[120] MTSU Wins Award in 2009 National Health Information Awards Program

9-30-09
For more information: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; Cindy Chafin, 615-847-3081


MTSU Wins Award in 2009 National Health Information Awards Program

MURFREESBORO—Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Health and Human Services and Middle Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition were selected as a winner in the 16th annual National Health Information Awards. This program recognizes the nation’s best consumer-health information programs and materials.
“A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” received a Merit Award for Total Health Information Program. Those involved in the production and design of “A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” were Cindy Chafin, project director and consultant to the CHHS and a team of volunteer cancer advocates.
The CHHS has collaborated with several academic disciplines on the MTSU campus to provide expertise and guidance in the development of this curriculum, and with implementation in two preschools in Rutherford County. Nine MTSU dietetics students assisted with on-site nutrition education programming with the two daycare centers as part of a special initiative during National Nutrition month.
Objectives of the “A-B-C-1-2-3 Healthy Kids in Tennessee” include reaching preschool children, their parents and caregivers with important information on cancer prevention, facilitating interactive learning activities for preschool children related to healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention, providing educational opportunities for parents and caregivers related to healthy lifestyles and cancer prevention and building life-time healthy habits in preschool children and their families, ultimately reducing the burden of cancer in Tennessee.
“The CHHS was extremely pleased when presented with a merit award as part of the 2009 National Health Information Awards sponsored by the Health Information Resource Center,” said Dr. Jo Edwards, Director of MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services. “Our winning entry was chosen from more than 1,000 entries judged by a national panel of health-information experts.”
Since the time that the project was implemented, the project has reached over 5,000 daycare teachers, children, parents and family members with important lifestyle health education information.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[119] Oct. 2 Honors Inauguration to Recognize 22 New Buchanan Fellows

Release date: Sept. 30, 2009


News & Public Affairs Contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu


Oct. 2 Honors Inauguration to Recognize 22 New Buchanan Fellows


(MURFREESBORO) — The third group of MTSU Buchanan Fellows will be recognized Friday, Oct. 2, during the Buchanan Inauguration, University Honors College Dean John Vile said.
“Our 22 Buchanan Fellows are from five states and 14 towns and cities in Tennessee,” Vile said, adding that the 2009-10 group includes students with an overall ACT score of 31 and a combined 3.9 high-school grade-point average.
The formal program will begin at 6 p.m. in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building Amphitheatre, Room 106. Because of limited seating, it will be an invitation-only event.
Dr. Eric Klumpe, professor of physics and astronomy and an honors faculty member, will deliver the challenge to the Buchanan Class of 2009.
Vile will introduce Klumpe after introducing Buchanan faculty, including Drs. Angela Hague (English), Richard Hannah (economics and finance), Tammy Melton (chemistry), Karen Petersen (political science) and Tom Strawman (English).
Earlier, sophomore Buchanan Fellows Jessica Taylor and Adam Emerson will add to the welcome by Dr. Diane Miller, interim executive vice president and provost.
Former Dean Phil Mathis, who now is professor emeritus, will provide the introduction of the Book of Town and Gown. Dr. Scott Carnicom, Honors College associate dean, will preside over the ceremonial signing of the book.
All of the Buchanan Fellows will participate in the recitation of the Honors Creed, which will be led by Hague.
Vile, who will serve as master of ceremonies, said the Buchanan Fellowship is the highest award given to an entering Honors College student.
The 2009-10 freshman class of Buchanan Fellows includes Anna C. Caruso of Winchester, Tenn.; Evan Craig of Arlington, Tenn.; Lucy Estes of Franklin, Tenn.; Chelsea Fleet of Arlington; Celia Gendron of Smyrna; Alex Gibson of Cookeville; Ellen Goertzen of Slidell, La.; Courtney Hancock of Columbia, Tenn.; David L. Hull of Chattanooga; Tyler King of Murfreesboro; Emily Kubis of Morristown, Tenn.; Rayne Leonard of Hohenwald, Tenn.; Cody Malone of La Grange, Ky.; Jackson Mooneyham of Gallatin, Tenn.; Elizabeth Pellegrine and Dylan Phillips of Bell Buckle, Tenn.; Alissa Ruggle of Manhattan, Kan.; Lema Sbenaty of Murfreesboro; Chelsea N. Shrum of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; Hilary Tyson of La Vergne, Tenn.; Leland T. Waite of Meridian, Idaho; and Kelsey Wells of Murfreesboro.
With three Nobel Prize winners (including Buchanan Fellows namesake James M. Buchanan) among its alumni and former faculty, MTSU confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

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[118] Oct. 5 Special Honors Lecture features Reality TV's 'Judge Alex'

Release date: Sept. 30, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu


Oct. 5 Special Honors Lecture features Reality TV’s ‘Judge Alex’


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU pre-law students and others will be in for a special treat when television personality “Judge Alex,” the Hon. Alex Ferrer, will appear for a University Honors College lecture.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held starting at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building amphitheatre, Room 106.
“The speech will be open to everyone, but we are especially pitching this to our pre-law students,” Honors College Dean John Vile said recently.
“Judge Alex is a great example of a Latino immigrant who has used the law both to elevate himself and to educate others to the value of law,” Vile added. “He has a nationally syndicated television program, and hopes to speak to our students about his own career path and what it has taught him.”
Ferrer’s appearance is not part of the weekly Honors Lecture Series.
“Judge Alex” airs back-to-back from 2 until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday on WUXP Channel 30.
Ferrer, a former police officer, lawyer and Florida judge, hosts and arbitrates a syndicated courtroom reality TV show that concluded its fifth season in June. He was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1961, but immigrated to the U.S. with his family a year later.
A member of the Florida Bar and the District of Columbia Bar Association, Ferrer also has taught as an adjunct professor at Florida International University.
He has been an associate administrative judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, an appellate judge in the Miami-Dade County Court and served as a district representative to the executive committee of the Conference of Circuit Court Judges.
Ferrer earned his law degree from the University of Miami, where he became a published member of its Law Review and serves as judicial director of the university’s alumni association.
At 19, he became one of the state of Florida’s youngest police officers, then left the Coral Gables police force at 24 to study law.
With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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

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Media welcomed.

[117] College Prep For Military Career Discussed On WMOT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 30, 2009EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

COLLEGE PREP FOR MILITARY CAREER DISCUSSED ON WMOT
Lt. Col. Therrel Kast Stands at Attention for “MTSU On the Record”

(MURFREESBORO) – Lt. Col. Therrel Kast, chair of the MTSU Department of Military Science, will discuss the education of the 21st century soldier and how colleges are helping to prepare young people for the armed forces at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 4, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Kast’s military career includes stints at Ft. McPherson, Ga., and Ft. Bragg, N.C., as well as a tour of duty in the 1st Sustainment CMD (Kuwait/Iraq). His awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal, among others. Kast earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.
To hear last week’s interview with Dr. Justin Gardner about health care co-ops, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “September 27, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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[116] MTSU Sorority Hosts Triple-Treat Athletic Charity Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 29, 2009EDITORIAL CONTACT: Laura Cooper, adpiathlon@gmail.com

MTSU SORORITY HOSTS TRIPLE-TREAT ATHLETIC CHARITY EVENT Run, Bike and Swim to Raise Money for Ronald McDonald House, Scholarships

(MURFREESBORO) – The Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority at MTSU will sponsor the inaugural “Alpha Delta Pi-athlon: A Unique Triathlon Challenge” starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. Participants will compete in a 300-meter swim, a 10-mile bicycle race and a 5K (3.14 miles) run. The swim will take place at the MTSU Health, Wellness and Recreation Center. The 5K run will happen on campus. The bike race will start and end on campus, but the bulk of the course will be off-campus. “Both the biking and running courses are flat and fast and excellent for first time tri-athletes or those wanting to improve their time,” writes Laura Cooper, the sorority’s philanthropy chair. “Teams comprised of three people (one for each event) must enter under a team name. The teams may be comprised of both male and female participants. “Awards will be given to the top male and female participants as well as the top finishers in the team division. There will be an additional cash prize given to the top fraternity or sorority’s philanthropy of choice in the team division. Door prizes also will be awarded and all participants are eligible.” The entry fee is $50 through Oct. 1 and $60 on the day of the event. The team entry fee is $75 per team. All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House and the Alpha Delta Pi Scholarship Program. Pre-registration is available at ww.active.com (keyword: Pi-athlon). Day-of registration will start at 6:30 a.m. at the Recreation Center. For more information, contact Cooper at adpiathlon@gmail.com.


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[115] The International Holocaust Studies Conference at MTSU, Oct. 22-24, 2009

The International Holocaust Studies Conference at MTSU, Oct. 22-24, 2009

Note: The psa’s below publicize the free and open-to-the-public sessions during the upcoming MTSU Holocaust Studies Conference, and we would like the public to take advantage of these excellent learning opportunities. Thank you for any air!

Tom Tozer




:30

GERHARD L. WEINBERG—TEACHER, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR—

EXPELLED FROM GERMANY IN 1938 FOR BEING A JEW AND WHO

CURRENTLY IS PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF

NORTH CAROLINA WILL PRESENT A FREE AND OPEN LECTURE

ON “ROOSEVELT, TRUMAN AND THE HOLOCAUST,” ON THURSDAY,

OCTOBER 22nd at 7:15 P.M. IN MTSU’s JAMES UNION BUILDING. THE MTSU

HOLOCAUST STUDIES CONFERENCE RUNS FROM OCTOBER 22nd THROUGH

THE 24TH . FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 6-1-5-4-9-4-7-6-2-8.




:30
THERE WILL NOT BE A MORE EMOTIONAL EVENT DURING MTSU’s
HOLOCAUST STUDIES CONFERENCE OCTOBER 22nd THROUGH THE 24TH THAN THE SURVIVORS AND LIBERATORS PANEL ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD AT 10:20 A.M. IN THE JAMES UNION BUILDING. THIS WILL BE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE EVENT WILL INCLUDE A MILITARY COLOR GUARD BY MTSU ROTC CADETS AND A CEREMONY OF COMMEMORATION FOR THOSE WHO DIED IN NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 6-1-5-4-9-4-7-6-2-8.




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THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO A FREE LECTURE TITLED “RACIAL HATRED: BLACK AFRICAN VICTIMS OF NAZISM” PRESENTED BY RAFFAEL SCHECK ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd AT 1:50 P.M. IN MTSU’S JAMES UNION BUILDING. SCHECK IS PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AT COLBY COLLEGE IN WATERVILLE, MAINE. FOLLOWING HIS LECTURE, HE WILL SIGN COPIES OF HIS BOOKS “GERMANY 1871 TO 1945” AND “MOTHERS OF THE NATION.” FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MTSU’S HOLOCAUST STUDIES CONFERENCE,
CALL 6-1-5-4-9-4-7-6-2-8.



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HOW WILL TEACHERS TEACH ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST WHEN THERE ARE NO SURVIVORS LEFT? THAT’S THE TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th AT 11:25 A.M. ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE MTSU HOLOCAUST STUDIES CONFERENCE. THE PANEL DISCUSSION WILL BE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY TEACHERS, AND WILL BE HELD IN MTSU’S JAMES UNION BUILDING. FELICIA ANCHOR, CHAIRPERSON OF THE TENNESSEE HOLOCAUST COMMISSION, WILL BE A PANELIST. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 6-1-5-4-9-4-7-6-2-8.


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THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN WHITWELL, TENNESSEE HAVE COLLECTED MILLIONS OF PAPER CLIPS TO SYMBOLIZE THE MILLIONS OF JEWS WHO WERE KILLED DURING THE HOLOCAUST. LINDA HOOPER, SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, WILL SHOW THE FILM “PAPER CLIPS” AND TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE MTSU HOLOCAUST STUDIES CONFERENCE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th AT 2:30 P.M. IN THE JAMES UNION BUILDING. THIS WILL BE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 6-1-5-4-9-4-7-6-2-8.

[114] Four Generations Of Domestic Abuse Topic of Author's Talk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2009EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

FOUR GENERATIONS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE TOPIC OF AUTHOR’S TALK Marlow’s Compelling Story Part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) – L.Y. Marlow, author of Color Me Butterfly, will headline the June Anderson Women’s Center’s activities highlighting Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Marlow is slated to deliver her keynote speech, presented by the Women’s Center and Women in Action and co-sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Fund, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Cantrell Hall in the Tom Jackson Building on the MTSU campus. Doors will open at 4 p.m. A reception and book signing will follow the presentation. Color Me Butterfly, published in 2007, is based on a true story of four generations of mothers and daughters who suffered domestic abuse. Set in Philadelphia and spanning 60 years, the book tells the story of how Eloise, Mattie, Lydia and Treasure found the courage to persevere, each in her own way. Marlow’s book will be the topic of discussion at the Monday, Oct. 26, meeting of the “Our Friends: Our Selves Book Club” from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Women’s Center in Room 206 of the James Union Building. The group uses literature to examine women’s roles in society, both past and present. In addition to events surrounding Marlow, the Women’s Center will sponsor the Silent Witness Project from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, in the second floor lobby of the Keathley University Center. This exhibit will feature blood red T-shirts displaying true local stories of women, men and children who have been victims of domestic violence. The stories are printed across the busts of the T-shirts. This powerful exhibit promotes peace, healing, education and awareness. Throughout the month, the Women’s Center will make purple ribbons available across campus for members of the MTSU community to wear in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. All Domestic Violence Awareness Month events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

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[113] MTSU Music School Brings Trumpet & Organ Due To Perform Guest Concert At Local First United Methodist Church Oct. 12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 28, 2009
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493

MTSU MUSIC SCHOOL BRINGS TRUMPET & ORGAN DUO TO PERFORM
GUEST CONCERT AT LOCAL FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OCT. 12

(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU School of Music will present a guest-artist concert with the trumpet and organ duo known as Clarion beginning at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at First United Methodist Church on Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro.
The duo, which comprises Keith Benjamin (trumpet) and Melody Steed (organ), is known to present an extraordinary variety of styles and perform music that spans some 400 years.
During the Oct. 12 concert, the musicians will perform Four Themes on Paintings of Edward Munch by Anthony Plog, Three Preludes by Robert Tarer, Clarion Calls by Samuel Adler, Final from Symphony No. 1 by Louis Vierne, Metamorphosis by Vaclav Nelhybel and Gloria from Liturgy for St. John Chrysostom by Sergei Rachmaninoff, as well as Okna by Petr Eben.
According to the duo, the Clarion name suggests the musical connections to both the trumpet and organ, and is in keeping with their interest in the unique flavor of new music for trumpet and organ.
The duo has said that if the classics are the heartbeat of music, outstanding new works must be the lifeblood itself.
The Oct. 12 concert at FUMC is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other concerts in the MTSU School of Music, visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

[112] Oct. 2 'Atmospheric Fireworks: Aurorae in the Solar System'

Release date: Sept. 28, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Star Party contacts: Dr. Chuck Higgins, 615-898-5946 or chiggins@mtsu.edu
Dr. Eric Klumpe, 615-898-2483 or eklumpe.edu

Oct. 2 ‘Atmospheric Fireworks: Aurorae in the Solar System’
Lecture Continues MTSU Fall First Friday Star Parties


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU Physics and Astronomy associate professor Dr. Charles Higgins will discuss “Atmospheric Fireworks: Aurorae in the Solar System” starting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, continuing the department’s fall 2009 First Friday Star Party series.
The talk will be held in Wiser-Patten Science Hall Room 102 and outside the building, department officials said. Higgins will have a 30- to 45-minute public lecture followed by outdoor telescope observing, weather permitting.
The general public and MTSU faculty, staff and students are invited to the free event. Children are welcome. Free Star Party parking will be available behind WPS after 4:30 p.m. Friday only.
Directions to parking and the event site: At the intersection of Baird Street and Main Street, take Baird to MTSU campus. Turn right at stop sign onto Blue Raider Drive. Turn left onto Friendship Street. Continue past entrances to first set of parking lots. At curve in road, turn left into parking lot. WPS Hall is the second building at the northwest corner of the parking lot. Please park only in areas designated for parking. Handicap parking requires a valid state permit.
For more information, call the physics and astronomy department at 615-898-2130.

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

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Media welcomed.

[111] MTSU Career Development Center Plans 'Developing Your Future' Activities Sept. 28-Oct. 2

Release date: Sept. 25, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-2919 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Career Development Center contacts: Bill Fletcher, 615-898-2501 / bfletch@mtsu.edu
Karen Austin, 615-898-5732 or kaustin@mtsu.edu

MTSU Career Development Center Plans
‘Developing Your Future’ Activities Sept. 28-Oct. 2


(MURFREESBORO) — The MTSU Career Development Center will hold Career Development Week from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, featuring something for all students.
“Developing Your Future” is the theme for this year’s Career Development Week. Three major themes – “Your Academic Future,” “Your Future Workplace” and “Your Future Potential” will be accented throughout the week.
Highlights and activitries will include:
Your Academic Future – “The Value of Studying Abroad,” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building amphitheater (Room 106); “Graduate School Discussion Panel,” at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 in Honors 106; and a Majors Fair from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in the first floor of Keathley University Center.
Your Future Workplace – “Professionalism in the Workplace,” at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 29 in KUC 316; “The Future of the Workforce,” at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 29, in Honors 106; and “Targeting Your Resume: A Corporate Perspective,” at 11 a.m. Sept. 30 in KUC 316; and
Your Future Potential – “What the Career Development Center Can Do for You” on Monday, Sept. 28, with sessions starting throughout the day in the KUC Theater; “Resumania,” at noon Sept. 30 in KUC 316; “Social Networking and the Job Search,” at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Honors 117; Etiquette Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 1 in the James Union Building Hazlewood Dining Room (ticket is required); and Career Center Open House from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, in KUC 328.
For more details, call 615-898-2500 or visit the center online at mtsu.edu/~career. Bill Fletcher serves as director of the center, which is located in KUC 328.

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

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Media welcomed.

[110] MTSU Theatre Opens New Season With 'Dear Finder' On Oct. 22-24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 24, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, NPA, 615-898-2919 or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU THEATRE OPENS NEW SEASON WITH ‘DEAR FINDER’ ON OCT. 22-24
Holocaust-Themed Production Coincides with Biennial Holocaust Conference at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU Theatre will perform “Dear Finder,” a show that unearths many truths about the past and the present, at 7:30 nightly Oct. 22-24 on the stage of the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Auditorium’s Tucker Theatre.
Staged with 14 actors performing monologues from the letters and journals of actual Holocaust survivors, “Dear Finder,” said the show’s director, Jacqueline Springfield, “shows a new perspective of the Holocaust, illustrating a connection between their experiences and contemporary incidents of racial genocide.”
The show was written by a group of students at the University of Minnesota and has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The MTSU production will be performed in coordination with the 9th biennial International Holocaust Studies Conference at MTSU on Oct. 22-24.
As director, Springfield, assistant professor of speech and theatre, said she intends to “tell this story as honestly and simply as possible, out of respect for the victims whose experiences we will never really understand.”
Moreover, she added, “I hope audiences leave the theater knowing these events and struggles happened and that they feel challenged to fight the hatred that is still inflicting today’s society.”
Joining Springfield in presenting the MTSU show will be Kim Neal Nofsinger, director of MTSU Dance Theatre, who has choreographed movement for the play.
“We hope the powerful staging will help create moments to convey the emotional and physical struggles of these people,” he said.
For those who take in the “Dear Finder” performance, Springfield said she hopes the show will “bring remembrance to the lives that were lost and raise awareness to the intolerance that spawned such a tragedy.
“Intolerance is an active thing,” she continued. “We are fighting social structures that were set upon us years before. We can no longer let our prejudices be the totality of how we see each other.”
• TICKET INFO: Advance tickets are available by calling 615-494-8810 or by visiting the Tucker Theatre lobby box office between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets will also available at the door prior to the performance.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for MTSU staff and K-12 students. MTSU students will receive free admission with valid ID.
For more information, please access www.mtsu.edu/theatre.

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request interviews with the show’s director or performers, or to request review tickets, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919. Related artwork is expected to be available upon request after Oct. 2.

[108] Todd Gallery At MTSU Hosts Joint Exhibit Oct. 6-22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 24, 2009
CONTTACT: Eric Snyder, Todd Gallery curator, 615-898-5653

TODD GALLERY AT MTSU HOSTS JOINT EXHIBIT OCT. 6-22
Public Invited, Encouraged to Attend Free Show & Oct. 6 Reception for Artists

(MURFREESBORO)—The Todd Gallery at MTSU will serve as host for a joint exhibit of artworks by Steve Prince and Boris Zakic from Oct. 6 through Oct. 22 at the campus-based gallery.
Aptly titled the Steve Prince/Boris Zakic Exhibit, the collaborative display will include a free and open reception for the artists 4-5 p.m. on the exhibit’s opening day, Oct. 6.
Participating artist Prince, who is a native of New Orleans, works primarily as a linoleum printmaker. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Xavier University in Louisiana and a Master of Fine Arts from Michigan State University.
Regarding Prince’s works, Eric Snyder, gallery curator, said, “Steve richly embeds layers of symbolism, cultural icons and biblical references in his work. He deals in themes of social and racial justice and visually explores a biblical response to the problems consuming today’s urban communities.
Currently a resident of Hampton, Va., Prince frequently lectures in secular and sacred settings and is the winner of numerous awards and honors.
Artist Zakic, meanwhile, is a recent arrival to Kentucky and among the newest members of the art faculty at Georgetown College. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans.
As an artist, Snyder said of Zakic, his unique style combines the traditional techniques of the old masters with philosophical concerns that resonate across all periods of human history.
“A constant theme in his paintings is the integration of text, usually a single word often represented as a figure,” Snyder observed. “He believes that words have no intrinsic meaning—they function as indicators with layers of possible meaning. He also signifies images, but not by the words generally associated with them.”
Related to this, Zakic, has said that “the relationship between language and visual representation is the key to finding meaning” in his work.
The Todd Gallery is open 8 a.m.-4: 30 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed on state and university holidays.
• Admission to the gallery is always free. For parking, directions or more exhibit information, please contact Snyder, gallery curator, 615-898-5653


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To secure artwork images for editorial use, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.edu.

[107] Record 25,188 Students Are Attending MTSU This Fall

Release date: Sept. 23, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Enrollment Services contact: Dr. Deb Sells, 615-898-2440 or dsells@mtsu.edu


Record 25,188 Students Are Attending MTSU This Fall


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU administrators anticipated enrollment surpassing 24,000 for the first time for the fall semester. They never dreamed the combined undergraduate and graduate headcount would break the 25,000 barrier – and then some.
Enrollment Services officials recently submitted a record 25,188 total to the Tennessee Board of Regents.
In 2008, MTSU’s then-record enrollment was 23,872 students. MTSU has 1,316 additional students registered for classes this fall – a 5.5 percent increase – compared to fall ’08.
“Certainly, unemployment and the economy are driving many people back into the classroom for retraining and to gain the education needed for a change in employment,” said Dr. Deb Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment services.
“Our headcount rose by more than 1,300 students,” Sells added. “Memphis’s headcount increased by a few more than 1,200 students. The remaining four-year schools each grew in headcount by somewhere between approximately 60 and 800 students. The quality of the academic programs at MTSU, coupled with the personal attention and exceptional student service provided, continue to make MTSU the fastest-growing four-year institution in the TBR system.”
From information collected by the Office of Records for enrollment services, there are 22,299 undergraduate students and 2,889 graduate students registered. These are increases of 1,047 undergrads (4.9 percent increase) and 269 graduate students (10.3 percent increase), respectively.
There are 3,596 first-time freshmen (140 more than ’08) and 2,137 new transfers (202 more than ’08). MTSU has 16,946 returning students, an increase of 764 from a year ago.
Soaring past 24K to 25K “means that MTSU continues to do an exceptional job of focusing primarily on quality academic programs and quality student learning experiences,” Sells said. “… We are driven by the pursuit of quality in the types of students we enroll, the academic programs that we offer and in the kind of experiences students have as a part of this academic community.
“Growth is an outcome of demand to be a part of this high-quality institution. I think that MTSU understands that if we do the right things to create a first-rate learning environment, then reasonable growth will be a natural byproduct.”
Sells said MTSU administrators “continue to see a payoff to our focus on increasing retention and successful graduation of our students,” she said. “Our increase in our number of returning students was more than double the number of new transfer and new freshmen students combined.
“The entire university has made a priority of improving the academic advising process and increasing academic support services for students. Again, it’s an example of how focusing on the quality of the student experience naturally influences enrollment. As terrific as it is to be the number one choice of so many new students, nothing makes me happier than seeing this evidence of how we are improving the experience and the success of our already enrolled students.”

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

###

MTSU Enrollment Comparisons
(As of Sept. 21)

Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Net +/-


Total enrollment 23,872 25,188 1,316 (5.5%)


Undergraduate students 21,252 22,299 1,047
Graduate students 2,620 2,889 269

Summary of New Students

First-time freshmen 3,456 3,596 140
New transfers 1,935 2,137 197
New undergraduate special 34 37 3
New graduates 698 816 118

Summary of Returning Students
Freshmen 1,913 1,824 -89
Sophomores 3,489 3,667 178
Juniors 3,472 3,799 327
Seniors 5,608 5,737 129
Undergraduate special 52 108 56
Total graduates 1,648 1,811 163
Total returnees 16,182 16,946 764






Summary of Re-enrollees
Freshmen 241 270 29
Sophomores 297 300 3
Juniors 280 256 -24
Seniors 459 538 79
Undergraduate special 4 4 0
Total graduates 274 262 -12

Additional Data

Concurrent high school* 12 26 14
* — Currently enrolled high-school students taking courses for college credit

Source: MTSU Enrollment Services



MTSU enrollment 2000-09

2009 – 25,188
2008 – 23,872
2007 – 23,246
2006 – 22,863
2005 – 22,554
2004 – 22,322
2003 – 21,744
2002 – 21,163
2001 – 20,073
2000 – 19,121


Source: MTSU Enrollment Services

[106] 9th Biennial Holocaust Conference At MTSU Set Oct. 22-24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 24, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919

9TH BIENNIAL HOLOCAUST CONFERENCE AT MTSU SET OCT. 22-24
Many Events, Discussions Free & Open to Public; Organizers Urge Attendance

(MURFREESBORO)—“The Holocaust and World War II” is the theme of the 9th biennial International MTSU Holocaust Studies Conference, which will be held Thursday, Oct. 22, through Saturday, Oct. 24, on the MTSU campus.
Throughout the weekendlong event, which will get under way at 8 a.m. daily in MTSU's James Union Building, the conference will feature back-to-back presentations commemorating the Holocaust experience from cultural, educational and historical perspectives. University educators, authors and historians from throughout the United States, as well as from the Ukraine and Poland, among other locales, will lead conference sessions.
Sponsored by MTSU’s Holocaust Studies Committee, the conference’s guest speakers will include American liberators of various concentration camps as well as survivors of those camps, providing the public with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for to meet those who experienced the reality of the brutality of German Nazi policies.
Although those who wish to attend all of the weekend event’s sessions may register to do so, many of the three-day conference’s discussion and panels are free and open to the public, including an Oct. 24 presentation by guest speaker/school principal Linda Hooper on “The Paperclip Project,” a monument made from millions of paperclips by middle-schoolers in rural Whitwell, Tenn., and created to commemorate Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
The project, which originated in an eighth-grade class but expanded to involve the entire student body, has drawn international attention and was inspired by a historical lesson involving Europeans who wore paper clips on their lapels as a statement of protest against the Nazis.
Author and Holocaust historian Dr. Gerhard L. Weinberg, who will receive the prestigious 2009 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing on Oct. 24, will be a highlight and keynote speaker for the Holocaust event.
In 1958, Weinberg discovered Hitler’s unpublished book when he was combing through massive stacks of documents that the United States had captured from Nazi Germany. Hitler dictated the secret book, which includes his plans for global domination and an American invasion, in 1928. Since its discovery, the book has been authenticated and the documents are considered legitimate, as outlined in the History Channel documentary titled “Hitler’s Plan.”
Weinberg will deliver two free talks during his local visit, including a public pre-conference presentation, “Pope Pius XII in World War II,” at 3 p.m. Oct. 21 at Murfreesboro’s St. Clair Center, as well as a 7:15-8:15 p.m. talk Oct. 22 in the JUB titled “Roosevelt, Truman and the Holocaust.”


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Aside from Weinberg and Hooper’s sessions, the conference also will offer two open sessions on Friday, Oct. 23. The first, a two-hour “Survivors and Liberators” panel, will begin at 10:20 a.m. in the JUB and feature Holocaust survivors Frances Cutler of Nashville; Judy Cohen of Toronto, Ontario; and Eva and Eric Rosenberg of Nashville. Liberator panelists will be Jimmie Gentry of Franklin and James Dorris of Chattanooga.
The second free presentation on Oct. 23, “Racial Hatred: Black African Victims of Nazism, will begin at 1:50 p.m. in the JUB, with guest speaker Raffael Scheck of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Then, on Saturday, Oct. 24, the conference—in addition to “The Paperclip Project”—will also provide a free “Second Generation” panel discussion in the JUB beginning at 11:25 a.m. This hourlong session will focus on what teachers can do in the classroom related to Holocaust education when survivors are no longer around to help tell the story.
• REGISTRATION/SESSION INFO: For more information on the conference, including a full schedule of programming events, or to download a registration form, please visit its Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/~holoed/ and click on a related link.
For additional conference information not found on the Web site, please contact Dr. Nancy Rupprecht, history professor, at 615-898 2645.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For editorial needs, including interview requests with conference organizers or selected guest speakers, including Randy Jackson who will deliver the free and open “Racial Hatred: Black African Victims of Nazism” panel Oct. 23, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919 or via lrollins@mtsu.edu.

[105] Co-Ops As Health Care Conduits Discussed By MTSU Professor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 27, 2009EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

CO-OPS AS HEALTH CARE CONDUITS DISCUSSED BY MTSU PROFESSOR
“MTSU On the Record” Examines Economic Model Used by Farmers
(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Justin Gardner, assistant professor of agribusiness and agriscience, will talk about the application of the co-op model to health care at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 27, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
A co-op (short for “cooperative”) is a not-for-profit, member-owned group that bands together to achieve common goals and regulates itself through a representative panel. Farmers are familiar with the co-op as a means of providing agricultural supplies at lower prices. U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has proposed health care co-ops as alternatives to a public option.
To hear last week’s interview with Professor David Hudson about his new book on combat sports, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “September 20, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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[103] Federal Grant Funds MTSU Public Health History Research

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 22, 2009EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS MTSU PUBLIC HEALTH HISTORY RESEARCH Professor to Study Southern Health Policy, Impact of New Deal and World War II

(MURFREESBORO) – The National Institutes of Health has awarded a two-year grant to Dr. Kris McCusker, associate professor of history at MTSU, to study the nexus of public health issues and political power during a critical period in the American South.
“’Just Enough to Put Him Away Decent’: The Management of Death and the Evolution of Public Health Policy in the South, 1918-1945” is completely supported by federal funds. The book is under option by the University of Illinois Press. “In the South, whether one was black or white, death was a common and important part of the region’s self-conception, its ‘mind,’ in writer W.J. Cash’s words, since the death of young and old alike was ever present,” writes McCusker. “What happened, then, when public health policy, which assumed that dying was bad except in old age or on a battlefield, infiltrated the South? What happened to the centrality of death and the rituals used to manage the chaos associated with it in a region that witnessed a tremendous economic and social transformation during the interwar era?” McCusker says she also will examine the impact of New Deal policies and the mobilization for World War II on the region at a time when it was considered to be “the nation’s number one economic and health problem.” McCusker says her interdisciplinary approach to her research will include history, folklore and cultural anthropology. She intends to explore the application of the lessons the federal government and private foundations learned from the Southern experience to post-World War II nation-building in the emergent Third World. For more information, contact McCusker at 615-898-2544 or mccusker@mtsu.edu.

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[102] Register for Oct. 31 MTSU Fall Preview Day; September 26 Event Is Full

Release date: Sept. 22, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Admissions contact: Dr. Michelle Arnold, 615-898-5280 or maarnold@mtsu.edu


Register for Oct. 31 MTSU Fall Preview Day; Sept. 26 Event Is Full


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s Office of Admissions officials said this week plenty of openings remain for the Oct. 31 Fall Preview Day after registration closed for this Saturday’s preview day because of an overwhelming response.
“More than 200 students registered so we’ve closed the (Sept. 26) registration to students and parents,” Lynn Palmer, admissions director, said Monday. “More than 800 people (students, parents, family members and guardians) are expected. We wanted to keep it within (tour group) sizes our guides could handle for the tours to be effective.”
Both preview days will start at 9:15 a.m. from the Student Health, Wellness and
Recreation Center, an admissions official said, adding that a continental breakfast will be provided before the start of the tour.
To register for the Oct. 31 tour, prospective students, their parents or guardians can go online to mtsu.edu/admissn (click on SPECIAL EVENTS) or by calling 615-898-2111.
An e-mail confirmation along with directions and a schedule of activities
will be sent to people who have registered.

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

[101] Cocke County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 22, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

COCKE COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
122-Year-Old Bible Farm Becomes County’s 7th Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Bible Farm located in Cocke County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
In 1887, Ezra Bible and Elizabeth Davis Bible established a 210-acre farm about three miles north of Parrottsville. Prior to establishing this farm, Ezra left his wife and three children at their farm above Del Rio to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War. However, with their move to the Parrottsville community, Ezra, Elizabeth and their family, which came to have a total of seven children, operated a self-sufficient farm, growing a variety of crops such as tobacco, corn, wheat, hay and fruit trees, as well as cattle, horses, hogs and chickens.
An industrious man of many skills, Ezra made many improvements to the farm, constructing a house, barn, smokehouse, crib and chicken houses. He also made most of the furniture for the house and tanned leather to make shoes. Ezra not only made shoes for his family, but for families in the community. Also, he and Elizabeth believed in a good education and ensured each of their children received one, with two becoming teachers, one a dentist, one a newspaper publisher, two working as farmers and one working as a homemaker.
The second owner of the farm was Louie Bible, daughter of the founding couple. She acquired the land in 1925 and raised poultry, cattle, corn and tobacco, in addition to making quilts and spending time gardening, especially flowers. She also participated in the Home Demonstration Club and was active in her church. Although she never married, Louie provided a home for several of her nephews until they graduated from high school.
In 1970, the great-granddaughter of the founder, Elizabeth B. Wiley, became the third owner of the farm. Currently, Elizabeth and husband Howard work the land and mainly raise beef cattle. The barn, smokehouse and two chicken houses that were built by Ezra remain as reminders of the more than 120 years of history of the Bible Farm, which is Cocke County’s seventh certified Century Farm..

About the Century Farms Program

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.

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The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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[100] Knox County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 21, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

KNOX COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
212-Year-Old Murphy Springs Farm Becomes County’s 8th Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Murphy Springs Farm in Knox County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Just one year after Tennessee became a state, Robert Murphy purchased a farm in the Grassy Valley area of central Knox County. He and his wife, Martha McNeil, were the parents of Polly, John, Alexander, William, James, Elizabeth, Maria, Patsy, Harriet and Hugh. In these early years of settlement, the family built a cabin and cleared land for fields for crops of corn, potatoes, hay, flax seed, flour and cotton. Murphy also donated land for the establishment of Murphy’s Chapel, a Methodist congregation.
In 1850, William and Hugh Murphy became the second generation to own the farm. Hugh married twice, though his first wife, Sarah White, was the mother of his seven children. He served as the banker for the neighborhood and was a teacher at Fancy Hill School. The house he built in 1841 still stands and is in the process of being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.
Hugh’s second wife, Dicey LaRue Murphy, and his children, Robert Fillmore Murphy, John Rush Murphy and William Alanzo, were the next owners of the property. Although Hugh gave the farm to all of his children, these were descendants who chose to continue to farm the land.
According to the family’s records, this generation of Murphys provided land for the Corinth Methodist Church and for the Powell Valley Railroad Company to construct a railroad line.
Additionally, the farm’s owners have, over the years, been active in education, businesses, civic groups, and churches, as well as agricultural organizations. For example, Robert M. Murphy Sr. was the first agricultural extension agent for Knox County and was instrumental in bringing the Farm Bureau to Knox County. Meanwhile, Alvin R. Murphy, who worked for Wallace and Tiernen, invented the first chlorinator. He was also instrumental in the formation of Hamilton National Bank and Holston Hills Country Club.
The farmstead has many historic structures and buildings that were built in the 19th or early 20th centuries, including a smokehouse, springhouse, wash house, woodshed, chicken coop, barn and cottage.
For about 20 years, Joe Mitchell has worked the farm, raising primarily cattle and hay. The East Tennessee Draft Horse and Mule Owner’s Association use a seven-acre field fronting the farm. With historic equipment drawn by mules and horses, they


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plow and plant the field in the fall and then use a combine to harvest the oats in the spring. The family reports that a number of onlookers always gather to watch the mules and horses at work.
Today, Kevin P. Murphy, John P. Murphy, and Mary Workman are among several family members who own the farm, but these individuals are the only property owners who reside in Tennessee.
“The Murphy Springs Farm, founded in 1797, is the eighth Century Farm to be certified in Knox County,” Hankins said, “and is one of four that has remained in the same family for over 200 years.”

About the Century Farms Program

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

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

[099] Blount County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 21, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

BLOUNT COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
Samuel Henry Farm Becomes County’s 33rd Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Samuel Henry Farm in Blount County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
“Samuel Henry is a well-known name in the settlement of the territory that would become Tennessee in 1796,” noted Hankins, who added that as early as 1792, Henry built a fort, Henry’s Station, and planted crops on his land grant.
Married to Polly Beal, with whom he fathered six children, Henry was a quartermaster during the Revolutionary War and played an important role in selecting Maryville as the seat of government for Blount County. In addition to his civic duties, he constructed several mills in the area and also obtained a permit to install special stones for grinding wheat.
Through the years, Henry’s sons expanded the business with a wagon trade that reached as far as Atlanta, Ga. When the mail routes were established, one of the mills that was known as “Brick Mill” became a stop on the regular route.
The second generation to own the property was son James. He and wife Narcissa Howard, along with their five children, produced grain, hay and livestock on the farm. During this period, a substantial brick house, built in the Federal style, was constructed. According to family records, the home’s bricks were molded and baked by slaves from the red clay on the property. James died before the house was completed and under Narcissa’s direction it was completed. She lived there until her death in 1885.
The farm’s long history includes generations of owners, all of whom have kept portions of the historic farm in agricultural production.
Today, the farm is owned by Henry descendents Ginna E. French, Larry French and James French. Larry works the land, raising tobacco, hay and cattle. The 1833 Federal house, which was long the home of Narcissa, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“The Samuel Henry Farm, linked to the history of this area throughout more than two centuries, is the 33rd Century Farm to be certified in Blount County,” Hankins observed.

About the Century Farms Program

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.

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The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2

[098] Public Invited to Archaeologist Pavel's University Honors College Lecture Sept. 23

Release date: Sept. 21, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Honors College contact: Dr. John Vile, 615-898-2152 or jvile@mtsu.edu


Public Invited to Archaeologist Pavel’s University Honors College Lecture Sept. 23


(MURFREESBORO) — Catalin Pavel, who is a doctoral candidate in Bucharest and Oxford and who has excavated archaeological sites in seven countries, will speak at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, as part of a University Honors College lecture program.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building amphitheatre (Room 106).
Pavel’s talk is titled “The Secrets of the Lower City of Troy,” and is based on the fact that recent archaeological excavations in Troy have proven that the city was 15 times larger than previously thought.
Pavel has excavated at Bibracte in France, Volubilis in Morocco, Haltern in Germany, Adamclissi in Romania, Horcott in the United Kingdom, Miletus in Turkey and in Troy since 2005. He teaches classical art at the University of Bucharest.
Pavel is married to Honors College graduate Carrie Hunsaker (B.S. ’04).
For more information, call Honors College Dean John Vile at 615-898-2152.

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

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Media welcomed.

[097] Mapmakers Collaborate On Better Picture of Blackman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 18, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MAPMAKERS COLLABORATE ON BETTER PICTURE OF BLACKMAN
Students and Teachers Create Most Accurate Land Cover Map of Area to Date

(MURFREESBORO) – An MTSU researcher, two undergraduates, a high school student and a high school teacher have produced a land cover map of the Blackman area that is considerably more accurate than the best map currently downloadable from the federal government.
Dr. Mark Abolins, associate professor of geosciences, and his teammates were participants in the STEP-MT program, which was created to “increase discovery-based learning and undergraduate research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines,” according to the program’s Web site. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation through a grant to the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.
The land cover map depicts developed, agricultural, and forested land within a 10-square kilometer (3.9 square mile) area extending from Stones River National Battlefield and The Avenues in the east across I-24 through Blackman and over to State Route 840 and includes some natural forested areas to the northwest of Blackman.
To make the map, the STEP-MT team used computers to combine information from a May 31, 2009, Landsat image and a June 2009 Rutherford County road map. Abolins divided the team into two groups, equipped them with global positioning system (GPS) devices, and sent them into the field to check the accuracy of the map. The entire project – map-making and accuracy assessment – was completed in less than eight weeks during June and July. “We generated a bunch of random locations, downloaded them into GPS units, and then the students found each of those 519 locations and observed them from a road or the closest point that they could approach it,” says Abolins. The new map has an overall accuracy of 73 to 82 percent. The federal government’s map is only 44 to 52 percent accurate.
“What we found was that our map was enormously more accurate than the best data of this kind that the federal government provides over the Internet,” says Abolins. He attributes the team’s greater accuracy to the fact that developed land in the area increased from about 21 percent in 2001 (the date of the federal map) to between 46 and 57 percent in 2009. The degree of accuracy is even more impressive in light of some of the obstacles the team encountered.
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“We couldn’t very deep into some of the most forested areas because we would lose the satellite signal,” says Siegel High School teacher Christina Nicholas. “Also,
sometimes we couldn’t get as close to our locations as we would like because they were on private property.” Nicholas, who also is an MTSU alumna and graduate student in biology, says she never had made a map before. But she says the experience turned to out to be useful in helping her with her master’s thesis.
Abolins says the practical applications, in addition to the obvious advantages of a more accurate picture of the area, could include environmental research. “These are the headwaters of a couple of tributaries of the west fork of the Stones River,” he says. “The landscape affects water quality. … This was a good area to investigate from that perspective.” In addition to Nicholas, the STEP-MT team members working under Abolins’ guidance with funding from the National Science Foundation were Jordan Graw, undergraduate geosciences major from Hermitage; Erica Cathey, undergraduate physics and astronomy major from Murfreesboro; and Taylor Bailey, Blackman High School student. Abolins presented his team’s work to his fellow professionals at the eighth Middle Tennessee Geographic Information System Forum in Lebanon, Tenn., on Sept. 16

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For aerial copies of the STEP-MT team’s maps, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.

[096] Washington County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 18, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

WASHINGTON COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
202-Year-Old Sunnyside Farm Becomes County’s 23rd Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—Washington County-based Sunnyside Farm has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Located just inside the city limits of Jonesborough, Sunnyside is a 200-acre farm founded by Nathan Shipley in 1807. The family reported that this parcel was part of land grants awarded to Nathaniel Taylor from 1790 to 1795. Shipley, a native of Baltimore, and wife Elizabeth had one son, Enoch.
Enoch acquired the property in 1834. He was a surveyor and held several posts in Washington County government. Married to Elizabeth Hoss, their son was Nathan, who, like his father, was a surveyor. Nathan acquired the property in 1844, and he and wife Mary were the parents of Elbert A. Shipley.
A member of the 8th Tennessee Cavalry throughout the Civil War, Nathan—following his years as a solider—he became a civil engineer. By this time, the farm had expanded to about 450 acres, the family notes.
Elbert, in his turn, became the owner of Sunnyside. In 1865, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, he enlisted in Company I of the 8th Tennessee Cavalry, but was not mustered because of ill health. After the war was over, he farmed, attended school and became involved in several Jonesboro merchandising businesses. In 1877, Elbert was claim commissioner for Washington County. In addition, he served as chairman of the County Court, and between 1878 and 1886, he was elected and served as Washington County Clerk and Master in Chancery.
In the late 1880s, he also served as secretary of the Jonesboro Board of Education and was chairman of the Republican Committee 1st Judicial district for many years. During Elbert’s ownership, the farm produced pure-bred Aberdeen Angus cattle, Poland China hogs, white Leghorn hens, fruit trees and wheat.
In 1908, Walter P. and Albert L. Shipley, the sons of Elbert and wife Jennie, became the next generation to own the land. Although the property was legally divided between the brothers, they chose to farm the land together for many years. Under their ownership, the farm produced Pure-bred Aberdeen Angus and full blooded Guernsey cattle. They also raised Poland China hogs, Hampshire sheep, white Leghorn hens, turkeys, fruit trees, hay, tobacco, corn and other grains.
Brothers Albert and Walter also served as community servants, businessmen and were involved in politics at the local, state, and national levels. Albert, who was married to Pearl Britton, served on the staffs of Govs. N. W. Hopper and Alfred A. Taylor. In 1921, Albert furnished President Warren G. Harding with a 42-pound turkey from the farm for Christmas dinner at the White House. Harding spared the bird, the family reports, and called it “the feathered monarch of the White House garden” because it was such a fine specimen.

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In addition to farming, the two brothers were very active in the community, with Albert serving in Washington County as Clerk and Master in the Chancery, chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee of the 1st Judicial district and secretary of the Republican County Executive Committee.
Walter, married to Frances Britton, was a graduate of the University of Virginia. He was president and manager of Shipley Hardware & House Furnishing Company in Jonesboro. In 1912, he was elected mayor of Jonesboro and also was a delegate to the 1920 Republication National Conventions in Chicago, representing Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District. Both brothers were members of the Masons and the Junior Order of American Mechanics.
In 1964, Marjorie Shipley Mitchell, the daughter of Walter and Fan, acquired the farm. Her mother was the daughter of Frank and Alice Lee Howren Britton, also Washington County natives. Fan was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Jonesboro Schubert Club and an accomplished violinist. She and her husband, Samuel W. Mitchell Jr., had one son, Samuel William Mitchell III, who has been the farm’s owner since 1988.
Today, Samuel and wife Irene live on the farm, where beef cattle, tobacco, hay, various grains and corn are the primary products. A main livestock barn, a tobacco barn, a springhouse, a smokehouse and a large farmhouse are among the buildings on the busy farmstead.
Hankins said Sunnyside is the 23rd Century Farm to be certified in Washington County.
About the Century Farms Program

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


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

[095] Shelby County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 18, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

SHELBY COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
159-Year-Old Barret Farm Becomes County’s 13th Century Farm;
Founder’s Ties Extended Throughout Community & Beyond His Home County

(MURFREESBORO)—Located in Shelby County, the Barret Farm has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, announced Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus
In 1850, Anthony Robert Barret purchased just more than 75 acres in Shelby County. Barret had family ties through his mother, Nancy Sanford, to Sumner County, home of Gen. James Winchester, one of the founders of Memphis.
Married to Rebecca Hill, of Norfolk , Va., in 1850, the couple had four children. In Early Families of the Memphis Area, compiled by Barret descendent Paul A. Matthews, Anthony also founded the unincorporated community of Barretville. In 1856, he constructed the first general store building for the community. The store sold food, hardware, clothing, fertilizer and other items, and was the place where people gathered to share news and socialize.
During the first half of the 20th century, Barret’s enterprises expanded from the general store at Barretville to include general stores at Idaville, Kerrville, Millington and Mudville. In addition, 3,000 acres of farmland in Shelby and Tipton counties, cotton gins at Barretville, Idaville, Kerrville, Brighton, Collierville and Atoka were established. The Barret enterprises also included a cottonseed delinter plant at Barretville and the Barretville Bank & Trust Company and its affiliates.
The second generation to own the farm was the founder’s son, James Hill Barret. Married to Evangeline “Eva” Burrow, they had two children, Albert Reed and Paul Weisiger. The family raised cotton, hogs, poultry, apples and vegetables. While managing the farm, James also held a number of public offices, including service on the Shelby County Quarterly Court from 1894 to 1936 and as chairman from 1904 to 1907. As chairman, James appointed the members of the commission who oversaw the construction of the Shelby County Courthouse. He also was the Shelby County Register from 1907 to 1910 and was influential in establishing the first high school for African Americans, constructed in 1925, in northern Shelby County. The school was named Barret’s Chapel in honor of his role in establishing the school.
James’s wife, Evangeline also was active in the community and taught school at Bolton College, an agricultural and teaching institution that later became Bolton High School. In addition to teaching in the public schools, she was active in the Women’s Christian Association of Memphis, the Memphis Federation of Churches, the Red Cross and she taught Bible classes for several local Presbyterian churches.
After passing through several generations of the family, the farm is now owned by the great-great-grandson of the founder, Paul A. Matthews. Paul and wife Roberta,
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along with their daughters, Sarah Pierrepont Matthews and Elizabeth “Betsy” Barret Matthews, live on the farm.
Paul is a Memphis attorney with the firm of Bourland, Heflin, Alvarez, Minor & Matthews, PLC, and has served on the directors’ board of the Memphis Bar Association. He was appointed to the Tennessee Historical Commission by Gov. Ned McWherter, and then later, by Gov. Phil Bredesen.
Paul co-authored the book titled Passport to Tennessee History, which was published by the Tennessee Historical Commission in 1996 to commemorate the Tennessee bicentennial. He also served as chairman of the Shelby County Historical Commission, trustee of St. Mary’s Episcopal School and president of several organizations such as the Mental Health Society of Memphis and Shelby County, the Davies Manor Association and the Descendents of Early Settlers of Shelby and Adjoining Counties.
Currently, the land is rented to the Sneed Brothers who grows cotton and soybeans as primary crops on about 60 acres, including a 28-acre portion of land that dates from the original farmstead. The residence—known as “Squire’s Rest” in honor of Paul W. Barret (1899-1976), a squire on the old Shelby County Quarterly Court—is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with barn and washhouse that were built in the 1920s.
“The contributions of the generations of Barret and Matthews families to the history of Memphis and Shelby County and to Tennessee are well-documented,” Hankins observed. “This historic agrarian landscape, which has remained intact and within the same family for nearly 160 years in an area of constant urban development, is both remarkable and worthy of recognition.”
The Barret Farm joins 12 other certified Century Farms in Shelby County, Hankins added.
About the Century Farms Program

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

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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.

[094] Dickson County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 18, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

DICKSON COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
191-Year-Old Baker’s Burden Farm Becomes County’s 23rd Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Baker’s Burden Farm in Dickson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Located three miles south of Dickson, the farm was founded by John Dunnagan in 1818. John married Martha “Patsy” Fussell and they had six children. On 533 acres, the family raised hogs, sheep, cattle, geese, and ducks. In addition, they grew corn, oats, tobacco and wheat.
Their daughter, Ailsey, who married Carter Baker in 1850, received 226 acres from her father’s estate. The children of Ailsey and Carter were Martha, John Carter and Missouri Jane. During their ownership, Ailsey and Carter built a one-room log house that, in later years, was expanded to another room and a kitchen.
According to the family’s reports, the large fireplace in the log room was where all the cooking took place until sometime after 1900 when a stove was purchased for the kitchen. Also per the family, Carter—who also was a distiller— cut timber and made charcoal for the nearby iron forges. Additionally, Carter was also a county constable and served warrants and collected judgment.
In the Civil War, he supported the Confederacy and volunteered for service but was rejected because of a limp from a poorly set broken leg. Carter often traveled to Clarksville, where he received permission to pass through Union lines to trade goods and supplies. After his death, Ailsey lived at the home until her death in 1909.
John Carter Baker was the third-generation owner of the farm. John married Sarah Adeline Horner Weems, a widow. They were the parents of Ewell Festus, William Jesse, Virgil Carter, Robert Theodore, Nellie Emeline, Elbert Hardy and Jennie Lucille. In addition, Sarah’s youngest daughter from her previous marriage, Victory Tennessee Weems, grew up in the household. The family raised horse, cattle, hogs, geese and chickens as well as growing vegetables, watermelons, corn and apples.
In the 1940s, John and Sarah’s son, Robert T. Baker, became the owner of the property. Following the death of his father in 1942, Robert rented the homeplace to various people. The family reported that during this time electricity was installed and the house was remodeled. Robert and wife Shirley Greenlaw Baker focused much of their attention on the many improvements they made to their farm, known as Spring Valley, which is adjacent to the original homestead, which became known as “Baker’s Burden.”
The family said a number of tenants lived in the home, with rent as low as $5 a month. In 1959, the house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. After Robert died in 1967, his wife Shirley became the owner.

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Today, the great-great-grandchildren of the founder, Carter G. Baker, Ailsie Baker McEnteggart and Georgia L. Baker, own the farm. Currently, Dennis Holland works the land and raises hay and timber.
“Baker’s Burden is the 23rd Century Farm to be certified in Dickson County,” Hankins confirmed.


About the Century Farms Program

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


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

[093] Registration Under Way for Oct. 31 Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science Conference for Girls

Release date: Sept. 17, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
EYH contacts: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu
Cacy DeSheles, 615- 494-7763 or cdd3b@mtsu.edu

Registration Under Way for Oct. 31 Expanding Your
Horizons in Math and Science Conference for Girls


(MURFREESBORO) — Registration is under way for the 13th annual Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science Conference, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 31, at MTSU, the event director said today.
Up to 300 girls in grades 5 to 8 and up to 75 high-school girls can attend the event, which will be held from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., said Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, professor of chemistry and longtime event director.
EYH is a hands-on science and math conference, Iriarte-Gross said. Girls in grades 5 to 8 will attend three workshops. The high-school girls will attend two hands-on workshops in the afternoon and participate in a morning panel discussion with women who are undergraduate students majoring in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas.
Lunch and a goody bag will be provided.
The fee to attend is $12 for girls in grades 5 to 8 and $15 for the high-school girls. Limited scholarships are available, said Iriarte-Gross, who can be reached via e-mail (jiriarte@mtsu.edu) or by calling 615-904-8253 with questions related to scholarships or EYH in general.
Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch, co-founder of BioMimetic Therapeutics Inc., will be the keynote speaker.
The McWherter Learning Resources Center lobby is the location for the girls’ Oct. 31 arrival. The workshops will be in various campus venues. Their day’s events will end in LRC.
To register online, go to www.mtsu.edu/eyh and click on the registration link. In order to complete your registration, the parent or guardian must complete, electronically sign and submit the EYH permission form.
To complete the registration process, mail the fee to: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, MTSU EYH, P.O. Box X161, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

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

[092] Rain Forces Postponement of MTSU Ag Field Day to Sept. 24

Release date: Sept. 17, 2009


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Ag contact: Dr. Warren Gill, 615-898-2404 or wgill@mtsu.edu


Rain Forces Postponement of MTSU Ag Field Day to Sept. 24


(MURFREESBORO) — Heavy rain today and this week forced postponement of the second MTSU Ag Field Day for one week, Dr. Warren Gill, director of the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience, said this morning.
Gill said the Ag Field Day would be rescheduled for Thursday, Sept. 24, starting at 4 p.m. at the Agricultural Laboratory Farm, located at 3301 Guy James Rd., just off Halls Hill Pike.
“The heavy rain we’ve had today and the forecast made it necessary to postpone the Field Day,” Gill said.
More than 80 people had registered for today’s scheduled Field Day, Gill said, adding that people still can register by Tuesday, Sept. 22, to attend the Sept. 24 event.
The event is free and open to the public, but MTSU and University of Tennessee Extension officials need a head count for the meal that will be provided.
People can register by calling the UT Extension office at 615-898-7710, Dr. Jessica Carter at 615-898-2419 or Gill at 615-898-2404.
For MTSU news and information, go to mtsunews.com.

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[090] Sept. 21 MTSU Faculty Recital Features Trombones & Keyboards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 16, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493

SEPT. 21 MTSU FACULTY RECITAL FEATURES TROMBONES & KEYBOARDS

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU faculty members David Loucky (trombone) and Angela Tipps (piano) will present a free faculty recital at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, in T. Earl Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
The duo will present a recital of varied repertoire and instrumentation titled 6 X 2.
Loucky, professor of low brass at MTSU, said he will perform pieces on all three members of the trombone family, while Tipps will perform on three keyboard instruments: the Hinton Hall pipe organ, the harpsichord and on one of the school’s Steinway grand pianos.'
“This is an outstanding opportunity to hear the alto, tenor and bass trombones played on the same concert,” Loucky said.
The program will include standard selections from the trombone repertoire by Viennese composer Georg Christoph Wagenseil and French composer Camille Saint-Saens, in addition to two pieces by Swedish composers.
"(We will also perform) the delightful Concertino by Lars-Erik Larsson in an unusual altered form than is what is published," Loucky noted. "A version probably made spicier by one of Sweden’s trombone soloists of the mid-20th century."
"Loucky said that juxtaposed with the Larsson will be Jan Sandstrom’s haunting and mesmerizing Lacrimae, Lacrimae, a selection for alto trombone and organ."
"Rounding out the program will be the rollicking and slightly irreverent Concerto No. 1 for bass trombone by American Chris Brubeck, the son of the great jazz pianist and composer, Dave Brubeck," Loucky remarked.
This concerto includes movements titled Paradise Utopia, Sorrow Floats and James Brown in the Twilight Zone.
"You’ll feel good leaving this recital," Loucky predicted.
The Sept. 21 concert is free and open to the public. For more information on this and other concerts in the MTSU School of Music, visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.


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[087] MTSU Records Promotes Sept. 30 Rock Film, Concert

MTSU RECORDS PROMOTES SEPT. 30 ROCK FILM, CONCERT
Free Event Features ‘Rock Prophecies,’ Tyler Bryant Band

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 17, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385 or gfann@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU recording-industry students are revealing “Rock Prophecies”—and a young musician said to be fulfilling them—on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in a free film screening and concert in the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.

The event also is an opportunity for students who attend the concert to win a Fender Stratocaster guitar, a new Samsung Gravity™ 2 cell phone and Bluetooth.

Dick Williams’ MTSU Record Label course (RIM 4810) guides students into the music business by giving them hands-on experience in recording, songwriting, music publishing, artist management, business affairs, A&R, Internet marketing, record promotion and music history.

This semester, students are helping to promote the MTSU appearance of 18-year-old Texas guitar virtuoso Tyler Bryant, discovered by veteran rock photographer Robert M. Knight and featured in the award-winning documentary on Knight’s career, “Rock Prophecies.”

The Tyler Bryant Band, which cut several demos in MTSU’s Studio B in August, will perform in Hinton Music Hall directly after the 7 p.m. film screening.

“Whatever happened in class the previous day dictates where we go the next day,” explained Williams, a 35-year entertainment veteran who makes use of his industry ties to nab special classroom speakers and opportunities for his students.

“I teach some things that can’t be found in a textbook, and the results are almost Pavlovian: the students come into class saying, ‘Do you know about this? Can we try this in the studio?’ It’s exciting for me to be able to impart some practical knowledge to them as the music business continues to evolve.”

The course also relies on the expertise of faculty and staff in other university departments, including the School of Music and the Department of Electronic Media Communication, as well as the existing talents and interests of students in the course. Tim Hall, a graduate student and musician who served as president of Williams’ spring 2009 class, has produced several MTSU Records artists’ cuts as well as Bryant’s demos.

“What’s great about my involvement in this is that people ask me to record great musicians, and I get the opportunity to sit with ‘em in the studio and make ‘em sound awesome while having a blast at the same time,” Hall said. “Who wouldn’t love that?”

“I talked to the MTSU students in Mr. Williams’ class this spring to promote ‘Rock Prophecies’ and really enjoyed it,” added Bryant, who now lives in Nashville and is on a national tour promoting the documentary. “This has been pretty crazy; I went from being in high school to living in Nashville and touring, but it’s big fun.”

Williams, whose wife and son are MTSU recording-industry graduates, said the RIM 4810 class ultimately could tour as well, taking its training on the road for record executives without a formal music-business education.

“I could clearly see several of my guest speakers and some faculty members taking this instruction to New York or L.A. over the summer and making it a class with certification,” the adjunct professor said. “I think it’s paramount for anyone in a senior executive role to have a complete knowledge of their business. … In my class, we try to convey personal experiences to illustrate how students can become highly successful through hard work and determination.”

For more information about the MTSU Records class, visit www.mtsurecords.com. To learn more about “Rock Prophecies,” visit www.rockprophecies.com. Listen to and watch the Tyler Bryant Band at www.tylerbryantmusic.com.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU recording-industry students are revealing “Rock Prophecies”—and a young musician said to be fulfilling them—on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in a free film screening and concert in the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus. The event also is an opportunity for students that attend the concert to win a Fender Stratocaster guitar, a new Samsung cell phone and Bluetooth. Dick Williams’ MTSU Record Label course (RIM 4810) guides students into the music business by giving them hands-on experience; this semester, students are helping to promote the MTSU appearance of 18-year-old Texas guitar virtuoso Tyler Bryant, discovered by veteran rock photographer Robert M. Knight and featured in the award-winning documentary on Knight, “Rock Prophecies.” The Tyler Bryant Band, which cut several demos in MTSU’s Studio B in August, will perform in Hinton Music Hall directly after the 7 p.m. film screening.

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

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color JPEGs of the Tyler Bryant Band, the poster for “Rock Prophecies” or head shots of the principals in the story, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385.

Thanks!

[089] Coffee County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 17, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

COFFEE COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
107-Year-Old Freeze Farm Becomes County’s 10th Century Farm

(MURFREESBORO)—The Freeze Farm in Coffee County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus.
Known as Freeze Farm since 1902, Rufus Freeze purchased the acreage that was part of a land grant signed by Neil S. Brown, who served as Tennessee’s governor from 1847 to 1849. Per the Freeze family, the grant allowed for a one-acre church tract that was never utilized. However, a small cemetery, which is believed to be a slave burial ground, is on the farm.
Following the farm’s founding, Freeze and wife Rena lived and worked on the 68-acre farm with their three sons, Claude, George and Walter. The family raised cattle, mules, corn, and soybeans. In 1936, the sons inherited the property, with Claude and George continuing to work the acreage until 1947 when Claude bought his brothers’ share of the farm.
During Claude’s ownership, he and wife Ruby, along with their two children, raised corn, soybeans, cattle and mules. A veteran of World War I, Claude served in Germany in the 1st Infantry Division. Ruby was active in the Home Demonstration Club and the American Legion Auxiliary.
In 1993, Grady T. Freeze, son of Claude and Ruby and the grandson of the founders, acquired the farm. Grady was a member of 4-H during his school years and he has raised polled Hereford cattle for 40 years. He currently raises hay on this property to support a cattle operation on a nearby farm.
“The Freeze Farm is the 10th Century Farm to be certified in Coffee County,” Hankins confirmed.

About the Century Farms Program

The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the CHP at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a
metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.

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


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

[088] MTSU Professor Wrestles With Success Of Combat Sports

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 16, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

MTSU PROFESSOR WRESTLES WITH SUCCESS OF COMBAT SPORTS
David Hudson Gets His Kicks—and Punches—on “MTSU On the Record”

(MURFREESBORO) – David Hudson, adjunct professor of political science and prolific writer about all kinds of sports, talks about the newest forms of fighting sports at 7 a.m. this Sunday, Sept. 20, on “MTSU On the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org). Hudson is the author of Combat Sports: An Encyclopedia of Wrestling, Fighting and Mixed Martial Arts. The range of ways in which to fight for fun and profit is growing exponentially in creativity and diversity. Some combine elements of traditional sports like boxing and wrestling with martial arts and just plain free-for-all, knock-down, drag-out pounding. Are the adventuresome men and women who take part in these sports true athletes? Are they destined to become as popular as the jocks in the NBA or the NFL? Hudson will address these questions and more. To hear last week’s interview with author and playwright Susan Griffin, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2009.html and click on “September 13, 2009.” For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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