by Kathryn Farris | Jan 5, 2019 | News Slider
With Governor Bill Haslam’s term ending only weeks away, activists across the country are strongly calling on him to take one last major act in office and grant clemency to Lipscomb graduate Cyntoia Brown. In Nashville, Metro Council members voted Thursday to officially request Haslam to grant clemency to Brown. She was 16 years old when she was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder and robbery. In 2015, Brown graduated from Lipscomb with an associate degree through Lipscomb’s LIFE program. Rob Touchstone, a Lipscomb professor who taught Brown, spoke to the Tennessean about his experiences with Cyntoia. He told the Tennessean that Brown was “One of the best students I’ve had the blessing of teaching,” and he believes Brown is “using this experience that none of us could even imagine to become a better person.” However, controversy surrounds her life sentencing in multiple ways. Some argue that human trafficking is what led Brown to commit the crime. The defense argued that Brown was forced into prostitution after a life of abuse. In her testimony, Brown described being picked up by Johnny Mitchell Allen, a 43-year-old Nashville real estate agent. When the crime occurred, Brown said she believed he was reaching for a gun and intended to do her harm. Threatened for her safety, Brown shot and killed Allen in what she says was an act of self-defense. “Robbery” is what solidified the prosecutor’s case against Brown. After shooting Allen, Brown is reported to have stolen cash from his wallet. The prosecution used this to argue that the crime was a robbery rather than an act of self-defense....
by Kathryn Farris | Nov 10, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
An incident occurred involving a man getting severely injured outside a residence close to Lipscomb’s campus on Thursday night. As a result of his injuries, the man died after being transported to the hospital. The incident began across the street near the intersection of Shackleford Road and Granny White Pike. Erin Duruelle, an individual who lives across the street, posted to NextDoor last night about the incident. In a post titled “Severe Trespassing in Green Hills Home,” Duruelle went on to describe the incident that left her “in shock.” “A police officer showed up at my home in Green Hills reporting that man had impaled himself on my back wrought iron gate and lost his pants in the process,” Durelle wrote. “He bled walking from my backyard to our courtyard (naked the entire time) and bled profusely before walking back to the gate and leaving.” Duruelle reported she was unaware of the incident until she was alerted by police. “There is blood everywhere in my courtyard and I am in shock…He was found, but I never thought this would have happened on my property here.” Lipscomb Vice President of Public Relations Kim Chaudoin provided a statement on behalf of the university: “The university is so sorry for the loss and hope he is identified soon so that his family can be notified,” Chaudoin said. “Our prayers are with them.” Lipscomb student Destiny Talatham was stuck in the traffic caused by the incident. “I see Patrick Cameron on the pond side with a flash light and [he] seemed to be searching for something on the pond hillside,” Talatham said, recalling...
by Kathryn Farris | Nov 5, 2018 | News Slider
Dana Carpenter was in third grade when she discovered her talent for storytelling. While waiting for the school bus, she excitedly told stories to classmates and watched as their facial expressions reflected the emotions she was narrating. “I’d always come in with a fresh story, and it was always exhilarating to watch their faces react to being scared, sad or happy,” Carpenter said about her early experiences writing. Carpenter continued writing all the way through her high school years, but “chickened out” after arriving to college. Her unfamiliarity with writers on campus led her to dive into academics and put creative writing to the side. It wasn’t until she was working on her PhD at the University of Mississippi that she rediscovered her passion for writing. “My father who was a crop-duster was killed in a plane accident on Father’s Day weekend,” Carpenter said. After returning to school after the horrific accident, she spent her days working on her dissertation in the school library. With the difficult experience still on her mind, she found herself drawn to the library’s old records and census data. “I immersed myself in the genealogy of my dad’s family” Carpenter said. When she was growing up, Carpenter noted that her father would always tell her “write my story for me someday.” She found herself doing just that, researching during 15-minute study breaks that turned into 4-hour long dives into her family history. The microfilms and census data revitalized her Dad’s stories. “I felt him there, and it was like he was giving me my dream back.” Once Carpenter began teaching American Literature at Lipscomb,...
by Kathryn Farris | Oct 12, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift shared a post on her Instagram on Sunday giving support to Tennessee Senate Candidate Phil Bredesen and House of Representatives Incumbent Jim Cooper. This post marked one of the first times Swift has publicly addressed her personal political views. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.” said Swift in the caption. She went on to cite Republican Candidate Marsha Blackburn’s congressional voting history as a major factor in her vote for Bredesen. The endorsement caused both backlash and praise. While many rejoiced at Swift’s support for liberal candidates and policies, conservatives argued that Swift should keep entertainment away from politics. On Monday, President Donald Trump commented on Swift’s endorsement for Bredeson to White House reporters by noting, “Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now.” Nashville news station WSMV conducted a poll Monday morning, asking Twitter followers whether they allow celebrity political endorsements to affect their vote. An overwhelming majority — 95 percent of respondents — denied celebrity endorsements being a factor in their choices at the polls. But due to Swift’s massive following, this post could cause more people to register to vote. With an Instagram following of more than 112 million, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential celebrities in the world. Vote.org told Buzzfeed News that since Swift’s post Monday, more than 65,000 voters have registered nationally, including 2,144 voters registered in Tennessee. The majority of the newly registered voters fall into the average age range...
by Kathryn Farris | Oct 1, 2018 | News Slider
Last year, Lipscomb College of Business seniors took part in a comprehensive test known as the Peregrine Exam. It was recently announced that years of hard work by both students and faculty had paid off. The Lipscomb College of Business outperformed all schools with similar accreditation, an accomplishment that reflects well on the university and could eventually boost degree values for current and former students. The Peregrine Exam is a comprehensive test used to measure learning outcomes. It covers various topics that have been taught in business courses. “One of the more important things we learn from the exam is the percentage of correctly answered questions in both the overall exam and in the sub areas,” said Assistant Dean of Accreditation and Assessment John Crawford. The College of Business uses the scores from the Peregrine Exam to shape curriculum by analyzing how B.B.A. students performed in areas both inside and outside of their specific major. However, the College of Business won’t be able to tell whether their curriculum changes are effective until new students cycle through the program and take the exam at the conclusion of their senior years. “The goal is always to do better, but it could be one of those situations where you’re trying to do something in an area where students tend to learn about that particular topic earlier on,” said Crawford. So, how do the students feel about the Peregrine exam? “Students don’t typically go away from the test saying that the material was unfamiliar or that they forgot most of a particular subject,” said Crawford. Similar sentiments were expressed by recent Lipscomb graduate...
