On Nov. 7, Don Cusic, professor of music business, inducted Eddy Arnold into the Music City Walk of Fame. Cusic presented Belmont alumnus Shannon Pollard, grandson of Eddy Arnold, with the award. Country music artists Little Jimmy Dickens, Mel Tillis and Kris Kristofferson were in attendance.
In addition, Cusic was nominated for the Country Music Association’s Jo Walker Meador International Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual or company in advocating and supporting country music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States. The award is generally presented at CMA’s annual membership meeting. Cusic is nominated because he has written for several international music publications and taken students to London since 1988.
Cusic Inducts Eddy Arnold Into Walk of Fame
Students Compete in ‘Battle of the Brains’
Belmont students will compete in the 35th annual IBM-sponsored Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest, also known as the “Battle of the Brains,” regional competition Nov. 6 at Tennessee Technological University. Tens of thousands of students in more than 90 countries will participate in the global competition, and the top 100 regional champions will go on to compete Feb. 27- March 4 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Six Belmont students will be participating in this year’s competition. Team one, also known as “Brute Force,” includes Kevin Crowl, Cameron Behar and Brandon Sharp. Team two, also known as “Bandits,” consists of Cory Hughes, Trevor Hinesley and Will Proffitt.
Students will be challenged to use their programming skills and rely on their mental endurance to solve complex, real world problems under a five-hour deadline. Teammates collaborate to rank the difficulty of the problems, deduce the requirements, design test beds and build software systems that solve the problems under the scrutiny of expert judges. The team that solves the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a coveted spot on the world finals roster. The best and brightest information technology students from around the globe will compete for awards, scholarships, prizes and bragging rights to the “world’s smartest trophy.” Battle of the Brains is the oldest, largest and most prestigious programming contest in the world.
Parry Publishes Book Review
Pam Parry, associate professor of communication studies, had a book review published in the Summer edition of American Journalism, a peer-reviewed journal of media history. Parry reviewed Seymour Topping’s memoir of the Cold War titled On the Front Lines of the Cold War: An American Correspondent’s Journal from the Chinese Civil War to the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam. Parry is a doctoral candidate at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg whose dual specializations are in public relations and media history.
Belmont University Dedicates McWhorter Hall
Governor Bredesen, others participate in ceremony honoring healthcare leader Clayton McWhorter and the late Fred McWhorter
Belmont University honored Clayton and Fred McWhorter Friday morning during the official dedication ceremony for the newly opened McWhorter Hall. The 90,000 square foot, state-of-the-art academic building houses the University’s Schools of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy, as well as the Department of Psychological Science. McWhorter Hall was named in honor of Belmont Trustee Emeritus and Chairman of Clayton Associates, Clayton McWhorter, and his brother, the late pharmacist Fred McWhorter. Both men dedicated their careers to the healthcare field, making a difference in the lives of countless individuals and championing healthcare reform.
In addition to Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher and Board of Trustees Chairman Marty Dickens, others offering remarks included Tennessee Governor and longtime McWhorter family friend Phil Bredesen, SHOUTAmerica Executive Director Landon Gibbs and Clayton Associates President Stuart McWhorter, Clayton’s son.
While all the speakers remarked on Clayton McWhorter’s countless contributions to healthcare and the education of future generations, the event centered around Clayton’s brother Fred, who was a practicing pharmacist for more than 50 years. Clayton McWhorter said, “My brother Fred practiced pharmacy like it should be practiced and stayed true to his profession, loving every minute of it. I believe he would be honored to have this building bear the McWhorter name, but I’m even more hopeful that the student pharmacists and other health care specialists learning within these walls will look to my brother as a premier model of their profession.”
A portrait of the brothers, painted by noted artist Shane Neal, was unveiled at the ceremony along with a plaque of dedication: “I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concerns (Oath of a Pharmacist). This building is dedicated in honor of beloved healthcare leader Clayton McWhorter and his brother, longtime practicing pharmacist Fred McWhorter. May their example of professional knowledge, personal integrity, innovative leadership and tireless giving to their community and their patients inspire the many students who will walk these halls.”
Click here to see additional photos from today’s event. Click here to read more details about the building from the grand opening ceremony in August.
‘The Insider’s View’ Presents Exclusive Roundtable on Michael Jackson’s Epic Years
On Wednesday evening, Belmont University, in partnership with BMI, hosted a special edition of The Insider’s View, an exclusive roundtable discussion exploring the solo career of Michael Jackson. The four featured speakers—Frank Dileo, Steve Popovich, Larry Stessel and Dan Beck—all served in strategic positions at Epic Records during Jackson’s unprecedented career from 1975 until his untimely death in 2009. Mr. Dileo, who personally managed Michael throughout much of the 1980s, reunited with the singer just weeks before he passed away.
Beck, who product managed Michael Jackson at Epic through the “Dangerous” and “HIStory” albums, said, “The opportunity to share our unique experiences of working with Michael Jackson with the students at Belmont University was very special for each of us. As long-time friends and colleagues, we have an extraordinary respect and appreciation for each other’s work, so we were eager to learn from this event as well. The students, faculty and administration at Belmont created the perfect environment for us to capture for the first time, some historic perspective on Michael’s phenomenal career.”
In addition to serving twice as Jackson’s manager, Dileo was head of Epic’s national promotion department, which yielded seven Top 10 singles from “Thriller.” Jackson first played the album for Dileo in his car on a Walkman, and then asked his radio promoter what he thought could be done to market the project. “To get out of the car,” Dileo recalled, “I just said, ‘I’m going to release two singles at one time.” Though unprecedented at the time, the strategy worked, and Dileo landed both “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” in the top five on the radio charts at the same time.
“Thriller” remains the largest selling album in the history of recorded music. Jackson’s music videos dominated the airwaves and changed popular music. His dance moves enthralled the world, and the controversies surrounding his life garnered global headlines. From a childhood star to the ultimate rock, pop and soul superstar, Michael Jackson will be a topic of cultural historians and enduring fans for decades to come.
“Before MTV started in the early ’80s, you really became a star based on your music, on the songs and on touring,” said Stessel, who served as the product manager and point person for the marketing strategies in launching “Thriller.” “There’s a good possibility that we’ll never again see the type of mania that surrounded the Beatles, Michael Jackson or Elvis.”
Searcy Offers Keynote Address
Joyce Searcy, Director of Community Relations, was the keynote speaker at the 2010 Women and Political Activism Conference hosted by the Nashville Women’s Political Caucus.
The caucus was held on Oct. 13 and taught female students how their involvement in politics can influence the government and its programs. Nearly 25 students from Belmont were in attendance.
Founded in 1973, the Nashville Women’s Political Caucus works to strengthen the position of women in all aspects of political life. The NWPC strives for the full and equal participation of women in government and the political process.
Belmont Appoints Dr. Thomas Burns to Provost
Current Millersville associate provost, former Yale assistant dean, Vanderbilt graduate to take helm as Belmont’s chief academic officer
Following an extensive nationwide search, Belmont University announced today that Dr. Thomas Burns, current associate provost at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, is being named Provost. Dr. Pat Raines, Belmont’s interim provost and dean of the College of Business Administration, will continue to serve as provost until Burns’ term begins January 1.
In the role of provost, Burns will act as the university’s chief academic officer, providing visionary direction and serving the academic mission of the University. Reporting to the President and serving in his absence as the chief executive officer, the Provost has broad responsibilities for the planning, development and administration of Belmont’s academic programs and student services.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “The provost position has been one of the key factors in Belmont’s success. I have no doubt that in this role Thomas Burns will continue to create one of the most amazing stories in higher education.”
Burns said, “My wife and I are both very excited to move our family to Nashville to join the fantastic community at Belmont. It is a rare privilege to be able to join such a strong student-centered institution and to become part of an overwhelmingly positive, supportive academic community like Belmont. I am particularly excited about joining the students at Belmont because of the University’s dedication to preparing them to be active, confident participants in our society.”
Belmont Alumnus Wins Election in Sumner County
Belmont alumnus Matt Stamper was elected to the Sumner County Board of Mayor and Aldermen yesterday in a tight, three-way race.
Stamper, a tax accountant for Gaylord Entertainment Company, received his undergraduate degree from Belmont in 2001 and his Master of Accountancy degree in 2003. He is also the son of Dr. James Stamper, a professor in the Education Department.
Stamper has said his first priority is looking over the city’s finances.
Residence Life Receives Grant from CHASCo
The Office of Residence Life recently received a grant of $1,000 from the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities (CHASCo). CHASCo is a Tennessee organization proactively addressing issues of alcohol, other drugs and violence in order to promote healthy and safe campus environments.
One of the initiatives CHASCo is funding through a grant opportunity is Alcohol Free Alternative Campus Programming. Alcohol free alternative initiatives are defined as “activities that are free of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs and for which participation is voluntary” (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 2001). Furthermore, these activities are held at late night hours and on weekends when there is a greater threat of high-risk drinking for college students (Wechsler, 2001). CHASCo received $25,000 to distribute to college campuses throughout the 2010-2011 academic year to fund Alcohol Free Alternative Campus Programming. Though the application process was very competitive, Belmont’s Office of Residence Life received one of the grants.
The grant-sponsored event took place Thursday night in the courtyard between Maple and Hail Halls. In addition to Halloween decorations and snacks, the evening included costume contests, trivia contests and a screening of the movie “Gremlins.”
2010 Humanities Symposium Writing Competition Announces Winners
On Sun., Oct. 24, Belmont student winners of the 2010 Humanities Symposium Writing Competition read from selected poetry and prose. Excerpts of the student work will be published in the 2011 Belmont Literary Journal. Listed below are the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions:
Poetry
First place: Erin Turberville, “Cherry Blossom”
Runner-up: Nathan Haney, “An Evening Reunion, Winter”
Honorable Mentions: Grant Anderson, “Trophy Scars”; Ben Richardson, “Neoncarnation”; and Matthew Brady, “A Poet’s Preferences”
Creative Nonfiction
First place: K. S. Anthony, “Faith of the Faithless”
Runners-up: Katie Kuriyama, “I Believe in Fairy-Like Things: How Embracing a Fantastical Ontology Has Created a Healthier Writer” and Nina Adel, “North of Inverness but Not as Far as Wick”
Honorable Mentions: Mallory Kimbrell, “Snow Crazies”; John Thierry, “Edgar Allen”; and Levi Gordon, “Battles”
Fiction
First Place: Iaian Smallwood, “Gone Hollywood”
Runners-Up: Sam Williams, “Two-Piece Puzzle” and Tessa Tompkins, “The Girl in the Pink Dress”
Honorable Mentions: Shannon Titus, “Elsewhere”; Kevin Foster, “The Betrayed Congregation”; and Margaret Kingsbury, “Apocalypse Day”
Screenwriting
First Place: “Burn,” by Erica Scoggins
Runner-up: “Love Thy Neighbor,” by Matthew Rosenbaum
