Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer/Playing backyard bombardier.”—from “Blinded by the Light”

In late September, scholars gathered at Monmouth University at a symposium totally devoted to Bruce Springsteen. Entire classes have been taught on Bob Dylan as social catalyst and on his lyrics as poetry. Does The Boss merit the same consideration? Dr. Paul Fischer, recording industry, says, “This is the second ‘Springsteen Symposium’ held at Monmouth. I participated in the first one—so, yes, I think it is a worthwhile enterprise. Bruce Springsteen is a musical artist with sufficient output, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to merit study at this level. If I had travel money, I probably would have proposed another paper and been there. My essay, ‘Narrative Theory, Narrative Theology, and the Work of Bruce Springsteen,’ is forthcoming in the anthology Theorizing the Boss.”

Contact Fischer at 615-898-5470.
pfischer@mtsu.edu

A triple play

The Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority at MTSU will sponsor the inaugural “Alpha Delta Pi-athlon: A Unique Triathlon Challenge” starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. Participants will compete in a 300-meter swim, a 10-mile bicycle race and a 5K (3.14 miles) run. The swim will take place at the MTSU Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. The 5K run will happen on campus. The bike race will start and end on campus, but the bulk of the course will be off-campus. “Teams comprised of three people (one for each event) must enter under a team name,” writes Laura Cooper, the sorority’s philanthropy chair. “The teams may be comprised of both male and female participants.” All proceeds from entry fees will benefit the Ronald McDonald House and the Alpha Delta Pi Scholarship Program.

Pre-registration is available at www.active.com (keyword: Pi-athlon). Day-of registration will start at 6:30 a.m. at the Recreation Center. For more information, contact Cooper at adpiathlon@gmail.com.

Brett the Brand

Brett Favre achieved a measure of revenge against his old team, the Green Bay Packers, Monday night when he led the Minnesota Vikings to a 30-23 victory over the Pack with a tour-de-force performance that was quintessential Favre. While Peyton Manning seems to be leading the NFL in endorsement visibility, Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, is impressed with the 40-year-old Favre’s qualities. Roy says, “Brett Favre’s mystique offers lessons that can be applied to branding, whether it is personal branding or managing a product brand.” He lists Favre’s distinctiveness, consistency, passion and sense of fun as the four qualities that make Favre a quality brand. “Thanks, Brett, for the branding lesson,” Roy says. “Now, if we could only get John Madden’s take on what we can learn about branding from Brett Favre!”

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

TR EXTRA

“VIOLENCE IS THE LAST REFUGE OF THE INCOMPETENT.”—SALVOR HARDIN IN ISAAC ASIMOV’S “FOUNDATION” SERIES--October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The June Anderson Women’s Center is making purple ribbons available across the MTSU campus for people to wear. On Monday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., the Women’s Center will sponsor the Silent Witness Project in the second floor lobby of the Keathley University Center. This exhibit will feature blood red T-shirts displaying true local stories of women, men and children who have been victims of domestic violence. The stories are printed across the busts of the T-shirts. This powerful exhibit promotes peace, healing, education and awareness. The Silent Witness Project is free and open to the public. Contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

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 or robrien@mtsu.edu.

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.