Thursday, September 11, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Barack gets rocked around the clock

Now that Dr. Robb McDaniel has assessed the Republicans, it’s the Democrats’ turn under the microscope. McDaniel, an associate professor of political science and a winner of a 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award from the MTSU Foundation, will dissect the Democrats’ convention and post-convention outlook at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 14, on “MTSU on the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). McDaniel and host Gina Logue will discuss Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden for his running mate, how they match up against the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket, and how Obama can best address the attacks being leveled against him by the GOP.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800. If you missed last week’s show about the Republicans, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2008.html and click on “September 7, 2008.”

We the people of the United States …

Students at MTSU will be able to print their own copies of the Preamble to the United States Constitution from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, in celebration of Constitution Day. Officials at the James E. Walker Library will transport their handcrafted replica of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th century printing press from its home on the fourth floor down to the library portico. In case of inclement weather, the press will remain in Room 462 of the library for the event. Passersby may manipulate the device themselves or allow library personnel to help them. Constitution Day 2008 will mark the 221st anniversary of the signing of the nation’s founding document. The distribution of free copies of the Preamble is co-sponsored by the library and the American Democracy Project.

For photos of MTSU’s Franklin-era replica printing press, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 before 3 p.m. if possible.'
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Aren’t you glad you asked?

At various times, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and other prominent people have pronounced the word “nuclear” this way: NOO-kyu-ler. “Marketplace,” a public radio program, reports that “Merriam-Webster recognizes both pronunciations. They’ll send you a long explanation of why if you ask.” Dr. Aleka Blackwell, English, says she has not investigated this pressing issue, but she notes that the online Oxford English Dictionary offers the word “nucular,” apparently since 2003, as meaning “nuclear.” Merriam-Webster online insists that “nucular” is only a “commonly used pronunciation,” not a preferred one. Merriam-Webster states, “Both of those pronunciations are clearly preceded by the obelus mark (which looks like a division sign). This mark indicates ‘a pronunciation variant that occurs in educated speech but that is considered by some to be questionable or unacceptable.’” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq/pronounce.htm)

Contact Blackwell at 615-898-5960.
ablackwe@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LOSING … AND LOVING IT--Faculty and staff at MTSU will embark on a 12-week Wellness Program again this semester at the Campus Recreation Center. However, there’s a twist this time. Participants will have an opportunity to opt into a “Biggest Loser” competition, which will include weekly weight and body fat percentage calculations for each team. The team’s cumulative results will be posted in the Rec Center, but individual statistics will remain confidential. There will be weekly personal challenges for that week’s pounds lost to count in the final week. The team that loses the most body weight percentage by the end of the program will receive a prize to be announced during the semester. The winning individual also will receive a prize. The registration deadline has been extended to tomorrow, Sept. 12. Contact Jerry Langham at 615-898-2104 or jlangham@mtsu.edu.

WALL-TO-WALL JAZZ--The public grand opening event for “Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age,” an expanded exhibit, will be from 4-6 p.m. today, Sept. 11 at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. “New transportation routes, along with the emergence of educational and medical facilities and industries,” says Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the center, “helped shape the quality of life during this modern era of social change and urbanization.” Supported by the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, the newly expanded exhibit will be anchored by a six-foot-tall, 20-foot-long mural that recently was completed by nationally recognized artist Erin Anfinson, an assistant professor of art at MTSU, and two students, Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan. Call 615-217-8013 or send an e-mail to Jennifer Butt at jbutt@mtsu.edu.

THE MTSU VIEW--This month’s edition of “MT Record” features a trio of stories related to the preservation of war history. They include packages on the use of GPS technology to investigate a location near Stones River National Battlefield, the MTSU students who work with park officials to the benefit of its history and its natural beauty, and the contribution of one MTSU professor to a guidebook to help battlefield visitors in France appreciate the World War I exploits of Alvin York. Also, “Centennial Countdown” returns to 1935 to look at how three Coffee County freshmen reduced their college costs; “The A List” profiles history major Keith Schuman; and Gina Logue interviews Olympic veteran Dr. Andrew Owusu on the impact of the 2008 Summer Olympics. “MT Record” airs on NewsChannel5+ at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday. Go to mtsunews.com to find which local cable outlet airs it in your area. Contact John Lynch at 615-898-2919 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

TIMS FORD TIMES--Researchers collecting oral histories from people who lived on land that was taken for the creation of Tims Ford Lake have turned up some fascinating historical information about the area and are anxious for more. People who lived in Elk River Valley communities during the 1950s and 1960s are encouraged to contact researchers to contribute to an oral history. “The project has turned up some amazing pictures and first-person accounts of life in the area,” says MTSU graduate student Dollie Boyd. Area residents will get a chance to see photographs, documents, rare maps and oral histories at a Heritage Day celebration scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13. Boyd and fellow student Albert Whittenberg are working with Dr. Rebecca Conard, history professor, on the project. Contact Boyd at 615-594-1238.

AUTISM SPEAKS … AND WALKS--“Walk Now for Autism” will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Nashville Super Speedway beginning at 10 a.m. Lasting two hours, the event will culminate with a two-mile walk around the Speedway in a show of solidarity against autism. Some 230 teams already have surpassed their goal of $100,000 for this first-of-its-kind event in Tennessee. Ed Evans, an MTSU student, is the chairperson of the walk. His two sons, Joshua, age 11, and Jacob, age 6, are autistic. “You simply cannot understand what it is and what it does to you until you have felt the full brunt of the spectrum and watched your child grow from cradle to crawl, from crawl to walk, from walk to talk, but not advance in the way you always thought he or she would,” Evans says. Contact Evans at 615-439-7379 or edevans43@comcast.net.