Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The Yunus touch

Officials of MTSU and the University of Chittagong in Bangladesh have finalized a five-year agreement of friendship and exchange that will pave the way for the establishment of programs honoring the work and philosophy of Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The Nobel Peace Prize-winner was an assistant professor of economics at MTSU from 1969-72. Yunus has popularized microcredit, the practice of awarding low-interest loans to millions of people with little or no collateral, and social businesses, which are no-loss, no-dividend private enterprises dedicated to public welfare, both with the intention of lifting people worldwide out of poverty. “If there were a ‘President of the World,’ Yunus would be the first choice of most nations, including the U.S., China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the U.K., as well as virtually all developing countries in my opinion,” says Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, Advisor to the President and the Provost on Asian Affairs and professor emeritus of economics and finance.

Contact Kawahito at 615-898-5751.
kawahito@mtsu.edu

Discriminating tastes

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings on the nomination of Elena Kagan to be the next U.S. Supreme Court justice continue today. On the day the hearings started, the high court handed down a decision in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez. By a 5-4 vote, the justices decided that a public university can require student organizations to adhere to a nondiscrimination policy. Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College and a Constitutional law expert, says the reach of this decision “is subject to some doubt since it was based on the stipulation that all groups must accept all comers, which might allow Republican students to apply for membership in and assume leadership positions in a campus Democratic group or vice versa. Since (retiring Justice John Paul) Stevens voted on the ‘liberal’ side in both opinions, it is unlikely that his replacement by Elena Kagan would be likely to have changed (that) vote.”

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

“I can see clearly now/The rain is gone.”—Johnny Nash

With a Rapid Response Research Grant from the National Science Foundation, two MTSU professors will work to preserve archeological sites damaged by the May 2010 flood in the Nashville area. Drs. Tanya Peres and Shannon Hodge will be able to examine more than 130 prehistoric sites. A statement co-written by Peres and Aaron Deter-Wolf of the Tennessee Division of Archaeology says, “The investigators will examine all sites to document the extent of damage caused by erosion and looting and will recover important archaeological data from sites in the greatest danger of being entirely destroyed. Data collected during the project will be used to address research on the interdependence of human populations and the natural resources of the Cumberland River in Middle Tennessee, to identify critically endangered resources, and to help develop preservation strategies to protect Tennessee’s archaeological heritage.”

Contact Peres at 615-904-8590.
tperes@mtsu.edu

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.

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.

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.