by Mckenzi Harris | Nov 3, 2020 | News, News Slider, Politics
As election day winds down and the nation gets closer to learning who will be president for the next four years, some Lipscomb students were eager to share their opinions about just how important it is for American citizens to vote. Political science major Austin Travis said voting is a key part of keeping a republic and the government running. “I think it’s so important,” said Travis, “Turning out to vote is how we keep our democracy and our system of government. Elective leaders don’t have a mandate to govern if nobody turns out for their elections. They don’t really know if they have the support of the absolute majority of the voting population because they just don’t turn out to vote.” Political science major Elena Walker said she was just thrilled to get the opportunity to exercise the right to vote in a presidential election for the first time. “It was exciting,” said Walker. “But I think also with the two options it was kind of hard to choose I think with the current political environment. “But it’s still important to vote, so I voted. I think its really important because there are a lot of countries around the world where people don’t even get the opportunity to vote. Especially being a woman, that’s kind of an anomaly in today’s world, so I think it’s really important that we exercise our right even whether or not we think it’s going to have an effect or not.” Lumination Network will have you covered with the details as the election day winds down and the decision is made. Check back here for more information...
by Kathryn Farris | Jan 20, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Gloomy skies and flooded sidewalks didn’t stop the crowds from gathering at Governor Bill Lee’s inauguration on Saturday. The inauguration was moved indoors to the War Memorial Auditorium after concerns over inclement weather. The new location caused problems due to the limited capacity of the auditorium, and some ticketholders were turned away from seats they had already reserved. Austin Travis, a freshman political science and history major at Lipscomb, was one of those attending the inauguration. Travis said he voted for Lee because of his stances on criminal justice reform and his goals in improving vocational and technical education. Travis noted that he is optimistic for Lee’s upcoming term, but he also expressed concern for Lee’s transition from the business world to politics. “He can’t just tell someone to do something and it gets done anymore,” Travis said. “He’s got to get those proposals approved by the General Assembly, and he has to make sure he never oversteps his bounds as governor. But he’s a smart guy; I think he’ll adapt fairly quickly.” Inauguration attendee Ed Elam spoke about his trust in the new governor. Elam said he voted for Lee because of his integrity and values. “I am expecting some transparency [from Lee],” Elam said. “My experience and knowledge with him is that he looks at everyone as Tennesseans. He promotes inclusiveness not divisiveness. I expect him to pull everyone together.” Tennessean Adam Smith had more personal motivations when he was in the voting booth. Smith met Lee seven years ago through the Y-CAP program, an outreach organization that serves teens. Lee became a mentor for Smith. “He saw a...
by Brianna Langley | Sep 11, 2014 | News Slider
President Barack Obama publicly addressed the nation Wednesday night regarding a Middle Eastern – and potentially global – crisis that has emerged in the form of a terrorist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ISIS is a group of extremists who have been terrorizing and killing innocent people in Iraq and Syria, including Muslims. In recent days, the United States has been horrified by the direct and brazen beheadings of two freelance American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were inoffensively working in the Middle East. In reaction to this and many other barbaric acts of ISIS, President Obama delivered a speech to the American people in which he stated that the United States would be recruiting a coalition to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIS. This coalition will include the deployment of 475 U.S. military advisors to Iraq, bringing the total number of American personnel stationed there to 1,600. However, the president also made it clear that “these American forces will not have a combat mission; we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq.” President Obama also added that this mission “will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; it will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.” Instead, this “anti-terrorist” coalition will focus mainly on airstrike campaigns. According to Lipscomb political science professor Guy Vanderpool, the president’s speech was just what our nation needed to hear. “It conveyed a clear warning to ISIS, assured Americans that their security is his top action and emphasized that the freedom and justice and dignity of world peoples remain...
