The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America recently celebrated the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by hosting a Netherfield Ball in the grand salon of the Belmont Mansion on Feb. 8. Some 40 students enrolled in Austen-related courses taught by Belmont University professor Doug Murray and Vanderbilt professor Andrea Hearn danced traditional English country dances alongside local JASNA members.
Belmont Mansion Hosts Netherfield Ball
Storey Leads Workshop at Tennessee Press Association Conference
Department of Media Studies Chairman and Professor of Journalism Thom Storey headed a workshop titled Making Ethical Decisions at the Tennessee Press Association Winter Conference held Feb. 6-8 in Nashville. Storey led a group of about 20 reporters and editors through real case scenarios and moderated a discussion on refocusing ethical thinking in a time of changing media landscapes.
Bennett Contributes to Project on Civic Engagement and Social Media
Dr. Sybril Bennett, associate professor of media studies, is participating in the Bringing Theory to Practice in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities Civic Engagement Project. She is contributing a piece on civic engagement and social media as they pertain to teaching and learning. The group including College Presidents, Deans and Faculty met in Washington, D.C. in early February to begin work on the monograph.
Belmont Students Celebrate Chinese New Year with Music
Dr. Qingjun (Joan) Li’s Elementary Chinese class was invited to perform at the annual Chinese New Year Celebration Gala hosted by the Greater Nashville Chinese Association (GNCA) on Feb. 2. The Chinese New Year, celebrated on Feb. 10 this year, is the most important festival for all Chinese people whether they are in China or live abroad. The Belmont students’ performance included guitar and dancing, and they sang a popular song entitled “The Moon Represents My Heart” in Chinese with an audience of about 500 people in attendance. Because of their impressive performance, the group received an invitation to perform at the Vanderbilt University Chinese Student and Scholar Association (VUCSSA) New Year Gala on Feb. 9 for an audience of about 1,200 people. Jackson Wells, a student in Belmont’s Intermediate Chinese class played guitar and performed a song both in Chinese and English that he wrote, entitled “Lovesick.” Participation in this event was another of Belmont’s local community activities sponsored by the Asian Studies program
New Members Inducted to Philosophy Honor’s Society
On Jan. 30, The Mike Awalt Tennessee Gamma Chapter of Phi Sigma Tau inducted the following new members: Nick Gregg, Ellie Headlee, Chase Geiser, Natalie Ashker, Nicholas Kaper, Shaun Hardy, Benjamin Jones, Allison Griffey, Jesse Jacobsen, Darrell Gwaltney, Mackenzie Foster, James (Trey) George, Jesse Small and Wells Marvel. The faculty advisor, Dr. Andrew Davis, gave a talk on the philosophical conception of Eternity, which was followed by a discussion on the subject with the newly inducted members.
Sisson Presents at Lilly Conference
Dr. Annette Sisson, professor in the English department, was a co-presenter at the Lilly Conference along with Dr. Steve Simpler and Dr. Kristine LaLonde. The presentation “Learning by Doing: Assessing the Relationship between Liberal Learning and Experiential Education” was presented on Nov. 16, 2012 at the Lilly Conference on College Teaching, Miami of Ohio, Oxford, Ohio.
Boyle to Have Essay Published
Dr. Noel Boyle, professor of Philosophy, will have an essay “In Spite of: Theological Reflections on My Son’s Suffering” published later this year by Palgrave Macmillan as a chapter of a book to be titled “Chronic Illness, Spirituality and Healing.” In it Boyle explains that accepting hard truths about the depths and meaninglessness of his son, Ciaran’s suffering make it possible to find a deeper understanding of joy, purpose and the nature of God. It is largely based on the writings of Protestant theologian Paul Tillich.
Study Abroad, CCSA Offer Diverse Programs This Summer
There are an incredible number and variety of options for students interested in studying abroad following the spring semester, whether looking for a month-long May-mester journey or a longer summer trip excursion.
Trips are available through Belmont’s own Study Abroad office as well as through Belmont’s study abroad partner, the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA). Students pay a flat program fee for the trip to cover travel and many expenses. However, in both programs, tuition for course credit is offered at one-third of its normal cost.
While some trips are focused around a single concentration (the Cambodia trip is exclusively for nursing students), many of the programs offer the opportunity to take Third Year Writing online over the course of the trip.
This year, students will be able to travel to a wide variety of places and take a number of unique and interesting courses. Those traveling to Switzerland have the option of taking a humanities course focused around the literature and thinking that was inspired under the gaze of Mont Blanc. Students can go to Hawaii for a month and study economic geography as they travel the islands. Fans of PBS TV show “Downton Abbey” even have the opportunity to travel to England and spend time in the actual Highclere Castle.
Students who are interested in studying abroad can find information sheets for the individual trips outside of the Study Abroad office located on the second floor of Fidelity Hall. Below is a list of trips planned for May and Summer 2013 sessions, though several have passed the application deadline or have reached capacity:
Alumna Publishes Scholarships Guide
Alumna Kristina Ellis, who earned her M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership at Belmont, has published the book is Confessions of a Scholarship Winner. The books explores how Ellis discovered the secrets to effectively presenting herself as a unique and desirable scholarship candidate and shares her secrets for scholarship success so that other students can obtain money for college.
Slay Publishes Article on Legal Clinic’s Impact
In 2009, Curb College Assistant Professor Cheryl Slay established a legal clinic to provide Belmont students with legal services in the entertainment context and to teach skills associated with the use of business advisers. Slay’s article, which describes the pedagogical and service objectives of the project, has been published in MEIEA Journal, the journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association.
The article, titled “Slaying the Starving Artist Paradigm and Teaching Professionalism in the Entertainment Business: The Entertainment Law & Professionalism Clinical Project,” describes the partnerships with the Tennessee Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts, which is now co-located with the Belmont Law School and the Tennessee Bar Association that provided support for the clinic.
Slay also teaches a seminar to Belmont students on professionalism each year as part of the the project. The clinic, now in its third year, will be offered to Belmont students again during the Spring 2013 semester.
