Thursday, October 28, 2010

[174] Ricketts' Historic Nov. 1 Drive Across Tennessee Fueled By Sun and Hydrogen from Water

Release date: Oct. 28, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Second contact: Dr. Cliff Ricketts, 615-898-2430 (office), 615-308-7605 (cell)
or srickett@mtsu.edu

Ricketts’ Historic Nov. 1 Drive Across Tennessee
Fueled By Sun and Hydrogen from Water


(MURFREESBORO) — When it comes to alternative fuels, Dr. Cliff Ricketts considers himself a modern-day Davy Crockett – “a frontiersman with energy” who has “blazed a trail with ethanol, blazed a trail with hydrogen and blazed a trail with sun and water,” he says.
This Monday, Nov. 1, Ricketts, a 34-year agriscience professor at Middle Tennessee State University, will blaze a unique, 500-plus mile trail across Tennessee.
Ricketts will drive a specially adapted 1994 Toyota Tercel from Bristol, Va., to West Memphis, Ark. The fuel for the journey: the sun and hydrogen from water.
“My whole passion is sun and water,” says Ricketts, who has had a career of alternative-fuel high-water marks. “I believe accomplishing this feat will have the following implications: A cleaner environment because of clean tailpipe emissions from the vehicle, energy self-sufficiency and renewability, less dependency on foreign oil and less of a trade imbalance because of the purchase of foreign oil, etc.”
Ricketts firmly believes he could make the one-day drive from near Blacksburg, Va., to Little Rock, Ark., about one-fourth the distance across the U.S., with only one refueling stopover at MTSU in Murfreesboro.
Traveling mostly by Interstate (I-81, I-40 and I-24), the Tercel, called “a third backup” by Ricketts because a 2008 Toyota Prius is in Reno, Nev., being adapted to run on hydrogen and a 1995 Chevrolet Vlazer (a cross between a Volt and a Blazer) is sidelined by low batteries (it takes 26 altogether to run), will travel at approximately 58 mph.
Ricketts says the Tercel is nicknamed “Forces of Nature.”
“In what may be one of the most historic events since the flight of the Wright Brothers in 1903, we will drive the car across the state more than 500 miles on two forces of nature, the sun and water,” he says. “With this system, every commuter could drive on sun and hydrogen from water as the energy sources.”
Joining Ricketts, who holds bachelor’s (’70) and master’s (’73) degrees from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate (’82) from Ohio State University, on this mission is Jo Borck, a Canada native and hydrogen expert. Borck attended MIT and graduated from Washington State University with a mechanical-engineering degree.
“He is one of the top five hydrogen people in the world,” Ricketts says of Borck, whose knowledge of the hydrogen compression system and the computer timing mechanism have proven invaluable in the five years they have worked together and with Ricketts’ students.
How does the engine run off sun and water? Ricketts says the MTSU solar unit provides DC electricity, which is converted into AC electric, and it goes into the grid line. “In essence, the MTSU system is doing the same thing as a hydro dam or coal-powered unit,” he says.
“…In order to produce hydrogen, tap water is de-ionized and then sent to a solid polymer electrolysis unit,” he adds. “When the electrolysis unit is running, it uses the stored solar produced by electricity. … This system is a result of using TVA’s Green Power Switch Generation Partners Program. Next, the hydrogen comes out at 200 psi’s and goes into two, 500-gallon storage tanks and then compressed to 6,000 psi’s. The vehicle is then filled with hydrogen. It has two, 4.2 kilogram tanks (5,000 psi’s per tank). The vehicle is adapted and equipped to get a 370-mile range.
Ricketts’ ultimate applied science research goal: To drive from coast to coast, hopefully in 2011, using only 10 gallons of gasoline.
Ricketts and his wife, Nancy, live in Mt. Juliet. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Brentwood, Tenn.-based Tractor Supply Co. is Ricketts’ primary off-campus sponsor. Other key sponsors include the MTSU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the College of Basic and Applied Sciences.

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Media note: To talk to Dr. Cliff Ricketts before, during or after the Bristol-to-West Memphis, Ark., ride, please call him at 615-308-7605 (cell) or contact Randy Weiler in MTSU News and Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[173] Guest Lecturer Talks Trash On Next 'MTSU On The Record'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 27, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

GUEST LECTURER TALKS TRASH ON NEXT ‘MTSU ON THE RECORD’
Prominent ‘Garbologist’ Sifts through Society’s Discards to Learn More About Us

(MURFREESBORO) - Dr. William L. Rathje, an expert on the archaeology of modern garbage, will be the guest on the next edition of “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 31 on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Rathje will speak at MTSU’s Undergraduate Social Science Symposium at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building. His topic will be “Our Garbage Dilemma from the Perspective of an Anthropologist.” This event is free and open to the public.
A professor at the University of Arizona, Rathje is also founder and director of The Garbage Project, which conducts archaeological studies of modern refuse. Since 1973, The Garbage Project has studied fresh refuse to document household-level food waste, diet and nutrition, recycling and discard of hazardous wastes.
Rathje’s current research and public policy focus is on source reduction. He serves as technical consultant to ULS (Use Less Stuff), which promotes itself as “the newsletter of source reduction.”
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[172] Nationally Renowned Expert Speaks On Childhood Obesity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

NATIONALLY RENOWNED EXPERT SPEAKS ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY
MTSU Center Hosts Dr. David Bassett on Tragically Timely Health Care Topic

(MURFREESBORO) –Dr. David Bassett, professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies and Director of the Center for Physical Activity at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.
Bassett will speak about “Packing on the Pounds: Time Trends in Physical Activity and Diet in American Children.” This address is free and open to the public.
A prolific researcher and sought-after speaker, Bassett has written more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and 11 book chapters focusing on physical activity and energy expenditure and the use of pedometers and accelerometers to measure walking activity in various populations, including the Amish.
A fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, Bassett has served on the ACSM Board of Trustees and the Science Advisory Board of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He also is an Active Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.
The MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health is presenting Bassett’s talk as part of its fall 2010 Distinguished Lecture Series in Youth Fitness and Sport. For more information, contact Dr. Don Morgan at 615-898-5549 or dmorgan@mtsu.edu.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[171] Hardeman County Farm Joins Ranks Of State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2010
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


HARDEMAN COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Keller-Blanton Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—The Keller-Blanton Farm, located in Hardeman County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in production continuously for at least 100 years.
The history of the railroad in West Tennessee was an important part of the life of William Clifton and Alma Blalock Keller, founders of the Keller-Blanton Farm. Born in Toone, Tenn., in 1877, Clifton remembered seeing engineer Casey Jones and hearing the famous whistle of his train. Clifton moved to Whiteville with his father and brothers and sisters after their mother died. Alma Blalock was born in 1880 near Whiteville. When about 8 years old, she remembered seeing men working on the railroad with horse and mule teams. She rode a flat car behind a train engine to Cooley’s Crossing, where the railroad intersected with the old road from Bolivar to Whiteville and on to Somerville through Cooley’s farm which she and her husband would purchase in 1908.
The couple had four children, two of whom survived to adulthood. On 108 acres, the family raised corn, cotton, wheat, hogs, cattle, tomatoes, potatoes and hay. Clifton built the family home in 1912, along with a barn and silo with stables for mules and horses and a dairy for a Jersey herd, a house to store sweet potatoes and a shop with a forge over the years. In 1923, Highway 64 was built through the farm. During the 1930s, Clifton purchased 100 more acres, and in 1938, one of the farms biggest changes, electricity, occurred, allowing Clifton to purchase electric milkers for his dairy cows. After Clifton purchased his first tractor, he stopped raising mules.
In 1946, Clifton and Alma passed the land to their son, Clifford Eugene Keller. He and his wife, Hazel Bowman Keller, along with the elder Kellers, were charter members of the Hardeman County Farm Bureau. Clifford and Hazel had two children, Barbara and Jean. The family raised cotton, corn, soybeans, strawberries, squash, wheat, hay and Holstein and Jersey cattle. Also a progressive farmer, Clifford participated in land-conservation practices and won the owner-operator division of the Save/Enrich Our Soil Contest in Hardeman County. During the New Deal days in the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps terraced the land, and Clifford also built ponds to stop erosion.
In 1982, Clifton and Alma’s granddaughter, Barbara Blanton, and her husband, Charles Gordon Blanton, acquired 250 acres of the original farm. Charles also owns a farm near Toone that belonged to his great-grandfather, Steven Hardy Gibson. In total, the couple owns 1,400 acres of farm and timber. Barbara and Charles have two sons, Leland Keller and Charles Dana. Charles occupies the founders’ house and raises corn and beans on the farm.
Barbara, Hazel and Alma represent three generations of membership in the local Home Demonstration Club. The matriarch of the family, Alma, died in 1977 at age 97, having seen both railroad and highways built in Hardeman County. The Keller-Blanton Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Hardeman County and is linked historically to the Albert Lloyd Keller Century Farm in Toone, which was established by John Keller of North Carolina in 1870. One of his sons, Abraham, was the father of William Clifton Keller.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program. For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[170] Hickman County Farm Joins Ranks Of State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2010
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


HICKMAN COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Prince Lane Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— Prince Lane Farm, located in Hickman County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in production continuously for at least 100 years.
Farms established in 1910 are now eligible to become Century Farms, and that designation applies to Prince Lane Farm, which was established by Joe Tyler Prince in September 1910. His father, Owen Alexander Prince, bought the farm for him and each of his seven children. Joe and his wife, Mary Jane Whiteside Prince, had 10 children, seven of whom survived to adulthood. Joe built on to an existing two-room cabin with a central dog trot by adding an upstairs and a room to the rear that served as a kitchen and eating space. On 130 acres, the family raised corn, hay, cattle, hogs, sheep, turkeys and chickens and had a small garden for the household needs. In 1919, Mary Jane purchased a piano from Sears and Roebuck. To make the $5 monthly payments, she sold eggs.
When Joe became ill, his sons Edwin and Edward assumed the farm work at a relatively early age. After Joe’s death in 1941, Mary Jane, along with her daughters, crocheted, knitted, embroidered, quilted and made their own clothes. Mary Jane quilted 10 quilts for her family, seven for her children and three for her three oldest grandchildren. Both she and her daughter, Annie Prince, were members of the Piney Home Demonstration Club and entered quilts, pies and cakes in the Hickman County Fair.
After the death of Mary Jane, the land passed to Edwin A. Prince and his wife, Blanche; Annie Prince; and grandson Edwin Wayne Prince and his wife Jewell. Edwin Wayne had three children, Jane Ambrose-Herron, Tabby Plunkett and John Prince. On 130 acres, they continued to raise hay, corn and soybeans and operate a cow/calf operation.
During the next 15 years, Edwin Wayne acquired the land owned by his parents and his aunt. By 1988, he owned all 130 acres of the original farm of Joe Tyler Prince as well as an additional 220 acres. Edwin and Jewell remain very active on the farm, tending to the cattle and other daily chores. They also raise hogs, sheep, chickens, corn, soybeans and hay.
Their children were very active in farm life as well. Jane was a 4-H state champion in 1983 and in 1984 and earned a trip to the World Poultry Conference in Helsinki, Finland. Attending the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, she received a degree in food science and technology. After graduation, she returned to Centerville.
Tabby was a 4-H winner in the swine project in 1989. She also showed hogs and steers and had a small herd of ewes from which she produced market lambs for showing. Like her sister, she also attended UT-Knoxville, where she excelled in dairy foods-judging, winning first place at the 1994 National Collegiate Dairy Foods Judging Competition. In 2002, she went back to college at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, where she earned a master’s degree in library and information science. She now works with the Hickman County School System.
John was very active in citizenship, leadership, swine, poultry, beef and lamb projects. He raised and produced the state grand champion hog in 1991. He, too, attended UT-Knoxville and earned a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 2005; he now works for the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
There are several old structures standing on the Prince Lane Farm. The original house of Joe Tyler Prince remains standing and is used for storage. Joe Tyler Prince built a barn in 1919 that is used by the family for horses, mules and cattle. Also on the farm, which overlooks the Piney River, is a buggy shed dating to pre-automobile days. In the flood of May 2010 water rose to four feet in the shed.
The farm gets its name from the road built by Edward and Edwin Prince. With no equipment available at the time (1927), the twins built the road by means of a flip scoop and a team of mules. Prince Lane Farm is the 18th Century Farm to be certified in Hickman County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program. For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org.The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[169] Nov. 2 MTSU Lecture Tackles America's Counterinsurgency Efforts

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Robert Hunt, 615-898-2536; Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

NOV. 2 MTSU LECTURE TACKLES AMERICA’S COUNTERINSURGENCY EFFORTS
Author/Professor to Explain Military’s Way of Waging War

(MURFREESBORO)—Dr. Conrad C. Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, will speak at MTSU on Tuesday, Nov. 2, on “America’s Counterinsurgency War: Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Crane’s address is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building (Room S102). The lecture is free and is open to the general public and will be followed by a question-and-answer period.
Crane is the lead author of the current Army-U.S. Marine Corps counterinsurgency field manual, released in December 2006. In November 2007, he visited Iraq at the request of Gen. David Petraeus to evaluate the policy in action.
When the manual was released, Crane told Military.com that warring nations will continue resorting to insurgencies because they cannot take on the U.S. military in conventional warfare. "Enemies will make us fight these kinds of wars until we get them right," Crane told Military.com. "Then they'll switch."
A counterinsurgency campaign must take into account the needs of the surrounding community and the warring factions as well as the history and culture of the area, Crane noted then, adding that the military can no longer rely on traditional conflict rules and practices.
A veteran of 26 years of military service, including nine years as a professor of history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Crane holds a bachelor’s degree from West Point and master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University. He has written or edited books on the Civil War, World War I, World War II and Korea and has published articles on military issues in such journals as The Journal of Strategic Studies, The Journal of Military History, The Historian and Aerospace Historian as well as in a number of collections and reference books.
Crane’s lecture is part of the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Series and is presented under the joint sponsorship of the Departments of History and Political Science, the College of Liberal Arts and the Society for Military History.
For more information about the lecture, contact Dr. Robert Hunt, professor of history at MTSU, at 615-898-2536.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: Dr. Conrad C. Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, will speak at MTSU on Tuesday, Nov. 2, on “America’s Counterinsurgency War: Iraq and Afghanistan.” Crane’s address is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building (Room S102). The lecture is free and is open to the general public and will be followed by a question-and-answer period. Crane is the lead author of the current Army-U.S. Marine Corps counterinsurgency field manual, released in December 2006, and a veteran of 26 years of military service, including nine years as a professor of history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. For more information about the lecture, contact Dr. Robert Hunt, professor of history at MTSU, at 615-898-2536.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: If you’d like a color JPEGs of Dr. Crane to accompany this release, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs before 3 p.m. via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!

[168] Support MTSU Art Scholarships At Seasonal Exhibit And Sale Nov. 3-4

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Eric Snyder, 615-898-2455; Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

SUPPORT MTSU ART SCHOLARSHIPS AT SEASONAL EXHIBIT AND SALE NOV. 3-4
Exhibitions by Fine Arts Degree Candidates Also Planned

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s Department of Art is continuing its successful Art Scholarship Seasonal Exhibit and Sale with another fundraising event set for Nov. 3-4.

The exhibit and sale, begun in fall 2008 as a effort to raise funds for various scholarships within the department, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 3 and 4.

The works included in the exhibit and sale have been collected from art department faculty members, staff, students, alumni and friends in the community, organizers said.

"This is our third annual sale to promote Department of Art Scholarships. It promises to be our best yet," said Dr. Jean Nagy, department chair.

Continuing in the original vein of donors’ choice, funds from the sale of each piece will go to a scholarship fund designated by each artwork’s donor.

Current art scholarships include:

• the Hester Rogers Ray Scholarship for art-education students;
• the Charles Massey Scholarship for second-semester studio-art majors;
• the Dr. Charles Brandon Scholarship for studio-art majors;
• the John and Elva Griffin Scholarship for incoming freshmen majoring in art;
• the Jill Montgomery Scholarship for art-history majors;
• the David LeDoux Scholarship for studio-art majors;
• the Ollie Fancher Scholarship for graphic-design majors;
• the Lon Nuell Scholarship for incoming freshmen majoring in art; and
• the Department of Art Scholarships for art majors.

The department also will feature exhibitions of work by Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidates throughout November and December in the Todd Gallery. BFA Studio 1 artists will be on exhibit Nov. 8-12, while BFA Studio 2 artists will exhibit their work Nov. 15-19 and BFA Studio 3 artists will be on exhibit Nov. 29-Dec. 3.

Opening receptions for the three exhibits are planned on each exhibit’s opening day (Nov. 8, 15 and 29) from 6 to 8 p.m. All the BFA exhibits will be open during the Todd Gallery’s regular operating hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more information on the scholarship exhibit and sale or the BFA degree candidates’ exhibits, call 615-898-2455.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s Department of Art is continuing its successful Art Scholarship Seasonal Exhibit and Sale with another fundraising event set for Nov. 3-4. The exhibit and sale, begun in fall 2008 as a effort to raise funds for various scholarships within the department, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 3 and 4. The department also will feature exhibitions of work by Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidates throughout November and December in the Todd Gallery. BFA Studio 1 artists will be on exhibit Nov. 8-12, while BFA Studio 2 artists will exhibit their work Nov. 15-19 and BFA Studio 3 artists will be on exhibit Nov. 29-Dec. 3. For more information on the scholarship exhibit and sale or the BFA degree candidates’ exhibits, call 615-898-2455.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

[167] MTSU Human Sciences Students Give Peace Felt A Chance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU HUMAN SCIENCES STUDENTS GIVE PEACE FELT A CHANCE
Felters in U.S., Netherlands, Great Britain Shape Fabric to Convey Pacifist Message

(MURFREESBORO) – Brilliantly colored, soft, fuzzy mobiles recently arrived from the United Kingdom at MTSU’s Ellington Human Sciences Building. These connected fabric swatches also connect artisans who share a desire for less violence and warfare in the world, giving a new meaning to the phrase “soft power.”
Thirteen students in the Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program in the Department of Human Sciences received the felt crafts from their giving partner, The Herd Arts Drive, as part of Peace Felt 2010. The organization was created to promote love and peace through textile art.
It was MTSU’s first year of participation in the project, and Assistant Professor Nancy Oxford intends to make sure it will be an ongoing endeavor.
“You could just see how it made (her students) feel good to give without any expectations,” Oxford says.
To celebrate Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace as designated by the United Nations, the MTSU students made their own felt peace crafts for their receiving partner, Atelier Filt, in the Netherlands. The concept is designed to a continuous circle of peace and brotherhood that has no beginning and no end.
“We could have done a huge piece altogether, but we thought it would be nice that each student did a representative square,” Oxford says. “Then, when we sent them to the Netherlands, we gave them some ideas. They could frame them individually. They could sew them together and make a big wall hanging. So we sort of left that open to our receiving partners.”
Each student in Oxford’s class was instructed to select a country and research symbols that represent peace in that country’s native language. Some of the nations represented in the students’ works include Japan, Russia, China, and Ireland, and Oxford says they had fun manipulating the felt to express their sentiments.
“Felt is the only fiber that can completely go from fiber to a fabric, bypassing the yarn stage,” Oxford says. “With a little heat, a little moisture and a little agitation, you can actually … entangle the fibers.”
Oxford says not only do the students create their own natural dyes, but they also work with fibers from sheep, alpacas, llamas and angora rabbits, as well as human hair and dog hair. Among their creations are cocktail hats, scarves and wall hangings.


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“Not only are they participating in these fun projects, at the same time, they’re learning about science, how dyes react with different protein fibers and different cellulosic fibers, how different types of dyes react with different types of fibers,” says Oxford.
They’ll also be learning how to learn how to market their creativity and other business aspects of the craft when Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid visits the class from 9:00-11:05 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, in Room 112 of the Ellington Building.
Rockstad-Kincaid runs her business, Felt Good Fibers, out of her home in Silver Point, Tenn. An award-winning maker of wearable art and former schoolteacher in Putnam County, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the Appalachian Center for Craft, an art satellite campus of Tennessee Tech University.
Oxford says the felt craft works from Great Britain will hang in various locations in the Ellington Building at least through the end of the semester. For more information, contact Oxford at 615-898-5689 or noxford@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos of MTSU students making their Peace Felt items, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.



Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[166] MTSU Entrepreneurship Expert Discusses Business Growth

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 25, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

MTSU ENTREPRENEURSHIP EXPERT DISCUSSES BUSINESS GROWTH
Former CEO Doug Tatum Lends Knowledge of Real World Experience to Leaders

(MURFREESBORO) – Doug Tatum, associate professor in the MTSU Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship, will shed light on the topic “Too Big to be Small, Too Small to be Big: Navigating No Man’s Land” in a panel discussion before the Young Presidents’ Organization at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Austin, Tex.
Along with experienced CEOs, Tatum will provide insight on how to avoid hurdles during the time in a company’s development when its payroll grows from fewer than 20 employees to more than 100 workers.
Tatum, holder of the Wright Travel Chair in Entrepreneurship, is a recognized expert on the capital markets and entrepreneurial growth businesses. He has testified before Congress concerning financing issues faced by growing companies and tax policy.
The author of No Man’s Land: What to do when your company is too big to be small and too small to be big, Tatum was Chairman and CEO of Tatum LLC for more than 17 years, growing the company to the largest executive services consulting firm in the United States with more than 1,000 employees and professionals in 30 offices. He later served on the firm’s board and as Chairman Emeritus until the company merged with Spherion Corporation in early 2010.
Founded 60 years ago in New York, the Young Presidents’ Organization is an international network of 17,000 members providing peer mentors and education for young business leaders.
For more information about the event, call 512-796-3321 or send an e-mail to wendy@ypoaustin.com. Please RSVP by Monday, Nov. 1. To talk to Tatum about entrepreneurship in today’s economy, contact him at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Doug Tatum, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Friday, October 22, 2010

[164] MTSU Changes 'Exciting' for New Admissions, Enrollment Leader

Release date: Oct. 22, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Admissions/Enrollment contact: David Cicotello, 615-898-2239
or e-mail@mtsu.edu

MTSU Changes ‘Exciting’ for New Admissions, Enrollment Leader


(MURFREESBORO) — David Cicotello is finding “personal excitement” in joining the MTSU administrative staff as associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.
“Being part of this enterprise has been great,” Cicotello said. “I’m feeling welcomed, and the hospitality extended to me does not go unnoticed.”
Cicotello left the University of Nebraska at Omaha to join MTSU after a national search to replace longtime administrators Lynn Palmer and Sherian Huddleston. MTSU’s reorganization, via President Sidney A. McPhee’s “Positioning the University for the Future” plan, combined various aspects of admissions, enrollment services and financial aid, leading to changes in administrative tasks for the associate vice provost’s job.
Other staffing changes within the departments include naming Stephen White as the new financial-aid director, Teresa Thomas’ switch from Records Office director to director of enrollment technical systems and moving Cathy Kirchner to registrar from assistant director in the scheduling center.
“What’s exciting to me in the reorganization of this division (Student Affairs) and the ‘Positioning the University for the Future’ is that it’s not often we have these chances,” Cicotello said. “Plus, we have a new provost (Dr. Brad Bartel) and a new CIO (Bruce Petryshak). I’m very excited about being here.”
Along with the personnel changes, work on the new College of Education and student-union buildings is progressing rapidly on the east side of campus. Plans are in place for a new student-services building that will be a one-stop shop for prospective and current students.
“We already have the Campus Recreation Center, the Honors College building and the new entrance (off Rutherford Boulevard) on that side,” Cicotello said. “I’m enthusiastic about the prospects of creating an entrance to that side of campus and making that a positive first impression for visitors. We can show visitors ‘the new MTSU’ to go along with the historical side.”

The Pennsylvania native and other MTSU administrators are in the midst of an eight-city tour for student receptions and guidance-counselor luncheons. The one- and two-day trips include Chattanooga, Clarksville, Lynchburg-Shelbyville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Nashville, Jackson and Memphis.
“Our mission is to serve MTSU students and offer programs that serve students from around the region, state and world,” he said.
Cicotello has an English background, earning his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Kansas. He did doctoral work at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and “was a classroom professor for years” before venturing into higher-education administration.
He also is a baseball writer, co-editing a book about Forbes Field, former home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he recently co-authored Mysteries from Baseball’s Past with Angelo J. Louisa. He’s a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

###

Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of David Cicotello is available. To obtain, please contact Randy Weiler in News and Public Affairs by calling 615-898-5616 or 615-898-2919, or e-mail jweiler@mtsu.edu.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[163] Sunday Night China Cinema Returns to MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 22, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

SUNDAY NIGHT CHINESE CINEMA RETURNS TO MTSU
Movies Aim to Promote Greater Understanding of Chinese Culture

(MURFREESBORO) –The MTSU Sunday Night Chinese Film Festival, now in its 11th semester, will begin at 6 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 24, with a screening of “Aftershock” in Room 103 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building.
The movie depicts a family torn apart by the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed at least 240,000 people. A mother’s agonizing decision in the aftermath of that horror shapes the fate of her family for the next 32 years. The film, which was released just this past July, is the highest-grossing movie ever made in China.
Future offerings in the film festival include “Mountain Patrol,” the true story of volunteer rangers fighting to save the endangered Tibetan antelope from a band of ruthless poachers (Nov. 7); “Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles,” the tale of a Japanese fisherman battling language barriers and government red tape to complete his dying son’s documentary (Nov. 14); and “Go Lala Go!,” a romantic comedy about a white-collar worker’s transition from an office rookie into a human resources manager (Nov. 21).
Each film will start promptly at 6 p.m. in Mass Comm 103. Following each movie, Lieu Jue, a master’s degree candidate in the College of Mass Communication, will lead a question-and-answer session.
The Chinese Film Festival is co-sponsored by the College of Mass Communication and the Confucius Institute, a nonprofit organization established to strengthen educational cooperation between China and other countries. MTSU’s Confucius Institute was established in partnership with Hangzhou Normal University of China.
The movies are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the institute at 615-494-8696 or Dr. Robert Spires, professor of electronic media communication, at 615-898-2217.


--30—

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[162] National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is Oct. 24-30

Release date: Oct. 21, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
TALK contact: Leigh Woodcock, 865-244-4350 or woodcock@mtsu.edu

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is Oct. 24-30
TALK Official: ‘Even Low Levels of Lead in a Child’s Blood Can be Dangerous’

(MURFREESBORO) — Oct. 24-30 is designated by the U.S. Senate as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and MTSU’s Tennessee Alliance for Lead-safe Kids program wants people across the state to know the risks and take precautions.
“The only way to know of lead exposure is through a simple blood test, and even low levels of lead in a child’s blood can be dangerous,” said Leigh Woodcock, TALK/TN LEAP East coordinator in Knoxville.
“The target audience for TALK’s lead-poisoning prevention efforts is parents, but also anyone (child care or health care providers) who works with children under 6,” Woodcock said.
Effects of childhood lead poisoning can include lowered IQ points, developmental and growth delays, learning disabilities, violent and aggressive behavior and coma or even death, researchers have determined.
Unless they have been exposed to lead hazards, children should be tested at 12 and 24 months of age. Parents and guardians should talk to their pediatrician or local health department officials about any concerns, Woodcock said.
Children are exposed to lead through peeling and chipping paint in homes built before 1978; through lead dust from paint in homes built before 1978; through some older water pipes, mini blinds, imported toys, hobbies, home remedies and jewelry; and in utero (the uterus), where lead can be passed from the mother to her unborn child.
“There is a great concern for lead poisoning from imported goods, and rightly so, but many are unaware of the lead in their own homes that could poison their children,” Woodcock said. “It’s our goal at TALK and TN LEAP to help parents take the very simple steps to protect their kids.”
In Tennessee, more than 1 million homes were built before 1978, increasing the likelihood that lead-based paint hazards may exist, TALK and TN Leap officials report.
Housing and Urban Development grant programs at MTSU can assist families in various ways:
• TALK offers outreach and education about the dangers and prevention of childhood lead poisoning; and
• TN LEAP has grant funding to help identify and clean up lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 homes of those who qualify.
Childhood lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable, TALK and TN LEAP officials say. For information on how to protect your child or children in your care and request assistance, please call 865-244-4350 or go online to mtsu.edu/talk.

###

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[161] MTSU Distinguished Alumni to Be Recognized at Homecoming

Release date: Oct. 21, , 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Alumni Relations contact: Michelle Stepp, 615-898-2922 or mbstepp@mtsu.edu

MTSU Distinguished Alumni to Be Recognized at Homecoming


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU’s National Alumni Association has announced its Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients for 2010-11.
The Distinguished Alumni honorees include Mark Gwyn (Class of ’85), Professional Achievement; H.G. “Pete” Taylor (’60), Service to the Community; and Don (’64) and Hanna (’64) Witherspoon, Service to the University.
The Young Alumni Achievement recipient is Michael Latterell (’03).
All will be recognized during Homecoming 2010 activities this weekend. All but Gwyn will ride in the Homecoming Parade starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. Later, all will be featured as part of the MTSU vs. Louisiana-Monroe Sun Belt Conference football game activities. They will appear on the field with President Sidney A. McPhee and Beth Jones, Alumni Association president, between the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter of the game.
Gwyn, a McMinnville native now living in Nashville, is serving as Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for a second term. He has spent his entire career in public safety, including 22 years with the TBI. As the director, he has focused efforts on technology and drug-related crimes to increase the safety of Tennessee residents.
Taylor, a native of Woodbury and Cannon County who lives in Belton, Texas, has more than 33 years in the service to the U. S. Army. He has been tireless in his devotion to community service. His dedication to nonprofit organizations and higher education includes many organizations including the Texas Boy Scout Council, chamber of commerce, Coalition for Family Involvement, American Cancer Society, Food Care Center and many others. Taylor’s efforts have garnered much recognition including the naming of “Pete Taylor Day” in Killeen, Texas.
The Witherspoons chose to retire in Murfreesboro 10 years ago after lengthy careers in private industry. They since have dedicated their retirement to the betterment of MTSU through volunteering and holding leadership positions in the Alumni Association, Foundation, Blue Raider Athletic Association and other university departments as well as establishing the Rutherford County Alumni Scholarship.
Latterrell, a Nashville resident, has had a fast rise to success in the recording industry. He has had five Grammy nominations as an engineer, earning a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album with singer/song- writer Jim Lauderdale’s “The Bluegrass Diaries.” A recent project with Dailey & Vincent reached No. 1.
Next May, all five will be recognized again during spring commencement ceremonies.
The MTSU Alumni Association annually seeks and accepts nominations for the Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Achievement Awards. The selection is made from candidates who have distinguished themselves by a high level of service to their profession, their community and/or MTSU.

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Note: High-resolution jpeg photos of the honorees are available. To request, please contact Randy Weiler in the News and Public Affairs office by calling 615-898-5616 or call 615-898-2919.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[160] 'New Muslim Cool' Explores Islam Through Hip-Hop At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 21, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

‘NEW MUSLIM COOL’ EXPLORES ISLAM THROUGH HIP-HOP AT MTSU
Documentary Traces One Man’s Self-Reinvention Amid Post-9/11 Tensions

(MURFREESBORO) – Journalist, activist and political analyst Bakari Kitwana will lead a town hall meeting on the intersection of Islam, hip-hop and identity among a new generation of American youth with a panel discussion and viewing of the documentary film “The New Muslim Cool” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Room 221 of MTSU’s Learning Resources Center.
The 2009 film, which has been screened at the Sundance Film Festival and aired nationally on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), follows Puerto Rican rapper Hamza Perez as he steers away from his former life as a drug dealer and embraces Islam. Yet, as he rebuilds his life with a message of faith through hip-hop music, the FBI raids his mosque, challenging him to embark on an even deeper exploration of his religion, profiling, tolerance and American identity.
“New Muslim Cool” was an Official Selection of the Rooftop Film Festival and Lincoln Center Independents Night and the winner of the Freedom Award at the Al Jazeera International Film Festival.
Following the screening, Bakari Kitwana will moderate an interactive panel discussion about the film with Perez, the subject of the documentary, and Nura Maznavi, staff attorney with Muslim Advocates, a San Francisco-based nonprofit sister organization of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers and counsel for its Program to Combat Racial and Religious Profiling.
Perez is an artist, community activist and educator who works for a national nonprofit organization as a youth and jail counselor and as the vice principal of a private Islamic elementary school. He performs with his brother, Juan Suliman Perez, as part of the hip-hop group M-Team and the interfaith poetry project Crossing Limits.
Kitwana is Senior Media Fellow at The Jamestown Project, a think tank based at Harvard University Law School, and CEO of Rap Sessions: Community Dialogues on Hip-Hop, which conducts town hall meetings around the country on issues facing the hip-hop generation.
The author of four books, Kitwana’s most recent offering is this year’s Hip-Hop Activism in the Obama Era (Third World Press). He holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in English and education from the University of Rochester.


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MUSLIM
Add 1


This event is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Center for Popular Music, the MTSU Department of History, the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs, the MTSU School of Music and MTSU Student Programming.
For more information, contact Miyakawa at 615-904-8043 or miyakawa@mtsu.edu.

--30—


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

[159] Exhibit on Emancipation and Reconstruction in Tennessee Travels to Grand Junction

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 21, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Antoinette van Zelm, avanzelm@mtsu.edu or 615-217-8013


Exhibit on Emancipation and Reconstruction in Tennessee
Travels to Grand Junction

Murfreesboro, TN— “Free at Last! Emancipation and Reconstruction in Tennessee,” an exhibit created by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area will travel to Grand Junction, Tenn., this month.

The two panel exhibit emphasizes the significance of emancipation as a result of the Civil War and will go on view at the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction starting Oct. 20. It will be on display at least six weeks.

The small railroad town of Grand Junction has a significant Civil War history. In fall 1862 in Grand Junction, Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant established the first contraband camp in Tennessee open to all former slaves, not just able-bodied men. Hundreds of former slaves obtained shelter, clothing, food, employment, medical care and education at the camp.

The National Bird Dog Museum, which houses memorabilia of the sporting breeds and educates the public about sporting-dog activities, also chronicles Grand Junction’s history.

The exhibit calls attention to the agency of former slaves in bringing about their freedom.

“Freedom for former slaves was a key outcome of the Civil War, and it was in large part the slaves themselves who made it happen,” says Antoinette van Zelm, historian for the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area. “They took advantage of the presence of the occupying Union army to break down the bonds of slavery.”

“Free at Last!” provides an introduction to the joys and challenges shared by African-Americans in Tennessee in the aftermath of slavery. The exhibit has been traveling throughout the state since 2007.

The Reconstruction years were crucial to the development of African-American communities throughout Tennessee, as former slaves founded scores of schools and churches. “Free at Last” highlights some of the emancipation communities that are wonderfully preserved in our state.

The exhibit debuted in February 2007 at the 26th Annual Conference on African-American History and Culture at Tennessee State University in Nashville and has traveled to museums, schools and churches across the state since then.

The Heritage Area provides the exhibit to museums free of charge.

“Our goal is to tell the whole story of the Civil War and Reconstruction in Tennessee,” says Laura Holder, federal liaison for the Heritage Area. “These venues are terrific places to tell the emancipation story.”

The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area receives funding from the National Park Service and is administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.

The National Bird Dog Museum is located at 505 Highway 57 in Grand Junction. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free, though donations are accepted.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

###

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color JPEGs of the Emancipation Exhibit at Granville Museum please contact Antoinette van Zelm, via e-mail at avanzelm@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-217-8013. Thanks.

[158] Popular Television Series Subject of MTSU Professor's Talk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 21, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

POPULAR TELEVISION SERIES SUBJECT OF MTSU PROFESSOR’S TALK
Dr. David Lavery, Expert on ‘Buffy’ and ‘The Sopranos,’ Rediscovers ‘Lost’

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. David Lavery, professor of English at MTSU, will discuss “What was ‘Lost?’ Where Television’s Most Extraordinary Series Came From and Where it Took Us” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.
Lavery is the author, co-author, editor or co-editor of more than 20 books about television, two of which are about “Lost.” A 2006 winner of MTSU’s Distinguished Research Award, he has lectured on television in Australia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and Germany.
“Lost,” a prime-time, hour-long drama which aired on ABC from 2004-2010, depicts the lives of the survivors of a plane crash as they struggle to sustain themselves on an island somewhere in the South Pacific.
Lavery has organized conferences on “The Sopranos” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and is a founding co-editor of the journals Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies and Critical Studies in Television.
This event is presented by the James E. Walker Library and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kristen Keene at 615-898-5376 or kkeene@mtsu.edu.

--30--

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[157] 'Trash-Talking' Has New Meaning At MTSU Symposium Nov. 2-3

‘TRASH-TALKING’ HAS NEW MEANING AT MTSU SYMPOSIUM NOV. 2-3
Undergrads to Present Research, Hear ‘Garbology’ Guru and Oil-Spill Expert

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 20, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACTS: Dr. Brian Hinote, bhinote@mtsu.edu or 615-494-7914;
Dr. Meredith Dye, mdye@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2690

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU will be talking trash in the James Union Building, not in Murphy Center or Floyd Stadium, as the 19th Annual Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium gets under way Nov. 2-3.
“Talking Trash: Garbage in Society and the Environment” is the theme of this year’s symposium, which is highlighted by two special lectures:
• a keynote address, “The Garbology of Us,” on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from Dr. William L. Rathje, founder and director of The Garbage Project in Tucson, Ariz.; and
• a Senior Scholar’s Lecture, “Oil Spill Déjà Vu: Social Impacts of the BP Gulf Gusher and the Exxon Valdez Disaster,” on Wednesday, Nov. 3, by Dr. Duane A. Gill of Oklahoma State University.
Rathje, whose research and public presentations focus on the archaeology of modern garbage, will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Gill, who is part of a research team investigating the human impact of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as well as several other spills in recent years, will speak at 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday.
Both lectures will be held in the JUB’s Tennessee Room.
Program Committee Co-Chairs Dr. Meredith Dye and Dr. Brian Hinote said this year’s symposium promises to be a “lively gathering of student researchers and established scholars” that engages some of the most timely social and environmental issues of contemporary American society.
“We encourage student participation from across all corners of campus and the entire Middle Tennessee area, and in cooperation with many other faculty members and student organizations, are working diligently to make this an enjoyable and informative campus event by bringing leading researchers in the social sciences to MTSU,” Hinote said.
“But the symposium is really a celebration of student research and academics,” added Dye, “so come and join us in early November to enjoy the various activities that we have planned, but also to support student research as well.”
During his lecture, Rathje will explain:
• what foods and drinks we most misreport consuming;
• how our misunderstanding of foods affects our health;
• what biodegrades and what doesn’t in modern landfills and what’s taking up the most space there; and
• the easiest ways to decrease what we throw away.
An interview with Rathje is scheduled to air on “MTSU On the Record” on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 8 a.m. on WMOT-Jazz 89 and www.wmot.org.
Gill’s lecture will examine the social impact of the BP gusher by comparing the community of Bayou La Batre, Ala., with Cordova, Alaska. Both communities are renewable-resource communities, and their social and economic recovery is tied to restoration of damaged resources.
Also on Tuesday, a thematic panel on environmental issues and consumerism is set for 11:30 a.m. in the Tennessee Room, and a feature documentary, “Garbage: The Revolution Starts at Home,” will be screened at 4:15 p.m. The film by writer/director Andrew Nisker follows an average family as they save all the garbage they produce over three months, then discover how their single household affects the planet.
Student research-paper presentations are scheduled throughout the two-day symposium on a variety of social topics, including immigration, social problems, social and cultural theory, hate crimes, race and ethnicity, Appalachian studies, health and family, experiential learning in archaeological studies, and study abroad. All social-science paper submissions are welcome.
The symposium is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Series, the College of Graduate Studies, the University Honors College, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Students for Environmental Action, the MTSU Sociology Club, the Middle Tennessee Anthropology Society and student activity fees.
All events are open to the public and are free.
For more information on the symposium, please contact Hinote at bhinote@mtsu.edu or 615-494-7914 or Dye in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at mdye@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2690. You also may visit the symposium website at www.mtsu.edu/soc/socsymp/index.shtml.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

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IN BRIEF: MTSU will be talking trash in the James Union Building as the 19th Annual Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium gets under way Nov. 2-3, featuring lectures from Arizona “garbology” guru Dr. William J. Rathje and oil-spill expert Dr. Duane A. Gill of Oklahoma. Rathje, whose research and public presentations focus on the archaeology of modern garbage, will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Gill, who is part of a research team investigating the human impact of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as well as several other spills in recent years, will speak at 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday. Both lectures will be held in the JUB’s Tennessee Room and are free and open to the public. Student research-paper presentations also are scheduled throughout the two-day symposium on a variety of social topics. For more information about the symposium, visit www.mtsu.edu/soc/socsymp/index.shtml or call 615-494-7914.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color JPEGs of Rathje and Gill, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling
615-898-5385.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

[156] Cocke County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

COCKE COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Heritage Farms Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—Heritage Farms, located in Cocke County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who continuously have owned and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years.
Parrottsville, one of the oldest communities in the state, was settled during the 1780s by a group of German immigrants. Decades later, in 1849, William Boyer established a farm of 294 acres near this community. He and his wife, Sara, had 11 children and raised beef cattle, chickens, corn, wheat, hay and tobacco. According to the family, “The house was built in 1854 and a special room in the attic was floored to hide goods.” This room would be used during the Civil War as armies moved through the area confiscating supplies.
Emma, a daughter of William and Sara, and husband Moten Sparks acquired the farm in 1893. The couple had three children and continued to raise many of the same crops and livestock, but the Sparks cleared more land.
In 1976, Billy Sparks, the great-grandson of the founders, acquired 100 acres. He and his wife Patricia continue the farming traditions of his ancestors but primarily raise beef cattle and hay. Billy Sparks worked for Farm Bureau as a sales representative and is still a member. He also served as chairman of the State Agriculture Committee for 12 years. The Sparks advise that a hand-dug well, rock-laid and 94 feet deep, is still in use today as is the 1850s farmhouse.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at P.O. Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[155] Greene County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

GREENE COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Redland Farm II Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—Redland Farm II, located in Greene County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who continuously have owned and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years.
In 1852, William Hutton purchased 213 acres of land from James D. McBride. He and his wife, Nancy Clark Hutton, had a large family of eleven children, and the family raised wheat, corn, tobacco, chickens, hogs and cows.
Fifty-six years later, in 1908, Charles and George Hutton, two sons of the founding couple, became the owners. George and wife Dana Sauls Hutton had no children, so he gave his share of the farm to his nieces and nephews. Charles married Bessie Ottinger and they had five children.
In 1947, Leona [Hutton] Lauderdale acquired the land from her father and uncle. She and her husband, William Alexander Lauderdale, had one daughter, Barbara. Leona and William owned 43 of the original 213 acres on which they raise Angus beef cattle and pasture land.
In 1995, more than 140 years after the founding of the Redland Farm II, the current owner, Barbara Belcher, and husband Carl own the property. Barbara is the great-granddaughter of the founders, William and Nancy. They live on the farm with their daughter, Rebecca, son-in-law Rick Tipton, and grandson Joseph. Barbara and Carl are very active on their 43 acres and raise Angus and pasture just as her parents did. Carl has been a director of the Greene County Farm Bureau for the past 19 years. The Belchers also own Redland Century Farm (founded 1881). Barbara inherited farms from both her mother and father and the two are in close proximity.


Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at P.O. Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.



Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[154] Henry County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

HENRY COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S
CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Carter Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—The Carter Farm, located in Gibson County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who continuously have owned and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years.
In the years before women could vote or hold property, unless inherited, it was somewhat unusual for a woman to purchase land in her own name. In 1897, however, Mrs. Martha F. Carter bought “120 acres and 88 poles” of land from H. B. Sweeney for $595.00, of which she paid $125 in cash at the time of purchase. Married to John Spencer Carter, Martha had four children.
In November of 1911, Martha’s children, C. I., J. T., Mary E. and Lillie M. acquired the farm and raised hogs, cattle and corn. During the next 40 years, C.I. purchased most of the land from the other heirs. Charles and wife Hattie were the parents of Charles, Earl and Inez.
In 1967, Earl Carter and wife Fay received 110.5 acres of the farm. Earl passed away in 2009, leaving Fay as the sole owner. With the help of nephews Don and Grant Norwood and daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Reed Rose, who also live on the farm with son Mike Rose, Fay raises hogs, cattle, corn, soybeans and wheat. Like the founder, Martha Carter, Fay Carter is active in the management of her farm.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at P.O. Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[153] Warren County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

WARREN COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S
CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Loafers Rest Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—Loafers Rest Farm, located in Warren County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who continuously have owned and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years.
Warren County, named after General Joseph Warren, the first general killed in the American Revolution, was established in 1807. Originally consisting of 900 square miles, it was reduced to 433 by the creation of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, and Buren and Grundy counties. For the sum of $250, George Hulett purchased 130 acres of land in Warren County in 1888 “on the waters of Barren Fork of Collins River.”He and his wife, Ann Hulett, had two children, Margie and Leslie, and raised corn, hay, hogs, cows and horses.
More than 50 years later, Loyd Burks, grandson of the founder and son of Margie Burks, acquired the land from the heirs. In 1961, for the price of $1, Loyd’s wife, Roscie Deans Burks, purchased one half interest of the farm to make her an equal owner. The couple had one daughter, Jewel Dean. By this time, the farm had increased to 210 acres. Loyd, Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year for 1988, raises hay and Black Angus cattle, and lives on the farm today.
In 2009, Jewel acquired 100 acres of the original farm established by George Hulett. She and her husband, Kenneth Medlen, also raise hay and Black Angus cattle with the help of their two children, Becky and Tracey. Three generations of the family carry on the traditions begun more than 120 years ago.
Loafers Rest is the sixth Century Farm to be certified in Warren County.
Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at P.O. Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.




Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[152] MTSU Steppers Put Best Feet Forward In Annual Step Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 19, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Angela King, 615-898-5812

MTSU STEPPERS PUT BEST FEET FORWARD IN ANNUAL STEP SHOW
Theatricality, Precision, Originality Characterize Toe-Tapping Extravaganza

(MURFREESBORO) – Members of seven Greek organizations will step lively for prizes and pride at the annual homecoming week Step Show presented by the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, at MTSU’s Murphy Center.
The teams will perform intricately designed and rehearsed routines that will be judged in the categories of complexity, creativity, synchronization, crowd interaction and other criteria. The first place fraternity and sorority winners will receive $1,000 each, and the second place fraternity and sorority will get $500 each. An additional $500 will be awarded to either the first place fraternity or the first place sorority for the best overall performance.
“Groups spend at least half of the year planning their performances and rehearse from three to six months in advance,” says NPHC President Ashlee Gray. “They put forth great effort to perfect their routines and be synchronized.”
Fraternities competing this year include Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Iota Phi Theta and Phi Beta Sigma. Sororities in the contest are Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Delta Sigma Theta.
Admission for this year’s MTSU Step Show is $12 in advance at the Murphy Center Gate A ticket office through Thursday, Oct. 21, or $15 on the day of the show. Only cash will be accepted. All proceeds benefit NPHC leadership activities. For more information, contact Angela King, director of the MTSU Office of Greek Affairs, at 615-898-5812 or anking@mtsu.edu.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos from prior years’ step shows, contact Gina Logue in the MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[151] Military Guidelines Author Discusses Warfare On WMOT-FM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 19, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081, or WMOT-FM, 615-898-2800

MILITARY GUIDELINES AUTHOR DISCUSSES WARFARE ON WMOT-FM
Director of U.S. Army Military History Institute Guest on ‘MTSU on the Record’

(MURFREESBORO) – Dr. Conrad Crane, director of the United States Army Military History Institute, will discuss the development and application of a new counterinsurgency doctrine to guide military leaders at 8 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 24, on “MTSU on the Record” with host Gina Logue on WMOT-FM (89.5 and wmot.org).
Crane, who is slated to speak at MTSU on Tuesday, Nov. 2, was the lead author for the new Army-U.S. Marine Corps counterinsurgency manual, which was released in December 2006. In November 2007, he visited Iraq at the request of Gen. David Petraeus to evaluate the new doctrine in action.
A veteran of 26 years of military service, Crane holds a bachelor’s degree from the U. S. Military Academy and master’s and doctorate degrees from Stanford University.
To listen to previous programs, go to http://www.mtsu.edu/news/podcast/podcast2010.shtml. For more information about “MTSU on the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[150] Cups Runneth Over With Compassion In Students' Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 18, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Teresa Robinson, 615-898-2156, or Penny Bolton, 615-
890-0415

CUPS RUNNETH OVER WITH COMPASSION IN STUDENTS’ PROJECT
Fashion Students at MTSU Design ‘Bras for a Cause’ to Fund Cancer Research

(MURFREESBORO) – The Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program at MTSU will hold a celebration party for the “Bras for a Cause” campaign from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in the Georgetown Park Shopping Center, across the parking lot from Penny’s Closet, 1602 West Northfield Blvd in Murfreesboro.
Students in Dr. Teresa Robinson’s introductory fashion courses have lent their creative efforts to this activity to support research during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bras are on display at Penny’s Closet, where customers are invited to vote for their favorites with donations of $1 each. The top 13 bras will be published in a 2011 calendar, which will be available for purchase next month.
At the celebration party, voting will continue and winners will be announced. There also will be a silent auction consisting of items and services donated by local businesses. All proceeds will go to benefit cancer research.
For more information, contact Dr. Teresa Robinson at 615-898-2156 or trobinso@mtsu.edu or Penny Bolton at 615-890-0415 or pennybolton@comcast.net.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

[149] 'Bright Lights, Blue City': Alumni, Students Await MTSU Homecoming Oct. 23

Release date: Oct. 18, 2010

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Alumni Relations contact: Rhonda King, 615-898-2922 or rking@mtsu.edu
SGA contact: Rhonda King, 615-898-2922 or rking@mtsu.edu

‘Bright Lights, Blue City’: Alumni, Students
Await MTSU Homecoming Oct. 23


(MURFREESBORO) — Something for everyone—from Baby Raiders to Golden Raiders—will be on tap for MTSU’s 2010 Homecoming, culminating with the Saturday, Oct. 23, football game against Louisiana-Monroe in Floyd Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. for the Sun Belt Conference game.
Of special interest earlier in the day will be the 25th anniversary celebration for the Center for Popular Music from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building.
Student homecoming activities will include:
• the Fight Song competition for student organizations on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. in Murphy Center;
• T-shirt Swap Days Oct. 20-22;
• “Paint the Halls Blue” activities in residence halls and office buildings;
• Horseshoe competition, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. at the Campus Recreation Center;
• the National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show, which will be held in Murphy Center on Friday, Oct. 22, starting at 7 p.m.;
• the Homecoming Parade, featuring Grand Marshal Lane Davies, an alumnus of the Class of 1972, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The parade begins on Maney Avenue, follows East Main Street to Middle Tennessee Boulevard and ends at Greenland Drive; and
• the crowning of the Homecoming Queen and King, elected during the Oct. 5-7 Student Government Association voting.
Children and grandchildren of alumni, employees, students and friends of the university are invited to participate in the parade by walking, being pulled in a stroller or wagon or riding a tricycle in the Baby Raider Ride Contest. Baby Raiders must be accompanied by an adult and will enter the parade at the Alumni House.
Three divisions—alumni and friends, restaurants and students—will compete in the Chili Cook-Off on Friday, Oct. 22, starting at 5 p.m. in the Murphy Center Forest. A corn hole competition will be held at the same time and location.
Alumni activities include:
• the Golden Raider Reunion and Induction Ceremony on Friday, starting at 2 p.m., where the Class of 1960 will be saluted;
• the annual Mixer on Middle Parade-Watching Party Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and featuring commentary from the “Voice of the Blue Raiders,” Chip Walters, and fellow alumna Nancy Van Camp of WSMV-Channel 4;
• a reunion of former Sidelines staff members, set for Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. in the Brass Mass Communication Building;
• the Alumni Reunion Tailgate Tent Oct. 23 starting at noon, along with the 1963-98 Political Science Alumni Tailgate, the Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae/Collegiate Tailgate and a multitude of other gatherings in Walnut Grove and the area around Murphy Center after the parade;
• Concrete Industry Management tailgating at the Voorhies Engineering Technology Building;
• a reunion of the 1959 and 1961 Tangerine Bowl football teams and Varsity Club reception on Oct. 23; and
• a gathering of former Homecoming Queens, Kings and cheerleaders during ceremonies to crown this year’s honorees.
The annual Al Wilkerson Scholarship Dance will conclude homecoming events Saturday night starting at 8 at the DoubleTree Hotel.
Alumni and friends can visit www.mtalumni.com or call 800-533-6878 for more information.
The Student Government Association sponsors MTSU Homecoming events for students. For more information, contact Homecoming Director Donald Abels at sgahome@mtsu.edu, call 615-898-2537 or visit mtsu.edu/sga online.

###

Media welcomed. (Note: Special credentials required for accredited media covering the Oct. 23 MT vs. Louisiana-Monroe football game. To request, please contact Athletic Communications by calling 615-898-2968).

To request a high-resolution image of the 2010 Homecoming logo, please contact MTSU News and Public Affairs by calling 615-898-2919.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[148] Beauty More Than Skin Deep On "Love Your Body Day" At MTSU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Courtney Clardy, 615-995-0680

BEAUTY MORE THAN SKIN DEEP ON “LOVE YOUR BODY DAY” AT MTSU
Women in Action Takes Charge with Emphasis on Healthy Bodies and Attitudes

(MURFREESBORO) – Women in Action, an MTSU student organization, will present “Love Your Body Day” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, on the Keathley University Center knoll on the MTSU campus. The purpose of the event is to encourage women to love themselves inside and out.
Students and faculty will be asked to participate in physical activities, including jumping rope, hula hoops and jogging in place, for prizes. A feminist bake sale will provide homemade goodies and healthy snacks.
Vendors will distribute information, including Curves, Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, MTSU Health Services, VOX-Voices of Planned Parenthood and the Women’s Studies Student Organization.
From Monday, Oct. 18, through Wednesday, Oct. 20, the “Love Your Body Day” campaign will urge women to participate in “No Makeup Monday,” “Tennies and T-shirt Tuesday” and “Workout Wednesday.” Participants are asked to use social networks like Facebook and Twitter to display how they embrace their natural beauty by uploading a photograph and tagging MT Women in Action.
For more information, contact Courtney Clardy at 615-995-0680 or cac5y@mtmail.mtsu.edu.


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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

Friday, October 15, 2010

[147] MTSU Alumna Provides Gifts, Advice For Young Scholars

MTSU ALUMNA PROVIDES GIFT, ADVICE FOR YOUNG SCHOLARS
Nashvillian Encourages Students to ‘Be a Part of Everything You Possibly Can’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

(MURFREESBORO)—The ball started rolling when an MTSU Phonathon student called Mary Neal Alexander (B.S. ’41) for a pledge.

She committed $100 and mailed in $1,000. Later, she raised her contribution to $10,000, then established an endowed scholarship of $30,000. Now Alexander is taking it to a higher level.

Could it be that she still feels a strong connection to the Middle Tennessee State Teachers College from the late 1930s because of its commitment, even then, to students?

“The teachers who were there when I was there … they had our best interests at heart. I don’t think it was a matter of just grinding us out like a sausage mill,” said the home-demonstration and home-economics major. “They cared about us.”

Alexander lived in what’s now the Percy Priest Lake area and was home-schooled as a child. After high school, her mother sent her to what was then David Lipscomb College, at that time a two-year school.

“My mother was determined that I get an education,” Alexander said. “I had an eye problem, and the doctor told me not to go back to school for a year. After that time, I came to Murfreesboro. All the dorm rooms were taken.

“Someone told me about a new teacher coming in and said that I could stay in her house. … It turned out she was the head of the home-economics department. I said no way was I going to stay with her, because that’s what I was majoring in!

“My mother asked me if I wanted to live at home or stay with the new teacher,” Alexander continued. “That settled that. Ms. (Carrie) Hodges and I became the best of friends, until her death many years later.”

The State Teachers College didn’t offer courses in home management, Alexander’s primary area of interest. “But I really got that training living with her,” Alexander recalled of her mentor.

Later, the department was renamed Family and Consumer Science. “Sounds more fancy,” Alexander quipped.

After graduation from college, Alexander was one of three women recruited by the UT Extension Service. She spent the next 31 years helping people in rural areas get electricity and learn how to use electric stoves, refrigerators and freezers. She helped farmers install and operate electric milk coolers and, later, she stuffed cotton mattresses.

“Food, clothing and shelter, that what’s we dealt with—those would always be necessities,” she explained. “My title was ‘home demonstration agent,’ and I did that for about 20 years in three different counties. Then I was transferred from Sumner County to Cookeville and became supervisor of 15 counties in the Upper Cumberland District.”

A scholarship made possible by Alexander’s generosity will be available to “the underdog,” as she puts it, and not just to students with a high GPA.

“There are some people who can do things with their hands, but they don’t have the ability to put it on paper,” Alexander said thoughtfully. “They freeze.”

Alexander’s advice to students who go to college is to get involved in everything MTSU has to offer.

“Be a part of everything that you can possibly do,” she said, “but don’t let your outside activities interfere with your class time. Your classwork must come first.”

Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations, said Alexander’s gift is “yet another example of the good will that MTSU has tried to preserve with our alumni and friends.

“The endowment and what it will do for countless students are invaluable. The relationships that come out of these kinds of connections are just as wonderful. We are grateful to Mary Neal Alexander for honoring her alma mater
with this gift.”

A gift of friendship also has emerged from Alexander’s partnership with Development and University Relations. She and Lucie Murphy Burchfield, a development director, have become pals.

“I invited her to my wedding and I’ve cooked some of her recipes,” Burchfield said. “I just think she’s wonderful, and she’s had a wonderful life. She did good things in her work and in her personal life. I love being around her.”


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

###

ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color JPEG of Alexander, please contact Gina E. Fann in the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or at 615-898-5385. Thanks!

[146] MTSU Offers Free Shuttle Rides To County's Early-Voting Site

MTSU OFFERS FREE SHUTTLE RIDES TO COUNTY’S EARLY-VOTING SITE
Students, Faculty, Staff Can Hop on the Bus Through Oct. 27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 15, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Mary Evins, amerdem@mtsu.edu

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU students and staff who want to vote early in the 2010 midterm elections can get free rides to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office on Murfreesboro’s Public Square via Raider Xpress.
The fall general election is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Early voting in Tennessee began Oct. 13 and continues through Thursday, Oct. 28.
The free shuttle rides are provided by the American Democracy Project at MTSU in conjunction with the Division of Student Affairs, the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, and the Division of Business and Finance, Event Coordination Department, and Parking and Transportation Services. The shuttle schedule is:

• Thursday, Oct. 21—3 p.m. pick-up in front of James Union Building; pick-up at the square at 4:15 p.m. to return to the JUB;
• Friday, Oct. 22—2:30 p.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 3:45 p.m. to return to campus;
• Monday, Oct. 25—10 a.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 11:15 a.m. to return to campus;
• Tuesday, Oct. 26—5 p.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 6:15 p.m. to return to campus; and
• Wednesday, Oct. 27—8:30 a.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 9:45 a.m. to return to campus.

Details about early voting in Rutherford County can be found at the election commission website via http://bit.ly/VoteEarly2010.
For more information, contact ADP coordinator Dr. Mary Evins at amerdem@mtsu.edu. The ADP website is www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem.

Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.


For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.

##

[145] MTSU Students to Enjoy Fall Break Oct. 16-19

News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
Student Unions contact: Jennifer Kirk, 615-898-2590 or jkirk@mtsu.edu

MTSU Students to Enjoy Fall Break Oct. 16-19


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU undergraduate and graduate students and faculty will observe fall break Oct. 16-19. No classes will be held Saturday, Oct. 16, through Tuesday, Oct. 19. Fall semester classes will resume Wednesday, Oct. 20.
All MTSU offices will be open their normal operating hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 18-19.
Some buildings and facilities will observe special hours. These include:
• The Campus Recreation Center will be closed Oct. 16-19, reopening at 6 a.m. Oct. 20.
• The James E. Walker Library will be closed Oct. 16-17, but will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and from 8 a.m. until midnight Oct. 19.
• Student Health Services in the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 16-17. Students who remain on campus or live in the area can receive treatment during those hours, Rick Chapman, health services director, said.
• Phillips Bookstore will be closed Oct. 16-17, open Oct. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and open Oct. 19 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• James Union Building’s hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15, closed Oct. 16-17 and open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18-19.
• Keathley University Center’s hours of operation will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 15, open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 16, closed Oct. 17, open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 18 and open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 19.
All MT Dining (ARAMARK Food Services) venues will be open regular hours Oct. 15. McCallie Dining Hall will be open 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16-19. All other venues will be closed during the break. Normal hours of operation resume Oct. 20 for all venues.
There will be no campus tours on Oct. 18-19. Daily tours will resume at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. A 10 a.m. Oct. 15 tour is full, an admissions official said.

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Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. MTSU now boasts one of the nation’s first master’s degree programs in horse science, and the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., acclaims MTSU’s Master of Science in Professional Science degree—the only one in Tennessee—as a model program. This fall, MTSU unveiled three new doctoral degrees in the sciences.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.

[144] Free Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Class for Women Offered at MTSU

Oct. 14, 2010

CONTACT: Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 494-7858
Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

Free Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class for women offered at MTSU, open to public


MURFREESBORO)—A series of six Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes will be offered at no charge every Thursday beginning Oct. 21, through Dec. 2, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Middle Tennessee State University police headquarters.
(Class will not be in session on Thanksgiving Thursday.)
The class will be open to all female MTSU students, faculty and staff as well as to the general public. A workbook/training manual will be provided to each student. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to enroll, call MTSU RAD Instructor Sgt. David Smith at 615-692-2424 or 494-7858.
The exact location of the training is still being decided, so please call to register your attendance and to find out where the training will be held.
RAD is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training. The program teaches women defensive concepts and techniques against various types of assault by utilizing easy, effective and proven self-defense/martial arts tactics. The class will provide women with the knowledge to make an educated decision about resistance. RAD is the largest women’s self-defense system in the United States.

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