MTSU News Summary for February 2002
The following is a summary of major news activities at MTSU divided into National, Metropolitan, and Local, and further broken down as follows: Administrative, Athletics, Basic and Applied Sciences, Business, Education and Behavioral Science, Liberal Arts, Mass Communication, and Student Affairs.
The last category is General Interest and may include a broad spectrum of programs and people, encompassing such areas as alumni, public safety, graduate programs, human interest, special celebrations, concerts, etc.NATIONAL NEWS

Business
Dr. Richard Hannah, economics and finance, told BusinessWeek that the Enron failure points up the need for investors to ask who are controlling their pension funds and whether they are acting in the investors' interest.
The Toledo Blade interviewed Dr. Tom Tang, management, on Enron-related issues and chief executive officers' pay.
Liberal Arts
Jeff Coffin, a member of the Grammy Award-winning group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones,
held free workshops as part of MTSU's second annual Saxophone Festival, noted the University Wire.
Page Two (National, Liberal Arts, cont'd.)
Dr. Ted Sherman, English, spoke with the New York Times about fantasy themes in fashion and the culture at large.
Dr. Ronald Aday, sociology and anthropology, told the Hartford Courant that most older criminals snap under the stress of untenable domestic situations.
Student Affairs
The University Wire reported that MTSU students have a diverse group of summer "study abroad" programs from which to choose this year.

General Interest
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was the keynote speaker for MTSU's African-American History Month celebration, reported the University Wire.
The Campus Freethought Alliance at MTSU celebrated its first "Darwin Day" in honor of Charles Darwin's birthday, according to the University Wire.
The Irish Times listed www.mtsu.edu/chopper/mother.html as a Web site to visit if you want "a variety of advice and anecdotes from people who have 'survived' college."
The University Wire reports that Dr. Ed Kimbrell, journalism, has recommended that the Faculty Senate consider a campuswide policy to discourage students from leaving their cell phones on in class.


METROPOLITAN NEWS
Administration
MTSU President Sidney McPhee told WMOT-FM that Boots Donnelly's comprehensive plan for athletics made him stand out from the other candidates who applied for the athletic director's position.
Athletics
MTSU Athletic Director Boots Donnelly told the Chattanooga Times-Free Press that diplomas for MTSU graduates are more valuable now that the school has moved from Division I-AA to Division I-A in NCAA football.
Basic and Applied Sciences
MTSU will offer several screenings, including body fat, vision, glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, sickle cell and bone marrow at a community health education and promotion fair, according to The Tennessean.
Twelve different chartered breeds of cattle will be exhibited at the 14th annual Tennessee Beef Agribition at MTSU, according to The Tennessean.
The Tennessean noted that nearly 300 middle and high school students will compete in the annual regional Science Olympiad at MTSU.
Franklin High School and Portland Middle School were among the winners at the Science Olympiad, according to The Tennessean.
Page Three (Metro, Basic and Applied Sciences, cont'd.)

The Tennessean reported that about 300 high school science students attended Demomania!, an MTSU Chemistry Club event to demonstrate scientific phenomena.
The Tennessean printed photos of MTSU Chemistry Club members performing science experiments for high school students at Demomania!.

Business
The Tennessean reported that a study by Dr. Timothy Graeff, director, MTSU's Office of Consumer Research, shows that consumers in Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties are only mildly optimistic about the economic future.
In a guest column in The Tennessean, Dr. Susan Harmon, assistant professor, management and marketing, commented on the bankruptcy filing by the Kmart chain of discount stores.
WMOT-FM reported that Jennings A. Jones, for whom MTSU's College of Business is named, will be honored by the American Planning Association.
Dr. Jackie Gilbert, management and marketing, was interviewed by Tennessee Radio Network about the impact of birth order on who will be more likely to be good workers.
Dr. Bill Ford, Weatherford Chair of Finance, told The Tennessean that a national economic turnaround will help alleviate the state's budget shortfall.
Education and Behavioral Science
Dr. Doug Winborn, HPERS, told WMOT-FM that a smoker's chances of quitting will be enhanced greatly if he or she follows a plan.
WSMV-TV highlighted the dramatic turnaround in Travis Bugg, a child who is being assisted by the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia at MTSU.

Liberal Arts
Jennie Grace Walker Ragland has donated approximately 1,000 of her late husband's Civil War books to MTSU's library, reported The Tennessean.
Dr. Raphael Bundage, music, commented on the enduring popularity of Ludwig von Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for The Tennessean's Sunday "Life" section.
Dr. Pat Nation, sociology and anthropology, told WMOT-FM that all terrorists want an arena in which to perform.
Dr. Nancy Kelker, art, told WMOT-FM that ethnicity is not the theme of the exhibit titled "El Grupo Tejano," which is on display at the MTSU Art Barn Gallery.
WMOT-FM interviewed jazz chanteuse Ernestine Anderson, who performed at MTSU as part of the Jazz Artist series.
WMOT-FM also interviewed African jazz bandleader Toby Foyeh, who performed with his group, Orchestra Africa, at MTSU as part of the celebration of African-American History Month.
The Tennessean noted that MTSU's Center for Historic Preservation is one of the co-sponsors of "Good Design, Historic Preservation and Economic Vitality: Can They Meet on Main Street?," a seminar by Charles A. Birnbaum, coordinator of the National Park Service Historic Landscape Initiative.
Page Four
Mass Communication
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Acel Moore will lead a panel discussion at MTSU on race in America's newsrooms, according to The Tennessean.
WMOT-FM aired commentaries by Dr. Larry Burriss, acting dean, on media coverage of the Enron scandal and imprecise language by reporters.

Student Affairs
The Tennessean profiled MTSU student Victoria Smith, who spent two summers in Africa as a teaching assistant for the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State.
General Interest
The recording group Virtue is among the artists scheduled to perform at MTSU's third annual Gospel Extravaganza, noted The Tennessean.
WLAC-AM interviewed Dr. Carol Bader, chair, developmental studies, on the subject of plagiarism.
Kim Sanderson, manager, construction/renovation services, told the Nashville Business Journal that the upfront cost of the new generation of moveable walls can be recouped through money saved on repainting and recarpeting.
Crimestoppers in Murfreesboro is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a shooting at MTSU's Kappa Alpha house, reported The Tennessean.
Twenty students have completed a six-week, noncredit class offered by MTSU's Leadership and Management Institute to improve leadership skills for students with disabilities, noted The Tennessean.
WMOT-FM interviewed African-American History Month Committee members J. Steven Barnes, alumni relations, Mary Glass, business office, and student Brad Redmond about A.A.H.M. activities at MTSU.
WMOT-FM interviewed Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross, chemistry, and Dr. Amy Jetton, biology, about Women's History Month activities at MTSU.
A lecture by Holocaust survivor Nechama Tec kicks off MTSU's fifth annual Holocaust Studies Conference, reported The Tennessean.
An editorial in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press noted that the number of freshmen expected to enroll in Tennessee colleges and universities in the next 10 years is equal to the current total enrollment at MTSU.
Beginning this year, MTSU is offering students a chance to finish prerequisite classes for a master's degree in business administration in one summer, according to The Tennessean.
Horace Johns' column in Nashville Westview points out that the state of Tennessee contributed $4,773 per student last year to MTSU.

Page Five
LOCAL NEWSAdministration
Columbia State Community College President Dr. Rebecca Hawkins says MTSU has joined with Trevecca Nazarene University and Tennessee State University to bring a bachelor's degree program to the CSCC campus, according to the Columbia Daily Herald.
Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning told the state Senate Education Committee that agriculture programs at state-supported colleges and universities, including MTSU, might have become larger than necessary, reported the Cookeville Herald-Citizen, the Johnson City Press and the Elizabethton Star.
DNJ columnist Greg Pogue opined that MTSU President Sidney McPhee "has already proven that he's in charge of the university. Recent hirings and transfers among prominent positions on campus should halt any discussion to the contrary."
In a letter to the DNJ, third-grade teachers at The Lascassas School thanked McPhee, men's basketball coach Randy Wiel, football coach Andy McCollum and John Harris, director, disabled student services, for reading to students during National Children's Book Week and American Education Week.
The DNJ printed a photo of McPhee at the annual Railbird Luncheon.
SunTrust Bank in Murfreesboro named McPhee to its board of directors, noted the DNJ.
The DNJ reported that Dr. Robert Eaker is serving as interim executive vice president and provost while a nationwide search to fill the position is being conducted.
Lynn Palmer, director, admissions, says prospective students applying for MTSU scholarships must have their applications, test scores, and high school transcripts postmarked by Mar. 1, reported the Wayne County News.

Basic and Applied Sciences
The DNJ Business Pulse called the Tennessee Livestock Center "a hidden treasure on MTSU's campus."
Dr. Padgett Kelly, biology, will discuss the extinction rate of species as part of the MTSU Honors Lecture Series, according to the DNJ and the Dickson Herald.
Judy Campbell, nursing, said senior citizens can receive information about all kinds of health risks and undergo screenings at the St. Clair Street Senior Center Health Fair, noted the DNJ.
Dr. David Whitaker, director, agribusiness and agriscience, said horse judges will renew their skills in assessing dress codes, gaits and lameness at a horse judging clinic sponsored by the National Walking Horse Association, reported the DNJ.
Demomania!, the MTSU Chemistry Club's outreach program for students from area high schools, will feature club members performing scientific demonstrations, noted the DNJ.
The DNJ covered Demonania! and printed a photo of a high school student using his scientific knowledge to make ice cream at the event.
Nearly 800 high school students will vie for honors in the annual Health Occupations Students of America regional competition at MTSU, reported the Lebanon Democrat.Page Six (Local, Basic and Applied Sciences, cont'd.)
Twelve different chartered breeds of cattle will be exhibited at the 14th annual Tennessee Beef Agribition at MTSU, according to the Union City Daily Messenger, the Lexington Progress, the Celina Citizen-Statesman, the Lafollette Press, the Jefferson City Standard-Bearer, the Lewisburg Tribune, the Ripley Enterprise, the Rogersville Review, the Newport Plain Talk, the Dyersburg State Gazette and the Lawrenceburg Democrat-Union.
MTSU's annual Community Health Education and Promotion Fair offers booths on infectious diseases, mental health, drugs, alcohol, and cholesterol, among other issues, according to the DNJ, the Shelbyville Times-Gazette and the Lebanon Democrat.

Business
Dr. Timothy Graeff, director, MTSU Office of Consumer Research, told the DNJ that consumer confidence in Middle Tennessee declined in November 2001 mostly due to a decrease in the purchasing index.
MTSU provides Murfreesboro's Pillsbury plant with a pool of talent entering the baking industry, according to the DNJ.
The DNJ noted that Dr. Jackie Gilbert, management and marketing, held a videoconferencing event about how birth order can influence a person's future employment.
R. Glenn Hubbard, chairman, Council of Economic Advisers for the Bush Administration, will deliver the luncheon address at the 10th annual MTSU Financial Industry Outlook Conference, reported the DNJ.
Officials with MTSU's Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame are seeking nominations for the 2002 inductees, according to the DNJ.

Education and Behavioral Science
The Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia is planning 26 workshops in 14 areas across Tennessee, according to the Tullahoma News.
Janet Camp, supervisor of educational programs at the center, told the DNJ that dyslexia is so embarassing to many adults that some of them even refuse promotions because of it.
Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean, handed out $3,000 in scholarship money at the seventh annual African-American Athletic and Scholarship Banquet in McMinnville, reported the Southern Standard.

Liberal Arts
The artwork of Dr. Jerden Johnson, psychology, was displayed at "Ebony Imagery IX: Black Artists of Tennessee" at the Oak Ridge Art Center and Museum of Fine Art, reported The Oak Ridger.
Dr. Kristine McCusker, history, spoke about "Women on the Homefront During World War II" in conjunction with the display in McMinn County of a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution, according to the Athens Post-Athenian.
McCusker will give a lecture on "Authenticating America: Lily May Ledford and the King of England" as part of the "Music at Mid-Week" brown bag lunch series, reported the DNJ.
Dana Landry, music, played the piano with a jazz combo as part of "A Tribute to Jazz," a concert to benefit the Boys and Girls Club in Pulaski, noted the Pulaski Citizen.
Page Seven (Local, Liberal Arts, cont'd.)
"El Grupo Tejano," the first-ever show in Middle Tennessee by contemporary American artists of Mexican descent, is on display at the MTSU Art Barn Gallery, according to the Tullahoma News and the DNJ.
Dr. Mark Byrnes, political science, says such local offices as county executive, county clerk, sheriff, register of deeds, Circuit Court clerk and trustee are all mandated by the Tennessee Constitution, reported the DNJ.
Dr. Adonijah Bakari, history, told stories based on African culture at a Murfreesboro seniors center to celebrate African-American History Month, according to the DNJ.
In Clarksville, Bakari delivered an address about aspects of African culture that have carried over into contemporary life, noted the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.
The Murfreesboro Sun noted that MTSU joined forces with the Murfreesboro Little Theatre for a production of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
The DNJ reported that the Middle Tennessee Choral Society concludes its master works season in a joint concert with the MTSU Concert Chorale.
Dr. Ron Messier, history, will discuss his experiences as a visitor to the Middle East at a meeting of the League of Women Voters, noted the DNJ.
A string of free concerts will highlight MTSU's 2002 Guitar Festival, according to the DNJ.
The DNJ reported that the Stones River Chamber Players, an ensemble-in-residence at MTSU, will play Maurice Ravel's piano duets based on "Mother Goose" nursery rhymes.
The Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society gave WMOT-FM a check for $1500 during a recent fundraiser, reported the Murfreesboro Sun.
The Middle Tennessee Times printed a photo of the presentation of that $1500 check to WMOT-FM.
Jazz vocalist Ernestine Anderson will appear at MTSU's Tucker Theatre on Valentine's Day, according to the Murfreesboro Sun.
MTSU's second annual Saxophone Festival features Jeff Coffin of the Grammy Award-winning group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, noted the DNJ.
The Murfreesboro Sun reported that "students of various ages and levels of skills were in attendance …" at the saxophone festival.
Representatives of MTSU's Albert Gore Research Center are involved in an oral history project to collect information about a Murfreesboro school, reported the DNJ.
The MTSU Concert Chorale and the Middle Tennessee Choral Society will join forces for performances of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," according to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.
The DNJ printed a photo of the Murfreesboro Kantorei, comprised of singers from Riverdale and Oakland high schools and MTSU, rehearsing for a performance of Faure's "Requiem" and "Messe Basse."
Singers from 14 states will be featured in the Orpheus Vocal Competition sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Choral Society at MTSU, noted the DNJ.
Dr. Jackie Eller, sociology and anthropology, lectured on the problems and challenges facing women in Kenya, reported the DNJ.
Some 30 speech and theater majors and arts enthusiasts will perform three or four professional-level plays in MTSU's "24-Hour Theatre," according to the DNJ.

Page Eight
Mass Communication
Wendell "Sonny" Rawls, a former reporter for "The Tennessean," is the new advisor for the student-run "Sidelines" newspaper at MTSU, reported the DNJ and the Franklin Review-Appeal.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Acel Moore will lead a panel discussion at MTSU on race in America's newsrooms, according to the DNJ and the Lebanon Democrat.

Student Affairs
The Milan Mirror-Exchange and the Humboldt Courier Chronicle noted that MTSU senior Jared Crawley recently earned his commercial pilot's license with a multi-engine rating.
Kenny Stone and Crystal Hicks are among the 20 MTSU students participating in the America Reads work-study program for elementary school children, according to the DNJ.
Adam Beard, Barry Myer, and Trevor Higgins, all recording industry majors at MTSU, play jazz at a Murfreesboro club called Backcountry Gig, reported the Murfreesboro Sun.
MTSU student Cindy Cook is vying for a position on the Rutherford County School Board, according to the DNJ and the Rutherford Courier.
Members of Beta Theta Pi and Delta Zeta spent a day with elderly residents of a residential care center in Murfreesboro, reported the Murfreesboro Sun.
The DNJ printed photos of MTSU sutdents Steven Finley and Brian Coggins entertaining residents of the center.
The DNJ profiled MTSU student Trey Randolph, who overcame retinoblastoma, a rare form of retinal cancer.

General Interest
Former state Senator and 2002 Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Andy Womack will headline the Spring 2002 Honors College Lecture Series at MTSU, reported the Columbia Daily Herald.
U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon (D-Murfreesboro) says he's backing legislation to keep private lenders in the federal government's student loan program because he's concerned that the cost of a college education will become too expensive for MTSU students, according to the Lewisburg Tribune.
Former professional boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who served 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, will speak at MTSU, reported the Lewisburg Tribune and the DNJ.
Carter told an audience at MTSU to "keep fighting … because if you give up, you are giving up on yourself," according to the DNJ and the Shelbyville Times-Gazette.
Six "unsung heroes" will be feted at MTSU's annual Unity Luncheon, according to the Lewisburg Tribune.
The DNJ covered that luncheon.
Editor Mike Pirtle and his wife took ballroom dancing lessons through MTSU's Continuing Education Department, according to the DNJ.
The recording group Virtue is among the artists scheduled to perform at MTSU's third annual Gospel Extravaganza, noted the DNJ and the Columbia Daily Herald.
The DNJ printed a photo of Virtue.Page Nine (Local, General Interest, cont'd.)
The Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau's survey of people who requested information from that organization indicated that 18.5% of respondents are aware of MTSU and 6.94% had visited the university, according to the DNJ.
Former MTSU physician Dr. Jerry Slay, who was charged with obtaining prescription drugs by fraud and D-U-I, has been granted diversion, reported the DNJ.
Fred Sweeton, a member of Tennesseans for Fair Taxation, studied 11 polls, including the MT Poll, and found that Tennesseans' support for tax reform goes up dramatically when they are shown the whole picture, according to the Greeneville Sun.
Crimestoppers in Murfreesboro is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a shooting at MTSU's Kappa Alpha house, reported the DNJ.
The honorees at this year's Black Alumni Achievement Awards banquet were profiled in the DNJ and the Tullahoma News.
The DNJ also covered that banquet.
Respecting religious diversity was the focus of a videoconferencing panel for high school students at MTSU, reported the DNJ.
Holocaust survivor Nechama Tec will be one of the speakers at MTSU's fifth biannual Holocaust Studies Conference, according to the DNJ.
Drs. Judith Iriarte-Gross, chemistry, Amy Jetton, biology, and Lisa Pruitt, director, Albert Gore Research Center, were interviewed on WGNS-AM about Women's History Month activities at MTSU.
WGNS-AM interviewed African-American History Month Committee members Ralph Metcalf, director, multicultural studies, Mimi Thomas, student programming, and Mary Glass, business office, about A.A.H.M. activities at MTSU.
Ensemble Harena performed gagaku, an ancient form of Japanese music, in a concert sponsored by the Japan-U.S. Program of MTSU, reported the Murfreesboro Sun.
Twenty students have completed a six-week, noncredit class offered by MTSU's Leadership and Management Institute to improve leadership skills for students with disabilities, noted the DNJ.
A DNJ editorial highlighted a weekend's worth of activities at MTSU to point out the diversity of events available on campus.
Several MTSU departments are sponsoring a Native American Festival and Powwow at the Tennessee Livestock Center with proceeds going to a scholarship fund for Native American students, according to the Murfreesboro Sun.
MTSU recently received a $300,000 grant from the March of Dimes to help women across Tennessee stop smoking, reported The Tennessean.
Spring semester enrollment at MTSU reached a record 18,771, reported the DNJ and the Franklin Review-Appeal.
Gubernatorial candidate Phil Bredesen addressed MTSU political science students, saying educational and economic issues are inextricably linked, reported the DNJ.