Beltones Mentioned on NPR Following International Competition

The Belmont Beltones, a student a capella group, was mentioned this week on NPR in the national outlet’s coverage of the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA).

The Beltones won the Wildcard Division in the International Collegiate Competition of A Capella semi-finals, which allowed them to participate in the final round competition at the Town Hall in New York City on April 20. This was the second year the group participated in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella since they were formed in 2009. It is the group’s first finals appearance.

Though the group placed second in the semifinal round, narrowly losing to Florida State University, they were able to submit their performance video to the national wildcard round. All second and third place semifinalists are eligible for the wildcard round. “It has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least—the turnaround between finding out and actually going to New York is so quick that once our initial excitement wore off, we started to freak out over the logistics of it all,” said Robert O’Brien, senior religion and the arts major and president of the Beltones.

The group’s semi-final winning performance consisted of “Bottom of the River” by Delta Rae, “Barton Hollow” by The Civil Wars, traditional American hymn “Down to the River to Pray” and “Cry Me a River” as performed by Joe Cocker. Sophomore Greg Breal was recognized during the semifinals as the outstanding soloist for “Cry Me a River.”

“As a group, I think we’re most excited for the chance to perform on such a prestigious stage with the top a cappella groups from around the [world],” said O’Brien. “It’s such an incredible opportunity, and we’re all really excited to be blessed by it.”

Pharmacy Student Selected for National Institutes of Health Internship

Class of 2015 pharmacy student Tracy Okoli has accepted a 10 week summer internship with the National Institutes of Health. Out of 6,600 applicants, only 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students were selected for the prestigious internship. Okoli will conduct mitochondrial based research at the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute under Dr. Michael Sack.

Speech & Debate Team Places Fourth in National Tournament

Belmont’s Speech & Debate Team placed fourth in Division Two at the National Forensics Association tournament.  Junior Matthew Roberts advanced to the quarter-final round of Extemporaneous Speaking, ranking in the top 24 in the nation. Graduating senior Nicole Bright advanced to the semi-final rounds of both After Dinner Speaking and Prose Interpretation ranking in the top 12 in her events. Sophomore Megan Jack missed advancing to the quarter-final round of informative speaking by just one speaker point.

Biology Faculty, Students Participate in BioBlitz

Dr. Steve Murphree, professor of biology, participated in a BioBlitz at Beaman Park on April 20. The BioBlitz invitation came from Beaman Park director and Belmont Biology alumna LinnAnn Welch. Belmont zoology students Erin Pitts and Sylvia Alsup also participated in the event. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) biologist Pandy English, Director of LEAPS environmental consulting service Bob English and Belmont University biologists lead this research program in special habitats focusing on the animals and plants of its Barrens areas. Beaman Park Nature Center, located in Beaman Park in northwest Davidson County, offers public programs on environmental education.

Enactus Team Presents at NACDS

Belmont’s Enactus team was asked to present this week to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), which was attended by executives Johnson & Johnson, Walgreens, Walmart, Procter & Gamble and many more. The students presented at reception hosted by Enactus Monday night and then on the main stage for the business session Tuesday morning. They were introduced by Walgreens CEO Greg Wasson, and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates spoke just after the team left the stage. The students, along with faculty representative and Enactus Sam Walton Fellow Cate Loes, were able to meet both of these leaders and many other top CEOs.

Men’s Basketball Sweeps TSWA Awards

Belmont University men’s basketball senior Ian Clark (Memphis, Tenn.) and head coach Rick Byrd recently were honored by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA).

Clark was named TSWA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and Byrd was named TSWA Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year. This marks the first time a Belmont player has been named TSWA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year. Read more.

Pharmacy Professionals, Students Gather at Roundtable

Twelve local, clinical pharmacists and pharmacy residents spoke to Belmont students during a roundtable discussion April 15 in the Massey Boardroom.

Students enrolled in the College of Pharmacy’s Ambulatory Care Pharmacy elective listened to professionals from health institutions, including Vanderbilt, Saint Thomas and the Veteran’s Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System shared their experiences in pharmacy practice.

Twenty pharmacy students rotated through the tables and were given the opportunity to ask questions to gain a better understanding of the role of ambulatory care pharmacists and the value of pharmacy residency training.

“I asked one participant ‘what is the best part about your job working in a pain clinic?’ She said she liked working with a diverse patient population and having a real impact on patients’ lives. She never would have imagined working in a pain clinic, but she really loves it,” said Meghan Duquette, a second-year pharmacy student. (more…)

OT Doctoral Students Present Research

Rachel Rarig speaks with people at the Atlanta Abilities Expo.

Doctoral students in the School of Occupational Therapy presented findings of various research projects on Wednesday in the lobby of McWhorter Hall.  Two of the thesis groups collected data earlier this semester at the Atlanta Abilities Expo, an event that attracted several thousand participants including those with disabilities, their families and caregivers.

Ashley Ganus, Jordan Carver and Mark Ivey interviewed wheelchair users regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of their mobility device on their ability to function and complete desired tasks.  Meanwhile, Rachael Restko and Rachel Rarig conducted interviews about hotel accessibility.  The three-day event in February featured workshops, a sports carnival, and exhibits dedicated to providing solutions to enhance quality of life for the disabled.

Pharmacy Students Publish Medical Review of Movie

Two Belmont Pharmacy students were recently published in Mental Health Clinician, a monthly publication of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP).  CPNP is a professional society of pharmacists practicing in the psychiatry and neurology specialties.

PharmD students Eury Park and Savannah Arnold, under the guidance of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Michael McGuire, provided a review of how mental illness and medications used to treat it were depicted in the movie, Silver Linings Playbook, which has received numerous film awards including Academy Awards.

In the review, Park and Arnold conclude that while elements of the film are accurate and touch “on the stigma associated with mental illness,” they could not recommend it “for educational or therapeutic purposes.”

Students Accepted into Japan Exchange Teaching Program

Belmont students Dianna Antenucci and Kyle Jeffrey have been accepted to the prestigious and highly competitive Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) program for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Antenucci is a music business major graduating this May. She moved to Nashville from Toms River, N.J. to attend Belmont. She has worked her way through four years of college and had the opportunity to intern with an artist management company, a publishing company and a social media marketing company. Going on the Maymester trip to Japan in 2012 was a life altering experience that stirred a desire in her to experience the culture more and develop lasting relationships with the Japanese people.

Kyle Jeffrey spent a few months in Japan last summer to improve his Japanese language skills. He is excited to be returning to Japan on JET program and to become a bridge between the two cultures.

It is exciting news as Belmont University continues to strengthen its collaboration with Consulate General of Japan in Nashville and friendship with Japan led by Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, as well as several faculty members involved in Asian Studies Program.