The “Best of Nashville 2010” issue of the Nashville Scene recently named Theatre Chair Paul Gatrell, Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing Bill Feehely and Assistant Professor Brent Maddox to the publication’s Arts list. Gatrell was honored for “Best Set Design” with the paper noting, “Gatrell designed a marvelous set — warm and pristinely crafted — for Actors Bridge Ensemble’s production of Vincent in Brixton. It was the kind of work that demonstrates just how significant set design is to the overall impact of a production. Sure, writing, acting and directing are extremely important, but over the last few years, Gatrell’s sets — for Belmont University and other local performing groups — have helped remind us that art is wherever you find it.”
In addition, Feehely’s direction and Maddox’s acting were also noted on the Best of list: “Bill Feehely’s attentive direction set the tone for this literate, historically fanciful Nicholas Wright script about Vincent van Gogh. A front-rank cast was led by two Nashville newcomers, Brent Maddox and the amazing Kim Bretton.”
Theatre Faculty Honored by Nashville Scene
Murray, DeVore Premiere Arias
Two collaborations by librettist Douglas Murray (Department of English) and Rachel DeVore Fogarty (School of Music) received their world premiere on October 3 at a concert at Trinity Presbyterian Church devoted to the music of Rachel Fogarty. These arias (“First Light of Silver Sea” and “To Be Again What Once She Was”) are selections from a work in progress, the opera Persuasion, based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen. The selections were performed by Sabrina Laney Warren (soprano) and Rachel DeVore Fogarty (piano).
Murphree Serves as ‘Scientist on Site’
Dr. Steve Murphree, professor of bology, interacted with area science teachers as a “Scientist on Site” at the Adventure Science Center’s “Science Night Out” on October 1. Dr. Murphree’s information table was titled, “Would you like to build a blood-sucking bug?”
Pinter Serves on Mathfest Panel
Dr. Mike Pinter, professor of mathematics, served as a panel member for the Mathematics in Interdisciplinary Survey Courses panel session during the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Mathfest in Pittsburgh. The panel session, sponsored by the MAA Special Interest Group in Quantitative Literacy, was designed for mathematicians who have been asked to teach or co-teach general interest courses such as first year seminars for freshman, interdisciplinary survey courses, integrative learning communities, and the like. Panelists addressed strategies to work with pedagogical challenges (new for many mathematicians) such as assigning and assessing extensive writing projects, eliciting productive discussions about course readings, and meaningfully integrating quantitative reasoning. Dr. Pinter’s presentation for the panel session focused on his First-Year Seminar course, Living With Limitations.
Wilgus, Wacholtz Win Award for Paper
Jennifer Wilgus and Larry Wacholtz (CEMB) recently published a paper, “The Whoop Curve: Predicting Entrepreneurial and Financial Opportunities in the Performing Arts,” which received a Distinguished Research Award from the Allied Academies Fall 2010 International Conference.
Accounting Students Receive National Recognition
Katherine Rote and Spencer Carter, senior accounting majors, received national recognition at the 2010 AIS Educator’s Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. Their undergraduate Accounting Information Systems (ACC 3520) project was selected as a winner in the student project competitions. The student case competition is part of the teaching focus of the conference and showcases creative and excellent student work. Katherine and Spencer’s project was a business simulation analyzing processes and controls of a distribution business. Dr. Del DeVries, associate professor of accounting and information systems, accepted the award for Katherine and Spencer at the conference. The mission of the AIS Educator’s Association is to share methods, tools, cases and other learning materials relevant to AIS education.
SIFE Team Heads to Anaheim for World Cup Competition
Belmont University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team departs this weekend for Anaheim, Calif., to compete in the SIFE World Cup. In only its fifth year, the Belmont University SIFE team competed in May against 169 other regional champion student teams from around the country and won the SIFE USA National Championship. Now the team will compete against the national champions from 40 other countries at the 2010 SIFE World Cup, Oct. 10-12 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The SIFE World Cup Web site will feature live webcasts of the Opening Round Award ceremony (Mon., Oct. 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Central), the announcement of Final Round teams (Tues., Oct. 12, 3:15-3:30 p.m. Central), the Final Round of Competition (Tues., Oct. 12, 3:30-7 p.m. Central) and the Final Round Awards ceremony (Tues., Oct. 12, 7-8 p.m. Central).
Through SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise), college students around the world are discovering that “doing well” and “doing good” can be accomplished simultaneously throughout college and career. At the SIFE World Cup, more than 400 global business leaders will assemble to evaluate the outreach projects of national champion teams from 40 nations. They will be judged on how successful they have been at using business solutions to create economic opportunity for others.
“Increasingly people are looking at businesses in a broader context and rejecting the notion of choosing between making money or doing good,” said Mat Burton, senior vice president, SIFE. The organization attributes this shift in expectations to the rising demand for universities and corporations to remain relevant in a rapidly changing global economy.”
“Belmont SIFE continues to build sustainable community partnerships that enable lasting economic change as well as personal and professional growth opportunities, both for those we serve and our students,” said Dr. John Gonas, associate professor of finance and SIFE advisor at Belmont. “Our students truly understand that they can take what they’re learning in the classroom and make positive changes in our immediate, national and international communities.”
One of Belmont SIFE’s projects has been working with the women of Thistle Farms, an enterprise run by residents and graduates of Magdalene, a residential program in Nashville for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction. Thistle Farms produces, markets and sells handmade natural bath and body products (www.thistlefarms.org). Belmont University SIFE provided crucial computer and financial training to the women and financial guidance to the organization.
In another project, SunTrust provided a $1,000 grant to Belmont SIFE to continue its work with the Access DVD, which featured a money and banking initiative that educates resettled refugees and immigrants on the American banking process. The DVD has currently been produced in seven different languages. The grant was offered to help with SIFE’s poverty initiative to educate areas of lower socioeconomic status on the dangers of predatory services.
One of the teams vying with the Belmont students for the SIFE World Cup will be the University of Nottingham Ningbo SIFE team from China, which helped farmers develop a retail sales channel for ginseng crops and established a microfinance fund to ease cash flow problems. In Germany, SIFE students at the University of Mannheim created an original food delivery service to give young people valuable work experience to make them more attractive in a tight job market.
In addition to competing, the Belmont students will have the chance to socialize with students from the other national champion teams at a Cultural Fair, as well as the opportunity to meet some of the world’s top business leaders.
Belmont’s Women’s Basketball Team Volunteers with PKD Foundation for Annual Walk
On Saturday, Sept. 25, the Belmont women’s basketball team joined more than 300 Middle Tennesseans at the annual Walk for Polycystic Kidney Disease in Brentwood’s River Park. In addition to participating in the walk, the Bruins volunteered in the youth activity area, engaging the children with games and basketball drills. The team also signed autographs and posed for pictures with the youth in attendance.
“It was a great experience to be there and hear the PKD Foundation Nashville Chapter announce that they had surpassed their goal of $40,000 that Saturday,” said Head Coach Brittney Ezell. “Again, our players were wonderful ambassadors for Belmont University through their giving spirits and their willingness to serve others in the community. “
The Walk for PKD is the signature fundraiser for the PKD Foundation whose mission is to promote programs of research, advocacy, education, support and awareness to discover treatments and a cure for PKD and improve the lives of all it affects.
PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) is one of the most common genetic life-threatening diseases for which there is currently no cure. It affects 600,000 Americans, almost 12,000 Tennesseans and 12.5 million people worldwide. It is more common than Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and sickle cell anemia combined. For more information, visit www.pkdcure.org.
Belmont Hosts Native American Symposium Oct. 11-13
‘Living the Circle: Dialogues with America’s First Peoples’ features, presentations, workshops, concert with Grammy winner Bill Miller
During October 11-13, 2010, Belmont University will sponsor “Living the Circle: Dialogues with America’s First Peoples,” a series of conversations, presentations, workshops, and roundtables with more than 20 Native American guests from across the United States and Canada. The goals of these events are education, community awareness, communication and understanding and unity of all peoples. With the event’s focus this year on creativity and spirituality, “Living the Circle” will conclude Wednesday night, Oct. 13, with a free concert in the Curb Event Center featuring Grammy Award winner Bill Miller and other special guests. All events are free and open to the public, though some daytime events may have limited space—please contact belmontchs@belmont.edu to inquire about daytime workshops.
Dr. Jack Williams, dean of the College of Health Sciences & Nursing, organized the event. He said, “Much of our culture, our food and our government have Native American origins. Native Americans have a tragic history with many negative consequences both on their traditional cultures and languages and their lives in modern times. However, many Native Americans of today believe that the time has come again where their traditions and wisdom have much to offer not only to their own peoples for cultural healing, but also for a broken world. ‘Living the Circle’ is a celebration of traditional and contemporary gifts of Native Americans. The general goal is to educate and increase awareness of students and the community, and the activities are designed to encourage discussion and dialogue.”
Part of the inspiration for the symposium comes from new partnerships Belmont University has developed with a reservation in South Dakota. For several years now, Belmont faculty, staff and students have been traveling in small groups to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to establish a community partnership with the people of the Lakota tribe. The partnership has now developed into a cultural experience for many in the Belmont community. During this trip, participants are immersed in educational experiences where they learn the beauty and strengths of traditional Lakota ways.
The upcoming three day symposium is packed with many opportunities for ongoing dialogue and hands-on education in culture and cultural awareness, art, music, dance, writing, stories and mythology, spirituality, education, language, health and wellness, history and current issues. In addition to the scheduled events, many of the guests will be available to speak to individual classes throughout the campus.
Alumni to Perform at Carnegie Hall
School of Music alumni Travis Cottrell and Melinda Doolittle will be performing at Carnegie Hall October 18 with the New American Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The “Sacred Heritage Concert” will feature traditional and contemporary gospel favorites.
