Demolition dolphins

The military has used dolphins for decades to help with underwater search and recovery--and they can be trained to identify underwater mines, says Dr. Donald Kendrick, professor of psychology and animal intelligence expert. "Unlike dogs, they do not use the chemical sense of smell. Instead, dolphins emit a high-frequency sound beyond human hearing and then detect changes in the reflected sound. This is more similar to bats than to dogs." Even more amazing, Kendrick notes that dolphins can be trained to place mines and other explosives on specific ships and even start the timer!

Contact Kendrick at 615-898-2134.
psyskip@mtsu.edu

Smorgasbord of sights and sound

It's a unique event that appeals to all the senses--sights, sounds, smells and tastes. This Saturday's MTSU International Banquet is a smorgasbord of dazzling delights--foods from everywhere--exhibits, dances, music--all to celebrate the wonderful diversity of the region, nation and world. The doors of the Tennessee Room, James Union Building, will open at 4:30; buffet at 5:30, followed by a Croatian band, a Chinese dance group, a Japanese kimono demonstration and MTSU student guitarist Salome' Sandoval. Tickets are $12 per adult; $10 children 12 and under; $6 MTSU students with ID; $3 MTSU int'l students. Media welcomed.

For information, contact Sandy Brandon at 615-898-2238.
sfbrando@mtsu.edu

Cross burning

"This is a very tricky case," says Dr. John Vile, constitutional expert, regarding the Supreme Court's 5-4 vote that upholds the ban on cross burnings. Vile notes that a previous 5-4 margin upheld the right to burn the American flag, "although it cuts in the other direction. The vote is not being very well reported by the media. Five justices voted that the impact of this law on free speech was so minimal that the law was valid. A sixth justice, Clarence Thomas, thought that the law involved regulation of intimidating conduct rather than speech, so he actually ... upheld the Virginia law (although not its rationale)." The three dissenters were worried about the implications of the law for free speech, he adds.

Contact Vile at 615-898-2596.
jvile@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA: THRU THURSDAY, April 7-10, 7 p.m.--The 4th annual Student Film Festival features seven films. They will be shown each night in the Keathley University Center Theater and will be judged on creative and technical aspects. Awards will be presented Thursday night to the top three. For more information, contact Tommy Gibson at 615-898-2551. This is free and open to the public--and media are welcomed.
TODAY, April 8, 9 a.m.--The Holocaust ... why did it happen and could it happen again? Nancy Kemp, chair, department of social studies at Centennial High School, will present a videoconference in MTSU's Videoconferencing Center in the Learning Resources Center. A live studio audience will be composed of local students in grades 8 to 12. For more information, contact center director Dr. Connie Schmidt at 615-898-2560. Media welcomed.
TOMORROW, April 9, 5 p.m.--The 12th annual Windham Lecture in Liberal Arts presents author John Shelton Reed, professor emeritus at UNC Chapel Hill, who will discuss "What's Southern About the South?" in the Business and Aerospace Building S102. The series was established in 1990 by Dr. William and Westy Windham. Dr. Windham was a member of MTSU's history faculty from 1955 to 1989. For more information, call 615-898-2534. Media welcomed.