Friday, December 21, 2007

TODAY’S RESPONSE WILL TAKE THE HOLIDAYS OFF UNTIL JANUARY 14, 2008, WHEN CLASSES WILL RESUME AND FACULTY WILL BE BACK ON CAMPUS. HAVE A WONDERFUL REST OF THE YEAR AND AN EVEN BETTER NEW YEAR!

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“I’m no cheap crooked politician trying to save himself from the consequences of his crimes!”—Orson Welles in “Citizen Kane”

Movies that embrace political subjects, such as war and terrorism, have not been major moneymakers this year. “In the Valley of Elah” netted good reviews and Oscar buzz for star Tommy Lee Jones, but it only pulled in $7 million in ticket sales. Compare that with “Syriana,” the George Clooney espionage film that raked in $51 million in 2005 and earned Clooney an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Dr. Mark Byrnes, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and political science professor, says, “Overall … political movies have not been big draws at the box office. The fact that some still get made anyway might indicate that movie writers and producers find the subject matter compelling.”

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

The dog ate my lawyer’s carefully crafted excuse.

New York Yankees hurler Andy Pettitte claims he never used steroids, and he only used human growth hormone (hGH) twice to help him recover more quickly from an injury. Since Pettitte’s admission, other lesser athletes have said that they don’t think taking hGH on a limited basis should be viewed as harshly as taking anabolic steroids as part of a regular regimen. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says the Major League Baseball Players’ Association is standing in the way of the detection of hGH with its endorsement of the current type of tests. “It’s only urine testing,” Anshel says. “And, so, without blood drawn, you can not get at a number of substances that are viewed as performance-enhancing. And human growth hormone is one of them.”

Audio clips and radio-ready stories with Anshel’s comments are available at www.mtsunews.com.
manshel@mtsu.edu

Are you drunker than a fifth-grader?

Thirty-seven states mandate drug and alcohol education in the public schools, but are you ready for alcohol education for elementary school youngsters? A University of Pittsburgh study published in the September issue of Prevention Science finds that seven percent of fourth-graders surveyed said they had taken an alcoholic drink in the past year. The percentages shoot up to 8.6 percent in fifth grade and 12.9 percent in sixth grade. Dr. Doug Winborn, health and human performance, says, “In order to intervene, it is preferable to identify and address the true problem. Lack of supervision, parental involvement, participation in school, community, extracurricular activities, finding and developing a talent—these tend to be the most predictive factors.”

Contact Winborn at 615-898-5110.
jwinborn@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 Monday, 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.