In the opening ceremonies of the 2007 SIFE National Exposition in Dallas, the Belmont University SIFE team won the grand prize of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) anti-piracy public service announcement (PSA) competition, as selected by the deans of the USC and UCLA film schools. The Belmont PSA video distinguished itself from more than 40 entries from other SIFE teams. Belmont SIFE team member Mark Ahlberg wrote, directed and produced the PSA. The MPAA plans to showcase the Belmont PSA throughout a number of forums, including the MPAA Web site and in-house movie screenings.
The Belmont video focuses on the idea of “file sharing” as a harmless activity while highlighting the ethical questions involved. The SIFE team also created a Web site, FileSharingFacts.com that contains answers to frequently asked questions about file sharing compiled by Dr. David Moser, associate professor in Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business.
Click here to watch the Belmont SIFE anti-piracy PSA.
Belmont SIFE Wins Grand Prize for Anti-Piracy PSA
Thorndike Receives National Alpha Chi Award
Dr. Jonathan Thorndike was one of ten individuals honored recently at the national convention of Alpha Chi, the national college honor society, as a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Thorndike is currently the secretary-treasurer of Region II, is sponsor of the Tennessee Eta chapter at Belmont University and is a professor in the Honors program.
Award-Winning Soundtrack Features Song by Elliot
James Elliot, Assistant Professor of Music Business, co-wrote a song on the Dove Award-winning sound track “End of the Spear.” The song, “Time that is Left” was co-written with Mark Schultz. The album was named Instrumental Album of the Year.
School of Physical Therapy Hosts Health Fair for Elementary Students
On April 19, 80 fourth grade students from Cheatham County Elementary school visited Belmont University’s School of Physical Therapy for a healthcare fair. Second year physical therapy students organized and hosted the event. The elementary school students participated in a variety of educational activities and games concerning various aspects of health and wellness. The topics ranged from physical activity to dental health to fire and safety issues.
Reynolds Painting Selected for Central South Art Exhibition
Randall Reynolds, Director of Technology Services, will have a painting exhibited at the 42nd Annual Central South Art Exhibition. The exhibition is sponsored by the Tennessee Art League located at 808 Broadway and will run from May 1 through June 30. Of the 600 entries, 70 artists were accepted for the exhibition. A reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 20, from 2-4 p.m.
Belmont Alumna Advances to Top Four on American Idol
Belmont alumna, Melinda Doolittle (’99), advanced to the top four on “American Idol” Wednesday night. She will perform Tuesday night at 7 p.m. CT on Fox. Click here for Doolittle’s official “American Idol” Web page.
Author Marcus Buckingham Speaks at Belmont
The Peer Learning Network at Belmont University hosted Marcus Buckingham May 3, 2007, in a special presentation of “Putting Your Strengths-Based Perspective to Work”. Buckingham is widely considered one of the world’s leading authorities on employee productivity and the practices of leading and managing, cultivating employees’ strengths, dramatically increasing efficiency and personal growth. Buckingham is the author of the best-selling books The One Thing You Need to Know, First Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently, Now, Discover Your Strengths and Go Put Your Strengths to Work.
The Peer Learning Network at Belmont University is a component of the Center for Professional Development in the College of Business Administration. The Peer Learning Network was created in 1990 as a result of a partnership between Clayton McWhorter, then chairman and CEO of HealthTrust Inc., and Belmont University. The Peer Learning Network maintains a purpose of bringing together top executives from Nashville’s best-run companies in a setting where they can learn from each other. Belmont University was designated as the “coming together” place where company leaders from a variety of fields can share problems and solutions (best practices) with their peers and learn from world-class speakers, creating a new network within Nashville’s business community.
Regions Bank Awards Belmont Student Entrepreneur
Belmont student Cameron Powell was awarded the Regions Bank Outstanding Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a $5,000 prize, at the College of Business Awards Day Ceremony on April 18. Keith Herron, Regions Bank Nashville president, and Scot McLaughlin, assistant vice president from Regions Bank, presented the award to Powell.
Powell is a graduating senior and entrepreneurship/music business double major. Powell created the River Rock Media Group which specializes in video production and photography.
The Regions Bank Outstanding Belmont Student Entrepreneur Award is given annually to any student majoring or minoring in entrepreneurship or who is active in Belmont’s entrepreneurship program activities and recognized a special opportunity, acquired the necessary resources and followed through on the implementation of starting and operating an entrepreneurial business venture.
Sister Helen Prejean Speaks at Belmont
Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States, spoke at Belmont University Monday, April 30. Prejean recounted her experiences working with death penalty cases and making the Academy Award-winning film Dead Man Walking.
Prejean became pen pals with Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer of two teenagers. When her eyes were opened to the execution process she wrote Dead Man Walking, which was No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller’s List and became a motion picture, a play and premiered as an opera in San Francisco. Her latest book is The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions.
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“Sister Helen Prejean Visits Belmont University” – YouTube, April 30, 2007
Belmont Student-Athletes Recognized Nationally for Academic Athletes
Four Belmont University athletic teams ranked in the top 10 percent nationwide among NCAA Division-I programs for their academic progress rate (APR) as determined by the NCAA. The APR measures how well a team retains scholarship athletes from semester to semester, maintains their eligibility from semester to semester and graduates scholarship student-athletes within a five-year window. The Belmont Bruins men’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s tennis teams each placed in the top 10 percent within their respective sports.
Over the past two years, Belmont is one of only six institutions in Division-I men’s basketball to make the APR top 10 percent list and earn a berth to the NCAA Championship Tournament both years: Belmont, Davidson, Illinois, North Carolina, Penn and Villanova. In the 2006-07 season, 35 institutions boasted APRs in the top 10 percent, 10 of which made NCAA tournament appearances; for 2005-06, 36 institutions made the top 10 percent list with only 11 of those making the NCAA tournament.
“Belmont student-athletes have a proven record of success in the classroom,” Belmont President Bob Fisher said. “Our men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, men’s tennis and men’s basketball teams have not only earned Atlantic Sun conference championships, but have also been recognized by the A-Sun and the NCAA for their academic achievements as well. Our outstanding coaches and athletics staff provide the focus and leadership for the academic successes of our student-athletes. The type of student-athletes our coaches recruit understand and respect the ‘student’ aspect of being a student-athlete and take their work in the classroom just as seriously as they do their time in the weight rooms and playing fields.”
Along with its recent recognition for its teams with APRs in the top 10 percent, five Belmont teams (men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, women’s softball and women’s basketball) have each earned “Top 10” and “Top 15” rankings among all Division-I programs as a result of their team GPAs. In the fall semester of 2006, the athletics department posted a 3.19 GPA, marking the 18th consecutive semester that the departmental GPA has exceeded a 3.00.
In June of 2006, Belmont claimed the Atlantic Sun Conference Academic Trophy for the fifth straight year, an unprecedented feat in the A-Sun. The Academic Trophy is given annually to the conference school with the greatest percentage of student-athletes receiving All-Academic honors. For the 2005-06 academic year, 65.1 percent of Belmont student-athletes earned All-Academic honors, achieving a GPA of 3.00 or higher during the semester his or her sport is officially in season. Belmont has won the Academic Trophy every year since joining the A-Sun in 2001-02.
Over the past seven years, 13 Belmont student-athletes have been named Academic All-Americans while 28 have earned All-District honors. ESPN The Magazine sponsors this program, which honors thousands of student-athletes across the country for combining the best of athletic and academic performance.
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“Belmont earns national athletic/academic honor” – The Tennessean, April 27, 2007
“Belmont hoops a model for academic success” – Nashville City Paper, May 1, 2007
“Belmont gets high marks” – The Tennessean, May 3, 2007
