Noted author, Georgetown law
professor Sheryll Cashin speaks at Fisk
Noted author, attorney, and
professor Sheryll Cashin was the
featured lecturer as part of Fisk’s
Global and Community Lecture
Series on November 6 at in the
Appleton Room of Jubilee Hall.
Cashin is a current professor
of constitutional, local government,
and property law at
Georgetown University and
served as an advisor on urban
and economic policy in the
Clinton Administration. She
also served as law clerk to U.S.
Supreme Court Judge Thurgood
Marshall as well as Judge
Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the District of
Columbia.
During her visit to Fisk,
Cashin addressed the contributions
of a group of notable
Fiskites and family members
profiled in her latest book, ‘The
Agitator's Daughter: A Memoir
of Four Generations of One
Extraordinary African
American Family.’ Cashin is
the daughter of Fiskite Dr. John
Cashin, civil right activist who
campaigned for governor of
Alabama against George
Wallace in 1970. Sheryll
Cashin is also the great niece of
Lillian Cashin, former professor
and chair of the Fisk University
Department of English.
Cashin’s signed copies of her
book and greeted guests following
the lecture.
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Teach For America and local
leaders announced the nonprofit
organization’s expansion to
Nashville next fall, outlining
plans to bring up to 50 top college
graduates to teach in the
city’s highest-need schools.
Teach For America received a
warm welcome from Mayor Karl
Dean and other key local supporters
during the announcement
at the Martin Professional
Development Center.
Teach For America is the
national corps of outstanding
recent college graduates who
commit to teach for two years in
under-resourced schools and
become lifelong leaders in the
pursuit of educational equity.
This year’s 3,700 new corps
members earned an average
GPA of 3.6, and 95% held
undergraduate leadership positions.
These dedicated young
teachers were selected from
nearly 25,000 applicants, including
16% of the graduating class
at Spelman College, 11% at
Morehouse College and Yale
University, nine percent at
Harvard University, and seven
percent at Vanderbilt University.
Since Teach For America’s
inception in 1990, nearly 150
Vanderbilt graduates have
become corps members.
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Diabetic patients at higher risk
for vision loss and eye disease
CHICAGO–Today, diabetes
affects more than 23 million
Americans, with that number
projected to more than double by
2050. And every year, Americans
spend $174 billion on direct and
indirect medical costs on the disease,
according to the American
Diabetes Association. Diabetics
are at a higher risk of complications
such as dental disease,
amputations and vision loss.
In fact, nearly half of all diabetics
have some form of diabetic
retinopathy. Diabetic
retinopathy occurs when blood
vessels to the retina become
blocked or leak fluid or blood.
There are up to 24,000 new cases
of blindness each year, making
diabetes the leading cause of
new cases of blindness in adults
20-74 years of age.
Prevent Blindness America
has declared November as
Diabetic Eye Disease Month in
an effort to educate the public on
how diabetes can affect vision.
The group has a dedicated website,
www.diabetes-sight.org,
which provides free information
to patients and healthcare professionals
on diabetic eye diseases,
risk factors, treatment options
and Medicare benefits. The website
also features a simulation on
the effects of diabetic retinopathy
on vision.
"Diabetes is a very serious
problem in our country and more
adults and children are diagnosed
every year," said Hugh R.
Parry, president and CEO of
Prevent Blindness America. "We
can try and minimize the damage
it can cause to our eyes by getting
an eye exam and beginning
treatment immediately."
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by Robert H. Elliott
In a move to pull-out before a
dismal Christmas, the ‘number
two’ consumer electronics store,
Circuit City, is closing 20% of
its stores nationwide and laying
off 17% of its work force of
43,000 in 700 stores.
Circuit City was facing ‘delisting’
from the New York Stock
Exchange due to its low stock
price. The stock closed up to 36
cents at the end of Monday’s
trading. Its rise also affected the
consumer leader in electronics,
Best Buy, whose stock closed at
$27.76 on Monday.
The closing of 155 stores will
also include the Nashville store
at Hickory Hollow Mall. The
liquidation at these stores will
begin on Wednesday, November
5. Stores in Collierville,
Memphis and Spring Hill will
also close making a total of four
stores in Tennessee (a full list
can be found on www.circuitcity.
com)
Circuit City was being hurt
due to aggressive advertising
and sales by Wal-Mart. Over
70% of its customers also
shopped at Wal-Mart and the
downward pressure on flat-panel
TV’s made its inventory far less
valuable than what was carried
on its books. This meant that it
could not borrow against this
inventory and subsequently was
running short of cash.
Last year, Circuit City downsized
3,400 of its highest paid
workers. Analyst’s felt that this
move was a mistake as electronic
consumers require a highly
trained and knowledgeable staff
to keep consumers up to date
with the latest toys and products.
The stores being closed are
under-performing stores with
annual sales of $9 million verses
$16 million annual sales for
stores being retained. Circuit
City is also canceling 10 new
stores it had planned and is renegotiating
the leases of many of
its remaining stores.
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Frist Art Center offers free
events through end of year
by Cass F.L. Teague, Jr.,EdD
The Frist Art Center is offering
opportunities for patrons to
visit the center and experience
the exhibits, along with several
special lectures and events
through the end of the year.
There are four major exhibitions
on display, and the center is welcoming
art lovers and casual visitors.
This Sunday, November 9, is
Family Day with free admission.
The galleries are open from 1-
5:30 pm. Enjoy a fun-filled day
of excitement with friends and
family including special artmaking
activities, live music and
dance performances. Featuring
masterpieces of photography
and film from throughout history,
check out the unforgettable
images in ‘The Best of
Photography and Film from the
George Eastman House
Collection.’ Visit the upstairs
galleries to experience the passion
and timeless sculptures in
the exhibition ‘Rodin: A
Magnificent Obsession,
Sculpture from the Iris and B.
Gerald Cantor Foundation.’
Other exhibitions include
‘Indelible: The Photographs of
Lalla Essaydi and Young
Tennessee Artists: 2008
Statewide Advanced Placement*
Studio Art.’
On Mondays, admission to
the center is free when you bring
a donation of canned goods,
which will be passed on the
Second Harvest Food Bank.
Admission to the galleries is free
every Thursday evening after 5
pm until closing time at 9 pm.
On Thursday evenings, the Frist
Center presents free music in the
Grand Lobby, with a variety of
red and white wines at the cash
bar and Bistro seating, so visitors
can relax and enjoy music
performed by the Jazz Band
from Tennessee State University
on November 13 from 6-8 pm.
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for more information.
by Jeremy Ledbetter
An era’s end became
defined on Monday as an emotional
Phillip Fulmer
announced he will not be back
as Tennessee head football
coach in 2009 after 35 years in
the program and the past 17 as
head coach.
"This is not an easy day for
me or my family," Fulmer said.
"It’s not a day I sought or
accepted easily, I am a very
lucky man, very few people in
this world are fortunate enough
to get to pursue their true passions
for even a little while."
Originally this press conference
was being billed by outlets
as an announcement of
Fulmer stepping down by
mutual decision. However, it
quickly became clear this was
not mutual.
"This 2008 season has not
gone as well as anyone would
like. That includes me, our
coaches, our players, our
administration and our great
fans. Tennessee has high
expectations for its football
team. I am proud that the
accomplishments of the last 17
years have been part of such
high expectations.
