Monday, Aug. 6. 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Financial exposure

Do Tennessee voters have the right to know what sort of pay the governor might get from outside employment or what’s in his investment portfolio? The Center for Public Integrity thinks so. That’s why the nonprofit interest group gave Tennessee an “F” in its recent report card, which judged the states on how transparent they are in this area. Currently, Tennessee department heads, constitutional officers and lawmakers are required to fill out a four-page disclosure form. Dr. Mark Byrnes is assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts, a political science professor and a member of the Rutherford County School Board. He says, “We should not make disclosure requirements so onerous that they discourage people from seeking public office. It may take some time to strike an appropriate balance.” However, he admits there probably is room for improvement.

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

Khat spat

Some interest groups assert that crack cocaine users and sellers are targeted more vigorously by law enforcement than users and sellers of powdered cocaine because more crack users tend to be black and more powder users tend to be white. Currently, the DEA is targeting users and sellers of khat, a plant grown in the horn of Africa and used in this country mostly by African immigrants. Its proponents insist it is no more harmful that a cup of strong coffee. Dr. Doug Winborn, health and human performance, says, “The active stimulant ingredients in these substances are relatively harmless …” He adds, “The legality of a drug is often influenced more by who tends to use it than the dangers the drug poses.”

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

Get the lead out!

Why is it so hard to remove lead from the components of electronic devices? Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “Tin-lead alloys are used to secure, or solder, the connections that profusely decorate electronic circuit boards … Without the lead, pure tin films sprout whiskers that grow very irregularly … Even if they grow a fraction of a millimeter a year, that can be catastrophic because electronic components in microchips are very close together. And, since tin is a metal, if the growing ends of whiskers that are sprouting from different components, touch each other, the entire device can short-circuit.”

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

TR EXTRA

BLUE RAIDER BLASTS--MTSU is offering a chance for all alumni, friends and fans to preview the 2007-08 athletic season at Blue Raider Blasts. Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Kermit Davis (men’s basketball), Rick Insell (women’s basketball), Steve Peterson (baseball) and MTSU student-athletes will be on hand to meet and greet Blue Raider fans Thursday, Aug. 9, on the Cannon County Courthouse Square in Woodbury; and Thursday, Aug. 23, on the historic Rutherford County Courthouse Square in Murfreesboro. Admission is free to all blasts, which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will feature inflatables, face painting, giveaways, and food. Call 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or visit www.mtalumni.com for details.

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.