Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Depression or recession?

Does it make sense to compare the current economic crisis to the Great Depression? Dr. David Penn, director of the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center, says it does not. He points out that the lowest unemployment rate in 1931-1939 was 14.3 percent in 1937, and the highest jobless rate was 24.9 percent in 1933. A more apt comparison is with the 1982 recession, says Penn. He says the unemployment rate peaked at 10.8 percent in 1982 following 18 months of increases, and it took another 18 months to drop the jobless rate back down to 7.5 percent. However, Penn observes, the current rise in unemployment is steeper than in 1982, and we already have experienced 13 months of increased unemployment, although large jumps didn’t happen until October. He says another 12-14 months of rising unemployment seems possible.

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

Get the picture?

Facebook received a torrent of angry comments after Consumerist.com posted its revised terms of use in a blog titled “Facebook’s New Terms of Service: We Can Do Anything We Want with Your Content. Forever.” Ken Sanney, adjunct recording industry professor and an attorney who deals with intellectual property issues, says Facebook was trying to manage the risk of photo sharing. Sanney says, “For instance, let’s say User A posts photos and shares such photos with their friend User B. User A has given Facebook a license for such things. The problem for Facebook, however, is what happens when User A cancels their membership? This is a problematic question because under the old terms of use, the license for the display of the photos was also revoked upon cancellation of the membership, but the photos (are still) on User B’s member page.”

Contact Sanney at 615-456-6502.
ksanney@mtsu.edu

What’s the real agenda?

Do the news media tell us not just what to think but what to think about? Those who believe in this “agenda-setting” theory believe that what is emphasized in the news media influences the issues that voters think are important. Dr. John Omachonu, associate dean of the College of Mass Communication, says two researchers “interviewed 100 undecided voters in Chapel Hill, N.C., and asked them what issues were most important to them in the coming 1968 presidential elections. They found a perfect correlation between the five issues the voters felt were most important and the types of stories covered by both print and broadcast media in Chapel Hill.”

Contact Omachonu at 615-898-2695.
omachonu@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. tomorrow, 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. tomorrow, 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.

THERE’S NO “I” IN “TEAM”--The MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will present “Social and Moral Education of Youth: Can Sport Really Build Character?,” a lecture by Dr. Don R. Hellison, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Hellison is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Much of Hellison’s work over the past three decades has focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative physical activity program models and structures that teach life skills and values, especially for underserved youth. Hellison has conducted his work where it counts—in the gymnasium, on the playground, and in tough, inner city neighborhoods. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

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.