by Stephanie Schiraldi | Mar 12, 2015 | News Slider
Students have a new friend in class in the McFarland Science Center — the sound of a drill. Construction crews are working on an addition on the west side of the original building. The project is part of the Lipscomb:Next campaign, an initiative to invest $125 million in the university by its 125th anniversary in 2016. The $8.5 million addition will include six new laboratories for organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and human anatomy and physiology. Despite a few setbacks, Mike Engelman, director of campus construction, said construction is about to start moving swiftly. “This week we are preparing to pour the concrete on the basement slab,” Engelman said. “After that slab is complete, we will start the next level and should really start seeing this building move quick as long as the weather cooperates.” The construction has drawn quite a few noise complaints from both students and professors in the process, though. Kent Gallaher, chair of the department of biology, said the noise originated after the construction company found a layer of rock settling on top of a layer of mud, which had to be removed. “The solution was a hammer through the rock layer to stabilize the foundation,” Gallaher said. “This was very, very noisy work that required a huge bulldozer-sized jack hammer.” Brittany Elmore, a junior elementary education major from Mt. Juliet, said that some of her professors have had to wait for the noise to stop before they could continue teaching. “It was so loud that no one could hear,” Elmore said. “It’s definitely hard to focus and is distracting sometimes, but it really hasn’t bothered me as much...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Feb 14, 2015 | News Slider
A fashion show, special guests from NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and a little bit of Cheesecake Factory combined made for a Galentine’s Day event Friday night in Shamblin Theater. Elam Hall’s resident assistants helped their residents ring in the holiday of love a little differently this year. The event was hosted by Elam head resident and RAs, providing women with tips on how to dress modestly and feel comfortable with themselves. “I saw a need for girls to have an honest conversation about the importance of thinking through how we are dressing and why,” Elam head resident Hannah Meeks said. The night kicked off with some live music, followed by the fashion show put on by Blush Boutique – a local boutique offering affordable fashion. Kayley Coggins, a personal stylist at Blush, used 10 Elam residents as models for her presentation of modest spring outfits. “Modesty is important because it is part of our femininity,” Meeks said. “Modesty affects ourselves and those around us, and it becomes a big part of how we think about our identity and ourselves.” The fashion show was followed with a special panel discussion featuring two members of “The Sing-Off” season three a cappella group Delilah. Kendall Young, a junior human resources major from Dayton, Ohio and Ingrid Andress, Delilah group member, shared their journey of staying modest while performing on “The Sing-Off.” “We didn’t want to compromise ourselves because we would be lying to ourselves if we went out there dressed like these super sexy girls because that’s not who we were as people,” Young said. Andress said that a lot of girls hold themselves...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Feb 3, 2015 | News Slider
Relay for Life is hitting especially close to home this year for junior Kristen Lammons. Lammons, an elementary education major from St. Augustine, Florida, is finally got the chance to introduce her biggest supporters in Phi Nu to her fun-loving, warrior of a dad. Lammons’ father was diagnosed with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma her freshman year. After recently celebrating a year cancer-free, Mr. Lammons will be joining her at this year’s event as Phi Nu’s cancer survivor. “I think he was really honored that we thought about him and reached out to him [to be our survivor],” Lammons said. “It’s so important to me to invite him into it that I think it’s important to him.” “My dad is definitely a man’s man, we call him a businessman redneck,” Lammons said. “He’s just a great provider and that’s something I’ve always admired of him.” Lammons said that even through her father’s rigorous chemotherapy schedule, he still remained supportive of their family and stayed true to his character. “Watching him throughout all of that, even though he wasn’t feeling good and his personality was different, he still encouraged us and loved on us regardless,” Lammons said. Despite a transitioning family during the journey, which included Lammons studying abroad and her sister getting married and moving across the country, Lammons said they still managed to grow closer as a family. “It definitely brought our family close together and made us more real about being intentional with each other and spending time together,” Lammons said. “It was really awesome to watch my mom serve him. It made their marriage way stronger.”...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Jan 25, 2015 | News Slider
Good music, good vibes and a captivated crowd — that was the theme of The Arcadian Wild’s show Saturday night at Two Old Hippies. This indie-folk group was formed in October 2013 when three Lipscomb students came together. Sophomore music major Sarah Wood from Pueblo, Colorado, junior music major Everett Davis from Avon, Connecticut and Lipscomb graduate Lincoln Mick from Jacksonville, Florida, make up the group’s original members. In the fall of 2014, the group welcomed a new member, freshman music composition major Isaac Horn from Jonesboro, Arkansas. Several Lipscomb students came to the show, which featured a mix of new songs and some from the group’s first EP. “My favorite part was watching them express their artistry through their music,” sophomore Kelly Morrell said. “You can tell they put a lot of work into not just the lyrics, but the instrumentation – you can tell they are very passionate.” Although the group classifies itself as indie-folk, each member brings a distinctive style to the mix. “I think we’ve all been really influenced by a lot of different people, which makes our sound so unique because we all bring completely different writing styles to the table and different styles of playing,” Wood said. The group’s influences range from artists like The Avett Brothers, Regina Spektor, The Lumineers and The Tallest Man on Earth. Audience members agreed that the group’s sound and songwriting is unique. “I really enjoy that they write all of their own music,” freshman Zoey Dodge said. “It’s all really original and inventive.” Two Old Hippies is just one of the many venues they have played in Nashville. Last summer The Arcadian Wild played a tour, traveling...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Jan 19, 2015 | News Slider
The Department of Music has added a new performance ensemble to the mix, providing students with a unique opportunity to sing some of their favorite songs. Visible Voices is an all-girls group that specializes in acappella arrangements of contemporary pop hits, jazz standards and Broadway show tunes. Jordan Smith, a senior music education major from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, formed the group in fall 2014. Smith leads the group as a student teacher with the help of Dr. Juliette Singler. “I wanted to provide an outlet for people who aren’t in the music department to just sing and also an outlet for people who are in the music department to sing something that’s not classical,” Smith said. Visible Voices covered a variety of pop music during their first semester, ranging from “Roar” by Katy Perry to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin. This semester, Smith said she will try to tap into the group and focus on their voices, and she plans on trying out some softer tunes, such as Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity.” “I think that this group has the potential to really just be a place where people can come and sing and be creative,” Smith said. Donnely Lewis, a freshman music education major from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, joined the ensemble because she participated in show choir during high school. “I thought it would be super cool, because it’s pop music and that’s what I like to sing on my own time,” Lewis said. “Show choir was crazy and I loved it, and I feel like this is as close as I’m going to get to it.” Lewis said she...
