Singarama’s On Fire hands two wins to ‘Just Drop It’; other acts net one apiece

Entering the last show of the three-day production of Singarama’s On Fire, the “Stop,” ‘Drop” and “Roll”  groups were all tied up with one win a piece. That changed when university president Randy Lowry announced the show “Just Drop It” as the Sweepstakes Award winner at Collins Alumni Auditorium Saturday night. The show, consisting of members from Sigma Iota Delta, Delta Sigma, Pi Delta, Kappa Chi and friends, made its way to the top, something that director and senior Aaron Joseph said was unforgettable. “It was a fantastic feeling,” Joseph said. “I’ll never be able to forget the feeling [of winning].” Joseph also spoke on one of the key elements of the production. “Scott Bledsoe and Rainey Lankford wrote the script for me, and they did a fantastic job,” Joseph said. “I think that’s what pulled the whole show together.” The story of “Just Drop It” is about a man named Dan, who is constantly assailed by his fear in life. Eventually, he drops his fear and becomes a happier person. The act won its first honor, the Theme Category Award, on Thursday. The “Drop” group sang and danced to “I’m So Excited,” “Bad,” “More,” “Love on Top,” “Higher and Higher,” “Any Way You Want It,” “I Know Where I’ve Been” and “Goodbye.” Joseph admits that he did not walk the path to success alone. “I got so much help from so many different people,” Joseph said. “I couldn’t have done it without those people.” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” directed by junior Makenzie Kanyuh, won the Music Category Award on Friday night. The show consisted of students from Delta...
“Roll With Me” nabs Staging Category Award, each show with one win each heading into Sweepstakes Award

“Roll With Me” nabs Staging Category Award, each show with one win each heading into Sweepstakes Award

“Roll With Me” evens out the Singarama playing field after its win of the Staging Category Award at the Saturday matinee of Singarama’s On Fire. The “Drop” group won the Theme Category Award on Thursday, and the “Stop” group won the Music Category Award after Friday night’s performance. Alex Shumate, the director of the “Roll” group, thought this win was much needed. “It feels really good,” Shumate said after the win. “We’ve worked really hard, and we feel like we have a great show, and we feel like we’ve been waiting for a win, so it felt really good to get one. “I feel really good and really confident in our show, and I feel like we have a lot of things going for us.” The grand finale of the 51st annual Singarama takes place Saturday in Collins Alumni Auditorium at 7:30. The overall Sweepstakes Award will be given out after the evening’s performance. Carousel and gallery photos of Thursday’s show from Erin Turner. The group photo to the left is from the author. To see the full gallery, visit Lumination’s Flickr page.  Created with Admarket’s...

Singarama act ‘Roll’ to tell story of bike-chasing, self-discovery

This year’s Singarama, called “Singarama’s On Fire,” showing April 3-5 in Collins Alumni Auditorium, offers a trifecta of shows with the themes of “Stop,” “Drop” and “Roll.”  Members of Phi Sigma, Delta Nu, Delta Tau and Tau Phi, along with friends, will be staging the “Roll” performance. “Roll” director and Phi Sigma member Alex Shumate said that the show is about a boy who purchases a bike with hopes to gain friends. But when the bike is stolen, he must figure out a way to find the bike, which pushes him to learn more about himself. Throughout the show, there are plenty of recognizable songs, primarily from the 80s and 90s. “The hardest part [has been] making it all come together and making it all make sense,” Shumate said. This is also the first time she has directed a Singarama show. “It can be difficult, but I have a lot of people who are really great, and a lot of people [who] are helping me a ton,” Shumate said. Another unique aspect of every Singarama production is the integration of music within the show. Cece Ramsey, the show’s main choreographer, said that though she enjoys the work, it is difficult  to manage so many dancers. “It’s always crazy trying to get 80 [people] on stage,” Ramsey said. “You want as many as possible for visual effect and volume.” Ramsey has choreographed the shows in some way since freshman year. In creating the dances for each song, the “Roll” crew collaborated on what music to use, how many dancers are needed for each song and what style of music to...
Moldova mission trip creates special bond between women

Moldova mission trip creates special bond between women

Lipscomb holds over 40 mission trips all around the world, but there is only one mission trip created just for women. For the past two years, Lipscomb ladies have embarked on a journey into the Republic of Moldova over the summer. Moldova is known for its high population of orphans and its sex trafficking epidemic. “Moldova is a very poor country in between Ukraine and Romania,” said Kelsey Shipman, a senior from Advance, N.C. “It’s a very small country, but despite the broken streets and poverty, it still manages to be beautiful.” Kelli Blackshear, a junior from Jacksonville, Fla. and two-year veteran of the team, said the goal of this mission trip is “to love on girls that don’t receive enough love or respect where they’re from, and who are in danger of being taken advantage of.” Lipscomb students have the opportunity to sign up for the Moldova mission trip when Commitment Week comes around Nov. 5-9. This is the week in which the registration process for mission trips begins. While in Moldova the small team of about 13 women works alongside Justice and Mercy International, an organization that fights sex trafficking and other social injustices throughout the world. JMI noticed the need for a transitional house for 16-year-old girls who have left the orphanages in Moldova and have nowhere to go. To meet that need, JMI founded The Grace House. By taking these girls in until they are 21, TGH saves many of them from being sex trafficked. The Lipscomb team partners with TGH to teach these girls practical tasks that will help them provide for themselves when...