April 16, 2016
The 27th Annual President’s Dinner & concert
A Scholarship benefit honoring 2016 Applause Award Recipient, Cynthia R. Curtis, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Past Events
AUGUST 28, 2015
Belmont 125 chapel: Belief in something greater
Acclaimed author and speaker Shane Claiborne launched the year’s Chapel services with a talk focused on “Belief in Something Greater,” the overarching theme of the University’s anniversary celebration. Claiborne spent time in Calcutta serving with Mother Teresa and in Chicago serving at a mega-church before founding a Christian community with the poor of Philadelphia.
august 29, 2015
Battle of the Bands – 125th Anniversary edition
This family friendly festival featured music from Belmont student bands as well as special performances from alumni bands COIN, Steve Moakler and The Kopecky Band. Check out photos from the event here.
September 27, 2015
125th anniversary carillon concert
As Belmont University celebrates 125 years, Belmont Camerata celebrates 25 years of performing chamber music for our students, friends and community.
October 1, 2015
Official Belmont History Book Launch Event
Author Joy Jordan-Lake, who chronicled Belmont’s rich history in honor of the University’s 125th Anniversary, recounted the writing of the book and shared some of her favorite stories. Photos of the event can be seen here.
October 4, 2015
125th Anniversary Shoe Drive
Students brought their shoes and held them high while forming ‘125’ on the lawn. After the picture, students donated shoes to Soles for Souls. Shoes helped provide a steady supply of high-quality, low-cost product; a powerful and sustainable way for people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty across the globe.
In conjunction with ISGE’s International Day of the Girl events.
October 21, 2015
Story Corps – Belmont Students Then and Now
Eve Claxton from StoryCorps – the country’s largest oral history project – came to campus to share about the mission of StoryCorps and the importance of capturing stories and narratives for future generations to hear. Ms. Claxton debuted the first two stories in a series celebrating Belmont’s 125th Anniversary. Mary Niederhauser and Laddie Neil, graduate of Ward-Belmont College for Young Women, shared their story of life as Belmont students in the 1940’s, and current students Mikaela Clark and Zach Middleton shared about life as a student today. Listen to the stories here.
October 26-30, 2015
Welcome Home Diversity Week
Belmont’s Welcome Home team hosted several events that reflected on the University’s past and emphasized our goals to create and sustain a culture of racial and ethnic diversity, producing a welcoming environment for all on campus.
- So What IS Belmont Doing About Diversity?
Vice President and Chief of Staff, Dr. Susan West, oversees Belmont’s Welcome Home Initiative which supports the university’s goal of becoming more diverse and broadly reflective of our local and global communities. Dr. West highlighted the work of the Welcome Home Team and the ongoing campus diversity initiatives. Dr. West also debuted a diversity focused Story Corps interview that was produced in honor of Belmont’s 125th Celebration. - Let’s Talk About Diversity: “Hue” is My Neighbor?
It isn’t always easy, knowing what to say (or not to say) about race and ethnicity whether inside the classroom or outside it. Do we even need to talk about “diversity” at all? Pertinent short films and group discussion explored these questions, offered food for thought, and invited a collegial dialogue. This event was moderated by Welcome Home Team Members Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr, CEMB, and Dr. Phil Johnston, Dean, College of Pharmacy. - A Discussion with Belmont’s First African-American Graduate
Members of Belmont’s Welcome Home Team hosted a personal discussion with Dr. Fannie Hewlett, the first African-American student to graduate from Belmont College. Dr. Hewlett shared her unique story of what brought her to Belmont and how her experience has guided her highly successful, life-long career in higher education. Watch Ms. Hewlett’s presentation here. - Celebrate Diversity
Belmont students, the 629 Dance Team and newly recognized student organization Bruin Poetry Den helped students, faculty and staff celebrate diversity through spoken word, live music and dance! - Collaborative Art Project Recognizing Both Belmont’s Diversity and 125th Celebration
James R. Threalkill, local artist and National Diversity Director at Skanska USA, presented an artist’s perspective on his work in diversity initiatives and then lead a collaborative exercise with Belmont University faculty, staff and students to create a mosaic art piece that pays tribute to Belmont’s 125th celebration. The tiles that created the art piece were available at the entire week’s events for all to decorate.
November 9-13, 2015
125 Hours of Service
A hallmark of a Belmont education is the commitment to serve, so in celebration of our anniversary, Belmont students, faculty and staff joined together in an epic undertaking and served our hometown of Nashville for 125 consecutive hours. You can watch a video recap of the week here.
December 1, 2015
Blizzard on the boulevard & Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Faculty, staff, student and alumni came together for festive holiday activities by the tree with our favorite winter princesses, special guests from the North Pole, snow and the lighting of the Christmas tree. Participants were invited to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters in a University-wide competition and to bring 125 pennies (or $1.25) and join Ms. Cheap’s Penny Drive to fight hunger across our state. With Christmas treats and other activities, the 125th Christmas on Belmont’s campus was celebrated in holiday style!
DECEMBER 21 & 24, 2015
CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT
The annual “Christmas at Belmont” performance took on extra significance during our 125th Anniversary year. The program aired on PBS affiliates nationwide.
January 22, 2016
“In the Beginning: A Discussion on the Early Years of Belmont Women’s Basketball”
Betty Wiseman, founder of the Belmont women’s basketball program, and members of the first women’s basketball team talked about the early years of the program, including the impact of the racial climate of the 1960s on their experience as student-athletes at Belmont.
JANUARY 25, 2016
125 Day
Belmont students, faculty and staff celebrated Belmont’s 125th Anniversary with birthday cake, a special art presentation by James Thrailkill, and a carillon sing-along of “Happy Birthday.”
February 18-20, 2016
BU125 Homecoming
In honor of the 125th Anniversary, this year’s Homecoming will celebrate Belmont’s lengthy and proud heritage while looking forward to the University’s future. Click here for the full schedule of events.
March 3-11, 2016
BRUINS4BRUINS
The second annual Bruins4Bruins social media event encouraged Bruins past and present to honor their alma mater by donating during this special 125th anniversary fundraising event.