by Cory Woodroof | Jan 11, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion
Whatever you may believe about former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, he’s not one to call it a day when the going gets tough. Ever since Romney lost the 2008 presidential nomination to Senator John McCain, one could only speculate he would be back for round two. As we all know, McCain lost, Democratic nominee Barack Obama became the President of the United States, and those apart of the GOP have been longing for the day when a challenger would arise to take on the incumbent Obama for the 2012 elections. Time passed, former hopefuls Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin decided against a presidential run, McCain went back to Capitol Hill, and a certain Mitt Romney went to wait in the wings. On April 29th, 2011, Romney finally announced the almost-obvious. He would once again wage a campaign to become the Republican nominee. “It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington.” Romney said during his announcement speech. Ever since the announcement, Romney has faced opposition on many platforms. Dating back to the 2008 election, Romney has always been accused of being a political “flip-flop”. Opponents usually accuse the former governor of never adhering to a specific belief, saying what was beneficial at the moment – the marks of a true politician. Romney also lacked major support from the ultra-conservatives, most notably those apart of the Tea Party movement. But throughout the thick and the thin, the criticisms and the accusations, like the cat on the poster, Romney hung in there. This nomination process has...
by Hunter Patterson | Dec 5, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The BCS is garbage. I mean, really. College football is the only mainstream sport that does not have a playoff. It’s ludicrous. This year’s victim is the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. Coming into Sunday, everyone knew one thing: LSU would be playing in NOLA against one of two teams – Alabama or OK State. The computers picked Bama to be ahead the Pokes. That being said, the Crimson Tide of Alabama will play against the Bayou Bengals on Louisiana. Computers, you ask? Allow me to break it down for you. The teams that participate in the Bowl Championship Series games are chosen by computers. Those computers use a simple formula of (A+B+C) / 3 to get their “total.” In this case, ‘A’ is the team’s Harris Poll score, which is voted on by 115 members of the media. ‘B’ is the team’s score in the coaches’ poll. The Coaches’ Poll is compromised of 59 coaches that vote on the teams’ rankings. And finally ‘C’ is the computer rankings. The computer rankings are calculated by dropping the highest and the lowest ranking for each team and dividing the remaining total by 100. I’ve already seen this game. And even as an LSU fan, I did not enjoy it the first time – nor do I expect to enjoy it again. Alabama had the chance to beat LSU on their on field. Now, the computers have selected the same team to go down to the Superdome and play against the SEC Champion Tigers. LSU has three top ten BCS wins; the rest of the BCS top ten has just two. LSU...
by Emily Snell | Dec 5, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion
I’ve known Pdub now for about nine years. We were pledge brothers and college roommates. We have remained close friends ever since. Paul truly is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever known. He may be the only friend that I’ve never had a dispute with. Just always laid back and willing to do whatever to ensure those around him are enjoying themselves. Even on his wedding day seven weeks ago… we finished playing golf at Country Hills in Hendersonville, and his new father-in-law Luther, offered to take the groomsmen out for lunch. When he asked Pdub where he would like to eat, he looked at us and said, “It’s up to these guys.” Always wanting to make those around him happy and keep the spotlight off himself, even on his wedding day. He loved music. And it runs in his blood. Named after his grandfather Paul Warren, the great fiddler, as well as his father Johnny Warren who is another talented fiddle player, Pdub had a gift when it came to music. I have been playing guitar since middle school. Paul picked up the guitar around the time we started college. I showed him a few riffs, and within two years, he had blown past me and continued to improve. In fact, we played “Free Bird” for the 2005 Cowboy Show our senior year. Our preparation in large part consisted of Pdub sitting in our den, listening to the guitar solo and picking out the proper notes. Then he would show me how to play that segment. As he played up the neck, he...
by Hunter Patterson | Nov 18, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
This week, Madeline and Wade bring you the news from Lipscomb. They tell you all about Anteaters Ball, Stomp Fest and more. Caitlin Selle has all the gossip from the entertainment world, Sydney will let you know how much you need to bundle up over Thanksgiving break and Kelly fills you in with everything going on in the sports world. Please upgrade your...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 8, 2011 | News Slider, Opinion
For a while there, all signs were pointing for Herman Cain to finally establish himself as the clear front-runner in the GOP primary race. Cain, the dynamic former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and hopeful Republican presidential candidate, came out of nowhere a few months ago and successfully became a contender in the already crowded race for the nomination. Cain’s straight-forward frankness, no-nonsense approach to national issues and lively personality has earned the favor of voters across the nation. I dare you to find someone who hasn’t heard of the “9-9-9” tax plan. Cain even recently topped fellow competitor Mitt Romney in a Rasmussen poll 26% to 23%, finally giving himself the edge in a race that has seen the rise and fall of many candidates. Cain seemed unstoppable, but, out of nowhere, a claim of sexual harassment against the candidate came to surface. A second woman came forward with the same allegations shortly after. Two more women followed suit. If anything can outright kill a run for president, it’s four allegations of sexual harassment. If it were just one, many would be quick to write the claims off as a smear campaign. Four is a different story. Whether this scandal will halt the Cain train in its tracks or present only a minor speed bump is yet to be seen, but if history repeats itself, scandals of a sexual nature and politics usually don’t mix. If this is the end for Herman Cain’s rise to power, I’m afraid that things aren’t looking well for the Republican Party. Cain is not the only person running for the nomination, though. Mitt...
