by Lumination Staff | Nov 23, 2020 | News Slider, Opinion, Student Spotlight
Adjunct professor Tim Ghianni, journalist-in-residence at Lipscomb, asked his 21st Century Media students to ponder the holidays, their traditions and what COVID-19 will or will not spoil this year. Here are some of their responses: Extra cautious because of grandparents My extended family loves being together. Both on my mom’s side of the family and my dad’s. We alternate each year who we spend each holiday with, and each year it is always a blast, laughing together, playing games, sharing memories and just having that time to slow down and just spend time together. Leading up to this year’s holiday season, I think we all feared that we would not be able to spend time together. Thankfully, my family’s holiday plans have not changed drastically because of COVID, but a few things leading up to the holiday season have had to change. I know for me personally, I had a few trips planned recently that I was really looking forward to, but because I knew that I would be spending Thanksgiving with my grandparents, I had to cancel those trips. Both myself and my brother have had to be extra cautious in these last few days at Lipscomb in preparation for spending time with my grandparents. … I know so many are not even able to be with anyone outside of their immediate family for this holiday season. So many things have been taken away from us this year because of COVID, and it is unfortunate that such a joyful time such as Thanksgiving and Christmas has to be taken away as well. But, hopefully we can all come away from...
by Schyler Jones | Oct 5, 2020 | News, News Slider, Opinion
With the presidential election less than a month away, those who have the opportunity to vote need to understand the power they hold. We were all taught about voting to some extent in school, but with everything else going on, why does it really matter? Heleena Kabtimer, a junior International Business Management major, said, “As a person of color and a woman, there’s so many times when voting in our history has not been provided to someone like me. Now that I can use my voice to vote in elections, all those people didn’t fight for me to not use it.” Suffrage is a privilege, a time when people get to use their voice to stand up for what they believe in. Concerning people who choose not to vote, Jessica Heffington, a senior Accounting major, claims she understands people choose not to vote for various reasons, but said, “If you choose not to, then you can’t be mad at the outcome.” Both Kabtimer and Heffington admit they did not vote when they first turned eighteen. The main reason was that it wasn’t a presidential election year. Local elections don’t garner nearly as much attention as federal elections, but looking back Kabtimer wishes she understood that local elections are actually just as important as federal elections. “Every town, city, and state is different and those who live there should have a say in what affects them every day,” Heffington said. A common obstacle to first-time voters is not knowing how the voting process works. Kiana Rafiei, a junior Psychology major, thinks schools need to better prepare students to go out...
by Lumination Staff | May 8, 2020 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
By Anica Gilbert, Ben Browning, Riley Hoag and Casey King Lipscomb men’s golf team had a lot of potential before the COVID-19 national emergency ended the season and cut those hopes short. “We were on a trajectory to the postseason,” said coach Will Brewer. “That’s what our goal was at the beginning of August and we had a great shot. “Everyone was coming together and playing well. The team was really gelling.” Brewer said.”The team was stunned as they watched a canceled match turn into a canceled season. The team had high hopes and a promising chance at continuing to the postseason.” Then came COVID-19. “They were very emotional, very shocked and a lot of disbelief,” said coach Brewer. “The best part of the season was before everything got shut down because the team was working hard and pushing each other,” said freshman Gregor Mckenzie. “We had something nice going with the team, where everybody was concerned about each other, and everyone was accountable for what they were doing.” For senior Conner McKay, relationships with his teammates were especially important, he started adding that the talks with his teammates led him to redefine his faith and relationship with God. “This year was different because of the chemistry. I started to grow in my faith and a couple of guys on the team introduced me to the Bible for the first time,” McKay said. “About a month ago I accepted Christ as my Lord and savior.” Despite the ups and downs, the team is continuing to move forward in training for next year’s matches, but with all golf courses being...
by Lumination Staff | Apr 29, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider, Opinion, Student Spotlight
The importance of family time, the joy of TV binge-watching, missing contact with friends in classes, worrying about the illness, learning how to sew, reading books or becoming aware of how important it is to wash your hands are just a few things that have occupied students’ minds in the weeks since spring break and the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Here are some of the thoughts and worries from the Lipscomb students in adjunct Tim Ghianni’s Practicum in Journalism. Chances are that fellow students will recognize themselves in these short essays: The thought of being locked in your house without face to face contact with the outside world is terrifying, especially for someone with a go-getter personality. That go-getter would be me. I am the type to try and fill every second of the day with productive tasks, oftentimes making more work for myself just to keep from what I would say is “wasted time.” Throughout quarantine, I have re-learned the art of relaxing. I don’t remember the last time I was able to just sit and watch a movie or hang out with my family just because. While I know this won’t last forever, there are several lessons I’ve learned that I plan to take with me out of quarantine. Most of them are simple, but I’ve learned they are crucial for my mental health. I plan to take more time to enjoy family and friends and just hang out. Life is too short to occupy each second with strenuous working and being “productive.” I also plan to spend more time on the things I love, like photography and art. I...
by Ashley Bingham | Mar 6, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Onward features a family of elves with who lost their father before their youngest son was born. Ian Lightfoot, voiced by Tom Holland, and older brother Barley, voiced by Chris Pratt, are two brothers who could not be more different. Single mom Laurel, voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has done her best to raise them in little New Mushroomtown. This is a world full of mythical creatures that have found a content life living without their gifts from nature. Magic has long been forgotten in favor of a more efficient and easier solution: Technology. The film begins on Ian’s 16th birthday, when the viewer sees him living a life with which he’s not quite satisfied. His shy tendencies, and not to mention his embarrassing older brother, make it hard for him to feel accepted and comfortable at school. Laurel reveals that their father had left behind a gift for the two sons, only to be given to them once they were both older than 16: A wizard’s staff, an enchanted stone and a spell to bring back their beloved dad for one whole day. Ian turns out to have a natural talent at casting spells, and is able to bring back their father. Well, the lower half of him. With the enchanted stone destroyed, the boys must embark on a quest to find another stone in order to bring back the entirety father before time runs out. Barley, who has a passion for table-top magic games, Ian with the wizard’s staff, and the hilarious pair of legs that is their father head out on their journey in order to be...
by Tia Calvin | Feb 4, 2020 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs stormed back in the last seven minutes to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 during Super Bowl LIV Sunday, but those two teams weren’t the only ones battling for a spot on top. Because of the game’s massive annual viewership, the commercials aired before, during, and after the game can earn brands millions or set them millions behind. According to Fox Sports, some advertisers paid a record-breaking $5.6 million for their spots. But did any of that cash pay off by making connections … or selling products… to viewers? This year, companies used obscure humor and all-star celebrity cameos to make their products pop. In this list, we counted down the best and the worst of 2020’s Super Bowl Commercials. Best of the Best Google: “Remember” Google has an affinity year after year to pull at our heartstrings with age-old themes like love and sacrifice. This year’s ad is no different. Loretta tells the story of an elderly man, who calls on the app’s “Hey Google” feature to recall the moments and memories of his late wife that he never wants to forget. It’s original, creative, and heartfelt with just enough whimsy to make you smile through your tears. In short, it’s a truly well-done love story told with beautiful imagery that will leave you sobbing. Amazon: “Before Alexa” It’s a simple truth that everyone loves Ellen. So when the talk show mogul and her wife, Portia De Rossi, question what life was like before Amazon’s Alexa, hilarity is sure to ensue. The commercial gives us some memorable, historical iterations of Alexa from a medieval...
