Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Middle East meets Middle Tennessee

Scholars from a 12-state region will engage in academic discourse on a variety of topics at the spring meeting of the Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Seminar (SERMEISS) at the MTSU Foundation House, 324 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro, March 19-21. “This will be a marvelous opportunity for us to showcase our new Middle East Studies program and a number of the very fine faculty members who teach in our program,” says Dr. Allan Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center and English professor. Dr. Ron Messier, history professor emeritus and former director of the University Honors Program, is president of SERMEISS. Messier says, “The meeting will bring many of the leading scholars in the region to our campus to discuss issues of paramount relevance to what is going on in the world today.”

Contact Hibbard at 615-494-8809.
ahibbard@mtsu.edu

The job of creating jobs

The overall economy may be showing signs of recovery, but apparently it’s still going to be a long, hard climb in the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the fourth quarter edition of Midstate Economic Indicators, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center (BERC), “In order to bring down the unemployment rate to the status quo ante, two things must occur. First, the economy must generate enough new jobs to recover those lost during the past two years. Second, the economy must generate enough jobs to absorb new entrants to the labor force, including immigrants from other counties and states, new high school graduates and new college graduates. Thus, we need unemployment growth to bring down the unemployment rate—and more employment growth to keep it there.”

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

Voices on video

Students in an MTSU Women’s Studies class are putting what they learn into action with “Multicultural Women’s Voices,” a video of women in the campus community voicing their views about gender, race, ethnicity and other cultural issues, which will be shown from 11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m. tomorrow, March 18, in Room 307 of Peck Hall. The thematic frames for the discussion include gender socialization, ethnic/racial minority experiences, diverse family structures and empowerment strategies for women, says Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson, director of the Women’s Studies Program and instructor of the Multicultural Women’s Voices class. The students taped interviews with several MTSU women students, faculty and staffers from a variety of racial, ethnic, national, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Contact the Women’s Studies Program at 615-898-5910.
womenstu@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

CASH CROPS--The second Ag Career Day for MTSU agribusiness and agriscience students and alumni will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. today, March 17, in the Stark Agricultural Building on campus. Farm Credit Services, Kroger Manufacturing, the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative and U.S. Department of Agriculture are among the corporate vendors participating. Prospective employers will be recruiting from all three majors and concentrations (agricultural business, plant and soil science and animal science) as well as for internships and grad school opportunities. Professional attire is encouraged and students and alumni should bring updated copies of their resumes. Ag Career Day is sponsored by the Student Agriculture Council, the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience staff and faculty and the MTSU Career Development Center. Contact Nicole Green at 615-494-8797 or kngreen@mtsu.edu,
or contact Dr. Warren Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@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. A reception to celebrate her craft is slated for 4:30-6:00 p.m. tomorrow, March 18, in the rotunda. 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.”

WAIT UNTIL WINNIE THE POOH HEARS ABOUT THIS!--The MTSU Farm Labs and Dairy Science Club are sponsoring an eight-week beginning course in beekeeping starting Friday, March 19. Classes will meet Friday evenings from 6-8 p.m. in Room 106 of the MTSU Horticulture Center. Two early meetings will be required to install bees during daylight hours. You’ll learn the essentials to understand and practice successful beekeeping and honey marketing from instructors Ed Holcomb and Joe Dement. Class size is limited to 25, so early registration is advised. The registration fee is $350, which covers books and materials to construct your own hive, the bees to start your colony and all equipment to practice beekeeping safely. To register, provide your name, address, phone number, e-mail and registration fee (cash or check) to MTSU Dairy Science Club, Attn: Tim Redd, MTSU Box 5, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132. Contact Redd at 615-898-2431 or tredd@mtsu.edu.

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.

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.