The Belmont Pitchmen a cappella group won first place at semifinals once again and are moving on to finals in New York on April 18.
The Belmont Beltones took 3rd place and will be competing in the wildcard round by video submission for a chance to go to New York, as well.
Pitchmen also received two awards from the semifinal round. Wilson Smith won outstanding arrangement for the set, and Chris Wiper once again won best soloist for “I have nothing.”
Eight Belmont freshman perfected their presentation skills to a nationally competitive level before attending the Novice National Forensics Association Tournament March 6-8 at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Belmont placed 2nd overall out of 25 universities that competed.
Students competed in a variety of events including debate and public speaking as well as performances of literature. Of the 16 events, Belmont students took first place in 7 of the 16, nearly half of the national champions crowned at the tournament. The team also won the “quality award” which recognizes the school that had the highest percentage of success per entry, essentially making them the most effective competitors at the tournament.
When asked what brought their students such success this year, Ryan Greenawalt, director of individual events, explained that “these novices have worked harder than any first-year squad I have ever seen.”
And their time together has paid off in more ways than just competitive success. Freshman Luke Litz explained, “this weekend was the culmination of what has been an incredible year for our team. Competing with these guys is amazing. We’re all a big family.”
Varsity team members will be vying for their own national titles in April at the National Forensics Association tournament to be held at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
Below is a full list of awards earned by Belmont students at the tournament.
Matthew Davidson, a senior commercial music major, is currently working as the guitarist for Universal Music Group Nashville country artist Travis Denning. The from Shreveport, Lousiana native recently had the opporutnity to perform with Denning on “Today with Hoda and Jenna” on March 9.
View the “Today” performance here: https://www.today.com/video/travis-denning-performs-after-a-few-live-on-today-80327749644
Davidson is currently touring with Denning opening for Dustin Lynch, and the group will open for Sam Hunt this summer.
Dr. Scott Hawley, professor of physics, Dr. Wesley Allen Bulla, professor of audio engineering technology, and Belmont audio engineering technology alumus Paul Mayo were all recently cited by a journal article put out by the Audio Engineering Society (AES), published by Francis Rumsey.
About half of the full article, entitled “Modeling Audio Effects,” is devoted to the research done by this Belmont team.
A team of graduate students from the Master of Sport Administration program won the case study competition at the 2020 Applied Sport Management Conference, held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The four-member team consisted of Hannah Onken, Olivia Henley, Emily Howell and Jordan Rausch. They were advised by Assistant Professor of Sport Administration Dr. Adam Pfleegor.
Pfleegor praised his team by noting, “The students were excited about this opportunity and jumped right in, we are all proud they were able to win this competition for the second straight year!”
The competition consisted of developing a marketing plan for USA Wrestling, focused on increasing exposure and viability of women’s wrestling in the United States. In addition to the marketing plan, they presented their solution to a panel of expert judges at the conference where they scored high marks on thoroughness and creativity.
The Applied Sport Management Conference showcases sport industry research and aims to build strong connections between scholars studying sport and practitioners working in the sport industry.
On February 28-29, University Ministries engaged students in the annual Pathways Retreat. The annual retreat aspires to give students space to reflect on God’s purpose and calling for their lives. Led by Josh Ten-Haken Riedel, assistant director of spiritual development, the retreat took place at Lake Benson Christian Camp. A number of Belmont faculty and staff joined the retreat to lead small group discussion and engage thoughtfully with students.
During the retreat, students worked through a series of three sessions. In each session, Ten-Haken Riedel inspired students with a few prompting words before giving time for individual and group reflection. “Generally, I try to encourage students to think about their calling as more than their work and see it as God’s call to each of us to love one another in all areas of our lives,” he shared. “Then, I break it down into three parts – identity, gifts and community. Each of the three sessions on the retreat is an exploration of these parts and how they relate to our calling.”
Graduating senior Andrew Weaver said, “I really enjoyed this experience, especially in the midst of midterms. It helped me relax and escape the stress that occurs on campus during this time of year. As a senior, it was really great just to spend some time sitting down and reflecting on my identity, gifts and communities I’m involved in. The retreat helped me better understand how I impact the world around me and how to focus on what matters most.”
On February 27, Dr. Sabrina Sullenberger, professor of social work, and Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, professor of English, took students on a classroom excursion in Nashville with local nonprofit Open Table Nashville. The professors teach an Interdisciplinary Learning Community (ILC) called Trauma Studies, combining a social work course on human behavior and social environment with a writing course centered on trauma and resilience.
“Nashville isn’t the ‘it city’ for everyone. Being able to think about our privilege in the quiet space of a downtown church building, after hearing someone share their story of trauma and homelessness while seeing their resilience is powerful,” stated Dr. Sullenberger, a proud board member of Open Table Nashville. “I love the ability to take students on the immersion because they get to hear someone’s story in a context more powerful than a classroom.”
“I think one of the most exciting parts of the Interdisciplinary Learning Communities course structure is this ability for students to not only see the connection between two different disciplines but to also have the opportunity to go out into the community and engage with the material in a real, tangible way,” explained Dr. Hodges Hamilton. “The Open Table Immersion does just that, and I’m always so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about how we can move the theory of trauma and resilience into action.”
Students and faculty traveled to Church Street Park in downtown Nashville to meet Lindsey Krinks, a co-founder of Open Table Nashville. The nonprofit is an interfaith homeless outreach organization that disrupts cycles of poverty, journeys with the marginalized and provides education about issues of homelessness.
Stepping off the bus, students were guided through an urban immersion tour led by Krinks. She gave shocking statistics about homelessness in Nashville and shared success stories of securing housing for friends on the streets. Krinks invited her dear friend Brian Jones to share his own story of homelessness and the journey to housing. His story of trial and resilience touched the hearts of students and faculty.
Freshman McKenzie Martin shared, “When I met Brian, it was evident that he was love, service and courage personified. Despite the trials he’s survived, Brian actively seeks ways to help others. In a world so often consumed by selfishness, he’s willing to lend a hand, a snack and even a hug to all he encounters. Through the immersion, Brian taught me that leading a life of love has the power to conquer all. I left the trip immensely inspired to be a light to those around me, just like Brian.”
Belmont University’s ILC links two courses by the same topic or issue, showing students that all the various academic disciplines are interconnected. The instructors teaching the course work collaboratively to explore a connection between the two disciplines.
Alumna Claudia Christensen graduated from Belmont in May 2019 and had a powerful experience with a similar ILC, including the same writing course paired with a sociology course focused on social problems. She said, “My ILC completely changed my plans, my heart and my life. After falling in love with the course materials, I switched my major to sociology and added a writing minor. Through engaging with the community, performing sociological research and writing my own story, I was able to fully understand the power words have to transform and heal. My ILC was one of the most important pieces of my education at Belmont, and I will forever be grateful that I had the privilege to be a part of something so special.”
On February 18, Josh Ten-Haken Riedel, assistant director of spiritual formation, and faculty from the College of Health Sciences and Nursing and the College of Pharmacy, hosted an event focused on spirituality and occupational wellness. The overarching theme of the event was compassion fatigue.
“The conversation about compassion fatigue is one critical aspect of integrating faith and work,” shared Riedel. “We are called by God to love and serve those in need, but are also called to honor our human limitations. This program was designed to help students better navigate the complexities of working in the healthcare and helping professions.”
Keynote speaker Dr. Douglas Crews, assistant professor of social work, kicked off the event with an overview of compassion fatigue before beginning breakout sessions. He explored the importance of self-care and discussed the warning signs of compassion fatigue, as well as healthy responses.
Breakout sessions included smaller groups honing in on more specific aspects of self-care and compassion fatigue. Dr. Crews led a session on developing a personalized self-care plan with attendees. Dr. Tamara Lemmonds and Dr. Allison Koch from the School of Occupational Therapy dove into the importance of caring for the caregiver. Riedel led a group in spiritual practices as self-care. Guest speaker Katherine Zambardi guided a session on how to create a nourishing environment for self-care.
With more than 90 attendees including students, faculty, community members and alumni, the event was a huge success. Riedel explained, “This program is part of an ongoing initiative between College of Health Sciences and Nursing, College of Pharmacy and University Ministries to explore how Christian faith and spirituality shapes the work of professionals in healthcare and other helping professions. We believe a central aspect of the Belmont education is preparing our students to thoughtfully integrate their faith into their work.”
On Saturday, February 29, 30 Belmont occupational therapy students volunteered their time to help facilitate an interactive food experience for dozens of preschool children. The children and their families are part of a Nashville community group for parents of multiples, and the event was created and hosted by Sprocket Therapy.
Occupational therapist and clinic owner Barb Talbert designed a preschool “cooking school” with the idea of introducing children from a young age to various nutritious foods through play-based food-prep experiences.
The children engaged in various food stations to create edible, preschool-sized snacks and drinks. Belmont occupational therapy students led the food stations and helped to ensure each participant was successful.
Third year physical therapy students Cailey Daluga, Austin McCarthy, Chris Mungia and Megan Howard presented their research on the “Impact of Functional Decline on Sleep in Patients with ALS” at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections’ national meeting in Denver, Colorado.
This research was conducted with Penny Powers MS, PT, ATP at the Vanderbilt ALS clinic with Renee Brown, PT, PHD as the faculty advisor.
