by Janice Ng | Jan 22, 2014 | News Slider
WSMV Channel 4 News chief investigative reporter and anchor Jeremy Finley says investigative journalism is outrage. “That’s what investigative journalism is all about,” Finley said at this month’s edition of Media Masters Tuesday evening to a crowd of communication and journalism students at the Ezell Center. “It is outrage on a lot of different platforms,” Finley said. “When I come on the air with a story, that’s what I’m bringing. I’m bringing outrage of some kind.” To Finley, investigative journalism involves digging deeper than just reporting on a story. “I knew what I wanted to do. I didn’t just want to cover, I wanted to uncover. That’s the difference between general assignment and investigative.” Uncover, he did. Over the course of his career, Finley has exposed corruption, crime, how taxpayer dollars are being used, what public officials are doing and many scams that are out in the nation. Finley discussed an unusual case involving prison inmates updating Facebook pages from behind bars. The inmates had smuggled cellphones into their cells, and were using social media to show the public their life behind bars. Finley and his team did an investigative piece on the issue, which led to 15 more investigative stories on the smuggling activities of prison wardens and inmates. The story also led the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to investigate the state prisons. Finley said that although investigative journalism has given him a lot of experience, some of his most memorable experiences came before he stepped into that field. Finley recalled helicopter rides, cave expeditions and covering the Summer Olympics in Greece. Besides investigating, Finley also anchors the...
by Janice Ng | Jan 17, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
In the first installment of Lumination News for the 2014 spring semester, Savanna Schubert and Carter Sanderson are behind the news desk to update you about what is happening on campus and in the local community. Madeline Smith fills you in on the week’s top world news headlines, Aaron Schmelzer gives the scoop on all things entertainment, Bridgette Begle gives you the weather forecast and Kage Sanderson brings you up to speed with sports. This week’s newscast features the story of a Lipscomb student affected by the Target security breach, information on how to stay healthy during the flu season, a look at what to expect for chapel this semester and an update on the legalizing marijuana bill floating around Tennessee. We also give you a preview of different club events on campus, such as Rush Fair and Spanish speed-dating with Futuro, and we show you how you can get involved in Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service events. Be sure to stay tuned for future newscasts published every Friday here on...
by Janice Ng | Jan 15, 2014 | News Slider
Service and change is the focus for the Lipscomb community as students and faculty remember the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lipscomb’s multicultural organization Kappa Iota Theta will host “Change for Change!,” a weeklong change drive. Students can bring their extra change to the student center front desk to help purchase school supplies for the Youth Life Learning Center. “The Change for Change drive is a great example of how small change can add up and make such a big difference,” said Elizabeth Hayes, Intercultural Engagement and Development administrative assistant. “We want students to remember that sometimes, it’s the small deeds that are truly impactful.” Students from Lipscomb, Belmont, Fisk, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State and Trevecca will come together at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Tennessee State University’s Kean Hall to kick off the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Students will have several opportunities to choose from, including helping to paint McKissack Middle School, sorting food at Second Harvest Food Bank, painting a mural at Hadley Park Community Center, sorting medical supplies at Project C.U.R.E. and helping the Christian Women’s Job Corps of Middle Tennessee move to their new location. “The MLK Day of Service is a significant event in that it’s one of the only times in which all the universities come together, and it’s really exciting to see that vision that MLK had of serving, that everybody can serve,” SALT program coordinator Cara Harris said. “And I think just the way [students] take some time to come together and learn about why they’re doing it, that’s what makes it a unique service opportunity for Lipscomb...
by Janice Ng | Nov 12, 2013 | News Slider
Journalism is a part of everyday life, whether it be a morning read of the newspaper, a lunchtime checking of social media on smartphones or watching videos right before bed. Maria De Varenne, executive editor and vice president of news at The Tennessean, spoke to communication and journalism students about the professional world and the importance of work ethic at the second annual Media Masters event Monday, Nov. 1,1 at the Ezell Center. A longtime print publication, The Tennessean has adapted to the digital age, serving consumers based on when, how and where they want news and information. “While many people think print is dead, we don’t think they’re right,” De Varenne said. “For the past few years, we also deliver our stories, photos and other content on digital platforms. We deliver more local news and information than any other source in the market.” Since several news outlets also deliver news on digital media, what makes The Tennessean stand out? “Watchdog journalism and community leadership,” De Varenne said. “We not only have the area’s largest news staff, but we dedicate the most time, space and attention to local issues.” Watchdog journalism, or investigative journalism, has won The Tennessean several awards in the past. The publication was a Pulitzer finalist for their coverage of the 2010 Nashville flood. With her current success with The Tennessean (over 900,000 weekly readers), it would be almost impossible to believe that De Varenne didn’t initially plan on a career in journalism. “I had a music scholarship in college, and I took art classes,” De Varenne said. “I signed up for an intro to journalism...
by Janice Ng | Nov 12, 2013 | News Slider
Lipscomb’s OPEN Gallery is exploring contemporary art with Chicago-based artist Victoria Martinez’s Secret Garden exhibition. The student-run gallery is curated by Lipscomb art students Callan Downing and Seth Lykins and displays work from different artists every month. “It’s run entirely by students,” student and Lipscomb Artist-in-Residence Seth Lykins said. “We’re in charge of finding the artists each month and bringing them down here, and we install and de-install the work.” This month’s featured artist is 25-year-old Victoria Martinez. A Pilsen, Chicago native, Martinez was born to Mexican parents and grew up with a strong connection to her heritage. “My art is influenced by the color of my culture and the make-do attitude of my people,” Martinez said. A 2010 Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduate, Martinez describes her work as “mixed media ephemeral collages.” Playing around with textures, textiles and patterns, Martinez’s works bring to mind such artists as Frida Kahlo, but in 3D. “I just collect a lot of random items from the street and when I go for walks, I collect cassettes, pieces of paper or rocks and I bring them to my studio,” Martinez said. “I lay them down on my table and draw them. Or I like to go to thrift stores and collect items with vibrant patterns and colors. I pin them to my walls and collage them to see what I have.” The finished product is what Martinez refers to as a “soft sculpture.” “When I was growing up, I was inspired by my neighborhood a lot,” Martinez said. “There were a lot of gang wars, sirens. Now there’s a lot of...
