by Erin Turner | Aug 11, 2014 | Uncategorized
This fall two Lipscomb graduates are headed to Princeton University to pursue a Master’s of Divinity degree. Lauren Calvin and John Paul Cooke both graduated valedictorian from Lipscomb in May of 2014. Because of the influence of Lipscomb professors, both Calvin and Cooke decided that attending a graduate school was in their futures. During her undergraduate career, Calvin discovered her many gifts in ministry. “My psychology professor, Dr. Chris Gonzalez, was the first person who made me believe I was capable of doing well in grad school,” said Calvin. Not only was Calvin’s calling affirmed by Dr. Gonzalez, but also Dean Barham. “My Intro to Ministry professor, Dean Barham, had enough faith in me to ask me to speak at Woodmont Hills Church of Christ in the spring of 2013,” said Calvin, “He believed I was ‘called to preach.’” Because of the strong encouragement from her professors, Calvin decided on the possibility of an independent career in ministry as a writer and public speaker. After speaking at Woodmont Hills and carving a path for her future, Calvin began seriously looking at graduate schools. Meanwhile, Cooke also affirmed his graduate school potential at an apprenticeship with Otter Creek Church of Christ. “Dr. Walter Surdacki placed me in a youth ministry apprenticeship my second year that lasted until I graduated,” said Cooke, “This was a great opportunity for me to learn and practice skills that I learned in the classroom.” In December, Calvin and Cooke began the application process, applying to Duke, Princeton, Emory and Yale. “Princeton’s application process was probably the most thorough, requiring a personal statement, resume, academic writing...
by Cory Woodroof | Feb 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
While there is still plenty of 2014 left to go, there has been one point of conversation that has dominated social media and beyond this year. “Who/what would be on the Mount Rushmore of (fill in the blank of a group of people, places or things)?” We here at Lumination have begun to ponder this very question about of the men and women who lead our classrooms at Lipscomb University every day, and we need your help. Who would you place on the Mount Rushmore of Lipscomb professors? Over the next two weeks or so, we would love for you to chime in with your four picks. The four professors who receive the most votes will fill in the four faces! If you’d like, you can offer a short blurb on why you chose the four professors that you did to be included in the post of winners. For example: I choose Dr. W, Dr. X, Dr. Y and Dr. Z for the Mount Rushmore of Lipscomb professors. Dr. Z is a friendly, energetic teacher who always impresses with her brilliant lectures and in-class demonstrations. She always is eager to help any students with problems they may have, and she even has a box of cookies on her desk for students to enjoy throughout the day. She’s an excellent example of a professor that absolutely deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of Lipscomb professors. (Three more would follow, and feel free to write as much as you would like). Submissions can be made in our comments section. The deadline for submissions will be on Friday, March 14, at...
by Sam Jokisch | Feb 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Students go to college for one reason alone – to follow some ambition. Whether this be simply money or a passionate dream, it’s easy to forget amongst our own ideas that those who stand at the front of the classroom are just as ambitious. Enter Jeff Barrie, an independent filmmaker who has been teaching film production at Lipscomb since 2010. Barrie’s classes are small, and his area of study is very particular. But his work is award-winning, and he has been the main topic at film festivals across the state on more than one occasion. Every dream has a beginning, and Barrie says his passion stemmed from his first time seeing Star Wars in theaters as a child. “I was captivated by the images, the effects, the story, the characters, and I was powerfully moved,” Barrie said. ” I wanted to be part of creating those positive feelings for others. My uncle George noticed my fascination and loaned me the first movie camera he had bought as a teenager in the 1950s. From that moment on, I made one short film after another, year round for the next 10 years.” But as many independent filmmakers know, the road to success, or failure, is never straight. Barrie’s film school application to UCLA was declined two years in a row during his college years, devastating him and forcing him to choose an alternate major. But, the change led to a new opportunity. “I graduated with a degree in geography and environmental studies,” Barrie said. “I loved the classes I was taking and made many good friends in the major. During a...
by Kyrsten Turner | Feb 5, 2014 | Uncategorized
Lipscomb’s new IDEAL program is equipping students with intellectual disabilities with the skills needed for successful employment. The two-year certificate program combines general education classes with core classes in technology and employment skills to prepare students for the work place. “Ultimately, my goal is to have students that graduate from this program that are able to find meaningful, paid employment,” said Mallory Whitmore, the program director. The IDEAL (Igniting the Dream of Education and Access at Lipscomb) program, which is partially funded by a grant from the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, became a part of Lipscomb in June 2013. Dr. Candace McQueen, the dean of Lipscomb’s College of Education, and Dr. Misty Vetter, the faculty advisor for the program, wrote a proposal for the program to present before the Council, and it was approved mid-summer. IDEAL students began their Lipscomb education in January with the start of the spring semester. The program currently has three students enrolled, and Whitmore says she hopes to see a total of 10 enrolled in the fall. The students will be taking two IDEAL classes every semester, as well as auditing two undergraduate courses and participating in an internship. Whitmore, who works with the Best Buddies organization in Nashville, said she is excited about the opportunities this program will provide for students, as well as how the program will grow in the future. “I would like to see our program inspire more and more high school students with disabilities to think of college as an option,” Whitmore said. “I would [also] like to get more professors involved. One of our components is that students audit two classes a...
by Brianne Welch | Jan 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
Author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet and Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist addressed every college students’ favorite subject, relationships, in the Gathering Tuesday morning. Niequist’s plan was to talk about the “secret and the heart of all relationships.” With that opening statement, she grabbed the audience’s attention. She followed up that statement later on with the one sentence that she feels the need to say whenever she is at a college campus. “Whoever you are, male or female, freshman or senior, single or dating or engaged or married,” Niequist said. “You are significant with or without a significant other.” Niequist made the statement to remind students how significant they are, and that being a part of a couple does not make a person more important, and also to remind students that everyone’s life timeline is different. After making her opening remarks, Niequist’s got to her main point of discussion, the secret of relationships, which she says is forgiveness. Forgiveness when dating, in the family and with friendships. Niequist stressed the importance of friendships at this time in a person’s life. “Worry less about dating and invest more in friends,” Niequist said. While talking about friendships, she made the point that even those will not last unless forgiveness is active in the relationship. She said that conflict is inevitable, and the only way to maintain those relationships is by being able to forgive. “When brokenness happens in a relationship it doesn’t mean it’s over, it means it’s normal,” Niequist said. The next thing Niequist addressed was how to forgive and what it means to be a forgiver. She says it is...
by Sydney Poe | Jan 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
Growing up, organizational communications and public relations major Emily Poe always wanted to make a difference in the world. To some kids, that leads them on to be teachers, nurses or doctors. For Emily it meant a career in politics. Poe spent time growing up searching the history of different political parties and watching presidential debates to get a better grasp on the world of politics. It became clear pretty quickly that the Republican side is where she fit best. “It aligns with my faith which then defines every aspect of my life, and that includes politics,” Poe said. “I know a lot of times people say they don’t want faith and politics to mix, but to me, they’re the perfect combination.” She started out as a political science major, but transferred to organizational communications and public relations to better fit her career path. During her sophomore year, Poe got involved with the Lipscomb College Republicans and became president of the club during her junior year. Soon after joining, Poe joined the Tennessee College Republicans, where she is now the Middle Tennessee Vice Chair. “The old administration really had left us disorganized, but under new leadership, we were able to turn that around,” Poe said. “We have fund raised, we have campaigned and we’ve done a lot more under the new administration.” Through the Tennessee College Republicans, she’s been able to attend a fundraiser for Paul Ryan while he campaigned under Mitt Romney during the most recent election. She has also interned under Governor John Kasich of Ohio and attended the GOP National Convention in Tampa, Fl. “Part of...
