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.