Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Some say the world will end in fire/Some say in ice”—Robert Frost

There are several ways the Earth could, eventually, come to an end. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “They range from being consumed by the Sun’s plasma to being flung into the outer solar system—after being incinerated. The good news is that the Sun has enough hydrogen to keep humming along for several billion years. That gives us plenty of time to solve the crisis of faltering science and math education in many of our public school systems, and a few private ones as well, where using the b-word in the Earth’s age could result in a red giant welt on your b-hind.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

No haven for the Haitians

Two documentarians discuss their film “Poto Mitan,” which was screened at MTSU last month, on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, March 22, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Renee Bergan and Mark Schuller turned their cameras on the soul-crushing poverty of Haiti by following the lives of five women. Solange, Frisline, Therese, Marie-Jeanne and Helene belong to The Committee to Defend Working Women’s Rights to combat discrimination, sexual harassment and oppressive working conditions in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The film shows how these women endure and stand up for justice in a country where the minimum wage is the equivalent of $1.80 per day.

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

The cyberbully pulpit

Have you been attacked online with no clue as to who criticized you other than a screen name? The Maryland Supreme Court ruled last week that people who file libel suits against anonymous bloggers have to establish a basic case before a court can compel a Web site to release the posters’ real names. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “The court split 4-3 regarding one element of the applicable legal standard: whether courts … must balance an anonymous poster’s free speech rights against the strength of the defamation claim. Four justices believed the balancing prong was necessary, while three justices contended that it would create a ‘superlaw of Internet defamation.’”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

LIBERTY BELL—The author of numerous critically acclaimed and influential books on the politics of race, gender, class and culture, bell hooks (lower case is correct) will speak at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, at MTSU’s Keathley University Center Theater. This event is free and open to the public. “Feminism Forever: Continuing the Struggle” is the title of hooks’ talk. A reception and booksigning will follow. For more information about this National Women’s History Month event, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

I WAS A SCIENTIFIC PIONEER BEFORE I WAS BORN--Should the law put limits on the extent to which pregnant women can participate in scientific research? In the next Women’s Studies Research Series lecture at MTSU, Tara Prairie, research compliance officer, will speak about “Pregnancy and Research: A Critique of Subpart B” at 3 p.m., tomorrow, March 19, in the SunTrust Room (BAS127) of the Business and Aerospace Building. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Jane Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@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.

GOING INTO OVERTIME--The deadline for applying for the Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship has been extended to Friday, March 20. 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. Send completed applications to Dr. Tanya M. Peres, chair of the Ruth Houston Scholarship Committee, at MTSU, Box 10, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Address your questions about scholarship criteria to Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

WORLDWIDE WOMEN--In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women (AFAW) will host an International Women’s Day Luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. today, March 18, in the Hazlewood Dining Room of MTSU’s James Union Building. This year’s program will be based on the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Areas of discussion include the development of schools for girls; supporting higher educational opportunities and training for these girls as they become women; the importance of Women’s Vocation Centers; and the societal benefits realized from educating women. The cost is $16 for AFAW members and $20 for non-members. In collaboration with the Office of Community Engagement and Support, AFAW also will be collecting spare change for the Pennies for Peace campaign. For more information, contact Kippy Todd at ktodd@mtsu.edu or go to www.mtsu.edu/~afaw.

WRITE YOUR WAY TO THE RIGHT WAY--The University Writing Center will present “Writing Strategies for Career Advancement” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 21, in Room 325 of MTSU’s Peck Hall. Bring your resume, curriculum vitae, admissions/scholarship essays or applications, and tutors at the UWC will give you writing advice. Additional information from Financial Aid, Undergraduate Admissions, and Graduate Admissions also will be available. Included in the day’s activities is “Keeping Your Resume Out of the Trash and Your Name in the Loop,” a workshop by Karen Austin, associate director of the Career Development Center, at 11 a.m. This event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, send questions to uwc.career@gmail.com.