by Bridgette Begle | Sep 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
Tim Ghianni, a Lipscomb adjunct who worked as a newspaper journalist for more than 30 years, has published “a love letter to how newspapers used to be.” The “love letter” comes in the form of his newest book “When Newspapers MATTERED: The News Brothers & their Shades of Glory.” Ghianni’s book was published in April, and Ghianni was recently a guest on well-known journalist John Seigenthaler’s Channel 8 segment, “A Word on Words,” which aired Sunday morning. Between freelance writing, teaching and advising Lumination, Ghianni found time to write his book in 2011. His inspiration for the book was a story he reported 30 years ago, about two young people being murdered. “It was a therapy thing for me to write, because I could not get [the murders] out of my head” Ghianni said. Co-Author Rob Dollar also played a big role in writing the book. Ghianni said he would write a few chapters then send them to Dollar who would read, make edits, add his view and send it back to Ghianni. This became a back and forth rhythm for eight months until the book was completed around Christmas 2011. “All I ever wanted to be was a newspaperman,” Ghianni said. Ghianni’s love for writing hasn’t changed even though, according to him, the newsroom environment and the community aspect of news has changed. “The book is a love letter to how newspapers used to be,” said Ghianni, explaining that the newsroom atmosphere is not the same. “I don’t like how it is now. I loved the way it was.” At the core of the book is a tale...
by Emily Snell | Sep 18, 2012 | Uncategorized
When most college students imagine a chemistry professor, they don’t picture someone with a law degree. And they don’t picture someone who does creative writing and mixed martial arts for fun. But students at Lipscomb find exactly that in Dr. John Smith, assistant professor of chemistry. Smith, who started full-time at Lipscomb in 2007, said students seem to enjoy hearing about his unusual hobbies. “Some of my students think it’s amusing that I’ve taken up mixed martial arts,” Smith said, explaining that he picked it up because his 8-year-old daughter, Miranda, has been doing it for over a year. “I started that back in March. I’ve wanted to do marital arts since I was Miranda’s age, but my family couldn’t afford it. Now is my chance. It’s fun.” Beyond martial arts, Smith spends some of his free time writing. “I love writing,” he said. “I hate science writing; it’s incredibly formulaic and boring. I love creative writing.” Smith said he writes scripts for VBS drama presentations at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, where he attends. He has also written poetry, short stories and parts of novels. “I’ve entered some competitions, but I never win anything.” Smith, who has a bachelor’s in chemistry from Drew University in Madison, N.J., said he began working at Lipscomb as an adjunct faculty in 2001 while he was getting his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt. During the 2001-02 academic year, Smith said he wrote his dissertation for his Ph.D., started classes at Vanderbilt Law School and began teaching at Lipscomb. “It was a busy year,” he said. “I don’t remember much. I remember sitting down every...
by Nick Glende | Sep 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
In an almost last-minute decision, senior Erica Aburto became president of Lipscomb’s Futuro chapter this year. Aburto, a member of Lipscomb’s student newscast and writer for Lumination, had been a member of Futuro last year but was unable to participate as much as she’d hoped due to work and school responsibilities. Futuro is a professional development organization designed “to provide Hispanic college students with networking opportunities, leadership skills, communication skills and real-world exercises in order to equip them with skills they can take to the workforce.” Originally from Chicago, Aburto now has apartment in the Nashville area and has big aspirations for her future. “After graduation I may do grad school, corporate management or education,” she said. “I volunteered three years at Woodmont Hills Church as a tutor, and I like working with kids. Those are some possibilities. Maybe translating, since I speak Spanish, and I could help other kids with that.” Education is very important, Aburto said, adding that she has learned a lot from being at Lipscomb. “Ultimately the goal of education is to not only have your questions answered, but to raise more questions,” she said. “And that in and of itself–critical thinking–is one of the most important pillars of education.” Aburto said Jackie Corley, a Lipscomb alumnus was a major influence, for her. Corley is now director at Christian Community Services, Inc. “The way she’s influenced me is her serving heart,” Aburto said. “She’s never met a stranger. That’s just who she is. Whoever she encounters is automatically a friend of hers. That’s someone I aspire to be like, someone who never meets strangers and...
by Erica Aburto | Sep 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
Independent coffee shops are becoming as ubiquitous in Nashville as seeing someone wear cowboy boots down lower Broadway. Locally-owned coffee shops are usually within close proximity of college campuses, a benefit to those seeking a boost of java. Coffee, Lunch is no exception. The new coffee hot spot opened last week along 10th Ave. South, adding to Nashville’s already great selection of coffee houses. “Monday couldn’t have been a smoother day,” said co-owner Khalil Davis. “People were trying to get in because they saw people in here. We had a soft opening Aug. 27 for our neighbors above us. Our printed opening date was actually Sept. 4.” Davis said he was encouraged by the warm reception and decided to open a week early. “We started off by doing a 50 percent off everything,” he said. “It worked out fantastic. By Tuesday, we had so many people pulling on the door, trying to get in, we just decided to go for it and see how busy we can get.” As for the naming of the coffee shop, Davis said, “It was a mistake. We couldn’t come up with a name, so when we submitted our business plan, we put coffee, lunch. Once it was reviewed, the name stuck.” Coffee, Lunch is what you’d expect in a coffee house, except with a few twists. For starters, the music selection includes ‘90s underground hip hop but also contemporary indie. For food, you can choose from offerings such as penne pasta and potato salad. On the menu are also ham and cheese croissants, sandwiches and salads. For drink choices, the shop has espressos, cappuccinos,...
by Bridgette Begle | Sep 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
With his own song on iTunes and a mother who is known as “the queen of Christian fiction writing,” sophomore Ty Russell is ready to be a bright light for the entertainment industry. Russell’s mother, Karen Kingsbury, has written over 50 novels appealing to all ages. Russell said his mother travels a decent amount for book signings and conventions. And although some people may think that would have a negative effect on the family, Russell insists that it’s not a factor. “She puts family first. … Even if she is on a deadline and someone needs help with homework, she helps with the homework because she is a mom first,” he said. Russell said he looks up to his mother as his role model in many different ways. “It’s cool that she has a platform but is still so humble.” Transferring from a bigger campus in Virginia called Liberty University, Russell said he is ready to see what a small campus in a big city has in store for him. “I like to get plugged in and know the faces around me every day,” Russell said. Even though his family moved to Nashville in the summer of 2011, Russell still attended Liberty for the 2011-2012 school year. “It was weird coming home from school for Thanksgiving break to a new place,.” he said. Music City seems to be a central location for Russell and his plans for the future. After asking around to try to find a smaller Christian school, Russell said Lipscomb was the most popular response. “Everyone is so nice, warm and welcoming,” he said. “Everyone is...
by Emily Snell | Sep 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
After leaving Zimbabwe, a small country in Southern Africa, and teaching at two other Church of Christ universities for several years, Dr. Florah Mhlanga came to Lipscomb in August 2011 as a biology professor. Mhlanga, one of nine children, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Zimbabwe before obtaining her master’s and doctorate degrees at Michigan State University. She has two children, Carl, 15, and Craig, 10, and her husband, Fortune, is director of Lipscomb’s School of Computing and Informatics. Mhlanga said she came to the United States from Zimbabwe with her husband and their two sons in 2002 because the political and economic climate in Zimbabwe was beginning to “deteriorate.” “We never thought we would leave Zimbabwe,” she said, noting that she was a professor and chair of her department at the University of Zimbabwe. An opportunity arose at that time, Mhlanga said, for them to teach at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala., and she said she believes it was a blessing from God. “We thought it was a God-sent opportunity to shield us from some of the problems that really we were experiencing — the political and economic problems in Zimbabwe,” she explained. “We thought it was really God’s call or a blessing, in a way, from God that he opened this avenue for us to leave Zimbabwe and to go to Alabama to work there.” Mhlanga said the condition of the political and economic system in Zimbabwe gave her concern for her children and their ability to have opportunities. “It was going to be very difficult to educate them, to find a good educational system...
