In episode 7 of the Conversatio podcast, Dr. David Williams joins Dr. Ron Thomas, Fr. Matthew Schneider, and Patrick Novecosky to discuss St. Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and Pope Francis and their emphasis on body, mind, and soul.
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Belmont Abbey Monastery – a way of a holy life
Belmont Abbey monastery, founded by the Benedictine monks on April 21, 1876, is the sweet and humble home of the Benedictine monks.
The holiness of the Abbey monastery is sublime, and the simplicity of its monks is divine. The chanting of daily prayers sanctifies the monastery, and the chastity and benevolence of the monks dignifies the monastery.
Belmont Abbey monastery is imbued with silence, peace, and serenity and it radiates the monks’ inner beauty. The monastery inspires the monks to be compassionate and kind and it nurtures the community in the body, spirit, and mind.
For 146 years, the Abbey monastery has been a blessing to the community and a beacon of light. Let us pray the Abbey remains blessed with the love of Christ.”
Read the full article writing by Abbey Professor, Gireesh Gupta.
Engaging Undergraduate Student-Athletes in Research and Publication Opportunities
Students Lauren Denhard, Desislava Yordanova, Kira Zazzi, Jose Mejia, Timothy Shar, Julia Iseman, Tucker Hoeniges, Madison Mitchell, and professor Dr. Erin Jensen recently published an article titled “Engaging Undergraduate Student-Athletes in Research and Publication Opportunities.”
Undergraduate research and publishing have been shown to be beneficial to students and to lead to positive outcomes. Most of the current research on undergraduate research has not specifically focused on student-athletes and the unique challenges that they face in being involved in undergraduate research opportunities. As eight undergraduate student-athletes and one mentorship-focused college professor discovered, student athletes can be successful when engaging in undergraduate research and publishing. Such a project needs to have a mentor who has a good relationship with the students and can lead them through the process. Without the guidance, editing, and revising capabilities of that mentor, this article would not have been written. While all of the student-athlete co-authors contributed to the article, they needed the faculty mentor to keep them motivated and to bring their ideas and suggestions together into a cohesive article. It was the mentor who kept co-authors involved in every step of the process, but also the one who stayed up all night to finish the final edits on the article.
Despite some challenges around having all co-authors participate in the revision process or in contributing to the literature review, the overall benefits of the project certainly outweighed those issues. The co-authors expressed feeling more confidence in their writing abilities and their academic goals. They expressed appreciation for having an opportunity to learn about the research and publishing process and gaining information that would be useful for them in the future and for their post-graduation goals. Several co-authors decided to submit their own individual essays to a variety of undergraduate journals and are waiting to hear back. Other co-authors sought out writing opportunities through internships, writing for the newspaper, and deciding to pursue a minor in writing.
Student-athletes can succeed in undergraduate research and publication with the support and guidance of a faculty mentor who is committed to the process and is willing to put in the time and effort to help us through the process. Such benefits are both short- and long-term, and they are significant, ranging from contributing to students’ academic success and focus on graduate school, to increasing confidence in their writing, expanding their awareness of the academic research process and motivating them to become part of this process. Student-athletes should not be excluded from the process because of their perceived busy schedules; instead, they should be mentored and guided through that process.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis Competitions
Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Colin Sadtler
The women’s and men’s tennis teams at the Abbey started nine years ago. The teams have recently become more successful, with the men winning a conference Carolina championship last year. Coach Mike led them to a 22-17 overall record, including 10-0 in conference play. In the conference finals, they played Mount Olive for the deciding match with a thrilling win by Andy G to win it! Coach Mike has created a very successful program by figuring out how to improve the team’s effort, culture, and love for the sport. One of his most significant things is ensuring everyone is accountable for their attitude and action. He is an excellent example of how all programs should run their team.
I asked a couple of returning players who were a part of the team that won conference Carolinas last year what they thought about coming into this year’s first competition. Nicholas Carry said, “I am excited about the tournament but also hoping we can keep the same effort, attitude, and team bond we had last year.” I also asked Coach Mike what he thought about it, and he said, “I love the team’s excitement, but it’s all about being able to carry everything we learned last year to make us better this year.” Last year’s team proved to the Abbey fans and the conference that Coach Mike knows how to run a program correctly.
The teams held a tournament at our tennis courts on Oct. 14 and 15. The top 6 players and all the freshmen played. The freshman are playing to get match experience and their first college tournament out of the way. I also talked to one of the freshmen, Peyton Williams, who said, “We have all been preparing for this tournament, so we know at the end of the day we have put in the work.” All the freshmen seem excited to play but nervous since it’s their first college match experience.
Coach Mike has laid out all the guidelines to be successful for the first-year students in their first tournament, so hopefully, they will use the information and apply it. I asked Preston Johnson what the most significant piece of advice the coach has given him for this weekend was, and he said, “Coach told me to always fight for every point no matter what the score is, even if I’m losing 0-6,0-5. He told me that everyone’s first tournament is hard, but either way enjoys it.”
This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.
Cross Country’s Best “Pack” Leader: Meet Coach Dan Finanger
Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Presslie Mariner
Coach Dan Finanger, a nationally-recognized distance running coach, is the head cross country and track and field coach here at the Abbey. He has coached for 32 years, including five years at the Abbey. He has coached more than 5,200 athletes across 16 states and sent four athletes to the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic trials.
In addition, Coach Dan coached the 1995 Boston Marathon team and served as director and head coach in international clinics in Saudi Arabia. He established his running camp, Finanger Running Adventure Camps, with the intent of promoting running in outdoor settings, such as the Cascade and the Rocky Mountains, as well as the Maine Coast.
Coach Dan began his running career when he was a sophomore in high school. He intended to play football; however, he started talking to some of the cross-country guys and decided to give the cross-country team a chance. He has loved the sport ever since! He would go on to run D3 at the Lutheran College in Iowa, where he was a part of seven conference championship teams, including four cross country and two-track. He also served as captain of the cross-country team during his senior year. He and his family moved from Minnesota to Charlotte in 2011, and he began coaching at Belmont Abbey in 2017. Some of the tactics he uses in order to ensure a healthy runner, physically, mentally, and spiritually, include combining the values of “body, mind, and soul.” Another one of his tactics includes grouping the men’s and women’s teams into “packs,” with each “pack” having a “pack leader” in order to ensure that no one is running alone, and it involves more team bonding!
Coach Dan has a firm Christian faith and believes that it provides him with direction and purpose in life. When asked about how he incorporates his faith into running, Coach Dan replied, “I believe that the freedom I receive from my running comes from God providing me that direction!”. Coach Dan has established a handshake on the team known as the “Abbey High Five.” God is the top corner of our hands, while family is at the lower corner, as well as friends and teammates. When you raise your hands above your head to do the high five, you put all of that above you. It shows our priorities and humbles us to say that others, including God, are more important.
The cross country and track teams are fortunate to have Coach Dan as their head coach. His positive attitude, optimism, and strong faith in the Lord have contributed to the overall kind and friendly environment here at the Abbey. Thank you, Coach, for all that you’ve done for us here at the Abbey, and here’s to making more memories and smiles on the team!
This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 1 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.
