Belmont University once again finds its largest freshman class ever in the recently enrolled Class of 2019. With 1,394 students, this year’s group of brand new Bruins represents yet another entry in an upward trend of enrollment which has defined the school’s past decade. At Wednesday’s opening convocation, university President Bob Fisher alluded to this trend, saying that the school has produced more alumni in the past 10 years than it had in its entire history prior. The sc

Breaking from the tradition of giving a state of the university address at the opening convocation, President Bob Fisher celebrated 125 of Belmont’s unique aspects at the Curb Event Center Wednesday morning. “If this was a work of art,” Fisher said at the start of his remarks. “Belmont would be called a mosaic.” The bulk of Fisher’s speech centered on a slideshow celebrating Belmont’s past, present and future in accordance with its 125th anniversary. The slideshow featured  i

Sally McCabe is a freshman member of the basketball team and accounting major from Mt. Juliet, Tenn. Her hobbies include tennis, reading and watching “The Office” and “New Girl.” Her favorite desserts are ice cream and chocolate, among others. “I love it all,” she said. McCabe is huge fan of “Love Does,” “The Book Thief,” and the Harry Potter series. Her ideal vacation would be on a beach anywhere. McCabe has a passion for helping kids with disabilities and her role model is

Freshman Kalie Carter is one of the newest players on Belmont’s women’s soccer team. In her free time, Carter likes to spend the time with her family. “Whether we are busy on the go, or just eating and relaxing, being with family is where I want to spend my extra time,” Carter said. The Hendersonville, Tenn. native plays center-back and wears number 14. Although she has played soccer for most of her life, she does not get tired of the sport. “There is always something new I a

For Belmont freshman Evan Stifel, competing in cross country is something that runs in the family. “I started cross country in middle school because both of my siblings did it,” said Stifel. “I’ve just done it ever since.” Stifel grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lead his high school to state championships in his junior and senior years. Stifel chose Belmont due to a combination of the academic and athletic programs the school offers. “I think it was a great fit for me ac

Hailing from Union, Ky., freshman Alexa Nichols joined the Belmont volleyball team as a middle blocker. While her focus on the court is blocking the opponents’ hits, Nichols studies marketing in the classroom. The small nature of the university’s campus influenced her decision to attend Belmont. “I love how intimate everything is, in athletics and in the classroom. You know that even though it is a Division I program, you’re still important,” she said. Nichols said she is pro

Belmont freshman Anthony Didion has been competing in cross country since first grade and he has no plans to stop anytime soon. “I joined that because I thought it would be a lot of fun,” said Didion. “I guess that’s where it all started and I haven’t stopped since.” Didion is from La Porte, Ind., which he says has prepared him for running in any type of weather. Didion became interested in Belmont because of the size of the school and his connection with teammates on the cro

Belmont freshman Luke Evans may not have began high school as a member of the cross country team, but he is thankful for the opportunities he has received. “I did soccer freshman year instead of cross country, but then freshman track season, the coach convinced me to do cross country the next year,” said Evans. “I’m pretty glad that he did.” Evans is used to living near a city like Nashville as he was raised in a small suburb right outside of Columbus, Ohio. Evans was drawn t

Emily Richards plays as a libero defensive specialist on the volleyball team, wearing a number 11 jersey. Her volleyball career started at a young age. “My high school coach really got me into this sport when I was in fourth grade,” she explained. She has continued playing since then, graduating from Penfield High School in Rochester, New York. Richards is a nursing major and enjoys watching “One Tree Hill” in her free time. She loves to go shopping and watching Netflix. She

Freshman Brie Lewis starts her inaugural season with the Bruins as a right side hitter. Lewis is a Midwesterner hailing from Stilwell, Kansas who is studying Design Communications. After spending time on campus with the team and in the Leu Center, Lewis was sold and made the move down South for her collegiate volleyball career. Lewis said Belmont’s volleyball team is looking strong this season as they strive toward a winning season, taking it one day at a time. Lewis is ready

Arianna Person wears a number 10 jersey for the Belmont volleyball team, playing as an outside hitter. A graduate of Saint James Academy in Kansas City, Person’s declared major is nursing. Two of her favorite hobbies include reading and painting. Her favorite TV show to watch is “New Girl.” Person loves to eat hamburgers and eat at “Jose Peppers,” a Mexican restaurant native to Kansas. She said she gains a lot of her volleyball inspiration from her former high school coaches.

Belmont freshman Dan Brown knows what it takes to succeed in soccer because he has been playing it for the majority of his life. “I started when I was 4 or 5 years old just playing rec,” said Brown. “So I’ve been playing since I was just a little kid.” Brown is one of six new additions to the Belmont men’s soccer team this season. Brown isn’t too far from home at Belmont as he is originally from Franklin, Tenn. The soccer team and the school as a whole played a factor in Brow

One of the newest additions to Belmont’s volleyball team is Ellie Ivancich, a libero hailing from Naperville, Illinois. Ivancich’s mom is an alumnus of Belmont, which is what initially sparked her interest in Belmont. Additionally, she was looking for a Christian university, making Belmont the perfect match and Music City her new home. Ivancich is currently an undeclared major but is considering picking up a minor in Christian Leadership. Ivancich has a positive outlook for t

When sophomore Lindsey Button found an email from late-night host Conan O’Brien’s “Team Coco” in her inbox late one night, no one was more surprised than she was. The request was even more astonishing. Team Coco asked for a portrait of O’Brien Button had done in high school art class more than a year ago, to be shown at the Time Warner Center in New York City, the skyscraper home of CNN studios and on “Conan,” the flame-haired talk show host’s nightly show. “I remember the fi