THE JACKSON SUN ' MONDAY, SEPT' 1,2014

JACKSON sUN FILE PHOTO

TN Soybean Festivalunderway in MartinThe Jackson 5un

The 21st annual TennesseeSoybean Festival, which is ex-pected to attract more than30,000 people, is underway indowntown Martin. The festivalcontinues through Sunday.

Events include a biodieseltruck and tractor pull, a festivalparade on Thesday, an art exhi-bition, a street fair, a carnival, asoftball showcase, a barbecuecook-off, a car and bike show, adisc golf tournament, Juke andJunkin' Fest, and music, accord-ing to a news release.

Performers will include theCadillac Three on Tiresday; Au-dio Adrenaline on Wednesday;

We The Kings on Thursday; TheLittle River Band on Friday; andheadliner Lee Brice will rockout Saturday.

The soybean is celebratedbecause of its many uses that in-clude human consumption,feeding livestock, energy inde-pendence, soy ink, crayons,milk, nuts, miso and more, ac-cording to the release.

Patrons may download theMartin Business Associationapp for a complete event sched-ule for the Tennessee SoybeanFestival as well as couponsfrom Martin-based businesses,the release said.

For more information, visitwwwtnsoybeanfestival.org.

ln this 2013 file photo, McKenzie Sollis holds out a stick covered in birdseedto feed the birds at the Tennessee Soybean Festival in Martin.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY; SEPTEMBE R 2, 2014

WC students receivescholarships to UTM

Several Weakley Coun{students have been awardedscholarships for the 2014-15 academic year to attendthe University of Tennes-see at Martin, according toMiyoshi Brooks, assistantdirector of admissions.

. Taylor Nicole Alder-son, of Sharon, daughterof Jeff Alderson and AmyWiley, will be a freshman-She received the Charlesand Bettye Moore Scholar-ship and the MaintenanceCenter Family Scholar-ship.

. Annabelle Reece Cor-mia, daughter of Ross andSusan Cormia, of Marlin,will be a freshman. She

received the Elam AlumniI-ngacy Scholarship andthe E. C. Thurmond Me-morial Scholarship.

. Katherine Jimenez,daughter of Manuel and

Bibiana Jimenez, of McK-enzie, will be a freshman.She received the Dean'sScholarship.

. Jennifer Renee King,daughter of Jerry andJoAnn Petty, of Sharon,will be a junior. She re-ceived the UTM TransferScholarship.

. Sloan Winters, of Mar-tin, daughter of Todd andSusan Winters, will be asophomore. She receivedthe UTM Transfer Schol-arship.

Additional informa-tion on scholarships andother types of financialassistance is available bycontacting the UT MartinOffice of Student FinancialAssistance, 205 Adminis-tration Building, UT Mar-tin, Martin, Tenn., 38238,or by calling (731) 881-7040.

LEGACIES - Univer-sity of Tennessee at Mar-tin alumni and their chil-dren who enrolled at theUniversity for the fall se-mester arrived Aug. 21 atThe Paul Meek Libraryfor the annual LegacyLuncheon. The luncheonfeatured a scholarshippresentation by the UTAlumni Association.Pictured above are AndySliger ('98) and PamSliger ('92) with theirson, Wes, all of Martin.Pictured to the left arePatricia Johnson ('85)and her son, Andrew,both of Martin.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

SUNDAY NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA - Clockwise from top: Swf'sUp, a Beach Boys tribute band, provided the musical entertainment Sun-day night at the Martin Recreational Complex, where thousands gath-

ered for a night of fun. A spectacular fireworks show sponsored by Sa-

vant Learning Systems followed the concert: The concerl and fireworkswere proceeded by TN Rolling Thunder Chapter VI's "Missing Man"ceremony to honorAmerica's POWs/MIAs. (Photos by Christel Thomp-son Laney/Special to The Press)

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

21st annual Soybean Festival continues through SatwrdayThe Tennessee Soybean

Festival is in full swing.The 21st annual event

started late last week andcontinues through Satur-day.

Opening weekend activi-ties included the Biodie-sel Truck and Tractor Pullon Friday, followed bySoybean Saturday, whichfeatured special sales andgreat deals from Martinbusinesses.

On Sunday, thousandsgathered at the Marlin Ree-reational Complex to heara performance from Surf'sUp, a Beach Boys tributeband, followed by a fire-works show.

The good times contin-ued Monday with the an-nual pageants and DisneyDay, which was postponedfrom Saturday due to the

weather.Here's the schedule for

today through Thursday:

TODAY:. The 2nd annual His-

tory of Farming in WeakleyCounty Exhibit opened at9:30 a.m. and runs through5:30 p.m. The exhibit is ondisplay at the C.E. WeldonPublic Library fhrough Fri-day.

. The Soybean FestivalParade steps off at 6:30p.m. and will travel alongUniversity and Lindellstreets. The UT Martinrodeo team will serve as

grand marshals.. The Cadillac Three per-

forms at S,p.m. at FestivalPark.

WEDNBSDAY:. A prayer breakfast will

be held in the fellowshiphall at First United Meth-odist Church starting at6:45 a.m.

. Dominoes for senioradults begins at 10 a.m. atthe Senior Adult Center.

. The ,Crossroads Lun-cheon: A Celebration ofCivic Organizations is from11 a.m. to I p.m. in the Stu-dent Life Center. Civic or-ganizations will be packingfood items for local foodbanks.

. A Community HealthAwareness Fair beginsat 5:30 p.m. in HistoricDowntown Martin.

. AVarsity group trainingdemonstration will be heldat 5:30 p.m. at Lindell andOxford streets. Also, therewill be a cardio intervalclass at The Sideline, alsoat 5:30 p.m.

. The Faith and Com-munity Night Dinner and a

Service Organization Fairis at 5:30 p.m. It is a freecommunity dinner. Dona-tions will be accepted.

. Audio Adrenaline per-forms at 6 p.m. on the mainstage at Festival Park,

THURSDAY:. The Farmer's Breakfast

is at 6:30 a.m. at TN Trac-tor in Martin. The speakerwill be retired Marine Lt.General John "Glad" Cas-tellaw.

. The CiE-Wide Mer-chant Sidewalk Sale willtake place in HistoricDowntown Marlin.

. The Senior Adult Bak-ing Contest is at 10 a.m. atthe Senior Adult Center.

. The Rotary Golf Tour-nament tees off at noon at

Persimmon Hills in Sharon.Lunch is at 11 a.m.

. Senior Adult Bingo atthe Senior Adult Center be-gins at 1 p.m.

. A street fair and carni-val in Historic DowntorpnMarlin begins at 5 p.m. andruns through midnight.

. The Cancer Crash CarBash is From 5-10 a.m. inHistoric Downtown Mar-tin. The event benefits Re-lay for Life.

. The Friends of the Li-brary Used Book Sale is

from 5-10 p.m. at the C.E.Weldon Public Library.

. UT Martin StudentNight begins at 7 p.m. inFestival Park. First. enjoypercussion sounds of theworld under the directionof Dr. Julie Hill. At 9 p.-.,We The Kirigs take themain stage.

Locul students make Chancellor's Honor RollThe outstanding aca-

demic achievements ofundergraduate students atthe University of Tennes-see at Martin have beenhonored with publica-tion of the Summer 2013Chancellor's Honor Rollsfor the College of Agricul-ture and Applied Sciences,College of Business andGlobal Affairs, College ofEducation, Health, and Be-havioral Sciences, Collegeof Engineering and NaturalSciences and the College ofHumanities and Fine Arts.

To be eligible for Chan-cellor's Honor Roll rec-ognition at UT Martin, a

student must take at least12 hours- of credit (pass-fail courses are not includ-ed) and achieve a 3.2 (B)grade point average basedon a 4.0 scale. Studentscan make the Chancellor'sHonor Roll with honors(3.2 through 3.49), highhonors (3.5 through 3.79)or highest honors (3.8through 4.0).

DRESDEN - Robert L.Gertsch, Highest Honors.

GLEASON - Hollie L.Townes High Honors.

GREENFIELD - Carl

R. Whitlow High Honorsand Megan A. Withering-ton, Highest Honors.

MARTIN - Pegeen J.

Adams, Highest Honors; .

Charles H. Alley, HighHonors; Sabrina D. Black,High Honors; RonaldHammer, Honors; ChanceE. Weldon, High Honors.

UT Martin is a compre-hensive public uniyersitythat maintains an excel-lent reputation for its high-quality undergraduate pro-grams, its beautiful campusand caring professors.

' INDEPENDENT APPEAL

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 201 4

Will McNairy Sands help determine

county's econom ic futu re ?

By Christen CoulonManaging Editor

Did you know that McNairy CountYlends its name to a unique geological fea-ture first discovered here more than 100years ago?

VtcNairy Sands is the designation offromnois.ozoic

era beach which migrated in a swath fromnorth to south across the county about 60

million years ago as an ancient sea (whichin now known as the Gulf of Mexico) reced-ed southward.

Despite s coveronly about county'the feature e site inwhich it was discovered.

"When we identify a large deposit, if

posit) is named after that. So, in our case,

the McNairy Sands were separated out ofa larger body called the Ripley Sands. TheMcNairy Sands turned out to be a litfle dif-ferent than the Ripley deposit so it gets itsolrmname."

Gibson said that the McNairy Sandswere first identified netu a railroad tracknear where Big Hill Pond State Park is lo-cated today.

The McNairy Sands are unique in thatthey represent a transition from ocean toland with a unique composition of sands,minerals and heavy metals.

The term sand is simply a designationfor a tiny particle, Gibson said. Quartz is acommon element found in sand aroundthe globe, however many other elementsaccumulate in coastal sands and theunique make-up of McNairy Sands distin-guishes it from other types of sand.

Gibson said that McNairy Sands havea red tint from their high concentrationof iron-oxide. McNairy Sands also containheavy minerals Gibson said.

These dense, heavy minerals are basi-cally sorted in the tides of the ocean andcan accumulate on a beach. Gibson saidthat the McNairySands are somewhat richin titanium ores which could, under theright economic conditions, make themuseftrl for mining.

Currently, titanium is moderately valu-able; trading for about $6 per kilogram($2.70 per pound).

If companies can get enough of it outof an area for less than the cost it takes tomine, then it becomes profitable.

Gibson said that several companies in-cluding DuPont have already purchasedmineral rights here and looked into miningtheMcNairySands.

Currently, Gibson said that the titaniumin the McNairy Sands is considered a re-serve because it is not profitable to mine itright now. However, he said that it is gettingcloser to becoming a profitable venturefor the right company. There would likelyneed to be a global rise in the commodityprice for titanium, or an industry requiringa local source for titanium for it to becomeprofitable here in the near future.

Photo courtesy of the united States Geological Survey

Beds of McNairy Sand formation nearthe site of its original discovery in l9O7on the Southern Railway line 1.25 mileswest of Cypress, in McNairy CountY.

INDEPENDENT APPEAL

WEDNESDAY SEPTEM BER 3, 201 4

Staff Photo bY Christen Coulon

Dr. Michael Gibson, professor of geology at uT Martin exPlains the geological pro-

Idiiii-*rii.rt'ttlip,iit"rn-Mcruairy qo-tinty..Gibson details how a unique feature

6o*; is fvfcruairy Sands could bring future industry to the county.

He said the area is more attractive forcompqnies who are looking to develop.aresei'e in titanium right now. Gibson saidthat he thought it would be years or evendecades before we would see a mine openup.̂ In addition to the titanium and ironcontent of the McNairy Sands, Gibson said

that there were some other heavy miner-

als that could make this sand valuable.The sands here may also contain traceamounts of rare earth elements, many ofwhich are more valuable than gold. Theserare earth elements are used mainly inelectronics. But Gibson said that the rareearth elements would be present in suchsmall amounts that it may never be profit-able to mine here for them.

Ribbon cutting held for new

nursing wing at UTM ParsonsA ribbon-cutting cere-

tion Nursing Wing at theUT Martin Parsons Center,located at 975 TennesseeAvenue North in Parsons.

University of TennesseePresident Joe DiPietro, UTMartin Chancellor TomRakes, local and stateelected officials and univer-sitytheand a crowd of others forthe ceremony. Dr. KelliDeere, Parsons Center di-rector proudly lead theevent.

"I am so excited aboutthe new addition and thegrorvth that this wifr'bringio Parsons," Deere stated'"This fall we have our high-est enrollment inthe history'of the school. We look for-

atn-

ter.tt

Parsons mayor Tim DavidBoaz. "This will attract Peo-

We're keeping them here to

the wall ofays tributeanet AYers

and a bust of Mr. AYerswas unveiled during theceremony.

get their education, whichincreases our chances ofkeeping the best and bright-est at home. What makessome communities success-

fail, is thatbest and

PaY othertake them

to educate them and theYnever return. This should

Foundation, which hassince supported a widerange of piograms and in-

stitutions with his emPhasis

tablished and funded the

t HosPi't eAyersInstitute for Learning andInnovation at LipscombUniversity. Most of the stu-dents attending the UT

Martin Campus at Pa$onshave the aid of a scholar-ship provided by The AyersFoundation. A plaque onthewall of the camPus PaYstribute to the couPle and a

pus is producing and hoPes

See "UTM-P" on A3

The News Leader, September 3,2014

Ribbon cuttFROM PAGE T

this is only the beginning ofa larger success for thecampus.

According to an an-nouncement made by Deereduring the dedication cere-mony, nursing studentsachieved a 100 percent passrate on the National CouncilLicensure Examination forRegistered Nurses.

Initial funding for the ex-pansion was included in the2013'14 budget proposed byGov. Bill Haslam and ap-proved by the TennesseeGeneral Assembly. A $ I mil-lion appropriation wasmade to build a 10,000-square-foot addition to thecurrent facility. The additionincludes classrooms, a skills

laboratory and a high-fi-delity computerized simula-tion laboratory. Theexpansion plans received anadded boost when the WestTennessee HealthcareFoundation also made a $1million commitment to theproject.

The Parsons Center willhave openings for up to 30students annually for theprogram. BSN programgraduates wil be eligible totake the National CouncilLicensure Exam for Regts-tered Nurses and obtain li-censure as registerednurses. The university re-cently announced that nurs-ing graduates in the class of2014 achieved a 100 percent

pass rate on the NCLEX-RN.

Nursing students at Par-sons will receive the sameexperience as those stu-dents enrolled at the Martincampus. The programworks with health-care fa-cilities across the region toprovide three years of clini-cal experience for its stu-dents. Similar programs atother institutions offer onlytwo years of clinical experi-ence.

The Accreditation Com-niission for Education inNursing recommendedreaccreditation for the UTMartin Deparlment of Nurs-ing in June.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday, August 28, which officially opened the new West TennesseeHealthcare Foundation Nursing Wing at the tII Martin Parsons Center, located at 975 Tennessee AvenueNorth in Parsons.

SPIRITED FUN - Several members of

COLLEGE CREW - Students (fromleft) Andrea Marlin of Troy, Alex Adkins of

man class of more than 1,100 students

began arriving Aug. 21 to participate in theuniversity's First-Year Initiative WelcomeWeekend, an orientation program that pre-pares students to navigate the universityenvironment. All day and evening classesbegan Aug. 25.

MARTIN MOVE-IN - Students, theirfamilies ancl friends arrived recently formove-in day at the Univeat Martin. FacultY, staffand area residents assisteprepared for the fall semester, which began

Baker, all of Hornbeak.

MAKING HER MOVE - Nicole StoreYand her mother, Linda Storey of UnionCity, were among the students, familiesand friends who arrived recently for move-

in day at the University of Tennessee atMartin. Faculty, staff, current students andarea residents assisted students as they pre-pared for fall semester that began Aug. 25.

Humboldt Chronicle, Wed4esday,'September 3, 2O14

submitted Photo

UT MARTIN MOVE lN DAY - Students, their families andfriendS arrived Thursday, August 21 for move-in day at theUniversity of Tennessee at Martin. Faculty, staff, currentstudents and area residents assisted students as theyprepared for fall semester that began August 25. Picturedare freshman Hannah Houck, her father, Chris, and herbrother, Noah, all of Gibson.

THs FuLroN LraDEn, SErrllrnrR g, 2014

FEDERAL RESERVE FACTS - Dr. Thomas Payne, left, Professorof Finance at University of Tennessee at Martin, provided a programrecently to the Rotary Club of Fulton, 'The Federal Reserve, Whatis Really Going On". He offered an opportunity for members toask questions and express their perspectives on the economy.Shown with Dr. Payne are Bob Mahan, and Dr. Harry Ward. (Photosubmitted)

CLASS ACT - University of Tennesseeat Martin students (from left) Joshua Dyer,Jake Bell and Nicole Storey, all of UnionCity, paused on campday of UT Maftin fallfreshman class of more

began arriving Aug. 21

university's First-YearWeekend, an orientatiopares students to navigate the.univ,ersityenvironment. All day and evening classesbegan Aug.25.

LEGACY LUNCHEON - Universityof Tennessee at Martin alumni and theirchildren who enrolled at the Universityfor the fall semester arrived recently atthe Paul Meek Library on campus for theannual Legacy Luncheon. Among those in

attendance were Hailey Clendenin (center)and her parents, Di. John Clendenin andParn Clendenin, both of Union City. Theluncheon featured a scholarship presenta-tion by the UT Alumni Association.

http : //www. wbbj tv. coml

t,I'F1tr4 stuctr ents fnorn"Iap axa -l'isit JacksonlllltsculllBy news admin

Slory C.eaLed Sep 4,2014 at 5 24 P[/] CDT(Slory Updated Sep ( 20T4 at I 47 PM CDT )

WEST JACKSON Dozens of iniernationalstudents learned about the Hub Cty during a

Thursday visit

Casey Jones Home & Railroad [,4useum andCasey Jones Vjl age welcomed 32 Japanesestudents v siting through ihe University ofTennessee at lvlartin lt was al part of an

international program at the school

Students from Takasaki C ty University ofEconomics in Takasaki, Japan, have been comingio the campus of the Universtty of Tennessee

l\4artin for several years for a three week program to enhance their English ski ls and to learn about theculture, history and economics that influence the area and region

V\hile at UT l\,4artrn, students live in the residence halls and attend morning classes that focus onpracticing and improving their listenrng and speakrng skills, according to a release During theafternoons, the students take short Fie d trips to areas of interest to experience aspects of the hrstory

and cultuTe of the area

During a private museum tour, the students learned about the Casey Jones Village's rmpact on WestTen n esse e

The group is visiting Tennessee from August 27 through Sept 1 6

http : //www. wpsdlocal 6. c om/

Change in University funding, positiveimpactPosted: SepU,2074 4:39 PMCSTUpdoted:'ep 04, 2014 5:26 PM CST

By Amanda Roberts - emailBy Randall Barnes - email

l..,1ART|N,TN- AchanBeinthewayalocalstatefundsuniversitiesappearstobedoingaworldofgoodforstudents

Four years ago Tennessee enaqted the'complete Col lege Tennessee Act.

I nstead of funding publ ic universities for the number of students they enroll, they'd be paid For how manygraduate

Since the change, graduation rates are up

Nikki Roberson knows getting an education is important, "l try to keep up as much as possiblel'

But decid ing where to get that ed ucation wasn't as important u ntil now Professor BrianDonavant says both facu lty and staff h ave made changes over the pa st 4 years, "We rea I lyrevamp some of ou r cu rricu lu m to embrace thisl'

Especial ly in thei r a pproaches to ed ucating, keeping, and gradu ating their students, "The facu ltyand staff across campus as well as administration have really stepped up their efforts at lookingat outcomesl'

All of these changes are from 2010 legislation: the Complete College Tennessee Act. Donovansays, "We've embraced some of the cha nges that h ave come to us in terms of the CCTAI'

ln essence, the colleges have decreased acceptance rates, approximately 1OO less freshman peryea r. Beca use of this, they're able to retain more students each yea r, that n u mber hovers arou ndTOpercent They'veinturnbeenabletoincreasetheirgraduationrate.3percentoverfouryears Ha lf a percent, or 5 percent groMh per year is considered a success

Donovan says, "That's really helped us to sort of refocus and increase our priorities andoutcomesl'

Because it all boils down to a quality education, "The purpose ofa college education is notjust tccome here and sit in the classroom and spend yourtime it's tospend yourtime productivelyl,

So students llke Roberson can make the walk across the stage, "That's what I'm trying to do rightnow is just pass a I I my classes just to get to the endl'

UT Martin has the third highest graduation rate in the state as a four-year institution.

One of the initial concerns with passing the CCTA was among community colleges.

Wou ld a two-year co I lege receive state assistance if potentia I grad u ates contin ued to tra nsfer toother universities?

UT Martin Chancellor, DoctorTom Rakes says students who completing training and earn acertificates figure into a school's graduation rate, "lfyou account that cedificate it's a postsecondary credential it's not a college degree but we cou nt it as extra tra iningl'

So, how do ou r other Loca I 6 states compa re?

Both lllinoisand Missouri implemented performance-basedfundingfortwoandfouryearuniversitiesandcolleges Kentuckydoesnotfundtheirpubliccollegesanduniversitiesbasedonperformance

TET WEAKLEY COI]NTY PRESS .THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER4

PANHELLENIC RECRUITMENT - The University ofTennessee at Martin held Panhellenic Recruitment this pastweekend for interested students. ZetaTau Alpha Sororitymembers lined the field of Graham Stadium on Mondayafternoon to welcome new members into their sisterhood.Each student was announced individually over the loudspeaker as she ran out to her new sorority sisters. Picturedare freshman Micah Capps of Dyersburg wtth Zeta Tau Al-pha Sorority members AIi Barros of Medway, Mass., andMaKensie Bawcum of Camden.

Tennessee agriculture commissioner presents

BY THE PRESSMartin Mayor Randy Brundige handed

out a lot of awards Tuesday at a kick-offluncheon for the Tennessee Soybean Fes-

tival, but he was also the recipient of the

event's biggest award.Tennessee Deparlment of Agriculture

Commissioner Julius Johnson present-

ed Brundige with a check for $100,000

- a Tennessee Agricultural EnhancementProgram grant to help the city fund the

construction of a new farmers market pa-

vilion."This is in keeping with the Depart-

ment of Agriculture's goals and efforts toincrease economic activity in rural com-munities by responding to the growth inand demand for fresh and local foods,"Johnson said during the Mayor's Kick-off Luncheon inside the Russell DuncanBallroom at UT Martin's Boling Univer-sity Center.

"It's fresher," Johnson said of localfoods. "It's more nutritious for you and

grant check during Mayor's Kickoff Luncheon

- this can't be proven scientifically - but Ithink it's even safer for you, because youknow the farmer you're getting it from.Today's consumers want to know whereand how their food is produced. Thesekinds of venues are important to helpingconsumers connect with our local farm-ers. It makes sense economically, health-wise and environmentally to go local."

The grant follows a recommendationto increase local marketing opportuni-ties for Tennessee farmers as outlined inthe "Governor's Rural Challenge: A 10-Year Strategic Plan." The plan was devel-oped last year at the request of Gov. BillHaslam to guide the state's agriculturaldevelopment efforts.

"We are very excited to receive thisgrant," Brundige said. "Supporting localfarmers and locally grown products isimportant. The grant will help construct a

much-needed facility and will be anothera great addition to our downtown."

Sru Aw,c.nos,Pncn12

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER4,20t4

AwnnosFnom Pecr 1

The grant is based on aproposal by the city to pro-vide matching funds for theconstruction of a perma-nent pavilion in the city'sHistoric Business Districtin keeping with historicguidelines and resemblinga train depot. The pavilionwill suppofi year-roundactivity that is currentlyrestricted to only certaintimes of the year based onweather conditions.

"This project will notonly support local agricul-ture, but will enhance yourdowntown revitalizationefforts," Johnson said. "Welook forward to seeing theproject continue to frui-tion so we can come backand take advantage of somegood local produce."

Speaking on another is-sue, Johnson thanked theregion for supporting ThePort of Cates Landing. Lo-cated north of Tiptonvillein Lake County, the port - a

$20 million project - wascompleted in the summerof 2013.

"It's going slow, but it'sgoing to work and we're allgoing to work together tomake it happen," he said."First of all, you and thecounties in this region cametogether to focus as a groupto make sure it was there.It's going to pay dividendsdown the road as we workhard to make it a success.That's the kind of regionalapproach the governor hasbeen talki4g about in his'Jobs for Tennessee' plan -taking a regional approachrather than a county versusneighboring county kindof approach. We've got towork together regionally toaccomplish the things thatwe want to do, even in ag-riculture."

RODEO TEAMBrundige presented a

proclamation recognizingthe UT Martin men's rodeoteam for winning the 66thannual College NationalRodeo Finals in Casper,Wyoming - the first nation-al championship of any UTMartin athletic team.

"Since it's inception, theUniversity of Tennesseeat Martin Skyhawk rodeoteam has a long history ofbeing one of the best pro-grams in the nation," Brun-dige said.

Head coach John Luthiand the men's team werenamed grand marshals ofthe Soybean parade. "Weare proud to name you thegrand marshals of our Ten-nessee Soybean Festival,"said David Belote, the fes-tival's executive director.

The national champi-onship team consisted ofClark Adcock, Colt Kitaif,John Alley, Tanner Phipps,Tyler Waltz and Will Lum-mus, as well as Luthi andassistant head coach Nel-son Davis.

"Congratulations, na-tional champions," UTMartin athletics directorJulio Friere said. "Thankyou to everybody who sup-

ports this great universityand this great city, but doremember, 'It's a great dayto be a Skyhawk."'

BIG BEANBrundige presented the

Big Bean Award to H&RAgri-Power.

"The Big Bean Awardis presented annually to abusiness, organization orperson who exemplifiesservice to community, es-pecially to the TennesseeSoybean Festival," he said."This year's winner doesjust rhis."

H&R Agri-Power is afi rst-year festival sponsor.

"We are so glad that theyhave chosen to partner withus," Brundige said. "Theirroots are agriculture, whichexemplifies what we cel-ebrate. As the soybean isknown for it's magicalproperties, this year's BigBean winner has made

magic right here in Mar-tin."

Fred Wilkerson acceptedthe award. "Thanks to allof you for letting us partici-pate in this fine occasion,"he said.

SERVICEAWARDSUT Martin director of

bands Dr. John Oelrich andWeakley County Press edi-tor Brad Gaskins each re-ceived a Soybean ServiceAward. Presented annually,the award recognizes in-dividuals or organizationswho have conimitted theirtime and resources to thevarious festival activitiesand events, going aboveand beyond in service tothe festival.

Oerlich received theaward for his role in creat-ing the Martin CommunityBand.

"He is a talented univer-sity and community servant

who over the last two yearshas gathered a whole hostof other talented and com-munity servants," Belotesaid of Oelrich "Together,they have made beautifulmusic. not only in Martin.but throughout northwestTennessee, as the MarlinCommunity Band. Theirperformance (Monday af-ternoon) at Disney Daywas superb."

Gaskins received theaward for his role in pro-ducing the 64-page Ten-nessee Soybean Festivalguide.

"The Weakley CountyPress has been a goodfriend and a partner in theTennessee Soybean Festi-val since we started this fes-tival 2l years ago," Belotesaid. "For the past severalyears, they have producedour Soybean Festival book-let. I think you will agree I

with me that it is a beauti-

ful piece of work. There areseveral people who workhard putting this together.Thank you Lynette (Wag-ster), thank you Beth (Cra-vens), thank you Suzanne(Peckham) - thank youeverybody at the WeaklbyCounty Press."

GIVING THANKSBelote thanked former

Martin Mayor Larry Tay-.lor and Dr. Jerry Gresham,professor emeritus of Ani-mal Science and chair ofAgriculture, Geosciencesand Natural Resources atUT Martin.

"These two gentlemenwere the fathers of the Ten-nessee Soybean festival,"Belote said. "It was.theiridea. It was them that laythe foundation for the fes-tival."

Belote recognized Dr.Jim Byford and LarryHolder, for authoring and

THE WEAKLEY-COUNTYPRESS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4,2014

perf orm-ng-th--sotbeantheme song.

Belote also acknowl-edged the hard work of theTennessee Soybean Fes-tival Committee, whichworks year-round to planthe festival.

"We have some younglife on our committee thisyear," he said. "We havesome young ladies. aspir-ing community leaders,who took a chance on anevent, worked hard andcreated one of the morespectacular and successfulevents ever at our festival- Disney Day. It was mag-nificent. Suzanne Peck-ham, Camille'Hall, EmilyJohnson - beautiful work.Thank you ladies."

MARTIN BEAUTIFULNl#vn Downing, chair-

man of the Maflin Beauti-ful Committee, used the oc-casion to present awards toseveral businesses and in-dividuals who have workedhard to beautify the citY.

In the residence' cat-egory, winners were Johnand Edna Harris and KeithUnger. Joan Houser and

Christy Hart accePted' the

business category awardfor Wesley at Martin. The

Adopt-A-Site award wds

presented to Bennie Castle-man of the Shoe Shack.

Pastor Mike Lavender ac-

cepted the church categoryaward for Martin Cumber-land Presbyterian. MartinFire Chief Jamie Summersaccepted the Public Placeaward on behalf of his de-partment, which was hon-ored for the flower bed infront of the station on NealStreet.

BEAN KING/QUEENHe's a bank president.'

She's a media mogul.For the remainder of the

festival, though, you canrefer to Sam Lewallen ofFirst State Bank and Ly-nette Wagster of The Weak-ley County Press as KingBean and Queen Bean, re-spectively.

The Pilot Club of Martinbestowed the titles uponthe two for raising themost money in the inaguralfundraiser. All proceeds goto buy bike helmets for thePilot Club's annual BicycleRodeo.

Lynn Gibson and Jer-ri Conley presented theawards on behalf of the Pi-lot Club.

"I have a feeling it's agood idea to pay off yourbanker before you pay offyour police chief or firechief," Lewallen jokedas to how he raised moremoney than David Mooreand Jamie Summers.

Queen Bean Wagstersaid, "I will serve my pod-lings with pride."

STRONG PARTNERSUT Martin Chancel-

lor Tom Rakes praised thestrong pafinership betweenthe university and the Cityof Martin.

"Thank you all for join-ing us and supporting theUniversity of Tennessee atMartin at the Soybean Fes-tival," he said.

BFAN ROYALTY - Lynette Wagster and Sam Lewal-len were crowned Bean Queen and Bean King as parl of a

Manin Pilot CIub fundraiser.

BIG BEAN AWARD - Mayor Randy Brundige (left) pre-sented H&R Agri-Power with the Big Bean Award, whichwas accepted by Fred Wilkerson. +

SERVICE AWARD - Weakley County Press editor BradGaskins (left) acceptes a Tennessee Soybean Festival Ser-

vice Award from IVIayorRandy Brundige

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS

CHECK PRESENTATION - Taking part in the checkpresentation of the $100,000 Tennessee AgriculturalEnhancement Program grant at the Mayor's KickoffLuncheon on Tuesday were (from left) state Rep. Andy

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

Holt, Martin Mayor Randy Brundige, Tennessee Depart-ment of Agriculture Cornmissioner Julius Johnson andstate Sen. John Stevens. (Photos by Nathan Morgan/UTMartin University Relations)

SERVICE AWARD - UT Martin director of bands Dr.John Oelrich (left) accepts a Tennessee Soybean FestivalService Award from Mayor Randy Brundige

THE JACKSON SUN . FRIDAY, SEPT. 5, 2014

Casey Jones Villagewelcolffl,i,iE Japanese studentsThe Jackson 5un

On Thursday, Casey JonesHome & Railroad Museum andCasey Jones Village welcomed32 Japanese students who werevisiting through the UniversitYof Tennessee at Martin Interna-tional Programs department.

English as a Second Lan-guage Instructor Tom Johnsoncoordinated the students' visitas he has previous groups, ac-cording to a news release. Thegroup is visiting Tennessee

from Aug. 27 through SePt. 16.Museum director JimmY

Bailey gave the students a tourof the Casey Jones Home &Railroad Museum. Clark ShaqCEO of Brooks Shaw's OtdCountry

See STUDENTS, Page 82

WEB EXTRAFind a photo galleryfrom this event atjacksonsun.com

StudentsContinued from Page 81

Store, spoke to the groupabout the economic impactof the museum and CaseyJones Village on the area.

The students ate tradi-tional Southern cuisine atOld Country Store andheard live music by mem-bers of the Jackson AreaPlectral Society.

Students from Japan'sThkasaki City Universityof Economics have beencoming to the campus ofUT Martin for severalyears. They participate ina three-week program toenhance their Englishskills and to learn aboutthe culture, history andeconomics that influencethe area and region, thenews release said. Thisyear the 32 students par-ticipating in the programare maJorrng rn econom-ics, business managementand regional policy.

While on UTM's cam-pus, students live in theresidence halls and attendmorning classes that focuson practicing and improv-ing their listening andspeaking skills, the releasesaid. During the after-noons, the students take

short field trips to areas ofinterest to experience as-pects of the history andculture of the area. Theyoften have an opportunityto meet withbusiness own-ers, marketing directorsand business managers toget insight into the eco-nomic influences differ-ent places have on the localand regional economy.

An example of placesthey will visit include Pin-son Indian Mounds andReelfoot Lake State Park,where the group will learnabout the economic impor-tance Tennessee parkshave on the economy of thestate.

While in Martin, the stu,dents get a good dose ofTennessee culture by at-tending the TennesseeSoybean Festival, a tractorpull, parade, concerts andbarbecue cook-off as wellas a UTM football game.On the weekend before thestudents return to Japan,they will make a trip to St.Louis to visit the JeffersonNational Expansion Me-morial Museum and Gate-way Arch and the St. LouisZoo.

They will have an op-portunity to see a St. louisCardinals baseball gameand spend a day at SixFlags amusementpark.

MORRIS ABERNATHY/IHE JACKSON SUN

Students from Takasaki.City University of Economics inTakasaki, Japan have been coming to the campus oftheUniversity of Tennessee Martin for several years for a threeweek program.

Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum and Casey Jones Village welcomed a

group of 32 Japanese students visiting through the University of Tennesseeat Martin lnternational Programs department Thursday,

MORRIS ABERNATHY/THE JACKSON 5UN

THE JACKSON SUN . SUNDAY,SEPT.T, 2014

I ' , t!,

,, Actoi and producerr\)pencer ls

Connections

The world of acting issmall, Spencer noted,with the industry heavilycharacterized by whoyou know. As a result,making - and keeping -connections are impor-tant.

An acquaintance hiswife made with a "Sat-urday Night Live" pro-ducer, for instance, gaveSpencer the chance to bea background actor onthe show numeroustimes. He had the oppor-tunity to star as a wiseman during a Christmasskit for one episode, andhe acted alongside HughLaurie and other "SNL"stars during a Halloweenskit in another.

See SPENCER, Page C3

"That's the thing aboutbackground (acting) -you don't get to talk,"Spencer said. "You act,you wear costumes andrun around (with theactors)."

But Spencer did havethe chance to be on TV,as he was clearly seenunder a faux beard as awise man, as well asdressed in an old-fash-ioned costume chasingFrankenstein with Lau-rie.

Through his timespent on "Saturday NightLive," he also had thechance to meet starssuch as Steve Martin,Jimmy Fallon and AlecBaldwin, Spencer said.His conversation withBaldwin turned into aquick friendship, he not-ed, as Baldwin encour-aged Spencer to continuefighting for his dreamsto act.

"I really enjoy justbeing around those typeof people," Spencer said."They're very genuine,compassionate people.That's what attracts meto acting."

SUBMITTED

Actor and producer Robert Spencer has returned to Jackson.

dreaming big in JacksonBy Beth Knollmbknoll@jacksonsun,com

rom brushing shoulders withAmy Poehler on "Saturday NightLive" to being likened to JamesStewart by Burt Reynolds, Rob-

ert Spencer has spent the past decadechasing his dream to act.

A Jackson native, Spencer has livedin cities such as Los Angeles and NewYork City, appearing in dozens of shortand feature films and meeting some ofHollywood's finest.

But the North Side High Schoolgraduate said he has returned to Jack-son not only to raise his L6-month-olddaughter around family but also tobring home the film industry.

SpencerContinued from Page Cl

a drama group that reig-nited his thespian in-terests. He eventuallymoved with his wife,Beth, to New York City in2004, where his actingaspirations took flight.

"I'm at the school of'make your own break,"'Spencer said. "And it ifdoesn't happen the firsttime, try, try again.There are hundreds ofactors and actresses toldno hundreds of times."

Spe t sit hereand kson."

With his father in the Navy, Spencerthe worldiety of peo-ed connect-his family

eventually returned to West Tennessee,where he graduated from North Sideand attended Jackson State CommunityCollege and the University of Tennes-see at Martin, where he majored intheater and performed in black boxtheater and big-stage productions alike.

Spencer joined the Navy in L993before finishing his degree, and heserved about five years before return-ing to college at Lambuth University.While he abandoned his theater majorfor sociology, he became involved with

. THEJACKSON SUN . SUNDAY,SEPf.7,2014

'Chasingthat dream'

In addition to takingactiqg dasses at HBStudio, which has beengraced by actors such asWhoopi Goldberg, Spen-cer also took time tomeet with other actors inNew York City throughthe website meetup.com.Actors often gatherbd atrestaurants to rehearseand practice together,keeping their dreamsalive while honing theirskills.

Spencer later movedto West Palm Beach, Fla.,as well as Los Angeles,where he continued topursue acting. With thehelp of connections, healso came across a mas-ter acting class taught byReynolds. After audition-ing for a spot in the class,he said he was instantlywelcomed and embracedinto the group.

and you don't get therole, you've got to keePtrying," said Spencer,stressing points that helearned from Reynolds."You'll regret not chas-ing that dream."

Spencer has scoredroles in short and featurefilms, such as his role inGeorge Romero's "Dead-time Stories," in whichhe played a researchscientist protecting thewoman he loved. He alsonlaved a concerned^cfrdrctr usher in a faith-oriented comedY, wherehe followed the maincharacter to make surehe was not stealing mon-ey from the church.

- -Spencer

notedThamis "Even if you audition,acting evolved duringthis time, as he learnedmore about the dramatictransition between on-stage acting and acting infront of a camera. Rey-nolds taught actors abouthis experience and mis-takes, and he encouragedthe group to continuepracticing their skills,which actors can "lose"quickly, Spencer noted.

Reynolds once toldSpencer that he remind-ed Reynolds of actorsJames Stewart and Gar-ry Marshall - people onecouldn't help but like. Asa result, Spencer typical-Iy was cast in Andy Grif-fith-type roles as theinnocent boyfriend orcharming husband towhom the audience wasnaturallv drawn.

SUBMITTED

Robert Spencer stands 6n set while filming 'Deadtime Stories.'

THE JACKSON 5UN . SUNDAY,SEPI.7,2014

Producing

Spencer has had op-portunities to co-writeand produce movies aswell, with his first film,called "Expectations,"shot in Atlanta.

"I was almost to tearsin happiness, because Iwas looking at somethingcoming alive right in

front of me," Spencersaid. "Emotionally, itconnected to me,"

In October, Spencerwill have a similar'oppor-tunity to connect with afilm through i'In theDark," a suspense moviehe not only has helpedwrite but also will helpproduce. Set at a largehome in Florida, themovie will be directedand filmed by cinematog-raoher Jose Zambrano

Cassella. Spencer, a hor-ror movie buff, said thefilm is about an evil dark-ness present in a home.

While primarily focus-ing on the first film,Spencer noted that thesequel to "In the Dark" isalready planned to befilmed in Jackson duringthe winter of 20L5. Heand Cassella have al-ready selected a localhome at which to film thesequel,'with the duo hav-

ing scouted variety ofpotential cinematic loca-tions around town.

Spencer said he plansto also bring a filmschool to town, with theinstitute tentatively setto open by early nextyear - if not sooner.Currently looking for aIocation for the school,he hopes to teach aspir-ing film makers'aboutthe industry, includingdirecting, editing andproducing films. Aspir-ing actors also will havea chance to learn as wellas build reels for theircareers.

Until then, Spencercontinues a tradition hebegan iri New York City:Meeting with locals in-terested in the film in-dustry through the "WestTN Indy Film Makersand Actors," which hecreated on meetup.com

to stay connected withother thespians.

"It's a very spiritualfeeling to r..i *ir"n vouhave people of differentfaiths working together,different ethnicitiesworking together, differ-ent cultures workingtogether - they bond fora brief moment to last aIifetime," Spencer said."That's why I want tobring it to Jackson.

"There has been a lotof controversy in Jack-son since I've left," headded. 1'I'd love people toembrace this and learnfrom each other ... peoplefrom a very hard lifeworking with people thattake life for granted, andhope that both of thesepeople work together andIearn something fromeach other."

Audition opportunitiesfor the "In the Dark"sequel will be availablein Jackson, Spencer said.For more informationabout the films, visit the"In the Dark" Facebookpage.

To learn more aboutthe local acting group,visit "West TN Indy FilmMakers and Actors" onmeetup.com. Spenceralso can be reached onhis Facebook page, under"Robert Spencer."

Reach Beth Knoll at (731) 425-9541

Follow her on Twitter @merribeth-knoll

SUBMITTED

Robert Spencer with his wife, Beth. and their daughter,Catherine.

WestStar Leadership Programaccepting applications for '15 class

MARTIN - Applicattonsare being accepted to partici-pate in UT Martin's WestStarLeadership Program. Theprogram is the largest andoldest regional leadershipdevelopment program inTennessee and serves the 21counties of West Tennessee.The program has produced710 graduates in its 25-yearhistory.

For application and addi-tional information, contactWestStar at'731-881-7298or online at http://www.utm.edu. The applicationdeadline is Oct. 15. Anyonecan apply to participate inthe program. and nomina-

tions are accepted but notrequired. Class memberswill be competitively select-ed to participate in the 2015program.

The WestStar programconsists of eight speciallydesigned seminar programsaddressing contemporarymajor issues important toWest Tennessee's develop-ment.

Each seminar takes placeover one-and-a-half daYs.The program begins Dec.11 with an opening one-day retreat and ends June18, 2015, with an eveninggraduation ceremony.

The WestStar mission is

to identify, encourage andequip community-mindedpeople who want to becomemore involved, want to helpWest Tennessee become a

better place and are will-ing to accept assertive anddynamic leadership roles.

Participants learn newleadership skills and devel-op strategies for assistingcommunities in solvingproblems and maximizingpotential.

Participants also becomepart of a growing net-work of other leaders who,through mutual supportand assistance, shape WestTennessee's future.

Business innovation symposiumset for Sept. 17 at UT Martin

MARIIN-Agroupoforganizations and individu-als dedicated to sparkingentrepreneurship in norlh-west Tennessee is hostinga business innovation sym-posium in September at theUniversity of Tennessee atMartin.

"Innovating for Profit:Building Rural Businessesfrom the Ground Up" isset for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.Sept. l7 in the WatkinsAuditorium, located in theBoling University Centeron the university's maincampus. The symposium isdesigned to inform the pub-lic about the current state ofrural innovation and busi-ness growth.

The UT Marrin Collegeof Agriculture and AppliedSciences, the Mid-SouthSchool of AdvancedAgricultural Lending, theHorace and Sara DunaganChair of Excellence

in Banking and the GiIlParker Chair of Excellencein Agriculture, both at UTMartin, and the NextFarmAgricultural InnovationAccelerator are sponsoring,the event.

Featured at the sympo-sium is a panel discussionof regional ag-based busi-ness leaders speaking onbuilding businesses fromthe ground up. Participatingin the panel are JimmyTosh of Tosh Farms, KelleyPowers of Final Flightand Powers Farms, ChuckDoss of INCO lrrigationSystems, M.J. Andersou ofThe Andersons, Iric., andNeil Mylet of LoadOutTechnologies.

Bryan Huddleston, presi-dent and chief executiveofficer of the NashvilleTechnology Council. isalso speaking at the sym-poslum.

Also included are pre-

sentations by AgSmarts andFertility Focus. two of thecompanies from the 2013NextFarm Ag InnovationAccelerator class.Participants in NextFarminclude entrepreneurs withnew ag-based technologyideas-"AgTech"-inthe startup mode, as well asexisting companies that aredeveloping new technolo-gies or innovations.

The event concludeswith a free Ag InnovationLunch, featuring key-note speaker Dr. DavidMillhorn, University ofTennessee executive vicepresident and president ofthe University of TennesseeResearch Foundation.

Free registration for the"Innovating for Profit"symposium and informa-tion and an application forthe NextFarm acceleratorcan be found at http://ntec-connect.com/.

THE WJAKLEY .C

OUNTY PRTSS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER, 9, 2OI4

Alan Youngerman named UT MartinMcNairy County/Selmer Center director

Alan Youngerman, mostrecently district execu-tive for the Boy Scouts ofAmerica, is the new directorof the UT Martin McNairyCounty Center/Selmer. Hesucceeds Deidra Beenewho died in March follow-ing a long illness. She hadserved as center directorsince 2001. Youngermanbegan his new duties Sept.2.

"I've always loved edu-cation," Youngerman saidof his appointment. "I'dlike to see the universitycontinue and expand itssuccesses here." He add-ed that his long and var-ied business backgroundwould help him move thecenter forward.

Before his position withthe Boy Scouts, Younger-man was co-owner and vicepresident of Stan's Home

Center Inc. in Jackson andthe Home Center lnc. inLexington and Henderson.He was previously asso-ciated with the McNairyCounty/Selmer Centerfrom 2009-ll as an adjunctfaculty member teachinggeology.

Youngerman holds anassociate degree in physi-cal chemistry from Jackson

State Community College,a bachelor's degree in earthscience from TennesseeTechnological Universityin Cookeville and a mas-ter's degree with a majorin economic geology fromthe University of Nevada,Reno - Mackay School ofMines.

Youngerman and hiswife, Elizabeth, have twochildren and live in Sel-mer.

UT Martin opened theMcNairy County/SelmerCenter in cooperation withMcNairy County and thecity of Selmer. The univer-sity began offering lower-division courses at the cen-ter in summer 1998.

In fall 2004. the cen-ter began offering coursesleading to the Education K-6 degree. Then in fall 2008,the center offered coursds

leading to bachelor's de-grees in history and socialwork. Four new classroomswere completed in fall2009.

In addition to previousofferings. a major in crimi-naljustice is now available,and a major in psychologyis new for this fall semes-ter. The center also offersa full rotation plan of gen-eral-education courses, up-per-division courses andthe Bachelor of Interdisci-plinary Studies degree.

Also available are non-credit classes, and thecenler can design trainingcurriculums to meet theindividual needs of localbusiness and industry. TheUT Manin Office of Ex-tended Campus and OnlineStudies is the university'sadministrative reportingchannel for the center.

ArnN YouNGERMAN

WestStar Leadership Program is nowaccepting applications for 2015 class

Applications are beingaccepted to participatein UT Martin's WestStarLeadership Program. Theprogram is the largest andoldest regional leadershipdevelopment program inTennessee and serves the21 counties of West Ten-nessee. The program hasproduced 710 graduates inits 25-year history.

For application and addi-tional information, contactWestStar at 7 31 -881-7 298

or online at www.utm.edu.The application deadlineis Oct. 15. Anyone canapply to participate in theprogram, and nomina-tions are accepted but notrequired. Class memberswill be competitively se-lected to participate in the2015 program.

The WestStar programconsists of eight speciallydesigned seminar programsaddressing contemporarymaior issues important to

West Tennessee's develop-ment. Each seminar takesplace over one-and-a-halfdays. The program beginsDec. I I with an openingone-day retreat and endsJune 18,2015, with anevening graduation cer-emony.

The WestStar mission isto identify, encourage andequip community-mindedpeople who want to be-come more involved, wantto help West Tennessee

become a better place andare willing to accept asser-tive and dynamic leader-ship roles.

Participants learn newleadership skills and de-velop strategies for assist-ing communities in solvingproblems and maximizingpotential. Participants alsobecome part of a growingnetwork of other leaderswho, through mutual sup-port and assistance, shapeWest Tennessee's future.

THE WSAKLEY .COT]NTY

PRil SS

9,

TIIESDAT SEP'iENBER g,'20I4

NEW FACULTY, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF _ NEWUT Martin faculty and administrative staff memberswere welcomed to the university at a dinner hosted Sept.4 by Drs. Tom and Glenda Rakes at the Dunagan Alum-ni Center. Those attending, with the area in which eachworks noted in parentheses, were (front row, from left):Dr. Anderson Starling (Accounting, Finance, Economicsand Political Science), Katie Smith (Student Organiza-tions), Lora McDonald (Athletics-Administration), StevenSanchez (Banles & Noble Bookstore), Dr. Cindy Boyles(Behavioral Sciences), Amy Fenning (Tennessee Inten-sive English Program), LaQuita Morris (Mathematics andStatistics), Caroline Ideus (Tennessee Intensive EnglishProgram), Amy Richards (Family and Consumer Scienc-es), Dr. Hyungju Hur (History and Philosophy); (middlerow) Master Sgt. James Postal (Military Science), AndrewJoannides (Athletics-Administration), Dr. Emalee Buttrey(Agriculture, Geoscience and Natural Resources), RickGuarno (Baseball), Monty Taylor (Tennessee IntensiveEnglish Program), Josh Greer (Health and Human Perfor-mance), Kavitha Nambisan (Tennessee Intensive English

Program), Rebecca Searle (Tennessee Intensive EnglishProgram), Jennifer Cooper (Finance and Administration),Kayce Beam (Jackson Center), Dr. Carl Libis (Mathemat-ics and Statistics), Laura Taylor (Health and Human Per-formance); (back row) Rick Robinson (Baseball), BrianCarroll (Family and Consumer Sciences), John Aiken(Men's Basketball), Heath Schroyer (Men's Basketball),Dr. Aaron Rowland (Behavioral Sciences), Dr. Ty Peny(Accounting, Finance, Economics and Political Science),Julio Freire (Athletics-Administration) and Dr. JustinMartin (Behavioral Sciences). Attending the dinner butnot pictured was Sarah Hendricks (Behavioral Sciences).Unable to attend the dinner were Capt. Troy Shoemaker(Military Science), Dr. Will Taeuk Kang (Management,Marketing and Information Systems), Dr. Morgan Miles(Tom E. Hendrix Chair of Excellence), Cassondra Burks(Nursing), Dr. Hyonson Hwang (Biological Sciences),Dr. Robert Niedzialomski (Mathematics and Statistics),John Bond (Football), Justin Rascati (Football), CharlesCovington (Finance and Administration), Jared Anderson(Greek Life) and Karen White (Paul Meek Library).

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRJSS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

War of L812 exhibit atUT Martin exploresTennesseets nickname

The War of 1812 was a

defining moment in Ten-nessee's history, thrusting -

the state into the sPotlightof American political and

military hibtorY. ManYTennesseans emerged as

important American fig-ures, including AndreWJackson, David Crockett,Sam Houston, EdmundGaines (Act of Congress

Medal winner) and Se-quoyah.

To explore this long over-looked war, the Universityof Tennessee at Martin's J.

Houston Gordon Museumpresents the Tennessee

State Museum's travelingexhibition "Becoming theVolunteer State: Tennesseein the War of 1812." Themuseum is locked in thePaul Meek Library, and theexhibit is on view throughOct.31.

The Tennessee State

Museum collaborated withthe Tennessee War of 1812

Bicentennial Commissionon organizing the exhibi-tion. The traveling exhibitis funded in parl by a grantfrom Humanities Tennes-

see, an independent affili-ate of the National Endow-ment for the Humanities.

The War of 1812, foughtagainst Great Britain, cul-

minated in the Battle ofNew Orleans in JanuarY

1815. The American pub-lic often overlooks thisconflict, but it was incred-ibly imporlant in establish-ing the American nationalidentity. Some noted histo-rians believe that it was the"second American Revo-lution," which marked trueindependence from Britainfor the United States.

On display are periodartifacts from the era, such

as a 7th US infantry sol-dier's uniform and a bookthat was on the USS Con-stitution, swords, muskets,and other weapons ownedby those who fought in thewar, as well as a broad va-riety of documentary art,

maps and illustrations thathave been selected to rec-reate a flavor of the times.

In conjunction with theexhibit, the Gordon Mu-seum will present a talk bY

Dr. David Coffey at 3 P.m.on Sept. 18. CoffeY is a

professor and chair of theUT Martin Department ofHistory and PhilosoPhY.

For more information,visit the library's websiteat www.utm.edu/librarY'php or call Samuel Rich-ardson or Karen Elmore at

88r-7094.

B usine s s innovation sy mpo siumset for Sept. 17 at UT Msrtin

A group of organizationsand individuals dedicatedto sparking entrepreneur-ship in Northwest Tennes-see is hosting a businessinnovation symposium inSeptember at the Universityof Tennessee at Martin.

"Innovating for Profit:Building Rural Business-es from the Ground Up"is set for 9 a.m. to I p.m,Wednesday, Sept. 17, in theWatkins Auditorium, locat-ed in the Boling UniversityCenter on the university'smain campus, The sympo-sium is designed to informthe public about the currentstate of rural innovation andbusiness growth.

The UT Martin Collegeof Agriculture and AppliedSciences, the Mid-SouthSchool of Advanced Agri-cultural Lending, the Hor-ace and Sara Dunagan Chair

of Excellence in Bankingand the Gill Parker Chair ofExcellence in Agrictrlture,bbth at UT Martin, and theNextFarm Agricultural In-novation Accelerator aresponsoring the event.

Featured at the sympo-sium is a panel discussionofr regional ag-based busi-ness leaders speaking onbuilding businesses fromthe ground up. Participat-ing in the panel are JimmyTosh of Tosh Farms, KelleyPowers of Final Flight andPowers Farms, Chuck Dossof INCO Irrigation Sys-tems, M.J. Anderson of TheAndersons, Inc., and NeilMylet of I oadOut Tech-nologies.

Bryan Huddleston, presi-dent and CEO of the Nash-ville Technology Council,is also speaking at the sym-poslum.

I-ITM Classes Be 1n

BACK To THE GRIND - Chloe Joy, of Covington, and Sara Jane Ragain of Medina, pause on campus

1::T,,1: 1:,12:l y-ll"llll fail ctass-e:.A freriman class of more {?n r, roo ,tra",it J"gr; ,rriuinsAug' 2l to participate in the University's First-Year lnitiativeWelcomeWeekend, an orientatiSn piogr"1nthat prepares students to naviSate the university environmentAll day and evening classes began Monday,Aug.25.

http ://www. lebanondemocrat.com/r

The GommunityFoundationawardsscholarships tolocal studentsThe Community Foundation of MiddleTennessee, a charitable organizationworking to improve the quality of life in40 Middle Tennessee counties,announced it is awarding 259scholarships to students pursuingsecondary education at accreditedschools throughout the United States,

STAFF REPORTS WILSON COUNTY

sEP 9, 2014

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee,

a charitable organization working to improve the

quality of life in 40 Middle Tennessee counties,

announced it is awarding259 scholarships to

students pursuing secondary education at

accredited schools throughout the United States.

A total of $478,200 is being awarded to students

from rrrcre than 75 scholarship funds within The

Community Foundation.

"The Community Foundation has helped

thousands access educational opportunities theymight othenntise have been unable to afford by

connecting them with the generosity of others,"

said Ellen Lehman, president of The CommunityFoundation of Middle Tennessee. "This year weare honored to help hundreds more improve theirfutures, and the futures of their families, throughthe transfornntion offered by an education."

Scholarship recipients from Wilson County are:

. Bailey K. Allen was awarded the Lebanon High

School Alumni Scholarship to attend theUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

. Elliott M. Benson was awarded the LebanonHigh SchoolAlumni Scholarship Endowrnent toattend the University of Tennessee.

. Kristen S. Dillon was awarded the Lebanon High

SchoolAlumni Scholarship to attend TennesseeTechnological University.

. Katlin D. Eakes was awarded the Lebanon High

School Alumni Scholarship to attend CumberlandUniversity.

. Terry L. Moore was awarded the Scott WolfScholarship to attend the University ofTennessee at Martin.

. Charles M. Soto was awarded the GenescoScholarship to attend Middle Tennessee StateUniversity.

. Jalyn B. Stewart was awarded the Lebanon

High School Alumni Scholarship to attend the

University of Tennessee.

Community Foundation scholarships, established

by individuals, companies and civic groups, will

assist students with tuition and other school-

related expenses. Each year, The Community

Foundation scholarship committee reviews

applications on behalf of donors who entrust The

Foundation with administering the annual awards.

This year, The Foundation received 670

applications.

The scho la rshi p committee ca refully co nsiders

applicants' academic records, test scores,

extracurricular activities, work experience,

community involvement and personal

recommendations.

Trenton Gazette, Trenton, Tennessee Wednesday, September I0, 2014

Studbnts receive scholarshipsSeveral Gibson County

sfudents have beenawarded scholarships forthe 2014-2015 academicyear to attend the Universityof Tennessee at Martin,according to MiyoshiBrooks, assistant diiectorol admissions.

Included are:.Brennan Cooper, of

Dyer. son of Joy- Cooperand the late Mik6 Cooper,

will be a sophomore. Hereceived the UTM Transfer

Scholarship.

.Eric A. Yates, of Milan,son of Dan and JenniferYates and Chris andJenaifer Carter,'will be

a freshman. He receivedthe Elam Alumni LegacyScholarship.

Additional informationon scholarships and othertypes of fi nancial assistanceis avai lable by conracringtheUT Marrin Office of Slu-dentFinancial Assistance, 205Adminisrration Building.UT Marrin. Martin, TIi38238, or by calling (731)88 I -7040.

Beam is new UTMcenter director

Kayce Beam is the newdirector of the UT MartinJackson Center.

Beam, of Jackson,earned her Bachelor ofArls in graphic designfrom the University ofTexas at El Paso and herMaster of Business degreein leadership from Freed-Hardeman University inHenderson.

She was most recently anrulti-unit slore managerfor Walgreens in Jackson,Milan, Humboldt andDyersburg. She alsopreviously owned SouthPaw Designs and worked as

art director at Davidson &Chandler Adverlising, bothin Jackson.

The center is located at3031 U.S. 45 Bypass; formore infonnation call 425-9211.

Exhibit explores how Tennessee

became'Volunteer Statet

WAR OF 1812 EXHIBIT -The Tennessee State Museum's traveling exhibition,"Becoming the Volunteer State: Tennessee in the War of 7812," includes severalartifacts from this imporlant time in the state's history. In the display case are aflintlock pistol belonging to Samuel G. Smith, the Congressional Medal of Gen.Edmund Gaines, a piece of Fort Barrancas, a book from the USS Constitution andother items. The exhibit is on view through October 31 in UT Martin's J. HoustonGordon Museum, located in the Paul Meek Library.

Trenton G azette, Trenton, Tennessee Wednesday, September I0, 201 4

The War of 1812 wasa defining moment inTennessee's historythrusting the state intothe spotlight of Americanpolitical and militaryhistory. Many Tennesseansemerged as importantAmerican figures, includingAndrew Jackson, DpvidCrockett, Sam Houston,Edmrurd Gaines (Act ofCongress Medal winner)and Sequoyah.

To explore this longoverlooked war, theUniversity of Tennessee atMartin's J. Houston GordonMuseum presents theTennessee State Museum'straveling exhibition"Becoming the VolunteerState: Tennessee in the Warof 1812." The museum islocated in the Paul MeekLibrary and the exhibrt ison view through October31.

The Tennessee StateMuseum collaboratedwith the Tennessee Warof 1812 BicentennialCommission on organizingthe exhibition. Thetraveling exhibit is fundedin part by a grant fromHumanities Tennessee, an

independent affiliate of theNational Endowment forthe Humanities.

The War of 1812, foughtagainst Great Britain,culminated in the Battle ofNew Orleans in January1815. The Americanpublic often overlooksthis conflict, but it wasincredibly important inestablishing lhe Americannational identity. Somenoted historians believe thatit was the "second AmericanRevolution," which markedtrue independence fromBritain for the UnitedStates.

The war in the South wasparticularly a Tennesseewar, waged predominatelyby Tennessee militia,volunteers or regulararmy units raised in thestate. When the Britishthreatened the Gulf Coast,Tennesseans contributed tothe defeat of the Red Sticksat Horseshoe Bend and theBritish at New Orleans.Andrew Jackson's victoryat the Battle ofNew Orleanspropelled him to the WhiteHouse and establishedTennessee at the forefront ofAmerican politics. So many

Tennesseans volunteeredfor service that the statesoon began to be known byits now-famous nickname,the "Volunteer State."

On display are periodartifrcts from the era, suchas a 7'h US infantry soldier'suniform and a book that wason the USS Constitution,swords, muskets, and-otherweapons owned by thosewho fought in the war, aswell as a broad variety ofdocumentary art, maps andillustrations that have beenselected to recreate a flavorof the times.

In conjunction withthe exhibit, the GordonMuseum will present atalk by Dr. David Coffeyat 3 p.m. on September18. Coffey is a professorand chair of the UT MartinDepartment of History andPhilosophy.

For more infonhation onmuseum hours, directionsand parking locations, visitthe library's website alwww.utm. edu/library.phpor call Samuel Richardsonor Karen Elmore at 73'7-88 r -7094.

DRESDEN ENTERPRISE ' SEPTEMBER 10,2014

We3tStarLea-derEhip=programaccepting applications for 2Ol5, Applicationsaccepted to particiMartin's WestStar

counties of West Tennessee.The program has produced 710graduates in its 25-year history.

For application and additionalinformation, contact WestStarat 731-88I-7298 or online atwww.utm.edu. The applicationdeadline is Oct. 15. Anyonecan apply to participate in theprogram, and nominations are

Classtivelyn the

The WestStar programconsists of eight speciallydesigned seminar programsaddres s ing. contempor_arymajor issues important to West

Tennessee' s development. Eachseminar takes place over one-and-a-halfbegrns Dec.one-day retreat201 5, with an evening graduationceremony.

The WestStar mission is toequip

le whomore involved,

want to help West Tennesseebecome a better place and arewilling to accept assertive anddynamic leadership roles.

Particileadeishipstrategiecommunities in

tential.me partof other

hrough mutuallqpport and assistance, shapeWest Tennessee' s future.

Business Innovation Symposiumt UT Martin

t UT Martin, with new ag-based technologyAgricultural ideas-"AgTech"-in the

celerator are startup mode, as well as existingnt.symposium is

of regional ag-speaking a free Afrom the featuring

Bui ng in the David Mthe y Tosh of Tosh Tennesseeexecutivevicepresidentto 1 owers of Final and president of the University ofthe s Farms, Chuck Tennessee Research Foundation.

Doss of INCO Irrigation SYstems,M.J. Anderson of The Andersons,Inc., and Neil Mylet of LoadOutTechnologies.

BryanHuddleston, president andgrowth. CEO of the ogy com./.- The UT Martin College of Council, is theAgriculture and Applied Sciences, symposium.th; Mid-South Schbbl of Advanced AIso included are presentationsAgricultural Lending, the Horace by AgSmarts and Fertility Focus,an-d Sara Dunagan Chair of two of the companie_s from the

r

Excellence in Banking and the 2013 NextFarm {8 ImovationGill Parker Chair of ExCellence in Accelerator class' Participants in

NextFarm include entrePreneursffi

THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY ENTERPRISE, RIPLEY, TENNESSEE, SEPTEN4BER 1 1,2014

Exploring History

AN EXHIBIT, concerning the War of .1812, will be on dis-play at the University of Tennessee at Martin to explorehow Tennessee became knows as 'The Volunteer State'.The War of 1B.l 2 was a defining moment in Tennessee'shistory, thrusting the state into the spotlight of Americanpolitical and military history. Many Tennesseans emergedas important American figures, including Andrew Jackson,David Crockett, Sam Houston, Edmund Caines (Act ofCongress Medal wihner) and Seqr,reyah. The display caseholds a flintlock pistol belonging to Samuel C. Smith, theCongressional Medal of Cen. Edmund Caines, a piece ofFort Barrancas, a book from the USS Constitution and oth-er items.

To explore this long overlooked war, the University oJ

Tennessee at Martin's J. Houston Cordon Museum willpresent the Tennessee State Museum's traveling exhibition"Becoming the Volunteer State: Tennessee in the War of1812" through October 31st.

The Tennessee State Museum collaborated with the Ten-nessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission on organiz-ing the exhibition. The traveling exhibit is funded in partby a grant from Humanities Tennessee, an independentaffiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The War of 18.12, foughl against Creat Britain, culmi-nated in the Battle of New Orleans in January 18.15. TheAmerican public often overlooks this conflict, but it wasincredibly important in establishing the American nationalidentity. Some noted historians believe that it was the "sec-ond American Revolution," which marked true indepen-dence from Britain for the United States.

The war in the South was particularly a Tennessee war,waged predominately by Tennessee militia, volunteers orregular army units raised in the state. When the Britishthreatened the Culf Coast, Tennesseans contributed to the'defeat of the'Red Sticks at Horseshoe Bend and the Britishat New Orleans. Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle ofNew Orleans propelled him to the White House and es-tablished Tennessee at the forefront of American politics.So many Tennesseans volunteered for service that the statesoon began to be known by its now-famous nickname, the"Volunteer State."

On display are period artifacts from the era, such as a7th US infantry soldier's uniform and a book that was onthe USS Constitution, swords, muskets, and other weap-ons owned by those who fought in the war, as well as abroad variety of documentary art, maps and illustrationsthat have been selected to recreate a flaVor of the times.

ln conjunction with the exhibit, the Cordon Museumwill present a talk by Dr. David Coffey at 3 p.m. Septem-ber lBth. Coffey is a professor and chair of the UT MartinDepartment of History and' Philosophy.

usiness semlnar-sEf-"Innovating for Protit: Building Rural Businesses from

the Ground Up" will be held in Boling University Centerat the University of Tennessee at Martin Wednesday.

Registration for this event is free and includes lunch. Toregister, visit www.ntecconnect.com.

Registration will be held 9-9:30 a.m. Bryan Huddleston,president and CEO of the Nashville Technology Council,will speak at 9:45, followed by a pitch presentationfrom NextFarm Ag Innovation Acceletator Company on"Fertility Focus" at 10:15 and "AgSmarts" at 10:45. Aregional ag-based business leaders panel discussion willbe held a 11 with panel members Jimmy Tosh, KelleyPowers, Chuck Doss, M.J. Anderson and Neil Mylet.

Lunch will be served at II:45 with the keynote speakerbeing Dr. David Millhorn, executive vice president of theUniversity of Tennessee System and president of the UTResearch Foundation.

The event is sponsored by the UT Martin College ofAgriculture and Applied Sciences, the Mid-South Schoolof Advanced Agricultural Lending, the Horace and SaraDunagan Chair of Excellence in Banking, the Gill ParkerChair of Excellence in Agriculture and the NextFarmAgriculture Innovation Accelerator.

For more information, call the Northwest TennesseeEntrepreneur Center at (731) 581-4213.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS

UTM continues top-tier U.S. News rankingThe University of Ten-

nessee at Martin continuedin the top tier for southernmaster's level universitiesin the 2015 U.S. News &World Report Best Col-Ieges rankings releasedthis week. UT Martin wasalso ranked for the 'first

time among southern re-gional institutions in theBest Colleges for Veteranscategory.

"The U.S. News rank-ings show that UT Martinmaintains a strong repu-tation in this region andbeyond," said Dr. TomRakes, university chancel-lor. "Rankings offer onlya snapshot of any institu-tion, but "I'm pleased tohave this recognition forprospective students andtheir families to use whenchoosing a college to at-

tend."Colleges are ranked

against their peers usinginformation submitted ina survey completed bythe institutions and othersources. Categories used todetermine the U.S. Newsrankings and to measureacademic quality includepeer assessment, averagefreshman retention andgraduation rates, and facul-

ty and financial resources.Earlier in August, The

Princeton Review namedthe university among the"Best in the Southeast" for2015. The list is part of thecompany's website feature"2015 Best Colleges: Re-gion by Region" posted onPrincetonReview.com.

UT Martin has been in-cluded in this listing for 12

consecutive years.

TIIE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Rickman works way upUT Martin SID ladderBy RANDY CAVINPress Sports

Hard work pays off.It has Ryan Rickman of

the UT Marlin sports infor-mation depafiment.

Rickman has been withthe department sinceAugust2008 and is norv the sportsinformation director. Hewas officially named as thedirector of the departmentback in July after servingas interim director sinceMarch of last year.

' "I'd just like to thankeverybody who has helpedme get to this point inmy professional career,"Rickman said. "I love UTMartin and the Martincommunity, and I hope toserve Skyhawk athletics formany years to come."

Alex Boggis was namedassistant director of thedepartment the same daYRickman was promoted.Boggis officially joined thedepartment as an assistantin April of last year, aftertwo years a graduate assis-tant and four years as anundergraduate at UTM.

Rickman currently hastwo student assistants andone intern working in thedepartment.

The new sports infonna-tion director has a lot ofpraise for all those involvedwith UTM sports.

"Our student-athletes andstaff do a remarkable jobacademically, athleticallyand socially," Rickmansaid. "I also look forward tocontinuing our good work-ing relationship with thelocal, regional and nationalmedia."

Being the sports infor-mation director requires alot of hard work and long

hours. R.ickman is alreadyaccustomed to that as he isconstantly looking for newways to make the depart-ment better and above therest in the conference.

"I take pride in keepingour departm-ent amongstthe best in the Ohio ValleyConference," Rickman said."This year, we have tried toadd more video content andwe have recently agreed toterms with StatBroadcastto provide our live stats forselect home events.

"We also have addeda new game day Twitteraccount to help boost eursocial media following.Our main objective is tokeep our fans informed,and I hope tlrese three newfeatures help accomplishthat."

Some of Rickman'sresponsibilities as sportsinformdtion director areofficial statistician at mosthome events, producemedia guides, game-dayprograms, press releases,serve as a media host,coordinating event opera-tions and set up player andcoaches interviews with themedia.

Rickman is originallyfrom Benton, Ky., andcame to UTM from MurrayState. He graduated in May2008 with a degree in jour-nalism and he minored inrecreatron.

He has served as theofficial statistician for theOVC men's and women'sbasketball tournament si nce2010. Rickman was alsothe official statistician forthe second and third roundsof the 2Ol2 NCAA Men'sBasketball'Iournament inNashville.

THE JACKSON SUN . THURSDAY, SEPT. 11,20'14

UTM awardedequipment to benefitpost 9/1'l veterans

Post-9/L1 veterans willbenefit from new technologYprovided to the UniversitY ofTennessee at Martin, accord-

laptop computer, comPletewith Microsoft Office soft-ware and a Jabra voice head-set inade possible from anaward through SyracuseUniversity. The award alsoincludes access to freecourses toward industrialcertification for any post-9/11 veterans, not onlY thosecurrently enrolled at UTMartin.

The Veterans CareerThansition Program is oper'ated under a grant to Syra-cuse University's. Institutefor Veterans and MilitarYFamilies. The program is de-livered entirely opline at no

BriefsContinued from Page 81

cost to veterans orspouses.

The award to UT Mar-tin, which is part of theVeterans Career Thansi-tion Program, has beenopened to non-studentsand their families and in-cludes various coursesfrom business to humanrelations and many. oth-

Ii"+ ^f;/ffi

can befound at http:llvets.syr.edu/employ-menUvctpJearning-paths/

The computer andheadset are located inClement Hall, accessiblethrough the Student Ser.vices and Success Men-toring Center. Registra-tion is currently open forthe seminars launching inJanuary 2015. Those inter-ested can apply at http://vets. syr. edu./VCTPLapto-pUserApp, or e-mail Dr'.Alice-Catherine Carls ataccarls@utm.edu

Grand reopeningtoday for dininghall, bookstore

The University of Ten-nessee at Martin will cele-

. brate the grand re-open-ing today of two widelyused areas on the maincampus. A 10:30 a.m. cere-mony will officially rec-ognize the newly upgrad-ed Barnes & Noble Col-lege Bookstore and So-dexo Skyhawk DiningHall, according to a newsrelease.

The ceremony willtake place in the first-floor lobby between thedining hall and bookstore.The university communi-ty and public are invitedto attend.

Beginning during thespring 201.4 semester, theBarnes & Noble College

"'' Bookstore began moving

The newly remodeled Sodexo SkYhawk Dining Hall at UT

the start of fall semester classes- AMartin feoFened wit[grand re-opening of the dining hail and the university'sBarnes & Noble Bookstore will be held at 10:30 a.m. today'

from its longtime second-floor location in the Bol-ing University CentenNow on the first floor, thebookstore has expandedand increased the amountof merchandise and text-books. New to the store isa study area called the

P0D. More about thei;ookstore is available athttp ://utm.bncolle ge. com/

Across the hall fromthe bookstore is the newlyrenovated dining hall andbrand new coffee shop,The Hanger, which servesStarbucks Coffee. The So-

dexo Skyhawk DiningHall has a larger seatingcapacity andoptions that'360 Degreeslan international food oP-tion and an Italian foodoption, Bella TLattoria.Staple dining options in-clude the salad bar, nowcalled Fresh From theFields, the hot plate oP-

are placed in three differ-ent locations.

To celebrate the grand

niore information aboutUT Martin Dining Ser-vices, visit https://utm. so-dexomyway.com/

sUBMITTED

http ://www.thunderboltradio. com

UTM recognized by US News, Princeton Reviewi'iii[]!l i)| S.rf)ii-i Tltr,I I I 2{r t ,i l)v Steve James rf Local News

UT-Martin has once again been recognized as one of the top southern master's level universities in the 2015 US News & World ReportBest Colleges

For the first time, UTM was also ranked among southern regional institutions in the Best Colleges for Veterans category

UTM Chancellor Dr Tom Rakes says the recognition shows that UTM maintains a strong reputation in the region and beyond

Last month, The Princeton Review named the UTM among the "Best in the southeast" for2015 UTM has been included in this listingfor 12 consecutive years

http ://www. wbbj tv. com

IO'LS

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EMAILTHISARTICLE MART|N,Tenn.- The versityofrennesseeatTweet ftilartin on Thursday cel ated the re,opening ofpRtNT TH|S ART|CLE two of the most wide/y used places on campus:

the college s bookstore and dining hall

The school held a ceremony to officially recognizethe newly upgraded Barnes & Nob e bookstore and Sodexo Skyhawk Dining Hall

Now on the first floor, the bookstore has expanded and now has a new study area called the poD

Across the lfrom the bookstore is the newly renovated dining hall and brand-newcoffee shop, TheHanger, wh serves Starbucks coffee

The Sodexo Skyhawk Dining Hail has a larger seating capacity and new dining options that include the360 Degrees gri I l\,4agellan international food option and an ltalian food option, Bella Trattona

Tocelebratethegrandre-openingce mony special dinrnghall pricing savailablethroughFriday withlunch costing 95 and dinner costing $

http : //we stkentuckystar. com/

911212014

ADVERT SEMENT

UT Martin Among Magazine's Best UniversitiesBy \ esl KentucL-t Stil \taff

MARTIN, TN - The tJniversity of -lemessee at Marlin is

once again in the top tier for southem master's level

universities in the 2015 U S News & World Report Best

Colleges rankings released this week UT Martin u'as also

ranked for the first time among southem regional

institutions in the Best Colleges lor Veterans category

"The U S News rankings show that UT Martin maintains a

strong reputation in this region and beyond," said Dr. Tom

Rakes, University Chancellor "Rankings offer only a

snapshot ofany institution, but t'm pleased to have this

recognition for prospective students and their families to

use when choosing a college to attend "

Colleges are ranked against their peers using informationsubmitted in a survey completed by the institutions and

other sources Categones used to determine the U S News

rankings and to measure academic quality include peer

THE JACKSON 5UN . MONDAY, SEPT. 15,2014

UTM professor toexplore Tennesseans',roles in War of 1812

A University of Tennes-see at Martin history profes-sor will explore the role Ten-nesseans played in the Warof 1812 in a presentationThursday in the Paul MeekLibrary.

Dr. David Coffey, profes-sor and chairman of the uni-versity's Department of His-tory and Philosophy, will dis-cuss "More Than Volunteers:Tennessee and the War of1812" at 3 p.m. Thursday inthe J; Houston Gordon Mu-seum's reading roorrr locatedin the library, according to anews release.

Coffey will focus on howthe18l2 conflict was a war ofexpansion and as much anIndian war as a conflict withthe British.

The lecture will be held inconjunction with the GordonMuseum's exhibit, "Becom-ing the Volunteer State: Ten-nessee in the War of 1812,"which features period arti-facts from the era, such as a7th U.S. infantry soldier'suniform and a book that wason the USS Constitution,swords, muskets and otherweapons owned by thosewho fought in the war, the re-lease said.

The exhibit, which is ondisplay through Oct. 31, alsoincludes a variety of docu-rnentary art, rnaps and illus-trations that have been se-lected to recreate a flavor ofthe times.

Coffey's presentation andthe exhibition are free andopen to the public. A recep-tion will be held immediatelyafter the lecture.

For more informationabout museum hours, direc-tions and parking locations,visit wwwutm.edMi-brary.php or call SamuelRichardson or Karen Elmoreat (731) 881,-7094. For moreinformation about Coffey'spresentation, call Richard-son or email him at richard-son@utm.edu.

assessment, average freshman retention and graduation rates. and faculty and hnancial

resources

Earlier in August, The Princeton Revtew named the university among the "Best in the

Southezst" for 2015. The list is part of the compiuly's website feature "20l5 Best Colleges

Region by Region" posted on PrincetonReview com UT Martrn has been included in this

listing for 12 consecutive years

THE JACKSON SUN . TUESDAY, SEpT. i6,2014

South Side students featured in art showWork is on displayat UT MartinJackson Center

By Nick McFerronnmcferron@jacksonsun.com

This week, South Side HighSchool art students have the op-portunity to see their artworkdisplayed and judged by profes-sional artists at the Universityof Tennessee Martin JacksonCenter.

Kayce Beam, director of theUT Martin Jackson Center, in-vited Melinda Hearn, executivedirector of the Jackson ArtsCouncil, and WoodSl Woodard,president of the Jackson Art As-sociation, to judge the studentshow.

"We were talking to Kayceabout the Jackson Art Associa-tion doing a show, and she askedif we would judge this one thatisprior to ours," Woodard said.

The show is being held alongwith an art show forGene Gott,a local artist who teaches at UTMartin and the Jackson cam-pus.

"We're both artists, and weboth appreciate and encouragelocal art," Hearn said. "TheJackson area has so many greatartists that nobody knowsabout."

The show is called "Into theWild" and features work fromGott as well as the student work.Only the student work is beingjudged in the show.

"It's important as a highschool student to see how an ex-

See ARTWORK Page A4

NICK MCFERRON/THE JACKSON SUN

Melinda Hearn, executive director of the Jackson Arts Council, and WoodyWoodard, president for the Jackson Art Association, judge artwork fromSouth Side High School students for the'lnto the Wild'art show.

ArtworkContinued from Page 43

hibit works and func-tions," Woodard said. "It'sa sense of pride to seeyour art up on the wall."

The UT Martin Jack-son Center will be holdinga reception for the artshow from 6 to 8 p.m. to-day in the Jackson cam-pus building located at3031U.S 45 Bypass.

Hearn and Woodard

said they are impressedby the student artwork ondisplay.

"It's a great motivatorto see your art displayedin public," Woodard said."If it's not exposed out-side the school grounds, itdoesn't carry the samemerit to the kid."

At the reception, thefirst-, second- and third-place winners will be an-nounced.

Reach Nick McFerron at (731)

425-9643. Follow him on Twittel@nick mcferron

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The UT Martin Jackson Center will be holding a reception forthe South Side High School students'art show from 6 to 8p.m. today in the Jackson campus building located at 3031 U.S45 Bypass.

http ://www. wbbj tv. comr

Art exhibitimportant step forart studentsBy WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News StaffBy news@wbbjtv com

Story Created: Sep 16, 2014 at 8:52 pt\4 CDT(Story Updated Sep 16 2014 ai 10 58 pl\il CDT )

JACKSON Tenn - Art students from South SideHigh School, along with a local artist andprofessor had their hard work out on displayto nrg ht

Professor and local artist Gene Gott and artstudents from South Side High School featuredthe "lnto the Wild Art Exhibition" Tuesday night a1

the UT Martin-Jackson location

The event included a selection of wlnners fromfirsi to third place

Gott said it is an important step in art education

"lt's great to be able to have a bridge to see where one can go with this and how to get there and it'simportant to have that cooperatjon,"said Gott

25 students had 1 00 pieces of art on displayThe art will be on disp ay until the middle of October and is open to the public

UTM Freshmen participate in Greek Bid Day

UTM BID DAY - Monday was Bid Day for prospective greek at University of Tennessee at Martin.Five Milan grads accepted bids from the ladies of Chi Omega on Monday: Haley Riggs, Haleigh Hoke, ErinKelley, Mallory Staley, and ShelbyVasquez. Former Milan graduates Shelby Bledsoe,Julianna McMinn, andBrittany Hatfield are currently Chi-Omega sisters. Photo submitted byAmber Harris.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER

UT Martin unveils

upgraded bookstore, dining hall

RIBBON CUTTING - A ceremony Thursday in UT Martin's Bol-ing University Center showcased the newly upgraded Barnes & NobleCollege Bookstore and Sodexo Skyhawk Dining HaIl. Ready to cutribbon following the ceremony werb (from left) John Abel, Boling

University Center interim director; Steven Sanchez, Barnes & NobleCollege Bookstore manager; John Domanski, UT Martin SGA presi-dent; Dr. Tom Rakes, UT Martin chancellor; and Benjamin Long, UTMartin Sodexo Dining Services general manager.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMRER 16. 2OI4

New surroundings, expandedchoices and cool places to spendtime. All were officially unveiledThursday as the University ofTennessee at Martin celebratedthe grand re-opening of two wide-ly used areas on the main campus.A 10:30 a.m. ceremony in theBoling University Center show-cased the newly upgraded Barnes& Noble College Bookstore andSodexo Skyhawk Dining Hall.

Barnes & Noble committed$350,000 to the bookstore's re-location to the university center'sfirst floor, while Sodexo made a$3.25 million investment in thedining services area.

John Abel, Boling UniversityCenter interim director, emceedthe program leading up to a ribboncutting that was held on the first-floor hallway entrance leadingto both the bookstore and diningservices. "Both (projects) havebeen a long time coming," Abelsaid, who welcomed the crowdthat included Barnes & Noble andSodexo representatives.

Abel said that both projectsinvolved student input through-out and were completed almostsimultaneously in eight months.SGA President John Domanski,ofDickson, described the changesas "something that we have need-ed." He added, "I think it's safeto say that everyone I've talked tolikes the new areas."

The Barnes & Noble CollegeBookstore began moving springsemester from its longtime sec-ond-floor location in the Bol-ing University Center. With themove, the bookstore increasedthe amount of merchandise andtextbooks, but appearances aredeceiving as the'new space issimilar in size to the former loca-fion.

"The floor space is actually nota huge difference in square foot-age," said bookstore managerSteven Sanchez in an earlier in-terview. "The difference comesfrom the layout. Upstairs the storewas long and straight.

"Now we have a better lay-out with a better experience foreveryone. We also can handlecrowds for our back-to-schooltimes a lot better now, too."

Sanchez is especially pleasedwith the bookstore's new com_bination study and leisure areacalled The POD, which is locatedin the store's book sales area.

"Students can come in andwatch TV between classes,"Sanchez said. "We have a tableand chairs for people to workon schoolwork with a dry eraseboard behind it. We also havecharging stations for anyone tocome charge their phones, tab-lets, computers - whatever theymight need."

aa

frall wide open, and you can easilyfind stuff." He also likes the text-books located separately from

From the Fields, the hot plate op-tion called Daily Dish, the BasicKneads sandwich station, andthe Ignite Grill. Desserls can befound near each food station, andsoda fountains are in three differ-ent locations.

Jesse Koweleski, UT MartinSodexo Dining "Services pro-motions coordinator, is a seniorcommunications major fromMcEwen. Koweleski, who hasearned two years of professionalexperience working with So-dexo, has seen the area's trans-formation firsthand. Work on thedining hall began the day afterMay graduation, and meals wereserved starting in mid-Augustwhen athletes returned to cam-pus, he said.

"Pretty much if you look at

it, every single thing from thespoon, the fork, the knife, theplate, is brand new. All of theequipment, brand new. Every-thing is new," Koweleski said inan earlier interview.

As for reaction to the chang-es, "It's almost been a completeshock. ... All the reactions of thestudents, some of the faculty as

well, and then even some com-munity members, they abso-lutely love it." The dining hallis open to the public, and brunchis served on the flrst Sunday ofeach month.

"I like it," said Morgan Thread-gill, a freshman nursing majorfrom Lexington. "I mean there'sa lot of choices. and it tthb food;doesn't get old, because there'sso many different choices."

other merchandise.Bailee Barrett, a freshman

chemistry major from Smyrna,has shopped the old and newbookstore. "It's awesome;" she

said of the new location. "It's a

lot bigger, and there's a lot more... selection of items for classand for apparel."

Across the hall from the book-store is the renovated dininghall and new coffee shop, TheHanger, which serves StarbucksCoffee. The Sodexo SkyhawkDining Hall has a larger seatingcapacity and new dining options,including the 360 Degrees grill,Magellan international food op-tion and an Italian food choicecalled Bella Trattoria.

Staple dining options includethe salad baq now called Fresh

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16,2014

national FFA organization awardIJT Mortint Dr.

Jomes Builer

hos received

the highest FFA

orgonizolionoword. See

poge 12.

The National FFA Or-ganization has named Dr.James Butler, agriculturaleducation professor at theUniversity of Tennesseeat Martin, a National VIP.The honor is the highest inthe organization and recog-nizes Butler's significantcontributions and dedica-tion to FFA and agricul-tural education.

The FFA mission is tocreate a positive differencein the lives of students bydeveloping leadership po-tential, personal growthand career success throughagricultural education.

"The VIP citation recog-nizes the dedicated indi-viduals who contribute to.he FFA mission of studentruccess through their hardwork and cooperation," said.he National FFA Organi-ration CEO Dwight Arm-;trong in a news release.'Without such strong andlutstanding commitment,

FFA would not be able tohelp build strong characterin its members, who in turnbuild strong families, com-munities and industries."

Butler has a 25-year as-sociation with the NationalFFA Organization. Duringthis time, he has servedas a national proficiencyjudge and a national careerdevelopment event judge.For the past 12 years, hehas served as the co-co-ordinator foi the nationalmeats evaluation and tech-nology career developmentevent.

He has received the hon-orary state FFA degree andthe Tennessee VIP Asso-ciation VIP award. Butlerhas also served as a mem-ber of the career and tech-nical education state staffin Tennessee and is a mem-ber of the Tennessee FFABoard of Directors andtechnical education statestaff in Tennessee. Butleris the collegiate FFA boardadvisor and coordinatesregional and state FFA ca-reer development events inlivestock, equine and vetscience.

The National FFA Orga-nization provides leader-ship, personal growth andcareef success trarnlngthrough agricultural edu-cation to almost 580,000student members in gradesseven through 12 who be-long to one of 7,570 localFFA chapters throughoutthe U.S., Puerto Rico andthe Virgin Islands.

http ://www. wbbj tv. com/

-r ' Martin tops 7K]f, dcnts with fallenr()llmentBy WBB.j 7 Eyewriness News StaflBy news@wbbttv com

Story C.eated Sep 17,2014 at 5 l3 Pl,4 CDT(Siory Updaied Sep 17 2014 ai 9 03 PM CDT )

N.4ARTIN Tenn - New enrollment numbers at theUniversily of Tennessee at l\,4artin put the schoolat over 7 000 students

That rnclJdes studenrs al tfe [,4artrn campus aswell as centers in Jackson, Parsons, Rtpley andSelmer

Final enroi ment is calculated after the 1 4th day ofclasses and helps determjne funding for manyother public schools in Tennessee

Enrollment is down 5 1 percent from last year

Among the solid enrollment numbers is a record average ACT score from the new class

Burrrn

Professorto explorewar roles

A University of Tennesseeat Martin history profes-sor will explore the roleTennesseans played in theWar of 1812 in a Thursdaypresentation in the PaulMeek Library.

Dr. David Coffey, pro-fessor and chail of theuniversity's Departmentof History and Philosophy,will address "More ThanVolunteers: Tennessee andthe War of 1812" at 3 p.m.in the J. Houston GordonMuseum's reading room,located in the library.

Coffey will also focus onhow the 1812 conflict wasa war of expansion and asmuch an Indian war as aconflict with the British.

The lecture will be heldin conjunction with theGordon Museum's exhibit"Becoming the VolunteerState: Tennessee in theWar of 1812," which fea-tures period artifacts fromthe era, such as a 7th U.S.infantry soldier's uniformand a book that was on theUSS Constitution, swords,muskets and other weaponsowned by those who foughtin the war.

Also on display is a broadvariety of documentary alrt,maps and illustrations thathave been selected to recre-ate a flavor of the times. Theexhibit is on viery throughOct.31.

Coffey's presentation airdthe exhibition are free andopen to the public. A recep-tion will be held immedi-ately following the lecture.

For more informationabout museum hours, direc-tions and parking locations,visit the library's website atwww.utm.edu/library.php.

The Lauderdale Voice, Wednesday, September 17,2014

Program helping urV[-Riptey studentsThe University of Tennessee at Martin Ripley Center wel-

comed State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh on Sept. g to address stu-dents regarding:social welfare, policy and services, Rep.Fitzhugh's diverse experience with law, frnance, educationand politics made for an especially thorough presentation.

Social Work, Nursing and Education students all attendedthe discussion in the UT Martin Ripley Center lecture hallwhere Fitzhugh responded to all questions.

Jd,ckee Williams, a social work student at the center stat-ed;'flvlr. Fitzhugh's prgsence was greatly needed and appre-cialed. He delivered more facts than opinions when com-

also providing a clear per-are human beings manag-rspectives as peers."

Various legislators will be speaking throughout the semes_teriat each of the UT Martin extension centers as part of aseries arranged by So sor Amy Mclean.{e wele extremely ep. Fitzhugh with us

at lhe UT Martin Ripley Center," Mclean said. ..Social

Wqrkers serve as advocates for thO people they serve, andlegislative advocacy is a huge piece ofthat puzzle.By hav_in$ the chance to meet their local legislators in person, myhope is that they will begin to see themselves as futureadvocates and partners with the lawmakers in our state.,'

Fitzhugh helps with seriesProfessor Amy Mclean has started a series at the

nnessee at Martin w a-campuses to speak tsin their respective te

Rep. Craig Fitzhugh spoke to UTM-Ripley Centerstudents last week.

THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY ENTERPRISE, RIPLEY, TENNESSEE, SEPTEMBER 1 8, 2O14

Applications AcceptedFor WestStar Program

University of Tennes_see at Marlin is acceptingapplications for its West_Star Leadership programthrough October 15th. It isthe largest and oldest re-gional leadership develop-ment program in Tennessee,serving 21 counties of WestTennessee. It has produced710 graduates in its 25-yearhistory. The program willbegin December 1lth withan operung one-day retreatand end June 18, 2015,with an evening graduationceremony.

For more information,call, 731-881-7298, or on-line, www.utm.edu.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS

THURSDAX SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

UT Martinenrollmenttops 7,000

Fall semester enroll-ment has reached 7,042students at the Universityof Tennessee at Martin,which includes studentsat the Martin campus andthe university's four cen-ters in Jackson, Parsons,Ripley and McNairyCounty/Selmer.

Final enrollment is cal-culated after the 14th dayof classes and is amongseveral factors that deter-mine funding for Tennes-see public colleges anduniversities.

Among positive num-bers for the student bodyis a record average ACTscore for the freshmanclass.

Enrollment is down5. I percent ffom last yearwhen '7,423 students at-tended the university infall 2013.

Factors affecting en-rollment were the rais-ing of admissions stan-dards this fall and theloss of dual enrollmentstudents in high schoolswhere many are choos-ing to take these coursesat community colleges.However, higher admis-sions standards contrib-uted to the incomingfreshman class holdingthe highest average ACTscore in the university'shistory at22.8.

Other positive enroll-ment numbers includeda 10.1 percent increasein off-campus enrollmentand a full-time online un-dergraduate enrollmentincrease of 16.5 perceirt.

THE JACKSON SUN o THURSDAY, sEPT. 18,2014

UTM enrollmenttops 7,O00

Fall semester enroll-ment has reached 7,042

students at the Universityof Tennessee at Martin,which includes students atthe Martin campus and theuniversity's four centers inJackson, Parsons, Ripleyand McNairy County/Sel-mer, according to a newsrelease.

Final enrollment is cal-culated after the 14th dayof classes and is amongseveral factors that deter-mine fundihg for Tennes-see p.ublic colleges and uni-versrtles.

Among positive num-bers for the student body isa record average ACTscore for the freshmanclass, the release said.

Enrollment is down 5.1percent from last year,when 7,423 students at-tended the university in

fall 2013. Factors affectingenrollment were the rais-ing of admissions stan-dards this fall and the lossof dual-enrollment stu-dents in high schoolswhere many are choosingto take these courses atcommunity colleges, uni-versity officials said in therelease.

However, higheradmis-sions standards contribut-ed to the incoming fresh-man class holding the high-est average ACT score inthe university's history at22.8.

Other positive enroll-ment numbers included a10.1percent increase in off-campus enrollment and afull-time online under-graduate enrollment in-crease of 1.6.5 percent.

rv*i-A:*k, & fr.{\ :

West TN News

NEWLY UPGRADED UT MARTIN BOOKSTOBEAND DINING HALT.OFFICIALLY UNVEILED #J

A 10:30 a.m. ceremony Thursday, Sept. 11 in UT'lMartin's BolingUniversityCentershci,ucmdthe newlyupgradedBarnes &NobleCollegeBookstorcandSodexoSkyhawkDiningHall.Ready tocut theribbonfollowingthe ceiemony were (lto r) John Abel, Boling University Center interimdirector; Steven Sanchez, Barnes & Noble College Bookstore manager;John Domanski, UT Martin SGA president; Dr. Tom Rakes, UT Martinchancellor; and Beniamin Long, UT Martin Sodexo Dining Servicesgeneral manager. Photo By www.utm.edu

Clarinet recital to feature Aleksanderhttp : //www.thonline. com/

lc::e: Friday, September 19,201412:00 am

TELEGRAPH HERALD

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will host a clarinet recital featuring University of Tennessee's Dr. Elizabeth Aleksander. assistantprofessor of music at the University of Tennessee at Marlin, where she teaches clarinet and music history.

The recital will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at UW-P's Center for the Arts. The event is $5 and open to everyone.

STATE GAZETTE I SUruONY SEPTEMBER2l ,2014

State Gazette photo/submitted .

Local alumni of the UT Martin WestSta Soybean,Festival Barbecue Luncheon sponsored Btundlg;invites WestStar alumni to attend the owntoilnMartin. The luncheon is held at First State Bank. pic I Garson,Chad Davis, Christie Baker, Lori Kelley, Tammy Hall a :,

ilki

,' \.llt,it"li) I lfl i.;ir.,+iq/t\l 1i....r \,i,

/l

THE iACKSON SUN . SUNDAy, SEpT. 21,2014

uso rce

sr

Police say they re better_p_repared for disasters;others question the need fof heavy fir.il;;;By Tyler Whetstonetwhetstone@jacksonsun com

The items include Hum_vees, forklifts, tractor-trail_ers, wreckers and M16 ri.fles, according to docu-ments froforcementorLESO, wmilitary s

INSIDEJackson police have T4fully automatic MIG rifles in theirinventory of military surplus. On page 43

r

THE MRAPThe Jackson police Depart-ment's Mine-ResistantAmbush protected vehicle(pictured above) is valuedat $733,000, but police sayit would be invaluableduring a flood or after atornado.Some quick facts:n lt can travel up to 50mph.r Up to 20 people can fitinto the back.> tt is equipped with airconditioning and heatinoto fit any weather situa-tion.r AII of its windows arebullet proof.r The windshield weighssome 300 pounds,light compared tothe 500-pounddoors that requirehydraulic cylindersto open.r lt has an '18,000-

pound winch.

lVLllrtaryContinued from Page 41

the actual value may be less.The practice of arming lo-

cal police departments withheavy military equipment hasreceived scrutiny since policein F erguson, Missouri, re-sponded to protesters thissummer with armored vehi-cles and automatic rifles.President Barack Obamacalled for a review of how lo-cal law enforcement agenciesobtain and use heavier mili-rary equrpment.

"There is a big differencebetween our military and ourlocal law enforcement, andwe don't want those linesblurred," Obama said. "Thatwould be contrary to our tra-ditions."

Stephen Watts, assistantprofessor of criminology andcriminal justice at the Univer-sity of Memphis, said depart-ments appear to be over-pre-paring for a perceived threat.

"Is it overkill?" he asked. "Iwould be on the side of sayingyes it is."

But police chiefs and coun-ty sheriffs across the regionsay the miJitary surplus pro-gram offers them the oppor-tunity to get specializedequipment they couldn't af-ford otherwise. In manycases, they say, the equip-ment prepares them for situa-tions such as natural disas-ters or violent confrontationsand allows them to better pro-tect their officers and constit-uents.

How it's used

Among other items, Par-sons has received seven trac-tor-trailers that are worthmore than $1.1 million, twolarge "truck, vans" - Iargemilitarized trucks that can beused as a command post thatare also worth almost$250,000 - and two wreckersworth more than $260,000.King's police department,which has nine officers, also

THE JACKSON SUN . SUNDAY, sEPT. 21,2014

The helicopter Bell OH-58 cockpit at the Jackon Police Department.

"We're not trying to emu-late the military; we under-stand we're not the military,"Siler said. "But at the sametime, we also understand thefact that it's our responsibil-ity to not only serve the citi-zens of Jackson, but to alsoprotect our officers the bestwe can.tt

Small townsElbert Baker, the LESO

state coordinator for Tennes-see, said many small townsdon't have enough money toprovide the type of equipmentavailable through the military

has 20 M16 rifles."I don't possess any of the

major military equipment,"King said. "We don't utilizethat. What we use is some ofthe heavy equipment andstuff for transportation. Istay away from heavy armorstuff."

King said the tractor-trail-ers he has are used for trans-porting other equipmentwhen needed as well as to haulwater for the fire department.The wreckers have yet to beused, King said, but they willbe used to haul vehicles thatare repossessed by the police.

Jackson has received thethird most gear in the regionbehindParsons and Selmer. In

May, Police Chief Gill Ken-drick signed off on a requestfor a Mine-Resistant AmbushProtected vehicle, or a MRAP.

Kendrick said it wouldhave been "unreasonable" toask the City Council to pur-chase such an expensivepiece of equipment. TheMRAP the city received wasvalued at $733,000 by the mil-itary.

The MRAP will be usedmostly for natural disastersituations, but it could be usedin situations where a threat isheavily armed, Kendricksaid.

Jackson police Lt. Mike Sil-er said the ultimate goal is toprotect citizens.

MEGAN SMITH/THE JACKSON 5UN

See MILITARY, Page 43 |

"Most of the stuff weMilitary *T;fut"?:tr1'#,-#tContinued from page 42 lot of the stuf_f is going- to be used for disas-

surplus program, which ters"' Holley said' "We

r,"rp. ir'6* t" ti*iii"6J [?Ht';t #XT tl,,u'iil!

time, but four-wheelare used

Beforee to bor-

ly stretched officers rov

also serve as the city's "That's the kind offirst responders in anyincident in the city lim-its.

"Equipment stuff . g:J,'.. -....'.r^*^-+^,,.r-^(from'LESo) relieveJ-a i-Y:tJl-:1lp,t?T:1t'^.1".13tiot of thati' he said. we Duy ano nerps our.,

"That money can (then) . -go io so-"t'rting erie.;-^' LESO

King uses his lum-vees as all-in-one ";;;-

I .ESo.functions as an

gency vehicles. He ras a 1l:.-:t:Lt:-c,,::u::*otfire

-hose mounte I on . Tulnnut"SS*::'fr"#;one, and all carry e zery-

thing they wouid need - ^,llT..ul:^t:l?lg:tfor inything from a po- l::i:" "-y^,lT *1'"T,1Y

lice it'us"i to a iar ::::j^ .P:"::..-jLtT::wreck, to i natural di- across tne country can

saslle,f. - -' register to use LESO for

Selmer, which has apopulation of about4,541., has received over$2.7 million in suppliessince 2012. Assistant Po-lice Chief Kim HoIIeysaid that the departmenthas items so that it isprepared for emergen-cy situations that couldhappen. This explainswhy Selmer has re-ceived 50 fire extin-guishers, 50 universalfirst-aid kits, 50 flash-lights and 36 water can-teens.

All of it was free.Selmer also has four

Humvees, two dumptrucks and two tractors.Holley said that thosepieces of equipment arerarely used but areavailable in case there isa disasfer.

THE JACKSON SUN . SUNDAY, SEPT. 21,2014

a fee that ranges from$+oo to $1,ooo a year.The pieces of equipmentare assigned valuesequal to their cost whenthey were first pur-chased by the military.

Offices put in re-quests for equipment,and if they are selected,LESO will give them theequipment free ofcharge. The only ex-pense for the depart-ment is for transportingthe equipment.

According to Baker,88 percent of LESO'sequipment nationwide isconsidered "non-con-trolled," or nonlethal,and can be anythingfrom boots to desks totrashcans.

The other 12 peicentis considered "con-trolled" or lethal proper-ty such as Humvees,firearms, helicoptersand armored trucks.

The larger items areoftentimes considered"controlled" becausethe government doesn'twant a department to beable to sell a Humvee,even a scaled-down ver-sion of a Humvee, to in-dividuals who could usethem for harm, Bakersaid. Also, he said thatsome of the older equip-ment has certain partsthat cannot be disposedof normally due to Ievelsof radiation in paint ormaterials used in theframes.

"Itrs not goinyo belike going to Sam's orWalmart or something,and you can't get every-thing you want the firsttime or even the firstyear," Baker said. "It va-ries with what's in thesystem and what's in theworld and all sorts ofthings."

Baker said that de-partments must writeup a justification forwhy they need a piece ofproperty and what ex-actly it will be used forin order to even be con-sidered for the property.King, for instance, has adump truck, two fork-lifts and a road grader,but he is planning onconstructing a gunrange and a defensivedriving course that hewill use the equipmentto build.

Nonlethal items dropoff an office's inventorylisting after a year. Af-ter a year, departmentsare in ownership of non-lethal items. The federalgovernment allows de-partments to get rid ofitems, sell them or re-purpose them. However,they must keep track ofevery item consideredlethal, and if they arenot using the lethal

IHE JACKSON 5UN . SUNDAY, 5EPT. 21,2014

gear and supplies can'(They) hq.ae q. make it harder to serve

cho ic-e' - th e y " ", f^:,3',#H:f:?'.",ti1?T

items, they must returnthem.

"You have to realizethat the federal govern-ment is not buying thisequipment with intentfor local property touse," Baker said."(They) have a choice -they can either destroythis equipment (or giveit to police) because

they can't sel] this oneBay to an average citi-zen."

Sometimes the equip-ment is in various stagesof repair, and it can behard to determinewhether it is even us-able, Baker said.

"A lot of times you getthis stuff you don't knowwhat you're getting un-

either destroy thisequiplnemt (orgiae it to police)becawse theycan't sell this oneBay to unaaerage citizem."ELBERT BAKER, LESO statecoordinator for Tennessee

til you get it," Holley,the assistant Selmer po-lice chief, said. "We'vegot a big truck, $ZOO,OOOthat's really too big, butyou've already got it soit's just parked rightnow. So at some point intime that will probablybe something that weturn back into them."

Future

With both wars inIraq and Afghanistanover, military suppliessuch as MRAPs andHumvees are no longerbeing used. And becausesome local governmentsmay face budget cuts,programs such as LESOmore than likely willcontinue to expand asLESO has in Tennesseesince 2008, when ap-proximately $431,000worth of equipment wasgiven out.

More gear isn't al-ways a good thing, someexperts warn. More

tect.For police depart-

ments to change theirperception in the commu-nities that they serve,they must learn to com-municate, said Brian Do-navant, associate profes-sor of criminal justice atthe University of Tennes-see at Martin and a for-mer police officer inMemphis and Gulfport,Mississippi.

"It's the day-to-day op-erations that reallycount," Donavant said.

"The problem'they'vehad is they have not beenvery good in communi-cating and building rela-tionships with the com-munity they protect in themeantime," he said. "Youcan't wait until you have acritical point for you tohave communication."

Stephen Watts, fromthe University of Mem-phis, said regardless ofcommunication, a moremilitarized police force isnot helping communities.

"The idea where thepolice department is partof the community, of thecommunity, they have arole in helping communi-ties become safe, staysafe," Watts said. "If po-lice become (more) mili-tarized, that role has less-ened."

The Tennessean's Tony Gonzalezcontributed to this report.Reach Tyler Whetstone at (731)

425-9629 Follow him on Twitter@tyler_whetstone

MEGAN SMITH/THE JACKSON 5UN

Lt. Mike Siler of the Jackson SWAT team holds an M16 at theJackson Police Department. JPD received 14 M14 rifles and 74M15 rifles.

WESTSTAR ALUMNI - Local alumniof the University of Tennessee at MartinWestStar Leadership Program recent-ly attended the ninth annual TennesseeSoybean Festival barbecue luncheon spon-sored by Mayor Randy Brundige in Martin.Each year, Brundige invites WestStar

alumni to attend the event and also visitthe Tennessee Soybean Festival in down-town Martin. The luncheon is held atFirst State Bank. Among those taking partthis year from Obion County were (fromleft) Lindsay Frilling, Brad Thompson andPhyllis Rauchle.

THE PARIs POST-INTELLIGENCER IUE5DAY, SEPTEMBE R N, 2A14

FROM ALI BARROs

Three from county attend Soybean luncheonThree alumni of the UT Martin WestStarLeadership Program attended the ninthannual Tennessee Soybean FestivalBarbecue Luncheon sponsored by MayorRandy Brundige on Sept. 5 in Martin. Eachyear, Brundige invites WestStar alumni

TIIE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS

to attend the event and also visit theTennessee Soybean Festival in downtownMartin. The luncheon is held at First StateBank. Pictured left to right from HenryCounty are Emory Bradley, Michele Atkinsand Tony Lawrence. .

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,2014

UTM awarded equipmentto benefit post-glll veterans

Post-9/11 veterans willbenefit from new technol-ogy provided to UT Martin.The university has receiveda laptop computer, com-plete with Microsoft Officesoftware and a Jabra voiceheadset made possible froman award through Syra-cuse University. The awardalso includes access to freecourses toward industrialcertification for any post-9i I I veterans, not just thosecurrently enrolled at UTMartin.

The Veterans Career

Transition Program is oper-ated under a grant to Syra-cuse University's lnstitutefor Veterans and MilitaryFamilies. The program isdelivered entirely onlineat no cost to veterans orspouses.

The award to UT Martin,which is part of the VeteransCareer Transition Program,has been opened to non-stu-dents and their families andincludes various coursesfrom business to human re-lations and many others. Acomplete list of courses of-

fered can be found athttp:llvets. syr.edu/employment/vctp-learnin g-paths/.

The computer and headsetare located in Clement Hall,accessible through the Stu-dent Services and SuccessMentoring Center. Regis-tration is currently open forthe seminars launching inJanuary 2015.

Those interested can ap-ply at http:llvets.syr.edu/VCTPLaptopUserApp, orpersons can e-mail Dr. Al-ice-Catherine Carls at acca-rls@utm.edu.

Phi Kappa Phi e&rns top &wardThe Phi Kappa Phi Chapter at

the University of Tennessee atMartin has been named a 2013-14 Chapter of Excellence, thehighest chapter award recognizedby the National Honor Society.Chapter awards were presented atIhe 2Ol4 Phi Kappa Phi BiennialConvention held in St. Louis.

Only 27 chapters out of morethan 300 across the United Statesearned this honor. A chapter mustmeet high standards set by the as-

sociation in areas such as officer

training, awards, campus events,

seryice projects, membership,publicity, communications andgrant applications to become a

Chapter of Excellence.Dr. Chris Hill, chapter secre-

tary and associate professor ofEnglish, accepted the award at theconvention. Dr. Elaine Harriss,professor of music, was chapterpresident for 2Ol3-14, and Dr.Stephanie Kolitsch, professor ofmathematics, is chapter presidentfor 2OI4-15.

TOP AWARD - Pictured are(from left) Dr. Elaine Harriss,20!3-14 president, Dr. Chris

Hill, 2013-2015 secretary and Dr.Stephanie Kolitsch, 2014-15 presi-dent.

Youth reqding clinic to be offiredUT Martin is now of-

fering a reading clinictwice a week for studentsin grades two thrrcugh 12from Thursday throughOct.27 and Ocl 28 - Nov.24 onthe UT Martin cam-pus.

Experienced readingprofessionals from the UTManin Reading Centerfeach this sequential andintensive course for read-ing improvement.

The clinic is for stu,dents in grades two-12

who need extra supportand practice in reading,

Students will be indi-vidually tested to deter-'mine their specific levelsof phonics and compre-hension.

Using results, studentswill be placed into a re-search- proven course ofstudy designed to buildskills and to fill in anygaps Lhat may exist intheir reading skills andstrategies.

Students meet twice

per week for one hourper meeting and can se-lect either a Monday andWednesday or Tuesdayand Thursday schedule.

The reading clinic is of-fered for $ I 00 per student,plus $25 for a workbook.

For more inforrnationabout the reading clinicvisit http: //www.utm.edu1departments/ecos/non-degree.php or call Officeof Extended Campus andOnline Studies 731-881-1082.

ur Martin faltr enrollment exceeds 71000;freshman class has record average ACT score

Fall semester enrollmenlhas reached 7,042 studentsat the University of Teri-nessee at Martin, w-hich in-cludes students at the Martincampus and the university'sfour centers in Jackson, Par-sons, Ripley and McNairyCounty/Selmer.

Final enrollment is cal-culated after the 14,h dav ofclasses and is among ser.Lralfactors that determine fund-ing for Tennessee publiccolleges and universities.Among positive numbersfor the student body is a re-cord average ACT score forthe freshman class.

Emollment is down 5.1percent from last year when7,4 .23 students attended theuniversity in fall 2013. Fac-tors affecting enrolhnentwere lhe rai.ing of adnris-sions standards this fall andthe loss of dual enrollmentstudents in high schoolswhere rnany are choosing tcr

take these courses at com-munity colleges. However,higher admissions standardscontributed to the incominsfreshman class holding thE

highest average ACT scorein the university's history at22.8.

Other positive enrollmentnumbers included a 10.1

percent increase in off-cam-pus enrollment and a fuIl-time online undergraduateenrollment increase of 16.5percent.

Trenton G azette, Trenton, Tennessee Wednesday, September 24, 2014

THE MYETTE FALCON Wednesday. September 24, 2Ol4

UT Martin Alumni Dinner Held Sept. 18By: Richard Rucker

Fayette County UT MartinAlumni were treated to a fishfry dinner at the WarrenCommunity Church, hostedby UT Martin Assistant ViceChancellor Charley Deal andlocally by Harris Armour andSteve Reeves, on September18.

Local alumni were alsopresented with the opportu-nity to personally meet andtalk with UT MartinChancellor Dr. Tom Rakes.

Dr. Rakes gave a presenta-tion on the future construc-tion of the Fayette County

.Higher Education Centeralong with an update onclasses currently being

. offered by UT Marlin at theCareer Center on theSomerville Court HouseSquare. This fall, UT Martinis holding four classes at theCareer Center and topicsinclude Political Science,English, Animal Science,and Agriculture.

Dr. Rakes gave a history ofUT Martin's four existingoff-campus centers in Ripley,Selmer, Jackson, and Par-sons. Each of the four off-campus centers have experi-enced constant growth sincetheir inception and have been

expanded. Dr. Rakes ex-pressed his appreciatibn ofbeing invited to be a part ofour community and assuredthe audience that UT Martinis conrmitted to bringing itsestablished academic stan-dard of excellence intoFayette County. Followingthe dinner, Dr. Rakes andCharley Deal mingled withthe crowd, allowing every-one the opportunity to per-sonally meet and questionthe representatives from UTMartin.

Members of the HigherEducation Executive Com-mittee and Advisory Boardwere also at the dinner and

Executive Committee Chair-man Richard Ruckerannounced that the Exe-cutive Committee andAdvi'sory Board will be rrav-eling to Parsons, TNSeptember 26 and will fol-low up with an October 3meeting at the Career Centerwith representatives fromTLM Architects in Jacksonas plans are being assimilat-ed prior to construction ofthe Higher Education Center.

Current status and updatescan be monitored on theHigher Education Center'swebsite, www.educating-favette.com.

UT Martin ChancellMartin alumnifish f

Youth reading clinic offiredThe University of Tennessee at Martin is

now offering a reading clinic twice a weekfor students in grades 2-72 from Thursdayto Oct. 27 and from Oct. 28 to Nov. 24 oncampus.

Experienced reading professionals fromthe UT Martin Reading Center teach thissequential and intensive course for readingimprovement. The clinic is for studentswho need extra support and practice inreading.

Students will be individually tested todetermine their specific levels of phonicsand comprehension.

Using results, students will be piacedinto a research-proven course of studydesigned to build skills and to fill in anygaps that may exist in their reading skillsand strategies.

Students meet twice per week for onehour per meeting and can select either aMonday and Wednesday or Tuesday andThursday schedule.

The clinic is offered for $100 per stu-dent, plus $25 for a workbook.

For more information, call the Office ofExtended Campus and Online Studies at(731) 881-7082.

PreviewDays setAt T]TMFall Preview Days are

planned for Oct. 4 andNov. l5 at the UniversitYof Tennessee at Martinmaln campus.

Current high schooljuniors and seniors areencouraged to attend withfamily members, but allstudents with an interestin UTM are welcome.

Both Fall Preview DaYsinclude informational ses-

sions, campus tours andacademic fairs'. Studentorganization representa-tives will also be on handto discuss opportunitiesfor campus involvement.

The Oct.4 preview daYwill be held in BolingUniversity Center, whilethe Nov. 15 event will beheld in the Kathleen andTom Elam Center.

Register online atwww.utm.edu andselect "Register for FallPreview Day'l underthe "Discover" menu.Additional information is

also available by callingthe Office of Admissionsat (731) 881-7020.

Freshman ACT average highest ever

UT Martin's enrollmenttops 7,000 for fall semester

Fall semester enrollmenthas reached 1 ,042 stu-dents at the University ofTennessee at Martin.

The figure includes stu-dents at the Martin campusand the university's centersin Jackson, Parsons, Ripleyand McNairy County/Selmer.

Final enrollment is calcu-lated after the 14th day ofclasses and is among sev-eral factors that determinefunding for Tennessee pub-lic colleges and univerqi-ties. Among positive num-bers for the student body isa record avOrage ACT scorefor the freshman class.

Enrollment is down 5.1percent from last year, when7,423 sfidents attended theunivet'sity in fall 2013.

Factors affecting enroll-ment were the raising ofadmissions standards thisfall and the loss of dualenrollment students inhigh schools where manyare choosing to take thesecourses at community col-leges. However, higheradmissions standards con-tributed to the incomingfreshman class holding thehighest average ACT scorein the university's historyat22.8.

Other positive enrollment

numbers included a 10.1percent increase in off-cam-pus enrollment and a full-time online undergraduateenrollment increase of 16.5percent.

IrSe f

Yo named new UTM Directoradded that his long and var-ied business background wouldhelp him move the center for-ward.

Before his position withthe Boy Scouts, Youngermanwas co-owner and vice presi-dent of Stan's Home CenterInc. in Jackson and the HomeCenter Inc. in Lexington andHenderson. He was previouslyassociated with the McNairyCounty/Selmer Center from2009-ll as an adjunct facultymernber teaching geology.

Youngerman holds anPhoto Submitted

Alan Youngerman

Alan Youngerman, mostrecently district executive forthe Boy Scouts of America,is the new'director of the UTMartin McNairy CountyCenter/Selmer. He succeedsDeidra Beene who died inMarch following a long illness.She had served as center direc-tor since 2001. Youngermanbegan his new duties Sept. 2.

"l've always loyed educa-tion," Youngerman said of hisappointment. "I'd like to see

the university continue andexpand its,successes here." He

associate degree in physicalchemistry from Jackson StateCommunity College, a bach-elor's degree in earth sciencefrom Tennessee TechnologicalUniversity in Cookeville anda master's degree with a majorin economic geology from theUniversity of Nevada, Reno -

Mackay School of Mines,Youngerman and his wife,

Elizabeth, have two childrenand live in Selmer.

UT Martin opened the

See DIRECTOR, Pg. 3

irector rno'

McNairv County/SelrnerCenter in cooperation withNtlcNairy County and thecit1, of Selmer. The universityhegarr offering Iower-divisioncourses at the center in sum-iner 1998.

In fall 2004, the centerbegan offering courses leadingro the Education IG6 degree.'Ihen in fall 2008, the centerolfered courses leading to bach-elor's degrees in history andsocial wolk. Four new class-rooms \'vere completed in fall2009.

In addition to previous offer-ings. a major in criminal ius-iice is now available, and a

nrajor in psychologv is new forthis fall semester. The center

also offers a full rotation planof general-education courses,

upper-division courses and theBachelor of InterdisciplinarvStudies degree.

Also available are non-cred-

it classes, and the center candesign training curriculumsto meet the individual needsbf local business and indus-try. The UT Martin Office ofExtended Campus and Or3lineStudies is the university'sadministrative reporting chan-nel for the center.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

WAR OF l8l2 - UT Mar-tin history professor DavidCoffey presented "MoreThan Volunteers: Tennesseeand the War of 1812" onSept. 18 in the J. HoustonGordon Museum's readingroom located at the universi-ty's Paul Meek Library. Cof-fey explained the reasons forthe war and its significanceat the time for Tennessee.He also discussed how thewar helped to position An-drew Jackson as a nationalpolitical figure. The Tennes-see State Museum's travel-ing exhibition, "Becomingthe Volunteer State: Tennes-see in the War of 1812," ison view through Oct. 31 inthe museum.

THE LAUDERDALE COUNTY ENTERPRISE, RIPLEY, TENNESSEE, SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

Enrollment At UTMartin Is Down

The University of Ten-

nessee at Martin has enrolled7,042 students during the fallsemester, including students

at the Martin campus and theuniversity's four centers inRipley, Jackson, Parsons, and

McNairy County/Selmer.Final enrollment is cal-

culated after the 14th day ofclasses and is among several

factors that determine fundingfor Tennessee public collegesand universities. Among posi-

tive numbers for the studentbody is a record average ACTscore for the freshman class.

Enrollment is down 5.1

percent from last year when'7,423 sfidents attended the

university in fall 2013. Fac-tors affecting enrollment werethe raising of admissions stan-

dards this fall and the loss ofdrial enrollment students in

UTM Ensemble ToPerform At HES

The University of Ten-nessee at Martin Center Per-

cussion Ensemble, Roots ofRhythm. is scheduled to tourWest Tennessee schools witha scheduled performance at

1:30 p.m. Monday, Septem-ber 29th, at Halls Elementa-

ryr School. Roots of Rhythm

is a multi-sensory perfor-mance designed to allow ex-ploration of other culturesthrough music. The programincludes steel drums andtamboo bamboo instrumentsfrom Trinidad, shona ma-rimbas from Zimbabwe, tra-ditional dundun drums fromGuinea, Brazllian samba in-struments and many moreworldly sounds.

high schools where many are

choosing to take these courses

at community colleges. How-ever, higher admissions stan-

dards contributed to the in-coming freshman class hold-ing the highest average ACTscore in the university's his-tory at22.8.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2OI4

UT Martin fraternities, sororitiesraise money for philanthropiesBy SAMI MOBLEYThe Press

Last week, the SigmaChi fraternity at UT Mar-tin celebrated its 8th annualDerby Days competition,which is a week-long eventthat aims to raise money forHuntsman Cancer Institute.Nationally since 1992, thefraternity has raised over$4.2 million for its philan-thropy. Each day a differentevent takes place on cam-pus.

As the events proceed,points are awarded based onwinners and highest dona-tions. Sororities participat-ing were Chi Omega, AlphaDelta Pi, Alpha Omega Pi,ZetaTau Alpha, Sigma Al-pha and Free Agents.

Each day the sisters tookturns painting the whitecross that sits in front of theSigma Chi chapter house.Whichever sorority had themost likes on the Facebookpage 24 hours after beingposted wins for the week.

The week began the wayit always does, with theDerby Hat chase. All broth-ers andpledges wore ablack"derby hat" to signify theirparticipation in the event.Girls participating aimedto steal the hat in order toaccumulate points for theirsorority. Monday was a dayof screaming, running anddetermination from manysisters to get the hat by anymeans possible.

Monday night was thefirst ever Derby Darlingcompetition in the Univer-sity Center ballroom. Thedarling competition was a

pageant-style event withquestions asked in relationto individual philanthropies,UTM and the girls them-selves. A talent and fashionsection followed the ques-tions. with girls dressingtheir Derby Daddies up ina way that represented theirphilanthropy. Girls wereselected from each groupto represent their sorority.Erica Reed, a Free Agentcompetitor, won the title ofdarling. Her talent of hyp-notizing people from theaudience had those watch-ing crying from laughter.

As the week continued,more events transpired,exemplifying the dedica-tion the brothers of SigmaChi and the sisters of eachsorority hold for supportingcancer research. Tuesdayduring the Derbylympics.various events such asdodge ball, dizzy bat, andfield events were played.Sorority Jousting onWednesday allowed the sis-ters an evening of friendlyrivalry. Atier climbing intoan inflatable ring, the girlsaimed to knock one anotheroff raised platforms.

Thursday a Southerndinner was hosted at the

chapter house, which wasfollowed by a Brothqr Auc-tion. The brothers wereauctioned off to the high-est bidder. Groans could beheard coming from pledgeswho were purchased bytheir brothers.

The fate for those pur-chased is usually a washedcar, mowed lawn or cleanedhouse.

After a week of hardwork, the sisters of ZetaTauAlpha came out on top. Thesisters raised the most mon-

ey and points from events.For the past four years thesisters of Chi Omega havewon. All who participatedraised $10,000 for cancerresearch. "I'm so excited,"said Sean O'Brien of SigmaChi. "It was my goal to bethe first Philanthropy chairtoday to raise help raise$10,000."

Half of the money raisedwas awarded lo ZetaTau'sphilanthropy of breast can-cer research in honor oftheir win.

UT Martin sets Fall PreviewDays for Oct. 4 and Nov. 15

FaIl Preview Days areset for Oct. 4 and Nov. 15 ,

at the University of Ten-nessee at Martin maincampus.

Current high school ju-niors and seniors are en-couraged to attend withfamily members, but allstudents with an interestin UT Martin are wel-come.

Both Fall PreviewDays include informa-tional sessions, campustours and academic fairs.Student organization rep-resentatives will also be

on hand to discuss op-portunities for campusinvolvement. The Oct. 4preview day will be heldin the Boling UniversityCenter, while the Nov. l5event will be held in theKathleen and Tom EIamCenter.

Register online atwww.utm.edu and se -lect' "Register for FallPreview Day" under the"Discover" menu. Addi-tional information is alsoavailable by calling theOffice of Admissions at(731) 881-7020.

THE WEAKLEY COUNTY PRESS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2OI4

S ky haw k Veteran s As s o c iatio n

New program available to help post -9/ll veteransBy BRYAN GRIFFINSpecial to The Press

The Skyhawk VeteransAssociation of the Univer-sity Of Tennessee at Martinrecently met for an "OpenSocial" to welcome newand current members ofthe student organization.

An announcement wasmade for a new IndustrialCertification Program forveterans and their spouses.The program comes as theresult of an award receivedby UT Martin that is de-signed to help post-9/11veterans and their spouses.The award makes it pos-sible for veterans to ob-tain industrial certifi cationthrough 26 courses offeredby Syracuse Universitythat range from businessto human relations, job ap-plication skills and manyothers. A complete list ofcourse and eligibility re-quirements for the programcan be found be found athttp: //vets. syr. edu/vctp.

Those eligible for en-rollment to the programare post-9/ll veterans whohave already separated or

retired from the militaryor who will transition frommilitary service to the ci-vilian workforce in thenext l8 months. Servicemembers must have servedat least one day on activeduty during 0911 1/01 . Thisincludes Guard and Re-serve members who havecivilian sector employ-ment or will be transition-ing into the civilian sectorwithin l8 months.

Spouses of eligible vet-erans, as well as spousesof all active duty servicemembers, are eligibleto apply to the program.Those employed and seek-ing career advancement orchange, underemployed(working in a field otherthan your qualificationswould prepare you for, orworking for a lower sal-ary or fewer hours thanyou would like) or unem-ployed. VCTP requires anapplication, which reviewsyour preparedness andlikelihood of success in theprogram, as well as yourcareer goals and fit withthe program's offerings.

The registration dead-line is Nov. 24 with cours-es starting Jan. 20, 2015,with course completion inMarch 2015. A certifica-tion exam will follow thecompletion of the course.

To registerUTM studentsgo to http://vets.syr.edu/VCTPLaptopUserAPPNon-students go to http:i/vets. syr.edu/vctpapp. Onceori the website studentswill be asked to select youschool(UTMartin) froma drop down menu firstthing. ensuring that usersare connected to UTM sothat UTM gets "credit" forthe students enrollment. Aletter of recommendationfrom your employer is aprerequisite for enfolmentto the program.

The course is deliveredentirely online and can beaccessed from any PC orMac that is relatively cur-rent, if the student doesnot reside in the Martinarea. If the student residesin the Martin area, a laptopwill be available for useat the Paul Meek Library.Courses towards industrial

certification and the costof one certification exami-nation are free. For moreinformation about theprogram contact facultyadministrator for the SVADr. Alice*-Cathrine Caarlsat731-881-'1412. .

Industrial CertificationProgram for veterans andtheir families is just oneof the programs offered bythe SVA. The SVA worksto uphold the traditions ofthe University of Tennes-see and communicate theneeds of student veter-ans. The SVA also seeksto serve all veterans oncampus and in the commu-nity by providing adviceand updates on new V.A.information. Membershipis open to UT Martin stu-dent veterhns and veterandependents, friends ofveterans and their fami-lies aa well as sponsorsand honorary members.To learn more about theSVA, visit them at http:llthehub. orgsync. com/org/skyhawkvteranassoc i a-tion49l26.

' THEJACKSONSUN . FRIDAY, SEPT.26,2014UTM PercussionEnsemble to give'Roots of Rhythm'performances

The Tennessee MartinPercussion Ensemble isscheduled to perform"Roots of '\hythm" inBells and Jackson onMonday.

The ensemble will beat Bells ElementarySchool at 9:30 a.m., and itwill give a public perfor-mance at the UT MartinJackson Center, 3031 U.S.45 Bypass in Jackson at 6p.m.

Roots of Rhythm is amulti-sensory perfor-mance designed to allowexploration of other cul-tures through music. Theprogram includes steeldrums and tamboo bam-boo ins_tturneuts from-Thinidad, shona marim-bas from Zimbabwe, tra-ditional dundun drumsfrom Guinea, Braziliansamba instruments andmany more worldlysounds.

Fdr more informationon the performances,contact Julie Hill atJhill@ut.edu or visitwww.utm.edu/depart-ments/percussion.

THE JACKSON 5UN o SUNDAy, SEPT. 28,2014

UTM Jackson Centerto hold Fall Festival

The University ofTennessee at MartinJackson Center, at 3031U.S. 45 Bypass, will hold

its Fall Festival from 4 to7 p.m. Monday.

Donnell CenturyFarms will offer freecow bdrrel rides, a fallphoto shoot, pumpkinpainting and "punkin'chunkin."'

A free one-hour robot-ic Mindstorm Lego classwill be offered for chil-dren, but it is limited tothe first 20 who register.

All high school per-cussionists are invited toparticipate in a drumlinecompetition. UT Mar-tin's Roots of Rhythmpercussionists also willperform.

A sMK Rurr/FunWalk for the American

Cancer Socigin at 6 p.m.registrationa T-shirt. Pre-register atmakingstrides.org.

Walgreens will offerfree blood pressurechecks and water for allwho attend.

The festival is freeand open to the public.For more information orto register, call (7 31) 425-9277.

THEJACKSONSUN o MONDAY,SEPT. 29,2014

UT Martin Phi KappaPhi chapter honored

The Phi Kappa Phi,Chapter at the Universityof Tennessee at Martinhas been named a2013-14Chapter of Excellence,the highest chapter awardrecognized by the Nation-al Honor Society.

Chapter awards werepresented at the 2014 PhiKappa Phi Biennial Con-vention held Aug. 7-9 in St.Louis, according to a newsrelease.

Only 27 chapters out ofmore than 300 across theUnited States earned thehonor, the release said. Achapter must meet highstandards set by the asso-ciation in areas such as of-ficer training, awards,campus events, serviceprojects, membership,publicity, communica-tions and grant applica-tions to become a Chapterof Excellence.

Dr. Chris Hill, chaptersecretary and associateprofessor of English, ac-cepted the award at theconvention, the releasesaid. Dr. Elaine Harriss,p music, wasc sident for2 r. StePhanieKolitsch, professor ofmathematics, is chaPterpresident for 2014-1,5.

The UT Martin chapterwas founded in L971and isthe society's 127th chaP-ter,'according to a newsrelease. To foster out-standing scholarship; thechapter annually spon-sors two faculty lectures,honors outstanding fresh-rqgn and sophomores wth

UT Mart a Phi wasrecognized as a

Chapter 4 Convention ofthe NationalHonor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Chapter awards werepresented atthe 2014 Phi Kappa Phi Biennial Convention heldAug. 7:9 in St. Louis. From left: Dr. Elaine Harriss, 2013-14president; Dr. Chris Hill,2013-2015 secretary; and Dr. StephanieKolitsch. 2014-15 president.

certificates of recogni- The chapte" ulro no-i-tion, and presents a Phi inatesonestudentforana-Kappa' Phi scholarship tionalPhiKappaPhigrad-award to the top senior. uate fellowship.

THE JACKSON SUN ' TUESDAY, SEPT. 30,2014

Fun for all at Fall Festival

KENNETH CUMMINGS/THE JACKSON SUN

Alex Hubbard plays on a xylophone during the University of Tennessee at Martin Jackson Center's Fall Festival on Monday.

KENNETH CUMMINGS/THE JACKSOThe University of Tennessee at Martin's Roots of Rhythm percussionistsperform at the UT Martin Jackson Center's Fall Festival on Monday. KENNETH CUMMINGS/IHE JACKSON 5UN

Luke Switzer pulls back on a pumpkin slingshot during the UT MartinJackson Center's Fall Festival on Monday.

KENNETH CUMMINGS/THE JACKSON SUN

THE JACKSON SUN . TUESDAY, SEPT. 30,2Oi4

SOTJTHSIDE STTJDENTS,TEACHER SHOWCASE ART'Into the Wld' joint art show is on display at the UT Martin Jackson CenterBy Nick McFerronnmcf erron@jacksonsun.com

The University of Tennes-see at Martin Jackson Centerrecently held a reception for ajoint student-teacher art showcalled "Into the Wild."

The show started when theUT Martin Jackson Centerasked Gene Gott, an art teach-er at South Side High Schooland UT Martin, to do a show ofsome of his work.

Kayce Beam, director of theJackson Center, suggestedbringing in work from some ofGott's students to join theshow.

"It started as an invitationto do a one-man show," Gottsaid. "Kayce was talking withme about my students. It washer duggestion to bring thestudents aboard."

The show is a unique experi-ence for the students, as mosthigh-schoolers do not get theopportunit! to have workshown in an art show next to

, professional work."This is generally not done,"

Gott said. "It is a great oppor-tunity to showcase what someof our Art 2 students are do-ing."

Dena Blake, a sophomore atSouth Side, had a few pieces inthe show One of them wonfirst place in its category.

Her piece was an opticalillusion showing her handspopping off the paper.

"I learned how to do it lastyear," Blake said. "I wanted todo something different, so Imade my hands look like a

NICK MCFERRON/THE JACKSON SUNGene Gott, aft teacher at South Side High School, speaks at the joint art show showcasing his personal workalongside South Side students'work. The artwork remains on display at the UT Martin Jackson Center.

butterfly."Ashlee Davis brought some

Students from her art club atMilan Middle School to see theshow

"Somebody sent the flier toour principal," Davis said. "I

WEB EXTRAFind a photo gallerywith this story atjacksonsun.com.

think it's really interesting.There seems to be a lot of di-verse artwork, and it makesfor a really great show."

Davis had her students picktheir favorite of the studentpieces and write a critique,explaining why they chose it.

Some of the student's workwas not eligible for the artshow judging because thepieces had already been shownduring the West TennesseeState Fair.

"We had a student receivebest in show, and one receivedan Art Association excellenceaward," Gott said.

Those pieces were dis-played separately from theother students'work.

The show will stay up at theUT Martin Jackson Centeruntil the next show comes in,which will be later in October.

Reach Nick McFerron at (731) 425-9643.Follow him on Twitter @nick mcferron

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