by Anastasia Davis | Apr 12, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
This spring’s quick adjustment from in-person to online learning in order to mitigate COVID-19 concerns has set the course for virtual instruction during Maymester and this summer. President Randy Lowry addressed the spring semester change and the plans for Maymester and summer in a live talk — online of course — with the Lipscomb community. “We are absolutely committed to getting this semester done,” said Lowry. “Although we’re obviously doing it in a different way… in a matter of two weeks our faculty have moved the entire curriculum from a wonderful, intimate, face-to-face kind of moment to a completely remote online kind of moment.” Registration has begun for many students, and adjustments to course formats are still being made. “We’re working right now to convert Maymester and summer school to an online program,” said Lowry. He said students may may be wondering what this will look like for certain classes: “If you’re taking a chemistry program in the summer, well what about the labs? “There are some new and creative ways to do that,” said Lowry. Those details will be available when students register. The university announced in an email that the courses will be “asynchronous” and “synchronous,” subject to the instructor’s discretion, which was how it worked in the hasty change when the national emergency arose this spring. Students participating in synchronous remote courses will meet at a specified time online with the professor and fellow students in a virtual setting, Asynchronous teaching and learning allows students to use their own scheduling for learning course content. The quick adjustment this spring from classroom to online teaching and learning...
by Anastasia Davis | Feb 14, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
In the fall of 2018 during the Lipscomb Leads campaign announcement, President Lowry listed buildings on campus that are to be renovated, and he is finally making good on that promise. On Feb 11 Lipscomb announced to its student body a new renovation project for Elam Hall, one of the older residence halls on Lipscomb’s campus. Elam Hall’s $11 million renovation commenced on Thursday Feb. 13. The first phase of the construction project will be the installation of a new elevator that will be connected to the current building by a breezeway. Students can expect the project to be completed sometime in August before the first day of classes. The second phase of renovations will include waterproofing the basement, refurbishing the front porch area and a complete renovation of all interior areas of the residence hall, including all dormitory rooms, public and private showers, restrooms, lobbies, gathering areas, kitchens and lounges. “Students that are going to be living in the resident halls, I think they are going to be excited,” said Laurie Sain, Dean of Housing and Residence Life. “Right now, everyone is being great in Elam, they’re being very understanding even though they are not getting the benefit of the new resident hall, but they are very excited it is finally happening.” While there are many new additions and updates coming to the resident hall, some of the current residents are not as thrilled. “I’ll admit, I am happy they are finally renovating Elam. However, I believe this is poor timing,” said Zoe Guest, an Elam Hall resident. “It’s midterms and the loud construction noise is going to...
by Anastasia Davis | Feb 12, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Bring your tissues. As described aptly in the College of Entertainment and the Arts emails, “Kindertransport depicts the agony of separating a child from her parents and wrestles with the consequences of that choice, an act of sacrifice that also wreaks devastating results.” “Kindertransport is a play that deals with personal relationships, trauma, and mental health in the interpersonal lives of people who are going through a much bigger trauma,” said Emma Harvey, lead actress in the production. Kindertransport addresses a moment in history when children were sent out and away from Nazi Germany, by Jewish families who wished for a better chance of survival for their children. The production, full of complexities in crossing timelines, follows the path of one such child. Eva Schlesinger feeling abandoned, unable to communicate in English arrives in England. After her parents fail to escape Nazi Germany, she is adopted by her host family, the Millers, and raised as their own. While struggling to keep the Ratcatcher, an embodiment of her fears, at bay she grows into her new life, and 30 years later, her daughter, Faith, discovers old letters and papers bringing back the Ratcatcher and the pain to the present. The Ratcatcher plays a key role in Eva’s PTSD. What once was her favorite story has been turned into a nightmare personifying the trauma and fear that she experiences, feeling the need to be grateful and the mentality of “grin and bear it” burying the emotional crisis deeper into her subconscious. “It’s also about refugee crises,” said Harvey, echoing the words of Scott Baker, the literary advisor for the production, from...
by Anastasia Davis | Jan 20, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
A Lipscomb teacher and student have made it to the NFL. Tom Bancroft, artist-in-residence in animation and former Disney animator, has been working on a new project this football season. The illustrated “Titan Man” has been seen going up against a new rival each week leading up to Sunday’s heartbreaking 35-24 loss in the AFC Championship battle with the Kansas City Chiefs. With the help of Hayley Mullins a senior animation major from Erlanger, Kentucky, Bancroft has completed 17 illustrations for the season. Mullins is one of 70 in Lipscomb University’s animation program. Mullins said she has gained invaluable experience with her mentor. “I never thought I’d be able to work with an NFL team,” Mullins said. “I learned a lot working on this project. I wanted to depict the other mascots fairly when coloring, and while it is a form of ‘trash talk,’ I wanted to be as accurate as I could.” Each week during the season, Bancroft began the process of creating “Titan Man” and his next showdown. He began the process by creating two to five rough sketches and worked throughout the week while receiving feedback from the Titans about the finalized design before handing it over to Mullins for coloring. The process took most of the week, finished in time for the Saturday deadline. As with any project, there were some challenges. One restriction was that none of the animal mascots were to be “hurt” in the illustrations. This request came from Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, an avid animal rights activist. “It was a good eye-opener for us to hit that right...
