Teresa Van Hatten-Granath, associate professor in the Art Department, held her first “Green Bag Lady Performance Event” this past Saturday in Green Hills, adding another 66 fabric bags to her growing list of giveaways while also obtaining local and regional media coverage. (Pictured from left to right are Van Hatten-Granath, her friend Alicia Steinhilber and Radio Free Nashville talk show host Dawn Kirk.)
Van Hatten-Granath, who primarily teaches digital imaging and photography at Belmont, began the Green Bag Lady project earlier this year in an effort to inspire artists to think about the ecological impact of their art as well as to produce work that has a direct, positive impact on the environment. “The project started one day I when was scolding my husband for getting plastic bags at the grocery. I decided to go through my fabric bins and I just started making bags. Eventually, I figured out what size worked best, and that is the size of the pattern I now give out as a PDF. I started by bringing the bags to the college kids in my classes and then my friends. It has just grown from there, and now it has taken on a life of its own.”
Her performance events involve setting up her sewing machine in public spaces and creating bags to giveaway to anyone who requests one. The only cost? The receiver of the free bag must promise to use them instead of paper or plastic. To date, Van Hatten-Granath has sent more than 600 fabric bags to 37 states and six foreign countries.
NBC sent a camera crew to Saturday’s event and footage aired on Nashville’s WMSV-4 as well as on affiliates in 20 different states and Canada.
For more information, visit www.greenbaglady.org.
Art Professor’s ‘Green’ Bag Project Earns Growing Fan Base
Bell Tower Undergoes Extreme Makeover
New banner celebrates Belmont’s role as host site of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate
In observance of Flag Day, Belmont University lifted its own celebration of the ‘stars and stripes’ by draping the campus’s historic Bell Tower this week in a red, white and blue flag banner. The banner heralds the upcoming Oct. 7, 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate to be held at the university’s Curb Event Center. Measuring 45 feet tall by 16 feet wide, the tower banner will serve as an ideal backdrop for local print and broadcast media in the coming months ahead and throughout the Town Hall Debate.
Since its construction, the Bell Tower has stood through 31 presidencies and will now welcome the future president during a pivotal time of this historic election year. Located in the heart of Belmont’s campus, the Bell Tower was built around 1850 and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. On Adelicia Acklen’s original estate, it was used as a water tower, with a moat spanned by a bridge at the entrance. During the Civil War, it was used as a signal tower, and in 1928, a carillon of 23 bells was installed to create a ‘singing tower’ at the then Ward-Belmont School. The current Bell Tower includes a total of 42 bells weighing more than three tons and is one of only five carillons in the state of Tennessee. The Bell Tower is now captured in Belmont University’s logo and has been the centerpiece of campus from its early days as an all women’s school through its current status as the largest private Christian university in Tennessee.
Flag Day’s original inspiration came in 1885, when Wisconsin school teacher Bernard Cigrand asked his students to write an essay describing the importance of the American flag. The assignment secured Cigrand’s life-long mission to raise awareness and emphasize the importance of the nation’s stars and stripes and what they represent. His efforts were successful, and in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation encouraging national observance of Flag Day, leading to celebrations in various communities with parades and gatherings. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed into law an Act of Congress officially declaring June 14 National Flag Day.
Brandt Receives A-Sun Postgraduate Scholarship
Belmont University senior Sarah Brandt (Hendersonville, Tenn.) has received a postgraduate scholarship from the Atlantic Sun Conference, the league announced from its annual administrative meetings. Brandt enjoyed a stellar career on the field, becoming the first Bruin ever to earn All-Atlantic Sun honors in consecutive years as she was tabbed an all-league defender in 2006 and 2007. Versatile and dependable, Brandt ranks among Belmont’s all-time leaders in games played, minutes played and assists. Likewise adept in the classroom, Brandt graduated with honors last month, earning a dual degree in biology (pre-med) and chemistry. She was a four-time Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic honoree, four-time Dean’s List recipient, 2007 Academic All-District honoree and the 2008 Belmont Academic Achievement Award recipient for women’s soccer. For more on this story, click here.
Office of Communications Wins Eight Awards at TCPRA
The Office of Communications won eight awards at the recent Tennessee College Public Relations Association conference in Memphis. Gold awards were present to the Spring 2007 Circle Magazine and the 2007 President’s Annual Report as well as for Print Advertisement (Pharmacy). Silver awards were presented to Belmont for Photography (Feedback Clothing student entrepreneur), Video Ad (Pharmacy) and Specialty Item (Family & Parent Calendar). Bronze awards were won for Print Ad (Athletics) and Specialty Item (Walking Tour Brochure). Judging of entries was based on overall creativity of the piece, marketing execution and impact of message.
Rives Profiled in Tennessean
Junior track and field standout Lynette Rives was profiled in Wednesday’s Tennessean in a column by David Climer. Click here to read the full story.
Athletics Earns Two National Marketing Awards
Belmont University Athletics received two national marketing and promotion honors Tuesday as the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) announced its 2007-08 awards. Belmont earned the gold medal in the category of ‘Best Student Promotion’ for its conception and integration of Ned–the alter ego of team mascot Bruiser–into basketball gameday promotions. The voting panel cited how the mystery and intrigue of Ned’s existence spread around the Belmont campus via Facebook and MySpace social networks.
The department also earned the bronze medal in the category of ‘Best Single-Day Attendance Promotion–Olympic Sports’ for an overwhelmingly successful fan turnout at the 2007 Atlantic Sun Conference Cross Country Championships. Blanketing the Vaughn’s Creek Cross Country course in red, white and blue, hundreds within the Belmont community cheered on as the men’s and women’s cross country teams again won team conference championships. For more on this story, click here.
Rupright Recognized by Congressman for Community Service
Alumnus Jeff Rupright (’05) was recently awarded special recognition from Congressman Jim Cooper for his four-year involvement with VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which helps prepare Federal Income Tax returns for low-income families in Middle Tennessee. Rupright accumulates 50-70 hours of volunteer service on Saturdays each year. “I got involved in VITA during my senior year at Belmont while taking a federal income tax class with Dr. Marilyn Young,” Rupright said. “She encouraged her class to volunteer their experience, and I loved it so much I came back every year since.”
Rupright remains active in the Zeta Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Tau, which he helped form on Belmont’s campus several years ago. He was the chapter’s first president and initiated brother and now serves as a financial advisor to its Board of Governors.
Rockwell Profiled in Tuscaloosa News
Amber Rockwell, a sophomore guard on the Belmont women’s basketball team, was recently profiled in the Tuscaloosa News. Click here to read the story.
Three Belmont Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Athletes Named Academic All-District
Elizabeth Smothers, Lauren Williams Weaver and Brittany Thune of the Belmont women’s track & field/ cross country teams were each named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Team. It marks the first time in program history an athlete has received the honor as well as the first time in Belmont history that three athletes from the same program have ever earned the honor in the same season. Smothers and Weaver were named to the First Team while Thune received Second Team recognition. For more on this story, click here.
Testa, Wiley Selected in 2008 Major League Baseball Entry Draft
Juniors Carlo Testa (Tallmadge, Ohio) and Derek Wiley (Dublin, Calif.) were selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball Entry Draft on Friday. Testa was selected 535th overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round. Wiley was selected 1489th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 50th round. For more on this story, click here.
