Senior political science and journalism major Ameshia Cross received an unexpected but extraordinary gift the week before Christmas: an offer to work in the White House.
Cross, a Chicago native, admits her lofty political aspirations started at an early age, but she never anticipated having them realized so soon. In fact, she planned to continue her education in the fall at the University of Chicago Law School, where she was recently accepted. All that changed when David Axelrod, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama and chief strategist for his campaign, called in December to offer Cross a job working in the West Wing as an assistant to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
“At first I didn’t believe it was him,” Cross said with a laugh. “I hadn’t applied for a position at the White House or with the new administration so the call was completely unexpected.”
An Engaged Scholar who is involved in numerous organizations across campus, Cross caught the attention of Axelrod and others through her experience to date. She first interned for Barack Obama when he ran for Senate in 2004, and she was chosen as one of 35 university fellows to travel the country campaigning for Obama last summer. As president of Belmont’s College Democrats, Cross met briefly with Obama during his campus visit for the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate. The new president and his road to the White House are also the subject of Cross’ senior thesis.
Belmont Senior Prepares for White House Job
Bennett Publishes New Children’s Book, Appears on ‘Talk of the Town’
Dr. Sybril Bennett, director of Belmont’s New Century Journalism program, has recently published a children’s book through lightningsource.com. The Color-Full Alphabet Book is dedicated to the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Each letter shares a positive word from: Amazing to Zippy with a Believe, Change, President and a Winner between. Bennett notes that all children need to learn how to read and all deserve to hear positive words to inspire them to realize their dreams. The book is available now at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
In support of her new book, Bennett will be appearing on WTVF’s midday show, “Talk of the Town,” on Mon., Feb. 2. The show airs at 11 a.m. on NewsChannel 5.
Renfroe Named A-Sun Player of the Week, Featured on WSMV
Men’s basketball senior Alex Renfroe (Hermitage, Tenn.) has been named Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Renfroe continued his stretch of remarkable all-around play, averaging 19 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game as Belmont defeated Kennesaw State and Mercer this past week.
The 6-2 point guard scored a team-high 24 points, had a career-high 18 rebounds and five assists in Belmont’s emotional 86-82 overtime victory over Mercer. Not only was Renfroe’s 18 rebound performance the most rebounds ever by a Belmont player at the Curb Event Center, but it tied the NCAA single-game high for rebounds by a guard this season. Click here to read more on this story.
Renfroe was also profiled this week in a feature story by sportscaster Rudy Kalis on local NBC affiliate WSMV-4 . Click here to watch the interview.
Women’s Basketball Celebrates 40 Years
From Striplin to the Curb Event Center, Belmont College to Belmont University, Rebels/Rebelettes to Bruins and NAIA to the NCAA, it’s been quite a 40-year ride in Belmont’s women’s basketball program.
Women’s basketball’s history and growth were recently celebrated at a Jan. 24 reunion in the Maddox Grand Atrium that found 81 former players from 12 states in attendance along with their families and Belmont’s current team.
Betty Wiseman, assistant athletic director and senior woman administrator, established one of the first women’s basketball programs in the state at Belmont in 1968. At only 23, she entered then-President Herbert Gabhart’s office and pleaded for a women’s basketball program. He not only approved her idea, but he put her in charge. “Thinking now about 40 years, I ask myself, ‘Can it be?’ It is!!”
Wiseman (pictured in the middle of players from Belmont’s first women’s basketball team) and current head coach Tony Cross both entertained the more than 200 individuals at the reunion with stories and highlights from the program’s 40 years. During her 16 seasons as head coach, Wiseman compiled a record of 248-152 and led the team to four consecutive berths in the NWIT from 1973-1977. Wiseman recalled how the early teams ate sack lunches for pre- and post-game meals and traveled in used station wagons. Not all of her memories were humorous, however, as she also noted how one team faced segregation when a restaurant refused to serve the team’s black players. “We all got up and left, didn’t eat and I didn’t pay.”
Cross, who has been at Belmont since 1984 and has more than 500 wins with the program, joked about his own dedication to winning, remembering how one former team feared they might not get dinner after a particularly bad loss. He also talked about the long history and tradition of Belmont’s women’s basketball, praising the alumnae for their role in building such an exceptional program. “Take pride and honor in what you’ve added to this program. Your presence is still being felt.”
Former players enjoyed the reunion as well, mingling with old friends and telling stories from their college days. Dianna Burton Lewis (’71), who brought with her to the reunion the Chuck Taylor athletic shoes from her playing days, said, “What I remember most about Belmont’s first year of women’s basketball is the fun we had! I remember how we got ‘trampled’ by Midwestern in Iowa but then improved so much together as a team that we beat them by three at our place. We didn’t realize then what an important journey we were helping to start. The reunion was wonderful! As I sat in the gym watching the games with friends from Belmont days, I really felt at home.”
NPT’s Broadcast of ‘Christmas at Belmont’ Wins Emmy
The “Christmas at Belmont 2007” broadcast, Nashville Public Television’s (NPT) capturing of Belmont University’s annual Christmas concert, won a Midsouth Regional Emmy award for editing in the Special Event category. The 23rd Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards ceremony and banquet was held Sat., Jan. 24 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Three Students Featured in Shakespeare Production at Troutt
Three Belmont students are featured in the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s current production of “Richard the Third” at Troutt Theater. Christy White, Liz Young and Nathan Lee are all part of the cast of the Denice Hicks-directed production, and Paul Gatrell, assistant professor and chair of Belmont’s Theatre and Dance Department, designed the set.
“Richard the Third” has recently received rave reviews from The Tennessean, the City Paper and the Nashville Scene. In addition, White is blogging about her experiences with the Nashville Shakes here. The show runs Thursdays-Sundays through Feb. 1. Click here to purchase tickets.
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. This is the second consecutive year that the Shakes Winter performance has been held in Troutt Theater.
School of Pharmacy Hosts Inaugural White Coat Ceremony
The Maddux Grand Atrium was abuzz Sunday evening, Jan. 18, as the Belmont University School of Pharmacy hosted approximately 400 family and friends at its inaugural White Coat Ceremony. The 73 members of the Doctor of Pharmacy Class of 2012 participated in this rite of passage ceremony at which they received their white coat symbolizing their entry into professional practice. The students also took the “Oath of the Pharmacist” as a public commitment to patient-centered care.
Dr. J. Richard Brown, professor at the University of Tennessee Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, delivered the keynote address. Belmont School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Phil Johnston recognized Clayton McWhorter and Chris Coates as inaugural recipients of the Friend of the School Award. Dr. Cathy Turner recognized Rodney Deal (Nashville) and Bob Phillips (Lewisburg), pharmacists from middle Tennessee, as the inaugural recipients of the Professional Stewardship Award.
The program was supported by a gift from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Student white coats were sponsored by 21 members of the Belmont and Nashville communities.
Leatherwood Named A-Sun Player of the Week
Women’s tennis player Abby Leatherwood, a sophomore math major and a 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team selection, opened the spring season with a singles victory against Chattanooga Saturday evening. Her performance earned her the first Player of the Week award of her career, the conference office announced on Wednesday. Leatherwood becomes the first Bruin to earn the weekly honor since Elizabeth Conyer in the 2007 season.
Faculty, Student Published in Physics Journal
Dr. Robert Magruder, professor, and Dr. Steve Robinson, assistant professor, in the Chemistry & Physics Department, and Caitlin Smith, Belmont Physics student, recently had a paper accepted for publication. The paper is titled “Dichroism in Ag nanoparticle composites with bimodal size distribution” and was published in the Jan. 21 issue of the Journal of Applied Physics. Click here to download the article.
Music Alumnae Participate in Inaugural Celebrations
Sarah Wiley Tietsort, who earned a 2008 master’s degree in vocal performance from Belmont, performed with the United States Navy Band’s Sea Chanters chorus at the Jan. 20 Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The 21-member Sea Chanters group performed the National Anthem just after the presidential inaugural address.
In addition, 2006 School of Music alumna Tiffany Wharton is featured on the Johns Hopkins University Web site as a performer for a Web feature on the Presidential Inauguration. Hopkins’ Peabody Conservatory, where Wharton is a first-year Master of Music candidate in Voice, marked the inauguration of Barack Obama by offering videotaped performances of two quintessentially American songs. Click here to watch Wharton’s performance of “At the River.”
