Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Pillow fight

In the airlines’ never-ending search to offset the price of aviation fuel and other costs, the nickel-and-dime approach continues with JetBlue’s charge of $7 for a pillow and blanket package. This follows Delta’s announcement that it would charge $50 to check a second bag. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, wonders when it will all end. Sarcastically, he muses, “What’s next? Here are some possibilities … although let’s hope not—1) Pay to use the lavatory. Water is expensive, you know. The pay-per-flush model makes sense. 2) Extra charge to recline seat. When you recline, you are using additional space on the plane. It’s really no different than charging a large person for two seats. 3) Air consumption fee. Providing air at high altitudes is not cheap.”

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

A new world record for repression

Reporters covering the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will find their Internet options limited due to government censorship. In fact, the International Olympic Committee struck a deal with Chinese leaders to enact the barriers. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “In his recent book, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan wrote about how Washington insiders are more concerned about their image and keeping their jobs than in what is best for the country. This past week, we’ve seen the same thing on an international scale. The Chinese government may build a lavish venue for the Olympic Games, but until it stops censorship, it is still a second-rate repressive regime.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@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.
ttozer@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.

MICKEY MOUSE MEANS BUSINESS!--MTSU and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business are pleased to present Disney Institute’s professional development program, the “Disney Keys to Excellence,” to the greater Nashville community. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Sheraton Downtown Nashville, 623 Union Street. “Participants will discover Disney success stories and learn about management philosophies and behind-the-scenes operations that have made the Disney Parks and resorts a benchmark for businesses around the world,” says George Aguel, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “MTSU is preparing young men and women to become ethical, entrepreneurial successes in the business world, and the Disney Keys program is clearly in sync with our educational philosophy,” says Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jones College of Business. For more information and to register for the program, go to www.keysnashville.com. Contact Burton at 615-898-2764 or eburton@mtsu.edu. For press credentials and interview arrangements, contact Tom Tozer in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or ttozer@mtsu.edu.

“POVERTY IS LIKE PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME YOU DIDN’T COMMIT”—ELI KHAMAROV--MTSU student Steve Sibley will realize the educational experience of a lifetime this fall when he interns for 10 weeks in Bangladesh with the Grameen Bank, the financial institution founded by Nobel Peace Prize-winner and former MTSU professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. Sibley is the first recipient of the Kawahito Scholarship for Experiential World Poverty Studies. Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, for whom the scholarship is named, says he created it to give students a chance to live in some of the most debilitating conditions on the planet, examine why these areas are impoverished and witness conscientious efforts to fight the poverty. “You have to jump into the midst of poverty and really observe and feel how poor people live and struggle,” says the professor emeritus of economics and finance and former director of the U.S.-Japan Program. For interviews or photos, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO GRADUATE.--Cancer survivor Gayle Jones has overcome enormous obstacles to earn her degree in liberal studies, which she will collect at MTSU’s summer 2008 commencement this Saturday, Aug. 9, in Murphy Center. The 50-year-old Hendersonville resident says, “The very same week I started fall classes at MTSU is when I started having (health) problems. I went to the doctor. He said it was a thyroid problem, but he did not know if it was malignant because the tests were inconclusive. I had surgery Oct. 9—in the middle of fall break and midterms. They tested it, and it was malignant, so they removed the entire thyroid.” Doctors recently told Jones she is cancer-free. Her 22-year-old son, Jordan, is a junior and a business administration major at MTSU. For an interview with Jones, contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu.