Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Mystery meat in the school cafeteria

A report card created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest gives more than half of all states grades of D-plus or lower for their school food plans. Only 11 states have comprehensive standards applicable to all foods and all grade levels. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says, “I do believe that it’s time for the federal government to pass laws governing the types of foods sold in all school venues. The Tennessee legislature passed one of the most comprehensive school foods laws in the nation, which is the main reason we scored a B-plus on the ‘School Food Report Card.’ (We didn’t get an A because our school food law does not include high school—only Pre-K through 8.)”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

The Not Ready for Crime Time Players

In a recent editorial in USAToday, Richard Rosenfeld of the University of Missouri-St. Louis says CQ Press’ annual rankings of the “most dangerous cities” in America, according to the latest FBI crime statistics, is “meaningless, damaging and irresponsible.” Do these rankings really tell us anything about how safe we are? Carter F. Smith, criminal justice administration, says the rankings depend on the statistical foundation in which the cities were analyzed. “CQ says Mission Viejo, Calif., was the safest city and Detroit, Mich., was the most dangerous city,” points out Smith. “Meanwhile, the Crime Trends site linked from Dr. Rosenfeld’s university Website (http://www.crimetrends.com/id5.html) ranks New Orleans as the highest in homicide rates and 10 cities in the North and Midwest as lowest based on an analysis of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. Detroit was tied for 16th place (with a rate almost half of New Orleans), and Mission Viejo (tied for) 184th with about a fourth of the rate of Detroit.”

Contact Smith at 615-898-2630.
carterfsmith@gmail.com

Chickens coming home to roost

Last week, the Bush Administration revealed a plan to help as many as 1.2 million homeowners whose mortgage rates are scheduled to rise in the coming months. Dr. Doug Timmons, economics and finance, says the so-called “Teaser Freezer” plan will let loan servicers modify loans without facing lawsuits from investors. But Timmons is not certain investors will go for the idea, and he says there could be numerous lawsuits dealing with this issue. Timmons says, “…Subprime loans would never have been made if traditional lending concepts like down payments and income-to-debt ratio standards had been applied. The no documentation/no income verification loans came with low initial rates that would reset in a few years to levels borrowers could never pay. Surely loan originators knew this. They were motivated by the commissions generated on new loans.”

Contact Timmons at 615-898-5750.
jtimmons@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.

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 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.