On March 26 several Belmont students braved the cold and rain to participate in this year’s Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival as volunteers. Sponsored by the Japan America Society of Tennessee, Nissan and the Consulate General of Japan in Nashville, the Cherry Blossom Festival, renamed the Japan Relief Event, raised money for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Faculty from Belmont also participated in the event. Dr. Cynthia Bisson (History) served on the Cherry Blossom Committee as chair of the Ginza Marketplace area. In addition, Belmont’s Asian Studies program and its Director, Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, contributed to the Tennessee Tomodachi Fund sponsored by JAST to help with the relief efforts in Japan.
In addition, a Bake Sale for Japan Relief was held today in the Beaman Student Life Center. International student Nozomi Takasu organized students in the Art Department for this event and obtained sponsorships from International Education, Honors, History, Art and Asian Studies. The students made origami cranes to give away at the sale. All donations will go to Japan Relief.
Belmont Students Help in Japan Relief Events
Speech and Debate Team Places Sixth in NFA Division
The speech and debate team went to the National Forensics Association (NFA) national tournament last week and won sixth place in its division. The competition was held at Illinois State University, April 15-18. Eric Schoen advanced to quarterfinals in Poetry and Nicole Bright advanced to quarterfinals in After-Dinner Speaking. Each event had more than 200 participants.
Students Present Belmont Mythbusters
On April 18 the Society of Physics Students (SPS) organization presented a convocation titled “Belmont Mythbusters: The A-Team Movie.” This was an entertaining analysis by the physics students of various stunts in the movie to show what physics confirmed or busted.
Chemistry Student Awarded National Science Foundation REU
Professional Chemistry major/mathematics minor Rebecca Newton (’13) was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of Syracuse in Syracuse, New York for Summer 2011. The REU includes a $4,500 stipend, campus housing for the summer and other benefits. While in New York, Rebecca will have the opportunity to carry out Organometallic Chemistry research, attend research seminars and present her results at a culminating poster session. REU programs are very competitive and support active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. Rebecca is a sophomore Pathways Scholar, Engaged Scholar and received the 2010 Freshman Chemistry Award. For more information on this REU, please visit http://www-che.syr.edu/reu/.
Barnes Judges PRSSA Competition
Susan Barnes was invited to judge the 2011 Public Relations Student Society of America’s annual Bateman Case Study Competition April 9 in New York. She joined a team of judges to review 49 case study entries from universities across the country. Three finalists were chosen to present their cases in May in New York. Among the honorable mention winners in the competition was a team from Lee University coached by Kevin Trowbridge, who will join the Belmont public relations faculty in the fall. The Bateman competition is the most prestigious competition sponsored by PRSSA.
Bishops Speaks at Nashville Sertoma Club Meeting
Andrew Bishop, a sophomore social entrepreneurship major in Susan Barnes’s Mass Media and Society class, was the featured speaker at the Nashville Sertoma Club’s weekly meeting on April 5. Andrew is founder of Philanthroteach, a non-profit that matches community need with the talents and skills of university faculty throughout the Nashville area. He was invited to speak to Sertoma through Tower Creative Consultants, the student-run public relations firm that Susan Barnes advises. She also serves on the board of Philanthroteach
Lamothe to Present at American Musicological Society
Virginia Lamothe, Adjunct Professor in the School of Music, had a paper accepted for presentation at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Musicological Society, which will be held in San Francisco from November 10-13. Her paper, “The Cardinal-Patron as Saint: Opera and the Oratory in Seventeenth-Century Rome,” was one of 196 papers chosen from a field of more than 700 entries.
School of Pharmacy Class of 2013 Hosts Easter Egg Hunt for Renewal House
On Saturday, April 16, members of the School of Pharmacy Class of 2013 hosted an Easter Egg Hunt and additional activities for children living at Renewal House.
This is one of several Class of 2013 service activities held for Renewal House this year. Earlier in the spring, the class collected household and cleaning items to assist families at the facility. In addition, members of the Class of 2013 have spent time painting apartments for families at Renewal House.
Renewal House is a community where women undergo comprehensive treatment for addiction. Not only does the professional staff at Renewal House serve women battling this disease, but they foster healing, resiliency and educational enhancement for all members of the patient’s family.
Physical Therapy Students Present Research in New Orleans
Current third year physical therapy students Sarah Jo Lyons Bouton, Betsy Codington, Larry Pemberton and Daniel Rogers presented a poster of their research at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting in New Orleans recently. Their research project, “An Assessment of Satisfaction and Functional Outcomes of Wheelchair/Seating Systems,” was completed in conjunction with Penny Powers, PT, M.S., ATP, at the Vanderbilt Seating and Mobility Clinic. Renee Brown, PT, Ph.D., was the faculty adviser and Barbara Ward in Mathematics and Computer Science also assisted with the project.
In addition, four physical therapy graduates- Matt Cabbage, PT, Ann Howard, PT, Renee Ohendalski Blalock, PT, and Rachel Rooks, PT- had their student research project presented as a platform presentation at the meeting. Their project, titled “Evidence-based Development and Evaluation of Educational Information for Breast Cancer Survivors and Their Families,” was in conjunction with Dr. Ann Marie Flores of the Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Oncology Department and examined the educational needs of breast cancer survivors. Their research ultimately resulted in the publication of a patient education booklet for breast cancer survivors and their families. The students’ research adviser on this project was Renee Brown, PT, Ph.D.
Belmont and Beyond Finale Invites Students to Explore Courage and Character
Integrity fanatic Nancy Reece spoke to students on April 18 at the Belmont and Beyond Finale event, “Live the Life You Imagine.” Reece is passionate about helping people know the right thing to do and then doing the right thing. At the event, she talked about the three C’s – Competence, Character and Courage. Reece told students to put themselves second and help others first. She provided a thought-provoking and interactive session and helped students explore insights on courage and character. Reece challenged students to lay a foundation for success in their personal and professional lives.
Belmont and Beyond produces co-curricular programming designed specifically to assist students in transitioning to life after Belmont.
