (OWLs) student organization and the Pinnacle Honor Society will pay tribute to adult learners with several events during National Nontraditional Student Week Nov. 6-10. “At MTSU, we figure approximately 10,000 of the 22,800 students are nontraitional students—married, with families, working full-time and attending classes as well,” Baily says. Events on tap include a Night Owls Open House from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 6, 7, and 8 at the Adult Services Center in Room 320 of the Keathley University Center. Additional events that week include informational tables and a traditional potluck holiday dinner. For more information, contact Baily at 615-898-5989 or cabaily@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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. THURSDAY in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu

Friday, November 3, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Irreconcilable differences

How do we know we’ll be able to view DVDs 20 years from now? With the technology changing at lightning speed, what makes us think that audio and video formats won’t change numerous times before those images become memories? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Over the last 15 years, we’ve had 5-and-a-quarter-inch disks, 3-and-a-half-inch disks, zip disks, CDs, and now USB drives. Each of them has provided an order of magnitude increase in storage. That also means that when—not if, but when the disk fails, that much more material will be lost. And notice here, I haven’t even begun to address the issue of software compatibility—or, rather, software incompatibility.”

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

Battling the bug

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend vaccination against influenza since flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Symptoms of influenza include high fever, sore throat, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, extreme tiredness, and nausea and vomiting, although stomach symptoms are more likely in children than adults. The MTSU School of Nursing will work with Health Services to offer flu shots to faculty, staff and students from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7, 8 and 9. Injections of flu vaccine will be administered in Room 109 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building for a fee of $23 each payable by cash or check.

Contact Linda Lawrence for an appointment at No phone calls, please.

Older and wiser

The Adult Services Center, the Older Wiser Learners (OWLs) student organization and the Pinnacle Honor Society will pay tribute to adult learners with several events during National Nontraditional Student Week Nov. 6-10. “At MTSU, we figure approximately 10,000 of the 22,800 students are nontraitional students—married, with families, working full-time and attending classes as well,” Baily says. Events on tap include a Night Owls Open House from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 6, 7, and 8 at the Adult Services Center in Room 320 of the Keathley University Center. Additional events that week include informational tables and a traditional potluck holiday dinner.

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

TR EXTRA

WELCOME HOME!--This year’s homecoming football game will pit MTSU against Florida Atlantic at 2:30 p.m. SATURDAY at Floyd Stadium. One of the new homecoming events this year is a 9:30 a.m. mixer SATURDAY with a “tent city” atmosphere. Alumni will receive a free continental breakfast, pay $10 for a beverage band and watch the parade from the Alumni House lawn at 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd. For Shane Fortner, SGA homecoming director, “one of the main focuses was to include groups that haven’t previously participated (in homecoming) and small organizations. We also want to have a good mix of competitive and noncompetitive events.” Contact 1-800-533-MTSU or visit http://www.mtalumni.com for details of the alumni schedule.
Contact Fortner at 615-898-2433 for more information about the student events.

FORE!—The Homecoming Golf Tournament presented by Wilson Bank & Trust will begin with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. TODAY at Indian Hills Golf Course, followed by a noon shotgun start. Entry fees are $100 per player or $400 per team. The tourney is hosted by the MTSU Alumni Association. For registration information, contact the Alumni Relations office at 615-898-2922 or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

DYNAMISM AND SENSITIVITY--Masaaki and Chikako Tanaka, two distinguished Japanese artists, will display their word through TODAY in the Todd Gallery at MTSU. 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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Cloned cuisine

The Food and Drug Administration is considering approving the sale of milk and meat from cloned animals. The proposal has been on hold since 2003 due to opposition from some independent scientists, an FDA advisory panel and the International Dairy Foods Association, which represents Kraft, Dannon, Nestle USA, General Mills and other major companies. Dr. Tony Johnston, agribusiness and agriscience, says, “Milk and meat from cloned animals should not be expected to cause any harm to the consumer. The genetics of the animal are identical to the parent, making the proteins responsible for milk and meat production identical. If and when cloning of animals becomes economically viable, we’ll be able to consume the foods they produce without fear.”

Contact Johnston at 615-898-2421.
johnston@mtsu.edu

Welcome home!

This year’s homecoming football game will pit MTSU against Florida Atlantic at 2:30 p.m. SATURDAY at Floyd Stadium. One of the new homecoming events this year is a 9:30 a.m. mixer SATURDAY with a “tent city” atmosphere. Alumni will receive a free continental breakfast, pay $10 for a beverage band and watch the parade from the Alumni House lawn at 2259 Middle Tennessee Blvd. For Shane Fortner, SGA homecoming director, “one of the main focuses was to include groups that haven’t previously participated (in homecoming) and small organizations. We also want to have a good mix of competitive and noncompetitive events.”

Contact 1-800-533-MTSU or visit http://www.mtalumni.com for details of the alumni schedule.
Contact Fortner at 615-898-2433 for more information about the student events.

Mulling over the Al-Qaeda threat

In the September/October issue of “Foreign Affairs,” Ohio State University political science professor John Mueller writes that the threat posed by Al-Qaeda within the United States has been exaggerated. Dr. Sean Foley, history, says Mueller’s views “may not be entirely correct, (but) they hold a kernel of truth and merit serious consideration…” Foley notes that Mueller points to the ease with which terrorists could enter the U.S., and Mueller writes that there have been as many attacks in the U.S. in the five years following 9/11/01 as there were in the five years before the attacks. “While he classified Al-Qaeda as a murderous organization which menaces Muslim and non-Muslim nations, he also points out that the organization has only carried out attacks in less than half of the countries which it has threatened to attack since 2003,” Foley says.

Contact Foley at 615-904-8294.
sfoley@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

FORE!—The Homecoming Golf Tournament presented by Wilson Bank & Trust will begin with registration and lunch at 11 a.m. TOMORROW at Indian Hills Golf Course, followed by a noon shotgun start. Entry fees are $100 per player or $400 per team. The tourney is hosted by the MTSU Alumni Association. For registration information, contact the Alumni Relations office at 615-898-2922 or visit http://www.mtalumni.com.

DYNAMISM AND SENSITIVITY--Masaaki and Chikako Tanaka, two distinguished Japanese artists, will display their word through TOMORROW in the Todd Gallery at MTSU. 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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN--While President Dwight Eisenhower gets much of the credit for the creation of the interstate highway system because it happened during his administration, frequently overlooked is U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr.’s co-authorship of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, the legislation that made the interstates possible. Dr. Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University and Master of Clare College, Cambridge, will deliver a formal presentation on “Albert Gore Sr., the Interstate Highway Act, and the Modern South” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building. Badger also is writing a biography of the elder Gore. Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU, says, “The late Senator Gore’s papers are a rich source of historical documentation on the highways.” Contact Pruitt at the Gore Center at 615-898-2632 or lpruitt@mtsu.edu