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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Phi Alpha Theta Tennessee Regional Conference Held at Belmont

Paul Chenoweth
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On Feb. 23, Belmont’s Xi-Alpha Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honor Society, hosted the annual Tennessee Regional Conference.  Dr. Cynthia Bisson, faculty advisor to the Xi-Alpha Chapter and conference program coordinator, reported that the conference attracted 90 participants from 12 universities. The highlight of the conference was the luncheon keynote address “Going into the Belly of the Beast: The Underground Railroad and the Attack on Slavery” given by Dr. Richard Blackett, Andrew Jackson Professor of History at Vanderbilt University.

The conference also featured a best paper competition in the areas of American History and World History. Belmont Xi Alpha members, Steven Gallo and Sarah Nelson won first and second place in the American History competition while member David Suell won first place in the World History division.  Other Xi Alpha members who gave papers were Matthew Craft, Pamela D’Antonio and Ray Posada.  History Department Faculty members Dr. Douglas Bisson, Dr. Brenda Jackson Abernathy, Dr. Daniel Schafer, Dr. Peter Kuryla, Kevin Van Zant and Debi Back took part in conference as panel chairs and judges.

French Students Celebrate Poetry, Song, Food in Belmont Mansion

Paul Chenoweth
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Dr. Cheryl Brown, professor of French, organized a soirée francophone on Feb. 26 in the Belmont Mansion for Belmont French students. Professor Laure Bordas-Isner and Brown welcomed students and faculty to an evening celebration of the French-speaking world through poetry, song and food. The evening included performances of French and Québécois songs by students including traditional Québécois fiddle tunes, a song from the film Amélie played on the accordion, a song from “Massenet’s Manon,” Piaf’s La Vie en rose, et Jacques Brel’s Ne me quitte pas as well as a song by popular Québécois singer Coeur de pirate. Dr. Cynthia Cox, associate professor of English, read the moral to Perrault’s Le Petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood) in French, and Dr. Cynthia Bisson, instructor of history, read two of the more romantic letters that Napoléon I wrote to Joséphine.

Carter Nominated for ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award

Paul Chenoweth
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Dr. Tracey B. Carter, associate dean for academic affairs, director of academic success and assistant professor of law at Belmont University College of Law, is a 2013 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award nominee. The Nashville Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., which has 200 members, nominated Carter.

The award recognizes an emerging woman leader, between the ages of 25 and 40, who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession. In addition to excelling at her professional life, the nominee must also provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and serve as a role model for young women personally and professionally. Mayor Karl Dean will present the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award during the CABLE luncheon on March 13 at the Hutton Hotel.

Carter is the former president of Women in Higher Education in Tennessee and serves as a member of that organization’s Advisory Council as well as serves as the faculty adviser to Belmont Law’s Black Law Students Association and on Belmont University’s Teaching Center Advisory Board.

 

Belmont Presents First University Performance of ‘Les Miserables’

Paul Chenoweth
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Poster for Les MiserablesWho needs Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway? Belmont’s Musical Theatre program is stepping up to the plate to take on the challenge of being the first American university to stage a performance of the Tony Award-winning musical, Les Miserables.

“Belmont is fortunate to be the first university to receive the rights to stage a production of Les Miserables,” said Marjorie Halbert, coordinator of the musical theatre program.  “Until December, rights were only available for professional theatre companies and an edited version for high schools.”

With the success of both the Broadway musical and the recent movie (starring Jackman and Hathaway), Les Miserables is the most recognized musical in the world.  Forty-three musical theatre majors will be used in the 10 performances that tell the epic story of Jean Valjean amidst the destruction and passion in 19th century France.

Senior musical theatre major and Russellville, Ala. native Tucker Hammock is tackling the lead role of Valjean. “Les Miserables has such a beautiful message of grace, second chances and forgiveness… I have to say the biggest challenge is finding ways to make the characters/ story/songs our own. Most people are familiar with Les Mis; they’ve either seen the movie, or seen the show and heard the music. Our job is to make it like the audience is watching it for the very first time.”

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Belmont Nationally Recognized for Service to Community

Paul Chenoweth
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The Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education today announced Belmont University is among the nation’s leading colleges, universities, students, faculty and staff for its commitment to bettering Nashville through service.

Belmont University was admitted to the Honor Roll with Distinction for its students’ and employees’ support of volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.

“Being recognized now on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for a third consecutive time now is very affirming of the great work that so many folks at Belmont are doing with the community. The honor recognizes not only the breadth of our work, but the depth of it, and the fact that we’ve sustained our efforts over a number of years,” said Belmont University Director of Service-Learning Tim Stewart.

A total of 690 higher education institutions were named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Belmont is among the 113 institutions that earned the recognition of Honor Roll with Distinction.

Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, CNCS has administered the award since 2006.

“Communities are strengthened when we all come together, and we are encouraged that these institutions and their students have made service a priority,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a news release. “Civic engagement should be a key component of every student’s education experience. Through reaching out to meet the needs of their neighbors, these students are deepening their impact, strengthening our democracy and ultimately preparing themselves to be successful citizens.”

More information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees, can be found at nationalservice.gov.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll honors the nation’s leading higher education institutions and their students, faculty and staff for their commitment to bettering their communities through service. These are institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. Through the agency’s Segal AmeriCorps Education Award Matching Program, CNCS gives education institutions access to tens of thousands of AmeriCorps alumni with millions of dollars in Segal Education Awards for tuitions and fees. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

Ranked No. 7 in the Regional Universities South category and named for the fifth consecutive year as one of the top “Up-and-Comer” universities by U.S. News & World Report, Belmont University consists of approximately 6,650 students who come from every state and 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. The university’s purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs, a fact made evident in the University’s hometown, Nashville, where students served more than 60,000 hours of community service (valued at $450,000) during the last academic year. Belmont is also home to the World Cup champion Enactus team, a group of 42 student leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. With more than 80 areas of study, 23 master’s programs and five doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual’s horizon. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.

Speech and Debate Team Defends State Champions Title

Paul Chenoweth
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The Speech and Debate Team defended its state championship title when Belmont University hosted the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics State Tournament. Eight teams participated in the competition on Feb. 16 and 17. Belmont placed first in the tournament overall for the second year in a row. Belmont students won several individual event categories, including Rhetorical Criticism and Impromptu Speaking. Their success was a product of weeks of preparation.

Each week, students meet both for individual and team practices. During the practices, varsity students returning to the team mentored novice students. Communication studies instructor and the team’s adviser Jason Stahl said the team used rehearsals and strategy to achieve its success the team

Each competition day, the team assembled in gravel lot behind Kennedy Hall and danced around a car to energize themselves for the day of competition ahead. After the dance party, students split up for their individual events before reconvening at the awards ceremony.

This year, there was even more pressure on the team to be gracious hosts while beating their competition. They succeeded in both endeavors. Following the competition, a number of universities emailed Stahl and praised the quality of the tournament, he said.

Several Speech and Debate students are preparing for the American Forensics Association National Tournament. In order to qualify for entry into the national competition, students must qualify in  a certain number of tournaments each year. This year, Belmont will send four students to the national tournament.

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Belmont Hosts Minority Caucus’ Recognition of Metro’s 50th Anniversary

Paul Chenoweth
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For the second consecutive year, Belmont hosted Metro government officials, local business owners and community leaders as part of the Metropolitan Minority Caucus anniversary celebration. This year’s program honored the 50th anniversary of Nashville-Davidson’s County’s consolidated government. More than 100 people attended the reception in the Frist Lecture Hall on Feb. 28.

“It is great to have on our campus people who have been a part of making Nashville such a great city,” said Belmont President Bob Fisher, welcoming the guests.

Harriette Bias-Insignares, the first poet laureate of Nashville, read a commemorative poem from Tennessee’s bicentennial celebration in 1976. Lois Jordan, Metro’s first African-American Councilwoman, shared stories from her election campaign and working on Metro Council with 39 men. She urged current council members to make their constituents feel important. Former Councilman Ludye Wallace, a strong advocate for Belmont’s shared use of E.S. Rose Park, also spoke on the founding of the Metropolitan Black Caucus. It was later renamed to include all minority council members.

“Thank you for paving the way so we could walk down the road more easily,” said caucus Vice President Fabian Bedne, Metro’s first Latin-American councilman.

The caucus presented special awards to current and former minority council members. Belmont junior Chelsea Stratton accepted an award on behalf of her late grandfather, James Hawkins, the first African-American councilman to be a committee chairman.

Students Featured on FOX-17 for Unique Internship Opportunity

Paul Chenoweth
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FOX-17 profiled Belmont students this week who participating in a unique, hands-on internship opportunity. In a special collaboration between the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, the School of Music and Red Light Management, student instrumentalists auditioned for the chance to be the backing band for new Big Machine Records’ artist Ella Mae Bowen.

When presented with the opportunity by Red Light Management’s Tracy Gershon, the Curb College and School of Music recognized the value of the idea for students in both areas.  CEMB Internship Coordinator Jamie L. Stamey said, “Today’s professional musicians must be equipped with knowledge of management, marketing, booking and various other aspects of touring, so we see many students focusing their studies on both the performance and business sides.  This has been an excellent opportunity for them to develop their skills in both areas.”

Four students were chosen, including junior songwriting major Bryce Cain (guitar), who is interviewed for the piece, as well as junior commercial music major with MBU emphasis Andrew Galucki (guitar), junior commercial music major with MBU emphasis Erik Coveney (bass) and senior music business major Cameron De Fur (drums). Click here to watch the story.

Spring Break Trips Provide Unique Service Opportunities

Paul Chenoweth
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Approximately 100 Belmont students, faculty and staff are spending their Spring Breaks next week on University-sponsored missions and service trips to sites across the U.S. and overseas. More than half of that number will be participating in Immersion 2013, a variety of Spring Break trips coordinated by University Ministries.

Immersion Trip to San Francisco Spring Break 2011
Spring Break 2011 Immersion trip to San Francisco

Director of Outreach Micah Weedman said, “University Ministries hopes to expose students, first, to the variety of injustices people of all backgrounds face in our country, and alongside that, the kind of work God is doing to combat that injustice in particular places.  This means that students have the opportunities to be immersed in local cultures and places, and to be immersed in the struggles and joys of particular peoples’ lives—hopefully, then, spending their Spring Breaks immersed in love, of God and neighbor.”

This year groups of students, faculty and staff will be traveling all over the country, exploring border issues in Las Cruces, examining creation in Cumberland Island, Ga., assisting with disaster aftermath in New Orleans and working in the inner cities of Chicago, New York and San Francisco, among other excursions. To follow blog entries from al of this semester’s immersion trips, click here.

In addition, the Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing will be sending two teams of students overseas next week to practice their healthcare skills in areas of great need. Assistant Professor of Nursing Robin Cobb and another faculty member will be leading eight students to provide nursing care to the people of Grand Goave, Haiti. Also, a team of about 20 physical therapy and occupational therapy students and faculty will head for the seventh year to Guatemala for a Christian service project. Click here to read the blog entries from these two trips next week.

Finally, the Office of Residence Life is again offering a service trip over Spring Break as well, this time taking five students to family-owned Agata Mountain Organic Ranch (A.M.O.R.) in Tellico Plains, Tenn.,  to learn about organic and simple living.  Maddox Hall Resident Director and team co-leader Alex Snow said, “Students will have the opportunity to live in community with the family, eat and learn about self-sustainable/organic living, and go out into the community to help where needed.  Projects will range from helping at local farms, doing arts and crafts that will be sold to raise funds for a battered women’s shelter and helping develop the farm’s ability to support groups.”

Faculty, Staff Present at Gulf South Summitt

Paul Chenoweth
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Several Belmont faculty and staff presented at the Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement in Louisville, Ky. on Feb. 27 through March 1.


  • Alumna Hillary Bond co-presented with Public Relations Department Chairman Bonnie Riechert at the conference.

    Dr. Bonnie Riechert, associate professor and chairman of the Department of Public Relations, presented “Begin by Listening: Bringing Service-Learning to the Classroom in Public Relations Campaigns.”  Service-learning “learning by doing” may be implemented in a number of disciplines including public relations. Students majoring in public relations at Belmont University take Campaigns as their capstone course in the PR major. In this service-learning class, students work in teams of three to seven members and collaborate to research, plan implement, and evaluate a public relations campaign on behalf of a local client organization. Students “begin by listening” to the client organization’s situation and priorities.

  • Dr. Bernard Turner, assistant professor and director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, presented “Utilizing Service-Learning as an Effective Pedagogy for teaching Social Entrepreneurship.” Experiential learning is integrated throughout the undergraduate social entrepreneurship curriculum. Turner was a teaching fellow for three years on a collaborative grant with Wagner College funded by The Teagle Foundation. The grant was “Learning by Doing: Assessing the Relationship between Liberal Learning and Experiential Learning.” Lessons learned as well as conclusions from the resulting case study will be presented. The data collected answered the question, “Is service-learning an effective pedagogy for teaching social entrepreneurship?”
  • Dr. Sammy V. Swor, director of the Homework Hotline at Belmont University, Nashville Homework Hotline Executive Director Wendy Kurland and Service-Learning Director Tim Stewart presented “Getting it together: A Tutoring Partnership that Works for College Students and the Community.”  Community Service can benefit all participants. When Homework Hotline, a free telephone tutoring program was overwhelmed with demand, Belmont University stepped up to meet the need. This partnership demonstrates that everyone benefits: K-12 students from all of Tennessee, Homework Hotline, Belmont University and University students. This panel presentation provided lessons learned and guidance when establishing a community/university partnership.
  • Dr. Amy Hodges Hamilton, associate professor of English, and Dr. Sarah Blomeley, assistant professor of English, presented “Service Learning and the Democratic English Major.”  Belmont University’s mission statement concludes with the clause that students should leave the university with the abilities to “engage and transform the world.”  English majors are required to complete at least two experiential learning courses for graduation. In this presentation, they examined the effectiveness of courses where students are connected with service learning initiatives and analyze how the engagement leads students to become more democratic, civic-minded writers and thinkers.

In addition, Dr. Jason Lovvorn, Dr. Linda Holt and Dr. Charmion Gustke from the Department of English, will present “This Isn’t Your Mother’s English Class:  Using Service-Learning Experiences To Improve Writing in the Composition Classroom” at the Tennessee Conference on Volunteerism and Service-Learning in Franklin, Tenn. from March 3 through 5.

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