Friday, March 5, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Iraqracy?

With Iraq’s first national election as a fully sovereign country proceeding today through Sunday, “MTSU on the Record” and host Gina Logue examine how Iraq might fare as a democracy with guests Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science, and Steve Saunders, interim director of the McNair Scholars Program, at 8 a.m. this Sunday, March 7, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Saunders and Petersen are the authors of Prospects for Political Stability in a Democratic Iraq: A Study of the Clusters of Conflict (Edwin Mellen Press). The book posits that Iraq under a democratic form of government might not necessarily be more pacific. In fact, they write that “democracies surrounded by autocracies can be especially war-prone.” Their analysis is based on analyses of clusters of contiguous nations.

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

Finger-pointing with the middle finger

Both the president and the Congress are responsible for political gridlock, according to respondents to the latest MTSU Poll. Forty-nine percent said Obama isn’t doing enough to cooperate. Forty percent said he is doing enough. The rest either didn’t answer or refused to answer. On the other hand, 70 percent said Republicans in Congress aren’t doing enough to work with Obama with 18 percent saying that the GOP is being cooperative. Dr. Jason Reineke, associate director of the poll, says, “Among independents, opinions of whether Obama is doing enough to cooperate with Republicans in Congress seem to be driven primarily by the television news outlet the individual watches most often.”

Contact Reineke at 615-494-7746.
jreineke@mtsu.edu

Decaffeinated tea

According to the latest MTSU Poll, 29 percent of Tennesseans have a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement, but only nine percent identify themselves as members. Nineteen percent view the movement unfavorably. Thirty-two percent say they have heard about it, but they have no opinion on the subject. Nineteen percent have not heard of it at all. The rest gave no answer. Dr. Ken Blake, director of the poll, says, “State residents tend to overestimate the movement’s membership, guessing, on average, that 26 percent of Tennesseans presently identify themselves as members of the movement, almost three times as many as the nine percent who self-identified in response to the MTSU Poll.”

Contact Blake at 615-210-6187.
kblake@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

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.

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.” Go to http://mtsufire.ning.com for more information.

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.

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.