Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Welcome to the world

As part of International FolkFest 2007, free performances of international music are slated for 1:30 p.m. today and tomorrow in front of the James E. Walker Library at MTSU. Today’s featured country is the Netherlands, and Thursday’s featured country is India. A presentation of the International Folkloric Society, “The festival, which began in 1982, was responsible for bringing musical and dance groups from over 50 countries to Rutherford County,” according to http://www.mboro-international-folkfest.org. The event, which will continue through June 17th, will conclude with day-long festivities on the north side of the public square in Murfreesboro and the circle around the Rutherford County courthouse.

For more information, contact Steve Cates at 615-896-3559
Appdancer@aol.com
or Scott McCurley at 615-885-2631.
Boomer322@aol.com

Nip it in the bud

Dr. Valentin Fuster, former president of the American Heart Association, and Humana, an insurance agency, are collaborating on a study of 6,000 high-risk patients to gain a better understanding of how they can be persuaded to integrate preventive medicine measures into their lifestyles. “In the late 1970s and 1980s, a new concept emerged known as the wellness movement or health promotion,” says Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences. “Organizations like the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Cancer Society were among the leaders who promoted health. Insurance companies want people healthy, too—it’s cheaper to pay for preventative measures and education than to pay the thousands spent on a heart attack or stroke.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

¿vas a venir a la ceremonia de mi graduación?

The National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, is pushing for a new version of the “No Child Left Behind” law that would hold schools accountable for graduation rates, not just test scores. Dr. Ellen Slicker, psychology, says, “… especially in the Hispanic population, leaving school to get a job and help with family finances is a significant deterrent to graduation from high school. Co-op placement where students can be employed and receive high school credit for this employment is one solution. Learning trades that make them employable and gaining apprenticeships in marketable skills could enhance students’ motivation to continue in school.”

Contact Slicker at 615-898-5966.
eslicker@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GETTING TEENS TO READ AND WRITE--The Tennessee Center for the Study & Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU will sponsor the Adolescent Literacy Institute on Friday, June 15, in the Business and Aerospace Building. This institute is designed for middle and high school teachers (teaching language arts, English, ESL, resource reading, special education, and the content areas) who are interested in fostering and improving adolescent literacy. Dr. Steve Graham, Currey Ingram Professor of Literacy at Vanderbilt University, will deliver the keynote address on “Teaching Writing to Adolescents: Specifically-Supported Practices” at 8:15 a.m. Workshop topics include “Making the Reading and Writing Connection Effective and Fun” and “Vocabulary: Building Word Consciousness.” For more information, contact M. Tara Joyce, Ed.D., Adolescent Literacy Institute Director, at 615-494-8880 or ali@mtsu.edu.

THAT’S A TAKE!--Don’t wait to give your child an exciting, fulfilling way to spend part of his or her summer! Registration runs through June 15 for another recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted from June 21-July 15 in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building under the tutelage of Ryan York, who also teaches guitar, bass and drums at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. For a fee of $125 per student, York will introduce the youngsters to cassette four-track recording, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. The workshop is sponsored by the Youth Culture and Arts Center, a project of Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities, a nonprofit organization. For more information, or to enroll, contact York at bororecording@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.