Got blood? Inside this edition: Roll up sleeves, beat WKU Student making new tradition, page 2 and help neighbors Nov. 15-18 Dance Theatre leaps, bounds, page 3 See bit.ly/MTBleedBlue for details Giving peace felt a chance, page 8 Breaking new ground, page 7 a publication for the Middle Tennessee State University community www.mtsunews.com • Nov. 15, 2010 • Vol. 19/No. 10 Chasing the sun across Tennessee His successful journey ended Ricketts and his about 2 a.m. Nov. 2, when he returned to the ag education shop road crew make that houses the alternative fuel vehi- cles he and his students use for research. history with trip “My whole passion is sun and water,” says Ricketts, who has had a career of alternative-fuel high-water by Randy Weiler marks. “I believe accomplishing this [email protected] feat will have the following implica- tions—a cleaner environment hen it comes to alternative because of clean tailpipe emissions fuels, Dr. Cliff Ricketts con- from the vehicle, energy self- W siders himself a modern- sufficiency and renewability, less day Davy Crockett—“a frontiersman dependency on foreign oil and less with energy” who says he’s “blazed a of a trade imbalance because of the trail with ethanol, blazed a trail with purchase of foreign oil.” hydrogen and Ricketts says he firmly believes blazed a trail with he could make the one-day drive sun and water.” from near Blacksburg, Va., to Little On Nov. 1, Rock, Ark., about one-fourth the dis- ROAD CREW—Hydrogen and computer timing expert Jo Borck, left, joins MTSU stu- Ricketts, a 34-year tance across the United States, with dents Robert Keeble, Derek Pack and Nick Booher and alumnus Terry Young of agriscience profes- only one refueling stopover at Woodbury with the 1994 Toyota Tercel that made an historic Bristol-to-West Memphis, sor at MTSU, blazed MTSU. Ark., trip on Nov. 1. Agriscience Professor Cliff Ricketts drove the car on the 500-plus- a unique 500-plus- Traveling mostly by interstate (I- mile journey, fueled by the sun and hydrogen from water. mile trail across 81, I-40 and I-24), the Tercel had a photo submitted Tennessee. cruising speed around 58 mph. Ricketts drove a Ricketts calls it “a third backup” Ricketts specially adapted because a 2008 Toyota Prius in Reno, Nature,” made the trip across the Also traveling with Ricketts, who 1994 Toyota Tercel Nev., is being adapted to run on state “on two forces of nature, the sun holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bristol, Va., to West Memphis, hydrogen and a 1995 Chevrolet and water,” Ricketts says. “With this from the University of Tennessee and Ark. The fuel for the journey: the sun, Vlazer (a cross between a Volt and a system, every commuter could drive a doctorate from Ohio State plus hydrogen gleaned from water. Blazer) is sidelined by low batteries. on sun and hydrogen from water as No gasoline was used. The Tercel, nicknamed “Forces of the energy sources.” See ‘Chasing’ page 5 Biology film wins big Staying alert = safety by Lindsey Austin Melissa Wadulisi-Shelby and by Tom Tozer MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster. [email protected] Brian Huber, graduate students in [email protected] “Just because a situation happens at Cahoon’s class, decided to use a 3 a.m. doesn’t mean that people who r. Bruce Cahoon and gradu- fiber plant called kenaf for their o a guy was robbed on are at home in bed don’t need to ate student Noah Flanigan project. campus in the middle of know, too. We need to get the infor- D produced a short film that “I decided to bring it (kenaf) “S the night. Big deal. I live mation out so that individuals can was named the grand-prize winner into the callus project. I modeled in Nashville! Why did I get a text make good, safe decisions for them- of the recent Chlorofilms Plant the experiment after related species, and a voice message that woke me selves.” Biology Video Contest. and it worked beautifully the first up? What a hassle!” MTSU Police, the Office of News Titled “Kenaf Callus time,” Wadulisi-Shelby said. In campus emergency notifica- and Public Affairs and the Hoedown,” the film used time- After seeing how well the kenaf tion, law-enforcement authorities just Information Technology Division lapse photography to show the callus worked and discovering can’t win. If something happens and work together to send out emer- process of plant-tissue culture. The Flanigan’s interest in photography, an alert isn’t sent out, some people gency alerts and post safety informa- idea for the video came from Cahoon wanted to combine it all. complain. If something happens and tion on the MTSU website, all while Cahoon’s Advanced Plant “Here was this great idea, a an alert is sent out, others cry foul. handling phone calls, e-mails and Biotechnology class, where students project and a film festival. It made it “The fact is, we don’t know what texts from media, parents and others were asked to grow a callus, which a person’s schedule is or when they is a mass of plant-tissue cells. See ‘Biology’ page 5 go from point A to point B,” says See ‘Alert’ page 5 Fulbright Student U.S. Program. IN BRIEF The free 45-minute sessions are set PERMIT NO. 169 NO. PERMIT at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. MURFREESBORO TN MURFREESBORO FULBRIGHT WORKSHOPS NOV. 17 in the Keathley University Center U.S. POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE U.S. On Wednesday, Nov. 17, Theater. Each session is open to all ORGANIZATION MTSU’s Undergraduate Fellow- MTSU students. For more infor- NONPROFIT NONPROFIT ships Office will conduct three mation, e-mail Laura Clippard at informational workshops on the [email protected]. www.mtsunews.com FOR THE RECORD Nontraditional student making a new tradition by S. Greggory Hackney reaffirmed my sense of self and my ability to grow, to our younger classmates and feel the reward of [email protected] learn and even change. I have always been one to truly helping someone out. We tend, as a group, to embrace a change in venue, and I found that colle- be more willing to accept challenging classes and radition, at my age, dictates that in an aca- giate life suited me immensely. situations, and we have the goad of desiring to suc- demic setting, I should be some sort of pro- Yes, there are challenges in being a nontradi- ceed. T fessor or counselor, offering my expertise tional student; traditional stu- I love waking in the morning, knowing that and help to the average college-aged student. dents often look askance at my learning and interacting with people is going to be I am currently 46 years old, a ninth-grade high- presence in the classroom or at a big part of my day. I remember having jobs that school dropout and unemployed after 32 years my tendency to bring my life made me really want to pull the blankets over my working mostly in the service industry, but it has experiences to the discussion. As head and make the day go away. been my lifelong goal to receive a formal education. an older adult, I have some physi- I feel fortunate and happy to be a nontradition- I have spent a great part of that life doing the next cal limitations, and returning to al student, to learn better ways of tackling some of best thing: educating myself. I have had years of the classroom is a definite change life’s thornier problems and to help those that I can, self-study in various areas of interest, including in environment after being away either through direction or by example. I speak Eastern and western philosophy, anthropology, so long. Others of us have chil- often, with pride, that I am working toward my psychology, quantum physics and much more. I Hackney dren and jobs and day-to-day goals in this way. approach my subjects with perspicuity and zeal; I events and tasks that must be am a voracious reader and bibliophile. taken care of with some alacrity. S. Greggory Hackney, a winner of the university’s When the opportunity came to continue my But the advantages of being “nontraditional” 2010 Nontraditional Student Week Essay Contest, is a education at MTSU, I leapt at the chance to be in often outweigh these things. The older adult stu- resident of Murfreesboro and a freshman with an unde- academic society amid hundreds of choices of stud- dent is here on campus for the chance to advance. clared major at MTSU. Nontraditional Student Week at ies. I think this fact brought out the best in me and Often we can offer opinions, advice or perspective MTSU was Nov. 1-5. Be One of the majority: Quit smoking Nov. 18 by Lisa Thomason Schrader The “Be One” campaign and the Great American Smokeout also provide [email protected] great starting points for discussions on MTSU’s smoking policy. Since tobac- co use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death in TSU Health Services’ “Be One of the Majority” campaign is now the United States, harming the user and others in his environment, more focusing on tobacco usage for the month of November, targeting than 400 colleges and universities across the nation are completely smoke- M the 35th annual Great American free on their campuses. Other campuses have Smokeout on Thursday, Nov.