Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

ATTENTION: Today’s Response will go on hiatus from Wednesday, November 26 through Sunday, November 30. Today's Response will return on Monday, December 1. We wish all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. This is the GKL e-mail network.

Gina Logue
News and Public Affairs

A work of art

The works of MTSU art professors John Donovan and Erin Anfinson are on display at the Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery in Nashville through Friday, Dec. 12. Anfinson’s encaustic paintings and Donovan’s ceramic sculpture have been on display since Nov. 6. Both artists view this exhibition as an opportunity to connect what they teach in the classroom with their own creative studio practices. Their students will have the opportunity to view and enjoy the work and to better understand the effort that goes into an active and successful creative career. The gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Julie Roberts at 615-532-9798.
julie.roberts@state.tn.us

A pizza the action

Here’s a sales come-on that a college student can appreciate. Papa John’s Pizza is giving any Facebook user who signs up to become a “Friend of Papa John’s” a coupon good for a free medium cheese pizza with the purchase of another medium pizza. The offer expires Dec. 1. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says the motive might be competition because “… Pizza Hut has unveiled a Facebook application that enables users to order from Pizza Hut online without ever leaving Facebook. Online sales are a rapidly growing channel for both Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. The Papa John’s offer focuses on the online channel as the coupon is good only for online ordering.”

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

EXLENCE! (No, we didn’t misspell it.)

The MTSU Experiential Learning Program not only gives students opportunities to learn by doing. The value of their work is an asset to the entire area. According to “EXL Happenings,” the program’s newsletter, “… students spent 136,904 hours on community activities (in 2007-2008), and 2,094 projects that directly influenced the community were completed.” Using an estimated hourly wage of $8, “… students working on projects that directly affected the community provided a value of $1.095 million to the middle Tennessee area. A small portion of the internships were paid to students, but more than 98 percent was volunteer work, so the EXL program had a $1 million impact on our area.”

Contact Dr. Jill Austin at 615-898-2992.
jaustin@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THE BEST WET YET--Water is often called the most essential nutrient. Why is it so important? How much do we really need? Is bottled water really safer than tap? Why are chemicals like fluoride and ginseng added to some waters? Exactly how much water do athletes need? Find out answers to these questions and more in “Water, Water Everywhere … But Which Type is Best to Drink?”, an interactive program for students in grades 7-12 offered through MTSU’s Satellite and Webcasting Center on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 9-10 a.m. CST (10-11 a.m. EST). The discussion leaders will be Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, Daniel Vaden and Mark Crowell. For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place Thursday, Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The few, the proud, the imposters

Should nonmilitary personnel be allowed to wear military uniforms? A Florida law bans civilians from making that fashion statement, But a Florida appeals court has struck down that law on the grounds that it violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “The appeals court agreed that the state had a compelling government interest in ‘ensuring that the public is not deceived by people impersonating members of the military.’ However, the court reasoned that the ‘statute has the potential to criminalize wholly innocent conduct and is not narrowly tailored to address its goal.’” The case stemmed from an incident in which a civilian wearing a military uniform was charged with violating the law at Orlando International Airport when a Transportation Security Administration agent noticed that his hair was longer than military regulations allow.

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

The best wet yet

Water is often called the most essential nutrient. Why is it so important? How much do we really need? Is bottled water really safer than tap? Why are chemicals like fluoride and ginseng added to some waters? Exactly how much water do athletes need? Find out answers to these questions and more in “Water, Water Everywhere … But Which Type is Best to Drink?”, an interactive program for students in grades 7-12 offered through MTSU’s Satellite and Webcasting Center on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 9-10 a.m. CST (10-11 a.m. EST). The discussion leaders will be Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, Daniel Vaden and Mark Crowell.

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

From Bangladesh to the ‘Boro

MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the Department of Economics and Finance will host a reception for Steve Sibley, who returned recently from a 10-week internship in Bangladesh, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. today, Nov. 24, in the SunTrust Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. The 27-year-old business finance major from Signal Mountain, who is slated to graduate next month, is the first recipient of the Kawahito Scholarship for Experiential World Poverty Studies. The stipend made it possible for Sibley to work at the world-famous Grameen Bank, the financial institution founded by Nobel Peace Prize-winner and former MTSU professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

For more information, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS MAN”—FROM ACT 2, SCENE 2 OF “HAMLET”--The “Our Friends: Our Selves Book Club” will discuss What Makes a Man—22 Writers Imagine the Future, edited by Rebecca Walker, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. today, Nov. 24, at the June Anderson Women’s Center. The center is located in Room 206 of MTSU’s James Union Building. For more information, call 615-898-2193 or send an e-mail to jawc@mtsu.edu.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place Thursday, Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The brain bone’s connected to the foot bone.

The big game in college football this weekend will take place tomorrow night (Saturday night) when second-ranked Texas Tech battles fifth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman. The game easily could come down to a field goal by the Red Raiders’ human feature story, Matt Williams, who walked onto the roster at midseason after kicking a 30-yard field goal in a publicity stunt. But what about the two kickers who made the team and subsequently were benched? Is the college game about winning or leading young men? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says Tech should have used a sport psychologist to help the two original kickers. He says “the Texas Tech coaches have made a desperate and poor decision” in failing to use mental skills to improve performance. “I know their coaching staff, having taught there for two years, and met with their current head coach, Mike Leach—and they want nothing to do with sport psychology,” Anshel says.

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

Get into the swim of things.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, American swimmer Rick Dumont was stripped of a gold medal because he had taken an over-the-counter cold medicine to relieve his asthma symptoms. How much has changed in 36 years? Dr. Michael G. Miller, Director of the Graduate Athletic Training Education and Associate Professor at Western Michigan University, will present “Asthma in Athletes” and “Aquatics as a Tool for Athletes” tomorrow, Nov. 22, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Opening remarks are slated for 9 a.m. with “Asthma and the Athlete” scheduled for 9:15 and “Aquatics as a Tool for the Athlete” at 10:45. Miller, who has over 35 presentations at the state, regional, national and international level, has researched aquatic exercise and training techniques. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Helen Binkley at 615-904-8192.
hbinkley@mtsu.edu

Just say the bleeping words!

How do you argue for or against a case about “dirty words” without saying those “dirty words”? That’s what happened when Fox Television went to the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to fine TV stations for what the FCC calls “fleeting expletives.” Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “Some 30 years ago, in the so-called “Seven Dirty Words” case, the justices and attorneys avoided using the words in question, but the court opinion contains a transcript of the George Carlin monologue that caused the case. I wonder if in the current case we’ll be able to read all of those indecent words everyone so carefully avoided.”

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

TR EXTRA

FIRST THINGS FIRST--Village Voice jazz critic and free speech activist Nat Hentoff calls it “phenomenal.” Tennessean Publisher Emeritus John Seigenthaler says it “could not be more valuable. … In a real sense, it serves the public interest.” It’s the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment, a groundbreaking new reference work about the first 45 words in the U.S. Constitution. Two of the editors will be Gina Logue’s guests on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 23, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College at MTSU, and David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and scholar at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, will talk about the two-volume encyclopedia. Nineteen members of the MTSU community contributed to the work. Contact Logue at 615-898-5081; contact WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

POST THE COLORS--A number of MTSU military science alumni who later became U.S. Army general officers will add spice to the 27th annual Salute to Armed Services/Veterans Day tomorrow, Nov. 22. In addition to a brunch at the home of MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, key activities for the officers and other attendees will include a 10 a.m. Army ROTC alumni meeting in Forrest Hall; an 11 a.m. Veterans Memorial service at the Tom H. Jackson Building; the Veterans/Service Members Picnic outside the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; the 12:45 p.m. presentation of the Joe B. Nunley Award to Fayne Haynes, owner of Haynes Flag and Flag Pole Company; and the MTSU-North Texas game with a halftime ceremony honoring the veterans. Contact Lt. Col. Mike Walsh or Maj. Chuck Giles at 615-898-2470.

NOTHING TO MOCK--The MTSU mock trial teams will travel to Duke University today, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 23, fresh from capturing first place in the Mid-South Invitational Tournament on their home campus for the first time since 1994. This past weekend, Nov. 14-16, a team led by junior Daniel Vaughn of Mt. Juliet posted a perfect 8-0 record in its division, and, on the basis of its strength of opposition, won the tournament over another 8-0 team from Georgia Tech in a field of 50 teams. The Mid-South Invitational is one of the nation’s largest mock trial competitions. It began in 1989 at Rhodes College, subsequently moved to Bellarmine University, and has been at MTSU for the last 17 years. Teams attended from Alabama, California, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. Contact Dr. John Vile at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY--The Society for International Affairs (SIA) will send its latest Model United Nations team to the Southeast Regional conference in Atlanta through tomorrow, Nov. 22, with the attendees representing United Arab Emirates. However, the organization is extending its mission and its methods. SIA will continue to learn about people in other parts of the world not only for portraying them, but also by assisting them. “The Society for International Affairs is unique in that our primary focus is on service and teaching students at this point in their lives to really value a service ethic,” says Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science and faculty adviser to SIA. Many of the organization’s members learn about global poverty and inequality in class from Petersen and other MTSU professors and yearn to do something to help. Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662 or kpeterse@mtsu.edu.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

THE MARC OF THE ARTIST--Every weekend before Thanksgiving, the Stones River Crafts Association sponsors its Annual Art Studio Tour. It allows one to take a leisurely tour of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to view the works of talented local artists and artisans. One of them is MTSU’s own Marc Barr, electronic media communication, who creates award-winning pottery. “I’ve been working with combining technology and traditional art processes for 20 years,” says Barr. “The pieces that I will have incorporate traditional methods of making functional and decorative ceramics. The construction, decoration, firing, and their form and surfaces were designed with the aid of various computer hardware, software and peripherals.” Barr’s work will be on display at Ramsey Hall Studio, 2430 Kingwood Lane in Rockvale, during the studio tour, which is slated for tomorrow, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23. Contact Barr at 615-898-5628 or mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

First things first

Village Voice jazz critic and free speech activist Nat Hentoff calls it “phenomenal.” Tennessean Publisher Emeritus John Seigenthaler says it “could not be more valuable. … In a real sense, it serves the public interest.” It’s the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment, a groundbreaking new reference work about the first 45 words in the U.S. Constitution. Two of the editors will be Gina Logue’s guests on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 23, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College at MTSU, and David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and scholar at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, will talk about the two-volume encyclopedia. Nineteen members of the MTSU community contributed to the work.

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

Post the colors

A number of MTSU military science alumni who later became U.S. Army general officers will add spice to the 27th annual Salute to Armed Services/Veterans Day on Saturday, Nov. 22. In addition to a brunch at the home of MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, key activities for the officers and other attendees will include a 10 a.m. Army ROTC alumni meeting in Forrest Hall; an 11 a.m. Veterans Memorial service at the Tom H. Jackson Building; the Veterans/Service Members Picnic outside the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; the 12:45 p.m. presentation of the Joe B. Nunley Award to Fayne Haynes, owner of Haynes Flag and Flag Pole Company; and the MTSU-North Texas game with a halftime ceremony honoring the veterans.

Contact Lt. Col. Mike Walsh or Maj. Chuck Giles at 615-898-2470.

“Be proud of the gray in your hair.”—Dave Evans

The country music community is moving to create a retirement home for the veterans of the business and their loved ones not unlike the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in California. A nonprofit organization called the Crescendo Music Community Fund has been created to develop the retirement home. Dr. Janet Belsky, MTSU psychology professor and an expert on lifespan development and aging studies, says, “I think to be able with people in your own field as you retire, that’s interesting, fun and the wave of the future. People worry about not being able to take care of themselves one day, so to be able to come to a retirement community healthy and stay there (no matter how one’s health may change) is very appealing, if people have the money to get that option.”

Contact Belsky at 615-898-5935.
jbelsky@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

NOTHING TO MOCK--The MTSU mock trial teams will travel to Duke University tomorrow, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 23, fresh from capturing first place in the Mid-South Invitational Tournament on their home campus for the first time since 1994. This past weekend, Nov. 14-16, a team led by junior Daniel Vaughn of Mt. Juliet posted a perfect 8-0 record in its division, and, on the basis of its strength of opposition, won the tournament over another 8-0 team from Georgia Tech in a field of 50 teams. The Mid-South Invitational is one of the nation’s largest mock trial competitions. It began in 1989 at Rhodes College, subsequently moved to Bellarmine University, and has been at MTSU for the last 17 years. Teams attended from Alabama, California, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. Contact Dr. John Vile at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY--The Society for International Affairs (SIA) will send its latest Model United Nations team to the Southeast Regional conference in Atlanta today, Nov. 20, through Saturday, Nov. 22, with the attendees representing United Arab Emirates. However, the organization is extending its mission and its methods. SIA will continue to learn about people in other parts of the world not only for portraying them, but also by assisting them. “The Society for International Affairs is unique in that our primary focus is on service and teaching students at this point in their lives to really value a service ethic,” says Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science and faculty adviser to SIA. Many of the organization’s members learn about global poverty and inequality in class from Petersen and other MTSU professors and yearn to do something to help. Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662 or kpeterse@mtsu.edu.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place today, Nov. 20, and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

SEXISM ON THE SLAB--Dr. Katie Foss, assistant professor of journalism, will speak on “Choice or Chance?: Gender, Victimization, and Responsibility in ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’” at 3 p.m., today, Nov. 20, in the SunTrust Room of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The latest presentation in the MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series, the discussion will focus on Foss’ research on representations of male and female victimization in the CBS television drama. “From studying five seasons of ‘CSI’ episodes, I found a vast discrepancy between male and female victimizations in that men become victims by chance, whereas carelessness and sexuality cause women to be victimized,” says Foss. “Furthermore, male victims die quickly, while female victims often suffer torture and sexual assault prior to a long, painful death.” This event is free and open to the public. Contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu.

THE MARC OF THE ARTIST--Every weekend before Thanksgiving, the Stones River Crafts Association sponsors its Annual Art Studio Tour. It allows one to take a leisurely tour of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to view the works of talented local artists and artisans. One of them is MTSU’s own Marc Barr, electronic media communication, who creates award-winning pottery. “I’ve been working with combining technology and traditional art processes for 20 years,” says Barr. “The pieces that I will have incorporate traditional methods of making functional and decorative ceramics. The construction, decoration, firing, and their form and surfaces were designed with the aid of various computer hardware, software and peripherals.” Barr’s work will be on display at Ramsey Hall Studio, 2430 Kingwood Lane in Rockvale, during the studio tour, which is slated for Saturday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23. Contact Barr at 615-898-5628 or mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Nothing to mock

The MTSU mock trial teams will travel to Duke University this weekend, Nov. 21-23, fresh from capturing first place in the Mid-South Invitational Tournament on their home campus for the first time since 1994. This past weekend, Nov. 14-16, a team led by junior Daniel Vaughn of Mt. Juliet posted a perfect 8-0 record in its division, and, on the basis of its strength of opposition, won the tournament over another 8-0 team from Georgia Tech in a field of 50 teams. The Mid-South Invitational is one of the nation’s largest mock trial competitions. It began in 1989 at Rhodes College, subsequently moved to Bellarmine University, and has been at MTSU for the last 17 years. Teams attended from Alabama, California, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Contact Dr. John Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

Think globally, act locally

The Society for International Affairs (SIA) will send its latest Model United Nations team to the Southeast Regional conference in Atlanta Nov. 20-22 with the attendees representing United Arab Emirates. However, the organization is extending its mission and its methods. SIA will continue to learn about people in other parts of the world not only for portraying them, but also by assisting them. “The Society for International Affairs is unique in that our primary focus is on service and teaching students at this point in their lives to really value a service ethic,” says Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science and faculty adviser to SIA. Many of the organization’s members learn about global poverty and inequality in class from Petersen and other MTSU professors and yearn to do something to help.

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

The writing on the wall

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama’s political operatives employed an enterprising young man to travel across Ohio with a laptop computer and a video projector. He displayed advertisements for Obama onto the sides of buildings, meeting with hardly any resistance. Obama supporters would send him a text message and, as long as it was neither vulgar nor sexually suggestive, it would become part of the ad. Dr. Robert Spires, electronic media communication, says this kind of participatory advertising could become the wave of the future. He says, “I find this to be a really innovative way to advertise because people really feel they are a part of creating the message, and it costs almost nothing—maybe a few thousand dollars in hotel bills, gasoline and food.”

Contact Spires at 615-898-2217.
rwspires@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN—BANG!—Today, Nov. 19, is the final day for the Nothing But Nets campaign sponsored by the Wesley Foundation at MTSU, which began two days ago. From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., students will challenge students, faculty, staff, and the community to shoot baskets in front of the Keathley University Center to raise money to buy mosquito nets. A small donation is requested. Nothing But Nets is a global grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Malaria claims more than a million lives every year, mostly children. However, just one bed net can keep an entire family safe from malaria transmission for up to four years. For more information, contact the Wesley Foundation at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfo@mtsu.edu.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place tomorrow, Nov. 20, and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

“YOU FEELIN’ ALRIGHT?/I’M NOT FEELING TOO GOOD MYSELF.”—FROM “FEELIN’ ALRIGHT” BY DAVE MASON--The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at MTSU will serve as host for the conclusion of the 17th Annual Undergraduate Social Science Symposium today, Nov. 19, in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room, Hazlewood Dining Hall and Dining Room C. This year’s theme is “Sick in America: Sociocultural Perspectives of Health and Well-Being.” A free showing of Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko” is slated for 2:20 p.m. today, Nov. 19, in the Tennessee Room. All events are free and open to the public. Contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508.

IT’S YOUR BUSINESS--It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week at MTSU and numerous business leaders and academic experts will address a variety of topics pertinent to today’s global economy. Topics include “Raising the Level of Competition of American Industry in Asian Markets,” “The Importance of Education in a Competitive Global Marketplace,” and “Expanding Internationally: Labor, Culture and Recruitment Issues.” For more information, contact Kay Blasingame-Boike at 615-898-5687 or kblasing@mtsu.edu.

SEXISM ON THE SLAB--Dr. Katie Foss, assistant professor of journalism, will speak on “Choice or Chance?: Gender, Victimization, and Responsibility in ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’” at 3 p.m., tomorrow, Nov. 20, in the SunTrust Room of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The latest presentation in the MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series, the discussion will focus on Foss’ research on representations of male and female victimization in the CBS television drama. “From studying five seasons of ‘CSI’ episodes, I found a vast discrepancy between male and female victimizations in that men become victims by chance, whereas carelessness and sexuality cause women to be victimized,” says Foss. “Furthermore, male victims die quickly, while female victims often suffer torture and sexual assault prior to a long, painful death.” This event is free and open to the public. Contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu.

THE MARC OF THE ARTIST--Every weekend before Thanksgiving, the Stones River Crafts Association sponsors its Annual Art Studio Tour. It allows one to take a leisurely tour of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to view the works of talented local artists and artisans. One of them is MTSU’s own Marc Barr, electronic media communication, who creates award-winning pottery. “I’ve been working with combining technology and traditional art processes for 20 years,” says Barr. “The pieces that I will have incorporate traditional methods of making functional and decorative ceramics. The construction, decoration, firing, and their form and surfaces were designed with the aid of various computer hardware, software and peripherals.” Barr’s work will be on display at Ramsey Hall Studio, 2430 Kingwood Lane in Rockvale, during the studio tour, which is slated for Nov. 22-23. Contact Barr at 615-898-5628 or mjbarr@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Change we can believe in

Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says politics isn’t the only field that tells us change is inevitable. Science sends the same message. Consider the ice cube, for example. “In the freezer, it is in the lowest energy state for water—a solid,” MacDougall says. “If you move the ice cube to an ambient environment, such as a coffee table, it will do something remarkable—it will melt! If this doesn’t seem remarkable to you, consider how much you paid to fill up your gas tank. Then consider that the ice cube is taking the same kind of energy—enthalpy—and half-filling its molecular tank for free! (In steam engines, these ‘tanks’ are more completely filled, and not for free.)”

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

The Marc of the artist

Every weekend before Thanksgiving, the Stones River Crafts Association sponsors its Annual Art Studio Tour. It allows one to take a leisurely tour of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to view the works of talented local artists and artisans. One of them is MTSU’s own Marc Barr, electronic media communication, who creates award-winning pottery. “I’ve been working with combining technology and traditional art processes for 20 years,” says Barr. “The pieces that I will have incorporate traditional methods of making functional and decorative ceramics. The construction, decoration, firing, and their form and surfaces were designed with the aid of various computer hardware, software and peripherals.” Barr’s work will be on display at Ramsey Hall Studio, 2430 Kingwood Lane in Rockvale, during the studio tour, which is slated for Nov. 22-23.

Contact Barr at 615-898-5628.
mjbarr@mtsu.edu

Sexism on the slab

Dr. Katie Foss, assistant professor of journalism, will speak on “Choice or Chance?: Gender, Victimization, and Responsibility in ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’” at 3 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20, in the SunTrust Room of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The latest presentation in the MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series, the discussion will focus on Foss’ research on representations of male and female victimization in the CBS television drama. “From studying five seasons of ‘CSI’ episodes, I found a vast discrepancy between male and female victimizations in that men become victims by chance, whereas carelessness and sexuality cause women to be victimized,” says Foss. “Furthermore, male victims die quickly, while female victims often suffer torture and sexual assault prior to a long, painful death.” This event is free and open to the public.

Contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282.
jmarcell@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE--MTSU alumnus Allan Barlow will bring Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” to life in a one-man tour de force at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Nov. 18, at Tucker Theatre in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. Barlow says, “Although memorizing an hour and a half of dialogue was a big challenge, the hardest thing for me was visualizing the settings and blocking for over 20 different characters. I had to pay extra attention to each character's point of focus so the audience would always know which character was speaking.” In addition, Barlow will hold workshops with MTSU theatre students this week. To hear an interview with this Seattle-based working actor, whose credits include repertory, commercials, television, and movies, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2008.html and click on “November 16, 2008” at the top of the page.

“YOU FEELIN’ ALRIGHT?/I’M NOT FEELING TOO GOOD MYSELF.”—FROM “FEELIN’ ALRIGHT” BY DAVE MASON--The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at MTSU will serve as host for the 17th Annual Undergraduate Social Science Symposium today, Nov. 18, and tomorrow, Nov. 19, in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room, Hazlewood Dining Hall and Dining Room C. This year’s theme is “Sick in America: Sociocultural Perspectives of Health and Well-Being.” A panel discussion is on tap for tomorrow with Patrick Willard, AARP; Lisa Baird, Cannon County Domestic Violence; Russell Caughron, Tennessee State Veterans Home; Lori Smith, Tennessee Health Care Campaign; and Arlene Benefield of Alacare Home Health and Hospice. A free showing of Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko” is slated for 2:20 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 19, in the Tennessee Room. All events are free and open to the public. Contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508.

IT’S YOUR BUSINESS--It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week at MTSU and numerous business leaders and academic experts will address a variety of topics pertinent to today’s global economy. Topics include “Raising the Level of Competition of American Industry in Asian Markets,” “The Importance of Education in a Competitive Global Marketplace,” and “Expanding Internationally: Labor, Culture and Recruitment Issues.” For more information, contact Kay Blasingame-Boike at 615-898-5687 or kblasing@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

It’s your business.

It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week at MTSU and numerous business leaders and academic experts will address a variety of topics pertinent to today’s global economy. Today, Nov. 17, from 12:40 p.m. to 2:05 p.m., Lee Moss, Chairman and CEO of Mid-South Bank, will talk about “Borrowing in Today’s Financial Environment” in Room S338 of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. From 2:20 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., Ralph Vaughn of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., will discuss “Entrepreneurship in a Global Economy,” also in Room S338. Topics for the rest of the week include “Raising the Level of Competition of American Industry in Asian Markets,” “The Importance of Education in a Competitive Global Marketplace,” and “Expanding Internationally: Labor, Culture and Recruitment Issues.”

For more information, contact Kay Blasingame-Boike at 615-898-5687.
kblasing@mtsu.edu

“You feelin’ alright?/I’m not feeling too good myself.”—From “Feelin’ Alright” by Dave Mason

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at MTSU will serve as host for the 17th Annual Undergraduate Social Science Symposium tomorrow, Nov. 18, and Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room, Hazlewood Dining Hall and Dining Room C. This year’s theme is “Sick in America: Sociocultural Perspectives of Health and Well-Being.” A panel discussion is on tap for tomorrow with Patrick Willard, AARP; Lisa Baird, Cannon County Domestic Violence; Russell Caughron, Tennessee State Veterans Home; Lori Smith, Tennessee Health Care Campaign; and Arlene Benefield of Alacare Home Health and Hospice. A free showing of Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko” is slated for 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the Tennessee Room. All events are free and open to the public.

Contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508.

Spam, I am.

E-mail is not that effective a marketing tactic anymore. The research company MailerMailer finds that the open rate for consumer e-mails fell from 16.1 percent in the first half of 2007 to 13.2 percent in the same period this year. However, Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says marketers should not be discouraged. “E-mail is a very cost-effective medium to use, and permission-based e-mail campaigns still are based on customers’ desires to have a relationship with a company from which they have consented to receive e-mail communications,” Roy says. “It does mean that the relevance of every message sent to customers must be evaluated in an effort to make it worth consumers’ time and effort to open marketing e-mail messages.”

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

TR EXTRA

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE--MTSU alumnus Allan Barlow will bring Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” to life in a one-man tour de force at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 18, at Tucker Theatre in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. Barlow says, “Although memorizing an hour and a half of dialogue was a big challenge, the hardest thing for me was visualizing the settings and blocking for over 20 different characters. I had to pay extra attention to each character's point of focus so the audience would always know which character was speaking.” In addition, Barlow will hold workshops with MTSU theatre students this week. To hear an interview with this Seattle-based working actor, whose credits include repertory, commercials, television, and movies, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2008.html and click on “November 16, 2008” at the top of the page.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up.”—From “Maneater” by Daryl Hall, John Oates, and Sara Allen

Hall and Oates are suing Warner/Chappell Music for allegedly letting other artists rip off their song “Maneater.” They’re accusing the company of a conflict of interest because it “publishes and/or administers the copyright interests of two of the infringers.” Ken Sanney, adjunct recording industry professor and licensed attorney, says the suit might have a lot of merit. “As a music publisher, Warner/Chappell has a fiduciary duty to protect the copyright in the song ‘Maneater,’” Sanney says. “Songwriters such as Hall and Oates often grant the ownership in their copyrighted songs to a music publisher like Warner/Chappell. In consideration for such grants, the music publisher will collect royalties, issue licenses, and protect the copyright. Hall and Oates may be able to recover damages, which could include lost licensing fees and also their copyright to the song, which may have been granted to Warner/Chappell.”

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

Still country after all these years

Country music star Stonewall Jackson recently settled a federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Grand Ole Opry. Jackson claimed the Opry kept him off the stage because of his age (He’s 75 now.). He also accused the Opry of breach of contract. Dr. Geoff Hull, professor emeritus in recording industry, says Jackson’s lawsuit might be unprecedented. “I’m not aware of a performer suing for age discrimination before,” says Hull, who holds a law degree from the University of Virginia. “Originally, a promoter could hire someone to put on a show based on how many tickets they thought they could sell. If their decision was that if a particular older performer could/would not sell as many tickets that would be the end of the discussion. I think here the key was the agreement with the Opry that the members sign.”

Contact Hull at 615-890-1278.
ghull@mtsu.edu

God bless us, everyone.

MTSU alumnus Allan Barlow will bring Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” to life in a one-man tour de force at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18, at Tucker Theatre in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. Barlow says, “Although memorizing an hour and a half of dialogue was a big challenge, the hardest thing for me was visualizing the settings and blocking for over 20 different characters. I had to pay extra attention to each character's point of focus so the audience would always know which character was speaking.” In addition, Barlow will hold workshops with MTSU theatre students the week of Nov. 17-20. Gina Logue will interview this Seattle-based working actor, whose credits include repertory, commercials, television, and movies, at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 16, on “MTSU on the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

TR EXTRA

ALL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE PEAS A CHANCE--All donations raised from purchasing lunch on the Keathley University Center knoll from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Nov. 13, will be donated to Pennies for Peace. Sigma Nu fraternity, pre-dental and pre-prescription major students, and a team of EXL service learning students will prepare food donated from local businesses and grocery stores. For more information, contact Hillary Robson at 615-494-8970 or hrobson@mtsu.edu.

BLACK AND WHITE AT NIGHT--The Scholars Academy at MTSU will celebrate the inaugural Black & White Gala by honoring three Tennesseans who have made significant contributions to the areas of education, leadership, diversity and human rights. “Educating for Extraordinary Excellence: Celebrating our Past, Present and Future” is the theme of the event, which will take place tonight, Nov. 13, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. The reception will start at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and ceremony. The honorees are Camille McMullen, the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals; MTSU alumnus Darrell S. Freeman Sr., chairman and CEO of Zycron, Inc.; and Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO/executive director of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Proceeds will benefit scholarship and endowment funds. Contact Dr. Sharon Shaw-McEwen at 615-898-5975 or sshaw@mtsu.edu.

OVERCOMING CAREER FEAR--This week is Career Development Week at MTSU. Topics to be discussed include “Resumania! Make Your Resume Crazy Good!,” “What Is Your Worth? Negotiating Salary and Benefits,” and “Managing Change: Transitioning from College to Career.” The Majors Fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Nov. 13, on the second floor of the KUC. For more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~career or call 615-898-5732.

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 today, 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.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” opened recently and will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place tonight, Nov. 13, and on Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

MOVE YOUR FEET TO THE BEAT—MTSU Dance Theatre will present its 2008 Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight through Saturday night, Nov. 13-15, in Tucker Theatre in Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. The audience will be treated to an exceptional evening of grace and athleticism featuring the choreography of international guest artists and premieres by faculty and students. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for MTSU faculty and staff and K-12 students, and free for MTSU students with a valid ID. No tickets will go on sale prior to one hour before the performance. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to the performance. For more information, e-mail Jeff Gibson at jsgibson@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/theatre.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Speech, press, assembly, petition, religion

MTSU can be proud of the 19 distinguished members of the campus community who contributed to the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment, the most comprehensive reference work of its kind. The encyclopedia will have a gala unveiling tonight, Nov. 12, in Washington, D.C., at the Newseum, an interactive museum dedicated to preserving news history. “With over 1,400 entries from more than 200 contributors, I believe this will be the definitive reference book on the First Amendment for the foreseeable future,” says Dr. John Vile, co-editor of the encyclopedia and dean of the University Honors College. John Seigenthaler, Publisher Emeritus of The Tennessean and founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, wrote the introduction.

To interview Vile or any of the MTSU contributors, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Does this mean David Axelrod gets a puppy, too?

Advertising Age magazine has named President-elect Barack Obama its 2008 Marketer of the Year, outpolling Nike, Apple, Coors, Zappos and, incidentally, John McCain. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says many marketing lessons can be learned from Obama’s campaign. “One, he identified a market opportunity that had gone untapped by politicians in recent years—younger voters,” Roy says. “Two, the Obama campaign utilized new media that resonated with younger Americans. The Internet, social networks and mobile media complemented traditional mass media advertising very effectively. Third, positioning of brand Obama was powerful. Obama’s position was based on ‘change.’ The timing of such a point of difference was fortunate.”

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

Hiding on the Hill

The future of freedom of expression in Tennessee is looking grim to Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert. He sees the Republican domination of the General Assembly as bad for transparent government. That’s why he wants to explain to them what the law covers. “First, if the meeting or record deals with public money, it’s open to the public,” Burriss says. “Second, rather than trying to define who a lobbyist is, let’s look at the money—you, the legislator, have to account for every penny and gift you and your office receives, no matter what the source or the cost. And any organization or group that tries to influence public opinion has to give us an accounting of every penny and gift they give to those same legislators.”

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

TR EXTRA

BLACK AND WHITE AT NIGHT--The Scholars Academy at MTSU will celebrate the inaugural Black & White Gala by honoring three Tennesseans who have made significant contributions to the areas of education, leadership, diversity and human rights. “Educating for Extraordinary Excellence: Celebrating our Past, Present and Future” is the theme of the event, which will take place tomorrow, Nov. 13, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. The reception will start at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and ceremony. The honorees are Camille McMullen, the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals; MTSU alumnus Darrell S. Freeman Sr., chairman and CEO of Zycron, Inc.; and Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO/executive director of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Proceeds will benefit scholarship and endowment funds. Contact Dr. Sharon Shaw-McEwen at 615-898-5975 or sshaw@mtsu.edu.

OVERCOMING CAREER FEAR--This week is Career Development Week at MTSU. Topics to be discussed include “Resumania! Make Your Resume Crazy Good!,” “What Is Your Worth? Negotiating Salary and Benefits,” and “Managing Change: Transitioning from College to Career.” today, Nov. 12, will be a day for highlighting volunteerism and service. The Majors Fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 13, on the second floor of the KUC. For a complete list of events and more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~career or call 615-898-5732.

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 tomorrow, 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.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” opened recently and will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place on Nov. 13, Nov. 20, and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

SOUND AND VISION—Dr. Ming Wang will speak at 7 p.m. tonight, Nov. 12, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The Nashville physician, physicist, entrepreneur, and humanitarian will talk for approximately 30 minutes on the subject “The World is What You Make It” with a question-and-answer period to follow. This event, which is sponsored by the American Democracy Project, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

MOVE YOUR FEET TO THE BEAT—MTSU Dance Theatre will present its 2008 Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-15 in Tucker Theatre in Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. The audience will be treated to an exceptional evening of grace and athleticism featuring the choreography of international guest artists and premieres by faculty and students. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for MTSU faculty and staff and K-12 students, and free for MTSU students with a valid ID. No tickets will go on sale prior to one hour before the performance. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to the performance. For more information, e-mail Jeff Gibson at jsgibson@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/theatre.

DON’T LET YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SAIL AWAY--Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1. For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422 or dhutton@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Black and white at night

The Scholars Academy at MTSU will celebrate the inaugural Black & White Gala by honoring three Tennesseans who have made significant contributions to the areas of education, leadership, diversity and human rights. “Educating for Extraordinary Excellence: Celebrating our Past, Present and Future” is the theme of the event, which will take place on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. The reception will start at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and ceremony. The honorees are Camille McMullen, the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals; MTSU alumnus Darrell S. Freeman Sr., chairman and CEO of Zycron, Inc.; and Dr. Kevin Churchwell, CEO/executive director of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Proceeds will benefit scholarship and endowment funds.

Contact Dr. Sharon Shaw-McEwen at 615-898-5975.
sshaw@mtsu.edu

Water cooler chatter

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling which negated a former employee’s claim of retaliation against the school district that eliminated his job. The judges ruled last month that the question of whether Robert Posey was speaking as a private citizen or a public employee is a matter of fact for a jury to decide, not a legal issue for a judge to decide. Posey’s job was eliminated after he spoke out about what he considered to be security problems at the Idaho school where he worked. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says this case or others like it could reach the U.S. Supreme Court in the future. “The net result for Posey is that his First Amendment retaliation claim has been reinstated and is remanded, or sent back down, to the federal district court for further proceedings,” Hudson says. “The impact for other public employees remains to be seen.”

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

Don’t let your scholarship sail away.

Prospective and returning students seeking merit scholarships and awards for the 2009-10 academic year must submit all their information by the priority deadline of Monday, Dec. 1. Each student should submit an admission application, official ACT or SAT test scores and an official transcript to the admissions office. Information mailed with a Dec. 1 postmark will meet the deadline. Students who apply between Dec. 2, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2009, may be considered if funding is available. Merit scholarships and awards include National Merit and National Achievement Finalist, Valedictorians and Salutatorians, and Chancellor, Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship, Academic Service, Provost and Raider scholarships. Transfer applicants must submit official college transcripts. The scholarship deadline for transfer applicants is Feb. 1.

For more information, contact David Hutton at 615-898-2422.
dhutton@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

OVERCOMING CAREER FEAR--This week is Career Development Week at MTSU. Topics to be discussed include “Resumania! Make Your Resume Crazy Good!,” “What Is Your Worth? Negotiating Salary and Benefits,” and “Managing Change: Transitioning from College to Career.” tomorrow, Nov. 12, will be a day for highlighting volunteerism and service. The Majors Fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, on the second floor of the KUC. For a complete list of events and more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~career or call 615-898-5732.

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.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” opened recently and will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

PASS THE PEPPER, PLEASE--The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place on Nov. 13, Nov. 20, and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques. For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

SOUND AND VISION—Dr. Ming Wang will speak at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 12, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The Nashville physician, physicist, entrepreneur, and humanitarian will talk for approximately 30 minutes on the subject “The World is What You Make It” with a question-and-answer period to follow. This event, which is sponsored by the American Democracy Project, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

MOVE YOUR FEET TO THE BEAT—MTSU Dance Theatre will present its 2008 Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-15 in Tucker Theatre in Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. The audience will be treated to an exceptional evening of grace and athleticism featuring the choreography of international guest artists and premieres by faculty and students. Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for MTSU faculty and staff and K-12 students, and free for MTSU students with a valid ID. No tickets will go on sale prior to one hour before the performance. Seating begins 30 minutes prior to the performance. For more information, e-mail Jeff Gibson at jsgibson@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/theatre.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Pass the pepper, please.

The MTSU Police Department will offer a free pepper spray class for women. The class is part of the Rape Aggression Defense system and will teach basic self-defense techniques to supplement women’s ability to survive dangerous confrontations. The class will be available to MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as the general public and will take place on Nov. 13, Nov. 20, and Dec. 4 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU Police Department training room, 1412 East Main Street in Murfreesboro. Topics to be covered include product selection, psychological and physical effects of the “fight or flight” syndrome, legal issues and retention and deployment techniques.

For more information or to enroll, contact Officer David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-8855.

Overcoming career fear

This week is Career Development Week at MTSU. An open house is slated for 10 a.m. to noon today, Nov. 10, at the Career Development Center, Room 328 at the Keathley University Center (KUC). Topics to be discussed in the days to come include “Resumania! Make Your Resume Crazy Good!,” “What Is Your Worth? Negotiating Salary and Benefits,” and “Managing Change: Transitioning from College to Career.” Wednesday, Nov. 12, will be a day for highlighting volunteerism and service. The Majors Fair is slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, on the second floor of the KUC.

For a complete list of events and more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~career or call 615-898-5732.

The sweat set

Is the next career path in a struggling economy physical education? If so, get fit and you might get a job. Dr. Mary Lou Veal, health and human performance, says, “The National Association for Sport Education, an association within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & dance, published the National Standards for Physical Education more than a decade ago. That document represents a consensus of American practitioners and scholars about what it means to be physically educated. Physical fitness is one of the six standards.” Israel wants its students to start early. The Israeli education ministry recently announced that students in100 high schools across the country will be offered the chance to major in fitness education.

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

TR EXTRA

IT’S TURNER’S TURN--Dr. Jack Justin Turner, author of the newly released The Foxes and the Hounds, Volume One, Big Medicine River Days, will present a free and open reading from the novel at 6 p.m. today, Nov. 10, at the MTSU Foundation house, 324 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro. A political science professor at MTSU for 35 years, Turner is a native of Maytown, Ky. Called the “Kentucky Gone with the Wind” and “the great Kentucky novel,” The Foxes and the Hounds follows the lives of young people who set out to make their way through Kentucky during days of upheaval. A reception will be part of the Nov. 10 event, which will include a book signing. An interview with Turner about his book can be heard at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2008.html. Click on “October 26, 2008.” To request an interview with Turner, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or lrollins@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.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” opened recently and will be displayed until Dec. 4 in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s McWherter Learning Resources Center. Tom Jimison, electronic media communication professor and gallery director, says Mallonee “has pursued large-format black-and-white work since 1979 and often has chosen subjects which stray from conventional notions of western landscape, yet still embrace decisive composition and meticulous printing techniques such as this 14-year project of bypassed sections of Route 66.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29. For information, call 615-898-2085.

SIGN, SIGN, EVERYWHERE A SIGN--Don’t put those political yard signs in the trash! Donate them to the Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU. The center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-sized signs (two-feet square) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to make contributions, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Room 128 of the Todd Building on the MTSU campus. Signs should be in good condition. The center does not need the support posts. Unfortunately, the center does not have the staff to retrieve signs from your home or office. The center also collects bumper stickers, buttons, fans and other political memorabilia. Samples are on display in the hall outside the center. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.