Belmont design communications senior Abraham Mast recently competed in the American Advertising Federation competition and received high-honor awards including two Gold awards and the “Best in Show” award. With the awards granted this year, Mast became the student with more ADDY Awards than any other Belmont student with a total of 27 received since his freshman year.
Mast’s 27 ADDY-related awards include a Certificate of Typographic Excellence, an Adobe Indesign Achievement Award: Top Talent and a Gold Davey. Doug Regen, a professor in Belmont’s Art and Graphic Design, encouraged Mast to participate in the AAF competition as a freshman and has been submitting his artwork ever since.
Mast believes “you get what you put in” when it comes to schoolwork. He’s always made it a priority to put his best foot forward for his school art projects because all of his classes have allowed him to try new ideas and have stretched his wings in preparation for the next project.
One of Mast’s notable works from the previous year included a typographic animation entitled “My Type of Day,” which was awarded Gold and Judge’s Choice in last year’s competition. His recent illustrations, based on “The Most Dangerous Game” short story, won Gold, Best of Show and District awards and will be submitted for nationals this summer.
Mast’s multi-award-winning piece, “The Most Dangerous Game,” was created through a hybrid of techniques. He shared that he started this piece by modeling the characters in a 3D program and then digitally collaging the textures onto the figures. He then posed those digital figures in another digitally moduled environment where he continued to draw 2D layers through the use of Photoshop.
In sharing his success, Mast said, “I would like to thank my parents. They may not be artists themselves, but they always encouraged me and paid the wifi bill.” Mast has been free-lancing throughout college and will continue to do so full-time after graduation to pursue his artistic abilities.
His projects and award-winning work can be found in his portfolio. To see a full list of Mast’s award’s visit his website.
Each year Belmont hosts the Belmont University Research Symposium that provides students, faculty and staff a chance to present independent research projects conducted throughout the academic school year. With all events moving virtual, the BURS event and their annual keynote speaker were hosted on Zoom where students were able to learn from the guest lecturer and Belmont alumnus Troy Senik on Thursday, April 8.
Senik is a former presidential speechwriter, the host of a series of public policy podcasts and the co-founder of the digital media company Kite & Key. His keynote presentation discussed the “two pathologies” that have developed in parallel in American society: a reflexive dismissal of expert opinion and a reflexive deference to expert opinion.
The event was moderated by Dr. Vaughn May, chair of Belmont’s political science department, who led the conversation with Senik through a series of questions about his insight and expertise on the media. Much of the event included Senik emphasizing the alarming mass spread of false information by the media and how it has deeply affected the public, especially through the past year.
With social media as one of the leading factors of the spread of misinformation, Senik stated that false information on Twitter was re-shared 100 times more than accurate information on Twitter. He also shared how easy it has become for the public to believe people that provide any sense of authority in regards to their topic. “The better the story is, the less likely we are to give it the scrutiny it deserves,” he expressed.
Senik shared that within the last year, the country has received a lot of information, yet not many reliable tools to help develop understanding, and it has left the country with a lot of ambiguity. Quoting Psychology Author Jamie Holmes, Senik shared, “Our brains are programmed to get rid of ambiguity.” With this in mind, humans have been taught to adopt either blind faith or blind doubt leaving no room for confusions, which can ultimately lead us to false beliefs.
After discussing what the media can do at a systemic level to help the public become aware of both sides of an argument, Senik proposed that consumers of media have to educate and take the initiative to hear from reliable sources on both sides of the spectrum. He discussed the importance of obtaining truthful information from multiple perspectives, not just one, and how our opinions and conversations should be based on accurate sources rather than unreliable media sources that have the ability to portray themselves as authoritative.
“We are all better scholars, better thinkers and better citizens when we tether our arguments and beliefs to facts and data,” Senik shared. “Part of the problem with internet discourse is that people are abstractions. You’re arguing back and forth in text. It’s amazing how much easier these discussions are when you have to actually look at the other person.”
May closed out the night with a Q&A section where Senik answered and discussed further questions with student participants.
Belmont Professor of Management Dr. Cate Loes was recently featured in the WalletHub article “2021 Progressive Insurance Review.” Loes was featured on the personal finance website for her insight and thoughts on Progressive Insurance company’s reviews, frequent commercials and national impact.
The article shared the pros and the cons to the Progressive Insurance company and also provided readers with statistics that offered the reader various perspectives on the company based on age, cost and other competitors. Loes was featured as an expert among other panel members.
Loes shared how impactful internet reviews have become for every purchase, but especially insurance purchases. “Today, nearly 90 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, allowing companies to leverage this platform for consumer acquisition,” she explained.
To read more on Loes’ insight and her feature related to Progressive Car Insurance, visit WalletHub.
Belmont continued last year’s virtual Scholarship and Awards Day format for this year’s ceremony through the University’s Instagram account and YouTube channel in order to recognize top students and faculty. Finalists are honored annually for their commitment to the University’s mission and dedication to scholarship, service and leadership.
Provost Dr. Thomas Burns introduced the awards ceremony by saying, “Although we had hoped to celebrate in face-to-face fashion this year, I wanted to ensure that we keep the tradition alive of celebrating the Scholarship and Awards of faculty and students by recognizing the incredible achievements they have made. By continuing the tradition of Scholarship and Awards Day, we are reaffirming our commitment to learning and discovery by honoring those who have exhibited extraordinary dedication to scholarly achievement.”
Each year, the presentation of the John A. Williams Heart of Belmont Award is greatly anticipated. The award honors one third year or fourth year student who embodies Belmont’s values, including innovation, persistence, advocacy for change, community development and service.
This year’s recipient, Carlos Antwan McDay, is a biology major who will matriculate into physician assistant school in June after graduation. Prior to his time at Belmont, McDay served in the Navy for eight years. Upon honorable discharge from the Navy, he served as a Patrol Officer with the Savannah Police Department; where he was compelled to become a youth sports coach, in his own words “to keep young boys and girls motivated and away from crime.” His nominator attests, “Carlos stands out among his peers with regard to his commitment to service. He is a member of the Bruin Veterans Association and received the Belmont University Veteran Student Spotlight Award in 2020. I cannot speak highly enough of Carlos’ character. He upholds himself to high values and standards and gives his all to the activities and efforts he is engaged in.”
In reference to his accomplishments, McDay stated, “Through integrity, inquiry, collaboration, service and humility, I advocate for justice and equality with all that I do, in hope that my example reaches others who then follow that example.”
As part of this award, a donation will be made in McDay’s name to Tunes for Kidz.
Dr. Fisher presents several awards during Scholarship and Awards Day 2021
Others honored in Tuesday’s ceremony included:
The Williams-Murray First Year Writing Award
Julia Willams for the essay “Always Watching”
Ivana Carlson for the essay “Shostakovich: The Man Who Kept Fighting”
The Alfred Leland Crabb Awards
First Prize:Peyton Burnstead for her work “Resolution of the Self, Community and World”
Second Prize: Amanda Tigar for her work “Biscuit Takes Inventory”
The Stacy Awalt Writing Award: Matt Lay for his research work, “Hobbes on the Trinity” and Jack Lovell for his creative work “Augustine: God, Mysticism, Belief and Me”
The Annette Sisson First Year Seminar Award: Lindsey Gross for her essay: “Systemic Racism is Present in America”
The Dr. Fannie Hewlett Award
Undergraduate Recipient: Michele George-Griffin
Graduate Recipient: Ben Nigel Heard
The Belmont Graduate-Student Scholarship Award: Jessica Smith
The Belmont Graduate-Student Leadership Award: Leigh Holdsambeck
Hale First Year Leadership Award: Hank Keller
Hale Second Year Leadership Award: Chamberlin Little
Hale Third Year Leadership Award: Matt McGowin
Hale Fourth Year Leadership Award: Marissa Avnaim
John A. Williams Heart of Belmont Award: senior biology major Carlos Antwan McDay and Community Partnership: Tunes for Kidz
In addition to student award winners, a number of awards were given to faculty members. The Christian Scholarship Award honors faculty scholarship that engages the Christian intellectual tradition and advances the scholarly conversation between Christian faith and learning. This year’s recipient was Dr. Christopher Born, assistant professor of Asian studies and Japanese language. Dr. Born’s research centers on the role of Christianity in Japanese culture. More importantly, he actively seeks Belmont students to collaborate with him by helping them cultivate undergraduate research that is energized by his knowledge and scholarship on the topic.
The Leadership in Christian Service Award honors a faculty member who provides leadership to a new initiative or an established Christian organization that serves those in need. This year’s recipient was Dr. Stephen Shin, associate professor of sport administration. Dr. Shin stated, “I believe that interweaving Christian faith to Belmont education should be second to none, and I have been very grateful to be a part of the CLASS Faith and Academics Committee to serve God and the Belmont community.”
The Faculty Award for Scholarship recognizes a faculty member for outstanding intellectual and creative contributions of discovery, integration, application or teaching. This year’s finalists included Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr, associate dean and professor of music business, Dr. Alejandra Ferrer, assistant professor of music and coordinator of music therapy, Dr. Scott Hawley, professor of physics, and Dr. Teresa Plummer, associate professor of occupational therapy. The recipient this year is Dr. Teresa Plummer, whose passion and expertise in early pediatric mobility led her to start the Music City Go Baby Go initiative, providing modified ride-on cars to young children with limited mobility with no cost to families in collaboration with Belmont occupational therapy students.
Dr. Peter Kuryla, associate professor of history, was named the 2020-21 Chaney Distinguished Professor. The Chaney Distinguished Professor Award, determined on the basis of superior teaching, is presented each year to a faculty member who best represents the vision of the University to be a “premier teaching institution.” Award finalists also included Dr. Patrick Morse, assistant professor of psychology, Dr. Andi Stepnick, professor of sociology, and Dr. Jennifer Crowell Thompson, associate professor of social work.
Dr. José González, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and management, received the Presidential Faculty Achievement Award. This award is presented each year to a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to student life outside the classroom. Other finalists included Dr. Amy Crook, assistant professor of management, Julie Hunt, assistant professor of social work, and Dr. Ted Peetz, chair and associate professor of sport administration.
Gianna DiBono, a senior psychology major, recently recorded vocals in a duet for the production of a song and music video entitled “The Answer is Me” that will serve as a call-to-action in the battle against homelessness.
“This entire experience has been amazing,” said DiBono. “I’m so excited for the release of our song and loved working with the diverse members of our production team.”
Joining DiBono on vocals was Jessica Mixon, a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans. All proceeds from “The Answer is Me,” and other distribution channels will benefit The Cuddy Family Foundation for Veterans. The mission of this organization is to employ veterans and to support the health and welfare needs of those in peril.
DiBono, a California native whose stage name is Drty Blndy, began playing the piano in first grade and studied at The Royal Conservatory throughout her teenage years. An accomplished songwriter, she also composed the music for “The Answer is Me” and credits several of her influences as Fleetwood Mac, Lorde, Billie Eilish and Clairo.
For more information on DiBono, visit her website and follow @drty.blndy on Instagram. Her song “The Answer is Me,” can be found on iTunes and Spotify to support DiBono and The Cuddly Family Foundation for Veterans.
While this semester has been exceptionally more challenging than most for students due to the pandemic, Belmont students have still found opportunities to gain experience in their future industry while simultaneously keeping themselves and others in the Nashville community safe. Among those are juniors Halle Bartlett, Ellie McCoy and Bronwyn Milne.
Halle Bartlett is currently completing an internship at Round Hill Music within the sync department. The music business major has been working remotely with the organization since last August where her responsibilities include catalog maintenance and helping pitch songs for various movies, television shows and advertisements.
Virtually, Bartlett has the opportunity to meet her co-workers and work on team projects through various online platforms. She credits Belmont’s music publishing course with preparing her for this line of remote work and in training her in the type of software used at Round Hill. Her school work on Zoom has kept her up-to-date and familiar with the platform which helped her confidently enter into an internship completely on Zoom.
Bartlett shared that her experience at Round Hill Music, although remote, has altered her entire career path. She developed a new love for music publishing and has become vastly knowledgeable in the world of sync. Bartlett shared that although many seem to be struggling with connecting virtually, the team at Round Hill Music has been consistent with reaching out to ensure that she is learning and is attentive to the tasks that she enjoys doing.
Long-term, Bartlett hopes to work as a creative in a music publishing company. “I believe that music has the power to change the world, and I would be so proud to have a small part in that,” she shared.
Junior Ellie McCoy
In the College of Business, marketing major Ellie McCoy is currently interning with the Nashville Soccer Club’s Digital Marketing Team, which underwent an abnormal inaugural season in 2020.
One of McCoy’s main responsibilities includes planning and managing the team mascot’s social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok. She has developed an increase in knowledge of data analytics by analyzing the social media post statistics in order to better understand the value of certain content she creates.
“Learning in the classroom has been instrumental in my deep understanding of marketing, but being able to practice these skills has been the icing on the cake,” McCoy explained. She shared that the skills she is learning throughout her internship are allowing her to enter the job market confidently as she feels equipped with the skills she will need to achieve her desired career path.
McCoy shared that Belmont’s networking opportunities play a crucial role in helping undergraduate students get their foot in the door and learn the different career paths available to them. As she works through her last week at a remote, yet rewarding, internship experience, McCoy expressed how excited she was to continue learning and to apply her new knowledge to the future.
Junior Bronwyn Milne
From the College of Liberal Arts and Social Science, public relations major Bronwyn Milne is interning with the Decker/Royal Agency this semester, a PR agency based out of New York City, New York. Starting in January, Milne is the company’s first remote intern not based in New York.
Milne’s responsibilities differ day to day, but her experiences include monitoring media outlets, researching PR campaigns, creating media lists and working on media pitches. She expressed her gratitude for Belmont’s public relations classes which have set her up for success when she writes content for Decker/Royal Agency’s clients. “It is always a good feeling when a piece that I worked on comes back with minimal edits,” Milne shared.
Milne said although the internship has been remote, she has been able to learn more about various online platforms, such as Cision and Muckrack, that have advanced her knowledge and skill set forward. While working diligently with clients, Milne recognized the importance of networking and maintaining relationships that are crucial for serving your clients.
“Every day is different, which is something I love! I have learned so much in such a short amount of time and have felt so supported and respected throughout the whole process,” shared Milne. “I feel very lucky to have worked with and learned from such a skilled group of women.”
This fall, Milne will move to New York to complete the Belmont East program and hopes to move there long-term to pursue a career in public relations. After completing this internship, her love for the travel and tourism industry has grown and has given her more insight into the path she hopes to take after graduation.
After a tough year for many due to the global pandemic, a group of Belmont University alumni found a way to garner attention, support and financial assistance for struggling local music venues across Nashville by doing something nobody else has done before. Belmont alumnus and musician James Hatem, with the help of his team of fellow Belmont alumni, attempted to break the Guinness World Record for most shows performed in 24 hours on April 9. Money raised from the project will go directly to Music Venue Alliance Nashville and the U.S. Bartenders Guild to be dispersed among the venues.
The 80 destination venues across the city included four on Belmont’s campus: Massey Concert Hall, Harton Recital Hall, McAfee Concert Hall and the Curb Event Center Arena. Other venues ranged from smaller stages such as The Basement, EXIT/In and City Winery all the way up to the larger venues like Ascend Amphitheater and Bridgestone Arena, hence the project’s name “Basement to Bridgestone Arena.” The goal was to beat the current record of 65 venues in 24 hours, set in 2012 by Norwegian band Helge Toft.
Belmont entertainment industry studies alumnus Mitchell Curley, class of 2017, currently works as Hatem’s manager and had the idea last year to break a world record, hoping to do something cool for the city. Curley had worked on the management team for the rock band KISS, which had also recently broken a world record in Dubai. He knew he could make another record happen in Nashville. Curley brought in fellow music business and entrepreneurship alumnus Gade Raftery, class of 2020, who started his own concert promotion company, Apogee Promotions, in 2018.
Hatem heading out of the Curb Event Center and on to the next location.
Raftery explained it all started coming together when he met Hatem’s co-manager Matt Kimble, another 2020 music business alumnus, while collaborating on a podcast. He said, “I went to their office and this conversation got started because Matt introduced me to Mitch as ‘the guy who books all the venues in town.’ Apogee books everything from the Basement all the way to Marathon, so we thought that was a good start to know at least 30 venues or so personally.”
Raftery implemented his local venue connections and brought in two 2020 audio engineering technology alumni, Nick Molloy and Ben McNamara, to work on production. “So Mitch, James, Matt, me, Nick and Ben, we are all Belmont alumni and started steering the ship forward with Mitch as our leader. So it’s a very exciting project with a lot of people who don’t always work together. So it’s been cool to work with other Belmont alumn.”
The project started there and grew exponentially with the amount of people needed to pull it off. Other team members included Belmont alumni Danny Allebach, entertainment industry studies major with music business minor, class of 2017; Becca Tremmel, songwriting major, class of 2017, Timothy Mlynarski, commercial voice major, class of 2016; and current creative entertainment industry major and music business minor Lindsay Cashman.
James Hatem performs 10-minute set in Curb Event Center at Belmont.
“We sat down and started listing every place you can play music in Nashville, and there is a ton. Obviously we will be hitting some of the restaurants with a stage in a corner, but we really wanted to focus on the clubs and venues who have struggled this year. This is to raise awareness and money for the city of Nashville; that’s the whole point of this,” said Raftery. “From there we developed our route down to the minute – there are only an average of four minutes between each stop or something like that. Each set will be exactly 10 minutes before we head to the next venue.”
The team will have plenty of cameras rolling and be working to fill all the criteria required to break the record, collecting signatures from each venue and more. The team feels confident that if all venues are played and all the steps are taken, they will break the record. However, it takes 12 weeks to get final approval and receive the official record. But, the team will partner with Music Venue Alliance Nashville to return to the venues in need the next week to present the donations.
While each show will have two live audience members, they will also be livestreamed throughout the day thanks to a partnership with tuneden, and people can follow along on the project’s Instagram account and TikTok account, as well.
James Hatem performs 10-minute set in McAfee Concert Hall.
The project complied with all CDC guidelines, with team members wearing personal protective equipment and undergoing COVID tests before the big day.
“The fact that we are able to shoot for 80 venues is, I think, the cool part about it. You know, New York has a lot of great venues and there are a lot of cool places like Austin that have great music bars, kind of like we have on Broadway. But that is what is special about Nashville,” Raftery said. “We are trying to show that we can truly play everything from a very small club or bar that has music, all the way up to professional arenas and amphitheaters. There’s not anywhere else in the world that you could really do that, and that’s why we’re able to do it in 24 hours.”
The Belmont Store is excited to announce that their very own Brew-In Coffee has recently made it to the shelves of several Kroger grocery-stores in the Nashville area.
Last year, Shelly Sarmiento, director of The Belmont Store, created a business model in collaboration with Bongo Java that allowed her to turn the Brew-In Coffee plan into an “innovative business endeavor.” Sarmiento worked alongside Bongo Java in order to bring Belmont’s Brew-In Coffee to the shelves of Nashville grocery stores. “Bongo is iconic in the Nashville coffee space,” she shared, as she expressed her gratitude to the coffee shop’s expertise and partnership throughout this journey.
Since December of 2019, The Belmont Store has been dreaming up the idea of a Belmont University Private Label Coffee in hopes of selling more innovative gifts. Belmont originally launched their Brew-In Coffee in July of 2020, but due to the pandemic, the in-person launch and celebration were canceled. Regardless, the Brew-In Coffee showed immediate success after the store handed bags out to Belmont Senior Leadership, Belmont Athletics, Sodexo Dining Services and The Belmont Alumni Department, in addition to selling it on The Belmont Online Store.
The partnership alongside Bongo Java Coffee has since allowed the University to extend their Bruin Pride to what keeps a college campus running: coffee. Sarmiento shared, “Coffee is a symbol of comfort, gathering and fellowship. Brew-In Coffee is the perfect fit for the Belmont Brand. We are beyond excited to share it with our Belmont students, faculty and staff… and now the Greater Nashville community.”
Belmont’s Brew-In coffee can be found in local Kroger’s in Brentwood, East Nashville and Franklin.
This year, Belmont students participated in the Advertising Awards Competition that allows students in 200 markets from coast to coast to compete. Hosted by the American Advertising Federation Nashville (AAFN), there were more than 40,000 local entries this year with seven Belmont students placing in Gold and Silver categories.
Throughout the Spring and Fall of 2020, students completed projects in Design Communications courses which were entered into this year’s competition in February 2021. The projects consisted of graphic design projects, illustration courses or interactive design. All recipients that receive a Student ADDY Award at the district level are eligible to enter their pieces into the National Awards that will take place this summer.
Gold winners, and students who moved on directly to the national entry, included Natalie Briscoe’s “St. George and the Dragon,” Abraham Mast’s, “The Most Dangerous Game” and Destiny Carter’s “Feminism Booklet.” The Silver ADDY winners included Kennila Gruen’s “A Human Poster,” Huy Nguyen’s “Portrait of Adia Victoria,” Destiny Carter’s “End Sexual Violence Series Poster” and Abraham Mast’s “Character Development 2.”
Previous to the regional level, the students competed in the local level competition against approximately 100 entrees. Belmont walked away with 18 silver awards, 8 gold awards, 2 judges awards and the “Best in Show” award given to Abraham Mast.
The American Advertising Awards Show for award recipients will take place on Thursday, May 13 where students will be recognized and given trophies for their accomplishments.
The 2021 Belmont Student Leadership Awards took place via the @BelmontU and @Belmonttoday Instagram account stories as “a celebration of student leadership and accomplishment,” on Wednesday, April 7. The virtual award show experience was hosted by Joe Mankowski, director of the Department of Fitness and Recreation, who introduced and congratulated each award-winner.
This year’s award show theme, “You Made It,” highlights the accomplishment of students for completing a full academic year in spite of the pandemic. Dr. AdriAnne Sternberg, dean and director of Student Leadership shared, “We wanted to celebrate the fact that not only did our students make it through the year, but they also accomplished so many great things along the way.”
Each award was announced through a graphic design that was posted to Belmont’s Instagram. The categories included the Aspiring Leader Awards, Emergent Leader Awards, Student Organization and Activities Awards, Tower Award and the Bruin Award.
“It is so inspiring to recognize students who, in the face of everything, committed to investing in themselves, their organizations and their campus. I know I speak on behalf of the Leadership Awards committee (and I imagine on behalf of the whole campus community) when I say thank you to all of our students and we can’t wait to see your continued success in the years to come,” shared Sternberg.
A complete list of award winners can be found below.
Award Categories
Recipient(s)
Student Affairs (General)
Tower Award
Heather Daughtery
Bruin Award
Avery Goodwin Cailyn Currie Jacob Storey Jasmine Meriweather Marcus Knight Max Baker Michaela Odian Michelle Dong Sam Traxel Savannah Land
BOLD Levels
Aspiring Leader Award
Andrew Estrada Anna Biondi Bailey Smith Emma Wells Kate Ward Nardien Sadik
Emergent Leader Award
Brigham Finch DJ Needs Jared Carwile Samantha Urban
Student Organization and Activities Award
New Student Organization of the Year
Strong Women in The Making (S.W.I.M.)
Student Organization Advisor of the Year
Dr. Amy Crook
Student Organization Member of the Year
Alex Hernandez – Belmont Bridge Builders Zaid Hatem – Student Government Association Gabriella Cannone – Belmont Legal and Society Antionedra Maupin – Black Student Association Aidan Riordan – Belmont Kite Club Chloe Vaughn – Tennessee Intercollegiate Student Legislature Raquel Cato – College of Law Black Law Student Association Maddi Landis – United Nations Association at Belmont Evabeth Ellis – Navigators Cara Kim – Asian American Association Ben Carter – Best Buddies Belmont Titus Cody – Black Student Association Sanyourah El-Hulu – Women in Science Joel Engelhardt – Belmont Student Activities Programming Board Genevieve Delano – Public Health Student Association Jade Ryan Hollister – Alpha Gamma Delta
