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