Friday, August 24, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The future of preserving the past

How do you keep up with the latest technological advancements in storing data, audio and pictures? If you’re an individual, you might only have to spend a few dollars. But local, state and federal governments face a much more massive task. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Both the National Archives and the Library of Congress have specialshops that maintain obsolete equipment that can even read the wax cylinders such as Thomas Edison first used more than a century ago. Since then, the pace of obsolescence has increased and digital records are being lost every day. And without access to that information, numerous files such as medical benefits, veterans’ files and property records could be lost.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

Sa-a-a-a-a-a-a-lute!

MTSU’s Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) will have a brief swearing-in ceremony for its new cadets beginning at 9:30 a.m. today, Friday, Aug. 24. The ceremony will take place outside Forrest Hall. This will be an opportunity to interview and photograph students who plan to become future military leaders and personnel.

For more information, contact Lt. Col. Mike Walsh or Maj. Chuck Giles at 615-898-2470 or Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Welcome to the Hotel Rwanda.

Paul Rusesabagina (Roo-SESS-eh-bah-GEE-nah), the hero of the movie “Hotel Rwanda” and author of An Ordinary Man, will be the speaker at this year’s University Convocation at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 26, at Murphy Center. Rusesabagina, a native of Rwanda, saved 1,268 of his countrymen and women during a 100-day siege of genocidal madness in 1994 that left nearly one million people dead. The hotel manager turned the luxurious Hotel Milles Collines into a refuge for Tutsi and moderate Hutus while fending off their would-be killers with a combination of diplomacy and deception. The University Convocation is free and open to the public. First-year students are expected to attend; their families and members of the MTSU and Murfreesboro communities are welcome to attend.

Call 615-898-2454 for more information, or visit http://www.mtsunews.com/.

TR EXTRA

AUDIO AUGMENTATION--Give your kids a wholesome, fun extracurricular activity this school year. Enroll your child in the Youth Culture and Arts Center’s (YCAC) next recording workshop at MTSU. The current enrollment period is in effect through Sept. 7 for the upcoming Sept. 13-Oct. 12 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 615-631-9479 or contact York at bororecording@gmail.com.

FOOTBALL FEST--This year, the MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pregame will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, to kick off the football season. The event will be held at the home of Terry and Lisa Haynes, who live at 1707 Riverview Dr. in Murfreesboro. Tickets for the event, which will run from 7 until 11 p.m., will be $25 if purchased by Aug. 22 (TODAY) or $30 at the door. The ticket price includes an exclusive preview of one of Murfreesboro’s newest restaurants, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, wine, beer truck, soft drinks, music, door prizes and more. All proceeds will benefit the Rutherford County Alumni Chapter Scholarship Fund. The Blue Raiders will open the season Saturday, Sept. 1, at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton. Call 1-800-533-6878 or visit http://www.mtalumni.com/ for information or tickets. To interview Paul Wydra, assistant director, Office of Alumni Relations, or Ginger Freeman, director of the office, call 615-898-2922.