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The Student News Site of Middle Tennessee State University

MTSU Sidelines

The Student News Site of Middle Tennessee State University

MTSU Sidelines

The storefront of Steered Stright Too Furniture and Thrift. Photo courtesy of Steered Straight Too Furniture and Thrift. 

Top 3 thrift spots in Murfreesboro

Kerstie Wolaver, Lead features reporter August 23, 2025
Sidelines' reveals our top three thrift stores in Murfreesboro.
Festival-goers gather for a performance at the What Stage during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Dusana Risovic, courtesy of Bonnaroo)

Bandanas, cowboy boots and an Infinity Stage: What’s new at Bonnaroo 2025?

Sidelines staff June 6, 2025
All things new at 2025 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.
A Middle Tennessee State University College of Media and Entertainment student films a performance at the 2024 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of James Cessna/MTSU News.

Bonnaroo 2025: MTSU students go all-in on The Farm

DeAsia Powell, Reporter June 6, 2025
From broadcasting the festival on Hulu to mixing the sound for live shows, MTSU students work tirelessly behind the scenes of the four-day Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
Luis Mata poses for a .5 selfie with a group of supporters in La Vergne, Tennessee, on Oct. 20, 2024. (Photo by Shauna Reynolds)

‘One door at a time’: Luis Mata’s young staffers push to flip a Tennessee House seat

Shauna Reynolds, Features editor October 28, 2024
On a hot Sunday morning, 44 days before the November election, Tennessee State House candidate Luis Mata gathered with volunteers and staff at a local park. Again.  Mata and his team are strikingly young. Young volunteers, young staff, young candidate. What they lack in age, they compensate for with determination. 
Evan Scandrett, an audio production major at MTSU, recently used an artificial intelligence tool, Chat GPT-4, to write a song. He was impressed, for the most part. Photo by Isabella Gutierrez

MTSU student cowrites song set in El Paso with ChatGPT-4

Kailee Shores October 13, 2023

Featured Photo by Isabella Gutierrez Story by Isabella Gutierrez At 4 a.m. on Friday, September 15, Evan Scandrett was tired. He sat in a dark soundproof recording studio, padding covering the walls....

Breaking Barriers: How Middle Tennessee women are reshaping male-dominated tattoo industry

Breaking Barriers: How Middle Tennessee women are reshaping male-dominated tattoo industry

Sidelines February 19, 2019

Photo courtesy of unsplash.com Story by Allison Borrell / Contributing Writer The tattoo industry has long been a male-dominated field, but women across the country and in Nashville have been reshaping...

Simply Pure Sweets bakery gives young entrepreneur, world class chef her spark back

Sidelines November 23, 2016

Photos and story by Jeffrey Harrell/ Contributing writer "Ding, ding," the timer sounds, signaling the first batch of blueberry muffins are done. Chantell Kennedy-Shehan resets her timer for another...

House Shows: Murfreesboro’s DIY scene keeps independent music alive

CIM Digital April 27, 2016

Photo by Olivia Ladd Hiding away in the basements, living rooms and backyards of Murfreesboro rental homes is one of the most progressive, tight-knit yet expansive artist communities in the country: the...

SLF 2016: Author Ann Patchett on her inspirations and journey

CIM Digital March 30, 2016

"I didn't want short stories; I wanted to write a novel," said award-winning novelist Ann Patchett, the keynote speaker for this year's Southern Literary Festival. Speaking to the crowded Student Union...

SLF 2016: Songwriter Nathan Bell on characters, propaganda and Taylor Swift

CIM Digital March 30, 2016

With his straightforward lyrics and everyman persona — the kind of guy who wrinkles every shirt he puts on — Nathan Bell is an accomplished Iowa songwriter, relocated to the Volunteer State in 1991....

Mayday’s Mantra: ‘Love the people, love the beer’

CIM Digital February 4, 2016

Photo by Meagan White // Staff Photographer In the far end of an old warehouse on Old Salem Road resides an artsy chaos of fresh suds and live music. Opening the door to Mayday Brewery reveals to you...

Creative Connections: MTSU reaches the world in a very special way

CIM Digital January 25, 2016

Photo submitted by Lori Kissinger A young man with severe autism can barely speak in conversation, yet he takes the stage confidently to sing along with Josh Turner at the Grand Ole Opry. A dance group...

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