Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Mickey makes a schedule change.

The date of the Disney Keys to Excellence Conference hosted by MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business at the Sheraton Downtown Nashville has been changed to Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to take an exclusive look at the "business behind the magic" from Walt Disney World© insiders, who will share the successful business practices and unique philosophies that have made the Disney name synonymous with creativity, quality, and innovation the world over. Also, the special free 90-minute session on leadership on campus will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Tom Jackson Building. Those MTSU personnel who have already registered need do nothing further.

To learn more and to register, go to http://www.keysnashville.com/ or call 877-544-2384.

The smart set

Forty-five years ago, historian Richard Hofstadter published his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the University Honors College, says he has noticed a strain of anti-intellectualism in the depiction of smart people in motion pictures. He says, “We use the term ‘gifted’ with far too high a frequency in this country, when, in actuality, less than two percent of the population has an IQ over 130 and less than one-tenths of one percent has an IQ over 145. However, intelligence is often portrayed hand-in-hand with stigmas, such as defects or illness. By presenting intelligence this way, we take a not-too-subtle swipe. We say that intelligence is wrong, it’s sick, it’s folly, it’s laughable, or it’s even evil. It could be a way to distance ourselves from the genius of which we are secretly jealous.”

Contact Carnicom at 615-494-7611.
carnicom@mtsu.edu

The athlete doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Nick Montana, son of Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Joe Montana, is the starting quarterback at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif. The backup quarterback is Trevor Gretzky, son of Hockey Fall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky. These kids, by all accounts, are well-adjusted. But what are the pressures on an athletic child who is the son or daughter of a famous, successful professional athlete? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “Pressure in sport is about the athlete’s perceived expectations of others. If a well-known athlete has parents who do not communicate high expectations and love their child-athlete unconditionally—that is, whether or not they perform above average and advance to elite level, they will be loved, accepted and supported—then that athlete will not ‘suffer’ from unreasonably high expectations from the outside world.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

INTERNATIONAL NOSHING--The ROTARACT student organization is having a bake sale today, Oct. 28, between 10:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. at three locations on the MTSU campus--the Keathley University Center, Peck Hall and in the quadrangle. Buy cookies, muffins and/or brownies for one dollar per bag. Proceeds will benefit ROTARACT, a group that fosters international and local civic service, leadership skills and all other ideas associated with the national constitution of Rotary International, and Community Assistance for International and Refugee Students (CAIRS), a group that provides small amounts of money for MTSU international and refugee students in emergency situations. For more information about the bake sale, contact ROTARACT President Joshua Fryer at joshuafryer@gmail.com.

LADIES IN THE LABORATORIES--The 13th annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science Conference for middle-school and high-school girls is slated for this Saturday, Oct. 31, at MTSU. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch, co-founder of BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. The company is described on its Web site (http://biomimetics.com/) as “a biotech company utilizing recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor as its primary technology platform.” EYH is a hands-on science and math gathering that will give girls opportunities to participate in science workshops that are educational and fun. Workshops slated for this year’s event include “Lighting up the Future;” “Ooze, Goo and Slime;” and “Egg Drop Contest.” Participants also will be able to learn the perspectives of undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Contact Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu.

THAT HUMAN TOUCH--The MTSU Department of Human Sciences celebrates the centennial of human sciences as a profession from 3-4 p.m. today, Oct. 28, in the Ellington Human Sciences Building at 2623 Middle Tennessee Blvd. and the annex at 2627 Middle Tennessee Blvd. The theme is “From the Cradle to the Grave” because human sciences serves and touches everyone throughout every aspect of life. Human sciences as a profession was founded in 1909 and known for many years as home economics. Today, its focus is to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities. This event coincides with the in-process accreditation for the Interior Design program, which is the largest undergraduate program of its kind in the state. Students and graduates will be on hand to talk about their work and involvement in professional organizations. Culinary Art students will serve hot hors d’oeuvres. For more information, contact the department at 615-898-2884.

DESIGNING STUDENTS--The juried work of graphic design students at MTSU is on display through Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Todd Art Gallery. The purpose of the exhibition is to showcase the department’s largest segment of declared majors and to promote the making and understanding of Graphic Design’s role in our academic culture and the community at large. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Todd Art Gallery closes only on state and university holidays. For more information, contact Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.