Long-time Belmont adjunct drum faculty member and rock musician, Zoro, recently published his book, The Big Gig: Big-Picture Thinking for Success, an insider’s guide to vocational, personal and spiritual aspects of achievement.
Cover of Zoro's Book
The book is written from the perspective of Zoro’s 30-year drum career as he worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. The Big Gig is a unique, collaborative method for independent musicians looking to break into the music industry.
But the book doesn’t stop there. All 44 chapters include a video interview with Zoro, accessible via QR code or traditional URLs. Additionally, readers can assess themselves with “The Big Gig Quiz,” a 50-question test to determine if readers have what it takes to find their own “big gigs.”
The Big Gig is endorsed by many personalities from highly successful musician Lenny Kravitz, to actor Stephen Baldwin, to best-selling author and Bible teacher Joyce Meyer.
For more information about The Big Gig, click here.
Cheryl Brown (Foreign Language) presented a paper on Nov. 4 at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association conference, which met in Franklin, Tenn. Brown, along with two students, Meg Bilodeau and Hannah Hyde, presented Imaginary Voyages to Real Places: Your Students as Tour Guides. In this paper, students presented the results of their research of the history and touristic sites of interest of a Francophone city. The various steps and assignments of this project were outlined and handouts of assignments were made available. Students presented excerpts from the written and oral versions of their tours.
Qingjun (Joan) Li (Asian Studies and Chinese Language) presented a workshop at the annual meeting. During the workshop, titled Learning Chinese, Turning Chinese: Incorporating Culture into Contextualized Chinese Teaching,Li demonstrated the use of Hammerly’s behavioral culture protocols into the teaching of Chinese language through conceptual ideas and experiential learning activities.
Belmont senior Bianca Edwards performed a tribute to Nashville’s freedom riders at the NAACP Nashville Branch’s 38th Freedom Fund Gala on Nov. 5.
Bianca Edwards, also know as Miss B, performs at the 2011 Urban Pop Showcase.(Donnie Heddon/Photographer)
The original poem, titled “Follow Me,” chronicles Edwards’ journey to learn about the freedom riders during an internship and how she discovered her grandmother was a freedom rider in 1961 in Jackson, Miss. The riders rode interstate buses into the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement and faced harsh brutality as well as federal opposition.
“When (Belmont Director of Community Relations) Joyce Searcy called me and asked me to do a tribute to the Nashville freedom riders, I immediately thought about Oprah’s tribute in May. I was interning at BET, which has at least 20 TVs in the office, and this particular day everyone was talking about Oprah’s special. I had not heard anything about it and am ashamed to say I did not know what the freedom riders were,” Edwards said.
“I watched this special from beginning to end and felt so enlightened and empowered. You can always look at something and say that while you are in the moment that God has a plan, but you don’t truly know that plan until you look back at other events. In May, God started preparing me for this event and it is interesting how everything came together, and I am grateful,” she said.
Edwards is known on campus for her lyrical ability as a rap artist. She performed under the stage name Miss B at Belmont’s 2011 Urban Pop Showcase and previously won the showcase in 2009.
Peter Giordano, chair of Psychological Science, has published an edited book titled Your Graduate Training in Psychology: Effective Strategies for Success with Sage Publications. With co-editors Stephen Davis of Morningside College and Carolyn Licht of Fordham University, the book takes a developmental approach to establishing a variety of professional skills from the first year of graduate training until degree completion. Chapter authors include Belmont psychology faculty Seraphine Shen-Miller and Lonnie Yandell. In addition, three other chapters are written by alumni of the Belmont Department of Psychological Science who later obtained PhDs in psychology: Christy Spears Brown is associate professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Dan Corts is professor of Psychology at Augustana College, and Radha (Dunham) Carlson is a clinical assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Author and scholar Thomas Lippman recently shared his expertise on Saudi Arabia at forums for the campus and community.
Belmont University welcomed scholar, author and journalist Thomas Lippman to campus for two forums on the developments and current affairs in Saudi Arabia. The World Affairs Council, the United Nations Association- Nashville Cordell Hull Chapter and Belmont’s Center for International Business sponsored an event on campus Monday night that was open to the community, and Lippman spoke again in a student convocation session Wednesday morning.
Lippman began his convo by describing his background of reporting for The Washington Post in Saudi Arabia and how he finds information. “I am not an academic; I go there, I look around, I ask questions,” Lippman said.
After stating basic Saudi facts, Lippman dove into discussing the culture, commenting on the state of the government and the religious requirements Saudis respect to keep public dissension and dialogue separate from public demonstrations. This led him to his discussion of Iranian tensions among Saudi Arabians and how American issues come into play.
Saudis feel threatened by Iranian rebels and other surrounding countries causing upheaval. They see them as the “ones that make all the trouble.” Above all, they are not interested in any involvement towards reconstruction efforts.
When speaking on the rights of women throughout the country, Lippman said, “I’m not worried about the status of women, only the pace of change.” He went on to say that he knows women will ultimately be given more rights, including the right to drive, he just isn’t sure when.
As Lippman concluded his lecture he welcomed comments from the crowd answering questions that inquired about Saudi selling oil to Eastern countries and the internal religious debate between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Lippman is currently a senior scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is author of numerous books on U.S. foreign policy, understanding Islam and Saudi Arabia, including the forthcoming book, Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally. International media outlets and Washington think tanks regularly contact him to participate in discussions about Middle East affairs and provide assessments of Arab World developments especially in Saudi Arabia.
On Sat., Oct. 29, Belmont’s School of Physical Therapy brought more than 100 student volunteers to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at the Maryland Farms YMCA. With 14,000 racers and more than 10,000 spectators, the volunteers were needed to assist with course setup and takedown, serve as course marshals at the start and finish line, hand out water at course stations and help manage the crowd.
Megan Tisdale, a third-year physical therapy student and student organizer of the volunteer efforts, had a special connection with the event and the people it serves. “Since my mother has breast cancer, I think it’s very important to present people with great opportunities to come together to celebrate life and give to support a cause that is near and dear to millions of hearts… The reward is seeing people come together with passion they have for a loved one.”
The Komen affiliate members, as well as the event management group, were thankful for the dedicated volunteers who participated in the event. “The Belmont team of volunteers from the School of PT made a huge difference to this year’s race,” said Komen Executive Director Patty Harman. “The Race wouldn’t have been so successful without them. We had more people participating this year than ever before, and Belmont jumped in to do whatever was needed to make it a wonderful experience for each person. We can’t thank them enough for all they did.”
Marc Overlock, chairman of the board for the Komen Affiliate, added , “Thank you so much for your every effort, through planning efforts, logistical team packing and mailing and hand-outs, and last but not least Race Village clean up. The Board, Komen Staff and I owe you everything. Please know we today honor your gift of time.”
During the October celebration of National Physical Therapy Month, approximately 100 Belmont University Physical Therapy students and faculty volunteered for the sixth annual “Dierks Bentley Miles & Music for Kids” event. On Oct. 16, Bentley and more than 1,700 people gathered for his annual charity motorcycle ride to benefit Vanderbilt’s Children Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network. The ride began at the Columbia Springs Harley Davidson and ended at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville.
The event ended with a concert by Bentley and some friends (Eli Young Band, Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, Colt Ford and Josh Thompson entertaining thousands of fans at Riverfront Park. Event Coordinator Mandy McClister said, “It was definitely another great year, and again we could not have done it without the students from the Belmont University School of PT! The students worked harder this year than ever before to make this a success. The leadership should be proud of the way they have represented the University.”
PT student volunteers with Belmont PT professors
Bentley was also impressed with the volunteers. “We could not have taken this event to the level it now is without the help of my friend Mike Voight and his students at Belmont University School of Physical Therapy. The Belmont students have been integral to the success of this event from the inaugural ride six years ago to its current size. I look forward to working with them again in the future,” Bentley said.
Since the inception of this annual event, $2 million has been raised to benefit the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network.
Bonnie Riechert, associate professor and director of the public relations program in the College of Arts & Sciences, has been elected to serve as web/e-newsletter officer for the Southeast District Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for 2012. A board member in the Nashville Chapter of PRSA, she is serving as secretary for the Southeast District PRSA during 2011. With membership of 21,000, PRSA is the world’s largest and foremost organization of public relations professionals, providing professional development, setting standards of excellence and upholding principles of ethics for its members and the global public relations profession. Other SE District officers for 2012 are Chuck Norman, North Carolina Chapter, chair; Mitch Edwards, Alabama Chapter, chair-elect; Natalia Flores, Charlotte Chapter, treasurer; Kelly Davis, South Carolina Chapter, secretary; Melanie Davis, Alabama Chapter, immediate past chair; Kevin Lusk, Lookout Chapter, director-at-large; Penny Cothran, South Carolina Chapter, director-at-large; Stephen Loudermilk, Georgia Chapter, director-at-large; and Vickye Hester, Memphis Chapter, director at-large.
The Speech and Debate team took their strongest debaters to Berry College in Rome, Ga. on Oct. 29. With just three students in attendance, all of them qualified for elimination rounds in their brackets. The results were as follows: Chris Carlevato and Jenni Gustafson, Overall Champions; Novice NPDA Debate, Bryan Meehan (partnering with Michael Lugo form Carson-Newman College); Semi-Finalists, Open NPDA debate; Jenni Gustafson, sixth place novice debate speaker award. Congratulations to these debaters for their success!
Brian Wilson, a junior journalism major and Belmont Vision editor, is one of 75 students chosen to participate in the 2012 Campus Coverage Project. The project is Jan. 5-8 at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in Phoenix.
This is the third year of the highly competitive program in which working journalists and professors help college students investigate and report more effectively on their universities through teaching skills, providing resources and building awareness. The sponsor of the program is The Lumina Foundation, which provides scholarships that pay for travel, tuition and all other costs for participants. The program is presented by the Investigative Reporters and Editors in partnership with Education Writers Association and the Student Press Law Center. Investigative Reporters and Editors is an international professional organization that supports and trains investigative journalists.
