Sports recruiters

A recent story in the Christian Science Monitor calls to task the role of the sports recruiter and the dollars some charge to parents to market their high school student-athlete. Dr. Colby Jubenville, assistant professor, HPERS, says these "21st-century techno-recruiters prey on the dreams of both the student-athlete and the parents and are banking that they will do whatever it takes to secure a college scholarship." Parents need to ask the right questions and determine the value of such service--and institutions of higher learning need to educate all interested parties as to the potential pitfalls in the recruitment process, he advises.

Contact Jubenville at 615-898-2909.
jubenvil@mtsu.edu

Economic impact of war

A possible war with Iraq, depending on the intensity, geopolitical results and duration, could heighten the concern for inflation and perhaps reverse the favorable trend of the past few years in the value of bonds and other fixed income securities, observes Dr. William Ford, MTSU Weatherford Chair of Finance and a director of the National Association for Business Economics. Also, the war's impact on the international value of the dollar and on international capital flows into the U.S. will be subject to possible negative paradigm shifts as the rest of the world reevaluates its confidence in U.S. economic strength and stability.

Contact Ford at 615-898-2889.
wfford@mtsu.edu

Battle of the sexes

Should more of the funding for men's collegiate sports programs be cut and diverted to women's programs? There needs to be a better formula to decide what monies are available and how each university can distribute those funds fairly, says Diane Turnham, MTSU associate athletic director. "Is there such a formula? Apparently not, but we still need to try and find better ways to fund sports for both sexes," she says. ... "How do we all find ways to keep all of our sports?" The spirit of the law is to make things equal--not one-sided.

Contact Turnham at 615-898-2450.
dturnham@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA: TODAY: Bob Herbert, who writes the "In America" column for The New York Times op-ed page, will address examples of social injustice about which he has written in his columns at 3 p.m. in the Business/Aerospace Building S102. Contact Dr. David Eason at 615-898-5873. Media welcomed.
TOMORROW: Feb. 12 at 11 a.m., activists and poets will participate in an International Day of Poetry Against the War, Keathley University Center, Room 314. Contact Andy Smith at 615-464-3776. Media welcomed.
THURSDAY: Feb. 13, 3:30 p.m., video conference, Learning Resources Center, Judy Campbell and Drs. Doug Winborn and Janet Colson will present a professional development program for teachers on making school health initiatives a coordinated effort among all health programs and personnel. Call NPA at 615-898-2919. Media welcomed.
THURSDAY: Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Business and Aerospace Building S128, Rev. Charles Woolery, lecture, "How Afrocentric Spiritual Thought Can Empower the Black Community." Media welcomed.