Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Widget: the gadget preferred by 9 out of 10 famous reprobates

Do you really give a flip when a celebrity loses his or her endorsement deals due to a scandal? Does it have any impact on what you buy? A study of more than 2,000 adults by Harris Interactive shows that 74 percent felt no differently about a brand that employed a celebrity whose life had become embroiled in a scandal. Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, says this suggests that “we love our heroes, whether they be movie stars, athletes, musicians or from some other source of fame. Americans are able to forgive and forget relatively fast when it comes to the transgressions of their heroes. Two, I wonder if we have become desensitized to events such as celebrities getting in trouble for drug use, infidelity or some other form of unacceptable or illegal behavior.”

Contact Roy at 615-904-8564.
droy@mtsu.edu

Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.

A team of MTSU students recently was invited from among more than 4,000 applicants to attend Clinton Global Initiative University 2010, a forum created by former President Bill Clinton that encourages the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world to take action on international challenges. MTSU students Mary Lane Poe of Murfreesboro and Milan native Jesse Rawls, along with organizational communications major Becca Wilson of La Vergne, were among 1,300 students from 50 states and 83 countries who attended the April 16-18 event known as CGIU, where they represented the first team of MTSU students to be invited. Jason Goodrich, a 2009 MTSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science, served as the team’s leader. During the event, students were given the opportunity to participate in panels and working groups dealing with such topics as world education, environmental awareness, water security and scarcity, and ongoing humanitarian efforts in Haiti.

To request interviews, contact Lisa L. Rollins in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.
lrollins@mtsu.edu

Hit it, maestro!

Dr. Dale Cockrell will become interim director of the MTSU Center for Popular Music effective July 1. Dr. Roy Moore, dean of the College of Mass Communication, says Cockrell will serve for one year during a search for a permanent director. Dr. Loren Mulraine was interim director for the past three months following the retirement of Paul Wells. Cockrell, a professor of musicology at Vanderbilt University, currently is on research leave from that institution. His The Ingalls Wilder Family Songbook (a critical edition of the music referenced in the Little House books) will be published later this summer. Cockrell also is founder and president of the Pa’s Fiddle Project, an educational, scholarly and musical program dedicated to recording the music of the Little House books and to reconnecting the nation’s children with the rich musical legacies embedded in them.

Contact the Center for Popular Music at 615-898-2449.

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. Thursday, 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 Friday, 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.