by Martin Baker | Feb 9, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
The classic characters of Oz come to life in the latest incredible performance of the Broadway musical adaptation of the hit film The Wizard of Oz. There really is no place like home to see this show, or at least no place like the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The production value is through the roof for this performance. Elaborate sets, extravagant costumes and some incredible special effects really let you know this was a serious production. You get the sense of being right inside the twister with Dorothy. Dorothy, the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow are all portrayed magnificently. The actors really capture the essence of each character and you feel a sense of real hatred towards the Wicked Witch of the West right from the start. The horrendous witche’s laugh is still frightening just to think about. However, the show is stolen by none other than Toto. From his first appearance, the adoration of the crowd is palpable. The use of a real dog in an on-stage performance is always a risk, but the crew pulls it off thanks to the well-behaved Murphy, the dog who plays Toto. The other highlights of the performance are the musical numbers. With such classic songs such as “Over the Rainbow” and “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead,” it isn’t tough for the whole crowd to get on board and sing along. The show has something for the whole family. For the parents, there is the nostalgia of watching the story you know and love come to life on stage right in front of you. For the kids, it has all...
by Carly Reams | Feb 2, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Student Spotlight
Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini both came from Lipscomb in recent years, and Lipscomb student Peytan Porter is making plans to follow in their footsteps. Porter started her singing career at the age of 12, but she said it wasn’t actually something she wanted to do at the time. She only wrote songs about how her mom was mean for giving her chores. “I didn’t take it seriously until at a church camp, and my mom was having to sing and act at the same time,” Porter recalled. “She was terrible. Then she was like, ‘Well then you do it,’ and I said ‘Noo!’ They ended up giving me a microphone behind the curtain. So I sang, behind the stage, and our music director came back and was like, ‘You’re a singer; you are doing this.’” Ever since then, Porter has been focusing on her songwriting, including her job as a full-time staff writer at Sea Gayle Music and doing a songwriting internship. She said she has always dreamed of becoming apart of the Nashville music scene, and even called it her “Disney World vacation” when she was able to visit at fourteen. “I would not be at Lipscomb if it was not in Nashville,” Porter said. “I chose to come here when I was young. My mom was like. ‘You can go on a cruise to Cozumel, or you can go to Nashville.’ My sister went on the cruise, and I came to Nashville.” Porter said she chose Lipscomb over Belmont’s music program because she liked how Lipscomb’s program felt like a small, Christian community. She is no longer...
by Adrienne Luu | Jan 26, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
After losing its opener last week, the Lipscomb men’s tennis team practiced hard in preparation for the second match of the season. The Bisons’ efforts pulled through today and gave them a 7-0 win over Austin Peay University. The Bisons (1-1) took charge of the doubles play and won the doubles point, which started Lipscomb off with a lead against Austin Peay. Playing on the first line, Victor Chaw and Pablo Caffarena began their match with a lead against Austin Peay’s Almantas Ozelis and Anton Damberg. They refused to let the Governors duo catch up to them and kept scoring point after point until they pulled out the Bisons’ first win of 6-2 in doubles. “Me and Pablo are playing fantastic doubles,” Chaw said. “We have an amazing energy every point. I don’t think there’s any pair in the nation that plays with more intensity than us, and that’s why we dominate so much in doubles.” Francesco Tacconi and David Skrabut, playing on third, were leading but were unable to finish their match when Jorge Ortegon and Pedro Uribe, on second, won their 6-2 set against Timo Kiesslich and Jacob Lorino, clinching the doubles point for Lipscomb. Chaw also said that he thinks the Bisons have to improve matches week-by-week. “[The Bisons] aren’t really where [we] want to be…yet,” Chaw said. “If [we] keep improving the little stuff, by conference time [we] will be a very solid team but have to put in the work week-by-week.” With the aggressiveness and competitiveness that played out in doubles, the Lipscomb Bisons carried those emotions over to singles play. On the fourth...
by Martin Baker | Jan 20, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
With the first game of the season only three weeks away, the Lipscomb softball team is preparing for what has all the looks of a promising season. The team only lost two seniors from last year and retained most of its strengths at the plate and on the mound. “Our speed game is good, as well as having heavy hitters with the likes of Jenna Pealor and Jordan Fortel,” Lipscomb assistant Megan Rhodes-Smith said. “And our defense is strong with players like Peyton Ward at shortstop and Hannah DeVault at second base.” Devault was just voted the ASUN’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She made only three errors in 2018 and finished the season with an ASUN-leading .983 fielding percentage. Another advantage the team has is the depth of their bench, including of six pitchers. Coach Rhodes-Smith said it’s not typical to have that many on a roster, but that it’s a “good problem to have.” One of those pitchers is a familiar face to Lipscomb Athletics. Chloe Rogers, a former Lipscomb volleyball player, decided to join the softball team for her fifth year playing four seasons for coach Brandon Rosenthal. In their preseason games during this fall, the team went 8-0 against the competition, which included some fellow NCAA Division I schools. Coach Rhodes-Smith said that “the hardest competition is ourselves” and that the toughest offense and defense the team has faced has been their own in practice. However, she did mention that Liberty is new to the conference and will be a somewhat unknown factor and that Florida Gulf Coast has been a tough opponent in the...
by Kathryn Farris | Jan 20, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Gloomy skies and flooded sidewalks didn’t stop the crowds from gathering at Governor Bill Lee’s inauguration on Saturday. The inauguration was moved indoors to the War Memorial Auditorium after concerns over inclement weather. The new location caused problems due to the limited capacity of the auditorium, and some ticketholders were turned away from seats they had already reserved. Austin Travis, a freshman political science and history major at Lipscomb, was one of those attending the inauguration. Travis said he voted for Lee because of his stances on criminal justice reform and his goals in improving vocational and technical education. Travis noted that he is optimistic for Lee’s upcoming term, but he also expressed concern for Lee’s transition from the business world to politics. “He can’t just tell someone to do something and it gets done anymore,” Travis said. “He’s got to get those proposals approved by the General Assembly, and he has to make sure he never oversteps his bounds as governor. But he’s a smart guy; I think he’ll adapt fairly quickly.” Inauguration attendee Ed Elam spoke about his trust in the new governor. Elam said he voted for Lee because of his integrity and values. “I am expecting some transparency [from Lee],” Elam said. “My experience and knowledge with him is that he looks at everyone as Tennesseans. He promotes inclusiveness not divisiveness. I expect him to pull everyone together.” Tennessean Adam Smith had more personal motivations when he was in the voting booth. Smith met Lee seven years ago through the Y-CAP program, an outreach organization that serves teens. Lee became a mentor for Smith. “He saw a...
