The Belmont Audio Engineering Society (AES) chapter recently hosted Michael Wagener, a highly acclaimed producer and engineer who has worked with Motley Crue, Ozzy Osborne, Queen and Janet Jackson, to name a few. The Q&A session was attended by more than 40 students. Pictured from left to right are: Greg McGinnis, student AES chapter president; Wagener; student AES vice president Ethan Kaiser; and AES secretary/treasurer Nick Spezia.
AES Hosts Acclaimed Rock Producer Michael Wagener
Nashville Shakespeare Festival Begins 20th Season with ‘Hamlet’ at Troutt Theater
The Nashville Shakespeare Festival kicks off its 20th anniversary season this weekend with a winter production of Hamlet in Belmont University’s Troutt Theater. The production, the Festival’s first public winter production since 2002 and its first as a professional theater in residence at Belmont, “promises to be friendly to first-time viewers and intriguing to the seasoned Shakespeare fan,” said Hamlet director Denice Hicks.
The cast, which includes four Belmont students in addition to seven professional actors, will present their characters such that each is focused on helping Hamlet tell his story. This is the first time that the Festival has worked with Belmont on a production, and by making the Troutt Theater its new winter home, the Festival will be able to further its mission of not only entertaining, but also educating.
“We have partnered with several universities and colleges across the mid-South,” explained the Festival’s executive director, Nancy VanReece. “However, Belmont is the first winter home for a consistent collaboration as a theater in residence. We are already planning for 2009 and 2010 programming there.”
“We are honored to be among the other professional companies using this beautiful facility,” added Hicks, “and we are excited to incorporate the Belmont students and faculty into our production.”
Belmont University theater department chairman Paul Gatrell designed the set, adjunct professor and Tony Award-winner Franne Lee is the costume designer and MTSU professor Anne Willingham is responsible for the lighting design. Performances, beginning Jan. 17, will be held Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., through Feb. 2. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Nashville Shakespeare Festival at (615) 255- 2273 or visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.
Senior Journalism Student Named 2008 Chips Quinn Scholar
Senior journalism major Jeannette Ceja was recently named a 2008 Chips Quinn Scholar, a distinction awarded to only 20 students nationwide each year. The Chips Quinn program is sponsored by the Freedom Forum and provides internships, training and scholarships to college students of color who are pursuing careers in print journalism. The program offers special support and encouragement that will open doors to news careers and bring greater diversity to the nation’s daily newspaper newsrooms.
Chips Quinn Scholars spend two weeks in Washington, D.C., for training, experiential learning and mentoring by news veterans. The Freedom Forum then matches nominees with participating newspapers from across the country for paid internships. Upon Ceja’s return from Washington, she will spend ten weeks reporting and editing at The Tennessean newspaper.
“Jeannette is truly an exceptional student and we are thrilled that she has earned such a prestigious award,” said Dr. Sybril Bennett, Director of the New Century Journalism program and academic advisor and mentor to Ceja. “She has taken advantage of every opportunity to be successful and we are honored that the Freedom Forum and the Tennessean are recognizing her hard work in such an extraordinary way.”
COBA Faculty to Be Published in Journal, Textbook
Drs. Howard Cochran, Richard Churchman, Mark Schenkel and Jennie Carter Thomas recently received word that their article on “Identifying the Essential Managerial Characteristics of Successful Venture Capital Investments Among Small to Midsize Technology Enterprises Within Mainland China” will be published in Insights to a Changing World journal on March 15, 2008. In addition, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Harry Hollis will have their case and experiential exercise on “Driving Forces in the Field of Ethics” published in the 2008 edition of the Understanding Management textbook (published by Southwestern).
Dansby Named A-Sun Player of the Week
On the heels of his inspired effort in hostile surroundings, Belmont Basketball junior Shane Dansby has been named Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week. The versatile wing player turned in his finest performance in a Bruin uniform Saturday afternoon, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Belmont’s dramatic 99-91 double overtime victory at rival Lipscomb. The Pegram, Tenn. native recorded new career-highs in points (23), field goals (10), field goal attempts (16), three-point field goals (3) and minutes played (44). Moreover, he was one rebound shy of tying his career-high. The Murray State transfer has become an offensive mainstay for Belmont, scoring in double figures in all 14 game appearances for the Bruins this season. Dansby was also named to the Dr. Pepper Classic All-Tournament Team in December following outstanding performances against Wright State and Murray State. He leads Belmont in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and is second in scoring (13.4 ppg).
ACPE Authorizes Next Step for School of Pharmacy Accreditation Application
The American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) informed Belmont University leadership today that its application package, which was presented to the council at last week’s Board of Directors meeting in Tampa, satisfies all established criteria, paving the way for ACPE to schedule a site visit on campus between mid-March and early April. ACPE is the official regulatory body that accredits all colleges of pharmacy in the United States, and the early spring site visit will be the last hurdle Belmont’s School of Pharmacy (BUSOP) must clear before seating its first class in August 2008.
Belmont’s School of Pharmacy Dean Dr. Phil Johnston, who was one of the key university leaders to present the BUSOP application to the accreditation council, said, “Our meeting with the accreditation council went very well, and we are gratified to have reached this milestone. Our faculty is now hard at work preparing our academic program and our facilities. We are all very excited about the opportunity we have to serve the people of Tennessee by training professional pharmacists to serve in their communities.”
Belmont Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander, who also attended the council meeting in Tampa, noted, “It was clear from the accreditation council’s comments on Friday that Belmont’s School of Pharmacy made a strong impression with its submission. This process only increases our confidence that we will welcome our first pharmacy students to campus this fall.”
Entrepreneurship Program Wins National Awards
Belmont University’s Entrepreneurship Program in the College of Business Administration was recently selected by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) as the winner of the National Model Undergraduate Program. USASBE, which presented the award at its national conference in San Antonio, recognizes excellence in entrepreneurship education in seven categories including undergraduate, MBA and Ph.D. programs. The USASBE Excellence in Education Awards are sponsored by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE).
Belmont Professors Dr. Mark Schenkel and Dr. Jeff Cornwall along with Chris Gray also won the Outstanding Case Study award for the instructional case, “The Bun Lady,” a study of Cordia Harrington, president and CEO of the Tennessee Bun Company in Dickson. Harrington, who delivered a keynote address at the conference, was named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.
Belmont University Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said, “The Entrepreneurship major at Belmont has, since its inception, been recognized as one of the top 10 programs in the country. These ‘best in the nation’ recognitions by USASBE affirm that the program is indeed a national model of excellence in the field. We are extremely proud of what this team of faculty, staff and students has accomplished under the leadership of Dr. Cornwall in the four short years since he joined Belmont University. ”
Cornwall, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, added, “This is an amazing time to be teaching entrepreneurs. This generation has business ownership as one of their top goals. They are full of energy, excitement and optimism. Many young people today are graduating from college with a successful business already operating and growing. Although my entrepreneurial career has passed, I am able to continue to live the dream of free enterprise through my students and alumni.”
Dr. John Perkins Speaks on Finding ‘Justice for All’
Belmont’s first convocation of 2008 spoke to the issue of “Justice for All” with a talk presented by nationally known speaker and advocate for the poor Dr. John Perkins, who asked his audience today to build community through the three Rs: Reconciliation, Relocation and Redistribution. He also encouraged attendees to look for the root of the problems that plague their communities rather than merely focusing on symptoms.
Perkins, who serves as president of the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development in Jackson, Miss., grew up in Mississippi amidst dire poverty. He fled to California when he was 17 after his older brother’s murder at the hands of a town marshal and vowed never to return. However, in 1960, after his conversion to Christ, he returned to his boyhood home to share the gospel. His outspoken support and leadership role in civil rights demonstrations resulted in repeated harassment, imprisonment and beatings. Through it all, Dr. Perkins returned good for evil, love for hate, progress for prejudice and brought hope to black and white alike.
“Justice is understanding who owns the earth while injustice is about enslaving and exploiting people for your own aggrandizement,” Perkins said. “Justice was God’s motivation for redemption. Justice motivated God to come down from heaven, incarnate himself as Jesus of Nazareth… so that he could be just and justify you and me.”
Despite dropping out of school in the third grade, Perkins has written nine books and has received recognition for his work with seven honorary doctorates. He is an international speaker and teacher on issues of racial reconciliation, leadership and community development and is the co-founder and chairman of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). An association of Christian leaders from across America who are bonded by a commitment to express the love of Christ in America’s poor communities, CCDA has grown from its initial 37 founding members in 1989 to 6,800 individuals and 600 churches, ministries, institutions and businesses in more than 100 cities and townships across the country.
Musical Theatre Alumni in Touring Shows to Appear Locally
Musical Theatre graduate Mat deGuzman (’06) is appearing in the touring show of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which is playing seven shows Jan. 9-13 at TPAC. In addition, the last two days of May will find Tiffini Dodson, a 2004 Musical Theatre graduate, in town with the touring show of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the role of Mary Magdalene. The performances will be part of TPAC’s Broadway Specials series.
Belmont Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday with Series of Events
In celebration of the Jan. 15 anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birth date, Belmont University will be holding its 11th annual series of Commemorative Programs over the course of the next several weeks. The university’s commitment to Martin Luther King Week through classroom and special events began in 1997 and continues to grow today with Belmont observing the MLK holiday with widely varied events. All of the events listed below are open to both the Belmont community and the general public at no charge unless otherwise noted. For additional information, visit Belmont’s MLK Web site at www.belmont.edu/mlk.
Wed., Jan. 16, 10 a.m.
“Our Journey: A Black History Pageant” by Michael Walker
“Our Journey” is a celebration of Black History that combines poetry, song, dance and drama. The timeline begins with the civilizations of ancient Africa and runs through the late 1960’s. This performance will be directed by Crystal Jones, B.A. in Theater & Arts, with performances by members of the Black Student Association and the Belmont Theatre Program.
Harton Recital Hall
Fri., Jan. 18, 10 a.m.
“A Christian’s Perspective of Race” with Al Allen
Alumnus and recent Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Al Allen (‘96) remains one of only eight players in Belmont men’s basketball history to score over 2,000 career points (2,030) despite playing only three years. After graduating, Allen began a career in mortgage banking. About three years ago, he and his wife Jude began working
