Friday, May 29, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

We are the world.

What does it mean to be a citizen and a member of your community in an age when a global outlook is becoming increasingly important? That is the focus of Dr. John Maynor’s summer Senior Seminar class, which is slated to run from June 1 to July 2. Maynor will explain the class at 7 a.m. this Sunday, May 31, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Designed as a capstone for the political science major, the course will allow students to utilize nontraditional classroom methods such as team-building exercises at the Campus Recreation Center and group projects. To listen to last week’s program on the impact of slavery on colleges and universities, go to http://franklmtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “May 24, 2009.”

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

My child is autistic and I need help.

Most of the educational therapy needs of autistic children are not covered by insurance, says Ed Evans, president of Students for Autism Awareness at MTSU. Evans, the father of two autistic children, says, “If a child is detected early enough (Let’s say two years of age.), … they will most likely be referred to TEIS (Tennessee Early Intervention). Most states have some form of this. Then recommendations are made as to the extent of needed treatment, which most states will cover until the age of three. Then, if insurance will cover it, it will be applied until the child is of school age. Then the school system picks up the responsibility and the tab. … Many physicians and treatment programs will be tried. If you’re lucky, you’ll find one that will work. Once again, this is rare.”

Contact Evans at 615-493-7379.
edevans43@comcast.net

It’s lonely at the top.

How much is an executive worth to a corporation? In a study of the shares of earnings of CEOs at Standard & Poor’s 500 companies over a 15-year period from 1993-2007, Drs. William Ford, Charles Baum, and Kevin Zhao, MTSU professors, found that the executives’ shares of corporate earnings (after-tax profits) averaged about 2.4 percent over the entire period. Ford writes, “Moreover, during that entire period, the CEOs’ average salary, in inflation-adjusted dollars, only rose by about one-third of one percent annually, and their bonuses actually declined by over one percent per year. However, their total compensation rose by roughly 6.1 percent annually, driven mainly by restricted stock grants. Because almost all corporate stocks have declined sharply in value since the end of 2007, a majority of those restricted stock grants are undoubtedly now much less valuable than they were in 2007.”

Read the entire article by Ford and Zhao in Tennessee’s Business at: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/

TR EXTRA

EDUCATION IN SHACKLES--Dr. Spencer Crew, MTSU’s 2009 Distinguished Public Historian, will lead a panel discussion on “American Slavery and Its Impact on Universities, Past and Present” at 7 p.m. tonight, May 29, in the main courtroom on the second floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse. Additionally, a reception for Crew and the other participating historians will be held just prior to the panel from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro. Widely recognized as one of the top public historians in the nation, Crew graduated with a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University. His resume includes executive directorships of the National Museum of American History and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He currently is on the faculty at George Mason University. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given July 3 because the university will be closed for that holiday. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The first Latina, definitely, but …

Many in the media are insisting that Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic justice on the U.S. Supreme Court if she is confirmed. Not so fast, says Dr. John Vile, University Honors College Dean and expert on Constitutional law. “Although many are proclaiming that Sotomayor (would be) the first Hispanic on the Court, Justice Benjamin Cardozo’s family (came) from Spain,” Vile says. “He is usually referenced, however, as being Jewish.” Cardozo served on the high court from 1932 until his death in 1938. His parents were descended from Jews who fled the Iberian Peninsula during the Spanish Inquisition. “At a time when nominees are increasingly appointed because of gender and race, Sotomayor should appeal both to women and to Hispanics,” Vile observes.

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

There’s green, and then there’s green.

Surveys show that people between the ages of 13-29 are generally more concerned about the environment than people in other demographic groups. But Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says that awareness doesn’t necessarily always translate into green purchasing choices. He cites a study by Generate Insight. “Given a scenario of buying a soda from a company that gives five percent of sales to environmental causes or from a competing company that does not support such causes but is less expensive, 71 percent of teen consumers said they would buy the less expensive soda,” Roy says. “The numbers shift markedly among 18-21 and 22-29 consumers; approximately two-thirds in each of those age groups indicated a preference for the soda marketed by the environmentally conscious company.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

Eat all your vegetables and I’ll give you a beer, Junior.

Will the recession drive more elderly people to live with their families whether they like it or not since Social Security doesn’t cover the cost of living? Dr. Brandon Wallace, sociology, says, “A prolonged economic recession could increase the number of adult children and older parents living together, but not because the elder parents can’t afford to live alone. It is more likely that adult children who are out of work and can’t find jobs will move back in with their parents until they can find work. During the Depression, for example, many young men and women postponed marriage and establishing their own households simply because they could not afford it. Instead, they continued to live with parents, sometimes into their late 20s and 30s.”

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

TR EXTRA

EDUCATION IN SHACKLES--Dr. Spencer Crew, MTSU’s 2009 Distinguished Public Historian, will lead a panel discussion on “American Slavery and Its Impact on Universities, Past and Present” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, May 29, in the main courtroom on the second floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse. Additionally, a reception for Crew and the other participating historians will be held just prior to the panel from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro. Widely recognized as one of the top public historians in the nation, Crew graduated with a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University. His resume includes executive directorships of the National Museum of American History and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He currently is on the faculty at George Mason University. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given July 3 because the university will be closed for that holiday. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Madame Justice Sotomayor?

President Obama’s choice to succeed David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court is Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Dr. John Vile, University Honors College Dean and expert on Constitutional law, says, “He (Obama) has chosen to follow the increasingly conventional route of appointing someone who is already a member of an Appeals Court. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the last justice who was appointed who had held an elective office, even though some of the greatest justices in history (Chief Justice John Marshall, Earl Warren, Hugo Black, and many others) did not have prior judicial experience.”

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

You gotta be a laboratory hero.

Why isn’t as much emphasis placed on securing coaches for K-12 scholars as there is on securing coaches for K-12 athletes? Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “There is a proposal being considered by the education subcommittee of the American Chemical Society to seed selected members from its 160,000-strong membership as ‘science coaches’ in every high school in the country. Their purpose would be to advise, encourage and, when necessary, help locate advanced laboratory resources for students who want to taste the thrill of scientific discovery. Of course, they would also be there to help students adapt to the agony of technical complications.”

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

“In the long run, we are all dead.”—John Maynard Keynes

The federal stimulus package passed by the Congress adds exponentially to the overall federal deficit. This has prompted some to say “We’re all Keynesians now,” a reference to economist John Maynard Keynes. He believed that governments must pump up the economy when it slows down to keep people fully employed because the private sector won’t invest enough. In the latest edition of Tennessee’s Business, Dr. Martin Kennedy, economics and finance, writes, “The Obama administration’s projections show a deficit of five percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and falling five years out, when growth will be robust and unemployment low. The Congressional Budget Office projections show a growing deficit five years out. Their GDP growth estimates are not as optimistic as the administration’s. One wonder what Keynes would have thought about running deficits, in good times and in bad, in peace and in war, which we began practicing in the early ‘80s.”

Read Tennessee’s Business at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tennbusiness.html.

TR EXTRA

EDUCATION IN SHACKLES--Dr. Spencer Crew, MTSU’s 2009 Distinguished Public Historian, will lead a panel discussion on “American Slavery and Its Impact on Universities, Past and Present” at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 29, in the main courtroom on the second floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse. Additionally, a reception for Crew and the other participating historians will be held just prior to the panel from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro. Widely recognized as one of the top public historians in the nation, Crew graduated with a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University. His resume includes executive directorships of the National Museum of American History and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He currently is on the faculty at George Mason University. Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tour slated for today, May 27, is full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given July 3 because the university will be closed for that holiday. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Building blues

Housing construction in Tennessee went down again in the first quarter of 2009. Total permits were down 13.7 percent from the fourth quarter and 45 percent over the year. The South and the United States as a whole were in the same slump. Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, writes in Tennessee Housing Market, “All of the decline for Tennessee can be attributed to multifamily construction, including apartments and condominiums. In fact, multifamily permits are down 49.1 percent from the previous quarter and 51.2 percent over the year. By contrast, single-family permits posted a rare gain, one of the few signs of improvement for the Tennessee economy. The number of permits issued for single-family homes rose 6.1 percent in the first quarter, the first gain in nine quarters.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

Information proclamation

A Massachusetts resident whose recent request to see some state records was denied because he is not a Tennessee resident is taking a new approach. Since the state Attorney General, Robert Cooper Jr., has opined that an out-of-state resident can get records if he establishes a Tennessee connection, the Massachusetts resident has procured the services of a Tennessee lawyer. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor, says, “… although a reporter might not want to divulge what he is working on, all an out-of-state resident would have to do is find someone in the state to make the request for him. And for a journalist, all that would require is contacting one of the major newspapers or broadcast outlets in the state, and have them make the request. And for a journalist, all that would require is contacting … the major newspapers or broadcast outlets in the state and have them make a request.”

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

Education in shackles

Dr. Spencer Crew, MTSU’s 2009 Distinguished Public Historian, will lead a panel discussion on “American Slavery and Its Impact on Universities, Past and Present” at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 29, in the main courtroom on the second floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse. Additionally, a reception for Crew and the other participating historians will be held just prior to the panel from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Heritage Center, 225 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro. Widely recognized as one of the top public historians in the nation, Crew graduated with a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University. His resume includes executive directorships of the National Museum of American History and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He currently is on the faculty at George Mason University.

Contact the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

TR EXTRA

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tour slated for May 27 is full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given July 3 because the university will be closed for that holiday. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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

Friday, May 22, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

MTSU will be closed and no classes will be held Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday. That means there will be no “Today’s Response” on Memorial Day either. Please have a safe and happy holiday. TR will resume on Tuesday, May 26. Classes will resume and offices will reopen then, as well.

The mortgage miasma

More and more people will lose their homes to foreclosure in Tennessee if current trends continue, according to Tennessee Business Report. Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, writes, “The rate of new foreclosures rose during the fourth quarter, increasing the foreclosure inventory to 1.72 percent. Tennessee continues to compare favorably, however, with the United States with fewer new mortgages started and a lower foreclosure inventory. According to RealtyTrac, foreclosure activity improved compared with a year ago, with new filings down 10.1 percent for the first quarter. The improvement may be very short-lived, however, because the data for March show a large increase from last year. Thus, while the improvement is welcomed, the sustainability is not convincing.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
mailto:615-898-2610.dpenn@mtsu.edu

Books behind bars

An MTSU professor has returned to prison for a second time. Dr. Philip Phillips, director of “Great Books in Middle Tennessee Prisons” and an associate professor of English at MTSU, recently finished teaching his second literature course at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville. The 10-week program, which is a partnership with the Great Books Foundation, the Tennessee Department of Correction and MTSU, also is conducted at the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility and the Tennessee Prison for Women by other MTSU volunteers. This year, Phillips chose to use The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, an anthology of short stories that explore real human situations. The authors whose works are in the anthology include Anton Chekhov, D.H. Lawrence, Rudyard Kipling, William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.

Contact Phillips at 615-898-2699.
mailto:615-898-2699.pphillip@mtsu.edu

“Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices.”—Laurence J. Peter

This year’s Distinguished Public Historian at MTSU, Dr. Spencer Crew, will be the guest on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, May 24, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Crew is slated to participate in a panel discussion on “American Slavery and Its Impact on Universities, Past and Present” at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 29, in the main courtroom on the second floor of the Rutherford County Courthouse. Widely recognized as one of the top public historians in the nation, Crew graduated with a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University then began a long career working with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. From 2001-2008, Crew was executive director/CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. Since January 2008, he has been on the faculty at George Mason University.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

TR EXTRA

MAHER, MUHAMMAD AND MICROFINANCE—Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former MTSU economics professor and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, is scheduled to be a guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” at 9 p.m. Central time (10 p.m. Eastern) tonight, May 22. The program will be repeated several times throughout the week. Check your television listings to locate HBO on your local cable or satellite system. Yunus, president of Grameen Bank in his native Bangladesh, was awarded the Nobel for his concept of microfinance, which holds that lending to the poor and those without traditional collateral helps build a society from the ground up. Nearly 97 percent of Grameen’s seven million borrowers are women. Since 1976, Grameen has loaned more than $6.5 billion with a repayment rate above 98 percent.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?--MTSU is inviting the community to enjoy the flavors of locally grown produce while supporting agricultural education at the Plant and Soil Science farmers’ market each Friday this summer. The market will open today, May 22, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Horticulture Center off Blue Raider Drive on the MTSU campus and will remain open each Friday into the fall. Now in its second year, it will offer fresh produce as well as perennials, annuals and houseplants for sale to the community. The market will begin with cool season crops like cabbages, broccoli, onions, peas and lettuces; other crops will be added once they are ready for sale. Proceeds from the market are used to purchase supplies for MTSU’s on-campus greenhouse and to cover expenses of agriculture students’ travel to professional conferences and competitions. Contact the Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to http://www.middletnwritingproject.org/ or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Eight straight ain’t great.

The total value of taxable real estate transactions went down for the eighth quarter in a row in the first quarter of 2009, dropping 19.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2008. In the latest edition of Tennessee Housing Market, Dr. David Penn, director of the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center, writes, “In fact, the rate of decline has increased greatly from the previous two quarters (-12.8 percent and -7.8 percent, respectively). Over the year, the value of transactions is down 41.6 percent for Tennessee. Keep in mind that some of the decline can be attributed to falling real estate prices with the rest caused by fewer properties changing hands. By contrast, mortgage tax collections rose sharply in the first quarter, up 19.9 percent from the previous quarter. Extremely low mortgage rates create very favorable conditions for mortgage refinancing in Tennessee and elsewhere.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

Socialism in sight?

Some critics of the Obama administration’s approach to the economic crisis liken his acts so far to socialism. Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the MTSU College of Business, sounded off on that topic in the latest edition of Tennessee’s Business. Burton writes, “Have we really come to socialism? Well, let’s look at the auto industry. Is it an essential industry? Yes! Is it cooperatively owned? Yes, it is now! Is it democratically controlled (no pun intended)? Yes! Is there a view toward equal opportunity and benefit for all? Looks like that’s the objective. If we have not yet quite arrived at socialism, we are moving in that direction at warp speed. And the leaders of both political parties are pushing the pedal.”

Read Tennessee’s Business online at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/.

How does your garden grow?

MTSU is inviting the community to enjoy the flavors of locally grown produce while supporting agricultural education at the Plant and Soil Science farmers’ market each Friday this summer. The market will open tomorrow, May 22, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Horticulture Center off Blue Raider Drive on the MTSU campus and will remain open each Friday into the fall. Now in its second year, it will offer fresh produce as well as perennials, annuals and houseplants for sale to the community. The market will begin with cool season crops like cabbages, broccoli, onions, peas and lettuces; other crops will be added once they are ready for sale. Proceeds from the market are used to purchase supplies for MTSU’s on-campus greenhouse and to cover expenses of agriculture students’ travel to professional conferences and competitions.

Contact the Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

TR EXTRA

MAHER, MUHAMMAD AND MICROFINANCE—Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former MTSU economics professor and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, is scheduled to be a guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” at 9 p.m. Central time (10 p.m. Eastern) this Friday, May 22. The program will be repeated several times throughout the week. Check your television listings to locate HBO on your local cable or satellite system. Yunus, president of Grameen Bank in his native Bangladesh, was awarded the Nobel for his concept of microfinance, which holds that lending to the poor and those without traditional collateral helps build a society from the ground up. Nearly 97 percent of Grameen’s seven million borrowers are women. Since 1976, Grameen has loaned more than $6.5 billion with a repayment rate above 98 percent.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Look for the silver lining.

The first quarter of 2009 was difficult, at best, for the Tennessee economy. However, Dr. David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU, sees two somewhat positive developments: 1) the pace of decline has slowed for some indicators, and 2) single-family home construction may have hit bottom. In the latest edition of Tennessee Housing Market, Penn also writes, “A faint positive sign can be found with initial claims for unemployment insurance. This figure represents the number of workers laid off in a particular week who file for unemployment insurance benefits. Following a very large increase in the fourth quarter, initial claims leveled off in the first quarter, but remain very high. This means that the unemployment rate will continue to rise, but not as fast as in the first quarter.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

Where’s Lee Iacocca when you need him?

Chrysler’s announcement that the corporation is terminating nearly 800 dealerships is sad news, but it’s unavoidable. So says Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing. “Lower demand for cars in general and market share losses to foreign brands have left GM (General Motors) and Chrysler with a bloated distribution network,” says Roy. “In short, there are too many sellers for too few customers. Downsizing the dealer roster is the best solution to re-size these companies for today’s market. A risk exists that customer service among existing owners of Chrysler and GM cars could suffer. In turn, lower customer satisfaction could negatively impact owners’ decision(s) to buy the same brand in the future.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

The Souter legacy, part four

The fourth area in which outgoing U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter has made a considerable impact on American jurisprudence is in cases pertaining to the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says Souter believes the clause erects “a fairly high wall of separation between church and state.” Hudson writes, “He (Souter) authored the Court’s main opinion in McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union (2005), which found that Ten Commandments displays in two Kentucky courthouses violated the principle of church-state separation. ‘This is no time to deny the prudence of understanding the Establishment Clause to require the government to stay neutral on religious belief, which is reserved for the conscience of the individual,’ he (Souter) wrote.”

Contact Hudson at 615-741-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

MAHER, MUHAMMAD AND MICROFINANCE—Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former MTSU economics professor and winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, is scheduled to be a guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” at 9 p.m. Central time (10 p.m. Eastern) this Friday, May 22. The program will be repeated several times throughout the week. Check your television listings to locate HBO on your local cable or satellite system. Yunus, president of Grameen Bank in his native Bangladesh, was awarded the Nobel for his concept of microfinance, which holds that lending to the poor and those without traditional collateral helps build a society from the ground up. Nearly 97 percent of Grameen’s seven million borrowers are women. Since 1976, Grameen has loaned more than $6.5 billion with a repayment rate above 98 percent.

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--Starting today, May 20, and running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years. Contact Poff at 615-898-2454 or gpoff@mtsu.edu.

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

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.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Going through CUSTOMS

Starting tomorrow, May 20, and running through late July, incoming MTSU students and their families will start familiarizing themselves with their new academic home through the CUSTOMS orientation process. “So many parents and students comment on how friendly folks are and how comfortable they feel about their choice of coming to MTSU,” says Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs. “Although CUSTOMS is a lot of work for the staff and the new students, it really pays off in the end. It is a great way to start off the new journey into MTSU, and the freshmen really get a sense of what it is like to be part of the MTSU community.” Poff says officials expect 50 to 75 more students at each session this summer than in previous years.

Contact Poff at 615-898-2454.
gpoff@mtsu.edu

Post-commencement concerns

The MTSU Career Development Center’s May 2009 Career and Employment Snapshot advises us, “In a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (JobOutlook 2009), the following were cited by employers at ‘top’ bachelor’s degree level majors in the manufacturing, service and government sectors. The same is true for Middle Tennessee: 1) accounting; 2) mechanical engineering; 3) electrical engineering; 4) computer science; 5) business administration/management; 6) economics/finance (including banking); 7) information sciences and systems; 8) computer engineering; 9) management information systems; and 10) marketing/marketing management.”

Contact Bill Fletcher, center director, at 615-898-2501.
bfletch@mtsu.edu

The Souter legacy, part three

David Souter, who will step down as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the current term, has played a key role in the interpretation of the secondary-effects doctrine. That doctrine provides that governments have greater leeway to regulate adult businesses if they are concerned with “harmful side effects” such as increased crime and decreased property values. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, writes that Souter’s concurring opinion in Barnes v. Glen Theatre (1991) “extended the doctrine from its traditional application in land-use zoning cases to direct regulations on the content of erotic expression. Souter’s concurrence became the model for municipalities across the country which sought to justify restrictions on adult entertainment not on moral grounds but on the secondary-effects doctrine.”

Contact Hudson at 615-741-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

PUTTING IT ON THE PAGE--Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors. For more information, go to www.middletnwritingproject.org or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 18, May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

MAZEL TOV!—Congratulations to WMOT-FM News Producer Shawn Jacobs, who won three Honorable Mention honors in the latest round of the statewide Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Jacobs was acknowledged in the “Best Radio Newscast,” “Best Radio Enterprise,” and “Best Radio Public Affairs” categories. WMOT-FM is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of MTSU. Turn to 89.5 on your FM dial or listen in real time at www.wmot.org. For more information, call the station at 615-898-2800.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Putting it on the page

Suzanne Fisher Staples will be the visiting author at this summer’s Youth Writer’s Camp at MTSU. Staples, a former correspondent for United Press International in Asia who now writes young adult novels, is the winner of the prestigious Newberry Award for her novel Shabanu. The Youth Writer’s Camp is a two-week intensive writing camp for 4th through 12th graders Monday through Thursday June 8-18. Youngsters can expect community building with fellow writers, realistic feedback from peers and mentors, supportive writing groups, guided writing experiences, and exploration of new writing styles and topics. Each camper will get a writer’s camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, and an anthology of writing. Drs. Bobbie Solley and Ellen Donovan of the MTSU Department of Elementary and Special Education are camp directors.

For more information, go to http://www.middletnwritingproject.org/ or send an e-mail to dianne.hall@comcast.net

Working for a living

Here is some more information from the MTSU Career Development Center on the prospects for recent college graduates entering the job market. The center’s May 2009 Career and Employment Snapshot states, “The data indicates (sic) that the region’s economic situation significantly affected hiring of college graduates between the end of November and mid-March. There was a greater decrease in entry-level and student employment postings during this period than at the end of the term in May. This could mean the decline is starting to bottom or it is just a reflection of a last minute rush by employers to hire students before summer begins.”

Contact Bill Fletcher, center director, at 615-898-2501.
bfletch@mtsu.edu

The Souter legacy, part two

Outgoing U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter has been a stalwart defender of First Amendment rights, says David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar. Hudson writes, “He (Souter) dissented from the Court’s ruling in Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006), in which the majority of the Court limited public-employee speech by eliminating protection for speech made pursuant to official job duties. Souter disagreed, finding ‘there is no good reason for categorically discounting a speaker’s interest in commenting on a matter of public concern just because the government employs him.’”

Contact Hudson at 615-741-1600.
mailto:615-741-1600.dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

THE TOUR DU JOUR--MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 18, May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.” For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu.

MAZEL TOV!—Congratulations to WMOT-FM News Producer Shawn Jacobs, who won three Honorable Mention honors in the latest round of the statewide Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Jacobs was acknowledged in the “Best Radio Newscast,” “Best Radio Enterprise,” and “Best Radio Public Affairs” categories. WMOT-FM is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of MTSU. Turn to 89.5 on your FM dial or listen in real time at http://www.wmot.org/. For more information, call the station at 615-898-2800.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The tour du jour

MTSU’s Office of Admissions will offer student-led campus tours at 10 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding holidays) through July 31. The tours are by reservation only. The tours slated for May 18, May 22 and May 27 are full. Plenty of openings remain for all of June and July. No tours will be given May 25 (Memorial Day) and July 3 because the university will be closed for those holidays. To make a reservation, call 615-898-5670 or visit mtsu.edu/admissn/tour_admissn.shtml and click on “Schedule Campus Tours.”

For more information, contact Michelle Arnold at 615-898-5280.
maarnold@mtsu.edu

Spring ahead or fall behind?

The Career Development Center has some information to impart that sheds light on the influx of college students entering the job market. Employer job postings through the center include experienced hire (alumni), entry-level hire (graduating student), student employment off-campus (part-time job), student employment on campus (part-time job), and internships. Compared to Spring 2008, the number of entry-level positions posted for Spring 2009 was down 52 percent. The number of student employment off-campus positions posted was down 52.7 percent. The number of experienced-hire positions posted was down 15.6 percent. Career fairs hosted by the center experienced a steady decline in employer participation as the year progressed. The center hosted or co-sponsored 11 fairs throughout the 2008-2009 year.

Contact Bill Fletcher, center director, at 615-898-2501.
bfletch@mtsu.edu

The Souter legacy, part one

David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says departing U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter generally supported limits on campaign contributions. “Souter wrote the Court’s opinion in Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government (2000), in which the majority upheld Missouri’s limits on political contributions in state races,” Hudson says. “In his majority opinion in Shrink, Souter contended that the test for whether a limit on political contributions was constitution was ‘whether the contribution limitation was so radical in effect as to render political association ineffective, drive the sound of a candidate’s voice below the level of notice, and render contributions pointless.’”

Contact Hudson at 615-741-1600.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL--A Tennessee General Assembly measure that would have prohibited students from being admitted to public higher education institutions unless they can establish U.S. citizenship or lawful residence has been tabled until 2010. Dr. Laura Blackwell Clark, associate professor of educational leadership, says such proposals are counterproductive for education, the economy and the society as a whole. She’ll discuss her views at 7 a.m. this Sunday, May 17, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Clark appeared before a House subcommittee last month to testify against the proposal. She said, “My belief is when we block educational access to any of the residents, any citizens, any non-citizens, any people who are part of our American community, we do our community a disservice in the long term.” Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

MAZEL TOV!—Congratulations to WMOT-FM News Producer Shawn Jacobs, who won three Honorable Mention honors in the latest round of the statewide Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Jacobs was acknowledged in the “Best Radio Newscast,” “Best Radio Enterprise,” and “Best Radio Public Affairs” categories. WMOT-FM is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of MTSU. Turn to 89.5 on your FM dial or listen in real time at www.wmot.org. For more information, call the station at 615-898-2800.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Educational opportunity for all

A Tennessee General Assembly measure that would have prohibited students from being admitted to public higher education institutions unless they can establish U.S. citizenship or lawful residence has been tabled until 2010. Dr. Laura Blackwell Clark, associate professor of educational leadership, says such proposals are counterproductive for education, the economy and the society as a whole. She’ll discuss her views at 7 a.m. this Sunday, May 17, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Clark appeared before a House subcommittee last month to testify against the proposal. She said, “My belief is when we block educational access to any of the residents, any citizens, any non-citizens, any people who are part of our American community, we do our community a disservice in the long term.”

Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Let’s see what develops.

The job of raising money for colleges and universities is more challenging than ever in an economy undermined by insecurity in the housing and labor markets and on Wall Street. Into the breach steps Nick Perlick, MTSU’s new Director of Development. The 31-year-old Perlick, who came on board in late March, says, “Interestingly what we’re going through provides a unique opportunity to strengthen our case for support. … Never before have we needed philanthropy to be such a major part of the university’s funding.” Perlick was executive director of the Middle Tennessee Medical Center Foundation from December 2006 to March 2009. From 2003 to 2005, he was development director and officer at The Ohio State University.

To schedule an interview with Perlick, contact Randy Weiler in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
jweiler@mtsu.edu

In denial

Several groups of Holocaust deniers are using Facebook to spread their theory that the execution of more than six million Jews by the Nazi regime during World War II is a myth. Some people are demanding that Facebook shut down these groups, but Facebook officials, while distancing themselves from this belief, say they won’t interfere. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “Freedom of speech is there to enhance debate in an effort to improve society. And debate means using reasoned arguments, facts and not opinions, and a willingness to listen to the other side. Reasoned debate, not hysterics, will win the day. Remember, it does no good to shout the opposition down, because when you shout, you drown your own voice as well.”

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

TR EXTRA

MAZEL TOV!—Congratulations to WMOT-FM News Producer Shawn Jacobs, who won three Honorable Mention honors in the latest round of the statewide Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Jacobs was acknowledged in the “Best Radio Newscast,” “Best Radio Enterprise,” and “Best Radio Public Affairs” categories. WMOT-FM is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of MTSU. Turn to 89.5 on your FM dial or listen in real time at www.wmot.org. For more information, call the station at 615-898-2800.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Q-tip questionnaire

Why should anyone be presumed to have an athletic advantage over another person on the basis of a genetic test? If you pay $149 to Boulder-based Atlas Sports Genetics, you can have your child’s cheek swabbed to determine if you passed along your sports brilliance to the youngster. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, takes a dim view of this development. He says, “In sport, testing ignores the need to allow athletes to practice, receive coaching, and to develop skills at their own pace. Worse, we will generate many youngsters who will not be allowed or not be given the opportunity to play sports—therefore, have one more reason to live a sedentary lifestyle, already a major problem in our culture.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

The burden of choice

With cable TV and the Internet, we have more media platforms for more diverse views than ever before. However, that might not be so beneficial if we fail to take advantage of that diversity. Dr. Jason Reineke, assistant professor of journalism and associate director of the MTSU Poll, says, “The trouble with that is you don’t have the sort of serendipitous encounters with things that you would have in a media environment like television 50 years ago where there were fewer choices but those fewer choices presented a much broader range of ideas and perspectives.” Cass Sunstein, a lawyer and professor at the University of Chicago, call this the “construction of the daily me”—a way of ensuring that you only hear what you want to hear. And a book called The Big Sort, written by Bill Bishop with Robert G. Cushing, opines that the modern tendency of Americans to live in communities that reflect only their own values, never encountering people with different views, is literally tearing the country apart.

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

“We make money the old-fashioned way. We EARN it.”—the late John Houseman for Smith Barney

Are non-owner business executives capturing a growing share of the earnings of major public-owned companies they manage? MTSU professors recently tried measuring the trend in executive compensation as a percent of corporate profits. Dr. Bill Ford, holder of the Weatherford Chair of Finance, says the researchers found that “this preliminary study of long-term trends in S & P (Standard & Poor’s) 500 CEOs total compensation are not consistent with the public’s media-driven perception that top executives of U.S. companies are increasingly overpaid—at least not when their compensation is measured as a share of their companies’ after-tax profits, CEOs’ share of earnings. And … it is now virtually certain that CEOs’ share of earnings fell sharply in 2008 from its peak level in 1996 and from its 2007 level of about 1.6 percent…”

Contact Ford at 615-898-2889.
wfford@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

MAZEL TOV!—Congratulations to WMOT-FM News Producer Shawn Jacobs, who won three Honorable Mention honors in the latest round of the statewide Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards. Jacobs was acknowledged in the “Best Radio Newscast,” “Best Radio Enterprise,” and “Best Radio Public Affairs” categories. WMOT-FM is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of MTSU. Turn to 89.5 on your FM dial or listen in real time at www.wmot.org. For more information, call the station at 615-898-2800.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Sing, single song

A songwriter can put himself/herself at a disadvantage if single-song contracts are not perused thoroughly. Ken Sanney, adjunct recording industry professor and licensed attorney, says such an agreement should contain a list of the title or titles of the song or songs covered by the agreement. However, “if a single-song agreement is the transfer of songs that have already been composed, there should not be any options for yet-to-be-composed songs or songs that are not specifically enumerated in the agreement or addendum,” Sanney says. “It therefore, seems to clearly follow that there should not be a term (length of time the contract lasts) or options for additional songs. Lastly, there should never be any language in the agreement that would make the songwriter’s services provided exclusively to the publisher.”

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

The old folks at home

With the recession taking its toll on employed people with salaries, why aren’t elderly people on fixed incomes, who are even more vulnerable, moving back in with their adult children? Dr. Brandon Wallace, sociology, says it was relatively common for children to live with their parents until industrialization. “Even after industrialization, most Americans continued a rural agricultural existence until World War II,” Wallace says. “The rapid industrialization brought on by World War II and the prosperity that followed it allowed children to leave home and find jobs rather than stay and work their parents’ farm. This accounts for much of the dramatic decline in the number of elderly and adult children living together. Even today, adult children are more likely to live with their parents than parents are to live with their adult children.”

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

Can’t even give it away

All that pressure on fast food restaurants to provide healthier choices has resulted in some changes, but KFC’s attempt to give away grilled chicken turned out to be a real turkey. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says the real problem was an image issue. “A brand cannot run away from its heritage,” says Roy. “KFC will never be known as a ‘good for you’ brand. It is not alone; fast feeders like McDonald’s and Burger King will not ascend to that level, either. The difference is McDonald’s and Burger King are finding ways to remain relevant to customers. McDonald’s has added healthy menu options, but it remains focused on its core items. A brand cannot be all things to all people.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Ride on

A new MTSU student organization has been formed to advocate for the needs of students living off-campus. Ridin’ Raiders is an organization of commuting students who want to enhance their college careers and experiences and find ways to meet their specific needs as commuter students. The group’s goals include: developing a networking system for commuting students; providing online resources for commuting students; and establishing a supportive and cohesive group of commuting students through a variety of extracurricular activities. The annual dues for the organization are $20 per member.

To fill out an application for Ridin’ Raiders, go to: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~ocss/css/rraiders.htm and click on “Membership.” For more information, contact the Office of Off-Campus Student Services at 615-898-5989.

Taking the world to your classroom

Gabriel Zurita is a 24-year-old MTSU economics major from Chile who shares information about his culture with area K-12 students through Culture to Culture, a program of the Office of International Programs and Services. Zurita says he hopes “to help American students broaden their world views, specifically their views of developing nations. Zurita delivered his first Culture to Culture presentation in the fall 2009 semester at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro. “I’ve had to present information to students before, but this is the first time I presented information about my own country,” Zurita says. “I decided to take an objective approach and to simply educate.” Culture to Culture presenters hail not only from Chile, but also Turkey, Spain, India and several other nations. This service is offered at no charge to the schools.

For more information, contact Dr. Tech Wubneh at 615-898-2238.
twubneh@mtsu.edu

Remember the zipper on the “Sticky Fingers” album cover?

Recording companies are missing a marketing opportunity by marginalizing cover art, which was a prominent part of attracting buyers in the age of the 33-and-a-third long-playing record album. So says Dr. Mike Alleyne, recording industry. Alleyne observes, “Neville Garrick, who designed most of Bob Marley & the Wailers’ covers for Island (record label), says that in vinyl’s heyday, groups sometimes sold records solely based on the strength of their cover image. By the ‘60s, covers had also become a crucial part of an artistic statement, a key element in a sensory stimulus package. The economic reference here is deliberate since the reduction in album graphics has arguably accelerated the devaluation of music to consumers. If it looks so bad why shouldn’t it be free?”

Contact Alleyne at 615-904-8336.
dr.mike.alleyne@gmail.com

TR EXTRA

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Gimme shelter

Inventory increased and closings decreased in the residential housing market in the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area in March 2009. Inventory crept up from 23,730 in March 2008 to 23,886. Closings declined from 2,227 to 1,521. The total number of housing units authorized by building permits sank from 674 to 449. The number of single family dwellings authorized by permits fell from 536 to 345, and the number of multifamily units slipped from 138 to 104. However, if you’re looking for a break on hotel rates, they’re lower, too. The average room rate in March 2009 was $91.59 compared to $95.54 a year ago. The occupancy rate is lower, as well—down from 64 percent to 55.7 percent.

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

A little military, a little medicine

Before tomorrow’s largest-ever MTSU commencement ceremonies, two College of Basic and Applied Sciences’ departments will have special events to recognize their graduating seniors. The Department of Military science will have a commissioning ceremony for six cadets. It will be held at 10 a.m. in the Keathley University Center Theater. Departing professor of military science Lt. Col. Mike Walsh will oversee his final act as program director. Col. Jeffrey Davidson, an MTSU alumnus, will address the audience. At 4 p.m. in Tucker Theatre, as many as 90 graduates of the School of Nursing will attend a pinning ceremony. Dr. Maria Revell, professor of nursing, is the event organizer.

Contact Maj. Chuck Giles or Lt. Col. Walsh at 615-898-2470. Contact Dr. Lynn Parsons, director of the School of Nursing, at 615-898-2437.

The sounds of silence

A Pennsylvania inmate’s complaint that the shutdown of the prison music system constituted a violation of his rights has fallen on deaf ears at the U.S. Supreme Court. Richard Glenn Young sued in 2004 to have the program reinstated. He claimed his right to free expression was being abridged. Lower courts sided with the prison system, and the Supreme Court refused to take up the case at all. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “The issue is important not just because of a former prison music program in Pennsylvania, but also because it impacts other areas of First Amendment law. For example, in adult-entertainment litigation, lower courts are divided on whether city officials must present evidence of actual harmful, secondary effects caused by adult businesses or whether city officials can offer secondary effects as a post-hoc justification arising from studies from other jurisdictions.”

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

TR EXTRA

MUSLIM MATTERS--Dr. Sean Foley, assistant professor of history, discusses how Islamic ideas sparked major social reform at three critical turning points in history at 7 a.m. this Sunday, May 10, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 AND wmot.org). In January, Foley lectured at American University in Beirut about how Reformation leaders saw Islam as an omen of God’s displeasure with the Catholic Church; how the rise of European nationalism in the 16th and 17th centuries was linked to how nations defined themselves vis-à-vis the Muslim world; and how Thomas Jefferson and John Locke found evidence of the universality of human rights by reading the Koran. For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

SHEEPSKINS ON PARADE--More than 2,200 degree candidates (approximately 1,866 undergraduates and 375 graduate students) are expected to graduate during MTSU’s 97th spring commencement during the university’s upcoming graduation ceremonies tomorrow, May 9. The dual ceremonies will start at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, in Murphy Center. G. Edmond Clark, president and CEO of FedEx Trade Networks Inc., a subsidiary of the Memphis-based FedEx Corporation, will serve as the guest speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony. Brig. Gen. Terry M. “Max” Haston, who was appointed as assistant adjutant general for the U.S. Army on May 6, 2008, will be the featured speaker for the 1 p.m. ceremony. For complete graduation information, go to www.mtsunews.com and click on the mortarboard and diploma.

HAVING WONDERFUL TIME IN INDIA. VISHNU WERE HERE.--This summer, Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, will teach “India on the Eve of Independence,” a fascinating course that will help you hone your negotiation and public presentation skills as you explore the impact of religion on politics from multiple perspectives. The course will run from May 11-26. Petersen says, “In this course, you will read works from the great Hindu and Muslim thinkers who guided the movement for Indian independence from British colonial rule. Then you will see if you can do it better! Through an intensive experiential learning simulation, you will play the part of one of the primary characters at the Simla conference and negotiate the end of British rule of India.”For more information, contact Petersen at 615-494-8662 or kpeterse@mtsu.edu.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS--“People are shouting too many philosophies of health and happiness at us,” notes a commentator on the recent explosion of interest in a topic of vital interest to us all—our own perceived well-being. But long before the shouting began, philosophers like Aristotle, Epicurus, Montaigne, Spinoza, Mill, Hume and James were carefully considering the question of how to get happy and stay that way. Dr. James Oliver will lead students through an examination of this subject in “The Philosophy of Happiness,” a class slated for Tuesdays and Thursdays this fall at MTSU. “In this course, we’ll survey older philosophical ideas about happiness, the new approach in psychology, and some of the best fictional literature,” says Oliver. ”Our approach will be calm, reasonable and interdisciplinary, with no gratuitous shouting.” Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050 or poliver@mtsu.edu.

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.