by Cole Gray | Sep 18, 2017 | News Slider
President Randy Lowry issued a campus-wide apology for featuring cotton stalk centerpieces at a dinner for African-American students. The dinner was hosted at his home on Thursday evening. One student attendee posted an Instagram photo of the centerpieces and a video of another student asking the university president why the tables were decorated with cotton. “I have no idea,” Lowry said offscreen. The dinner was intended to give African-American students at the university an opportunity to discuss their unique experiences on campus. Lipscomb’s campus is 77% white, according to the Office of Intercultural Development. Assistant Dean and Director of Intercultural Development Lisa Steele said that the dinner was Lowry’s idea and that it has been in the works since Quest Week. Steele was not immediately available for further comment. Some students took issue with the menu, saying the buffet of barbecued chicken, collard greens and cornbread further played into African-American stereotypes. Hispanic students were served fajitas at a similar event on Wednesday evening. “They were trying to make us comfortable, but it blew up in their face,” said LeBron Hill, a Lumination News reporter who attended the dinner. Hill said he didn’t believe Lowry was racist, but that the situation was “insensitive.” “I thought it was ignorant,” Hill said. The university does not currently have a Coordinator of African-American Student Services. In his apology, emailed Friday, Lowry acknowledged that the centerpieces were “offensive” and that he “could have handled the situation with more sensitivity.” “I sincerely apologize for the discomfort, anger or disappointment we caused and solicit your forgiveness,” Lowry said. “I welcome the opportunity to continue this conversation,” the...
by Lorena Coleman | Sep 16, 2017 | News Slider
Lipscomb students came out in force to the Hurricane Relief interest meeting, expressing a desire to volunteer with relief efforts for recent hurricanes, Harvey and Irma. When Hurricane Harvey crashed into the Houston area on August 25 leaving destruction in its wake, many students began asking what they could do to help residents pick up the pieces from the disaster. Then, when Irma hit the coast of Florida on September 10, it added to the devastation and caused an even greater need for support and assistance for those who had been in the hurricanes’ paths. Fortunately, Lipscomb students’ motivation to help grew as well. Missions Coordinator Joshua Self said that the idea of coordinating the trips actually started with the students. “Numerous students reached out to our office immediately and asked whether we would be organizing trips.” Self said. “Our wheels began to turn in thinking about how to coordinate relief teams, drawing upon previous relief efforts in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.” From there, the Missions team began to meet with the Office of Church Services to figure out where students could provide the most help for those impacted by the storms. Over 250 students have since expressed a desire to help out with the relief trips. Senior Mackenzie Lewis is one of those students and said she hopes and plans to go and help out. “I have felt really convicted this semester,” Lewis said, “that part of my mission as a Christian is to serve others to the best of my ability through my time, resources and actions. When the opportunity presented itself during chapel, I realized this...
by Russell Vannozzi | Sep 16, 2017 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Fortunately for the Lipscomb community, all 11 students that recently traveled to London are safe and accounted for, per university President Randy Lowry via an email statement sent to faculty and staff on Friday. London is reeling after a bombing at the Parsons Green Underground Station yesterday — Britain’s fifth terror incident this year. 29 people were injured in the attack, but according to the BBC, none appear to be life-threatening. The “Lipscomb in London” group was on a train to Edinburgh, Scotland, at the time of the attack. Lowry also noted that Parsons Green is on the opposite side of town from where the group is housed in Islington. “The incident occurred nearly an hour’s commute away from where the ‘Lipscomb in London’ students reside during the semester-long program,” Lowry said. “We have been in contact with families to assure them of their child’s safety.” Robyn Shannon, a sophomore from Hendersonville, said the group was initially shocked to hear the news, as they had spent Thursday in Notting Hill, which is also located in West London. However, the incident is not stopping Shannon and her classmates from getting the most of their stay in the English capital. “We still feel safe enough to travel within London,” Shannon said. “We know this could happen anywhere, and we don’t want fear to stop us from experiencing a different culture.” Ally Whiting, a sophomore from Colorado Springs, Colorado, said their distance from the attack also helped to ease nerves – including those of family and friends. “The distance has helped us all react calmly to (the bombing),” Whiting said. “There wasn’t...
by Russell Vannozzi | Sep 15, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – There was never any doubt in John Pierce’s mind regarding his future after his basketball career ended. Following a record-setting collegiate career at Lipscomb and five seasons of playing professionally overseas, Pierce returned to Nashville to do what he had always dreamed of: coaching basketball. “All along, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and a coach,” said Pierce, a standout from 1990-94 under legendary Bison coach Don Meyer. Pierce amassed 4,230 career points with the Purple and Gold, which still stands as the all-time record in college basketball. The Nashville native has spent the last 14 years as head coach at nearby Franklin Road Academy, and he was also elected to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. “I didn’t really keep up with all the records; I just loved Lipscomb and its basketball community,” Pierce said. “I learned what it meant to be a good teammate — Coach Meyer had a lot to do with that.” Almost 25 years later, Pierce’s impact on the Lipscomb basketball program is still felt in many ways. In addition to the memorabilia that fills trophy cases in the lobby of Allen Arena, two of Pierce’s former FRA players — Kenny Cooper and Rob Marberry — are now budding stars for the Bisons, despite taking different paths to Green Hills. Marberry earned Division II-AA Mr. Basketball honors as a senior at FRA in 2014 and finished his high-school career with over 1,500 points and 850 rebounds. “(FRA) is a small school, just like Lipscomb,” Marberry said. “The teachers and the coaching staff were both awesome. It was really the...
by Jade Spilka | Sep 14, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The Miss America pageant’s on-stage question portion often sparks conversations regarding both country and world. This year’s pageant was held this past Sunday, and its winner, Miss North Dakota Cara Mund, was asked her opinion on the Paris Agreement by television personality Maria Menounos. “195 countries signed the Paris Agreement in which each country sets non-binding goals to reduce man-made climate change,” Menounos noted. “The U.S. is withdrawing from the agreement citing negligible environmental effects and negative economic impact. Good decision? Bad decision? Which is it and why?” Mund replied that she thought it was an overall bad decision, offering her thoughts on what she believed should have occured with the discussion. “Once we reject that, we take ourselves out of the negotiation table, and that’s something we need to keep in mind,” Mund said. “There is evidence that climate change exists. Whether we believe it or not, we need to be at that table. I think it is just a bad decision on behalf of the U.S.” Mund’s answer was well received by the audience and judges, but Lipscomb students had differing opinions on the matter. “I support what Trump did,” said Andrew Trent, a junior marketing major. “The deal was biased against America and was interfering with some of our jobs.” Trent explained that he does believe America should be taking steps to care for the environment, but he thinks that these steps should not be coordinated with Europe but instead should be independent efforts. However, other students agreed with the current Miss America’s stance. Mason Borneman, an aspiring lawyer and lifelong supporter of the Miss America...
by Hannah Pipher | Sep 13, 2017 | News Slider
Texas natives on campus are still reeling from the damage done in their hometowns by Hurricane Harvey, but there are now dozens of Florida and international students from the Caribbean feeling the anxiety and stress these peers initially felt a little over two weeks ago. Hurricane Irma began brewing on August 27 as a Tropical Storm. However, just nine days later, Irma had grown to be a category five and the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm to be recorded, with winds reaching anywhere up to 185 miles per hour. In the following days, Irma continued picking up strength as it invaded Barbuda, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barts, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, the Southern Islands of the Bahamas and Cuba. Irma also caused heavy flooding in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico. “I felt helpless with my family being so far away,” said freshman Kati Fernan, a Nassau, Bahama, native. “Even though I had to study and do my homework, my mind was constantly on my family. Being with them would have been a comfort to me, even if I would have been in danger myself.” Although most would be paralyzed with fear and anxiety, Fernan mentioned that she believed that the Bahamas was and is still covered by God. “My family is doing great,” Fernan said. “The hurricane ended up shifting west of Nassau so they only experienced rain and winds.” After devastating the smaller islands in the Caribbean, Irma made a sharp turn north and headed for Florida. It made its first connection with U.S. soil on September 10 when it...
