Friday, May 28, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The blue and the not-so-gray

Bitterly Divided: The South’s Inner Civil War by David Williams asserts that Southerners themselves were largely responsible for defeating the Confederacy. It is Williams’ contention that divisions within the South were the key to the South’s demise. Dr. Derek Frisby, history, says, “The real questions are why so many Southerners seemingly supported secession and how the South thought they could prevail in any conflict with the North. Many secessionist leaders knew of the significant numbers of ‘unionists’ in their states, particularly those of the Upper south like Tennessee, and created elaborate political machinations to coax or coerce their constituents to support secession in sham conventions or elections.”

Contact Frisby at 615-494-8856.
dfrisby@mtsu.edu

What do they want from us?

The nature of the products Tennessee exports to China has changed in recent years. MTSU’s Dr. Steven Livingston, editor of Global Commerce, writes, “The one constant is that China buys raw and intermediate goods. The state’s largest exports have consistently been in these goods. The most important have been materials for apparels: artificial filament tow and cotton. The former has been among the state’s top exports all decade long. Cotton shipments grew dramatically by mid-decade but have fallen back since then. Chemicals and plastics form a second sizable cluster of exported goods. Exports of metals, including aluminum, iron, and copper, often as scrap, have been increasing throughout the decade. Medical instrument sales have also grown over the years.”

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2720.
slivings@mtsu.edu

The sporting life

The second edition of the Journal of Sport Administration and Supervision is available on the Web at http://www.jsasonline.org/. The current issue includes articles on the influence of the BCS on the competitive balance in college football; the effect of NCAA championships on college admissions; marketing intercollegiate athletics at the Division III level; ways to increase fan involvement; attitudes toward endorsements by sports celebrities in the U.S. and China; the implications of allowing the fans to tear down the goalposts in college football; a comparison of players’ and parents’ perspectives on youth sports; and an excerpt from Mark Hyman’s new book Until It Hurts, which examines the country’s obsession with youth sports and the impact it has on the nation’s children.

Contact Dr. Colby Jubenville at 615-898-2909.
jubenvil@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

L’CHAIM! (TO LIFE!)--Dr. Phil Oliver, professor of philosophy, will discuss his new fall 2010 course, “The Future of Life,” on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, May 30, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Oliver will integrate themes from two previous courses that focused on biomedical ethics and biotechnology with an examination of the sustainability of life on Earth, genetic engineering and humanity’s evolutionary prospects. He cites a question from Pragmatism by William James as a starting point for discussion: “The really vital question for us all is, ‘What is this world going to be? What is life eventually to make of itself?’” To listen to last week’s program about international education at MSTU, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml and click on “May 23, 2010.” Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

MAKE GREENERY PART OF YOUR SCENERY.--The MTSU Plant and Soil Science Club will start its Student Farmers Market from 1-4 p.m. today, May 28, at the MTSU Horticulture Center off Blue Raider Drive on the campus. This week’s fresh garden produce includes several different types of lettuce, spinach, yellow squash, green onions, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and possibly broccoli. The nursery has been expanded with a lot more plants available at great prices. These include boxwoods, forsythia, several different spireas, baptisia, penstemons, sedums, sand cherry, Manhattan euonymus, Blue Pacific junipers, hostas, daylilies, monkey grass and more. All proceeds benefit the Plant and Soil Science Club. Contact Dr. Nate Phillips at 615-494-8985 or nphillip@mtsu.edu.

FULL SPEED AHEAD!--MTSU strength and conditioning coaches are again offering Speed School, a camp for male and female athletes between the ages of 10 and 18 who could benefit from being faster or quicker in their sports. Students will receive instruction from the Middle Tennessee Speed and Strength staff and learn the same drills the blue Raiders use to optimize their speed and quickness. The first set is slated for June 9, 16, and 23. The second set is slated for July 14, 21, and 28. All sessions are on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $30 per date, $75 per set, or $130 for all six sessions. For more information, go to http://www.goblueraiders.com/ and click on “Camps,” or call Matt Riley at 615-904-8196 or Russell Patterson at 615-898-2428.

BE A GOOD SPORT.--Youth Sports Camp at MTSU Campus Recreation is a great opportunity for children to learn a variety of sport, leisure and fitness activities that emphasize some crucial life skills including teamwork, sportsmanship and the value of regular exercise. Activities include swimming, basketball, soccer, flag football, racquetball, whiffle ball, kickball, capture the flag, dodgeball and ping-pong, among others. There are 10 week-long sessions meeting Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning June 1. Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. and pick-up ends at 5:30 p.m. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 7-13. There is a nonrefundable deposit of $25 for each session, and tuition for each session is $150 with lunch provided. Children must have received all school-required shots, and proof of family medical insurance also must be provided. For more information, contact Campus Rec at 615-898-2104 or go to www.mtsu.edu/~camprec.

ROLL OUT THOSE LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER.--Saturday, June 12, will be MTSU Alumni & Friends Day at Nashville Shores, 4001 Bell Rd. in Nashville. Registration will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch will be served from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Nashville Shores opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. The price is $20 per person, which covers admission into the park and lunch. Children under age two are admitted free of charge. The park has a brand new lazy river and wave pool for more fun in the water. This even is pre-pay only. The deadline to register is Wednesday, June 9. Call the Alumni Relations office at 1-800-533-6878, go online at http://www.mtalumni.com/, or send an e-mail to alumni@mtsu.edu.

I’M PLAYING WITH MY BOOKS, MOMMY.--“Books and Children in the 19th Century: A Small Portrait” is the theme of an exhibit on display now and throughout this summer in the fourth floor Special Collections area of MTSU’s James E. Walker Library. The purpose is to show the variety of ways children and the adults around them engaged with books in the 1800s and early 1900s. The works available for viewing are indicative of the children’s book as an object of moral and educational value. The idea behind the books is to teach values and build character. Entertainment techniques are employed strictly to attract the children and hold their interest. Highlights include several movable books, which are books that contain text or illustrations that the child can manipulate. Pop-up books are one such type of movable book. Many items in the display have never been exhibited previously. Call the James E. Walker Library at 615-898-2772.

SING A SUMMERTIME SONG--The theme of the third annual Alumni Summer College is “A Song’s Life.” From June 23-25, MTSU alumni are invited to learn how a song is written, recorded, produced, performed and managed during three fun-filled days of music and camaraderie. Alumni Summer College is an opportunity to expand one’s knowledge of interesting subjects and with a curriculum that combines innovative classes and entertaining tours specifically created with MTSU alumni in mind. Highlights of this year’s event include songwriters in the round at the “Jack and Diane” show, a studio recording session, a songwriter “show-and-tell” session, Vince Gill at the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studio B, the Wildhorse Saloon and Jack’s Barbeque. Tuition is $205 per person. The registration deadline is Tuesday, June 1. For more information and to register, go to http://www.mtalumni.com/.

ADOPT A VET--The Albert Gore Research Center is an official partner in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The center participates as part of its public service mission. Currently, the Gore Center has about 50 veterans of World War II and Korea on its list of those willing to be interviewed for the Veterans History Project at MTSU, but these vets are in their 80s and 90s. It is urgent that the Gore Center have funds in hand to record their stories in 2010. With each tax-deductible contribution of only $50, the Gore Center can fund one interview with a WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War or Iraq/Afghanistan veteran, or a civilian who supported the war effort by working in war industries or volunteering for the USO, Red Cross or other support organizations. Your donation will pay for tapes and other supplies, transcription, permanent archiving and posting of the materials on a website. For more information, go to http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/adoptvet.hem.

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 or shthomas@mtsu.edu.