Students to travel 40 days, 9,300+ miles to define what it means to be an American
Planning to tour “The United States in 40 Days,” 10 Belmont University students and two faculty members will board a chartered sleeper bus June 6 to begin a 9,300+ mile, cross-country journey in an attempt to answer the question, “What Does It Mean to Be an American?” The class will travel through 40 states on this first-of-its-kind, study-at-home journey, chronicling their experiences on a daily blog as they visit sites of national and historical significance and encounter “local culture” everywhere from the Deep South to the West Coast to the Northeast and all points in between.
Sociology Department Chair Dr. Ken Spring first conceived of the class more than two years ago and has been working ever since on brainstorming the class’s structure and planning the logistical details of the trip. “Each place we’re going to visit provides a snapshot into our history, and together, they provide a glimpse into our future,” Spring said. “By understanding our own land, our own ideas and how they came about, we better understand what it means when someone proudly proclaims themselves an American.”
Constructed to include cultural and economic epicenters, iconic landmarks and places of special interest, “The United States in 40 Days” will involve at least one full day of exploration and discovery at each stop as well as an evening discussion of the uniqueness of each place along with the larger themes at play: politics, religion, education, identity, media, the economy, family, race, gender, etc. Upon signing up for the class, each student was assigned three stops on the trip and made responsible for documenting the location’s history and biography along with determining potential site visits for their assigned locations. The students will also facilitate evening discussions in the stops for which they are responsible.
The summer experience will be offered as two classes for a total of six credit hours: three in Cultural Sociology (Sociology 3990 or Junior Cornerstone 3015) and three in Third-Year Writing (English 3010). In the longstanding tradition of Belmont service learning, at least three stops on the trip will also include community service projects with students working at a soup kitchen in New Orleans and a homeless shelter in San Francisco, among other volunteer efforts.
Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Belmont Writing Center Dr. Bonnie Smith will be teaching her Third Year Writing students about Travel Stories online, facilitating blog discussions and encouraging students in their attempts to understand and convey a sense of “place.” Smith said, “Americans as diverse as Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac, Paul Simon and Sarah Vowell have used writing and research to tell stories about their times on the road. The course I’m teaching is an advanced writing course required of all Belmont students, and this section will focus on the stories we Americans have told and continue to tell ourselves about what a road trip across our vast and varied land means to us.”
Class Takes Cross-Country Summer Road Trip to Re-Discover America
Belmont Hosts International Country Music Conference
The 26th annual International Country Music Conference honored some of the top authors and journalists in the field of country music May 21-23 during an annual gathering at Belmont University.
The Belmont Book Award, Lifetime Achievement Award and Charlie Lamb Awards were presented during a special noon luncheon, underwritten by the Mike Curb Family Foundation, on Fri., May 22 in the Frist Lecture Hall. This year’s Belmont Book Award was given to Patrick Huber for Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music in the Piedmont South. The University of Illinois Press received the Lifetime Achievement Award for their series, Music in American Life.
In addition to the book awards, the Charlie Lamb Awards for Excellence in Journalism were presented to Alanna Nash in the Career category and Barry Mazor in the Contemporary category. The Charlie Lamb Awards are underwritten by Gary and Peggy Walker.
The 26th annual ICMC featured authors of books on a variety of country music subjects, including Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Eddy Arnold, Gene Autry, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Events included a Thursday evening panel at the Quonset Hut with Shelby Singleton, Jerry Kennedy and Bob Moore, moderated by Don Cusic, and a panel discussion at RCA Studio B on Friday evening with Harold Bradley, Fred Foster and Ray Edenton with moderator John Rumble. There were also several presentations from prominent country music historians and scholars, including panels “The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers” and “Defining Country Music: What It Is and Does It Matter?”
For more information, visit www.internationalcountrymusic.org.
William Morris Commissions Art Students for ‘Musica’ Works
The William Morris Agency recently commissioned Belmont Art students to create interpretations of Alan Lequire’s “Musica” sculpture, which is located on the Music Row roundabout. Students involved with the project included Hannah Crabtree, Allison Dodson, Ellie Caudill and Sable Royal.
Pictured at right is Dodson preparing her piece. All of the art was delivered to William Morris last week and is currently on display in their Nashville building at 1600 Division Street (on the roundabout).
Belmont Recognized at TCPRA Conference
Belmont University was recognized with several awards at the Tennessee College Public Relations Association conference held at Austin Peay State University last week. Dr. Robert Fisher, Belmont’s president, received the Otis Floyd, Jr. Award for Excellence in Administration. The award is presented annually to a higher education administrator in the state of Tennessee to recognize superior achievement. Criteria considered each year includes innovation, leadership, vision and communication.
Greg Pillon, the director of the Office of Communications, was honored with the Charles Holmes Award. The award is presented annually to a member of TCPRA who demonstrates steadfast service and earnest dedication to the organization. The Office of Communications received several other awards in the following categories:
Gold: Residence Life Move- In Day publication (Brochure/Flyer)
Gold: Circle magazine (University or alumni magazine)
Gold: 2008 President’s Report (Reports)
Gold: Town Hall Presidential Debate (Media Success Story)
Gold: Bug Camp (Photography)
Silver: Presidential Debate commemorative piece (Special Publication)
Silver: Debate ‘08 electronic press kit (Specialty Item)
Silver: Alex Renfroe (Photography)
Bronze: FYI (Electronic Newsletter)
Formed in 1975, TCPRA is an alliance of communicators who represent the colleges and universities, public and private, two-year technical schools, technology centers and community colleges that together define higher education in Tennessee.
Parry Honored as Teacher of the Year by National Association
Pam Parry, associate professor of journalism, will be honored Aug. 7 as Teacher of the Year by the Small Program Interest Group at the national conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in Boston. John Jenks, SPIG head, said “This year Pam Parry demonstrated she merits that honor through her documented classroom skills and all-around dedication to her students and her profession. Parry has also been an educational entrepreneur – building a program and attracting scores of students to it.”
Parry founded the public relations program at Belmont in 2004 and in four years it became largest program in the School of Social Sciences and one of the fastest growing programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. A colleague and fellow department chair described Parry as “a terrific teacher who has the uncanny ability to connect with both advanced and average students. Her evaluation scores are invariably well above Belmont’s averages, no small feat given this university’s commitment to undergraduate education. She combines an intellectually rigorous curriculum with a relaxed, non-threatening classroom style that receives rave reviews from students.”
Golfer Named to ESPN the Magazine All-District Second Team
Belmont senior golfer Danny Amundson was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Second Team as announced Thursday afternoon. The native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (O’Gorman HS) was named to the University Division Spring At-Large Second Team after posting a 3.75 grade point average (GPA). He graduated last week from Belmont with a degree in Finance. During the 2008-2009 season, Amundson led the team in scoring with a 73.7 average and posted three top-10 and five top-20 finishes. His best finish was a third place showing at the TSU Big Blue Intercollegiate last month where he helped lead the Bruins to the team championship. Amundson also ranked fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference in the Golfstat rankings.
Belmont Awarded $575,000 Grant From National Science Foundation
Money to provide science, technology and math scholarships
Belmont University announced today that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is awarding the university a $575,000 grant in support of scholarships for students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with the intention of attracting women, minorities, first-generation college students and economically disadvantaged students to these disciplines. The NSF sees investment in STEM education as crucial if the U.S. is to hold its place as a world leader in science and technology. This project, titled “Pathways to Science, Technology and Mathematics,” will involve Belmont faculty working with high schools and industries across Middle Tennessee and is an important piece of a renewed vision of the sciences at Belmont.
Belmont Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said, “The ‘Pathways’ project will have a lasting impact on the sciences at Belmont and on the caliber of students we attract. This grant in particular enables the university to expand and strengthen its commitments in areas that are vital to a 21st century world, areas that reflect this generation’s pioneering spirit.”
Professor of Mathematics Dr. Glenn Acree, who served as principal investigator for the proposal, added, “Belmont University welcomes the opportunity to take a leadership role in science and technology initiatives in Middle Tennessee. With this grant we intend to raise student awareness of science-related careers, enhance our science and technology academic programs, and provide qualified graduates to meet the workforce needs of Middle Tennessee.”
The broader impact will be realized across the Middle Tennessee region as opportunities for education and careers in the STEM disciplines are communicated to K-12 communities and as students within these communities participate through this scholarship program. In addition to partnering with other education institutions, the “Pathways” program further enhances a growing relationship with organizations like the Nashville Technology Council, which seeks to help the Middle Tennessee technology community succeed.
Minimum requirements for scholarship applicants include a high school G.P.A. of 3.25 and Math ACT score and Comprehensive ACT of 25 (or equivalent SAT scores) as well as completed applications for Belmont and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Student participants will receive scholarships for four years as long as they continue to satisfy the requirements of the program.
Boling Receives Award at TACE Conference
Gary Boling, assistant director of the Office of Career Services, was honored with the Lumsden-Sellers Outstanding Member Award at the 2009 Tennessee Association of Colleges and Employers (TACE) conference. The award was established in 1990 and is given to recognize members for outstanding leadership, loyalty and dedication to their profession and to TACE. TACE is an association of Tennessee colleges and universities, state and technical institutes, and employers of students and graduates of these institutions who have joined together to enhance understanding and cooperation among institutions of higher education and their employers.
Warren Earns Second Straight A-Sun Women’s Golfer of the Year
The most decorated golfer in Belmont history captured some more hardware on Monday as senior golfer Lorie Warren was named Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Golf Player of the Year as voted on by the conference’s head coaches and media relations directors. It was the second straight year Warren has won their award, and she becomes just the fourth Atlantic Sun golfer to earn the award in consecutive years. In addition, the Hendersonville, Tennessee native was also a unanimous choice for the All-Atlantic Sun first team. Click here for more on this story.
Belmont Holds Spring 2009 Commencement
Belmont University held its Spring 2009 commencement for graduate students on Fri., May 15 in the Massey Performing Arts Center and for undergraduate students on Sat., May 16 in the Curb Event Center.
Belmont celebrated the graduation of a total of 707 students, marking the largest graduation in the university’s history to date. During the graduation ceremonies, 609 undergraduate, 79 master’s and 19 doctoral degrees were conferred.
Dr. Robert C. Fisher, president of the university, presided over the events and presented the graduates with their degrees. Dr. Dan McAlexander, provost, provided the commencement address at both ceremonies.
