Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Taking a turn for the nurse

A survey by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses shows that 65 percent of graduates of baccalaureate nursing programs got job offers at the time of graduation last year or shortly thereafter. The national average is only 24.4 percent. Four to six months after graduation, the percentage of grads getting job offers goes up to 89 percent. Dr. Lynn Parsons, professor and director of the MTSU School of Nursing, says, “Our MTSU placements are much higher. Geographic location may play into this. In a down economy, RNs (registered nurses) that are not working in the field come back into practice because they need to be the breadwinners for spouses that have been downsized out of a job. Hospitals will hire an experienced RN over a new graduate.”

Contact Parsons at 615-898-2437.
lparsons@mtsu.edu

My dinner with Andrei (and Dimitry)

To get even 10 minutes worth of access to a major head of state is a gift which would make thousands of lobbyists giddy with anticipation. Dr. Andrei Korobkov, professor of political science at MTSU, spoke with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev for two hours at a state reception and dinner at the Kremlin on Nov. 4. Korobkov encountered Medvedev at the fourth annual Assembly of the Russian World foundation, which took place Nov. 2-4 in Moscow. “The organization is actively supported by President Medvedev, who is very interested in pushing it and considers it a way to reestablish links with the Russian diaspora abroad,” says Korobkov. “Increasingly, he is getting interested in bringing back Russian intellectuals who left.”

Contact Korobkov at 615-898-2945.
korobkov@mtsu.edu

“Go where you wanna go/Do what you wanna do.”—The Mamas and the Papas

Why work at a job you hate just to get more money and have more expensive status symbols to show off to the neighbors? Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies and an ordained rabbi, says, “I gave up the American Dream the day I decided not to enter my family’s business and to pursue, instead, a life as a rabbi, educator and writer. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have a summer home up north and a winter home down south and buy a new car every two or three years. My hope now is to inherit one of those home, sell it, and use the money to buy a more recent used car than the 2005 Mazda Protégé I currently drive. But am I bitter? No.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

SOMETHING IN THE AIR--MTSU’s Department of Aerospace will serve as host for the first National Conference on General Aviation Trends in China, set for Dec. 1-2, in the Donald McDonald Hangar inside the university’s Flight Operations Center at Murfreesboro Airport. “We’re extremely excited about this conference, as it is one of the first in the United States that will have members of one of the largest universities in China here to learn about U.S. general aviation,” says Dr. Wayne Dornan, chair of the department. “We have a distinguished list of U.S. speakers that will lend their expertise to the Chinese officials. … I am unaware of any such gathering that has taken place in the United States were high-ranking officials from both countries interact on aviation.” The conference is closed to the general public, but media are welcomed. Contact Randy Weiler in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu.

THE BETTER CHEDDAR--The MTSU Dairy Science Club is now accepting orders for cheese gift boxes. This quality Wisconsin cheese is delivered within two days of placing an order. Although MTSU has a dairy herd that produces the milk served in campus cafeterias, the university does not make its own cheese. The funds raised from cheese sales support Dairy Science Club activities such as the Beginning and Master Beekeeping classes at MTSU, clinics and team travel. The deadline for placing orders is today, Nov. 30. Orders will be available to pick up from the MTSU Milk Processing Plant in the Stark Agriculture Building the first week of December. Cheese offerings are online at http://www.mtsu.edu/abas/cheesesale.pdf. Contact Kym Stricklin at 615-898-2523 or kstrick@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a deadline of tomorrow, Dec. 1, in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“Each of us carries within himself a collection of instant insults.”—Haim Ginott

If you’re concerned about the increasing lack of civility in public discourse, you’re not alone, but you’re not likely to see any improvement. So says Dr. Robb McDaniel, political science. “At least in the near term, civility in politics is likely to decay and continue to decay for a long time, and there is very little that any of us can do about it,” says McDaniel. “The reason is simple: the recent decay of civility is not educational or accidental. It is structural and intentional, and the forces that drive it are intensifying rather than weakening. Since politics is driven by interests rather than by abstract philosophical commitments, the incentives toward polarization and demonization will, for the foreseeable future, remain much stronger than are those toward moderation and accommodation. Indeed even the best-intentioned attempt to restore civility may be counterproductive because, paradoxically, such an effort would play into the hands of the forces of incivility.”

Contact McDaniel at 615-904-8245.
rmcdanie@mtsu.edu

“Religion, to me, is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don’t need.”—Bill Maher

Comedian Bill Maher not only peppers his monologues and his HBO series with jokes about religion. He made a movie titled “Religilous” (a combination of “religious” and “ridiculous”). Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, writes, “I’m not a fan. He’s bellicose, self-righteous, uncharitable and mean-spirited. The fact that I agree with him on many points only accentuates those character deficiencies.” As for people like Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist who is adamant in his belief that religion is delusional and dangerous, Oliver says, “I think he’s wrong to insist on an either/or between science and religion, but I also think a lot of his vaunted, reviled ‘arrogance’ boils down to a compelling passion for ‘popular understanding’ … and an impatience with those who won’t acknowledge the birth of evolutionary ‘cool.’”

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

“Sex on television can’t hurt unless you fall off.”—Author Unknown

In the 1950s and early 1960s, when television was still relatively new on the scene, its promoters told the public that this invention would help rub out illiteracy and spread democracy through the promotion of so-called “pro-social messages.” So what happened? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “We found out that in our pluralistic society having television promote this or that point of view just wasn’t as simple as we thought it was going to be. Entertainment television, we discovered, is a complex social instrument, and its effects are quite unpredictable. … Television consumers should become more actively involved in determining the kind of content they desire. And, although we may disagree with particulars, the ethical use of television must be based on the notions of protecting our freedom, equality, dignity and physical and psychological well-being.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

THE BETTER CHEDDAR--The MTSU Dairy Science Club is now accepting orders for cheese gift boxes. This quality Wisconsin cheese is delivered within two days of placing an order. Although MTSU has a dairy herd that produces the milk served in campus cafeterias, the university does not make its own cheese. The funds raised from cheese sales support Dairy Science Club activities such as the Beginning and Master Beekeeping classes at MTSU, clinics and team travel. The deadline for placing orders is Tuesday, Nov. 30. Orders will be available to pick up from the MTSU Milk Processing Plant in the Stark Agriculture Building the first week of December. Cheese offerings are online at http://www.mtsu.edu/abas/cheesesale.pdf. Contact Kym Stricklin at 615-898-2523 or kstrick@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.

Tomorrow, the 3-7 Dallas Cowboys, who traditionally play every Thanksgiving Day, will host the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. The dismissal of head coach Wade Phillips by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the elevation of Jason Garrett from the offensive coordinator position seem to have rejuvenated the team. But why do professionals who make millions of dollars need the right head coach to motivate them? Dr. Mark Anshel, health and human performance, says, “A team’s head coach sets the team atmosphere and provides the team with direction and organization. The coach sets the tone or team climate. The coach also organizes practices and makes the final decision about who plays and who sits.”

Contact Anshel at 615-898-2812.
manshel@mtsu.edu

Our Confederate cousins

Dr. Shirley Farris Jones, author of The Un-Civil War in Middle Tennessee, will talk about her book on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 28, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Jones, a retired professor of history at MTSU, compiled newspaper columns she wrote about the war and her ancestors’ roles in it in book form to help raise money for the Rutherford County Historical Society. In addition to interesting anecdotes about the branches of Jones’ family tree, the book examines the unorthodox roles of African-Americans, women and even dogs in assisting both the Northern and Southern causes.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

A new public option proposal for health care

You can count Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies, as among those upset at the unpleasant choice presented to the flying public by the Transportation Security Administration, Travelers can submit to a full-body scan or be patted down by a TSA agent at the airport. Shapiro has two suggestions for making the procedure less odious. He writes, “First, increase the power of the scanners so that they are capable of identifying tumors and diseases, and have medical techs rather than TSA agents review them and inform me of my current health status. I’d be grateful for that procedure. Or, if some guy is going to fondle me, why not hire trained chiropractors? They could feel for bombs and realign my spine at the same time. Given the horror of airplane seating, I’d be willing to undergo this kind of screening getting on and off the plane.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

THE BETTER CHEDDAR--The MTSU Dairy Science Club is now accepting orders for cheese gift boxes. This quality Wisconsin cheese is delivered within two days of placing an order. Although MTSU has a dairy herd that produces the milk served in campus cafeterias, the university does not make its own cheese. The funds raised from cheese sales support Dairy Science Club activities such as the Beginning and Master Beekeeping classes at MTSU, clinics and team travel. The deadline for placing orders is Tuesday, Nov. 30. Orders will be available to pick up from the MTSU Milk Processing Plant in the Stark Agriculture Building the first week of December. Cheese offerings are online at http://www.mtsu.edu/abas/cheesesale.pdf. Contact Kym Stricklin at 615-898-2523 or kstrick@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Whore Eagle?

This Saturday’s Iron Bowl will be even more eagerly anticipated than in years past-- not only because of Auburn’s number two ranking in the Bowl Championship Series, but because of the scandal surrounding Tigers quarterback Cam Newton. The FBI and NCAA are investigating allegations that Newton’s father was the point person in a scheme to sell the younger Newton’s athletic services to the highest bidding school. Dr. Colby Jubenville, health and human performance, says, “With this much smoke, the automatic suspicion of fire is usually warranted. And, if anyone was looking at this with an objective lens, it’s going to be difficult for Cam Newton to clear his name. To do this, he must step up and take responsibility for his own actions whether he was involved in this directly or not.”

Contact Jubenville at 615-898-2909.
jubenvil@mtsu.edu

“One is not born a woman—one becomes one.”—Simone de Beauvoir

Professionals seeking to gain an advantage in a tight labor market can add another credential after their names with a new interdisciplinary graduate certificate offered by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at MTSU. “The 18 credit-hour program is an opportunity for professionals in areas such as healthcare, education, legal and social services and in the nonprofit sector to acquire expertise on women’s and gender issues that can help them advance in their careers,” says Dr. Newtona (Tina) Johnson, Women’s and Gender Studies Director. Starting in the spring 2011 semester, students will have an opportunity to gain advanced training in the areas of feminist theory and methodologies, as well as in-depth knowledge of gender inequality and the intersection of gender and other forms of social identity and positioning.

For more information, contact Johnson at 615-898-5910.
ntjohnso@mtsu.edu

The Internal Respite from Taxation Service

Tax collections from real estate transactions fell 10.8 percent in the third quarter, according to Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. THS says, “The trend of transaction tax collections clearly shows the effects of the homebuyers’ tax credit as homebuyers rushed to buy, followed by a period of reduced activity. The current level of activity is similar to that of the recession low in the first and second quarters of 2009. By contrast, mortgage tax collections jumped 11 percent during the third quarter, boosted by increased refinancing activity due to lower mortgage rates. Compared with last year, however, mortgage tax collections are still down, declining from the peak in 2006.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

THE BETTER CHEDDAR--The MTSU Dairy Science Club is now accepting orders for cheese gift boxes. This quality Wisconsin cheese is delivered within two days of placing an order. Although MTSU has a dairy herd that produces the milk served in campus cafeterias, the university does not make its own cheese. The funds raised from cheese sales support Dairy Science Club activities such as the Beginning and Master Beekeeping classes at MTSU, clinics and team travel. The deadline for placing orders is Tuesday, Nov. 30. Orders will be available to pick up from the MTSU Milk Processing Plant in the Stark Agriculture Building the first week of December. Cheese offerings are online at http://www.mtsu.edu/abas/cheesesale.pdf. Contact Kym Stricklin at 615-898-2523 or kstrick@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Preparing students to serve society

The educational disciplines that focus on service to society are now under one umbrella at MTSU. The College of Behavioral and Health Sciences is taking its first steps toward the future. “We really see ourselves as a research-powerful operation for getting grants and other opportunities because of cross-collaboration between disciplines,” says Dr. Harold Whiteside, dean of the college. It includes the departments of Criminal Justice; Health and Human Performance; Human Sciences; Psychology; and Social Work, as well as the School of Nursing. Joining the academic departments are the Centers for Health and Human Services; Organizational and Human Resource Effectiveness; and Physical Activity for Health and Youth, as well as the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare; the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic; and the Adams Chair of Excellence in Health Care Services.

Contact Whiteside or Dr. Rick Short, associate dean, at 615-898-2900.

The better cheddar

The MTSU Dairy Science Club is now accepting orders for cheese gift boxes. This quality Wisconsin cheese is delivered within two days of placing an order. Although MTSU has a dairy herd that produces the milk served in campus cafeterias, the university does not make its own cheese. The funds raised from cheese sales support Dairy Science Club activities such as the Beginning and Master Beekeeping classes at MTSU, clinics and team travel. The deadline for placing orders is Tuesday, Nov. 30. Orders will be available to pick up from the MTSU Milk Processing Plant in the Stark Agriculture Building the first week of December. Cheese offerings are online at http://www.mtsu.edu/abas/cheesesale.pdf.

Contact Kym Stricklin at 615-898-2523.
kstrick@mtsu.edu

Underwater and over a barrel

The picture is mixed when it comes to mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures in the third quarter. According to Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, “Mortgages past due have increased, but foreclosures started during the quarter are lower for Tennessee. Past due mortgages rose somewhat to 10.88 percent of all mortgages compared with 10.82 percent for the previous quarter. The continuing high level of past due mortgages is an outcome of high unemployment and slow labor market gains as more households experience financial stress. New foreclosures dipped to 0.86 percent of all mortgages in Tennessee from 0.98 percent for the previous quarter, returning to about the same level as in the fourth quarter of 2009.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or
jvile@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

If you’re an actor, don’t talk about “shooting a pilot” at LAX.

Some pilots and crew members say they are as fed up as the flying public with the full-body scanning and security patdowns at airports. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, famous for landing a disabled U.S. Airways jet in the Hudson River last year, saving the passengers and crew, told National Public Radio that the scanning needlessly exposes pilots to more radiation than they already get since they fly at high altitudes. Will the pilots ultimately accept these new increased security measures, so will they prompt the Transportation Security Administration to make changes? Dr. Wayne Dornan, chair of the MTSU Department of Aerospace, says, “There needs to be some kind of compromise between TSA and the pilots. I remember flying after 9/11 and being subjected to numerous ‘patdowns.’ It didn’t bother me. I don’t see the need to have scan after scan, but I am under the impression that some of the newer devices don’t give off any radiation at all.”

Contact Dornan at 615-898-2788.
wdornan@mtsu.edu

It’s in the game.

Which is more important—your right to control you image or the rights of others to exercise freedom of speech by using it? David Hudson, adjunct professor of political science and First Amendment Center scholar, was quoted on the issue on the front page of yesterday’s New York Times. “It’s one of the most important clashes in all of First Amendment law and one of the more unsettled areas,” Hudson said. “I think it’s an area that is crying out for Supreme Court review in the right case.” The “right case” might be the class-action suit filed by former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller against video game maker Electronic Arts, the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company. Keller claims the defendants profited illegally from marketing the images of college players in the games NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball because the players were not compensated.

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

The dog just peed on my “for sale” sign.

If you’re trying to sell your house, the latest information from Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, just confirms what you already know. THM states, “The price of existing homes continued to decline during the third quarter, but at a slower pace … Though the state and most metropolitan areas moved a little closer to price stability, this goal still remains elusive. Of the 10 metropolitan areas in Tennessee, eight experienced a slower rate of price decline over the year. For example, home prices dropped 3.9 percent for the state during the third quarter, compared with a 4.6 percent first-quarter decline.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

TOO LEGIT NOT TO QUIT--The 35th annual Great American Smokeout, a day which encourages people who smoke to make a plan for quitting and/or to quit smoking that day, is slated for tomorrow, Nov. 18. Members of the MTSU Raider Health Corps will have free Tobacco Quit Kits available at tables outside the Keathley University Center and the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, weather permitting, until 4 p.m. or as supplies last. For more information, contact Lisa Thomason Schrader at 615-494-8704 or thomason@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

COUCH POTATO COMMUNITIES--Dr. Steven Hooker will discuss “Partnering with Communities to Promote Active Living: Accomplishments, Challenges and Lessons Learned” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 18, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Hooker is director of the Prevention Research Center, Graduate Director of the Master of Public Health Program in Physical Activity and Public Health and Research Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

“I like to move it, move it.”—from “Madagascar”

Would overweight and obese 8- to 14-year-old children respond better to a community-based intervention than a clinical intervention? Dr. Jennifer Caputo, health and human performance, and Dr. Janet Colson, human sciences, are among the co-authors of a study of a five-week pilot program that involved eight such children. The kids performed curl-ups and modified pull-ups, a cardiovascular endurance run and a back-saver sit-and-reach. Measurements included muscular fitness, aerobic capacity, body composition, body mass index and flexibility. There was a significant post-test reduction in BMI and a significant post-test decrease in body fat for boys. The study was supported by a grant from the Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth at MTSU.

For more information about the center, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549.
dmorgan@mtsu.edu

The competitive edge

Has your employer ever required you to sign a noncompete agreement? If you decide you want to break that deal later on, you might just have the upper hand. Then again, you might not. Drs. Patrick Geho and Stephen Lewis write, “Although there are a few states that hold noncompete agreements as prima facie void, most state courts will rule for partial enforcement. Thus, a promise in a noncompete agreement should be enforceable by and large when public policy issues are not in conflict and where the agreement is in severable terms. There is much case law on the subject of noncompete agreements, and while it is not easy to reconcile because the law is far from being settled, entrepreneurship students should be exposed to the subject matter since there is a high probability that they will be faced with the issue sometime during their business careers.”

Contact Geho at 615-898-2745 or pgeho@mtsu.edu.
Contact Lewis at 615-898-2902 or slewis@mtsu.edu.

Ups and downs

The Tennessee economy showed some improvement during the third quarter, according to Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center. THM states, “Employment gains pushed the unemployment rate down to 9.6 percent from 10.3 percent in the previous quarter. The unemployment rate remains very high, however—16th highest among the 50 states. Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell during the third quarter following a rise in the previous quarter. An important indicator of the future unemployment rate, initial claims averaged 6,800 a week, moving closer to the pre-recession level of 6,000 per week.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

HOW COULD YOU VOTE FOR THAT $@#&!?# IDIOT!--Dr. Robb McDaniel, associate professor of political science at MTSU, will lecture on “Civility in Public Discourse at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Nov. 16, at in the amphitheater of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. This lecture is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County. For more information, contact LMV co-president Leslie Collum at lesliecollum@bellsouth.net or McDaniel at rmcdanie@mtsu.edu.

TOO LEGIT NOT TO QUIT--The 35th annual Great American Smokeout, a day which encourages people who smoke to make a plan for quitting and/or to quit smoking that day, is slated for Thursday, Nov. 18. Members of the MTSU Raider Health Corps will have free Tobacco Quit Kits available at tables outside the Keathley University Center and the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, weather permitting, until 4 p.m. or as supplies last. For more information, contact Lisa Thomason Schrader at 615-494-8704 or thomason@mtsu.edu.

DON’T LET YOUR FELLOWSHIP SAIL WITHOUT YOU.--Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus. Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.

COUCH POTATO COMMUNITIES--Dr. Steven Hooker will discuss “Partnering with Communities to Promote Active Living: Accomplishments, Challenges and Lessons Learned” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Hooker is director of the Prevention Research Center, Graduate Director of the Master of Public Health Program in Physical Activity and Public Health and Research Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

From Manila to Mindanao

Learning about the humiliation of the Filipinos who were displayed in “human zoos” at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis has inspired an MTSU student of Filipino parents to learn more about his ethnic heritage. And Laurence Tumpag is sharing his knowledge with others by placing his dolls, each depicting a different Filipino tribe, on display in rotation outside the Global Studies office on the second floor of MTSU’s Peck Hall during this academic year. “Ever since I was younger, I wanted to reconnect with my culture,” says the 25-year-old Tumpag. “I began collecting when I was 13 or so. I do my best to understand my heritage and appreciate it.” Tumpag says his own family is descended from the Tagalog, one of the largest predominantly Christian ethnic groups and the one from which the main language of the Philippines is derived.

For an interview with Laurence Tumpag and/or photos of his display, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
gklogue@mtsu.edu

Don’t let your fellowship sail without you.

Qualified high-school seniors interested in applying for the Buchanan Fellowships at MTSU must meet a Wednesday, Dec. 1, deadline in order to be considered. The fellowship pays full tuition (up to 16 hours a semester) and most fees for four years of eligibility as well as an annual book allowance of $1,000 and other perks such as early registration and study-abroad opportunities. Students interested in securing applications for Buchanan Fellowships should go online to mtsu.edu/honors/scholarships.html. The fellowships are limited to 20 students per year. The fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan (Class of 1940), a Nobel Prize-winning alumnus.

Contact Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College, at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

Starve a home, feed a recession

If the recovery has started, it’s news to the economists who monitor the housing market. According to Tennessee Housing Market, a publication of MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, housing took a dip in the third quarter. THM states, “Single-family home construction activity dropped sharply during the third quarter, falling 19 percent from the previous quarter. The third-quarter level of 10,100 units is one of the lowest since the beginning of the recession. Activity during the previous four quarters had ranged between 12,500 and 13,500 units; the demise of the homebuyers’ tax credit, growing uncertainty regarding the economic recovery and very slow job growth are the likely causes of the decline.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

HEY, I’VE GOT AN IDEA!--Continuing its focus on lifelong learning, MTSU will celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week Nov. 15-19 to connect young people through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. All of the events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Business and Aerospace Building and Keathley University Center. Off-campus visitors should obtain a campus map and temporary parking pass at the second-floor reference department of the Linebaugh Public Library at 105 W. Vine St., just south of Murfreesboro’s Public Square. For more information, go to www.mtsu.edu/~entre or call 615-898-2902.

COUCH POTATO COMMUNITIES--Dr. Steven Hooker will discuss “Partnering with Communities to Promote Active Living: Accomplishments, Challenges and Lessons Learned” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series. Hooker is director of the Prevention Research Center, Graduate Director of the Master of Public Health Program in Physical Activity and Public Health and Research Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Blood on the Playstation

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia proved himself to be an unyielding defender of the First Amendment during oral arguments last week in a case about violent video games. In Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, the high court will determine whether a California law that bans the sale or rental of violent video games to minors is constitutional. David Hudson, adjunct professor of political science and First Amendment Center scholar, says, “Scalia repeatedly pressed California Deputy Attorney General Zackery Morazzini on how to define a ‘violence’ category to avoid banning other, less harmful kinds of violent depictions. Noting that violence is prevalent in fairy tales, Scalia said, ‘Some of the Grimm’s fairy tales are quite grim, to tell you the truth.’”

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

By the light of the silvery kaboom

Are you among the millions of Americans who are fascinated with “the rockets’ red glare?” Children and grownups alike love fireworks displays and not just on the Fourth of July. Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry, says, “In any celebration worth its salt, there will be bombs bursting with every color of the rainbow and more, such as gold, which, the Irish say, is at the end of it. In most cases, the color in a pyrotechnic device does, in fact, come from a salt. For instance, barium-containing salts, similar to those you may have swallowed or taken in at the other end prior to a gastrointestinal X-ray are embedded along with an explosive mixture to give a bright green starburst.”

Contact MacDougall at 615-898-5265.
pmacdoug@mtsu.edu

Continental divide

It turns out the United States isn’t the only nation that balances national security and civil liberties on the basis of the extent to which separation of powers is respected. Dr. Amanda Di Paolo, political science, writes that, while the Canadian Supreme Court purportedly looks to that nation’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms to decide such cases, it only appears to be more rights-based. Di Paolo writes, “The Canadian Supreme Court, like its American counterpart, looks at the procedure of how the law goes about limiting rights over the substance of the legitimacy of the limit in the first place. I conclude that the two courts end up using similar legal reasoning, despite differing approaches, resulting in each state providing a delicate balance between security and liberty.”

Contact Di Paolo at 615-898-2708.
dipaolo@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

SALUTE--The MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee will plant a tree to honor all Vietnam-era veterans in a ceremony beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, near the memorial in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building on campus. In addition, a flag paying tribute to prisoners of war and personnel listed as missing in action will be added to the new flagpole. Rolling Thunder will conduct the POW/MIA flag installation ceremony. The memorial is bipartite black granite wall engraved with the names of members of the MTSU community who have perished in the service of the nation. For more information, contact Robyn Kilpatrick at 615-309-5675.

SIZE MATTERS--Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. tonight, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex. Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

KEEPING IT COOL--Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m. tonight, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The 2009 film follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Following the screening, Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization. Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Let’s build a stairway to the stars.

Carl Sagan would have been 76 years old on Saturday, Nov. 6. The astronomer and host of PBS’ popular “Cosmos” series inspired many to reach for the stars by making the complexities of the universe accessible to a mass audience. But Dr. Phil Oliver, philosophy, says Sagan, who died in 1996, still speaks to us today as we grapple with our place in the universe. “Carl spoke for Earth and for the insight that beyond all our personal and cultural particularity we are still one species,” says Oliver. “He was a cosmopolitan. We’re at a crucial decision point: will we choose the path of cooperation, mutuality and hope? Or will we break the social contract, revert to a primitive and combative state of nature, and destroy ourselves over our selfish differences? Carl hoped we’d lift the veil of destructive egoism and look to the future, to the stars, to our longest and deepest identity as children of light. We are billions, and we are one.”

Contact Oliver at 615-898-2050.
poliver@mtsu.edu

The numbers game

When the U.S. Department of Labor announced last week that the national unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 9.6 percent, it also announced that the private sector added about 159,000 net new jobs. Why didn’t the jobless rate fall? Dr. Martin Kennedy, economics and finance, says, “Well, we need a monthly net gain of roughly 100,000 jobs just to maintain the unemployment rate due to increases in population. The labor force includes all those working or looking for work. Then there is the labor force participation rate. Changes in the labor force participation rate have an impact on the rate of unemployment. If someone enters the labor force by starting to look for a job after, say, being engaged in home production (perhaps as a full-time caregiver), then the unemployment rate goes up.”

Contact Kennedy at 615-494-8679.
mdkenned@mtsu.edu

Confucius says …

Are religion and science destined to be in conflict? Not necessarily. Consider Confucianism. Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, history, says, “Confucianism had absorbed many of the thoughts of other schools, creating an eclectic system that not only focused on proper government and family relations, but was closely intertwined with a view of the human world/human body as a microcosmic representation of the macrocosm. Thus, harmony was paramount in maintaining political and social order, as well as physical health. … As in classical Greece, science was closely tied to philosophy. The Confucian scholar was a generalist who learned subjects such as philosophy, poetry, calligraphy, mathematics, astronomy and medicine.”

Contact Chao at 615-898-2629.
ychao@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

SALUTE--The MTSU Veterans Memorial Committee will plant a tree to honor all Vietnam-era veterans in a ceremony beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, near the memorial in front of the Tom H. Jackson Building on campus. In addition, a flag paying tribute to prisoners of war and personnel listed as missing in action will be added to the new flagpole. Rolling Thunder will conduct the POW/MIA flag installation ceremony. The memorial is bipartite black granite wall engraved with the names of members of the MTSU community who have perished in the service of the nation. For more information, contact Robyn Kilpatrick at 615-309-5675.

FOR SANITY’S SAKE--Colleen Coffey will deliver four presentations of “The Heard: Talking about Mental Health” today, Nov. 9, at MTSU. Coffey uses her own experiences with a mental health disorder to address coping skills, leading a balanced life, eating disorders, anxiety, depression and survival. Programs are slated for 11:20 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. in the Keathley University Center Theatre and at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. Each presentation will last approximately one hour. These programs are free and open to the public. They are sponsored by the Student Programming Board, the Distinguished Lecture Series, Greek Affairs, Counseling Services and Health Services. For more information, contact Lisa Thomason Schrader at 615-494-8704 or lthomason@mtsu.edu.

SIZE MATTERS--Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex. Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

KEEPING IT COOL--Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The 2009 film follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Following the screening, Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization. Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

There’s no place like home.

What is the cure for the American housing crisis? Dr. Martin Kennedy, assistant professor of economics and finance, writes, “A look north might provide some insight. Housing prices in Canada are above pre-crash levels. In the past decade, subprime mortgages accounted for just five percent of home loans originated in Canada, while, in the U.S., they represented 20 percent. There is no tax deduction for mortgage interest payments, and buyers typically put 20 percent down. Canadian policy doesn’t encourage speculation. Home ownership might be a noble social policy goal, but, in the end, housing prices will be driven by the fundamentals of supply and demand. Failure to recognize and respect that won’t get us any closer to nobility.”

Read Kennedy’s new blog at:
http://mtsucollegeofbusiness.blogspot.com/2010/10/introducing-new-column-first.html.

From autodidacticism to matriculation

Greggory Hackney is a 46-year-old MTSU freshman from Murfreesboro. After working 32 years mostly in the service industry, he found himself unemployed. But he always wanted more education. So he read about a wide variety of topics, including Eastern and Western philosophy, psychology, anthropology, even quantum physics—all on his own. For an essay Hackney wrote in observance of Nontraditional Students Week (Nov. 1-5), he stated, “I love waking in the morning, knowing that another day’s worth of learning, dialoguing and interacting with people is going to be a big part of my day. … I feel fortunate and happy to be a non-traditional student, to learn better ways of tackling some of life’s thornier problems, to help those that I can, either through direction or by example. I speak often with pride that I am working toward my goals in this way.”

Contact the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students at 615-898-5989.
jacwns@mtsu.edu

Our man in Malaga

In an interview recorded before he left the United States, MTSU student Justin Witt talked about getting a grant for his new study-abroad experience in Malaga, Spain, and his prior trips to Western Europe and Columbia. The 23-year-old recording industry and international relations major had traveled to Spain previously, but this is his first trip to Malaga, where he’s working with the Spanish Ministry of Education. The interview is slated to air at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Nov. 7, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).

Contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

A WEIGHTY MATTER--Dr. David Bassett, professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies and Director of the Center for Physical Activity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will speak at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 4, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Bassett will speak about “Packing on the Pounds: Time Trends in Physical Activity and Diet in American Children.” This address is free and open to the public and is presented by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

SIZE MATTERS--Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex. Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

KEEPING IT COOL--Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The 2009 film follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Following the screening, Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization. Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Por favor, el doctor!

The towns of El Paso, Tex., and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, are twin cities separated only by the U..S-Mexico border. The need for health care transcends that border, according to the findings of Dr. Patricia Boda, geosciences. For a study she conducted, Boda used GIS (geographic information system) to locate health care facilities and pharmacies on both sides and to create maps of those providers. She concluded, in part, that international health care is not only occurring, but is encouraged. “The dentists and farmacias exist in the patterns that they do because of the U.S. market,” Boda writes. “By offering these heavily used providers at a minimal distance, they are, in fact, marketing to the U.S. resident. In addition, many of the dentists and farmacias visited in Juarez have an El Paso telephone number, Internet access and advertising, or both.”

Contact Boda at 615-904-8098.
pboda@mtsu.edu

Fitting right in

Betty Spann was working full-time for the State of Tennessee and taking night classes at MTSU when she finished her two-year business degree in 2000. In 2008, the state offered her an employee buyout with the additional benefit of a two-year scholarship. She jumped at the opportunity. In the essay she wrote for Nontraditional Students Week (Nov. 1-5), Spann states, “Being on campus with traditional students is a unique experience. Their youth and their vitality are contagious and it’s a joy to be around them. The doors they open for me are symbolic of the opportunities we all have for learning and advancing together. Yes, I have found them to be respectful and courteous, something we don’t always attribute to youth. … The satisfaction I gain from staying in school is worth the extra effort of driving from Nashville to Murfreesboro three times a week. It is a rewarding experience that I can recommend to anyone.”

Contact the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students at 615-898-5989.
jawc@mtsu.edu

I’m your biggest fan!

Lost in all the ballyhoo surrounding the Miami Heat’s NBA opener against the Boston Celtics was Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s comment to USAToday about the extra security in place at the team’s hotel. Spoelstra said, “I liked it. There was more security and more barricades so fans couldn’t get close to us, rather than in years past where they could walk right up to you.” Dr. Don Roy, management and marketing, while acknowledging the need to protect the players’ safety, warns against distancing the players from the fans too much. “Most fans simply want a glimpse of their favorite team or players, maybe a quick photo, and a chance to express their admiration,” Roy says. “The risk is becoming too isolated from customers who care about you most.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

TALKING TRASH--Dr. William L. Rathje, an expert on the archaeology of modern garbage, will speak at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium at 6 p.m. tonight, Nov. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. His topic will be “Our Garbage Dilemma from the Perspective of an Anthropologist.” This event is free and open to the public. A professor at the University of Arizona, Rathje is also founder and director of The Garbage Project, which conducts archaeological studies of modern refuse. For more information, contact Dr. Brian Hinote at 615-494-7914 or bhinote@mtsu.edu.

A WEIGHTY MATTER--Dr. David Bassett, professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies and Director of the Center for Physical Activity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Bassett will speak about “Packing on the Pounds: Time Trends in Physical Activity and Diet in American Children.” This address is free and open to the public and is presented by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

SIZE MATTERS--Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex. Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

KEEPING IT COOL--Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The 2009 film follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Following the screening, Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization. Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

The silly season

Are you ready for Election Day? Are you ready for all those negative ads to disappear, at least until the next election cycle? Dr. Larry Burriss, journalism, says, “I knew we were in trouble when every candidate and commentator in the country became obsessed with whether or not a 19-year-old did or did not date a woman who claimed to be a witch 10 years ago. Then managers for the Republicans, Democrats, Tea Partiers and every fringe party said they weren’t really trying to stage-manage media coverage. They were enhancing the coverage by making sure there was precious little opportunity to cover dissident factions. And how much did we learn from the campaign ads? Well, the high point was the office pool based on how fast the candidates would respond to each other’s attack ads.”

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

Breaking with tradition

Would you return to college after age 40? Mary Richard, an office management major admits she found it “very intimidating” at first. In her essay for Nontraditional Students Week (Nov. 1-5), Richard wrote, “I developed a plan to work ahead so that I could have time with my son. I brought my homework with me so that in between working I could sneak some study time. I left the job that I had and became a student worker, which proved to be easier for me. I took advantage of fall and spring breaks.” Richard’s story is not uncommon. Nontraditional students who have children and other adult responsibilities make all kinds of sacrifices to juggle their educational lives and the rest of their lives.

Contact the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students at 615-898-5989.
jawc@mtsu.edu

Stephen Hawking vs. Billy Graham

In a recent issue of USATODAY, Dr. Jerry Coyne, a professor at the University of Chicago, argued that science and religion are fundamentally incompatible. Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies and an ordained rabbi, takes issue with Coyne’s position. Shapiro says, “Dr. Coyne reduces religion to superstition. To the extent that religions are tied to superstitions and demonstrable falsehoods, they should free [themselves] from these. That is how science can benefit religion. But the opposite is also true: the extent to which science is blind to realities uncovered by contemplative practice, or closed to the notion that meaning and value can be found in the human condition, or that the human condition is as much rooted in narrative as in physics, science needs to open its eyes.”

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

TR EXTRA

EXPLORE THE WAR--After two excursions to the South Pacific to expose students to some of the critical sites of World War II, an MTSU historian prepares to embark on a tour of some of the pivotal sites of the European Theater of Operations for his “Warfare and Public Memory in Western Europe” class (HIST 3070). Dr. Derek Frisby, associate professor of history, will escort students across the continent May 19-June 3, 2011, in tracing the war’s “Great Crusade.” The 16-day tour will include an examination of Normandy; Bastogne; Dachau; Operation Market Garden, a campaign fought in Germany and the Netherlands; and the “Eagle’s Nest,” Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s retreat in the mountains above Berchtesgarden. Students also will follow the route of the 101st Airborne Division’s “Band of Brothers.” Tours of Omaha and Utah beaches, Arnhem and the “Battle of the Bulge” site are on the itinerary, as well as the Bayeaux Tapestry, Paris, Verdun and Waterloo. For more information, contact Frisby at 615-904-8097 or dfrisby@mtsu.edu. Financial aid is available. Apply as soon as possible. Contact the Office of Education Abroad and Student Exchange (MT Abroad) at 615-898-5179 or mtabroad@mtsu.edu.

A TOUCH OF GRAY--Nontraditional Student Week at MTSU, Nov. 1-5, will be a celebration of the adult learner who realizes it’s never too late to expand one’s intellectual and professional possibilities. Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, professor of chemistry, will conduct a presentation on nontraditional careers from 12-1 p.m. today, Nov. 1, in Room 320 of the Keathley University Center. For more information, contact the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students at 615-898-5989 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

TALKING TRASH--Dr. William L. Rathje, an expert on the archaeology of modern garbage, will speak at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. His topic will be “Our Garbage Dilemma from the Perspective of an Anthropologist.” This event is free and open to the public. A professor at the University of Arizona, Rathje is also founder and director of The Garbage Project, which conducts archaeological studies of modern refuse. For more information, contact Dr. Brian Hinote at 615-494-7914 or bhinote@mtsu.edu.

A WEIGHTY MATTER--Dr. David Bassett, professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies and Director of the Center for Physical Activity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. Bassett will speak about “Packing on the Pounds: Time Trends in Physical Activity and Diet in American Children.” This address is free and open to the public and is presented by the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.

SIZE MATTERS--Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex. Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

KEEPING IT COOL--Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The 2009 film follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Following the screening, Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization. Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Felicia Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

A RADICAL IDEA--A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday through Dec. 2 at MTSU police headquarters, 1412 East Main St. in Murfreesboro. The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff, as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, contact MTSU RAD instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 615-494-7858.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS--It’s time again for “Operation Christmas Care,” the project that sends holiday cheer to wounded warriors. The service, which was started in 2006 by Lee Ann Newton, executive aide for the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, has sent more than 20,000 Christmas cards to hospitalized military personnel. “Unfortunately, our soldiers’ individual support systems often dwindle after the life-threatening danger has passed,” says Norton, “and yet their painful daily regiment toward recovery continues. E-mails are nice, and they’re appreciated, but a colorful card or letter with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement can beam from the walls of their hospital rooms until they leave.” Contact Newton at 615-904-8573 or lnewton@mtsu.edu.