Friday, February 26, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

G-L-O-R-I-A

Feminist author and activist Gloria Steinem will be the guest at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 28, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Steinem is scheduled to deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s celebration of National Women’s History Month at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Steinem, co-founder of Ms. magazine, also helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a national organization dedicated to nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that strives to increase the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed offices at all levels of government. A 1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Smith College, Steinem is collaborating with her alma mater’s Sophia Smith Collection on a project to document the grass roots origins of the U.S. women’s movement.

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

A warm welcome

Of all of the misunderstandings about the Middle East, one that remains thorny is the belief that Americans traveling there inevitably face hostility. Dr. Allen Hibbard, English professor and director of the Middle East Center, says, “Certainly, events of the past decade make it more difficult to travel in the region—psychologically, at least. Certain boundaries and borders have become more difficult to cross. The last time I went to Syria I was asked a hundred times, ‘Aren’t you afraid of going?’ I was asked so many times that I began to wonder, ‘Should I be afraid?” The collective cultural fears in our own culture began to affect me. Once I was on the ground, however, I felt at home and was reminded of what I consider to be one of the greatest values of the region: hospitality. It is engrained into the fabric of the culture and is genuine.”

Contact Hibbard at 615-494-7906.
ahibbard@mtsu.edu

The gang’s all here.

The Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE) and the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association will present the 2010 Youth Gang Organized Crime Symposium March 11-13 in MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This symposium will examine contemporary gang issues involving (and distinguishing) youth and adult gang members. The subject matter will be of interest to law enforcement, business and education professionals and community leaders. The training is being provided free to attendees with scholarship support from the U.S. Department of Justice. Scheduled topics include “The Impact of Youth Gangs on Our Communities,” Ethnic Youth Gangs in the Community: How Are They Different?,” “Not Just Sex, Drugs and Firepower—The Anatomy of a Gang;” and “Hispanic Gang Identification and Officer Safety Issues.” The deadline for registration is Thursday, March 4.

Go to http://mtsufire.ning.com for more information. To register, go to http://cte.mtsu.edu/gangs/new.htm.

TR EXTRA

HAPPY HISTORY DAY!--MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Department of History will co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus today, Feb. 26. The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants from as many as 30 area counties. Judging will be conducted from 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building (JUB), the Keathley University Center (KUC) and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students in the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m. Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Rebecca Conard at 615-898-2423 or rconard@mtsu.edu.

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through tomorrow, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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, Feb. 25, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Diet and disorders

The Eating Disorder Coalition of Tennessee (EDCT) will offer a presentation by Beth Lamb at 1 p.m. today, Feb. 25, in the meeting room of the Health, Wellness & Recreation Center. Lamb is “a licensed clinical social worker in private practice, specializing in eating and co-occurring disorders,” according to www.edct.net. Tara Prairie, director of Learning Assurance and Compliance in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, says Lamb will talk about body image in college and eating disorders in males. Prairie is faculty advisor to the Middle Tennessee Eating Disorder Group, an MTSU student organization sponsoring several events in observance of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

Contact Prairie at 615-898-2921.
tprairie@mtsu.edu

When Memory Lane hits a dead end

When is it time for Baby Boomers to stop joking about having “senior moments” and get screened for memory disorders? Dr. Brandon Wallace, sociology professor and Director of Aging Studies at MTSU, says, “Memory lapses may be due to any number of causes—stress, lack of sleep, exhaustion, and, of course, dementia and other cognitive disorders. Most of these can occur at any age, but dementia does become more common as we age. As for knowing when to get screened, I’m not sure I have an answer. My general recommendation would be if and when memory lapses begin to regularly interfere with a person’s ability to carry out … daily activities. They probably should speak to their physician about their concerns. However, occasional memory lapses are quite normal.”

Contact Wallace at 615-898-5976.
jbwallae@mtsu.edu

Houses of horrors

Those horror stories of past-due mortgages and foreclosures in Tennessee are more than anecdotal. MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) reports, “The number of foreclosures initiated during the third quarter of 2009 exceeded one percent in Tennessee for the first time during this downturn. Rising foreclosures are a symptom of the continuing severe financial stress felt by many Tennessee households in the face of higher unemployment and income losses. … As has been the case during this recession, Tennessee ranks very high in the percent of mortgages past due (8th highest), but about average for the percent of new foreclosures (24th highest). As for seriously delinquent mortgages, Tennessee’s third quarter 2009 figure is 6.53 percent ranking near the middle (23rd highest) among the 50 states.”

Contact the BERC at 615-898-2610.

TR EXTRA

THE POWER AND THE GLORIA--Writer and lecturer Gloria Steinem, whose pivotal role in the women’s rights movement has resulted in great strides toward equality, will deliver the keynote address of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month celebration at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed with a reception and book signing. Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1972, raised the public profile of feminism with her writing, lectures and public appearances. “Gloria Steinem is an icon!,” says Terri Johnson, chair of MTSU’s Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Her place in the women’s movement is one that will always be respected and honored.” Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

HAPPY HISTORY DAY!--MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Department of History will co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus tomorrow, Feb. 26. The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants from as many as 30 area counties. Judging will be conducted from 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building (JUB), the Keathley University Center (KUC) and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students in the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m. Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Rebecca Conard at 615-898-2423 or rconard@mtsu.edu.

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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, February 24, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Willkommen!

MTSU will welcome a delegation of university student affairs professionals from Germany today, Feb. 24, as part of their week-long tour of institutions of higher learning in the area. The visit is made possible under the auspices of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), a Washington, D.C.-based professional association for student affairs administrators, faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students. “Our staff will be exposed to some new thoughts about how schools abroad are structured,” says Dr. Deb Sells, Vice President of Student Affairs and Vice Provost of Enrollment and Academic Services. “That’s not a chance we get very often. It will prompt us to think about why we do what we do, which will be beneficial in and of itself.”

Contact the Division of Student Affairs at 615-898-2440.

Make a joyful noise (even in the library)

Before Black History Month draws to a close, take a moment to check out “The Beautiful Music that Surrounds You,” a celebratory exhibit on the first floor of the James E. Walker Library at MTSU. The nine-panel array is a tribute to Tullahoma native John W. Work III, who earned degrees from Columbia and Yale before teaching and directing the internationally acclaimed Fisk University Jubilee Singer. The papers, photographs and records shown in the display are archived at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, located in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The exhibit was created by the Arts Center of Cannon County with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. A companion CD of music recorded by Work has been released by Springfed Records, a project of the Arts Center.

Contact the Walker Library at 615-898-2772 or the Center for Popular Music at 615-898-2449.

It’s on the house.

As we examine the economy for any signs of life, the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at MTSU documents something of an upturn in the Tennessee housing market. A recent BERC report states, “Single-family home construction permits rose again in the fourth quarter, climbing to 13,500 from 12,700 in the third quarter. Although single-family construction has improved for four consecutive quarters, the level of activity remains substantially lower than most of 2008. Compared with the Southern states and the U.S., however, Tennessee’s single-family construction is progressing more rapidly. Single-family permits increased 6.6 percent in the fourth quarter for Tennessee compared with just 2.5 percent for the South and 3.2 percent for the U.S.”

Contact the BERC at 615-898-2610.

TR EXTRA

THE POWER AND THE GLORIA--Writer and lecturer Gloria Steinem, whose pivotal role in the women’s rights movement has resulted in great strides toward equality, will deliver the keynote address of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month celebration at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed with a reception and book signing. Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1972, raised the public profile of feminism with her writing, lectures and public appearances. “Gloria Steinem is an icon!,” says Terri Johnson, chair of MTSU’s Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Her place in the women’s movement is one that will always be respected and honored.” Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

HAPPY HISTORY DAY!--MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Department of History will co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus on Friday, Feb. 26. The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants from as many as 30 area counties. Judging will be conducted from 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building (JUB), the Keathley University Center (KUC) and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students in the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m. Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Rebecca Conard at 615-898-2423 or rconard@mtsu.edu.

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The power and the Gloria

Writer and lecturer Gloria Steinem, whose pivotal role in the women’s rights movement has resulted in great strides toward equality, will deliver the keynote address of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month celebration at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed with a reception and book signing. Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1972, raised the public profile of feminism with her writing, lectures and public appearances. “Gloria Steinem is an icon!,” says Terri Johnson, chair of MTSU’s Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Her place in the women’s movement is one that will always be respected and honored.”

Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193.
jawc@mtsu.edu

A playwright named Desire

Heather Raffo, actress and playwright, will present a staged reading of selections from her award-winning play “9 Parts of Desire” from 9:40-11:05 a. m. tomorrow, Feb. 23, in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. The play, a one-woman show told through the lives of nine Iraqi women, is Raffo’s first work as a playwright. Raffo’s appearance is part of her week in residence at MTSU, during which she is teaching a Visiting Artist’s Seminar on Writing Identity. Her students will present their work on Friday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building with a reception to follow. Both events are free and open to the public. These events are made possible by the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the Middle East Center, the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, the University Honors College, the Women’s Studies Program and the departments of Art, English and Speech and Theatre.

Contact Dr. Claudia Barnett at 615-898-2887.
cbarnett@mtsu.edu

Out of the Woods yet?

Is there anything left to say about Tiger Woods’ public statement after the chattering class has saturated the airwaves and sports pages? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, offers this perspective. “There is little doubt about his sincerity after hearing his apologies and viewing his demeanor,” says Anshel. “No one wants to ever be put in that position, even with all of his money. It was uncomfortable to hear because ALL of us have done things we have regretted and have skeletons hidden (permanently, we hope) in our closets. Hopefully, we have learned and grown from those unfortunate experiences and have become better people as a result. … But the exposure of one’s behavior pattern, in this case, repeated episodes of adultery with multiple partners, is the ultimate humiliation.”

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

TR EXTRA

HAPPY HISTORY DAY!--MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Department of History will co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus on Friday, Feb. 26. The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants from as many as 30 area counties. Judging will be conducted from 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building (JUB), the Keathley University Center (KUC) and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students in the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m. Media welcomed. Contact Dr. Rebecca Conard at 615-898-2423 or rconard@mtsu.edu.

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Trailing in the fourth quarter

If the economic recovery has started, someone forgot to tell Tennessee. An analysis of the fourth quarter by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) states, “Although the recession has likely ended from an economist’s perspective, improving conditions have not yet resulted in job growth. Employment continued to decline during the fourth quarter, posting losses in every industry except health care and social services. Initial claims for unemployment insurance declined, signaling that employers are laying off far fewer workers than earlier in 2009. However, fewer layoffs have not led to additional hiring. The Tennessee unemployment rate dropped, but that was caused by a decline in the labor force—fewer people are looking for work. Employers are very cautious about hiring given the level of uncertainty regarding demand for goods and services.”

Contact Dr. David Penn, BERC director, at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu

Soldier, seaman, scholar

Cathy Delametter, coordinator of the MTSU Military Center, will be the guest on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 21, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). The mission of the center is to provide a comprehensive support structure to serve military personnel and veterans choosing to attend MTSU. This includes programs and services to ensure a positive and successful experience for veteran students. The center offers access and referral for educational opportunities and veterans’ benefits; personal interaction, peer support and guidance; orientation and assimilation into the MTSU community; use of military credit toward degree completion; career counseling for job market transition; veteran communities and family activities; and access to organizations like BRAVO and ROTC.

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

Happy History Day!

MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Department of History will co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus on Friday, Feb. 26. The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants from as many as 30 area counties. Judging will be conducted from 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building (JUB), the Keathley University Center (KUC) and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students in the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m. Media welcomed.

Contact Dr. Rebecca Conard at 615-898-2423.
rconard@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

RESPONSIBILITY—WHAT’S YOUR POLICY?--Author and educator Hilde Hein will speak on “The Responsibility of Representation” at 3:30 p.m. today, Feb. 19, in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building as part of the Department of Philosophy’s annual Applied Philosophy Lyceum. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Hein will discuss the ethics of museum representation, the role museums play in constituting the objects they seek to exhibit and the possible consequences of this role for the educational value of museums. Hein has served as curator for numerous exhibitions and has written several books on museum theory and practice. Her current project seeks to reassess the basic teaching of western philosophy in the U.S. in light of feminist theory and practice. Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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, February 17, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

And the music goes round and round and it comes out here.

Martin Fisher, manager of recorded media collections at MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, will put his special talents with wax cylinders on display again this week at the 22nd annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis. Steve Ramm of the Michigan Antique Phonograph Society says, “Using a large recording horn attached to an Edison spring-powered phonograph, Martin makes a recording which lasts two minutes. That was the limit of the wax blanks. He then transfers the recording to digital files and then processes the files to clean them up. He also records the session using an electric microphone. He then compiles all the recordings on two CDs. One is the electrical recording, and the other is the acoustic wax recording. All those who are recorded get both CDs of ALL the performances of all the artists. Martin preserves the cylinders.”

Contact Fisher at 615-898-2449.
wmfisher@mtsu.edu

Responsibility—what’s your policy?

Author and educator Hilde Hein will speak on “The Responsibility of Representation” at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building as part of the Department of Philosophy’s annual Applied Philosophy Lyceum. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Hein will discuss the ethics of museum representation, the role museums play in constituting the objects they seek to exhibit and the possible consequences of this role for the educational value of museums. Hein has served as curator for numerous exhibitions and has written several books on museum theory and practice. Her current project seeks to reassess the basic teaching of western philosophy in the U.S. in light of feminist theory and practice.

Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

If his ringtone is “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” watch out!

Twenty percent of teenage students use their cell phones to search for test answers on the Internet, according to a survey by Common Sense Media. Fifty-eight percent warn friends about a pop quiz with a phone call or text message. Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of student life, is concerned with academic integrity as part of her job at MTSU. She says instructors should have specific policies on cell phones in the classroom. “I also think it is important to have clear and precise language in the syllabus prohibiting cheating in any form,” says Sosh-Lightsy. “It is important to talk to students early in the semester about your expectations AND your knowledge. I talk about the various ways that students use their cell phones to cheat so that they understand that I know what is possible.”

Contact Sosh-Lightsy at 615-898-2750.
llightsy@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

HELP FOR HAITI--“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga. For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

WHERE YOU LEAD, I WILL FOLLOW--Do you have a mentor? Do you know how mentors can make a difference in your life? The Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs and INROADS are sponsoring a mentorship panel for students at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building. Food will be provided. RSVP BY THURSDAY, FEB. 18, to vavent@mtsu.edu or lsankey@inroads.org.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Keep hope alive!

How do Middle Tennesseans’ dismal views of the economy compare with the views of other Americans? Well, we appear to be hopeful by comparison to the country as a whole, according to the Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index from MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research. Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the office, writes, “Even though concerns exist about the current economy and the current job market, local consumers are relatively more optimistic about the future of the overall American economy, are more optimistic about the future of the job market and are more optimistic about their personal financial situation in the next year.” The survey of 455 randomly selected adult residents from Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties was conducted by phone on Feb. 8-9.

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

Help for Haiti

“Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross. In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stood at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country. The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga.

For more information, contact the Office of Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or contact Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com

As if Hurricane Katrina wasn’t enough …

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there’s a link between imported drywall from China and corrosion in homes that installed it. A lot of the problem is in Gulf Coast homes that have been built or rebuilt after hurricanes. New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton, for example, had to move his family out of their home while it was completely gutted and redone. Dr. Heather Brown, associate professor of engineering technology, says, “From 2005-2007, enough drywall was delivered from China to build approximately 50,000 homes. This delivery has affected Florida, Louisiana and Alabama construction. The Federal Housing Administration is helping homeowners with temporary relief for repair costs, but other mortgage companies are not being as supportive.”

Contact Brown at 615-553-8268.
hjbrown@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

WHERE YOU LEAD, I WILL FOLLOW--Do you have a mentor? Do you know how mentors can make a difference in your life? The Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs and INROADS are sponsoring a mentorship panel for students at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building. Food will be provided. RSVP BY THURSDAY, FEB. 18, to vavent@mtsu.edu or lsankey@inroads.org.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, today, Feb. 16 through Sunday, March 4. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Let’s stay home tonight and pretend we actually have money.

Consumers’ perceptions of the economy are taking a downward trend. In the latest Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index from MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research, only two percent agreed with the statement, “Business conditions in the U.S. are good,” a five percent drop from December 2009. The biggest decline was a six percent drop in the percentage of people who agree that “Now is a good time to make large purchases” (33%). Five percent fewer people concurred that “Now is a good time to buy a car” (42%). Only one percent of respondents believe that “Jobs in Middle Tennessee are easy to find,” a three percent drop from December’s survey. The poll was taken by phone on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9. Randomly selected adults in Rutherford, Davidson and Williamson counties were questioned.

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

The dogs that did bark

Warren Smythe, MTSU student and director, producer, editor and co-writer of the independent motion picture “Sound of Dogs,” will talk about his love of film at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 14, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Smythe, an electronic media production major from Hendersonville, made “Sound of Dogs” in Hendersonville with an all-Hendersonville cast and a total expenditure of about $30. He describes it as a psychological thriller about Sutton Gundry, a high school student who learns about his forgotten past through a girl. The trailer can be viewed at www.soundofdogs.com. “Sound of Dogs” premiered at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville on Dec. 21. Smythe has submitted it to the Nashville Film Festival, which is slated for Apr. 15-22.

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

It’s a woman’s world.

As students continue to delve into the spring semester, a new student group will be trying to capture their attention and their imagination. The Women’s Studies Student Organization (WSSO) welcomes students with any and all majors and minors who are interested in gender issues to take part. President Courtney Shelton says the fledgling group will focus on academics, not just activism. Panel discussions and intellectual roundtables will be among the members’ activities along with fundraising and other charitable endeavors, as well as collaborations with other student groups. Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, English professor and director of the Women’s Studies Program, says, “It’s a way to have students light that spark in other students. When you have other students pass on this information in this atmosphere of collaboration and partnership, then it’s easier for students to be drawn into the field.”

Contact the Women’s Studies Program at 615-898-2910 or send e-mails to:
ces3v@mtsu.edu
ll23b@mtsu.edu
kdw3e@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from Monday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, Feb. 16 through March 4. An opening reception for the show will be held one day prior to its official opening, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the campus-based gallery. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this free event. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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, February 11, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

You can’t get back change from a negative amount.

Consumer confidence is not picking up. The latest Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index from MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research (OCR) shows a drop from 83 in December 2009 to 53 in February 2010. Dr. Tim Graeff, director of the OCR, says, “A key question for local retailers is whether or not this continued decrease in consumer confidence will have a negative effect on consumer spending. Unfortunately, negative views of the current economy, fears about the current job market and concerns about personal finances suggest that many local consumers are opting to save more and spend less. When asked about their overall level of consumer spending, only 20 percent expect to spend more than they did last year.”

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

Could you translate that gesture, please?

We tend to think that everyone has the same cultural norms, values and perceptions that we do—until we encounter people from a different culture. Learning about these “invisible” rules that control our thoughts and movements throughout the day is an important aspect of becoming a more effective communicator in other cultures. This is the purpose of “Intercultural Communication” course being taught this semester by Dr. Linda Seward, speech and theatre. While the class is exploring a variety of cultures, the focus is on the Japanese culture. Students are examining Bushido (the code of conduct of the Samurai) and learning how its ancient ideas permeate Japanese culture today, affecting everything from bowling to baseball!

Contact Seward at 615-904-8572.
lseward@mtsu.edu

Skating on thin ice

The opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics are slated for tomorrow night in Vancouver. The U.S. speed skating team lost its sponsor, Dutch bank DSB, less than 100 days before the games. But comedian Stephen Colbert came to the rescue and urged his fans to make online donations to support the team. Can that kind of grass roots support of sports teams become more commonplace? Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “While Colbert’s gesture scores points for patriotism, it likely does not change the game of sponsorship. Does a sports property want to attempt to get a few dollars apiece from thousands of individual donors, or would it like to strategically align with a small number of sponsors with the resources to underwrite the property? I believe the latter still applies.”

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

TR EXTRA

THE MIGHT OF MICROMONEY--Linebaugh Public Library will host the first in a series of microloan orientation training workshops conducted by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at 4 p.m. today, Feb. 11, in the second floor board room. The City of Murfreesboro, in partnership with the TSBDC and MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business, is administering a microenterprise loan fund. It 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 after the city issues them. Contact the TSBDC at 615-898-2745. Contact Linebaugh at 615-893-4131, extension 110.

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from Monday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, Feb. 16 through March 4. An opening reception for the show will be held one day prior to its official opening, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the campus-based gallery. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this free event. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, 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, February 10, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The big chill

As the weather alternates between snow and rain, darkness descends sooner and orneriness becomes second nature, consider the perspective of Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy. He says of Iceland, “One of the coldest, darkest spots on Earth turns out also to be one of the happiest and coolest. Icelanders are stylish, literate, tolerantly heathenish, helpful, friendly … they do drink a bit much on the weekends, but still seem to manage their excess admirably and do not let it interfere with weekday life and work. They seem immune to SADness (Seasonal Affective Disorder).” How do they do it? Oliver says Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss, explains that it might actually have something to do with the cold. As Weiner put it, “In colder places, cooperation is mandatory; interdependence is the mother of affection.”

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

The might of micromoney

Linebaugh Public Library will host the first in a series of microloan orientation training workshops conducted by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 11, in the second floor board room. The City of Murfreesboro, in partnership with the TSBDC and MTSU’s Jennings A. Jones College of Business, is administering a microenterprise loan fund. It 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 after the city issues them.

Contact the TSBDC at 615-898-2745. Contact Linebaugh at 615-893-4131, extension 110.

Common ground

A Muslim group has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the mayor of Lancaster, Calif., after he remarked in his State of the City address that he was “growing a Christian community.” How can Christians and Muslims minimize friction and painful misunderstandings? Dr. Ron Messier, former director of the University Honors Program and professor emeritus of history, is working on a book about how Jesus can serve as a locus for discussions. He writes, “The goal is NOT to show that Muslim and Christian beliefs are the same. They are not. Nor is the goal to minimize the differences between the two religions for the sake of peace. That would be unfair to one, or more likely, to both religions. Nor is the goal to show that one tradition is true and the other is not. Hopefully, we will find that within each tradition, there is sufficient similarity to explore ways in which each religion can find in the other ways to better understand ‘truths’ most central unto itself.”

To contact Messier, call Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

MAKING A FASHION STATEMENT--MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from Monday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable. To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816 or claressa0467@hotmail.com.

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SAVING SOUTH SUDAN--GLOBAL, an MTSU student organization, will hold a bake sale for the New Sudan Education Initiative, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. today, Feb. 10, the second floor of the Keathley University Center. New Sudan Education Initiative is a nonprofit organization “focused on increasing secondary education access, business training, and gender equity development. Our education enrichment programs are primarily targeted for young women in South Sudan,” according to its Web site, www.nesei.org. The GLOBAL organization at MTSU “strives to develop, foster and nurture diversity and tolerance within our campus community and provide intellectual training and outlets to aid well-informed, culturally tolerant global student citizens,” states the Global Studies Web site (http://www.mtsu.edu/global/GLOBALSO.shtml). For more information, call 615-494-7744 or send e-mails to jrw6m@mtsu.edu or keh3v@mtsu.edu.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, Feb. 16 through March 4. An opening reception for the show will be held one day prior to its official opening, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the campus-based gallery. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this free event. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

“CELLULOID HEROES NEVER REALLY DIE.”—RAY DAVIES--Two MTSU students are semifinalists in the second annual “Oscar Correspondent Contest.” Nicki DeCroce, a junior journalism major from Nashville, and Tony Holt, a senior electronic media production major from Maryville, combine for one of ten teams hoping to win a chance to interview the stars on the red carpet at the 82nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7, in Los Angeles. The video DeCroce and Holt made can be viewed at http://oscars.mtvu.com. Visitors to the Web site may vote for their favorite teams once each day through the deadline of today, Feb. 10.

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. today, 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 or abakari@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.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Making a fashion statement

MTSU’s Eta Kappa Chapter of the Gamma Sigma Sigma national service sorority will present its second annual Prom Dress Collection Drive from Monday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 27. Drop off your prom dresses at Holiday Cleaners, 911 Memorial Blvd. in Murfreesboro, for distribution in March to high school junior and senior girls in Rutherford and Williamson counties who are on the free/reduced lunch program. Dresses must be from 2002 to the present, must be dry-cleaned and on hangers, and must be prom dresses, formal gowns or fancy party dresses. Garments that were purchased before 2002 or have not been dry-cleaned, wedding dresses, casual or semiformal clothing and tuxedoes are unacceptable.

To make an appointment for dropping off a dress, or to make a monetary donation, contact Claressa Johnson at 615-427-1816.
claressa0467@hotmail.com

Short-sighted?

Trijicon, a manufacturer of rifle scopes, is issuing removal kits to take their encoded Bible references off their products. The company stamped Bible verses onto its products, like “JN812,” a reference to John 8:12, which states, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” The revelation was an embarrassment to the Pentagon because the U.S. armed forces used Trijicon’s products. Dr. Rami Shapiro, an adjunct professor of religion and an ordained rabbi, finds the news amusing. Sarcastically, he says, “What a shame. If it were up to me, I’d make the quotes more explicit. In this way, if the hardware is captured by people of a different faith, they may refuse to use the weapons for fear of violating their own faith.”

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

Guns and the governor’s race

Among the candidates for governor, positions vary on public access to the names of people who have permits to carry handguns. Jim Kyle and Kim McMillan favor full access with Social Security numbers and addresses deleted. Mike McWherter, Ron Ramsey, Bill Gibbons and Bill Haslam favor access but not a searchable database on the Web. Zach Wamp does not support publishing the records. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “Access to government records is about the only way citizens have of keeping track of what their government is doing. Last year, the Tennessee Press Association honored Governor Bredesen for his efforts at improving the public’s access to government information. With another election in the near future, candidates need to provide detailed explanations of their positions on citizens’ access to the citizens’ information.”

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

TR EXTRA

LEARNING FROM THE LANDSCAPE--MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield. Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

SAVING SOUTH SUDAN--GLOBAL, an MTSU student organization, will hold a bake sale for the New Sudan Education Initiative, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 10, the second floor of the Keathley University Center. New Sudan Education Initiative is a nonprofit organization “focused on increasing secondary education access, business training, and gender equity development. Our education enrichment programs are primarily targeted for young women in South Sudan,” according to its Web site, www.nesei.org. The GLOBAL organization at MTSU “strives to develop, foster and nurture diversity and tolerance within our campus community and provide intellectual training and outlets to aid well-informed, culturally tolerant global student citizens,” states the Global Studies Web site (http://www.mtsu.edu/global/GLOBALSO.shtml). For more information, call 615-494-7744 or send e-mails to jrw6m@mtsu.edu or keh3v@mtsu.edu.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, Feb. 16 through March 4. An opening reception for the show will be held one day prior to its official opening, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the campus-based gallery. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this free event. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

“CELLULOID HEROES NEVER REALLY DIE.”—RAY DAVIES--Two MTSU students are semifinalists in the second annual “Oscar Correspondent Contest.” Nicki DeCroce, a junior journalism major from Nashville, and Tony Holt, a senior electronic media production major from Maryville, combine for one of ten teams hoping to win a chance to interview the stars on the red carpet at the 82nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7, in Los Angeles. The video DeCroce and Holt made can be viewed at http://oscars.mtvu.com. Visitors to the Web site may vote for their favorite teams once each day through the deadline of tomorrow, Feb. 10.

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. tomorrow, 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 or abakari@mtsu.edu.

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 today, 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.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Percy’s progress

Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, is shining the spotlight on trailblazer Percy Julian during Black History Month. Julian’s expertise had enormous impact on industrial chemistry. He received more than 130 patents, ranging “from one of the most commercially successful syntheses of cortisone to the fire-extinguishing foams that saved countless lives during World War II,” says MacDougall. But it was a rough ride for Julian. “For instance, after he obtained his doctorate in Vienna, he was denied a professorship at his alma mater, DePauw University, even though he had been the valedictorian in his class,” says MacDougall. “It is said that Percy Julian broke the color barrier in American science more than a decade before Jackie Robinson did it in baseball.”

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

Learning from the landscape

MTSU history students produced the exhibit “Listening to the Landscape: The Stories of Stones River National Battlefield,” which is on display at Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro, through March 9th. The exhibit highlights the changes that occurred on the battlefield landscape prior to the Civil War through the present. One of the four exhibit panels highlights the African-American community known as “Cemetery.” It formed around Stones River National Cemetery after the Civil War. Linebaugh also will feature books that are related to the exhibit. “Listening to the Landscape” is sponsored by Eastern National, the Public History Program at MTSU, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Stones River National Battlefield.

Contact the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area office at 615-898-2947 or the MTSU Department of History at 615-898-2536.

The way they play the game

An interactive program on sportsmanship for both players and coaches that has already been shown to help reduce ejections in high school football by more than 60 percent over three years was adopted for use this past fall by the Sun Belt Conference with high expectations that it will have the same positive impact at the college level. Sun Belt players and coaches must complete the “RealSportsmanship” platform as part of its requirements for competing within a conference. Dr. Colby Jubenville, health and human performance, created the platform. “After many years of teaching, it has become clear to me that athletes have a better understanding of core values when they are placed in the decision-making process,” says Jubenville. “So I connected values to behavior. It’s important for coaches to tie concepts to behaviors in a way that athletes understand.”

Contact Jubenville at 615-898-2909.
jubenvil@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

GET THE PICTURE?--Professor Emeritus Harold Baldwin will deliver a lecture at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Feb. 8, in Room 221 of the Learning Resources Center. The current exhibit featured in the Baldwin Photographic Gallery curated by Baldwin includes images purchased since the gallery’s inception in 1961. During that time, major and emerging photographers of all genres have exhibited at MTSU, and Baldwin Gallery has become a popular venue that is scheduled years in advance. There will be a reception following the lecture in the gallery. Exhibits are free and open to the public. For information, call 615-898-2085.

IRAQ ON A ROLL?--Steve Saunders, interim director of the McNair Scholars Program at MTSU, will speak on “Calamitous Clusters: The Conflict Implications of a Democratic Iraq” today, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. The discussion is part of the Spring 2010 Honors Lecture Series “Global Tensions: A Focus on the Middle East.” This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the University Honors College at 615-898-2152.

SAVING SOUTH SUDAN--GLOBAL, an MTSU student organization, will hold a bake sale for the New Sudan Education Initiative, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10, the second floor of the Keathley University Center. New Sudan Education Initiative is a nonprofit organization “focused on increasing secondary education access, business training, and gender equity development. Our education enrichment programs are primarily targeted for young women in South Sudan,” according to its Web site, www.nesei.org. The GLOBAL organization at MTSU “strives to develop, foster and nurture diversity and tolerance within our campus community and provide intellectual training and outlets to aid well-informed, culturally tolerant global student citizens,” states the Global Studies Web site (http://www.mtsu.edu/global/GLOBALSO.shtml). For more information, call 615-494-7744 or send e-mails to jrw6m@mtsu.edu or keh3v@mtsu.edu.

SOMEDAY YOUR PRINTS WILL COME.--The Todd Hall Art Gallery will present “PRINTS: Through the Collector’s Eyes,” an exhibition that brings together a wide variety of original prints, Feb. 16 through March 4. An opening reception for the show will be held one day prior to its official opening, 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in the campus-based gallery. The public is encouraged and invited to attend this free event. Among the works that will be displayed are wood engravings, etchings, lithographs and screen prints, all of which are primarily from area collectors. “Included are prints from the 17th to the 21st centuries with work by famous artists as well as those who are less known,” says Christie Nuell, exhibit curator and MTSU art professor. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Call Eric Snyder, gallery curator, at 615-898-5653 or esnyder@mtsu.edu.

“CELLULOID HEROES NEVER REALLY DIE.”—RAY DAVIES--Two MTSU students are semifinalists in the second annual “Oscar Correspondent Contest.” Nicki DeCroce, a junior journalism major from Nashville, and Tony Holt, a senior electronic media production major from Maryville, combine for one of ten teams hoping to win a chance to interview the stars on the red carpet at the 82nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7, in Los Angeles. The video DeCroce and Holt made can be viewed at http://oscars.mtvu.com. Visitors to the Web site may vote for their favorite teams once each day through the deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 10.

THE COLOR OF MONEY—Earl Graves Sr., founder and publisher of Black Enterprise magazine, will speak at 11 a.m. today, Feb. 8, in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building. Graves is a nationally recognized authority on black business development. He also has served as a director of Aetna, DaimlerChrysler, Federated Department Stores and American Airlines. Graves’ appearance is in celebration of Black History Month at MTSU, which is based on the theme of “The History of Black Economic Empowerment.” This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Black History Month Committee, the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the School of Journalism, and the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs. Contact Vincent Windrow at 615-898-2831 or vwindrow@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 or abakari@mtsu.edu.

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 tomorrow, 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.