by Erin Franklin | Jul 10, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
The third time really is the charm with the latest Spider-Man saga. Spider-Man Homecoming is just what the fans wanted. It’s the nerdiest, and best, Spider-Man film to date, reaching $117 million at the box office opening weekend. Only Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have made more this year. The story opens right where Captain America: Civil War left off. This Spider-Man retelling doesn’t start from the beginning with Peter Parker’s legendary spider bite, but rather it covers a very specific time in Peter’s life as a 15-year-old highschooler, specifically during Homecoming season. Tom Holland is the Spider-Man comic book readers know and remember — epitomizing the kid inside the suit that made Spider-Man the unique superhero that he is. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark also brings a solid performance, serving as somewhat of a father figure to Peter Parker. Although the new souped-up Spidey suit Stark gifts Peter with is a little off-putting, as it seems the suit’s technology simply makes him into a mini-Iron Man, Holland still manages to show Spider-Man as his own, unique hero. Marisa Tomei, on the other hand, is quite different from the Aunt May readers will remember in the comic books. She’s more like a big sister to Peter, and Peter a kid brother. But it works. Gwen Stacy will forever be Peter Parker’s true love, and Emma Stone’s performance as Gwen opposite Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) is still the best portrayal of Spider-Man’s infamous other half, but Michelle (Zendaya) looks like a promising potential love interest in the next chapter of the Spider-Man...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 30, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Oh brother — the Despicable Me franchise is back yet again with Despicable Me 3, and this time Gru has a long-lost twin brother, Dru. Despicable Me 3 is familiar yet fun at the same time. There’s the recognizable plot line of a long-lost twin when Gru (Steve Carell) finds out he has a twin brother, Dru (Carell), supervisor of the family pig business, which is merely a coverup for the ancient family history of villainy, much to Gru’s surprise. The two brother supervillains (or superheroes?) out on a quest together, mixed in with Gru’s three daughters’ amusing antics and his new wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig) discovering her role as a mom to the girls, makes for an absolutely madcap romp through Fredonia and the world of heroes and villains. Despite the critically unsuccessful Minions movie, the love-’em or hate-’em yellow fellows return, bent on returning to the glory days when Gru was a villain; therefore, they tempt Gru to try to push him back to his old ways before abandoning him when he refuses. The film starts with Gru and Lucy on a chase to stop Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker), a former 80’s kid star seeking revenge on Hollywood after his TV show “Evil Bratt” was unceremoniously cancelled when he entered his teen years. For his evil plan, Bratt borrows an episode from his show which involves stealing the world’s largest diamond to destroy Hollywood. Gru, a changed man — and now a family man, for that matter — wants to stop this atrocity and employs the help of his twin, Dru. Meanwhile, the girls, Lucy and the...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Just down the road from Lipscomb University on Belmont Boulevard, the Sound Emporium holds a deep music history — a history that Lipscomb is now privileged to be a part of, too. Last month, the Sound Emporium was given to Lipscomb by former Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn as part of his $15 million donation to Lipscomb, the largest in school history. Lipscomb’s College of Entertainment and the Arts now bears Shinn’s name: the George Shinn College of Entertainment and the Arts. The Sound Emporium has housed acclaimed artists varying from Johnny Cash to Trisha Yearwood to Kenny Chesney. Lipscomb’s School of Music Academic Chair, Donna King, hopes this rich history will benefit Lipscomb students as they integrate into the workings of the studio this fall. “It’s kind of a pioneering venture,” King said, “because Lipscomb is not taking over the running of a studio and turning it into a Lipscomb studio and a student studio. I think what we’re doing is actually better; we’re sort of coming into partnership with this historic, active studio that is still very actively making recordings.” Lipscomb’s contemporary music program is just in its third year of existence, and King said a gift of this magnitude was never expected so early on in the program. Charlie Peacock, the school of music director, is an active Nashville songwriter and producer and has been for several decades. Peacock is currently on leave, but will be directing Lipscomb’s integration with the studio for the upcoming school year. “It’s very difficult for a young program like ours . . . we would be thinking far down...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 16, 2017 | News Slider
Reporting by J-Campers Delia Batdorff, Alak Johnson, Linh Pham and Nisha Ramanna On the front lawns of Lipscomb University, students lay on the grass groaning about sprained ankles and pain in their bodies. A bell rang, and young medical campers jumped into action. In the midst of the mock crisis, they focused on the task at hand: treating their patients in a calm manner. The simulation was hosted by the Lipscomb-HCA TriStar Health Care Academy, where students come and learn the basics of healthcare June 4-9. The camp offers a unique perspective for high school students who show a keen interest in pursuing medicine. In this simulation, students worked in a “crisis” situation. While victim volunteers act out symptoms of injuries such as heat strokes and bug bites, the campers had to absorb the situation and apply treatment as if it was real. This process is called SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan) and was taught by Kathy Williams, instructor of nursing at Lipscomb. “This will give them the basics [first aid], and the fact that they can do it and that they can see — they can ask questions,” Williams said. “They’re going to go out, and . . . learn how to take care of a patient.” Shekinah Gordon, a journalism camper, played one of the victims. “They used fake sweat, like a highlighter powder and some blush,” Gordon said, adding, “I wanted to be a victim because I had never done it before and wanted to see what it was like.” Student Emily Cooper participated as one of the healthcare campers and noted that she appreciated...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 15, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
If there was ever a person who epitomized the term “student-athlete,” it would be Carson Panovec. The senior molecular biology major has kept busy by playing tennis for the Bisons, working as a member of Lipscomb’s Presidential Ambassador Council, serving as Vice President for Student Government Association (SGA) and recently being elected as SGA President for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year. “I don’t watch a lot of TV,” Panovec joked. The Tennessee native played for the Bisons his freshman, sophomore and junior years, but after this past season decided that he wouldn’t be returning to the court his senior year because the student body elected him as SGA President. “I wouldn’t be able to play tennis and be SGA President and do a good job at both, so it’d be a disservice to both of them if I tried to,” Panovec said. “Running for SGA President, I was like, ‘All right, if I get this, I’m not going to be able to play next year.’ And I got it.” In high school, Panovec was homeschooled and attended a homeschool tutorial (a one-day-a-week class cooperative). Although because of this he didn’t serve on a traditional SGA in high school, he served on a Student Leadership Council, which focused on creating a service-oriented environment. He came to Lipsomb partially because it had always been his dream to play Division 1 tennis. His older sister played tennis at Lipscomb as well, and although he considered attending Harding University, he ultimately decided that Lipscomb was the place for him. This was part of the reason it was such a hard decision to stop...
