Friday, August 14, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

God is love.

Why does religion sometimes tear us apart when it is meant to bring us together? Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, writes, “It is time for the reasonable adherents of all faiths to find the courage and stamina to reverse the tradition that honors helpless love of God—in any tradition. Far from being honorable, it is not even excusable. It is shameful. Here is what we should say to people who follow such a tradition: there is only one way to respect the substance of any purported Gov-given moral edict. Consider is conscientiously in the full light of reason, using all the evidence at our command. No God pleased by displays of unreasoning love is worthy of worship."

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

Virtual reality

MTSU will present a sneak peek at its new online virtual tour today, Aug. 14, at 9 a.m. in the fourth floor conference room of the James E. Walker Library. Dr. Tonjanita Johnson, associate vice president of marketing and communication, with technical assistance from Barbara Draude, assistant vice president for academic and instructional technology, will be the presenters. Both have been part of the committee involved with the planning and development of this yearlong project. They will explain the virtual tour’s features, show the online product and field questions from those assembled. The virtual tour will be launched officially on Monday, Aug. 17. Media welcomed.

Contact the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

Football festivities

The MTSU Rutherford County Alumni Chapter’s annual Pigskin Pre-Game will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29, to kickoff the football season. The event will be held at Marymont Mansion in Marymont Springs, 1140 Rucker Lane in Murfreesboro. “Last year, almost 500 people attended Pigskin and we were able to raise almost $10,000 toward the scholarship fund,” says Paul Wydra, assistant director in the Office of Alumni Relations. Tickets for the event, which will run from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., will be $35. Attendees must pre-pay and reply by Wednesday, Aug. 26, to secure their tickets. The ticket price includes food, entertainment by Danny Lowe, beverages, door prizes and more. On-site parking will be available.

Call 1-800-533-6878 for more information.

TR EXTRA

NO GREATER LOVE--Greghri Love’s mother was a prostitute. His father was a convict. Both parents were addicted to drugs. With Greghri’s father in prison, the boy’s stand-in father was his mother’s pimp. After Greghri was shuttled off to foster care, his testimony sent his mother to prison. In spite of all this, Greghri earned college degrees. He became a teacher and an advocate for child abuse awareness. MTSU alumnus Greghri Love will tell his story to Gina Logue at 7 a.m. this Sunday, August 16, on “MTSU On the Record” on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Greghri Love is the author of There is an Urgency, the compelling, yet often horrifying chronicle of the physical and sexual abuse he endured throughout his childhood and his ordeal to overcome its impact on his psyche so that others could benefit from the lessons of his struggle. Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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 http://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.