Friday, October 31, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Was Bradley treated badly?

The much-discussed Bradley Effect is the great unknown hovering over the presidential election. Do some white people lie to pollsters about the likelihood of voting for a black candidate? Do some tell their peers they won’t vote for a black candidate but do so anyway? Will some whites and blacks vote for a black candidate just to be part of history regardless of the issues? Dr. Jason Reineke, journalism professor and associate director of the MT Poll, says, “We’re not really going to even begin to know for sure until after it’s all over and we can get a look at some of the exit polling and try to figure out what happened. At this point, I would say there are enough arguments to be made on all sides that I wouldn’t worry about it skewing the election one way or another too much.”

Contact Reineke at 615-494-7746.
jreineke@mtsu.edu

It’s the economy, stupid—again.

Almost every poll indicates that the economy has overtaken the war in Iraq as the paramount issue on voters’ minds in this presidential election year. Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the MTSU College of Business, provides some advice for voters in the latest edition of “Tennessee’s Business.” Burton writes, “Consider carefully which candidate can deal with the unintended consequences that will most certainly arise from the economic changes already made. Consider carefully which candidate is proposing additional change that makes economic sense—change that you want and that you can pay for. Which candidate’s priorities are aligned with yours across the broad spectrum of critical issues to be faced in the next four years?”

Contact Burton at 615-898-2764.
eburton@mtsu.edu

Wag the audience, wag the electorate?

The depictions of presidents in the movies have changed dramatically over the past several decades. Dr. Mark Byrnes, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and political science professor, attributes this partly to scandals and partly to rougher discourse throughout American life. “The general coarsening of American culture has meant that Hollywood now feels free to depict in great detail fictional escapades of presidents, that sex and violence and drug use and all the characteristics that used to be implied in movies are now being shown,” Byrnes says. “And if you can highlight that in the movies—instead of having to put two and two together, you see it right there, is that going to affect the way that people think about the president? … I wouldn’t argue that we need to be rosy and happy and automatically assume the president is right. I think we’ve gone too far the other way.”

Contact Byrnes at 615-898-2351.
mbyrnes@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

JEWELS RULES--In an effort to raise funds for an MTSU senior and Dean’s List honoree from Romania, Karen Case, advisor in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, will host a costume jewelry giveaway from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today, Oct. 31, in the lobby of Jones Hall. Due to rules surrounding her job as a dorm tutor, she cannot obtain a second job on campus, and, as an international student, she cannot work off-campus. Donations will be accepted gratefully to help cover this student’s fees for this semester. All donations will be directly deposited into her student account at the Business Office. For more information, contact Case at 615-427-9411 or kcase@mtsu.edu.

THE PLACE FOR POLITICS--With the campaign season winding down, Dr. Robb McDaniel, associate professor of political science and winner of a 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award from the MTSU Foundation, will analyze the upcoming election one more time on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 2, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). McDaniel will break down the electoral map, including the battleground states, and the possible impact of the presidential campaigns on the balance of power in the Congress. In addition, he will take stock of the candidates’ tones, their gaffes, their ideological tacks and the enormous tasks facing the next President of the United States. Contact Logue at 615-898-5081; Contact WMOT at 615-898-2800.

PEOPLE POT PIES--MTSU Opera, under the musical direction of Dr. Raphael Bundage, MTSU choral and opera coordinator, will present three performances of the Stephen Sondheim stage musical, Sweeney Todd, at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 31, and again at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 1, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. In addition to the three main performances, a matinee will be performed today, Oct. 31, for several local school groups. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to mount such a production as over the Halloween weekend,” Bundage says. The title character, Sweeney Todd, is the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a vengeful man who tries to murder as many people as he can. Together with his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, they successfully sell the victims in meat pies. General admission is $10 per person. Tickets also will be available at the door. For more information, call Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

What would the Department of Homeland Security have done?

Tonight (Oct. 30) marks the 70th anniversary of what some call the greatest Halloween prank ever pulled—Orson Welles’ radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds.” But Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says it gets more attention than it deserves. While admitting that people in the Northeast panicked, thinking that Martians really were taking over the planet, he says the effect on others was limited to newspaper accounts. “It took about a month and some sources say there were more than 10,000 to 12,000 newspaper articles about it that flooded the nation,” Pondillo says. “Well, we later learned the ‘panic’ was not as big as it appeared and gave the newspapers a chance to label the relatively new medium of commercial radio as dangerous and irresponsible. … To me, not much has changed in this nation since 1938 in that regard.”

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

The wild blue yonder

Gov. Phil Bredesen will help celebrate the arrival of eight new Diamond DA40 planes with synthetic vision that will be part of the MTSU aerospace department training fleet by flying in one of the planes today, Oct. 30. The event, which starts at 10 a.m., will be held at the Murfreesboro Airport in the hangar recently named in honor of alumnus Donald McDonald. Bredesen, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and others will fly the planes from Nashville between 10 and 10:30 a.m. with a 30-minute program to follow. Dr. Wayne Dornan, chair of the aerospace department, says, “We now have the largest fleet of Diamond Aircraft of any school in the U.S. for training students. … The revenue we generate from our flight training department will enable us to purchase the latest technology in aircraft and simulation, which has a direct benefit on our students.” Media welcomed.

For more information, contact the Department of Aerospace at 615-898-2788.

Peach State politics

Early voting is up dramatically in a Southern state that has been solid red in recent elections. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, more than 228,000 African-Americans have cast ballots already. Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says, “Many African-Americans have had some suspicions about early voting because they don’t really understand it, especially African-Americans in low-income areas. They think that, if you vote early enough through the mail, your vote might get lost or some shenanigans could take place. But the Barack Obama campaign has made a big huge push for early voting, particularly among inner city African-Americans. So this is a relatively big deal.”

Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

JEWELS RULES--In an effort to raise funds for an MTSU senior and Dean’s List honoree from Romania, Karen Case, advisor in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, will host a costume jewelry giveaway from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 31, in the lobby of Jones Hall. Due to rules surrounding her job as a dorm tutor, she cannot obtain a second job on campus, and, as an international student, she cannot work off-campus. Donations will be accepted gratefully to help cover this student’s fees for this semester. All donations will be directly deposited into her student account at the Business Office. For more information, contact Case at 615-427-9411 or kcase@mtsu.edu.

THE PLACE FOR POLITICS--With the campaign season winding down, Dr. Robb McDaniel, associate professor of political science and winner of a 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award from the MTSU Foundation, will analyze the upcoming election one more time on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 2, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). McDaniel will break down the electoral map, including the battleground states, and the possible impact of the presidential campaigns on the balance of power in the Congress. In addition, he will take stock of the candidates’ tones, their gaffes, their ideological tacks and the enormous tasks facing the next President of the United States. Contact Logue at 615-898-5081; Contact WMOT at 615-898-2800.

PEOPLE POT PIES--MTSU Opera, under the musical direction of Dr. Raphael Bundage, MTSU choral and opera coordinator, will present three performances of the Stephen Sondheim stage musical, Sweeney Todd, at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Oct. 30, and tomorrow, Oct. 31, and again at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. In addition to the three main performances, a matinee will be performed tomorrow, Oct. 31, for several local school groups. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to mount such a production as over the Halloween weekend,” Bundage says. The title character, Sweeney Todd, is the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a vengeful man who tries to murder as many people as he can. Together with his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, they successfully sell the victims in meat pies. General admission is $10 per person. Tickets also will be available at the door. For more information, call Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Culture (William) Shockley

Unfortunately, racial stereotypes based on misinformation about genetics still abound. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “ … although race has long been used as a political tool, that doesn’t make it a genetic reality. Genetic study after genetic study has failed to find any molecular evidence for what history books and job application forms call ‘race.’ In fact, when the entire genome is considered (not just selected genes, such as those that control production of melanin in skin tissue), studies repeatedly show that the genetic variations among homogeneous groups, such as Swedes, are larger than the genetic variations between the averages for traditional ‘races.’”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

The place for politics

With the campaign season winding down, Dr. Robb McDaniel, associate professor of political science and winner of a 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award from the MTSU Foundation, will analyze the upcoming election one more time on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 2, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). McDaniel will break down the electoral map, including the battleground states, and the possible impact of the presidential campaigns on the balance of power in the Congress. In addition, he will take stock of the candidates’ tones, their gaffes, their ideological tacks and the enormous tasks facing the next President of the United States.

Contact Logue at 615-898-5081; Contact WMOT at 615-898-2800.

But wait! If you call now, you’ll get a Ginzu knife, too!

Barack Obama’s 30-minute infomercial is slated to air from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central time (8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific) tonight (Oct. 29) on several television networks. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “A decision as important as on which candidate to vote for president requires more information and elaboration than can be provided in a 30-second commercial or an orchestrated debate. These ‘infomercials’ will allow Obama to look into the camera and talk to Americans without questions from journalists or over the frenzy created by enthusiastic crowds. The TV buy is typical of the remarkable marketing communications strategy used by the Obama campaign that has utilized mobile media, blogs, and, yes, even traditional mass media.”

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

TR EXTRA

JEWELS RULES--In an effort to raise funds for an MTSU senior and Dean’s List honoree from Romania, Karen Case, advisor in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, will host a costume jewelry giveaway from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, in the lobby of Jones Hall. Due to rules surrounding her job as a dorm tutor, she cannot obtain a second job on campus, and, as an international student, she cannot work off-campus. Donations will be accepted gratefully to help cover this student’s fees for this semester. All donations will be directly deposited into her student account at the Business Office. For more information, contact Case at 615-427-9411 or kcase@mtsu.edu.

HER EYE IS ON THE SPARROW--Phillips Bookstore in MTSU’s Keathley University Center will host a book signing for Dr. Jan Hayes, professor emeritus of educational leadership, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. today, Oct. 29. She will sign copies of her book The Split Tongue Sparrow: A Traditional Japanese Folktale. It’s Hayes’ first book for children after 35 years teaching children’s literature courses at MTSU. Attendees who purchase the book at Phillips will get 20 percent off the price of $14.00. Contact Rebecca Speck at rspeck@mtsu.edu.

LOVE HURTS--MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance and Student Health Services will sponsor the Tunnel of Terror, a health-education event designed to increase student awareness of sexually transmitted infections from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Oct. 29, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This self-guided event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Casie Higginbotham at 615-904-8274 or Beverly Corlew at 615-904-8338.

PEOPLE POT PIES--MTSU Opera, under the musical direction of Dr. Raphael Bundage, MTSU choral and opera coordinator, will present three performances of the Stephen Sondheim stage musical, Sweeney Todd, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, and Friday, Oct. 31, and again at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. In addition to the three main performances, a matinee will be performed Friday, Oct. 31, for several local school groups. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to mount such a production as over the Halloween weekend,” Bundage says. The title character, Sweeney Todd, is the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a vengeful man who tries to murder as many people as he can. Together with his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, they successfully sell the victims in meat pies. General admission is $10 per person. Tickets also will be available at the door. For more information, call Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493 or tmusselm@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.

ABSOLUTELY THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE--Americans for Informed Democracy will host “Student Debate 2008” from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. today, Oct. 29, in front of MTSU’s Keathley University Center. It’s a structured debate between supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain about relevant issues and opinions. For more information, contact Catherine Broemel at crb3f@mtsu.edu.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Let your conscience be your guide.

Some of the black elected officials in the Democratic Party who supported Hillary Clinton during the primary season are being vilified in certain circles for not supporting Barack Obama from the outset. Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says, “The most troubling thing I’ve seen about this election is that many African-American leaders—(Ohio Congresswoman) Stephanie Tubbs Jones (who died in August), (Texas Congresswoman) Sheila Jackson Lee—who have been long-time advocates of favorable social policies for marginalized African-Americans –when they decided to support Hillary Clinton, they were lambasted. They were challenged. Their race authenticity was brought into question. They were called Uncle Toms. They were called sellouts.” Franklin says they should not have been targeted, and such tactics could reduce healthy debate in the black community about the best strategies to pursue.

Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

Active cultures

MTSU student Steve Sibley recently toured a yogurt factory in Bangladesh as part of his continuing education about how Nobel Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus is trying to lift his people out of poverty. The factory is a social business, a partnership between Danone, a French company, and Yunus’ Grameen Bank. Sibley writes, “By definition, a social business exists not to maximize shareholder wealth but to solve specific social problems. The Grameen-Danone partnership was created to address the malnutrition of the poor children in the rural villages of Bangladesh. The business was conceived to produce vitamin-and mineral-fortified yogurt, which is sold at cost to the villagers. Grameen and Danone, after a period of time, are to recoup their initial investments but take no profit.”

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

People pot pies

MTSU Opera, under the musical direction of Dr. Raphael Bundage, MTSU choral and opera coordinator, will present three performances of the Stephen Sondheim stage musical, Sweeney Todd, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, and Friday, Oct. 31, and again at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building. In addition to the three main performances, a matinee will be performed Friday, Oct. 31, for several local school groups. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to mount such a production as over the Halloween weekend,” Bundage says. The title character, Sweeney Todd, is the “Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” a vengeful man who tries to murder as many people as he can. Together with his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, they successfully sell the victims in meat pies.

General admission is $10 per person. Tickets also will be available at the door. For more information, call Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493.
tmusselm@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

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.

DEMOGRAPHIC DEBATE--Dr. Jason Reineke, journalism, will present “Age, Gender, Race and Religion in the 2008 Presidential Election and How These Factors Are Covered in the Media” at a brown bag lecture from noon to 1 p.m. today, Oct. 28, in Room 129 (Gore Center conference room) of the Todd Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is organized and hosted by the MTSU School of Journalism with the support of the American Democracy Project. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwilllia@mtsu.edu.

ABSOLUTELY THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE--Americans for Informed Democracy will host “Student Debate 2008” from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 29, in front of MTSU’s Keathley University Center. It’s a structured debate between supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain about relevant issues and opinions. For more information, contact Catherine Broemel at crb3f@mtsu.edu.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Nothing to fear but fear itself

How does a voter take the measure of a presidential candidate? Dr. Horace Johns, who teaches business law at MTSU, takes his cue from historian Paul Johnson in defining the qualities that will make a good president. Johns says Johnson’s five keys of statesmanship are ideas and beliefs, willpower, persistence, ability to communicate and magnanimity or greatness of soul. Johns writes in the latest edition of Tennessee’s Business, “This is a time crying for dynamic, but stable and consistent, leadership. It is a time that we can ill afford to have leadership that is timid, hesitant, and lacking in confidence. We need a leader who can get things done. Americans are disgusted over how little is getting done in light of so many challenges.”

Contact Johns at 615-898-2562.
hjohns@mtsu.edu

Donald Segretti with a cannon—scary!

So you think all the chicanery and sneaky dirty dealings that characterize American politics are relatively modern phenomena? Think again, says Dr. Larry Burriss, MTSU journalism professor and First Amendment expert. Burriss will speak on “America’s First Newspaper Leak—Tom Paine and the Disclosure of Secret French Aid to the United States” at a brown bag lecture from noon to 1 p.m. today, Oct. 27, in Room 129 (Gore Center conference room) of the Todd Building. Burriss will outline leaks of sensitive diplomatic information to the press, stolen documents, perjured Congressional testimony, secret weapons deals, clandestine arms shipments, laundered money, bribery, and a presidential resignation—all in Philadelphia 1779, not Washington 2008. This event, which is free and open to the public, is organized and hosted by the MTSU School of Journalism with the support of the American Democracy Project.

Contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2633.
jhwillia@mtsu.edu

The more you know

With time running out before the Nov. 4 election, Beverly Keel, director of the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies at MTSU, has some advice for media consumers trying to weed their way through all the information being thrust their way. At a recent Honors lecture, Keel said, “Despite the changes in technology in the media, the responsibility of journalists remains the same—to report the news fairly and accurately, to provide the public with the information it needs. … The public has a responsibility, too. You need to take the time to seek out the information if it’s not readily available. If you’re not finding it on the front of the paper, … you may need to look on a media Web site, or, Heaven forbid, buy a book. You need to be aware of the source of the news, especially when it’s on the Internet.”

Contact Keel at 615-898-5150.
bkeel@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

A FORUM THAT LOOKS LIKE AMERICA--A roundtable of MTSU faculty experts will discuss “Gender, Race and Politics” from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. today, Oct. 27, in the Keathley University Center Theatre. This event, which is sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, is free and open to the public, and student participation is encouraged. “It is essential to give students an opportunity to understand contemporary issues from a scholarly perspective and to participate in an intellectually invigorating exploration of these issues,” says Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, director of the Women’s Studies Program. The scheduled participants include faculty from political science, business communication and entrepreneurship and electronic media communication. Media welcomed. Contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or Johnson at 615-898-2705.

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.

ABSOLUTELY THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE--Americans for Informed Democracy will host “Student Debate 2008” from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, in front of MTSU’s Keathley University Center. It’s a structured debate between supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain about relevant issues and opinions. For more information, contact Catherine Broemel at crb3f@mtsu.edu.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

I get a kick out of you.

Texas Tech takes on Kansas tomorrow (Saturday) with a new kicker on the roster. Matt Williams won a month’s free rent by kicking a 30-yard field goal between quarters of a game earlier this year. The Red Raiders’ two regular kickers have missed all their PATs and half of their field goals this season. Dr. Mark Anshel, an MTSU health and human performance professor who taught at Texas Tech for two years, considers this a dicey decision. He says, “The decision to go with an untested kicker could adversely affect team morale if he also fails to kick successfully. Kicking for the first time under the pressure of competition can be very challenging, so it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure and performs. Best guess is that he will not perform well, and the coaches will regret their decision.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

Kaintuck

Dr. Jack Justin Turner, whose previous novels have dispelled stereotypes about the Kentuckians who live in the Appalachian Mountains, scores again with his latest adventure, The Foxes and the Hounds—Volume One: Big Medicine River Days. Turner, a professor emeritus of international relations at MTSU, will talk about his new novel at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 26, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). In his latest tale of the mining communities, Turner tells the story of two childhood friends who leave the only culture they have ever known to go to college on the “Outside.” While braving a whole new environment of big cities and big business, they get caught up in dangerous situations. A reception and reading with Turner is slated for 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10, at the MTSU Foundation House, 324 West Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro. This event is free and open to the public. Media welcomed.

Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

The people’s car

Governor Phil Bredesen and his entourage are in Germany, where they are trying to convince auto parts manufacturers to locate in Tennessee. Volkswagen plans to build a plant in Chattanooga, which will produce 2,000 jobs, but Bredesen wants to augment that number with parts plants. Dr. Steven Livingston, MTSU political science professor and editor of “Global Commerce,” says, “Though still primarily dependent upon Japanese investment, the state continues to diversify both sources of investment and the economic sectors into which it goes. The history of the past decade, as well as the impact of the Volkswagen decision, shows the degree to which Tennessee’s economic development, particularly in the manufacturing sector, is now linked to foreign investment.”

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2720.
slivings@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“THIS IS JOHN CHANCELLOR SOMEWHERE IN CUSTODY.”—NBC NEWS REPORTER JOHN CHANCELLOR AS POLICE DRAGGED HIM OFF THE FLOOR AT THE 1964 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION—As political reporting evolves with new communication technology, several questions emerge as to how things have changed in presidential election coverage. Could this year’s election become a turning point in political coverage much like what happened to the elections once television began covering them? How will traditional journalism change as a result of blogging? Should bloggers be held to the same normative and ethical standards that journalists are? Dr. Joon Soo Lim, journalism, will discuss “Political Reporting and New Technologies” at a brown bag lunch lecture from noon to 1 p.m. today, Oct. 24, in Room 129 (Gore Center conference room) of MTSU’s Todd Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the American Democracy Project. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

A FORUM THAT LOOKS LIKE AMERICA--A roundtable of MTSU faculty experts will discuss “Gender, Race and Politics” from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, in the Keathley University Center Theatre. This event, which is sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, is free and open to the public, and student participation is encouraged. “It is essential to give students an opportunity to understand contemporary issues from a scholarly perspective and to participate in an intellectually invigorating exploration of these issues,” says Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, director of the Women’s Studies Program. The scheduled participants include faculty from political science, business communication and entrepreneurship and electronic media communication. Media welcomed. Contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or Johnson at 615-898-2705.

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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for today, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

GREEN EGGS AND HAM ACTORS?--MTSU Theatre & Dance will present the fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza known as “Seussical the Musical” at 7:30 nightly through tomorrow, Oct. 25, on the stage of the university’s Tucker Theatre. Based on the zany and endearing characters and stories of Dr. Seuss, the musical will include appearances by some of his most famous characters from Cat in the Hat and Horton the Elephant to the Whos of Whoville. “Working on ‘Seussical the Musical’ has been an absolute joy!” says Dr. Jette Halladay, professor of speech and theatre and director of the production. “In its simplest form, the script focuses on integrity and kindness, yet that simplicity is portrayed in strong images, stirring music and zany Seuss characters.” Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students; free for MTSU students with valid ID. School group matinees also are slated for 9:30 a.m. today, Oct. 24, and Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30-31. Call 615-494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at www.mtsu.edu/theatre for more information.

IT’S A SCIENCE ALLIANCE.--This year’s “Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) in Math and Science Conference” will give up to 300 girls in grades 5-8 a chance to learn more about science and technology careers from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 25, at sites across the MTSU campus. For the second year, a Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS) EYH will be held on the same date at the same time for up to 60 girls in grades 9-12. Karen Habucky, who is the president of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and has been a member of the association for more than 15 years, will deliver the keynote address. Girls in grades 5-8 will attend three workshops. The high-school girls will attend two-hands-on labs, enjoy a mentoring lunch with women already in science and math careers and participate in a college and careers workshop. Contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or Lacey Fleming at 615-494-7763.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bradley and Barack

A study conducted by Yahoo and the Associated Press and coordinated by Stanford University finds that one-third of white Democrats have negative feelings about blacks, and these feelings could influence as much as six percent of the vote. Some experts believe some white voters lie to pollsters when asked if they would vote for a black candidate. It’s called the “Bradley Effect” after Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s 1982 race for governor of California. Polls indicated that Bradley, an African-American, would beat his white opponent handily; Bradley lost. In a recent Honors lecture, Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, said, “It remains to be seen whether or not the Bradley Effect … will impact this election, but I think that part of the reason why [Barack] Obama is relying upon such a large turnout is to essentially account for the potential or the possibility of this Bradley Effect … impacting the race.”

Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

It’s a science alliance.

This year’s “Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) in Math and Science Conference” will give up to 300 girls in grades 5-8 a chance to learn more about science and technology careers from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at sites across the MTSU campus. For the second year, a Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS) EYH will be held on the same date at the same time for up to 60 girls in grades 9-12. Karen Habucky, who is the president of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and has been a member of the association for more than 15 years, will deliver the keynote address. Girls in grades 5-8 will attend three workshops. The high-school girls will attend two-hands-on labs, enjoy a mentoring lunch with women already in science and math careers and participate in a college and careers workshop.

Contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or Lacey Fleming at 615-494-7763.

Let your college students go a running walk, please! (Shelbyville Walking Horse talk)

Officials in MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning want to know what college courses residents in Bedford County and 12 surrounding counties would be interested in taking if they were offered at the proposed new MTSU South Higher Education Facility in Shelbyville. You can register your views by filling out a survey available online at http://www.mtsusouth.com/. “We need to collect as many surveys as possible so that we can send those to the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission,” says David Foster, MTSU continuing education director. “The benefits of a program like this will affect the entire state of Tennessee in a positive way,” says Dr. Mike Boyle, continuing education dean.

For more information, call the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning at 615-898-2177.

TR EXTRA

“THIS IS JOHN CHANCELLOR SOMEWHERE IN CUSTODY.”—NBC NEWS REPORTER JOHN CHANCELLOR AS POLICE DRAGGED HIM OFF THE FLOOR AT THE 1964 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION—As political reporting evolves with new communication technology, several questions emerge as to how things have changed in presidential election coverage. Could this year’s election become a turning point in political coverage much like what happened to the elections once television began covering them? How will traditional journalism change as a result of blogging? Should bloggers be held to the same normative and ethical standards that journalists are? Dr. Joon Soo Lim, journalism, will discuss “Political Reporting and New Technologies” at a brown bag lunch lecture from noon to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 24, in Room 129 (Gore Center conference room) of MTSU’s Todd Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the American Democracy Project. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

A FORUM THAT LOOKS LIKE AMERICA--A roundtable of MTSU faculty experts will discuss “Gender, Race and Politics” from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, in the Keathley University Center Theatre. This event, which is sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, is free and open to the public, and student participation is encouraged. “It is essential to give students an opportunity to understand contemporary issues from a scholarly perspective and to participate in an intellectually invigorating exploration of these issues,” says Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, director of the Women’s Studies Program. The scheduled participants include faculty from political science, business communication and entrepreneurship and electronic media communication. Media welcomed. Contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or Johnson at 615-898-2705.

THE SHOT THAT HITS THE SPOT--With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from noon to 4 p.m. today, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted at this location. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge their shots to their MTSU accounts. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. No appointment is required. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for tomorrow, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

“WHERE, AFTER ALL, DO UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS BEGIN? IN SMALL PLACES, CLOSE TO HOME …”—ELEANOR ROOSEVELT—“Rac(e)ing Human Rights: The Role of Jim Crow in Shaping the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights” is the title of a lecture to be delivered by Dr. Carol Anderson, associate professor of history at the University of Missouri, at 7 p.m. tonight, Oct. 23, in MTSU’s State Farm Lecture Hall. “Defenders of racism in the United States resisted efforts to strengthen the U.N. Declaration,” says Dr. Pippa Holloway, MTSU history professor, “while the NAACP pushed the United Nations to investigate segregation and lynchings in the U.S.”Anderson, the Strickland Distinguished Visiting Scholar in History, will be at the university through Oct. 30. This event is free and open to the public. Contact Holloway at 615-898-2536 or phollowa@mtsu.edu.

GREEN EGGS AND HAM ACTORS?--MTSU Theatre & Dance will present the fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza known as “Seussical the Musical” at 7:30 nightly through Saturday, Oct. 25, on the stage of the university’s Tucker Theatre. Based on the zany and endearing characters and stories of Dr. Seuss, the musical will include appearances by some of his most famous characters from Cat in the Hat and Horton the Elephant to the Whos of Whoville. “Working on ‘Seussical the Musical’ has been an absolute joy!” says Dr. Jette Halladay, professor of speech and theatre and director of the production. “In its simplest form, the script focuses on integrity and kindness, yet that simplicity is portrayed in strong images, stirring music and zany Seuss characters.” Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students; free for MTSU students with valid ID. School group matinees also are slated for 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, Oct. 24, and Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30-31. Call 615-494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at www.mtsu.edu/theatre for more information.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A forum that looks like America

A roundtable of MTSU faculty experts will discuss “Gender, Race and Politics” from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, in the Keathley University Center Theatre. This event, which is sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program, is free and open to the public, and student participation is encouraged. “It is essential to give students an opportunity to understand contemporary issues from a scholarly perspective and to participate in an intellectually invigorating exploration of these issues,” says Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, director of the Women’s Studies Program. The scheduled participants include faculty from political science, business communication and entrepreneurship and electronic media communication. Media welcomed.

Contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or Johnson at 615-898-2705.

Half a league, half a league, half a league onward

This Friday will be the 154th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade, the Crimean War battle made famous in Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s epic poem. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says this was the first war in which “live” reporting from the scene was possible via telegraph. “It was the reporting of William Howard Russell that led to Tennyson’s poem, and some historians credit Russell’s news stories with leading to the resignation of the British government,” Burriss says. “And, in many ways, newspapers lead public opinion in the United Kingdom and France as never before. Russell’s report about the Charge of the Light Brigade showed up in the morning paper only three weeks after the event.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
mailto:615-898-2983.lburriss@mtsu.edu

Green eggs and ham actors?

MTSU Theatre & Dance will present the fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza known as “Seussical the Musical” at 7:30 nightly tonight, Oct. 22, through Friday, Oct. 25, on the stage of the university’s Tucker Theatre. Based on the zany and endearing characters and stories of Dr. Seuss, the musical will include appearances by some of his most famous characters from Cat in the Hat and Horton the Elephant to the Whos of Whoville. “Working on ‘Seussical the Musical’ has been an absolute joy!” says Dr. Jette Halladay, professor of speech and theatre and director of the production. “In its simplest form, the script focuses on integrity and kindness, yet that simplicity is portrayed in strong images, stirring music and zany Seuss characters.” Tickets are $10 for general admission; $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students; free for MTSU students with valid ID.

School group matinees also are slated for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 24 and Oct. 30-31. Call 615-494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at www.mtsu.edu/theatre for more information.

TR EXTRA

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM--Candidates for the state House of Representatives and Senate in Tennessee will participate in a forum on higher education from noon to 1:30 p.m. today, Oct. 22, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. This event is free and open to the public. “Since many of our students are first-time voters or have moved here from other parts of the state, they have never met the local candidates for state representative and senate,” says Dr. Jim Williams, director of MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center and coordinator of the American Democracy Project, which sponsors the forum. There will be informal question-and-answer periods of 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the forum for discussions on other topics. Media welcomed. Contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

THE SHOT THAT HITS THE SPOT--With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. today, Oct. 22, in the conference room on the second floor of the Cope Administration Building; and from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted at these locations. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge their shots to their MTSU accounts. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. No appointment is required. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for today, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

“WHERE, AFTER ALL, DO UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS BEGIN? IN SMALL PLACES, CLOSE TO HOME …”—ELEANOR ROOSEVELT—“Rac(e)ing Human Rights: The Role of Jim Crow in Shaping the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights” is the title of a lecture to be delivered by Dr. Carol Anderson, associate professor of history at the University of Missouri, at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 23, in MTSU’s State Farm Lecture Hall. “Defenders of racism in the United States resisted efforts to strengthen the U.N. Declaration,” says Dr. Pippa Holloway, MTSU history professor, “while the NAACP pushed the United Nations to investigate segregation and lynchings in the U.S.”Anderson, the Strickland Distinguished Visiting Scholar in History, will be at the university through Oct. 30. This event is free and open to the public. Contact Holloway at 615-898-2536 or phollowa@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

High school recreational

The Israeli education ministry recently announced that students in 100 high schools across the country will be offered the chance to major in fitness education. How common is it for American secondary schools to offer fitness education or physical education as a major? Dr. Mary Lou Veal, health and human performance, says, “In most American senior high schools, physical fitness is an important part of physical education, but it’s not the only focus. … In the United States, most states require at least a year of high school physical education, so it is still a viable profession for those interested in teaching high school physical education. In many cases, physical educators are also coaches.”

Contact Veal 615-898-2888.
mveal@mtsu.edu

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home …”—Eleanor Roosevelt

“Rac(e)ing Human Rights: The Role of Jim Crow in Shaping the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights” is the title of a lecture to be delivered by Dr. Carol Anderson, associate professor of history at the University of Missouri, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in MTSU’s State Farm Lecture Hall. “Defenders of racism in the United States resisted efforts to strengthen the U.N. Declaration,” says Dr. Pippa Holloway, MTSU history professor, “while the NAACP pushed the United Nations to investigate segregation and lynchings in the U.S.”Anderson, the Strickland Distinguished Visiting Scholar in History, will be at the university through Oct. 30. This event is free and open to the public.

Contact Holloway at 615-898-2536.
phollowa@mtsu.edu

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap?

Australia’s AC/DC just released “Black Ice,” the group’s first studio album in eight years. But the band refuses to join the iTunes generation by allowing fans to download individual songs online. AC/DC has chosen corporate behemoth Wal-Mart to be its exclusive retail partner for the album, which is not exactly compatible with its rebellious reputation. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “According to the band, the decision is all about market penetration. Wal-Mart is certainly the choice if you are looking to maximize your points of distribution. It is an interesting choice for Wal-Mart, too, as the rough-and-tumble image of heavy metal rock is in contract to the folksy, small town picture Wal-Mart has painted for years.”

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

TR EXTRA

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM--Candidates for the state House of Representatives and Senate in Tennessee will participate in a forum on higher education from noon to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 22, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. This event is free and open to the public. “Since many of our students are first-time voters or have moved here from other parts of the state, they have never met the local candidates for state representative and senate,” says Dr. Jim Williams, director of MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center and coordinator of the American Democracy Project, which sponsors the forum. There will be informal question-and-answer periods of 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the forum for discussions on other topics. Media welcomed. Contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

THE KEY TO YOUR HEALTH--The June Anderson Women’s Center will present a Breast Cancer Keychain/Educational Awareness Workshop in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month from noon to 1:00 p.m. today, Oct. 21, in the Hazlewood Room of the James Union Building. Participants will assemble key chains to take home with them. The bead sizes on the key chains represent the various sizes of lumps found in mammograms and breast self-examinations. The key chains are offered by the Breast Health Initiative, a program of the Student Community Health Coalition at the Vanderbilt Center for Health Services in Nashville. The program is funded partially by the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Tennessee Commission on National and Community Service. For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

THE SHOT THAT HITS THE SPOT--With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. tomorrow, Oct. 22, in the conference room on the second floor of the Cope Administration Building; and from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted at these locations. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge their shots to their MTSU accounts. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. No appointment is required. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for tomorrow, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

Candidates for the state House of Representatives and Senate in Tennessee will participate in a forum on higher education from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. This event is free and open to the public. “Since many of our students are first-time voters or have moved here from other parts of the state, they have never met the local candidates for state representative and senate,” says Dr. Jim Williams, director of MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center and coordinator of the American Democracy Project, which sponsors the forum. There will be informal question-and-answer periods of 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the forum for discussions on other topics. Media welcomed.

Contact Williams at 615-898-2632.
jhwillia@mtsu.edu

Who says you can’t have Heart?

“Who Says You Can’t Go Home?,” a duet by Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles, has been played at Sarah Palin rallies. But Bon Jovi isn’t happy about it. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart had the same reaction to the playing of Heart’s “Barracuda” when Palin was introduced at the Republican National Convention. But Ken Sanney, adjunct recording industry professor and licensed attorney, says McCain operatives might have erred in using “Barracuda,” even though they paid the licensing fee. “All of the media attention from the RNC’s use of their song has given them (Heart) the perfect platform to espouse their political beliefs and attempt to influence the election,” Sanney says. “I dare say that the RNC has given the members of Heart a much bigger platform from which to speak than they had before. More speech, not less speech, is the answer.”

Contact Sanney at 615-456-6502.
ksanney@mtsu.edu

Mind over matter

How can one explain the Large Hadron Collider in a few words? Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, suggests we think about an old-fashioned TV set. He says, “In the case of the LHC, the particles being accelerated are protons—the much heavier and positively charged halves of normal hydrogen atoms. In your TV, the particles being accelerated are electrons—the other half of a hydrogen atom, much lighter and negatively charged. At the LHC, two proton beams will be accelerated to the speed of light and steered into each other with enormous electromagnets. Massive arrays of electronic eyes and heat sensors will be watching the millions of head-on collisions—each second!—hoping to shed light on our understanding of matter.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

RACE IN THE RACE--Dr. Sekou Franklin, assistant professor of political science, will discuss “Between Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama: Race Management, Electoral Populism and Presidential Politics” at 3 p.m. today, Oct. 20 in Room 106 of MTSU’s Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. The presentation is the latest in the University Honors Lecture series titled “Politics and the Press: The Relationship Between Government and the Fourth Estate.” For more information, call the Honors College at 615-898-2152.

TALKING TURKEY--Dr. Ozkul Cobanoglu will present a lecture titled “Tradition and Transformation in Ottoman Folk Culture from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. today, Oct. 20, in Room S260 of the Business and Aerospace Building at MTSU. Cobanoglu will talk to Dr. Sean Foley’s Survey of World Civilization II class about the social history of the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. Cobanoglu is a full professor of Turkish and Comparative Folklore at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey, and he is one of Turkey’s leading folklorists. His speech, which is sponsored by the Middle East Center, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the Middle East Center at 615-494-8809 or ahibbard@mtsu.edu.

THE KEY TO YOUR HEALTH--The June Anderson Women’s Center will present a Breast Cancer Keychain/Educational Awareness Workshop in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month from noon to 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 21, in the Hazlewood Room of the James Union Building. Participants will assemble key chains to take home with them. The bead sizes on the key chains represent the various sizes of lumps found in mammograms and breast self-examinations. The key chains are offered by the Breast Health Initiative, a program of the Student Community Health Coalition at the Vanderbilt Center for Health Services in Nashville. The program is funded partially by the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and the Tennessee Commission on National and Community Service. For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

THE SHOT THAT HITS THE SPOT--With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the conference room on the second floor of the Cope Administration Building; and from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted at these locations. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge their shots to their MTSU accounts. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. No appointment is required. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for today, Oct. 20, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

MEDIA MANIA—“Give them information, and the people can govern themselves,” or so goes the Enlightenment cry that argues for a free, independent press. But does media practice distort the news that citizens need to make informed decisions? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, will examine that question in “News Media Conventions: Do They Harm American Democracy?,” a brown bag luncheon lecture, at noon today, Oct. 20, in Room 129 of the Gore Center conference room in MTSU’s Todd Building. This event is free and open to the public. It’s part of the continuing “Campus Conversations about American Democracy in the 2008 Election” series sponsored by the American Democracy Project. Contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A mighty wind

MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry and the College of Mass Communication will welcome the inaugural South East Regional Folk Alliance Music Conference to campus today, Oct. 17, and tomorrow, Oct. 18. “We are expecting between 75 and 100 musicians, songwriters, music business professionals and historians for panels, workshops, concerts and advocacy,” says Charlie B. Dahan, an associate professor of recording industry and conference organizer. The gathering will feature musical performances from artists Cady Finlayson and Elkin Brown, Danny Flowers, Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwartz, Robby Hecht, Diana Jones, The Smart Brothers, Linda McRae, Anna Wolfe and many, many more.

Contact Dahan at 615-494-7704.
mailto:615-494-7704.cdahan@mtsu.edu

The further adventures of Steve Sibley

In Bangladesh to study poverty, MTSU student Steve Sibley has made friends with a young man named Kamal, an employee of the Grand Prince Hotel in the capital city of Dhaka. Sibley writes, “Having witnessed the conditions in his apartment—no air conditioning, two small bedrooms and a dining area, a communal bathroom and kitchen—I am grateful that Kamal is not a member of the lower class. This confirms Dr. (Kiyoshi) Kawahito’s statement that ‘America’s poor would be middle class in Bangladesh.’ … Kamal desperately wants to get out of his neighborhood and his country. He says, ‘Everyday, I pray to Allah to provide a way out of here.’”
Sibley is the recipient of the initial Kawahito Scholarship for Experiential World Poverty Studies.

To find out more, contact Kawahito at 615-898-5751.
mailto:615-898-5751.kawahito@mtsu.edu

Media mania

“Give them information, and the people can govern themselves,” or so goes the Enlightenment cry that argues for a free, independent press. But does media practice distort the news that citizens need to make informed decisions? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, will examine that question in “News Media Conventions: Do They Harm American Democracy?,” a brown bag luncheon lecture, at noon on Monday, Oct. 20, in Room 129 of the Gore Center conference room in MTSU’s Todd Building. This event is free and open to the public. It’s part of the continuing “Campus Conversations about American Democracy in the 2008 Election” series sponsored by the American Democracy Project.

Contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2632.
mailto:615-898-2632.jhwillia@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

RACE IN THE RACE--Dr. Sekou Franklin, assistant professor of political science, will discuss “Between Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama: Race Management, Electoral Populism and Presidential Politics” at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20 in Room 106 of MTSU’s Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. The presentation is the latest in the University Honors Lecture series titled “Politics and the Press: The Relationship Between Government and the Fourth Estate.” For more information, call the Honors College at 615-898-2152.

I WANNA BE FREE--The National Park Service, in cooperation with the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, will present “Pathways to Freedom,” a fresh look at wartime emancipation, tomorrow, Oct. 18. The day will start at 8 a.m. in the Rutherford County Courthouse with registration and a continental breakfast followed by three speakers beginning at 9 a.m. They will be Dr. Barbara Fields, history professor at Columbia University; Dr. William W. Freehling, senior fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities; and Dr. Robert E. Hunt, MTSU history professor. In the afternoon, programs will be offered at Stones River National Battlefield and at Fortress Rosecrans in Old Fort Park. Symposium activities are slated to end at about 4 p.m. The registration fee is $10. For more information, call 615-893-9501 or 615-898-2947.

READ ALL ABOUT IT--Dr. Jan Hayes, professor emeritus of educational leadership, and Dr. Kris McCusker, MTSU history professor, will discuss their latest books along with other local authors at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19, at Linebaugh Public Library in Murfreesboro. Hayes’ recent book is The Split Tongue Sparrow: A Traditional Japanese Folktale. McCusker’s current offering is Lonesome Cowgirls and Honky-Tonk Angels: The Women of Barn Dance Radio. For more information, contact the library at 615-893-4131.

THE SHOT THAT HITS THE SPOT--With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the conference room on the second floor of the Cope Administration Building; and from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted at these locations. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge their shots to their MTSU accounts. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. No appointment is required. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER--“Pulled Resources,” a sculptural collaborative by artists Dan DeZarn and Thomas H. Sturgill, is on display now through today, Oct. 17, at MTSU’s Todd Gallery. The artists have a shared interest in exploring the concerns of contemporary human culture. In the past, they have focused on material usage, commodity, nature and people, and how those ideas intersect, says Eric V. Snyder, gallery curator. “They quickly found that they could construct impressively large, labor-intensive projects in relatively short periods of time and with fairly modest budgets,” Snyder says. Located on the first floor of MTSU’s Todd Building, the Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and closed on all state holidays. Admission is free. Exhibits are open to the public. Contact Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

A WORD IS WORTH A THOUSAND PICTURES--“4 Women 4 Views with Text,” a new art exhibition in MTSU’s James E. Walker Library, features the creativity of three MTSU professors and an MTSU graduate in combining visual and verbal elements, treating visitors to an experience that is at once visceral and intellectual. The works of Assistant Professors Noel Lorson and Kim Dummons, Professor Janet Higgins and alumna Nance Cooley will remain on display through Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the library. Viewing is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Susan Hanson, a specialist with the library, says the works on display are individual entities that emerged from the creative spark of the collaborative experience. “It starts with a word, and it begins to take on a life of its own,” Hanson says. Contact Hanson at 615-904-8503 or shanson@mtsu.edu.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH--Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for Monday, Oct. 20, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. “”We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of energy,” Pondillo says. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films, two of which were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. To make an appointment for an audition or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

PROMOTE THE VOTE--MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. “The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1,000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to education all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one,” says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, all of which embark from in front of the James Union Building, is online at www.mtsu.edu./~amerdem.For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.