Students Charged to Embody This Year's Theme

Belmont's unveiled this year's theme at the opening convocation. (Ava Burns)

Belmont President Greg Jones challenged all 9,026 students, the largest student body in the school’s history, to unleash hospitality with love.

“My hope for you and my invitation to all of us is, let's see ourselves as porters opening doors and welcoming people and being welcomed, finding opportunities to receive and offer hospitality,” said Jones at the opening convocation on Wednesday. 

The university’s theme this year is “Unleash Hospitality With Love,” part of the SOUL framework created by Jones to develop students into leaders with character. 

Freshman student Halligan Bulthause said she feels the love from her Towering Traditions leaders.

“Once one of them recognizes you, they'll just wave you down and say hi,” said Bulthause.

TT leader Christina Haynes said Welcome Week is full of hospitality, with students volunteering to help incoming freshman.

"People are waking up at 4-5 a.m. in the morning to go home with these freshmen and to go help them through the learning process, and I think that is so special. They're not getting anything for it, but they're just doing it out of the love of their hearts,” said Haynes.

In addition to being hospitable, Provost David Gregory challenged students to “Say yes.”

“In the months ahead, you'll be invited to experiences designed to help you discover your calling, deepen your faith, sharpen your skills and serve the world around you. My challenge to you and to me is to say yes to those invitations,” he said.

And when students say yes to those opportunities, they’re saying yes to a chance to model hospitality, something Jones says Belmont’s community is known for.

“People who come to Belmont often note that there seems to be a sense of both hospitality and love in this community,” said Jones.

“It's at the heart of who we are, that sense of being a community that welcomes and embraces each other.”

Written by Olivia Abernathy