by Nick Glende | Feb 20, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion
All of us have a particular group of friends we hang out with. And in every group there is generally the same makeup of the types of people. However, it seems there is always a pessimist. If you know that person, or it is you, please do me a favor. Take the nearest solid object or surface, and bang his/her/your head into it thoroughly. Have a concussion yet? No, then keep going until you forget whatever it was you were complaining about. Trust me, it’s probably pointless. It is very apparent to me that we all have something to gripe and moan about. Let me tell you something – if you are reading this you’re already way more than privileged. You have access to a computer with internet, able to access this site – Lumination. Chances are you’re a student, maybe even a professor. That means you can afford tuition, get an education, shelter and a meal plan. You don’t have anything to complain about. Three billion people in the world don’t even know how to read. Here are some of the common “first world problems” I hear about day to day: “My phone isn’t working,” boy/girlfriend problems, “I can’t stand the parking here,” “This food sucks,” “I’m so poor,” “I need a new [insert luxury object here], my other one is too slow”… the list goes on. Here are my well-thought-out words to those people: Do you even know what type of insane technology goes into making a phone? Give it a second; it’s going to space! If you’re having troubles with your significant other once again, wait a minute. They won’t be...
by Thomas Whisenant | Jan 25, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion
After a day of school when I was younger, I would rush to my grandmother’s house for a bowl of chocolate ice cream. I would sit with her and play dominos for an hour, watch cartoons and try to recreate the moves I saw on Power Rangers every Saturday morning. I would pretend that I had no homework, no spelling tests, no grade sheets and no baths. The dream always ended. My mother would arrive and take me home to the reality of third-grade responsibility and icky vegetables. Regardless of how much I wanted to pretend that life was just like another day at grandmothers, I was always wrong. At some point I had to get to work. And now, Mommy has finally arrived to pick up Congress from grandma’s house. At first, the State of the Union address seemed to be nothing more than a campaign speech in a thousand dollar suit with a bow on top. Under the title “An America Built To Last”, the President unveiled a vision that included insourcing and creating new manufacturing jobs, providing workers with new skills, an increase in American energy production, and stressed a “renewal of American values”. He touted his success in eliminating bin Laden, ending the war in Iraq, cutting deficit spending, reviving the automotive industry and reforming the bureaucracy. He also dodged and sidestepped ‘third-rail’ political issues such as Social Security and Medicare, entitlement programs and debt reduction. While the speech might have been an election year surge, President Obama was not afraid to try to take on and challenge the political status quo. The President chose...
by Cory Woodroof | Jan 24, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion
This past weekend, Republican presidential nominee Newt Gingrich surprised the nation with a staggering win in the South Carolina primary. Gaining about 40% of the overall vote, the conservative former Speaker of the House managed to pull ahead of frontrunner Mitt Romney to win the state’s election. If anything, Gingrich needed the win. With Romney claiming New Hampshire and barely losing out on Iowa –Rick Santorum recently had the race called in his favor- , Gingrich needed a strong showing in SC to reassert himself in the race. Who knew that a major controversy would help lead to Gingrich’s eventual win. Shortly before the first southern primary, Newt Gingrich’s second ex-wife, Marianne Gingrich, came forward during an interview with ABC News, revealing startling claims about the former Speaker’s past. Ms. Gingrich accused Newt of desiring an “open marriage” during their time together in the midst of an affair. We have already seen scandal destroy the campaign of one presidential hopeful. If history was to repeat itself, a storm was brewing for the Gingrich campaign. This time, history decided to be original. Just before the polls opened in South Carolina, the Republican nominee hopefuls held a final debate. The opening question came from the hot topic of the night – the “open marriage” interview. The moderator asked Gingrich if he wished to comment on the issue. Newt gave a stern reply. “No, but I will.” The crowd erupted into a standing ovation. Gingrich continued. “I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to...
by Cory Woodroof | Jan 23, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion
At the age of six, I was a Star Wars kid. During the dog days of my early youth, the epic story of Luke Skywalker’s quest to defeat the Empire captivated me more than any other silly children’s entertainment. I proudly owned the original films on VHS. I collected a large group of action figures from the Star Wars universe – even those random aliens that only appeared in a frame or two during the cantina scene of A New Hope. I even saw The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi during their theatrical re-releases. So, obviously, May 19th, 1999 meant more to me than my birthday, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or any other organized holiday that warrants a sort of reward or present. On this fateful day, writer/director George Lucas unveiled the first new Star Wars film in sixteen years. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace changed my six year old world like nothing ever had. The spectacle, the action, the peril – everything collided to create a gigantic supernova of wonder and amazement. All those years of persistent enjoyment had paid off immensely. A few years passed, two more prequels made their way to the screen, and I couldn’t have been happier. Shift to this past week. George Lucas announced his retirement from the big budget film industry on the heels of his newest production, Red Tails. Lucas says he wishes to switch his focus onto smaller, more personal projects. “I’m moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff.” Lucas said in the statement. No one can argue that Lucas,...
by Brynn Watkins | Jan 21, 2012 | News Slider
Style is found everywhere, from the hectic streets of New York City to the rolling hills of Tennessee. Style even appears at Lipscomb University. These are our stories – your stories. This is Lipscomb Street Style. name: Joe Angevine year: junior style: laid back/carefree/urban inspirations: Seattle style WULYF the West Coast 1. shirt- SEA 206 clothing 2. pants- h and m 3. boots- nordstrom name: Mariel Bolton year: senior style: Miss Honey from Matilda inspirations: granny dresses brown lipstick the 90’s 1. shirt- music city thrift 2. skirt- pre to post modern 3. boots- gift from grandma 4. hair comb- handmade indian jewelry name: Kristen Dailey year: freshman style: black and gold tones inspirations: the 90’s cruella de ville ...
