Dr. Sybril Bennett, professor of journalism, was the keynote speaker at the Association of American Colleges and Universities General Education and Assessment: Disruptions, Innovations and Opportunities session as part of the Network for Academic Renewal Conference. The conference was held Feb. 27 through March 1 in Portland, Ore.Bennett shared her experience teaching Digital Citizenship, a course she piloted at Belmont in the fall.
Bennett Keynotes Conference
Nursing Students Serve Nashville’s Homeless
Members of Belmont University’s Nurses Christian Fellowship recently gathered to fill 62 boxes with school supplies and treats for the children of Safe Haven. The students asked for donation of fun age appropriate items and treats and the students gathered to wrap and fill the boxes, making the event a great time to spend with one another while serving others.
Safe Haven is a mission serving vulnerable populations with research-grounded, holistic methods. It is the only shelter-to-housing program of its kind in Middle Tennessee that accepts the whole homeless family. There are 22 children at Safe Haven ranging from two months to 22 years of age living in a beautiful new facility that houses up to six families at a time.
Executive Director Joyce Lavery said, “Safe Haven is about preventing, reducing and intervening in family homelessness with evidence-based and community-based solutions; moving the family from homelessness to self-sufficiency.”
Belmont Nurses Christian Fellowship has been involved in missions serving the community of Nashville and abroad since its beginning in 2011. The great success of this event and the many charitable events led by this group of students is truly a testament to the vibrant community of generous hearts present in Belmont University’s School of Nursing. The students of Belmont Nurses Christian Fellowship would also like to thank the many faculty throughout the College of Health Sciences whose donations made this event possible.
Bridges to Belmont Presented at ‘Best Practices’ Workshop
Bridges to Belmont Director René Rochester, Associate Director Annita D’Amico and Support Specialist Robby Quarles presented the scholarship and mentoring program during the “Building Bridges of Cultural Pedagogy: Enhancing Student Self Efficacy for Academic Empowerment” workshop at the Best Practices for Student Success, Inclusion and Retention Summit at Middle Tennessee State University on March 1.
Curb College Students Assist with ‘Oscar Fan Experience’
On Sun., March 2, eight current Belmont West students and four Belmont alumni served as part of a staff of 30 who ran the “Oscar Fan Experience.” About 800 fans were chosen to sit in the stands along the red carpet and enjoy The Academy Awards’ arrivals. The fans arrived at the Dolby Theatre early Sunday morning and were welcomed by the Bruins who handed out gift bags and served breakfast. The Oscar Fan Experience included massages, make-overs and a photo booth while the fans waited for the celebrity arrivals. Despite the rainy weather, it was a great experience for the fans who came from all over the world. During the arrivals, the students and alumni managed the fan stands. Once the carpet was closed, the fans were led across the street to The El Capitan Theatre where they were served dinner and watched The Academy Awards live.
Belmont West adjunct instructor Valerie Vanderwest said, “Having an almost 15-year presence in Los Angeles, the Belmont West students have earned a reputation of being professional, hard-working and ambitious. We were so excited to get the call to return to the Oscars to work on the Oscar Fan Experience and extend this once in a lifetime experience to our Belmont West students.”
This was the second time that Belmont students have had the opportunity to work on the production of The Academy Awards. In addition to The Academy Awards, the current group of Belmont West students have been collecting a semester of hands-on entertainment opportunities including working The GRAMMY Awards and attending an intimate listening party with Pharrell Williams for his new release, Girl.
Belmont Open Tuesday, March 4
Belmont University will be open Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Because weather and road conditions can vary greatly within our region, students, faculty and staff are urged to use individual discretion when making the decision to travel to campus in snow or icy weather.
Parasitology Class Visits Nashville Zoo
Dr. Steve Murphree’s BIO 3200 Parasitology class had lab at the Nashville Zoo where they had the chance to see some interesting parasites. The class provides an introduction to the morphology, physiology, ecology and taxonomy of the major parasites of man and domestic animals. Through lecture and laboratory experiences with slide-mounted and living specimens, students become familiar with the life cycles of selected parasites, the drugs of choice in treating parasitic diseases and diagnostic procedures.
Belmont Closed March 3 Due to Weather, Road Conditions
Given the current road conditions and forecast, Belmont University is now closing for the remainder of the day. Though many students and faculty are already on Spring Break, graduate classes that were scheduled to meet are now canceled, and non-essential campus offices are closed.
Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Oscar Arias Speaks at Belmont
Public talk kicks off for PeaceJam Mid-South conference for 280 regional youth to discuss social justice issues, serve community
Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez, former president of Costa Rica and 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate, spoke last night at a free, public event as part of Nashville’s second annual PeaceJam and will join student volunteers this afternoon at the Cole Elementary School Family Resource Center (5060 Colemont Drive) as part of the event. PeaceJam is built around leading Nobel Peace Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world. Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his courageous efforts in the Central America peace process.
Belmont University began a partnership in 2012 with locally-based nonprofit Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS) to be the PeaceJam Mid-South affiliate, which includes Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky. Last night’s public talk in the Curb Event Center opened a weekend-long conference expected to draw more than 280 college, high school and middle school students to explore issues of social justice while also engaging them in service to the community. In addition to workshops and team building exercises, students will participate in a variety of service projects during the weekend, including volunteer efforts with the Feed the Children, Thriftsmart, Cole Elementary, Second Harvest Food Bank, Sole Hope, Rocketown and Nashville Rescue Mission, among others.
Dr. Mimi Barnard, Belmont’s assistant provost for interdisciplinary studies & global education, said, “The PeaceJam concept brings together today’s greatest minds for peace with tomorrow’s leaders, inspiring ideas that will help govern our future world. This collaboration between Belmont and STARS to host the Mid-South PeaceJam will certainly make an impact on individual lives, but I also expect it to bring change in our communities and beyond. We are honored to have distinguished world leader Dr. Oscar Arias at our 2014 PeaceJam Mid-South Conference.”
Buzzy’s Returns to Belmont’s BLVD Storefront
Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship and sweets lovers are celebrating the return of rock candy, chocolates, wax bottles and jelly beans to Belmont Boulevard as student-operated Buzzy’s returned to its original home this month where it opened four years earlier.
The candy shop relocated two doors down to a bigger suite in the storefront that is now McAlister’s Deli before a foiled contract with a national yogurt company forced the student-run business to close its doors.
Along with Feedback Clothing Co., BLVD Music Shop and Buzzy’s operate in the Curb Event Center space that has been set aside by Belmont University to give students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in operating a small business.
“The purpose of the stores is that they are a learning environment, a hands-on opportunity for student entrepreneurs to learn real life business lessons. While profits are important, they are not the sole purpose of the stores,” said Center for Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator Lisa Davis, adding she receives inquiries from other universities monthly on how to get similar student-run ventures on their campuses. “Reopening Buzzy’s, that was tradition at Belmont and in the local neighborhood community, is something we have wanted to do for the past couple of years. The management of BLVD Music Shop agreed it was a great idea to bring traffic into the music store and bring Buzzy’s back into its original space.”
Alumna Mandy Strader (’12), one of the original founders of Buzzy’s, assisted current students and the Center for Entrepreneurship with the unwrapping of the new store. The new Buzzy’s has more modern sweets, like Sour Patch, Dove and Heath bars, than the former candy shop, which focused on old school candies.
Now Runts, Skittles and Whirly Pops sit alongside second-hand keyboards, sheet music and guitar picks in BLVD Music Shop, a consignment store at the corner of Belmont Boulevard and Bernard Avenue that opened in August 2011. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
“It’s a learning process because it’s been a year in the making,” said junior entrepreneurship major Kathleen Alegre, the candy manager for BLVD Music Shop and Buzzy’s. “It’s a little awkward having instruments and candy together but not difficult because candy is appreciated everywhere.”
Jurado Becomes U.S. Citizen
Belmont custodian Lilia Jurado became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 21 when she took the Oath of Allegiance during the citizenship ceremony, a celebration for new citizens during which they are introduced to the U.S. justice system, recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag and hear from speakers on the responsibilities of citizenship. Jurado is a native of Mexico and works in the University’s Facilities Management Services.
