by Charissa Ricker | Feb 1, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences hosted a screening of the HumanDocs film “I Am Evidence” Wednesday night in Shamblin Theater. The HBO film, directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Trish Adlesic, features the cities of Detroit, Cleveland and Los Angeles. Thousands of untested and unopened rape kits there span decades of sexual crimes. The documentary showcased testimonies of women in the three cities who were victimized first by rape and then by the system’s neglect. They waited as long as 15 years to see progress on their cases and eventually grew to expect that nothing would happen. In an effort to rebuild trust in the justice system, city officials have begun offering resources and implementing special teams to ensure that the kits get tested, victims get justice and serial rapists are taken off the streets. Lauren White, assistant professor of theology in the College of Bible and ministry at Lipscomb, introduced the film. “This documentary comes to us at a watershed moment in our cultural history and consciousness,” White said. “In view of the recent #metoo movement, our country has been unable to ignore the voices of assault survivors and has had to confront the disturbing evidence of just how pervasive sexual violence against women actually is.” The event also featured a panelist discussion after the film. The speakers, Ilse Knecht, Rachel Freeman, Captain Harmon Hunsicker and Pam Crues, all help victims of sexual assault in the community of Nashville. A new crime lab was recently built in Nashville. It focuses on processing backlogged kits and holding offenders accountable. Captain Harmon Hunsicker in the Forensic Services Division at...
by Jade Spilka | Jan 31, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Richard Rodgers’ and Oscar Hammerstein’s The King and I is a joyful hit. The prestigious cast consists of Broadway veterans Laura Michelle Kelly and Jose Llana as the lead characters Anna Leonowens and King Mongkut of Saim. Kelly and Llana excel in their dynamic and challenging roles while the supporting cast offers an impressive performance. Their choreography and vocal abilities are unparalleled and keep the audience engaged and uplifted. The 1951-era musical conveys a positive message of female empowerment, a rare narrative in the time of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Anna Leonowens, a Welsh schoolteacher, is hired to teach the favored wives of King Mongkut and their children, including the heir to the Saim throne. King Mongkut is attempting to educate the members of his royal family on proper English and knowledge of the world outside of Saim. This is done as an attempt to westernize the underdeveloped eastern country. Upon Leonowens arrival, she is notified that King Mongkut has backed out of his promise to provide her and her young son with a house, insisting they live within the palace walls. Leonowens reluctantly obliges and begins her duties as governess to the royal children and teacher to their mothers. Her empathetic and kind demeanor gain her favor among all those in the palace, including King Mongkut. King Mongkut is hesitant to admit his need for Leonowens’ help. His misogynistic view of the world hinders him from accepting her valuable insight into the modernization and education of Saim. With time, Leonowens learns to reframe her opinions to make him believe the ideas were his own. She stands up for an...
by Hannah Pipher | Jan 25, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
At promptly 7:30 p.m. Saturday night, the lights rose as “Underground” from the musical Memphis by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro played through the speakers in Collins Alumni Auditorium. This signified the beginning of the fourth annual Elevate dance concert put on by Lipscomb’s Department of Theatre and Foundation Dance Theatre (FDT). Although each year the dance concert is entitled Elevate, there is a theme set that each of the dances focuses on. For 2018, Elevate took on the theme, “This is the Moment.” The evening featured 12 dances ranging anywhere between tap to hip-hop and duets to group performances. Each dance had been uniquely designed with its own costumes, music, lighting and dancers. A total of 24 dancers could be seen throughout the night. “The subtitle, ‘This is the Moment’ is actually the name of a song in the musical Jekyl and Hyde,” co-director Kari Smith said. “It is a pivotal point in that show, and we were looking for a theme that would highlight important moments in our lives.” Smith held the title as one of the two directors of this year’s performance along with Leigh Anne Ervin. Both women are adjunct professors on campus and serve as the co-founders of Foundation Dance Company. “Each choreographer brought a beautiful and totally unique piece to the show, and our designers worked together to bring the choreographer’s vision to life,” Smith said. “Because each choreographer was able to interpret the theme in their own way, the result is a truly diverse show that highlights their creative vision as well as the talents of the dancers.” Each dancer had the opportunity...
by Lorena Coleman | Jan 24, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
On Monday evening, Lipscomb students had the opportunity to view a special, two-episode screening of FOX’s new TV Series “The Resident.” The screening, hosted by the College of Entertainment and the Arts, offered a sneak peek at the prime-time medial drama inspired by the New York Times bestselling book, “Unaccountable” by Dr. Marty Makary. Dr. Makary is a world-renowned pancreatic surgeon from John Hopkins University. In addition to being the bestselling author, he was in attendance for the preview. He participated in a question-and-answer session with emcee Steve Taylor before and during commercial breaks of the show’s screening. Attendees were treated to stories of Makary’s experiences as a doctor, advice offered to those in the medical field and the new series’ preview. As for the show itself, student Carrie Cowart said, “’The Resident’ is a breath of fresh air for the health care industry. “Viewers will be hooked not only by the plot line, but by how invested they will become in learning more about the industry and what improvements need to be made.” Cowart stated. “It’s for sure the next ‘Grey’s Anatomy!’” While much of the show’s dramatic tone makes it feel like a “Grey’s Anatomy” doppelgänger, “The Resident” also touches on some important issues that set it apart from the rest of the medical dramas. The show, starring Matt Czuchry, Emily VanCamp, Manish Dayal and Bruce Greenwood, offers an eye-opening perspective as to what goes on behind the scenes of a hospital. While some of it is over-dramatized for effect and to pull in viewers, a lot of the scenarios and problems the doctors faced in the show are based off...
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 Charissa Ricker | Jan 10, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Student Life and Campus Ministries co-sponsored a special screening of the new film Forever My Girl in Shamblin Theater on Tuesday night. Produced by LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, the film features a small-town love story and the road to forgiveness. Originally a novel, Forever My Girl tells the story of high-school sweethearts Liam Page (Alex Roe) and Josie (Jessica Rothe). The tale begins on their wedding day in the small town of St. Augustine, Louisiana. Josie learns only minutes from the ceremony that Liam decided to pursue his new-found music fame, leaving his family and her behind. Fast forward eight years and Liam Page is a heart-throb country star living the dream on stage. But Liam is unhappy with his life when he is not in the spotlight. When an unexpected death brings him back to St. Augustine, Liam finds out he left behind not only Josie but also a daughter, Billy (Abby Ryder Fortson). Liam is immediately drawn to the funny and adorable Billy, and he decides to stick around his hometown and get to know her. While re-discovering his roots, Liam faces the ghosts of his past and his insecurities about being back in Josie’s life and being a father to Billy. The emotional and heavy issues brought to light in Forever My Girl are complemented by light-hearted humor and cheesy romance. The film showcases the same themes of love and redemption seen in classic romantic comedies, and for sophomores Haley Cable and Leah Hampton, the film exceeded their girl’s-night movie expectations. “I thought it was a really cute movie,” Hampton said. “It had a great storyline...
