494 TWO MTSU SENIORS AMONG ELITE GROUP CHOSEN FOR OPERA INSTITUTE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919

Memphis & Murfreesboro Natives Part of Top-Notch 65 Chosen from National Pool

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—While most college students recuperate from the rigors of another academic year, MTSU seniors Megan Tozer of Murfreesboro and Neal Figueroa of Memphis are pursuing their passion for musical theater in the Cape Cod hamlet of Falmouth, Mass.
Founded in 1969, the College Light Opera Company (CLOC) is the country’s largest residential opera company. During its nine-show season, CLOC provides undergraduate students with an environment and experience to refine their skills and launch careers in musical theater.
“I heard about the company through professors and colleagues at MTSU,” said Tozer, a senior vocal performance music major and CLOC vocal ensemblist.
“I knew I needed to begin applying for summer programs and internships this year, because they really help build an artistic resume,” she remarked.
Figueroa, who’s serving as one of three CLOC assistant conductor, added, “CLOC will be able to provide me with valuable experience and arm me for the future.
“I’m doing this program in preparation for graduate school and the real world,” he added, “(and) I hope to be a stronger conductor and teacher.”
Dr. John McDaniel, dean of MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts, said, “This is a highly competitive endeavor open only to the best college students and we are immensely pleased that Neal and Megan are representing MTSU in this professional organization.
“Their appointment to this company, where they will work with a professional staff throughout the summer, is a credit not only to their talent but to the nurturing they have received from faculty in the music school.”
Each year, CLOC selects 32 vocalists for the ensemble, 18 instrumentalists for the orchestra, three assistant conductors and 12 stage technicians for its summer program. With such a small number of applicants accepted, CLOC has become a high watermark for young talent.
“I’m particularly happy for Megan because the true elitism in the program is for the vocalists,” said Figueroa, a graduate of Overton High School who’s a double majoring in music and theater education. “Singers from some the top music schools in the United States applied for the ensemble and only a few, in relationship to the amount of applicants, are accepted.”
As for the fact that two MTSU students were selected to participate in the prestigious summer company, “It says a great deal about the faculty members who invest their time into helping us be the best performers we can be,” Tozer observed.
Nevertheless, both Tozer and Figueroa insist they have no intention of letting their acceptance into the CLOC program inflate their egos or shadow the talents of their colleagues in the music or speech and theater programs.
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“We were the only two who applied from MTSU,” Figueroa said. “However, I believe that there are students in our program that have the talent and ability to give the rest of the CLOC ensemble a run for their money. It will be exciting to see what the future has in store for MTSU.”
Moreover, Tozer added, “I definitely think MTSU has a great deal of talent in both the music and theater departments. Other students have done similar programs and placed in statewide competitions just this year.”
Although the pair’s musical talents afforded them admittance into the highly competitive CLOC program, both Figueroa and Tozer believe it would not have possible without encouragement from their respective MTSU teachers.
“Dr. Christine Isley-Farmer, my voice teacher, has undoubtedly been a huge inspiration since I’ve been at MTSU,” said Tozer, a 2003 graduate of Riverdale High School. “I knew that she would help me prepare and support me, whether or not I was accepted into CLOC.
“Dr. Isley-Farmer cares for each of us personally and spends a great deal of time getting to know our voices and selecting repertoire that suits us best. I can only hope to be half the teacher that she is someday.”
Figueroa, too, has a favorite faculty member whom he credits with mentoring his aspirations.
“Dr. Raphael Bundage has a vast knowledge of music history, choral literature and score interpretation,” Figueroa said. “I have learned a great deal from sitting in his choirs and observing him work.
“He is always willing to offer assistance if you ask and is the epitome of a great musical mind. However, Dr. Bundage is quite humble in his teaching and would never really admit to inspiring anyone, though he inspires many.”
Once their summer tenure with the opera company is completed, Tozer and Figueroa will return to MTSU for the fall semester to complete their senior-year studies. But the skills and experience from the CLOC program, they say, will stay with them well beyond graduation.
For more information on the College Light Opera Company, please visit its Web site at www.collegelightopera.com.


•ATTENTION, MEDIA: Interview requests for Figueroa and Tozer, now performing in Massachusetts, may be directed to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by e-mail, lrollins@mtsu.edu, or by calling 615-898-2919.

Please note: Editorial outlets that choose to run the aforementioned story verbatim are asked to provide byline credit to Justin Dinger, a May 2006 MTSU mass communication graduate.

493 JULY 4TH AT MTSU OFFERS TOYS, NOISE, PATRIOTIC JOY

The entrance to MTSU from Rutherford Boulevard will be closed

June 23, 2006
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MURFREESBORO—The Rutherford County “Celebration Under the Stars” committee wants every visitor to the July 4th festivities at Middle Tennessee State University to get a big bang out of the entire evening—arrive and depart safely and enjoy the huge party in between.
The traditional celebration site is located on the large grassy area across from the Recreation Center on Blue Raider Drive and just north of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building.
Children’s activities will begin at 5:00 p.m.
A formal welcome will take place at 7:30, and at 8:00, after the presentation of colors, the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, will perform.
At 9:00, the fireworks will light up the sky.
Visitors may enter campus on Faulkinberry Drive off Middle Tennessee Boulevard, turn right at the end of Faulkinberry, and proceed east on MTSU Boulevard to find good parking just north of the celebration site. Additionally, revelers may turn into campus from Greenland Drive onto Champion Way and head south to several parking areas. Others may wish to enter campus from East Main Street or Womack Lane and find parking on the south side of campus.
The entrance on the east side off Rutherford Boulevard will be closed due to construction, and parking will not be permitted along Rutherford Boulevard. Guests should come early and find parking on the north, west and south sides of the campus. Visitors will not be able to enter or exit that side of campus onto Rutherford Boulevard.
Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation will entertain and involve children with lollipop tree, bean bag toss, ball toss, Frisbee disc golf (Disc Golf Association), face painting, patriotic puzzles, turtle fest (Wilderness Station), knock the cans down and other games.
Giveaway items will include candy-filled straw, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, patriotic star necklaces, rubber patriotic bracelets, patriotic fans and patriotic pinwheels. Guests may purchase glow-in-the-dark necklaces and glow sticks.
Because the weather is unpredictable this time of year, everyone should tune to WGNS-AM 1450 radio, Murfreesboro’s Good Neighbor Station, starting at around
3:30 p.m. that day for any changes in the schedule.
The Blue Raider Athletic Association will sell concessions, and Wal-Mart is donating two large birthday cakes. The Col. Hardy Murfree Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will give out free American flags.
To insure everyone’s safety, organizers want to remind everyone that pets, alcoholic beverages, cooking grills, and personal fireworks or sparklers will not be permitted on the celebration site. Outside banners and food vendors will not be allowed on the grounds. Cooking grills will not be permitted on any grassy areas.
A special “Celebration Under the Stars” spread in the July 2 issue of the DNJ will provide more details and a map.
For more information, call MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

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492 MTSU CASTS ITS VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY PROJECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919

Campus Will Again Participate in Nationwide Effort to Secure More Young Voters

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU, for the second time, will participate in the American Democracy Project, a multi-campus initiative designed to create a heightened understanding of civic engagement among undergraduates, reported Dr. Mark Byrnes, professor, political science.
The nationwide project, which is being conducted in 30 states and sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), currently calls upon school administrators and students at some 80 colleges and universities, including MTSU, to help register young voters using a mix of peer-to-peer outreach, encouragement from professors, e-mail and direct mail.
A non-partisan endeavor, the project’s national organizers said they hope to register 350,000 young voters in 2006.
“Although young people still voted at lower rates than other age groups, the youth vote improved significantly in 2004,” remarked Byrnes, who serves as chairman of MTSU’s student registration drive.
“Major registration and mobilization efforts in 2004 helped spur an increase in young voter turnout by 11 percentage points over (the year) 2000 levels—an increase of more than four million more voters,” he observed.
The proactive AASCU’s sign-up campaign is coordinated by Younger Voter Strategies, a project of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University that provides parties, candidates and consultants with data on the youth vote in 2004 and advice on how to effectively mobilize this electorate for upcoming elections. The project is funded by a $3 million grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Additionally, according to organizers, the goal of the registration campaign is “to produce graduates who understand and are committed to engaging in meaningful actions as citizens in democracy.”
Heather Smith, director of the Washington, D.C.,-based Young Voter Strategies, said, “State colleges and universities could be goldmines for nonprofits and political campaigns reaching out to register young voters,” thanks to the fact that more than six million students currently are enrolled at state colleges and universities in the U.S.
“Coming out of this project, we’ll have data to help create a comprehensive toolkit for future state college registration projects,” she added.
As for this year’s voter registration efforts at MTSU, “In 2006, we will continue to register students and hope to further increase young voter turnout,” Byrnes remarked.
According to information released by the AASCU, two of the nation’s leading voter mobilization researchers will work with the American Democracy Project in 2006 to help track and evaluate which techniques register the most college students and which of these techniques is most likely to result in a vote case come election time.
The AASCU represents 430 state colleges and universities that enroll more than 3.7 million students. For a complete list of the groups involved in the American Democracy Project’s registration efforts, please contact Kathleen Barr via e-mail at katbarr@gwu.edu or by calling 202-994-9528.
For more information about MTSU’s efforts on behalf of the young voter registration effort, please contact Byrnes at mbyrnes@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2351.

491 GROUP GARNERS NATIONAL HONOR FOR OUTREACH EFFORTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lori Kissinger, 615-210-8819

GROUP GARNERS NATIONAL HONOR FOR OUTREACH EFFORTS
ON BEHALF OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE ARTS

(MURFREESBORO)—VSA arts Tennessee, a statewide nonprofit organization with a mission to empower individuals with disabilities through the arts, recently was awarded the 2006 National Award for Public Awareness and Outreach.
The award was presented to the Gallatin-based VSA arts Tennessee on June 9 in Washington, D.C., reported Lori Kissinger, executive director for VSA arts Tennessee and an instructor in MTSU’s Department of Speech and Theatre.
Soula Anotoniou, president of VSA arts International, said the award was given to VSA arts Tennessee because “the recipient took innovative approaches to conduct statewide education-infused awareness activities and connected the state’s historical musical roots to its programming.”
“This is a tremendous honor for our organization,” Kissinger remarked. “I am thrilled with the award and excited about the opportunities that are ahead for our organization.
“We were also thrilled and excited to be the only VSA arts affiliate to receive the National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Grant for 2006 and the only nonprofit to receive this award in middle Tennessee for our Ryman Auditorium project on Oct. 25,” she added.
Members of the Tennessee chapter of VSA arts, as part of the organization’s “Keymunicate” arts relay in 2005, actively worked to position artists with disabilities on the stage of Nashville’s Bluebird Café in 2004 and 2005. The group, in its ongoing outreach programming efforts, also has planned a Ryman Auditorium project that will take place in October 2006.
Regarding the arts group’s latest national recognitions, Kissinger said, “We are hopeful that middle Tennessee, and Nashville in particular, will embrace these national recognitions and help us make the Ryman project something that Tennessee can truly be proud.”
In recognizing the area-based VSA arts for its many contributions, Kissinger said the group also was commended for its connections to higher education—namely, its relationship with Belmont University’s annual awards program; its annual weeklong art institute at Volunteer State Community College; and for the group’s connections to MTSU and the ongoing support it receives for its numerous VSA projects and programs via that university, including service-learning opportunities that MTSU students participate in.
• For more information about VSA arts Tennessee or its upcoming programs, including its art institute for children, a career forum for professional artists with disabilities or its Ryman Auditorium project, please access its Web site at www.vsaartstennessee.org.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: Those wishing to interview Kissinger about VSA art Tennessee may contact her directly at 615-210-8819 or via e-mail at userk7706@aol.com.

488 MTSU Student to Display Dancing Dexterity at Uncle Dave Macon Days

TAPPING OUT A FUTURE TO TUNES OF PAST AND PRESENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2006EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) - The fastest feet in Fayetteville belong to Kory Posey, a 21-year-old MTSU senior recording industry major with a house full of trophies attesting to his expertise in the fine art of clogging. For those who recently arrived from a colder climate or those who think Posey renders plumbing fixtures unusable in his spare time, an explanation might be in order. No less an authority than Arthur Murray defines clogging as "a freestyle dance style, originating in the Blue Ridge Mountains, characterized by double-time stomping and tap steps resembling a tap dance with the upper body held straight and upright." "I started when I was five years old with my dad and my aunt," Posey says. "They started taking lessons because they thought it would be fun just to have something to do." Posey says he has taken no lessons in any other form of dancing, but clogging itself has expanded beyond the same familiar footwork, venturing into musical territory its veterans never could have imagined years ago. "The more modern cloggers use all genres of music," Posey says. "They use hip-hop, pop, rock. I've seen a routine to every song and every genre. It's amazing how many different things you can do with music." As a music minor who played saxophone in high school and is teaching himself guitar and piano, Posey has an advantage over some of his competitors on the clogging contest circuit. His seemingly intuitive understanding of the blend of music and movement guides his every step. "I feel like I took to it pretty naturally," Posey says. "My whole family did. They kinda stayed with their more old-school approach to clogging-you know, line clogging. And I took off in more modern steps and more syncopation. Some of the older people who do it really can't do those steps because it takes a lot more energy and they go a lot faster." Posey says precision clogging is more syncopation-based, whereas old-time clogging and buck dancing require the dancer to stay in lockstep with the beat.

In buck dancing, the feet may not rise more than six inches off the ground and all body movement must come from the waist down. In traditional clogging, there are more kicks and more energy. In modern clogging, virtually anything goes. Judges in all categories look for rhythm and timing, appearance, and even sportsmanship based on how competitors get along with their fellow dancers. Since 1999, Posey has been dancing with the Cookeville-based Rhythm-N-Motion Cloggers, the national clogging champs. They recently won a square dance title in Lebanon, which entitled them to perform on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. They received a standing ovation in their debut performance and closed the show by dancing to the music of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. "We got to meet people like Charley Pride and Pam Tillis," Posey says of his Opry experience. "It was a lot of fun. It's such an honor to do it, and the thrill that you get is indescribable." His most recent awards are national individual titles in old-time clogging and old-time buck dancing at last year's Uncle Dave Macon Days in Murfreesboro. He won his first competitive awards at that annual event at the age of eight. He comes by his knowledge of such gatherings through family ties, as well. Posey's parents, Jerry and Paula Posey, are co-organizers of the Lincoln County Bluegrass and Crafts Festival. After he graduates, either in December 2006 or May 2007, Posey says he would like to start his own record label. But his feet never will take him far from a dance floor."I'll never give it up," Posey vows. "But, eventually, I guess once I'm done figuring out the recording industry, I guess I'd like to come back and start a younger team and ... keep the tradition going."


ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color photos of Kory Posey in performance, please contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

478 ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION SUMMER

Date: June 20, 2006

Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Summer Bridge Program contact: Dr. Barbara Knox, 615-898-5311


(MURFREESBORO) — Twenty-seven incoming college freshmen are continuing the second of three weeks of the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Bridge Program at MTSU this week.
Under Dr. Barbara Knox, director, and various MTSU faculty, the students spend 12 hours a day in classes like math, chemistry, physics, computer science, aerospace and writing in order to taste a sample of college live.
They also have or will visit other alliance colleges and universities. Last weekend, they visited the University of Memphis, LeMoyne-Owen College and Vanderbilt and Tennessee State universities.
On Friday, June 23, they will visit the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, and then spend about 24 hours in Pigeon Forge at Dollywood (June 24) and the Pigeon Forge Mall (June 23).
The program ends with an awards program at noon Friday, June 30 in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. The guest speaker will be Rev. Vincent Windrow, vice president, Zycron Computer Services Inc. of Nashville.
Incoming MTSU participants include Kensley Van Dyke (computer science) of Paris; Raymond Dennis (engineering technology and industrial studies) of Murfreesboro; Jason Jarrett (computer technology) of Memphis; Justin Cherry (biochemistry) of Memphis; Cassandra Titus (biology) of Nashville; Dwight Patterson (animal science) of Murfreesboro; Tony Lee (biology) of Ripley; and Kelman Edwards (ETIS) of Nashville.
Incoming UT-Knoxville participants include Collins Eke (aeronautical engineering) of Murfreesboro; Sydney Fears (aeronautical engineering) of Little Rock, Ark.; Chassidy Holloway (computer engineering) of Lafayette, Ala.; Paul Fuller Jr. (computer engineering) of Bolivar; and Brandon Gaitor (aeronautical engineering) of Cordova.
The University of Memphis participant is Herman Mitchell (aeronautical engineering) of Memphis.
The TSU participants include Quneta Borum (biology) of Memphis; Brian Coleman (biology) of Stone Mountain, Ga.; Melanie Hughes (biology) of Nashville; Brittney Macklin (biology) of Memphis; Passion Wells (biology) of Memphis; Nigel Jordan (computer science) of Chattanooga; and Wendell Patterson (civil engineering) of Memphis.
Incoming Vanderbilt participants include William Yzaguirre (civil engineering) of Las Vegas; Sean Cardell (civil engineering) of Chattanooga; DeAngelo Harris (engineering) of Memphis; Robert Jackson (engineering) of Antioch; Erica Mills (biomedical engineering) of Alpharetta, Ga.; and Javier Cora-Roldan (computer engineering) of Caguas, P.R.
A $65,000 National Science Foundation grant housed at TSU funds the program.
For more information, contact Knox (bknox@mtsu.edu) by calling 615-898-5311 or Dr. Tom Cheatham (cheatham@mtsu.edu), dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, at 615-898-2613.
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Media welcomed.

477 NATIONAL GUITAR WORKSHOP AT MTSU SET FOR JULY 22-27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2006
CONTACT: Robert W. McLean School of Music, 615-898-2493

Annual Event Expected to Attract 100-Plus Participants, Performers

(MURFREESBORO)—The 13th Annual National Guitar Workshop at MTSU will be held July 22-27 in the Robert W. McLean School of Music on the campus of MTSU.
The workshop, which will include both a faculty and student concert, annually enrolls about 100 student participants of all ages and offers top-notch instruction in various styles of guitar, bass, drums and songwriting.
Dr. William Yelverton, director of MTSU’s guitar studies program, said, “In the past 13 years, the National Guitar Workshop at MTSU has brought students in from 40 states and five foreign countries ranging in age from 12 to 73.”
The yearly workshop offers courses in rock, blues, jazz, country and acoustic, classical guitar, Yelverton said, in addition to instruction in songwriting, bass and drums.
In addition to Yelverton, a professor music at MTSU and touring guitarist, more than 20 guest artists and faculty will participate in the 2006 event, including Brent Mason, one of Nashville's most-recorded guitar virtuosos, and Jody Fisher, a West Coast-based jazz virtuoso and author of more than two dozen books on jazz.
Interested participants may reside on or off campus during the event. For registration information, including details about the event’s various seminars, from classical, bluegrass and jazz to songwriting, please call 1-800-234-6479 or visit the event’s Web site at
http://www.guitarworkshop.com/ sessions/tn/


ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Dr. Yelverton about the Nashville portion of the national Guitar Workshop, please contact him directly at 615-898-5623 or via e-mail at yelverto@mtsu.edu.

476 DALEWOOD STUDENTS ‘BUILD A BRIDGE TO COLLEGE’ JUNE 21-22

Date: June 20, 2006


Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Dalewood Middle Schools contact: Buddy Sullivan, 423-503-8198 (cell)



(MURFREESBORO) — Select students from Chattanooga’s Dalewood Middle School will visit MTSU June 21-22 for their annual Building a Bridge to College summer workshop.
The nearly 20 students were rewarded for the academic achievement of being proficient in algebra and other classes, a Dalewood school official said.
Buddy Sullivan, a math teacher at Dalewood and baseball coach at Brainerd High School, brings the students annually. Sullivan is an MTSU alumnus (B.S. ’70). Alumna Ashley Williams (M.Ed. ’02), a Dalewood counselor, will be among three faculty members accompanying the group.
“It’s a chance for them to get a taste of college life for four days,” Sullivan said.
MTSU faculty, staff and Women in Science and Engineering students will provide a taste of college life through these workshops: “Connecting to Your Heritage” led by Angela Golden, specialist, information technology; “You and the Force” led by Dr. Daniel Erenso assistant professor, physics and astronomy; “WISE Chemistry” led by WISE students; and “Microscopic Investigations! CSI at MTSU” led by Dr. Kim Cleary Sadler, assistant professor, biology, and part of the MTSU Center for Environmental Education group.
The Dalewood students will stay in Beasley Hall.

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Media welcomed.

Contact MTSU News & Public Affairs, 615-898-2919, for workshop times and locations.

475 MTSU STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLASTIC REWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lynn Palmer, 615-898-2111

Forty-three Incoming Freshmen Secure Awards for 2006-07 Term

(MURFREESBORO)—Forty-three incoming Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) students recently were awarded Scholastic Rewards Scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year.
The Scholastic Rewards Scholarship is awarded to first-time African-American freshman applicants who have an ACT composite score of 20 or higher (940 or higher SAT) and a 3.30 cumulative GPA through the junior year in high school. The award is for $2,600 per academic year.
The 2006-2007 MTSU Scholastic Reward Scholarships recipients, some of whom are from your Tennessee hometown area, are as follows:

Jasinet K. Coble, daughter of Bobby Coble and Janice Jernigan of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Siegel High School.
Asia Muhammad, daughter of Yvette and Lorenzo Muhammad of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Oakland High School.
Justin B. Thomas of La Vergne, Tenn., a graduate of La Vergne High School.
Margaret N. Ussery, daughter of Willie M. Holbert of La Vergne, Tenn., and a graduate of La Vergne High School.
Teheiria J. Woods, daughter of James and April Wood of La Vergne, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Joshua Knight, son of Monica Word and Robert Knight of Lebanon, Tenn., and a graduate of Lebanon High School.
Deon Wiggins of Gallatin, Tenn., a graduate of Gallatin High School.
Lavell Barras, child of Gregory and Ardes Peaster of Hendersonville, Tenn., and a graduate of Hendersonville High School.
Jerica Lea Bridgeforth, daughter of Wayne and Evelyn Bridgeforth of Prospect, Tenn., and a graduate of Giles County High School.
AnTwan Buchanan, son of Wayne and Phillisa Buchanan of Manchester, Tenn., and a graduate of Coffee County Central High School.
Qualekqua Shanquil Cooper, child of Greg and Ahgela Claude of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., and a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School.
LaEndia Shardee Buchanan, daughter of Charles H. Buchanan of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., and a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School.
Michaela Zhontae’ Mikisha Fortson, child of Anita Fortson of Knoxville, Tenn., and a graduate of Austin East High School.
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Phillip Moore, son of Tawana Moore of Knoxville, Tenn., and a graduate of Austin East High School.
Montaz Trell Freeman, son of Corey and Cherronda Freeman of Springfield, Tenn., and a graduate of Springfield High School.
Erika Elaine Gibson, daughter of Marsha Gibson of Jackson, Tenn., and a graduate of Liberty Technology Magnet High School.
Dominique Jamal McCall, child of Jerald McCall-Franklin of Jackson, Tenn., and a graduate of Liberty Technology Magnet High School.
Elon Wilbourn, child of Linda Wilbourn of Jackson, Tenn., and a graduate of Liberty Technology Magnet High School.
LaParsha Gibbs, daughter of Alvin and Carolyn Gibbs of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Liberty Technology Magnet High School.
Devan A. Dillard, son of Lisa and Paul Dillard of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Craigmont High School.
Candace Smith, daughter of Cydric and Martha Smith of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Craigmont High School.
Jeremy A. Williams, son of Marcia A. Ricks of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Eboni Grundy, daughter of Jacqueline Grundy of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Jimel Fossett, of Memphis, Tenn., a graduate of Kingsbury High School.
Summer Hicks, child of Anthony and Ruth Hicks of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Overton High School.
Tabitha Tionette Jones, daughter of Maurice and Valorie Jones of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Germantown High School.
LaShawndra Nelson, daughter of Darris and Linda Nelson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Germantown High School.
Andrea Simone Martin, daughter of Ronna and Andrew Martin of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of White Station High School.
Jozmen Robinson, child of Arthur and Anniece Robinson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Ridgeway High School.
Gabrielle De’Nea Williams, daughter of Paula Y. Williams of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Melrose High School.
Jasmine Conley, daughter of Anita Polk-Conley of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of Chattanooga School for the Arts.
Tremayne Johnson, child of Leshun Garrett of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of East Ridge High School.
James Bradley Hickman, son of Martha and Franklin Hickman of Dayton, Tenn., and a graduate of Rhea County High School.
Travion Kinzer, child of Sandra Kinzer of Columbia, Tenn., and a graduate of Spring Hill High School.
Ariel LaShae Lancaster, daughter of Clara and Kenneth Lancaster of Pulaski, Tenn., and a graduate of Giles County High School.
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Marie A. Leslie, daughter of Brenda Mayes and Anthony Leslie of Shelbyville, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Dusitn Cole Martin, son of Danny Martin and Dianne Wood of McMinnville, Tenn., and a graduate of Warren County High School.
Jeffrey Antron Owens, son of Anita Temple of Covington, Tenn., and a graduate of Brighton High School.
Shardei Robertson, daughter of Christine and Silas Robertson of Whiteville, Tenn., and a graduate of Bolivar Central High School.
Caprise LaShay Smith, daughter of Gail Smith of Morristown, Tenn., and a graduate of Morristown-Hamblen High School West.
Britney Smith, daughter of Corondaiay and Tony Howell of Somerville, Tenn., and a graduate of Fayette Ware High School.
Courtney Renita Starnes, daughter of James and Barbara Starnes of College Grove, Tenn., and a graduate of Fred J. Page High School.
Vannessia Monay Wilkes, daughter of Kenneth and Yolanda Wilkes of Bolivar, Tenn., and a graduate of Bolivar Central High School.

MTSU remains one of the fastest-growing universities in the state. It is the largest university in the Midstate. The official spring 2006 enrollment was a record 20,951. More than 23,000 students are expected to attend this fall.
MTSU’s minimum entrance requirement for freshmen is a 3.0 high school GPA or a 22 on the ACT, or a combined minimum of 2.7 GPA and ACT of 19.
For the 10th consecutive year, MTSU has been the No. 1 choice for valedictorians and salutatorians in an independent survey of more than 35 middle Tennessee counties.
For more information about the admissions process for high school seniors, contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissn.

474 MTSU STUDENTS RECEIVE SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lynn Palmer, 615-898-2111

50- Plus African-American MTSU Freshmen Garner Scholarship Awards for 2006-07

(MURFREESBORO)—Fifty plus incoming MTSU students recently were awarded Scholastic Achievement Scholarships for the 2006-07 academic year.
The Scholastic Achievement Scholarship is awarded to first-time African- American freshman applicants who have an ACT composite score of 22 or higher (1020 or higher SAT) and a 3.0 cumulative GPA through the junior year of high school. The award is for $3,000 per academic year.
The 2006-07 MTSU Scholastic Achievement Scholarship recipients, some of whom are from your Tennessee hometown area, are as follows: (Note: ***Out-of-state students are listed on the last page of this press release.)

Joshua Crutchfield, son of Eric and Barbara Crutchfield of Smyrna, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Vanessa Young, daughter of Veronica and Robert Young of Smyrna, Tenn., and a graduate of Smyrna High School.
Tiffany Johnson of La Vergne, Tenn., a graduate of La Vergne High School.
Brittany Presley, daughter of Marcus and Nettie Presley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Twyla Frazier, daughter of Vernan and Rhonda Frazier of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Riverdale High School.
Kenneth Aaron Smith, son of Charles Shirley of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Siegel High School.
Holly Veronica Maddox, daughter of Heidi Maddox of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of Red Bank High School.
Marilyn Joyce Morgan, daughter of Wendell and Gail Morgan of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of Chattanooga School for the Arts.
Denise Rawlings, daughter of Dennis and Kimberly Rawlings of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of the Girl’s Preparatory School.
Nicole Rivers, daughter of Nichlas and Terrie Rivers Jr. of Chattanooga, Tenn., and a graduate of Hixson High School.
Colby Whiteside of Chattanooga Tenn., a graduate of Chattanooga High School.
X-Zaviana Shanta Boddie, daughter of Schwanna and Darrell Boddie, Sr. of Covington, Tenn., and a graduate of Covington High School.
Rana Lynn Cooper, child of Doris M. Smith of Maury City, Tenn., and a graduate of Jackson Christian School.


Marcus Holloway, son of Linda Hicks of Henning, Tenn., and a graduate of Ripley High School.
Kasena LeElle Horton, daughter of Vicki Meade and Willard Horton of Jefferson City, Tenn., and a graduate of Jefferson County High School.
Mia Donzelle Leon of Seymour, Tenn., a graduate of West High School.
Quatney Cordvae Maben, child of Pamela and Willie Reed of Dyersburg, Tenn., and a graduate of Dyersburg High School.
Whitney Rhodes of Whiteville, Tenn., a graduate of Bolivar Central High School.
Ashley Sonya Rice, daughter of Shirley Willingham and Sonny Rice Sr. of Parsons, Tenn., and a graduate of Riverside High School.
Ryan C. Scott, child of Wesley and Stephanie Scott of Bartlett, Tenn., and a graduate of Craigmont High School.
Kenyetta Whitfiled, child of Teresa Martindale of Ardmore, Tenn., and a graduate of Giles County High School.
Kelli Willis, child of Kevin and Linda Willis of Cordova, Tenn., and a graduate of Cordova High School.
Rhonda Shennetta Brown, daughter of Karren Brown and George Ussery of Madison, Tenn., and a graduate of Stratford High School.
Kelsey McDonald, daughter of Tara Cross and Jonny McDonald of Jackson, Tenn., and a graduate of Jackson Central Merry High School West.
Lawrence Evans, son of Starlet and Larry Evans of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Wooddale High School.
Fletcher JaMal Ferguson, son of Debra Beason of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Ridgeway High School.
Candace R. Lester, daughter of Rev. Herbert Lester and Leatrice Burgess of Memphis Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Christen Long, child of Gwen and Henry Long Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Renita Watson, daughter of Roosebelt and Brenda Watson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Crystal Westbrook, daughter of Derrick and Martha Westbrook of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Cecily Danielle Nathaniel, child of Sarah L. Alexander and Guy Nathaniel of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of White Station High School.
Kevin Keith Robinson, son of Keith and Beverly Robinson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Humboldt High School.
Patria I Walker, daughter of Deborah S. Walker of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Overton High School.
Justin Allen Cherry, son of Tyrone and Stephanie Larry of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Overton High School.
Aubrey Williams Jr., child of Aubrey and Michelle Williams, Sr. of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Overton High School.


Renita Watson, daughter of Roosebelt and Brenda Watson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Crystal Westbrook, daughter of Derrick and Martha Westbrook of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Central High School.
Nickolas Williams, son of Mary and Willard Williams of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Germantown High School.
Jessica J. Woodson, daughter of Darryl and Jessie Woodson of Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Germantown High School.
Benjamin White, son of Kathy and Bernis White of Clarksville, Tenn., and a graduate of Rossview High School.
Britnee Deshaye Garner, daughter of Kimberly D. Garner of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., and a graduate of Wilson Central High School.
Malcolm Dewayne Lockridge, son of Malcom and Angela Lockridge of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., and a graduate of Mt. Juliet High School.
Brittany J. Cary, daughter of Deborah Cary of Antioch, Tenn., and a graduate of Antioch High School.
Alecia D. Smith, daughter of Dawn Ewing of Antioch, Tenn., and a graduate of Martin Luther King Magnet.
Raye Simone McDonald, daughter of Loretta McDonald of Franklin, Tenn., and a graduate of Franklin High School.
Tammara Brooks, daughter of Tammy and Jerry Brooks of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of John Overton Comprehensive High School.
Sarah Lena Jackson, daughter of Alfrednick and Sheila Jackson of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of Glencliff High School.
Ayala Rae Pope, daughter of Darlene Pope of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of Antioch High School.
Delon Eckles, son of Tawanda Eckled of Nashville, Tenn., and a graduate of McGavock High School.

*** Out-of-State Recipient
De’Vonia Monigue Winston, daughter of Wanda Pearson of University Park, Ill., and a graduate of Crete-Monee High School.

MTSU remains one of the fastest-growing universities in the state. It is the largest university in the Midstate. The official spring 2006 enrollment was a record 20,951. More than 23,000 students are expected to attend this fall.
For the 10th consecutive year, MTSU has been the No. 1 choice for valedictorians and salutatorians in an independent survey of more than 35 middle Tennessee counties.For more information about the admissions process for high school seniors, contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissn

473 MTSU AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FALL SEMESTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lynn Palmer, 615-898-2111



(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University recently announced that there are 77 recipients of the Presidential Scholarship award for the 2006-07 academic year.
Presidential Scholarships are awarded to first-time freshmen with an ACT composite score of 29 or higher (1280 or higher SAT) and at least a 3.75 cumulative grade-point average through the junior year of high school. The Presidential Scholarship is one of the top academic scholarships awarded by MTSU.
The following residents, grouped by their respective Tennessee hometowns (with four *out-of-state recipients listed on the final page), have accepted MTSU’s Presidential Scholarship and will attend MTSU this fall:
Lana Spry, daughter of Tim and Jill Spry of Woodbury, Tenn., and a graduate of Cannon County High School.
Hilary Ball, daughter of Robert and Carol Ball of Savannah, Tenn., and a graduate of Hardin County High School.
Robert “Bobby” Williams, son of Anita and James Williams of La Vergne, Tenn., and a graduate of La Vergne High School.
Daniele Brown, daughter of Ricky and Deanna Brown of La Vergne, Tenn., and a graduate of Ezell-Harding Christian School.
Charles “Chuck” Srodka, son of Gregory and Sally Srodka of Smyrna, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Deanna Walerius, daughter of Kathleen and Daniel Keenan of Smyrna, Tenn., and a graduate of La Vergne High School.
Jeremy Crook, son of Floyd and Rhonda Crook of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Sarah Bailey, daughter of Mike and Kim Bailey of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Siegel High School.
Caitlin Jeanette Carroll, daughter of Lisa and Alan Carroll of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Riverdale High School.
Jason Eschliman, son of Judd and Sheri Eschliman of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Joel David Furr Jr., son of Joe and Cathy Duncan of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Ezell-Harding Christian School.
Brendan Johnson, son of Mark and Cathy Johnson of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.

Callie Lund, daughter of William and Katie Lund of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Oakland High School.
Justin Ryan McKee, son of Harry and Barbara McKee of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Oakland High School.
Samantha Ann Pope, daughter of John and Debby King of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Blackman High School.
Alexandra Weiland, daughter of Jeanette Weiland and Chip Weiland, both of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Middle Tennessee Christian School.
Kelly L. Sullivan, daughter of Clayton and Barbara Sullivan of Christiana, Tenn., and a graduate of Riverdale High School.
Mary Beth Allen, daughter of Randy and Melody Allen of Portland, Tenn., and a graduate of Portland Senior High School.
Kayla Hillstrom, daughter of Dan and Lynn Hillstrom of Portland, Tenn., and a graduate of Portland Senior High School.
Jakob Patrick Fann of McMinnville, Tenn., a graduate of Warren County Senior High School and the son of Pat and Julie Fann and Mike and Michelle Hubbard.
Benjamin A. Winter, son of Bob and Debbie Winter of Bartlett, Tenn., and a graduate of Gateway Christian School.
Rebecca Huddleston, daughter of Rick and Lynn Huddleston of Manchester, Tenn., and a graduate of Coffee County Central High School.
Danielle Hall, daughter of D. J. and Teresa Hall of Manchester, Tenn., and a graduate of Coffee County Central High School.
Dera Shelton, daughter of Larry and Reeda Shelton of Decherd, Tenn., and a graduate of Coffee County Central High School.
Sarah Hay, daughter of Grey Hay and Debbie and David Childs of Dunlap, Tenn., and a graduate of Sequatchie County High School.
Brandi Michelle Wood of Powell, Tenn., a graduate of Powell High School and the daughter of Shonn Wood and Tabitha Wood.
Dustin West, son of Jim and Susan West of Gray, Tenn., and a graduate of Daniel Boone High School.
Suzanne Elizabeth “Liz” Thomason of Union City, Tenn., a graduate of Obion County Central High School and the daughter of Susan Thomason and Wayne Thomason.
Nicholas “Nick” Gorman, son of Clyde and Mary Anne Gorman of Cordova, Tenn., and a graduate of Evangelical Christian School.
Erin E. Johnson, daughter of Bobby and Elizabeth Johnson of Denmark, Tenn., and a graduate of Jackson Christian School.
Cody Moffitt, son of Larry and Sarah Moffitt of Spencer, Tenn., and a graduate of Van Buren County High School.
Samantha T. Egbers, daughter of Kellie Wirt and Marc Egbers of Henderson, Tenn., and a graduate of Hendersonville High School.


Angela Brandt, daughter of Erwin and Terry Brandt of Henderson, Tenn., and a graduate of Hendersonville High School.
Maggie Elise Bracey, daughter of Chuck and Rene Bracey of Henderson, Tenn., and a graduate of Hendersonville High School.
Shylo K. Elliott of Cedar Hill, Tenn., a graduate of Maplewood High School and the child of Sharon Knight and Terry Elliott.
Casey Carter of Kingsport, Tenn., a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School and the son of George Carter and Terry Dorton.
Lauren Elizabeth Kopotic of Jonesboro, Tenn., a graduate of Science Hill High School and the daughter of Mitzi Anderson and James D. Kopotic.
Neil McCormack, son of Tom and Teresa Mc Cormack of Jonesboro, Tenn., and a graduate of Science Hill High School.
Michael Turner of Clinton, Tenn., a graduate of Clinton High School and the son of Sheila Wilshire and Stan Turner.
Cassandra Ina Stevens of Taft, Tenn., and a graduate of Lincoln County High School.
Virginia “Ginny” Schlitt, daughter of Tom and RaRa Schlitt of Maryville, Tenn., and a graduate of Maryville High School.
Sarah Bell, daughter of Lanny and Wanda Bell of Tracy City, Tenn., and a graduate of Grundy County High School.
Shelley Noelle Snyder, daughter of Jeff and LouAnne Snyder of Alexandria, Tenn., and a graduate of Watertown High School.
Brian Walsh, son of Jim and Sue Walsh of Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., and a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School.
Jennifer L. Parmley, daughter of Jason Parmley and Julie Waddell of Red Bank, Tenn., and a graduate of Kadena High School.
James Spencer Mohead, son of Jim and Paula Mohead of Dyersburg, Tenn., and a graduate of Dyersburg High School.
Stephanie Lee of Morristown, Tenn., a graduate of Morristown-Hamblen High School West and the daughter of Claudia VanWye and Michael Lee.
Rachel Lampley, daughter of Bud and Charlotte Lampley of Nolensville, Tenn., and a graduate of Ravenwood High School.
Mary Hinson, daughter of Leslie and Joe Hinson of Knoxville, Tenn., and a graduate of Halls High School.
Jaimie Ide, daughter of William and Teresa Ide of Jackson, Tenn., and a graduate of Madison Academic Magnet High School.
Alex Cross of Oneida, Tenn., son of Joe and Nyla Cross and a graduate of Oneida High School.
David A. St. Charles of Signal Mountain, Tenn., son of Tony and Nancy St. Charles and a graduate of Baylor School.
Mallory Elizabeth Bowden of Memphis, Tenn., daughter of Tom and Lisa Bowden and a graduate of Bartlett High School.
Karen Anderson of Memphis, Tenn., daughter of Jane and Stan Anderson and a graduate of White Station High School.



Jordon Z. West of Memphis, Tenn., son of Iris Scott and James West.
Kandace Perry of Clarksville, Tenn., daughter of Bernard and Jeanette Perry and a graduate of Clarksville High School.
Lauren Ashlee Street of Clarksville, Tenn., daughter of Andy and Diane Street and a graduate of Clarksville High School.
Whitney Lineberry of Gallatin, Tenn., a graduate of Henderson ville High School and the daughter of Steve and Carol Nichols and Steve and Lori Lineberry.
Aaron Chapman King of Castalin Springs, Tenn., a graduate of Gallatin High School and the son of Richard Keen and Rhea Pulliam-Owens.
Molly Reed of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., a graduate of Mt. Juliet Senior High School and the daughter of Lorita Reed and Randy Reed.
Adrian Nicholas Mackie of Nashville, Tenn., a graduate of Maplewood High school and the child of Michele Donald.
Kenneth “Kenny” Griffis of Hermitage, Tenn., a graduate of Donelson Christian Academy and the son of Mike and terry Hayes.
Aren M. Sulfridge of Antioch, Tenn., a graduate of Heritage Covenant High School and the child of Bruce Sulfridge and Nancy Hamann.
Kathryn Elizabeth Roberson of Madison, Tenn., a graduate of College Heights Christian Academy and the daughter of Phil and Jeanie Roberson.
Megan Fosdyck of Estill Springs, Tenn., a graduate of Franklin County High School and the daughter of Darryl and Kimberly Fosdyck.
Michael Fowle of Franklin Tenn., a graduate of Franklin High School and the son of Thom and Tracy Fowle.
Linsey Renegar of Franklin Tenn., a graduate of Centennial High School and the daughter of Laurel and Doug Renegar.
Margaret “Claire” Rogers of Franklin Tenn., a graduate of Franklin High School and the daughter of Marc and Beverly Rogers.
Stephanie N. Sorensen of Franklin Tenn., a graduate of Fred J. Page High School.
Kaitlin Voss of Franklin Tenn., a graduate of Ravenwood High School and the daughter of Michael and Deanna Voss.
Courtney McReynolds of Shelbyville, Tenn., daughter of Robert McReynolds and a graduate of Shelbyville Central High School.
Geoff Holtom of Shelbyville, Tenn., son of Kathy Holtom and a graduate of Shelbyville Central High School.
Andrew Earl Harris of Shelbyville, Tenn., son of Andy and Pam Harris and a graduate of Shelbyville Central High School.


*Out-of-State Recipients

Melissa Davis of Benton, Ark,. daughter of Stanley and Melinda Davis and a graduate of Benton High School.
Eric J. Messmer of Jasper, Ind., son of Mark and Kim Messmer and a graduate of Jasper High School.
Jennifer “Jen” Threlkeld of Carrollton, Texas, daughter of David and Catherine Threlkeld and a graduate of Newman Smith High School.
Ian Ward Sethi of Lexington, Ky., son of Elizabeth Rudzik and Vijay Sethi and a graduate of Lexington Central High School.


MTSU remains one of the fastest-growing universities in the state. It is the largest university in the Midstate. The official spring 2006 enrollment was a record 20,951. More than 23,000 students are expected to attend this fall.
MTSU’s minimum entrance requirement for freshmen is a 3.0 high school GPA or a 22 on the ACT, or a combined minimum of 2.7 GPA and ACT of 19.
For the 10th consecutive year, MTSU has been the No. 1 choice for valedictorians and salutatorians in an independent survey of more than 35 middle Tennessee counties.
For more information about the admissions process for high school seniors, contact the Office of Admissions at 615-898-2111 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissn.

472 COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION TO GREET GEIER VISITING PROFESSOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385


Educator Joins MTSU for Year of Teaching, Research, Discussions on African-American Media

(MURFREESBORO)—A veteran communications educator whose career stretches from public television intern to academic administrator will join Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Mass Communication for the fall 2006 semester as the latest Geier Visiting Professor.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and the Tennessee Board of Regents recently approved Dr. Philip Jeter, a professor of journalism and associate vice president for academic affairs at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., since 2004, for the post.
”I’m excited about working in one of the largest mass communication education programs in the country,” Jeter said. “I look forward to working with Dean Anantha Babbili, Associate Dean John Omachonu and Director Carol Pardun, whom I’ve known for years through committee work with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.” “I’m especially interested in getting to know a new group of students, and the opportunity the Geier appointment will give me to catch up on some research projects that I have not been able to for years.”
Jeter, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from Cornell University, participated in a round of interviews in April for the yearlong appointment. The university annually seeks nominations and applications of outstanding African-American scholars for the one-year Geier Visiting Professor Program, as well as applications for African-American doctoral candidates who have passed their comprehensive exams for the Geier Dissertation Fellowship Program.
“I have known Dr. Phil Jeter since 1993 when I became the General Manager of WAMF-FM radio at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee—a position held by Phil for more than 10 years prior to my arrival,” said Omachonu. “In handing over the baton to me, Phil Jeter gave me an advice that turned out to be very invaluable: he urged me to always clearly explain my position to the station staff and to be fair and consistent with my policies. And with that advice, I had a successful time at the station.
“Phil is a consummate professional who believes in student success. He has a genuine passion for teaching and asks tough questions that others shy away from. He relates well to others and quickly gains the confidence of both students and faculty.
“For our journalism program and the College of Mass Communication, the one-year appointment of Phil Jeter for this coveted position means more depth and intellectual rigor as well as continued application of multidisciplinary perspectives in a way that complements our efforts to ensure diversity of thoughts and opinion throughout the college.”
Before his tenure at JCSU, Jeter taught journalism for 21 years at Florida A&M and also directed the graduate program in journalism and ran the university radio station there. Jeter has a bachelor's in French from Johnson C. Smith, a master's in communication arts from Cornell and a doctorate in communication arts from Wisconsin-Madison. He is a member of the AEJMC, American Journalism Historians Association, Broadcast Education Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Television Programming Executives, Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Society for Cinema Studies.

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“His credentials in teaching and research are extensive, and his public service is impressive,” Babbili said of Jeter. “I am thankful to Dr. Omachonu and Dr. Pardun for working with me to nurture this candidate’s interest in the Geier program offered by MTSU and the TBR. The Office of Vice Provost Dr. Jack Thomas was extremely helpful in bringing Dr. Jeter to MTSU.”
Jeter is the author of “Seen and Heard,” a biweekly column in the Tallahassee, Fla., Capital Outlook newspaper, as well as the author of book chapters in International Afro Mass Media: A Reference Guide, The Responsible Reporter, History of the Mass Media in the United States, American National Biography, Handbook of Mass Media in the United States: The Industry & Its Audiences, Mass Communication in the Information Age and Pluralizing Journalism Education. He’s contributed articles to The Florida Communication Journal, Clio, Feedback, Journalism Educator, American Journalism, Journalism Quarterly, College Media Review and Journal of College Radio publications, as well.
The Geier Visiting Professorships are part of MTSU’s commitment to implement the intent of the Geier Consent Decree by enlisting the talents of outstanding African-American scholars in all disciplines to instruct students. The Geier Consent Decree is the result of a 1968 desegregation lawsuit in which Tennessee was found to have a dual system of higher education separately serving black and white students. Signed in 2001, the consent decree prescribes a five-year plan to integrate the state’s colleges and universities as well as increase overall enrollment.
Dr. Cedric Dent, a Grammy Award-winning musician and member of the a capella group Take 6, served as MTSU’s Geier Visiting Professor of Music during the 2004-05 academic year in a joint appointment with the McLean School of Music and the College of Mass Communication’s Department of Recording Industry. He is now a full-time professor of music theory in the School of Music.
New Orleans sculptor Kimberly Dummons, whose work is included in permanent collections at Xavier University and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art at the University of New Orleans, served as the Geier Visiting Professor in Art during the 2004-05 academic year, where she taught courses in 3-D design and art orientation. She is now a full-time professor of art at MTSU.
One of the largest programs in the nation, the MTSU College of Mass Communication offers degree concentrations in 14 major areas—ranging from journalism to digital media and media management to recording industry management—and is accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

###

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Dr. Jeter to accompany this story, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385.

470 MTSU PROFESSOR ONE OF 45 IN U.S. CHOSEN TO STUDY TERRORISM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 13, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919


Political Science Faculty’s Petersen Traveled to Israel for Firsthand Experience

(MURFREESBORO)—Not many people could imagine taking a 10-day trip to Israel with the objective of experiencing the tragedy and terrorism that others live through on a day-to-day basis.
But for MTSU’s Dr. Karen Petersen, visiting military bases, border zones and other security installations in Israel represented an ideal chance to learn the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks.
An assistant professor of political science, Petersen recently was accepted as a 2006-07 academic fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit, non-partisan think tank that seeks to educate Americans about the terrorist threat to democracies worldwide.
The FDD, according to information contained in a press release, produces independent analyses of global terrorist threats and sponsors programs that promote democratic ideals at home and abroad to help protect the individual freedoms guaranteed within democratic societies.
As an academic fellow with FDD, Peterson participated in an intensive series of lectures by academics, diplomats and military officials from India, Israel, Jordan, Turkey and the U.S. in addition to embarking on field trips throughout Israel to learn how democratic states combat the terrorism threat, said Audra Ozols, FDD’s coordinator for campus programs.
Experiencing the FDD-sponsored trip to Israel, which took place May 27 through June 7, was not an opportunity that availed itself to many, however, since only 45 people from throughout the U.S. were selected as fellows.
“The chairman of political science, Dr. John Vile, told me about the opportunity to be come an academic fellow and I applied,” Petersen said. “Since I will soon be teaching a course in international conflict, this was a good opportunity.”
Petersen said the fellowship will prove helpful in the political science courses she already teaches as well as those that she is developing.
“When I found out about the academic fellows program, I actually showed it to a number of faculty members, and I thought Dr. Petersen would be an especially good candidate because she teaches in this area,” Vile said. “Since Petersen is just beginning her teaching career, she will thus have many years ahead where she can share this information with her students and colleagues.”

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Regarding the fellowship study, “The idea is to see how another democratic society deals with terrorism, and to become better equipped about terrorism,” explained Petersen, who adds that the FDD program was established after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
Additionally, Petersen said she was honored to be among the handful of fellows chosen and eager to represent the university as part of the program.
“This is not just a wonderful opportunity to me, but it’s also a great opportunity for the students here at MTSU, because I will be able to come back and share what I learned in Israel with them,” Petersen said. “This program will benefit all of my courses. ...”

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For interview requests with Petersen, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919. ***Please note that Petersen has color jpegs from her Israel trip available for editorial use upon request.


• NOTE: Media outlets that choose to reprint this press release “as is” are asked to provide byline credit for the above story to KaToya Jackson, who is an MTSU mass communication and education major.

469 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CAMP IS FUN TO BEAT THE BAND

Girls Put Their Musical Skills to the Test in Fourth Annual Day Camp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

(MURFREESBORO) –Girls who yearn to rock out with as much power as any band of boys are invited to sign up for the fourth annual Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp Monday, July 31 through Friday, Aug. 5 at MTSU.
This summer day camp will provide girls ages 10-18 hands-on instruction in guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, vocals and electronic music. In addition, campers will attend workshops on songwriting, recording, music journalism, photography, screen-printing and do-it-yourself arts and crafts. An extra attraction this year will be a workshop on “music herstory” emphasizing the roots of country and jazz.
The culmination of each year’s camp is a showcase in which more than 16 all-female acts formed in an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration put their talents on display. This year’s showcase is slated for Saturday, Aug. 5 at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 8 p.m. The showcase is open to the public. Tickets are $6 at the door or $5 in advance by sending an e-mail to sgrrc05@gmail.com.
This year’s professional performers from whom the girls will be learning include The Clutters (http://www.myspace.com/theclutters), a Nashville-based band described by camp founder Kelley Anderson as providing “really upbeat garage rock. I think that abrasiveness will really impress and inspire.”
Also on the bill is jazz vocalist Rachel Pearl. Camp co-director Anna Fitzgerald says of Pearl, “She’s just got a really smooth voice. She’s been singing for five or six years. She’ll be singing classics like ‘I’ve Got a Crush on You’ and ‘The Girl from Ipanema.’ I’ve never heard her sing a wrong note.”
Pearl’s Web site (http:/www.rachelpearl.com) states that she founded a songwriters association at MTSU, and all of her band members hail from the university. (Her music can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/rachelpearl.)


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Lending a blues-folk tone to the music will be the multi-instrumental duo of Raven Hilton and Shawn Hazelwood, otherwise known as Hi-Tone Hokum (http://myspace.com/hitonehokum). Performing on everything from banjo and mandolin to washboard and kazoo, Hi-Tone Hokum counts as its influences a plethora of artists ranging from Van Morrison to Blind Willie Johnson.
Rounding out the lineup are The Velcro Stars (http://www.velcrostars.com), a five-member Murfreesboro-based band that “make catchy, head-bobbing indie rock that surely would have landed them on the Spongebath label back in the ‘90s … if they had been around back then,” writes the Nashville Rage.
Kayley Kravitz, a veteran of all three years of Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp thus far, studied guitar, bass and piano. She encourages parents to enroll their daughters in this unique experience.
“Not only will they get to learn the ins and outs of the music business—they will gain a self-confidence that will benefit them for the rest of their lives,” Kravitz said.
Kravitz’s camp experience paid major dividends. In the fall, the 18-year-old graduate of The Webb School in Bell Buckle will attend Boston’s Emerson College, where she will major in journalism with an eye to becoming a music journalist. Simultaneously, Kravitz will minor in music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, which promotes itself as “the world’s largest independent music college and the premier institution for the study of contemporary music.”
Open registration runs through June 30. The tuition of $250 includes all camp materials, lunch for each day, a guidebook and T-shirt. Scholarships are available. Instruments are provided for those who do not have their own. However, early registration is essential to guaranteeing scholarship availability and instrument selection.
For more information, contact Anna Fitzgerald at 615-294-3216, visit http://www.sgrrc.com or send an e-mail to sgrrc05@gmail.com.

467 MTSU BUSINESS DEAN ELECTED TO PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS BOARD June 8, 2006

CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Jim Burton, 615-898-2764

MURFREESBORO—Dr. E. James Burton, dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University, has been elected to serve on the board of directors of Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY).
Burton was appointed business dean in 1999 after serving as professor of accounting and associate dean for External Relations in the Jones College. He received his B.A. in economics from MacMurray College, an M.B.A. in management from Murray State University and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Illinois. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. Burton currently serves on the board of the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Leadership Middle Tennessee, the Area IX Workforce Investment Board, the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation and the Southern Business Administration Association. Dr. Burton has also served on the MTSU Foundation. Piedmont Natural Gas owns Nashville Gas and has $2.6 billion in assets, with revenues last year of $1.8 billion. The energy services company distributes natural gas to 990,000 residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

463 BONNAROO IS BACK JUNE 16-18.

LAST YEAR, BONNAROO INJECTED MORE THAN $14 MILLION INTO COFFEE COUNTY ALONE.

(This does not include the considerable impact on surrounding counties.)



The following information provides information regarding the economic impact of Bonnaroo 2005 … as a result of a survey conducted by Middle Tennessee State University’s Business and Economic Research Center in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.

According to the lead investigator of the study, Dr. Murat Arik, festival organizers spent nearly $2 million and music fans $8.6 million in Coffee County. With the ripple effect, the total estimated business revenue impact of Bonnaroo on Coffee County is more than $14 million. This does not include the impact of music fans on other middle Tennessee counties.

The Bonnaroo Music Festival held in Coffee County, Tennessee, in June 2005, created a significant economic impact for Middle Tennessee. Festival organizers, published reviews of the festival and an extensive survey of Bonnaroo attendees reveal that Manchester and Coffee County enjoyed both tangible and intangible effects of the festival, including substantial economic and fiscal impacts.
Bonnaroo Music Festival has attracted considerable praise since its inception in 2001:
􀀹 The New York Times noted that the festival has “revolutionized the modern rock festival.”
􀀹 Rolling Stone magazine dubbed Bonnaroo 2003 “The American music festival to end all festivals.”
􀀹 Rolling Stone magazine named Bonnaroo in 2004 “one of the 50 moments to change the history of rock and roll.”
􀀹 Filter magazine’s Benjy Eisen reviewed Bonnaroo 2005 as living “up to its reputation as the single greatest music festival in America.”

Economic benefits from the festival are enormous for Coffee County. Direct spending in Coffee County alone was as follows:
􀀹 $1,902,229 by festival organizers
􀀹 $8,630,575 by music fans from across the U.S. and overseas.

The total economic impact of Bonnaroo Music Festival 2005 on Coffee County is estimated to be:
􀀹 $14,087,231 in business revenues
􀀹 $4,353,887 in personal income
􀀹 191 new jobs

In addition, the Bonnaroo Music Festival has made substantial contributions to the local government revenues. The estimated fiscal impact of the festival was:
􀀹 $412,796.

This includes local option sales tax on local spending, hotel/motel tax, fines and fees for activities, and direct contributions to the local government by the festival organizers.

For information, contact Dr. Murat Arik at 615 898 5424, or at marik@mtsu.edu.

460 MTSU CHECKS INTO “THE HOT L BALTIMORE”

Alum and Undergrads Help Bring Off-Broadway Classic to Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

(MURFREESBORO) – Several MTSU students, an alumnus and a faculty member will trade their usual domestic bliss in the ‘Boro for the seedy trappings of a condemned urban hotel when the Murfreesboro Little Theatre, 702 Ewing Blvd., presents “The Hot L Baltimore” at 7 p.m. June 9, 10, 16 and 17 and at 2 p.m. June 11 and 18.
The Lanford Wilson play gives the audience a glimpse into the lives of several down-and-out residents of a once-glamorous hotel (with the “e” in its marquee permanently unlit) on the eve of its demolition. It won the Obie Award for Best American Play and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play of 1972-73.
Dr. Elyce Rae Helford, professor of English and director of Women’s Studies at MTSU, portrays April Green. Helford describes her character as “an outspoken (a.k.a. foul-mouthed) prostitute who doesn’t take much in life seriously. She is not entirely without compassion, but she is a pragmatist who doesn’t let anyone get too close.”
Helford says she has been involved in community theatre since her early teens. She says she was thrilled to be cast as April because “she is such an uproarious character. Like me, she is loud and outspoken, though my life is far more middle class than hers. She is street smart and I’m book smart, but we are both keen observers of life.”
Tim Johnson, a junior working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration, plays Bill Lewis, a night clerk who harbors romantic feelings for one of the ladies of the evening who entertain their clients at the hotel.
“He covers his true sentiments for the girl in a somewhat clumsy, but friendly manner,” Johnson says. “The only way Bill and I would have any similarities as far as communication is concerned would have been when I was much younger, high school, early twenties.”
Johnson professes an interest in film acting as a side project while picking up some stage experience along the way. He says he is getting “fantastic instruction” in acting from John Mauldin, assistant professor of speech and theatre.
Senior Kisa Watson is making time to pursue her passion while carrying a large workload as a senior majoring in business marketing. She portrays Jackie, whom Watson describes as “a young transient who gets caught stealing from one of the characters.”

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Watson, who has her Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) cards, has performed in several MLT productions, most recently as Miss Casewell in “The Mousetrap.” In addition to theatre, Watson has worked in commercials and independent films. She has lived in Miami and San Francisco, obtaining a two-year certificate in Internet design and technology from San Francisco State University.
Audiences may remember Trevor Hann’s performance as Rocky in MTSU’s 2005 production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” In “Hot L,” Hann plays Paul, who was kicked out of college and sent to a work farm for selling marijuana. Paul is also searching for his grandfather, the object of his admiration.
“Paul is belligerent. He’s very used to having things done his way, and he’s very impatient, to put it lightly,” Hann says.
A native of Dickinson, N.D., Hann is a sophomore majoring in biology. He says he’s leaning toward a career in medicine, either in emergency room or trauma care.
Director Bob Roberts, a 2002 graduate who majored in theatre with a performance emphasis, says the play “shows its characters at their most interesting task—being themselves: happy, brash, insensitive, loving, and often willfully ignorant.”
Roberts’ resume includes work with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Mockingbird Theatre, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre and Circle Players. He also spent a year as a professional puppeteer with Madcap Theatre and understudied the lead in the “Johnny Appleseed Outdoor Drama,” both in Ohio.
“MTSU gave me some of my first directing opportunities through the theatre program’s directing classes and my senior project,” Roberts says. “Certain members of the faculty continue to advise me as I make plans to attend grad school for directing in a few years.”
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. MLT members can enjoy 50 percent off regular prices. Since seating is limited to 70 per show, reservations are encouraged strongly. “The Hot L Baltimore” is suggested for mature audiences due to language and adult themes. For reservations, contact the MLT box office at 615-893-9825.

459 SPARE STUFF SPELLS SURVIVAL FOR MTSU STUDENTS

Struggling International Students Find that Somebody CAIRS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

(MURFREESBORO) – Community Assistance for International and Refugee Students (CAIRS) will hold a huge yard/garage/bake sale from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 17, at the St. Rose of Lima school gymnasium, 1601 North Tennessee Blvd. in Murfreesboro.
Donations of items or homemade goods will be accepted on the day before the sale from 5-8 p.m. or on the day of sale from 7-8 a.m. All manner of trash, treasures and trinkets will be available for the discriminating bargain hunter at the sale.
All proceeds will benefit CAIRS, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping international MTSU students here on student visas who are not eligible for any type of federal aid or grants, as well as refugees and other immigrants.
“These students are often forced to work 30-40 hours at minimum wage jobs to cover their own tuition,” Karen Case, advisor, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, and co-CAIRS advisor, said. “Once the tuition is paid, they have no money left over for textbooks, groceries or medical expenses.”
Many students aided by CAIRS come from countries ripped asunder by war and famine. Some have no family members in the U.S. or abroad. CAIRS gives these students funds to help cover their medical expenses, textbooks, supplies or groceries. Only emergency requests are granted.
To cite one example, a permanent U.S. resident from Ethiopia was hospitalized with pneumonia in April. Since he could not afford insurance, CAIRS stepped in to help pay some of his bills and follow-up doctor’s visits.
For more information, contact Case at 615-427-9411 or kcase@mtsu.edu.

458 PROJECT HELP SPONORS SECOND ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

Dinner, Live Music and Silent Auction Highlights of July 13 Benefit Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2006
CONTACT: Debbie Bauder, 615-898-


(MURFREESBORO)—More than 300 people are expected to attend this year’s
"Growing Young Minds," a dinner/live music/silent auction fundraiser to benefit Project HELP (Help Educate Little People), which will take place July 13 in the Tennessee Room of MTSU’s James Union Building.
Debbie Bauder, director of Project HELP, said event activities will get under way beginning at 6:15 p.m. with event registration. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. and live music by the Boomers, a blues/rock outfit, will follow at 7:30 p.m. Silent auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m. and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m.
Last year’s fundraiser collected $18,000, said Bauder, who hopes community support for this year’s “Growing Young Minds” benefit will be just as strong.
Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project HELP provides early intervention and family support services to high-risk children, children with disabilities and children with developmental delays.
Bauder said that the center’s staff, which includes more than 200 student volunteers per semester, strives to empower parents through a Family Support program, which includes workshops, counseling and other supports.
Funding for Project HELP is partially provided through grants from the State of Tennessee Division of Mental Retardation Services and the United Way of Rutherford County, as well as a contract with Tennessee Early Intervention Systems. However, Bauder said, the Charity Circle of Rutherford County is a major contributor to Project HELP, providing the center with much-needed equipment, toys and consumable items.
Although the center’s staff members are grateful for the ongoing support they receive for funding, additional money is needed to help meet the organization’s child-centered mission, Bauder explained, and activities such as the “Growing Young Minds” benefit also help.
Courtney Marler, a Project HELP parent, said, “There are numerous parents and volunteers working vigorously to ensure that this year’s fundraiser is even more successful than the last.
“I hope that we have a wonderful turnout from the entire community in general, but particularly from the medical community,” she continued. “Our pediatricians are in a position to monitor and identify developmental concerns

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early on in a child’s life. They can make referrals for early intervention services, such as Project HELP, that can have such an incredible impact during those crucial formative years, from birth to age 3.”
Regarding how the money raised will be used, “We are working
toward establishing a satellite classroom of Project HELP in the Smyrna
area,” Bauder said, “(because) those families from Smyrna and La Vergne must travel down to Murfreesboro four days a week to attend Project HELP.”
As for silent auction, “Good deals abound,” reported Bauder, who adds that among the items up for bidding are Harley-Davidson riding jackets, Sloan's Motorcycle/ATV-donated jackets, weekend getaways, commissioned oil paintings, massages, hand-crafted furniture and much more.
“This year, one of the most important silent auction items is the Project
HELP Family Quilt,” Bauder observed. “Each family involved in Project HELP took a square and decorated it in a way that is special to their family. Kara Daniello and Kelly Durcholz, teachers at Project HELP, then put them together to make a large quilt.
“We hope that this will bring top-dollar and be displayed in
the waiting area of a pediatrician's office from whom we receive so many
referrals,” she added.
TICKETS: Individual tickets are $50 each; table sponsorships (eight tickets) are $400. Tickets for the benefit, which has a casual/dressy code of attire, are available by calling the center at 615-898-2458.
For more information about Project HELP, including its parenting tips, preservice training, early intervention or family support programs, please access its Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.



• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Project HELP staff or parents, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.

457 PERRY COUNTY FARM JOINS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PERRY COUNTY FARM JOINS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESAND IS DESIGNATED A TENNESSEE CENTURY FARM, REPORT OFFICIALS

135-year-Old Property is 1st African-American Farm to be Founded in Perry County


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2006
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947


(MURFREESBORO)—The Craig Farm in Perry County recently was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service, announced Herbert Harper, executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
The nomination for the farm was prepared by staff and student assistants at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University as part of a project that is supported by the Center's Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area.
Established by emancipated slaves Amy and Tapp Craig in 1871, the farm is owned today by their descendant, McDonald Craig. The property, which also was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, was nominated because it is an “excellent, intact, and extremely rare example of a historic African-American farm that has remained in the same family and been continuously operated for over 100 years,” according to information contained on the nomination.
The Perry Farm “is an important site related to post-Civil War settlement patterns by newly emancipated African Americans,” reported Caneta Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program, who notes that representatives from the state’s National Heritage Area consider the property to be very important to the state's Reconstruction history.
Additionally, Hankins added, “The farm was the first established by an African-American family in Perry County after the Civil War that still exists today.”
The historic farming landscape includes a forest of hardwood and softwood trees that have been selectively cut since the founders’ time, and Craig continues to work this timberland.
An unusual inclusion in the nomination that contributes to the significance of the farm is a 1954 Chevrolet school bus. After returning from the Korean War, Craig drove this bus each day to Lexington, Tenn., carrying African-American students to Montgomery High School, which was the nearest high school they could attend.
Craig completed his own high school education and then worked at a sawmill in Lexington while waiting to drive the students home to Perry County. During this time he met and married his wife, Rosetta Smith Craig, who is from Lexington. They built the home in which they continue to live in 1959 and reared their two sons on the family farm.
“The Craig Farm is certainly important to Tennessee history, especially our Civil War and Reconstruction legacies, and now is recognized nationally through its placement on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Dr. Van West, CHP director.


About the Tennessee Century Farm Program

The Tennessee Century Farm Program, now 30 years old, recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee. There are more than 1,000 Century Farms across the state and all 95 counties are represented.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural, and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.


• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the farm’s current owners, please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.

456 FIREWORKS, PATRIOTIC MUSIC, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT MTSU JULY 4th

June 1, 2006
CONTACT: Marlane Sewell, 615-893-2141
Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131

MURFREESBORO—Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” will once again be held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University—and admission to the family-oriented event will be free of charge. Festivities will kick off at 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field, the traditional site for the countywide event.
From 5 to 8 p.m., there will be games and activities for the kids, including face painting, patriotic puzzles and arts ‘n’ crafts projects. There also will be prizes and promotional giveaways.
The Col. Hardy Murfree Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution again will provide free American flags for everyone. The chapter has provided flags for this celebration for the last eight years.
Wal-Mart is donating the “Celebration Under the Stars” birthday cakes.
Rep. John Hood, program emcee, will extend a formal welcome at 7:30 p.m., followed by remarks from local dignitaries and sponsor representatives.
At 8:00 p.m., following the presentation of colors by the Murfreesboro Fire Department’s Color Guard, a tribute to the armed forces and singing of the national anthem, the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will present a program of traditional patriotic tunes, rousing Sousa marches, and inspirational classics. Laurence Harvin will conduct. The symphony is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The fireworks will light up the sky at 9:00.
The Blue Raider Athletic Association will sell soft drinks, pizza, hotdogs, and traditional holiday snacks and desserts. Chick Fil-A food items also will be available.
Guests should enter the campus on Faulkinberry Drive off Middle Tennessee Boulevard and from Greenland Drive. The entrances on the east side of campus along Rutherford Boulevard will be closed, and parking will not be permitted on either side of Rutherford Boulevard. The best parking on campus will be north and west of the celebration site.
The lots adjacent to the Recreation Center will be closed. MTSU police and university’s personnel will be on duty to help people to parking areas, and directional signs will be posted.
Rutherford Boulevard will be closed temporarily during the fireworks display and re-opened as soon as the area has been cleared.
For safety purposes, organizers would like to remind everyone that pets, alcoholic beverages, cooking grills, and personal fireworks or sparklers are not permitted on the celebration site.
Outside banners will not be allowed on the grounds, and the BRAA will be the sole food vendor.
Families are encouraged, however, to bring picnic baskets, lawn chairs, and blankets for picnicking on the grass. (Cooking grills may be used only in the appropriate paved parking lots.)
Sponsors of the event include MTSU, the DNJ, the City of Murfreesboro, Murfreeboro Parks and Recreation, Rutherford County Government, and Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to MTSU, the DNJ, and the City of Murfreesboro, additional symphony supporters include the Sun Trust Bank and the Tennessee Arts Commission.
A special “Celebration Under the Stars” insert in the July 2 issue of the DNJ will provide more details and a map.
For more information, call Marlane Sewell, steering committee chair, at 615-896-6710 or MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

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455 NATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM AT MTSU CANCELED

NATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM AT MTSU CANCELEDDUE TO LACK OF FEDERAL FUNDING, REPORT ORGANIZERSMTSU’s

Bonner, Event Coordinators Hope Free Day Camp Will Return in 2007

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919


(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean of MTSU’s College of Education and Behavioral Science, has announced that the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP), which was scheduled to take place June 1-July 3 at MTSU, has been canceled.
For the past three summers, MTSU’s Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) has overseen the grant-funded, monthlong endeavor that combines sports instruction and recreation with educational programs for some 300 at-risk youth from qualifying low-income families. However, as a result of no federal funding as provided for in the bill known as H.R. 3010, NYSP will not be conducted at MTSU this year, Bonner confirmed.
“We regret that we are not able to be a host site for this wonderful program this time, but we are optimistic that NYSP will return to the MTSU campus in 2007,” remarked Bonner, who said community support for the program remains outstanding, including ongoing support from MTSU President Sidney McPhee and Congressman Bart Gordon, among other community leaders.
“We have already gotten calls from families whose children were looking forward to attending NYSP this year,” said Dr. Dianne Bartley, HHP chairwoman and NYSP coordinator. “It’s quite disheartening to have to turn them away, because for many of these children, we were their only summer activity—the bright spot in their summertime—and we feel they were counting on us.”
For the past three years, MTSU’s NYSP staff and volunteers have provided hundreds of Rutherford County youth, ages 10-16, with a full month of educational, health-focused activities, lessons and life skills from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Monday-Friday, as well as free transportation to and from NYSP, two USDA-approved meals each day, and free medical and dental health screenings.
In years past, NYSP campgoers—aside from their participation in activities such as self-defense, soccer, swimming, basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf, racquetball, weight training, and social and aerobic dance—also took part in educational classes presented by MTSU educators and community leaders on topics such as alcohol/drug abuse and violence prevention, proper nutrition, personal health and disease prevention, career opportunities and job responsibilities, and higher education.
"The past three years that we have been in charge of coordinating the National Youth Sports Program, it's been wonderfully successful," said Dr. Cheryl Slaughter Ellis, HHP professor and NYSP liaison. "It’s quite unfortunate that we can’t provide this camp in 2006 for those deserving youth, the ones who need this so much. But we’re confident that we can give them the best-ever NYSP experience next time … and we’re grateful for all the community support we’ve received."

Part of the support that MTSU’s NYSP organizers are thankful for is the continued generosity of those from all sections in the community who have donated gifts and prizes to the local program’s participants.
“Every single child who has participated in our NYSP has gotten a prize of some kind every year, whether it was a bicycle, a pair of shoes, toys or a coupon for free food,” remarked Bonner.
“No NYSP participant, not one, ever walked away empty-handed, thanks to the gracious support of people such as Dr. Alvin Singh and (Rutherford County Schools staff member) Joe Herbert,” she added. “We have so many supporters in the community who have bought prizes for NYSP and donated goods or services for its young people, and we are so very appreciative of them.”
Established nationally in 1968, NYSP’s creed is "Walk Tall, Stand Tall." In the recent past, more than 78,000 youth participated in NYSP on some 200 college campuses nationwide, including MTSU. However, only two Tennessee NYSP sites for 2007 will be offered; namely, the NYSP at Tennessee State University, which has a 20-plus-year program history, and the NYSP at Bethel College.
“This would have been our fourth year for the National Youth Sports Program at MTSU … and I know we will have that fourth year yet, because we’re encouraged by the continued show of support we have from people such as Congressman Gordon, President McPhee and all levels of the community,” said Bonner, who anticipates that congressional and senatorial commitment for H.R. 3010 will be secured.
NYSP organizers at MTSU said those interested in helping ensure that the program for at-risk youth returns to MTSU in 2007 may contact their local senate and congressional representatives and request that they actively support NYSP via their votes.



• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request interview with MTSU’s NYSP staff and volunteers, or to request an interview with a member of MTSU’s NYSP board, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 1-615-898-2919.