Join the fun Inside this edition: Kids still Celebrate 2nd President’s Day Gilman Scholars ready to learn, page 2 getting Open House at Honors College New director for UAS Program, page 3 inventive, page 8 see page 6 Don’t miss safety video Feb. 21-24, page 7 a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community www.mtsunews.com • Feb. 14, 2011 • Vol. 19/No. 15 $1M gift will support students, redo offices by Tom Tozer Lady Raiders’ basketball program. “His generosity will make it possible for us to [email protected] Shipp, who just celebrated his 83rd birthday, provide the finest athletic facilities for our coaches said he had been thinking for a and also offer the opportunity of a college educa- en Shipp, a 1947 MTSU graduate and long- long time about making a pledge tion to students here at home in Rutherford time athletic coach who established the Ken of this kind. County,” the president continued. K Shipp Endowed Scholarship, has commit- “I mainly wanted to help “When we can challenge our young people to ted $1 million to his alma mater through the MTSU those who need the money to pursue learning at an even higher level, our state Foundation. have the opportunity to go to and nation are the beneficiaries. We are grateful to A formal presentation of the gift took place MTSU,” he said, adding, “I’m Ken Shipp, whose success as a person and a profes- during halftime at the Feb. 5 MTSU-South Alabama proud of the (MTSU women’s sional will serve as an example to thousands of basketball game. basketball) team and the coach.” MTSU students in years to come.” A significant portion of the funds will enhance MTSU President Sidney A. Shipp’s endowed scholarship at MTSU has the endowed scholarship that Shipp established in McPhee said Shipp’s gift “reflects Shipp already opened the door to college for Rutherford 2009 to benefit MTSU students from Rutherford his longstanding support and County students, said Joe Bales, vice president for County. The remainder of the gift will renovate devotion to both athletics and academic achieve- coaches’ office space in Murphy Center for the ment. See ‘Gift’ page 5 New vice provost named WMOT adds classical to mix MOT, the 100,000-watt do that, we’re bringing back classi- International-affairs both on campus and in study- FM public radio station at cal music, a format that’s usually abroad experiences. W MTSU, has changed its among the most popular in public leader is ‘advocate of “(Study abroad) really isn’t as weekday programming format, radio.” 2nd-language learning’ expensive as some people might adding classical music in the day- WMOT’s weekday lineup think, for the most part,” Schmidt time and keeping jazz at night. changes include: says. “If it’s structured properly, “Middle Tennessee • classical-music university students can and should by Gina K. Logue Public Radio,” located programming week- be able to go abroad for the same [email protected] at 89.5 on the dial, days from 9 a.m. to cost of what they’re spending to also added new 3 p.m.; attend MTSU, with the exception of shows to its lineup on • “All Things r. David A. Schmidt, former air fare and perhaps a slight differ- Feb. 7 and welcomed Considered,” the director of the Bechtel ence in the cost of living, depending back an old friend: news-and-issues pro- D International Center and on where they’re National Public Radio’s “All gram that’s been a staple associate professor of Japanese at going.” Things Considered,” now airing of NPR’s afternoon lineup since the University of the Pacific in Schmidt was from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays. 1971, from 3 to 5 p.m.; Stockton, Calif., will fill the new born and reared “MTSU wants our radio station • a new arts interview show, position of vice provost for interna- in Japan. He to grow its audience,” said WMOT “Q” from Canada, which will air at tional affairs at MTSU effective speaks fluent Station Manager Henri Pensis, See ‘WMOT’ page 5 April 1. Japanese and also who joined the staff last fall. “To Schmidt will take over for Dr. is proficient in John Omachonu, who has presided Korean. His wife, over international education since Yuchun, is from July 2010 as interim vice provost Schmidt Taiwan. Star Party plans for spring break while MTSU searched for candi- Schmidt says dates. he is very comfortable with the Schmidt led Pacific’s Bechtel increasing worldwide interest in he March “First Friday Star by telescope viewing at the MTSU Center for more than six years until China, exemplified by the presence Party” will be held a week Observatory if weather permits. October 2010. He also increased of MTSU’s Confucius Institute. T early—on MTSU students international student enrollment at “I’m a huge advocate of Friday, Feb. 25—to will be on spring Pacific by 104 percent annually dur- second-language learning, whether accommodate break March 7-11; ing the past four years. you’re going to use it in future life MTSU’s planned the March star party As of fall 2010, 400 international or not,” Schmidt says. “I’d like to spring-break sched- normally would students from more than 60 coun- see enrollments go up in Chinese- ule. have been held tries attended MTSU. The new vice language learning and particularly Professor Jana March 4. provost says MTSU students should in opportunities for students to go Ruth Ford will lecture on “The For more information about have the chance to engage with peo- to China.” Winter Triangle” beginning at 6:30 MTSU’s First Friday Star Parties, ple from everywhere in the world, p.m. in Room 102 of the Wiser- contact 615-898-5946 or 898-2483 or See ‘New’ page 5 Patten Science Building, followed visit http://bit.ly/MTStarPartiesS11. formance on Friday, Feb. 18, IN BRIEF beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Hinton PERMIT NO. 169 NO. PERMIT Hall in the Wright Music Building. MURFREESBORO TN MURFREESBORO CHINESE ARTS GROUP FEB. 18 The troupe includes a choir, a U.S. POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE U.S. MTSU's Confucius Institute dancing team and instrumentalists ORGANIZATION will welcome the Xiamen specializing in traditional Chinese NONPROFIT NONPROFIT University Student Art Group for a music. Learn more about their free public musical and dance per- visit at http://bit.ly/MTChineseArts. www.mtsunews.com Gilman Scholarship sends students to Europe, Asia by Gina K. Logue involved with information collection. says. “Though it was backbreaking, it helped me [email protected] “I’m not going to be a professional philoso- save a little for cushion room just in case the pher,” she says. “I’m simply using those roots of Gilman didn’t come through. Luckily, too, arbara Corley and Anna Yacovone are thinking and writing and understanding the world Thailand’s very inexpensive, so you can get by MTSU’s spring 2011 recipients of the as ways to filter everything I’ll be learning—and with very little.” B Benjamin A. Gilman International the same with dance.” In addition, Yacovone benefited from an MTSU Scholarships. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Yacovone is study- study-abroad scholarship, an Honors College schol- Corley is using her $5,000 stipend to study ing Thai culture and language at Thammasat arship and contributions from a family friend. A abroad in Romania, while University in Bangkok, living in senior majoring in global studies and organization- Yacovone is using her $2,000 allo- an off-campus apartment and al communication, Yacovone studied in Italy two cation to study in Thailand. sending occasional dispatches to summers ago. Corley, a 30-year-old philoso- her hometown newspaper, The Funded by Congress and sponsored by the U.S. phy major who grew up in Mountain Press of Sevierville. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Franklin, Tenn., and now lives in Yacovone says she had a dif- Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship program’s Nashville, says the folklore, ficult time deciding whether to website notes that it provides “grants for U.S. citi- music and dance of the go to Thailand or Estonia, the zen undergraduate students of limited financial Transylvanian region intrigue home country of her maternal means to pursue academic studies abroad.” her. A professional dancer and great-aunt and grandfather. She Recipients are selected competitively for these dance teacher for seven years, Corley settled on Thailand because it has Yacovone grants, which are used for such expenses as pro- her traveling experience includes a warmer climate and seems to gram tuition, room and board, books, local trans- dance trips to Brazil and Argentina. offer more adventure, but she says she still intends portation, insurance and international airfare. Corley is attending Universitatea Babes-Bolyai to make it to Estonia one day. To find out more about MTSU’s study abroad in the city of Cluj-Napoca, where her class schedule Winning the Gilman Scholarship could not opportunities, contact the MTSU Office of includes Romanian, French, Eastern European his- have been more fortuitous for Yacovone, who had Education Abroad and Student Exchange at 615- tory and policymaking. She’s considering a variety to cobble together money from different sources to 898-5179 or [email protected]. of postgraduate options, including working for a realize her goal. To learn more about the Gilman Scholarships, museum, a library or a government agency “I worked two jobs this summer,” Yacovone visit www.iie.org/gilman. Get healthier! Spring enrollment leaps 4.26% from 2010 Join Feb.