MTSU faculty and staff took to the airwaves recently to discuss a university anthropological research project in Brazil, a history project focused on documenting the storied past of a local public school, and ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the First Amendment.

Pat Embry

Dr. Brenden Martin

Dr. Richard Pace

Listeners of WGNS radio heard details on these efforts during the Feb. 16 “Action Line” program with veteran host Bart Walker. The live program was 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 show here. Guests included:

• MTSU anthropology professor Dr. Richard Pace talked about the ongoing media research in Brazil and how this has now developed into the InDigital Latin America Conference co-sponsored by MTSU and Vanderbilt University to be held on the Vanderbilt campus March 26-28. Part of the planned events is a screening and Q&A session by two Kayapo filmmakers and anthropologist Glenn Shepard at MTSU March 24 sponsored by the Distinguished Speaker Series. The Kayapo are a well-known tribe from the Brazilian Amazon who were featured in National Geographic (January 2013). MTSU will have top scholars of indigenous media presenting their work at the conference.

• MTSU history professor Dr. Brenden Martin discussed a project in which MTSU graduate students are seeking assistance from Murfreesboro and Rutherford County residents in preserving the history of what is now Central Magnet School. Martin is guiding the students as they interview teachers and alumni, seek donations of artifacts and peruse documents and photos from the campus’s nearly 175-year history. An interpretive exhibit will be placed in the magnet school’s “College Corner” in the western side of the building. MTSU students also will create a website where audio, video and still images will be posted. Read the full story here.

• Pat Embry, new director of the John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies in the MTSU College of Mass Communication, talked about his role since taking the reins last summer and how technology has changed media. The Seigenthaler Chair supports a variety of activities related to free speech, free press rights and other topics of concern for contemporary journalism. The Seigenthaler Chair recently sponsored a Feb. 10 public forum at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre entitled “From the Front Lines of Ferguson: Covering the New Civil Rights Movement.” Read a recap of that event here.

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