Motlow Buzz Releases Print Issue for October 2024

 

The Smyrna Restaurant Scene: Homemade Ice Cream Shop Wins Three Awards

By Lucas Lanius

Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer

            SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Janarty’s Homemade Ice Cream, a little shop in the depot district of Smyrna, Tennessee, recently received three Ruthie’s awards, proving them to be one of the best ice cream shops in Rutherford County. 

            Owners Marty Schiff and Janelle Alice were thrilled to accomplish something amazing: win first place for Best Ice Cream, Best Milkshake, and Best Dessert. There haven’t been many small businesses that have won something as incredible as that, especially ones that have only been open for just over a year. 

            When asked about why Marty thought they had won, he explained that he wants to make sure everyone who comes in gets treated like family. Visitors say that’s certainly what one will get when they walk through the door. All of the staff is inviting, kind, greeting all their guests with a warm smile.

            Of course, the ice cream certainly adds to the great experience. Everyone who came through the door left with smiles, talking about how different and perfect the ice cream tasted.  Janarty’s offers the normal range of flavors, such as vanilla bean, double chocolate, candy bar blast, etc. They also try new flavors as well, such as their Chai Tea Latte flavor and Roy’s Peanut Butter. They even had a peach flavor in the summer that boasted peaches grown right here in Smyrna. 

            Janarty’s has also received the Best New Business in Rutherford County award, as well as being a finalist for Best New Business in the Ruthie’s awards. 

            Schiff explained that he used to be a musician all of his life up until 2014, when he retired. Then, he was a single father learning to cook for his children. He always had the idea to open an ice cream shop. He was already in a job that was teaching him to get into the culinary field, and that really enhanced his love for making food. 

            He explained that he was nervous at first, because even though this was his dream, he was putting everything into it. Schiff was quitting his job, selling many of his instruments and his first car, and Alice was quitting school, but it’s all been worth it to see something they can put their love into. 

            He said that he wanted to make ice cream the way nobody else makes it. He claimed that everyone else but Alice thought it was crazy, that it wasn’t possible. He laughingly recalled going to a bank to ask for money to fund their idea. The bank shot them down at first. Then, after they had opened and picked up steam, the bank offered to help them out if they wanted to expand. Customers of the ice cream shop think it’s fantastic to see a small business like this gain such a great reputation. 

            Schiff said that there is a lot of trial and error involved to make their ice cream just right. They had a lot of ice cream left over from experimenting quite often. After trying many different ways of making ice cream, they perfected their recipe that’s enjoyed by thousands of residents and travelers alike. 

            Many customers going in and out of the restaurant made comments and talked about the cleanliness of the facility, the kindness of the staff, the quality of the ice cream, and the great atmosphere that it’s all presented in. It’s not a surprise then to see that Janarty’s has a 4.9 out of five-star rating on Google Maps from 156 people and recommended by over 350 people on Facebook. 

            Schiff did say he would love to see their business grow, but he doesn’t want to expand to other locations right now. He makes the ice cream and wants the quality to be top-notch. He thinks that might suffer if they were to open other stores. He said he also really just loves the old depot district of Smyrna, and that it makes the perfect atmosphere for their shop. 

            “Janelle likes to emphasize that we do make it small batch from scratch,” Schiff said. “Where a lot of people buy the bases already mixed, and they put it in a machine and add flavoring, do their thing, we create every flavor.” 

            “And the first time it’s not always right, we have to redo it a couple times to tune it in,” he added. “Our ice cream tastes different than anybody’s I’ve ever tasted, because it is that extra effort that we put into it. It’s our own thing.” 

            The little shop is located at 111 Front St. in Smyrna. Their normal operating hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open until 10 p.m. They are closed on Tuesdays.

            Their average price for a double scoop of ice cream with a topping is about $4 with tax. A milkshake with four scoops of ice cream of one’s choice with cream and a topping will go for about $8 with tax. There are other little treats, such as homemade chess bars, fudge, pop tarts, or their one-of-a-kind hot chocolate, all for about $3 each. 

            To learn more about Janerty’s, visit their page on facebook @Janerty’s Homemade Ice Cream.

How to Take Better Photos Using One Simple App

By Trey Carter 

 Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer 

            SMYRNA -- We live in a digital age where nearly everybody is online. People are obsessed with popular apps such as Instagram and sharing photos. We like to share photos to show off something we accomplished, someone we may have seen recently, or even something we may have created. 

There’s a saying used often by this generation: “Pics or it didn’t happen.” In a way it implies that if someone can’t find a photo on your timeline or page, then it never happened. Of course this isn’t true. You don’t have to share every detail of your life online if you don’t want to. 

If you like sharing photos to your Instagram page or your Twitter feed, you would want them to look very nice and clean. Not everyone can afford an expensive camera, and sometimes our phones just fail to take the perfect photos.

Thankfully, there is a simple and easy-to-use free app called VSCO. VSCO stands for Visual Supply Company, and it was founded by Joel Flory and Greg Lutze in 2011. This app essentially gives the user a second camera on their phone, and it allows you to play around with more settings when taking photos. The app also provides a sharing network built into it where you can publish your photos and even look at other people’s work. The app is fairly simple once you use it for a while, it provides you with tons of tools to help make your photos look amazing.

You can find the website for VSCO by using this link: https://vsco.co/. However, I highly recommend checking it out on the app store. 

Shadows, taken at Motlow State Community College, Smyrna, Tenn. 

Cherry blossom trees, taken in the Ross parking lot in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

For starters, when you first open the app, you come across a tutorial basically showing you where everything is and such. I would strongly recommend clicking through it rather than skipping it. Afterward, you are free to start taking photos of anything you want.

The camera is similar yet different than your usual iPhone or Samsung camera. When you tap on the screen, a red circle will appear. From there you can tap anywhere to shift the focus. Once the red circle turns green and you like what you see, you snap the picture. After you capture a photo, you can move onto editing and adding filters.      

Editing in this app is very simple. When you look at your photo below, you have a small option bar, and you will see a button beside the save button. It looks like a scroll bar almost. Once you click on this, it will pull up all of the filters the app has to offer.

I highly recommend trying out all of the filters just to see if one can give your photo the extra pop it needs. Also, you can play around with the intensity of the filter by tapping again on the one you chose. This pulls up another menu that allows you to choose how much of the filter you want to use. 

Flower in bloom, taken in my backyard, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Spring time flowers, taken in my front yard, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

While the app gives you many great choices, there are also various filter packs you can buy through their store. You simply click the shop logo and it takes you to their store. Most of the packs cost money. However, it is usually pretty cheap.

Aside from adding filters, you can also play with various settings such as the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows and many more. This can get a bit overwhelming at times, but the app makes it very simple by integrating a slide bar for you to make the changes on. You simply move your finger along the bar, and you will see the photo begin to change based on what you are doing. There is also a number placed above this bar to give you an exact value for how much of an edit you are making.

This app isn’t just limited to the photos you take. You can also import photos from your phone and edit those using these filters and tools. 

This app also incorporates a helpful history feature. Perhaps you started editing a photo then stopped and came back to it later. You can easily pull up this tab and see what you did last. This feature can be extremely helpful when editing on the go or if you change your mind on something.

After you have a photo edited and ready to post, you can go to the menu at the bottom of the page to look for the three dots icon. This pulls up a short that allows you to share the photo on VSCO as well as other platforms, save to your gallery, copy your edits, or delete the photo. If you are looking to post this photo to other sites, it is best to save it to your phone’s gallery. If you are on a Samsung phone, it will create a new folder for the app in your gallery.

Keyboard, taken at Motlow State Community College, Smyrna, Tenn.

If you are looking for a more-in-depth guide featuring tips and tricks, check out this article by clicking here: https://www.shopmoment.com/momentist/5-tips-for-better-editing-in-vsco If you check out this next article, you will find examples and tips from other users by clicking here: https://www.shopmoment.com/momentist/11-vsco-editing-tips-part-ii

If you are posting these photos to Instagram, I highly recommend using the hashtags #VSCO and #VSCOcam. These hashtags are essentially a collection of photos from the VSCO app or edited using it. You can find out more information by clicking here: https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-hashtag-VSCO-mean

Now let’s focus on the social network aspect of this app. It is similar to Instagram. However, it has less features. This app is somewhat how Instagram was before it added in more features from other apps such as direct messaging and stories. Through this network, you can follow people and favorite their photos. However, there is no area to comment on them. Also, you don’t really have a feed. There is an area on the app that’s titled collection. It changes often with the photos people upload. 

Athena, taken at Bicentennial park, Nashville, Tenn.

I feel like the social network area of this app is severely lacking. You don’t really get the sense of community you do on another app like Instagram. I like that it is a straight forward network truly based on sharing photos, but I would love the ability to comment on other people’s photos. To combat this, many users put their Instagram or Twitter user names in their bios on their profiles so other users can find them there. I rarely ever use this app for the social aspect, and I think that was the intention of the creators.

Overall, this app is very useful for all kinds of people. This includes amateur photographers who simply are not ready to move up to a real camera. Perhaps you forget your camera at home and still want to take a good and clean picture. Anyone can find a good use for this app and create some amazing photos.

A Nothing into Something

By Myia Jones
Motlow Buzz Reporter

            When I was a child, I was always into being famous. I couldn’t get enough of the media. Just seeing the cameras and the bright lights, along with the stars on television, has always amazed me. I loved the extravagant colors of wardrobes, and seeing people change their emotions, whether it was real life or a cartoon.

            My parents always kept me involved in sports like dance, tap dance, track, basketball, etc., but I knew that wasn’t for me -- at least the “real” athletic sports. As a child, I would beg my mom to put me on TV, or let me model, but her response would be, “This is just a scam!” I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling there is more out there in the world because I saw it on TV. Every birthday, I used to pray and wish that I would become “a somebody” by the time I was at the age of 16 to the age of 18.

            Growing up, I was bullied and doubted I could be anything. I never told my parents, so it took a hold on my heart. I was soon introduced to the performing arts, where I learned I could be myself. Once I got on stage, it was like I was a certified natural. I became addicted to the sound of “LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!”

            When social media came into play, it was like love at first sight. Social Media is what really helped me decide specifically what I wanted to do in life. I loved taking pictures and creating posts for others to relate to, as well as getting out certain feelings, or emotions, when I didn’t have anyone to talk to. It’s something about following your favorite celebrity, or keeping up with the latest fashion trends that had me.

            Fashion was never my thing. I couldn’t seem to realize what looked good on me, or what my actual style was. What really played the part in this was I had a low self-esteem from all the bullying, and at the time I didn’t know my worth. I would always wear jackets and blazers to hide my skin, and ponytails to hide my length, but there has always been a flame in me, that swore I would get it all together.

            Fast forwarding to the end of my 12th grade year, and I became more of a fashionista—without the funds. When I got to college, I exploded with the ability to not be afraid of me, and I had the funds this time. I began trying things I never thought I would, and wearing clothes I never thought I could.

            In the year of 2016, things became clear. I had just gotten a new job in downtown Nashville, and I felt as if it was exactly what I needed. I met a lot of designers, store owners; you name it. I’ve also met a lot of famous people like athletes, dancers, singers, etc. Coming from the small town of Murfreesboro, you rarely meet young people who own businesses, or a lot of black business owners. One of the most “awing” moments for me was to see people my age that are very successful. In a short time of experiencing all of this, I decided I wanted to create a blog about celebrities, gossip, and the latest fashion trends.    

            My blog, Jae’s Box, is just that. This article is intended for women and men ages 16 and up. This blog requires the viewers to subscribe where they will now be known as a “jewel,” hints the name “Jae’s Box,” as in a jewelry box. Most of my articles will be posted no later than the day the specific event will occur. We will have a comment section for each article where viewers can state their opinions, and we will have direct messenger for comments, findings or concerns. We plan on having multiple social medias in order for our subscribers to be able to take us with them anywhere.

            Now that I’ve introduced how I came about writing my blog and what my blog will be about, here are a few articles that will be featured:

           

Nike Will Be Introducing Hijabs for Their Muslim Athletes in Spring 2018

The Hijab, according to CNN Money, took 13 months to make and came into creation after Muslims athletes would complain about having to wear their traditional scarves while competing.

Nike also states the “Nike Pro Hijab” may have been in the making for more than a year. http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/07/news/nike-pro-hijab/

Katy Perry Says She Tried to “Pray The Gay Away”

Singer Katy Perry received an award from the Human Rights Campaign  in LA and openly opened up about her sexuality, deciding to thank the LGBT community.

In her speech, she spoke about growing up in a very strict and religious family. Katy mentions, she was very curious about her sexuality, but knew that it wasn’t something that would be accepted.

Katy claims she tried to “pray the gay away” at Christian camps, but she ended up finding her gift. http://www.katyperry.com/

Tomi Lahren Suspended for A Week

Tomi’s program, “Tomi,” will be off air for at least a week, according to The Hill, after what was reported as rising tensions between her and other Blaze employees.

Lahren reportedly upset her boss, Glen Beck, after her appearance on “The View”. Tomi claimed to be “pro-life” and even took shots at conservatives, calling them hypocrites according to the Daily Beast.

Glenn took it to his radio show on Monday to blast his employee.

On Monday Lahren took it to Twitter to try and do a little damage control, which prompted her boss responded back.    https://twitter.com/TomiLahren?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Tennessee Teen and Teacher Go Missing Together

Corpus Christi police said they have been unable to wrap their head around the fact that, a Tennessee school teacher and a student he’s accused of kidnapping were in the South Texas Gulf Coast city.

Tennessee authorities have been hunting for the 50-year-old Tad Cummins and the 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas for two weeks.

Cummins has been added to Tennessee Most Wanted List after being suspected of kidnapping the teen. http://people.com/crime/elizabeth-thomas-missing-tad-cummins-romantic-emails-school/

Motlow's 'International Day' Festival to Spotlight 19 Countries on March 29

                SMRYNA – “¡Es el Día Internacional!” or as they say in English, “It’s International Day!”

                Hundreds of students, teachers and staff members will fill the two-story STAH Building lobby from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 29 (Wednesday) for live entertainment, food and games from 19 countries. This year’s “International Day” will be bigger than ever.

                “We will explore fascinating cultures and delicious foods prepared by our own students, faculty and staff,” said Heather Koller, event organizer and associate professor of history. “What makes our event so special is that the Motlow family is a diverse mix of wonderful people. Many of the food items will be prepared by individuals who immigrated to the United States from other parts of the world.”

                Live entertainment will include

                * An “Old Time Music” show from 11-11:30 a.m. featuring songs from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s performed by Academic Dean Elizabeth Fitch and Associate Professor of Biology Kevin Fitch.

                * Salsa dancing and Spanish singing from 11:30-11:40 a.m. led by Professor Montoya Blandon.

                * “Doctor Who Film Tours from Around the World” from 11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m. with colorful insights from Associate Professor of English John Hart and Associate Professor of English Jay Stringfield.

                * Quidditch games on the college lawn from 12:15-1 p.m. in the “Harry Potter” tradition led by Associate Professor of English Nathan Sweeton.

                * Belly dancing from 1-2 p.m. led by Executive Assistant Heidi Parker.

                “Old time music is a genre that is between the time period of traditional Irish music and traditional Bluegrass music,” said Elizabeth Fitch. “The style of music we play originated in the Appalachian mountains and culture.”

                The lobby will feature tables laden with authentic foods and decorations from the British Isles (United Kingdom and Ireland); Europe (France, Germany, Finland and Switzerland); North America (Mexico and the United States); the Mediterranean (Italy and Spain); the Middle East (Egypt); Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines); the Caribbean (Cuba); South America (Brazil and Colombia); and Africa (Ethiopia).

                “One of our goals is to help connect people from different backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to experience the rich cultures, foods and traditions of other countries,” Koller added. “The lobby will be sectioned off to represent different regions of the world.”

                The Motlow Buzz student newspaper has created a Pinterest page with boards devoted to various countries. Individuals can explore the world with pictures at http://www.Pinterest.com/MotlowBuzz.

                For more information or to volunteer for the event, contact Koller at hkoller@mscc.edu.

Motlow State Community College Plans New Building

 By Trey Carter 

        SMYRNA, Tenn. – Motlow State Community College plans to add a third building to its Smyrna campus by spring 2019 that will offer more classes, programs and possibly a cafe space.

 Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Cheryl Hyland provided details for this new building. The college’s funding is awaiting approval from the Tennessee Board of Regents. If approved, the building will be built west of the Science and Applied Technology Building. Also, Motlow would be required to raise 10 percent of the total cost for the building.

“I am tremendously excited to be able to expand academic programs and service delivery to serve in the community,” said Hyland.

            Rapid growth of the Tennessee Promise scholarship program has created the need for new space on the Smyrna campus. Some 1,038 students are taking advantage of the two free years provided by the State of Tennessee, a 52.87 percent increase over fall 2015. By 2025, the number of Tennessee Promise students is projected to grow to include 895 more students.

However, Hyland said the proposed building is not a direct result of the Tennessee Promise scholarship. The third building was planned many years ago, with the original master plan laid out before the college opened a campus in Smyrna. The current campus has approximately 2,800 students.   

            The new building will be focused on providing more classrooms and labs for new or already existing programs. The school is looking to add a new nursing program and many classes to go along with it. While plans have not been finalized for what rooms will be included, there is discussion about adding an auditorium, an art room, a cafe, and more labs for science classes.

The school is in search of a restaurant to go inside the new building. The majority of students should be pleased with the inclusion of an outside food vendor.

            If all goes as scheduled, the new building will be expected to break ground in 2017. Once started, the building will take a projected 15 to 18 months to complete.

With a new building, the school will be required to expand the amount of parking spaces on campus. One new building with approximately 80,000 gross square feet must have 750 new parking spaces to accommodate students.

            “A new building sounds great,” said Austin Kraner, a Motlow student. “The campus will definitely need the space once new students come in.”

            For more information about Motlow State Community College, visit www.mscc.edu. 

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Pianist Encourages Others to Do Better in Life

By SkyQuajus Turner

SMYRNA, Tenn.— Denise Hurd has served as the pianist for Grace Missionary Baptist Church for many years, encouraging others to do better in their lives with a dance in their steps.

Hurd, age 55, grew up in the fast-growing town of Smyrna, Tennessee. She started playing piano at the age of 13 when her father enrolled her in a music program. After she started playing for a number of local churches, she became the official pianist for Grace Missionary Baptist Church at 127 Nora Peebles Lane. Now Hurd uses music to influence and build an individual’s relationship with God.

            Grace, which was founded with only three to seven members, has grown to more than 75 members in the last three years. Going through musicians left and right, Grace finally found a musician that would stay and help expand their knowledge in their spiritual beliefs in music. Everyone there is thankful for Denise Hurd.

            Her past performances have drawn standing ovations. The way she touches people’s hearts and minds as well as the stories she tells is an amazing experience. One can feel the warmth, comforting feeling when sitting down and listening to her sing as well as speak with spiritual knowledge. The pastor, Fred Warren, explains how hearing her sing is like getting a spiritual message from God himself. It encourages the audience in many ways. 

            “Music is a gift from God, not an invention from man himself,” said Warren, after a recent Hurd’s performance.

            As her performance started, one could tell that she had been singing for years. Hurd has a soft-spoken singing voice. It’s not too loud, yet not too quiet, one can hear every word clearly. She sings a high alto, but she can climb to a second soprano.

            She is backed up by several talented musicians: a drummer, lead guitarist, and a bass player.

            “All praise to the highest power, our God, for allowing me to be here and do what I do for his people,” said Hurd, after a recent performance.

            For more information about Grace Missionary Baptist Church, call (615)-481-7163

 

 

 

Tennis and My Life

By Taylor Graalman

Tennis has been a great sport and asset in my life. It has blessed me with the chance to do something with myself. I have Played tennis from when I was a little child to high school and college.  

When I was around 5 years old, I was fortunate enough to play on a stadium court in front of a crowd of people. In the picture below, Wayne Bryan, father of the most winning doubles team in history, is asking me questions. I had been playing tennis for a few years at this point. This really was the spark of my love for tennis and how it has shaped my life.

Myself wearing a MTSU shirt next to Wayne Bryan

In the picture above, you see that I am currently wearing a Middle Tennessee State University shirt. After what happened, I was beginning to make connections. I was fortunate enough to become the first live mascot for this college. I was 8 years old at the time and was always around the guys on the team. They had an amazing season where they made it into the NCAA Tournament.

Tennis at Siegel Middle School

While at Siegel Middle School in Murfreesboro, I was fortunate to play at the number one spot out of six and I would meet lifelong friends. We had a stellar team, winning the team tournament all three years. We were one of the best teams to come through middle school in Rutherford County history.

Tennis Tournament for the USTA in Huntsville, Alabama 

During my time at Siegel High School, I played in many tournaments around the South traveling to such states as Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama for the United States Tennis Association League. Like life, these tournaments had many ups and downs. The best part was always learning something new about myself good or bad. I won more matches than I lost, but the loses always stuck with me more. If anyone is interested in signing up for the USTA and play in tournaments, visit this. https://www.usta.com/

Playing for Siegel High School

While I was at Siegel, I was fortunate to play number one for all four years. I was coached by Jeff Martin, who also taught me how to be a better person on and off the court. Siegel and I were three-time state semifinalists. I made it to state competition as an individual four times and winning a quarterfinalist twice, and a semifinalist twice. Also, I was fortunate enough to be The Daily News Journal Male Tennis Player of the Year for three years in a row. It really gave me confidence and helped me accomplish what I did this summer.

Coaching in Connecticut

This summer, largely due to my connection as a mascot for MTSU, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a tennis pro in Connecticut. I taught many different people from young to old and made great connections. As a tennis pro, I worked six days a week from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. It was not an easy job as most might think. I learned more this summer than I did my freshman year of college.

For anyone wanting to improve their game and to win more matches, key to greater improvement is to increase footwork and focus. When I was playing a match where I was losing 6-2, 5-2 that is what I did to create a comeback. I have seen plenty reach new heights by increasing these two simple things. Here is a link to improve your consistency. http://www.active.com/tennis/articles/10-steps-to-improve-your-consistency

That is just a few ways how tennis has helped to shape my life. Like a tennis match, life has many ups and downs. I have been fortunate and blessed to be able to live the life I want because of this sport. If you want to know more follow me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/taylor.graalman and https://www.instagram.com/graalmanater/?hl=en

‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ Opens At Springhouse Theatre

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn. – Springhouse Theatre in Smyrna opened its production of “Mark Twain Presents the Adventures of Tom Sawyer” on April 8, giving the classic tale a unique twist.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is the story of a boy from the mid-1800s who found himself in many adventures. Tom skipped school, dug for buried treasure, and even served as the key witness to a murder.

This particular adaptation of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” added the unique perspective of Mark Twain interjecting his thoughts on the tales between each scene. The character Tom Sawyer was based on the childhood of Mark Twain, drawing inspiration from his own experiences and the adventures of boys he grew up with. The presence of Mark Twain as a character to the story gave the classic novel a new angle. 

Jack Gilpin as Mark Twain
(Provided by Kenn Stilger)

“It was a lot of fun trying to match the way Mark Twain would speak,” said Jack Gilpin who played Mark Twain, “The famous Twain wit is hard to match but getting it right was made simple by the excellent volunteers here.”

While Mark Twain wrote the original “Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, playwright Mike Parker adapted it for the stage. Parker moved from Texas to Nashville in 1993. He is no stranger to adapting novels into stage productions. He has written two other successful plays, “Fail-Safe the Stage Play” and “Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray”. Parker has a long history in acting on stage as well as being a stage director in many plays.

Springhouse Theatre is local to Smyrna and part of the Springhouse Worship and Arts Center. Opened in 2004, The Theatre provides a professional and open experience to the community. Even though the theatre is operated by a Christian ministry, it is not a requirement to be part of the ministry to audition for the plays hosted there. Volunteers make of a majority of the staff at the theatre, including a board of directors, of which Parker is a member.

               Directed by Ronnie Meek, the cast is comprised of all local talent. William Hearn stars as Tom Sawyer with Jack Forte as Huckleberry Fin and Gilpin as Mark Twain.

                “Working with all local talent is fantastic, and having all these volunteers come out and give something to the community really is special,” Meek said, “I really am proud of what we can accomplish here at the theatre.”

The cast of Mark Twain Presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
(Provided by Springhouse Theatre)

 

Tickets can be purchased at www.springhousetheatre.com. The play runs every Friday and Saturday throughout the month of April. Doors open at 7 p.m.

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Karen Refugees Save a Church and Head to Hollywood

By Thaw Bwe

                   (Writer's Note: My ethnicity is of the Karen (KA-wren) people, and this is an article about how they came to Middle Tennessee.)
      
                    In 2007, a group of 70 ethnic Karen people fled from Myanmar (also known as Burma) and started their new lives in Smyrna, Tenn. Most of them decided to attend All Saints Episcopal Church, which increased enrollment. During the same year, prior to their arrival, the Rev. Michael Spurlock and his congregation at All Saints Episcopal Church in Smyrna had fallen to only 20 members, and they were not able to make the church’s monthly mortgage payment. The All Saints congregation was about to lose the church and planned to sell the property. Suddenly, 70 Karen Anglican Christians joined  the church. Life for Rev. Spurlock and his congregation is back to normal and has became stronger than ever.



                 The hard-working Karen people in America are employed at low-paying jobs by Tyson and Taylor Farms. Some of them have problems with transportation, so when the Karen  people go to work or to the store, they combine resources and save money by riding together. Many Karen had a difficult time and sturggled financially when they first arrived in Smyrna. Before the Karen people came to America, they were farmers. Bcause of their agricultural experience, the spokesman for the Karen, Ye Win, asked the All Saints congregation if they could plant gardens on the church’s large property. The All Saints vicar liked the planting idea, and the Karen started to cultivate and grow vegetables such as chili peppers and beans native to Burma. According to an Episcopal News Service article by Lisa B. Hamilton, “…20,000 pounds of produce had been raised. About 10 percent of that went to the refugees, and the rest was sold locally or donated to food pantries.” Now All Saints is financialy strong and everyone is blessed and happy.

                        The Karen people are an ethnic group from Burma. During World War II when Burma was a British colony, many Karen and other ethnicities became Christian. The missionaries were Anglican, Baptist and Catholic, so the Karen became Anglican, Baptist and Catholic. After World War II, when Burma gained independence from the British, the dictatorship of Burma started to attack other ethnic groups in its country, including the Karen people. Fueled by the greed of more land, it practiced genocide. Many Karen people were forced to flee from their homes where the Burmese military dictatorship burned their villages and tortured, raped and killed their people. A few Karen people stayed in Burma to fight back.  Most Karen crossed the border to Thailand and became refugees. In 2007, the Karen immigrated to other countries, including Australia, England, Canada and America, but some of them moved to Thailand.

                        The Karen refugees come to Tennessee through an agency known as World Relief. Catholic Charities in Nashville sponsor the refugees in Middle Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Lawmaker’s Commission, “ In 1990, refugees made up roughly half of 1 percent of the total population… descendants make up closer to 1 percent (.9 percent) of Tennessee’s 6.5 million residents. An estimated 9,200 refugees are students in K-12 schools. Metro Nashville Public Schools educate, by far, more refugees than any other system in the state. Roughly 10,900 refugees get health care through TennCare. Before Medicaid rolls were trimmed down after 2001, nearly 25 percent of refugees in the state were on TennCare. Currently, most Karen refugees living in Smyrna reside at the Chalet Apartments, 111 Joyner Drive. Some of them are helped by Community Servants connections.

                        From personal experience, I am Karen. Every year, we celebrate the New Year by dressing up in beautifully colored Karen clothing. During the New Year ceremony, we show our culture through dance, and I give speeches about the meaning of the Karen national flag in my native language and English. Other people are giving speeches about the history of the Karen. The Karen offer their “soul food” for the New Year in the form of an array of mostly spicy foods. Unlike American desserts, the Karen desserts are not as sweet; some are made with coconut milk and gelatin. 

                        The survival story of how the Karen people succeeded at All Saints Episcopal Church and how they saved one another has appeared in a Nashville newspaper several times. The amazing story came to the attention of Steve Gomer, a TV and film director from Hollywood. Over My Shoulder Foundation Executive Director, Dawn Carroll said, “… I’m pleased to announce OMSF’s relationship with a fabulous new movie, ‘All Saints.”’ To be able to make the film, Producer Martha Chang and Gomer are trying to fund their project by raising production money.

      “We’re in a really interesting place,” Gomer said. “We submitted the script to a very small division of Sony called Affirm, and they really liked it. They’ve guaranteed us distribution and a certain amount of dollars for print and ads, but they couldn’t commit to any production dollars. So we’re a little bit backward.”

      Chang and Gomer plan to shoot the movie, “All Saints”, in Smyrna so they can use and pay the Karen as extras in the film. If everything goes well, making “All Saints” will start in the spring or summer of 2015, when the plants are growing on Tennessee’s green farmland. “All Saints” may show in theaters in late 2015 or 2016.  

Links for this blog article:

1.      http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/81803_103917_ENG_HTM.htm

2.      http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2013/11/12/tn-lawmakers-commission-then-reject-study-showing-refugees-contribute-to-economy/

3.      http://overmyshoulderfoundation.org/all-saints-

4.      http://www.voanews.com/content/a-13-2009-01-02-voa26-68822582/413634.html

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