NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – The College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Sciences’ Otis L. Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville was recognized recently as the Tennessee Recycling Coalition’s “Recycler of the Year” in the Higher Education School category after recycling approximately 200,000 pounds (100 tons) of polyethylene plastic since 2010.
Each year, across Middle Tennessee an estimated 60,000 pounds of polyethylene plastic film is used to provide overwintering protection for plants. This film is removed each spring and typically discarded in landfills or illegally burned or buried. Producers have historically been hesitant to commit to recycling this plastic due to increased costs and inconvenience. To solve these problems, the NRC developed a recycling program that uses an innovative mechanical spooler—made available to nursery producers free of charge—to remove the plastic and spool it into compact rolls for cost-effective shipping.
Drawing on its connection to the Tennessee nursery industry, the NRC has had overwhelming success with this program. The program has been eliminating approximately 40,000 pounds of plastic waste per year while saving participating producers money since its inception.
According to Dr. Nick Gawel, superintendent of the NRC, the program has had a “fundamental” impact on the way the nursery industry—one already known for its “green” initiatives—operates.
“It is a great honor to be recognized for this program,” Gawel said. “TSU is proud of our partnership with the Tennessee nursery industry and the opportunity to make this industry even more green and sustainable.”
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – It’s been a busy few months for the Forensics team at Tennessee State University and they have the proof of their endeavors. They won more than 50 awards in February alone and now boast one of the “Best Speakers” in the state.
This semester the 11-member team of undergraduate students have netted impressive results, bringing home awards wherever they compete. Nowhere was this more prevalent than at the recent Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics State Championship when they placed third in the state and brought home 28 more awards. The team also placed third in combined debate and Individual Events School Sweepstakes.
More than 100 students gathered at TSU Feb. 14-15 to see who would be crowned the “best of the best” in the state. John Nix, a junior Political Science major from Franklin, Tennessee, took home the coveted first place Pentathlon speaker, qualifying him for the “Best Speaker in the State.” Nix also won numerous awards including third place Persuasive Speaking, Top Novice Persuasive Speaking, first place Poetry Interpretation, Top Novice Poetry Interpretation, first place Prose Interpretation, Top Novice Prose Interpretation, third place Impromptu Speaking, Top Novice Impromptu Speaking, NPDA Novice Semi-Finalist, and fifth place Novice NPDA speaker.
Other team winners included:
Kevon Graves, freshman Urban Studies major, Kansas City, Missouri – NPDA Novice Semi-Finalist, fourth place Novice NPDA Speaker
Kavon Coleman, junior Civil Engineering major, Grand Rapids, Michigan – third place International Public Debate Association Varsity Speaker
Shaylyn Rice, junior Mass Communications major, Birmingham, Alabama – second place Poetry Interpretation, second place Dramatic Interpretation, Top Novice Dramatic Interpretation, fifth place Programmed Oral Interpretation, first place Radio Broadcasting, Top Novice Radio Broadcasting
Aaron Walker, junior English major, Memphis, Tennessee – third place Poetry Interpretation
Tyler Kinloch, senior Aeronautical Engineering major, Canton, Michigan – fourth place Prose Interpretation, first place Dramatic Interpretation
Tyra Laster, junior Mass Communications major, Marietta, Georgia – second place Radio Broadcasting
Tyra Laster and Ashley Doxy, sophomore Biology and Chemistry major, Chicago – fourth place Duo Interpretation
Shaylyn Rice and Aaron Walker – first place Duo Interpretation, Top Novice Duo Interpretation
This was the second competition during February for the team, having earned 22 awards at the Jackson-Purchase Swing at Murray State University Feb. 6-8.
Award winners included:
Friday, Feb. 6 – National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament (NPDA)
Fifth place team sweepstakes in NPDA
Tyler Kinloch and Barbra Dudley – semifinalists in Novice NPDA
John Nix and Kevon Graves – quarterfinalists in Novice NPDA
Tyler Kinloch – fifth place novice NPDA speaker
Barbra Dudley, sophomore economics major from Indianapolis – eighth place Novice NPDA speaker
Saturday, Feb. 7 – MSU Swing
Third place Small School Sweepstakes
John Nix – fourth place Extemporaneous Speaking, first place Poetry Interpretation, sixth place Pentathlon Speaker
Shaylyn Rice – sixth place Poetry Interpretation
Kevon Graves – fourth place novice Extemporaneous Speaking
Sunday, Feb. 8 – Alumni swing
Second place Small School Sweepstakes
John Nix – fourth place Persuasive Speaking, first place Poetry Interpretation, sixth place Pentathlon Speaker
Tyler Kinloch – sixth place Dramatic Interpretation
Shaylyn Rice – first place Radio Broadcasting
Kevon Graves – third place Novice Impromptu Speaking, first place Novice Extemporaneous Speaking
Shaylyn Rice and Aaron Walker – fifth place Duo Interpretation
The TSU Forensics Team closed out the month attending the Rock & Roll Swing at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Feb. 27-March 1.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331
About Tennessee State University
With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.