2013 Lipscomb crime stats show rise in burglary, thefts

2013 Lipscomb crime stats show rise in burglary, thefts

Lipscomb has a generally good reputation concerning the amount of crimes that occur on campus. But, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2013 crime statistics show that the school ranks near the top of the list in comparison to nearby colleges with the number of reported burglaries and thefts. The amount of reported larcenies and thefts have gradually increased from 2010. In 2013, there were 52 reported larcenies/thefts, while in 2012, there were 29, a difference of 23 reports. The difference between burglaries and thefts/larceny, as Lipscomb Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron described, is a matter of where the crime occurs. “If you leave your dorm room unlocked, [and] somebody comes in and steals your wallet out of your dorm room, it still counts as a burglary because it’s your residence,” Cameron said. He went on to say that theft occurs when an possession is stolen from a public place that the thief has permission to be in. To the left are the 2013 statistics compared to the past few years. Sophomore molecular biology major Mark Mitchell was a burglary victim last year. He and his roommate left their door unlocked at night quite often, and the money in his wallet was stolen. “I had [about] 100, 200 dollars in my wallet, in my desk, tucked away,” Mitchell said. The thief had walked into his room, taken the money and left. Though Mitchell was stolen from, his outlook on Lipscomb hasn’t changed. He does, however, encourage students to be more aware. “People need to be aware,” Mitchell said. “You need to recognize that this is not a bubble....

Lippy Awards celebrate 2013-14 season for Lipscomb athletics

Student athletes and coaches filled the court of Allen Arena on Thursday night, but this time, it was not for a game. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted the inaugural Lippy Awards in Allen Arena to honor various members of Lipscomb University’s sports teams. The awards show was hosted by student TJ Ojehomon and women’s soccer assistant coach Chris Klotz. Both female and male athletes of the year were competitive categories, but for the female award, sophomore cross country/track and field runner Dani Walker and junior volleyball player Jewell Dobson tied. On the men’s side, track and field high-jumper Gemikal Prude, who broke the high jump record earlier in the year, won as well. Prude said that winning the award was a blessing. “Winning this is quite the blessing,” Prude said. “It’s a feeling that can’t really be described, especially when you feel as if you’re undeserving.” The biggest award of the night, the Best Team Award, went to the women’s track and field/cross country. Senior runner Lacey Printz said that the team worked hard and credited the coaches and team captains for keeping the team focused. “This is the most incredible team we’ve had, and we just love running together and just having fun and doing it for God’s glory,” Printz said. To open the night, the James R. Byers Award was presented to senior track and field sprinter Tucker Peabody, senior volleyball player Caitlin Dotson and junior cross country/track and field runner Tessa Hoefle. The award is given to a top senior athlete who displays outstanding Christian leadership and excels academically and athletically. The honors had...

University wind ensemble fires up crowd for spring concert

The University Wind Ensemble played with fire in Collins Alumni Auditorium on April 21 with a professional Dixieland Jazz Combo for the ensemble’s spring concert.  The seven-piece jazz combo, along with the University Wind Ensemble, performed a set of pieces called “Playing with Fire.” The pieces were “A la Bauduc,” “Shades of Blue” and “Polyphonies and Riffs.” The Dixieland Jazz Combo was made up of Sam Levine on the clarinet, Alan Suska on the cornet, Creighton Miller on the trombone, G.R. Davis on the double bass, Chris Nelson on the drums, Mark Godwin on the banjo and Kevin Madill on the piano. The wind ensemble prepared all semester for the show; however, the students were only able to rehearse with the jazz combo the night before. Despite the adversity freshman trombone player Robert Glenn said the experience was a good one. “Playing with a Dixieland Jazz Combo is fantastic. They’re just great musicians, and I’m very glad I got the opportunity to play with them,” Glenn said. The wind ensemble opened the night by preforming “Lassus Trombone” by Henry Fillmore, then followed that with “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night” by Mark Camphouse. The first two songs were conducted by Dr. Stephen L. Rhodes. The final piece before the jazz combo played was the “English Folk Song Suite.” The first piece, “Seventeen Come Sunday,” was conducted by J. Elliot Bowman. The second piece, “My Bonny Boy,” was conducted by Bailey Werner. The third and final piece, “Folk Songs from Somerset,” was conducted by Grace...

Darrin Bellows named new director of security and safety

The empty position of director of security and safety has been filled by campus’ Darrin Bellows. The change came about a month after the former director, Jim Humphrey, went to pursue another job away from the university. At the time of his promotion, Bellows had been working as a security officer for the Lipscomb Security and Safety department. He took that job in July 2012. Before then, he worked as an air traffic controls systems maintenance officer in the Marine Corps. Bellows said that the position is an honor. His goal is to not only keep working at the routine tasks of a security office, but also focus on being service oriented. “The goal of the university and the security and safety department is that we provide a safe and secure environment, that everybody that comes upon the campus has a pleasant experience,” Bellows said. “That is going to be my focus. “I want security to do more than just the conventional security and safety functions, but to be service oriented and to help out however we can.” He said that the biggest change he will make to the department is to improve the customer service. “I think sometimes the officers need to know that it’s okay to do more than the conventional stuff, and I’m here to let them know that it is okay and highly encouraged,” Bellows said. Bellows said that he and the security and safety department also wants to continue building the relationship with students, with hopes to increase the safety of the campus. He said further that he wants to serve the Lipscomb community...
Delta Tau’s fight night uses good competition to support YES

Delta Tau’s fight night uses good competition to support YES

The 2014 Delta Tau Fight Night in the Student Activities Center Thursday night once again displayed competitive matches and raised money for inner-city children.  The annual boxing competition benefits Youth Encouragement Services (YES) by charging $5 for entry. The program, operating in Nashville, offers a safe environment for low-income children to learn and grow. Delta Tau President Blake Mitchell said that the event raised over $1,500 for YES. He also explained the benefit of bringing the event to campus. “I think it’s an important event because it’s something different for Lipscomb,” Mitchell said. “It gets a lot of the student body together, especially the Greek life. It’s something that Lipscomb kids don’t get to see very often.” During the event, there were ten matches throughout the night. In the opening match, Ryan Hood of Delta Tau beat Daniel Hutchinson of Delta Nu. The second fight was a late submission, and it pitted independent James Weaver against independent Phillip Brodnax. Weaver won the match, and he said that he had never boxed before. “I just didn’t know what to expect, but I enjoyed it,” Weaver said. In the third match, Zach Clemens of Sigma Iota Delta defeated Ryan Matheny of Sigma Omega Sigma by technical knockout (TKO). Tau Phi’s first win of the night came from Brian Warf, who defeated Hunter Allison of Delta Nu. Andrew Jordan, a Sigma Iota Delta member, pulled out the victory over independent James Tamburello. Matt Clemens, another SID member, followed up Jordan’s victory with a win of his own. Clemens won by TKO over Caleb Janelle of SOS. A knockout came from the match...