Thursday, November 5, 2009

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Going negative

A study by the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience finds that people process negatively worded information they are shown for only a fraction of a second more accurately than they process positively worded information. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “Copywriters … should consider whether a message that is typically worded in a neutral or positive manner can be worded using negatively charged words instead. An example given by the UCL researchers is the message ‘slow down’ might be more effectively worded ‘kill the speed.’ … Second the practice of comparative advertising seems to be a prime candidate for application of this study’s findings. For example, an upstart company that paints the market leader as ‘a big monster’ might more effectively contrast differences between the two brands as opposed to a straightforward comparison of the two brands.”

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

Better teaching through chemistry

American Chemical Society president and Dow Corning Corporation scientist emeritus Dr. Thomas H. Lane will present an MTSU Department of Chemistry seminar concerning STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) research starting at 11:30 a.m. today, Nov. 5, in Room 100 of the Davis Science Building. Lane will present a 45-minute lecture, “Inspired by Nature,” which will be followed by a question-and-answer session by those in attendance. A reception for Lane will be held shortly thereafter. The lecture is free and open to the public. Lane was director of Dow’s Global Science and Technology Outreach and Senior Research Scientist from 2006 until earlier this year. He was senior research scientist and managing director of Silicon Biotechnology from 2002 until 2006. Media welcomed.

For more information, contact Dr. Martin Stewart at 615-898-2073.
mstewart@mtsu.edu

I’m sticking to the union.

The general public and MTSU community are invited by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee to attend a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating construction of the new Student Union at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Nov. 6. The event will be held just north of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building on the east side of campus. Parking will be available in the lot between the Honors building and the Bragg Mass Communication Building. People driving to the ceremony may enter from Blue Raider Drive or Alumni Drive. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will move inside the Honors building. Media welcomed.

For more information, contact Randy Weiler in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5616.
jweiler@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

IT’S NICE TO KNOW SOMEBODY CAIRS--Appliances, decorations and bargains galore will be available at the Community Assistance for International and Refugee Students (CAIRS) yard sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Blackman Community Club at 4310 Manson Pike in Murfreesboro. Among the items on sale are recession-beating prices are microwaves, men’s jackets and coats, jewelry, children’s toys and loads and loads of books. CAIRS is a nonprofit association of concerned individuals whose goal is to help international students who have no family or support network in the United States handle unexpected expenses such as medical bills and car repairs. Many of them are at MTSU on student visas and are not eligible for any federal aid. Contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or Karen Case at 615-898-2061 or gklogue@mtsu.edu or kcase@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.

PAYING FOR PROTECTION--Walter Enders, professor and Lee Bidgood Chair of Economics and Finance at the University of Alabama, will speak about “Measuring the Economic Costs of Terrorism” at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 6, in Room S128 of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Department of Economics and Finance, the Distinguished Lecture Series and the Economics Club. For more information, call the Department of Economics and Finance at 615-898-2520.

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.

EIGHTY CANDLES--Help Homer Pittard Campus School celebrate its 80th birthday from 8 a.m. to noon tomorrow, Nov. 6, at the school at 923 East Lytle Street in Murfreesboro. The school is a public school operated jointly by MTSU and Rutherford County Public Schools. It continues to be a laboratory school—K-6 grades—for students in the teacher education programs in MTSU’s department of Elementary and Special Education. There will be a light breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by a program with music at 9 a.m. Starting at 10 a.m., there will be tours of the building and classrooms and information on Campus School history through the decades. At 11 a.m., there will be a boxed lunch for $10 per person. To register for lunch, send an e-mail to peaybrain@juno.com. For more information, call Campus School at 615-895-1030.

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. Strembicki, a professor of photography at Washington University in St. Louis, will deliver a free and open lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in Room 103 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building with a reception to follow. For more information, contact Tom Jimison at 615-898-2085 or tjimison@mtsu.edu.

WEEKEND WARRIORS AND WARBLERS--Two opportunities to see “Ragtime,” the MTSU School of Music’s presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical, and the Blue Raiders’ home game against Florida International University are highlights of the Nov. 6-7 Family Weekend. “Ragtime,” starring Shawn Lewis and Scott Willis, will take place at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, in Tucker Theatre. Saturday’s events include registration at 11:30 a.m. and a silent auction in Walnut Grove. While the silent auction is underway, the “Blue Raider Lunch, Tailgating and Fun” is set from noon to 2:30 p.m. in Walnut Grove and other activities are planned. The Raider Walk, a pregame tradition, is slated for 1:15 p.m. The football game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. in Floyd Stadium. For more information, call the Office of New Student and Family Programs at 615-898-2454.

MICKEY MAKES A SCHEDULE CHANGE--The date of the Disney Keys to Excellence Conference hosted by MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business at the Sheraton Downtown Nashville has been changed to Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to take an exclusive look at the "business behind the magic" from Walt Disney World© insiders, who will share the successful business practices and unique philosophies that have made the Disney name synonymous with creativity, quality, and innovation the world over. Also, the special free 90-minute session on leadership on campus for MTSU personnel only will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Tom Jackson Building. Those MTSU personnel who have already registered need do nothing further. To learn more and to register, go to www.keysnashville.com or call 877-544-2384.

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