It’s that time of the year again. You know, the end of it. And with the end of the year comes lists! On the front pages of CNN, ABC News, Yahoo! and other news sites there will soon be “The Best of 2011” or “The Biggest from 2011.” At Lumination Network, we opted for the latter.
2011 was a year of surprises. When the year began, we were all shocked by what happened to Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. In March, Charlie Sheen ranted about “winning” and “Tiger Blood,” capturing the attention of the world…and ending his sitcom career prematurely.
But 2011 was also a year of tragedy. On top of Senator Giffords being shot in her home state, one of the largest tsunamis in history hit Japan, which sent three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into meltdown, the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. In April, tornadoes ripped through the states just south of us.There were more than 170 twisters on one day, leading to a death toll of nearly 300.
And 2011 was a year of love. In the biggest wedding of our lifetimes, William and Kate got hitched. Prince William, of course, tied the knot with his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, got married outside Westminster Abbey in London on April 29. Over 23 million Americans watched the wedding from their couches.
Undoubtedly, though, the biggest story of the year was the death of Osama bin Laden. As most of you remember, bin Laden was killed during a firefight in Pakistan nearly a decade after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and set off patriotic celebrations in the U.S.
For Lumination, the top story of the year goes hand in hand with the nation’s biggest story.
No. 1: Our story was about the remembrance of 9/11, not the death of the mastermind behind the attacks. In our story, Lipscomb’s former director of the Yellow Ribbon program, David Hughes, and a student in the program, Jon Corley, told us what it was like serving during a time of conflict. The two also reflected on their time served and how Lipscomb has helped them. The story can be found here.
No. 2: The second biggest story of the year was one about freedom, equality and controversy. First at Harding, then at Belmont, groups of straight, gay, bisexual and transgender students organized to bring awareness to the persecution that some of them felt at their universities. Some may argue that the air got a bit more tense around campus during those few weeks. Lumination writer Emily Snell interviewed students and the president of the university to get their thoughts on the situation at Belmont and Harding as well as the way that students with different lifestyles are treated at Lipscomb.Video of President Lowry’s interview and Emily’s story can be found here.
No. 3: Living in Nashville, it’s hard to not notice or hear about the food trucks that have taken over town. Growing almost exponentially in number, the hipster food craze overflowed to become mainstream in 2011. Some of the trucks, including The Grilled Cheeserie, were even on campus. I guess you could say that Lumination was on top of things when Kelsey Durnin wrote up a story in early April about the craze taking over the city. It can be read here.
No. 4: Remember when the nation stood on standby when Harold Camping told us the world was going to end on May 12? That obviously didn’t happen. However, Camping’s claim did warrant a story, and Dr. John Mark Hicks gave us some great quotes to work with. Let’s hope that we can get another great story out before the world really ends on Dec. 12 of this next year. All jokes aside, here the link to the story.
No. 5: Following up a story about the end of the world is a story about rebuilding from what seemed to be the end of the world, at least in Nashville. Remember the flood from last year? One of the worst places it hit was Opry Mills. Many thought the mall may never open again. However, with the “We Are Nashville” motto, a little bit of hope and a whole lot of cash, the mall will open up in early 2012. Lumination’s newest writer, Cory Woodroof, was on top of this story. You may know his writing from Redbox Reports or his piece on Steve Jobs. The story can be found here.
No. 6: The next story is one that I hate to put in this countdown. I didn’t like having to write it, either. Sadly, on Dec. 3, Lipscomb alumnus Paul Warren was killed in a wreck on Vietnam Vets Parkway. All of Warren’s friends were quick to say that he was a wonderful human being, great friend and an even better husband. Oh, they also said that he was the best golfer they knew. In his time at LU, he was a member of the golf team and the Tau Phi social club. You can read the first story about Paul at this link. Emily Snell also talked to a few of Paul’s friends and family, that story can be found here.
No. 7: In his senior year, James Murrell started an online grocery store for students and parents. During the fall semester of 2010, Murrell and his business partners finished developing the idea and then launched it during the first week of spring semester. The store can be found at mydormfood.com and the story about Murrell and his business endeavors can be found here.
No. 8: OMG, you are not going to believe what this next story is. Earlier this year, the Oxford English Dictionary added “text speak” words to their dictionary. You know, words like OMG, BFF, LOL, BTW and the <3. It happened, I promise you. Get the low down on what all the cool kids are texting here.
No. 9: Personally, I always knew this next story had a fighting chance to crack this year’s Top 10. At this year’s Delta Tau’s Fight Night, Matthew “The Hebrew Hammer” Raich took us on a sweaty, bloody ride adding humor to the night’s heavy blows. The video, shot and edited by Ryan Malone can be found here.
No. 10: Finally, rounding out the Top 10 is a story that trickled down to Nashville by way of Wall Street. On Sept. 17, the Occupy Wall Street movement started, and just before Halloween, one of Lipscomb’s own was arrested as part of the protests in Nashville. Brett Flener, a senior Law, Justice and Society major was arrested with 26 other protestors at Legislative Plaza. The story went viral when news came out that Jonathan Meador, a reporter for the Nashville Scene posted this video of the arrests. After Meador’s arrest, the Nashville chapter Society of Professional Journalists sent the governor’s office and the Department of Homeland Security a letter asking for an apology to Meador and the journalism community. Flener’s story can be found here.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As editor in chief of Lumination Network, I’d like to thank all of you, our readers, for your feedback, your readership and your continued support of this very young site. Without you all, we would have nothing to go on. The year was an up and down for all of us, but we are so thankful that we made it to the end of 2011. There are a few surprises in store for 2012, and you will not be disappointed — I promise. Last year I posted the following quote from John Eldredge on my personal blog, and I think it’s relevant this year, too.
We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing is ever accomplished without it. Not a symphony has been written, a mountain climbed, an injustice fought, or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize. Our desire, if we will listen to it, will save us from committing soul-suicide, the sacrifice of our hearts on the altar of “getting by”. The same old thing is not enough. It never will be. (The Journey of Desire,” John Eldredge)
May 2012 be a year where we don’t leave our hearts by the side of the road and head off in the direction of fitting in, getting by, being productive or what have you. Bon voyage!