by Logan Butts | May 8, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Former Lipscomb Bison baseball player Caleb Joseph’s journey to the majors has seen stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona since he was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. On Wednesday night in Tampa, Joseph made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles against the Tampa Bay Rays. Joseph, who replaced usual starter at catcher Matt Wieters, batted 0-3 on the night. Joseph has spent the last seven years playing baseball in various minor leagues with great success since his playing days at Lipscomb. Last season alone, Joseph was named to the mid-season and post-season Eastern League All Star Team and took home the honors of Eastern League MVP and Home Run Derby champion. Joseph finished the season with a batting average of .299 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs. At Lipscomb, Joseph was a key contributor to Lipscomb’s first Atlantic Sun championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, he homered in the Bisons’ upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs. Joseph is the third Bison to have played in the MLB, joining current Colorado Rockies pitcher Rex Brothers and current Colorado Rockies assistant coach Bo McLaughlin. McLaughlin played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics in his MLB career. Joseph’s brother, Corban Joseph, also made a MLB appearance for the New York Yankees in 2013. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Logan Butts | May 4, 2014 | News Slider
Due to a record number of graduates, Lipscomb University held two commencement ceremonies for the spring 2014 graduates Saturday afternoon in Allen Arena. Over 800 students received their undergrad, graduate or doctorate degrees in the ceremonies, including those who received Lipscomb’s first ever doctorate of ministry degrees. During the undergraduate ceremony, Director of the Beaman Library and 30-year faculty member Carolyn Wilson offered words of wisdom for the graduating students. “My father told me when I began my first career, which was teaching, that I should not determine success in terms of just monetary rewards,” Wilson said. Lipscomb president Randy Lowry also spoke during the ceremony, commenting on the bittersweet feelings of graduation day. “You’re on a path right now, and I know it’s hard to look back and look forward at the same time, but I want you to take a moment to think about that,” Lowry said. “Every path connects you not only to where you are going, but also to where you’ve been. “I hope you spend time celebrating. The past is a wonderful thing for us to recognize. But then there’s the future. The future is in some ways very uncertain and in other ways not so much.” During the undergraduate ceremony, David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, was awarded with the prestigious Alumnus of the Year award. Sampson has also worked in the government as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and assistant secretary of commerce for economic development in the George W. Bush administration. In a change from the usual solo performance, Lipscomb’s Alma Mater...
by Logan Butts | Apr 25, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s golf team capped a successful season with a fifth place finish in the 2014 Atlantic Sun Men’s Golf Championship. The Bisons overcame a 12 stroke deficit in the final round of action on Tuesday to leap Jacksonville for fifth place, the highest finish in the A-Sun tournament in school history. “We work processing things that we do on the golf course, and we’ve been working on those stringently for the last four months,” head coach Will Brewer said. “I think our team rose to the occasion. We all kind of sold out and believed in what we were trying to do, and it came together that last day. “We talked about moving up to the fifth spot potentially. 12 shots is a lot, but we felt like if we played well and they didn’t play quite as well then we could do it. Fortunately it worked out,” Brewer said. Finishing in the top five of a conference with six of the nation’s top 100 teams took a great overall team performance from Lipscomb. Head Coach Will Brewer was proud of how the team performed in the tournament. “We set some goals this year, and we accomplished most of them,” Brewer said. “We wanted to finish in the top three to five in the conference, and with six teams ranked in the top 100, we knew that would be a challenge. Fortunately we kept getting better and better as the season went on. “I’m very pleased with our program, and where we are right now. We’ve got great momentum and we’re ready to keep moving,” Brewer said. During the...
by Logan Butts | Apr 16, 2014 | News Slider
Three-year-old Rayan Abidi’s wish of going to Disney World was granted thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the members of Lipscomb social club Pi Delta. Abidi, his parents and his brother will all be going to the popular Orlando, Fla., destination. The project was headed by recent Lipscomb graduate Camille Fraser. Fraser was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 13 and also received a trip to Disney World with her family through Make-A-Wish. Fraser said she was excited to see her project help grant Abidi’s wish just as her wish was granted. “It’s so exciting, and having a similar experience myself just a few years ago made it emotional,” Fraser said. “Getting to see the joy in another family’s eyes and knowing that their one true wish is coming true and getting to share in that is awesome.” Pi Delta members worked throughout the 2013-14 school year to raise the money needed to fund Abidi’s wish through events like Cocoa and Carols in December, a first for a Lipscomb group. The group raised the goal of $7,500 to fund the trip. Wednesday, the group led Abidi on a Disney-themed scavenger hunt across campus. The scavenger hunt began in the Swang Business Center and concluded in Allen Arena’s Hall of Fame Room with the surprise of a trip to Disney World hidden, appropriately, in a treasure chest. The members of Pi Delta dressed up as various Disney characters to help Abidi find clues at each of the stops in the scavenger hunt. “My sisters in Pi Delta worked so hard.” Fraiser said. “Seeing the joy that they had as...
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...
