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The Record, Sept. 20, 2010, V19.06


Read the PDF version here!


$3.6M bequest is 'transformational gift' for university

by Tom Tozer

A $3.6 million bequest left by MTSU alumnus Emmett Kennon, who passed away last October at the age of 94, will benefit the university in the form of student scholarships and enhancements to MTSU athletics.

"Of the total $3.6 million, about $3 million was earmarked for scholarships, and $600,000 was given to the athletic department to use at their discretion to meet program needs,"; said Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations.

"Since we have actually received part of this settlement of the Kennon estate, we have already made plans on how we would utilize the funds. We're looking forward to fulfilling the vision that Mr. Kennon had for the university.

"This is a transformational gift,"; Bales added. "This will provide opportunities for literally thousands upon thousands of students for generations to come.";

Kennon's vision came into focus early on, Bales said, recalling the time two years ago when the Class of 1938 baseball and football letterman met Bales for breakfast and reflected on his beloved alma mater.

"He was really struck by the fact that we had moved up in stature, that we had risen to a whole new level of excellence,"; Bales noted. "That excited him. As Mr. Kennon was one of the first ones in his family to attend college, he understood that many students needed some help. Helping others was very important to him. He told me he wanted to do something to help our students. I think we have fulfilled his wishes.";

One million dollars of the $3 million for student scholarships will go into the new Centennial Scholars program, which ultimately will support 10 students throughout their college careers. The program is designed to attract the best students in the region, Bales said.

The remaining $2 million will go into an unrestricted general scholarship endowment, which will allow the Office of Financial Aid to support the needs of many students each year. Unrestricted money can be awarded to help MTSU students regardless of their field of study.

"Mr. Kennon didn't believe a college education should only be limited to an A student,"; Bales pointed out. "The students who worked hard and were diligent might not have a 4.0, but that didn't mean the college experience wasn't valuable to them.";

According to Chris Massaro, director of MTSU Athletics, about half of the $600,000 earmarked for his department will expand and improve the facilities. Another portion of the athletic gift will maintain and support the Emmett and Rose Kennon Sports Hall of Fame, which opened in 2004.

"We want the Kennon Hall of Fame to be a dynamic place for visitors and alumni to gain an appreciation of the history of our athletic program."; Massaro said. "Emmett Kennon is the classic example of athletics providing the front porch for the institution. Mr. Kennon came to MTSU because of athletics as a student-athlete and later re-engaged with his alma mater through athletics.";

The Kennons donated $1.5 million to construct the building adjacent to Murphy Center that bears their names.

Finally, $100,000 of the amount designated for athletics will go toward a student-athlete scholarship.

"There will be a Kennon athlete-scholar who, just like Mr. Kennon, will get his or her education because of athletic ability,"; Bales said. "We really feel like we are in line with what Mr. Kennon held as priorities, what he valued.

"If I have one regret, it's that Mr. Kennon will never meet the students who will benefit from his gifts—but more importantly, the students will not get the chance to meet him,"; Bales continued. "Getting to spend time with Emmett Kennon was one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences that I'll take from my career.";

"More than anyone I've ever known, Emmett Kennon loved MTSU and was never afraid to show it,"; added Jim Simpson, director of the Varsity Club. "His loyalty to this institution stands as an almost unattainable example for all our alumni. His continuing generosity was overwhelming.";

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New poli-sci minor awakens citizenship

by Gina K. Logue

In this politically charged era, the MTSU Department of Political Science is stepping forward with a new minor, Political and Civic Engagement, to guide students in becoming more fully involved in their society.

An experiential-learning track that combines real-world activities with concepts learned in the classroom, the minor is designed for students of all majors.

"Part of the idea here is citizen training, but in a newer sense of the term, in the sense that it's important for people to be engaged in society in order for democracy to work,"; says Dr. Stephen Morris, department chair.

"It's important for students to participate in democracy, and it provides the skills, the experiences, for students to be able to do that once they graduate.";

Activities that students may use for completing the minor include Legal Courtroom Procedure, commonly referred to as mock trial; Moot Court; Mediation Procedure; Model United Nations; and the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature.

The required courses are American Politics and Government and Democratic Participation and Civic Advocacy.

The latter is a new course created and taught by Dr. Sekou Franklin, whose social activism includes promoting green jobs as ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty. Students in his course will examine issues of transparency, the role of participation and theories of accountability.

In addition, students must complete 12 credit hours chosen from various internships, study-abroad opportunities, a community-based research practicum and/or skills/ practicum courses. No more than six hours in the latter category can be counted toward the minor.

Morris says the Department of Political Science has an excellent record of placing students in internships with public defenders' offices, district attorneys' offices and political campaigns and with legislative bodies in Nashville and in Washington, D.C. He says the experiences can help lead to permanent positions after graduation.

"The job opportunities that are going to be out there, the new jobs that are going to be created in the near future, coalesce with the types of changes that we make in terms of public policy,"; Morris says.

The professor notes, however, that communication, managerial, planning and analytical skills learned via the minor apply to a wide range of professions, not just those directly involved with shaping public policy.

"Every field that you go into has some type of political dimension to it,"; Morris adds.

Merely voting in elections is not a sufficient definition of good citizenship, the chairman notes, admitting that higher education hasn't done an adequate job of communicating that fact over the years.

"The degree of polarization that we've reached in this country has indicated to people that if you just leave it for others to resolve these political problems, they probably won't be resolved in a way that's satisfactory to oneself,"; Morris says.

For more information about the Political and Civic Engagement minor, contact the MTSU Department of Political Science at 615-898-2708.

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A teaching tradition



GREAT HONOR— 2010 recipients of the John N. McDaniel Teaching Excellence Award pause with members of the late College of Liberal Arts dean's family before a Sept. 9 campus celebration of McDaniel's life. From left are Dr. Scott McDaniel, doctoral candidate Jim Hamby, Mrs. Jean McDaniel, master's degree candidate Megan McManus and Craig McDaniel. The award provides funds for students pursuing their master's and doctoral degrees who plan to teach English. Dr. John McDaniel passed away in May after serving MTSU for 40 years, including 26 years as dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

MTSU Photographic Services photo by Andy Heidt

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Scholar to focus on Cuba, study abroad

by Gina E. Fann

Visiting Cuban scholar Rodrigo González will tackle a timely topic on Monday, Sept. 27, with a special MTSU lecture, "Cuba at a Crossroads,"; aimed at spawning interest in our Caribbean neighbor.

The next day, González will kick off the first of several planned meetings on educational exchanges between MTSU and the University of Havana with discussions planned especially for students and faculty.

Formerly the director of Cuba programs for Global Exchange Inc. and the current Cuba program director for Girasol, a nonprofit study-abroad project based in San Francisco, González will speak Sept. 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. in Cantrell Hall in the Tom H. Jackson Building.

That lecture and discussion, which is open to the campus community and the public, will be followed by a catered reception.

"In his lecture, González will explore the turbulent waters of U.S.-Cuban relations and discuss where Cuba is today, politically, socially and economically,"; said Dr. Richard Morris, professor of Spanish and linguistics and adviser for linguistic studies in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

"He will also address the challenges Cuba faces in the 52nd year of its Marxist revolution. We hope that his talk will spawn interest in Cuba within the MTSU community in a spirit of congenial, forward-minded engagement and exchange.";

González, a native of Cuba who lives in Havana, has been active in research, consulting and coordinating exchange programs in Cuba for 18 years and also is now a researcher for Proyecto Espiral, a youth organization affiliated with the Cuban Ministry of Culture. Since 2000, his research has focused primarily on U.S.-Cuba relations, social and environmental development in Cuba and coordinating academic and educational programs for U.S. universities and colleges.

On Tuesday, Sept. 28, González will lead a pair of "Study Abroad in Cuba"; meetings in Room S-128 of the Business and Aerospace Building. The first session, scheduled for 4:15 to 5 p.m., is especially for students, while the 5-5:30 p.m. meeting is geared toward faculty.

"Mr. González will be speaking to faculty and students about what programs are currently possible and what programs may be possible in the near future, if certain political changes initiated under the Obama administration continue,"; said Morris. "Bring your questions and get the scoop on some exciting opportunities. Graduate students are especially encouraged to attend.";

González's visit is sponsored by MTSU's Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Political Science, the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs and the Department of Psychology.

For more information about the Sept. 27 lecture and Sept. 28 meetings, contact Morris at 615-898-2284 or rmorris@mtsu.edu.

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In Brief: Enrollment ends Oct. 15

It's time again to make your employee health, dental and life insurance choices and decide on your fringe- and flexible-benefits options! The deadline to submit required paperwork to MTSU's Human Resource Services is Friday, Oct. 15, at 4:30 p.m. There's no Employee Benefits Fair this year, so please visit HRS's annual enrollment website at http://bit.ly/MTBenefits for more information.

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For the Record: Travel abroad widens Honors dean's perspective

by Dr. John R. Vile

When I chaired the Department of Political Science, I was consistently able to report in our newsletters that my faculty members had made trips to Europe, Asia, Africa and South America at a time when my own out-of-state trips were typically confined to visits to my parents in the Shenandoah Valley. As dean of the University Honors College, I now frequently encourage our students to travel and study abroad.

This summer, my wife and I were privileged to make our first trip abroad in more than 20 years when we joined a group, largely from Murfreesboro and Nashville, on a trip to Turkey. We began the visits in Turkey in Istanbul (the old city of Constantinople) and made sightseeing forays into Ephesus, Ismer (Smyrna), Kaiseri, Konya and the Cappadocia area. We visited two Turkish universities, two high schools, a hospital and media outlets (where we appeared briefly on a cooking show), many supported by M. Fettulah Gülen, about whom I am writing a paper.

It was amazing to visit a land where history is often measured in millennia rather than in decades and centuries. The mosques and churches of Istanbul were phenomenal. I was especially fascinated by the ruins of Ephesus, where the Apostle Paul once preached, and by the unusual rock formations and early churches of Cappadocia, built deep into rocks and filled with beautiful murals of the life of Jesus and the early disciples.

I may have had the most fun visiting a host family and talking with a ninth-grade boy and his younger sister. Living a world away, he knew more about the Boston Celtics, the Houston Rockets and the Simpsons than I did. I tried to help his sister, who wants one day to become a psychiatrist, hypnotize him to obey her, with little apparent success but with more than enough mirth for us all.

My trip helped confirm the truism that the world is getting smaller, and it reinforced my desire to see that the Honors College both prepares students to understand and to interact with other cultures and to send more to study abroad. Our trip took place during the Fourth of July holiday, and I was fascinated when a higher-education administrator reported that his university did not like to send its graduate students to the United States because they tended to stay there. It is amazing to think that with its freedoms and opportunities, the United States continues to serve as a magnet for the best and brightest students throughout the world. I hope that the Honors College will serve as a similar beacon to lure the best students from throughout the state, region, nation and, ultimately, even from foreign nations.

On the trip, we met a man who began by selling parsley on the street and ended up making a fortune in the furniture business. Seeking to use his success to help others, he went to an imam and asked if he should build a road or a mosque to help others and to express his appreciation to God for his blessings. The imam responded that these were worthy projects, but he recommended that he should found a school, which he did. The businessman reported that the joy and appreciation he had received was like living in paradise.

I am not sure that donors to the Honors College have quite achieved this state of bliss, but this businessman's words reinforced my belief that education is a high calling and that those who can help others achieve their educational dreams will find a great measure of joy in so doing.

Dr. John R. Vile is dean of the University Honors College at MTSU and a professor and former chair of the Department of Political Science as well as the longtime coach of MTSU's Mock Trial Team. He can be reached at 615-898-2596 or at jvile@mtsu.edu.




A GRACIOUS WELCOME—University Honors College Dean John Vile, right, and his wife, Linda Vile, second from right, pose with their host family, the Sahins, during a visit to Nigde, Turkey. From left are Ihson, Mustafa, Vildon and Fatima Sahin; Mustafa Sahin is an ophthalmologist. The Viles went abroad for the first time in 20 years in summer 2010, seeing sights, making friends and learning more about other cultures.

photo submitted

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Cadets will help 'map' girls' futures at EYH

by Randy Weiler

Courtney Fultz has a longstanding fondness and passion for MTSU's Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics.

She attended with a Girl Scout group as a sixth-grader in 2000, and her association with EYH did not end there. For the past four years, she has helped girls map out their futures.

The Murfreesboro native, who is a senior recreational-therapy major and ROTC minor, will supervise a team of Blue Raider Battalion cadet colleagues in a geoscience presentation called "Finding Your Way.";

Theirs will be one of numerous EYH workshops across campus on Saturday, Sept. 25, for the fifth- through eighth-grade girls attending the middle-school EYH and the separate workshop for high-school students.

"The presentation consists of teaching young ladies how to read a topographic map and how to use a magnetic compass,"; said Fultz, who will be joined by co-presenters Elizabeth Juergens, Kim Isham, Jennie Fajardo, Rachael Lezon and Kelsey Kirby.

"These are life skills everyone should know, even though technology has advanced,"; Fultz said.

"Also, it's a blessing to be able to give back to the community, since I was once a participant in EYH. I remember how excited I was as a sixth-grader coming in to learn about math and science. EYH is definitely an event young ladies will never forget.";

Fultz said her presentation has so many participants because "they can assist the girls at the different stations we have set up for map reading and compass. Also, they volunteer to get experience teaching a class, which we do several times in ROTC.";

Fultz, who plans to graduate in August 2011 and be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, has devised "a list of topics for each compass and map-reading class and assigned them to the co-presenters. It's very structured. We go through the 'crawl, walk, run' phases.

"First, we teach in the classroom and get some hands-on, mainly with the maps. Then we'll go outside and go through some exercises with the girls, utilizing the compass. The hour we have never seems to be enough, but we brief the basics and what's important for each class.";

Another outstanding array of on- and off-campus presenters will lead the workshops, said Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, an MTSU chemistry professor and the director of EYH and the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Center.

This includes a group of women from Smyrna-based Nissan North America. Four of them—warranty manager Ashley Gatlin, a mechanical engineer; safety department member Jennifer Kaufmann, a chemical engineer; manufacturing manager Lisa Haaser, whose specialty is statistics and probabilities; and safety engineer Allison Bailey—will provide a panel discussion for the high-school girls. Nissan's Susan Arrington and Carlene Brown-Judkins will conduct a paper-airplane workshop for the middle-school girls, and Janet Bryan and Paige Mitchell will combine for "Heels and Wheels,"; showing them how to build the floor of a vehicle.

Many volunteers will make the day go smoothly, Iriarte-Gross said.

Event sponsors include the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and its nine departments, the MTSU president's and provost's offices, the American Association of University Women's Murfreesboro chapter, Schneider Electric; the WISTEM Center and the Nashville Section of the American Chemical Society.

For information, call 615-904-8253, e-mail jiriarte@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/eyh .

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Make plans now for Evening of Swing 2010

The fifth annual "Evening of Swing"; gala, a fundraising dinner/dance event, will get under way at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at a new location—the Stones River Country Club.

MTSU's Friends of Music committee members said the evening's entertainment will feature the big-band music of the 1930s and '40s, as performed by MTSU's two jazz ensembles with MTSU music faculty members Don Aliquo and Jamey Simmons directing.

"The Friends' annual "Evening of Swing"; galas have drawn large numbers of community members to enjoy the pre-reception, dinner, dancing and fellowship,"; said Dr. George T. Riordan, director of the MTSU School of Music. "We have a number of big-band music scores for our ensembles that will be familiar to everyone who enjoys swing music, including hits by the likes of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey, so bring your dancing shoes.

"The Stones River Country Club is a great place for dancing and enjoying music,"; he added. "People have been very impressed with the authentic and danceable swing provided by our students in the MTSU jazz ensembles … (so) this is a wonderful forum to introduce the high quality of our musicians to people who haven't yet enjoyed concerts at the School of Music.";

Riordan said the Friends of Music was designed to encourage community members to take advantage of more than 200 concerts presented annually at MTSU and to enable the school to better provide services and opportunities to music students as well as provide guidance to the school with a community perspective.

"Proceeds from last year's Evening of Swing made it possible for some 40 or 50 of our students to take advantage of professional opportunities that they otherwise would have to miss. We're grateful for the foundation that our patrons provide to help for us in our mission of serving students, MTSU and state and local communities.";

MTSU's "Evening of Swing"; organizing committee members include Liz Rhea, Shirley LaRoche, Jane Blakey, Martha Curl, Bobbie and John Duke, Brenda McFarlin, Margie Spangler, Veronica Milnar, Linda Palmer, Robbie Hooper and Aimee Holt. Representing MTSU on the committee are Riordan, Aliquo, Connie Huddleston, Robyn Kilpatrick, Deanna Hahn and Claudette Northcutt.

Individual tickets for "Evening of Swing,"; which includes dinner and a gala evening of music and dancing, are $100 per person; $50 is tax-deductible. Tables seating eight are available for $800 ($400 is tax-deductible), and patron and major sponsor tables are available for $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000.

"To help people polish their moves, as well as learn the basics, a free group swing-dance lesson session will be led by Becky and Justin Ward at the Dance Murfreesboro studio on Thursday, Nov. 4,"; Riordan added.

For more information on "Evening of Swing"; or the Friends of Music, including ticket inquiries, please contact Claudette Northcutt at 615-898-5924.




BEAUTIFUL MUSIC—MTSU's Jazz Ensembles get into the swing of things while performing for an appreciative crowd at the 2009 Evening of Swing fundraiser in the James Union Building's Tennessee Room. The 2010 event is planned for Saturday, Nov. 6, in a new location: the Stones River Country Club. For ticket information, contact Claudette Northcutt at 615-898-5924.

photo submitted

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'September 11' exhibit now at Baldwin Gallery

Beautiful, chilling, astonishing—they're all adjectives describing the photographs included in a new exhibit, "New York, September 11"; by Magnum Photos contributors, on display at MTSU's Baldwin Photographic Gallery through Monday, Oct. 18.

Organized by the worldwide photographic cooperative and toured by International Arts and Artists of Washington, D.C., the exhibit features 39 rare photos and began touring the nation five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The exhibition is the first of the fall 2010 semester. It's free and, as always, open to the public.

"These photographers captured images as they happened—many from an intimate, street-level perspective—providing imagery that is chilling and astonishing,"; said Baldwin Gallery Curator Tom Jimison.

"The majority of the photographs were taken the morning of Sept. 11. While many photographers focused on the buildings under attack and other forms of destruction, others chose to capture the raw emotions of New Yorkers.";

The display also includes nostalgic photos of the World Trade Center twin towers before their fall, helping viewers learn about, process and remember that day.

Magnum Photos provides photographs to users across the world. International Arts and Artists in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts.

The Baldwin Gallery is located in the McWherter Learning Resources Center. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, call 615-898-2085.



AFTERMATH—A photo of a sculpture park near the World Trade Center, covered in debris after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, is one of the works now on exhibit at the Baldwin Gallery at MTSU.

photo by Susan Meiselas/Magnum Photos


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Team player



GREAT WORK!—Colleagues in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures join the celebration as Executive Aide Ruth Watson, CPS, center front, accepts a plaque as the latest quarterly Secretarial/Clerical Award winner from department chair Dr. Joan McRae, left, and Michelle Blackwell, right, director of Transfer Student Services and chair of MTSU's Employee Recognition Committee. MTSU's Employee Recognition Committee salutes staffers who make outstanding contributions and demonstrate excellence in their roles. To nominate an administrative, secretarial/clerical, classified or technical/service co-worker for the award program, go to www.mtsu.edu/hrs/relations/recog.shtml .

MTSU Photographic Services photo by Andy Heidt

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NPR's Totenberg plans Sept. 22 lecture on 'New Supreme Court'

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 conclude 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 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 and coordinator of MTSU'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-Jazz 89, 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-Nashville Public Radio.

Totenberg's reports air regularly on NPR's critically acclaimed "All Things Considered,"; "Morning Edition"; and "Weekend Edition."; She is also 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 caps a week of events at MTSU celebrating the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, MTSU planned to celebrate with screen-printing demonstrations by Printer's Proof, a student printing association; a 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 was to print copies of the 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 planned to read the Constitution aloud at 10 a.m. on the KUC Knoll.

For more information, e-mail amerdem@mtsu.edu or visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem .

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Sept. 25, Oct. 30 Fall Preview Days showcase campus

Fall Preview Days will be held at MTSU on Saturday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 30, said Dr. Michelle Arnold, associate director in the MTSU Office of Admissions.

"This event is open to prospective new and transfer students and their parents,"; Arnold said.

Guests will begin arriving at the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center by 9 a.m. both preview days, she said, adding that the first tour will depart the building no later than 9:15. Light refreshments will be provided for guests upon arrival in the Rec Center lobby.

Special guests should come to the center to check in for their tour, which generally includes stops at Walker Library, the John Bragg Mass Communication Building, Business and Aerospace Building, Keathley University Center and one of the residence halls.

After the tour, visitors will return to the Rec Center and participate in an academic open house, where representatives from the Admissions Office, the academic colleges, Financial Aid, Housing and Residential Life, Transfer Student Services and Student Programming will be available to answer questions and provide insights about all that MTSU has to offer, Arnold said.

Those interested in attending a Fall Preview Day must register online at www.mtsu.edu/admissn , then click on "Special Events.";

Daily tours are conducted at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Dec. 8, except during fall break (Oct. 15 and Oct. 18-19) and Thanksgiving (Nov. 24-26).

The Fall Preview Days will be the first for David Cicotello, who officially joined MTSU as associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services on Sept. 7.

For more information about tours and Fall Preview Days, please call 615-898-2111.

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Audiences to join K-12 webcasts

This fall's Satellite and Webcasting Center at MTSU's series of television programs for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers has a new side benefit: MTSU students, faculty and staff are invited to attend as part of the live studio audience.

All of the one-hour programs, which will air at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, will be presented in McWherter Learning Resources Center Room 101T, which is located on the mezzanine level above the LRC Computer Lab.

"Many faculty offer participation in these programs to their students as extra credit or enrichment opportunities,"; said Dr. Connie Schmidt, director of the Instructional Technology Support Center. "All of the programs are appropriate for pre-service teachers. Some are appropriate for social-work and counseling faculty and students.

"We have one program on vocal care that speech students will find particularly interesting. Many of our topics are of interest to a general audience.";

Participants are asked to register in advance with Jenny Marsh by calling 615-898-2737 or e-mail vmoxley@mtsu.edu. Seating is limited to 32 people.

Teachers' shows will air on Thursdays, Sept. 23 and 30 and Oct. 14, 21 and 28; Tuesdays, Oct. 12 and Nov. 2 and 9; and Thursdays, Nov. 4, 11 and 18.

A list of the teachers' programs can be found at http://bit.ly/MTSatellite .

The extremely popular programs for K-12 students resume Tuesday, Sept. 21, with "The Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay."; Andrea Steele, educator for teacher and school programs for the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, will be the presenter.

Other student program dates include prerecorded shows on Oct. 19 and Nov. 2 and live shows on Tuesdays, Oct. 12 and 26, Nov. 9 and 16 and on Thursdays, Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16. All live shows start at 9 a.m.

The Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 shows are Colonial Williamsburg electronic field trips, which are live, interactive programs produced by Colonial Williamsburg.

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Sept. 23 Ag Field Day touts new dairy, farm's growth

by Randy Weiler

An update on the new dairy and other livestock projects will help jump-start the MTSU School of Agribusiness and Agriscience's third annual Ag Field Day.

The event, which will be held at the university's agricultural laboratory farm at 3001 Guy James Road, is set for Thursday, Sept. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m.

A meal will be served at 6 p.m. The MTSU community and general public are invited, but reservations are required so event planners can have a head count for the meal. Please call 615-898-2523 to register or for more information.

"It's an exciting time in the life of the MTSU ag program,"; said Dr. Warren Gill, the school's director. "We want to share what's happening with as many of our supporters and area farmers as we can.";

The new dairy and livestock-projects update by Gill and Tim Redd, Farm Lab manager, will be followed by a report on what's taking place with student gardens, nursery, farmer's market and new strawberry project, Gill said.

John Hood, director of community relations and government for MTSU's Division of Development and University Relations and a former state representative, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Commissioner Ken Givens of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture plans to attend, Gill said, adding that state support for the program—nearly $70,000 to date—is expected to increase by nearly $40,000 next year.

The state department's Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program will be featured at the event, Gill said.

Beginning at 5 p.m., tours will include:
  • garden, nursery and compost sites, led by Drs. Nate Phillips and Warren Anderson and MTSU students;
  • switchgrass, bluestem and alfalfa fields, led by Dr. Patrick Keyser of the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture and Agriculture Extension Agent Mitchell Mote, along with Redd, Danny Troup and their farm-lab students;
  • the geothermal vegetable cooler, vegetable-processing and honey-processing operations, led by Phillips and students; and
  • beehives, led by Ed Holcombe.
As of press time, event sponsors include Rutherford Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services, CPC Commodities, Cargill/Nutrena, Boehringer Ingelheim, TriGreen Equipment (John Deere), Rutherford Farmers Co-Op, Precision Air Inc., Intervet Schering-Plough and Hooper Supply.

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Riding to the rescue



KNIGHTS DOING RIGHT—The Knights of Columbus from St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church offer aid to MTSU's Project Help once again with a donation of $2,500 raised during the group's annual Tootsie Roll Drive. Gathering for a photo commemorating the donation are, from left, Project Help teachers Bobbie Young and Mary Owens; aides Amanda Alley and Becky Davidson; teacher Rebecca Harris; Knights of Columbus members Jim Harding, Alan Cutler and Frank Bordash; and Project Help aide Jennifer Plaskett, teacher Deborah Newman and secretary Tricia Yeargan.

photo submitted


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MTeach Center sets open house to greet campus

Leaders of the first-year MTeach program want to introduce themselves to campus and plan to do so with an open house.

The MTeach Center open house will be held Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Room 123 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building, said Program Coordinator Leigh Gostowski. The event is open to the MTSU community.

"The open house is intended to introduce the university community, including students, to the MTeach program, let them see where we are located and meet the staff,"; Gostowski said. "We will have MTeach students on hand, demonstrating science and math activities that represent best practices in inquiry education.";

Master Teacher Sally Millsap joined the MTeach staff during the summer. Dr. Amy Phelps, a professor in the chemistry department, serves as director.

Last fall, the university received a five-year, $1.925 million grant to launch MTeach, a replicate of the nationally recognized UTeach program started at the University of Texas at Austin in 1997.

When the program was announced, Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences, said UTeach "fundamentally changes the way high-school math and science teachers are trained.";

UTeach recruits strong math and science majors with a chance to try out teaching for free through a pair of one-credit freshman courses that help the college student prepare and deliver an active-learning lesson for elementary- and middle-school students. UTeach supports content knowledge and early engagement of future kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers.

MTeach is a partnership between the Colleges of Education and Basic and Applied Sciences.

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AROTC adds to ranks with new cadets

by Randy Weiler

Seven new cadets recently were sworn in to the MTSU Army ROTC program's Blue Raider Battalion, bringing the total number of cadets to about 170, said Department of Military Science officials.

During the short ceremony, held just outside Forrest Hall, Lt. Col. T.K. Kast, professor of military science, encouraged the seven to "stick with it.";

"We give them a lot of challenges,"; Kast said. "A lot of them are freshmen. A lot of them are new to college. They have the challenge of college; now they have the challenge of ROTC, plus, they have to bring something to the table.";

The new group, which had to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test, includes cadets:
  • Brandon Pearson, a junior from Manchester, Tenn., majoring in construction management, who said, "I've always wanted to be in the Army because it is the best place for me to develop as an engineer";;
  • Austin Blanchard, a junior electro-mechanical engineering-technology major from Franklin, Tenn., who said, "I joined Army ROTC because the educational benefits are great and there is no better place to develop myself as a leader";;
  • Jared Blanchett, a sophomore French major from Chapel Hill, Tenn., who said, "I am in ROTC because I feel it's the best place to further my education and opportunities";;
  • Wesley Smitty, a freshman exercise-science major from Smyrna, Tenn., who said, "I joined Army ROTC because being a soldier has always been an aspiration of mine";;
  • Caleb Jennings, a freshman criminal-justice major from Smyrna, who said, "The Army is another challenge I'd like to conquer";;
  • Jeremie Blattler, a junior history major from Henderson, Tenn., who said, "I joined Army ROTC because becoming an Army officer is a challenge I'd like to take on";; and
  • Michael Graham, a sophomore history major from Centerville, Tenn., who said, "I am here because I want to share my enlisted experiences with the officer corps.";


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Events Around Campus: Petersen to 'challenge' Buchanan Fellows Oct. 1

by Randy Weiler

Dr. Karen Petersen, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, will deliver the Challenge to the Buchanan Fellows' Class of 2010.

Petersen's remarks will come during the fourth Buchanan Fellows' Inauguration, which will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, in the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building.

Twenty freshmen Fellows will be recognized during the invitation-only formal ceremony, said Dr. John Vile, dean of the University Honors College.

"This is the most formal event we hold for the incoming class of Buchanan Fellows,"; Vile said. "The Buchanan is the most prestigious academic scholarship given on campus. This is the formal way to emphasize the meaning of the scholarship.";

Vile added that President Sidney A. McPhee and his wife, Liz, usually host the Buchanan Fellows with a dinner in their home. No date has been set for this event.

Collectively, the students, who represent three states and 11 cities in Tennessee, have an average score of 32.8 on their ACT exam and a high-school GPA of 3.918, Vile said.

The Buchanan Fellowship is named in honor of Dr. James M. Buchanan, an MTSU alumnus and Nobel Prize recipient.

First-year Provost Dr. Brad Bartel plans to attend, along with McPhee; both will offer a welcome. Honors students Kaitlin Beck and Leland Waite will share their MTSU experiences with the new Buchanan Fellows.

Dr. Scott Carnicom, Honors College associate dean, will provide the introduction of the Book of Town and Gown and then have the freshmen participate in the ceremonial signing.

Honors faculty member Dr. Angela Hague will lead the recitation of the Honors Creed.

The 2010-11 freshman class of Buchanan Fellows includes Emilie Ann Aslinger of Kingston, Tenn.; Joe Scott Ballard of Columbia, Tenn.; Patrick Daniels of Knoxville; John Michael Griner of Kingston; Ashlin Powell Harris of Morristown, Tenn.; Lorel Joy Holsinger of Summertown, Tenn.; Meredith Lynn Holt of Collinwood, Tenn.; Greta Louise Jochmann of Oak Ridge; Cory Matthew Long of Franklin, Tenn.; Tyler Brooke Loucky of Murfreesboro; Cedar Nathaniel Mittig of Franklin; Robert Daniel Murphy of Murfreesboro; Tyler Patrick Phillips of Knoxville; Courtney Anne Rodman of Jackson, Mo.; Amanda Patrice Scott of Brentwood; Lauren Janelle Smith of Waynesboro, Tenn.; Joshua Timothy Stein of Dover, Del.; Zach Bevins Stevens of Murfreesboro; Katelyn Meredith Stringer of Smyrna; and Victoria Elizabeth Worrell of Murfreesboro.




DOTTED LINE—University Honors College Associate Dean Scott Carnicom, right, shows Alex Gibson where to sign the ceremonial Book of Town and Gown at the 2009 Buchanan Fellows' Inauguration. Gibson is now a second-year Buchanan Fellow.

photo submitted

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Faculty/Staff Update

Conferences

Dr. Phil Oliver (philosophy) attended "In the Footsteps of William James: A Symposium on the Legacy— and the Ongoing Uses—of James's Work";Aug. 13-16 in Chocorua, N.H., and at Harvard University and chaired a panel session on "The Will to Believe and the Will to Truth"; featuring scholars from Brown University and Wooster College.

Media

Dr. Bill Ford (Weatherford Chair of Finance) discussed Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's monetary policy options on Aug. 27 on CNBC's "The Kudlow Report.";

Dr. Martha Norkunas's (public history) seven-year African-American Oral History Project was the focus of a front-page feature Aug. 15 in The Austin-American Statesman. The online article also included audio and video selections from the project.

Dr. Charles Perry (engineering technology) was featured in the Aug. 12 Nashville Scene cover story, "The Innovations Issue: Eleven trailblazing ideas prove Middle Tennesseans are breeding ingenuity,"; for his plug-in hybrid retrofit kit. Paul Martin III, Dr. Chong Chen (ET), Dr. Richard Redditt (ET professor emeritus) and Rick Taylor (ET) and students Chris Stocker and Alex Kirchhoff also were part of the project.

Passages

Mrs. Virginia Mae Poole (Business and Economic Research Center), 86, passed away Aug. 23. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Casper and Mary Katherine Meirose Poll. Mrs. Poole is survived by her daughters, Carrol Trusty and Joyce Carlton and her husband, Tom Carlton; her son, Erin Poole and his wife, Nona, all of Murfreesboro; and five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mrs. Poole was preceded in death by her husband, David Poole, and her sisters, Jean Veser, Lorraine Higgins, Dorothy Gutzwiller and Florence Arnold of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Poole worked at MTSU from January 1977 until her retirement in May 1998 as a secretary for the BERC.

Mrs. Ninevah Webb (speech and theatre) passed away Sept. 1. She worked at MTSU from September 1962 until her retirement in January 1984 as a secretary in the Department of Speech and Theatre.

Presentations

Dr. Wandi Ding (mathematical sciences) presented "Optimal Control Applied to Native-Invasive Population Dynamics via a PDE Model"; at the 2010 Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics Conference on Life Sciences. She also obtained a National Science Foundation-SIAM post-doctorate/early-career attendees' travel award.

Alanna L. Neely and Dr. Cliff Ricketts (agribusiness and agriscience) presented "Dual Credit: Transition to College"; at the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Conference Feb. 6-9 in Orlando, Fla. Neely, Ricketts and Dr. Warren Gill presented "Incorporating College Success Tactics into a Dual-Credit Course Curriculum: Coaching Students on How to Enter College Efficiently and Effectively From the First Day"; at the National Association of Agricultural Educators Conference in Omaha, Neb., May 24-27.

Publications

Drs. Mark Anshel (health and human performance) and Toto Sutarso (information technology) co-authored "Effect of a Storyboarding Technique on Selected Measures of Fitness Among University Employees,"; in the journal Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (September 2010, vol. 81, pp. 252-263).


Get noticed in The Record!

Submit your Faculty/ Staff Update items and other news tips to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, for the Oct. 4 edition of The Record or 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, for the Oct. 18 edition of The Record.

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Campus Calendar

Sept. 20-Oct. 3, 2010

Please note: Event dates, times and locations may change after press time. Please verify specifics when making plans.

TV Schedule: "Middle Tennessee Record";
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m., 5 p.m.
NewsChannel 5+: Sundays, 1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable-outlet airtimes or www.youtube.com/mtsunews for a complete show archive.

Radio Schedule: "MTSU On the Record";
8 a.m. Sundays, WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcasts available anytime at www.mtsunews.com .


Sports @ Home
Sept. 24: Women's Soccer vs. Denver, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26: Women's Soccer vs. North Texas, 1 p.m.
Oct. 1: Volleyball vs. Florida International, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2: Volleyball vs. Florida Atlantic, 7 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com .

Through Oct. 18
Photo Exhibit: "New York, September 11";
Baldwin Photo Gallery, Learning Resources Center
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday; noon-4 p.m. Saturday
For information, contact: 615-898-2085.

Monday, Sept. 20
Fall Honors Lecture Series: Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn of Belmont University, "New Confucian Political Theory";
3-3:55 p.m., Room 106, Honors Amphitheatre
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~honors or contact: 615-898-2152.

Guest Bassoon Recital: Amy Marinello
6 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
Faculty Flute Recital: Deanna Little
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com or contact: 615-898-2493.

Sept. 21-22
TIAA-CREF Meetings
8 a.m.-5 p.m. (appointment only),
Room 313, Keathley University Center
To schedule appointments, contact: 866-842-2336.

Tuesday, Sept. 21
Faculty Recital: Tanya Lawson, clarinet; Jessica Dunnavant, flute
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Wednesday, Sept. 22
MTeach Center Open House
3-4:30 p.m., Room 123, Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building
For information, contact: 615-898-5786.

NPR's Nina Totenberg, "Establishing Justice: The New Supreme Court";
4:30 p.m., Tucker Theatre
No admission charge
For information, contact: 615-904-8241.

Thursday, Sept. 23
School of Agribusiness and Agrisicence Ag Field Day
4-7 p.m., Ag Lab Farm, 3001 Guy James Road
For information, contact: 615-898-2523.

Free Legal Clinic
sponsored by the June Anderson Center for Nontraditional Students
6:30-8 p.m., KUC 320
Open to all MTSU personnel; appointments required
For information, contact: 615-898-2193.

Friday, Sept. 24
18th Annual Economic Outlook Conference
8:15 a.m., Embassy Suites Conference Center
Admission: $50, MTSU faculty attend free; register by Sept. 17
For information, contact: 615-898-2764.

MTSU Wind Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Saturday, Sept. 25
Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics Conference
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/eyh or contact: 615-904-8253.

Fall Preview Day
for new and transfer students and parents
9 a.m., Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center
For information, contact: 615-898-2111.

Sunday, Sept. 26
Faculty Recital: David Loucky, trombone; Sandra Arndt, piano
7 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Sept. 27-Oct. 2
National Walking Horse Association Championship
Miller Coliseum
For information, visit www.nwha.com/nationalshow/2010.html .

Monday, Sept. 27
Fall Honors Lecture Series: Dr. Yuan-ling Chao, "Confucianism and the Scientific Tradition in China";
3-3:55 p.m., HONR 106
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~honors .

Rodrigo González, "Cuba at a Crossroads";
3-5 p.m., Tom Jackson Building
For information, contact: 615-898-2284.

Faculty Recital: Andrea Dawson, violin; Todd Waldecker, clarinet; Arunesh Nadgir, piano
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Tuesday, Sept. 28
Estelle Condra, "Vibrations of Laughter—The Story of Annie Sullivan";
9:40 a.m., Tucker Theatre
No admission charge
For information, e-mail userk7706@comcast.net or contact: 615-826-5252.

Rodrigo González, "Study Abroad in Cuba"; Meetings
4:15 p.m. student session, 5 p.m. faculty session
Room S-128, Business and Aerospace Building
For information, contact: 615-898-2284.

Wednesday, Sept. 29
Composition Studio Recital: Paul Osterfield
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Thursday, Sept. 30
MTSU Choral Concert
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, visit www.mtsumusic.com .

Friday, Oct. 1
First Friday Star Party: Jeff Gritton, "Buying Your First Telescope";
6:30 p.m. lecture, Room 102, Wiser-Patten Science Building; followed by telescope viewing at the MTSU Observatory
For information, contact: 615-898-2130.


Get noticed in The Record!

Submit Campus Calendar items and other news tips to gfann@mtsu.edu by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, for the Oct. 4 edition of The Record or 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, for the Oct. 18 Record.

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