There’s a threat to safety in Wilson, MPAC, Heron, Wright & Maddox. Please exit these areas in an orderly fashion. Curb Event Center and Beaman Student Life Center are open. A text message update will be sent when we have new details to share. In addition, exams scheduled for 2, 5 and 7 p.m. will continue, and new locations for exams in the above mentioned buildings will be posted shortly.
Jeff Jenkins, Josh Johnson Receive Rave Reviews on ‘The Voice’
Belmont student Jeff Jenkins and alumnus Josh Johnson have both advanced from the blind auditions on NBC’s new highly rated reality competition, “The Voice.”
Hosted by Carson Daly, “The Voice” features four celebrity coaches: Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Each coach chooses eight singers to mentor during the blind auditions, where the judges cannot see the contestants. If a judge likes the contestant’s voice, he or she pushes a button to select the singer. If more than one coach presses the button, the contestant gets to choose their mentor.
Jenkins, a communication studies major and music business minor, is currently enrolled as a senior at Belmont, and he was the first contestant to be selected by all four judges. He decided to compete on Levine’s team. His audition song, “Bless the Broken Road” (Rascal Flatts, Selah), has broken into the Top 200 singles on iTunes. Furthermore, Jenkins has broken into the Top 30 Country Songs on iTunes. Despite competing on the show, Jenkins was in Nashville last week for advising. Dr. Mary Vaughn, chair of the communication studies department, said, “Jeff has such a big heart and loads of talent. He has wanted an opportunity like this for as long as I’ve known him, and I couldn’t be more pleased for him!”
Jenkins wrote on “The Voice” blog, “The blind audition was not only nerve-racking for me because of the fact that I was about to be singing in front of four of the most prominent figures in music, but it was also going to be the first time I performed since my mother passed away. I knew once I stepped on that stage that this performance was a little different.”
Alumnus Josh Johnson, competing with his wife Nicole as part of the duo Elenowen, performed “Falling Slowly,” the Academy Award-winning song from the film Once. Johnson, an Entertainment Industry Studies major, graduated from Belmont in 2010. Since their television debut, Elenowen’s 2010 debut album, Pulling Back the Veil, has cracked the Top 5 Top Singer-Songwriter Albums chart on iTunes. Elenowen was selected by celebrity judges Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, and they chose to join Shelton’s team.
During Round 2 of the competition, which begins next week, the judges cut their teams from eight to four singers. Starting in June, the Top 16 contestants start performing live, and viewers will vote for their favorites. The winner receives $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Republic.
Sociology Class Celebrates Spring Graduation at Correctional Complex
Andi Stepnick’s (Sociology) restorative justice class celebrated their spring graduation at the Charles Bass Correctional Complex on April 28. This course creates a unique partnership between prisoners, prison officials, college students, local congregations and community groups. This semester’s class, which had nearly 55 students, was a collaborative effort with the American Baptist College, Belmont University and the prison. Stepnick facilitated the class along with Rev. Janet Wolf of American Baptist College and Ms. Glenda Lingo of Parents in Prison.
The program is part of the national Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program created by Lori Pompa through Temple University and the Lifers Group in Graterford Prison. As their brochure explains, “Inside-Out was established to create a dynamic partnership between institutions of higher learning and correctional systems, in order to deepen the conversation about and transform our approaches to issues of crime and justice.”
This semester half of the students came from inside the prison and half were from the outside (including a few community members). Students from sociology, social work, communication studies, social entrepreneurship, nursing, religion and psychology participated in the program. Many students who have taken the class have gone on to do internships or obtain jobs at Dismas House, Christian Women’s Job Corps and the Next Door. Of the class one student commented, “This program has been transformative for me. I have made lifelong friends and have a completely different view of the ‘justice’ system of America and now long to be a part of changing it.”
To learn more, visit www.trionashville.com and www.InsideOutCenter.org.
Bacon, Schneider Present at TSU
Nick Bacon and Patrick Schneider (Sport Science) presented a lecture to the graduate students in Physical Therapy at Tennessee State University titled “Exercise: It’s never too late to start.” The presentation focused on the benefits of aerobic exercise and resistance training for the older population.
Belmont Launches Entertainment Industry Solutions Think Tank, ‘Pipeline’
Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business (CEMB) announces the launch of Pipeline, an entertainment industry solutions think tank that identifies Belmont’s best and brightest students and charges them with developing cutting edge concepts and solutions and influencing the entertainment and music industry through their creative capital.
“The Pipeline project exemplifies Belmont’s commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial thinkers who seek positive change and growth through engagement with and service to the Nashville community,” said Belmont University President Dr. Bob Fisher.
CEMB Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Sarah Cates added, “We believe that Belmont students can be at the heart of creative solutions for the entertainment industry, and we are excited to encourage the next generation of innovators.”
Pipeline will provide a select group of elite undergraduate students an opportunity to engage in an innovative project alongside a project advisor and be devoted to open dialogue, research and analysis of industry issues over the course of the summer. Nine students will receive summer stipends and funds for research supplies and/or other project expenses. Pipeline students will present their work and findings at informative meetings with industry partners and at Belmont faculty meetings.
After an extensive application and interview process, the inaugural Pipeline team has been selected:
Josh Cypher, a junior Audio Engineering Technology major and Entrepreneurship minor
Chase Geiser, a freshman Audio Engineering Technology and Philosophy double major
Kevin Grosch, a junior Songwriting major
Eric Guroff, a sophomore Entrepreneurship major and Music Business, Production minor
Ross Hill, a sophomore Music Business and Entrepreneurship double major
Jessica Pangrazio, a freshman Public Relations major and Music Business minor
Kyara Rafferty, a junior Music Business major and Mass Communications minor
Margaret Shehan, a senior Music Business major
Gia Vangieri, a senior Entertainment Industry Studies major and English Writing minor
Assistant Professor of Entertainment Industry Studies Sarita Stewart, who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Mass Communication with a specialization in Entertainment Media and a cognate in Statistics, will oversee the Pipeline think tank. Her research interests lie in the areas of music consumption and branching out into sub-streams, including video games, social media, and mood management studies.
B The Word Represents Belmont at YouthSpeak Competition
Several members of Belmont’s B the Word spoken word group represented Belmont at YouthSpeak Nashville’s Mid South Grand Slam Finals in April. Freshman Keayana Robinson, an entrepreneurship major, won first place in the 18-22 division, while sophomore Levi Gordon, an audio engineering technology major, placed second, and Amy Ashida, a sophomore double major in entrepreneurship and music business, placed third. The contest featured Mid South poets, emcees and spoken word artists competing to represent the region at the national competition in Chicago. Other B the Word participants included: Hayden Coleman, Taylor Preston and Nina Nwofina. Belmont placed second overall in the college team finals.
Belmont, Edgehill, Metro Parks Celebrate Grand Opening of Rose Park
$10 million renovated facility opens with ribbon cutting, community dinner, baseball doubleheader
Belmont University, the Edgehill community and the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation joined together today to celebrate the Grand Opening of the newly renovated E.S. Rose Park and Sports Complex. Following a rainy morning, the skies cleared, and park festivities began at 4 p.m. with the first of a doubleheader Belmont baseball match up vs. Murray State along with kids’ activities, music and a complimentary dinner. Click here to see photos from the event.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean participated in the official ribbon cutting ceremony along with Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher, Mike Strickland (Belmont Athletics), Deborah Washington (E.S. Rose family representative), 13-year-old Mekia Morrow (Rose Park Magnet School, Lighting the Path), 11-year-old baseball player JJ Mercer (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), Marty Dickens (Belmont Board of Trustees), Tommy Lynch (Metro Parks), Vincent Campbell (Pastor, Kayne Avenue Baptist Church), Erica Gilmore (District 19 Council member) and Rev. Michael Broadnax (Pastor of Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church).
An innovative, shared facilities concept between Belmont University and Metro Parks, E.S. Rose Park and Sports Complex features several state-of-the-art athletic venues, which will ultimately include: a 750-seat synthetic turf baseball field; a 250-seat natural grass softball field; a new 300-seat track; soccer facilities with synthetic turf for safety and speed; a walking track; relocated basketball courts; and a single-story 5,150-square-foot center providing team locker space and concession stand.
Mayor Dean said, “This is a great example of a public private partnership that benefits everyone involved. Through this partnership we were able to do more with this park than we would have been able to do alone, and Belmont gets a facility close to the school to play their games. As we work to make Nashville a healthier city, places like this help make it easier for people to live more active lives and that is truly what makes projects like this one so important.”
Dr. Fisher added, “Today represents a significant moment in the history of Belmont University and our ongoing relationships with both the city of Nashville and our campus neighbors. All of our students, faculty and staff recognize the incredible opportunities that come with the long-awaited grand opening of E.S. Rose Park. This facility not only provides our student-athletes and fans a beautiful new home field, but this Metro Park offers immense potential for Belmont University to more deeply connect with and serve our community partners, local schools and neighborhood children.”
Belmont University is investing more than $10 million in the park and will make annual lease payments of $50,000 to provide support to the surrounding schools as well as support the programming for youth and seniors at the Easley Center. Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation will own and control the scheduling of E.S. Rose Park and Sports Complex and its improvements. In addition to its athletic offerings, a Thor Guard Lightning Prediction System has been installed in the park, which will be activated from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Thor Guard predicts the probability of lightning hazards in an area up to 25 square miles and provides a specific reading of the risk in the immediate area, allowing park users ample time to take cover in the event of dangerous weather conditions.
The renovated E.S. Rose Park facility also promotes new and improved collaborations between the Easley Center, the Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation facility located in the park; Carter Lawrence Elementary School; Rose Park Middle School; local neighborhood organizations; and nearby Belmont University.
Following the ribbon cutting and before the start of the second baseball game, Belmont alumnus Larry Stewart (’83) sang the national anthem. Stewart, the lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist for Restless Heart, attended Belmont on a baseball scholarship. Former Metro Councilman Ludye Wallace, who was instrumental in the community-university collaboration in Rose Park and was also a college baseball player, threw out the ceremonial “first pitch” of the game to 11-year-old Leland Wilhoite from Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. In front of a crowd of 1,207 fans for the grand opening, the Belmont baseball team (26-21) split the non-conference doubleheader against Murray State.
Community groups and sports leagues interested in booking the Rose Park fields, should call Metro Parks’ Sports Department at (615) 862-8400 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and noon, Tuesday through Friday. Only the completed fields will be available for scheduled use until all construction is finished and the fencing is removed, which is anticipated to occur mid-May.
About Metro Parks
Metro Parks offers a variety of parks and recreational facilities and programs throughout Davidson County. Currently, there are 115 parks on over nearly 11,000 acres of land. The department manages 7 municipal golf courses, a marina, 23 community centers, 8 swimming pools, 2 spray parks, a wave-action pool, a premiere skate park, four nature centers, four historical properties and more. It is the department’s mission to provide every citizen of Nashville and Davidson County with an equal opportunity for safe recreational and cultural activities within a network of parks and greenways that preserves and protects the region’s natural resources.
Clark Buckner Joins the Ring of Phire
Clark Buckner, a member of Alpha Tau Omega at Belmont, was selected to join the Ring of Phire, an undergraduate team of “recruitment experts.” While serving on his chapter’s recruitment committee last fall, Clark helped to bring in the biggest new member class in the history of Belmont. Now in his current role as chapter Vice President, Clark brings leadership experience to the Ring of Phire. Clark has contributed guest blogs to Phired Up in the past and is a welcome addition to the team.
The Ring of Phire started in 2010 and has spawned active Twitter and Facebook accounts that work to deliver the messages of Phired Up through the eyes of undergraduate fraternity men and sorority women. The Ring of Phire makes itself available to students across the country who may be struggling with their recruitment efforts and would like to look to peers for advice and guidance.
Pharmacy Student Selected for Internship With Johns Hopkins
Chenette Burks, a first year student at Belmont’s School of Pharmacy, was selected for a position in the Johns Hopkins Pharmacy internship program in Baltimore. Students from all over the country applied for this well-respected internship, and 15 students were chosen. Burks will be working as a pharmacy intern in the Central Pharmacy at Johns Hopkins from June until August of this year. This internship provides additional opportunities to shadow pharmacists and pharmacy residents working in various specialties, participate in Journal Clubs and develop projects that will be presented to the Department of Pharmacy.
PR Students Recognized at Nashville PRSA Parthenon Awards
Five Belmont students and graduates received Awards of Merit last week at the Parthenon Awards, the yearly awards ceremony of the Nashville chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The student group, including Joseph Norris (Dec. ’10), Bethany Nelson (May ’10), and seniors Allison Hurst, Jason Weidman and Sarah Norton, were recognized for their PR campaign, “Belmont Census Week: It’s In Our Hands,” a project designed to raise awareness in the Belmont community about the 2010 U.S. Census.
“This award recognizes an excellent public relations campaign by the Belmont student team,” said Bonnie Riechert, director of the public relations program. “The campaign was well researched, strategically planned and skillfully executed, demonstrating effective communication on behalf of the U.S. Census Bureau.” The campaign was implemented in February 2010 and included several campus convo events.
Two other Belmont students, senior Kate Burns and sophomore Katie Siklosi, were also recognized at the Parthenon Awards and received the two 2011 Nashville PRSA Young Professionals Scholarships, recognizing them for their academic achievement, commitment to public relations and their internship experience. The scholarship is open to members of the Public Relations Student Society of America, which has area chapters at Belmont University, Lipscomb University, Middle Tennessee State University, Austin Peay University and Western Kentucky University.
