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.