The Biggest Stories from 2011

by | Dec 20, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports

It’s that time of the year again. You know, the end of it. And with the end of the year comes lists! On the front pages of CNN, ABC News, Yahoo! and other news sites there will soon be “The Best of 2011” or “The Biggest from 2011.” At Lumination Network, we opted for the latter. 2011 was a year of surprises. When the year began, we were all shocked by what happened to Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. In March, Charlie Sheen ranted about “winning” and “Tiger Blood,” capturing the attention of the world…and ending his sitcom career prematurely. But 2011 was also a year of tragedy. On top of Senator Giffords being shot in her home state, one of the largest tsunamis in history hit Japan, which sent three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into meltdown, the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. In April, tornadoes ripped through the states just south of us.There were more than 170 twisters on one day, leading to a death toll of nearly 300. And 2011 was a year of love. In the biggest wedding of our lifetimes, William and Kate got hitched. Prince William, of course, tied the knot with his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, got married outside Westminster Abbey in London on April 29. Over 23 million Americans watched the wedding from their couches. Undoubtedly, though, the biggest story of the year was the death of Osama bin Laden. As most of you remember, bin Laden was killed during a firefight in Pakistan nearly a decade after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and set off patriotic celebrations...

Safety & Security addresses Vandy attack, safety tips

by | Nov 14, 2011 | News Slider

You might think that a college campus would be one of the safer places to rest your head. Walking to and from classes in broad daylight might be a simple, safe task, but think about if that one late-night class runs a few minutes over, or if that study session with a friend goes longer than expected. The long, dark walk back to your car in the dead of night can be a stressful experience, especially during the winter months when the moon creeps out quicker each evening. For a certain Vanderbilt student, this late-night stroll turned into something different entirely. In the early hours of Nov. 3, a female senior of the university was held at gunpoint by an unknown criminal. The man demanded her purse and quickly fled the scene once the bag was procured. This scary incident occurred during the student’s walk back to her on-campus apartment. The Lipscomb Security and Safety team works day and night to ensure that events like this don’t happen to Lipscomb students. Brad Wyatt, the director of security on campus, made it clear that the incident on Vanderbilt’s campus was unfortunate, but he said he hopes Lipscomb students understand that events like this have never occurred on Lipscomb’s campus during his four years as director of security. In fact, a mugging of that nature has never occurred on campus. He said he hopes that Lipscomb understand that, while on Lipscomb’s campus, safety is a top priority for his team. During the upcoming holiday season, Wyatt hopes that students will use common sense to stay safe – traveling in groups and...

Commuters get their space

by | Oct 16, 2011 | News Slider

Commuting students don’t have the option of their dorm-dwelling comrades: they have no dorm bed to go slip into if there’s dead time between classes. To answer that problem, the university last week opened The Commuters’ Lounge. Up until the lounge opened, commuting students were forced to spend their “down time” in public spaces, which generally are congested and raucous. Now there’s a home away from home for communters in the lounge that comes fully equipped with an ample sectional sofa for big study sessions, a futon (for students who are wanting to squeeze a nap in between classes), a refrigerator, microwave, lockers for storage and a plasma television with cable. It is located behind Elam Hall, adjacent to Lipscomb Security for added convenience in case of an emergency. For questions or comments, visit the Campus Life office located at the bottom of the Student Center. Scott McDowell, vice president for student development, was instrumental in the construction of The Commuters’ Lounge. Last week, he invited commuting students to take a tour of the lounge and also asked them for questions or suggestions about how it can better serve their needs. Sophomore Denise de la Torre, who is studying biology, suggested that “the hours be extended, since there are many commuters who have evening classes or...

Lumination Newscast – Oct. 6

by | Oct 7, 2011 | News Slider, Sports

This week, anchors Wade Funderburg and Jessica Burke tell you everything you need to know about  pledging and bid night, Brad McCoy’s presentation during Family Weekend, the 32nd annual Tau Phi Cowboy Show, missions fair, College of Arts and Sciences fair, and Campus Safety and Security. Also, Lumination explores students’ fall break plans; interviews Stephen Greyser, the guest speaker for Media Masters; and talks about the big athletics announcement. Lumination has all that, plus a look at entertainment, sports and weather. Please upgrade your...