Friday, April 30, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Do you feel a draft?

This year, the NFL Draft was held in prime time for the first time in the draft’s 75-year history. Audience ratings on ESPN and NFL Network for the first night of the draft (when most of the top players are chosen) constituted about 6.5 percent of all TV households in the U.S. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says, “Granted, not every brand can stoke the passion and interest of the NFL. However, if you are holding events already, why not explore how they can be branded to create more interest and engagement? … Make the event memorable to the target audience, and give them opportunities to interact with your event brands before and after the event. Social media provide many options for engaging people around your event brands long after the event is held.”

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

A modest proposal

The financial instability that brought the country to the brink of a second Great Depression has sparked more interest in civic engagement. However, Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at MTSU, is concerned that our society is becoming more polarized as a result. In the April 2010 edition of Tennessee’s Business, Burton recommends reading once again the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, which he includes in his commentary. He writes, “It might do us all good to read our founding documents on a regular basis, to ground ourselves not only in the truths upon which our country was established but also in the patriotism, dedication and spiritual commitment of those who gave so much to birth the great nation in which we live and those privileges we enjoy.”

Read Tennessee’s Business at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tnbiz/tennessee/contents.html.

The sky’s the limit

Kevin Horst, a junior from Monterey, Tenn., is the first recipient of the Tiara Foundation Chair Award of Excellence, a new scholarship from the MTSU Department of Aerospace. The $10,000 award will be presented to the 23-year-old junior pro pilot major at the aerospace awards banquet in September. Horst, who works at the MTSU flight school, says he will use the scholarship to pay for his flight training. He already has completed the four required flight ratings for pro pilot majors and plans on working toward complete certification as a flight instructor this summer. The Tiara Foundation Chair Award of Excellence is endowed by an alum who wishes to remain anonymous. Applicants must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and write an essay describing the attributes of an aerospace professional and how they strive to exemplify them.

Contact Tom Tozer in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
ttozer@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

MEMORIES MATTER--Dr. Martha Norkunas, professor of history at MTSU, talks about her career as an oral historian at 8 a.m. this Sunday, May 2, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). In 1999, Norkunas began the Project in Interpreting the Texas Past (ITP) to research, interpret and present the histories of women and minority communities. She has worked with museums, historic sites and nonprofits across the country on issues of memory, identity, gender and the representation of minority voices. Norkunas also has been involved in a number of oral history projects on industrial and labor history, immigration, racial identity and gender. To hear last week’s interview with Dr. Sean Foley on the Arab Gulf states, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “April 25, 2010.” Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

WHEN JOHNNY COMES TRUMPETING HOME--Musicians from MTSU and other area schools will participate in the fourth annual Battle of the Bands event at 10 a.m. tomorrow, May 1, at Stones River National Battlefield on Old Nashville Highway north of Murfreesboro. The bands will play selected songs from the Civil War era while a ranger tells the story of a unique musical event that occurred prior to the Battle of Stones River. On May 1-2, a series of living history programs to help visitors learn how soldiers and civilians lived between the battles will be presented. During the months between major military campaigns, days were filled with activities that had as much or more impact on the war’s outcome as the fighting. Call 615-893-9501 for more information or go to www.nps.gov/stri.

A FOREIGN AFFAIR--MTSU junior Aaron Shew will depart for Turkey around May 14 for study experiences that will enhance not only his education but his prestige and his portfolio. Shew, a double major in plant and soil science and international relations from Murfreesboro, will join students from other institutions in a conflict resolution course in Cyprus and Turkey at his own expense. Through June 9, Shew will question government diplomats on best practices for negotiating solutions to thorny issues between countries. From there, Shew will head back to Lucknow, India, where he studied in the summer of 2009 under a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. Department of State, for extensive instruction in the Urdu language. His summer studies will be funded with another CLS. The 2010-2011 academic year is covered under a fully endowed fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. For an interview with Shew, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held today, April 30, and tomorrow, May 1, at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, April 30, and today only all plants are half-price—cash or check! The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

At cross purposes

The upshot of yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Salazar v. Buono is that a cross placed in the Mojave National Preserve as a memorial by the Veterans of Foreign Wars can stay where it is for now. At issue was whether the government’s transfer of land under the cross was an attempt to evade an earlier lower court decision that the cross was an unconstitutional “endorsement” of religion. Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and Constitutional law expert, says although Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion “sends the case back to the lower court for resolution, he shows his respect for Congress’ attempt to be neutral. He observes that while some will regard a cross on government property as such an endorsement, others would see tearing it down or covering it over as an expression of ‘hostility’ toward religion.”

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

Can Tiger get out of the trap?

Tiger Woods will play in his second PGA tournament this week since returning to golf following his apology for extramarital affairs and, by his own reckoning, a lack of appreciation for the fans. He’ll tee off today at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. Woods was greeted cordially by spectators at yesterday’s Pro-Am, where he continued to try to ingratiate himself with the gallery by smiling, tipping his cap and signing a golf ball for a child. Will Tiger’s strategy work? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “Individuals who feel betrayed by their ‘worship’ of this man or have an inherent mistrust of men or have experienced their own betrayals and adulterous affairs in their personal lives will most likely be angry and perhaps not trust his apologies. Others, particularly persons who feel compassion and empathy for a man who has fallen so far from grace and has publicly compromised his integrity will be more forgiving.”

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

Memories matter

Dr. Martha Norkunas, professor of history at MTSU, talks about her career as an oral historian at 8 a.m. this Sunday, May 2, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). In 1999, Norkunas began the Project in Interpreting the Texas Past (ITP) to research, interpret and present the histories of women and minority communities. She has worked with museums, historic sites and nonprofits across the country on issues of memory, identity, gender and the representation of minority voices. Norkunas also has been involved in a number of oral history projects on industrial and labor history, immigration, racial identity and gender. To hear last week’s interview with Dr. Sean Foley on the Arab Gulf states, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “April 25, 2010.”

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

TR EXTRA

BABY, YOU CAN LOOK AT MY CAR--MTSU majors in engineering technology will showcase experimental vehicles and projects at 1:45 p.m. today, April 29, adjacent to the Tom H. Jackson Building and inside Cantrell Hall. Projects like the Baja, Moon Buggy, Solar Boat and more will be on display as part of the department’s spring open house, which is slated for 3-5 p.m. For more information, contact Dr. Walter Boles at 615-898-5009 or wwboles@mtsu.edu.

WHEN JOHNNY COMES TRUMPETING HOME--Musicians from MTSU and other area schools will participate in the fourth annual Battle of the Bands event at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, at Stones River National Battlefield on Old Nashville Highway north of Murfreesboro. The bands will play selected songs from the Civil War era while a ranger tells the story of a unique musical event that occurred prior to the Battle of Stones River. On May 1-2, a series of living history programs to help visitors learn how soldiers and civilians lived between the battles will be presented. During the months between major military campaigns, days were filled with activities that had as much or more impact on the war’s outcome as the fighting. Call 615-893-9501 for more information or go to www.nps.gov/stri.

THE WAR AT HOME--The Spring 2010 Community Heritage Lecture Series will end its current season with the grand opening of its “Sowing the Seeds of Change: World War II Home Front in Rutherford County” exhibit today, April 29. Photographs, memorabilia and information gathered through oral interviews of Rutherford County residents who fought in World War II or lived through what is known as the “Tennessee Maneuvers” is the theme of the display. Research for the exhibit was conducted by MTSU public history students enrolled in “Essentials in Museum Management,” a course taught by Dr. Brenden Martin, director of the MTSU Public History Program. An opening reception for the exhibit will take place from 3-5 p.m. today, April 29, at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, 225 West College St. Call 615-217-8013 for more information or send an e-mail to heritage@mtsu.edu.

A FOREIGN AFFAIR--MTSU junior Aaron Shew will depart for Turkey around May 14 for study experiences that will enhance not only his education but his prestige and his portfolio. Shew, a double major in plant and soil science and international relations from Murfreesboro, will join students from other institutions in a conflict resolution course in Cyprus and Turkey at his own expense. Through June 9, Shew will question government diplomats on best practices for negotiating solutions to thorny issues between countries. From there, Shew will head back to Lucknow, India, where he studied in the summer of 2009 under a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. Department of State, for extensive instruction in the Urdu language. His summer studies will be funded with another CLS. The 2010-2011 academic year is covered under a fully endowed fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. For an interview with Shew, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

ARE YOU FORUM OR AGAINST ‘EM?--MTSU, in cooperation with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, will play host to a gubernatorial forum today, April 29. The program, moderated by John Seigenthaler, will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in Murphy Center. The free public event is being underwritten, in part, by Farmers Insurance Group. Doors will open at 6 p.m. MTSU students, faculty and staff may pick up tickets at the MTSU Ticket Office at Floyd Stadium Gate 1A and the Student Life Office in Room 326S of Keathley University Center. Off-campus locations for tickets include the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, the Rutherford County Election Commission office at 1 South Side Square, all MidSouth Bank office and all Farmers Insurance locations throughout the midstate. For ticket information, call 1-888-YES-MTSU (1-888-937-6878).

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held tomorrow, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, April 29, and tomorrow, April 30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through today, April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

When Johnny comes trumpeting home

Musicians from MTSU and other area schools will participate in the fourth annual Battle of the Bands event at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 1, at Stones River National Battlefield on Old Nashville Highway north of Murfreesboro. The bands will play selected songs from the Civil War era while a ranger tells the story of a unique musical event that occurred prior to the Battle of Stones River. On May 1-2, a series of living history programs to help visitors learn how soldiers and civilians lived between the battles will be presented. During the months between major military campaigns, days were filled with activities that had as much or more impact on the war’s outcome as the fighting.

Call 615-893-9501 for more information or go to www.nps.gov/stri.

“Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.”—Standing Bear

At MTSU’s 2010 philosophy lyceum, Scott Pratt of the University of Oregon posited that Native American traditions can teach us a lot about our place in nature. Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, says, “I’m not prepared to endorse his suggestion that native creation myths constitute any kind of ‘knowledge,’ but maybe some of them do embody (as he said) a ‘disposition’ to wisdom that can coexist peaceably and fruitfully alongside so-called Western ways of knowing. … My concern is that we not settle for a kind of pluralism that treats all identity as local and tribal, and thus reduces our best way of knowing, science, to just one more tribe among all the others. We should grow the tribe, expand our sense of who we are to the species level and beyond. If ‘indigenous’ just means ‘of a place,’ it is crucial to our survival that we understand ourselves as all belonging to the same place, the same nature, planet, cosmos.”

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

The war at home

The Spring 2010 Community Heritage Lecture Series will end its current season with the grand opening of its “Sowing the Seeds of Change: World War II Home Front in Rutherford County” exhibit tomorrow, April 29. Photographs, memorabilia and information gathered through oral interviews of Rutherford County residents who fought in World War II or lived through what is known as the “Tennessee Maneuvers” is the theme of the display. Research for the exhibit was conducted by MTSU public history students enrolled in “Essentials in Museum Management,” a course taught by Dr. Brenden Martin, director of the MTSU Public History Program. An opening reception for the exhibit will take place from 3-5 p.m. tomorrow at The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, 225 West College St.

Call 615-217-8013 for more information.
heritage@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

A FOREIGN AFFAIR--MTSU junior Aaron Shew will depart for Turkey around May 14 for study experiences that will enhance not only his education but his prestige and his portfolio. Shew, a double major in plant and soil science and international relations from Murfreesboro, will join students from other institutions in a conflict resolution course in Cyprus and Turkey at his own expense. Through June 9, Shew will question government diplomats on best practices for negotiating solutions to thorny issues between countries. From there, Shew will head back to Lucknow, India, where he studied in the summer of 2009 under a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. Department of State, for extensive instruction in the Urdu language. His summer studies will be funded with another CLS. The 2010-2011 academic year is covered under a fully endowed fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. For an interview with Shew, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

ARE YOU FORUM OR AGAINST ‘EM?--MTSU, in cooperation with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, will play host to a gubernatorial forum tomorrow, April 29. The program, moderated by John Seigenthaler, will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in Murphy Center. The free public event is being underwritten, in part, by Farmers Insurance Group. Doors will open at 6 p.m. MTSU students, faculty and staff may pick up tickets at the MTSU Ticket Office at Floyd Stadium Gate 1A and the Student Life Office in Room 326S of Keathley University Center. Off-campus locations for tickets include the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, the Rutherford County Election Commission office at 1 South Side Square, all MidSouth Bank office and all Farmers Insurance locations throughout the midstate. For ticket information, call 1-888-YES-MTSU (1-888-937-6878).

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Write you are!

Beginning in the fall 2010 semester, students who want assistance with their term papers, essays or short stories will be able to get help only steps away from the research materials they might need. The Margaret H. Ordoubadian University Writing Center at MTSU is moving this summer from its two locations in Peck Hall 325 and Ezell Hall 119 to one location in Room 362 of the James E. Walker Library. The new facility will provide five computers for student use and one large space for tutoring with eight to 10 tutoring tables, enabling more hands-on, on-site guidance. In addition, the interactive SMART board that had been at Ezell will be housed in a larger space and will be available by appointment to help students who are slated to “stand and deliver” in class. “I think the Writing Center will finally be seen as a University Writing Center rather than an English department writing center,” says Dr. Stacia Watkins, assistant coordinator.

Contact Watkins at 615-904-8237.
uwcenter@mtsu.edu

A foreign affair

MTSU junior Aaron Shew will depart for Turkey around May 14 for study experiences that will enhance not only his education but his prestige and his portfolio. Shew, a double major in plant and soil science and international relations from Murfreesboro, will join students from other institutions in a conflict resolution course in Cyprus and Turkey at his own expense. Through June 9, Shew will question government diplomats on best practices for negotiating solutions to thorny issues between countries. From there, Shew will head back to Lucknow, India, where he studied in the summer of 2009 under a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) from the U.S. Department of State, for extensive instruction in the Urdu language. His summer studies will be funded with another CLS. The 2010-2011 academic year is covered under a fully endowed fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies.

For an interview with Shew, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Are you forum or against ‘em?

MTSU, in cooperation with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, will play host to a gubernatorial forum Thursday, April 29. The program, moderated by John Seigenthaler, will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in Murphy Center. The free public event is being underwritten, in part, by Farmers Insurance Group. Doors will open at 6 p.m. MTSU students, faculty and staff may pick up tickets at the MTSU Ticket Office at Floyd Stadium Gate 1A and the Student Life Office in Room 326S of Keathley University Center. Off-campus locations for tickets include the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, the Rutherford County Election Commission office at 1 South Side Square, all MidSouth Bank office and all Farmers Insurance locations throughout the midstate.

For ticket information, call 1-888-YES-MTSU (1-888-937-6878).

TR EXTRA

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Beastly behavior

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law criminalizing depictions of animal cruelty such as dogfighting videos. The justices ruled 8-1 in U.S. v. Stevens that the court should not create another exception to constitutional free speech protections for this case. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, applauds the court’s decision. Hudson says Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion, “acknowledged that there already exist certain categorical exemptions from First Amendment protection—obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement and speech integral to criminal conduct. But Roberts cautioned against creating new unprotected categories under a ‘highly manipulable balancing test.’ He called the use of such a test ‘startling’ and ‘dangerous.’”

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

“When I’m alone, I count myself.”—Count von Count from “Sesame Street”

The U.S. Census Bureau is planning to announce the final rates of mail-in response to its questionnaires on Monday, April 26. As of Wednesday, 73 percent of Tennesseans had mailed back their forms compared with a 71 percent nationwide return rate. But what about the people the Census misses? Dr. Jason Reineke, associate director of the MTSU Poll, says, “For many purposes, the Census Bureau does use a method for estimating missing data (i.e., the characteristics of households that don’t return their Census forms and don’t respond to door-to-door Census takers) called hot deck imputation, where the characteristics of the household missing data are estimated by randomly assigning them the characteristics of another household that is presumed to be similar to the household missing data.”

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

Aprenda con me

The University School of Nashville is hosting MTSU’s 2010 Summer Language Institute, where you can learn Spanish in a fun, low-stress environment. The methods employed are Total Physical Response (TPR) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). These methods mimic the way you learned your first language. Movement, games, songs and storytelling are all part of the instruction. Brian Roberts will teach Spanish I for ages 16 and up from July 19-23 at the University School and from Aug. 2-6 at the O’More School of Design in Franklin. Jason Fritze will teach Spanish II for ages 16 and up from July 19-23 at the University School. The cost for all language classes is $350 with a $20 materials fee due on the first day of class.

Contact Dr. Shelley Thomas at 615-898-5757.
shthomas@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

BRIDGING THE GULF--The Arab Gulf States: Beyond Oil and Islam, a new book dispelling several misconceptions about six countries in the Middle East, is the subject of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 25, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Dr. Sean Foley, assistant professor of history at MTSU, is the book’s author. He posits that the six nations—Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—are more culturally and economically diverse and tolerant than the West thinks they are. Foley believes a societal sea change is taking place due to technological advances in communication and the emerging role of women, among other factors. To hear last week’s program on the history of the anti-death penalty movement in Tennessee, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “April 18, 2010.” Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

CONCERTED CARE--The Rho Omicron chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi will host the “Rock Out Arthritis” band benefit at 1 p.m. in MTSU’s Walnut Grove tomorrow, April 24, to raise awareness and proceeds for the Arthritis Foundation. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit will headline along with AutoVaughn. Other acts slated to perform include The Last Straw, Static Revival, Incredible Heat Machine, Boroughs, The Only Sons, Oblio, Details Details and special DJ duo Stress. Tickets are $10 and will be sold on site or may be purchased in advance. There will be a raffle to win the chance to meet Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit as well as various gift certificates. Live art and Bad Bob’s championship barbeque will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and pets. The event will take place regardless of weather conditions, and multiple tents will be set up for coverage. Send advance ticket requests to rockoutaoii@gmail.com.

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

“THE CLOSEST TO PERFECTION A PERSON EVER COMES IS WHEN HE FILLS OUT AN APPLICATION FORM.”—STANLEY J. RANDALL--Members of the University Writing Center staff will offer a one-day, writing-focused event, including a free resume workshop, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow, April 24, in Room 325 of MTSU’s Peck Hall. Organizers of the free and open event say the tutorial will be especially beneficial to those in the local community who may have been affected by the poor economy and are in need of one-on-one assistance with resumes, cover letters or curriculum-vita development, as well as help with college and scholarship applications or assistance completing materials related to job hunting or returning to schools. In addition, the event will feature an hourlong workshop, “Keeping Your Resume Out of the Trash and Your Name in the Loop,” by Nancy Stubblefield, a coordinator with MTSU’s Career Development Center, beginning at 10 a.m. Call the center at 615-904-8237 or uwc.career@gmail.com.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, April 23, and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bridging the Gulf

The Arab Gulf States: Beyond Oil and Islam, a new book dispelling several misconceptions about six countries in the Middle East, is the subject of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 25, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Dr. Sean Foley, assistant professor of history at MTSU, is the book’s author. He posits that the six nations—Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—are more culturally and economically diverse and tolerant than the West thinks they are. Foley believes a societal sea change is taking place due to technological advances in communication and the emerging role of women, among other factors. To hear last week’s program on the history of the anti-death penalty movement in Tennessee, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “April 18, 2010.”

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

Thoughts, words and deeds

Dr. Jerrold Post, a George Washington University political psychology professor who spent 21 years with the CIA, says free speech helps alleviate tensions and trying to suppress it could have dire consequences for national security. However, with the Southern Poverty Law Center chronicling a rise in the number of militias and hate groups, where should the lines be drawn? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “When, for example, Republican Party leader Michael Steele says Nancy Pelosi should be put on the ‘firing line,’ the potential for violence certainly increases. Steele may have said he was only speaking metaphorically, but leaders on both sides need to be aware of not only how their words are intended, but also how they might be interpreted. Because political speech can, and often is, caustic and inexact, it is in much more need of protection than popular or majority viewpoints.”

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

Living large

Last fall, Lincoln University proposed and later abandoned a plan to require all students with a body mass index of 30 or above to pass a fitness class in order to graduate. Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, agrees that dumping the requirement was a good idea. He says, “There are many factors that explain obesity, some of which are not controllable by the obese individual. Examples include heredity, slow metabolism, food allergies and eating disorders. The latter requires counseling. I am a strong advocate for improving healthy habits and improving community health. The proliferation of obesity will result in exorbitant health care costs and reduced quality of life. But to restrict a student’s education based on current body weight, including obesity, ignores the underlying causes of the problem.”

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

TR EXTRA

CONCERTED CARE--The Rho Omicron chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi will host the “Rock Out Arthritis” band benefit at 1 p.m. in MTSU’s Walnut Grove this Saturday, April 24, to raise awareness and proceeds for the Arthritis Foundation. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit will headline along with AutoVaughn. Other acts slated to perform include The Last Straw, Static Revival, Incredible Heat Machine, Boroughs, The Only Sons, Oblio, Details Details and special DJ duo Stress. Tickets are $10 and will be sold on site or may be purchased in advance. There will be a raffle to win the chance to meet Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit as well as various gift certificates. Live art and Bad Bob’s championship barbeque will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and pets. The event will take place regardless of weather conditions, and multiple tents will be set up for coverage. Send advance ticket requests to rockoutaoii@gmail.com.

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

“THE CLOSEST TO PERFECTION A PERSON EVER COMES IS WHEN HE FILLS OUT AN APPLICATION FORM.”—STANLEY J. RANDALL--Members of the University Writing Center staff will offer a one-day, writing-focused event, including a free resume workshop, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in Room 325 of MTSU’s Peck Hall. Organizers of the free and open event say the tutorial will be especially beneficial to those in the local community who may have been affected by the poor economy and are in need of one-on-one assistance with resumes, cover letters or curriculum-vita development, as well as help with college and scholarship applications or assistance completing materials related to job hunting or returning to schools. In addition, the event will feature an hourlong workshop, “Keeping Your Resume Out of the Trash and Your Name in the Loop,” by Nancy Stubblefield, a coordinator with MTSU’s Career Development Center, beginning at 10 a.m. Call the center at 615-904-8237 or uwc.career@gmail.com.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22-23 and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Clean and green

The MTSU Career Development Center will hold its inaugural Green Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, April 21, on the Keathley University Center knoll. The exposition will showcase sustainability projects, carbon-footprint reduction efforts and environmental awareness programs. Various on-campus and off-campus organizations are partnering with the career center in this Earth Day week event. The groups include the MTSU Center for Environmental Education, Students for Environmental Action, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the MTSU Recycling Program and more. Some vendors will tie in career opportunities and internships with the expo.

Contact Karen Austin at 615-898-5732.
kaustin@mtsu.edu

Concerted care

The Rho Omicron chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi will host the “Rock Out Arthritis” band benefit at 1 p.m. in MTSU’s Walnut Grove this Saturday, April 24, to raise awareness and proceeds for the Arthritis Foundation. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit will headline along with AutoVaughn. Other acts slated to perform include The Last Straw, Static Revival, Incredible Heat Machine, Boroughs, The Only Sons, Oblio, Details Details and special DJ duo Stress. Tickets are $10 and will be sold on site or may be purchased in advance. There will be a raffle to win the chance to meet Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit as well as various gift certificates. Live art and Bad Bob’s championship barbeque will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and pets. The event will take place regardless of weather conditions, and multiple tents will be set up for coverage.

Send advance ticket requests to rockoutaoii@gmail.com.

Tea totally

Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies, attended the Murfreesboro Tea Party this past Friday and chatted with folks from a group called “Act! for America.” Shapiro says they claimed that all Muslims are Islamofascists because Islam promotes Sharia law, and Sharia law is incompatible with American values. Shapiro, playing devil’s advocate, responded, “If American democratic values are all about the freedom of the individual to be whatever s/he wants within the limits set by Ayn Rand, then Sharia law is a problem. But then so is Jewish law (Halacha), Catholic law, and the rules that Southern Baptists, Church of Christ and other Protestant denominations place on people. Freedom is freedom, and most religions are agin’ it. So, I suggested the problem wasn’t just Islam, but all religion. We ought to end religion now. No one agreed with me, so I moved on to the next table.”

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

TR EXTRA

SHEAR GENIUS--The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available. Contact Gill at 615-898-2523 or wgill@mtsu.edu.

“THE CLOSEST TO PERFECTION A PERSON EVER COMES IS WHEN HE FILLS OUT AN APPLICATION FORM.”—STANLEY J. RANDALL--Members of the University Writing Center staff will offer a one-day, writing-focused event, including a free resume workshop, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in Room 325 of MTSU’s Peck Hall. Organizers of the free and open event say the tutorial will be especially beneficial to those in the local community who may have been affected by the poor economy and are in need of one-on-one assistance with resumes, cover letters or curriculum-vita development, as well as help with college and scholarship applications or assistance completing materials related to job hunting or returning to schools. In addition, the event will feature an hourlong workshop, “Keeping Your Resume Out of the Trash and Your Name in the Loop,” by Nancy Stubblefield, a coordinator with MTSU’s Career Development Center, beginning at 10 a.m. Call the center at 615-904-8237 or uwc.career@gmail.com.

HUAN YING! (WELCOME!)--MTSU will celebrate the grand opening of the Confucius Institute (CIMTSU) on campus by welcoming a delegation from the People’s Republic of China and a performance by traditional Chinese entertainers today, April 21. At 7:30 p.m., faculty and students from Hangzhou Normal will perform “An Oriental Monsoon” in MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. This event is free and open to the public, but early attendance is advised due to limited seating. MTSU cemented a relationship with Hangzhou Normal University on Dec. 1, 2009, when President Sidney A. McPhee and Hangzhou’s president, Dr. Ye Gaoxiang, signed a partnership agreement. The pact covers the development of Chinese language classes, student and faculty exchanges, cultural exchanges, outreach programs to area K-12 schools, the training of educators to teach Chinese as a foreign language and research about contemporary China, among other mutual interests. Contact Dr. Guanping Zheng at 615-904-8365 or Yvonne Elliott in the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22-23 and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Home sweet home

Caring for physically and/or mentally infirm parents is one of their adult children’s most taxing burdens. But do exasperated people really try to stash Grandma and Grandpa into nursing homes even though they still have some measure of independence left? Dr. Brandon Wallace, sociology, says, “This question is based on a widely held belief that adult children do not want or are unable to care for their aging parents, sometimes called the ‘myth of abandonment.’ The truth is most families go to great lengths to keep aging family members out of nursing and assisted living facilities. Institutional placement is usually a last resort.”

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

Shear genius

The 2010 Tennessee Sheep Shearing School, which will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr., in Murfreesboro, is still taking applications for participants. Headline instructor for the school is Bill O’Conner, who will offer his refined technique to any student with some sheep-handling experience. Assisting O’Conner will be Mark Powell of the Wilson Farmers’ Co-op and Dr. Warren Gill, chair of the MTSU Department of Agribusiness and Agriscience. The sheep-shearing school is limited to the first 20 applicants who pay the $50 registration fee. The Tennessee Sheep Producers Association encourages participation by senior 4-H (high school) members, and scholarship assistance is available.

Contact Gill at 615-898-2523.
wgill@mtsu.edu

"The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form."—Stanley J. Randall

Members of the University Writing Center staff will offer a one-day, writing-focused event, including a free resume workshop, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in Room 325 of MTSU’s Peck Hall. Organizers of the free and open event say the tutorial will be especially beneficial to those in the local community who may have been affected by the poor economy and are in need of one-on-one assistance with resumes, cover letters or curriculum-vita development, as well as help with college and scholarship applications or assistance completing materials related to job hunting or returning to schools. In addition, the event will feature an hourlong workshop, “Keeping Your Resume Out of the Trash and Your Name in the Loop,” by Nancy Stubblefield, a coordinator with MTSU’s Career Development Center, beginning at 10 a.m.

Call the center at 615-904-8237.
uwc.career@gmail.com

TR EXTRA

HUAN YING! (WELCOME!)--MTSU will celebrate the grand opening of the Confucius Institute (CIMTSU) on campus by welcoming a delegation from the People’s Republic of China and a performance by traditional Chinese entertainers tomorrow, April 21. At 7:30 p.m., faculty and students from Hangzhou Normal will perform “An Oriental Monsoon” in MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. This event is free and open to the public, but early attendance is advised due to limited seating. MTSU cemented a relationship with Hangzhou Normal University on Dec. 1, 2009, when President Sidney A. McPhee and Hangzhou’s president, Dr. Ye Gaoxiang, signed a partnership agreement. The pact covers the development of Chinese language classes, student and faculty exchanges, cultural exchanges, outreach programs to area K-12 schools, the training of educators to teach Chinese as a foreign language and research about contemporary China, among other mutual interests. Contact Dr. Guanping Zheng at 615-904-8365 or Yvonne Elliott in the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696.

PAY UP!--Red will be the color of the day at MTSU today, April 20, as the June Anderson Women’s Center, the American Association of University Women, the Women’s Studies Program and the President’s Commission on the Status of Women observe Equity Pay Day. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., volunteers on the Keathley University Center knoll will pass out Payday candy bars and informational literature to enlighten the public about the pay equity issue. Members of the campus community are encouraged to wear red to symbolize how far women and minorities are “in the red.” In 2008, the median annual earnings of year-round full-time male workers in the United States were $46,367, compared with $35,745 for women, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means each woman earned only 77 cents for every dollar a man earned. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

REBOUNDING FROM ADVERSITY--Businesswoman and motivational speaker Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. today, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawu@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22-23 and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Potato chips with pesto sauce and Doritos Florentine

Some local school officials are saying that anti-childhood obesity legislation pending in Congress will strain their already strapped budgets if it passes. And some Republicans are skeptical, choosing to keep their powder dry for now until they examine the bill more closely. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, says, “Tennessee is the leader in reform of school ‘vending’ foods. In 2004, Tennessee passed Public Chapter 708, which is also known as the ‘Competitive School Foods Law’ since foods sold in vending machines, school stores, concession stands, school fundraisers and even as a la carte options in the cafeteria ‘compete’ with the U.S.D.A. school lunches. The guidelines developed for Tennessee schools to follow have been the model for recommendations at the national level.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2091.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

Huan Ying! (Welcome!)

MTSU will celebrate the grand opening of the Confucius Institute (CIMTSU) on campus by welcoming a delegation from the People’s Republic of China and a performance by traditional Chinese entertainers on Wednesday, April 21. At 7:30 p.m., faculty and students from Hangzhou Normal will perform “An Oriental Monsoon” in MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. This event is free and open to the public, but early attendance is advised due to limited seating. MTSU cemented a relationship with Hangzhou Normal University on Dec. 1, 2009, when President Sidney A. McPhee and Hangzhou’s president, Dr. Ye Gaoxiang, signed a partnership agreement. The pact covers the development of Chinese language classes, student and faculty exchanges, cultural exchanges, outreach programs to area K-12 schools, the training of educators to teach Chinese as a foreign language and research about contemporary China, among other mutual interests.

Contact Dr. Guanping Zheng at 615-904-8365 or Yvonne Elliott in the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696.

Taking stock, even if you don’t have stocks

“Tennessee: Where Do We Stand?” is the theme of the April 2010 issue of Tennessee’s Business magazine from MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. It features articles on public higher education reform, the “Race to the Top” competition, green jobs, and the never-ending fight against obesity. The authors include Rick Rhoda, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission; the commissioners of the state departments of Health, Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Economic and Community Development; and Lee Jones, vice president, branch manager, Nashville branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Tennessee’s Business is online now at: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tnbiz/tennessee/contents.html.

TR EXTRA

PAY UP!--Red will be the color of the day at MTSU tomorrow, April 20, as the June Anderson Women’s Center, the American Association of University Women, the Women’s Studies Program and the President’s Commission on the Status of Women observe Equity Pay Day. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., volunteers on the Keathley University Center knoll will pass out Payday candy bars and informational literature to enlighten the public about the pay equity issue. Members of the campus community are encouraged to wear red to symbolize how far women and minorities are “in the red.” In 2008, the median annual earnings of year-round full-time male workers in the United States were $46,367, compared with $35,745 for women, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means each woman earned only 77 cents for every dollar a man earned. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

MORE TO OVERCOME--On April 19, 1960, the Nashville home of attorney Z. Alexander Looby, who defended participants in civil rights sit-ins, was bombed. In response to the bombing, activists staged a “silent march” from north Nashville to the mayor’s office that culminated in an agreement to desegregate the downtown area. Today, April 19, activists will gather at 10 a.m. at the corner of 28th Ave. North and Jefferson St. to reenact the “silent march” of 50 years ago. Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says this demonstration isn’t just about the past, but about the present, as well. “Nashville is still ‘separate and unequal,’” says Franklin. “A racially segmented marketplace, segregated schools, environmental racism and the lack of governmental accountability still plague Nashville. Moreover, sexism and anti-immigrant sentiment have created a climate of fear in Middle Tennessee.” Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.

REBOUNDING FROM ADVERSITY--Businesswoman and motivational speaker Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. tomorrow, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawu@mtsu.edu.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22-23 and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Home is where the cinema is.

The final movie in MTSU’s Chinese Film Festival series, “Getting Home,” will be shown at 6 p.m. this Sunday, April 18, in Room 103 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. This event, which is co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute and the dean’s office of the College of Mass Communication, is free and open to the public. “Getting Home” (2007) is the humorous and moving tale of Zhao, a middle-aged construction worker struggling to fulfill a dying co-worker’s last wish to be buried in China’s Three Gorges region. Setting out with his colleague’s body in tow, Zhao travels hundreds of miles across extraordinary countryside, encountering a number of colorful adventures and characters—and even discovering love in some unlikely quarters. Liu Xiao, a master’s degree candidate, will conduct a discussion session following the film.

Contact the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696 or Dr. Bob Spires at 615-898-2217.

Speak out, Stevens!

The record of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who recently announced his retirement, shows a consistent regard for the free-speech rights of public employees. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “Stevens wrote the majority opinion in United States v. National Treasury Employees Union (1995), which struck down a federal law that prohibited federal employees from receiving honoraria for speaking and writing.” Even when the case was not about public employees, Stevens managed to defend the rights of workers. “He joined the majority in Rankin v. McPherson (1987) in which the Court ruled that a Texas constable violated a clerical employee’s First Amendment rights when she made an offhand, negative remark about John Hinckley Jr.’s assassination attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan,” Hudson notes.

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

Pay up!

Red will be the color of the day at MTSU on Tuesday, April 20, as the June Anderson Women’s Center, the American Association of University Women, the Women’s Studies Program and the President’s Commission on the Status of Women observe Equity Pay Day. From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., volunteers on the Keathley University Center knoll will pass out Payday candy bars and informational literature to enlighten the public about the pay equity issue. Members of the campus community are encouraged to wear red to symbolize how far women and minorities are “in the red.” In 2008, the median annual earnings of year-round full-time male workers in the United States were $46,367, compared with $35,745 for women, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That means each woman earned only 77 cents for every dollar a man earned.

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

TR EXTRA

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH--Tennessee’s New Abolitionists, a book chronicling the history of anti-death penalty activism in Tennessee, is the subject of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 18, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Logue’s guests are Dr. Amy Sayward, chair of the MTSU Department of History and co-editor of the book, and Rev. Stacy Rector, executive director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Slated for release in May from the University of Tennessee Press, Abolitionists contains entries on numerous topics, including the execution of the mentally ill, legal representation in death penalty cases, judicial independence in capital cases, news media coverage of capital punishment, and perspectives from correction officials, spiritual counselors, and relatives of the inmates and the victims. Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

MORE TO OVERCOME--On April 19, 1960, the Nashville home of attorney Z. Alexander Looby, who defended participants in civil rights sit-ins, was bombed. In response to the bombing, activists staged a “silent march” from north Nashville to the mayor’s office that culminated in an agreement to desegregate the downtown area. This Monday, April 19, activists will gather at 10 a.m. at the corner of 28th Ave. North and Jefferson St. to reenact the “silent march” of 50 years ago. Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says this demonstration isn’t just about the past, but about the present, as well. “Nashville is still ‘separate and unequal,’” says Franklin. “A racially segmented marketplace, segregated schools, environmental racism and the lack of governmental accountability still plague Nashville. Moreover, sexism and anti-immigrant sentiment have created a climate of fear in Middle Tennessee.” Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.

REBOUNDING FROM ADVERSITY--Businesswoman and motivational speaker Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawu@mtsu.edu.

THIS I BELIEVE--“Creation and Liberation: The Ontology of American Indian Origins” is the title and focus of this year’s Applied Philosophy Lyceum event at MTSU today, April 16. This free and open talk will be delivered by guest scholar Scott L. Pratt, chairman of the philosophy program at the University of Oregon, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building with an informal question-and-answer session and reception afterward. “Professor Pratt has done substantial work on the ways in which the ideas and practices of peoples indigenous to North America have influenced American philosophy,” says Dr. Michael Principe, MTSU philosophy professor. “His presentation at MTSU will focus on the significance of various creation stories as understood by American Indians.” Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

THREE TO GET READY--The women of the Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority at MTSU will sponsor the second annual “Alpha Delta Pi-athlon: A Unique Triathlon Challenge” on Sunday, April 18. This triathlon challenge will include a 300-meter swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5K run (3.14 miles). The swimming portion of the event will take place at the Campus Recreation Center. The bike ride will start and end on campus, but the majority of the ride will take place off-campus. The 5K run will be on campus. Awards will be given to the top male and female participants, as well as the top three in each age group. Door prizes also will be awarded. Proceeds from the triathlon will benefit the Ronald McDonald House and scholarship funding for MTSU students through Alpha Delta Pi’s scholarship program. Contact Shelby Smith at adpiathlon@gmail.com.

THE ONE THAT I WANT--The Wesley Players will present “Grease” through April 18 at the Wesley Foundation at MTSU, 218 College Heights Ave. in Murfreesboro. Tonight's performance will start at 8 p.m., and a dinner theatre performance is slated for 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 17. A special matinee performance will be presented at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Dinner theatre tickets are $20 each. The Wesley Foundation is the United Methodist student center for MTSU. Contact the Wesley Foundation office at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, April 16, April 22-23, and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

MTSU MOVIEMAKERS--The initial public viewing of “The New, True Charlie Wu,” the fourth independent film from Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, and a crew of MTSU students and alumni will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m tomorrow, April 17, at Premier 6 Theater, 810 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro. In addition, there will be multiple special nighttime showings from 7-10 p.m. that evening on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The short movie follows the title character, a young accountant who is disenchanted with his job, on a trip into his subconscious mind, where his overbearing boss and a gospel choir compete for his soul and his future. “Charlie Wu” already has received the Remi Award out of more than 2,400 entries at the 43rd annual Worldfest, the oldest independent film festival in the country, in Houston, as well as “Best Comedy Short” awards from the Smogdance International Film Festival in Pomona, Calif., and the Fifteen Minutes of Fame Film Festival in Palm Bay, Fla. Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

A matter of life and death

Tennessee’s New Abolitionists, a book chronicling the history of anti-death penalty activism in Tennessee, is the subject of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, April 18, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Logue’s guests are Dr. Amy Sayward, chair of the MTSU Department of History and co-editor of the book, and Rev. Stacy Rector, executive director of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Slated for release in May from the University of Tennessee Press, Abolitionists contains entries on numerous topics, including the execution of the mentally ill, legal representation in death penalty cases, judicial independence in capital cases, news media coverage of capital punishment, and perspectives from correction officials, spiritual counselors, and relatives of the inmates and the victims.

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

More to overcome

On April 19, 1960, the Nashville home of attorney Z. Alexander Looby, who defended participants in civil rights sit-ins, was bombed. In response to the bombing, activists staged a “silent march” from north Nashville to the mayor’s office that culminated in an agreement to desegregate the downtown area. This Monday, April 19, activists will gather at 10 a.m. at the corner of 28th Ave. North and Jefferson St. to reenact the “silent march” of 50 years ago. Dr. Sekou Franklin, political science, says this demonstration isn’t just about the past, but about the present, as well. “Nashville is still ‘separate and unequal,’” says Franklin. “A racially segmented marketplace, segregated schools, environmental racism and the lack of governmental accountability still plague Nashville. Moreover, sexism and anti-immigrant sentiment have created a climate of fear in Middle Tennessee.”

Contact Franklin at 615-904-8232.
franklin@mtsu.edu

Control freaks on a power trip

If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will tell it for you. That’s the lesson of social media, according to Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing. The mistake many businesses make, says Roy, is in trying to control the conversation. He says, “I believe it is a mistake because it is a symptom of a larger problem—a sense that the seller should control or otherwise exert power in their relationships with buyers. It suggests weakness, in effect, saying that customers and other stakeholders are not valued enough to invite them to have a voice through online communities, social networking pages, blogs or other channels. Control equals power, and increasingly consumers have power in buyer-seller relationships.”

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

TR EXTRA

MOTHER KNOWS BREAST--Dr. Katie Foss, assistant professor of journalism, will talk on “That’s Not a Beer Bong; It’s a Breast Pump! Representations of Breastfeeding in Prime Time Fictional Television” today, April 15, from 3-4 p.m. in the SunTrust Room (N127) of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The lecture is the final one in this semester’s Women’s Studies Research Series. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Pat Bradley at 615-904-8128 or pbradley@mtsu.edu.

REBOUNDING FROM ADVERSITY--Businesswoman and motivational speaker Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault. Contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawu@mtsu.edu.

THIS I BELIEVE--“Creation and Liberation: The Ontology of American Indian Origins” is the title and focus of this year’s Applied Philosophy Lyceum event at MTSU tomorrow, April 16. This free and open talk will be delivered by guest scholar Scott L. Pratt, chairman of the philosophy program at the University of Oregon, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building with an informal question-and-answer session and reception afterward. “Professor Pratt has done substantial work on the ways in which the ideas and practices of peoples indigenous to North America have influenced American philosophy,” says Dr. Michael Principe, MTSU philosophy professor. “His presentation at MTSU will focus on the significance of various creation stories as understood by American Indians.” Contact the Department of Philosophy at 615-898-2907.

THREE TO GET READY--The women of the Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority at MTSU will sponsor the second annual “Alpha Delta Pi-athlon: A Unique Triathlon Challenge” on Sunday, April 18. This triathlon challenge will include a 300-meter swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5K run (3.14 miles). The swimming portion of the event will take place at the Campus Recreation Center. The bike ride will start and end on campus, but the majority of the ride will take place off-campus. The 5K run will be on campus. Awards will be given to the top male and female participants, as well as the top three in each age group. Door prizes also will be awarded. Proceeds from the triathlon will benefit the Ronald McDonald House and scholarship funding for MTSU students through Alpha Delta Pi’s scholarship program. Contact Shelby Smith at adpiathlon@gmail.com.

SPILL IT OUT!--Dr. Barbara A. Carr, Region 5 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Enforcement Officer and Coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will speak on “Oil, Pollution and Prevention” today, April 15, to Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross’ class in Room 115 of the Alumni Memorial Gym. Carr will explain why oil is toxic to aquatic life/environments, provide a general history of oil pollution prevention regulation, and explain how the regulatory process is influenced by industries and green groups. Contact Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu.

THE ONE THAT I WANT--The Wesley Players will present “Grease” through April 18 at the Wesley Foundation at MTSU, 218 College Heights Ave. in Murfreesboro. Performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will start at 8 p.m., and a dinner theatre performance is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 17. A special matinee performance will be presented at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Dinner theatre tickets are $20 each. The Wesley Foundation is the United Methodist student center for MTSU. Contact the Wesley Foundation office at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 15-16, April 22-23, and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

MTSU MOVIEMAKERS--The initial public viewing of “The New, True Charlie Wu,” the fourth independent film from Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, and a crew of MTSU students and alumni will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at Premier 6 Theater, 810 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro. In addition, there will be multiple special nighttime showings from 7-10 p.m. that evening on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The short movie follows the title character, a young accountant who is disenchanted with his job, on a trip into his subconscious mind, where his overbearing boss and a gospel choir compete for his soul and his future. “Charlie Wu” already has received the Remi Award out of more than 2,400 entries at the 43rd annual Worldfest, the oldest independent film festival in the country, in Houston, as well as “Best Comedy Short” awards from the Smogdance International Film Festival in Pomona, Calif., and the Fifteen Minutes of Fame Film Festival in Palm Bay, Fla. Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Rebounding from adversity

Businesswoman and motivational speaker Deloris E. Jordan will deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s annual observance of “Take Back the Night” at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, in the Keathley University Center (KUC) Theatre with a reception and book signing to follow. The sister of Basketball Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, Ms. Jordan is the author of In My Family’s Shadow (2003), her story of how she was sexually molested from ages 8 to 16. Her new book, From Pain to Purpose, is slated for release this summer. Deloris Jordan also will address the “Take Back the Night” rally, which is slated for 6-9 p.m. that same evening on the KUC knoll. The purpose of the rally, as well as the candlelight vigil and march to follow, is to raise awareness about violence against women. An open microphone will be available for anyone to express views on sexual assault.

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

This I believe

“Creation and Liberation: The Ontology of American Indian Origins” is the title and focus of this year’s Applied Philosophy Lyceum event at MTSU on Friday, April 16. This free and open talk will be delivered by guest scholar Scott L. Pratt, chairman of the philosophy program at the University of Oregon, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building with an informal question-and-answer session and reception afterward. “Professor Pratt has done substantial work on the ways in which the ideas and practices of peoples indigenous to North America have influenced American philosophy,” says Dr. Michael Principe, MTSU philosophy professor. “His presentation at MTSU will focus on the significance of various creation stories as understood by American Indians.”

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

Control, alt, defeat

A federal appeals court ruled on April 6 that the Federal Communications Commission does not have the authority to enforce “net neutrality,” the belief that Internet content providers such as Yahoo and Google should not be restricted by service providers. Companies such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T argued successfully that they should be able to control what subscribers should be able to send through their systems. Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism professor and First Amendment expert, says, “Absent criminal activity, we don’t allow the phone company to determine what we can talk about over their systems. Well, information works the same way. Computers and the Internet have become almost a necessity in today’s society, much like the landline telephone used to be. We, as a society, must be careful how much control those providers have over how we use those connections.”

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

TR EXTRA

THREE TO GET READY--The women of the Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority at MTSU will sponsor the second annual “Alpha Delta Pi-athlon: A Unique Triathlon Challenge” on Sunday, April 18. This triathlon challenge will include a 300-meter swim, a 10-mile bike ride and a 5K run (3.14 miles). The swimming portion of the event will take place at the Campus Recreation Center. The bike ride will start and end on campus, but the majority of the ride will take place off-campus. The 5K run will be on campus. Awards will be given to the top male and female participants, as well as the top three in each age group. Door prizes also will be awarded. Proceeds from the triathlon will benefit the Ronald McDonald House and scholarship funding for MTSU students through Alpha Delta Pi’s scholarship program. Contact Shelby Smith at adpiathlon@gmail.com.

SPILL IT OUT!--Dr. Barbara A. Carr, Region 5 Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Enforcement Officer and Coordinator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will speak at MTSU on “Oil, Pollution and Prevention” tomorrow, April 15, to Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross’ class in Room 115 of the Alumni Memorial Gym. Carr will explain why oil is toxic to aquatic life/environments, provide a general history of oil pollution prevention regulation, and explain how the regulatory process is influenced by industries and green groups. Today, April 14, from 6-7 p.m., Carr will talk about “Moon: Cheese or Not?” in the Monohan Residence Hall classroom. This is a short chronicle of her not-so-direct path to a satisfying career in environmental protection and careers for other women in science. Contact Iriarte-Gross at 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu.

THE ONE THAT I WANT--The Wesley Players will present “Grease” from April 14-18 at the Wesley Foundation at MTSU, 218 College Heights Ave. in Murfreesboro. Performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will start at 8 p.m., and a dinner theatre performance is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 17. A special matinee performance will be presented at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. Dinner theatre tickets are $20 each. The Wesley Foundation is the United Methodist student center for MTSU. Contact the Wesley Foundation office at 615-893-0469 or wesleyfoundation@comcast.net.

ON THE GROW--MTSU students who take the ABAS 3600 course (“Horticulture in Our Lives”) will conduct their annual plant sale at the Horticulture Center located on Blue Raider Drive across from the Tennessee Livestock Center. The schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 15-16, April 22-23, and April 29-30. The students raised the plants themselves. Funds are used for scholarships. The plants available for purchase include bedding plants, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, cucumbers, petunias, salvia, snapdragons, wax leaf begonias, dragon wing begonias, zinnias, geraniums, impatiens, double impatiens, million bells, million golds, periwinkle, Dusty Miller, celosia, coleus, and much, much more. Geraniums are $3 for each six-inch pot. All hanging baskets and flats are $12. Contact the College of Agribusiness and Agriscience at 615-898-2523.

“IS THIS HEAVEN?” “IT’S IOWA.”—DWIER BROWN AND KEVIN COSTNER IN “FIELD OF DREAMS”--Dr. Greg Heath, chairman of the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, will present “Physical Activity and the Built Environment: If You Build It, Will They Come … And Use It?” at 7 p.m. tonight, April 14, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. “Dr. Heath’s talk will address how the physical design of our communities can play an important role in reducing childhood obesity and providing children and families with greater opportunities to lead an active lifestyle,” says Dr. Don Morgan, professor of health and human performance and director of MTSU’s Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth. This event is free and open to the public. Contact Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

DIGGIN’ UP BONES--Dr. Kathy Reichs, producer of the Fox television series “Bones” based on her work and related novels, will visit MTSU as the featured speaker of the Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship at 7 p.m., tonight, April 14, in Murphy Center. The lecture, titled “From Crime Lab to Crime Fiction,” is free and open to the public. Reichs, known as “Dr. Bones,” has career experience ranging from teaching FBI agents how to detect and recover human remains to separating and identifying commingled body parts. Her novels include Deja Dead, Monday Mourning and 260 Bones. Reichs will sign books following her lecture, and copies of her titles will be available for sale in Phillips Bookstore, located in Keathley University Center, prior to her talk. For more information, contact the Forensic Institute for Research and Education at 615-494-7713.

MTSU MOVIEMAKERS--The initial public viewing of “The New, True Charlie Wu,” the fourth independent film from Dr. Bob Pondillo, electronic media communication, and a crew of MTSU students and alumni will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at Premier 6 Theater, 810 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro. In addition, there will be multiple special nighttime showings from 7-10 p.m. that evening on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. The short movie follows the title character, a young accountant who is disenchanted with his job, on a trip into his subconscious mind, where his overbearing boss and a gospel choir compete for his soul and his future. “Charlie Wu” already has received the Remi Award out of more than 2,400 entries at the 43rd annual Worldfest, the oldest independent film festival in the country, in Houston, as well as “Best Comedy Short” awards from the Smogdance International Film Festival in Pomona, Calif., and the Fifteen Minutes of Fame Film Festival in Palm Bay, Fla. Contact Pondillo at 615-904-8465 or pondillo@mtsu.edu.

LULLABY AND GOOD NIGHT--In March 2006, Jaz’s Jammies was created to collect new pajamas for sick children in hospitals to help them feel appreciated and loved while staying extended periods of time. Jaz’s Jammies has collected nearly 3,000 pairs of pajamas. Originally, it was the Girl Scout project of MTSU student Jasmine Gray, a young woman who had experienced dozens of surgeries for a facial disorder and had spent up to three months in the hospital at a time. You can help Jaz’s Jammies spread love by donating during the 2010 Pajama Drive through April 29. Drop off your children’s PJs at the University Honors College, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, the Business and Aerospace Building or the second floor of the Keathley University Center. If you’re off-campus, you can set up a drive for your community organization, business or school. For more information, send an e-mail to jazsjammies@yahoo.com.