Just ordinary heroes

MTSU's Unity Luncheon is a major kickoff event of the university's African-American History Month celebration because it honors the contributions of "ordinary" citizens who deserve the unsung-hero appellation. On Feb 6 at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the JUB Tennessee Room, Mattie Butler, Christine Cason Wade, Dorothy Crismon and Josephine Roper will be recognized (additional bio information to follow). Tickets are $15 per person, $7 for students. Reservations, with a Jan. 28 deadline, may be made by calling Sherrie Murray at 615-898-2987 or Valerie Avent at 615-898-2462. Media most welcomed.

For more information, contact Murray by phone or smurray@mtsu.edu

Bush and AA

Might we assume that George Bush's admission to Yale was based on fundamentally flawed criteria, used a quota system and was unconstitutional, suggests Dr. Forrestine Williams, director, MTSU EO/AA office. If so, Bush's claim to favor diversity may be viewed as hypocritical. "I find it ironic that a nation having used quotas throughout its existence to favor one race over another, now attempts to conveniently misrepresent [AA] as the same evil. When President Johnson mandated [AA], he knew that equal opportunity would not occur without some specific, result-oriented procedures designed to remedy the effects of the past, and unfortunately present, discrimination."

Contact Williams at 615-898-2185.
fwilliam@mtsu.edu

Employment flat

Total employment in the 41 midstate counties is flat, up just 0.1 percent since the second quarter, writes Dr. David Penn, director of MTSU's Business and Economic Research Center in the Winter 2003 issue of Midstate Economic Indicators. "Payroll employment in the Nashville MSA increased but by just 1,000 jobs with gains in government, construction and mining--and services accounting for most of the increase." Retail trade is flat, he adds, and there were declines in wholesale trade and finance, insurance and real estate.

Contact Penn at 615-898-2610.
dpenn@mtsu.edu
Visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc