Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

I believe I can fly.

On Sept. 7, five years after her death, Marjorie Logan Rolle’s service to her country was, at long last, honored. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) presented Rolle’s widower, Ken Rolle, with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor presented by Congress. Rolle was a member of the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPS) during World War II. Dr. Jan Leone, history, says, “(WASPS) flew aircraft from factories to ports of embarkation and military training bases, towed targets for artillery practice, and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASPS lost their lives while serving their country during the war. Because they were civilians, they were buried at family expense without military honors. U.S. flags were not allowed on fallen WASP coffins.”

Contact Leone at 615-898-5580.
jmleone@mtsu.edu

Save at home

It has become something of a canard that Americans don’t save enough money. According to the latest Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index, many consumers who say they are saving more of their income than prior to the recession expect to increase their level of saving after the recovery—46 percent, in fact. Dr. Tim Graeff, director of MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research, says, “Alternatively, of those consumers who are currently saving less of their income than prior to the recession, almost two-thirds (62 percent) expect to increase their level of saving after the economy strengthens. Apparently, those who are unable to save now recognize the value of saving and expect to increase their level of saving when they can—i.e., when the economy strengthens.”

Contact Graeff at 615-898-5124.
tgraeff@mtsu.edu

You mean Trinidad and Tobago didn’t ante up?

Who bought Tennessee’s goods last quarter? Dr. Steven Livingston edits Global Commerce, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. He writes, “Canada, to which the state’s exports increased by 37 percent, accounted for $475 million of Tennessee’s quarterly gain, just under one-third of the state’s export growth. Mexico’s 47 percent growth added another $250 million. The EU threw in $180 million more. China and Latin America each grew by $150 million. Japan’s 43 percent growth added $100 million, the ASEAN nations another $80 million and South Korea $60 million.”

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

TR EXTRA

BAKE IT OR BUTTON IT FOR BOTSWANA--MTSU’s Student Nurses Association plans a “Bake for Botswana” event on Tuesday, Oct. 5 to raise funds to support “I Am Proud to be a Nurse,” a national campaign aimed at improving the image and increasing the number of Botswanan nurses and midwives and ultimately improving health care for the South African nation. The bake sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the Keathley University Center and on the KUC knoll. In addition, buttons proclaiming “I Am Proud to be a Nurse” may be purchased for $5 each. For more information, contact Dr. Debra Rose Wilson at 615-898-5841 or drwilson@mtsu.edu.

PEOPLE, PROFITS AND THE PROFESSOR--A member of the MTSU faculty will be one of the judges for a three-round debate titled “Which Comes First: People or Profits?” at 7 p.m. (EST) tomorrow, Sept. 30, at the Inc. 500/5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony in National Harbor, Md., just south of Washington, D.C. Doug Tatum, an associate professor in the Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship and holder of the Wright Travel Chair in Entrepreneurship, will join Inc. magazine columnists Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham in deciding the “winner.” In addition, Tatum is slated to participate in “What You Don’t Know About Exiting Your Business,” a panel discussion scheduled for 5 p.m. (EST) Friday, Oct. 1, and he will lecture on the topic “Navigate the Uncertain Future” at 11 a.m. (EST) Saturday, Oct. 2. Tatum is a recognized expert on the capital markets and entrepreneurial growth businesses.

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. Monday, 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 share 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 is 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.

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.