by Lauren Borders | Dec 16, 2015 | News Slider, Opinion
The anxious scramble to find a student worker position is a feeling experienced by many college students. On-campus positions, of course, often take precedence over off-campus ones. However, there are a number of off-campus job opportunities affiliated with the Financial Aid Office that offer the same opportunities for federal work study and a chance to make a difference in the Nashville community. One of these places is the Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC), a non-profit housed downtown in First Baptist Church. The CWJC specializes in teaching impoverished women valuable job skills in the hopes of creating a better future for them. The women are placed into classes that teach courses in areas such as GED test preparation, computer skills or conversational English. Tutors in these classes are always needed, and college students have the opportunity to apply for this position and hopefully give back to those who did not have the same educational advantages. The CWJC’s ministry is not limited to adults. The majority of the women involved in the program have children that need to be looked after as well. This is where most college students, including four students from Lipscomb, are employed. The youth in the program range from three months old to about 12. Although the age gap is wide, the basic goal remains the same. The job involves genuinely connecting with the children, building relationships and being a Christ-like example. This is not your usual babysitting job. These kids often come from broken homes and are constantly surrounded by a culture that promotes destructive behaviors. Those who work with this non-profit have the opportunity to have a positive...
by Lauren Borders | Dec 5, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, Galleries
Lipscomb’s dance company Foundation Dance Theatre (FDT) presented the first of three “Elevate” performances Friday night in Shamblin Theatre. FDT has two more productions of “Elevate” on Dec. 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre. Student tickets are available at the door. Photos by Sarah Johnson « ‹ of 2 ›...
by Lauren Borders | Dec 5, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb’s dance company Foundation Dance Theatre (FDT) presented the first of three “Elevate” performances Friday night in Shamblin Theatre. FDT provides an artistic outlet for students of all majors and backgrounds. The foundation’s main goal is to provide an on-campus way for students tell stories through movement and grow in the art of dance, whether he or she is a beginner or an experienced dancer. The show features performances by both company and theater students as well as professional dancers. Styles include jazz, ballet, modern and tap. “For me, it was really exciting to come to college and still be able to dance,” freshman Peggy Miller said. “There’s a really good sense of community in being able to do something you love with really good professors and at the same time grow a lot as an artist. It was so much better than I expected. I really love it.” “Elevate” was directed by co-founder and adjunct faculty member Leigh Anne Ervin as well as choreographer and professor Kari Smith. “Initially it was primarily theater students that were involved,” sophomore Emily Meinerding said. “It branched out [to] incorporate other students that wanted to dance outside of school.” The two-act show features performances by students with a wide range of expertise. Several students participate in multiple dances. The production’s lighting and sound was constructed by students as well. The production includes both secular and religious pieces. The event concludes with a dance by Tier II students that centers around the power of baptism. “What I love about the dance theatre company here is that it’s unique because we have the ability to use our...
by Lauren Borders | Nov 11, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb’s new Contemporary Music program doesn’t just get students working in the classroom but also advances their skills on stage. The program hosted its first concert with original and cover song performances from around 20 students. Guest artist singer-songwriter Scott Mulvahill, the bassist for Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, also performed. The evening’s event was directed by Artist-In-Residence Charlie Peacock, Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter. Peacock has been a pioneer in developing the contemporary music program along with Dean Mike Fernandez and faculty member Steve Taylor. “This Contemporary music program was really a dream that was born about 14 months ago now,” Peacock said. “Dean Fernandez and my good friend Steve Taylor met with me and said ‘Hey, would you be interested in helping us develop a contemporary music program?’ And it just wasn’t on my mind at all. In fact, I was right in the middle of trying to get Joy Williams’ most recent album finished, and I was deep in the record business. “It was an idea whose time had come. Lipscomb University was ready to add a contemporary pop music component to what they do here, and I was ready to take it on.” And with the start of the program, the concert was born as well. Daves Highway, a sibling group formed of Delaney, Erika and Zachary Daves, was one of the featured performers. They knew Peacock long before they joined Lipscomb’s program, though. “I knew them from actually producing some of their music,” Peacock said. “So it was a wonderful, full-circle moment to have them come and actually be my students, too. [They were] first my...
by Lauren Borders | Oct 24, 2015 | News Slider, Opinion
College can be downright stressful. But one night of crazy fun can be the best kind of medicine for stress. On the night of Friday, Oct. 24, hundreds of students gathered in the lower level of Allen Arena West parking garage for just that. Paint the Herd is put on by the Student Government Association every year at the end of October and is essentially a paint dance party. For a $5 fee, students gear up in plastic jumpsuits and dance in a tarp-lined space while strobe lights flash and paint is shot at them from water guns. “I was a little apprehensive about coming tonight,” said freshman Ellory Overcast as she walked down the stairs to lower level. “But everyone told me it’s something to do at least once while I am here.” Paint the Herd is, without a doubt, a unique experience. The Lipscomb community dances together regardless of friend groups, appearances are completely disregarded and everyone emerges looking like a Jackson Pollock painting. Students said the event was also a great way to see acquaintances in a whole new light. “Seeing people outside of class is totally different from seeing them at Paint the Herd,” freshman Hannah Fox said. “It’s so weird to see someone I sit across from in one of my classes go completely insane on the dance floor.” Freshman Leslie Giles would have to agree. “There’s this one girl in my math class who is always so polite and quiet, and I barely even recognized her tonight,” Giles said. Most of the night’s attendees didn’t leave until the event came to an end...
