Dr. Darlene Panvini, chair of the biology department and coordinator of the environmental studies program, spoke at Live Green in Franklin recently. The event was sponsored by Franklin Tomorrow, and the title of Dr. Panvini’s talk was “Belmont Goes Green: An Overview of Sustainability Efforts at Belmont University.”
Poet Mary Oliver Reads to a Packed House for Humanities Symposium Keynote
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver delighted a packed house at Belmont Heights Baptist Church Thursday night, sharing more than 15 of her poems and essays, including several about her beloved dog Percy. Oliver’s appearance represented the keynote for the Eighth Annual Humanities Symposium, which this year centered on the theme “Nature and the Human Spirit.” Introduced by English Professor Dr. Annette Sisson and Provost Dr. Marcia McDonald, Oliver shared works from a number of her books over the course of the hour before participating in question-and-answer and book signing sessions.
Opening the night, Oliver remarked, “I’m astonished you people are spending an entire week on my favorite subject: trees!”
Oliver is the celebrated author of more than a dozen books of poetry and prose. With her lyrical connection to the natural world, Oliver’s poetry has firmly established her in the highest realm of American poets. In addition to her 1984 Pulitzer, she has been honored with the National Book Award for Poetry and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, among others. She is renowned for her evocative and precise imagery, which brings nature into clear focus, transforming the everyday world into a place of magic and discovery. Click the more link below to read one of her most popular poems, “Wild Geese,” which she shared with the audience Thursday evening.
Carter Thomas Recognized in Nashville Lifestyles Magazine
Dr. Jennie Carter Thomas, Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration, was featured in Nashville Lifestyles magazine this month as one of Nashville’s “Best Dressed.” Carter Thomas was among seven local personalities to be recognized as Nashville’s most chic citizens, including singer/songwriter Keith Anderson and international businessman Brian Shore. Thomas cites her mother as her greatest stylistic influence.
To read the article, click here.
Gregg Selected to Conduct 2010 Missouri All-State Orchestra
Dr. Robert Gregg, director of graduate studies/ochestra director in the School of Music, has been selected as the conductor of the 2010 Missouri All-State Orchestra on Jan. 27-30. The orchestra is comprised of the best instrumentalists in the state chosen through an audition.
Williams Speaks at National Conference
Dr. Susan Williams, professor of management, was recently a featured speaker at the Nashville 2009 Healthtrust University Conference. Other keynoters at this year’s national conference included Professor Uwe E. Reinhardt from Princeton University, Dale Smith Thomas of Winners by Choice, Inc., and Vicki Smith-Daniels from Arizona State University’s Carey School of Business. Event entertainers included Belmont’s own Josh Turner, as well as Little Big Town. Professor Williams’ topic was “Let’s Make a Deal: How to Hone Your Negotiation Skills.”
Alumna Guest Performs on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Alumna Melissa Schott (’98) appeared on the Sept. 16 airing of “America’s Got Talent” as part of the cast of Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, Banana Shpeel. Schott is a singer/dancer in the 20-member cast which includes Broadway veterans Annaleigh Ashford (Wicked, Legally Blonde: The Musical) and Michael Longoria (Jersey Boys). In late 2008, Schott performed as a member of the national company of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Schott was selected as a part of the ensemble and the understudy for the role of Judy Haynes for that production. Banana Shpeel opens in Chicago in November and then heads to New York’s Beacon Theatre in early 2010.
Thorndike Presents on Tolkien at Retreat
Dr. Jonathan Thorndike (Honors Program) presented “J. R. R. Tolkien: Heeding the Inner Vision Regardless of Cultural Change” at the Christian Editors and Publishers Annual Retreat last week. He discussed the development of the major works including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, which were written while Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Merton College of Oxford University in England. Tolkien was hopelessly out of step with modernity and pursued his creative vision with no awareness of market considerations. The fact that his books became bestsellers and enduring classics has enormous implications for editors and publishers who pay too much attention to current literary and cultural fashions. Thorndike teaches a course on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and the Inklings every other year at King’s College in London through the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad.
Alumna Trisha Yearwood to Host ‘Christmas at Belmont’
Schermerhorn performance will be nationally broadcast on PBS December 23
Belmont University announced today that three-time Grammy Award winner and Belmont alumna Trisha Yearwood will serve as host for the 2009 “Christmas at Belmont” performance at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The program will air nationally on PBS on December 23 (check local listings).
“Christmas at Belmont,” a production of Nashville Public Television (NPT) with funding from the Beaman Family Foundation, features a collage of familiar carols, classical masterworks, world music and light-hearted seasonal favorites. More than 400 student performers will join Yearwood and the Nashville Children’s Choir to present the annual holiday production. Previous hosts of “Christmas at Belmont” include alumni Melinda Doolittle and Josh Turner as well as recording legend Brenda Lee.
Belmont President Bob Fisher said, “It was a great joy to welcome Trisha back ‘home’ for our special edition of the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ in honor of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate. Her vocal talents leave every audience wanting more, and we are thrilled to partner with this amazing artist and friend for our annual ‘Christmas at Belmont’ production.”
A 1987 Belmont graduate, Yearwood possesses three Country Music Association honors and 19 top 10 singles in addition to her three Grammys. Her career-defining hits include such memorable songs as “She’s in Love With the Boy,” “Walkaway Joe,” “Perfect Love” and “How Do I Live.” Yearwood released her tenth studio album, Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love, in November 2007. Last year the multi-talented artist co-authored a New York Times-bestselling cookbook with her mother Gwen and sister Beth, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. A second cookbook is anticipated to hit stores in Spring 2010.
Yearwood noted, “I loved my Belmont experience, and I’m honored to be a part of this year’s Christmas at Belmont!”
Tony Campolo Kicks Off EMERGE
Acclaimed author/speaker Dr. Tony Campolo kicked off EMERGE this week, an annual week-long experience meant to inspire and encourage the Belmont community in corporate and individual faith journeys. This fall EMERGE is focusing on the topic of “Jesus, The Original Radical.”
Campolo, professor emeritus at Eastern University, is the founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, an organization that develops schools and social programs in various third world countries and in cities across North America. He is the author of 35 books, his latest three being Letters to a Young Evangelical, The God of Intimacy and Action and Red Letter Christians, A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics.
On Monday, Campolo discussed three areas of faith that he believes are greatly impacting the current college generation’s approach to religion: ritual, mysticism and the concept of salvation. “Ritual enhances loyalty and creates solidarity… As ritual has declined, so has commitment faded. When you lose the ritual, you forget what should never be forgotten.”
Advocating for students to consider a mission year and to ponder whether their legacy will be titles or testimonies, Campolo closed the morning session noting that “Jesus calls us to a lifestyle of loving and sacrificing for others… We can make a difference from the bottom up.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Nekeisha Alexis-Baker will be offering her thoughts on the theme of “Jesus The Original Radical” as well. A native of Trinidad with a degree in Africana Studies form NYU and a master’s in theology from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Alexis-Baker’s work includes creation care, racism and the intersection of politics and Christian faith. Click here for more information.
Curb College Launches Professional-in-Residence Series with Wynonna
On Sept. 10, Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business launched its inaugural Professional-in-Residence series with Wynonna Judd presenting on the topic: “Journey of the Creative Business Mind.” Designed to enrich the university environment by exposing students to industry professionals who will help ensure that the Belmont learning experience remains dynamic, the Professional-in-Residence Program provides a small group of senior level students the opportunity to engage Wynonna in an intimate, conversational setting. Along with Judd, her manager Kerry Hansen and long-time producer and musician Don Potter will contribute to an ongoing Q&A discussion panel series.
Of her participation in the Professional in Residence program, Wynonna said, “I am looking forward to the opportunity to share my testimony with the next generation in hopes that my story will encourage them to follow their dreams.”
The three-part series will explore topics related to Wynonna’s personal journey in the entertainment industry as both an artist and a businesswoman. Student Megan Lopez said, “I think she gave a very eye-opening and inspiring advice on being an artist… It changed my whole view on how to approach my music career.”
