[304] HUMAN RIGHTS LEADER TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 26, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Terri Johnson, June Anderson Women’s Center, 615-898-
2193

HUMAN RIGHTS LEADER TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Tennessee Human Rights Commission Executive Director to Speak at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) – Beverly L. Watts, Executive Director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC), will be the featured speaker at the International Women’s Day Luncheon slated for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 12, in the Hazlewood Dining Room of the James Union Building at MTSU.
Prior to joining the THRC, Watts was Special Advisor to the Chair at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where state and local relations came under her purview. Her resume also includes stints as Executive Director of the National Fair Housing Training Academy and Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.
Considered a human rights expert on state, national and international issues, Watts also is the immediate past president of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) and a past chair of Women Executives in State Government.
According to http://www.internationalwomensday.com/, the observance grew out of the first National Women’s Day in 1909 during an era of unrest over inequality in the workplace. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911 in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark. It had been proposed in 1910 “to honour the women’s rights movement and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women.”
Over the decades, International Women’s Day has evolved into “a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike.” It is an official national holiday in 14 countries. As of this writing, 339 events in 36 countries are scheduled.
The luncheon at MTSU will be held on March 12 although the actual International Women’s Day is March 8 to enable students enjoying Spring Break an opportunity to attend. Thanks to a generous donation from Watts, 15 slots have been reserved for students so that they may attend for free.
Admission to the luncheon, which is sponsored by the Association of Faculty and Administrative Women (AFAW), is $12 for AFAW members and $15 for non-members. Reservations should be made by noon on Monday, March 10. To make reservations, contact Kippy Todd at 615-898-5756 or ktodd@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of Beverly L. Watts, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

[300] ‘WOMEN IN MEDICINE’ PANEL PREVIEWS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT MTSU

‘WOMEN IN MEDICINE’ PANEL PREVIEWS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT MTSU
Local Physicians, Medical Student to Discuss Experience in Demanding Field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Feb. 20, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Mary Crouse, 731-989-4177 or mtc2s@mtsu.edu
Greg Simerly, 615-898-5607 or gsimerly@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—To prepare for Middle Tennessee State University’s celebration of Women’s History Month, a panel discussion on Women in Medicine will be held Monday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in Room S116 of the university’s Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building.
The discussion is presented by MTSU’s Women in Science and Engineering and is free and open to the public. A small reception will follow the panel discussion.
Participating in the discussion are chiropractor Dr. Amy Bennett, family practitioner Dr. Christine Hoffman, emergency room Dr. Sherry Galloway, gynecologist Dr. Elizabeth LaRoche and student of medicine Jilma Patrick.
Organizers said these women were chosen because they represent a broad range of medical fields and have excelled in them. Each speaker will talk about her career and the experiences she has had in medicine. The participants also will discuss how they manage life in a demanding field.
“We hope to hear how they balance work, family, and play,” said Mary Crouse, a member of WISE. “All of these women are well-respected, and we feel that they can be seen as role models not only to pre-med students, but to other students who are going into challenging careers.”
For more information about the panel discussion, please e-mail mtc2s@mtsu.edu.
National Women’s History Month 2008 kicks into high gear in the month of March with the theme of “Feminist Now.” For more information about scheduled events, please watch www.mtsunews.com or visit the June Anderson Women’s Center Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~jawc.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU will hold a panel discussion on Women in Medicine Monday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. in Room S116 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, is one of several events planned for Women’s History Month at MTSU. For more information about the panel discussion, please e-mail mtc2s@mtsu.edu. National Women’s History Month 2008 kicks into high gear in the month of March with the theme of “Feminist Now.” For more information about scheduled events, please watch www.mtsunews.com or visit the June Anderson Women’s Center Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~jawc.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: This release was written by Claire Rogers, a junior majoring in advertising/public relations at MTSU. We request your use of her byline if you use the release in its entirety. Thanks!

299 CHANNEL 2’S ‘RAY’ OF SUNSHINE TO GREET REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Release date: Feb. 19, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Regional Science Olympiad contacts: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085
Dr. Amy Phelps, 615-898-2077

CHANNEL 2’S ‘RAY’ OF SUNSHINE TO GREET REGIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD TEAMS FEB. 23


(MURFREESBORO) — WKRN-TV morning meteorologist Jeff Ray once again will bring his expertise to the classroom when he visits campus Saturday, Feb. 23, for the Regional Science Olympiad.
The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at various venues across campus, event director Dr. Pat Patterson said.
Patterson, an associate professor of chemistry, added that Ray, who will oversee “Severe Weather” in the middle-school students’ meteorology event, is a popular coordinator because of his weather knowledge and status as a broadcast personality.
“I'll be having the students look at upper-air profiles and predict what kind of weather will occur at the surface,” Ray said. He added that he had a “presentation problem last year, so I’m rewriting the introduction and initial analysis so more will be going down the right road when the teams start looking at their own data.”
Patterson said Mark LaPorte, an instructor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, would be busy coordinating three events: “Robo-Cross” and “Scrambler” in the middle-school division and “Robot Ramble” in the high-school division.
In addition to LaPorte and Patterson, at least 40 other faculty and friends of MTSU will coordinate events. At least six students will be event coordinators, with at least 30 additional students helping in other areas, Patterson said.
“We have quite a few students assisting,” Patterson said. “A lot are in the TLSAMP (Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) program —engineer types or wanting to be science people. Others are trying to earn extra credit in my classes.”
Patterson said some of the events have been changed by the national Science Olympiad organization. Some of the middle-school events include “Science Crime Busters,” “Amphibians and Reptiles” and “Trajectory.” High school events also will include “Forensics,” the “Wright Stuff” and “Electric Vehicle.”
The veteran director said she anticipates more than 350 students from at least 11 middle schools and 12 high schools in Middle Tennessee, making it the largest region in the state.
“We’ve got some new teams — Dayspring from Robertson County and Clarksville High School — that we’re excited about,” she said. “Central Middle supposedly is coming for the first time ... (and) Harpeth Hall is coming back to us.”
Middle schools scheduled to send teams include Central Middle, Dayspring Academy, E.A. Cox of Columbia, Harpeth Hall, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, Montgomery Bell Academy, Siegel, St. Bernard Academy, St. Rose of Lima, Smyrna and Stewarts Creek.
High schools scheduled to send teams include Blackman, Cannon County, Clarksville, Dayspring Academy, Franklin High (Teams A and B), Harpeth Hall, Hume-Fogg, MLK, MBA, Riverdale, Siegel and Smyrna.
The awards ceremony will start around 3:30 p.m. in LRC 221. The state Science Olympiad is set April 5 at the University of Tennessee.
2008,For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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Media welcomed.

297 2008 MTSU STUDENT RECOGNITION AWARDS APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH MARCH 14

Release date: Feb. 19, 2008

Editorial contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Office of Leadership Development contact: Dr. Colette M. Taylor, 615-898-5812

2008 MTSU STUDENT RECOGNITION AWARDS APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH MARCH 14


(MURFREESBORO) — Applications are being accepted for the 2008 Student Recognition Awards, Dr. Colette M. Taylor, associate dean of students, announced recently.
This university-wide awards program will pay tribute to four undergraduate
students honored for exemplary character and achievements in scholarship,
leadership and service, Taylor said.
All members of the MTSU community are encouraged to nominate students who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and meet the awards criteria, she said, adding that the four awards include the President’s Award, the Provost’s Award, the Robert C. LaLance Jr. Achievement Award and the Community Service Award.
Awards descriptions, including applications and selection criteria, can be
found at mtsu.edu/~mtleader/awards.htm. The application deadline is Friday, March 14.
The recipients will be honored at the President’s Celebration of Excellence Saturday, April 12.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

###

296 TODD GALLERY WELCOMES ‘THE LARGE PIECES’ BY ARTIST CRETARA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 19, 2008
CONTACT: Lon Nuell, 615-898-2505 or lrnuell@mstu.edu

TODD GALLERY WELCOMES ‘THE LARGE PIECES’ BY ARTIST CRETARA
Exhibit Set for March 10-28 Represents An “Extraordinary Body of Work,” Curator Says

(MURFREESBORO)—The Todd Gallery at MTSU will present “Domenic Cretara: The Large Drawings,” a 19-piece exhibit by the California-based artist, March 10 through March 28 in Todd Hall on the university’s campus.
The show, which is free and open to the public, will feature works by the contemporary realist that were created in some of his preferred media; namely, charcoal, pastels (chalk and pencil) and chalk.
Regarding Cretara’s exhibit pieces, Lon Nuell, gallery curator, said, “Two smaller works (featured in the upcoming show) are dynamic figure studies that present the human torso as powerful and energetic, full of tension that is palpable. The third such work, a still-life, depicts two carved figures of children playing and a dark mask that generates an interesting and unusual, tension for the viewer to sort out.”
Additionally, Cretara’s “Self Portrait” depicts the artist “on the back of a powerful horse (and) riding forward out of the picture plane is a biographical statement that tells of the artist’s intensity and drive and his sensitivity,” Nuell explained. “(And) the latter is seen in his hand that reaches gently to the horse’s neck in a reassuring way, demonstrating a quiet control of a powerful force—perhaps a visual metaphor for his life and his work.”
Cretara currently serves as a professor of art at the University of Southern California in Long Beach, where he teaches drawing and painting. Further, the works that will compose “The Large Drawings” exhibit—all of which range in size from 60” x 96” to 24” x 21”—are the result of a grant made to him through USC-Long Beach, which provided the artist with uninterrupted time to create the exhibit pieces.
Nuell, who also serves as an art professor at MTSU, has called Cretara’s campus-based show an “extraordinary body of work.”
“His choice of subject matter does reflects his deep roots in the figurative tradition of the East Coast, that of those whom he has studied, and the influence of the West Coast—the light, the people, the very essence of the place,” Nuell observed.
“The large works (in the upcoming MTSU exhibit) provide a glimpse into the artist’s world,” he continued. “His family—wife, daughter and husband, grandchildren and himself—are his primary subjects and reflect the intimacy that evolves through a very traditional family relationship.”
Named as the 2003 recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award from CSU-Long Beach, Cretara originally hails from Massachusetts. He studied at Boston University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1968) and Master of Fine Arts (1970).
“(Cretara) was trained in the East Coast tradition of figurative painting,” Nuell said, “and his work reflects the influence of such great artists as Pontormo, Caravaggio, Goya, Balthus and Antonio Lopez Garcia.”
Cretara’s exhibition record includes one-man shows at the Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica; the Frye Art Museum, Seattle; the Las Vegas Art Museum; the Alon Gallery, Boston; the Segal Gallery, Victor McNeil Gallery and Brenda Taylor Gallery, New York; and the Koplin Gallery in Los Angeles.
His group exhibitions include shows in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York, as well as shows in Madrid, Spain; Cassis, France; and Rome, Italy.
• GALLERY HOURS: Located on the first floor of MTSU’s Todd Building, the Todd Gallery is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays. Admission is always free and exhibits are open to the public.
For more information regarding the current exhibit, please contact Nuell at 615-898-2505 or via e-mail at lrnuell@mstu.edu.

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To obtain tif images of some of the artwork that will be part of “The Large Pieces” show in the Todd Gallery, please contact Lisa L. Rollins via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

295 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JACKSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JACKSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Brown Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 6th Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Brown Farm in Jackson 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, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1896, Hiram Sam Brown established his 100-acre farm near Granville on land that was a parcel of around 8,000 acres settled by Thomas and Nancy Litton Brown in 1800. Thomas Brown (1773-1867) fought with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. Hiram Brown’s farm is located just south of the historic Avery Trace and five miles from Fort Blount.
Married to Barbara A. Brown, the couple had eight children: James Howard, Bertha, Sallie, Dora, Charlie, Willie, Ethel and Lena. The family produced cattle, tobacco, sheep and corn. In 1945, James Howard Brown acquired the farm, and during his ownership the farm supported livestock, corn and tobacco. James Howard and Mary Helen Brown also had eight children.
Current owners Jack Brown and his wife Betty have also reared a big family on this farm. Their children are Russell, Randy, Timmy, Tommy, Sammy, Alan and Angela. All were involved in the 4-H Club at Flynns Lick Elementary School.
Today, beef cattle and hay are the primary products of the Brown Farm, where a tobacco barn is a reminder that this crop was raised by each generation until 1990.
Hankins said the Brown Farm is the sixth certified Century Farm in Jackson 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 CHP 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, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or request a jpeg of the Century Farm metal sign that is placed on designated properties, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

294 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PICKETT COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PICKETT COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
P & Z Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 5th Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The P & Z Farm in Pickett 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, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Located west of Byrdstown, the P & Z Farm that was founded around 1900 by Jim Henry Pierce. Married to Lorina Pierce, they had five children: G. Rowmanus, Alvin, Sophia Brooks, Dade Spurlin and Sis Anderson. In addition to raising row crops on the 68 acres, the family reports that there was a lead mine on the farm.
In 1907, the founder’s son, G. Rowmanus Pierce, acquired the property. He and wife Belle Dennis Pierce, had two children, though both died in infancy. The family also recalls that rare daffodils and rare May Day peonies were cultivated. During these early decades, the land for Reagan Road came from the farm.
In 1929, the farm was sold to Pierce’s first cousins, Posie, Walter and Roscoe. The cousins paid for the farm over the Depression years by raising and selling row crops and working at the blacksmith shop and at sawmills. The cousins farmed the land for several years, then they divided the land between the three of them. Over this 20-year period, the Pierce family entertained the local community with their reportedly well-known musical talents and dances were held at the old farmhouse.
The fourth owners of the farm were Woodrow Pierce and Gracie Irene Zachary Pierce, who acquired the farm from Roscoe Pierce in 1952. Gracie paid for the farm with $500 that she had saved and finished paying for the property the next year with a tobacco crop. While helping manage the farm, Woodrow also worked as a mechanic and at a sawmill. In addition, he raised and traded swine and grew tobacco.
Today, Richard W. and Lois D. Pierce own the farm, which produces cattle, hay and poultry. Among the buildings on the property are a house, built from materials recycled from homes torn down to make way for Dale Hollow Lake, and a barn—both of which were constructed in the 1940s and are mainly used for storage.
Hankins said the P & Z Farm is the fifth Tennessee Century Farm to be certified in Pickett 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 CHP 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, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or request a jpeg of the Century Farm metal sign that is placed on designated properties, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

293 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HENRY COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HENRY COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Kendall Homeplace Farm Becomes County’s Newest Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Kendall Homeplace Farm in Henry County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Located 10 miles from Paris, Tenn., the Kendall Homeplace Farm was founded by Peter Kendall in 1833. On the 14,109 acres, he raised the three primary crops of that period—cotton, corn and tobacco.
According to a Henry County newspaper article, Peter was one of the largest land owners in the county during the early 1800s. Married twice, he had three children, Eli Kendall, Devereax Jarrett and Elizabeth Manley. Considered a man of many talents, Peter was not only a successful farmer, but served as a state commissioner and was a surveyor and a hat maker.
The next owner of the farm was the founder’s son, Eli Kendall. He his wife, Elizabeth McNutt, were the parents of 10 children. During this time, the farm’s main cash crops were potatoes and tobacco.
The third generation to own the property was James Edmund Kendall, who wed Sallie “Sarah” Wynns. The couple had two girls and four boys: Lizzie Mae, James Wilkins, Carrie, Fred, Clyde Peter and Edmund.
Eventually, James Wilkins Kendall acquired the land. During his ownership, the farm produced corn, cotton, sheep and pigs. He and wife Martha Muncie Baker had two children, Joe Baker and Sarah Belle Kendall Cox. Sarah attended Murray State and Joe stayed at home and farmed. Over the years, he also worked at other jobs including the Salant & Salant shirt factory and the Commercial Bank.
In 1939, Joe married Ann Cantrell in 1939. During World War II, he served in the U. S. Army Air Corps and was stationed in Mississippi. After his discharge, Joe returned to the farm and to his work at the Commercial Bank. He and Ann had two children, Joe Baker Kendall Jr. and Karol Ann Kendall Fort.
In 1982, the great-great-great-grandson of the founder, Joe Baker Kendall Jr., acquired the farm. He and his wife, Dottie Graham Kendall, manage the property that mainly produces beef cattle and forage, Hankins said, and they enjoy living on the farm that has been in the Kendall family for 175 years.
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 CHP 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

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KENDALL
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metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or request jpegs of the property for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

292 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES STEWART COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES STEWART COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Walker Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 7th Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Walker Farm in Stewart 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, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Located near Bumpus Mills, the Walker Farm dates back to 1886 and was founded by William G. H. Walker. According to the family’s Civil War history, William fought in the battle of Fort Donelson at Dover. After the fall of Fort Donelson to the Union troops, he was given the choice of becoming a prisoner and marching to Nashville or to escape and swim the icy Cumberland River in February. He chose to escape and made his way home.
William married Nancy Ruth McKinney Walker and they had eight children. William also managed the farm. On 21-½ acres, the family produced tobacco, corn, wheat, cattle and hogs. Walker also mined iron ore at the site of the Saline Furnace, which was built in 1853 and operated until the Civil War.
The second owner of the farm was the founder’s son, James Henry Walker, who acquired the property in the 1890s. Married twice, he fathered nine children. During his ownership, the farm continued to produce tobacco, grains, and livestock.
In 1942, the grandson of the founder, Marvin Walker, acquired the land. Currently, Marvin and his wife Mary own and live on the farm, which is worked by Neil and Brian Wright. They continue to raise the farm’s traditional crops of corn, tobacco, cattle, hogs and hay. A log barn dates to the era of the Saline Furnace’s operation and the Walkers have a sugar kettle that was made at that furnace.
Hankins said the Walker Farm is the seventh certified Century Farm in Stewart 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 CHP 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, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.




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291 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HOUSTON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HOUSTON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Beard’s Triple H Farm Becomes County’s Newest Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Beard’s Triple H Farm in Houston County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1851, Henry Humphreys Halliburton founded a 320-acre farm in Houston County. Married to Mary Elizabeth Humphreys, the couple had four children. The family raised corn, wheat, hay, cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens and mules.
Hankins said that a story the family remembers is that Margaret Elizabeth “Maggie,” one of the founding couple’s two daughters, recalled “standing in their front yard and hearing the cannons from the gun boat battle at Fort Donelson in 1862.” During the Civil War, she also recalled that Union troops came to their house and stole chickens from the hen house and meat from the smokehouse while the family hid in an upstairs space between the two log rooms, watching through the chinking.
In 1879, Maggie became the second-generation owner. Married to William Hugh Griffin, she gave birth to nine children. The family continued to produce livestock, poultry, grains and hay. The Griffins were instrumental in organizing the Griffin’s Chapel Nazarene Church in the early 1900s, which was located adjacent to the farm.
Margaret Elizabeth “Lizzie” Griffin Parchman acquired the property in 1915. Married to Guy Preston Parchman, their two daughters were Eunice O’Neil and Nannie Ether. Under the Parchmans, the farm diversified. They operated a small dairy farm but continued to raise hogs, goats, mules, chickens, corn and hay. The Parchmans also added a gristmill for grinding corn that served the residents of the community. They also operated a general store on the farm from 1916 until the late 1940s, selling groceries, hardware and dry goods.
In 1981, Eunice O’Neil Parchman acquired the land. She and husband Travis Elbert Beard had 10 children. The Beards were active in the Farm Bureau and farm supported a cow/calf operation and hay. Their son, Guy Terry, managed the farm.
In 1996, Guy Terry Beard became owner of the farm. He, wife Sue and their sons, Scott and Trevor, have been active in agricultural-related organizations. Scott and Trevor were members of the 4-H Club and both showed steers in Houston and Montgomery County Beef Shows. Terry and Sue are members of the Farm Bureau.
The farm currently is in hay and pasture and Angus cattle and chickens are the main products. The original log house that dates back to the founder’s ownership is still standing and several outbuildings including the smokehouse, a corn crib and a chicken house, are reminders of the traditions maintained by the men and women who have owned the Beard’s Triple H Farm for 157 years, Hankins said.
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 CHP 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, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or request jpegs of the property for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

289 MTSU’S SPRING 2008 ENROLLMENT (21,648) JUMPS 1.65%

Release date: Feb. 15, 2008



News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
MTSU Enrollment Services contact: Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828



MTSU’S SPRING 2008 ENROLLMENT (21,648) JUMPS 1.65%


(MURFREESBORO) — A headcount of 21,648 students enrolled at MTSU this spring semester was submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents earlier this week, said Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for enrollment services.
The spring enrollment is an increase of 352 students — or 1.65 percent — from the spring 2007 census submitted to TBR, she added. The TBR’s 14-day census period ended Jan. 27. There were 21,296 students enrolled for spring classes in 2007.
The census reporting was delayed about 17 days because of software updates, said Huddleston, who added that the t was submitted Feb. 12.
MTSU continues to see an increase in re-enrolling students, she added. This semester, there are 1,225 re-enrollees — 116 more than in 2007 when there were 1,109.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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290 STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES GILES COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATEWIDE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES GILES COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Curry Farms Becomes County’s Newest and 27th Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO, Tenn.)—The Curry Farms, Bethel, located in Giles County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
“Just north of the Alabama state line is a farm that, like many other across the state, was founded by a woman,” reported Hankins, regarding Francis Virginia “Jennie” Easter Meadows, who became the owner of 237 acres when her parents, Samuel W. Easter and Mary P. Easter, bought a parcel of land on Feb. 16, 1883, for $5,000.
On the same day, they sold it to Jennie for $5. Jennie was married to Dr. John Andrew Meadows, who had served as a medic during the Civil War and then became a medical doctor. During her ownership, the farm mainly supported cotton and dairy cattle. Jennie and her husband were the parents of five children.
In 1943, the land passed to four of the siblings—W. E. Meadows, G. S. Meadows, Margaret M. Davis and R. G. Meadows. They raised cotton, hay and dairy cattle. The family remembers that the milk cows were driven about two miles to be milked.
The third generation to own the property was the granddaughter of the founder, Johnnie Marjorie Meadows Curry. During the 1960s and 1970s, she continued to buy shares of the farm from her relatives. Johnnie married Robert E. Curry and they had four children, Robert Michael Curry, Carroll Meadows Curry, John Timothy “Tim” Curry and Bernard Stone Curry. Under Johnnie’s ownership, the farm produced corn, barley, wheat, soybeans, grain sorghum and cotton. In 2000, cotton was grown on the farm for the first time since 1974.
The next owners of the farm were the founder’s great grandsons and her great-great-grandchildren. In 2004, Tim Curry, the great-grandson of the founder, became the sole owner of the land. Today, he manages the operation and mainly produces corn silage, shelled corn and soybeans.
Curry Farms, Bethel, is the 27th Giles County property to be certified as a Tennessee Century Farm, Hankins said.
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 CHP 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, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.

To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or secure jpegs of the property, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

288 ADULT LEARNERS “CHOOSE TO THRIVE” AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 15, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

ADULT LEARNERS “CHOOSE TO THRIVE” AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
For First Time Ever, MTSU Hosts Non-Traditional Students From Across the Country

(MURFREESBORO) – “Choosing to Thrive, No Matter What” is the theme of the 2008 Association of Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) Conference, which MTSU will host on the weekend of Feb. 29 and Mar. 1-2.
A gathering of adult students who are striving to balance the responsibilities of work and family life while enriching their education and the career academics who serve them, the conference will give the students and the professionals a chance to come together and share strategies.
“The board of ANTSHE is half students, half professionals,” says Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director of Off-Campus Student Services and a founder of the organization. “The annual conference is designed to have programs that will be good for the professionals as well as good for the students.”
Dr. Cara DiMarco, a licensed psychologist and counselor at Lane Community College’s Transition for Success Program in Eugene, Ore., will deliver the keynote address at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29, in the Heartland Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro.
In addition, DiMarco will serve as facilitator for an opening session and a wrap-up session on Saturday. Throughout the conference, DiMarco will lead participants in identifying and claiming the things which stimulate and support an ability to thrive through the use of her “Big Yes” model.
DiMarco is the author of Moving Through Life Transitions with Power and Purpose and Career Transitions: A Journey of Survival and Growth. Her third book, Inconvenient Women: Choosing to Thrive No Matter What, is slated for release in mid-2008.
On Saturday, the venue will shift from the DoubleTree Hotel to the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. Topic for break-out sessions include: “All the World’s a Classroom;” “Conflict Resolution Skills;” “Building Collaboration Skills;” “Counteracting Learned Helplessness in the Classroom;” and “What Can I Do With This Degree? How Institutions Can Assess the Effectiveness of a Nontraditional Degree Program.”
For more information, call 615-898-5989 or send an e-mail to owls@mtsu.edu. Specific conference information and a detailed itinerary are available at http://www.antshe/org/2008/Conference/index.htm.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Dr. Cara DiMarco, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

287 MTSU TO HELP STUDENTS ‘CREATE YOUR FUTURE’ DURING ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK

MTSU TO HELP STUDENTS ‘CREATE YOUR FUTURE’ DURING ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK

Feb. 15, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. Robert Lahm, MTSU assistant professor, business communication and entrepreneurship, at 615-898-2785.

MURFREESBORO—National Entrepreneurship Week will be celebrated nationwide from Feb. 23 to March 1, and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University will be coordinating week-long activities—free and open to the public—that will take place both on campus and at various businesses throughout the community.
The theme of the celebration is “Create your future.” The message is that with creativity and innovation, young job seekers will be more competitive and be able to demand higher wages. There is also the realization that tomorrow’s entrepreneurs are in our schools and universities today.
The celebration is in response to the U. S. House of Representatives Resolution #699, advocating an annual week in support of American entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship education. The focus of this second year’s celebration includes the importance of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurs in all the networking, publicity, events, policy, and support that is included in National Entrepreneurship Week.
Ideas are the lifeblood of an entrepreneurial economy, states a news release from the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. Can one imagine the impact on the creative mindset of future Americans if each student in the schools had opportunities to learn how to be entrepreneurs while still in school?
Activities at MTSU will be designed to introduce young people to their many opportunities and, with the help of entrepreneurial skills, to develop self-reliance.
For a full calendar of MTSU events, visit http://mtsu.edu/~eweek. For more information or questions, call Dr. Robert Lahm, MTSU assistant professor, business communication and entrepreneurship, at 615-898-2785 (rlahm@mtsu.edu). If Lahm is not available, contact Dr. Rachel Wilson at 615-898-2448 (rcwilson@mtsu.edu).
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
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285 MTSU’s FIFTH ANNUAL DOUBLE REED DAY BLOWS IN FEB. 23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 15, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

MTSU’s FIFTH ANNUAL DOUBLE REED DAY BLOWS IN FEB. 23
Daylong Event Features Two Free & Open Performances

(MURFREESBORO)—Saturday, Feb. 23, marks the day that the MTSU School of Music will present its fifth annual Double Reed Day, a daylong event for double reed players (oboes, bassoons) of all ages, which will feature a 10 a.m. concert of professional players and a 4 p.m. finale concert showcasing participants.
Both concerts, which are free and open to the public, will be held in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. Additionally, the special-event day is open to K-12, college and professionals players. Registration, $10 per player, will begin at 8 a.m. in the lobby of the WMB.
Maya Stone, MTSU bassoon instructor and co-host for the event, said Double Reed Day is a well-attended event that is one of a kind in the middle Tennessee Region.
Among the events scheduled for the day are master classes, double-reed ensemble rehearsals with the registered participants and visiting exhibitors including Fox Products, Hana Reeds, Miller Marketing (bassoons) and Onks Woodwind Repair.
"The MTSU Double Reed Day is always a special day for oboists and bassoonists across the region,” Stone said. “The participants always have a more than memorable and inspirational experience."
The day’s 10 a.m. concert will feature Kristin Wolfe Jensen (bassoon), Laura Ann Ross (oboe) and Stone (bassoon).
Jensen is on faculty at the University of Texas at Austin, the International Festival Institute at Round Top and the Eastern Music Festival, where she is principal bassoonist of the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also currently principal bassoonist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance and Music Education degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and her Master of Music from the Juilliard School of Music.
Ross, an active freelance oboist and teacher in the Nashville area, is an adjunct professor of oboe at MTSU. She is acting principal oboist of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra and a substitute for both the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony in Miami, Fla. Ross has played principal oboe in the Philadelphia area with the Great Hall Chamber Orchestra and served as a substitute for the Haddonfield Symphony (N.J.) and Reading Symphony in Pennsylvania. She earned a Master of Music degree from Temple University in 2006 and a Bachelor of Music in 2004 from Miami University in Ohio. She was also a founding member of the Athena Ensemble, an all-female oboe, clarinet and bassoon trio based in the Philadelphia area.
The 4 p.m. finale´ concert will feature double-reed ensembles composed of the event’s participants.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.


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284 MTSU PRESIDENTIAL CONCERT SERIES WELCOMES THE AULOS ENSEMBLE MARCH 14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

MTSU PRESIDENTIAL CONCERT SERIES WELCOMES THE AULOS ENSEMBLE MARCH 14
Free & Open Performance Will Feature Instruments Typical in 17th, 18th Centuries

(MURFREESBORO–The Aulos Ensemble, a New York-based period instrument group, will perform in the third and final concert of the MTSU School of Music's Presidential Concert Series at 7:30 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
Gold and Glitter: From Venice to Versailles is the title of the free and open performance that will include works by Antonio Vivaldi, Bernardo Storace, Dario Castello, Bartolomé de Selma, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
Members of the ensemble include Christopher Krueger (flute), Marc Schachman (oboe), Linda Quan (violin), Myron Lutzke (cello) and Arthur Haas (harpsichord).
“The Aulos Ensemble has been heralded by many respected critics as one of the finest historically informed music groups on this side of the Atlantic, and they were also one of the first such ensembles on this continent,” said George Riordan, the director of MTSU’s School of Music.
“Having them on campus for the public and our students should spark a great deal of interest in performance on instruments typically in use during the 17th and 18th centuries, during the time of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi," continued Riordan, who also is a period instrumentalist. "There is increasing activity in historically-informed performance in the Nashville area and we’re pleased that the Presidential Concert Series can feature such a notable set of artists.”
The Aulos Ensemble, formed in 1973 by five graduates of the Juilliard School, has been called “scintillating,” “virtuosic” and “an utter delight” by some of America’s most respected music critics.
"The players of New York’s Aulos Ensemble were fluid singers all, their lines never losing clarity or shape, always sounding flexible and spontaneous,” wrote one music critic for New York Times. “This was authentic Baroque performance at its best.”
As part of its brief residency, the ensemble’s members will also present a series of master classes at 11:30 a.m. March 14 at the MTSU Music School, in addition to performing the previous night, March 13, in Nashville at St. George’s Episcopal Church.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.



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283 All Nations American Indian Festival comes to the Tennessee Livestock Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 14, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Georgia Dennis, 615-796-4210

(MURFREESBORO) – The most colorful, vibrant celebration of Native American culture in the state will return to the MTSU campus when the eighth All Nations American Indian Festival comes to the Tennessee Livestock Center, 1720 Greenland Dr. in Murfreesboro, Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2.
The largest event of its kind in the state, the festival features Native music, exhibition dancing, arts and crafts, storytelling, skills demonstrations, and a native drum competition.
“Festival participants travel to gatherings like ours to celebrate their heritage, their culture, their language and each other,” says Georgia Dennis, festival coordinator.
Some of the creative talents who are slated to attend the festival’s Indian Arts Market include: Ron Colombe (Sicangu Lakota/Rosebud Sioux), a spoken-word artist, narrator poet and published author; Nelson Garcia, an award-winning gold- and silversmith from Santo Domingo Pueblo; Percy Medina (Quecha/Peru), whose hand-carved gourds are on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; and General Grant (Cherokee), who develops both contemporary and traditional jewelry, as well as Cherokee carvings and sculpture.
“Every festival is a little different,” Dennis says. “This festival doesn’t have an agenda – its non-political – it’s more of a traditional celebration. Everybody feels welcome here.”
The All Nations American Indian Festival is sponsored by the MT Anthropology Society, the MTSU Anthropology Program, the MTSU Department of English, Student Unions and Programming/Fine Arts and the Baha’i Association. However, scores of volunteer students, alumni, professors and community members help to make the powwow possible. All proceeds remaining after expenses go into a scholarship fund.
The doors will open at 10 a.m. both days. The Grand Entry and Parade of Nations are slated for 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday. Daily admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12. Toddlers will be admitted without charge. Weekend passes are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets and passes are sold at the door only. Plenty of free parking will be available.
For additional information, contact Dennis at 615-796-4210, send an e-mail to powwow@mtsu.edu or visit the Website at http://www.mtsu.edu/powwow.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For full color jpegs of Native American arts and crafts by artists who are slated to attend the All Nations American Indian Festival, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/powwow.

282 MTSU CHILD CARE LAB PROVIDES SECURE, SMART PLAYGROUND

OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 13, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU CHILD CARE LAB PROVIDES SECURE, SMART PLAYGROUND
Experienced Caretakers Teach and Play While Mommy and Daddy Learn

(MURFREESBORO) – Tucked away in a nondescript corner of the campus is a sunny collection of vivid colors and smiling faces with the uncharacteristically sterile name of the MTSU Child Care Lab. For students, faculty and staff who have children, it is a haven that enables those parents to pursue school or work without worrying about their youngsters’ welfare.
“We spend countless hours on trying to plan and make sure that the children have things that are appropriate for their age and make it interesting for them and safe and nurturing,” says Anita Nicholson, who has worked at the lab on Womack Lane for seven years.
In fact, each child’s day is a mixture of self-directed activities, teacher-directed activities and gross motor play with time for lunch, snacks and a midday nap. The children are not separated by age.
“The purpose of this curriculum is not just academic—colors, numbers, letters, preparation for kindergarten—but, at this age, it’s just as important to get them ready for the social skills, learning to be in a group setting, learning how to share, learning how to follow directions, maybe more than one direction at a time,” says Nancy James, director of the lab, who has been there for 19 years.
James says the lab was created in 1981 with the blessing of MTSU President Sam Ingram, who insisted that students be able to use it as a learning experience. Students who work in the lab or write about it for class papers typically major in nursing, early childhood education, social work, psychology or speech and hearing.
The teachers are looking forward to the lab’s 30-year anniversary, which will coincide with the university’s centennial in 2011. James says dignitaries, parents and children, past and present, will be invited to a reception at which they will be treated to a slideshow to relive the memories.
While notoriously low pay and high turnover are associated with the child care profession, the kids at the MTSU Child Care Lab are fortunate to be in the hands of three capable veterans. In addition to Nicholson and James, there’s Zona Frazier, who has wiped runny noses and brought stories to life for tiny tykes for 23 years.

“We like to think they’re learning while playing,” Frazier says. “The money will not keep you here. Trust me. You have to love what you do.”
The kids love what their teachers do, too, and they remember it well into adulthood. Frazier says former students come back to visit at each April’s graduation ceremony. Word of mouth is the only advertising necessary.
In addition to the stability and qualifications of the personnel, the lab’s major selling point is its three-star rating, the highest grade the state of Tennessee issues to such facilities.
“My son has been a student at the day care for almost two years, and he provides the best testimony,” says Dr. Karen Petersen, assistant professor of political science. “He
loves going to school and does not appreciate the long breaks! The teachers at the day
care are not only highly qualified; they love the children. We tried other day cares, and there is no comparison.”
The lab is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round except when classes are not in session. It is licensed by the state for children ages three through five. Parents pay a flat fee of $102 a week if their youngster attends five days a week. Those whose kids attend on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays pay $61, and those whose youngsters attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays are charged $41.
Priority is given to students who need child care in the fall and spring semesters on either a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule. Those who need child care five days a week are given second priority. The order of priority is reversed in the summer semester.
For more information about the MTSU Child Care Lab, contact James at 615-898-2970 or njames@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos of the MTSU Child Care Lab, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

280 POET, SCHOLAR, ACTIVIST NIKKI GIOVANNI TO SPEAK AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 13, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Sekou Franklin, 615-904-8232
Luther Buie, 615-898-2987

POET, SCHOLAR, ACTIVIST NIKKI GIOVANNI TO SPEAK AT MTSU
Inspirational Professor Tackles Topic of Race at Black History Month Event

(MURFREESBORO) – Distinguished poet and scholar Nikki Giovanni will speak on “Race in the 21st Century” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. Her address, an event in MTSU’s continuing observance of Black History Month, is free and open to the public.
A Knoxville native, Giovanni grew up in Lincoln Heights, Ohio. She is a 1968 alumna of Fisk University in Nashville with a degree in history. After graduating from Fisk, she attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Her first book of poetry, Black Feeling, Black Talk, was published in 1968. She is the author of some 30 books. Her autobiography, Gemini, was a finalist for the National Book Award. In 2007, Giovanni became the first poet to receive the Carl Sandburg Literary Award for lifetime achievement.
Giovanni’s other honors and awards include more than 20 honorary degrees, a life membership and scroll from the National Council of Negro Women, and NAACP Image Awards for her books Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes, and Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea. She has been named woman of the year by Mademoiselle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Ebony and Essence magazines.
A Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech, Giovanni became a voice of inspiration and renewal at an April 17, 2007 convocation memorializing the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. She said, in part:

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly. We are brave enough
to bend to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. … The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches
out with open hearts and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than
we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the possibility and the imagination. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness.
In fall 2007, Giovanni returned to Fisk University as a Visiting Distinguished Professor, mentoring aspiring young authors.
For more information on Giovanni’s visit to MTSU, contact the co-chairs of the MTSU Black History Month Committee, Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-904-8232 or Luther Buie at 615-898-2987. To learn more about other Black History Month events, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of Nikki Giovanni, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

278 MTSU WIND ENSEMBLE CHOSEN FOR TOP PERFORMANCE SPOT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

MTSU WIND ENSEMBLE CHOSEN FOR TOP PERFORMANCE SPOT AT FEB. 29 SOUTHERN DIVISION COLLEGE BAND DIRECTORS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Ensemble Will Perform Free Feb. 25 Concert Before Departing for Georgia

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Wind Ensemble was selected, through a blind- audition process, to perform at a premiere concert time slot at the Southern Division College Band Directors National Association conference in Columbus, Ga., at 7 p.m., Feb. 29, in the Schwob School of Music Legacy Hall OF Columbus State University.
The Southern Division is one of five regions of CBDNA and encompasses all universities in the southeastern United States.
"This is probably the most important performance invitation any student ensemble has had in the history of the MTSU School of Music," said Dr. Reed Thomas, conductor of the group and director of bands at MTSU.
Thomas said about 25 college bands from throughout the southeastern U.S. submitted live performance recordings and were blindly selected by a jury before being nominated for performance. From those 25 bands, five were selected to perform and the MTSU Wind ensemble was given the "finale" spot on Friday in the Wednesday-through- Friday conference.
"The invitation ... to perform at the premiere concert time for these national organizations is a recognition of the artistic maturity of the student musicians and programs in the School of Music, said Dr. George T. Riordan, director of the school. "(It is) an honor that MTSU now shares with some of the most honored bands throughout the nation."
In addition to the many university band directors who will be in attendance, the National Band Association will hold its biannual national convention at the same time and high-school band directors from across the nation will be in attendance.
"We are looking forward to representing the MTSU School of Music at this regional and national conference and letting many musicians know about some of the great things happening here at MTSU," said Thomas, referring to the national exposure his group will receive during the event.
Thomas said the MTSU Wind Ensemble will perform several new works, including Robert Bradshaw's new Trumpet Concerto, which was premiered earlier this year by the Wind Ensemble with faculty member/soloist Michael Arndt on trumpet; three movements of Shafer Mahoney's Symphony for Wind Orchestra in E-flat; a chamber winds piece by David Gillingham; Schuman's Declaration from Crendendum; and Hudson Nogueura's Brazilian piece titled Senzalas, Maracatus, e Quilombos.

There will be a pretour concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, in the T. Hinton Music Hall in the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. The group will also perform for band students at Siegel High School on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 26. The ensemble will depart for Atlanta on Thursday morning, Feb. 28, and perform for Lassiter High School before arriving in Columbus for the players’ Friday evening performance.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.




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277 GUEST FLUTIST DEBORAH HARRIS PERFORMS FREE & OPEN CONCERT FEB. 20

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

GUEST FLUTIST DEBORAH HARRIS PERFORMS FREE & OPEN CONCERT FEB. 20

(MURFREESBORO)—Guest flutist Debora Harris, along with pianist David See, will perform in a free and open concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“Deborah Harris is an elegant performer and a truly warm and engaging person,” said Deanna Little, assistant professor of flute for the MTSU School of Music. “We are thrilled to have her as a guest at MTSU.”
Harris will perform Faure, Delibes and Massenet’s Four Morceau de Concours, John Rutter’s Antique Suite, Ph. Gaubert’s Second Sonata, a solo piece by Coltrane, and Franz Doppler’s Andante and Rondo.
Harris, who currently serves as an associate professor of flute at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., is an accomplished flutist in a broad array of musical styles. Principal flutist of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony and the Berkshire Opera Company, she also has performed as a recitalist and clinician throughout the U.S.
Additionally, Harris said she has a special affinity for chamber music and is a member of the FM Symphony Woodwind Quintet and the Harris-Rheude Flute and Clarinet Duo. Concerto performances include Mozart's Concerto for Flute in G Major and Concerto for Flute in D Major, Bach's Brandenburg No. 4 and B Minor Suite, and Leonard Bernstein's Halil.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.




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276 MTSU MUSIC SCHOOL WELCOMES TENNESSEE ORGANIST TIM HINCK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

MTSU MUSIC SCHOOL WELCOMES TENNESSEE ORGANIST TIM HINCK IN CONCERT
Feb. 22 Performance Includes Composition Inspired by American Expressionist Motherwell

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU School of Music will welcome organist Tim Hinck, who will perform a free and open concert titled “The Development of the Organ Chorale” at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
The program will include Heinrich Scheidemann’s Galliarda ex d, Heinrich Scheidemann’s Erbarm dich mein, J. S. Bach’s Jesus Christus unser Heiland, Georg Böhm’s Vater unser im Himmelreich, Felix Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 3, Jan Peterszoon Sweelinck’s Mein junges Leben hat ein Endt and Hinck’s very own Drunk with Turpentine.
Hinck‘s Drunk with Turpentine was written with a Baroque-style tracker instrument in mind, he said, and it works well even with many unequal temperaments. It was inspired by a series of paintings by the same name by American Expressionist Robert Motherwell.
A native Tennessean, Hinck began studying piano and composition at an early age and later also began studies on the violin. He has been active in classical, jazz and modern ensembles and has earned top prizes in various piano competitions.
As a teacher, Hinck has held active studios in both piano and violin and has produced both sacred and secular music for ensembles ranging up to full choir, with premiers in the U.S. and Europe. He continues to present concerts in the U.S. and Europe with various ensembles and as a specialist of early music on organ and harpsichord.
Currently, Hinck also oversees the development of the Netherlands-American Organ Forum, an organization aimed at connecting young American organists with the historical organs in the Netherlands. In the fall 2007, he was appointed as adjunct faculty of the Cadek Conservatory at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.




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275 MTSU Student Group to Show Election Documentary, Producers to Answer Questions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

DEMOCRACY STYMIED AT THE POLLS? WAS YOUR VOTE UNCOUNTED?
MTSU Student Group to Show Election Documentary, Producers to Answer Questions

(MURFREESBORO) – The MTSU Film Guild will show Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections, a documentary which purports to reveal fraud, cheating and manipulation in the 2004 and 2006 balloting, at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center. The viewing is free and open to the public.
“The effect it has on everyone just seems to be huge, and, I, to be honest, couldn’t think of a better documentary given the time frame,” says Justin Stokes, president of the Film Guild, referring to the primaries and caucuses leading up to 2008 presidential election in November.
Produced, directed and written by Nashville-based David Earnhardt, Uncounted features interviews with computer programmers, election officials, journalists and whistleblowers in an attempt to alert the public to the fragile state of electoral integrity.
Uncounted chronicles discrepancies in exit poll results and the reported vote in key battleground states; accusations of attempts to hinder African-Americans in their attempts to cast ballots; votes that allegedly were not counted in New Mexico and Pennsylvania; and difficulties with electronic voting and provisional ballots.
Earnhardt and co-producer Glenna Johnson will be available for a question-and-answer session immediately following the 80-minute-long movie.
The MTSU Film Guild is one of the newest student organizations on campus. Stokes says it was formed by students who have a mutual interest in making films and wanted to create networks with others who have similar interests and talents. To bring attention to the power and significance of well-made films, the group wants to showcase films made either by students or other filmmakers in the future.
“Primarily, it’s about making movies, films that we are interested in,” Stokes says. “We have all sorts of ideas we’d like to turn into actual cinema. And it’s also about showcasing films that we feel are of quality and are a public service to showcase, such as the Uncounted documentary.”
The doors will open at 7:45 p.m. for Uncounted. For more information, contact Stokes at 615-663-2811 or jds6h@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For still photos of scenes from Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections or copies of the trailer and clips from the film for electronic media, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

274 A(WEAR)NESS RUNWAY PROJECT DEBUTS FEB. 12 AT MTSU

A(WEAR)NESS RUNWAY PROJECT DEBUTS FEB. 12 AT MTSU
Free Event Features the Meaning of Awareness Ribbons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s June Anderson Women’s Center and the student organization Women in Action are co-sponsoring “The A(wear)ness Runway Project,” a free and open event that combines education, awareness and fashion, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on the MTSU campus.
The event, which is also part of the university’s Black History Month celebration, is designed to bring awareness of the different colors represented by ribbons for breast cancer, heart disease, domestic violence, sexual assault and AIDS.
“It will give you some real face-to-face visuals of what we have to deal with,” says Gabrielle Williams, co-president of Women in Action.
The group hopes to make more of a connection with individuals by giving each cause an identity. Data and facts have more impact when they are personal, organizers said.
Statistics and prevention methods will be available at the event for issues like breast cancer, AIDS and heart disease that affect people in every demographic, especially African-American women. Many lose their lives because they do not know the warning signs of these diseases.
“This is our way of telling the story for those who can’t,” says Williams, who also is a sophomore electronic media communications major and student employee at the JAWC.
By the end of the night, organizers say they hope to enrich the audience by making them more aware of each cause via a project that shares knowledge in an unconventional setting.
Williams notes that Women in Action deals with many of the same issues as the JAWC. Terri Johnson, director of the JAWC, also serves as advisor for Women in Action.
Women in Action has been inactive recently, and co-sponsoring this first-time event is a way to reintroduce their group to the university, Williams said, adding that she wants everyone to know that “we’re still here.”


IN BRIEF:

MTSU’s June Anderson Women’s Center and the student organization Women in Action are co-sponsoring “The A(wear)ness Runway Project,” a free and open event that combines education, awareness and fashion, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building on the MTSU campus. The event, which is also part of the university’s Black History Month celebration, is designed to bring awareness of the different colors represented by ribbons for breast cancer, heart disease, domestic violence, sexual assault and AIDS.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: This release was written by Danielle Harrell, a senior majoring in advertising/public relations at MTSU. We request your use of her byline if you use the release in its entirety.

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273 FEB. 17 BRASS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE CONCERT FEATURES ALUMNUS’ COMPOSITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

FEB. 17 BRASS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE CONCERT FEATURES ALUMNUS’ COMPOSITION
Free& Open Performance Showcases Award-Winning Brass Groups, Says Loucky

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Brass Chamber Ensemble will present a free and open concert at 8 o’clock Thursday evening, Feb. 17, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
The program will include selections for several MTSU brass groups, the award-winning MTSU Trumpet Ensemble, the MTSU tuba-euphonium ensemble, two MTSU horn quartets and brass quintets.
The tuba-euphonium ensemble will perform movements from a musical suite by MTSU alumnus Eric Stephens that was written in 1993 for the MTSU ensemble.
"Eric, a fine tuba player, bass player and composer, earned a master’s degree at MTSU and now works in the Nashville music industry with (music publisher) SESAC," said Dr. David Loucky, assistant professor of brass and trombone at MTSU.
“This piece features lovely melodious solos, complex metrical patterns, and alternates between jazz waltz and rock feels,” Loucky remarked.
The concert will also feature two horn quartets whose players have just returned from the Southeast Horn Workshop in Georgia, where one of them competed in the ensemble competition.
Finally, the Broad Street Brass Quintet, or BSBQ, will fill out the program, with selections by Eric Ewazen and Samuel Scheidt.
Loucky said the BSBQ was the featured brass quintet at the University of Nebraska's Chamber Music Institute last summer. During the institute, he added, they worked directly with a composer in residence who wrote a new composition expressly for them.
“This program is open to the public and promises to be a delightful evening,” Loucky said.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.



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272 BIANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBIT 12” x 12” ON DISPLAY THROUGH FEB. 22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2008
CONTACT: Lon Nuell, 615-898-2505 or lrnuell@mstu.edu

BIANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBIT 12” x 12” ON DISPLAY THROUGH FEB. 22
Acclaimed Art Critic Dave Hickey Juror of Free & Open Show at MTSU Gallery

(MURFREESBORO)—12” x 12”, a national juried exhibition sponsored by the Department of Art at MTSU, is on display now through Friday, Feb. 22, in the campus-based Todd Gallery.
Dave Hickey, nationally acclaimed culture and art critic, served as the juror for the biannual exhibition, which is free and open to the public.
More than 200 artists from across the United States submitted 600-plus pieces of work for inclusion consideration in the 12” x 12” show, reported Lon Nuell, gallery curator and MTSU art professor.
“There were no media restrictions, and all works were to measure no more than 12 inches in any direction and 3-D pieces were not to exceed 12 inches in any direction including the base,” he noted.
Among those represented in the show are Tennessee artists Rocky Horton, Nashville; Arlyn Ende, Sewanee; Dwayne Butcher and Trevor Nichols, Memphis; Melissa Krosnick, Cowan; and Sarah Shebaro of Knoxville.
“Hickey’s selections are representative of a wide range of styles and media,” Nuell added. “The works (that will be) shown include prints, paintings, photography, three-dimensional constructions, works in fine metals, mixed and unique/experimental media.”
Characterized as one of the best-known American art and cultural critics currently practicing, exhibit juror Hickey visited the MTSU campus for the first time in November to deliver a public lecture on “Artfair Culture.”
Cindy Rehm, assistant professor of art, has said, “Hickey is one of the most preeminent critics of our time … (and) his insightful and accessible writings and spirited lectures offer fresh perspectives on art and culture.”
Currently a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Hickey has served as owner-director of A Clean Well-Lighted Place, a short-lived but influential Austin, Texas, art gallery that he opened in 1967, and as director of the Reese Palley Gallery in New York City.
• GALLERY HOURS: Located on the first floor of MTSU’s Todd Building, the Todd Gallery is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays. Admission is always free and exhibits are open to the public.
For more information regarding the current exhibit, please contact Nuell at 615-898-2505 or via e-mail at lrnuell@mstu.edu.

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To obtain jpeg images of some of the artwork now on display at the Todd Gallery for editorial use, or to request an interview with any of the exhibit’s participating artists, please contact Lisa L. Rollins via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu

271 SYMPHONIC BAND & BRASS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE PERFORM FEB. 21 AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493

SYMPHONIC BAND & BRASS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE PERFORM FEB. 21 AT MTSU
Free Performance Features Symphonic Band’s ‘South of the Border’ Flare, Cornish Says

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Symphonic Band and MTSU Brass Chamber Ensemble will present a free and open concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb.21, in the T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“For the Symphonic Band portion of the program, we're taking a trip south of the border,” said Craig Cornish, conductor of the group and associate director of bands at MTSU.
The Symphonic Band will start with Jaime Texidor's Amparito Roca, a grand march written in a Spanish style. They band will also perform H. O. Reed's La Fiesta Mexicana.
"La Fiesta Mexicana has long been considered an important part of the modern concert band repertoire," Cornish said. "Programmatic in nature, (it) attempts to portray musically a Day of Fiesta in the life of a Mexican peasant," he explained.
“The concert will conclude with the fiery Fandango, an exciting romp full of Latin rhythms and melodies,” he added. “Bring your sombrero!”
The Brass Chamber Ensemble will open its portion of the concert with three pieces for brass choir and percussion, including Fisher Tull’s Brevard Fanfare, written for the 50th anniversary of the Brevard Music Center Festival in North Carolina, as well as Samuel Barber's Mutations from Bach, a short sequence of transformations of the plain song titled Christe, du Lamm Gottes (translated as Christ, Thou Lamb of God).
"The song is heard six times, with each reiteration being based on one of Bach's own voicings," said Reed Thomas, conductor of the group and director of bands at MTSU.
The group will also perform a work by Eric Ewazen, who “wrote a monumental tour de force with his Symphony for Brass and Percussion,” said Thomas, who added the piece is “a very challenging and rewarding work for brass (that) is soon to become a standard piece in the repertoire.”
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.



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269 New Student Evaluation of Teaching to be Utilized at MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GRADING OF THE GRADERS TO CHANGE IN FALL 2008
New Student Evaluation of Teaching to be Utilized

(MURFREESBORO) – The Pedagogy Task Force has been disbanded, having completed its charge of finding ways to improve teaching across campus. The newly established Ad Hoc Pedagogy/Student Evaluation of Faculty Instrument Committee will focus on the successful implementation of the new instrument beginning in the fall semester of 2008.
The task force has worked since the fall of 2003 on ways to give students opportunities to give their professors a fuller, more holistic and more nuanced review than the one currently available. Members have presented their findings to the deans’ cabinet, the chairs’ council, the Faculty Senate and representatives of various colleges and departments.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vic Montemayor, professor of physics and astronomy, the task force received overwhelmingly positive response to an instrument developed at the University of California at Berkeley. One hundred percent of faculty volunteers, 100 percent of deans and chairs and 76 percent of students felt that the Berkeley-designed questionnaire was superior to the one currently in place at MTSU.
The current student evaluation calls for ratings of “almost always,” “usually,” “rarely,” “never,” or “not applicable” to statements such as “course requirements are clear,” “the class begins at scheduled times,” and “instructor presents material clearly.”
Under the Berkeley model, more than 30 statements are divided into the categories of “Presentation Ability,” “Organization and Clarity,” “Assignments and Grading,” “Intellectual and Scholarly Approach,” “Incorporation of Student Interaction,” “Motivating the Students,” and “Effectiveness and Worth.”
Students will be asked to disagree or agree on a scale of one (disagree) to five (agree) with statements such as “has a genuine interest in students,” “lectures easy to outline or case discussion well organized,” “gives assignments and exams that are reasonable in length and difficulty,” “discusses recent developments in the field,” “invites criticism of own ideas,” and “motivates me to do my best work.”
“We’re actually quite excited about the positive aspects of the new proposed teaching evaluation instrument because it not only offers meaningful constructive

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criticism but also an avenue toward improvement,” Michael Fleming, assistant professor of recording industry and former task force co-chair, says.
The Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center is developing workshops to instruct faculty members in ways to improve their classroom performance based, in part, on the new evaluation. These workshops are to be ready by the time the first results from the new instrument are available.
The Berkeley model already was in use by the MTSU mentoring program, but Montemayor says that fact had no impact on the task force’s proposals.
The faculty evaluations will be administered in the traditional manner, in the classroom with bubble sheets, but the reporting of the results to faculty will be online.
Wendy Koenig, assistant professor of art and former task force co-chair, notes that the professors’ scores will be expressed as true percentiles of scores in their own department, college or university. The numbers also would be tracked longitudinally so that trends over time could be analyzed.
For complete information, including graphs and charts, go to http://mtsu.edu/~vjm/Teaching/Task_Force/task_force.html and click on the “Pilot Study” link.


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268 MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series Examines Chinese Footbinding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

WOMEN IN IMPERIAL CHINA NOT FOOTLOOSE AND FANCY FREE?
MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series Examines Chinese Footbinding

(MURFREESBORO) – “Poetry and Footbinding: Women in Late Imperial China (1600-1800)” will be the next presentation in MTSU’s Women’s Studies Research Series at 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, in Room 100 of MTSU’s James Union Building. This lecture is free and open to the public.
Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, associate professor of history, will deliver the address and answer questions.
“The popular image of the traditional Chinese woman is one of submission within family and society, symbolized by her tiny bound feet,” Chao says. “But what was life like for a woman in late imperial times? I propose to examine the complex roles that women played in traditional Chinese society, the construction of their identities, and the meaning of bound feet for both men and women.”
"The MTSU Women's Studies Research Series has something for everyone interested in women's experience,” says Dr. Jane Marcellus, professor of mass communication. “By bringing together scholars from across campus, we touch on a wide variety of feminist viewpoints in an informal monthly gathering.”
For more information, contact Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu, or contact the Women’s Studies office at 615-898-5910 or womenstu@mtsu.edu.

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267 8th ANNUAL GOSPEL MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA TO BENEFIT VOLUNTEER

8th ANNUAL GOSPEL MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA TO BENEFIT VOLUNTEER
Busy Benefit Recipient Hopes to Continue Educating Youth on Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Mary E. Glass, 615-898-5145 or mglass@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—As part of MTSU’s celebration of Black History Month, the eighth annual Gospel Music Extravaganza Benefit will be held in Tucker Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.
The benefit will feature performances by choirs, vocal groups, solo singers and spiritual dancers. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students; children six and under will be admitted free.
Each year, proceeds from the event benefit a local resident who is dedicated to community service, as well as helping to fund a scholarship program. This year, the Community Benefit Recipient is Karen Jordan.
Each member of the Gospel Music Extravaganza Committee suggests individuals who would benefit from the money and further enrich the community. The committee selected Jordan as the Community Benefit Recipient based on her need and good works.
Jordan has been a diabetic for more than 30 years and a dialysis patient for six years. Despite the loss of both legs to diabetes, she gives great amounts of her time and energy to community service, the committee noted.
Jordan is an adviser for the Smithfork District Association Youth and Young Adults Department and teaches Sunday school to preschoolers at Prosperity Missionary Baptist Church. Her participation in these activities has allowed her to share her experience and knowledge with young people in the community, but she now needs a handicapped-accessible van to continue her work since she can no longer use her car.
Jordan was born to the late Rev. John O. and Mary E. Jordan and had strong ties to the church from an early age. Her faith strengthens her, and she says she wants to teach others that they too can do all things through Christ. Despite life’s hardships, Jordan constantly tells family and friends, “It is well with my soul.” A fan of gospel music, Jordan is a regular at the Extravaganza and sings in her church choir. Her favorite song is the spiritual “I Won’t Complain,” which captures her attitude in life.
Jordan says she hopes to continue educating children and teenagers about health and diabetes. She believes that through this interaction, she can inspire them to overcome whatever obstacles God gives them with joy and to pass along the wisdom and hope she has found.
The program is still looking for organizations or individuals willing to donate or provide help. For more information, please contact Mary E. Glass at 615-898-5145.


IN BRIEF: As part of MTSU’s celebration of Black History Month, the eighth annual Gospel Music Extravaganza Benefit will be held in Tucker Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. The benefit will feature performances by choirs, vocal groups, solo singers and spiritual dancers. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students; children six and under will be admitted free. Each year, proceeds from the event benefit a local resident who is dedicated to community service, as well as helping to fund a scholarship program. This year, the Community Benefit Recipient is Karen Jordan. For more information, please contact Mary E. Glass at 615-898-5145.

For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: This release was written by Claire Rogers, a junior majoring in advertising/public relations at MTSU. We request your use of her byline if you use the release in its entirety.


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

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266 CHRIS CLARK IS NEW CHAIRHOLDER FOR MTSU 1ST AMENDMENT STUDIES

CHRIS CLARK IS NEW CHAIRHOLDER FOR MTSU 1ST AMENDMENT STUDIES
Veteran Newsman to ‘Pass Along Legacy’ of Fellow Journalist Seigenthaler

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Beverly Keel, 615-898-5150 or bkeel@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—Award-winning broadcast journalist Chris Clark has been named chairholder of MTSU’s John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, announced Beverly Keel, director of the program.
Clark, who was the longest-tenured anchor in the Nashville market, retired from WTVF in 2007 after 41 years behind the anchor desk. During his four decades at the CBS affiliate, he was a champion of First Amendment rights and open government.
“Chris Clark is a distinguished Nashville journalist with a national reputation who has had a career-long commitment to First Amendment rights and values,” said John Seigenthaler, for whom the Chair is named.
“His presence in the Seigenthaler Chair at MTSU will be of special interest to students who see a merger of broadcast, online and print journalism as an exciting pathway to their own careers,” Seigenthaler said.
Clark noted that “John Seigenthaler, as editor and publisher of The Tennessean, and I, as news director of WTVF, have joined forces on numerous occasions to fight government efforts to circumvent the people's full and free access to information. On numerous occasions these efforts have taken us to court, and in almost all instances our efforts were successful in defending First Amendment access for our readers and viewers.
“John has been a tireless fighter in defense of the First Amendment. His enthusiasm and leadership in this cause has inspired journalists throughout the country. I consider my appointment as a Seigenthaler Scholar the highlight of my career. What better way can a journalist contribute to the future defense of the First Amendment than to pass along John's legacy?”
As the Seigenthaler Scholar, Clark will teach courses in electronic media communication, deliver public lectures and conduct research. “Being a Seigenthaler Scholar will also give me the opportunity to study some of the issues that are of concern to journalists and the public at large,” Clark said.
Clark graduated from the University of Georgia’s School of Journalism and began his career in Atlanta before making the move to Nashville. His reporting took him all over the world for stories in Somalia, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, Israel and the Dominican Republic.
His career highlights include being summoned by former Tennessee Gov. Buford Ellington to mediate the release of hostages held by a state penitentiary inmate. As news director, he led the station’s conversion from film to electronic coverage. As chair of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Freedom of Information Committee, he played a key role in convincing the Tennessee Supreme Court to allow an experiment with cameras in the court, a move that persuaded the justices to allow cameras in state courts.
Previous distinguished chairholders include Wallace Westfeldt, former producer for NBC and ABC News; Bill Kovach, former editor of The New York Times and curator of the Nieman Fellowships at Harvard; Tom Wicker, former columnist for The New York Times; John Henry Faulk, humorist and popular CBS radio personality blacklisted during the Red Scare and a hero of free expression rights; and Jim Squires, former editor of The Chicago Tribune.
The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies was instituted in 1986 to honor Seigenthaler’s lifelong commitment to free expression values. Seigenthaler, longtime president, editor and publisher of The Tennessean, is now chairman emeritus of that newspaper. He was also the first editorial director of USA Today and the first chairman of the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University. He is a leading nationwide spokesman for First Amendment freedoms.
The purpose of the Chair is to provide programs of excellence centering on the First Amendment’s protection of free press and free speech rights for MTSU’s College of Mass Communication. The Chair funds a variety of activities, including distinguished visiting professors of First Amendment studies, visiting lecturers addressing issues of freedom of speech and press, research related to free expression, and seminars and meetings dedicated to expressive freedom.
One of the largest programs in the nation, the MTSU College of Mass Communication offers degree concentrations in 14 major areas—ranging from journalism to digital media and media management to recording industry management—and is accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

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IN BRIEF: Award-winning broadcast journalist Chris Clark has been named chairholder of MTSU’s John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, announced Beverly Keel, director of the program. Clark, who was the longest-tenured anchor in the Nashville market, retired from WTVF in 2007 after 41 years behind the anchor desk. As the Seigenthaler Scholar, Clark will teach courses in electronic media communication, deliver public lectures and conduct research. “Being a Seigenthaler Scholar will also give me the opportunity to study some of the issues that are of concern to journalists and the public at large,” Clark said.


For MTSU news and information anytime, visit www.mtsunews.com.


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

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265 MTSU SERVES AS HOST UNIVERSITY FOR FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR FROM RUSSIA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 7, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919

MTSU SERVES AS HOST UNIVERSITY FOR FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR FROM RUSSIA
Sociology Researcher Vladimir Ilin Hopes to Study American Consumerism, He Says

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU recently was selected to serve as the host institution for Dr. Vladimir Ilin, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar for the 2007-2008 academic year.
Ilin, who is a professor of sociology at St. Petersburg State University in Russia, is one of about 800 outstanding foreign faculty and professionals who will teach and do research this year in the U.S. through the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Dr. William Badley, assistant vice provost for academic affairs, said, “Since there are only four Tennessee universities participating (in the Fulbright program), it is a great honor for MTSU to be hosting a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. … Professor Ilin’s visit is a great opportunity for mutual scholarly exchanges.”
Ilin, who arrived at MTSU in January, “will be providing occasional lectures on global inequality and conducting research on consumption patterns in the U.S.” during his visit, which will end in October, said Dr. Ron Aday, interim chairman of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
In addition to his work as a research professor at St. Petersburg State University, Ilin has authored several books and studied consumption patterns in different parts of the world.
“One of my books is about miners movement in a very remote Arctic city in Russia,” he explained. “I did research (on) labor relations at transport and industrial enterprises in one of regional centers of Northern Russia. My field research on immigration (has) been conducted in Germany. I have been doing the field research of transformation of traditional local communities under influence of global tourism in Nepal, Vietnam and India for the last several years.”
Although his research areas focus on varied topics, he added, “they have one common subject—structures of everyday life.”
During his stay in Murfreesboro, Ilin said he hopes to conduct research on
the typical life of America’s consumer society. Related to this, he noted, “I hope to find here people who will help me to better understand this country. I will appreciate if some faculty and students will meet me to have a talk about different aspects of American everyday life.”
As for his initial impressions regarding the MTSU community, “The most amazing side of local life that impressed me more than anything else are faculty and staff at MTSU,” he said. “They help me to solve numerous problems that any newcomer meets in (a) new social environment and which are often so difficult for foreigners. They spend so much time and energy helping me to enter into American life with … a clear understanding of its logic.
The James E. Walker Library and Campus Recreation Center, too, have been a much-welcomed surprise, Ilin observed.

“I am impressed by the rational organization of the university’s library,” remarked the researcher. “It is a real pleasure to work there … and the rec center is the best complex of this type (that) I (have) ever seen in the universities of Russia, Europe and America. I think that students of MTSU must be happy to study here.”
Founded in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Sen. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program is considered America’s flagship international educational exchange program.
Heidi Manley, a representative for the Office of Academic Exchange Programs in Washington, D.C., said that since its establishment, the program has provided about 279,500 people, including 104,500 Americans who have studied, taught or researched abroad and 174,100 students, scholars and teachers from other countries who have engaged in similar activities in the U.S.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, please access http://exchanges.state.gov or call Manley at 202-453-8534.



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