Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Can you pass the acid test?

The MTSU Center for Health & Human Services has received $23,500 from the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter Community Grants Program for two projects focused on folic acid and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome education. “Good Health Looks Good: Folic Acid Every Day” is a program that targets adolescent girls through Girl Scouts, 4-H and other community-based organizations, a March of Dimes official says. The program teaches young women about the importance of folic acid and the role folic acid plays in the prevention of birth defects. The MTSU center is providing education to approximately 600 girls. For 2008-09, the center hopes to reach an additional 200 Girl Scouts in Middle Tennessee.

For more information, contact Carol Smith at the Center for Health and Human Services at 615-904-8342.
csmith@mtsu.edu

Read all about it.

The two leading newspapers in Japan are Yomiuri, with a circulation of 10 million, and Asahi, with a circulation of more than 8 million. In the U.S., USAToday is the leader with 2.3 million followed by the Wall Street Journal with 2.1 million. Why are newspapers more popular in Japan than in the United States? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, commenting from Japan, says, “One reason may be the value of the newspaper. American papers traditionally run upwards of 60 percent advertising. So you’re paying money to have someone convince you to spend more money. But, as I sit here and look at both Yomiuri and Asahi, less than half of the papers are taken up with ads. … Japan’s dailies do better than ours because they put more news in their newspapers. They are more reader-friendly and fair. They are more polite in their editorial comments or criticisms.”

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

Check it out.

What will you do with your tax rebate check from the federal government? That was the question MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research put to Tennesseans in February and again this month. There are very few differences between the two sets of answers. In April, 31% of those questioned said they would save most of the money. Twenty-three percent said they would use most of it to pay off debt. Only 17% said they would spend most of it, while 27% said they would use it for a combination of all three. Most of those questioned in April (51%) say they think the stimulus will have a short-term positive impact on the economy, but 31% say they think it will have no effect at all.

Contact Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the Office of Consumer Research, at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THE PAPER CHASE—The James E. Walker Library and the MTSU Department of Art are joining forces again this year to raise student awareness of paper usage through an imaginative project that will be on display in the waning days of the spring semester. The “Paper Rewind” project will remain in place through Wednesday, May 7. While students are studying for final exams and preparing research papers, they will be surrounded by paper animals, trees and people created by Professor Thomas Sturgill’s 3D design classes. In fact, students might find themselves sitting next to a paper person or look up to see a paper person sailing a paper airplane off the fourth floor balcony. “Students are printing 6,500,000 copies a year from computer printers, and this art project is intended to raise awareness on the part of the students to conserve natural resources and think before they print,” says Bill Black, library professor in charge of administrative services. Contact Black at 615-898-8378 or wblack@mtsu.edu; contact Sturgill at 615-898-2460 or sturgill@mtsu.edu. For more information, go to http://www.paperrewind.com.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Don’t know much about history

According to a survey by the group Common Core, half of American teenagers questioned by phone knew when the Civil War was fought. One in four said Columbus sailed to the New World sometime after 1750. Four in 10 knew what Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man was about. About half knew that Job is known in the Bible for his patience while suffering. This does not come as a surprise to Dr. John McDaniel, dean of the MTSU College of Liberal Arts. “College teachers are not (alas) stunned by what Common Core calls the ‘ignorance’ exhibited by teenagers who, by chance or design, have migrated to higher education,” McDaniel says. “It is indeed the patience of Job that is called for, more often than not, in making the Invisible Man visible, assisting students in discovering anew the Discovery of the New World and having a more civilized understanding of the Civil War.”

Contact McDaniel at 615-898-2534.
mcdaniel@mtsu.edu

The paper chase

The James E. Walker Library and the MTSU Department of Art are joining forces again this year to raise student awareness of paper usage through an imaginative project that will remain on display in the waning days of the spring semester. The “Paper Rewind” project will remain in place through Wednesday, May 7. While students are studying for final exams and preparing research papers, they will be surrounded by paper animals, trees and people created by Professor Thomas Sturgill’s 3D design classes. In fact, students might find themselves sitting next to a paper person or look up to see a paper person sailing a paper airplane off the fourth floor balcony. “Students are printing 6,500,000 copies a year from computer printers, and this art project is intended to raise awareness on the part of the students to conserve natural resources and think before they print,” says Bill Black, library professor in charge of administrative services.

Contact Black at 615-898-8378 or wblack@mtsu.edu
Contact Sturgill at 615-898-2460 or sturgill@mtsu.edu
For more information, go to http://www.paperrewind.com.

The seniors’ moment

Entering the spring semester, efforts to reach the $10,000 goal for the Senior Gift Program stood just $2,000 shy of achieving the mark, says Meredith Edington, coordinator of annual giving for the MTSU Office of Development. “Our goal is to get $10,000 so we can endow it and every year give up to a $1,000 scholarship,” Edington said. The program began in 2005. "The overall purpose of the Senior Gift Program is to raise funds for the Foundation Graduate Scholarship, which is awarded (each fall) to a student who is attending graduate school at MTSU,” Edington adds.

For more information, contact Edington at 615-898-2728.
edington@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY--Dr. Gloria Bonner, current dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science, has been chosen to lead the Office of Community Engagement and Support, a newly created administrative office initiated to support MTSU’s overall mission as it relates to addressing the ever-growing needs of both MTSU and the surrounding community at large. Bonner’s new appointment will become effective May 1, and the university will begin a national search later this year to fill the deanship role that Bonner has held for a decade. According to its proposed mission statement, the primary aim of Bonner’s new office will be to articulate the university’s mission and activities to the surrounding communities, providing an ear to the needs and concerns of MTSU’s neighbors as it relates to the actions and activities of the university. Contact Tom Tozer or Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bye-bye, buying

Middle Tennessee consumers are losing confidence in the economy. The latest Consumer Confidence Report from MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research (OCR) shows the index plummeted from 158 in February to 44 in April. That’s an all-time low for the poll. “Rising gasoline prices, news of layoffs, concerns about the future of the job market, concerns about future negative effects of the credit crunch and decreases in the stock market have all contributed to the overall gloomy outlook regarding the American economy,” says Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the OCR. The poll of 452 randomly selected adult residents of Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties was conducted the evenings of Monday, April 14 and Thursday, April 17.

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

Equal pay for equal work

In observance of Pay Equity Day tomorrow, April 22, people across the MTSU campus will be wearing red to symbolize the fact that women are still “in the red” compared to men when it comes to earnings. The American Association of University Women, the June Anderson Women’s Center, the Women’s Studies Program and the President’s Commission on the Status of Women will have volunteers handing out buttons that read “Ask me about 77 cents.” That’s how much a woman earns on average for every dollar a man earns in the United States. At 2:40 p.m., tomorrow, April 22, Dr. Ayne Cantrell, professor emeritus and president of the Murfreesboro branch of the AAUW, will present a lecture titled “Behind the Pay Gap: How Far Have Women Come?” in Room 100 of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public.

Contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193.
jawc@mtsu.edu

Down in the dumps

If the Nashville area economy is slumping, the loss of manufacturing jobs is the main reason. That’s one conclusion of the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center’s (BERC) analysis of the latest Midstate Economic Indicators. “Manufacturing has lost 5,500 jobs over the year, mostly in durable goods production,” writes Dr. David Penn, director of the BERC. “Though specifics are not available, auto industry production slowdowns suggest that much of the losses are due to cutbacks in local businesses that manufacture auto parts.” Also, permits for single-family home construction sank in the fourth quarter, a 23.9% drop from the third quarter after seasonable adjustments and 39% lower over the year.

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

TR EXTRA

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

MT on TV--Vehicles fueled by alternative energy, a science prodigy who earned an honorable mention on USAToday’s All-USA College Academic Team, “Nashville Star” winner Chris Young speaking at this year’s Invention Convention, discovering a healthy lifestyle, the four homes of the MTSU library over the decades, Tennessee writers reading their works, and mourning the passing of two beloved faculty members—it’s all on the April edition of “MT Record,” produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder of the Office of News and Public Affairs. “MT Record” can be viewed at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday on Channel 9 in Rutherford County and on NewsChannel5+ at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, as well as at http://www.mtsunews.com.
For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

A FEW GOOD MEN--According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 70% of black women are single past the age of 30. Is this due to the unavailability of black men or some other factor? Join the debate, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at 7:06 p.m. tonight, April 21, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. This event is free and open to the public.

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY--Dr. Gloria Bonner, current dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science, has been chosen to lead the Office of Community Engagement and Support, a newly created administrative office initiated to support MTSU’s overall mission as it relates to addressing the ever-growing needs of both MTSU and the surrounding community at large. Bonner’s new appointment will become effective May 1, and the university will begin a national search later this year to fill the deanship role that Bonner has held for a decade. According to its proposed mission statement, the primary aim of Bonner’s new office will be to articulate the university’s mission and activities to the surrounding communities, providing an ear to the needs and concerns of MTSU’s neighbors as it relates to the actions and activities of the university. Contact Tom Tozer or Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

TOP TEN--Ten special high-school seniors who have endured and overcome life’s hardships will be recognized tomorrow, April 22, when they will receive Neill-Sandler Scholarships at the MTSU awards ceremony. This event will start at 6 p.m. at the Emmett and Rose Kennon Sports Hall of Fame. Eight recipients will get awards of $5,000 each. One student will be the recipient of the $10,000 Ray and Judy Danner Scholarship. Another student will get the $7,500 Sidney and Elizabeth McPhee Scholarship. This year’s Neill-Sandler Scholars hail from Smithville, Franklin County, Lebanon, McMinnville, Tullahoma, Murfreesboro, Woodbury, Wartrace, Brentwood and Coffee County. For more information, contact Randy Weiler at 615-898-2919 or Kippy Todd at 615-898-5756.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Sorting out sports

The Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision (JSAS), a cutting-edge academic publication initiated at MTSU earlier this year, is issuing its first call for papers from scholars throughout the world. “We are pleased to open the submission process for authors to send their research for consideration and review,” says Dr. Colby Jubenville, associate professor of sport management and graduate program coordinator in the Department of Health and Human Performance. The journal’s most unique feature is its empowerment of sport practitioners, who will be allowed to review scholarly works, analyze research and determine whether it would be useful to them in the field. A major convenience of the Website, http://www.jsasonline.org, is its user-friendly online submission and review process.

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

By the numbers

The latest Midstate Economic Indicators posted by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) show a definite slowdown of economic activity in the Nashville area in the fourth quarter. Job growth went up 1.5 percent from a year ago. “The problem is that very little of this job growth is recent,” writes Dr. David Penn, director of the BERC. “Employment gains we experienced during the past 12 months were pretty well exhausted by the third quarter. Compared with the third quarter, fourth quarter nonfarm employment is virtually unchanged. It is likely that the Nashville area is entering a period of very low employment growth for the next quarter or two. If a recession for the Nashville area is truly just around the corner, one would expect to experience a much sharper drop in nonfarm employment.”

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

A sense of community

Dr. Gloria Bonner, current dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Science, has been chosen to lead the Office of Community Engagement and Support, a newly created administrative office initiated to support MTSU’s overall mission as it relates to addressing the ever-growing needs of both MTSU and the surrounding community at large. Bonner’s new appointment will become effective May 1, and the university will begin a national search later this year to fill the deanship role that Bonner has held for a decade. According to its proposed mission statement, the primary aim of Bonner’s new office will be to articulate the university’s mission and activities to the surrounding communities, providing an ear to the needs and concerns of MTSU’s neighbors as it relates to the actions and activities of the university.

Contact Tom Tozer or Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

TR EXTRA

MYSTICAL AND MODERN—The Middle East Center at MTSU will present Turkish virtuoso Omar Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble in concert at 2 p.m., tomorrow, April 19, in the Keathley University Center Theatre on campus. This event is free and open to the public. Tekbilek and his band will perform traditional Sufi, folk and contemporary music from the Middle East. Their music, while derived from centuries-old sounds, is influenced by modern music, resulting in a mystical, spiritual sound that has entertained and intrigued people of many countries and cultures. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the Middle East Center, at 615-494-7906 or at ahibbard@mtsu.edu. To hear samples of Tekbilek’s music or for more information about him, go to http://www.omarfaruktekbilek.com.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

ART FOR ART’S SAKE—View the works of Clarke Hosp, Sarah Sullivan, Jonathan Myers, Beth Copley and Grace Absar at the BFA Variety Show through today, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at MTSU’s Todd Gallery. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

A WHOPPER OF A CHOPPER--MTSU alumnus and U.S. Army Capt. Brian D. Blake (’00) will help lead two Airmobile/Air Assault CH-47 helicopters on a mission as 20 to 30 members of the Forrest Raiders cadet corps are transported to Fort Campbell, Ky., today, April 18, for a field training exercise. The helicopters will arrive at approximately 10:30 a.m., landing on the grassy area near the MTSU tennis courts, which are located at the intersection of Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 615-898-5702 or cgiles@mtsu.edu.

A SOBERING THOUGHT--The University Police Department at MTSU will set up a field sobriety checkpoint on or around campus tonight, April 18, from midnight to 2:00 a.m. It will be the first one this year at MTSU. Three were conducted in 2007. “These sobriety checkpoints seem to be helping reduce alcohol-related accidents throughout the state,” says MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster. “The Governor’s Highway Safety Office has reported that there is a definite decrease in alcohol-related deaths since the increased efforts across Tennessee.” Associate Police Chief Roy Brewer says, “Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers by being proactive.” Contact Peaster or Brewer at 615-898-2424.

MT on TV--Vehicles fueled by alternative energy, a science prodigy who earned an honorable mention on USAToday’s All-USA College Academic Team, “Nashville Star” winner Chris Young speaking at this year’s Invention Convention, discovering a healthy lifestyle, the four homes of the MTSU library over the decades, Tennessee writers reading their works, and mourning the passing of two beloved faculty members—it’s all on the April edition of “MT Record,” produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder of the Office of News and Public Affairs. “MT Record” can be viewed at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday on Channel 9 in Rutherford County and on NewsChannel5+ at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, as well as at http://www.mtsunews.com.
For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

A FEW GOOD MEN--According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 70% of black women are single past the age of 30. Is this due to the unavailability of black men or some other factor? Join the debate, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at 7:06 p.m. Monday, April 21, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. This event is free and open to the public.

OPERA MAN--The MTSU Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia, featuring MTSU faculty tenor H. Stephen Smith, will present their season’s finale concert titled Opera Gala Concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 20, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of MTSU’s Wright Music Building. This concert is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-4293.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The feminist factor

“Deconstructing Hillary: Framing Feminism in Election Politics” will be the next presentation in MTSU’s Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., today, April 17, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public. Misa Culley, a graduate student in the Department of Mass Communication and editor of the Women’s Center Newsletter at Vanderbilt University, will examine the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and the various reactions to it. “An extensive framing analysis may reveal a tendency for the mainstream media to choose Second Wave (Feminism) frames as they report on her candidacy,” Culley says. “Further examination of her campaign Website, as well as an analysis of feminist Websites, may reveal attempts to reframe her campaign and her legacy as former First Lady and senator in order to appeal to Third Wave feminists.

For more information, contact Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910.

MT on TV

Vehicles fueled by alternative energy, a science prodigy who earned an honorable mention on USAToday’s All-USA College Academic Team, “Nashville Star” winner Chris Young speaking at this year’s Invention Convention, discovering a healthy lifestyle, the four homes of the MTSU library over the decades, Tennessee writers reading their works, and mourning the passing of two beloved faculty members—it’s all on the April edition of “MT Record,” produced by John Lynch and Seth Alder of the Office of News and Public Affairs. “MT Record” can be viewed at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday on Channel 9 in Rutherford County and on NewsChannel5+ at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, as well as at http://www.mtsunews.com.

For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591.
jlynch@mtsu.edu

A sobering thought

The University Police Department at MTSU will set up a field sobriety checkpoint on or around campus tomorrow, April 18, from midnight to 2:00 a.m. It will be the first one this year at MTSU. Three were conducted in 2007. “These sobriety checkpoints seem to be helping reduce alcohol-related accidents throughout the state,” says MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster. “The Governor’s Highway Safety Office has reported that there is a definite decrease in alcohol-related deaths since the increased efforts across Tennessee.” Associate Police Chief Roy Brewer says, “Our goal is to reduce the number of impaired drivers by being proactive.”

Contact Peaster or Brewer at 615-898-2424.

TR EXTRA

MYSTICAL AND MODERN—The Middle East Center at MTSU will present Turkish virtuoso Omar Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble in concert at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 19, in the Keathley University Center Theatre on campus. This event is free and open to the public. Tekbilek and his band will perform traditional Sufi, folk and contemporary music from the Middle East. Their music, while derived from centuries-old sounds, is influenced by modern music, resulting in a mystical, spiritual sound that has entertained and intrigued people of many countries and cultures. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the Middle East Center, at 615-494-7906 or at ahibbard@mtsu.edu. To hear samples of Tekbilek’s music or for more information about him, go to http://www.omarfaruktekbilek.com.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

ART FOR ART’S SAKE—View the works of Clarke Hosp, Sarah Sullivan, Jonathan Myers, Beth Copley and Grace Absar at the BFA Variety Show through tomorrow, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at MTSU’s Todd Gallery. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

A WHOPPER OF A CHOPPER--MTSU alumnus and U.S. Army Capt. Brian D. Blake (’00) will help lead two Airmobile/Air Assault CH-47 helicopters on a mission as 20 to 30 members of the Forrest Raiders cadet corps are transported to Fort Campbell, Ky., tomorrow, April 18, for a field training exercise. The helicopters will arrive at approximately 10:30 a.m., landing on the grassy area near the MTSU tennis courts, which are located at the intersection of Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. For more information, contact Maj. Chuck Giles at 615-898-5702 or cgiles@mtsu.edu.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The sounds of silence

The British political philosopher Edmund Burke once said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, is calling on people to shed political correctness and make a not-so-joyful noise when they see something that needs changing. “It is obvious that those who stand for justice and the worth of everyone outnumber those who are evil; yet far too often those who practice evil seem to prevail,” Burriss says. “This is because too many people stand on the sidelines and do not speak up. … If good wins, they join in the celebration though they did nothing to produce the victory. If evil wins, they will complain long and loud, though their own apathy helped produce the undesirable result.”

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

Grease for peace

Oil prices rose by $1.09 to $111.23 a barrel in electronic trading this (Monday) morning. With prices so volatile and Canada supplying 15 percent of U.S. energy, would renegotiating NAFTA really be such a good idea, even though American laborers believe it has hurt their leverage? Dr. Steven Livingston, political science, says, “The U.S. is guaranteed access to Canadian oil and natural gas through NAFTA’s ‘proportionality clause.’ Whether the Canadian government could or would revoke that clause if the U.S. demands to renegotiate the NAFTA treaty is the question.” Canadian Federal Trade Minister David Emerson has said the proportionality clause would be “on the table” if the U.S. tries to renegotiate NAFTA.

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

The journalism superhighway

“Changing Technologies, Evolving News” will be the topic of Chris Clark’s speech at 1 p.m. tomorrow, April 15, in the Keathley University Center Theater. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies. Clark retired from WTVF-TV in Nashville after 41 years as a news anchor. As news director of the station, he led the stations’ conversion from film to electronic coverage. As chair of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Freedom of Information Committee, he played a key role in convincing the Tennessee Supreme court to allow an experiment with cameras in the court, a move that persuaded the justices to permit cameras in state courts.

Contact Beverly Keel at 615-898-5150.
bkeel@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE--To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project today through Thursday, April 14-17, and “Take Back the Night” tomorrow, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. tomorrow, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The blue lagoon

Why would a “blue lagoon” be located in the center of a nuclear reactor? That’s what the nuclear reactor at McMaster University in Canada has. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry professor and McMaster alumnus, explains that it has to do with the uranium-bearing fuel rods that are submerged in water. “As the uranium atoms undergo nuclear fission, many forms of ionizing radiation are emitted, including electrons ejected at nearly the speed that light travels in a vacuum,” MacDougall says. “However, light travels slower in water, which is why a glass of water seems to bend light. This unusual situation of light traveling slower than the object emitting it gives rise to the unforgettable sight of the ‘blue lagoon.’”

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

From Russia with curiosity

Dr. Vladimir Ilin, a professor of sociology at St. Petersburg State University in Russia, is a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at MTSU for the 2007-2008 academic year. Dr. Ron Aday, interim chair of the MTSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology, says Ilin “will be providing occasional lectures on global inequality and conducting research on consumption patterns in the U.S.” Ilin, who will be in Murfreesboro through October, says he wants to conduct research on the typical life of America’s consumer society. “I hope to find here people who will help me to better understand this country,” Ilin says. To learn more about Ilin, listen to him discuss his work and his impressions of Tennessee on “MTSU On the Record” with Gina Logue at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 13, on WMOT-FM (89.5) and at http://www.wmot.org.

To interview Ilin, contact Lisa L. Rollins at 615-898-2919.
lrollins@mtsu.edu
To learn more about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

All things being equal

Are you aware that print media and broadcast media are not held to the same standards regarding political candidates? Section 315 of the Communications Act, the so-called “Equal Time” provision, requires a radio or television station that offers time to one candidate for public office to offer time to all other candidates for that office. But newspapers don’t have to obey that rule. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “A newspaper can editorialize as much as it wants about this or that candidate and does not have to make an offer of equal space to the other candidate.” While Burriss says most newspapers are fair in how much attention they give political candidates, “there is no real reason to have the broadcasting equal time provisions, and there is likewise no way to force newspapers to be totally equal in the amount of space they devote to this or that candidate.”

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

TR EXTRA

THE WILD BLUE YONDER—The Blue Angels will be on campus from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. today, April 11, in Room S118 of the Business and Aerospace Building to show a video and speak to a group of aerospace students. Reporters are invited to attend this rare gathering of aerospace students and the Blue Angels. For more information, contact Dr. Wayne Dornan at 615-898-2788.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS--It’s the annual invasion of the business people at MTSU! The 17th Annual University Takeover/Executives-in-Residence program will take place today, April 11, when business executives take over some of the 10:15 and 11:20 a.m. classes. CEOs, company owners, directors and managers will share their experiences and answer questions from students on topics such as job interviewing and climbing the corporate ladder. “The classroom experience will also give visiting executives an opportunity to know more about the quality of the students that we’re making available to them as future employees,” says Dr. Jim Burton, Dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. John R. Ingram, vice chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. and CEO of Ingram Content Holdings, will be the speaker at an invitation-only luncheon at 12:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Contact the College of Business at 615-898-2764.

“WILDFLOWER LANDSCAPES CAN HELP US SAVE WATER. WILDFLOWERS ALSO CAN SAVE TIME AND MAINTENANCE MONEY.”—LADY BIRD JOHNSON--The MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies and Tennessee State Parks will present the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Festival today, April 11, through Sunday, April 13, at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. The Lebanon Limestone Glades of the Central Basin are home to plant species not found anywhere else in the world. The event will bring together the finest ecologists, botanists and naturalists in the country to present the beauty and uniqueness of the glades in the spring. Hikes, lectures, workshops and field trips are on tap for the festival. Most events will proceed rain or shine. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the park office at 615-443-2769, or contact Dr. Kim Cleary Sadler at 615-904-8283 or ksadler@mtsu.edu.

BODY LANGUAGE--“White Looks/Black Bodies” will be the title of a lecture by Dr. George Yancy, assistant professor of philosophy at Duquesne University, at 3:30 p.m. today, April 11, in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This event, part of the Applied Philosophy Lyceum at MTSU, is free and open to the public. Yancy works primarily in the areas of critical race theory, critical whiteness studies, and philosophy and the black experience. At present, he is engaged in a philosophical project that explores the theme of racial embodiment, particularly in terms of how white bodies live their whiteness, the philosophical identity formation of whites and questions of white privilege and power formation. The author of Black Bodies, White Gazes, Yancy is an editor of eight books and co-editor of The American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience. Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

READ ALL ABOUT IT--In celebration of National Library Week, Linebaugh Public Library is planning a local authors’ book-signing event for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, on the second floor of the library at 105 West Vine Street in Murfreesboro. One of the local authors being spotlighted is Randy O’Brien, News Director of MTSU radio station WMOT-FM and author of Judge Fogg, a fictional account of an African-American court judge’s rise and fall. This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale, and the authors, including O’Brien, will sign them. For more information, contact Patty Metcalf at 615-893-4131, extension 119. For more information about Judge Fogg or to read a sample part of the novel, go to http://www.literaryroad.com.

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE--To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project April 14-17 and “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Taking care of business

It’s the annual invasion of the business people at MTSU! The 17th Annual University Takeover/Executives-in-Residence program will take place tomorrow, April 11, when business executives take over some of the 10:15 and 11:20 a.m. classes. CEOs, company owners, directors and managers will share their experiences and answer questions from students on topics such as job interviewing and climbing the corporate ladder. “The classroom experience will also give visiting executives an opportunity to know more about the quality of the students that we’re making available to them as future employees,” says Dr. Jim Burton, Dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. John R. Ingram, vice chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. and CEO of Ingram Content Holdings, will be the speaker at an invitation-only luncheon at 12:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.

Contact the College of Business at 615-898-2764.

“Wildflower landscapes can help us save water. Wildflowers also can save time and maintenance money.”—Lady Bird Johnson

The MTSU Center for Cedar Glade Studies and Tennessee State Parks will present the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Festival tomorrow, April 11, through Sunday, April 13, at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. The Lebanon Limestone Glades of the Central Basin are home to plant species not found anywhere else in the world. The event will bring together the finest ecologists, botanists and naturalists in the country to present the beauty and uniqueness of the glades in the spring. Hikes, lectures, workshops and field trips are on tap for the festival. Most events will proceed rain or shine. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, call the park office at 615-443-2769, or contact Dr. Kim Cleary Sadler at 615-904-8283.
ksadler@mtsu.edu

Home, honorable home

When the spring semester ends, Wood/Felder Hall no longer will be the home of the Honors Living and Learning Community at MTSU. The building was first opened as a dormitory in 1964. It has been the home of the Honors community since 1996. Beginning in fall 2008, newly renovated Lyon Hall will become the community’s new home with 236 resident spaces for Honors students. Lyon Hall will look a little different. The main lobby will have a 24-hour desk and computer lab. Each floor will have its own living room, study space, laundry room and kitchen. There will be a huge staircase in the center of the building, and sunlight will fill the area, beaming into the building thought a skylight over the staircase.

For more information, contact Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the University Honors College, at 615-494-7611.
carnicom@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

TO YOUR HEALTH--MTSU students, faculty and staff are invited to the 2008 Health and Education Fair today, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the first- and second-floor lobbies of Keathley University Center. The event is presented by the MTSU School of Nursing Student Nurses Association, the Tennessee Office of Minority Affairs and the MTSU Student National Medical Association. Among the services available will be HIV testing, STD information, body statistics, cancer information, blood pressure screening and vision screening. For a small fee, blood chemistry and cholesterol testing will be performed from 8 to 10 a.m. in the McFarland Health Services Building.

THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY--Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, a professor of chemistry at MTSU, will receive, the 2008 King-Hampton Award at a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, April 10, in the Hazlewood dining Room of the James Union Building. The honor was established by the June Anderson Women’s Center and the Association of Faculty and University Women in 1990. It is bestowed upon an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of women who work and study at MTSU. For more information, contact Kippy Todd at 615-889-5756 or ktodd@mtsu.edu.

AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE--“Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer” is the title of a talk to be delivered by Dr. Phillip Furia, chair of the Department of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, at 5 p.m. today, April 10, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall in MTSU’s Wright Music Building. “One of the things I want to talk about is that Johnny Mercer was the only songwriter of that era to come from the South,” says Furia. “As a Southerner, he (Mercer) brought a difference to the lyrics he wrote.” This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call 615-494-7628.

ASSALAM ALAIKUM—The Muslim Students Association (MSA) at MTSU concludes its celebration of Islamic Awareness Week (April 7-10) at 6 p.m. tonight, April 10, with a potluck dinner and MSA elections. This event is free and open to the public. To learn more and to find out about the rest of the week’s activities, contact Dr. Saleh Sbenaty at 615-494-7667 or ssbenaty@mtsu.edu or MSA President Nida Shirazi at nfs2c@mtsu.edu.

SING, SING, SING—Thirteen student organizations are slated to compete in the All Sing Competition at 7 p.m. tonight, April 10, at Murphy Center at MTSU. The participants will be judged on vocal quality, choreography, creativity and overall performance. Each performance, which will last a maximum of eight minutes, will have its own theme. The Lion King, The Sound of Music and Sister act are some of the themes used in prior years. All proceeds from the All Sing Competition will benefit the Child Care Lab and Playground on Womack Lane, an on-campus day care facility for the children of students, faculty and staff. Tickets are $7 at the door. For more information, contact Josh McKenzie at 256-318-2219.

THE WILD BLUE YONDER—The Blue Angels will be on campus from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, April 11, in Room S118 of the Business and Aerospace Building to show a video and speak to a group of aerospace students. Reporters are invited to attend this rare gathering of aerospace students and the Blue Angels. For more information, contact Dr. Wayne Dornan at 615-898-2788.

BODY LANGUAGE--“White Looks/Black Bodies” will be the title of a lecture by Dr. George Yancy, assistant professor of philosophy at Duquesne University, at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 11, in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This event, part of the Applied Philosophy Lyceum at MTSU, is free and open to the public. Yancy works primarily in the areas of critical race theory, critical whiteness studies, and philosophy and the black experience. At present, he is engaged in a philosophical project that explores the theme of racial embodiment, particularly in terms of how white bodies live their whiteness, the philosophical identity formation of whites and questions of white privilege and power formation. The author of Black Bodies, White Gazes, Yancy is an editor of eight books and co-editor of The American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience. Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

READ ALL ABOUT IT--In celebration of National Library Week, Linebaugh Public Library is planning a local authors’ book-signing event for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, on the second floor of the library at 105 West Vine Street in Murfreesboro. One of the local authors being spotlighted is Randy O’Brien, News Director of MTSU radio station WMOT-FM and author of Judge Fogg, a fictional account of an African-American court judge’s rise and fall. This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale, and the authors, including O’Brien, will sign them. For more information, contact Patty Metcalf at 615-893-4131, extension 119. For more information about Judge Fogg or to read a sample part of the novel, go to http://www.literaryroad.com.

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE--To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project April 14-17 and “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Allison, my aim is true.

Veterinary and medical professionals at the University of Texas are trying to fit a five-inch green sea turtle found near South Padre Island, Tex., bloody and missing three of her flippers, with a prosthetic flipper on her left rear side. If they can fit her with a prosthesis, could a damaged turtle make a successful return to the ocean with an artificial flipper? Dr. Vincent Cobb, biology, says, “Although this sounds like a worthy cause, it is not very likely that the young sea turtle will survive. One reason is that there is naturally high predation on small turtles, and an individual having a reduced swimming performance would be an easy meal.” Caregivers with the nonprofit Sea Turtle, Inc., a 31-year-old turtle conservation facility, have named the turtle Allison.

Contact Cobb at 615-898-2059.
vcobb@mtsu.edu

Body language

“White Looks/Black Bodies” will be the title of a lecture by Dr. George Yancy, assistant professor of philosophy at Duquesne University, at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 11, in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This event, part of the Applied Philosophy Lyceum at MTSU, is free and open to the public. Yancy works primarily in the areas of critical race theory, critical whiteness studies, and philosophy and the black experience. At present, he is engaged in a philosophical project that explores the theme of racial embodiment, particularly in terms of how white bodies live their whiteness, the philosophical identity formation of whites and questions of white privilege and power formation. The author of Black Bodies, White Gazes, Yancy is an editor of eight books and co-editor of The American Philosophical Association Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience.

Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

A not-so-busy signal

Sprint Nextel’s CEO, Gary Forsee, left the company in 2007 with a $21 million golden parachute. His replacement, Dan Hesse, was greeted with a package of $27 million. That’s hardly chump change for a company that lost $29 million in 2006 and expects to lose two million customers this year in the competitive cellular phone business. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “The exorbitant compensation packages handed out in the face of a dwindling customer base and plummeting financial value have to be devastating to employee morale. Also, the mix of lavish CEO pay and struggling customer service does nothing to endear the brand in the minds of existing customers and people who might be in the market for wireless services.”

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

TR EXTRA

ASSALAM ALAIKUM—The Muslim Students Association (MSA) at MTSU continues its celebration of Islamic Awareness Week (April 7-10) at 5:30 p.m. today, April 9, when an episode of the F/X network television series 30 Days as a Muslim will be shown in Room 221 of the Learning Resources Center. In this episode, Morgan Spurlock, director of the critically acclaimed documentary Super Size Me, sends David Stacy, a practicing Christian from Virginia, into the Islamic community in Dearborn, Mich., to “work, eat and sleep” as a Muslim for 30 days. The week will conclude at 6 p.m. tomorrow, April 10, with a potluck dinner and MSA elections. These events are free and open to the public. To learn more and to find out about the rest of the week’s activities, contact Dr. Saleh Sbenaty at 615-494-7667 or ssbenaty@mtsu.edu or MSA President Nida Shirazi at nfs2c@mtsu.edu.

THE MIND BOGGLES--Sita Diehl, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the state of Tennessee, will speak on “A Closer Look at the Mental Health/Ex-Patient Movement in Tennessee” at 12:40 p.m. today, April 9, in Room 211 of Peck Hall. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Department of Political Science. For more information, contact Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-940-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE--To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project April 14-17 and “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

THE REAL THING IN MOCK TRIAL--Longtime MTSU mock trial coach Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, was honored at the National Championship Tournament in St. Paul, Minn., this past weekend (April 4-6) as one of only two coaches inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame. (In 2000, the American Mock Trial Association bestowed upon Vile the Congressman Neal Smith award for contributions to legal education.) This year, the team did not fare so well at nationals, losing two ballots to Michigan and splitting ballots with Stanford and Northwestern. However, Vile is especially encouraged by the potential of the talented freshmen and sophomores on the squad and is looking forward to next year’s contests. Two MTSU students have earned scholarships to John Marshall Law School in Chicago as a result of their performance in a National Diversity Mock Trial Tournament at that school. Nick Armes was on a team that placed second in the competition. Last year, Nicole Roerick was on the first-place team. Contact Vile at 615-898-2596 and jvile@mtsu.edu.

THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY--Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, a professor of chemistry at MTSU, will receive, the 2008 King-Hampton Award at a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, April 10, in the Hazlewood dining Room of the James Union Building. The honor was established by the June Anderson Women’s Center and the Association of Faculty and University Women in 1990. It is bestowed upon an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of women who work and study at MTSU. For more information, contact Kippy Todd at 615-889-5756 or ktodd@mtsu.edu.

THE WILD BLUE YONDER—The Blue Angels will be on campus from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 11, in Room S118 of the Business and Aerospace Building to show a video and speak to a group of aerospace students. Reporters are invited to attend this rare gathering of aerospace students and the Blue Angels. For more information, contact Dr. Wayne Dornan at 615-898-2788.

TO YOUR HEALTH--MTSU students, faculty and staff are invited to the 2008 Health and Education Fair tomorrow, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the first- and second-floor lobbies of Keathley University Center. The event is presented by the MTSU School of Nursing Student Nurses Association, the Tennessee Office of Minority Affairs and the MTSU Student National Medical Association. Among the services available will be HIV testing, STD information, body statistics, cancer information, blood pressure screening and vision screening. For a small fee, blood chemistry and cholesterol testing will be performed from 8 to 10 a.m. in the McFarland Health Services Building.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Intelligence operations

Rear Admiral Tony Cothron, Director of Naval Intelligence, will discuss “U.S. National Security Policy and Decision Making: Insights on How and Why Our Nation is at War” at 10 a.m. today, April 8, in Room 227 of Peck Hall at MTSU. Cothron, a native of Greenbrier, Tenn., graduated from MTSU in 1977. A veteran of military operations around the globe, including Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Cothron’s most recent assignments have included responsibilities for transforming the intelligence community in response to the global war on terrorism and supporting combat operations against Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His address, which is sponsored by the Department of History and the History Club, is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Derek Frisby at 615-494-8856.
dfrisby@mtsu.edu

The real thing in mock trial

Longtime MTSU mock trial coach Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science, was honored at the National Championship Tournament in St. Paul, Minn., this past weekend (April 4-6) as one of only two coaches inducted into the Coaches Hall of Fame. (In 2000, the American Mock Trial Association bestowed upon Vile the Congressman Neal Smith award for contributions to legal education.) This year, the team did not fare so well at nationals, losing two ballots to Michigan and splitting ballots with Stanford and Northwestern. However, Vile is especially encouraged by the potential of the talented freshmen and sophomores on the squad and is looking forward to next year’s contests. Two MTSU students have earned scholarships to John Marshall Law School in Chicago as a result of their performance in a National Diversity Mock Trial Tournament at that school. Nick Armes was on a team that placed second in the competition. Last year, Nicole Roerick was on the first-place team.

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Dr. Janet Belsky, psychology, believes that young people are not rushing into marriage as quickly as in the past. “One big change I see is that students now feel that it’s not appropriate to get married at a young age,” Belsky says. “I see college students expressing that you need to put ofrf marriage until you are well-established in your career. In other words, today marriage actually comes last as an adult transition and sometimes even well after a baby has arrived. When you elevate marriage as something to do after you ‘get your life together,’ I believe you actually make it more important. It’s then something that’s been carefully considered. You don’t just rush into a having a wedding for a wedding’s sake.”

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


TR EXTRA

ASSALAM ALAIKUM—The Muslim Students Association (MSA) at MTSU continues its celebration of Islamic Awareness Week (April 7-10) tonight, April 8, with a lecture titled “Role of Women in Islam” at 6 p.m. in Room S316 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Tasneem Ahmed, the mother of an MTSU student, will present the lecture. Ahmed has presented numerous lectures at Vanderbilt University and the Islamic Center of Nashville. At 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 9, an episode of the F/X network television series 30 Days as a Muslim will be shown in Room 221 of the Learning Resources Center. These events are free and open to the public. To learn more and to find out about the rest of the week’s activities, contact Dr. Saleh Sbenaty at 615-494-7667 or ssbenaty@mtsu.edu or MSA President Nida Shirazi at nfs2c@mtsu.edu.

LOOKS AT BOOKS--The American Association of University Women, Murfreesboro Branch, will conclude its annual book sale today, April 8, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Keathley University Center outside Phillips Bookstore. The proceeds of the AAUW book sale fund scholarships for two MTSU students each semester. Every dollar raised goes directly into the scholarship fund.

THE MIND BOGGLES--Sita Diehl, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the state of Tennessee, will speak on “A Closer Look at the Mental Health/Ex-Patient Movement in Tennessee” at 12:40 p.m. tomorrow, April 9, in Room 211 of Peck Hall. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Department of Political Science. For more information, contact Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-940-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

THE FIGHT AGAINST VIOLENCE--To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project April 14-17 and “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The tragedy of TB

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly five percent of new cases of tuberculosis around the world are resistant to two or more drugs. Epidemiologists estimate that 40,000 new cases of a new type of drug-resistant TB pop up each year, and it has been found in 45 countries. This new strain takes $15,000 worth of drugs to treat. Dr. Stephen Wright, biology, says, “This respiratory disease is due to a bacterium and an active, untreated infection can be fatal. Most cases can be successfully treated, but treatment may require six months or more.” The WHO says there are about nine million new TB cases each year. About 1.6 million people die from the disease, second only to AIDS in deaths resulting from infectious illness.

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

From the bottom up

Is Washington Post reporter Robin Wright being too optimistic when she finds hope for Middle East peace in the work of grass roots activists using cell phones in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Morocco, Iraq and the Palestinian territories? Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “Grass roots efforts to bring Palestinians and Israelis together are not new; and, while these efforts can change individuals, they do not generally have much impact behind those involved. Also, the media in the region, especially the Palestinian media and Hezbollah, tend to push an extremely radical agenda. So I am not optimistic that these activities will change the regional culture or even forestall what appears to be an impending renewal of violence.”

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

The fight against violence

To generate awareness of the ongoing problem of violence against women, the June Anderson Women’s Center will present the annual Clothesline Project April 14-17 and “Take Back the Night” on Tuesday, April 15, on the MTSU campus. The Clothesline Project is a display of T-shirts decorated to symbolize fear, anger or other emotions associated with sexual assault. These T-shirts will be displayed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the KUC Knoll. “Take Back the Night,” which is slated for 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, is an evening rally that will feature concerned members of the campus community and the community at large speaking their minds on the issue of violence against women during an open microphone segment. The rally will be followed by a brief march on campus and a candlelight vigil.

For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193.
jawc@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

ASSALAM ALAIKUM—The Muslim Students Association (MSA) at MTSU is turning part of its celebration of Islamic Awareness Week (April 7-10) into a tribute to a cherished friend whose life’s work embodied the group’s philosophy of interfaith cooperation and understanding. Today, April 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the MSA will staff an information table for Islamic Awareness Week and conduct a bake sale on the Keathley University Center knoll to raise money for the MTSU Art Department Scholarship Fund in honor of Dr. Lon Nuell. The 68-year-old art professor and faculty adviser to the Jewish student organization, Hillel, died March 12 of a massive stroke. To learn more and to find out about the rest of the week’s activities, contact Dr. Saleh Sbenaty at 615-494-7667 or ssbenaty@mtsu.edu or MSA President Nida Shirazi at nfs2c@mtsu.edu.

LOOKS AT BOOKS--The American Association of University Women, Murfreesboro Branch, will hold its annual book sale today and tomorrow, April 7 and 8, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Keathley University Center outside Phillips Bookstore. The proceeds of the AAUW book sale fund scholarships for two MTSU students each semester. Every dollar raised goes directly into the scholarship fund. For more information, send an e-mail to AAUWbooksale@mtsu.edu.

TELL ME A STORY--The Education Resource Channel (local Channel 9) at MTSU will begin a five-part series titled “Adventures in Storytelling” today, April 7. It will be repeated for the next six days. The second program will start April 14 and repeat for the remainder of that week, and so on. Each program in the series will be about 45 minutes long. The “Adventures in Storytelling” series has won the Parenting 2006 Media Award, DVD of the Year from Creative Child magazine, a Telly Award, the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval, and the Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence. For more information, contact Gail Fedak at 615-898-2740.

THE MIND BOGGLES--Sita Diehl, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the state of Tennessee, will speak on “A Closer Look at the Mental Health/Ex-Patient Movement in Tennessee” at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, in Room 211 of Peck Hall. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Department of Political Science. For more information, contact Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-940-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The race in cyberspace

Presidential candidates are embracing the new media as never before. The power of the Internet in political campaigning can’t be denied, says Patrick Chinnery, political science. Chinnery says U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the 2004 Democratic nominee, realized this after competitor Howard Dean paved the way. Chinnery says, in 2003, “Kerry had raised only $1 million from online contributions compared to more than $50 million for Howard Dean. However, after his win on Super Tuesday in March, Kerry, in his victory speech that night, made mention of his Web site. In one night, 24 hours, he received $2.6 million in online contributions, and, by the end of March, after actively promoting the Web site for a month, he received $26 million.” Of course, the 2008 candidates jumped on the cyberspace bandwagon even earlier than their predecessors.

Contact Chinnery at 615-494-7891.
chinnery@mtsu.edu

Free to be you and me

This might be hard to grasp, but people didn’t always see themselves as unique individuals outside the rubric of some external authority like the church, the state or a profession. Dr. Fred Beemon, history, says the concept of individuality didn’t really blossom until the Renaissance. Until this cultural movement, artworks were mostly of the saints. During the Renaissance, artists painted portraits of individuals. Beemon says of the Renaissance concept of the Dignity of Man, “Human dignity comes because God came to Earth and took the form of a human being as Jesus Christ and died for humanity.” Beginning with the Renaissance, Beemon says, people came to believe “the dignity humans have is our freedom. The freedom of the individual—that’s what gives people value and dignity.”

Contact Beemon at 615-898-2627.
fbeemon@mtsu.edu

Granny behind bars

Dr. Ron Aday, sociology and anthropology, and some of his former graduate students have conducted some fascinating research on older females in prisons. They studied 327 female inmates in the states of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Arkansas. Aday and his team found that 33% of the women they studied never receive visits from family members; only 5.8% describe their health as “excellent.” One woman incarcerated for killing her husband wrote of her life with him, “I have been beaten with a baseball bat. I have had two black eyes and a broke (sic) nose numerous times. I have had a broke (sic) arm. I have been arrested because I ran out of my house from him.” To hear Aday talk about his research chronicling the experiences of older women behind bars and the unique challenges they face, tune in for “MTSU On the Record” with Gina Logue this Sunday, April 6 at 7 a.m. on WMOT-FM (89.5). The program also will be available in real time on the Web at http://www.wmot.org.

For more information on “MTSU On the Record,” contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
To contact Aday, call 615-898-2509 or send an e-mail to raday@mtsu.edu.

TR EXTRA

ASSALAM ALAIKUM—The Muslim Students Association (MSA) at MTSU is turning part of its celebration of Islamic Awareness Week (April 7-10) into a tribute to a cherished friend whose lfie’s work embodied the group’s philosophy of interfaith cooperation and understanding. On Monday, April 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., the MSA will staff an information table for Islamic Awareness Week and conduct a bake sale on the Keathley University Center knoll to raise money for the MTSU Art Department Scholarship Fund in honor of Dr. Lon Nuell. The 68-year-old art professor and faculty adviser to the Jewish student organization, Hillel, died March 12 of a massive stroke. To learn more and to find out about the rest of the week’s activities, contact Dr. Saleh Sbenaty at 615-494-7667 or ssbenaty@mtsu.edu or MSA President Nida Shirazi at nfs2c@mtsu.edu.

WHITHER WYNNEWOOD--MTSU anthropology students will sponsor a yard sale from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. tomorrow, April 5, at 2433 Laurel Hill Court in Murfreesboro to help benefit and repair the historic Wynnewood home in Sumner County. Wynnewood was devastated by a tornado in February. The home has been the site of ongoing field work by MTSU students for a number of years. Those who would like to donate items to the sale’s organizers today, April 4, are asked to contact Lynn Funkhouser at 615-785-2169. Many items may be picked up from campus today for inclusion in the sale if the donors can bring them to campus today.

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE--The MTSU Center for Popular Music will present “Farther Along,” the first academic conference devoted to the Southern Gospel Convention-Singing tradition, today and tomorrow, April 4 and 5, in the Tom H. Jackson Building at MTSU. Topics to be discussed include publishing, singing, studies of gospel classics, research resources for the study of gospel music, and community and family traditions. For more information, contact the Center for Popular Music at 615-898-2449 or visit http://popmusic.mtsu.edu/gospel.html.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC--Talented young pianists from throughout the region and from as far away as Ohio will gather for the 12th annual Clavierfest competition tomorrow, April 5, in the Wright Music Building (WMB). The daylong event will culminate with a free and open finalist concert at 7 p.m. in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the WMB. For more information, call 615-898-2493 or visit http://www.mtsumusic.com.

COUNTRIES’ COOKIN’--An array of delectable foods and fascinating entertainment from many nations will make for a festive evening at MTSU’s annual International Banquet tomorrow, April 5, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for the viewing of cultural exhibits in the lobby. The buffet-style meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m. Among the tasty treats available will be classic choucroute, spicy Thai curry chicken with wide noodles and basil, coq qu vin, blanquette de veau, and a variety of international desserts. The evening’s entertainment will be provided by Steal de Boro, the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville and MTSU alumna Amber Turner from Canada. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under and $10 for MTSU students. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of International Programs and Services at 615-898-2238.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

AROUND THE WORLD--In order to enhance MTSU’s burgeoning integration of international education into its academic life, Dr. Ron Messier, senior lecturer in history at Vanderbilt University and former history professor at MTSU, will return to the Murfreesboro campus in his new role as Director of International Outreach starting July 1. Messier will report to Dr. Kaylene Gebert, Executive Vice President and Provost. “Ron’s expertise and contacts in the Middle East and North Africa are wide-ranging and extensive,” says Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center. “I saw this firsthand when he visited me while I was teaching in Damascus and when the two of us recently traveled together in Morocco. He was a key moving force behind plans to create a Middle East Center on campus and has remained a strong, steadfast supporter of our work and activities.” For interviews with Messier or other MTSU officials concerned with promoting international education, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

PEANUTS ON PARADE—The Wesley Foundation at MTSU will present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” through April 6 at the foundation house at 216 College Heights Ave. The Thursday and Friday performances start at 8 p.m. There will be a dinner theater performance on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a special matinee performance for children and youth groups on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $3 for children and students and $6 for adults. Dinner theater tickets are $15. For more information, contact the Wesley Foundation at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

THE SEAT OF LEARNING--MTSU Scholars Week 2008 concludes today, April 4, with faculty and student poster presentations in Murphy Center. Other performance and presentations throughout the week, sponsored by MTSU’s colleges and academic centers, will showcase work being done in these units. Each event will recognize the range and variety of scholarly research and creative activity taking place on the MTSU campus. “Scholars Week is a great celebration and demonstration of the various roles that research and creative activities play at MTSU,” says Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost and Scholars Week committee chair. Contact Dr. Andrienne Friedli at 615-898-2071. The schedule of events for Scholars Week 2008 is available on the Web at http://www.mtsu.edu/~research/scholarsweek.html.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Gunk control

Have you ever wondered how the chemicals in Drano work? Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “Sodium hydroxide is the main ingredient in Drano. People who make their own soap know it as lye or caustic soda. The next time you have a clogged drain add a tablespoon of sodium hydroxide pellets to a long-necked bottle almost filled with water. (If you are using Drano, first remove all the shavings of aluminum metal using tweezers since lye is a strong skin irritant.) If you marked the initial water level, after several minutes the lye will have all dissolved and the water level will be slightly lower. Where did it go? How could the water shrink? If you don’t find this mysterious, it’s time to unclog your drain.”

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

Dead man earning

In October 2007, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the so-called “Dead Celebrities Bill.” The measure extends California’s protections for the legal rights of celebrities who names and images still have commercial value even after they pass away. The law lets the estates of the deceased control the images instead of the photographers who took the photos. Chris Harris, electronic media communication, says he doesn’t think this will have much impact on the paparazzi. “My feeling is that almost any image that might be used for advertising has a very slim chance in having come from a paparazzo,” Harris says. “Paparazzi are driven by instant coverage of daily movements of stars, and they do not shoot the ‘quality’ photos that would yield a good quality ad.”

Contact Harris at 615-898-2841.
crharris@mtsu.edu

You’re taxing my health!

With the April 15 tax deadline fast approaching, it’s too late to reap the benefits of a health savings account (HSA) on the 2007 return if you made other arrangements. However, Dr. Kenneth Hollman, holder of the Martin Chair of Insurance, says there are significant tax advantages to an HSA if you’re planning for the 2008 return. “First, unlike many other tax-advantaged savings options, there is no income limit for those who purchase HSAs,” Hollman says. Anyone under 65 who otherwise qualified can purchase one. Second, contributions to the HAS are taken as a deduction in arriving at adjusted gross income if made by the employee excluded from gross income if made by the employer. Third, funds in the account, including those made by an employer, can accumulate indefinitely and grow tax-deferred. Unused balances at the end of the year can be rolled over tax-free to subsequent years.”

Contact Hollman at 615-898-5596.
khollman@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

COUNTRIES’ COOKIN’--An array of delectable foods and fascinating entertainment from many nations will make for a festive evening at MTSU’s annual International Banquet on Saturday, April 5, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for the viewing of cultural exhibits in the lobby. The buffet-style meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m. Among the tasty treats available will be classic choucroute, spicy Thai curry chicken with wide noodles and basil, coq qu vin, blanquette de veau, and a variety of international desserts. The evening’s entertainment will be provided by Steal de Boro, the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville and MTSU alumna Amber Turner from Canada. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under and $10 for MTSU students. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of International Programs and Services at 615-898-2238.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

AROUND THE WORLD--In order to enhance MTSU’s burgeoning integration of international education into its academic life, Dr. Ron Messier, senior lecturer in history at Vanderbilt University and former history professor at MTSU, will return to the Murfreesboro campus in his new role as Director of International Outreach starting July 1. Messier will report to Dr. Kaylene Gebert, Executive Vice President and Provost. “Ron’s expertise and contacts in the Middle East and North Africa are wide-ranging and extensive,” says Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center. “I saw this firsthand when he visited me while I was teaching in Damascus and when the two of us recently traveled together in Morocco. He was a key moving force behind plans to create a Middle East Center on campus and has remained a strong, steadfast supporter of our work and activities.” For interviews with Messier or other MTSU officials concerned with promoting international education, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

ALL THE POET’S MEN (AND WOMEN)--Ernest Suarez, chairman of the Catholic University of America’s Department of English, will lecture on the poetry of Robert Penn Warren at 4:30 p.m. today, April 3, in Dining Room C of the James Union Building. The title of Suarez’s presentation is “Robert Penn Warren’s Conversion Narrative.” Sponsored by the Dr. Virginia Peck Trust, this event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Dr. Kevin Donovan at 615-898-5898 or kdonovan@mtsu.edu.

VARIATIONS ARE THE SPICE OF LIFE--MTSU faculty pianist Leopoldo Erice will perform a free and open concert at 8 p.m. tonight, April 3, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Erice will perform Bach’s 1741 publication of the Goldberg Variations for piano, a work that is considered by many to be one of the most important examples of variation form. A new member of the MTSU School of Music faculty, having joined its ranks in fall 2007, Erice’s upcoming concert will be his first solo recital at the university. For more information, visit http://www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.

PEANUTS ON PARADE—The Wesley Foundation at MTSU will present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” April 3-6 at the foundation house at 216 College Heights Ave. The Thursday and Friday performances start at 8 p.m. There will be a dinner theater performance on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a special matinee performance for children and youth groups on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $3 for children and students and $6 for adults. Dinner theater tickets are $15. For more information, contact the Wesley Foundation at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

THE SEAT OF LEARNING--MTSU Scholars Week 2008 continues through tomorrow, April 4, with faculty and student poster presentations in Murphy Center. Other performance and presentations throughout the week, sponsored by MTSU’s colleges and academic centers, will showcase work being done in these units. Each event will recognize the range and variety of scholarly research and creative activity taking place on the MTSU campus. “Scholars Week is a great celebration and demonstration of the various roles that research and creative activities play at MTSU,” says Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost and Scholars Week committee chair. Contact Dr. Andrienne Friedli at 615-898-2071. The schedule of events for Scholars Week 2008 is available on the Web at http://www.mtsu.edu/~research/scholarsweek.html.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A Bear Stearns market

The Federal Reserve’s approval of JPMorgan Chase’s takeover of Bear Stearns took place in record time because of the subprime mortgage crisis. Some say if the federal government can bail out a Wall Street investment firm, surely it can bail out individuals who are losing their homes. But Dr. Doug Timmons, economics and finance, says the blame can be spread around. “When the history of this mess is written, the culprits won’t just be the sellers of all this risky, cleverly structured and packaged debt,” Timmons says. “Surely the buyers/investors in this debt will also be judged harshly. Who are they? It is sometimes hard to say. The list of buyers/investors includes hedge funds, pensions and endowments, and even individuals, all looking for a high-yielding debt instrument.”

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

One-a-day?

Choosing one’s vitamins can be a confusing task, especially with all the different brands on the market. However, while many buy multivitamins to supplement their diets, some people need more of certain types of vitamins than others do. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says, “For example, women of child-bearing age should be concerned about folate and iron, while men don’t have that concern. Older adults need more Vitamin D because their bodies don’t make it as well as younger people.” Colson adds that “… if we all followed the advice depicted in MyPyramid and the dietary guidelines, multivitamin/mineral supplements would not be needed except for a very few people with special health problems. Sad to say, the vast, vast majority (including dieticians) don’t eat as we should.”

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

Working for a living

The manufacturing sector for the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro area took a hit in February 2008. The number of people employed in manufacturing in this region declined 6.54% from the same month last year. By contrast, the construction and mining professions realized a 7.12% increase in employment. Total nonfarm employment went up 1.52%. Overall, the labor force went from 772,820 to 786,170 between February 2007 and February 2008. These and other specific figures about the economy from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development can be seen at http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/updates.html.

For further information and analysis, contact Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

COUNTRIES’ COOKIN’--An array of delectable foods and fascinating entertainment from many nations will make for a festive evening at MTSU’s annual International Banquet on Saturday, April 5, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for the viewing of cultural exhibits in the lobby. The buffet-style meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m. Among the tasty treats available will be classic choucroute, spicy Thai curry chicken with wide noodles and basil, coq qu vin, blanquette de veau, and a variety of international desserts. The evening’s entertainment will be provided by Steal de Boro, the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville and MTSU alumna Amber Turner from Canada. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under and $10 for MTSU students. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of International Programs and Services at 615-898-2238.

RAD-ICAL!--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through May 1 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.

AROUND THE WORLD--In order to enhance MTSU’s burgeoning integration of international education into its academic life, Dr. Ron Messier, senior lecturer in history at Vanderbilt University and former history professor at MTSU, will return to the Murfreesboro campus in his new role as Director of International Outreach starting July 1. Messier will report to Dr. Kaylene Gebert, Executive Vice President and Provost. “Ron’s expertise and contacts in the Middle East and North Africa are wide-ranging and extensive,” says Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center. “I saw this firsthand when he visited me while I was teaching in Damascus and when the two of us recently traveled together in Morocco. He was a key moving force behind plans to create a Middle East Center on campus and has remained a strong, steadfast supporter of our work and activities.” For interviews with Messier or other MTSU officials concerned with promoting international education, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

ALL THE POET’S MEN (AND WOMEN)--Ernest Suarez, chairman of the Catholic University of America’s Department of English, will lecture on the poetry of Robert Penn Warren at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 3, in Dining Room C of the James Union Building. The title of Suarez’s presentation is “Robert Penn Warren’s Conversion Narrative.” Sponsored by the Dr. Virginia Peck Trust, this event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Dr. Kevin Donovan at 615-898-5898 or kdonovan@mtsu.edu.

VARIATIONS ARE THE SPICE OF LIFE--MTSU faculty pianist Leopoldo Erice will perform a free and open concert at 8 p.m. tomorrow, April 3, in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. Erice will perform Bach’s 1741 publication of the Goldberg Variations for piano, a work that is considered by many to be one of the most important examples of variation form. A new member of the MTSU School of Music faculty, having joined its ranks in fall 2007, Erice’s upcoming concert will be his first solo recital at the university. For more information, visit http://www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.

PEANUTS ON PARADE—The Wesley Foundation at MTSU will present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” April 3-6 at the foundation house at 216 College Heights Ave. The Thursday and Friday performances start at 8 p.m. There will be a dinner theater performance on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a special matinee performance for children and youth groups on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $3 for children and students and $6 for adults. Dinner theater tickets are $15. For more information, contact the Wesley Foundation at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

THE SEAT OF LEARNING--MTSU Scholars Week 2008 continues through Friday, April 4, with faculty and student poster presentations in Murphy Center. Other performance and presentations throughout the week, sponsored by MTSU’s colleges and academic centers, will showcase work being done in these units. Each event will recognize the range and variety of scholarly research and creative activity taking place on the MTSU campus. “Scholars Week is a great celebration and demonstration of the various roles that research and creative activities play at MTSU,” says Dr. Kaylene Gebert, executive vice president and provost and Scholars Week committee chair. Contact Dr. Andrienne Friedli at 615-898-2071. The schedule of events for Scholars Week 2008 is available on the Web at http://www.mtsu.edu/~research/scholarsweek.html.