Memories abound in alumni newspaper ‘The BabblerExpress’

The third floor of Beaman Library is home to the Lipscomb archives, including those of The Babbler, the university student print publication that ceased in 2009. The third floor is also where Marie Byers, the Beaman Library archivist, volunteers her time, scanning in old stories and photographs to use in The BabblerExpress. “I like to show off my stuff,” said Byers, motioning to the archive room in the corner behind her chair. The BabblerExpress is a new Lipscomb paper, published by the Senior Alumni Council and mailed out to alumni ages 55 and older. Similar to the Nashville Retrospect, The Babbler Express pulls from old student publications to compose a bi-yearly newspaper for the senior alumni. “The idea came from the Nashville Retrospect, which is the newspaper that’s published, I think monthly. It is a newspaper – only it’s bigger than the current Tennesseean, and it’s larger, like the old newspapers used to be, but it just re-prints articles from The Tennessean, the Nashville Banner and earlier Nashville newspapers from, say, the 19th century.” Byers emphasized that although everyone reading the Nashville Retrospect doesn’t remember what happened fifty years ago, the people who lived at that time do and the stories are sentimental. The same is true of The BabblerExpress. The committee makes it a priority to include a “little of this, little of that” in order to connect with all the alumni, many of whom enjoyed different interests, Byers said. “We do have some guidelines,” Byers said. “We don’t have all sports. We don’t have all beauty queens, and we don’t have all Singarama. We try to show student activities. We try to have something about faculty. “This was the campus newspaper for many...

Willodene Scott Reading/Discussion Series begins tonight at Beaman

Beaman Library will begin hosting the 2013 Willodene Scott Reading/Discussion Series tonight at 7 p.m with a study of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. An event co-sponsored by the Nashville Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association, this year’s series will take on the topic “Based on the Book: Books into Film.” The series started its run 23 years ago and zeroes in on a a specific reading theme that .In 2012, the event was renamed in honor of the late Dr. Willodene Scott, a local library professional and charter member of the Nashville Chapter of the WNBA. One book will be discussed each week for six weeks throughout the summer. Sessions will be held in Lipscomb’s Ezell Center, Room 136, at 7 p.m. Academic professionals will facilitate all sessions and participants are invited to view the film based on the book prior to attending the discussions. Here is the list of the June installments of the series, courtesy of lipscomb.edu. Monday, June 10 The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Tale of 19th century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman’s cousin. Facilitator: Kimberly Reed, Lipscomb University The 1993 film version of The Age of Innocence stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Daniel Day-Lewis and Wynona Ryder and was directed by Martin Scorsese. Monday, June 17 Atonement by Ian McEwan. Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit. Facilitator: Linda Barnes, Austin Peay...

Book signing honors talented Lipscomb alum Spain

The Lipscomb community gathered Thursday in Beaman Library to honor local author George Spain with a book signing. A Lipscomb alumnus and retired health professional, Spain is a well-known author in the Nashville area. The writer has been published in the Williamson County Historical Review and in an anthology for the Written Word entitled Gathering: Writers of Williamson County. He spent the afternoon shaking hands and introducing his newly published book, Our People: Stories of the South. Spain also read several excerpts from the book. A historical fiction writer, most of Spain’s stories are set in middle-Tennessee and range from the 1700s down through slavery and the Civil War Era. Our People is a culmination of 16 short stories. The characters themselves are fictitious, but Spain said his inspiration comes from real individuals. “The inspiration I guess is just things out of my past, my wife’s past, which are interesting enough to tell people about,” Spain said. “I take those little bits of truths and create something that’s not-truth.” Spain attributes his career to Lipscomb professors and close friends who encouraged his writing talents. “I probably would have given up if it hadn’t been for people listening to my writing,” Spain said. “Very early on I started out writing poetry,” Spain said. “I wrote poetry for years and years, and a few short stories. When I started to retire, a few people said, ‘You ought to write.’” Spain credits his talent to his love of literature and encourages young authors to read constantly. “As Dr. Landiss said to me: read a lot of poets,” Spain said. “If you’re interested in...

Joshua Graves reads portion of new book at library signing

Local minister, author and Lipscomb adjunct professor Joshua Graves was present for a book signing at the Beaman Library Tuesday afternoon. Graves, the preaching and teaching minister at Otter Creek Church and a contributor to Fox News’ website, read a portion of his new book Heaven on Earth (co-written with Chris Seidman) to those in attendance. Carolyn Wilson, the director of library services, introduced Graves to the crowd, thanking him for his participation in the event. “We like to recognize our own people who do exceptionally well,” said Wilson, a member of Graves’ congregation. After the introduction, Graves jumped right into reading a chapter from Heaven on Earth, a book that offers a fresh take on the Beatitudes. The chapter took a focus on the ‘mourning’ beatitude. Once Graves finished the reading, he took a few questions from the audience, with topics ranging from what it’s like to be both a writer and a preacher to what inspired Graves to write about the Beatitudes. Graves said he was happy with the event’s turnout, noting his enjoyment in hosting book signings. “When I think about book signings, it’s just another opportunity to talk to people about things I’m passionate about,” Graves said. “It can be kind of a weird thing for some authors, but I just love the chance to hear what people are reading and what they’re thinking about.” Graves said that college students who were interested in the book would be attracted to its non-scholarly approach. “This is not an academic book – it’s not an intellectual book. It’s a book that’s very practical,” Graves said. “[The book]...
Lipscomb’s clothing lab offers unique opportunities for fashion majors

Lipscomb’s clothing lab offers unique opportunities for fashion majors

Few people outside the fashion bubble here at Lipscomb realize that the campus has a clothing lab. Perhaps it is because our fashion students are a small portion of the student body. Maybe it is due to its nearly-hidden location. To many, the clothing lab is one of campus’ best kept secrets. Alex Barry, a senior double majoring in fashion industry and textiles and apparel, is the co-president for Rho Xo Delta, Lipscomb’s fashion club. “It’s not one of those places you just stumble on,” she said, referencing the location. The clothing lab is down the hall from the computer center in the basement of the Beaman Library. “If you’re not looking for it, you won’t find it,” Barry said. Several classes actually take place in the clothing lab. These classes include Clothing Construction I and II, Art Applied to Everyday Life, Professional Orientation for Fashion Majors, Interior Fabrications and Flat Pattern Design. Sissy Simmons, a fashion professor, teaches Clothing Construction I and Art Applied to Everyday Life. According to Simmons, the Clothing Construction I class “uses every aspect of the lab.” The students use the tables when she is lecturing, the sewing equipment and cutting tables when sewing, the storage space for projects and supplies, the mannequins to display finished looks and the great selection of fabrics to make these looks. Professor Simmons also uses the Halston drawings and donated garments in the lab as references throughout her classes. The clothing lab has been upgraded recently by acquiring new audio/video equipment. Simmons believes that “[the new equipment] has allowed us to go beyond the classroom, referencing people, places and...