SAB hosts first ever Swing in the Square

For the first time at Lipscomb, the Student Activities Board hosted a Swing in the Square event for students on Friday evening in Bison Square. While this function is new to campus, other similar events such as Theta Xi’s Full Moon Festival have been held in the past. “This is an event that we talked about doing in the spring,” said Louis Nelms, director of student activities. “Theta Xi, when they did Full Moon Festival, sort of opened the door to some of this stuff.” After approval, Nelms and his team began planning to make the night a safe, enjoyable time for all. “We had to have a place to swing, we had to have lights, we had to have music, and so we just decided to put this all together and thought how do we make this better, and that’s what happened,” Nelms said. Junior Josh Cottrill served as the DJ, incorporating big band music and more popular electric pop. “I’m mostly excited for the atmosphere and the liveliness that’s going to happen tonight,” Cottrill said. “I’m excited to see what comes about.” Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Students were instructed on proper swing dancing technique by theater professor Leigh Anne Ervin. After showing students some simple dance moves, Ervin stepped aside to let students show off some of their own moves. “It’s a lot of fun because everyone’s making a fool of themselves and dancing,” said sophomore Samantha Gwinn. Whether students had some background in swing dancing or were completely new to the style, Swing in the Square easily allowed students to join in community and learn. “You get to...

Missions-minded Samantha Gwinn tells of her passion for ministry

The opportunity to take mission trips as a Lipscomb student fits right into freshman Samantha Gwinn’s plans to travel the world and help others. Gwinn is studying elementary education, but her dream is to be a missionary. Already, Gwinn has quite a bit of experience in mission work. A few places she already has visited are Mexico, Honduras, South Africa and Swaziland, as well as many places in the United States. “The summer before my senior year of high school, I knew I was being called to do something more than just a week of mission work,” Gwinn said. “I’ve wanted to be a missionary since seventh grade, and I just wanted more of it.  So, I spent a summer in Swaziland two summers ago with a group of people I had only known for four days.” Gwinn mentioned the joy that she has encountered through the people she has spent time with during her journeys. “I enjoy seeing people from other cultures worshiping God. Sometimes we think that we are the only ones who love God, and that we are such good people for going out and spreading Christ’s love. Well, the love is already there,” Gwinn said. “Often times, it is more there than it is here. The kids seem joyful so much of the time, no matter if they’re wearing ratty, dirty clothes and only eat one meal a day. They have the joy of the Lord inside of them.” Gwinn says that she hopes her mission trip travels continue. “Madagascar is high on my list,” Gwinn said. “I’ve learned about it during a project, and God...