Belmont University formally announced a partnership with Bridges Academy Wednesday morning during a signing ceremony on the Belmont campus. Slated to open in August with 100 fifth and sixth graders, Bridges will ultimately educate more than 400 fifth- through 12th-grade students each year. The academy will provide academic, spiritual and social solutions to the national epidemic of hopelessness and despair that torments many inner-city males and the communities that surround them.
Located in East Nashville, Bridges Academy will serve inner-city males of diverse backgrounds who otherwise may not experience an intense college preparation environment with a variety of opportunities for enrichment. With a school day beginning at 7 a.m. and ending at 7 p.m., students will attend classes, spend time with mentors and participate in extracurricular activities such as athletics, music, drama and financial literacy programs. Derek Young, the former executive director of 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, will serve as the president of Bridges Academy.
“What we’re trying to create is a model way to influence lives and shape leaders,” Young said. “We are very excited about this partnership and the students we will serve and the communities they will shape.”
Belmont is partnering with Bridges Academy to provide mutually beneficial opportunities for students from both institutions. Cooperative initiatives include curriculum consultation regarding teaching and learning with Belmont’s education department and Bridges Academy faculty; professional development opportunities for Belmont education students; tutoring and service learning opportunities for Belmont students in a variety of academic areas at Bridges Academy; co-curricular programs such as school newspaper, theatre and athletic coaching; and leadership training for Bridges Academy students.
“It is a privilege to be a part of this new partnership with Bridges Academy,” Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said. “Our job is to help students discover their purpose, push them to become all they are created to be and find someone to serve. This is an opportunity to build bridges in the community that will benefit Belmont as much as Bridges Academy.”
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Belmont University Partners With Bridges Academy
Hare, Herndon Named All-Atlantic Sun
In reaching 20 wins for the third time in the last four seasons, Belmont basketball had two players receive postseason awards as announced by the league Tuesday.
Junior Justin Hare (Cleveland, Tenn.) was named First Team All-Atlantic Sun, while senior Boomer Herndon (Nashville, Tenn.) was named Second Team All-Atlantic Sun.
Hare, the reigning Atlantic Sun Tournament MVP, leads Belmont and ranks eighth in the Atlantic Sun in scoring at 14.4 points per game. The 6-2 guard has 22 double figure scoring games this season and ranks among the league’s leaders in five offensive categories.
On December 29 at Saint Mary’s (CA), Hare became the third fastest Bruin to score 1,000 career points, doing so in 74 games. This, coupled with his late-game heroics in victory over Rice the evening before, garnered Hare Saint Mary’s All-Tournament Team honors.
Also a distinguished exercise science major, Hare was recently named to the CoSida Academic All-District Team for a second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Herndon solidified his place as one of the premier post players in the Atlantic Sun. The 6-10 center ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (.627) and has shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 24 of 29 games this season. Herndon, who registered a career-high eight blocked shots in Belmont’s regular season finale at North Florida, also ranks second in the conference in blocks per game (1.48).
Like Hare, Herndon was also named to the Saint Mary’s All-Tournament Team after scoring 34 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in two games.
“It is a great accomplishment for both of these young men to achieve all-conference status two consecutive years,” Belmont Head Coach Rick Byrd said. “Justin and Boomer have led our program to unprecedented success during their time at Belmont. I think they would be the first to say that the unselfish play of their teammates played a big part in their individual achievement.”
Hare and Herndon were each Second Team All-Atlantic Sun a year ago.
Belmont (20-9, 14-4 Atlantic Sun) plays Gardner-Webb Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Tip-off is set for noon CT from Johnson City, Tenn.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Enter Tournament Play With Big Wins
Belmont’s men’s and women’s basketball teams earned big wins going into their respective Atlantic Sun conference tournaments for a potential bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament.
The Belmont women’s basketball team picked up its third Atlantic Sun regular season title in four years and extended its home win streak to 23 games with its come-from-behind win against Gardner-Webb Saturday night. The Bruins knocked off the Bulldogs 54-51 and improved to 15-1 in the conference. Belmont wraps up its regualar season with two away games. The Bruins will take on Jacksonville on March 1 and North Florida on March 3.
Belmont’s men’s basketball team wrapped up the regular season with a 74-54 win at North Florida Saturday afternoon. Belmont has now won 20 games for the third time in the last four seasons. The Bruins will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament and will play No. 7 Gardner-Webb Thursday at noon CST in Johnson City, Tenn.
For the latest information on Belmont basketball, visit BelmontBruins.com.
Valentine Receives Competitive Internship
Shandus Valentine, junior psychology major, was selected for a highly competitive internship at the University of Alberta, Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. She will be in their Housing Internship program, which offers valuable opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students interested in a profession in housing. Interns gain experience and insight at another institution and gain a better appreciation about the housing profession. The University of Alberta only offers one position a summer and is one of Canada’s largest universities with one of the most unique residence facilities in the country.
Belmont Celebrates Fitness Day
The Beaman Student Life Center at Belmont University celebrated National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day Wednesday with a full slate of events throughout the day for students, faculty and staff to promote health and wellness. A 5k walk/run, climbing wall competitions and group fitness classes were held throughout the day as well as special sessions from professional athletes and trainers. Greg Zanon, Jerrod Smithson and Dan Hambuis from the Nashville Predators hockey team spoke about their daily routines and lives as professional hockey players. This is the second year Belmont has taken part in Fitness Day.
Civil Rights Leader Lawson Speaks At Belmont
The Rev. James Lawson spoke at Belmont University in conjunction with the sociology department’s Living Sociology Speaker Series. Lawson was expelled from Vanderbilt University in 1960 for training black and white students how to organize sit-ins and engage in other forms of social action to end segregation.
Lawson came to Nashville at the request of Martin Luther King, Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson’s passion for justice and nonviolence for all subjected him to imprisonment and threats of violence. Lawson, a retired ministor of Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, is currently teaching for one year as a visiting professor and fellow at Vanderbilt’s Center for the Study of Religion and Culture.
Wicke Named Atlantic Sun Player Of the Week
Behind torrid three-point shooting, sophomore Andy Wicke was named Atlantic Sun Player of the Week as announced by the league Monday.
Wicke scored a career-high 31 points on 10-for-12 three-point shooting in Belmont’s 87-55 victory over Gardner-Webb last Thursday night. All told, Wicke helped set five Curb Event Center records.
The Hendersonville, Tenn., native then added 13 points and a career-high six assists in the Bruins’ 92-68 win over Campbell Saturday afternoon. For the week, Wicke shot an astounding 13-for-19 (.684) from three-point range as Belmont wrapped up its home schedule with a record of 9-2.
Wicke leads the Atlantic Sun and ranks 29th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.460). The 2006 Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team member is third on the Bruins in scoring at 8.8 points per game.
Wicke, who shared the honor with Stetson point guard Gabe McMillen, joins Justin Hare as Belmont players to have received Player of the Week recognition this season.
Belmont (18-9, 12-4 Atlantic Sun) next plays at Jacksonville Thursday night.
Sullivan Presents Research
Dr. Michael Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, presented research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual conference in January. Dr. Sullivan’s research was also recently featured on the New York Times Web site. The research was conducted at Graceland during Elvis Week in August.
Myron Oglesby Educational Advancement Award Established
An award was recently established in honor of Dr. Myron Oglesby Pitts, Assistant Professor in the Education Department. The Myron Oglesby Educational Advancement Award is offered through the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where Oglesby-Pitts served as a charter member of the Eta Beta Chapter at Vanderbilt University. The award will be offered annually to two high school seniors planning to major in math, science or technology and to another student majoring in the Liberal Arts, education or human development. Each award is $500 and is presented during the Eta Beta Chapter’s annual AKA Week.
Student Life Fellows Program
This semester marked the establishment of the Student Life Fellows Program in the Division of Student Affairs. Dr. Darrell Gwaltney, Dean of the School of Religion, was appointed the first Faculty Fellow in New Student Programs. The Fellow informs and engages collaborative academic efforts with new student programs and the first year experience within the Division of Student Affairs. This weekend, Dr. Gwaltney and Matt Burchett, Coordinator of New Student Programs, will co-present at the 26th Annual Conference on the First Year Experience and Students in Transitions in Dallas, TX. The presentation topic is Teaching the Art of New Parent Transitions.
