Friday, July 24, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“When we don’t know who to hate, we hate ourselves.”—Chuck Palahniuk

Why can’t law enforcement agencies be more proactive in preventing hate crimes like the June 10 shooting that claimed the life of a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.? Carter F. Smith, criminal justice administration, says, “Many an inquiry has been quashed by a careful (some might say paranoid) supervisor who knew their limitations and was unwilling to venture out. Those who are most cautious recall (or read about) the backlash from the McCarthy Era, where people were hired and fired or blacklisted from working in certain industries for belonging (or being suspected of belonging) to the Communist Party. Most in government since then have (I think) gone too far in their assurance that we will not return to those practices.”

Contact Smith at 615-424-8375.
carterfsmith@gmail.com

No more oiligarchy?

An article in the July 7 edition of the Khaleej Times reports, “Non-oil exports from companies in Dubai that are based outside the emirate’s free zones increased by two percent in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period last year, in spite of the worldwide economic slowdown, a top government official said on Monday.” Dr. Sean Foley, history, wrote an introduction to a couple of conflicting viewpoints on non-oil industries in the Persian Gulf for the June 2009 edition of Viewpoints, a publication of The Middle East Institute. “Over the last decade, every Arab Gulf state replicated Dubai’s model—even as oil prices reached record highs in 2008 and it became clear that the Emirate’s model of development had tangible social, economic and environmental drawbacks,” writes Foley.

Contact Foley at 615-904-8294.
sfoley@mtsu.edu

No ENRGY crisis here!

The MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will sponsor Camp ENRGY, a five-day camp designed for youth with physical disabilities, Aug. 3-7. Camp ENRGY (Excellence ‘N’ Recreation and Games for Youth), which is free for its youth participants, will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily on and off the MTSU campus with many activities taking place in the university’s recreation center, says Dr. Don Morgan, professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. “We hope that this summer camp will become a template for other camps for physically challenged youth here in Tennessee and throughout the nation,” says Morgan. Media are welcomed to cover this inaugural event.

For more information about Camp ENRGY, contact Sandy Stevens at sstevens@mtsu.edu
or Jenny Hutchens at jgs2a@mtsu.edu.
Call Morgan at 615-898-5549.

TR EXTRA

TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE--Michelle Blackwell, director of Transfer Student Services, will talk about the new agreement between MTSU and Nashville State Community College at 7 a.m. on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue this Sunday, July 26, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). The dual-admission pact, which is slated to be signed on Wednesday, July 29, at MTSU, is designed to make it easier for transfer students from NSCC to obtain admission to a four-year institution. After meeting certain requirements, NSCC students will be guaranteed acceptance to MTSU, and at the outset, they will be able to map out their college career paths. Students will save money by being able to enroll in a community college their first two years at lower tuition and fees. For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU--Hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls will don their finest Western duds to “Saddle Up for Project Help” at the 2009 fundraiser set for Thursday, July 30, at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium on the MTSU campus. The fun will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with event registration. A barbecue dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by live music and dancing. Silent and live-auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m., and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m. Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project Help provides early intervention and family support services with disabilities and developmental delays up to age 3. Project Help currently serves 48 children with special needs. The staff includes more than 150 student volunteers each semester. For more information, call 615-898-2458 or go to www.mtsu.edu/projecthelp.

INTELLIGENCE ON DISPLAY--The MTSU McNair Program will present its 10th annual symposium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Thursday, July 30 in the Tom H. Jackson Building. The McNair Program is designed to give low-income/first-generation and underrepresented undergraduate students the support they need to prepare for and successfully complete a doctorate degree in their chosen fields. McNair scholars will make oral presentations of their 2009 summer research. Their research posters also will be on display. Topics include “Blowing Up the Ballot Box: The Political Violence of the Election Cycle;” “How World War I Affected Poor Tennessean Citizens and Their Experiences;” “Playing Doctor: Assessing Future Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Child Sexual Behavior;” and “Prevention and Treatment of Acute Low Back Pain: Physical Therapy and Other Non-Surgical Methods.” Contact the McNair Program at 615-904-8462.

R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.--Scores of girls ages 10 to 17 will convene July 27 through July 31 at MTSU for the seventh annual Murfreesboro edition of the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp (SGRRC), a week-long gathering that nurtures musical talent and self-esteem in a positive, supportive atmosphere. The day camp, which will operate from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. each day, will feature instruction in drums, vocals, keyboards, guitar and bass, as well as workshops in recording, screenprinting, songwriting, music herstory, photography, zine-making and do-it-yourself arts and crafts. On Saturday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m., the girls will display the skills they honed in bands throughout the week by performing in a showcase concert in Tucker Theater. Admission is $8 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m. Contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or Nicole Tekulve, SGRRC Director, at 615-849-8140.

THE I-24 CONNECTION--The newly formed Dual Admission Program between MTSU and Nashville State Community College (NSCC) is designed to make it easier to earn a four-year degree. To apply for dual admission, a student must plan on pursuing a bachelor’s degree, meet the admission criteria for NSCC, have 29 or fewer college-level semester hours and, if a transfer or current student at NSCC, have a GPA of 2.0. A student must also complete all required high school courses to qualify for transfer to MTSU. Once enrolled in the dual-admission program, a student must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and must have earned an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Science in Teaching degree. A formal signing of the agreement between the two schools is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, at MTSU. Contact Tom Tozer at MTSU 615-898-2919 or Brent Young at Nashville State Community College at brent.young@nscc.edu.

SOLID AS A ROCK BLOK—Registration is open now for this fall’s Rock Blok workshop at MTSU. Young musicians ages 10-17 can learn music, make friends and form a band at the workshop, which is slated to begin September 5th. “When a student signs up, he or she is assigned to a band with other students,” says Ryan York, executive leader of Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities (YEAH!) and workshop leader. “Each band has two professional musicians as volunteer teachers. The students then spend two hours each Saturday learning music, working up a set list, making merchandise for their band, recording an album and writing music.” At the conclusion of the workshop, the bands will perform in concert. The fee is $40 a month ($120 total). For more information, go to www.YEAHintheBoro.org, send an e-mail to info@YEAHintheBoro.org, or call 615-849-8140.

PRESSING ON--The legacy of MTSU’s working replica of an 18th century printing press will be explained through photos and prints as part of an exhibit at the main branch of the Nashville Public Library, 615 Church St., through Sept. 27. The exhibit is titled “Telling the Story: Letterpress Printing and Community.” The university’s segment will include the story of letterpress printing at MTSU. The works of current MTSU art students; alumni; visiting artists; faculty; elementary, middle- and high-school teachers and students who printed on the James E. Walker Library’s unique device will be highlighted. A reproduction of the English common press used by Benjamin Franklin in the early 1700s, the printing press was handcrafted in 2004 and 2005 out of chestnut and white oak wood from a 100-year-old house in Virginia. Contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.