Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies and an ordained rabbi, has a friend who has come under attack for supporting the construction of a mosque in Brentwood. Organizers recently withdrew their application for the mosque after a neighborhood opposition campaign thwarted their plans. Some of the opponents contend that Islam is a dangerous political ideology. Shapiro writes, “Are there dangerous clerics in Islam? Of course. And there are dangerous clergy in Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism, as well. Do some mosques foment hate and terror? Of course. And there are churches, synagogues and temples in the U.S., Israel, India, Africa and elsewhere that do so, as well. The challenge is to root out these clerics and the institutions that support them, not to condemn all churches, synagogues, mosques and temples.”

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

Must see TV?

Could you live without your favorite cable or satellite television channels? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says many consumers are either dropping their premium channels or cutting off television service altogether. “Free or cheap alternatives to television subscriptions are growing more and more popular,” says Burriss. “Last month alone, more than 180 million viewers watched 31 billion videos on the Internet. That’s more than double the 15 billion Internet videos that were watched at the same time last year. But maybe you’re asking who would want to watch television on a small computer monitor? Well, if you’re asking that question, it only shows you’re behind the times as more and more high-definition, big-screen television sets are coming pre-equipped with Internet connections.”

Contact Burriss at 615-898-2983.
lburriss@mtsu.edu

Dreaming Bear’s nightmare

Aloysius Dreaming Bear objected to wearing a cap and gown over the traditional clothing of his Lakota tribe at his May 22 high school graduation. He sued his South Dakota high school on First Amendment grounds. But a federal judge ruled against Dreaming Bear, citing the 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. David Hudson, adjunct political science professor and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “The high court ruled that school officials can restrict school-sponsored student speech if they have a legitimate educational reason.” The court in the Dreaming Bear case figured that graduation is a “legitimate educational reason” because it honors graduating seniors and the school has an interest in “preserving the unity of the class.” About that “unity of the class” argument, Hudson notes, “Dreaming Bear had obtained signatures from almost all of his classmates, most of them Lakota, who indicated they supported their class president’s right to wear the clothing of his choice.”

Contact Hudson at 615-741-1342.
dhudson@fac.org

TR EXTRA

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 www.goblueraiders.com and click on “Camps,” or call Matt Riley at 615-904-8196 or Russell Patterson at 615-898-2428.

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 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 today, June 1. For more information and to register, go to 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.