Thursday, April 9, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Please, son, I can do it myself.

If you offer your elderly parents the opportunity to live with you, taking care of all their financial and medical needs, why might they choose to live by themselves? Dr. Brandon Wallace, sociology, says, “Individualism is strong in American culture. We believe in individual rights, individual freedom, individual self-determination, and individual responsibility. Our economic system (capitalism, where individuals work hard and compete with one another to try to get ahead) and our governmental system (democracy, where each individual gets a vote) are rooted in individualism. We expect individuals to be autonomous, self-sufficient and self-reliant. It is not surprising then that given the financial resources, elderly individuals choose to live on their own.”

Contact Wallace at 615-898-5976.
jbwallae@mtsu.edu

Tennessee trading towns

Memphis, which touts itself as America’s Distribution Center, led all Tennessee metropolitan statistical areas in trade in 2007 with $8.1 billion. Nashville followed with $5.1 billion. Kingsport was third with $2.4 billion, and Knoxville was fourth with nearly $2.1 billion. Dr. Steven Livingston, editor of Global Commerce, says, “Two of the less export-intensive regions, Cleveland and Chattanooga, are likely to see significant increases in coming years due to recently announced large German investments. Clarksville and Johnson City are the least focused on international sales. In the case of Clarksville, this is presumably because of the economic importance of Fort Campbell, which obviously does not export.”

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

Go with the Afroflow.

MTSU will host the groundbreaking national tour known as Afroflow, a mesmerizing intercultural stage performance combined with a powerful message, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, on the University Honors College lawn. Afroflow emphasizes the overall wellness of the mind and body that can be embodied by and achieved through self-expression. The Detroit-based tour partners with the American Cancer Society, clothier Pelle Pelle and Fuze beverages. Slated to perform are Ethiopian-American artist, spoken word poet and actor Michael “MIKE-E” Ellison, Djembe drummer Sowande Keita, R&B vocalist Kenny Watson, and internationally known mixer DJ Invisible. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Ramona DeSalvo at 615-898-5304.
rdesalvo@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

PEDAL PUSHERS--Saturday, April 11, is the deadline for registering online for the 3rd annual Tour de Boro, a Century Cycling Event sponsored by the MTSU Department of Recreation and Leisure Services. The event is slated for Saturday, April 25. There are three routes—16.5 miles, 31 miles, and 57.5 miles. All routes are along scenic, low traffic back roads winding through southern Rutherford County. Participants may register online at www.mtsu.edu/~tdb for $25 through April 11; onsite registration on the day of the event is $35 beginning at 6 a.m. For more information, contact Crystal Barnett at 615-491-4398.

GET A CLUE!--MTSU is expanding its popular CSI: MTSU four-day program for students entering the 10th, 11th and 12th grades in Rutherford and surrounding counties. This year’s event is slated for June 16-19. The goals of CSI: MTSU are: to allow students to explore many unique career possibilities in forensic science; to provide a “real life” reasons to tackle higher level math and science courses; and to develop skills in teamwork, seeing and understanding details, critical thinking and presentation skills. The student investigators will be presented with a re-creation of an actual crime scene. Each student is trained in the fundamental processes of collecting evidence, including DNA, fingerprints, hair and fibers, simulated blood spatter, and shoe prints. For more information or to register, call 615-898-2462 or send an e-mail to eshockle@mtsu.edu.

TO THE SUN--The work of Boston photographer Stella Johnson is on display through April 16 at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The exhibit, titled “Al Sol,” is comprised of 30 black-and-white prints, each 24” by 36”. Johnson teaches at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University and at Boston University. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Mexico in 2003-2004 and a Fulbright Senior Specialist to Mexico in 2006 for photographing and teaching, respectively. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00-9:45 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 at tjimison@mtsu.edu.

THE ART OF THE DANCE--For the first time ever, the Black College Dance Exchange will be held at a university that is not an historically black college when the annual festival gets underway through Sunday, April 9-12, at MTSU. This year’s “Crossroads: Dancing with Legends” event will feature master classes for students, as well as a number of dance performances that will be open to the community. In addition, the prestigious Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Alvin Ailey II, a dance company universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. For more information, contact Angela Armstrong at 615-898-5847 or aarmstro@mtsu.edu. Tickets are available for purchase now. Contact Tucker Theatre at 615-494-8810.