by Jayme Foltz | Jun 29, 2021 | Arts and Entertainment, COVID-19, News Slider
COVID left most Tennessee residents and tourists and performers saying goodbye to the 2020 entertainment scene in Nashville. Now, it’s 2021. Forty-five percent of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated and 53% of the population has received one dose of the vaccine. As the world continues to slowly go back to normal, so does Music City. With venues being reopened, artists getting out of the studios and their homes and fans ready to cheer, big name concerts and festivals are making a grand comeback to Tennessee. Here’s a sampling: Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th @ Downtown Nashville – July 4 The free concert is the city’s first major post-pandemic event and will be headlined by country music star Brad Paisley. Lily Hiatt, Regi Wooten and Friends, Priscilla Block, and more will also take the stage. The event will also feature the Nashville Symphony in a synchronized performance with what officials are heralding as the largest fireworks display in Nashville’s history. Lifest Music City @ Hideaway Farm – July 29-31 Originating in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Lifest extends Music City for the very first time with Lifest Music City. The Christian music festivals are presented by nonprofit organization Life Promotions, focused on supporting mental health and wellness in today’s youth. With three days filled with music and fun, Lifest gives the option to its concert goers to camp on the festival grounds. The festival will include performances from Newsboys, Skillet, Lecrae, Sidewalk Prophets, Mandisa, Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, and more. Luke Bryan @ Bridgestone Arena – July 30 Fresh off his third ACM Entertainer of the...
by Kathryn Farris | Jun 2, 2021 | BREAKING NEWS, News, News Slider
A private-plane crash in Rutherford County on Saturday claimed the lives of seven passengers, including that of Gwen Shamblin Lara, named Lipscomb’s Christian Business Leader of the Year two decades ago. Lara was known for founding the Weigh Down faith-based weight-loss program in 1986. Three Lipscomb Academy alumni were on board as well, according to Pat Price, Lipscomb archives specialist: Lara’s son-in-law Brandon Hannah (2000), Jennifer Johnston Martin (1988) and Jessica Solomon Walters (2000). The other three victims were Lara’s husband, Joe; Martin’s husband, David; and Walters’ husband, Jonathan. All seven were leaders of the Remnant Fellowship Church in Brentwood. The plane crashed into Percy Priest Lake late Saturday morning. By Monday, recovery crews had pulled remains of the seven and both engines from the waters. Gwen Shamblin Lara, ex-wife of David Shamblin, was named as Lipscomb’s Christian Business Leader of the year in 1998. Shamblin Theatre, adjacent to the Bennett Campus Center, is named for the family. “The Weigh Down Workshop is more ministry than industry,” said former Lipscomb President Stephen F. Flatt at the 1998 ceremony, according to her website. “The phenomenal success of the Weigh Down Workshop is attributable to the direct blessing of God and Gwen’s prudent stewardship of the abilities and talents He has given her.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash. It is expected to take a couple of weeks to conclude the preliminary investigation, but the NTSB’s complete examination and conclusions usually take up to two years. Photo by Larry McCormack courtesy of Main Street...
by Mckenzi Harris | Nov 5, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Gospel artist Kirk Franklin says he will boycot future Dove Awards, the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and the Gospel Music Association (GMA), until “tangible plans are put in place to protect and champion diversity.” The GMA has responded by beginning a process to reconcile with Franklin and other stars who have announced support for him. The GMA Dove Awards, an annual show that recognizes achievement in the Christian music industry, took place on Lipscomb University’s campus for the seventh consecutive year on Oct. 16. Franklin’s boycott, that he announced early in November, is in response to the network removing comments during his Artist of the Year award acceptance speech. Franklin spoke of the death of a 28-year-old black woman who died after a Fort Worth police officer shot through her window Oct. 12. “A young girl by the name of Atatiana Jefferson was shot and killed in her home by a policeman, and I am just asking that we send up prayers for her family and for his,” Franklin said. “And asking that we send up prayers for that 8-year-old little boy that saw that tragedy.” That moment, along with others, was edited out of the 50th Annual Dove Awards television broadcast. In response, Franklin took to social media and posted a video calling for a boycott of the show. He said the ultimate goal of the boycott is “reconciliation and accountability.” “It is important for those in charge to be informed,” he said. “Not only did they edit my speech, they edited the African-American experience.” Franklin said that this isn’t the first time the GMAs have chosen to...
by Mckenzi Harris | Sep 10, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Yesterday at the gathering, 4 students from the Bahamas spoke about how Hurricane Dorian damaged their country and then gave ways for other students to be of help to the Bahamas. The Bahamas are off the coast of Florida and the capital, Nassau island is where these 4 students are from. This all started when The National Hurricane Center issued a state of a tropical depression on August 24th, but 6 days later the storm intensified and developed into a category 5 hurricane. The hurricane hit both the Abaco and Grand Bahama islands. The record-breaking hurricane passed Nassau but has left many of the Bahamian people who evacuated homeless and displaced on the island. The death count from the hurricane has unofficially continued to rise past the 100 marks and will only continue to rise as there are still many people missing and unidentified. The estimated damage to the Bahamas is in the billions. Lipscomb is offering opportunities to donate to the Bahamas through its website as well as through phone calls. Celea Brown prayed for the Bahamas and over the Bahamian people saying, “Dear God, We know that the Bahamas are a place where you live, we know that your people worship you and you are the center of our entire life. God, I pray for the spirit of restoration, the spirit of peace, the spirit of miracles on my Bahama land and my people. God, I just thank you for this entire student body. I pray Father God that as you listen to our story, that you become a way that they can give to us. And we pray father...
by Spencer Boehme | Jan 13, 2019 | News Slider, Opinion
DISCLAIMER: This article is the opinion of the author and is not intended to reflect the opinions of Lumination Network. As classes begin ramping up once again, now is a great time to continue the conversation about how ludicrous the parking situation at Lipscomb University is. It really baffles me that Lipscomb, a flourishing school in the Southeast, cannot seem to accommodate its growing student body with an equal number of parking spaces. Instead, it seems like more spots continue to be taken away. I have a couple of examples. Right before the 2017 fall semester began, Patrick Cameron’s parking email at the time stated that the parking garage with the tennis court on top would “now be for Faculty, Staff and Guest use only.” To this day, that has not changed. Okay, so if you get paid to go to Lipscomb, you can park in the garage. That’s great. I’m not sure if they had previously closed off the garage in that manner before, but the point is that I wasn’t going to be able to park there. And then, towards the end of the 2018 spring semester, the Ezell parking lot next to the garage got the axe in favor of the upcoming George Shinn Event Center. If you’re a freshman or a transfer this year, yes, that building they’re working on used to be a parking lot. Again, all this blows my mind. You do have Stokes, which is honestly not that bad. It’s right next to the campus and is a short walk, especially if your first class is in McFarland or Hughes or one...
