D r. Anthony Badger, PaulMellon Professor of AmericanHistory at Cambridge

University and Master of ClareCollege, will visit MTSU’s State FarmRoom on Thursday, Nov. 9, to presenthis lecture “Albert Gore Sr., theInterstate Highway Act and theModern South.”

“The event is free and open to thepublic,” said Dr. Lisa Pruitt, directorof the Albert Gore Research Center atMTSU. “A catered reception will beginat 6:30 p.m. followed by Dr. Badger’slecture at 7 p.m.”

In commemoration of the 50thanniversary of the U.S. interstate sys-tem, Badger, a specialist in post-WorldWar II Southern political history, will

discuss what roadsmeant to the lateU.S. senator andwhy it was impor-tant to improveroads, especially inthe South.

“I also want totalk about theInterstate HighwaySystem, why they

needed it and what itlooked like nationally,” said Badger. “Iwant to get over [convey] some senseof what the road system was likebefore, just why it was such a problemand what a difference it made.”

Badger has written many articlesand given numerous lectures in the

UnitedKingdom,Europe and the

United States on Southern politicalhistory, including the life and work ofAlbert Gore Sr., father of former U.S.vice president and frequent MTSU lec-turer Al Gore.

“Tony has a charm and wit abouthim,” said Dr. Jerry Brookshire, MTSUhistory professor. “ExploringAmerican history with a CambridgeUniversity professor, English accentand all, should be a rewarding experi-ence for our university community.”

Since being commissioned in 2001by the Gore Center to write the biog-raphy of the elder Gore, Badger hasbecome well acquainted with MTSU.He was selected from many elitescholars because of his significantresearch into Gore’s stand on civilrights in the 1950s and 1960s before

WHEN WEATHER OUTSIDE TURNSFRIGHTFUL, TURN TO THE WEB

When inclement weather arises,MTSU closing information will be avail-able on area radio and TV stations. Classcancellations will apply to all classes,credit and noncredit. MTSU offices willbe open unless the message specificallysays all offices will be closed. Overnightclosing decisions will be announced by6 a.m. the next day. You can learn moreat www.mtsunews.com by clicking the“Emergency Weather Information forStudents, Faculty and Staff” link.

CAREER CENTER SPONSORS NOV. 6NURSES/HEALTH CAREER DAY

Students interested in nursing andother health care careers should makeplans to attend the Nurses/HealthCareer Day Monday, Nov. 6, from 11a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Tennessee Roomin the James Union Building. More than30 midstate and national institutions,including various graduate schools, willbe represented at the fair. For moreinformation about the fair or the Careerand Employment Center, visithttp://career.web.mtsu.edu/ or contact theCenter at 615-898-2500.

ROCK OUT FOR WRITINGAT CENTER BENEFIT NOV. 11

Local music artists Seth Moore, BoDaddy Bo, Bent Fur and Cuttlefish willjoin forces Saturday, Nov. 11, from 9 p.m.until 1 a.m. at The Boro Bar and Grill,1211 Greenland Drive, for The WritingCenter Rock Show to help raise moneyfor the University Writing Center atMTSU. Admission to the benefit is $5per person at the door. For more infor-mation about the show, e-mailskh2t@mtsu.edu or call 615-268-7011; formore about the Writing Center, visithttp://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11332/.

STUDENTS: APPLY BY DEC. 1FOR 2007-08 MTSU SCHOLARSHIPS

Friday, Dec. 1, is the deadline forprospective freshmen and current MTSUstudents to apply for scholarships forthe 2007-08 academic year. Merit schol-arships and awards include NationalMerit Finalists, Valedictorians andSalutatorians, and Chancellor,Presidential, Buchanan Fellowship,Provost and Raider scholarships. Call615-898-2111 or 615-898-2830 or visitwww.mtsu.edu/~admissn.

www.mtsunews.com

a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community Nov. 6, 2006 • Vol. 15/No. 9

PRE-SORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MURFREESBORO TNPERMIT NO. 16

IN BRIEF

Key to successUniversity, communitypartnerships growingsee page 2

Balancing actAlumna jugglesU.S., Iraqi culturessee page 7

After GeierHigher educationmust reach out to all see page 6

W hen it rains,it pours. Andas more land

is paved and devel-oped, much of thatwater is diverted intoconcrete culverts andchannels. This tradi-tional approach tostorm water floodingmeans that less water isstored in the ground

and the runoff is oftenpolluted with oil fromcars, excess fertilizerfrom lawns and harm-ful bacteria in petwaste.

MTSU GreenhouseManager Larry Size-more and agribusinessand agriscience profes-sor Dr. Warren Ander-son have teamed up tocreate a natural way ofhandling water runoff

from university park-ing lots. Working withstudents in Anderson’splant and soil scienceclass, they have fash-ioned one rain gardenon the east side of thecampus near the green-house and are in theprocess of buildinganother.

See ‘Scholar’ page 5

by John C. Lynch

See ‘Rain’ page 5

Fend off flu with shot

by Cristol Camacho

Sweet!

HELP YOURSELF TO CAKE—Reagan Turner, who's almost 3 and a student atProject HELP, dives into a cupcake he frosted with mom Jennifer’s help at the annu-al Family Fall Festival Oct. 20. MTSU’s Project HELP is one of the local agencies ben-efiting from gifts to the 2006 Employee Charitable Giving Campaign. For more on thecampaign, which ends Nov. 10, see page 3. For more on Project HELP, see page 8.

photo by News & Public Affairs

Bringin’ in the

British scholarto lecture onGore, interstates

W ith the flu season on theway, the MTSU School ofNursing will work with

Student Health Services to offer flushots to faculty, staff and studentsfrom 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday throughThursday, Nov. 7-9, Rick Chapman,director of Health Services, says.

According to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention,about 5 to 20 percent of U.S. residentscontract influenza each year on aver-age. Annually, more than 200,000 peo-ple are hospitalized with flu-related

complications, and about 36,000Americans die from complications ofthe flu each year.

Symptoms of influenza includehigh fever, sore throat, dry cough,runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches,extreme tiredness, and nausea andvomiting, although stomach symp-toms are more likely in children thanadults.

Dr. Pat Spangler, medical directorof Health Services, acknowledges thatthe flu is highly contagious amongpeople living in close quarters, suchas students living in dormitories or

by Gina K. Logue

Badger

See ‘Flu’ page 5

Make appointments now

Related article, page 3

page 2 The Record Nov. 6, 2006

P resident McPhee announced the launching of the MTSU Communityand University Partnerships Office during his August 2006 address tothe faculty. Creating partnerships between MTSU and the community

that surrounds it is one of the three major goals in the MTSU AcademicMaster Plan. The president presented these three goals even before hearrived on the campus in 2001, and the university has spent a great deal oftime over the past five years working on the first two goals of the AcademicMaster Plan—student-centered learning and quality.

Now, the mission of the new CUP Office is to “encourage the develop-ment of important bonds and connections that lead to a sharing of humanand knowledge resources” to facilitate better coordination of efforts universi-ty-wide. Chief among office responsibilities will be reporting information onformal partnerships throughout the campus. This will be facilitated througha Web site and database that will include both current and prospectiveMTSU partnerships.

Partnerships offer MTSU and the community a variety of opportunities.These opportunities have never been sufficiently documented from a cam-puswide perspective, but they are numerous and include bringing innova-tion to the marketplace; promoting local, regional and state economic devel-opment; promoting closer ties to business and industry; providing multidis-ciplinary solutions with integration of resources; and showcasing universityprograms.

The Tennessee Board of Regents supports MTSU’s emphasis on partner-ships. TBR’s 2005-10 Strategic Plan, “Setting New Directions,” details expec-tations for partnerships in its goal on resourcefulness. The goal includes sev-eral objectives, strategies and benchmarks. Among them:

• to facilitate corporate alliances and entrepreneurialinitiatives and partnerships with business and removeimpediments to effective use of resources;

• review all board policies and guidelines and offerrevisions;

• by the end of 2006, review and update purchasingand approval of agreements and policies for maximumdelegation to campuses for purchasing and contractingdecisions; and

• by the end of 2007, complete a review of all boardpolicies and guidelines and recommend revisions that

facilitate entrepreneurial initiatives.Our students will benefit from these partnerships by learning how to

link theory and practice, integrate their skills into the workplace and be pre-pared for participatory citizenship. University-community partnerships alsokeep our curriculum current and responsive to our students and regularlyinclude ethical issues as part of the discussion.

The community, in return, receives more access to MTSU in its effort tofind local solutions to local challenges. Partnerships may help guide regionalgrowth and development and help business and government reduce costs bylocating/working with the university. These associations also carry thepotential of allowing the university to serve as “neutral ground” for discus-sion and resolution of controversial issues and provide an opportunity toinvolve county and city mayors and the entire community in addressing andsolving issues.

Of course, there are challenges, but as with most endeavors, relationshipbuilding and consistent and creative communications are keys. The academyhas to prove itself to business and industry—which understand “doing,” notjust discussing and planning. Projects and programs must be business-centered in addition to, and sometimes even instead of, university-centered.Academia must demonstrate that it really does not have all the answers.

How can the CUP Office help faculty and staff? By:• formally recognizing the work you do with off-campus partners;• publishing the formal partnership relationships that you have;• assisting you by documenting your partnership activities; and • helping to identify others on campus who may be working with the

same partner or who may be working with a partner who may be a prospect.There are certain must-haves in true partnerships. Formalized agree-

ments are necessary in most cases to define exactly what the partnership isand what it is not. Each participant should be a full partner with definedresponsibilities.

Individual faculty, departments and colleges have worked extremelyhard on developing external partnerships. Much has happened in that areabecause of excellent deans and the example that Dr. McPhee has set, but it isonly now that we have set out to formally document the many partnerships.

We have not had the opportunity to celebrate those accomplishmentscollectively; rather, we have celebrated them one at a time. That makes it ishard to see the total impact of the university’s successful partnerships. Allunits and divisions were asked to nominate certain of their partnerships tobe highlighted initially. We will begin sharing those with you in a subsequentissue of The Record.

Dr. Rosemary W. Owens, former dean of the College of ContinuingEducation and Distance Learning, is special assistant to the vice president andprovost for university and community partnerships. For more information about thiskind of teamwork, contact her at 615-898-2180 or e-mail partner@mtsu.edu.

FFOORR TTHHEE RREECCOORRDD

University partnerships withcommunity key to successby Dr. Rosemary W. Owens

Owens

Show some respect

‘DON’T LAUGH AT ME’—Musician Peter Yarrow makes a point during his keynoteaddress at the Tennessee School Health Coalition’s “Fit For The Future” conference inMTSU’s Tucker Theatre. Yarrow, a member of the renowned folk group Peter, Pauland Mary, speaks nationwide on behalf of “Operation Respect” (www.dontlaugh.org),the school bullying and violence prevention organization that he founded in 2000.

photo by J. Intintoli

T he Adult Services Center, theOlder Wiser Learners (OWLs)student organization and the

Pinnacle Honor Society will pay trib-ute to adult learners with severalevents during National Nontradi-tional Student Week Nov. 6-10.

The Association of Nontradition-al Students in Higher Educationjoined with five other organizationsserving adult learners about 10 yearsago in creating the observance. Thepurpose is to “draw attention to thenumber of nontraditional studentsand to their needs to be successful intheir college pursuits,” Dr. Carol AnnBaily, director of the Adult ServicesCenter, says.

Baily quotes national statisticsshowing that 38 percent of all collegestudents are individuals who haveadult responsibilities in addition totheir college careers.

“At MTSU, we figure approxi-mately 10,000 of the 22,800 studentsare nontraditional students—mar-ried, with families, working full-timeand attending classes as well,” Bailysays.

Events on tap include a NightOwls Open House Nov. 6-8 from 4 to6 each evening at the Adult ServicesCenter in Room 320 of the Keathley

University Center. All evening stu-dents are welcome to stop by for hotcider, treats and a gift.

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. onWednesday, Nov. 8, NontraditionalStudent Day, informational tableswill be set up in front of the grill inthe KUC to enable students to learnmore about the Adult ServicesCenter, the OWLs and PinnacleHonor Society. Each student willreceive a gift.

All nontraditional students areinvited to attend and bring theirfamilies to the NontraditionalStudent Week Potluck HolidayDinner from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Thursday, Nov. 9, in KUC Room 320.The fall 2006 Pinnacle Award ofAchievement will be presented, andthe winner of the NontraditionalStudent Week Essay Contest will beannounced.

Each attendee is requested tobring a dish to serve eight to 10 peo-ple and their group’s nonalcoholicbeverage of choice. OWLs will pro-vide turkey and ham. Attendees alsoare asked to phone the AdultServices Center in advance at 615-898-5989 with the number in theirgroups.

Celebrate adult learningby Gina K. Logue

Nontraditional Students Week

T he program on Thursday, Nov. 9, duringwhich Dr. Tony Badger will share insightsinto the life of the late U.S. Sen. Albert Gore

Sr. and his work as co-author of the FederalHighway Act of 1956, follows a presentation of an“Oral History of the Interstate” from theTennessee Department of Transportation toMTSU’s Albert Gore Research Center.

Established in 1993, the center houses collec-tions of documents and photographs on the histo-ry of politics and public policy in the region, thelargest collection of which contains the papersfrom the senator’s distinguishedCongressional career from 1939 to 1970.

“We are happy to provide a perma-nent home for TDOT’s oral history ofthe interstate highway system inTennessee,” said Dr. Lisa Pruitt,director of the Gore Center. “Thelate Senator Gore’s papers are arich source of historical documen-tation on the highways. TDOT’soral histories complement and enhance thatresource and will be used by students and histori-ans for years to come.”

The oral history, compiled over many months,will become part of a larger history of theTennessee interstate system titled “The Decades ofthe Interstate,” a product of a collaborationbetween the Tennessee Department ofTransportation and the Tennessee Road BuildersAssociation, said Luanne Grandinetti, TDOT’scommunications manager and oral history projectmanager.

“Last year, in looking at what we wanted todo in Tennessee to celebrate the 50th anniversaryof the interstate system, we organized a committeethat included Dr. Pruitt,” Grandinetti said. “Lisaspoke of the value of an oral history to MTSU andthe center. We also recognized that we could usethese interviews as part of a written history.”

MTSU became an integral part of the partner-ship when Tosheena Robinson-Blair, a recent mas-ter’s degree graduate from the College of MassCommunication and then a temporary employeeof TDOT, was hired to conduct the interviews thatwould comprise the oral history. Her 23 inter-

views came from a much longer list of names (andcountless phone calls) and introduced her to for-mer TDOT employees, former Federal HighwayAdministration employees, contractors, communi-ty activists, news media and private citizens.

Robinson-Blair said she learned that whatfirst appeared to be a dry topic of discussion wasactually a story that came alive as her intervie-wees shared their recollections of this immenseundertaking.

“It was like a whole history—it had a birth,infancy, teen years, growing pains … it had strug-gles and successes,” Robinson-Blair said.

“Now when I am driving on the interstate, Ihave a different appreciation for it because therewere a lot of issues that came into play that affect-ed people’s lives. Some farmland was claimed,some people lost their homes, and some felt theywere mistreated or forced off their land. But mosteveryone realized that the project was somethingfor the greater good.”

Rather than there ever being outbreaks of vio-lence, there was “just a lot of tension and friction,”Robinson-Blair said she learned from her inter-views.

One contentious issue, she explained, wasOverton Park in Memphis, which became a land-mark case. Overton Park was considered a historicsite and environmental asset. The state hadalready claimed some of the homes in that area inorder to make way for Interstate 40. Several resi-dents opposed to the plan formed “Citizens toProtect Overton Park” and took their oppositionto federal court, then much later to the SupremeCourt. State officials insisted they wanted to gothrough the park. The high court disagreed, andthe citizens won.

The recollections of those who lived through

those changing and often trying times were per-haps the equivalent of a graduate degree in thehuman experience for Robinson-Blair.

Ira Degges, former engineering coordinatorand FHA administrator, commented that everyonepegged the new interstate system the “Great Wallof China … because you couldn’t walk across it(or you weren’t supposed to), and they put a lot ofunderpasses even for cattle to go from one side ofa farm to another.” Degges added that he felt itwas “one of the most fantastic things that couldhave happened to the country.”

“We had some difficult problems on I-40 inRoane County and Rockwood,”noted Ron Carr, former FHAengineer, regarding how theydealt with mountain slides. “[We

had] some success drilling horizon-tal drains through the fill, which drained

water out of the fill and relieved the pressureand avoided compaction of the settling of theroadway.”

Robinson-Blair heard comments from the“Nashvillians Against I-440” and “Supporters of I-440.”

“I think you could say we had a differentvision for the city … we felt that this route for I-440 was very much too close to the city to serve asan outer loop, which was its function,” said BettyNixon, city council member during the I-440 con-troversy. “ … And so we thought it was in thewrong place.”

Dr. Dennis Loyd, spokesman for the opposi-tion, viewed the outer loop in a different way.“There certainly had to be a way, in the event of anatural disaster, to be able to move heavy equip-ment through the city, and 440 seemed a logicalway.”

While a lawsuit failed to stop the constructionof I-440, it changed the way the roadway looked.Compromises allowed for people on both sides,who were concerned with issues such as chil-dren’s safety, the preservation of neighborhoodsand sound protection from traffic, to be satisfied.

“What comes out of the interviews is that noteveryone was pleased about the interstate proj-ect,” Robinson-Blair said, “but in order for us tohave progress, it was necessary.”

Oral history of interstates makes way to MTSUby Tom Tozer

The Record Nov. 6, 2006 page 3

A s the season for giving—and thanksgiving—approaches, MTSU’s 2006Employee Charitable Giving Campaign is loud, proud and goingstrong with that terrific MTSU BLUE spirit.

“The excitement level is high. Faculty and staff across campus are thought-fully choosing the charity or charities to which they wish to contribute andreturning their pledge forms in anticipation of thedrawing for many wonderful prizes,” said 2006 cam-paign chair Lucinda Lea, vice president for informa-tion technology and chief information officer.

“And we want to extend a special thanks to allthose who have so generously given prizes, a recordnumber, for this campaign.”

Pledge forms and the campaign brochure areavailable online at the campaign Web site,www.mtsu.edu/givemtsu. Paper copies of each also areavailable from departmental coordinators if needed.

All pledge forms must be returned to campaignheadquarters via departmental coordinators or direct campus mail by Friday,Nov. 10. Employees who return their forms by the deadline will be eligible fora campuswide drawing on Friday, Nov. 17, for dozens of prizes, including giftcertificates, gift cards, MP3 and DVD players, sportswear and game tickets. (Afull listing is available by clicking the “prizes” link at www.mtsu.edu/givemtsu.)

Donations are not required to enter any of the prize drawings.The 2005 campaign saw MTSU pledge a record-breaking $76,300-plus in

contributions; the 2006 goal is $70,000-plus.Faculty and staff can give by payroll deduction to any charitable organiza-

tion included on a list of nine independent charities and three federated chari-table organizations, Lea said, including Community Health Charities,Community Shares and local United Ways.

MTSU’s own Project HELP (Help Educate LittlePeople), a nonprofit program that provides earlyintervention and family support services to high-riskchildren, children with disabilities and children withdevelopmental delays, receives a portion of its fund-ing from United Way grants via charitable givingefforts like this one.

“As we all look forward to our Thanksgivingfeasts and sharing this special time of the year withfamily and friends, our hope is that the entire MTSU‘family’ will reach out to lend a helping hand andshare with those less fortunate in our community.

How special it will be to have that joy of giving ringing in our hearts andminds,” said Lea.

The annual effort at MTSU is conducted in unison with all TennesseeBoard of Regents institutions.

For more information, contact Lea at 615-898-2512.

‘Tis the season for Employee Giving—’til Nov. 10 from Staff Reports

‘How special it will be to havethat joy of giving ringing in

our hearts and minds.’Lucinda Lea, chair

2006 Employee Charitable Giving Campaign

“Middle Tennessee Record”Cable Channel 9Monday-Sunday-5 p.m.NewsChannel 5+ Saturdays-1 p.m.

MTSU Guys & DollsSwing 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.

Monday, Nov. 6Nurses/Health Career Day11 a.m.-2 p.m., JUB Tenn. RoomFor information, visit:http://career.web.mtsu.edu/ or contact: 615-898-2500.

Honors Lecture SeriesDr. Mark Abolins (geosciences),“The Threat of UrbanEarthquakes in theSoutheastern United States”3-3:50 p.m., HONR 106For information, contact: 615-898-7611.

Application Deadline: 2007 CUSTOMS StudentOrientation Assistants4:30 p.m., KUC 326Visit www.mtsu.edu/~customsfor information.

Guest Artists Recital:Peter Sommer, saxophone, and Art Landy, piano8 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Tuesday, Nov. 7State and Federal General Election DayPolls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.For information, visitwww.rutherfordcounty.org/election/.

JAWC Career/ProfessionalDevelopment Brown Bag“Let’s Have Some Fun!”Noon-1 p.m, BAS SunTrustRoomFor information, contact: 615-898-2193.

Tuesday, Nov. 7Guest Piano Recital: Steele Moegle7:30 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Nov. 9-11Longhorn ChampionshipRodeo7:30 p.m., Miller ColiseumFor tickets and information,contact: 1-800-357-6336or visit www.longhornrodeo.com.

Thursday, Nov. 9Retired Faculty & Staff Coffee9:30 a.m., Foundation HouseFor information, contact 615-898-5756.

EXL Faculty Showcase Series“Assessing ExperientialLearning Class Activities”11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., PH 106For information, contact: 615-494-7671or e-mail ltanditc@mtsu.edu.

MTSU Jazz Ensemble4:30 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Nov. 10-11MTSU Musical: “Oklahoma!”7:30 p.m., Tucker TheatreAdmission: $4-$8 per personFor information, contact:615-494-8810.

Friday, Nov. 10Deadline for EmployeeCharitable Giving Campaignpledge formsFor information, visitwww.mtsu.edu/givemtsuor see your coordinator.

Women’s Basketball vs. Maryland7 p.m., Murphy CenterFor information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

Guest Viola Recital: Joel Pagan8 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Saturday, Nov. 11Veterans’ Day

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

Blue Raider Footballat Arkansas State2:05 p.m., Jonesboro, Ark.For information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

“An Evening of Swing” presented by Friends of Music6:30 p.m., JUB Tennessee RoomAdmission: $75 per person, $750 for 10-person tableFor information, contact:615-898-5924.

Sunday, Nov. 12“MTSU On the Record—Trip to Belgium”Guest: Dr. Judith Iriarte-Gross(postponed from earlier date)7 a.m., WMOT 89.5-FMPodcast at www.mtsunews.com.

Monday, Nov. 13Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Lecture:Dr. H. Lee Martin,“Techonomics: Understandingthe Sources of Global Change”3-4 p.m., HONR 106For information, contact:615-898-2152.

Faculty Senate meeting4:30 p.m., JUB 100For information, contact: 615-898-2582.

Basketball Doubleheader:Women vs. South Dakota StateMen vs. Cumberland 5 and 7 p.m., Murphy CenterFor information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

Nov. 15-18MTSU Musical: “Oklahoma!”7:30 p.m., Tucker TheatreAdmission: $4-$8 per personFor information, contact:615-494-8810.

Thursday, Nov. 16Free Legal Clinic7-9 p.m., June AndersonWomen’s Center (JUB 206)Appointments requiredFor information, contact: 615-898-2193.

Nov. 17-18MTSU Opera: Britten’s“Midsummer Night’s Dream”7:30 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Nov. 18-19Stones River Pony Club ShowTennessee Livestock CenterFor information, contact: 615-904-0049.

Saturday, Nov. 18Blue Raider Footballat South CarolinaTime TBA, Columbia, S.C.For information, visitwww.goblueraiders.comor contact: 615-898-2103.

Sunday, Nov. 19MTSU Chamber Winds3 p.m., Hinton Music HallNo admission chargeFor information, contact:615-898-2493.

Calendar Items WelcomedSubmit your campus eventcalendar items (at least threeweeks in advance of the event,please) to gfann@mtsu.edu orvia fax to 615-898-5714.

CalendarNov. 6-19

TV Schedule

Nov. 17

page 4 The Record Nov. 6, 2006

Nov. 6

Nov. 9

Nov. 13Nov. 10

Nov. 12

Nov. 15

Nov. 16Every Monday night

Nov. 7

Nov. 19

Get noticed!

Nov. 11

Nov. 18

The Record Nov. 6, 2006 page 5

Scholar from page 1beginning work on theGore Biography Project.He also served as a pan-elist for the 1997 “AlbertGore Sr. and the NewSouth” conference here.

“It is a privilege tohave Dr. Badger atMTSU,” said Pruitt. “Hehas not spoken heresince 1997, and since hisresearch here is windingdown, we don’t knowwhen he will be able tovisit again.”

Currently, Badger isfinishing up his antici-pated biography, whichis scheduled for releaseNovember 2007, the100th anniversary of thelate senator’s birthday.

Badger also is theauthor of ProsperityRoad: The New Deal,Tobacco, and NorthCarolina; North Carolinaand the New Deal; andThe New Deal: TheDepression Years, 1933-1940. His articles haveappeared in Journal ofAmerican Studies, StoriaNord Americana, Journalof American History,Arkansas HistoricalQuarterly and HistoricalJournal.

The Gore Center,which opened in 1993, isa manuscripts reposito-ry dedicated to preserv-ing and making avail-able for research pri-

mary source materialsrelated to Tennessee his-tory. The Center’s col-lections focus on the his-tory of politics and pub-lic policy and on MTSUand the region it serves.The papers of Gore,who served in the U.S.House of Representa-tives from 1938 to 1952and in the Senate from1953 to 1970, form thecornerstone of theCenter’s collections.

The staff also pre-pares exhibits, recordsoral histories, conductsresearch and supervisesinterns and graduateassistants from MTSU’spublic history program.

Flu from page 1sharing apartment units.

“We strongly encourage every-one, but especially freshmen, to getboth the meningitisshot and the flu shot,”Spangler says.“They’re away fromhome, often for thefirst time, and Momisn’t here to take careof them. They havehigh stress levels, andthey’re very vulnera-ble to infection.”

The CDC recom-mends vaccinationagainst influenza in October orNovember, since flu season canbegin as early as October and last aslate as May.

Physicians advise that the flushot will not give patients the flu.

However, minor temporary sideeffects of the shot could include achi-ness, a low-grade fever and some

redness or swellingwhere the vaccinationwas injected.

Injections of fluvaccine will be admin-istered by appointmentin Room 109 of theCason-KennedyNursing Building for afee of $23 each, payableby cash or check.

Appointments maybe made by e-mailingLinda Lawrence atlawrence@mtsu.edu. (No

phone calls, please.) Walk-ins will beworked in around scheduledappointments, officials say.

Anderson said he got involved in constructing the rain gardens becausehe wanted his students to get involved.

“I look for unique opportunities so students can feel they have accom-plished something more than in a standard three-hour class—where they canget out and get a little dirt on them and see how things really work innature,” he noted.

Referring to the project, Anderson added, “You can adapt this to almostany area. You can put a rain garden in every corner where you have a down-spout. It’s a pretty thing. It’s an ecological thing. You can make a real differ-ence on a home-scale level.”

Sizemore said he began looking into rain gardens in 2005 when he wasasked to see what could be done with some of the ditches around campus

that were hard to mow after a heavy rain.“I thought the area near the greenhouse would be a

good place for a trial. The ditch near the parking lot wasan eyesore. The soil didn’t percolate water very well, sowe had to dig down and add about 10 inches of preparedmix. In April and May (2005), we planted plants that cantake wet or dry conditions. It’s working well. The day afterit fills up, the water is gone.

“The soil for the new garden percolated well so wedidn’t have to dig out as much. We’re looking at otherareas around campus where we can put rain gardens.”

Some of the plants used in the first MTSU rain gardeninclude pond cypress trees, palm sedge and hibiscusplants. Including native flowering plants makes rain gar-dens an attractive option for individuals and cities.

“This is a good way for homeowners to beautify aplace that stays wet without having to bring in lot of dirt,”Sizemore said. “It may attract beneficial insects like butter-flies, but the water doesn’t stay long enough for mosqui-toes to hatch and mature.”

Dodd Galbreath from the Tennessee Department ofAgriculture’s Water Resources Section has visited campusto discuss rain gardens with MTSU staff and faculty andcommunity conservation groups.

In one of his presentations, Galbreath noted that unde-veloped land retains about 50 percent of rainfall, slowlyreleasing it to replenish springs, streams or aquifers.Development in a typical subdivision may reduce that fig-ure to 35 percent.

“The natural landscape used to be a filter and a sav-ings account for water,” he said. “As we get more pave-ment and more buildings, we’re having to figure out waysto accommodate excess water from these sites. Water isdirtier and in higher quantity. Droughts are getting a littledrier, and floods are getting a little bigger.”

Referring to the rain garden concept, Galbreath said,“What we’re trying to do is copy the intelligent design wefind in nature to create engineered naturalized systemsthat allow water to be stored, to be slowly percolated inthe soil and filtered eventually to reach the depths of theearth, so that it can percolate its way down the hill andkeep a stream full during dryer seasons.”

The construction of the rain gardens on campus hasgiven the university a unique status.

“I’m excited that MTSU is a leader in developing andpromoting this technology in the community,” saidGalbreath. “It’s the first university in the state to do so.”

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has pre-pared a comprehensive 93-page report, “Natural Solutionsfor Water Quality and Storm Water Management,” whichprovides detailed information on construction of rain gar-dens and other Low Impact Development techniques. Itmay be downloaded at www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/stormh2o/pdf/TDA_Presentation053006.pdf. The reportshows the economic, aesthetic, and resource value of LIDover the old “concrete and pipe” management techniques.A more concise 12-page description may be downloadedfrom The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service atwww.aces.edu/waterquality/mg.htm.

Rain from page 1

JUST ADD WATER—Students work to prepare a new rain garden east of the greenhouse along Blue RaiderDrive. From left in the top photo are Mandi Purnell, senior plant and soil science major; Dodd Galbreath,Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Mika Dyer, senior environmental science major; Dr. WarrenAnderson; Forrest Wilson, senior environmental science major; and Tammy Moser, senior plant and soil sci-ence major. The bottom photo shows MTSU’s first rain garden after recent autumn downpours..

photos by News & Public Affairs

Microsoft.com

JUDGING THE LAND—The recent Rutherford County 4-H and Future Farmersof America Land Judging Contest at MTSU’s Guy James Farm off Halls Hill Pikebrought out the area’s best high-school soil experts. In the photo above left, Blackman High School vocational-agricultural teacher Phillip Morgan, left, and students AustinBruce, Megan Webb, Michael Holloway, Elizabeth Jones and Ashley Gaines review their second-place contest results. In the photo above right, Eagleville Coach Bruce Haley,left, and students Chelsea Doss and Mac Jones study their team’s first-place finish results. Eagleville subsequently finished fifth in the regional competition at McMinnville.

photos submitted

O ver the past few weeks, we at theTennessee Board of Regents have beenprivileged to be both participants in and

eyewitnesses to one of the most significantmoments in Tennessee’s history. On Sept. 21, U.S.District Court Judge Tom Wiseman dismissed thestate’s 38-year-old Geier desegregation case andofficially declared Tennessee’s system of publichigher education unitary, meaning it is no longerracially segregated.

As laudable an accomplish-ment as this is, it doesn’t meanour work to ensure Tennessee’scolleges and universities serve allthe state’s citizens is done—itonly means that work is enteringa new phase. The TBR system isgoing forward with a strong com-mitment to increasing educationalopportunities for all Tennesseans,regardless of their color or class,age or income.

The end of the Geier litigation brought to aclose one of the most divisive episodes Tennesseehas ever experienced. The crux of the issue at theoutset was how the state treated its black citizens,specifically in terms of access to higher education.

We know how vital access to education is—whataccess to a quality education can do for an individ-ual and what happens to those who do not have ordo not take advantage of that access.

Under Geier, TBR went from 2,752 (6%) blackundergraduates in our historically white collegesand universities in 1969 to 10,619 (17%) in 2005.While the specific legal issues raised by Geier havenow been decided, that in no way means we willreduce our efforts to ensure we offer equal access toblack students or that we will tolerate any retrench-ment from the expectation that all our actionsreflect the spirit of Geier.

It is time now to take what we learned duringthe long, sometimes arduous, journey to the dis-missal of Geier and apply those lessons in a waythat will provide access to all of the state’s citizenswho have been underserved by our institutions.Coming out of this litigation, there are five thingswe hold as core beliefs.

First, diversity of students, faculty, and staff onour campuses is vital to providing a quality educa-tional experience and preparation for life.

Second, ever-increasing globalization meansthat Tennessee’s success in attracting and keepingbusiness and industry requires a workforce com-fortable with and accustomed to diversity.

Third, every Tennessean must have equalaccess to higher education, not only for the good ofthe individual, but for the economic well-being ofthe state and its citizens.

Fourth, Tennessee must have an educatedworkforce if it is to remain economically competi-tive in the global economy.

Fifth, it is not good enough for us to get stu-dents into our colleges and universities—we mustdo better in getting them out with the degrees orcertificates they seek.

As the public higher education system inTennessee with the ability to touch the most stu-dents and the most lives, the TBR system has anobligation to reach out to all citizens regardless oftheir race, ethnicity, age, financial need or familybackground. We will need special programs andincentives for some, and we are working to definethose programs and incentives so we can continueincreasing access to higher education forTennesseans and continue enhancing diversity onall our campuses.

Dr. Charles W. Manning is the chancellor of theTennessee Board of Regents system, which comprises sixstate universities (including MTSU), 13 community col-leges and 26 technology centers serving more than180,000 students in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.

M ore than 60 years after itsfirst presentation,“Oklahoma!” remains a

favorite musical among young andold alike, making it a natural choicefor inclusion in this year’s MTSUCenterStage Series, according to seriesorganizers.

“This musical is such an impor-tant icon in the history of musical the-ater, (and) that’s why I wanted todirect it at MTSU,” said Dale E.McGilliard, professor of speech andtheatre, who will oversee the timelessproduction when it comes to the stageof MTSU’s Tucker Theatre at 7:30nightly Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18.

“It’s energetic entertainment per-fect for the family, but most of all, it isimportant that our students are intro-duced to a show that has greatlyimpacted the theater industry,”McGilliard added.

In their first full collaboration,

Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammer-stein II set the standards and changedthe face of stage musicals when“Oklahoma!” first opened onBroadway in 1943. In 1944, the musi-cal was awarded a special PulitzerPrize in drama for its impact on themodern American musical.

Based on the original play “GreenGrow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs, thework’s storyline is set at the turn ofthe century when the rivalry betweencowboys and farmers was rampantthroughout the American West. Curly,the handsome cowboy, and Jud, thehired farmhand, compete for theaffection of the beautiful but hard-to-get Laurey. As the tale progresses, thelove story between Curly and Laureycontinues to unfold, leaving Jud inthe dust. However, the temperamen-tal farmhand isn’t ready to give up soeasily, making the road to true love asbumpy as a surrey ride down a coun-try road.

The challenges involved in recre-ating a classic such as “Oklahoma!”

are myriad, McGilliard said, adding,““I am extremely blessed to have anoutstanding cast of 43 talented stu-dents, so much of the challenge lies incoordinating all the elements into aunified vision and keeping it all in thesame world.”

The upcoming MTSU production,like the original, will showcase famil-iar songs such as “Oh, What aBeautiful Mornin,” “People Will SayWe’re in Love” and the rousing self-titled finale. Additionally, Kim NealNofsinger, director of dance, said hewill work diligently to recreate thebreakthrough choreography createdby Agnes de Mille from the originalBroadway production

In addition to the Nov. 10-11 andNov. 15-18 public performances, afund-raising presentation of“Oklahoma!” is scheduled forThursday, Nov. 9. This preview showwill feature Elizabeth “Liz” McPhee,MTSU’s first lady, and David Wintonof Bellwood Discovery School. Allproceeds from the performance go

toward the MTSU Dance & TheatreEnrichment Fund.

“Liz and David will make acameo appearance in the (Nov. 9)show and will be featured in thesong, ‘The Farmer and theCowman,’” confirmed Jeff Gibson,associate professor, speech and the-atre. “And Murray Martin, MTSUspeech and theatre alumnus, willserve as chair and host of this specialevent.”

Tickets for “Oklahoma!” rangefrom $4 to $8 and may be purchasedat the door on the evening of thedesired performance. MTSU studentswill be admitted free with a valid uni-versity ID.

For more information, please call615-494-8810 or visit the Departmentof Speech and Theatre’s Web site atwww.mtsu.edu/~theatre.

Ryan Chittaphong is a senior major-ing in speech and theatre at MTSU.

CenterStage Series features classic ‘Oklahoma!’

page 6 The Record Nov. 6, 2006

Earth day

Higher ed must serve all citizens: TBR chancellorby Dr. Charles W. Manning

Manning

CCOOMMMMEENNTTAARRYY

by Lisa L. Rollinsand Ryan Chittaphong

The Record Nov. 6, 2006 page 7

G LENCOE, Ala.—Home andduty, Christian and Muslim,American and Iraqi: Lt. Col.

Stacey Garmon, MTSU math majorand 1987 graduate, is not only expe-rienced at balancing the books. Shecan balance disparate cultures andvalues with comparable talent and aseemingly easy grace.

Garmon returned stateside thispast summer when she arrived atCamp Atterbury, Ind., after a one-year deployment to Iraq with theU.S. Army Reserve’s 80th Division,headquartered in Richmond, Va. Sheis at home now with her husband,Jeff, 44, and daughters Brynna, 11,and Alyssa, 9.

Although shehas been in uniformfor 21 years, hermost recent job wasto navigate thetricky territorybetween the con-tracting office andthe companieswhose job was torebuild Iraq’s war-torn infrastructure, often soon after ithad been bombed to the ground.

“I was the liaison between thecontracting office and the contractorto ensure that the government gotwhat it was paying for, that the serv-ices provided were the services thatwere needed, and that we didn’t takeadvantage of the contractor, but weheld them up to their obligations,”the 42-year-old Garmon says.

That was a taller order than itmight appear. Garmon’s responsibili-ty was to tiptoe across the cultureclash to keep business practices pre-dictable and transparent withoutinsulting locals who saw nothingwrong with nepotism and kickbacks.

While that hardly sounds likelife-threatening duty, Garmon’s mis-sion actually had a lot to do withsustaining life. The contractors with

whom she dealtwere charged withproviding thewater, fuel, power,sewage servicesand food necessaryto create somesemblance of nor-mality. It was adaily battle againstthe odds, nevermind the occasional mortar barrage.

Given those conditions, it’s fortu-nate that Garmon lost her profession-al innocence early. She served 13years in the Tennessee NationalGuard before transferring to theArmy Reserve, and she admits shedidn’t expect to make it to captain.

“Reality and idealism are twodifferent things, and I was very ide-alistic about the military,” Garmonsays. “It took me awhile to under-stand what reality was. I was a veryhard-charging lieutenant, and, after Iwent to Desert Storm, I learned howto chill out a little bit.”

It was her six months of plan-ning for contingencies in a commandand control center during DesertStorm that taught her that there areno small parts, only small actors—but there had better not be any smallsoldiers when the going gets tough.

“From that experience, I learnedthat I’m just one little bitty cog in thewheel, and that, though I felt strong-ly about things, needed to under-stand where I could make a differ-ence,” Garmon says.

This is hardly what Garmon hadin mind when she received a card inthe mail during her second year incollege asking if she wanted to knowmore about Reserve Officer TrainingCorps. She checked the box.

Garmon did not want activeduty, but she did feel a compellingneed to give something back to hercountry. To this day, Garmon, whowas not reared by a military family,is unable to put her finger on theexact origin of that compulsion.

In high school, she thought shewanted to enter politics. Althoughshe is grateful she did not pursuethat path, Garmon still maintainsthat all Americans should devotethemselves to some sort of volunteercivic duty, political activity or mili-tary service.

“We really owe a debt to thosepeople who paved the way for us,”Garmon says. “I honestly feel like, asAmericans, we owe a lot to thiscountry because we have so much.”

Of course, having an under-standing spouse can be very helpful.Jeff was working for BellSouth andStacey was working for ThirdNational Bank when they met. Hewas out of the military when shereturned from Desert Storm andreturned to duty shortly before theytied the knot in 1992. He spent threemonths in Kuwait in 2003 with theAlabama Air National Guard’s 225thCombat Communications Squad.

Between weekend duty andoverseas deployments, Garmonenjoys the role of stay-at-home mom,occasionally teaching aerobics part-time but preferring to transport hergirls to extracurricular activities andto help with their Girl Scout troop.However, when she thinks about thepeople she came to know in Iraq, hervoice takes on a wistful tone.

“I hurt for the Muslims in Iraqbecause they have so much unusedpotential there,” Garmon says. “Thatcountry has a lot of potential. I wishthem hope because I think that’swhat they’re missing right now … Ithink it’s going to take a couple ofgenerations to get there.”

Alumna balancesbooks, cultures intour of duty in Iraq

WITH THE FAMILY—Lt. Col. Stacey Garmon, center right,poses with her family before shipping out to Iraq. From leftare daughter Alyssa, husband Jeff and daughter Brynna.

photo submitted

A cademic and InstructionalTechnology Services offi-cials unveil the latest in

technology to arrive on campus.MTSU has become one of the

first U.S. higher-education facilitiesto use the Thunder Virtual FlipchartSystem, now installed in the Paul W.Martin Sr. Honors College Room218. It will be called the CingularWireless Advanced TechnologyLaboratories, MTSU ITS andPolyVision Corp. officials said.

Following a luncheon for invit-ed guests and photo opportunity,the Thunder system will be publiclylaunched Monday, Nov. 13, during a1:30 p.m. demonstration of theroom’s capabilities by ITS’s BarbaraDraude and Watson Harris and Dr.Scott Carnicom, associate dean ofthe University Honors College.

On hand for the unveiling willbe Cingular Wireless CEO JimThorpe; MTSU President Sidney A.McPhee; Suwanee, Ga.-basedPolyVision’s executive vice presi-dent for global sales, Ian Hutchin-son, and brothers Lee and Paul W.Martin Jr., who gave the original $2million to help construct the honorsbuilding named for their father.That gift was matched by MTSU.

At 3 p.m., Dr. H, Lee Martin,managing member of Knoxville-based Clarity Resources LLC, agroup specializing in mentor capital,will present the Honors LectureSeries lecture “Technomics:Understanding Sources of GlobalChange” in Honors Room 106.

Data and information in anyformat can be communicated,stored, displayed and organized—all captured on an unlimited, sharedgroup canvas in real time, accordingto a news release about the MTSU/Polyvision partnership. The groupeasel is as easy to use as a paperflipchart where participants jotnotes and drawings onto a “page”with a stylus or finger. Up to sixpages are “posted” or projected ontothe wall in high resolution, allowingall the information to remain visibleto all participants.

Any student or team memberon a laptop with an Internet connec-tion can immediately join in the ses-sion from within the room orremotely. Participants can sharetheir laptop screens, add contentand annotate, turning their PCs intoa group device. The content canthen be archived and e-mailed.

“The room has been in theworks for over two years,” saidDraude, director of the Academicand ITS Faculty InstructionalTechnology Center. “It’s learninglaboratory for testing new instruc-tional technologies and pedagogicalmethods. The furniture arrangementis a new way and the technology isa new way.”

Draude added that the room is“a prototype for new classroomequipment for future developmentand renovation. It facilitates lots ofdifferent learning and teachingstyles, especially collaborative andactive learning techniques.”

Check out newVirtual FlipchartSystem Nov. 13 by Randy WeilerR esiliency and Change in the Wake of Disaster” is

the theme for the 15th annual Tennessee Under-graduate Social Science Symposium, which will be

held Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 15-16, in the JamesUnion Building’s Tennessee Room at MTSU.

Sponsored by MTSU since 1993, this year’s event isexpected to draw 500 to 800 students and educators, saidDr. Vicky MacLean, associate professor in the sociologyand anthropology department.

The symposium will open Wednesday, Nov. 15, withstudent research presentations, organizers said.

“Paper topics will include social problems, crime anddeviance, sociological theory, Appalachian studies, indus-trial organization, environmental issues and response todisasters,” MacLean said, adding that the event also willinclude a “highly engaging” panel discussion with firstresponders, Emergency Management Service workers whohelp in disaster relief and crisis situations.

“One of the questions we will be asking,” MacLeansaid, “is could Katrina happen here? What types of com-

munity emergency response plans do we have in place inthe middle Tennessee region?”

After the panel discussion and presentation of studentresearch papers, there will be a screening of Al Gore’s “AnInconvenient Truth,” a film on global warming.

MacLean said highlights of the symposium includethe keynote address, “Loss and Resiliency: Lessons fromKatrina,” delivered by Dr. Pamela Jenkins, professor ofsociology and director of the women’s studies program atthe University of New Orleans.

“Post-Katrina, she has been documenting local com-munities’ response to Katrina, including a study of firstresponders, interviews with survivors throughout thecommunity, and assessment of several nonprofit organiza-tions,” said Dr. Tanya Peres, associate professor of sociolo-gy and anthropology.

The symposium is open to the public and free ofcharge. For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/~soc/socscisymp/symposium.html or call 615-898-2508.

Brittany Witt is a sophomore majoring in mass communica-tion.

Social Science Symposium slatedby Brittany Witt

by Gina K. Logue

Garmon

Dr. Maria A. Smith (School ofNursing) has been named as the firstNational League for Nursing Ambas-sador from the MTSU School ofNursing. The ambassador programwill help the nursing education com-munity advance excellence and trans-form nursing education by keepingnurse educators informed about NLNprograms and the many ways theycan be involved in education-focusedinitiatives.

Dr. Don Hong (mathematical sci-ences) visited China June 14-July 26for conference and research collabora-tions. He was invited to give a 45-minute talk at the InternationalConference on Applicable HarmonicAnalysis: Approximation andComputation in Beijing, China, June17-21. He also presented papers at theother two conferences: the Sympo-sium of Computations in Bioinfor-matics and Bioscience June 22-16 atHangzhou, and the First InternationalConference on ComputationalSystems Biology July 20-23 atShanghai. During his stay in China,Hong visited nine Chinese universi-

ties, giving colloquium talks andexchanging research ideas with col-leagues at the schools.

Grover Baker (Center for PopularMusic) presented “Monkey Biz-nessDown in Tennessee” Oct. 13 at the2006 Annual Meeting of the SoutheastChapter of the Music LibraryAssociation, held at Columbus StateUniversity in Columbus, Ga. Thepresentation detailed Baker’s projectto digitize sheet music inspired bythe John T. Scopes “Monkey Trial.”The digitized versions of the sheetmusic, selected from the Center forPopular Music’s John S. MitchellCollection, are scheduled for inclu-sion in the Volunteer Voices digitallibrary (www.volunteervoices.org).

Dr. Steve Jones (psychology) pre-sented “Get a CLUE to ProblemSolving” at the 17th Annual Interna-tional Conference on BuildingCollaborative Capability for WorldClass Business Results in September.

Dr. Diane Miller (mathematics)presented “A Profile of McNairStudents: Beyond the EligibilityCriteria” at the 2006 Fall Joint

Conference of the Tennessee Associa-tion of Special Programs and theKentucky Association of EducationalOpportunity Program Personnel inChattanooga Oct. 19. She also pre-sented “What the Literature Saysabout the Use of Writing to Teach andLearn Mathematics” at the annualmeeting of the School Science andMathematics Association in Missoula,Mont., Oct. 27.

Paul F. Wells (Center for PopularMusic) gave a presentation about theCenter as part of the panel “MusicCity News: Library and ArchivalResources on Music in Middle Tenne-ssee” at the Tennessee Conference ofHistorians Sept. 29-30 at the Nash-ville Public Library.

Dr. Edd Applegate and ArtJohnsen (journalism) have writtenCases in Advertising & MarketingManagement: Real Situations forTomorrow’s Managers. Dr. JosephPisani (professor emeritus, Depart-ment of Advertising, University ofFlorida) wrote the foreword and con-tributed two cases. The book is pub-lished by Rowman & LittlefieldPublishers, Inc.

page 8 The Record Nov. 6, 2006

Faculty/Staff Update

People Around Campus

P roject HELP (Help EducateLittle People) has a new direc-tor, and she’s learning exactly

how HELPful her colleagues can be.Susan Waldrop, who started her

position in September, replaced for-mer director Debbie Bauder, whostepped down to return to the class-room.

“I don’t have her energy level,”said Waldrop with a smile. “Debbie’sbeen very gracious in training me.”

Bauder had served sinceNovember 2000 as director for ProjectHELP, a nonprofit program that pro-vides early intervention and familysupport services to high-risk children,children with disabilities and childrenwith developmental delays. Dr. AnnCampbell, the program’s first director,was the one who had approachedBauder about taking the position.

“I felt like I had taken ProjectHELP as far as I could take it,” saidBauder.

Once she decided to return toteaching, Bauder approached Dr.Gloria Bonner, dean of Education andBehavioral Science, to request thatWaldrop be considered as the newdirector of Project HELP.

“It just takes a really unique per-son,” said Bauder of her colleague,adding that the director has to recog-

nize the needs ofparents, childrenand educators tomake the programsuccessful.

Waldrop saidshe first fell in lovewith helping chil-dren while workingwith interventiondirect services.

“One home visitand I was hooked,”Waldrop stated.

Waldrop saidone of her majorgoals is to expandthe program. Thereare more than 50children with special needs on a wait-ing list to receive the services ofProject HELP, but there isn’t enoughroom for them at the current site.

“We’re out of space,” Waldropemphasized, recalling how Bauderhad to change the facility’s recreationarea into a classroom.

Bauder added, however, thatProject HELP was “able to open moreclassrooms and serve more children”during her term as director.

The building for Project HELP,which is located at the corner of BlueRaider Drive and North Baird Laneon the south side of campus, has beenused since 1997. The program beganin 1983 and has grown from a coupleof boxes in a car to increasingly largerlocations on campus until movinginto its current home.

Children attend classes for twoand a half hours a day, four days aweek. Project HELP provides a class-room setting for 25 children.

“I feel like we’ve been able tomultitask and just give the kids areally intense education while they’rehere two-and-a-half hours. We sendthem home exhausted,” Bauder said.

Waldrop holds an undergraduatedegree from the University ofTennessee. She is a former instructorof elementary and special educationat MTSU.

HELPing kids is director’s full-time project

WHEW!—At the end of an exhilarating and exhaust-ing day with the children of Project HELP, formerdirector Debbie Bauder, left, and new director SusanWaldrop joke around in the photo at left. In thephoto below, 3-year-old Wesley Coates, center, a stu-dent at Project HELP, reaches for teacher BeckyDavidson’s costume pigtail as his mother, MeghanCoates, laughs during the recent Family Fall Festival.

photos by News & Public Affairs

by Danielle Harrell

Appointments

Presentations

Publications

Conferences

UR021-1106

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

Photos: MTSU Photographic Services,except where noted

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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.

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