IMPORTANT NOTE: These are the archived stories for Belmont News & Achievements prior to June 26, 2023. To see current stories, click here.

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Lamothe Selected to Present Paper at Popular Music Study Group Panel

Hope Buckner
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Virginia LamotheLecturer in the School of Music Dr. Virginia Lamothe’s paper titled “Social Mobility and the Wonderful Women of the Stage Music The Wizard of Oz (1902-1904)” has been chosen for the national meeting of the American Musicological Society. The paper focuses on historical aspects of the stage play, originally written by L. Frank Baum, and musical aspects that depict a vibrant portrait of the changing roles of women at the turn of the twentieth century. It also presents research with implications for the study of working women in the 1900s and the history of theater and Broadway musicals.

Lamothe will deliver the paper on Nov. 12 in Louisville as part of the Popular Music Study Group session panel.

 

Curb College Featured on Cover of MIX Magazine

Hope Buckner
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Curb College Featured on Cover of MIX Magazine

Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, described as “a living portrait of the new music and media industry,” was recently featured as the cover story in MIX Magazine’s November 2015 edition.

With photos of the newly opened R. Milton and Denice Johnson Center, home to Belmont’s Curb College and Media Studies program, the feature story details the Center’s impressive technology and equipment. When the building was announced in early 2013, then Dean of the Curb College Dr. Wesley Bulla said campus was challenged to “dream big, think about the future and create something new.” Bulla said that although the College had access to studio space across a number of facilities, Curb College faculty and staff began dreaming big, and the Johnson Center was born.

MIX Magazine CoverHome to the world’s first university-based Dolby Atmos stage, a film and TV mix stage, a green room screen and shooting stage, a Foley stage, four computer labs, video and broadcast control rooms and more than 25 editing suites, the Center provides opportunities for students to learn in state-of-the-art facilities.

In the article, Bulla goes on to describe the intentional collaboration provided by shared spaces for Belmont’s Curb College and Motion Pictures program. “Students in the audio program will learn about film production and how to create audio and sound for film…Students in the film program will learn about audio and sound production and how to incorporate quality sound into their vision for a film,” Bulla said. “Both students will benefit from working together on film, video and media projects…Student films coming out of Belmont will have great writing, great videography and equally great sound – not to mention great music.”

Belmont’s Recording and Film Studios Manager Dave Warburton, a recent Nashville transplant from NBC/Universal in Los Angeles, said the Johnson Center’s facilities provide students with the chance to work with equipment they will see in the industry. “For our Motion Pictures majors, the Johnson Center includes everything you’d fine in a modern post facility,” Warburton said. “The goal is for students to be as prepared as possible to start their careers.”

Dean of the Curb College Dr. Doug Howard, a Belmont alumnus and long-time music industry veteran, remembered back to his days on campus as a student when the school’s only equipment was one 8-track studio located in the basement of the business school. Thanks to key leadership and vision, Howard said the Curb College is grateful for the facilities and programs it now offers students.

“Our students, faculty and staff are all so very grateful to the university trustees, president and senior leadership for having the vision and commitment to provide such a world-class facility for the next generation of industry creators and leaders that will graduate from Belmont University,” Howard said.

To read the full article, click here.

Alumni and Students Collect 780 Pairs of Socks for Nashville Community

Hope Buckner
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Alumni and Students Collect 780 Pairs of Socks for Nashville Community

Belmont’s Alumni Association recently participated in Socktober, an initiative created by Kid President and SoulPancake to provide socks for the estimated 600,000 people living on the streets each night in the U.S. Throughout the month of October, the Association and Belmont’s Ambassadors collected more than 780 pairs of socks, far surpassing their initial goal of 125 pairs.

The Socktober campaign asks participating groups to select an organization or shelter in their city to support community members who are experiencing homelessness. All collected socks from this year’s drive will be donated to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

 

 

Equestrian Club Earns Ribbons at Knoxville Competition

Hope Buckner
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Equestrian Club Earns Ribbons at Knoxville Competition

Belmont’s Equestrian Club recently won fourteen ribbons at a competition hosted by Maryville College at Penrose Farms in Knoxville. The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association riding competition took place Oct. 31 – Nov. 1 and invited teams from Vanderbilt University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, The University of the South, Middle Tennessee University, Maryville College and Belmont University.

During the weekend, Belmont’s team competed in equitation classes, a pumpkin carving contest, flat and fence classes. The judging team critiques the style and equitation of riders as they navigate horses they have never ridden before. Jessica Setlik, Belmont’s coach, gave instruction on the courses each rider was expected to perform as well as studying each horse and predicting its temperament.

The Belmont team took home nine ribbons including Meg Anderson’s 5th place win, Allison Harpole’s 4th place win, Susie Joyce’s 6th place win, Jilian Kimball’s 3rd and 6th place wins, Caitlyn Marsh’s 1st place win and Mary Ritchea’s 1st, 5th and 6th place wins.

“I’m proud of my team and all that we have accomplished so far this season. We have grown and it shows through our ribbons,” said Meg Anderson, vice president of the Belmont Equestrian Team.

Mathematics and Computer Science Students Volunteer at Boo at the Zoo

Hope Buckner
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(L to R: Leon Foster, Dr. Maria Neophytou, Michael Kranzlein, Jackson Streeter, Savannah Halliday, Alyssa Schaub, Allison Hardee, Kailee Gerzema, Sarah Heacock, Kaleb Cook, Isabella Putman, and Dr. Hooper)
(L to R: Leon Foster, Dr. Maria Neophytou, Michael Kranzlein, Jackson Streeter, Savannah Halliday, Alyssa Schaub, Allison Hardee, Kailee Gerzema, Sarah Heacock, Kaleb Cook, Isabella Putman, and Dr. Hooper)

Belmont student members and alumni of the Mathematical Association of America and Association for Computing Machinery  volunteered with mathematics faculty at Boo At The Zoo on October 25.

The group worked with several activities in the Fall Festival Field and helped facilitate a hay maze and Vortex Valley (a spinning tunnel to walk through), monitored children playing in a corn pit, supervised the Monster Mash dance area and helped direct traffic for the Howl-O-Ween Hayride.

Barton Speaks at Cumberland University

Hope Buckner
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Chris BartonChris Barton, Assistant Professor of Biology, gave an invited lecture at Cumberland University on October 23. His lecture, “Cancer Progression and Treatment: A Tale of Evolution and Selection,” focused on the formation of human tumors and how natural selection and evolution drives the development of invasive and metastatic cancers.

With Cumberland University students and faculty, Barton discussed how evolutionary processes often result in cancers that are resistant to many commonly used anti-cancer treatments.  His lecture was a part of Cumberland’s “Connect” lecture series, a program aimed to “improve student engagement in ideas, problems and questions” and to “facilitate student exploration of career interests, service to their community and enriching off-campus learning experiences.”

Cusic Advances Career in Music Business

Staff Writer
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Belmont Professor of Music Business Don Cusic released his latest and 26th book, The Beatles and Country Music, this summer.

Don Cusic
(L to R: Cusic, Shannon Pollard, Peter Noone and Cheetah Chrome)

Additionally, Cusic recently wrote and produced “I Can’t Imagine (A Tribute to John Lennon),” a song released by Plowboy Records in honor of what would have been Lennon’s 75th birthday on Oct. 9.

 

 

Students Take the Plunge to Atlanta During Fall Break

Staff Writer
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Students Take the Plunge to Atlanta During Fall Break

For students participating in Belmont’s annual fall break Plunge trip, the week off school was filled with learning, sustainability and giving. Partnering for the third year with the Medici Project, a faith-based organization in Atlanta that organizes alternative break trips for college students, participants took part in various projects and experiences around the city including talking with at-risk high schoolers about college, serving breakfast and lunch to the homeless at an outdoor church service, preparing meals for the elderly, working in a community garden and packing used text books to be shipped to Africa. Additionally, students visited the MLK, Jr. National Historic Site and were given time to wander around downtown Atlanta.

Students sorting books by subject and age level at Books for Africa
Students sorting books by subject and age level at Books for Africa

Sophomore Alex St. Dennis was a return ‘plunger’ after going last year as a freshman. “I simply loved Atlanta and all the people I got to help and work with. I could see no other way to spend my fall break,” he said. “The most meaningful part was always seeing the people you affect and learning about their stories because I believe there is nothing greater in this world than an individual’s struggle and how he or she overcame it. The most challenging part was sleep and how exhausted I was by the end, but it was such a nice exhaustion because it was done in service of others.”

Chaperone and Bridges to Belmont Coordinator Dr. Nadi Bishop said the best part was the in-depth explanations at each service location. It helped students understand why their work was important and emphasized the emotional significance.

Students learned about food scarcity and food deserts in urban settings and how this recently opened nonprofit Carver Neighborhood Market is seeking to bring healthy and affordable food to people in South Atlanta.
Students learned about food scarcity and food deserts in urban settings and how this recently opened nonprofit, Carver Neighborhood Market, is seeking to bring healthy and affordable food to people in South Atlanta.

For example, St. Dennis explained the biggest lesson learned from the trip was the importance of helping one another. “I see so many, including myself, turn a blind eye to those who are in need, and it comes to a point where one has to say, ‘when should this stop?'” he said. “When it comes down to it, when you die and the mourning is done, no one will remember the things you had or the days you didn’t go outside. They are going to remember the memories had with you and the people you touched with your kindness and heart.”

Co-Founder of Netflix Encourages Confidence and Creativity in Entrepreneurs

Hope Buckner
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Co-Founder of Netflix Encourages Confidence and Creativity in Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur, investor, mentor and co-founder of Netflix, Marc Randolph is widely known for his love of startup culture, idea generation creativity and commitment to optimism. During the Center for Entrepreneurship’s kick-off event for Entrepreneurship Month held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Randolph addressed a group of students, faculty, staff and alumni on the power of the entrepreneurial spirit and his experience with Netflix.

To begin his presentation, Randolph highlighted two things every entrepreneur needs to be successful – a tolerance for risk and an idea. “It doesn’t even have to be a good idea,” Randolph said. “Mark Zuckerberg just wanted a way to meet girls and Facebook was born…It all starts with ideas.”

Mark Randolph, CrowdAnd that’s exactly how Netflix started. After learning he was going to be laid off from a Silicon Valley software company, Randolph and his future Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings began working through hundreds of ideas during their commute to work each morning. Once he got to the office, Randolph would research ideas and based on his findings, some began to stick. Even more were abandoned. Randolph said it’s this stage and his persistence that stick out most to him. Though 99 out of 100 ideas were discarded, the duo kept working towards finding one worth pursuing.

Netflix was that idea. After a number of trials and test periods, Randolph and his team launched the company on April 14, 1997 and after spending a day rebuilding servers that couldn’t handle the traffic, 100 customer orders were received. Now, 18 years later, Netflix has over 60 million subscribers.

The biggest piece of advice Randolph passed along to entrepreneurial hopefuls was what he calls “validation hacking.” To prove traction for any idea, startups must validate their plan – but this can be costly. To avoid the costly stages associated with testing, Randolph recommends an approved version of hacking where products are created without actually building anything. By creatively testing an idea or product without making anything costly, startups can research and validate their ideas.

Though Randolph began his time on campus by identifying two things entrepreneurs need to be successful, he closed with mentioning a third – confidence. Throughout his career, Randolph points to his optimism and confidence as the secret to his success. “I got knocked down a lot, but I got up a lot, too. I’m most proud of my optimism…I’m not just a glass half full optimist. I’m a glass overflowing optimist.”

For Randolph, success comes down to a simple formula that anyone can use. If you can generate ideas, tolerate risk and have confidence in your skills, “you can do it,” Randolph said. “Anyone can do it.”

Randolph was the University’s Moench speaker for 2015. The Moench Entrepreneurship Lecture Series has been funded by gifts from the late Ernest J. Moench and his wife, Anna.

Students Present at TN Experiential Learning Symposium

Hope Buckner
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Students Present at TN Experiential Learning Symposium

President of Belmont Volunteers for Literacy (BVL) and senior marketing major Denee Headen and Vice-President of BVL and sophomore English major Rachel Petty recently presented at the First Annual Tennessee Experiential Learning Symposium at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Their presentation focused on the organization’s efforts to promote literacy and literacy awareness in the Nashville community through programs like Belmont’s annual Family Literacy Day and elementary school poetry contest. Emphasis was placed on how curricular and co-curricular aspects come together to provide learning and service opportunities for students.

The Learning Symposium, whose inaugural planning committee included Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns, seeks to show what can happen when high-impact educational practices like service-learning, undergraduate research and global learning come together. Students from 14 Tennessee colleges and universities presented at the event.

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