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.