Global opinion

Regarding the current war, this is the first time that the combatants are taking into account global opinion--not just public opinion in their home countries but also in Europe, the Middle East and other regions of the world, says Dr. David Ryfe, political communication expert. "In the case of the U.S., it is trying to show that it is a 'liberator' of Iraq rather than a colonizer. For the Iraqi regime, influencing global opinion is perhaps its only hope of survival." Iraq's military strategy is designed is to show the U.S. as a brutal aggressor, hoping that global opinion will tarnish U.S. prestige, he adds.

Contact Ryfe at 615-904-8553.
dryfe@mtsu.edu

Thingy-majigs

"This is an annual competition for public and private schools--grades 4-6. The children are asked to invent a product from a specific set of conditions. The categories are games and inventions that make life easier," explains Dr. Connie Jones, interim chair, elementary and special education. Thursday, March 27, 8:30 to noon, more than 300 young inventors from Rutherford County, Lebanon, Goodlettsville, Tullahoma, Nashville and Gallatin will display their inventions. Trophies will be awarded, and the Judges' Favorites will be recognized. The MTSU Invention Convention is sponsored by State Farm Insurance. Come to the Tennessee Room in the James Union Building. Media welcomed.

Contact Jones at 615-898-2621 or event director Dr. Tracey Ring at 615-898-5500.

What Muslim students think

Most Muslim students at MTSU resent the current war with Iraq and think that working through the U.N. to disarm Saddam Hussein was the best solution--and that linking him to 9/11 was fabricated to rally public opinion, says Dr. Saleh Sbenaty, faculty adviser of the Muslim Student Association. "The main motive as most Muslim- and Arab-Americans see it is to control the region's natural resources and to change the demographics of the region," he says. "While many see Saddam as a ruthless dictator, they do not view the U.S. and British armies as liberators but rather as conquerors."

Contact Sbenaty at 615-898-2966.
ssbenaty@mtsu.edu

THIS WEEK'S MTSU SOUND BITES

Go to: http://www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/audio/audio_clips.html 1ST TOPIC: Dr. Tech Wubneh, director of MTSU International Programs and Services, discusses the increased scrutiny by the government of foreign students who want to study in the U.S.
2nd TOPIC: Judy Campbell, associate professor of nursing, talks about smallpox, home-front readiness, and health-care professionals taking refresher courses.

TR EXTRA: TODAY, 9 a.m.--"Learning How to Learn: Tips from Your Brain," a video conference by Dr. Carolyn Hopper, Learning Resources Center; middle and high school students will comprise a live studio audience. Contact Dr. Connie Schmidt, director, at 615-898-2560. Media welcomed.
TODAY, 4:30 p.m., poet Barbara Hamby will hold a public reading in the Alumni Center. Letterpress printed poetry broadsides, created by students with MTSU's Tulip Poplar Press, will be on sale for $10 each--proceeds will go to the press. Contact Dr. Claudia Barnett at 615-898-2887. Media welcomed.
TODAY, 6 p.m.--Al Gore will discuss the entertainment media's impact on American communities, which will dovetail into issues discussed in MTSU's recording industry ethics class taught by Dr. Richard Barnet. Sponsored by The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, the open and free lecture will take place in the Business and Aerospace Building, Room S102. Contact Barnet at 615-898-5869. (Barnet says his ethics course is unlike any other in the country.) Media welcomed.