Friday, March 6, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Vote with your pocketbook.

The public is concerned that Tennessee is not spending enough on education. Fifty-one percent of respondents in the latest MTSU Poll say the state spends too little on state universities. Fifty-four percent say community colleges and technical schools are underfunded. And 62 percent say elementary and secondary education don’t get enough money. Lower percentages of respondents call for more spending on the environment (49%), programs for the mentally retarded (47%), programs for the handicapped (47%), mental health (44%), mass transit (44%), and foster care (44%). The lowest ranked priorities for increased government spending are law enforcement agencies (40%), TennCare (38%), highway maintenance (35%), welfare (26%), and highway construction (25%).

Contact Dr. Ken Blake at 615-210-6187.
kblake@mtsu.edu

Baby maybe?

The majority of Tennesseans believe in legal abortion under certain conditions. The latest MTSU Poll shows that 52% believe abortion “should be legal under some circumstances, but not others.” Twenty-five percent believe the practice should be outlawed under all circumstances. Nineteen percent support legal abortion on demand. The General Assembly is considering two similar proposed amendments to the state constitution that would empower the legislature to pass anti-abortion statutes if the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision were to be overturned. Dr. Jason Reineke, associate director of the poll, says, “Previous polling under different circumstances has consistently shown that most people don’t think a girl under 18 years of age who was raped or was a victim of incest, or who is likely to be seriously injured or to die as a result of pregnancy or delivery, should be barred from terminating such a pregnancy.”

Contact Dr. Jason Reineke at 615-494-7746.
jreineke@mtsu.edu

“Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six—result: happiness.”—Charles Dickens

Income is the best predictor of how things are going in the nation today. The latest MTSU Poll shows only 16 percent satisfied with the status quote and 76 percent are dissatisfied. Three percent rate the current economy good or excellent. Twenty-seven percent say it’s fair, and 68 percent say it’s poor. However, poorer and wealthier people are more satisfied than those in the middle. Among those making $40,000 a year or less, 18 percent are satisfied and 74 percent are dissatisfied. For those making $40-50,000, 15 percent and 82 percent are dissatisfied. For those making more than $50,000, nine percent are satisfied and 68 percent are dissatisfied.

Contact Dr. Bob Wyatt at 615-477-8389.
rwyatt@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“YOU MUST STAY DRUNK ON WRITING SO REALITY CANNOT DESTROY YOU.”—RAY BRADBURY--J. Terry Price, the director of MTSU’s creative writing program, talks about the art and the craft of nurturing budding writers at 7 a.m. this Sunday, March 8, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). The program, known as The Writer’s Loft, pairs each student with a mentor who supports and guides the student’s efforts. Because weekly classroom attendance is not required, The Writer’s Loft is suitable to the lifestyles of working adults. Enrollment is available for a full certificate program or on a semester-by-semester basis. For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

DOMO ARIGATO, DR. KAWAHITO!--Music from Japan, now in its 34th season, will bring its internationally acclaimed presentation of Japanese music to Hinton Hall in MTSU’s Wright Music Building from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. This year’s “Tradition/E-novation” concert will include works for shamisen, a three-stringed traditional instrument similar to a guitar but with a much longer, slimmer neck and without frets, as well as violin and electronics. “They bring the best in the field every year,” says Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, Advisor to the President and the Provost on Asian Affairs and professor emeritus of economics and finance. Murfreesboro is one of only six stops on this year’s North American tour, which includes Washington, D.C., and New York, N.Y. This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Contact Kawahito at mfj@mtsu.edu or kawahito@mtsu.edu.

“MY SEXUALITY HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM TO ME, BUT I THINK IT HAS BEEN FOR OTHER PEOPLE.”—DUSTY SPRINGFIELD--“Sexuality” is the theme of the 2009 Interdisciplinary Conference in Women’s Studies at MTSU, which is slated for Thursday and Friday, March 26-27, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. Learned scholars from across the country, as well as the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, will present research on topics representing the vast panoply of perspectives on sexuality, including biology, culture, and sexuality; sex trafficking; feminism and sexuality; and gender construction and sexuality. “At MTSU, we have an inclusive definition of diversity,” says Dr. Kaylene Gebert, Executive Vice President and Provost. “The Women’s Studies Program and this conference give the campus and the community and opportunity to hear national speakers and scholars who focus on contemporary issues.” For more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/womenstu, or contact the Women’s Studies Program at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@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.

MONEY FOR SCHOOL--Applications materials are being accepted through March 15 for the Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship. The Murfreesboro Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will award a $1,000 scholarship each semester—Fall 2009 and Spring 2010—to the MTSU undergraduate student who best demonstrates academic promise and financial need. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must have successfully completed their freshman year at MTSU. Returning adult students, in particular, are encouraged to apply. The scholarship is renewable each semester as long as full-time status and a 2.5 GPA are maintained. AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. For complete scholarship criteria, contact Dr. Tanya M. Peres, chair of the Ruth Houston Scholarship Committee, at 615-904-8590 or tperes@mtsu.edu.