by Kathryn Farris | Oct 12, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift shared a post on her Instagram on Sunday giving support to Tennessee Senate Candidate Phil Bredesen and House of Representatives Incumbent Jim Cooper. This post marked one of the first times Swift has publicly addressed her personal political views. “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.” said Swift in the caption. She went on to cite Republican Candidate Marsha Blackburn’s congressional voting history as a major factor in her vote for Bredesen. The endorsement caused both backlash and praise. While many rejoiced at Swift’s support for liberal candidates and policies, conservatives argued that Swift should keep entertainment away from politics. On Monday, President Donald Trump commented on Swift’s endorsement for Bredeson to White House reporters by noting, “Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now.” Nashville news station WSMV conducted a poll Monday morning, asking Twitter followers whether they allow celebrity political endorsements to affect their vote. An overwhelming majority — 95 percent of respondents — denied celebrity endorsements being a factor in their choices at the polls. But due to Swift’s massive following, this post could cause more people to register to vote. With an Instagram following of more than 112 million, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential celebrities in the world. Vote.org told Buzzfeed News that since Swift’s post Monday, more than 65,000 voters have registered nationally, including 2,144 voters registered in Tennessee. The majority of the newly registered voters fall into the average age range...
by Russell Vannozzi | Oct 11, 2018 | News Slider, Sports
Alyssa Zwolensky was scrolling through Instagram to try to get some insight on her future Lipscomb volleyball teammates. She was, after all, about to make the 700-mile trip to Nashville from her home in Rockledge, Florida, to enroll at Lipscomb a semester early, which understandably caused some nerves. Then she came across the page of Megan Sullivan, who was set to transfer to Lipscomb from Houston for the Spring 2017 semester. Sullivan played sparingly for the Cougars in 2016 and wanted a chance to restart her college volleyball career in a new city. Zwolesnky eventually noticed a picture of Sullivan with her dad, who was sporting a scar on his head. After Zwolesnky did more digging and exchanged a few texts with Sullivan, things took a dark turn. “Also, what type of brain cancer does your Dad have?” Alyssa texted Megan. “I was like, “I don’t know, it’s some long name that starts with a ‘G’,’” said Sullivan, who checked with her stepmother to confirm the scientific name of her father’s disease, which was glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer that affects the brain or spine and currently has no cure. Zwolesnky was stunned. Her father, James, had passed away from the very same type of cancer in April 2016, just five months after his initial diagnosis. “We were just like ‘wow,’” Sullivan said. The connection formed an instant bond between the two girls. Finally, they each had someone who understood the pain glioblastoma can cause a family. “It’s an unreal story,” said Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal. “For Alyssa to have somebody like Megan, and Megan to have somebody like Alyssa…no...
by Sara Jones | Oct 11, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
As one of the longest-running Broadway plays, “The Play That Goes Wrong” has entertained audiences for several years now. Last night’s premiere at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center was no exception. Before the play begins, the cast has audience members reeling with laughter. As everyone took their seats, stagehands hurriedly worked to finish the set on stage, which continued to “fall apart.” One audience member is even called on stage to hold up a mantlepiece that refuses to stay on the wall. To help set the scene, Chris Bean proudly introduces “Murder of Haversham Manor,” a whodunit being produced by the inexperienced Cornley University Drama Society. He shares with the audience previous plays the society has put on including “The Lion and the Wardrobe” and “Cat” — an indication to the quality of performance the audience will witness. Although cast members forget their cues, props go missing and the set comes crashing down, “The Play That Goes Wrong” features many skilled actors and actresses. In fact, the actors are very good at being bad. The hilarious banter and sometimes shocking physical requirements of the play grabbed the audience’s attention. At one point in the evening, a part of the set is knocked down and leaves two cast members balancing themselves to avoid falling. This scene caused many audible gasps and left the crowd impressed with the strenuous effort involved. This hilarious play is sure to captivate a wide variety of audience members and provide a great night of entertainment. Rating: 4 out of 4 For more information on how to get tickets, visit TPAC’s website and follow them on...
by Charissa Ricker | Oct 10, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
If you are a returning student this year, you’ll probably remember that it’s almost time for Allen Arena to roll out the red carpet and welcome 2018’s biggest Christian artists for the 49th Annual Dove awards on October 16th. The GMA Dove Awards will be hosting its 6th annual show on Lipscomb’s campus starting with the red carpet walk. The Gospel Music Association just announced the all-star presenters for this year’s show with familiar names such as Bill Gaither, Chris Tomlin, Matthew West and several other previous winners. The performance lineup for this year’s awards features some of the biggest names in Christian music such as Lauren Daigle, Newsboys, Rascal Flatts and, a Lipscomb favorite, For King and Country. Among the top artists are this year’s rising stars Cory Asbury, Tori Kelly and several other performers. This year’s nominees have been released with a big spotlight on the Song of the Year and Artist of the Year awards. The songs “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury and “So Will I” by Hillsong Music are the favorites this year for the Song of the Year Award. Both have also been nominated for Worship song of the year. Notable artists NEEDTOBREATHE, Hillsong UNITED and MercyMe are the favorites for this year’s Artist of the Year Award. With Cory Asbury and Mosaic MSC pulling ahead for New Artist of the Year. Several Lipscomb students are volunteering in a variety of roles, such a “seat fillers” for the Dove Awards. Make sure to watch for parking updates as spaces are reserved and campus is flooded with award attendees. Keep up with Lumination for continued...
by Anna Rogers | Oct 10, 2018 | News Slider
Lipscomb University’s campus appears environmentally conscious, with recycling receptacles located adjacent to most trash cans in The Square. However, in 2016, Lipscomb’s Student Government Association decided that there were better uses for student funds than large-scale recycling options on campus. Yet, student interest was proven last spring when now-senior Lauren Borders helped host a recycling event. “We put together this event to get people talking and to prove to administration that recycling was something that could be done on Lipscomb’s campus,” she said. The event collected 189 pounds of recyclables from students, who took the load to a nearby facility. Dr. Josh Roberts, Dean of Student Development spoke of the school’s past recycling efforts. “We used to operate a large-scale recycling initiative through Earth Savers, and that was funded through $15-20,000 a year from a subsidy that SGA provided,” Roberts said. Student body president Sierra Sparks elaborated on why SGA chose to use their funds elsewhere. “Our job is to enhance the student experience and be able to give Lipscomb students something to want to come to and want to look forward to.” The $15,000 spent on recycling could take up over half of the SGA budget, depending on the year. “Don’t get me wrong, I think recycling is very important… But sometimes it’s okay to say that that’s not what SGA does,” Sparks said. As far as the future of sustainability on campus is concerned, Borders is hopeful. “There is a possibility that there could be some administration shifts toward more environmental policies, and there is a new SGA proposal in the works,” she said. “Service operations does...
by LeBron Hill | Oct 9, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
The Anti-Hero superhero has been most popular in this generation of movies, with recent success from Deadpool and Doctor Strange. Sony Pictures attempted to capitalize on this phenomenon with Venom. Starring the brooding and mysterious Tom Hardy, whose experience in anti-hero movies dates back to 2012 when Hardy took on the role as the mercenary Bane. In Venom, the 41-year old actor plays Eddie Brock, a hard-nosed investigative reporter whose passion for the truth gets him fired, and he is forced to move to San Francisco with his girlfriend Anne, played by Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman). In the Bay Area, Brock finds success again but gets confronted with a difficult decision when the billionaire Carlton Drake discovers an alien species of body-swapping parasites called symbiotes, and Brock finds out this information. Eddie’s choice whether to let the world know or not will make a lasting impact on his life and his morals. Tom Hardy is the main attraction. The other cast members are well-known but not to the caliber of the Critic’s Choice award winner. When it’s a stand-alone film, the expectations are higher, and with that, Hardy put on a well-executed performance. The portrayal of having Venom inside of him is very entertaining, both amusing and serious. Hardy goes away from his usual intimidating and dark character and can be seen as more lightful and energetic. The type of character Venom is has never been portrayed in the big screen before, and Hardy, along with the visual effects crew, did an amazing job at showcasing the anti hero’s abilities while making it look realistic. However, the biggest...
