by Taylor McKnight | Dec 9, 2020 | News Slider, Student Spotlight
From facemasks allowing people to be fashionable in the age of COVID to coffee helping people in Africa, Lipscomb-inspired entrepreneurs are offering shoppers opportunities to offer hyper-local support to small businesses as the holidays fast approach. One student at Lipscomb has two small businesses. Rachel Pavelich is selling both masks and memories. Rach Makes Masks, spurred by the need for face protection during the COVID pandemic, opened in August. Her other business is Tied Up With Memories. “This business started in 2013, and it makes memory blankets out of T-shirts, and I have made over 100 blankets so far,” said Pavelich. “I have been so blessed to have such supportive customers, so I donate a portion of each blanket purchase to the American Stroke Association and Komen For The Cure in honor of two dear customers.” Susan G. Komen (the official name) is the largest breast-cancer organization in the United States. And there are other opportunities to patronize small businesses flavored by Lipscomb. Sara Hinton, CEO of Simply Organized Co, sells cool stickers, T-shirts and hoodies. Shoppers can reach her company through Etsy or by emailing the CEO at sahinton1@mail.lipscomb.edu. Sydney Buckner runs Make.sell.go which stands for “Making products you’ll love. Selling them to go. Going to share the love of Jesus.” This business specializes in making customized T-shirts, accessories and other designs, all while trying to share the love of Jesus. Information about products and how to reach Buckner can be found at Make.sell.go on FaceBook. Aidan Miller started Kwizera Coffee, which has an inspiring origin story. Miller has a passion for where he grew up in Rwanda and...
by Taylor McKnight | Nov 23, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
Editor’s note: Prior to the announcement that graduation ceremonies will be held virtually, rather than in-person, university officials had their fingers crossed as they planned to do it live. Here is the story published about those plans and precautions prior to the decision to be safe and go virtual: Graduation — the moment students and their parents anticipate from the outset of the college journey — will look different this winter. It is still scheduled for December 19 in Allen Arena, but because of COVID, attendance will be limited, leaving out the parents. And, given the surge of the virus, there still is a chance it will be moved online, as it was last spring. In the spring, graduates didn’t have the opportunity to walk across the stage. For the first time in the university’s history, they hosted a virtual graduation. Students and their families watched the ceremony online. This semester Lipscomb is trying — despite the COVID pandemic — to give students the opportunity to walk across the stage. Because of the concerns about crowds and social distancing, the ceremony will be limited to faculty and graduates only. Parents, family members, and friends will have to watch the graduation ceremony through live stream. Provost Craig Bledsoe describes the pains taken to make sure graduation is safe during this era of the killer virus. “Knowing the restrictions we have, our plan is to have a graduation that resembles, looks like, feels like, what a regular graduation would look like for students,” he said. “Graduation will be physically distanced as much as possible, with guidelines we’ve been given by the...
by Taylor McKnight | Nov 17, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Savannah Hollis, a graduate of Lipscomb’s communications department, talked about her job with an NHL franchise and offered advice to current students during a Media Masters event. Media Masters is a series, sponsored by the department, that brings communications professionals “face-to-face” with Lipscomb students. This time, the event was held via Zoom. Hollis now works for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken team, managing their social media accounts. Hollis talked about her love for sports, especially hockey, a love which began when she was a child. During her time at Lipscomb, she originally had her sights set on a degree in psychology and soon realized that communications was more for her. She said that after joining the communications department, she became well prepared for this field. Hollis added that the professors helped her to find internship opportunities that led to some lifelong connections. “After learning about all the different paths you can take within communications, there was an opportunity to work in PR for a sports team. I don’t know many people who dream of working in PR for a sports team,” said Hollis. “ I never even considered that an option, I was really lucky to have that door opened up for me through Lipscomb. Mark McGee made quite a few introductions for me and helped me get on board with the Nashville Predators, and that’s where I got my start.” Hollis added, “Now I’m working for an expansion team in the NHL, you know managing their social media, helping on the PR side, and helping with the digital side.” Hollis stressed to students the importance of being professional and of...
by Taylor McKnight | Oct 25, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, News, News Slider
In a normal October, the red carpet would be rolling out and leading into Allen Arena for the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards. This is not a normal October. The 51st GMA Dove Awards will not be hosted at Lipscomb; in fact, there will be no venue hosting the Dove Awards, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the awards show to be completely virtual, with planners trying to package it differently than a typical awards show. The gospel awards show has taken place in Lipscomb’s Allen Arena for the past seven years, and the organizers hope to be able to come back to Allen Arena in 2021. Doves producer Justin Fratt said organizers wanted to take a different approach for this year’s awards to stand out from other virtual awards shows and to maintain the relevance and power of this event. “When planning, we were thinking about what would be different, but still very compelling,” said Fratt. “We didn’t want to do it like others — we’ve seen awards shows utilizing Zoom. This will be a musical feature that celebrates the music and the message.” The planning started in the spring, and the show was recorded in mid-September at TBN studios in Hendersonville. It took three weeks to record the show, said Fratt, adding there are performances and interviews with artists, who will share stories of faith and how gospel music has gotten them through these trying times. As far as the Dove Awards’ plans to return to Lipscomb next year: it looks like it’s a go. “As long as we can, we would love to gather again at...
by Taylor McKnight | Oct 12, 2020 | News, News Slider
Convicted killer Cyntoia Brown-Long, who became a Lipscomb alum by studying in the LIFE program while in prison, told students that God is ready to help them. “He is still there even when you can’t see him and he is working in your favor,” said Brown-Long in an interview with Dr. Kate Watkins at The Gathering. Brown-Long, who graduated from the LIFE program (she also got her GED) while incarcerated for the murder, shared her story during the interview October 13. Brown-Long — who said she was a victim of sex-trafficking — was given a life sentence at the age of 16, for the murder of a man who had picked her up for sex. She was charged as a prostitute and claimed self-defense during her trial. She served 15 years of her life sentence in prison, where she would earn her degree and reclaim her faith, she said. Celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian were drawn to her case and campaigned for her release. Through correspondence she met Christian rapper Jamie Long (aka J. Long), who she married while she was in prison. TV appearances drew the two together. Working with Lipscomb’s LIFE program — the Lipscomb Initiative for Education holds classes for inmates and with students who come to the women’s prison to study — she developed many skills that have helped her in the year since she was given clemency by Governor Bill Lee and released from prison. She also has frequently praised her husband for helping her recapture her faith. Brown-Long spoke about her way back to her faith during The Gathering. She said she...
