by Jade Spilka | Apr 2, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Sports
Jade Spilka is a former Lumination staffer now living and working in New York City. She is completing her final semester away and will graduate from Lipscomb in May. The Lipscomb Bisons are making their way to The World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City for NIT semifinals. At least 400 Lipscomb fans are expected to be in New York to support the team this week. With all the options for activities in the city, here are some favorites among locals and frequent tourists: Where to Eat: A Salt & Battery 112 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10011 Located in the charming Greenwich Village, A Salt & Battery is a fish and chips shop run by Brits and visited by many Lower Manhattan residents. The affordable spot is considered to be the best fish and chips restaurant in the United States by The Daily Meal. The space, however, does not have a large seating area so it’s best to stick to small groups when planning a trip there. Big Gay Ice Cream 125 East 7th St., New York, NY 10009 207 Front St., New York, NY 10038 61 Grove St., New York, NY 10014 Home to the best soft serve in New York City, Big Gay Ice Cream is a happy and vibrant shop packed with tourists. The Instagramable desserts offered at Big Gay Ice Cream are not only cute, but also extremely well reviewed by critics in the city. If you plan on visiting A Salt & Battery, consider stopping by Big Gay’s nearby Greenwich location for dessert. Ladurée 864 Madison...
by Jade Spilka | Mar 11, 2018 | News Slider
Women today are shattering glass ceilings, chasing dreams and looking to accomplish more than ever before. Leah Gwin is no exception. The 2016 Lipscomb alumna graduated with a degree in digital marketing and international business and has since found success at Lyft’s Nashville headquarters and Inflammo, a local startup. Gwin aims to be a leader in the workforce and to blaze a trail for women seeking equality while there. She said she hopes her efforts will one day encourage other women to actively pursue leadership positions as well. “I’d love to see women continuing to step up into leadership positions,” Gwin said. “Whether it is in business, at church, in politics, at school or at non-profits, I really hope to see the trend continue of women wanting to lead others and have an influence on the disparity in equality we have currently.” Nevertheless, Gwin also noted that she is aware of the trials she faces as a female in the business world. “From working while pregnant to getting behind while on maternity leave to attempting to master work-life balance to most likely coming back to work and making less than my male counterparts, I know that will most likely be one of the most difficult challenges I will have as a woman in business,” Gwin said. Despite these challenges, Gwin is an optimist, citing the phrase “stay amazed” as her life motto. “I want to constantly remind myself to be in awe of the beauty of life around me,” she said. “This mindset keeps me thankful, humble, excited and awake to the wonderful life around me.” Gwin uses this...
by Jade Spilka | Mar 10, 2018 | News Slider
At age 22, she launched her first public relations firm directly following her college graduation. “The entrepreneurial spirit was just consistently running through me, so I decided to take a chance after several interviews and rejections,” said Lipscomb Strategic Communication professor Aerial Ellis. “I didn’t want to wait.” Aerial Ellis’ determination and strong work ethic have established her as a successful consultant, author, entrepreneur and professor. Later in her career, a client, who was having trouble getting both Baby Boomers and Millennials talking, approached Ellis. Ellis then developed a communications strategy that was not only internal, but external as well. She realized there was a market for this type of consulting work and saw the need for diversity and inclusion training being integrated into her courses at Lipscomb. This realization led to Ellis educating and consulting a countless number of students and industry professionals on cultural communication. ‘Transforming culture is a heavy task,” Ellis said. “This is mainly because culture is so dynamic, and there are so many moving parts to creating and shifting a culture. I try to focus on what I can shift using my communication skills as a communications professional.” Ellis expanded her audience with the release of her book The Original Millennial and is a winner of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence and “40 Under 40.” “I would most like to be remembered for maximizing every single gift that God gave me,” Ellis noted. In her career, she has used these gifts to demonstrate what an empowered woman looks like and has encouraged other women to unapologetically embrace their power. “An empowered woman...
by Jade Spilka | Mar 8, 2018 | News Slider
“We thought you were just going to be another little blonde girl that didn’t know anything about sports.” Those were the words senior Lindsey Nance was left with following an internship. These words aren’t uncommon in her field. Freshman year, Nance was introduced to sports reporting and has since made a name for herself in the Nashville community. Nance is talented and respected among those who know her, but because of her blonde hair and small stature, she constantly has to prove that she’s knowledgeable of the sports industry. “It’s intimidating,” Nance said. “They look at me and they think I don’t know my stuff. I just have to work extra hard to prove them wrong.” Along with her strong work ethic, Nance is able to combat others’ scrutiny by remaining confident and informed. “Most of my confidence comes from me knowing my facts in and out to the point where I’m ready to roll with the punches,” said Nance. “Something is always going to go wrong in a broadcast, but if you’re secure in yourself and you have faith in what you’re saying, then the confidence comes naturally.” Nance believes the biggest problem for women today is not having enough confidence to build other females up instead of tearing them down. In a world where bullying is still very present among today’s youth, she believes women should band together and empower one another instead of focusing on bringing each other down. “Be confident in who you are and don’t try to be anyone else, because God created you for a specific purpose and you’re going to find that...
by Jade Spilka | Mar 7, 2018 | News Slider
With brains, beauty and a strong work ethic, Lipscomb alumna Kayla Ford is a triple threat. Ford graduated from Lipscomb last year and is now studying for her Master of Arts in religion at Yale Divinity School. While at Lipscomb, Ford was a part of the student team that created Ed Pack Global, a backpack company with the vision of eradicating poverty through education. Ed Pack Global partners with Mi Esperanza and Nashville’s own Thistle Farms, two companies that focus on improving the lives of underprivileged women. “Ed Pack started with my passion for women’s education,” Ford said. “The socioeconomic status of women is one of the single most significant factors for a country’s growth and development potential. When women are marginalized or oppressed, a country suffers. When women are empowered to contribute economically and socially, a country prospers.” Mission minded, Ford also served on mission trips to Guatemala and New York City with Lipscomb Missions and served as chaplain for Phi Sigma her senior year. “As chaplain, I was in charge of coordinating and planning our sisterhood retreat, which was our spiritual event of the year,” Ford said. “I tried to create an atmosphere that was completely loving, accepting and encouraging, because that kind of unconditional love and intimacy is what changes lives.” Ford has continued to excel post-graduation. She is studying at Yale Divinity School and getting the opportunity to learn from some of today’s top researchers, scholars and theologians. “I chose divinity school because the questions I was asking were about religion and how religion works and is perceived in a postmodern world,” Ford said. “I’m...
