Thursday, March 13, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

ATTENTION, EDITORS: The MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs has moved from Room 209 in the Cope Administration Building to the Tom H. Jackson Building just off Middle Tennessee Boulevard between Kirksey Old Main and the Voorhies Industrial Studies Building. Our phone numbers and e-mail addresses remain the same, but our post office box number for “snail mail” on campus is now Box 72. Please continue to visit www.mtsunews.com for MTSU information.

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Nearly two-thirds of Tennesseans favor opening the state’s pre-kindergarten program to wealthier children in addition to poor ones, according to the latest MTSU Poll. Dr. Ken Blake, director of the poll, says, “Just 16% support leaving it limited to poorer children only, and 17% aren’t sure. About 2% say the state should not offer pre-kindergarten programs at all. Self-described conservatism makes a difference, with 61% of conservatives supporting pre-kindergarten for all children compared to 69% of liberals and those in the middle of the political spectrum.Gov. Phil Bredesen has proposed offering state-sponsored pre-kindergarten education to all children in the state, regardless of income. Among conservatives, less-educated males are the least supportive, and less-educated females are the most supportive.”

Contact Blake at 615-210-6187.
kblake@mtsu.edu

Can’t get smug about the drug

The World Health Organization reports that about one in every 20 new cases of tuberculosis worldwide is now resistant to two or more drugs. Dr. Stephen Wright, biology, says, “If antibiotics are not taken as directed (skipping doses or not completing the full course of treatment) remaining bacteria can become resistant to the drugs. In the United States, about 1% of the approximately 13,000 annual cases of TB are multidrug-resistant. However, in some parts of the world, the percentage is nearly 20%. This suggests that drug-resistant TB will continue to spread. Physicians are giving excellent advice when they tell us to finish the entire course of antibiotics, and we would do well to heed that advice.

Contact Wright at 615-898-2056.
smwright@mtsu.edu

The color of inequality

More than half of blacks say they are discriminated against when eating in restaurants, shopping, renting an apartment, buying a house or applying for a job, according to a Pew Research poll. Was the survey taken in 1958? No, it was taken in 2008. Dr. Jacqui Wade, social work, says, “African-Americans know all too well that just because in today’s times there are a few more African-Americans in economic and political positions and places where they haven’t been before, especially prior to the late 1960s and 70s, that things are still not equal. They know all too well that the still pervasive incidents of brutality against African-Americans (and other people of color, especially people of Mexican descent) at the hands of the racially hateful white-Americans—whether these incidents make the newspaper headlines or not—are not mere ‘isolated incidents.’”

Contact Wade at 615-898-2477.
jewade@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

SUFFRAGETTE CITY—While American suffragettes organized, marched and petitioned for the right to vote, British suffragettes bombed and burned private property and endured unspeakable tortures in English prisons. Their struggle is the topic of a lecture to be delivered by Dr. Nancy Rupprecht, professor of history, from 5-7 p.m. today, March 13, at MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. This event is free and open to the public. “Gender and Guerrilla Warfare in the British Women’s Suffrage Movement or ‘When Civil War is Waged by Women’” is the title of the address. For more information, contact Rupprecht at 615-898-2645 or nrupprecht@mtsu.edu.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC--MTSU School of Music faculty flutist Deanna Little, in collaboration with Lipscomb University pianist Jerome Reed, will present a free and open recital at 8 p.m. tonight, March 13, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. The program will consist of four 20th century American sonatas by composers David Diamond, Robert Muczynski, Emma Lou Diemer and Thomas Pasatieri. For more information, visit www.mtsumusic.com, or call 615-898-2493.

ON TRIAL AND ON TOP--An MTSU mock trial team consisting of attorneys Daniel Vaughan, Natalie Schneider and Nick Lee, witnesses Lani Lester, Rachel Harmon and Austin Purvis, and timekeeper Ben Winter placed third at a regional competition in Birmingham, AL in February. In addition, Lani Lester and Emily Petro each won Top 10 witness awards. The third-place showing qualifies the group for a national tournament to be held in Memphis on March 14, 15 and 16. Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science and mock trial coach, says if MTSU’s teams can make the top three in Memphis, they will then qualify for the National Championship Tournament in St. Paul, MN. In 19 years of participation, MTSU has qualified for a national mock trial tournament every year except one. Contact Vile at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

FEMINIST—NOW AND ALWAYS--Visual depictions of feminists, words of wisdom from women in science and visits from dynamic activists are part of the observance of National Women’s History Month, which kicks into high gear at MTSU in the month of March with the theme of “Feminist Now.” Watching the progression of the first response to being called a feminist to the reaction now makes me feel good about the future,” says Terri Johnson, co-chair of the MTSU National Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “When people are educated, they want to work and fight for change,” Johnson says of the opportunities for enlightenment offered during National Women’s History Month. “And even though I know there are challenges ahead, there’s a comfort in knowing we are all in this together.” For the complete MTSU National Women’s History Month Calendar of events, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE--Dr. Donna J. Dean, national president of the Association for Women in Science, will speak on “Networking and Mentoring: Keys to Success in Science” at 7 p.m. tonight, March 13, in Room 102 of Wiser-Patten Science Hall. “She’s earned many honors and awards in recognition of her work in research and science policy at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration,” says Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, professor of chemistry. For more information, contact Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or Randy Weiler in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

IT’S INSTRUMENTAL--The Aulos Ensemble, a New York-based period instrument group, will perform in the third and final concert of the MTSU School of Music’s Presidential Concert Series at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, March 14, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Gold and Glitter: From Venice to Versailles is the title of the free and open performance that will include works by Antonio Vivaldi, Bernardo Storace, Dario Castello, Bartolome de Selma, Francois Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau. As part of its brief residency, the ensemble’s members also will present a series of master classes at 11:30 a.m. March 14 at the MTSU Music School, in addition to performing tonight, March 13, in Nashville at St. George’s Episcopal Church. For more information, visit www.mtsumusic.com, or call 615-898-2493.