by Rachel Pavelich | Oct 31, 2018 | Fashion, News Slider, Opinion
College students are often described as “broke,” with our piling loans and obsession of trying every restaurant in Nashville. And yet, if you’re anything like me, you’re always wanting some retail therapy to escape from the stresses of college. But living the stereotype of “broke college student” makes purchasing cute clothes a struggle. Or so it seems. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to buy the name brand products from the fancy stores. You can get good quality clothes at low prices from many different places. So here, my fellow broke college students, is how to shop for less while still looking super cute. 1. ALWAYS shop the sale racks There are some stores that I only go into to look at the sale rack. There is still cute stuff you can get without paying full price. Check online or stores anywhere, especially in the high-end stores for good deals. 2. Thrift Shop As much as you may not want to go and sort through secondhand clothing, there are actually some really great finds in there. Give them a wash or customize them to make them your own, and nobody will ever know that you didn’t buy the piece brand new. There are some great finds at shops around Nashville. My favorites are Thrift Smart and Plato’s Closet. These will give you some options. While Thrift Smart has more of a variety, Plato’s is more picky on the quality of clothes it accepts, but you’re bound to find something you like at both places. Nashville has tons of great thrift stores. The...
by LeBron Hill | Oct 31, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
Last week, Megyn Kelly was removed from NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” after comments she made about “blackface,” defined as painting your face or body a color different from your own. During this segment, she expressed her exhaustion with the political correctness regarding Halloween costumes, and later said that she didn’t have an issue with a child wearing blackface as part of a Diana Ross costume. Soon after it aired, people showed their displeasure with the comments. Kelly went on her show the next day and said she didn’t know the history behind the practice. She was taken off the air for good on Friday, receiving a reported $69 million buyout from her contract. Blackface can be dated back to the 1830s, when white performers in minstrel shows used burnt cork and black greasepaint on their skin to imitate their perception of black people. One of the most popular songs was “Jump Jim Crow,” by white minstrel performer Thomas Dartmouth Rice, which portrayed the black man as stupid and barbarian, helping to perpetuate stereotypes of black America.Even black entertainers performed in blackface, because the white audience was comfortable with the portrayal and the performers had to make money. Minstrel performing burned out by the 1920s, but the popularity of blackface moved on to other platforms, such as film. “If we don’t learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it,” the saying goes. These incidents continue to occur in modern times, including a notable pattern of students wearing blackface at universities across the country. The latest example happened at California Polytechnic University, where a student drew outrage for appearing in...
by Lumination Staff | Oct 29, 2018 | News Slider, Opinion
Lumination sent out three daring staffers to brave Nashville’s top haunted attractions. Here’s what they found: Nashville Nightmare Reviewed by Lumination staffer Kailey Schuyler 1016 Madison Square, Madison, TN 37115 info@nashvillenightmare.com Price: $24.99, but subject to change Scare-O-Meter: ★★ One sentence summary: Some of my group was laughing, and some were screaming. I follow this by saying there are four different houses you can go through, and I went through two of the houses. I walked through “Fairy Tale Hell” and “Industrial Undead.” The scariest part of the whole experience was the walk to wait in line. My group was constantly being followed by characters that loved to torment the scared. Some of the characters had chainsaws, some were repulsive and had blood dripping out of their mouth and would try to get you to taste it, and some were sliding around on the ground and would sneak up behind you screaming. Once we were inside the house, there were a lot of big breaks where there was nobody hiding to scare the visitors — there were too many scary props, and not enough scary actors. I typically can get pretty jumpy in haunted houses, and I was never scared to the point where I screamed or jumped. Nothing stood out to me in the two houses I walked through that other haunted houses don’t have to offer. I did enjoy my experience and everyone in my group had fun. We wanted to go through the other houses, but the lines were too long for us to justify waiting. Overall, the two specific houses I went through are perfect...
by Erin Franklin | Oct 28, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
The longest-running show in Broadway history is back to TPAC, bringing the classic suspense and haunting music by Andrew Lloyd Webber it is known for. The Gothic romance stars Quentin Oliver Lee as the phantom, commanding all the mystery and wonder the “angel of music” should assume. Eva Tavares is Christine Daae, the gifted vocalist the phantom has taught and bestowed upon the gift of music. Sewanee University graduate Jordan Craig plays Raoul, Christine’s formidable fiance out to put an end to the phantom. Trista Moldovan as Carlotta and David Benoit as Monsieur Firmin bring the comedic relief to the otherwise intense show. Phantom is evocative and spooky, with cobwebs surrounding and covering the stage in the opening scene that is sure to put anyone in the Halloween spirit. But Phantom isn’t just a needed see for the season only. The historical show is one of the most famous and award-winning musicals, winning 70 major theater awards, including seven Tony Awards (including Best Musical) in 1988 and three Olivier Awards in the West End. Total revenues for Phantom exceed the world’s highest-grossing film Avatar ($2.8 billion). An interesting facet of this production in particular is that it hired 75 local Nashville stagehands to load the production into the theatre, and 35 local stagehands were hired for the performance. The most spectacular part of the entire stage production is the chandelier, as this production’s version is especially remarkable and even bigger and more elaborate than in years’ past. Designed by Howard Eaton (who designed the Olympic rings for the London ceremony), the chandelier boasts over 6,000 beads and weighs 1...
by Rachel Pavelich | Oct 15, 2018 | Fashion, News Slider, Opinion
Fall’s arrival signals one of the most exciting times of the year: autumn fashion staples. The leaves are finally beginning to dance toward the ground, and temperatures are dropping below 70 degrees here in Nashville, at last! With the turn of the seasons comes the changing of attire. Finally, we can pack up those shorts and tanks (at least for now — according to my Tennessee native friends, it can be 75 degrees on Christmas) and pull out the jeans, cute little ankle boots and sweaters. Trends that reappear each year and will never go out of style include flannels paired with jeans. A way to make this a bit more fashionable is to wear a contrasting or coordinating tank underneath the flannel. Match these layers with a cute pair of jeans — maybe a pair with a few rips. Leave the flannel unbuttoned so you can show off your coordination or contrasting skills (whichever you choose) and tie the flannel at the bottom. Add a statement necklace to make the outfit even more outstanding. Corduroy skirts are in style this season. Pair them with a long bell sleeve top, or a short sleeve with a cardigan. These corduroy skirts can be found in all kinds of colors — brown, red, light pink, green. Any of them work well for fall. In addition to corduroy skirts, jean skirts are also something that can work well for fall. Honestly, though, jean skirts are good all year round. In the fall, though, they’re extra cute when you pair them with a cardigan, kimono or cropped jacket. Just this past weekend, I...
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...
