O n the heels of a 2 percentsalary increase for MTSUemployees for 2006-07, “good

budget management” should giveworkers a one-time bonus of $500 ontheir Oct. 31 paychecks.

MTSU is using available funds toonce again provide the bonuses to allfull-time employees on the universi-ty’s payroll as of June 30, 2005.

“Due to good budget manage-ment at your university, I haverequested that the Tennessee Board ofRegents consider this plan,” universi-ty President Sidney A. McPhee said.

The plan, which still awaits finalapproval from the Tennessee Board ofRegents at its Sept. 28-29 meeting,provides the flat bonus of $500 perfull- or part-time employee or 1 per-cent of the employee’s salary, which-ever is greater.

Participants in the university’spost-retirement service programs alsowill receive the bonus.

This university-funded bonus willbe in addition to a state-funded $350one-time bonus for higher educationemployees with three or more years ofservice as of Oct. 1, 2006. A percentageof the state bonus also will be paid topermanent part-time employees pro-portional to their assignments.

“Providing bonuses to our faculty,staff and administration is simply oneway of showing our gratitude for thededicated service they provide for ourstudents and to the university com-munity as a whole,” McPhee said.“We’ll continue to work with theLegislature to ensure that our good

RAIDER DONORS WRECKEDTECH OFF THE FIELD, TOO

MTSU not only skunked TennesseeTech 44-0 on the gridiron Sept. 14—theBlue Raiders thoughtfully donatedalmost twice as much blood to help healtheir (and the rest of the region’s)wounds. The blood drive competitionbetween the longtime rivals netted atotal of 436 pints for the American RedCross, with the MTSU communityrolling up its sleeves for 286 pints andTech donating 150 pints. MTSU donorsgave Sept. 12 and 13, while Tech partici-pants donated blood Aug. 30-31. MTAthletics and the Student GovernmentAssociation sponsored the competition.

TURN YOUR EYES TO THE SKIESFOR 1ST FRIDAY STAR PARTY

First Friday Star Parties continue oncampus Friday, Oct. 6, with “The RingNebula and Future of the Sun” as thetopic of discussion beginning at 6:30p.m. in Room 102 of the Wiser-PattenScience Hall. The lecture, which is freeand open to the public, will be followedby outdoor telescope observation at theobservatory behind the Cope Admini-stration Building (weather permitting).For more information, call 615-898-5946.

CAMPUS WELCOMES PROSPECTIVESTUDENTS FOR FALL VISIT DAYS

Fall Visit Days 2006 will continueSaturday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 11,for current high-school juniors and sen-iors and transfer students who are con-sidering a degree at MTSU. Each of theSaturday tours will begin at the CopeAdministration Building at 10 a.m.Prospective students should registeronline by going to www.mtsu.edu/~admissn and may call 1-800-331-6878 or615-898-5670 for more information.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FAIR OCT. 10FEATURES VENDORS, PRIZES

The annual MTSU EmployeeBenefits Fair is planned Tuesday, Oct. 10,from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the TennesseeRoom of the James Union Building. Theevent will feature more than 50 vendors,including health insurance, dental, life,deferred compensation, long-term dis-ability and long-term care and more.Refreshments and door prizes will beavailable; employees won’t need to bepresent to win. For more information,call 615-898-2929.

www.mtsunews.com

a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community Sept. 25, 2006 • Vol. 15/No. 6

PRE-SORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MURFREESBORO TNPERMIT NO. 16

IN BRIEF

Moving forwardGeier lawsuit dismissal showseducation’s ‘door open to all’see page 2

Secret gardenArt students join volunteers to create sculpture ‘wetlands’see page 8

The 1st 100 years‘MT Record’ counts downto centennial celebrationsee page 5

T he Office of Development’sannual fall giving phonathonbegan Sept. 18, said coordina-

tor Lucie P. Murphy.Students will call alumni “to

inform them of the latest develop-ments from MTSU and their respec-tive colleges and ask them to make agift to the university,” Murphy said.

The schedule includes calls

through Sept. 28 to alumni in theCollege of Education and BehavioralScience; Oct. 1-20 calls to Basic andApplied Sciences; Mass Communi-cation calls Oct. 22-26; Jones Collegeof Business Oct. 29-Nov. 9; and Nov.12-21 calls to Liberal Arts grads.

Students interested in workingduring the spring 2007 phonathonmay call 615-898-2728.See ‘Bonus’ page 5

Author McCullough to lecture

by Gina E. Fann

Science!

GETTING CARBONATED—Sophomore physiology major Mandy Shadix, juniornursing major Janine Williams and sophomore biology major Nida Shirazi react totheir experiment with Diet Coke and Mentos candies outside McHenry Hall Sept. 5during a Women in Science & Engineering event. Five teams competed to create themost imaginative "carbonated display" with the chemical reaction.

photo by Kelsey Smith

Fall phonathon under way

Bonus, raisesawaiting finalOK from TBR

E minent historian and two-timePulitzer Prize-winning authorDavid McCullough will speak

on “Qualities of Leadership” begin-ning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, inMTSU’s Tucker Theatre.

Heralded as a “master of the artof narrative history,” McCullough’sMTSU visit is a rare and welcomedevent, organizers confirm.

“Dr. McCullough does not oftenventure onto the lecture circuit, as amatter of choice anddisposition,”observed Dr. JohnMcDaniel, dean ofthe College ofLiberal Arts.“Having him visitMTSU for a talk thisfall is, then, not onlya feather in our col-lective cap but an

unexpected and surprising one aswell.”

A two-time winner of both theNational Book Award and the presti-gious Francis Parkman Prize,McCullough’s work has been honoredwith accolades such as the NationalBook Foundation’s DistinguishedContribution to American LettersAward, the National HumanitiesMedal and the New York Public

by Lisa L. Rollins

McCullough See ‘Author’ page 5

A fter some seven years as anInterfraternity Councilorganization without an

official brick-and-mortar home, PiKappa Phi has moved to GreekRow, the contemporary housing forMTSU fraternities and sororities onRutherford Boulevard.

The national Pi Kappa Phi wasfounded in 1904 at the College ofCharleston in Charleston, S.C.According to the group’s Web site, itboasts 126 active chapters and 11associate chapters, more than 91alumni chapters and more than95,000 initiated brothers.

“They’re consistently No. 1 orNo. 2 among all MTSU fraternitiesin terms of grades,” GentryMcCreary, director of Greek Life,says of the new chapter.

McCreary adds that the PiKapps meet all qualifications,including support from the nationalorganization and local alumni,chapter size, and the ability to fill oralmost fill the house. Local brothersestimate this semester’s pre-rushtotal at 20 to 25.

A committee made up of repre-sentatives from the Division of

Business and Finance, the Divisionof Student Affairs, the Office ofUniversity Counsel and other uni-versity officials reviewed requests tofill the space vacated when KappaSigma’s national organizationrevoked the local chapter’s charterin January 2006.

“We were looking for chapterperformance in terms of communityservice, GPA(grade pointaverage),leadership,things likethat,”McCrearysays.

He addsthat the Pi Kappshave signed a one-year lease withan option to renew for a secondyear. While no extensive modifica-tions will be made to the exterior ofthe house immediately, banners arebeing provided to cover stonework.

The Pi Kapps have spent thelast several weeks painting andoverseeing minor repairs to thehouse such as replacing locks andsome minor plumbing. JamesDavid, the local chapter’s treasurer,says he’s excited about the move.

“It just means, hopefully, thatwe’ll be able to grow, and we’llhave a central meeting place wherewe can all go,” David, a junior fromFranklin, says.

House Manager Jimmy Miller, asophomore from Phoenix, Ariz., alsois looking forward to the GreekRow experience.

“It will just be a lot of fun tolive with the brothers and establishrelationships with other fraterni-ties,” Miller says.

The national service associationwith which the Pi Kapps are affiliat-ed is Push America, a group whosepurpose is to raise awareness ofpeople with disabilities and to helpimprove their quality of life. Eachspring, the fraternity teams with asorority to conduct an “empathydinner” during which able-bodiedstudents must eat blindfolded withone arm behind the back or with asimilar impediment.

Another Pi Kappa Phi serviceproject is Push America’s annualBike Across America. The annualcycling excursion raises money forpeople with disabilities. The cyclingteam stayed with the local Pi Kappsduring their stopover in Murfrees-boro last year.

page 2 The Record Sept. 25, 2006

M TSU will be the site for ArtsTalk, a statewide two-dayconference and career forum

specifically for artists with disabilities.According to Lori Kissinger,

MTSU speech and theatre instructorand a representative for the Tennesseechapter of Vision, Strength and ArtisticExpression, also known as VSA artsTennessee, the event is slated for Oct.6-7 in the Business and AerospaceBuilding and is designed for disabledartists from every area of the arts.

“The conference is a career forum(that will) focus on professional devel-opment and career opportunities forartists with disabilities,” Kissinger saidof the conference, which is presentedby the TennesseeArts Commissionand VSA artsTennessee in partner-ship with theNational Arts andDisability Center.

“We will havepeople on campusdiscussing socialsecurity issues, legalissues, portfoliodevelopment and more.”

Lisa Hester, director of arts accessfor TAC, said the MTSU conference isthe first of its kind in the state and itsexpected to attract at least 200 partici-pants, including artists with disabili-ties, potential employers, career coun-selors and educators.

Billed as an event that will “allowpeople to discover their own poten-tial,” Kissinger said both she andHester have high hopes for the state’sinaugural Arts Talk.

“I like to see people become self-sufficient,” Kissinger said. “All peoplewant to feel independent, responsible,

productiveand needed,so I’m hop-ing this con-ference pro-vides someskills and

resources for individuals with disabili-ties to be able to find productive workin the arts.”

Agreed Hester: “We will provideartists (with) the skills for creatingeffective communication tools such ascreating resumes and biographies …(and) there will be plenty of network-ing opportunities.”

In addition to the career forum,the conference will serve as host fornationally recognized actress/writer/teacher Estelle Condra, who will deliv-er an Oct. 6 keynote address at 1 p.m.Condra is blind as a result of RetinitisPigmentosa.

Also among the conference’s high-lights will be the Tennessee premiereof “The Goal,” an award-winning filmby filmmaker Darla Rae that starsMTSU alumna Laura Dodd.

After the free screening in TuckerTheatre, Rae and Dodd will participatein a question-and-answer session onthe film.

For more information on ArtsTalk, including free registration andprogramming, contact Kissinger at615-826-5252 or visit the Web site atwww.arts.state.tn.us.

Pi Kappa Phi moves into new homeby Gina K. Logue

Arts Talk targetscareers for artistswith disabilities by Lisa L. Rollins

Kissinger

C ollage: a Journal of Creative Expression, the studentliterary and arts magazine sponsored by MTSU’sHonors College, has received the Gold Medalist

Certificate from the Columbia Scholastic PressAssociation for its fall 2005 and spring 2006 issues.

Magazines submitted to the CSPA competition lastspring were scored based on organization, content anddesign. Each section was then split into subcategories andgiven a point value.

Overall, Collage scored 925 points out of 1,000, earn-ing a Gold Medalist rating. In the design category, themagazine captured All-Columbian Honors by receiving345 points out of 350.

Panels of experts in journalism and journalism educa-tion judged all submissions to the CSPA. One judge saidthe art in Collage was “visually interesting, skillfully doneand shows a good variety of medium.”

Collage Editor-in-Chief Travisty Vasquez-Terry andadviser Marsha Powers said they’re very pleased with theawards but add that they’re seeking ways to improveupcoming issues of the magazine.

“We’ve implemented a new grading scale for Collage

submissions to meet the specifications for a prestigiousstudent journal,” Vasquez-Terry said.

“In regard to the selection process, Collage is notabout what we, as a staff, like. It’s about creating an out-let for displaying the best literature and art that MTSUstudents have to offer in an aesthetically appealing fash-ion, which accentuates the high-quality works wereceive.”

Other improvements are also being made, such asexpanded staff- and faculty- taught workshops for staffmembers.

Powers and Vasquez-Terry, along with the rest of thestaff, say they’re dedicated to the success of the magazineand look forward to scoring even higher marks from theCSPA on future issues.

The CSPA was organized at Columbia University inNew York City in the fall of 1924. The Medalist Critiquewas then organized in February 1925 to help improve stu-dent print production.

The judge’s final comment on the Collage critiquestates, “The magazine looks fantastic. Your staff should bevery proud of the work you’ve done here.”

Amanda Hawkins is a senior majoring in journalism.

Collage earns gold medalist certificateby Amanda Hawkins

M TSU alumnus David Brown, executive vicepresident of the National Trust for HistoricPreservation, was the featured host and speaker

for a Sept. 12 town hall meeting in Murfreesboro thatfocused on historic preservation.

A graduate of the MTSU historicpreservation program and a formerMurfreesboro resident, Brown met withlocal officials, civic leaders, educators,business owners, concerned citizens andinterested property owners to explorehow a balanced approach to historicpreservation can yield immediate andlong-term economic and cultural bene-fits to the region.

Patrick McIntyre, executive directorof the Tennessee Preservation Trust, said Brown’s localstopover brought “experience and real-world solutions tothe bulldozers and developers who are now mindlessly

wiping the past from our landscape.”Dr. Carroll Van West, director for the Center for

Historic Preservation, called Brown “the most illustriousalumnus of our nationally recognized historic preserva-tion program at MTSU.”

Following Brown’s presentation, he fielded questionsfrom those in attendance.

“He grew up in the East Main historic district,” Westsaid of Brown’s devotion to preserving history, includingthe local landscape. “He brings a love of Murfreesboroand its citizens, but adds a healthy dose of realism andexperience to the issue of balancing the past with thepresent.”

CHP representatives report that Brown—whoapplauds local public-private successes in historic preser-vation, including the successful Main Street program indowntown Murfreesboro— “is very concerned aboutrecent demolitions of National Register-listed propertiesin the county, including the Jenkins House.”

The CHP, Main Street Murfreesboro and theTennessee Preservation Trust supported Brown’s visit.

Alumnus addresses preservation needsby Lisa L. Rollins

Brown

The Record Sept. 25, 2006 page 3

T he civil-rights lawsuit addressing equalityand diversity in Tennessee's higher educa-tion system has concluded after nearly four

decades by creating and funding expanded pro-gram offerings and educational opportunities andrecognizing scholarship statewide.

Parties in the case known as the Geierlawsuit—including the State of Tennessee,the federal government and Tennessee'shigher education agencies—have agreed toask a federal judge to dismiss the suit, Gov.Phil Bredesen announced Sept. 11.

“I'm proud to announce that Tennesseehas met the challenge set by the Geier law-suit-to build a unitary public higher educa-tion system that truly offers equal access toall citizens,” Bredesen said. “Now, we’ll aska judge to recognize something that we'velong felt in our hearts: In Tennessee, the door reallyis open to all.”

The 1968 lawsuit was filed by Rita SandersGeier, a former law student at VanderbiltUniversity and instructor at Tennessee StateUniversity.

The federal court ruled that Tennessee had adual system of higher education separately servingblack and white students, leading to $77 millionworth of court-mandated changes to increase equal-ity and diversity in colleges and universities in theTennessee Board of Regents and University of

Tennessee systems. In 1984, the courts developed a plan for equal

funding and access, and in 2001, the parties devel-oped the Geier Consent Decree, which prescribed afive-year plan to integrate the state's colleges anduniversities as well as increase overall enrollment.The decree was intended as a final stepping stoneto rectifying the problems noted in the lawsuit.

MTSU has benefited from the Geier require-ments by developing programs ranging from theSummer Discovery Institute for minority teenagersinterested in speech and theatre and aerospace tosponsoring predoctoral fellowships and visitingprofessorships for outstanding scholars.

In addition, MTSU has one of the largest enroll-ments of minority students of any Tennesseeschool. The university has 4,160 minority studentsenrolled in fall 2006, slightly more than 18 percentof the total enrollment of 22,863. The number,which includes those of Asian, Hispanic, American

Indian and Alaskan descent as well as African-American, has more than quadrupled since theGeier ruling.

“We put together a team a year ago, and we'vebeen planning for our post-Geier future,” MTSUPresident Sidney A. McPhee said. “With Geiergoing away, there will be issues we haven't had todeal with. Our focus has been on minority students

who are African-Americans. We’ll still bedoing that, but now we'll also be looking athow we’ll be dealing with other minorities.”

Bredesen reaffirmed his commitment tosupporting diversity programs that hadtheir genesis in Geier, as well as other initia-tives to promote college enrollment andgraduation among nontraditional students.

“In some ways, this journey is ended;we are concluding this lawsuit, and peopleare no longer barred from attending collegesand universities because of the color of their

skin,” Bredesen said.“But in other ways, this journey stretches far

out before us and won't be complete until weremove every kind of barrier that stands in the wayof any Tennessean's dream to earn a college educa-tion.”

In 2004, MTSU won the Tennessee Board ofRegents' “Spirit of Geier” Award for its efforts toenhance minority opportunities in higher educa-tion, including coordinating and serving as host forthe biannual International Conference on CulturalDiversity.

Geier suit dismissal means ‘door open to all’from Staff Reports

‘We’ve been planning for ourpost-Geier future.’

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, MTSU president

A world in black and white

NEW PHOTO EXHIBIT—MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery in the McWherterLearning Resource Center is displaying an exhibit by Keith Carter, “A CertainAlchemy,” through Oct. 19. The exhibit, which encompasses Carter’s 30-year photo-graphic career in 47 15-by-15-inch black-and-white gelatine prints, includes “Stars,” at

far left, and “CaballosBlancos,” left. Carter will pres-ent a slide show and lecture onhis work at 7:30 p.m. Monday,Oct. 2, in LRC Room 221.Hours for the exhibit, which isfree and open to the public, are8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday and noon to 4p.m. Saturday. For more infor-mation, contact 615-898-2085.

G olfers are preparing for the13th annual Danner Invita-tional Golf Tournament on

Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Nashville’sHermitage Golf Course.

Sponsored by The Neill-SandlerFoundation to benefit the Neill-Sandler Scholars at MTSU, up to 120golfers will compete in the event.

Ray Danner of The DannerCompany, MTSU President Sidney A.McPhee, tournament chairman TonyRose, and Gary Neill and MikeSandler of the Neill-SandlerFoundation are extending an invita-tion to golfers and participants who

“can provide opportunities to deserv-ing individuals who might not attendcollege otherwise” and can “helpmake a difference in a life.”

The tournament schedule starts at11:30 a.m. with registration and prac-tice. Lunch is at noon, followed by a1 p.m. shotgun start and beveragesand awards after the tournament.

The golf scramble entry fee willinclude registration, practice, a buffetprovided by Crockett’s Restaurant,cart rental, greens fee, player’s giftpack, refreshments on the course,door prizes, drinks and awards.

There will be two flights andprizes for the top three teams in eachflight.

Tournament prizes will be givenfor closest to the pin and longestdrive. There will be prizes for holes-in-one at all four par-3 holes.

Entry and sponsor fees include a$95 donation toward prizes, $350 perperson or $1,295 team entry and holesponsorship (paid by Sept. 30) and$450 hole sponsorship.

Entry forms can be obtained bycalling Amanda Bell at 615-604-7171.Completed forms and checks can bemailed c/o The Neill-SandlerFoundation, P.O. Box 2759, 2505 S.Church St., Murfreesboro, Tenn.37133-2759.

Event sponsors include BellConstruction, The Danner Founda-

tion, Maggart & Associates, Frank E.Neal and Company, C.D. Norberg &Associates and SunTrust Bank/BrianAustin. The Daily News Journal pro-vides media support.

Seventy-five students have beenawarded Neill-Sandler scholarshipssince 1999. Each spring at the annualNeill-Sandler Strive for ExcellenceBanquet, up to 10 scholarships areawarded to students from Bedford,Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Franklin,Rutherford, Warren, Williamson andWilson counties and Tullahoma CitySchools.

For more information, call Bell at615-604-7171or Development andUniversity Relations at 615-898-5818.

Danner golf tourney tees off Oct. 4 for scholarshipsby Randy Weiler

“Middle Tennessee Record”Cable Channel 9Monday-Sunday—5 p.m.NewsChannel 5+ Saturday—1:30 p.m.

MTSU Guys & Dolls Swing Dance ClubFree dance lessons 6-7 p.m.,open dancing 7-9 p.m.Murphy Center Dance Studio AFor information, e-mail: lindyfiend@gmail.com.

Art Department AlumniExhibition8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Todd GalleryFor information, contact: 615-898-2505.

Monday, Sept. 25Honors Lecture SeriesDr. Anantha Babbili, “NewMedia and Natural Disasters:Freedom and Responsibility”3-3:50 p.m., HONR 106For information, contact: 615-898-7611.

Faculty Flute Recital: Deanna Hahn-Little8 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Tuesday, Sept. 26Association of Faculty &Administrative WomenFall Membership Luncheon11:30 a.m-1 p.m., JUBHazlewood Dining RoomCost: $15 per personFor reservations, e-mail ktodd@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, Sept. 28Linguistics Club of MTSUGuest Lecture“American Slang: The LinguaFranca of the Electronic Age,”Dr. Connie Eble of UNCNoon, Jackson BuildingFor information, contact: linguist@mtsu.edu.

Thursday, Sept. 28WHOA International Grand Championship Walking Horse Show7 p.m. daily, Miller ColiseumAdmission: $5 per person,free for children 6 and youngerFor information, visitwww.walkinghorseowners.comor contact: 615-494-8822.

Sept. 29-30MTSU Comedy “Hay Fever”by Noel Coward7:30 p.m., Tucker TheatreAdmission: $8 For information, contact: 615-494-8810.

Friday, Sept. 29Economic Outlook Conference8:15 a.m.-1:15 P.M., JUBTennessee RoomNo admission chargeFor information, contact: 615-898-2764.

Women’s Soccervs. South Alabama7 p.m., Blue Raider FieldFor information, contact: 615-898-2450.

Saturday, Sept. 30Blue Raider Footballat University of North Texas6:05 p.m., Denton, TexasFor information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

Sunday, Oct. 1“MTSU On the Record—Estelle Condra”Guest: Estelle Condra7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FMPodcast at www.mtsunews.com

Monday, Oct. 2Honors Lecture SeriesDr. Cheryl Ellis, “Natural Disasters: A PublicHealth Perspective”3-3:50 p.m., HONR 106For information, contact: 615-898-7611.

Yom Kippurbegins at sundown

Monday, Oct. 2Faculty Clarinet Recital: Todd Waldeckerwith Caleb Harris, piano8 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Tuesday, Oct. 3JAWC Career/ProfessionalDevelopment Brown BagNoon-1 p.m., BAS SunTrust RoomFor information, contact: 615-898-2193.

Rutherford County Legislative DebateCandidates for state SenateDistrict 16 and state HouseDistricts 34, 48 and 497-9 p.m., BAS State Farm RoomFor information, contact: 615-898-2351.

Oct. 4-10MTSU Comedy “Hay Fever”by Noel Coward7:30 p.m., Tucker TheatreAdmission: $8 For information, contact: 615-494-8810.

Wednesday, Oct. 4Danner Invitational GolfTournament11:30 a.m., Hermitage GolfCourse, NashvilleEntry fees: $350 individual,$450 hole sponsorsFor information, contact: 615-604-7171.

Thursday, Oct. 5MTSU Women’s Chorale7:30 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Oct. 6-13Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)begins at sundown Oct. 6

Oct. 6-7Arts Talk career conferencefor artists with disabilitiesFor information, visitwww.arts.state.tn.us or contact: 615-826-5252.

Friday, Oct. 6Recording Industry alumnireception3 p.m., Hilton DowntownNashvilleFor information, contact: 615-898-2225.

Art Department AlumniExhibit Closing Reception4-7 p.m., Todd Gallery LobbyNo admission chargeFor information, contact: 615-898-2505.

First Friday Star Party“The Ring Nebula and Futureof the Sun”6:30-8:30 p.m., WPS Room 102No admission chargeFor information, contact: 615-898-5946.

Blue Raider Footballvs. University of Louisville7 p.m., LP Field in NashvilleFor information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

Oct. 7-82006 Parelli NaturalHorsemanshipTennessee Miller ColiseumAdmission chargedFor information, visit www.parelli.com or contact: 615-494-8961.

Saturday, Oct. 7Fall Visit Day10 a.m., Cope first-floor lobbyOpen to prospective studentsand familiesFor information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~admissnor contact: 615-898-5670.

Presidential Concert Series:“Requiem” by Frigyes HidasMTSU Wind Ensemble andConcert Chorale7:30 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Sunday, Oct. 8“MTSU On the Record—Helping Student-Athletes”Guest: Jim Rost7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FMPodcast at www.mtsunews.com

CalendarSept. 25-Oct. 8

TV Schedule

Sept. 30

page 4 The Record Sept. 25, 2006

Through Oct. 6

Sept. 29

Sept. 25 Oct. 4

Oct. 1

Oct. 3

Oct. 7

Every Monday night

Sept. 26

Sept. 28

Oct. 2

Oct. 5

Oct. 6

Oct. 8

The Record Sept. 25, 2006 page 5

Warm welcome

LOOKING FORWARD TO FALL—Jose Becton, left, a senior organizational com-munications major, talks with Dr. Tom Cheatham, dean of the College of Basic andApplied Sciences, and Crickett Pimentel, director of Student Support Services, at theTRiO table during the annual Department Fair in the Keathley University Center.The event lets students learn more about services offered by MTSU departments andmeet the people who provide those services, such as the federally funded TRiO pro-grams (McNair, Talent Search and Student Support Services) that help first-genera-tion, low-income and disabled students enter college and successfully graduate.

photo by News & Public Affairs

M ark your calendar. In five years MTSUwill celebrate its centennial, and theNews and Public Affairs staff has decid-

ed it’s not too early to take note of such a mile-stone.

Starting with the October edition of “MiddleTennessee Record,” the university’s monthly videomagazine, a new segment called CentennialCountdown will join the lineup.

“The first segment will have some photos andinformation about the buildings and events thatmarked the opening of our institution in 1911,”John Lynch, producer of “Middle TennesseeRecord,” said, “Each month we’ll feature some oldphotos or other items of historical interest.

“We’d like to thank the staff at the GoreResearch Center for their enthusiastic support inthis project. They have given us access to their col-lection of interesting pictures and memorabilia.Betty Rowland, executive secretary for the Center,has been especially helpful in making suggestionsand helping gather materials.”

Center Director Dr. Lisa Pruitt said the GoreCenter staff is “excited to be a part of the

Centennial Countdown. Since we help to preservethe university’s history, we are keenly aware of thegreat tradition of educational excellence that hasbeen handed down to the present generation ofstudents, faculty and staff. We want to see the uni-

versity’s history celebrated, but we also want tosee that history serve as a foundation for evengreater achievements in the future.”

Lynch added, “We don’t limit our sources tojust the Gore Center. We encourage alumni andfriends to send us any items of historic interest.This could include photos, athletic programs,newspaper clippings, even old videotapes. Alloriginal items will be handled with care andreturned promptly.”

“Middle Tennessee Record” can be seen onCable Channel 9 daily at 5 p.m. The program isalso available to 500,000 homes in 36 countiesthrough NewsChannel 5+, where it may be seenon Saturday afternoons at 1:30.

The program also is available via streamingvideo. To view the program via the Internet, go towww.mtsunews.com and click on “MiddleTennessee Record.”

You’ll need to have RealPlayer softwareinstalled on your computer to view the streamingvideo. A link to this free software is posted on the“Middle Tennessee Record” page.

‘MT Record’ starting celebration early

Bonus from page 1fiscal management will translate intogood fiscal news for our employees.”

MTSU also is asking the TBR toapprove additional salary increases totake effect in January 2007, but sincethey won’t be across-the boardincreases, not all employees willreceive one, and the amountsreceived will be affected by interven-ing across-the-board increases sinceJanuary 2005 when the last compen-sation plan increases were made.

MTSU’s current plan providesfaculty salary increases based on anewly expanded peer group and pro-fessional and classified employeeincreases based on the 2005 marketdata plan approved by the Board inJune 2004.

In addition to the 2 percent salary

increase and bonuses for the 2006-07fiscal year, state legislators approved401(k) matches of up to $40 permonth and increased the maximumnumber of eligible years of servicefrom 25 to 30 years for longevity pay-ments. (Longevity payments willremain at $100 per year of service.)

Increased revenues also allowedstate legislators to approve the firstnew operating funds for Tennesseehigher education since 1998.

At MTSU, that meant $15 millionfor preplanning and infrastructurework on the new science building.

The facility will provide a newhome for biology and chemistry at atotal cost of more than $100 million.

M TSU, through its partici-pation in the AmericanDemocracy Project, and

the League of Women Voters willsponsor a forum for RutherfordCounty legislative candidates from7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, in theState Farm Room in the Businessand Aerospace Building.

Faculty, staff and students aswell as the general public will bewelcomed. The doors will open at6:30 p.m., and all guests must beseated by 6:55. Guests arriving latewill be admitted only duringbreaks between each debate.

The program also will be airedlive on Comcast Channel 9.

As of this writing, not all candi-dates have confirmed their atten-dance. It’s anticipated, however,that the four sessions will include:

• State Senate 16th District: BillKetron (R), Vince Springer (D);

• House 34th District: MaryEsther Bell (D), Donna Rowland(R);

• House 48th District: Joe Carr(R), John Hood (D) ; and

• House 49th District: KentColeman (D), Oscar Gardner (R).

“This forum will provide votersa chance to familiarize themselveswith the candidates and the issuesin this important election,” saidevent coordinator Dr. Mark Byrnes,professor of political science.

The audience will not be per-mitted to display banners or signsor hand out literature or otheritems of any kind inside the audito-rium. In addition, photography andrecording by guests will not beallowed inside the room. There willbe a special location for membersof the print and electronic media.

Dr. Bob Pondillo, professor ofelectronic media communication,will be the moderator.

Oct. 3 debateshowcaseslegislativecandidates

Author from page 1Library’s Literary Lion Award.

McCullough’s most recent title,1776, which entered The New YorkTimes’ bestseller list at No. 1 in June,has been called “brilliant,” “gripping,”“a masterwork,” “lucid” and “a clas-sic.” His previous title, John Adams,has sold more than 2 million copiesand remains one of the most widelyread and critically acclaimedAmerican biographies of all time.

“David McCullough is oftenregarded in academic circles as‘America’s Historian,’ an unofficialtitle now embraced by a growingnumber of the country’s reading pub-lic as well,” McDaniel noted.“McCullough’s highly readable workson our founding fathers have put himon numerous bestseller lists, withgood reason: he tells the national nar-rative, our nation’s unique ‘story,’with uncommon clarity and insight.“

A native of Pittsburgh,McCullough graduated from Yale witha degree in English literature. Duringthe course of his career, he has servedas an editor, essayist, lecturer, andteacher and is a familiar presence onpublic television, including time ashost of “The American Experience”and as a narrator for numerous docu-mentaries such as “The Civil War” andthe motion picture “Seabiscuit.”

McCullough’s books include TheJohnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, ThePath Between the Seas, Mornings onHorseback, Brave Companions andTruman. A gifted speaker, McCulloughalso is one of the few private citizensto address a joint session of Congress.

MTSU’s Distinguished LectureFund and the Office of the Provost, aswell as the Departments of Historyand Political Science, the TeachingAmerican History Grant, the Collegeof Liberal Arts, and the College ofEducation and Behavioral Sciencehave provided funding forMcCullough’s Oct. 24 lecture.

Although the lecture is free andopen to the public, seating will be on afirst-come, first-served basis. A 15-minute question-and-answer sessionwill be followed by an 8 p.m. booksigning in the theater lobby.

For more information regardingMcCullough’s lecture, please callConnie Huddleston, events coordina-tor, at 615-494-7628.

page 6 The Record Sept. 25, 2006

M TSU submitted a final head count of arecord 22,863 students attending fall2006 semester classes to the Tennessee

Board of Regents, according to Dr. SherianHuddleston, assistant vice provost, enrollmentservices.

This represents a 1.4 percent increase in thenumber of students attending this fall, meaningthere are 309 additional students on campus,Huddleston said.

“We’re still growing,” said Dr. Bob Glenn, viceprovost for enrollment and academic services andvice president for student affairs. “It’s a little lowerthan what we would’ve liked. For budget purposes,we were hoping for a 3 percent increase. But on a

practical basis, we’re happy to be at 1.4 (percent).”Late spring and early summer projections indi-

cated MTSU would pass 23,000 students.“Twenty-three thousand is like 22,000, and we

did pass 22,000,” Glenn said. “We didn’t pass23,000 this time, but we’ll pass that milestone by inthe near future.”

Glenn added that he, Huddleston and otherswould “spend the next months to look at the datain a detailed way to see what conclusions can be

drawn” on why the projected numbers started slip-ping in August.

Huddleston said the late registration processwas “tightened” because the university has imple-mented a new software computer process, meaningstudents had to “get more signatures and moreapprovals” to register late.

Also, new transfer students did not have toattend CUSTOMS orientation sessions and couldregister for classes after being advised.

by Randy Weiler

Fall enrollmentnot quite 23K, but still record

W illiam Poole, president andchief executive officer ofthe Federal Reserve Bank of

St. Louis, will be the keynote speakerat this year’s Economic OutlookConference at MTSU, which will beheld Friday, Sept. 29, in the JamesUnion Building’s Tennessee Room.

Registration at the door will beginat 8:15 a.m. The conference willadjourn at 1:15 p.m.

Event sponsors are the JenningsA. Jones College of Business,Weatherford Chair of Finance and theBusiness and Economic ResearchCenter.

The conference, which is free ofcharge, is targeting bankers, businessowners and managers, communityofficials and leaders, business andeconomics faculty and students, andothers interested in the future growthof the midstate region.

Poole, who will speak at 9 a.m. on“Data Dependence,”assumed his currentpost in 1998. Hedirects the activitiesof the bank’s headoffice in St. Louis aswell as its threebranches in LittleRock, Louisville andMemphis. He repre-sents the bank on theFederal Open MarketCommittee andchairs the Conference of Presidents’Information Technology OversightCommittee.

Prior to his post with the FederalReserve Bank, Poole was the HerbertH. Goldberger Professor of Economicsat Brown University, arriving there in1974 and twice serving as the eco-nomics department chair. Before that,he served on the faculty at JohnsHopkins University from 1963 to 1969and was inducted into its Society ofScholars in 2005.

At 10:30, Dr. David Penn, BERCdirector, will provide a

midstate/regional economic update. At 11:15, Dr. Jim Burton, dean of

the Jones College, will present MarkPirtle, local businessman, real estatedeveloper and friend of MTSU, withthe Jennings A. Jones Champion ofFree Enterprise Award.

The annual honor recognizes abusiness leader who exemplifies theideals of free enterprise through anycombination of entrepreneurship,governmental involvement, participa-tion in civic and charitable affairs, andeducation.

Among his many accomplish-ments, Pirtle wasnamed Businessper-son of the Year in1996 and is pastpresident of theRutherford CountyChamber ofCommerce and theMTSU Foundation.He is active in theBlue Raider AthleticAssociation and is a

longtime board member of the Boysand Girls Club.

Joining the rostrum for the lunch-eon address will be perennial favoriteDr. Donald Ratajczak, Regent’sProfessor of Economics Emeritus atGeorgia State University and nation-ally known economic forecaster.

Ratajczak served as director of theEconomic Forecasting Center atGeorgia State University for 27 years.In 1994, he received the Blue Chipaward for forecasting accuracy duringthe four previous years. He appearsregularly on CNBC and writes aweekly column for The AtlantaJournal-Constitution.

“The Economic OutlookConference has become an MTSU tra-dition because it delivers what itpromises—substance, expertise, andan opportunity for business andindustry professionals to share com-mon concerns,” Burton said.

For more information about theconference, call 615-898-2764.

Federal Reserve CEOto keynote conferenceby Tom Tozer

H ow do you make sense of the blurry lines between and amongnews, information, persuasion, entertainment and advertising inmost current media?

Dr. Jay Black, Poynter Jamison Chair in Media Ethics, emeritus, at theUniversity of South Florida—St. Petersburg and former director of theProgram for Ethics in Education and Community, will offer some guidelinesin a special guest lecture Thursday, Oct. 5, at MTSU.

Sponsored by Ethics and Excellence at the College of MassCommunication, Black’s lecture is scheduled from 6 until 7:45 p.m. in Room104 of the Bragg Mass Communication Building.

“Much of what passes for news is laden with what Dr. Black calls ‘thenew propaganda’ generated by special interest groups,” said Dr. ThomasCooper, ethicist-in-residenceat MTSU.

“He will initiallydescribe and analyze thenew and often deceptivemedia mosaic, making noteof relevant semantic and eth-ical dilemmas, and then out-line possible remedies formedia consumers and prac-titioners.”

Black, editor of the Journal of Mass Media Ethics since 1984 and author orco-author of 10 books on media and society, media issues and media ethics,has presented some 500 academic and public papers, seminars and work-shops and has been an expert witness in two dozen media ethics cases.

“My fundamental ‘argument’ is that propaganda is inevitable, that it isnot just what the ‘bad guys’ do, that contemporary society relishes propa-ganda [and] that media cater to our ‘closed-mindedness’ as willing recipi-ents of propaganda,” Black explained.

“If we’re not careful and sophisticated consumers and producers ofmedia fare, there can be serious repercussions for public opinion, communi-ty building and self-governance.”

In 1997, the Freedom Forum named Black as co-winner of the nationaljournalism professor of the year award. He holds a doctorate in journalismand sociology from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree in journal-ism and English from Ohio University and a bachelor’s in English fromMiami (Ohio) University. Black also worked as a reporter and copy editor atfour newspapers in Ohio and Missouri.

For more information about the lecture, e-mail Cooper at twcooper@comcast.net.

Ethics lecture set Oct. 5from Staff Reports

Poole

Defining ‘new propaganda’

Pirtle

‘If we’re not careful ... there can be seriousrepercussions.’

Dr. Jay Black‘Journal of Mass Media Ethics’

The Record Sept. 25, 2006 page 7

M TSU Theatre & Dance and MTSU Opera Workshop will join forces topresent the 2006-07 CenterStage Series, a variety-filled season of clas-sics that will include two theatrical productions, a musical, two

operas, two dance shows and, for the first time, a children’s production. “This season offers the public a wide array of classic selections from the

broad spectrum of theater history … with something in it for everybody,” saysJeff Gibson, assistant professor of speech and theatre.

The CenterStage Series will get under way at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30 and Oct.4-7 on the stage of MTSU’s Tucker Theatre with Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever,” a1924-era comedy of bad manners that visits the Bliss family.

As the “Hay Fever” story unfolds, Gibson says, “A pleasant country homebecomes a chaotic and hilarious nightmare when each member of the family,unbeknownst to one another, invites a guest home for the weekend.”

The classic musical “Oklahoma!” will lead theatergoers of all ages into thefall season when it’s presented at 7:30 nightly Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18 inTucker Theatre.

“The Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, which is one of the America’s mostbeloved musicals, will surely be a treat for the whole family,” observes Gibson.

Next door at the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall in MTSU’s Wright MusicBuilding, the season’s first opera, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by BenjaminBritten, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17-18.

Britten has set music to Shakespeare’s 1595 comedy in an innovative per-formance that beautifully crafts the worlds of fantasy and love, Gibson notes.

MTSU Dance Theatre will round off 2006 by presenting an exceptionalevening of grace and athleticism that features the choreography of internation-al guest artists Gabriel Masson and Ivan Pulinkala, along with premieres bydance faculty and students, during its Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Tucker Theatre.

In spring 2007, the CenterStage Series will again ignite with “MozartOnstage!” at 7:30 nightly Feb. 15-16 in MTSU’s T. Earl Hinton Music Hall.

Described as an engaging evening of favorite scenes from the composer’sgreatest operas, this musical celebration will be performed by vocal students inthe McLean School of Music.

Next, “Ramona Quimby” will come to life on the Tucker Theatre stage at7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-25 in an entertaining adaptation of Beverly Cleary’s belovedchildren’s book series.

“Families who attend this production can follow 8-year-old Ramonathrough her adventurous third-grade year as she faces some of life’s most diffi-cult obstacles with courage and humor,” Gibson says of the production, whichhas been dubbed “a treat for the whole family.”

William Wycherley’s “A Country Wife,” complete with love, lust, decep-tion, curious wives and jealous husbands, will be performed at 7:30 p.m.March 30-31 and April 4-7 in Tucker Theatre.

Gibson calls the 1675 Restoration comedy one of the funniest and mostvulgar plays of its time.

“It was certainly risqué at its time, but by today’s standards it’s just flirta-tious and full of innuendo,” he explains. “Restoration theater, in general, hasits own physical style, with fans and specific body positioning … and the stu-dent actors will be learning those techniques for this production.”

The series will conclude with the Spring Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. April19-21 in Tucker Theatre, emphasizing faculty and student choreography aswell as special guest artists Chung Fu Chang and Zelma Badu-Younge.

For more information about tickets or individual shows, call MTSU’sCenterStage Ticket Office at 615-494-8810 or visit www.mtsu.edu/~theatre/.

Theatre, dance, opera take CenterStage for seasonby Lisa L. Rollins

‘IF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE IT, THEY MUST LUMP IT’—Theatre majors Leah Fincher,left, and Alex Vernon rehearse for the upcoming production of the Noel Coward come-dy “Hay Fever,” which opens Sept. 29 to kick off MTSU’s 2006-07 CenterStage Series.Ticket information is available at www.mtsu.edu/~theatre or by calling 615-494-8810.

photo submitted

C ollege of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Tom Cheatham lauded2005-06 achievements and said he anticipates a bright future duringa “state of the college” address Sept. 7.

The future will include a new science building to house CBAS’s biology,chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics and astronomydepartments and geosciences from the College of Education and BehavioralScience.

Led by “building shepherd” and biology professor Steve Wright, a two-year planning and design stage is under way for “three to four years for con-struction that will put us to 2011, and it has been our goal to have it by the100th anniversary of MTSU and be a part of that celebration,” Cheathamsaid.

A location for the science building has not yet been determined.“The near-completion of the nursing facility [also] is a highlight,”

Cheatham said. “We won’t officially be using the building until the springsemester. They’ve been ahead of schedule from the beginning. It has been avery well-run project.”

The completion of the naked-eye observatory (physics and astronomy)between Cope Administration Building and Wiser-Patten Science Hall andcompletion of the maintenance hangar (aerospace) at Murfreesboro Airportwere other exciting building projects, he said.

Cheatham said he was extremely pleased that 12 college faculty received2005-06 MTSU Foundation Awards. These included Drs. Vic Montemayor,Cliff Ricketts and Saleh Sbenaty for outstanding teaching; Dr. Ginger Rowellfor outstanding achievement in instructional technology; Drs. Kim Sadler,Suzanne Prevost, Saeed Foroudastan and Karen Case for outstanding serv-ice; Drs. George Benz and Jeff Lablond for distinguished research; and Dr.Cindi Smith-Walters and Laura McCall for special projects.

Numerous other CBAS faculty were recognized for awards they receivedduring the 2005-06 academic year.

Cheatham said nearly $3 million in internal grants had been secured forthe college.

He also extolled the virtues of the new MTSU InterdisciplinaryMicroanalysis Imaging Center operated by Drs. Andrienne Friedli (chem-istry) and Marion Wells (retired biology professor), and said tours are avail-able.

Dean lauds CBAS success,anticipates bright futureby Randy Weiler

O ne recently completed “con-struction” project on campuswas more horizontal than

vertical and required no rivets ormetal framing—yet it may havecaught the attention of more peoplethan any other project on campus onAug. 31.

That’s when the Blue Raidersdefeated Florida International on thenew synthetic PowerBlade turf inFloyd stadium. The $800,000 surfacewas manufactured by Sportexe andinstalled by Hawkins Development.

Shankle-Lind, LLC completed theSmith Housing renovation and is nowstarting on Monohan Hall at a cost of$7.5 million and a completion date ofJuly 2007. Following this project, ren-ovation work will begin on Lyon Hall.

The residence hall renovation pro-gram brings existing buildings up tocurrent life safety standards, buildingand Americans with Disabilities Actcodes. Improvements also include theaddition of sprinkler systems, eleva-tors and replacement of the buildings’mechanical, electrical and plumbinginfrastructure.

The Parking Services facade onEast Main Street should be finishedby the end of September. The rearparking area is now open; the frontparking area is still under construc-tion. The work is being done byLaVine Design & Construction.

Also in the works this semester:

• Phase I of the Parking andTransportation Plan is near comple-tion, which includes the parking areaacross Rutherford Boulevard and thenew entryway onto campus.

• The Cason-Kennedy NursingBuilding addition should be open andready for spring 2007 classes.Hardaway Construction is the con-tractor.

• Renovation of the new AlumniHouse and Office is finished, and theAlumni Relations officers have occu-pied their new headquarters.

• The Sports Club and Fieldsproject along East Main Street isscheduled to be completed during thespring semester and will be used forrugby, soccer and other organizationalsporting events. OlympianConstruction is the contractor.

• Work by Shankle-Lind on theMiddle Tennessee Building andAnnex on MT Boulevard includesinterior block work, metal framingand excavation for the elevator pit.

• Phase II of the TrackImprovements project is in progressand will include concessions, rest-rooms, ticket office, press box, fieldhouse and an entry plaza. Tri-StarConstruction is doing the work.

• Construction will start soon ona chilling plant addition to the Co-Generation building that will handlethe heating and cooling needs of thenew Student Health, Wellness andRecreation addition to the CampusRecreation Center.

Construction continuesto change campus faceby Tom Tozer

I f students at Murfreesboro'sMitchell-Neilson ElementarySchool find their studies occa-

sionally interrupted by loud honks,croaks and hisses, they probablywon't be surprised.

The giant concrete creations in thesecret sculpture garden outside theirclassrooms look as if they could cometo wiggly life just by adding water.

The plan began in the spring of2006, when Dr. Debrah Sickler-Voigt'sart education classes began seeking acommunity project to accomplish.

A former student who'd workedat Mitchell-Neilson, located aboutthree miles west of MTSU, told themabout the school's bus waiting area.There, what was intended as a court-yard area had become a drainageditch where water often stands.

“We realized that we could usethe opportunity to teach the kidsabout Middle Tennessee wetlands,”Sickler-Voigt said. “We first thoughtwe'd put a pond there, since italready was wet, but we learned thatthe area floods in heavy rains, so wehad to go to Plan B.”

A trip to the Discovery Center atMurfree Springs ensued, where thestudents met and fell in love with thecenter's critters—and retired HPERSfaculty member Bertha Chrietzberg, alongtime community environmental

activist—while absorbing ideas aboutwetlands.

“They just freaked out over Emilythe corn snake at the DiscoveryCenter,” Sickler-Voigt said of theyoungsters. “They came back andimmediately wanted to honor her bymaking a corn snake sculpture.”

The project stretched over asemester, with help from a $2,000public service grant from MTSU, a$500 Business-Education Partnershipgrant from the Rutherford CountyChamber of Commerce and a univer-sity Undergraduate Research,Scholarship and Creative Projectsgrant that funded some supplies andpaid for senior Brooklyn McPhersonto work as Sickler-Voigt's assistant.

Dr. Tony Halterlein, horticultureprofessor in the Department ofAgribusiness and Agriscience, alsooffered his expertise, selecting theproper plants and designing the pro-ject's landscaping. MTSU studentscoordinated work days and answeredquestions from the children, and afterweeks of effort, Emily the cornsnake's namesake now stretches morethan 20 lovely, lumpy feet.

She's joined by a bicycle-sizedCanada geese couple and theirgoslings, a three-foot-tall beaver thatcartoonist Matt Groening would envy,a tricycle-sized red-eared slider turtlewith a slightly exhausted expressionand a huge handsome frog about toleap off his giant lily pad.

“I'd worked on murals before butnever a concrete sculpture gardenbefore,” the instructor said with alaugh. “It was a neat learning process,but we started out lumpy. ”

Volunteers from the Alvin C. YorkVA Medical Center came to the res-cue, offering their construction andlandscaping expertise and some good

ol' grandpa wisdom for both the ele-mentary and college students.

“The geese were difficult becauseof their necks,” Sickler-Voigt said,“but one of the veterans, with a lot ofconcrete knowledge, Bill Rogers,helped us make them extra strong. Hesaid he wanted to do that because heknew the kids would be pouncing onthem first.”

Indeed they have. The sculpturegarden/wetlands project has becomea focal point for the school, accordingto Principal Greg Lyles.

”It's really brought some aesthetic

beauty to the area, and the kids loveit,” Lyles said. “Even adults commenton how nice it looks. We'd still like todo some other things like puttingmulch around the animals to keep thegrass down, but this has truly addeda lot to our school.”

Sickler-Voigt wants to turn thistype of project into a regular class togive her students experience and pro-vide an outlet for children.

“It's cute, we loved it and welearned as we went along,” she said.“And when it rains, it really looks likea wetland.”

Dr. Robert B. Blair (businesscommunication and entrepreneur-ship) received the Robert W. McLeanDistinguished Associate Professor-ship for 2006-2007 at the Jennings A.Jones College of Business facultymeeting Aug. 25.

Dr. Don Morgan (health andhuman performance) was recentlyelected a Fellow of the AmericanAcademy of Kinesiology and PhysicalEducation. The membership of thisorganization is limited to 150 Fellowswho have made significant contribu-tions to the fields of kinesiology andphysical education. AAKPE is com-posed of active, emeritus and interna-tional Fellows; to be inducted, a per-son must be nominated by a currentmember.

Grover Baker (librarian, Centerfor Popular Music) earned a Masterof Science degree in information sci-ences from the University ofTennessee-Knoxville in August.

MTSU geosciences professors andstudents will present their research atthe upcoming 118th annual meetingof the Geological Society of Americain Philadelphia Oct. 22-25. On themeeting’s presentation agenda are:

• Drs. Warner Cribb and DougHeffington, “Instrumentation-BasedGeochemistry Assignments inUndergraduate Course Work: A CaseStudy of Success, Failure andRevision”;

• Students Larry Cole Jr. andTravis Estep with Drs. Mark Abolinsand Laura Collins, “Maps andSatellite Images for a ‘Geology forTeachers’ Course in Costa Rica“; and

• Abolins and Estep, “Validationof Previously-Mapped Lineaments inand Near Part of the New MadridSeismic Zone, Arkansas, Missouri andTennessee with Free Data from GlobalImage Archives.”

Dr. Jamila L. McWhirter (music)presented her research on “Real LifeKeyboard Skills in the Choral MusicEducation Classroom” as an invitedpanelist for the Aug. 4-5 MusicTeachers National Association’sNational Group Piano and PianoPedagogy Forum in Oklahoma City.

She also presented “Beyond SingingAlone and With Others: Getting Morefrom Music with Your ChoralStudents” July 19-21 for the MissouriChoral Directors Association StateConvention in Jefferson City.

Drs. Jack Thomas (vice provostfor academic affairs), William Badley(assistant vice provost and director ofgeneral education) and Sheila Otto(academic enrichment) presented“Meeting the Needs of First-YearStudents Through a TransformedCurriculum” July 25 at theNineteenth International Conferencefor the First-Year Experience inToronto.

Paul F. Wells (Center for PopularMusic) presented a paper, “HistoricalLayers in the American Fiddle TuneRepertoire,” at the Second NorthAtlantic Fiddle Convention, whichcombined an international academicconference with a music festival atthe University of Aberdeen, Scotland,July 26-30. Wells also served as chairof one conference session and washost/moderator of “A Conversationwith Jerry Holland,” an open inter-view session with one of the featuredperformers.

page 8 The Record Sept. 25, 2006

Faculty/Staff Update

Campus and Community

‘When it rains, it really looks like a wetland’

WARTS AND ALL—Students at Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School paint ahuge frog in the school's own “wetland,” now home to Canada geese, shown atupper left, and other concrete creatures. MTSU art education students joinedvolunteers from the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center, Discovery Center atMurfree Springs and the St. Clair Street Senior Citizens Center to help.

photo submitted

by Gina E. Fann

Awards

Elections

Presentations

UR013-0906

Tom TozerDirector, News and Public AffairsEditor: Gina E. Fanngfann@mtsu.edu

Contributors: Doug Williams, Lisa L.Rollins, Randy Weiler, John Lynch, Gina K.Logue, Paula Morton, Seth Alder, CristolCamacho, Danielle Harrell and BrittanySkelton.

Photos: MTSU Photographic Services,except where noted

Printed by Franklin Web Printing Co.

Phone: 615-898-2919 Fax: 615-898-5714

The Record Editorial Board:Dr. Anantha Babbili, J. Steven Barnes, Dr.Preston MacDougall, Dr. Rebecca “Becky”Seipelt, Molly Culbreath, John Harris, Dr.Don Roy, Angie Ray, Dr. Alexis Miller, Dr.Kathleen Burriss and Linda Puckett.

The Record is published every two weeksby the Office of News and Public Affairsat MTSU. It is distributed free to faculty,staff, friends and media outlets.

Attention Postmaster:Address changes andother correspondence shouldbe addressed to:

The RecordOffice of News and Public AffairsCAB 209, MTSUMurfreesboro, Tenn. 37132

MTSU, a Tennessee Board of RegentsInstitution, is an equal opportunity, non-racially identifiable, educational institu-tion that does not discriminate againstindividuals with disabilities.

Milestones