The American Bar Association recently published Belmont Law student Brandon Dragan’s legal short fiction “Advokat.” “Advokat,” which won the ABA Journal/Ross Writing Contest for Legal Short fiction, follows the story of an immigration attorney who learns a lesson about acceptance after advocating for a pro bono client in a life and death situation.
Dr. Andrew Michel, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University, has been named (alongside collaborators Dr. Jeffrey Bishop of Saint Louis University and Dr. M. Therese Lysaught of Loyola University Chicago) as a winner of the 2021 Expanded Reason Award for their co-authored book Biopolitics After Neuroscience: Morality and the Economy of Virtue.
This thesis-driven book rigorously critiques selected neuroscientific journal literature, via a genealogical approach, to expose deeply held philosophical assumptions that animate contemporary neuroscience’s attempt to scientifically ground morality in the brain. The project exposes the social and moral imaginary that shapes neuroscientific questions, especially the expanding neoliberal political economy that constructs the neo-liberalized human subject under a biopolitics of moral behavior.
The book concludes with a call for a humbler and more constrained neuroscience, informed by a more robust human anthropology that embraces the nobility, beauty, frailty and even failure of human beings as opportunities that necessitate social cohesion and the care of the least of these.
The project was funded by a grant awarded through the Science of the Virtues Project through the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Templeton Foundation. Biopolitics After Neuroscience: Morality and the Economy of Virtue will be published by Bloomsbury Academic Press and is expected for release in June 2022.
Associate Professor of Religion and the Arts Dr. Donovan McAbee recently published a memoir essay in The Christian Century titled “The religious door knockers are back.”
With a mix of playful humor and earnestness, McAbee addresses the phenomenon of door-to-door proselytizers, his own evangelical background and the feelings of loneliness the pandemic has engendered in so many. His essay reflects on the suspicion of strangers and on the breadth, depth and tenacity of God’s love.
“We’re all partial reflections of God’s image. So, I believe we can glean something of God from everyone we encounter,” McAbee explained. “My story tries to do this with humor, earnestness and grace, considering a variety of approaches to the Christian faith.”
Belmont’s Black Student Association, led by President Ashley Sawyers and Vice President Antionedra Maupin, started a new tradition this fall to connect with black faculty and staff on campus over a casual lunch. The first “Lunch on the Lawn” event was held on November 12 at Freedom Plaza where approximately 50 faculty and staff joined the group of students on one of the best fall days of the semester.
The Lunch on the Lawn provides an opportunity for Belmont’s black students, faculty and staff to meet and build connections. Each semester the Black Student Association will host the event to create a space for fellowship, food and fun. Sawyers explained the organization created the series to ensure “there is always a space for diversity to be included and welcomed on our beloved campus.”
Maupin said the group hopes to build community through the event. “We established this series so students and faculty and staff can get to know one another, for us to commune together and for faculty and staff to get more involved with our organization. With there always being new students and new hires at Belmont, it gives everyone a chance to know some people who look like them on campus,” she explained. “This event is a great way to learn about who all is here and who all is here for the students.”
BSA’s executive board works with Sodexo to curate a menu that includes several meal options ranging from sandwiches to salads. Upon the start of the event, everyone is free to mingle and network.
Sawyers said, “Especially after the pandemic distanced us from one another for so long, I wanted to be able to bring us closer (within safe standards). BSA’s goal for the event is to create a comforting space that encourages connection. We want everyone to feel as if they have somewhere and someone to help them thrive during their time at Belmont.”
Jennifer Duck, Belmont instructor of Journalism/Cinema, Television and Media, recently co-authored an article published in First Monday titled “Mapping the Messenger: Exploring the Disinformation of QAnon” with Darren Linvill, Matthew Chambers and Steven Sheffield.
The team analyzed message board content originating with the online persona “Q,” leader of the right-wing conspiracy community known as QAnon, and qualitatively placed all of Q’s messages into one of five qualitatively derived categories: allusion to hidden knowledge, undermining institutions and individuals, inspirational, administration and security, and call to action. Further analysis of how these categories are used by Q over time illustrates how the messaging evolved. Specifically, later Q messaging focused less on hidden knowledge and conspiratorial thinking and more on politics relative to earlier messaging. The team also notes what Q does not include in messages: very few direct calls to action are made to the QAnon community and no specific, direct calls for violent action. The journal discusses implications and future directions of research.
A twitter thread from Linvill helps summarize the team’s findings. Read more here.
“How Did We Get here? Nashville Surviving 2020,” the 32-minute documentary film created by a small group of Belmont students, was recently selected for the Switzerland International Film Festival, a festival for filmmakers of all skill levels. Although the film did not receive a win, the students were thrilled to be recognized internationally for their hard work.
The film chronicles the unique string of crises that struck Nashville in 2020 and touches on the fundamental question, “How did we get here?” The small crew had to pull the project off in just 13 weeks while navigating the new challenges of filming during COVID-19 and a limited budget. Read more about the crew’s process on a previous Belmont News story.
Complete crew bios and more explanation of the process for creating the documentary can be found on the film’s website, www.hdwghfilm.com.
Professor of Entrepreneurship Dr. Mark Schenkel was recently consulted as an expert, lending his thoughts and opinions to MoneyGeek’s “Funding Your Startup.”
In the article, Schenkel discusses how much capital one needs to get their business started, creative ways to finance a business, how to connect with and impress investors and advice for managing cash flow. Read the full article on MoneyGeek.com.
During the fall semester, four Belmont School of Music vocalists recorded background vocals for Morgan Wade’s rendition of “Santa Claus is Back in Town.” These students were Walker Burroughs (Lead), Sean Murphy (Baritone), Cody Somoano (Bass) and Chris Wiper (Tenor).
As the New Year rolls around, many students will be looking for a way to meaningfully contribute to the Nashville community. Luckily, Belmont University recently introduced a Habitat for Humanity chapter to campus, open to all students. Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization which works in local communities across the globe. Since the induction of the Belmont chapter in the Fall 2021 semester, the club began fundraising and was able to host a build day on October 10.
Build days are days in which members of the organization go into the community to help build houses. This past October, Belmont’s new chapter members went to Sherwood Common Townhomes, a living complex being built for future Habitat for Humanity homeowners. Volunteers worked with future habitat owners throughout the day, primarily helping put up siding on the townhomes.
“A typical build day is jam packed with things,” said Belmont student Sydney Goedde, president of the Belmont chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “Starting at 7 a.m. the professional builders, habitat employees and most importantly the people we are building the homes for introduce themselves. After that, each group is sent out to start working and is given safety instructions on how to work some of the power tools we use.”
Habitat for Humanity students at October 10 Build Day
All of the students who participated in the build day were striving to meet Habitat for Humanity’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Goedde says Habitat for Humanity is a club for all. “I believe anyone and everyone should join the Habitat chapter here at Belmont,” she said. “It’s a learning experience, helps broaden your horizons, you get to meet so many cool and selfless people. And most importantly, you’re helping the Nashville Community!”
The Habitat for Humanity chapter is just getting started. “Our ultimate goal is to raise money so our Belmont chapter can build a home for someone in need,” said Geodde. “Obviously this takes thousands of dollars and it will be a journey to get to that end goal, but we have faith and hope that sometime in the next 2 years we will be able to reach this goal. We have many ideas for fundraising that are in the early stages.”
In order to achieve this goal, next semester the club will be working the concessions stand at a few basketball games. All are welcome to volunteer and can get WELL-Core credit for doing so. For more information, contact Sydney Geodde via BruinLink.
Those interested in joining the Habitat for Humanity chapter can join on BruinLink. Interested students can also join the Habitat for Humanity group chat on GroupMe by direct messaging @BelmontHabitatforHumanity on Instagram or contacting Sydney Geodde via BruinLink.
Dr. Mike Voight, Professor in Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy, spent the last week traveling the country lecturing.
He began in Las Vegas at the 2021 International Orthopaedic Summit, one of the nation’s most premiere Orthopaedic meetings with more than 10 simultaneous tracks. This year, the International Society of Hip Arthroscopy partnered with OSET for their annual meeting. With over 1500 orthopedic surgeons and specialists in attendance, Dr. Voight gave seven presentations on various orthopedic topics. While there, he also gave a presentation to the Hip Arthroscopy Society on return to play guidelines following hip surgery.
From there, Dr. Voight traveled to Pennsylvania to give an all-day presentation to the medical staff of the Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball club. The topic was on movement assessment to recognize and prevent baseball injuries.
