Friday, May 11, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

In memoriam

As many as 30,000 people are expected to attend Virginia Tech’s graduation ceremonies tonight at Lane Stadium. The students who were killed during the April 16 massacre will be granted degrees posthumously. Dr. Robert Glenn, Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost for Enrollment and Academic Services, says each university has its own policy for the awarding of posthumous degrees. “Typically, it is a decision made at the presidential level upon recommendation by appropriate staff,” Glenn says. “Every institution believes itself to be a community of like-minded persons, something of a family. The awarding of the degree in this fashion is meant to honor the departed member and to recognize his/her hard work and dedication as well as to acknowledge the connection between the institution and the departed member.”

Contact Glenn at 615-898-2440.
rglenn@mtsu.edu

Another reason to celebrate Mother’s Day

“Your mother not only gave you your start in life; she also took molecular steps to minimize the odds of an early finish,” says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry. The ends of chromosomes, which are called telomeres, are long when we are conceived. But they get shorter as we develop normally. “It is thought that the aging process is closely tied to the intricacies of telomere chemistry,” MacDougall says. But why are we still born with long telemeres after thousands of years of human ancestry? There is another enzyme that can extend the telomeres back to their original length. “This enzyme has since been isolated, and it is called telomerase,” MacDougall explains. “It is active in sex cells … and some stem cells, but not in normal adult cells that show signs of age.”

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

A fish tale

A report from Harvard University indicates that the benefits of eating a couple of servings of most fish or seafood weekly outweigh the potential health risks of mercury or other contamination for adults and children. Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith, human sciences, says the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency advise pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children to follow three guidelines for the safe consumption of fish and shellfish: 1) Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury; 2) Eat up to 12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week that are lower in mercury such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish; 3) Check with local authorities about fish caught by your family and friends in area lakes, rivers, etc. If there is no information about the safety of the fish, eat up to six ounces per week, but don’t eat any other fish that week.

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

TR EXTRA

WE PAWS FOR THIS MESSAGE OF INTEREST.--MTSU’s Office of Student Organizations & Community Service will present the second annual See Spot Run at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 12, on campus. The 5K run/walk will give humans and their canine companions a chance to exercise at the same time. All proceeds, including entry fees, admissions, and sponsorships, will go to Habitat for Humanity. The goal is to raise the $50,000 necessary to sponsor a “blitz build,” an intensified construction effort, on campus. The entry fee is $15 before May 1 and $20 thereafter. Entry fees include T-shirts to the first 250 participants. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. on race day at Peck Hall. Also, registration is available at http://www.mtalumni.com or 615-898-5812.

ACCORDING TO CUSTOMS--CUSTOMS, the summer orientation for new MTSU students and family members, will begin a two-month run May 30-31 and will continue until July 31. CUSTOMS is a two-day session to aid the transition of new undergraduate students to the university, prepare them for educational opportunities, and to initiate the integration of new students into the intellectual, cultural and social climate of MTSU. College of Basic and Applied Sciences and College of Mass Communication majors may attend CUSTOMS May 30-31, June 8-9, June 19-20, July 10-11, July 24-25, and July 30-31. College of Business, College of Education and Behavioral Science and College of Liberal Arts majors may attend June 5-6, June 12-13, June 22-23, July 19-20, and July 30-31. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~customs, e-mail customs@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5533. For questions about admission status, call 615-898-2111.

THE GRIDIRON GIRLS, WHOSE THEME SONG IS “THANK YOU FOR BEING AN END”--MTSU Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill and the MTSU football staff invite you to join them for the 2007 Ladies Football Clinic on Saturday, July 14 in Murphy Center. The clinic, which will feature seminars on strategy, equipment, training and rules, will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with registration slated to start at 8 a.m. Ladies will be encouraged to take part in coaches’ drills and demonstrations. The goal is to provide a fun learning experience. Participants will receive commemorative T-shirts and lunch will be provided. The cost of the clinic is $25 dollars. For the children, the Rick Stockstill Youth Camp for rising 1st through 8th graders will be held June 4-7. For more information, contact Danny Lewis at 615-898-2311.