Monday, September 22, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A word from our sponsor

One of the three major legal tests for the constitutionality of speech has come under increased scrutiny by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years. The so-called Central Hudson test, named after a 1980 ruling by the high court, holds that commercial speech must concern lawful activities and cannot be misleading. If it fails to meet this test, the government must assert itself through narrowly drawn legislation. David Hudson (no conflict of interest), adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “Commercial speech remains protected to a lesser degree than political speech in First Amendment jurisprudence, and that may not change for the foreseeable future. More likely, the Roberts Court will continue the trend of the Rehnquist Court and subject advertising restrictions to a rigorous Central Hudson analysis.”

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

The Sibley report

Even as he walks to his job at Grameen Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh, MTSU student Steve Sibley cannot escape the enormity of poverty and suffering in the country. “On the five minute walk to the bank, I saw men urinating in the gutter, more young boys sifting through garbage, and more men with legs skinnier than my wrists either walking on their hands or pushing themselves along on makeshift carts,” he writes. “People were performing all sorts of jobs on the side of the street. I saw a teenage boy underneath a car with a welding torch. Many people were cooking and selling food, while others were hocking bananas. A boy no older than four was begging along an elderly blind woman. The plight of the Bangladeshi people is immense.” Sibley is in Dhaka to learn microfinance, a humanitarian empowerment of the poor, from its pioneer, Nobel Prize-winner and former MTSU professor Muhammad Yunus.

Sibley is the recipient of the Kawahito Scholarship for Experiential World Poverty Studies. For more information, contact Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito at 615-898-5751.
kawahito@mtsu.edu

Don’t be a fossil fool.

“Fueling the Future Update: Building Engines that Run on Sun and Water” will be the MTSU Satellite and Webcasting Center’s next Enrichment Program for Students at 9 a.m. CST (10 a.m. EST) tomorrow, Sept. 23. Dr. Cliff Ricketts, professor of agribusiness and agriscience, will feature four ongoing projects: a pure hydrogen-powered vehicle, MTSU’s plug-in solar/electric hydrogen hybrid vehicle, a plug-in electric fuel-cell hydrogen hybrid Toyota Prius, and a hydrogen enrichment device added to a vehicle to get a 20-30 percent increase in fuel mileage. This event targets students in grades 7-12, particularly agricultural education and science students.

For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

TR EXTRA

HABLAMOS ESPANOL--MTSU’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month is in full swing through Oct. 15 with numerous cultural and informational events on tap. On Wednesday, Oct. 1, Dr. Sidney McPhee, MTSU President, will attend a reception for Hispanic students from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 316 of the Keathley University Center (KUC). On Monday, Oct. 6, Sidelines, the student newspaper, will feature a crossword puzzle with a Hispanic history theme. Prizes will be awarded in KUC Room 326 for the first five correct submittals. Also, ongoing Hispanic Poetry Periods and Latin music experiences will be conducted near the KUC Knoll, and special programming will be shown in dormitory lobbies. WMOT-FM (89.5) will air Latin jazz every Sunday. All events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-5812.

IN THE EYE OF THE ALUMNI--The MTSU Department of Art is hosting its second biennial exhibition of works by alumni, aptly titled “Alumni 2008,” through Friday, Sept. 26, in Todd Gallery. About 50 pieces representing a variety of media make up the exhibit, which will feature the art of Diane Fox (’86), Glenda Guinn (’85), George Juliano (’69), Rebecca Parker (’04), Jim Poag (’77), Tom Sain (’84), Patricia Tenpenny (’92) and Vicki Terry (’92). “They are active educators in higher education, performance artists or independent artists,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. “Their works are seen across the country, internationally in galleries and museums, found in private collections, and seen in regional and national publications.” Located on the first floor of the Todd Building, the Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and closed on all state holidays. Admission is always free, and exhibits are open to the public. Contact Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND.--The federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Bank of America’s agreement to acquire Merrill Lynch, the Chapter 11 filing by Lehman Brothers and other dramatic developments make this year’s MTSU Economic Outlook Conference a must. The conference will take place on Friday, Sept. 26, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center, 1200 Conference Center Blvd. in Murfreesboro. Dr. James Bullard, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, will speak at 9 a.m. Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, will provide the Midstate/Regional Economic Update at 10:30 a.m. Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Regents Professor of Economics Emeritus at Georgia State University in Atlanta, will deliver the luncheon address during the noon hour. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Burton, Dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, at 615-898-2764 or eburton@mtsu.edu.

NO NEED FOR THE TIM RUSSERT MEMORIAL DRY ERASE BOARD (FLORIDA! FLORIDA! FLORIDA!)—MTSU students will prepare and broadcast their own election night roundup live on MTTV, Channel 10, from 8 p.m. to 11 or possibly later, on Election Night, Tuesday, Nov. 4, depending on how close the tallies are. “It becomes more than just an organizational exercise, which is important,” says Dr. Bob Pondillo, who teaches “Electronic Media Production: Election Night News Coverage.” “However, it’s one thing to know how to make great television, but it’s quite another to know how to engage the community.” Although arrangements are subject to revision at a moment’s notice depending on the circumstances, the class is planning on three bases for live shots. The percentages in each race will be displayed at the bottom of the television screen through a black box Associated Press interface device. Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.

THE MAIN COURSE IS GRITS.--Girls Raised in Tennessee Science, or GRITS, will hold its Collaborative Kickoff Conference on Friday, Sept. 26, at MTSU. The event is open to anyone interested in helping girls become involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educational aspects, says Lacey Fleming, assistant director of GRITS. Attendees may be from education (K-12 and postsecondary), business, government and community-based and professional organizations across Tennessee and surrounding states. Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch, a co-founder of BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc., will be the keynote speaker. The kickoff will run from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will be held in the Keathley University Center lobby, theater, and KUC Room 322. Fleming says “people who are involved with companies or heading up programs with girls” are especially encouraged to attend the kickoff. Media welcomed. Go to mtsu.edu/~grits or contact Fleming at 615-494-7763 or lfleming@mtsu.edu.