Calendar

Shane Claiborne is the founder of The Simple Way. His new book, Jesus For President, was lauded by Publisher’s Weekly in a starred review as a “must-read election-year book for Christian Americans. What should Christians do when allegiances to the state clash with personal faith?” Claiborne will demonstrate how identification with those on the margins of society can challenge us to live in both personal and political solidarity with the poor.

Nationally known performance artist Sheryl Oring will be on the Belmont campus October 1-31 with her characteristic typewriter and camera. Oring performs via an interactive project with her audience – any Belmont student or personnel who may pass by. She sets up her table and typewriter and types postcards dictated by participants on what they wish to say to the future President. A photographer is there to document this “performance”. Her “performances” have become both books and exhibits.

Complete Schedule:
October 1, 10 a.m. - Artist's Lecture - Massey Concert Hall
October 1, Noon-2:30 p.m. - Performance - Gazebo
October 1, 4:30 p.m. - Gallery Talk - Leu Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) 122

Belmont’s 90-piece Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Robert Gregg, presents an evening of American orchestral classics including “A Lincoln Portrait”.

Dr. Vaughn May, Belmont political science department chair, and members of the department will explore issues of faith, politics and their role in a Christian university.

The Belmont Theatre Company will present the play Biloxi Blues in multiple showings from October 23 through November 2. The 1985 Tony Award winner for Best Play tells the story of a young army recruit during the Second World War who is learning about life as he goes through boot camp in Biloxi, Miss., in 1943.

Belmont’s “big band”, under the direction of Dr. Jeff Kirk, presents a concert of classic American jazz.

James Loewen wrote the best-selling Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong, in part a critique of existing textbooks, but also an account of American history as it should be taught. His most recent book is Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism. His other books include Lies Across America: What Our Historic Markers and Monuments Get Wrong; The Truth About Columbus; and Mississippi: Conflict and Change, which won the Lillian Smith Award for Best Southern Nonfiction.

*This event is for first-year seminar students only.

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner is the former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, the organization of African-American members of Congress, and is president of the Skinner Leadership Institute. She has spent her career helping to develop a new generation of spiritually grounded leaders. She has also served on the boards of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, the National Political Congress of Black Women, the Christian Community Development Association and Evangelicals for Social Action.

Architecture for Humanity (AfH) is building a more sustainable future by bringing professional design services to communities in need. AfH goes where resources and expertise are scarce and innovative, sustainable and collaborative design can improve lives. AfH provides a range of professional services to community groups, NGO's and others seeking architecture and design solutions. AfH provides support to designers seeking to provide pro bono services to community groups through their design fellowship program and fiscal sponsorship.

Cynthia Cooper, WorldCom whistleblower, Time magazine 2002 Person of the Year, and author of Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower will provide an insider's look at the rise and fall of WorldCom and share the lessons she learned through that experience.

Belmont's resident chamber ensemble features some of Nashville's finest performers, including artistic director Elisabeth Small and other School of Music faculty members and guest artists. They present "The American Identity" that celebrates the creative spirit of great Americans: Benjamin Franklin, William Grant Still, Randall Thompson, Charles Ives, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin and Amy Beach.

Dr. Kelly Tiller, Director of External Relations, Office of Bioenergy Programs at the University of Tennessee, will talk about the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative.

In 2006, the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center began a series of forums examining the future of American health care policy. In this event, the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center will present their policy recommendations to a panel of experts from the Tennessee State Health Planning Office, University of Memphis, Belmont University, Meharry Medical College, UT Health Science Center and Vanderbilt University. An audience question-and-answer session is encouraged after the presentation.

Bud Johnson, an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser, is coasting through a life that has passed him by. The one bright spot is his precocious, overachieving, 12-year-old daughter Molly. She takes care of both of them, until one mischievous moment on Election Day, when she accidentally sets off a chain of events that culminates in the election coming down to one vote...her dad's.

Ever wonder if the rules we use to elect our candidates matter? Come watch Man of the Year and find out! Dr. Nathan Griffith of the Department of Political Science will discuss the importance of counting.

Southbound, Belmont University's country music ensemble under the direction of Henry Smiley, will be performing during the afternoon and evening. Southbound exemplifies Belmont's talented student body and the unique sound of Music City.

Pianist McCoy Tyner combines a blues-based piano style with percussion and intricate chords that have transcended jazz conventions. This concert will be performed without the orchestra.

Tickets: $50-$100.

www.nashvillesymphony.org

Bluegrass music's annual three-day "homecoming" festival will include over 60 headline performances from Vince Gill, Kathy Mattea, Doyle Lawson, The Grascals and many others. Also enjoy music workshops, an exhibition center, the Grand Master Fiddler Championship and impromptu jam sessions that spring up everywhere.

Times:
Friday, Oct., 3, 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. - Noon

Admission:
Free to journalists with valid press credentials

Click here for more information.

As an outgrowth of the Presidential Debates, Snow Gallery will be showing new works by Los Angeles-based artist Tucker Neel juxtaposed with period engravings by the 18th century artists and cartoonist William Hogarth and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Neel reflects on the current political landscape with new work questioning notions of choice, nationalist symbolism, allegiance, ideology and specifically, the iconography associated with political debate and electioneering. Through his multiple drawings, prints and installations, Neel has created an intentionally tenuous thread between Hogarth's political caricatures and Piranesi's imagined monumet tableaux.

Opening Reception 6-8 p.m; also open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Admission: Free

www.snowgallery.net

Rodin: A Magnificent Obsession, Sculpture from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, features more than 60 bronze sculptures spanning the artist's career, including such works as The Thinker(1880) and The Kiss(ca. 1881-82). The exhibition celebrates the artist's revolutionary contributions to modern sculpture. The works were chosen to convey major projects and themes from throughout Rodin's career, from his earliest bust of his father, Jean-Baptiste Rodin, to his later studies of dancing figures. In addition to such highlights as cast versions of The Gates of Hell and The Burghers of Calais, the exhibition includes works on paper, photographs, portaits of the artist and an educational model that demonstrates the complexities of the lost-wax casting process, Rodin's favored method of sculptural reproduction.

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Admission: Free

Hours: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Guided Tour of Exhibit: 1:30 p.m.

Admission: Free

Jazz vocalist Bruce Bennett, and jazz pianist, Anthony Belfiglio, both professional jazz musicians and Belmont faculty members, will be performing at The Frist Center, Nashville's quintessential art musuem located in the former downtown post office. Bruce Bennett and Anthony Belfiglio exemplify the many musically talented Belmont faculty members and will present a sophisticated lively jazz performance.

Admission: Free

Visit the galleries, listen to guitarist Wayne Avers and enjoy a variety of wines and other beverages at the cash bar.

Admission: Free

Enjoy music by keyboardist Pam Weston in the Grand Lobby.

Visit the galleries, listen to instrumental harmonica and trumpet duo Sutton and Graves and enjoy a variety of wines and other beverages at the cash bar.

Admission: Free

A variety of music genres will be represented by local musical acts throughout the building. As part of the festivities, the Nashville Symphony will be performing. Artists participating include Nashville Philharmonic, Middle Tennessee Wind Ensemble, Cool Springs Ensemble, MET Singers, ALIAS, Belmont University Bluegrass Ensemble, Belmont Guitar Quartet, Blair Children's Choir, MTSU Brass Ensemble, Blair Suzuki Kids, Nashville Harmony, Chris Mangum Trio, Middle Tennessee Suzuki Violin Group, Nashville Children's Choir, Jeff Bailey Quintet, Belmont Chamber Singers, TSU Show Choir, Bone Therapy, Clarinet Choir, Nashville Chamber Choir, Curb Youth Orchestra Ensembles, TSU Jazz Band, MTSU Ensemble, Belmont Small Jazz Group I, Jordan Anderson, Debbie Cunningham Jazz Trio, Music City Swing, MTSU Band of Blue, TSU Marching Band, Zander Wyatt and Nashville Pipes and Drums.

Named as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events, the Celebration of Cultures Festival returns for the 12th year as the region's largest and most authentic multi-cultural festival. This event celebrates and embraces diversity by respecting, understanding and appreciating the cultures of the Greater Nashville population through a fun-filled day of music, dance, art, food, children's activities, a marketplace and an educational component known as "The Villages" that gives an authentic glimpse of daily life in over 13 different countries. Over 30 ethnic dance and musical performances will be featured on multiple stages and over 25 food vendors will offer a sampling of exotic foods from around the globe. Special highlights this year include a performance by Grammy-nominated, Honorary Chair singer/songwriter Beth Neilsen Chapman, as well as a performance by the Russian folk band Moscow Nights. At the center of Centennial Park is the Parthenon, built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition. A recreation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of this replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. Inside is the city of Nashville's art museum. The permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists.

Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Parthenon Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Admission : Free
Free shuttles will be available to and from "Nashville Symphony's Regions Free Day of Music".

Museum curators will offer a 45-minute introduction to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's new exhibit, Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Co-Presented by SunTrust And Ford Motor Company, which explores the personal lives of country music legends Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. Members of the Williams family have donated over 200 artifacts never before seen by the public.

Admission: Free to journalists with valid press credentials.

The Norman Mailer of roots-rock songwriting, Mark Germino likes sparring with words and delivering knockout punches. A Nashville veteran, he has more in common with Kris Kristofferson and Steve Earle than with any typical Music Row songwriter. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Kathy Mattea and Gillian Welch, among many others. No one else writes about war, the working class and wild women in the same language or point of view as Germino.

Admission: Free to journalists with press credentials.

Holly Williams combines the sensitivity of singer-songwriters with the good-time swagger of country rock. The granddaughter of the late country music icon Hank Williams and the daughter of influential star Hank Williams Jr., she continues the family tradition by drawing on personal experiences to create bold yet intimate songs about loved ones and the modern world in which she resides. She is currently finishing her second album, which will be released by MCA Records in early 2009.

Admission: Free to journalists with press credentials.

Every first Saturday of the month, art galleries host receptions and art openings in and around the Arcade, one of Nashville's infamous and unique locations. The Arcade became Nashville's first shopping center in 1903 and was home to some of the city's finest retail stores. Location was key in the development of this unique iron and glass structure, and now over 1,000 Nashvillians head to the center of downtown Nashville on the first Saturday of every month to enjoy a night on the town touring art galleries that house works by local and national artists. Enjoy free wine and other refreshments while touring the galleries that feature a variety of artists' works ranging from The Arts Company's "The Art of Politics" featuring New York-based illustrator Robert Grossman, to Tinney Contemporary's exhibit of the installations of Pam Longobardi, who was honored as Artist in Residence for the 2008 Olympic Games, and many more. While you make your way through the extraordinary exhibits in and around a Nashville landmark, enjoy listening to the "Belmont Steel Drum Ensemble" under the direction of Todd London.

Admission: Free

www.artatthearcade.com

Platform posturing, political spin and rhetoric reach their zenith at election time. This exhibit of political memorabilia collected by councilperson-at-large Ronnie Steine gives historical perspective to presidential elections held in the United States during the 19th, 20 and 21st centuries, with posters, campaign buttons and other artifacts of our nation's most memorable election seasons dating back to 1844.

Admission: Free

The Civil Rights Collection could be thought of as blooming where it was planted almost half a century ago. The current site of the Main Library is where the city launched a nonviolent protest against segregated lunch counters and other public accomodations over 50 years ago. The exhibit includes a list of "10 rules of conduct" carried by the protesters during the sit-in demonstrations and sits on the counter of a circular table, symbolic of the lunch counters that were popular gathering places in downtown Nashville. The exhibit also displays a timeline of significant local and national events during hte civil rights era and large photographs of dramatic events in this period of Nashville history, such as: parents leading their first-grade children past protestors on September 9, 1957, the day segregation began; a bombing and other violent acts meant to intimidate those who were challenging segregation; a march to the courthouse; and a peaceful confrontation there between Mayor Ben West and black student leaders ,with the mayor expressing his personal belief that "it is wrong and immoral to discriminate." Soon thereafter, at a rally at Fisk University, established in 1866 for those who desired to learn and shared the common experiences of slavery and poverty, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., declared: "I came to Nashville not to bring inspiration, but to gain inspiration from the greatest movement that has taken place in this community."

Admission: Free

Snow Gallery will co-host an exhibition of works by artists Janet Higgins, Nancy Cooley and Tucker Neel, all printed on the reproduction of the 18th-century Franklin Press at the James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University.

Admission: Free

You are invited to join President Robert Fisher of Belmont University for our Debate ’08 Vesper Service. Our homilist is Rev. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, a citizens' anti-hunger movement which focuses on education about hunger and on influencing public policies on hunger and poverty.

Rev. Beckmann was educated at the London School of Economics and Yale University and ordained as a “missionary economist” by the Lutheran Church. He worked in rural development in Bangladesh and for 15 years with the World Bank. Also officiating at the service are Rev. Vashti Murphy McKenzie, the first female bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church; Very Rev. David Perkin, Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville; and Rev. Dr. Todd Lake, Vice President for Spiritual Development at Belmont University. The Rev. Anne Stevenson of Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral is our host. Music will be provided by Belmont’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Please join us for refreshments following the service. Complementary parking is available in several lots surrounding the church.

Country music artists and Belmont alums Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Trisha Yearwood and Julie Roberts will perform at the historic Ryman Auditorium. In 1892, the building opened its doors as a religious meeting place and in 1943 became the infamous site of the Grand Ole Opry, a radio show which began in 1925 and is still heard on WSM radio weekly. Housing the Grand Ole Opry established the Ryman as a major music venue and gave it an identity. In 1974, when the Grand Ole Opry moved to its current location at The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, the Ryman was left vacant and did not reopen until 20 years later when it was restored in 1994. The Ryman is a Nashville gem and national showplace. Artists such as Roy Acuff, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl and Roy Rogers, amongst others, have played on the Ryman stage. The Ryman and The Grand Ole Opry continue to have a strong connection: a six-foot circular piece of the dark oak floor was taken from the Ryman and makes up a part of the Grand Ole Opry stage at its current location so that those who perform can still stand on the same spot as their legendary music heroes.

Tickets: Invitation only; Media welcome with credentials

Public and non-public schools from around the Nashville area will host the Youth Presidential Debate 2008. Montgomery Bell Academy, along with the Mayor's Youth Council, and The Parthenon, will conduct a debate where the students ask the questions. It is the hope of all those involved that this event will promote civic engagement among Nashville youth and provide an opportunity for students from both public and non-public schools to interact in meaningful ways. The event will be moderated by John Seigenthaler, Sr., along with prominent politicians representing the presidential campaigns. Click here for more information.

2008 SHOUTAmerica Healthcare Leadership Conference
October 5-7, 2008

Approximately 100 student government leaders, representing more than 750,000 students from universities nationwide, will meet in Nashville on Oct. 5-7 to discuss healthcare reform under the banner of SHOUTAmerica, a new non-profit group created to give young Americans a voice in the healthcare debate. The group will meet at the Scarritt-Bennett Center, just blocks from the Oct. 7 presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Participants come from 50 different universities, including Harvard, U.C. Berkeley, Vanderbilt, Texas and Missouri. At the conference, they will meet with U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health, former member of President Clinton’s Health Care Task Force and author of “Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America.”

For more information, please visit www.SHOUTAmerica.com or contact Susan Morgenstern at 615-297-7766 or susan@lovell.com.

Click here to read the SHOUTAmerica press release.

Join us for an evening to discuss how major energy-related institutions in Tennessee are responding to and helping resolve the energy challenges we face today. High ranking officials from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Valley Authority, UT’s Biofuels Initiative, and the Governor’s Energy Policy Task force will share their perspectives about this critically important issue. An audience question-and-answer session is encouraged after the presentation

FOX News' "Hannity & Colmes" co-host Sean Hannity is headed to Nashville to speak at an October 7 luncheon for Rocketown, Nashville's nonprofit youth entertainment venue and skatepark. "Rally for Rocketown" will take place at Lipscomb University's Allen Arena at 11:30 a.m.

As the conservative counterpart of FOX News' debate talk show "Hannity & Colmes," Hannity is known for his passionate commentary about politics and the American agenda. Rally for Rocketown will feature a presentation by Sean Hannity and a conversation with the community through a question-and-answer time with guests. Rally for Rocketown will also feature a musical performance by Grammy award-winning Christian artist and Rocketown founder, Michael W. Smith. Tickets for Rally for Rocketown are available at www.tickemaster.com.

Deana Claiborne, past President of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, will speak about women's right to vote. Ms. Claiborne is an avid proponent of voter registration efforts and frequently speak on voting issues in this county. She has organized two Tennessee statewide and regional gubernatorial debates and the statewide Senate debate between Harold Ford Jr. and Bob Corker, served on the Disability Advisory Committee to Senator Bill Frist, is currently on the Disability Advisory Committee to U.S. Representative Jim Cooper and has been appointed by Mayor Karl Dean to the Metro Nashville Special Education Advisory Committee.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and First Lady Andrea Conte, joined by Belmont University, former Senator Howard Baker and the University of Tennessee's Baker Center for Public Policy, the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center and the Tennessee Business Roundtable, are hosting a forum on civil discourse in American politics. Featuring prominent national media and political figures, the forum will be a prelude to the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont on October 7. The forum will assess this year's presidential race and help set the tone for civil discourse in the homestretch of the presidential campaigns.

A rare, original copy of the Declaration of Independence will be on public display at the Nashville Public Library Main Branch, 615 Church Street. The document will be in the library’s Conference Center on the first floor. Viewing hours are:
  

Nashville is playing a role is the historic 2008 presidential election, as one of only three presidential debates will be held ‎at Belmont University.‎

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, working with the national organization Every Child Matters, wants to ‎make sure the well-being of children is on the agenda.‎

On Mon., October 6, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., children and families will gather at the Capitol Bicentennial Mall to envision a ‎world that considers children first when decisions are made and to encourage every one involved in the U.S. political ‎process from voters, to candidates for local, state and national office to ask, "How will it help children?" before making any ‎decision - to vote on a candidate or an issue.‎

Youth musical and vocal performances, speeches by both youth and adults, information booths and other activities will be ‎provided. In addition to a presentation in the amphitheater, activities involving youth will be presented around the park. ‎

For more information, contact Richard Kennedy at (615) 741-2633 or visit our website at www.tennessee.gov/tccy.

Leading national political experts will discuss how health reform is being addressed in the 2008 presidential election at a Nashville Health Care Council event on October 7. This invitation-only panel discussion will feature policy pundits Dick Morris, John Podesta, Chris Jennings, Chip Kahn and moderator U.S. Senator Bill Frist, M.D.

All of these panelists have had experience in different areas of politics. Morris regularly contributes to Fox News and is known for his political commentary. Podesta previously served as chief of staff to President Clinton and has held several positions on Capitol Hill. Jennings, a former senior health care adviser for Clinton, has invaluable experience in the health care field. Kahn is president of the Federation of American Hospitals and is one of the nation’s experts on health policy.

The program will provide Nashville’s health care industry leaders, many of whom have helped shape national health care policy, with a rich discussion on how the hotly debated issue will play out in the 2008 campaign and following the November election. It will also showcase the profound impact Nashville’s $46 billion health care industry has on the delivery of innovative, high-quality patient care around the globe.

"CMT Crossroads" will tape a session Monday, October 6, with Def Leppard and Taylor Swift at the Acuff Theatre in Nashville. Before a live audience, Swift will join her all-time favorite rock band on stage for a night that is sure to be a memorable one for the young star. This episode of "CMT Crossroads" will premiere on November 7 at 9 p.m. CST on CMT. A press conference will be held earlier in the day at 1 p.m. in the Acuff Theatre foyer.

Both the taping and press conference are invitation only. Members of the media requesting tickets must send requests to joanne.smith@cmt.com by Mon., September 29. Limited tickets are available. Standing room only.

Multi-platinum recording artist Dierks Bentley will host his third annual "Miles & Music for Kids" celebrity motorcycle ride on Sunday, October 5. The hour-long ride will travel through Williamson County and historic downtown Nashville, ending at Riverfront Park with a concert featuring Bentley, Tim McGraw, John Rich, members of Lady Antebellum, Jamey Johnson, Randy Hauser, Halfway to Hazard, the Warren Brothers and Kyle Petty.

Registration for the ride begins at 11 a.m. at Harley Davidson of Cool Springs before the ride departs at 2 p.m. Tickets for the ride, concert and commemorative T-shirt are $50. Fans can attend the concert only for $20. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or onsite at Harley Davidson of Cool Springs.

Belmont-Hillsboro Neighbors Inc. (BHN) is proud to announce its 12th consecutive year for having the annual Tour of Homes. The tour will take place just days before the neighborhood and Belmont University become the focus of the nation and world at the Presidential Town Hall Debate on October 7.

Tickets for the Tour of Homes are $10 each and may be bought in advance at Hillsboro Hardware at 2204 21st Avenue South, Helios Artglassworks at 3108 Belmont Boulevard and Portland Brew at 2605 12th Ave. S. The tour will start at 11 a.m. Saturday morning and end at 5 p.m. Tickets will also be sold the day of the tour at three locations: Helios Artglassworks, the corner of Belmont and Blair Boulevards and the intersection of 21st and Portland Avenues.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Glenn Swann the Tour Chair, please call or email Joe Woolley at (615) 480-9046 or woolleyjoe@gmail.com.