Lumination Newscast, Oct. 3, 2013

In the sixth week of the 2013-2014 school year, Savanna Schubert and Carter Sanderson are behind the news desk to update you about what is happening on campus and around the Nashville community. Alex Walker fills you in on the week’s top world news headlines, Kelly Dean give the scoop on all things with Nashville entertainment, Aaron Schmelzer gives you the weather forecast and Kage Sanderson brings you up to speed with sports. This week’s newscast remembers the lives of two from the Lipscomb community, tells you what you need to know about the government shutdown, shows highlights from a on-campus fundraiser and tells you the latest names added to the Dove Awards lineup. We also show you what you missed with Dave Barnes took over Collins Alumni Auditorium, celebrate Google’s fifteenth birthday and share students opinions on a new blog going around campus. Be sure to stay tuned for future newscasts published every Friday here on...

Google’s 15th birthday celebrated on campus

For 15 years now, the words “Google it!”  have been on the mouths of people searching for a quick answer. Google has been playing a huge role on the Internet and in the lives of people who use it. In honor of Google’s 15th birthday, Google Student Ambassador Karla Chavez will be throwing a party on Friday, Sept. 27. Chavez is a Public Relations major and the first and only Google Student Ambassador on Lipscomb’s campus. She became involved with the Google Student Ambassador program through a mentor. “I applied for their program and was accepted in July,” Chavez said. During the Google birthday celebration, Chavez will have a few Google products for students to test out, including the Nexus 7 and the Chromebook. “This will be the first event I’ve done on campus. I really want to build a Google culture on campus,” Chavez said. “I want to make sure that students are aware of the Apps that we have through Google for Lipscomb. “I want them to learn how to use the products and also show them the right tools on how they could apply for the Ambassador program one day, too. I want students to be able to have the same opportunities as I have had. “Ultimately, the goal of the event is for students to meet their Google Student Ambassador,” Chavez said. “And for students and their clubs to learn how they can benefit from using Google products.” Chavez said that the Nexus 7 is her favorite Google product. “I can get books through Google Play and they are less expensive than going to the...

Opinion: Looking at a digital nation’s pluses and minuses

As we are becoming a digital nation, there is much speculation over whether this will help or harm us. “Frontline” examined this topic on television, and it is something that ought to make us all think. Over the past few decades there has been a tremendous rise in digital involvement. Americans are constantly connected in some way. Whenever we can’t find an answer, we whip out our smart phones and google the answer. In fact, “google” is now an official word of our vocabulary. It can be used either in upper or lower case, as in “google” or “Google.” The Webster’s dictionary defines google by saying it is “a verb meaning: using the Google search engine to obtain information on the world wide web.” How did anyone ever function without such readily available materials the Internet provides? The downfall to having everything here and now is that we always expect it that way. People are becoming more impatient. Their attention spans are short lived. Children are relying on online games and media to hold their attention as opposed to playing outside or reading a book. Inside the classroom students expect learning to be game-oriented as opposed to a more traditional lecture style. Studies have shown that our quality of learning has decreased. College students are finding it harder and harder to succeed in a literature classes. When surfing the web, the brain is utilizing several parts and functioning at a fast rate. Therefore, when someone is constantly surfing the web they aren’t exercising their brain as they would when focusing on a single topic or reading a book. So as college students are assigned reading in...