by Erin Franklin and Russell Vannozzi | Oct 6, 2017 | News Slider
Two cases of on-campus rape were reported in the annual security report for 2016 that was emailed to the student body this week. Lipscomb spokeswoman Kim Chaudoin said that all involved parties were college-age students (i.e. faculty and staff were not involved), and the perpetrators are no longer enrolled at Lipscomb and both incidents occurred in Nashville — not in any of the study abroad locations. “The police were not called in for either of the [rape] cases,” Chaudoin said. “For whatever reason, they may or may not choose to call the police. It’s possible that in a date-rape situation, the victim may not want to get their date in trouble. In both [rape] cases, the university worked swiftly to investigate and take disciplinary action.” The crime report comes out every year because of the Clery Act, which was created to dictate to colleges and universities how to respond to crisis situations, and has expanded to include Title IX. Title IX protects Lipscomb and the students involved from disclosing any fine details about the incidents to the public. Kathy Hargis and Lipscomb’s Title IX team investigate all reported incidents before determining what steps to take next. Chaudoin emphasized that the Clery Act definition of rape encompasses more than the traditional definition of rape. “This year [the Clery Act] changed the way some crimes are reported,” Chaudoin said. “The definition [of rape] has broadened a bit, so some instances may not fit the traditional definition of rape.” In the emailed report, the definition of rape is listed as: “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body...
by Jade Spilka | Oct 6, 2017 | News Slider
On September 24, Emanuel Samson opened fire on churchgoers at Burnette Chapel in Antioch. One woman was fatally shot and eight other individuals were injured, including the gunman. Two of the injured victims are Lipscomb alumni. David “Joey” Span, the pastor of Burnette Chapel and a Bible teacher at Nashville Christian School, graduated with a degree in Kinesiology in 1974. William “Don” Jenkins is a 1957 Business Administration graduate and the grandfather of current Lipscomb student Marlena Jenkins. Katherine Dickerson, another victim, is the mother of Josh Dickerson, a 2004 College of Business graduate. Burnette Chapel resumed services just one week following the attack. People from around the country attended the service to show their support for the victims and the church community. Spann, who was released from the hospital Wednesday, was in attendance and spoke briefly. His wife Peggy remains hospitalized at Vanderbilt Medical Center with other victims The church body is receiving grief counseling from Metro Police Department Chaplains through the church’s insurance. Special counseling is being provided for those who were shot or are going through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Lipscomb has been on site at both the church and hospital since the attack occurred and has assisted Burnette Chapel’s leadership in making plans and creating processes for the future. Lipscomb Building and Grounds also clean up the building before the first worship service and the university’s counseling center has been of assistance to the church members as well. Photo courtesy of The...
by Becca Risley | Oct 5, 2017 | News Slider
Tennessee Leadership Institute’s Kelsey Mix set up a “Free Speech Ball” in Bison Square Wednesday afternoon. “I am a field person for the Leadership Institute where I partner with college students who want to advocate for free speech on campuses,” Mix said. “We’re here advocating for the first amendment and supporting free speech on college campuses.” Nix and the Leadership Institute work in relation to FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education). This organization uses speech codes to determine the degree to which each university violates or protects free speech. A “red light” institution has at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech. A “yellow light” institution is one whose policies restrict a more limited amount of expression or are vague in description and can be manipulated in many ways. If a college or university’s policies do not seriously imperil speech, that college or university receives a “green light.” Lipscomb isn’t listed on FIRE’s site as they haven’t updated the policies in question since 2001. “There isn’t a strict policy that says we can’t be out here promoting this, but there are policies that say administration can reserve the right to ask you to leave,” she said. This movement gave students the opportunity to “say whatever they want” by writing opinions, statements, questions and more all over the ball. Comments ranged from “Love wins” to “My mental health should not be ignored” and “Black Lives Matter.” Several students stopped by the attraction to voice an opinion of support. “I think that this is a great way to do it. I mean it got my...
by Hannah Pipher | Oct 4, 2017 | News Slider
On October 1 at 10:08 p.m. pacific time, Stephen Paddock opened gunfire from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Approximately 22,000 people were gathered across a fifteen acre concrete lot for the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival at the time this all began. Jason Aldean, the last headliner of the concert was on stage when the bullets came raining from the sky. As of this morning, 59 lives were taken and 527 individuals were injured, making this the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. This falls behind the Orlando Night Club shooting in June 2016 where forty-nine lives were claimed. In the days following the shooting, many questions have been posed regarding increased security levels for both big outdoor events and smaller ones. Kathy Hargis, Associate Vice President of Risk Management and Compliance at Lipscomb, said that she expects there to be changes made to security efforts. “My professional guess is that [we] will probably see some heightened awareness and probably some changes that occur,” Hargis said. “[It] could be the hotel industry; it could be outdoor concerts; it could be several things.” Hargis added that for the Dove Awards taking place on campus on October 17, the Risk Management office and Campus Security has been looking at exit options and security available in the case of an emergency. According to Time Magazine, guards were on site for the festival and precautions were taken to help eliminate unsafe articles from the premises. No stuffed animals, drones, selfie sticks or weapons like box cutters, knives or bats were allowed inside of the...
by Bethany Rowland and Rachel Solomon | Oct 2, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
Lady Bisons Shay Jones once again became the “new girl” when she transferred to Lipscomb University from Daytona State Junior College at the beginning of her sophomore year, but now, she said, she is at home. Jones began her college basketball career playing at that two-year junior college in Florida near her hometown of Rockledge. During a tournament game in Daytona, Jones was approached by one of the Lipscomb assistant coaches, and they talked to her about the school and invited her to visit. “When I came on a visit, I knew this was the place for me,” Jones said. Jones’s father is a pastor, so she was raised in a Christian home, and when she stepped on Lipscomb’s campus she “knew right away” that Lipscomb was the school she wanted to attend. Jones said that the transition from Daytona State to Lipscomb was tough because Lipscomb is a much bigger school. When she arrived, she, once again, had to adjust to being the “new girl,” as she called herself. What she referred to as “the welcoming atmosphere” allowed her to settle in here. Jones said she has grown both as a person and as a basketball player. She has seen and experienced the difference between an NCAA Division 1 university basketball program and junior college basketball program. “When you play in junior college, you are playing to get to the next level,” Jones said. “Now that I’m at that next level, it is more structured. You’ve got to buckle down and follow those rules.” Jones said she is excited for her final season to begin, and she is...
by Hannah Pipher | Sep 29, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Last Friday evening, The Miracle Worker debuted in Lipscomb’s Shamblin Theatre to kick off opening weekend for the play as well as the theatre department’s first show of the season. The story follows Anne Sullivan, a young woman who takes on a teaching job in the Keller household. Within the household is their six year old daughter, Helen Keller. After battling an illness in her early years, Keller is left blind, deaf and mute. During the performance, audience members can spot senior Sarah Johnson as Helen Keller and junior Brooklyn Chalfant as Anne Sullivan. Other notable mentions include sophomore Logan Dozier as Captain Keller, senior Haley Sue Pearson as Kate Keller and sophomore Johnathan Killebrew as James Keller. Through an emotionally engaging performance, Lipscomb’s Theatre Department tackles the importance of radical love, patience and true determination in the face of adversity. “Love is one of the big themes,” Chalfont said. “Anne has to learn to love again, she loved her brother and then it broke her heart because he died. At the end of the play when she says, ‘I love Helen forever and ever’ she is choosing to love again.” Keller is trapped in her own soundless world, unable to convey her thoughts effectively, causing her to become violent at times. Her family, who easily takes pity on her circumstances, places her in this “box” and never makes the effort to free her mind and spirit. “The physicality was hard to find a place that married what I assume it is like to be deaf and blind, but also pull back from mocking any sort of physical handicap,”...
