by Tom Tozer
Communities know that universities bring vitality and economic stability through employment, retail sales, commercial and residential uses and their support of cultural and social events. College towns attract employers and a diverse workforce.
According to a study conducted by the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU during fiscal year 2003, the university contributed more than $680 million in business revenue, provided 9,176 jobs and generated $343 million in personal income to the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
No doubt those numbers have increased over the last few years, and with a current fall enrollment surpassing 23,000 students, the benefits of all that a vibrant university offers trickle down into every aspect of living.
With nearly 2 percent growth every year, however, there comes the need for the campus to expand. Neighborhood residents are sometimes distrustful, even fearful, of an ever-growing institution like MTSU because of its need to add new buildings and parking lots.
Likewise, MTSU faces the challenge of planning that growth and being sensitive to neighbors' concerns and quality of life. While not every plan for campus expansion pleases everyone, campus planning staff and university administrators are making every effort to respond to residents' concerns.
In addition to open forums on campus that welcome neighbors to discuss the issues, The Record, the official publication of the university, signifies our intention of keeping the lines of communication open with our friends and neighbors.
This issue is the first of three in 2008 that we will send to university neighbors. In each, we will provide up-to-date information on campus construction and expansion. We hope you'll enjoy the other stories as well; our students provide several Record stories throughout the year, a fact of which we are quite proud.
The Campus Master Plan, which is to be presented to the State Building Commission on Thursday, Feb. 14, is a response to the university's Academic Master Plan. The physical plan, as reflected in the future-oriented map of campus seen below, supports the academic goals of the university and provides a framework for future additions and modifications to accommodate the enrollment growth and the educational needs of our students. In particular, the Campus Master Plan helped to define the requirements for a new science building and a new education building for the College of Education and Behavioral Science. Along with buildings, the plan summarizes utility and infrastructure work needed to keep pace with campus development.
While these two buildings are essential for MTSU's growth, they will not solve all of the university's shortage of space. Right now, MTSU has significantly less space per student than all other institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents. There currently are 84.54 net square feet per student at MTSU; other TBR schools average 114.53 net square feet per student. With a target total headcount of 27,000 students, MTSU will still need to construct 1.6 million gross square feet of nonresidential space to accommodate enrollment growth and be on par with its sister TBR schools. Rather than growing for growth's sake, however, MTSU's current and future physical expansion is the result of a carefully designed plan to catch up to current and future demands.
New buildings, additional parking lots, upgraded and expanding infrastructure--all are necessities to accommodate the educational needs of our students so that they will graduate and become contributing, successful citizens.
MTSU, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the state, continues to attract many of the best and brightest students from Tennessee and around the nation. We must provide them with the finest learning environment and facilities possible.
Construction forging ahead across campus
Construction on the MTSU campus has become part of the landscape, literally and figuratively speaking.
While sometimes inconvenient, noisy and dusty, the various projects around campus indicate that the university continues to attract many of the state's best and brightest students--and MTSU must accommodate their educational needs. In addition to the Campus Master Plan, much of which is future-oriented, there are several projects currently under way.
Work on the baseball stadium upgrade is gradually moving toward the target completion date of June. The concrete work on the dugouts is complete, along with the rough-in mechanical, electrical and plumbing.
The interior framing in Lyon Hall along Middle Tennessee Boulevard is nearly complete. Renovation of apartments DEF and GHI in the Womack Lane Apartment complex should be coming to an end, and occupants should move in around June 1.
The addition of the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Facility to the current Recreation Center should be completed by June. Sprinkler systems have been installed, the roof is finished and tile is being installed in the existing lobby.
The new observatory east of the Cope Administration Building is scheduled for completion in late February.
Completed projects include Wiser-Patten/JUB Life Safety; the Mass Communication Mix Room; the new HVAC system, elevator and unisex handicapped-accessible restroom in Peck Hall; the re-roofing of Judd, Gracy and Smith halls; and the fire-alarm upgrades in Peck Hall and Keathley University Center.
Projects in design are the new science building, university center and education building.
Alumna Wright pledges $1.25M to endow new professorship
from Staff Reports
Scholarships serve individual students, while a professorship in a particular discipline can influence generations of students. That's one major reason MTSU alumna Pam Wright (B.S. '73) decided to establish an endowed professorship in entrepreneurship in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at the university she loves and has served for many years.
"I felt it met what I wanted to achieve," explained Wright, founder of Wright Travel, "which was a broader concept of what will serve as an opportunity to promote growth with entrepreneurship in middle Tennessee and beyond. The middle Tennessee community has been extremely beneficial to me, and the spirit here has greatly contributed toward my company's success."
The $1.25 million pledge, paid over a period of five years, will provide funding for the endowed chair and will allow university officials to launch a search for the position and begin chair activities. The first installment has been completed.
"An endowed chair typically represents the best in their field," noted Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations. "Pam has helped us establish the first chair of this type, and we are eternally grateful to her."
Wright opened her doors for business in 1981. The largest travel agency in Tennessee now employs 70 people and, in addition to Tennessee, operates offices in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and Utah.
"I wanted not only to be just an alumna but a business connection to this community," she said. "The university has been fabulous in allowing me the opportunity to participate and contribute through board and committee involvement."
Wright has served on the MTSU Foundation Board and the College of Business Advisory Board. In 2002, she was among the first group to receive the Exemplar Award, which is presented to alumni who have served as models for students of achievement in business and industry.
Wright said she had been thinking for a few years about how she might contribute to the university.
"I met with Jim Burton [business dean] a while back, and he promoted involvement between business and the university," she said. "In addition, whenever I was at a board meeting or an event and heard Dr. [Sidney A.] McPhee talk ... he creates a lot of motivation to do something to contribute to the university."
"There is always a need for scholarships to support our students," Burton commented, "but given the shortage of faculty in the business disciplines, one of the issues that we have is attracting and retaining the highest quality faculty. This endowed chair will enable us to do that. This person will hopefully be an outstanding teacher, researcher and publisher and will provide leadership in entrepreneurship and continue to build that program on the basis of what our excellent faculty is already doing."
Burton noted that the curriculum for the entrepreneurship program at MTSU originally was a joint venture between the Departments of Management and Marketing and Business Communication and Entrepreneurship. The dean also alluded to a report recently released by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce that touts entrepreneurship as a driving force for creating jobs in the region. Rather than being an alternative to not finding steady work, he said, entrepreneurship has become a deliberate choice for students who want to be their own bosses.
McPhee said he views the endowed chair in the context of the university's goals in the Academic Master Plan.
"A gift such as this is a rare gem because an endowed professorship of this kind brings together the three major goals of the university: enabling us to be even more student-centered in the discipline of entrepreneurship, enhancing our academic quality and demonstrating the power of partnership between business and education," he said. "We are grateful to Pam Wright, whose success as a person and a businesswoman will serve as an example to thousands of students in years to come."
Burton was quick to point out that the endowed chair was the product of a team effort. "I'm extraordinarily grateful to Pam, for her generosity and vision and her sitting down with Joe [Bales] and working through the issues to bring this to fruition. Joe was very influential in making this happen, and his role should not be underplayed."
Wright said her motivation to launch her own business came from a very strong work ethic, good parenting and her sense that there was a need for this kind of business. She said she encourages students to explore entrepreneurship but cautioned that it is a lifelong commitment.
"People can make choices to change careers--that's much easier to do when you haven't made a commitment to own your own company. It's a big decision. Plan on spending a lot of time and putting in a lot of work."
Dr. Robert Lahm is seeking "Campus Partners"--faculty, administrators and campus groups--to participate in MTSU's "Entrepreneurship Week" activities Feb. 23-March 1. For more information, please visit: http://mtsu.edu/~eweek
Everything's coming up roses
FLOWER FOCUS--A successful plant biotechnology project brings MTSU's "mini-rose team" together to discuss their new creations and the original rose bush that provided the clippings. Team members are, from left, Bhawana Bhawana, professional science master's candidate; Dr. Bruce Cahoon, assistant biology professor; Nadiar Yakob, first-year grad student; Brad Wright, junior plant and soil science major; and professional science master's candidate Bill Smith. For details of the project, please click.
photo by News and Public Affairs
Gospel Extravaganza to aid volunteer
by Claire Rogers
As part of MTSU's celebration of Black History Month, the eighth annual Gospel Music Extravaganza Benefit will be held in Tucker Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.
The benefit will feature performances by choirs, vocal groups, solo singers and spiritual dancers. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students; children six and under will be admitted free.
Each year, proceeds from the event benefit a local resident who is dedicated to community service, as well as helping to fund a scholarship program. This year, the Community Benefit Recipient is Karen Jordan.
Each member of the Gospel Music Extravaganza Committee suggests individuals who would benefit from the money and further enrich the community. The committee selected Jordan as the Community Benefit Recipient based on her need and good works.
Jordan has been a diabetic for more than 30 years and a dialysis patient for six years. Despite the loss of both legs to diabetes, she gives great amounts of her time and energy to community service, the committee noted.
Jordan is an adviser for the Smithfork District Association Youth and Young Adults Department and teaches Sunday school to preschoolers at Prosperity Missionary Baptist Church. Her participation in these activities has allowed her to share her experience and knowledge with young people in the community, but she now needs a handicapped-accessible van to continue her work since she can no longer use her car.
Jordan was born to the late Rev. John O. and Mary E. Jordan and had strong ties to the church from an early age. Her faith strengthens her, and she says she wants to teach others that they too can do all things through Christ. Despite life's hardships, Jordan constantly tells family and friends, "It is well with my soul." A fan of gospel music, Jordan is a regular at the Extravaganza and sings in her church choir. Her favorite song is the spiritual "I Won't Complain," which captures her attitude in life.
Jordan says she hopes to continue educating children and teenagers about health and diabetes. She believes that through this interaction, she can inspire them to overcome whatever obstacles God gives them with joy and to pass along the wisdom and hope she has found.
The program is still looking for organizations or individuals willing to donate or provide help. For more information, please contact Mary E. Glass at 615-898-5145.
Mark calendar for black history events
from Staff Reports
Join MTSU in observing and honoring the contributions of people of African descent to American and world society during the celebration of Black History Month.
The 2008 Black History Month theme is "Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism," which honors the renowned historian, educator, journalist and author who founded Black History Month. In addition to MTSU's flagship events--the Unity Luncheon, the John Pleas Award presentation and the Gospel Extravaganza--there are many other activities and events on campus of interest to students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.
"We are asking that you tell your students, colleagues, friends and churches about a panel discussion on February 20 that looks at the restoration of voting rights for ex-felons," said Dr. Sekou Franklin, BHM co-chair and assistant professor of political science.
"The ACLU Right-to-Vote representative and a public defender from Rutherford County will be participating on the panel."
Other highlights include:
* The A(wear)ness Runway Project Feb. 12, a free fashion show designed to bring awareness of the different colors represented by ribbons for breast cancer, heart disease, domestic violence, sexual assault and AIDS;
* poet and essayist Dr. Nikki Giovanni's scheduled Feb. 21 lecture on "Race in the 21st Century"; and
* jazz pianist Geri Allen's Feb. 26 concert in Hinton Music Hall.
More details are available in the following calendar listings. Copies of the calendar are being distributed campuswide, and you can find updates anytime at www.mtsu.edu/aahm.
* Tuesday, Feb. 12--A (Wearness) Runway Project, co-sponsored by Women in Action; 6 p.m., Tennessee Room, James Union Building.
* Wednesday, Feb. 13--John Pleas Faculty Award; 4-6 p.m., Tom Jackson Building (Old Alumni Building).
* Feb. 18 and 19--"The Meeting: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X" (a student-produced play); 7:30 p.m., Boutwell Dramatic Arts 101.
* Monday, Feb. 18--Reflections on the "Jena 6" Protest: Film and Discussion, co-sponsored by the American Democracy Project; 4-5:30 p.m., Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building N116.
* Wednesday, Feb. 20--Felony Disenfranchisement and the Right to Vote in Tennessee, co-sponsored by the ACLU Right-to-Vote Campaign and the American Democracy Project; 12:30-2 p.m., CKNB 121.
Black History Quiz Bowl, co-sponsored by the NAACP Collegiate Chapter; 5:30 p.m., location TBA.
* Thursday, Feb. 21--Dr. Nikki Giovanni, "Race in the 21st Century"; 7 p.m., Learning Resource Center Auditorium (Room 221).
* Sunday, Feb. 24--Annual Gospel Extravaganza, 6 p.m., Tucker Theatre; admission: $10 adults, $5 students, free for children under 6 years old.
* Tuesday, Feb. 26--Geri Allen Jazz Concert, co-sponsored by the International Association for Jazz Education; 7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall; no admission.
* Tuesday, March 11-- Author Rebecca Walker, co-sponsored by National Women's History Month Committee, June Anderson Women's Center and the Distinguished Lecture Fund; 4 p.m., KUC Theater; no admission charge.
* Monday, March 24--Capt. Vernice G. Armour, the first African-American woman combat pilot in U.S. history; 6 p.m., Tennessee Room, JUB; no admission charge.
For more information on any Black History Month event, visit the Web site or call 615-898-2987.
In Brief
BE CREATIVE, EXPLORE
Two-time Grammy Award winner Jeff Coffin, known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and the Mu'tet, will be the special guest at the Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar, "Creativity and Exploration," set Monday, Feb. 11, at 12:40 p.m. in the Honors College Amphitheater.
DECEMBER GRAD ONLINE
Video of the December 2007 commencement exercises is now available online. Visit www.mtsunews.com and click on the "Online video of December Graduation" link to view.
DEMOMANIA! SET FEB. 21
Demomania! will be held at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in Keathley University Center Theater. For information, contact 615-898-2072.
Study Abroad Scholarship candidates sought; apply by Feb. 15
MTSU students who want to broaden their educational lives by experiencing other cultures in other countries have a new source of funding to help them pay for their study-abroad trips.
However, time is of the essence, because students wishing to take advantage of these opportunities have tight deadlines to meet.
The MT Abroad Office is offering a Study Abroad Scholarship to undergraduate and graduate students who established MTSU student enrollment during the previous semester and maintain at least a 2.75 grade-point average.
The deadline is Friday, Feb. 8, for all Kentucky Institute for International Studies applications. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 15, for all other applications.
Download the forms and find more information at www.mtsu.edu/~mtabroad or the MT Abroad Office at 615-898-5179.
Brock McGuire Band bringing Irish traditions Feb. 25
from Staff Reports
The Brock McGuire Band, one of Ireland's top traditional groups, will perform a free concert on Monday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall in the Business and Aerospace Building at MTSU.
The concert is presented by MTSU's Center for Popular Music with the sponsorship of the university's Distinguished Lecture Committee.
Leaders of the band, button accordionist Paul Brock and fiddler Manus McGuire, are two of Ireland's most celebrated traditional musicians. Their playing has been recognized with numerous awards, and both men have recorded extensively as solo artists and in various groups. They previously played together in the acclaimed group Moving Cloud, a Clare-based band that recorded two albums for Green Linnet Records in the 1990s.
Brock's 1986 collaboration with fiddler Frankie Gavin, "Tribute to Joe Cooley," is regarded by critics and fellow musicians as one of the outstanding traditional albums of the modern era. The Chicago-based Irish American News voted him Best Male Musician in 2004, and his recent duo album with fellow band member Enda Scahill, "Humdinger," was named Irish Music Album of the Year in 2006 by The Irish Times. "Humdinger" has been released in the United States by Nashville-based Compass Records.
McGuire is an Irish fiddler who blends dazzling technique with far-ranging taste. Raised in County Sligo, one of Ireland's most renowned fiddling regions, he absorbed the local fiddle style made famous by such legendary players as Michael Coleman, James Morrison and Paddy Killoran. His recent solo CD, "Fiddlewings," received a Bravo Award from Trad Magazine in France, and he was voted Male Musician of the Year for 2006 by the Irish American News.
Joining Brock and McGuire are tenor banjoist Scahill from Galway and pianist Denis Carey from Tipperary.
Scahill is one of the most critically acclaimed banjoists in Ireland today. The Irish American News said of his playing: "He does things on the banjo that should be impossible." Carey is a musician/composer/arranger with a diverse musical background that ranges from Irish traditional to classical, jazz and pop. He has performed and recorded with leading international artists. His compositions have been performed by various international groups and orchestras, including Symphony Nova Scotia and the Scottish National Orchestra. Carey runs his own Academy of Music based in Limerick.
Before the concert, Brock will present a lecture from 3 to 4 p.m., "Irish Traditional Music in America--The Golden Era," in which he will discuss the early history of the recording of Irish American music. Brock will illustrate his lecture with recorded examples and with live performances of his own and by other members of the Brock McGuire Band.
The lecture also will be held in the State Farm Lecture Hall. Both lecture and concert are free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the Center for Popular Music at 615-898-2449.
MUSIC MEN--The Brock McGuire Band--from left, Manus McGuire, Enda Scahill, Denis Carey and Paul Brock--will perform in concert Monday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall in the Business and Aerospace Building. At 3 p.m. that same day, Brock will lecture on "Irish Traditional Music in America--The Golden Era."
photo submitted
Women's golf welcomes new coach
from MT Media Relations
Chris Adams already has a working knowledge of Middle Tennessee's female golfers after coaching against them for the past five seasons while serving as head coach at Arkansas State.
Not only is Adams familiar with the Blue Raiders' returning linksters, but she also appreciates the fact she will no longer have to go against them now that she's been named to the head coach's position at Middle Tennessee.
Adams replaces former Blue Raider coach Rachael Short, who resigned in December to pursue other professional interests. She becomes the third women's golf coach in the program's history.
"We are very pleased to bring in an experienced young coach to fill the women's golf coach vacancy," Director of Athletics Chris Massaro said. "When you talk to Chris, you feel her enthusiasm, and we believe she will build upon the strong foundation Rachael left us. (Adams) is familiar with our players and our program, having been at Arkansas State, so I see that as another advantage for her, as well as Middle Tennessee."
Adams, who had coached at ASU since April 2002, inherits an experienced team that includes one of the Sun Belt's most decorated players in senior Tayrn Durham, who became the first Blue Raider to participate in the Women's U.S. Open last summer. Durham is a three-time All-Sun Belt selection and leads a group that includes several players with strong credentials and a wealth of tournaments under their belts.
"Quite frankly, I am glad I don't have to coach against (Durham) anymore," Adams said. "Having a player like Taryn Durham is great, but we have a very good team at Middle Tennessee, and that is exciting. We have several players with a great deal of tournament experience at the college level, so they know what it takes to compete at a high level, because that is what Rachael demanded. I look forward to jumping in and getting started. It's a great opportunity because of the job Rachael has done."
Middle East expert to speak Feb. 11
Dr. Juan R. I. Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan, will speak on "The Millennium in Pursuit: Shi'ite Opposition to the United States in Iraq" on Monday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in the State Farm Room in MTSU's Business and Aerospace Building.
Cole, who recently served as president of the Middle East Studies Association, is a leading expert on Egypt, Iran, Iraq and South Asia, particularly 19th century history and religious studies (Shi'ite Islam and the Baha'i faith). Among his recent books are Sacred Space and Holy War: The Politics, Culture and History of Shi'ite Islam (2002) and Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East (2007).
In addition to his scholarly work, Cole plays an active role in public policy debates. He frequently appears as a guest on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS and contributes op-ed pieces for The Nation, Salon.com, Tikkun, The Guardian and The Daily Star (Beirut). He also maintains a popular blog, "Informed Consent," discussing issues related to Middle East politics, religion and the war on terror.
The lecture, sponsored by MTSU's Middle East Center, is free and open to the public.
Other Middle East Center events planned for spring 2008 include:
* Tuesday, March 18--Dr. Said Ennahid of Al Akhawayn University, "The State of Historic Preservation in Morocco"; 3:30 p.m., Honors College Amphitheatre (HONR 106);
* Wednesday, March 19--Dr. Said Ennahid, "The Archeology of Space in Arabic Poetry"; 3:30 p.m., HONR 106;
* Saturday, April 19--Omar Faruk Tekbilek & His Ensemble; 2 p.m., KUC Theater; and
* Tuesday, April 22--Dr. Miriam Sivan of Haifa University, "Contemporary Women Writing in Israel"; Dining Room C, James Union Building.
For more information, contact the center's director, Dr. Allen Hibbard, at 615-494-7906.
Hearts of flowers
by John C. Lynch
Later this month, flower shops around the world will be inundated with orders for roses. Whether they are red, pink or yellow, rest assured that none will be like the roses grown in Dr. Bruce Cahoon's plant biotechnology class last fall.
Only 2 inches high, a dozen of these roses, featured in a story in the February edition of "Middle Tennessee Record," MTSU's video magazine, would fit in the palm of your hand.
Cahoon said the goal of his class is to help students learn how people have manipulated plants since the dawn of agriculture.
"I give the students freedom to explore this technique," he said. "The whole point is to fumble around and explore and see what it means to manipulate plant tissue."
Roses are "relatively easy to propagate," according to Cahoon. "Not that they're always easy to grow in your yard, but in the conditions that we use, we can grow a lot of them pretty quickly."
Roses, he noted, are among the plants that will miniaturize when grown in a confined space.
"It's a cloning process," he explained, "and you can propagate plants at home by just breaking them apart and planting in the soil. It's just a more sophisticated version of that.
"We're taking very small pieces of tissue, and we are then feeding the tissue everything it might need and that includes an energy source like sucrose, well-defined fertilizer and specific vitamins--B vitamins, strangely enough, are what they need--and hormones."
Cahoon's students learned to be fanatical in their pursuit of sterilizing the tiny clippings. They used liberal amounts of alcohol and chlorine bleach to kill any stray bacteria that could destroy the vulnerable plant tissue. Even then, some of the students had to repeat the process several times because the plant tissue had become contaminated.
Plants are very malleable, he noted, when it comes to creating specific organs from clippings.
"You can take a cutting and induce it to grow a flower just by adding the right hormones. It's the equivalent of cutting off somebody's finger and growing the rest of a hand. Of course we can't do that with animals, but we can do that with plants," Cahoon said.
The project may have changed the smaller plant's appearance, the professor said, but genetically it's the same as its parent plant.
"We're not changing the genetic makeup of the plant," he noted. "We did not transform it or engineer it in that way. We do cover that in the class, and we did do some genetic transformation experiments.
"Genetic transformation is the latest tool in how to manipulate plants, but it is only one, and there is a plethora of other techniques that you can use to manipulate a plant."
Although a 2-inch rose may not have many practical applications, the techniques learned in Cahoon's class can help meet some serious challenges.
"We need to produce food, and we need to produce plants that can endure environmental stress," he said. "Very topical right now is drought. If we can manipulate plants to become more resistant to drought, then we become less susceptible to environmental problems."
For more details on the miniature roses and the team that created them, watch "Middle Tennessee Record" on local Cable Channel 9 daily at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Sundays at 1:30 p.m. on NewsChannel5+, or anytime via www.mtsunews.com or on YouTube.
SMALL WORLD--Bhawana Bhawana, a master's candidate in professional science, examines a plant biotechnology project in Dr. Bruce Cahoon's class. The project is the focus of a story in the February "Middle Tennessee Record," MTSU's video magazine.
photo by News and Public Affairs
Still 'insuring' science strength
ANNUAL GIFT--The State Farm Insurance Companies Murfreesboro Operations Center recently contributed $3,600 to show its support for MTSU'S 2008 Regional Science Olympiad, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 23. G. Ron Nichols, center, State Farm vice president of operations, is flanked by Drs. Pat Patterson, left, chemistry professor and Regional Science Olympiad director, and Saeed Foroudastan, associate dean for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. State Farm has donated a total of $21,477 for the eight consecutive years it has supported the event for middle- and high-school teams. For more on the program, see page 6.
photo by News and Public Affairs
Log in (or mail in) and be counted in special city census
from Staff Reports
Close to $2 million in new money could lower the potential tax burden on local taxpayers for services if, as one city official suspects, enough population growth has occurred in Murfreesboro since the 2005 special census.
That's why the city is gearing up for its third special census of the decade since the 2000 federal count, project manager and staff planner Robert Lewis said. He bases his estimate on the number of single- and multi-family residential building permits issued since 2005 and the number of households by which the city has grown since then.
"We have budgeted $50,000 to conduct the census," he said. "The return on that investment is obvious."
MTSU students, because they spend a majority of their time in Murfreesboro, are considered residents, so they'll be counted now that they have arrived back in the city for the spring semester, Lewis said.
Signup forms and letters explaining the process should arrive in residents' homes this month, Lewis said. The correspondence will include a form asking simply for the first and last names of everyone living at that address.
"It's very simple," Lewis said. "People can respond at no charge to them through the self-addressed and stamped envelope provided, the city's Web site at www.murfreesborotn.gov or by calling a special telephone number, 615-849-2021."
A second letter will be mailed to those who don't respond the first time, Lewis said. For those who still don't respond, a census taker will visit to verify the information.
Final figures will be turned into the state by May 15, the planner explained, the date by which Tennessee requires population figures to be submitted.
This is not a direct tax, Lewis maintains, but it is a cost-effective way to help raise more money to fund city services and programs.
"Accurately reporting the most current population reduces the tax burden on the rest of us," he said.
Tennessee allows municipalities to conduct three special census counts per decade. Murfreesboro conducted special tallies in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and, along with the 2005 count, all drew more funding.
"It's extremely important we get as accurate a count as possible," he added, "and that means generating as much participation as we can."
The city has no plans to use residents' names and addresses for anything other than the census.
"This information is being gathered for no purpose other than finding out how many people are living here," Lewis said. "None will be sold for mailing lists--we are highly sensitive to that."
Activist/author takes on lecture, classes in March
by Lisa L. Rollins
Activist Diane Wilson, author of An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas, will visit the MTSU campus March 12-13 to speak with classes and deliver a free public lecture.
Sponsored by the American Democracy Project, the Distinguished Lectures Committee and National Women's History Month, Wilson's talk, "Diane versus Goliath: Taking on Politicians and Corporations to Protect Family and the Environment," will get under way at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business and Aerospace Building. A book signing will follow.
A native of Seadrift, Texas, Wilson is a fourth-generation shrimp-boat captain and mother of five who learned that she lived in the most polluted county in the United States. She decided to fight back by launching a campaign against a multibillion-dollar corporation that reportedly covered up spills, silenced workers and dumped lethal ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride into the bays along the Gulf Coast.
Cited as an epic tale of bravery, An Unreasonable Woman chronicles Wilson's fight at the chemical plant's doors and through the court system. Diligent in her efforts to stop the pollution and its cover-up, Wilson encountered scorn, bribery and death threats before realizing she had to break the law to achieve justice.
Wilson's story of her battle to stop the industrial pollution and its resulting contamination to both water and people has been characterized by authors such as Jim Hightower and Rick Bass as "a mind-bending story of corporate intrigue, government shenanigans and all-around political dirty tricks" that also resonates as "one of this nation's greatest works of nonfiction."
Dr. Jim Williams, ADP coordinator and history professor, said he first heard Wilson speak in June 2006 in Philadelphia at an ADP annual meeting.
"She was introduced as a somewhat shy person who would need prompting to tell her story of being transformed from a working-class mother of five scraping out a living as a shrimper on the Gulf Coast of Texas to a political activist and environmental crusader," he said. "Once she got rolling, however, I knew I was in the presence of a great storyteller in the tradition of common folk from the South.
"I was on the edge of my seat as she revealed each detail of her story, with all its triumphs and heartbreak," Williams continued. "She reminds me of the late Molly Ivins and Ann Richards, both kick-butt-and-take-no-prisoners Texas women, too."
Although her upcoming visit marks the first time she's been to MTSU, it's a stop Wilson said she's looking forward to.
"I've briefly been through the state of Tennessee and was totally taken with its beauty," she remarked. "It was very lush when I visited, and all the trees were just starting to turn different colors. Also, the mountainous area where I visited was very different from the flat Gulf Coast."
In addition to her March 12 public lecture, the activist/author will be available to speak to MTSU classes from 2 to 4 p.m. March 12 and in the early morning or early afternoon on Thursday, March 13, Williams said.
"In an election year, Wilson reminds us that citizens can and must do more than vote every two or four years," Williams observed. "They need to engage in the daily workings of their communities if they really wish to keep American democracy vibrant and vital in our lives."
MTSU faculty and staff who are interested in scheduling Wilson for a classroom visit during her campus stopover or want to learn more about her March 12 presentation may e-mail Williams at amerdem@mtsu.edu.
'Ray' of sunshine to greet Science Olympiad teams
by Randy Weiler
WKRN-TV morning meteorologist Jeff Ray once again will bring his expertise to the classroom when he visits campus Saturday, Feb. 23, for the Regional Science Olympiad.
The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at various venues across campus, event director Dr. Pat Patterson said.
Patterson, an associate professor of chemistry, added that Ray, who will oversee "Severe Weather" in the middle-school students' meteorology event, is a popular coordinator because of his weather knowledge and status as a broadcast personality.
"I'll be having the student look at upper-air profiles and predict what kind of weather will occur at the surface," Ray said. He added that he had a "presentation problem last year, so I'm rewriting the introduction and initial analysis so more will be going down the right road when the teams start looking at their own data."
Patterson said Mark LaPorte, an instructor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, would be busy coordinating three events: "Robo-Cross and "Scrambler" in the middle-school division and "Robot Ramble" in the high-school division.
In addition to LaPorte and Patterson, at least 40 other faculty and friends of MTSU will coordinate events. At least six students will be event coordinators, with at least 30 additional students helping in other areas, Patterson said.
"We have quite a few students assisting," Patterson said. "A lot are in the TLSAMP (Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) program--engineer types or wanting to be science people. Others are trying to earn extra credit in my classes."
Patterson said some of the events have been changed by the national Science Olympiad organization. Some of the middle-school events include "Science Crime Busters," "Amphibians and Reptiles" and "Trajectory." High school events also will include "Forensics," the "Wright Stuff" and "Electric Vehicle."
The veteran director said she anticipates more than 350 students from at least nine middle and 11 high schools in Middle Tennessee, making it the largest region in the state.
"We've got some new teams--Dayspring from Robertson County and Clarksville High School--that we're excited about," she said. "Central Middle supposedly is coming for the first time ... (and) Harpeth Hall is coming back to us."
The award ceremony will start around 3:30 p.m. in LRC 221. The state Science Olympiad is set April 5 at the University of Tennessee.
Researcher's workshop targets classroom spaces
by Casey Brown
As new technology continues to find its way into the classroom, many educators feel that the classroom itself is in need of an update.
Dr. Andrew Milne, CEO of the Palo Alto, Calif.-based Tidebreak Inc., will make a presentation for MTSU faculty and staff on Friday, Feb. 29, in the Faculty Senate Chamber, Room 100 of the James Union Building.
Milne's workshop will focus on the growing need for universities to rethink the design of their traditional learning spaces.
A group of MTSU students also will contribute to Milne's project. Under the direction of Dr. Ron Kates, associate professor of English, students are participating in an interactive survey concerning different areas of campus. Provided with disposable cameras, they will be instructed to take pictures to answer questions such as "your favorite place to study" or "where you like to hang out with friends."
Milne will integrate the student pictures and responses into the presentation, noting that he feels such input can be very valuable. As an engineering educator at Pennsylvania State University, he says he "grew to appreciate the untapped creative potential students can bring to curricular innovation efforts, and I've been an advocate of this ever since."
Milne says that his work as a technology consultant for campus master planning and a researcher at the Stanford Center for Design Research have given him a unique perspective on university architecture. In his work with Tidebreak, Milne has worked extensively with academic institutions, and he believes student activity continually patterns the "best practices" for technology in groups.
"We've been working with a long and growing list of academic institutions, and out of that experience we've developed some ideas about what the future may hold," Milne says.
He identifies two primary problems with the traditional classroom: most rooms are physically inflexible, and most classroom technology emphasizes presentation of content at the expense of student participation.
"We interact with rooms at the level of the furnishings, so it's important to allow those furnishings to be rearranged to accommodate different instructional approaches," Milne says. "Participation not only makes learning more fun, it helps to reinforce important concepts and hone critical thinking skills."
In addition to Kates, event coordinators are Barbara Draude, director of academic and instructional technology services in the Information Technology Division, and Faye Johnson, assistant to the executive vice president and provost for special initiatives. Johnson says the presentation will be of great interest to the MTSU community.
"We have a lot of faculty on campus interested in learning about how to improve learning spaces," Johnson says. "[Those] that attend will find it very helpful and enlightening."
As for the presenter himself, Milne is excited at the prospect of visiting MTSU and hopeful that his insight ultimately will benefit the campus.
"The hope is that the session will be an opportunity for faculty to reflect on the changing nature of teaching and learning," Milne says, "and identify critical priorities for designing learning spaces at MTSU in the future."
Call now for Preds tickets
MTSU Nights with the Nashville Predators are back! The Predators are making a special ticket offer to the MTSU community for two upcoming home games.
The team is offering $4 to $17 off regular ticket prices and will donate $5 from each ticket sold to the Sports Marketing Scholarship in the Department of Management and Marketing, Dr. Don Roy notes.
Game dates are Thursday, Feb. 21, versus Vancouver and Tuesday, March 18, against Washington. Lower Bowl (Section 120) tickets, regularly priced at $62 each, will have a special price of $45. Mezzanine (Section 319) tickets (regularly $45 each) will cost $35 each, and Upper Level (Section 332) tickets will cost $25 (a savings of $4 off the regular price). There are no transaction fees. Both games begin at 7 p.m. at the Sommet Center in Nashville.
Orders received two weeks prior to game will be mailed to you. After that, you can pick up tickets on game night at the will-call window at the Sommet Center ticket office.
To order tickets by phone or for more information, call Dan Schaefer, Nashville Predators group sales account executive, at 615-770-2115 and mention the MTSU Night promotion to receive the discount price.
Star dates change for spring
The Spring 2008 lineup for the Department of Physics and Astronomy's popular "First Friday Star Parties" has undergone some changes and revisions to accommodate guest lecturers and other schedule adjustments.
New dates include:
* Friday, March 14 (second Friday for this month only)--"Central Engines for Galaxies," Dr. Eric Klumpe;
* Friday, March 28 (replacing April Star Party)--"View from the Center of the Universe," cosmologist Joel Primack; and
* Friday, May 2, "Messenger at Mercury," Dr. Charles Higgins.
Each Star Party will be conducted from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., beginning in Wiser-Patten Science Room 102 with a 30- to 45-minute public lecture and moving outside for outdoor telescope observing, weather permitting. The events are open and free to the general public, and children are welcome.
Free parking is available behind the WPS building after 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.
For more information, contact Higgins at 615-898-5946 or Klumpe at 615-898-2483 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~physics.
People Around Campus:
New journal aims to empower sport management industry, practitioners
by Gina K. Logue
MTSU's Sport Management Program will be the point of origin of a new scholarly journal that will provide cutting-edge research on issues affecting the sport industry.
A call for papers will be issued soon to scholars around the world requesting submissions for the Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision. The publication is the brainchild of Dr. Colby Jubenville, associate professor of health and human performance and coordinator of that department's graduate program.
"We are soliciting some of the top academics and practicing professionals in the sport industry to let them know that we want to provide a platform from which information can be produced and consumed and that we want them to be part of this process," Jubenville says.
In a twist on conventional academic publications, Jubenville says that, in addition to academicians, sport practitioners will be allowed to review scholars' works, examine their research and assess whether it is useful to them.
"One of the things that we must provide is a foundation of theory, but we also need to be a conduit to channel that theory into meaningful application because that is a glaring void in modern sport industry," Jubenville says.
Dr. Benjamin Goss of Missouri State University, another founder of the journal who serves as its editor-in-chief, says that such a void exists because of a basic misunderstanding or fear of research in the sport industry.
"Until recently, many sport-related and sport management college program curricula have not had any basic research courses or even any business-based research/statistics courses," Goss says. "So research can rightfully be seen as very intimidating by the average practitioner."
Goss asserts that the journal will seek actively to package research in ways that will make it accessible and user-friendly to league and team administrators, coaches and managers.
"We will be very aggressive with efforts to publicize the essential findings of the research in palatable ways that the media can understand and utilize," Goss says. "If practitioners on our review board give their stamps of approval to pieces of research, we feel confident that other practitioners across sport can understand it, particularly at the upper administrative levels, because almost all of those sport managers are ultra-savvy business people who work with information constantly in making decisions."
Possible issues to be tackled by writers for the journal include the influence of drug cultures on sport; parental involvement with youth sports; the impact of globalization and internationalization of sport; images, role models and sportsmanship; the impact of marketing practices (sponsorships, branding, advertising, etc.) on sport; and influences of television on decision-making on high school/college athletics.
"The future and the face of sport is ultimately what we're going to address here," Jubenville says.
The journal's layout and design were created largely by MTSU doctoral student Mike Martinez. A former sports information specialist for The University of Southern Mississippi and sportswriter, Martinez brings his graphic arts, journalism and public-relations skills to the project.
"For me, this is a good fit because I'm kind of both sides of the coin," Martinez says. "My perception of education is not only to teach people to think critically but be productive in what they choose to do."
Artwork for the journal will be provided by Douglas C. Hess of Madison, Ala. Hess, whose imagery has been compared to that of Norman Rockwell, has captured numerous sports moments, such as Bear Bryant's final victory as head football coach at the University of Alabama and the Tennessee Titans' "Music City Miracle" on canvas.
Through a partnership with the University of Michigan Library's Scholarly Publishing Office, which will house the journal, and the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, as well as generous donations from a benefactor who supports the journal's mission, Jubenville says he expects the first issue to be released in late 2008 or early 2009.
For more information, contact Jubenville at 615-898-2909 or jubenvil@mtsu.edu or Goss at 417-836-6592 or drbengoss@hotmail.com. The journal's Web site is www.jsasonline.org.
A podcast of Jubenville's interview on "MTSU On the Record," originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2007, on WMOT-FM, is available at www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/podcast2007.html.
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  Campus Calendar - February 11, 2008, V16.15
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Campus Calendar Feb. 11-24
TV Schedule: "Middle Tennessee Record"
Cable Channel 9: Monday-Sunday-7 a.m., 5 p.m.; NewsChannel 5+: Sundays-1:30 p.m.
Visit www.mtsunews.com for other cable outlet airtimes.
Through Feb. 28
"Maine Women: Living on the Land": Photo exhibit by Lauren Shaw
Baldwin Photo Gallery, Learning Resource Center
For information, contact: 615-898-2085.
Monday, Feb. 11
Faculty Senate Meeting
4:30 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-2582.
Faculty Horn Recital: Angela DeBoer
7 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
Women's Tennis
10 a.m., Belmont; 5 p.m., Chattanooga; Murfreesboro Racquet Club
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Tornado Siren Test Date
12:20 p.m., campuswide
For information, contact: 615-898-2424.
Black History Month: A(Wearness) Runway Project
6 p.m., JUB Tennessee Room For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Presidential Concert Series: Read Gainsford
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Faculty Brown-Bag Lunch: "Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos"
11:30 a.m., Walker Library 475
For information, contact: wblack@mtsu.edu.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
Black History Month: John Pleas Faculty Award
4-6 p.m., Tom Jackson Building
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Thursday, Feb. 14
Retired Faculty/Staff Coffee
9:30 a.m., Foundation House
For information, contact: 615-898-5756.
MT Basketball Mardi Gras Night vs. South Alabama:
Women, 5:30 p.m.; men, 7:30 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Feb. 15-16 and 20-23
MTSU Theatre: "Baby"
7:30 p.m., Tucker Theatre
For information, contact: 615-898-2640.
Saturday, Feb. 16
Men's Basketball vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN Regional)
3 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Feb. 17
Women's Basketball vs. Western Kentucky(ESPN Regional/Think Pink Event)
2 p.m., Murphy Center
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
Sunday, Feb. 17
MTSU Concert Chorale/ Middle Tenn. Choral Society
3 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Brass Chamber Ensemble
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Feb. 18-19
Black History Month: "The Meeting: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X"
7:30 p.m., BDA 101
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Monday, Feb. 18
Black History Month: Reflections on the "Jena 6" Protest: Film and Discussion
4-5:30 p.m., CKNB N116
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
MTSU Jazz Ensembles
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Black History Month: Felony Disenfranchisement and the Right to Vote in Tennessee
12:30-2 p.m., CKNB 121
Black History Month: Black History Quiz Bowl
5:30 p.m., location TBA
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Guest Flute Recital: Deborah Harris
8 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Thursday, Feb. 21
Women's Studies Research Series: Dr. Yuan-ling Chao,
"Poetry and Footbinding: Women in Late Imperial China"
3 p.m., JUB 100
For information, contact: 615-898-5282.
Black History Month: Dr. Nikki Giovanni,
"Race in the 21st Century"
7 p.m., LRC 221
For information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~aahm.
MTSU Symphonic Band/Brass Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Hinton Music Hall
For information, contact: 615-898-2493.
Feb. 23-24
MT Softball: Middle Tennessee Classic
Feb. 23: 1 p.m., UT Martin; 5 p.m., Belmont;
Feb. 24: 11 a.m., Southern Illinois; consolation/championship, 3 p.m.
For information, visit www.goblueraiders.com.
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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