Belmont’s Psychology Club/Psi Chi Club hosted several events for students during their 2016 Careers in Psychology Week. On Monday, Feb. 15, Sarah Hicks and Travis Gay from Mental Health Cooperative came to campus to discuss the organization’s job opportunities and what duties they entail.
On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the club had Bijal Mehta from the Jean Crowe Advocacy Center came to speak with students about internship and job opportunities after graduation.
Students from Belmont’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department recently participated in Hack-MT including Corey Sery, John Ottenlips, Jonathan Lane, Sara Chung, James Dickenson, Phil Knock, Adriano Balini and Austin Ban at MTSU. Recent Belmont graduates Geoff Gross, Kevin Huber, and Bob Rochford also participated taking mentorship/leadership roles throughout the weekend.
The event gathers software developers, visual designers, programmers and computer science students from local universities and form teams to invent new web platforms, mobile apps and electronic gadgets. The students spent 42 high-intensity, uninterrupted hours (from Friday at 6 p.m. to Sunday at noon) developing mobile and/or web apps, video games and other tech related projects.
200 people participated in the event and 70 percent of participants were from MTSU, Belmont, Lipscomb, Vanderbilt, UT Knoxville and Fisk. The remaining participants were industry professionals. 16 products were developed by teams throughout the weekend.
Hack MT is a first-time event led by MTSU, Hack Tennessee and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network. The leadership team included Dr. Glenn Acree, professor of mathematics who represented the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, Dr. Chrisila Pettey, Dr. Bud Fischer, Nicole Chitty and Brian Holley from MTSU and Brendan Wovchko from HACK Tennessee.
Click here for coverage of the event by NewsChannel5.
Judah + the Lion, a band made up of Belmont alumni, visited campus on Feb. 8 to discuss their upcoming release and the band’s beginnings.
The release, “Folk Hop N’ Roll,” is set to come out on March 4. When asked about the album, Judah Akers, the main lyricist and singer for the band, said the album is definitely more honest than “Kids these Days,” a previous album. He said that album is “fun and happy, due to just getting out of college.” Nate Zuercher, banjoist, agreed and said that the sonic change was due to “growth as individuals and as a band.”
After 30 minutes of teasing the new album, the group played one of their songs from it, “Take it All Back.”
Afterwards, Judah + the Lion took their discussion back to their early days as a band. The member discussed the evolution of the band’s image from a clean-cut Christian band to the progressive, Americana folk band heard today.
The band departed after passing along advice for those in management–believe in the project, not the dollar signs. This will lead to an honest devotion of energy to the project and vision, which Judah + the Lion said is critical. For the group, following this formula has allowed management and the artists to blend together to create an unshakable team.
Curb College held a seminar with James Pankow, trombonist, composer and founding member of the legendary band Chicago on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Students filled the Johnson Center’s Large Theater to attend the session led by Instructor of Music Business Dan Keen.
“Music has always been a driving force in my being,” said Pankow. His parents forced him to join band in elementary school and he soon learned of the impact that music could have on his life. Pankow’s musical pursuits led him to attend Quincy College on a music scholarship.
It was the summer after his freshman year at Quincy when that impact began. Pankow returned home for the summer and started making a living doing live shows. One thing led to another, Chicago was formed and a few years later, the band was recording their first record at Columbia Records in New York City.
Chicago released their 34th album in the summer of 2014 and are getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 8. “I’m just a musician who happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Pankow said.
During the presentation, Pankow shared advice with attendees. “Money and fame are not the goal but are rather byproducts of the pursuit of excellence,” said Pankow. He urged the students to enjoy their art and be genuine.
Keen asked Pankow how Chicago has been able to stay together for the past few decades. “We’ve always been a democracy,” Pankow said. “There is no front man. It’s always been all about the music and it always will be.”
Wrapping up, Pankow emphasized his belief that everybody on earth has a gift. “Whether we choose to use our gift or not is our decision. There are many gifted people that either don’t recognize the presence of their gift or do recognize their gift and let it go to waste. Embrace and cultivate your gift because it’s what makes you special.”
Curb College recently hosted industry professionals from War Memorial Auditorium (WMA) for a seminar on building a venue’s brand. Brent Hyams, chief operating officer of WMA and TPAC and Roger LeBlanc, talent buyer for WMA and other venues served as guest panelists. Both discussed how they have contributed to the organization’s brand.
Hyams began with a brief lesson on the rich history of WMA. It was built in 1925 to honor Tennesseans who fought and died in World War I. The venue served as the Grand Ole Opry’s home from 1939-1943, a frequent stop in the African American Theater Touring Circuit and the Nashville Symphony’s site from the time it opened in 1925 until 1980.
A new brand for the venue was built in 2010. “Our new objective was to empower the WMA brand and identify and cultivate the WMA audience,” said Hyams. This brand included the creation of WMA’s first logo, an independent website, direct phone number, documentary and an incorporation of history and meaning into the venue.
Hyams told students that they renovated whatever they could, whenever they could from backstage to front of house. This included a full revamping of the dressing rooms, backstage area and main lobby.
According to Hyams, A venue brand doesn’t lie just within the venue itself, but also in the talent it puts on stage. WMA’s new brand included the creation of a WMA Talent Buyer to do just that. LeBlanc was hired for this position in July of 2011.
LeBlanc stressed the importance of selling shows that people want to see and the experiences they want to have. “Find the acts that are right for the room,” LeBlanc said. “Sell that experience.”
Belmont’s Virginia Lamothe recently authored a paper, “Towards a Better Understanding of Martyr Tragedies in Seventeenth-Century Rome: A Case for the Barberini Court,” that was selected for the annual meeting of the American Musicological Society South-Central Chapter. Lamothe’s paper will be presented on March 18 at the University of Georgia.
Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Beverly Schneller, Ministry Program Advisor Martha Minardi and Vice President of Spiritual Development Todd Lake’s article “Assessing Spiritual Growth and Development at Belmont University” opened the Jan-Feb 2016 issue of Assessment Update: Progress, Trends and Practices in Higher Education.
The article describes efforts to evaluate the impact of the Maymester mission trip to Haiti Minardi leads on students’ global and cultural awareness surrounding Christian faith development. The Belmont team surveyed the students over two years and found that they experienced an increased ability to articulate their beliefs interculturally and grew awareness of themselves as leaders in spiritual development, both personally and in groups.
Adjunct Instructor of Music Tammy Rogers King‘s band The SteelDrivers took home the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album Monday night for their album The Muscle Shoals Recordings. The band has been nominated three times in the past, but this is their first win.
The Muscle Shoals Recordings is the fifth release from The SteelDrivers, made up of Richard Bailey, Mike Fleming, Gary Nichols, Tammy Rogers and Brent Truitt. Fiddle player, vocalist and songwriter Rogers said on the SteelDrivers website, “It is a great year to be sharing awards with Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Alabama Shakes — it just feels like the right time for all of us!”
In line with the annual Faith and Culture Symposium, Belmont will host “Living in a Global Community: Faith in Dialogue” February 22-26. Hosted and developed by the faculty of the College of Theology and Christian Ministry (CTCM) , the symposium seeks to create campus-wide conversations about the intersections of faith and the world. Dr. Andy Watts served as chair of a faculty committee composed of Drs. Sally Holt, Mark McEntire and Beth Ritter-Conn that prepared this extensive week-long series of events.
Watts said, “Each of the seven presenters scheduled during the week will bring unique and diverse perspectives on the very important relationships existing between community, faith and culture–relationships looming larger and larger as people of faith seek to foster good will, embrace beauty and create peace in an ever-shrinking and idea-competitive world.”
CTCM Dean Dr. Darrell Gwaltney added, “What we believe, and how we live it out, matters to the world in which we live. We hope to create conversations that will help us engage our culture and live out our faith more effectively.”
The symposium seeks to create conversations about the way religion and faith impact culture. From a discussion on the state of religion in America to the role of hymns in worship, the events will offer something for everyone. Chapel presentations include national authors such as Diana Butler Bass who will discuss her new book, Grounded: Finding God in the World; Rev. Ali Lutz, an Episcopal priest who has served parishes in Haiti, Phoenix, Arizona and Nashville; Dr. Johnny Hill, associate professor of religion and philosophy at Claflin University and author of Prophetic Rage: A Postcolonial Theology of Liberation.
All events are free and open to the public, and Belmont students will receive Christian Faith Development convocation credit. Please see below for specific event, details, times and locations, or visit the Symposium website.
Monday, February 22
Diana Butler Bass – “A Spiritual Revolution”
10 a.m. – Chapel in Wedgewood Academic Center
Diana Butler Bass is one of the leading observers of religion and its place in American culture. Her new book, “Grounded: Finding God in the World” describes a new sense of spirituality she sees emerging in American culture that is not defined by the institutional church as in past generations.
Screening of the film He Named Me Malala based on the actions of Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai
6 p.m. – Johnson Center Theater
This film looks at the events leading up to the Taliban’s attack on Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls’ education. She eventually speaks to the United Nations and later is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. There will be a question and answer session following the film, led by Dr. Beth Ritter-Conn.
Tuesday, February 23
Faith in Dialogue: Being Human Together
7 p.m. – Vince Gill Room in the Curb Event Center
Dean of the College of Theology and Christian Ministry Dr. Darrell Gwaltney will host a panel discussion with Dr. Ossama Bahloul, Imam of The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, and Rabbi Philip “Flip” Rice of Congregation Micah in Nashville. They will reflect on creation, scripture and living ethically.
Wednesday, February 24
Rev. Ali Lutz: “Bearing Witness to Resurrection in Haiti”
10 a.m. – Chapel in Wedgewood Academic Center
Rev. Lutz is an Episcopal priest pursuing a doctorate in Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University’s Graduate Department of Religion. Her scholarship grows out of her experience working for many years in rural Haiti with a global health organization called Partners In Health.
Student Panel discussion on Diana Butler Bass’ newest book, Grounded: Finding God in the World
3 p.m. – McWhorter 102
Diana Butler Bass’ new book, Grounded: Finding God in the World, describes a new sense of spirituality Bass sees emerging in American culture that is not defined by the institutional church as in past generations. Diana Butler Bass is one of the leading observers of religion and its place in American culture.
Thursday, February 25
Jane A. Hinshaw Distinguished Lecture on Faith and Culture – “Hymns, Worship and the Christian Life: A conversation with Keith Getty”
7 p.m – Chapel in the Wedgewood Academic Center
Keith and Kristyn Getty occupy a unique space in the world of music today as preeminent modern hymn writers. In reinventing the traditional hymn form, they have created a distinguished catalogue of teaching Christian doctrine and crossing genres by connecting the world of traditional and classic composition with contemporary and globally-accessible melodies.
Friday, February 26
Dr. Johnny Hill: “The World House: Building Communities of Justice and Reconciliation in the Global Age”
10 a.m – Chapel in the Wedgewood Academic Center
Dr. Johnny Hill is author of the new book, “Prophetic Rage: A Postcolonial Theology of Liberation” as well as “The First Black President: Barack Obama, Race, Politics, and the American Dream.” He is Founder and President of The World House, an interfaith coalition of faith leaders from diverse religious and cultural traditions working together to continue Dr. King’s dream of racial and economic justice.
Belmont College of Law’s National Moot Court Competition Team recently participated in the National Moot Court competition, an annual inter-law school event co-sponsored by New York City Bar Association’s National Moot Court Competition Committee and the American College of Trial Lawyers in New York City. The team, comprised of Heath Henley (3L), Jordan Kennamer (3L) and Tyler Sanders (2L), advanced to the octofinal round and were seeded at No. 13.
More than 120 law schools compete in this annual event. At the national finals, Belmont’s rank placed the team higher than many other participants including the University of Alabama, Arizona State, Case Western, Chicago Kent, Cleveland Marshall, Emory, Loyola Chicago, McGeorge, Montana, Southwestern, Suffolk, UC Chapman, UC Hasings, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington & Lee and many others.
