Frying Frist

Some have been critical of Sen. Bill Frist's first 100 days as majority leader, saying that he seems to lack clout to get needed votes on issues and to hold the conservative base together. Howard Baker once compared the job of leading the Senate to herding cats, says Dr. Steve Livingston, associate professor, political science. "Many do not realize the few powers a Senate leader has with which to twist arms and sway votes. Sen. Frist has to work in a body where he must have Democrat votes to pass any significant legislation--and where his own party is divided between conservative and moderate Republicans."

Contact Livingston at 615-898-2709.
slivings@mtsu.edu

Beached whales

To discover why whales and dolphins beach themselves, researchers must reach the site and dissect those that have died, says Dr. Donald Kendrick, professor of psychology and animal intelligence and research ethics expert. It appears that whales suffer damage to the area of their brain responsible for processing the echo-location information used by these mammals to navigate. "The cause of the damage is yet unknown, but it appears to be due to disease or possibly very low frequency (VLF) sonar. ... Researchers need more fresh specimens and information from the U.S. Navy about when and where the VLF sonar has been activated in order to discover the cause."

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

'MSS'

The initials 'MSS' discovered scratched on an Iraq prison wall indicate that Michael Scott Speicher, who was shot down during the Gulf War, was kept as a prisoner for some time, notes Dr. John Vile, political science chair. "Since 1982, presidents have recognized heroes in televised speeches to Congress--and Speicher was the last such hero mentioned in these speeches [by] George H.W. Bush, at which time Bush announced that Speicher was the first U.S. casualty of the war." Vile notes that if officials find out that Speicher was kept alive without notice to the international community, it will be another example of the sordidness of the Hussein regime.

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

THIS WEEK'S AUDIO CLIPS FROM MTSU
http://www.mtsu.edu/~proffice/audio/audio_clips.html
TOPIC 1: An MTSU professor from Iraq is not optimistic about the U.S. plans for reshaping his native land. Dr. Karim Salman, who teaches computer science, has not heard from his family in Baghdad in weeks and would like to go home.
TOPIC 2: During ABC's coverage of the war in Iraq, Ted Koppel and Charles Gibson had an on-air disagreement about whether news crews should air pictures of dead bodies and other gruesome scenes. MTSU professor Chris Harris says this wasn't even an issue in the days before technology made immediate coverage a reality.
TOPIC 3: MTSU will send about 50 new nurses into the profession following next month's graduation ceremony. But, with nurses in short supply nationwide, the school is seeking to expand its nursing building to accommodate more students. Dr. Pam Holder, director, School of Nursing, says a grant of nearly one-and-three-quarters million dollars from the Christy-Houston Foundation will help.

TR EXTRA: TOMORROW, April 29, 9 a.m.: A videoconference reaching students and teachers in grades 5-12 titled "America after 9/11: Understanding Anxiety Disorders and the Effects of Disaster on Mental Health," with Rebecca Wylie, statewide education coordinator, Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee; Videoconferencing Center in the Learning Resources Center. A live studio audience will also attend. Contact Dr. Connie Schmidt, director, at 615-898-2560. Media welcomed.
TOMORROW, April 29, 8 p.m.: Members of MTSU's University Orchestra will preview the world premiere of "Violin Concerto" by Stefan Petrescu when they perform the work's "Finale" movement; also featuring works by Verdi, Brahms, Mussorgsky and De Falla; Wright Music Building Music Hall; free and open. Contact Tim Musselman at 615-898-2493. Media welcomed.