A team of students in Dr. Bonnie Riechert’s Public Relations Campaigns class hosted a benefit concert on Friday, March16 to for nonprofit Art Feeds. With seven Belmont artists and bands playing at the concert, local food trucks and arts and crafts activities, the event was put on to raise awareness for the organization.

An organization devoted to using therapeutic art and creative education to help American and African children overcome traumatic events, Art Feeds is based out of Joplin, Mo. and serves over 1,400 children. The event offered information about the organization as well as a suggested donation for all attendees.

The campaigns course, required of all public relations majors, is designed to give students practical experience in the field. Faced with the task of choosing and researching an organization and planning and executing a campaign for that organization, student teams are able to practice what they have learned throughout their years of school.  Both the students and their organizations benefit from this project.

Riechert, associate professor of public relations and instructor of this semester’s course believes this is integral to the students’ education. “We believe this experience prepares our graduates to provide similar expertise to organizations throughout their career. The practical experience of doing a campaign, start to finish, cannot be matched by anything we could do in the classroom,” Riechert said.

Group members were excited to support a worthy cause while learning more about the career they hope to pursue. Senior member and public relations major Holly Newsome said, “I enjoy PR Campaigns because it is a class where I can not only build on what I’ve already learned, but I can actually apply what I’ve learned through making a campaign for a real life client.”

Belmont University Students in Free Enterprise are 18 among finalists for the 26th annual Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards.

SIFE is up for the Civic Volunteer Group Award, which recognizes representatives of civic, membership, congregation or non-corporate groups that volunteer together for a cause. Belmont SIFE works with local, national and international community partners to develop ethical and environmentally sustainable business models that create lasting economic and social change. Now in its seventh year of existence, Belmont SIFE has more than 40 students involved and has partnered with numerous Nashville organizations, including 147 Million Orphans, African Leadership and Magdalene/Thistle Farms.

Oasis Center – Middle School Teen Outreach Program and The Patient and Family Advisory Councils at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are the other finalists for the category. Hands On Nashville will announced the winners of six categories for outstanding volunteer in Middle Tennessee ceremony at the Marriott Cool Springs Conference Center in Franklin on April 10.

HCA/TriStar are presenters of the annual event, founded by Ford Motor Company. Some 105 individuals and organizations were nominated this year for the Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards.

The Mary Catherine Strobel Volunteer Awards are named in memory of the late Mary Catherine Strobel, known for her extensive and charitable efforts toward improving the lives of Middle Tennessee’s homeless, impoverished and less fortunate populations. The annual awards ceremony celebrates Strobel’s service and recognizes those who continue her legacy.

On March 19, Belmont’s Society of Physics Students presented a series of gameplay videos highlighting the different physics concepts involved in successfully playing the hit video game Portal 2.  Dr. Scott Hawley is the faculty advisor for this club.