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.