by Cavin Jacobson | Jul 9, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Ant-Man and the Wasp is the first Marvel movie after Avengers: Infinity War left theater-goers speechless. Ant-Man and the Wasp is its own standalone movie that mingles very little with the other Marvel films, not confronting the cliffhangers in Infinity War. If you haven’t seen Infinity War yet, you don’t need to in order to understand and enjoy this film. Ant Man and the Wasp is possibly even the best film Marvel could have put out right after Infinity War as it allowed Marvel fans to stop stressing over the cliffhanger at the end of Infinity War and focus on another great superhero adventure that is going on at the same time. Ant-Man and the Wasp follows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) way over on the other side of the United States in sunny San Fransisco, a place that doesn’t have much of a superhero presence (as opposed to New York City, where most of Marvel’s heroes live). Scott has been on house arrest now for two years following the events of Captain America: Civil War, and of course, he only has one week left until he is a free, non-superhero man. During his last week on house arrest, he has a dream about Hank Pym’s (Michael Douglas) wife, Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) who has been trapped in the Quantum Realm since before the events of the first film. Scott then gets roped into another adventure with Hank and Hope Pym (Evangeline Lilly) to rescue Janet from the Quantum Realm. This time, Hope dons the suit of the Wasp, who can fly, has laser guns and is much more...
by Abbi Scott | Jul 1, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
With summer in full swing, the university is also taking advantage of the summer months with an Independence Week celebration. Tomorrow through July 3, the campus will be opening its doors to the public for its annual Summer Celebration. The celebration has been one of the longest-standing events held on Lipscomb’s campus, starting 90 years ago. In early years this was known as the “Lipscomb Lectures,” which brought several different speakers to the community. Janel Smith, senior manager of communication at Lipscomb University, has played a big role in the event over the years. “Lipscomb University has rebranded the summer celebration,” Smith said. “They’ve amped up the family portions of this event because a lot of attendees come from all over the country, and they bring their kids, and they stay in the dorms. It’s really like they’re on vacation.” With a jam-packed schedule, there’s something going on at all hours of the day. Smith encouraged parents to bring the whole family because there are events for everyone, including keynote speakers for teens along with activities for children, like inflatable games. During the evening there will be a variety of food vendors from Kona Ice, Chick-Fil-A, Blue Coast Burrito and Papa John’s Pizza. “This year every single class will be recorded and available for free,” Smith said. “That means if you’re only able to attend one, you can see the rest online.” Along with a long list of speakers, there will be live performances during the Bison Block Party from acts such as The Annie Moses Band and George Pendergrass with the Mockingbird Project Singers. Local Lipscomb students will...
by Charissa Ricker | Jun 29, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Writer and Director Dave Christiano needs student extras for his upcoming movie, The Perfect Race, filming on Lipscomb’s campus. The scenes filming at the end of July will need 10 students of any gender and any race. The Perfect Race is the sequel to the 2016 film Remember the Goal and follows a female 800-meter runner who attends a small Christian college. Christiano and his brother Rich both started their film careers in the 1970s and have directed and produced several Christiano Films. These movies highlight the beliefs of the Christiano brothers and display strong Christian themes. Christiano is no stranger to working with Lipscomb students. Lipscomb junior Quinn Gorte and Lipscomb graduate Lacy Hartselle both starred in his previous film Remember the Goal. Gorte was 18 when she played the role of Anna Glass, the lead runner of the cross-country team. Though her character will not be in the The Perfect Race, she shared her experience working on the previous film. “Being able to share parts of my story with people was an incredible honor, and being in the film really expanded my platform to open doors for those opportunities,” Gorte said. “It was really fun meeting new people from the various states and organizations, and many of them really went out of their way to help the film.” Gorte shared how the cast of Remember the Goal still keeps in touch and will forever be “a little family.” She is currently helping recruit students for the film. “He (Christiano) is one of the most passionate people I’ve ever met,” Gorte said. “He just devotes his life to honoring...
by Charissa Ricker | Jun 18, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Alongside her grandma, student Veronika Jones worked with Music City Center throughout the entirety of the the CMA music festival and even found a potential career path she said she wants to pursue after graduation. The Junior International Affairs major worked the Fanfair inside Music City Center at the Radio Disney Country meet and greet. Jones was in charge of counting the fans that lined up and cutting off the line when the performers had to leave. “A lot of the times performers had somewhere to be right after they were done, like an interview or another show, so it was really fast paced,” Jones said. “I met a lot of really nice people that were really understanding if I did have to cut the line off.” Jones worked closely with artists Cam, Maddie & Tae, LANCO and more. She noted that one of her favorite parts about working the CMA Fest was meeting all different kinds of people, not just the performing artists. “Everybody I worked with was awesome, and I also met a whole lot of interesting people from all over the world,” Jones said. “I met these girls who all became friends through Twitter because they were all Kelsea Ballerini fans.” Despite the many people she met, Jones said her favorite person she worked with was her “Gran.” Jones’ grandmother works for Music City Center and has worked the CMA Music Festival the past nine years. Music is a big part of Jones’ family, and she spent a lot of her childhood at the Grand Ole Opry where her Gran worked as a tour guide. “If...
by Cavin Jacobson | Jun 15, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
There’s nothing easy about being a child. Within only half-a-decade from birth, you’re expected to walk, talk, socialize, behave and conform to the “adult” way of your culture. Nowadays, a conversation about emotion and the nuances of life are rarely shared with children outright; instead, children are expected to just grow and guess how the adults have it figured out (we don’t). This wasn’t always the case though. Several decades ago, a piano composer named Fred Rogers became upset with the way that early television treated its child audience. He was appalled with the silly and slapstick nature of TV shows aimed at younger audiences. So he put aside his goal of being an ordained Presbyterian minister and set out to create a show that would speak to children at their level, with dignity and sincerity, while also displaying authority and wisdom. And he did exactly that. Every day, Fred Rogers would be “Mister Rogers” to the children of the Pittsburgh area, and then to the rest of the United States. Won’t You be my Neighbor is a very special kind of documentary. It isn’t a biopic on the inner workings of the man Fred Rogers, and it isn’t some history piece detailing Mister Roger’s Neighborhood and the way it came to be renowned in the United States. It’s a barely even a documentary. Really, it’s something far more wholesome. Won’t You be my Neighbor is a celebration of a time long past. It’s a presentation of ideas and ideologies of one genuinely kind man. The film does not go deep into Fred Roger’s personal life, nor does it...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 7, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
TPAC’s latest production in its all-star summer lineup is Waitress, the musical based off the hit 2007 film of the same name. Two-time Tony Award nominee and six-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles brings the narrative to life with an engaging, upbeat soundtrack that will make you laugh, cry, smile and everything in-between. Desi Oakley leads the cast as Jenna, a waitress at the local southern diner who has a propensity for making delicious, unique pies, and who also finds herself unexpectedly pregnant while in an abusive marriage with her husband Earl. Waitress is definitely a musical driven by vocal performance rather than dance (unlike last season’s American in Paris, which featured ballerinas in the lead roles and was driven more towards dance rather than acting and singing). Oakley’s vocal performance is outstanding, and she is by far the star of the show. Her rendition of “She Used to Be Mine” is especially good. Charity Angél Dawson plays Jenna’s cheeky coworker/best friend Becky, and Lenne Klingaman plays awkward Dawn, another fellow waitress and friend at the diner. However, Jeremy Morse nearly steals the show as Ogie, Dawn’s first love interest and future husband. Morse’s long rendition of “Never Getting Rid of Me” is sure to delight, getting the crowd laughing after emotionally-taxing scenes between Jenna and Earl. Waitress is raw, depicting the ups and downs of life without hesitation, and it is a show more geared towards adults than young families with children. It does have some coarse language and deals with heavy themes such as abusive marriage and adultery. In each scene that Ogie and Dawn appear, however, they lighten the mood;...
