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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Athletes Share Christmas Joy Through Toy Drive

Paul Chenoweth
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Belmont student athletes have collected hundreds of toys for a nonprofit organization’s Christmas drive and will give 25 children new clothes and toys.

“We do a number of volunteer and outreach projects throughout the year, but the toy drive is the committee’s tradition,” said softball catcher and third baseman Hannah Irwin. “We try to stay involved in the community as a group. The toy drive is a great way to reach out to families, and it is a fun way to do it as well.”

Each of the 14 teams represented by the Student Athletes Advisory Committee adopted one or two children through Youth Encouragement Services (YES), a nonprofit organization that offers educational and recreational programs for inner city youth. YES gave the athletes Angel Cards to determine the clothing sizes of the children. They also purchased toys and school supplies to give the needy children a Christmas. Students eagerly gave money for their teammates to go shopping to give Christmas presents to the children, Irwin said.

The committee also extended their service project to the entire Belmont community by asking faculty, staff and students to donate new, unwrapped toys for the YES Christmas Store. The Christmas store allows needy families to “go shopping” in the nonprofit’s gymnasium and pick out a complete outfit and new toys for each child in the home, as well as groceries and a ham or turkey, all free of charge.

“Thank you to the campus, faculty, staff and administration for participating. It gives [university employees] an opportunity to connect with some of our athletes. This is a community affair and a family affair because giving is what Christmas is all about,” said Belmont’s Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Betty Wiseman, who collected the toys in her office.

The Student Athletes Advisory Committee delivered the gifts to YES on Dec. 2.

Volunteers are still needed to organize toys, clothing and food and work the YES Christmas Store on Dec. 17 on Lindsley Avenue. For more information, call (615) 315-5333 or email info@youthencouragement.org.

Belmont Awarded Grant for MLK Service Projects

Paul Chenoweth
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The Corporation for National and Community Service has awarded Belmont University a $1,000 grant to complete two MLK Day of Service projects on Jan. 14 in conjunction with Lipscomb University and Tennessee State University.

Each campus plans to recruit 100 student volunteers to be evenly distributed at community service projects with Feed the Children and Red Cross.

The grant will be used towards the purchase of supplies for the projects as well as transportation, T-shirts and lunch for volunteers.

“We are so excited to be partnering again with TSU in the project and to have Lipscomb on board this year.  The opportunity for diverse student populations from our three universities to come together in service to our community is a fitting tribute to Dr. King’s dream,” said Tim Stewart, Belmont’s director of service learning.

The Belmont community also has an opportunity to assist The American Red Cross with fundraising to create comfort kits, which are given to disaster victims, for the 2012 MLK Day of Service. Group buying website Sharing Spree will donate $1 towards the MLK Day of Service for each registration by Dec. 2, and 5 percent of those future purchases to The American Red Cross. Click here to read more on Belmont’s participation in 2012 MLK Day of Service.

During the 2011 MLK Day of Service, more than 190 students from Belmont, Lipscomb, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt universities volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank to sort through pallets of detergent and non-perishable food, pack over 2,500 backpacks with food for children on free and reduced lunches, pack 5,000 lbs of meat and raise awareness by hanging posters around Nashville.

Student Volunteers Offer Art to Homeless

Paul Chenoweth
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A group of students gave homeless Nashvillians an opportunity to express themselves through music and art during a community service project on Nov. 19.

Belmont musicians, artists and writers each spent two hours at Room in the Inn officiating workshops with the homeless men and women. Together they painted on canvas, drew with colored pencils and sang.

“You could tell that they really enjoyed it. I just told them to paint what they felt, and it came out as abstracts, and I got to hear their personal stories,” said Rebecca Sasser, a freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. studying studio art. “It showed me that they have normal backgrounds, families and kids and just had bad turns that led them to where they are now. The homeless are not lazy people who lay in the streets. We are all the same and just deal with different issues.”

Belmont musicians, like senior Kenny Freeman, also performed original compositions in the Room in the Inn’s coffee shop.

“I really enjoyed just getting to sit down and talk with people there and learn about their experiences,” said Freeman, a music business major from Texas. “I have always had an interest in the homeless population. It gave them a chance to step back and not worry about all of the things they had going on and just create.”

Student Nicole Brandt coordinated the service project through Belmont Community Leaders (BCL) and the Center for Service Learning. BCL allows students to organize service projects for their peers or direct ongoing volunteerism at a community organization.

Convocation Puts Henrietta Lacks into Perspective for Students

Paul Chenoweth
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Dr. Jennifer Thomas, associate professor of biology, brought the words of First Year Seminar common book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks into perspective Nov. 28 with her convocation lecture on “The Biology Behind He-La Cells.”

All first-year students are reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot this semester. As the Belmont community explores the campus theme of “Wealth and Poverty” during this academic year, the book challenges students to consider how poverty and race intersect with science, power, wealth and faith.

Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer, as caused by the Human Papillomavirus, in 1951. Doctors removed tissue samples from Lacks for research, which became known as He-La cells. They were the basis for cellular research and led to the discovery of the polio vaccine and several other biomedical discoveries, Thomas said.

“Any vaccine that you receive and any drugs that you have taken are the result of these He-La cells,” Thomas said. However, Lacks’ tissues were taken without informed consent, and her family was never compensated for the medical revolutions they spawned.

Thomas also lectured on how the Human Papillomavirus is spread, its 100 variations, how it can lead to cervical cancer and its vaccinations. She credited Lack’s tissue as the foundation for these developments.

Freshmen First on the Floor to Support Bruins

Paul Chenoweth
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Belmont University honored its freshmen class during the third annual First on the Floor on Mon., Nov. 28 at the Curb Event Center. A Belmont tradition, First on the Floor gives freshmen the opportunity to line the court and kickoff the men’s basketball season.

About 500 freshmen participated in the event, which included food, face painting and a chance for them to learn Belmont cheers before Belmont defeated Trevecca 86-61. The Bruins and Trojans, former NAIA rivals prior to Belmont’s move to NCAA Division I, had not met since January 1997.

Belmont has now won 17 consecutive home games dating back to the 2009-10 season.

Belmont (3-2) returns to action Thurs., Dec. 1 against Kennesaw State. Tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m. CT at the Curb Event Center.

Click here to read more on the Bruins victory over the Trojans.

Al-Shamma Presents at Theatre Research Conference

Paul Chenoweth
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Dr. James Al-Shamma, in the Department of Theatre and Dance, presented a paper at the American Society for Theatre Research Annual Conference in Montréal, Canada on Nov. 19. It was titled “Exporting Trauma: Al-Assadi’s Baghdadi Bath on the Western Stage” and was presented within the Traumatic Structures Working Session.

Pharmacy Student Receives National Service Award

Paul Chenoweth
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John Barnwell, a third year student in Belmont’s PharmD program, has received the Respect, Excellence and Service in Pharmacy (RESPy) Award for excellence in pharmaceutical care. The national award is presented by Walmart and Pharmacy Times to a student who has made a difference in his or her community demonstrated by the following criteria: voluntary public service activities, a high level of professional/public health related activities outside the classroom and a high level of effort to advance the profession of pharmacy in the public area. Eight RESPy awards are given annually and featured with a Pharmacy Times article. RESPy winners receive a monetary award and are offered a summer internship with Walmart.

Barnwell, who will graduate from the School of Pharmacy in 2013, is a founding officer of the board of directors of NotAlone.com, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing counseling for veterans with post traumatic stress disorder and their families. NotAlone.com offers online support groups, in-person counseling, and Web resources to support combat veterans and their loved ones.

A graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point followed by almost eight years in the U.S. Army, Barnwell is familiar with the field. He held a variety of positions at Fort Campbell in Kentucky and in Iraq, and was decorated with a Bronze Star and Joint Service Achievement Award.

“NotAlone is such a rewarding endeavor,” says Barnwell. “Being a veteran myself, anything I can do to make life better for soldiers, veterans, and their families gives me a great sense that I am still making a difference for my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.”

“Mr. Barnwell offers his abundant energy and leadership to his profession on a daily basis; he is an inspiration to everyone. I cannot think of any one more deserving,” said Philip Johnston, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

 Click here to read the Pharmacy Times’s article featuring Barnwell.

Health Services Nurse Completes New York Marathon

Paul Chenoweth
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Julie (right) is pictured with her running partner Sharon, a second Health Services nurse who works as needed in the clinic.

Julie Hawley, full time register nurse for Belmont’s Health Services, ran the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6. She finished the run in 5 hours. It was her fourth marathon.

 

Belmont Earns Business Partner of Year Award

Paul Chenoweth
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The Brentwood Cool Springs  Chamber of Commerce honored Belmont University with the Business Partner of the Year in recognition of the outstanding work Belmont has done in support of Williamson County businesses, including organizing the speakers series for the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Council in partnership with Lipscomb University. The team included Belmont faculty and staff members Jill Robinson, Gene Mage, Stan York, Sarah Cates, Wes Bulla, Eric Hobson and Rachel Pittard.

Choir Sings at Edgehill Community Fellowship Day

Paul Chenoweth
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Belmont University’s Chadasha Gospel Choir performed in the first Edgehill Community Fellowship Service on Nov. 20 at Southside Community Church. The service at was the first community fellowship day to unite the Organized Neighbors of Edgehill and World Music Mission with students and area churches. Together they raised $250 for Habitat for Humanity’s “Brush with Kindness.”

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