The Belmont Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), chartered in 2005, received its first national recognition Monday night when the winners of the first Plank Center Ethics Advocacy Awards were announced at the national PRSSA conference in Salt Lake City. Belmont’s chapter received second place in the competition among 270 chapters nationwide, an award which carries a $750 cash prize to the chapter. The award recognizes the student chapter’s commitment to promoting ethical behavior, including its role in the Nashville Public Relations Society of America chapter’s “Do the Right Thing” ethics workshop hosted on the Belmont campus in September.
PRSSA Award
Belmont Men’s Basketball Opens Season Tonight in the NIT Season Tip-Off
The Belmont men’s basketball team opens its 2006-07 season tonight in the NIT Season Tip-Off in the Gaylord Entertainment Center when it plays UNC-Wilimington at 9:30 p.m. They will play again tomorrow evening in either the consolation game at 5 p.m. or the championship game at 8 p.m. Click here to read an article in The Tennessean about Belmont’s 2006-07 team.
UPDATE (11/14/06)
Despite rallying from an early double-digit deficit to take a second half lead, Belmont fell to defending Colonial Athletic Association Champion UNC-Wilmington, 88-83, in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament from the Gaylord Entertainment Center.
Belmont (0-1) plays Fordham Tuesday evening in the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CST.
UPDATE (11/15/06)
Belmont defeated Fordham Tuesday evening in the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game 56-49. The game marked the first time in the NCAA era that Belmont won a game without a double-figure scorer. Four Bruins led the way with nine points a piece – Justin Hare, Shane Dansby, Matthew Dotson and Keaton Belcher.
Cusic Quoted in Times-Picayune
Dr. Don Cusic, professor of music business in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, was quoted in a story in The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Click here to read the article about Loyola University’s music business program and Cusic’s insights into studying the music industry.
Belmont Guitar Ensemble Makes NPR Debut
The Belmont Guitar Ensemble made their NPR radio debut today on WPLN’s “Live In Studio C” with host Will Griffin. The performance featured three quartets and two duos which featured fifteen students from the group.
To listen to their performance, go to wpln.org and choose “Live in Studio C” to download the show as an mp3. The performance will be available by November 15.
Belmont Forms Tennessee’s First Student Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters
Belmont students have formed the first Big Brothers Big Sisters student chapter in the state of Tennessee. The Belmont Bigs Organization has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. This new campus organization will support students who are serving as a Big Brother or Big Sister or who have expressed an interest in serving as a Big. Belmont students are serving as mentors to help school aged children reach their full potential. The student officers who formed the organization are: Hannah Gentiles, Pres., Autumn Nelson, V.P, and Laura Gulker, Treasurer. The faculty and staff co-advisors are Patricia Jacobs and Mark Schenkel.
Belmont University Constructing New Theatre Complex
Belmont University is currently constructing a 350-seat proscenium theatre, black box theatre and scene shop in the former sanctuary of Belmont Heights Baptist Church to provide new venues for the Department of Theatre and Dance. Along with providing valuable new performance and teaching space for Belmont’s theatre and dance students, the new theatre complex will allow Belmont to maintain and strengthen collaborations with local professional arts organizations.
The new 350-seat proscenium theatre will be equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and audio equipment and will serve as a performance and teaching facility. The black box theatre will be able to accommodate audiences from 100 to 150 and allow students to explore a variety of types of theatre performances.
“This new theatre complex will not only provide a beautiful space for student performances, but provides additional partnership opportunities between Belmont and some of the area’s most respected arts organizations,” Dr. Robert Fisher, Belmont University president, said. “These collaborative efforts will enhance students’ learning experiences by allowing them to work with professionals in their desired fields.”
The Department of Theatre and Dance currently resides in the Belmont Little Theatre, a makeshift performance space housed in Hail Hall, the oldest residence hall at Belmont. While the Little Theatre provides an intimate setting for theatre productions, it also presents certain challenges – the types of plays available to students are limited, dance students must utilize the Massey Performing Arts Center – a concert hall more conducive for musical performances than dance – and minimal teaching space for students interested in set design, costume construction, lighting and sound. The new theatre complex will better accommodate the talents of Belmont’s theatre and dance students.
The university is enthusiastic about the inaugural season representing a year of collaborations. With the creation of two new venues, Belmont is developing even stronger relationships with professional arts organizations in Nashville including: Actors Bridge Ensemble, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Nashville Opera, Nashville Ballet and Rejoice! Ministries. Actors Bridge Ensemble began on Belmont’s campus 10 years ago and its artistic director serves on Belmont’s faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance. The university recently collaborated with Nashville Shakespeare Festival on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and looks forward to furthering this partnership by providing more opportunities for productions. The new theatre complex will serve as the temporary home for Nashville Children’s Theatre in their 2007-08 season while their venue undergoes renovations. Nashville Ballet will continue to collaborate with the dance program on its annual spring production. A student is participating in an internship at Rejoice! Ministries, a dance studio in East Nashville for underprivileged children in the area, and Belmont is exploring various collaborative opportunities with the dance program. In addition, the university is also collaborating with Father Ryan High School for the inaugural season and will be collaborating with a different high school each year.
The Belmont theatre complex is scheduled for completion in September 2007. A reception to celebrate this new venture at Belmont will be held at the construction site at 2100 Belmont Boulevard Thurs., November 9 at 9:30 a.m.
Pictured above: Belmont theatre students perform a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the construction site of the new theatre complex.
MORE
“Belmont excited about new theater complex” – The Tennessean, November 22, 2006
Belmont University Announces Endowed Scholarship for Nashville Ballet Dancers
Pictured right: Pat Bullard, Rachel Ellis Dickinson, George Bullard
Belmont University announces today the installation of The Patricia Taylor Bullard Endowed Scholarship Fund. The $250,000 scholarship includes tuition and cost of books and is awarded annually to a student who dances with Nashville Ballet who wants to pursue a minor in dance and major in one of more than 70 disciplines at Belmont on a part-time basis.
The career span of a professional ballet dancer begins directly after high school and typically concludes within 10 years with little or no training in any other field. This unique scholarship allows a member of the Nashville Ballet to attend Belmont part time while continuing a full-time career as a dancer.
“This is a great opportunity to celebrate the importance of the arts and education,” Belmont President Dr. Robert Fisher said. “We are excited to be able to provide this mutually beneficial opportunity to Nashville Ballet and Belmont thanks to the creativity and generosity of George and Pat Bullard.”
Rachel Ellis Dickinson, a nursing major, is the first recipient of the Bullard Endowed Scholarship. This is her sixth season with Nashville Ballet. Dickinson is also a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society, the highest academic honor awarded by Belmont.
“It means a great deal to me to be the first recipient of the Bullard Scholarship,” Dickinson said. “The Bullards’ gift has made it possible for me to continue dancing while preparing for a future career in nursing.”
Once a dancer herself, Bullard intends for this new scholarship to attract accomplished dancers to Nashville, benefiting both the Nashville Ballet and Belmont.
“I am delighted that Mrs. Bullard and the administration at Belmont had the vision to endow this scholarship and make it accessible to the very particular needs and schedule of a practicing dancer/artist of Nashville Ballet,” Paul Vasterling, artistic director of Nashville Ballet, said. “Through the existence of this scholarship, our dancers can continue giving their art to the community of Nashville for a longer period of time. It is a unique award, and I am very appreciative that it benefits Nashville Ballet.”
MORE
“Belmont and Nashville Ballet team up for new scholarship” – The Tennessean, November 14, 2006
Leifeld Discusses Changing Newspaper Industry
Ellen Leifeld, publisher and president of The Tennessean, spoke at Belmont University today as a part of the New Century Journalism Speaker Series. Leifeld’s talk, “The State of Newspapers: Tennessean Talk,” concerned the rapidly evolving world of newspapers and print journalism. Topics Leifeld discussed included The Tennessean‘s online presence, hyper-local news coverage and the ethcial responsibilities of reporters in the digital age.
The closing speaker of the fall 2006 series will be Dr. Melvin N. Johnson, president of Tennessee State University, on Wed., November 15, at 10 a.m. in the Massey Board Room at Belmont University.
Belmont Programming Team Places in Contest
The Belmont Programming Team placed 8th out of 123 teams at the 2006 ACM Mid-Central USA Programming Contest on November 4 at Tennessee Technological University. The team is advised by Dr. Bill Hooper.
PR Major Receives Competitive Scholarship
Belmont Public Relations major, Krista Farmer, will receive the highly competitive local scholarship for the International Association of Business Communicators. Krista will be recognized for this achievement on Thursday, November 9. She currently serves as president of Belmont’s PRSSA Chapter.
