Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

America’s fiber fetish

Manufacturers seem to be putting extra fiber into all kinds of foods these days because some of us are reluctant to eat the foods that provide it naturally. But couldn't increasing our fiber intake be counterproductive if we overdo it? Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says, “Moderation and variety are the key(s) to healthy eating in all areas, especially when it comes to fiber. Since most Americans consume only half the fiber needed to prevent constipation by keeping the GI (gastrointestinal) tract functioning, many food manufacturers have started adding fiber to things that don't naturally have it. For example, in the natural form, dairy foods contain no fiber. But manufacturers like Dannon have started adding fiber, probably as a marketing ploy.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

Free to be you and me

MTSU’s Constitution Day celebration kicks off at 10:20 a.m. tomorrow, Sept. 16, with “Free Speech on University Campuses: The State of Play,” a lecture by Vanderbilt professor Bruce Barry in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theater. At 11:30 a.m., Gene Policinski, vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center, will present results from the center’s annual survey of American attitudes and opinions on First Amendment issues in the KUC Theater. “Freedom Sings,” a critically acclaimed multimedia experience featuring an all-star cast of musicians and an “only in America” story line, will be presented at 2:20 p.m. in Tucker Theatre. The event, which includes hit songwriters and Grammy Award-winning artists, features music that has been banned, censored, or has sounded a call for social change. All three of these events are free, open to the public and presented by the John Seigenthaler Chair in First Amendment Studies. More events are slated for Thursday and Friday.

For a detailed schedule, visit www.mtsu.edu/masscom/events.shtml and click on the Seigenthaler Chair “scheduled events” link. Visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem for the American Democracy Project info.

The low-hanging fruit

Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, proposes that we use the media to improve high school and college graduates’ ability to think. While Burriss admits that this has been tried before, he says it failed because society depended upon the technology, not the content, to solve the problem. “We hear a lot about how the media are leading to the downfall of morals, the work ethic and education itself,” Burriss says. “Well, then, let’s turn all that content around and start using it for something constructive. The material is right there, like ripe fruit on a tree. It’s time someone picked it off and started using it.”

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

TR EXTRA

DOWN ON THE FARM-MTSU’s School of Agribusiness and Agriscience is hosting a field day starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, on the new Agricultural Laboratory Farm at 3301 Guy James Road. “The primary focus this year will be on home gardens and innovative nursery ideas, but there will also be updates on haylage production and use by beef cattle,” says Dr. Warren Gill, director for the school. Other topics will be presented, including a report on the Switchgrass, Bluestem, Indiangrass and wildlife plots being done in partnership with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture Extension Service. Students will present displays, guide tours and be involved in every aspect of the program. Dr. Jessica Carter, associate professor, will conduct a live animal demonstration with cattle from the MTSU angus herd. The event is free and open to the public. Contact Gill at 615-898-2404 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

REP YOUR ROOTS--MTSU’s Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs (IDA) and the Student Government Association (SGA) will celebrate “Rep Your Roots Day,” today, Sept. 15. “Rep Your Roots Day” kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month. Vincent Windrow, director of IDA, says, “This initiative is aimed at celebrating the pluralistic make-up of our student and faculty/staff population by encouraging (them) to wear t-shirts that reflect … their nationality, hometown or any aspect of their heritage. Students and faculty/staff are encouraged to wear clothing reflecting their heritage, which can include shirts depicting flags, slogans, colors and shapes of continents, countries and states.”Contact Windrow at 615-898-5812 or vwindrow@mtsu.edu.

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 Sunday, 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.

ART FROM THE HEART--The Todd Art Gallery at MTSU will present the art department’s 2009 biennial Faculty Art Exhibition through Thursday, Sept. 17. “This exhibit will feature works of art by faculty members as a way to introduce their work to art majors, the broader campus population and the community,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator, who adds that the artworks represented will vary in media and styles—from representational, abstract and non-objective to traditional media in a straightforward manner and mixed media with a “twist.” The gallery, which is located in the Todd Building on the MTSU campus, is open from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday-Friday and is closed on state and university holidays. Admission is always free. Contact Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.