Middle Tennessee State University and the Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System teamed up for a free public event to inform women veterans about health and educational benefits. It was held April 15 in the Keathley University Center Theater on the MTSU campus. The event honored and recognized women veterans with a documentary screening and informational session on VA health care and education benefits. Sue Downes, a Tennessee resident who is featured in the documentary “Service: When Women Come Marching Home,” was the keynote speaker. The documentary, which also will be shown, highlights the struggles and triumphs of returning home as a combat-wounded woman. It will be shown locally at 9 p.m. May 9 on WNPT.
Art professor ‘pops up’ for children’s April 27 book workshop
April 19, 2013 By
An MTSU professor will instruct the next generation in the art of pop-up books surrounded by an exhibit full of examples.
Kathleen O’Connell
Kathleen O’Connell, book arts instructor in the MTSU Department of Art, will teach youngsters ages 8-12 and their parents at a free “Make It Pop-up!” hands-on workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27, in the Special Collections area on the fourth floor of the James E. Walker Library.
O’Connell will teach the children and parents how to create a simple, yet surprising pop-up book using sheets of paper and some simple cuts and folds.
The workshop will be held in conjunction with “The Anatomy of Pop-ups: Structure and Design,” a display open in Special Collections through May.
For this exhibit, 31 titles have been pulled out of the library’s collection of more than 400 examples of movable and pop-up books, many of which date to the 19th century.
All materials and tools will be supplied, and there is no cost to participants. Free parking will be available next to the library.
To reserve a slot in the workshop, contact Susan Hanson at 615-904-8503 or Susan.Hanson@mtsu.edu.
— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)
This iguana is part of the work in “Trail: Paper Poetry Pop-Up” by David Pelham, one of the books on display at MTSU’s James E. Walker Library.
This close-up of a page from “How to Find Flower Fairies” by Cicely Mary Barker shows some of the intricate work included in children’s pop-up books.
MTSU Star Party features Apollo mission lunar samples (w/ video)
April 19, 2013 By
MTSU assistant professor Irina Perevalova acknowledges that her guests at the April 19 MTSU Star Party are not only some of the coolest she’s ever brought to one of the event, they’re also some of the most rare.
Sgt. Broede Stucky, left, MTSU Public Safety public information officer, holds lunar samples from four Apollo missions while Dr. Irina Perevalova explains how they are on loan from NASA through May 3. (MTSU photos by News and Media Relations)
Lunar samples from Apollo missions 14 through 17 were on special display April 19 in Wiser-Patten Science Hall, said Perevalova, who helped land the lunar and meteorite samples at the university.
The public was invited to view the display, which was part of both Alumni Weekend and MTSU Star Party activities.
The lunar and meteorite samples, which arrived April 17 and were on loan from NASA, were to be housed at MTSU through May 3. The university’s Department of Public Safety has maintained the rarities in a secure area.
“What’s important to us is that they are from the moon,” said Perevalova, who teaches in MTSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
“They belong to the people of the United States. The moon samples are absolutely unique. They’re a national treasure.”
At the unique Star Party, Perevalova was to present a special lecture, “Hello, Universe, nice to meet you!” in Room 102 of Wiser-Patten Science Hall.
Dr. Irina Perevalova provides a close-up view of the lunar samples visiting the MTSU campus. Lunar Sample #039 includes basalt; orange, highlands and mare soil; anorithosite and breccia.
Perevalova’s lecture was to be followed by telescope observing outside, if weather permits.
Free parking is located behind Wiser-Patten, and a printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.
MTSU faculty conduct star parties each semester for the campus and surrounding community. The free public events showcase astronomy-related events along with the MTSU Observatory complex, which includes a traditional dome-shaped structure and a “Uranidrome,” or naked-eye observatory, on Old Main Circle between Wiser-Patten and the Cope Administration Building.
Perevalova, a native of Russia, said she believes this may be one of the first times lunar samples have come to Tennessee and encouraged parents to bring their school-age children to view the historic samples.
Perevalova said only two nations, Russia and the United States, have lunar samples. Russia’s came from a machine, she explained, while U.S. astronauts collected samples during lunar missions between 1969 and 1972.
The professor said she had to attend training at Georgia Southern University and be certified by NASA before the agency would allow MTSU to host the exhibit.
One local school has already called to see the exhibit, Perevalova said, adding that she hopes to visit other schools with the lunar samples before they are returned to NASA.
She can be reached at 615-898-2522 or by email at Irina.Perevalova@mtsu.edu.
You can watch a brief video about the lunar samples’ visit to MTSU below.
— Randy Weiler (randy.weiler@mtsu.edu)
Free MTSU workshop series focuses on building relationships
April 16, 2013 By
How to develop powerful personal and professional relationships is the focus of an upcoming free workshop series on campus.
Hosted by the MTSU Scholars Academy, the two-part “Rock Solid Relationship” workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 18, and again Thursday, April 25, with both sessions occurring in Room S-128 in the Business and Aerospace Building.
The workshop is free and open to the public. A printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.
Local certified life coaches Rock and Junice Rockman, owners of Champions Life Coaching, will conduct the workshop.
“They are going to focus on how to build and maintain positive relationships,” said Caroline Bizot, assistant director of multicultural recruitment and retention.
The workshop will address such areas as maximizing academic and professional relationships, attracting the relationships you want and understanding different personality types.
Bizot explained that the Scholars Academy is a student organization supported by the Office of Intercultural and Diversity Affairs. Academy members meet weekly throughout the year, participating in workshops on topics such as financial planning, applying for internships and etiquette.
“So our program really focuses on building our students up as leaders and building them up as young professionals,” Bizot said.
For more information about the event, call Bizot at 615-898-2848.
— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)
Chinese kung fu artists to demonstrate talents at MTSU on April 22
April 16, 2013 By
Fans of the martial arts have a treat in store at Middle Tennessee State University, thanks to the Confucius Institute at MTSU.
Performers from the Beijing-based Capital University of Physical Education and Sports demonstrate the use of “fu chen,” which is a weapon but also as a common instrument in Taoism rituals to sweep away vulgarity. This is part of a performance titled “Kai Yuan,” which will be demonstrated at the Martial Art Extravaganza Monday, April 22, in Murphy Center. (Photo submitted)
The Capital University of Physical Education and Sports will present an exhibition of Chinese kung fu at 7 p.m. Monday, April 22, at Murphy Center.
Composed of faculty and students from the Beijing-based institution, many members of the performance troupe are national and international champions of various styles of martial art.
Among the performers will be Fengmei Li, who has been a stuntwoman in several movies and was the choreographer for Zhang Ziyi, the leading actress in the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
The event, which is presented by MTSU’s Confucius Institute and sponsored by the Chinese Language Council International, is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the Confucius Institute at 615-494-8696 or cimtsu@mtsu.edu. For parking information, go to http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.
Step into the new season at Spring Dance Concert April 25-27
April 16, 2013 By
MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance will celebrate the new season with its Spring Dance Concert, scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27, in the university’s Tucker Theatre.
Performances are set at 7:30 each evening.
Directed by Professor Kim Neal Nofsinger, the 2013 Spring Dance Concert will feature a large cast of approximately 40 dancers with a variety of music to explore various aspects of diversity.
“The show has pieces such as ‘Raymonda,’ a classic ballet, and more modern things as well. So there will be something for everyone,” said Nofsinger, who directs MTSU’s nationally recognized dance program.
Auditions were held last fall, he added, and the dancers have been practicing six days a week since January.
“I’m excited to be working with everyone,” said student dancer Aaron Allen. “I get to do four pieces, one of which I’m partnering people sitting in chairs. It’s so much fun.”
Allen will be part of “Uncommon Rituals,” a dance created by guest artist Heidi Schill Clemmons that integrates two guest performers who use wheelchairs in their daily lives.
General-admission tickets for the Spring Dance Concert are $10 for adults and $5 for K-12 students. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid student ID.
Tickets can be purchased at the door. The Tucker Theatre Box Office will open one hour before each performance, and the theatre will open for seating 30 minutes before curtain time. The box office will close promptly when each show begins, and no tickets will be sold during the shows.
For more information about the show, or to buy tickets online, visit www.mtsu.edu/tuckertheatr/shows.php. You also can call the Tucker Theatre Box Office at 615-494-8810.
A map of MTSU arts venues is available at www.mtsu.edu/socialmedia/docs/mapforweb.jpg.
True Blue Experience Day attracts prospective students to MTSU
April 12, 2013 By
Nearly 60 high school students, many of them underclassmen, were among the 120 participants in the April 12 True Blue Experience Day on the Middle Tennessee State University campus.
MTSU academic counselor Becky Garrett, far right, explains academic advising guidelines to prospective MTSU students and guests during the April 12 True Blue Experience Day. In front, from left, are parent Philip Bennett of Chapel Hill, Tenn., Forrest High School senior Brandon Beech and Forrest junior Ali Bennett. In back are Oakland High School junior Kaylan Burgess, left, and Lee Rumble of Nashville, a transfer from Nashville State Community College. (MTSU photos by Randy Weiler)
Melinda Thomas, director of recruiting in the MTSU Office of Admissions, said the last of the 2012-13 recruitment period ended on a strong note.
“True Blue Experience is our opportunity to let prospective students and their families see how great of an institution we have,” Thomas said.
“We have over 100 major programs and lots of student organizations, but people don’t get to see what MTSU is all about until they actually get here, so that’s what True Blue Experience is.
“Today (Friday), we’re wrapping up our last preview day of the recruitment season, and it’s gone extremely well. We had a lot of positive feedback from parents and students. We hope to continue the event next year.”
Students came from across the region to view university facilities and talk to advisers, admissions personnel, faculty, administrators and staff. Separate sessions were held for students preparing to enter the College of Mass Communication and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.
For some, like Raven Wright, a senior at Smith County High School in Carthage, Tenn., it was the first visit to MTSU’s 500-plus-acre campus with more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Oakland High School junior Kaylan Burgess and Forrest High School junior Ali Bennett of Chapel Hill, Tenn., were among the other students that attended the event.
Transfer student Tina Warren-Shang, left, listens to MTSU Honors College representative Laura Clippard discuss fall classes. Shang is transferring from Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma.
Participant Tina Warren-Shang of Tullahoma, Tenn., will be one of 15 students receiving the inaugural Honors Transfer Fellowship, a new program that represents MTSU’s highest scholarship given by the University Honors College to a transfer student.
It parallels the Buchanan Fellowship, which is awarded annually to 20 of the highest-achieving students entering the university.
A nontraditional student, Shang, who is transferring from Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, is married to Mark Shang and has five children: Heather Warren, 22; Clint Warren, 18; Gabriel Warren, 12; Connor Shang, 6; and Walker Shang, 4. Her husband and two youngest children joined her on the campus visit.
Shang, who works full time as a reporter for the Winchester Herald-Chronicle, said she plans to major in journalism. She met with Honors College Dean John Vile and staff member Laura Clippard during an advising session.
For rising seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen, MTSU will hold a preview day on Saturday, June 1, starting at 8 a.m. Visit www.mtsu.edu/rsvp to register.
— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)
Health care, education event at MTSU targets female veterans
April 12, 2013 By
More than one out of every 10 military veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is a woman.
In this 2007 photo, U.S. Army veteran Sue Downes, who is featured in the documentary “Service: When Women Come Marching Home,” is shown receiving the Army Achievement Medal for her service. (Photos courtesy of ServiceTheFilm.com)
More than 57 percent of the female veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have received health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA statistics show. And of that 57-plus percent, 89.8 percent have used VA health care more than once.
Middle Tennessee State University and the Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System are teaming up for a free public event to inform women veterans about health and educational benefits. It will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, April 15, in the Keathley University Center Theater on the MTSU campus.
The event will honor and recognize women veterans with a documentary screening and informational session on VA health care and education benefits.
Click on this promotional poster for the documentary “Service: When Women Come Marching Home” to learn more.
“Women veterans are encouraged to attend April 15 at the KUC to learn more about their VA benefits,” said Chris Conklin, a spokesman for the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.
“Veterans who attend this event will have the opportunity to not only see what their education benefits are but how the they can take advantage of all the benefits they have earned through their service, including health benefits. Women veterans, in particular, also will have the chance to see what services are available specifically for them in regard to health care at VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.”
Conklin said nearly 51 percent of the female veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who used VA care between 2002 and 2011 were born in or after 1970. Nearly 48 percent of the male Iraq and Afghanistan veterans fit those same statistics.
U.S. Army veteran Sue Downes, a Gallatin, Tenn., resident, is shown in this undated photo. Downes, a driver and gunner while serving in Afghanistan, had both legs amputated below the knee when her Humvee hit landmines in 2005.
Sue Downes, a Gallatin, Tenn, resident who is featured in the documentary “Service: When Women Come Marching Home,” will be the keynote speaker for the April 15 event at MTSU.
The documentary, which also will be shown, highlights the struggles and triumphs of returning home as a combat-wounded woman.
Downes, a Gallatin, Tenn., resident who served as a driver and gunner in Afghanistan, had both legs amputated below the knee after her Humvee hit landmines in 2005. She will take part in a question-and-answer session during the event with other veterans in attendance.
Women veterans will be able to talk to staff from the VA and MTSU on maximizing their available education and health care benefits and register for VA health care.
MTSU is welcoming women veterans and their families from across the Midstate, including those now attending area community colleges, to provide information on educational benefits.
Advisers from MTSU’s VetSuccess on Campus office also will be at the program to provide information.
For more information on the event, contact Kim Holden at 615-225-5535 or Cathy Kirchner at 615-898-5814.
MTSU is the only Tennessee university selected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a “VetSuccess on Campus” program. It also has been named a military-friendly institution for three years in a row by G.I. Jobs magazine.
To learn more about the MTSU VetSuccess on Campus program, call 615-898-2974.
For more information about VA health services in Tennessee, visit www.tennesseevalley.va.gov. To learn more about the documentary, visit http://servicethefilm.com.
Kevin Whalum jazzes up MTSU with free April 16 concert
April 11, 2013 By
Jazz vocalist Kevin Whalum is coming to MTSU for a special Tuesday, April 16, evening that also will showcase the MTSU Singers, led by Grammy Award-winning School of Music professor Cedric Dent.
The free public event is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Hinton Music Hall inside the university’s Wright Music Building.
Vocalist Kevin Whalum will jazz up campus on Tuesday, April 16, with a free public performance in the Wright Music Building that also will feature the MTSU Singers and Grammy award-winning music professor Cedric Dent. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Whalum)
Whalum, a Memphis native whose countless musical influences range from Al Green and Ella Fitzgerald to The Manhattan Transfer and Lynyrd Skynyrd, recently returned from a visit to South Africa, where his next CD is scheduled for worldwide release this summer.
His first two releases, “Timetable” and “One Life to Love,” are classified as jazz but feature elements of R&B, soul and Christian music. Whalum’s voice has been described as “butter” by jazz keyboards great George Duke, with whom Whalum’s co-written several songs.
Whalum, who also is the younger brother of jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, first found his voice in their father’s church. Initially going into business after college, he ultimately turned his love of music into a full-time career as a live and session vocalist in Nashville and then as a touring artist.
The MTSU Singers, who also will perform Tuesday night, are a student ensemble that performs jazz, Broadway and contemporary music, focusing on developing stage presence and vocal skills during their tenure in the group.
The singers are led by Dent, a member of the Grammy Award-winning gospel/jazz group Take 6 who has taught in MTSU’s School of Music since 2004.
Dent, who received his own Grammy in 1992 for his work on several musical arrangements on the recording “Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration,” recently was named as the recipient of the 2013 Heritage Music Award by the National Association of Negro Musicians Inc. He’ll be presented with the award at NAMM’s annual convention in Nashville in July.
A parking map of MTSU arts venues, including the Wright Music Building, is available at www.mtsu.edu/socialmedia/docs/mapforweb.jpg.
For more information on this and other MTSU School of Music events, call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com and click on the “Concert Calendar” link.
School of Nursing to hold annual Health Fair April 11
April 8, 2013 By
It’s a one-stop shopping opportunity to help people have healthier, happier lives.
The MTSU School of Nursing will present its annual Health Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 11, in the lobby of the Student Union Building.
Area vendors scheduled to provide health information include McCabe Vision, Nashville Cares, Infinity Birthing Center, the MTSU Pharmacy and the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services.
Various health screenings will be available, including blood pressure and glucose checks. The American Red Cross will be present to accept blood donations.
The fair is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the MTSU School of Nursing at 615-898-2437.
A printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13.
— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)
