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.