9/13/2007 - Belmont Vision

www.belmontvision.com
The student newspaper of Belmont University
Vol. 57, No. 2 September 13, 2007
$58-million dispute
to be settled in court
By Chansin Bird
When President Fisher assessed the
state of the university in his annual
address, he mentioned many positive
things about Belmont, but he also
updated faculty and students on a more
difficult situation, the ongoing dispute
with the Tennessee Baptist
Convention.
Fisher said eight months of “an
elaborate mediation process that was
suggested by the TBC” to resolve the
dispute had failed. On Aug. 31,
Belmont asked the Davidson County
Chancery Court to set a trial date in
the suit filed by the TBC against the
university in September 2006.
Trial is now set for May 2008.
The TBC’s complaint stemmed
from Belmont’s decision to appoint
some of its trustees from outside TBC
churches. The convention saw this as
an effort by Belmont to sever ties, and
responded with a suit for more than
$58 million.
Even though the trial is not the outcome Fisher or other administrators
and board members wanted, “I try not
to let it slow me down,” he said.
He suggested to the packed house
in MPAC that he wanted to say more.
SENIOR WRITER
Belmont grows, pages 6-7
“I had it in my speech and I showed it
to our lawyers and they rewrote it for
me,” Fisher said.
What he did offer was the official
statement that Marty Dickens, chairman of Belmont’s board of trustees,
prepared.
It said, in part, “We regret to report
that the Tennessee Baptist
Convention’s representatives did not
accept Belmont’s final proposal for a
continuing relationship. … This [mediation] has included the exchange of
thousands of pages of documents, the
input of neutral parties to assess the
TBC’s claims, and the assistance of
one of the very best mediators in
Tennessee. Unfortunately, this process
has not resulted in a mutually agreeable resolution of the dispute.
“The TBC has made demands that
Belmont University has no legal or
moral obligation to meet.
Nevertheless, Belmont wished to continue the historic relationship between
the university and the convention.
Towards that end, Belmont’s last proposal to the TBC included such elements as investing significant sums of
Improvements made at Belmont
money over a 10 to 15 year period to
support scholarships for Baptist students to attend Belmont, to help fund
operations of the Tennessee Baptist
Children’s Home and HarrisonChilhowee Baptist Academy, as well
as funds to support the international
missions efforts of Tennessee Baptists.
“We are disappointed that the
TBC’s representatives would not agree
to these elements as the best way to
maintain a relationship with Belmont.
… We are prepared for the court to
resolve this dispute and have every
confidence that we will prevail.”
Fisher, who was inaugurated as
Belmont president in 2000, also
expressed confidence in other aspects
of Belmont’s future where, he said,
“We continue to strengthen the
Christian character of the university.”
In the address, he also talked about
the improvements that have been made
and need to be made at Belmont, from
the beginning of a renewed environmental effort to “go green,” to
rebuilding favor with the residents in
Edgehill who opposed Belmont’s partnership to build a sports complex in
Rose Park. Fisher asked students and
faculty to look first to the Edgehill
community for service opportunities.
Needed improvements at Belmont
President Fisher noted these accomplishments:
✮ Enrollment grown to 4,760
✮ Annual budget has more than doubled to $100 million
But there’s still work to be done:
✮ More support for student athletes by
faculty and staff
✮ Endowment has doubled
✮ Better use of voice mail
✮ Compensation has grown by an average of more than 5
percent each year
✮ More work to make Belmont a “green
campus.” The problems that need attention
in that area: Doors being propped
open along Belmont Boulevard retail spaces;
non-handicapped people are pushing handicapped door openers – which leave the doors
open much longer than they should be;
lights left on; computers left on
✮ Average ACT scores are up 2 full points
✮ Graduation and retention rates are up
✮ $130 million invested in construction which includes
the recently completed $10.5 million theater
✮ New programs developed
✮ Renewed and expanded faculty and staff
✮ Look to our neighbors first, particularly those
in Edgehill, for service opportunities
✮ Continue to strengthen the university’s Christian
character
Student response:
What do you think about Belmont going to trial with the Tennessee Baptist Convention?
I think it’s ridiculous. I think the
Tennessee Baptist Convention needs
to settle rather than take us to trial
because they donated the money to
the school, and at the time they made
the donation, our school was Baptist
affiliated. I can understand cutting off
the funds but
(they shouldn’t
ask) us to repay
what they donated
in the first place.
– Christina Coomer
sophomore, religion
and the arts
I hope that both sides are treated
equally and fairly in the whole situation. I don’t put
either Belmont
or the TBC in
the wrong. I
hope it gets
resolved and
bridges aren’t
burned between
the two.
– Paul Williams
senior, audio and video production
and Christian theology
I think that it’s
good. Belmont
is being bold
and not catering to what the
Tennessee
Baptist
Convention
wants. I think
it’ll be interesting to see what direction
Belmont will take if Belmont ends up
getting their way.
– Cait Lecksell
junior, social work
Text alerts add
to BU’s safety
By Liz Hunton
Safety, always a concern on campuses, has
gotten even greater atten- Belmont isn’t the only school
tion on campuses across
in the area increasing safety
through more immediate comthe country since the
munication.
Virginia Tech shootings
in April. Belmont recent• Vanderbilt University,
ly implemented an emerLipscomb University and The
gency text messaging
University of the South (or
system to increase camSewanee) have all secured a
pus safety.
way to text message their stu“This is something
dents, according to WKRN,
that’s been on the radar
News Channel 2.
long before Virginia
•Middle Tennessee State
Tech, but I think
University’s recently adopted
Virginia Tech really
text messaging system will be
brought this to light as
launched
next week, said Lisa
something we need to get
L. Rollins, director of special
on immediately,” said
media products.
Greg Pillon, director of
•Fisk University and Trevecca
the Belmont Office of
Nazarene University have also
Communications.
adopted similar systems.
The Office of
Communications put the
Belmont University
Instant Alert Text Messaging System into operation Aug. 17,
the Friday before move-in day, Pillon said. One-fifth of the
people on Belmont’s campus signed up within the first weekand-a-half.
The system came from a need for immediate communication with the students, faculty and staff. It enhances already
existing forms of communication but is meant for emergency
use only, Pillon said.
He defined an emergency-type situation as “something
that impacts the normal operation of campus.” Such situations
include criminals on campus and inclement weather.
Joseph Mosby, 19, a junior, has heard of the system but
doesn’t plan to sign up. He said he checks BIC regularly, so
he doesn’t see a need to.
If he signs up, Belmont would have his cell phone number. Even though he’s heard it’s only for security, he doesn’t
want to start getting reminders about upcoming basketball
games, he said.
See TEXT ALERTS, page 2
STAFF WRITER
Messaging systems
Page 2
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
He’s 24, he’s black, he’s a CEO
By Drew Dean
At 24, Ephren Taylor is the youngest
black CEO of a publicly traded company in
America today.
Heading City Capital Corp., Taylor built
a career out of what was once a simple idea.
At 12, Taylor built and sold his own
videogame, resulting in an interest for technology. By the time he was 17, he founded a
web-based company called GoFerretGo.com
to help teens find jobs and start careers.
Today, along with his CEO duties, he is
a published author and motivational speaker,
targeting topics such as entrepreneurship and
the development of local urban communities.
Look for Taylor as he comes to speak to
Belmont about his experiences, values and
ideas on entrepreneurship on Sept. 18.
VISION: You made your first
videogame at 12, did you see a future in
entrepreneurship initially, or did this
develop with age?
TAYLOR: Not initially, I just made the
game because my parents said they couldn’t
afford a $50 game. I think once I realized
people would actually pay $10 for my game
then I saw a little potential.
So how does it feel to be 24 and to have
accomplished a great deal at a young age?
Great, but there’s more. City Capital has
a lot to do in the real estate community. In
Cleveland, Ohio there’s some of the worst
housing in America and we’re helping out by
renovating and improving those conditions.
We’re offering planned residential & commercial real estate with tax abatements, housing trust money, and up to $20,000 nonreSTAFF WRITER
fundable down payment assistance for homebuyers.
What were your initial goals and how
have they changed over the years?
Initially, it was just about how quick I
can get rich, but once your older (laughs),
well maybe not older, but developed more,
you start seeing more important things, such
as giving back to the community and helping
others around you. On the business end
though, there’s been a dynamic shift from
the Internet explosion to real estate, and now
we are seeing the importance of the environment and green power. My new book,
“Creating Success From the Inside Out,”
actually tackles some of these issues dealing
with attacking the modern industry.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve been asked to create a curriculum
for entrepreneurship students at Cheney
University, and they are naming the
Entrepreneurship School after me so that’s
nice. I’ve also come on board a fantasy football league, which pays out weekly called
“Big Daddy’s Fantasy Sports.” Despite the
weird name, we made a lot of money last
year.
What is your educational background
and how did it help you?
I had no formal education other than high
school. I took a few college courses taught
by professors who didn’t know what they
were talking about, so I dropped out. My
biggest education was experimental learning,
just experiencing things on my own; since I
had financers from a young age, I was able
to do this early on.
Who in your life inspired you the
most?
I’d have to say out of all the people
Getting there
Marcus Garvey [influential author,
entrepreneur and activist born in Jamaica in
Ephren Taylor, America’s youngest
1887] would be the most influential, for the
black CEO, will be at Belmont from
many things he accomplished when he was
alive.
4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at
You’re involved with City Capital and
the Maddox Grand Atrium. A
also with Christian Capital Group, why is
reception will begin at 4:30 and
there a need for a separate Christian
Taylor will speak at 5 p.m.
group?
They’re both the same. Christian Capital
is just a private part of City Capital. They
both promote the same ideas of community
development.
Another of your companies is
Prosperity Ministries, what’s that about?
Prosperity is along the same lines as
Capital, except it’s my personal group for
community development.
What advice would you give to
entrepreneurship students here at
Belmont?
Start now! Leverage all the resources
you have available and use them to your
advantage. The professors are free consultants and you have free or cheap labor walking about the campus for your marketing and
technical fields. Yeah, don’t waste anytime.
If you have an idea, now is the time to put it
into motion.
Finally, what do you do for fun in your
spare time?
This is what I do for fun! (laughs) No
really, I get an adrenaline rush out of buying
and selling companies; it’s like an art form
constantly challenging me.
Ephren Taylor
TEXT ALERTS, from page 1
However, Pillon said the Office of
Communications would not spam anyone
who signs up. “This is purely an emergency
alert system.”
But, if anyone does want to stop receiving the alerts, they can “opt out,” said
Jennifer Wetzel, assistant director of the
Office of Communications. Subscribers can
either send the word “stop” to 27538 or go
through their BIC accounts to unsubscribe.
The system is through Dobie Mobile, a
company other campuses in the area use.
Dobie Mobile’s Web site is user-friendly
and allows Pillon, Wetzel and the four other
people on campus with access to it to easily
contact students in case of an emergency,
Wetzel said.
Students, faculty and staff can sign up
through a link on their BIC accounts or by
sending the word “Belmont” to the number
27538.
Belmont does not charge a fee to subscribers. Only charges already built into a
person’s bill apply.
1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville TN, 37212
Phone: (615) 460-6433
E-mail: vision@mail.belmont.edu
Editor:
Managing Editor:
Online Editors:
Courtney Drake
Adaeze Elechi
Joanna Larson and
Lance Conzett
Photo/Graphics Editor: Sarah Mitchell
Advertising: Karen Bennett
Faculty Adviser: Linda Quigley
Online/Graphics Adviser: Angela Smith
Senior Contributors: Chansin Bird, Chris Speed, Rachel
Waller, Ameshia Cross
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Page 3
‘Naked truth about chastity’
Author challenges churches to take an honest look at sex
By Chansin Bird
Too many churches have spread false
messages about sex, author Lauren Winner
said at a convo event Aug. 29.
Speaking to a crowded room of students
in Neely Dining Hall, Winner shared the
premise of her book entitled “Real Sex: The
Naked Truth about Chastity.”
Winner, who also wrote “Girl Meets
God” and “Mudhouse Sabbath,” has degrees
from Cambridge, Columbia and Duke universities. All three of her books are being
read in different classes at Belmont this
semester. Now in her early thirties, Winner is
a professor of Christian spirituality at Duke
Divinity School.
Her opening comments at the convo
elicited laughter from the crowd.
“This book is not a memoir,” she said,
contrasting it with one of her other books. “If
I had written a memoir about my experience
with chastity, the book would be even shorter than it is.”
Winner became a Christian when she was
about 21, but obeying the Bible when it
came to sexuality was not one of her first
concerns.
Junior PR major Alyssa Stell found
Winner’s honesty and bluntness refreshing.
“It is a topic that a lot of people don’t talk
straightforwardly about,” Stell said.
“Sometimes there’s good reason for that, but
I thought she struck a good balance between
being appropriate and being real.”
Winner’s sexual behavior did not change
when she became a Christian, but soon after
that, she was at confession one day when her
Anglican priest told her having sex with her
boyfriend was sin.
“I’m sure he had said that to me before
and others had said that to me before, but
somehow in that moment I heard something
I had not heard before,” Winner said. “That
began a process of giving that area of my life
to God and turning away from premarital
sex.”
During that time in her life, friends gave
her numerous Christian books about sexual
behavior. She said all the books tried to teach
good lessons, but they all sounded like they
were written in the 19th century.
“They basically made the pursuit of
chastity sound easy and fun and obviously
rewarding,” Winner said. “That did not
square with my experience.”
SENIOR WRITER
She decided to write a book that
would, on one hand, offer a conservative
theological view of premarital sexuality
but, on the other hand, would look honestly about where society is today, what
culture says about sex and how young
Christians can live out the call to chastity.
The first chapter of “Real Sex” asks
the question about whether or not the
messages pop culture gives about sex are
consistent with the Christian story of sex.
“This proved to be the easiest chapter
to write,” Winner said.
She then discussed how Christians
talk about sex in the church. In the book,
as in her speech, she discussed three
messages about sex heard in the church
she thinks are false. The first one is
often found in youth groups, she said.
“The message you get is the idea that
if you have premarital sex or engage in
some other problematic sexual behavior,
you will wake up the next morning feeling guilty, bereft, lonely, alienated,”
Winner said.
Winner thinks that’s inaccurate. She
said sometimes a person, after having
premarital sex, might feel fine or neutral
or happy or “hung over.”
People who use this “emotional scare
tactic” are trying to convey the truth that
sexual sin is bad and corrodes at a person’s relationship with God and neighbor, but the reality is that the person
might not feel the negative effects, Winner
said.
“Sin is so powerful and pervasive that
everything in us bears the marks of sin and
everything in us is created good but has
become distorted, including our feelings.
Feelings aren’t useless data, but they’re not
wholly reliable data either.”
That’s why, Winner said, people need
Scripture and Christian community.
Megan Bailey, a junior in the
Trevecca/Belmont nursing cooperative,
agrees with Winner.
“A lot of times the church absolutely
ignores the topic, and that’s a travesty in
itself,” Bailey said. “If they don’t ignore it,
they do use those scare tactics. The church
has a good reason for doing it - keeping the
youth out of trouble, but I don’t think they
tell the entire story.”
The second message heard in the church,
Author Lauren Winner
signs copies of her
book, “Real Sex: The
Naked Truth about
Chastity,” following a
convo at Belmont.
Winner, a professor of
Christian spirituality at
Duke University Divinity
School, speaks around
the country on issues
related to sexuality and
its context in the lives
of Christians.
PHOTO BY TAYLOR HOWARD
Winner said, is one that makes her particularly angry.
“It’s the idea that although men think
about sex every seven seconds, women don’t
have sex drives,” she said.
She read two passages from Christian
books to illustrate the point and said the picture that emerges from those books, like
other Christian literature, is that “teen boys
are walking bundles of hormones who exert
peer pressure over the girls they date; and for
both of them to be chaste, it’s the girl who
needs to resist peer pressure. Not that the
young woman herself will feel sexual desire
– only that she is to restrain the ‘high-octane’
sexual creature.”
This portrait puts up false ideas of masculinity and doesn’t hold the expectation of
men to exercise discipline, Winner said. As
for the girls, the portrait doesn’t give unmarried women tools they need to discipline the
Convo series addresses issues of faith
A standing room only crowd
of students attended Lauren
Winner’s convo on “Real Sex:
The Naked Truth about
Chastity,” which kicks off the fall
program series presented by
Belmont’s Office of Spiritual
Development.
Other events coming up:
Faith Set Free: C.S. Lewis and
the Quest for Joy
10 a.m. Fri., Sept. 14
Neely Dining Room
Lewis scholars Stan Mattson and
Andrew Lazo will speak about
C.S. Lewis.
Deans’ Convocation:
Faith-Informed Academics
10 a.m. Wed., Sept. 19
Bunch Library Multimedia Hall
A panel of deans, including
Kathy Baugher (enrollment services), Jack Williams (health sciences), and Phil Johnston (pharmacy), will talk about how their
faith informs their work.
Joy At Work: Dennis Bakke
10 a.m. Wed., Sept. 26
Neely Dining Room
Dennis Bakke is the billionaire
founder of AES, a worldwide
company with 40,000 employees. His New York Times’ bestseller, Joy at Work, tells of the
radical changes needed to make
work fulfilling. In 1983, he
began to live on 1 percent of his
income and give 99 percent
away to projects that empower
the poor through The Mustard
Seed Foundation.
desire they, too, will feel.
“You don’t have to go to an extreme of
saying women and men are identical to diagnose that this portrait of differences in men
and women sexuality is neither truthful nor
helpful,” Winner said.
Junior Christian leadership major Michael
Kuehn has heard some of these messages in
churches he’s been to.
“I don’t think any church I’ve experienced has come out and said it that way, but
that’s the message they send in the discussions about it,” he said. “Gender lines are
drawn subconsciously in the way we talk
about it.”
The final message heard in many churches with which Winner disagrees is that premarital sex is unforgivable. Women are
given the metaphor of the denuded rose.
“(The church says) you are a rose and if
you have sex before you’re married, every
time you do, you pluck off one petal of the
rose and then you’re eventually going to be
left as a thorny stem, and that’s what you
have to offer to your husband.”
Again, the church is trying to get at the
important truth that there are consequences
in engaging in sexual sin, but they’re not
communicating the right message, Winner
said.
“To say there are consequences, and those
consequences may take a very long time to
unlearn and undo – that’s very different than
saying you are scarred forever,” she said.
Winner said the rose image doesn’t end
with the picture of a thorny stem. There’s
another chapter. The next chapter is about
Jesus being the master gardener who reconstitutes deblossomed roses.
“Without that master gardener piece, the
story is false,” she said. “It is false to talk
about consequences of sin without talking
about the forgiveness of Jesus … We fear to
preach forgiveness is to give license. In fact,
to preach forgiveness of sex or anything else
is to preach the gospel. That is what we
ought to be doing when we talk about and
practice chastity.”
Page 4
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
ideas
Let us know what you think. Send a signed letter, 400
words maximum, with your local telephone number, to
The Editor, Belmont Vision, 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville,
TN 37212. E-mail submissions are also accepted; send
them to vision@mail.belmont.edu.
E
Slow down, Stalling out, shifting gears
breathe ...
Just how many times have we heard
our elders tell us to take time out for ourselves? Or that infamous quote, “Stop and
smell the roses”? “That’s a good idea,” we
reply. Or “I’ll be sure to do that.” But we
don’t.
Today everyone is moving faster, especially college students. Classes. Homework.
Extracurricular activities. Internships. Friends.
Who takes time – or has time –for oneself?
I run around like the proverbial chicken
with its head cut off, not taking time to breathe
and take
everything
COURTNEY DRAKE
in. Between
classes, work
on the Vision
and settling
back into
college life,
spontaneously hanging
out with
friends
hasn’t been
an option unless it’s planned, which defeats
the purpose of spontaneity.
I’m not saying I wish things were different;
I’m very blessed to go to a school I love and
have an incredible job. Oddly enough, I enjoy
being on the go and always having somewhere
to be. But, last weekend everything caught up;
getting off campus became my first priority.
Fortunately, my roommate invited me to
her pool, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more
thrilled about being poolside. It felt amazing to
relax, laugh with best friends and not have
anything else to worry about for an afternoon.
Those moments led to a light bulb blazing:
I really should take time to forget about stress
and have fun, even for only a few hours.
Burnout doesn’t help; it only makes me go
crazy sooner. And sitting at my desk trying to
motivate myself to do homework or write that
story while I check Facebook every five minutes isn’t helping either. “Why not take a 30minute break and watch TV, grab coffee or
call a friend?” I ask myself. It really wouldn’t
hurt anything, and it might rejuvenate me so I
can be productive.
This leads to my second point: It’s OK to
say no. That sounds more like something said
it a sex-ed class, but honestly, if there’s too
much on your plate and someone asks you to
help them out, you have the right to turn them
down. If your conscience won’t let you, offer
to help find someone to do the task or take a
portion of it instead of the entire thing. You
help the other person, but help yourself as
well.
College, I’m told, will be one of the best
times of my life. So far, I agree, but it isn’t
because of classes or homework; it’s friendships I’ve made and the time I spend outside
the academic world enjoying life.
I know I’m not the first person to make
these insights, but that doesn’t make it any less
important. “Me” time that so often comes last
will serve a purpose if you put it higher on the
totem pole.
Courtney Drake is a junior journalism
major. E-mail: drakec@pop.belmont.edu.
I have absolutely no desire to learn to drive a stick. In fact, my
disinterest in the whole ordeal may very well be filed under an
extreme phobia of the process. I have trouble even comprehending why, as long as there are cars available that do that gear shifting business for me, I would ever need or want to engage in such
a stressful and distracting activity. In my five years of driving an
automatic, I’ve noticed it is mostly the male folk who enjoy the
more manual method of travel, yet even my most feminist bone
has no desire to personally challenge this stereotype.
To be perfectly honest, I am just terrified of stalling out. As a
former passenger to a stick-driving amateur, I know how scary a
stall-out can be. I have felt my stomach in my throat as the rest of
me inches backwards down a fatally steep hill. I’ve experienced
the cold sweat of watching helplessly while the driver shifts frantically, praying she can get it in gear in time to save both our lives
and those of the wide-eyed passengers behind us. This fear is real.
I get nervous just writing about it.
By this point you are thinking, so don’t drive a stick Abby. It’s
not like anyone is forcing you into the driver’s seat of a malicious
manual car. In this day and age, you can avoid your phobia with
much less effort than those of us who are scared of something
imminent like small spaces, commitment, or anything that comes
in clusters. You’re right, of course, and I’m not asking for pity.
I’m learning something important just by divulging this fear to
you, and I wanted to share it.
It turns out my fear is a bit deeper than the literal stress of
driving a stick. I have figuratively stalled out recently in several
other areas of lif; the same cold sweat accompanies these crises.
After two years of enjoying the lifestyle and experience of this
college shindig, I feel the crunch of its impending end. I’m stalled
in the middle of the concrete past and the future that vaguely
resembles an amoeba. This feeling of temporary suspension carries over into relationships with friends and family, ever changing
plans for the next chunk of my life and my handle on my feelings
towards all of these. There are weeks when I go from feeling
stuck in the rut of routine feelings and actions one day to accelerating with zeal and adventure through the next three or four.
Which is better – experiencing bits of life as they fly past or
digging in and dwelling in those stalled-out times? A year ago I
might have opted for a life of only smooth travels with the windows down and sun shining in, avoiding at all costs extended
times of uncertainty or fear. After a few more stall-outs than I
could have predicted, I see the perspective they can bring to what
is right, what is important. Nothing can match relief both driver
and passenger feel when the car finally kicks into the appropriate
gear and fear is replaced by the laughter of another close call.
This same relief can accompany the end of a time of emotional
stalling when it is spent intentionally.
I’m preaching to
myself when I say I
ABBY HOLLINGSWORTH
doubt we can live our
fullest lives if we are
too afraid of stalling
out. Often it is in the
uncertain that truth is
revealed; the sudden
jolting halt of a change
of plans can prove to
be the catalyst for true
understanding. It is
important to take the
cold sweat and stomach lurching feelings as
signs of something to
be savored, appreciated, or at least briefly contemplated before
jerking into action. Whether in relationships or future plans,
sometimes it is OK to stall out; then you can get moving again
knowing your break from neutral had purpose and intention.
This does not, however, mean I will be attempting to drive a
stick anytime soon. Fear not, and drive safely.
Abby Hollingsworth is a junor English writing major.
E-mail: abby.hollingsworth@gmail.com
Racial healing more than skin-deep
On move-in day, I escorted a lost dad
to Kennedy from the Wright/Maddox area.
On our way, we talked about the media,
which somehow turned into a (very civil)
discourse about race. The gentleman, who
happened to be white, essentially told me
black people need to get over slavery and
segregation. Holding to these issues, he
said, has prevented blacks from being
completely integrated into society as
equals. He then posed Irish immigrants as
the model:
Look at the Irish, he said. They got
over being treated badly by society and
look at them now. They’re treated equally,
and today, nobody cares if you’re Irish.”
“With all due respect, sir,” I said, my
mind reeling with disbelief that someone
was standing in front of me and telling me
this, “I don’t think you can really compare
people immigrating to a country by choice
and then being treated badly, to people
being bought, sold, packaged like cargo
onto a ship and then forced to pick cotton
and tobacco without pay or any status as
full human beings for about a century.”
I do not discredit anything Irish immigrants endured. It was horrible. But the
two situations are apples and oranges.
Make that apples and rocks.
I told the gentleman this much.
We agreed to disagree and parted at
Kennedy Hall, but not before he handed
me his business card. He owned a salon.
“Come by sometime,” he said. “I’d
love to see you there.”
I smiled through clenched teeth and
ADAEZE ELECHI
against all the voices in my head that told
me to let the wind carry the card to whatever sewer it pleased, I slipped it into my
wallet. (I just might stop by one day just to
ask if he does ethnic hair).
In my two years in the United States
I’ve had similar conversations with a few
people, trying to justify why black
Americans will always carry the scars of
their past. But in this instance, I was particularly disturbed. This wasn’t a college
kid I happened to debate. This was a dad
with a child who’s a sophomore in college.
What has he been telling his kids?
I have processed and reprocessed what
he said to me. I thought of times people
have told me celebrating Martin Luther
King Day doesn’t let people get over segregation and the shameful times in
America’s history. But don’t we commemorate to rremember where we have come
from, where we don’t want to return?
George Santayana, in the early 1900s,
wrote, “Those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it.” So by
black people remembering who they are
(whether vocally or silently), and trying
not to let themselves or their country forget, preventing them from moving on and
fully merging into society? Let me ask
this: Even if black people let it all go,
would they ever be entirely integrated? As
fully as the Irish are today? (That question’s up for debate: I have no answer).
I will say this: I think people need their
past to have any kind of future. This
country, for all its flaws, is dazzling
because it’s history is both unbelievably
ugly and incredibly beautiful. I believe
anyone who calls himself an American
automatically bears the scars of his father,
whether it be the child of slaves or the
descendant of slave-owners. I believe all
people should remember their past because
it is part of who they are. I believe we
should make peace with it, and work
toward avoiding our ancestors’ mistakes.
So to the gentleman’s comment about
black people getting over themselves, I say
this, and I speak for myself: I, as a black
person, will always have my people’s history etched into my life. I’ve made my
peace with it, but I never let myself get
over it. “Getting over it,” means falling
into the ruinous trap Santayana warned
against.
Adaeze Elechi is a junior journalism
major. Email: adaezeelechi@yahoo.com
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Page 5
BU rank drops one spot
By Adaeze Elechi
For the third year in a row, Belmont
University ranks in U.S. News and World
Report’s top schools in the south for 2008.
This time, though, Belmont, Tennessee’s
second largest private university, slipped one
notch to No. 11, tying with Spring Hill
College in Alabama.
In the rankings, released this month,
Belmont was ranked as the top Tennessee
school in this category. Five other schools in
Tennessee also made the list for the category,
including Lipscomb University, which came
in at No. 25 and Lee University at No. 56.
Even though Belmont is not where it was
last year, U.S. News & World Report’s director of data research, Robert Morse, says it’s
not a noticeable move in the grand scheme of
things.
“A drop from 10th to 11th is not statistically significant and should not be viewed as
a real meaningful change in Belmont
University’s ranking,” said Morse.
Belmont ranked under top Masters
Universities in the south. This category,
according to U.S. News, covers schools that
have a full range of graduate and master’s
programs, but little or no doctoral programs,
like medical programs.
Belmont’s provost, Dan McAlexander,
said one aspect of the ranking process may
have been a reason Belmont slipped this
year. This is where the presidents, provosts
and chief enrollment officers of colleges rate
other colleges’ “academic quality” in their
region, as well as their own. This affects 25
percent of school’s ratings.
McAlexander said newly hired administrators from other regions might not know
much about the schools they end up rating,
saying he experienced the same thing.
“I was hired from the western region. To
be honest with you, the 130 schools on that
list, I didn’t know much about them because
[my former school] had been competing in
the western region,” said McAlexander. “So
that number can be affected just by lack of
knowledge.”
MANAGING EDITOR
Urban
campus
calls for
caution
Two Belmont students were victims of
an armed robber who is believed to have
struck four times in the Belmont-Green
Hills area Friday, Sept. 7.
The suspect, according to witnesses, is a
tall, black male with tightly braided hair.
He was dressed in a white tank top with
blue jeans and wore a red bandana, appearing to be in his 20s.
After the robberies, some reports say he
got into a small, four door white car with
two other black males, but others say he fled
on foot.
In two other incidents that occurred on
campus, Belmont Campus Security detained
Staff Reports
McAlexander is not the only one who
noticed the U.S. News college ranking process is flawed. It has met opposition from
the “Annapolis Group,” an alliance of more
than 100 liberal arts colleges in the country,
and from a non-profit American educational organization called “The Education
Conservancy.”
Founder and director of the Education
Conservancy Lloyd Thacker sent a letter
out to every college president in the country
in May. It essentially called for a boycott of
sorts of certain aspects of the U.S. News
college rankings. One of these was the previously mentioned reputational survey.
At least 61 colleges signed the letter
agreeing not to participate in this survey,
including Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College,
Minnesota’s Northwestern College and
Georgia’s Wesleyan College.
Belmont did not sign the letter of agreement. Rather, McAlexander said, the university will make efforts to work with the
National Association of Independent
Colleges and Universities. This organization has a Web site where colleges can post
data without the subjectivity of reputational
surveys.
“U.S. News rankings, for all their
flaws… are about the only thing out there
where students can get a set of dashboard
measures that they can compare [schools
with],” said McAlexander. “[It] does a service. That said, I don’t see us going the
way of the Annapolis group. I do see us
continuing to be interested in helping to be
part of a solution.”
McAlexander said school officials will
continue to focus on increasing graduation
and retention rates to keep Belmont climbing the rankings ladder.
“You don’t really live by the rankings,
you celebrate them. It’s more important that
we be thought of as one of the leading private institutions in the south,” said
McAlexander. “We expect that over time
On the U.S. News and World Report Web site, Belmont is noted as a selective,
we’ll rise in the rankings, but that’s not why private school in an urban setting. In the magazine’s annual college rankings,
we do what we do.”
Belmont dropped from 10th to 11th place in the category of “Masters Universities
in the South.”
Campus Security reminds students that Belmont’s urban location means the risk of crime is higher, and students need
to be cautious in the residence halls and apartments, as well as when walking in the area.
the suspects and they were arrested.
Also on Sept. 7, an office worker in
Fidelity returned from the corridor to find a
man hiding under her desk, going through
her purse. He left the scene, but later in the
day, Campus Security responded to several
tips reporting a suspicious man around campus, and he was arrested.
“We believe he was the same man who
was seen in Fidelity,” Renee Ruthven,
Campus Security crime prevention officer,
said.
In another incident Aug. 30, a wallet was
taken from Valerie Cooper, who works in
the provost’s office in Barbara Massey Hall.
The man was arrested the same day after
being cornered in a restroom in the Curb
Event Center. The same man was also found
to have stolen bikes on Vanderbilt
University’s campus.
“The important thing for students to
remember is that if you see somebody who
doesn’t look like they ought to be on campus, they probably shouldn’t be. Call us,”
Ruthven said.
She said the Massey suspect was arrested
because several people on other areas of
campus called as they spotted the man who,
they said, “seemed out of place.”
Ruthven said, “Trust your instincts. You
can usually tell if someone is up to no
good.”
Another caution she offered is to keep
apartments and residence hall rooms locked
both when you’re away and when you’re
inside. In another recent incident, two
unlocked Hillside apartments were entered
by a man asking for someone who did not
live there. The man was not apprehended,
but Campus Security reported that they have
a suspect in those incidents.
Those with information about the
Belmont-Green Hills robberies or other incidents are asked to call the Office of Campus
Security at x6617 or, if they wish to remain
anonymous, Crimestoppers at 742-7463.
Page 6
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Great Ex
Belmont grows tow
By Katie Redding
This summer’s completion of the new Troutt Theatre building
brings Belmont University one step closer to its 2010 expansion
goal.
Vision 2010, the summary of Belmont’s most pressing goals,
hopes to double the University’s $55 million endowment and
expand campus facilities like the theater building. But without
financial backing, many of the planned projects may never be realized.
Belmont’s revamp has resulted in huge benefits for the theater
program, said Paul Gatrell, chair of Belmont’s department of theater
and dance.
“I can’t wait to get in there,” Gatrell said. “It’ll be like our own
playground. We’ll have control, and we’ll finally be able to run theater like it should be run. I’d go there right now if I could.”
In addition to the theater project, Belmont plans to build phase
two of the Inman Health Sciences complex and acquire new athletic
grounds at Nashville’s nearby Rose Park.
But construction cannot begin on these projects until there is suffiSTAFF WRITER
cient funding, sai
development.
“The projects w
money,” Chandle
much debt, becau
interest.”
Belmont financ
the Promise cam
by December 200
the Promise goal
million.
With $75 milli
campaign goal, B
million a year for
Belmont’s bigges
cal to the univers
“About half of
with things like s
challenge is to en
only $10 or $100
Out of the basement,
By Ameshia Cross
An architectural rendering shows a planned freshman residence
hall in Belmont’s central campus. Located behind Hail Hall,
Phase I of the three-phase project will provide housing for 190
students, with an anticipated cost of $12 million. The new
dorm is expected to open in August 2008.
A black box theater is a highlight of the Troutt Theatre,
now home to the department that once mounted most
of its productions in the Hail Hall basement.
For the Belmont theatre students once housed in the basement of Heron Hall, the Tro
was long awaited and much needed.
“The new venue in terms of the level of collaboration a
support mixed with the with actor’s brilliance in the new
makes it better,” Jaclyn Johnson, junior political scie
atre major said.
The Troutt Theatre, named after former Be
dent Bill Troutt and his wife Carole, is not a
mill theater. “There are three parts to the
green room, scene shop, and black box
atre used for classes and productions,”
Paul Gatrell, assistant professor and
chair of the theatre and dance
department, said.
Several locations
were considered for the
new theater before
choosing the property
adjacent to Belmont
Heights Baptist
Church, the former
nursing building.
Among the locations
considered by a number of people, including
President Bob Fisher,
Provost Dan McAlexander,
the architectural firm and
consultants and members of the
theatre faculty were the area next to
the psychology building – nearer to the
central campus – or a plot of land near the
International Market.
Another reason the Belmont Heights area prop
SENIOR WRITER
Former Belmont President Bill Troutt and his wife,
Carole, were honored with the naming of the new theater in a renovated church building.
Q u i c k F a c t s : Belm ont announced i ts record Fall 2007 enroll ment num
g ra d u a te s t u d e nt s a n d 4 , 0 3 9 u n d e r g r a d u a t e s , b re a k in g t h e re c or
l as t year and a 60 percent ri s e s ince 2000. Thi s y ear ’s i ncoming clas s re
receiv ed al so i ncr eas ed, setti ng another r ecord. Of that, 6 2 p e r c e n t w
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Page 7
xpectations
ward goals
id Jason Chandler, Belmont’s senior director of
won’t start until Belmont comes up with the
er said. “We don’t like to start projects with too
use then we end up paying an excessive amount in
ced many of its recent projects through the Keeping
paign, which earned $170 million for the University
05. Since then the University increased its Keeping
l to $250 million, of which it has earned only $175
ion needed to reach the new Keeping the Promise
Belmont would need to raise approximately $25
r the next three years to avoid falling short. One of
st hurdles is finding alumni support, which is critisity’s financial success.
our alumni base is young, and they’re still dealing
student debt,” Chandler said. “Part of Belmont’s
ncourage them to give back something, even if it’s
0. It’s really a domino effect: when alumni partici-
pate, it’s good for the whole University.”
Without outside generosity, the new theater building might never
have been built. Gatrell said the project was on Belmont’s priority
list for some time, but it did not see action until help came from an
unexpected source.
“It all got started with an anonymous donor who gave us a $3 million matching grant,” Gatrell said. “We used the money to start on
the proscenium, and we ended up with an $11 million final project.”
In addition to financing new construction, a larger endowment
would help students by funding new or increased scholarships. In
the wake of rising tuition and housing costs, more financial aid
would relieve the worries of many students.
“Alumni support helps provide more money for students who
need it and for those who simply deserve it,” Chandler said.
Other recently completed Vision 2010 projects include Thrailkill
Residence Hall and the first half of the Inman Health Sciences complex. Thrailkill houses more than 300 upperclassman students, and
the Inman building has increased the nursing school’s enrollment
capacity from 250 to 600 students.
The Keeping the Promise campaign, along with substantial gifts
from successful businessmen like George E. Inman and Belmont
trustee Larry Thrailkill, were the main sources of funding for both
projects.
Everything mechanical has state-of
the-art controls, which will be
used publicly for the first time in
the debut production at the Troutt
Theatre Sept. 20.
onto center stage
outt Theatre
nd university
w space
ence and the-
elmont presia run-of-thecomplex;
the”
perty
appealed to the driving forces behind the construction of the new theatre was the church’s announcement that part of it would be used as a concert hall in the coming months.
Additionally, other factors in the construction site that just seemed to mesh well. “The original
church architecture ... is set up like a theater where the pulpit is the stage,” Gatrell said.
The Troutt Theatre’s location also provided financial relief because much of the new construction that would have taken place at other locations was avoided.
“The only thing we really had to build from the ground up was the fly house,”
Gatrell said, explaining the all-new housing for the complex rigging that
can move set pieces and actors to create magical theater moments.
The new theatre will open with its first production, Much
Ado About Nothing, a Shakespearean comedy.
For theater students, the new space provides a challenge
and a joy. “You have to be aware of more things on this
stage: voice, and ability to be big and experience big
things,” Johnson said.
The theatre is opening its doors to Belmont as well
as Nashville area theatre companies. Other plays
already scheduled to open in the Troutt
Theatre will include: Witch of
Blackbird Pond, presented by
the Nashville Children’s
Theatre; Hamlet, presented
by the Shakespeare
Festival; and Souvenir,
by Nashville Theatre
Company-The
Greenlight Project.
The Troutt Theatre
seats 335 people; the
black box alone seats 150225 people.
The set for the Shakespearean
comedy “Much Ado About
Nothing” is on stage at the Troutt
Theatre. The play, now in
rehearsal, is scheduled Sept. 2030.
A groundbreaking ceremony was scheduled Tuesday for the new residence hall
behind Hail Hall.
mbers, w ith 4 , 7 6 5 s t u d e n t s at the end of regi strati on, incl udi ng 726
r d in both categori es. Thi s indicates a 6 . 3 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e s i nce
e p re s e nt s 4 3 st a t e s a n d 7 fo r ei g n c o u n t ri es . Th e n u mb e r o f a p p li c at i o n s
w e r e a c c e p t e d , do w n fr o m 72 p e rc e n t i n 2 0 0 5 .
Page 8
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Ethics Week
looks at issues
in workplace
By Ameshia Cross
While unethical business conduct has become a major newsmaker in today’s world,
there’s also an emphasis on strong ethics that’s getting attention.
The Belmont chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, in conjunction with the national
organization and local
professionals, will present a weeklong educational forum about ethics
in the workplace.
Pam Parry, public
relations program director, said, “I got the idea
to do this two years ago
during an annual assessment, I realized that I
wanted to train students
in ethics.”
While recent ethical
violations are a problem,
raising awareness is key
to combating the issue.
“I don’t see ethics as
a problem, rather it is an
issue that we should be
aware of on a daily basis
– something we think
about routinely when
making decisions,” said
Aileen Katcher of
Katcher Vaughn and
Bailey Public Relations.
“Events like Ethics
Week at Belmont make
sure it stays at the top of
mind.”
Last year the PRSSA
organized a half-day
ethics seminar and won
several ethics awards,
placing second in the
national ethics competition. Parry and Dr.
Bonnie Reichert, PRSSA adviser and public relations faculty member, decided they should
extend it and make it an annual event based on the success of last year’s half-day seminar.
“Last year was a stimulating experience and Pam and I decided to extend it to show the
Belmont community about the practice of ethical PR,” Reichert said.
Public relations students played an integral part in Ethics Week, creating ideas for topics.
“Last spring students wrote a paper in ethics class and parts of it were used in Ethics
Week,” Parry said.
Although ethics week is geared toward PR majors, the department encourages all majors
to attend.
“Ethics week was designed to provide focus on the ethics of PR, to remind people of
the code of ethics, and to raise awareness beyond just PR majors,” Reichart said.
During the week there will be three convocations and a pizza and movie night, aimed to
draw interest among the non-majors. “To start people thinking about ethical practice is
important in any field,” Reichert said.
SENIOR WRITER
Write? Shoot pictures? Edit?
The VISION staff meets
at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24
203 Gabhart (above Campus Security)
or e-mail us at vision@mail.belmont.edu and we can
talk about getting involved with campus media
Y’all come!
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
sports
Page 9
The A-Sun and PlayON! Sports are launching ASun.TV to
webcast a minimum of 540 regular-season and championship games across a variety of sports. Events, both live
and on-demand replay, can be seen with passes for a single event ($5.99), a monthly all-event ($9.99), or an
annual all-event ($69.99). Info: asun.playonsports.tv
Bruin Club boosts
student-athletes
By Rachel Waller
Bowling could help send a tennis player to college.
How? Through the Belmont Bowl, a bowl-a-thon,
set to take place in October, that will benefit the
Belmont University Bruin Club. The club is a group
of alumni, former student athletes and friends who
support the athletic program at Belmont, mainly
through financial support as their money goes to help
pay for athletic scholarships.
The man behind the Bruin Club is Wes Burtner. A
former Bruin athlete himself, Burtner loves and is dedicated to Belmont University. Burtner entered Belmont
during the fall of 1998, when Belmont was just beginning to make the switch to Division I.
“It’s neat to come back and see how we’ve grown
and how we’re continuing to grow,” Burtner said.
The former basketball player said his previous athletic experience affected his decision to return to
Belmont.
“I wanted to be here,” Burtner said.
That is obvious, as Burtner accepted a position that
was not his dream job. Last year, as the assistant director of compliance, he worked to see that all Belmont’s
student-athletes are in compliance with NCAA regulations for employment, drug testing and other areas that
must be monitored to maintain eligibility.
“It was a way for me to get my foot in the door,”
he said. “A way to get back on campus.”
Eventually, the position as director of the Bruin
Club opened up and Burtner was “honored to be
asked.” He interviewed for the position, was hired and
began last spring after the departure of previous director Clyde Russell.
Burtner said his position with compliance wasn’t
all that bad, however, and he got to interact with students, which he really enjoyed. In fact, he liked that so
much that he now tries to involve students in Bruin
Club activities whenever he can.
SENIOR WRITER
Getting involved
The Bruin Club kickoff dinner for the 200708 season is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept.
20, in the Maddox Grand Atrium. Tickets are
$25 per person. For reservations and information, contact Wes Burtner at 460-5668.
For info about the Bruin Club:
http://www.bruinclub.com/index
“I want club members to see what they are paying
for,” Burtner said. “It is important that donors and students meet and interact.”
It is also important because the money gathered by
the Bruin Club helps cover the cost of scholarships as
well as athlete awards and athletic event center needs.
The NCAA determines the maximum number of
scholarships available to student athletes. However,
Belmont does not award the maximum number of
scholarships, mainly due to financial constraints.
Full scholarships are available only to men’s and
women’s basketball players. Even then, only 27 fullride scholarships are available. The rest of Belmont’s
athletes receive partial scholarships with amounts
determined by the coaches.
Many Belmont students, especially athletes, understand and appreciate the Bruin Club.
“It really serves to connect the athletic community
at Belmont to those that support them,” said senior
cross-country runner Elizabeth Smothers.
Smothers also mentioned that many athletes carry
on the connection after they graduate.
“I know several former Belmont students who
enjoy the idea that after they graduate they can contribute directly to the athletic program here, which significantly shaped their own college experience.”
Hit it, girl
PHOTO BY TAYLOR HOWARD
Junior Emily Cahill takes to the air in a recent match,
helping the Belmont team maintain its winning ways.
Following last weekend’s tournament at MTSU, the Bruins
(8-3) had a five-game win streak.
Cross country teams top lists for A-Sun wins
By Victoria Harris
The big news out of Macon, Ga., is the
stellar prediction made for Belmont
University’s cross-country teams.
When coaches of the Atlantic Sun conference released their preseason poll, they
ranked both the men and women’s cross
STAFF WRITER
On the run
Fans can see Belmont’s men’s and
women’s cross-country teams
compete in the Vanderbilt
University Commodore Classic
Saturday, Sept. 15. The men’s race –
8000 meters – is at 9 a.m., while
the women begin their 5000-meter
race at 10 a.m. Both are at Percy
Warner Park’s Vaughn’s Gap Cross
Country Course, Highway 100 and
Old Hickory Boulevard.
country team as most likely to win the 2007
conference championship.
Already the predictions are proving their
accuracy. In the first meet of the season, The
Belmont Opener, the men’s team once again
dominated with six men in the top 11 spots.
While a Southeastern Conference school,
University of Tennessee, captured the first
place in the women’s event with two topthree runners, Belmont’s women tied with
the University of Alabama-Birmingham for
third place.
The coaches unanimously selected the
men’s team, whose dynasty over the event
has lasted a string of five years, as the first
pick for this year’s conference, and Belmont
head coach Jeff Langdon appears very optimistic.
“We won last year’s championship and
are fortunate to have most of our core back
for this season,” Langdon said.
The core he is referring to consists of four
top runners returning this year, Kipkosgei
Magut, Kevin Stone, Josh Brigham and Clay
Hannah. All four finished in the Top 10 at
the 2006 Conference with teammate Magut
going on to later place 10th at the NCAA
event, seniors Jacob Buckman and John
South Regional.
Brigham led with 3rd and 4th place times of
The women were also slated first in an
15:20:52 and 15:21:19, respectively. Juniors
11:1 vote. The last vote went to the
Caleb Swartz and Ben
University of North Florida
2007 Men’s Cross Country
McGlothlin rounded out the top
(UNF) women’s team, who
Preseason Poll
six with times of 15:21:49 and
placed 2nd in last year’s con1. Belmont
15:29:07, respectively. Hillary
ference championship.
2. Kennesaw State
Cheruiyot and Kip Hill added to
Returning members to the 3. ETSU
4. Gardner-Webb
the Bruins’ total at the 10th and
Belmont women’s team
5. UNF
11th slots.
include three top eight runners 6. Campbell
The Atlantic Sun Conference
from the 2006 A-Sun champi- 7. Lipscomb
8. Mercer
consists of twelve schools:
onship, Lauren Williams,
9. Florida Gulf Coast
Belmont University, Campbell
Elizabeth Smothers, and
10. USC Upstate
University in North Carolina,
Brittany Thune. Thune, who
11. Stetson
12. Jacksonville
East Tennessee State University,
finished 8th in the ’06 event,
Florida Gulf Coast, Gardnerwas awarded the honor “fresh- 2007 Women’s Cross
Webb University in North
man of the year.”
Country Preseason Poll
1. Belmont
Carolina, Jacksonville University
In this year’s Belmont
2. UNF
in Florida, Kennesaw State
opener, Thune, now a sopho3. Kennesaw State
University in Georgia, Lipscomb
more for the Bruins, placed
4. Jacksonville
5. Campbell
University, Mercer University in
7th with a time of 14:37.56.
6. Lipscomb
Georgia, University of North
Williams, a senior, finished
7. Gardner-Webb
Florida, Stetson University in
9th with a time of 14:48.24.
8. Mercer
9. ETSU
Florida and University of South
Smothers, Megan Saunders
Carolina Upstate.
and Dom Roy all placed in the 10. USC Upstate
11. Florida Gulf Coast
top 25.
12. Stetson
On the men’s side in that
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Page 10
‘Much Ado’ about quite a lot
By Ameshia Cross
SENIOR WRITER
Joseph Shelby
The Shakespearean comedy Much Ado About Nothing makes its
debut at the Troutt Theatre Sept. 20.
“I wanted to find a piece with scope and breadth that would make
good use of the new space,” the play’s director, Bill Feehely, said.
Feehely was also looking for something with a celebratory feel and
Much Ado seemed to encompass everything he wanted.
This particular play is a romantic comedy about a pair of soldiers
coming back to an older patriarch’s home. The first soldier has a love
interest and plans to marry her. In a classic twist, the other soldier initially dislikes the person he will fall for. Thus, the stage is set.
The production of Much Ado will enjoy a budget “five times” that
of previous productions, said Paul Gatrell, assistant professor and chair
of the Department of Theatre and Dance. It is also the first of what is
expected to be much collaboration with the Nashville theatre company,
Actors Bridge.
Casting for Much Ado About Nothing was revolutionary for the theater department because it paired theater students with professional
actors. The department held two separate auditions: one for students
and the other a pro-casting call.
“We were looking for some professional range,” Feehely said. The
collaboration with Actor’s Bridge gives the theater students the opportunity to work with professionals in their field; it also opens the production up to a wider audience.
Jaclyn Johnson, sophomore political science and theater major said,
“Drawing from the Actor’s Bridge support group brings a larger audience with different people from various backgrounds together to share
one experience.”
The lead role, Benedict, is played by Belmont alum Christopher
Brown, also a member of the famed Blue Man Group. Brown, a graduate of Belmont’s class of 1997 who majored in music and became a
professional musician for eight years, takes the stage playing the lead
role in the upcoming production. He didn’t audition, but was called in
for the part.
“I had a lot of experience with commitment resistance as did my
character (Benedict), “fencing away from your truth,” Brown said. His
resume screams “professional” with acting jobs such as: Off Broadway
in New York, National Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., as
well as his most recent work as a cast member for the Blue Man
Group.
Johnson plays Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. During auditions,
she read for the part of Beatrice (lead role), but it was reserved for a
professional actor. Johnson feels that this play is endearing to Belmont
because, “I see beauty in the contrast between the two couples in the
play – hasty versus experienced love,” she said.
STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS BY SARAH MITCHELL
Seats in the brand-new Troutt Theatre await
audiences expected for the run of “Much
Ado About Nothing,” the debut production at
the theater on Belmont Boulevard. In addition to the main theater and stage, the
Troutt includes a black-box theater for smaller audiences and experimental works, and a
state-of-the art fly house, right, that includes
professional rigging for productions.
Getting there
The Belmont Theatre Production
of Much Ado About Nothing will run
from Sept 20-29 in the Troutt
Theatre.
Irish indie rocker plays NYC, Nashville
By Andrew Cole
Here’s to hoping intelligent Irish songwriter Damien Rice
does not fall down that slippery slope so common to his rock
contemporaries – alienating his audience. At a recent stop in
New York’s Madison Square Garden, Rice delivered a concert that was three-fourths satisfying and one-fourth inexplicable.
You probably know his songs as the swoon-worthy
soundtrack to films like “Closer” and television programs
like “Grey’s Anatomy,” but you should know Rice for his
admirable compositions of emotional transparency and fervent emotion. He seems to relish the opportunity to lay his
romantic struggles on the line. As he performed the track
“Elephant” from his most recent album “9,” he bemoaned,
“What’s the point of this song or even singing? / If you’ve
already gone, why am I clinging?”.
The evening was filled with a great deal of material from
his latest Heffa effort (“Coconut Skins,” “Rootless Tree,”
“Me, My Yoke and I”), but fans attending the Sept. 13
Nashville show at the Ryman will be happy to know Rice
also incorporated a few gems from his breakthrough
American debut, “O.” Listening to him first speak and then
sing of the disparity between the lifestyles of the impoverished and the privileged during “Older Chests” was like witnessing poetry in motion.
His four-piece band accompanied him through the 15song set with energy to spare, but diehard fans beware: the
lone female onstage is cellist Vyvienne Long, not frequent
vocal collaborator Lisa Hannigan. This came as a bit of a disappointment on tracks like “9 Crimes” where the desperate
FOR THE VISION
pleading (“Is that alright yeah? / I give my gun away when
it’s loaded / Is that alright yeah, with you? / Leave me out
with the waste this is not what I do”) becomes a one-sided
argument sung solely by Rice. Long is given her moment to
shine with a quirky cello ditty entitled “Random Man,” but
she does not lend her vocals to any other selection.
Rice claimed he was nervous this particular evening in
front of his record label suits, but that did not stop him from
flying by the seat of his pants and performing an impromptu
song inspired by audience suggestions. We gave him the
words “happy,” “green” and “Joe,” and he gave us a garbled
eight-minute jam session of moody defiance. If he wanted us
to be impressed by his on-the-spot lyrical ingenuity, it would
have been helpful if we could have understood what he was
saying. This over-the-top light metal session spanned two
more songs (including the otherwise revelatory “I
Remember”) and detracted from what had been an exceptional evening of song.
But that forgivable (albeit painful) misstep in no way discredited the undeniable entertainment value of this Irish
troubadour’s introspective canon of work. Clocking in right
under two hours, the entire concert (unsupported by opening
acts) was concluded with a welcome rendition of “The
Blower’s Daughter,” one of Rice’s most recognizable pieces.
A heartbreaking ode to love and loss, it leaves the listener
(and any attendee to Rice’s tour) begging for more.
Andrew Cole, a junior, is filing stories for the Vision
from New York City, where he is enrolled for the fall
semester at Belmont East.
Getting there
Damien Rice returns to Nashville Thursday, Sept.
13, at the Ryman Auditorium. The show begins at
7:30 p.m. and tickets range from $25-$45.
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Page 11
Photographs
‘transfer’ art
By Hadley Long
Three Nashville-based photographic artists will show diverse
work in an exhibit at Belmont’s
Leu Gallery. This exhibit will portray the black and white art of
Gina Binkley, Bob Delevante and
David McClister.
Aside from the different techniques the photographers use to
capture their scenes, all three photographers, whose work will be on
display at the Leu Gallery Sept.
13-Oct. 23, capture contemporary
life in their photographs; they
express an idea that transmits
ideas of our society in a new and
original way.
“Each is committed to black
and white imagery and have different approaches to subject matter and technique,” said Victoria
Boone, director of Belmont’s Leu
Art Gallery. “The pictures that
come from these three artists are
STAFF WRITER
ordinary objects that once photographed become extraordinary
pieces of art.”
Boone explained Gina
Binkley’s art: “On composed still
life, forms and objects which are
presented in an constructivist
inspired style…transformed into
iconic, sacred images.”
Bob Delevante, Boone said,
tends to take pictures of normal
things. “Bob prefers to discover
an image, move around it and
compose…the situation…He is a
storyteller and his approach makes
his photographs honest and true to
life.”
David McClister uses everyday
people for his study, Boone said.
“David’s photographs document
the raw reality…from dirt race
tracks to the Wal-Mart shopper,
he presents every day people who
are the backbone of society but
are often overlooked in our insular, gentrified daily lives.”
Work by Nashville graphic artist Gina Binkley,
such as the photograph above, are included in
the exhibit, “Transfer of Light: Photographic
Visions of Gina Binkley, Bob Delevante and
David McClister “ opening Sept. 13 in the Leu
Gallery in Belnont’s Bunch Library. Delevante, in
addition to his visual art, right, will perform with
his band – Bob Delevante and the Coal Men –
at The Family Wash in East Nashville Sept. 28
and at Brown’s Diner on Blair Boulevard Nov.
10. McClister, the third artist in the show, has
done portraits of many celebrities, including Ed
Bradley, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Willie
Nelson and Ryan Adams, in addition to documenting “The Dirt Tracks of Tennessee.”
Getting There
The Leu Art Gallery will host a new exhibit entitled Transfer of
Light: Photographic Visions of Gina Binkley, Bob Delevante, and
David McClister. There will be a reception for the opening from
4-6 p.m. on Sept. 13. Transfer of Light continues through Oct. 23.
Showcase has new name,
more Christian emphasis
By Katie Redding
The Sept. 23 kickoff to this year’s music showcase
series at Belmont will feature competition, talent and
a fresh God-centered philosophy.
Resonate, otherwise known as the Christian
Showcase, is undergoing a lot more than a name
change. Luke McElroy, the show’s producer, said the
new name stands for the show’s true mission.
“The idea comes from the concept that Christians
are called to resonate God’s glory to this world,”
McElroy said. “Our leadership team’s prayer has
been that people don’t remember this as a showcase,
but as a night God moved in their life.”
Instead of focusing on competition, the people
behind Resonate hope to put the spotlight on God.
Plans for a post-show time of worship are in the
works, and the participants hope to reach out beyond
Belmont to the Nashville community.
Although the focus of this year’s show has
changed, there’s still much at stake for Belmont hopefuls. The winner will get the opportunity to perform
in the Best of the Best showcase in April along with
other prizes the show’s organizers are keeping under
wraps for now.
The real-world success of past showcase performers is encouraging to current Belmont musicians. Josh
Wilson, winner of the 2004 Christian Showcase,
signed a contract with major label Sparrow Records
in the fall of last year.
Numerous music industry professionals are also
expected to attend Resonate,
which will be held at the Curb Event Center.
McElroy attributes the consistent turnout to
Belmont’s strong reputation and ability to promote
students.
“The music business staff does its very best to
boast about the incredible talent in the showcases,”
McElroy said. “The industry actually enjoys coming
to our showcases because the Belmont community
has always been a good breeding ground for upcoming hit recording artists.”
STAFF WRITER
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Showcasing BU
Resonate, the Christian music showcase, is
the first of six showcases scheduled for the
2007-2008 series. It begins at 7 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 22, in the Curb Event Center. The concert, along with others this fall and next
spring, are student presentations of the Mike
Curb College of Entertainment and Music
Business. Showcases coming up: Pop/Urban
Showcase, Oct. 27; Country, Nov. 17;
Pop/Rock, Feb. 17; Other, March 15; and Best
of the Best, April 19.
Auditions for Resonate are currently in progress.
Students who think they’ve got what it takes are
required to submit an application with a CD of two
original songs.
Musicians who survive the application round will
have the opportunity to perform live in front a panel
of industry professionals. The judges will select the
actual Resonate performers from this group.
Once the artists are selected, preparations for the
showcase will kick into high gear. From performers
to planners to technicians, Resonate will require
immense effort from a diverse group of people.
McElroy thinks the magnitude of the showcase is
great because it gives unique opportunities to large
numbers of students.
“They can get hands-on experience and learn what
it means to put on a large-scale production,” McElroy
said.
For many of the backstage staff, one of the best
parts about working on Resonate is building relationships. Working together for a common goal has
become a strong unifying force among Resonate’s
organizers.
“Anyone in the touring industry would say life on
the road is like a family,”
Page 12
a&e
The Belmont Vision, September 13, 2007
Billboard’s Hot Country Songs
1. More Than A Memory, Garth Brooks
2. These Are My People, Rodney Atkins
3. Take Me There, Rascal Flatts
4. Because Of You, Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson
5. Proud Of The House We Built, Brooks & Dunn
Nerds, geeks, Stewie
By Abby Selden
With an abundance of comedies,
dramas and reality shows both new and old,
the upcoming fall television season promises
to keep viewers satisfied.
Fox’s line-up relies heavily on reality
television, with three of its shows following
the formula. Perhaps the most highly anticipated reality show on Fox this season, at
least for Nashville residents, will be
Nashville, a Real World-esque reality drama
from the makers of Laguna Beach in which
young locals fight to make their respective
dreams come true.
Fox has several new non-reality shows
this season as well, including Back to You, a
Frasier fan’s dream with Kelsey Grammer
and Patricia Heaton in the starring roles.
With the cancellation of The O.C., Fox
will have to compensate with the returning
shows, which include Prison Break, Bones,
The Simpsons, King of the Hill, American
Dad, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?,
and House.
Sophomore Ola Osinusi is excited about
the upcoming season of House.
“I’m looking forward to who’s coming
back,” said Osinusi. “And I want to see
what kind of crazy stuff House is up to this
time.”
Family Guy is also returning in all its animated glory. And with special permission
from Lucasfilm, the show will air an hourlong Star Wars tribute premier in which
Lois, Peter, Brian, Meg, Chris, and everyone’s favorite diabolical baby will be Star
Wars characters.
With several of the most popular shows
on television, ABC will undoubtedly attract a
huge audience this fall. Audience favorites
STAFF WRITER
Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, and
Ugly Betty will all be returning.
“I’m really excited about Ugly Betty
because the last episode was such a
cliffhanger,” said sophomore Amanda
Shoffner. “I love that show because it’s
hilarious.”
One of ABC’s most popular shows,
Grey’s Anatomy, will also be returning for its
fourth season. Sophomore Brianna Conrad is
eagerly anticipating the new season but fears
the show is moving in the wrong direction.
“I’m excited and I’m not excited because
I’m afraid they’re going to ruin Grey’s
Anatomy,” she said. While Conrad fears the
writers are “slowly phasing out the new
cast,” she promised, “I am still going to
watch it.”
ABC reality shows returning include
Dancing With the Stars, Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition and The Bachelor.
ABC has several new shows, notably
Pushing Daisies, which has received a great
deal of buzz for its unique premise in which
an ordinary man brings murder victims back
to life and asks who killed them. Other highly anticipated shows include medical drama
and Grey’s spin-off Private Practice, starring
Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Forbes
Montgomery, and Cavemen, a sitcom based
on the “So easy a caveman could do it”
Geico commercials.
The CW’s lineup relies on the return of
several of its staple hits this fall, such as
America’s Next Top Model, Beauty and the
Geek, Smallville and One Tree Hill.
Sophomore Allora McCullough is anticipating the new season of Top Model.
“It hooks you because it’s so much like a
game show,” she said. “I don’t watch it for
the drama. My favorite parts are the photo
shoots.”
Dr. Natalia Pelaz, an assistant professor of Spanish at
Belmont University, responded to the question “If you were
stranded on a deserted island, what five albums would you
have to have?” for this week’s edition of “Stranded.”
Pelaz, a native of Spain, earned the title of Hispanic
Philologist from the University of Valladolid, then got her
master’s degree in Spanish Literature. After moving to the
United States, she joined the Department of Romance
Languages at the University of Cincinatti and eventually
earned her doctorate in Romance Languages and Literature
in 2005.
“Not taking into account Spanish (Joaquin Sabina) or
Brazilian (Vinicius de moraes) music, the five records I
would take to a desert island are”:
:
New shows on CW include Aliens in
America, starring the adorably geeky Dan
Byrd of Hills Have Eyes, and drama Gossip
Girl from The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz.
Notable CW cancellations are 7th
Heaven, Gilmore Girls and Reba.
CBS returns for fall with comedies How I
Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men
and dramas Cold Case, Shark, Without a
Trace, Ghost Whisperer and the hugely successful CSI and its spin-offs.
“CSI has been a staple of my family’s
viewing schedule ever since the first season
came out,” said junior Daniell Leipply.
“When they went over to Miami, at first we
were skeptical, but Horatio won over our
hearts and minds.”
Arguably the most controversial new
show on television this season is CBS’ Kid
Nation, a socially experimental reality show
in which 40 children ages 8-15 are left to
fend for themselves for 40 days in a deserted
mining town. The show, which has garnered
immense criticism, culminates with a town
meeting in which the children decide which
child will receive $20,000.
The NBC fall season is powered by popular returning shows like Heroes, The Office,
Law and Order and Scrubs, now entering its
last season. Office fans can look forward to
an hour-long premiere, followed by four
more hour-long episodes. Comedies My
Name is Earl and 30 Rock, and drama Friday
Night Lights are also returning.
Game shows The Singing Bee, Deal or
No Deal, and 1 vs. 100, hosted by the lovable
Bob Saget, will be renewed in the fall, as
well.
The network’s new shows include
Bionic Woman, Chuck, Journeyman, and
Lipstick Jungle.
Premieres by date
Nashville (Fox) Sept. 14
Deal Or No Deal (NBC) Sept. 17
Gossip Girl (The CW) Sept. 19
Next Top Model (The CW) Sept. 19
Kid Nation (CBS) Sept. 19
Family Guy (Fox) Sept. 23
King of the Hill (Fox) Sept. 23
Simpsons (Fox) Sept. 23
The Bachelor (ABC) Sept. 24
CSI Miami (CHS) Sept. 24
Dancing With Stars (ABC) Sept. 24
Heroes (NBC) Sept. 24
Boston Legal (ABC) Sept. 25
House (Fox) Sept. 25
Law & Order: SVU (NBC) Sept. 25
CSI: New York (CBS) Sept. 26
Ghost Hunters (SciFi) Sept. 26
Haunted (SciFi) Sept. 26
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) Sept. 27
Office (NBC) Sept. 27
Ugly Betty (ABC) Sept. 27
Smallville (The CW) Sept. 27
Las Vegas (NBC) Sept. 28
Brothers & Sisters (ABC) Sept. 30
Desperate Housewives (ABC) Sept. 30
Aliens in America (The CW) Oct. 1
Cavemen (ABC) Oct. 2
Sarah Silverman Program (CC) Oct. 3
South Park (CC) Oct. 3
30 Rock (NBC) Oct. 4
Friday Night Lights (NBC) Oct. 5
Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Oct. 7
Men in Trees (ABC) Oct. 12
American Band (Fox) Oct. 19
Scrubs (NBC) Oct. 25
Spanish prof Pelaz
chooses U.S. hits
Born In The USA, Bruce Springsteen (1984)
“For my teenager’s sake.”
The Greatest Hits, Cat Stevens (1975)
“Because we need some ‘Peace Train’ in a ‘Wild
World.’”
Breakfast in America, Supertramp (1979)
“For a ‘Casual Conversation’ or ‘Just Another
Nervous Wreck.’”
Flag, James Taylor (1979)
“For the wonderful interpretation of the ‘Day
Tripper.’”
Jim Croce’s hits; “Time In A Bottle/Greatest Love
Songs” (1977) which includes “I’ll Have To Say I
Love You In A Song” and “It Doesn’t Have To Be
That Way“ because he was able to say ‘I love you’ in
a song.”