‘Unfiltered’ mini series discusses sexual purity in third meeting

Student Life dove into sexual purity from a Biblical viewpoint at Wednesday night’s “Unfiltered” series – a study that allows students to discuss difficult topics. Sam Smith, Dean of Student Life, came up with this series from a conversation he had with Josh Roberts, Dean of Student Development. “Josh Roberts and I went to a conference with some of our sister-school deans, and we were talking about what our campuses should look like, what our students are struggling with and how we can address those issues,” Smith said. “We realized there was this void on our campus when it came to these types of discussions, and instead of trying to avoid it, we’re going to do our best to address it.” “Unfiltered” is a four-part series, and each meeting covers a different topic. The topics include: online identity in social media, pornography and faith, sexual purity and substance abuse. Smith and Roberts decided to purposely not make the series available for chapel credit or a requirement for any Bible classes. They didn’t want students to feel forced in any way to attend the meetings because they knew they were difficult topics to confront. This week, the topic was sexual purity. Dr. Earl Lavender, a bible professor, led the discussion for the evening. He focused on maintaining a Christ-centered identity in a world focused on self-interest and sexual pleasure. “[Students need to] believe that God wills for you to flourish,” Lavender said. “He’s not giving you laws to frustrate you and tell you what you can’t do. He’s created you for His glory, and His teachings on appropriate sexual behavior are...

Commuters get their space

Commuting students don’t have the option of their dorm-dwelling comrades: they have no dorm bed to go slip into if there’s dead time between classes. To answer that problem, the university last week opened The Commuters’ Lounge. Up until the lounge opened, commuting students were forced to spend their “down time” in public spaces, which generally are congested and raucous. Now there’s a home away from home for communters in the lounge that comes fully equipped with an ample sectional sofa for big study sessions, a futon (for students who are wanting to squeeze a nap in between classes), a refrigerator, microwave, lockers for storage and a plasma television with cable. It is located behind Elam Hall, adjacent to Lipscomb Security for added convenience in case of an emergency. For questions or comments, visit the Campus Life office located at the bottom of the Student Center. Scott McDowell, vice president for student development, was instrumental in the construction of The Commuters’ Lounge. Last week, he invited commuting students to take a tour of the lounge and also asked them for questions or suggestions about how it can better serve their needs. Sophomore Denise de la Torre, who is studying biology, suggested that “the hours be extended, since there are many commuters who have evening classes or...