by Cole Gray | Apr 4, 2017 | News Slider
Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife Cookie were the featured speakers at the second annual Imagine 2017 student question-and-answer session on Monday night in the Student Activity Center at Lipscomb University. The Johnsons fielded questions from university student government president Jackson Smith and junior senator and Spiritual Life Committee chair Gabby Cannone about their marriage, Magic’s HIV diagnosis in 1991 and the upcoming NCAA basketball championship game on Monday night. Magic especially emphasized the virtues of education to the crowd of students from Lipscomb University, Lipscomb Academy and various Nashville high schools. “You gotta go to college,” Johnson said. “Education is gonna be the key for everybody’s life in here.” After about ten minutes of questions, Johnson stepped off of the stage and addressed the audience from the floor with a passionate story from his childhood. In eighth grade, before earning the nickname “Magic,” Johnson could only read at a sixth-grade level. “I had a reading problem,” Johnson said. “My teacher and counselor actually saved my life.” This counselor pushed Johnson to summer school for reading classes, even though he was a promising basketball prospect coming into his freshman year of high school. “I was devastated, but I wanted to improve my reading because I knew it was going to be a key for me to be able to go to college.” After intensive tutoring from the teachers who believed in him, Johnson was able to bring his reading level up to his current grade level, enabling him to eventually attend Michigan State University, where he “never missed a class” and won a national championship...
by Todd Lamberth | Apr 3, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
It was a tough weekend for the Lipscomb men’s tennis team as they went 0-2 against their Atlantic Sun Conference competition. Despite the losses, Bison head coach Mario Hernandez saw some good things from his team and is confident they can move forward from the weekend. “I think for the most part our guys are playing at a good level,”Hernandez said, “but we need some guys to figure out how deep they’re going to dig try and clinch the win for the team. “We’ve got the ability to do some great things this year, but we need to believe that and be ready to earn our wins.” The Bisons dropped a 4-2 match to Stetson on Thursday before they were bested 5-2 by North Florida on Saturday. Saturday’s match with the Ospreys was closer than the score might indicate and Hernandez was able to draw positives from the loss. “There are much more positives to draw from this match against a good team, but nobody is satisfied,” Hernandez said. “That isn’t a negative but more a positive because we know what our potential is, but it’s time to realize that potential instead of talking about it. In confident this group can step up and do it.” One positive from the weekend was the play of senior Rob Mitchell. Mitchell has started conference play with a perfect 4-0 record while playing as the top seed. Similarly, Alejandro Manzanares has started 3-1 in conference play, suffering his first loss on Saturday. “They competed very well and displayed the grit, fight and confidence we need from all our players,” Hernandez said of the upperclassman. Lipscomb (5-10, 1-3) travels to Florida for matches with Florida Atlantic and Florida Gulf Coast next week. With just three...
by Anna Rogers | Apr 2, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The annual Five-Minute Film Festival was held Friday night in Shamblin Theatre and was hosted by Lipscomb’s own film and theater departments. The festival was an attempted black-tie event, complete with a red carpet. Many wore suits or dresses and high-heels, but some didn’t get the memo. “I was supposed to come and give out awards, but I didn’t have a suit with me,” said sophomore film major Clay Mortenson, donning his pink sweatshirt. “I was told not to worry about presenting.” The event began with an introduction; then the first act of short films followed. After the intermission, the second act began and awards were given. Professor of film and creative media Steve Taylor hosted the event and introduced other award-presenters while former student David Moomey used various percussion equipment on stage to create suspense with drumrolls. “We have an esteemed panel of judges,” Taylor said, “and they are all film professionals.” The judges decided on the winners of most awards, but they left a handful of awards to the discretion of the audience. One of the highest award-winning short films was “A Crack in the Robin’s Egg,” directed by junior Kwame Marah. “It started out as a short story,” Marah said. “It’s something that has been sitting on my mind for a long time.” Marah says he felt the calling to make it a film. “It’s more of a passion project than anything else,” he said. The film, Marah says, is about our priorities, and “being here now.” The film tied for first with “Revival,” as the 2017 Best Narrative, and both will be screened at the 2017 Nashville Film Festival....
by Erin Franklin | Apr 1, 2017 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
In an effort to speed up Belmont’s “Vision 2020” goal of increased enrollment, Lipscomb and Belmont are merging. The two schools will be renamed the singular Belscomb University. The merge is expected to be complete by fall 2019. “I think it’ll be interesting to merge the two campuses because they’ve had such a rivalry — like Battle of the Boulevard and things like that — for so long,” Belmont Vision Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Arnold said. “It’s just going to be fun to see how students react. That’s what I’m excited for.” President Lowry will announce and provide further information about the merge on Tuesday during The Gathering service. “It makes sense why Lipscomb and Belmont are merging,” Lumination Managing Editor Anna Rogers said. “There’s no where for us to go other than vertical, so we’re reaching out to other schools.” Due to Belmont’s specialized underground parking system, the two schools will be connected by the underground tunnel in front of Belmont’s Bell Tower. This should also help Lipscomb students by providing increased parking. Lipscomb shuttle drivers will also be receiving a promotion as an above-ground shuttle service will allow students to travel back and forth between campuses. Arts and humanities classes will mainly be held on the current Belmont campus, while math and science classes are expected to stay at Lipscomb. Although one of the goals of the merge is to create increased student enrollment, it will also enable the two student bodies to come together. Despite no longer having the anticipated “Battle of the Boulevard” rivalry, President Lowry and Belmont’s President Fisher hope the merge will create a sense...
by Myckelle Williams | Mar 30, 2017 | News Slider
In an effort to raise cultural awareness on Lipscomb’s Campus, the Intercultural Department is sponsoring a week-long festival with events showcasing food, fashion and speakers from around the globe. This is the fourth year in a row Lipscomb’s Intercultural Department has hosted the WOW (Welcome to Our World) event, and the program directors stressed to students that it is crucial to encourage open intercultural communication and diversity on campus, while continuing to appreciate the differences and similarities that exist between cultures. “We are celebrating the many cultures represented on our campus,” Assistant Dean and Director of Intercultural Development Lisa Steele said. “Our intercultural students are sharing their traditions, cultures and ethnicity through food, fashion and fun. We are 22% diverse at Lipscomb, and we want to show what that number represents.” Upcoming events for the week include the International Fashion Show on March 30 at 7 p.m. in Shamblin. For this event, student models wear traditional clothing from their countries, giving intercultural students a venue to share their clothing and traditions, as well as allowing others to share in the cultures. Students can also come by Bennett Student Center and pick up a free international dessert at “Sweet Treats from Around the World” beginning at 11 a.m. “When we experience a piece of someone’s culture, we have a clearer insight into who they are,” Steele said. “The more we understand each other, the more we can respect our differences. “ The Food Truck Fest, featuring 11 trucks serving a variety of international foods, will be on March 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Allen Arena circle. This year student entertainers...
by Lorena Coleman | Mar 30, 2017 | News Slider
Lipscomb students took some time to give back on the university’s 15th annual Service Day Wednesday afternoon. Classes were canceled from noon – 4 p.m. to give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to choose from over 50 organizations to volunteer at various locations in Nashville. An estimated 900 students took part in the day, which started off with lunch in Allen Arena at noon and then heading out to volunteer for the afternoon. Freshman Paige Reece volunteered at The Bridge, a non-profit organization that donates essentials like food and clothing to the poor and homeless. Reece’s group spent time at the facility sorting clothes and cleaning the warehouse. “My favorite part was realizing all the different ways we can serve the Nashville community,” Reece said. “It was more different than I thought it would be but such a cool experience.” Sophomore Savannah Campbell went to Blakeford nursing home to play bingo and spend time with the residents. She said a highlight of her time volunteering was meeting President Lowry’s father. “He was so sweet and so happy to see us,” Campbell said, adding, “and so proud when we told him we knew his son.” When asked what her favorite part of the experience was, Campbell said she enjoyed the whole day in general. “It was so much fun. I’d love to go back and volunteer again next year.” Junior Rebecca Shannon personally lead a group with her social club Delta Omega and took a group of students to Rocketown, a youth outreach facility in Downtown Nashville. The social club has a history with Rocketown, going there in past...
