Belmont University | FYI


September 18, 2009

BELMONT NEWS


Poet Mary Oliver Reads to a Packed House for Humanities Symposium Keynote
maryoliver.jpgPulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver delighted a packed house at Belmont Heights Baptist Church Thursday night, sharing more than 15 of her poems and essays, including several about her beloved dog Percy. Oliver's appearance represented the keynote for the Eighth Annual Humanities Symposium, which this year centered on the theme “Nature and the Human Spirit.” Introduced by English Professor Dr. Annette Sisson and Provost Dr. Marcia McDonald, Oliver shared works from a number of her books over the course of the hour before participating in question-and-answer and book signing sessions.

Opening the night, Oliver remarked, "I'm astonished you people are spending an entire week on my favorite subject: trees!"

Oliver is the celebrated author of more than a dozen books of poetry and prose. With her lyrical connection to the natural world, Oliver’s poetry has firmly established her in the highest realm of American poets. In addition to her 1984 Pulitzer, she has been honored with the National Book Award for Poetry and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, among others. She is renowned for her evocative and precise imagery, which brings nature into clear focus, transforming the everyday world into a place of magic and discovery. Click here to read one of her most popular poems, "Wild Geese," which she shared with the audience Thursday evening.

Alumna Trisha Yearwood to Host 'Christmas at Belmont'
Schermerhorn performance will be nationally broadcast on PBS December 23

C@B-Save-Date-front2.jpgBelmont University announced this week that three-time Grammy Award winner and Belmont alumna Trisha Yearwood will serve as host for the 2009 “Christmas at Belmont” performance at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The program will air nationally on PBS on December 23 (check local listings).

“Christmas at Belmont,” a production of Nashville Public Television (NPT) with funding from the Beaman Family Foundation, features a collage of familiar carols, classical masterworks, world music and light-hearted seasonal favorites. More than 400 student voices will join Yearwood, the Belmont School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children’s Choir to present the annual holiday production. Previous hosts of “Christmas at Belmont” include alumni Melinda Doolittle and Josh Turner as well as recording legend Brenda Lee.

Belmont President Bob Fisher said, “It was a great joy to welcome Trisha back ‘home’ for our special edition of the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ in honor of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate. Her vocal talents leave every audience wanting more, and we are thrilled to partner with this amazing artist and friend for our annual ‘Christmas at Belmont’ production.”

Click here for more on this story.


Tony Campolo Kicks Off EMERGE
campolo1.jpgAcclaimed author/speaker Dr. Tony Campolo kicked off EMERGE this week, an annual week-long experience meant to inspire and encourage the Belmont community in corporate and individual faith journeys. This fall EMERGE is focusing on the topic of "Jesus, The Original Radical."

Campolo, professor emeritus at Eastern University, is the founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, an organization that develops schools and social programs in various third world countries and in cities across North America. He is the author of 35 books, his latest three being Letters to a Young Evangelical, The God of Intimacy and Action and Red Letter Christians, A Citizen's Guide to Faith and Politics.

On Monday, Campolo discussed three areas of faith that he believes are greatly impacting the current college generation's approach to religion: ritual, mysticism and the concept of salvation. "Ritual enhances loyalty and creates solidarity... As ritual has declined, so has commitment faded. When you lose the ritual, you forget what should never be forgotten." Click here for more information.

Coach Byrd Honored in Preseason Publication
Longtime Belmont Head Coach Listed Among Nation’s Best

coachbyrd.jpgBelmont men’s basketball head coach Rick Byrd has been named one of the Top 10 ‘Under the Radar Coaches’ in America by Athlon Sports in their 2009-10 College Basketball Preview Edition.

Byrd, who ranks 11th among all active NCAA Division-I head coaches in career victories with 561, is set to embark upon his 24th season roaming the Belmont sidelines. The Knoxville, Tenn. native was named 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award after directing the Bruins to an unprecedented third consecutive conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Byrd has also garnered national acclaim for leading a program characterized by high academic achievement and sportsmanship. Since 2001, Belmont’s eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans represent the most for any program in the country. Further, six of the last eight Atlantic Sun Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award recipients have been Belmont Basketball players. Click here for more on this story.

Public Relations Program to Hold Ethics Week
GaryMcCormick_0015c.JPGPublic relations ethics will be the focus of several special events on campus as part of Public Relations Ethics Week, Sept. 21-25. The incoming national president of the 34,000-member Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Gary McCormick, will speak on campus Tues., Sept. 22, at 11:30 a.m. in the Massey Board Room. McCormick is director of partnership development for HGTV, Scripps Networks. He will discuss “Are You Ready for Your Closeup? The Changing Face and Challenges of Public Relations.” Attendance is free, and lunch is available ($30 for members and students, $35 for nonmembers) with advance reservation at www.prsanashville.com.

“Gary will discuss changes facing businesses and organizations as we move into an era of trust, confidence, transparency, consumer engagement and social media,” said Bonnie Riechert, director of Belmont’s public relations program. Click here for more information.


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