Friday, February 26, 2010

[329] Japanese-Language Students Compete In Regional Speech Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

JAPANESE-LANGUAGE STUDENTS COMPETE IN REGIONAL SPEECH CONTEST
MTSU Hosts April 3 Event in Collaboration with Consulate General of Japan

(MURFREESBORO)—Students of the Japanese language from 11 universities will compete for top rankings and prizes at the third annual Tennessee Area Japanese Speech Contest, which will be held Saturday, April 3, in the Business and Aerospace Building’s State Farm Lecture Hall on the MTSU campus.
In collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville and the Japan-America Society of Tennessee, MTSU will undertake the role of host from Vanderbilt University, which has previously served as host for the contest for Japanese-language students.
“It is an honor for MTSU to host this contest, as it is expected to invite about 250 visitors to the campus (including) not only Japanese-language educators, but also the local Japanese community,” said Dr. Priya Ananth, MTSU assistant professor, foreign languages and literature, and coordinator of the event.
“It is a great opportunity for the Japanese-language students to showcase their Japanese-language skills at a regional level; for the teachers of Japanese language from all over Tennessee to network and interact; and for the middle Tennessee Japanese community to come and encourage the growth of Japanese language and culture in this area.”
According to organizers’ reports, students from Japanese-language programs offered at Austin Peay State University, Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Maryville College, University of Memphis, Murray State University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Tennessee at Martin, MTSU, University of the South at Sewanee and Vanderbilt University have been invited to take part.
Regarding MTSU entrants, “We are anticipating five students to participate from MTSU, for sure, with a possibility of two more who are being sent as alternates,” said Ananth, who added that the maximum number of participants allowed from each university is six, with two alternates.
Last year, 52 student competitors represented eight Tennessee-area universities and were cheered on by more than 100 well-wishing spectators. This year’s contest, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 11 a.m. to about 6:30 p.m., with a reception for participants following the contest.
During the competition, a panel of judges will rank competitors within their respective levels of language proficiency—beginning, intermediate and advanced. Following the judging outcome, prizes will be awarded to the to top-ranked contestants as follows:
• Grand prize: Round-trip American Airlines ticket to Japan
• First prize (in three categories): Dual-language electronic dictionaries
• Second prize (in three categories): Toshiba portable DVD players
• Third prize (in three categories): Brother multi-function centers
For more information about this year’s contest, please contact Professor Ananth at 615-898-5357or via e-mail at pananth@mtsu.edu.
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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.

[328] Distinguished Lecture Fund Brings Chemist to MTSU March 3-4

Release date: Feb. 26, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Chemistry dept. contact: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, 615-904-8253 or jiriarte@mtsu.edu
LT&ITC contact: Tana McDonald, 615-494-7671 or tmcdonal@mtsu.edu

Distinguished Lecture Fund Brings Chemist to MTSU March 3-4


(MURFREESBORO) — Distinguished Lecture Fund speaker Matt Fisher of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., will keep a busy schedule when he visits MTSU March 3-4.
Fisher, associate professor of chemistry and department chair at Saint Vincent, will be speaking to students, faculty and administrators during his time here.
Fisher’s voyage around campus will begin with an 11:30 a.m. physical science class on Wednesday, March 3, in Room 115 of the Alumni Memorial Gym.
That afternoon from 3 until 4:30 in Room 100 (Faculty Senate Chambers) in the James Union Building, Fisher will headline a faculty workshop as part of the Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center events. His topic will be “Inquiring into Our Students’ Learning — The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.” The workshop is open to all faculty.
At 7 that night, Fisher will talk to students, the MTSU community and general public in Wiser-Patten Room 102.
On Thursday, March 4, Fisher will address faculty and students at the weekly chemistry seminar at 11:30 a.m. in Room 100 of the Davis Science Building.
“Matt is a fantastic speaker and gave one of three truly outstanding talks that I remember in my chemistry career,” said Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, a professor in MTSU’s chemistry department.
Fisher teaches general chemistry, biochemistry and courses for nonscience majors. He is a member of the college’s Biotechnology Advisory Committee and served seven years as director of the college’s teaching enhancement and mentoring program.
For more information, call 615-904-8253.

###
Media welcomed.

Note: A high-resolution jpeg of Matt Fisher is available. Please contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu to obtain.

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.

[327] Pop-Culture Journalist Chuck Klosterman Returns to MTSU

POP-CULTURE JOURNALIST CHUCK KLOSTERMAN RETURNS TO MTSU
Free Public Lecture Set for March 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Beverly Keel, 615-898-5150 or bkeel@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—Best-selling author Chuck Klosterman, widely regarded as the nation’s premier pop-culture journalist, is returning to MTSU March 15-18 for a series of events sponsored by the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies and MTSU’s College of Mass Communication.

His free public lecture is scheduled for Thursday, March 18, at 1 p.m. in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center on campus. The rest of his four-day stint at MTSU will be spent meeting with students and speaking to numerous classes, said Beverly Keel, director of the Seigenthaler Chair.

“Chuck is coming back to MTSU by popular demand,” Keel said of the author. “His 2009 lecture at MTSU was one of the most well-attended events in recent Seigenthaler Chair history. I wanted to bring him back again, and for a longer period of time, so that students could better benefit from his time on campus, especially in smaller groups. In addition to his free public lecture, he will be speaking to students in courses focusing on TV and American culture, the history of punk rock, music publicity and marketing of recordings.

"He is one of the most inspirational and informative speakers that I have seen, and I am thrilled that he is eager to devote so much of his in-demand time to help our students."

Entertainment Weekly has called Klosterman, author of five nonfiction best-sellers (including the 2009 essay collection Eating the Dinosaur) and a novel, "one of America's top cultural critics." The former SPIN senior writer is responsible for a monthly column, “Chuck Klosterman’s America,” in Esquire, for which he wrote the much-discussed Britney Spears cover story for the magazine’s 70th anniversary issue. He has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and GQ.

For more information, call 615-898-5150.

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IN BRIEF: Best-selling author Chuck Klosterman, widely regarded as the nation’s premier pop-culture journalist, is returning to MTSU March 15-18 for a series of events sponsored by the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies and MTSU’s College of Mass Communication. His free public lecture is scheduled for Thursday, March 18, at 1 p.m. in Room 221 of the McWherter Learning Resources Center on campus. For more information, call 615-898-5150.

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

—30—

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Klosterman, 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.

[326] MTSU Organizations Offer Alcohol Awareness Events March 2-3

Release date: Feb. 26, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Health Promotion contact: Lisa Schrader, 615-494-8704 or thomason@mtsu.edu


MTSU Organizations Offer Alcohol Awareness Events March 2-3


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU Health Promotion, as well as several other campus offices and organizations will offer two spring break safety programs related to alcohol awareness in early March, event organizer Lisa Schrader said recently.
Guest speaker Mark Sterner will share his emotional, life-altering experience when he brings the message “DUI – a Powerful Lesson” at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room, said Schrader, Health Promotion director. The event is open to students, faculty and staff.
The Sterner program is co-sponsored by the Office of Greek Affairs, Health Services, the Student Athlete Enhancement Center, Student Programming Council and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
From 4 until 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, in Keathley University Center Room 313, students can attend TIPS – Training for Intervention Procedures – “to help students learn how to intervene when they see their friends or peers use alcohol irresponsibly,” Schrader said.
The TIPS training is co-sponsored by the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of Rutherford County.
Sterner, who speaks at high schools, colleges and universities across the country, shares a powerful message, Schrader said.
His life changed dramatically in 1994 when three of his best friends and fraternity brothers were killed in a drunk-driving crash during spring break. Sterner was intoxicated when he was driving the vehicle. He was convicted on three felony manslaughter charges and served three years in a Florida prison.
Sterner was supposed to be the first in his family to graduate; instead, he was the first family member to go to prison.
For more information about either event, contact Schrader by calling 615-494-8704 or e-mail her at thomason@mtsu.edu.
Health Promotion is located in the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center.

###
Media welcomed.


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.

[325][ Gloria Steinem Speaks Out On "MTSU On The Record" On WMOT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

GLORIA STEINEM SPEAKS OUT ON “MTSU ON THE RECORD” ON WMOT
Women’s Rights Advocate Slated to Keynote National Women’s History Month Events

(MURFREESBORO) – Feminist author and activist Gloria Steinem will be the guest at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 28, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Steinem is scheduled to deliver the keynote address for MTSU’s celebration of National Women’s History Month at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public with a reception and book signing to follow.
Steinem, co-founder of Ms. magazine, also helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a national organization dedicated to nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that strives to increase the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed offices at all levels of government.
A 1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Smith College, Steinem is collaborating with her alma mater’s Sophia Smith Collection on a project to document the grass roots origins of the U.S. women’s movement.
To hear last week’s program with MTSU Military Center Coordinator Cathy Delametter, go to go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “February 21, 2010.”
For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

[324] NEW ILLUSTRATED DRIVING MAP PAYS HOMAGE TO LOCAL WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 25, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

NEW ILLUSTRATED DRIVING MAP PAYS HOMAGE TO LOCAL WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS IN HONOR OF NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Locally Produced Brochure Serves as Companion Piece to Heritage Center Exhibit

(MURFREESBORO)—In honor of National Women’s History Month, the Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County will debut In the Footsteps of Notable Women: A Self-Guided Tour of Rutherford County, an illustrated driving-tour brochure, as part of its March 4 Community Heritage Lecture Series that will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Lecture participants will receive a copy of the new brochure, which is designed to provide information about how women have contributed to the local community.
“The brochure looks at 24 county historic sites from the perspective of women’s history,” said Antoinette van Zelm, historian for the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, who will deliver the March 4 talk. “It’s a great way to learn about the county’s rich tradition of female education and community service.”
The new brochure is a companion piece to the exhibit titled “From the Nation’s Capital to Neighborhood Classrooms: Rutherford County Women, Past and Present” that is on display in March at the Heritage Center. The exhibit chronicles the lives of 10 female leaders and the new brochure contributes an in-depth look at some of the individuals and historic sites featured therein.
Some of the sites included on the driving guide will seem obvious, such as the Baskette House, home of the Woman’s Club, in downtown Murfreesboro, as well as the Mary Kate Patterson House, home of a Civil War spy, in La Vergne, van Zelm noted. Others, such as the county courthouse in Murfreesboro and Hilltop-Rosenwald Park in Smyrna, are not at first glance traditional women’s history sites, but reflect local women’s commitment to preservation and commemoration, she noted.
Additionally, the brochure includes a map, produced by Rutherford County GIS, and is available for both local residents and visitors to the area. MTSU’s Office of Publications and Graphics designed the brochure.
Located just off the square at 225 West College St., the center is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding major holidays) and features local history exhibits and guided walking tours of the town square on the hour. Group tours are available Monday through Saturday by advance reservations. Admission is free. For more information, please call 615-217-8013.
The Heritage Center of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County is a joint venture between the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, Main Street: Murfreesboro/Rutherford County, the City of Murfreesboro and MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation, with additional support from the Rutherford County government and State Farm Insurance.
For more information on the Community Heritage Lecture Series, please call the center at 615-217-8013 or send an e-mail to jbutt@mtsu.edu.


• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To receive a jpeg of the Rutherford County Courthouse, with inset of DAR plaque
(Caption: Women have been essential to preservation and commemoration efforts at the county courthouse) or Hilltop-Rosenwald Park, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins at lrollins@mtsu.edu.


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.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

[323] Local Symposium Marking 150th Anniversary of Civil War's Beginning Set For March 20 Downtown & On The Battlefield

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 24, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

LOCAL SYMPOSIUM MARKING 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL WAR’S BEGINNING SET FOR MARCH 20 DOWNTOWN & ON THE BATTLEFIELD
National Park Service, Heritage Area Invite Public to Participate in Daylong Event

(MURFREESBORO)—As the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s beginning approaches, middle Tennesseans have a timely opportunity to learn more about the men who fought in that devastating conflict, thanks to an upcoming symposium.
“The Legacy of Stones River: Why They Fought,” a daylong program that will begin at 8 a.m. and continue until about 4 p.m. Saturday, March 20, will get under way in Murfreesboro, with some 150 participants expected to attend.
Now in its sixth incarnation, the event will feature distinguished speakers at the Rutherford County Courthouse in the morning and living-history programs at Stones River National Battlefield in the afternoon.
“Tennessee was quite divided during the war, so it is fascinating to discover how people chose sides,” said Antoinette van Zelm, historian with the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, co-coordinator of the symposium. “’The Legacy of Stones River’ symposium gives people new insights into the war on the battle front and on the home front … (and it) is one of the Heritage Area’s longstanding, successful partnerships.”
The history department at MTSU, Eastern National, Friends of Stones River National Battlefield Inc. and MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation also will sponsor the event, which is co-coordinated by The National Park Service.
Per van Zelm, the day’s itinerary will begin with a continental breakfast and 8 a.m. registration at the Rutherford County Courthouse. Next, the program will feature talks by authors Keith Bohannon, Sam Davis Elliott, and Kenneth Noe, all of whom are noted authorities on the Civil War’s soldiers and generals.
A question-and-answer period will follow the three presentations and speakers will be available to sign their copies of their respective books. (Teachers will have the opportunity to attend an in-service session titled “Choosing Sides.”)
In the afternoon, symposium participants will meet at Stones River National Battlefield.
“Addressing the question of why soldiers fought on the ground where thousands of them were killed and wounded, is a powerful way to complement the presentations of our visiting scholars,” said Park Ranger Jim Lewis.
In turn, “Fighting for Home and Hearth,” a ranger-led walk on the battlefield, will be held at 1:30 and 3 p.m. At the same times, the Ninth Kentucky Infantry, U.S.A., reenactment group will drill and fire their muskets while sharing the story of Southerners who chose to fight for the Union.
Registration for the daylong event is $10, with registration brochures available via the Web at http://www.tncivilwar.org or http://www.nps.gov/stri. On-site registration will be available; however, organizers request that advance registrations be submitted, if possible, by March 12 for planning purposes.
For more registration information, please call the battlefield at 615-893-9501.
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More about the symposium speakers …

• Keith Bohannon of the University of West Georgia has written extensively about the war, including essays on John Bell Hood and the Battle of Chickamauga. He co-edited the volume Campaigning with “Old Stonewall”: Confederate Captain Ujanirtus Allen’s Letters to His Wife (1998).
At the symposium, Bohannon will speak on “Virginian in Blue: George H. Thomas and the Civil War in Tennessee.”

• Sam Davis Elliott, a Chattanooga attorney, has published Soldier of Tennessee: General Alexander P. Stewart and the Civil War in the West (1999), Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and Second Bishop of Tennessee: The Memoir and Civil War Diary of Charles Todd Quintard (2003) and the newly released Isham G. Harris of Tennessee: Confederate Governor and United States Senator (2010).
His talk at the symposium is titled “The Battle of Stones River’s Effect on the Leadership of the Army of Tennessee.”

• Kenneth Noe is the Draughon Professor of Southern History at Auburn University. His books include A Southern Boy in Blue: The Memoir of Marcus Woodcock, 9th Kentucky Infantry (U.S.A.) (1996) and Perryville: This Grand Havoc of Battle (2001).
His presentation, “Reluctant Rebels: The Confederates Who Joined the Army After 1861,” also is the title of his forthcoming book.

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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.

[321] Women's History Month Covers Past, Present, Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 22, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH COVERS PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
Gloria Steinem Tops Jam-packed Calendar of Events for Annual MTSU Celebration

(MURFREESBORO) – “History, Change and the Future” is the theme of the 2010 National Women’s History Month (NWHM) celebration at MTSU with conversation, scholarship and a national headliner on the agenda.
Gracing the button worn by NWHM champions this year is feminist Gloria Steinem, who will deliver the keynote address at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building (JUB). A reception and book signing will follow.
“Women During World War II,” a presentation by Drs. Jan Leone and Nancy Rupprecht of the Department of History, is slated for 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, in Dining Room C of the JUB.
During MTSU’s annual Scholars Week, March 22-26, the Women’s Studies Program will concentrate on “Celebrating Women as Scholars.” Panels of faculty and students will tackle a different related topic each day, culminating in the Women’s Studies Research Series lecture “Daring Girls, Sensitive Boys, and Everything in Between: Teaching Gender Construction in Children’s Literature” by Dr. Jennifer Marchant, associate professor of English, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 25, in Room 100 of the JUB.
Dr. Diana Bilimoria, professor of organizational behavior at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, will deliver a lecture at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 29, in the Monohan Hall classroom and guide a student workshop at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, in Room N109 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building.
Bilimoria served as a co-principal investigator on a five-year ADVANCE award from the National Science Foundation to advance women faculty in the sciences and engineering during 2003-2008. Her executive education and teaching activities focus on executive leadership, emotional intelligence, and gender, diversity and inclusion in organizations.
National Women’s History Month activities extend into April with “Safety Awareness Day” slated for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, on the Keathley University Center (KUC) knoll.
The Women’s Studies Research Series lectures will conclude with “That’s not a beer bong, it’s a breast pump!”: Representations of Breast-Feeding in Prime-Time Fictional Television” by Dr. Katherine Foss, assistant professor of journalism, from 3-4

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p.m. on Thursday, April 15, in the SunTrust Room (N127) of the Business and Aerospace Building.
On Tuesday, April 20, members of the campus community will be encouraged to wear red in observance of “Equity Pay Day” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the KUC knoll. The color red symbolizes how women and minorities are still “in the red” due to inequitable wages and salaries.
For a complete calendar of events and more details on National Women’s History Month, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/jawc/nwhm.shtml or call the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise stated by sponsoring organizations.

Friday, February 19, 2010

[320] MTSU's TALK Spreads Word About EPA-Mandated April 22 Deadline for Renovation, Remodeling & Painting Certification

Release date: Month day, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
TALK/TN LEAP contact: Leigh Woodcock, 865-244-4350 or woodcock@mtsu.edu


MTSU’s TALK Spreads Word About EPA-Mandated April 22
Deadline for Renovation, Remodeling & Painting Certification


(KNOXVILLE, TN) — You’ve got less than 100 days until federal law requires that anyone paid to repair paint in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 must be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency in the new Renovation, Remodeling & Painting Rule.
This new law is intended to protect children from leaded dust that may result from disturbing lead based paint, an official in the Tennessee Alliance for Lead-safe Kids, or TALK at Middle Tennessee State University said.
The Tennessee Alliance for Lead-safe Kids at MTSU wants to make sure that everyone in the community — especially contractors, property owners, homeowners and realtors and childcare providers — knows that as April 22, anyone paid to perform renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb paint in homes, childcare facilities and schools built before 1978 must be EPA RRP certified and follow lead-safe work practice standards to prevent lead contamination, Leigh Woodcock, TALK/TN LEAP program coordinator, said.
Contractors, property owners, homeowners, realtors and childcare providers can visit www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm online to find their respective Renovation, Repair and Painting Rules.
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips, which can be harmful to children and adults, she said. This new law has the potential to significantly decrease childhood lead poisoning throughout the state.
Lead poisoning causes a long list of problems including learning disabilities, kidney disease, high blood pressure, miscarriage and birth defects. Exposure to lead can even cause depression and aggressive behavior. There is no safe level of lead in the body. While recent publicity has centered on toys and other consumer products containing lead, the problems caused by all of those products put together is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people harmed when contractors disturb old paint in pre-1978 buildings without taking simple precautions.
By April 22, renovations in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must be conducted by RRP-certified renovation firms, using renovators with EPA RRP- accredited training, and following the work practice requirements of the rule.
This new law will help protect children from being exposed to lead paint poisoning. Consumers should be informed about the new RRP rule and ask any contractor they hire if they are EPA RRP-certified. Owners conducting repairs in their own homes are not covered by this law (unless they receive compensation, i.e. landlords).
Lead Remodelers and Renovators Certification & Refresher Course information can be found on the EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov/lead or by contacting the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).
For additional information about the effects and prevention of childhood lead poisoning, contact TALK at 865-244-4350.

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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.


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

Thursday, February 18, 2010

[313] MTSU Will Host American College Dance Festival Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 18, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU WILL HOST AMERICAN COLLEGE DANCE FESTIVAL CONFERENCE
Department of Speech & Theatre Welcomes Southeast Region Participants March 6-9

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU and its Department of Speech and Theatre will serve as hosts for the 2010 American College Dance Festival Association’s Southeast Conference on March 6-9.
Throughout the event, MTSU will welcome students from 26 colleges and universities in its effort to support and promote creativity and talent from the surrounding southeastern area and across the nation.
Kim Neal Nofsinger, director of dance at MTSU, said the ACDFA annually provides a venue for students and faculty to engage in intensive workshops, panels, classes and performances that are led by instructors from the surrounding region and across the country.
During the campus-based event, participants will take on a rigorous schedule, with the opportunity to select from more than 150 master classes offered during the conference—from en pointe and pas de deux styles, to hip-hop and tap.
With some 500 people expected to attend, Nofsinger said the conference will provide a unique opportunity for students and faculty to have their works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum.
Selected pieces will be performed in the Gala Concert at 2 p.m. March 9 in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre in the Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building. The public is welcomed to attend this performance.
Tickets for the Gala Concert may be purchased immediately prior to the event at the theater’s box office. Tickets may be purchased only with cash payments. General admission is $10 and $5 for students/faculty. Seating will promptly begin at 30 minutes before curtain time.
In addition to the Gala Concert, MTSU also will present an informal dance concert, free of charge and open to the public, at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, in Tucker Theatre.
Nofsinger said this free performance will feature student choreography, as well as performers Claire Porter and Stefanie Batten Bland, both of whom have served as artists in residence at MTSU. Additionally, dancers Teena Custer and Erica Randall will join guest artists Porter and Batten Bland for a featured concert that will be presented during the ACDFA at 8 p.m. March 8 in Tucker Theatre.
Community members interested in participating in ACDFA may purchase a daily pass for $50. For more information about the festival or its related dance concerts, please contact Nofsinger vie e-mail at nofsinge@mtsu.edu or by calling the MTSU Dance program office at 615-904-8392.
—30—

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.

[319] Area Middle-, High-School Teams Prepare for Feb. 27 Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU

Release date: Feb. 18, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085 or ppatters@mtsu.edu


Area Middle-, High-School Teams Prepare
for Feb. 27 Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU


(MURFREESBORO) — On Saturday, Feb. 27, MTSU once again will host the regional competition of the Science Olympiad, when 14 high-school and 10 middle-school teams will participate in 23 different events located across the university’s campus.
“Science Olympiad is the best competitive program out there for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, because it's not just a test of memory," said Dr. Patricia Patterson, MTSU chemistry professor and Science Olympiad coordinator.
“The kids get to build things, and they have to apply their knowledge.”
Events include:
 “Road Scholar,” where students work with various types of maps;
 “Shock Value,” which deals with circuits, electricity and magnets;
 “Wright Stuff,” where teams will design and build a propelled aerodynamic device;
 “Battery Buggy,” which features construction of an electric vehicle; and
 “Mousetrap Vehicle,” where teams must create a vehicle that meets specifications and uses two mousetraps as the only means of propulsion.
“People are beginning to realize this is where it’s at. This competition is the best I’ve ever worked with,” said Patterson. “It’s for all ages, all grades. No matter what your skill set, you’ve got an opportunity.”
Students with a background in Science Olympiad often benefit from their experiences far into the future, as well.
“I’ve heard stories of kids who are applying to schools and other programs, and if Science Olympiad is on their application, it can often lead to that student being preferred over another,” Patterson said.
Sponsors of the 2010 Regional Science Olympiad include MTSU’s College of Graduate Studies and the College of Basic and Applied Sciences as well as State Farm Insurance. State Farm’s sponsorship is given in the form of scholarships awarded to each school after competition to help offset the cost of fees and supplies.
MTSU recognizes the Science Olympiad as a great place for bright young minds to gather, and attempts to make participants feel at home on the campus.
“Dr. (Tom) Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, always shows up and makes the rounds, because he knows some of these kids will be MTSU students,” Patterson said. “It’s best to shake their hands and see what they’re working on so if they come to interview or end up on the campus, he can recognize them and make them feel welcome.”
MTSU has hosted the regional competition for 15 years and supports the Olympiad with large numbers of volunteers as well as sponsorship and the use of facilities.
“About 90 percent of our volunteers are MTSU students, faculty or staff from several departments, and the other 10 percent come from outside the university,” the coordinator explained. “My work-study and pre-service students love working with the kids, because they’re going to be teaching some of them in their future careers. You want them to feel the excitement about science in general and about math, uses of technology and engineering.”
High-school teams competing include Blackman (two teams); Dayspring Academy of Greenbrier; Eagleville; Franklin; Harpeth Hall (two teams), Montgomery Bell Academy and University School of Nashville; Ravenwood of Franklin; Siegel; La Vergne; Riverdale; and Spring Hill.
Middle-school teams competing include Blackman, Cason Lane Academy, Dayspring, E. A. Cox (two teams) of Columbia, MBA, Smyrna, St. Rose of Lima (two teams) and Stewarts Creek in Smyrna.
MTSU also will host the Science Olympiad Elementary School competition this April.
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will serve as the site for the state Science Olympiad Saturday, March 27.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the Science Olympiad is encouraged to contact Patterson at ppatters@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-5085.

Media-Friendly Events on Saturday, Feb. 27 at MTSU:

• “Wright Stuff” — middle-school teams will design and build a propelled aerodynamic device for greatest time in air. Location: Alumni Memorial Gym arena, 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.;
• “Battery Buggy” — middle-school teams will construct an electric vehicle that travels a specified distance and stops closest to finish line. Location: Davis Science Building Room 121, 9:30 to 11:45 a.m.;
• “Mission: Possible” — Rube Goldberg-like devices, built before competition to complete a required final task, are tested and evaluated for the high-school division. Location: Davis Science Building 121, 8:15 to 10:30 a.m.;
• “Mousetrap Vehicle” — high-school teams will design, build and race vehicles using one or two snap mousetraps as sole energy source. Location: Davis Science Building Room 135, noon to 2:15 p.m.;
• “Trajectory” — middle- and high-school teams design, build and operate a device that launches a projectile into a target using elastic solids for energy. Location: Wiser-Patton Science building Room 220 and outside, 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
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Media welcomed.

Note: Claire Rogers, a senior advertising/public relations major from Franklin, wrote the news release for the Office of News and Public Affairs.


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.

[318] Students Offer Food For Thought On Eating Disorders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 17, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

STUDENTS OFFER FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON EATING DISORDERS
MTSU Group Raises Awareness Just for the Health of It

(MURFREESBORO) – The Middle Tennessee Eating Disorder Group will host National Eating Disorder Awareness Week events from Feb. 22-26 at various locations on the MTSU campus. All events, which are part of the university’s celebration of National Women’s History Month, are free and open to the public.
“The aim is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues,” says Tara Prairie, director of Learning Assurance and Compliance in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and faculty advisor to the student organization. “We meet every Wednesday to provide a safe and friendly place to discuss these topics.”
On Monday, Feb. 22, the group will run Jean Kilbourne’s documentary “Still Killing Us Softly” in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.
In a review of the 1987 film for All Movie Guide, Betsy Boyd opined, “By emphasizing the dehumanization of women by television's body-image obsession, Kilbourne teaches viewers how America is taught to categorize women primarily as sex objects. She arms viewers with tools for communication and suggestions for opening an empowering dialogue."
Serafine Jefferey, founder of Her Power, will speak at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, in Room 106 of the Honors Building. Jefferey describes herself on the Her Power Web site (www.herpower.org) as “23 years young” and “in recovery from an eating disorder and substance abuse.”
She states that her mission with Her Power is “to use writing, art, and all forms of the creative voice to spread her message, reaching as many people as possible regarding eating disorder and substance abuse information, resources, and the journey of the overall healing process.”

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From noon-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, posters will be set up on the second floor of the Keathley University Center for those interested to write how they feel about their body image.
The Eating Disorder Coalition of Tennessee (EDCT) will offer a presentation by Beth Lamb at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25, in the meeting room of the Health, Wellness & Recreation Center. Lamb is “a licensed clinical social worker in private practice specializing in eating and co-occurring disorders,” according to www.edct.net. Prairie says Lamb will talk about body image in college and eating disorders in males.
Friday, Feb. 26, is “All Day Healthy Balance Day” with information about healthy eating provided in the Health, Wellness & Recreation Center.
For more information about National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at MTSU, contact Prairie at 615-898-2921 or tprairie@mtsu.edu.


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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.

[316] Veterans-Turned-Scholars Receive Assistance At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 17, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

VETERANS-TURNED-SCHOLARS RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AT MTSU
MTSU Military Center Coordinator Explains Vets’ Needs on “MTSU on the Record”

(MURFREESBORO) - Cathy Delametter, coordinator of the MTSU Military Center, will be the guest on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 21, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
The mission of the center is to provide a comprehensive support structure to serve military personnel and veterans choosing to attend MTSU. This includes programs and services to ensure a positive and successful experience for veteran students.
The center offers access and referral for educational opportunities and veterans’ benefits; personal interaction, peer support and guidance; orientation and assimilation into the MTSU community; use of military credit toward degree completion; career counseling for job market transition; veteran communities and family activities; and access to organizations like BRAVO and ROTC.
To hear last week’s program with MTSU student and independent filmmaker Warren Smythe, go to go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “February 14, 2010.”
For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.


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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.

[315] German Student Affairs Administrators Visit MTSU Campus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 17, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GERMAN STUDENT AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATORS VISIT MTSU CAMPUS
Professionals Gather to Exchange Ideas about Serving University Students

(MURFREESBORO) – Middle Tennessee State University will welcome a delegation of university student affairs professionals from Germany on Wednesday, Feb. 24, as part of their week-long tour of institutions of higher learning in the area.
The visit is made possible under the auspices of NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), a Washington, D.C.-based professional association for student affairs administrators, faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students. The organization boasts more than 11,000 members at 1,400 campuses and represents 29 countries, according to its Web site, www.naspa.org.
“Our staff will be exposed to some new thoughts about how schools abroad are structured,” says Dr. Deb Sells, Vice President of Student Affairs and Vice Provost of Enrollment and Academic Services. “That’s not a chance we get very often. It will prompt us to think about why we do what we do, which will be beneficial in and of itself.”
The German delegation includes Clemens Metz, executive director of Studentenwerk Freiburg; Dieter Reitz, executive director of Studentenwerk Aachen; Dr. Ralf Schmidt-Roch, executive director of Studentenwerk Thuringia; Ted Thurner, assistant director of Studentenwerk Oldenburg; and Christina Walz, executive director of Studentenwerk Kassel.
Sells says the German visitors will be treated to a tour of the campus, lunch in McCallie Dining Hall, a discussion of mutual interests and a possible examination of projects under construction at MTSU, including the new student union and College of Education and Behavioral Science buildings.



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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.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

[314] MTSU Students Score Honors At Regional Theater Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 16, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU STUDENTS SCORE HONORS AT REGIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL
Two MTSU Students Score Playwriting Honors During Campus-Hosted KCACTF

(MURFREESBORO)—Some 800 participants from 10 states visited MTSU on Feb. 2-6 for this year’s Region IV Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, known as KCACTF, and along the way, MTSU students helped create event highlights.
Jeff Gibson, immediate past-president of KCACTF and director of MTSU Theatre, said, “Besides the great work that all of our students did in playing festival hosts and impressing our guests with their hospitality and dedication to making the festival a huge success, we also performed two student-written shows for the festival audience.”
In particular, Knoxville senior Josh Ginsburg authored “Ladybug,” one of two student-written plays presented by MTSU during the recent event. (The play received the 2009 David L. Shelton Student-Written Full-Length Award.)
MTSU also staged performances of “Shards of Glass” by Ginsburg and “Portrait of A Mother and Son” by MTSU senior David Bennett, a native of Nevada City, Calif.
Gibson said these two plays, which were both recipients of KCACTF Region IV Student-Written Short Play honors, were shown together as a performance during the February festival, which featured more than 40 workshops and a variety of award programs—from acting and design, to playwriting and more.
At the close of this year’s festival, Gibson said, “Josh Ginsburg was once again recognized for excellence in playwriting, thanks to his play titled ‘Summer of Hummingbirds,’ which was a recipient of one of two 2010 KCACTF Region IV Student-Written Short Play honors.”
In turn, the play will be given a full production at the 2011 regional festival, Gibson shared.
Additionally, the Department of Speech and Theatre recently was notified that Ginsburg’s “Summer of Hummingbirds” has been selected as one of eight national nominees for the inaugural National Partners of the American Theatre Playwriting Award, with the winner to be announced at the KCACTF National Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.
For more information about MTSU Theatre, please access www.mtsu.edu/theatre or call Gibson at 615-898-5916

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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.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

[312] Feb. 22 MTSU Health, Fitness Activities Mark National Day

Release date: Feb. 16, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Health Fair contact: Lisa Schrader, 615-494-8704 or thomason@mtsu.edu


Feb. 22 MTSU Health, Fitness Activities Mark National Day



(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU students, faculty and staff can receive fitness assessments, personal nutrition plans, chair massages, spinal screenings and more during a health fair Monday, Feb. 22, an event co-coordinator said.
MTSU’s Health Promotion office, along with other organizations, will be participating in National Recreational Sports, Fitness and Wellness Day from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., said Lisa Schrader, Health Promotion director. All events will be held in the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center.
In addition to the above-mentioned activities and a noon faculty/staff dodgeball challenge, there will be a department and organization fair including representation from Campus Rec Center, Health Services, the Student Dietetic Association, Middle Tennessee Eating Disorder Support Group and Counseling Services, Schrader said.
“All of the health-related entities are on board,” Schrader said. “The Student Dietetic Association will provide recipes or cookbooks. The School of Nursing will have blood pressure screenings. Counseling Services will have depression screenings, eating disorder screenings and substance abuse screenings.”
Schrader added that fitness assessments would include tests to determine body fat and flexibility.
Campus Rec will be offering free aerobics classes all day starting at about 11:45 a.m. and going until 8:45 p.m., Schrader said.
“There also will be opportunities for door prizes, and for students, faculty and staff to register for a fitness combine challenge coming up in March,” she added.
Dr. Wendy Windsor, associate director of intramural sports, sport clubs and wellness and who is serving as a co-coordinator, said, “This event is a nationally-recognized event that is promoted through NIRSA (National Intramural Recreational Sport Association.”
“In short, it is just one of many ways we want to collaborate with the Office of Health Promotion to raise awareness and ‘celebrate’ the benefits of choosing a healthy lifestyle,” Windsor added.
For more information, contact Schrader by calling 615-494-8704 or e-mail thomason@mtsu.edu.


Health fair events
(11 a.m.-2 p.m. at MTSU Health, Wellness and Recreation Center)
Free fitness assessments
Free aerobic classes (11:45 a.m. until 8:45 p.m.)
Blood pressure screenings
Individualized nutrition plans
Faculty/staff dodgeball challenge
Informational booths
Eating disorder booth
Free chair massages
Cervical spine screenings
Martial arts self-defense clinic
Volleyball skills demonstration
Sport Club team demonstrations
Door prizes/giveaways
Free sample giveaways

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Media welcomed.

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.

[311] MTSU's Fire Hosts Symposium On Gangs, Organized Crime

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 16, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU’s FIRE HOSTS SYMPOSIUM ON GANGS, ORGANIZED CRIME
National & Local Crime Experts Set to Help Lead March 11-13 Event on Campus

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Forensic Institute for Research and Education, known as FIRE, will sponsor a training-filled 2010 Youth Gang Organized Crime Symposium on Thursday-Saturday, March 11-13, in the Business and Aerospace Building.
During the course of the three-day event, symposium speakers will focus on the examination of contemporary gang issues that involve and distinguish youth and adult gang members.
The symposium’s subject matter will be of interest to law enforcement, business and education professionals and community leaders, report FIRE representatives, and the training is provided free to attendees, with scholarship support from the Department of Justice.
Carter F. Smith, assistant professor of criminal justice administration at MTSU, said, “Our target audience is a blend of criminal justice, business and education professionals, and community leaders in middle Tennessee.
“The symposium is intended to provide a foundation of understanding for members of the community regarding gangs. These groups exist throughout the area,” he added, “and no community is immune to the destructive effects their members bring.”
According to organizers’ reports, eventgoers may register for all or part of the sessions scheduled on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“The cost of registration is limited to a box lunch—one each for the number of days attended so we can have a working lunch—at $11 each,” Carter noted.
Funded by a grant from the DOJ, with additional support from MTSU, the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association and FIRE, the conference will feature a number of experts from across the country and surrounding area.
“We are bringing in a unique variety of local and national specialists who have studied gang members for many years so members of our communities know what their options are when dealing with these groups,” Smith said.
Topics and scheduled speakers will include the following:

• Lessons from A Gang Cop, with Tony “Pac-man” Moreno, a former Los Angeles Gang Officer who was featured in the hit movie titled “Colors” and author of “Lessons from a Gang Cop.”

• Hispanic Gang Identification and Officer Safety Issues, with Gabe Morales, founder and former vice president of the International Latino Gang Investigators Association and author of “Barrio Warfare: Violence in the Latino Community.”

• Not Just Sex, Drugs and Firepower: The Anatomy of A Gang, with Hunter Glass, retired police detective from Fayetteville, N.C., who monitors gang activity at Fort Bragg and across the military.

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• Bridging Intelligence Gaps When Responding to Gang Activity in the Community, featuring Shawn Williams, the immediate-past president of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Association and the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association.

• Ethnic Youth Gangs in the Community: How are They Different?, with Marco Silva, president of the Georgia Gang Investigators Association.

• The Impact of Youth Gangs on Our Communities, with Mike Carlie, a member of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Planning Agency, consultant to the Departments of Correction in Missouri and Indiana. Carlie, who also is a professor of criminology at Missouri State University, has authored “Into the Abyss: A Personal Journey into the World of Street Gangs.”


REGISTRATION: Thursday, March 4, is the deadline to register for the symposium. To sign up, please visit http://cte.mtsu.edu/gangs/new.htm. Or, to view the conference schedule or join the pre-symposium discussion online, please access http://mtsufire.ning.com.
Again, please note that box lunches must be purchased from the conference for participation in daily working lunches. Additionally, participants are responsible for their own lodging, transportation and meals.


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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with Professor Smith or Dr. Hugh Berryman, director of FIRE, regarding the symposium, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU by calling 615-898-2919 or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu.
**Please note that some sessions may be open to media, if desired. Please contact Rollins for prior approval to attend as a media representative; however, no video will be permitted during guest speakers’ presentations.



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.

Monday, February 15, 2010

[310] Feb. 23 Marks Deadline to Submit Scholars Week Abstracts Online

Release date: Feb. 15, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Scholars Week contact: Dr. Andrienne Friedli, 615-898-2071, afriedli@mtsu.edu
or specproj@gmail.com


Feb. 23 Marks Deadline to Submit Scholars Week Abstracts Online


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU faculty mentors and undergraduate and graduate students are preparing for Scholars Week 2010, which will be held March 22-26, event organizers said.
Tuesday, Feb. 23, at midnight is the deadline to submit online abstracts for poster and multimedia presentations to http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11202/Scholars_Week/ScholarsForm12-8-09.asp.
Planned activities include talks, readings, performances, posters and multimedia performances as well as invited speakers and a luncheon.
Scholars Week events will feature department/college activities in discipline-specific venues for presentation of graduate, undergraduate and faculty scholarship.
The celebration will end in a universitywide showcase of posters, multimedia and performance on Friday, March 26.
For more information, visit the Scholars Week Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~research/scholarsweek.html.

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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.


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

Friday, February 12, 2010

[309] Help from a ‘Good Neighbor:’ State Farm Donates $25K for Science Olympiad, Invention Convention, MTSU College of Business

Release date: Feb. 12, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
State Farm contact: Leslie Eatherly, 615-692-6189 or leslie.eatherly.ghcz@statefarm.com
MTSU Office of Development contact: Nick Perlick, director, 615-898-2502 or
perlick@mtsu.edu
Jennings A. Jones College of Business contact: Dr. Jim Burton, dean, 615-898-2764 or
eburton@mtsu.edu
Invention Convention contact: Dr. Tracey Ring, 615-898-5500 or tring@mtsu.edu
Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085 or ppattersr@mtsu.edu



Help from a ‘Good Neighbor:’ State Farm Donates $25K
for Science Olympiad, Invention Convention, MTSU College of Business


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU officials recently accepted a $25,000 donation from State Farm Insurance Companies Murfreesboro Operations Center.
State Farm contributed $4,000 for the Feb. 27 Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU, $6,000 for the Feb. 25 Invention Convention in MTSU’s Murphy Center and $15,000 for the State Farm Award for Professorial Promise, an endowed fund for awards in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
On hand for the check presentation made by Jeff Shay, State Farm’s Murfreesboro Operations Center vice president of operations, were Nick Perlick, left, Development Office director; Dr. Pat Patterson, chemistry professor and Science Olympiad director; and Dr. Jim Burton, College of Business dean.

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For a jpeg photo of the check presentation, please contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News & Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

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.

[308] MTSU Spring Enrollment (23,653) Leaps 5% from 2009

Release date: Feb. 12, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Enrollment Management Contacts: Dr. Deb Sells, 615-898-2440 or dsells@mtsu.edu
Dr. Sherian Huddleston, 615-898-2828 or shuddles@mtsu.edu


MTSU Spring Enrollment (23,653) Leaps 5% from 2009


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s spring enrollment total of 23,653 students registered and taking classes is a 5 percent increase from January 2009 when 22,516 students were attending, Sherian Huddleston, associate vice provost for Enrollment Services, said this week.
Numbers supplied from the Records Office show an overall increase of 1,137 students. Following the 14-day census period that ended Jan. 27 and final edits, MTSU’s headcount totals were submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents, Huddleston said.
“We’re very pleased that Tennessee students and their families continue to see MTSU as their best choice for pursuing a college degree,” said Dr. Debra Sells, vice provost for enrollment services and vice president for student affairs. “It’s our commitment to continue to provide these students with the very highest quality academic programs, the most talented faculty and the best support services available in the state.”
In specific areas such as total graduate population, MTSU’s College of Graduate Studies has a 5.9 percent increase from spring 2009 when 2,594 grad students were taking classes. This spring’s total is 2,748, which is an increase of 154 students.
Huddleston reports a 9.8 percent increase in new students (1,606 new undergraduate and grad students this semester compared to 1,463 in January ’09).
She added that the overall increase likely stems from the overall economy.
“If people are becoming unemployed, they’re turning to universities and community colleges for additional education and to learn new skills,” she said.
Of the key categories enrollment officials keep tabs on, only re-enrollees shows a decrease from ’09. There are 1,171 re-enrollees compared to 1,275 a year ago. Huddleston said re-enrollees are students who have attended MTSU in the past, but did not attend the previous term.
Huddleston said the spring enrollment “traditionally is less than the fall enrollment because of the preceding December graduation and other attrition.”
A record 25, 188 combined undergraduate and graduate students attended last fall. This spring’s head count is 94 percent of the final fall enrollment submitted to TBR, Huddleston said.
Huddleston added that “admissions representatives are putting the final touches for the fall 2010 recruitment class” and that Saturday, March 27, will be the first of two Spring Preview Days (April 24 is the second) for prospective students and their families. Visit admissions online (www.mtsu.edu/admissn/) to register.

Charting MTSU’s spring enrollment


Category Spring 2009 Spring 2010
Total enrollment 22,516 23,653
First-time freshmen 203 252
New transfers 894 926
New undergraduates 1,124 1,197
New grad students 337 409
Re-enrollees 1,275 1,171
Total undergraduate population 19,919 20,905
Total graduate population 2,597 2,748





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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.


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

[307] Students Unite In Artistic Expression To Help Haitian People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

STUDENTS UNITE IN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION TO HELP HAITIAN PEOPLE
“Restoration Haiti” Concert Provides Creative Release for Humanitarian Cause

(MURFREESBORO) – “Restoration Haiti,” an informational benefit concert planned and performed by MTSU students to help the victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake, will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, at MTSU’s Wright Music Hall. Admission is $10 for non-students and $5 for students with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
In addition, MTSU student Ertha Luma, a Haitian native, will share photographs and stories of catastrophic conditions in the Caribbean nation. As of Feb. 11, the official death toll stands at 230,000. Some one million Haitians have been rendered homeless by the quake. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive estimates it will take 10 years to rebuild his country.
The concert is the brainchild of MTSU junior Jasmine Pratt, a 20-year-old English major from Atlanta, Ga, who not only is organizing the event, but is among the scheduled performers. She says the Jan. 22 “Hope for Haiti” telethon spearheaded by actor George Clooney and Haitian musician Wyclef Jean was an inspiration.
“This benefit is to help us release our own thoughts through spoken word, to express our emotions through song, and to release our tension through dance for the sake of (the Haitian) people,” says Pratt. “We are our brother’s keeper, and we will once again see them rise even better than before. But it starts here, and it starts now.”
The entertainers, whose work encompasses a wide variety of genres, include Jasmine White, Asia Muhammad, Christina Bell, Brittany Bowers, Justin Hart, Skyler Harris, Britanie’ Bell Courtney Olsen, Sharonnda Latimore, MTSU’s Gospel Choir (Generation of Praise), Jasmine Neblett, Lesley Scullark and Wayne Gillard, Donya Dyson, Deangelo Sheadrick and the TAFC Band. Volunteer helpers include Alpha Kappa Psi and the MTSU offices of Leadership and Service and Intercultural and Diversity Affairs.
“When students get together with a common thought, a common mind and a common heart to really do something, we can all get together and make a change,” says Pratt.
For more information, contact Leadership and Service at 615-898-5812 or Pratt at princess.jasmine213@gmail.com.

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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.

[306] Help From A 'Good Neighbor' State Farm Donates $25K for Science Olympiad, Invention Convention, MTSU College of Business

Release date: Feb. 12, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
State Farm contact: Leslie Eatherly, 615-692-6189 or leslie.eatherly.ghcz@statefarm.com
MTSU Office of Development contact: Nick Perlick, director, 615-898-2502 or
perlick@mtsu.edu
Jennings A. Jones College of Business contact: Dr. Jim Burton, dean, 615-898-2764 or
eburton@mtsu.edu
Invention Convention contact: Dr. Tracey Ring, 615-898-5500 or tring@mtsu.edu
Science Olympiad contact: Dr. Pat Patterson, 615-898-5085 or ppatters@mtsu.edu



Help from a ‘Good Neighbor:’ State Farm Donates $25K
for Science Olympiad, Invention Convention, MTSU College of Business


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU officials accept a $25,000 donation from State Farm Insurance Companies Murfreesboro Operations Center. The company contributed $4,000 for the Feb. 27 Regional Science Olympiad at MTSU, $6,000 for the Feb. 25 Invention Convention in MTSU’s Murphy Center and $15,000 for the State Farm Award for Professorial Promise, an endowed fund for awards in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. Accepting the donation from Jeff Shay, right, State Farm’s Murfreesboro Operations Center vice president of operations, are Nick Perlick, left, Development Office director; Dr. Pat Patterson, chemistry professor and Science Olympiad director; and Dr. Jim Burton, College of Business dean.

photo submitted
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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.

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

[305] Actress/Playwright Heather Raffo Visiting Artist At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

ACTRESS/PLAYWRIGHT HEATHER RAFFO VISITING ARTIST AT MTSU
Public Invited to Free & Open Reading Feb. 23 and Student Presentations on Feb. 26

(MURFREESBORO)—Heather Raffo, actress and playwright, will spend a week in residence at MTSU this month to present a staged reading of selections from her award-winning play, “9 Parts of Desire,” and to teach a Visiting Artist’s Seminar titled “Writing Identity (UH 3200).”
Raffo’s staged reading will take place 9:40-11:05 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. The reading is free and open to the public.
“9 Parts of Desire,” a one-woman show told through the lives of nine Iraqi women, is Raffo’s first work as a playwright, and through it, she has found a unique voice, bridging Iraqi and American culture, remarked Dr. Claudia Barnett, MTSU English professor.
The recipient of a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation and the Marian Seldes-Garson Kanin Fellowship, Raffo received a 2005 Lucille Lortel honor for Best Solo Show as well as several nominations for outstanding performance.
During Raffo’s campus visit, her students will present their work from the class at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in the University Honors College’s amphitheater, with a reception honoring Raffo to follow.
During both the Feb. 23 lecture and Feb. 26 student presentations, copies of
of “9 Parts of Desire” and a commemorative broadside created by MTSU art major Kaitlyn Robertson will be for sale.
Both events are sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the Middle East Center, the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, the University Honors College, Women’s Studies and the Departments of Art, English, and Speech and Theatre.
For more information, please contact Barnett, coordinator of the Visiting Artist’s Seminar, via e-mail at cbarnett@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2887.


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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a black-and-white jpeg of Raff, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.



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.

[304] MTSU Hosts Hilde Hein As Part Of Annual Philosophy Lyceum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU HOSTS HILDE HEIN AS PART OF ANNUAL PHILOSOPHY LYCEUM
Public Invited to Free Lecture, Discussion & Informal Reception

(MURFREESBORO)—On Feb. 19, author and educator Hilde Hein will deliver a lecture titled "The Responsibility of Representation” at 3:30 p.m. in Room 304 of MTSU’s James Union Building.
During the free and open talk, which will be followed by a discussion period and informal reception, Hein will discuss the ethics of museum representation, the role museums play in constituting the objects they seek to exhibit, and the possible consequences of this role for the educational value of museums.
Born in Germany and reared in California, Hein received her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan and has taught at Tufts University, Boston University, Holy Cross College and Brandeis University. She also has served as curator for numerous exhibitions and written several books on museum theory and practice, including The Exploratorium: The Museum as Laboratory (1990), The Museum in Transition: A Philosophical Perspective (2000) and Public Art: Thinking Museums Differently (2006).
After retiring from Holy Cross, Hein served as a Peace Corps volunteer, where she taught in Morocco. While there, she also worked in the Jewish Museum in Casablanca, describing that experience in Curator: The Museum Journal and The Jewish Women’s Literary Annual. Her current project seeks to reassess the basic teaching of western philosophy in the U.S. in light of feminist theory and practice.
Hein’s MTSU lecture is sponsored by the Department of Philosophy at MTSU as part of its annual Applied Philosophy Lyceum. The purpose of the lyceum is to provoke philosophical reflection by bringing distinguished scholars to the MTSU campus to address crucial contemporary issues.
For more information, contact the MTSU philosophy department at 615-898-2907.
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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.

[303] MTSU Hosts Middle Tennessee District History Day Contest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 12, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU HOSTS MIDDLE TENNESSEE DISTRICT HISTORY DAY CONTEST
Feb. 26 Event Will Attract 200+ Middle & High School Students, Organizers Report

(MURFREESBORO)—Come Friday, Feb. 26, the College of Liberal Arts and MTSU’s history department will once again co-sponsor the annual Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition on the MTSU campus.
The daylong event is one of four district competitions in Tennessee that lead to a statewide competition in April and culminate in a national competition each June at the University of Maryland in College Park.
Dr. Rebecca Conard, MTSU history professor, said the purpose of the National History Day educational program is to engage middle and high school students in historical thinking through research projects that result in exhibits, documentaries, dramatic performances, research papers and Web-based interpretation.
“At the state level, we partner with the Tennessee Historical Society, which
began hosting the statewide competition in 2009,” Conard said. “At the campus level, we partner with MTSU’s Holocaust Studies and Middle East Studies programs, both of which sponsor special awards.
“We also have a wide network of partner organizations and agencies, such as the Tennessee State Library and Archives, American Association for State and Local History, and Rutherford County Archives, who send staff each year to serve as competition judges,” she noted.
This year’s MTSU-based event is expected to attract more than 200 middle- and high-school participants.
“They come from various schools in Rutherford, Davidson, Williamson, Wilson, Sumner, Warren and Dekalb counties, primarily, but our district includes roughly 30 middle Tennessee counties,” Conard said.
Judging for the area contest will be conducted 10 a.m.-noon in the James Union Building, Keathley University Center and the Tom Jackson Building’s Cantrell Hall, with a 2:30 p.m. awards ceremony for students set for the KUC Theater. Exhibits will be open to the public for viewing in the JUB until 1 p.m.
For more information about the Middle Tennessee District History Day Competition at MTSU, please e-mail the History Day office at histday@mtsu.edu.
Or, e-mail event co-coordinators Conard (rconard@mtsu.edu) or Dr. Janice M. Leone (jmleone@mtsu.edu).
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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with MTSU history professors who are involved with the Middle Tennessee History Day Competition, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919. *** Media are welcomed to photograph or videotape exhibits and demonstrations. Reporters interested in doing this are asked to contact Dr. Conard at rconard@mtsu.edu for times and locations of the most visual student presentations. Please contact Conard prior to the Feb. 26 event.

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.

[300] Bassist Quenton Bryant Focus Of MTSU Gospel Extravaganza

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
CONTACT: Mary Glass, 615-898-5145; mglass@mtsu.edu

BASSIST QUENTON BRYANT FOCUS OF MTSU GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA
Rare Kidney Disease Can’t Keep Local Gospel Musician Down, Say His Friends

(MURFREESBORO)—Quenton D. Bryant, a gospel musician who was diagnosed with a disease known as Glomerulonephritis while still a teen, will be the honoree at the 10th MTSU Gospel Music Extravaganza at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at Stone River Church, 2315 Joe B. Jackson Parkway, in Mufreesboro.
According to information on the Mayo Clinic Web site, Glomerulonephritis, also known as glomerular nephritis, is a type of kidney disease in which the part of the kidneys that helps filter waste and fluids from the blood is damaged.
All proceeds from the upcoming concert, a staple of MTSU’s Black History Month, will benefit Bryant. The lineup of entertainers slated to pay tribute to him includes choirs, soloists and dancers.
Affectionately known as “Q” by his family and friends, Bryant is the son of Johnnie Bryant and the late Wilson Riley Bryant. Growing up, music was encouraged in his home, especially by his piano-playing mother who ensured all of her four sons played an instrument, including Bryant, who learned to play bass. In turn, he has performed for various churches in Nashville, Mount Juliet and Murfreesboro, such as First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Rutherford Mass Community Choir, Primitive Baptist Church at Watch Night Services and with his family at Corona Baptist Church. He also currently serves as bassist for Cedar Grove Primitive Baptist Church of Murfreesboro. However, his musical talent aside, Bryant said his life’s calling has been “to preach the gospel”—yet he always takes his bass along just in case he’s invited to perform. Moreover, in spite of his Glomerulonephritis diagnosis, Bryant pursues living life to the fullest. He was an academic scholar, as well as an all-star athlete in high school. He also attended MTSU, where he was on the football team before joining the U.S. Air Force. After he returned from military service, he worked for the City of Lebanon as a police officer and also attended Nashville’s Barber College and earned a Master’s Barber License. In 1998, Bryant’s illness extended to renal failure, which caused him to require dialysis treatments three times a week. After five years of waiting and dialysis, in fall 2003, he received a kidney transplant. That kidney failed in November 2005, however, and today Bryant once more awaits another kidney and has resumed his regimen of dialysis three days each week. Since his 2003 kidney failure, Bryant has suffered many health setbacks, including severe hypertension, along with vascular disease, which has led to an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg and numerous trips back to the hospital. Still, though, he has longed to play the bass, report his family and friends.
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In fact, on his first day home from the hospital after his leg amputation, he climbed the stairs backward to get to his bass and play his gospel music; thus, proving his determination and dedication to living as he always has. In a written statement from Bryant’s family, they stressed, “In spite of what we as a family have endured, one thing is sure, and that is that we will continue giving thanks to God for all things. Our motto has been, ‘God has trusted us with this trial, we will trust him for the results!’ No matter what it looks like, we know God is well able to do exceedingly and abundantly above anything we could ask, or imagine.”
TICKETS: Concert admission for this year’s MTSU Gospel Extravaganza is $10 per person, $5 for students and free for children under age 6.
For more information, contact Mary Glass at 615-898-5145 or Lucille Wilcox 615-898-5611


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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.

[302] Former Lady Raider Endows Scholarship For Women's Basketball

Feb. 12, 2010
Former Lady Raider endows scholarship for women’s basketball
MURFREESBORO—Ms. Faye Brandon, a 1949 Middle Tennessee graduate, recently made a $100,000 commitment to the university to endow a women's basketball scholarship.
Brandon, who was a member of the Blue Raider women's basketball team in 1946-47, was recognized Wednesday night prior to Middle Tennessee's game with Denver. She presented a check to university President Dr. Sidney A. McPhee and Director of Athletics Chris Massaro.
Brandon was a faculty member in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department from 1971-92 and is a longtime member of the Blue Raider Athletic Association.
“It’s this kind of generous support that furthers not only our athletic program, but it enables us to accomplish our mission of being a student-centered university community by providing resources that help our students,” McPhee noted. “Whether on the basketball court or in the classroom, scholarship support is still one of the most critical needs that we have.”
"We are very appreciative and blessed to have the support of an alumna who has the love and passion for Lady Raider basketball as much as Faye Brandon does," said Rick Insell, head coach of women’s basketball. "This is something Chris Massaro and I have talked about since I came here five years ago, where we want to get the program to the point that all 15 scholarships are endowed.
"We are very grateful to Faye for contributing to the program in this manner,” Insell continued. “Her support and loyalty to the university and our program is undeniable, and I cannot think of anyone else who defines those two qualities better than she does. We are hopeful other alums and supporters of our program will follow her lead and add to the Blue Raider women's basketball tradition."
Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations, said the gift demonstrates the lifelong relationship that the university strives to cultivate with all alumni. “Faye Brandon did this not just because of her love for this year’s women’s basketball team and their success but because she has almost a lifetime experience on this campus as a student, teacher and supporter. This gift represents a total personal relationship with the institution.”
Brandon’s endowed scholarship is the second for the women's basketball program, joining the gift from Wayne and Kathryn Lewis starting in 2006-07.
For more information on giving to the Middle Tennessee athletic department or the endowed scholarship program, contact either Alan Farley in the Blue Raider Athletic Association office at (615) 898-2210 or the MTSU Development Office at (615) 898-2502.

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[301] Student Harkens To "Sound Of Dogs" En Route To Film Career

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

STUDENT HARKENS TO “SOUND OF DOGS” EN ROUTE TO FILM CAREER
Hendersonville Native Talks about Directing Technique on “MTSU on the Record”

(MURFREESBORO) – Warren Smythe, MTSU student and director, producer, editor and co-writer of the independent motion picture “Sound of Dogs,” will talk about his love of film at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Feb. 14, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Smythe, an electronic media production major from Hendersonville, made “Sound of Dogs” in Hendersonville with an all-Hendersonville cast and a total expenditure of about $30. He describes it as a psychological thriller about Sutton Gundry, a high school student who learns about his forgotten past through a girl. The trailer can be viewed at www.soundofdogs.com.
“Sound of Dogs” premiered at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville on Dec. 21. Smythe has submitted it to the Nashville Film Festival, which is slated for Apr. 15-22.
To listen to last week’s program with MTSU students Nicki DeCroce and Tony Holt, contestants in an Oscars contest sponsored by mtvU and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, go to http://frank.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2010.html and click on “February 7, 2010.”
For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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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.

[299] Wrap Yourself In Moog Music Feb. 18 At Free MTSU Event

WRAP YOURSELF IN MOOG MUSIC FEB. 18 AT FREE MTSU EVENT
Artist Saul Zonana to Demonstrate Distinctive Sound of Guitar, Other Instruments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Joseph Akins, 615-473-7127; Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

(MURFREESBORO)—Artist Saul Zonana of Moog Music, located in Asheville, N.C., will visit MTSU on Thursday, Feb. 18, to demonstrate the revolutionary new Moog guitar and other Moog products in a free public event.
Since the Moog guitar’s introduction at the Summer NAMM tradeshow in 2008, it has received numerous industry honors, including Guitar Player Magazine's 2009 Reader's Choice Award, Electronic Musician Magazine's 2009 Editor's Choice Award, 2008 Summer NAMM "Best In Show" honors, a 2008 “Best of What’s New Award” from Popular Science magazine and a 2009 Mix Foundation TEC Award nomination. More importantly, it has inspired players to new creative heights and opened the door to totally new forms of expression with a guitar.
The event, which is sponsored by MTSU’s Society for Electronic Music student organization, will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 191, Lab B, of the Bragg Mass Communication Building on the MTSU campus.
Zonana has been touring, recording and producing his own music for more than three decades as well as playing guitar and bass for the likes of the Crash Test Dummies, Ace Frehley and many others. He has developed a reputation for creating lush and somewhat odd guitar tones that separate him from everyday guitarists. His eight solo CDs can be found online and in stores and can be heard on radio, television and film worldwide.
For more information about the free event, contact Dr. Joseph Akins, MTSU recording industry professor, at 615-473-7127.


With three Nobel Prize winners 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.
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IN BRIEF: Artist Saul Zonana of Moog Music, located in Asheville, N.C., will visit MTSU on Thursday, Feb. 18, to demonstrate the revolutionary new Moog guitar and other Moog products in a free public event. The event, which is sponsored by MTSU’s Society for Electronic Music student organization, will begin at 4 p.m. in Room 191, Lab B, of the Bragg Mass Communication Building on the MTSU campus. For more information about the free event, contact Dr. Joseph Akins, MTSU recording industry professor, at 615-473-7127.



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


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[298] Gloria Steinem Keynotes Women's History Month At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GLORIA STEINEM KEYNOTES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT MTSU
Feminist Writer, Publisher, Activist to Address Women’s Progress, Challenges

(MURFREESBORO) – Writer and lecturer Gloria Steinem, whose pivotal role in the women’s rights movement has resulted in great strides toward equality, will deliver the keynote address of MTSU’s National Women’s History Month celebration at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 2, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed with a reception and book signing.
Steinem, a co-founder of Ms. magazine in 1972, raised the public profile of feminism with her writing, lectures and public appearances. She helped to found the Women’s Action Alliance, a national organization dedicated to nonsexist, multiracial children’s education, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, a group that strives to increase the numbers of pro-equality women in elected and appointed offices at all levels of government.
“Gloria Steinem is an icon!,” says Terri Johnson, chair of MTSU’s Women’s History Month Committee and director of the June Anderson Women’s Center. “Her place in the women’s movement is one that will always be respected and honored. She opened doors when so many were closed for women. She stood up, spoke out and fought for the cause! She fought behind the scenes and on a public platform, using her voice and pen to raise consciousness to a new level for women.”
Among Steinem’s other accomplishments is her tenure as the founding president of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which funds grass roots projects, and as co-founder of “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” which has become an institution in the United States and numerous countries.
Steinem’s work also has been essential to the progress of the pro-choice movement. She co-founded and served as president of Voters for Choice, a political action committee that merged with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund for the 2004 elections. In addition, Steinem co-founded Choice USA, a national group that supports young pro-choice leaders and comprehensive sex education in schools.
“I admire her individuality, intelligence, bravery and her ability to place women in the forefront of society,” Johnson says. “Gloria Steinem asks the tough questions about women's important value as individuals in society.”
As an author, Steinem is the recipient of the Penney-Missouri Journalism Award; the Front Page and Clarion awards; National Magazine awards; an Emmy Citation for excellence in television writing; the Women’s Sports Journalism Award; the Lifetime

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Achievement in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; the Society of Writers Award from the United Nations; and the University of Missouri School of Journalism Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism.
Her books include Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem; Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions; Moving Beyond Words; and Marilyn: Norma Jean, all bestsellers. Steinem also was an editor of The Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History.
As an activist, her honors include the first Doctorate of Human Justice awarded by Simmons College; the Bill of Rights Award from the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California; the National Gay Rights Advocates Award; the Liberty Award of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; the Ceres Medal from the United Nations; and numerous honorary degrees. In 1993, Steinem was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.
A 1956 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Smith College, Steinem is collaborating with her alma mater’s Sophia Smith Collection on a project to document the grass roots origins of the U.S. women’s movement. In addition, she is working on Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered, a chronicle of her more than 30 years as a feminist organizer.
The National Women’s History Month Committee, the June Anderson Women’s Center, the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, the Distinguished Lecture Fund, the Esther Seeman Fund, the Black History Month Committee, the Virginia Peck Trust Fund, Women in Action, the Women’s Studies Program, and the School of Journalism are sponsors of Steinem’s appearance.
Steinem’s keynote address is part of the MTSU Women’s History Month theme of “History, Change and the Future.” For more information on Steinem’s appearance or any other Women’s History Month activities, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu, or go to the Web site at http://www.mtsu.edu/jawc/nwhm.shtml.


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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a black-and-white high-resolution jpeg photo of Gloria Steinem, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.


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.

[297] Regional Higher Ed Center Celebrates Successful Start

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

REGIONAL HIGHER ED CENTER CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL START
Shelbyville Center Brings College Closer to Home for Many in Midstate Area

(MURFREESBORO) – Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College will celebrate their new Middle Tennessee Education Center, 841 Union St. in Shelbyville, with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The center, which originated with Bedford County and is a partnership between the two institutions, is designed to make access to higher education classes more convenient to students from Bedford, Coffee, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford and Williamson counties.
“This is a great opportunity for people who never even thought about going to college,” says Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray. “Students can take classes to obtain college credit while in high school, and teachers can take classes necessary to earn their masters’ degrees, to name just two examples.”
Among the center’s offerings are an Adult Degree Completion Program for an accelerated path toward a bachelor’s degree at MTSU; a Degree Advancement Program to help students who have earned an associate’s degree from Motlow pursue a bachelor’s degree at MTSU; Prior Learning Assessment, which will enable students to earn college credit for military training, previous certifications, and professional development; and general education and developmental courses.
The spring 2010 schedule includes MTSU’s Master’s of Education classes through the Department of Educational Leadership, as well as graduate courses leading to a Master’s of Science degree in Teaching Mathematics.
Motlow’s offerings include undergraduate classes in Principles of Economics, Introduction to Sociology, Early Childhood Curriculum, Family Dynamics and Community Involvement, as well as a developmental course in Beginning Algebra.
With 42,000 square feet of space in Shelbyville’s former Medical Arts Building, the Middle Tennessee Education Center has room to expand its curriculum and its student population. Classes are slated with starting times ranging from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the adult learner’s work schedules.
Each classroom currently in use is wi-fi-ready for students to use laptop computers and other devices. One classroom has been outfitted to facilitate instruction via videoconference.

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“This is a boon to students seeking employment in these tough economic times,” says Ray. “We will be helping to provide degree opportunities needed to put students to work. It should result in a substantial impact on the regional economy.”
“The Middle Tennessee Education Center is an important part of MTSU’s continuing commitment to serve the needs of the region and the state,” says MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “We are delighted to join with Motlow State Community College in this partnership, which is a major step forward in enhancing access to higher education.”
“Motlow College is extremely excited about the grand opening of the Middle Tennessee Education Center and the new partnership with MTSU,” says Dr. MaryLou Apple, president of Motlow State Community College. “The Middle Tennessee Education Center is a ‘win-win’ for the citizens of Bedford County and will improve access by providing another learning pathway for our students.”
Refreshments will be available throughout the open house. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated to start at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Molly Culbreath, coordinator and advisor, at 931-685-4444 or mculbrea@mtsu.edu, or visit the Web site at www.mteducationcenter.com.


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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.

[296] 'Immersion 2010' Opens Door To MBA Degree And Greater Job Options, Marketability

Feb. 11, 2010
Contact: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919; Dr. Troy Festervand, 615-898-2368

‘IMMERSION 2010’ OPENS DOOR TO MBA DEGREE AND GREATER JOB OPTIONS, MARKETABILITY
MTSU program enables student to complete MBA prerequisites in one summer

Entrepreneurial-minded college graduates who are not business majors but realize the value of a Master of Business Administration degree should explore “Immersion 2010,” an accelerated course of study at MTSU that enables a student to take the necessary pre-MBA courses during the summer and begin the MBA in the fall. The student can then complete the MBA in as little as one year.
“Given current and near-term economic prospects, the opportunity for growing your resume may never be brighter,” said Dr. Troy Festervand, director of the graduate division in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University. “Those non-business majors who are graduating this coming May should look long and hard at this as a way of getting a leg up on securing a good job.”
“Immersion 2010” is an interactive summer school business program designed especially for non-business graduates who are interested in adding an MBA to their qualifications arsenal. There are several prerequisites that must be satisfied, and this program makes it possible to do so during the summer.
“After completing ‘Immersion,’ students must submit an acceptable GMAT score to be admitted into the MBA program,” Festervand explained. “Once they begin their MBA, they can finish in one year. MBA courses are available at night, on weekends and online.
“The MBA has several options for areas of concentration and can be combined with graduate courses from other disciplines; for example, recording industry, aerospace, foreign language, nursing and so on,” he said. “As many students have found, regardless of the major, the language of business is spoken in most jobs.”
Those who are interested in exploring “Immersion 2010” should call 615-898-2964 or stop by to visit with a graduate business adviser, Festervand said.
“When students consider how much more marketable they are with an MBA and how long they will likely be working over the course of their careers, the long-term value of the MBA degree is overwhelming,” Festervand said. “Take a critical look at your future, the employment opportunities available to you, earnings potential or simply what you want out of life, and you will come to the conclusion that another year really isn’t that long—and it’s always great to have options.”

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