Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Steely Pan

Liam Teague, a speel-pan (drum) virtuoso, will perform in a public concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. Hailed as the “Paganini of the Steel Pan,” Teague is recognized as a prodigy in his native Trinidad. A three-time winner of the National Solo Pan Competition, Teague currently serves as assistant professor of music and co-director of the Northern Illinois University Steel Band, the same institution where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. Lalo Davila, associate professor of percussion at MTSU, says Teague’s playing as soloist with a symphony orchestra has led to performances in Europe, Asia, North America and the Caribbean. General admission for this concert is $5.

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

Log in for libertarianism.

Ron Paul is taking up where Howard Dean left off in the utilization of the Internet in presidential campaigns. “Paul right now has more unique visitors to his Web site than any other candidate out there,” says Patrick Chinnery, political science instructor and mock trial coach. “According to the Google tracking software, Ron Paul has had some 460,000 unique visitors to his Web site. The next closest is Fred Thompson, coming in at about 400,000.” Paul, a Republican Congressman whose positions are more libertarian than those of his competitors, is also a surprise hit on YouTube. “YouTube’s out there,” says Chinnery. “Everyone can go and search for it, and once one person starts viewing the video, it’s going to spread like wildfire.”

Contact Chinnery at 615-898-2708.
chinnery@mtsu.edu

Don’t cell them short.

Teams of scientists in Wisconsin and Japan last week announced they have reprogrammed regular human skin cells to mimic stem cells, a breakthrough which might ultimately render the debate over the morality of using embryonic stem cells moot. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “Like all cell biologists, they knew that a human cell expresses its identity, not just by the face it shows under the microscope lights, and not just by the role it plays in our body’s stage, but also by the proteins that it expresses within itself. … The two teams found four genes, two of which were in common, that were required to reprogram a mature skin cell so that it would express itself much like an embryonic stem cell. These genes were inserted with viruses, but other gene-insertion techniques, perhaps of a pharmaceutical nature, will likely be developed in the future.”

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

TR EXTRA

TUNE IN NEXT TIME--The December edition of the television program “Middle Tennessee Record” will present MTSU homecoming highlights; the groundbreaking at the site where a veterans memorial will be erected on campus; the dedication of a new home built by MTSU students volunteering for Habitat for Humanity; the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference to encourage girls who are interested in math and science; a new television program from the Department of Recording Industry that offers professional advise on songwriting; and other features that highlight MTSU faculty, students and events. To find out when “Middle Tennessee Record” airs in your area, go to http://www.mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record” on the right side of the page. For more information, contact John Lynch, Director of Marketing Technologies, at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

A FIRST AT THE FRIST--The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, 919 Broadway in Nashville, will feature “Mid-State Art Majors,” an aptly titled exhibit that will include works by eight MTSU art students through Dec. 31. “I’ve been here four years and there’s never been a show put together like this,” says Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art and liaison for the exhibit. “They came to us with the opportunity, and we were thrilled.” Art professors nominated MTSU students to be featured in the exhibit. Then a panel of faculty chose students to represent each of the concentrations of the art department—printmaking, ceramics, paintings, sculpture and graphic design. For more information about the exhibit, including driving directions, please visit the center’s online site at http://www.fristcenter.org.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT--The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) at MTSU is accepting applications from faculty for its 2008 Curriculum Integration Grants. The 2007 grants, which have been awarded to three professors in allocations of $1,800 each, are being used to infuse courses at MTSU with an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of women. Dr. Jane Marcellus, journalism, will teach a course in the spring semester titled “Women in Journalism History.” Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, used her grant to create a version of her “Foundations of Government” general education class that would be applicable in a study-abroad context in Cherbourg, France. And Jeremy Rich, history, fashioned a course on “Women in Africa.” For more information on how to apply for this year’s grants, contact Dr. Tina Johnson, PCSW chair and associate professor of English at 615-898-2705 or ntjohnso@mtsu.edu.

GET THE PICTURE?--“One Perspective/Two Countries: Mexico/Italy” is the photography exhibit on display through Dec. 6 at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery at MTSU. Harvey Stein teaches at the International Center of Photography and has been on the faculty of the New School University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Drew University, Bridgeport University and Jersey City State College. His photographs have been published in numerous magazines, including Time, Life, Esquire, The New Yorker, Forbes, People, and Smithsonian. For gallery hours, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

THE CIVIL WAR AND MORE--The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County will honor its successful community partnership and commemorate its official grand opening with a “Warm, White Winter Welcome” public reception from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30. Located at 225 West College St., the center’s staff will kick off the free and open event with a 3 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony that also celebrates the completion of The Heritage Center’s main exhibit gallery, The Time that Changed Everything. Missouri native Julie Lenger, who is a graduate student enrolled in MTSU’s history program, was one of two student designers of the permanent display. “The Civil War exhibit is more elaborate than previous Heritage Center exhibits, both in scope and style,” she says. “This exhibit includes 13 interpretive panels that explain the events of the war in Rutherford County and includes period maps, photographs and drawings.” For more information, contact Melissa Zimmerman at 615-217-8013 or mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.

STEP LIVELY!--MTSU Dance Theatre’s 40-member cast will bring new life to the stage through innovative and classical choreography in its Fall Dance Concert, which will be presented at 7:30 p.m. daily tomorrow through Dec. 1 in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building’s Tucker Theatre. This year’s concert will feature “Crossing Ground,” choreographed by Michelle Ikle, a specialist in jazz, and “Freedom Riders,” choreographed by Travis D. Gatling, a celebration of individuals who had the courage to take a stand on racial issues in the 1960s. “MTSU’s guest artists match those of larger universities or more established programs,” remarks Kim Nofsinger, director of dance for MTSU. “Exposure to the artists provides students with a variety of insights and experiences within dance.” For more information, please call 615-494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.