Pastor
spearheading effort to deepen ties to Blue Raider academics, athletics
MURFREESOBORO — A local pastor is
spearheading a grassroots effort to deepen support for Middle Tennessee State
University academics and athletics across all segments of the community.
The
Rev. James McCarroll, pastor of First Baptist Church on Castle Street in
Murfreesboro, announced the “True Blue Community Initiative” Monday inside his
church’s fellowship hall as about 70 Blue Raider supporters donning blue attire
looked on. Among the attendees were alumni, donors, community leaders and members
of the university’s athletic department and administration, including President
Sidney A. McPhee.
“We’re
surrounded by one of the most thriving universities in this nation,” said
McCarroll, who met with McPhee earlier in the summer over lunch to discuss ways
of better engaging the university with the surrounding community. “The
university is a force for good in this community. …We want this community to
bleed blue.”
McPhee
and McCarroll both shared personal experiences of attending out-of-state
gatherings that left no doubt about the community’s strong support for their
universities. McCarroll said he’s witnessed other communities with universities
of similar size to MTSU that have developed deeper, more connected
relationships with all segments of the population, and he feels MTSU has that
same potential for more complete engagement.
McPhee
told the crowd he reached out to McCarroll because he recognized that such
broad enthusiasm was lacking locally and that there was a need for the
university to increase its local outreach, including within minority
communities. MTSU’s tremendous local and regional economic impact — pumping close
to $1 billion into the area economy annually — warrants a deeper relationship
with the broader community, he said.
“I
took that as a personal responsibility,” McPhee said. “How can we do a better
job of bringing total involvement of our community with this university?
Because the life, the growth, the development, the sustainability of this
university depends on the community, and likewise. We are intertwined. ... We
are looking for ways that we can do a better job in involving this entire
community.”
Joining
McCarroll at the announcement were members of the initial volunteer committee
that developed the initiative’s goals during a series of meetings in recent
months. Members include Vincent Windrow, pastor of Olive Branch Church and
director of MTSU’s Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, Ron Robinson
with Country Financial Insurance, Greg Lyles with Murfreesboro City Schools,
MTSU’s Gloria Bonner, County Commissioner Chantho Sourinho, Metrick Houser with
the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors, and Greg
Garrett with State Farm Insurance.
“We’ve
seen great results from throughout this community in the combined efforts of
our businesses and agencies,” McCarroll said. “It is in this spirit of
collaboration for community impact that we have called you here today.”
To
jumpstart the initiative, McCarroll announced the inaugural “True Blue Friday,”
an annual effort to encourage community members to wear blue on the Friday of
MTSU Homecoming weekend, which will be Oct. 4 this year. The 2013 MTSU
Homecoming is Saturday, Oct. 5, with activities planned throughout the week.
McCarroll
also touched on several of the group’s ideas and projects to grow “True
Blue Spirit” in communities across Middle Tennessee:
- A True Blue Community Learning Program
that would allow residents to earn certificates through the university in
areas such as leadership training;
- A True Blue Rewards System that would
give incentives to local businesses to become more closely affiliated with
university activities such as lecture series and workshops;
- An online Community/Campus Connection
App that would provide timely listings of all university academic and
athletic events open to the public; and
- A True Blue Partnership program to
increase nonprofit and community support of MTSU events and activities.
The
group also plans to hold a Community Back-to-School Bash that would bring students
and parents from the local K-12 schools to the MTSU campus.
McCarroll
said the group’s overall goal is “getting the community’s businesses,
nonprofits, residents and churches not only more involved in the life of the
campus community, but accepting the university as an intricate part of … their
experience.”
While
the initiative isn’t solely about Blue Raider athletics, supporting what is in
many ways “the front porch of the university” is certainly a part of that
experience, McCarroll added. And MT Athletics was well represented at the
kickoff — Director of Athletics Chris Massaro, Associate Athletic Director
Diane Turnham along with several head coaches and staffers attended. Also
attending was Rebecca Upton, president of the Blue Raider Athletic Association.
“Thanks
very much for doing this,” said alumna and avid MTSU supporter Hanna
Witherspoon, who also wants to see more community support for the university.
“And I’ll be glad to help.”
Anyone
wanting more information about the “True Blue Community Initiative” can contact
pastor McCarroll at pastormccarroll@gmail.com.
VIDEO: A video report from
today’s kickoff is available at YouTube: http://youtu.be/OzIm4JDUJQg
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