Thursday, December 4, 2008

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“When Black Friday comes, I’ll be on that hill/You know I will”—from “Black Friday” by Steely Dan

The fallout from Black Friday’s meager increase in sales over last year’s figures is the lower prices that retailers had to offer in order to realize that increase. That means lower profits for the stores. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “The challenge faced by many retailers is the lead time required to place orders. Orders placed for this Christmas season were placed several months ago, in many cases before retailers were fully aware of the economic train wreck that was about to happen. Now, with inventory on hand, the choice is to forego profit margins and move product or not budge much on price and take a bath in an even deeper sea of red ink. The big winners? You and I. We need a break from rising prices, and the battle for our holiday shopping dollars means we should continue to see attractive prices through the end of the year.”

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

Autism speaks

Ed Evans, founder of the MTSU student organization Students for Autism Awareness, will talk about the need for more research into the neurological disorder and relief for parents of autistic children on “MTSU on the Record” at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Dec. 7, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Evans is a military veteran, a nontraditional MTSU student and the father of two autistic children. He says, “With one in every 150 children being diagnosed with autism now, you cannot walk this campus without knowing someone that knows someone with autism.” To listen to last week’s program, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2008.html and click on “November 30, 2008” at the top of the page.

For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Merry Christmas to you

As comforting as a cup of hot cider while sitting by the fireplace, Lucinda Cockrell’s new book, A Victorian Christmas, recaptures the charm of the era from the mid-1830s to the turn of the century. A colorful visual feast, this assemblage of vintage greeting postcards from Cockrell’s personal collection embodies the spirit of the season with warmth and humor. A CD of traditional Christmas carols performed by mandolinist Butch Baldassari accompanies the book to further accentuate the mood. Cockrell, the coordinator of research collections at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, will sign copies of A Victorian Christmas at Barnes & Noble in Murfreesboro from 1-3 p.m. and at Oaklands Historic House Museum in Murfreesboro from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, and at Four Gables Tea Room in Lebanon from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7.

To contact Cockrell, call Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or send an e-mail to lcockrel@mtsu.edu.

TR EXTRA

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 or julie.roberts@state.tn.us.

GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66.--Noted photographer Tom Mallonee’s exhibit, “Evidence of Passing: Vanishing Points along an American Road,” will be displayed through today, 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. For information, call 615-898-2085.

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, 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.

STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE--Dr. Stacey Graham, research professor with MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, will present “Engaged, Empowered and Excited: Teaching with Primary Sources,” a professional development program for teachers, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. CST (4:30-5:30 p.m. EST), today, Dec. 4, through the Satellite and Webcasting Center. This session will introduce the Library of Congress “Teaching with Primary Sources” program. The millions of digitized source items available from the library’s Web site can enrich students’ learning experiences across the curriculum. Special focus will be made on the Age of Jackson (1820s-1830s) with lesson planning ideas and primary source suggestions. This presentation targets K-12 librarians and teachers, especially teachers of American and Tennessee history. For more information, call 615-898-2737 or send an e-mail to vmoxley@mtsu.edu.

ART FOR STUDENTS’ SAKE--“Verve,” the concluding Studio BFA Candidates’ Exhibition for the fall 2008 semester, remains on display through tomorrow, Dec. 5, in the Art Gallery at Todd Hall on the MTSU campus. The exhibit features the work of art students Hannah Green, Antonio Marble and Tara Wilson. Green’s work includes sculpture, painting and fibers as she creates organic other-worldly forms. Wilson, with more three-dimensional work, creates with ceramics and sculpture. Her work in figurative casting deals with the surface of the body. Marble works in both painting and graphic design. His mixed media creations center on social and socioeconomic issues. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653.

WE ARE AMUSED—AND ENCHANTED.--The MTSU Women’s Chorale will present its first Victorian Holiday Feast tomorrow, Dec. 5, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building. Attendees will be able to travel back in time and usher in the holidays with the beautiful singing and caroling of the MTSU Women’s Chorale and MTSU Bel Canto, as well as piano, string and brass music throughout the evening. The feast will feature chicken cordon bleu with spiced hollandaise sauce accompanied by Caesar salad, green beans almandine, au gratin potatoes, dinner rolls with butter, and a choice of water, tea or coffee, topped off with chocolate cake for dessert. The event begins at 6 p.m. with entrance into the dining area at 6:30 p.m. sharp. Admission is $30 per person for the meal and entertainment; MTSU student admission is $17. For more information, call 615-898-5922.