by Sarah McGee | May 12, 2014 | Opinion
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had many elements that made the movie seem like it could be a tough one to watch. With a large cast list and a score created by Hans Zimmer with influence from Pharrell Williams, it was easy for anyone to be skeptical. The major surprise though was how easily the elements of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came together. From the beginning of the film, an emotional connection is built with character Max Dillon after he is saved by Spider-Man. Jamie Foxx makes the viewer feel for his character, despite us already knowing his fate as the villain Electro. The music added even more to every scene. One wouldn’t think that Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams would ever make sense together, but the duo, along with a host of other musicians, make for a great team. Viewers are given a glimpse into Electro’s mind through music. It isn’t long after the audience is introduced to Electro that we meet another new player, Harry Osborne. The dark elements of Harry are brought out even more by Dane DeHaan and his constant look of mischief. It might be just the designer eye bags, but DeHaan evokes the anger and sadness that Osborn feels in such an impressive way, while also succeeding in making the audience laugh. The movie had a large amount of comedy embedded throughout, but don’t be fooled. The emotions you feel during the film will be intense, although I won’t say why for those who have not read the comics or succeeded in staying spoiler-free. Along with humor, the romantic elements were all over the...
by Logan Butts | May 12, 2014 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
After months of anticipation for prospects both highly regarded and barely known, as well as NFL die-hard fans, the 2014 NFL Draft has finally come to a close. Thanks to a 2013 campaign that saw a fifth consecutive playoff miss, the Tennessee Titans roster went through an overhaul in the offseason, leaving plenty of holes to be filled by the draft. Having been a Titans fan for the franchise’s entire existence, I can say that this draft, like many before it, had both highs and lows. Here are my thoughts on the Titans’ 2014 Draft selections. First Round, 11th pick: Taylor Lewan, Offensive Tackle, Michigan: Easily the most baffling selection in an otherwise solid draft haul for the Titans. With the team’s two most glaring needs being a quarterback and a defensive back, the Titans chose an offensive tackle despite having two starters entrenched in that position already. I, personally, was hoping for Texas A&M star quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel. Even if he does not live up to his ultra-high expectations, he will be an entertaining player who draws crowds to the stadium. The Cleveland Browns sold 2,000 season tickets in the first 24 hours after selecting Manziel in the draft. Second Round, 54th pick: Bishop Sankey, Running Back, Washington: After a historic drought for running back selections, the Titans made Sankey the first back chosen in the 2014 draft. Sankey was an extremely productive player in college and will be a solid replacement after losing Chris Johnson in the offseason. Fourth Round, 112th pick: DaQuan Jones, Defesnive Tackle, Penn State: The Titans have always seemed to make good...
by Cory Woodroof | May 8, 2014 | Opinion
What would happen if you put music greats Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in the same room for a jam session? Well, let your imagination turn into reality, because this famous gathering actually happened on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1956. It’s known as the day of the “Million Dollar Quartet.” The musical Million Dollar Quartet dramatizes the historic time that all four gathered under the roof of Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tenn., with legendary label owner Sam Phillips and a company of others. The show itself is a crowd-pleaser, a nostalgia-dense wonderwork that features some of the best recreated music that stage can produce. Think of one of those gimmicky ‘Good Times Live’ shows with impersonators, but reorganized into the confines of a fascinatingly told story and with some of the best musicians to be found. The music is largely made up of some of the quartet’s finest work (Presley’s “Hound Dog,” Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire,” and Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” all make appearances), but a few lesser-known songs also make their way into the show. But, all are played with the same level of vivacious energy. Not only can this cast act – the ensemble can play. Vince Nappo stands out among the group as the energetic Sam Phillips. Nappo shows both sides of Phillips – the mogul looking to continue his pioneering ways into the industry and the kind-hearted genius who pulls some of music’s greatest faces out of the woodworks and helps them find the soul of their music. Cody Ray Slaughter does a mean...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 6, 2014 | Opinion
Open Letter to the Student Body: My name is Drew Watson and I am running for President of the Student Government Association 2014-2015. I am a Junior Business Management major from Loganville, Georgia. Qualifications: Last year I was elected Vice President of the Student Body. In this position, I have learned a lot about what is required of a SGA executive. Working along side the standing president, Andrew Hunt, has been a great experience. I have been on SGA for two years and my experience will help me tremendously if elected. Rather than learning about my duties and learning about the system, my experience will allow me to hit the ground running. I have sought to serve the students for years. I have been a part of both the Student Activities Board and Student Government for two years. The President of the student body should be a means of service. During my service to these organizations my goal has been simple: give an incredible and unforgettable college experience to those around me. I am a motivated individual. Since I was young, I have had a competitive drive. I’ve recently constructed official proposals that directly affect student as well as the internal functions of SGA. I drafted a proposal concerning mandatory night classes for certain majors that resulted in a productive conversation with the Provost. I promise, that if elected, I will continue to actively seek ways to better the student experience at this institution. If Elected: Communication between the SGA and the Student Body is an issue brought up during every election, but I have concrete ideas for how...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 6, 2014 | Opinion
Taylor Cao For SGA President Experience—that is the first word that pops in my mind. It is the first word I think of when I ask myself why I want to run for President of Lipscomb’s Student Government Association. I acknowledge that I have not been a part of the organization for as long as others; however, Lipscomb is huge part of who I am and has helped me grow into the leader I am today. Being a tour guide for admissions since my freshmen year and a resident assistant in High Rise for the past two years have cultivated my skills as a leader to the student body here at Lipscomb. Communing with the students here is a passion of mine, and I want nothing more than to serve you all this coming year as SGA President. I promise that I will serve you to the best of my ability if elected. I am not here to make any unattainable promises or create unrealistic goals. However, I am here to be an advocate. If I am elected as President of the Student Government Association, I promise that I will be a voice for students. When I mean students, I do not mean just the ones a part of one specific area of campus. I mean everyone from those involved in Greek life, to athletes, to theatre performers, to minority students and everywhere in between. I want to be a voice to the student who works several jobs just so they can afford to be a part of this community. I want to help foster an environment here that...
by Brianna Langley | Mar 29, 2014 | Opinion
The Driest Place in the World (originally published on Feb. 27) From the snowcapped peaks of Torres del Paine, the Chilean Global Learning class of 2014 journeyed straight up to the north of Chile, and in less than a week, we were in the driest place in the world: the Atacama Desert. The best way I can think of to describe to you what sort of adventures the Atacama holds is to simply take you through what we experienced while we were there, step by step. What I first noticed about the Chilean desert is that it is a place with almost as much topographic diversity and variety as the country of Chile itself. In some areas of the Atacama, all you can see is brown; brown and flat and complete desolation of life (or anything terribly interesting to look at for that matter). In other areas, little bits of plant manage to sprout up in seemingly spontaneous locations until you finally reach the actual oasis, where green is always greener. These are the rare jewels of the desert where exotic plants and thirsty, bright flowers flourish healthily in between the sweetest little villages that provide homes to the human population of the Atacama. Then there are the mountains and volcanoes; beautifully crafted monstrous sculptures that loom in every horizon. The two desert valleys we were privileged to visit during this particular visit to the Atacama were Death Valley and Moon Valley. Both valleys were expansive and had rolling dirt mountains that looked like a frozen sea of sandy brown waves. (Although I’ve never had the opportunity to travel...
