Brushfire provides fall festivities, rest from stress

Brushfire provides fall festivities, rest from stress

Fall is here and now it’s time to bust out the Halloween decorations! But don’t go buy them, make them yourself at Brushfire! Brushfire, a pottery studio located just a mile from Lipscomb’s campus, offers a wide selection of unfinished pottery, colors and loads of decorating options. Brushfire’s shelves are now stocked with jack-o’-lanterns, spiders, skull mugs and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.  You can even get your name carved in a pumpkin before you paint it!  All of these options would make fun and festive dorm decor! Pottery pieces range from $3 – $60; however, most pieces average $8 – $15. For college students looking for an inexpensive outing, Brushfire has weekly specials—Monday Madness, 2 Punch Tuesdays, Wednesday College Night, Thursday Ladies Night and Sunday Family Day. Check their calendar for seasonal specials. The atmosphere is laid back with soothing music and friendly, helpful workers eager to assist if you have questions. Bring friends (even food, if you like) and have fun catching up and creating your own masterpiece. Brushfire is open late, so you can take your time, relax and enjoy a break from school stresses. Brushfire’s studio hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Mondays, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays. Get in the Halloween spirit.  As the sign in Brushfire reads, “Fall is on the way—paint a pumpkin...

“Cyntoia’s Story” director reflects on the real story

We’ve all heard the stories from students that volunteer through Lipscomb’s LIFE program, but what about the inmates that are actually a part of the program?Cyntoia Brown was one of those inmates. Last October, LU students watched the documentary “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story” in Shamblin Theater. Students were left with many unanswered questions about the 16-year-old girl who committed murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Director and producer Dan Birman spent six years producing Cyntoia’s story. On Friday afternoon, Sept. 23, Birman returned to LU for an open Q&A session in the Andrew’s Civic Leadership Collaboratory. In 2004 when Cyntoia Brown was arrested, she wasn’t alone; there were 2.3 million children under the age of 18 who were arrested for violent crime.  This statistic attracted Birman, who says he’s always had an interest in juvenile violence and believed there was a bigger story to tell. One student asked, “If there were 2.3 million stories out there concerning juvenile violence, why did you pick Cyntoia’s story?” Birman explained that the simple answer was access, along with being in the right place at the right time. Birman gained access to the juvenile community in Nashville. After receiving a call from the public defender’s office about Cyntoia, Birman was on the next plane to Nashville. “I don’t  think anybody in America… I’ll just put it out on the table, would have given a damn about Cyntoia Brown for any reason whatsoever,” Birman answered. “She hit the press before I got to her as a young runaway on drugs in the middle of prostitution killing a man. For me to bother...
Lipscomb students to compete in Warrior Dash

Lipscomb students to compete in Warrior Dash

Are you a Warrior? Several Lipscomb students have decided to rise to the challenge to see if they are in fact like the Romans and can hang with the best of them.For the first time, the Warrior Dash, a race held on the most challenging and rugged terrain across the US, is coming to Manchester, Tenn. This race will take place on Saturday, but beware – the Warrior Dash is not a typical 5K. This 3.15 mile course is littered with insane obstacles from leaping over fire to crawling through mud and underneath barbed wire. Sound difficult yet? Add 19 different waves with up to 700 participants each and you have something called “controlled chaos.” Runners will not only be pushing themselves, they could be competing against over 13,000 runners. Laura Stewart, a recent  LU graduate from Mount Juliet, Tenn. plans on running with her sisters this weekend and says she’s pumped and ready to go. “I’ve always wanted to try a run with obstacles, but I’m nervous about the barbed wire,” Stewart said. “This is hardcore!” Jonathan Williams, a senior kinesiology major from Knoxville, Tenn. has been a runner all his life and ended up at Lipscomb thanks to a running scholarship for cross country and track. Williams says he has no worries whatsoever about the Warrior Dash. “When I heard the Warrior Dash was coming to Tennessee for the first time in its history, I jumped at the challenge,” Williams said. “I have been running about 40 miles a week to stay in shape, but I haven’t trained specifically for it. I’m just ready to get out...
Burger Up Review

Burger Up Review

Want to try a new restaurant that isn’t too far from campus? Look no further than a mile down 12th Avenue  and you’ll find Burger Up. Now, don’t get me wrong, burger places like Five Guys and Cheeseburger Charley’s are good, but sometimes it’s nice to switch it up and try something different. Burger Up is more than a big hunk of beef, though. The trendy restaurant also has something for the health conscious out there too, offering up turkey burgers and black bean burgers. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Burger Up is the homey atmosphere and friendly servers. You don’t feel out of place and uptight like you might would at some “classy” restaurants. This modern-rustic restaurant with exposed brick and wood cladding is the perfect setting for a date, business lunch or family dinner. The servers at Burger Up interested me because they all put off an artistic vibe and were rocking the “hipster” look.Most of them wore deep v-necks and skinny jeans, including my waitress, Natalie Bryd. “I moved from Alabama to Tennessee to pursue the music thing,” Bryd said. “Most people think we are all trying to be hipsters, but 80 percent of us that work here are musicians.” Now, let’s get to what really matters — the food. Even though Bryd has worked at Burger Up for 2 ½ years and suggested The Woodstock, the most popular burger, I ordered The Marathon with truffle fries. The Marathon is a quinoa and black bean burger topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and cilantro lime crème fraiche. The truffle fries are tossed in mushroom...

Bernice King speaks to and inspires the Nashville community

In his legendary “I Have A Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said he hoped one day his four little children would be judged by the content of their character.  Last week, a little piece of that dream was passed on to Lipscomb students by his daughter, Dr. Bernice A King.  Speaking in Allen Arena, King wanted to instill the values of her father – mentorship, role modeling and equipping the next generation for greatness – into those in the audience. “How many young people were able to soar and step into greatness because you took the time to make a difference?” King asked. Following in her father’s footsteps, King has become a renowned speaker and an ordained minister.  She spoke at LU as part of the Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee’s (YLFT) Women and Girls Benefit Luncheon.  Girls from the Youth Life program were in attendance, but the event also attracted some of the state’s most prominent women, including the governor’s wife, Crissy Haslam; and Nashville mayor Karl Dean’s wife, Anne Davis. The next generation needs advocates, King said. “We have to look out for them and make a commitment.” “They want to know your struggles and that you have made mistakes too. Realness is what opens up their hearts.” Children who participate in mentorship programs like YLTF excel in school and are less likely to turn to criminal activity.  Of course, mentoring these children does require a  commitment, but King insisted it doesn’t take a lot of time to impact a child’s life. “It’s not the quantity of time, but the quality of time.” According to...