Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Perishing by the pound

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University examined 20 studies and national surveys of weight and behavior (as published in Epidemiologic Reviews). They have come to the conclusion that 75 percent of U.S. adults will be overweight and 41 percent will be obese by the year 2015 if they continue gaining weight at the current rate. Dr. Lisa Sheehan-Smith, human sciences, says, “I think the spotlight on overweight and obesity as a public health concern needs to be made even brighter by all levels of government and all areas of the health care profession. When this approach was taken with smoking, the trend in the number of Americans who practiced this unhealthy habit began to decline. Continued emphasis, education on the negative health outcomes … and practical programs to help Americans should contribute to reversing the decline.”

Contact Sheehan-Smith at 615-898-2090.
lsheehan@mtsu.edu

Restocking the shelves

The MTSU Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) will sponsor the annual trip of the MTSU Scholars Academy. This year, the destination is New Orleans. OID hopes to deliver 1,000 books to Dillard University and Southern University of New Orleans, both ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and still recovering, to assist with the reopening of their university libraries. If you have new or used books you would like to donate, call 615-898-5975 by noon, Thursday, Aug. 2, or take the books to Room 116 of the University Honors Building between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Contact Dr. Sharon Shaw-McEwen, Assistant Vice Provost for Institutional Diversity, at 615-898-5975.
sshaw@mtsu.edu

“Surrender, surrender, but don’t give yourself away”—Cheap Trick

“Fugitive Safe Surrender” will go into effect Aug. 1-4 in Nashville. Persons with outstanding warrants for non-violent criminal offenses will have an opportunity for a second chance, depending on the circumstances, by showing up at the Galilee Baptist Church. In the four cities where police and clergy have worked together on the program, some 3,800 people have surrendered. Dr. Bill Shulman, criminal justice administration associate professor and attorney, says, “If the program means (which I think it must) that the defendants will not be jailed for missing court, or what we call ‘failure to appear,’ then it is a good idea. The idea was actually one of many cited a few years ago in a task force in Davidson County studying how the system could better treat women. It is a waste of precious jail space to incarcerate someone whose ‘crime’ is missing court.”

Contact Shulman at 615-898-2630.
wshulman@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

FOR INSURANCE’S SAKE--Three insurance professionals comprise the 2007 slate of honorees to be inducted into the Robert E. Musto Insurance Hall of Fame, Tuesday, July 31. The banquet and ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Franklin Marriott at Cool Springs. Inductee Dr. Kenneth W. Hollman, the first and sole holder of MTSU’s Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance, serves as a mentor to aspiring insurance professionals and is a resource person for the industry. Edwin Craig joined the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in Nashville, played a role in the company’s decision to enter broadcasting, and was instrumental in launching the Grand Ole Opry. The late John Spann was twice honored as Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee’s Agent of the Year, serving as the organization’s vice president and president. Contact Hollman at 615-898-2673 or khollman@mtsu.edu.

STAND AND DELIVER--The MTSU McNair Program invites you to attend the 8th annual MTSU McNair Symposium Tuesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The McNair Program is designed to give low-income/first generation and underrepresented undergraduate students the support they need to prepare for and successfully complete a doctoral degree in their chosen fields. McNair scholars will make oral presentations of their 2007 summer research. Their research posters also will be on display. For more information, contact the McNair office at 615-904-8462 or mcnair@mtsu.edu.

RECORDING REDUX--It’s not too late to enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) recording workshops at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Aug. 10 for the upcoming Aug.16-Sept. 9 workshop in MTSU’s John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The workshop is for youngsters ages 12-17, and the fee is $125 per student. Classes are taught by Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass, and drums lessons at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. Ryan will provide instruction in cassette four-track instruction, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. All proceeds will benefit YCAC, a program of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit organization. Call 615-849-7140 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Jolly Green Giant

Al Gore gets a lot of headlines for his devotion to environmentalism, but a fellow named Norman Borlaug is considered by many to be the father of the “green revolution.” Borlaug was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his lifetime of achievements in agricultural science. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “Ironically, Norman Borlaug became a giant in the world of agriculture by introducing ‘dwarf genes’ into wheat crops that were being grown in developing countries. Since [fewer] of the plants’ nutrients went into producing long stems, which are inedible and prone to buckling in high winds or rain, the result was much higher yields of grain. Subsequently, ‘short-stature’ varieties of maize and rice have had profound success.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

For insurance’s sake

Three insurance professionals comprise the 2007 slate of honorees to be inducted into the Robert E. Musto Insurance Hall of Fame, Tuesday, July 31. The banquet and ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Franklin Marriott at Cool Springs. Inductee Dr. Kenneth W. Hollman, the first and sole holder of MTSU’s Tommy T. Martin Chair of Insurance, serves as a mentor to aspiring insurance professionals and is a resource person for the industry. Edwin Craig joined the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in Nashville, played a role in the company’s decision to enter broadcasting, and was instrumental in launching the Grand Ole Opry. The late John Spann was twice honored as Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee’s Agent of the Year, serving as the organization’s vice president and president.

Contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
khollman@mtsu.edu

More than just pond scum

The July 2007 edition of Popular Science magazine features a story on the prospects for using algae as an alternative energy source. Dr. Cliff Ricketts, agribusiness and agriscience, says, “It would take 140 billion gallons of biodiesel every year to replace petroleum-based diesel. It would take three billion acres of fertile cropland of soybeans and other oil crops to produce this amount of fuel. Unfortunately, there [are] only 434 million acres of cropland in the U.S. Of course, we still need land for food. With green algae, the soydiesel could be produced on 95 million acres, and it does not require fertile land. It can be grown on flooded western desert land.” Ricketts adds, however, that research in this area is far from complete.

Contact Ricketts at 615-898-2430.
srickett@mtsu.edu


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STAND AND DELIVER--The MTSU McNair Program invites you to attend the 8th annual MTSU McNair Symposium Tuesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The McNair Program is designed to give low-income/first generation and underrepresented undergraduate students the support they need to prepare for and successfully complete a doctoral degree in their chosen fields. McNair scholars will make oral presentations of their 2007 summer research. Their research posters also will be on display. For more information, contact the McNair office at 615-904-8462 or mcnair@mtsu.edu.

RECORDING REDUX--It’s not too late to enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) recording workshops at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Aug. 10 for the upcoming Aug.16-Sept. 9 workshop in MTSU’s John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The workshop is for youngsters ages 12-17, and the fee is $125 per student. Classes are taught by Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass, and drums lessons at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. Ryan will provide instruction in cassette four-track instruction, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. All proceeds will benefit YCAC, a program of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit organization. Call 615-849-7140 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.


UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Chinese challenge

The Chinese economy grew at a rate of 11.9 percent in the second quarter. Is this growth rate too fast to be healthy for the economy? Dr. Jinfeng Yue, management and marketing, says, “Although China’s economy had kept about an 8 to 10 percent annual economic growth rate for the past 20 years, last quarter’s number is still the fastest one in more than a decade. To understand the reasons for fast economic growth in China, we need to understand China’s economic structure. Unlike in the United States of America, where service is already almost 80 percent of the whole economy, China’s economy still focuses on manufacturing. China has become the largest labor intensive manufacturing ‘factory’ in the global economy.”

Contact Yue at 615-898-5126.
jyue@mtsu.edu

Rather cheesy

One of the hottest street drugs on the market right now is “cheese,” a combination of heroin and crushed Tylenol PM tablets. It sells for only $2 per hit and is snorted by the user. Dr. Doug Winborn, health and human performance, says, “Concerns have been raised in Texas as some middle and high school age kids have been using the drug. Of course, this also means that dealers are producing the drug, or kids are acquiring small amounts of heroin and creating their own cheese, thus becoming de facto drug dealers themselves.” Reportedly, dealers as young as 11 have been operating in the Dallas area, where arrests for possession of the drug in local schools have risen 82 percent this year.

Contact Winborn at 615-898-5110.
jwinborn@mtsu.edu

Flunking life

A recent report by the Commonwealth Fund finds Tennessee to be a rather unhealthy place to live. The think tank ranks each of the states according to their health care performance, and the South as a region was at the bottom of the heap. Tennessee ranks 40th overall, with grades of “B” for access and quality, “D” for avoidable costs and healthy lives, and “C” for equity. Dr. Judy Campbell, nursing, says, “When clients wait until their health risks become suddenly acute or eventually develop into a chronic illness, the risk of premature death increases. … We can rise from the bottom of the list of unhealthy states to the top of the list of healthy states, but it takes full commitment from all partners, including public and private partners in this state.”

Contact Campbell at 615-898-5729.
jcampbel@mtsu.edu

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STAND AND DELIVER--The MTSU McNair Program invites you to attend the 8th annual MTSU McNair Symposium Tuesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The McNair Program is designed to give low-income/first generation and underrepresented undergraduate students the support they need to prepare for and successfully complete a doctoral degree in their chosen fields. McNair scholars will make oral presentations of their 2007 summer research. Their research posters also will be on display. For more information, contact the McNair office at 615-904-8462 or mcnair@mtsu.edu.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN--More than 300 cowpokes will be dusting off their finest Western duds to “Saddle Up for Project HELP” at the 2007 fundraiser, set for Thursday, July 26, at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304-B W. Thompson Lane. The fun will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with event registration. A barbecue dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by live music and dancing. Silent auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m., and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m. Items up for bid at the auction will include a $200 travel voucher from Southwest Airlines and a cosmetic laser facial package valued at $1,350 from Rejuvenate Cosmetic Laser Center. Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project HELP provides early intervention and family support services to high-risk children, children with disabilities and children with developmental delays up to age 3. For ticket information, call 615-898-2458. For more on Project HELP, visit the Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.

RECORDING REDUX--It’s not too late to enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) recording workshops at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Aug. 10 for the upcoming Aug.16-Sept. 9 workshop in MTSU’s John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The workshop is for youngsters ages 12-17, and the fee is $125 per student. Classes are taught by Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass, and drums lessons at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. Ryan will provide instruction in cassette four-track instruction, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. All proceeds will benefit YCAC, a program of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit organization. Call 615-849-7140 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Show me the money.

The Center for Public Integrity gives Tennessee an “F” for its lack of laws requiring the release of more of the governor’s personal financial information. Dr. Mark Byrnes, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, political science professor, and member of the Rutherford County School Board, says, “Tennessee has beefed up its disclosure requirements for office holders in recent years, but, as the report indicates, there probably is still room for improvement. Yet, the public’s desire for disclosure must be balanced with politicians’ desire for some level of privacy.” According to a report in the July 19 Tennessean, neither the governor nor other officials are required to reveal job titles for work done outside the Capitol; a description of investments and amounts invested; a description of outside employers; pay from outside employment; and spouses’ names.

Contact Byrnes at 615-898-2351.
mbyrnes@mtsu.edu

Unnecessary roughness

The National Football League will require neurological baseline testing for all players beginning this season in response to a University of North Carolina study of the lingering impact of concussions on former players. Repeat testing will be performed on players who sustain concussions. If these steps are not sufficient to bring about change, what should the players do? “The players should do their own investigation by talking with different athletic trainers and physicians, as well as performing their own research review or scientific literature search on the effects of repetitive trauma to the brain,” Dr. Helen Binkley, health and human performance, says. “The players may want to seek legal counsel to assist them in determining whether or not the protocols that their agency is following are meeting the current standards of care and recommendations from the professional medical specialists.”

Contact Binkley at 615-904-8192.
hbinkley@mtsu.edu

Stand and deliver

The MTSU McNair Program invites you to attend the 8th annual MTSU McNair Symposium Tuesday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The McNair Program is designed to give low-income/first generation and underrepresented undergraduate students the support they need to prepare for and successfully complete a doctoral degree in their chosen fields. McNair scholars will make oral presentations of their 2007 summer research. Their research posters also will be on display.

For more information, contact the McNair office at 615-904-8462.
mcnair@mtsu.edu


TR EXTRA

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN--More than 300 cowpokes will be dusting off their finest Western duds to “Saddle Up for Project HELP” at the 2007 fundraiser, set for Thursday, July 26, at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304-B W. Thompson Lane. The fun will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with event registration. A barbecue dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by live music and dancing. Silent auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m., and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m. Items up for bid at the auction will include a $200 travel voucher from Southwest Airlines and a cosmetic laser facial package valued at $1,350 from Rejuvenate Cosmetic Laser Center. Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project HELP provides early intervention and family support services to high-risk children, children with disabilities and children with developmental delays up to age 3. For ticket information, call 615-898-2458. For more on Project HELP, visit the Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.

RECORDING REDUX--It’s not too late to enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) recording workshops at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Aug. 10 for the upcoming Aug.16-Sept. 9 workshop in MTSU’s John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The workshop is for youngsters ages 12-17, and the fee is $125 per student. Classes are taught by Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass, and drums lessons at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. Ryan will provide instruction in cassette four-track instruction, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. All proceeds will benefit YCAC, a program of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit organization. Call 615-849-7140 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Tantalizing!

The element tantalum was named for Tantalus, a Greek demigod. “Tantalus … had a son, whom he gruesomely sacrificed in order to appease the gods after offending them by giving away secret knowledge to the masses,” says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry. “He was punished by having to spend eternity standing in a pool of fresh water that receded whenever he bent to drink from it. … Tantalus’ predicament gave us the English word ‘tantalizing,’ and it came to mind when its discoverers observed the unusually inert chemical behavior of tantalum. While all other metals react vigorously with strong acids—even gold if the acid is strong enough—tantalum appears unable to. It can, but only if its resistant oxide veneer, or ROV, is removed from the surface.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Back in the saddle again

More than 300 cowpokes will be dusting off their finest Western duds to “Saddle Up for Project HELP” at the 2007 fundraiser, set for Thursday, July 26, at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304-B W. Thompson Lane. The fun will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with event registration. A barbecue dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by live music and dancing. Silent auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m., and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m. Items up for bid at the auction will include a $200 travel voucher from Southwest Airlines and a cosmetic laser facial package valued at $1,350 from Rejuvenate Cosmetic Laser Center. Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project HELP provides early intervention and family support services to high-risk children, children with disabilities and children with developmental delays up to age 3.

For ticket information, call 615-898-2458. For more on Project HELP, visit the Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.

Recording redux

It’s not too late to enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) recording workshops at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Aug. 10 for the upcoming Aug.16-Sept. 9 workshop in MTSU’s John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The workshop is for youngsters ages 12-17, and the fee is $125 per student. Classes are taught by Ryan York, a 21-year-old MTSU student and teacher of guitar, bass, and drums lessons at Chambers Guitars and Musical Instruments in Murfreesboro. Ryan will provide instruction in cassette four-track instruction, digital eight-track, computer recording and electronic music. All proceeds will benefit YCAC, a program of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities (YEAH), a nonprofit organization.

Call 615-849-7140 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Show us your stuff!

The fifth annual Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp will culminate in the big Saturday night showcase tomorrow night, July 21, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. The campers, girls ages 10-17, will show off their talents in a parade of band performances following a week of musical instruction and collaboration. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door with all proceeds going to the camp, a program of the nonprofit arts organization Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities (YEAH). Audience members will have a chance to win great raffle prizes, including a Squire Stratocaster guitar and a Squire Telecaster guitar from Chamber’s Guitars, a Ludwig Custom Elite snare drum, plus goodie bags and gift certificates to restaurants, beauty salons and more!

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

The cheese stands alone.

Some stores in Texas are either refusing to sell Tylenol PM or restricting its sales because it has been used to create a new street drug called “cheese.” Dr. Doug Winborn, health and human performance, says, “Cheese is a combination of heroin and Tylenol PM. The Tylenol PM tablets are crushed and mixed with a small amount of heroin. Users then snort the ‘cheese’ in order to obtain a recreational high. A single dose of cheese costs about $2.00.” The Associated Press reports that cheese has killed at least 23 teenagers in the Dallas area since January 2005. U.S. Sen. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) is sponsoring legislation that would include cheese among the drugs targeted by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s media campaign.

Contact Winborn at 615-898-5110.
jwinborn@mtsu.edu

High def

Facilities used by students in electronic media communication courses are undergoing a $1 million upgrade to prepare students for the high-definition video world. “I don’t know of a more state-of-the-art facility dedicated to teaching students of television production and television journalism in the United States,” Dr. Bob Spires, department chairman, says. The project includes upgrades in the TV studio, central machine room, studio control room and audio control room. HD TV provides theater-quality pictures and CD-quality sound, and because of its higher-resolution formatting and digital technology, it requires more specialized training to properly present media. “There will definitely be a learning curve for students and faculty,” says Marc Parrish, director of technical systems for the department. “When we’re up and running, we’ll definitely be a leader in the industry.”

Contact Spires at rwspires@mtsu.edu or Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5385.

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Diamonds are a scientist’s best friend.

A Chicago company, LifeGem, claims to be able to produce multiple high-quality diamonds—up to a full karat in size—from the carbon contained in the bodies of people or pets, says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry professor. “During the ‘50s, GE (General Electric) used an iron-based catalyst to convert carbon in its abundant graphic form, into the first laboratory-made diamonds,” MacDougall says. “To make the reaction ‘go,’ very high temperatures and a pressure 70,000 times normal atmospheric pressure had to be applied. This necessitated the use of a powerful steel hydraulic press, and I presume similar equipment will be used if you and your relatives decide to start a collection of ‘family jewels.’”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Outstanding in his field—and his stadium, his gym …

In his new job at MTSU, Darrell Towe may be one of the busiest people at the university. Towe is the director of the Murphy Center athletic complex, but his duties also will include overseeing Floyd Stadium, Alumni Memorial Gym, baseball’s Reese Smith Field, the Blue Raider softball field, the new track and field and soccer complex, and the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame building. Towe says, “I was expecting to have to juggle multiple projects, and that’s certainly the case. We may have as many as three or four activities going on at the same time on a given day.” Towe, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, was assistant manager of the Tennessee Livestock Center from September 1990 until June 1995. He was director of WKU’s Brown Agricultural Exposition Center in Bowling Green from July 1995 until December 2002.

To request an interview with Towe, contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or 615-898-5616.

To your health

Dr. Valentin Fuster, former president of the American Heart Association, and the insurance company Humana are studying 6,000 high-risk patients in an attempt to learn how they can be persuaded to take steps to prevent health problems. “Dr. Fuster is very right in saying ‘there’s no incentive at all’ for doctors to emphasize preventive medicine,” Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says. “In fact, few nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, dieticians, or any health professional(s) would have jobs if the entire population was healthy. Hospitals would close if all were healthy with no broken bones, cuts or burns. (Well, the maternity ward would stay in business.)”

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

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Meth madness

Buying cold medications is less convenient than it used to be. “This is because one of the active ingredients—pseudoephedrine—has a molecular structure that is easily modified, with some readily available solvents and reagents, into a highly addictive and personally destructive narcotic,” says Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry. “I don’t know how this recipe spread like kudzu,” MacDougall says, “but I suppose the Internet had something to do with it. Still, I suspect that pharmaceutical chemists know more organic chemistry than your average addict and can reformulate the decongestant in a way that blocks synthesis of methamphetamine. There will undoubtedly be an R&D (research and development) cost associated with this, but it must be weighed against the cost of countless ruined lives.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Working out your workout

Can the promotion of exercise and wellness be helped by the new technology? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says the dissemination of information is always important. “Improving exercise effectiveness—fitness level and adherence—requires test data (people are driven by numbers), personal coaching and other means of social support, the development of routines which occur when exercise sessions are scheduled, and a sense of accomplishment and improvement (which develops intrinsic forms of motivation),” Anshel says. “There are some rather sophisticated DVDs on exercise instruction and leadership that have been produced by private companies, and this might be helpful for individuals who prefer to avoid attending fitness clubs.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

I think it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound?

SoundExchange, the Recording Industry Association of America’s performing rights organization that collects royalties from Webcasters, has issued a stay of execution on the new royalty rates that were to have gone into effect Monday, says Ken Sanney, recording industry. “Had SoundExchange tried to collect the new rates [Monday]—which included retroactive royalty payments—many in the industry predicted the end of all but the biggest Webcasters with the rest of them forced into bankruptcy,” Sanney says. “This temporary reprieve seems to be due to several reasons--not the least of which is simple market economics. All three branches of the federal government have failed greatly in their management of this issue. The administrative branch’s Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) created this problem through rates that are unreasonable and out of step with the purpose of the federal copyright law. The federal courts were unwilling to take up the issue and Congress was so caught up in gridlock that they were unable to get a bill through in time. The issue was, therefore, left up to the private industries to sort out.”

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

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Creature feature

Have you ever heard of a creature whose genital complex comprises about 86-90 percent of its total body length? Well, that’s one of the unique characteristics of Janinecaira darkthread, a new genus of parasite discovered by Dr. George Benz, biology, and colleagues (including Dr. Janine Caira of the University of Connecticut, for whom the parasite is named). Benz collected the species during a 1997 expedition to northern Australia, where he found it infecting the gills of ornate eagle rays. So he started the establishment of a new higher animal group for them along with some students interning in his lab. “At the time, I was work at and the director of the Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute,” Benz says. “I was never able to finish that work while I was at the aquarium. But, after doing some additional research, I was able to complete the work this past year while at MTSU.”

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

Say what?

Most courses assume you’re dealing with rational, kind, cooperative people—but the reality is that there are a lot of jerks out there! What happens when people lie, bully, or are physically or verbally abusive? How do you respond to hurtful messages or work with people who use deceit? A new course being offered at MTSU in the upcoming Fall 2007 semester might help you answer these questions. It’s “The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication,” which will be taught by Dr. Eletra Gilchrist, assistant professor of speech and theatre. If you take this course, you’ll learn to recognize, assess, and effectively communicate through the not-so-happy aspects of human communication.

Contact the Department of Speech and Theatre at 615-898-2640.

Zine anything new lately?

The Linebaugh Library System’s Web site describes a “zine” as “a self-published, small circulation, non-commercial booklet or magazine, usually produced by one person or a few individuals. Zines range from small photocopied booklets, to handwritten or handmade booklets, to magazine-like publications, although they come in all shapes, sizes, topics, and formats. They can include personal essays, political discussions, fiction, craft or do-it-yourself advice, articles about music or movies, comics, reviews – anything under the sun, really. Zines are a rich and democratic form of self-expression and often represent points of view missed by mainstream media.” Jerianne Thompson, coordinator of the library’s new zine collection and editor/publisher of Zine World: A Reader’s Guide to the Underground Press, will introduce the participants in the fifth annual Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp to the wonderful world of zines tomorrow in MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. The camp, which runs today through July 21, gives girls ages 10-17 a chance to explore their creativity.

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. The cost is $195 per student. Meals are included. Camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students are to report to Room 313 in the Keathley University Center. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

UNCLE DAVE’S DAYS--With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free. For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Rock Paper Scissors

Rock Paper Scissors, the fearless group made up of Alexa Games (17), Hailey Rowe (16), and Rachael Durnin (15), first collided their keys strings, and beats in the summer of 2006 at the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp. When confronted with the challenge of no singer and no guitarist, Hailey offered up her vocal chords and left the missing six-string in the dust. They performed an original song titled “Lawn Gnomes” that left people both impressed and confused. After camp ended, the band decided to stick together and combine their different styles and influences while spending weekends practicing in the studio at Hailey’s house. Rock Paper Scissors is slated to lend its collective musical wisdom to the fifth annual Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp, which runs today through July 21 at MTSU. Girls ages 10-17 will benefit from the tutelage of experienced musicians and have fun exploring their own creativity.

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

Sudden impact

In 2002, after suffering his second concussion, NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart started wearing a new helmet that covers a larger area near the jawbone than previous helmets. It also has a stronger face mask. But Dr. Helen Binkley, health and human performance, says, “It would be next to impossible to eliminate concussions by modifying the helmet because the brain moves inside the skull even if we cushion the head by the helmet. The brain floats inside the skull in spinal fluid. If you shake the head side to side, it can move freely to adapt to the position changes with a little recoil room. However, if your head hits the ground hard and comes to a sudden stop, the brain continues to move inside of the head and hits the side of the skull. When the brain hits the skull, it becomes bruised, which is a form of a concussion.”

Contact Binkley at 615-904-8192.
hbinkley@mtsu.edu

Uncle Dave’s days

With a focus on paying tribute to the beloved old-time music festival known as Uncle Dave Macon Days, the staff of The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County recently unveiled an exhibit titled “Uncle Dave Macon Days: Celebrating Old Time Music in Rutherford County.” Melissa A. Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, said the two-panel display offers viewers a bit of history, photographs and quotes from the earliest years of the festival to the present day. Located at 225 W. College St., the history-laden center also features photographs of Uncle Dave and his home as part of its newly opened display, “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age.” Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. each Monday through Friday, admission to the center is always free.

For more information, call the center at 615-217-8013. Please direct any inquiries for jpegs for editorial use to the center’s staff or by e-mailing mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

TR EXTRA

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. Meals are included. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

My Siamese Self

My Siamese Self is a three-piece punk band from Atlanta. It has been complimented with comparisons to Joy Division, Television, and The Clash. Lead singer and guitarist Deb Davis has been in numerous bands (The Gamma Clones, Jane West and the Lone Star Impalas), but currently is also in another great Georgia band called Hope for A Goldensummer. Drummer Kat Riederich was also in Jane West and the Lone Star Impalas, as well as Wig Barn and Pisghetti. Stacey Singer plays bass and sings backup. My Siamese Self formed in 2003 and currently has a DIY EP called "If You Please." My Siamese Self is slated to lend its collective musical wisdom to the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp July 16-21 at MTSU. Girls ages 10-17 will benefit from the tutelage of experienced musicians and have fun exploring their own creativity.

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

We are the world.

A new course that will be available at MTSU in the Fall 2007 semester will emphasize that we don’t have to go to another country to interact with people who have different cultural norms. The demographic changes in the U.S. have been dramatic enough that Time magazine published a cover story called “The Browning of America.” This situation raises an important question: what do you need to know in order to communicate effectively with people of different ethnic/racial backgrounds in the U.S.? The course, titled “Multicultural Communication,” will focus on issues ranging from stereotypes to handling conflict—all with the goal of promoting effective communication strategies and cooperative relationships across ethnic/racial boundaries.

For more information, contact the Department of Speech and Theatre at 615-898-5640.

Be true to your school.

About three out of 10 American ninth-graders don’t graduate with their class. Dr. Ellen Slicker, psychology, says, “Students fail classes for a variety of reasons, then become discouraged and lose confidence in their abilities to ever succeed in academics. This problem does NOT begin in high school, but begins back in elementary school, then comes to a head in high school. All students can learn, but they learn at different rates. Providing more individualized assistance for those who need it can greatly enhance the learning that takes place. Math and reading appear to be the major stumbling blocks in academic success. Along with academic problems are the behavioral problems that cause students to miss out on their educational opportunities by being absent, suspended, expelled, or simply disengaged from school.”

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

TR EXTRA

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

GRISSOM AND WILLOWS, CALL YOUR OFFICE--For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area July 25-27. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. Meals are included. To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462 or eshockle@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Darlin’ sounds

Those Darlins is a three-piece from Murfreesboro who play traditional country music with a rock 'n' roll attitude. Members include Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp founder Kelley Anderson on bass, camp volunteer Nikki Kvarnes on ukelele, and Jessi Wariner, a veteran camper who has attended four summers of SGRRC and will be returning this year as a volunteer, on guitar. Their live show features all three girls on vocals, clogging as a percussive element, and tons of energy. Influences include The Carter Family, Woody Guthrie, and Hank Williams, Sr. Those Darlins is slated to lend its collective musical wisdom to the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp July 16-21 at MTSU. Girls ages 10-17 will benefit from the tutelage of experienced musicians and have fun exploring their own creativity.

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

Grissom and Willows, call your office.

For the first time, MTSU is introducing the CSI experience on campus. “CSI: MTSU” is a three-day program designed for eighth-grade students in Rutherford County and its surrounding area. The goals of “CSI: MTSU” are to allow students to explore the many unique career possibilities in forensic science, to provide a “real life reason to tackle higher level math and science courses, and to develop skills in team work, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking, and presentations. The camp is co-sponsored by the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning. Due to space considerations, we are limited to 30 student investigators. Meals are included.

To register or for more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-2462.
eshockle@mtsu.edu

Freedom under contract

The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area (TCWNHA) and the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County have been named as recipients of an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History’s Leadership in its History Awards program category. Representatives from the Tennessee-based organizations partnered to create the award-winning publication “Freedom and Work in the Reconstruction Era: The Freedmen’s Bureau Labor Contracts of Williamson County, Tennessee.” Antoinette G. van Zelm, historian for the TCWNHA, says, “’Freedom and Work in the Reconstruction Era’ is an invaluable collection of the very first labor contracts signed by former slaves as they made the transition to becoming free workers after the Civil War. The contracts bring to life the experiences of African Americans in the days following a war of unimaginable bloodshed and unparalleled social upheaval.”

For more information, contact Laura Holder at 615-898-2947.
lholder@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

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 more information, contact Danny Lewis at 615-898-2311.

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bass-less

Six Gun Lullaby was formed in the summer of 2005 in a living room in Nashville. The band, which includes Claire Adams, Tiffany Minton, and Martin Schneider, composes all of its songs collaboratively. The most noted element about the band is its intentional lack of bass guitar. Their art stems from a somewhat Nietzschean approach to the philosophy of art. To intentionally restrict one’s art may seem absurd to many, but Six Gun Lullaby believes that there can be no way of freeing one’s sound from its naturalization without first limiting oneself to what is most capricious—in their case, the bass. This idea is the basis of the band’s music. Six Gun Lullaby is slated to lend its collective musical wisdom to the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp July 16-21 at MTSU. Girls ages 10-17 will benefit from the tutelage of experienced musicians and have fun exploring their own creativity.

Contact the camp office at 615-849-8140.
sgrrc05@gmail.com

For the health of it

Tennessee ranks 40th on the Commonwealth Fund’s report card ranking states by how well they perform on 32 measures of health care. Dr. Judy Campbell, nursing, says, “As this state has worked hard to raise the funding and commitment for K-12 education, this state needs to campaign for healthier lifestyles among those living in Tennessee. Healthier living requires changes in both one’s belief system and personal behaviors. The outcomes from this type of change may be slow to show immediate progress, but so valuable when one’s life is saved from a premature death. We need a new campaign that the legislature [would] invest into and funds at a level that will help make the changes in access to care, access to health screening, and incentives for practicing healthier lifestyles.”

Contact Campbell at 615-898-5729.
jcampbel@mtsu.edu

Fussin’ about concussions

A study by the University of North Carolina finds that 20.2 percent of former NFL players who remembered having three or more concussions said they had been diagnosed with depression. Could the rate of concussions in the NFL be reduced through equipment changes? Dr. Helen Binkley, health and human performance, says the helmets do not need to be redesigned. “They do decrease the impact load force on the head/skull and do prevent many laceration injuries, fracture injuries, and even some superficial contusion injuries,” Binkley says. “The addition of the ‘Cowboy collar’ has decreased the whiplash mechanism in many of the players’ necks, which has helped to decrease the incidence of some types of concussions. The use of properly fitted mouth guards has also decreased the incidence of some types of concussions.”

Contact Binkley at 615-904-8192.
hbinkley@mtsu.edu

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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 more information, contact Danny Lewis at 615-898-2311.

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The health of the dead

Why would you want to keep someone’s medical records private after they have died? Kenneth Sanney, a licensed attorney who also is an adjunct professor of recording industry at MTSU, says news media attention to the health history of the deceased could result in at least two undesirable outcomes. “First, persons of notoriety or fame would be less likely to seek medical attention or, if they did seek medical attention, they would be less than candid with their treating doctors for fear of damaging their legacy or bringing shame on their family,” Sanney says. “The loved ones of the deceased person could be traumatized by the in-depth news coverage of their deceased relative’s medical history—a history which may include drug addiction, sexual ailments, mental health conditions, or any number of stigmatizing illnesses or defects.”

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

Look what washed in with the tide!

If a cadaver is found in a body of water instead of on land, and it has been in the water for a long time, will scientists have anything left to help them determine how that person died? Dr. Hugh Berryman, forensic anthropologist and MTSU faculty member, recalls a case in which a body was found in the trunk of a car in the Tennessee River. Even though it had been there some seven or eight years, an autopsy was performed. A soapy substance called grave wax, or adipocere (AD-ih-poh-seer), as scientists refer to it, forms from body fat when a body is kept in a cool, damp environment for a prolonged period. Berryman says it is talc-like in appearance. “That stuff actually will protect the soft tissue once it forms on it,” Berryman says. “Insects don’t like it. Scavengers don’t like it. And it just sort of holds everything in place.”

Contact Berryman at 615-494-7896.
berryman@mtsu.edu

Are you ready for some more football?

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is backing a new professional football league that would play on weeknights in the fall. Now another startup pro league, the All-American Pro Football League, plans to offer football in the spring by concentrating on towns with a rabid college football following. Tennessee reportedly is one of its target states. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “The sports entertainment landscape has become very crowded with niche sports such as arena football and lacrosse. “The market potential for another professional football league may exist in markets that do not have NFL teams, but the league(s) would face numerous marketing challenges in [an] effort to avoid the fate of the USFL and XFL, upstart professional football leagues that failed quickly.” (Incidentally, NFL Europa folded just last week.)

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

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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.

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.

TRUE GRITS--Openings remain for the Girls Raised in Tennessee Science in-service teachers’ workshop, which will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, July 9, in the SunTrust Room of the MTSU Business and Aerospace Building. The free workshop for teachers in grades 6-12 will “address the need of encouraging and motivating adolescent girls to seek further education and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields,” said Karen Claud, assistant director of the grant-funded program that goes by the acronym of GRITS. The conference will be sponsored by a College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning public service grant. The College of Basic and Applied Sciences will provide lunch. To register or attend, contact Claud at 615-504-8587, or e-mail her at kclaud@mtsu.edu.

CREATIVE KIDS--Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event. Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Inside the criminal mind

What kind of intervention works with criminals? Dr. Gloria Hamilton, psychology, says structured programs that are behaviorally-based and that target “criminal thinking” are most effective. Consider the criminal who says “don’t make me shoot you,” for example. Hamilton says, “Your attempting to resist is going to force them, in their way of thinking, to shoot you. Criminal cognitions are a different way of looking at things.” Hamilton also cites as examples of criminal thinking rapists who justify their actions by saying things like “I made her day,” “She asked for it,” or “She said no, but she really meant yes.” Hamilton says some other characteristics of the most effective programs are the employment of residential placements and a minimum of 300 hours over 26 weeks.

Contact Hamilton at 615-898-5745.
ghamilto@mtsu.edu

Watch and listen, you little whippersnapper!

A British retiree named Peter Oakley has become one of the most popular stars on YouTube. His video postings, usually just of himself talking about his life and times and encouraging the younger folks not to write off the elderly, are under the screen name "geriatric1927." His first posting has been accessed more than 2.5 million times! Is it surprising that this 90-year-old has become a rock star with the viral video set? Dr. Janet Belsky, psychology, says, “In so many places in our nation, disabled older people are totally missing in action (Although they do appear in cities, you never see them in places where the main mode of transportation is the car.). So the Internet has incredible potential to bring home the message to young YouTube users: yes, you do get old; and yes, older people do have incredibly valuable things to say.”

Contact Belsky at 615-898-5935.
jbelsky@mtsu.edu

Creative kids

Generation for Creation (GFC), a nonprofit visual and performing arts program founded in 2001, is based in Murfreesboro and housed in the local Boys and Girls Club facility. GFC’s founder, Monica Johnson, is a 1996 MTSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology and minors in speech and theatre and biology. Johnson says she created GFC to help talented children reach their artistic dreams with encouragement and positive motivation. GFC’s annual Children’s Benefit Talent Show, featuring children in the categories of art, dance, drama, music and modeling, will get underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Miss USA 2000, Columbia native Lynette Cole, will host the event.

Tickets are $10 each with discounts available for groups. For more information, call GFC at 615-890-7116. To request interviews with Johnson or with child participants, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

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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.

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.

TRUE GRITS--Openings remain for the Girls Raised in Tennessee Science in-service teachers’ workshop, which will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, July 9, in the SunTrust Room of the MTSU Business and Aerospace Building. The free workshop for teachers in grades 6-12 will “address the need of encouraging and motivating adolescent girls to seek further education and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields,” said Karen Claud, assistant director of the grant-funded program that goes by the acronym of GRITS. The conference will be sponsored by a College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning public service grant. The College of Basic and Applied Sciences will provide lunch. To register or attend, contact Claud at 615-504-8587, or e-mail her at kclaud@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, July 2, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The liberation of Libby

Many Americans are scratching their heads at President Bush’s commutation of Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s sentence. But Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, says it clearly is within the president’s constitutional powers. “Article II, Section 2 provides that the president ‘shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.’” Vile notes that the controversial move from Bush comes with more than a year-and-a-half of his presidency still left, which is unconventional. Many presidents wait until the end of their terms to make such controversial moves. “This arguably gives those who oppose the pardon a chance to make a campaign issue of the [commutation]—not, of course, in the case of the president, now a lame duck who cannot run for re-election, but in the case of Republican candidates who support it.”

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

True GRITS

Openings remain for the Girls Raised in Tennessee Science in-service teachers’ workshop, which will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, July 9, in the SunTrust Room of the MTSU Business and Aerospace Building. The free workshop for teachers in grades 6-12 will “address the need of encouraging and motivating adolescent girls to seek further education and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields,” said Karen Claud, assistant director of the grant-funded program that goes by the acronym of GRITS. The conference will be sponsored by a College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning public service grant. The College of Basic and Applied Sciences will provide lunch.

To register or attend, contact Claud at 615-504-8587, or e-mail her at kclaud@mtsu.edu

Information superschool

A million-dollar upgrade for high-definition TV equipment will put MTSU’s electronic media communication graduates out front in their profession, thanks to generous donors and matching funds from the university. The 16-year-old EMC facilities in the university’s Bragg Mass Communication Building will be upgraded with the latest HD cameras, monitors and other equipment manufactured by Sony Broadcasting. “This HD studio will return MTSU to the front of electronic media communication education in Tennessee,” says Dr. Bob Spires, EMC department chairman. When the renovated facility reopens this fall, MTSU will become the first university in Tennessee—and one of a mere handful around the country—to educate students with the new digital format.

Contact Spires at rwspires@mtsu.edu
or Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5385.

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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.

ROCK, ROLL, AND RECORD—It’s that time again! Registration runs through July 13 for the latest recording workshop for children ages 12-17 at MTSU. The workshop will be conducted by MTSU student Ryan York in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building July 19-Aug. 12. 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.