Expert: Pop music trends keep carols out in the cold
   Every year around November, the season's deluge of holiday carols begins, with mall stores and radio stations playing the same limited repertoire for weeks on end. Why are holiday carols stuck in a time warp? "Since the late 1960s, pop music, which is the genre of Christmas songs, has moved from ballad-style, lyrical compositions to essentially dance music, where beat and simple chords with the most basic lyrics prevail," explains Georgia State University music history expert N. Lee Orr. "The style that would generate new Christmas songs cannot even make it into the arena of pop music. Dance music is not basically vocal, lyrical music, thus no new Christmas songs." For more, contact Orr, at 404-651-1725 or LeeOrr@gsu.edu.

Ethicist: Judge shouldn't buck the law
   The recent decision by an Alabama judicial ethics panel to remove Chief Justice Roy Moore from office for refusing to move a Ten Commandments monument has drawn both criticism and praise - and brought renewed fervor to the debate over separation of church and state. Despite the controversy, the decision is simply a vindication of the law, says Georgia State University philosophy professor Andrew Cohen. "The displays seem to be inappropriate uses of public space - they have the effect of promoting religion in a way that challenges the impartiality we expect of the judiciary under a rule of law," says Cohen, associate director of the Jean Beer Blumenfeld Center for Ethics. "There's also a serious question about whether it's an appropriate use of scarce public funds to defend such cases." For commentary on the issue's ethical dimensions, contact Cohen at 404-654-5815 or aicohen@gsu.edu.

Judging the war on terror
   The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two appeals early next year over whether hundreds of terrorist suspects in secret custody are being held illegally. This will be the first time the justices have reviewed the constitutionality of terror laws inspired by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The cases involve the overseas detention of about 660 men from 40 countries who are believed to be al Qaeda or Taliban fighters, some of whom have been detained for as long as two years at the U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "The Supreme Court decided to accept a very limited question -- whether U.S. courts have jurisdiction over detainees held overseas," says Georgia State University law professor Ellen Podgor. "But in ruling on who has jurisdiction, the court will be telling us what constitutional rights, if any, are afforded to the individuals being held at Guantanamo Bay. If it is determined that the U.S. courts have jurisdiction, then this could open the courtroom doors to various challenges by the detainees." Podgor believes the detainees deserve access to the justice system. For commentary, contact her at 202-994-9791 or epodgor@gsu.edu.

State governors likely to seek federal dollars for balanced budgets
   The nation's troubled economy has resulted in billions of dollars worth of state revenue shortages. The National Governor's Association predicts that total budget shortfalls among state governments will grow to $82 billion by 2004. Katherine Willoughby, a professor of public administration and urban studies at Georgia State University, has researched the plans outlined by governors in their "state of the state" addresses for meeting these fiscal challenges. In response to 2003 shortfalls, most governors used familiar budget-balancing strategies to manage their fiscal crises, such as instituting hiring freezes, delaying expenditures, raising taxes on items like alcohol and tobacco, and creating fees for state licensing and other services. With states still facing revenue shortfalls after implementing such measures, Willoughby asks, "What avenues are available for governors to bring about fiscal solvency in 2004?" Most governors now consider increased federal funding as the best fix for their budget shortfalls, and they are also willing to discuss the need for tax reform in their states, she says. These measures will not solve state budget problems in the short-term, however, she adds. Contact Willoughby at 404-651-4599 or kwilloughby@gsu.edu.

Happening at Georgia State University:

Holiday Iron Pour heats up the season
   Students and faculty Georgia State University's Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design will heat things up at their annual Holiday Iron Pour at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Edgewood Sculpture Studio (184 Edgewood Ave.). In its third decade, the spectacle of light and fire draws hundreds of spectators and artists each year. Attendees enjoy food and fun while learning about the metal-casting process by watching as artists and students pour thousands of pounds of iron into the studio's furnace, heat it to temperatures approaching 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and cast it into molds. A $5 donation is requested at the door. For more information, contact George Beasley, professor of sculpture, at 404-651-4227 or gbeasley@gsu.edu.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs free concert
   The Georgia State University School of Music's Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts (corner of Forsyth and Luckie Streets). The program will feature works by Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Dukas, Ives, Bernstein, Kozhevnikov and others. For more information, call the School of Music's concert information line at 404-651-INFO or visit www.music.gsu.edu.

Georgia State Leads: Business/Law is a quarterly e-mail tip sheet from the Department of University Relations. For more information about the publication, contact Beth Flannigan at 404-651-3576 or bflannigan@gsu.edu.

Don't see what you're looking for? Call University Relations at 404-651-3025 for fast access to faculty experts and university news. After hours and on weekends, contact Betsy Robertson, assistant director, via pager at 404-655-3456.

©2003 Georgia State University