by Quinn Gorte | Apr 19, 2019 | News Slider, Student Spotlight
After applying for the Fulbright Scholars Program with the support of numerous friends, professors and others, Lipscomb graduate Lauren Borders, along with four out of seven semi-finalist Lipscomb students, was accepted by the program. “The application process and being given this has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life, because the people that I asked to help me do this delivered beyond what I could’ve ever expected,” Borders said. “So many people helped me out… I’m just very grateful for all the people in my corner and what they did for me.” The Fulbright Scholar Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and offers scholarships for students to live abroad while teaching English or conducting research. For Borders, who recently graduated with a strategic communication major and international studies and Spanish minors, this means living in Uruguay for nine months and researching the country’s political climate. “My project is a journalism-based research project about political broadcast journalism and its effect on political division within the state and the culture,” Borders said. Borders plans to focus her research on “what kind of measures Uruguayan press takes to present a diverse opinion… [The basis of my research is] the relationship between political journalism and how divided the people are politically.” “Basically, [it’s] how you talk about politics at your dinner table with your friends, and how your sources of journalism enforce those ideals,” Borders said. Borders’s background in news and politics inspired her research project idea. “I obviously love journalism, but I also work in politics,” Borders said. “In college, I also did...
by Charissa Ricker | Apr 16, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb University invited donors of $1,000 or more annually to a night highlighting innovation on Monday. The fourth annual IMAGINE event featured special musical performers Dr. Wintley Phipps and Natalie Grant and guest speakers Mark Cleveland and Walter Isaacson. IMAGINE serves as a celebration of Lipscomb’s achievements and has also been the platform of several big announcements for the university, such as a $23 million donation at last year’s IMAGINE. This year’s focus was Lipscomb Leads, the $250 million fundraising campaign. Student body president Sierra Sparks shared with the guests the 200,000 hours of service students have pledged to contribute to the Lipscomb Leads campaign. After a performance by Phipps, Lipscomb alumnus and CEO of Hytch Mark Cleveland was welcomed to the stage. Lipscomb is a huge supporter of the rideshare app, and Cleveland shared with the donors his vision for the company and the innovative steps it’s taking. “We have a strategy to protect our cities by taking pressure off our infrastructure,” Cleveland said. “We are on a mission to reward people for reducing their carbon footprint every time they share a ride with Hytch.” Cleveland said that he wanted to be a part of the Lipscomb community because he wanted to join a group of problem-solvers. He joked about getting an A on his paper about Hytch, and he urged the audience to find their community of innovators. “On your daily commute the empty seat in your car is both a problem and an opportunity,” Cleveland said. The event’s second musical guest was seven-time Grammy nominee and five-time Dove Award winner for Female Vocalist of the Year...
by Mckenzi Harris | Apr 11, 2019 | Galleries
Lipscomb University “Session Players” hosted former American Idol contestants Colton Dixon and special guest Cody Fry on Wednesday night in Collins Auditorium for an evening of music. Cody Fry opened the night performing with student musicians from the Session Players. Dr. Ben Blasko introduced Dixon and shared a few words of how his friendship with the musician began. Blasko shared how Dixon’s song “Through All of It” got him through many personal rough life events and how much the song meant to him. Dixon performed that song tonight, and Blasko said it was special to be able to direct the session players in that song. Dixon’s wife, Annie Dixon, also made a special appearance tonight during his performance of “Through All of It.” Dixon ended the concert around 8:30 p.m., noting that his house is full of “big Preds fans,” and he was going to get the audience home in time for the game. « ‹ of 2 ›...
by George Wong | Mar 30, 2019 | News Slider
Lipscomb held its second annual chapel dedicated to women’s empowerment week on Thursday. Sophomore Bana Faraj hosted the event, helped organize and even participated as spokesperson during the break-out chapel. “Women don’t realize that they self-hate, and that can cause them to not be kind and in some cases to hate on other women,” Faraj said. “So when we give them a second to step back and examine, ‘how do I feel about myself,’ it allows them to understand that how you feel about yourself reflects how you treat others.” Before the event, Faraj showed raw nervousness and excitement as flocks of people came to listen in support of the cause. Along with the five speakers Agnus De Leon, Kavya Patel, Rojeda Merani, Ansley Glenn and Shaniya Pleasant, Faraj’s passion and positive energy radiated throughout the room. “This means a lot because I think all around the world we have these conversations all the time,” Faraj said. “It doesn’t matter what part of the world you are from; these conversations are so important.” The panel showcased five female students from different ethnicities and backgrounds, with the main topic being beauty standards around the world and how they affect everything around us. Each individual had their own definition of beauty and the journey towards finding true self-love and worth in today’s society. “I think with men it’s a conversation of understanding how to talk to women, how to approach women and how to be a part of the conversation of uplifting women,” Faraj said. “I think a lot of the times that’s not what men do — some men do, and...
by Quinn Gorte | Mar 26, 2019 | News Slider
Throughout this week, Lipscomb students have the opportunity to be more empowered physically, mentally and socially. March is women’s history month, and Lipscomb’s Office of Intercultural Development (OID) is celebrating by seeking to bring awareness and empowerment to all Lipscomb students. The OID is hosting its second Women’s Empowerment Week through Friday, March 29. Activities vary from a Zumba class to a panel on beauty standards. “We tried to get a variety of different events that can cater to different aspects of empowering women,” senior music/pre-med major Sarah Baxley said. Leslie Garcia, a senior who is president of Lipscomb’s Diverse Student Coalition and was a co-director for last year’s event, said this week will be beneficial for all students, not just women. “We want to empower female students, but we want to also equip all students to have a better understanding of the issues that affect our communities here in Nashville and globally,” Garcia said. “We believe that will make empathetic students, regardless of what identity you are.” Baxley said the goal of starting the Women’s Empowerment Week last year was to celebrate women’s history while encouraging women to encourage each other. “The idea was to have an event on campus that can give a space where women can talk about issues…and generally support each other and create an environment where we feel that we can support each other,” Baxley said. Last year, the OID had about 350 total students attend its Women’s Empowerment Week events, according to Garcia. This year, they’re hoping to have at least as many. “Because it was the week before spring break [last year], near...
