Monday, February 23, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Nashville in a nutshell

Here’s the “good news, bad news” scenario for the Nashville economy, according to Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. First, the bad news: nonfarm employment peaked in March at 768,600, but was down 1.7 percent from March to December. Half the decline occurred in the previous three months. The unemployment rate rose from 4.2 percent in December 2007 to 6.5 percent in December 2008. The good news: housing prices probably are falling, but not as much as in other areas. Be happy you are not in Florida, California, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina or Nevada, Penn says.

Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

Save money. Live better.

Many companies are cutting their marketing budgets due to the economic downturn. Wal-Mart, however, is bucking that trend. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “It has been reported that Wal-Mart increased measured media spending by 56 percent in 2008. At a time when retailers reacted to weaker demand by being conservative with their marketing spending, Wal-Mart sensed opportunity to appeal to value-conscious consumers with its low price brand position. Wal-Mart’s media strategy serves as a reminder to marketers to resist the temptation to save money at the expense of brand building. Yes, reducing marketing expenses may be inevitable during these economic times, but it should be a strategy of last resort.”

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

It would be an honor.

Research suggests that academically talented students may face difficulties due to stereotyping of giftedness. Educator and peer myths, as well as unchallenging curricula, could lead to behavioral problems, says Dr. Michelle Arnold, Office of Admissions. “Many honors students participate in the programs because they want a challenge, and they want the competitiveness in their college courses,” says Arnold. “They put a big amount of pressure upon themselves that they feel they need the challenge to be successful. On the other hand, many high ability students choose not to participate in the honors programs because of fear. They are afraid of failure, so they choose not to endure the challenge of taking honors courses.” As a former honors student at MTSU, Arnold wholeheartedly recommends the experience.

Contact Arnold at 615-898-5280.
marnold@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC--Augustana, whose singles “Boston” and “Sweet and Low” propelled them onto the national stage, will perform in concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at MTSU’s Tucker Theater in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts building. The five-man band that originated in Greenville, Ill., and is now based in San Diego has made appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and “The Today Show,” among other television appearances. Lastfm.com describes Augustana’s sound as “at once contemplative and slow, but also captivating.” The concert is presented by the MTSU Concerts Committee. Tickets are $5 each for students and $10 each for the public. To reserve tickets online, go to www.mtsu.edu/~events/augustana.html. For more information, contact MTSU Student Programming at 615-898-5608.

PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS--MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee will be on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the university’s on-campus pharmacy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. and a Health Fair from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Campus Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. At the Health Fair, information will be provided on various programs and services, including intramural athletics, hearing screenings and nutrition counseling. Free refreshments will be available. The pharmacy began serving the campus community on Jan. 15 with full prescription services as well as a complete line of over-the-counter pharmaceutical products, including cough and cold remedies, foot care products, vitamins, antacids, first aid items and more. For more information, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/pharmacy/index.shtml or phone 615-494-8888.

RAD STREET CRED--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday through Mar. 26 from 6-8 p.m. in the MTSU police training room located at 1412 East Main Street. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. For more information or to enroll, call RAD instructor David Smith at 615-692-2424.