by Brianna Langley | Mar 25, 2013 | News Slider
Growing up is hard. Growing up in the mission field is harder. Children of missionaries often go through unique difficulties and experiences most people never encounter. “The mission field was difficult for me because I felt very lonely not knowing the language,” said Lipscomb freshman Mary Katherine Avrit. “Relationships were difficult.” Mary Katherine, along with her brother, Lipscomb sophomore Christopher Avrit, grew up in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Their parents were traveling missionaries in Southeast Asia. “At the same time, it was really good,” Mary Katherine said. “I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t been over there.” Her brother echoed his sister’s thoughts on the matter. “I would definitely raise my own kids in the mission field,” Christopher said. “Yes, there are challenges that come about, but the experiences you gain, the things you get to do and see… they stick with you.” Lipscomb’s own Dr. Earl Lavender, a Professor in the Bible department and the Director of Missions, spent his childhood in Trieste, Italy. “Italian was my first language, so English was the language I had to learn,” Dr. Lavender said. “When I moved back in elementary school, I had to repeat an elementary grade because I didn’t speak or write English well enough.” Dr. Lavender spoke openly about the bittersweet experience of growing up with two culturally different homes. “I’ve never really felt at home in American culture, but I don’t see that as a negative,” Dr. Lavender said. “I think it’s made me much more aware of a sort of global worldview that I wouldn’t have otherwise...
by Kelly Dean | Mar 22, 2013 | News Slider
One of the perks of living in Nashville is the great possibility of running into celebrities anywhere you go around town. Thanks to ABC’s newest show Nashville, local coffee shops, music venues and even grocery stores are now turning into TV sets, giving fans the opportunity for those two seconds of fame they’ve been dreaming of. Nashville supporters are taking advantage of the time they have with the cameras shedding light on Music City. Several Lipscomb students have even been featured in episodes that have been aired for the show. Lipscomb junior Kathryn McKinley made her on-screen debut as a Nashville Journalist. Ironically enough, McKinley is a communications major. Her role was to hold a voice recording while directors and producers called ‘action’ and ‘cut’ for three straight hours. “I actually got a speaking part even though I’m speaking with other people at the same time, but it’s still kind of cool because I can pick my voice out,” McKinley said. Students are also creating traditions out of watching Nashville. Lipscomb senior Katie Underwood said she and her friends gather around their TV every Wednesday at 9 p.m. to view the show. “We love watching the show because we get to point out different places we’ve been to,” Underwood...
by Kyrsten Turner | Mar 19, 2013 | News Slider
If students are not talking about Nashville’s music, they’re talking about Nashville’s coffee. Crema has the best in the city. Located near downtown, tucked away next to a gas station, Crema’s space used to be an old diesel repair shop. Owned and operated by the same individuals, Crema was opened in 2008 with the mission of serving great coffee; and that’s just what they’re doing! Making coffee in a completely different way, Crema uses small roasted beans and quality equipment to create a unique, fresh taste that can’t be found anywhere else. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of coffee, but Crema’s Cuban (a concoction of sweetened condensed milk, steamed milk and espresso) is slowly changing my mind. Their Chai Tea Latte is flavorful, as well! Offering a variety of sweet pastries, muffins and cakes, Crema is the perfect place to meet for a business meeting in the morning, or for a quick snack in the afternoon. The baristas are all very friendly and enjoy talking to their customers. They make each individual feel right at home as soon as they walk in the door. Crema’s atmosphere is simple, warm and inviting. It’s hide-away rustic charm reminded me of the place a closet artist might come to think. The tables and chairs around the shop are not pushed close together, like in some other coffee shops, and visitors are given the space they need to enjoy their coffee without feeling rushed. A deck area at the front of the shop is the ultimate sitting area to enjoy your coffee on a warm spring day, or to watch the sunset...
by Jael Teme | Mar 18, 2013 | News Slider
Although it would be hard to travel to all the different countries represented by the students who attend Lipscomb, a new international students group allows students to explore the different cultures without leaving Green Hills. Lipscomb’s campus long has been filled with cultural diversity — even the Bison has represented colors of different countries like Mexico and Italy. Lambda Iota Sigma’s goal is to help all students learn from the cultures, and the members already are partaking in the different activities the group offers. The group’s vice president Zarina Gumbatova, a textile and apparel major from Uzbekistan, describes the group as “an opportunity to promote diversity on campus, and learn about other cultures while sharing ours.” Lambda Iota Sigma became possible thanks to the effort and organization of the international students office where Adam Halford and Sylvia Braden are in charge. “This is the special interest group on campus that is for international students, students from other cultures and any other LU student who is interested in learning about other cultures,” Halford, assistant director of international recruitment, said. Most of the students in the group have international backgrounds, but not everyone is originally from another country. Shivali Kanal, a biology major from Franklin, Tenn., was born in the U.S. and, therefore, has a different perspective about the group. “Although, I was born in America, I have an Indian background. I am not as cultured with my heritage as I’d like to be, which is why I like this club. It is a gateway into a variety of cultures and the perfect opportunity to learn and experience them,” Kanal said. Every student on campus...
by Jael Teme | Mar 17, 2013 | News Slider
HumanDocs is an opportunity for Lipscomb students and the community to become aware of true stories going on in the world. The series surfaced thanks to the efforts of the university’s College of Art and Sciences to inspire students to make the world a better place. Dr. Ted Parks is a Spanish professor at Lipscomb University and is responsible for HumanDocs. He explains how these documentaries often show how issues such as domestic violence or sex trafficking begin. The documentaries feature individual stories revealing the wicked aspects of society. “Good documentary film tells a story,” Parks says, “It tells a compelling human story that makes you care about the people involved.” Lipscomb’s purpose with HumanDocs is to awaken students to the many concerns present in today’s society that are usually invisible to many people. The movie shown in January was titled “Sun Kissed” and Parks says it’s a good example of a compelling story. The film is about Dorey and Yolanda Nez. They are a Navajo family in New Mexico whose children have developed a rare genetic disease that makes their skin hypersensitive to sunlight. This disease only shows up at a rate of one in a million in a general population, but in the Navajo reservation, it was one in 300,00. After tracing the Navajo history, the Nez family discovered this was the result of what it is called the “Long Walk,” a cruel campaign from 1864. “Sun Kissed” brought to light a veiled matter for the Navajo reservation and the rest of the world. This documentary is one of many that HumanDocs presents in order to bring...
