Monday, September 13, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Just a-jammin’ with you

Does a reggae tune have to lose some of its authenticity to become popular? Dr. Mike Alleyne, recording industry, writes, “The wide cultural exposure which has enhanced the recognizability of reggae has been achieved primarily through a corporate commercialization effected at the expense of both the lyrical and instrumental essence of the music. This process has involved coerced or voluntary assimilation of more commercially compatible characteristics, appropriation by white mainstream artists and an overall dispersal of ideological and musical meaning and creative value. The mainstream Euro-American audience has continually demonstrated a propensity for adopting reggae-oriented material on the basis of its aesthetically pleasing surface qualities rather than for explicitly political or deeper musical content.”

Contact Alleyne at 615-904-8336.
malleyne@mtsu.edu

Hey, Coral Gables! Truck this!

If you live in Coral Gables, Fla., forget about parking your pickup truck on a residential street between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Lowell Kuvin was fined twice for parking his truck in front of a house he rented. The house did not have a garage. Kuvin, an attorney, filed suit claiming that the ordinances that prevented him from parking his truck in front of a house during the hours in question violated his right to free association under the First Amendment. David Hudson, adjunct professor of political science and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “The city argued that it had a rational interest in preserving aesthetics in prohibiting trucks on public streets. The majority (of a three-judge panel) agreed, writing that ‘the City seeks to preserve … the residential character of the city.’ Judge Angel A Cortinas wrote a scathing dissent in which he accused the majority and the city of ‘elitism.’ He wrote in strong language that the Ford F-150 truck ‘is not an aberrant vehicle cherished by rednecks and lowlifes, as the tone of the majority opinion suggests.’”

Contact Hudson at 615-727-1342.
dhudson@fac.org

Staking their claims

Initial claims for unemployment insurance in the second quarter fell a little bit. “Average weekly initial claims for Tennessee dipped to 7,764 during the second quarter, down from 8,406 in the previous quarter,” reports Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. “Weekly claims at this current level typically are associated with job growth. Preliminary information for July suggests that labor market conditions may be weakening, as claims are on the rise. Rising employment and falling initial claims for unemployment insurance helped to bring down the unemployment rate to 10.3 percent from 10.7 percent in the previous quarter. The labor force rose 1.0 percent during the quarter, the second quarterly increase.”

Contact the Business and Economic Research Center at 615-898-2610.

TR EXTRA

IF YOU YEARN TO LEARN—“Adventures in Learning,” the annual mini-school for adults age 50 and above, will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. today, Sept. 13, and Sept. 20, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 at First United Methodist Church, 265 W. Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro. The purpose of the event, which is planned by an interfaith coalition, is to provide a program by and for older adults in which they can shore knowledge, talents and skills for lifelong learning and personal growth. As usual, retired and active MTSU faculty will play prominent roles in the event. A highlight will be “Mount and Mountain,” a dialogue between Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies and an ordained rabbi, and Dr. Michael A. Smith, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. This class will be based on online conversations Shapiro and Smith conducted about the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. To register, or for more information, contact Mary Belle Ginanni at 615-895-6072.

NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS--The University College Advising Center will offer a series of workshops on how to be a successful MTSU student starting at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 14, and 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, in the Corlew Hall classroom. These one-hour workshops are designed for any student who needs help or wants to learn more about the topic area. Subjects include “How to Get Started at MTSU;” “How to Use Your Time Wisely;” “How to Master Course Material;” “How to Find the Right Career for You;” “How to Use Your Academic Adviser;” “How to Give a Winning Presentation;” and “How to Prepare for Final Exams.” Students who need proof of attendance for class will receive it. For more information, contact the University College Advising Center at 615-898-2339.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK/A WONDERFUL TOWN—MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery is proud to play host to “New York, September 11” by world-renowned photographic cooperative Magnum Photos through Oct. 18. This stunning exhibition of 39 rare photographs began touring the nation five years after the terrorist attacks on the United States. These pictures capture images as they happened—many from an intimate, street-level perspective. Also included are beautiful photos of the World Trade Center twin towers before their fall. The Baldwin Gallery is in the McWherter Learning Resources Center. Exhibitions are free and open to the public. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 12-4 p.m.