Professor of Music Business Dr. Don Cusic was interviewed by Jeremy Hobson for NPR’s “Here and Now” on “Politics and Country Music” last Friday in his office on Music Row. The story aired on March 1 as part of the network’s Super Tuesday presidential primary coverage. “Here and Now” airs on more than 420 stations with almost four million listeners.
In addition, Cusic gave a talk on “James Weldon Johnson at Fisk” during the African-American Conference at Tennessee State University on Feb. 12.
The Tennessee World Affairs Council (TNWAC) hosted a conversation with Japan’s Consul-General Masami Kinefuchi, resident in Nashville, and Dr. James Auer, a distinguished scholar who heads the Nashville-based Auer U.S.-Japan Center, regarding “U.S.-Japan Relations: An Enduring Security Partnership Faces New Challenges.” The Feb. 23 town hall was hosted by Belmont University Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education, represented by Professor Joan Li, in association with the Japan-America Society of Tennessee (JAST), represented by its director Leigh Wieland.
Kinefuchi opened the briefing with a comprehensive review of Japan-US relations in the past, Japanese constitutional constraints, changes on defense policymaking, the structure of the bilateral security treaty, the footprint of U.S. forces in Japan and how the alliance is being strengthened. He said, “During the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Taiwan Crisis, the location of Japan was always of strategic importance to U.S. forces and its importance has become no less essential if you think about the peace and stability of the region today.”
The constraints of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution are a fundamental determinant of Japan’s defense force’s roles. Kinefuchi said, “The article stipulates our renunciation of war and military force.” He noted that new legislation in the area of peace and security allows Japan to participate in a wider range of UN peacekeeping operations and other international coordinated efforts, provide necessary support when a situation ‘has an important influence upon Japan’s peace and security or threatens international peace and security’ and exercise the right to collective self-defense when specific conditions are met.
Kinefuchi further pointed out that, “The real foundation of our alliance rests in the hearts and minds of both our peoples. Without strong trust and confidence, a mere treaty on paper will not work. In defense, having common strategic goals and interests and sharing values are so important.”
Auer opened a conversation with Kinefuchi following the briefing where they addressed the questions of collective self defense, the Okinawa basing issue, the origins and changes in the Japanese Constitution, threats from North Korea and concerns about China’s expansion and intentions.
The town hall provided understanding for the strategic alliance between the U.S. and Japan and perspectives on the challenges confronting them. Kinefuchi said that, “I am determined to make every effort and provide whatever support possible to further strengthen our friendship and mutual trust. Let me end by thanking you for your interest in and support of the Japan-US alliance. President Obama described this partnership as the ‘unshakeable alliance’ while Prime Minister Abe calls it an ‘alliance of hope.’ I am proud and pleased to be one part of the stewards of this historic bilateral friendship.”
The event was organized by TNWAC, a nonpartisan, educational, nonprofit group that works to educate and inspire a greater understanding of global issues among members of the community. In addition to a regular speaker program, TNWAC organizes local discussion groups, student international affairs awareness programs and teacher training. Upcoming programs can be found here.
The Japan-America Society of Tennessee is a nonprofit organization that works to create mutual economic benefit through a prosperous relationship between Tennessee and Japan. The annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival is one of its many community events that can be found here.
The Entertainment Law Society held a successful panel discussion Thursday night with four entertainment and sports law attorneys discussing the role intellectual property plays in the business. The speakers included music and entertainment attorneys Norman Gillis (Norman Gillis & Associates, Inc.) and Tim Warnock (Riley Warnock & Jacobson, PLC) as well as sports attorneys Che Mock (ESQ Sports and Entertainment Agency) and Sean Marshall (Nashville Predators).
The discussion covered topics ranging from how intellectual property affects a sports and entertainment attorney’s day-to-day life to how emerging technology and the Internet can impact the business in the future. Each panelist brought a unique perspective to the discussion, such as how licensing and contracts can be affected on the sporting side or how copyrights vary based on the music side. The attorneys also shared ideas for staying updated on current news happening in the intellectual property industry and encouraged law students to keep open minds and learn as much as possible about this ever-changing practice.
Graduate students from two programs in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing were recently honored by the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools with the 2015-16 Outstanding Thesis Award.
Six students in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program were recognized for their abstract titled, “Prevalent Concerns Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Middle Tennessee.” The students–Samantha Grishaber, Abby Hawkins, Evan Pendygraft, Chelsea Skaggs, Mary Beth Thiel and Nicole Wright–were mentored by Dr. Debra Gibbs, assistant professor of occupational therapy. The study identified health as the primary concern of community-dwelling adults that contribute to their ability to sustain independent living, followed by finances, memory, transportation and safety.
Kathryn D. Mitchell, a student in Belmont’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, was also recognized for her study, “Public Access to Naloxone: Provider Awareness and Prescribing Attitudes.” Her project examined knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms and prescribing intentions among nurse practitioners (NPs) working in adult primary care, family practice, pain management and emergency department practice settings in response to state naloxone distribution laws. Her study revealed that NPs are critical to successful implementation of this innovative approach to combat overdose deaths in Tennessee.
The abstracts were presented at the Graduate Education Day on the Hill for the Tennessee Legislature earlier this week.
Andrea McClain, coordinator for teacher licensing and education admissions in Belmont’s Department of Education, performed at the Metro Nashville Public Library Green Hills Branch in honor of Black History Month as part of several programs encouraging children to dance to the beat of history.
Along with Charlie Gilbert, representing the Global Education Center, McClain demonstrated dances connecting African rythms with the sounds of percussion instruments and invited children to dance along. “I wanted to share West African culture for Black History Month to show where African Americans came from,” said McClain in a report by News Channel 5. “At first the children are shy, but once the music and dancing starts going, you go up to them, they’re going to come out. They’re children who love music and love to dance.”
Three Design Communications students entered the American Advertising Federation’s 2016 Regional Student Addy Awards and won three awards Wednesday night (Feb. 24). Grant Gill won a Silver Addy for his Poster Design that was used as the promotional announcement for this year’s event. Caitlyn Marsh won a Gold Addy in App Design and a Silver Addy in Packaging Design. Marsh has accepted employment at Red Pepper, a local marketing, design and advertising agency. Grant Gill and another design major, Samantha Cuthbert, developed the promotional materials for this year’s event. Cuthbert was awarded an internship with GS&F Advertising Agency when their submission was selected. Gill graduates in the spring of 2016 and is currently stepping through the admissions process at the University of Oxford. Gold medal winning work moves on to the District competition. This is the fifth year in a row that Belmont Design Students have entered and been recognized.
In June 2015, the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business was awarded $100,000 from Gibson Brands for The Les Paul Music Innovation Award. The award was created to honor the late Les Paul’s 100th birthday by funding research for faculty and students, inspiring the next generation of industry leaders to express innovation and creativity to strengthen the music economy.
After reviewing several proposals, the first allotment of funds from the award was given to audio engineering faculty members Dr. Eric Tarr and Justin Dowse to conduct research on the current payment system used by music streaming platforms. With the help of four student research assistants, Tarr and Dowse are conducting technological research while also trying to get an idea of how the public feels about this issue. Dowse said, “We are researching new technology that could potentially increase royalty payments to song rights owners, reduce the time it takes for royalty payments and remove the opaqueness of the music industry.”
To participate in the team’s study of individual music streaming practices, click here.
Professor of English Dr. Douglas Murray recently published “Donwell Abbey and Box Hill: Purity and Danger in Jane Austen’s Emma” in Review of English Studies (RES). RES is an internationally-known periodical, the flagship journal of the Oxford University Press and one of the world’s most respected sources of historical criticism. Murray’s essay combines original research into Box Hill in Surrey (site of a famous scene in Emma) with anthropologist Mary Douglas’s theories of clean and dirty spaces.
Murray also presented “Humphrey Repton’s ‘View from my Own Cottage’ and Jane Austen’s Emma: Natives and Nomads” at the 2015 meeting of the British Association for Romantic Studies, held in July in Cardiff, Wales.
Belmont celebrated its 125th Anniversary Homecoming Feb. 18 – 20 and Bruins from all over returned to campus to take part in the festivities. This year’s event featured a campus-wide canned food drive supporting Second Harvest Food Bank, a ‘Homecoming in the Round Concert,’ numerous reunions for colleges and student organizations and a basketball doubleheader with the Bruins’ men’s and women’s teams.
The Curb Event Center saw impressive numbers for Saturday’s games against Tennessee Tech as more than 5,000 Bruin alumni, faculty, staff, students and neighbors cheered both teams to victory. The men’s and women’s teams played their final game in the Curb for this season and honored their seniors with send-offs. Both teams walked off the court for this season’s final home game with victories. The women defeated Tech’s Golden Eagles 70-49 and the men’s final score was 95-86.
For photos from the weekend’s events, click here.
Belmont public relations students issue proclamation to Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to support student veterans as part of their ‘Success, Value, Advocacy’ Bateman Campaign
A ceremony was held Monday at the Tennessee State Capitol in honor of the official proclamation signed by Governor Bill Haslam declaring Feb. 21-27 as Tennessee’s Student Veterans Week. The ceremony began with two Belmont student veterans speaking about their transition from service member to student as well as the way Student Veterans of America (SVA) has aided in the transition and the importance of being supported by their university.
The proclamation is a product of the public relations campaign “Success, Value, Advocacy” by Red, White and Bruin, Belmont’s 2016 Bateman Team. The Bateman Case Study Competition is the Public Relations Student Society of America’s annual competition that challenges students across the nation to implement comprehensive public relations campaigns. This year’s client is SVA, a nonprofit coalition of student veterans groups on college campuses that provide peer-to-peer networks for student veterans. Red, White and Bruin is working with student veterans from Belmont, Lipscomb and Tennessee State Universities to increase awareness and support for SVA in the greater Nashville area.
Yvette Martinez, assistant commissioner for Tennessee’s Department of Veterans Services, read the official proclamation, and Belmont student Savannah Beals sang the National Anthem. Martinez spoke on the initiatives put out by her own office, including partnering with schools in Nashville for a 200 percent increase in veteran higher education enrollment, totaling 13,400 students in 2015. In 2013, $236 million was given in federal education benefits, and that number grew by more than $30 million in a year.
“This is all great work, but more needs to be done,” Martinez said. “These veterans’ stories are unique, and they are powerful.” She also highlighted the impressive work of the five Belmont students on the Bateman team. “This is the way traditions start. We plan to make this an annual event.”
Belmont student veteran Erin Twohey spoke on the service member to student transition and the support she has felt from the community. She said she discovered Belmont when she began searching for business accredited Yellow Ribbon schools with a reputation for being military friendly.
“Belmont had shown such instantaneous excitement and support upon finding out I was military that in that moment, I knew where I’d be going–not because I thought I made my choice, but because I felt that Belmont chose me,” Twohey said. “Upon my transition to becoming a fulltime student, I was afraid I would feel like an outcast and have to fight for academic accommodations if I was ever obligated to return home for duty. Instead, I not only found comradery among other student veterans and adult students, but also an outstanding support system of faculty and staff. At that point, one thing above all else was clear: I belong here.”
Senior public relations major and Bateman team member Haley Hall welcomed the attendees to the event by expressing the team’s personal investments in lives of student veterans.
“Through these past few months, this campaign has been a life changing experience for me and my team. What started out as just a project has turned into something that we all believe in so strongly and will forever be advocates for,” she said. “The student veterans that we have met during this time are strong, brave and have taught and inspired us every step of the way. We are so pleased that Governor Haslam approved our proclamation that recognizes Student Veterans Week in the State of Tennessee.”
President of Bruin Vets, Belmont’s SVA chapter, Jonathan League also spoke on the opportunities he has been given. “SVA has provided me the opportunity to have a more valuable college experience and gain the confidence to pursue something greater than myself,” said League. “SVA supports me and my fellow veterans during our transitions from yesterday’s warriors to today’s scholars and to tomorrow’s leaders. I am appreciative for this week of honor because it recognizes the value our student veterans bring to higher education within the state of Tennessee.”
Belmont’s 2016 Bateman Team is comprised of sophomore Lindsey Barchent, senior Julia Couch, senior Haley Hall, senior Haley Hicks and senior Jessica Martin. For more information on SVA, click here.
