Friday, April 20, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

An artful start from the heart

“Start With the Arts” is a national educational approach which shows how the arts can be used as a bridge in communication, especially in education. Lori Kissinger, an instructor of speech and theatre, and about 25 MTSU students will host a festival for about 20 children with disabilities to demonstrate this approach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Business and Aerospace Building. Registration will take place on the main floor, but most of the activities will take place on the second floor. The participants will be divided into five groups, and the groups will move between five experiences: dance, drama, music, visual arts and a fun time with snacks and games. Also, students will be able to sign a banner of sympathy and support which will be sent to Virginia Tech.

Contact Kissinger at 615-494-8772.
lkissing@mtsu.edu

Just wing it!

Kappa Delta will hold its fourth annual Wing Fling from noon until 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, on the MTSU campus. Thirteen restaurants, 10 fraternities, and four sororities will compete for the title of “Best Wings in the ‘Boro.” Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children in advance or $10 at the door. Attendees are invited to vote for their favorite wings. The judges will be Barb Ford, the Daily News Journal’s “Easy Way Gourmet;” Dr. Anantha Babbili, dean of the College of Mass Communication; and Mary Gollapalle, Babbili’s wife. Kappa Delta will provide drinks and desserts. Children’s activities, a silent auction, and a wing-eating contest are also slated. Eighty percent of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Exchange Club/Family Center. The remaining 20 percent will go to Prevent Child Abuse America.

Contact Sara Anne Culbertson at 615-424-9234
sac3d@mtsu.edu
or Grace Schettler at 931-212-7163.
gas2k@mtsu.edu

Enjoy the preview

Openings remain for the second of two MTSU Spring Preview Days, which will be held Saturday, April 21. Students and parents or guardians interested in attending Spring Preview Day are being directed to the Office of Admissions’ new registration system, Book-It-Now. Prospective students can schedule a visit at http://www.mtsu.edu/~admissn/tour by clicking on the “Schedule Campus Tours” hotlink.

Contact J. Christopher Fleming at 615-898-5670.

TR EXTRA

BLACK AND WHITE AND SHADES OF GRAY--Bruno Marcotulli and Brian Sparks, the fathers of the families in the 2006 FX television channel reality series "Black.White," will speak about their experience at 7 p.m. Monday, April 23, in Tucker Theatre. In the series, two American families--one black and one white--lived together under the same roof in Los Angeles. Makeup was applied to each participant to make white participants appear black and vice versa. Their observations about how they were treated in society as members of another race made for provocative and compelling viewing. "Black.White," which has been rescheduled from an earlier date, is free and open to the public. This event is sponsored by the Black History Month Committee, the Student Government Association, and the National Panhellenic Council.Contact the Student Government Association at 615-904-8231.

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT--Your musically talented youngster could produce his or her own CD before he graduates high school. Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass and drums lessons, continues his recording workshops for kids ages 12-17. For a fee of $125 per student, the kids will be introduced to cassette four-track recording, digital eight-track, computer recording, and electronic music. All proceeds will help pay for the equipment. The next workshop classes are slated for May 10 through June 17 on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building at MTSU. Registration for these classes is in progress and will continue through April 30. The recording workshops are sponsored by the Youth Culture and Arts Center, a function of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH!), a nonprofit Murfreesboro-based organization. For more information about the workshops, contact York at bororecording@gmail.com. To learn more about the Youth Culture and Arts Center, go to http://www.youthculturecenter.org.

“DIVERSE TALES FOR DIVERSE TOTS”--The Diversity Subcommittee of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women is requesting donations of children’s books about any aspect of diversity now through April 27. The books could be old or new and for any age group. Gift certificates from your favorite bookstore also are welcome. These donations will be presented to MTSU’s Project HELP Program to help build up its new Dede Rucker Memorial Library collection. You can drop off your donations at several on-campus locations, including the Sociology and Anthropology mailroom (Room 335 in the Todd Building), the Upper Division English office (Room 323 in Peck Hall), the June Anderson Women’s Center (Room 206 of the James Union Building), and the Study Abroad office (Room 103A of Peck Hall. For more information, contact Dr. Ida Fadzillah at 615-904-8275 or ifadzill@mtsu.edu.

THE KEILLOR CONNECTION--Recent MTSU graduates Rich and Andy Karg have been selected from 500 entries to perform Saturday, April 21, on National Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” The Nashville duo will compete against five finalists from around the country in the “People In (their) Twenties Talent Show.” The live broadcast will air locally on WPLN-FM (90.3) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The studio audience and listeners at home can vote during the show with host Garrison Keillor announcing the winner at the end of the broadcast. At-home listeners can vote online at http://www.prairiehome.org. Dr. Tom Hutchison, recording industry, submitted The Karg Boys to the contest. Hutchison describes their music as “a retro sound reminiscent of the Everly Brothers. Contact Hutchison at 615-898-5695 or thutchis@mtsu.edu.