Urgent need in Tennessee

Statistics show that there is a 95 percent drop-out rate of all foreign-language students in the U.S. from traditional foreign-language classrooms (Dr. James Asher's Learning Another Language Through Actions). And current research on the brain shows why. Traditional methods of instruction are not brain-compatible but rather brain-antagonistic (Eric Jensen's Joyful Fluency). The need for effective foreign language and ESL training is a problem on a global scale and right here in Tennessee, says Dr. Shelley Thomas, associate professor, foreign languages, who received seed money to start an MTSU Summer Language Institute, June 9-13. Thirty ESL and FL teachers from Murfreesboro, eight states and two countries will learn a semester of Spanish in one week in an accelerated method of teaching by Blaine Ray. Media welcomed to observe a session by prior arrangement.

For comment, contact Thomas at 615-898-5757.
shthomas@mtsu.edu
To visit class, call Tom Tozer, NPA office, at 615-898-2919.

Aiming high and soaring!

Today it's up, up and away at the Murfreesboro Airport (8:30 a.m.), research sessions, Socratic seminars--then tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. off to Huntsville, Ala., to tour the Marshall Space Flight Center (back at 5:30 p.m.)--a full day for the 40 African-American teens from across Tennessee who are participating in MTSU's Summer Discovery Institute. With campus projects, experiments and off-campus field trips, this week will open the doors to higher education for many minority youngsters and their parents--doors that otherwise might remain closed forever. Promoting higher education to minority students is what this week is all about, says Dr. Debra Sells, associate vice president, academic support services.

Contact Sells at 615-898-5342
dsells@mtsu.edu
or Dr. Paul Craig, aerospace chair, at 615-898-2788.
pcraig@mtsu.edu
Call 615-898-2919 for a daily schedule. Media welcomed.

Looking for treasures

Rutherford County will be 200 years old later this year. MTSU's Albert Gore Research Center, a repository of numerous collections that reflect local and state history, has launched a project to collect oral histories as well as photos, diaries, letters and personal papers that capture the memories of people from all walks of life in Rutherford CountyÑall of which will play a role in the Oct. 25 Heritage Festival. The Center is open to the public and media are welcomed.

For details, contact Dr. Lisa Pruitt, director, lpruitt@mtsu.edu
or Betty Rowland, oral history assistant, browland@mtsu.edu
at 615-898-2632.

MTSU UPLINK TODAY AT 10 A.M.

More than 500 high school young women are on campus for the 57th Volunteer Girls State. Julia Wells, director, comments on what it means to the participants. Katie Rieser, a graduate of Hume-Fogg Academic High School, who is outgoing VGS governor, talks about her experience over the past year.

TR EXTRA

TODAY at Volunteer Girls State at MTSU: Lana Seivers, commissioner of education, will speak at 10:30 a.m. in Tucker Theatre.
TOMORROW--Mayor Bill Purcell will speak at 9 a.m. in Tucker. For a schedule of the week's events, contact Kathy Hendrickson, Julia Wells or Sherry Bishop at 615-898-4110 or 615-898-3629. Visit http://www.volunteergirlsstate.org. Media welcomed.
NOW THROUGH JULY 3 at MTSU--National Youth Sports Program is sponsoring a program for at-risk kids ages 10 to 16. Contact Dr. Dianne Bartley, MTSU chair of the HPERS department and program director at 615-898-2890. Media welcomed.