by Anna Rogers | Apr 11, 2018 | News Slider
Tuesday’s Gathering chapel featured a message and advice from Andy Crouch on how students can put themselves in situations in which they can thrive. “Turn to your neighbor and talk about a time when you were fully alive,” he said, “a time when you were flourishing. I want to describe to you what all experiences of flourishing have in common.” He spoke of two qualities: authority and vulnerability. He described authority as “the capacity for meaningful action,” and flourishing as “exposure to meaningful risk.” He made a graph to show the relationship to the two components. There were four quadrants divided by an “X” and “Y” axis. The horizontal line was labeled “vulnerability,” and the vertical, “authority.” “When both are high,” he explained, indicating the upper quadrant on the right, “you have great flourishing.” More than that, Crouch said he wanted to focus on the other three corners. In the opposite corner of flourishing, he labeled the quadrant “safety.” This corner was low in both authority and vulnerability. “You’re not being asked to do anything,” he said. “You’re not risking anything. Every parent wants to have their child start off in this, in safety.” Crouch went on to explain that the safe quadrant is where some people start, and most hope to grow out of. As people grow, he said, they become more exposed. Crouch related this to his daughter who recently turned 18 years old. As she will soon be moving away from home, he said she will be exposed to more authority and risk. “That’s the way a healthy life is supposed to go,” Crouch said. The...
by Cate Zenzen | Apr 8, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
“Rise and Fall” directed by Taylor Sain is the winner of the 55th annual Singarama Sweepstakes award. With a cast comprised of Pi Delta, Kappa Chi, Theta Psi, Phi Nu and friends, this group told the story of a Blockbuster movie rental store in Little Town, Alaska where the employees found a way to keep the store afloat despite the termination of the franchise. The ensemble was also awarded best “Theme” on Thursday and best “Vocal Performance” on Friday. As part of this winning company, senior student body president Carson Panovec commented that “feels fantastic to win, but it’s way better when you’re part of a team.” “It’s just fun to be part of a group that has the energy to put on a show to hopefully entertain some people and to give them some joy.” Sophomore Aijalon Powell of “Rise and Fall” was participating in Singarama for the first time. “As my first year in Singarama it’s an unbelievable experience to come in and almost sweep the whole thing; that almost never happens,” Powell said. “I’m so happy for my team, we worked so hard and I am so proud of everything that we accomplished no matter what the result is tonight.” As director, Sain is very happy with the performance of her team. “I am so proud of my whole cast, my writing team, my music directors, everyone has just been such a support and so amazing to work with that it has been my best Singarama year I have ever had,” Sain said. As for next year, hostess Peytan Porter says planning has begun early. “I am so excited for...
by Parker Bell | Apr 8, 2018 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
In the third day of Singarama shows, “Name and Address” took home the award for best “Blocking and Staging” at Saturday’s matinee performance. This is the first win for the performers of “Name and Address,” and their director, senior biology student, Vince Law. “We put a lot of work into the choreography and staging, so it’s a good boost to have going into tonight for sweepstakes,” Law said. The sweepstakes award is the overall award for performance with the best showmanship and audience appeal. The award will be given at the end of Saturday night’s show. Law saw the win as a confidence boost for the group that will propel them into the last performance. “It’s nice to have a confidence boost,” Law said. “It’s exciting to have a little victory. Hopefully tonight we can bring energy and put on the best show that we can.” The last show is Saturday at 7 p.m. in Collins Alumni Auditorium where the overall winner will be revealed Photos by Ben...
by Maria Morales | Apr 7, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Singarama’s second performance took place Friday on Lipscomb’s campus. “Rise and Fall” took home the award for Friday’s category: voice quality. This year marked the 55th time Singarama has given students the chance to show off their talent, creativity and leadership that contribute to an amazing show. The show consists of three separate teams competing by producing a small musical and a story. Students delighted the packed auditorium with their well-practiced routines and choreography. The three directors and the responsible for each group’s performance are Christian Foster, Taylor Sain and Vince Law. The students entertained their audience with unique and humorous storylines and a selection of songs that the public could sing along with. Many people gathered to support the participants. Hosts Peyton Porter, Savannah Stewart, Berkeley Boglin, Hudson Parker, Luke Howard and Madeline McPherson, gave amazing performances that included other songs that the audience recognized. These performances took place between each team’s acts, giving them adequate time to set the stage. Each performance, teams are judged on a different category. Since “Rise and Fall,” directed by Sain, has taken the lead by winning two nights in a row, it has a chance of winning the final award: sweepstakes. Sain is a senior member of Pi Delta who has participated in Singarama in both 2016 and 2017. While Singarama is a competition, it is clear that it is about more than just winning. Besides giving the opportunity to students to show their skills, it also brought them new experiences such as being part of a team and having fun with it. Most students say they have gained great memories and friendships...
by Cate Zenzen | Apr 6, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
The 55th annual Lipscomb University Singarama kicked off Thursday, April 5 with performances from three hard-working groups of students. Each night, a panel of 18 judges will focus on one aspect of each group’s performance and announce a winner for that category. This year’s theme is “It Takes Two” and the judging the first night was on “Theme”—which group had the best plot and successfully incorporated music into the storyline. The winner of Thursday’s performance was “Rise and Fall” directed by Taylor Sain. On taking home the first category, sophomore Jonathan Sottek said “it’s significant because it means that our story was significant to people.” “The way that we performed meant something as opposed to just being entertaining.” This year’s hosts are Berkeley Boglin, Madeline McPherson, Savanna Stewart, Hudson Parker, Luke Howard and Peytan Porter. This is McPherson’s second year hosting but, for her, no less special. “It’s been a really cool community to have and I’ve been coming to Singarama since I was little so it’s been a dream of mine to be a hostess,” she said. “It’s been so good to be singing with people who also love to do the same thing.” While the event is largely represented by social clubs, non-Greek Life friends are encouraged to join in on the fun. According to student body president Carson Panovec’s introduction video, this year has a record number of non-social club member participants. There are three more shows this weekend. Vocal quality is the award for Friday night. Saturday’s matinee will feature the award for best staging. Saturday night’s grand finale includes the award for “Sweepstakes” —...
by Ellen Butterfield | Apr 5, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb University theatre students are teaming up with the Nashville Repertory Theatre to perform Inherit the Wind — a work discussing creationism and evolution being taught in schools — at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Inherit the Wind is a fictional recreation of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial, in which Dayton, Tennessee, schoolteacher, John Scopes, is tried in court for teaching evolution, instead of creationism, in a classroom. Emily Meinerding, a senior acting major, plays Rachel Brown, the daughter of the minister and girlfriend to Bertram Cates, the fictional version of John Scopes. Meinerding says this play is particularly relevant to our society currently. “I think that there is a lot of polarizing situations in our culture as it is,” Meinerding said. “This play is one that encourages people to be open-minded, not to accept all, but to listen to all, to evaluate all, to read into things before you make decisions.” This production will run through Apr. 21 at the Andrew Johnson Theater. Tickets are available through the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s website, starting at $25. Chapel Credit is available to students for attending April 6 with a talkback led by Dr. Randy Spivey. “Come in with an open mind whether you’re an evolutionist, or a creationist or somewhere in the middle,” Meinerding said. “Just be open to the idea that maybe things aren’t as cut and dried as you believe; things are more gray than we might realize.” Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
