Speech and Debate Team Defends State Champions Title

The Speech and Debate Team defended its state championship title when Belmont University hosted the Tennessee Intercollegiate Forensics State Tournament. Eight teams participated in the competition on Feb. 16 and 17. Belmont placed first in the tournament overall for the second year in a row. Belmont students won several individual event categories, including Rhetorical Criticism and Impromptu Speaking. Their success was a product of weeks of preparation.

Each week, students meet both for individual and team practices. During the practices, varsity students returning to the team mentored novice students. Communication studies instructor and the team’s adviser Jason Stahl said the team used rehearsals and strategy to achieve its success the team

Each competition day, the team assembled in gravel lot behind Kennedy Hall and danced around a car to energize themselves for the day of competition ahead. After the dance party, students split up for their individual events before reconvening at the awards ceremony.

This year, there was even more pressure on the team to be gracious hosts while beating their competition. They succeeded in both endeavors. Following the competition, a number of universities emailed Stahl and praised the quality of the tournament, he said.

Several Speech and Debate students are preparing for the American Forensics Association National Tournament. In order to qualify for entry into the national competition, students must qualify in  a certain number of tournaments each year. This year, Belmont will send four students to the national tournament. (more…)

Heron Hall Renovations Build ‘Sense of Community’

For the 107 women who call Heron Hall home, the basement is no longer just a dark, damp place where laundry facilities are located.

Renovations took place last fall in the basement lobby of the all-women freshman residence hall to transform an underutilized area with water damage into a community gathering place.

“It has really become a much more dynamic place for students to gather and programming to take place,” said Residence Life Director Anthony Donovan. “These are things as simple as students now being able to use a projector to practice presentations and also to hang out and have a movie night.”

The basement has new carpet, paint, furniture, kitchen cabinetry and appliances as well as a projector and sound system; in the common area track lighting illuminates art work of six residents. The renovations cost the University about $14,000, and maintenance facility staff did some of the work to keep costs down. (more…)

Spring Break Trips Provide Unique Service Opportunities

Approximately 100 Belmont students, faculty and staff are spending their Spring Breaks next week on University-sponsored missions and service trips to sites across the U.S. and overseas. More than half of that number will be participating in Immersion 2013, a variety of Spring Break trips coordinated by University Ministries.

Spring Break 2011 Immersion trip to San Francisco

Director of Outreach Micah Weedman said, “University Ministries hopes to expose students, first, to the variety of injustices people of all backgrounds face in our country, and alongside that, the kind of work God is doing to combat that injustice in particular places.  This means that students have the opportunities to be immersed in local cultures and places, and to be immersed in the struggles and joys of particular peoples’ lives—hopefully, then, spending their Spring Breaks immersed in love, of God and neighbor.”

This year groups of students, faculty and staff will be traveling all over the country, exploring border issues in Las Cruces, examining creation in Cumberland Island, Ga., assisting with disaster aftermath in New Orleans and working in the inner cities of Chicago, New York and San Francisco, among other excursions. To follow blog entries from al of this semester’s immersion trips, click here.

In addition, the Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing will be sending two teams of students overseas next week to practice their healthcare skills in areas of great need. Assistant Professor of Nursing Robin Cobb and another faculty member will be leading eight students to provide nursing care to the people of Grand Goave, Haiti. Also, a team of about 20 physical therapy and occupational therapy students and faculty will head for the seventh year to Guatemala for a Christian service project. Click here to read the blog entries from these two trips next week.

Finally, the Office of Residence Life is again offering a service trip over Spring Break as well, this time taking five students to family-owned Agata Mountain Organic Ranch (A.M.O.R.) in Tellico Plains, Tenn.,  to learn about organic and simple living.  Maddox Hall Resident Director and team co-leader Alex Snow said, “Students will have the opportunity to live in community with the family, eat and learn about self-sustainable/organic living, and go out into the community to help where needed.  Projects will range from helping at local farms, doing arts and crafts that will be sold to raise funds for a battered women’s shelter and helping develop the farm’s ability to support groups.”

Study Abroad, CCSA Offer Diverse Programs This Summer

There are an incredible number and variety of options for students interested in studying abroad following the spring semester, whether looking for a month-long May-mester journey or a longer summer trip excursion.

During the Study Abroad Fair in November, students interested in studying abroad had the opportunity to speak with the professors leading the trips and students who had previously traveled.

Trips are available through Belmont’s own Study Abroad office as well as through Belmont’s study abroad partner, the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA). Students pay a flat program fee for the trip to cover travel and many expenses. However, in both programs, tuition for course credit is offered at one-third of its normal cost.

While some trips are focused around a single concentration (the Cambodia trip is exclusively for nursing students), many of the programs offer the opportunity to take Third Year Writing online over the course of the trip.

This year, students will be able to travel to a wide variety of places and take a number of unique and interesting courses. Those traveling to Switzerland have the option of taking a humanities course focused around the literature and thinking that was inspired under the gaze of Mont Blanc. Students can go to Hawaii for a month and study economic geography as they travel the islands. Fans of PBS TV show “Downton Abbey” even have the opportunity to travel to England and spend time in the actual Highclere Castle.

Students who are interested in studying abroad can find information sheets for the individual trips outside of the Study Abroad office located on the second floor of Fidelity Hall. Below is a list of  trips planned for May and Summer 2013 sessions, though several have passed the application deadline or have reached capacity:

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Seniors Moody, Roberts Crowned Homecoming King and Queen

Homecoming 2013 draws big crowds for numerous events

Seniors LT Moody and Maddie Roberts were crowned Belmont’s 2013 Homecoming King and Queen Saturday night during half-time of the men’s basketball game.

Roberts is an entertainment industry studies major with a marketing minor. From Houston, Texas, she is involved in Bruin Recruiters, SGA and Alpha Gamma Delta, a sorority she led as president last year. In addition to serving last year as a Towering Traditions leader, Roberts also works at the YMCA daycare and is interning at NorthStar Studios, a TV production company.

Roberts said, “I feel so blessed and excited to be Belmont’s Homecoming Queen. I’ve loved the opportunity to represent my Alpha Gamma Delta sisters who nominated me, and to me, this sort of represents all the wonderful relationships I’ve gotten to develop here in college. It’s a great way to end these four years!”

A native of Tullahoma, Tenn. and a huge supporter of Belmont Athletics, Moody is majoring in Christian Leadership with a minor in Church Recreation/Youth Ministry. He is a member of Alpha Tau Omega and the Student Coordinator of Intramurals in the Fitness & Recreation department. In addition, he volunteer at Preston Taylor and Harvest Hands as well as serves as the Student Ministry Intern at First Baptist Nashville.

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