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.