Population: 20,229

Percent Greek: 6.4 percent

Location: Corner of Tennessee and Main streets, Murfreesboro

Founded: In 1911 as Middle Tennessee Normal School. The school became an official state college in 1943 and a university in 1965.

Famous Alumni: George S. Clinton (Hollywood composer), Blake Chancey (vice president of Sony Music), Albert Gore Sr.

Notable Accomplishment: It's certainly not something the university is proud of, but a female employee accused President Sidney McPhee of sexual harassment last fall. While there were plenty of rumors that McPhee might be asked to resign, the Tennessee Board of Regents decided to suspend him for 20 days (over winter break, no less) and fine him $10,000.

I'm hungry, dammit. Where can I eat?

The Keathley University Center Grille is always packed during the middle of the day and features familiar favorites like Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Pizza Hut, as well as a better (although more expensive) selection than the usual assorted cafeteria foods. Stay away from the milk shakes at Freshen's, though, unless you like your dairy products chalky. The Cyber Café at Woodmore has the most aesthetically pleasing dining environment, with comfortable seating, low lighting and televisions interspersed throughout the restaurant. The Café's hours are only 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so you'll have to eat at a normal time if you want to eat there at all. Hint: if you want Subway, skip the Café and go to the bottom level of the James Union Building, where prices are nearly a dollar lower for sandwiches. By the way, if you're a freshman living on campus, you're required to have a meal plan. That means you'll probably be spending most of your time at McCallie Dining Hall, which uncoincidentally has the worst food on campus. If you can take quantity over quality, then you'll be fine.

Do I need a car? And where do I park?

You'll need a car, but you'll also need to get to class early. Contrary to most students' beliefs, MTSU does have enough parking spaces—they're just not all right next to your building. You can expect up to a 15-minute walk to class if you park in the far corners of campus, so the best bets are usually the Cummings Recreation Center and the Bell Road parking lots (if you get there early). You'll need to get a parking tag from Parking Services or from the Adult Services Center on the third floor of the KUC. You'll receive a green student tag unless you live in Scarlett Commons or Womack Lane, but don't dare try and park anywhere you're not allowed. Parking Services' cronies will swoop down like hawks and give you a ticket faster than you can say, "But I was only going to be here 10 minutes!" You can try to appeal any ticket, but your chances of getting off the hook are slim. To its credit, the Student Government Association has pushed to open more spaces during the evening, but that won't help you if you're looking for a space two minutes before your 9 a.m. class. Either buy an alarm clock or some good walking shoes.

What course or professor will change my life?

James Henry's Introduction to Regional Geography sounds like a class you would take as a high school sophomore, but Henry's love of travel and enthusiasm in the classroom makes the subject enjoyable. It also helps that he only makes you buy a $7 atlas. Social Dance with Angela Armstrong will survive the phys ed requirement cut because you get college credit for dancing. Armstrong gets everyone involved and encourages those who suffer from two-left-feet syndrome. Robert Spires, chair of the Electronic Media Communications Department, takes the friendly uncle approach to his classes by prompting thought-provoking discussions and then listening to his students as they argue and persuade among themselves. Nuria Novella teaches both Spanish and Italian with a Castilian flair and amazes her classes with her incredible knowledge of both foreign and American films.

What is the campus media like?

The most visible media source is Sidelines, the editorially independent student newspaper. It publishes three times a week and usually has a pretty good grasp of what's going on around campus and throughout Murfreesboro. The Record, the other campus publication, is distributed by MTSU News and Affairs and is more boosterish, but the paper does give a good idea of upcoming campus events.

This year's budget cuts eliminated Student Publications, meaning that, for the first time since the 1920s, the university won't have a student-produced yearbook. The cuts also meant the death of Collage, MTSU's only literary magazine, leaving a gaping hole in the campus's creative scene.

Electronic media at MTSU include two radio stations. There's the low-power WMST-88.3, which is completely student-run and features mostly indie rock. The 100,000-watt WMOT-FM 89.5 is located right next door in the Ned McWherter Learning Resources Center. WMOT is a public radio station that serves as the Nashville area's only jazz station and consistently wins national awards. The student television station, MTTV-Channel 10, runs Clarksville's PBS feed during the day and student programming at night, including a news broadcast and a variety of shows. Avoid any kind of comedy show, though, because they're just plain weird.

What about sports?

For a school its size, MTSU has surprisingly small support for its athletics teams. Part of that can be attributed to the large number of commuter students and the meager participation in Greek life on campus, but Sidney McPhee has taken an active role in athletics since arriving in 2001 in an effort to boost excitement about the Blue Raiders. Of course, it's difficult to get excited about a football team that has been 4-8 for the last two years, but the athletics department is currently launching a drive to sell out Floyd Stadium for the season opener. The recent announcement of a renewed contract with Vanderbilt could also spur added interest, especially if the Commodores visit Murfreesboro in the near future. The best teams are easily the women's basketball team, which defeated North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season, and the baseball team, which has made it to the postseason four of the last five seasons. The men's basketball team is also making great strides and could be a contender for its first NCAA tournament berth in 15 years. The latest step in the athletic program's growth is the newly-opened Emmett and Rose Kennon Hall of Fame, which opened with its first induction class of three former athletes in late July. By the way, admission to all sporting events is free to all MTSU students.

Where does everybody live?

MTSU's rapid growth has only exacerbated the school's age-old housing problem. There's only room for 3,500 students to live on campus, or roughly 17 percent of the school's population. So, apartment complexes surround the campus, luring students from their dorms with promises of pools and parties. The school is spending $22 million to renovate student housing, but that means rates will go up in the freshly painted buildings while the rest of the dorms continue to fall apart. Freshmen beware: as bad as Cummings and Corlew Halls look on the outside, they're even worse inside. Then there's all the trash that the environmentally unconcerned throw out their windows. The poor condition of campus housing and the "Subleaser Wanted!" ads posted all around campus lead many students to commute instead. That means worse traffic, of course, and a bit of a parking problem.

Why is one end of the campus so much nicer than the other?

You'll notice that the eastern side of the campus features newer buildings like the library and the Honors College, while the western side is comprised of old, drab edifices like Peck Hall and the aforementioned science buildings. What's more, the east side is built around the nicely landscaped Quadrangle, which features wireless Internet access and the MTSU seal in the middle of the courtyard. The west side has Peck Forest, which is made up of all the kinds of trees in Tennessee and has a few benches. Part of the difference is purely logistical: the eastern portion of the campus has the only open land left, so the university has naturally been growing in that direction. Private donors in business, communications and the recording industries have helped the students in those majors while the other majors have struggled. Consequently, there is a growing rift between these two sides that centers on contempt for the recording industry majors, whom most liberal arts students dismiss as wannabe rock stars. Only the Keathley University Center holds the two sides together as the hub for campus activity.

—By Colby Sledge

—By Colby Sledge