[085] NPR's Totenberg Tackles 'New Supreme Court' At MTSU Sept. 22

NPR’S TOTENBERG TACKLES ‘NEW SUPREME COURT’ AT MTSU SEPT. 22
Reporter’s Free Public Lecture Part of Constitution Week Celebration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 13, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Gina E. Fann, gfann@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5385; Dr. Mary A. Evins, mevins@mtsu.edu or 615-904-8241

(MURFREESBORO)—National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg will bring her award-winning U.S. Supreme Court expertise to MTSU on Wednesday, Sept. 22, with a special lecture to showcase the university’s Constitution Week activities.

Totenberg, who’s reported for NPR since 1975, will speak on “Establishing Justice: The New Supreme Court” at 4:30 p.m. in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“The national call to form a more perfect union and establish justice commences the U.S. Constitution,” said Dr. Mary A. Evins, an associate professor of history at MTSU and coordinator of the university’s American Democracy Project.

“Justice and the American court system frame MTSU’s Constitution Day activities this year. Ms. Totenberg’s experience and intelligent interpretation of the nation’s highest court will provide insight and perspectives to further our study. MTSU is honored to be able to host her on campus.”

Totenberg’s lecture is sponsored by MTSU’s Distinguished Lecture Fund, the College of Mass Communication, the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, the School of Journalism, WMOT, the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, the University Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Political Science, the Provost’s Office, the American Democracy Project and WPLN.

Totenberg’s reports air regularly on NPR's critically acclaimed “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition.” She also is a regular panelist on “Inside Washington,” a weekly syndicated public-affairs television program produced in the nation's capital.

The legal-affairs correspondent has won every major journalism award in broadcasting and was the first radio journalist to win the National Press Foundation award for Broadcaster of the Year. Her most recent accolade was the 2010 Edward R. Murrow Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Totenberg’s lecture will cap a week of events at MTSU celebrating the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, MTSU will celebrate with screen-printing demonstrations by Printer’s Proof, a student printing association; voter-registration booth; and public signings of a reproduction of the Constitution from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Keathley University Center Knoll. The university’s Franklin replica press will be printing copies of the U.S. Constitution at the James E. Walker Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that same day.

And on Friday, Sept. 17, the actual signing date of the document, MTSU community members will read the Constitution aloud beginning at 10 a.m. on the KUC Knoll.

For more information about Totenberg’s visit or any of the events surrounding Constitution Day, please contact Evins at 615-904-8241, e-mail amerdem@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem.

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IN BRIEF: National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg will bring her award-winning U.S. Supreme Court expertise to MTSU on Wednesday, Sept. 22, with a special lecture to showcase the university’s Constitution Week activities. Totenberg, who’s reported for NPR since 1975, will speak on “Establishing Justice: The New Supreme Court” at 4:30 p.m. in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre. The lecture is free and open to the public and caps a week of events at MTSU celebrating the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. For more information about Totenberg’s visit or any of the events surrounding Constitution Day, please contact Dr. Mary A. Evins at 615-904-8241, e-mail amerdem@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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

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NOTE: Media needing a color JPEG of Totenberg should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs before 3 p.m. via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!