School of Music Honors CeCe Winans with Applause Award

CeCe Winans and husband Alvin Love spoke to Belmont students last February at a Christian Faith Development convo.

Tickets still available for Saturday night’s President’s Concert

Belmont University’s School of Music will honor legendary gospel singer CeCe Winans with the Applause Award at Saturday night’s annual President’s Concert. The Applause Award is given each year to a person or organization that has greatly benefited the arts community in Nashville. The President’s Concert honors the leadership of Belmont President Bob Fisher and celebrates the talent and diversity of the School of Music at Belmont. Tickets to the concert, which starts at 8 p.m., will be available for purchase for $15 at the doors of the Massey Performing Arts Center. Seating is general admission.

One of the most recognizable voices in gospel music, CeCe Winans has sold millions of albums during her 25-year music career. The charismatic singer has won numerous awards including eight Grammy Awards and 21 Dove Awards in addition to gold and platinum albums and several number one Gospel and Top Ten R&B hits. Moreover, she has a reputation as one of the friendliest people in the music industry. In addition to singing, Winans has demonstrated her acting skills in TV sitcoms such as “Living Single” and hosted her own TV series, “CeCe’s Place,” for the Odyssey cable channel. She penned an autobiography, On a Positive Note, and co-wrote Throne Room, a worship journal and a devotional book for teenage girls. In 2005, she founded the youth and young adult conference Always Sisters Forever Brothers, an annual event which will be held on the campus of Belmont University this July. Both of Winans’ children graduated from Belmont University, and CeCe Winans is a former Belmont trustee.

The President’s Concert features School of Music student ensembles and groups that highlight the musical diversity of the program. The Applause Award is presented during the concert. All funds raised by the dinner and concert provide scholarships for students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, which includes the School of Music as well as the Department of Art and the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Previous Applause Award honorees include Earl Swensson (ESa), the Grand Ole Opry, ASCAP, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, The Beaman Family Foundation, BMI, Patricia Taylor Bullard, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, James Cotham, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Donna Hilley, Ronn Huff, Martha Ingram, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, Nashville Symphony, Barbara Massey Rogers, SESAC, Steinway & Sons, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, Jerry Warren and Sam Wilson.

Belmont University Presents ‘Best of the Best’ Showcase Honoring Mike Curb

Students plan, produce, star in concert for 2,000+ guests

On Saturday, April 14, at 7 p.m. Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business (CEMB) will present its annual Best of the Best Showcase.  The show will honor the college’s benefactor and namesake Mike Curb, 2012 recipient of the Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence, an annual award given to an individual who has achieved a level of excellence in the music business and entertainment industries with notable service to Belmont University and the Nashville community. 

During a distinguished career spanning almost five decades, Mike Curb has earned multi-faceted success as a songwriter, producer and record company owner, covering a wide range of musical styles. As an individual, he has written more than 400 songs and received countless music industry awards, including the prestigious Overall Producer of the Year Award from Billboard magazine in 1972. Curb Records, which Mike Curb founded and where he currently serves as chairman, has produced more than 300 No. 1 records and been honored by Billboard magazine as 2001 Country Music Label of the Year and Radio & Records magazine as 2005 Overall Gold Label of the Year. Curb also serves as chairman of gospel music powerhouse Word Entertainment, which was Billboard magazine’s Overall Top Imprint in that genre for 2006. In 2006, he received the lifetime achievement award at the annual Los Angeles Music Awards. In 2007, Curb was honored as Nashvillian of the Year and has received his stars on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame and on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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College of Business Administration Maintains Prestigious AACSB Accreditation

The College of Business Administration at Belmont University is proud to announce maintenance of business and specialized accounting accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.

Dean of the College of Business Administration Dr. Pat Raines said, “Belmont’s AACSB International accreditation sends a message to students, parents, faculty, employers and other schools that Belmont has one of the best business schools in the world. Only 178 institutions worldwide have earned AACSB accreditation for both their business and accounting programs. Maintaining this accreditation demonstrates that Belmont’s business and accounting programs are performing at the highest levels of quality, rigor and relevance.”

Belmont is part of an elite group of institutions—less than five percent of the world’s business schools—to have achieved business accreditation from AACSB International. Even more impressive, less than one percent of institutions have achieved both business and accounting accreditation. To realize accounting accreditation an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB Business Accreditation, which requires an institution to undergo a meticulous internal review and evaluation process. In addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the 21 business quality standards, AACSB Accounting Accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of 15 standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. (For information on the global distribution of accredited programs, visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/accreditedmembers.asp)

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Spring Back Recycling, SIFE Students Celebrate Milestone

Students and employees celebrate Spring Back's first year of business.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall joined students and faculty from Belmont University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team and staff from Belmont Church Wednesday to celebrate the latest milestone of one-year-old business, Spring Back Recycling, which recently surpassed 5,000 recycled mattresses.

A partnership between the church’s Isaiah 58 ministry and Belmont University, Spring Back began with a business concept and plan developed by the SIFE students, who are seeking to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. In addition to helping the environment, Spring Back employs workers from Isaiah 58 who were formerly homeless or incarcerated, giving them an opportunity for a new life.

Dr. John Gonas, associate professor of finance and SIFE advisor at Belmont, said, “I’ve been working in the business model development with a social justice bent for about seven years now. I’ve noticed that it’s incredibly difficult to match the expectations and needs of a community partner with the skill sets and time constraints of college students and faculty. But this business model can lead to sustainable social change and profitability.”

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean joined the celebration of Spring Back’s first year and praised the business for being both innovative and impactful. “Social innovation begins by identifying a problem.  This, of course, is the easy part.  The hard part, however, is finding and effectively executing a solution to this problem. This is exactly what Spring Back has done… May its success be the ‘springboard’ of new ideas and innovations that will continue to make Nashville, and in fact the world, a better place for all.”

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Services Division provides inmate work crews to do some of the delivery of donated mattresses as well as weekly debris pick-up and haul away for Spring Back. In addition, the business has hired a few low risk inmates through the work release program.

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall admits he’s a fan of the Spring Back model and how it impacts the community. “I absolutely love this program and thought it was a fantastic idea from the first time I heard about it. There aren’t many programs we can participate in that gets us cleaning up the community, works towards a greener environment by recycling materials that otherwise would be discarded, and hires inmate workers to help them develop a skill.  It really is a win-win for everyone.”

Bryan King, an Isaiah 58 member and the manager at Spring Back, noted about himself and the men he works with at the warehouse, “We’ve come from the bottom and are trying to get back up. Spring Back is good for the environment, and it’s good for everyone.”

Another Spring Back employee Ron Harness, who is now attending college, added, “The students are an amazing help. These young people come in and look at you as someone with possibility, not as someone who just got out of jail. They are a big part of my recovery.”

Alumna Melinda Doolittle Shares ‘Insider’s View’ of ‘American Idol’ Experience

Supporters establish Melinda Doolittle Endowed Scholarship

Harry Chapman interviews Melinda Doolittle April 4 during "The Insider's View."

Belmont alumna Melinda Doolittle, a commercial voice major who graduated in 1999, returned to campus Wednesday to be interviewed by Director of Development and Major Gifts Harry Chapman as part of the ongoing series, “The Insider’s View.” Following her Belmont years, Doolittle launched her professional career as a backup singer and then experienced an incredibly successful run on the sixth season of TV juggernaut “American Idol,” where she ultimately placed in the top three.

“I loved singing background and being the support system for artists,” Doolittle said of her time working with a long list of talent that included BeBe and CeCe Winans, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Alabama and Jonny Lang. “I got to sing with so many different artists, and it really stretched me.”

Those opportunities and her Belmont education helped prepare her for her stint on “American Idol” where she developed as an artist in her own right. “I was finding my own voice on stage every single week… ‘American Idol’ is like boot camp for singers, and it teaches you how to accept criticism. You have to get tough skin to work in this business. ‘American Idol’ put that fire in me that I didn’t know that I had, fire to be the front person, fire to be an artist.”

Since her time on ‘Idol,’ Doolittle has released her debut CD, Coming Back to You (2009), to rave reviews as well as her first book, Beyond Me (2010), in addition to performing at events everywhere from the White House to the Musicians Hall of Fame to the Kennedy Center to Carnegie Hall.  Her love of music and performing is eclipsed only by her love of giving back, as she dedicates much of her time to working with numerous charities, including the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and Malaria No More.

In addition, Doolittle just announced that her supporters, Melinda’s Backups, have been raising money for several years to establish a scholarship fund at her alma mater to continue the singer’s legacy of giving back. Commercial music majors in the College of Visual and Performing Arts will be eligible for the Melinda Doolittle Endowed Scholarship.

Doolittle noted, “My main goal is to make sure my career is a marathon and not a sprint. I want to foster longevity and build my career to have a platform to make a difference.”

The singer concluded her session in the Massey Performing Arts Center with a few words of wisdom for the students in attendance: “You never know when the door to opportunity is going to open for you. The catch is whether or not you’re prepared for it when it does… My motto is dream big, pray hard and be prepared, and I challenge everyone to do that.”

Students Use Spring Break to Fulfill Service

Belmont students represented the University through service in March when they used their spring breaks to take mission trips across the country.

Mandy Newman (right) screens for diabetes during spring break.

For its annual spring break Immersion trips, University Ministries put eight groups with over 70 students directly into a variety of cultures that included El Paso, New Orleans, New York City and Appalachia. The program seeks to immerse students into the work God is already doing.

The Detroit trip’s student coordinator Diana Rogut said the trip was life changing for her and that serving the homeless population of Detroit was eye opening. Building relationships with the people the team was serving revealed the common misconceptions of homelessness across the nation and beyond that, the truths of the people who are suffering from it.

Rogut spoke about her newly formed relationship with a homeless man named Derrick, noting, “The best part of my trip was getting a Facebook notification… and it said, ‘thanks for the friendship and pray that God moves us in His will so never forget you have friends in the (313) Detroit… know that you’re at home when you’re in the D. Be blessed.’”

Residence Life also participated in a trip to Gulf Port, Miss., to serve a mission that works with poverty stricken families and the homeless population, specifically those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Spending the week doing yard work, sorting donations, cleaning the mission and working in the office, the group was able to assist the mission in many ways.

“With the large volume of stories we hear daily about the problems with the world, it was a great sight to see our students interacting as part of a larger group that still believes in doing the right thing,” said group leader and Residence Director Chris DeLisle.

Belmont’s Pharmacy School as well as Occupational and Physical Therapy Schools took trips to the Guatemala City area in partnership with The Shalom Foundation to serve residents of the communities in many ways. The Pharmacy students provided screenings and general medical care to the residents while the OT/PT groups did assessments for disabled residents and home visits, among other things. Although the groups did not travel together, their service projects worked alongside each other and saw some of the same patients.

Pharmacy student and trip participant Mandy Newman said, “They taught me more about life than I could ever teach them about health. My life is forever changed because of them, and I hope to return next year.”

Convocation Discusses Oprah’s Social, Spiritual Impact

Stephen Mansfield

Noted author and speaker Stephen Mansfield visited Belmont Wednesday, Mar. 28, to speak about cultural icon Oprah Winfrey and the religious impact she has had on society.

Outlining the path Winfrey has taken to where she is today, Mansfield described both her personal life and professional career. Beginning as a radio personality in Nashville and then moving to a news anchor position with a Baltimore TV station, Winfrey gradually moved up the ranks in broadcasting.

When “The Oprah Winfrey Show” first aired, it was known for its sensational, tabloid-style topics but quickly turned to more positive, inspirational fare in the mid-’90s. With the religious transformation Winfrey experienced throughout the years, she began integrating a newfound faith perspective into her show.

According to Mansfield, her theology came down to blending religions, separating religion and spirituality and the understanding that religion is all about self—something very confusing in the minds of her religious viewers. However, Winfrey’s power to shape public opinion–influencing everything from book sales to election results–gave rise to a term known as the “Oprah Effect,” indicating the impact she had on viewers and consumers.

Such an effect can be both powerful and misleading, and Mansfield encouraged his listeners to begin discussing religion in everyday conversation. He emphasized the importance of asking questions and understanding what is happening to avoid becoming swept up in a social movement, like the “Oprah Effect.” Rather, individuals need to gain understanding of their own beliefs and ask good questions.

Jim Sasser Headlines International Business Symposium

Jim Sasser

Belmont’s Center for International Business held its third annual International Business Symposium Thursday morning, featuring a panel discussion and a conversation with former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, James Sasser.

The event opened with a panel discussion tackling the topic, “What are Nashville organizations doing to promote international trade and investment?” The  panel included Will Alexander, assistant commissioner, Strategy for the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development; Andy Collier with the U.S. Commercial Service, Nashville Export Assistance Center; and Blewett Melton, director of international business for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Melton stated that one of key elements of the Chamber’s future strategy is to promote Nashville as a center for international business, noting that 22 percent of the 103 expansions/relocations in Nashville during 2010/2011 were from internationally owned companies. Alexander also emphasized the growing international focus among Tennessee businesses, stating that 735 foreign companies currently employ roughly 100,000 Tennesseans.  Collier pointed at that China is the third largest market for Tennessee exports, commenting that this is often a surprise to many people and providing an appropriate transition to the next segment of the symposium.

Following the panel, Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher introduced Sasser and his son Gray, an attorney and current adjunct professor at Belmont, for a conversation on the expected impact of China’s leadership succession on Sino-US diplomatic, economic and business relationships.

Gray Sasser pointed out that in November 2012 China will experience a transition as significant as the United States own presidential election when the 18th Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, the party’s top leadership and most powerful decision-making body, takes office. Experts expect a great deal of turnover from the current committee structure due to the anticipated retirement of seven of the group’s nine members.

Despite the turnover, neither of the Sassers expects sudden changes in China. “I don’t see any dramatic changes in China’s foreign or economic policies in the next few years,” said Jim Sasser, who served as an ambassador to that nation from 1995-2001. “There’ll be more of a maintenance of the status quo. There won’t be substantial changes as [the new members] try to get their feet under them for the first 2-3 years.”

The younger Sasser also mentioned that China has recently seen a dip in its rate of economic growth and questioned whether it was time for American companies to start “booking flights to Brazil instead of Beijing.”

Jim Sasser said, “China is still going to grow, but we’re not going to see the same double digit growth. Economies naturally mature and slow down over time.”

Adjunct professor Gray Sasser interviews his father at the third annual International Business Symposium.

Both men advised that the best way for American business to enjoy tax breaks in China would be to build factories in the nation’s interior rather than along the coast, where the middleclass is already thriving. The Chinese government is more inclined to develop the interior where extreme poverty and economic disparity remain an issue.

Most importantly, however, “The one thing not to do is to go to China with a U.S. model for a business. That’s not going to work,” said Jim Sasser. “Instead, you need to take the time to understand the Chinese culture and to establish contacts. You can’t do it in a hurry.”

The International Business Symposium was co-sponsored by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Society of International Business Fellows, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the U.S. Department of Commerce Nashville Export Assistance Center, the Tennessee World Affairs Council, Sister Cities of Nashville and the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Senator Sasser also spoke in the evening to Gray Sasser’s undergraduate “Asian Business & Political Economies” class.

U.S. Bank Chairman Shares Views on Ethics at Belmont

Richard K. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer of U.S. Bank shared his views on the importance of regulating ethical business behavior with Belmont students, faculty and Nashville business leaders on Monday, March 26.

Davis began his campus visit with a convocation lecture titled “Business Ethics & Responsible Banking Today” presented to students in Beaman A&B.

“Ethics can be learned now. What I can’t drill into your head is when a lot of people are doing little things wrong, you will want to draw the line on when it will end. You can draw the line in the sand now that you will adhere to as you begin practicing business,” he said.

Davis emphasized the need to create a business culture with consistent values and regular audits as the cornerstone to long-term success. He encouraged government regulation on ethical business practices, such as shareholder access and whistleblower incentives to promote honesty, integrity and transparency. He also summarized the evolution of corporate responsibility from 1919 to the present.

“Making money is not a bad thing, because capitalism is what got America where it is today, as long as you do it the right way with honesty,” Davis said.

Davis was recently recognized as the Banker of the Year by the American Banker and received the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership. U.S. Bank is the nation’s fifth largest commercial bank with $340 billion in assets. The company has more than 3,000 banking offices, 5,000 ATMs and 60,000 employees in 25 states. Each year, about 50 U.S. Bank employees face jail time for white collar crimes, he said. U.S. Bank is characterized as one of the “cleanest” and best managed megabanks today and does not make loans to munitions or pornography companies, among others that conflict with company values. (more…)

Alumnus Brad Paisley Establishes Endowed Scholarship for Curb College Students

Photo credit: Jim Shea

Belmont University alumnus and multi Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artist Brad Paisley recently established an endowed scholarship at his alma mater. The Brad Paisley Endowed Scholarship will provide financial assistance for a deserving student with demonstrated need who is studying in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

Paisley said, “I’ve often said that the best course of education for a young person wanting to pursue country music is to go to college at Belmont. I speak from experience. I wouldn’t be in any position to offer a scholarship if I had not gone to Belmont – this is the least I can do in appreciation.”

Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher added, “I’ve heard Brad say that he ‘got his big break’ when he set foot on the campus of Belmont University, a place where he met fellow students who became members of what became ‘Team Paisley.’ Well, we’ve come full circle to realize that Belmont University and future students got our big break when Brad arrived on campus. We’re deeply grateful for his continued friendship and his commitment to making Belmont better than it was when he first found us.”

In 2003, Paisley received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Belmont. A 1995 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Paisley majored in music business at what was then the Mike Curb School of Music Business. During his Belmont career, Paisley himself benefitted from a scholarship supported by Vince Gill and has long been committed to “paying it forward” to another deserving student.

About Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley is the reigning Academy of Country Music Male Vocalist of the Year, his fifth consecutive, with a total of 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards including Entertainer of the Year for 2010. He has placed 20 singles at the top of the charts and his current album, This Is Country Music, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. He released his first book, Diary of a Player, on Nov. 1, 2011 and was on the New York Times Best Seller list for two weeks. His “Virtual Reality World Tour 2012” just completed its first leg and played to over 218,000 fans with 19 sell-outs. The tour continues on May 18 in St. Louis and continues through mid-October.

About the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business strives to combine academic experience with real world applications and seeks to achieve its mission by implementing innovative courses of study in the entertainment and music industries. Featured in Time, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Business Week, CEMB offers three degrees and four majors—a BBA in Music Business and a BA or BS in Audio Engineering Technology, Entertainment Industry Studies and Songwriting—and provides invaluable experiential learning opportunities like the Belmont East (New York City) and Belmont West (Los Angeles) programs, through which students expand their cultural experiences and career opportunities as they reside, learn, work and network. Coupled with entertainment internship opportunities available on and around Music Row, these programs augment students’ chances for entrepreneurial endeavors and career advancement.

West Memphis Three Member Visits Belmont

Jason Baldwin

Jason Baldwin, one of the West Memphis Three, was on campus this week to share his story and newfound passions with Belmont faculty, staff and students.

Sentenced in 1994 for the murder of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, Baldwin and his two friends served over 18 years in prison. With the discovery of newly processed DNA, the trio was released in August of 2011 when they entered Alford Pleas stating their innocence while also noting that prosecution have enough initial evidence to sentence them as they did.

Baldwin’s message to his listeners was clear. While in jail he took the opportunity to work in the law library, learn as much as he could and appreciate all the time he had. He urges students to do the same.

Baldwin has also committed himself to a life working against the death penalty while also opposing forced confessions of individuals on trial and convictions of the innocent. In addition, he hopes to help juveniles facing a life sentence without parole.

Beginning his associate degree in April, Baldwin hopes to finish that program and work towards a law degree so he can continue his hopes of changing the legal system. He ended his convocation lecture by saying, “Every day is amazing. Every day is a blessing. I thank God for it.”

On Monday night, Baldwin was present for an on campus viewing of the 2012 Academy Award-nominated HBO documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. The film, along with its predecessors Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996) and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000), detail the story of the West Memphis Three and the trio’s ultimate release from prison. Together the films played a significant role in garnering publicity, awareness and support for the men.

Belmont Graduate Program Offers New Social Media Course

The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University began offering a new course this semester, “Social Media Marketing Strategies and the Recommendation Age,” which is believed to be the first graduate level course in social media to be developed in the Nashville area. The class is being taught by instructor Bob Hutchins, local author and owner of BuzzPlant, a marketing agency specializing in social media and online marketing.

Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Business Dr. Joe Alexander said, “We see Bob as a pioneer in the industry and believe he will greatly impact the learning experience of our MBA students.”

Hutchins noted, “I’ve spent 20 years working on marketing campaigns and strategies for clients, and only in the last five have I seen how great of an influence social media has on the business world. I’m proud to be involved with Belmont and help our rising industry leaders see the opportunities social media has to offer.”

As industries continue to cut back on marketing budgets, recent solutions have been anchored in the realm of social media. Hutchins defines this new era as the “Recommendation Age”—consumers are once again taking recommendations from their fellow consumers and having these conversations online.

Taught by a professional in the field, students receive relevant, authentic examples of what is happening in the social media field around Nashville. Hutchins brings examples from his own organization into the classroom for lectures. “It allows students to see real campaigns close up. It also allows me to share what worked, where we made mistakes and how we succeeded. This ‘hands-on’ approach makes the experience less academic and more real world,” he said.

Students are grateful for the experience to learn from such a professor. Kathleen Goff, a student in Hutchins’ class enjoyed the class so much she took an internship at BuzzPlant. She said, “I learned a ton about the impact social media can have and the ways in which you can track it.  I was also fascinated by… learning about how important social media is to spur on communication and conversations between people about your product.”

For 25 years, the Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University has been an avenue for practicing professionals to develop the tools and strategies necessary to advance in their careers. Acquiring an advanced business degree through practical, ethical and entrepreneurial coursework has facilitated the professional development of more than 1,800 business leaders in Nashville and beyond.

More Cloar : Carroll Cloar Art Exhibit Returns to Belmont University’s Leu Gallery

Image courtesy of David Lusk Gallery, Memphis, TN: “The Washerwoman” by Carroll Cloar, 1974.

Curated by David Lusk, the Leu Art Gallery presents paintings, lithographs and drawings by the late Carroll Cloar April 2 – May 24 on the campus of Belmont University. The exhibit offers selections from the David Lusk Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee, and several Nashville area collectors.

A nationally recognized American painter, Cloar’s style has been described as simultaneously primitive and progressively modern. Drawing from his childhood memories of the American South, his compositions are grounded in reality but often evoke a dream-like quality making them difficult to categorize, but remarkable to contemplate. Belmont University previously hosted a Carroll Cloar exhibit, “Timeless Tales of the South,” in 2003.

Art historian and writer Dr. Richard Gruber will provide a guest lecture on Cloar at 4 p.m., Thursday, April 12 in the Lila D. Bunch Multimedia Hall followed by a 5-7 p.m. reception in the Leu Art Gallery. The event is free and open to the public. Gruber is active as an independent curator, art historian and writer, living in Asheville, North Carolina. He is also Director Emeritus of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, University of New Orleans, after serving as the Director of the Ogden Museum and a member of the University of New Orleans faculty from 1999-2010.

The Leu Art Gallery is located in the Lila D. Bunch Library on the campus of Belmont University. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m.-7 p.m. (with holiday exceptions). For more information and images of Carroll Cloar’s work, please visit http://davidluskgallery.com/artists/carroll.cloar/.

About the Belmont University Department of Art
Belmont University offers a wide variety of study options for students interested in the visual arts. The experienced faculty and well-equipped facilities help foster an environment where students are offered numerous opportunities to explore their creative talents. For more information, please visit their website www.belmont.edu/art.

Professor Shares Story of Salvation, Cultural Integration

The Bible was once just a reference book on a library shelf for Asian Studies Professor Qingjun Li. Then as a professor twice recognized as a “Teacher of Excellence” at Zhengzhou University in China, religion was taboo in academia.

“The education that I received was that there was no God, and there was no Savior in your world but you. Religion was like opium; it made your mind numb,” said Li, who grew up in China. “I never thought I could use the Bible for myself as a companion.”

She shared her story of “Finding Faith in the Land of the Dragon” during chapel on March 14. In China, the dragon stands as a symbol of power, good luck and achievement.

Then a friend named Sherri Love would share stories of Jesus Christ with Li, sometime for hours.

“She planted a seed in my heart, but I did not become a believer all of a sudden. I still had questions and struggles,” Li said. Love would mail her books on Christianity, and Li began attending church secretly in someone’s home with other Chinese intellectuals. Soon thereafter, a pastor from Hong Kong baptized her in a bathtub.

“After that, I had a shift, and I had someone to rely on. That was only the beginning of my faith,” she said.

Her journey with Christ continued to flourish as Li became a graduate student in the United States. She used the Bible, once just a reference book, to find comfort when she struggled with language barriers and cultural nuances using Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:4 and Psalm 23.

Li has a Ph.D. in English and is the author of three books.

Sociology Professor Tells ‘Black Woman’s Burden’

Kent State University sociology assistant professor Nicole Rousseau chronicled the role of black women’s wombs in America’s capitalist society over 400 years during a lecture to Belmont students on March 19.

Winner of the 2010 North Central Sociological Association Scholarly Achievement Award, Rousseau gave an outline of her book The Black Woman’s Burden: Commodifying Black Reproduction.

During slavery, black women were raped and forced to reproduce to provide labor for the agricultural South. During the U.S. industrial era, blacks were seen as parasites and sterilizations were mandated through the eugenics movements and The Negro Project. Today, sterilization is coerced through programs such as Project Prevention, which offers people with drug and alcohol addictions cash for sterilization. In Illinois, unwed mothers under21 are asked to have their tube tied immediately after giving birth to a second child, and wards of the state also are given cash incentives for sterilization. Each of these instances disproportionately affects women and minorities, Rousseau said.

“The reality is that this is an unnerving trend,” she said. “The idea is appalling that there are currently public debates about birth control and someone else’s body. This is a slippery slope because it legitimizes someone else making decisions for a woman.”

The Black Woman’s Burden explores bureaucracy, institutionalized racism, political economy and black women as a unique labor class while drawing from black feminism, the womanist theory and the critical race theory.

Rousseau earned her doctorate in Sociology from Howard University.  Her work on the structural and institutional roots of race, class and gender inequalities, social rhetoric and identity formation, and Historical Womanist theory have been included in several publications in the United States and South America.