Tuesday, October 21, 2008

[164] GUEST PROFESSOR AT MTSU EXPLORES FOLK CULTURE OF TURKEY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 17, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GUEST PROFESSOR AT MTSU EXPLORES FOLK CULTURE OF TURKEY
Ozkul Cobanoglu, Invited by Middle East Center, to Speak to World Civilization Class

(MURFREESBORO) - Dr. Özkul Çobanoğlu will present a lecture titled “Tradition and Transformation in Ottoman Folk Culture” from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Monday, October 20, in Room S260 of the Business and Aerospace Building at MTSU. Çobanoğlu will talk to Dr. Sean Foley’s Survey of World Civilization II class about the social history of the Ottoman Empire between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. In particular, he will investigate the influence of coffee houses and printing presses on Turkish literary and socio-cultural traditions. By drawing on a host of oral, social and cultural sources, he will illustrate how this process took place over time and continues to influence Turkish society.
Özkul Çobanoğlu, a full Professor of Turkish and Comparative Folklore at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey is one of Turkey’s leading folklorists. He specializes in Turkish folk culture and cultural, literary and religious trends in the broader Turkic world. He has taught as a guest lecturer at the Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus; Jagelleon University in Poland; Prishtina University in Kosovo; the Crimean State University in Crimea, Ukraine; the Mongolian Natonal State University; Debrecen State University in Hungary; and Tartu University in Estonia. He has published widely on folklore theories, the history of Turkish folklore, genres of Turkish folk literature, the Turkish minstrel tradition, Turkish entertainment history, Turkish epics, Turkish proverbs,Turkish mythology, and Turkish folk beliefs.
The lecture, sponsored by the Middle East Center, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of MTSU’s Middle East Center, at 615-494-8809 or ahibbard@mtsu.edu.

[163]MTSU PRESIDENT MCPHEE TO HOST LUNCHEON IN NASHVILLE

Release date: Oct. 16, 2008


Office of Alumni Relations contact: Paul Wydra, 800-533-6878


MTSU PRESIDENT MCPHEE TO HOST LUNCHEON IN NASHVILLE


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’S Office of Alumni Relations has issued an invitation to alumni and friends to join MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee for a Lunch with the President event in Nashville.
The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 23, at The Nashville City Club, 201 Fourth Avenue North.
The event starts with lunch at 11:30 a.m. followed by a university update by McPhee and other university officials who will be on hand to share news about MTSU.
The charge for the luncheon is $12 per person, and includes food, tea, soft drinks and giveaways. There will also be a drawing for door prizes and a question-and-answer session for McPhee.
The president already has hosted luncheons in Columbia, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and there is a lunch planned in Memphis on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Reservations and pre-payment must be made by Tuesday, Oct. 21, by calling the MTSU alumni relations office at 1-800-533-6878 or online at mtalumni.com.
“We would like to thank First Tennessee for their sponsorship of this event,” said Paul Wydra, alumni relations assistant director.

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

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

[162]GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS ISSUES AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 17, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GENERAL ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS ISSUES AT MTSU
Political Hopefuls to Explain Area Concerns to Students, Many First-Time Voters

(MURFREESBORO) – Candidates for the state House of Representatives and Senate in Tennessee will participate in a forum on higher education from noon to 1:30 on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Cantrell Hall in MTSU’s Tom H. Jackson Building. This event is free and open to the public.
The candidates who have confirmed that they will attend include Tim Tipps (D-Murfreesboro), House candidate in District 48; Rick Womick (R-Murfreesboro), House candidate in District 49; Kent Coleman (D-Murfreesboro), House candidate (incumbent) in District 49; Dr. Rishi Saxsena (D-Murfreesboro), House candidate in District 34; and Jean Anne Rogers (D-Murfreesboro), Senate candidate in District 16.
Invitations also were extended to Donna Rowland (R-Murfreesboro), House candidate (incumbent) in District 34; Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), Senate candidate (incumbent) in District 16; and Joe Carr (R-Lascassas), House candidate in District 48. "Since many of our students are first-time voters or have moved here from other parts of the state, they have never met the local candidates for state representative and senate,” says Dr. Jim Williams, director of MTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center and coordinator of the American Democracy Project, which sponsors the forum. “This forum is part of the overall voter education and civic engagement activities of the American Democracy Project to produce active, informed, and engaged students and graduates of MTSU."
There will be informal question-and-answer periods of 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the forum for discussions on other topics. For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu.


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[161]FORECASTER: ‘SAVINGS IS CRITICAL!’ TO ENDURE ECONOMIC WOES

FORECASTER: ‘SAVINGS IS CRITICAL!’ TO ENDURE ECONOMIC WOES
Students Can Expect Tuition Costs to Continue to Rise, Ratajczak Says

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer or Gina E. Fann, 615-898-2919

(MURFREESBORO)— As the financial crisis worsens, college students are finding it more difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel and, instead, are seeing a train rushing toward them. At MTSU’s 16th annual Economic Outlook Conference at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro on Friday, Sept. 26, speakers provided a window into the upcoming year in U.S. economics and finance.
The good news: the situation isn’t as bad as students think it is; the bad news is that the current severe financial crisis will affect student loans, tuition and finding jobs, both during college and after graduation.
Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Regent’s Professor of Economics Emeritus at Georgia State University, founder of the Economic Forecasting Center and one of the nation’s leading economic forecasters, says student-loan companies could face the same problems as troubled mortgage lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
According to Ratajczak, it is becoming harder for banks to find student-loan guarantees and, as a result, they’re backing away from student loans and making it harder for students to acquire them.
And, he warned, don’t think that just because a lending company goes down, you’d become free of any obligation to your student loans. Those loans, like home mortgage, auto and other personal notes, will be transferred to whomever takes over the lending company, so you don’t get a bail-out.
When it comes to tuition, forecasters have more bad news: costs likely will never come down, regardless of the state of the economy.
“The cost of education has been growing 3 percent faster per year than core inflation,” says Ratajczak. “If colleges and universities refuse to use cost-cutting innovations, tuition costs will continue to rise.”
Students, just like other consumers, still can take certain measures to provide themselves with some financial security. The most important task is to include savings as a part of a basic budget, along with rent and food, Ratajczak says.
“Savings is critical!” he emphasizes, advising that consumers immediately put a portion of each paycheck into a readily available account. Once you’ve set aside six months’ worth of income, Ratajczak recommends opening a ROTH Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. But before putting money into a ROTH IRA, he cautions, you must pay your taxes.
Another smart thing to do now is to invest. According to Ratajczak, investment opportunities are good now because stock prices are low.
“These cycles happen,” he explains. “It’s not as damaging and critical as students think. It happens and it will go away. Don’t sit and wait for this to end. Do what you can in this environment.”
When asked what students can do to help the economy, Ratajczak is quick to answer.
“Study hard. Increase your human capital, and then, when the economy improves, find the best way to use it. If students can do those three things (save, invest and study), then the long run of this economy is assured. That’s how we get our future.”

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


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Dr. Ratajczak, 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.

If you use this article in its entirety, we ask that you credit Elizabeth McAmis, a senior majoring in advertising/public relations.

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


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[159]NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS CELEBRATE AT MTSU

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

NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS CELEBRATE AT MTSU
Gala Week to Include Election Night Party, Turkey Dinner, Pinnacle Inductions

(MURFREESBORO) — A celebration of Nontraditional Student Week is slated for Monday, Nov. 3, through Friday, Nov. 7 in the Keathley University Center (KUC) at MTSU with festivities, encouragement and election-year enlightenment on the agenda.
The activities kick off with an open house from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 in Room 320 of the KUC, where the organization for nontraditional students, Older Wiser Learners (OWLs), will offer pastries and cider.
On Nov. 4, Election Day, OWLs will co-sponsor Unity Election Party 2008 with Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Inc. and other groups from 7-11 p.m. in the KUC Grill to unite MTSU students of all political backgrounds in a nonpartisan location and to celebrate democracy. A microphone will be available for participants to express their opinions. Speakers from both major parties will be on hand, and attendees will be able to watch live television election coverage. There will be food, gift giveaways, and a silent auction with proceeds to benefit a local domestic violence shelter. This event is free and open to the public. A care package item for soldiers serving overseas or a small donation at the front door is requested.
OWLs will staff an information table in front of the KUC Grill from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 5. Members will receive free gifts as staffers inform potential new members about the organization.
The Nontraditional Week Dinner is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Nov.6 in Room 322 of the KUC. Students may bring their families, a side dish (salad, vegetables or dessert) that feeds eight to 10 people and a liter of their favorite beverage. OWLs will provide the turkey. New members will be inducted into the Pinnacle Honor Society, the official honor society for nontraditional students. The dinner speaker, Sharon Mitchell-Pierre, will provide uplifting words about overcoming the daily struggles of a nontraditional student. Mitchell-Pierre, who retired from USAA Life Insurance Company in 2007, is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Tex., with a bachelor’s degree in



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NONTRADITIONALAdd 1


business administration. While juggling marriage, motherhood, a career and night school, Mitchell-Pierre also dealt with the deaths of her parents, a home invasion robbery, serious illness and many other challenges. Currently, she is enrolled in the sign language interpreter certification program at San Antonio College.
For more information about Nontraditional Student Week activities, contact Dr. Carol Ann Baily at cabaily@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5989 or OWLs President Monique Denney at mdd3f@mtsu.edu.

[156]MTSU MOCK TRIAL ADVOCATES, WITNESSES AMONG TOPS IN NATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
MTSU MOCK TRIAL ADVOCATES, WITNESSES AMONG TOPS IN NATION
Dynamic Tournament Performances against National Powers Bode Well for Team

(MURFREESBORO) - MTSU’s mock trial team is off to its fastest start ever, according to the program’s leaders. A team from MTSU placed among the top three of 28 teams that competed in the nation’s first college mock trial tournament of the season at St. Louis University, which was held on October 10-11. Along with the University of Notre Dame and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, MTSU had a 7-1 win-loss record. A team led by junior Daniel Vaughan won both ballots in competition with St. Louis University, Drake University, and the University of Minnesota-Morris, and split ballots with Notre Dame. This year’s problem involves a civil action in a libel case. In a tournament, teams present two rounds on each side of the case, with two scoring judges in each round.Team members Rachel Harmon and Lani Lester distinguished themselves by earning awards as top-ten speakers. Harmon earned 19 of 20 possible points as an attorney on the defense, and Lester earned 20 points as a witness on the same side. Other team members included Austin Purvis, who played an attorney, and Lee Whitwell and Samantha Ferrell, who played witness parts. --more--
MOCK TRIALAdd 1

MTSU teams have qualified for the National Championship Tournament for 18 of the last 19 years, but Dr. John R. Vile (Honors College), Brandi Snow (local attorney), and Dr. Amanda DiPaulo (Political Science), team coaches, observe that this is the highest ranking an MTSU team has ever achieved this early in the season. For more information about MTSU’s mock trial program, contact Vile at 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu or DiPaulo at 615-898-2135 or dipaolo@mtsu.edu.
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[155]MTSU STUDENTS OFFERED FREE RIDES TO EARLY VOTING LOCATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 10, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU STUDENTS OFFERED FREE RIDES TO EARLY VOTING LOCATION
Opportunity to Skip Long Lines on November 4, Participate in Democratic Process

(MURFREESBORO) – MTSU students who want to participate in early voting in the 2008 election will be provided with free transportation to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office at One Public Square South in Murfreesboro via Raider Express on six different dates this month. "The American Democracy Project (ADP) registered nearly 1000 MTSU students to vote in Rutherford County this fall, so now we are shifting our attention to educating all our students about the candidates in this election and making sure that everyone who needs a ride to vote has one," says Dr. Jim Williams, coordinator of the ADP. The schedule for the free rides, which will be provided by the American Democracy Project, is as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 16—7:30 a.m. pick up in front of James Union Building, pick up at the square at 8:45 a.m. to return to campus;

Friday, Oct. 17—2:30 p.m. pick up in front of James Union Building; pick up at the square at 3:45 p.m. to return to campus;

Tuesday, Oct. 21—5 p.m. pick up in front of James Union Building; pick up at the square at 6:15 p.m. to return to campus;

Wednesday, Oct. 22—8:30 a.m. pick up in front of James Union Building; pick up at the square at 9:45 a.m. to return to campus;

Monday, Oct. 27—10 a.m. pick up in front of James Union Building; pick up at the square at 11:15 a.m. to return to campus;

Thursday, Oct. 30—3 p.m. pick up in front of James Union Building; pick up at the square at 4:15 p.m. to return to campus.

For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2632 or jhwillia@mtsu.edu. The ADP Web site is www.mtsu.edu~/amerdem.

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Friday, October 10, 2008

[154]50-PLUS SCHOOLS COMMIT TO OCT. 13 RUTHERFORD COUNTY COLLEGE NIGHT

Release date: Oct. 10, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919
Office of Admissions contact: Michelle Arnold, 615-898-2111


50-PLUS SCHOOLS COMMIT TO OCT. 13 RUTHERFORD COUNTY COLLEGE NIGHT
OCT. 13 AT TENNESSEE MILLER COLISEUM


(MURFREESBORO) — Rutherford County College Night will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304B West Thompson Lane, an MTSU Office of Admissions representative said recently.
This event is free and open to the public. Any student and their parents or guardians from public or private high schools in Rutherford and surrounding counties are welcome to attend, said Michelle Arnold, an admissions associate director.
Representatives from more than 50 colleges, universities, community colleges and other organizations from across Tennessee and the South have requested booth space around the track area, Arnold said.
Seminars will be given on “Financial Aid 101: A Guide to Financial Aid and Scholarships” and Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation HOPE Lottery Scholarships, she said.
As of Sept. 22, colleges and universities and other organizations planning to participate include:
Aquinas College; Austin Peay State University; Belmont University; Berry College (Ga.); Bethel; Bryan College; Carson-Newman College; Cumberland University; East Tennessee State University; EdSouth; Emory & Henry (Va.) College; Free Will Baptist College; Hiwassee College; Johnson & Wales University; Lane College; Lee University; Lincoln Memorial University; Lipscomb University; Martin Methodist; MTSU; MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences; MTSU College of Liberal Arts; MTSU College of Mass Communications; Miller-Mote Technical College; Milligan College; Mississippi College; Motlow State Community College; Murray State University; Nossi College of Art; O’More College of Design;
Sulivan University; Tennessee State University; Tennessee Technological University; Tennessee Wesleyan College; University of Memphis; Tusculum College; United States Military Academy; University of Alabama-Huntsville; University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; University of Tennessee at Martin; Vanderbilt University; West Point-Tennessee; and Western Kentucky University.
Students can ask their guidance counselor for details or call 615-898-2111, Arnold said.
The event is endorsed by the Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

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

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Media welcomed.

[152]MTSU PROFESSOR TACKLES GOD’S STRANGE WORK ON WMOT-FM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 9, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081; WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

MTSU PROFESSOR TACKLES GOD’S STRANGE WORK ON WMOT-FM
“MTSU on the Record” Guest David Rowe Discusses Adventist William Miller

(MURFREESBORO) – William Miller was a major influence on American religious history, but he also is either overlooked or misunderstood. Who was this man who became convinced that the Second Coming of Christ would occur in his lifetime? Dr. David Rowe, MTSU history professor, is the author of God’s Strange Work: William Miller and the End of the World, a new biography that places the Adventist in the context of his times. He will talk about the book at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 12, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.
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[151]CHOIR NEEDED TO MAKE JOYFUL NOISE IN NEW INDEPENDENT FILM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 9, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081


CHOIR NEEDED TO MAKE JOYFUL NOISE IN NEW INDEPENDENT FILM
Gospel Singers Sought for Award-Winning Writer/Director’s Latest Project
(MURFREESBORO) –Local gospel choirs who want to reach a wider audience are invited to try out for a role in a new independent movie, “The New, True Charlie Wu,” written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor of electronic media communication at MTSU. Auditions are slated for Monday, Oct. 20, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 24 from 6-10 p.m. each evening in Studio C on the first floor of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. Pondillo is the creative force behind three independent award-winning short films—“Would You Cry If I Died?,” “My Name is Wallace,” and “Wait …”. Two of those films, “Wallace” and “Wait …,” were accepted at the internationally prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for your group to get more exposure,” says Pondillo. “We’re looking for exciting, uptempo, soulful singers who can project a lot of positive energy.” Each choir will have about 15 minutes to perform, and choirs may choose their own audition material. To make an appointment for an audition, or for more information, contact Veronica Privett at 615-752-7024.

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[150]GUEST SOPRANO AND PIANIST PERFORMS OCT. 20 AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493

GUEST SOPRANO AND PIANIST PERFORMS OCT. 20 AT MTSU

(MURFREESBORO)—Guest Soprano Carole Choate Blankenship, with pianist Tom Bryant, will perform a free and open concert at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
Blankenship and Bryant will perform Piangeró la sorte mia by G. F. Handel; a set of five songs by Joseph Marx; Il faut partir mes bons compagnons d’armes by Gaetano Donizetti; Tres Poemas by Joaquin Turina; a set of five songs by Paul Bowles; and I Wish It So by Marc Blitzstein.
Blankenship, assistant professor of Music at Rhodes College in Memphis, is heard regularly in recitals, chamber music concerts and oratorio performances in the Memphis area. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Memphis.
MTSU faculty tenor H. Steven Smith, who performed at Rhodes College last month at Blankenship's invitation, said, “Ms. Blankenship is returning the favor. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to have someone on the Rhodes faculty to come and share her talent with us.”
Accompanist Bryant has earned an impressive reputation both as a solo pianist as well as an artistic accompanist.
This Oct. 20 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com.

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[149]SHOTS OFFERED IN PREPARATION FOR FLU SEASON AT MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2008EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

SHOTS OFFERED IN PREPARATION FOR FLU SEASON AT MTSU
Health Services to Provide Immunizations at More Locations, Different Times

(MURFREESBORO) – With the cold and flu season fast approaching, MTSU Health Services will offer flu shots to the campus community at multiple locations on campus. This year, flu shots will be available from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, at the June Anderson Women’s Center, which is Room 206 in the James Union Building; from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22, in the conference room on the second floor of the Cope Administration Building; and from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Room 318 of the Keathley University Center. Only cash and checks will be accepted as payment at these locations. From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Wednesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 23, shots will be available in the atrium of the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. In the atrium, patients may pay by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, RaiderFunds, or students may charge shots to their MTSU accounts. “Last year, we treated over 600 students for influenza or flu-like symptoms,” says Health Services Director Richard Chapman. “Our goal is get more students immunized.” Chapman says more than 750 shots were administered last year, mostly to faculty and staff. Due to renovations, injections cannot be offered this year at the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building. No appointment is required at any location. The cost is $15 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. For more information, contact MTSU Health Services at 615-898-2988.

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[148]MTSU STUDENTS, FACULTY WILL OBSERVE FALL BREAK OCT. 11-14

Release date: Oct. 8, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919



MTSU STUDENTS, FACULTY WILL OBSERVE FALL BREAK OCT. 11-14


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU undergraduate and graduate students and faculty will observe fall break Oct. 11-14. No classes will be held Saturday, Oct. 11, through Tuesday, Oct. 14. Fall semester classes will resume Wednesday, Oct. 15.
All MTSU offices will be open their normal operating hours, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Oct. 13-14.
Rick Chapman, director of Student Health Services, said this office would be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Oct. 13-14. Students who remain on campus during fall break can receive treatment during those hours, he added.
McCallie Dining Hall will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11-12 and from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13-14, said James Perry, MT Dining Services marketing director, who added that all other MT dining facilities will be closed during fall break. All venues will be open regular hours Oct. 15, Perry said.
The James E. Walker Library will be closed Oct. 11-12 for fall break, but will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Oct. 13 and from 8 a.m. until midnight Oct. 14.
The James Union Building and Keathley University Center will be closed Oct. 11-12, but open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 13-14, officials who oversee both buildings said.
No campus tours will be given Oct. 10 and Oct. 13-14. Campus tours already are booked full for Wednesday, Oct. 15, an Office of Admissions representative said. Please call 615-898-5670 or 1-800-333-6878, or visit mtsu.edu/~admissn for more information or to register for a campus tour this fall.

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

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[147]WANT MTSU CLASSES CLOSER TO HOME? GIVE YOUR OPINION ONLINE

WANT MTSU CLASSES CLOSER TO HOME? GIVE YOUR OPINION ONLINE
Survey Seeks Courses of Interest for Proposed Shelbyville Site

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: David Foster, 615-898-2177

(MURFREESBORO)—Middle Tennessee State University officials in the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning want to know what college courses residents in Bedford and surrounding counties would take if courses were offered at the proposed new MTSU South Higher Education Facility in Shelbyville.
Residents can reply by filling out a survey available online at www.mtsusouth.com.
Some MTSU graduate classes in education already will be offered next summer at an off-campus site in Shelbyville. With the appropriate approvals, a full-blown program could be established by the fall of next year.
The goal is to receive approval from the Tennessee Board of Regents and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the Medical Arts Building in Shelbyville to become an off-campus center and offer additional classes.
“Right now we need people to go to the Web site and fill out the survey,” said David Foster, MTSU continuing education director. “We need to collect as many surveys as possible so that we can include those in our needs assessment. Anyone can fill out the survey, and it will only take a couple of minutes. We’ve had 300 responses but could use five times that many, since we want to accurately represent the views of the citizens of this region.”
The educational partnership between MTSU, Motlow State Community College, the Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville, and Bedford County, among others, took root more than a year ago. In addition to the online survey, officials have been sending out letters to area businesses asking for their support.
“People are already saying ‘MTSU is coming to town,’” Foster noted.
Dr. Mike Boyle, continuing education dean, called MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray the “drivers” behind this education initiative. A supporting cast has included Motlow president Dr. Mary Lou Apple, Bedford County school officials and key legislators.
“I have never seen such a grass-roots groundswell of support,” Boyle said. “This is a program that will benefit the entire region. It is vital that residents in the area access the Web site and fill out the interest survey.”
Dr. Dianna Rust, MTSU’s director of outreach and distance learning, said organizers plan to present the formal proposal to the TBR at its January meeting. “However,” she said, “we want to complete a draft, including financial projections, as early as next month. So we hope to receive many interest surveys and letters of support within the next couple of weeks.”
“We do want people to understand that the initial course work offered in the Bedford County location will be for the Master of Education degree with additional offerings planned.” Foster said. “The online survey will help us to determine other course possibilities.”
Added Boyle: “Everyone is agreeing that this is a great partnership. MTSU and President McPhee are committed to this. The benefits of a program like this will affect the entire state of Tennessee in a positive way. If everything is approved as we hope, there will be a grand-opening celebration at the appropriate time.”
For more information, call MTSU’s College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning at 615-898-2177. The interest survey can be accessed at www.mtsusouth.com.

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IN BRIEF: Middle Tennessee State University officials in the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning want to know what college courses residents in Bedford and surrounding counties would take if courses were offered at the proposed new MTSU South Higher Education Facility in Shelbyville. Residents can reply by filling out a survey available online at www.mtsusouth.com. With the appropriate approvals, the program could be established by the fall of next year. For more information, call the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning at 615-898-2177 or visit the interest-survey Web site at www.mtsusouth.com.

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


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[146]MAJOR NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA FEATURES NUMEROUS MTSU SCHOLARS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, gklogue@mtsu.edu

MAJOR NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA FEATURES NUMEROUS MTSU SCHOLARS
Nationally Prominent Experts Pen Comprehensive First Amendment Reference Book

(MURFREESBORO) – Nineteen members of the Middle Tennessee State University community are among the accomplished contributors to a groundbreaking new reference work, The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment, published by Washington, D.C.-based CQ Press and available now through bookstores and online at www.cqpress.com. The encyclopedia, the first of its kind ever published, examines all five freedoms covered in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, including religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Entries are divided into the broad categories of concepts and legal terms, controversial works, documents, events, governmental entities, groups and organizations, issues, laws and proposed laws, methods of interpretation, media, people, and religious perspectives and churches. The two-volume set, with an introduction by Tennessean Chairman Emeritus John Seigenthaler, was edited by Dr. John R. Vile, dean of the MTSU University Honors College; David Hudson Jr., adjunct MTSU political science professor and scholar at the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University; and Dr. David Schultz, professor in the School of Business at Hamline University and a senior fellow in the Institute of Law and Politics at the University of Minnesota School of Law. “With over 1,400 entries from more than 200 contributors, I believe this will be the definitive reference book on the First Amendment for the foreseeable future,” says Vile, an expert in constitutional law. “It was heartening to have colleagues from such a wide variety of colleges and universities from many different disciplines contribute to these volumes. I am especially grateful to fellow MTSU professors and to MTSU alums who contributed.” Seigenthaler, for whom an endowed chair of excellence in First Amendment studies at MTSU’s College of Mass Communication is named, adds, “At such a time, this encyclopedia detailing and defining First Amendment rights could not be more valuable … In a real sense, [it] serves the public interest.” Following Seigenthaler’s introduction, “The First Forty-Five Words,” the encyclopedia opens with major essays by eminent scholars such as Dr. Robert O’Neil, founder of the Thomas Jefferson Center at the University of Virginia, and Judge Michael McConnell of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

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Other distinguished contributors of major essays include C. Neal Tate, Vanderbilt University; Bruce E. Auerbach, Albright College; Robert D. Richards, Pennsylvania State University; Erwin Chemerinsky, University of California, Irvine; and Gene Policinski, vice president and executive director, First Amendment Center. Policinski, O’Neil and McConnell will talk about The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment at a panel discussion from 6-7:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. “Arranged in traditional A-to-Z encyclopedia format, this work traces themes like expressive rights in American political and legal history, in American political thought and social movements, in political and popular culture, and in the arts, along with the classic tensions between freedom of the individual and maintenance of political order,” notes www.cqpress.com. In addition, the set has a timeline, a selection of primary documents in the appendices, a bibliography and subject and case indices.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To examine The Encyclopedia of the First Amendment and to arrange interviews with Dr. John R. Vile and David Hudson Jr., contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



CONTRIBUTORS FROM THE MTSU COMMUNITY (in alphabetical order)

Brandi Snow Bozarth Department of Political Science/Mock Trial Coach/Alumna

Mark E. Byrnes Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts/Department of Political Science/Alumnus

David Carleton Department of Political Science

Patrick W. Chinnery Alumnus

Paul D. Fischer Department of Recording Industry

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Sekou Franklin Department of Political Science


Roger Heinrich Department of Electronic Media Communication

David Hudson Jr. Department of Political Science/Co-Editor
Geoffrey Hull Department of Recording Industry (professor emeritus)

Gina Kerra Logue Office of News and Public Affairs

Robb McDaniel Department of Political Science

John Omachonu Associate Dean of the College of Mass Communication

Karen K. Petersen Department of Political Science/Alumna

Bob Pondillo Department of Electronic Media Communication

Steve Robertson Department of Political Science

John Seigenthaler Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies

John R. Vile Dean of the University Honors College/Co-Editor

Virginia Vile Alumna

Clyde E. Willis Interim Chair of the Department of Political Science

[145]WOMEN’S STUDIES LECTURE HIGHLIGHTS AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 8, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

WOMEN’S STUDIES LECTURE HIGHLIGHTS AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN Groundbreaking Fisk University Librarian Subject of October Discussion

(MURFREESBORO) – “Piecin’ a Quilt: Jessie Carney Smith and African-American Women’s History” is the title of the next MTSU Women’s Studies Research Series lecture at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, in the SunTrust Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. Christa Hardy, research fellow at the James E. Walker Library, will examine contributions to history and to American librarianship by Dr. Jessie Carney Smith. “As head librarian at Fisk University in Nashville, Smith has been a central figure in the emergence of Black Studies and African-American women’s history in a career that has spanned civil rights, black power and the women’s movement,” says Hardy. Both historical and critical in nature, this study provides an analysis of how one aspect of her scholarship, Notable Black American Women, is an illustration of black feminist knowledge production. “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.” All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information on the Women’s Studies Research Series, contact Marcellus at 615-898-5282 or jmarcell@mtsu.edu.

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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

[144]MTSU RECRUITING CARAVAN VISITS 5 MAJOR TENNESSEE CITIES

Release date: Oct. 7, 2008


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Office of Admissions contact: Susanna Wassom, 615-898-5330 or swassom@mtsu.edu


MTSU RECRUITING CARAVAN VISITS 5 MAJOR TENNESSEE CITIES

(MURFREESBORO) — Following a successful function in Chattanooga Sept. 23, the Office of Admissions’ recruiting push for 2009-10 and beyond will shift to five other Tennessee cities.
Student receptions for high-school juniors and seniors will be held Thursday, Oct. 9, in Nashville; Monday, Oct. 20, in Johnson City; Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Knoxville; Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Jackson; and Thursday, Nov. 6, in Memphis, said Susanna Wassom, an admissions assistant director. In Nashville, the open house will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Marriott Nashville Airport, 600 Marriott Dr.
Prospective students, their parents or guardians will witness firsthand the use of the university’s current marketing plan.
“All of the student receptions will go along with the ‘I’m One’ theme,” Wassom said. “I’m One students will be there to speak to students and parents and talk to prospective students.”
Because of their academic and extracurricular activity success at MTSU, a number of students have received “I’m One” status after being recommended by the offices of financial aid, admissions and marketing and communication, said Cathy Lower, an editor in the Office of Publications and Graphics. Some have agreed to travel to these Tennessee cities and promote MTSU to the prospective students.
Wassom said it is important for MTSU to bring an academic open house to the five cities, enabling the prospective students from these cities, other nearby towns and surrounding counties to gain a glimpse of campus life.
All of the receptions are open to students, parents or guardians and their friends, Wassom said. One student will receive an iPod Touch, and other prizes will be awarded to those who attend.
MTSU officials will answer questions about admissions, financial aid, housing and academic programs.
“Students can come and pretty much get all of their questions answered,” Wassom said. A number of key university leaders also will be part of the recruiting trips.
In addition to the student receptions, there will be guidance-counselor luncheons for counselors in each of the areas being recruited that day.
For more information, contact Wassom at 615-898-5330 or go to mtsu.edu/admissn.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.
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[143]MTSU STUDENT-RUN RADIO WMTS-FM PLANS OCT. 16 BENEFIT CONCERT

MTSU STUDENT-RUN RADIO WMTS-FM PLANS OCT. 16 BENEFIT CONCERT
Proceeds from $7 Cover to Help Station’s Operations Costs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 6, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Elaine Pearce, 615-898-2591

(MURFREESBORO)—Those who want to rock out while supporting college radio will soon get their chance.
MTSU’s student-run radio station, WMTS-FM, will host a benefit Thursday, Oct. 16, at Main Street (Club 527). Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 9 p.m. Cover charge is $7, and the show will be open to patrons 18 and older.
Elaine Pearce, promotions director for WMTS, said that the station organizes a benefit every semester, and all proceeds will benefit the station, which can be heard at 88.3 FM.
“Last year’s benefit at Bluesboro was a huge success,” Pearce said.
Zombie Bazooka Patrol and Canon Blue will perform, along with The Cactus’s and The Champion and his Burning Flame.
“We’re having two bands that are mellow, then more high-energy stuff later in the night,” WMTS Music Director Amanda Nielsen said.
For more information, call 615-898-2591 or e-mail manager@wmts.org.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s student-run radio station, WMTS-FM, will host a benefit Thursday, Oct. 16, at Main Street (Club 527). Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 9 p.m. Cover charge is $7, and the show will be open to patrons 18 and older. For more information, call 615-898-2591 or e-mail manager@wmts.org.


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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you use this article in its entirety, please give a byline to Brian Estes, a senior journalism major at MTSU. Thanks!

[142]FORENSIC EXPERT BRINGS TALES OF WAR DEAD RECOVERY MISSIONS TO MTSU

FORENSIC EXPERT BRINGS TALES OF WAR DEAD RECOVERY MISSIONS TO MTSU
Free Oct. 15 Lecture Reveals Work in Beirut, Aboard USS Stark and at Pentagon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 6, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Hugh Berryman, 615-494-7713

(MURFREESBORO)— MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education and the Distinguished Lectures Committee are bringing Dr. Thomas Holland to the university to speak on his work with various recovery missions in some of the most dangerous and remote regions of the world.
Holland will give his presentation, “The Recovery of U.S. War Dead,” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. The address is part of the William Bass Lectureship Series.
Holland is the scientific director of the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command-Central Identification Lab as well as a published fiction writer.
His work with the JPAC-CIL has been a focus for various news media and television programs because of the organization’s efforts in identifying remains of victims killed in the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon; sailors who died in a 1987 missile attack on the USS Stark in the Persian Gulf; and the people on board and on the ground when a Boeing 757 struck the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact 615-494-7713 or visit www.mtsu.edu/fire/lectureships.shtml.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education and the Distinguished Lectures Committee are bringing Dr. Thomas Holland to the university to speak on his work with various recovery missions in some of the most dangerous and remote regions of the world. Holland will give his presentation, “The Recovery of U.S. War Dead,” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact 615-494-7713 or visit www.mtsu.edu/fire/lectureships.shtml.

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


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Dr. Holland, 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.

If you use this article in its entirety, please give a byline to Sydney Hester, a freshman public-relations major at MTSU.

Thanks!

[141]INAUGURAL FOLK MUSIC CONFERENCE SET OCT. 17-18 AT MTSU

INAUGURAL FOLK MUSIC CONFERENCE SET OCT. 17-18 AT MTSU
Event is Free for Students Who Register by Friday, Oct. 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 6, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Charlie B. Dahan, 615-494-7704

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry and the College of Mass Communication will welcome the inaugural South East Regional Folk Alliance Music Conference to campus on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18.
“We are expecting between 75 and 100 musicians, songwriters, music business professionals and historians for panels, workshops, concerts and advocacy,” said Charlie B. Dahan, an associate professor of recording industry and conference organizer.
“It’s going to bring some great attention to the college for its outreach to the music community, and we also want to let students know about it so they can attend the panels, workshops and concerts for free by contacting me by Friday, Oct. 10.”
Non-student attendees will pay a $140 registration fee for the SERFA conference, which will feature:
• professional development workshops, panel discussions and mentor sessions aimed at helping musicians continue to grow and develop their craft and their careers, learn more about recording at home/studio, songwriting critique/analysis and more;
• a series of workshops specifically for venues and house concerts to get the Southeast organized for stronger touring options while building bigger audiences; and
• exploring the rich cultures of the Southeast, including old-time/traditional, Appalachian, Celtic, Cajun and more.
Musical performances will include showcases on Friday and Saturday nights—in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building and the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room, respectively—from artists Cady Finlayson and Elkin Brown, Danny Flowers, Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwartz, Robby Hecht, Diana Jones, Tom Kimmel, The Laws, Rebecca Loebe, Linda McRae, Claudia Nygaard, Sabrina, The Smart Brothers, Sally Spring, Volatile Baby, and Anna Wolfe.
Registration for the conference begins Thursday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel Murfreesboro and continues Friday morning until the workshops begin at 2:15 p.m. MTSU music showcases are set for 7 to 10:30 Friday and Saturday nights, followed by “Guerilla Showcases” at the Doubletree from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. each day. Saturday’s workshops begin at 9:15 a.m. at MTSU, and the day’s events also include an exhibit hall and mentor sessions.
SERFA is the southeast regional chapter of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance. The organization’s goal is to provide opportunities for members to network locally and advance the group’s overall mission to increase access to needed resources and expand the breadth of the folk music and dance experience for the general public, Dahan said.
SERFA fosters and promotes member initiatives in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
For more information about the conference, contact Dahan at 615-494-7704 or cdahan@mtsu.edu, or visit the SERFA site at www.serfa.org.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry and the College of Mass Communication will welcome the inaugural South East Regional Folk Alliance Music Conference to campus on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 and 18. The event will welcome musicians, songwriters, music business professionals and historians for three days of panels, workshops, concerts and advocacy; students can attend free by contacting organizer Charlie B. Dahan by Friday, Oct. 10, 615-494-7704 or cdahan@mtsu.edu. For more information about the conference, visit the SERFA site at www.serfa.org.

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


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[137]FREE OCT. 15 READING BY PULITZER–NOMINATED POET JAMES REISS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 2, 2008
CONTACT: Dr. Ron Kates, Department of English, 615-898-2595

FREE OCT. 15 READING BY PULITZER–NOMINATED POET JAMES REISS

(MURFREESBORO)—Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet James Reiss will present a free and open poetry reading at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the auditorium of the University Honors College on the MTSU campus.
A professor emeritus of English at Miami University following a 38-year career teaching poetry, Reiss lists former U.S. Poet Laureate and Consultant to the Library of Congress Rita Dove—who also served as poet laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2004 to 2006—as one of his early students. His latest book is titled “Riff on Six: New and Selected Poems” (Salt Publishing, 2003) and his first novel is slated for release this fall.
His first poetry collection, “The Breathers,” Reiss’s first poetry collection, was nominated for the National Book Award, and his fourth book of poems, “Ten Thousand Good Mornings,” was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2002.
A regular reviewer for Public Radio Exchange (PRX), where he won a 2007 Zeitfunk award for his reviewing, and an occasional script writer for public radio, Reiss’s works also have been published in magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, The Hudson Review, The Kenyon Review, The Nation, The New Republic, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Poetry, Slate and The Virginia Quarterly Review, as well as in anthologies, textbooks and on Web sites.
Regarding Reiss, Dr. Ron Kates, associate professor English at MTSU, said, “He is an engaging reader, as well as a fine teacher. During this visit, he will lecture in my University Honors 3500 course, Re-visiting and Re-visioning the Hometown, … (and) perhaps visit with another class, give a public reading.”
Reiss has received writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council and the New York Foundation for the Arts, as well as awards from the Academy of American Poets, the College English Association of Ohio, the Ohioana Library Association, the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Press and the Unterberg Poetry Center of the 92nd Street YMCA in New York City.
For more information on the Oct. 15 reading, please contact Kates, who will serve as host of the event, by calling 615-898-2595 or via e-mail at rkates@mtsu.edu.

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Monday, October 06, 2008

[136]MTSU’s WIND ENSEMBLE AND SYMPHONIC BAND PERFORM OCT. 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 2, 2008
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493

MTSU’s WIND ENSEMBLE AND SYMPHONIC BAND PERFORM OCT. 9
Guest Conductor Don DeRoche Opens Free Concert, Trumpeter Michael Arndt on Bill

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Wind Ensemble and MTSU Symphonic Band will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
The ensemble, led by guest conductor Don DeRoche will perform Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber by Paul Hindemith and Soleriana by Carlos Surinach.
After a brief intermission, MTSU Associate Director of Bands Craig S. Cornish will conduct the MTSU Symphonic Band in Emperata Overture by Claude T. Smith, Night Dances by Bruce Yurkounder, Amazing Grace by Frank Tickeli and Chorale and Shaker Dance by John Zdechlik.
Additionally, MTSU trumpet professor Michael Arndt will conduct Scenes from “The Louvre” by Norman Dello Joio.
Guest conductor DeRoche is director of bands at the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. DeRoche earned degrees in music education and performance at the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in music education at Northwestern University.
The Oct. 9 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the MTSU School of Music, please call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com.

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[134]FREE OCT. 20 READING BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POET STEPHEN DUNN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 1, 2008
CONTACT: Dr. Gaylord Brewer, Department of English, 615-898-2712

FREE OCT. 20 READING BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING POET STEPHEN DUNN

(MURFREESBORO)—Stephen Dunn, a Pulitzer Prize recipient and the author of 16 books, will present a poetry reading at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in Cantrell Hall, which is located in the Tom H. Jackson Building at MTSU.
Sponsored by the Department of English at MTSU, with funding from the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, Dunn’s upcoming reading is free and open to the public.
Among Dunn’s published works is “Different Hours,” a title that was awarded the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Since 1974, the New Jersey-based author has taught at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, where he is a distinguished professor of creative writing. He also has served as a visiting professor at the University of Michigan and at New York University, Columbia.
Born in New York in 1939, Dunn’s other published poetry works include
“Everything Else in the World” (W. W. Norton, 2006); “Local Visitations” (2003); “Loosestrife” (1996); “New and Selected Poems: 1974-1994” (1994); “Landscape at the End of the Century” (1991); “Between Angels” (1989); “Local Time” (1986), winner of the National Poetry Series; “Not Dancing” (1984); “Work & Love” (1981); “A Circus of Needs” (1978); “Full of Lust and Good Usage” (1976); and “Looking For Holes In the Ceiling” (1974). He also authored “Walking Light: Memoirs and Essays on Poetry” (BOA Editions, 2001) and “Riffs & Reciprocities: Prose Pairs” (1998).
In reviewing Dunn’s work, a writer for the Miami Herald wrote, “The poetry of Stephen Dunn makes the landscape of our lives more livable—quietly, unobtrusively, he has taken his place among our major, indispensable poets.”
A one-time professional basketball player, advertising copywriter and former editor, the award-winning poet earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and English from Hofstra University and a Master of Arts in creative writing from Syracuse University. His other honors include the Academy Award for Literature, the James Wright Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
For more information on Dunn’s upcoming reading, please contact Dr. Gaylord Brewer, MTSU English professor, by calling 615-898-2712 or via e-mail at gbrewer@mtsu.edu.

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[133]HISTORY SCHOLAR DELIVERS STRICKLAND LECTURE AT MTSU OCT. 23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 1, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

HISTORY SCHOLAR DELIVERS STRICKLAND LECTURE AT MTSU OCT. 23

(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Carol Anderson, an author and human rights scholar, will deliver the 2008 Strickland Visiting Scholar Lecture in History at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building on the MTSU campus.
The topic of Anderson’s free and open talk will be “Rac(e)ing Human Rights: the Role of Jim Crow in Shaping the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.”
Dr. Pippa Holloway, associate professor of history at MTSU, said, “Dr. Anderson's scholarship on the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights is part of an important and growing body of literature that places the American Civil Rights movement in the context of international politics at that time.
“Defenders of racism in the United States resisted efforts to strengthen the U.N. Declaration,” Holloway added, “while the NAACP pushed the United Nations investigate segregation and lynchings in the U.S.”
An associate professor of history at the University of Missouri, Anderson’s first book, “Eyes Off the Prize: The United Nations and the African-American Struggle for Human Rights, 1944-1955” (Cambridge University Press, 2003), explores how the Cold War, anti-communism, the development of the United Nations, and international human rights influenced the struggle for black equality in the U.S.
In Anderson’s upcoming book, “Bourgeois Radicals: The NAACP and the Struggle for Colonial Liberation, 1941-1960,” she reportedly will uncover the long-hidden role of the national most powerful civil rights organization in fighting for the liberation of people of color in Africa and Asia.”
Regarding her Oct. 23 lecture at MTSU and the creation of the U.N. declaration, Anderson said, “Borne out of the barbarism of Nazi Germany and the realization that a nation’s atrocities could not remain bounded behind a country’s borders, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, led by Eleanor Roosevelt, and with the full blessing of President Harry Truman, set out to create an International Bill of Human Rights.
“It took years of wrangling, stalling, arguing and debating, but in December 1948 the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights was finally unveiled,” she continued. “Its opening salvo was clear and unequivocal. ‘The foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world’ was human rights. Yet, those noble words cloaked a more sordid debate raging not only within the global community, but in the United States itself, about power, race and the role of overt white supremacy in a civilized society.
“For the U.S.,” Anderson observed, “this ‘Magna Carta for the World’ was to be no more than ‘the Sermon on the Mount’ in the ideological struggle against the Soviet Union. But for those who were battling against colonialism, racism and tyranny, it meant so much more. Much more.”

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Aside from her free public Strickland Visiting Scholar Lecture in History at MTSU, Anderson also will meet for formal and informal classes and workshops with undergraduates, graduates and faculty.
At her home university in Columbia, Mo., Anderson’s regularly scheduled courses include American Survey from 1865, Black Freedom Movement, U.S. Foreign Policy during the Cold War and Afro-Americans in the 20th Century, as well as graduate readings and research seminars related to diplomatic history.
Long fascinated with policy issues, especially the ways in which domestic and international policies intersect through issues of race, justice and equality, Anderson earned her Master of Arts degree from Miami University and her Ph.D. from Ohio State University, with special interest in the areas of diplomatic, U.S. 20th century and African-American history as well as human rights.
“When you think about it, really, all around us are human rights issues—the health-care crisis, the stagnant education system, the housing meltdown—yet we don't even think of these as human rights problems,” Anderson observed. “We try to treat them as separate, distinct, phenomena. There's a reason for that, and the roots go back to the Second World War, Jim Crow and the early years of the Cold War.”
To date, her research has garnered significant support from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Ford Foundation, the Gilder Lehrman Institute for the Study of American History and the Eisenhower Foundation, among other entities.
The purpose of the Strickland Visiting Scholar program is to allow students to meet with accomplished scholars whose expertise spans a variety of historical issues. It was established through the support of the Strickland family in memory of Dr. Roscoe Lee Strickland Jr., a longtime professor of European history at MTSU. Strickland was the first president of the MTSU Faculty Senate.
For more information regarding Anderson’s Oct. 23 talk, please contact Professor Holloway, chairwoman of the Strickland lecture’s coordinating committee, at 615-898-2536 or via e-mail at phollowa@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request jpeg of Anderson for editorial use or to request an interview with Dr. Pippa Holloway about the upcoming Strickland lecture, please direct your inquiry to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.

[132]MTSU ART DEPARTMENT SPONSORS 1ST SCHOLARSHIP SEASONAL SALE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 1, 2008
CONTACT: MTSU Art Department, 615-898-2455

MTSU ART DEPARTMENT SPONSORS 1ST SCHOLARSHIP SEASONAL SALE
Proceeds from Oct. 23 Art Sale Benefit Art Students, Oct. 22 Evening Reception Set

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Department of Art will sponsor its first-ever Scholarship Seasonal Sale, an art extravaganza of work collected from the department’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and community friends, in October.
The one-day sale, which organizers said they plan to make an annual event, will be held 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Todd Gallery in MTSU’s Todd Building. A pre-sale reception showcasing the department’s facilities will be held 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, and will include tours of the department’s facilities
“The sale is designed so that the donor decides which scholarship should benefit,” said Dr. Jean Nagy, art department chairwoman. “For example, if a student group sells artwork, half of the sale price goes to the student organization and the other half goes to the scholarship fund designated by the student group.”
Nagy said the department hopes this year’s sale will be a success and increase in size next year.
Eric V. Snyder, gallery curator, said, “Proceeds from the sale of items donated to this event will go to the Department of Art and to the respective donor's choice of one or more of our scholarships among the list. The scholarships were begun with the creation of a scholarship in honor of Hester Rogers Ray, who was the department's first art education faculty member, with the others following since Rogers Ray.”
The current scholarship lists, along with who will benefit from each, is as follows: Hester Rogers Ray Scholarship, benefits art education students; Charles Massey Scholarship, benefits second-semester studio art majors; Dr. Charles Brandon Scholarship, benefits studio art majors; John and Elva Griffin Scholarship, benefits incoming freshmen art majors; Jill Montgomery Scholarship, benefits art history majors; David Ledoux Scholarship, benefits studio art majors; Ollie Fancher Scholarship, benefits graphic design majors; Lon Nuell Scholarship, benefits incoming freshmen art majors; and Department of Art Scholarships, benefits art majors
The Todd Gallery’s regular hours are 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday, closing only on state holidays.
For more information or directions to the gallery, call Snyder at 615-898-5653.


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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To secure jpegs for editorial use of some of the artwork that will be offered for sale during the Oct. 23 event, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

[131]FREE DYSLEXIA INFORMATION FORUM SET FOR OCT. 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 1, 2008
CONTACT: Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, 615-494-8880

FREE DYSLEXIA INFORMATION FORUM SET FOR OCT. 21 AT LINEBAUGH LIBRARY
Dyslexia Affects 6,500-Plus in Local City and County School Systems, Experts Estimate

(MURFREESBORO)—Professors from MTSU and the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia will take part in an open Dyslexia Information Forum at 6:25-8 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine St., in Murfreesboro.
Designed for parents, teachers and others interested individuals learning about dyslexia, the free event also will feature local teachers from Murfreesboro City Schools and school psychologists on the forum’s panel to help answer questions.
According to information from the Tennessee branch of the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a reading disability that affects as many as 15 percent of the population and it causes difficulty that lies primarily with decoding the print.
Per the association, a person with dyslexia has at least average intelligence and good language comprehension skills, but needs special instruction to learn how to read and spell words and to put thoughts into writing. Dyslexia is inheritable and can range from very mild to severe. Using an incidence rate of 15 percent, about 6,600 of the 44,000 students in the Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools systems have some degree of dyslexia.
Janet Camp, supervisor of dyslexia services at MTSU and vice president of the North Middle Tennessee Region of the state’s International Dyslexia Association, said the forum coincides with Dyslexia Awareness Month in the state, a new proclamation that Gov. Phil Bredesen signed on Sept. 25.
“The Tennessee IDA board members are excited to hold events during October, Dyslexia Awareness Month, to help communities, parents and teachers recognize and understand dyslexia,” Camp said. “We are anxious to let others know about the exciting developments in teaching materials and techniques to help people with dyslexia to read and spell."
Co-sponsored by Linebaugh Library, Read to Succeed, the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU and the Tennessee-based IDA, the upcoming forum is free of charge, but organizers ask that those who wish to attend RSVP to Grace James at 615-494-8880 or e-mail dyslexia@mtsu.edu.
Free parking will be available under the library and may be accessed from Vine, Broad or Church Street entrances. Linebaugh Library staff also will provide a story hour for children ages 3 to 8 who might accompany parents to the event. Also, light refreshments and printed information will be available during the forum.



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[128]AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISTS TACKLE U.S. ELECTION OCT. 8 AT MTSU

AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISTS TACKLE U.S. ELECTION OCT. 8 AT MTSU
CNN’s Crowley, Pulitzer Winner Mears Among Speakers at Free Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 30, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Beverly Keel, 615-898-5150

(MURFREESBORO)—CNN’S Candy Crowley and Pulitzer Prize-winner Walter Mears are among the nationally recognized journalists who will discuss the presidential election at MTSU’s KUC Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
“History in the Making: Press Coverage of the Presidential Campaign” is fourth in a yearlong series sponsored by the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies that examines the media and the presidential election. The event is free and open to the public.
“I am delighted that these award-winning journalists will share their observations about this history-making presidential election with the MTSU community,” said Beverly Keel, director of the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence. “Their experiences with numerous presidential campaigns of the past will provide insights that will help us better understand the current election.”
At 10:30 a.m., Walter Mears will present the lecture, “On the Campaign Trail: 48 Years of Covering Presidential Politics.”
Mears, who covered 11 presidential campaigns, was a national political reporter, Washington bureau chief, executive editor, vice president and columnist during a 45-year career with The Associated Press. He won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1977 for his coverage of the 1976 presidential campaign.
“The Morning After: Who Won the Presidential Debates?”, a panel that will discuss the previous night’s presidential debates in Nashville, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Mears will be joined by Bill Kovach, John Mashek and John Seigenthaler on the panel, which will be moderated by Keel.
Kovach, the founding director of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, has been a journalist for more than 50 years. He is a former Washington Bureau Chief of The New York Times, editor of the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal-Constitution and curator of the Nieman Fellowships at Harvard University. Kovach is co-author of “The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” and “Warp Speed: America in the Age of Mixed Media.”
Mashek, who covered every presidential campaign from 1964 until 1992, was an active journalist for 40 years, starting as a local reporter for the Dallas Morning News in 1955 and ending with retirement in 1995 as the national political correspondent in Washington for the Boston Globe. He was a panelist in three presidential debates—Bush-Ferraro in 1984, Bush-Dukakis in 1988 and Bush-Clinton-Perot in 1992—and in retirement has taught journalism at the Medill School of Northwestern University.
Seigenthaler, for whom MTSU’s Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence is named, is chairman emeritus of The Tennessean and founder of the First Amendment Center. A former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, he also was the founding editorial director of USA Today and served in that position for a decade. He served on the 18-member National Commission on Federal Election Reform organized in 2001 by former Presidents Carter and Ford.
At 12:40, Crowley will present “One on One with Candy Crowley,” in which she will share her thoughts and observations about the presidential campaign.
Crowley is CNN's award-winning senior political correspondent based in the network’s Washington, D.C., bureau. Her assignments have taken her to all 50 states and around the world. She plays a pivotal role in CNN’s America Votes 2008 coverage. She was also part of the network’s Emmy award-winning 2006 mid-term election coverage and has covered all but one of the national political conventions since the presidential nomination of Jimmy Carter.
For more information, contact Beverly Keel at 615-898-5150 or bkeel@mtsu.edu.

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IN BRIEF: CNN’S Candy Crowley and Pulitzer Prize-winner Walter Mears are among the nationally recognized journalists who will discuss the presidential election at MTSU’s Keathley University Center Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 8. “History in the Making: Press Coverage of the Presidential Campaign” is fourth in a yearlong series sponsored by the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies that examines the media and the presidential election. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact 615-898-5150 or e-mail bkeel@mtsu.edu.


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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color JPEGs of the event principals, 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.

Thanks!