by Brianna Langley | Oct 14, 2014 | News Slider
The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) is the newest extremist terrorist group that has captured our nation’s attention and injected cold fear into our society. Due to the group’s affiliation with Islam, many individuals are condemning the religion. However, a large number of Muslim people detest ISIS’s actions. “ISIS never reflected Islam and never will. These are extremist factions that don’t represent the whole Muslim community,” said Samha Siddiqui, a political science major at Lipscomb. “They don’t even make up one per-cent of the whole Muslim population, so there’s no way that we can say they do reflect Muslim opinions.” Fellow political science major Akim Smith says that ISIS is simply using religious justifications to legitimize the torture, murder and slaughter of anyone (including fellow Muslims) that does not adhere to their specific beliefs for the purpose of gaining political ground. “A lot of people say that ISIS is neither Islamic nor a state, but as a Muslim, I would say that it is Islamic and it is a state, but it doesn’t reflect Islam as a whole,” Smith said. “I want people to know that this is not a reflection of Islam as a whole, but it’s a reflection of a particular, small brand of Islam.” Exercise science major Tahreem Fatima echoed the dangers of associating the ideology preached by ISIS with the ideology of the majority of the Muslim community. “I believe that Islam values all life, so what ISIS and other extremists do is completely wrong,” Fatima said. “I hate everything ISIS stands for, and I realize how important it is to speak out...
by Logan Butts | Apr 7, 2014 | News Slider
The second annual SGA debates were held in Shamblin Theatre Monday night with SGA and Lumination Network once again co-sponsoring the event. The centerpiece of the evening was the debate between presidential candidates Taylor Cao and Drew Watson. The candidates expressed their opinions on a number of oft-discussed topics on Lipscomb’s campus such as academics, students dealing with the various events held on campus, Lipscomb’s alcohol policy and the school’s parking issues. Watson, the incumbent SGA vice president, touched on his previous experience with SGA, as well what he hopes to implement if elected president. “I think that experience is something that I have, and that is very valuable, especially for the president position,” Watson said. “I think that leading an organization requires you to be knowledgeable about it, be knowledgeable about its functions and about its responsibilities. “I’ve learned a lot this year as vice president, so I definitely think I would be able to hit the ground running this summer.” Watson says he hopes to use the role to be a servant for the Lipscomb community. “I think that the president role should be a means of service, and I believe that I will do a great job serving the student body,” Watson said. “I’m not doing this for the title. I’m not doing this because it will look good on a resume. I’m doing this because I truly believe I could serve the student body in this role.” Cao, who served as an active SGA member for the first time this semester, also expressed the plans he has for his potential presidency, along with why he...
by Janice Ng | Mar 29, 2014 | News Slider
Campus Ministry held a dialogue session in Swang Center’s Stowe Hall on Friday following the events that transpired at the most recent Wednesday Night Devo. The speaker for the night, a Lee University graduate, shared his opinions of salvation and his missionary aspirations, which sparked a response from Samha Siddiqui, an audience member of the Muslim faith. Siddiqui was part of a panel at the dialogue session, which included Campus Minister Jake Burton, Tom Seals, an associate professor in the Bible department and the staff sponsor of Aurora Interfaith student group, and SGA President Andrew Hunt. Students who attended also had a chance to pose questions anonymously to the panel. Burton headed the discussion with a few words on campus ministry’s approach to issues of faith. “Conflict isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion,” Burton said. “It provides an opportunity for dialogue. That even though we disagree, we can still love one another.” Siddiqui said she felt that speaking out during Wednesday night’s devotional became necessary when the speaker’s message wasn’t in line with what she believes to be true. “I feel like missionary work requires a lot of knowledge,” Siddiqui said. “Knowledge of your own faith, knowledge of the people you’re trying to explain your message to. “It’s because I felt that the speaker didn’t have enough knowledge about the community he spoke about that I felt motivated to speak up.” Siddiqui said she’s happy to be at the university, and that learning from this event can be the best way to move forward. “I’m glad I made the decision to come to Lipscomb University,” Siddiqui said. “I’m glad I...
by Jael Teme | Mar 28, 2014 | News Slider
The latest edition of Wednesday Night Devo has sparked a conversation about the religious diversity on Lipscomb’s campus. A Lee University graduate, whose name Campus Ministry does not want to disclose, was invited as a guest speaker on Wednesday at Lipscomb Academy’s Acuff Chapel. The speaker talked about his ministry and his plans to travel to North Africa to share the gospel with those in the Muslim community. The message, featuring the speaker’s opinions of salvation, founds its detractors in the audience, particularly by those who profess Islam as their religion. Samha Siddiqui, a senior of Muslim faith, was part of the audience and decided to raise her voice. She stood up and expressed her disagreement with the statements provided by the speaker. “I spoke up because I felt the speaker was not right to call the Muslim world as ‘hostile, dark and oppressed.’ Using that description is neither factually correct, nor politically correct. I respect all missionary groups, regardless of which religious doctrine they preach, but maintaining respect for people is a must,” Siddiqui responded via text to a question from Lumination Network. Others supported Siddiqui with applause. In a Thursday email sent to students who attended Wednesday night’s devotional, Campus Ministry apologizes for the events that transpired, saying that the group hopes to show Jesus in all they do. “Last night was unusual for our Wednesday Night Devo in that there were many students who walked away hurt, offended, and confused,” the email said. “The heart and vision of Campus Ministry is to provide opportunities for all our students to encounter the love of Jesus. “We believe Jesus of Nazareth is...
by Jael Teme | Mar 18, 2013 | News Slider
Although it would be hard to travel to all the different countries represented by the students who attend Lipscomb, a new international students group allows students to explore the different cultures without leaving Green Hills. Lipscomb’s campus long has been filled with cultural diversity — even the Bison has represented colors of different countries like Mexico and Italy. Lambda Iota Sigma’s goal is to help all students learn from the cultures, and the members already are partaking in the different activities the group offers. The group’s vice president Zarina Gumbatova, a textile and apparel major from Uzbekistan, describes the group as “an opportunity to promote diversity on campus, and learn about other cultures while sharing ours.” Lambda Iota Sigma became possible thanks to the effort and organization of the international students office where Adam Halford and Sylvia Braden are in charge. “This is the special interest group on campus that is for international students, students from other cultures and any other LU student who is interested in learning about other cultures,” Halford, assistant director of international recruitment, said. Most of the students in the group have international backgrounds, but not everyone is originally from another country. Shivali Kanal, a biology major from Franklin, Tenn., was born in the U.S. and, therefore, has a different perspective about the group. “Although, I was born in America, I have an Indian background. I am not as cultured with my heritage as I’d like to be, which is why I like this club. It is a gateway into a variety of cultures and the perfect opportunity to learn and experience them,” Kanal said. Every student on campus...
