Dr. Francesca Muccini, Dr. Regine Schwarzmeier and Dr. Cheryl Brown from the Department of Foreign Language gave a presentation March 23 entitled “Conversation Activities Outside of Class…Real and Imagined Excursions” at the Southern Conference on Language Teaching in Atlanta, Ga.
Belmont, Conexión Américas Recognized for Service-Learning Collaboration
Conexión Américas and Belmont University received the Outstanding Service-Learning Collaboration in Higher Education Award at the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education held in Hattiesburg, Miss. on March 21 – 23.
Tara Lentz, from Conexión Américas, was at the conference to receive the award along with Belmont representatives, Tim Stewart, director of service-learning, and Dr. David C. Julseth, professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Foreign Languages. This award is given to a team of practitioners, faculty and community partners who have demonstrated success in achieving a mutually beneficial collaboration that has successfully addressed a genuine community need. Conexión Américas received a plaque in recognition of their accomplishments, and $500 monetary contribution.
Each fall semester, Julseth has worked with Tara Lentz to place his Advanced Spanish students in service-learning events sponsored by Conexión Américas in order to give them opportunities to put their Spanish language skills to meaningful practice in support of the Nashville Hispanic community.
Conexión Américas was founded in 2002 to address “the challenges and opportunities created by recent demographic changes in our region as an increasing number of Latino families come to Tennessee in search for a better quality of life.” It was co-founded by José González who served as Executive Director until joining the faculty of the College of Business Administration at Belmont University on a full-time basis. He continues to serve on the staff as the Finance Director while Vice-President of Spiritual Relations, Todd Lake, currently serves on the Board of Directors.
Julseth Presents on the Topics of Social Media and Service Learning
Julseth presented his case study from the Belmont/Wagner Teagle Project. The presentation on “Social Media and Service-Learning: Using Technology to Enhance Reflection and Communication” shared the results from his course last fall, SPA 3100 Advanced Spanish I, that included an integrated service-learning component and the use of Twitter to promote reflection and communication among students, the professor, and community partners. He and his co-presenter, Jeffrey Harding from the University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education doctoral program, detailed the course and Twitter mechanics and discussed best practices for the uses of social media.
Several Belmont Faculty, Staff Attend Gulf Summit
Director of Community Relations Joyce Searcy coordinated the poster presentation “From Conflict to Collaboration: How One University Strengthened Its Relations with Its Neighbors.” English instructors Jason Lovvorn and Charmion Gustke presented “Transforming Voices Through Service-Learning: Personal Narrative, Community Partnership & Student Citizenship.”
Philosophy Student Presents Paper
Philosophy major Jonathan Soderholm, a senior, will present his paper, “An Investigation in Incommensurability” at the State University of New York at Oneonta’s 16th Annual Undergraduate Philosophy Conference on April 12-14. Soderholm’s paper explores the role of family through an analysis of both Confucius, characteristic of an eastern tradition, and Hegel, a western philosopher.
English-Writing Major Presents at Alpha Chi Convention
Rachel Worsham, a senior English-Writing major, presented at the 2012 Alpha Chi Super-Regional Convention that took place March 22 – 24 at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Md. The annual convention, which is held in a new city each year, centers around student presentations given by members of the Alpha Chi Honor Society. Collectively, members represent the top 10 percent of juniors, seniors, and graduate students from colleges and universities with participating chapters across the nation. Alpha Chi is the only honor society that is not major or discipline specific; thus, individual students present and compete in a myriad of categories ranging from Creative Writing to Molecular Biology.
Rachel was included in a group of six students representing various areas of academic study in Belmont University’s Alpha Chi chapter at this year’s convention. Presenting in the Creative Writing category, Rachel shared an excerpt from her memoir entitled potatochipbag, originally written for Dr. Amy Hodges-Hamilton’s Spring 2011 Creative Nonfiction course, which focused on writing and healing.
TABA Conference Hosted at Belmont
Dr. Annette Little, assistant professor of education, coordinated the Middle Tennessee TABA (Tennessee Association for Behavior Analysis) conference at Belmont University on March 27. The title was ABA Strategies that Work in Schools. Presenters were John Staubitz, metro teacher, Jessica Sellers, MNPS Sr. Applied Behavior Analyst and Behavior Support Team Lead, Brooke Shuster, MNPS Behavior Analyst and Behavior Support Team, Peter Beddow, Ph.D., Scarab Behavioral Health, and Lynnette White, Sr. Applied Behavior Analyst, Autism Team. Ninety-seven behaviorists, teachers, speech/language pathologists, teacher aides, college students, and parents attended the six-hour session.
U.S. Bank Chairman Shares Views on Ethics at Belmont
Richard K. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer of U.S. Bank shared his views on the importance of regulating ethical business behavior with Belmont students, faculty and Nashville business leaders on Monday, March 26.
Davis began his campus visit with a convocation lecture titled “Business Ethics & Responsible Banking Today” presented to students in Beaman A&B.
“Ethics can be learned now. What I can’t drill into your head is when a lot of people are doing little things wrong, you will want to draw the line on when it will end. You can draw the line in the sand now that you will adhere to as you begin practicing business,” he said.
Davis emphasized the need to create a business culture with consistent values and regular audits as the cornerstone to long-term success. He encouraged government regulation on ethical business practices, such as shareholder access and whistleblower incentives to promote honesty, integrity and transparency. He also summarized the evolution of corporate responsibility from 1919 to the present.
“Making money is not a bad thing, because capitalism is what got America where it is today, as long as you do it the right way with honesty,” Davis said.
Davis was recently recognized as the Banker of the Year by the American Banker and received the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership. U.S. Bank is the nation’s fifth largest commercial bank with $340 billion in assets. The company has more than 3,000 banking offices, 5,000 ATMs and 60,000 employees in 25 states. Each year, about 50 U.S. Bank employees face jail time for white collar crimes, he said. U.S. Bank is characterized as one of the “cleanest” and best managed megabanks today and does not make loans to munitions or pornography companies, among others that conflict with company values.
Alumnus Brad Paisley Establishes Endowed Scholarship for Curb College Students
Belmont University alumnus and multi Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artist Brad Paisley recently established an endowed scholarship at his alma mater. The Brad Paisley Endowed Scholarship will provide financial assistance for a deserving student with demonstrated need who is studying in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.
Paisley said, “I’ve often said that the best course of education for a young person wanting to pursue country music is to go to college at Belmont. I speak from experience. I wouldn’t be in any position to offer a scholarship if I had not gone to Belmont – this is the least I can do in appreciation.”
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher added, “I’ve heard Brad say that he ‘got his big break’ when he set foot on the campus of Belmont University, a place where he met fellow students who became members of what became ‘Team Paisley.’ Well, we’ve come full circle to realize that Belmont University and future students got our big break when Brad arrived on campus. We’re deeply grateful for his continued friendship and his commitment to making Belmont better than it was when he first found us.”
In 2003, Paisley received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Belmont. A 1995 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Paisley majored in music business at what was then the Mike Curb School of Music Business. During his Belmont career, Paisley himself benefitted from a scholarship supported by Vince Gill and has long been committed to “paying it forward” to another deserving student.
About Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley is the reigning Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year, his fifth consecutive, with a total of 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards including Entertainer of the Year for 2010. He has placed 20 singles at the top of the charts and his current album, This Is Country Music, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. He released his first book, Diary of a Player, on Nov. 1, 2011 and was on the New York Times Best Seller list for two weeks. His “Virtual Reality World Tour 2012” just completed its first leg and played to over 218,000 fans with 19 sell-outs. The tour continues on May 18 in St. Louis and continues through mid-October.
About the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business strives to combine academic experience with real world applications and seeks to achieve its mission by implementing innovative courses of study in the entertainment and music industries. Featured in Time, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Business Week, CEMB offers three degrees and four majors—a BBA in Music Business and a BA or BS in Audio Engineering Technology, Entertainment Industry Studies and Songwriting—and provides invaluable experiential learning opportunities like the Belmont East (New York City) and Belmont West (Los Angeles) programs, through which students expand their cultural experiences and career opportunities as they reside, learn, work and network. Coupled with entertainment internship opportunities available on and around Music Row, these programs augment students’ chances for entrepreneurial endeavors and career advancement.
West Memphis Three Member Visits Belmont
Jason Baldwin, one of the West Memphis Three, was on campus this week to share his story and newfound passions with Belmont faculty, staff and students.
Sentenced in 1994 for the murder of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, Baldwin and his two friends served over 18 years in prison. With the discovery of newly processed DNA, the trio was released in August of 2011 when they entered Alford Pleas stating their innocence while also noting that prosecution have enough initial evidence to sentence them as they did.
Baldwin’s message to his listeners was clear. While in jail he took the opportunity to work in the law library, learn as much as he could and appreciate all the time he had. He urges students to do the same.
Baldwin has also committed himself to a life working against the death penalty while also opposing forced confessions of individuals on trial and convictions of the innocent. In addition, he hopes to help juveniles facing a life sentence without parole.
Beginning his associate degree in April, Baldwin hopes to finish that program and work towards a law degree so he can continue his hopes of changing the legal system. He ended his convocation lecture by saying, “Every day is amazing. Every day is a blessing. I thank God for it.”
On Monday night, Baldwin was present for an on campus viewing of the 2012 Academy Award-nominated HBO documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. The film, along with its predecessors Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000), detail the story of the West Memphis Three and the trio’s ultimate release from prison. Together the films played a significant role in garnering publicity, awareness and support for the men.
Belmont Graduate Program Offers New Social Media Course
The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University began offering a new course this semester, “Social Media Marketing Strategies and the Recommendation Age,” which is believed to be the first graduate level course in social media to be developed in the Nashville area. The class is being taught by instructor Bob Hutchins, local author and owner of BuzzPlant, a marketing agency specializing in social media and online marketing.
Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Business Dr. Joe Alexander said, “We see Bob as a pioneer in the industry and believe he will greatly impact the learning experience of our MBA students.”
Hutchins noted, “I’ve spent 20 years working on marketing campaigns and strategies for clients, and only in the last five have I seen how great of an influence social media has on the business world. I’m proud to be involved with Belmont and help our rising industry leaders see the opportunities social media has to offer.”
As industries continue to cut back on marketing budgets, recent solutions have been anchored in the realm of social media. Hutchins defines this new era as the “Recommendation Age”—consumers are once again taking recommendations from their fellow consumers and having these conversations online.
Taught by a professional in the field, students receive relevant, authentic examples of what is happening in the social media field around Nashville. Hutchins brings examples from his own organization into the classroom for lectures. “It allows students to see real campaigns close up. It also allows me to share what worked, where we made mistakes and how we succeeded. This ‘hands-on’ approach makes the experience less academic and more real world,” he said.
Students are grateful for the experience to learn from such a professor. Kathleen Goff, a student in Hutchins’ class enjoyed the class so much she took an internship at BuzzPlant. She said, “I learned a ton about the impact social media can have and the ways in which you can track it. I was also fascinated by… learning about how important social media is to spur on communication and conversations between people about your product.”
For 25 years, the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University has been an avenue for practicing professionals to develop the tools and strategies necessary to advance in their careers. Acquiring an advanced business degree through practical, ethical and entrepreneurial coursework has facilitated the professional development of more than 1,800 business leaders in Nashville and beyond.
More Cloar : Carroll Cloar Art Exhibit Returns to Belmont University’s Leu Gallery
Curated by David Lusk, the Leu Art Gallery presents paintings, lithographs and drawings by the late Carroll Cloar April 2 – May 24 on the campus of Belmont University. The exhibit offers selections from the David Lusk Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee, and several Nashville area collectors.
A nationally recognized American painter, Cloar’s style has been described as simultaneously primitive and progressively modern. Drawing from his childhood memories of the American South, his compositions are grounded in reality but often evoke a dream-like quality making them difficult to categorize, but remarkable to contemplate. Belmont University previously hosted a Carroll Cloar exhibit, “Timeless Tales of the South,” in 2003.
Art historian and writer Dr. Richard Gruber will provide a guest lecture on Cloar at 4 p.m., Thursday, April 12 in the Lila D. Bunch Multimedia Hall followed by a 5-7 p.m. reception in the Leu Art Gallery. The event is free and open to the public. Gruber is active as an independent curator, art historian and writer, living in Asheville, North Carolina. He is also Director Emeritus of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, University of New Orleans, after serving as the Director of the Ogden Museum and a member of the University of New Orleans faculty from 1999-2010.
The Leu Art Gallery is located in the Lila D. Bunch Library on the campus of Belmont University. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m.-7 p.m. (with holiday exceptions). For more information and images of Carroll Cloar’s work, please visit http://davidluskgallery.com/artists/carroll.cloar/.
About the Belmont University Department of Art
Belmont University offers a wide variety of study options for students interested in the visual arts. The experienced faculty and well-equipped facilities help foster an environment where students are offered numerous opportunities to explore their creative talents. For more information, please visit their website www.belmont.edu/art.
