On April 5, Belmont history majors Leslie McClure, Ash Johnson and Tara Hamlin presented papers at the regional conference of Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honor Society. The event was held on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin. Hamlin’s paper, “Castro’s Cuba: the Search for an Ideology,” was chosen as the best paper in the area of Regional History. The students were accompanied by Belmont faculty members Dr. Brenda Jackson-Abernathy, chair of the History Department, and Dr. Cynthia Bisson, faculty advisor to the Xi-Alpha Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta.
Students Participate in History Conference
Nashville’s Largest Latin Street Fair Returns to Campus May 3
Belmont University presents the fourth annual “Fiesta Belmont: Nashville’s Latin Music Street Fair” on Sat., May 3 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., celebrating the traditions of Latin culture. Made possible through the generous contribution of Sam’s Club, the street fair features a day-long schedule of Latin music performances, Latin food vendors, activities for children and Latin dance groups. Admission to the event on the Belmont University campus is free.
The event features family and local business vendors who will be supplying Columbian, South American, Caribbean and Hispanic food. Entertainment includes traditional folkloric dancers, along with a wide variety of Latin music such as mariachi, conjunto/cumbias and salsa from Nashville’s top professional Latin local bands. Kids can enjoy activities like piñatas, face painting and inflatable slides.
“This event celebrates the diversity that is becoming Nashville. It mirrors the authentic Latin Street Fairs of my childhood in New Mexico, showcasing local music and incredible food. This event has become a major annual activity for Belmont University, providing a positive showcase for culture, food and interaction within the community,” said Dr. David Herrera, Fiesta Belmont event director and instructor in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business.
Lind Awarded Grant for Math Research Project
Dr. Joan Lind, assistant professor of mathematics, was recently awarded a mini-grant for the 2008-09 academic year from the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM). The $13,150 CURM mini-grant will provide funds for her to work with two undergraduates as they refine a computer program that simulates the stochastic process called SLE. Lind’s specific research goals for the coming year include the following: (1) Improve the current computer program to get accurate simulations of SLE for large values of kappa; (2) Explore what happens when we let kappa be a complex number; (3) Modify the computer program to simulate SLE with a complex value for kappa; (4) Create a computer program that will back-bite and explore the back-biting operation with an eye to answering the back-biting question.
McGrew Selected for Travel Fellowship to Attend Neuroscience Meeting
Dr. Lori McGrew, assistant professor of biology, was recently selected as one of the recipients of an Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs (ANDP) Travel Fellowship to assist her with attending the Annual Spring Meeting in Bethesda, Md. May 3-4. The award will cover up to $500 in travel expenses as well as provide her with free registration for the meeting.
Business Students Win Prizes at International Competition
Several students from Belmont University’s College of Business Administration recently won significant prizes in the International meeting of Delta Epsilon Chi in Atlanta. Delta Epsilon Chi, the collegiate division of DECA, seeks to develop future leaders in marketing, management and entrepreneurship.
More than 100 students from 58 teams participated in the Entrepreneurial Challenge, a featured three-day event in which students (in teams of one to three) come up with a business idea for a specific industry or trend. This year’s focus was on “green” businesses. The student teams researched an idea and made a pitch for a business proposal to a series of business executives who served as judges. Belmont teams placed as the top two winners in the competition and held five of the top 10 finalist spots.
Kevin Jennings, an Entrepreneurship and Music Business major from Nashville, and Sally Munns, an Entrepreneurship major from Brentwood, won first place in the Entrepreneurial Challenge. Winning Team members share a $5,000 Don DeBolt Scholarship and up to $3,000 in travel awards to attend the International Franchise Association Annual Meeting to present their winning proposal. They also received $10,000 in seed money from ideablob.com.
Noah Curran, an International Business/Entrepreneurship major, and Julie Zaloba, an Entrepreneurship major, won second place and $3,000 in prize money.
In addition to being on the first place team in the Entrepreneurial Challenge, Kevin Jennings also took first place in the Business Plan Competition for his business soundAFX, which he currently runs in the College of Business Administration Hatchery program.
Two Seniors Selected for Fulbright Grants in Austria
Two of Belmont’s graduating seniors have been awarded grants for 2008-09 for teaching and study in Austria by the Austrian Ministry of Education, sponsored by the Fulbright Program. We are very proud of their success in this national grant competition. The students are Megan Dittmann, Honors Program German major, and Nick Ashburn, double major in German and Political Science.
Chatham Named 2008 Recipient of AT&T Real Yellow Pages Scholarship in Public Relations
Belmont University announced today that junior Anna Chatham has been named the second recipient of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Scholarship in Public Relations. AT&T Advertising & Publishing is supporting Belmont University’s public relations program with a five-year scholarship commitment, with the inaugural award given last year. The $2,500 prize is presented annually each spring to the public relations major who demonstrates academic excellence, campus service and professionalism. Applicants must also write an essay that effectively responds to the question, “What role should public relations play in corporate social responsibility?”
Chatham, a junior public relations major and native of Burns, Tenn., has a 3.7 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and is a member of Belmont’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the Phi Mu fraternity. She also serves as an intern with the Senior University Events Coordinator and has been a Belmont Ambassador and Tower Team Leader.
“I was very surprised and excited to win this scholarship,” said Chatham, who is pictured above with AT&T Real Yellow Pages District Sales Manager Brandon Stotts at Wednesday’s scholarship presentation. “I’m extremely grateful to AT&T for investing in my education. Receiving this scholarship really affirms what I’ve learned in my classes at Belmont and in my internship experiences.”
International Country Music Conference Celebrates 25th Year
Conference to Be Held at Belmont May 22-24
The 25th Annual International Country Music Conference (ICMC), co-chaired by James Akenson and Belmont Professor of Music Business Don Cusic, will be held on campus May 22-24. The annual conference is a premier event for country music scholars and enthusiasts alike, celebrating the diverse history of country music through educational and entertaining presentations and panels.
“The International Country Music Conference is the premier academic event for those studying and writing about country music,” said Cusic. “It is appropriate that ICMC is held at Nashville’s Belmont University. Chet Atkins, one of the ‘fathers’ of Music Row and the Nashville Sound, once said about country music, ‘they should study this in college.’ Well, now we do, and the ICMC is the center of that universe.”
Conference presenters span all facets of the country music community, including representatives from academic institutions, the media, historians, public libraries and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Registration for ICMC is $100 and includes breakfast and lunch. Registration materials must be received by Fri., May 16. Checks should be sent to James Akenson, Box 5042, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505. For more information on the conference, including a complete schedule, visit www.internationalcountrymusic.org.
CMT Fans Vote Adkins, Pickler, Swift as Big Winners at ‘2008 CMT Music Awards’
In a night filled with surprises, Trace Adkins (“I’ve Got My Game On”), Taylor Swift (“Our Song”) and Kellie Pickler (“I Wonder”) emerged as the evening’s biggest winners at the “2008 CMT Music Awards,” which was broadcast live for the third straight year from the Curb Event Center at Belmont University.
More than 9.1 million viewers tuned in for the premiere and repeat telecasts of the show, and traffic on CMT.com hit record highs the day following the telecast, breaking all previous records for page views, uniques and streams. According to Nielsen Media Research, the two-and-a-half hour “2008 CMT Music Awards” scored a 1.27 rating among people age 18-49 up more than 35 percent from last year. In addition, more than 11.1 million viewers cumulative tuned in Monday for related programming, including the live CMT Music Awards Red Carpet show, which was filmed on the Belmont University sidewalk on Belmont Boulevard.
Adkins took home top honors for Male Video of the Year (“I’ve Got My Game On”); Taylor Swift won Female Video of the Year (“Our Song”); Rascal Flatts won Group Video of the Year (“Take Me There”); Sugarland won Duo Video of the Year (“Stay”); and Taylor Swift won Video of the Year (“Our Song”). Pickler won the first awards of her professional career with three CMT buckles for USA Weekend Breakthrough, Performance and Tearjerker Video of the Year for the video “I Wonder.” She accepted the accolades via satellite from Scottsdale, Ariz., where she had a concert.
Hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, the “2008 CMT Music Awards” kicked off with a special “red-carpet” broadcast of the various artists arriving at the venue on Belmont Boulevard. Fans lined the streets and the steps leading to the Maddox Grand Atrium to get a first-hand glimpse of their favorite performers.
Keith Urban, joined by Brooks & Dunn, ignited the live show with Urban’s “Raise the Barn,” followed by a fantastic musical number by LeAnn Rimes in which she re-created the video for her nominated song “Nothin’ Better to Do.” Rascal Flatts performed latest single, “Bob That Head,” which featured user-generated clips from fans who “sang along” during the chorus.
In addition, a number of powerful performances marked the evening, as Sugarland was joined by tour mates Little Big Town and Jake Owen for their cover of “Life in a Northern Town”; Tim McGraw with wife Faith Hill sang their duet “I Need You”; Alan Jackson performed his newest single “Good Time”; hosts Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus performed the duet “Ready, Set, Don’t Go”; special guest Hank Williams Jr. joined Brad Paisley on Paisley’s song “I’m Still a Guy”; Taylor Swift rocked her single “Picture to Burn”; Toby Keith performed his newest hit, “She’s a Hottie”; Kenny Chesney sang “Never Wanted Nothing More”; and Carrie Underwood closed the show with her hit, “All-American Girl.”
For the first time, the show also featured a side stage that included such up-and-coming artists as Bucky Covington, James Otto, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Ashton Shepherd and Chuck Wicks. Visit CMT.com for a complete list of winners as well as exclusive content from the evening and a listing of encore airings of the show and the red carpet special.
Click the more button below to see additional photos from the event.
Author Jim Wallis to Speak on Faith and Politics April 24
New York Times-bestselling author Jim Wallis will bring his message on politics, religion and justice to the Belmont University campus on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Belmont Heights Baptist Church sanctuary and will include a short in-the-round style concert by acclaimed and Grammy-winning Nashville singer songwriters Ashley Cleveland and Marcus Hummon, as well as a book signing by Wallis at the conclusion of the event.
Wallis follows up his New York Times bestseller God’s Politics with a call to action for people who want to address urgent problems that politics has failed to solve. His new book, The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America, released in January and heralds a new era for faith and politics.
Wallis said, “God’s Politics called on people to take back their faith after it had been ‘hijacked’ by the Religious Right. Millions of Christians have done just that, and now the question is what are we going to do with our faith, now that we have it back? My new book, The Great Awakening, addresses that new question.”
Dr. Todd Lake, the vice president of spiritual development at Belmont, explained that Wallis’ ideas and remarks couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. “We are in the midst of an election year in which all of these issues are 
dominating news coverage,” Lake said. “Jim’s book, and his talk at Belmont, will give us another forum to wrestle with how conversations of social issues and political quandaries directly relate to faith. This will be an evening to fully engage the mind and the spirit.”
In his new book, Wallis revisits spiritual revivals and movements throughout history that led to great social change, ultimately concluding the world is on the verge of the next Great Awakening. He then addresses seven moral issues that are and will be critical to such conversations: global and domestic poverty, the environment and climate change, pandemic diseases, human rights, health care, war and peace. Wallis explains that only a revival of faith can spark the necessary changes in public opinion and political will on those key agendas, and that spiritual transformation is necessary for social change.
