Belmont students have always had heart.
Now, they’ll have SOUL with Belmont’s initiative for the new semester.
“I like to think of the metaphor of a soul as being a reservoir,” Belmont President Greg Jones said. “You want to make sure you’re engaged in habits that continually replenish that sense of soul. But the image of soul is something that’s deeper than just character.”
The new framework emerged from a collaboration between two task forces, one focused on mental health and one focused on Christ-centered leadership development.
There are four key components of SOUL, which Jones outlined in his opening convocation speech on Wednesday: seek excellence, offer gratitude, unleash hospitality and live the dream together.
Provost David Gregory called on students to strive for excellence in his opening speech.
“As you participate in many events and calls to think about your life and purpose, I challenge you to give yourself the task of becoming the very best version of yourself,” Gregory said. “Seek excellence in all you do and do it with humility and gratitude.”
Jones echoed that sentiment, saying that excellence is outlined in every aspect of Belmont’s colleges.
“Whether you’re in music or entertainment or in architecture or art or in entrepreneurship and business, you see that desire to pursue excellence with humility,” Jones said.
Jones also discussed the idea of finding happiness in yourself and your actions to persevere through the navigation of life.
“That sense of joy is a way of keeping us steady through life’s ups and downs. There will be days when you’ll feel it more deeply, and there will be days when you want to borrow it from someone else,” Jones said. “It’s about listening to each other. It’s about discovering the depths of another person and hearing their struggles. It’s creating a welcoming community.”
Through this sense of togetherness, the university can continue to grow, Jones said.
“It’s about doing things together and living the dream. It’s about that sense of hope that can carry us and let us go about,” he said. “It’s at the heart of who Belmont is. We want to live the dream together. When we do that, something powerful begins to happen.”
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This article was written by Ty Wellemeyer
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