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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Welcome back MTSU students! We've been waiting for you!
by Randy Weiler
MTSU is throwing out the welcome mat to new students and faculty and returning students and faculty.
Hopefully, the waits in line weren't too exasperating, you got the classes you wanted, and yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus--occasionally--when looking for a parking space.
Fall 2007 classes will begin Monday, Aug. 27. Within two weeks' time, the MTSU community finally may have witnessed the passing of the 23,000 mark in undergraduate and graduate enrollment.
"One percent (increase) would put us slightly above 23,000," said Dr. Bob Glenn, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services. "All signs appear that we will be up overall. The freshman class will be up."
In early August, Glenn said first-time freshman enrollment stood at a 5 percent increase.
Glenn said the "first two weeks of class should be a lot of fun because we have a lot going on." (He's referring primarily to the numerous Week of Welcome activities. See the poster at right for the full list.)
The Week of Welcome events, which actually extend into the week of Sept. 4-8, will be a build-up to MTSU's football home opener. The Blue Raiders will tackle former Ohio Valley Conference rival Western Kentucky, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20. WKU has moved from NCAA I-AA to I-A and will be a member of the Sun Belt Conference with MTSU.
"It ought to be a great game," Glenn said. "We already have a rivalry in basketball. I expect Western to have a great turnout of fans. Our fans will relish the opportunity to have Western fans on our campus. Folks have a good time when it comes to game day. Tailgating is going to be a hoot."
Glenn said he and other university officials "learned a lot from last year" when MTSU played a nationally televised Thursday-night game against former rival Tennessee Tech.
"What we learned last year should make it smooth this year and not have negative impact on anybody's class expectations," he said. "It's always a challenge. It'll all work out. We'll try not to ruffle feathers."
Glenn said construction projects, some finished but many others in progress or to begin soon, would be what people notice on campus.
The anticipated reopening of Monohan Hall is a plus, he said.
"Students living there should be extremely pleased and just love it," he said. "It makes me want to move back into the (residence) hall. And the other facilities are rotating into their part of the renovations. I appreciate everybody being patient with us."
Renovation continues at the Student Recreation Center, where Student Health Services will be relocating. Future projects include the new student union and science buildings.
Key dates this fall include:
• Monday, Aug. 27--first day of classes;
• Monday, Sept. 3--Labor Day holiday;
• Oct. 13-16--fall break;
• Nov. 22-24--Thanksgiving;
• Wednesday, Dec. 5--last day of classes;
• Thursday, Dec. 6--student study day;
• Dec. 7-13--final examinations;
• Saturday, Dec. 15--fall commencement.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Fall '07 Honors Lecture Series in 'digital age'
by Randy Weiler
Students in the fall Honors Lecture Series will be hearing about "The Digital Age" from nine key MTSU faculty members and a senior electronic media communication major, said Dr. Scott Carnicom, associate dean of the University Honors College.
After study-abroad presentations and class orientation led by Carnicom on Monday, Aug. 27, and the Labor Day holiday Sept. 3, the lecture series will run Mondays from Sept. 10 until Nov. 19. Nov. 26 and Dec. 3 will be thesis presentation days. No class will be held Monday, Oct. 15, because of fall break.
The class will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 106 of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building. The lectures are free and open to the public. "The idea of the digital theme emanated from conversations Dr. (Phil) Mathis and I had with the honors council," Carnicom, the second-year associate dean and faculty member said. "The revolution in digital technology has had a far-reaching impact, affecting almost every aspect of our society.
"Digital innovations have changed the fashion, pace and volume of information exchange, greatly impacting our evolving knowledge economy."
Participating faculty include representatives from chemistry, physics and astronomy, computer information systems, electronic media communication, aerospace, agribusiness and agriscience, political science, biology and military science.
"I'm very excited about the many fine lectures we have scheduled this semester," Carnicom said. "I think Patrick Chinnery's presentation (on presidential campaigning) is especially timely and should prove very interesting. Tony Johnston and Jessica Carter will be discussing the digital impact on agriculture, a topic that perhaps many haven't contemplated, but affects them on a daily basis."
Carnicom said he is "especially proud that one of our honors students, Jonathan Parris, will be presenting his senior thesis." It's a digital film, "You Are NOT Special," in which Parris "demonstrates some impressive and resourceful special effects," Carnicom added.
The schedule is as follows:
• Aug. 27--Study-abroad presentation and orientation, Dr. Scott Carnicom, Honors College;
• Sept. 10--"Scientists Return to the CAVE in the Digital Age," Dr. Preston MacDougall, chemistry;
• Sept. 17--"Technology and Cosmology: Future Innovations for Peering into the Past," Dr. Eric Klumpe, physics and astronomy;
• Sept. 24--"Ethical Issues of New Technologies," Dr. Tim Greer, computer information systems;
• Oct. 1--"Integrating Digital Tools with Traditional Studio Art Processes," Marc Barr, EMC;
• Oct. 8--"The Economic Impact of Innovations in Aerospace Safety," Dr. Paul Craig, aerospace;
• Oct. 22--"Digital Applications in Military Science," Lt. Col. Mike Walsh, military science;
• Oct. 29--"The Digital Age of Agriculture," Drs. Tony Johnston and Jessica Carter, agribusiness and agriscience;
• Nov. 5--"Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age," Dr. Patrick Chinnery, political science;
• Nov. 12--"Life Science in the Digital Age," Dr. Steve Howard, biology;
• Nov. 19--"You Are NOT Special" (a digital film project), Jonathan Parris, University Honors College senior EMC major;
• Nov. 26 and Dec. 3--Thesis presentations.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
MT, WKU launch Sun Belt Classic at Sommet Center
from Staff Reports
Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky will play host to the first Sun Belt Classic Dec. 15 at the Sommet Center in Nashville.
The Sun Belt Classic will have national appeal as MTSU faces Memphis at 6 p.m. in a game that will be televised on ESPN2, while WKU faces Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
Many college basketball prognosticators say both Memphis and Tennessee will compete strongly for a national title and could be ranked among the top five in the country. Sun Belt East Division rivals Middle Tennessee and WKU are expected to contend for the league championship.
"We are eagerly anticipating the national exposure two of our schools will receive on ESPN2 and ESPNU on Dec. 15," said Wright Waters, Sun Belt Conference commissioner. "It is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase two of our outstanding universities. ... The Sun Belt Conference is really excited about playing this unique basketball doubleheader on a national stage."
The games are home contests for Middle Tennessee and WKU, and Blue Raider basketball coach Kermit Davis believes his team will be facing the preseason No. 1 team in America when it tips off against the Tigers.
"On top of fans being able to see two quality basketball games in the doubleheader, it will be great exposure for our team to play what I believe will be the preseason No. 1 team in America on national television," Davis said. "It's a great day for Sun Belt basketball to be on a national stage with two Top 5 programs in the country, and for Middle Tennessee to be associated with three really good programs in WKU, Memphis and Tennessee, as well as three outstanding head coaches. It is going to be a fun night, and we believe we will set the record that night for the most people ever to see Middle Tennessee play a home basketball game."
WKU basketball coach Darrin Horn said the doubleheader is further evidence of the league's commitment to bolster its basketball product nationally.
"We are excited about being a part of a big-time college basketball event such as this doubleheader," said Horn. "I think it demonstrates both institutions' and the Sun Belt's Conference's commitment to growing and being recognized as national players in college basketball."
Tickets for the event will be $30 for lower-level seats and $15 for upper-level seats. A ticket to the doubleheader will be included in Middle Tennessee's and WKU's season-ticket packages. Season-ticket holders will be given first priority.
For tickets, call 1-888-YES-MTSU, e-mail tickets@mtsu.edu or visit www.goblueraiders.com.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Hungry for art? Savor 'a la Carte' at Sept. 8 exhibit
from Staff Reports
If you're planning a special night out, you want a menu full of choices. At "Art a la Carte," the one-night show and sale featuring eight area artists, aficionados can saunter from room to room, savoring whatever pleases their palates--or palettes.
The event, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 519A N. Maney Avenue, is a revisiting of a similar 2004 show, when Christie Nuell and seven colleagues turned her yellow rental home into an art gallery for an evening.
"The idea of having art exhibitions in alternative spaces, rather than galleries and museums, gives the artists freedom to put up the work that they want to show rather than what the gallery feels they can sell," says Nuell, an MTSU art professor and exhibit organizer.
"This is incredibly liberating for the artist. It also means that that there is no commission charged by a gallery owner, so the work is sold at what the artist would receive, which means it is 40 to 50 percent less expensive for the public to buy.
"Working together on a show is also just plain fun," she adds. "We divide the jobs up and have lots of creative input from each other."
The 2004 exhibit, laughingly called a "hit-and-run show" by one contributor, was a blazing success, but it hasn't been repeated until now for a simple reason: the space wasn't available.
"The location for this show is in an apartment that has hardwood floors and very high ceilings. The rooms are large and have a lot of wall space," Nuell explains.
"The house was built in the 1870s after the Civil War ended and the Oaklands Mansion property was sold off, creating Murfreesboro's first subdivision. My husband, (art professor) Lon Nuell, and I bought it in 1983 and had the gingerbread restored and renovated the property, making it into three apartments in such a way that most people think it is still a one-family home. In 1986 I had a studio built behind the house, which is where I still work."
The space limitations have turned the exhibitors into quick-change artists, too, as they quickly turn an empty house into an aesthetic venue and their paintings, sculpture, monoprints, mixed media and clay works into a striking collective exhibit.
"The Maney Avenue corridor, which connects Oaklands at the north end to the Discovery Center at the south end, is being considered by the city for renovation and rejuvenation. We think this exhibition fits in nicely with that concept," Nuell said.
In addition to Nuell's mixed-media work, artists and their specialties featured on the menu at "Art a la Carte 2007" include:
• Erin Anfinson, painting;
• Michael Baggarly, painting and sculpture;
• Marc J. Barr, clay;
• Kimberly Dummons, monoprints;
• Nora Hibbard, painting;
• Jarrod Houghton, mixed media; and
• Guanping Zheng, painting.
All except Hibbard teach at MTSU; Hibbard's MTSU link is her husband, Dr. Allen Hibbard of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
There's no admission charge for "Art a la Carte," and all of the works will be for sale. For more information, contact Nuell at 615-898-2506 or cnuell@mtsu.edu.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
'Middle Tennessee Record' is now on YouTube
'Middle Tennessee Record' is now on YouTube
from Staff Reports
Stories from "Middle Tennessee Record," MTSU's monthly video magazine, now are being posted on YouTube as a convenient way to share the information with students, colleagues and friends.
"Both the July and August programs have been posted on YouTube, and the September MTR will be up at the first of the month," said John Lynch, producer of the program and director of marketing technologies in the Office of News and Public Affairs.
"Previously, viewers needed RealPlayer software to view the stories online. Viewers had problems with the earlier software, and the new YouTube method will make the video available to more people with less hassle."
If you've been away for the summer and need to catch up with MTR, a list of the August stories posted on YouTube--and their URLs--follows. Feel free to forward the links to faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and family and urge them to share the links, too! You also can find the main MTR link at www.mtsunews.com.
Here's MTR for August:
• Mass Comm gets HDTV upgrade (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_Aug07/HDTV.html)--The new high-definition HDTVs are showing up in many homes and businesses. To keep MTSU's graduates on the leading edge of this new technology, the Department of Electronic Media Communication has been upgrading its production facilities.
• Videogaming (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_Aug07/video-games.html)--Remember Pong, which came out in 1972? Nintendo's new Wii gaming system adds a whole new dimension to gaming, but there are potential health problems.
• Pork Ribs, Microscopes and the Smithsonian (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_Aug07/alicja.html)--Grad student Alicja Kutyla has received a prestigious fellowship from the Smithsonian Institution. She's also been examining pork ribs that Dr. Hugh Berryman blasted with a pistol.
• MIMIC (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_Aug07/MIMIC.html)--MTSU recently acquired some electron microscopes that can boost magnification 1 million times. Those microscopes and other equipment were unveiled recently at the MTSU Interdisciplinary Microanalysis and Imaging Center, or MIMIC for short.
• Return to Cambodia (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_ Aug07/Cambodia.html)--Last summer Sarong Vit-Kory returned to Cambodia, her family's homeland. The photo essay she produced about her experience won an award from the International Student Exchange Program.
• Tornado Drill: How'd We Do? (www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MT_Record/mtr0708_Aug07/Tornado.html)--Public Safety Chief Buddy Peaster talks about what was learned from the recent tornado drill.
To watch any of the previous editions of MTR, visit www.mtsunews.com. Watch for details on the September MTR in the Sept. 10 edition of The Record.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Faculty, staff: Share your expertise with media! Join NPA's 'TR Team'
from Staff Reports
Faculty experts, the faces and voices of MTSU, help put the university front and center in the media every day. The Office of News and Public Affairs wants reporters, editors and producers to seek out our faculty's expertise on important issues, which in turn showcases MTSU's abilities and accomplishments.
Our faculty and administration members are nationally and internationally recognized in their fields, making them a clear choice for explanations, opinions and commentary when hot news topics arise.
But without the faculty's willingness and ability to share their expertise and experience with media, those reporters, editors and producers will shop elsewhere.
"MTSU has become the go-to university in the area for expert commentary because (a) we make ourselves accessible to media; (b) we drop what we're doing and accommodate a reporter's needs; and (c) we provide rock-solid faculty expertise that is substantial and reliable," said NPA Director Tom Tozer.
"To the extent that we can accommodate their needs, we want the media community to feel welcomed and at home right here. That keeps MTSU where we need to be: in the media mix with other universities vying for valuable but limited ink and air."
That's why NPA is seeking MTSU experts to join the "Today's Response" team. "TR" is a media tip sheet that NPA sends out every weekday to more than 170 print and electronic media members, offering expert commentary on timely news topics. Lending your credibility and knowledge to an issue--and interacting with reporters in person, on the phone or on-camera--is a great addition to a curriculum vita. And, Tozer added, "institutionally speaking, it's a necessity."
As MTSU launches a new academic year, NPA is encouraging faculty veterans as well as newcomers to become and remain involved. When you receive a "Today's Response" pitch from Tozer or NPA's Gina Logue, please respond, if you are able.
"For every 10 pitches, we receive four to five media 'hits' in the form of a print story, radio interview or occasional TV spot," Tozer said. "That's an amazing return that keeps on giving by keeping MTSU front and center."
If you're not already involved in "Today's Response," visit www.mtsunews.com to familiarize yourself with it, then send your name and areas of expertise to news@mtsu.edu--or fill out and fax the form above to 615-898-5714-to be included on the experts' list. If you're a veteran TR participant, we hope you'll continue to respond!
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
From Russia with music: Students to seek master's degrees in management
by Gina K. Logue
MTSU's budding relationships with Russian institutions of higher learning came into full flower Aug. 21 with the arrival of five graduate students and two faculty members from Moscow University of Management.
The Russian students will enhance their pursuit of master's degrees in music management under the auspices of the Department of Recording Industry. Next summer, several MTSU students will reciprocate by going to Moscow and St. Petersburg to study.
"We are looking forward to having the Russian students in our classes and to visiting Russia with American students next August," says Chris Haseleu, recording industry chair and chief negotiator of the agreement.
"We hope it is just the beginning of large-scale cooperation with Russian schools," says Dr. Andrei Korobkov, associate professor of political science and another member of the MTSU delegation that visited Russia last summer.
Another step in the partnership process will be an interdisciplinary urban studies conference hosted by MTSU's Jennings A. Jones College of Business, which will bring several accomplished Russian scholars to the campus in November.
The individual partnership approach could prove to be a cost savings for students, Korobkov says.
"This is a way to very significantly cut expenditures for foreign trips for our study-abroad students," Korobkov says. "It will be visibly cheaper than going through the consortia our university is a part of."
Some 12 agreements have been signed with institutions in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. Korobkov says he hopes the international partnerships will spread to other disciplines. He says Russians have expressed special curiosity about nursing, social work, concrete industry management and sports management.
"These are areas that are very interesting to our Russian counterparts, and so we expect that in February 2008, the vice president of Russian Social University will come here to hold additional negotiations," Korobkov says.
Russian Social University has campuses all over Moscow and Russia and in some ex-Soviet states, Korobkov notes.
In fact, Korobkov encourages faculty and administrators in other departments to follow the recording industry department's lead in establishing reciprocal relationships.
"The administration can sign treaties that create an organizational framework, but without the initiative of particular faculty members, it is impossible to find what is interesting," Korobkov says.
The recording industry program holds unique promise for Russians because their music business has experienced considerable growing pains in the transition from Communism to the post-Soviet era.
"In general, the commercialization of culture is something new for Russians, and they do not really have an adequate infrastructure, especially in terms of qualified personnel," Korobkov says.
In fact, Korobkov observes, immediately after the collapse of the Soviet regime, the music business frequently was infiltrated by somewhat disreputable people, prompting Russian academics to strive to improve professionalism.
"The absence initially of adequate market infrastructure resulted in the criminalization of many state and private business structures," Korobkov says, adding that the situation is changing quickly now.
Leading the Russian delegation was Katya Vinnikova, executive director of Moscow University of Management's music management program. Vinnikova stayed here only for a week, while the Russian students will stay for the entire fall semester. A visit by Sinisha Lazarevich, one of Moscow's leading record producers, also is in the works.
Photo page 3 |
FINALIZING PLANS--Business Dean Jim Burton, left, joins colleagues Chris Haseleu, director of the Department of Recording Industry, and Dr. Andrei Korobkov, political science, to finalize a student and faculty exchange agreement between MTSU and Moscow University of Management. Five students from Russia seeking master's degrees in music management are at MTSU now; several MTSU students will go to Russia next summer.
photo submitted |
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
EXL expert to lead Sept. 21 faculty workshop
from Staff Reports
The opportunity to learn more about the potential and benefits of experiential learning will be available to all faculty in a free workshop set for Friday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Tom Jackson Building.
Dr. Joe Raelin, Asa S. Knowles Chair of Practice-Oriented Education at Northeastern University, will lead the session.
"I am excited that we will have Dr. Raelin on our campus as part of the first event for the EXL Scholars Program for 2007-08," said Dr. Jill Austin, management and marketing chair and director of the EXL Scholars Program. "Dr. Raelin has significant experience in teaching faculty how to develop experiential learning activities."
In the morning session, Raelin will use demonstration and dialogue to highlight the theoretical and practice-based foundations supporting experiential education. He will show how live experience translates into real learning, using tools such as reflective practice and learning teams. He will discuss cooperative education versus action learning and the value of facilitation. Through hands-on exercises and audience participation, he will bring his concepts to life.
Raelin will follow in the afternoon session with a discussion of the process of leadership development, based on his latest book, "Creating Leaderful Organizations: How to Bring Out Leadership in Everyone" (Berrett-Koehler, 2003).
"Leaderful" leaders, he explains, are concurrent, collective, collaborative and compassionate. Participants will discover where they place on the spectrum ranging from conventional leadership practice to "leaderful" behavior.
"Dr. Raelin's primary experiential learning expertise is in the development of applied learning projects in classes," Austin noted. "This workshop will help faculty develop their own ideas for teaching their classes using experiential activities and group discussion."
Attendees should register by contacting Austin at 615-898-2736 or jaustin@mtsu.edu. The workshop is sponsored by EXL, the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and the Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center.
Raelin received his doctoral degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His research has centered on the management of salaried professionals and executive and professional education and development. Among his other publications are "The Clash of Cultures: Managers Managing Professionals" (Harvard Business School Press, 1991), considered a classic in the management field, and "Work-Based Learning: The New Frontier of Management Development" (Prentice Hall, 2000 and 2008).
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Campaign shows MTSU's still the one
A new marketing campaign touting the individuality of MTSU students, alumni, faculty and staff is counting on the university's heritage as a culture that cares.
"I'm One!", the campaign's motto, is a reminder that each person contributes to the university's success, and that success translates into students who earn their degrees and make their contributions to the world, university marketing director Doug Williams said.
"This really isn't anything heavy-handed. It's just a reaffirmation of our tradition and culture of commitment to students," Williams said. "'I'm One!' is a reminder that we all work toward the same goal and that we all expect the best of each other."
The new campaign--developed by a team that included Publications and Graphics' Cathy Lower, Martha Millsaps and Suma Clark; Photo Services' Jack Ross; and Development and University Relations Vice President Joe Bales--uses buttons, billboards, postcards and an updated Web site to illustrate the "I'm One!" theme with regional student focuses.
"We want to use this effort to help students feel connected to the university and to motivate people on campus to actively help students feel that way," Williams said.
"I'm One!" buttons are being circulated for faculty, staff and alumni.
"The 'I'm One!' effort will be a daily reminder to respect each other as individuals and to reaffirm our commitment to helping students reach their full potential," President Sidney A. McPhee said. "I invite you to display this button with pride, signifying that every one of us makes a valuable contribution to student success."
For more information, contact Williams at 615-898-2920.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Roll up those sleeves for fall blood drives!
from Staff Reports
Stock up on raisins and get plenty of rest this semester, because MTSU and the American Red Cross need help to end the blood-supply drought.
A record-setting hot, dry summer also helped to dry up the local Red Cross's supplies of blood, leaving it once again at crisis levels and forcing delays in elective surgeries across the community.
To replenish supplies and ensure plenty of help for emergencies communitywide, MTSU students, faculty, staff and friends are being asked to roll up their sleeves for the five blood drives set for fall.
"The students at MTSU really stepped up to the plate last year and made donating blood a priority. I don't know what our region would do without them," said Linda Decker of the Red Cross's Donor Resources Development Office. "I'm looking forward to another great year and have every confidence that we will exceed the totals from last year. ... How lucky we are to have this great campus in our area! Thanks, MTSU!"
The first of the fall 2007 blood drives is set for Tuesday, Sept. 11. Sponsored by the campus chapter of the Association of Secretarial and Clerical Employees, it's scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 322 of the Keathley University Center.
Other blood drive dates are:
• Monday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building (sponsored by the School of Nursing);
• Oct. 10-11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., KUC 322 and 318 (sponsored by the Student Government Association);
• Monday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., CKNB (School of Nursing);
• Tuesday, Nov. 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., KUC 322.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and feeling healthy. They also can't have donated blood in the previous 56 days.
For more information about the blood drives, contact 615-898-2590. Reminders also will be included in The Record as each drive date nears.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Benefits fair offers chance to make changes
from Staff Reports
The annual MTSU Employee Benefits Fair is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Open to all MTSU employees, the event will play host to more than 50 vendors, including health, dental and life insurance; deferred compensation plans such as 401(k) and 403(b); long-term disability and long-term care companies; and more. Several charitable organizations also will be present.
Human Resource Services will assist anyone who wishes to make changes for the 2007 annual enrollment/ transfer period.
The MTSU sick-leave bank also will have a table. There will be refreshments, and employees may register for door prizes but will not need to be present to win.
For more information, please call 615-898-2929.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Tennis program's 2007 Pro-Am dates set Sept. 7-8
from MT Media Relations
MTSU's tennis program has scheduled its 21st Annual Pro-Am Tennis Classic with a special tribute to Dale Short and his 20 years of coaching at the university.
This year's event will be held Sept. 7-8 and will be played at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center next to the Murphy Athletic Complex.
Short announced his retirement in April, and to close out his career, MTSU seniors Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom made history May 28, winning the NCAA Doubles Championship. The win was the program's fourth national title in tennis and its first-ever NCAA Championship.
Activities will begin Friday evening at 6 with a tennis clinic and "Hit with the Pros" session followed by a short exhibition. Dinner, along with a program, will begin about 7:30 p.m. at the Emmett and Rose Kennon Sports Hall of Fame Building, located next to the tennis courts.
The men's and women's doubles tournament will begin Saturday at 8 a.m. and finish around 2 p.m. Lunch and drinks will be provided during the day, and an awards ceremony will conclude the activities.
The Pro-Am will be a doubles tournament format with a back draw. The event will feature area teaching pros along with current and former players as pros. All amateurs will be matched with one of the pros and will play in the doubles tournament, and everyone will be guaranteed five matches.
Besides the fun, there are plenty of prizes, including trips and tennis gear.
All participants will receive a shirt or blouse. All nonparticipants who donate a minimum of $125 will receive the same if unable to attend.
The Pro-Am is the tennis programs' lone annual fundraising event and is even more welcome and necessary this year, organizers said. Recent court resurfacing and upgrades at the Bouldin Tennis Center have depleted most of the program's fundraising dollars.
For more information, please contact men's coach David McNamara at 615-898-2957 or women's coach Alison Ojeda at 615-898-5154. The coaches also can be reached by e-mail at davidmcnamara88@hotmail.com or aojeda@mtsu.edu.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
MTSU offers 'lofty' creative writing experience
from Staff Reports
Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2007 session of The Writer's Loft, a certificate program in creative writing at MTSU that pairs published mentors with aspiring writers to develop their work at their own pace in the convenience of their home or office.
The latest session of The Writer's Loft begins Saturday, Sept. 15.
Part of the university's College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, the 12-month certificate-in-writing program provides students from different generations, lifestyles, geographic locations and schedules with the opportunity to pursue their craft on a customized, individual basis. Aspiring authors from Memphis to Mountain City now have a chance to study writing with the help of a group of dedicated mentors.
"Our mentors are essential to The Writer's Loft's success," said Molly Culbreath, The Writer's Loft's program coordinator. "Mentors and students meet for a day of orientation where the students decide whether to write fiction, memoir, nonfiction, or poetry, and then everyone returns home ... wherever home may be."
"Studying creative writing in a low-residency format is the ideal situation, because writers should be home writing, not sitting in class," said Charlotte Rains Dixon, one of the certificate's mentors and an award-winning writer from Portland, Ore. "A mentor in a low-residency program respects the student's writing on its own terms and exists to guide that writing to excellence."
"Almost every good writer has a mentor at some point in his or her career," added mentor Jason Hunt. "Take Hemingway, for example. Where would he have been without Sherwood Anderson, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald?"
Each mentor works with a maximum of three writers throughout the semester, and the students mail packets of writing to their mentors approximately every four weeks. In turn, the mentors evaluate the work and send the writing back to the students with detailed comments.
"Our mentors work out beautifully," Culbreath said, "because they know how it feels to be creative-writing students who work with mentors.
"Anyone serious about the craft of writing can submit an application," she noted. "Our goal is to help people improve, whether you're 85 years old or just getting out of high school."
Culbreath indicated that some high-school seniors could be eligible to participate.
"Everyone here in The Writer's Loft knows that many high schools have wonderful school newspapers, and if there is a high school senior with some writing experience and a drive to work, we'll take a serious look at his or her application package."
There is no competitive component to the application process, but space is limited. The program has a limited number of mentors and a very low mentor-to-writer ratio. Entering classes are limited in size.
"Those who respond the fastest will have the best chance at getting in," Culbreath said. "And the rest could end up on a waiting list for the next session."
Interested writers may contact Culbreath at 615-898-2179 or e-mail theloft@mtsu.edu. For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/theloft.
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Ride Rover right over to campus--and around town
from Staff Reports
Students, faculty and staff who need to make a quick trip to the Public Square, keep a doctor's appointment or do a little shopping can keep their campus parking place and still run right over, thanks to Rover, Murfreesboro's new public transportation service.
The little lime-green buses with the cartoon dog on the sides and back zoom back and forth around much of the city's downtown, including the MTSU campus, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. All six routes originate at its Burton Street hub (near the county health and motor vehicle departments) and make their rounds every 30 minutes. Drivers are allowed to make unmarked stops directly on the routes and can be flagged down along the routes, officials said.
Rover serves the Memorial Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Northwest Broad Street, Old Fort Parkway, Mercury Boulevard and South Church Street corridors. Route guides and schedules can be picked up on any Rover bus and at Murfreesboro City Hall at 111 W. Vine St., one block off the Public Square.
Adults can ride Rover for $1. Students ages 6 to 16 and seniors ride for 50 cents, and children age 5 and under ride free. Books of tickets are available for purchase at Murfreesboro City Hall. A regular book of 10 tickets is $8, and a book of 10 student and/or senior tickets is $4.
Rover's Highland and Mercury routes serve MTSU directly:
• The Highland Street route stops at the corner of Greenland Drive and New Lascassas Road to pick up passengers and head west onto Highland, looping past Clark Boulevard onto East Northfield and New Lascassas Road to the Greenland stop again.
• The Mercury Boulevard route stops at the corner of Middle Tennessee Boulevard and East Main to pick up MTSU passengers and continues out Main Street to Rutherford Boulevard to the Wal-Mart shopping area and back. It also heads back down Tennessee from MT Boulevard onto Bradyville Pike and loops through Hancock, Castle, Maney, College and Walnut streets to reach the Rover hub.
Rover routes down Memorial to the VA Medical Center, Northwest Broad to Stones River Plaza, Old Fort Parkway to Target and South Church to the Public Square all can be reached from the MTSU routes by a free transfer at the Burton Street hub, officials said.
For more information about Rover 's routes, visit www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/rover/welcome.htm or call 615-21ROVER (615-217-6837).
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The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
People Around Campus:
Rising textbook prices alarm authors, students
by Lisa L. Rollins
Sticker shock is nothing new for college students and parents alike when it comes to tallying textbook purchases.
Recently, however, the federal government has taken an interest in finding out why textbook prices have soared over the past 20 years.
According to a May 2007 study released by The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, a federal committee chartered by Congress, the "first-time, full-time students spent a total of $898 at four-year public colleges and $886 at two-year public colleges on books and supplies in 2003-04."
Couple this information with estimates that college textbook prices have increased at twice the rate of inflation during the past two decades--as well as the fact that, when budgeting and paying college costs, it is the textbook bill that comes last--and it's not hard to understand how such last-minute but necessary expenditures catch college students and their parents off-guard.
Rometrius "Romy" North, a junior advertising major at MTSU, is among those who feels the financial pinch come textbook purchase time.
"Textbook prices are unreasonably high for students trying to get by and get an education," said North, a first-generation college student. "I also think it's ridiculous when some professors insist that you must have a textbook but then it's never cracked open during the semester.
"For me, that experience was a waste of the money I already don't have. I guess ... I would not mind the (book) prices so much if I felt like I got quality use from them, but that doesn't always happen."
The Tennessee Legislature passed a law in June requiring the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Board of Regents systems to formulate policies to help minimize textbook costs. The law mandates that faculty consider the "least costly options" for required course materials and then submit their required textbook and course materials lists early enough to campus bookstores--and to the university's Web site--to let students comparison-shop. State legislators also made sure that campus bookstores must disclose textbook retail prices to faculty before they can finalize orders.
For years, textbook authors have been pinned with a considerable share of the blame for ever-increasing textbook prices, observed Dr. Janet Belsky, a professor of psychology and textbook author several times over. But that couldn't be further from the truth, she said.
"You can't make money from writing textbooks," noted Belsky, whose latest title, the 550-page "Experiencing the Lifespan," was released in December 2006 by Bedford, Freeman & Worth.
"Hour by hour, (writing a text pays the author) less than minimum wage, even for a potentially blockbuster, huge-market book."
Belsky's "Lifespan" garnered a five-star reviewer rating on Amazon.com for its depth, insight and clarity, but she said writing a text is a labor of love, not one undertaken for money, and it's a process that takes years.
New copies of her book currently list for $80.95, and from this price tag, she--and other textbook authors--"basically make about 15 percent of the wholesale price for the book when it's sold new." Belsky estimates she will garner "a few dollars" from the sale of each brand-new book.
As for used copies of "Lifespan" that are sold back to bookstores by students, there is no income to be made for textbook authors.
"When students sell their new book back at the end of the semester or quarter, from then on, the author and publisher get nothing, nada, zip," Belsky said. "Basically, with a book like mine costing $80 new, the used book dealer is going to pocket about $40, $50 or $60--or more--depending on how often the book is sold back and bought again for no investment of time or money, except sitting at that buy-back table.
"And worse yet," she said, "the professors' free books, the complimentary texts they are sent, can even be sold as 'new books,' if the professors choose to sell them, which gives textbook authors nothing and undercuts the publishers because the book is being sold as 'new' at a lower cost."
Although many don't see the hours and years that textbook authors, publishers and review committees devote to making academic texts concise and valuable to would-be learners in a given field, the motivation to undertake writing a textbook is usually rooted in a desire to make a difference, Belsky confirmed.
"I have been teaching developmental psychology to undergraduates for more than two decades--first at Lehman College, and for the past 11 years, here at MTSU," Belsky explained. "(And) I have been writing books in developmental psychology almost continuously all this time ... and in my case, I do it because I have a desire to make a difference.
"My life's passion is to make students think more deeply, to look at the world in a new way, to influence minds and captivate hearts. But also, I'm a knowledge pack rat; I love to learn all I can about a field ... and I'm trying to make a real contribution to my field (of lifespan development)."
Textbook authors and publishers--along with a cast of editors, reference checkers, artists, reviewers and designers, among many other project contributors--join forces, Belsky said, often for years, on the same book project, to create what they hope will "look like a lovely work of art" while providing faculty and students with accompanying study guides, Web sites and other related materials to complement the book and its contents.
For Belsky, the suggestion from some that texts be "farmed out to writing committees to get rid of those so-called greedy publishers and authors" is unfathomable, as is the idea that a professor would instruct his or her students to merely "look this stuff up on the Internet; don't bother buying the book."
Such suggestions make sense, Belsky reasoned, "only if we want to lose the essence of what education is all about--enticing students to love to learn!"
Photo page 8 |
IS THIS IN THE BUDGET?--MTSU junior Romy North flips through the pages of a psychology textbook she will need for the fall semester while visiting Phillips Bookstore.
photo by Andy Heidt |
The Record, Aug 27, 2007, V16.05
Campus Calendar
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Campus Calendar August 27 - September 9
TV Schedule
"Middle Tennessee Record"
Cable Channel 9:
Monday-Sunday-5 p.m.
Visit www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/MTR.html for more airtimes.
Through Sept. 14
Order August 2007 Commencement DVDs
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~phillips/dvd.htm or contact: 615-898-2700.
Monday, Aug. 27
Fall 2007 classes begin.
WEEK OF WELCOME: MTSU Department Fair
Noon, KUC Courtyard
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Grand Opening of Sports Club Complex Fields and Jogging Track
3:30 p.m., East Main Street
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Tuesday, Aug. 28
WEEK OF WELCOME: Meet Murfreesboro
10 a.m.-2 p.m., KUC Courtyard
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Wednesday, Aug. 29
WEEK OF WELCOME: Meet Murfreesboro
10 a.m.-2 p.m., KUC Courtyard
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
WEEK OF WELCOME: Comedian Finesse Mitchell
8 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Thursday, Aug. 30
WEEK OF WELCOME: Blue Raider Bash/Big Fat Blue Raider Bake Off
5:30 p.m., Cummings Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Sept. 1-2
State Championship Cowboy Mounted Shooting
9 a.m. daily, Miller Coliseum
No admission charge
For information, visit www.tncmsa.com.
Saturday, Sept. 1
Blue Raider Football @ Florida Atlantic
3 p.m., Boca Raton, Fla.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Sunday, Sept. 2
"MTSU On the Record: Generation for Creation"
Guest: Monica Johnson
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast at www.mtsunews.com.
Monday, Sept. 3
Labor Day holiday
No classes; university closed.
Tuesday, Sept. 4
WEEK OF WELCOME: Volunteer Fair
10 a.m.-2 p.m., KUC Courtyard
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Sept. 5-9
Eastern U.S. Championships Cowboy Mounted Shooting
9 a.m. daily, Miller Coliseum
For information, visit www.cowboymountedshooting.com.
Wednesday, Sept. 5
WEEK OF WELCOME: Student Organization Fair
10 a.m.-2 p.m., KUC Courtyard
For information, contact: 615-898-2454.
Thursday, Sept. 6
Blue Raider Football @ Louisville
6 p.m., Louisville, Ky. (ESPN2)
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-898-2103.
Sept. 7-8
Volleyball "Blue Raider Bash"
Sept. 7: 1 p.m, MT vs. Northeastern; 7:30 p.m., MT vs. Georgia State
Sept. 8: 1 p.m., MT vs. Texas
Alumni Memorial Gym
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-904-8115.
21st Annual Pro-Am Classic
celebrating retired tennis coach Dale Short
Sept. 7: clinic, "Hit with the Pros" session, dinner, program
Sept. 8: men's and women's doubles tournament
Buck Bouldin Tennis Center
Donation/entry fee: $175
For information, contact: 615-898-2957.
Friday, Sept. 7
First Friday Star Party
6:30 p.m., Wiser-Patten Science Building, Room 102
For information, contact: 615-898-5946.
Friday, Sept. 7
Soccer Classic/Youth Weekend: MT Women's Soccer vs. Tulsa
7 p.m., Blue Raider Field
For information, contact: 615-898-2450.
Guest Piano Duo: Daniel Paul Horn and Alex Djordjevic
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Saturday, Sept. 8
"Art a la Carte 2007"
featuring works by Christie Nuell, Erin Anfinson, Michael Baggarly, Marc J. Barr, Kimberly Dummons, Nora Hibbard, Jarrod Houghton and Guanping Zheng
6-9 p.m., 519-A N. Maney Ave.
For information, contact: 615-898-2506.
Sunday, Sept. 9
"MTSU On the Record: Pop Geers"
Guest: Sarah E. Hickman
7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FM
Podcast at www.mtsunews.com.
Soccer Classic/Youth Weekend: MT Women's Soccer vs. Mississippi State
3:30 p.m., Blue Raider Field
For information, contact: 615-898-2450.
MT Volleyball vs. Missouri State
4 p.m., Alumni Memorial Gym
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com or contact: 615-904-8115.
Tell us about it!
Submit your campus event calendar items (at least three weeks in advance of the event, please) to gfann@mtsu.edu or via fax to 615-898-5714.
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