Experts share their thoughts on Wednesday’s Presidential debate

A Presidential debate watch party gave students and staff in Shamblin Theater on Wednesday night a unique opportunity to hear expert advice on who “won” and how the debate could impact the election. The event, which was open to the public, had a high turn out and featured a panel of experts who gave a brief informational introduction and some predictions about the debate. Lipscomb Communications Professor Alan Griggs hosted the two experts, one democrat and one republican, who shared their opinions on stage before and after the debate. Toby Compton, who served as the Republican representative on the panel, works in the administration of Gov. Bill Haslam. Compton and democratic representative Lisa Quigley, who serves as chief of staff for Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), spoke respectfully about their own parties and the other’s party on what to expect in the debate. “He is going to lay out his case for why he should be re-elected… He has to come out today looking like the strong leader that Americans expect,” Quigley said laying out her expectations for President Barack Obama. Compton said Gov. Mitt Romney needed to focus on being relatable during the debate. “There is a lot of pressure on Romney to do well,” he said. “He has to present himself as human, as someone who can relate to other people.” Domestic issues were the intended topic of the debate but, according to Quigley, were passed right over. Instead, “Obamacare” and Medicaid were a central topic for the night. The debate also hit a range of topics from budget and taxes to cooperation between parties and Big Bird....

TV news focuses on students … and it’s by students, too

Almost a month into it, the university’s first student-run televised weekly newscast continues to grow. The show debuted Sept. 23 and contains mostly content that is directed toward the students who call Lipscomb “home.” Replays can be seen on campus Channel 97 at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. daily as well as Friday on luminationnetwork.com, the award-winning student web site. The TV show features mostly events and news happening on campus, but there are a few other segments including: sports, weather, entertainment and an interview segment. For most of the crew, this newscast is their first chance at being part of a news production. Communication and journalism majors are getting real-life studio exposure and experience under the direction of Rachel Carden, broadcast news director. Carden, a senior journalism and new media major, directs the team of students and helps them come up with story ideas as well as edits the stories, assigns roles and manages the news team. Carden said she is excited about the opportunity the students have to experience what it is like to be a part of a newscast. “This is the first year we have done it,” she said, “and it is a really big accomplishment for us.” Former WSMV news director Alan Griggs serves as the faculty sponsor for the student newscast. Griggs gives all the credit to the students and their hard work for making the broadcast possible. He explains that the newscast offers a variety of opportunities for students. “We are rotating jobs and responsibilities every week so students can get to do something every week,” Griggs said. “One week they might...