Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Biodiesel: the bad and the beautiful

The National Biodiesel Board reports that two-thirds of U.S. biodiesel production capacity is unused. With the need to break our dependence on foreign oil, why isn’t biodiesel fuel being used in greater quantities? Dr. Cliff Ricketts, agribusiness and agriscience, says, “Biodiesel is sold in Tennessee as B-20. Personally, I have not heard of any issues with B-20. However, I have heard of issues with pure biodiesel before it is blended to make B-20. Biodiesel, which is made from soybean oil, peanut oil, or other oil crops can be used straight or without blending. Thus, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that it cleans the engine. The bad news is that it cleans the engine so (well) that it clogs the fuel filters.”

Contact Ricketts at 615-898-2430.
srickett@mtsu.edu

How’s the growing going?

The attainment of a student population of more than 25,000 is a notable achievement, but it is also a considerable responsibility. How is MTSU handling its growth? Dr. Deb Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment services, says, “We’re handling the growth by continuing to insist on quality in our academic programs, in the students we enroll, in the faculty we hire. We continue to focus on creating a truly student centered environment. And we continue to pursue partnerships in the local community and on a national level that allows us to create strategic alliances that are good for both our community and our campus. We are continuing to create top-notch facilities, including construction of the new College of Education and the new Student Union, both of which continue on-track despite the general economic downturn.”

Contact Sells at 615-898-2440.
dsells@mtsu.edu

“Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.”—Mao Tse-Tung

This Thursday, Oct. 1, marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Where does the most populous nation on the planet stand after decades of Communist rule? Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, history, says, “It appears that the Chinese government’s experiment in a hybrid economy of capitalism and command economy of socialism have muted much discontent and diverted attention away from her human rights violations and political dictatorship. But this image of an indifferent China is misleading. Many Chinese intellectuals are deeply engaged in a political discourse that boldly demands more democratic process, as exemplified by last December’s publication of Charter 08, an online pro-democracy manifesto.”

Contact Chao at 615-898-2629.
ychao@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

“THERE’S SO MANY THINGS I NEED TO KNOW.”—“CRYSTAL BALL” BY STYX--MTSU recording industry students are revealing “Rock Prophecies” on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in a free film screening and concert in the Wright Music Building. Dick Williams’ MTSU Record Label course guides students into the music business by giving them hands-on experience. The screening of “Rock Prophecies,” a documentary featuring 18-year-old Texas guitar virtuoso Tyler Bryant, starts at 7 p.m. with the concert by The Tyler Bryant Band to follow in Hinton Music Hall. The band cut several demos in MTSU’s Studio B in August. The event also is an opportunity for students who attend the concert to win a Fender Stratocaster guitar, a new Samsung Gravity 2 cell phone and Bluetooth.Contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu.

ART FOR STUDENTS’ SAKE--The MTSU Department of Art and its Student Art Alliance will team to present their first-ever joint exhibition featuring the juried work of MTSU students. The works will be on display through Thursday, Oct. 1, in the Todd Art Gallery on the MTSU campus. “This show gives MTSU students the opportunity to engage in the process of submitting and showing their work in a public space, as well as competing with other artists for awards,” says John Donovan, assistant professor of art and SAA faculty adviser. For more information or directions to the campus gallery, call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653.

GET THE PICTURE?--“Relics,” an exhibit by Brad Temkin, is on display at the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in MTSU’s Learning Resources Center (LRC) through Oct. 22. Temkin says of his work, “My approach builds on the sculptural foundation that integrates the object and the landscape. Remnants of humanity are abandoned amidst vast, empty and anonymous landscapes. These forms exude an energy that transcends originating intention, becoming beautiful and monumental ‘earth works’ in their own right.” Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.