Thursday, June 24, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Gilman Girls (and Boys)

MTSU will send four of its students, more than any other institution in the state of Tennessee, abroad with stipends from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program next academic year as exchange students engaged in intensive language study. Approximately 2,900 students from across the country applied for more than 1,000 awards from the prestigious and highly competitive program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Tekisha Bailey of Nashville, for example, will use her $3,000 allocation to spend the 1010-2011 year at Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan. “Eventually, I hope to get into the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) program or go back to Japan on a Fulbright scholarship and teach English over there or teach Japanese or English in the public schools here,” Bailey says.

For more information or for interviews, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Continental drift

For now, Tennessee’s exporters are enjoying a strong first quarter among European markets. Dr. Steven Livingston, editor of Global Commerce, says exports rose about 15 percent to $1.1144 billion. “Much of this was due to chemical exports, particularly in the cases of Germany and the Netherlands,” he writes. “France and Italy also each increased their purchases of Tennessee goods by about $15 million. Luxembourg continued to be the site of a huge increase in Tennessee medical equipment sales, though, as explained in earlier trade reports, much of this is just being rerouted from other European states. The one poor European market was that of the United Kingdom, where state exports fell $40 million to 4166 million. In large part, this was due to a fall in medical instrument shipments along with a drop in civilian aircraft exports.”

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

Support system

With an Access and Diversity Grant from the Tennessee Board of Regents and university matching funds, MTSU will create a Gen. Next Living Learning Community on campus for students from Rutherford and Davidson counties. Dr. Laurie Witherow, director of the Academic Support Center, and Vincent Windrow, director of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, will discuss this innovation at 8 a.m. this Sunday, June 27, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). The goal of the project is to increase retention among freshmen and sophomores, increase progress to degree completion and quicker identification and declaration of appropriate academic majors. Officials hope that centering the students in a single dormitory will promote a fuller acclimation to campus life both academically and socially.

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

TR EXTRA

BATTER UP!--Sign up now for MTSU Alumni & Friends Days with the Nashville Sounds on Saturday, July 17. Come watch the Sounds take on the Omaha Royals at Greer Stadium (534 Chestnut Street) and meet alumni in the Nashville area. Game time is 6:35 p.m. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. There will be fireworks after the game. The price is $20 per person, which includes the game ticket and an all-you-can eat buffet dinner. The meal will begin when the gates open and will run through 7:00 p.m. This event is pre-pay only. Please register and pre-pay by Wednesday, July 14. Call the Alumni Relations office at 800-533-6878, go online at www.mtalumni.com or send an e-mail to alumni@mtsu.edu.

IT’LL BE A HOOT!--Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), an organization for nontraditional students at MTSU, will hold a summer potluck pool party and picnic from 4-7 p.m. today, June 24, at the Campus Recreation Center. Members of OWLs, OWLs alumni and their families are welcome. Participants may use the outdoor pool and sundeck from 4:00-5:30 p.m., or, in the event of rain, the indoor pool and adjacent hallway. For the potluck dinner from 5:30-6:30 p.m., each participant should bring a side dish of vegetables, salad or dessert to serve 8-10 people and a large bottle of soft drink, tea or water. In addition, a silent auction of OWL-related items will be conducted with proceeds to benefit the student organization. Contact the Off-Campus Student Center at 615-898-5989.

KEYBOARD CAMPERS--“Partners for Innovation in Information Technology” at MTSU will be conducting summer computer camps for local area high school students July 12-16. Starting with rising ninth-graders, students will be invited to attend one of the three week-long (full-time, 40-hour) summer camps: the Alice camp, the Robotics camp and the Multimedia camp. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of computer science through experiences that have proven successful in advancing learning of high school students. The week-long camps will be free to attend, but seating will be limited. For more information and camp applications, contact the PIIT website at http://www.mtsu.edu/~piit.

THE CLUE CREW--The MTSU Forensic Institute for Research and Education will sponsor “CSI-MTSU,” a four-day program designed for students entering the 10th, 11th and 12th grades in Rutherford and surrounding counties through tomorrow, June 25. The student investigators will be presented with a re-creation of an actual crime scene. They will be divided into several teams. A professional will direct and coach each team as the students use math and science to solve the crime. Each student will be trained in the fundamental processes of collecting evidence, including DNA, fingerprints, hair and fibers, simulated blood spatter and shoe prints. Additionally, students will learn how to process the evidence, conduct interviews and formulate theories while working in a team environment. Snacks, lunches, T-shirts and baseball-style caps are included in the fee of $250. For more information, contact Eve Shockley at 615-898-5530, or go to http://www.mtsu.edu/fire/workshops.shtml.

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.

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.