So, about the food at the fair…

We sent our Editor In Chief out to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds this weekend to see what they were serving up. While the food wasn’t too far out of the ordinary, we still managed to save some lives. Check it out. Please upgrade your...
CONTAGION gets under your skin (in a good way)

CONTAGION gets under your skin (in a good way)

WARNING If you choose to see Contagion this weekend, you might consider bringing a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer. You can thank me later. Contagion joins the league of “possible disaster scenario” films. In a very straightforward manner, the film examines what would happen if a new strain of virus was to hit the human race. The story follows a few key individuals and their experiences through the state of disaster that the virus causes. Remember the Swine Flu scare of 2009? The situation created in Contagion takes that indecency and makes it look like a schoolyard scuffle. Director Steven Soderbergh has crafted a smart, engaging, and at times, all-too-chilling look at a world in hysteria. Plot-wise, we are given a multi-storyline layout. Matt Damon plays a grief-stricken father who, alongside his daughter, must endure the hardships of the disease when his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) and stepson succumb to the disease (a few of the first to do so). The film also follows Laurence Fishburne as a CDC official who works alongside Kate Winslet’s doctor character to stop the spread of the disease state- side. Marion Cotillard (Mal from Inception) plays a foreign doctor who has her own storyline I won’t spoil here. Jude Law also has a large role as a conspiracy-theorist/blogger who gains a large following once the disease breaks out. Another storyline follows a team of researchers who search for the cure. The cast in this film features many A-list talents, but don’t be fooled. This is not a film that showcases its stars frequently. Soderbergh wisely lets the narrative use the characters as it...

9/11: The Tenth Anniversary of the day that changed us all

On the morning the Twin Towers fell 10 years ago, our futures became a little less certain, a little more stifled. The anxiety of those first weeks – when it felt like we were living on the brink – has eased, or at least, become so routine that we don’t recognize it for what it is anymore. After all, you can only mourn the loss of life-as-we-know-it for so long before deciding to embrace what is and finding a way to move forward. To understand this is to understand – at least in part – the story of the way students and teachers have adapted to change. The change that was and still is life after 9/11. I know that I don’t speak for myself when I say that the attack felt personal. It was in our faces, in our homes, on our TVs. And most importantly, inside of our own country – on our soil. That was the case for two of Lipscomb’s own – David Hughes, former Special Forces and now Director of the Yellow Ribbon program; and Jon Corley, a student that is a part of the program, set to graduate in May. The attacks on the country hit them so hard – like it did many others – that it was one of the defining reasons they joined the fight against America’s enemies. Jon was 16 when the attacks happened. He says his experience was very different from what most of us went through when the first plane hit the tower. Jon was home alone that day. He was in bed, sick, and was woken...

Redbox Report (Sept. 6th-13th)

I think it’s safe to say the day of the video store has sadly come to an end. While I always enjoyed looking around a Blockbuster from time to time, I must admit the convenience of a Redbox is a nice luxury to have, especially as a college student. The one-dollar a night rental service hosts many new releases every week, and on occasion, will bring back an older movie for good measure. Redbox machines are located all over the Middle Tennessee area. As long as you don’t forget to turn your movie back the next day, Redbox is a wonderful, inexpensive way to find enjoyment during the down-time of college. But don’t you just hate it when you Redbox  a movie that really isn’t to your liking? It may be just a dollar wasted, but these days, a dollar wasted is exactly that. I’ve decided to contribute a weekly REDBOX REPORT that highlights one or two new releases that gain the full approval of my cinematic taste. And trust me, I have good taste. So before you make a trip to the Redbox this week, check out these recommendations. RIO (G, 96 minutes-featuring the voice cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, and George Lopez­) I don’t know about you, but I love a good animated movie now and then. I immediately found Rio to be extremely worthy of my time back when I saw it in late April. The film has a light, breezy feel that flows throughout the runtime. The animation is beautiful, especially in Rio de Janeiro, the voice cast is great, and the...

Clubs kick off fall semester with Rush Fair

Car bashing, free food and drinks and Greek letters will fill Bison Square tonight when Lipscomb’s social clubs start recruiting for the fall semester. Many freshmen have heard of these clubs, but they’re probably not aware of what exactly is going to happen. Who better to tell them than new ICC president Dale Binkley? “Rush fair is a great way for freshmen to get a feel for Lipscomb life outside of class,” Binkley says. “It’s a great opportunity for both freshmen and upperclassmen to branch out and make many new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.” Rush fair is not just there for clubs to promote themselves. It’s also so students can meet people  they would never meet otherwise. Even though Lipscomb is a small school, there are still people you may never see because of dorm assignments, departments or class schedules. Phi Sigma’s president, Charli Shelby, agrees. “Rush fair is a good way for people to get involved on campus,” Shelby said. “They can meet a lot of upper classmen involved not only in social clubs but other clubs and organizations.” It’s not just being in the club that matters, though. For Shelby, Phi Sigma opened the door for many other opportunities, too. “For me, being a part of a club and Greek life in general opened the door for me to make friends that became some of my best friends in the world,” she said. “My freshmen year I became friends with seniors and juniors that I would have never known if not for Greek life.” Now a senior, Shelby says that she is excited about...