Thursday, May 17, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The fundamentalist future after Falwell

Dr. John Vile, chairperson of the Department of Political Science, says the death of Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of the Moral Majority, “marks the passing of an American icon.” The role of Christian evangelicals in empowering the Republican Party and the conservative movement is partially attributable to Falwell and his use of the media. So what now, or who? Vile says, “Falwell is hardly the only spokesperson for the evangelical right (Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and others come to mind), but it will be interesting to see how his church (Thomas Roads Baptist), Liberty University, and other entities will fare in his absence and whether one specific person, or several, will emerge to cover his tasks.”

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

Team spirit

Which sports teams inspire the highest level of fan devotion in Middle Tennessee? According to the Spring 2007 Middle Tennessee Sports Affinity Survey, the Tennessee Titans top the team ratings, apparently unaffected by some of their players’ off-the-field antics. The Nashville Predators realized a 13-point rise in their score, most likely due to their successful regular season and optimism about advancing in the NHL playoffs. Among collegiate teams, the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team leads the list, followed by Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team and UT’s men’s basketball team. The results are based on phone interviews with 340 randomly selected adults from Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties.

For further information, contact Dr. Don Roy, Sports Business Studies Coordinator, Office of Consumer Research, at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?

Earlier this month, the Carter Center announced that it would establish a field office in Ramallah “to support Palestinian democracy and human rights.” This might not come as a surprise given the title and thrust of former President Jimmy Carter’s most recent book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “The physical separation of Israeli territory was not a decision taken lightly or without regard for the Palestinian population; the physical separation of Israel was done to provide security that could not be achieved through other means (recall that the Palestinian leadership failed to adhere to the terms of the peace accords); and the physical separation is not based on race (as racial distinctions are much more difficult to make in this case than in South Africa). Therefore, the use of apartheid is inaccurate.”

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

ROCK ON!--Registration will run through May 31 for the fifth annual Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp (SGRRC), a week-long music day camp for girls ages 10-17 slated for July 16-21 on the campus of MTSU. Volunteers will tutor the campers in vocals, keyboards, drums, guitar, and electronic music. The girls will learn about other aspects of the music industry through workshops in subjects such as photography, music journalism, recording, DIY arts and crafts, and songwriting, as well as panel discussions with industry insiders. Throughout the week, campers will form their own bands, write songs, and practice two hours each day with volunteer band managers. At the end of the week, the girls will show off their talents in a Saturday night showcase in Tucker Theatre. For more information, visit http://www.sgrrc.org, call 615-849-8140, or send an e-mail to sgrrc05@gmail.com.

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.

FROM POLE TO POLE--The National Pole Bending Association will hold its second annual national pole bending championship May 19 and 20 at MTSU’s Tennessee Miller Coliseum. Pole bending is a timed event in which a horse and mounted rider weave their way around poles arranged in a line. More than 250 members from across the country have qualified so far. NPBA founding member Ross Carnahan says, “The first NPBA National Championship was a great success. It was the largest pole bending ever held and we paid out over $35,000. The exhibitors really enjoyed the Tennessee Miller Coliseum and we are really happy we have the opportunity to return there in 2007. The NPBA Web site hails the Miller Coliseum as “a first class facility. It hosts many barrel races and pole bendings and thanks to a tireless crew has a reputation for outstanding ground.” Contact the Tennessee Miler Coliseum at 615-494-8961 or tmc@mtsu.edu.

HOLLYWOOD PLAYS DEAD--Kids will be able to see for themselves how Hollywood creates the blood and gore of severed limbs and other gross stuff in a Special Effects Makeup Workshop from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19, in Room 120 of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building at MTSU. Lori Gann-Smith, an assistant professor of speech and theatre at MTSU, will teach youngsters ages 10-18 how to cast and mold body parts and how to decorate them to indicate bruises, abrasions and other injuries for the most realistic possible look. The cost of the workshop is $50 per person with all proceeds benefiting the Youth Culture and Arts Center, which is dedicated to providing “a safe and positive atmosphere for young people to create and experience the arts.” To register, send an e-mail to youthculturecenter@gmail.com or call 615-849-8140.

SPRING FLING--Spring Fling, the postseason competitions of the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s member schools, will take place May 21-26 at various Rutherford County venues. Track and field events, some tennis matches, and Class AAA and all championship baseball games are slated to be held at MTSU, according to the organization’s Web site (http://www.tssaa.org). A study on the local impact of Spring Fling 2006, completed by Dr. David Penn of the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center, found that Spring Fling created a total effect of approximately $3.4 million on the local economy. For more information, contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610 or Mona Herring, vice president, Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau, at 615-278-2014.