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.