This is called a library

Are today's kids replacing visits to the library with the ease and convenience of the Internet? Dr. Alan Boehm, special collections librarian, says he deals with the "dominance of the digital" in his own family. But it's a complex issue. "We not only have teachers who assign homework involving research and who say, 'Just find some information on the Internet,' but ... who want kids' research represented in digital form, so the kids prepare Powerpoint presentations instead of writing term papers. As someone who does historical research, this really appalls me." To be fair, he adds, teachers are overworked, underpaid, have too many students, and often don't have the resources or stamina to take students to the library.

Contact Boehm at 615-904-8501.
aboehm@mtsu.edu

Genetic testing

A recent story talks about how researchers have reached a milestone in the successful completion of a project to sequence the human genome. When will we routinely be able to detect defective genes in infants and through treatment prevent future diseases? Dr. Rebecca Seipelt, assistant professor, biology, says that genetic tests that can detect cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs disease are fairly common today--but the cost of some testing at birth is prohibitive. "A touchy issue is genetic determinism. Nearly all genetic traits have some environmental factors which influence the expression of the trait. So even if someone has the gene (s), it is not 100 percent certain they will exhibit the trait."

Contact Seipelt at 615-904-8393.
rseipelt@mtsu.edu

Warning!

Rosemary Kew, assistant professor, foreign languages, lives close to MTSU and shares a personal story that attests to the validity of the campus tornado warning system. She admits that she and her husband have often heard the siren and "wished it would shut up." Early last Monday, the siren woke them, they got up and minutes later were crouched in their basement. Moments later, a tree crashed through their roof and another hit their garage. "Next morning ... we realized that our bedroom was right under the huge maple bough that fell, punching a hole in the adjoining bathroom." Ironically, a realtor was coming Monday morning to take photos of the house to put it on the market, she adds.

Contact Kew at 615-898-2283.
rakew@mtsu.edu