Friday, January 29, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

At least no one shouted, “You lie!”

Although delivered with smiles and light humor, President Obama’s State of the Union address Wednesday night was decorated with a few well-placed barbs at some of his detractors. Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and former chair of the Department of Political Science, says, “The speech was well-delivered, although the audience response was quite partisan and highlights the difficulties Obama now faces without a 60-vote majority in the Senate. Obama’s attack on the Supreme Court’s recent decision on union and corporate campaign spending was particularly sharp and drew obvious displeasure from at least one of the justices. The Republican response, delivered from the Virginia state legislature, highlighted a new face (Gov. Bob McDonnell), but was fairly unspecific as to policies. It’s doubtful that most viewers finished watching Obama’s own speech, much less the speech that followed.”

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

The Nashville numbers

What is the economic outlook for the Nashville area? Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, presented his analysis at the annual meeting of Forward Sumner in Gallatin on Jan. 27. Penn finds that hard evidence of an improving economy exists in the areas of housing, manufacturing, claims for unemployment insurance and household spending. He states that the recession probably has ended, and the recovery probably has begun. “Job growth locally should be apparent within the next 2-3 months,” Penn writes. However, he adds, “Reducing the unemployment rate below seven percent will require several years of effort.”

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

Applause for the Pleas Award

Dr. Dwight E. Patterson, associate professor of chemistry at MTSU, has been named as the 2010 winner of the John Pleas Faculty Recognition Award as part of the university community’s celebration of Black History Month. A reception in honor of Patterson will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, in the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall on the MTSU campus. Presented since 1996, the Pleas honor is given to a minority faculty member who has made significant contributions to the university and community. He or she must have excelled in research, instruction, publications and/or service to the university. The recipient also must have demonstrated a commitment to MTSU’s African-American students.

Contact Dr. Adonijah Bakari, director of African-American Studies, at 615-898-2536.
abakari@mtsu.edu

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KATIE IN HAITI--Katie Erie, a 21-year-old MTSU social work major, was performing Christian mission work at an orphanage in Haiti on Jan. 12 when an earthquake registering 7.0 on the Richter scale rattled the island nation. Erie will talk about that traumatic experience and her hope for the Haitian people at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Jan. 31, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Erie, who was working for Bruce Gambrell Ministries of Nashville, had chosen to take a semester off to help the people of the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. She returned safely to the United States a few days after the quake, but in those harrowing moments immediately following the temblor, her parents did not know whether she was dead or alive. For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5018 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

IN UNITY, THERE IS STRENGTH.--The annual Unity Luncheon, a traditional kickoff event for MTSU’s celebration of Black History Month, will be held Wed., Feb. 3, starting at 11 a.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for MTSU students with university ID. The Unity Luncheon recognizes black citizens who have contributed their time and talent for the enrichment and welfare of the entire community and the state of Tennessee. This year’s honorees are Mary McKnight Wade, the first African-American woman to be elected to the Murfreesboro City School Board; Nora L. Clark Waters, a foster parent and member of the Rutherford County Foster Care Association for more than 20 years; and Eugene Ray, Bedford County Mayor. Contact Brenda Wunder at 615-898-2591 for tickets or information or bwunder@mtsu.edu.

CLASSICAL CLASS--John Hill, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, has a special interest in the outcome of the often overlooked Grammy Awards for classical records. Hill was one of the engineers who worked on “Ravel: L’Enfant et les sortileges,” which is nominated in the category of Best Classical Album. The work features the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alistair Willis, the Chattanooga Boys Choir, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Nashville Symphony Chorus and eight operatic soloists. “I really consider myself a musician who has a set of technical skills to draw on,” Hill explains. “For this type of work, you would definitely not want to have somebody who is just fiddling with knobs. … One really has to have some type of working knowledge of music.” The Grammy Awards telecast is slated for this Sunday, Jan. 31, on CBS. Contact Hill at 615-898-5868 or jphill@mtsu.edu. To hear excerpts of the CD and Gina Logue’s interview with Hill that aired on WMOT-FM’s “MTSU on the Record,” go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “January 10, 2010.”

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS.--“Ramblings and Dwellings,” a joint exhibit of work by husband-and-wife artists Ken and Libby Rowe, is on display in MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery now through Tuesday, Feb. 9. An award-winning figurative sculptor, Ken’s “Ramblings” feature small-scale ceramic sculptures with a narrative bend and a whimsical nature. “His sculptures rely on a strong sense of humor and are often viewed as sardonic and quirky,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. In “Dwellings,” Libby’s current photographic work, she explores the emotional state of dwelling through the construction and photographing of small sculptural houses. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Call Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

HOME IS WHERE THE VOLUNTEERS ARE.--MTSU students are building a second Habitat for Humanity home for a Rutherford County resident. Building dates will include Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays. There will be two shifts per day—in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon and in the afternoon from noon until 4 p.m. The home dedication is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25. The Office of Leadership and Service is rounding up volunteers from student organizations for this humanitarian effort. The future resident’s family also will be helping to build their home, and Central Middle School and Jason’s Deli are pitching in. Media welcomed. Good photo opportunities throughout the construction process. For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812 or mtleader@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The state of the State of the Union

Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and former chair of the Department of Political Science, was underwhelmed by President Obama’s State of the Union speech last night. Vile says, “President Obama wisely attempted to focus on the economy last night, but, to date, his promises about creating and saving jobs have been almost completely unverifiable (or falsifiable) and seem contradicted by the nation’s increased rates of unemployment since he took office. Although Obama moved health care until more than halfway through the speech, when he did get to it, it hardly appeared that he was beating a retreat. Of all that he said in the speech, his proposal to abolish the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy in the military, while it will very much appeal to the gay community, is likely to face the toughest overall opposition.”

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

Macro help in a micro package

The City of Murfreesboro, in partnership with MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC), will announce the establishment of a microenterprise loan fund at 3 p.m. today, Jan. 28, at the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, 501 Memorial Blvd. With money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program, the funds will provide approved applicants with allocations to expand, improve or create small businesses that might not be eligible for traditional commercial financing. The TSBDC’s role in the process will include working with borrowers initially to help them understand the loan process and to assist them with the implementation of the loans.

Contact Dr. Patrick Geho at 615-898-2745.
pgeho@mtsu.edu

Katie in Haiti

Katie Erie, a 21-year-old MTSU social work major, was performing Christian mission work at an orphanage in Haiti on Jan. 12 when an earthquake registering 7.0 on the Richter scale rattled the island nation. Erie will talk about that traumatic experience and her hope for the Haitian people at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Jan. 31, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Erie, who was working for Bruce Gambrell Ministries of Nashville, had chosen to take a semester off to help the people of the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. She returned safely to the United States a few days after the quake, but in those harrowing moments immediately following the temblor, her parents did not know whether she was dead or alive.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5018 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

TR EXTRA

IN UNITY, THERE IS STRENGTH.--The annual Unity Luncheon, a traditional kickoff event for MTSU’s celebration of Black History Month, will be held Wed., Feb. 3, starting at 11 a.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for MTSU students with university ID. The Unity Luncheon recognizes black citizens who have contributed their time and talent for the enrichment and welfare of the entire community and the state of Tennessee. This year’s honorees are Mary McKnight Wade, the first African-American woman to be elected to the Murfreesboro City School Board; Nora L. Clark Waters, a foster parent and member of the Rutherford County Foster Care Association for more than 20 years; and Eugene Ray, Bedford County Mayor. Contact Brenda Wunder at 615-898-2591 for tickets or information or bwunder@mtsu.edu.

CLASSICAL CLASS--John Hill, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, has a special interest in the outcome of the often overlooked Grammy Awards for classical records. Hill was one of the engineers who worked on “Ravel: L’Enfant et les sortileges,” which is nominated in the category of Best Classical Album. The work features the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alistair Willis, the Chattanooga Boys Choir, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Nashville Symphony Chorus and eight operatic soloists. “I really consider myself a musician who has a set of technical skills to draw on,” Hill explains. “For this type of work, you would definitely not want to have somebody who is just fiddling with knobs. … One really has to have some type of working knowledge of music.” The Grammy Awards telecast is slated for this Sunday, Jan. 31, on CBS. Contact Hill at 615-898-5868 or jphill@mtsu.edu. To hear excerpts of the CD and Gina Logue’s interview with Hill that aired on WMOT-FM’s “MTSU on the Record,” go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “January 10, 2010.”

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS.--“Ramblings and Dwellings,” a joint exhibit of work by husband-and-wife artists Ken and Libby Rowe, is on display in MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery now through Tuesday, Feb. 9. An award-winning figurative sculptor, Ken’s “Ramblings” feature small-scale ceramic sculptures with a narrative bend and a whimsical nature. “His sculptures rely on a strong sense of humor and are often viewed as sardonic and quirky,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. In “Dwellings,” Libby’s current photographic work, she explores the emotional state of dwelling through the construction and photographing of small sculptural houses. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Call Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

HOME IS WHERE THE VOLUNTEERS ARE.--MTSU students are building a second Habitat for Humanity home for a Rutherford County resident. Building dates will include Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays. There will be two shifts per day—in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon and in the afternoon from noon until 4 p.m. The home dedication is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25. The Office of Leadership and Service is rounding up volunteers from student organizations for this humanitarian effort. The future resident’s family also will be helping to build their home, and Central Middle School and Jason’s Deli are pitching in. Media welcomed. Good photo opportunities throughout the construction process. For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812 or mtleader@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Heaven and Haiti

Understanding the immense suffering resulting from the Haitian earthquake through the perspective of one’s faith can be a struggle. Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies, explains his views. “God is the universe, and the universe exists according to some unbreakable rules,” he writes. “On Earth, one of these rules has to do with plate tectonics: when plates shift, earthquakes and tsunamis happen. There is nothing conscious or deliberate about this. It is not a punishment, a precursor to some greater blessing, or a sign of just how awesome God can be. It is simply the only way God can manifest a planet such as ours. … To me, there is no greater meaning or message or promise in the Haitian tragedy. There is only suffering and people seeking to take advantage of that suffering and people seeking to alleviate that suffering.”

Read Shapiro’s blog at http://rabbirami.blogspot.com.
rabbirami@gmail.com

In unity, there is strength.

The annual Unity Luncheon, a traditional kickoff event for MTSU’s celebration of Black History Month, will be held Wed., Feb. 3, starting at 11 a.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for MTSU students with university ID. The Unity Luncheon recognizes black citizens who have contributed their time and talent for the enrichment and welfare of the entire community and the state of Tennessee. This year’s honorees are Mary McKnight Wade, the first African-American woman to be elected to the Murfreesboro City School Board; Nora L. Clark Waters, a foster parent and member of the Rutherford County Foster Care Association for more than 20 years; and Eugene Ray, Bedford County Mayor.

Contact Brenda Wunder at 615-898-2591 for tickets or information.
bwunder@mtsu.edu

The People’s Republic of Cyberspace

Is making a buck more important than standing up for free speech? Google is threatening to pull out of China after an attack on its network. If the company cannot negotiate a legal unfiltered search engine, it will leave the market. But rival Microsoft is not leaving, despite documented government interference with the Internet. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “Well, the answer to that problem is simply not to do business with countries that abuse human rights--or to say to the repressive government, ‘If you want our products, here’s what we want you to do.’ After all, software companies do that sort of thing to American consumers all the time. Just look at the licensing agreement. Just imagine what will happen if they catch you violating the agreement.”

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

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CLASSICAL CLASS--John Hill, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, has a special interest in the outcome of the often overlooked Grammy Awards for classical records. Hill was one of the engineers who worked on “Ravel: L’Enfant et les sortileges,” which is nominated in the category of Best Classical Album. The work features the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alistair Willis, the Chattanooga Boys Choir, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Nashville Symphony Chorus and eight operatic soloists. “I really consider myself a musician who has a set of technical skills to draw on,” Hill explains. “For this type of work, you would definitely not want to have somebody who is just fiddling with knobs. … One really has to have some type of working knowledge of music.” The Grammy Awards telecast is slated for this Sunday, Jan. 31, on CBS. Contact Hill at 615-898-5868 or jphill@mtsu.edu. To hear excerpts of the CD and Gina Logue’s interview with Hill that aired on WMOT-FM’s “MTSU on the Record,” go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “January 10, 2010.”

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS.--“Ramblings and Dwellings,” a joint exhibit of work by husband-and-wife artists Ken and Libby Rowe, is on display in MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery now through Tuesday, Feb. 9. An award-winning figurative sculptor, Ken’s “Ramblings” feature small-scale ceramic sculptures with a narrative bend and a whimsical nature. “His sculptures rely on a strong sense of humor and are often viewed as sardonic and quirky,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. In “Dwellings,” Libby’s current photographic work, she explores the emotional state of dwelling through the construction and photographing of small sculptural houses. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Call Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

HOME IS WHERE THE VOLUNTEERS ARE.--MTSU students will begin building a second Habitat for Humanity home for a Rutherford County resident today, Jan. 27. Building dates will include Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays. There will be two shifts per day—in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon and in the afternoon from noon until 4 p.m. The home dedication is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25. The Office of Leadership and Service is rounding up volunteers from student organizations for this humanitarian effort. The future resident’s family also will be helping to build their home, and Central Middle School and Jason’s Deli are pitching in. Media welcomed. Good photo opportunities throughout the construction process. For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812 or mtleader@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Classical class

John Hill, a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, has a special interest in the outcome of the often overlooked Grammy Awards for classical records. Hill was one of the engineers who worked on “Ravel: L’Enfant et les sortileges,” which is nominated in the category of Best Classical Album. The work features the Nashville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alistair Willis, the Chattanooga Boys Choir, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Nashville Symphony Chorus and eight operatic soloists. “I really consider myself a musician who has a set of technical skills to draw on,” Hill explains. “For this type of work, you would definitely not want to have somebody who is just fiddling with knobs. … One really has to have some type of working knowledge of music.” The Grammy Awards telecast is slated for this Sunday, Jan. 31, on CBS.

Contact Hill at 615-898-5868.
jphill@mtsu.edu

Ready to work

The MTSU Business and Economic Research Center’s study of the underemployed in seven Middle Tennessee counties finds that the potentially available labor force is 39 percent of the labor force plus all marginally attached. “Identifying the underemployed workforce and analyzing their characteristics will help the region in three distinct ways,” says Dr. Murat Arik, associate director of the BERC. “First the region will be able to attract new businesses by demonstrating that the region has enough supply of qualified workforce; second, underutilization of workforce is a loss to the area economy. Identifying and addressing the causes of underutilization will help the study area economy create a sustainable growth; and third, identifying and addressing workforce skill-related issues means better-paying jobs and job satisfaction for the area workforce.”

Contact Arik at 615-898-5424.
marik@mtsu.edu

May we approach the bench?

An MTSU team won the 5th annual Ramblin’ Wreck Mock Trial Tournament at Georgia Tech on Jan. 24 after competing against some of the best teams in the nation, including Vanderbilt, Duke, Emory, Furman, Georgia, Alabama-Birmingham and Southern Methodist. MTSU senior Austin Purvis, a political science major from Memphis, was named one of the tourney’s top attorneys. This year’s case is a hypothetical criminal case involving allegations that movie producer Jackie Owens, a member of Trifecta Enterntainment in Midlands, was responsible for murdering a partner, Jacob Bennett. Each team at the tournament argued two rounds on behalf of the prosecution and two on behalf of the defense. The teams were judged by two attorneys in each trial. MTSU Mock Trial is coached by Dr. John Vile and attorney Brandi Snow.

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

TR EXTRA

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS.--“Ramblings and Dwellings,” a joint exhibit of work by husband-and-wife artists Ken and Libby Rowe, is on display in MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery now through Tuesday, Feb. 9. An award-winning figurative sculptor, Ken’s “Ramblings” feature small-scale ceramic sculptures with a narrative bend and a whimsical nature. “His sculptures rely on a strong sense of humor and are often viewed as sardonic and quirky,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. In “Dwellings,” Libby’s current photographic work, she explores the emotional state of dwelling through the construction and photographing of small sculptural houses. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Call Snyder at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

HOME IS WHERE THE VOLUNTEERS ARE.--MTSU students will begin building a second Habitat for Humanity home for a Rutherford County resident on Wed., Jan. 27. Building dates will include Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays. There will be two shifts per day—in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon and in the afternoon from noon until 4 p.m. The home dedication is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25. The Office of Leadership and Service is rounding up volunteers from student organizations for this humanitarian effort. The future resident’s family also will be helping to build their home, and Central Middle School and Jason’s Deli are pitching in. Media welcomed. Good photo opportunities throughout the construction process. For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812 or mtleader@mtsu.edu.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Home is where the art is.

“Ramblings and Dwellings,” a joint exhibit of work by husband-and-wife artists Ken and Libby Rowe, is on display in MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery now through Tuesday, Feb. 9. An award-winning figurative sculptor, Ken’s “Ramblings” feature small-scale ceramic sculptures with a narrative bend and a whimsical nature. “His sculptures rely on a strong sense of humor and are often viewed as sardonic and quirky,” says Eric Snyder, gallery curator. In “Dwellings,” Libby’s current photographic work, she explores the emotional state of dwelling through the construction and photographing of small sculptural houses. The exhibit is free and open to the public. An open reception for the artists will be held from 6-8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 25, in the gallery’s lobby. The Todd Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

Call Snyder at 615-898-5653.
esnyder@mtsu.edu

Home is where the volunteers are.

MTSU students will begin building a second Habitat for Humanity home for a Rutherford County resident on Wed., Jan. 27. Building dates will include Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays. There will be two shifts per day—in the morning from 8:30 a.m. to noon and in the afternoon from noon until 4 p.m. The home dedication is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 25. The Office of Leadership and Service is rounding up volunteers from student organizations for this humanitarian effort. The future resident’s family also will be helping to build their home, and Central Middle School and Jason’s Deli are pitching in. Media welcomed. Good photo opportunities throughout the construction process.

For more information, contact Jackie Victory at 615-898-5812.
mtleader@mtsu.edu

Home is where the learning happens.

Nine MTSU undergrads and one graduate student, along with Professor Ramona DeSalvo, are in Cannes, France, to expand their knowledge and their networking opportunities at MIDEM 2010, the world’s largest music industry trade fair. This event is expected to draw more than 8,000 music industry attendees from more than 80 countries. This is the first time MTSU will be represented at the 43rd annual event, and it’s one of only a handful of universities worldwide with the opportunity to attend. “Everybody who’s anybody in music will be there to discuss trends in music, political and legal issues,” says DeSalvo, an entertainment law and copyright litigation attorney who teaches courses in copyright law and contracts and legal issues, along with a seminar class titled “How to Get a Job in the Entertainment Industry.”

Contact the Department of Recording Industry at 615-898-2578.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Always be nice to secretaries. They are the real gatekeepers in the world.”—Anthony J. D’Angelo

Secretaries and clerks who toil in academic and nonacademic units to keep MTSU’s day-to-day essential functions functioning take care of their own and take care of the university through the Association of Secretarial and Clerical Workers. ASCE members hold annual pecan sales to fund a scholarship that helps pay for the Certified Professional Secretary (CPE) exam. Employees who pass this exam are eligible for a nine percent pay raise, and they upgrade their workplace skills through the intense study required to pass. President Kym Stricklin says she joined to reach out beyond the digital communication that has revolutionized the workplace to establish real human contact. “I still think there’s a tremendous value in networking and knowing who to call in another department, establishing a professional relationship beyond e-mails,” she says. The ASCE Web site is http://www.mtsu.edu/asce/.

Contact Stricklin at 615-898-2523.
kstrick@mtsu.edu

Check it out.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency that insures bank deposits up to at least $250,000, says that 53 percent of African-American households and 43 percent of Hispanic households use check cashers, payday lenders or pawnbrokers rather than banks. Some activists say these businesses prey on and manipulate disempowered minorities. Dr. Jacque Wade, social work, says, “Check cashing stores are relatively unregulated and are free to charge high fees. They have stringent rules, which amount to ‘predatory’ check cashing behaviors. The fact that banks are notoriously inaccessible as a check cashing alternative in these communities often makes the check cashers ‘the only game in town,’ thus rendering members of these communities with little or no other choice but to use them as their ‘bankers.’”

Contact Wade at 615-898-2477.
jewade@mtsu.edu

Working it out.

A new study by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) finds that a seven-county Middle Tennessee area has substantial available labor, and local leaders can use that information to promote their localities to companies. The study of Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Lincoln, Moore and Warren counties was conducted by Dr. Murat Arik, BERC associate director, and Dr. David Penn, BERC director. Its executive summary states that many of these workers “have multiple skills and educational attainment (of an) associate degree and beyond. Given the wage rates that available workers are willing to accept for a job, the seven-county region offers a healthy pool of labor … to the prospective businesses or those businesses expanding in the region.”

Contact Arik and Penn at 615-898-2610.
marik@mtsu.edu
dpenn@mtsu.edu

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GIVE ME SOME MEN WHO ARE STOUTHEARTED MEN--The Collegiate 100 Black Men of MTSU will celebrate its 15th anniversary by holding an induction ceremony for the fall 2009 class at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Nineteen young men will be inducted. Members of the Fisk University and Tennessee State University chapters also will be in attendance. The keynote speaker will be Brother Vincent Phipps, founding president of the Collegiate 100. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Travis Stratton at 901-255-4356 or tts2d@mtsu.edu or the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-5812.

“INVISIBLE AIRWAVES CRACKLE WITH LIFE”—FROM “THE SPIRIT OF RADIO” BY RUSH--Is radio responding to the needs and desires of its listeners? Paul Allen, an associate professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, will examine the present and future of radio at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Jan. 24, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Allen teaches Artist Management, New Media for the Music Business, Concert Promotion and Marketing of Recordings. He is the author of Artist Management for the Music Business, now in its third printing, and co-author of Record Label Marketing, now in its second edition. Allen’s professional background includes work in radio and television programming and management as well as radio ownership. To listen to last week’s program with MTSU industrial hygienist Doug Brinsko, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “January 17, 2010. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Invisible airwaves crackle with life”—from “The Spirit of Radio” by Rush

Is radio responding to the needs and desires of its listeners? Paul Allen, an associate professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry, will examine the present and future of radio at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Jan. 24, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Allen teaches Artist Management, New Media for the Music Business, Concert Promotion and Marketing of Recordings. He is the author of Artist Management for the Music Business, now in its third printing, and co-author of Record Label Marketing, now in its second edition. Allen’s professional background includes work in radio and television programming and management as well as radio ownership. To listen to last week’s program with MTSU industrial hygienist Doug Brinsko, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “January 17, 2010."

For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Pudge and circumstance?

After receiving widespread national criticism, Lincoln University has dropped its policy of requiring all students with a body mass index of 30 or above to take a fitness class in order to graduate. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “Yes, require students to take a wellness class, and encourage students to begin and maintain proper physical activity level and dietary habits to improve their health and energy. But it is inappropriate to associate any outcome from these programs—reduced body weight (body mass index score)—to reaching their goal to successfully complete their higher education. Give them the information and resources, and hopefully they will live a lifestyle consistent with that message. Lincoln University’s policy was wrong, in my view.”

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

Shock treatment

Another aftershock registering 6.1 on the Richter scale rocked Haiti yesterday. The Jan. 12 quake that devastated the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere registered 7.0. Fortunately, tremors that cause such enormous destruction don’t occur all that often. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says How Nature Works, a book by Danish theoretical physicist Per Bak, “describes how various complex phenomena in nature, and in society as well, evolve into what he called a ‘self-organized critical state’ from which sudden changes or ‘catastrophes’ obey very simple laws. The surprising property of these so-called ‘power laws’ is that they do not depend on the size or the nature of the catastrophe. For instance, compared to 2.8 magnitude quakes, such as the one in Jones, Okla., on Monday (Jan. 11), but not even felt 15 miles away in Oklahoma City, the frequency of devastating tremors such as Tuesday’s in Haiti is much, much lower.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GIVE ME SOME MEN WHO ARE STOUTHEARTED MEN--The Collegiate 100 Black Men of MTSU will celebrate its 15th anniversary by holding an induction ceremony for the fall 2009 class at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 24, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Nineteen young men will be inducted. Members of the Fisk University and Tennessee State University chapters also will be in attendance. The keynote speaker will be Brother Vincent Phipps, founding president of the Collegiate 100. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Travis Stratton at 901-255-4356 or tts2d@mtsu.edu or the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs at 615-898-5812.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Signs of the times

How do you react as a motorist when you see a digital billboard on the highway? A study by Tantala Associates commissioned by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America found no indication that digital billboards in Cleveland, Ohio, led to more accidents than other billboards. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “Most opponents (of digital billboards) may simply not want these big, bright displays being a part of the local landscape. Citing safety concerns may be the cover for the negative image that billboards have long suffered. But if digital billboards are more attractive (They will not peel or show effects of harsh weather.) and potentially more beneficial for advertisers and the community (having the ability to post info on a missing person, for example), let's hope that persons involved making decisions about billboard placement will recognize the value they can add.”

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

Writing with a Tennessee touch

Tennessee has produced many extraordinary authors, including Knoxville’s Nikki Giovanni, Hohenwald’s William Gay, Henning’s Alex Haley and Pickwick Dam’s Charles Wright. To acquaint MTSU students with their works, Dr. Randal Mackin, English professor, is teaching a Special Topics in Writing class this semester as part of the Tennessee Literary Project (TLP). Students will research the state’s authors, write biographical entries, compose current bibliographies and publish their work online. The TLP is partnered with Tennessee Humanities, a state agency that also is using the student-generated biographies on its website. Course requirements include 500-word biographies on minor writers, 1,000-word biographies on major Tennessee writers, conducting interviews with writers when possible, along with a seminar paper on an author of the student’s choice—all completed in a workshop setting.

Contact Mackin at 615-904-8155.
rtmackin@mtsu.edu

Russian brain drain

Is Russia losing its best and brightest to other nations? In November 2009, Dr. Andrei Korobkov, political science, delivered a presentation on the subject to the Global Institute for Support and Development of Russian Language and Culture in Moscow. He told the assemblage that 946,000 people left the former Soviet republics for permanent residence elsewhere between 1993 and 2007. “Approximately three-quarters of Russia’s professors of post-Soviet years left to work abroad from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk,” says Korobkov. “And 28 percent of these people now reside in the United States.” Korobkov also says current conditions in Russian universities don’t make students want to stay put. “It is no coincidence that only 17 percent of Russian students who travel to the United States say they would like to return home,” he says.

Contact Korobkov at 615-898-2945.
korobkov@mtsu.edu

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Go for the Gilman

Two MTSU students are recipients of the 2010 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, one of the most prestigious study abroad stipends in the nation. Murfreesboro’s Brock Downing, a junior concrete industry management major, and Whitney Rhodes, a junior radio/television major from Whiteville, will use their opportunities in very different ways. Rhodes, whose minors are art and Japanese, is attending Saitama University in Japan this semester. Downing will study during the summer 2010 semester in Morelia, Mexico. “Gilman also requires that students complete their service projects upon their return home,” says Rhonda Waller, director of MTSU Education Abroad and Student Exchange. “Those service projects help to get the word out about the value of study abroad. So this program keeps paying dividends to our campus even after students receive their awards.”

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

“There’s more to life than a little money, you know.”—Police Chief Marge Gunderson in “Fargo”

Their quirky, but entertaining and powerful films include “Blood Simple,” “Raising Arizona,” “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” and the Academy Award-winning “No Country for Old Men.” The actors who have made their movies special include George Clooney, Brad Pitt, William H. Macy, John Goodman, Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand. Joel and Ethan Coen and their work are the subjects of a Special Topics in Film Studies class being taught this semester by Dr. David Lavery of the MTSU Department of English each Wednesday night from 6-9 p.m. in Room 308 of Peck Hall. Students will keep viewing journals and write critical essays on films of their choice, as well as a source paper on some aspect of the Coen brothers’ work. In addition, they will complete an essay final exam.

Contact Lavery at 615-898-5648.
david.lavery@gmail.com

A spirited discussion

“I’m not religious. I’m spiritual.” We’ve all heard people say that. But what does it mean? Can an atheist or agnostic say it? What, precisely, do atheists and agnostics believe—and believe in? What makes a non-religious person “spiritual?” Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, will guide his students through these and many other questions in “Atheism and Spirituality,” a new course being taught at MTSU this semester from 2:40-4:05 on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Room 202 of the James Union Building. Oliver’s class will reflect on texts by Epicurus, Pascal, Hume, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, among others, as well as the writings of “New Atheists” like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Students also will examine works as widely divergent as Varieties of Scientific Experience by the late Carl Sagan and Letting Go of God by former “Saturday Night Live” comedienne Julia Sweeney.

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

TR EXTRA

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 today, Jan. 19. For more information, contact Dr. Samantha Cantrell at 615-494-8751 or scantrel@mtsu.edu.