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PUTTING A FACE ON FACES PROJECT—Dr. Abdul S.
Rao, left, vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate
Studies, learns more about the FACES Project grant program coordinated
by Dr. Maria Smith, professor, nursing during Scholars’ Day.
FACES is a proactive collaborative approach to addressing the nursing
shortage between MTSU and Central Middle School.
photo by Ken Robinson |
President lauds intellectual activity
by Doug Williams
Scholars’ Day activities, which focused on research, scholarship
and public service, is just a reflection of the intellectual activity
that outstanding faculty take into the classroom, said President Sidney
A. McPhee at the Oct. 22 event.
“Today’s event is a reflection of the outstanding activities
and forward movement of our faculty in all areas of research,” McPhee
said to the crowd assembled in the James Union Building Tennessee Room.
“When I came to MTSU just three years ago, research funding at MTSU
was at the $5 to $6 million level.
“It was our goal to double that figure by 2006. At the start of this
year, we had $13 million in research and external funding, and we are
expected to exceed $23 million by the end of the year. We have re-evaluated
our goal for 2006 and expect to have $40 million in external funding.
“Our faculty is on the move. I congratulate Dr. (Abdul) Rao and Dr.
Maria Smith on the wonderful exhibit of scholarly activity on display.”
Faculty, staff and students submitted 126 abstracts, 94 posters and 24
multimedia presentations for display in the Tennessee Room. All university
colleges and many departments and programs were represented, said Dr.
Abdul Rao, vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate
Studies.
“Today is a day of great inspiration,” Rao said. “It is
not just research, but it is a display of the scholarship and creative
activity that is an essential part of any major university. It is important
that everyone appreciates that this effort adds richness to the undergraduate
and graduate education at MTSU.”
Rao added that, above all, it was a day to be collegial and to unreservedly
share the commitment to continue the quest for excellence in research
and graduate education, two of the most critical missions of an institution
of higher learning.
During a luncheon break, Rao delivered a talk titled “The Past, Present
and Future of Scholarship and Graduate Education at MTSU.”
Rao also added a special note of thanks to Smith, professor of nursing
and chair of the Scholars’ Day Committee.
Event organizers plan to expand the event, possibly shifting the location
to Murphy Center, Rao told those in attendance.
IN BRIEF
2005 FRESHMAN SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE WILL BE DEC. 1
New freshmen applying for the fall 2005 semester will have a Dec. 1 deadline
to apply for academic scholarships, MTSU financial aid and admissions
officials said recently.
These will include National Merit Finalist, Chancellor, Presidential,
James M. Buchanan, Academic Service, Provost, Raider and Minority Academic
scholarships. For information, call 615-898-2111, 898-5096 or visit the
financial aid Web site: mtsu.edu/scholarships.
SCRAPBOOK DAY TO BENEFIT CANCER SOCIETY SET NOV. 6
Experienced and new scrapbook enthusiasts are welcome to attend MTSU Scrapbook
Day. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 in Keathley University
Center Room 322. The registration fee will be $15. In this Relay for Life
team fundraiser, a portion of the fees and portion of the Creative Memories
Inc., and Tastefully Simple Gourmet Food Product sales that day will be
donated to the American Cancer Society, event organizers said. For more
information, contact Deborah Roberts (droberts@mtsu.edu) at 615-898-2853
or Bettye Adams (badams@mtsu.edu) at 615-898-5016.
STATE, NATIONAL ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON NOV. 2
State and national elections will be held on Nov. 2, with local polling
places open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Based on turnout from early voting, state election officials anticipate
a possible record number of voters.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Nov. 8 — Newly tenured and promoted faculty reception, 3-4:30 p.m.,
JUB Tennessee Room;
Nov. 12 — MTSU Lady Raider vs. South Florida basketball in Preseason
NIT, 6 p.m., Murphy Center;
Nov. 13 — Fall Preview Day, 11 a.m., Cope Administration Building;
Nov. 13 — MTSU vs. Louisiana-Monroe football, 2 p.m., Floyd Stadium;
Nov. 15 — Human Resource Services new enrollees deadline, 4:30 p.m.
(615-893-2929).
Nov. 19 — MTSU Blue Raiders vs. Lambuth basketball game, 7:30 p.m.,
Murphy Center.
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‘THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT’ —As part
of an initiative by the President’s Commission on the Status
of Women at MTSU, university President Sidney A. McPhee, left, reviews
thank-you letters from Jacob Norberg, Jared Rizva, Jacob Lovangrath
and others not shown — children who are part of the MTSU Day
Care Lab. McPhee also was presented a certificate of appreciation
from Dr. Forrestine Williams, director, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative
Action, and Nancy James, director, day care. Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross,
associate professor, chemistry, and commission chair for 2003-04 and
2004-05, was unable to attend.
photo by J. Intintoli |
What is wine appreciation?
Dr. Tony Johnston is associate professor in the
College of Basic and Applied Sciences’ School of Agribusiness
and Agriscience. |
In popular U.S. culture, wine has a certain snob appeal. It’s something
socialites, the well-to-do and in general, those who think themselves
to be “too good for beer” drink.
For the typical American with limited or no personal wine-related experience,
wine is a daunting subject.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of wines to choose
from at the liquor store—a fact that frequently drives potential
customers away in embarrassed haste. It doesn’t help that advertisers
play up this stereotype with television and print ads featuring polo players
and nicely dressed spectators sharing a glass of the latest fad winery’s
product.
What’s a person to do to learn more about wine? At the very least,
read this column. My aim is to dispel the myriad of wine myths and introduce
the concept of wine “appreciation.” Without a hint of “wine
snobbery,” I’ll be discussing wine and how we may enjoy it for
all its worth.
The first rule of wine appreciation is that every wine may be appreciated
in some form or fashion. Unlike people, all wines are not created equal.
Like people, however, some wines take more time than others to appreciate
them.
Some wines are best served cool, others warm. Some taste good with food;
others don’t. Some wines taste better in certain seasons of the year
and others may be “appreciated” year- round. Wine is first and
foremost a matter of personal preference. If you like a wine, it’s
a good wine.
Bookstores are loaded with cookbooks and wine guides that purport to tell
you what wine to serve with a given meat or dish. Since they tell us different
things, how can they all be right? If some are wrong, how can we tell
the “good” from the “bad”?
Actually, these books are nothing more than recommendations – there
is no right or wrong in wine appreciation. If you like a particular wine
with a particular dish, it’s right. Wine appreciation is liberating.
In future articles, I will explore the world of wine appreciation, including
the factors that affect how we taste wine, how wines are made, what winemakers
do to make wines taste differently, and ways to successfully shop for
wine at retail outlets. Let the fun begin.
Loads of options
Employee Charitable Giving Campaign is in full
swing
by Doug Williams
Volunteers are working around campus to encourage their peers to contribute
to any of hundreds of organizations through the Employee Charitable Giving
Campaign now under way, said Don Craig, dean of the James E. Walker Library
and chair of the campaign.
“‘Imagine the Difference’ is the theme of this campaign,
one which provides MTSU employees with an opportunity to reflect on the
contributions of the many charitable agencies in our communities,”
Craig said. “Through Community Health Charities, Community Shares,
the United Way and six independent charitable organizations, this year’s
campaign enables employees to support one or more of the hundreds of groups
serving our communities.”
Craig said the campaign goal is to raise $50,000 in pledges before the
campaign concludes on Dec. 6. Local organizations receiving support in
the past have included MTSU’s Project HELP (Help Educate Little People),
a 12-month program that provides a classroom environment for developmentally
delayed preschool children from birth to age 3; the Children's Discovery
House; St. Clair Street Senior Center; Special Kids; and the Boy and Girl
Scouts of America.
Diane Sawyer, Murfree Professor of Dyslexic Studies, has been a regular
contributor to the campaign because it is a convenient, easy way to help
others.
“I have regularly supported the MTSU Charitable Giving Campaign because
it affords me the opportunity to support the work of several local non-profit
organizations through payroll deduction,” she said. “It is convenient
and I can be certain that my contribution is allocated to only those organizations
I specifically choose. The payroll deductions relieve me of the responsibility
of remembering to write checks, and it guarantees a fixed level of support
for the organizations I choose.”
Volunteers should have distributed pledge packets to all departments and
everyone is encouraged to support their favorite charity, Craig said.
Anyone not receiving a packet, or who has any questions about the campaign,
is encouraged to contact Craig at 615-898-2772.
As a special incentive to increase participation, a growing list of prizes
is being assembled for a drawing from the names of those who have returned
their pledge forms by Dec. 6. The prizes will include a weekend “getaway”
to Gatlinburg, tickets to the Tennessee Philharmonic Symphony, season
tickets to Blue Raider and Lady Raider basketball, a gift basket from
the Byrn-Roberts Inn and gifts from the Phillips Bookstore.
For more information on the work of the various charitable groups, statements
from coworkers in support of the campaign, and answers to frequently asked
questions, go to the campaign Web site at: ulibnet.mtsu.edu/campaign.
Reflective moment
Retiring chief recalls achievements, frustrations,
future
by Tom Tozer
Drugmand |
MTSU recently gave a collective salute and said good-bye to Jack Drugmand,
director of public safety, who served for 21 years at MTSU. Before that,
he spent five years at Austin Peay State University. The chief's retirement
capped a 36-year career in law enforcement that began with the U.S. Secret
Service.
It’s no secret, however, that much of Drugmand’s newly acquired
spare time will be used to nurture his more sensitive side.
“I started out being an art teacher,” he said. “I’ll
resume my nature art work,” he added, looking around his office at
his collection of painted fish carved out of foam.
When asked about the accomplishments at MTSU of which he is the proudest,
the chief did not hesitate.
"In all these years, I've not had one student die at the hands of
another person on this campus," he said. "And I've not had any
of my officers severely injured with life-threatening injuries over that
period of time. When I look back at that, we've been very successful."
Drugmand added that since 1996, his department received grants totaling
nearly a million dollars, allowing him to hire additional personnel —another
achievement of which he is proud.
“There's only so much available resources, so how do you balance
those funds?” he posed. “Everybody realizes that we need more
security and a safer environment, but just saying that doesn't mean the
dollars will come.” MTSU is an open society with a lot of people
coming in and going out. That makes a crime a reality in this kind of
small-city atmosphere, he noted.
“Policing has changed dramatically over the years. When I started
out, I could do an auto accident investigation on the back of a matchbook
cover — there were no computers. Today, you need computers in the
patrol car.”
Other high-cost factors include state and federal requirements for accountability
and credibility, he said, which have become more stringent through the
years.
Drugmand said he has enjoyed working in the university environment, which
he describes as an investment of labor in society's future.
“We're working with tomorrow’s leaders. Our students will be
tomorrow's mayors, business leaders, the prime movers of society. We have
a unique opportunity to interface with those students. We need to provide
the most professional service that we can, because when they leave this
campus, they should expect that same level of service from their local
police departments,” he said.
Some of his greatest job frustrations have been low salaries and turnover.
The department must strive to be competitive and be a “career agency,”
he said.
“We must train them well and keep them. Consistency is difficult
and probably consumes most of our effort.”
Drugmand said he is sad to leave but also realizes it's time for him and
the university to begin a new chapter.
“You just know when it's time,” he said. “I’ll miss
all the employees. I could have never done this job without every person
who has contributed to this department — and that’s just about
everyone. This is my family.”
The chief advised his successor to come equipped with energy and enthusiasm,
to set goals and continue to promote a student-centered environment. Establish
relationships as soon as possible and make the university your home, he
added.
More public safety education is needed, Drugmand noted, especially in
the areas of relationships and spousal abuse.
“This is one of the last stops for educated people,” he said.
“We see spousal abuse, which starts in very young families. We have
a chance to change that kind of behavior. Each of us is responsible for
homeland security, he emphasized, including watching out for each other,
locking your doors, and other measures.”
In addition to returning to his art, Drugmand said he plans to travel
with “Arlene, my wife and best friend for 36 years” — something
they haven't been able to do until now.
“It’s been a great ride,” Drug- mand said. “It’s
been my pleasure and privilege to serve this institution”
Roy Brewer, assistant chief, will serve as interim chief while the university
conducts a search for Drugmand's replacement.
A search committee, chaired by Dr. David Hays, associate vice president,
student support services, has begun screening applicants this week, with
an optimistic expectation of filling the position by January.
Hayes leaves news and public affairs
by Randy Weiler
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Hayes
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Veteran journalist and The Record editor Angela Cannon Hayes recently
announced her resignation from the university, Doug Williams, director,
MTSU News and Public Affairs, said recently.
“Angela did a great job in her three years as editor of The Record
and oversaw a major redesign of the publication when it went to a four-color
process,” Williams said. “She is a professional in every sense
of the word, and I know all of her colleagues in the Office Of News and
Public Affairs wish her well.”
She joined news and public affairs after sandwiching two stints with the
Daily News Journal, where she was an editor and writer, in between working
five years at Nashville’s WKRN-TV, where she was an associate news
producer.
Hayes graduated from MTSU in 1984 with a B.S. degree from the College
of Mass Communication.
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ADAMS’ ARTWORK—Kentucky native Shelby
Lee Adams will have 54 of his photographs from an exhibit titled “Images
of Appalachia” on display through Dec. 9 at the Baldwin Photographic
Gallery in the Learning Resources Center. Adams has spent more than
30 years chronicling rural life. Gallery hours will be 8 a.m.-4:30
p.m. Monday through Friday, 8-11:45 a.m. Saturdays and 6-9:45 p.m.
Sundays.
photo by Shelby Lee Adams |
Jones |
Pulitzer author Jones promotes literacy
by Lisa L. Rollins
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward P. Jones, as part of a countywide
partnership to promote literacy, will speak at 1 p.m. Nov. 19 in the State
Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU's Business Aerospace Building.
Born and reared in Washington, D.C., Jones won the prestigious 2004 Pulitzer
Prize for fiction for “The Known World” (HarperCollins), a richly
detailed novel set in 1840 that follows Henry Townsend, a black man who,
with the aid of his white former owner, buys his own farm and slaves.
Although Jones, 54, has said that he bought some 40 books on slavery to
research his now award-winning first novel, in the end read only 150 pages
or so before discarding the books, “because they were so old,”
in favor of creating Townsend and Manchester County, his book's fictitious
locale, from his creative mind.
The never-married Jones, who currently resides in Arlington, Va., said
he first conceived the idea for “The Known World” while in college
after learning that some freed slaves, in the years leading up to the
Civil War, became slave owners themselves, repeating the cruel cycle that
oppressed them.
In regard to his image-laden “Known” story, Jones told one reporter
that he “felt sort of licensed to go ahead and write what I wanted
to write. …
“Basically,” he continued, “my feeling is that it's a story
about people. And that's what I sort of stuck with. I don't need any research
for that.”
Described by one writer as “painfully shy” and not”"the
kind of writer who craves attention,” Jones' main character in “Known”
acquires 29 slaves and pledges that his farm will operate under a kinder,
gentler style than that which most slaves knew. After Townsend dies, however,
chaos ensues and his distraught widow, Caldonia, struggles to keep the
plantation up and running.
In addition to his free and open talk at MTSU on Friday, Nov. 19, Jones
also will speak at Murfreesboro's Linebaugh Public Library, 105 W. Vine
St., at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, and at the Patterson Park Community
Center, 521 Mercury Drive, in Murfreesboro at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20.
The son of an illiterate hotel maid and kitchen worker (now deceased)
and a father who left his life when he was about 3, Jones summarized newspaper
stories and columns related to the tax world for nearly 20 years before
getting an added push to pursue his now-acclaimed novel — he was
laid off by employer Tax Analysts.
Thus, Jones has said that thanks to being newly unemployed, the writing
for “Known” ensued rather speedily. At that point in his life,
he had kept the idea for the novel — its story and characters —
in his imagination for at least a decade, but was now free to commit it
to paper.
Before authoring “Known,” Jones — who was educated at Holy
Cross College and the University of Virginia — had penned one acclaimed
collection of short stories, “Lost in the City” (originally
published by William Morrow), in 1992. And while his debut offering brought
him much acclaim and was shortlisted for the National Book Award, it was
“Known,” his follow-up literary offering and his first novel,
that ultimately landed him the National Book Award prize.
In addition to the National Book Award and the 2004 Pulitzer for fiction,
Jones also has won the Pen/Hemingway Award and was a recipient of the
Lannan Foundation Grant. Still, the reclusive author is not one who depends
upon such honors or glowing reviews for writing inspiration. Such high-profile
validation is flattering, he has conceded, but it’s not something
upon which he relies.
In spite of his now-widespread kudos and acclaim, Jones — who reportedly
doesn’t drive and never has owned a car — told one reporter,
“You always start at the bottom when you start something new.”
MTSU's College of Education and Behavioral Science and itsDepart-ment
of Elementary and Special Education faculty will serve as hosts for Jones’
campus visit, which stems from a partnership between the City of Murfreesboro,
Linebaugh Public Library and the college.
Dr. Gloria Bonner, dean of the college, said the “Read to Succeed”
initiative, with its focus on promoting family literacy, was the impetus
for bringing Jones to the local community.
“This is an exciting event and I am very happy to be a part of it,”
remarked Dr. Nancy N. Crews, associate professor, elementary and special
education. “Anything that has to do with promoting reading is a very
worthwhile endeavor.”
For more information regarding MTSU's visit by Jones, please call Crews
at 615-898-5630.
For more information regarding his Nov. 18 appearance at Linebaugh Public
Library, where both of his books will be available for purchase, please
contact the library directly at 615-893-4131.
For more information about the author's Nov. 20 visit to Patterson Park
Community Center, contact the center directly at 615-893-7439.
Clark, Floyd, Wyss, Coop earn top co-op honors
by Kasey Talbott
The Cooperative Education Department held its ninth annual Awards Ceremony
& Alumni Dinner Oct. 29 at the MTSU James Union Building. The event
was designed to celebrate and honor participants in the cooperative education
program during the past academic year.
Dr. Wayne Rollins, cooperative education director, said the dinner is
more than just awards: “It allows us to recognize our employers,
to thank them and explain the important role they play in educating our
students.”
Rollins said that most employers do not understand the impact they have
until they actually attend. “When they come to the ceremony, it is
just different — lights come on. They realize they are also educators
and provide a significant part of quality education.”
This year, the Cooperative Education Department had four separate award
categories. Mike Clark of FedEx Corp., was the recipient of Employer of
the Year. Rollins praised Clark and FedEx for its excellent support since
1990 and for making the award ceremony possible through their sponsorship.
Connie Floyd, secretary of scheduling, was honored in the university category.
Rollins said that because of the crucial role Floyd plays in scheduling
co-op students, she became the first non-professor ever to win the award.
Former co-op student Alan Wyss received the award for Alumni of the Year.
Rollins described Wyss's beginning years as an employee during the dot-com
crash. "He should be admired for his persistence and resistance to
an adversarial work environment," Rollins said.
Amanda Coop rounded out the awards as Student of the Year. Coop, a business
administration major, was praised by Rollins as possessing qualities that
“every employer in every field is looking for.”
Cooperative education is what Rollins calls “a real student-centered
education.” He said he believes that cooperative education offers
a much more enriching experience than an internship due to its multi-semester
format.
The Cooperative Education Department was established in 1982 by Dr. Edwin
Voorhies and has been overseen by Rollins since 1986. For more information
on cooperative education at MTSU, contact Rollins at 615-890-3668 or visit
the Web site at mtsu.edu/~cooped/index.htm.
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HAUNTING TASK–The University
Honors College found itself ready for both Halloweeen and the visit
by the Utah State Aggies football team on Oct. 30-31. Honors staff
decorated various parts of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building,
including the bell tower.
photo by Georgia Dennis
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Kallenberger exhibit shows through Nov. 10 in
Barn Gallery
by Lisa L. Rollins
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QUILT DISPLAY—Klaus Kallenberger’s quilts
remain on display.
photo provided by Klaus Kallenberger |
Klaus Kallenberger, whose best known for his metalsmithing and works
of gold and silver, explores a new medium with “Contemporary Quilts,”
an exhibit rich in design, which is on display now through Nov. 10 in
The Barn Gallery at MTSU.
“Designs not even your Granny woulda thoughta” is how Kallenberger
describes his current exhibit, where he demonstrates his dedication to
the fine art of quilting and applies the lessons of design to his fabric
works.
Kallenberger, who retired from MTSU's art faculty in 2002 after 36 years
of service, says that upon his retirement he found himself with a bit
of spare time on his hands. Hence, in his quest to fill some of his extra
time, he purchased a quilt at a flea market in need of repair.
Instead of hiring someone to oversee the quilt's needed work, however,
the nationally recognized metalsmith artist decided to try his own hand
at the task, with basic quilting suggestions from his wife, Joanne, and
his own research. Thus, from this project, Kallenberger says found himself
designing and constructing his own quilts with intense dedication.
“Contemporary Quilts” officially opened Oct. 21 with a public
reception for the artist in the gallery.
Lon Nuell, curator of the gallery and MTSU art professor, says, “Kallenberger’s
designs are very contemporary, incredibly complex, and very engaging visually
and emotionally. His sense of color, pattern and composition are crisp,
and his attention to detail meticulous. It is these qualities that raise
his work above craft to the level of art.”
Regarding the creation of each of his quilts, Kallenberger—upon completion
of a basic design or schematic—says he makes a full-size mock-up
of the quilt. Next, considerable time is spent in fabric shops looking
for material that will meet his concept, then the work in progress is
taken to the cutting room, where Kallenberger cuts and assembles each
piece.
Finally, when the piece is completed to designer's satisfaction, “it’s
off to one of the extraordinary quilters” with whom he works to finish
the piece, per his instruction.
Admission to exhibits at the Barn Gallery is always free. The gallery
is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except when MTSU is closed
for holidays or because of inclement weather. After-hours tours are available
for groups upon request.
Parking is available in surrounding area lots, but it is recommended that
visitors obtain a free parking permit from MTSU's Parking Services, which
is located just off of Greenland Drive.
For more information, call the gallery directly at 615-898-5653.
Mom paves the way for Helford
by Gina Logue
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Dr. Elyce Helford, students and faculty participate
in the "Gender is My Playground" Poetry Slam in the Alumni
Center.
photo by J. Intintoli
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A television commercial featuring and targeting athletically active women
includes tennis legend Billie Jean King saying, “Thanks for picking
up the torch.” The mother of Dr. Elyce Helford, director of the Women’s
Studies Program, could easily deliver the same message to her daughter.
“My mom has been a real inspiration and a role model in a lot of
ways. My mom is a sociologist who does feminist studies,” says Helford,
a full professor in the Department of English and Women’s Studies
director at MTSU since 2000.
“Mom" is Dr. Helene Lawson, who also heads the Gender Studies
Program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. But she didn’t
obtain her Ph.D. until she was 51. Seeing language in a 1950s college
catalog that informed women over 30 that they need not apply as students
was not only depressing to Lawson, it delayed her academic development.
“I had always worked. But I wanted to publish and to do all sorts
of other things, and I didn’t think women could do that,” says
Lawson, who, reflectively, says she had been a “Stepford wife.”
Progress was still a relative term when Helford was an undergraduate in
1984.
“I remember one of my very favorite professors, a man, taught contemporary
world literature and modernism without a single woman or person of color,”
Helford said.
Helford and Lawson obtained their doctorates in the same year, were hired
in the same year, achieved tenure in the same year, and published books
in the same year. Describing her mother as “not just strong, but
overtly feminist, using the word feminism,” Helford says they have
had some interesting discussions about whether the area of scholarship
they share should be called gender studies or women’s studies.
“Women’s studies is still where MTSU wants to be because we
feel like there’s still plenty of consciousness-raising to be done
among women,” observes Helford.
The program Helford heads is an interdisciplinary minor whose instructors
strive to bring women into the curriculum in disciplines in which they
are deemphasized and to reaffirm their importance in disciplines in which
they are acknowledged. It concentrates not only on prominent women, but
on cultural trends, historical events and social constructions.
If the bromide that “history is written by the winners” is true,
Helford intends to make sure that women winners are not given short shrift.
“Knowing there’s a program called women’s studies tells
you women are important, number one, and two, we have not achieved equality
yet,” says Helford. “I look forward to my son growing up someday,
I hope, in a world in which you don’t need women’s studies.
… The goal of women’s studies is to make itself, someday, extinct.”
Since that’s not likely to happen anytime soon, Helford and the 59
other women’s studies faculty press forward, striving for the creation
of women’s studies courses in all disciplines at MTSU.
In addition, the program sponsors a biennial Women and Power Conference,
is active in National Women’s History Month each March, awards a
tuition scholarship each year to a female student of sophomore rank or
higher, and maintains a nonfiction library stocked with books about women
and feminism in Peck Hall Room 109-B.
Jazz drummer Allen will perform Nov. 4
from Staff Reports
Allen |
Recording artist and renowned jazz drummer Carl Allen will kick off the
MTSU 2004-2005 jazz artist series with the MTSU Jazz Ensemble I and the
MTSU Jazz Faculty Combo at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the music hall of the Wright
Music Building.
In addition, Allen will give a free master class from 3 to 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 3 in Room 101 of MTSU's Saunders Fine Arts Building.
Tickets to the Nov. 4 concert are $12 general admission and may be purchased
at the door. MTSU students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with
proper ID.
For more information, contact Tim Musselman in the music school at MTSU
at 615-898-2493.
Raider Reps provide tours
by Stephanie Hill
Just as they did on Oct. 9 and Oct. 23, MTSU Raider Reps will play a vital
role when 300-plus prospective students and their parents attend Fall
Visit Days Nov. 13.
The Nov. 13 highlight will be the MTSU vs. Louisiana-Monroe football game
at 2 p.m.
“Fall Visit Days give the parents and students an enhanced campus
tour, led by Raider Reps,” Lynn Palmer, director, admissions, said.
Steven Mizell, junior electronic media journalism major, said he enjoys
being a Raider Rep because it provides him with an opportunity to meet
and inform others.
“I enjoy being a Raider Rep due to the fact that I know I am reaching
out to potential incoming students and giving them an inside scoop,”
he said. “I also feel that if those students decide to come to MTSU,
I play a small part in it.”
Similarly, Katie Pittenger, sophomore psychology major, said, “I
like being a Raider Rep because I get a chance to brag about MTSU and
encourage other people to come here … (and let them) see our school
spirit.”
Kris Hawkins, assistant director of admissions, said each group participating
in a visit day is greeted an admissions administrator and are given a
Raider Rep-led tour.
“From the tour point of view, the smaller groups allow the visitors
to communicate better with the Raider Reps and to learn more about campus,”
she said. “Our tour program has worked very hard to keep up with
the growing number of visitors to campus.”
Hawkins added that university housing recently opened four different showrooms
in Wood, Clement, Womack Lane and Scarlett Commons and had housing staff
there to answer questions for those taking the tours.
(Stephanie Hill is a junior political science major from Bartlett, Tenn.)
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FACELIFT NEARS COMPLETION—The former
Todd library is undergoing a major facelift and is due to be completed
by December of 2004.
photo by Ken Robinson |
Todd opening tops construction
by Tom Tozer
If all goes well, renovations to the Todd Building will be complete for
the start of the spring 2005 academic year.
The plumbing and electrical work are 95 percent finished, as is the elevator
shaft at the new north entrance. The masonry and sprinkler system also
are nearing completion. The second-floor office space is in the design
review stage and will soon go out for bid.
In other campus construction, work is substantially complete on the Miller
Club build-out at the north end of the coliseum, and the warm-up ring
enclosure is completed. The paddock fencing and berms (the latter to create
a barrier between the facility and surrounding residents) have been completed
on the Horse Science Building.
Workers have finished the life-safety renovations on the north side of
the Davis Science Building. South-side renovation work will begin in May.
Phase III of the life safety project, which involves work on Wiser-Patten,
will go out for bids later.
The Observatory Plaza in Walnut Grove has been designed and is due to
go out for bid within a month. Also, officials are meeting this month
to go over the design development phase of the Wellness Center addition
to the Recreation Center.
The re-roofing work over the sorority chapter rooms in Corlew Hall is
in the design phase. The sprinkler project for Cummings and Corlew halls
will be bid this December. Work begins in summer.
The Sims and Beasley projects are in warranty, and work on Gracy Hall
is about 50 percent complete. Work on Judd Hall will begin this December,
followed by the Smith Quad project, which will go out for bid in spring
2005. Printing Services will soon be relocating from the basement of Smith
Hall to a new metal modular building where Parking and Transportation
Services used to be in the lot adjacent to the Tennessee Livestock Center.
The life safety work in Rutledge is now in warranty.
The addition to the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building, which, it has been
determined, will extend into the parking area on the north side, is in
the design stage.
MTSU’s Hangar is another project in the design/development stage.
Projects in preliminary planning stages include additional parking, Greek
Row, the demolition and facade work on the St. Mark's building, and the
widening of Tennessee Boulevard, which involves discussions with the city.
Another project in the works is the demolition of the Art Barn.
Completed projects include the horse science addition, KUC renovation
(Multicultural Affairs and International Programs and Service), Paul W.
Martin Sr. Honors Building, Ezell improvements and recording studio, natatorium
and Emmett and Rose Kennon Sports Hall of Fame.
‘Experiential learing’
Quality Enhancement Plan for SACS reaffirmation
utilizes ‘learning by doing’
by Tom Tozer
Sub-committees recently were established to promote “experiential
learning,”at MTSU, a “learning by doing” concept that was
favored by a majority of respondents to a campus-wide survey last spring.
A larger committee, chaired by Dr. Jill Austin, management and marketing
chair, began meeting earlier this year to put flesh on the Quality Enhancement
Plan phase of the SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools)
reaffirmation process. The other two phases, Institutional Effectiveness
(spearheaded by Dr. Janice Leone, professor of history) and Compliance
Audit (led by Dr. Richard Detmer, computer science chair), are already
under way.
Where the latter two aspects of the reaffirmation process involve a great
deal of paperwork, the QEP is an evolving road map that will lead to enhanced
student-centered learning, including implementation and evaluation.
Last spring, marketing students were issued the challenge of creating
a marketing campaign to promote experiential learning. As the result of
a tie vote by faculty and staff, two campaigns were selected and have
since been combined under the banner "EXL—Don't Just Learn It!
Experience It!
“I'm the type of person who has to learn through experience,”
commented senior Angie Christman, a winning team member. Christman, who
started out as a psychology major and will graduate this December with
a major in recording industry, said the campaign itself was an example
of experiential learning.
“I liked this project because we all worked together,” she said.
“It was good experience—something I can use in the future.”
Christman’s team’s original campaign banner was “Don’t
Just Learn It … Experience It!”
Spring 2004 graduate Amanda George came up with the slogan for the other
winning campaign—”See It … Do It … eXL at MTSU.”
For the campaign kickoff, her team envisioned T-shirts, key chains and
a barbecue in the courtyard.
“I was very excited about doing the promotion,” George said.
“I enjoy the creative side of advertising.” George is employed
at Dell in marketing and sales, but hopes to find a creative position
in advertising.
With a new theme and logo to tout experiential learning, the sub-committees
will explore the possibilities of constructing an Experiential Learning
Scholar Program, which will entail customizing a certification program
with a general set of requirements. It will involve partnerships with
several departments and buy-in by the entire university. While some departments
already do experiential learning in some form, there will be a more deliberate
effort to recognize not only those programs but develop new ones.
“The president likes the idea and thinks we should pursue it,”
Austin said. “It will involve all three major goals of the Academic
Master Plan—academic quality, partnerships and student-centered learning—with
an emphasis on the latter.”
The QEP committee will work through the sub-committees to begin to shape
the QEP plan into a written narrative. Later on, an on-site SACS committee
will review the focus of the plan—how it was created, then implemented—how
the plan was monitored and measures—and how well the project involved
both the internal and external MTSU communities.
Sub-committees will report their progress to the larger QEP committee
in December and present final reports in early March of 2005. Later in
March, there will be a campus-wide review and discussion of the plan.
The official QEP plan is due to SACS in the spring of 2006, six weeks
before the SACS On-Site Peer Review. SACS will conduct a reaffirmation
review in the fall of that year.
Finally, in 2011, there will be an Impact Report due to SACS that will
demonstrate how the QEP (experiential learning) has affected student learning.
PASSIONATE ABOUT HOBBY —David Senior is dwarfed by his 7-foot-plus
wooden nutcrackers.
photo by J. Intintoli |
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He’s nutty about nutcrackers
ITD’s Senior spreads holiday cheer with
hobby
by Doug Williams
David Senior likes to make nutcrackers. The quaint little figures that
can be traced to the 1700s in eastern Germany, where tiny soldiers, kings
and other figures of authority were given to children as presents at Christmas.
Senior has a collection of 200 nutcrackers, but his new passion is making
them and ones he makes are neither quaint nor little. Senior generally
doesn’t name his nutcrackers although his first one was named for
his father, Edgar Senior, who is a retired Navy admiral. His latest creation
is a 7-foot tall replica of an MTSU football player.
“A couple of years ago I wanted to make something different and it
was Christmas time so I made a life-sized nutcracker,” Senior said.
"Then this fall I wanted to do something to help promote the football
season. I don’t have any formal training; I just start with an idea
then begin working."
His MTSU creation wears home jersey #19, is just a shade over 6 feet tall
and could easily weigh more than 130 pounds. No. 19 has a wooden skeleton
sheet metal “skin” and authentic pants, shoes and helmet.
In his day job, Senior is assistant director of MTSU Telecommunication
Services and has played a major role in installing, repairing and upgrading
telephone service and equipment to campus offices.
Senior was born in Massachusetts, but, like many military families, his
traveled to many ports of call, including Europe and South America. He
spent much of his life growing up in Venezuela.
In his job, Senior likely knows almost every inch of the MTSU campus above
and below ground. He has spent the better part of the last 10 years working
on campus and got his start at MTSU as a student worker.
“I came to MTSU as a student, was married and worked for several
departments to support myself and my family,” he said. “I worked
for housing and I think I got a Ph.D in painting. I think I painted every
resident hall on campus. I got a job as a student working for Southeastern
Telecom when they were installing the telephone infrastructure in the
1980s.
“I eventually got a business degree, then a master’s degree
and have been with the telecommunications system for 10 years. I have
worked, studied and spent many years of my life on campus. I love MTSU.”
Senior also loves the holiday season and each year erects a special display
at his house on Liberty Court. He also performs as a “living”nutcracker
at local schools and events.
“I like to dress up in a complete Santa Claus outfit and visit schools
and give out candy,”he said. “The young kids really enjoy it.
I also like to ride my motorcycle around town and see the reaction on
people’s faces while I am dressed as Santa. Hopefully, it helps spread
the Christmas cheer.”
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