BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 X-WR-CALNAME:Main News Feed PRODID:-//Sitemason, Inc//Sitemason Calendar//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/879 SUMMARY:5K good motivator for future fitness DESCRIPTION:So you want to run a 5K? \; A former Belmont cross country and track runner told Belmont students last Tuesday how even the least-motivated and busiest of students can train to run a 5K by &ldquo\;keeping themselves accountable&rdquo\; while enjoying the benefits of consistent running. \;\n\nRyan Snellen\, a Belmont grad as of last summer\, explained that students don&rsquo\;t have to be experienced runners to begin a healthy running regimen. \;\n\n&ldquo\;When I first started I didn&rsquo\;t think I could run a mile\,&rdquo\; Snellen said. \; &ldquo\;This last week I ran 50. It&rsquo\;s all baby steps.&rdquo\;\n\nSnellen grew up on a dairy farm in Kentucky\, where he played soccer until his fifth grade soccer coach convinced him to run for the local high school track team. \; By the sixth grade\, Snellen was a member of the team. \;\n\nHe told Belmont students that if they are interested in running a 5K\, they should submit their registration material early.\n\n&ldquo\;That way you&rsquo\;re holding yourself liable\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;You&rsquo\;ve already invested something into it.&rdquo\;\n\nSnellen emphasized the importance of base training before jumping into competition. \; He said a person of average fitness needs at least eight weeks of base training before the 3.1 mile race\, which is critical to &ldquo\;building endurance\, building the stamina you need for this.&rdquo\;\n\nHe assured students the first few days of training are the most difficult\, but this is normal and no reason to give up.\n\n&ldquo\;Go out and run a mile\,&rdquo\; said Snellen. \; &ldquo\;See what you can do.&rdquo\;\n\nHe also encouraged students to run more than three miles per session and include one long run in their weekly regimen. \; Each long run should constitute about 22% of total weekly mileage. \; For example\, if a student runs 50 miles in a week\, his or her long run should be about 11 miles. \;\n\nSnellen usually runs about 80 miles a week in preparation for a 5K. \;\n\nSophomore Kelli Sandlin attended the event and had reservations about running so many miles every week.\n\n&ldquo\;I can&rsquo\;t believe anyone could run 80 miles a week\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;I usually pass out after half a mile\, but I admire anybody that could do something like that.&rdquo\;\n\nSnellen told students they should ideally begin speed training three months before the 5K. \; It &ldquo\;takes a while for your body to make those advancements\, to get the speed\,&rdquo\; he said. \;\n\nHe also told students to invest in quality running shoes to avoid injuries like stress fractures and tendonitis.\n\n&ldquo\;Have someone fit you with shoes that fit your foot\,&rdquo\; said Snellen\, a fan of Asics running shoes.\n\nSnellen had advice on eating\, as well. \; While it may seem runners can eat whatever they want considering how many calories they burn\, certain foods may make runners feel weighed-down.\n\n&ldquo\;If you eat crap\, you&rsquo\;re going to feel like crap\,&rdquo\; he said. \;\n\nHe recommended eating a PowerBar before running and drinking a Slim-Fast shake afterwards\, while discouraging &ldquo\;Hollywood dieting fads.&rdquo\;\n\nTo avoid boredom on long runs\, Snellen suggested varying running routes\, running with a friend and trying interval workouts. \; Some of his favorite running routes are Centennial and Percy Warner Park.\n\nOn the day of the 5K\, Snellen recommended &ldquo\;very\, very light&rdquo\; exercise several hours before the race\, adequate stretching\, and a glass or two of water with a light snack about an hour before the race.\n\nSnellen concluded his presentation with a discussion of making time for exercise\, even with a busy schedule. \; He said despite consistently taking on a heavy course load in school\, he almost always made time for an hour-long run everyday because it actually made him feel more energetic and productive.\n\n&ldquo\;The more physically active I am\, my social life improves\, my grades improve\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;Yes\, you&rsquo\;re tired\, but I get a lot of energy from being physically active.&rdquo\;\n\nIn addition to increasing energy\, Snellen said exercise can also reduce stress\, improve sleep and maintain a strong and healthy body.\n\nFreshman Jonathan Cullifer plans to apply what he learned from Snellen&rsquo\;s discussion to his own exercise routine.\n\n&ldquo\;There was a lot of good information for me\, especially being a recreational runner\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;I had a couple of issues with running before this convo. \; Maybe I can get those sorted out now.&rdquo\;\n\nIf you&rsquo\;re ready to put your training to work\, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is coming up Nov. 3. \; \; Information\: http\://www.komen-nashville.org. \;\n\nAnd even earlier\, there&rsquo\;s a 3-K to get you started\: Making Strides Against Cancer\, 8 a.m. Saturday\, Oct. 20\, 1 Titans Way. Info\: 327-0991.\n\nTeam Belmont\n\n \;Walk. Run. Swim. Bike. Climb. \; Get Moving! \; Team Belmont will be there to train\, teach and guide you. \; Join for $5 and you get an all-access pass to training tips\, workout buddies\, and upcoming events. \; Join the team at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 to &ldquo\;Do the Bruin Loop&rdquo\; to prepare the first Team Belmont event \; Oct. 6. \; Contact Group Fitness at groupfit@mail.belmont.edu for more details. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:fitness,health,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T131613 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T131714 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20070927T141300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/871 SUMMARY:A fact of life DESCRIPTION:A student who is concerned about a pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease can get tested at Belmont&rsquo\;s student health center\, but students hoping to get condoms\, oral contraceptives\, or other means of preventing those conditions have to go elsewhere to obtain these services. That policy leaves some students offended\, others pleased\, and many simply confused. Sophomore Michael Gaier fears the university&rsquo\;s refusal to provide means of preventing pregnancy and STDs may give students a negative impression of its own administration. &ldquo\;I think it should be an option because everyone has a right to choose for themselves\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;Without providing that service\, Belmont sort of alienates itself from its own student body.&rdquo\; Dean of Students Andrew Johnston explained that Belmont does not provide contraception at the health center because doing so would contradict the school&rsquo\;s Christian principles. STD and pregnancy testing are provided because they are diagnostic\, rather then preventative. And Katy Wilson\, director of Belmont Student Health Services\, said\, &ldquo\;I don&rsquo\;t see the lack of these services as a big deficit\,&rdquo\; especially when there are places close by that specialize in them. Her statement is true. Students can buy condoms at the Circle K across the street from the Curb Café\;\, and every pharmacy and convenience store has a variety of over-the-counter contraceptive options. &ldquo\;We have plenty of clinics that distribute [contraceptives]. An institution of higher learning shouldn&rsquo\;t have to do that.&rdquo\; Daniell Leipply\n Belmont junior For prescription contraceptives\, however\, most locations are a bit farther away. The Vanderbilt Women&rsquo\;s Health Clinic and other area clinics and gynecologists&rsquo\; offices\, many just two to three miles from campus\, provide appointments for pills\, patches and other prescription contraceptives\, in addition to condoms and spermicides. Some Belmont students support the school&rsquo\;s stance on contraceptives\, considering its sexual conduct policy as a Christian university. &ldquo\;Really it&rsquo\;s the school&rsquo\;s choice\,&rdquo\; junior Daniell Leipply said. &ldquo\;Isn&rsquo\;t this a sex-free campus? Plus it&rsquo\;s a school with Christian values. We have plenty of clinics that distribute [contraceptives]. A institution of higher learning shouldn&rsquo\;t have to do that.&rdquo\; Many students\, however\, are opposed to the lack of birth control options offered by Belmont\, citing a university&rsquo\;s obligation to look out for the well-being of its students. &ldquo\;I think it&rsquo\;s unethical\,&rdquo\; senior John Boan said. &ldquo\;I think the university has a responsibility to recognize the truth of the matter.&rdquo\; Boan and others point out that many college students engage in sexual activity\, whether they&rsquo\;re on a small Christian campus or at a huge state school. Indeed\, Nearly 40 percent of undergraduate women use oral contraceptives\, according to the American College Health Association. From a Christian perspective\, junior Kali Sorenson believes birth control should be available at Belmont. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m on the pill\, and I&rsquo\;m a virgin\,&rdquo\; she said. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ve never had sex. I was prescribed it just because of another problem. While Sorenson does not condone sex before marriage\, she acknowledges that it happens. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m definitely pro-life\, and it seems like you would lose more lives by making birth control unavailable\,&rdquo\; she said. Junior Carlie Rhoads expressed a different concern. &ldquo\;Since they don&rsquo\;t offer contraceptives it seems like they don&rsquo\;t look kindly upon people who are having sex\,&rdquo\; she said. &ldquo\;So I don&rsquo\;t think they&rsquo\;d be willing to help me if I had a problem.&rdquo\; Johnston\, however\, said services are professional and the providers don&rsquo\;t pass judgment or betray student confidentiality. &ldquo\;Our health services and our counseling services are decidedly separate from our student conduct processes\,&rdquo\; he said. Students &ldquo\;can feel comfortable that they can talk about these things.&rdquo\; Some students are offended that birth control isn&rsquo\;t provided because of its use in treating ailments unrelated to preventing pregnancy. Wilson confirmed that &ldquo\;a whole host of medical conditions affect the menstrual cycle\, many of which are unrelated to being sexually active.&rdquo\; Oral contraceptives\, commonly called the birth control pill or simply &ldquo\;The Pill\,&rdquo\; contain hormones often used to regulate the menstrual cycle\, reduce cramps and heavy\, long or irregular menstrual cycles\, and can aid in treating polycystic ovary disease\, acne\, anemia and thyroid disease. Sophomore Deonte Warren gained understanding of the other uses of the birth control pill when it was prescribed for a former girlfriend. &ldquo\;My ex had anemia really bad\, and it really helped\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;Birth control doesn&rsquo\;t always have to go with having sex.&rdquo\; That&rsquo\;s a legitimate use\, but Johnston said the university does &ldquo\;not want to get in the business of policing that.&rdquo\; Johnston also reminded students that the Belmont health center is not intended to be a student&rsquo\;s primary care provider. &ldquo\;We see ourselves as fitting into a larger picture of health care\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;When you look at it from that standpoint we don&rsquo\;t provide every single service for students period.&rdquo\; Other students understand why Belmont policies prohibit birth control\, but feel Belmont should change its stance on the issue. &ldquo\;I can see why they&rsquo\;re against it\,&rdquo\; said junior Zach Moore. &ldquo\;But at the same time\, I still believe they should have it as an option.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:health,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T000011 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T000013 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20071108T125500 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/875 SUMMARY:Christian morals shape sexual conduct policy DESCRIPTION:The Bruin Guide\, Belmont&rsquo\;s student handbook\, promises to provide &ldquo\;information essential for making your way through the puzzles that college may present.&rdquo\;\n\nIn some cases\, however\, the information itself is puzzling to students.\n\nAccording to the guide\, specific acts of sexual misconduct forbidden at Belmont include &ldquo\;sexual relations outside of marriage\, homosexual behavior\, sexual harassment\, rape (date\, acquaintance and stranger rape)\, other non-consensual sex offenses and possession or distribution of pornographic materials.&rdquo\;\n\nSome students expressed concern over how the list of violations is phrased\, asserting that the statement may imply that criminal acts such as sexual harassment and rape and non-criminal acts such as homosexual relations and premarital sexual relations are viewed and punished equally.\n\nDean of Students Andrew Johnston assured that the list of offenses is not meant to imply equal severity among any of the violations.\n\n&ldquo\;The notion that those things are of equal magnitude wasn&rsquo\;t in the intent of that statement\,&rdquo\; Johnston said. \; &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s more or less mentioning things that might occur and what we might view as falling under sexual misconduct.&rdquo\;\n\nIt is perhaps that broad scope that leaves students\, when considering the rules on sexual conduct\, unable to determine campus myth from reality.\n\nHomosexuality\n\n&ldquo\;In Belmont&rsquo\;s ruling\, if they find out that you are a homosexual\, they can exercise the right to expel\,&rdquo\; sophomore John Roden said.\n\nNot so\, according to Dean of Students Andrew Johnston. &ldquo\;We have no policies about your sexuality\, we have a sexual conduct policy. If you asked\, &lsquo\;If I&rsquo\;m gay I&rsquo\;ll be kicked out?&rsquo\; I would say\, &lsquo\;This policy relates to your conduct\, that&rsquo\;s why it&rsquo\;s a sexual conduct policy.&rsquo\;&rdquo\;\n\nIn other words\, a student can be punished for engaging in heterosexual or homosexual premarital relations\, either on campus or off-campus at university-sponsored events. A student cannot\, however\, be punished for homosexual orientation unless it is accompanied by sexual activity in violation of the guide.\n\nAndi Stepnick\, chair of the sociology department\, argued that some homosexual students still feel out of place at Belmont\, and the policy does little to encourage their acceptance.\n\n&ldquo\;When at the informal level it&rsquo\;s true that you can&rsquo\;t be kicked out for being gay\, my impression is that some students are gay and do not feel welcome here\,&rdquo\; she said.\n\nStepnick said she has witnessed first-hand the struggle homosexuals can face at a Christian university where the code of conduct discourages homosexual behavior.\n\n&ldquo\;Gay students have come to my office at least a dozen times in the last six years I&rsquo\;ve been here saying\, &lsquo\;I feel like I&rsquo\;m suffocating here\,&rsquo\;&rdquo\; she said.\n\nWhile the sexual code of conduct is helpful in many ways\, Stepnick said\, she still doesn&rsquo\;t &ldquo\;think that homosexuality needs to be a separate category from sexual relations outside of marriage\, because heterosexuality\, homosexuality\, and bisexuality are covered under sex before marriage.&rdquo\;\n\nPremarital sex\n\nIt&rsquo\;s true that Belmont considers sexual relations outside of marriage to be misconduct\, but some question how &ldquo\;sexual relations&rdquo\; is defined.\n\n \; \; \; Sophomore Michael Gaier believes &ldquo\;sexual relations&rdquo\; is &ldquo\;an umbrella term that can be used to describe any sort of interaction between two people that could be considered stimulating.&rdquo\;\n\nBut classmate Terrell Crudup believes in a narrower definition. &ldquo\;Sexual relations\,&rdquo\; he said\, includes &ldquo\;penetration\, stuff like that. \; It would not include hugging\, kissing\, holding hands.&rdquo\;\n\nJohnston said the university is committed to the idea that &ldquo\;sexual conduct belongs within the bounds of marriage.&rdquo\; \;\n\nPornography\n\nWhile the Bruin Guide doesn&rsquo\;t define &ldquo\;sexual relations\,&rdquo\; it does provide a definition for &ldquo\;obscene materials.&rdquo\; Those materials that would subject a student to discipline by the university must\, the guide states\, &ldquo\;be both (1) materials in which a reasonable person\, applying contemporary Belmont community standards\, when considering the contents as a whole\, would conclude that they appeal to prurient sexual/physical interests or violently subordinating behavior rather than an intellectual or communicative purpose\, and (2) materials that\, taken in to regarding their content and their particular usage or application\, lack any redeeming literary\, scientific\, political\, artistic or social value.&rdquo\;\n\nIn Gaier&rsquo\;s mind\, that definition is still lacking.\n\n&ldquo\;That is such a vague statement\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;There are so many implications literature makes. And social values? \; Whose values?&rdquo\;\n\nDespite some student and faculty objections to some of the content in the sexual conduct section of the Bruin Guide\, others agree that the section is appropriate considering the heritage of the school founded as a Baptist institution in 1951.\n\n&ldquo\;As a religious institution I would say those behaviors are very much in line with what Scripture teaches on the sacredness of sex\,&rdquo\; junior Jon Young said. \; He explained that all Belmont students have the right to choose for themselves what morals to uphold sexually\, but &ldquo\;since they chose to come to this institution they have to abide by the rules of it.&rdquo\;\n\nSophomore Joy Kayser feels that if students have a major problem with the Bruin Guide\, they should have reviewed it before attending Belmont in the first place.\n\n&ldquo\;People who go to Belmont should have read this before they came here\,&rdquo\; she said. &ldquo\;Whether you agree with it or not\, you go to this school\, and you sign stuff that says you&rsquo\;ll agree to the Bruin values.&rdquo\;\n\nJohnston said that while Belmont is &ldquo\;not a narrow-minded\, arbitrary\, judgmental place\,&rdquo\; the institution still has a definite commitment to its moral standards\, which the university is &ldquo\;going to live out in every circumstance.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:bruin-guide,health,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T125914 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T125914 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20071108T135500 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/876 SUMMARY:Sex before marriage\: right or wrong? DESCRIPTION:Almost all Americans have sex before marriage\, and nearly half of 15- to 19-year-old Americans have had sex at least once.\n\nAs a largely Christian population facing these facts from numerous national studies\, what do Belmont students have to say about sex before marriage?\n\nMore than you might think.\n\n&ldquo\;Arbitrary sex before marriage I don&rsquo\;t too much care for\, but if you&rsquo\;re in a monogamous relationship with someone you care about\, then it&rsquo\;s all right\,&rdquo\; junior Daniell Leipply said.  \;\n\nLeipply has been in a serious relationship for one year with a fellow Belmont student.\n\n&ldquo\;I used to think the other way\, but then I realized it&rsquo\;s a changing world\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;A lot of people today are having sex\, and as long as they&rsquo\;re monogamous and not orgy-addicted polygamists\, it&rsquo\;s fine.&rdquo\;\n\n \;Is Leipply&rsquo\;s approval of premarital sex in a monogamous relationship an unusual opinion at Belmont\, a vocally Christian university? Not at all\, even among students who personally plan to save sex for marriage.\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s fine as long as you feel that sort of connection toward a person\,&rdquo\; agreed sophomore John Roden. &ldquo\;All a wedding is is saying that you love somebody in front of a bunch of people and whatever religious deity you believe in. You&rsquo\;ve decided a long time before then that you really love somebody.&rdquo\;\n\nAccording to Belmont&rsquo\;s mission and values statement\, &ldquo\;students encounter Christian values relevant to personal growth and spiritual maturity and are expected to commit themselves to high moral standards.&rdquo\; It&rsquo\;s no surprise\, then\, that many Belmont students say they are choosing to save sex for marriage.  \;\n\n \;&ldquo\;It makes marriage more special if you save sex for it\,&rdquo\; sophomore Erin Ayers said. \; &ldquo\;It just makes the marriage more sacred.&rdquo\;\n\nDr. Todd Lake\, vice president for spiritual development\, defends the Christian perspective on saving sex for marriage.\n\n \;&ldquo\;When [Christ] condemns sexual sin\, he says it&rsquo\;s because you&rsquo\;re looking at someone with the ultimate goal of getting them in bed\,&rdquo\; Lake said. &ldquo\;There is a world of difference between being in a dating relationship and making a lifelong commitment to your partner.&rdquo\;\n\nOther students fear the emotional issues and potential regret that may result from engaging in premarital sex.\n\n&ldquo\;Anything good you might think will come out of it in the short term is going to be complicated by longer term problems\,&rdquo\; freshman Jonathan Cullifer said. &ldquo\;There&rsquo\;s always the emotional issues that go with it.&rdquo\;\n\nAccording to a study featured in &ldquo\;Sexual Regret in College Students\,&rdquo\; a 2005 article from Archives of Sexual Behavior\, a sociology journal\, many college students experience regret following sexual activity\, with 38 percent of the sample saying their sexual decisions conflicted with their personal morals and values.  \;\n\nThe same study showed 54 percent of women and 16 percent of men who had consensual sex said they should have waited longer\, whereas only 11 percent of men and 1 percent of women regretted waiting as long as they did.  \;\n\nConversely\, some college students who resist an overwhelming urge to have sex within the context of a committed relationship may face equally serious issues of regret from choosing to abstain from sex.  \; \; \;  \;\n\nFreshman Allora McCullough planned to save sex for marriage\, until she became engaged and realized she might regret that decision. She said she&rsquo\;s aware the relationship could end\, but she has accepted her decision to engage in a monogamous\, sexual relationship.\n\n \;&ldquo\;I always wanted to save myself for marriage\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;It didn&rsquo\;t end up that way [but] he&rsquo\;s the first and last person I&rsquo\;ll ever have that experience with in my life.&rdquo\;\n\nJunior Alaina Reagan warned of the problems that might result from refraining from sex until marriage.\n\n&ldquo\;If you haven&rsquo\;t had any experience before you get married\, and your experience is bad in the beginning\, you think it&rsquo\;s going to be a big problem for you\,&rdquo\; she said.\n\nDespite the argument that saving sex for marriage may cause problems in relationships\, couples who abstain until marriage have lower divorce rates.\n\n&ldquo\;It just happens not to be the case that it is helpful to have sex prior to marriage in order to establish a solid marriage\,&rdquo\; Lake said. &ldquo\;In fact\, statistics show absolutely conclusively that people who have sex with their future marriage partner before marriage are more likely to be divorced than those who don&rsquo\;t.&rdquo\;\n\nLake attributes this phenomenon to the idea that couples that have sex before marriage often have a difficult time adjusting to the idea of genuine commitment.\n\n&ldquo\;If you don&rsquo\;t view sex as a total lifelong commitment\, once you&rsquo\;re married\, it&rsquo\;s kind of hard to flip the switch\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;If you&rsquo\;ve established prior to marriage that sex is not so much tied to commitment as it is tied to passion\, what if you start feeling passionate toward someone who isn&rsquo\;t your spouse?&rdquo\;\n\nSome Belmont students\, however\, have achieved what they believe is a personal reconciliation between their sexual activity and their Christian beliefs.\n\nMcCullough is one of these students.\n\n&ldquo\;That&rsquo\;s a big thing\: the whole reconciliation with yourself and with God and rationalizing your decisions\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;I think that today&rsquo\;s concept of marriage has changed from what God originally intended it to be.&rdquo\;\n\nThe only truly consistent opinion among Belmont students\, however\, is the commitment to remain non-judgmental of other students&rsquo\; decisions\, no matter what their personal beliefs on sex.\n\nSophomore Kyle Paxton is opposed to premarital sex for religious reasons\, but refuses to judge others.  \;\n\n&ldquo\;I guess I would say\, &lsquo\;Wait\,&rsquo\; but at the same time I wouldn&rsquo\;t want to judge [those who have sex before marriage] or condemn them\,&rdquo\; he said.\n\nFrom a Christian perspective\, Lake supports this non-judgmental outlook as one of the most important traits a Christian can possess.\n\n&ldquo\;Jesus said &lsquo\;Judge not that you not be judged\,&rsquo\;&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;Not being judgmental is profoundly Christian.&rdquo\;\n\nWhether a student is sexually active\, staunchly opposed to sex before marriage or somewhere in between\, dealing with sexual temptations is an issue students face no matter what their views are.  \;\n\n&ldquo\;I think that when you&rsquo\;re away from home you&rsquo\;re away from your comfort zone\, and there are a lot of temptations you&rsquo\;re going to face\, especially without parents around\,&rdquo\; freshman Will Young said.\n\nMost Belmont students seem to agree that the best way to avoid unwanted sexual temptation and pressure is to surround themselves with people who will respect their views.\n\n&ldquo\;You just have to be able to stand up and say no\,&rdquo\; sophomore Mike Gaylord said. \; &ldquo\;Real friends shouldn&rsquo\;t pressure you to do things like that.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:health,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T130303 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T130303 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20071108T140100 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/877 SUMMARY:Sex\: Students take it seriously DESCRIPTION:An American college student walks into a class of 15 fellow students. \; Chances are\, only four of those students have never had sex.\n\nAccording to national statistics\, approximately 70 percent of American college students are sexually active. \; \; \;\n\n&ldquo\;I don&rsquo\;t think that Belmont is any different from any college campus anywhere\,&rdquo\; said Belmont Counseling Services director Peg Leonard-Martin. \; &ldquo\;We&rsquo\;re not isolated from these issues.&rdquo\;\n\nMany students at Belmont seem to agree &ndash\; and they agree in a manner that suggests they look at human sexuality with maturity and respect for others&rsquo\; choices.\n\nSophomore John Roden sees sex as something Belmont &ldquo\;sweeps under the carpet and keeps hidden from everybody.&rdquo\;\n\nBut that&rsquo\;s not an easy task.\n\n&ldquo\;Look at the people who are going here. \; We are teenagers and adults ranging from 18 to 24\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;To believe that a guy or a girl isn&rsquo\;t going to be engaging in sexual activity in a place where they&rsquo\;re almost completely out of the eyes of their parents and authority figures\, that&rsquo\;s just gullibility. \; I think Belmont should honestly be more open.&rdquo\;\n\nAccording to Belmont Health Services director Katy Wilson\, dialogue about sexual issues in a college atmosphere is important. &ldquo\;I think you can teach young people a lot about their bodies without encouraging them to be sexually active\,&rdquo\; she said.\n\nJunior Alaina Reagan agrees that dialogue is important\, but she doesn&rsquo\;t see it happening at Belmont\, where she knows many students are already sexually active.\n\n \;&ldquo\;I think more people are having sex than is believed\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;I think people are hiding it because they think they&rsquo\;ll be judged.&rdquo\;\n\nLeonard-Martin wants to dispel that myth. \; &ldquo\;Not one of the therapists here would ever presume to judge a student\, no matter what their gender\, sexual identity\, religious affiliation\, or race\,&rdquo\; she said. \;\n\nThat professional practice is also true of Belmont Health Services\, an enormously helpful resource for sexual health problems when students are aware of the services it offers. \;\n\n&ldquo\;We offer a lot of good services\,&rdquo\; Wilson said. &ldquo\;We can do STD testing\, we offer the Gardisil HPV vaccine\, as well as the Hepatitis B vaccine. \; We&rsquo\;re big on prevention here.&rdquo\;\n\nAccording to a 2005 estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\, of the 19 million people newly infected with an STD every year\, nearly half are 15-24.\n\nThe health center\, which saw 4\,800 students last year\, is equipped to test for HIV\, Hepatitis B\, Chlamydia and gonorrhea.\n\nA blood and lesion test for herpes and a test for syphilis are also available\, but Wilson said these tests are rarely done. \; \;\n\n&ldquo\;We also do pregnancy tests\,&rdquo\; Wilson said. \; &ldquo\;People who are pregnant and don&rsquo\;t mean to be &ndash\; that&rsquo\;s an emotional issue &ndash\; need a lot of support.&rdquo\;\n\nThe health center does not write prescriptions for birth control pills or provide any contraceptives\, but Wilson still stresses the importance of sexual education among college students.\n\n&ldquo\;I see lots of students who just need a consult visit\,&rdquo\; said Wilson\, explaining that it is not unusual for students to make appointments to ask about health issues they are confused about. \;\n\nWilson is in the process of designing an updated health center Web site\, which will include a page of links to informational articles on every aspect of health. \; It will also include a section with printable information pamphlets.\n\n \; Wilson suggests WebMD.com\, CDC.gov\, and the American College Health Association Web site for more accurate sexual health information. \; \;\n\nThe health center is also able to make referrals for a number of issues\, including sexual problems. \;\n\n&ldquo\;We have come to know lots of people in the medical community\, so we compiled a list of people to refer to in all specialty areas\,&rdquo\; Wilson said. \; &ldquo\;We will help you get through the red tape and facilitate those appointments the best we can.&rdquo\;\n\nWilson said she also refers students struggling with the emotional aspects of sexuality to counseling services. \;\n\n \; \; \; Leonard-Martin is accustomed to providing advising to any Belmont student confronting sexual issues.\n\n \; \; \; &ldquo\;We have a fair amount of students who really struggle with values in sexual experiences\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;They leave home with a certain set of values\, come to college\, and sometimes it feels like everything&rsquo\;s turned upside down.&rdquo\;\n\nCounselors at Belmont are prepared to help students with issues including relationship violence\, confusion over sexual identity\, facing an STD diagnosis and coping with a first sexual experience.\n\n \; \; \; &ldquo\;Individuals who&rsquo\;ve had their first sexual experience and end up with HPV or another STD\, they&rsquo\;re devastated\, they&rsquo\;re terrified\,&rdquo\; Leonard-Martin said. \; &ldquo\;I really collaborate with the health center on these cases.&rdquo\;\n\n \; \; \; Counseling services also regularly help students facing instances of date and acquaintance rape.\n\n \; \; \; &ldquo\;We&rsquo\;ll support them through any stage of that\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;We see a fair amount of students who struggle.&rdquo\;\n\n \; \; \; Some Belmont students express concern\, however\, that their sexual issues with Belmont counselors may not remain confidential\, especially if they mention a policy on sexual conduct they have violated\, such as homosexual behavior or pre-marital sex on campus.\n\n \; \; \; \; &ldquo\;Everything is absolutely confidential\,&rdquo\; countered Leonard-Martin. \; &ldquo\;The only time confidentiality has to be broken is if a student is a danger to themselves and possibly to others.&rdquo\; All students are given a sheet explaining their rights before their first counseling services.\n\n \; \; \; Johnston confirmed this confidentiality policy\, noting that health services and counseling services are entirely separate from student conduct processes.\n\n \; \; \;  \;The first responsibility of Belmont counselors is the well-being of Belmont students.\n\n \; \; \; &ldquo\;Whatever they are struggling with\, we are going to help them\,&rdquo\; Leonard-Martin said. &ldquo\;I cannot imagine abandoning a student dealing with a possibly controversial issue.\n\n \;&ldquo\;Someone&rsquo\;s sexual history or sexual experience is protected right along with any other aspect of a human being&rsquo\;s life.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:health,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T130500 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T130501 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20071108T140300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/878 SUMMARY:Faculty\, staff show off musical talents DESCRIPTION:A large crowd gathered in the Curb Café\; on Jan. 16 to watch Belmont faculty and staff showcase their musical abilities in the Faculty/Staff Talent Show.\n\nThe Student Leadership Council organized the event both to entertain and to &ldquo\;connect the music business students to the faculty\,&ldquo\; said SLC sophomore representative Chase Misenheimer.\n\nAssistant professor of music business James Elliot kicked off the show with two acoustic songs\, the first a song of heartache and the second a tribute to his daughter\, Sophia.\n\nFollowing Elliot\, a band of six faculty members took the stage\, fronted by lead vocalist and Mike Curb College Advising Center Director Tina Dishman. \; \; \; When Dishman joked that the band was taking tips\, an audience member retorted that the band should keep their day jobs.\n\n&ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ll remember that when I&rsquo\;m advising ya&rsquo\;ll\,&rdquo\; Dishman quipped.\n\nAnita O&rsquo\;Dell\, intern and career development coordinator for the Mike Curb College\, provided accompanying vocals on the band&rsquo\;s first song\, the Christian piece &ldquo\;Just a Closer Walk With Thee.&rdquo\;\n\nThe band closed their set with Tracy Chapman&rsquo\;s soulful &ldquo\;Give Me One Reason\,&rdquo\; which gave Dishman a chance to showcase her powerful vocals.\n\nFollowing the first faculty band was Sarah Cates\, strategic programs director for the Mike Curb College. Accompanied by her husband on guitar\, Cates sang a self-proclaimed &ldquo\;angry girl song&rdquo\; about getting together with girlfriends and forgetting about ex-boyfriends who did them wrong.\n\nAfter Cates\, a new faculty band took the stage.\n\n&ldquo\;Thanks for not throwing anything in advance\,&rdquo\; said Mark Volman\, coordinator of the entertainment industry studies program and lead singer of the band.\n\nWith three acoustic guitars and three-part harmony\, the band covered The Beatles&rsquo\; &ldquo\;A Hard Day&rsquo\;s Night\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;With A Little Help From My Friends&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;Yellow Submarine\,&rdquo\; complete with Volman&rsquo\;s own submarine noises.\n\nThe band&rsquo\;s last Beatles cover was &ldquo\;Twist and Shout\,&rdquo\; which received the most enthusiastic audience reaction of the night\, with several audience members getting up to dance.\n\n&ldquo\;It was great seeing the kids in the Curb Café\; dancing on the tables to songs made before they were born\,&rdquo\; said Volman.\n\nAt the insistence of the audience\, the band closed their set with &ldquo\;Happy Together\,&rdquo\; a song written by Volman while in his band\, The Turtles. The performance received a standing ovation.\n\nThe Student Leadership Council was pleased with the outcome of the show.\n\n&ldquo\;It went absolutely way beyond our expectations for tonight\,&rdquo\; said Misenheimer. \; &ldquo\;Definitely a success.&rdquo\;\n\nAnd many audience members appreciated listening to the music of an older generation.\n\n&ldquo\;I thought it really brought back the vibe of the 1960s with the communal singing\,&rdquo\; said freshman Miles Lowenfield.\n\nThe Faculty/Staff Talent Show featured several other faculty musicians including Rush Hicks\, assistant professor in the Mike Curb College and Dr. Wesley Bulla\, dean of the Mike Curb College\, who played drums.\n\nMike Curb College Instructor Dan Wujcik played piano\, and Assistant Professor David Tough played bass. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:aande CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080404T131129 LAST-MODIFIED:20080404T131129 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080131T140600 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/741 SUMMARY:Fall break clears campus for debate DESCRIPTION:Belmont&rsquo\;s representatives have returned from a meeting with the Commission on Presidential Debates in Washington\, but much remains uncertain\, and what the university actually learned remains uncertain as well.\n\n&ldquo\;It was more a matter of reinforcement\,&rdquo\; Dan McAlexander\, Belmont provost\, said. \; &ldquo\;Remain flexible.&rdquo\;\n\nBelmont officials are expected to keep quiet about the details of the Oct. 7 Town Hall Presidential Debate until closer to the debate itself\, McAlexander said. But\, the university doesn&rsquo\;t actually have much to say at best.\n\n&ldquo\;I don&rsquo\;t have anything new to tell you\,&rdquo\; said Pamela Johnson\, the director of strategic marketing and special initiatives who led Belmont&rsquo\;s team at the meeting with the commission. Johnson said she was unable to grant an interview regarding the meeting.\n\nWith the campus accommodating an increased number of people\, including members of the press and the candidates&rsquo\; entourages\, during the debate and the days leading up to it\, space will be tight. \; The fall break originally scheduled for Thursday and Friday\, Oct. 16-17\, has been moved to Monday-Wednesday\, Oct. 6-8\, adding one day to the break and eliminating the campus presence of most students and faculty on those days.\n\nThe new fall break will &ldquo\;ensure the least amount of disruption to our class schedules and instruction time\,&rdquo\; McAlexander said in a published announcement of the change. The only classes that will be held during this time will be Wednesday evening classes.\n\nBelmont still doesn&rsquo\;t know the perimeter of the debate security\, how exactly residents of the neighborhood will be affected or to what extent students will be involved.\n\n&ldquo\;At this point\, it is our understanding that residents will be able to stay in residence\,&rdquo\; McAlexander said.\n\nIf residents fall within the final perimeter set by the commission\, they will most likely be subject to security checks\, he said. &ldquo\;It will be like coming to the airport each time they come into the perimeter.&rdquo\;\nAlthough the university still doesn&rsquo\;t know details on student involvement\, McAlexander expects there to be student volunteers\, he said\, referencing prior debates.\n\n&ldquo\;We&rsquo\;ve heard reports of a couple hundred individuals involved\,&rdquo\; he said. But he has yet to hear anything from the commission.\n\n&ldquo\;We would ask the entire Belmont community to exercise as much patience as possible as we await the arrival of what will surely be the Super Bowl of American politics\,&rdquo\; McAlexander wrote in his campus announcement. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,fall-break,presidential-debate CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080303T145630 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112117 ORGANIZER;CN=By Liz Hunton, Senior Writer:MAILTO:huntonl@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080303T145300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/742 SUMMARY:Adjuncts increase faculty numbers DESCRIPTION:Adjunct instructors\, professors that are not hired as full-time\, make up more than half of Belmont&rsquo\;s faculty. Out of the university&rsquo\;s 520 faculty members\, 268 are adjuncts and they are paid significantly less per course than \; a full-time faculty member.\n\n&ldquo\;There are many reasons to hire adjunct professors\, including availability of expertise or professional experience\, areas of intense need where there is a shortage locally\, regionally and nationally of doctorally-qualified faculty and areas of fluctuating need\,&rdquo\; Dan McAlexander\, Belmont provost said.\n\nAlthough adjunct faculty members fulfill teaching needs within the university\, they are paid significantly less per course than full-time faculty. The average pay of a Belmont faculty member is $64\,300\, or an average of about $8\,000 for a three-credit course. Adjunct pay ranges from $1\,850 to $2\,300 per class\, said Jennifer Ervin\, systems coordinator.\n\nClassFinder on BIC shows the class Christianity and Entertainment\, which is taught by an adjunct professor\, has 29 students. With the cost for one tuition hour at $720\, the class makes Belmont around $62\,640. This means Belmont makes a gross of approximately $60\,340 after retracting the highest potential adjunct pay.\n\nWhen presented with these numbers\, McAlexander \; said\, &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ll leave you to your calculations\, but that kind of estimate is much more complex\, and I really don&rsquo\;t have it in that form.&rdquo\;\n\nWhile it is more complex\, the trend nationwide\, as colleges compete for tuition and donor dollars\, is a growing popularity of adjuncts as a money-saving practice. According to the National Center for Edication Statistics\, part-time faculty at U.S. colleges and universities has jumped from 22 to 43 percent in the last 30 years.\n\nAdjuncts also do not receive benefits\, such as health insurance and sick leave\, as full-time faculty members do. An adjunct faculty member has to teach at least nine hours and have a semester contract instead of a one-year contract to receive insurance coverage\, said Sally McKay\, director of human resources.\n\nBecause adjunct pay is comparatively low\, retention of adjuncts is difficult\, said Kevin Robinson\, associate professor of physical therapy and president of the faculty senate.\n\n &ldquo\;We&rsquo\;re always replacing an adjunct each year it seems\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;Many faculty across campus would like to see pay increased. Administration would say it&rsquo\;s not that simple.&rdquo\;\n\nAdjuncts are extremely important to the university. &ldquo\;If you look at the numbers of adjuncts\, you wouldn&rsquo\;t be able to have a lot of your classes without them\,&rdquo\; Robinson said.\n\nMark Volman\, coordinator of the Entertainment Industries Program and professor of music business\, became a full-time faculty member this past year after being an adjunct.\n\n&ldquo\;Adjuncts are a wonderful experience because you get to give something back as someone working in the society\,&rdquo\; Volman said. &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s not a money-making situation. \; It&rsquo\;s probably a little better than working at Bongo Java.&rdquo\;\n\nVolman applied for a posted full-time job while working as an adjunct at Belmont and was hired.\n \;&ldquo\;It certainly has been a different type of change\,&rdquo\; Volman said. &ldquo\;It has been a process that I&rsquo\;ve grown into in terms of the amount of work I&rsquo\;ve discovered.\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s like taking a Volkswagen in and trading it for a Ferrari.&rdquo\;\n\nAdjunct professors work on a course-by-course basis\, semester by semester\, Ervin said. \; The university anticipates the positions adjuncts fill to be special\, short-term needs or supporting to other positions. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:adjuncts,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080303T150144 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112215 ORGANIZER;CN=Liz Hunton, Senior Writer:MAILTO:huntonl@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080303T145900 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/743 SUMMARY:Online contests draw BU talent DESCRIPTION:Belmont is at no loss for students participating in online competitions\, and yet there is one more to watch.\n\nJunior entrepreneur major Andy Tabar is a finalist in a national entrepreneur competition by ideablob.com and is currently in the running for a grand prize of $10\,000. Ideablob.com is a website where entrepreneurs and small businesses can develop their ideas for businesses and win support - about $10\,000 worth of support. Once a month\, the ideablob.com community votes and selects a small business idea that they feel deserves the prize.\n\nAfter receiving an e-mail from entrepreneur professor Jeff Cornwall about the contest\, Tabar decided\, &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m just going to give this a try.&rdquo\;\n\nSo Tabar submitted his business plan at the beginning of January and weathered the voting process\, which\, according to an ideablob.com press release\, resulted in the &ldquo\;top two winners from each of the first three weeks of January.&rdquo\;\n\nVoting for the January winner opened for ten days and closed Jan. 31. The winner has yet to be announced\, but with a track record like his\, Tabar is confident.\n\nAt eleven years old\, Tabar first got interested in building Web pages and within three years was generating revenue from a client base that grew to 30 by 2006. \; Tabar sold off his initial venture and moved on to create Bizooki\, a &ldquo\;web-based platform that empowers social networking and collaboration\,&rdquo\; now competing on ideablob.com.\n\nThe site is like Facebook for the businessman\, providing a secure place to upload files to be shared with employees and to &ldquo\;connect with a customer base online\,&rdquo\; which is customizable to the specific company. According to the concise description on ideablob.com\, it&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;niche social networking&rdquo\; geared to larger businesses. &ldquo\;We focus on being widely applicable instead of simply trendy.&rdquo\;\n\nTabar said the idea for Bizooki evolved over time and came from &ldquo\;watching the market\,&rdquo\; as in matching up what he could do with what the market needed.\n\nIf he won the grand prize\, the money would go toward development costs and marketing. Tabar said that essentially it would help Bizooki grow faster. \;\n\nNo doubt running a business as a 21-year-old student makes Tabar a busy guy.\n\n&ldquo\;Let me put it this way\, when I&rsquo\;m not in class\, I&rsquo\;m doing this\,&rdquo\; he said\, discussing the time infringement\, but added that he just wants to be a normal college student.\n\n&ldquo\;This is what I do.&rdquo\; Tabar stressed his personal philosophy of staying in control of the business so it doesn&rsquo\;t control him. Time management plays a big role in life so he can afford to spend time with friends\, play guitar and juggle whatever else comes his way.\n\n&ldquo\;I enjoy it\, I see the benefits\,&rdquo\; Tabar said\, &ldquo\;I created a career for myself.&rdquo\;\n\nThe ideablob.com contest isn&rsquo\;t even the only competition Tabar is involved in at the moment. He was also named a semifinalist in the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Enterprise Development National Collegiate Venture Forum. \; In short\, that means that Tabar will be flying out to Santa Barbara\, Calif. to &ldquo\;make a pitch and mingle with&rdquo\; 140 potential investors.\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s a way to connect with the industry&rsquo\;s best and most experienced\,&rdquo\; Tabar explained.\n\nAll the while\, Tabar looks forward to graduation when he&rsquo\;ll have considerably more time to focus on his entrepreneurial pursuits. \; For now he doesn&rsquo\;t know how far he&rsquo\;ll take Bizooki or if perhaps he will sell it off one day\, saying\, &ldquo\;it depends on where it leads me.&rdquo\;\n\nAs for why Tabar does all this\, he puts it simply\: &ldquo\;I like to persevere\, see an opportunity and take action. It&rsquo\;s a fire in the gut.&rdquo\;\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,ideablob CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080303T150440 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112302 ORGANIZER;CN=By Erin Carson, Staff Writer:MAILTO:carsone@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080303T150300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/744 SUMMARY:Belmont displays flag\, but student says it could be more visible DESCRIPTION:Display of the American flag has become synonymous with patriotism\, especially since the events of Sept. 11\, 2001. Belmont University\, however\, does not have any sort of exterior display of the flag\, leading to questions and criticisms from some students.\n\nCourtney Coyle\, a sophomore vocal performance major\, even wrote a letter to President Fisher about the lack of an American flag at an American university. &ldquo\;I have talked to some of my friends about this\, and I asked them if they knew where the one flag pole on campus is. Most of them responded by saying they didn&rsquo\;t know where it was&hellip\;&rdquo\; he said.\n\n&ldquo\;Belmont does display the flag. There is one on permanent display at the Curb Event Center&rdquo\;\, said Jason Rogers\, vice president for Administration and University Counsel. Rogers went on to say that there is a smaller flag on display next to this one. &ldquo\;It was a gift from an alum named Kevin Ueno\, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army\, who recently returned from a tour in Iraq\,&rdquo\; Rogers continued.\n\nThis flag is being displayed to honor all of the service people in the military\, but most especially to honor graduates of Belmont who have served or are currently serving. In addition to these two displays\, there is a flag that is raised on the flag pole during soccer matches. It isn&rsquo\;t displayed permanently due to a lack of proper lighting\, Rogers said. There are also ceremonial flags that come out during graduations and other university events.\n\n&ldquo\;There has been no conscious decision not to display the flag. I think the decision was made to light it\, display it and to give it a place of maximum visibility and the Curb Event Center is the logical place for that\,&rdquo\; he said. He added that despite there being no flag on a flag pole\, Belmont has displayed both the flag and its patriotism in other ways.\n\nHe made mention of pride in the ways the flag is displayed on campus\, as well as the Fourth of July celebration that the university hosts. The presidential debates that are being hosted are also an excellent indicator of Belmont&rsquo\;s patriotism.\n\n&ldquo\;That reflects our pride and our democracy\, a desire to connect our community and our students and our employees with the presidential election. I think that in itself is a very important display of our patriotism.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080303T151022 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112331 ORGANIZER;CN=Joseph Shelby, Staff Writer:MAILTO:shelbyj@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080303T150800 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/768 SUMMARY:School of Pharmacy expands health tracks DESCRIPTION:Belmont University&rsquo\;s new School of Pharmacy has received the go-ahead to welcome its first class in August of this year. \;\n\nHowever\, accepting the first class does not mean the program has been accredited. \; The accreditation process actually begins about a year before the first class arrives and consists of preparation and paper reports. At this point\, Belmont&rsquo\;s School of Pharmacy still has applicant status. \;\n\nThe next step of the accreditation process is the site visit\, scheduled for April. Moving from applicant status to pre-candidate status hinges on the program&rsquo\;s approval after the site visit\, which should be known by June. The actual accreditation occurs after the School of Pharmacy graduates its first class\, expected to happen in 2012.\n\nWith so much to happen between now and the welcoming of the first class in August\, prospective School of Pharmacy applicants could be skeptical. Philip E. Johnston\, dean of the School of Pharmacy\, is anything but doubtful. \;\n&ldquo\;I feel confident our first class will be in fall 2008. Everything is geared in that direction. We&rsquo\;ve hired the faculty for that\; we have space\, facilities and funding\,&rdquo\; Johnston said.\n\nJohnston\, a seasoned professional in the world of pharmacy\, has worked in the field for the majority of his life. \; Prior to joining the Belmont community\, he served as assistant director of pharmacy services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for 23 years. Johnson joined Belmont in June of 2007 to help initiate the School of Pharmacy.\n\nThe program&rsquo\;s faculty is now conducting interviews to select the 75 applicants that will make up Belmont&rsquo\;s first School of Pharmacy class. \; For several years following\, the class size is expected to remain about the same. \;\n\n&ldquo\;We&rsquo\;re not in the growth mode\, we want to become stable and really build the quality before we think about growing\,&rdquo\; Johnston said.\n\nAt this point\, the 10 faculty members needed for the first year curriculum have been hired. \; Eventually\, the faculty will consist of 30 people. Johnston said he is excited about the quality of his team. \;\n\n&ldquo\;These folks\, in almost every case\, are science trained to Pharm. D. or Ph.D. level. \; Others have degrees in other areas related to science\,&rdquo\; Johnston said.\n\nThe program&rsquo\;s curriculum will be specialized as well. \; Students will be able to choose one of four different tracks to focus on\: \; Pharmacy Management\, Informatics\, Managed Care and Pharmacy Missions. \;\n\nThe Pharmacy Management track is designed to teach students not only the science of pharmacy\, but also how to supervise a pharmacy and a staff. \; Joint courses will be offered with Belmont&rsquo\;s Massey School of Business. \; Other courses will include conflict resolution\, human-organizational development\, supervisory skills and interpersonal relationships.\n\nThe Managed Care track will focus on training students how to work in managed care organizations and how to treat patients and maintain their health in the most effective way. \;\n\nMeanwhile\, the Informatics track will teach students how to work with software and various information systems frequently used by healthcare companies and hospitals. \;\n\nFinally\, the school&rsquo\;s \; Pharmacy Mission track will study the broader social issues that are encountered when caring for underserved populations. \; The Mission track will also focus on skills such as counseling. \; Students will be prepared to work in city- or state-run clinics. Johnston described the track as &ldquo\;serving the underserved.&rdquo\;\n\n&ldquo\;We&rsquo\;ll be in the community. \; We&rsquo\;ll be doing things\, giving back\,&rdquo\; Johnston said.\n\nAside from the program&rsquo\;s unique curriculum\, Johnston feels the venue and the culture of both Belmont University and Nashville will be positive factors in attracting students.\n\n&ldquo\;When people come here and look at our campus\, they really like the atmosphere. \; I have found Belmont to be a great place to be. \; The culture is very wholesome and positive\,&rdquo\; he said. \;\n\nJohnston also finds the program&rsquo\;s newness to be very exciting for prospective students\, as well as faculty. \;\n\n&ldquo\;The students coming are going to help us create what this can be\,&rdquo\; he said. \; &ldquo\;I think it&rsquo\;s an older phrase used at Belmont\, but &lsquo\;from here to anywhere&rsquo\;...we&rsquo\;re living that right now.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,pharmacy CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T161909 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112450 ORGANIZER;CN=Alana Kreegel, Staff Writer:MAILTO:kreegela@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T171300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/769 SUMMARY:'Think pink' brings awareness of breast cancer DESCRIPTION:Girls and guys alike came out for a cause on Monday\, Feb. 11. Sporting pink attire\, the crowd at that night&rsquo\;s basketball game showed support for breast cancer awareness and our women&rsquo\;s basketball team for the THINK PINK game against Jacksonville.\n\nTHINK PINK was sponsored by the Women&rsquo\;s Basketball Association throughout the NCAA. Belmont chose to have the Susan G. Komen affiliate \; to help raise awareness. To promote THINK PINK\, Cate Hamilton\, executive director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Nashville\, spoke at a convo to teach students about risks and warning signs of breast cancer and the importance of self-examination. \; The department of Promotions and Special Events continued to raise awareness by providing informational brochures \; at the game. \;\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s important for students to get proactive about raising awareness and money\,&rdquo\; said Liz Kazeck\, graduate assistant for the department of Promotions and Special Events.\n\nAt half time\, breast cancer survivors were asked to stand and were honored with pink carnations. \; Those with family or friends affected by breast cancer were also asked to stand in honor of their loved ones&rsquo\; fight. \;\n\n&ldquo\;Lots of people and their families are affected by breast cancer\, and an event like this brings people together for this one cause to raise awareness\,&rdquo\; said Kelsey Alexander\, a junior marketing major.\n\nBelmont partnered THINK PINK with the &lsquo\;Pack the House&rsquo\; incentive to raise attendance for women&rsquo\;s basketball games. To rally participation\, student organizations invited as many people as possible. \; Out of 15 student organizations that participated\, the women&rsquo\;s soccer team won the challenge and took the prize of reserved seats at the Battle of the Boulevard game. \; The ladies of Phi Mu sorority won the PINK Pride Award for sporting the most pink\, granting them first access into the Battle of the Boulevard. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:basketball,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T162352 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112759 ORGANIZER;CN=Meaghan Mitchell, Staff Writer:MAILTO:mitchellm@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T172200 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/770 SUMMARY:Rings show promise to remain Chaste DESCRIPTION:Christian promise rings are traditionally worn by young women and men to represent a commitment of chastity until marriage\, and many Belmont students choose to wear them to demonstrate their own promises to remain pure.\n\nAlso known as chastity and purity rings\, Christian promise rings are usually seen as the physical representation of a Christian&rsquo\;s vow to remain pure in mind\, body and spirit until making a life-long commitment to his or her husband or wife.\n\nDr. Todd Lake\, vice president for spiritual development at Belmont\, explained that abstaining from sexual activity until marriage should be highly valued in the Christian faith.\n\n&ldquo\;God has created us to have the highest level of intimacy with the people with whom we&rsquo\;ll spend the rest of our lives\,&rdquo\; he explained. &ldquo\;We do a disservice to ourselves if we let our bodies get ahead of where our minds and our wills are\, where our spirit is.&rdquo\;\n\nRecipients of Christian promise rings often receive their rings from family members\, friends or church organizations\, with others choosing to buy rings for themselves.\n\nSophomore Joy Kayser received her Christian promise ring at age 13 as a gift from her father\, who established a family tradition of letting each of his three daughters choose their own ring.\n\n&ldquo\;It was kind of like a fun thing that we got to do with our dad\, to go shopping and pick out a piece of jewelry that we liked\,&rdquo\; she said. \;\n\nKayser explained that the tradition of buying the ring and making the commitment to save sex for marriage was never forced upon her or her sisters\, despite being encouraged by her father to do so.\n\n&ldquo\;It was something that we wanted to do\, and they gave it to us as a commitment to make to ourselves and to God and to our future husbands\,&rdquo\; she said. \; Kayser insisted that if she had chosen not to make the commitment to chastity at that time\, her parents &ldquo\;probably would have asked some questions\, but they would have been completely okay with it.&rdquo\;\n\nDespite the perception that most wearers of Christian promise rings are females\, many males choose to wear the physical representations of their purity until marriage\, as well.\n\nJunior Jon Young is evidence of this. Young received his Christian promise ring from his parents at age 13\, but says he actually made the personal commitment to save sex for marriage at age 16.\n\nHe explained that he made this decision for himself when he &ldquo\;realized that part of this commitment was showing trust and a commitment to her\, whoever my wife will be\, even before we get married.&rdquo\;\n\nYoung said that saving sex for marriage and choosing to wear a physical symbol of that commitment will show his future wife that she can trust him\, as doing this demonstrates that he &ldquo\;loves her more than even [his] own desires.&rdquo\;\n\nWhile Young wears his ring every day\, he nevertheless acknowledges that being a male who wears a chastity ring may carry a social stigma.\n\n&ldquo\;Society says to do one thing and [wearing a Christian promise ring] directly contradicts what society says to do for [men]\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;But this ring is statement for my love for my wife\, and it also shows women that I have a greater respect for them.&rdquo\; \;\n\nBut debate is widespread among wearers of Christian promise rings over what physical behavior is permissible when one commits to remain &ldquo\;chaste&rdquo\; until marriage.\n\nYoung feels that while intercourse\, oral sex and other explicit and implicit sexual touching is inappropriate for someone who has made such a commitment\, making out and necking should be considered permissible.\n\nSophomore Melissa Robinson personally disagrees. Robinson\, who received her first Christian promise ring from her grandmother at age 14 and her second from her mother upon her grandmother&rsquo\;s death\, draws the line at kissing.\n\n&ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ll do a kiss\, but I&rsquo\;m not going to go any further than that\,&rdquo\; she said. \; &ldquo\;My body is God&rsquo\;s temple\, and I&rsquo\;m not going to abuse it\, or let it be abused.&rdquo\;\n\nChristian promise rings are available in a number of styles and can be purchased everywhere from Christian bookstores to online suppliers. \; Some students wear rings from a specific company or group\, such as True Love Waits\, a Christian organization sponsored specifically by Lifeway Christian Resources.\n\nOthers\, such as Kayser and Robinson\, chose more generic rings to which they attached their own personal meaning.\n\nRobinson wears a simple silver ring with a black stone\, which her mother brought back from a mission trip in Alaska. \; The ring Joy chose when shopping with her father is a white gold band with her birthstone.\n\nWhile chastity rings are predominantly a Christian practice\, some choose to wear them for non-religious reasons.\n\nRobinson experienced this personally when a close friend was raped and consequentially decided to wear a chastity ring. \; The sexually traumatizing experience made Robison&rsquo\;s friend\, who was also an Atheist\, conclude that sex was &ldquo\;precious enough to her that she wants to keep her first voluntary time for the one she marries.&rdquo\;\n\nSome Christians who have been through the experience of wearing a Christian promise ring argue that it is difficult to make a truly educated decision on whether to save sex for marriage until one has faced real sexual temptation.\n\n&ldquo\;It was easier to say I was saving it back before I was having sexual encounters\,&rdquo\; said sophomore Harold Simmons.\n\nWhen Simmons was 13\, he took a two-month sex education course on the importance of abstinence and how it relates to Christian principals. \; While he took an oath of purity and received a purity ring at the time\, he now feels that understanding the reality of such a commitment is impossible without first facing temptation.\n\n&ldquo\;I think the only way you can tell if [making the commitment] is effective is if you can tell through sexual encounters\, but it depends on the person really\,&rdquo\; he said.\n\nSimmons acknowledged\, though\, that some Christians are ready to make the commitment to save sex for marriage at a young age and encouraged those who are ready to do so.\n\nThe idea of Christian promise rings is not without opposition\, however\, even at a Christian university like Belmont.\n\nSophomore Justin Wilson doubts that all young people who wear promise rings do so for pure reasons.\n\n&ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ve known several girls who wear them to make themselves look good\,&rdquo\; he said. \; According to Wilson\, some young Christians wear chastity rings to &ldquo\;make themselves look like they haven&rsquo\;t had sex and to make their parents happy.&rdquo\;\n\nSophomore Jeff Jenkins feels that if people need a constant\, physical reminder of their promise to remain pure\, they probably aren&rsquo\;t truly committed in the first place.\n\n&ldquo\;Why do you need the physical reminder of a promise that you made to yourself?&rdquo\; he questioned. \; &ldquo\;That just means that you&rsquo\;re almost planning on failing. \; It&rsquo\;s like if the ring weren&rsquo\;t there to remind you\, you would slip. \; You&rsquo\;re planning on slipping\, and if it weren&rsquo\;t for that promise ring you would slip.&rdquo\;\n\nDespite the doubt surrounding Christian promise rings\, even Simmons\, who has struggled with the effectiveness of his own purity ring and no longer wears one\, believes that Christian promise rings can have positive effects on young Christians.\n\n&ldquo\;I think the ring itself was a good constant reminder\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;Even though at that point in time I wasn&rsquo\;t necessarily sexually active\, anytime I would face a sexual encounter the ring would be a reminder of what I had learned.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T162748 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112746 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Selden, Staff Writer:MAILTO:seldena@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T172500 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/771 SUMMARY:Time to text\, time to call\, and time to shut up DESCRIPTION:No matter where I go\, I always see people listening to iPods\, talking and texting on their cell phones\, entranced by their laptops or wired in some other way to the latest technology. At the mall\, on the way to and from class\, in their cars\, even when taking walks in nature\, it seems people have an addiction to today&rsquo\;s innovations.\n\nIn check out lines\, people remain involved in conversation\, not even breaking away long enough to say &ldquo\;thank you&rdquo\; to the cashier. And you can pretty much forget about interrupting that person with their ear buds in. Unless that person is actively engaged in the scene around him\, a conversation is highly unlikely. \;\n\nIt seems like the more technology advances\, the worse people&rsquo\;s manners are. Just the other day\, I saw someone I knew from a class in the elevator. I said hello\, but the person never replied\, barely looking at me because she was so consumed by the music being delivered. Even at the library\, no one pays attention to the signs that prohibit cell phone usage. I&rsquo\;ve also had several close encounters with people who were texting and didn&rsquo\;t bother to look up to see where they were going.\n\nI&rsquo\;m not saying that these surges of technology are all wrong. I think it&rsquo\;s amazing that science has found a way for us all to be connected when we&rsquo\;re thousands of miles apart\, or five minutes in some cases. But\, then again\, I feel like we&rsquo\;re losing that personal connection with people. We may be talking and communicating more often than ever before\, but it&rsquo\;s through mediums that are not based on face-to-face conversation. Even in the office\, people rely on e-mail and phone conferencing when their offices are only down the hall. From my experience\, it is only when confidential information must be discussed when workers actually meet. \;\n\nI can&rsquo\;t help but ask myself what happened to the time when people would look forward to meeting face-to-face or when they left their rooms and actively listened to what was going on around them? There&rsquo\;s so much to take in\, and I feel like most of us miss out on that experience with technology attached at the hip.\n\nThere are people to make relationships with &ndash\; relationships that go well beyond texting and phone conversations. Just standing outside and hearing nature can be refreshing when you&rsquo\;re stressed about that pile of work sitting on your desk. I&rsquo\;m not saying cut technology completely out of your life\, but just realize there&rsquo\;s a life beyond cell phones and iPods. You might even be able to hear yourself think. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T163203 LAST-MODIFIED:20080313T175950 ORGANIZER;CN=By Courtney Drake, Editor:MAILTO:drakec@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T172900 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/772 SUMMARY:Gen Y\, it's time to step up DESCRIPTION:Congratulations\, my generation! You continually perplex the world as to exactly who you are. People have tried to label us time and again\: GenY\, Gen Creative\, Echo Boomers. Giant corporations keep trying to get in our heads to know how to sell their products to us\: how many dashes of self-consumption\, how many pints of &ldquo\;you&rsquo\;re not good enough&rdquo\; and how many gallons of sex appeal does it take to get one 16-25-year-old to buy this pair of jeans? They call us depressed\, overmedicated\, self-gratifying and uncaring. And somehow\, according to my dad\, &ldquo\;the next big things in arts\, science\, government and medicine \;have to come from these young people to move the world forward.&rdquo\; No pressure. Thanks\, Papa.\n\nFor my third-year-writing class\, we spent some time researching and discussing our generation\: who we are\, how we can be so connected to the world through technology and yet be so consumed by ourselves\, how the number of Myspace friends we may or may not have has come to define us as individuals.\n\nPeople (especially older generations) expect a great deal from us. They seem to conclude that because we have these incredible tools\: the Internet and technology\, not only can we know what&rsquo\;s happening in all the corners of the Earth\, we should also fix all the Earth&rsquo\;s problems.\n\nWhile this makes me want to find those people\, shake them and scream\, &ldquo\;You ask far too much of me and my generation\,&rdquo\; the truth is that what they are asking us to consider now\, the world will demand and force out of us in a little while.\n\nIt&rsquo\;s true what my father says\: the great and good things of the future have to come from us because in a minute (at least it&rsquo\;ll feel like a minute) this country\, this hemisphere\, this world will gradually be put in our hands and we will be responsible for the wellbeing of ourselves and generations before and after us. No pressure.\n\nBut it&rsquo\;s not like we don&rsquo\;t care.\n\n \;Sure\, I probably spend more time on Facebook than I do reading about the situations in the Congo\, in Kenya\, in the Middle East\, in New Orleans\, but really\, how am I supposed to end a war? Or house all homeless people in the world or feed all the starving people in Africa?\n\nHere&rsquo\;s something else my dad says about us\: &ldquo\;This age group is quite idealistic and becomes frustrated with the realities of the world (as seen in Darfur)\, and they think they cannot do anything to influence any meaningful change to the mess caused by people of my generation.&rdquo\;\n\nThe amount of information we&rsquo\;re exposed to through technology is great\, but it is also paralyzing. We understand the scope of the war in Iraq much more than our parents did of the Vietnam War\, and what we see\, hear and read about it is frightening. I think that a lot of us in this generation know what&rsquo\;s right and what&rsquo\;s wrong. Many of us know what we want the world to be. I don&rsquo\;t think we hole ourselves up in ourselves because we don&rsquo\;t care. I believe even those who say they don&rsquo\;t care didn&rsquo\;t start out that way. I think it&rsquo\;s because we just don&rsquo\;t know how to fix such colossal world issues.\n\n \;But I won&rsquo\;t lie to myself or to anyone\: we have become a numb\, calloused and self-involved generation. We may have access to every nation on the planet through technology\, yet we choose to cocoon ourselves in only what we want to know and love. (Here at Belmont\, it takes the form of drowning ourselves in the chase for fame and career success).  \; \; \;  \; \; \; We choose not to think about the dying soldiers and civilians in the Middle East\, not to look in the eyes of the raped mothers and daughters in East-African conflicts\, not to remember the displaced and homeless in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina or in Java\, Indonesia from that giant tsunami in 2006.\n\nWe can blame technology\, the Internet and the pressure to be amazing all we want\, but the fact is that this is who we have become. But it&rsquo\;s not who we have to be.\n\n \;I will be the first to admit that it is hard to do\, but it is time to peel off the calluses on our hearts and start really feeling other people&rsquo\;s pain. It is time to swim to the surface and breathe in reality because in a minute\, strangers&rsquo\; problems will be placed in our hands and we will have to face them. We will have to begin moving and fixing the world. No pressure. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T163421 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112815 ORGANIZER;CN=Adaeze Elechi, Managing Editor:MAILTO:daezeelechi@yahoo.com DTSTART:20080310T173200 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/773 SUMMARY:Can't hear the teacher with beans in your ears DESCRIPTION:Every time I get out of the shower\, I have a sudden urge to clean my ears. If you think about it\, they are probably never cleaner than at that moment\, still holding on to the precious few shampoo suds I just couldn&rsquo\;t shake. Even as they crackle in my ear\, my cleansing process feels incomplete and tainted by some particle of dirt that might remain lodged in the bubbles. I feel unbalanced and a bit water-logged until I find a Q-tip and flagrantly disobey the box&rsquo\;s instructions &ldquo\;not to insert into a body cavity.&rdquo\;\n\nSwab of the right ear. Check.\n\nSwab of the left ear. Check.\n\nNow\, I feel clean.\n\nI&rsquo\;ve recently recognized this as just one example of my need to have the final swab of control in the most intricate areas of my life. Rather literally\, I feel the need to shove a bean-sized piece of cotton on a stick into the delicate regions of my inner ear. In a broader (less graphic and sometimes painful) sense\, this need to squeegee is a direct parallel to my itch to have the final meddle in other arenas of control.\n\nControl has always been presented to me as a good thing. Coaches preached that you have to keep control of the ball if you want to dribble past that defender. I&rsquo\;ve constantly been warned that it is necessary to maintain some semblance of control over your finances\, your weight\, and your temper. Control is essential to living a balanced\, healthy life. Right? Certainly. But I&rsquo\;m beginning to realize that control should not be sought after universally\, that there are areas of life better left in more capable hands.\n\nThis week\, for example\, I attempted to shove the Q-tip of control into several relationships\, my plans for the future\, and my academic success. I never knew I had so many ears to swab. In each of these and a host of other delicate situations\, I&rsquo\;ve been challenged to recognize that the Q-tip it would take to keep these areas effectively clean would be far too large for me to hold. I&rsquo\;m picturing the giant stick with punching bags on either end that they joust with on American Gladiator (Yes\, I just admitted to watching that!). My futile attempts to shove such a giant weapon into my ears would be both physically dangerous and certainly humorous to watch. Yet\, I do it every day.\n\nHave the last word in that decision. Check.\n\nBe better than the competition. Check.\n\nKnow what is coming in the future. Check.\n\nNow\, I&rsquo\;m in control.\n\nThe thing about swabbing is that I never really get clean. I can still feel a little water in my ear an hour after my shower. And swabbing harder only endangers my hearing. A trip to the ear doctor would probably show that my ears are just fine with a little water in them\, and that the Q-tip box is right about not shoving small things into them. I&rsquo\;d be reminded that my body is quite capable of handling a little dirt and that a doctor should be the one to remove anything serious.\n\nIt is healthy to have good ear hygiene. This should be kept in mind. My attempt at an extended metaphor is not a cry for dirty ear cavities. I&rsquo\;m simply realizing that I cannot and should not maintain control over every area of my life at all times... I can&rsquo\;t keep them all squeaky clean. There is an element of trust that is crucial to faith\, trust that my life is quite capable of handling a little uncertainty and that I&rsquo\;m not ultimately the one who is in control of removing it. I&rsquo\;m still quite fond of the clean feeling I get after my post-shower swab. I&rsquo\;m certain that God smiles when we are able to rejoice in the certainties he&rsquo\;s promised us. Yet\, I&rsquo\;m becoming more comfortable with the idea of a little water in my ears and a bit of uncertainty that comes when I give up that final swab of control. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T173830 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112856 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Hollingsworth:MAILTO:abby.hollingsworth@gmail.com DTSTART:20080310T183500 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/774 SUMMARY:The view from here\: Iraq 2003-2008 DESCRIPTION:Perhaps it is too cliché\; to talk about Iraq. \; After all\, we&rsquo\;ve been talking about it for five years. \; I&rsquo\;ve started to believe\, however\, that there may be a problem in how we are talking about it.\n\nI have my own political issues with the war in Iraq. \; I was a strong supporter of it when it started in March 2003 and held to those feelings for several years. \; But as the years have dragged by and every day it seems that the whole mess gets more and more muddled\, I have begun to see the problems with the whole situation. \;\n\nImperialism is generally a bad idea. \; The American way of doing things is not always the right way &ndash\; and it certainly isn&rsquo\;t the only way. \; The US spent $604 billion so far in the war on terror. \; The United States had more political capital than it has since WWII right after Sept. 11 &ndash\; all of which has been squandered by its little adventure in Iraq. \;\n\nThese are the problems. \; I know them\, accept them\, and would dare say that they are almost universally acknowledged. \; However\, this is not the dialogue we need to have. \;\n\nWe need to have a dialogue about Iraq that isn&rsquo\;t about the budget deficit\, that isn&rsquo\;t about George W. Bush&rsquo\;s approval ratings\, that isn&rsquo\;t about whose plan to get troops out the fastest will get he or she presidency in 2008.\n\nI am so sick of the politics of war and the disconnect between Washington\, D.C. and Baghdad. \; If one more congressman\, one more senator\, one more person tries to exploit this war for their political gain\, I may expatriate. \; If one more incompetent Congressman tries to legislate what is happening on the ground in Anbar and in Basra\, pretending that they know anything about military strategy\, then we need to not reelect them. \;\n\nMaybe Bush did make a mistake. \; Maybe he didn&rsquo\;t. You have your opinion and I have mine. \; But the one thing that I hope we can all agree on is that we are sick of the politics of it all. There are people in Iraq suffering. \; Shouldn&rsquo\;t that be the bottom line? \; That the United States government has done almost nothing to mitigate the massive refugee crisis facing Iraq&rsquo\;s neighbors today. \;\n\nI remain an unbridled idealist. \; There is some obscure part of me that cannot help but still be proud of my country for going into a place that was fraught with oppression\, torture\, and poverty and tried to make it better. You can argue me up and down on this issue &ndash\; heck\, I can make a pretty compelling argument against myself. \; I know that the US did not invade Iraq to make the lives of Iraqis better. I know that. But a dictator was deposed. \; Freedom became a goal\, not just a dream. \;\n\nThere are more than 400 American diplomats working in Baghdad today. There are roughly 130\,000 American soldiers. \; If we are to sustain their spirits\, if we are to expect them to make a difference and to change the lives of Iraqis for the better\, then how can we demean the work they are doing by talking constantly about how terrible it is? \; I know that most people against the war are not against the soldiers\, but truly &ndash\; how many times a day can we say that &ldquo\;this war sucks&rdquo\; before they start to get discouraged? \;\n\nMaybe the US went in for the wrong reasons. Maybe the US really screwed it up once its troops were there. But maybe &ndash\; just maybe &ndash\; some good can eventually come out of it? \;\n\nSo complain about our president. \; I don&rsquo\;t care if you do. \; At least you have the right to &ndash\; Iraqis didn&rsquo\;t have that option before 2003. \; Complain about the war. \; You can. I just think that it is time for the dialogue to change. \; For us to remember that Iraq is a place and a people\, not just a policy. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion,iraq CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T174203 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T112930 DTSTART:20080310T184100 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/775 SUMMARY:SEJC competitors win big DESCRIPTION:Belmont journalism and public reltaions students and the Speech and Debate team have carried their weight in terms of awards. At the 2008 Southeast Journalism Conference in Oxford\, Miss.\, on Feb. 22-23\, Belmont ranked No. 2 overall in on-site compeition and the Speech and Debate team won the Tennessee State Debate Tournament with nearly double the amount of points of the second-place team.\n\nFour journalism student ranked first in their on-site competions. \; Vision Managing Editor/News and junior Melanie Bengtson won for First Amendment writing\, Managing Editor/Features and junior Adaeze Elechi for feature writing\, Graphics Editor Sarah Mitchell\, junior\, for page design (magazine) layout and Abby Selden\, sophomore\, for news writing. \;\n\nPublic relations majors Cheryl Bak and Ann Roberts ranked third in the public relations compeition\, Vision Online Editor Lance Conzett won second for entertainment writing\, and Chris Speed took home the third place certificate for photography.\n\nDebate students Sarah Friederich and Price Rainder won first place in the open division at the Tennessee State Debate Tournament. Also placing in the varsity debate were Meghan Gwaltney and Melanie Bengtson\, semifinalists\, Renee Reyle and George Shifflett\, quarterfinalists\, Sarah Friederich\, sixth place individual speaker\, George Shifflett\, third place individual speaker and Meghan Gwaltney\, second place individual speaker. \;\n\nWesley Rainer and Caroline Tenenbaum won first in the novice division. Also placing was David Grizzell\, fourth place individual speaker\,\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,sejc CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T174600 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113001 DTSTART:20080310T184300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/776 SUMMARY:Conference preps music industry hopefuls DESCRIPTION:The Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business has done it again\, and this year they are doing it bigger. Best Job Ever\, an entertainment and music business conference and brainchild of former members of the Student Leadership Council\, was revamped and restructured in order to encompass the true aspects of the ever-changing world of the entertainment and music business industries.\n\n&ldquo\;In 2005\, SLC had a similar idea but it never came to fruition\, so I started it over. \; I wanted to give students a different view of the entertainment industry\,&rdquo\; said Chris Donnell\, vice president of SLC and Best Job Ever co-chair.\n\nThe dynamics surrounding Best Job Ever help to make it a truly unique experience for not only music business and entertainment industry studies students\, but the Belmont community as a whole.\n\nThe conference is opened by a keynote speaker followed by panel discussions\, seminars and workshops. &ldquo\;We have six panels which all dissect the entertainment and music business industries with a focus on the future of each\,&rdquo\; Donnell said. Each panel has something different. For example\, That&rsquo\;s My Song\, one of the workshops\, has a publisher\, public rights organization and a songwriter. They all work with songs and will discuss the relationship they have with each other in regard to particular songs.\n\nBest Job Ever features two seminars\: networking and negotiation. &ldquo\;The seminars encompass television\, film\, music\, and\, for both music and non-music majors\, the emphasis on communication and interview skills are key\,&rdquo\; said Amy Kadish\, junior music business major and registration coordinator.\n\nThe workshop is called\, Mix it Up and Pepper Denny from Vintage King Audio will be on hand to discuss what he sees as the industry&rsquo\;s future in audio as well as giving tips on how to build a home recording studio. Ralph Murphy from the American Society of Composers\, Authors and Publishers will discuss songwriting techniques and industry how-tos that every aspiring songwriter needs to know. The interactive workshop\, Critique My Song\, allows students to submit songs for critiques and feedback from industry professionals.\n\nWhat will students take away from Best Job Ever? &ldquo\;Encouragement and inspiration because they are the future of the industry\, it is really good to be exposed to industry professionals\,&rdquo\; Donnell said.\n\nSLC will host Best Job Ever on March 1 and are expecting more than 300 students as well as faculty and industry professionals from across the nation. Registration for the conference is $25 per person online at bestjobever.net or $30 at the door. \;\n\nStudent moderators are still needed for the event\; if interested contact bestjobever2008@gmail.com.\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T174739 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113128 ORGANIZER;CN=Ameshia Cross, Senior Writer:MAILTO:crossa@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T184600 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/777 SUMMARY:Family comes in many ways DESCRIPTION:At 21\, Amber Rockwell is poised to find her family.\n\nThe Bruins guard was 3 months old when Larry and Diara Rockwel adopted her and then raised her in Tuscaloosa\, Ala. She is now old enough by Georgia adoption laws &ndash\; she was born Sept. 3\, 1986\, in Marietta\, Ga. &ndash\; to view whatever information her birth parents have made available to her on the adoption Web site.\n\nRockwell has not delved anymore into the history of her birth parents yet\, but intends. &ldquo\;Medical records are probably the most important thing I would want to know\,&rdquo\; she said\, noting that that information could be useful as it relates to her health as an adult. However\, that is not the only reason she will search them out\; curiosity and unanswered questions play a part as well.\n\n&ldquo\;Yeah\, I would want to know what they looked like to see which one I favored...&rdquo\;she said about her birth parents. &ldquo\;I would want to know if I had any siblings or a twin\; that would be cool. I would also want to know why they put me up for adoption.&rdquo\;\n\nWhile Rockwell is still in the dark about exactly who her birth mother is and why she gave her up for adoption\, she is grateful that she did.  \; \; \;\n\n&ldquo\;She could have easily aborted me and there would be no me.&rdquo\;\n\nAs a high school freshman\, Rockwell Googled her name.\n\n \;&ldquo\;I was just bored and wondered what would happen when I Googled my name to see how many other Amber Rockwell&rsquo\;s there are in the world.&rdquo\; Rockwell&rsquo\;s adopted mother put her information on an adoption Web site\, and they discovered some information about her birth mother &ndash\; she was a basketball player.\n\n&ldquo\;When I found out she played ball\, I kind of got a chill because when I was little\, I wanted to be a professional soccer player but the first time I played [basketball] in middle school\, I fell in love with it.&rdquo\; Rockwell\, who is at Belmont on a full basketball scholarship\, wondered\, &ldquo\;Who knows? Maybe it was something God wanted to pass down to me from her.&rdquo\;\n\nApart from the curiosity surrounding her birth\, her heart is completely with her adopted family. She expressed that she felt a deep gratefulness that she had a family. Her face took on a glowing\, loving expression when she described how they attended most of her home games and how they talked by phone every day\, both her parents and siblings. She has two sisters and a brother.\n\nThe adoption has had a very lasting\, positive impact on her life. The continuous love and support she received from them didn&rsquo\;t just guide her successes\; the bond she had with her family also gave her the tools to build her extended family away from college.\n\nRockwell is as a member of the Tau Nu Chapter of the sorority Delta Sigma Theta. She has formed lasting bonds.\n\n&ldquo\;We are taught that being a Delta is a sisterhood. All of the girls in the sorority are literally your sister until the day you die. I can talk to them about anything and be honest with them whether it&rsquo\;s about a positive or negative issue.&rdquo\;\n\nThe Bruins also led her to meet some of her very best friends\, whom she considers sisters as well. She met four basketball players when she joined what she understood to be the first all African-American recruiting class. While one transferred out last year\, the remaining three\, Jessica Bobbitt\, Kristin Bunch and LaWanna Holiday\, remain at Belmont. Bobbitt is Rockwell&rsquo\;s roommate\, and Bunch and Holiday are right next door. Bobbitt and Bunch are also fellow members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.\n\n&ldquo\;Each one of us is different\, but the same\,&rdquo\; Rockwell said. &ldquo\;Our personalities mesh\, I can&rsquo\;t remember a time where we have been mad with each other. We know that we are all sisters and that we can talk things out.&rdquo\;\n\nRockwell&rsquo\;s adoption brought positive opportunities into her life. Her major is exercise science\, and she wants to play women&rsquo\;s professional basketball overseas. When she exhausts her professional athletic career\, she wants to pursue either athletic training or physical therapy. While she is interested in learning about the history behind her adoption\, she considers Larry and Diara Rockwell her parents.\n\n \;&ldquo\;I live a good life now\,&rdquo\; she said. &ldquo\;I appreciate what my birth parents did\, but as far as me calling them mom and dad\, that would never happen because my mom and dad have been the perfect parents and brought me up well.\n\n&ldquo\;Nobody could compare to them or what they have done for me.&rdquo\; URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:sports CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T175059 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113216 ORGANIZER;CN=Jennifer Bauder, Staff Writer:MAILTO:bauderj@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080310T184800 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/778 SUMMARY:'Mean Bruiser' one big\, bad\, blue bear DESCRIPTION:There is a new bear face on campus and it&rsquo\;s ready for revenge. According to his Facebook profile\, his name is Ned\, and he has it in for Bruiser. Commonly known as Mean Bruiser\, his story goes back 12 years when Belmont University changed mascots. \; Bruiser and Ned made it to the final round where Bruiser won out and Mean Bruiser said he was &ldquo\;cast aside like fat from a steak.&rdquo\;\n\nHe then proceeded to wander the wilderness for 10 years while he fed his grudge against Bruiser. \; Now he&rsquo\;s back asking for Bruiser to surrender or face the wrath of Ned the Mean Bruiser.\n\nRecently\, Mean Bruiser has been making appearances all over campus\, mostly during Belmont home basketball games. His attempts to sabotage Bruiser&rsquo\;s awesome crowd motivational skills are relentless. Not only does he steal miscellaneous items from Bruiser\, but he has also confronted Bruiser face to face on the court during a time out. \;\n\nBut beware Bruiser fans. It seems that association with the cuddly mascot could get you into trouble. The rejected blue bear has attacked cheerleaders as well\: in January\, he picked one up and carried her off the court. Nobody knows when or where he&rsquo\;ll strike next\, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the blue fuzzball at the next home basketball game.\n\n&ndash\; Adapted from Facebook URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:sports,bruiser CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080310T175523 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113247 DTSTART:20080310T185300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/797 SUMMARY:Dance show explores body\, soul DESCRIPTION:Fierce musical theater tap dancing\, African movements to Middle Eastern music and professional ballet steps will all be gliding across the same floor on the same night.\n\nIn a few weeks\, the department of theatre and dance will present its fourth annual spring concert entitled &ldquo\;Mixed Bill 3\: Sole to Soul.&rdquo\;\n\n&ldquo\;We try to have something for everyone\,&rdquo\; head dance instructor Debbie Belue said.\n\nStudents can get free tickets to attend the performance at 7\:30 p.m. on March 14 and 15 or at 2\:30 p.m. on March 16. Thirty-four Belmont students will be performing the 12 pieces\, with the majority of them being dance minors or musical theater majors.\n\nThe theme of this year&rsquo\;s concert\, &ldquo\;Sole to Soul\,&rdquo\; is a play on words referencing the sole of a dancer&rsquo\;s foot and the spiritual soul.\n\n&ldquo\;From some deeper place comes the dancing\, and that comes out of your body and hopefully touches [the audience] in a meaningful way\,&rdquo\; said Carrie Gerow\, an adjunct dance instructor who choreographed two dances for the concert.\n\nTap\, modern\, jazz and ballet dance styles will all be represented.\n\n&ldquo\;There are a lot of variations in what you&rsquo\;re going to see so that you will hopefully see something that appeals to you\,&rdquo\; Belue said.\n\nEight guest professionals from the Nashville Ballet will perform a piece on the first two nights. Epiphany Dance Company will also be sharing the dance that was filmed as a part of Christmas at Belmont.\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s interesting to see those conversations happen on stage\,&rdquo\; Gerow said. &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s almost like different languages. How does modern and ballet style compare to tap\, compare to African dance? It&rsquo\;s fun to see them next to each other in one night.&rdquo\;\n\nIn past years\, the concert has taken place in Massey Performing Arts Center. This will be the dance department&rsquo\;s first performance in Troutt Theater.\n\n&ldquo\;Troutt is narrower and deeper\,&rdquo\; Gerow said. &ldquo\;I think it draws the audience in a little more.&rdquo\;\n\nChoreographing for the different space has been an adjustment\, but there are advantages to having the new theater.\n\n&ldquo\;Scheduling is so difficult in Massey\,&rdquo\; Belue said. &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s a nice situation now because we have time to rehearse in the theater. The dancers can be comfortable in there. They have a sense that it&rsquo\;s their space.&rdquo\;\n\nThe audience can expect a more advanced level of dancing and a broader range of styles.\n\n&ldquo\;Every year the dancers become stronger so we&rsquo\;re able to push them to a new level\,&rdquo\; Belue said. &ldquo\;I think it is something people who have been coming for the past four years have seen and look forward to.&rdquo\;\n\nThe dance program is in its fourth year as a minor\, and the directors are making progress so that it may eventually grow into a major.\n\n&ldquo\;We have more dance minors than ever before and more dancers participating in the concert than ever before\,&rdquo\; Gerow said. &ldquo\;The rising juniors and seniors are stronger\, and we are drawing stronger incoming freshmen dancers.&rdquo\;\n\nSophomore religion and the arts major Claire Warner will dance in three pieces for the concert. She hopes Belmont students who are typically more interested in music will come support the budding dance program.\n\n&ldquo\;Some people might have no clue about dancing\, but even if you&rsquo\;re a soccer player or math major you can somehow be connected to this art form or at least receive something from it\,&rdquo\; Warner said.\n\nThe dancers\, who auditioned last April to be a part of this concert\, have been practicing since September. Gerow expects the concert-watchers to be just as touched as the performers.\n\n&ldquo\;I think discovering dance as a powerful communicative art form is exciting\,&rdquo\; Gerow said. &ldquo\;Many people who don&rsquo\;t expect themselves to be affected by dance come away surprised. It is such a visceral\, physical art form.&rdquo\;\n\nGETTING THERE\nThe Department of Theatre and Dance will present &lsquo\;Mixed Bill 3\: Sole to Soul&rsquo\; March 14 and 15 at 7\:30 pm and March 16 at 2\:30 pm in the Troutt Theatre. The recital is free to the public and Culture &\; Arts convo will be available.\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:aande,dance CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080316T091903 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113342 ORGANIZER;CN=Chansin Bird, Senior Writer:MAILTO:birdc@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080316T101300 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/798 SUMMARY:Pearl Jam\, Metallica on tap for Bonnaroo DESCRIPTION:Since its inauguration in 2002\, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has slowly evolved from its jam band roots into a diverse monster of a music festival. Now\, in 2008\, the festival is at its most eclectic with artists ranging from gypsy punks Gogol Bordello to rappers Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco.\n\nThe initial line-up for the 2008 festival was announced on Feb. 5 by the festival organizers. Most prominently on the bill are headliners Pearl Jam and Metallica\, who had both long been rumored as performers for the festival. Metallica in particular was tied to an insider tip that surfaced in December which also named Led Zeppelin as a confirmed act on the bill.\n\nZeppelin\, who recently reunited in a one-off gig in London\, was suspiciously absent from the line-up\, although Led Zep singer Robert Plant is performing with Alison Krauss in support of their collaboration record\, &ldquo\;Raising Sand.&rdquo\; But the festival isn&rsquo\;t without a Led Zeppelin presence\: all-girl tribute band Lez Zeppelin is scheduled to play.\n\n&ldquo\;There will be Zeppelin at Bonnaroo and I think it will surprise people\,&rdquo\; said Lez Zeppelin guitar player Steph Paynes. &ldquo\;And there&rsquo\;s a twist. It&rsquo\;s all girls. It&rsquo\;s a female singer. We&rsquo\;re disciples in a way\, of the band\; I think we understand the certain elements that are important.&rdquo\;\n\nThe band\, which author Chuck Klosterman said could be &ldquo\;the most powerful all-female band in rock history\,&rdquo\; was booked some time after the Zeppelin rumors fired up\, but Paynes is not confident that the real deal will perform at the festival.\n\n&ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s not going to happen\,&rdquo\; said Paynes about the rumors. &ldquo\;Everyone concocts the impossible scenario\, it doesn&rsquo\;t matter what facts you feed somebody. It doesn&rsquo\;t matter what truth you print\, they still want to believe what they want to believe.&rdquo\;\n\nAs far as rumors go\, however\, the Led Zeppelin one still has legs. Only 80 artists were announced\, compared to 117 in 2007. Among all of the Bonnaroo stages in 2007\, a total of 137 artists\, bands and comedians performed\, leaving more than 50 artists to be announced. Little over a week after the initial announcement\, comedian Chris Rock was added to the main stage and more is expected to come in the future.\n\nThough they aren&rsquo\;t legendary British rock bands\, artists also performing include Jack Johnson\, My Morning Jacket\, Death Cab for Cutie\, Ben Folds\, Sigur Ró\;s\, Talib Kweli\, Rilo Kiley\, Aimee Mann\, The Avett Brothers\, José\; Gonzá\;lez\, Battles\, !!! and Vampire Weekend. Willie Nelson has also been confirmed after being forced to cancel his 2004 Bonnaroo appearance due to carpal tunnel syndrome.\n\nTickets for the festival are only available through www.bonnaroo.com. The first set of tickets went on sale Feb. 16 at the starting price of $209.50 each plus service and shipping charges. As each pricing tier runs out\, prices will increase &ldquo\;without notice&rdquo\; to $229.50\, then to $244.50. An optional DVD containing highlights of the 2008 festival is also available for a limited time at $9.95.\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:aande,bonnaroo,music CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080316T093418 LAST-MODIFIED:20080403T113551 ORGANIZER;CN=Lance Conzett, Online Editor:MAILTO:conzettl@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080316T103200 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/815 SUMMARY:Religion\: What would Jesus do? DESCRIPTION:In our generation\, we like to think we&rsquo\;re rebellious\, so we&rsquo\;ve thrown norms and things we&rsquo\;ve been told are proper out the window. We want to turn the world on its head. We&rsquo\;ve got tattoos and piercings\; we wear mohawks\; we dye our hair in all the colors of the rainbow\; we cuss\, we chew\, we date people who do. But we&rsquo\;ve gone and thrown away so much and in such large quantities that what was once edgy and rebellious has become trite and a little too easy to get\, and those who hold onto the discarded goods have become the rebels. They&rsquo\;re the ones swimming against the tide. In my opinion\, one of the largest items in our generation&rsquo\;s junkyard is God.\n\nI met a guy not too long ago who I became friendly with very quickly. He had a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor. Like me\, he was into quality techno and foreign films. Over the course of a few days we talked about music\, art\, Europe and ambition. We talked and talked like we had known each other forever.\n\nAnd then I made a mistake. One day he told me an amazing story and I said\, ì\;Oh\, man\, Jesus is amazing.î\; Then there was a silence I could have sliced with a knife. He shuffled in his seat\, his eyes dodged my face and darted around like he couldn&rsquo\;t look at me anymore. Then he asked as though he were inquiring about a flesh-eating disease I had contracted\, ì\;Are you religious?î\; From the look on his face\, I wanted so desperately to say\, ì\;No.î\; I wanted him to think I was cool\, to think I was worthy of being his friend.\n\n&ldquo\;No\,&rdquo\; I said. &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;m not religious. I&rsquo\;m a Christian. I believe in Jesus. Is that what you mean?&rdquo\;\n\nThat was what he meant. A canyon grew between us\, and he hasn&rsquo\;t spoken to me in weeks. This is everything that I fear as a Christian\: rejection because I believe in Jesus. Rejection because I believe there is a heaven\, a hell\; that there is a Satan\, but there is also one Savior.\n\nBut I totally understand where he was\: I was there for 18 years. I\, too\, am just as afraid of and repulsed by religion as he was and I believe our generation is sick of it. We&rsquo\;re tired of the childish bickering over the petty differences between the denominations of churches. We&rsquo\;re sick of church-goers being more concerned that the guy over there has a blue mohawk and is covered in tattoos than the fact that his soul is in anguish. We&rsquo\;re tired of condescending tolerance in church\; we want real-life love that would even show compassion for the person who just hurt them. In general\, I&rsquo\;m sick of church. I WANT RELATIONSHIP. I want a relationship with Jesus and I want a relationship with people.\n\nThe church is its own worst enemy. I understand why people would want to have nothing to do with it or with the God that&rsquo\;s associated with it. I&rsquo\;ve gone to church since I was a child and one of the most genuine prayers that came out of my heart every Sunday was for the service to end. Quickly. It was tedious\; the pastor preached at me and looked right through me and after letting the congregation believe he was superhuman and they were less than human\, we found out that he was flesh and blood after all when his &ldquo\;perfect&rdquo\; marriage dissolved.\n\n \;I only decided to do this Christianity thing when I was 18\, on the condition that I would not become religious\, that I would not become one of those people who sat on their high horses judging others and shoving the Bible down people&rsquo\;s throats. All I wanted to do was love people\, so I chose to follow a God who is love and who sacrificed himself because of his love of people. That&rsquo\;s the kind of love I want to learn.\n\nSince then\, I&rsquo\;ve struggled with the world\, trying to hide my identity and trying to resist the voice that tells me to quit every day. I&rsquo\;ve struggled with myself (who is more of the world than of God). I&rsquo\;ve strained my ears in search of the still small voice of guidance\, comfort. It&rsquo\;s difficult living in a world with a generation that has been scarred by religion\, that is in search of relationships. I sound like a deranged liar when I tell them what they&rsquo\;re looking for is back in the place they ran from. No\, not in the church that men have built\, but in the one that is Jesus.\n\nBeing a rebel is not supposed to be easy. I knew that claiming Jesus would give the world cause to make me a laughingstock and label me a lunatic. Being a rebel is not as simple as donning a tattoo when everyone is doing it\; it&rsquo\;s a constant battle with authorities. But rebels keep at it even when it feels like they can&rsquo\;t do it anymore because they know that the cause is greater than the workers.\n\n \; \;  \;Adaeze Elechi is a junior journalism major. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080330T124426 LAST-MODIFIED:20080401T145313 ORGANIZER;CN=Adaeze Elechi, Managing Editor:MAILTO:adaezeelechi@yahoo.com DTSTART:20080330T133600 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/816 SUMMARY:Foundation for journalism must be ethics DESCRIPTION:When Eric Volz walked into the media ethics classroom\, he seemed like any other guy. Jeans\, a long-sleeved sage shirt and gold chain around his neck. Okay\, maybe there were more people fussing over him than your average person\, but on the outside he looked like your regular Joe.\n\nBut Volz has had more than his fair share of media coverage in the past year and a half\, especially that of one-sided\, biased reporting. He was arrested in Nicaragua for the murder of ex-girlfriend Doris Jimenez and sentenced to 30 years in jail in 2007\, despite 10 witnesses that placed him more than two hours from the crime. \;\n\nSince then\, a Nicaraguan appeals court overturned the decision and he was free to leave the prison where he&rsquo\;d spent more than a year\, but not before most of the Nicaraguan media labeled him as the gringo murderer\, refusing to show the possibility he could be innocent.\n\nIn an interview with Vision staffers\, Volz said\, &ldquo\;I had no idea how far they&rsquo\;d be willing to go\,î\; responding to what he believed to be unfair media coverage of his trial. Sounds like he&rsquo\;s talking about tabloids and paparazzi\, not professional media that&rsquo\;s supposed to be fair and unbiased\, reporting only the facts and not the writers&rsquo\; opinions.\n\nDuring the interview\, I couldn&rsquo\;t stop thinking about how horrible it was that media would disregard ethics so they could make a story sound the way they wanted it to. And few media outlets\, Nicaraguan or American\, even interviewed his family to get the other side of the story. \;\n\nI&rsquo\;m not writing this to argue why Volz is or is not innocent\; rather\, I&rsquo\;m responding to the lack of media ethics that surrounded the case. There is no contract to sign when you become a journalist stating you agree to abide by the Society of Professional Journalists&rsquo\; Code of Ethics\, which state a journalist should seek the truth and report it\, minimize harm (treat people with respect\, in other words)\, act independently and be accountable. It&rsquo\;s on an individual basis to uphold those values\, and for the most part\, there are no consequences if you screw up (although the editor of Vanderbilt&rsquo\;s student newspaper\, The Hustler\, was recently fired for fabricating poll results).\n\nFor the most part\, the media that covered Volz&rsquo\;s case did not maintain these ideals. \; According to them\, the truth was that Volz was the murderer\; there were no ifs\, ands or buts. But what about the other side of the story? \; Volz&rsquo\;s family\, friends and coworkers who may have been able to shed light on Volz&rsquo\;s real personality? \; I guess reporters just didn&rsquo\;t feel like doing any more work.\n\nWhen media no longer care to tell a balanced story\, when they&rsquo\;re too lazy to talk to people who have a different way of seeing a story\, there&rsquo\;s something very wrong. Journalism is about presenting facts and letting people make up their own minds\, not declaring which set of facts will present the truth.\n\nI&rsquo\;m worried about where the media is headed when it comes to ethics. \; It&rsquo\;s no wonder the majority of people don&rsquo\;t trust the media based on their recent actions in letting the standards of journalism slip. Overall\, I think the values listed in the Code of Ethics are being put on hold while other principles\, like profit\, take the front seat\, which is very disappointing to me.\n\nAs Volz said\, &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s a matter of the heart&rdquo\; when it comes to being ethical in today&rsquo\;s society. I just hope there are more people out there who have the heart to make the right decisions and start getting journalism back on the right track.\n\nCourtney Drake is a junior journalism major. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080330T144528 LAST-MODIFIED:20080330T144528 ORGANIZER;CN=Courtney Drake, Editor:MAILTO:drakec@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080330T154200 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/817 SUMMARY:Running\: a beginner's thoughts DESCRIPTION:Ten months\, three days and four hours* ago\, at the completion of a dear friend&rsquo\;s first marathon experience (and I quote)\: &lsquo\;I will never have it in me to run like that.&rsquo\;\n\n \;Four weeks\, one day\, and 13 hours* ago\, far earlier than I should have been awake (to myself)\: &lsquo\;Today you begin training for (dun dun dun) the half-marathon.&rsquo\;\n\nWhat\, you may ask\, inspired such a drastic change in my mindset on the subject? How\, I ask myself often\, did I manage to trade in a cavalier &lsquo\;marathons-are-for-maniacs&rsquo\; attitude for an optimistic &lsquo\;I think I can\; I think I can&rsquo\; outlook?\n\nThe answer is three-fold\:\n\nI found out the company I intern with &lsquo\;strongly encourages&rsquo\; its employees to participate in the Country Music Half Marathon. Translation\: they would like me more if I did it.\n\nOn top of liking me more\, they said they would pay my entry fee and there would be &lsquo\;additional incentives.&rsquo\; Translation\: this would be the only time in my life that anyone will pay me to run.\n\nI suddenly found myself in dire need of a catalyst for exercise. Translation\: I want to be in the best shape possible for a certain wedding in August.\n\nSo\, I did it. I signed up for the race. I even weaseled two roommates into joining me in my quest to the finish line. We taped a &lsquo\;training schedule&rsquo\; to the wall by the door\, to simultaneously encourage us with how far we&rsquo\;ve come and make us feel terribly guilty if we skipped out on a scheduled run. Since our inaugural scoot down Belmont Blvd.\, I must say we&rsquo\;ve come a long way. We can run longer and harder with fewer breaks and far less cursing under what little breath we have. I&rsquo\;ve gone from an ex-high school athlete who vaguely remembers running after a soccer ball for fun to one of those maniacs who runs\, well\, just for the heck of it. Along the way\, my running amigas and I have picked up a few handy lessons off the well-pounded pavement of Nashville. Share them? Well\, okay. If you insist.\n\nAnyone can run. Really it&rsquo\;s true. I didn&rsquo\;t believe it either until I witnessed it firsthand. It&rsquo\;s not only the super fit\, iron-abs out there that take to the streets. One older man on West End does a very entertaining combination run/dance. Moms run\, dragging babies along in super aerodynamic strollers. Mullets run or rather bounce as the body they are unfortunately attached to runs beneath them. Instead of having to fight our way into an exclusive running club\, my roomies and I discovered that the running community welcomes any and all types. Beinvenidos!\n\nWardrobe choices are endless and inspiring. At first I was a bit intimidated by the amount of super expensive\, high-end running gear I saw on the streets. It&rsquo\;s true\, there are runners out there in full body spandex suits and belts with endless running supplies\, but I quickly became more interested in alternative wardrobe choices. Sweatbands\, it seems\, can be used for actual sweat and not just as an Indie accessory. Middle-aged men wear tights\, and that&rsquo\;s okay. Although jean shorts don&rsquo\;t strike my fancy as the most comfortable choice\, they apparently are a favorite of one avid runner. Cold mornings inspire a personal preference for layers that unfortunately must end up tied around my waist in true 90s middle-school fashion. All in all\, the message here is the same. Wear what you want. Be who you want. When you run\, you earn the respect to be yourself wardrobe-wise\; maybe that camo tank top is what gets you over the 5-mile bump.\n\nBig hills\, big aches\, big smiles\, big muscles. As painful as it is to remember\, we&rsquo\;ve tackled a few monstrous hills. I wish there were words to adequately describe the feeling in my calves half way up the biggest hill I&rsquo\;ve ever seen. The only words I can think of are either too vivid or too graphic to share here\, so let&rsquo\;s just say it burns! Interestingly enough\, the few big hill runs have been my favorite looking back. Accomplishment seeps from every pore as you realize- &lsquo\;I really did that.&rsquo\; Maybe we can stretch this metaphor to apply to other times equally strenuous physically\, emotionally\, mentally or spiritually. Building muscles in all these areas is hard work\, but big hills make for biggie-sized feelings of accomplishment in the end that are &ndash\; dare I say &ndash\; worth it.\n\nThree really is company. There is something to this\, something bigger than Suzanne Somers and John Ritter could have imagined. While running solo has its advantages &ndash\; peace and quiet\, time alone\, etc &ndash\; it also carries with it the intense temptation to stop whenever you feel like it\, often far short of your decided goal. Running in pairs is nice\, I&rsquo\;m sure. But I can&rsquo\;t help but feel forced into coupledom by the side-by-side situation. There is also an awkward bumping routine that happens a lot with two people as they squeeze on a sidewalk\, as if two bodies cannot propel themselves forward without also being drawn magnetically to each other in an attempt to throw off any rhythm each body has managed to get into. No\, two won&rsquo\;t do. Three\, it seems\, is the perfect number of running buddies. A trio can take turns leading\, make cool shapes like triangles and other three-sided shapes\, and chances are someone always has enough energy to huff out a word of encouragement. A group of three runners also makes you look more official. Like you are the beginnings of a team &ndash\; people know not to mess with a trio.\n\nYou don&rsquo\;t have to jog in place at stoplights unless you enjoy looking silly. This one is simple. It&rsquo\;s not required. You may even dance at stoplights instead. I recommend it. Drivers need entertainment in traffic.\n\nNeedless to say\, I&rsquo\;m learning a lot. About running\, about dedication\, about my roommates\, about Nashville. I only hope I can keep up the momentum as we sprint towards race day\:\n\nFive weeks\, two days\, and six hours from now*\, with muscles aching I am not now aware exist\, perhaps in words unintelligible to those around me\: &lsquo\;I did it! Never again!&rsquo\;\n\n*all times estimates\, based in a round-about way on the time you may be reading this\, approximately\n\n \; \; \; Abby Hollingsworth is a junior English writing major. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:opinion CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080330T145301 LAST-MODIFIED:20080330T185109 ORGANIZER;CN=Abby Hollingsworth, staff writer:MAILTO:abby.hollingsworth@gmail.com DTSTART:20080330T154500 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/833 SUMMARY:Eric Volz challenges news media to be fair\, ethical DESCRIPTION:Nashvillian Eric Volz\, freed by a Nicaraguan appellate court a year after he was convicted for the murder of his former girlfriend\, now reflects on the media coverage of his case.\n &ldquo\;I had no idea how far they would be willing to go\,&rdquo\; Volz said in an interview with Vision staffers after he spoke to a Belmont media ethics class. The Nicaraguan media\, he said\, launched a campaign against him\, calling him a &ldquo\;gringo murderer&rdquo\; even after the court overturned his 30-year sentence.\n\n According to a video on his MySpace page\, www.myspace.com/freeericvolz\, Nicaraguan media reported with a &ldquo\;fierce anti-American sentiment\,&rdquo\; using headlines such as &ldquo\;North American detained for horrendous murder&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;What crown does Volz have?&rdquo\; to rally support against him. \;\n He even noticed a problem with the American media\, saying they wanted to get the story quickly and easily\, which ended in a &ldquo\;shallow&rdquo\; report. &ldquo\;We don&rsquo\;t get objective and fair information as a result\,&rdquo\; he said.\n\n Volz went on to explain how his experience with media has made him wary of what he sees now.\n &ldquo\;When I see stories\, it&rsquo\;s a lot harder for me to trust what I see\,&rdquo\; he said\, coomenting that he couldn&rsquo\;t believe the recent story regarding New York&rsquo\;s former governor\, Eliot Spitzer and the prostitution scandal that forced him to resign. \;\n\n &ldquo\;I think that media is run by corporate interest\,&rdquo\; Volz said\, which makes coverage too controlled and even biased. And\, he believes\, it&rsquo\;s up to the individual journalist to stop it.\n\n &ldquo\;Media leaders need to be ethically motivated &hellip\; it&rsquo\;s a matter of the heart\,&rdquo\; he concluded.\n\n But media consumers can help combat this corruption of media\, too. Volz advised the audience to establish a trusted news source\, check facts\, cross-reference and write letters to editors.\n\n &ldquo\;People listen to that\, editors listen to that\, because you&rsquo\;re their public\,&rdquo\; he said. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,eric-volz CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080401T103857 LAST-MODIFIED:20080415T094855 ORGANIZER;CN=Courtney Drake, Editor:MAILTO:drakec@pop.belmont.edu DTSTART:20080401T113100 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/834 SUMMARY:Klay Kelley next SGA president DESCRIPTION:After days of campaigning\, junior Klay Kelley emerged as Belmont University&rsquo\;s 2008-2009 student body president.\n\n"\;I appreciate the support of the student body during this year's election\,&rdquo\; Kelley said. &ldquo\;I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead\, and I am committed to bettering this community to the best of my abilities.&rdquo\;\n\nKelley\, who has been in the Student Government Association since his freshman year\, has already laid out plans for the coming academic year\, intending to keep the students&rsquo\; best interest in the forefront. \; \;\n\n&ldquo\;As president\, I intend to increase communication between university leadership and the student body. It is my goal to make sure that the students' voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.&rdquo\;\n\nRising junior Wesley Rainer will be SGA&rsquo\;s vice-president. This year&rsquo\;s election was the first in which presidential and vice-presidential candidates ran together on one ticket.\n\nSGA Congress elections also took place. The following students were elected to serve next year\: Megan Adams\, Brittany Bartley\, Kara Bellenfant\, Catherine Canlas\, Spencer Carter\, John-Michael Criswell\, Eric S. Deems\, Tracy Goldenberg\, David Grizzell\, Ameshia Cross\, Travis Harvey\, Christina Inman\, Amy Kadish\, Daniel R. King Jr.\, Sarah Mitchell\, Zachary Moore\, Annie Musacchio\, Allison Pellicciotti\, James Ridley\, Katherine Rote\, Hayley Rose\, Tyler Schlandt\, George Scoville\, Margaret Shehan\, George Shifflett\, Spence Tomlinson\, January Utermahlen\, Melissa Wheatley\, Allie White\, Robert Woolsey and Adam Zinke. URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:news,sga CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080401T145235 LAST-MODIFIED:20080401T213523 ORGANIZER;CN=Adaeze Elechi, Managing Editor/Features:MAILTO:adaezeelechi@yahoo.com DTSTART:20080401T154700 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/836 SUMMARY:Neighbors still oppose Rose Park complex DESCRIPTION:The Organized Neighbors of Edgehill are challenging the Nashville Metro Council&rsquo\;s decision to allow Belmont to renovate Rose Park.\n\nA hearing on March 28 aimed to dismiss ONE&rsquo\;s attempt to appeal the Metro Council&rsquo\;s decision to approve the lease between Belmont and the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation before it goes to trial\, said Jason Rogers\, vice president for administration and university counsel.\n\nAlthough Rogers doesn&rsquo\;t know when he will know the results of the hearing\, he thinks it went well. &ldquo\;We are expecting a favorable ruling.&rdquo\;\n\n&ldquo\;We have joined in supporting Metro\,&rdquo\; Rogers said. Belmont was present at the hearing to support Metro&rsquo\;s decision.\n\nEdgehill\, a neighborhood that has faced all sorts of outside development\, has been fighting against expansion of areas like Music Row and the Gulch and institutions including Vanderbilt University and now Belmont since the 1960s.\n\nThe problems with ONE began when Belmont proposed to renovate Rose Park\, which is wedged between Carter Lawrence Elementary School and Rose Park Middle School\, in January of 2006. \; Many residents feared that Belmont would take over the park. \;\n\nMembers of ONE voiced concerns throughout the following year concerning student safety and neighborhood use of the park\, but the Metro Board of Parks approved Belmont&rsquo\;s plan to upgrade the park and use it jointly with the neighborhood.\n\nBelmont&rsquo\;s proposed renovations include baseball\, softball\, soccer and track fields (which meet NCAA Division I standards)\, additional parking\, locker rooms\, rest rooms and concessions\, all of which will cost about $7 million.\n\nMetro approved Belmont&rsquo\;s plans in August of 2007.\nWhile Belmont&rsquo\;s proposed development is said to be just as much for the neighborhood as it is the university\, many neighbors are doubtful and are trying to overturn Metro Council&rsquo\;s decision to approve Belmont&rsquo\;s lease.\n\nConstruction is set to begin this summer. &ldquo\;The timing of the ruling and whether there is an appeal will affect the decision about when construction starts\,&rdquo\; Rogers said.\nBut Rogers is confident the case will be dismissed. \; &ldquo\;The legal standard for overturning a decision is very difficult\,&rdquo\; he said\, &ldquo\;For that reason we are very confident that the decision will be upheld by the court.&rdquo\; \; \; \;\n\n URL;VALUE=URI: CATEGORIES:rose-park,edgehill,news CLASS:PUBLIC SEQUENCE:1 DTSTAMP:20080708T215531 CREATED:20080401T151655 LAST-MODIFIED:20080401T213355 ORGANIZER;CN=Liz Hunton, Senior Writer:MAILTO:lizhunton@gmail.com DTSTART:20080401T161100 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT UID:http://www.sitemason.com/element/awzty8b/id/837 SUMMARY:A life-changing experience Eric Volz embraces freedom after harrowing imprisonment DESCRIPTION:The relationship between the United States and Nicaragua has been tumultuous\, often more strained than strong. Anti-American sentiment is prominent on the streets of Nicaragua\, a country in\nLatin America with a landmass slightly smaller than New York state. \;\n\nWhen Eric Volz found himself locked in a Nicaraguan prison and accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend\, being an American added challenges to his trial. The Nicaraguan press played upon the anti-American feelings of the public\, and they responded with riots and death threats\, among other things. \; \;\n\nVolz doubts that his initial conviction was based on his nationality.\n\n&ldquo\;I was set up\,&rdquo\; he said. &ldquo\;It didn&rsquo\;t have anything to do with the fact that I was an American citizen as much as it was an effort to protect the identity of the main perpetrator of Doris&rsquo\; murder.&rdquo\;\n\nStill\, American officials in Nicaragua had to balance helping Volz with the difficult relationship the U.S. already has with the country. Officials at the embassy &ldquo\;had to be very careful\,&rdquo\; Volz said. \;\n\nThe United States has a long history of intervention in Nicaragua. In 1856 an American named William Walker took over Nicaragua. Though his presidency did not last long\, American forces returned to Nicaragua in 1909 to support a resistance movement against the current president. American troops s