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.