Lipscomb group abroad in Chile safe from earthquake

Lipscomb students living in Chile this semester were far from the danger zone when the deadly 8.2-magnitude earthquake violently shook the country Tuesday. The university confirmed the group’s well-being in a press release from Assistant Vice President of Communication and Marketing Kim Chaudoin. “Lipscomb University students who are studying abroad in Santiago, Chile are more than 1,000 miles away from an earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Chile …,” Chaudoin wrote. “University officials have confirmed the safety of all team members.” Theology and ethics professor Lee Camp is leading the group while they are away, and he provided insight into the situation for the university in an email at 10:20 p.m. CST. “All is well here,” Camp wrote in the email. “No effects of the earthquake in Santiago.” A 7.6-magnitude after-shock hit the region less than 24 hours after the quake. The after-shock itself is reportedly stronger than any quake to hit the U.S. since the 7.8-magnitude 1906 San Francisco earthquake.     Photo courtesy of...

Country music stars head to Allen Arena for Charlie Daniels benefit tour

Music legends are heading to Lipscomb this spring for the fifth annual Copperweld Charlie Daniel’s Scholarship for Heroes event. The concert, which will be on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. in Allen Arena, will feature performances from Charlie Daniels, Kellie Pickler, Clint Black, The Grascals, the American Hitmen, the Navy Band Sea Chambers and other special guests. The Charlie Daniels Scholarship for Heroes tour is a benefit to raise funds for American veterans’ education. The event was started in March 2010 by Daniels to promote the Yellow Ribbon education program. Lipscomb participates in the Yellow Ribbon program at the highest level, offering free tuition for eligible military veterans and their families. Veterans may pursue an undergraduate degree through the program. Specific master’s programs are also available tuition-free. Servicemen and women, veterans and their families are invited to the concert as guests of corporate sponsors. In Lipscomb’s press release about the event, Jim Humphrey, the associate dean of campus life and director of veterans services, thanked Daniels for his support of veterans and the Yellow Ribbon program at Lipscomb. “We appreciate Charlie Daniels and his organization as well as those artists who have joined us for this event the past five years,” Humphrey said. “The awareness and funds that they raise for our program are impacting the lives of our veterans and their families in significant ways.” “Our veterans know that freedom isn’t free, but we think their education should be,” Humphrey said. “At Lipscomb we have a very unique opportunity to help open doors for our veterans through higher education.” Tickets are available to the public through to the generosity...

‘The Monuments Men’ stands tall with reverent approach

When George Clooney’s latest directorial feat The Monuments Men got the push from last December’s crowded Oscar season to a softer February open, many raised their eyebrows at the move. How could such a supposedly sure-fire contender for the Oscar get the boot to the next year’s winter months? All worries of lacking quality should be calmed, as Clooney’s newest film is no winter flop. What feels like something shot in the 40s with really, really great equipment, The Monuments Men has an wonderfully old soul. It’s in the realm of movies that call back to the days where honoring the sacrifices of those involved in World War II was the primary focus. The film follows the story of the U.S. government’s Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program, which entailed a group of artists and architects who attempt to save rare pieces of important art and culture from the clutches of the vile Nazis during the waning days of the war. Clooney plays the group’s lead-man in Lt. Frank Stokes, with Matt Damon playing his right-hand man, Lt. James Granger. John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balabin and Dimitri Leonidas round out the crew, while Cate Blanchett shows up in a supporting role as a French art museum representative who becomes vital to the group’s quest. The Monuments Men plays a delicate balancing act with whimsy and gravitas, eschewing not to focus for too long on either to provide an effective blend. It’s difficult to verve into humorous set pieces when dealing with such a serious topic as war, but Clooney manages to do with respect....

December commencement honors record number of fall graduates

As another semester came to a close this week, another group of Lipscomb students walked across the stage in Allen Arena Saturday afternoon to receive their diplomas. Lipscomb University’s December commencement ceremony honored the 414 students earning their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. The number of honorees at Saturday’s commencement is a fall record for the university. University president Randy Lowry mentioned the special feeling that accompanies graduation day. “There was a day, two, three, four, five, six years ago that was a day of great anticipation, and today, we have the end of that experience – a day of great celebration,” Lowry said. Areas of degree study ranged from a doctoral degree in Learning Organization and Strategic Change to a bachelor’s degree of Social Work. During the ceremony, Lipscomb alum David J. Clayton was honored as the Young Alumnus of the Year, while history professor Richard Goode was honored with the Kopio Award. Associate professor and academic chair of the nutrition department Autumn Marshall led the university’s Alma Mater. Lumination Photo Editor Whitney Jarreld and regular contributors Ariel Jones and Monaih Sam were among those to receive diplomas. Visit the university’s website for stories about three of Saturday’s...

Lighting of the Green sets lineup for 2013 show

For this year’s Lighting of the Green concert, Amy Grant will be bringing along plenty of friends for a night of Christmas joy. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Grant will be joined by Nicole C. Mullen, Brenda Lee, Ben Rector, Nashville‘s Lennon & Maisy, David Phelps and Hymns for Hunger & Friends (feat. Cindy Morgan and Andrew Greer), as well as a few of campus’ student choruses. The free concert begins on the Allen Arena Mall at 5:30 p.m., while other festivities will begin at 4 p.m. If there is rain, the event will be moved into Allen Arena. Those in attendance can provide Second Harvest Food Bank with either canned food or a cash donation. For more information on the evening’s festivities, visit Lipscomb’s website. Photo courtesy of...