Monday, June 25, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Teach your children

State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), who represents the 16th District, will address the students of Dr. Terry Goodin’s class from 8-9:30 a.m. today in Room 158 of the Kirksey Old Main Building at MTSU. Goodin, an assistant professor of educational leadership, says Tracy, a member of the Senate Education Committee, will discuss “the … forces that drive political change in Tennessee.” Tracy is only the latest in a lineup of individuals who have spoken to Goodin’s students this semester. “By addressing their own role in Tennessee’s system of education and current issues of importance to students, teachers and parents, these special speakers bring their own insights and problem-solving experience to MTSU graduate students who will someday fill school leadership roles,” says Goodin.

Members of the media are invited and encouraged to attend the guest speaker sessions with advance notice. Contact Lisa L. Rollins at 615-898-2919 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu

Use your heads

In response to a University of North Carolina study of retired NFL players that connected concussions with depression, the NFL announced that players will be allowed to report anonymously when they are pressured to play too soon following a concussion. But longtime tight end Ernie Conwell told The New York Times, “Guys will say, ‘Hey, man, be careful, you don’t want to say anything about getting dinged because they might rip you out of the game, or you might be labeled as a guy with a soft head.’” Dr. Helen Binkley, health and human performance, says, “The playing and winning at all costs mentality has to be able to be modified to protect the individual when the individual may not be able to protect themselves for fear of losing their job or their income.” (Many NFL critics blame the dementia of Hall-of-Fame tight end John Mackey on concussions.)
Contact Binkley at 615-904-8192.
hbinkley@mtsu.edu

Even parasites matter

A parasite that infects the gills of ornate eagle rays off the coast of northern Australia recently was established in a brand new scientific genus, or group of animals, by Dr. George Benz, biology, and his colleagues. Why does that matter? “Well, for one, parasites themselves are important, as they can affect the health and well-being of their hosts (in this case, a species of stingray),” says Benz. “We would also have to admit that stingrays are important, as they are eaten by people in many places, and they play an important role in the marine realm as predators of smaller fishes and invertebrates such as shrimps, lobsters, crabs, and clams. Secondly, the small act of finding a new species that requires us to establish a new group of animals to hold it points to just how little we know about the organisms inhabiting our planet.”

Contact Benz at 615-898-5021.
gbenz@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

ROCK YOUR LOCKS--The Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp (SGRRC) invites you to update your look for a worthy event with a haircut from 3-7 p.m. on Friday, June 29, at Urban Image Style Studio, 200 W. Burton St., in Murfreesboro. With each haircut, regularly valued at $40 or more, patrons at the SGRRC Beauty Benefit will be encouraged instead to make a $20 donation to the camp. The fifth annual SGRRC, which is slated for July 16-21 on the campus of MTSU, is a week-long music day camp for girls ages 10-17. The camp is a program of Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit arts organization. Volunteers will tutor the campers in vocals, keyboards, drums, guitar, and electronic music. No appointment is necessary for haircuts during the 3-7 p.m. period on June 29. Contact the Urban Image Style Studio at 615-896-9700, call the Murfreesboro office of Southern Girls Rock & Roll camp at 615-849-8140, or send an e-mail to sgrrc05@gmail.com.

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.