Recent Belmont University grad, Nathan Baker sent us a link to this image. We understand that the Circle posed this image so that the debate camouflaged tower and the shiny new Belmont Debate08 t-shirts could be combined for the cover shot of the latest edition.

Switching the display of certain symbols as a form of protest has been a historically acceptable, non-violent means to express alarm or displeasure…flying the American flag upside down, for instance, is a common distress and not-so-acceptable protest signal. Should there be a need to express concerns over the impact of the debate on student life this fall, wearing the official debate t-shirt in the manner displayed in this cover (backward) seems appropriate (and subtle). Thanks to Nate and the cover designers for providing the inspiration!

Just in case some one believes that it is presumptuous to think there might be more than mere inconvenience on the student population on campus this fall, start by asking Belmont’s soccer players about the loss of their home field and the lack of prospects for playing at Rose Park this decade.

It might just be a coincidence that now, rather than 2010, the tower receives some maintenance attention. It might be that someone actually looked at Belmont University’s historic tower and realized the poor visual impression that it makes. It might be that a blog post made something happen.

It doesn’t matter now. At least three sides of the tower have a chance to feel the rough edge of a scraper, the full tummy of putty, and the smooth strokes of a fresh coat of paint. We’ll just have to wait and see if the work continues after the important visitors leave in the Fall.

Belmont University has an impressive list of programs and personalities lined up this Fall related to the debates and political processes. The cornerstone of all the fuss on campus remains the October 7th town hall presidential debate where some of the presidential candidates will grab the media spotlight of the world for the evening*.

There are other candidates running. According to this article, Independent Ralph Nader could grab 10% of the popular vote and Libertarian Bob Barr may capture 3% of the popular vote. In that same article are some unflattering words for the organizers of the Belmont debate:

“The corrupt Commission on Presidential Debates — which was set up by former chairs of the major parties and their big-media allies to limit access to the most important forums for presidential nominees — has made mockery of the democratic process. And some, admittedly very foolish people, have actually convinced themselves that one-on-one “debates” organized by party insiders to fit the schedules of friendly television networks are meaningful.”

Since the focus this Fall at Belmont University seems to be all-things-political, why not provide the other two+ significant candidates (i.e. those garnering more than a percentage point or two in the polls) an opportunity to speak on campus? The campus will be all dressed up in her presidential best. Why not invite some more people/politicians to the dance? What better place is there to expand the political envelope than on a college campus?

* Interesting that neither Obama or McCain have actually accepted the CPD invitation to debate at the three proposed sites.

The Tennessean reports “More debates may hurt Belmont event“, suggesting that the volleying back and forth between the Obama and McCain camps on the if/when’s of more debates might dilute the importance of this fall’s town hall debate on Belmont’s campus. It might:

“But the worst enemy of the Belmont debate could be other debates just like it. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has solicited presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama to have 10 town-hall debates across the country, which could make Belmont’s debate old hat by the time it happens.”

Let’s think about that for just a moment. If there is so much to debate and the three Commission on Presidential Debates are not able to cover the ground in the allotted times, then the need to cover the issues trumps Belmont University’s desire to show off the newly camouflaged tower. There might even be a silver lining to diluted viewing audience of the debate on Belmont’s campus…if something goes wrong, do you want more people, or fewer people watching?

As important as this event is to Belmont, it is a little surprising that someone hasn’t asked John McCain what he has against Belmont University? Was he not the first to suggest 10 town hall debates? Enter the conspiracy theorists…

It is not as far-fetched as one might think…ok, so it IS far-fetched. Jim Donaldson makes a good case for Rick Byrd while giving Dookiedom very little respect:

“Mike Krzyzewski started five McDonald’s All-Americans, and had three others available on the bench, but his second-seeded Duke Blue Devils barely beat No. 15 Belmont — Belmont? — which had, surprise, surprise, no former high-school all-Americans, 71-70, in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.”

Some coaches are good at making commercials, recruiting all-Americans, and holding players until the NBA draft rolls around. Others, like Belmont’s Rick Byrd, have the amazing ability to take good players and turn them into great people. Coach K may have the best McDonald’s that money can buy, but Coach Byrd can super-size with the best when it comes to getting the most out of his players.

Note to Dookies: Hate mail goes here – jdonalds@projo.com

Just a few weeks ago, Belmont University announced a 52 member, honorary host committee for the impending town hall debate on campus. The Tennessean grabbed the low hanging fruit of stereotyped, county-music-Nashville and headlined their story Kix (Brooks), Vince(Gill) on Belmont debate host committee. Interesting that former Vice-President Al Gore receive only a passing mention at the end of the article and that 12+ CEO’s, (start singing now)…4 US senators, 3 Tennessee legislators, 2 prominent attorneys, and a partridge in a pear tree received no mention at all.

Marty Dickens tells the Tennessean that the 52 people on the committee will serve a primarily ceremonial role…and that even though the school may look to some of them for fundraising, that did not impact the member’s selection. With apologies to Shakespeare, Mr. Dickens doth protest too much, methinks.

Meanwhile, back on campus, Belmont-the-student-centered campus, has posted volunteer opportunities for students on the www.belmontdebate08.com web site. I trust that these positions will not be ceremonial and that an individual’s selection (as a contributor to the coffers of the university) will impact their selection.

After some careful consideration and a little less beer, we are seriously considering pulling the plug on Thorn in the Bruin. A thoughtful email from Belmont’s IT department suggests that we could do much more harm than good by revealing imperfections (and perceived imperfections) in the way the university disseminates information. Quoting from that email,

“There are better ways to encourage change within the university family than laundering your perceptions on a blog. Personal attacks, innuendo, and half-truths will not serve you well and may cause unintended pain within the university community. I ask that you reflect on your intentions before continuing this course.”

We will think about it and decide over the weekend.

The National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) meets annually to honor outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. This year, Belmont University received a gold medal in the Best Student Promotion category for Ned, the evil alter ego of Bruiser the Bruin, the official mascot of Belmont athletics.

Last year, the Belmont Vision’s Katie Redding introduced Ned in the video below:

Katie’s story mentions Ned’s Death to Bruiser facebook.com group…the group is was so wildly popular that it attracted 3 members including Mean Bruiser (Ned) himself. To be fair, Mean Bruiser’s facebook.com profile lists 33 friends….compared to Bruiser the Bruin’s 2,457 friends. So Ned, we have to ask, “Who’s your papa bear?”

Congratulations to the marketing people in Belmont Athletics for making basketball games fun to attend! Hat Tip: Bruins Online

An OpEd piece on www.clarionledger.com , Debate: Great opportunity for the state (June 17, 2008), raises some interesting questions about how the nation will perceive Ole Miss, and, how the media may portray the deep south. The writer explains,

“Both the university and the city have adopted what appears to be a wise strategy – to embrace an almost certain microscopic examination of the bloody 1962 civil rights riot that ensued on campus when James Meredith became the first African-American student to enroll there.

But, while rejecting revisionist history, the university and the town are also focusing on the identifiable, undeniable progress that Ole Miss, Oxford and Mississippi have made in racial reconciliation in the almost 46 years since Meredith’s enrollment.”

It is an interesting perception that the media might focus on Mississippi’s racially turbulent past rather than the candidates. Personally, I had to look up James Meredith to even know anything about the riots in Oxford over 40 years ago. Is there an unspoken implication that because there is a black candidate in the hunt for the presidency that this event is somehow reconciliation or ‘closure’ of the wounds from that era? The mainstream media will be tempted to pull out the grainy film footage of the riots, just because it is there and there is high-impact shock value…but what will they offer in the way of balanced reporting to demonstrate the ‘undeniable progress’ that the OpEd writer hopes to see?

Tennessee isn’t off the historical hook either. Will the media come to Nashville and focus on the sit-ins of the early 60’s or the Brown vs. Board of Education legal battle over segregation? Will Belmont’s slave-era, plantation-owner, ante-bellum history come back to haunt Tennessee? Will Belmont University’s efforts to become more racially diverse be overshadowed by the low percentages reported in recent statistics? The pickings aren’t quite as sexy as 60’s era riot footage in Mississippi, but if the media wants to portray Nashville’s history in a stereotypical-racist light, it doesn’t have to dig very deep into history.

There are media options to provide balanced, racial coverage for Belmont (think American Idol and Miss USA pageant). And Nashville can provide the distraction from its history and deliver a host of entertainment figures for sound bites and vignettes. Let’s just hope that it is Vince Gill playing one-on-one hoops with Obama rather than Hannah Montana singing “This Old Man” to McCain.

According to a number. of. sources, the Associated Press wants more say in how stories are linked, quoted, and generally attributed…the phrase clear standard has been used. We probably aren’t the best people to advise the AP that there really aren’t many standards for bloggers (RSS being the possible exception). Here at Thorn in the Bruin, we intend to fully cooperate with AP’s standards as long as they are reasonable, objective, and policed in good faith (that’s code for don’t send your lawyers to look for us if we accidentally mess up). With that in mind, we recommend that the AP include the following terms and disclaimers for use of their stories:

• Stories are not to be copied near fire, flames or open combustible materials.
• Stories are intended for indoor and outdoor use only.
• Stories should not be quoted while sleeping or unconscious
• Stories may not not suitable for protection against STD’s
• Stories may not be suitable for unborn children
• Stories should not be copied while operating heavy machinery
• AP is not responsible for any choking hazard caused by copied/consumed stories

For the record: We salute AP on making itself a news story.

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