Friday, March 16, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Ready for Dennyball?

Denny McLain, whose pitching brilliance propelled the Detroit Tigers to the 1968 World Series championship, will deliver the keynote address at MTSU’s second annual Conference on Baseball in Literature and Culture Friday, March 30, in the James Union Building. McLain, the last Major League pitcher to win more than 30 games in a season, chalked up 31 victories in 1968, capturing the league’s Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards. His life took a tragic turn with federal convictions on racketeering and extortion charges in the 1980s and money laundering, conspiracy and theft charges in the 1990s. His forthcoming book is titled I Told You I Wasn’t Perfect.

Contact Warren Tormey, assistant professor of English, at 615-494-7878.
tormey@mtsu.edu

That’s chow, not ciao!

An array of mouthwatering delights from all around the world is on the menu for this year’s International Banquet Saturday, March 31, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Attendees will have the opportunity to dine on Irish stew, vegetable stir-fried rice, shrimp coconut curry, tandori chicken (marinated in Indian spices and roasted), German pork schnitzel with brown sauce, beef fajitas, Asian cole slaw, spring mix salad with dressing, sushi, and assorted pastries. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under, $14 for students from other colleges or schools, and $10 for MTSU students. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for viewing of cultural exhibits. The meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m.

For further information, call 615-898-2238, or go to Room 124 of MTSU’s Keathley University Center.

Women get the job done.

The President’s Commission on the Status of Women’s Student Issues Subcommittee will sponsor the “Women Make the Difference” Organization Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, in Tom Jackson Hall (formerly Alumni Center). The purposes of the fair are to celebrate how women are making positive changes in our community, to explore the different service projects in our community, to learn about various student organizations and how they are making a difference, to promote organizations and help them recruit new members, and to network with others who share similar interests. Refreshments will be provided. The commission thanks the National Women’s History Month Committee for its generous contribution.

Contact Michelle McDaniel at mmcdanie@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THE BEST GUITAR BY FAR--The 2007 Tennessee Guitar Festival, which consists of five consecutive nights of guitar concerts by top-notch guitar virtuosos, will be held at 8 o’clock each evening beginning TONIGHT in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music building. In addition to the nightly concerts, the festival—which is the largest of its kind in the state—will feature three master classes that will conclude March 21. All concerts and master classes are free and open to the public in Hinton Music Hall. Opening night will feature Dr. William Yelverton, professor of music, who will perform on both lute and guitar, along with duos with flutist Deanna Hahn, assistant professor of music. Professor Roger Hudson will round out the program, performing on both guitar and Middle Eastern oud with percussionist David Pruett. For more information, call 615-898-2493 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/guitfest.html.

FREEDOM ON DISPLAY--"Free at Last! Emancipation and Reconstruction in Tennessee," an exhibit created by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA), will travel throughout middle Tennessee this spring and summer. The two-panel exhibit, which is on display now through March 30 at the Roy Bailey African-American History Center in Lebanon, emphasizes the significance of emancipation as a result of the Civil War, says Antoinette van Zelm, historian for the TCWNHA. "Freedom for former slaves was a key outcome of the Civil War, and it was the slaves themselves who made it happen," van Zelm said. "They took advantage of the presence of the occupying Union army to break down the bonds of slavery." For a complete list of tour stops, contact Laura Holder, manager of the TCWNHA, at 615-898-2947 or via e-mail at lholder@mtsu.edu.

BRICK BY BRICK--Each and every brick to be laid in the MTSU Veterans Memorial will represent the support of an entire community for the enlightenment and inspiration of future generations. The bricks may be reserved by all those who wish to honor a veteran or active-duty service member or merely acknowledge their support for the construction of a permanent on-campus memorial to MTSU faculty, students, staff and administrators who perished while serving their country. The bricks will be integrated into the overall memorial design. All proceeds will help to pay for the memorial, which will be an outdoor classroom that includes a wall with the names of the military personnel. To purhcase a brick with a memorial message, send a tax-deductible check of $150 payable to “MTSU Foundation—Veterans Memorial,” to P.O. Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Credit cards also are accepted. Address any questions about brick purchases or donations to Robyn Kilpatrick at 615-898-5223 or rkilpatr@mtsu.edu.

GET INTO THE SWIM OF THINGS--The works of Kenda North are on display through April 19 in a photography exhibit titled “Urban Pools” at MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery. This exhibit is comprised of color Iris prints ranging in sizes up to 33” x 47”. The images were photographed underwater with a Nikonos 35mm camera. The original color negatives have been scanned and worked through Photoshop. North will give a slide show/lecture on her work at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 2, in Room 221 of the Learning Resources Center. A reception will follow in the gallery. Baldwin Photographic Gallery is located in the center. The gallery will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Exhibitions and lectures are free and open to the public. This exhibit is co-sponsored by the National Women’s History Month Committee. Contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.