Monday, February 11, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Stimulating!

Congress has endorsed a compromise economic stimulus package, and a survey conducted by MTSU prior to final passage found that consumers believe that tax rebates would have a positive effect on the economy, at least in the short run. The latest Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Report from the Office of Consumer Research (OCR) at MTSU was conducted with 495 randomly selected adult residents of Davidson, Williamson and Rutherford counties on Feb. 4 and 5. Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the OCR, says, “When asked what they would most likely do with any tax rebate money, if they were to receive it, only 15 percent of consumers said that they would spend the money. Saving the money was the most often cited use for any tax rebates. One-fourth of consumers plan to use most of the money to pay off debt, whereas another one-fourth of consumers plan to use the money for a combination of spending, saving and paying off debt.”

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

An artist’s dozen

The Department of Art’s second 12”x12” biannual national juried exhibition is on display through Friday, Feb. 22, in The Gallery at MTSU’s Todd Hall. Dave Hickey, nationally acclaimed culture and art critic, served as the juror for the exhibition. More than 200 artists from across the United States submitted more than 600 pieces of work for consideration. There were no media restrictions, and all works were to measure no more than 12” in any direction. Three-dimensional pieces were not to exceed 12” in any direction including the base. Included in the show are the works of Tennessee artists Rocky Horton, Nashville; Arlyn Ende, Sewanee; Dwayne Butcher and Trever Nicholas, Memphis; Melissa Krosnick, Cowan; and Sarah Shebaro, Knoxville. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Lon Nuell at 615-898-2505.
lrnuell@mtsu.edu

“You and me and all that stuff we’re so scared of”—Bruce Springsteen, “Tunnel of Love”

Most of the time, a tunnel of love is a leisurely romantic ride, not a house of horrors. But the sixth annual Tunnel of Love at MTSU will take participants on a self-guided tour of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their terrifying impacts. Two-thirds of all STIs occur in 16-24 year-olds, which makes this event a great opportunity to educate students about how to guard against becoming infected. The Tunnel of Love will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on St. Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building. It is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Performance and is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Casie Higginbotham at 615-904-8274.
chigginb@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

WHAT ITEMS ARE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?--Dr. Janet Belsky, professor of psychology, will be a guest on “In Your Prime,” a discussion program on NewsChannel5+ (Comcast Channel 50), with host Meryll Rose. Belsky, an expert on issues regarding aging, will discuss setting goals toward the end of one’s life as did the main characters in the recent movie “The Bucket List.” This program will air again at at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15; at noon, Saturday, Feb. 16; at 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17; and at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 20. For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

IRAQ AROUND THE CLOCK--Dr. Juan R.I. Cole, the Richard P. Mitchell Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan, will speak on “The Millennium in Pursuit: Shi’ite Opposition to the U.S. in Iraq” at 7 p.m. tonight, Feb. 11, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Cole, a recent past president of the Middle East Studies Association, is a leading expert on Egypt, Iran, Iraq and South Asia, particularly 19th century history and studies of Shi’ite Islam and the Baha’i faith. Frequently, Cole appears as a guest on “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer” on PBS and contributes op-ed columns for The Nation, Salon.com, Tikkun, The Guardian, The Daily Star (Beirut) and other media outlets. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center at 615-494-7906 or 615-494-8809, or send an e-mail to ahibbard@mtsu.edu.

SAX APPEAL--Two-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and composer Jeff Coffin will speak at 12:40 p.m. today, Feb. 11, in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. This speech is free and open to the public.

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF ISSUES--Dr. Eric Klumpe, associate professor of physics and astronomy, will conduct a Faculty Brown Bag Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Room 475 (Conference Room) of MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. Klumpe will talk about the work titled Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos: The View from the Center of the Universe by Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams. Also up for discussion are other issues raised by discoveries in the field of cosmology in the last 20 years. This talk is free, but seating is limited. Please register your attendance in advance. Contact Bill Black at wblack@mtsu.edu or Dr. Gary Wulfsberg at gwulfsbe@mtsu.edu.