by LeBron Hill | Mar 6, 2018 | News Slider
Embattled Nashville mayor Megan Barry resigned Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to felony theft. Revelations of Barry’s affair with former police Sgt. Rob Forrest, her top security official have rocked the city since they emerged five weeks ago. Forrest, who retired the day that Barry admitted the affair, earned more than $170,000 in overtime pay during the affair as he accompanied the mayor on cross-country and overseas trips, as well as to hot yoga classes and events on the mayor’s social calendar. Three ongoing investigations pushed Barry to resign. In February, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation discovered photos of a nude woman presumed to be Barry on Forrest’s phone, which were dated during official trips, purporting to prove that the affair went on while Forrest was “on the clock,” which Barry had denied vehemently. Metro City Council’s special investigative committee will decide this evening in a planned meeting whether or not to continue investigating Barry’s use of taxpayer dollars. As part of a plea deal, both Forrest and Barry will serve three years of probation. Barry will reimburse the city $11,000. Forrest will reimburse the city $45,000 of salary. In a press conference announcing the resignation Tuesday morning, Barry thanked her staff and department heads and did not take questions. “It has been my honor and it has been the privilege of my entire professional life to have the blessing and the opportunity to be your mayor,” she said. She asked Nashville citizens to support Vice Mayor David Briley, her successor. Barry, 54, was a rising star in the Democratic party thanks to her mixture of business-friendly and socially...
by LeBron Hill | Feb 2, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Nashville mayor Megan Barry admitted Wednesday to having an affair with the head of her security detail dating back to spring 2016. The controversy comes while Barry is trying to sell the public on her $5.2 billion transit plan. The Metro Council votes next week on putting the transit plan on the ballot in May, a key step for the mayor’s plan. Barry’s affair with Metro Police Sgt. Robert Forrest Jr. reportedly lasted for a year. Sgt. Forrest earned $50,000 in overtime wages during that period. “I’m embarrassed, and I am sad, and I am so sorry for all the pain that I have caused my family and his family,” she said at a news conference Wednesday. “I know that God will forgive me, but that Nashville doesn’t have to. … I hope that I can earn your trust back and that you will forgive me.” Lipscomb professor of political science Dr. Marc Schwerdt agreed that the scandal will affect the voting for the transit plan. “It’s going to personalize this referendum from her,” Schwerdt said. “It becomes a referendum on her instead of just about the merits of that plan.” A metro council committee chairwoman announced Friday that she planned to create an investigative special committee to look into the use of taxpayer dollars and Barry’s trips around the time of the affair. The mayor spoke at the youth summit held at on campus last...
by LeBron Hill | Jan 13, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The Lipscomb choir partnered with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Intersection and MET Singers to present Upon These Shoulders last night at Fisk University’s memorial chapel. The evening featured music, spoken word and Negro spirituals. The purpose of the night was to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King and the many heroes of the Civil Right Movement. Intersection, which included current Lipscomb students Scott Brons and Samson Tucker, performed the song Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, composed by Joel Thompson. Junior Lipscomb student and piano performance major Brons said that singing the words to the song meant a lot to him. “It’s such a powerful piece,” Brons said. “Joel Thompson did such a great job composing it. There are all kinds of little things in it that make it both musically and emotionally mature and sincere.” The song is composed of the last words of seven unarmed black men: Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Kenneth Chamberlain, Amadou Diallo and John Crawford. Diallo’s last words were: “Mom, I’m going to college.” The song is intended to show those words being cried out as a powerful moment and message of pain and realization. Freshman and philosophy major Tucker took this opportunity to look more into the victims. “It led me to do more research on it because a lot of the names I didn’t know.” The MET singers, led by conductor Margaret Campbelle-Holman, started the concert with I-She-0-Lu-Wah, a Liberian chant followed by a Negro spiritual, My Lord, What a Morning. The Fisk Jubilee Singers sung Negro Spirtuals such as Oh, Holy Lord and The Battle of Jericho. The night...
by LeBron Hill | Jan 9, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Four students on the hiring committee announced at the Gathering Tuesday that the University is hiring Prentice Ashford to head the Office of Intercultural Development (OID) after a seven-month search. Ashford is an alumnus of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, and the former director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs there. “I’m excited to join this family,” Ashford said on stage at The Gathering. The hiring committee said he was chosen from a pool of close to 100 applicants. Each interviewed with African-American students, staff and administrators. “Prentice not only connected very well with our students, but he also connected well with faculty and administration,” hiring committee member Deion Sims told Lumination Network in a text message. “I think that, more than anything else, will allow him to be successful in his role as the head of our Office of Intercultural Development.” The OID is designed to give minorities on campus a voice regarding student affairs. It includes the coordinators of African-American Student Services, International Student Services and other student minority groups. The Black Student Union and Futuro, among other groups, are under the umbrella of the office. Lisa Steele, the current head of OID, is moving into a different role in the Student Life office. The University has not had a permanent head of African American Services since Paulette Cathey stepped down in mid-2017. The hire comes a semester after the racially charged cotton-centerpiece controversy that took place at President Randy Lowry’s home in...
by LeBron Hill | Nov 30, 2017 | News Slider, Opinion
The much-anticipated Justice League captures the essence of what it means to be a hero. The world is in disarray after the death of Superman (Henry Cavill) and is in need of heroes. With an alien invasion imminent, headed by the conquerer Steppenwolf, the Caped Crusader (Ben Affleck) with help from Wonder Woman, (Gal Gadot) set out to recruit others to defend earth. After Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) join the fight, they are immediately tasked with protecting the last Mother Box. There are three Mother Boxes and when combined, they become the Unity and changes the world into Steppenwolf’s home world of Apokolips. Realizing what they are up against, the team must come together to stop this threat. The significance of Superman is shown throughout the movie. His absence helps with the development of other characters. While Superman was alive, he was the shining light that others could look to. Wonder Woman let that light shine so she didn’t have to shine hers, still dealing with the loss of her love, Steve Trevor. Batman feels that Superman’s death was his fault and bringing him back to life will undo his wrong. Newcomers, Cyborg and The Flash, both deal with what a hero means to them. The Flash is trying to get his father out of prison. His focus is proving his dad’s innocence rather than becoming a hero. Cyborg, not wanting his newly attained powers, feels that he is losing what is making him human. His struggles come from his relationship with his father and deciding if he is man or machine. Aquaman...
