Tau Phi, country music, and cowboy hats to help veterans’ causes 

Tau Phi, country music, and cowboy hats to help veterans’ causes 

Tau Phi’s Cowboy Show, which has roots going back 45 years when it began with skits in the Square, this year will celebrate and aid veterans with proceeds from Saturday’s performance.  This tradition has been around since 1974, as part of traditional Bison Day activities, but the skits in the Square became so popular it became an annual, staged celebration. All the proceeds will go toward charities such as Room in the Inn homeless agency and Wreaths Across America, for which Tau Phi members for the first time will lay wreaths on veterans’ graves Dec. 14 at the Nashville National Cemetery on Gallatin Road in Madison. Hunter Taylor hosted this year’s show, keeping the audience engaged and laughing in-between each song. The show blended older alumni members with pledges from the incoming class and included an all-family song, a brother-sister duo, and even an original song by Taylor Hogan.  “The Cowboy Show is a great display of what it means to be a Southern gentleman, which is a much-respected role in the Lipscomb community,” said Sarah Stewart, a junior who enjoyed the festivities.  “The Cowboy Show is so fun, and a great way to get those involved in supporting a noble cause while still highlighting  a fellow social club,” said junior Maddie Martin.  The music was led by Pat Flynn, who has done it for 22 years. He is a Grammy award-winning musician and one of the three honorary members of the Tau Phi social club.   “The Cowboy Show is something I look forward to every year. It’s a great way to bring students together,” said Jordan Bullard. DSC0819 Aperture:...

Open Table, Green Street serve homeless in Nashville’s negative temperatures

As Nashville’s winter weather has hit its ultimate lows, the homeless community has been struck with even more adversity — but that’s nothing Green Street Church of Christ and Open Table Nashville can’t help diminish. “It’s really heart-wrenching to see the amount of suffering that there is in our own city — in our own backyard — when we’re so warm,” said Lindsey Krinks, Director of Street Chaplaincy and Education of Open Table Nashville. Wednesday night the temperature plummeted into the negatives, but organizations like Open Table and Green Street alleviated a lot of the suffering. But even with all of Nashville’s warm shelters, Krinks said the city has already seen six exposure-related deaths in the homeless community this winter. “In the last couple of days I’ve tended for four people with frost-bitten feet and we’re finding so many people out still,” she said. Krinks said the need is overwhelming, but as a non-profit, interfaith community, Open Table is working hard to put a dent in Nashville’s homeless community. “We help people navigate the very complex social services and housing systems,” Krinks said. “Instead of people coming in to us — like the mission [Nashville Rescue Mission] and Room In the Inn [where] people from the streets come in and receive services – we go out to where people are and we take that [services] to them.” Krinks and the Open Table team are on the lookout, especially with more snow and low temperatures on the way for Friday. “We do outreach canvasing at night, so when it gets this cold we go out on the streets and we’re driving around, and we go...

Rock ‘n’ roll, Mike Farris-style, one highlight of upcoming TOKENS

The fiery Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue will be among the highlights of “The Welcome Table” – the next edition of TOKENS–which will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Ryman Auditorium.In addition to under-the-radar star Farris, whose performances are flavored by old-fashioned revival shows, performers include Ketch Secor and Critter Fuqua of Old Crow Medicine Show, the Nashville Choir, Buddy Greene, Odessa Settles, Brother Preacher, the Most Outstanding Horeb Mountain Boys (Jeff Taylor, Aubrey Haynie, Byron House, Chris Brown, and Pete Huttlinger) and more. Of course, this is just the latest installment in the series of multi-faceted productions envisioned by Lee Camp, professor of theology and ethics at Lipscomb University. TOKENS features some of Nashville’s best musicians and songwriters. Each show also includes a theology lecture and creates an environment to promote good conversation. “TOKENS involves theology, humor and modern culture set to the tune of a bluegrass string band that’s just as likely to play Mozart as they are Guthrie,” said Jesse Baker, graduate of Lipscomb University who has been attending TOKENS for the past five years. “So, in short, it’s a little bit of everything I love most, and when you put it in the Ryman and have it benefit Room In The Inn, it becomes one of the most memorable experiences you’ll ever have in Nashville.” According to the TOKENS website, tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster Outlets; the Ryman Box Office (615.889.3060); or Lipscomb University Allen Arena Box Office.  Tickets are $27.50 to $34.50. For groups of 15 or more, and for students, get a 10% discount (and no fees) through...
Nashville continues to provide room for homeless

Nashville continues to provide room for homeless

On September 9, Room in the Inn’s new downtown Nashville campus at 705 Drexel Street officially opened its doors and welcomed in all those who don’t have a place to call home. November 1 began the 2010-2011 Room in the Inn season with more than 160 congregations around the city opening their doors to the homeless for one night when the downtown campus closes. The new $13 million, 44,000 square foot state-of-the-art building features a café and stage, 13 classrooms, storage facilities, a chapel, a rooftop garden, a built-in giant chess board and three stories of permanent and affordable apartments. It is the completion of a dream 25 years in the making by founder Father Charlie Strobel. “It’s amazing how much difference a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can make,” are the words of Strobel displayed in the lobby of the building for all to see. Room in the Inn operates under seven missions: “Through the power of spirituality and the practice of love, Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development provides hospitality with a respect that offers hope in a community of non-violence.” They strive to provide these fundamental needs to the over 400 visitors struggling with homelessness every day. One of the main goals of Room in the Inn is to educate its members so they one day can get back on their feet and provide for themselves. Literacy programs, computer skills training, and art and music classes are just a few of the many programs offered to anyone who is willing to take them. Vanderbilt University Law School and Belmont University assist with these programs as well...