Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

How loudly can the dollar holler?

A rising dollar is not good for exports. In the latest edition of Global Commerce, Dr. Steven Livingston writes that most experts believe the rise in the dollar won’t last long. “An important survey by the U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs actually predicts a rather steep fall for the dollar in the year ahead,” Livingston says. “The reason is that he forces that led a stampede back to the dollar should run out of steam, while the longer-term weakness of the currency should again come to the fore. Whatever one’s larger views are about a weakening dollar, it has been historically good for American exports. To the extent that exports fuel economic growth, this is a positive.”

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2720.
mailto:615-898-2720.slivings@mtsu.edu

Aerospace and cyberspace

Southwest Airlines is experimenting with offers of free Wi-Fi internet access on its flights. (You might even call it a “pilot program.”) Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “This offering seems to be one that is long overdue. Internet access in-flight could enhance the productivity of business travelers flying with Southwest or be an inexpensive alternative to offering in-flight movies. The most refreshing aspect of Southwest’s Wi-Fi service is that it is free, a word not often uttered in the airline industry. Rather than coming up with creative ways to extract money from customers in the form of new fees, Southwest is seeking to add benefits to one’s flight experience. Little wonder Southwest has fared better than most other airlines in the past decade.”

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

Why can’t Johnny run a fade route?

If a company made a test that would allow you to find out about your child’s athletic aptitude simply by swabbing the inside of his mouth, would you use it? Atlas Sports of Boulder, Col., claims to have developed such a test. But Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says there are problems with such genetic testing. “Supposedly, the results of these tests will inform parents and coaches which individuals are more likely to succeed and which are not,” Anshel says. “Parents and coaches will react to these results according to their expectations of the athlete’s future success. For example, if a parent is informed that his/her child is not likely to be a highly skilled athlete, it is less likely the parent will provide sport opportunities, including coaching and skill development, for that child.”

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

TR EXTRA

A DATE WITH DIVERSITY—International Date Night, which had been scheduled for 7-10 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 18, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building is being rescheduled due to logistical issues. For more information, contact Shayna Taylor at sbt2g@mtsu.edu or Dr. Karen Petersen at 615-494-8662 or kpeterse@mtsu.edu.

HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON.--Dr. Robert Hunt, professor of history at MTSU, will speak at the next meeting of the Middle Tennessee Civil War Roundtable at 7 p.m. today, Feb. 17, at the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, 225 West College St. in Murfreesboro. Hunt will present “Citizen Soldiers and the Politics of an Anti-Slavery War,” a program based on his research for a new book that will be published soon by University of Alabama Press. Hunt will examine how Union soldiers, particularly those in the Army of the Cumberland, came to adopt emancipation as part of “their war” and not simply Lincoln’s war or the Republicans’ war. He also will talk about how veterans of the war later incorporated this emancipation event into their understanding of the national victory they had won, shaping the way future generations thought about the conflict. For more information, call Jim Lewis at 615-243-6830 (before 8 p.m.) or mtcwrt@comcast.net.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.--To help students dealing with high prices and tight budgets, the MTSU Off-Campus Housing Web site will waive its $25 fee for posting notices of apartments to be sublet effective immediately. The Web site (http://www.mtsuoffcampus.com/) was created in November 2007 by the Office of Off-Campus Student Services in cooperation with Off-Campus Partners, a Virginia-based company providing services to nearly 30 universities. Property managers pay fees to post information such as location, price and type about apartments, condominiums and houses for rent and for sale. To make it easier for students to cut transportation costs, the Web site also features Carpool Central, a message board for people seeking rides to and from school; Ride Board, for rides wherever they want to go out of town; and a Roommate Matching message board. For more information, contact the Office of Off-Campus Student Services at 615-898-5989 or ocss@mtsu.edu.

Y’ALL COME BACK NOW, YOU HEAR?--The MTSU Department of Art’s Gallery at Todd Hall presents “Revisited,” an exhibit featuring the collective works of four of its retired faculty members, through Friday, Feb. 20. The artists whose work is being showcased are Ollie Fancher, who taught graphic design and drawing; Jim Gibson, sculpture; Klaus Kallenberger, jewelry; and David LeDoux, painting. Eric Snyder, gallery curator, says these individuals “contributed a great deal to the Department of Art’s program and curriculum and have been asked to return to MTSU in honor of their hard work.” The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and is closed on all state holidays. Admission is always free and exhibits are open to the public. For more information, contact Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.