Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The unofficial snake oil of the 2008 Summer Games

Ambush marketing is alive and well and thriving in Beijing. Even though companies like Adidas, Budweiser and China Mobile spend millions of dollars for the right to claim an “official” relationship to the Olympics, companies continue to position themselves in a way that makes it appear as though they are official sponsors, too. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “If the IOC (International Olympic Committee) wants its sponsorships to retain the current level of value, steps must be taken to protect sponsors’ significant investments. Ambush marketing on any level is distasteful and unethical; when it involves tens of millions of dollars, it can be financially devastating, too.”

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

It’s not as easement as it looks.

Suppose a landowner donates a conservation easement to a nonprofit environmental group. Property rights are transferred, but ownership is not. While the owner may have the most noble of motives in wanting to preserve the land for its beauty or natural resources, he or she also stands to benefit financially. In a paper printed in Real Estate Issues, Dr. Doug Timmons, economics and finance, and Dr. Lara Daniel, business law, point out that the owner might be paid handsomely for the easement. “Additionally,” they write, “if a conservation easement is granted in perpetuity, the landowner is entitled to claim a deduction on his or her federal income taxes. Furthermore, since the conservation easement lowers the value of the property, it also lowers the value of the landowner’s estate and, ultimately, the estate tax burden as well as the property tax burden.”

Contact Timmons at 615-898-5750.
jtimmons@mtsu.edu
Contact Daniel at 615-898-2439.
lwdaniel@mtsu.edu

Take care

In a Commonwealth Fund study of 19 industrialized countries, the United States placed last in the category of preventable deaths during the periods 1997-98 and 2002-03. Researchers compared rates of amenable mortality—causes of death from certain causes before age 75 that are preventable with good quality health care. Carolyn Hix, D.N.P., R.N. and assistant professor of nursing, says, several factors account for this ranking. For example, she notes, “The underinsured and uninsured seek health care in the emergency departments (EDs) of acute care facilities. This situation causes EDs to become overcrowded and have difficulty providing care to true emergencies. Also, an ED is not designed to provide primary care. So the patient receives short-term care with referrals to places that provide primary care. The underinsured and uninsured frequently do not week the additional care.”

Contact Hix at 615-494-7867.
cdhix@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“A POLITICIAN IS A STATESMAN WHO APPROACHES EVERY QUESTION WITH AN OPEN MOUTH.”—ADLAI STEVENSON--Has a particular turn of phrase in a politician’s speech caught your ear and made you wonder why he or she chose those particular words? What is the speaker really saying? How do the candidates get their messages across to the voters? To figure all this out in this presidential election year, students can sign up for “Political Communication,” a class to be taught this fall at MTSU by Dr. Russell Church, speech and theatre professor. Participants will take on questions of whether race and gender are still issues, who votes and why, whether candidates are now more important than parties, whether the media now call all the shots, the power of interest groups, and how parties can increase turnout. The class will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:20 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Contact Church at 615-494-7958 or rchurch@mtsu.edu.

A REALLY BIG SHEW--The August edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is packed with fascinating stories and compelling video of MTSU sights and sounds. Watch the Plant and Soil Science Club’s members as they grow and sell farm-fresh produce to raise funds. Check out the art deco-style Jazz Age mural painted by professor Erin Anfinsson at the Heritage Center in downtown Murfreesboro. Return with MTSU alumni to those thrilling days of yesteryear at the inaugural Alumni Summer College. And celebrate the success of the Center for Environmental Education, whose latest video to promote clean water in Tennessee won a Silver Telly Award. “Middle Tennessee Record” airs on NewsChannel5+ at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. For a complete listing of other cable outlets that run the program, go to www.mtsunews.com. Contact John Lynch at 615-898-2919 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

WELCOME, NEIGHBOR!--As state Rep. John Hood leaves the Tennessee General Assembly following six terms serving the 48th District, he embarks on a new mission for MTSU’s Office of Community Engagement and Support. Hood began assisting Dr. Gloria Bonner, the director of the office, on Aug. 1. “During my 12 years in the legislature, I have worked in support of MTSU, and this will give me another opportunity to represent the university with the community and local governments,” Hood says. Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, MTSU president, adds, “Any endeavor that John is involved in will be enhanced and enriched by his knowledge and skills, and we are extremely fortunate that he will continue to be a valuable resource for a university that he loves and has served for so many years.”Contact Tom Tozer in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or ttozer@mtsu.edu for more information.

HER SONG--“Women in Music,” a brand new class to be taught at MTSU this fall, will be an exploration of the vast variety of women’s musical activities. Dr. Felicia Miyakawa, who will teach both undergraduates and graduate students, says, “The course will cover not only women composers in the western tradition, but also women performers, women patrons, and women as objects and symbols in the marketing of music.” Students will discuss cultural constructions of gender as they pertain to music, identify important women in musical history and outline their significance, talk about connections between diverse forms of feminism and their manifestations in music and much more. Women to be studied will range from Clara Schumann to Janis Joplin and from Jenny Lind to Tori Amos. Contact Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

WISE COUNSEL--Two concentrations within the Department of Psychology at MTSU recently were accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, or CACREP. Dr. Christopher J. Quarto, psychology professor and a licensed psychologist, says, “We are delighted to announce that we recently received word that both the mental health counseling and the school counseling areas of study … are now accredited by the CACREP.” The newly acquired designation “is the highest level of accreditation for counseling programs in the United States and can provide a number of benefits for those who complete” such a program, Quarto adds. At present, the mental health concentration has 11 students and school counseling has 54 enrollees. Contact the Department of Psychology at 615-898-2706.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BRETT FAVRE TO BE A JET.--Three recent graduates of MTSU have been selected to participate in the prestigious Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) administered by the government of Japan. They are Jim Pruitt (Spring 2008, Digital Media), Paul Richards (Spring 2008, International Relations), and Joe Yount (Summer 2007, Finance). Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, former director of the U.S.-Japan Program and professor emeritus in economics and finance, says, “They will work as Assistant Language Teachers or Coordinators for International Relations for up to three years beginning this month. … Jim, Paul and Joe had all studied at MTSU’s exchange partner institutions in Japan for a year as undergraduate students.” Dr. Kaylene Gebert, vice president and provost, says, “We are extremely proud of these graduates. … I cannot believe that their study in Japan was not a key to their success.” Contact Kawahito at 615-898-5751 or kawahito@mtsu.edu.