Thursday, May 20, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Bleak house

Residential real estate markets were in a slump during the first quarter in Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, sales of single-family homes fell in Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis. The THM states, “The first quarter declines are out of step with the improving trend and may not be indicative of future sales in the short term. Two reasons may help explain the sudden decline. First, sales in October and November were undoubtedly boosted by the first round of the first-time home buyer tax credit that was slated to end at the end of November. The tax credit was renewed at the eleventh hour, expiring at the end of April 2010. But one could argue that much of the impact of the tax credit was front-loaded in the months of October and November with much less impact in the first quarter 2010.”

Contact the BERC at 615-898-2610.

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

When Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008, a leading Republican described her as “too angry to be elected president.” (Clinton is now Secretary of State, which puts her in charge of American diplomats all over the world.) That prompted a Yale University study on the subject of anger in the workplace—who benefits and who loses. Participants conferred the most status on men who said they were angry and the least status on the women who said they were angry. Dr. Barbara Haskew, distinguished professor of economics, says, “As a labor arbitrator, I have witnessed over the last 10 years a diminishing tolerance for anger in the workplace. Many companies see this as possibly leading to violence. I find that more collective bargaining agreements contain stiffer penalties for those whose language and behavior is discourteous, angry or threatening to others in the workplace.”

Contact Haskew at 615-898-5578.
bhaskew@mtsu.edu

Rebels without a cause?

Historian David Williams’ book Bitterly Divided: The South’s Inner Civil War states that most Southerners didn’t even want to leave the union initially. In fact, Williams writes, about 300,000 Southern whites and almost 200,000 Southern blacks served in the Union Army. Dr. Derek Frisby, history, says, “Williams’ argument is the latest in a series of studies over the last few decades highlighting the failure of Confederate nationalism to unite the Southern populace. The persistence of the ‘united Confederacy’ in public memory is a testament to the perseverance of the secessionist leaders and soldiers who created the post-war ‘Lost Cause’ mythology to explain their defeat.”

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

TR EXTRA

GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS--CUSTOMS orientation at MTSU will get underway Wednesday, May 26, and run through late July. Two-day sessions will acquaint students with what will be their academic and social home for the next four years. Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing and Residential Life, advising and other departments will be involved with the orientation process that will integrate new students into the intellectual, cultural and social climate of the university. Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs, says organizers “are adding orientation leaders to work specifically with parents” this year. The general assembly portion of CUSTOMS will move to Murphy Center since Tucker Theatre is under renovation. CUSTOMS participants will be taken onto the field at Floyd Stadium at the beginning of the morning for a video message from head football coach Rick Stockstill. For more information, call 615-898-2454 or visit www.mtsu.edu/customs.

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.