by Lumination Staff | May 8, 2020 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
By Anica Gilbert, Ben Browning, Riley Hoag and Casey King Lipscomb men’s golf team had a lot of potential before the COVID-19 national emergency ended the season and cut those hopes short. “We were on a trajectory to the postseason,” said coach Will Brewer. “That’s what our goal was at the beginning of August and we had a great shot. “Everyone was coming together and playing well. The team was really gelling.” Brewer said.”The team was stunned as they watched a canceled match turn into a canceled season. The team had high hopes and a promising chance at continuing to the postseason.” Then came COVID-19. “They were very emotional, very shocked and a lot of disbelief,” said coach Brewer. “The best part of the season was before everything got shut down because the team was working hard and pushing each other,” said freshman Gregor Mckenzie. “We had something nice going with the team, where everybody was concerned about each other, and everyone was accountable for what they were doing.” For senior Conner McKay, relationships with his teammates were especially important, he started adding that the talks with his teammates led him to redefine his faith and relationship with God. “This year was different because of the chemistry. I started to grow in my faith and a couple of guys on the team introduced me to the Bible for the first time,” McKay said. “About a month ago I accepted Christ as my Lord and savior.” Despite the ups and downs, the team is continuing to move forward in training for next year’s matches, but with all golf courses being...
by Lumination Staff | May 7, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
By. Makena Sneed, Alex Newsome and Erika Plunkett The 2020 Lipscomb Bison baseball team was off to the best start in program history when its season — along with the rest of the country — came to a crashing halt as the coronavirus concern grew. “I don’t think any of us knew the magnitude of what was going on, and to have the season canceled at first it was like, ‘wow, that is that really what we’re doing,’” said Bisons head coach Jeff Forehand. “And then as the thing has played out a little bit more we’ve all recognized that it was probably the best decision.” While the shock of the sudden decision has faded into understanding and respect for the safety of players, coaches and fans, the pain of losing such a promising season is still fresh on the Bisons’ minds. “My heart dropped when I heard the news,” said sophomore catcher Chaz Bertolani. “It was a total letdown to hear from our coach that our season was terminated. I felt heartbroken looking at my teammates, as we sat in the bullpen in silence.” “We were just super disappointed because we knew we had a really good thing going,” said senior infielder Haddon Adams. On March 30, the NCAA made an unprecedented decision to try and ease the heartbreak from the impact of COVID-19 when it was announced that all spring athletes will receive an extra year of eligibility. The catcher said that certainly won’t hurt the team next season: “Preparation will be the same [for next season], but with all the returning and new players, our team...
by Lumination Staff | Apr 29, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider, Opinion, Student Spotlight
The importance of family time, the joy of TV binge-watching, missing contact with friends in classes, worrying about the illness, learning how to sew, reading books or becoming aware of how important it is to wash your hands are just a few things that have occupied students’ minds in the weeks since spring break and the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Here are some of the thoughts and worries from the Lipscomb students in adjunct Tim Ghianni’s Practicum in Journalism. Chances are that fellow students will recognize themselves in these short essays: The thought of being locked in your house without face to face contact with the outside world is terrifying, especially for someone with a go-getter personality. That go-getter would be me. I am the type to try and fill every second of the day with productive tasks, oftentimes making more work for myself just to keep from what I would say is “wasted time.” Throughout quarantine, I have re-learned the art of relaxing. I don’t remember the last time I was able to just sit and watch a movie or hang out with my family just because. While I know this won’t last forever, there are several lessons I’ve learned that I plan to take with me out of quarantine. Most of them are simple, but I’ve learned they are crucial for my mental health. I plan to take more time to enjoy family and friends and just hang out. Life is too short to occupy each second with strenuous working and being “productive.” I also plan to spend more time on the things I love, like photography and art. I...
by Lumination Staff | Mar 18, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News Slider
MARCH 18, 2020 Following the White House’s recommendation that gatherings of 10 or more people be canceled or postponed, Lipscomb University officials made the decision to extend online instruction for the rest of the spring semester in the wake of growing concern over the coronavirus. “This difficult and unprecedented decision – one being faced by colleges and universities throughout the country – was made with the health, wellbeing and safety of our students, faculty and staff in mind,” said President Lowry in an email sent Wednesday afternoon. Commencement has been canceled for spring 2020 graduates and the dorms are sending students home. Click here to read the rest of the story. MARCH 15, 2020 Thanks to concerns over the coronavirus, the week after spring break this year will be one unlike any Lipscomb has ever experienced. The university announced the following for the week of March 23-27: Undergraduate students will have an extended week of spring break. Graduate classes will resume; programs will determine the format. Faculty will report to campus to transition classes to a remote teaching and learning environment. In a presentation to faculty and staff on Thursday, President Randy Lowry said that “‘closing’ is not a very good word for this.” “We are open and will at some level stay open because we have certain kinds of needs we need to meet for our students,” Lowry said. Click here to read the full story. MARCH 12, 2020 Lipscomb University has announced an extended spring break running until March 27th for undergraduate students. The information was delivered in an email to the Lipscomb community from the office of...
by Lumination Staff | Feb 2, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Al Sturgeon hosted a breakout chapel on Thursday to be used as an open forum for students to address their grievances over their concerns about Tuesday’s Gathering talk by Siran Stacy. Sturgeon asked that there be no media in the talk to respect student privacy and create a safe place. SGA President Jack Webber shared his thoughts on how the breakout chapel went. “I think the way he’s [Al Sturgeon] handled this speaks to his character,” said Webber, “and it speaks to a vision — I think is going to take student life to a good place as it navigates what does Lipscomb believe and what does Lipscomb do about this kind of stuff.” Some students are still calling for more clarity from the university. “We still need more clarity on where exactly the university stands in affirming the identities of members of the LGBT community and as far as recognizing that they are safe and supported at this university,” said Codie Miller. “But I do appreciate what he did here today, and we’re just going to keep pressing for more clarity on that.” The breakout chapel, held in the Shinn Center ballroom, was standing-room-only, with the crowd spilling out into the lobby. Following the chapel Provost Craig Bledsoe sent an email to faculty that addressed the issues from Tuesday’s Gathering: “You are likely aware in the Gathering on Tuesday the speaker, Siran Stacy, was invited to talk about finding faith and purpose after the tragedy of losing his wife and four children when their car was struck by a drunk driver in...
