Thursday, April 2, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Design for living

The art of interior design is highly prized and with good reason. But what does it have to do with Human Sciences? According to the spring 2008 newsletter of the MTSU Department of Human Sciences, “The disciplines under the umbrella of human sciences focus on the well-being of the individual, the family and the community. Interior design plays a vital part in this focus by providing education about safe, functional and aesthetically pleasing places to live, work, learn, worship, shop, eat, visit and play. Since most people spend the majority of their time indoors, the influence of the design of interior spaces is significant. … One area of influence emerging for the design profession is increased awareness of ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ choices in materials, lighting, water use, energy and daily habits.”

For more information about the interior design program, contact the Department of Human Sciences at 615-898-2884.

Polls apart

One of the pitfalls that pollsters must guard against is a so-called “social desirability bias.” Dr. Jason Reineke, associate director of the MTSU Poll, says, “People respond in the ways that they think they should or that would cause them to be viewed by the interviewer or allow them to view themselves in a way that’s sort of better or more desirable from a social standpoint.” To minimize this impact on a survey, pollsters employ the Marlowe-Crown Scale. This manifests itself in the poll as a series of true-false questions that can produce contradictory answers. If respondents circle an inordinately large number of “true” answers to statements, it could be a red flag.

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

Face to face vs. Facebook

Not everyone finds social networking sites to be absolutely essential. Take Dr. Larry Burriss, for example. The journalism professor and First Amendment expert has his own Facebook account, but he still prefers old school methods of communication. “When I first got my account, I spent a couple of hours looking around, and I found a list of a dozen or so people who wanted to be my friend,” Burriss says. “Some of them I had never heard of, a couple I had forgotten and the rest were people I regularly correspond with via e-mail. But I got on their list, and now I know where they went on vacation, what they are having for dinner and who their other friends are. I also now know several people who don’t know what they are talking about, no matter what they are talking about. I haven’t been back since.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GET UP, GET OUT!--Dr. Russell Pate will lecture on “Policies for Promoting Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention in Youth” at 7 p.m. tonight, April 2, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building at MTSU. Pate is Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. This event, which is presented by the Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

A STONE’S THROW AWAY FROM THE FIELDS--Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience, and Dr. Justin Gardner, an assistant professor in that department, will discuss the future of farming on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, April 5, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Gill and Gardner talk about federal subsidies for agriculture, farm acreage, government regulation, food safety inspection, agriculture education and other issues affecting today’s farmers. To listen to last week’s program about recording music on Edison cylinders, go to www.mtsunews.com and click on “On the Record” on the right side of the page. For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

A REALLY BIG SHEW—The MTSU Student Government Association will sponsor “The Big Event” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, April 4 (postponed from Saturday, March 28 due to severe weather). MTSU students will show their appreciation to the surrounding community by completing service projects such as yard work, window washing, and painting for community members. Registration starts at 9 a.m. in the Murphy Center parking lot. For more information, contact the Student Government Association office at 615-898-2464 or sgaphil@mtsu.edu.

FOUR-FOOTED PHILANTHROPY—The See Spot Run 5K Run/Walk for dogs and their humans will take place starting at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 5, in front of MTSU’s Peck Hall. The event is one in a series of campus fundraisers designed to generate the $50,000 necessary to sponsor a Habitat for Humanity “blitz build” on campus during Homecoming. The blitz build home will become a way that students can give back to the Murfreesboro community. Race day registration will be held outside of Peck Hall from 6:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. for a $25 fee. All proceeds, including entry fees, admissions and sponsorships, will go toward the MTSU Habitat for Humanity Building Fund. For more information, contact Quintina Burton at 615-898-5002.

THE FUTURE IS NOW--MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee will discuss the most current information pertaining to the “Positioning the University for the Future” initiative at an open forum for faculty, staff and administrators from 3:00-4:00 p.m. today, April 2, in Tucker Theatre. For more information, contact the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

SHOWING OFF SCHOLARSHIP--Scholars Week 2009, which continues through tomorrow, April 3, has become an anticipated campus event each spring as MTSU scholars eagerly share their research findings as well as their enthusiasm for doing research. Dr. Kris McCusker, associate professor of history and organizing committee member, says that selected MTSU students are inviting others to visit the universitywide poster and multimedia event at 12:40 p.m. tomorrow, April 3, in the Murphy Center track area and will act as hosts during the event. Presentation titles range from “Hurricane Ike vs. an Atomic Bomb;” “How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Sanitation Issues in the Food Industry;” and “Knock It Off!: Consumers’ Perceptions Toward Purchasing Counterfeit Products.” A schedule and a link to poster abstracts are at www.mtsu.edu/~research. For more information, contact McCusker at 615-898-2544 or Dr. Andrienne Friedli at 615-898-2071.

PROJECT RUNWAY--The MTSU Fashion Promotion class will conduct a fashion show at 7 p.m. tonight, April 2, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building. Admission is $5 per person at the door. All proceeds will be donated to Pennies for Peace. For more information, contact Dr. Jasmin Hyunju Kwon, assistant professor of textiles, merchandising and design, at 615-904-8340.

“ARE YOU REALLY JUST A SHADOW OF THE MAN THAT I ONCE KNEW?”—FROM “DOCTOR WU” BY STEELY DAN--How do you teach students the art of filmmaking? By letting them make a film. But how do you pay for it? With a national economic recession and the threat of budget cuts hitting close to home, Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, is going viral and asking for donations to pay for it online. Pondillo is the writer and director of “The New, True Charlie Wu,” a movie made with an all-MTSU student crew. The film is now in post-production. It’s “the story of a young man caught in a job he hates,” says Pondillo. He compensates for his malaise through conspicuous consumption, thinking that things can “fill the hole in his heart,” as Pondillo puts it. To contribute, go to www.youandcharliewu.com. For each dollar contributed, the donor gets a point. The more points the donor gets, the more prestigious the mention in the credits. Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 and pondillo@mtsu.edu.

THE NITTY GRITTY--The Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS) Collaborative, a statewide initiative to encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is inviting you to register your program in the National Girls Collaborative Project Program Directory. Teachers, community groups and other organizations committed to collaborating with, informing and motivating girls are encouraged to register. The online program directory lists programs and resources that encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM. The purpose of the directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and work together on STEM-related projects for girls. With the online program directory, you can enter a program for inclusion in the directory, sign up for the e-newsletter listserv and search for programs using various criteria. For more information, contact Cacy DeSheles, assistant director of GRITS, at 615-494-7763 or cdd3b@mtsu.edu.

PLEASE DON’T SQUEEZE THE CHARMIN.--MTSU Theatre will present “Urinetown the Musical” at 7:30 p.m. tonight through Saturday, April 4, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 5, in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building’s Tucker Theatre. The three-time Tony Award-winning musical provides a satirical and comedic look at a future in which water supplies have dried up and the public must use pay-to-pee toilets regulated by the Urine Good Company. When Bobby, a custodian at the filthiest toilet in town, decides enough is enough, he leads a rebellion to free the citizens. Deborah Anderson, a member of MTSU’s speech and theatre faculty and the play’s director, says, “We’re all going to experience this (environmental) ruin that is rocketing toward us at such a speed that we will probably not be able to turn it away no matter how much recycling we do. But at least we should try, and this show provides a humorous look at what could happen.” Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students. MTSU students are admitted free of charge with a valid ID. For more information, call 615-494-8810.

A LAFFER MATTER--Arthur Laffer, supply-side economist who served on President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board and is best known for the “Laffer Curve,” will be guest speaker at this year’s MTSU Executives-in-Residence program, on Wednesday, April 8. Laffer will speak from 10:20 to 11:15 a.m. in Tucker Theater on “A Supply-Side View of the First 75 Days of the Obama Administration.” This executive briefing will be open to classes and to the public. There is no charge, but interested parties should reserve seating by calling 615-898-2764. The “Laffer Curve” theory asserts that in certain situations a decrease in tax rates can result in an increase in tax revenues. For more information, contact Tom Tozer in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or ttozer@mtsu.edu.