Thursday, May 13, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Let Creation reveal its secrets by and by.”—Jackson Browne from “Before the Deluge”

How is one to view the massive May flooding in Nashville and Middle Tennessee through the prism of one’s faith? Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies and an ordained rabbi, says it’s a lesson in humility. Shapiro says, “Humility reminds us that we are in the dark as to why things happen—good things and bad things—all things arising from unknowing and dissolving into unknowing, and humility is the art of standing naked in the maddening whirlwind that is the Divine. Humility is the truth that arises when we admit we do not know and cannot know what will befall us or why. … The flooding of the Cumberland isn’t a gift, but we may choose to be gifted by it. The terrible loss of life and property is not a blessing, but we may choose to make it an opportunity for grace and goodness by allowing our brokenness and grief to lead us from passion to compassion.”

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

Choosing what you chew

Is all the emphasis on vending machines in schools misplaced in the drive to lower childhood obesity? Kids don’t spend all their time at school, after all. Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, agrees that banning candy and soda in schools is worthwhile, but, she says, “Parents are the ones who decide how much money a child has to spend on food at school. If parents send a snack (and no money) to school with the child, it won’t matter what foods are there. Some restaurants have a kid’s menus packed with only fried foods available for kids—or macaroni and cheese that has even more fat than chicken nuggets and fries. When you go into a convenience store and look for a healthy snack, they are often not to be found.”

Contact Colson at 615-898-2884.
jcolson@mtsu.edu

If I could talk to the animals

Dr. Angela Mertig, professor of sociology, will discuss her “Animals and Society” course at 8 a.m. this Sunday, May 16, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Students will examine the role that animals play in society, how animals have been viewed and treated by humans over time, and what it means to say that humans are animals. Mertig also will take a look at the purposes of the animal welfare movement and the animal rights movement and what sociology can tell us about the relationships among animals, people and society. The class is scheduled for May 17-June 5 Monday-Friday from 12:30-3:30 p.m. in Room 218 of Peck Hall on the MTSU campus.

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

TR EXTRA

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.

WORKING WOMEN--The June S. Anderson Foundation will present the foundation scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year to Katherine Anderson of Manchester and Rhonda Davidson of Martin, at a luncheon at 12 p.m. tomorrow, May 14, at the MTSU Foundation House, 324 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro. The foundation awards full tuition stipends annually to full-time MTSU undergraduate women who are 23 years of age or older and who are preparing for careers in nontraditional fields for women. Anderson (no relation to June Anderson) is pursuing an undergraduate degree in accounting and is on course to graduate in May 2011. From there, she plans to enter graduate school at MTSU and earn a master’s degree in business administration. Davidson, a 43-year-old single woman majoring in construction management, says she believes she will be able to find employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when she completes her degree in 2012. For more information, go to the foundation website at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~jsa/.

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.