Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Neither Black Nor White”

The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women, in conjunction with the Third Biennial International Diversity Conference, is pleased to announce a workshop titled “Neither Black Nor White: Experiences of Diversity on the MTSU Campus” from 4-5 p.m. today, Oct. 31, in Room S343 of the Business and Aerospace Building. The workshop will provide an interactive setting where interested faculty can address ways to most effectively handle issues of diversity within the classroom.

For more information, contact Dr. Ida Fadzillah at 615-904-8275.
ifadzill@mtsu.edu

Wherefore art thou?

MTSU Theatre and Dance will present one of the most famous and beloved of Shakespeare plays, Romeo and Juliet, at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, Nov. 2-3, and Nov. 7-10 on the stage of Tucker Theatre in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. “This is a true classic that students read in high school and people come to the play knowing,” says Dale McGilliard, the show’s director. “They all come with a different expectation, which adds to the wonderful challenge to producing it.” MTSU alumnus Lane Davies—who has appeared in a wide variety of television series including Married with Children, Scrubs and Seinfeld—will guest star in the role of Capulet.

Tickets must be purchased at the door on the evening of the performance. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students. For more information, please visit the speech and theatre department Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

It all adds up.

For the first time, the Department of Mathematical Sciences at MTSU will host a meeting of the American Mathematical Society. Slated for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 3-4, the Fall Southeastern Meeting of the AMS will feature keynote addresses from leading mathematicians, along with 16 special sessions that will allow participants to present and learn about a host of research topics. All sessions and keynote addresses will take place in the Business and Aerospace and John Bragg Mass Communication buildings. To date, more than 300 mathematicians from more than 30 states will be on campus this weekend sharing results and ideas on topics ranging from financial mathematics to algorithmic methods in algebra. Research from 12 MTSU math faculty will be presented at the meeting, and nine of the special topic sessions have been organized or co-organized by MTSU math faculty.

For more information, contact Dr. Jim Hart, associate professor of mathematical sciences, at 615-898-2402.
jhart@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Y’ALL COME TO SEE US WHEN YOU CAN--Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 10 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building. Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

UP, UP AND AWAY--The 2007 Study Abroad Fair at MTSU will take place tomorrow, Nov. 1, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. There will be foreign foods to sample, international music, and numerous people representing various venues of the study abroad experience. They will be happy to tell all about transportation, financing, locales, and how particular study abroad trips fit into students’ degree tracks. The joy of learning about other lands and cultures in person is not merely a dream—it can become a reality. Open your eyes to the great opportunities to learn and earn credit overseas. Contact Jennifer Campbell or Rachael King in the Office of International Education and Exchange, temporarily located in Room 129 of the Todd Building, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu or rak2m@mtsu.edu.

WHASSUP?--Author, academic, minister and commentator Michael Eric Dyson, known as the “hip-hop intellectual” among critics and fans, will speak at MTSU at 7 p.m., today, Oct. 31, in the Alumni Memorial Gym. His address, including a question-and-answer period, is free and open to the public. Dyson, who has been named one of the 100 most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine, is a professor at Georgetown University teaching English, theology and African-American studies. He is the author of 15 books, including Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster; Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?; and his latest, Know What I Mean?, an examination of hip-hop music with an introduction by Jay-Z. Contact Luther Buie, interim director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, at 615-898-2987 or lbuie@mtsu.edu.

EXPRESS YOURSELF!--Dr. Crosby Hunt, associate professor of speech and theatre, will conduct workshops on playwriting at the inaugural Express Yourself Arts Conference to be held from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. today, Oct. 31, at Patterson Park Community Center in Murfreesboro. Workshops on poetry composition, songwriting and visual art also are slated. “We are seeing that students need these types of opportunities to explore artistic endeavors, learn how to work with other artists on professional projects or to enjoy a hobby more,” says Sandra Pineault, program director for the conference sponsor, Read to Succeed of Rutherford County. Co-partners include the Youth Culture and Arts Center (YCAC), Youth Empowerment through the Arts and Humanities (YEAH), the Business Education Partnership (BEP), the Artsy Mommas, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, Barnes and Noble, the General Mills Foundation and Rutherford County Schools. Contact Pineault at 615-631-3688 or spineault@comcast.net.

YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH--Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, professor of religious studies at the University of South Carolina, will speak on “Bridging the Gaps of Global Religions and Spirituality” at 2:30 p.m. today, Oct. 31, in MTSU’s James Union Building. The public and the media are welcome to attend. His research focuses on the relationship among religion, science and economics. “As an expert in interfaith dialogue, he is a consultant to the Royal Court of Jordan and the Grant Mufti of Egypt,” Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center and professor of English, says. El-Ansary’s address is co-sponsored by the Middle East Center in conjunction with the Third Biennial International Conference on Cultural Diversity. For more information, contact Hibbard at 615-494-8809 or ahibbard@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

You gotta have faith

Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, professor of religious studies at the University of South Carolina, will speak on “Bridging the Gaps of Global Religions and Spirituality” at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 31, in MTSU’s James Union Building. The public and the media are welcome to attend. His research focuses on the relationship among religion, science and economics. “As an expert in interfaith dialogue, he is a consultant to the Royal Court of Jordan and the Grant Mufti of Egypt,” Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center and professor of English, says. El-Ansary’s address is co-sponsored by the Middle East Center in conjunction with the Third Biennial International Conference on Cultural Diversity.

For more information, contact Hibbard at 615-494-8809.
ahibbard@mtsu.edu

All that jazz

An MTSU faculty jazz concert featuring Don Aliquo (tenor sax) and Jamey Simmons (trumpet) will be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 30, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Jazz Ensemble I the premier jazz ensemble at MTSU, will assist during the performances of Thelonious Monk’s Bright Mississippi and an original work by Simmons titled Damascus. The big-band tunes will feature jazz alumnus Oscar Utterstrom (trombone) and Vinne Ciesielski (trumpet), a professional musician based in Nashville. Additionally, many of the other selections will be original works by Aliquo. This concert is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 615-898-2493 or visit http://www.mtsumusic.com/.

Express yourself!

Dr. Crosby Hunt, associate professor of speech and theatre, will conduct workshops on playwriting at the inaugural Express Yourself Arts Conference to be held from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 31, at Patterson Park Community Center in Murfreesboro. Workshops on poetry composition, songwriting and visual art also are slated. “We are seeing that students need these types of opportunities to explore artistic endeavors, learn how to work with other artists on professional projects or to enjoy a hobby more,” says Sandra Pineault, program director for the conference sponsor, Read to Succeed of Rutherford County. Co-partners include the Youth Culture and Arts Center (YCAC), Youth Empowerment through the Arts and Humanities (YEAH), the Business Education Partnership (BEP), the Artsy Mommas, Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, Barnes and Noble, the General Mills Foundation and Rutherford County Schools.

Contact Pineault at 615-631-3688.
spineault@comcast.net

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Y’ALL COME TO SEE US WHEN YOU CAN--Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 10 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building. Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

PICK A PAINTED PUMPKIN--The student chapter of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) at MTSU is offering painted pumpkins just in time for Halloween. Students will paint one of eight predetermined images, including the MT Logo, a black cat, a ghost, and a witch, on a pumpkin for $8.00 each. Images will vary slightly according to the form of the pumpkin. If you want something different, like a sports team logo or additional Halloween scenes, that will cost you $12.50 each. Pumpkins will be delivered. Cash or checks only. Make checks payable to MTSU NAEA Student Chapter. Please indicate the pumpkin design and quantity you would like to purchase. Include your phone number and the location where you want the pumpkin to be delivered. Call 931-215-2273 for more information, and send a picture or detailed description of the image you want to Becca Rodgers at rrr2g@mtsu.edu.

UP, UP AND AWAY--The 2007 Study Abroad Fair at MTSU will take place Thursday, Nov. 1, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. There will be foreign foods to sample, international music, and numerous people representing various venues of the study abroad experience. They will be happy to tell all about transportation, financing, locales, and how particular study abroad trips fit into students’ degree tracks. The joy of learning about other lands and cultures in person is not merely a dream—it can become a reality. Open your eyes to the great opportunities to learn and earn credit overseas. Contact Jennifer Campbell or Rachael King in the Office of International Education and Exchange, temporarily located in Room 129 of the Todd Building, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu or rak2m@mtsu.edu.

WHASSUP?--Author, academic, minister and commentator Michael Eric Dyson, known as the “hip-hop intellectual” among critics and fans, will speak at MTSU at 7 p.m., tomorrow, Oct. 31, in the Alumni Memorial Gym. His address, including a question-and-answer period, is free and open to the public. Dyson, who has been named one of the 100 most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine, is a professor at Georgetown University teaching English, theology and African-American studies. He is the author of 15 books, including Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster; Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?; and his latest, Know What I Mean?, an examination of hip-hop music with an introduction by Jay-Z. Contact Luther Buie, interim director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, at 615-898-2987 or lbuie@mtsu.edu.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Up in the air

Seventy percent of all air traffic in the United States goes through only 30 airports. The last major airport was built in Denver 11 years ago. The last one before that was built in Dallas 36 years ago. Dr. Paul Craig, aerospace, says that means the air traffic controllers are referees, at best. “If you’ve got only a bunch of large airports, and we use them to funnel the majority of air traffic through those airports, then we’re just going to have problems,” Craig said in a recent Honors lecture. So why not use the smaller airports and work them into the system? Craig says some small airports lag behind in technology and the public perception of small airports is not necessarily favorable. That’s why NASA created the Small Aircraft Transportation System, a project aimed at better integrating small aircraft and general aviation airports into the air transportation system.

Contact Craig at 615-898-2788.
pcraig@mtsu.edu

Whassup?

Author, academic, minister and commentator Michael Eric Dyson, known as the “hip-hop intellectual” among critics and fans, will speak at MTSU at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31, in the Alumni Memorial Gym. His address, including a question-and-answer period, is free and open to the public. Dyson, who has been named one of the 100 most influential black Americans by Ebony magazine, is a professor at Georgetown University teaching English, theology and African-American studies. He is the author of 15 books, including Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster; Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?; and his latest, Know What I Mean?, an examination of hip-hop music with an introduction by Jay-Z.

Contact Luther Buie, interim director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, at 615-898-2987.
lbuie@mtsu.edu

Up, up and away

The 2007 Study Abroad Fair at MTSU will take place Thursday, Nov. 1, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. There will be foreign foods to sample, international music, and numerous people representing various venues of the study abroad experience. They will be happy to tell all about transportation, financing, locales, and how particular study abroad trips fit into students’ degree tracks. The joy of learning about other lands and cultures in person is not merely a dream—it can become a reality. Open your eyes to the great opportunities to learn and earn credit overseas.

Contact Jennifer Campbell or Rachael King in the Office of International Education and Exchange, temporarily located in Room 129 of the Todd Building, at 615-898-5179.
jjcampbe@mtsu.edu
rak2m@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Y’ALL COME TO SEE US WHEN YOU CAN--Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 10 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building. Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

PICK A PAINTED PUMPKIN--The student chapter of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) at MTSU is offering painted pumpkins just in time for Halloween. Students will paint one of eight predetermined images, including the MT Logo, a black cat, a ghost, and a witch, on a pumpkin for $8.00 each. Images will vary slightly according to the form of the pumpkin. If you want something different, like a sports team logo or additional Halloween scenes, that will cost you $12.50 each. Pumpkins will be delivered. Cash or checks only. Make checks payable to MTSU NAEA Student Chapter. Please indicate the pumpkin design and quantity you would like to purchase. Include your phone number and the location where you want the pumpkin to be delivered. Call 931-215-2273 for more information, and send a picture or detailed description of the image you want to Becca Rodgers at rrr2g@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The might of Milton

The Department of English at MTSU again will serve as the sponsor and host of the ninth biennial Conference on John Milton tomorrow through Saturday, Oct. 25-27, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro. The conference attracts scholars of the great English poet, who is best known for his epic Paradise Lost. “Since its inception, the conference has attracted most of the leading American scholars in the field of Milton studies,” Donovan says. “(And) this year’s plenary speakers are Richard J. DuRocher of St. Olaf College and Laura L. Knoppers.” Topics to be discussed include “Milton’s God,” “The Divorce Tracts,” “Milton and Ecocriticism,” and “Milton and the Visual Arts.”

For more information, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~english2/milton.htm or contact Donovan at 615-898-5898.
kdonovan@mtsu.edu

Pick a painted pumpkin

The student chapter of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) at MTSU is offering painted pumpkins just in time for Halloween. Students will paint one of eight predetermined images, including the MT Logo, a black cat, a ghost, and a witch, on a pumpkin for $8.00 each. Images will vary slightly according to the form of the pumpkin. If you want something different, like a sports team logo or additional Halloween scenes, that will cost you $12.50 each. Pumpkins will be delivered this week or next week. Painted pumpkins also will be available on the second floor of the Keathley University Center from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. today, Wed. Oct. 24. Cash or checks only. Make checks payable to MTSU NAEA Student Chapter. Please indicate the pumpkin design and quantity you would like to purchase. Include your phone number and the location where you want the pumpkin to be delivered.

Call 931-215-2273 for more information, and send a picture or detailed description of the image you want to Becca Rodgers at rrr2g@mtsu.edu.

Chug-a-lug

Do you know the difference between Liquid Charge and Red Bull? Your children probably do. Red Bull is a nonalcoholic energy drink; Liquid Charge is an alcoholic energy drink. But the attorneys general of 28 states and the District of Columbia say beverage companies are reprehensibly marketing alcoholic energy drinks to the same teens who gulp down the nonalcoholic ones. Dr. Doug Winborn, health and human performance, says, “Right now, the rage is energy drinks laden with caffeine as a stimulant, and companies are mixing in alcohol, a depressant—not a wise drug/poison combination, but it appears to be effective in marketing and sales. Later, some pressure group will raise an alert and the companies will give the appearance of backing off this marketing strategy—but the band will play on.”

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

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Y’ALL COME TO SEE US WHEN YOU CAN--Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 9 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building. Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

“CHECK IN—CONNECT—CHECK OUT”--Participants will learn how to apply the “Check in—Connect—Check out” system at both the micro level (in just one classroom) and the macro level (school-wide and/or system-wide) in a professional development program for K-8 teachers offered by MTSU’s Satellite and Webcasting Center from 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST (4:30-5:30 p.m. EST), tomorrow, Oct. 25. Dr. Zaf Khan, elementary and special education, will provide step-by-step guidance on incorporating this evidence-based positive behavior strategy into a school setting. Research using this strategy indicates a significant decrease in office discipline referrals within the first few months of implementation. For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

“WOMEN AND WAR”--Dr. Divya Saksena, associate professor of English at MTSU, will present “Women and War—Active and Passive Engagements,” the latest lecture in the Fall 2007 Women’s Studies Research Series, at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 25, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. The lecture is free and open to the public. Saksena will examine why and how women have been excluded from combat, how World War I provided new opportunities for women, and why the role of women was so critical by World War II. “Although women now operate in an increasingly wide range of military ranks, including jet fighter pilots in the (British) Royal Navy, RAF (Royal Air Force), and U.S. Air Force, and transport pilots in the Indian Air Force, they still struggle to overcome gender biases, prejudices and stereotypes,” Saksena says. For more information, contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu, or contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu.

“EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS”--The 11th annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science gathering will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, across the MTSU campus. About 300 middle school and 50 high-school girls will participate in workshops in science, technology, engineering and math. The girls will come from Rutherford, Williamson, Wilson, Putnam, Davidson, Warren, Sumner, Maury, Cheatham and Coffee counties and other areas. “It lets girls know they are capable of doing things in math and science,” says MTSU senior Sharese Richardson, an EYH volunteer. Freshman Ashley Martin says she learned a lot from EYH when she attended as a middle-schooler. “I attended workshops that ranged from aerospace to Web design to chemistry and nutrition,” Martin says. Contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, director, at 615-904-8253, or Dr. Rebecca Zijlstra, co-director, at 615-898-5776.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Expanding Your Horizons”

The 11th annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science gathering will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, across the MTSU campus. About 300 middle school and 50 high-school girls will participate in workshops in science, technology, engineering and math. The girls will come from Rutherford, Williamson, Wilson, Putnam, Davidson, Warren, Sumner, Maury, Cheatham and Coffee counties and other areas. “It lets girls know they are capable of doing things in math and science,” says MTSU senior Sharese Richardson, an EYH volunteer. Freshman Ashley Martin says she learned a lot from EYH when she attended as a middle-schooler. “I attended workshops that ranged from aerospace to Web design to chemistry and nutrition,” Martin says.

Contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, director, at 615-904-8253, or Dr. Rebecca Zijlstra, co-director, at 615-898-5776.

“Women and War”

Dr. Divya Saksena, associate professor of English at MTSU, will present “Women and War—Active and Passive Engagements,” the latest lecture in the Fall 2007 Women’s Studies Research Series, at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. The lecture is free and open to the public. Saksena will examine why and how women have been excluded from combat, how World War I provided new opportunities for women, and why the role of women was so critical by World War II. “Although women now operate in an increasingly wide range of military ranks, including jet fighter pilots in the (British) Royal Navy, RAF (Royal Air Force), and U.S. Air Force, and transport pilots in the Indian Air Force, they still struggle to overcome gender biases, prejudices and stereotypes,” Saksena says.

For more information, contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu, or contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu.

“Check in—Connect—Check Out”

Participants will learn how to apply the “Check in—Connect—Check Out” system at both the micro level (in just one classroom) and the macro level (school-wide and/or system-wide) in a professional development program for K-8 teachers offered by MTSU’s Satellite and Webcasting Center from 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST (4:30-5:30 p.m. EST), Thursday, Oct. 25. Dr. Zaf Khan, elementary and special education, will provide step-by-step guidance on incorporating this evidence-based positive behavior strategy into a school setting. Research using this strategy indicates a significant decrease in office discipline referrals within the first few months of implementation.

For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

THE ROLES OF A LIFETIME--Lane Davies, MTSU alum and star of stage and screen, will be featured in an open forum at 4:30 p.m. today, Oct. 23, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building to discuss his career and life in theatre, TV and film. Lane is best known for his roles in daytime television as Mason Capwell on “Santa Barbara” and as Dr. Cameron Lewis on “General Hospital.” He has been a featured actor in such series as “Scrubs,” “Married with Children” and “Seinfeld.” His stage credits include lead roles in Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as founding two theatre companies in Southern California. Lane will be featured in the role of Capulet in the MTSU Theatre & Dance production of Romeo & Juliet, which will run Nov. 2-10 at Tucker Theatre. To learn more about Lane Davies, visit http://www.lane-davies.com. For more on MTSU Speech & Theatre, call the department at 615-898-2640.

Y’ALL COME TO SEE US WHEN YOU CAN--Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 9 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building. Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The king of all media

Fox Business Channel, Rupert Murdoch’s latest endeavor, debuted this week. Its programs include “Happy Hour,” a show that is set in a bar after the markets close. Another feature is the “Fox Fifty,” a list of 50 stocks the network singles out for closer attention. Murdoch’s acquisition of The Wall Street Journal served as a stepping-stone, and profits from his News Corp. empire provided the start-up capital. Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says, “I am a capitalist and a big believer in the free market system. … I believe everyone should get rich, which is another argument to break up these huge media corporations so that more local investors and family-run businesses have a chance to make the millions of dollars going into the pocket of one man or corporation.”

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

Deadlier than AIDS

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection indicates that more people in the U.S. die from the staph infection MRSA than from AIDS. MRSA caused 18,650 deaths in 2005, compared to about 16,000 deaths from AIDS. In the Nov. 20, 2006 edition of The Record, Dr. Anthony Newsome, biology, described a technique for combating the infection by applying the bacterium directly to football pads. “One surprising observation made," he said, "was that if staph are applied to football pads with a paintbrush and allowed to sit for several days, the greatest number of staph are found not to be on the mesh surface of the pads but rather on the underside of the mesh covering and within the foam pad itself." Newsome has found that using chlorine dioxide gas can kill the bacterium both on the surface and on the padding underneath.

Contact Newsome at 615-898-2058.
anewsome@mtsu.edu
Check out Newsome in the December 2006 “Middle Tennessee Record” story on staph at: http://www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/MTR-misc-06-07.html#Staph.
TV stations, additional videotape is available for this story.

Y’all come to see us when you can.

Officials in the MTSU Office of Admissions say that the Fall Visit Day, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 3, is full. Nearly 500 prospective students and their family members have registered. Admissions representatives request that prospective students and their families take one of the daily tours offered through Wednesday, Dec. 5. Please note that no tours will be offered Nov. 14-16 (Admission staff will be attending a conference that day.) and Nov. 21-23 (Thanksgiving holiday). The Nov. 3 Fall Visit Day will start at 9 a.m. CDT in the Cope Administration Building.

Contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111.

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The construction site is located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro, where teams working in two shifts will labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER--Lalo Davila, a professor of music at MTSU, will be one of the guest percussionists performing in “Cuban Fire,” a night of salsa and jazz with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 19, at the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Both concerts will feature the Latin jazz of Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and others. Davila, a Pearl recording artist, also is co-leader and vocalist of the Latin jazz band Orkesta Eme Pe. He is Director of Percussion Studies at MTSU and leader of the MTSU Salsa Band and Percussion Ensemble. Admission to either concert is $20 general admission, $15 for seniors. Contact Davila at 615-898-2803 or gdavila@mtsu.edu.

“CATCH A WAVE AND YOU’RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD.”—THE BEACH BOYS IN “CATCH A WAVE”--MTSU Blue Raider football fans will gather on the Murfreesboro public square tomorrow, Oct. 20, and march en masse to campus, creating the first ever Blue Raider Wave. At the event, a committee will declare a Blue King and Blue Queen based on the wildest, most creative blue outfits and body paint. Each winner will receive a $250 cash grand prize. All in attendance will receive free Blue Raider Wave T-shirts. At noon, the crowd will march the mile down Main Street to the pre-game festivities on the MTSU campus. Prior to the Blue Wave, shuttles will run from the campus to the square from 10-11 a.m., allowing people to park near campus, ride the shuttle downtown and then walk back to campus. The Blue Raiders will take on Arkansas State at 2:30 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. Contact Bracken Mayo at 615-944-2778 or Rob Fortney at 615-456-6464 or blueraiderwave@yahoo.com.

THE ROLES OF A LIFETIME--Lane Davies, MTSU alum and star of stage and screen, will be featured in an open forum at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building to discuss his career and life in theatre, TV and film. Lane is best known for his roles in daytime television as Mason Capwell on “Santa Barbara” and as Dr. Cameron Lewis on “General Hospital.” He has been a featured actor in such series as “Scrubs,” “Married with Children” and “Seinfeld.” His stage credits include lead roles in Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as founding two theatre companies in Southern California. Lane will be featured in the role of Capulet in the MTSU Theatre & Dance production of Romeo & Juliet, which will run Nov. 2-10 at Tucker Theatre. To learn more about Lane Davies, visit http://www.lane-davies.com. For more on MTSU Speech & Theatre, call the department at 615-898-2640.

GIMME SHELTER--MTSU’s Recreation Center will become a new Red Cross emergency shelter officially in a formal agreement that will be signed at a public ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22 in the upstairs dance studio. “Although I am very excited that we now have this agreement in place, we need many more volunteers who are willing to be trained,” says Ray Wiley, associate director for student recreation. Designated basketball courts in the Recreation Center will be converted to shelters and will accommodate approximately 160 cots. Space will be allotted for storage, first-aid stations, restroom and shower facilities, eating and leisure areas and offices. Since MTSU’s police department will be responsible for handling security during a shelter operation, Chief Buddy Peaster requests that all his officers go through Red Cross training. Contact Tom Tozer in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or ttozer@mtsu.edu.

OF RAPTORS AND RAIDERS--The Hendersonville Raptors, a competitive cheerleading team made up of individuals with disabilities, will travel to Murfreesboro tomorrow, Oct. 20 to help cheer on the MTSU Blue Raiders as they take on Arkansas State University. The Raptors—whose members have won several cheering titles since the squad’s creation four years ago—will make the trip to MTSU, thanks to a cooperative program between the nonprofit VSA Arts Tennessee and an MTSU Excel Organizational Communications Communities Class, also known as ORCO. Dr. Lori Kissinger, who teaches the 30-student ORCO course, says the students in her organizational communications course have worked with the Raptors for several weeks, helping them decorate “art footballs” that the Raptors will present to the team’s 20 senior players.
Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or
lrollins@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Of Raptors and Raiders

The Hendersonville Raptors, a competitive cheerleading team made up of individuals with disabilities, will travel to Murfreesboro this Saturday, Oct. 20 to help cheer on the MTSU Blue Raiders as they take on Arkansas State University. The Raptors—whose members have won several cheering titles since the squad’s creation four years ago—will make the trip to MTSU, thanks to a cooperative program between the nonprofit VSA Arts Tennessee and an MTSU Excel Organizational Communications Communities Class, also known as ORCO. Dr. Lori Kissinger, who teaches the 30-student ORCO course, says the students in her organizational communications course have worked with the Raptors for several weeks, helping them decorate “art footballs” that the Raptors will present to the team’s 20 senior players.

Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
lrollins@mtsu.edu

Gimme shelter

MTSU’s Recreation Center will become a new Red Cross emergency shelter officially in a formal agreement that will be signed at a public ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22 in the upstairs dance studio. “Although I am very excited that we now have this agreement in place, we need many more volunteers who are willing to be trained,” says Ray Wiley, associate director for student recreation. Designated basketball courts in the Recreation Center will be converted to shelters and will accommodate approximately 160 cots. Space will be allotted for storage, first-aid stations, restroom and shower facilities, eating and leisure areas and offices. Since MTSU’s police department will be responsible for handling security during a shelter operation, Chief Buddy Peaster requests that all his officers go through Red Cross training.

Contact Tom Tozer in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
ttozer@mtsu.edu

The roles of a lifetime

Lane Davies, MTSU alum and star of stage and screen, will be featured in an open forum at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building to discuss his career and life in theatre, TV and film. Lane is best known for his roles in daytime television as Mason Capwell on “Santa Barbara” and as Dr. Cameron Lewis on “General Hospital.” He has been a featured actor in such series as “Scrubs,” “Married with Children” and “Seinfeld.” His stage credits include lead roles in Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Taming of the Shrew, as well as founding two theatre companies in Southern California. Lane will be featured in the role of Capulet in the MTSU Theatre & Dance production of Romeo & Juliet, which will run Nov. 2-10 at Tucker Theatre.

To learn more about Lane Davies, visit http://www.lane-davies.com. For more on MTSU Speech & Theatre, call the department at 615-898-2640.

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”--DOROTHY IN “THE WIZARD OF OZ”--MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. Walls will begin to go up today, Oct. 18, at the construction site located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro as teams working in two shifts labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas. Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING--WMOT-FM’s annual membership appeal and on-air fundraising drive continues through today. It will benefit MTSU’s nonprofit public broadcasting radio station. This year also marks the station’s 39th anniversary and its 25th year as an all-jazz formatted station. “Those who listen to and enjoy WMOT must support it financially,” says Keith Palmer, the station’s director of development. “Pledge so that radio in Middle Tennessee keeps swinging.” WMOT-FM is located on the radio dial at 89.5 and online at http://www.wmot.org. Contact Palmer at 615-898-2800 or kpalmer@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER--Lalo Davila, a professor of music at MTSU, will be one of the guest percussionists performing in “Cuban Fire,” a night of salsa and jazz with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 19, at the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Both concerts will feature the Latin jazz of Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and others. Davila, a Pearl recording artist, also is co-leader and vocalist of the Latin jazz band Orkesta Eme Pe. He is Director of Percussion Studies at MTSU and leader of the MTSU Salsa Band and Percussion Ensemble. Admission to either concert is $20 general admission, $15 for seniors. Contact Davila at 615-898-2803 or gdavila@mtsu.edu.

“CATCH A WAVE AND YOU’RE SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD.”—THE BEACH BOYS IN “CATCH A WAVE”--MTSU Blue Raider football fans will gather on the Murfreesboro public square the morning of Saturday, Oct. 20, and march en masse to campus, creating the first ever Blue Raider Wave. At the event, a committee will declare a Blue King and Blue Queen based on the wildest, most creative blue outfits and body paint. Each winner will receive a $250 cash grand prize. All in attendance will receive free Blue Raider Wave T-shirts. At noon, the crowd will march the mile down Main Street to the pre-game festivities on the MTSU campus. Prior to the Blue Wave, shuttles will run from the campus to the square from 10-11 a.m., allowing people to park near campus, ride the shuttle downtown and then walk back to campus. The Blue Raiders will take on Arkansas State at 2:30 p.m. at Floyd Stadium. Contact Bracken Mayo at 615-944-2778 or Rob Fortney at 615-456-6464 or blueraiderwave@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“There’s no place like home.”--Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”

MTSU students will sponsor a Habitat for Humanity home with 300 student volunteers beginning construction this week on a new house that will be completed within two weeks and dedicated at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. Walls will begin to go up tomorrow, Oct. 18, at the construction site located at 446 State St. in Murfreesboro as teams working in two shifts labor to build a Habitat home for the Bautista family. The five-member Bautista clan has lived with family, in a basement and in public housing over the years, but never truly had a place to call home. Jacqueline I. Victory, director of MTSU’s Office of Leadership & Service, says the MTSU Student Government Association has spent two years working to raise the $50,000 needed to build the Habitat home for the Bautistas.

Contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
lrollins@mtsu.edu

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world.”—The Beach Boys in “Catch a Wave”

MTSU Blue Raider football fans will gather on the Murfreesboro public square the morning of Saturday, Oct. 20, and march en masse to campus, creating the first ever Blue Raider Wave. At the event, a committee will declare a Blue King and Blue Queen based on the wildest, most creative blue outfits and body paint. Each winner will receive a $250 cash grand prize. All in attendance will receive free Blue Raider Wave T-shirts. At noon, the crowd will march the mile down Main Street to the pre-game festivities on the MTSU campus. Prior to the Blue Wave, shuttles will run from the campus to the square from 10-11 a.m., allowing people to park near campus, ride the shuttle downtown and then walk back to campus. The Blue Raiders will take on Arkansas State at 2:30 p.m. at Floyd Stadium.

Contact Bracken Mayo at 615-944-2778 or Rob Fortney at 615-456-6464.
blueraiderwave@yahoo.com

“Always do the right thing.”—Da Mayor in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”

In a book titled The Happiness Hypothesis, psychologist Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia posits that there is an intuitive morality in people—that the tendency to want to do the right thing is in our genetic makeup, not just a result of our upbringing or environment. Corey Teague, psychology, says he has not read Haidt’s book, but Teague describes his own thoughts as tending to “focus on a holistic view of human development. That is, there are nature and nurture factors/forces that influence decision making. ‘Doing the right thing’ is a decision. This decision, I evaluate, would be related to moral development, beliefs and values. However, moral development, beliefs and values can be affected by genetics and vice versa. Therefore, I guess it is safe to say that it is not just genetics or upbringing.”

Contact Teague at 615-898-5231.
cteague@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING--WMOT-FM’s annual membership appeal and on-air fundraising drive continues through Oct. 18. It will benefit MTSU’s nonprofit public broadcasting radio station. This year also marks the station’s 39th anniversary and its 25th year as an all-jazz formatted station. “Those who listen to and enjoy WMOT must support it financially,” says Keith Palmer, the station’s director of development. “Pledge so that radio in Middle Tennessee keeps swinging.” WMOT-FM is located on the radio dial at 89.5 and online at http://www.wmot.org. Contact Palmer at 615-898-2800 or kpalmer@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS--The October 2007 edition of “MT Record” offers many interesting stories about the people and events that make MTSU special. Stories include features on an art faculty member’s work on a Civil War mural, a student whose groundbreaking research in forensic anthropology earned her a fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution, the MTSU Wind Ensemble’s trip to China, inside tips on getting ready to go to college and the latest edition of “Centennial Countdown.” “MT Record” is produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder from the Office of News and Public Affairs. Go to http://www.mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record—TV Program” for the days and times “MT Record” airs in your area.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER--Lalo Davila, a professor of music at MTSU, will be one of the guest percussionists performing in “Cuban Fire,” a night of salsa and jazz with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Both concerts will feature the Latin jazz of Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and others. Davila, a Pearl recording artist, also is co-leader and vocalist of the Latin jazz band Orkesta Eme Pe. He is Director of Percussion Studies at MTSU and leader of the MTSU Salsa Band and Percussion Ensemble. Admission to either concert is $20 general admission, $15 for seniors. Contact Davila at 615-898-2803 or gdavila@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Art in the computer age

Computers are not just utilitarian tools for business and outlets for networking. They are a means for artists to express their creativity. Marc Barr, electronic media communication, uses digital images from electron microscopes in the creation of his unique, award-winning coffee cups. Has the use of digital imagery changed his inner creative process from what it was before the personal computer became commonplace? “One of the things I noticed about using the computer is that I had many more options, Barr says. He uses the analogy of writing a paper on a typewriter with only one font and the technical difficulty of changing a word to vary the language (eraser and white-out) to writing on a word processor with many different fonts, a built-in dictionary and thesaurus and the ability to cut and paste word changes.

Contact Barr at 615-898-5628.
mjbarr@mtsu.edu

Chemistry for kids

Can you put a stick through a balloon without it popping? Can you get a hard-boiled egg into and out of a bottle? Do you know how sunscreen works? What is tie-dye milk? Tune in and find out the answers to these chemistry riddles and learn many other fun-filled chemistry facts from some exciting hands-on chemistry experiments. Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, chemistry professor and faculty advisor to Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS), will present “Hands-On Chemistry” through MTSU’s Satellite and Webcasting Center today from 9-10 a.m. CST (10-11 a.m. EST). This enrichment program is aimed at students in grades 5-8.

For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

The beat of a different drummer

Lalo Davila, a professor of music at MTSU, will be one of the guest percussionists performing in “Cuban Fire,” a night of salsa and jazz with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19, at the Martha Rivers Ingram Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. Both concerts will feature the Latin jazz of Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Arturo Sandoval and others. Davila, a Pearl recording artist, also is co-leader and vocalist of the Latin jazz band Orkesta Eme Pe. He is Director of Percussion Studies at MTSU and leader of the MTSU Salsa Band and Percussion Ensemble. Admission to either concert is $20 general admission, $15 for seniors.

Contact Davila at 615-898-2803.
gdavila@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING--WMOT-FM’s annual membership appeal and on-air fundraising drive continues through Oct. 18. It will benefit MTSU’s nonprofit public broadcasting radio station. This year also marks the station’s 39th anniversary and its 25th year as an all-jazz formatted station. “Those who listen to and enjoy WMOT must support it financially,” says Keith Palmer, the station’s director of development. “Pledge so that radio in Middle Tennessee keeps swinging.” WMOT-FM is located on the radio dial at 89.5 and online at http://www.wmot.org. Contact Palmer at 615-898-2800 or kpalmer@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS--The October 2007 edition of “MT Record” offers many interesting stories about the people and events that make MTSU special. Stories include features on an art faculty member’s work on a Civil War mural, a student whose groundbreaking research in forensic anthropology earned her a fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution, the MTSU Wind Ensemble’s trip to China, inside tips on getting ready to go to college and the latest edition of “Centennial Countdown.” “MT Record” is produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder from the Office of News and Public Affairs. Go to http://www.mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record—TV Program” for the days and times “MT Record” airs in your area.

RAIDER RALLY--The Rally on Maple, which will take place today, Oct. 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., is a traditional town-gown pep rally to fire up the Blue Raider fans in the community. The rally will take place at Pinnacle on Maple Street between College Avenue and Lytle Street. Along with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, additional hosts will be The Daily News Journal, Main Street and Pinnacle Financial Partners. Admission to the rally will be $5 for all MTSU personnel. There will be music and lots of good food. In case of rain, the event will go on as planned on the 5th floor of Pinnacle. For more information, go to http://www.goblueraiders.com or call 615-898-2450.

THEIR BODY OF WORK--The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition through Friday, Nov. 2. Dr. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. An opening reception for the artists will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. today, Oct. 16, in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Their body of work

The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Of the Body,” an exhibition of contemporary figurative ceramic works from five artists of national recognition today, Oct. 15 through Friday, Nov. 2. Lon Nuell, MTSU art professor and gallery curator, says, “The works to be seen in ‘Of the Body’ represent five unique perspectives that derive from the artists’ personal experiences and interpretations of the human presence in the contemporary world. Within these interpretations five manifestations occur.” The artists whose work will be showcased will include John Donovan, foundations instructor at MTSU. An opening reception for the artists will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 16, in the gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.

Contact Eric Snyder, gallery assistant, at 615-898-5653.

Raider rally

The Rally on Maple, which will take place tomorrow, Oct. 16, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., is a traditional town-gown pep rally to fire up the Blue Raider fans in the community. The rally will take place at Pinnacle on Maple Street between College Avenue and Lytle Street. Along with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, additional hosts will be The Daily News Journal, Main Street and Pinnacle Financial Partners. Admission to the rally will be $5 for all MTSU personnel. There will be music and lots of good food.In case of rain, the event will go on as planned on the 5th floor of Pinnacle.
For more information, go to http://www.goblueraiders.com or call 615-898-2450.

“Well, I don’t care if it rains or freezes/ Long as I have my plastic Jesus”—“Plastic Jesus,” composed by Ed Rush and George Cromarty

Some people are upset about a talking plastic Jesus figure being marketed by Wal-Mart. But Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, points out that Jesus is marketed in all kinds of ways—movies, books, television, etc. “I talked with a couple of teacher friends, and they said kids sometimes bring the toys to school, and even have, on occasion, used them as part of projects,” says Burriss. “So I wonder what will happen if a child decides to use the plastic Jesus as part of a class project. I can, unfortunately, already see some overzealous teacher or administrator falling victim to the politically correct thought police and telling the child the toy is inappropriate because it might offend someone. Overprotective parents and teachers have already ruined outdoor play. I guess many of them will be taking on the plastic Jesus as well.”

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

TR EXTRA

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING--WMOT-FM’s annual membership appeal and on-air fundraising drive continues through Oct. 18. It will benefit MTSU’s nonprofit public broadcasting radio station. This year also marks the station’s 39th anniversary and its 25th year as an all-jazz formatted station. “Those who listen to and enjoy WMOT must support it financially,” says Keith Palmer, the station’s director of development. “Pledge so that radio in Middle Tennessee keeps swinging.” WMOT-FM is located on the radio dial at 89.5 and online at http://www.wmot.org. Contact Palmer at 615-898-2800 or kpalmer@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SCALE THE TOWER AND FEEL THE POWER OF PAINTBALL--Two physically and mentally challenging competitions open to the public as well as the MTSU community are slated for early next month to raise money for the MTSU Veterans Memorial. The Alpine Tower Challenge is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and Friday, Nov. 2 behind the Campus Recreation Center. The National Guard Paintball Tournament is set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Middle Tennessee Paintball in Spring Hill. There is no entrance fee for either event, but donations are encouraged. In the tower challenge, teams of two persons each will attempt to scale a 55-foot-high wooden structure by using climbing holds, four dangling poles, a wooden “corporate ladder” with several feet of space between the rungs and a cargo net ladder. To learn more about the Alpine Tower Challenge, contact Josh Stone at the recreation center at 615-898-2104 or jrstone@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the National Guard Paintball Tournament, call Staff Sgt. Julius Santini, Tennessee National Guard representative at MTSU, at 615-494-7682 or julius.santini@us.army.mil.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS--The October 2007 edition of “MT Record” offers many interesting stories about the people and events that make MTSU special. Stories include features on an art faculty member’s work on a Civil War mural, a student whose groundbreaking research in forensic anthropology earned her a fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution, the MTSU Wind Ensemble’s trip to China, inside tips on getting ready to go to college and the latest edition of “Centennial Countdown.” “MT Record” is produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder from the Office of News and Public Affairs. Go to http://www.mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record—TV Program” for the days and times “MT Record” airs in your area.