addenda The University of Tennessee at Martin Faculty and Staff Newsletter | Feb. 10, 2020 20th-annual Civil Rights Conference begins Feb. 17

UT Martin’s 20th-annual Civil Rights Conference will Civil Rights Conference Schedule address the theme “Ordinary Heroes: The Struggle for Feb. 17 Human Rights” with events the •“Elbert Williams: First to Die – Investigating the cold case murder of NAACP member Elbert week of Feb. 17-21 on the UT Williams in Brownsville, Tennessee, in 1940”; Jim Emison, Tennesseans for Historical Justice; Martin main campus. 1-1:50 p.m. Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, •“Civil Rights Issues in Tennessee”; Mr. Tom Castelli, legal director for the ACLU Foundation a civil rights icon who had of Tennessee; 2-2:50 p.m. participated in more than 50 •“Everyday Issues for Minority Students on Campus” panel; 3-3:50 p.m. sit-ins and demonstrations by •“Human Rights are Civil Rights” roundtable; Hortense Parrish Writing Center, Andy Holt the time she was 23 years old, Humanities Building, room 209; 4-4:50 p.m. will give the keynote address at •“Building Community: The Work Continues”; Weakley County Reconciliation Project; 7 p.m., Feb. 20, in the Boling 6-7:30 p.m. University Center Watkins Auditorium. She was a Freedom Feb. 18 Rider, a participant in the •Lunch with the Pedrito Martinez Group; Fine Arts Building Band Room; noon-1 p.m., Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in, •“The History of Segregation and Education in Weakley County”; 1:15-2:15 p.m. the March on Washington, the •“The Ballot or the Bullet: The Next Generation”; LeLann Evans, community organizer; Meredith March and the Selma 4-5:15 p.m. to Montgomery March. She •Concert: The Pedrito Martinez Group; Harriet Fulton Theater; 7 p.m. is also a recipient of the 2015 National Civil Rights Museum Feb. 19 Freedom Award. •“LGBTQ+ couples’ experience post Obergefell v. Hodges”; 1-1:50 p.m. All events are free to the •“How Not to be ‘That Person’: Destroying the Bystander Effect”; Amy McLean, associate public and located in Watkins professor of social work; 2-2:50 p.m. Auditorium unless otherwise •“Issues Faced by Immigrants in Tennessee”; 3-3:50 p.m. noted. •Screening: “After Selma” followed by a question and answer with Loki Mulholland, director and screenplay writer; 4 p.m.

Feb. 20 •Community Action Poverty Simulation; Boling University Center Duncan Ballroom; 9 a.m.- noon •“The Sustaining Role of Religious Music in the Civil Rights Movement”; Rev. Courtney Pace; 1-2:15 p.m. •Screening: “The Uncomfortable Truth” followed by a question and answer with Loki Mulholland, director and screenplay writer; 2:30-4 p.m. •Workshop: “Minority Student Leadership Experiences on Tennessee Campuses”; Boling University Center, room 206; 4-5:15 p.m. •“Envisioning a Healthy LGBTQ+ Community”; Del Ray Zimmerman, director of the Office for Diversity Affairs and LGBTQ+ Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center; 4-5:15 p.m. •Keynote: Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, civil rights icon; 7 p.m.

Feb. 21 •Free student health fair; Boling University Center Duncan Ballroom; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, keynote speaker page 2 | addenda | Feb. 10, 2020 Faculty Spotlight: Ashley Owens

break or tear up in the house, She returned to the classroom to and helping the kids. It’s hard as long as I had mom and dad’s help teach the next generation to put into words why I love it permission I would tear it apart of engineers, and now she can’t so much. What I tell people is and see if I could fix it and put imagine doing anything else. (others) always tell you to find it back together. … Engineers “Being in industry for that that job where you don't feel are problems solvers so it just many years has helped me to like you get up and go to work seemed like the best fit,” she give that information back everyday. That's this job,” she said. to the students so they can said. “I don't feel like I get up Owens graduated from UT know what to expect as they and go to work everyday. I feel Martin with a bachelor’s degree get out into the industrial like I'm coming to do something in mechanical engineering or manufacturing world. So, I enjoy and have fun doing. ... and went on to receive her when I’m sitting in class, that’s They (the students) are just master’s degree in mechanical one thing I like to talk to the a bright spot in the day, … engineering at the UT Space students about. And as we are especially when you see that they Institute. She is currently trying to learn new formulas and pick up on something and that finishing her doctoral degree in learn new calculations, (I) show light bulb comes on,“ she said. Ashley Owens, lecturer of the same location. them where they can actually be For Owens, teaching, like engineering, was “that child” – Owens always saw herself applied once they get out of the engineering, is about the ability the one who is always wondering working in industry, and she classroom,” she said. to take something as simple what makes a clock tick. spent 13 years working for When Owens joined the as curiosity and hone it into “As a young kid, I always Greenfield Products, Progress UT Martin family, she quickly something more – using a wanted to know how things Rail and Plastic Products. realized she had found her natural gift and turning it into worked – why they did what However, a phone call from her home at last. a passion. they did. If something would alma mater changed everything. “I love working with the kids

Addenda is published weekly during the academic semester. Material should be received by noon on Thursdays for consideration in the next week’s issue.

THE NATURE OF HEAVEN – Dr. Christopher Brown (above) presented the spring 2020 Phi Kappa Phi Muriel Click here to Tomlinson Memorial Lecture on Feb. 4 concerning St. Thomas Aquinas and the nature of Heaven. Brown, submit. a professor of philosophy, has a forthcoming book titled “St. Thomas Aquinas on God and Perfect Human Happiness: Solving Problems Concerning Eternal Life” will be published by Catholic University of America Press. The UT Martin chapter of Phi Kappa Phi sponsors the Muriel Tomlinson Memorial Lecture each spring. page 3 | addenda | Feb. 10, 2020 Pedrito Martinez Group brings Cuban music to UT Martin The Pedrito Martinez Group, Ed Sargent Guest Artist Series led by Grammy-nominated and is specifically sponsored percussionist Pedrito Martinez, by the UT Martin Civil Rights will perform at 7 p.m., Feb. 18, Conference, Office of Student in the Harriet Fulton Theatre. Life and Multicultural Affairs, This performance is free and Department of Music, and open to the public, but tickets Department of History and should be reserved in advance at Philosophy, as well as the utm.edu/musicevents. Coleman Foundation, Dr. Lynn Martinez was born in Havana, Alexander, Ed Sargent and Joan Cuba, and by the age of 27 Jett. had won the Thelonius Monk A percussion masterclass is Award for Afro-Latin Hand open to the campus community Percussion and appeared in the at 2 p.m., Feb. 18, following documentary “Calle 54.” He is a noon question-and-answer widely regarded as the leading session about Cuban culture percussionist in Latin music in room 136 of the Fine Arts and has recorded or performed Building. A free Afro-Cuban with , Wynton buffet will be provided for Marsalis, , Bruce attendees. More information Springsteen, and others as about the group’s performance both percussionist and vocalist. experience, including video The group’s appearance and sound clips, is available at is the second spring 2020 pedritomartinezmusic.com. installment in UT Martin’s The Pedrito Martinez Group is featured in this publicity photo.

9:30 a.m. (students), 7:30 p.m. (public) Feb. 11 | Harriet Fulton Theatre $10 general admission; free for students page 4 | addenda | Feb. 10, 2020

10 YEARS OF RECREATION – The Student Recreation Center on Mt. Pelia Road celebrated 10 years of operation Feb. 3 with a reception in the building’s front lobby. Chancellor Keith Carver, David Belote and Student Association President Devin Majors spoke during the event to highlight the impact the state-of-the-art building has had on campus culture during the past decade. The Student Recreation Center was opened in 2010 to provide updated facilities in place of those previously housed in the Elam Center and includes four convertible basketball courts, a walking track, racquetball courts, aerobics balcony and full weight room. Campus recreation staff also gave out certificates to recognize some of the center’s most loyal visitors since the facility’s grand opening. Members of the campus recreation staff are pictured above during the reception.

WESTSTAR CONFERENCE – The WestStar Leadership Program hosted its 22nd-annual Working Women’s Conference on Feb. 7 with the theme “Aloha: Creating Paradise.” Keli McAlister, public information officer for West Tennessee with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, served as the event’s keynote speaker and discussed how to “find paradise” in the various season’s of one’s life. Other presentation topics included personal health, intergenerational communication, southern entrepreneurship, scholarship through pageantry, and the realities of human trafficking in Tennessee. The conference routinely sees a maximum-capacity attendance. For more information, contact Virginia Grimes, WestStar program coordinator, at 731-881-7298. page 5 | addenda | Feb. 10, 2020

Upcoming Events •Feb. 11 – Panel: “How should •Feb. 15 – Women’s basketball Artist Series: Pedrito Martinez; 5:30 p.m UTM respond to threats of vs. Eastern Illinois; Elam Center; Harriet Fulton Theatre; 7 p.m. •Feb. 27 – Men’s basketball vs. white supremacy violence on 2 p.m. •Feb. 20 – Equestrian vs. SIUE; Elam Center; 7:30 p.m. campus?”; Boling University •Feb. 15 – Men’s basketball vs. SMU; Ned Ray McWherter •Feb. 29 – Women’s basketball Center, room 111; 7 p.m. Eastern Illinois; Elam Center; Agricultural Complex vs. Southeast Missouri; Elam •Feb. 11 – American 4 p.m. •Feb. 21 – Equestrian vs. SUNY Center; 2 p.m. Shakespeare Center performs •Feb. 15 – Jackson Symphony New Paltz; Ned Ray McWherter •Feb. 29 – Men’s basketball “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”; Valentine Pops with UT Martin Agricultural Complex vs. Southeast Missouri; Elam Fulton Theatre; 9:30 a.m. and choir; Carl Perkins Civic Center, •Feb. 22-23 – Softball Huddle Center; 4 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Jackson; 7:30 p.m. House Classic; Bettye Giles •March 1 – Deadline for grant •Feb. 12 – Steve Darling, faculty •Feb. 16 – Death by Voice Softball Field proposals through the UT tuba recital; Blankenship Recital competition; Blankenship •Feb. 22 – Peter Steiner guest Martin Center for Sustainability Hall; 7:30 p.m. Recital Hall; 3 p.m. trombone recital; Blankenship •Feb. 13 – Softball vs. Green •Feb. 17-21 – Civil Rights Recital Hall; 7:30 p.m. Bay; Bettye Giles Softball Field; Conference, see page 1 •Feb. 27 – Women’s basketball noon and 2 p.m. •Feb. 18 – Ed Sargent Guest vs. SIUE; Elam Center;

E N gage the times Noon on Fridays; Skyhawk Dining Hall, room 125; Bring your lunch •Feb. 14 – “Valentine’s Day: What is love?” •Feb. 21 – “What is Weakley County doing about the opioid crisis?” •Feb. 28 – “Is addiction a disease?” •March 27 – “Does embodied teaching still matter?” •April 3 – “What are Blue Zones? Epigenetics and diet” •April 17 – “Earth Week: Why do people still think climate change is a hoax?”

You Tell Me

•Question – What kind of construction work is taking place at the Holland McCombs Center?

•Answer – Students from the UT Martin Honors Program, under the direction of Dr. John Glass and with assistance from grounds staff, are renovating the building’s interior courtyard to include a water feature and new pavers. This will allow the courtyard to be more accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act and become a potential venue for small campus events and receptions. Those who would like more information about supporting this project or sponsoring a named paving stone should contact Glass at [email protected].

Submit your questions anonymously to the Suggestion Box link at www.utm.edu/suggestionbox.

addenda Published weekly during the academic year and biweekly during the summer by UT Martin, Martin, TN 38238 Randy Boyd – Interim President, University of Tennessee System • Dr. Keith Carver Jr. – Chancellor • Erin Chesnut – Addenda Editor UT Martin is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. E05-0425-00-001-20