by Hunter Patterson | May 16, 2011 | News Slider
Last night, the 22nd season of the CBS reality show Survivor came to an end. Unfortunately, Lipscomb student Matt Elrod did not take home the one million dollar prize; however, Matt has good reason to hold his head high. Matt made it 37 days on the island only to lose the in the last duel on Redemption Island. In the last challenge to see who would make it back onto the island, the four remaining contestants had to balance a vase on the other end of a beam while standing on one foot. Matt lasted for over an hour, and after losing his vase, the other two contestants followed shortly thereafter. Matt spent most of his time on the show on Redemption Island, a new facet of the game thrown in this season. Matt lived on Redemption Island for 29 days this past season, more than any other contestant. Compared to the seven that he actually spent on the island with his fellow cast members, it was a lot. While on Redemption Island, Matt won 10 out of 11 duels, once again, more than anyone. He accredited God with guiding him all the way to the end during the reunion show Sunday night. “God was with me every step of the way,” Elrod said. “I praise His name for just letting me be a vessel for Him. That’s been my reward for all of the struggle and all the strife I’ve been through.” Throughout the game, Matt also became a vessel through which many of his teammates expressed their views to. One of those people on the show was...
by Ashlan Williams | May 14, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
With the season wrapped up and the the school year coming to a close, the Bisons say goodbye as they send off three graduating seniors: Mario Hernandez, Joe McArdle, and James Murrell Hernandez has spent 3½ years at Lipscomb and on the Bisons tennis team. A senior political science major from Vancouver, Canada, and captain for this season’s team, Hernandez made a name for himself in the Lipscomb tennis program. “Mario was nominated the team’s captain at the end of the fall because of his strong leadership on and off the court,” men’s assistant coach Mike Sherman said. “He was the perfect example of being a great ambassador for the Bisons, carrying himself with class and honor at all times. Because the guys respected him, he was able to effectively lead the team to the conference tournament. “On top of this, his drive to succeed motivated other team members to push themselves beyond their expectations. Mario will be able to use his attitude of leadership and humility to affect every one he meets in the future. I expect he will be a great leader in whatever industry he pursues.” Hernandez will graduate in December after completing his final semester at Lipscomb. Following his graduation, he plans to tend the States’ Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. When reflecting on his career as a Bison, Hernandez said he is proud to have helped the program improve. “I just loved being a part of the movement to improve the Lipscomb tennis program in all areas,” Hernandez said. “When I came in as a freshman, we didn’t really get any...
by Madalyn Chaffin | May 2, 2011 | News Slider
Cyberbullying – a new word for internet harassment – has been reported here at Lipscomb, according to the counseling center’s Paul Cates. Recently, the word “cyberbullying” was added to the Oxford dictionary, defined as “the use of electronic communications to bully a person, typically by sending messages of intimidating or threatening nature.” However, this is not a new issue. With the popularity of social media and constant connection, stories of cyberbullying are becoming more common. One-third of U.S. teens are victims of cyberbullying, statistics show. The media has reported numerous cases in which people have either been on the verge of suicide or actually committed suicide due to harassment they receive on the internet. While most cases are dealing with teens, cyberbullying has no limits. It can be found in cases of all ages and in all countries. Cates says he has seen a small number of cyberbullying cases here. “Most instances of cyberbullying occur with females,” Cates said. “Usually victims of cyberbully at Lipscomb experienced the bullying prior to entering college, which leads to other issues and problems for their college years.” “Victims have a background or personality that leads them to being susceptible to being picked on because they are emotionally vulnerable.” The epidemic of cyberbullying comes from the sense that being online rather than communicating face-to-face is less personal or nearly anonymous. The comfort of their own home and the ability to filter their identity seems to give people more courage in their actions. “The bully usually gets acceptance from their peers,” Cates said. “They may get a laugh, giving positive reinforcement from bystanders.” Cyberbullying may not be...
by Kelsey Durnin | May 2, 2011 | News Slider
Technology has made it increasingly easy for anyone to access information about almost anyone, creating a continual struggle between liberty and security. However, as technologies progress, the privacies invaded have moved beyond security and are now used as marketing tools and unwarranted surveillance. “The internet is about as private as a bus stop,” said Gene Policinski, vice president and executive director for the First Amendment Center. The internet causes everyone who is “plugged in” to be very easily interconnected, whether it is via social networking sites, Google searches or the tracking behind the scenes available to the government and marketers. However, this surveillance is not limited to your personal computer. “Gaze tracking” is a method supermarkets use to watch their customers’ shopping habits, which helps to develop purchasing trends that lead to more effective marketing. These cameras are capable of not only facial recognition, but also 360-degree views of shoppers that even monitor posture and walking. “You can be pulled up anywhere these databases are in action,” Policinski said. Policinski believes we have come full circle from the time of the village green, and are now in the age of the village screen. But this creates problems in dealing with the flow of information. “We walk away from the ‘fence.’ It’s an old-fashioned solution to a high-tech problem,” Policinski said. “[In the past,] how did we handle the gossip, the defamation? Did we confront it? Did we use more speech as an antidote? We have some low-tech solutions at hand.” However, no matter how we handle the issues of technology, the accessibility of information created by it still crosses...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 29, 2011 | News Slider
Care for Aids is a non-profit organization started by two college students who were confronted by the harsh realities of life for HIV-positive men and women in Kenya. Seeing both the physical and spiritual needs of these suffering people, they believed the Kenyan churches had the power to be more than a house of worship but could be a haven for medical care, life counseling and HIV support. Thus, partnership was established with local Kenyan churches. However, before meeting spiritual needs, the physical needs had to be met. Without proper medical, nutritional and hygienic care, these individuals have limited life expectancy. However, with proper care and education, their life expectancy can increase to about 10-20 years. Other physical means used are teaching them trade skills to help them produce an income and provide food. Once caring for their physical needs, spiritual needs are provided through counseling and teaching the HIV clients about the gospel. This provides hope, meaning and purpose to the lives of those who have been kicked out of their families and despised by their communities. By tangibly demonstrating Christ’s love, these churches are empowering individuals and transforming communities every day. Within Kenya, approximately 1.4 million people are infected with HIV. Care for Aids currently has 10 centers which each care for 80 clients a year. It costs about $18,000 a year to run these centers, coming down to about $20 per month, per client. So how can you help? A book drive is going to be held during finals week – Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, and Monday through Wednesday, May 1-3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the student center. Caroline Scherer, a senior family relations and nursing...
by Emily Snell | Apr 29, 2011 | News Slider
Many Lipscomb students will compete in the 12th annual Country Music Marathon this Saturday. Lumination Network spoke with three of them. Katie Connell, Julia Shrewsbury and Jordan Lewis will all be running the half marathon– some as first-timers and others as veterans. Shrewsbury, a sophomore in organizational communication and public relations, said this is her first time to participate in a marathon event. “I’m very nervous,” Shrewsbury said. “I’ve never actually run the full 13 [miles] yet. The most I’ve run is 10, and at 10, I’m hurting.” Connell, a senior psychology major from Knoxville, Tenn., thinks that the training is the hardest part of running the marathon. “[Training] is definitely the hardest part, and making sure you stick to it,” Connell said. “If you don’t [train], then you won’t perform well at all in the marathon and you will be miserable.” Connell and Lewis ran the half marathon last year and are hoping to finish with a faster time this year. “I enjoy setting a goal and accomplishing it,” Lewis said. “I really just love being outside and exercising.” The two said they hope to finish the race in two hours. Shrewsbury, from Lake Placid, Fla., has a different goal in mind being a first-time half marathon runner. “I just want to be able to say that I did one,” Shrewsbury said. “I don’t have a set goal, I just don’t want to walk.” The race boasts more than 20,000 participants each year, and Lewis, a junior in nursing from Chattanooga, Tenn., said that’s one aspect she really enjoys. “It was just really beautiful to watch that many...
