The 2009 edition of the Belmont Literary Journal was launched on April 21 during a Celebration featuring readings by some of the contributors. The occasion also recognized the achievements of the editors (Mary Gray, Abby Barnhart, Kelda Williamson, Michele Waddell, Erica Scoggins and Kendil Brooks) and of staff members who worked in planning, publicity, selection and production.
BLJ is entirely student-produced and showcases the talent of Belmont students, from across the campus, in creative writing and visual art. A limited number of copies are available for sale; if interested, please be in touch with Dr. Sandra Hutchins, Dept. of English, ext. 6389. Cover art, shown above, is by Erica Scoggins, art editor.

Belmont University men’s basketball senior Andy Wicke (Hendersonville, Tenn.) has been awarded a coveted educational grant through the NCAA postgraduate scholarship program. The 6-2 shooting guard was one of 58 student-athletes who participated in NCAA winter sports – men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s gymnastics, women’s ice hockey, women’s rifle, men’s skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and wrestling – selected as a 2008-09 Postgraduate Scholarship Award winner. Wicke was one of only two NCAA Division-I men’s basketball players chosen to receive a postgraduate scholarship, joining Brett Winkelman of North Dakota State University. Click here for more on this story.

On April 18, the School of Sciences hosted the Tennessee Academy of Sciences Middle Collegiate Division Meeting for the second straight year. Dr. Nick Ragsdale, assistant professor of biology and the meeting coordinator, indicated that Belmont student participation had increased from 43 abstracts in 2008 to 55 abstracts in 2009. Students presented their work in topics ranging from geology to cancer biology. Out of eight sections, Belmont students won 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the Entomology, Animal & Cellular Behavior, Neuroscience, Immunology/Microbiology and Zoology/Geology sections. The School of Sciences will also host the 2010 Tennessee Academy of Sciences Middle Collegiate Division Meeting.

Junior journalism major Abby Selden, an honors student, was recently informed that she has been selected as a 2009 International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Summer Fellow. During the program, which runs May 31-Aug.1, Selden will live in New York City and intern at at PBS Wide Angle, a program dedicated to international current affairs documentaries.
Dr. Sybril Bennett, associate professor of journalism and executive director of the New Century Journalism Program, said, “Abby has done everything she’s been asked to do and more. She knows how to tell a great story, shoot, edit and utilize various social and multimedia tools. This is an honor that is typically reserved for seniors. The fact that Abby has secured this as a junior speaks volumes about her work.”

Twenty three Belmont business students competed in the international competition hosted by Delta Epsilon Chi April 22-25 in Anahiem, Calif. Out the 1,250 students in attendance, Belmont students won numerous awards in the following categories:
Entrepreneurship Business Plan: Andy Tabar won 1st place which included a $1,000 award and Julie Zaloba was a top ten winner.
Entrepreneurial Challenge: Andrew Birchfield, Julia Cecere and Brandon Littleton won 1st place with $5,000 awards and Noah Curran and Julie Zaloba won 2nd place which included a $2,000 award.
Travel and Tourism: Noah Curran was a top ten winner and Julia Cecere was a national finalist.
Business Ethics: Kaitlin Adams and Susan Harbison were national finalists.
Marketing Management: Kirstin Long and Mandy Thompson were national finalists.
Fashion Design: Andrew Birchfield was a national finalist.
Advertising: Kirstin Long won $500 for her essay on an advertising campaign.
This is the second consecutive year Belmont placed first in the Entrepreneurship Business Plan category and first and second place in the Entrepreneurial Challenge.
Delta Epsilon Chi is the college division of DECA Inc. More than 14,000 students from 230 college campuses participate in the organization. Delta Epsilon Chi enhances the student’s college experience by providing recognition and leadership activities directly related to academic study.

Sara Pecchia was named recently as the third recipient of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Scholarship in Public Relations. AT&T Advertising & Publishing is supporting Belmont University’s public relations program with a five-year scholarship commitment, with the inaugural award given in 2007. The $2,500 prize is presented annually each spring to the public relations major who demonstrates academic excellence, campus service and professionalism. Applicants must also write an essay that effectively responds to the question, “What role should public relations play in corporate social responsibility?”
Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, Pecchia is majoring in public relations with a minor in music and an anticipated graduation date of December 2009. She has been a member of the Belmont Oratorio Chorus since 2007, and she currently works as a student intern for Peritus Public Relations.