by Erin Franklin | Sep 23, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
“Queen of Katwe” tells the inspiring true story of chess-prodigy Phiona Mutesi’s rise from poverty in Katwe, Uganda, to become one of the greatest chess masters in the world. The film begins with 10-year-old Phiona (newcomer Madina Nalwanga) going about her daily life by selling corn in the “slums” of Uganda. Her father tragically died recently, so her mother (Lupita Nyong’o) is left to raise four children alone. The Mutesi’s don’t have an easy time — the oldest child runs off with a “bad guy,” they’re evicted from their home, a storm floods their new house, etc. Through Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) — the soccer player turned missionary — Phiona discovers the game of chess. While chess becomes a great resource on which Phiona can focus her energy and high intelligence, it does not solve all her problems; the film does an excellent job of showing that an escape from poverty is not an easy transition. “Queen of Katwe” was shot on location in Uganda, providing an honest look at Mutesi’s childhood home, and all the colors in the film are especially vivid and beautiful. The majority of the film’s actors are Kenyan. Be sure to stick around for the credits to see them interact with their environment; viewers will get to see the actors stand beside their real-life counterparts at the film’s conclusion. Nyong’o delivers the best performance, portraying an incredibly complex character with skill and emotion. Phiona’s mother is strong, yet she needs her older children’s help so that they can pay their rent and have food at night; therefore, she struggles with Phiona’s running off to play chess. The film...
by Erin Franklin | Aug 30, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Brandon Burlsworth is hailed as the greatest walk-on in college football history. Burlsworth was also drafted by the Colts, has a trophy named after him that’s given to a player who started his football career as a walk-on and is responsible for the Brandon Burlsworth foundation, which helps underprivileged kids, both physically and spiritually. He’s also quite the virtuous, pious guy — not exactly fitting the Division 1 football player stereotype. Greater tells viewers this and more. Burlsworth started out his football career as an overweight middle schooler who was the only kid on the bench for his school team. However, his perseverance and dedication soon landed him a spot on his high school team, then a place as an Arkansas Razorback and eventually a spot in the NFL. Burlsworth’s incredible journey was cut short, however, as he died in a car accident just a few days after he was drafted by the Colts. The film is Christian-based, so it not only covers Burlsworth’s life, but it, of course, also delves into broader themes, namely the question, “Why does tragedy happen to a good person?” If you know Burlsworth’s story, the film carries no surprises; it’s main focus is the messages it shares. Chris Severio stars as Burlsworth; Neal McDonough (Arrow) plays his much older brother Marty and Leslie Easterbrook (Police Academy film series) plays Burlsworth’s mother Barb. It’s Serverio’s first feature film, and, while he is not the strongest actor of the leads and doesn’t necessarily look like a D1 football player, he holds his own and shows promise for the future. McDonough is the best actor of the group, portraying a much softer, vulnerable...
by Erin Franklin | Aug 24, 2016 | News Slider
The Joshua Project program launched the 2016-2017 school year with Christian conversation and Baja Burrito in Collins Alumni Auditorium, followed by dinner in Shamblin Theater Tuesday night. Program director Cyrus Eaton, along with Gabe Lyons — author of GOOD FAITH and founder of Q ideas — spoke to students about the value of having and being a spiritual mentor. “This is a really cool opportunity for you all to hear from those who have been deeply influenced by those before them, and they’re using those friendships with those men and women to influence the masses,” Eaton said, as he started the night off with details of The Joshua Project’s fundamentals and introduced the night’s guest speaker, Lyons. The Joshua Project’s mission is: “To connect members of the Lipscomb family in spiritual mentoring relationships that equip the participants to grow in love, devotion, and service to Jesus, His body of believers, and His Kingdom.” Eaton went on to discuss different aspects of the program’s function, such as the three core pillars of the program — Jesus-Centered, Two-Sided Investment and Simplicity. During the kickoff, Lyons focused on how Americans view the concept of faith and religion and shared his insights upon the matter, specifically bringing in data to illustrate the theme of “irrelevance” in the American culture. “There’s a general sense that it [religion] doesn’t really matter that much,” Lyons said. “Approximately 47% of millennials say they are afraid to speak up about their faith. Almost 60% say they feel marginalized in social relationships about sharing what they really believe. “I’m sure there’s people in this room, including myself, that have had that...
by Erin Franklin | Aug 21, 2016 | News Slider
Hello, fellow Bisons! With school starting back this Monday (I know — I can’t believe it either!), I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Erin Franklin, and, as you may have noticed, I assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief of Lumination this past summer. The position was previously held by the very talented Erin Turner, and I am honored to follow in her footsteps. I’m an incoming sophomore and a Journalism and New Media major. I hail from Mount Juliet, Tennessee –for those of you not from this area, MJ is a town just east of Nashville. As editor, I’m looking forward to the growth of this web site, and I hope to continue to build the site into something that all students, alums, faculty and parents read each day. Something I particularly hope to do is bring world-news stories with a Lipscomb focus to Lumination. I most certainly couldn’t do it alone, though! We have many talented students contributing to Lumination this year: Becca Risley and Anna Rogers, two very accomplished writers and photographers, are our two Managing Editors. KJ Lauck and Lindsey Nance are bringing their sports expertise to the staff as our Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor, respectively. Jade Spilka will keep you updated in the world of entertainment as our Arts and Entertainment Editor. Ben Davis, along with his trusty camera, is back as our Chief Photographer. Daniel Johnson is taking care of all of the complicated tech stuff as our Web Developer. We also have many more gifted writers and photographers on the Lumination staff. With Lumination radio, Anna McClure will continue to be...
