Friday, March 26, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A shaky foundation

More than one in five construction workers in Tennessee in 2006 were misclassified as independent contractors or paid under the table, according to a study by Dr. William Canak of MTSU and Dr. Randall Adams of Tennessee Tech. Canak and Adams will discuss their findings at 8 a.m. this Sunday, March 28, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Canak and Adams’ research was based on data from state and federal agencies. It concluded that the misclassification of 38,680 workers cost the state nearly $15 million in unemployment taxes and $92 million in workers’ compensation premiums. They testified about their study to the House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee of the Tennessee General Assembly on Feb. 17.

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

Noah’s ark

Rebecca Carter, dissertation fellow and instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, will present “The Blessed Placemakers: Urban Violence, Religious Transformation, and Human Security in Post-Katrina New Orleans” at 12:45 p.m. Friday, April 2, in the Glassroom of Andrew L. Todd Hall. This event, sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Anthropology Society, is free and open to the public. Carter will deliver an informal talk on the grassroots formation of diverse religious movements in Orleans Parish and their influence in post-disaster urban redevelopment and reform. Case studies of religious communities include a Catholic “peace prayer” group; an Episcopal social justice ministry for victims of violence; an inner city Baptist church leading anti-violence and grief recovery ministries; and practitioners of Haitian Vodou conducting “crime ceremonies” for community healing.

Contact the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at 615-898-2508.

When you care enough to send the very best

Paris Hilton is suing Hallmark over a greeting card displaying a cartoon figure of a waitress with Hilton’s head saying to the customer “That’s hot,” a phrase she used in her reality TV series “The Simple Life.” The caption reads “Paris’ First Day as a Waitress.” Hilton alleges misappropriation of publicity under California law. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “If Hilton’s publicity claim succeeds then Hallmark cannot make cards that spoof celebrities without compensating them. Publicity rights will have defeated the First Amendment right to free expression. … The case of Paris Hilton and Hallmark could be a watershed in determining how to balance publicity rights with the First Amendment.”

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

TR EXTRA

PLAY BALL, HOLD ON TIGHT, AND PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION--New MTSU Audio Clips and radio-ready stories are available for radio stations to download and insert into their newscasts at www.mtsunews.com. (Click on “Audio Clips” on the right side of the page. In this edition, Dr. Warren Tormey, English professor and organizer of the annual Baseball Literature and Culture Conference at MTSU, discusses today’s gathering in the James Union Building. Hall-of-Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins will be the luncheon speaker. Dr. Melissa Lobeigeier, geosciences, remembers her 2005-2006 internship in Concepcion, Chile, the epicenter of the February 27th earthquake, and talks about how the earth’s shifting and colliding plates affect that part of the world. Dr. Brenden Martin, director of MTSU’s Public History Program, talks about the search for World War II homefront artifacts and oral histories from Rutherford Countians for an exhibit showing what life was like in the county during the war. Contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

MINUTE TO WIN IT?--The annual Employment Opportunities Exchange will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 29, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. The purpose of the ‘exchange’ is to help 2010 and 2011 graduates meet recruiters seeking employees in sales, marketing and management. “Using the ‘exchange’ format, employers will have the opportunity to share their information with many more students than time would allow at a typical career fair,” says Dr. Katie Kemp, assistant professor in the Department of Management and Marketing. Recruiters will rotate from table to table in timed sessions of approximately 10 to 15 minutes each, briefly sharing career opportunities with small groups of students seated at tables. When the bell rings, the recruiters move to another table. Contact Kemp at 615-898-2346 or kkemp@mtsu.edu.

CHINA ON THE SILVER SCREEN--The Confucius Institute and the Office of the Dean of the College of Mass Communication at MTSU will present a Chinese Film Festival on Sunday nights from Mar. 28-Apr. 18 in Room 103 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. Each movie will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Following each movie, Liu Xiao, a master’s degree candidate in the College of Mass Communication, will facilitate a question-and-answer session. All movies in the series have English subtitles and are free and open to the public. The first film, slated for viewing on March 28, is “Rickshaw Boy” (1982), the first film from the People’s Republic of China to open in an American theater. It’s the tale of the ugliness of a city run by dueling warlords where many of the poor turn against each other for survival. Other films scheduled to be presented include “Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994) on Apr. 4; “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress” (2002) on Apr. 11; and “Getting Home” (2007) on Apr. 18. Contact the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696 or Dr. Bob Spires at 615-898-2217.

JAM FOR LIFE--The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity at MTSU will host its first Alpha Jam from 1-6 p.m. tomorrow, March 27, on the lawn in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building to promote mental health awareness and combat suicide rates in the area. “On Sept. 9, 2009, the Eta Nu chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity lost a beloved brother due to suicide,” says Edgard Izaguirre, the chapter’s public relations officer. “Since that moment, the active brothers have worked to honor him.” Tickets are $5 each, which includes a concert, food, inflatables, a rock wall and more. Izaguirre says all proceeds will go directly to “To Write Love on Her Arms,” which is described on its Web site (www.twloha.com) as “a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.” This event is free and open to the public. Media welcomed. Contact Izaguirre at 786-863-3334 or eizag001@gmail.com.

GOING TO SEE THE CANDIDATES ORATE--MTSU, in cooperation with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, will play host to a gubernatorial forum at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 29, in Murphy Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Free tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis, starting with MTSU students, followed by faculty, staff and the general public. MTSU students with valid IDs may pick up tickets now. All other university personnel and the general public may pick up tickets beginning Monday, April 5. Tickets should be picked up in advance at the MTSU Ticket Office, located at Gate 1A at Floyd Stadium on Faulkinberry Drive. For all ticket and general information, call the MTSU Ticket Office at 1-888-YES-MTSU (1-888-937-6878).

MORE BANG FOR YOUR BOOK--Books, tapes, compact discs and more will be available at terrific prices at the annual American Association of University Women Book Sale from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, March 29-30, on the first floor of MTSU’s Keathley University Center. All proceeds benefit the Ruth Houston Memorial Scholarship Fund for MTSU students. For more information, contact Dr. Carol Anne Baily at 615-898-5989 or cabaily@mtsu.edu.

A STITCH IN TIME IS QUITE SUBLIME.--Stand back from the framed work on the wall and you’re looking at a tiger, an elephant or a goddess. Move closer and you’re looking at thousands and thousands of intricately woven stitches, grouped distinctively, yet blending into each other through meticulous selection of colors. This is the magic of cross stitching. Jaye Kiblinger’s exhibition, “Cross Stitch as an Art Form,” is on display through Monday, April 5, in the rotunda of Murfreesboro City Hall, 111 W. Vine St. The exhibition of nearly 50 items and the reception are free and open to the public. Kiblinger, an executive aide in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship at MTSU, says, “Most of my creations now take well over a year to complete, which is just fine with me. … Cross stitch is now part of my DNA—who I am.” For more information, go to http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/ and click on “Art in the Rotunda” under “Events.”

BOUND BY BOOKS--What better place to display new and innovative books than the James E. Walker Library? The MTSU facility is providing a showcase for student-created books sure to spark conversation and ignite the imagination now through Thursday, April 1, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor. This is the second annual juried show featuring the work of MTSU’s Book Arts students. The Department of Art’s Book Arts Program offers classes in which students learn bookbinding techniques using both traditional and nontraditional forms and materials. Student works on display in Special Collections reflect individual creativity in expressing tributes to family or personal or humorous stories. Materials used include graphite, ribbon, rice paper, string, linen, cardstock, acetate, canvas, India ink, lithographs and leaves. The Special Collections area is open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 615-904-8501. For photos of the student art, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.