Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

I’m singing in my head, just singing in my head

A recent report on National Public Radio noted that it is not uncommon for the brain to create musical hallucinations. Dr. Oliver Sacks (of Awakenings fame) said it’s not evidence of psychosis. He also says it’s not accidental. “I mean, by the nature of things, there cannot be anything random in the mind. You know, there must be determinance,” Sacks told NPR. Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the University Honors College, says, “I remember that neuroscience pioneer Wilder Penfield was able to elicit similar musical ‘hallucinations’ via electrical stimulation of the cortex of humans undergoing brain surgery. I would suspect that what he stumbled upon was something akin to memory.” This semester’s University Honors Lecture series explores “The Mind” in all its fascinating dimensions. Lectures are held each Monday at 3 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building and are free and open to the public.

Contact Carnicom at 615-494-7611.
carnicom@mtsu.edu

Fat ain’t where it’s at.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that more than two-thirds of states either have no or limited policies restricting the sale of sugary and fatty foods in public schools. Meanwhile, Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says “Childhood obesity continues to grow, despite the vast amount of publicity and public education on steps that parents, teachers, school administrators and health professionals should take to reduce the problem. … Changing the foods allowed in schools will not reverse the obesity epidemic overnight. We need to recognize that increases in the average weight of children (and adults) did not occur overnight. It has been creeping up over the last 25+ years. And it will take time to see obesity trends reverse.”

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

They will sell no wine before its time.

Once again, the Tennessee General Assembly is considering legislation that would allow grocery stores to sell wine. Dr. Tony Johnston, agribusiness and agriscience professor, wine expert and vintner, says, “This issue is rather thorny for unseen reasons. Grocers would like to add wine to their product line because of the profit potential and the fact that bordering states allow wine sales in grocery stores. Many consumers have been asking for this convenience for a long time, and it goes hand-in-hand with beer sales in the stores. However, current state law does not allow wine and beer sales at the same location (Note: We have beer/tobacco stores and wine/liquor stores but not combined stores.). … It may well come down to how important the availability of wine at the grocery stores is to Tennessee consumers.”

Contact Johnston at 615-898-2421.
johnston@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

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.

ZING WENT THE STRINGS—The 2008 Tennessee Guitar Festival continues today through March 20 with free and open concerts at 8 p.m. nightly in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building at MTSU. Duo Firenze will perform tonight, and Christopher Berg will play tomorrow night. Matt Palmer and John Johns will perform Wednesday night. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/guitfest.html%20or%20call%20615-898-2493.

TRIALS, BUT NO TRIBULATIONS--An MTSU mock trial team placed second among 26 teams at the American Mock Trial Association National Tournament at Memphis over the weekend (March 14-16) and was one of three teams at the tournament to qualify for the National Championship tournament to be held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. This marks the 18th time in 19 years that MTSU has qualified for the nation’s most elite tournament. A team consisting of Daniel Vaughn, Natalie Schneider, Nick Lee, Julian Kissner, Lani Lester, Rachel Harmon and Austin Purvis compiled a record of six wins, one loss and one tie in rounds against Ohio State, Kennesaw State, Furman and Georgia State. In addition, Vaughn captured a Top Ten attorney award, and Lester won a Top Ten witness award. The University of Texas won the tourney with an 8-0 record while Washington and Lee University came in third with a 6-2 record. The MTSU team is coached by Dr. John R. Vile and Patrick Chinnery of the Department of Political Science and by former alums Brandi Snow and Jamie Kidd. Contact Vile at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE—The second Science & Spirituality Brown Bag, “Who We Are: A View from the Center of the Universe,” will be held at 11:20 a.m. today, March 18, in the conference room on the fourth floor of the James E. Walker Library. This discussion will be a facilitated conversation led by Rami Shapiro, adjunct religious studies professor and ordained rabbi, on the potential impact of the new cosmology on our sense of what it is to be human. For more information, contact Bill Black at 615-898-2772 or Dr. Gary Wulfsberg at 615-898-2070.