2/28/2007 - Belmont Vision
Transcription
2/28/2007 - Belmont Vision
Feature www.belmontvision.com The student newspaper of Belmont University Vol. 56, No. 11 February 28, 2007 May I have this dance? Dance fever is spreading across Belmont’s campus. Groups of students travel throughout the Nashville area and beyond for swing and salsa, while others attend DDR and Street Jamz on campus. p. 10-11 A&E PHOTO BY CHRIS SPEED Students party at Phi Kappa Tau’s “Get Your Rave On” in the Curb Cafe after the women’s basketball game against Gardner-Webb on Feb. 24. TripleHouse doubles as business, learning experience Two Belmont students established their own recording studio in Nashville, taking what they’re learning in their classes and applying it to the real world of music business. p. 16 Greeks add Phi Kappa Tau By Chansin Bird SENIOR WRITER Trends Tattoos gain popularity with Gen X 35 percent of Americans age 18-29 have at least one tattoo. Is it an expression of rebellion or a personal fashion statement? p. 19 Sports On the 100th anniversary of the Greek fraternity Phi Kappa Tau, the Belmont University colony met requirements to become an official chapter. Currently, Belmont’s Zeta Alpha chapter has 36 total members with 28 initiated brothers and eight associate members. Four years ago, Phi Kappa Tau didn’t exist at Belmont. In the spring semester of ’03, the school had two fraternities and three sororities. The Student Affairs Office wanted to increase Greek life at Belmont and saw the need to add another fraternity. It chose Phi Kappa Tau out of numerous national fraternities. At first, only a handful of guys joined the group, but gradually it grew. “Before we got our charter we were just a “We have a broad group of guys, which I think is something that could be attractive to all types of people.” Jared Black Phi Kappa Tau president colony,” chapter president and sophomore music business major Jared Black said. “We weren’t considered active brothers. We were considered pledges or associate members. No one was initiated into the brotherhood of Phi Kappa Tau.” Certain requirements must be met in order to be an official chapter. The group has to have an excess of 30 members, involved alumni support and financial stability. Phi Kappa Tau’s national president and CEO came to Belmont Nov. 4 for the official installation ceremony. The guys went through the rituals, learned the secrets of the brotherhood and all signed the official chartering document. “We see ourselves as a diverse group with many personalities,” Black said. “We have a broad group of guys, which I think is something that could be attractive to all types of people. Anyone can fit with what we’re about.” Despite the diversity, sophomore music business major Matt Reynolds, who is also a Vision music writer, values the bond he has See PHI KAPPA TAU, page 6 Belmont ‘Idol’ movin’ on up By Danae Hutchinson STAFF WRITER March Madness The men’s and women’s basketball teams both have a shot at the NCAA tournament. But can they win their respective A-Sun championships to secure a bid to the Big Dance? p. 5 Online Eight years ago, Melinda Doolittle was just another commercial music major at Belmont, heading “from here to anywhere.” Today she is one of the top 20 contestants vying to be the next “American Idol.” The sixth season is airing and she is in her 5th week of competition. Doolittle will need to advance through two more rounds – the top 10 Tuning in women compete Wednesday night – comAmerican Idol peting in themed performances like country music, musical theater, and hits of the 21st airs at 7 p.m. century to become one of the top 12 finalTuesday, ists. Wednesday and Since the 7th grade, singing has been the Thursday on one talent Doolittle knows best. She has perfect pitch and impeccable vocal quality. Fox 17. According to Jeffrey Kirk, music coordinator and director of events administration at Belmont, not only was she an incredible singer, but she had an infectious personality. He said, at Doolittle’s audition for the commercial music showcase, that he immediately noticed that she had a unique voice, special talent and stage presence. “She has honed her craft,” Kirk said. “The honesty in her face ... She comes across not as though someone trained her to look a certain way. It was easy to tell she had a very special talent.” Following her studies at Belmont, Doolittle went on to be a suc- PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN IDOL Melinda Doolittle, a Belmont grad, is in the Top 20 American Idol finalists in the show’s sixth season. cessful background vocalist, working with artists like The Winans, Michael McDonald, Anointed and Mandisa, but her dreams did not stop there. “Actually, a friend of mine was going to the audition and he invited me to go along because I quite enjoy the funny singing,” Doolittle said in an interview with the Tennessean. "We thought you had to audition in order to watch everything, so we did. We thought it would be fun. I had no idea I would make it to this point. I am so excited!” From day one, Doolittle has left a huge impression on the See AMERICAN IDOL, page 6 Page 2 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 State considers smoking bans By Ray Taylor STAFF WRITER New efforts to “just say no” to tobacco are facing hurdles in Tennessee, as opposing camps square off on state government efforts to limit smoking and triple the cigarette tax. The largest impact of the legislative bills, if passed, would come in the form of two statewide smoking bans, one affecting restaurants that serve patrons younger than 18 and the second focusing on smoking in public places and workplaces. Another move to reduce smoking came last week from Gov. Phil Bredesen, who included an increase in the state tax on cigarettes from 20 cents to 60 cents per pack in his proposed state budget. Leigh Sullivan, a junior music business major, said these efforts to reduce smoking are not a bad idea, especially with the dangers of secondhand smoke. “And particularly with kids, not letting them get used to it, and maybe causing addiction,” she said. “I can see the other side, people can get addicted, and might need an outlet. But overall I just think it’s a better, healthier environment.” The main rationale for smoking bans is to protect workers and citizens from heart dis- ease, cancer and respiratory illnesses and other acute diseases that scores of studies show definitively come from exposure to secondhand smoke. Studies examined by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates from 910-1610 annual deaths in Tennessee from secondhand smoke and 9,600 adult deaths from their own smoking. Statistics that have been tallied in states that already have high cigarette taxes show that the price increases per pack reduce the number of people who start smoking and increase the number who quit. Tennessee’s current 20-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes is 48th among the 50 states, or one-fifth of the $1 per pack average. Tobacco-Free Kids estimates that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes will reduce youth smoking by about 7 percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4percent. “I can understand the smoker’s point of view, especially given addictive behavior,” Dr. Andrea Stepnick, chair of the sociology department at Belmont, said. “But workers in establishments where there’s smoking have a right to be protected. Science has pointed out the dangers and societal costs of More and more restaurants and bars are moving from smoking sections to totally non-smoking establishments. smoking, and has shown that a smoking ban would be practical in the same way that seat belts have proven effective. It’s also about the state protecting itself from the cost of risky behavior.” The current anti-smoking legislation being proposed for the state is not the first. In 1994, a law was passed that was billed in an attempt to keep tobacco away from children and teenagers. The law also barred local governments from regulating tobacco use more than the state does. Last year, Governor Phil Bredesen signed a bill into law that prohibits smoking in state buildings. The proposed anti-smoking legislation would also empower local governments to pass anti-smoking laws specific to their areas. With the increase in awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and the subsequent laws reducing opportunities for smoking, resistance to smoking bans has not been of great note. A number of dining establishments in Nashville that serve alcohol and typically have customers who prefer to smoke when they drink have already implemented non-smoking regulations at their facilities, many with little negative effect. “I can understand why people don’t like smoking in restaurants,” Jackson Albracht, freshman commercial music major, said. “The smoking section is right by the nonsmoking section. I do think it should be allowed at 18 and over shows, however. That’s a time when I do like to smoke.” Another smoker, Evan Smith, also a freshman music business major, said, “I understand the health issue and the reasons for the ban. It’s not something I’d be up in arms about.” Establishments that only serve alcohol have voiced a greater concern over the loss of revenue by smoking bans than food-service businesses. Proposed legislation is not directed toward these establishments, allowing those who smoke when consuming alcohol to continue. In the last three months, Belmont nursing professor Ruby Dunlap has traveled to Ohio and Georgia, which already have non-smoking rules in place. “When we would eat at a restaurant and ask for non-smoking, they would say it’s all non-smoking,” Dunlap said. “From my understanding, the patrons and staff seemed to enjoy that fact.” Tennessee, she believes, needs to join the rest of the country. “Secondhand smoke is a well-known risk factor for many illnesses. As health professionals, we see children come in repetitively with ear infections, asthma and respiratory problems from families where there is smoking at home. It’s All choked up Ads for tobacco have been taken off television and warnings have been put on cigarette packages, but there’s still an uphill battle in the United States to reduce smoking and the effects that come from it. The effort continues, however, with smoking restrictions and bans and higher tobacco taxes. Here are some facts culled from studies by government agencies and non-profits: • From 1980 to 2000 smoking rates fell by 27 percent nationwide. Now 20.9 percent of U.S. adults are cigarette smokers. Despite the decline,teenage smokers still outnumber adults. • The adult smoking rate in Tennessee is 26.8 percent; only Indiana, at 27.3 percent, is higher. • In the first 18 months after the town of Pueblo, Colo., enacted a smoking ban in 2003, hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped 27 percent. Admissions in neighboring towns without smoking bans showed no change. • New York City restaurant patrons, by a margin of 6-to-1, say they eat out more often now because of the city’s smoke-free policy. • Almost 60 percent of U.S. children 3-11, or almost 22 million kids, are exposed to secondhand smoke. • Only 43 percent of restaurant employees work under 100 percent smoke-free workplace policies. inescapable that the right to smoke impacts the right to stay healthy.” Others at Belmont have diverse viewpoints on the proposed ban. “I can understand the health issue, but why don’t they look at the dangers of alcohol?” Paula Gati of the housekeeping department said. “It affects people in another negative way. Why only focus on cigarettes? If they do away with smoking at work, I’ll quit [smoking]. What’s the point?” An issue not addressed by the ban was brought up by Mary Weber, Belmont’s horticulturist and landscape manager. “I’m all for it for the health issues,” she said, citing other benefits. “From an aesthetic standpoint, the grounds would just look so much nicer. And from a manager’s standpoint, it would be a great advantage in the use of resources. The time we spend cleaning up cigarette butts absorbs a large amount of our labor.” CLASSIFIED ADS Babysitter needed Wanted Afterschool Childcare- for two girls age 3 and 6. Flexible hours and days- primarily 3-6pm 2- 3 days a week. Need to have reliable transportation to drive kids. Schools and home in Brentwood. Please call 615 332 0304 or e-mail [email protected] if interested. Part-Time Youth Minister needed. Una Baptist Church is seeking a part time Youth Minister. Duties will include, but are not limited to; planning and coordinating youth activities, teaching classes and weekly bible studies, developing youth outreach program, meeting with and following the ministry plan of the Pastor. This position is year-round, part-time, and salary based. Commitment to a ministry lifestyle is important and additional summer time activities should be expected. Resumes and references should be submitted by March 1, 2007. Send to Una Baptist Church, 1931 Murfreesboro Rd.,Nashville, TN 37217 Attn: Personnel Committee Part-Time Maintenance person needed. Una Baptist Church is seeking a parttime maintenance person. Duties include daily routine maintenance, weekly preventive maintenance, minor projects, and coordination of outside contractors for larger projects. Resumes and references should be submitted by March 1, 2007. Send to Una Baptist Church, 1931 Murfreesboro Rd., Nashville, TN 37217, Attn: Personnel Committee Bed A 100% all new Full size mattress set in plastic w/warr. $120.00 615-394-0861 Bed 1 All New Brand Name Queen Pillowtop Set In plastic w/warr. $160.00 615-394-0861 Bed 3 pc King Pillowtop set Brand name. New in Plastic w/war. $250.00 615-394-0861 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville TN, 37212 Phone: (615) 460-6433 E-mail: [email protected] Editor: Managing Editor: Online Editor: Photo Editor: A&E Editor: Sports Editor: Advertising: Faculty Adviser: Online/Graphics Adviser: Henry Nichols Melanie Bengtson Joanna Larson Sierra Mitchell Andrew Cole Jordan Drake Karen Bennett Linda Quigley Angela Smith Senior Staff: Adaeze Elechi, Chansin Bird, Chris Speed, Eric Detweiler, Alexander Jones Contributors: Lisa Johnston, Courtney Drake, Rachel Allen, Ameshia Cross, Rachel Waller, Jessica Haines, Jessica Walker, Matt Reynolds, Bethany Arthur, Meaghan Mitchell, Ray Taylor, Sarah Mitchell, Jeanette Ceja, Lance Conzett. Joseph Shelby, Cody Badaracca, Sarah Mitchell, Bland Clark, Chase Misenheimer The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 3 Beach party mocks idea of global warming crisis By Melody Drushal STAFF WRITER Satirizing Al Gore’s book and movie, An Inconvenient Truth, the Belmont Collegiate Republicans invited students to a beach party Feb. 23 to learn about opposing ideas to the theory of global warming. Rob Martin, president of the campus group, and his fellow officers sorted through eight dozen studies and articles PHOTO BY AMANDA HILL With floats in the amphitheater fountain and research studies on display boards, members of Belmont’s Collegiate Republicans used a February “beach party” to inform students about alternative explanations for global warming theories advanced by some scientists and environmentalists. to challenge the conclusions of the widely-reported, United Nations-backed study that found that the warming of the earth’s climate system is unequivocal, that it is likely manmade and that it is a serious and lasting threat. In a similar vein, former Tennessee senator and vice president Gore focused on climate change in the 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. The Collegiate Republicans offered three display boards featuring much of the research along with hot dogs and soft drinks to beach partiers and bystanders in the amphitheater. “In these studies, we were most frequently faced with the data that countered the scientists’ hypotheses, yet the conclusion confirmed it,” Martin said. “They’re going to find what they want to whether it’s there or not.” One student who attended the event, however, said the simple fact that the temperature is rising every year is proof enough for him that there’s a problem. “I believe it’s a major concern,” Ryan Snellen said. “I try not to be a typical human that leaves the lights on or throws trash outside. My parents taught me to care for what God has given us.” Martin said that there might be some truth to the global warming theory, but that he can “neither admit nor deny” that climate change is actually occurring. Sophomore Sarah Johnson believes global warming might exist, but said, “I think Al Gore is blowing it way out of proportion and using it for his own benefit.” Martin agrees with Johnson and dedicated one of his boards to criticizing Gore’s political and personal life, labeling Gore as the “stepfather of global warming.” Martin said he believes Gore became involved with the issue to further his political campaign – Gore is to date, however, not an announced candidate for the 2008 presidential election – and said the lowering of greenhouse gases would be an honorable mission if “it were authentic.” “He’s right for the wrong reasons,” Martin said. “He’s dedicated his life to something that is good for humanity.” Many Republicans agree with Martin, but Snellen, who said he almost always votes Republican, said, “I think the Democrats are saying that humans are the problem and the Republicans are saying we’re not to blame. I don’t necessarily agree with the Republicans, because we are the civilized individuals that put the pollution in the air.” While Snellen’s common sense approach might work for him, others require more concrete evidence. “It is to this day still a theory,” Martin said. “The U.N. and Al Gore can say as much as they want but until someone produces conclusive evidence I’m going to be cynical of it. I am not in any way an environmental scientist and I don’t claim to be, but I am a cynic.” ‘Inconvenient Truth’ wins two Oscars Rising above the political controversy that has surrounded the movie since its 2006 opening, global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth snagged two Academy Awards at the Feb. 25 ceremony. Director David Guggenheim took home the trophy for Best Feature Documentary while Melissa Ethridge won Best Original Song for “I Need to Wake Up.” “This is not a political issue,” said Al Gore, one of the film’s most visible supporters. “It’s not a political movie. [...] I hope that this honor will convince many others to go and see the movie and learn about the climate crisis and become a part of the solution to it.” Ethridge echoed Gore’s emphasis upon the film’s important message. “Awards are sweet,” said Ethridge. “What’s so nice about this is that it’s for being invovled with this project. [...] It goes beyond the award place and I love that we are able to draw attention to the matter at hand.” - Andrew Cole Spring break in Nashville can be fun too By Chansin Bird SENIOR WRITER While some of your friends go to the beach or on a mission trip, you may be stuck in Nashville for spring break. Music City isn’t as glamorous as Hawaii, but you can still find fun things to do close to Belmont. Tourists from across the country visit Nashville, but there are probably several places around town you’ve never made the effort to check out. Now is your chance. Here are a few ideas: Visit a thrift store. Even if you’re not interested in buying anything, it could be fun to browse through people’s old clothes. Maybe you'll make a good find. Or maybe you’ll laugh a lot. If you’re up for an adventure, check out The Goodwill Outlet store at 905 Ninth Ave. N. You buy clothes at $1.49 a pound. They sell the clothes that have been in the regular Goodwill stores for five weeks. If it happens to be your birthday, you should find a restaurant that will feed you for free on your special day. Some food joints that will give you a meal are Atlanta Bread Company on West End, Caney Fork Fish Camp on Music Valley Drive, Bistro 215 in Green Hills, Chef Yang's on White Bridge Road and Blue Sky Buffet in Goodlettsville. Make sure you bring your ID to prove that it really is your birthday. Go see the zebras at the zoo. Through the end of March, Nashville Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All you have to pay is $8 and parking is always free. If the weather is cold, there may be fewer animals out, but there also may be less people. Visiting after 1 p.m. on the weekdays and at 9 a.m. on Sundays can help you avoid long lines. The address is Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Rd. The Parthenon is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. We’ve all seen it from West End Avenue. But have you actually been in it? There is a re-creation of the 42-foot Athena statue inside. The building also serves as an art museum. There are 63 paintings by 19th- and 20th-century American artists permanently on display. The cost is $5 and the hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At this time of the year, there are two special gallery exhibits featuring worldwide traveler and Nashville-based documentary photographer Stacey Irvin and artist Dan Quest’s woodcuts of the Jack Daniels Distillery. Even if you're not a country fan, you should watch a show at The Grand Ole Opry. It's the world’s longest-running live radio show, and it's been airing since 1925. There are a few shows to pick from over spring break. For example, on Tuesday the 6th, you can see Restless Heart, Del McCoury, Diamond Rio and Jimmy Dickens. On Saturday the 10th at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. you can see Mel Tillis, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Holy and Jim Ed Brown. Ticket prices are in the $30-$50 range. Walk around downtown and cross the Shelby Street Bridge. You'll see tourists, but you'll also see some cool shops. And the historic bridge is that main connection between downtown and the neighborhoods of East Nashville. You'll see some pretty views of the city skyline. Go dancing at B.B. King’s or Wildhorse Saloon. You can bring friends and dance to the live bluesy music at B.B. King’s, or you can learn how to line dance at Wildhorse. These places will remind you of the benefits of living in Music City. Create a useful piece of artwork at All Fired Up. At this shop in Hillsboro Village, you can make a personal ceramic gift for a friend or yourself. You pick out a ceramic piece, paints and paintbrushes, take a seat and paint away. The cost is $6 for the sitting fee plus the cost of the item you paint. Item choices include picture frames, figurines, mugs and vases. All Fired Up is located across from the back parking lot of Bosco’s. Page 4 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 The College of Business Administration and The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business congratulate the 28 students and 2 faculty members who were recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma – the international honor society for students enrolled in programs accredited by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Beta Gamma Sigma is the business equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa (liberal arts honor society) and membership is the highest honor bestowed upon graduate and undergraduate business students at these institutions. Students ranking in the top 7 percent of the junior class, top 10 percent of the senior class, and top 20 percent of master’s programs at schools accredited by AACSB International are eligible. Faculty may be inducted to active membership if he/she holds an earned doctorate and has attained tenure. Congratulations! Deanna L. Addison Mark D. Ahlberg Katherine Ellen Austin Julie M. Boos Jessica M. Bowden Alexander P. Britt Candace M. Campbell Richard L. Churchman Janice C. Dotti Laryssa A. Emeigh Gary W. Gable Robert M. Holliman, Jr. Kassi R. Konz Ashley E. Kozak Kayla Lyftogt Marion S. Millard Garrett R. Miller Angelina P. Mott Kristen A. Nelson Steve E. Osborne, Jr. Rachel E. Pickett Michael Todd Pursley Nathan J. Sheppard Katherine A. Smith Cheryl A. Troxel Kelsey E. Weaver Bryan L. Webb Richard T. Whitfield Crystal Marie York Marilyn Young The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 SGA vote could end class officers By Chansin Bird STAFF WRITER The Student Government Association will soon vote on a possible constitutional amendment to eliminate class officers. At their next meeting March 13, Congress will hear about the amendment for the second time. Lack of interest in class officer positions and undefined responsibilities are cited as the main reasons for the possible change. “In the process of trying to come up with ways to improve [SGA], we saw there was a weakness in the class officer system,” senior class president Ben Palos said. “I started brainstorming ways to fix this and wrote up this amendment as a draft.” Now there are eight sponsors of the bill, and several of them are class officers themselves. It has been two years since the last constitutional amendment, Palos said. The possible amendment will do away with class officers and instead have elected class representatives on Congress. Currently, the president and vice president of each class serve on Congress. Their responsibilities “... people find also include planning events leadership throughout the positions in school year. things they’re Under the new amendment, more interest- class representatives on ed in.” Congress will Ben Palos have no extra senior class president responsibilities and will not have a separate budget as they do now. Also, there will not be a board of officers for each class. Last year the junior and senior class offices ran uncontested. Palos said there seems to be a consistent lack of interest. “The freshmen always get involved and do great,” Palos said. “Sometimes that carries on to the sophomores. As you get older, you get more involved and people find their niche. Those people find leadership positions in things they’re more interested in. The attention is away from class officers.” SGA president Will Cromer said class office jobs are not clearly defined. However, one thing the junior class officers have run is the Mistletoe Ball, a formal in December. He suggested the SGA events committee or Program Board could take over that event. If the amendment is passed by Congress, the student body must approve it as well. The choice will appear on the online student body election ballot March 21-23. If either Congress or the student body does not approve it, class officers will be determined in the fall. Cromer thinks the amendment will pass. “My understanding is that the majority of current class officers are on board,” Cromer said. “The Student Affairs Office agrees. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are changes made to the actual amendment.” The amendment is still in its first stages. He said it may not pass, or it may be changed dramatically. Palos said the amendment is not going to pass without a lot of promotion to students. “They have to vote on it, so we’re really going to have to make the student body aware of what this amendment means to them and how it will affect them,” Palos said. “If we get that done, I think it will pass.” Page 5 Bible study has wide reach By Amber Garner STAFF WRITER Every semester University Ministries offers the student body new ways to discover how to grow in their relationship with God. A big part of what University Ministries has to offer are small group Bible studies that cover a variety of topics such as how to conduct a productive Bible study to how to realize your spiritual gifts. While Belmont has traditionally been a Tennessee Baptist-affiliated institution, there are no denominational limitations placed on the range of Bible studies at University Ministries. Every student on campus is welcome to attend any or all of the Bible studies offered by the university. It is the university’s intention that the campus benefits from religious diversity, said Dr. Todd Lake, Belmont’s vice president of spiritual development. “The diversity is a really good thing because when you get students from all different denominations you can really learn from each other and that’s what college is all about: meeting different people and learning new things,” said freshman journalism major Melissa Gore, a campus Bible studies participant. The religious diversity on campus can be witnessed in any Bible study the school has to offer, according to Crystal Jones, Wright Hall residence director and leader of the Quiet Time with God Bible study. “I definitely feel like it helps bring community,” she said. “If you come to a Bible study and you have maybe 10 people that come from different backgrounds and Christian views then that’s going to deepen the study. You have all these ideas of what they think and what shaped them to be who they are and that will bring understanding instead of dividing us.” With so many negative feelings surrounding the break with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, some people were left wondering what turn in spiritual development the university would take. If you ask Dr. Lake this question he would advise you to take a look at Guy Chmieleski, Belmont University's minister. Chmieleski attended a Baptist College, a Methodist Seminary and worked at Pepperdine University, which is associated with the Church of Christ. He now works at Belmont and attends a Baptist church. And the student body? While there are Campus groups offer fellowship Face-to-Face Encounters: Communion with God from Genesis to the New Kingdom Mondays @ 10 am 400 Fidelity Hall Contact: Julie Guthrie Quiet Time with God Mondays @ 10am Kennedy Hall Classroom Contact: Crystal Jones Love Your God with All Your Mind Wednesdays @ noon Location TBA Contact: John Gonas Missions for Life Tuesdays @ 2pm 1st floor conference room in Beaman Contact: Tom and Bonnie Hearon Spiritual Gifts: Discerning God’s Purpose in Your Life and in His Plan Thursdays @ 12:30pm Location TBA Contact: Derrell Seigler The Deeper Life Wednesdays @ noon 1st Floor conference room in Beaman Contact: Guy Chmielski now many different denominations officially representing the university, there has been a wealth of religious parity on campus long before December’s diversification of Belmont’s Board of Trustees. Lake said 30 percent of Belmont’s students are from Tennessee. Of that number, only 25 percent are Baptist. “If you just limit it to Tennessee Baptists you are disfranchising a vast majority of our alumni. We can’t afford to lose those individuals who want to be a part of the Belmont board,” Lake said. New Students can choose from many Bible study groups that meet at Belmont. members of the board include gospel artist CeCe Winans and Christian publisher T.B. Boyd. The Tennessee Baptist Convention is still a part of the university’s board, but now it is not the dominant faith among the members. The diversity celebrated in Belmont’s student body will now also be represented in its leaders, “Drawing on the strengths of various Christian traditions and saying we’re going to be better and stronger as a Christian institution if we can celebrate what different streams of SIFE creates custom fair trade coffee By Courtney Drake STAFF WRITER Belmont University’s Students in Free Enterprise chapter sponsored a convocation event with Conexion Americas, a nonprofit organization that benefits the local Hispanic community, on Feb. 26. SIFE partnered with Conexion Americas and coffee growers in Central and South America (through Bongo Java) to create the ideal coffee blend, said John Gonas, the faculty advisor for SIFE and an assistant professor for the School of Business. “We wanted to create a business, use it to teach entrepreneurship to Hispanics and Belmont and finally give the business to the Hispanics, though SIFE will control it for an unlimited amount of time,” he said. The idea behind the business was to create a free-trade coffee, said JonEric Pettersson, project leader for the venture. Free-trade coffee directly benefits the grow- ers because it offers them a fair price for their coffee, which is often higher than what the legal rate per pound is. “It allows [growers] to sustain themselves, and it has a direct effect on their living standards,” said Gonas. At the convo, Bob Bernstein, Bongo Java’s owner, talked about fair trade, and attendees were also given the opportunity to taste the three blends created: light roast, dark roast and decaf. Coffee was also sold at the convo for $8-10/pound. Members of SIFE will market the blend and give proceeds to Conexion Americas, which will give them a “profit tool” for making money, said Pettersson. Most of all, the goal of the business is to teach people about entrepreneurship and provide more money to the coffee growers. “We want to give [growers] strong wages and provide a learning opportunity for Belmont and the Hispanic community,” said Gonas. SIFE, which is on 1,000 campuses nationwide, has only been at Belmont for two years. However, it has 23 members in varying majors and is involved in 16 projects right now, said Gonas. It focuses on teaching market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and business ethics. Projects include everything from teaching financial literacy to high schools to working with women to teach them how to run a business by making their own crafts. “We learn about it and actually get it done,” said Pettersson. “We’re not just being told what to do.” To buy the new coffee blend, contact Pettersson at (817) 999-1149. To learn more about and get involved in SIFE, contact Gonas at (615) 460-6907. Page 6 AMERICAN IDOL, from page 1 the judges, especially the notoriously hardto-please Simon Cowell. “We have a lot of people who come in here with a lot of attitude, a lot of confidence and they’re not very good,” the TV audience heard Cowell tell her during her taped audition. “You walk in with no confidence, no attitude, and yet you are a brilliant singer … a brilliant singer.” “Seriously, you are what it’s all about, a great voice. Let me tell you, you are in the top 2 percent of good singers this year. One million percent yes.” Many faculty members think Doolittle has been a great representative and role model for Belmont both publicly and on campus. She comes to Belmont every year to judge the commercial showcase, attends recitals, and verbally attributes much of her success to Belmont. “Melinda is a wonderful ambassador for Belmont,” Kirk said. In an interview with Fox 17, Doolittle said she would like to use American Idol to take the next step in her career. “I want to be the next American Idol because I feel it’s time for some of us background singers to represent and show that we can step out front and still handle ourselves.” PHI KAPPA TAU, from page 1 with other members. “I think one of the things we pride ourselves in is the fact that there’s a strong brotherhood within the group,” Reynolds, the Phi Chancellor, said. “I have 36 brothers I know ten times better than my other friends.” Some of Phi Kappa Tau’s activities include last year’s “Bowl in the Wall” fundraiser. For this event, Belmont students bowled at a nearby bowling alley and half of the money went to Phi Kappa Tau’s national philanthropy. Also, shortly before spring finals, some of the members helped at The Painted Turtle Camp in Los Angeles. Additionally, the guys try to better the overall social life of Belmont by having parties and social events on campus. This past Saturday night, after the basketball game, they hosted a dance party in the Curb Cafe. Reynolds said they concern themselves with “trying to better each other.” One way they do that is by holding each other accountable for their grades. The fraternity’s average GPA last semester was 3.24. “Our goal given by national headquarters is to be .10 above the average men at Belmont, and we were .15 above that,” Black said. All of this work resulted in the fraternity receiving the Fletemeyer Prize at last summer’s national convention, which recognized the most outstanding Phi Kappa Tau colony. They also received the Order of the Star Community Service Award and Tim Holman got the Outstanding Colony Adviser award. Phi Kappa Tau was first founded in 1906 at Miami University in Ohio. There are currently 88 active chapters and seven colonies. Their mission statement is "To champion a lifelong commitment to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character." The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 ELS house immerses students in American culture, language By Rachel Allen STAFF WRITER Five men from three different countries, whose professions include everything from football player to aspiring teacher, all live under the same roof. Most of the time, housemates like this would only be found in a joke about bars or a late night sitcom, but sometimes reality is stranger that fiction. These men are all members of the English Language School in Nashville, where they have come from all over the world to learn English. ELS is a nation-wide program with students from over 140 countries. They come to ELS locations to learn English so they can study at an American university, become well-rounded in their businesses and learn about American culture. The Nashville ELS is located on the edge of Belmont’s campus on Compton Avenue, as is the house of Shimpei Suzuki, Jungseok Kim, Takeshi Ueda, Massahiro Ide and Basar Ozpulat. While the house looks unassuming and much like any older house – a bit dingy, fitting in well in the eclectic Compton Avenue neighborhood – inside is a world of different cultures. The house currently has residents from South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, although turnover is frequent. With so many radically different cultures under one roof, one would perhaps expect conflicts, but for the most part the men take it in stride and even laugh as they try to learn each other’s languages and cultures. “Now I live in Korea, Japan, America, Arabia and Turkey,” Suzuki, from Okazaki, Japan, said over a table that sees dishes such as kimchi, ggakddwgi (pronounced “ I want to “gock-doedoner introduce the gi”), and katsudon Japanese on a daily basis. Suzuki people came to the to American United States to learn culture.” English for Massahiro Ide his business Japanese football player future. “I am interested in working in countries all over the world, and English is an international language,” said Suzuki, who is interested in sports business and hopes to work for Nike or Adidas in the future. Many in ELS share the same type of goal. Kim and Ozpulat both are in ELS so they can further their studies. Kim, from Seoul, South Korea, studied architecture in Korea and wants to continue studying it in the United States. However, he has to improve his English before he can be accepted to an American university. “I want to go to an American university or get a job in America,” Kim said. “Architecture programs and English programs in the United States are better than in Korea.” Ozpulat needs to improve his English to be accepted in a Turkish university and says that he was not expecting to come to the United States, but one teacher in his high school, a converted monastery complete with a dungeon, failed the entire English class. “Now we are scattered all over the world learning English so we can go to university,” Ozpulat said with a little laugh. Ide’s ambition, much like his personality, PHOTO BY JESSICA WALTRIP The ELS House on Compton Avenue is home – for a while – to students who want to learn English as well as become well-versed in American culture. Current residents include, standing from left, Takeshi Ueda, Jungseok Kim, Shimpei Suzuki and Basar Ozpulat. is a bit more light-hearted. “I want to play American football and learn about American football. I want to introduce the Japanese people to American culture.” An all-star running back from Kumamoto City, Japan, Ide started playing football when he was in college majoring in Japanese Culture. “It is very fun. When I play football I can relax and de-stress,” Ide said. He continues to train in the United States, which helps keep his mind off missing Japan, although that does not seem to be much of a problem for him. “I miss Japanese food, because everything is so big here, and everything tastes very strong,” Ide said, thinking of Japan. “Before, I missed some girls,” he continued with a cheeky grin. Ide’s roommate, Ueda, is from Tamana City, in the same province as Ide’s hometown. Ueda wants to be a teacher in a Japanese high school, but he has to be able to teach English to the students before he can get his teaching certificate. The thing that was most surprising to Ueda about the United States was his first sight from the plane. “I saw so many baseball fields,” Ueda said. Ueda is also a huge fan of Elvis and doo-wop, which he likes to watch on the Internet. “I love to check YouTube and Myspace and watch the music videos,” Ueda said. Like the baseball fields, it is often the simple things in America that pose problems for these men. “Tips are confusing for me,” Ide said. Ueda added that cashiers in stores were hard to understand sometimes. “Sometimes I need help. Some people are kind, some are not. In Japan, workers have to be kind, but it’s different sometimes in America,” Ueda said. Suzuki agreed and also said that traffic rules were difficult. Despite their problems, however, most of them are very happy to be in America, whether they plan to stay for a few months or for a longer time. “I have had many wonderful experiences in America,” Suzuki said, adding that after he finishes his studies he wants to go back and work for his company in Japan. Both Kim and Ueda are hoping to find jobs in the United States after their studies. “I want to stay and study more to know American slang and culture and then maybe find a job either here or in Japan,” Ueda said. Ide, although going back to Japan soon, said he felt the same way about American culture and hoped to bring it with him back to Japan. “I like America, and I love American culture and thinking. In Japan, we have the respect words like ‘san’ and ‘sama’ at the end of people’s names, but America doesn’t have that. I like that.” Despite differences in culture, age and education, these five men show that when it comes right down to it, humans are the same wherever you go. Ozpulat may be from Turkey, but he also played in a band in high school, almost a prerequisite for many guys around here. Ide’s name may sound strange to Americans, but he and his friends in Japan like to hang out just like Americans. On any given day in the guys’ house, they do the same things as other guys their age. They play games online – “Starcraft” is the house favorite right now – watch TV, go down to P.M. for drinks and conversation. And of course, there’s talk about girls. “Make sure to write that I’m single,” was a common request throughout the interview process. The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 7 Page 8 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 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 [email protected]. E The battle of who could care less were betrothed. I couldn’t believe it…I just couldn’t Because of Smith’s stature as an internabelieve it. tional pinup (1992 Playmate of the Year) and This was my initial reaction when I heard of Anna Nicole’s Smith’s demise, but not for the Supreme Court battle (Marshall v. Marshall) that ensued for her late husband’s the reasons you might think. estate in 1995, Smith was a tabloid favorite Was I shocked that a woman like her and, thus, a natural could die so young, that reality TV subject (The her behavioral pattern Anna Nicole Show shouldn’t have led to received high ratings such a scenario? No. “‘I mean, seriously, on E! from 2002 to Was I distraught and saddened, unwilling to what did she contribute 2004). More recently, accept that a media darto make the world a Smith’s fall had been ling like her would no better place?’ It is a an awkward mix of longer grace American and comical. society with her daily question that will keep tragic Around the same time soap opera antics? No. In fact, I felt an immedi- being asked as new gen- her reality show fizzled out, she became a ate sense of relief for erations of girls are spokesperson for that. being brought up with a dietary supplement I couldn’t believe Anna Nicole Smith’s steady diet of women TrimSpa. While the product helped Smith death because it was the like Smith, Britney lose a reported 69 predictable punchline to pounds, her monosyla bad joke, the ham-fistSpears and Paris labic delivery of halfed ending to a third-rate Hilton.” baked catchphrases Lifetime movie. Up such as “Like my until this point, Smith’s body?” and “TrimSpa, embarrassing public life baby!” became infamous late-night comic had been a joke to everyone but reality show material. junkies who bought her trite claim to being a Smith’s only son, 20-year-old Daniel, good ‘ol country girl at heart. Perhaps at one time, Houston-born Vickie died while visiting Anna Nicole in her hospital room three days after she gave birth on Lynn Marshall did yearn to romp once again Sep. 7 to her only other offspring, a daughter across familiar Texas pastures, but Smith – of questionable paternity. Daniel’s death was her stage name – earned her legacy as a high later reported to be due to a drug overdose school dropout who was married first at 17 and later to billionaire oil magnate J. Howard involving methadone. Almost five months later, Anna Nicole herself met an equally Marshall, a man 63 years her senior who she puzzling end. met while working at a strip club and whom With autopsy results pending and a media she reportedly never lived with while the two circus surrounding the Broward County, Fla., legal battle for Smith’s burial rights, Anna Nicole’s whirlwind life and death has become water-cooler talk around the country. At Belmont in particular, it has become hot Facebook talk as a group titled “Anna, you will be missed,” has attracted more than 50 members. “She redefined the term “Gold Digger”, and we love her for it. Sorry Kanye, Anna beat you to it,” creator Grace Wilson wrote in the group description. “She single-handedly changed the face of diet pills (her idea of TrimSpa was obviously cocaine).” The group has received some criticism on its Facebook “wall” (message board) for allegedly making light of Smith’s death. While Wilson admits to creating the group to make Anna’s death a “lighter” subject, most wall posters rejected the notion that anyone wished Anna ill or the claim that the group’s intentions were inherently un-Christian. “I took the references to her being a role model and the fact that her death is a tragic loss … not so much as insincerity towards Anna Nicole, but as a mockery of our society, which places worthless, undeserving individuals on a pedestal to be glorified,” junior Casey Savell posted Feb. 9. “I mean, seriously, what did she contribute to make the world a better place?” It is a question that will keep being asked as new generations of girls are being brought up with a steady diet of women like Smith, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton: rich, wild socialites who live the good life without really having to break a sweat for it. Sometimes I feel for these women. Spears was once a young, seemingly innocent southern girl who was rumored to be enrolled at nearby Franklin Road Academy for a time, HENRY NICHOLS although no one I know has ever been able to comfirm that. Nearly a decade later, her stardom and sanity have spiraled down through shotgun weddings, baby-caring faux pas and revolving door rehab stints. We’re all human, and I’m sure if I was constantly under the tabloid freak show microscope, I might go nuts and shave on both sides of the equator, too. Then again, if we as a society don’t want our children to emulate the bad behavior patterns of the Lindsay Lohans and Nicole Richies, we must step up in our responsibility to ignore them and avoid Entertainment Tonight, lest we fuel their riches. And if we truly can’t resist that voyeuristic instinct, we help put more flameouts like Smith and Spears at risk. Can’t we just rest, as Ben Folds once said, fighting the battle of who could care less? Henry Nichols, Vision editor, is a senior journalism major. E-mail: [email protected] Sneezin’ is the reason for the season I’m a firm believer in the idea that we each experience seasons in our lives … seasons of joy, of sadness, of confusion, etc. I also that we MELANIE BENGTSON think repeat seasons. I’m in the middle of one of my least favorite right now: cold and flu season. I know – from the inordinate amount of sniffling and hacking going on in each of my classes – that I am not alone in my struggle against the germs that tend to ravage my body this time of year. I’ve been fighting this particular invasion for the last month or so to no avail. I’m miserable. I finally collapsed one day last week onto my couch for an entire day … over 12 hours doing nothing but whining (mostly to myself) and blowing my nose in a most unattractive fashion, watching the used tissues pile up on the floor next to me. To make it worse, there is this terrible time of day (after TLC stops showing reruns of “What Not to Wear” and all the networks play are soaps) when there is absolutely noth- ing on television. So I wallowed all the more in my selfpity, lamenting the fact that I was about to succumb to an early death and the last thing I would ever see would be the Anna Nicole Smith trial. Needless to say, I survived my day in bed. Barely. I honestly can’t tell which was more painful: the sinus pressure pounding the insides of my eyelids or watching Juvies on MTV. In honor of my day of misery (and the weeks before when I refused to heed my body’s warnings of impending doom), I have decided to give you some advice to prevent you from finding yourself in my position: SLEEP. I offer this wisdom hypocritically, of course, because I do not sleep nearly as much as I should. However, it is still the most effective remedy to combat sickness. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a study done in Australia showed that being awake for 18 hours gives you the equivalent of a blood alcohol concentration of .05 and being awake for 24 hours gives you a BAC of .10 ( and .08 is legally drunk). So, if you sleep less than 6 hours each night (or if you pull an all-nighter), you will be sufficiently tipsy. EAT. (And not always from the Caf – unless all you eat is the salad.) Seriously, though, food (good food) will keep your immune system strong. Fruits and vegetables are the obvious things to recommend. Confused about where to find them on campus? Hint: not the Curb Café. DRINK. Try tea- green and black – instead of coffee. Not only does it taste better, but it’s actually really, really good for you. Green tea has been shown to reduce your chances of heart disease and cancer, lower cholesterol levels and help you lose weight. One study (done in Great Britain) actually suggested that tea is healthier than water. GO TO THE DOCTOR. I – the perpetual procrastinator- waited a month after the first signs of sniffles to visit a health professional. I chose to visit Belmont Health Services, an amazing resource for those of you who don’t know about it. It’s located in Gabhart, above the bookstore and next to the international studies office. (Yes, it is no longer a long walk to the trailer behind Belmont Heights – it actually looks like a real clinic now.) The nurses inside couldn’t be sweeter and, after chastising me for waiting so long to visit, gave me a prescription to clear up my nasal woes. Visiting the clinic is free for students; they only ask that you make an appointment (460-5506). You have to pay for blood work, shots, etc. but overall it is significantly cheaper than going to a doctor’s office. If you’re feeling lousy, stop by and get checked out. It could be something more than a little cold. I know this hasn’t been an intellectually-stimulating read, but hopefully it will help someone escape the drudgery that is a sinus infection. The good news is this season is almost over … the next few weeks will not only bring spring break (a chance for much-needed rest for all), but sunshine and warm weather, two guaranteed remedies for any kind of ill. Managing editor Melanie Bengtson is a sophomore developmental politics major: [email protected] The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Letter to the Editor CD review troubles fan of Taylor Swift Dear Editor, I found the review of Taylor Swift’s self-titled album troubling (“Sink or Swim: CD Reviews, by Matt Reynolds, Vision, Feb. 14). Not only did it sound like the writer didn’t even listen to the album, it was full of biased remarks toward the country music industry. I ask him: Do you have something against record companies making money by an exceptionally talented artist? First off, you state the album is “another attempt by a country music label to maximize profit at the expense of putting out a tasteless profitable release.” What is your definition of tasteless? Is it a young woman who received a publishing contract at 12, signed by an independent label (Big Machine) at 16, releases an album of material written by Taylor herself, certified gold within a month of release? Not to mention all those amazing achievements, the album [is] a very TASTEFUL album for high school/college students. I guess you would rather have your daughter looking up to the Britney Spears and Fergies of the world. Second, as a Belmont student you should have learned the record business is a business. They are there to make money. If you become involved in the industry and do not intend to make a maximum profit on an album, you may find yourself in a bit of trouble. In conclusion, as a reviewer, it’s your job to provide us with non- biased opinions on an artist’s album. I don’t want to hear your opinions of a music industry that you seemingly don’t know enough about to criticize. – Robert L. Krabel Page 9 In quiet stillness, truth speaks My earliest conscious memory: sitting in a car seat in the back of my mom’s Chevette, cruising the golden suburbs of New Jersey, Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” on the radio and me thinking it was the most awesome song imaginable. I went on to spend most of my elementary school years spinning the soundtracks to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Animaniacs. That lasted until I discovered big band jazz around the beginning of junior high. I got to know Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington really well, although my familiarity with contemporary music remained essentially nonexistent. Then I hit high school and discovered classic rock. I went to a Styx concert, begged my parents to get me an electric guitar, and bought Led Zeppelin albums by the sackful. This phase gave way to an infatuation with ‘90s alternative rock, music I managed to discover right around 2000. I went to a Sister Hazel concert, started appreciating acoustic guitar more, and bought Counting Crows albums by the sackful. Now I’m a senior at Belmont, and I’ve had four years to catch up with the rest of the world via college rock. Meanwhile, with the possible exception of the Animaniacs soundtrack, I maintain a serious appreciation for my musical past. So here I am, a 21-year-old guy whose music library is replete with albums by Harry Connick Jr., Rush, Barenaked Ladies and the Cardigans. I assume two basic types of people are reading this article: those who just want to be able to walk from Wheeler to Hitch without overhearing a deconstruction of the latest release from a band they’ve never heard of, and those who still wonder whether I saw Styx with or without Dennis DeYoung (or having an internal dialogue about whether the Cardigans’ music has become too melan- ERIC DETWEILER choly, or similarly trapped in any comparable musical musing). I’m trapped somewhere in between: I could talk about this stuff for days, yet I converted from music business to English at the end of my freshman year. Since then, I’ve faced the reality that knowing everything about music doesn’t require one to know much about anything else. I’ve had literature and philosophy surveys in which people I’m sure have spent hours debating pop country’s merits couldn’t come up with a single comment. I realize John Milton and Aristotle are harder to unpack than a lot of song lyrics (R.E.M.’s clearly excepted), but aren’t the conversations about the nature of God and morality that their works could lead to more important than whether or not Coldplay is a terrible band? Perhaps I just sound like a pretentious English and philosophy student with an axe to grind, but my goal isn’t to condemn music and anyone who hasn’t read the Norton Anthology of American Literature from cover to cover. I’d be spitting on myself. My worry is that music becomes a diversion, an aesthetic anesthetic that makes it possible not to deal with some of the central questions of life. I fear a campus of prospective pop stars with no idea why they want to be pop stars (and money, fame, and “because I just love music” are not sufficient responses). And the same is possible for students of any subject, English and philosophy thoroughly included. The concern here is this: it’s possible to become an apparent authority on a great album in well under an hour. Take David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”: 38 minutes and 21 seconds. Then take a “classic” book. Not Ulysses, Crime and Punishment, or Don Quixote. Let’s go with something relatively short, say, Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer. Even if you read at the relatively swift pace of one page per minute, you’ve got a four-hour commitment on your hands. And after the reading is done, there remain questions without immediate answers, questions to consume years, and I worry that music is an escape from confrontation with such inquiries. This is not to say that music isn’t meaningful, but there is much that is meaningful outside the realm of music. And I’m not offering a universal pat on the back to the printed word. Dan Brown is probably not the best place to turn in the search for truth. What I’m hoping for is a willingness to wonder and to ponder, whether that’s through books, dialogue, prayer, or just thinking. What I’m hoping for is that the pursuit of music does not become a way of evading the pursuit of truth. Senior writer Eric Detweiler is a senior English major. E-mail: [email protected] MONEY FOR COLLEGE NOW Because Aunt Joan needed more Botox®*. She got a facelift, you got the tuition bill. Not to worry: a Campus Door student loan can cover up to 100% of your education costs, with online approval in less than a minute. All without the painful side effects. campusdoor.com *Botox® is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc. Like this poster? Download your own printable PDF version at campusdoor.com/posters All loans are subject to credit approval. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions apply. Trade/Servicemarks are the property of Campus Door Inc. and/or its affiliates. Lender is Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB. ©2006 Campus Door Inc. All Rights Reserved. Equal Opportunity Lender. Page 10 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 PHOTOS BY MELODY DRUSHAL Competitive swing dance, which has a rich history and embraces a variety of techniques, is a popular trend at Belmont and around the country. Do you wanna dance? In school filled with music, dance culture develops By Adaeze Elechi SENIOR WRITER It would seem natural that a university so involved with music would have strong ties with dance on campus. That hasn’t been the case, however, until recently, but several groups are moving to fill the gap. In the absence of opportunities for social dance on campus, some Belmont students have taken matters into their own hands – and feet – and discovered ways to have fun and learn some new moves on a dance floor. From hip-hop to salsa, from swing to country line dancing, couples are hitting polished floors on and off campus to learn new steps and turns, to get exercise, to meet people and to have fun. Yes, even existentialist writer Samuel Beckett, not best known for his exuberance, said, “Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.” But among the dancers who are simply having a good time, some kick it up a notch, taking their pasttime to a professional competitive level. Commercial voice major Amy Payne works at the dance studio Dance World. Here she works the front desk and is training to be a dance instructor. “It’s good money,” Payne said. “Teaching is where the money is.” Last June she participated in a dance showcase displaying the progress she had made with her teacher. Payne has had a passion for dance that she had not been able to exercise while she was in Oklahoma. But here “I am a competi- atin home Nashville she was able to do tive person. It is what she loves to do: dance. is into ballroom danca good way for ing,Payne which covers a wide varime to meet new ety of dances from swing to people and con- salsa, two-step to cha-cha, square dance to rumba. Payne nect with people. also goes to Ibiza with the salsa group on Thursdays and pointI just like the ed out some differences and way it feels.” similarities between a social a more professional setting. Chansin Bird and“[At Ibiza] people can dance sophomore how they feel,” Payne said. “But with ballroom dancing, it’s very technical from your foot position to your hand position. [Social and ballroom dancing] are equally as fun.” For Payne, ballroom dancing is more than just moving across a dance floor.“It’s about relationship with your partner,” Payne said. “It tells a story. It is dramatic.” For competitive swing dancer and biblical studies major Chansin Bird, ballroom dancing appeals to her personality. “I am a competitive person,” Bird said. “It is [also] a good way for me to meet new people and connect with people. I just like the way it feels.” In competitive dance, the amount of money pumped into it is significantly larger than social dance. At Dance World, a private lesson costs upwards of $30. Bird’s private lessons range between $40 and $100, but knows that it is all worth it.“Private lessons take me to the next level [of dance],” Bird said. “It is a great investment of mine.” She also travels the country to attend dance events. A weekend ticket would cost her between $80 and $130.“[Just as] people take trips for fun, this is what I choose to do with my free time,” Bird said. The pull towards dance on Belmont’s campus seems sudden and while some have attempted to explain it, there has been no solid explanation for it. What is clear, though, is that different kinds of dance and environments appeal to different people and dance, whether social or competitive, is more than just moving your body to the beat. It is coordination, it is fun and it is relationship. “It is just beautiful the way God has made the body to move,” Payne said. The Belmont Vision, February 28. 2007 Page 11 Dance Dance Revolution By Ameshia Cross STAFF WRITER Dance Dance Revolution was an upbeat event sponsored by Program Board Feb. 21 that brought students together for a dance-off on National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day. Students danced the night away, ate snacks and competed for prizes. Dance Dance Revolution is a music video game system adopted from Japan. The game is played on a dance pad with four arrow panels: left, down, up, right, or six arrows (the four main directions plus right and left diagonal panels, known as solo mode).These panels are pressed using the player’s feet, in response to arrows that appear on the screen in front of the player. The arrows are synchronized to the general rhythm or beat of a chosen song, and success is dependent on the player’s ability to synchronize his or her steps accordingly. In a hip-hop class, exercise is just as important as rhythm. Salsa dancing borrows from Latin, Caribbean With funky Street Jamz, beat goes on ... and on Street Jamz combines funky dance moves and cardio every Tuesday and Wednesday. Caroline Cox, student coordinator, said. “The class incorporates good beats and good moves.” The Tuesday night class tends to have better attendance at between 20-30 students. Street Jamz likes to keep the moves fresh; after the students have grasped the initial dance sequences, they move on to other steps. “The moves change every four weeks,” Cox said. Dance instructor Wesley Languarde said, “The class is more cardio than dance based. I concentrate more on heart rates and fitness.” Unlike other dance classes, in Street Jamz the students are constantly in motion, and they don’t stop from step to step. “Belmont is a good outlet for this kind of thing,” Languarde said. Students of various backgrounds and majors come. “It’s carefree and that attitude keeps students coming back,” said Languarde. Street Jamz is coordinated in a way that is appealing to students and faculty members. “I refer to the Tuesday class as the student class and the Wednesday class as the staff class,” Languarde said. Street Jamz is held in the Beaman Fitness Center Tuesdays at 7p.m. and Wednesdays at noon. “It’s a lot of fun, great workout, and you burn more calories than with the average cardio machine, plus it’s free,” Cox said. Street Jamz is a sensational dance mix that invokes attitude and energy while students enjoy music and break a sweat. By Adaeze Elechi SENIOR WRITER Whether the workout is with Dance Dance Revolution, top, or hiphop, above, a few turns on the dance floor call for energy and endurance. A group of salsa dancers, organized by commercial voice major Brittany Beckner, meets on Thursdays in the Thrailkill Hall lobby at 9.30 p.m. before they head off to Ibiza, the salsa club downtown. Beckner had her first taste of it when she attended a friend’s birthday party there in February 2006. After that, she started going every week and people started noticing. “So many people asked to come that I started a Facebook group, ‘Gotta Love Salsa’,” Beckner said. Just like at Otter Creek, a popular session at a church, at Ibiza there is a lesson an hour before there is social dancing. The difference is that Ibiza is free on Thursday nights. Beckner goes to Otter Creek every other Saturday as well as Ibiza and sees the differences between the two locations and their environments. “Ibiza is a little shadier than Otter Creek because it is a night club. There is a bar, there is smoking, there is drinking,” Beckner said. “But some people prefer the salsa atmosphere. There is a deep connection with the Hispanic culture and the dance and music is more sensual and passionate than swing. Swing is more all-American and wholesome.” Beckner also shares an opinion with Rachel Mingus about social dance. “The nice thing about social dancing is that in this day and age where girls are expected to make the first move, it is nice to have a guy come up and ask you to dance and then lead.” But according to Beckner, letting a guy lead may not be as easy as it sounds. In salsa, it is all up to the male to do the leading. He is in control in the dance. The girl “just has to look pretty and follow.” But in a situation where the girl may feel as if the guy cannot lead as well as she would like, she may be tempted to lead. But she needs to learn to let the guy take control. “You need to be able to coordinate your hips with your feet with your legs to the music,” Beckner said. “It definitely takes more skill than the typical bump-and-grind, hip-hop club dancing.” There are now salsa classes at the Beaman Student Life Center on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Dancers head to church By Adaeze Elechi SENIOR WRITER If, on a Saturday evening, you happened to see a group of people all dressed up and sorting out car pooling they could have been headed to Otter Creek Church for an evening of swing dancing. “It’s good, clean fun in a secure environment,” said Rachel Mingus, the organizer of the group. Every other Saturday, Otter Creek Church is open for people to come and swing dance. About an hour before people come in to dance, from 6-7 p.m., there is a swing class that teaches those who want to learn the basics. From 7 p.m., open dancing begins. But you don’t have to be an expert to swing dance here. It is for everyone who is interested. “A lot of people go that don’t know a lot of moves,” said Brandon McGuiness, a member of the Belmont swing dance group. “Everyone is good about helping other people. We’re just amateurs having fun.” “Most people go to clubs for ulterior motives and to hook up, but in swing dancing, people want to dance,” Mingus said. “People also pay at the door so it is those who want to learn that will come.” There is a $6 fee at the door and $7 when there is a live band. The proceeds go to a Christian ministry and mentor program for young people, “Youth for Truth.” (www.youthfortruth.org). Learning new moves is not all that these social dancers get from the Saturday night experience. “It’s a great social activity. You get to meet new people,” McGuiness said. “You have more of a relationship with your partner than in, say, a mosh pit. You need to know what you’re doing.” “It opens your eyes to what the roles of men and women are in society,” Mingus said. “I think there’s something deep down in girls that likes to be led and asked to dance. It has made gentlemen out of the guys that go.” Quite a lot of dancers claim that dancing for them is a form of self-expression. Mingus is not different. “I think swing gives more creativity room,” Mingus said. “You can swing to any kind of music. It has In competitive dancing, moving one’s feet to the music is important, but allowed me to express myself.” so is relating to one’s partner so the dance is smooth and synchronized. Page 12 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 sports If Belmont wins the A-Sun Tourney, they will most likely be given a No. 15 or No. 16 seed, which would pit the Bruins against a No. 2 or No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tourney. Possible first round opponents include North Carolina, Ohio St, Florida, Texas A&M, Kansas, Wisconsin, Georgetown, Washington St, Memphis and UCLA. Bruins seek to punch ticket to Big Dance Conference tourneys: It’s all relative For one-bid conferences such as the Atlantic Sun, an entire regular season is forgotten amongst three monumental days in March. I am speaking of the crapshoot that we call a conference tournament because regular season champions entertain nightmares of being upset and sent home by teams with losing records who still entertain dreams of dancing. Rick Byrd compares the conference tournament to a final exam and the regular season to studying. “It’s a little bit like when you know you’ve studied hard for a test. You feel better going into that final and that’s what we’ve got this weekend [A-Sun Conference Tournament] is a final. And it [regular season] doesn’t get us any points on the scoreboard to start the game. Each of the eight teams enters the tournament with a blank slate. It doesn’t matter if you go undefeated in the regular season; one loss in the tournament sends you to the other tournament, the NIT. Just ask intrastate Ohio JORDAN DRAKE Valley Conference member Austin Peay, who went 160 in conference play in the 2003-2004 season but was upset in the tournament and consequently dispatched to the NIT, where they defeated Belmont, who also lost a game in their conference tournament. Perhaps an example that hits closer to home is the Bruins’ women’s basketball team. Two of the past three years, Coach Tony Cross’ team has won the regular season title and been awarded a No. 1 seed just to be upset both times and fail to reach the NCAA Tournament. “We’ve accomplished a lot of things. Really the only goal we have left that we have left to reach for that’s never been done before is to go to the NCAA Tournament. From day one that’s what we’ve talked about.” This season, Cross has even instilled a special tournament package that includes special offensive and defensive packages that he’s never shown before. Byrd seems to believe that the conference tournament can be unfair. He said, “It’s a shame in a way that it all comes down to that feeling when you leave Johnson City [the site of the A-Sun Conference Tournament] one way or the other because the season-long record and performance is what matters the most. I don’t think Johnson City, whatever happens, can take away from what we’ve accomplished.” Maybe the season as a whole matters the most to coaches but it doesn’t to the only people who have a say: the NCAA selection committee. For the record, Byrd’s Bruins have benefited from the conference tournament. Last season, Lipscomb claimed the regular season title and No. 1 seed. Yet it was Belmont who got the last laugh and enjoyed the magical carpet ride to the Big Dance while Lipscomb was relegated to the NIT. So the fairness of the conference tournament is all relative to each team’s situation. Since the men’s team is not the No. 1 seed and regular season champion, Byrd must be grateful that the tournament is the deciding factor. Since the women’s team is the No. 1 seed and regular season champion, Cross has got to be upset that an upset in the tournament would keep his team from being invited to the Big Dance. Jordan Drake is a sophomore entrepreneurship major. Email: [email protected] 2007 Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship East Tennessee State University • March 1-3 Memorial Coliseum • Johnson City, Tennessee Thursday March 1 Friday March 2 Saturday March 3 #1 ETSU 6 p.m. CSS-TV 6 p.m. CSS-TV #4 Lipscomb 8:15 p.m. CSS-TV 3 p.m. CSS-TV #3 Jacksonville 2:15 p.m. CSS-TV 8:15 p.m. CSS-TV #2 Belmont noon CSS-TV In A-Sun, scenarios favor BU By Henry Nichols EDITOR The ’05-’06 Bruins squad earned their first NCAA bid in epic fashion with an overtime victory against archrival Lipscomb in Johnson City’s Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship. A year later with yet another No. 2 seed to work with, a perfect storm of circumstances beyond Belmont’s control may backdoor them into the Big Dance for the second straight year. Following second-half collapses against Lipscomb (1712, 11-7) this year, Belmont remained the No. 2 team in the A-Sun, but Lipscomb’s 3rd-place standing would have had them on the same side of the tournament bracket against Belmont to begin March. Instead, following back-to-back losses against North Florida (worst RPI ranking in Division 1) and Jacksonville to end the Bisons’ regular season, LU falls to 4th-place, giving them a No. 4 seed in the conference tourney. So what does this all mean for Belmont? Instead of having to play two tough games back-to-back in order earn another NCAA bid, Belmont will likely only face one significant test in their road to a second-straight league title. The Bruins open tomorrow at 1 p.m. against No. 7 seed GardnerWebb (9-20, 7-11 A-Sun), a team they swept by an average of 24 points during the regular season. From there, a win would pit Belmont against the winner of No. 3 Jacksonville/No. 6 Campbell for the Mar. 2 semifinal at 9:15 pm. Although Belmont swept Jacksonville (1513, 11-7) during the regular season, Belmont athletic director Mike Strickland said JU could be the most dangerous team in the tournament after going 11-5 since the beginning of 2007. Though Campbell (13-16, 7-11) beat Belmont at home 79-67 Jan. 18, the Bruins got revenge with a comfortable 9268 victory at the Curb Feb. 17. A semifinal win would pit Belmont against either the No. 1, No. 4, No. 5 or No. 8 seeds in the tournament final. While host and No. 1 seed ETSU (22-8, 16-2) should coast past No. 8 Stetson (11-19, 6-12), Lipscomb faces perhaps the toughest first-round test against No. 5 Mercer (13-16, 8-10). The survivor of that match-up must muster enough energy to chal- Commentary “Instead of having to play two tough games back-to-back in order earn another NCAA bid, Belmont will likely only face one significant test in their road to a second-straight league title.” lenge ETSU the next day. This scenario allows Belmont to avoid Lipscomb until the conference final at the earliest while switching the Bruins’ likely semifinal opponent from a team (Lipscomb) that swept Belmont to a team (Jacksonville) that Belmont swept. Before they face Belmont, Jacksonville must first rid themselves of a pesky Campbell squad before trying to re-group and accomplish what Campbell did once this season against the Bruins, who have won seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, on the tougher side of the bracket, ETSU, Lipscomb and Mercer will be eating each other alive. Belmont will smoke Gardner-Webb in the first round before dispatching a “dangerous” Jacksonville squad, who will have barely beaten Campbell the night before, for the third time this season. Belmont will most likely face ETSU, who traded overtime victories with BU in season, in Saturday’s championship game. Belmont’s last three games at ETSU have ended in overtime victories, so expect a result much like last year’s A-Sun Championship. Junior guard Justin Hare and senior center Boomer Herndon have been Belmont’s top two scorers against ETSU this season, and the preseason All A-Sun first-teamers must play up to the same billing if the Bruins want to make it past Johnson City. The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 13 Women No. 1 in regular season A-Sun tournament win would take team to 1st NCAA By Jordan Drake SPORTS EDITOR Thanks to a four-game winning streak, the Belmont women’s basketball team (21-5, 15-1 A-Sun) wrapped up the outright 200607 Atlantic Sun regular season title. The Bruins earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming A-Sun Conference Tournament March 810 in Dothan, Ala., with their 54-51 Senior Night win Feb. 24 against Gardner-Webb. This season marks the third time the Bruins have won the A-Sun regular season title in four years. Last season, the Bruins were regular season champions and the No. 1 seed but were upset in the semifinal round against GardnerWebb 72-60 after posting a 17-3 regular season conference record. In the 2003-2004 season, the Bruins won the regular season title with a conference record of 14-6 but were upset by Stetson in the tournament. This season, Belmont has posted its best regular season conference record in school history with 15 wins and one loss. Barring an upset by Jacksonville or North Florida in the final regular season games, the Bruins will go into the conference tournament at 23-5 (17-1 A-Sun). Head coach Tony Cross came into this season with a new mission and a look at the big picture. “We’ve got some things that we are preparing just for the tournament – a new offense, a couple different defenses. We call it the tournament package. This will give other teams something that they will have to attest to.” Getting There The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament is held March 8-10 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Ala. Belmont’s women will play the No. 8 seed on the first day of the tournament. Sophomore Clark hits milestone with 1000th point Strayhorn makes noise early on By: Jordan Drake SPORTS EDITOR The Thousand Point Club at Belmont has a new member. Sophomore post Alysha Clark scored her 1,000th career point late against Lipscomb Feb. 17 in the Curb Event Center. The Mount Juliet H.S. product reached the prestigious plateau in only 52 games, faster than any other women’s basketball player in Belmont history. As a freshman last season, Clark became the first player in Atlantic Sun history to be selected as both the A-Sun Player of the Year and By Alexander Jones SENIOR WRITER Point guard Shaunda Strayhorn has already made a splash on Belmont’s campus as the leading freshman scorer (8.7 ppg) and assists leader (2.4 apg) on the Lady Bruins basketball team. “I call Shaunda ‘Trouble’,” assistant coach Yvette Sparks said. “But she’s trouble in a good way! She’s got edge and attitude and she’s going to challenge the system, she’s going to challenge the players, she’s going to challenge the other team.” Such an attitude has led to numerous leadership positions for Strayhorn. She was starting point guard all four of her years at Dyersburg (Tenn.) High School and was named captain her senior year. All that experience has given Strayhorn the kind of professional prowess needed to lead a college team. Still, it’s not easy. “It’s hard to be the leading point guard when you’re so young,” Strayhorn said. “You don’t have a lot of experience on a college team, but you’re forced to step up.” Many freshmen “Shaunda has a have noticed a dramatic and somewhat tenacity and transition enthusiasm that difficult from playing ball on raises the level of a high school level to competing on a colplay on the lege team. “I used to be a court.” starter on my high Yvette Sparks school team,” freshassistant coach, women man Angela Roof said. “Now the competition is so much more intense and it really causes me to work harder. “In high school you were the No. 1 player, but now you’re playing with a group of people who were all No. 1 players at their schools,” Strayhorn said. In that position, a player has to set herself apart, and that’s what Strayhorn has tried to do at the point guard position. “The role of the point guard is to direct the team,” sophomore post Jessica Bobbitt explained. “Shaunda has really good sight and she’s willing to take good risks. So she is able to see where everyone is and notice opportunities that other people may not see.” It is that kind of awareness that has earned Strayhorn the reputation of “risky.” “She takes big risks, the kinds of risks that really challenge and require everyone to be on their toes, and the kinds of risks that give our team an edge,” sophomore guard Kristin Bunch said. PHOTO BY AMY KADISH Freshman Shaunda Strayhorn attempts a free throw in the Curb Event Center. Strayhorn, the starting point guard, is second on the team in scoring points per game. “She takes a lot of chances,” sophomore forward Alyssa Clark, who just celebrated scoring her 1000th career point, said. “Shaunda has a tenacity and enthusiasm that raises the level of play on the court,” Sparks said. “The crowd loves to watch her thread a needle with a risky pass or play and the coaches love it when they work out!” Strayhorn, who hopes to teach and coach in the future, is a hit off the court as well. “We’re all silly of the court, and she fits right in and always has us laughing,” Bobbitt said. For Strayhorn, her first year with the Lady Bruins has been enjoyable, and one that has her anticipating the future. “I love all of the girls and they make it much easier to enjoy this experience.” Strayhorn pauses and thinks. “The future? I definitely hope we make it to the NCAA!” Freshman of the Year. She finished second in the A-Sun in scoring (20 ppg), rebounding (10.9 rpg) and field-goal percentage (54.3 percent). She was named A-Sun Player of the Week a school-record five times. As a sophomore this season, Clark is averaging 17.7 ppg and 12.6 rpg. The forward has improved her field-goal percentage to 60 percent this season and added five A-Sun Player of the Week awards this season as well, giving her 10 in only two seasons. Page 14 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Sports Notebook Track teams post record finishes The Belmont men’s and women’s indoor track-and-field teams both finished tied for 2nd in the A-Sun Indoor Championships in Johnson City, Tenn. Feb. 16-17. The men’s team finished just 13 points behind champion ETSU. The Bruins won four events and posted 12 top-five finishes. Freshman Hillary Cheruiyot, from Kenya, was named A-Sun CoMost Outstanding Track Performer and Most Outstanding Freshman Performer. Cheruiyot won the mile run with a conference-record breaking time of 4:20:70, while also finishing second in the 800 meters run. Senior Channing Twyner won the 60 meters run with a schoolrecord time of 6.90. Junior John Brigham won the 5000 meters title with a conference-record time of 14:56:62. The Bruins’ 4x400 meter relay team of Clint Hamm, Taylor Hart, Stephen Register and David Bergfield won the event with a school-record time of 3:24:70. The women’s team placed second behind champion Jacksonville. Belmont’s women’s 4x400 meter also won. The team of Lizz Pollock, Kahlai Turner, Lynette Rives and Jessica Giles set a conference record with a time of 3:49:44. Sophomore Rives also placed second in both the 60 and 200 meters runs. Times of 7.59 and 24.38, respectively, set new school records. Both teams return to action Mar. 17 at the Austin Peay Spring Fling Meet. Senior Felipe Abreu, Brazil Junior Ignacio Gesto, Uruguay Assistant coach Felipe Lima, Brazil Junior Fausto Rocha, Brazil Softball team struggles to a 2-6, 0-0 A-Sun start After going 1-3 in the Gamecock Classic at host Jacksonville State, Belmont returned to the state of Tennessee and went 1-3 again in the MTSU Breast Cancer Strikeout in Murfreesboro. The Bruins’ two wins of the season came Feb.18 against South Alabama and Feb. 23 over Morehead State. A recap of the Feb. 27 game at Memphis will be available in the next issue. Sophomore Wicke named A-Sun Player of the Week Sophomore guard Andy Wicke earned A-Sun POW honors by scoring a career-high 31 points on 10-for-12 three-point shooting in a win over Gardner-Webb Feb.15. The Hendersonville native set a Curb Event Center record for the most threes made in a game. Wicke followed up the performance with another solid outing against Campbell by scoring 13 points on 3-for-7 three-point shooting and a career-high six assists. Tennis spans world By Alexander Jones Men’s golf places ninth Led by senior Jeff Lanier’s 5th-place individual finish, the Bruins earned their best finish of the year at the Rice Intercollegiate. Lanier finished with a three-round total of 221 (+5), four shots behind the winner. As a team, the Bruins shot a total of 931, 31 shots off the overall team winner, Sam Houston State. Feb.17 match rescheduled for men’s tennis team Due to cold weather, the Belmont (1-2, 0-1) Feb. 17 match against conference foe North Florida has been rescheduled for 11 am, Mar. 17 at Belmont’s Davis Tennis Complex. The Bruins return to action Mar. 2 against Mercer in Macon, Ga. Women’s tennis team drops one, wins one The Bruins (3-2, 0-0 A-Sun) lost to Southern Illinois, 4-3, Feb.16 at the Davis Tennis Complex before picking up an away victory by way of a 7-0 sweep over Western Kentucky Feb. 23. This win in Bowling Green marked the fifth straight time Belmont has defeated Western Kentucky. - Jordan Drake SENIOR WRITER Coaches say international experience and perspective always give a team an edge that puts it ahead of the competition. It creates versatility and depth and presents a team with another level of qualification. “In South America, we play on clay courts,” Belmont junior tennis player Ignacio Gesto explained. “Coming to America and playing on hard courts requires that we learn to switch things up and employ different strategy changes.” Men’s tennis coach Jim Madrigal identifies with such age-old notions and holds them to be true. Over the last five years, he has recruited five international male athletes and brought them to Belmont’s tennis courts. These five young men have been large contributors to the breakthrough success of the Bruins tennis team over the last few years. “I grew up in Brazil and started playing tennis when I was 5 years old,” Felipe Lima said. “It was a very exciting thing to be able to come to a new country, learn a new language and play on a college level.” Lima, now graduated and an assistant coach for the team, is one of the players who led Belmont to its first A-Sun championship in 2006. Alongside were fellow Brazilians Fausto Rocha and Felipe Abreu, Chilean Javier Rodriguez and Uruguayan Gesto. “It was one of the best experiences of my life when we won the A-Sun last year,” Rocha, a junior, recalls. “We were all very proud.” These players have earned individual honors as well. Rodriguez ranked first on the team his freshman year for 18 singles wins and joined Rocha last year in earning All-Atlantic Sun Second Team honors. Abreu ranks “It was a very exciting thing to be able to come to a new country, learn a new language and play on a college level.” Felipe Lima Bruins assistant coach and former player fourth in Belmont Division 1 history with a total of 45 career singles wins. During his career, Lima was selected to the All-Atlantic Sun First Team three times, set four Belmont Division 1 records and enjoyed 52 singles victories. Gesto has also received A-Sun All-Academic honors. Despite the team’s recent success, players remain focused with hopes for a bright future. “Yeah, we have a good record, but it’s all about repetition,” Rodriguez said. “Now that the irreplaceable Felipe Lima is gone, we have to all notice our challenges and step up,” Abreu said. “We want another A-Sun championship!” The team is quickly recognizing its new challenges. After losing to both ETSU and UALR, the men were able to come back and beat St. Louis, the first victory of the season. The next home game at Belmont’s Davis Tennis Complex is 1 p.m. March 16 against Gardner-Webb. The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 15 Fit for the future The Beaman Student Life Center hosted a number of events on Feb. 21 to commemorate National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day. The events began at 6 a.m. with the Polar Bear 5K walk/run. The day also included free blood pressure screenings and massages, a meet and greet with a few Nashville Predators,Cardio Extreme, Climbing Wall Twister, and a 3-point shootout. The day ended with a Dance Dance Revolution competition. PHOTO BY SIERRA MITCHELL Two competitors in the Climbing Wall Twister race up the rock wall in the Beaman Student Life Center Feb. 21. PHOTO BY MELODY DRUSHAL PHOTO BY SIERRA MITCHELL A student participates in the intramural spot shot and 3-point contest. Greg Zanon, Dan Hamhuis and Jerred Smithson of the Nashville Predators visit with students on National Recreational Sports and Fitness Day. The Predators are currently ranked first in the NHL. Bruins baseball undefeated this season after cellar ‘06 VISION PHOTOS The Bruins (5-0, 0-0 A-Sun) play their home games at Greer Stadium, home to the AAA-affilate Nashville Sounds, just a short three-minute drive from campus. Belmont has already defeated both an ACC (Boston College) and Big East (Pittsburgh) team. Opening day starting pitcher, Charles Lee, above, and third baseman Brandon McCall are vital players for the upstart Bruins team. After opening the season with back-toback wins (6-1, 3-2) over Bradley on Feb.18, the Bruins returned to Greer Stadium Feb. 23-25 to pick up three more victories on the young season. A come-from-behind 8-7 win over Boston College was keyed by a go-ahead single from senior Wilson Tucker in the bottom of the 8th inning, scoring senior Brady Manifold and freshman Packy Elkins. Senior reliever Jon Camp earned the victory while Chris Manning picked up his first save. Four runs batted in by senior Kane Simmons along with six strong innings from junior starting pitcher Josh Moffitt led the Bruins to a 11-4 victory over Pittsburgh. The Bruins concluded the weekend with a 5-4 decision over Ball State as sophomore Carlo Testa notched the win. A recap of the Feb. 27 game against Ole Miss will be available in the next issue, March 21. – Jordan Drake Page 16 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 a&e Academy Award Winners Best Best Best Best Best Picture / The Departed Actor / Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) Actress / Helen Mirren (The Queen) Supporting Actor / Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) Supporting Actress / Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) Students turn pro in studio By Victoria Read STAFF WRITER For many students at Belmont, it is a dream to run their own recording studio. For senior audio engineering major Ben Klise, this dream has already come true. Klise’s dream came to fruition last July when he and Charles Irby, a junior music business major, opened the doors of TripleHouse Productions Inc., a recording studio run by Belmont students in the Berry Hill area. “I knew that I could trust Ben,” said Irby, the owner and studio manager of TripleHouse. “We could handle the stress of a business relationship and he is a skillful, passionate and driven engineer. A lot of people can engineer, but they don’t have the dedication and talent.” For Klise, working with TripleHouse “We’re not has been anothstep into a about money. er career of audio Our main goal engineering. is to get experi- Klise started recording with ence and net- friends in high school where he work.” had a small Charles Irby home studio. co-founder, TripleHouse “We just became obsessed with it – every day, all day, we’d stay up until 7 o’clock in the morning,” he said. This obsession became a reality when Klise left Chicago and moved to Nashville to study audio engineering. “All the professors at Belmont are really fantastic and at school you learn about concepts, about the physical, technical side of things, but that doesn’t make you professional; that makes you knowledgeable,” he said. “What makes you professional is the experience of doing what you learn about.” Klise has plenty of time to put what he learns at school into practice because he lives in an apartment above the TripleHouse studio. “When you have a place where you can do three sessions a week, you put learning into action and you start to get the ball rolling,” Klise said. TripleHouse is student-owned and operated, which enables their engineers and largely student clientele to take time for learning in studio sessions. The learning environment that TripleHouse provides offers a solution for students who don’t have access to studios on campus as much as they need. “There are all these people at Belmont who have these ideas but they don’t have the means to get it onto a CD and that’s where we come in,” Klise said. Klise and TripleHouse have worked with numerous Belmont bands including Moon Taxi, Darla Farmer, Six Gun Lullaby, Claire Gonwa, Answers for Dancers and Ben Weber, among others. “We have an idea and TripleHouse provides the facility to conceive this idea and the engineer makes it a reality,” said Trevor Terndrup, the lead singer and a guitarist of Moon Taxi. Terndrup, a senior Spanish and philosophy double major, explained that Moon Taxi trusts the engineers at TripleHouse to get the best results out of their recordings. “They have just as much of a creative element as we do.” Klise’s role as an engineer is to use the available recording tools to create the highest quality version of a recording. The better an engineer’s ability to utilize these tools, the stronger their recordings will be. “He’s been working with those boards all year so he knows them like the back of his hand,” said Casey Saul, a junior music business major and violin and piano player for Darla Farmer. Klise’s development as an engineer is facilitated by his access to a studio at school, work and home. The TripleHouse studio is flexible to the needs of learning engineers and musicians because they too are learning. Even though they are still learning, TripleHouse hosts a professional but collegefriendly environment that not only caters to the recording needs of emerging bands but also to their financial needs. “We’re not about money. Our main goal is to get experience and network. All we want to do is cover cost to pay for what we’re doing,” Irby said. TripleHouse is even offering promotional rates for Belmont students as low as $35 an hour to make their services more accessible to budgeting college students and independent bands. The standard rate is $55 an hour. “We’re looking at this as an opportunity, not only in recording but also as students working with students, cutting each other deals and helping each other so that everyone can become stronger from the whole thing,” Klise said. Ben Klise, above, works on a project at TripleHouse Studios. Klise founded the business with fellow Belmont student Charles Irby, standing, left. More information about this unique student-owned company can be found at their MySpace or at http://www.triplehouse.com/. PHOTOS BY SIERRA MITCHELL Belmont: From here to YouTube? Putting technology to work By Matthew Reynolds STAFF WRITER A Belmont alumnus and his band won the award for “Best Song” in the first ever YouTube Underground Contest last November. Matthew Gometz, a 2005 Belmont graduate, and his band Greenland won with their debut video for “The Way It Is.” YouTube then flew Greenland to New York City to appear on Good Morning America and presented them with prize gear courtesy of Gibson Guitar and Epiphone. The winning video can be viewed on YouTube or myspace.com/greenlandmusic. Greenland plays a recent show at Exit/In, fresh off their YouTube win and national coverage. Two Belmont freshmen, Chase Misenheimer and Alex Crawford, have started their own podcast out of their dorm room. The “Untitled and Unbridled” podcast currently pulls in 500 listeners a week and is updated every Monday morning. Each episode features several songs, discussion about the artists of today and fan contests. The duo also uses their podcast to focus on what Belmont musicians are accomplishing. For more information, search the iTunes store for “Untitled and Unbridled.” The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 17 Bass professor engages students By Alexander Jones SENIOR WRITER When asked about his bass instructor, sophomore Blake Stratton lights up and struggles to find the right words to describe Professor Roy Vogt. “There are very few people who can both play and teach, in any field,” he finally says. “Professor Vogt knocks it out of the park as a musician and as a teacher is very passionate and is wonderful at passing on his knowledge and love to his students.” Roy Vogt fell in love with the bass guitar at the age of 14 and has since been a career bassist. “You really have to love this and be dedicated to the craft,” Vogt said. “I do this because, like many other bassists, without it a part of me would be missing. The bass guitar is my voice.” Vogt agrees that he has not had the career of the average musician. He calls himself lucky to have been able to travel the world, playing gigs on various coasts of the country and touring as far as Australia and New Zealand. These experiences have not only helped to shape Vogt’s musical style, but they have also given him a global perspective on music and its unique power. “One of my most memorable experiences is when I was playing with some Italian guys,” he recounts. “They didn’t speak hardly any English, and I didn’t speak Italian. I started strumming a generic tune that they knew, they joined in and we entered into a musical dialogue and jammed all night!” Although such experiences have trans- formed the musician in Professor Vogt, he is glad to bid them adieu. “I know what the inside of a hotel looks like, I know what the inside of a tour bus looks like, and I definitely don’t need to see another airplane,” he jokes. While Vogt frequently engages in “jam sessions” and has flourished as a local and studio musician in Nashville, he is more than content passing his knowledge on to his students at Belmont, where he has taught for 24 years. Education is close to his heart. “If you look in the Musicians’ Union, there is a shortage of qualified and adaptable bassists,” he explains. “It’s important to teach people the technique, but people also have to learn how to use the technique in various genres and then also how to get past the technique and theory and just say whatever it is they feel.” The role of a bassist is what Vogt calls a “service occupation.” Indeed, the bassist is often nothing more than an overlooked nuance of the background. However, Vogt explains that the bassist is the one who sets the mood. “The bass player asks, ‘How can I make this feel?’ His primary role is to work with the other musicians and drive the emotions of the music.” He displays this act of service on his first solo project, Simplicity, released in 2002. He currently has another project in the works, which will also feature Professor Chester Thompson of the School of Music. New tracks as well as tracks from Simplicity can be found on Vogt’s website www.RoyVogt.com. Nashville’s own ‘Pet’ comes back home By Henry Nichols EDITOR It’s not everyday you get to see a synchronized teenage rendition of an epileptic seizure. It’s much less common for such a display to be musically innovative and refreshing, but that’s exactly what happened Feb. 23 at The Rutledge when Nashville’s premier punk band, Be Your Own Pet, played their first show in months after a breakout 2006 filled with a frenzied touring schedule. According to guitarist Jonas Stein, 19, the one-shot hometown gig was designed to “kick out some of the fresh jams” the band has been writing for the past couple months in anticipation of their next album, which they plan to start recording in April and which could come out as early as September. “We don’t have any specific intentions towards doing anything differently [with the second album], it’s kind of what’s just coming out,” Stein said. “But I’m getting some surfy, raunchy vibes. Surf-Raunch, that’s our new style.” Stein and frontwoman/singer Jemina Pearl Abegg, also 19, are the only founding members of BYOP left. The group formed in 2003 in the basement of departed members Jake and Jamin Orrall after meeting as students at the Nashville School of the Arts. The Orrall brothers have since been replaced by bassist Nathan Vasquez, 18, and drummer John Eatherly, 16. BYOP’s debut album, one of Blender’s 50 greatest CDs of 2006, released last March, and their single “Adventure” reached No. 36 on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, the teenage wunderkinds have toured the world, performing supporting slots from the South Anberlin - Cities In an Alternative Press interview about their new album, Cities, lead vocalist Stephen Christian commented that the lyrics throughout Anberlin’s discography are progressively becoming more adult. “The first album, Blueprints for the Black Market [2003], was childish in the fact that it was Man vs. World. The last album, Never Take Friendship Personal [2005], was Man vs. Man. Cities, however, is Man vs. Self.” With Cities, Anberlin successfully picks up where they left off with Never Take Friendship Personal, and in so doing brings all their best attributes to the table - contagious drum grooves behind infectiously driving guitars and, of course, the unmistakable vocal presence of Stephen Christian. Most importantly, Cities proves that a band can improve upon itself album after album, and that is precisely what Anberlin has done. Highlights of the album include “Adelaide” and “The Unwinding Cable Car,” although every track screams quality and adds to the album’s likeability. The first single off the album, “Godspeed,” was released a month prior to the album release and sums up a focus of the album with the hook line, “They lied when they said the good die young.” Point blank, Cities is the best album of 2007 that I’ve heard and proves that Anberlin is maturing alongside their audience demographic. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity At a time when most of the music we hear is nothing but overdone, formulaic songwriting created with the intent to exploit and maximize profit, it is relaxing to know that there are still some bands out there that, for lack of a better term, “do it for the music.” Deerhoof is one of those bands. For those who celebrate creativity and innovation, out-of-the-box songwriting and music as a pure art form, the San Francisco-based Deerhoof is sure to be a favorite. Although they’ve lost member Chris Cohen since their last official album, The Runner’s Four (Cohen decided to work on The Curtain full time), the threesome have combined their stylistic and artful talents to create their best work to date, Friend Opportunity. The album, which is best enjoyed by listening through in its entirety, has its upbeat indie-pop moments, but is then followed by dronish songs with complementing vocals by Satomi Matsuzaki. Overall, fans old and new alike are sure to enjoy Friend Opportunity if, for nothing else, the utter complexities of its unconventional song structure and its aesthetic of musicality. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through Griffin’s latest album propelled her to the #34 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart, the highest debut in her long, successful career. Children Running Through is Griffin at her best, shining with poignant lyrics and bittersweet optimism. The album lacks a uniform tone, instead swinging from jazzy numbers to powerful ballads to her signature sweet, simple songs. Though highlights from the album are definitely “No Bad News,” “Railroad Wings,” and “Up to the Mountain (MLK song),” there really isn’t a tune that fails to please. With her unique and beautiful voice, Griffin never fails to inspire as she wanders from the bottom to the top of her range with ease. If you’re looking for an easygoing album to encourage you through a sad time, cheer you up on a rainy day or just put a smile on your face and get a lovely song stuck in your head, look no further than Children Running Through. - Melanie Bengtson by Southwest Festival to “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” to England’s Glastonbury and Readings/Leeds festivals. “[Travel] made me appreciate Nashville […] a lot more,” Stein said. “You’ll have a couple days off here and there to check out the city, but a lot of times you’re just seeing the inside of the van, the inside of a venue, the inside of a hotel, and you don’t really get that much exposure to the city you go to.” When asked why Nashville bands like BYOP and The Pink Spiders have been getting so much mainstream press recently, the band maintained that the quality of the city’s rock music is the same as it ever was. “I guess you could say that ever since the Kings of Leon, that hole or whatever they represented […] as far as Nashville is concerned just got bigger and bigger,” Vasquez said. “Nashville’s always had good music, but lots of flukes have happened I guess.” In addition to performing new material at the Rutledge, BYOP played hits “Bunk Trunk Skunk,” “We Will Vacation, You Can Be My Parasol,” and “Wildcat!” They were supported by Bowling Green’s Cage the Elephant and locals The Hollywood Kills, fronted by Belmont student Jonathon Jircitano. When asked for what advice they might give to music students their age with high aspirations, the band was speechless at first. “Start playing music with your friends,” Stein started. Vasquez interrupted, “Only because you want to play music.” “Not because you want to ‘make it,’” Abegg said. “That’s what worked for us!” Stein concluded, “Do it for fun and if PHOTO BY BLAND CLARK Lead singer Jemina Pearl leads punk act Be Your Own Pet during a Feb. 23 show at The you’re lucky, something good will come of Rutledge, a primary example of Nashville’s often overlooked rock scene. it.” Page 18 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2006 BU to LA for red-carpet service By Ameshia Cross STAFF WRITER For those who got stuck watching the 49th Annual Grammy Awards from their television sets, a few Belmont students were up close for early Grammy action. Eleven Belmont students stepped along the Grammy red carpet in Los Angeles Feb. 11. Belmont Service Corps members escorted bigname celebrities such as Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Carrie Underwood and many more. Although the students were not admitted into the show itself, they toured Hollywood, Beverly Hills and shopped on Rodeo Drive. Service Corps members who were not on the red carpet worked the radio remotes escorting artists to radio stations from across the country gathered in large rooms. These are tasks assigned to only the most pro“Part of the students. theory is devel- fessional Service Corps oping conpress and publicity chair Nick Novak tacts.” said, “To work the Nick Novak radio remotes, they Service Corps press had to have worked and publicity chair one before, and applications were taken for the red carpet.” Since unexpected happenings are not uncommon on the Grammy red carpet, Service Corps students came prepared. “There was a two-hour run-through the PHOTO COURTESY OF BELMONT SERVICE CORPS day before the show,” Novak said. Members of Belmont’s Service Corps stand on the red carpet in LA, where they traveled to provide services to music industry particpiWhile the students’ hotel stay in Los Angeles was pants before the Grammy ceremony. paid for by the Service Corps and the School of Music Business, the students paid for their own plane tickets Gospel Music Association week and many more. and meals. The music business students studying at Belmont In their service, members of the corps carry West in Los Angeles also helped out on the red carpet out their mission in the music industry to the“offer and with the radio remotes. our abilities, experience, and time to numerous events “Part of the theory is developing contacts,” Novak Belmont University’s Service Corps is a volunand causes in an effort to increase our networking said. Service Corps has a Web site that coordinates events for its members. “Service Corps is a wellteer organization of students of the Mike Curb opportunities, improve our learning environment, and received organization and the Grammy organization College of Entertainment and Music Business. develop our leadership and management proficiency. complemented their performance,” Novak said. The students network with professionals in the music To become a member of Service Corps, stuMember recruitment is an essential part of Service industry. Service Corps members receive hands-on dents must maintain a 2.8 GPA or better and be a stuCorps. “We catch them as freshmen because they can’t intern until they are juniors,” Novak said. “The experience and apply the skills they’ve learned at dent in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and organization allows them to get their foot in the door events such as the CMT Awards, Grammys, Country Music Business. Dues per semester are $5. and make those necessary contacts.” Radio Seminar, Academy of Country Music Awards, It’s an opportunity, he said, that is “priceless.” Service Corps mission to serve while learning Dance program looks to expand By Joseph Shelby STAFF WRITER With a new theater complex on the way, Belmont’s dance program has the potential for a great amount of growth, both artistically and physically. For the past three years, the university has offered a dance minor to its students, but the creation of a full-fledged major is not completely out of the question as the program looks toward the future. The department offers four main types of dance: tap, jazz, ballet and modern. Each comes with its own unique set of challenges and difficulties, but this has not slowed the growth of the program. Indeed, it has fueled the ambitions of both the students and the instructors. “The department has grown from 12 to 35 minors in two and a half years,” said Paul Gatrell, chair of the department of theater and dance. Debbie Belue, adjunct professor of dance, said the department is graduating four times as many students this year as last. As evidence of this growth, student Rachel Ellis, a ballerina, is studying at Belmont under the Pat Bullard scholarship. This scholarship is awarded only to a prima ballerina. Ellis is a full-time performer in the Nashville Ballet and is majoring in nursing with a minor in dance. Each student in the program progresses through increasingly difficult levels of study as they work towards a minor. As a result of this, many of the dancers are now much stronger than when they began. They are able to perform more technical dances with a greater skill level. As the department attracts more skilled beginners, it is requiring more hours for students already in the program who wish to complete a minor. There is much anticipation and excitement among the program’s students in regards to this rapid development. When asked about the minor, students echoed Belue’s comments about the intensity of classes and the continuing growth of the department. Emily Callahorn referred to it as “exciting” and Stephanie Jones said, “It’s gonna rock.” But one big question still remains: will the department ever be able to offer a dance major? The official stance is that the possibility is being examined. There is great support for this move coming from the faculty and the students. One student pointed to the large amount of time that both students and supporters give to the program outside of the classroom as defense for expansion. This level of dedication will be needed as the program continues to grow. “With the emphasis on performing arts here at Belmont, this would be a perfect place for a dance major,” said Belue. She also commented that the dance department is currently working with Gatrell to try to make this a reality. “Our long term goal is to have a dance education major and a dance performance major,” said Gatrell. “It is a strong program that has a lot of growth potential ahead of it.” Students will soon be able to enjoy more practice space as well, another development that could support a potential dance major. The new blackbox theater will be accessible to the department both as a rehearsal space and a performance venue. Gatrell also showed appreciation for Getting There The third annual dance recital, “Mixed Bill: Leap of Faith, An Evening of Dance for the Spirit and Soul,” will take place in Massey Performing Arts Center on March 16 and 17 at 7:00 pm. CA convo is available. Belmont’s efforts to provide more opportunities for dancers. “The university has been very supportive of the program. Obviously, with any new program there are challenges and we are working collaboratively to overcome them.” Gatrell also noted the dance department is looking into a possible partnership with the Nashville Ballet. When asked how likely such a move would be, Gatrell replied that there was a “strong potential” of this happening sometime in the near future. Such collaboration would bode especially well for students interesting in pursuing dance as a career choice. The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 Page 19 Tattoos: Passions v. Perceptions By Victoria Read STAFF WRITER ith the growing popularity of television shows like Miami Ink and tattoo-clad rock bands, the world of tattooing is pushing into the mainstream. With this push come more people, especially young people, getting tattoos. A 2006 study completed by the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24 percent of Americans aged 18-50 have a tattoo. The study found that 36 percent of Americans aged 18-29 have at least one tattoo. “There’s something about our generation that needs to physically articulate our personality,” said Brittany Booram, a Belmont graduate who has a Celtic tattoo on her shoulder. Every generation has a signature expression; some feel the need to communicate this expression visually through the art of tattooing. Tattoos are thought by many to be the mark of the emerging generation. “For younger people it’s a badge to bear for their generation, whether that is a form of rebellion, being cutting edge or setting them apart from their parents and grandparents generation” said Vicky Clayton, an area businesswoman. Tattoos are not only a tool to distinguish a person from other generations, but a form of individuality, ornamentation and a symbol that identifies members of a generation. “Some people get tattoos because they know there is a social stigma, being part of the alternative culture,” Brittany Doyle, a sophomore studio art major who works at Icon, a local tattoo and W in reality, because you deal with people and perceptions, sometimes that person might not get the job, whether that is right or wrong,” Clayton said. Clayton explained that visible tattoos could make it harder to get a job, maybe not because the potential employer disagrees with tattoos but because of the risk of clients feeling uncomfortable with tattoos. “(My tattoo) perpetuates an aesthetic stereotype of what people assume I do,” Booram said. The stereotypes associated with tattoos can often be negative and such conceptions make it harder for people with tattoos to find acceptance. “I don’t think of my banker, attorney or minister with a huge tattoo,” Clayton said. But, with the growing prevalence of tattoos, will these perceptions persist? “It’s not just scuzz bag people getting tattoos any more, it’s kids, so parents have to become more accepting,” doyle said. Gaining acceptance with parents is another struggle of the young and inked, and as long as disapproval exists with parents so it will in our culture. “I’ll never regret my tattoo, but I’ve felt the disapproval of others. They might look at me like a rebellious teenage freak” Booram said. Despite discrimination and labeling battles most of the tattooed are proud of their tattoos and value their nostalgia. “I put them on my back because I don’t have to see them every day to know what they mean to me,” said Zollie Wilson, a senior entrepreneurship major with three tattoos. The personal significance of the idea behind a tattoo is often what drives going under the needle. “The act of permanently putting something on your body can feel sacred,” Booram said. The permanence of tattooing can be one of the greatest sources of pride for some people who are tattooed. Tattoos provide an eternal reminder of whatever significance that tattoo holds. “They’re no pair of boots, it’s on PHOTOS BY SIERRA MITCHELL your body forever,” Doyle said. Sophomore art major Brittany Doyle finds that her body is not unlike a Some people don’t see the draw of a canvas as a medium to display colorful tattoos. permanent marker of individuality and see tattooing as a trend that can be detrimental in later life. piercing shop. Mary Michael, a senior music business major, explained The social stigma attached to people who are tattooed can that she felt tempted to get a tattoo but she is not sure if it is be a source of judgment and even discrimination. This stigsomething she will want in a few years or something she ma can be a factor in where people decide to get tattoos. wants to explain to her children in the future. Only one of Doyle’s seven tattoos is visible because of “Is it an accessory you want to live with for the rest of the repercussions of these stereotypes. your life?” Clayton asked. “I’m not a billboard,” she said. Despite the many disputes over tattoos, some feel passionDoyle explained that a consequence of visible tattoos is ately about the art of tattooing and stand by their tattoo phidiscrimination when trying to get a job. She finds tattoos are losophy. less acceptable than people tend to think they are and tattoos “It’s like a house, you make it yours by decorating it,” are only totally acceptable in a limited community. Booram said. “In an ideal world it’s patently wrong to discriminate but Page 20 The Belmont Vision, February 28, 2007 stage Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I Circle Players Feb. 23 - March 10 www.circleplayers.net William Shakespeare’s Othello Roxy Regional Theatre March 2 -17 www.roxyregionaltheatre.org song Lovedrug The Basement Feb. 28 www.thebasementnashville.com Mendelssohn’s Third Nashville Symphony March 1-3 www.nashvillesymphony.org Rosanne Cash Nashville Symphony March 18 www.nashvillesymphony.org David Alford’s Ghostlight (Reading Only) Tennessee Repertory Theatre March 3-4 www.tnrep.org The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Tennessee Performing Arts Center March 6-11 www.tpac.org Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Nashville Children’s Theatre March 6- April 7 www.nct-dragonsite.org Hanging Mary People’s Branch Theatre March 8-17 www.peoplesbranch.org Lucky Stiff Boiler Room Theatre March 16 - April 14 www.boilerroomtheatre.com the stuff Eclipse: Visions of the Crescent and the Cross Tennessee Performing Arts Center March 3 www.tpac.org Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris Frist Center for the Visual Arts Opens March 2 www.fristcenter.org Hiraki Sawa: Going Places Sitting Down Frist Center for the Visual Arts Opens March 2 www.fristcenter.org Ashley Cleveland 3rd & Lindsley March 2 www.3rdandlindsley.com Carrie Underwood Grand Ole Opry March 2 www.opry.com Badly Drawn Boy Exit/In March 13 www.exitin.com Justin Timberlake Gaylord Enerainment Center March 16 Madeleine Payroux Tennessee Performing Arts Center March 4 www.tpac.org Harry Connick, Jr. Tennessee Performing Arts Center March 13 www.tpac.com The Shins Ryman Auditorium March 9 www.ryman.com The Features Mercy Lounge March 10 www.mercylounge.com www.gaylordentertainmentcenter.com Me Without You Rcktwn March 18 www.rcktwn.com screen Island Empire Belcourt Theatre March 2-8 www.belcourt.org Two or Three Things I Know about Her Belcourt Theatre March 11-15 www.belcourt.org Venus Regal Green Hills 16 Currently Playing www.fandango.com Factory Girl Regal Hollywood 27 Currently Playing www.fandango.com mar. 2 Wild Hogs (Tim Allen) Zodiac (Jake Gyllenhaal) Blake Snake Moan (Christina Ricci) Home of the Brave (50 Cent) Full of It (Ryan Pinkston) mar. 9 300(Gerard Butler) The Ex (Zach Braff, Amanda Peet) The Namesake (Kal Penn) 10. Girl Talk/Night Ripper 11. Peter Bjorn & John/Writer’s Block 12. Norah Jones/Not Too Late 1. Lucinda Williams/West 13. Field Music/Tones of Town 2. The Shins/Wincing the Night Away 14. Apples in Stereo/New Magnetic 3. Patty Griffin/Children Running Through Wonder 4. Oh Montreal/Hissing Fauna... 15. Menomena/Friend & Foe 5. Infamous Stringdusters/Fork in the Road 16. Deerhoof/Friend Opportunity 6. Cat Power/The Greatest 17. Beirut/Lon Gisland 7. Midlake/The Trials of Van Occupanther 18. Sondra Lerche/Phantom Punch 8. Josh Rouse/She’s Spanish... 19. Vietnam/Vietnam 9. The Good, The Bad & The Queen/ 20. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Some The Good, The Bad & the Queen Loud Thunder grimey’s top 20 album drops... mar. 20 mar. 6 Arcade Fire/Neon Bible (Merge) Lovedrug/Everything Starts Where It Ends (Militia Group) Relient K/Five Score and Seven Years Ago (Capitol) Bright Eyes/Four Winds (Saddle Creek) Air/Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks) Joss Stone/Introducing Joss Stone (Virgin) Elliott Yamin/Elliott Yamin (Hickory) Tracey Thorn/Out of the Woods (Astralwerks) Marques Houston/Veteran (Umvd Labels) Jesse Malin/Glitter in the Gutter (Adeline) Andrew Bird/Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum) Modest Mouse/We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Sony)