Belmont University’s Troutt/Black Box Theater and the Belmont Theatre program both won Best of Awards in the 19th Annual “Best of Nashville” issue of the Nashville Scene, on newsstands now. The Scene’s Martin Brady noted, “… for high impact and versatility, the opening of Belmont University’s new facility gets the gold star. Not only is the Troutt a lovely multipurpose venue in a hip part of town, but it also houses a cool alternative space in its Black Box Theater. Maybe more importantly, the university has opened these theaters for use by Naked Stages, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Actors Bridge Ensemble and other companies in need, thus helping to alleviate Music City’s long-standing crunch for theatrical space.”
For the “Best College Theater Program,” Brady added, “Belmont has been turning out talented actors and musical performers for a good while, including Blue Man Group’s Christopher Brown… and American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle. Energetic theater department head Paul Gattrell has shored up the acting program with the hire of Bill Feehely, and he’s entered into collaborative relationships with local theater entities. Small wonder the young players who pepper every one of the college’s productions seem unusually stage-savvy.”
Nashville Scene Awards Theater, Theatre Program Best Of Awards
Baruzzini Presents at Lilly Conference
Dr. Deborah Nunn Baruzzini, director of organizational development, presented at the Lilly Conference in Traverse City, Mich. on Sept. 20. Her session, “Millennial Students: A Faculty’s Response,” reported the results of a qualitative research study of Trevecca Nazarene University’s faculty, co-authored by Dr. Esther Swink, dean of education. The purpose of the session was to generate participant ideas for working effectively with today’s students.
Belmont Ambassadors Win National Award
The Belmont Ambassadors recently won the National Award for “Outstanding Organization Student Ambassadors” at the 2008 Association of Student Advancement Programs (ASAP) conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. ASAP is the student affiliated organization of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which is the professional organization for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas. CASE’s membership consists of nearly 3,400 institutions worldwide, which include approximately 300 ASAP student organizations.
The Ambassadors are an elite group of students who serve as the official hosts and hostesses for University and Presidential events and are coordinated out of the Office of Alumni Relations. 2008-2009 Belmont Ambassadors are: Caroline Adams, Hillary Bond, Betsy Bruington, Payten Butler, Stephanie Cantwell, Anna Chatham, Megan Cope, Ameshia Cross, Kristian Gingrich, Kaitlin Guest, Christina Inman, Fatima Karwandyar, Klay Kelley, Cheryl Luquire, Brandon Maxwell, Kate Miller, Mark Noel, Olawale Osinusi, Taylor Payne, Heather Pierce, Shannon Saunders, Tyler Schlandt, Will Shipp, Audra Stratton, Mary Lauren Walden and Emily White. Associate Director of Alumni Relations Kelly Fish serves as the staff advisor for the Ambassadors.
ATO Disco Party Raises $400 for Red Cross
On Sept. 26, Belmont’s Alpha Tau Omega Iota Phi Chapter hosted the 15th Annual Disco is Dead social in the Curb Cafe. The ’70s-themed disco party, the largest on campus social, has become a staple at Belmont, and every year the chapter looks at ways to make the event even better.
This year the brothers of ATO asked participants to donate $1 to the American Red Cross to support the victims of the recent hurricanes, and the event raised more than $400. Senior Phi Mu Taylor Walters said, “We all love coming to ATO’s Disco is Dead. There is no better opportunity than this to dress up and have a good time. It also gives us an opportunity to have fun with our new members.”
Disco is Dead also featured new dance platforms and a red carpet that welcomed guests to the party. The event was sponsored by Vitamin Water, with party goers receiving their choice of Vitamin Water products. To market the event to students, creative banners and signs were hung around campus that played off Belmont’s Debate08 logo, changing it to read Disco08.
Baker Competes in IdeaBlob.com Contest
Student Nate Baker is currently competing in the IdeaBlob.com start-up concept competition and is doing well in this week’s sprint. Baker’s idea involves developing a blog for the homeless and chronically homeless in order to educate the public and be a key to helping alleviate the negative effects of homelessness. Click here to learn more about his concept and to vote.
Speech and Debate Team Wins Honors at Recent Competitions
While the campus buzz has been centered around the presidential debate, the Belmont Speech and Debate team has also been buzzing with two recent competitions held at Volunteer State and the University of Alabama. Several student competitors made it to the finals in the following events:
Volunteer State
Debate Semi-Finalists: Sara Page & Tim Smith
Overall Debate Speaker: Tim Smith, 5th place
Extemporaneous Speaking: Paxton Williams, 7th place; Roxy Muscharefeia, 6th place; Sara Page, 4th place; Tim Smith, 1st place & Top Novice
Impromptu Speaking: Tim Smith, 6th place; Sara Page, 4th place & Top Novice
Prose Interpretation: Leslie Eiler, 4th place; Eric Schoen, 1st place & Top Novice
Programmed Oral Interpretation: David Corbari, 2nd place
Duo Interpretation: Eric Schoen & Leslie Eiler, 1st place & Top Novice
Informative Speaking: Sara Page, 7th place & Top Novice
University of Alabama (no debate offered)
Duo Interpretation: Leslie Eiler & Eric Schoen, 1st place & Top Novice
After Dinner Speaking: Meredith Day, 4th place
Dramatic Interpretation: Meredith Day, 6th place
Impromptu Speaking: Leslie Eiler, Top Novice
Extemporaneous Speaking: Sara Page, Top Novice
Johnston Contributes to Article on Pediatric Drug Labels
Dr. Philip Johnston, dean of the School of Pharmacy, has received notice that the journal Pediatrics has accepted for immediate publication the manuscript “Parental Misinterpretations of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pediatric Cough and Cold Medication Labels,” which was authored by a five-person Vanderbilt University Medical Center/Belmont University School of Pharmacy research team.
Recognizing the importance of this study to current national concern for children’s safety, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested permission from the team and from Pediatrics to include this study (pre-publication) into its current deliberations to craft revisions to cough and cold product labeling guidelines.
Business Dean Publishes Book on Debt Crises
Dr. Patrick Raines, dean of Belmont University’s College of Business Administration and professor of economics, recently published his third book with Dr. Charles Leathers, titled Debt, Innovations and Deflation (Edward Elgar Publishing). Insightful and timely in light of current fiscal conditions, the book examines the historical perspectives of great economists on previous debt-induced economic disruptions. Raines also shared his business expertise and ideas from the book during interviews last week with international media who were in Nashville for the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate, including conversations with both the BBC and NPR about the current global financial crisis.
“The past several years have ushered in a new era in economic policy issues,” Raines said. “After decades of concern over inflation, studies indicate that we now face the potentially greater danger of deflation. Our book analyzes whether post-World War II capitalist economies can rely on policies and institutional reforms to keep an inherent tendency toward deflation in check.”
Bisson Publishes Fifth Edition of Textbook
Dr. Doug Bisson, professor of history, was recently informed that the fifth edition of his two-volume textbook, A History of England (Prentice Hall, 2009), has just been published. Bisson revised much of the two volumes during his sabbatical leave last fall.
Junior Selden Blogs for Congressional Quarterly
Junior New Century Journalism major Abby Selden is blogging for the Congressional Quarterly Web site in a section called “The Report Card: Campus Coverage of the Elections.” Selden’s post this week focused on a recent lecture given on Belmont’s campus by Deana Claiborne, a former president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee. Click here to visit the site, and scroll down to Selden’s byline.
