by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 6, 2020 | News, News Slider
Lipscomb alum Cedric Duncan said there was a great motivation for the 10,000-plus protesters who marched through the streets of Nashville in a rally supporting change after the death of George Floyd. “If you just talk the talk, nothing changes,” said Duncan, who was among those who began the trek at Bicentennial Mall, through downtown Nashville to the Tennessee Capitol and back in an orderly and peaceful procession. Much of downtown was boarded up as merchants feared a repeat of the violence that occurred after a peaceful protest last Saturday. But the crowd, which appeared to include at least as many white people as blacks people, was peaceful. The march planned by high school students occurred on the same day that Minneapolis — where Floyd was killed by police May 25, when one officer held his neck to the pavement by kneeling on it for more than eight minutes — was celebrated by the Rev. Al Sharpton and others, including Floyd’s family and children. Floyd’s pleas of “I can’t breathe” went ignored and he died. His final cries were for his mother. The officer has been charged with second-degree murder and three other officers who assisted in the fatal encounter also have been charged. The tragic incident and graphic video of Floyd dying stirred up protests nationwide, in which Floyd’s death was lamented and used as an illustration of general police action against black men in particular, though black women also have been victims. “For me, it was more of marching for change in the culture of policing,” said Duncan, of the massive gathering Thursday in Nashville. In addition...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 1, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News, News Slider
Several members of a construction team working on the Lipscomb campus have tested positive for the coronavirus, said President Randy Lowry in an email sent out to faculty members. “Yesterday one of the contractors on-site notified us that during routine daily health screenings required before an employee enters the construction site, several of their employees presented with a fever and were asked to leave the construction site to get COVID-19 tests and to self-quarantine,” Lowry wrote in the email. All of the individuals working at the site were tested, and the results have begun to come in. “While we are awaiting results from all of the tests, the contractor has notified us that several of the construction workers did test positive for the virus,” Lowry said. “When we learned of self-reported cases through one of our contractors, we engaged with the contractor to ensure access to testing was available to all members of the work crew,” said Kim Chaudoin, Lipscomb assistant vice president for public relations and communications. The site has been temporarily shut down for cleaning, and Lipscomb is taking precautions by holding virtual meetings with all of the contractors working on summer projects and reviewing their protocols. “The university has also implemented enhanced precautionary measures that require all subcontractors to assess their employees when they arrive on the work site, including a temperature check and health screening, wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distance among other measures,“ said Chaudoin. “While these results are concerning, we were not necessarily surprised to have a situation like this occur at some point, and we are prepared,” Chaudoin continued. “This quick...
by Mckenzi Harris | May 4, 2020 | Galleries, News, News Slider, Student Spotlight
Lipscomb’s 129th graduation ceremony looked quite different than was expected when the school year began in August. Allen Arena, which typically hosts the celebratory event, sat empty on Saturday when the COVID-19 outbreak forced the university to host its first virtual graduation. From the charge to the alma mater, Lipscomb faculty and students combined live and pre-recorded clips to create an all-new commencement ceremony experience. President Randy Lowry opened the commencement ceremony with a video pre-recorded in Allen Arena. “Well this isn’t exactly like I imagined it,” Lowry said. “Here I am standing in Allen Arena, and if this was a normal moment: Students you would be here with me. You would be dressed in caps and gowns, and there would be five thousand people surrounding us as this amazing moment took place. We would march in, we’d hear the bagpipes; the faculty would follow a little bit later. You’d be on the stage walking across, I’d shake your hand, and you would have your college degree, your graduate degree. You would have completed this moment, and the celebration would be wonderful. “The reality is we all know that this is a different time. And we’re giving up something:We’re giving our Allen Arena moment in order to protect others,” said Lowry. One of the many faculty members joining Lowry in conducting the online ceremony, Dean of Community Life Prentice Ashford gave out the Stephen Marsh Award. “Steve was a 1977 Lipscomb graduate and the son of one of our former board members, Lee Marsh,” said Ashford. “He was a Christian example in every aspect of his life as a...
by Mckenzi Harris | Apr 23, 2020 | News, News Slider, Student Spotlight
Forty students ran for 27 open office positions on next year’s Student Government Association (SGA). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that closed campus, this year’s elections were held via e-mail. Five additional senator positions representing the freshman class will be filled when the new students arrive to Lipscomb in the fall. Below is a list of the SGA office position winners. Check back for interviews with the new SGA officers. Executive Officers: President: Mimi Vance Vice President: Dexter Woods Secretary: Rylee Russell Treasurer: Grant Lander Senior Class Senators: Chloe Allen Adelia Birdwell Elliot Forst Ellis Osburn Erin Stanley Junior Class Senators: Grant Bobo Grace Davis Carson Freund Megan Hinerman Grant Hitchcock Sophomore Class Senators: Adele Brothers Dumebi Ene Liz McKell Angie Medina Galeaz Hannah Mulzer At-Large Senators: Madi Ford Will Huff Lorena Maury Mackenzie McConnell Nate Messer Fiona O’Neal Donovan Ross Patrick...
by Mckenzi Harris | Apr 4, 2020 | COVID-19, News Slider
Lipscomb University will be refunding, via credit or refund, spring semester room-and-board fees on-campus residents and their parents already had paid before the COVID-19 outbreak forced the campus to close, according to President Randy Lowry. Those same students — who had left their belongings in their dorm rooms before leaving for the extended spring break that turned into the full closure of the campus for the semester — also will be able to reunite with their belongings. Lowry detailed these solutions Thursday in a live video with the Lipscomb Community. “We think already, it cost a school like Lipscomb, 5… 6… 8… $10 million, and that’s before we even get into next fall,” said Lowry of the losses due to the COVID shutdown. About 1,500 people were planning to return to campus living for the rest of the semester at the time the university instructed students that, because of the pandemic, they were not to come back this spring. As of Sunday, April 5, there 327,253 cases and 9,302 deaths associated with COVID-19 across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 3,321 confirmed cases and 43 deaths in Tennessee, according to those CDC numbers. While Lipscomb classes have transitioned to on-line learning this spring and for the summer, there are an awful lot of empty beds and dorm rooms on the Green Hills campus. 2020-2021 undergraduate room and board costs are listed on Lipscomb’s website at $13,380 a year, $6,690 a semester. Lowry knows students and parents are concerned about the money they spent on the room and board they are...
