Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The psychological safety net

How could Seung Hui Cho, the gunman responsible for the Virginia Tech massacre, have slipped through the legal and mental health systems of Virginia? Kenneth Sanney, an MTSU adjunct faculty member in recording industry, is also a licensed attorney who has worked on commitment issues with unstable people. In addition, he is a former military police officer and security specialist in the U.S. Air Force. “The main issue that we deal with in the legal and the mental health professions in situations like this is the delicate balance between respecting the rights and dignity of individuals on the one hand and protecting the public on the other,” Sanney says. “Unfortunately, there is no scientifically precise way to predict the actions of the sane, let alone those who are suffering with mental health issues.”

Contact Sanney at 615-456-6502.
ksanney@mtsu.edu

Jamaica (You make a) difference

Thirty boxes packed with 1,500 pounds of donated books are headed to the John Rollins Success Primary School in Montego Bay, Jamaica, thanks to the goodwill and efforts of one MTSU educator. Dr. William “Bill” Whitehill, associate professor, health and human performance, said he learned of the school’s dire need for books earlier this year when he visited a friend in Jamaica and accompanied him to register his nieces for classes. There were no books in the library. “They have a need and we are a land of plenty,” Whitehill says. “Therefore, upon my return I started talking to people and the outpouring of help was great. One of the first people I spoke to was (retired educational leadership professor) Dr. Jan Hayes, and within a day, she had two boxes of books for me to take to this school.”

To schedule an interview with Whitehill regarding his book drive, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 orlrollins@mtsu.edu

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.

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.