Monday, June 30, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Going straight to the source

A grant of $300,000 to the MTSU Department of History will provide Tennessee educators with opportunities to access some of the most important historical documents of the American experience. The money comes from the Library of Congress through its Teaching with Primary Sources program. Some of the primary sources available through the Library of Congress include the complete papers of Abraham Lincoln and the complete papers of Thomas Jefferson. The Age of Jackson, the Civil War and Reconstruction period, the Depression Decade and World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement will be the first four eras on which the center will focus, says Dr. Stacey Graham, research professor at the center and project coordinator. “Those are points in Tennessee history that are also important in American history,” Graham says.

Contact Graham at 615-494-8783.
sgraham@mtsu.edu

A foggy day in Music City

Charles Fogg is the first African-American criminal court judge in Nashville history, but his climb up the ladder of jurisprudence isn’t an easy one. Fogg dispenses justice and wisdom as his personal life crumbles under the expectations of power and wealth in the decadent 1980s. This is the basis of Judge Fogg, a novel by Randy O’Brien, News Director for MTSU’s public radio station, WMOT-FM. Steven Womack, Edgar Award-winning author of Dead Folks Blues, says, “Judge Fogg is compelling and engaging and I guarantee you, if you’ll just read the first chapter, you won’t be able to put it down. It’s not only a page-turner, but a page-turner that makes you think and moves you profoundly.” O’Brien will discuss and sign copies of Judge Fogg at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 2121 Green Hills Village Drive in Nashville, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.

Contact O’Brien at 615-898-2800.
robrien@mtsu.edu

Cool, clear water

The absence of clean drinking water is more of a problem globally than many people in the industrialized world realize. That’s why the National Academy of Engineering created a $1 million award to encourage creative solutions to the problem. The first prize was awarded last year to Abul Hussam for his system of removing arsenic from water. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says Hussam’s system is easy to manufacture and is maintenance-free. “It simply consists of sand, charcoal, bits of bricks and shavings of cast iron—the active ingredient,” MacDougall says. “Porous iron forms strong bonds to arsenic, and when the filter is saturated, the contents can be safely dumped. The filtered arsenic is in non-toxic form—immobilized and chemically bonded to iron—and it will remain so as long as there is oxygen around, since this element blocks the chemical processes that dissociate arsenic and iron.”

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

TR EXTRA

ATTACK THE TAX!--The MTSU College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning and the Tennessee Department of Revenue will offer a Tennessee Business Tax Seminar from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro. Continuing Education and Distance Learning Director David Foster says, “This seminar is extremely valuable and pertinent to anyone who prepares or pays taxes. In this economic environment when we all have to tighten our belts, we want to make sure we’re paying our legal obligations but no more. One idea from here could save thousands of dollars.” Online registration is $155, a savings of $10 per registrant over other methods. Registration includes all materials, breakfast, lunch and refreshments. For more information or to register, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/learn.
Contact Foster at 615-898-5033 or dfoster@mtsu.edu.

THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SLOW BUSINESS.--The Summer 2008 edition of “Tennessee’s Business,” a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, includes articles from major Tennessee politicians on the state of the economy. Senator Bob Corker sounds off on what he thinks Congress should do. Senator Lamar Alexander makes the case for a “Manhattan Project” for energy independence. Congressman Jim Cooper advocates the creation of a “bipartisan commission with teeth” modeled after the Iraq Study group and the military base closing commission to force leaders to take action. In addition, the full text of Governor Phil Bredesen’s May 12 address to the General Assembly is included, along with academic perspectives on the regional Southeast economy and the return of “stagflation.” Due to budget cuts, “Tennessee’s Business” is available only online at http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc. Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Go ahead. Make my case.

A spokesman for the National Rifle Association says the gun lobby will file suit to challenge restrictions on gun ownership in San Francisco and Chicago following yesterday’s 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the 32-year-old gun ban in the District of Columbia. Dr. John Vile, chair of the Department of Political Science and constitutional law expert, says scholarship “has increasingly concluded that the Second Amendment … articulates a personal right and not simply a right of state militias.” Even so, Vile notes that “because the decision comes from the District of Columbia, it doesn’t specifically address whether states can ban handguns. By portraying the right to bear arms as important, however, I think the Court has made it very difficult to argue that the right is not among the fundamental rights that are also protected by the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause against such deprivation.”

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

To tell the truth

What is truth? Philosophers have pondered this seemingly simple question for centuries. The main Western theories of truth are the correspondence theory, the coherence theory, and the pragmatist theory. Dr. Ron Bombardi, chair of the Department of Philosophy, says the correspondence theory can be traced back to Aristotle. Basically, it states that a claim is true if it corresponds to what is so and false if it does not. Then there’s the coherence theory, which posits that a statement is true if it’s consistent with, or coheres to, other beliefs that are true. And the pragmatist theory of truth deems a statement to be true if it’s useful to you in your world—in other words, if it’s true for you, it’s true. See, wasn’t that easy?

Contact Bombardi at 615-898-2049.
rbombard@mtsu.edu

Download this!

David Hughes, an executive with the Recording Industry Association of America, said last month that digital recording management (DRM) technology is not dead. DRM is the dreaded software used to protect copyrighted works from piracy. The problem with DRM is that it prevents Internet-savvy consumers from playing their legally downloaded sound files on different mp3 players. In January, Sony became the last major label to drop DRM, but Hughes says he thinks there will be a movement toward subscription services, paving the way for a DRM comeback. Kenneth Sanney, adjunct recording industry professor and licensed attorney, says, “For DRM to make a comeback, the technology needs to be improved to address the interoperability issue. Until then, the recording industry and retailers are finally showing some foresight by offering a user-friendly product at a reasonable price—i.e., harnessing the market.”

Contact Sanney at 615-456-6502.
ksanney@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

ATTACK THE TAX!--The MTSU College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning and the Tennessee Department of Revenue will offer a Tennessee Business Tax Seminar from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro. Continuing Education and Distance Learning Director David Foster says, “This seminar is extremely valuable and pertinent to anyone who prepares or pays taxes. In this economic environment when we all have to tighten our belts, we want to make sure we’re paying our legal obligations but no more. One idea from here could save thousands of dollars.” Online registration is $155, a savings of $10 per registrant over other methods. Registration includes all materials, breakfast, lunch and refreshments. For more information or to register, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/learn.
Contact Foster at 615-898-5033 or dfoster@mtsu.edu.

THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SLOW BUSINESS.--The Summer 2008 edition of “Tennessee’s Business,” a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, includes articles from major Tennessee politicians on the state of the economy. Senator Bob Corker sounds off on what he thinks Congress should do. Senator Lamar Alexander makes the case for a “Manhattan Project” for energy independence. Congressman Jim Cooper advocates the creation of a “bipartisan commission with teeth” modeled after the Iraq Study group and the military base closing commission to force leaders to take action. In addition, the full text of Governor Phil Bredesen’s May 12 address to the General Assembly is included, along with academic perspectives on the regional Southeast economy and the return of “stagflation.” Due to budget cuts, “Tennessee’s Business” is available only online at http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc. Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

THE ROCKETS’ RED GLARE--Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” once again will be held on the campus of MTSU starting at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field. As usual, admission to the annual Independence Day festival is free. There will be games and activities for the kids and patriotic music from the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks are slated to start at 9 p.m. To hear more about the festivities, join host Tom Tozer and his guests Jim Fanguy of the MTSU Department of Public Safety, Marlane Sewell and Tom Sage of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, and Birdie Donnell, president of the board of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra for “MTSU On the Record,” a 30-minute public affairs program, at 7 a.m. this Sunday, June 29, on WMOT-FM (89.5) and www.wmot.org. For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Was it something they said?

Last month, a federal appeals court reinstated three former Mississippi jailers’ claims that they were dismissed because they reported the beating of an inmate by another guard. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says this case could have nationwide ramifications. In a 2006 case, Garcetti v. Ceballos, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution does not protect public employees from employer discipline when they make statements pursuant to their official duties. Hudson says the appellate court’s action “shows that lower courts take seriously Justice (Anthony) Kennedy’s admonition that ‘official job duties’ are not exclusively determined by job descriptions or policies. Second, it requires courts to focus on the practical realities of the workplace and employee duties, as opposed to employers’ recitations of Garcetti.”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

There’s no business like slow business.

The Summer 2008 edition of “Tennessee’s Business,” a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, includes articles from major Tennessee politicians on the state of the economy. Senator Bob Corker sounds off on what he thinks Congress should do. Senator Lamar Alexander makes the case for a “Manhattan Project” for energy independence. Congressman Jim Cooper advocates the creation of a “bipartisan commission with teeth” modeled after the Iraq Study group and the military base closing commission to force leaders to take action. In addition, the full text of Governor Phil Bredesen’s May 12 address to the General Assembly is included, along with academic perspectives on the regional Southeast economy and the return of “stagflation.”

Due to budget cuts, “Tennessee’s Business” is available only online at http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc. Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

Attack the tax!

The MTSU College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning and the Tennessee Department of Revenue will offer a Tennessee Business Tax Seminar from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro. Continuing Education and Distance Learning Director David Foster says, “This seminar is extremely valuable and pertinent to anyone who prepares or pays taxes. In this economic environment when we all have to tighten our belts, we want to make sure we’re paying our legal obligations but no more. One idea from here could save thousands of dollars.” Online registration is $155, a savings of $10 per registrant over other methods. Registration includes all materials, breakfast, lunch and refreshments.

For more information or to register, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/learn.
Contact Foster at 615-898-5033.
dfoster@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

PRESERVING THE PAST--Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. tonight, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, On June 1, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

THE ROCKETS’ RED GLARE--Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” once again will be held on the campus of MTSU starting at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field. As usual, admission to the annual Independence Day festival is free. There will be games and activities for the kids and patriotic music from the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks are slated to start at 9 p.m. To hear more about the festivities, join host Tom Tozer and his guests Jim Fanguy of the MTSU Department of Public Safety, Marlane Sewell and Tom Sage of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, and Birdie Donnell, president of the board of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra for “MTSU On the Record,” a 30-minute public affairs program, at 7 a.m. this Sunday, June 29, on WMOT-FM (89.5) and www.wmot.org. For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A sound decision

Students from the recording fraternity Omega Delta Psi contributed to the new CD “Back When I Knew It All” by the country duo Montgomery Gentry. Chris Haseleu, the chair of the MTSU Department of Recording Industry, and Nathan Adam, associate chair and assistant professor, made the arrangements with producer Blake Chancey, an MTSU graduate. The students provided group vocals and claps on the song “One in Every Crowd” and marching on “The Big Revival.” The students’ recording was conducted in MTSU’s Studio A.

For more information, contact Haseleu at 615-898-2578.
chaseleu@mtsu.edu

Unreal estate

The Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro area has not escaped the national housing crunch. Permits for single family dwellings in April 2008 totaled only 687, an anemic figure compared to 1,157 in April 2007. Permits for multifamily housing totaled 117, an increase over the April 2007 figure of 66. But that adds up to only 801 total permits, a decrease from 1,218 a year ago. There were closings on 1,713 units. That’s down from 2,389 last year. The median price of a home was $180,000, up from $177,900 a year ago.

Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

The rockets’ red glare

Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” once again will be held on the campus of MTSU starting at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field. As usual, admission to the annual Independence Day festival is free. There will be games and activities for the kids and patriotic music from the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks are slated to start at 9 p.m. To hear more about the festivities, join host Tom Tozer and his guests Jim Fanguy of the MTSU Department of Public Safety, Marlane Sewell and Tom Sage of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, and Birdie Donnell, president of the board of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra for “MTSU On the Record,” a 30-minute public affairs program, at 7 a.m. this Sunday, June 29, on WMOT-FM (89.5) and www.wmot.org.

For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for today through Thursday (June 25-27). Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

PRESERVING THE PAST--Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. tomorrow, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, On June 1, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Looking at less of Larry

It has become impossible to turn on the television and click the remote without stumbling upon a NutriSystem commercial. The weight loss program has made use of numerous endorsements from celebrities who have used its products, including Marie Osmond, Jillian Barberie, Dan Marino and Don Shula. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, was most surprised to see Larry the Cable Guy, who claims to have lost 50 pounds, plugging NutriSystem. “The credibility of personal messages is high, and the ‘before and after’ comparison of NutriSystem’s effect on Larry the Cable Guy is a powerful message,” Roy says. “Even though the disclaimer ‘results are not typical’ is the most accurate message delivered in the spot, the image of a svelte Larry the Cable Guy drives home the benefits delivered by the NutriSystem brand.”

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

Working for a living

The manufacturing sector in Tennessee took another big hit in April, according to the latest data from MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. However, that sector was the only one that saw a decrease in employment over April 2007. Manufacturing jobs declined 5.88 percent. The construction and mining sector was up 4.37 percent. Information was up 4.19 percent. Education and health services rose 3.65 percent. Even employment in the leisure and hospitality sector rose 2.75 percent. Preliminary figures show 793,990 people in the work force in Tennessee in April 2008 compared to 777,440 the previous April.

Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

It’s not easy being green.

The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have signed an agreement to cap greenhouse gas emissions. However, the deal allows environmentally-friendly industries to trade their unused quotas of emissions with industries that still haven’t gone green. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “I hope this encourages creative research into alternative energy sources and chemical processes that reduce waste products, but if it is anything like the Kyoto Protocol it should set off smoke alarms.” He points out, “Of the industrialized countries that have not come close to meeting their Kyoto targets, Canada tops the list. In fact, the Canadian government admitted that since Kyoto went into effect, emissions of the monitored gases have gone up in Canada and by more than they did in the U.S.!”

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

TR EXTRA

THE CHINESE CONNECTION--Today’s (Tuesday, June 24) sessions for the U.S.-Sino Workshop on Mathematics and Science Education at MTSU will cover topics including international assessment as a means for improving students’ learning, the new reform and problems of primary science in mainland China, preparing biology teachers for the new curriculum using the Internet, and comparing Hispanic students’ mathematics achievement with Asian students in Tennessee. Sessions are slated for 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 10 p.m. Scholars from the United States and the People’s Republic of China are exchanging techniques and information in a collaborative effort to improve math and science education. For more information, contact Dr. Diane Miller at 615-898-5472 or dmiller@mtsu.edu.

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

PRESERVING THE PAST--Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus June 1, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

LON LIVES ON THROUGH LITERACY--The public is welcome to a dedication ceremony and community open house for The Lon Nuell Family Literacy Center from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today, June 24. The center is located in Room 210 of the First Baptist Church Education Building on the corner of Vine and Spring Streets in Murfreesboro. It is named for the MTSU art professor who died of a stroke in March. Nuell also was a member of the Murfreesboro City School Board and a supporter of the Read to Succeed literacy organization since 2003. Partners, program providers and members of the center’s advisory council will be on hand for the ceremony. For more information, contact Read to Succeed at 615-738-7323 or visit http://www.readtosucceed.org.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Lon lives on through literacy

The public is welcome to a dedication ceremony and community open house for The Lon Nuell Family Literacy Center from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, June 24. The center is located in Room 210 of the First Baptist Church Education Building on the corner of Vine and Spring Streets in Murfreesboro. It is named for the MTSU art professor who died of a stroke in March. Nuell also was a member of the Murfreesboro City School Board and a supporter of the Read to Succeed literacy organization since 2003. Partners, program providers and members of the center’s advisory council will be on hand for the ceremony.

For more information, contact Read to Succeed at 615-738-7323 or visit http://www.readtosucceed.org.

Keep your eye on the sparrow

Dr. Jan Hayes, an award-winning educator and professor emeritus at MTSU, has published her first children’s book, “The Split Tongue Sparrow,” a traditional Japanese folktale. Now available from O’More Publishing and illustrated by Franklin-based graphic designer Bobby Dawson, the hardcover book was adapted into English by Hayes. She also created haiku poems to begin and conclude the folktale. A member of MTSU’s educational leadership faculty from 1973 to 2007, Hayes says she first learned of the sparrow folktale in 1988 during a trip to the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Although she taught children’s literature for more than three decades and has authored books for educators and administrators on positive self-concept development, “The Split Tongue Sparrow” is Hayes’ first children’s book.

For an interview with Hayes, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu

Pick your poison

Many people admit to taking up the smoking habit to help control their weight. Research by Dr. Charles Baum, economics and finance, examines the correlation between higher cigarette taxes and the national increase in obesity. He finds that increasing the cost of cigarettes by 77 cents per pack would result in higher body mass index and a noticeable rise in the prevalence of obesity. “Up to 365,000 people are estimated to die prematurely each year due to obesity and 435,000 due to cigarette smoking, increasing the cost of cigarettes could increase premature deaths due to obesity, at least partially offsetting a simultaneous decrease in premature deaths due to cigarette smoking,” Baum says. “Regardless, the U.S. Surgeon General has consistently said that the benefits of quitting smoking outweigh any costs, acknowledging that this may include weight gain.”

Contact Baum at 615-898-2527.
cbaum@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

PRESERVING THE PAST--Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus June 1, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SCOTT AND ZELDA SAY IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!--The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson. Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013. For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Consciousness-raising

MTSU alumnus Stephen Richardson is making a difference in the lives of South Africa’s young people. The not-for-profit organization he co-founded, ConsciousFlowz, helps youngsters by “… forming new, interactive programs that use music to teach leadership skills, encourage independent thinking, and educate youth about social issues,” according to www.consciousflowz.org. Richardson, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music, uses a variety of musical genres to communicate values of self-respect and community responsibility. On May 10, the Conscious Connectionz project held a concert in Cape Town titled “BE HEARD: A Concert For and By South Africa’s Youth” to stimulate awareness about HIV/AIDS. Lalo Davila, MTSU professor of music and accomplished percussionist, is proud of his former student.

For more information, send an e-mail to stephen@consciousflowz.org.
Contact Davila at 615-898-2803.
gdavila@mtsu.edu

Scott and Zelda say it’s the cat’s meow!

The Jazz Age, that era when flappers danced the Charleston and speakeasys were all the rage, will find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro through the creativity of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU. Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural more than six feet tall and nearly 20 feet long at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” says Anfinson.

Contact Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation, at 615-217-8013.For an interview with Anfinson, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu.

Free speech, R.I.P.

At Halloween in 2002, Jeff and Vicki Purtell put wooden tombstones mocking their neighbors on their front lawn. Following an alleged chest-bump between Jeff Purtell and a neighbor, a police officer was called to the scene. In their lawsuit against the officer, the Purtells claim their First Amendment right to freedom of speech was violated. The officer asked the court for qualified immunity, a limited form of liability protection for government officials. The Purtells lost at the lower court level, and a three-judge appellate panel sided with the officer. “Even though (Judge Diane) Sykes and her colleagues found that the words on the tombstones were not fighting words, they still ruled in favor of (the officer) because unconstitutional government action is just the first step in a qualified-immunity analysis,” says David Hudson, adjunct professor of political science and First Amendment Center scholar. “This case from suburban Chicago with its bizarre set of facts ultimately could find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

CHINESE MATH-CHECKERS--MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27. Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States. The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. “The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” says Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair. Contact Miller at 615-898-2881 or dmiller@mtsu.edu.

DOES A KID SIT IN THE WOODS?--The MTSU Campus Recreation Center’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. Organizers say a water bottle is a must. Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. For more details, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~camprec, or call 615-898-2104.

PRESERVING THE PAST--Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus June 1, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Preserving the past

Dr. Michael Tomlan, historic preservationist and a pioneering scholar on planbook architects of the 19th century, will present “Why Historians and Preservationists Avoid Religion,” a free and open lecture, at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 315 E. Main St. An associate professor of history and director of the graduate program in historic preservation planning program at Cornell University, Tomlan began a monthlong visit to the MTSU campus June 1, where he’s teaching a summer seminar. He is an historic preservation expert in building conservation technology, documentation methods for preservation and the history of the preservation movement. Just prior to his June 26 talk, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU will sponsor a public reception for Tomlan at 4:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225. W. College St.

Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

Standing tall

Dr. Bob Glenn, MTSU’s outgoing Vice President for Student Affairs, cites Abraham Lincoln as a model of the kind of values to which students should aspire. “One of the reasons why he was so great is because he understood the need for integrity, and he built himself and his career around that,” Glenn told the campus chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars earlier this year. He said although Lincoln was thought to be unschooled in politics, he outdid several more able politicians to become president. Even then, the men who helped install him thought they could manipulate him. But Lincoln turned the tables on them and made the men who had fought him part of his cabinet. “He put the needs of the country above his personal beliefs, his feelings, the fact that these men had insulted him publicly in many cases,” Glenn said.

Contact Glenn at 615-898-2440.
rglenn@mtsu.edu

Progress report

Is the success of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee due in part to the discontent among African-Americans today? A Pew Research Center poll finds that African-Americans are more dissatisfied with their progress now than at any time in the past 20 years. Dr. Jacqui Wade, social work, says, “African-Americans know all too well that the practices of institutional and cultural racism go way back and remain alive and well in America, despite some of the incremental changes that have been made to help eliminate, or at least alleviate these social ills.” (Incidentally, a Canadian company that had agreed to produce a stuffed sock puppet that looks like a monkey and is named after Barack Obama has pulled out of its deal with the Utah couple that created the puppet. After apologizing, the couple said they would try to find another company to produce the item.)

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

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

CHINESE MATH-CHECKERS--MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27. Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States. The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. “The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” says Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair. Contact Miller at 615-898-2881 or dmiller@mtsu.edu.

DOES A KID SIT IN THE WOODS?--The MTSU Campus Recreation Center’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. Organizers say a water bottle is a must. Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. For more details, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~camprec, or call 615-898-2104.

Wednesday, June 26, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

All that glitters isn’t lead.

In days of yore, alchemists tried to turn lead into gold, a highly tempting feat in today’s recession. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says even Sir Isaac Newton devoted time to the transmutation of the elements. MacDougall says today we know that “… lead can be turned into gold. But it would be prohibitively expensive to do so, and the gold would be ‘hot’ in the radioactive sense. On the other hand, there may come a day when your life depends on transmutation. For instance, a diagnostic procedure used in treating coronary artery disease uses radioactive thallium-201. These atoms are produced on-site by transmutation of lead-201 atoms using portable isotope generators. And they are worth far more than their weight in gold both to the patient and to the medical supply company.”

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

It just doesn’t ad up.

Is television losing its marketing power? According to a study by Forrester Research for the Association of National Advertisers, 62 percent of marketers surveyed say TV ads have lessened in effectiveness in the past two years. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “The case for television advertising is not helped by the fact that much of the creativity we see in TV advertising today is not very good … OK, it’s bad! A disconnect exists too often between the message the creative people deliver and the branding needs of the advertiser. … Ad agencies are adept at creating messages that are entertaining (sometimes), but how does the entertainment value of an ad message fit into an integrated marketing communication strategy?”

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

Science is our business.

The Master of Science in Professional Science degree program at MTSU has grown from three students in the spring of 2005 to 55 students last semester (spring 2008). The first six graduates from a partnership between the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and Blue Cross/Blue Shield received their diplomas last month. In fact, Dr. Allen Naidoo of Blue Cross/Blue Shield is chairman of the MS-PS Advisory Board. The MS-PS is a new kind of degree program aimed at preparing graduates for careers in corporate America. It emphasizes expertise in both science and business. There are strong concentrations in biotechnology, biostatistics, and health care informatics.

Contact Dr. Saeed Foroudastan, associate dean, at 615-494-8786.
sforouda@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

CHINESE MATH-CHECKERS--MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27. Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States. The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. “The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” says Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair. Contact Miller at 615-898-2881 or dmiller@mtsu.edu.

DOES A KID SIT IN THE WOODS?--The MTSU Campus Recreation Center’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. Organizers say a water bottle is a must. Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp. For more details, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~camprec, or call 615-898-2104.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Tim Russert (1950-2008)

A wake is scheduled for this evening (Tuesday, June 17) at St. Albans School in Washington for Tim Russert. The NBC News Washington bureau chief and moderator of “Meet the Press” died unexpectedly of a heart attack on June 13 at the age of 58. Dr. John Omachonu, Dean of the MTSU College of Mass Communication, says, “Tim has set a standard in broadcast journalism that will continue well into the next century. What sets him apart from many is the fact that he didn’t just do his work—which he did well—but took time to develop others through encouragement and empowerment. Tim’s perspectives as a father and family man will go a long way to humanizing the craft of journalism. We are lucky in that Tim has left behind so much for us to think about for some time to come.” MSNBC is slated to televise a memorial service from the Kennedy Center tomorrow, Wednesday, June 18, at 3 p.m. Central time.

Contact Omachonu at 615-898-2195.
omachonu@mtsu.edu

Black and white television

The year was 1957. Nat “King” Cole’s 15-minute variety television show on NBC had performed poorly in the ratings the previous year. It was one of the few programs on TV that did not depict blacks in a stereotypical way. Why didn’t NBC take the easy way out and just cancel the show? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, wrote in an article in Television Quarterly that RCA Chairman David Sarnoff not only saved it—he expanded it to 30 minutes. “David Sarnoff may have used his office to exploit the television network he controlled in order to diminish the Soviet charge of U.S. racism and provide a kinder, gentler image of race to U.S. television viewers,” Pondillo wrote. “Remember, Sarnoff imagined America was not racist. Brotherhood and equal opportunity is what the country and world saw on The Nat ‘King’ Cole Show every week.”

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

Does a kid sit in the woods?

The MTSU Campus Recreation Center’s Adventure Camp for young people ages 14 to 17 is set for June 23-27 at a cost of $175 per camper. Students will learn and develop skills they can use to explore the great outdoors with an introduction to canoeing, a day hike, kayaking the Hiwassee River overnight and rafting the Ocoee River. Campers are responsible for their own food, and a healthy lunch is recommended. Organizers say a water bottle is a must. Participants may register at the Campus Rec office from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by mail. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and a $25 nonrefundable deposit for each session must accompany the registration, but it will be applied to the total cost of the camp.

For more details, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~camprec, or call 615-898-2104.

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE PLAYSTATION.--Budding authors who have completed fourth through 12th grades will invade MTSU next week for the Youth Writers’ Camp presented by the Middle Tennessee Writing Project. This two-week day camp through June 19 helps kids who are excited about writing make connections with experienced classroom teachers who have a passion for writing. The camp counselors strive to make sure that students become more confident in their own writing ability while fostering a supportive, non-threatening environment. Youngsters will receive realistic feedback from peers and mentors, explore new writing styles and topics, and meet published authors. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~mtwp or contact Angela Pope, Youth Camp Coordinator, at pope_a@worldnet.att.net or Dr. Bobbie Solley, MTWP Director, at bsolley@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or
dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

CHINESE MATH-CHECKERS--MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27. Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States. The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. “The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” says Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair. Contact Miller at 615-898-2881or dmiller@mtsu.edu.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Better to give than receive?

A survey by Consumer Reports indicates that 27 percent of people who received gift cards in 2006 did not use them. That’s an increase from 19% in 2005. Dr. Charles Kile, accounting, studied the issue and found that companies examine historical patterns to try to figure out whether a gift card will be used over time. “Once a reliable estimate is established, the retailer may claim to have a basis for removing the gift-card liability from the books,” Kile wrote for the Journal of Accounting. The difficulty is that the value of unused gift cards has to be turned over to the government as unclaimed property in some states. In other states, companies can convert them into income. Kile analyzed a total of 167 companies. “Of the 113 companies that provided gift card information, 80 provided at least some indication as to where the liability can be found on the balance sheet,” Kile wrote.

Contact Kile at 615-898-2354.
ckile@mtsu.edu

They didn’t want to get blogged down.

A survey published in January by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows 24% of Americans regularly learn something about the presidential campaign from the Internet. That’s almost double the 2004 figure of 13%. Cyberspace usage by presidential contenders has come a long way. Patrick Chinnery, political science, says in 2004, both George W. Bush and John Kerry blogged, but neither one of them targeted young people with their Web sites. Chinnery says, “Both the Bush and Kerry campaigns, instead of talking about youth issues, such as visits to campus, such as the war, such as potential for a draft, instead talked about candidate feelings, what we did at the rally today, and what we’re going to do at the rally tomorrow.” (This year, the Republican Party is holding a video contest with the winner getting a free trip to the nominating convention in St. Paul Sept. 1-4.)

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

Welcome aboard!

Dr. Tonjanita Johnson is the new associate vice president for marketing and communications at MTSU as of June 1. Previously, Johnson served for seven years as executive assistant to the president/associate vice president for university relations at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Miss. Prior to that assignment, she was the school’s director of public relations. Johnson says she wants to integrate the division’s communication services in order to tell a more complete MTSU story. “We need to bring more consistency to our image in terms of how we promote ourselves locally, in the state and throughout the nation,” she says.

Contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-2919 or Johnson at 615-494-7800.

TR EXTRA

“ENGLAND SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO.”—ROGER MILLER--The Fab Four, miniskirts and go-go boots, the “mods” versus the “rockers”—If you’re looking for a fun and informative course to take this summer, MTSU is offering British Popular Culture from 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday July 7-August 7. This English course, taught by Dr. Jill Hague, will look at the development of popular culture in the United Kingdom after World War II, focusing on innovations in music, film and drama. Students will examine the cultural, historical and political contexts of the 1950s, the phenomenon of “Swinging London” and the Beatles in the 1960s and the rise of punk culture in the 1970s. Contact Hague at 615-904-8123 or ahague@mtsu.edu.

THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT--You can spend part of your summer examining the fascinating Native American history and prehistory of the Southwest and get geography or history credit for it at MTSU! The class is titled “Geography of Native Americans” and will be conducted for the 15th consecutive year by Dr. Doug Heffington, professor of historical geography and director of the Global Studies Program. “The class focuses on the examination of the human/land relationships between the native peoples of New Mexico and their natural environment,” Heffington says. “Most of our base camp is in the small colonial village of Truchas, which dates to the mid-1700s with its blend of Genizaro, Mestizo and Hispano cultures. The trip/course starts July 21st and takes about nine days to complete.” The cost is approximately $400 per student and includes transportation, two meals a day, lodging and entry fees. Contact Heffington at 615-898-5978 or jheffing@mtsu.edu.

“BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED FOR THEY SHALL LET IN THE LIGHT.”—GROUCHO MARX--How do you see God? Do you see the Almighty as a man, a woman, an ambiguous force of nature? These are questions to be explored this summer as Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, teaches “Images of God in the American Media” from July 7 through August 8 at MTSU. Pondillo and his students will pursue the subject by examining television programs ranging from “Family Guy” to “Joan of Arcadia” and movies like “Oh, God” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Pondilo says, “We’ll have an intellectual discussion and a cosmological discussion and a theological discussion—a discussion, not make it a time to convert people or anything like that. Let’s just talk and try to understand.” Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.

ALMA MATER MATTERS-- MTSU’s Alumni Summer College, a two-and-a-half-day event full of fun, fellowship and presentations on local topics, is slated for June 25-27. Faculty, staff and other experts who are slated to speak include Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director of the Gore Center, on “A Century of Service: The History of MTSU”; Dr. Rhonda Hoffman, associate professor of equine science, will introduce attendees to the latest research and technology in the horse world; and alumni Gloria Christy (’71) and Bill Shacklett (’73) will discuss the technical world of photo restoration. Also on tap are a trip to the Grand Ole Opry, dinner at Caney Fork Fish Camp and a scavenger hunt. Contact Rhonda Wright at 1-800-533-6878 or rwright@mtsu.edu.

ROLL OVER, JUNIOR!--Everything a human being is concerned with is based on learning and theory. That’s what makes the Learning Theories class being taught by Dr. Donald Kendrick through Thursday, July 3, at MTSU so fascinating. Kendrick, a psychology professor, says, “For example, students will gain insights and learn specific techniques to train their pets to do fun and funny things. These training techniques also generalize to raising children, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of punishment, accepted practices on permitting young children to sleep with Mom (and Dad), the nature of the mother-infant bond, breaking bad habits and acquiring new ones, and how to get your roommate to have more respect for your things!” Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2706 or psyskip@mtsu.edu.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE PLAYSTATION.--Budding authors who have completed fourth through 12th grades will invade MTSU next week for the Youth Writers’ Camp presented by the Middle Tennessee Writing Project. This two-week day camp through June 19 helps kids who are excited about writing make connections with experienced classroom teachers who have a passion for writing. The camp counselors strive to make sure that students become more confident in their own writing ability while fostering a supportive, non-threatening environment. Youngsters will receive realistic feedback from peers and mentors, explore new writing styles and topics, and meet published authors. For more information, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~mtwp or contact Angela Pope, Youth Camp Coordinator, at pope_a@worldnet.att.net or Dr. Bobbie Solley, MTWP Director, at bsolley@mtsu.edu.

DAD, TAKE THE LAMPSHADE OFF YOUR HEAD WHILE THE CAMERA’S ROLLING!--Working with perhaps the most technology-savvy generation of young adults ever, Dr. Lorne McWatters, history, will teach a class titled “Genealogy and Documentary Film: Doing Your Own Family History in Film” to undergraduates for the first time at MTSU this fall. “The fall class will have 15 students, and each student will make a film about 10 minutes long on either some aspect of his/her family (genealogy) or some aspect of the history of MTSU,” McWatters says. “In speaking to students about the class, I found the undergraduates to be very enthusiastic, much more so than the graduate students, in general.” Contact McWatters at 615-898-5805 or dmcwatte@mtsu.edu.

CHINESE MATH-CHECKERS--MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27. Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States. The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. “The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” says Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair. Contact Miller at 615-898-2881 or dmiller@mtsu.edu.