Monday, November 30, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Cool is a rule, but sometimes bad is bad.”—Huey Lewis and the News

Is it possible to be happy and be sinister at the same time, or does moral depravity go hand-in-hand with unhappiness? Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, says, “Sure, from my point of view (and from yours, I hope), the happiness of bad people is a degraded and inferior brand. Aristotelian eudaimonia (the good life) is not supposed to be subjective, but people’s estimations of their own well-being certainly are. Plenty of people are as bad as they want to be, and they seem plenty happy, too. While that’s an affront to the rest of us, it’s just too bad. But I don’t guess many of the rest of us will be lining up to join the scoundrels club, anyway. The institutions of morality are safe. We’re all gonna be what we’re gonna be.”

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

Costco fizzles out

Costco is refusing to restock its shelves with Coca-Cola products on the grounds that the beverage giant won’t provide “competitive pricing.” Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says Costco’s executives might think they look like they’re standing up for the consumer, but they might have picked the wrong battle to fight. “Coca-Cola is a high equity brand,” Roy says. “It has more leverage in the marketplace than Costco. Customers who are unable to buy Coke products at Costco will likely make their purchases at another store. How does that help Costco? Coca-Cola has profit responsibilities to its stakeholders, and it is resisting efforts by one of its customers to alter its business strategy. Manufacturers have been pushed around a great deal by retailers in recent years. It will be interesting to see how, or if, Coca-Cola pushes back in its feud with Costco.”

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

Crunching the numbers

The first annual Department of Accounting CPE (Continuing Professional Education) Day at MTSU will be held Thursday, Dec. 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Seminars during the conference include presentations on Ponzi schemes and fraud, international financial reporting standards, accounting and financial reporting, auditing and taxation. Participants can earn up to eight hours of CPE credit. The cost is $150, which includes all seminars, materials and lunch. Due to limited seating, participants should register early.

Visit http://www.mtsu.edu/accounting or call the MTSU Department of Accounting at 615-898-5306.

TR EXTRA

SAY IT TO THE SECRETARY—“Student Voices on Education: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan” has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, live on the Education Resource Channel@Middle Tennessee. Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, will serve as moderator for the broadcast, which will air live in Murfreesboro on Comcast Channel 9. The program is part of the monthly “Education News Parents Can Use” series that airs evenings on ERC@MT during the K-12 school year. Gail Fedak, director for Instructional Media Resources at MTSU, says the program’s town hall-focused format will allow for call-in and e-mail questions. In turn, schools in Rutherford County that normally receive the university’s K-12 programming on ERC@MT, as well as interested community members, may tune in to participate in the live discussion. Contact Fedak at 615-898-2740 or gfedak@mtsu.edu.

BERRY INTERESTING--The acai (a-sigh-EE) berry is being hailed as a wonder fruit for its antioxidants. It is being marketed in the United States in everything from dietary supplements to fruit juices. This past summer, Dr. Richard Pace, sociology and anthropology, took MTSU students to the Amazon rainforest to conduct research on the ecology, production and consumption of acai. The students examined the claims of weight loss and nutritional health as well as claims that production of the berry can contribute to rainforest preservation and sustainable development. They recorded how acai is grown, consumed and exported and how it is understood in environmental, economic, medical and symbolic terms by the native community, which has used the palm fruit for centuries. The students presented their findings at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium Nov. 10-11 and will make another presentation at the American Anthropological Association’s national meetings in Philadelphia Dec. 2-6. Contact Pace at 615-904-8058 or rpace@mtsu.edu.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIBRARY!--To celebrate the James E. Walker Library’s 10 years of service to MTSU, students may enter a drawing for an iPod and other prizes by explaining their favorite thing about the library. Entry cards are available at desks located throughout the building, or students can e-mail their answers to favorites@ulibnet.mtsu.edu. The deadline is today, Nov. 30. The drawing is slated for tomorrow, Dec. 1. The James E. Walker Library, named for the university’s eighth president, opened in 1999 with nearly 645,000 volumes, 3,500 journals and a budget of $269 per student. Today, the library has almost a million books and e-books, nearly 20,000 journals and databases and 350 desktop and laptop computers. The budget is $332 per student. For more information, contact the library at 615-898-2817 or go to http://library.mtsu.edu/.

BOOK IT!--The University Writing Center at MTSU is joining forces with Project Help and Murfreesboro City Schools Outreach during the holiday season to encourage children’s literacy. In its team effort to promote the cause, UWC staff will accept new and gently used children’s books now through Wednesday, Dec. 9, as well as money donations, which will go toward the purchase of youth titles. Meagan McManus, a peer mentor and UWC writing assistant, says members of the UWC staff will attend Project Help’s fall semester celebration on Thursday, Dec. 17, to share some of the donated books with the lab’s children. Donations are accepted in Room 325 of Peck Hall from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact the UWC at 615-904-8237 or e-mail McManus at mcm2r@mtsu.edu.

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Tuesday, Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Wednesday, Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Provide for the common defense

The Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU is an official partner in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (www.loc.gov/vets). To date, researchers have interviewed more than 400 veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. They also interview civilians who supported the wars in defense-related jobs and other activities. The focus of the Veterans History Project is first-hand accounts of U.S. veterans and civilians who supported them in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The veterans need not have been in combat to be considered for interviews, nor must they have been stationed in any particular theater of operations. They need only to have served in the armed forces during the conflicts listed.

If you know of a potential interview subject, send the person’s name, phone number and mailing address to Betty Rowland.
browland@mtsu.edu
For more information about the project, contact Gore Center Director Dr. Jim Williams at 615-898-2633.
jhwillia@mtsu.edu

Come together right now over me.

“Jesus as a Locus for Dialogue Between Muslims and Christians” as explained by Dr. Ron Messier is the topic of the next “MTSU on the Record” at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 29, with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). A professor emeritus of history and former director of the Honors Program at MTSU, Messier is writing a book about how Muslims and Christians can understand each other better through their mutual appreciation of Jesus. Messier writes, “I must be quick to say that Muslims really do not hate us. Hate is a very strong word. Many in the Islamic world resent certain policies and practices of our government, and some are critical of some of our modes of behavior. But for the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, that resentment falls far short of hate.”

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

Turning over a new leaflet

A federal court of appeals has ruled that a Michigan public school can bar a student from distributing anti-abortion literature in the halls. The trial court had sided with the 14-year-old student, finding that his activity probably would not be disruptive. But the appellate court agreed with the school, which contended that the trial judge applied the wrong standard. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “According to the school, (the trial judge) should have asked whether the distribution policy was reasonable and viewpoint-neutral. The school contended that the distribution policy did not restrict speech because of the anti-abortion content, but merely sought to regulate when and where the leafleting could occur. The school also argued that a public school hallway is not a public forum—that is, a place where free-speech rights must receive heightened protection.”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1342.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

SAY IT TO THE SECRETARY—“Student Voices on Education: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan” has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, live on the Education Resource Channel@Middle Tennessee. Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, will serve as moderator for the broadcast, which will air live in Murfreesboro on Comcast Channel 9. The program is part of the monthly “Education News Parents Can Use” series that airs evenings on ERC@MT during the K-12 school year. Gail Fedak, director for Instructional Media Resources at MTSU, says the program’s town hall-focused format will allow for call-in and e-mail questions. In turn, schools in Rutherford County that normally receive the university’s K-12 programming on ERC@MT, as well as interested community members, may tune in to participate in the live discussion. Contact Fedak at 615-898-2740 or gfedak@mtsu.edu.

BERRY INTERESTING--The acai (a-sigh-EE) berry is being hailed as a wonder fruit for its antioxidants. It is being marketed in the United States in everything from dietary supplements to fruit juices. This past summer, Dr. Richard Pace, sociology and anthropology, took MTSU students to the Amazon rainforest to conduct research on the ecology, production and consumption of acai. The students examined the claims of weight loss and nutritional health as well as claims that production of the berry can contribute to rainforest preservation and sustainable development. They recorded how acai is grown, consumed and exported and how it is understood in environmental, economic, medical and symbolic terms by the native community, which has used the palm fruit for centuries. The students presented their findings at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium Nov. 10-11 and will make another presentation at the American Anthropological Association’s national meetings in Philadelphia Dec. 2-6. Contact Pace at 615-904-8058 or rpace@mtsu.edu.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIBRARY!--To celebrate the James E. Walker Library’s 10 years of service to MTSU, students may enter a drawing for an iPod and other prizes by explaining their favorite thing about the library. Entry cards are available at desks located throughout the building, or students can e-mail their answers to favorites@ulibnet.mtsu.edu. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 30. The drawing is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 1. The James E. Walker Library, named for the university’s eighth president, opened in 1999 with nearly 645,000 volumes, 3,500 journals and a budget of $269 per student. Today, the library has almost a million books and e-books, nearly 20,000 journals and databases and 350 desktop and laptop computers. The budget is $332 per student. For more information, contact the library at 615-898-2817 or go to http://library.mtsu.edu.

BOOK IT!--The University Writing Center at MTSU is joining forces with Project Help and Murfreesboro City Schools Outreach during the holiday season to encourage children’s literacy. In its team effort to promote the cause, UWC staff will accept new and gently used children’s books now through Wednesday, Dec. 9, as well as money donations, which will go toward the purchase of youth titles. Meagan McManus, a peer mentor and UWC writing assistant, says members of the UWC staff will attend Project Help’s fall semester celebration on Thursday, Dec. 17, to share some of the donated books with the lab’s children. Donations are accepted in Room 325 of Peck Hall from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact the UWC at 615-904-8237 or e-mail McManus at mcm2r@mtsu.edu.

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Wednesday, Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Say it to the secretary

“Student Voices on Education: A National Town Hall Meeting with Arne Duncan” has been rescheduled to air live on the Education Resource Channel@Middle Tennessee at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, will serve as moderator for the broadcast, which will air live in Murfreesboro on Comcast Channel 9. The program is part of the monthly “Education News Parents Can Use” series that airs evenings on ERC@MT during the K-12 school year. Gail Fedak, director for Instructional Media Resources at MTSU, says the program’s town hall-focused format will allow for call-in and e-mail questions. In turn, schools in Rutherford County that normally receive the university’s K-12 programming on ERC@MT, as well as interested community members, may tune in to participate in the live discussion.

Contact Fedak at 615-898-2740.
gfedak@mtsu.edu

Berry interesting

The acai (a-sigh-EE) berry is being hailed as a wonder fruit for its antioxidants. It is being marketed in the United States in everything from dietary supplements to fruit juices. This past summer, Dr. Richard Pace, sociology and anthropology, took MTSU students to the Amazon rainforest to conduct research on the ecology, production and consumption of acai. The students examined the claims of weight loss and nutritional health as well as claims that production of the berry can contribute to rainforest preservation and sustainable development. They recorded how acai is grown, consumed and exported and how it is understood in environmental, economic, medical and symbolic terms by the native community, which has used the palm fruit for centuries. The students presented their findings at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium Nov. 10-11 and will make another presentation at the American Anthropological Association’s national meetings in Philadelphia Dec. 2-6.

Contact Pace at 615-904-8058.
rpace@mtsu.edu

“I’m in the reporting part of journalism.”—Jim Lehrer

What’s wrong with President Obama and Fox News being at odds with each other? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says it’s a good thing. After all, the relationship is somewhat adversarial by definition. “The next time you read or see a news story and it has the phrase ‘government official’ (in it), ask yourself why the person isn’t named,” says Burriss. “Reporters will tell you it’s because the source wouldn’t give them what little information they have unless they are protected. Of course, then the public has no way to test the validity of those statements. And, you need to remember that if the reporter used the source’s name, he or she wouldn’t be invited to those fancy parties or back onto Air Force One.”

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

TR EXTRA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIBRARY!--To celebrate the James E. Walker Library’s 10 years of service to MTSU, students may enter a drawing for an iPod and other prizes by explaining their favorite thing about the library. Entry cards are available at desks located throughout the building, or students can e-mail their answers to favorites@ulibnet.mtsu.edu. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 30. The drawing is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 1. The James E. Walker Library, named for the university’s eighth president, opened in 1999 with nearly 645,000 volumes, 3,500 journals and a budget of $269 per student. Today, the library has almost a million books and e-books, nearly 20,000 journals and databases and 350 desktop and laptop computers. The budget is $332 per student. For more information, contact the library at 615-898-2817 or go to http://library.mtsu.edu.

BOOK IT!--The University Writing Center at MTSU is joining forces with Project Help and Murfreesboro City Schools Outreach during the holiday season to encourage children’s literacy. In its team effort to promote the cause, UWC staff will accept new and gently used children’s books now through Wednesday, Dec. 9, as well as money donations, which will go toward the purchase of youth titles. Meagan McManus, a peer mentor and UWC writing assistant, says members of the UWC staff will attend Project Help’s fall semester celebration on Thursday, Dec. 17, to share some of the donated books with the lab’s children. Donations are accepted in Room 325 of Peck Hall from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact the UWC at 615-904-8237 or e-mail McManus at mcm2r@mtsu.edu.

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Monday, November 23, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Happy birthday, library!

To celebrate the James E. Walker Library’s 10 years of service to MTSU, students may enter a drawing for an iPod and other prizes by explaining their favorite thing about the library. Entry cards are available at desks located throughout the building, or students can e-mail their answers to favorites@ulibnet.mtsu.edu. The deadline is Monday, Nov. 30. The drawing is slated for Tuesday, Dec. 1. The James E. Walker Library, named for the university’s eighth president, opened in 1999 with nearly 645,000 volumes, 3,500 journals and a budget of $269 per student. Today, the library has almost a million books and e-books, nearly 20,000 journals and databases and 350 desktop and laptop computers. The budget is $332 per student

For more information, contact the library at 615-898-2817 or go to http://library.mtsu.edu.

“The biggest dogfight I ever saw was over a boiler of boiled okra.”—Jerry Clower

Experts from around the world have contributed to a new compilation called Okra Handbook, compiled by two Indian scholars. It's intended for agronomists, agricultural planners, research-and-development scientists and commercial plant growers, among others. The authors contend that global warming could cause the high-protein plant to grow in importance in the developing world, where hunger and lack of water remain critical issues. While he professes not to be an expert on okra, Dr. Nate Phillips, agribusiness and agriscience, is faculty advisor to the Plant and Soil Science Club. He says, “I can understand others’ enthusiasm for the crop. Due to its drought tolerance, okra seems well-suited for production in marginal lands. Being a multipurpose crop (vegetable and oil), it deserves to be studied as a potential major crop in developing countries.”

Contact Phillips at 615-494-8985.
nphillip@mtsu.edu

Book it!

The University Writing Center at MTSU is joining forces with Project Help and Murfreesboro City Schools Outreach during the holiday season to encourage children’s literacy. In its team effort to promote the cause, UWC staff will accept new and gently used children’s books now through Wednesday, Dec. 9, as well as money donations, which will go toward the purchase of youth titles. Meagan McManus, a peer mentor and UWC writing assistant, says members of the UWC staff will attend Project Help’s fall semester celebration on Thursday, Dec. 17, to share some of the donated books with the lab’s children. Donations are accepted in Room 325 of Peck Hall from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, contact the UWC at 615-904-8237 or e-mail McManus at mcm2r@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Friday, November 20, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Troop maneuvers

Germany has agreed to extend its military presence in Afghanistan, contingent upon parliamentary approval, even though the mission is becoming more unpopular at home. Meanwhile, NATO has postponed a meeting on the approval of reinforcements for its force in Afghanistan pending President Obama’s consideration of how the U.S. will move forward in its efforts. Dr. Karen Petersen, political science, says, “For the United States, our troops in Afghanistan have dealt a serious blow to the ability of al-Qaeda and sent the political message that we will fight. To leave now or fail to support the troops we have in the region would be seen, rightly, as a sign of weakness. Additionally, it would not take long for the Taliban to reemerge and provide exactly the safe haven we sought to destroy.”

Contact Petersen at 615-494-8662.
kpeterse@mtsu.edu

“There ain’t no time to wonder why/Whoopee! We’re all gonna die!”—Country Joe and the Fish

The movie “2012,” which opened last Friday, has some people thinking about doomsday in a variety of unsettling ways. Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, says he has encountered one person who “insisted that the Mayans had been spot on with their predictions so far. He didn’t say they had been right this time, but still …” Another person “lingered to inform me that he thinks (President) Obama is the antichrist,” Oliver says. Yet another person told Oliver that he believes the leader of the 1997 Heaven’s Gate suicide cult, “who pronounced in a YouTube-preserved recruitment video his bizarre belief that he and his friends must depart this earth in order to ‘evolve’ in the direction of their alien progenitors, was not obviously insane.”

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

How to succeed in business without really crying

The focal point of the final day of Global Entrepreneurship Week at MTSU will be an address by David Bullock, CEO of White Bullock Group of Murfreesboro, today, Nov. 20, at 1:30 p.m. in Room S102 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Bullock will talk about “Strategic Leveraging of Social Media: An Entrepreneur’s Guide.” At 3:30 p.m. in the same room, Rich Miles, managing member of Capstone Business Advisors, LLC, in Brentwood will discuss “Ego and Pride—Driving Success and Failure.” These Global Entrepreneurship Week events are open to the public, and media are welcomed.

For more information, call 615-898-2902.

TR EXTRA

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

For the health of it

With the caveat that anecdotal evidence doesn’t necessarily lend itself to generalizations, Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, has a perspective on health care reform that is informed by his personal experience. In a column in the latest edition of Tennessee’s Business, Burton expresses gratitude for the care he received when he suffered a heart problem, a bleeding ulcer and a knee replacement at different times in his life. “I believe the plans currently under consideration by Congress are ill-advised,” Burton writes. “Every bit of historical evidence I can find indicates that more government involvement in the process will make it less efficient, less effective, less professional, and more costly—in a word, worse.”

Contact Burton at 615-898-2764.
eburton@mtsu.edu

The gang’s all here!

A federal judge has ruled that a New York student who was punished for allegedly running afoul of his school’s anti-gang policy can pursue his claim that his Constitutional rights were violated. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, said the judge agreed that the school’s policy was flawed and cited several cases on point, including “Stephenson v. Davenport Community School District (8th Cir. 1997) and Chalifoux v. New Caney Independent School District (S.D. Tex. 1997), in which school officials invalidated bans against gang-related symbols or attire.” In Stephenson, the court “struck down a school policy barring ‘gang-related activities’ in the context of a student’s allegedly wearing a tattoo with a gang symbol. In Chalifoux, a federal judge threw out a school policy against gang-related attire that was applied to a student who wore rosary beads to school.”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1342.
dhudson@fac.org

Giving ‘em the business

Joe Kustelski, project manager for the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, will discuss “The Middle Tennessee Business Climate and the Role of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center” at 11:20 a.m. today, Nov. 19, in Room S343 of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Kustelski’s address is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week activities at MTSU. All Global Entrepreneurship Week events are open to the public, and media are welcomed. For a complete listing of the week’s events, go to www.mtsu.edu/~entre.

For more information, call 615-898-2902.

TR EXTRA

BEST BIZ--Ed Friz, instructor in MTSU’s Department of Management and Marketing, assigned his two classes the task of coming up with promotional campaigns to increase customer traffic in four target markets by one percent at Best Buy in Murfreesboro. The classes are divided into six teams of four to five students each. Today, Nov. 19, executives from the local Best Buy and one executive from the company’s national headquarters will judge the presentations in two sessions—one at 1 p.m. and one at 2:40 p.m.—in Room S276 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Judges will consider campaign content, organization, presentation, and creativity, as well as team appearance and professional demeanor. Members of the winning two teams will be interviewed for a chance to earn two paid internships at Best Buy. Media welcomed, but please come at around 12:30 so the presentations will not be disrupted. Contact Friz at 615-494-8864 or efriz@mtsu.edu.

HAIL THE HEROES!--MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire. For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718 or vavent@mtsu.edu.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Best biz

Ed Friz, instructor in MTSU’s Department of Management and Marketing, assigned his two classes the task of coming up with promotional campaigns to increase customer traffic in four target markets by one percent at Best Buy in Murfreesboro. The classes are divided into six teams of four to five students each. Tomorrow, Nov. 19, executives from the local Best Buy and one executive from the company’s national headquarters will judge the presentations in two sessions—one at 1 p.m. and one at 2:40 p.m.—in Room S276 of the Business and Aerospace Building. Judges will consider campaign content, organization, presentation, and creativity, as well as team appearance and professional demeanor. Members of the winning two teams will be interviewed for a chance to earn two paid internships at Best Buy. Media welcomed, but please come at around 12:30 so the presentations will not be disrupted.

Contact Friz at 615-494-8864.
efriz@mtsu.edu

Hail the heroes!

MTSU’s Black History Month Committee is accepting nominations for unsung heroes to be honored at the annual Unity Luncheon, which is slated for Feb. 3, 2010. Nominees must be individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their community, are age 60 or older and have lived in the Middle Tennessee area for 25 years or more. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Dec. 11. To nominate a person worthy of this great traditional honor, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/aahm/nominations/shtml and fill in the online questionnaire.

For more information, contact Valerie Avent, assistant director of the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-2718.
vavent@mtsu.edu

Firearms, fidelity, film, and finance

MTSU students will tour Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., in Murfreesboro at 9:40 a.m. today, Nov. 18, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week activities. At 10:20 a.m. in Room S324 of the Business and Aerospace Building, Lorenzo Spikes, CEO of Eclipse Artists Management Group will discuss “Tips for Making It in the Music Industry.” In the same room at 12:40 p.m., Mary Maggio, director, will preview her film “TEN9EIGHT.” The movie tells the stories of inner-city teens as they compete in an annual business plan competition. And at 2:20 p.m., also in Room S324, Jim Gilmore, partner in Audio Productions, Inc., will talk about “Dealing with Today’s Economy.”All Global Entrepreneurship Week events are open to the public, and media are welcomed. For a complete listing of the week’s events, go to www.mtsu.edu/~entre.

For more information, call 615-898-2902.

TR EXTRA

TECH TREK--“Celebrate Your World with GIS” is the theme of this year’s annual GIS Day, an open-house event that will get underway from 1-4 p.m. today, Nov. 18, in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall on the MTSU Campus. Held each year on the Wednesday of the National Geographic Society’s Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 16-20 in 2009), GIS Day is a global event initiated to help raise awareness about geographic information system technology and its many contributions to the field of science, technology, information and the humanities. “The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS,” says Dr. Tom Nolan, director of MTSU’s Laboratory for Spatial Technology. Contact Nolan at 615-898-5561 or tnolan@mtsu.edu.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Checking up on China

In his trip to China, President Obama called for an unrestricted Internet and expanded political freedoms. The Chinese government blocks Web sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, history, says of the current political climate, “Dissidents continue to call for greater political freedom, and the recent publication of Zhao Ziyang’s memoirs based on tapes smuggled out of China is sure to draw close scrutiny of the actions of the then-leader, Deng Xiaoping.” Zhao Ziyang was premier during the 1989 Tienanmen Square uprising in Beijing. He was later ousted. Obama is slated to meet with the current premier, Wen Jiabao, who appeared with Zhao at Tienanmen Square.

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

Penny-wise and pound-foolish

Not only do you have to be a Wall Street Journal subscriber to read content from its Web site. Owner Rupert Murdoch has removed all stories in that Bible of business journalism from Google’s search engine index. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says Murdoch “seems to be overlooking the fact that a significant percentage (25%) of traffic to wsj.com each day comes via Google. Moreover, 44% of site visitors coming through Google have not visited the site within the past 30 days. In other words, Google is driving a sizable percentage of unique views to wsj.com. … Today’s Web is about being open, and while News Corp. (WSJ’s parent company) has a brand worthy of charging for online content, its new search engine policy is too restrictive and misses the opportunity to engage prospective subscribers.”

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

You can bank on it.

Lee Moss, president and CEO of MidSouth Bank in Murfreesboro will speak at a meeting of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization Chapter Meeting at 11:20 a.m. today, Nov. 17, in Room S324 of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Moss’s address is only one of the activities planned to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week at MTSU this week. Moss’s speech is titled “Financial Planning for Entrepreneurs.” All Global Entrepreneurship Week events are open to the public, and media are welcomed. For a complete listing of the week’s events, go to www.mtsu.edu/~entre.

For more information, call 615-898-2902.

TR EXTRA

TECH TREK--“Celebrate Your World with GIS” is the theme of this year’s annual GIS Day, an open-house event that will get underway from 1-4 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 18, in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall on the MTSU Campus. Held each year on the Wednesday of the National Geographic Society’s Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 16-20 in 2009), GIS Day is a global event initiated to help raise awareness about geographic information system technology and its many contributions to the field of science, technology, information and the humanities. “The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS,” says Dr. Tom Nolan, director of MTSU’s Laboratory for Spatial Technology. Contact Nolan at 615-898-5561 or tnolan@mtsu.edu.

GO GLOBAL--A passport to a world of new and exciting possibilities awaits MTSU students at the annual Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Nov. 17, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. Rhonda Waller, director of Education Abroad and Student Exchange, says this year’s fair will be the biggest ever in terms of opportunities to travel to countries all over the world for the learning experience of a lifetime. Exchange programs offered by MTSU can send students to Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. In addition, relationships with a number of consortia provide students with numerous other options. Contact Waller at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

PLAY LAUGH, GROW--The MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will present Dr. Thomas Rowland speaking on “The Biological Basis of Physical Activity in Youth” at 7 p.m. tonight, Nov. 17, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Rowland is Director of Pediatric Cardiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has written more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and presented nearly 80 keynote talks to national and international audiences on a wide range of topics, including developmental exercise physiology, the effects of lifestyle on cardiovascular function in children, iron deficiency in adolescent athletes and determinants of exercise performance in youth. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Monday, November 16, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Tech trek

“Celebrate Your World with GIS” is the theme of this year’s annual GIS Day, an open-house event that will get underway from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the Tom H. Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall on the MTSU Campus. Held each year on the Wednesday of the National Geographic Society’s Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 16-20 in 2009), GIS Day is a global event initiated to help raise awareness about geographic information system technology and its many contributions to the field of science, technology, information and the humanities. “The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS,” says Dr. Tom Nolan, director of MTSU’s Laboratory for Spatial Technology.

Contact Nolan at 615-898-5561.
tnolan@mtsu.edu

Entrepreneur for sure

MTSU celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week this week with events designed to help people turn their ideas into income. At 9:45 a.m. today, Nov. 16, Steve Moore, President of the Country Music Association, will speak on “Risk Evaluation and Risk Mitigation” in Room 101 of the Bragg Mass Communication Building. At 12:40 p.m., Matthew T. Blomeley, Principal Planner for the Murfreesboro Planning and Engineering Department will discuss “Zoning and Planning Issues: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know” in Room S338 of the Business and Aerospace Building. All events are open to the public, and media are welcomed. For a complete listing of the week’s events, go to www.mtsu.edu/~entre.

For more information, call 615-898-2902.

The port report

The MTSU Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) was retained by the Northwest Tennessee Regional Port Authority to assess how a proposed investment in the Port of Cates Landing would affect the economy of Lake, Dyer and Obion counties and surrounding areas. The analysts concluded that the proposed infrastructural investment of $35 million would result in between 406 and 2,184 new jobs in the short run and between 1,703 and 2,355 new permanent jobs. The study also found that the proposed investment would boost the local payroll by $45.2 million, increase local government revenues by $8.5 million and increase per capita income by 3.9 percent.

For more information, contact Dr. Murat Arik or Dr. David Penn at the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

TR EXTRA

GO GLOBAL--A passport to a world of new and exciting possibilities awaits MTSU students at the annual Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 17, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. Rhonda Waller, director of Education Abroad and Student Exchange, says this year’s fair will be the biggest ever in terms of opportunities to travel to countries all over the world for the learning experience of a lifetime. Exchange programs offered by MTSU can send students to Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. In addition, relationships with a number of consortia provide students with numerous other options. Contact Waller at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

PLAY LAUGH, GROW--The MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will present Dr. Thomas Rowland speaking on “The Biological Basis of Physical Activity in Youth” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 17, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Rowland is Director of Pediatric Cardiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has written more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and presented nearly 80 keynote talks to national and international audiences on a wide range of topics, including developmental exercise physiology, the effects of lifestyle on cardiovascular function in children, iron deficiency in adolescent athletes and determinants of exercise performance in youth. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

BURRITOS FOR BABIES--Up ‘til Dawn will host a percentage night from 6-9 p.m. tonight, Nov. 16, at Blue Coast Burrito, 1122 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro. A percentage of your purchase will go to the Up ‘til Dawn program at MTSU if you let the staff know you are there on behalf of the program. Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide, student-led, student-run program to raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Though called Up ‘til Dawn, the program usually takes place throughout the academic year and provides opportunities in leadership for college students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience by organizing and participating in fundraising activities. For more information, contact Edgard Izaguirre at 270-987-2448 or eizag001@gmail.com.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Friday, November 13, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

And when I die

“MTSU on the Record,” the 30-minute public affairs program that connects MTSU with the community at large, is moving to 8 a.m. each Sunday morning from its previous time of 7 a.m. on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). This Sunday, Nov. 15, Dr. Kris McCusker, associate professor of history, will talk with host Gina Logue about her research into the impact of public health policy from 1918-1945 on attitudes toward death and dying in the South. “In the South, whether one was black or white, death was a common and important part of the region’s self-conception, its ‘mind,’ in writer W.J. Cash’s words, since the death of young and old alike was ever present,” McCusker writes. “What happened, then, when public health policy, which assumed that dying was bad except in old age or on a battlefield, infiltrated the South?”

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

Go global

A passport to a world of new and exciting possibilities awaits MTSU students at the annual Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, on the second floor of the Keathley University Center. Rhonda Waller, director of Education Abroad and Student Exchange, says this year’s fair will be the biggest ever in terms of opportunities to travel to countries all over the world for the learning experience of a lifetime. Exchange programs offered by MTSU can send students to Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. In addition, relationships with a number of consortia provide students with numerous other options.

Contact Waller at 615-898-5179.
mtabroad@mtsu.edu

The trade grade

Tennessee has endured its worst second quarter international trade performance in five years, says Dr. Steven Livingston, editor of Global Commerce. “At $4,725,150, 346, Tennessee’s foreign sales were more than a billion dollars (19.5 percent) lower than in the second quarter of last year,” Livingston says. “The good news, if you wish to call it that, is that the state’s losses were more modest than that experienced by the U.S. as a whole (down 27 percent), let alone by many other nations that saw their exports off by 30 percent or more. Losses were nearly worldwide. … All in all, not the best of times. The question now is when and how fast will be the recovery? July exports were roughly flat from a year ago, which at least provided some evidence that the fall has stopped. We now wait for the turnaround.”

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2720.
slivings@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

PLAY LAUGH, GROW--The MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will present Dr. Thomas Rowland speaking on “The Biological Basis of Physical Activity in Youth” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Rowland is Director of Pediatric Cardiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has written more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and presented nearly 80 keynote talks to national and international audiences on a wide range of topics, including developmental exercise physiology, the effects of lifestyle on cardiovascular function in children, iron deficiency in adolescent athletes and determinants of exercise performance in youth. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

BURRITOS FOR BABIES--Up ‘til Dawn will host a percentage night from 6-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at Blue Coast Burrito, 1122 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro. A percentage of your purchase will go to the Up ‘til Dawn program at MTSU if you let the staff know you are there on behalf of the program. Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide, student-led, student-run program to raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Though called Up ‘til Dawn, the program usually takes place throughout the academic year and provides opportunities in leadership for college students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience by organizing and participating in fundraising activities. For more information, contact Edgard Izaguirre at 270-987-2448 or eizag001@gmail.com.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

IN MEMORIAM--As part of MTSU’s 28th annual Salute to Armed Forces/Veterans Day activities, the MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee will celebrate the completion of the wall and the implantation of commemorative brick pavers at the memorial site with a formal ceremony at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, Nov. 14, in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building on the campus. A multibranch color guard, remarks by special guests and the playing of “Taps” are among the tributes on the ceremonial agenda. A time capsule containing publicity, fundraising memorabilia, photos and blueprints, among other items, will be embedded in the ground near the memorial after the ceremony. The names of 63 members of the MTSU community who perished in the service of their country are engraved on the north side of the wall, a bisected light gray polished granite structure. For more information, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/military/memorial/index.shtml.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The unbearable lightness of (human) being

Should humanists be content with a vibrant humanist subculture in a society that embraces religion, or should their goal be to make the mainstream culture more secular and humanistic? Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, says, “It seems to me there’s no reason why humanists should not be happy to embrace the claim that a more humanistic mainstream culture would also be more (naturalistically) ‘spiritual.’ And there’s every reason why they should be averse to reinforcing the popular prejudice that humanists, atheists and secularists generally are best defined by their aversions. Tell the people what you’re for if you really want to move the culture forward.”

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

Play, laugh, grow

The MTSU-based Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will present Dr. Thomas Rowland speaking on “The Biological Basis of Physical Activity in Youth” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. Rowland is Director of Pediatric Cardiology at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. He has written more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and presented nearly 80 keynote talks to national and international audiences on a wide range of topics, including developmental exercise physiology, the effects of lifestyle on cardiovascular function in children, iron deficiency in adolescent athletes and determinants of exercise performance in youth. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549.
dmorgan@mtsu.edu

Who’s minding the store?

The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Dennis Lockhart, tells Bloomberg News that bank losses in commercial real estate will slow down the pace of economic recovery. Dr. Doug Timmons, economics and finance, says, “I fear that tough times, at least in the short term, lie ahead for commercial real state. If macroeconomic conditions continue to worsen, particularly in the retail and service sectors, commercial real estate fundamentals will be hurt. Additionally, unless the credit markets start to open up, market activity will continue to dampen. If the commercial property situation does grow worse, banks are likely to face further losses. One factor that might mitigate these risks is that the commercial real estate sector wasn’t as grossly overbuilt heading into the current economic slowdown as it had been in the early 1990s.”

Contact Timmons at 615-898-5750.
jtimmons@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LORE FROM DAYS OF YORE--The Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU extends an invitation to preview the opening of the records of the Tennessee Folklore Society during the editorship of the late Dr. Charles Wolfe, professor of English. Highlights from the collection will be on display for browsing from 1-4 p.m. today, Nov. 12, in Room 128 of the Todd Building. There is no program or admission charge. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

BURRITOS FOR BABIES--Up ‘til Dawn will host a percentage night from 6-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at Blue Coast Burrito, 1122 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro. A percentage of your purchase will go to the Up ‘til Dawn program at MTSU if you let the staff know you are there on behalf of the program. Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide, student-led, student-run program to raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Though called Up ‘til Dawn, the program usually takes place throughout the academic year and provides opportunities in leadership for college students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience by organizing and participating in fundraising activities. For more information, contact Edgard Izaguirre at 270-987-2448 or eizag001@gmail.com.

THE POWER OF THE PRESS--Local artist Shona Cowart will lecture from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. today, Nov. 12, in Room 462, followed by the public’s chance to make their own prints on the library’s showpiece, its 18th century-replica printing press, from 7-8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Each participant in the Community “Pull the Bar” Night will be allowed to manipulate the press under professional supervision to print and keep a quote from English essayist and lexicographer Samuel Johnson on off-white classic-laid text, also known as “printer’s paper.” A reproduction of the English common press used by Benjamin Franklin in the early 1700s, the press was handcrafted from chestnut and white oak wood and features brass, iron and steel parts forged by hand. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

IN MEMORIAM--As part of MTSU’s 28th annual Salute to Armed Forces/Veterans Day activities, the MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee will celebrate the completion of the wall and the implantation of commemorative brick pavers at the memorial site with a formal ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building on the campus. A multibranch color guard, remarks by special guests and the playing of “Taps” are among the tributes on the ceremonial agenda. A time capsule containing publicity, fundraising memorabilia, photos and blueprints, among other items, will be embedded in the ground near the memorial after the ceremony. The names of 63 members of the MTSU community who perished in the service of their country are engraved on the north side of the wall, a bisected light gray polished granite structure. For more information, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/military/memorial/index.shtml.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

No day at the beach

The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the preservation society that helped to create Illinois Beach State Park in Zion has no First Amendment right to place its pamphlets about minimizing exposure to asbestos at the beach in park racks. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says Judge Richard Posner, who wrote the opinion, “invoked the government-speech doctrine for the principle that government officials sometimes can display their own expression without being forced to display private expression. But he based his ruling on what he termed ‘practical considerations.’ For example, Posner wrote that if park officials were forced to display this ‘frightening’ pamphlet, ‘the display rack would soon be crowded with angry pamphlets by environmental activists and rejoinders by park and other state officials.’”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1342.
dhudson@fac.org

Good lookin’ cookin’

Former MTSU student “Big Fella” will be in the atrium lobby of the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center today, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. cooking in observance of Diabetes Awareness Month. He’ll display his talent with the likes of grilled Dijon chicken, five-minute quesadillas, and grilled chicken & vegetable salad. Small samples of food will be available. The Student Dietetic Association also will be on hand with nutritional information and information about the causes and prevention of diabetes. This event is free and sponsored by Student Health Services and Campus Recreation.

For more information, contact Jenny Crouch at 615-898-2104.
jcrouch@mtsu.edu

The golden age of Gertrude

“Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg,” a new critically acclaimed documentary, compels viewers to appreciate the career of Gertrude Berg, one of the few women in early television with real power. Berg was the creator, producer, principal writer and star of “The Goldbergs,” TV’s first character-driven domestic sitcom. Yet to this day she is not in the Television Hall of Fame.
How did Berg rise to a position of such influence in a time of rampant sexism and anti-Semitism? Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, says, “From 1948-60, New York was where the networks and TV industry were centered, where most of the TV sets were, and where the highest concentration of TV broadcasting stations was. By the 1960s, TV started the big move to the West Coast and TV’s complexion changed—literally—to mostly white and suburban.”

Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465.
pondillo@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

LORE FROM DAYS OF YORE--The Albert Gore Research Center at MTSU extends an invitation to preview the opening of the records of the Tennessee Folklore Society during the editorship of the late Dr. Charles Wolfe, professor of English. Highlights from the collection will be on display for browsing from 1-4 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 12, in Room 128 of the Todd Building. There is no program or admission charge. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Williams, director of the Gore Center, at 615-898-2633 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.

BURRITOS FOR BABIES--Up ‘til Dawn will host a percentage night from 6-9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at Blue Coast Burrito, 1122 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro. A percentage of your purchase will go to the Up ‘til Dawn program at MTSU if you let the staff know you are there on behalf of the program. Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide, student-led, student-run program to raise funds for and awareness of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Though called Up ‘til Dawn, the program usually takes place throughout the academic year and provides opportunities in leadership for college students, allowing them to gain valuable work experience by organizing and participating in fundraising activities. For more information, contact Edgard Izaguirre at 270-987-2448 or eizag001@gmail.com.

THE POWER OF THE PRESS--Local artist Shona Cowart will lecture from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, in Room 462, followed by the public’s chance to make their own prints on the library’s showpiece, its 18th century-replica printing press, from 7-8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Each participant in the Community “Pull the Bar” Night will be allowed to manipulate the press under professional supervision to print and keep a quote from English essayist and lexicographer Samuel Johnson on off-white classic-laid text, also known as “printer’s paper.” A reproduction of the English common press used by Benjamin Franklin in the early 1700s, the press was handcrafted from chestnut and white oak wood and features brass, iron and steel parts forged by hand. Media welcomed. For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.

“A KALEIDOSCOPIC PHANTASMAGORIA”—NBC EXECUTIVE PAT WEAVER DESCRIBING MONITOR RADIO--The November 2009 edition of “Middle Tennessee Record” is a kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria indeed. This month, the program features perspectives from Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, Georgia State University Professor Emeritus Donald Ratajczak, and MTSU students on the state of the economy; the poignant expressions of Holocaust liberators and survivors at MTSU’s ninth biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference; and an exhibit displaying the dazzling lineup of stars who have appeared at Murphy Center over the years—everyone from Garth Brooks to Elton John. To see the cable TV schedule or view the video online, go to mtsunews.com and click on “Middle Tennessee Record.” For more information, contact John Lynch at 615-898-5591 or jlynch@mtsu.edu.

IN MEMORIAM--As part of MTSU’s 28th annual Salute to Armed Forces/Veterans Day activities, the MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee will celebrate the completion of the wall and the implantation of commemorative brick pavers at the memorial site with a formal ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building on the campus. A multibranch color guard, remarks by special guests and the playing of “Taps” are among the tributes on the ceremonial agenda. A time capsule containing publicity, fundraising memorabilia, photos and blueprints, among other items, will be embedded in the ground near the memorial after the ceremony. The names of 63 members of the MTSU community who perished in the service of their country are engraved on the north side of the wall, a bisected light gray polished granite structure. For more information, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/military/memorial/index.shtml.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT.--The MTSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women is offering three grants of $1,800 each to faculty members who want to integrate the experiences and perspectives of women into the curriculum. The grants are intended for use in the summer of 2010. The 2009 winners include Dr. Gretchen Webber, sociology, for her new undergraduate course “Gender, Work and Family in the 21st Century; Dr. Meredith Huey Dye, sociology, for her special topics course “Women in Prison;” and Dr. Tricia Farwell, journalism, for her “Advertising and Social Media” course. The deadline for faculty to submit applications for the 2010 grants is Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.

PICTURES OF YOU, PICTURES OF ME--A different take on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is on display in Stan Strembicki’s exhibit “Memory Loss/Lost Library” in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the Learning Resources Center at MTSU. Strembicki has been photographing the streets, people and events of New Orleans since 1984. Returning after Katrina, he was drawn to photograph not the ubiquitous crushed homes or overturned cars, but the subtler tragedy of washed-away personal ephemera in the debris of the Lower Ninth Ward. “Memory Loss/Lost Library” will be on display until Dec. 9. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

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