Thursday, October 1, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

First Monday in October

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin a new session on Monday, Oct. 5, its first with Justice Sonia Sotomayor as a member of the panel. “Even before this grand opening, the Court held a special session over the summer in which it examined the constitutionality of campaign finance laws,” says Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and constitutional law expert. “Important cases on the Court’s docket include decisions about the constitutionality of the following: the display of a cross in the Mojave National Preserve; laws that attempt to outlaw depictions of animal cruelty; sentencing juveniles to life without parole for noncapital offenses; and a Chicago case that may decide whether the Second Amendment applies to the states.”

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

TEN-HUT!

Lt. Col. Therrel Kast, chair of the MTSU Department of Military Science, will discuss the education of the 21st century soldier and how colleges are helping to prepare young people for the armed forces at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 4, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Kast’s military career includes stints at Ft. McPherson, Ga., and Ft. Bragg, N.C., as well as a tour of duty in the 1st Sustainment CMD (Kuwait/Iraq). His awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal, among others. Kast earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.

Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Nothing succeeds like success.

Research by Rapleaf indicates that Twitter users with the biggest followings gain the biggest increases in followers. Popularity breeds popularity. The group’s findings indicate that the payoff for being visible on Twitter is most likely for those who got in on the ground floor. But Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says Twitter users in the lower echelons of activity should not become disheartened. “These numbers are primarily a measure of popularity (how many followers can I garner),” says Roy. “In the long run, relevant content will be important in retaining followers. Growing a following on Twitter is beneficial for brand building, but for any brand the ultimate measure is how well the brand delivers on a regular basis.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

ORDER IN THE COURTYARD--Randy O’Brien, director of News and Public Affairs for WMOT-FM, will discuss his first published novel, Judge Fogg, at the 2009 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. O’Brien will speak from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11, in Room 29 of the Legislative Plaza building in downtown Nashville along with fellow authors Scott Pratt and Peggy Ehrhart. Inspired by Shakespeare’s “Othello,” Judge Fogg tells the fictional story of the first African-American criminal court judge in Nashville, his rise to power as a youthful corruption fighter and his downfall. O’Brien will sign copies of his book in the courtyard following the panel discussion. Free and open to the public. Contact O’Brien at 615-898-2800 orrobrien@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 today, 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.

CLEAN AND GREEN--The first Summit for Campus Sustainability Conference—Tennessee Valley Universities Investing in a Clean Energy Future—will bring students and officials from across the region to MTSU from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 2, in Cantrell Hall in the Tom H. Jackson Building. Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Department for Environment and Conservation and other organizations are expected to attend. MTSU professor and alternative fuels expert Dr. Cliff Ricketts, MTSU Facilities Services Executive Director Joe Whitefield, University of Tennessee graduate student Sara Malley, University of Memphis student Caledonia Allen, Vanderbilt University’s Kendra Abkowitz, Lightwave Solar Electric LLC owner Steve Johnson and members of Tennessee Alumni and Students for Sustainable Campuses will participate in morning and afternoon panel discussion. The event is co-sponsored by Green Power Switch, the MTSU Sustainable Campus Fund, cleanenergy.org and Tennessee Alumni and Students for Sustainable Campus. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Randy Weiler in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu.