Devastating Australian wildfires have an impact on Lipscomb’s campus

Devastating Australian wildfires have an impact on Lipscomb’s campus

A Lipscomb student from Australia said he feels helpless as wildfires that began in July continue to ravage his homeland. “The fires affected me emotionally more than physically, obviously due to being halfway around the world,” said Scott McKenzie, from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The corporate management major with a marketing concentration said he wishes he was home, where he could perhaps do something about the catastrophe. “I felt helpless being in the US and did not know what to do besides try to raise awareness as much as possible. If I were home, I would have been out there doing everything I can to help those risking their lives for the beautiful country of Australia.” CNN News has reported at least 28 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales alone, more than 3,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged. State and federal authorities are struggling to contain the massive flames, even with firefighting assistance from other countries, including the United States. A Lipscomb environmental sustainability student said there is a need to focus on the human impact on the environment. “People choose to look anywhere but our own impact on the environment,” said Cecelie Eiler, from Freeport, Illinois. “This wildfire is the biggest thing we can hold on to and show people that this is a problem,” said Eiler, who is vice president of Share Our Supper. “We can splash data and numbers in people’s faces all day long but unless you’re a data-driven person you’re not going to connect with that. To make a change people need to visualize the impacts they are...

2014 World Cup Recap: Week Two

In one wild week, the group stage came to a chaotic end and the knockout rounds have been set. We’ve seen former champs (Spain, Italy, England) go down and Cinderella teams (Costa Rica, Algeria, Greece) make a run to the round of sixteen. Let’s take a look at the events that transpired and what to expect in the coming week. Best goal(s): Leo Messi, all of them The best player in the world has lived up to his monstrous expectations so far with four goals, including three in the past week. All of the goals have been impressive, but with skill and timing factored in, his goal against Iran stands above the rest. Most heartbreaking elimination: Ivory Coast With a spot in the knockout round all but secured, “Les Elephants” were robbed of their first round of sixteen birth thanks to the most controversial penalty kick given out in the Cup so far. Greece made the kick and lived to play another day, while the best team in Africa was left to ponder what happened. The “Oh no, not again” award: Luis Suarez Most soccer fans, myself included, wanted to believe that Suarez had gotten past his early career antics. He was dominating games for Liverpool in the Premier League and for his national team, Uruguay. But then the Mr. Hyde side of Suarez flared up again. Now Italy is unfairly watching at home, and Uruguay is missing its best player. The “Too little too late” award: Spain With two games and some national embarrassment behind them, the Spanish national team finally decided to play like themselves in their...

2014 World Cup: Week One

With the first week of the 2014 World Cup in the books, it is time for a quick recap of the biggest storylines, the best games, the breakout stars and, of course, John Brooks’ goal. After what was one of the most entertaining first weeks in World Cup history, there is no shortage of topics to be discussed. Best moment, United States: John Brooks Of all the players in the 2014 World Cup, John Brooks may have been the least likely to score at all, much less score a game winner. But in the United States’ first game against their nemesis Ghana (the team that knocked them out of the last two World Cups) Brooks came through will a game-winning header off of a corner kick in the final minute of the game. Clint Dempsey’s opening goal was more technically impressive, but Brooks’ will be the one everyone remembers. Best moment, rest of the world: The Brazilian national anthem There were countless memorable moments in this first week, from Switzerland’s last second goal against Ecuador to Pablo Armero and Colombia dancing their way into our hearts, but I have to go with the singing of the Brazilian national anthem before the opening game. The emotion on the faces of the Brazilian players combined with the sheer joy of the Brazilian fans made for a special moment. Biggest upset: The demise of Spain After one of the most dominant runs in international soccer history, which included the 2010 World Cup title and two European championships, the reign of “La Roja” has finally come to an abrupt, painful ending. The players...

‘Ray of sunshine’ Anastasia Sloan honored in celebration of life

The friends and family of the Anastasia Sloan gathered to celebrate her immensely impactful life in the Ezell Center’s Swang Chapel Wednesday night. “She was such a ray of sunshine,” Walt Leaver, vice president for university relations, said. Ms. Sloan, a 2013 graduate of Lipscomb University, lost her life in an auto accident late Monday night. “As we have all mourned greatly in the past couple of days and will continue to do so over the days and weeks ahead, the purpose of tonight is to bring a message of hope,” said Mark Jent, the director of missions outreach for Lipscomb. Jent and his wife Beth were Ms. Sloan’s team leaders on two mission trips to Australia in 2010 and 2011. “She has been a blessing and joy in our life,” Jent said. During the service, those in attendance joined in worship, prayer and reflections of Ms. Sloan’s life and impact. “I think the greatest blessing for me is knowing her heart,” friend Kaylynn Allen said. “She loved people.” Shuen Lim, of Brisbane, Australia, came to know Ms. Sloan during one of Lipscomb’s mission trips. “I was just blown away by her adventurous spirit,” Lim said. “She was so brave to go and bless the world.” Dean Scott McDowell, senior vice president for student life, recounted reading some of Ms. Sloan’s blog posts on the website for the World Race, a mission trip she was planning on going on later this year. He recommended that everyone in attendance go back and read Ms. Sloan’s powerful words. “You will be blessed by doing that,” McDowell said. Various memories were shared from the...
Summer missions teams spend 106 days in service

Summer missions teams spend 106 days in service

With final exams now nearly one month in the rearview mirror, Lipscomb students have turned their focus to their next objective – serving Christ across the globe this summer. Over the course of 106 days, from May 4 through Aug. 17, Lipscomb Missions will have 24 teams on the ground in 18 different countries. The timeframe is broad in scope – all summer long – and so are the locations and types of services being offered. From discipline-specific trips in Engineering that will be serving communities in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to a first year trip to Moldova where a team of graduate psychology students will be providing therapeutic counseling to girls once caught in human trafficking, some students have the opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it in a mission field. Students will experience a variety of cultures, from the two trips to Australia (Brisbane and Perth) where students will engage growing churches and encourage youth, to two trips in India where Lipscomb teams will spend five weeks in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta ministering in a country where Christians are the minority. In each of these missions, students will have the unique chance to literally “go into all the world,” as Jesus directs his followers in Mark 16:15. This year’s 24 summer trips are a record for Lipscomb Missions, up from 20 trips in 2011 and just eight trips three years ago in 2009. There has been a significant shift in the landscape of the Missions Program as the number of trips offered has flipped from being heavily weighted on spring break efforts to the current majority of summer trips leading...