Thursday, January 31, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The State of the Uterus Address

A recent article in The New York Times found that advice on how much exercise pregnant women should do and to what extent they should do it is varied and contradictory. A photo of a pregnant entrant in the New York City Marathon accompanied the article. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says, “Typically, women should be encouraged to do some moderate physical activity during pregnancy. For most, with the approval of their physician, they could continue the type of exercise program they had prior to conception—using some common sense. Most need to taper off toward the last weeks of pregnancy. And anything that could cause physical trauma to the fetus should be avoided, such as playing football, skydiving, or bungie jumping.”

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

All night long

Up ‘til Dawn, a benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, will be held from 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, to 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, in MTSU’s Campus Recreation Center. It will be open to the public from 7 p.m. to midnight Feb. 1. A $5 donation is requested. Attendees will be entertained by sporting events, live entertainment and free food. A hypnotist is expected to be part of the late-night activities. A guest patient from St. Jude will speak. Last year, Up ‘til Dawn raised more than $96,000. This year’s goal is $105,000.

For more information, call 615-904-8270, or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~uptldawn.

Bang for the buck

Is the enormous cost of an advertisement in the Super Bowl necessarily a wise expenditure in terms of return on investment? What are the criteria for making that decision? Based on a combined estimated cost of $3 million for production and airtime, a company’s CPM (cost per thousand people reached) would be about $32, Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says. “The cost efficiency as measured by CPM makes Super Bowl advertising appealing, even if the outlay is quite high,” he notes. “The question a potential Super Bowl advertiser must ask, given these considerations, is, ‘How many of the 94 million viewers are part of my target market?’ If it is believed the audience has substantial overlap with a brand’s target market, then Super Bowl advertising may be the best $100K per second a marketer ever spends!”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LINGERIE LIVES!--MTSU Theatre & Dance will present Underwear: The Musical, book, music and lyrics by Heidi Ervin and Brandon Gwinn, at 7:30 p.m. from tonight, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 2 in the Studio Theatre of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. This tender, hilariously irreverent and original musical reveals a unique plan to control men and rule the world through the ingenious design of their underwear. Though lighthearted and endearing, Underwear: The Musical features scantily clad performers (no nudity) and mature themes. Therefore, it might not be appropriate for teenagers and younger children. General admission tickets are $3 each. The show will be performed in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. More information is available at http://www.underwearthemusical.com/.

SHE’S A MAINIAC--MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

BRINGING THE MIDDLE EAST TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE--MTSU Honors students are going beyond the headlines to understand more about the customs and values of people in the Middle East. In “Contemporary Middle East Culture: Film, Music and Literature,” students are listening to music from various traditions, viewing films produced by contemporary Arab and Israeli directors, and read literary work by writers from the region. In their explorations, they discuss issues of language, identity, borders, homeland and memory. The instructors, Dr. Sonja Hedgepeth, professor of foreign languages and literatures, and Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and director of the MTSU Middle East Center, can assure students of a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the Middle East than that which is afforded by news stories reported in the general media. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

THE GREEN FIELDS OF THE MIND--The 35th annual Groundhog Day Luncheon to benefit Blue Raider baseball is slated for 11:30 a.m. this Friday, Feb. 1, at Murphy Center. The traditional menu of hamhocks, white beans, tomato salad, green onions, cornbread, chocolate cake and ice cream will be available. Former Blue Raider standouts Brett Carroll, Matt Ray and Todd Martin are among those who will be in attendance. On Saturday, Feb. 2, the Middle Tennessee baseball program will conduct its “Show Me” Camp from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Murphy Center. The camp is for children ages six to 12. Hitting, pitching, infield play, outfield play, and base running will be the topics for the five sessions by coaches, players and former players. All campers should bring their gloves. For information on the luncheon, call 615-898-2103 or 615-898-2210. For information on the camp, call 615-898-2450 or 615-898-2961.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A mind is a terrible thing to misunderstand.

Rene Descartes’ immortal words, “I think; therefore, I am,” might mean more to a neuroscientist if they are turned around to read, “I am; therefore, I think.” In the opening lecture of the spring semester Honors Lecture Series on “The Mind,” Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the University Honors College, said Descartes thought the body was mechanical, and the mind is a ghost in the brain. But Carnicom counters, for the sake of argument, “If we have free will, then our behavior is not physically deterministic. It is unpredictable. It is not subject to scientific study or natural law, which means that the scientific fields of psychology, sociology, neuroscience are fruitless.” However, neuroscientists operate under a reductionist assumption, says Carnicom. “The mind is a product of the brain and subject to the same laws.”

Contact Carnicom at 615-898-7611.
carnicom@mtsu.edu

The green fields of the mind

Today is the final day to purchase tickets for the 35th annual Groundhog Day Luncheon to benefit Blue Raider baseball. The event is slated for 11:30 a.m. this Friday, Feb. 1, at Murphy Center, and tickets are $20 each. The traditional menu of hamhocks, white beans, tomato salad, green onions, cornbread, chocolate cake and ice cream will be available. Former Blue Raider standouts Brett Carroll, Matt Ray and Todd Martin are among those who will be in attendance. On Saturday, Feb. 2, the Middle Tennessee baseball program will conduct its “Show Me” Camp from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Murphy Center. The camp is for children ages six to 12. Hitting, pitching, infield play, outfield play, and base running will be the topics for the five sessions by coaches, players and former players. All campers should bring their gloves.

For information on the luncheon, call 615-898-2103 or 615-898-2210. For information on the camp, call 615-898-2450 or 615-898-2961.

Moms don’t mind the commercials.

Who should be the target audience for Super Bowl commercials? Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says the audience will be more demographically diverse than just men and sports fans because the Super Bowl is a cultural event as much as it is a sporting event. Roy says, “According to a survey done for the Marketing to Moms Coalition, 80 percent of moms surveyed said they would watch the Super Bowl. Perhaps more importantly, 60 percent of moms said they watch the Super Bowl to see the commercials! So the idea of targeting women with a 30-second Super Bowl spot is not so far-fetched if the survey’s findings mirror the behaviors of moms across the general population.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LINGERIE LIVES!--MTSU Theatre & Dance will present Underwear: The Musical, book, music and lyrics by Heidi Ervin and Brandon Gwinn, at 7:30 p.m. from tomorrow, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 2 in the Studio Theatre of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. This tender, hilariously irreverent and original musical reveals a unique plan to control men and rule the world through the ingenious design of their underwear. Though lighthearted and endearing, Underwear: The Musical features scantily clad performers (no nudity) and mature themes. Therefore, it might not be appropriate for teenagers and younger children. General admission tickets are $3 each. The show will be performed in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. More information is available at http://www.underwearthemusical.com.

SHE’S A MAINIAC--MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

BRINGING THE MIDDLE EAST TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE--MTSU Honors students are going beyond the headlines to understand more about the customs and values of people in the Middle East. In “Contemporary Middle East Culture: Film, Music and Literature,” students are listening to music from various traditions, viewing films produced by contemporary Arab and Israeli directors, and read literary work by writers from the region. In their explorations, they discuss issues of language, identity, borders, homeland and memory. The instructors, Dr. Sonja Hedgepeth, professor of foreign languages and literatures, and Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and director of the MTSU Middle East Center, can assure students of a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the Middle East than that which is afforded by news stories reported in the general media. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bringing the Middle East to Middle Tennessee

MTSU Honors students are going beyond the headlines to understand more about the customs and values of people in the Middle East. In “Contemporary Middle East Culture: Film, Music and Literature,” students are listening to music from various traditions, viewing films produced by contemporary Arab and Israeli directors, and read literary work by writers from the region. In their explorations, they discuss issues of language, identity, borders, homeland and memory. The instructors, Dr. Sonja Hedgepeth, professor of foreign languages and literatures, and Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and director of the MTSU Middle East Center, can assure students of a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the Middle East than that which is afforded by news stories reported in the general media.

Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Houston, we have a classroom.

The first of two programs connecting astronaut training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston to the K-6 classroom will be Webcast today at 9 a.m. CST by the MTSU Satellite and Webcasting Center. The Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center will sponsor the program, which will feature a tour of the center hosted by Billy Hix, a Motlow State Community College computer science professor, and Terry Sue Fanning, the curriculum and technology coordinator for Moore County Schools, according to Dr. Connie Schmidt, director of the Instructional Technology Support Center. Teachers and students in Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Knox, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore and Warren counties may view the programs via satellite.

For more information, call Schmidt at 615-898-5191, or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~itsc.

Pay for play

Legislation under consideration in Congress would assess a performance royalty on over-the-air broadcasts of music to be paid to performance artists and/or their record labels. At present, only composers get such royalties, but digital broadcasters pay royalties to composers and artists. Ken Sanney, recording industry adjunct professor and practicing attorney, says, naturally, over-the-air broadcasters object, but “joining the over-the-air broadcasters in their opposition to this legislation are the performers’ own collaborators: the composers and songwriters, who themselves fear that such royalties would cut into their share of the revenue generated by limited advertising dollars.”

Contact Sanney at 615-456-6502.
ksanney@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LINGERIE LIVES!--MTSU Theatre & Dance will present Underwear: The Musical, book, music and lyrics by Heidi Ervin and Brandon Gwinn, at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 2 in the Studio Theatre of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. This tender, hilariously irreverent and original musical reveals a unique plan to control men and rule the world through the ingenious design of their underwear. Though lighthearted and endearing, Underwear: The Musical features scantily clad performers (no nudity) and mature themes. Therefore, it might not be appropriate for teenagers and younger children. General admission tickets are $3 each. The show will be performed in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. More information is available at http://www.underwearthemusical.com.

SHE’S A MAINIAC--MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

DIALING FOR DELEGATES--Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present “MTSU’s Super Tuesday Lecture” at 7 p.m. tonight, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A member of Rhodes’ political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU’s political science department, says Nelson is considered “the gold standard” when it comes to presidential discourse. “He’s one of the leading presidential scholars in the country,” Vile says. For more information, call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Lingerie lives!

MTSU Theatre & Dance will present Underwear: The Musical, book, music and lyrics by Heidi Ervin and Brandon Gwinn, at 7:30 p.m. from Thursday, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 2 in the Studio Theatre of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. This tender, hilariously irreverent and original musical reveals a unique plan to control men and rule the world through the ingenious design of their underwear. Though lighthearted and endearing, Underwear: The Musical features scantily clad performers (no nudity) and mature themes. Therefore, it might not be appropriate for teenagers and younger children. General admission tickets are $3 each. The show will be performed in two acts with a 15-minute intermission.

More information is available at http://www.underwearthemusical.com/.

Can Hyundai cover the spread?

Hyundai was slated to air two 30-second commercials during Super Bowl LXII on Fox this Sunday. Officials with the automaker considered pulling out of those commitments due to concerns that spending nearly $6 million that way would not necessarily spur consumers to go to their local Hyundai dealers during an economic recession. However, they decided ultimately to let the spots run. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “While I give them credit for the careful consideration of whether the Super Bowl ad buy was the best use of marketing dollars, the company’s uncertainty about whether it belongs in the Super Bowl is troubling. If it was a good idea in October when the spots were bought, it should still be a good idea today!”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

Bye-bye, buying!

Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, says consumer satisfaction with the economy has reached a 15-year low, according to Pew polling. Dr. Tim Graeff, director of MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research, says, “The slowdown in the housing market, the credit crunch, recent downturns in the stock market—all play a part in influencing consumers’ perceptions of the economy. If consumers truly believe that the economy is headed for a recession, their own behaviors might actually hasten the downturn. When consumers feel pessimistic about the economy and, in particular, about their own personal financial situation, they tend to hang onto their money in an effort to save for the future. When they do this, they spend less.”

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SHE’S A MAINIAC--MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. Shaw will present a lecture, documentary screening and book signing at 7 p.m. tonight, Jan. 28, in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center. A reception will follow in the gallery. The exhibit and the lecture are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

FIT FOR LIFE--The MTSU Faculty-Staff Health and Wellness Program for the spring semester will begin today, Jan. 28, and run through April 11. For a $25 fee, each registrant will get blood testing before and after the 10-week program, fitness testing, nutritional coaching by a registered dietician and an optional session with a “life skills coach.” Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “The main focus of the program is to replace negative habits related to lack of exercise, poor nutrition and other lifestyle choices that compromise your health and quality of life. … Our exercise coaches are either graduate students in the MTSU exercise science program or have extensive experience as a personal trainer.” Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812 or manshel@mtsu.edu.

DIALING FOR DELEGATES--Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present “MTSU’s Super Tuesday Lecture” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A member of Rhodes’ political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU’s political science department, says Nelson is considered “the gold standard” when it comes to presidential discourse. “He’s one of the leading presidential scholars in the country,” Vile says. For more information, call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.

THE SEVENTIES’ SCREEN--In the 1970s, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and other filmmakers responded in passionate but diverse ways to the defining events of a highly charged political era, including Watergate, Vietnam, the emergence of global corporatism and the continued threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a period when the American film industry eagerly absorbed the values of the counterculture, which, in turn, had deeply questioned the seemingly sacred foundations of American society. This semester, Dr. Will Brantley, English, is teaching “American Film in the 70s,” a University Honors College class which explores some of the ways in which the creative community made sense of the so-called “Me Decade.” Screenings include Cabaret, Carrie, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Nashville, and Taxi Driver. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

For love of rugby

For those who have never seen a rugby scrum, it vaguely resembles one of those NFL piles immediately following a fumble except the players are standing up instead of lying down. An American audience might be intrigued to learn that the players wear no protective equipment, even on the most sensitive parts of the body. Even so, the game has a mental component and employs considerable thought in both the training of players and the execution of strategy. Jeremy Bettle, a 26-year-old MTSU doctoral candidate from Leicester, England, put his educational life on hold to work with USA Rugby, examining videotape of scrimmages and matches and analyzing players to help them improve their skills. With Jeremy’s help, the Americans made it to the World Cup in France in September, playing England, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa, the eventual tournament winner, before being eliminated.

To arrange an interview with Bettle, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Upon further review …

MTSU has been named one of the 146 Best Southeastern Colleges by The Princeton Review, which conducts surveys with millions of college undergraduates in hopes of identifying the top schools in each region of the country. “We include schools that we have a high opinion of their academics and overall college experience,” says Jen Adams, Princeton Review student survey manager. “We survey many, many students and guidance counselors before we make our selections. MTSU should be pleased with being part of this group.” To read MTSU’s complete entry in the rankings, visit http://www.princetonreview.com, register for free access and search for “Middle Tennessee State University” in the school search box.

For more information, contact Doug Williams at 615-898-2919.
fdwilliams@mtsu.edu

Scholar Shipp

A dedicated MTSU alumnus and inductee of the Kennon Hall of Fame has donated $50,000 to his alma mater so that a worthy graduate of a Rutherford County high school can fulfill the dream of a college education. The Ken Shipp Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to a full-time student who is working toward a degree, in good standing with the university, and eligible to receive need-based financial aid. The scholarship will be renewable for a maximum of 10 semesters provided the recipient meets the university’s requirements for continuation. Shipp, an Old Hickory native who graduated from MTSU from 1947 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, played football for the legendary Charles “Bubber” Murphy.

Contact Kippy Todd at 615-898-5756.
ktodd@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“THE ONLY WOMAN AWAKE IS THE WOMAN WHO HAS THE FLUTE.”—RUMI--
The eighth annual MTSU Flute Festival featuring guest artist Jonathan Keeble will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. in the Wright Music Building lobby on the MTSU campus. Guest artist Keeble will give a 2 p.m. recital performance and a 4 p.m. master class in the Hinton Music Hall located in the Wright Music Building. In addition, Keeble will make a presentation titled Making Old Music New: Transforming the ‘Warhorses’ Into Modern Language. “Other flute festival events include a High School Solo and a Junior Solo Competition, which takes place in the morning. Also, area college teachers will be the hosts of a Flute Chat session,” says Deanna Little, festival coordinator and assistant professor of flute. Contact Little at 615-898-2473 or drhahn@mtsu.edu.

SHE’S A MAINIAC--MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. Shaw will present a lecture, documentary screening and book signing at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center. A reception will follow in the gallery. The exhibit and the lecture are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

FIT FOR LIFE--The MTSU Faculty-Staff Health and Wellness Program for the spring semester will begin Monday, Jan. 28, and run through April 11. For a $25 fee, each registrant will get blood testing before and after the 10-week program, fitness testing, nutritional coaching by a registered dietician and an optional session with a “life skills coach.” Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “The main focus of the program is to replace negative habits related to lack of exercise, poor nutrition and other lifestyle choices that compromise your health and quality of life. … Our exercise coaches are either graduate students in the MTSU exercise science program or have extensive experience as a personal trainer.” Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812 or manshel@mtsu.edu.

DIALING FOR DELEGATES--Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present “MTSU’s Super Tuesday Lecture” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A member of Rhodes’ political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU’s political science department, says Nelson is considered “the gold standard” when it comes to presidential discourse. “He’s one of the leading presidential scholars in the country,” Vile says. For more information, call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.

THE SEVENTIES’ SCREEN--In the 1970s, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and other filmmakers responded in passionate but diverse ways to the defining events of a highly charged political era, including Watergate, Vietnam, the emergence of global corporatism and the continued threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a period when the American film industry eagerly absorbed the values of the counterculture, which, in turn, had deeply questioned the seemingly sacred foundations of American society. This semester, Dr. Will Brantley, English, is teaching “American Film in the 70s,” a University Honors College class which explores some of the ways in which the creative community made sense of the so-called “Me Decade.” Screenings include Cabaret, Carrie, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Nashville, and Taxi Driver. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“The Bucket List”

In the recent movie “The Bucket List,” Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman portray two terminally ill old men who make a list of all the things they want to do before they die, or “kick the bucket” (hence the title) and set out to do them. Dr. Janet Belsky, a psychology professor who specializes in aging issues, says, “According to psychologist Erik Erikson, there are specific tasks linked to each of the eight stages of the lifespan (Could he have borrowed the stage idea from Shakespeare?). The agenda of the eighth and final old age stage is to have the sense that you fully lived your unique life. So yes, when death is looming on the scene (or you think you may be kicking the bucket), it’s appropriate to try to squeeze in all those unfulfilled goals—whether it’s to skydive or laugh until you cry or make peace with your kids—so you can feel ‘I lived life to the fullest.’”

Contact Belsky at 615-898-5935.
jbelsky@mtsu.edu

The way they play the game

MTSU’s Sport Management Program will be the point of origin of a new scholarly journal that will provide cutting-edge research on issues affecting the sport industry. A call for papers will be issued soon to scholars around the world requesting submissions for the Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision. The publication is the brainchild of Dr. Colby Jubenville, associate professor of health and human performance and coordinator of that department’s graduate program. In a twist on conventional academic publications, Jubenville says that, in addition to academicians, sport practitioners will be allowed to review scholars’ works, examine their research, and assess whether it is useful to them.

Contact Jubenville at 615-898-2909.
jubenvil@mtsu.edu

She’s a Mainiac

MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibit titled “MAINE WOMEN living on the land” featuring the works of Lauren Shaw. She photographed, recorded and videotaped 20 women whose livelihoods come either from producing a product or building a community. Shaw’s work is in the collections of the Getty Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Library of Congress, among other venues. Shaw will present a lecture, documentary screening and book signing at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center. A reception will follow in the gallery. The exhibit and the lecture are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-2085.
tjimison@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GOING GRAY BEHIND BARS--“Grandma Lifers in Prison: Approaches to Understanding the Lives of a Forgotten Population” will be the first presentation of the new year in the Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., today, Jan. 24, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Ron Aday, professor of sociology and anthropology, will deliver the address and answer questions. “The number of women inmates in state and federal prisons has increased rapidly in recent decades and, more recently, older women have been the fastest growing segment of this population,” Aday says. “As a forgotten minority, virtually nothing is known about the distinct experiences of older women in prison.” 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.

“THE ONLY WOMAN AWAKE IS THE WOMAN WHO HAS THE FLUTE.”—RUMI--
The eighth annual MTSU Flute Festival featuring guest artist Jonathan Keeble will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. in the Wright Music Building lobby on the MTSU campus. Guest artist Keeble will give a 2 p.m. recital performance and a 4 p.m. master class in the Hinton Music Hall located in the Wright Music Building. In addition, Keeble will make a presentation titled Making Old Music New: Transforming the ‘Warhorses’ Into Modern Language. “Other flute festival events include a High School Solo and a Junior Solo Competition, which takes place in the morning. Also, area college teachers will be the hosts of a Flute Chat session,” says Deanna Little, festival coordinator and assistant professor of flute. Contact Little at 615-898-2473 or drhahn@mtsu.edu.

FIT FOR LIFE--The MTSU Faculty-Staff Health and Wellness Program for the spring semester will begin Monday, Jan. 28, and run through April 11. For a $25 fee, each registrant will get blood testing before and after the 10-week program, fitness testing, nutritional coaching by a registered dietician and an optional session with a “life skills coach.” Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “The main focus of the program is to replace negative habits related to lack of exercise, poor nutrition and other lifestyle choices that compromise your health and quality of life. … Our exercise coaches are either graduate students in the MTSU exercise science program or have extensive experience as a personal trainer.” Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812 or manshel@mtsu.edu.

DIALING FOR DELEGATES--Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present “MTSU’s Super Tuesday Lecture” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A member of Rhodes’ political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU’s political science department, says Nelson is considered “the gold standard” when it comes to presidential discourse. “He’s one of the leading presidential scholars in the country,” Vile says. For more information, call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.

THE SEVENTIES’ SCREEN--In the 1970s, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and other filmmakers responded in passionate but diverse ways to the defining events of a highly charged political era, including Watergate, Vietnam, the emergence of global corporatism and the continued threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a period when the American film industry eagerly absorbed the values of the counterculture, which, in turn, had deeply questioned the seemingly sacred foundations of American society. This semester, Dr. Will Brantley, English, is teaching “American Film in the 70s,” a University Honors College class which explores some of the ways in which the creative community made sense of the so-called “Me Decade.” Screenings include Cabaret, Carrie, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Nashville, and Taxi Driver. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Dialing for delegates

Dr. Michael Nelson, the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, will present “MTSU’s Super Tuesday Lecture” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A member of Rhodes’ political science faculty since 1991, Nelson is the author of more than 200 articles published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Politics and Political Science Quarterly and in periodicals such as Newsweek and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Dr. John Vile, chairman of MTSU’s political science department, says Nelson is considered “the gold standard” when it comes to presidential discourse. “He’s one of the leading presidential scholars in the country,” Vile says.

For more information, call 615-898-2534 or 615-898-2351.

General assignment

Combining knowledge of practical applications with an understanding of the theory behind the actions continues to be one of higher education’s trickiest balancing acts. But many colleges and universities, including MTSU, limit the number of mass communication courses a student who has chosen that major can take. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Instead of students narrowly focusing simply on communication courses, they are required to broaden their horizons outside the field. They have to have, for example, a working knowledge of economics, history and science. After all, mass communicators do not produce messages for themselves like the early television pioneers working in electrical engineering labs did; now they produce messages for others to read and see.”

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

Fit for life

The MTSU Faculty-Staff Health and Wellness Program for the spring semester will begin Monday, Jan. 28, and run through April 11. For a $25 fee, each registrant will get blood testing before and after the 10-week program, fitness testing, nutritional coaching by a registered dietician and an optional session with a “life skills coach.” Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “The main focus of the program is to replace negative habits related to lack of exercise, poor nutrition and other lifestyle choices that compromise your health and quality of life. … Our exercise coaches are either graduate students in the MTSU exercise science program or have extensive experience as a personal trainer.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

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LET FREEDOM RING--To celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the MTSU chapter of the NAACP will sponsor a voter registration drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Jan. 23, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. Also on the second floor will be a display chronicling King’s life. Donations will be accepted for the National MLK Memorial being constructed in Washington, D.C. Tonight, at 7 p.m., you can lace up your skates for “Skating for Justice,” an outing at Skatecenter of Murfreesboro, 849 West College Street. For more information on MLK tributes, contact the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987 or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/events_aahm.shtml.

GOING GRAY BEHIND BARS--“Grandma Lifers in Prison: Approaches to Understanding the Lives of a Forgotten Population” will be the first presentation of the new year in the Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., tomorrow, Jan. 24, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Ron Aday, professor of sociology and anthropology, will deliver the address and answer questions. “The number of women inmates in state and federal prisons has increased rapidly in recent decades and, more recently, older women have been the fastest growing segment of this population,” Aday says. “As a forgotten minority, virtually nothing is known about the distinct experiences of older women in prison.” 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.

“THE ONLY WOMAN AWAKE IS THE WOMAN WHO HAS THE FLUTE.”—RUMI--
The eighth annual MTSU Flute Festival featuring guest artist Jonathan Keeble will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. in the Wright Music Building lobby on the MTSU campus. Guest artist Keeble will give a 2 p.m. recital performance and a 4 p.m. master class in the Hinton Music Hall located in the Wright Music Building. In addition, Keeble will make a presentation titled Making Old Music New: Transforming the ‘Warhorses’ Into Modern Language. “Other flute festival events include a High School Solo and a Junior Solo Competition, which takes place in the morning. Also, area college teachers will be the hosts of a Flute Chat session,” says Deanna Little, festival coordinator and assistant professor of flute. Contact Little at 615-898-2473 or drhahn@mtsu.edu.

THE SEVENTIES’ SCREEN--In the 1970s, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and other filmmakers responded in passionate but diverse ways to the defining events of a highly charged political era, including Watergate, Vietnam, the emergence of global corporatism and the continued threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a period when the American film industry eagerly absorbed the values of the counterculture, which, in turn, had deeply questioned the seemingly sacred foundations of American society. This semester, Dr. Will Brantley, English, is teaching “American Film in the 70s,” a University Honors College class which explores some of the ways in which the creative community made sense of the so-called “Me Decade.” Screenings include Cabaret, Carrie, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Nashville, and Taxi Driver. Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“The only woman awake is the woman who has heard the flute.”--Rumi

The eighth annual MTSU Flute Festival featuring guest artist Jonathan Keeble will be held Saturday, Jan. 26, with registration beginning at 8 a.m. in the Wright Music Building lobby on the MTSU campus. Guest artist Keeble will give a 2 p.m. recital performance and a 4 p.m. master class in the Hinton Music Hall located in the Wright Music Building. In addition, Keeble will make a presentation titled Making Old Music New: Transforming the ‘Warhorses’ Into Modern Language. “Other flute festival events include a High School Solo and a Junior Solo Competition, which takes place in the morning. Also, area college teachers will be the hosts of a Flute Chat session,” says Deanna Little, festival coordinator and assistant professor of flute.

Contact Little at 615-898-2473.
drhahn@mtsu.edu

Let freedom ring

To celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the MTSU chapter of the NAACP will sponsor a voter registration drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, Jan. 23, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. Also on the second floor will be a display chronicling King’s life. Donations will be accepted for the National MLK Memorial being constructed in Washington, D.C. Tomorrow night, at 7 p.m., you can lace up your skates for “Skating for Justice,” an outing at Skatecenter of Murfreesboro, 849 West College Street.

For more information on MLK tributes, contact the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987 or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/events_aahm.shtml.

The Seventies’ Screen

In the 1970s, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and other filmmakers responded in passionate but diverse ways to the defining events of a highly charged political era, including Watergate, Vietnam, the emergence of global corporatism and the continued threat of nuclear holocaust. It was a period when the American film industry eagerly absorbed the values of the counterculture, which, in turn, had deeply questioned the seemingly sacred foundations of American society. This semester, Dr. Will Brantley, English, is teaching “American Film in the 70s,” a University Honors College class which explores some of the ways in which the creative community made sense of the so-called “Me Decade.” Screenings include Cabaret, Carrie, The Conversation, The Deer Hunter, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Nashville, and Taxi Driver.

Contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

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WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE--You can contribute to the living legacy of MTSU by allowing officials at the James E. Walker Library to make digital images of your university memorabilia. The MTSU Memory Project is looking for photographs and documents from both the campus community and the community at large. Eventually, these images will be posted on a user-friendly, searchable Web site suitable for both research and reminiscing. If it’s in your attic, in a piano bench, or on a living room bookshelf, the Memory Project wants to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time to come as part of the institution’s history. For more information, contact Ken Middleton at 615-898-8524 or kmiddlet@mtsu.edu or Mayo Taylor at 615-898-5605 or taylorm@mtsu.edu.

READ ALL ABOUT IT--Four recent MTSU graduates now grace the halls of MTSU’s James E. Walker library and the walls of Tennessee high schools on posters encouraging students to read. The latest READ posters are available for viewing in the periodicals section of the library on the main floor. They feature young people from dramatically different walks of life who found reading to be essential to their academic, spiritual and professional lives. Bill Black, library professor in charge of administrative services, says library officials are working gradually to distribute the posters to schools throughout Tennessee. Featured on the posters are John Awan, a native of Sudan who has worked to collect books for shipment to his war-torn homeland; Matthew Bullington, a Murfreesboro native and recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, which paid for all four years of his MTSU education; Kimmie Jones, a Brentwood woman who has refused to let muscular dystrophy block her career in public relations; and Petar Skobic, a native of Croatia who learned English by reading Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien novels. Contact Black at 615-898-2772 or wblack@mtsu.edu.

THE BITE AND THE BLOOD--When MTSU student Craig Hutto lost a leg, he gained a new appreciation of the medical profession—one so intense that it prompted him to change his major. A week before his 17th birthday in June 2005, the Lebanon youngster was on vacation with his family about 50 miles southeast of Panama City. As Craig was fishing with his brother Brian, a bull shark estimated to be six to eight feet long attacked Craig’s right leg, piercing his right femoral artery. Medical personnel who happened to be on vacation on the beach went into action and saved Craig’s life, but they couldn’t save his leg. Craig has since changed his major from computers to nursing and speaks to groups about the importance of blood donations. For more about Craig Hutto, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

GOING GRAY BEHIND BARS--“Grandma Lifers in Prison: Approaches to Understanding the Lives of a Forgotten Population” will be the first presentation of the new year in the Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Ron Aday, professor of sociology and anthropology, will deliver the address and answer questions. “The number of women inmates in state and federal prisons has increased rapidly in recent decades and, more recently, older women have been the fastest growing segment of this population,” Aday says. “As a forgotten minority, virtually nothing is known about the distinct experiences of older women in prison.” 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.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.

MTSU will be closed Monday, Jan. 21, on the official Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. MTSU students will participate in a unity project to make a connection with Murfreesboro youth about King’s legacy at the Discovery Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday. At 6 p.m. on Monday night, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs will sponsor a candlelight vigil at the Keathley University Center Theatre to kick off a week of activities honoring King. Worship leaders from Hillel, the Wesley Foundation and First Baptist Church will reflect on King’s legacy and how it relates to today’s society.

For information on more MTSU events scheduled to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. all week long, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/events_aahm.shtml or call the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2987.

Going gray behind bars

“Grandma Lifers in Prison: Approaches to Understanding the Lives of a Forgotten Population” will be the first presentation of the new year in the Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Ron Aday, professor of sociology and anthropology, will deliver the address and answer questions. “The number of women inmates in state and federal prisons has increased rapidly in recent decades and, more recently, older women have been the fastest growing segment of this population,” Aday says. “As a forgotten minority, virtually nothing is known about the distinct experiences of older women in prison.”

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.

The bite and the blood

When MTSU student Craig Hutto lost a leg, he gained a new appreciation of the medical profession—one so intense that it prompted him to change his major. A week before his 17th birthday in June 2005, the Lebanon youngster was on vacation with his family about 50 miles southeast of Panama City. As Craig was fishing with his brother Brian, a bull shark estimated to be six to eight feet long attacked Craig’s right leg, piercing his right femoral artery. Medical personnel who happened to be on vacation on the beach went into action and saved Craig’s life, but they couldn’t save his leg. Craig has since changed his major from computers to nursing and speaks to groups about the importance of blood donations.

For more about Craig Hutto, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

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WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE--You can contribute to the living legacy of MTSU by allowing officials at the James E. Walker Library to make digital images of your university memorabilia. The MTSU Memory Project is looking for photographs and documents from both the campus community and the community at large. Eventually, these images will be posted on a user-friendly, searchable Web site suitable for both research and reminiscing. If it’s in your attic, in a piano bench, or on a living room bookshelf, the Memory Project wants to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time to come as part of the institution’s history. For more information, contact Ken Middleton at 615-898-8524 or kmiddlet@mtsu.edu or Mayo Taylor at 615-898-5605 or mtaylor@mtsu.edu.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION--“Freed Voices: A Dance Concert Featuring Choreography and Performance by African-American Guest Artists,” a concert to explore and celebrate diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Tucker Theatre on the MTSU campus. More than 30 members of MTSU Dance Theatre, as well as four internationally and nationally known guest artists, will be featured in the upcoming performance. The guest artists were individually commissioned to create works for the student performers, as well as perform solos during the upcoming concert event. Tickets to the Jan. 19-20 performance are $10 per person with group rates available. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid university ID. For more information about the upcoming dance performances, contact Kim Neal Nofsinger at 615-494-7904 or nofsinge@mtsu.edu.

READ ALL ABOUT IT--Four recent MTSU graduates now grace the halls of MTSU’s James E. Walker library and the walls of Tennessee high schools on posters encouraging students to read. The latest READ posters are available for viewing in the periodicals section of the library on the main floor. They feature young people from dramatically different walks of life who found reading to be essential to their academic, spiritual and professional lives. Bill Black, library professor in charge of administrative services, says library officials are working gradually to distribute the posters to schools throughout Tennessee. Featured on the posters are John Awan, a native of Sudan who has worked to collect books for shipment to his war-torn homeland; Matthew Bullington, a Murfreesboro native and recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, which paid for all four years of his MTSU education; Kimmie Jones, a Brentwood woman who has refused to let muscular dystrophy block her career in public relations; and Petar Skobic, a native of Croatia who learned English by reading Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien novels. Contact Black at 615-898-2772 or wblack@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

It’s deep and we’re not sure it’s playable.

With one post-Mitchell Report Congressional hearing on the books and at least one more on the way next month, how will the national pastime restore its steroid-tainted image? Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says Major League Baseball (MLB) “is a money-making machine at the moment, but perceptions that little or nothing is being done to remove the steroid culture … could hurt the brand. As important as maintaining trust with fans who buy tickets for games, MLB must proactively manage the steroid issue to retain the value of MLB for its sponsors and broadcast partners. Their stakes in MLB are much higher than the everyday fan who shells out money for tickets and concessions.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

I wouldn’t touch that with a 10-foot poll.

The voters are having a good laugh at the expense of the pollsters and pundits who misread the outcome of the New Hampshire Democratic primary. And Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says history is replete with election prediction mistakes. In addition to the infamous 1948 “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline in the Chicago Tribune, Burriss says, “In 1916, Lee DeForest, considered one of the fathers of radio, broadcast the Charles Evans Hughes—Woodrow Wilson election returns and predicted a victory (for Hughes). Of course, there was plenty of blame to spread around since DeForest was getting his news from the New York American … So, as we start to, as it were, ‘count ‘em down’ until the election, let’s not take all the polls and predictions too seriously.”

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

READ all about it

Four recent MTSU graduates now grace the halls of MTSU’s James E. Walker library and the walls of Tennessee high schools on posters encouraging students to read. The latest READ posters are available for viewing in the periodicals section of the library on the main floor. They feature young people from dramatically different walks of life who found reading to be essential to their academic, spiritual and professional lives. Bill Black, library professor in charge of administrative services, says library officials are working gradually to distribute the posters to schools throughout Tennessee. Featured on the posters are John Awan, a native of Sudan who has worked to collect books for shipment to his war-torn homeland; Matthew Bullington, a Murfreesboro native and recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, which paid for all four years of his MTSU education; Kimmie Jones, a Brentwood woman who has refused to let muscular dystrophy block her career in public relations; and Petar Skobic, a native of Croatia who learned English by reading Stephen King and J.R.R. Tolkien novels.

Contact Black at 615-898-2772.
wblack@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE--You can contribute to the living legacy of MTSU by allowing officials at the James E. Walker Library to make digital images of your university memorabilia. The MTSU Memory Project is looking for photographs and documents from both the campus community and the community at large. Eventually, these images will be posted on a user-friendly, searchable Web site suitable for both research and reminiscing. If it’s in your attic, in a piano bench, or on a living room bookshelf, the Memory Project wants to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time to come as part of the institution’s history. For more information, contact Ken Middleton at 615-898-8524 or kmiddlet@mtsu.edu or Mayo Taylor at 615-898-5605 or mtaylor@mtsu.edu.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION--“Freed Voices: A Dance Concert Featuring Choreography and Performance by African-American Guest Artists,” a concert to explore and celebrate diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Tucker Theatre on the MTSU campus. More than 30 members of MTSU Dance Theatre, as well as four internationally and nationally known guest artists, will be featured in the upcoming performance. The guest artists were individually commissioned to create works for the student performers, as well as perform solos during the upcoming concert event. Tickets to the Jan. 19-20 performance are $10 per person with group rates available. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid university ID. For more information about the upcoming dance performances, contact Kim Neal Nofsinger at 615-494-7904 or nofsinge@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“He does not weep who does not see.”—Victor Hugo

What does the chatter over Sen. Hillary Clinton’s tears actually mean? Dr. Jane Marcellus, journalism, says, “Of course, the question that provoked the tears was itself gendered. No one would ask George W. Bush or Dick Cheney how they keep going day in and day out or how they manage to keep their hair looking so nice. Realizing that this would never happen raises awareness of how much we still trivialize concerns that are supposedly ‘feminine’ and how much we avoid questioning masculinity.” Marcellus says what she saw in Clinton’s response to the question posed in the New Hampshire diner was “a leader who was passionate about her beliefs, her patriotism and her ability to make the country better.”

Contact Marcellus at 615-898-5282.
jmarcell@mtsu.edu

Export ennui

In the second quarter of 2007, Tennessee exports fell 7.6 percent to $5.255 billion while American exports rose more than 10 percent. Only 10 other states and the District of Columbia reported negative numbers for the quarter. Dr. Steven Livingston, political science, wrote in the Fall 2007 issue of Global Commerce, “Steady gains in most Tennessee exports are being walloped by large losses in what have been the state’s largest export industries. Cotton exports continued their dramatic drop, this [fall] quarter falling to $153 million from $561 [million] a year ago. … The automotive trade also fared poorly this quarter. Tennessee’s Transportation Equipment sector lost nearly $300 million in exports from a year ago (down to $946 million).”

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2720.
slivings@mtsu.edu

How vital are vitamins?

We’ve all heard that taking too many vitamins can be detrimental to one’s health or even, in extreme cases, fatal. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, agrees, but she adds that sometimes taking substantial amounts of vitamins can be beneficial. “In fact, some vitamins like niacin ARE given in large amounts for therapeutic purposes,” Colson says. “Physicians recognize that the vitamin in high doses can have the same benefit as much more costly prescription drugs. So vitamins in high doses, taken without medical supervision, could possibly have very bad adverse effects.”

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

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WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE--You can contribute to the living legacy of MTSU by allowing officials at the James E. Walker Library to make digital images of your university memorabilia. The MTSU Memory Project is looking for photographs and documents from both the campus community and the community at large. Eventually, these images will be posted on a user-friendly, searchable Web site suitable for both research and reminiscing. If it’s in your attic, in a piano bench, or on a living room bookshelf, the Memory Project wants to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time to come as part of the institution’s history. For more information, contact Ken Middleton at 615-898-8524 or kmiddlet@mtsu.edu or Mayo Taylor at 615-898-5605 or mtaylor@mtsu.edu.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION--“Freed Voices: A Dance Concert Featuring Choreography and Performance by African-American Guest Artists,” a concert to explore and celebrate diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Tucker Theatre on the MTSU campus. More than 30 members of MTSU Dance Theatre, as well as four internationally and nationally known guest artists, will be featured in the upcoming performance. The guest artists were individually commissioned to create works for the student performers, as well as perform solos during the upcoming concert event. Tickets to the Jan. 19-20 performance are $10 per person with group rates available. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid university ID. For more information about the upcoming dance performances, contact Kim Neal Nofsinger at 615-494-7904 or nofsinge@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Running like a cheetah

As expected, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled yesterday that amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius can not compete in the Olympics because the curved "Cheetah" blades he uses as prosthetic legs give him a competitive advantage. Of course, the company that makes the blades disagrees. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “This is a dilemma because it penalizes the person who is disabled and is not being given the same opportunity to compete with his or her peers. On the other hand, the IAAF ruling is correct, in my view. ‘Cheetah’ blades do give the runner a competitive advantage, according to published reports.” (Pistorius plans to appeal the ruling, possibly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.)

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

Freedom of expression

“Freed Voices: A Dance Concert Featuring Choreography and Performance by African-American Guest Artists,” a concert to explore and celebrate diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, in Tucker Theatre on the MTSU campus. More than 30 members of MTSU Dance Theatre, as well as four internationally and nationally known guest artists, will be featured in the upcoming performance. The guest artists were individually commissioned to create works for the student performers, as well as perform solos during the upcoming concert event. Tickets to the Jan. 19-20 performance are $10 per person with group rates available. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid university ID.

For more information about the upcoming dance performances, contact Kim Neal Nofsinger at 615-494-7904.
nofsinge@mtsu.edu

Where history comes alive

You can contribute to the living legacy of MTSU by allowing officials at the James E. Walker Library to make digital images of your university memorabilia. The MTSU Memory Project is looking for photographs and documents from both the campus community and the community at large. Eventually, these images will be posted on a user-friendly, searchable Web site suitable for both research and reminiscing. If it’s in your attic, in a piano bench, or on a living room bookshelf, the Memory Project wants to make a digital image of it and preserve it for all time to come as part of the institution’s history.

For more information, contact Ken Middleton at 615-898-8524 or Mayo Taylor at 615-898-5605.
middlet@mtsu.edu
mtaylor@mtsu.edu

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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.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Cue the Zamboni!

Have you ever wondered how arena managers get the ice to stay solid for hockey games? Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “The NHL (National Hockey League) uses giant ammonia chillers to freeze almost two inches of ice, both quickly—since many arenas are also used for rock concerts and basketball games—and hard enough to sport a fast-paced game of professional hockey.” You might think the weather at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo was cold enough to ensure a frozen surface for the game between Buffalo and Pittsburgh that was played outdoors and televised on NBC on New Year’s Day. However, MacDougall says, “An extra ammonia chiller was needed to freeze the rapidly assembled outdoor ice rink to NHL standards …”

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

The first day of the rest of your life

The Rutherford County Retired Teachers Association will sponsor a Pre-Retirement Seminar for educators from 3:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, at the North Boulevard Church of Christ, 1112 North Rutherford Boulevard in Murfreesboro. TODAY is the final day a reservation can be made to attend this FREE seminar. This year’s presenter will be Graham Greeson, Manager of Research and Information Services for the Tennessee Education Association (TEA). Any teacher who will retire under the State Retirement Plan, regardless of whether he or she belongs to TEA, will learn information that will prove to be beneficial in making decisions concerning retirement.

To make a reservation, call Sara Gannon at 615-890-5050, or send an e-mail to Sarag49@aol.com

What a drag!

The third economic quarter dragged on by for the Greater Nashville Metropolitan Area. Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, writes in the Winter 2008 edition of Midstate Economic Indicators, “Nonfarm employment, a broad measure of payroll growth, failed for the first time since 2003 to post a quarterly gain. Manufacturing employment is down from the second quarter, retail and wholesale trade are virtually unchanged, and stalwart educational and health services experienced a modest job loss. Taxable sales are down slightly from the previous quarter, and total employment is unchanged.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

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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.