Elyse Luray, one of the stars of PBS’s “History Detectives,” spoke at Belmont Wednesday on “A Behind the Scenes Look at the TV Series ‘History Detectives.’”
“History Detectives,” which is in its eighth season on PBS, revolves around four experts who conduct investigations to determine the historical significance of folklore, antiques, family heirlooms and everyday objects. Luray said the experts try to explore items “that show a larger window into American history.” She revealed that about 90 percent of the show’s investigations come from viewer submissions.
“Open your eyes to what you have right at your doorstep,” Luray advised the audience.
Luray has personally conducted more than 50 investigations for “History Detectives.” She has examined a coin shot by Annie Oakley, a piece of Amelia Earhart’s plane, the sunken S.S. Portland and a silver cup from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Luray then described the research process used by the show, encouraging the audience to become their own history detectives. The process revolves around five steps: First, journal everything you know about the object and include items, theories and checklists. Second, examine the object, looking for markings, signatures or anything distinctive. The third step is to research the object; however, Luray advised against relying on the Internet. “Primary resources are the most important thing when you are doing research,” she said. Unfortunately, popular Web sites like Google and Wikipedia do not generally provide primary sources. Luray prefers using libraries and archives. The fourth step is interviewing experts, librarians or any other person who may know more than you do. Finally, the history detectives conduct experiments on their items to determine how old they really are.
Luray graduated from Tulane University with a degree in art history and worked at Christie’s Auction House in New York where she appraised the props from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the “Star Wars” films. She handled the auctions of possessions of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Steven Spielberg, Bob Marley and Marlon Brando. She also auctioned off a pair Judy Garland’s ruby slippers. Luray was a consultant on “Antiques Roadshow” before joining the cast of “History Detectives.”
Luray Offers Advice on Being a ‘History Detective’
Overton High School Comes to Belmont
On Sat., Jan. 23, Overton High School students and faculty were guests of Belmont, through the Pencil Partner program, at the ETSU basketball games. Everyone enjoyed the games, and the students had fun hiding behind their Bruiser masks. Several Belmont departments worked together to make this event possible. The Belmont Athletics Department donated the tickets and Bruiser masks, the Bookstore offered a half-time door prize gift, and the Department of Education worked with Overton on the publicity, distributing ticket vouchers and tickets.
Minister Recounts Memories, Lessons from Haiti
Woodmont Christian Church Children’s Minister Trey Flowers was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti before, during and after the earthquake that devastated the island nation on Jan. 12. This morning he shared his experiences and his perspective with students gathered in Neely Dining Hall as part of the Spiritual Development Speaker Series.
Flowers and seven other Woodmont members were part of a mission team that was working in orphanages and schools prior to the earthquake, and he emphasized the extreme poverty and need present in Haiti before this latest disaster. He recounted how one orphanage visited by he and his team consisted of only three small rooms but housed 40 children and possessed only one-third of a bag of grits to feed the entire group. “The people of Haiti are strong, resilient and compassionate,” he said, but he is haunted by the knowledge that now, “Every one of those children we met are either trapped in the rubble or are living out in the street… Even when the news coverage ends, the need will not.”
In addition to his work at Woodmont Christian, Flowers is a student at Vanderbilt University, where he is pursuing a Master in Divinity concurrently with a Master in Public Policy. Flowers commented that, due to the nature of his work and his education, he thinks about God all the time. Yet it was through the people in Haiti that he began to see what it means to have faith in the middle of a crisis.
“The night after [the earthquake] was so scary. During the aftershocks you could literally hear two million people screaming at once. But then every single time, after the aftershock ended, we would also hear them singing, singing songs to God.”
Belmont President Selected 2010 Nashvillian of the Year
Easter Seals Tennessee Names Dr. Bob Fisher This Year’s Recipient
Easter Seals Tennessee announced Tuesday the 2010 Nashvillian of the Year recipient, Belmont University President Dr. Robert (Bob) Fisher. Easter Seals CEO, Susan Armiger, Board Member Samuel Howard and previous Nashvillian, Aubrey Harwell, Jr., made the announcement at the traditional Hall of Honor Reception hosted by previous Nashvillian of the Year honorees at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce office.
Fisher will be honored at the 17th annual Nashvillian of the Year Celebration on the evening of April 20 at the Hilton Nashville Downtown. Event proceeds benefit Easter Seals Tennessee, an organization dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities live with greater independence.
Since 1993, the Nashvillian of the Year award has been given to Nashville’s notable leaders who best exemplify the qualities of leadership that ensure that Nashville continues to be a better place to live. Each year past honorees select the recipient of the Nashvillian of the Year award using criteria including individual contributions to the community, philanthropic causes and business leadership. Past recipients include E.W. “Bud” Wendell, Burton Hummell, General William G. Moore, Jr., Owen G. Shell, Jr., Cal Turner, Jr., Samuel H. Howard, Craig L. Leipold, Governor Phil Bredesen, Jack Vaughn, Amy Grant, Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr., Kitty Moon Emery, Clayton McWhorter, John Seigenthaler, Judy Liff Barker, Howard Gentry, Buddy Killen, Orrin Ingram, Richard Eskind, Mike Curb, Monroe Carell, Jr. and Nelson Andrews. For information on attending this year’s Nashvillian of the Year Celebration on April 20th, 2010, contact Tracy Anthony at 292-6640 x147 with Easter Seals Tennessee.
School of Music Commercial Music Showcase Features Best of the Program
The Belmont University School of Music presented the 18th Annual Commercial Music Showcase yesterday in Massey Concert Hall. The free, one-hour concert featured the best solo performers, arrangers, instrumentalists, background vocalists and crew in the Commercial Music Program. In September, 45 students auditioned on the first of two nights of try-outs in front of a diverse group of music industry professionals for one of the coveted four showcase spots. Ten students were called back for the second night of auditions. Below are the four students who were selected to perform with a short bio on each one:
Noel Barefoot: For a traditional country music fan, the Commercial Music Showcase helped Noel realize a personal goal: standing in the circle on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. After being selected, the Commercial Music Showcase students are taken to the Opry for a recording session. Noel will graduate in May with a degree in commercial music with an emphasis in performance. After graduation she plans to marry her high school sweetheart and continue working towards her goal of recording music and performing at the CMA Awards.
Joshua Eric Wright: Before coming to Belmont University, Josh had never performed outside of church in Celeste, Texas. When he graduates in May with a degree in commercial music with emphases in music business, songwriting and performance, Josh will have many performance, recording and songwriting honors to go along with his degree. As the youngest member of the Nashville Choir, Josh was part of the recording of Michael W. Smith’s Dove Award-winning Christmas album, It’s a Wonderful Christmas. The choir just recorded the music for an upcoming Disneyland attraction, The World of Color. In 2007, Josh performed with Steven Curtis Chapman as part of the Belmont Writer’s Showcase. He was also selected to represent Belmont songwriters at the opening of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Aashley Morgan: While in high school in Maysville, Ohio, Aashley was a member of a show choir that won nine grand championships. Since coming to Belmont University Aashley has continued to perform a variety of musical styles as a member of Belmont’s choreographed shochoir, Company and for the past two summers she has performed five shows a day as a member of Showstoppin at Six Flags Great America in Chicago. Aashley has a demanding schedule as a junior music major, double majoring in commercial music with a music business emphasis and in music education. Her plans for the future include continued work as a performer, and she will follow those opportunities whether they lead her to concert halls, arenas or Broadway.
John Flanagan: John selected Belmont University for its music program but started here as a communications major. After performing in the Pop/Rock Showcase his freshman year, he changed his major to become a double major in English and commercial music with a performance emphasis. Growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire, John developed his larger-than-life stage presence through his childhood love of Disney musicals and through high school musical theatre performances. Before graduating in May, John hopes to release an EP that he describes as “Queen meets ELO.” After graduation, he hopes to make his living as a performer, ideally in Europe with dance and glam rock music.
The Commercial Music program is designed for students who wish to study contemporary/non-classical styles of music. The solo performers in the Commercial Music Showcase are indicative of the broad range of Belmont’s commercial music program. All of the music charts for the concert have been arranged by the students of Belmont’s composition and arranging classes.
Cusic Curates Guitar Exhibit, Edits Encyclopedia
Don Cusic, professor of music business, is serving a guest curator for “The Guitar: Art, Artists and Artisans” exhibit at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The exhibit, which is scheduled to open Feb. 13 and continue through May 9, includes guitars from Vince Gill, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Lynn Anderson and Garth Brooks as well as an 1885 Martin guitar and a Gene Autry Round-up Guitar from the 1930s. The “Art, Artists and Artisans” approach allows the exhibit to highlight the guitar as artwork, providing a canvas for artwork that enhances the instrument’s beauty, the musical artists who are identified with the guitar when they perform and the artisans who create these instruments. Click here for more on this story.
In addition, The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, which Cusic edited, was recently released by Greenwood Press. Cusic and James Elliott, chair of Belmont’s songwriting program, also wrote several entries in book. Cusic also contributed the liner notes to the Oak Ridge Boys three-CD gospel set which is now available at Cracker Barrel.
Cornwall Textbook Translated into Chinese
Dr. Jeff Cornwall, the Massey chair of Entrepreneurship, recently had his textbook Bootstrapping translated into Chinese. Click here for more information.
Pharmacy Receives $10,000 from Walgreens
The School of Pharmacy has received $10,000 from the Walgreens corporation as part of its national effort to increase diversity among student pharmacists. Of these funds, $2,000 are in the form of a student scholarship, with the remainder supporting institutional outreach and awareness efforts.
Steil, Hudgens Published in Pharmacy Times
Dr. Condit Steil, professor and chair of pharmacy practice, and Dr. Julie Hudgens, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, were recently published in the journal Pharmacy Times. Their article is titled, “The Role of Incretin-mimetic (GGLP-1) Therapy in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.”
Webster Elected to Chair of Chemistry Section in AACP
Dr. Andrew Webster, chair of pharmaceutical sciences, has been elected as the 2010-2011 Chair of the Chemistry Section of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. This election to national office engages Webster in a multi-year commitment to service to the profession and to further leadership skills development through participation at a series of training retreats.
