Thursday, May 10, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Giving back

Mabior Manyok, a 2005 MTSU graduate and one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” was presented with the President’s Volunteer Service Award at an April 19 ceremony in Washington, D.C., for his work with the government of Southern Sudan. Manyok received the Gold Award, the highest possible honor. Manyok was nine years old when the civil war pitting the Islamic regime of Omar al-Bashir against the mostly Christian and tribal black African natives began in 1983. After fleeing to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, Manyok applied to the United Nations for refugee status, which enabled him to come to the U.S. in 1994. In October 2006, Manyok, a naturalized American citizen, began helping the Government of Southern Sudan’s Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Conservation set up a computer database with equipment donated by the U.N. in the capital city of Juba.

For color jpegs of Mabior Manyok, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

Rah, rah, sis boom bah!

Where do most Midstate sports fans place their emotional investment? MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research conducts a Middle Tennessee Sports Affinity Survey each year to find out. This year’s fourth annual survey finds that the NFL was the most popular pro league, followed by Major League Baseball in a distant second place. The NHL experienced the greatest increase in affinity score from Fall 2006 to Spring 2007, possibly due to the success of the Nashville Predators. Among collegiate sports, NCAA football ranked first, followed by men’s basketball and women’s basketball.

Contact Dr. Don Roy, associate professor of marketing and Sports Business Studies Coordinator, at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

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.

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.