[492]RESIDENTS CAUTIONED TO BE AWARE OF SCAM

RESIDENTS CAUTIONED TO BE AWARE OF SCAM

June 25, 2008

Contact: Tom Tozer, News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919

MURFREESBORO—A Franklin resident contacted Middle Tennessee State University officials with information regarding a visit to his home by a female who said she was raising funds for a trip overseas sponsored by the College of Mass Communication at MTSU.
MTSU’s College of Mass Communication is not sponsoring any such trip or is connected in any way to a fund-raising venture of this type. Please contact your local police department if you learn of other such solicitors in your neighborhood.

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[491]FOURTH OF JULY BLAST TOPIC OF “MTSU ON THE RECORD”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919
WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

FOURTH OF JULY BLAST TOPIC OF “MTSU ON THE RECORD”
Weekly Radio Program Discusses Family-Friendly Community Tradition

(MURFREESBORO) - Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” once again will be held on the campus of MTSU starting at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field. As usual, admission to the annual Independence Day festival is free. There will be games and activities for the kids and patriotic music from the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks are slated to start at 9 p.m.
To hear more about the festivities, join host Tom Tozer and his guests Jim Fanguy of the MTSU Department of Public Safety, Marlane Sewell and Tom Sage of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation, and Birdie Donnell, president of the board of the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra for “MTSU On the Record,” a 30-minute public affairs program, at 7 a.m. this Sunday, June 29, on WMOT-FM (89.5) and www.wmot.org.
For more information, contact the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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[490]STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
107-Year-Old Farm Becomes County’s Newest & 18th Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Warham Easley Cameron Farm in Jefferson County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1901, Warham “War” Easley Cameron, born in Grainger County in 1851, established an 80-acre farm near Jefferson City. Although he was married twice before and had children with each of those wives, his third wife, Elizabeth Catherine Knowling, was the mother of the descendents who would eventually obtain the land.
Under War’s ownership, the family grew wheat, oats, corn, grain, tobacco, hay and various fruits and vegetables. In addition, they raised horses, cattle and chickens. While managing the farm, War also operated a sawmill and grain mill. According to the family’s reports, he sawed the pattern for a local new church known as Buffalo Wallow Baptist Church in the late 1880s. His earliest grain mills were operated by steam engines watered from a pond and later by gasoline or fuel-oil-fired internal combustion engines. He and his family threshed grain in a wide area around the community and provided the milling services as well.
After Warham passed away, his children inherited the property. However, his son, Porter J. Cameron, began buying out the various heirs in the 1920s. Porter married Martha Jane Gilbert from Grainger County. Martha’s father, a Primitive Baptist preacher who traveled a circuit from southeast Virginia into east Tennessee, performed their marriage ceremony. The couple had six children, though only four survived childhood.
In 1962, the grandson of the founder, Simmie E. Cameron, acquired the land. Today, Simmie’s sons, Mike, Mark, Don, Larry and Roger, work that land that produces grains, cattle, fruits and vegetables. A house that was built by the founder in 1910 and occupied until his death in 1926 still stands on the property. In addition to the farmhouse, the land has many other buildings, including another house that was built in 1946, a barn built in 1935 and a tobacco barn that was constructed in the 1940s.
Simmie owns many of the antique threshing machines, tractors and mills used by his father. During the mid 1980s-90s, he demonstrated the threshing machine pulled by his father’s 1941 John Deere Model D at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. “The Warham Easley Cameron Farm is the 18th farm to be certified in Jefferson County,” Hankins noted.
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 denoting 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 owner or request a jpeg of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[489]STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES WASHINGTON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES WASHINGTON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
117-Year-Old Bacon Farm Becomes County’s Newest & 17th Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Bacon Farm in Washington County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Founded by Robert B. Bacon in 1891, the Bacon Farm is located in the Sulphur Springs community. Robert married Cora Mae Cox, and the couple had nine children. On 110 acres, the family raised cattle, hay and tobacco. In addition to managing the farm, Robert was a member of the original Sulphur Springs School Board in 1908, which provided the political and financial support to support a high school that served the community for many years.
The second generation to own the land was the founder’s son, Bruce H. Bacon Sr. Wed to Ann Walker Bacon, the couple had two children. During their ownership, the farm produced hay, tobacco and cattle.
“The farm is located near the historic Sulphur Springs United Methodist campground that had been home of the Sulphur Springs camp meeting for more than 180 years,” Hankins said.
In 2004, the grandson of the founder, Bruce H. Bacon Jr., obtained the land. Today, Bruce raises hay, tobacco, cattle, donkeys, peacocks and guineas. The fourth and fifth generations of the family occupy the Bacon homestead that was built in 1906. An 1891 barn was renovated in 2004. The farm is also listed on the Appalachian RC & D Council’s Quilt Trail and may be viewed on the Quilt Trail Web site at http://www.vacationaqt.com/trails.
Additionally, a replica of the LeMoyne Star quilt hangs on the barn and the original quilt that was quilted by the owner’s grandmother hangs in the living room of the owner, according to the family.
“The Bacon Farm is the 19th Century Farm to be certified in Washington County,” Hankins noted.
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 denoting 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 owner or request a jpeg of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[488]STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES TWO GIBSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

STATE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES TWO GIBSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

(MURFREESBORO)—Two historic Gibson County properties, the Old Browning Place Farm and WBY Farm, have been designated as Tennessee Century Farms, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
• The ancestors of the Browning family moved from Union County, S.C., around 1835 to Gibson County, which was formed in 1823. Matthew “Matt” Raleigh Browning and wife Susan Springer, whose parents and grandparents also moved from Union County, S.C., to Gibson County around 1825, were the parents of seven children.
According to the history of the Old Browning Place Farm, Matt purchased 51 ¼ acres in 1873, where the family raised sheep, cattle, mules and horses. Matt was especially known for his registered saddle and harness horses. Browning also had a thriving business renting mules for cotton planting. These mules were bred from wild Texas ponies, which he purchased and that came to Milan by train and were raised on open range among the cane breaks along the Obion and Mississippi River Bottoms in Dyer County. The family has documented many family stories of the founding couple as well as succeeding generations.
Matt and Susan’s son, Samuel Spencer Browning, acquired the property after the death of his father in 1912. He and his wife, Audrey Lee, had one daughter, Martha Katherine Browning Newbill.
Today, Martha’s daughter, Marilin Rose Newbill Howell, the great-granddaughter of the founders, is the farm’s current owner. The property is leased by the family to Philip Crocker, who raises corn, soybeans and timber. The family also reported that a large spring known as Browning Springs has furnished fresh water for travelers, livestock and the people who lived on the farm throughout the years.
• “Another early Gibson County family that values and keeps the stories and documents of its several generations is the Wades,” said Hankins, referring to what is now known as the WBY Farm.
Per this land’s history, in 1827, William Wade moved from Maryland to Tennessee and established a 640-acre farm near the Brazil community. Married to Cassandra Jones, the couple had 15 children. The second generation to own the land was their son, Lewis Wade, who married Frankie Ferriss, and together they had nine children. In 1879, John Perry Wade became the third owner of the farm.
He and his wife Mary Crisp Jones Freeman had three children, James Lewis, Henry Hartwell and Alice A. John served as justice of the peace and partnered with two others in a mercantile business in Trenton.
In 1919, James Lewis acquired the property. James married Unity Beulah Simmons and they had two sons, John Perry Jr. and Frank. The family grew strawberries, cotton, hay, sorghum, wheat and corn. They also raised cattle, hogs and chickens. The family recalls that strawberry picking was a community event and people came from various parts of the community to pick the berries at two cents per quart.
John Perry Wade Jr. was the next owner of the farm. He and wife Bertha Dodson were the parents of Beulah Rebecca Wade. Primarily, they raised horses, cattle, hogs, cotton and corn. Then, in 1990, Beulah inherited the property from her parents. She married Beverly Durwood Buford, and they named their daughter Beverly Wade. This generation continued to produce cattle, hogs, cotton, corn and soybeans.
In 1998, Beverly Wade Buford Youree obtained the farm. She is actively involved in the management of the farm, which is worked by Joe Don and Lawrence Harden. Cotton, corn, wheat and soybeans are raised on the WBY Farm that has been a part of the farming landscape of Gibson County for more than 180 years.
“Congratulations to these families whose farms bring the total number of certified Century Farms in Gibson County to 22,” Hankins noted.
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 denoting 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 owner or request jpegs of these Century Farms, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[487]PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

PROGRAM RECOGNIZES HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
175-Year-Old Outlaw Farm Becomes County’s 17th & Newest Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Outlaw Farm in Haywood County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
“Haywood County had been in existence only 10 years when Andrew Jackson ‘A. J.’ Outlaw acquired 16 acres northeast of Brownsville in 1833,” Hankins noted.
According to the family’s records, Andrew married to Harriett Ann Williams Outlaw, and the couple had two children, William Price Outlaw and Winnaford Outlaw. By 1857, the property had been increased by 122 acres on which the family raised cotton, corn, hay, hogs, cattle and bees.
Reportedly, because of the drop in cotton prices during the Civil War, Outlaw had to sell some of his acreage to make ends meet. He lived for a short time in Arkansas while retaining ownership and operations of the Tennessee farm. The family recalled that Outlaw constructed the original Zion Baptist Church Building on Upper Zion Road, where he was a founding member.
In 1903, William Price Outlaw became the owner of the farm. William married Lienna Katherine Mann Outlaw and they had eight children: Dewey Slie, William Henry, Eunice Odell, Edna Earl, Harriett Ann, Luther Jackson, Sidney Johnston and Flossie, who died at an early age.
Under William’s ownership, the farm produced cotton, corn, hay, hogs, cattle and chickens. While managing the farm, William also served as the public school director of the 5th Civil District in Haywood County. He also was one of three people entrusted with land and money to build a school in the Allen community, according to the family.
The third generation to own the farm was William and Lienna’s son, Luther Jackson Outlaw. Larry Cleveland Outlaw and Jimmie Earl Outlaw are the children of Luther and his wife, Bernice Mann. During this time, the family grew cotton, corn, hay and soybeans and raised hogs, cattle and chickens. After Luther and Bernice passed away, their sons inherited the land. Jimmie married Shelvai Jean Cathey and Larry wed Betty Jean Taylor.
In 1992, Jimmie Earl Outlaw became the sole owner of the farm. Currently, Jimmie and his son, Mark, along with his nephew, Gene Outlaw, work the land. They raise cotton, soybeans, corn, wheat and hay as well as hogs and chickens. Over the years, the Outlaws have been active in agricultural related organizations such as the Farm Bureau and have received numerous awards in 4-H competitions. In 1989, Haywood County recognized Jimmie and Larry Outlaw for their corn production.
“The Outlaw Farm is the 17th Century Farm to be certified in Haywood County,” 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 denoting 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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[486]MEDIA ALERT

MEDIA ALERT

June 24, 2008

Chinese scholars and MTSU guests will visit Lynchburg, Tenn., tomorrow, June 25.

The attached news release provides background on this week’s U.S.-Sino Workshop on Mathematics and Science Education at Middle Tennessee State University. The week’s activities involve the exchange of innovative ideas and experiences to move math and science education to greater heights in both the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China.

With all that hard work, our guests also will be taking a break tomorrow for some informal tours and dining in middle Tennessee.

At 11 a.m., one group will visit Jack Daniels Distillery and the town of Lynchburg. At the same time, another group will be dining at Miss Mary BoBo’s.

At 1 p.m., the groups will exchange locations so that one will tour the distillery and the other will be at Miss Mary BoBo’s.

They will leave Lynchburg at 3 p.m.

We wanted to alert the local media about their special visit to middle Tennessee and to the Lynchburg area—in the event that your newspaper would like to cover it.

Please ask for MTSU’s Dr. Diane Miller in the group, who is taking the lead on this eventful week. Two MTSU students will be accompanying the group and serving as translators: They are Rong Wang (Joanne) and Jia Xiaohua (Grace).

If you need additional information, please call MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919. If you do a story on their visit, we would appreciate receiving a copy for our files. Many thanks for your interest.

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[485]PROGRAM RECOGNIZES ROBERTSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

PROGRAM RECOGNIZES ROBERTSON COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
100-Year-Old Ayres Farm Becomes County’s Newest Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Ayres Farm in Robertson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
“It was 100 years ago this past April that Daniel Pinkney and Mary Ayres acquired just over 80 acres in Cedar Hill,” said Hankins of the farm’s founders, who had three sons, Joseph, Jack and William, and raised tobacco and corn.
The second owner of the land was Daniel’s brother, James Madison Ayres. He acquired the property in 1910. He and his wife Mary Elizabeth reared five children: Bessie Ellen, James Louis, Willie Stephen, Samuel Lee and Wallace. During this generation, the farm produced corn, tobacco and wheat.
In 1931, James Louis Ayres became the third generation to own the farm. James Louis married Virginia Ewing; their three children were Clarence Edward, James Daniel and Betty Ann. Growing up during the Great Depression, James Daniel remembered that the family was reasonably self-sufficient. He reports that everyone worked hard to produce corn, tobacco, dairy cattle, hogs and chickens for the family’s table and to sell. He also recalled that though their house was small, “We always had room for family or friends who had no other place to live.”
In 1945, the farm received electricity and in the early 1950s, the family’s first telephone was on an eight-party line.
In 1981, James Daniel, married to Billie Ann, became the fourth generation of the Ayres family to own the farm. Their son, Jeff, produces corn, tobacco, hay and beef cattle on the property that is now celebrating a century of family ownership and agricultural production.
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 denoting 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 owner or request a jpeg of the Century Farm metal sign that is presented to farm owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[484]TRANSLATORS AID COMMUNICATIONS

Release date: June 20, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
U.S.-Sino workshop MTSU contact: Dr. Diane Miller, 615-898-2329


TRANSLATORS AID COMMUNICATIONS
FOR JUNE 22-27 U.S.-SINO WORKSHOP AT MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — Mathematical sciences professor Xiaoya Zha and management and marketing associate professor Jinfeng Yue share a common thread in their roles as translators for the June 22-27 U.S.-Sino Workshop on Mathematics and Science Education.
Co-hosted by MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, the invitation-only workshop will have the central theme of “Identifying Common Priorities that Promote Collaborative Research.”
“Every Chinese faculty member here feels obligated (to help),” Zha said.
“It is my honor and my duty to help the progress in this conference,” Yue added.
Obviously, when you merge 50 Chinese higher-education people with 75 from the United States — and math and science are the subject matters — communication could be a problem.
That’s where Zha, Yue and a dozen or so faculty members and students enter the picture. They will serve as translators.
Yue will even enlist the services of his son David, 10, and daughter Cynthia, 7.
“Both speak both languages,” Yue said. “They can help and learn from a conference. This opportunity will give them an impression of how the whole conference is running.”
“This is a very important event for both co-hosting universities and both countries that is being partially funded by the National Science Foundation,” said Dr. Diane Miller, interim vice provost for academic affairs and MTSU co-chair for the U.S.-Sino workshop along with Northwest Normal Vice President Deng Hualing.
“While the workshop's language will be English, organizers realize that the visiting Chinese scholars will have varying degrees of proficiency in English,” Miller added. “The volunteers will help ensure that the Chinese scholars can fully participate in and benefit from all meetings and events.”
In addition to Zha and Yue, who hold doctorates from Ohio State and Washington State University, respectively, Miller said other faculty members have volunteered to serve as translators and to transport Chinese participants from and to the airport in Nashville. They are Drs. Wandi Ding, Don Hong and Liping Zhang (math); Chong Chen and Yang Zhifu (engineering technology); Amy Xia and Thomas Li-Ping Tang (management and marketing); and Zhijiang Dong (computer science).
Miller said two graduate students, Jia “Grace” Xiaohua and Rong “Joann” Wang, also are helping her with the project and arranging for a few Chinese students to offer their expertise during the week. Wang said she helped translate for both MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Northwest Nornal’s president in 2007 when McPhee visited China.
Zha said he is glad to see this math-science collaboration between MTSU and this university from his native country.
“MTSU is doing so much more with undergraduate research, starting Ph.D. programs and the promotion of the research,” he said. “The research level is certainly different than 10 years ago. It has provided many opportunities for faculty to develop themselves. This (collaboration) is purely international. It's kind of unique.”
Yue said collaborations like this could enhance exchange programs.
“We could exchange faculty and students, and they also could send faculty to MTSU,” he said. “In business programs, we're also looking for opportunities for joint programs in China so we can bring our MBA experience to China.”
Grad student Xiaohua will bring familiarity to the workshop. The math education major is an exchange student from Northwest Normal.
“I will be a contact to the Chinese participants, providing workshop information to them and helping them get to MTSU successfully,” said Xiaophua, who added that she knows eight Chinese faculty, including her major director, making the trip. “I will be more involved while the Chinese group is here that entire week.”
Xiaophua said she will return to China in August and hopes to graduate from NNU in December before embarking on a teaching career.
The opening gala dinner will be held in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22. U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon, an MTSU alumnus, will deliver the opening address.
During the week, four plenary lectures and 48 topic session papers will be given by scholars from both nations. Miller said participants will be divided into working groups to identify common priorities promoting collaborative research.
The event is being funded by the National Science Foundation, Texas Instruments and MTSU’s Offices of the President, Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost for Research, the Colleges of Basic and Applied Sciences and Education and Behavioral Science, the Department of Mathematical Sciences, the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, and businessman and alumnus Paul W. Martin Jr.

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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Media welcomed.

[483]MORE THAN 800 GRADUATE FROM MTSU AT 96th SUMMER COMMENCEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2008 (Embargoed)—Also, need more graduation numbers.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Office of News and Public Affairs, 615-898-2919

MORE THAN 800 GRADUATE FROM MTSU AT 96th SUMMER COMMENCEMENT
Single-Ceremony Event Will Again be Webcast for Those Unable to Attend

(MURFREESBORO)—A projected 832 degree candidates will graduate during the 96th annual summer commencement ceremony, MTSU officials announced recently.
The single-ceremony graduation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, in Murphy Center on the campus of MTSU, with Dr. Kevin E. Smith, professor for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil, delivering the commencement address.
Some 700 of this summer’s degree candidates will be undergraduates, said Sherian Huddleston, assistant vice provost, Enrollment Services, with 129 students slated to graduate from the College of Graduate Studies. This total includes 117 master's degrees and 11 specialist in education degrees. Three graduate certificates have been earned also, but these are not bestowed during the commencement event.
Prior to joining the MTSU faculty in 1994, Smith served as an archaeological field and lab director for projects investigating plantation landscapes and slave life at The Hermitage, home of U.S. President Andrew Jackson, and as a field director for the Vanderbilt University Archaeological Field School. He also was a teaching fellow of anthropology for VU in 1986-1991 and a state archaeologist in 1990-91, where he was principal investigator for archaeological projects on state lands before being named a federal programs archaeologist for the Tennessee Division of Archaeology from 1991 to ‘94.
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1986) and a Master of Arts degree (1990) in anthropology from VU before garnering a Ph.D. (1992) in anthropology from the same university. His doctoral dissertation was titled “The Middle Cumberland Region: Mississippian Archaeology in North Central Tennessee.” He also holds professional memberships in a number of professional organizations, including the Cumberland River Archaeological Society, the Society for Historical Archaeology, Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology, Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society, Mid-South Archaeological Conference, and the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, among others.
He has devoted professional service to the a number of archaeological organizations, including serving as vice chairman of the Tennessee Archaeological Advisory Council since 2004, a governor-appointed role; past president and current vice president and editor for the Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society; past committee chairman, editor, co-editor and board member for the Tennessee Council for Professional Archaeology from 1993 to present; state editorial coordinator for the Southeastern Archaeological Conference Bulletin in 1997-2002; interim editor and interim treasurer for the Tennessee Anthropological Association in 1998-2000; and membership on the editorial advisory board of American Archaeology in 2005-07.
In addition to his 2007-08 tenure as president of MTSU’s Faculty Senate, Smith has penned numerous journal articles, technical papers, reports and book chapters, as
well as book reviews and encyclopedia entries. His upcoming book, “Speaking with the
Ancestors: Mississippian Stone Statuary of the Tennessee-Cumberland Style,” is slated to be published by University of Alabama Press in November. Moreover, Smith has yielded more than $680,000 in external and internal grant funding through his research and work for MTSU.
Dr. Diane Miller, professor, mathematical sciences, and interim chairwoman of the commencement committee, said she wanted to remind all degree candidates of the importance of appropriate dress, decorum and respect for the commencement ceremony.
“We believe this is a very important day in the lives of many people,” Miller said. “Commencement is one of those few days that families always remember as special. It is difficult to give the ceremony the dignified atmosphere it deserves if attendees are using air horns or leaving before the completion of the ceremony.”
Additionally, Miller noted that the graduation committee also emphasized that students who participate in commencement will be required to stay for the entire ceremony. The ceremony should last about two hours. If candidates are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this commitment, she said.
“To make this a special day, it requires cooperation from everyone in attendance,” Miller said. “We believe it should be a dignified ceremony, which adds to its enjoyment of all in attendance.”
At 8:30 a.m. Aug. 9, Murphy Center doors will open for the commencement
ceremony. Candidates are expected to be in their assigned areas, dressed in their caps and gowns, no later than 9 a.m. Officials report that students who are not in their assigned gym at the proper times will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony. Because commencement rehearsals are no longer conducted, timely attendance is mandatory for students to receive important instructions.
Graduation information—including how to access the graduation ceremony via streaming video the day of commencement, maps and driving directions to Murphy Center, cap-and-gown information and how to order a DVD of the summer ceremony— is available online by accessing www.mtsunews.com and clicking on the “Graduation Information” link at the top, center of the Web page.
For more information about receiving a degree in absentia, please visit the Records Office Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~records/ grad.htm . Any additional questions about graduation may be directed to the Records Office at 615-898-2600.

MTSU SUMMER 2008 COMMENCEMENT AT A GLANCE

Who: 832 graduates* (700 undergraduates, 129 graduate students)
What: MTSU’s 96th annual summer commencement ceremony.
When: 10 a.m. Aug. 9; doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Murphy Center
Commencement speaker: Dr. Kevin E. Smith, professor for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the current MTSU representative of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ (TBR) Faculty Subcouncil
* — Approximate number as of June 16, 2008.

**ATTENTION, MEDIA—To secure a jpeg of Dr. Smith for editorial use, please e-mail your request to gfann@mtsu.edu in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU.


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[482]LOCAL EDUCATOR PUBLISHES CHILDREN’S BOOK IN ENGLISH & JAPANESE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, lrollins@mtsu.edu or 615-494-8857

LOCAL EDUCATOR PUBLISHES CHILDREN’S BOOK IN ENGLISH & JAPANESE
Traditional Folktale Adapted for U.S. Readers, Illustrated by Franklin Designer

(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Jan Hayes, an award-winning educator and professor emeritus at MTSU, has published her first children’s book, “The Split Tongue Sparrow,” a traditional Japanese folktale, that is was illustrated by Franklin-based graphic designer Bobby Dawson.
Now available from O’More Publishing, the hardcover book was adapted into English by Hayes, who also created haiku poems to begin and conclude the folktale. Once Hayes completed her English adaptation of the title, she said it was suggested that the book also include the “The Split Tongue Sparrow” in Kanji, one of the three scripts used in the Japanese language that first introduced to Japan in the 5th century via Korea. In turn, Eri Redfern, the wife of one of Hayes’ former students, translated her adaptation back into Japanese.
A member of MTSU’s educational leadership faculty from 1973 to 2007, Hayes said she first learned of the sparrow folktale in 1988 during a trip to the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Enamored with the story, Hayes—who is a longtime storyteller of folktales—said she requested that the tale be written down, in Kanji, for her to one day have translated.
Much later and back in her Murfreesboro hometown, Hayes said, “I took the story to a friend at the Japan Center of Middle Tennessee State University … (who) roughly translated the story into English. Then, I researched Japanese folktales so that the retelling would maintain the flavor of a Japanese folktale.”
It was at this point, Hayes added, that she decided the story should begin and end with a haiku poem, a style of poetry that originated in Japan and is always 17 syllables in length and about nature.
Although she taught children’s literature for more than three decades and has authored books for educators and administrators on positive self-concept development, “The Split Tongue Sparrow” is Hayes first children’s book.
The book, $14 per copy, is currently available from its publisher, O’More Publishing (http://www.omorepublishing.com/), which began in 2002 as an avenue for publishing art, design, and educational research documented by O’More professors. Since that time, the company has grown to now include authors outside of O’More College’s employment.
Dawson, the book’s illustrator, is a graduate of the O’More School of Design and senior graphic designer for Cold Tree Press and Hooded Friar Press publishing.
Hayes said all proceeds from the book will benefit the Hilliard Institute for Educational Wellness, a new center at O’ More that is based on whole teaching and learning research and the application of innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Hayes or Dawson, please contact Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-494-8857. A jpeg of the book’s cover also is available for editorial use upon request.

[481]MEDIA ADVISORY

*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
Date: June 20, 2008
News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919


Option 1: CHINESE SCHOLARS ARRIVE IN NASHVILLE

Who: Chinese math and science scholars
What: Arrival in Nashville begins weeklong math/science workshop at MTSU
When: 9 a.m. Sunday, June, 22
Where: Nashville International Airport
Etc.: Chinese visitors are scheduled to arrive in Nashville at 9:06 a.m. CDT on United Airlines flight #7935
MTSU student and faculty translators will be available to assist with interviews.
The university’s greeting party will include President Sidney A. McPhee and Dr. Diane Miller, interim vice provost for academic affairs and U.S.-Sino math/science workshop event organizing committee co-chair
Workshop Web site: http://www.mtsu.edu/sino_us/

Option 2: U.S.-Sino workshop gala dinner

Who: U.S. and Chinese math and science scholars
What: Opening session gala dinner
When: 6 p.m. Sunday, June, 22
Where: Tennessee Room of James Union Building on MTSU campus
Etc.: U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon will deliver keynote address; Chinese dancers perform;
MTSU student and faculty translators will be available to assist with interviews.
Contact: Dr. Diane Miller
Workshop Web site: http://www.mtsu.edu/sino_us/

For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[480]MTSU CREATOR OF CANNES FILM FESTIVAL ENTRY TO BE INTERVIEWED ON MTSU’s “ON THE RECORD” JUNE 22

MTSU CREATOR OF CANNES FILM FESTIVAL ENTRY TO BE INTERVIEWED ON MTSU’s “ON THE RECORD” JUNE 22

June 16, 2008

CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919


MURFREESBORO—A new independent film titled “Wait…,” produced, written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, associate professor of electronic media communication at Middle Tennessee State University, was accepted recently at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Pondillo’s friend, David Lawrence, a resident of Los Angeles, is the sole actor in the story about a man who receives the news that his son has been killed while serving in the military. MTSU students also participated in the film production.

Both Pondillo and Lawrence will be guests on MTSU’s “On the Record” radio program produced by Gina Logue and MTSU’s Office of News and Public Affairs. The program will air Sunday, June 22, at 7 a.m. on WMOT-FM (89.5). Podcasts of the weekly program are available at www.mtsunews.com.

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NOTE: We appreciate your help in increasing our listening audience to “On the Record” on Sunday mornings. Gina Logue does an excellent job.

[478]MTSU BRINGS ASSOCIATE VP ON BOARD TO CONSOLIDATE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

MTSU BRINGS ASSOCIATE VP ON BOARD TO CONSOLIDATE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

June 12, 2008
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919
Dr. Tonjanita Johnson, 615-494-7800

MURFREESBORO—Following intermittent jaunts to MTSU from Mississippi Valley State University as a part-time employee over the past two months, Dr. Tonjanita L. Johnson has settled into the full-time position as associate vice president for marketing and communications at MTSU, having officially begun June 1. She will also work with the Office of the President on executive communications.
Previously, she served for seven years as executive assistant to the president/associate vice president for university relations at the MVSU campus in Itta Bena, Miss., and before that as the school’s director of public relations.
“Tonja comes to us with great academic experience,” commented Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations. “Her professional career at both the University of Alabama and Mississippi Valley State gives her the perspective of both large and small institutions that have to integrate their communications programs. Her private sector background will help bring a business perspective to our daily operations."
“In her marketing and communications oversight role, Dr. Johnson will work to create more efficiency of time, effort and output among the various departments that disseminate information from MTSU,” President Sidney A. McPhee added. “We welcome her expertise in developing this kind of synergy to showcase the university in a positive and more comprehensive manner. I welcome her to MTSU and look forward to working with her.”
Johnson wants to integrate the division’s communication services in order to tell a more complete MTSU story.
“We need to bring more consistency to our image in terms of how we promote ourselves locally, in the state and throughout the nation,” she said. “It’s about who we are and what we do. We all want to be promoting the same message.
“I want to make sure we’re all aware of the institutional polices and procedures for our marketing campaigns,” she continued. “I want to make sure we’re educating people on what those policies and procedures are and how they can get the most from their efforts.”
While the “I’m One!” campaign features students first and foremost, Johnson believes the faculty should be an integral part of that effort.
“I want to showcase the faculty and staff,” she said. “I want this to be an office where faculty members can come in and share ideas on our marketing and communication efforts.
“I’m mission-oriented. I think Dr. McPhee has a great vision for this institution, and everything we do in marketing and communications is going to be geared toward the mission and vision of MTSU. … The key is to understand the priorities, goals and objectives of the university.”
Coming from Mississippi, Johnson says she understands fully budget constraints. She wants to do a thorough review of where there may be duplication of time and energy in order to create a more efficient operation.
“Tonja gives us the opportunity to bring the entire university communications process under one umbrella,” Bales noted. “We need to involve the entire campus in an effective marketing and branding campaign.”
“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Johnson added. “One of the great things about being here is the fact that all the pieces are in place. I think we have an excellent staff, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”
Johnson began her career at the University of Alabama as a New York Times Scholar and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UA in mass communication. Later, she earned her Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson (Miss.) State University. Next month, she will attend the 2008 Institute for Education Management at Harvard University. She is married to UA graduate and retired NFL player Tony Johnson. They have a 7-year-old daughter, T’Anna Gabrielle.

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NOTE: For a jpeg of Johnson, please e-mail Gina Fann at gfann@mtsu.edu.

[476]JAZZ AGE SPRINGS TO LIFE, REVISITS MURFREESBORO VIA NEW MURAL PROJECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or Melissa Zimmerman, 615-217-8013

JAZZ AGE SPRINGS TO LIFE, REVISITS MURFREESBORO VIA NEW MURAL PROJECT
Nationally Known Artist Anfinson, MTSU Students Undertake History-Meets-Art Endeavor,
Public Invited & Encouraged to Watch Artists Create Jazz Age Mural at Heritage Center

(MURFREESBORO)—The bygone era known as the Jazz Age will soon find new life via art in downtown Murfreesboro with the inspired aid of Erin Anfinson, assistant professor of art at MTSU, who will return to The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to complete a new mural depicting this historic time.
Beginning July 1 and continuing through mid-August, Anfinson—along with MTSU students Emily May-Ragland and Sarah Sullivan—will avidly work each afternoon to create a Jazz Age-inspired mural, more than 6 feet tall and nearly 20 feet long, which depicts “flappers and Dapper Dans on a night out in Murfreesboro.”
A member of MTSU’s art faculty since 2006, Anfinson “has designed a mural that reflects the Jazz Age’s energy and art deco aesthetics,” said Melissa Zimmerman, heritage programming specialist for the Center for Historic Preservation.
“Art deco design, patterns and color palettes have always struck me as exceptionally lively and fun subject matter, which made conducting research for this project a pleasure,” said Anfinson, referring to the upcoming project and art deco style, which was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939.
“The design for this mural stemmed from photos, art deco designs and illustrations from the 1920s,” she continued. “The Heritage Center folks suggested that the mural reflect a sense of 1920s nightlife or illustrate a ‘speakeasy’ feel. I looked at a lot of paintings and illustrations and decided to work in the final design with several couples dancing and socializing at a bar. The background is going will be directly from an art deco, stained-glass pattern I found.”
Moreover, the nationally recognized artist said she felt the new mural was a unique opportunity for some of the department’s student talent to further hone their painting skills.
“Both of these women have impressed me as exceptional students in our department, and I'm thrilled to bring their ideas and technical talents to this project,” Anfinson said. “Because the students were so busy with their studies this (past) semester, I did most of the research for the basic design myself. I've given them drafts of design ideas throughout the process and we will inevitably be collaborating on the final details and color choices.”
Anfinson said the students’ involvement in the hands-on process of creating the mural will be “pretty intense” from the project’s start to finish.
“I really wanted this project to be a practical experiential learning and professional development opportunity for the students involved,” she explained. “I don't think either of them have worked on a commissioned painting this large before and I hope this will be a valuable professional experience they can draw on in the future.
“All in all, they will be completing a bulk of the actual sketching, painting, color mixing, et cetera, as a team. They are both very talented women,” Anfinson added, “and I'm extremely excited about completing this project with them and know they will do an excellent job.”
As for theme of the history-inspired mural, Zimmerman said, “The choice of art deco
style also brings to mind such lost architectural treasures as Murfreesboro’s Princess Theatre, which once sat on the corner of College and Maple streets, lit up with neon lights and showing the best Hollywood had to offer—just a half-block away from the Heritage Center.”
Zimmer said the original mural will serve as the backdrop for an expanded exhibit titled Entering the Modern Era: Murfreesboro’s Jazz Age, which looks at the events, people, and institutions that helped to transform Murfreesboro and Rutherford County during this early 20th century era of expansion, growing urban sophistication and depression-era hardship. The work by Anfinson and her students will be supported by the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, which also sponsored the original Jazz Age exhibit.
Officially starting work on the mural July 1, Anfinson, along with May-Ragland and Sullivan, said they anticipate painting nearly every afternoon, with a goal of completing the mural by mid-August—just in time for the expansion of the current exhibit, which will be completed in September and will further explore this era of great social change and growth.
“I am excited to be working with the Heritage Center again this summer and was honored to have been asked to complete this new mural,” remarked Anfinson, who is perhaps best known for her landscape paintings that have gained national attention with showings in galleries from New York to Nashville.
Additionally, recent exhibits of her works have been held at both the TAG Art Gallery and Ruby Green Contemporary Art Center in Nashville, as well as the completion of the Occupied Murfreesboro mural she painted for the Heritage Center last summer, which is on display at the center’s main exhibit gallery as part of a permanent Civil War exhibit for the City of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.
Located at 225 W. College St., the center is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily each Monday through Friday, excluding major holidays. Admission is always free and the public is invited to watch the new mural’s creation.
For more information on the center, including current exhibits, visitors’ information on area sites, cultural events, programming or guided walking tours, please contact the center directly at 615-217-8013.



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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with artist Anfinson, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-898-2919 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu. To interview The Heritage Center’s Zimmerman, please contact her directly at 615-217-8013 or via e-mail at mzimmerm@mtsu.edu.
Media are welcomed and encouraged to photograph the artists at work but the courtesy of advance notice is requested. A jpeg of Anfinson is available upon request by e-mailing Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

[477]U.S.-SINO MATH, SCIENCE WORKSHOP AT MTSU ADDING UP TO SUCCESS

Release date: June 12, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
U.S.-Sino Math-Science Workshop co-chair contact: Dr. Diane Miller, 615-898-2881


JUNE 22-27 U.S.-SINO MATH, SCIENCE WORKSHOP AT MTSU ADDING UP TO SUCCESS


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU and Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, People's Republic of China, will co-host a workshop on mathematics and science education on MTSU’s campus the week of June 22-27, Dr. Diane Miller, the event’s organizing committee co-chair, said recently.
Participation is by invitation only and will include 125 scholars, 50 confirmed from 20 universities in China and 75 confirmed from 40 universities in the United States, Miller said.
Four plenary lectures and 48 topic session papers will be given by both U.S. and P.R.C. scholars. Participants will be divided into research working groups, or RWGs, whose objective is to identify common priorities that promote collaborative research. Topic session papers will cover six broad areas: curriculum, assessment, teacher preparation, professional development, integrating technology into the teaching and learning of mathematics and science, and strategies for reaching underserved populations.
The week’s activities will begin Sunday, June 22, with a dinner event during which U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon will deliver the opening address. Plenary lectures will be delivered by:
• Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, division director, National Science Foundation;
• Dr. Liping Ma, author of “Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics” and currently with The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching;
• Dr. Guo Shaoqing, professor at NWNU and member of several projects funded by the United Nations Development Program; and
• Dr. Wan Minggang, NWNU professor and member of several projects sponsored by the European Union Commission and the United Kingdom government that focus on improving basic education in the remote areas of Gansu Province and western China.


The speaker for the closing luncheon will be Dr. Xue Yanqing, a division chief for the China Education Association for International Exchanges in the P.R.C.’s Ministry of Education.
“The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for researchers from the United States and China to meet, discuss and identify common priorities that promote collaborative research,” Miller said. “The most important unit of the workshop will be the research working groups, which will be developing professional relationships that will sustain a collaborative research agenda over a period of time.
“A primary interest of the Office of International Science & Engineering at the National Science Foundation is the process through which the research working groups are formed and organized to conduct collaborative research that will benefit mathematics and science education in both countries. The size of a research working group is not being defined prior to the workshop. The only guideline is that the membership of a research working group must contain both U.S. and P.R.C. scholars.”
Miller said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee suggested the workshop to NWNU President Wang Limin during McPhee’s visit to NWNU in 2006.
“The partnership between MTSU and NWNU dates back to 2003, when I and Deng Hualing, NWNU’s vice president who is serving as the other co-chair, participated in a Sino-American Leadership Training program sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the China Education Association for International Exchanges.
A number of MTSU faculty and students will serve as translators and help transport the Chinese guests to and from Nashville International Airport, Miller said.
The event is being funded by the National Science Foundation, Texas Instruments and MTSU’s Offices of the President, Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost for research, the Colleges of Basic and Applied Sciences and Education and Behavioral Science, the Department of Mathematical Sciences, the McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, the Tennessee Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Center, and MTSU alumnus Paul W. Martin Jr.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[475]FIREWORKS, PATRIOTIC MUSIC, FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT MTSU JULY 4th

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

June 9, 2008
CONTACT: Marlane Sewell, Parks and Rec, 615-893-2141
Tom Tozer, MTSU, 615-898-2919

MURFREESBORO—Rutherford County’s “Celebration Under the Stars” will once again be held on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University—and admission to the family-oriented event will be free of charge. Festivities will kick off at 5 p.m., Friday, July 4, on the university’s intramural field, the traditional site for the countywide event.
From 5 to 8 p.m., there will be games and activities for the kids, including face painting, games, and arts ‘n’ crafts projects. Also, there will be inflatable playgrounds, sack races, egg tosses, along with prizes and promotional giveaways. Glow-in-the-dark necklaces will be on sale.
The Col. Hardy Murfree Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution again will provide free American flags for everyone. The chapter has provided flags for this celebration for the last 10 years.
Wal-Mart at Old Fort Parkway is donating the “Celebration Under the Stars” birthday cakes.
Rep. John Hood, program emcee, will extend a formal welcome at 7:50 p.m., followed by remarks from local dignitaries and sponsor representatives. This is Hood’s 11th year serving as emcee for this event.
At 8:00 p.m., following the presentation of colors by the Murfreesboro Fire Department’s Color Guard and singing of the national anthem by MTSU Associate Professor H. Stephen Smith, the Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra will present a program of traditional patriotic tunes, rousing Sousa marches, and inspirational classics. Dr. Raphael Bundage, professor in the MTSU School of Music, will conduct.
The fireworks display will light up the sky at 9:00 p.m.


Caution, parents!

Because there is construction on campus, some temporary fencing will be erected as a barrier in order to keep people from approaching construction zones. Nevertheless, we urge parents to keep a close eye on their youngsters during the celebration and away from those construction areas.


Entering campus: Traffic patterns will be different due to campus construction

٠Guests should enter the campus on Faulkinberry Drive off Middle Tennessee Boulevard—Champions Way off Greenland Drive—Alumni Drive off Rutherford Boulevard—or north from East Main Street onto one of the connecting roadways.
٠All other entrances on the east side of campus along Rutherford Boulevard will be closed.
٠Parking will not be permitted on either side of Rutherford Boulevard.
٠An on-campus section of Blue Raider Drive south of the Tennessee Livestock Center down to the Recreation Center will be closed to traffic.
٠Parking will not be permitted in any lots on the four corners of MTSU Boulevard and Blue Raider Drive. This includes lots adjacent to Scarlett Commons and the softball field.
٠The lots adjacent to the Recreation Center will be closed.
٠The best parking on campus will be north (toward Greenland ) and west (toward Middle Tennessee Boulevard) of the celebration site and also in the large lot on the east side of Rutherford Boulevard. Parking will also be available in the Tennessee Livestock Center lot.
ADA parking will be available by entering campus from the south side heading north on Blue Raider Drive near the Recreation Center. By showing your permit, a staff person will direct you to the appropriate lot.
٠MTSU police and university personnel will be on duty to help people locate parking areas.

Exiting campus: Guests are asked to exit the way they entered

٠Rutherford Boulevard will be closed temporarily during the fireworks display and re-opened as soon as the area has been cleared.
٠At the end of the evening, guests are asked to exit by the route they used to get to the celebration. All lots on the north (Greenland Drive) side of MTSU Boulevard will be directed to exit campus via Champion Way onto Greenland Drive or via Faulkinberry Drive to Middle Tennessee Blvd.
٠All lots on the south (East Main Street) side of MTSU Boulevard will be directed to exit campus via the new Alumni Drive onto Rutherford Boulevard or via Womack Lane and Baird Lane onto East Main Street.

Please make it a safe celebration for everyone

For safety purposes, organizers would like to remind everyone that pets, alcoholic beverages, cooking grills and personal fireworks or sparklers are not permitted on the celebration site. In addition, banners and signs from outside groups, other than the evening’s sponsors, will not be allowed on the grounds. Families are encouraged, however, to bring picnic baskets, lawn chairs, and blankets for picnicking on the grass.
Sodehxo, food vendor for the event, will sell soft drinks, pizza, hotdogs, and traditional holiday snacks and desserts.
Sponsors of the event include MTSU, The Daily News Journal, the City of Murfreesboro, Murfreeboro Parks and Recreation, Rutherford County Government, and Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.
Supporters of the symphony include the City of Murfreesboro, SunTrust Bank, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and Aquatic Critter, and General Mills.
A special “Celebration Under the Stars” publication will be inserted in the July 3 DNJ, providing a schedule of activities and a map of the celebration site.
For more information about the celebration, call Marlane Sewell, steering committee chair, at 615-893-2141 or Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation at 890-5333 or MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919.

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[473]SIX LOCAL HIGH-SCHOOL GRADUATES RECEIVE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIPS

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


SIX LOCAL HIGH-SCHOOL GRADUATES RECEIVE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIPS


(MURFREESBORO) — Six recent Rutherford County high-school graduates have been awarded and accepted Buchanan Fellowships from the University Honors College at MTSU, officials from the college announced recently.
The recipients, who are part of the second class of Buchanan Fellowship recipients, include:
• Eldridge Alexander, a graduate of Riverdale High School, who is the son of David and Becky Alexander;
• Kaitlin Danielle Beck, an Oakland High graduate, who is the daughter of Stacy and John Palmer and John Beck;
• Troy Joseph Berry, an Oakland graduate, who is the son of Chris and Tammy Berry;
• Erica Nicole Cathey, a Siegel High School graduate, who is the daughter of Jan and Ricky Cathey;
• Lee Reed, a Siegel graduate, who is the son of Brian and Susan Reed; and
• Lauren Rigsby of Rockvale, a Riverdale High graduate, who is the daughter of Alan and Delora Rigsby.
The other Buchanan recipients include Shelby Christine Barton of Libby, Mont.; Holly Caitlin Cunninghan of Clinton, Iowa; Adam Ethan Emerson of Liberty; Adam Gimenez of Madison, Ala.; Erica Page Gober of Old Hickory; Eric Nathan Guyes of Roanoke, Va.; Jennifer Lynn Johnson of Maryville; Katherine Jarvis Miller of Athens, Ga.; Nathan Reale of Franklin; James Patrick Skelley of Jackson; Chad Slaven of Harrogate; and Christen Denise Vann of Normandy. Two of the recipients requested their information not be published.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[472] CUMBERLAND GAP HIGH GRADUATE SLAVEN RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


CUMBERLAND GAP HIGH GRADUATE SLAVEN RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — Chad Slaven of Harrogate has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University.
Slaven, a recent graduate of Cumberland Gap High School, is the son of Rick and Jackie Slaven of Harrogate. He will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[471] JACKSON’S SKELLEY RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


JACKSON’S SKELLEY RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — James Patrick Skelley of Jackson has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University.
Skelley, a recent graduate of Liberty Technical Magnet High School, is the son of Richard and Barbara Skelley of Jackson. He will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[470] MOORE COUNTY GRADUATE VANN RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


MOORE COUNTY GRADUATE VANN RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — Christen Denise Vann of Normandy has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University.
Vann, a recent graduate of Moore County High School in Lynchburg, is the daughter of Matt and Tanya Vann of Normandy. She will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[469] MARYVILLE HIGH GRADUATE JOHNSON RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


MARYVILLE HIGH GRADUATE JOHNSON RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — Jennifer Lynn Johnson of Maryville has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University.
Johnson, a recent graduate of Maryville High School, is the daughter of Wendy Johnson of Maryville. She will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[468] LIBEERTY’S EMERSON RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


LIBEERTY’S EMERSON RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — Adam Emerson of Liberty has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at MTSU.
Emerson, a recent graduate of DeKalb County High School, is the son of Alan and Judy Emerson of Liberty. He will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[467] FRANKLIN HIGH GRADUATE REALE RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP

Release date: June 6, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Honors College contact: Dr. Scott Carnicom, 615-898-2152


FRANKLIN HIGH GRADUATE REALE RECEIVES MTSU HONORS COLLEGE BUCHANAN FELLOWSHIP


(MURFREESBORO) — Nathan Reale of Franklin has been awarded and accepted a Buchanan Fellowship by the University Honors College at MTSU.
Reale, a recent graduate of Franklin High School, is the son of Carrie and John Reale of Franklin. He will start classes in August.
The Buchanan Fellowship, which covers tuition and includes $1,000 annually for books, is named in honor of MTSU’s Nobel Prize-winning alumnus, Dr. James M. Buchanan. The Buchanan Fellowship, limited to 20 students per year, is the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU.
Buchanan Fellowship applicants must have an overall high-school grade point average of 3.5 or higher, an ACT score of 25 or higher or an SAT score of 1160 or higher.
MTSU, which began an honors program in 1973, developed Tennessee’s first Honors College in 1998. The college is housed in the 21,000 square foot Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, which opened in 2004, on the east side of campus.
Prospective high-school students wanting to apply for a Buchanan Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year must apply for admission and complete the fellowship application by Dec. 1.
For more information about the Honors College or Buchanan Fellowships, call 615-898-2152 or visit honors.web.mtsu.edu/.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[466] PROGRAM RECOGNIZES RUTHERFORD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 3, 2008
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

PROGRAM RECOGNIZES RUTHERFORD COUNTY FARM FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
Butler Farm Becomes County’s Newest and 27th Designated Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Butler Farm in Rutherford County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reported Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Butler Farm is located east of Murfreesboro on the Old Woodbury Highway. Hankins said that although the exact founding date is unknown, census records indicate that Josiah Butler owned the property by 1880. Married to Martha Lillard Butler, they had seven children. On the 26 acres, the family raised corn, cotton and vegetables. In 1889, Josiah purchased more acreage that would eventually be used as the family cemetery.
Josiah and Martha’s oldest son, Perry, was the next generation to own the farm. Perry married Alice Henderson Butler and they had 10 children. According to the family’s history, Alice was the daughter of Isaac and Lavinia Henderson, two former slaves of Rutherford County Judge Logan Henderson. Henderson owned the historic property known as “Farmington” located on the Manchester Pike. During their ownership, Perry and Alice founded a school and a church on the property. The family raised vegetables, cotton, horses, cattle, chickens and goats.
The third owner of the farm was Perry and Alice’s son, Oscar Alfonzo Butler. Oscar and wife Annie Bell Spain Butler had four children: Elizabeth, Oscar Perry Sr., Alice and James. In addition to raising a family, his son reports that he was also a seller of moonshine. During their ownership, Woodbury Road was constructed and as a result of the highway, two rock quarries were formed on the land.
The current owner of the farm is James Butler Sr. James married Dolores Williams of Murfreesboro and the couple had eight children. In addition to managing the farm, James is a veteran of World War II and has also been an active member in the community by serving as a mason, a shriner, a board member of the St. Clair Senior Center and a volunteer at the Room at the Inn shelter.
Today, James still works the land that produces goats, vegetables, Black Angus cattle and hay. A barn, the family cemetery and a farmhouse still stand on the property.
“The Butler Farm is one of just a few of Tennessee’s Century Farms that was founded by emancipated slaves and is the 27th Rutherford County farm to be certified,” Hankins noted.
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 denoting 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 owner or request a jpeg of this Century Farm metal sign that is presented to farm owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[465] LOCAL ENTITIES PARTNER TO CREATE CIVIL WAR BOOK/DISCUSSION GROUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2008
CONTACT: Heritage Center, 615-217-8013

LOCAL ENTITIES PARTNER TO CREATE CIVIL WAR BOOK/DISCUSSION GROUP
‘Between the Lines’ Group Set to Meet Thursdays in June and January ‘09

(MURFREESBORO)—The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area has partnered with Linebaugh Library and the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County to begin a Civil War book discussion group series that will focus on literature and biography beginning this month.
“Between the Lines: Reading About the Civil War” is the name of the new group, which will meet twice a year, in June and January, said Stacey Graham of MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation.
During June, the group will meet at 7 o’clock Thursday evenings at the Heritage Center, 225 West College St., in Murfreesboro.
“June’s book discussion group will take an in-depth look at Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, a bestseller published in 1997, with each week focusing on a different theme related to the book,” Graham said.
The group’s June discussion schedule is as follows: June 5: Wartime Loyalty/Desertion; June 12: Women and the Home Front; June 19: Death, Destruction and Violence; and June 26: Memory and Literature.
Participants in the book discussion group are encouraged to read the novel and attend each of the four sessions but are welcome to come to individual sessions as well. Each week will focus on a different theme related to the book. Antoinette van Zelm of the Tennessee Civil War Heritage Area will serve as the facilitator of the discussion group and will provide a brief introduction to provide historical context for each of the themes
“Our goal at the Heritage Area is to tell the whole story of the war and its aftermath. Historical novels provide a wonderful way to revisit the Civil War years,” said van Zelm. “We’re also very excited about the opportunity to partner with Linebaugh Library.”
In January 2009, the book series will focus on biography, with plans are to hold brown-bag discussions on Sam Davis Elliot’s Soldier of Tennessee: General Alexander P. Stewart and the Civil War in the West (1999).
The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area receives funding from the National Park Service and is administered by the CHP at MTSU. Linebaugh Library, which sponsors several book groups, serves the citizens of Rutherford County through four branches. The Heritage Center is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and Main Street: Murfreesboro/Rutherford County, Inc. Additional support comes from the City of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University, Rutherford County Government, and State Farm Insurance.
For more information on “Between the Lines: Reading About the Civil War,” which is free to those who wish to participate, please call 615-217-8013 or e-mail heritage_center@bellsouth.net.
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