by Logan Butts | Jul 8, 2014 | News Slider
Update: The arrangements for Jacob Akers’ visitation and funeral are as follows, courtesy of Scott McDowell. Visitation will be on Saturday, July 12, at the Taylor Funeral Home in Dickson, Tennessee, from 2 to 8. Memorial service will be at 2 on Sunday, July 13. The burial will be at Dickson County Memorial Gardens. Original story below. Jacob Akers, a May 2014 graduate from Charlotte, Tennessee, was killed in an auto accident Monday night. Senior Vice President for Student Life Scott McDowell notified students of Akers’ death via email Tuesday afternoon. A molecular biology major, Akers, 22, had plans to attend Lincoln Memorial University in the fall for medical school. He had also proposed to his girlfriend on the Fourth of July. Kyrsten Turner, a fellow May graduate from Lipscomb, spoke on why she was glad to know Akers. “From the very start, Jacob was never afraid to ask a question or to speak out for what he believed to be right. He had a true, servant heart, and it was evident by his attitude that Christ was forefront in his life,” Turner said. “Jacob is going to be missed so, so much.” In a statement released to the Lipscomb community, McDowell shared his condolences on behalf of the university. “We were deeply saddened to learn of that May 2014 Lipscomb University Graduate Jacob Akers lost his life in an automobile accident,” McDowell said. “Please lift the family up as well as his fiancé, Savannah Grant, in your prayers.” A prayer service, hosted by Lipscomb’s department of biology, was held Tuesday night on the front steps of the McFarland Hall of Science. Additional reporting by...
by Logan Butts | Jul 7, 2014 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
It feels like an eternity has passed since the end of the group stage. I have completely forgotten about the likes of Japan and Russia. Was Spain even in the World Cup? The knockout rounds always turn the intensity up significantly compared to the group stage, and 2014 has been no different. Let’s revisit the key moments from the knockout stage so far. Round of 16: This was probably the most entertaining round of a World Cup I have ever followed. Granted, I have only followed three World Cups closely, but even experienced World Cup fans have spoken highly of the merits of this tournament, with the Round of 16 being the focal point. If the round of 16 was the peak of the Cup thus far, then the goalkeepers were the shining stars in the middle of it all. Mexico’s folk hero Guillermo Ochoa, Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama and the United States’ Tim Howard all displayed goalkeeping heroics in losing efforts, Brazilian Julio Caesar shouldered the weight of a soccer-obsessed nation while saving consecutive penalty kicks against Alexis Sanchez and Chile, and Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas somehow topped them all in leading the Cup’s Cinderella to the quarterfinals. The United States failed to defeat the Red Devils of Belgium, a team that exudes cool and is full of stars from the top European leagues, ending their enthralling World Cup run excruciatingly close to the quarterfinals. Although the loss was a tough one, there is plenty to celebrate with the USA’s run. The longtime thorn in the side of the US squad, Ghana, was vanquished. Christiano Ronaldo was shut down...
by Colleen Casner | Jul 2, 2014 | News Slider
Summer Celebration keynote speakers Rick Atchley and Shon Smith called audience members to examine their sin and recommit to God at Tuesday morning’s gathering in Allen Arena. The messages, based on Joshua 7-8, were just two of the ten keynote messages Summer Celebration attendees heard over the course of the event. Rick Atchley (to the right), minister at Hills Church of Christ in North Richland, Texas, related Joshua 7 to the problem of sin within the church and how the sins of the individual affect the group as a whole. “Would we please stop ranting about what’s wrong in Hollywood and what’s wrong in Washington,”Atchley asked. “It’s not a shock to heaven when sinners sin. Let’s stop criticizing the sins of others and start dealing with our own.” Atchley’s message spoke poignantly to Samantha Davis of Americus, Georgia. An active member of her church community, Davis said her biggest takeaway was that “sometimes, we tend to forget that we have to fix ourselves before we can reach out to others.” Shon Smith, the minister at Naperville Church of Christ in Naperville, Illinois, focused his message on the temptation to live apart from God and the need for Christians to recommit to living godly lives. “There is a nasty tendency for us to drift,” Smith said. “Any amount of drift, however slight, if it goes on long enough, eventually you find yourself miles away from the person you desired and committed yourself to be.” Smith compared the Israelites’ need to redefine themselves as God’s people in Joshua 8 to Christians’ need to recommit to God to avoid drifting. “The message...
by Brianne Welch | Jul 2, 2014 | News Slider
The longest fireworks display in the city’s history will be the climax of a day of family friendly fun on the Nashville riverfront on July 4. The “Let Freedom Sing” celebration will begin at noon and culminate with the 9:45 p.m. fireworks spectacular that annually is rated one of the best in the country. The kids will be the focus of the first part of the day’s schedule. The McDonald’s free Family Fun Zone – on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza – will be open from noon until 5 p.m. and will offer inflatables, games and a variety of food. And, since this is Nashville, there will be live music from 1-4 p.m., featuring Jason Eskridge and The Farewell Drifters. Beginning at 1:50 p.m. Dippin’ Dots also plans to try and break the Guinness World Record for most ice cream cups prepared by a team of five in a span of three minutes. Record or not, the ice cream will be given out free of charge to spectators. In the early evening, the action goes down to the river, where Billy Currington will be headlining the Jack Daniels concert this year, along with Ashley Monroe, Striking Matches and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The concert can be found at the main stage at 1st and Broadway and will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. The fireworks show will begin after the concert, with explosions set to ignite at approximately 9:45 p.m. According to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), despite the construction on west Riverfront Park, the area will be open for fireworks viewing. The NCVC has implemented safety rules for...
by Logan Butts | Jul 1, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The summer of 2014 has reached the halfway mark, and Nashville has had its full share of sports news in May and June. Here is a recap on what you may have missed. Lipscomb Baseball: Former Lipscomb baseball stars Rex Brothers and Caleb Joseph have been performing well in the MLB. Joseph, who was called up to the majors on May 7, hit his first home run on June 22 against the New York Yankees. After coming very close to making the MLB All Star team last summer, on June 14 Brothers became the first pitcher in Colorado Rockies history to pitch an “immaculate inning,” which means he struck out three batters on only nine pitches in the inning. Rex’s younger brother Hunter was drafted by his brother’s team, the Rockies, in the 30th round of the 2014 MLB draft. Brothers is currently pitching for the Grand Junction Rockies of the Pioneer League. Former Bisons Chris Nunn and Josh Smith are also currently playing in the Minor Leagues. Nunn is pitching for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League, while Josh Smith is suiting up for the Louisville Bats of the International League. Lipscomb Track and Field: The Lipscomb track and field team continued their run of success from the fall semester into the spring and concluded their triumphant run through the summer thanks to appearances at the NCAA Nationals by Gemikal Prude and Madi Talbert, as well as participation in the NCAA East Preliminaries by Prude, Talbert and Colin Dempster. Talbert was named a Second Team All-American, while Prude earned an honorable mention All-American spot. Vanderbilt Baseball:...
by Colleen Casner | Jun 27, 2014 | News Slider
With a vast array of programs, Lipscomb’s Summer Celebration has something for everyone. Campus is about to get a lot busier in the next few days as it gears up for Summer Celebration, an annual three-day lectureship, beginning on Sunday, June 29. Summer Celebration features messages from 10 keynote speakers, various worship services, a movie series, an a cappella singing festival, children’s activities and more than 100 classes to choose from. All of these programs are free, although visitors are requested to register. This year’s theme is “Reviving the Mission: Insights from Joshua.” Summer Celebration culminates on Tuesday evening with a family picnic, a concert from the Annie Moses Band and a fireworks display on the Allen Arena Mall. Last year’s event brought more than 2000 people to campus. This will be the first Summer Celebration for Kaitlin Shetler, Lipscomb’s Director of Disability Services, who will be teaching a two-part class on disabilities in the church. “I’m looking forward to the collaboration of people coming together from different ministries and letting us know what’s happening with them,” Shetler said. “I’m excited about meeting a lot of different people.” For more information, visit the event’s official website. Photo courtesy of...
