Monday, December 10, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Speaking of sports

In an Oct. 3 commentary on National Public Radio, Frank Deford chastised the Monday Night Football booth trio (Mike Tirico, Tony Kornheiser and Ron Jaworski) on ESPN for too much meaningless babble and crosstalk getting in the way of the enjoyment and appreciation of the game. Deford also criticized what he considered to be the sameness of the announcers and the absence of unique perspectives. Dr. Roger Heinrich, an associate professor of electronic media communication who teaches a course on the history of sports in the media, says, “On December 20, 1980, NBC's Don Ohlmeyer green-lighted a one-game experiment for the network to air a game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins sans announcers. The experiment failed miserably. Sports announcers will always have detractors. Howard Cosell had many, but they have been proven to be a necessity of the game."

Contact Heinrich at 615-904-8565.
heinrich@mtsu.edu

The chemistry of teaching

Governor Phil Bredesen, who majored in physics and entered politics as a second career, proposes drawing from the ranks of mid-career professionals to produce more high school teachers. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “It is not enough to simply hand off content—the Internet can do that for free. Great teaching is an art that you can’t learn by simply sitting in a classroom or even by watching on the sidelines as an intern. While I can teach any student how to diagram the chemical play of an acid passing a proton to a base, and then execute it, you can’t teach teaching to just anyone. In math and science, we need greater numbers of passionate teachers and effective coaches, wherever and however they learned their craft, so that our country can continue to compete and win on the international playing field.”

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

Reduce, reflect, and recycle

Three MTSU art students have transformed waste into wonder with a project that turns a trip to the James E. Walker Library into a consciousness-raising experience. Hannah Green of Knoxville, Christine Peterson of Lyles and Erin Piper of Murfreesboro, members of the Student Art Alliance, will leave their artwork, titled “Reduce,” in place through the last day of final exams Thursday, Dec. 13. It consists of a pile of bags of paper from copiers and recycle bins and strings of crumpled paper stretched across the library atrium. Posters made of recycled cardboard and located beside the pile on the main floor in front of the staircase alert library users to the wisdom of printing double-sided and previewing before they print to avoid waste.

Contact Kristen Keene at the Walker Library at 615-898-5376.
kkeene@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.

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE--More than 1,400 degree candidates are expected to graduate during MTSU’s 96th fall commencement ceremonies, according to Dr. Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services. On Saturday, Dec. 15, MTSU again will feature dual ceremonies and dual speakers starting at 9 a.m and 1 p.m. in Murphy Center. Gregg F. Morton, president of AT&T Tennessee, will be the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. Dr. Viola Miller, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, will be the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. ceremony. On Dec. 15, the doors to Murphy Center will open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony. For the afternoon ceremony, the doors will open at noon. Contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.