MTSU on WGNS: Police bike training, changing media landscape, book on death, burial in the South

MTSU representatives appeared on WGNS Radio recently to talk about recent bicycle patrol training of campus and local police officers, training students for the changing media landscape, and a new book about the 20^th century customs surrounding health, death and burial in the South.

They appeared on the live “Action Line” program with host Scott Walker broadcast on FM 100.5, 101.9 and AM 1450 from the WGNS studio in downtown Murfreesboro. If you missed it, you can listen to a podcast of the Aug. 21 program.

MTSU representatives appeared on the WGNS Radio “Action Line” program on Aug. 21. The guests, from left in order of appearance, were Capt. Jeff Martinez of the MTSU Police Department; Dr. Katie Foss, media studies professor and director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media; and Dr. Kristine McCusker, history professor. (MTSU photo illustration by Jimmy Hart)

Guests included:

• Capt. Jeff Martinez of the MTSU Police Department, talked about bike patrol training over the summer, campus safety strategies and other police department activities.

With several new officers on the force and a few years since the last training opportunity, MTSU’s Police Department offered three bike certification courses over the summer to get patrol officers certified to serve and protect on two wheels. The department trained 15 or so new officers over the course of the summer.

The four-day, 32-hour course included training on and passing an obstacle course outlined by traffic cones, practical tests on the road and a 50-question assessment, said course instructor and Master Patrol Officer Leroy Carter. The course is certified by the International Police Mountain Biking Association or IPMBA.

• Dr. Katie Foss, media studies professor, discussed her role as the new director of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media and how the school trains students for careers in today’s everchanging media landscape.

Earlier this year, the School of Journalism and Strategic Media hosted an internationally recognized journalism organization for the first time. The 48th annual AEJMC Southeast Colloquium, a gathering of the Columbia, South Carolina-based Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, brought students and educators from across the Southeast in early March for three days of sharing research about their discipline and networking with future colleagues.

“It’s important for students to understand that we don’t just teach journalism and media concepts; we also formally study and publish on salient topics related to our discipline,” said Foss.

• Dr. Kristine McCusker, history professor, discussed her new book, “Just Enough to Put Him Away Decent: Death Care, Life Extension and the Making of a Healthier South, 1900-1955,” which chronicles how scientific advancement and biblical duties collide.

A Department of History professor whose expertise is in ethnomusicology, McCusker is interested in ways cultural behaviors affect the way people think and act. When the San Francisco, California, native moved to Murfreesboro in 2000, cemeteries were a notable trend that caught her eye with memorials ranging from elaborate monuments to front-yard tombstones.

“Southerners had definite views about death and dying,” McCusker said. “It’s visually very obvious.”

Students, faculty and staff who are interested in guesting on WGNS to promote their MTSU-related activities should contact Jimmy Hart, director of MTSU News and Media Relations, at 615-898-5131 or via email at jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu.