10/25/2007 - Belmont Vision

www.belmontvision.com
The student newspaper of Belmont University
Vol. 57, No. 5
October 25, 2007
Dorm plans address
students, environment
By Cheryl Bak
STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY SARAH MITCHELL
Got spirit?
By Courtney Drake
EDITOR
Belmont President Bob Fisher is only too happy to
lead cheers, but he wants backup, too.
That’s the reason behind his recent idea for a new
award called the Spirit Award for the Belmont organization that shows the most spirit at the Atlantic Sun Cross
Country Championship.
The idea for the Spirit Award came after Fisher
attended a cross country meet and was “struck by how
few people there were to cheer them on.” He hopes the
award will not only
increase awaremess of the
Getting there cross country teams but
also provide a means for
the Belmont community
Judging for the first
to come together and have
Spirit Award will take
fun.
place at the Cross
“We cheer for our
Country A-Sun
musicians, but for [cross
Championship on
country athletes], it’s been
Saturday, Oct. 27, at
a relatively small congrePercy Warner Park at gation,” he said. “It’s an
the corner of Highway attempt to rally the community and cheer for peo100 and Old Hickory
ple that deserve cheer.”
Boulevard.
This year’s inspiration
is cross country, and the
championship meet is Oct. 27.
“I’ve been watching it for seven years and they’ve
won five of six championships,” Fisher said. “They’ve
been our most successful sports team.”
Fisher himself will choose the winning organization
based on four categories: Belmont attire, creativity
(cheers, posters, etc.), volume and overall spirit. The winning organization will receive a trophy, along with “bragging rights,” Fisher said.
The sport for the award won’t always be cross country, though. Next year, Fisher will choose another sport
for organizations to cheer for.
Organizations wanting to participate are asked to preregister by e-mailing
[email protected], though they
may also register at 8 a.m. the day of the championship.
Sign-in for organizations is also at 8 a.m. that day and
judging will take place from the beginning of the
women’s meet at 9 a.m. until the end of the award ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. The trophy will be awarded at the men’s first home basketball game Nov. 26 during halftime.
It’s time to play “Beat the Clock.”
Mission: Finish the new dorm before the
next school year.
“This building needs to go up very
quickly and is based on the same equation as Kennedy and Thrailkill,” said
Steve Lasley, vice president of finance
and operations.
Approval by the Board of Trustees in
August allows one year for planning and
building before freshmen move in during
Welcome Week 2008.
Although a need for new residence
halls has been a periodic occurrence,
according to Dean of Students Andrew
Johnston, some people weren’t expecting
the announcement – at least not as soon
as it came.
“Some of us were surprised we were
building something,” said director of residence life, Anthony Donovan, who has
been with Belmont seven years.
The hope is to have 5,000 students by
2010, Johnston said, and with an enrollment of 4,750, Belmont is ahead of
schedule. The new dorm, which will
house 190 freshmen, is in the works to
help deal with the growing student body.
Two more adjacent dorms will be built
the following two years.
This building is on a fast track and it
will be similar to the previous newlybuilt dorms, as to not “reinvent the
wheel” Johnston said.
Nearby Vanderbilt, also building new
college residences, reported they “want
“We received considerable student input
when we built
Kennedy… and will
apply those same concepts to this project.”
Steve Lasley
vice president of finance, operations
to get as many students as possible
involved in the creative process of
designing College Halls.” They hosted
an event where students gave comments
and opinions and spoke directly with the
architect.
Because of the timeline, Belmont residents have not been questioned about
what they would like for the new dorm,
however past feedback plays a huge role.
“We received considerable student
input when we built Kennedy…and will
apply those same concepts to this project,” Lasley said.
“We do care a great deal about what
students want in a living environment,”
Johnston said. With Kennedy, students
were surveyed about furniture, room
configurations and personalization of the
space. Suite-style bathrooms are a popular feature and will be incorporated in the
new dorm.
Junior Nicole Curtis, who lived in
both Wright and Thrailkill halls agrees,
and does not care for the communitystyle bathrooms in Wright. “There’s
something about everyone using
them…you didn’t want to touch much,”
she said. Curtis also preferred the
brighter lights in Thrailkill, because her
room in Wright only had one light.
Student feedback about lighting in
Kennedy bathrooms prompted Donovan
to make plans for fixtures to be placed
over the showers in the new dorm.
As for the main room, personalization
features have been very well received,
according to Donovan. Wardrobes and
desks are moveable and the beds can be
placed in five different configurations.
“Students have space they can make
their own, Johnston said. “Within reason
you can do anything you want with this
stuff.”
The floor is tile so students can bring
their own carpet or none at all, if they so
choose, Donovan said. Doors are easier
to decorate because of the new laminate
covering and coil-less mattresses trialtested in Wright received positive reaction.
A popular request from students that
will not be granted involves painting the
walls. Johnston said upkeep would be an
issue and more charges would result. A
number of residents also wonder why
things like George Foreman grills are not
allowed or why most dorms don’t have a
kitchen.
“There’s just no way I’m taking a
See DORM, page 3 ➲
‘Oompa loompa doompadee doo’
PHOTO BY SARAH MITCHELL
Willy Wonka, known to students from their childhood favorite Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, came to Belmon via a Fall
Follies skit last weekend. And Willy, as most remember, could entertain but also frighten us, as he did from the MPAC stage
when he brought to life a nightmare of eternity with convocations. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, page 15.
Page 2
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Let’s GO!
Global Outreach Week highlights
mission trip opportunities for spring
By Linda Johansson
STAFF WRITER
The Global Outreach Week, also known
as GO! Week, begins Oct. 29 in the form of
numerous convocation events that highlight
upcoming mission opportunities. The event,
which is being held for the second year on
Belmont’s campus, focuses on how students
can get involved in mission trips and serving
during spring break.
“The GO! Week is designed to help students begin to think how they can put their
faith into action,” associate university minister Christy Ridings said. “It highlights the
opportunities [available to] students.”
Last year, approximately 60 percent of the
students who went on spring break mission
trips found out about them from GO! Week.
For that reason, Ridings encourages students
to attend the convocation events and
she emphasized that students can choose from
many different areas of serving.
“Students can help out with building houses, helping homeless people, or taking care of
kids,” Ridings said. “We have a great variety
of choices.”
Ridings said students who choose to serve
will be a part of what’s called a “GO Team”
– each team assigned with two student leaders. Senior RJ Knapp was a leader last year.
He went with his team to Arlington, Texas,
where he helped take care of children.
“One of our main reasons for being there
[Arlington] was Rainbow Express,” Knapp
said. “It is a children’s ministry in which you
do a kind of vacation Bible school for different apartment communities.”
Knapp, who decided to be a leader for a
GO! Team next spring as well, stressed the
importance and significance of serving.
“What an opportunity to put love into
action,” Knapp said. “With a college culture
that is so hectic and in many ways self-centered, any opportunity to be selfless is a
blessing.”
Ridings, who shares Knapp’s opinion,
wants more students to have Knapp’s mentality.
“We are trying to change the culture
where students see breaks first and foremost
as an opportunity to serve,” Ridings said.
Ridings also said the mission trips are not
only for Christians. Although the trips will
have an element of faith, one does not have to
be a Christian in order to participate.
“I don’t want to mislead students saying
there won’t be any prayers,” Ridings said.
“But it’s in no way a requirement for students
to be Christians as long as they go into it
knowing there’s this component.”
Knapp agrees with Ridings and said that
regardless of denomination and belief, “anybody who goes on a mission trip knows it
will change your life.”
He looks forward to his spring break with
great anticipation.
“I am unbelievably excited and I can’t
stress that enough,” Knapp said.
Helping with home construction with Habitat for Humanity is one of many volunteer opportunities in the United States and in other countries. A convo series will highlight trips that are
options for spring break.
Convos set for New York, Juarez, others
The 2008 spring break, extended because it encompasses Easter break, provides
a chance for mission trips near and far. Upcoming convos will highlight some of
those that are available for Belmont students.
• Habitat for Humanity, Pensacola, Fla., 10 a.m., Monday, Oct. 29, MBC 109.
• Juarez, Mexico, 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 29, MBC 100
• New York City, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, MBC 109
• New Orleans, 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31, MBC 100
The GO! Fair, with more information, is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, on the
Beaman Patio. Info: Christy Ridings, x5543 or e-mail [email protected].
‘Vision’ editor earns
CMA merit award
PHOTOGRAPHER: AMANDA ECKARD / CMA
The Country Music Association’s inaugural award of merit will be given to Belmont
junior Courtney Drake.
Drake was chosen for the award – officially the CMA Close Up Award of Merit –
to recognize her as “the student who demonstrated the most creativity, dedication, and
promise in covering the 2007 CMA Music
Festival on assignment from CMA.”
Drake, a Michigan native who came to
Belmont as a freshman in 2005, is a journalism major and is Vision editor for 2007-08.
The award will be presented during the
backstage press conference coverage of the
2007 CMA Awards Wednesday, Nov. 7, at
the Sommet Center.
In a press release announcing the award,
CMA chief operating officer Tammy
Genovese said, "CMA is proud to foster upand-coming music reporters and critics by
giving them the tools and opportunities to
practice their craft.”
CMA Close Up editor Bob Doerschuk
supervised Drake and other interns from
around the state as they covered all aspects
of the 2007 CMA Music Festival in June.
Their work was posted daily during the festival and has been archived at
http://www.cmafest.com/2007 under the
heading "CMA Music Festival News and
Reviews."
"As exceptional as all our student volunteer reporters were at covering the 2007
CMA Music Festival, Courtney stood out as
a result of her dedication, quick comprehension of her assignments, resourcefulness,
willingness to adapt to constantly changing
demands, and of course her ability to craft
stories that were both evocative and clear
Courtney Drake
under great deadline pressure,” Doerschuk
said.
Following the Festival, CMA Close Up's
editorial team reviewed the writers' performance and stories and selected Drake as the
recipient of the honor. She was also invited
to cover the 2007 CMA Awards for the magazine from the backstage press room.
Her love of country music inspired her to
move to Nashville to further her education
and interest in music journalism. Drake has
also worked as a freelance intern writer for
The Tennessean where she developed articles for the education and religion sections.
As for her long-term career goals, her
work with CMA Close Up has definitely
made an impression.
"Long-range, I'd love to work for a
country music magazine," said Drake.
"Maybe CMA Close Up!"
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 3
DORMS, page 1
chance with fire,” Johnston said. The
requirements to comply with fire codes also
add to the expenses.
Curtis mentioned a nice, comfortable
study area should be included in the new
dorms, as Thrailkill offers only a lobby.
Johnston acknowledged that students regularly ask for more common space, but efficiency takes a higher precedence.
“It’s the challenge of success,” Johnston
said. Some students don’t want to leave campus and housing isn’t available for everyone,
so sacrifices have to be made.
Lack of space also prevents including
interactive games like foosball or ping pong,
but that is not necessarily a negative, he said.
“We want students to be connected to the
university … not just to a facility,” he said.
Vanderbilt is known as a “residential college,” which means the residence buildings
have amenities like computer labs, food galleries and fitness facilities. Belmont takes a
different approach and believes the residence
halls are only part of the whole culture.
“We’re not interested in Pembroke being
their world. We’re more interested in making
Belmont their world,” Johnston said. This is
especially true for freshmen, who, once the
three dorms are completed, will live in the
middle of campus.
Emphasis is placed on first-year students
because they are younger and have specific
needs, Johnston said. The new dorms are
part of a larger plan of preparing resources
that support what the administration wants to
accomplish with freshmen – getting them
into the mix and off to a strong start by connecting them to campus life.
“We’re trying to energize the core of
campus,” Johnston explained. “Having freshmen in the center of campus will get them in
the kick of things.” He said the goal is to
create an environment that makes campus a
vibrant and exciting place to be after hours.
Another goal is for the dorm to become a
green facility. “It is our commitment to be as
energy efficient as we can be,” Johnston
said.
This means using “water source heat
pumps and cooling to reduce the energy
required in the facilities,” Lasley
said. “Architects are also investigating the
feasibility of other items such as using recycled materials and environmentally friendly
paints.”
Individual rooms may not be as efficient,
but students will have control over the temperature in their space, Johnston said.
“Trying to find an environment that students find appealing is important to the university,” Donovan said about satisfying students.
Less appealing to a number of students is
the construction it takes to get there.
“It’s really loud and really annoying
when we’re trying to sleep,” said freshman
Hail resident, Meredith Dungan, recalling
jackhammers digging into concrete when
she’s studying or napping.
Donovan admits there are noises, dust
and other nuisances, but said, “There will be
a benefit to the inconvenience.”
Student contribution, though not sought
specifically for the dorm now under construction, will be embraced for future projects. “As we begin considering the remaining dorms that will fill out a new ‘freshman
quad,’ we will be seeking specific student
input,” Lasley said.
“We are prepared to deliver what people
want,” Donovan said.
To voice an opinion, e-mail Anthony
Donovan, director of residence life, at [email protected], or Andrew
Johnston, dean of students, at [email protected].
Students’ letters speak out
against Darfur genocide
By Lori Hughes
STAFF WRITER
Belmont students can do their part to help
end the ongoing genocide in Darfur while
earning community service convocation
credit every other Friday.
Following a brief explanation of the
ongoing violence in the African country of
Sudan, the Belmont Coalition Against
Genocide will demonstrate how to write a
letter to a senator asking for support of legislation that will aid in ending the crisis.
“We are trying to get senators to know
that people care about it,” Roshni Patel, vice
president of BCAG, said.
More than 400,000 Sudanese have died
and 2.2 million people have been forced
from their homes during the four-year-old
crisis in Darfur. The letter writing campaign
gives students the opportunity to raise their
voices in concern of the problem.
“Hopefully this convo will inspire somebody to get involved,” Patel said, “if not
with the letter writing, another future event.”
Students will be given the names and
addresses of senators who will be voting on
the Darfur Accountability and Divestment
Act. The bill passed the House of
Representatives July 31 and now resides in
the Senate. The goal of the DADA is to
remove the economic support, primarily
from oil revenues, given to Sudan that is
funding the war.
Students may write to one of Tennessee’s
senators, Lamar Alexander or Bob Corker,
or a senator from their home state.
The advocacy group has grown fast.
According to history professor Daniel
Schafer, who is also faculty adviser to
BCAG, the group has 200 students on the
Getting involved
The letter-writing campaign to help
end genocide in Darfur is at 10
a.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in Massey 413.
The convo, sponsored by the
Belmont Coalition Against
Genocide, will be held again at 10
a.m., Friday, Nov. 9 in Massey 413.
Each student will receive one community service hour for writing a
letter.
mailing list and a 15-member executive
committee that researches and plans events
for fundraising and increasing public awareness. Plans include a benefit concert for Dec.
1 at City Hall with Tennesseans Against
Genocide, followed by a rally on Dec. 2.
The coalition started the letter writing
campaign last spring. The group alternates
letter writing with Belmont’s Amnesty
International group who write letters advocating human rights.
Wright event raises
money, attention
for homelessness
By Lauren Sharpe
STAFF WRITER
All-nighters – one of the most practiced
words in the collegiate dictionary. Students
all across campus are staying awake 24 hours
for exams, papers and social lives. However,
only one group on campus is “Up All Night
(for All the Wright Reasons).”
Beginning at 8 p.m. Oct. 26, on the grassy
knoll outside of Wright/Maddox Hall, Wright
residents will be camping out to raise both
money and awareness for homelessness, a
crisis that directly affects at least 10,000 people in Tennessee.
“Homelessness is a real issue, [especially]
in Nashville,” said Emily Kynerd, Wright
Hall resident director. “Not many people
think about it unless they are around it a lot.
Here at Belmont, we are close enough to
downtown that we aren’t removed from the
problem.”
“Up All Night (for All the Wright
Reasons)” is meant to better students’ understanding of the problem through recreating
the life of a homeless person for participants.
Participants sleep outside through the night
with nothing but a sleeping bag and water.
They are not offered any meals, games or
immunity to the weather.
Resident assistant Shannon Saunders said
the experience as a homeless person was an
eye-opening one. She didn’t make it through
the night last year because of the cold weather. “The weather made a point, though,” she
said. “I had nothing to keep me warm, and
the only entertainment was the people around
me. I really was living their life.”
The event also raises money for homeless
organizations in Nashville. In the past, students have asked for donations and sponsors
for their night outside. Last year, the money
raised went to the Nashville Rescue Mission,
which provides food, lodging, education and
other programs for homeless individuals.
This year, the third year for the program,
plans are in the works for more fundraising
and events. Kynerd hopes to have a full
week of homelessness awareness in which
representatives from organizations such as
Nashville Rescue Mission and Second
Harvest Food Bank, which provides meals
for low-income individuals, come to campus
and share the realities of homelessness with
students. Also, students will likely be asked
to donate canned food if they wish to participate.
Plans are not yet set, but Kynerd and the
Wright Hall staff are looking for ways to
build on the dorm’s signature event and make
it better. She hopes participants finish the
night with more than new convocation hours.
“It will be an experience to remember for
those who participate,” Kynerd said, “and a
powerful symbol to those who do not.”
4V]PUN(OLHK
^P[OH
4(**
Are you interested in the accounting profession
but don’t have an undergraduate business or
accounting degree? Belmont University’s Summer
Accounting Institute will prepare you to start the
12-month Master of Accounting program at The
Massey Graduate School of Business, accredited
in accounting by AACSB International.
The next course begins summer 2008.
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experience required for casting calls. Call
877-218-6224
615-460-6480
www.belmont.edu/business/graduatebusiness
Bill Baker, Jr., MACC 2004
Deloitte & Touche, LLP
Audit in Charge
Page 4
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Smoking ban hurts some local bands
ONLINE EDITOR
Tennessee’s smoking ban calls to mind
images of restaurants and other places where
families might go with their children where
smoking was a typical hazard. What has
rarely been considered in the ban, however,
is the law’s impact on music venues and
local bands around Nashville and
Murfreesboro.
The “Tennessee Non-Smoker Protection
Act,” which went into effect on Oct. 1, bans
smoking in all public, enclosed places with a
few exceptions. Some restaurants and bars
like The Gold Rush made early headlines by
remaining smoker friendly under the strict
guideline they only let in patrons that are 21
or older. But, just across the street, Exit/In
owner Josh Billue kept the popular Nashville
mainstay open to everyone over 18.
“For the most part, it’s probably hurt us
more than it helped us,” said Billue. He reasoned that if smokers are going to have to go
outside to light up a cigarette, then there’s
nothing to stop them from running across the
street to get a beer at the Gold Rush, which
would be a loss in a sale to their own bar.
Exit/In has fallen on hard times before,
including a recent bankruptcy which left
Billue in control of the place in December
2005. Enough wayward customers may be
the tipping point to put the venue below
breaking even. However, the idea of restricting the venue to people who are only 21 and
over would be risky, according to Billue.
“It wouldn’t be as hard initially [to go
21+], but so many shows that occur in the
venue you really can’t tell who’s going to
come out and see what,” said Billue. “For
“All [the ban] does is
hurt people, especially
at a place like Belmont
where there are young
bands.”
Abby Selden
vocals, keyboard for Says Pete
instance, State Radio just played and it was a
young crowd. We’d either have to not book
the show or lose money on it.”
But, while larger venues can afford to
alienate smokers, many smaller clubs have
opted to stay smoker-friendly at the expense
of the younger age group. This presents complications for smaller bands that can’t book
larger clubs, but aren’t older than 21.
Sophomore Abby Selden is a vocal opponent to the ban.
“I think it’s ridiculous and embarrassing
for the state of Tennessee,” said Selden. “I
don’t understand why they wouldn’t just ban
smoking instead of having a clause in the
law specifically granting exemptions to
places.”
Selden plays keyboards and sings in a
band called “Says Pete” along with Belmont
student Kelli Sandlin and two of their friends
from Alabama. The band booked a show at
the Temptation Club in Murfreesboro in
August for the first weekend of October
without any word from the venue about the
law. It wasn’t until days before the show that
the venue told them that their show had
become 21+ because of the smoking ban.
“Initially Kelli called them and they said,
‘Well, if you’re not 21 you can’t play the
show’,” recalled Selden. After Sandlin asked
if they should cancel the show entirely, the
venue changed their minds saying, “You can
play but we’re going to check you really
strictly and don’t even try to bring in anyone
under 21.”
As a result, despite 20 people being committed on the Facebook event for the show,
only a handful were able to get in. Those
who managed to get in without being of age,
mainly friends of Zombie Bazooka Patrol,
another band, were quickly ejected from the
venue. It also means that some of the venues
that were easiest to book for a small band
like The Boro, which Says Pete has played at
least a dozen shows in, are off limits to them.
“All [the ban] does is hurt people, especially at a place like Belmont where there are
young bands,” said Selden. “A lot of them
are just getting started and they’ll play anywhere, but now they can’t play a lot of these
places.”
Although Tennessee’s Non-Smoker
Protection Act has had a damaging effect in
the eyes of many venues and bans, none of
the complaints have come from people
unhappy about not being able to smoke
where they want to. Billue mentioned off
hand exactly how the staff at Exit/In feel
about the law.
“None of us really like smoking anyway.
Out of the entire Exit/In staff there are probably two people who smoke cigarettes. But, it
affects the bottom line.”
Smoke screens?
Although many venues around town are
complying with Tennessee’s smoking
ban, a number of them have become
strictly 21+ venues.
No Smoking (All Ages/18+)
3rd and Lindsley
12th and Porter
Café Coco
Cannery Ballroom
City Hall
Exit/In
The End
Mercy Lounge
Rocketown
The Rutledge
No Smoking (21+)
The Basement
Smokers Allowed (21+)
3 Crow Bar
The 5 Spot
The Boro
Sweetwater
Temptation Club
Wall Street
www.belmontvision.com
By Lance Conzett
1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville TN, 37212
Phone: (615) 460-6433
E-mail: [email protected]
Editor:
Managing Editor:
Online Editor:
co-Online Editor:
Photo/Graphics Editor:
Advertising:
Faculty Adviser:
Online/Graphics Adviser:
Courtney Drake
Adaeze Elechi
Joanna Larson
Lance Conzett
Sarah Mitchell
Karen Bennett
Linda Quigley
Angela Smith
Senior Staff: Chansin Bird, Chris
Speed, Drew Dean, Ameshia Cross,
Rachel Waller
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 5
KRAKOW, BRATISLAVA
CESKY KRUMLOV, PRAGUE
DRESDEN & WEIMAR
• In addition to these cities we will visit Auschwitz/
Birkenau, Terezin and Buchenwald as a part of our
study of the Holocaust.
• Visit manufacturing plants…Skoda, VW, Meissen
and a glass factory near Prague.
• Stay with student counterparts in Dresden, all of
whom are English language majors at the Technical
University and most of whom have spent time on
the Belmont campus.
• Earn up to six (6) hours of academic credit (66%
tuition reduction).
Enjoy 20 days of travel through Poland, Slovakia,
Czech Republic and Germany. During the spring
semester preceeding the trip, we will have four
required seminars which will prepare you for
the trip.
Dr. Wylie, the director, is Professor of Music,
and Dr. Lambert, the co-director, is Professor of
Marketing. It is possible to get credit for courses in
music, business, literature, international business,
history, Jr. Cornerstone and honors.
For other possibilities, see Dr. Wylie or Dr.
Lambert. A maximum of eighteen (18) people will
be able to register for the trip.
FACULTY
Dr. Ted Wylie
615-460-8108
[email protected]
Dr. Robert Lambert
615-460-5432
[email protected]
New d
e
Reduce
Pric
PRICE
$4,800 excluding tuition. Includes all fares, events,
admissions, plane tickets, student I.D./insurance
card, hotels, breakfasts and six dinners.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
15 November 2007. A $500.00 non-refundable
deposit is required with the application. Only
students in good standing with Belmont University
may apply. Payment in full is due by 5 February.
Once airline tickets are purchased and the ground
expenses are paid, the student is responsible for
the cost. Financial aid is available.
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Page 6
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
ideas
Southern
at heart
Coming from Michigan, I’m automatically known
as a yankee when introduced to acquaintances; a northern girl who doesn’t know a thing about southern hospitality or “good ole Southern cookin.’’” How I
respond to these accusations is not what you would
typically imagine. “I’m almost positive I was born in
the wrong part of the country,” I reply. “I’m a
Southern girl at heart.”
For those of you who know me, there’s no doubt
this statement is true. I’m a country music fanatic, I
love horseback riding and would like to live on a farm
someday, I’m a big fan of fried chicken and flaky biscuits, I adore the drawn-out vowels that come with the
Southern accent and it warms my heart when strangers
volunteer their time just to help you out.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that people in the
North aren’t
nice; they
COURTNEY DRAKE
just don’t go
out of their
way to
inquire how
you are or
ask if you
need any
help. I
remember
the first time
I went to
Kroger in
Green Hills,
an older
woman asked me to let her take my items to my car.
Being in a wheelchair, there are several activities I need
help with, but because I was so used to being the one to
solicit help, it took me by surprise that a complete
stranger would come out and ask me. Out of habit, I
graciously thanked the woman, but said I could manage. However, she insisted she help and carried several
bags to my car, an activity most people in the North
would not do without being asked.
Even the simple conversations passers-by strike up
in the South are very different from what I’m used to in
Michigan. There, if someone asks how you are, it’s
usually out of politeness, not genuine concern. There’s
always a chance you’ll find someone that really does
care, but they are few and far between. Down here,
though, the people seem like they really want to know;
it’s either good acting skills or they truly are concerned,
which always brightens my day.
And that Southern drawl that I’ve always had a
thing for is beginning to make its way into my vocabulary. Though I’ve been told I never had much of a
northern accent to begin with, it hasn’t taken me long
to drag out my vowels or say “y’all” to a group of people. Because I’m surrounded by it, don’t even notice it
anymore, though my family certainly did when I went
home for fall break. My mom poked fun at me whenever a “y’all” snuck its way out and my aunt didn’t
hesitate to point out the “twang” in my voice. While
I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to call pop “Coke,” or
utter those really Southern phrases, like “might
could’ve” or “buck wild,” I’m pleased to say my
Southern transformation has begun.
I may not be from the South, but I got here as soon
as I could, and I reckon I’m gonna stay for quite some
time. As Buddy Jewell sings, “Carry on sweet Southern
comfort, carry on.”
Courtney Drake is a junior journalism major.
Email: [email protected].
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
Halloween for almost adults
My favorite thing about Fall Break
came at its very end. After a weekend
of relaxing on a deserted campus and
enjoying a bit of alone time, my roommates returned, and the joy reentered
our empty apartment. Along with the
happiness of three beautiful friends, a
mysterious cardboard box appeared and
brought with it a season’s worth of pure
bliss. A few swipes of the box cutter
later, and the contents of our surprise
spilled out onto the living room floor.
Orange and black, ghosts and skeletons,
pumpkins and bats, cobwebs and a
creepy plastic rat: enough decorating
ammunition to cover every inch of our
apartment in holiday spookinesss. Only
a puppy or a million dollars would have
been a better gift for four Halloweenhappy girls.
Two hours later, and our old apartment was nowhere to be found. Enter if
you dare, but you will certainly be met
by a scary brood. Frankenstein remains
perched on our couch, waiting for some
pretty lady to cuddle up beside him and
hold his scaly green hand. Skeletons
and ghosts light up our windows, illuminating stickers of Halloween’s finest
friends. The pinnacle of our decorating
fury is surely the porch. No guests can
reach our door without braving cobwebs, twinkle lights, and classy black
plastic streamers that tend to get stuck
in hair, zippers, and anything else that
crosses their path.
Growing up, we never went this
ABBY HOLLINGSWORTH
overboard in decorating for Halloween,
so this overwhelming spirit for such an
eclectic holiday has been new to me.
I’ve realized that simply the act of decorating increases my enthusiasm and
excitement for the holiday itself. Maybe
it’s really the holly and ornaments that
put me in the Christmas mood. Perhaps
just putting fall placemats and autumn
flowers on the dinner table trigger my
longing for sweater weather. Whatever
the catalyst for my Halloween-hayfever,
I have not been this excited for cos-
tumes and candy since my third grade
appearance as Pocahontas.
When did we stop dressing up for
the fun of Halloween? The last two
years, I’ve only seen a few brave souls
don costumes for class on the last day
of October. I’m embarrassed to admit
that I have yet to join their ranks. This
year, however, I will. Will you join me?
Let’s recapture the excitement of compiling the perfect Halloween ensemble.
Be the superhero you feel like inside, or
take on a persona you could never pull
off in reality. Dress up as your professor, your roommate, or Miss Tonya.
Buy your costume off the Wal-Mart
rack or peruse Nashville’s best thrift
stores for a costume compilation.
However you suit up, it would make
my day to see a costume-filled campus
come Wednesday. I know I still feel
like Pocahontas some days, and I still
want to look like a princess once a year.
My theory is simple: if we can dress up
a porch, we can dress up ourselves. The
candy may be what brings your
November 1st sugar high, but it’s the
costume on Halloween that begins the
holiday excitement.
Abby Hollingsworth is a junior
English writing major. Email:
[email protected]
The face of homelessness
Every time I look at the face of homelessness, it changes.
In Nashville, I spent the night on the street among the
homeless this summer with mayoral candidate David Briley
for a public radio story. A lot of the homeless people I met
that night had an addiction or mental illness. A lot of them
were bitter at life for giving them a lemon.
In Chicago, I had lunch at a shelter with a homeless man,
Ryan, who wore a faded orange jacket and carried a navy blue
backpack that probably held everything he owned in it. He
wore bent rimless Gucci glasses that clearly needed replacing.
Fresh cuts on his forehead and knuckles suggested he had gotten in a fight recently.
After introducing ourselves and talking about our favorite
kinds of music and what was going on in Eddie Murphy’s life
at the moment, we started talking about his life.
Ryan was a cook before he became homeless. When he
started out, he was a fast learner, watching the talented and
acquiring their skills. Ryan climbed the ladder in restaurants
where he worked until he became a manager. He had cooked
for the opening of a Cheesecake Factory in Chicago among
other restaurants. Ryan had a wife, two children, a home, and
a career. Life was good.
Then he slipped.
He didn’t say what happened, but he ended up in jail. He
hadn’t been out for very long. He was trying to get back on his
feet, working a minimum-wage job.
We had philosophical conversations about religion. He
told stories of culinary feats and dilemmas in kitchens he had
worked in, smiling nostalgically as if looking at pictures from
another life. I absorbed everything he said. Ryan was wise.
I studied his gentle, focused and polite mannerisms. My
mind screamed: This man doesn’t belong on the streets. He
was educated and talented. I could easily see my uncle, or one
of my professors in Ryan: careful and attentive, from an upper
middle class world. That seemed to be Ryan before his fall.
He told us a story from his childhood: His father had driven him out to Chicago’s Skid Row on Madison Avenue:
“My father said to me, ‘Look, son. There’s a doctor, and
there’s a lawyer and over there’s a businessman.’ And I asked
him: ‘Daddy, how did they get here?’”
He stared at his hands on the table. He looked like he was
trying to answer the question for himself: “Daddy, how did I
get here?”
Ryan thanked my friend and I for listening to him. He
needed to vent, he said.
On the drive back to the church where we stayed, my conversation with Ryan haunted me. He seemed so out of place in
the world of homelessness. He could have been me or my
father or any one of us at this school. I admit I have almost
always felt so comfortable and secure in my
ADAEZE ELECHI
social standing that I
couldn’t picture myself
carrying my life’s possessions in a ratty backpack or sleeping under a
bridge. But when I think
about Ryan, I see a faint,
frail line between where
we are as college kids at
an expensive private
institution and homelessness. A simple addiction spun out of control or a mental illness gone untreated
could be the collapsing of our fortress of middle-class security.
Something Ryan said that stuck with me was this: “I’m no
different than any of you. I’m just in a different place.” And
it’s not a place that you or I are incapable of landing in.
So, Ryan proved me wrong again when I thought I had the
homeless issue down. Homelessness is indiscriminate. It will
take whomever it pleases. Ryan had made his peace with his
situation. It was clear that he had battled with it for a while.
Now he’s clawing his way out of the hole no matter how long
it takes.
The next time you see a homeless person, just think: this
could be my uncle or my baby sister, or my teacher. But more
importantly, realize that this could be you.
Adaeze Elechi is a junior journalism major. Email: [email protected]
sunday
19
26
25
First men’s
basketball home
game in the Curb
Event Center. Come
support your Bruins at 7
p.m.
Christmas at
Belmont, hosted by
Melinda Doolittle,
will be held at the
Schermerhorn Symphony
Center this year.
7:30-9:30 p.m.
Priority
Resigtration begins
today and runs
through Nov. 16
5
12
18
4
11
monday
6
13
27
20
Movie Night:
Program Board
present Harry Potter.
8-10 p.m. in the
Beaman.
tuesday
thursday
28
21
School’s out: Take
a break to feast with
football, family, and
friends. But, before you
leave town, Feist is at the
Ryman at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $32 and $25.
14
Chris Cornell,
the voice of Sound
Garden and
Audioslave, performs
at 9:30 p.m. at the
Wildhorse Saloon;
tickets are $55. Regina
Spektor performs at
the Ryman at 7:30
p.m.; $25.
7
29
22
15
8
1
Americana, also known as roots music and not-country,
is the focus of the American Music Conference, 7 p.m.,
Cannery Ballroom. The 18-and-over crowd can hear Blue
Rodeo, Luke Doucet, Oh Susannah and Ron Sexsmith.
And at the Ryman Americana Honors and Awards show,
artists will include Ricky Scaggs, Bruce Hornsby, Lyle
Lovett, Joe Lely, EmmyLou Harris, Old Crow Medicine
Show, Patty Griffin, and Todd Snider; 7 p.m., $35.
wednesday
30
Mistletoe Ball
There’s dancing,
there’s mistletoe and
there’s a fun time for
Belmont students,
7 p.m.-midnight. The
location is still a secret,
but for info:
[email protected]
23
16
Blue Man Group:
How to be a
Megastar Tour 2.1;
8 p.m., Sommet Center,
$49.50-$85,
ticketmaster.com
9
2
Star of “American Idol”
and Belmont Alumni
Melinda Doolittle presents
Melinda Doolittle and
Friends at Liberty Hall in
The Factory in Franklin.
Tickets are $50 in advance;
reservations:
www.BoilerRoomTheatre.com
or call 794-7744.
The John Butler Trio
will perform with
George Stanford at City
Hall.
friday
24
A star of ABC’s
“Dancing with the
Stars” and country
crooner Billy Ray Cyrus
performs at the Wildhorse
Saloon. Tickets begin at
$25 for standing room
only. It’s a bargain,
however – his daughter
Miley Cyrus aka “Hannah
Montana” performs the
day before at the Sommet
Center where a seat that
won’t give you a
nosebleed is $53.50.
17
10
The Raisin’ Bar Tour
presents Jason
Micheal Carroll and
Bucky Covington and
Special guest Cole Deggs
and the Lonesome at the
Wildhorse.
Chris Cagle
Performs at the
Wildhorse Saloon.
3
It’s Dracula for adults
only. The Olde Worlde
Theater performs the classic
tale at midnight at the
Belcourt Theatre. Tickets for
18 and up: $7.
If that’s too scary, They
Might Be Giants with
Oppenheimer will perform at
Exit/In.
saturday
calendar of events
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 7
Page 8
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
City living
not cheap,
but thrills
can be free
By Jessica Hetterich
STAFF WRITER
Living in a big city is not cheap.
Neither is paying for a decent college education.
Since none of us are swimming in heaps of money in our dorm
rooms, it’s pretty important to seek out what I like to call “cheap
thrills:” my specialty. The benefit to living in a city like Nashville is
that there is always some kind of event, show or free activity to
attend. The following list outlines a few places I’ve found that won’t
cause you to break your piggy bank, although, that does have fun
potential.
Stay on campus!
There’s always some kind of show in the Curb Cafe, sporting
event, intramural or recital in Massey. Plus, some of these have the
benefit of convocation credit or free food, exciting for those of us
who are sick of Ramen noodles or the caf. and want to graduate on
time.
Nashville Public Library downtown on Church Street, free.
There, you can check out movies or books for free. For example,
going back and reading things from grade school, The Giver by Lois
Lowry, perhaps, could be fun and nostalgic!
Disc Golf and Putt-Putt, under $5
This is random but probably would generate the most competition
of any other cheap activity you could do. Trash-talk and high stakes
in the style of “Happy Gilmore” are an absolute must. Both activities
are super cheap and all you need for disc golf is a Frisbee and course
(check www.discgolfstore.com/courses/tennessee.shtml). There are a
ton of putt-putt places in the area and some even have go-cart facilities and batting cages.
Centennial Park, free
No other place in the city boasts such amazing prospects for entertaining people-watching. Little children hitting piñatas at birthday parties, runners falling over a stray root, a hippie pulling around his
“Skedaddle Hopper.” (I have personally witnessed all of these events
and trust me, they’re hilarious.) Not to mention, there is free Wi-Fi on
the grounds. But who needs the Internet when you have real life in
front of you?
PHOTO BY JOSEPH SHELBY
Fun doesn’t have to be expensive.
Activities like taking a stroll at
Centennial Park and enjoying
nature or people-watching, above,
can be an exhilarating experience.
Going to Nashville’s Public Library
and reading a book or looking at
right, is also a great form of free
entertainment that can get you
away from the stress of school.
And, even on campus, you can take
in some of the shows at the Curb
Cafe – they’re popular forms of
entertainment and most are free of
charge or inexpensive.
PHOTO BY JOSEPH SHELBY
Go shopping, free, sort of.
Nashville has some amazing shopping. Everywhere from Hillsboro
Village to Opry Mills to Cool Springs Galleria and Green Hills Mall.
Sometimes looking at the things you cannot afford is just as fun, as
long as you don’t break down and buy everything you see. But if all
else fails, get a pretzel and start people-watching.
Mediterranean Cuisine on 21st Avenue:
Appetizers under $5
This is seriously the cheapest and most delicious Greek and
Middle Eastern food I’ve found in the city. Appetizers come with
plenty to share and their hookah is only $7. Also, the chance of talking with random Greek people and Vanderbilt students is thrilling.
Keep your eyes open and be creative
Work a music festival. Enter a random radio contest or call in to
win tickets to a hockey game. Find someone with a version of oldschool Nintendo and display your Mario Kart skills. Read your own
accomplished verse at a poetry slam. Sing along with the starving
artists on the streets of downtown. Organize a massive scavenger hunt
or game of hide and seek. The list goes on and on…
You can have a sweet time on a minimal budget and Nashville is
the perfect city to do so. The clichéd saying is true – the best things in
life are free. And they often involve a ton of random people, like
Darrin, the inventor of the Skedaddle Hopper.
PHOTO BY CHRIS SPEED
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 9
A gift of time,
connection
Belmont students reach
out to Chicago’s homeless
By Adaeze Elechi
MANAGING EDITOR
Most of the 22 Belmont students who went
to Chicago’s North Side for fall break hadn’t
worked with homeless people before. But on
Oct. 12-13, Jesus People USA, a church and
Christian community, and Cornerstone
Community Outreach gave them the opportunity to experience not only working with the
homeless, but also spending quality time with
them.
Jesus People USA is a community of almost
500 people who live together at one address in
an old 1920s hotel in Chicago’s North Side.
These are the people who bring the annual
Cornerstone Festival, a summer Christian music
festival.
JPUSA was established in 1972 and progressively grew to its size today. The founders
based it off the Bible passages, Acts 2:44-47
and Acts 4:32-35, that talk about letting go of
everything you own as an individual and sharing your life of faith with other Christians as
well as the community.
In JPUSA, the concept of the individual is
almost nonexistent. Everybody pitches in for
the benefit of the community: when you make
money at work, you give all of your paycheck
to the community and it goes toward taking care
of everyone. There are people assigned to cooking for the 500 members of the “family,” there
are those who are responsible for shopping for
everyone and everyone who has a phone is on a
very large family plan.
Even though many of the members make
less than half of what the government considers
the poverty line, they still reach out to those in
their community, especially the homeless.
JPUSA, in conjunction with Cornerstone
Community Outreach, an organization that
helps the homeless in Chicago, run shelters
around Chicago’s North Side. This is one of the
few shelters that take entire families and the
only one in Chicago that takes single fathers
with their children. This is where the Belmont
students did most of their work.
Lyda Jackson, a JPUSA member and
Cornerstone Community Outreach volunteer
coordinator, cleared any stereotypes that anyone
may have held before she put them to work.
“Can anyone guess the average age of the
homeless in America?” Jackson asked the students.
Answers from the students ranged from
early 30s to mid-40s.
“The average age for homeless people in
America is 9 years old,” Jackson said.
From there, the group was sent to organize
piles of old clothes people had sent to the missions for the homeless. After organizing them
into women’s, men’s and children’s clothes and
shoes, the group was taken to an apartment
building across the street. On the very top floor
of the building there were rows upon rows – as
well as large mounds– of used clothing that
were just piled there, untouched while people
walked around on the street needing clothes.
Jackson explained that this is the plight of
many shelters. They are never short of used
clothes: people feel like they are doing the
homeless a favor by sending their old and
unwanted things to shelters. But many of the
clothes sent are so old and so battered that the
homeless can’t use them.
“Think of it this way,” said Jackson. “If you
don’t want them because there is a huge stain or
tear, what makes you think someone else,
homeless or not, will want it? Some people may
say it’s better than nothing, but sometimes it
isn’t.”
During lunch, sophomore Nikki Fahrlender
and freshmen Allison Hurst and Lauren Paxton
helped serve food to the homeless who came in,
while others in the Belmont group sat with the
homeless and talked with them over lunch.
“The lady I talked to slowly opened up to
me. I found that she was optimistic about her
situation,” said freshman Melissa Hill. “I
thought this was so radical considering the state
she was in. All she really had was a high school
education and she could still see her life in such
a beautiful way.”
Junior Dan Faber had never worked with the
homeless before this trip. After having lunch
with one of the homeless people he discovered
that, “All they really wanted was to feel connected to… [and] loved by other people.”
Afterward, the group washed and taped off
the walls in preparation for a group that was
going to come the following week to paint the
shelter.
While the girls stayed in the shelter and
helped clean, the boys hung out with other the
inner-city teens.
The next day, the group set out to an apartment building that houses formerly homeless
families. Here the students patched up holes in
the basement walls and fixed a bathroom floor.
Even though the group did all this work and
spent time with the homeless, they were only
there for two full days.
“[One of the hardest things about the trip]
was feeling like we couldn’t really finish anything,” said Faber. “I felt like we only made a
little dent.”
But the dent they made may have had more
effect on the people they encountered than it
seemed.
Spending time with the homeless can be so
much more valuable than sending mounds and
mounds of clothes, Jackson said.
And spending time with people that society
seems to have forgotten was what the group
did.
Belmont students spent their fall break spending time with the homeless community in Chicago’s North Side: something that is very valuable
to the community.
From top: The group goes into the homeless shelter run by Cornerstone Community
Outreach and Jesus People USA to start a day of work; Fahrlender, Hurst and
Paxton help serve lunch to the homeless; Emily Headrick spends quality time with
one of the homeless children at the shelter.
PHOTOS BY DAN FABER
Page 10
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Break out your costume and join the Beaman for free
candy, punch and music for the Spookeydash at 7 p.m.,
Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the rock wall. The only cost to
enter: whatever it takes to put together your festive costume. Events include speed climbing, bouldering and a
costume contest.
fitness
Halloween candy tricks and treats
By Rachel Waller
SENIOR WRITER
Less is more. Except when it comes to candy.
Halloween is just around the corner and that
means there will be candy. Lots of it. However, there is one
difference: Halloween candy comes in “fun sizes,” smaller
pieces of candy. From a nutritional value, these small
pieces have fewer calories and could be considered
“healthier,” if you eat just one piece.
But who eats just one piece? Especially on
Halloween, the holiday devoted to increased
candy consumption.
However, self-control is important. Assume that you can restrain
yourself to three “fun pieces.” You assume that has to be healthier than
eating a regular size candy bar. But is it? How much damage can fun
size do to your health?
Nutritional value
Halloween is fun. Candy is fun. It makes a good study snack, especially when you’re typing that history paper at two in the morning. Or
watching Youtube videos while you’re putting off the history paper.
Are the fun sizes really more fun?
You’ll find out when you visit the dentist or step on the scale.
Kit Kat
1 fun size: 73
3 Fun size pieces: 220
Original: 210 calories
Milky Way
1 fun size: 75 calories
3 fun size: 225 calories
1 regular size: 260 calories
Excercise:
wall squat
Skittles
1 Mini/fun size: 160 cal
3 fun sizes: 240 cal
1 original size: 170 calories
Snickers
1 miniature: 45 calories
3 miniatures: 135 calories
1 original size: 280 calories
M&M’s
1 fun size: 90 cal
3 Fun size: 270 calories
1 original: 240 calories
Reese’s Peanut butter cups
5 mini pieces: 210 cal
1 piece: 110 cal
Original: 220 calories
1
2
Fitness profile
Simply place your entire back against
the wall with your feet shoulder width
apart about 2 feet from the wall.
Gradually slide your body down the
wall until your quads are approximately parallel to the ground, keeping
knees behind your toes.
Hold this position for about
10 seconds.
Return to starting position by
pressing up through your heels.
Repeat 10 to 15 times.
David Ribar
CHOCOLATE CHIP NO-BAKE COOKIES
1
1
2
1
2
large bag chocolate chips
large bag peanut butter chips
small cans chow mein noodles
bag mini marshmallows
cups oatmeal
Combine noodles, marshmallows and oatmeal in a
large bowl. Stir. Melt chips in microwave, pour over
noodle mixture, and stir. Make into medium-sized
clumps.
Trainer Tip
One of the best ways to
increase the calorie burn
in your cardio workout is
to incorporate interval
training. Instead of working a constant pace,
alternate harder intensities with lesser intensities, this allows you to
challenge yourself with a
more intense workout for
longer periods of time.
David Ribar
Professor/Department of Art
What is your favorite type of exercise? i.e. Group
Fitness Cardio or weight training.
My favorite exercise is a combination of
cardiovascular and strength training;
30+ minutes on the cardiovascular
machines, followed by an hour or so of
weight training, two or three times a
week. Then again, I love working four
hours or more in my yard at home on the
weekend.
Have you noticed a difference in yourself?
Since I've exercised all my life, I'm just
happy to maintain what I have. But yes,
I think I'm different from most 53-yearold guys.
With such a busy schedule how do you fit healthy
living in?
Like the ad says, "Just Do It."
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 11
Obesity ads soft on fat, critics say
By MIKE STOBBE
AP MEDICAL WRITER
ATLANTA – Drunks swimming in gin,
smokers in body bags and dopers living
with their parents deep into adulthood.
Those are among the public service ads
shown in the past.
But the government's new batch of obesity spots declines even to show a fat person, let alone wag a finger for gluttony or
sloth.
No one is advocating public service
announcements that ridicule fat people;
experts say such spots would do more harm
than good. But critics complain that the
three new spots premiering this month are a
wimpy attack on the costly and deadly
explosion of obesity in America.
"It's so namby-pamby I think people will
shrug it off," said Michael Jacobson of the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, a
Washington-based advocacy organization.
The three new spots are the latest in a
series created by the Ad Council and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, which try to tackle the nation's
obesity problem with ads that encourage
healthy snacking and taking the stairs.
Creators of the "Small Steps" campaign,
funded by the government at more than $1.5
million a year, cite survey data for 467
adults which showed those who saw the ads
did more walking and adopted some other
healthy habits than those who didn't see the
ads.
But critics say such a survey is hardly
proof of success, and the nation's fat problem is clearly getting worse — more than
one in three U.S. children are overweight or
"So many people, when they think about losing
weight, see it as a Sisyphean task — 'I have to lose
weight but I can't fit it into my busy schedule.'"
Peggy Conlon
president, Ad Council
obese, and two in three adults are.
"I think 'Small Steps' is a euphemism for
small vision," said Kelly Brownell, director
of Yale University's Center for Eating and
Weight Disorders.
The "Small Steps" campaign began in
2004. It was created for free by McCann
Erickson New York, the ad agency that created the MasterCard "Priceless" campaign.
Six TV spots have aired so far, all professionally produced and humorous, highlighting tips to healthier living.
This month, three more spots joined the
rotation, along with a multimedia campaign
focusing on exercise. The new anti-obesity
TV spots show trim or slightly pudgy people noticing blobs of fat on a hotel room
floor or in a theater. They comment that
someone must have lost it by eating healthy
snacks.
The spots' creators say they learned in
focus groups that many people are intimidated — hopeless, even — about the sustained changes needed to slim down.
"So many people, when they think about
losing weight, see it as a Sisyphean task —
'I have to lose weight but I can't fit it into
my busy schedule,'" said Peggy Conlon,
president of the Ad Council.
The ads offer easily achievable tips that
empower people to make positive changes,
she added.
The ads targeting smoking aren't as
tame. A recent one by the New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
shows smokers' decayed and tumored bodies.
Young viewers pay more attention to ads
that evoke feelings of personal loss, sadness, anger, disgust or fear, according to an
analysis by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Kids also tend to remember
such ads longer.
That drama is lacking in the obesity
spots — for example, none have offered a
surgeon's view of fat, or dramatized a death
from Type 2 diabetes, or shown a person
complaining about how a fat neighbor's
medical bills are costing taxpayers.
In the past, the vegan advocacy group,
Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine, has taken a somewhat confrontational approach.
In 2005, the group put out a spot in
which doctors yank a pizza and jumbo-sized
soda away from an intently eating fat boy
and toss him an apple. They put out another
in which the same doctors haul away fatty
foods from a restaurant called Chubby's.
The group has no data on whether the
ads are working, but the government ads
"don't address the obesity problem in a vivid
enough way to get people's attention," said
Patrick Sullivan, the group's communications director.
That raises a second complaint with the
government's campaign: It sidesteps what
some feel are the real causes of the obesity
epidemic, the abundance of cheap and large
portions of sugary and high-calorie foods.
"The U.S. government doesn't have the
guts to go after junk food producers,"
Jacobson said.
Tied in with the "Small Steps" campaign, the Ad Council and federal health
department are part of the "Coalition for
Healthy Children," whose members include
Coca Cola, PepsiCo, the Hershey Co. and
the National Confectioners Association.
Critics say the partnership suggests a conflict of interest that might dissuade efforts to
discourage soft drinks or candy bars.
Food and soda companies did not alter
what was said in spots, said Ellyn Fisher, an
Ad Council spokeswoman. The content was
shaped by advertising research, which concluded the spots were humorous and motivating, she said.
Belmont University
Schedule of Classes - Spring 2008
Academic Advising for Spring 2008 semester – Oct. 31- Nov. 9
Priority Registration – November 12 – December 7, (Returning Students)
Web Priority Registration opens each morning at 7:00am with
the following schedule:
• Monday, Nov. 12th – Graduate Students and Special
Cohorts, Seniors
• Tuesday, Nov. 13th – Juniors
• Wednesday, Nov. 14th – Sophomores
• Thursday, Nov. 15th – Freshmen
• Priority web registration will remain open through Friday
December 7, 2006 at 11:00pm.
Your student account must be paid in full to priority register. If
you are enrolled in TMS, your November payment must pay your
account in full.
Spring payment due for priority registered students – January 2,
2008.
Other Important Dates:
• Regular Spring On-Line Registration – Tuesday, January 8,
2008, 7:00am
• Classes Begin (Undergraduate) – Wednesday, January 9,
2008
• Last Day for Registration and Schedule Changes and Last
Day to Drop with a Full Refund – Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Check your DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) report
through your student account in Banner Web! Information on
how to access and read the report can be found at
www.belmont.edu/registrar and select the DARS link.
STUDENTS PLANNING TO GRADUATE IN THE MAY 2008
COMMENCEMENT MUST SUBMIT A GRADUATION
APPLICATION BY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2007. The
online application is available through your BIC (Belmont
Intranet Connection) account. You will find these links in two
places on BIC:
1) Under the student's ‘My Campus’ (on the right side of the
opening screen, visible upon login) are links to Undergraduate
and Graduate Applications for Graduation; or 2) under the
Register navigation bar link is a subheading titled
'Graduation/Commencement Links'
The official schedule of classes is listed on-line using Classfinder.
(See Classfinder at www.belmont.edu/classfinder). Please be
advised that some courses and corresponding information
including fees may be subject to change.
Please remember to update your addresses through Banner Web
and check your Pop account for official communication from
Belmont.
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
sports
Page 12
Former men’s basketball player Andrew Preston (2007) signed a professional contract with Niigata Albirex of Basketball Japan League. Preston
was recently selected by the East Kentucky Miners of the Continental
Basketball Association in its college draft and generated interest from
teams in Portugal, China, Germany and more. While at Belmont, he was
named to the Atlantic Sun All-Tournament team and is the career leader in
blocked shots (123) and ranks fourth in career field goal percentage (.534).
Tennis teams wrapping up season
By Shardé Burkhead
STAFF WRITER
As both the Belmont men and women’s tennis teams wrap up the fall season, they refused
to end without a fight.
Both teams have had an exceptional season thus far. With three Belmont women’s tennis
players grabbing two singles victories and two of the Bruins’ doubles teams earning third
place, the team finished in very competitive brackets as it competed a few weeks ago in the
Roberta Alison Fall Classic at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Junior transfer Whitnie Warren, who competed in
singles play, and freshmen Lauren Irick and Abby
Leatherwood all pulled out two victories each in their
“Being older than brackets.
“I am pleased so far this fall season with our team
most teams, it’s such and the great effort they have all put forth, but I just
hope it’s even better next season,” Belmont women’s
an advantage
coach Mark Srouji said before the final fall season
because we know
practice.
what to expect in cer- After the women reached their first Atlantic Sun
semi-finals in Belmont history, it’s been nothing but
tain matches.”
smooth sailing ever since.
“So far this year we all have done a great job
Fausto Rocha
senior, men’s team meshing together. Because we have four newcomers,
this season was spent mostly on team building,” said
senior standout Kelly Pence, who was named ITA
Scholar Athlete and also earned All Atlantic Sun
Academic Awards. “I’m looking forward to the spring season and all of us playing good tennis and being competitive in conference play.”
The men’s tennis team has had a tough fall season this year, but they always seem to come
out on top.
With just one freshman on this year’s team, the Bruins have had a slight advantage.
“Being older than most teams, it’s such an advantage because we know what to expect in certain matches. It just makes things a bit easier,” said senior Fausto Rocha.
The men have finished off the fall season with one player advancing to the finals and one
reaching the semifinals as the Bruins competed at the South Carolina Fall Invitational in
Columbia, S.C.
Rocha advanced to the finals of Flight B-1, defeating Joe Veeder of South Carolina in
Belmont’s men’s team, after a successful fall season, looks ahead to January,
when the experienced team with just one freshman will face Nicholls State.
straight sets in round one, and freshman Felipe Cirna Lima reached the semifinals of Flight B3, defeating Federic Petrilli of The Citadel in straight sets.
Adding to Belmont’s great success, senior Ignacio Gesto won two matches and advanced
to the semifinals of the Flight B-2 consolation bracket.
“This fall we all just focused on playing great tennis and coming together as a team,” said
Ignacio Gesto, who won 10 single matches in the 2006-2007 season. He also was named ITA
Scholar Athlete and earned All Atlantic Sun Academic Honors. The men will return to action
Jan. 26 versus Nicholls State.
M.O.B. fee up, but so is school spirit
By Erin Carson
STAFF WRITER
VISION FILE PHOTO
Fans, these out for a vollyeball game, get in the spirit. Belmont’s M.O.B. and
other informal groups are increasing their support of the university’s teams.
School spirit just got a little more
expensive. This fall, new and returning
members of the Motivational Organization
of Belmont were greeted with news of certain changes in membership requirements.
In the past, $1 bought entrance to the
group and going to games was just strongly encouraged. Now the fee has jumped to
$10 ($5 for returning members) and attendance is recorded via scanners to ensure
members come to a minimum of 8 men’s
basketball games, leaving some with raised
eyebrows.
“We’re hoping that students will make
it more of a priority,” Liz Kazeck said, one
of two M.O.B advisors. Kazeck went on to
explain other reasons for the requirement
hikes, such as increased benefits for not
just the members but the campus as a
whole.
Cookouts, tailgating, halftime activities
like raffles and more are planned for the
year as well as the institution of the Trophy
Competition Awarding Sports Enthusiasts
Events program. The program is set up
around a rewards system using points
towards various items like Belmont apparel
for attendance at certain athletic events. All
students are eligible.
“We’re trying to branch out, “ said
Megan Miller, Membership Chair of the
M.O.B. Council, with reference to covering all sports. Upcoming Trophy CASE
events this semester include sports such as
soccer, basketball, volleyball and cross
country.
As far as reactions to the changes,
M.O.B advisor Gerard McMahon said
there was some surprise at first but most
were positive after hearing the rationale.
“I’ll admit I wasn't too thrilled about
paying $5 to get in, but I realize they are a
club and they do need money to buy
things,” said member Emily Hill. She also
threw her support behind the new requirements saying, “this is a club and you
should participate in it.”
Others, perhaps were lost in the shuffle.
“I actually didn’t rejoin,” said junior Blake
Breithaupt, citing the cost increase and dissatisfaction from the previous year. “We
didn't get any of the extra perks like we did
my freshman year.”
Losses aside, according to McMahon,
M.O.B. membership is “211 and climbing,” which is certainly a jump since the
organization’s birth in the early 1990s. The
Web site describes a small group of students who sported trench coats and megaphones at various athletic events. A
redesign in 2001 led to a more supped-up
student section and now to the present
state, a group with a clear message: be a
Bruin.
Page 13
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
a&e
Billboard’s Top DVD Sales
1. The Jungle Book, Walt Disney Home Entertainment
2. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 20th Century Fox
3. Knocked Up, Universal Studios Home Video
4. 1408, The Weinstein Company
5. The Devil Wears Prada, 20th Century Fox
‘Dracula’ puts bite in ballet
By Abby Helton
of movement,” Davis said.
The second piece of the night was inspired by the
Nashville Ballet’s South American Tour in Argentina.
Vasterling, who took notice of the sensuous movements
involved with tango, saw a perfect opportunity to capture
the essence of the dance.
“The Ballet Tango is one of my favorite parts of the
evening,” Vasterling said. “It’s always fun to take the natural beauty of movement and give it a little flare by translating it into ballet.”
The last piece of the evening is the eerie story of Dracula
to commemorate Halloween. Costume Designer Eric Harris
took the old costumes and made them even scarier.
“People that saw the show a couple years ago will feel
like they’re watching a different show,” Davis said. “With
all of the new things we have this year, no one will recognize this piece as it was before.”
“The performance features a large cast and will be
extremely fun to watch,” Davis said. The role of Dracula
will be shared by dancers Eddie Mikrut and Christopher
Mohnami, who came from the Philippines. The role of
Lucy, who gets bitten by Dracula, will be played by
Christine Rennie.
Getting there
STAFF WRITER
Instead of imagining Dracula as an evil villain this
Halloween, think of him gliding in a flowing cape, surrounded by leotards and pointe shoes.
Still, he’ll have his teeth sharpened when company members of the Nashville Ballet perform “Dracula with ValseFantaisie and Ballet Tango” as part of Nashville Ballet’s
Fall Series on Oct. 26-28.
This year will mark the 10th anniversary for artistic
director Paul Vasterling and the third performance of
“Dracula” in the Polk Theater at TPAC. Since the anniversary celebration is an important part of this year’s show,
Vasterling has chosen many of his personal favorite aspects
of performance and included them into the production.
“I picked out some old favorites and put them together
with new things, like old costumes that were really crowd
pleasers,” Vasterling said. There are also many more exciting special effects for an added bonus.
Not only can the audience feast their eyes on the costumes and special effects but they can also enjoy a show
filled with sensual rhythms, exciting live music and a classical twist on the myth of Dracula. The production comes
The Nashville Ballet will perform “Dracula with
Valse-Fantaisie and Ballet Tango” Oct. 26-28 at
TPAC’s Polk Theater. Performance times are at 8
p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Belmont students can get $10 tickets one hour
before the show with a student I.D.
with newly vamped costumes and choreography that will
undoubtedly be more than enough eye candy.
The Valse-Fantasie uses choreography from George
Balanchine, a critically acclaimed choreographer known for
his smooth movements. “He was one of the head choreographers in the dance world and his vision in the VasleFantasie will be beautiful,” personal relation and promotions
manager Laurie A. Davis said.
In order to be classified as a typical Balanchine piece,
the Valse- Fantasie is an abstract ballet, one in which no
story is told. “The audience can simply appreciate the joy
Pop/Rock now
Urban/Pop
By Ameshia Cross
STAFF WRITER
The music scene at Belmont is steadily
changing, as is the Belmont student demographic. This year’s Urban/Pop Showcase,
previously called Pop/Rock, is one way in
which the university is reaching out to wider
audiences and diversity in both education and
entertainment.
Meshing together both genres of music is
bound to bring people from different backgrounds
Getting there together.
“There’s
much more
The Urban/Pop
of a
crossover
Showcase will be from
between
7-8:30 p.m. Saturday,
urban and
Oct. 27. in the Curb
pop music, its
Event Center.
very blended
(Justin
Timberlake, Maroon 5, Timbaland),” Ross
Marshall, producer of the Pop/Rock showcase, said.
The showcase has a few surprises.
“We’ve got percussion majors putting
together a “STOMP”-like routine featuring
trash cans and PVC pipe, a step team and a
live DJ during the pre-show entertainment,”
Marshall said.
The acts performing this year are: Steve
Moakler, Alvin Love, Stephen Steven Fryear,
and Brett McLaughlin.
“It’s gonna be a great show,” Marshall
said.
The audition process for acts in Pop/Rock
showcase starts with the submission of an
audition packet that includes entry forms, a
lyric sheet, and a CD featuring two original
songs.
“After audition packets are submitted, the
producers sit down with industry judges and
choose 6-8 people to perform in a live audition, the judges then pick 3-4 of the best acts
to perform in the showcase,” Marshall said.
John Cusack stars in 1408, a typically frightening Stephen King thriller.
Cusack’s
sanity
ebbs
away in
creepy
‘1408’
becomes a man tortured relentlessly, both physically and mentally, by what is inside that room. He
shows the psychological power the room has over
One summer sleeper hit that
him without it coming across as tacky or fake.
recently reached DVD is
But 1408 is almost worth a rent entirely for the
Mikael Hafstrom’s chilling
initial exchange between Cusack and Jackson . To
1408. The film stars John
Movie:
1408
see two powerhouse actors go head-to-head was
Cusack as Mike Enslin, a forGenre:
Horror,
Drama, Thriller
one of the most enjoyable scenes in the movie. It
mer fiction writer who now
Starring:
John Cusack
further instills my personal belief that no matter
writes a “Top Ten” series
what movie he is in, his opposing character always
about the haunted hotspots
Samuel L. Jackson
does what Samuel L. Jackson tells them to do.
around the world (hotels, manMary McCormack
The real power of 1408, however, is the way
sions, etc). He spends one
Tony Shalhoub
director Mikael Hafstrom can provide chills withnight in the various locations
Director:
Mikael Håfström
out attempting to scare the audience with blood
and, much to his pleasure, has
Producers:
Weinstein
Brothers
and gore. While there are moments that will make
yet to encounter any paranorReleased:
June 22, 2007
you jump, 1408 will have you continuously
mal activity – until he enters
DVD release: October 2, 2007
squirming in your seat, feeling almost as unsafe
room 1408 in the Dolphin
and terrified as Mike Enslin. You will be creeped
Hotel.
out by techniques that few movies use anymore.
As soon as Enslin enters
While 1408 does contain above-average thrills and chills, the
the Dolphin, he is warned relentlessly by hotel manager Gerald Olin
movie, as well as John Cusack, work best when inside the room.
(Samuel L. Jackson) not to spend the night in 1408. More than 50
Much like Wilson (the volleyball) worked perfectly alongside Tom
deaths have occurred in that hotel room; no guest has lasted longer
Hanks in Cast Away, room 1408 is almost a character in the movie.
than an hour.
And like any great supporting actor, it brings out the best in the
Olin sums up 1408 perfectly when he tells Mike he won’t find
actors and directors it works with. Aside from the exchange between
ghosts or spirits in there, but there is an evil in those walls. But
Cusack and Jackson, sadly the beginning and ending of 1408 do not
Mike’s stubbornness takes him inside room 1408, and he soon realhold up with the rest of the movie. But in the end, 1408 will deliver
izes that there is only one way to check out: death.
Cusack always seems to be perfectly cast for any character that he if you’re looking for a weekend scare.
Brian Clark is a sophomore English Writing major. Email:
plays, and this role is no different. As Mike Enslin, he begins the
[email protected].
movie as a bitter disbeliever in anything he cannot see or touch and
By Brian Clark
STAFF WRITER
BUY IT? | RENT IT? | LEAVE IT?
X
X
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 14
Kanye West
He’s really a good performer when he stops talking and sings
By Lance Conzett
ONLINE EDITOR
Vanderbilt’s annual Commodore Quake is
only a small fraction of the university’s
homecoming celebration. A celebration that,
to someone who has never gone to a school
with a football team, seems incomprehensible and ostentatious. But, even if it is celebrating something that some of us will never
understand fully, Commodore Quake reaches
out to the confused by offering them a sellout concert with hip-hop superstar headliner
Kanye West. Now that’s something everyone
can enjoy.
But, before all of that, two strange bedfellows opened the concert. Apparently part of
an entirely separate tour sponsored by Crocs,
light-fare college rockers Brett Dennen and
group Guster played on the same bill as one
of the biggest names in contemporary mainstream hip-hop. Even Guster singer Ryan
Miller commented on how weird it was that
his odd little alternative rock band was opening for Kanye West. Even before either
played, I couldn’t help but wonder how the
crowd, clearly heavy with Kanye fans, was
going to react to these bands.
Brett Dennen wasn’t met with the derision that I expected, but he did face a wall of
indifference and for good reason. Dennen
was standard Dave Matthews roots singersongwriter fare. He sang folksy songs that
were about as inoffensive as they were
vague, with trite lyrics about desert sunrises
and laying down tracks in the dust. His songs
are like horoscopes, they’re so vague that if
the listeners didn’t know better, they’d think
he was singing about their lives. Dennen
Concert Review
only played five songs, but they were about
as cliché as could be. It takes more than
folksy sayings to capture hearts, maybe
Bruce Sprinsteen and Craig Finn from The
Hold Steady should teach a class on how to
connect with people without being stale and
derivative.
Guster, on the other hand, put on a surprisingly electrifying performance.
“Electrifying” isn’t typically a word applied
to bands that have a guy playing the bongos
on all of the songs. During “Airport Song,”
the bongo playing rattled the gymnasium and
there was a definite feeling that they were
trying to step up their performance to compete with the stardom of West. Unlike Brett
Dennen, the band played a set of songs
where none of them sounded quite the same
and displayed a kind of musical diversity not
often seen in mainstream music. A band that
has the courage to cover a Brazilian samba
called “Aquarela do Brasil” is one that is
worth seeing on a headlining tour.
However, as soon as Kanye West hit the
stage, we had forgotten all about the opening
bands. This was mainly because the crowd
had aged several years between sets. A full
hour passed between the end of Guster and
the beginning of Kanye, easily the longest
I’ve waited for an artist to appear on stage.
West’s delay even managed to surpass
Morrissey’s last performance at the Ryman,
who was slow to come out because his crew
was erecting a 15-foot monument spelling
what are YOU doing
this summer
?
get ruined
camp china
V I S I O N N I G H T
Join us for
FREE PIZZA
and find out how
you can be a part of
reaching Asia
for Christ!
Belmont University
0L<J;8P+:KF9<I K?
GD
)8JJ<PLJ@E<JJ<EK<I.D
FEK8:K)@:?8<CI8:B<KK
www.
c a m p c h i n a . o r g
PHOTO BY LANCE CONZETT
Kanye West delivers his hip hop-vibed performance at the Commodore Quake,
Vanderbilt’s annual headline event that accompanies homecoming.
out his name in lights.
The delay also left an already excited
crowd visibly agitated, which caused the
roaming police officers to step up their
offensive and threaten to kick people out if
they were anywhere near the black strip of
rubber against the stage barricade. Security at
a Kanye West concert is like an exercise in
martial law.
Eventually, the lights dimmed and West
launched into his early hit “Through the
Wire” before knocking out new tunes like
“Champion” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.”
West admitted to the crowd that he hadn’t
performed many of the new songs for a live
audience, which became entirely apparent
when he had to stop “Flashing Lights” twice
because he forgot the piano chords. West had
to retrieve the band member who usually
plays keyboards on all of the songs to show
him what to play, but even then he had trouble following along. This comes just weeks
after he flubbed a verse in “Everything I
Am” on Saturday Night Live and tried to
cover it up with a freestyle.
Despite the mistakes made during the one
song, Kanye West was at the top of his
already lofty game. He’s undeniably an
incredible, charismatic performer when he’s
actually performing. When he starts talking,
on the other hand, there’s no telling what
will happen. In the middle of “Drunk and
Hot Girls,” West told the backing band to
keep playing while he talked to the audience.
What followed was a 15-minute rambling
“soliloquy” about going to clubs as a teenager and getting a fake phone number from the
girl he was attracted to. He told the crowd
that he needed to explain why he “spazzes
out” occasionally, directly referring to a
highly publicized incident at the MTV Video
Music Awards. According to West, he
doesn’t “spaz out” because he cares about
awards shows, but rather because he doesn’t
care about awards shows. I got the feeling
that the band was as lost as we were, because
he would occasionally tell his backing band
to keep playing when it sounded like they
were trying to wind it down.
After West’s diatribe petered out and he
finally finished the song, the rest of the show
went on without incident. In his trademark
energetic way, he tore through a total of 16
songs from all three records before taking a
short break. He came out for a five-song
encore which ended on an extended performance of “Stronger.” What makes a Kanye
West performance stand out from a typical
mainstream rapper isn’t just his on-stage
charisma, but also the string section which
gives his songs an added degree of class. I’m
not sure if he’ll be playing the Schermerhorn
Symphony any time soon, but the live
orchestra does for West what a live band
does for The Roots: It allows for more spontaneity than what is seen on a typical DJ and
Rapper hip-hop show.
Beyond Belmont,
a world of music
If Belmont
students strumming, drumming, singing
and humming
around every
corner is is
becoming too
much for you,
check out offerings beyond the
boundaries of
the BU campus.
On belmontvision.com, Lance
Conzett’s
“Escaping the Bubble,” a blog that’s all
about music, music venues and various
loosely related topics. You can go there and
get the entire song list from the Kanye West
concert, and you can find out what Conzett
thought about other recent concerts.
Here’s a sample:
The Brunettes: Upon my arrival to
Cannery Row, I saw a line headed into the
building stretching to the parking lot.
“Wow,” I thought, “Nashville is so receptive
to fairly obscure New Zealand pop bands!”
Then I saw that the line was going into
Cannery Ballroom for the Evett Brothers
show. Oh. Well, nevermind then.
The Good Life: If I didn’t know any better, I would have written The Good Life off
as Cursive Lite before I had heard a single
note. Tim Kasher founded the band in 2000
as a solo-project for songs that didn’t stylistically fit into Cursive’s emo-rock dirges.
Although there is an element of the Cursive
style of songs about heartbreak and dysfunction, seeing The Good Life play at Exit/In on
October 9th proved that they’re far more
than “what the Cursive guy does in his free
time.”
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Page 15
Fall
Follies
recap
From cross-dressing actors, to a random
Osama bin Laden and Hillary Clinton reunion,
this year’s Fall Follies proved to be a little more
controversial than usual. The cast went beyond
the Belmont boundaries to spoof not only pop
culture, but also political figures. Using wellknown characters from our childhoods (Willy
Wonka) to deliver lines from our worst nightmares (eternal convocations) they had the
audience both laughing and shivering at the
notion. The cast took their time to poke fun at
the school administration’s decisions on Belmont’s expansion as well as
Greek life and athletes. The musical acts (Josiah and the Brotherhood,
Lauren Wendertz, Alvin Love and Tenisha Northington, and Cristina Taddonio
as well as the house band) deemed the show musically outstanding. While
some of the audience said it could have been funnier, President Bob Fisher
gave the show a standing ovation, which has to stand for something!
PHOTOS BY SARAH MITCHELL
:
By Courtney Drake
EDITOR
If you go to the dining hall on a weekday for lunch,
you’ve undoubtedly seen Tonya Granberry, affectionately
known on campus as “Miss Tonya,” greeting students with
hearty hellos while scanning cards.
She joined the Belmont staff 22 years ago while still a
student at John Overton High School in Nashville. Belmont
fulfilled a co-op requirement and she’s been here ever
since.
Miss Tonya enjoys “being at the cash register, scanning
cards and greeting all my babies,” though if abandoned on
an island, she would sing a different tune. While she
wasn’t sure of specific albums she’d have to have, there are
five artists whose music she couldn’t live without if stranded.
Smooth sounds
relaxing for
Miss Tonya
Marvin Gaye, 1950s-1970s
“I love his songs because if you’re really happy, you
can put his songs on to relax your mind.”
Stephanie Mills, 1970s-present
“I always think of home when I listen to her.”
Stevie Wonder, 1960s-present
“He’s popular with me because of my kids; my kids
like him.”
Michael Jackson, 1970s-present
“I believe everyone in the world wants to dance like
him.”
Barry Manilow, 1970s-present
“He has nice slow songs. He calms my nerves.”
Page 16
The Belmont Vision, October 25, 2007
Keep it lively on Day of the Dead
By Samantha J. Adams
Getting there
STAFF WRITER
Skeletons are a common theme in celebrations of
Dia de los Muertos, or Mexico’s Day of the Dead.
Locally, the holiday comes to Cheekwood from 11
a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27.
Unlike dressing up and trick-ortreating on Halloween as a fall tradition,
students in the Spanish department are
celebrating in their own way with “Día
de los Muertos.”
The Mexican holiday Day of the
Dead is being celebrated Saturday, Oct.
27 at Cheekwood Art and Gardens.
“Celebrating another culture with the
people who own it is very rewarding,”
Dan Ritter said. “Hispanic parents are
able to share their heritage with their
children without having to be in their
country.”
Arts and crafts stations will be set up
for children to learn more about the
Day of the Dead holiday. Belmont students are involved in the celebration by
volunteering at different childrens’ stations. Students are in charge of Spanish
bingo, helping children make crafts and
“papel picado,” a traditional paper cutting activity that involves using colorful
papers to create decorations for the celebration.
Besides being able to volunteer for
community service convocation credit,
students who participated in previous
years believe that the event is worthwhile.
All Belmont students, especially the
Spanish students, are urged to volunteer. The celebration is not only targeted toward young or Hispanic people;
two thousand people throughout
Nashville come to participate in the
The Mexican holiday Day of the
Dead is being celebrated 11
a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27 at
Cheekwood Art and Gardens in
West Nashville
(www.cheekwood.org).
Admission is $10, but student
volunteers will not have to pay
to get in. Students interested in
signing up can talk to Dr. David
Julseth or students Joanna
Larson or Dan Ritter.
event to celebrate and learn about
Mexican culture.
“There’s a huge cultural aspect
about Día de los Muertos that, unless
you’re in a Spanish class, you just don’t
know,” Ritter said.
Activities during the day include live
music by a mariachi band and dancing.
Caterers include U.S. Border Cantina
and a taco wagon; Las Paletas will provide ice cream; Aurora Bakery supplies
“pan de muerto,” or Bread of the Dead,
a traditional food for the holiday. A
“mercado,” or market, will be set up to
allow Hispanics to sell their authentic
products.
Day of the Dead in Mexico is a day
to remember ancestors and to celebrate
death. It is a misconception that it is
equivalent to Halloween in the U.S.,
even though there are similar elements.
Skeletons are a common theme in both
celebrations, but Day of the Dead is not
scary like Halloween. It is about offering food and gifts to deceased relatives
at gravesites and vigils. These “ofrendas” allow families to remember loved
ones and to keep their spirit alive.
Jeannette Ceja, a Hispanic student
who is attending the Cheekwood celebration for the first time this year,
observes Day of the Dead rituals with
her family.
“It is not as much of a celebration
for my family in Mexico, but more of a
day of remembrance to those loved
ones who have passed away. We have
gone to visit their graves to pay our
respects,” Ceja said.
Besides learning about Mexican culture, the Day of the Dead event will
also allow people to become familiar
with Cheekwood. The 100 acres of
Cheekwood, including the mansion,
was built for the Cheek family who
were the entrepreneurs of the Maxwell
House coffee company. Dr. David
Julseth, chair of the department of foreign language, believes that one of the
reasons that Cheekwood has the celebration is to extend to the community
and raise awareness of what they have
to offer.
“A lot of students don’t know what
Cheekwood is; it’s a place for arts and
gardens. The end of October is a pretty
time to visit Cheekwood,” Julseth said.
Join Dr. Fisher at the A-Sun
Cross Country Championships!
Compete for the First Annual President’s Spirit Award
BU is rockin’ the Cross Country world! Let’s support these incredibly successful
teams as they chase their sixth A-Sun championship trophies. Did you know…
…both BU cross country teams have won the Championship five of the past six years?
…both teams topped the A-Sun pre-season polls this Fall?
…the 2006 men’s A-Sun Runner of the Year was Kipkosgei Magut, a Belmont junior?
…senior Lauren Williams has been a 3-time member of the all-Atlantic Sun team?
…the 2006 men’s A-Sun Freshman of the Year was BU’s Clay Hannah?
…the 2006 women’s A-Sun Freshman of the Year was BU’s Brittany Thune?
To honor Cross Country’s numerous accomplishments, President Fisher is initiating a campus-wide
spirit contest, with this year’s trophy and bragging rights awarded to the student organization
and/or campus group demonstrating the most school spirit at the A-Sun Meet.
WHAT: The A-Sun Cross Country Championship and the kickoff for the First Annual
President’s Spirit Award
WHY: To demonstrate our pride in the Belmont Bruins and to support our student-athletes
WHEN: Saturday, October 27
8 a.m. Student organization sign in and breakfast
9 a.m. Women’s meet
10 a.m. Men’s meet
11 a.m. Cross Country Championship Award Ceremony
WHERE: Percy Warner Park (Corner of Hwy 100 and Old Hickory Blvd.)
HOW TO WIN: Campus groups and organizations’ spirit will be judged on the day of the event
by Dr. Fisher and his Spirit committee based on several criteria, including
1) Belmont Attire
2) Creativity (posters, cheers, etc)
3) Volume
4) Overall Spirit!
PRS-07287
CONTACT: To pre-register your team or request more information,
e-mail [email protected]