by Logan Butts | Jun 11, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
After four long years of waiting, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will finally be kicking off Thursday afternoon, and soccer fans everywhere are rejoicing. With the hopes of an entire nation on their back, 32 teams will be travelling to Brazil with their 23 best players in tow. All will be in pursuit of the most prestigious championship trophy in all of sports. I will be highlighting some key players and teams to watch whether you are a die-hard soccer fan or a relative newcomer to the sport. I will also be making my prediction for who will come out on top. Players to watch: Leo Messi, Argentina: The winner of four FIFA Ballon d’Or awards in a row from 2009-2012 (soccer’s equivalent to an MVP award) is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, despite only being 26 years old. Although he has dominated for his professional team FC Barcelona, he has struggled in international competitions. This may be his best shot at the elusive World Cup trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: The reigning FIFA player of the year, like his rival Messi, has seen success in international competitions fall just short of his grasp. Can the two-time Ballon d’Or winner put Portugal on his back and carry the team deep into the tournament or will we see a flame out in the group stage? Gianluigi Buffon, Italy: Heading into his fourth and likely final World Cup, many consider Buffon the greatest goalkeeper of his generation. Buffon and teammate Andrea Pirlo are the only two remaining members of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad. The two will...
by Cory Woodroof | Jun 5, 2014 | Opinion
The most impressive cast member of the play War Horse, now at TPAC through Sunday, is a gigantic horse puppet. While that might not sound as glamorous as some of Broadway’s most memorable leading characters, the beating heart of the solemn, inspiring show lies directly with Joey, the horse with hooves of gold. Adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s book of the same name, War Horse is a devastating-yet-triumphant look at the horrors of war and the bond that can develop between a man and his trusted animal companion. Taking place in across Europe in the 1910s, the story follows Joey, a young horse who is sold into the care of the Narracott family. Throughout Joey’s days in the foal stage, the horse develops a strong relationship with Albert, son of the Narracotts. Like all great boy-and-his-dog relationships, Albert and Joey become an inseparable pair. But, when World War 1 begins, Joey is sold into the army without Albert’s knowing, and the young man begins a dangerous journey through the battlefield to find his galloping friend. Similar to Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film adaptation, the play primarily follows Albert and Joey’s journey through the war with various characters popping up at times, most representing different aspects of war and the toll it can take on a civilization. The play has a bleak picture to paint of war, and that image is skillfully woven into the narrative. The show also features one of this critic’s favorite scenes in fiction – one that finds two opposing soldiers in a climatic game of heads-or-tails that beautifully illustrates the good of humanity in one of life’s...
by Logan Butts | Jun 5, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
After one of the greatest playoffs in recent memory, the NBA Finals are finally here. This year’s matchup is one almost every basketball fan wanted: a rematch of last year’s outstanding Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat won last year’s series in seven games, thanks to one of the greatest shots in NBA history (taken by Ray Allen, the greatest 3-point shooter of all time no less) in the waning moments of the now-legendary Game Six. That game also featured a superhuman performance from 4-time league MVP LeBron James and an unheralded collapse from the ever-steady, machine-like Spurs. The series had everything: last second shots, thunderous dunks, role players stepping up and future Hall-of-Famers playing brilliantly. Former Miami Heat player Mike Miller, now a Grizzly, even drained a shot while wearing one shoe. This year’s series provides the veteran Spurs a chance at revenge. They were as close as you can get to winning an NBA championship last year without actually winning it. It could be the last hurrah for the quartet of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich, but people have been saying that about them for almost a decade now. For the Heat, they have a chance to join the elite of the elite when it comes to great NBA teams. Only Bill Russell’s Celtics, Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics had made four straight Finals appearances before the Heat joined them this year. Only Russell’s Celtics, Michael Jordan’s Bulls and the Shaquille O’Neal/Kobe Bryant Lakers have ever won three championships in a row. A win...
by Sarah McGee | Jun 4, 2014 | Opinion
Disney always has a way of adding an interesting touch to movies as the years have gone by. Gone are the days where the princess is dependent on the prince and helpless. Recent releases like Tangled, Pixar’s Brave, and Frozen have all shown fans that heroes can come in the most surprising forms. Sleeping Beauty has a tale that almost everyone knows, but Disney flipped it upside down with Maleficent, a live-action reimagining of the classic Disney animated film. One of the most neglected parts of Sleeping Beauty was the reasons as to why Maleficent was as evil as she was. Why did she have it out so badly for the king and queen? What was her problem with Aurora? These questions were all answered swiftly in Maleficent. Viewers are introduced to the title character as a young child, where the audience is shown her growth emotionally and physically. Be prepared to relate to Maleficent on a whole different emotional scale. Angelina Jolie is spectacular as Maleficent. She portrays the infamous villain with humor, heartbreak and unconditional love. The heavy undertone of feminism throughout the film was incredibly refreshing. Also, Jolie’s makeup and outfits are absolutely flawless. Elle Fanning is gorgeous as Princess Aurora. Every outfit she wears is beautiful, but as in the original adaptation, she does not contribute much to the film as a character. Fun fact of trivia here: Princess Aurora has the least amount of lines in a film out of any Disney princess. Newcomer Brenton Thwaites is also a little underwhelming, though still breathtaking, as Prince Charming. It would have been nice to see Aurora and...
by Cory Woodroof | May 29, 2014 | Opinion
Hello, Lumination readers, Cory Woodroof here. Over the summer, we here at Lumination want to keep you tuned in on everything that’s going on with campus, but also, we’ll throw some other information your way that may be beneficial to you as you enjoy a summer that may not be too close to campus. With the ‘Arts Update,’ we will periodically update you with different opinions that could be beneficial, no matter where you are, to your time off. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Cap is back, and he’s better than ever. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the latest Marvel Studios venture, is as successful of a follow-up to both the 2011 stand-alone film starring everyone’s favorite patriotic superhero and 2012’s monolith blockbuster hit The Avengers, which brought Cap along for the ride alongside other Avengers Initiative heroes. With Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers (Cap’s other name) begins to investigate a mysterious plot unfolding within SHIELD, the top-secret government agency that serves as the Avengers’ parent company, so to speak. What unfolds after, best left unspoiled, brings back some of Rogers’ past into the spotlight. The film works simply because it’s Marvel Studios at its most competent. Marvel has had their own minor bumps and bruises along the way of creating one of the most expansive film series to date, but with Winter Soldier, the studio has produced a surefire hit with depth, emotion, jaw-dropping action set pieces and a page-turning plotline. Evans shines with his take on Rogers – the most underrated casting choice in the Marvel universe, and Scarlett Johansson is as good as ever as Natasha Romanoff. This...
by Janice Ng | May 23, 2014 | Opinion
The life of a one-day NBC/Lipscomb student runner does not actually involve a lot of running. In my short time helping out the NBC Nightly News crew, I got tasked with all manner of things to help the on-the-road broadcast happen. The clock read 10:25 a.m. There was no thermometer in the room, but I could gauge the temperature. It was roughly 80 degrees, and beads of perspiration could be seen on people’s foreheads. It was discussed that a fan should be procured, and I should be the one to fetch it, and so I did. I placed the fan in the very office where anchor Brian Williams would soon be stationed. At precisely 11 a.m., I pointed out the nearest restroom to an NBC employee. “Do you know where the closest restroom is,” the employee asked. “It’ll be right over there,” I said while pointing expertly in the general direction of the restroom. The employee was grateful. At 12:30 p.m., an NBC photographer needed to get footage of Lipscomb’s campus, and I was the chosen one to drive him around in a golf cart. “You,” an NBC employee pointed to me and said, “You’re a student, yes? So you would know all the pretty places around campus?” “Yes, I am and I do,” I said. “Great. You can take our photographer around campus to get some shots.” The next hour was spent chit-chatting with the photographer as he got his shots, telling my beginnings and background as a student journalist at Lipscomb, and hearing about his career. At precisely 4:06 p.m., I spotted Williams walk into the Bennett Campus Center accompanied by Lipscomb...
