Big Day for Belmont!

Today was Regional Competition for Belmont's SIFE chapter, which if you don't know, was a brand new business-based (Students In Free Enterprise) service-learning organization that I was proudly a foundting member of last year. We competed for the first time last March in Memphis, won several awards and advanced to National Competion in Kansas City where we won a few more awards and had a fantastic experience for such a fledgling team. This year's team had only to returning members, as we all graduated either in the spring or summer of '06 - but has really picked up a couple of handfuls of really passionate and fantastic individuals - all of which worked really hard to make it to competitions again this year. With the help of an incredible faculty advisor (Dr. John Gonas) and a stellar administrative supervisor (my incredible, amazing, fantastic fiance Cliff Neeley), this year's team prepared, yet again, an award-winning presentation that was by far (not only in my opinion, but that of other unbiased individuals) the most professional and impactful of any of the thirty or so today.

I spent the day sort of pretending a year had not passed since our last competition, meanwhile working tirelessly to help my nervewracked but successful man take his team to the top. It was so fulfilling to see that a bar we had not expected to set last year was completely surpassed by this year's polished and poised presenters and overall team. To add to last years regional awards for individual topics in Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship, Rookie of the Year, Regional Champion and national awards for first-runner up Entrepreneurship and National Rookie of the Year - this year's Belmont SIFE team walked away as finalists for the Market Economics, Business Ethics, and Sustainability individual topic competions (meaning they are one of the top twenty teams in the nation for each of those topics) and also as Regional Champions and will be heading to Dallas in early May. It was a whirlwind of a day - I hardly had time to think or even remember life outside of SIFE until I sat on my couch mindlessly flipping through channels hours later...

Which leads me to another big moment for Belmont, today (though in a very different manor). Tonight as I was flipping between the Vandy game (unfortunately not quite as big of a day for them, though it was close) and a few other channels, the glitz and glamour of the beginnings of the Miss USA pageant caught my eye. Now don't get me wrong, pageants aren't usually my choice of prime entertainment. But as faces with perfectly white teeth and gorgeous hair flitted about my TV screen, I recognized one face that has become, well, very well known at Belmont for her stint in Chicago as an intern for Oprah, an active participant in admissions recruiting activities, her personal link to a once-favored retired Belmont basketball player, and her overall southern-girl charm. I thought, "what the heck?" and decided to watch the night play out for one of my fellow alums... for knowing so little about Rachel and having interacted with her only a few times, I still found myself incredibly connected to her triumphs as she was narrowed down from fifty-one to fifteen, to ten, and then to five and literally sat on the edge of my seat as the five were narrowed down to one. And what do you know? Rachel Smith, December '06 graduate of Belmont University, former Miss Tennessee, is now Miss USA thanks to Donald Trump and the judging of several celebrities (one of which included Vince Young, who just so happened to be the celebrity name drawn for her "tricky question"). She was so beautiful up there, and it made the whole thing seem a little less glamourous, in a good sort of way - knowing that women like Rachel can fill roles like that - not just plastic and shallow people.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my alma mater? I mean really, a stellar contestant in American Idol, tournament-making men and women's basketball programs, competition-winning students, and so much more. Sometimes I wonder how I found such a gem in a nation full of really great schools, and wonder if I'll ever be content to be associated with any school but BU. But for all my wondering, at least I know it's mine - the place I called home for four years and still continues to be a source of pride and connection to people, dreams, and accomplishments that are often-times fostered there.