FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Loggins Farm 17th in County to be Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Loggins Farm in Dickson County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
Thomas Jefferson Loggins and Annie Daniel Loggins founded the Loggins Farm in 1898. Located north of Burns, the 100 acres produced corn, wheat, hay, cotton, cattle and hogs. The couple had three children, Richard, Dorie and Clarence.
In 1950, Clarence acquired the land. During his ownership, he raised much the same livestock and crops as his parents. Clarence married Irene Estes, and the couple had two children.
In 1993, Jewell Loggins, the grandson of the founders, became the third generation to own the farm. Today, Jewell works the land and produces hay, timber, corn and truck farming. In addition to managing the farm, Jewell has been a member of the Dickson County Farm Bureau since 1959 and served as the director for two years.
At present, Jewell lives on the farm with his wife, Madolyn Johnson Loggins. Daughter Laura Loggins Travis, her husband Brian Travis and their sons also live on the farm, which has many structures such as a barn, a corncrib, a grain building, a woodshed, a chicken house and the farm house—all of which were built by previous generations of the Loggins family.
Hankins said the Loggins Farm joins 17 other historic properties in Dickson County that are certified Century Farms.
The Century Farm Program 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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”
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,” said Hankins, “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.
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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the owners of this farm, or to obtain jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
007 JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Hickman Hollow Farm is 15th In County Recognized for Ag. Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Hickman Hollow Farm in Jefferson County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the campus of MTSU.
Mahlon Winstead established the Hickman Hollow Farm in 1883. On 200 acres, he raised corn, small grains, tobacco and cattle. In addition to managing the farm, Mahlon owned and operated a livery stable and owned additional property where Jefferson City (incorporated in 1901) is now located. Married to Mattie Winstead, the couple had six children.
The second owners of the farm were Mahlon and Mattie’s granddaughter, Ethel Winstead Hickman, and her husband Lonzo Hickman. Progressive farmers, the Hickmans made many improvements to the property such as remodeling the house, building a dairy barn and chicken houses, and running water and electricity to the farm. The couple also began making the transition from animal power to machinery when they purchased the farm’s first tractor. Ethel and Lonzo cultivated corn, small grains and tobacco and had a dairy herd and chickens. One of their children was Ross Mahlon Hickman, and his wife, Billie Jean, acquired the farm in 1977.
Today, the son of Ross and Billie Jean, Bill Ross Hickman, who also is the great-great-grandson of the founders, is in charge of the farm’s production. He and wife Gail raise beef cattle and hay on this farm that has been in his family for 123 years.
The Hickman Hollow Farm joins 15 other historic farms in Jefferson County that have been certified as Century Farms, Hankins reported.
The Century Farm Program 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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”
—more—
HICKMAN
Add 1
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,” said Hankins, “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.
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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the owners of this farm, or to obtain a jpeg of the farm for editorial use, please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Hickman Hollow Farm is 15th In County Recognized for Ag. Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Hickman Hollow Farm in Jefferson County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the campus of MTSU.
Mahlon Winstead established the Hickman Hollow Farm in 1883. On 200 acres, he raised corn, small grains, tobacco and cattle. In addition to managing the farm, Mahlon owned and operated a livery stable and owned additional property where Jefferson City (incorporated in 1901) is now located. Married to Mattie Winstead, the couple had six children.
The second owners of the farm were Mahlon and Mattie’s granddaughter, Ethel Winstead Hickman, and her husband Lonzo Hickman. Progressive farmers, the Hickmans made many improvements to the property such as remodeling the house, building a dairy barn and chicken houses, and running water and electricity to the farm. The couple also began making the transition from animal power to machinery when they purchased the farm’s first tractor. Ethel and Lonzo cultivated corn, small grains and tobacco and had a dairy herd and chickens. One of their children was Ross Mahlon Hickman, and his wife, Billie Jean, acquired the farm in 1977.
Today, the son of Ross and Billie Jean, Bill Ross Hickman, who also is the great-great-grandson of the founders, is in charge of the farm’s production. He and wife Gail raise beef cattle and hay on this farm that has been in his family for 123 years.
The Hickman Hollow Farm joins 15 other historic farms in Jefferson County that have been certified as Century Farms, Hankins reported.
The Century Farm Program 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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”
—more—
HICKMAN
Add 1
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,” said Hankins, “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.
—30—
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the owners of this farm, or to obtain a jpeg of the farm for editorial use, please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.
006 MTSU’s TODD GALLERY LAUNCHES TWO-EXHIBIT LINE-UP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Todd Gallery, 615-898-5653.
or Lon Nuell, 615-898-2505
Annual Faculty Show Begins Aug. 28; First-Ever Alumni Exhibit Opens Sept. 18
(MURFREESBORO)—Eleven members of MTSU’s visual art faculty will present their creativity for all to see during MTSU’s annual Faculty Art Exhibition beginning August 28 through Sept. 8 in the university’s Todd Gallery.
The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will feature works by Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, John Donovan, Janet Higgins, Jarrod Houghton, Noel Lorson, Jean Nagy, Marissa Recchia, Patricia Tenpenny, Tanya Tewell and Tom Thayer.
Sponsored by the Department of Art at the start of each fall semester, the exhibit showcases works by one-half of the art faculty in an effort to introduce the department’s staff artists/educators to MTSU’s art students and the community at large.
Regarding this year’s participating artists, Lon Nuell, gallery curator, said, “The artists work in a variety of media and styles, including the representational, abstract and nonobjective as through traditional media in a straightforward manner to mixed media with a ‘twist.’”
A member of MTSU’s art faculty since 1971, Nuell said, “The faculty represent years of experience of productive work as evidenced by the extensive and ongoing record of exhibitions in juried and invitational shows. Each faculty member is an active, working artist and visual art educator.
“Their personal work is invaluable to them and to their students, all of whom learn from the efforts and successes of their mentors in the art studio,” he noted.
On the heels of the faculty show, an inaugural Alumni Art Show featuring works by 20 graduates of the MTSU art department—including Howard Hull, the first graduate of the program in 1960—will open in the Todd Art Gallery on Sept. 18 and run through Oct. 8.
Also free and open to the public, the alumni show will highlight works by participating artists who have settled in various parts of the country.
Each alumni artist, Nuell said, remains active in some aspect of art production.
• GALLERY HOURS: The Todd Gallery, located on the MTSU campus, is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday through Friday and closed on state-approved holidays.
For more information, including gallery parking information, please call the gallery at 615-898-5653.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For additional information regarding faculty or alumni artists, or to interview the gallery’s curator, please contact Dr. Lon Nuell directly at 615-898-2505.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Todd Gallery, 615-898-5653.
or Lon Nuell, 615-898-2505
Annual Faculty Show Begins Aug. 28; First-Ever Alumni Exhibit Opens Sept. 18
(MURFREESBORO)—Eleven members of MTSU’s visual art faculty will present their creativity for all to see during MTSU’s annual Faculty Art Exhibition beginning August 28 through Sept. 8 in the university’s Todd Gallery.
The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will feature works by Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, John Donovan, Janet Higgins, Jarrod Houghton, Noel Lorson, Jean Nagy, Marissa Recchia, Patricia Tenpenny, Tanya Tewell and Tom Thayer.
Sponsored by the Department of Art at the start of each fall semester, the exhibit showcases works by one-half of the art faculty in an effort to introduce the department’s staff artists/educators to MTSU’s art students and the community at large.
Regarding this year’s participating artists, Lon Nuell, gallery curator, said, “The artists work in a variety of media and styles, including the representational, abstract and nonobjective as through traditional media in a straightforward manner to mixed media with a ‘twist.’”
A member of MTSU’s art faculty since 1971, Nuell said, “The faculty represent years of experience of productive work as evidenced by the extensive and ongoing record of exhibitions in juried and invitational shows. Each faculty member is an active, working artist and visual art educator.
“Their personal work is invaluable to them and to their students, all of whom learn from the efforts and successes of their mentors in the art studio,” he noted.
On the heels of the faculty show, an inaugural Alumni Art Show featuring works by 20 graduates of the MTSU art department—including Howard Hull, the first graduate of the program in 1960—will open in the Todd Art Gallery on Sept. 18 and run through Oct. 8.
Also free and open to the public, the alumni show will highlight works by participating artists who have settled in various parts of the country.
Each alumni artist, Nuell said, remains active in some aspect of art production.
• GALLERY HOURS: The Todd Gallery, located on the MTSU campus, is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each Monday through Friday and closed on state-approved holidays.
For more information, including gallery parking information, please call the gallery at 615-898-5653.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For additional information regarding faculty or alumni artists, or to interview the gallery’s curator, please contact Dr. Lon Nuell directly at 615-898-2505.
005 ROY McDONALD POSTHUMOUSLY INDUCTED INTO TENNESSEE INSURANCE HALL OF FAME
July 25, 2006
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—Roy Ketner McDonald, formerly of Chattanooga, who is remembered for creating Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee and recognized by his peers as “a brilliant success,” will be inducted posthumously into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31.
The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of McDonald and his family, are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
McDonald will be inducted along with William Seaton Phillips of Memphis and Jack K. Westbrook of Knoxville. McDonald’s son-in-law, Lee Anderson of Chattanooga, will accept the plaque commemorating the honor.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
McDonald was a newspaper man. He published a modest weekly paper in 1933 to promote specials in his Home Stores. These 73 years later, the Chattanooga Times Free Press is the largest newspaper in the city with a daily circulation exceeding 80,000 and 100,000 on Sunday. All of this from a man who graduated from Chattanooga’s Central High School and attended one year at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Born in Graysville, Tenn., McDonald dropped out of school in order to manage some of his father’s grocery stores in South Carolina and Florida—and he never looked back. He moved to Chattanooga in 1924 to open his first Home Store. Eventually there were 70 Home Stores throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Active in numerous civic and non-profit organizations, McDonald was the namesake of one of the Chattanooga Fire Department’s ladder trucks. In 1953, he received the Kiwanis Club’s “Man of the Year” Distinguished Service Award. In 1981, he received the “Service to Mankind” Award of the Chattanooga Downtown Sertoma Club, and a year later was the recipient of the Chattanooga Chamber’s Arthur G. Vieth Memorial Award for outstanding contributions in advancing American free enterprise. In 1985, he was presented with the Dorothy Patten “Love of Chattanooga” Award.
McDonald served as a member and chairman of the board of Baroness Erlanger and T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital for more than 20 years. He set up the Erlanger Plan for prepaid hospitalization that was later expanded to become Blue Cross—Blue Shield of Tennessee. Until his death, McDonald was BCBS’s only board chairman.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of McDonald, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—Roy Ketner McDonald, formerly of Chattanooga, who is remembered for creating Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee and recognized by his peers as “a brilliant success,” will be inducted posthumously into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31.
The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of McDonald and his family, are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
McDonald will be inducted along with William Seaton Phillips of Memphis and Jack K. Westbrook of Knoxville. McDonald’s son-in-law, Lee Anderson of Chattanooga, will accept the plaque commemorating the honor.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
McDonald was a newspaper man. He published a modest weekly paper in 1933 to promote specials in his Home Stores. These 73 years later, the Chattanooga Times Free Press is the largest newspaper in the city with a daily circulation exceeding 80,000 and 100,000 on Sunday. All of this from a man who graduated from Chattanooga’s Central High School and attended one year at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Born in Graysville, Tenn., McDonald dropped out of school in order to manage some of his father’s grocery stores in South Carolina and Florida—and he never looked back. He moved to Chattanooga in 1924 to open his first Home Store. Eventually there were 70 Home Stores throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Active in numerous civic and non-profit organizations, McDonald was the namesake of one of the Chattanooga Fire Department’s ladder trucks. In 1953, he received the Kiwanis Club’s “Man of the Year” Distinguished Service Award. In 1981, he received the “Service to Mankind” Award of the Chattanooga Downtown Sertoma Club, and a year later was the recipient of the Chattanooga Chamber’s Arthur G. Vieth Memorial Award for outstanding contributions in advancing American free enterprise. In 1985, he was presented with the Dorothy Patten “Love of Chattanooga” Award.
McDonald served as a member and chairman of the board of Baroness Erlanger and T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital for more than 20 years. He set up the Erlanger Plan for prepaid hospitalization that was later expanded to become Blue Cross—Blue Shield of Tennessee. Until his death, McDonald was BCBS’s only board chairman.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of McDonald, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
004 JACK WESTBROOK TO BE INDUCTED INTO TENNESSEE INSURANCE HALL OF FAME
July 20, 2006
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—Jack K. Westbrook, of Knoxville, whose career in insurance spans nearly 50 years, many with the College Life Insurance Company and recently as a personal producer, will be inducted into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31.
The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of Westbrook are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
Westbrook will be inducted along with William Seaton Phillips of Memphis, and Roy Ketner McDonald, of Chattanooga, the latter of whom who will be honored posthumously.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
Westbrook, CLU, RHU, ChFC, is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the American Society of Financial Service Professionals and the Knoxville Estate Planning Council. He qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table in 1957, the first Knoxville agent to qualify in his first full year of business. He became a Life Member of MDRT in 1960, the first Knoxville agent to receive that designation.
He has served as president of the Knoxville Association of Life Underwriters and the Knoxville Chapter of the Society of CLU and ChFC. During his tenure as vice president of the Tennessee Association of Life Underwriters (1979-1980), the membership reached its highest point in history at 4,460 members. He was elected president of TALU in 1980 and was named TALU “Man of the Year” in 1985.
Westbrook is active in community outreach and public service, serving with the United Way for several years. A P51 fighter pilot during World War II, Westbrook subsequently was active in the reserves forces and is a colonel (ret.) in the U.S. Air Force. He served five terms as president of the Tennessee Air force Association and was AFA’s “Man of the Year” in 1987 in both Tennessee and the nation. Colonel Jack K. Westbrook scholarships in the ROTC program were established in his honor at UT-Knoxville in 1998 by the East Tennessee Military Affairs Council.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of Phillips, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—Jack K. Westbrook, of Knoxville, whose career in insurance spans nearly 50 years, many with the College Life Insurance Company and recently as a personal producer, will be inducted into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31.
The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of Westbrook are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
Westbrook will be inducted along with William Seaton Phillips of Memphis, and Roy Ketner McDonald, of Chattanooga, the latter of whom who will be honored posthumously.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
Westbrook, CLU, RHU, ChFC, is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the American Society of Financial Service Professionals and the Knoxville Estate Planning Council. He qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table in 1957, the first Knoxville agent to qualify in his first full year of business. He became a Life Member of MDRT in 1960, the first Knoxville agent to receive that designation.
He has served as president of the Knoxville Association of Life Underwriters and the Knoxville Chapter of the Society of CLU and ChFC. During his tenure as vice president of the Tennessee Association of Life Underwriters (1979-1980), the membership reached its highest point in history at 4,460 members. He was elected president of TALU in 1980 and was named TALU “Man of the Year” in 1985.
Westbrook is active in community outreach and public service, serving with the United Way for several years. A P51 fighter pilot during World War II, Westbrook subsequently was active in the reserves forces and is a colonel (ret.) in the U.S. Air Force. He served five terms as president of the Tennessee Air force Association and was AFA’s “Man of the Year” in 1987 in both Tennessee and the nation. Colonel Jack K. Westbrook scholarships in the ROTC program were established in his honor at UT-Knoxville in 1998 by the East Tennessee Military Affairs Council.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of Phillips, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
003 WILLIAM PHILLIPS TO BE INDUCTED INTO TENNESSEE INSURANCE HALL OF FAME
July 20, 2006
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—William Seaton Phillips, founder of the Phillips Fire and Casualty Agency in Memphis, whose contribution to Tennessee's insurance industry has spanned nearly five decades, will be inducted into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31. The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of Phillips are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
Phillips will be inducted along with Jack K. Westbrook of Knoxville, and Roy Ketner McDonald, of Chattanooga, the latter of whom who will be honored posthumously.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
Phillips, who holds the CPCU, CLU, ARM and CPIA insurance designations, enjoyed a distinguished career at what was then Memphis State University and also created his own successful agency. He served twice as president of The Memphis Chapter of the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters Society and also served on the society’s Education Committee. He was a member of the Society of Chartered Life Underwriters, Memphis Chapter, from 1972 to 2004 and has been a member of the Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee for most of his career.
Early in his career, Phillips worked for the City of Memphis, Vocational Department, where he developed and taught courses on business office skills at city high schools. He opened his agency in 1958, then sold it to Mid-South Insurance Agency in 2004.
At what is now the University of Memphis, he taught as a graduate assistant, then later earned an M.B.A. degree and was asked to continue teaching. In 1968, he remained on the staff to assist in developing an insurance major. He was tenured as a professor in 1970 and taught insurance, risk-management and finance courses until he retired in 1994. His articles have been published academic journals and general-interest magazines.
Phillips is involved in public service and numerous civic organizations, and he is the regular organist at Mullins Methodist Church in Memphis.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of Phillips, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Ken Hollman, 615-898-2673
MURFREESBORO—William Seaton Phillips, founder of the Phillips Fire and Casualty Agency in Memphis, whose contribution to Tennessee's insurance industry has spanned nearly five decades, will be inducted into the Middle Tennessee State University Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame on Monday, July 31. The ceremony and banquet, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.
Friends and professional associates of Phillips are invited free of charge to the banquet and ceremony. The hotel is located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, and the phone number is 1-615-261-6100.
Phillips will be inducted along with Jack K. Westbrook of Knoxville, and Roy Ketner McDonald, of Chattanooga, the latter of whom who will be honored posthumously.
"The Musto Insurance Hall of Fame was created to identify and honor those insurance professionals whose names will be mentioned most prominently when a history of the insurance industry in Tennessee is written," Dr. Ken Hollman, holder of MTSU’s Martin Chair of Insurance, said.
Phillips, who holds the CPCU, CLU, ARM and CPIA insurance designations, enjoyed a distinguished career at what was then Memphis State University and also created his own successful agency. He served twice as president of The Memphis Chapter of the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters Society and also served on the society’s Education Committee. He was a member of the Society of Chartered Life Underwriters, Memphis Chapter, from 1972 to 2004 and has been a member of the Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee for most of his career.
Early in his career, Phillips worked for the City of Memphis, Vocational Department, where he developed and taught courses on business office skills at city high schools. He opened his agency in 1958, then sold it to Mid-South Insurance Agency in 2004.
At what is now the University of Memphis, he taught as a graduate assistant, then later earned an M.B.A. degree and was asked to continue teaching. In 1968, he remained on the staff to assist in developing an insurance major. He was tenured as a professor in 1970 and taught insurance, risk-management and finance courses until he retired in 1994. His articles have been published academic journals and general-interest magazines.
Phillips is involved in public service and numerous civic organizations, and he is the regular organist at Mullins Methodist Church in Memphis.
In 1997, Robert L. Musto, son of Robert E. Musto, presented a $10,000 gift to MTSU's Martin Chair of Insurance in honor of his father, which provided the foundation for the hall of fame. The late Robert E. Musto served as vice president of the former National Life and Accident Insurance Company. Robert L. Musto of Nashville is regional sales manager of the company his father helped build.
To register your attendance for the banquet and ceremony, please contact Hollman at 615-898-2673.
####
NOTE: For a jpeg headshot of Phillips, please contact Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131.
002 CAMPUS CRIME PREVENTION STARTS WITH STUDENTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu
Common-Sense Precautions Significantly Enhance Students’ Safety, Says Chief
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)–A window of opportunity. That’s all those who commit campus crimes need, advises Police Chief Carl “Buddy” Peaster Jr.
As director of Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Public Safety, Peaster is in the know when it comes to crime, including campus-based crimes and what students should be aware of as they embark upon leaving the safety of home and family for life at college.
“The most important thing to remember is LOCK YOUR DOORS. Lock your residence hall room door; lock your apartment door; lock your car doors; lock up your bike,” warns Peaster, who’s been involved with law enforcement and campus safety for more than 20 years.
In fact, according to one report, young people age 16-24 are three times more likely to be victims of burglary than any other group; plus, college students typically own more expensive consumer goods per person than the rest of the population at large. And criminals know this.
“While people spend a lot of time being concerned over violent attacks, the truth is that most campus crime is about opportunistic thefts than it is about violent crimes,” he says. “So the first thing to do when you arrive in your dormitory or apartment is to lock up everything.”
Security On Campus Inc., a brochure containing campus safety tips, reports that, statistically, college students are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to crime—especially mugging, burglary and vehicle-related thefts.
However, if students, both seasoned and incoming freshman, take preventative safety part of their college curriculum and implement some common-sense precautions, they can significantly reduce their chances of becoming a crime statistic, acknowledge law enforcement experts.
Oftentimes, though, students who are joining campus life and leaving home for the first time are unaware of the dangers. Further, parents frequently are unsure of how to best protect their children so far from home.
Single-parent Shelly Graham, for example, said that when it came time for her own two daughters to go away to college, the only thing she knew to do to try and ensure their safety was to arm them with pepper spray and “tell them to scream, even if they felt foolish when confronted by a stranger who they deemed questionable.
“I also told them to never go places alone,” she adds. “Of course, they didn't listen to me (but) I found that just repeating safety information whenever possible, and still doing it when they complained, was the best I could do.”
For starters, though, students living away from home can help promote their own safety by keeping valuables close at hand, notes Peaster.
“If you went to a restaurant, set your cell phone down, forgot it and walked out of the restaurant without it, and then realized two hours later you had left it, you wouldn’t be surprised that it was gone when you went back to the restaurant to retrieve it,” he reasons.
Similarly, when it comes to the campus environment, “You should not leave your book bag, your CDs, your keys, your wallet or purse, or any other thing of value lying around and then expect to come back to find it still there (because) there’s no magic aura that permeates campus and keeps people from stealing items left unattended.”
Moreover, don’t “mistake monetary value for importance,” observes the MTSU police chief.
“A graduate student once had his book bag taken and was not as upset about the fact that his wallet had been in the book bag as he was about the fact that a computer floppy disk had been in the book bag,” Peaster explained. “Why? Because he had a 35-page homework paper on the floppy disk–and he had no back-up of it.”
Keeping personal information personal is also vital for safety reasons, warns Peaster, who’s well aware of how much students enjoy blogging, online Web sites and e-mail communication.
“Some people,” he says, “find that they are comfortable putting personal information on the Internet; others do not. But whatever your choice about personal information such as name, address, phone number, etc cetera, remember that sensitive information—including social security numbers, account numbers, passwords and dates of birth—is better left off Internet sites.
“Keep your sensitive information confidential,” he urges. “Lots of people enjoy writing about themselves online, and plenty of people keep a profile online.” However, “it is also vital that people shred letters, offers and other papers and mail that have these personal identifiers on them.”
Most people would be amazed at how many would-be criminals turn to the garbage and trash cans to find personal information that they can use, Peaster notes, and the college-campus environment is no expectation.
“Alcohol problems and sexual assaults occur to people all the time, too, and the statistics are alarming, troubling and scary,” confirms Peaster, who notes that one survey suggests that the average age of alcohol intake in the U.S. is 13 years of age, with an average age for first consensual sexual intimacy of 14 years of age.
Coincidence?
“Probably not,” Peaster confirms. “Sexual assaults can vary greatly in shape, form and fashion, but there are some common traits many times. Most sexual assaults for people between the ages of 17 and 24 involve the use of alcohol—usually excessively by at least one or both of the parties—as well as drug use and familiarity, meaning that the victim actually knows the offender.
“While some might believe that most assaults involve offenders that victims do not know, that is not typically the cased for most college students,” he continues. “And the number of women who are assaulted at some point in their live is alarming: one in three. Not to mention the number of men assaulted—an astounding one in six.”
Regarding sexual assaults among college students, Peaster said most begin as a consensual encounter and end “in a bad situation.”
Most such assaults, he adds, take place in either the victim or the perpetrator’s own residence. Thus, “Add to all that the specter of having drugs put in drinks and of having drunk sex, and the possibilities just get worse.”
Although there’s no fail-proof way to ensure one’s personal safety on campus, a key component to helping enhance the odds of not becoming a statistic are relatively basic.
“If you go out to have fun, make plans ahead of time, leave with who you planned to leave with, do not get excessively drunk, and do not invite guests into your bedroom alone unless you are willing to engage in sexual intimacy.
“Trust your gut feelings and instincts,” counsels Peaster, “and if you do become a victim, contact the police as soon as possible.”
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Police Chief Buddy Peaster Jr. regarding campus crime, crime-prevention tips or other crime-related topics, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu
Common-Sense Precautions Significantly Enhance Students’ Safety, Says Chief
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)–A window of opportunity. That’s all those who commit campus crimes need, advises Police Chief Carl “Buddy” Peaster Jr.
As director of Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Public Safety, Peaster is in the know when it comes to crime, including campus-based crimes and what students should be aware of as they embark upon leaving the safety of home and family for life at college.
“The most important thing to remember is LOCK YOUR DOORS. Lock your residence hall room door; lock your apartment door; lock your car doors; lock up your bike,” warns Peaster, who’s been involved with law enforcement and campus safety for more than 20 years.
In fact, according to one report, young people age 16-24 are three times more likely to be victims of burglary than any other group; plus, college students typically own more expensive consumer goods per person than the rest of the population at large. And criminals know this.
“While people spend a lot of time being concerned over violent attacks, the truth is that most campus crime is about opportunistic thefts than it is about violent crimes,” he says. “So the first thing to do when you arrive in your dormitory or apartment is to lock up everything.”
Security On Campus Inc., a brochure containing campus safety tips, reports that, statistically, college students are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to crime—especially mugging, burglary and vehicle-related thefts.
However, if students, both seasoned and incoming freshman, take preventative safety part of their college curriculum and implement some common-sense precautions, they can significantly reduce their chances of becoming a crime statistic, acknowledge law enforcement experts.
Oftentimes, though, students who are joining campus life and leaving home for the first time are unaware of the dangers. Further, parents frequently are unsure of how to best protect their children so far from home.
Single-parent Shelly Graham, for example, said that when it came time for her own two daughters to go away to college, the only thing she knew to do to try and ensure their safety was to arm them with pepper spray and “tell them to scream, even if they felt foolish when confronted by a stranger who they deemed questionable.
“I also told them to never go places alone,” she adds. “Of course, they didn't listen to me (but) I found that just repeating safety information whenever possible, and still doing it when they complained, was the best I could do.”
For starters, though, students living away from home can help promote their own safety by keeping valuables close at hand, notes Peaster.
“If you went to a restaurant, set your cell phone down, forgot it and walked out of the restaurant without it, and then realized two hours later you had left it, you wouldn’t be surprised that it was gone when you went back to the restaurant to retrieve it,” he reasons.
Similarly, when it comes to the campus environment, “You should not leave your book bag, your CDs, your keys, your wallet or purse, or any other thing of value lying around and then expect to come back to find it still there (because) there’s no magic aura that permeates campus and keeps people from stealing items left unattended.”
Moreover, don’t “mistake monetary value for importance,” observes the MTSU police chief.
“A graduate student once had his book bag taken and was not as upset about the fact that his wallet had been in the book bag as he was about the fact that a computer floppy disk had been in the book bag,” Peaster explained. “Why? Because he had a 35-page homework paper on the floppy disk–and he had no back-up of it.”
Keeping personal information personal is also vital for safety reasons, warns Peaster, who’s well aware of how much students enjoy blogging, online Web sites and e-mail communication.
“Some people,” he says, “find that they are comfortable putting personal information on the Internet; others do not. But whatever your choice about personal information such as name, address, phone number, etc cetera, remember that sensitive information—including social security numbers, account numbers, passwords and dates of birth—is better left off Internet sites.
“Keep your sensitive information confidential,” he urges. “Lots of people enjoy writing about themselves online, and plenty of people keep a profile online.” However, “it is also vital that people shred letters, offers and other papers and mail that have these personal identifiers on them.”
Most people would be amazed at how many would-be criminals turn to the garbage and trash cans to find personal information that they can use, Peaster notes, and the college-campus environment is no expectation.
“Alcohol problems and sexual assaults occur to people all the time, too, and the statistics are alarming, troubling and scary,” confirms Peaster, who notes that one survey suggests that the average age of alcohol intake in the U.S. is 13 years of age, with an average age for first consensual sexual intimacy of 14 years of age.
Coincidence?
“Probably not,” Peaster confirms. “Sexual assaults can vary greatly in shape, form and fashion, but there are some common traits many times. Most sexual assaults for people between the ages of 17 and 24 involve the use of alcohol—usually excessively by at least one or both of the parties—as well as drug use and familiarity, meaning that the victim actually knows the offender.
“While some might believe that most assaults involve offenders that victims do not know, that is not typically the cased for most college students,” he continues. “And the number of women who are assaulted at some point in their live is alarming: one in three. Not to mention the number of men assaulted—an astounding one in six.”
Regarding sexual assaults among college students, Peaster said most begin as a consensual encounter and end “in a bad situation.”
Most such assaults, he adds, take place in either the victim or the perpetrator’s own residence. Thus, “Add to all that the specter of having drugs put in drinks and of having drunk sex, and the possibilities just get worse.”
Although there’s no fail-proof way to ensure one’s personal safety on campus, a key component to helping enhance the odds of not becoming a statistic are relatively basic.
“If you go out to have fun, make plans ahead of time, leave with who you planned to leave with, do not get excessively drunk, and do not invite guests into your bedroom alone unless you are willing to engage in sexual intimacy.
“Trust your gut feelings and instincts,” counsels Peaster, “and if you do become a victim, contact the police as soon as possible.”
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Police Chief Buddy Peaster Jr. regarding campus crime, crime-prevention tips or other crime-related topics, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.
001 Dancing and Drumming will help sexual assault victims and families
Performance at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall,7 p.m., July 29
For Immediate release: July 14, 2006
Contact:
Justine Biola, RRAPC (615) 494-9881
Shawna Deslatte, (615)308-5936
John Lynch, MTSU (615)898-5591
(MURFREESBORO) The Rutherford county Rape Recovery and Prevention Center (RRAPC) will serve as host for “The Bohemian Sanctuary, An Evening of Dancing & Drumming” at 7 p.m., July 29, in Wright Music Hall, to benefit sexual assault victims and their families. The Rhythmystik Tribal Percussion Duo will be the lead off performers. They will be followed by performances by several belly dancers from the Nashville and Murfreesboro area
The Rhythmistiks are well known in the area and have produced two CDs, that they describe as “organic compositions combining elements of Latin and African drumming with jazz, rock and hip hop to create aggressive entrancing rhythms.”
Shawna Deslatte (pronounced day-LOT), one of the benefit’s coordinators will educate the audience throughout the show. She said she will also teach the audience how to do the appreciation “call” to encourage then dancers. Deslatte noted that interest in belly dancing has grown in this area not only because of a fascination with the art form, but also because of the health benefits to those who practice it.
The RRAPC is a local nonprofit agency dedicated to helping victims of sexual assault and their families with the trauma and emotional battle resulting from sexual violence. The Murfreesboro office, at 826 Memorial Blvd., Suite 201, houses the only center in Rutherford and Cannon Counties that specifically focuses on the needs of sexual assault victims.
Area businesses supporting the event include: the John Floyd Foundation, SEC, Smith Design, Ingram Books, Dotson and Company, Reeves-Sain Medical Supplies and Equipment, and Anne Hoke with Keller Williams Realty. Tickets are being sold in advance through the RRAPC office by calling 494-9881. Admission is $10 and all proceeds will benefit the RRAPC. Tickets will also be available at the door for the same price.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a photograph or interview with the belly dancers, please contact Shawna Deslatte at (615)308-5936. More information about the Rhythmystiks may be found at http://www.rhythmystik.com/
For Immediate release: July 14, 2006
Contact:
Justine Biola, RRAPC (615) 494-9881
Shawna Deslatte, (615)308-5936
John Lynch, MTSU (615)898-5591
(MURFREESBORO) The Rutherford county Rape Recovery and Prevention Center (RRAPC) will serve as host for “The Bohemian Sanctuary, An Evening of Dancing & Drumming” at 7 p.m., July 29, in Wright Music Hall, to benefit sexual assault victims and their families. The Rhythmystik Tribal Percussion Duo will be the lead off performers. They will be followed by performances by several belly dancers from the Nashville and Murfreesboro area
The Rhythmistiks are well known in the area and have produced two CDs, that they describe as “organic compositions combining elements of Latin and African drumming with jazz, rock and hip hop to create aggressive entrancing rhythms.”
Shawna Deslatte (pronounced day-LOT), one of the benefit’s coordinators will educate the audience throughout the show. She said she will also teach the audience how to do the appreciation “call” to encourage then dancers. Deslatte noted that interest in belly dancing has grown in this area not only because of a fascination with the art form, but also because of the health benefits to those who practice it.
The RRAPC is a local nonprofit agency dedicated to helping victims of sexual assault and their families with the trauma and emotional battle resulting from sexual violence. The Murfreesboro office, at 826 Memorial Blvd., Suite 201, houses the only center in Rutherford and Cannon Counties that specifically focuses on the needs of sexual assault victims.
Area businesses supporting the event include: the John Floyd Foundation, SEC, Smith Design, Ingram Books, Dotson and Company, Reeves-Sain Medical Supplies and Equipment, and Anne Hoke with Keller Williams Realty. Tickets are being sold in advance through the RRAPC office by calling 494-9881. Admission is $10 and all proceeds will benefit the RRAPC. Tickets will also be available at the door for the same price.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a photograph or interview with the belly dancers, please contact Shawna Deslatte at (615)308-5936. More information about the Rhythmystiks may be found at http://www.rhythmystik.com/
514 HAPPY CAMPERS INSPIRE YOUTH ACTIVITIES IN THE ARTS
New Murfreesboro-based Nonprofit to Reach Kids Through Creativity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – The enterprising, industrious trio of women behind the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp proves that sometimes good things come in threes.
This year’s day camp will provide girls ages 10-18 hands-on instruction in guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, vocals and electronic music Monday, July 31 through Saturday, Aug. 5 at MTSU.
The culmination of the camp will be the Saturday night showcase, in which the campers will display their talents in a one-of-a-kind concert based on their week-long collaborations. Doors will open at 7 p.m. The music will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for the showcase are $5 in advance, $6 at the door.
In addition, campers will attend workshops on songwriting, recording, music journalism, photography, screen-printing and do-it-yourself arts and crafts.
Kelley Anderson founded the camp in 2003 with sponsorship from MTSU’s June Anderson Women’s Center and the student group Women 4 Women. The 22-year-old native of North Myrtle Beach, S.C. received a degree in recording industry with an emphasis in production and technology and a minor in music. She works on live sound and production with Morris Leasing in Murfreesboro.
Courtney Wood Sharpe earned her degree in English. A newlywed and a sales representative for Dell, the 23-year-old Sharpe began working with the camp in 2003. She handled planning and logistics for more than 80 girls and coordinated with their parents and the community.
Anna Fitzgerald is on track to graduate in December with a degree in art education. This 23-year-old McNair Scholar is a member of Golden Key Honour Society and has made the dean’s list in each semester since Fall 2003. She started out as a camp volunteer and fell in love with it in concept and in practice.
Under their leadership, a spontaneous exercise in community spirit has blossomed into Youth Empowerment Through Arts & Humanities (YEAH!), now the camp’s sponsoring nonprofit organization. Incorporated on May 16, YEAH! is “not just about supporting art or young people; it’s about empowering young people to be strong individuals and active participants in their community,” according to YEAH! literature.
“I think that there’s a huge need, of course, to empower women,” Anderson says. “But youth, in general, is just an overlooked demographic in our community. And I think
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that they need to be empowered by having a space where they can express themselves and do their own thing—a space that, in a sense, they run.”
To that end, the founding mothers of YEAH! are developing a Youth Culture & Arts Center (YCAC) to provide a safe place for after-school music and arts lessons. Fundraising is already underway. For more information, visit http://www.youthculturecenter.org.
Somehow while studying, working, performing music, getting married and otherwise living their own lives, these young women have found ways to devote their time and attention to girls who yearn for a fun, safe and nurturing environment in which to develop their musical talents.
“I’m not really familiar with another trio that has impacted a community as much as we have in the short time that we have,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s really nice to see people our age, as well, getting really excited about something and taking on responsibility.”
Despite their busy schedules and their diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, these women put the lie to the stereotype that women are too jealous of one another to collaborate successfully.
“I really never would have fit into the picture,” Sharpe says. “I mean, I’m not a musician. I’m not an artist. And it’s formed this bond between the three of us that has turned into something so beautiful.”
Sharpe is especially complimentary of Anderson for releasing her grip on the endeavor she had originated and trusting others enough to bring them into the fold.
“I think we all put a lot of faith in each other, and I think that’s probably what makes it successful,” Anderson says.
For more information about the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp or for advance showcase tickets, go to http://www.sgrrc.org or call 615-849-8140.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Anna Fitzgerald, Kelley Anderson and Courtney Wood Sharpe, contact Gina Logue at the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – The enterprising, industrious trio of women behind the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp proves that sometimes good things come in threes.
This year’s day camp will provide girls ages 10-18 hands-on instruction in guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, vocals and electronic music Monday, July 31 through Saturday, Aug. 5 at MTSU.
The culmination of the camp will be the Saturday night showcase, in which the campers will display their talents in a one-of-a-kind concert based on their week-long collaborations. Doors will open at 7 p.m. The music will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets for the showcase are $5 in advance, $6 at the door.
In addition, campers will attend workshops on songwriting, recording, music journalism, photography, screen-printing and do-it-yourself arts and crafts.
Kelley Anderson founded the camp in 2003 with sponsorship from MTSU’s June Anderson Women’s Center and the student group Women 4 Women. The 22-year-old native of North Myrtle Beach, S.C. received a degree in recording industry with an emphasis in production and technology and a minor in music. She works on live sound and production with Morris Leasing in Murfreesboro.
Courtney Wood Sharpe earned her degree in English. A newlywed and a sales representative for Dell, the 23-year-old Sharpe began working with the camp in 2003. She handled planning and logistics for more than 80 girls and coordinated with their parents and the community.
Anna Fitzgerald is on track to graduate in December with a degree in art education. This 23-year-old McNair Scholar is a member of Golden Key Honour Society and has made the dean’s list in each semester since Fall 2003. She started out as a camp volunteer and fell in love with it in concept and in practice.
Under their leadership, a spontaneous exercise in community spirit has blossomed into Youth Empowerment Through Arts & Humanities (YEAH!), now the camp’s sponsoring nonprofit organization. Incorporated on May 16, YEAH! is “not just about supporting art or young people; it’s about empowering young people to be strong individuals and active participants in their community,” according to YEAH! literature.
“I think that there’s a huge need, of course, to empower women,” Anderson says. “But youth, in general, is just an overlooked demographic in our community. And I think
--more--
CAMP
Add 1
that they need to be empowered by having a space where they can express themselves and do their own thing—a space that, in a sense, they run.”
To that end, the founding mothers of YEAH! are developing a Youth Culture & Arts Center (YCAC) to provide a safe place for after-school music and arts lessons. Fundraising is already underway. For more information, visit http://www.youthculturecenter.org.
Somehow while studying, working, performing music, getting married and otherwise living their own lives, these young women have found ways to devote their time and attention to girls who yearn for a fun, safe and nurturing environment in which to develop their musical talents.
“I’m not really familiar with another trio that has impacted a community as much as we have in the short time that we have,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s really nice to see people our age, as well, getting really excited about something and taking on responsibility.”
Despite their busy schedules and their diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, these women put the lie to the stereotype that women are too jealous of one another to collaborate successfully.
“I really never would have fit into the picture,” Sharpe says. “I mean, I’m not a musician. I’m not an artist. And it’s formed this bond between the three of us that has turned into something so beautiful.”
Sharpe is especially complimentary of Anderson for releasing her grip on the endeavor she had originated and trusting others enough to bring them into the fold.
“I think we all put a lot of faith in each other, and I think that’s probably what makes it successful,” Anderson says.
For more information about the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp or for advance showcase tickets, go to http://www.sgrrc.org or call 615-849-8140.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Anna Fitzgerald, Kelley Anderson and Courtney Wood Sharpe, contact Gina Logue at the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
Friday, July 14, 2006
513 JAPANESE TREES ON DISPLAY TO BE JUDGED AT MTSU
Ancient Asian Topiary Art to be Demonstrated and Explained
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – Lovers of Japanese greenery from several states will compete in the Middle Tennessee Regional Bonsai Show Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center. The show is co-sponsored by the Nashville Bonsai Society and the Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU.
Bonsai is the centuries-old Asian art of caring for trees and plants through meticulous pruning of roots and stems and restriction of roots
“We hope to have well over 50 trees displayed in the show,” Barbara Walton, president of the Nashville Bonsai Society, said. “Bonsai is ‘living art’ and can be enjoyed by any age group.”
“Unlike ikebana (arranged flowers), bonsai trees have a long life, often more than 100 years, and require not just love but much physical and mental commitment on the part of the grower,” Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, director of MTSU’s Japan-U.S. Program, said.
Plants will be on display to the general public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Bonsai Master Warren Hill will conduct a demonstration at 2 p.m. The tree will be auctioned off following the demonstration. There will be a complementary dinner for participants at 6:30 p.m. Maps and directions will be provided.
Hill will critique the bonsai on display at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Awards will be given for Best Club Display, Best in Show, and Viewer's Choice, as well as Honorable Mention ribbons for deserving entries.
From 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, the bonsai again will be on display to the general public. A selection of bonsai forests and pre-bonsai stock will be available for purchase both days along with Sara Rayner, Tokoname and Houtoku pots, bonsai tools, akadama, lava rock, soil, wire, other bonsai supplies and accent plants. Admission both days is free. Media welcomed.
To register for the show or for more information, contact Walton at 615-337-4728 or 615-449-6693 or cuchem@charter.net.
--30--
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos of beautiful bonsai plants, please contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – Lovers of Japanese greenery from several states will compete in the Middle Tennessee Regional Bonsai Show Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center. The show is co-sponsored by the Nashville Bonsai Society and the Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU.
Bonsai is the centuries-old Asian art of caring for trees and plants through meticulous pruning of roots and stems and restriction of roots
“We hope to have well over 50 trees displayed in the show,” Barbara Walton, president of the Nashville Bonsai Society, said. “Bonsai is ‘living art’ and can be enjoyed by any age group.”
“Unlike ikebana (arranged flowers), bonsai trees have a long life, often more than 100 years, and require not just love but much physical and mental commitment on the part of the grower,” Dr. Kiyoshi Kawahito, director of MTSU’s Japan-U.S. Program, said.
Plants will be on display to the general public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Bonsai Master Warren Hill will conduct a demonstration at 2 p.m. The tree will be auctioned off following the demonstration. There will be a complementary dinner for participants at 6:30 p.m. Maps and directions will be provided.
Hill will critique the bonsai on display at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Awards will be given for Best Club Display, Best in Show, and Viewer's Choice, as well as Honorable Mention ribbons for deserving entries.
From 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, the bonsai again will be on display to the general public. A selection of bonsai forests and pre-bonsai stock will be available for purchase both days along with Sara Rayner, Tokoname and Houtoku pots, bonsai tools, akadama, lava rock, soil, wire, other bonsai supplies and accent plants. Admission both days is free. Media welcomed.
To register for the show or for more information, contact Walton at 615-337-4728 or 615-449-6693 or cuchem@charter.net.
--30--
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos of beautiful bonsai plants, please contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
509 MORE THAN 900 TO GRADUATE FROM MTSU AT SUMMER CEREMONY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
Graduation Event Will Again be Webcast for Those Unable to Attend
(MURFREESBORO)—A projected 940 degree candidates will graduate during the summer 2006 commencement ceremony, MTSU officials announced recently.
Graduation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, in Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU, with Dr. Rebecca Fischer, interim chairwoman for the Department of Speech and Theatre and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil, delivering the commencement address.
Some 688 of the degree candidates will be undergraduates, said Dr. Sherian Huddleston, director, Records, and assistant vice provost, Enrollment Services, with 252 students slated to graduate from the College of Graduate Studies. This total includes two graduate certificate recipient, 226 earning their master's degrees, 17 earning their specialist in education (Ed.S.) degrees and seven earning doctoral degrees.
Regarding the 2006 commencement speaker, Fischer, prior to being appointed interim chairwoman for MTSU’s speech and theatre department, served as a full-time classroom educator, full professor and audiologist for the university’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.
Prior joining MTSU’s speech and theatre faculty in 1995, Fischer earned a bachelor’s degree in education for the deaf from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a master of science degree in aural-oral rehabilitation from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, before garnering a Ph.D. in hearing and speech sciences from Vanderbilt University. She also holds professional memberships in the American Auditory Society, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Auditory-Verbal International. She was named a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and is a past president for the Tennessee Academy of Audiology, among other honors.
In addition to her 2005-2006 tenure as president of MTSU’s Faculty Senate, Fischer has served on various university committees, including membership on the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and service as a convener for the university’s Scholarship/Student Affairs Sub-Committee and the Women’s Scholarship Committee, respectively. She also is a founding member and former secretary and vice president of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf Inc. and a current member of the Tennessee Statewide Early Intervention Taskforce, which promotes early detection of hearing impairment.
Dr. Jack Thomas, vice provost for academic affairs and chairman of the
commencement committee, said he wanted to remind all degree candidates of
the importance of appropriate dress, decorum and respect for the
commencement ceremony.
“We believe this is a very important day in the lives of many people,”
Thomas said. “Commencement is one of those few days that families always
remember as special. It is difficult to give the ceremony the dignified
atmosphere it deserves if attendees are using air horns or leaving before
the completion of the ceremony.”
Additionally, per Thomas, the graduation committee also emphasized
that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for
the entire ceremony. The ceremony should last about two hours. If candidates
are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this commitment, he
said.
“To make this a special day, it requires cooperation from everyone in
attendance,” Thomas said. “We believe it should be a dignified ceremony,
which adds to its enjoyment of all in attendance.”
At 8:30 a.m. Aug. 12, Murphy Center doors will open for the commencement
ceremony. Candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas, dressed in
their caps and gowns, no later than 9 a.m.
Officials report that students who are not in their assigned gym at the
proper times will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Because
commencement rehearsals are no longer conducted, timely attendance is
mandatory for students to receive important instructions.
For more information about commencement or receiving a degree in absentia,
please visit the Records Office Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~records/ grad.htm .
Questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at
615-898-2600.
• FYI/Webcasting: The ceremony will again be shown via Webcast for those who are unable to attend but have Internet. To access the Webcast, please go to www.mtsu.edu and click on the “Summer 2006 Commencement” photo at right. Then, under “Live Events,” click on the “Summer 2006 Commencement,” which will launch any previously installed Windows Real Player. Those whose computers do not have Windows Real Player installed are advised to click on the “Windows Real Player” option at right. This link will route to a Web page that contains all the available computer versions. Select the appropriate one for the user’s computer, download it, and install it. Then, retry by clicking on “Summer 2006 Commencement.”
Please note that on the day of commencement, the link will not be active until about 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
MTSU SUMMER 2006 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE
Who: 940 graduates* (688 undergraduates, 252 graduate students)
What: MTSU summer commencement
When: 10 a.m. Aug. 12; doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Murphy Center
Commencement speaker: Dr. Rebecca Fischer, interim chairwoman, Department of Speech and Theatre.
* — Approximate number as of July 12, 2006.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
Graduation Event Will Again be Webcast for Those Unable to Attend
(MURFREESBORO)—A projected 940 degree candidates will graduate during the summer 2006 commencement ceremony, MTSU officials announced recently.
Graduation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, in Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU, with Dr. Rebecca Fischer, interim chairwoman for the Department of Speech and Theatre and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil, delivering the commencement address.
Some 688 of the degree candidates will be undergraduates, said Dr. Sherian Huddleston, director, Records, and assistant vice provost, Enrollment Services, with 252 students slated to graduate from the College of Graduate Studies. This total includes two graduate certificate recipient, 226 earning their master's degrees, 17 earning their specialist in education (Ed.S.) degrees and seven earning doctoral degrees.
Regarding the 2006 commencement speaker, Fischer, prior to being appointed interim chairwoman for MTSU’s speech and theatre department, served as a full-time classroom educator, full professor and audiologist for the university’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.
Prior joining MTSU’s speech and theatre faculty in 1995, Fischer earned a bachelor’s degree in education for the deaf from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a master of science degree in aural-oral rehabilitation from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, before garnering a Ph.D. in hearing and speech sciences from Vanderbilt University. She also holds professional memberships in the American Auditory Society, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Auditory-Verbal International. She was named a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology and is a past president for the Tennessee Academy of Audiology, among other honors.
In addition to her 2005-2006 tenure as president of MTSU’s Faculty Senate, Fischer has served on various university committees, including membership on the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and service as a convener for the university’s Scholarship/Student Affairs Sub-Committee and the Women’s Scholarship Committee, respectively. She also is a founding member and former secretary and vice president of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf Inc. and a current member of the Tennessee Statewide Early Intervention Taskforce, which promotes early detection of hearing impairment.
Dr. Jack Thomas, vice provost for academic affairs and chairman of the
commencement committee, said he wanted to remind all degree candidates of
the importance of appropriate dress, decorum and respect for the
commencement ceremony.
“We believe this is a very important day in the lives of many people,”
Thomas said. “Commencement is one of those few days that families always
remember as special. It is difficult to give the ceremony the dignified
atmosphere it deserves if attendees are using air horns or leaving before
the completion of the ceremony.”
Additionally, per Thomas, the graduation committee also emphasized
that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for
the entire ceremony. The ceremony should last about two hours. If candidates
are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this commitment, he
said.
“To make this a special day, it requires cooperation from everyone in
attendance,” Thomas said. “We believe it should be a dignified ceremony,
which adds to its enjoyment of all in attendance.”
At 8:30 a.m. Aug. 12, Murphy Center doors will open for the commencement
ceremony. Candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas, dressed in
their caps and gowns, no later than 9 a.m.
Officials report that students who are not in their assigned gym at the
proper times will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Because
commencement rehearsals are no longer conducted, timely attendance is
mandatory for students to receive important instructions.
For more information about commencement or receiving a degree in absentia,
please visit the Records Office Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~records/ grad.htm .
Questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at
615-898-2600.
• FYI/Webcasting: The ceremony will again be shown via Webcast for those who are unable to attend but have Internet. To access the Webcast, please go to www.mtsu.edu and click on the “Summer 2006 Commencement” photo at right. Then, under “Live Events,” click on the “Summer 2006 Commencement,” which will launch any previously installed Windows Real Player. Those whose computers do not have Windows Real Player installed are advised to click on the “Windows Real Player” option at right. This link will route to a Web page that contains all the available computer versions. Select the appropriate one for the user’s computer, download it, and install it. Then, retry by clicking on “Summer 2006 Commencement.”
Please note that on the day of commencement, the link will not be active until about 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
MTSU SUMMER 2006 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE
Who: 940 graduates* (688 undergraduates, 252 graduate students)
What: MTSU summer commencement
When: 10 a.m. Aug. 12; doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Murphy Center
Commencement speaker: Dr. Rebecca Fischer, interim chairwoman, Department of Speech and Theatre.
* — Approximate number as of July 12, 2006.
Friday, July 07, 2006
508 PARENTS ADVISED TO CELEBRATE EMPTY NESTS, NOT MOURN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu
Like Retirement, Parents Must Plan for Adult Children to Move, Says Expert
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—For Paula Morton, the time she spent preparing her youngest child, Cedric, to move away from home for the first time and into the college dormitories wasn’t a time to relish, but rather, it was the “countdown to my meltdown,” she said.
A mom of two, Morton still vividly recalls that day some 12 years ago when she and her husband deposited their only son in his new college-campus abode. He was only 90 minutes away from home, but for Morton, the grief and tears began on the ride home.
“He was gone, just gone,” remembers Morton, who said she quietly mourned her son’s relocation for nearly a year. “His room was empty, his things were gone; I wasn’t going to see him everyday or talk to him everyday. And the day we took him to school, when we returned home, I went to the basement and had my meltdown down there.”
Did she cry?
“Oh, a lot,” affirmed Morton, her eyes widening at the thought. “I tried to be cool about it and not let him know I was sad … but when he called us that night after we had left him at the campus, I was waiting by the phone. … I just missed him.”
And did she visit his old room in an attempt to feel closer to him?
“Yes,” she nodded. “I did do that some, but finally stopped.”
Morton’s reaction, however, isn’t so extraordinary. Not unlike other parents whose adult children leave home for the first time, she was experiencing the grief pangs that are now commonly referred to as empty-nest syndrome.
Although the emotional condition of “empty nest” is rarely mentioned in medical textbooks, it’s an apt description for identifying the sadness and loss that many parents—especially mothers and single parents—endure when their children no longer share the same home or cease to be a part of their daily lives.
However, Dr. Janet Belsky, an associate professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University and lifespan-development expert, said that although most articles and reports concerning empty-nest syndrome focus on the grief parents experience, there is indeed a flipside to the situation.
Many married couples, in fact, “are typically much happier after children leave the nest,” observed Belsky, who’s authored a number of articles and books on adult-life experiences and aging.
“When an adult child leaves home to go to college or to live on his or her own, it can be like a second honeymoon for those parents who are married,” she explained, “because it’s almost like (the couple) can focus on each other again, not just the children.
“For me, I can tell you that I didn’t like my husband very much but he got a lot nicer when my son left,” Belsky revealed, laughing. “When (children) are no longer in the house, you have this whole new relationship again as a couple. And since my own son has been gone two things have happened: I get along better with my husband and I also get along better with my son … so empty nest can be a positive, but nobody tells you this.”
Morton, too, agrees that with no children in the home, a couple can again nurture their relationship, with fewer child-related distractions.
“Our relationship did improve; I can say that,” she confirmed, referring to the time following her son’s departure. “We seemed to resolve communication issues, so yes, our marital relationship improved.”
“Most people are thrilled at the empty nest,” Belsky insisted. “Marriages typically get much happier after children leave the nest. Things at home are calmer.”
As for single parents who experience empty nest, Belsky said, “I actually think single parents do have more trouble because of the exclusive attachment to the child, because with couples it is much, much easier.
“What tends to happen, though, I think, is that you feel terrible for awhile. If your child has been fairly independent, it’s not that different. But like any other life transitions, it’s a change.”
Moreover, when sons and daughters go away to college for the first time, a parent’s feelings may not be the same in each instance. For example, Belsky said, “Girls seem to be more interested in leaving and are often more independent, but boys, I think, are actually less independent.”
Morton’s empty-next experiences mirror Belsky’s observations in this regard, too, she conceded, because “it was different” when daughter Courtney left home.
“My daughter went away to college about four years before my son did, but she was only an hour away,” Morton said. “I didn’t worry any less about her than I did my son, but I just felt like she was better prepared, like she knew more about what to expect and what was ahead of her.”
In the years leading up to the time children begin college, they tend to move out gradually and are not at home as much, Belsky explained, and this gradual transition can help parents ease into the idea of having a child-free home again.
“There is a mourning (when a child leaves home) and it varies from person to person, but what you are really mourning is your baby,” Belsky said. “For many people, caring for a child has been their whole life, but you have to keep in mind that you haven’t really lost them … and you will still be very tied in.”
In her own experience, for instance, Belsky said she and her son, now in his 20s, communicate better now than ever before.
“I think kids in their 20s still need their parents a lot,” she said. “It’s a tough time to go out into the world. … Just because your children move out, you don’t stop being a parent. I mean, you still are one, but this is a time when we can talk to our children about feelings better. …You can talk like adults.”
Still, empty nest is quite real, Belsky remarked, and parents need to take an active part in overcoming the sense of helplessness and loss that it sometimes brings.
“It’s a transition to prepare for and there is a sense of loss, but that will vary,” she noted. “When your child’s about 16, it’s time to start rethinking things. Like retirement, parents can start asking, ‘How can I best prepare for this next phase in my life?’
“If you feel like you are where you want to be in life and don’t see anyplace left to go, it can be very difficult, especially for those who have been stay-at-home mothers. But now is the time to try something else—expand your identity and reconnect with the world around you.”
For Morton, reconnecting with a past hobby was key in helping ease the pangs of empty nest.
“After my son went away to school, I joined a singing group that I’d been a member of before for about 10 years, the Sweet Adelines. It’s a women’s chorus, an a capella group, that has different branches in various cities, so I joined up with them again, and that helped.”
The onset of empty nest, in reality, is a time that should be viewed as a growth period, stressed Belsky, not a time to mourn.
“Think about what things gave you pleasure that you haven’t been able to do, or think of something new that you’ve wanted to do,” she suggested. “Look at this period in life as a time to grow into a more interesting person.”
After all, she said, smiling, “It’s important for parents to remember that their children aren’t gone, they just have a different address.”
***ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Dr. Janet Belsky, associate professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University, regarding issues surrounding empty-nest syndrome or lifespan development, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-898-2919 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu
Like Retirement, Parents Must Plan for Adult Children to Move, Says Expert
(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—For Paula Morton, the time she spent preparing her youngest child, Cedric, to move away from home for the first time and into the college dormitories wasn’t a time to relish, but rather, it was the “countdown to my meltdown,” she said.
A mom of two, Morton still vividly recalls that day some 12 years ago when she and her husband deposited their only son in his new college-campus abode. He was only 90 minutes away from home, but for Morton, the grief and tears began on the ride home.
“He was gone, just gone,” remembers Morton, who said she quietly mourned her son’s relocation for nearly a year. “His room was empty, his things were gone; I wasn’t going to see him everyday or talk to him everyday. And the day we took him to school, when we returned home, I went to the basement and had my meltdown down there.”
Did she cry?
“Oh, a lot,” affirmed Morton, her eyes widening at the thought. “I tried to be cool about it and not let him know I was sad … but when he called us that night after we had left him at the campus, I was waiting by the phone. … I just missed him.”
And did she visit his old room in an attempt to feel closer to him?
“Yes,” she nodded. “I did do that some, but finally stopped.”
Morton’s reaction, however, isn’t so extraordinary. Not unlike other parents whose adult children leave home for the first time, she was experiencing the grief pangs that are now commonly referred to as empty-nest syndrome.
Although the emotional condition of “empty nest” is rarely mentioned in medical textbooks, it’s an apt description for identifying the sadness and loss that many parents—especially mothers and single parents—endure when their children no longer share the same home or cease to be a part of their daily lives.
However, Dr. Janet Belsky, an associate professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University and lifespan-development expert, said that although most articles and reports concerning empty-nest syndrome focus on the grief parents experience, there is indeed a flipside to the situation.
Many married couples, in fact, “are typically much happier after children leave the nest,” observed Belsky, who’s authored a number of articles and books on adult-life experiences and aging.
“When an adult child leaves home to go to college or to live on his or her own, it can be like a second honeymoon for those parents who are married,” she explained, “because it’s almost like (the couple) can focus on each other again, not just the children.
“For me, I can tell you that I didn’t like my husband very much but he got a lot nicer when my son left,” Belsky revealed, laughing. “When (children) are no longer in the house, you have this whole new relationship again as a couple. And since my own son has been gone two things have happened: I get along better with my husband and I also get along better with my son … so empty nest can be a positive, but nobody tells you this.”
Morton, too, agrees that with no children in the home, a couple can again nurture their relationship, with fewer child-related distractions.
“Our relationship did improve; I can say that,” she confirmed, referring to the time following her son’s departure. “We seemed to resolve communication issues, so yes, our marital relationship improved.”
“Most people are thrilled at the empty nest,” Belsky insisted. “Marriages typically get much happier after children leave the nest. Things at home are calmer.”
As for single parents who experience empty nest, Belsky said, “I actually think single parents do have more trouble because of the exclusive attachment to the child, because with couples it is much, much easier.
“What tends to happen, though, I think, is that you feel terrible for awhile. If your child has been fairly independent, it’s not that different. But like any other life transitions, it’s a change.”
Moreover, when sons and daughters go away to college for the first time, a parent’s feelings may not be the same in each instance. For example, Belsky said, “Girls seem to be more interested in leaving and are often more independent, but boys, I think, are actually less independent.”
Morton’s empty-next experiences mirror Belsky’s observations in this regard, too, she conceded, because “it was different” when daughter Courtney left home.
“My daughter went away to college about four years before my son did, but she was only an hour away,” Morton said. “I didn’t worry any less about her than I did my son, but I just felt like she was better prepared, like she knew more about what to expect and what was ahead of her.”
In the years leading up to the time children begin college, they tend to move out gradually and are not at home as much, Belsky explained, and this gradual transition can help parents ease into the idea of having a child-free home again.
“There is a mourning (when a child leaves home) and it varies from person to person, but what you are really mourning is your baby,” Belsky said. “For many people, caring for a child has been their whole life, but you have to keep in mind that you haven’t really lost them … and you will still be very tied in.”
In her own experience, for instance, Belsky said she and her son, now in his 20s, communicate better now than ever before.
“I think kids in their 20s still need their parents a lot,” she said. “It’s a tough time to go out into the world. … Just because your children move out, you don’t stop being a parent. I mean, you still are one, but this is a time when we can talk to our children about feelings better. …You can talk like adults.”
Still, empty nest is quite real, Belsky remarked, and parents need to take an active part in overcoming the sense of helplessness and loss that it sometimes brings.
“It’s a transition to prepare for and there is a sense of loss, but that will vary,” she noted. “When your child’s about 16, it’s time to start rethinking things. Like retirement, parents can start asking, ‘How can I best prepare for this next phase in my life?’
“If you feel like you are where you want to be in life and don’t see anyplace left to go, it can be very difficult, especially for those who have been stay-at-home mothers. But now is the time to try something else—expand your identity and reconnect with the world around you.”
For Morton, reconnecting with a past hobby was key in helping ease the pangs of empty nest.
“After my son went away to school, I joined a singing group that I’d been a member of before for about 10 years, the Sweet Adelines. It’s a women’s chorus, an a capella group, that has different branches in various cities, so I joined up with them again, and that helped.”
The onset of empty nest, in reality, is a time that should be viewed as a growth period, stressed Belsky, not a time to mourn.
“Think about what things gave you pleasure that you haven’t been able to do, or think of something new that you’ve wanted to do,” she suggested. “Look at this period in life as a time to grow into a more interesting person.”
After all, she said, smiling, “It’s important for parents to remember that their children aren’t gone, they just have a different address.”
***ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Dr. Janet Belsky, associate professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University, regarding issues surrounding empty-nest syndrome or lifespan development, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-898-2919 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu.
507 WILSON COUNTY FARMS JOIN RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947.
100-Plus-Year-Old Donnell and Cook’s Hill Farms Recognized for Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Donnell Farm and Cook’s Hill Farm, both of which are located in Wilson County, have been designated as Tennessee Century Farms, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1893, Robert Newton Donnell established the Donnell Farm. Located south east of Lebanon, the 143 acres produced corn, hay, livestock, sorghum and small grains. Under his ownership, a farmhouse and many outbuildings were constructed on the land.
Married to Lantie D. Donnell, the couple had four children—Alexander Clarence, Robert Stone, Henry Toy and Martha Christine. During World War I, Alexander Clarence served overseas. After he returned from the war, he married Fannie Ethel Turner. Not long after, Robert constructed a second house for Alexander.
In 1954, Henry Toy Donnell acquired the land. Along with his wife, Willie Davis, they cultivated hay, corn, tobacco, small grains and raised livestock.
Ethelyne D. Lannom, niece of the founders, acquired the farm in 1974. Today, Ethelyne and her husband Jackson Lannom continue to own and manage the land. David Wrather raises livestock and hay on the property.
Located several miles west of Lebanon is the Cook’s Hill Farm that was established by Susan Young Cook and Eulexis Kelly Cook in 1881. On 185 ½ acres, they produced wheat, corn, vegetables, sheep and cattle. The couple parented 14 children.
In 1944, Susan and Eulexis’s son, Joe L. Cook, acquired the farm. Under his ownership, many of the same livestock and crops were raised with the addition of horses. He and his wife Claude Johnson had five children. Their names were Joe L. Jr., Sue, Joanne, Johnson and Eulexis Kelly.
In 1973, the grandson of the founder, Eulexis “Lex” Kelly Cook, acquired the farm. Today, Lex still lives on the land with wife Sylvia McFarland, where he manages the farm and raises cattle, hay and garden vegetables. A smokehouse, sheep barn, slave cabin, tool shed, chicken house and a tobacco barn remain on the farm that retains the name and the land of the founders of the historic farm founded 125 years ago.
Hankins said the Donnell and Cook’s Hill Farms join the ranks of many other properties designated in Wilson County, which has more certified Century Farms than any other county in the state.
The Century Farm Program 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.
—more—
WILSON_FARMS
Add 1
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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production,”
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,” said Hankins, “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.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947.
100-Plus-Year-Old Donnell and Cook’s Hill Farms Recognized for Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Donnell Farm and Cook’s Hill Farm, both of which are located in Wilson County, have been designated as Tennessee Century Farms, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1893, Robert Newton Donnell established the Donnell Farm. Located south east of Lebanon, the 143 acres produced corn, hay, livestock, sorghum and small grains. Under his ownership, a farmhouse and many outbuildings were constructed on the land.
Married to Lantie D. Donnell, the couple had four children—Alexander Clarence, Robert Stone, Henry Toy and Martha Christine. During World War I, Alexander Clarence served overseas. After he returned from the war, he married Fannie Ethel Turner. Not long after, Robert constructed a second house for Alexander.
In 1954, Henry Toy Donnell acquired the land. Along with his wife, Willie Davis, they cultivated hay, corn, tobacco, small grains and raised livestock.
Ethelyne D. Lannom, niece of the founders, acquired the farm in 1974. Today, Ethelyne and her husband Jackson Lannom continue to own and manage the land. David Wrather raises livestock and hay on the property.
Located several miles west of Lebanon is the Cook’s Hill Farm that was established by Susan Young Cook and Eulexis Kelly Cook in 1881. On 185 ½ acres, they produced wheat, corn, vegetables, sheep and cattle. The couple parented 14 children.
In 1944, Susan and Eulexis’s son, Joe L. Cook, acquired the farm. Under his ownership, many of the same livestock and crops were raised with the addition of horses. He and his wife Claude Johnson had five children. Their names were Joe L. Jr., Sue, Joanne, Johnson and Eulexis Kelly.
In 1973, the grandson of the founder, Eulexis “Lex” Kelly Cook, acquired the farm. Today, Lex still lives on the land with wife Sylvia McFarland, where he manages the farm and raises cattle, hay and garden vegetables. A smokehouse, sheep barn, slave cabin, tool shed, chicken house and a tobacco barn remain on the farm that retains the name and the land of the founders of the historic farm founded 125 years ago.
Hankins said the Donnell and Cook’s Hill Farms join the ranks of many other properties designated in Wilson County, which has more certified Century Farms than any other county in the state.
The Century Farm Program 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.
—more—
WILSON_FARMS
Add 1
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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production,”
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,” said Hankins, “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.
506 COCKE COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947.
109-Year-Old Pitts Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Pitts Farm in Cocke County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).
In 1897, R. C. Pitts purchased land that was originally a part of the Boyer Farm from Jefferson and Florence Boyer Hurley. Not long after, R. C. moved his wife Sirentha Collett Potts and their four children to a small sparse house on the property.
Prior to purchasing the land, R. C. worked as a railroad foreman and moved his family to places such as Strawberry Plains, Tenn., and Marshall, N.C.
According to CHP records, R. C. remained on the farm for a year before he returned to work on the railroad line that was being constructed from Newport into North Carolina and into southeast Tennessee. Sirentha continued to live on the farm with her children during the time that R. C. was away. She managed the farm and with her children grew corn, hay, vegetables and fruit orchards. To be as self-sufficient as possible, they also raised swine, chickens and dairy cows. However, per the family, R. C. never returned to the farm and his children, primarily sons Porter and Lloyd, were taught to farm by Dave Hawk, a neighbor.
In 1917 after his marriage to Cora Gregg, Porter was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in France and Belgium during World War I. During the war, Cora lived on the farm with Sirentha. After the war, Porter returned home and began farming the land. In 1920, Sirentha died and R. C., who was living in Virginia at the time, transferred his ownership of the farm to his four children.
Not long after, Porter and Cora purchased the other siblings’ shares and became the sole owners of the farm. They cultivated corn, hay, tobacco, wheat, tomatoes and vegetables. In addition, they raised beef and dairy cattle, swine, chickens and geese. While he raised livestock and crops, Porter also made some improvements by expanding the orchard, originally planted by Sirentha, and building a large pond on the property that was stocked with catfish.
Porter also sold fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, butter and eggs to families in the town of Newport. Cora worked alongside her husband and canned and preserved fruits and vegetables and made fresh butter and cottage cheese for the family. According to the family, Porter also sold cream to Sugar Creek Creamery and milk to Pet Milk Company. Porter continued to work the land until his death in November 1986. After her husband’s death, Cora continued to raise beef cattle and hay until her death in 1989.
In 1989, Dorothy Geraldine Pitts Hughes and Eugene Fulton Pitts, the grandchildren of the founder, acquired the land. One year later, they sold the farm to Dorothy’s sons, Charles Douglas Hughes, Grady Edward Hughes and Gordon Dale Hughes.
—more—
PITTS
Add 1
Today, the trio of brothers owns the land and raises hay and beef cattle on the farm. The farm has many buildings that date before 1950, including the farmhouse, which “sits on a gentle slope with large old maple tress planted by Sirentha Pitts” in the early part of the last century.
Also on the farm is a smokehouse, two chicken houses and a barn built in the 1920s that is used to store hay and shelter cattle. The Pitts Farm has a well-documented family history and joins five other certified Century Farms in Cocke County.
The Century Farm Program 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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production,”
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,” said Hankins, “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.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947.
109-Year-Old Pitts Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Pitts Farm in Cocke County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).
In 1897, R. C. Pitts purchased land that was originally a part of the Boyer Farm from Jefferson and Florence Boyer Hurley. Not long after, R. C. moved his wife Sirentha Collett Potts and their four children to a small sparse house on the property.
Prior to purchasing the land, R. C. worked as a railroad foreman and moved his family to places such as Strawberry Plains, Tenn., and Marshall, N.C.
According to CHP records, R. C. remained on the farm for a year before he returned to work on the railroad line that was being constructed from Newport into North Carolina and into southeast Tennessee. Sirentha continued to live on the farm with her children during the time that R. C. was away. She managed the farm and with her children grew corn, hay, vegetables and fruit orchards. To be as self-sufficient as possible, they also raised swine, chickens and dairy cows. However, per the family, R. C. never returned to the farm and his children, primarily sons Porter and Lloyd, were taught to farm by Dave Hawk, a neighbor.
In 1917 after his marriage to Cora Gregg, Porter was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in France and Belgium during World War I. During the war, Cora lived on the farm with Sirentha. After the war, Porter returned home and began farming the land. In 1920, Sirentha died and R. C., who was living in Virginia at the time, transferred his ownership of the farm to his four children.
Not long after, Porter and Cora purchased the other siblings’ shares and became the sole owners of the farm. They cultivated corn, hay, tobacco, wheat, tomatoes and vegetables. In addition, they raised beef and dairy cattle, swine, chickens and geese. While he raised livestock and crops, Porter also made some improvements by expanding the orchard, originally planted by Sirentha, and building a large pond on the property that was stocked with catfish.
Porter also sold fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, butter and eggs to families in the town of Newport. Cora worked alongside her husband and canned and preserved fruits and vegetables and made fresh butter and cottage cheese for the family. According to the family, Porter also sold cream to Sugar Creek Creamery and milk to Pet Milk Company. Porter continued to work the land until his death in November 1986. After her husband’s death, Cora continued to raise beef cattle and hay until her death in 1989.
In 1989, Dorothy Geraldine Pitts Hughes and Eugene Fulton Pitts, the grandchildren of the founder, acquired the land. One year later, they sold the farm to Dorothy’s sons, Charles Douglas Hughes, Grady Edward Hughes and Gordon Dale Hughes.
—more—
PITTS
Add 1
Today, the trio of brothers owns the land and raises hay and beef cattle on the farm. The farm has many buildings that date before 1950, including the farmhouse, which “sits on a gentle slope with large old maple tress planted by Sirentha Pitts” in the early part of the last century.
Also on the farm is a smokehouse, two chicken houses and a barn built in the 1920s that is used to store hay and shelter cattle. The Pitts Farm has a well-documented family history and joins five other certified Century Farms in Cocke County.
The Century Farm Program 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 to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production,”
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,” said Hankins, “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.
[505] OVERTON COUNTY FARMS JOIN STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR RELEASE: July 7, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —The Leck Gore Farm and the Bob Gore Farm in Overton County have been designated as Tennessee Century Farms by the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program, says these new honorees share the history and heritage of the F. M. Gore Farm, which was certified as a Tennessee Century Farm in January 2006.
All three farms originated with the same family. In 1870, Francis Marion Gore established a 150-acre farm west of Livingston, Tenn., where he cultivated corn and hay and raised cattle, hogs, mules and sheep. He and his wife, Sarah Boyd Gore, had 10 children, and their youngest son, Robert Marion Gore, became the next owner of the land. He married Hettie Isabell Ray Matthews Gore, and the couple had one surviving child, Lester D. "Leck" Gore.
When Lester Gore took over the family farm, he operated his own blacksmith shop and made his own farming tools. In the 1930s and '40s, Lester Gore also improved the farm by purchasing a tractor and building a barn and corncrib.
The Gore family reports that Lester Gore also worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service office, now known as the Farm Service Agency, and helped with progressive farming efforts such as constructing and managing ponds and planting seeds more efficiently. He received a certificate of recognition from the agency for his contributions to American agriculture.
When Lester Gore died in 1977, the land passed to his wife, Lydia May Goodpasture Gore, and their three children: Reba Ann Flatt, Agnes L. Carr and William Glenn Gore.
Today, these three siblings, the great-grandchildren of the founders, own the Leck Gore Farm. Co-owner William Gore and his three children, Gary, Martha and Margaret Gore, live on this newly designated Tennessee Century Farm. Gary Gore, who with his sisters are the farm's fifth generation, works the land and primarily raises cattle.
Agnes Carr, a great-granddaughter of farm founders Francis Marion and Sarah Boyd Gore, owns the new Century-designated Bob Gore Farm. She and her husband, Earl Carr, operate this part of the original Gore Farm, where they raise cattle and maintain and use the barn constructed in 1933 and corncrib built in 1949. Since 1991, Agnes Carr’s siblings, William Gore and Reba Ann Flatt, also have held partial ownership of the land.
The Century Farm Program 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 began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign for Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”
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 currently more than 1,000 Century Farms stretching across all 95 of Tennessee's counties.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” said Hankins, “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, visit its website at http://www.mtsuhistpres.org. 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.
- 30 -
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with any the owners of these farms please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Overton County family farms join state’s Century Farms Program
136-year-old Leck Gore and Bob Gore Farms recognized for agricultural contributionsMURFREESBORO, Tenn. —The Leck Gore Farm and the Bob Gore Farm in Overton County have been designated as Tennessee Century Farms by the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program, says these new honorees share the history and heritage of the F. M. Gore Farm, which was certified as a Tennessee Century Farm in January 2006.
All three farms originated with the same family. In 1870, Francis Marion Gore established a 150-acre farm west of Livingston, Tenn., where he cultivated corn and hay and raised cattle, hogs, mules and sheep. He and his wife, Sarah Boyd Gore, had 10 children, and their youngest son, Robert Marion Gore, became the next owner of the land. He married Hettie Isabell Ray Matthews Gore, and the couple had one surviving child, Lester D. "Leck" Gore.
When Lester Gore took over the family farm, he operated his own blacksmith shop and made his own farming tools. In the 1930s and '40s, Lester Gore also improved the farm by purchasing a tractor and building a barn and corncrib.
The Gore family reports that Lester Gore also worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service office, now known as the Farm Service Agency, and helped with progressive farming efforts such as constructing and managing ponds and planting seeds more efficiently. He received a certificate of recognition from the agency for his contributions to American agriculture.
When Lester Gore died in 1977, the land passed to his wife, Lydia May Goodpasture Gore, and their three children: Reba Ann Flatt, Agnes L. Carr and William Glenn Gore.
Today, these three siblings, the great-grandchildren of the founders, own the Leck Gore Farm. Co-owner William Gore and his three children, Gary, Martha and Margaret Gore, live on this newly designated Tennessee Century Farm. Gary Gore, who with his sisters are the farm's fifth generation, works the land and primarily raises cattle.
Agnes Carr, a great-granddaughter of farm founders Francis Marion and Sarah Boyd Gore, owns the new Century-designated Bob Gore Farm. She and her husband, Earl Carr, operate this part of the original Gore Farm, where they raise cattle and maintain and use the barn constructed in 1933 and corncrib built in 1949. Since 1991, Agnes Carr’s siblings, William Gore and Reba Ann Flatt, also have held partial ownership of the land.
The Century Farm Program 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 began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign for Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”
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 currently more than 1,000 Century Farms stretching across all 95 of Tennessee's counties.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” said Hankins, “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, visit its website at http://www.mtsuhistpres.org. 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.
- 30 -
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with any the owners of these farms please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.
504 FORD JOINS SELECT GROUP OF ECONOMISTS AS NABE FELLOW
Dr. William F. Ford, Weatherford Chair of Finance, recently was elected an NABE Fellow (National Association for Business Economics), based on his outstanding service as a professional business economist, his articles and presentations and his contributions to the field of business economics.
Since 1959, only a few economists have received the coveted NABE designation, and Ford was this year’s single honoree, joining the company of such notables as Alan Greenspan and Milton Friedman.
“The NABE provides so many opportunities to meet and work with the brightest people in our profession, including the younger ones who make the elders of the group, myself included, pedal faster just to keep up,” Ford said. “I am extremely grateful to be among their company.”
“Dr. Ford continues to represent his profession and Middle Tennessee State University with integrity and acumen in the field of economics and finance,” commented Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. “I congratulate him on yet another fine accomplishment.”
The NABE is composed of professionals who have an interest in business economics and who want to use the latest economic data and trends to enhance their ability to make sound business decisions. Its mission is to provide leadership in the use and understanding of economics. There are approximately 2,500 NABE members representing 1,500 businesses and organizations around the world.
Ford’s formal NABE induction will take place at the association’s annual meeting in Boston, Sept. 9-12.
Since 1959, only a few economists have received the coveted NABE designation, and Ford was this year’s single honoree, joining the company of such notables as Alan Greenspan and Milton Friedman.
“The NABE provides so many opportunities to meet and work with the brightest people in our profession, including the younger ones who make the elders of the group, myself included, pedal faster just to keep up,” Ford said. “I am extremely grateful to be among their company.”
“Dr. Ford continues to represent his profession and Middle Tennessee State University with integrity and acumen in the field of economics and finance,” commented Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. “I congratulate him on yet another fine accomplishment.”
The NABE is composed of professionals who have an interest in business economics and who want to use the latest economic data and trends to enhance their ability to make sound business decisions. Its mission is to provide leadership in the use and understanding of economics. There are approximately 2,500 NABE members representing 1,500 businesses and organizations around the world.
Ford’s formal NABE induction will take place at the association’s annual meeting in Boston, Sept. 9-12.
503 SUMMER ‘RECESS’ ALLOWS WRITING TEACHERS TO SHARE, DISCOVER, RETOOL FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Teachers need play time, too.
That was a recurring theme during Visitors’ Day, the recent closing session of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project on campus in which class members brought professional peers with them to class so that they could get a taste of this five-week smorgasbord of high-energy writing and sharing.
The program ran from June 5 to June 30, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m.
“In working with adults, the most important thing I learned is to give them the gift of time,” said one discussant, while reflecting on the experience. “Adults, like children, have individual learning styles.”
“Yes, adults need time to discover,” said Dr. Bobbie Solley, professor, elementary and special education and co-director of the project with Dr. Trixie Smith, assistant professor of English.
The MTWP is part of the National Writing Project, a federally funded program launched in 1974 at the University of California at Berkeley. Solley and Smith wrote a grant that allowed MTSU to play host to the state’s second only such writing project. The program encourages teachers of writing to share best practices and provides them a respite to oil the wheelworks of their own writing creativity.
“This is really all about meeting teachers and children where they are,” Solley told the group. “We will come to your school and help you form study or focus groups with your teachers.”
Another participant raised her hand. “Teachers really do want to learn from teachers. We want to share our experience and passion.”
“This is much better than going to a seminar and getting ’10 quick tricks’ from a writing expert,” a colleague chimed in. “This program has given us a map for a journey.”
Another class member told the group that she came to the program while caring for an ailing mother and following the death of a good friend.
“It was just nice to enjoy the pleasure of writing,” she said, describing herself as a literary coach and mentor to other teachers. “I learned about adults as learners, and I had the opportunity to be a student. I feel good about going into the next school year and teaching my 5th-graders. This program has become a lifetime relationship for me.”
Dr. Hilary Stallings, MTSU College of Liberal Arts, participated in this year’s program after visiting last year’s class and seeing all the colored paper on the walls, the projects and demonstrations. She was hooked.
“As a teacher who feels that writing is tied to gains in critical thinking, I ached for better ways to infuse writing into the curriculum. I left hoping that I could be a part of that program.” This year she was in the thick of it.
The class was composed of 20 teachers who applied for the program and went through a 45-minute interview.
“They have to tell us what they’re doing in the classroom that is unusual and unique,” Solley said. “We want applicants who teach kindergarten through college in all the areas—math, science, social studies, and so on.”
Participants in MTWP received six hours of graduate credit. They came from Maury, Cannon, Wilson, Rutherford and Williamson counties as well as the Franklin City Schools district. Now that they have gone home, they will be required to hold workshops and in-service sessions on writing in their own schools systems.
That was a recurring theme during Visitors’ Day, the recent closing session of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project on campus in which class members brought professional peers with them to class so that they could get a taste of this five-week smorgasbord of high-energy writing and sharing.
The program ran from June 5 to June 30, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m.
“In working with adults, the most important thing I learned is to give them the gift of time,” said one discussant, while reflecting on the experience. “Adults, like children, have individual learning styles.”
“Yes, adults need time to discover,” said Dr. Bobbie Solley, professor, elementary and special education and co-director of the project with Dr. Trixie Smith, assistant professor of English.
The MTWP is part of the National Writing Project, a federally funded program launched in 1974 at the University of California at Berkeley. Solley and Smith wrote a grant that allowed MTSU to play host to the state’s second only such writing project. The program encourages teachers of writing to share best practices and provides them a respite to oil the wheelworks of their own writing creativity.
“This is really all about meeting teachers and children where they are,” Solley told the group. “We will come to your school and help you form study or focus groups with your teachers.”
Another participant raised her hand. “Teachers really do want to learn from teachers. We want to share our experience and passion.”
“This is much better than going to a seminar and getting ’10 quick tricks’ from a writing expert,” a colleague chimed in. “This program has given us a map for a journey.”
Another class member told the group that she came to the program while caring for an ailing mother and following the death of a good friend.
“It was just nice to enjoy the pleasure of writing,” she said, describing herself as a literary coach and mentor to other teachers. “I learned about adults as learners, and I had the opportunity to be a student. I feel good about going into the next school year and teaching my 5th-graders. This program has become a lifetime relationship for me.”
Dr. Hilary Stallings, MTSU College of Liberal Arts, participated in this year’s program after visiting last year’s class and seeing all the colored paper on the walls, the projects and demonstrations. She was hooked.
“As a teacher who feels that writing is tied to gains in critical thinking, I ached for better ways to infuse writing into the curriculum. I left hoping that I could be a part of that program.” This year she was in the thick of it.
The class was composed of 20 teachers who applied for the program and went through a 45-minute interview.
“They have to tell us what they’re doing in the classroom that is unusual and unique,” Solley said. “We want applicants who teach kindergarten through college in all the areas—math, science, social studies, and so on.”
Participants in MTWP received six hours of graduate credit. They came from Maury, Cannon, Wilson, Rutherford and Williamson counties as well as the Franklin City Schools district. Now that they have gone home, they will be required to hold workshops and in-service sessions on writing in their own schools systems.
502 MTSU COACHES VISIT BEDFORD COUNTY JULY 20
Date: June 29, 2006
Alumni relations contact: Patience Long, 1-800-533-MTSU (6878)
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Who: Middle Tennessee State University alumni, friends and fans
What: A Blue Raider Blast — MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be on hand to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming season.
There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy.
When: Thursday, July 20, 2006, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Celebration Pavilion located at the new water tower off Celebration Way in Shelbyville
Cost: Whitt’s Barbecue will be providing dinners for $5 per plate.
Admission is free.
Contact: Reservations can be made by calling the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or online at mtalumni.com.
# # #
Media welcomed.
Alumni relations contact: Patience Long, 1-800-533-MTSU (6878)
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Who: Middle Tennessee State University alumni, friends and fans
What: A Blue Raider Blast — MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be on hand to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming season.
There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy.
When: Thursday, July 20, 2006, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Celebration Pavilion located at the new water tower off Celebration Way in Shelbyville
Cost: Whitt’s Barbecue will be providing dinners for $5 per plate.
Admission is free.
Contact: Reservations can be made by calling the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or online at mtalumni.com.
# # #
Media welcomed.
501 MTSU COACHES VISIT CANNON COUNTY JULY 18
Date: June 29, 2006
Alumni relations contact: Patience Long, 1-800-533-MTSU (6878)
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Who: Middle Tennessee State University alumni, friends and fans
What: A Blue Raider Blast — MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be on hand to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming season.
There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy.
When: Tuesday, July 18, 2006, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Courthouse Square in Woodbury
Cost: Whitt’s Barbecue will be providing dinners for $5 per plate.
Admission is free.
Contact: Reservations can be made by calling the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or online at mtalumni.com.
# # #
Media welcomed.
Alumni relations contact: Patience Long, 1-800-533-MTSU (6878)
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Who: Middle Tennessee State University alumni, friends and fans
What: A Blue Raider Blast — MTSU Director of Athletics Chris Massaro and MT head coaches Rick Stockstill (football), Rick Insell (women’s basketball) and Steve Peterson (baseball) will be on hand to meet fans and share exciting news about the upcoming season.
There will be inflatables, face painting and music for families to enjoy.
When: Tuesday, July 18, 2006, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Courthouse Square in Woodbury
Cost: Whitt’s Barbecue will be providing dinners for $5 per plate.
Admission is free.
Contact: Reservations can be made by calling the MTSU Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-533-MTSU (6878) or online at mtalumni.com.
# # #
Media welcomed.
498 IS QUALITY YOUR PRIORITY? SIGN UP FOR THESE MTSU PREP COURSES
Manager, Technician and Six Sigma Opportunities Begin Soon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2006 (MURFREESBORO)—Ready to take the next step in your career? Join Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning for noncredit courses this summer to prepare you for quality certification exams.
The Personal Development and Personal Enrichment courses include:
• Certified Manager of Quality (Course No. PD06F-2721), 6-10 p.m. Mondays beginning Aug. 21 through Oct. 16 (excluding Sept. 4), in preparation for the Oct. 21 Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence Certification Exam administered by the American Society for Quality. Cost is $650 and includes all materials; instructor is David Yoest, senior engineering specialist for Arnold Engineering Development Center.
• Certified Quality Technician (Course No. PD06F-1381), 6-10 p.m. Mondays beginning Aug. 21 through Oct. 16 (excluding Sept. 4), in preparation for the Oct. 21 ASQ Quality Technician Excellence Certification Exam. Cost is $650 and includes all materials; instructor is Darryl Webb, ASQ-certified as a Quality Technician and Quality Engineer.
• Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (Course No. PD-3011), beginning Monday, Aug. 21, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Additional preparatory courses planned at MTSU include:
• Certified Quality Auditor (Course No. PD-3351), which will be offered in early October to prepare for the Dec. 2 ASQ Quality Auditor Excellence Certification Exam;
• Certified Calibration Technician (Course No. PD-361), which will be offered in early October to prepare for the Dec. 2 ASQ Quality Calibration Technician Excellence Certification Exam;
• Certified Quality Auditor (Course No. PD-1281), which will be offered in spring 2007 to prepare for the ASQ Quality Auditor Excellence Certification Exam; and
• Six Sigma Black Belt Certification (Course No. PD-3211), which will be offered in January 2007 in preparation for the March 3, 2007, ASQ exam.
For more information about the courses or to place your name on a “wait list,” call 615-494-8952 or e-mail cdelamet@mtsu.edu. To register for the courses, visit www.mtsu.edu/pdpe.
—30—
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2006 (MURFREESBORO)—Ready to take the next step in your career? Join Middle Tennessee State University’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning for noncredit courses this summer to prepare you for quality certification exams.
The Personal Development and Personal Enrichment courses include:
• Certified Manager of Quality (Course No. PD06F-2721), 6-10 p.m. Mondays beginning Aug. 21 through Oct. 16 (excluding Sept. 4), in preparation for the Oct. 21 Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence Certification Exam administered by the American Society for Quality. Cost is $650 and includes all materials; instructor is David Yoest, senior engineering specialist for Arnold Engineering Development Center.
• Certified Quality Technician (Course No. PD06F-1381), 6-10 p.m. Mondays beginning Aug. 21 through Oct. 16 (excluding Sept. 4), in preparation for the Oct. 21 ASQ Quality Technician Excellence Certification Exam. Cost is $650 and includes all materials; instructor is Darryl Webb, ASQ-certified as a Quality Technician and Quality Engineer.
• Six Sigma Green Belt Certification (Course No. PD-3011), beginning Monday, Aug. 21, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Additional preparatory courses planned at MTSU include:
• Certified Quality Auditor (Course No. PD-3351), which will be offered in early October to prepare for the Dec. 2 ASQ Quality Auditor Excellence Certification Exam;
• Certified Calibration Technician (Course No. PD-361), which will be offered in early October to prepare for the Dec. 2 ASQ Quality Calibration Technician Excellence Certification Exam;
• Certified Quality Auditor (Course No. PD-1281), which will be offered in spring 2007 to prepare for the ASQ Quality Auditor Excellence Certification Exam; and
• Six Sigma Black Belt Certification (Course No. PD-3211), which will be offered in January 2007 in preparation for the March 3, 2007, ASQ exam.
For more information about the courses or to place your name on a “wait list,” call 615-494-8952 or e-mail cdelamet@mtsu.edu. To register for the courses, visit www.mtsu.edu/pdpe.
—30—
497 NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS KEEP HOME FIRES BURNING
Adult Students Juggle School, Work, Marriage and Kids In Search of Better Life
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – Most parents have difficulty getting their 15-year-old son to clean up his room. Caleb Proctor volunteers to cook dinner for his mother, MTSU student Terri Proctor of Murfreesboro.
“Not only does he cook, but he cleans the kitchen as well!” Proctor exclaims. “While I have been working on research papers and trying to meet deadlines, he has washed the laundry and vacuumed. What’s really amazing is that he has ‘listened’ to my research papers many times over without falling asleep! Actually, he has made some good revisions at times.”
Caleb also is a straight-A student and a member of his wrestling team at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro. How does he manage?
“I just try to find time,” he says. “Time is more important than wrestling and stuff. I put that first.”
In fact, Caleb’s persistence has resulted in another honor for his mantel—the 2006 Best Son Award from the Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), the official organization for adult and reentry students at MTSU.
“We all struggle to fulfill the obligations of our "real lives" along with our studies. OWLs bands us together, making us stronger and better able to meet the challenges which we share with other adult students,” reads a description on the OWLs Web page (http://www.mtsu.edu/~owls/owls.htm).
“I love my son Caleb for who he is,” Proctor says. “His support of me as an adult student makes attending college all the more a pleasure.”
The Best Daughter Award went to Tori Gholson, daughter of Aimee Gholson of Hermitage. Tori finds time to plan her wedding and teach eighth grade while helping her mother make it through college. Amiee Stinson of Antioch also was nominated for that honor by her mother, Sherri Stinson. Both are MTSU students and majors in social work.
Sherri Stinson’s husband, Jimmy, received a certificate as a nominee for Best Husband. She says Jimmy “hung the moon” and has supported her through seven years of college. Robert Fischer of La Vergne, nominated by wife Robin, also got a certificate. At one point, however, it remained to be seen whether Robert would be around to appreciate the acknowledgement. He suffered a heart attack while mowing the lawn April 28, the last Thursday of classes before Robin’s finals.
“He’s doing much better,” Robin says. “One of the first things he said was, ‘You’re going to finish school.’”
After hearing that, Robin dismissed from her mind any notion of skipping summer school.
Richard, a regional food service manager for Bigelow Tea, is back at work. He is financing Robin’s entire college education. With an 84-year-old mother and a stepdaughter whose needs also must be met, Robin knows how lucky she is.
“I get so overwhelmed, and he never fails to support me and encourage me and lift me up,” says the elementary education major.
The winner of the Best Husband award was Richard Denney of Murfreesboro, whose name was put in the running by wife Monique, an elementary education major. For the Denneys, seven is enough. They have five kids ranging in age from 10 to one—and Richard is a full-time student, too, majoring in business administration.
“We’re balancing our schedule right now,” Monique says. “The main thing is he’s been going to school at night so I can go to school in the day.”
Keeping life on track requires a strict schedule for the kids. Monique studies from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The older children, 10-year-old Davien and nine-year-old Avionne, play with the babies and help with the cooking and household chores. In fact, they received a certificate as nominees for Best Children.
“We understood this is a huge opportunity,” Monique says. “We understood that we were going to have to sacrifice our personal time, but we’re looking at the bigger picture. The kids aren’t suffering in the least.”
The OWLs award for the Best Children went to Matthew, Sabrina, Austin, Ashleigh and Emily McDonald, who were nominated by mom Cathy McDonald. She says she nominated her youngsters as a group “because they help around the house and cook dinners and look after each other while their mom studies. They don’t complain about coming to the library on a sunny day or that Mom misses a school function because of studying and papers,” according to information from MTSU’s Adult Services Center.
Taking top honors for Best OWL Family were the Castleberrys of Franklin. Darrell and Debbie, parents of two children, were described by friend Evadane Brownlee as attending school full-time, working part-time and “still available to extend a hug to a friend in need.”
Tommy Sands of Chattanooga was named The Best Juggling OWL. Tommy’s wife, Dawn, says he “works two jobs about 70 hours a week, visits nursing homes to talk to the elders who never get visits, volunteers for Special Olympics and with veterans.”
Maria Hopton of Columbia received a certificate as a nominee for Best OWL Friend. The award went to Lela Cathey.
The winner of the 2006 Pinnacle Award of Achievement was Amanda Cook, who returned to MTSU in 2003 following a divorce. Amanda had to overcome a disappointing grade point average from previous work because she failed to withdraw properly during a family emergency.
Cook nominated Dr. Mary Farone, assistant professor, biology, and Dr. Linda Wilson, professor, nursing, for the 2006 OWLs Professor Award, which went to Meredith Ann Higgs, assistant professor, developmental studies. This is the second OWLs professor honor for Higgs, who won in 2001.
“Being awarded is beyond an honor--to be nominated by students who are adult and nontraditional students is a recognition beyond compare,” Higgs says. “I’m happy to help students at all phases of their lives. They come with a variety of responsibilities, and being able to help them is an honor. Every day I come to work is a blessing.”
Higgs helped to put together a coffee klatch after math class that has helped students and professors learn more. She is the daughter of Alben and Mary Ruth Simmons, the granddaughter of Coy and Virginia Simmons, Max Logan and the late Rebecca Logan, and the wife of Ray Higgs.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For more information about Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), contact Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director, Adult Services Center, at 615-898-5989 or cabaily@mtsu.edu.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
(MURFREESBORO) – Most parents have difficulty getting their 15-year-old son to clean up his room. Caleb Proctor volunteers to cook dinner for his mother, MTSU student Terri Proctor of Murfreesboro.
“Not only does he cook, but he cleans the kitchen as well!” Proctor exclaims. “While I have been working on research papers and trying to meet deadlines, he has washed the laundry and vacuumed. What’s really amazing is that he has ‘listened’ to my research papers many times over without falling asleep! Actually, he has made some good revisions at times.”
Caleb also is a straight-A student and a member of his wrestling team at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro. How does he manage?
“I just try to find time,” he says. “Time is more important than wrestling and stuff. I put that first.”
In fact, Caleb’s persistence has resulted in another honor for his mantel—the 2006 Best Son Award from the Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), the official organization for adult and reentry students at MTSU.
“We all struggle to fulfill the obligations of our "real lives" along with our studies. OWLs bands us together, making us stronger and better able to meet the challenges which we share with other adult students,” reads a description on the OWLs Web page (http://www.mtsu.edu/~owls/owls.htm).
“I love my son Caleb for who he is,” Proctor says. “His support of me as an adult student makes attending college all the more a pleasure.”
The Best Daughter Award went to Tori Gholson, daughter of Aimee Gholson of Hermitage. Tori finds time to plan her wedding and teach eighth grade while helping her mother make it through college. Amiee Stinson of Antioch also was nominated for that honor by her mother, Sherri Stinson. Both are MTSU students and majors in social work.
Sherri Stinson’s husband, Jimmy, received a certificate as a nominee for Best Husband. She says Jimmy “hung the moon” and has supported her through seven years of college. Robert Fischer of La Vergne, nominated by wife Robin, also got a certificate. At one point, however, it remained to be seen whether Robert would be around to appreciate the acknowledgement. He suffered a heart attack while mowing the lawn April 28, the last Thursday of classes before Robin’s finals.
“He’s doing much better,” Robin says. “One of the first things he said was, ‘You’re going to finish school.’”
After hearing that, Robin dismissed from her mind any notion of skipping summer school.
Richard, a regional food service manager for Bigelow Tea, is back at work. He is financing Robin’s entire college education. With an 84-year-old mother and a stepdaughter whose needs also must be met, Robin knows how lucky she is.
“I get so overwhelmed, and he never fails to support me and encourage me and lift me up,” says the elementary education major.
The winner of the Best Husband award was Richard Denney of Murfreesboro, whose name was put in the running by wife Monique, an elementary education major. For the Denneys, seven is enough. They have five kids ranging in age from 10 to one—and Richard is a full-time student, too, majoring in business administration.
“We’re balancing our schedule right now,” Monique says. “The main thing is he’s been going to school at night so I can go to school in the day.”
Keeping life on track requires a strict schedule for the kids. Monique studies from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The older children, 10-year-old Davien and nine-year-old Avionne, play with the babies and help with the cooking and household chores. In fact, they received a certificate as nominees for Best Children.
“We understood this is a huge opportunity,” Monique says. “We understood that we were going to have to sacrifice our personal time, but we’re looking at the bigger picture. The kids aren’t suffering in the least.”
The OWLs award for the Best Children went to Matthew, Sabrina, Austin, Ashleigh and Emily McDonald, who were nominated by mom Cathy McDonald. She says she nominated her youngsters as a group “because they help around the house and cook dinners and look after each other while their mom studies. They don’t complain about coming to the library on a sunny day or that Mom misses a school function because of studying and papers,” according to information from MTSU’s Adult Services Center.
Taking top honors for Best OWL Family were the Castleberrys of Franklin. Darrell and Debbie, parents of two children, were described by friend Evadane Brownlee as attending school full-time, working part-time and “still available to extend a hug to a friend in need.”
Tommy Sands of Chattanooga was named The Best Juggling OWL. Tommy’s wife, Dawn, says he “works two jobs about 70 hours a week, visits nursing homes to talk to the elders who never get visits, volunteers for Special Olympics and with veterans.”
Maria Hopton of Columbia received a certificate as a nominee for Best OWL Friend. The award went to Lela Cathey.
The winner of the 2006 Pinnacle Award of Achievement was Amanda Cook, who returned to MTSU in 2003 following a divorce. Amanda had to overcome a disappointing grade point average from previous work because she failed to withdraw properly during a family emergency.
Cook nominated Dr. Mary Farone, assistant professor, biology, and Dr. Linda Wilson, professor, nursing, for the 2006 OWLs Professor Award, which went to Meredith Ann Higgs, assistant professor, developmental studies. This is the second OWLs professor honor for Higgs, who won in 2001.
“Being awarded is beyond an honor--to be nominated by students who are adult and nontraditional students is a recognition beyond compare,” Higgs says. “I’m happy to help students at all phases of their lives. They come with a variety of responsibilities, and being able to help them is an honor. Every day I come to work is a blessing.”
Higgs helped to put together a coffee klatch after math class that has helped students and professors learn more. She is the daughter of Alben and Mary Ruth Simmons, the granddaughter of Coy and Virginia Simmons, Max Logan and the late Rebecca Logan, and the wife of Ray Higgs.
--30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA: For more information about Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), contact Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director, Adult Services Center, at 615-898-5989 or cabaily@mtsu.edu.
495 MTSU’S FALL ’06 ENROLLMENT FORECAST:
Date: June 28, 2006
Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Enrollment Services contacts: Dr. Bob Glenn, 615-898-2440 and
Dr. Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU is projected to reach and pass the 23,000 mark for student enrollment – a university milestone – when final, permanent totals are sent to the Tennessee Board of Regents during the week of Sept. 11, MTSU officials said today.
“We will be very close to 23,200,” Dr. Bob Glenn, vice provost for enrollment management, said in discussing the projections. “We might be a little above it or we might be a little below it, but we will be close. Percentage-wise, we are right at 3 percent over the previous year. We are about where we wanted to be so we are pleased with it.”
Glenn’s comments came following the release of the fall ’06 enrollment forecast by Dr. David Penn, director, Business and Economic Research Center for the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
“The forecast is where we wanted it to be,” said Glenn, who also serves as vice president for student affairs. “As always, David has done an exceptional job of analyzing the available data. He has been working on the forecast for quite some time.”
“Our estimate for fall 2006 undergraduate enrollment is 20,919, an increase of 530 students from fall 2005 figures,” Penn wrote in his final summary.
“When you add in graduate enrollment, that number comes to 23,084,” Glenn said. “My assumption is that we will have some growth in graduate student enrollment.”
Glenn, who lauded the efforts of many MTSU personnel for their work to achieve the increase, said that the next two CUSTOMS (orientation sessions) are above capacity and it is likely that the remaining sessions in July will also be at or above capacity.”
Penn’s findings reveal that Davidson (22.9 percent), Cheatham (20.2%), Rutherford (14.7%), Wilson (12.8%) and Williamson (7.3%) counties “experienced over-the-year increases of 7 percent or more” in students attending MTSU.
Another finding: “The number of first-time freshmen is expected to increase to 3,481, a gain of 273 from fall ’05,” Penn said.
Rutherford County’s predicted increase will be 136 students with Davidson (41) Williamson (37), Wilson (32) and Hamilton (11) counties completing the top five.
###
Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Enrollment Services contacts: Dr. Bob Glenn, 615-898-2440 and
Dr. Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828
(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU is projected to reach and pass the 23,000 mark for student enrollment – a university milestone – when final, permanent totals are sent to the Tennessee Board of Regents during the week of Sept. 11, MTSU officials said today.
“We will be very close to 23,200,” Dr. Bob Glenn, vice provost for enrollment management, said in discussing the projections. “We might be a little above it or we might be a little below it, but we will be close. Percentage-wise, we are right at 3 percent over the previous year. We are about where we wanted to be so we are pleased with it.”
Glenn’s comments came following the release of the fall ’06 enrollment forecast by Dr. David Penn, director, Business and Economic Research Center for the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
“The forecast is where we wanted it to be,” said Glenn, who also serves as vice president for student affairs. “As always, David has done an exceptional job of analyzing the available data. He has been working on the forecast for quite some time.”
“Our estimate for fall 2006 undergraduate enrollment is 20,919, an increase of 530 students from fall 2005 figures,” Penn wrote in his final summary.
“When you add in graduate enrollment, that number comes to 23,084,” Glenn said. “My assumption is that we will have some growth in graduate student enrollment.”
Glenn, who lauded the efforts of many MTSU personnel for their work to achieve the increase, said that the next two CUSTOMS (orientation sessions) are above capacity and it is likely that the remaining sessions in July will also be at or above capacity.”
Penn’s findings reveal that Davidson (22.9 percent), Cheatham (20.2%), Rutherford (14.7%), Wilson (12.8%) and Williamson (7.3%) counties “experienced over-the-year increases of 7 percent or more” in students attending MTSU.
Another finding: “The number of first-time freshmen is expected to increase to 3,481, a gain of 273 from fall ’05,” Penn said.
Rutherford County’s predicted increase will be 136 students with Davidson (41) Williamson (37), Wilson (32) and Hamilton (11) counties completing the top five.
###
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