by Monaih Sam | Feb 15, 2013 | News Slider
Pastor Khem Sam reminds his congregation that “we are the lucky ones” every Sunday at Belmont Heights Baptist Church. Those may be just words to most, but to Pastor Sam, those words hold a much deeper meaning. Sam was abandoned by his parents as a young boy. He struggled to survive on the streets of poverty-stricken Cambodia. That was just the beginning of his problems. “I did whatever I could to survive,” he said. “I took whatever jobs I could find.” One of Sam’s first jobs was as a taxi driver. The only difference with today’s taxi drivers and those in the 1950s and 60s Cambodia was that they did not use cars. Sam would sit passengers in a carriage and he would walk or run them around town for miles in a day. Sam eventually worked hard enough to pay his way through school. “In those days only the rich people went to school,” he said. “The poor were illiterate, and I knew that I had to educate myself if I wanted a better future for myself.” Then came the Vietnam War, and Sam’s world would turn upside-down. Cambodia was a neutral country during the war, but it was often bombed by American forces because its borders were used as a supply chain to the North Vietnamese. It is estimated that as many as 500,000 Cambodians died as a direct result of the bombings, while perhaps hundreds of thousands more died from the effects of displacement, disease or starvation during this period. After the Vietnam was over, the Cambodian government collapsed and was taken over by the Khmer...
by Monaih Sam | Jan 17, 2013 | News Slider
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. His leadership and civil-service still have an effect on many Lipscomb students today. MLK represents equality, courage and freedom, said Melanie Re, a junior International Business major. “This nation would not be the greatest if it wasn’t for men like him who stood up for what he believed,” she said. “It’s important for generations to come to realize that there was once a man who fought for our unity and peace.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15. Cameron Collins, a junior Information Technology major, defines King as a “significant difference maker concerning mankind.” “Most importantly, we need to celebrate his life because what took place has shaped the way we deal with stereotypes and equality rights,” he said. “We need to be reminded of what used to be and what is now reality.” The Lipscomb community will observe the life of Dr. King with week-long service opportunities and events. For more information on how you can get involved,...
