Past Watchful Dragons, a weekend-long conference at Belmont on the life and works of author C.S. Lewis, is being proclaimed a triumph, with more than 300 people registered for the conference and attending a variety of academic lectures, book-signings, and dinners, and two well-attended concerts by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and by progressive rock band Glass Hammer. “Even in the panels where our students were presenting papers we had scholars standing in the back because 60 chairs were not enough to hold everyone – and we had four sessions running concurrently, so that tells you something,” says conference organizer Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, professor of liberal studies at Belmont.
C.S. Lewis Conference Draws Hundreds to Belmont
Belmont Alum Performs at TPAC, Nashville Children’s Theatre
Shawn Knight (’99) recently appeared in the Broadway production of 1776 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), playing the roles of Samuel Chase and Robert Livingston. Beginning November 14, Knight can be seen at the Nashville Children’s Theatre in its production of Seussical in the role of Horton the Elephant. In addition to performing, Knight has been working in the Writing Center at Belmont this fall.
Belmont Ice Skater Takes Silver in National Competition
Belmont University sophomore, Andrea Vickers, recently won the silver medal in the 2005 U.S. Collegiate Championships in Hawaii. Vickers won the bronze in last year’s competition.
Vickers, who began ice skating at 6 years old, recently told Nashville’s City Paper, “I would love to be an ice skating coach and be able to walk into a rink every day as my place of employment.”
Vickers trains at Southern Ice Arena in Cool Springs in Franklin, Tenn., and is majoring in exercise science at Belmont.
Nashville Mayor Speaks to Students About Career in Public Service
Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell spoke about his life in public service as the guest speaker today for the New Century Journalism Speakers Series at Belmont University. The Speakers Series brings a variety of local and national journalists and other public figures to campus to speak to Belmont students about their chosen careers.
Purcell is the fifth mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, elected first in 1999 and reelected to a second term in 2003. Prior to being elected mayor, Purcell served as director of the Child and Family Policy Center at the Vanderbilt Institute of Public Policy Studies. He also served five terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives beginning in 1986. Purcell served as House Majority Leader and Chair of the Select Committee on Children and Youth.
Speech & Debate Team Successful at Tournaments
The Belmont University Speech & Debate Team recently competed in two tournaments at the University of Alabama and Western Kentucky University. The Belmont team was successful at both tournaments. The following students placed in the tournament at Alabama, one of the toughest competitions in the nation:
Poetry Intrepretation: McKinley Belcher (Sixth place)
Duo Interpretation: McKinley Belcher and Kristen Taylor (Sixth place)
Informative Speaking: Melanie Bengston (Top Novice)
Prose Interpretation: McKinley Belcher (Quarterfinalist)
Pentathlon (Top Overall Speaker): McKinley Belcher (Fourth place)
At the competition held at Western Kentucky University, Melanie Bengston and Price Rainer advanced to quarterfinals in the novice division.
Congratulations to the Speech & Debate Team!
Chemistry Department Holds Workshop for High School Students
The Chemistry Department at Belmont University held a workshop on September 30 titled “Explorations in Chemistry” for high school sophomores and juniors in an effort to provide opportunities for Middle Tennessee schools through academic outreach programs. The high school students participated in demonstrations and hands-on lab activities led by Belmont students and faculty.
Two Belmont Soccer Players Receive Academic All-America Honors
Senior Channing Twyner and junior Chris Anderson of the Belmont men’s soccer team (6-8-1, 3-4-0 A-Sun) were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America District IV First Team (University Division), as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), this week. It is the first time two members of the program have received the honor and a first-time honor for both student-athletes. As first team honorees, the pair will now advance to national voting for the National Academic All-America Men’s Soccer Team.
Twyner, a native of Jackson, Miss., is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry. A four-year starter for the Bruins, he is second on team in goals. Twyner is currently ranked 10th in conference and third on team in shots). A three-time Atlantic Sun All-Academic honoree, he has career totals of 13 goals, 12 assists, 113 shots and 38 points.
Anderson, a native of Brentwood, Tenn., is majoring in entrepreneurship. He has been a defensive stalwart over the last three years for the Bruins. The team’s co-captain has logged over 1000 minutes on the field this season. Anderson has started and played in 47 out of all 48 matches over the last three years. The two-time Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team selection recently recorded his first career goal against North Florida (10/29), helping Belmont return to the Atlantic Sun Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Head Coach Earle Davidson was excited about the announcement. “We are very excited for Channing and Chris. Academics is a top priority for us and we are very proud of their postseason recognition. They are both fully deserving of the honor.”
Belmont Partners With Narnia on Tour for C.S. Lewis Conference
Fans of the Chronicles of Narnia series will be in for a treat this week as Belmont University, in partnership with Narnia on Tour, will present the Past Watchful Dragons Conference – a scholarly look at faith and culture within the literature of C.S. Lewis, to be held Nov. 3-5 at the Belmont Campus in Nashville, Tenn. ChristianPost.com reports…
Belmont Honors Business Legend Jack C. Massey
$1 Million Gift Endows Financial Trading Room Named In His Honor
Belmont University honored legendary Nashville businessman Jack C. Massey Tues., November 1, with a special gathering in conjunction with the release of his biography, Master of the Big Board: The Life, Times and Business of Jack Massey. At a special event in the Maddox Grand Atrium celebrating Massey’s legacy as a business man and philanthropist, Massey biographer Bill Carey spoke of Massey as both kind-hearted and “tough as nails,” while Nashville businessman Clayton McWhorter described Massey as a business mentor who urged McWhorter years ago to get involved with what was then known as Belmont College. “He said, ‘Get down there an help those people’,” McWhorter recalled. “I’ve been down here helping out ever since. I’m afraid to stop!”
Sturgis Reviews Book on First Ethnic Cleansing in America
Dr. Amy H. Sturgis, professor of liberal studies, reviews a new book about the the expulsion of the French Acadians from Nova Scotia in the 1600s and 1700s by the British published in Reason magazine. Sturgis reviews A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians From Their American Homeland, written by Yale University historian John Mack Faragher. You can read the article in the November 2005 issue of Reason or online here. Sturgis holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history and has written several books, including The Trail of Tears and Indian Removal, forthcoming from Greenwood Press.
