by Cory Woodroof | Apr 11, 2012 | Opinion
Blue Like Jazz is a rarity. Once in a blue moon, the Christian base in Hollywood will strike lightning in a bottle, producing a satisfying look at faith and religion through unfiltered eyes. More often than not, audiences are served up a fresh bowl of faith-based pabulum – be it in the form of a “Kendrick brothers original” (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) or another off-brand copycat you might find at the local Redbox. Films made by the faithful often lack any bite. The projects are too focused on being happy, inoffensive and resolved. The end result is harmless, but a typical Sunday morning sermon usually finds greater success. This past August, golf-centric melodrama Seven Days in Utopia succeeded in slightly rising above the genre, providing a decently endearing story while staying within the confines of the churchyard. Having a cast featuring Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo didn’t hurt. Still, I wondered when the right movie would come along at the right time to finally put an end to the usually languished faith-based fare. I wondered when a filmmaker would be bold enough to portray the daily walk of a Christian without a coating of fresh sugar. Blue Like Jazz, adapted from Donald Miller’s best-selling memoir, finally offers Christian audiences a film they can be proud of – a journey into faith and life through the eyes of a scarred believer. Don Miller (Marshall Allman) stands as the example of the perfect Bible-belt Christian until a horrid discovery sends him from his Texas home to Oregon’s Reed College, a super-secular institution based in free expression. Miller begins to struggle with...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 4, 2012 | Opinion
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series about factors that influence oil prices. The age old question about gas prices doesn’t have a simple answer. The amount you pay at the pump is influenced by classic economic concepts of supply and demand, as well as other factors like the difficulty of maintaining old refineries or opening new ones. Other issues that affect oil prices are international conflict and debate about ethics and the environment. International problems If you have been paying attention to international news at all within the past year, it is certain that you have heard about the ‘Arab Spring’ movement in the Middle East. The rebellion that started because a man immolated himself in Tunisia in response to oppressive government rule has swept across the Middle East. The oil supply is more uncertain because of government instability in the region. The U.S. is very dependent on foreign oil. Sixteen percent of U.S. oil comes from the Persian Gulf, according to Consumer Energy Report. The main countries in the Persian Gulf where the U.S. obtains its oil are Saudia Arabia, Yemen and Iraq. On a side note, 21 percent of U.S. oil comes from Africa. Nigeria and Algeria are among those nations in Africa that are major oil producers. Unfortunately, some African nations do not have much stability at the moment either. There are frequent clashes between Hausa-speaking Muslims and Christian members of other ethnic groups in several Nigerian cities such as Jos. The most recent was on Feb. 6 when a suicide bomber from the radical Islamic group Boko Haram targeted a church in...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 3, 2012 | Opinion
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series about factors that influence oil prices. I do not like going to the gas station. My car is one of my biggest expenses even when you discount the price of gasoline. I was nearly in pain when I saw a price of $3.61 per gallon the other day. Gas prices climbed nearly every day for the past month and a half. This nation is now nearing the infamous national average of $4.11 that was reached in 2008. To go and just say oil prices are high may or may not be a true statement. We need a level or a benchmark of economic comparison to truly say oil prices are high. According to a chart from the U.S. Energy Administration, the national gas price average has been under $3.40 for at least the past 6 years. I would say that when the price of a commodity goes above a 5-year national average it becomes ‘too high.’ It’s easy for us to discount that rising oil prices are due to speculators. It’s not just speculators, however. Speculators play a small role in determining prices when compared to the much bigger roles that supply and demand play. “Speculation goes both ways,” said Dr. Richard Grant, professor and chair of the Department of Finance and Economics, “speculators cannot drive up prices independently of real activities without risking reversal.” In other words, speculators invest to make a profit. If they expect prices to rise, they buy. If they expect prices to fall, they sell. If speculators bid prices up, they also serve to...
by Brynn Watkins | Mar 30, 2012 | Opinion
Style is found everywhere, from the hectic streets of New York City to the rolling hills of Tennessee. Style even appears at Lipscomb University. These are our stories – your stories. This is Lipscomb Street Style. Name: C A L L A N D O W N I N G Year: Freshman Style: What / I / Like Inspirations: menswear The Style Rookie Vogue 1. black shorts and demin shirt- Southern Thrift 2. shoes-Anthropologie 3. earrings-Etsy 4. brooch- Disney Store Name: E L L E N I V Y Year: Freshman Style: Simple / Quick / Comfortable Inspirations: Ruche Stylebooks 1.skirt-gift 2. shirt-Goodwill 3. shoes- Off Broadway Name: M E L I S S A W I L S O N Year: Freshman Style: Frothy / Comfy / Colorful Inspirations: Neutral Milk Hotel Colors Fairy Tales 1.shirt and skirt- Old Navy 2. earrings-Gift 3. shoes- found ...
by Nick Glende | Mar 28, 2012 | Opinion
What is your biggest fear? Personally, mine is spiders and bees. They scare the crap out of me. I would fight a bear in a fist fight in a closed off area before I willingly set foot in the same state as a beehive. Some people have more more rational fears, such as heights or death. Others may have strange fears like clowns or ghosts. Along with our personalities, our fears are unique and can shape how we live our lives. But I bet you that 99 percent of us all share the same fear: Nonconformity. Nonco-what? It means lack of, failure or refusal to conform (agree) as with established customs, attitudes or ideas. Being the odd man out. As a kid, we’re all taught to be a proud individual and to be ourselves, to avoid peer pressure and whatnot. What I realize is that, as adults, those same people who tell us to stand up for ourselves also pressure us to conform to what they or their group believe. If you grew up with a specific religious background, why do you get such hateful messages if you start thinking outside of that religion? You’re taught all through school and by your parents to think for yourself, but when you finally do, you feel the disappointment of others. That’s probably what we fear the most and why peer pressure is dangerously real. People are pressured into doing something stupid like drugs or stunts all the time but not because of their personal interest in the subject. They do it because they don’t want to disappoint their friends. I feel we may...
by Hunter Patterson | Mar 10, 2012 | Opinion
Rumor has it, before High Rise’s water problem on Thursday that classes have not been cancelled for a non-weather related event in over 30 years! During the news meeting on Friday, Lumination Network staff compiled a Top 10 list a la David Letterman. Staff members Emily Snell, Hunter Patterson, Whitney Jarreld, Nicci Carney and Cory Woodroof all contributed to the list below. 10. The bison statue’s head is cut off, prompting a student-led search party headed up by Garner Goode dressed as the LU Bison 9. Belmont students litter campus with cups from Bongo Java 8. A group of High Rise freshmen organize a campus-wide simultaneous toilet flushing, causing the campus to overflow 7. Student leads a revolt after being turned away from singing praise chapel in Shamblin for third time in three weeks 6. Fire Marshal shuts down campus after trying to attend singing chapel in Shamblin with his daughter, a prospective student 5. Nicolas Cage discovers the Ark of the Covenant in the LU cave system 4. All students get chapel credit on time, prompting the university to give the students a day off 3. Network frame crashes after absurd amount of Blackboard and Academic Workshop emails 2. Squirrels invade student center before storming the Campus Life office, holding Dean McDowell for ransom 1. Professors run out of paper to use in classes after security fills year-long parking ticket quota in a single day Have one better than ours? We think you can probably do better. Comment below or tweet at us at @LuminationNet with your suggestion. We’ll publish the...
