by Cole Gray | Feb 28, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
A reverse dunk from Eli Pepper and a behind-the-back assist from Nathan Moran to Garrison Mathews for a three-pointer punctuated the blistering 29-7 run that propelled the Lipscomb men’s basketball team to a 97-66, wire-to-wire win over the NJIT Highlanders in the first round of the ASUN Tournament. Lipscomb opened up the game shooting 12-14 from the field, burying the Highlanders early and cruising to the finish. Sophomores Eli Pepper and Garrison Mathews in particular poured in 28 in the first period on 11-14 shooting. The Bisons finished the game shooting 61.3% from the field. The win put Lipscomb at the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Coach Casey Alexander said that the key to keeping the pressure on a team after running out to a big lead is simply trying to win each individual possession. “We try really hard just to concentrate on the next possession and being solid, doing our job, and trusting that if we do that enough, then good things will happen,” Alexander said. “Over the course of time, that’s how you win a game like this, or even a close game.” NJIT played without all-time leading scorer Damon Lynn, who tore his Achilles tendon in January. Sophomore guard Reilly Walsh kept the Highlanders in the game in the first half with a pair of timely threes, and Tim Coleman dunked all over Mathews in transition to attempt to spark a comeback late in the half, but Moran and Josh Williams canned threes in the last two minutes of the first period to push the lead back up to 19 at...
by LeBron Hill | Feb 27, 2017 | News Slider
Students, faculty and staff welcomed Dr. Jerrund Wilkerson Saturday as the Office of Intercultural Development invited him to speak at a leadership seminar entitled “10 Key Qualities Of An Effective Leader.” Wilkerson focused on ten qualities from John Maxwell’s book, The
21 Indispensable Qualities of Leadership. “There is a vacuum of leadership in America,” he said. Wilkerson spoke of each quality separately, explaining the significance and using the DISC behavior test to show the audience the different behaviors that make up the country. Each behavior has its own effectiveness to being a leader, according to Wilkerson. “Average is the enemy of great,” he said “Be the best you can be and the rest will follow. “I’ve always had a talent toward leadership and to see possibilities. Along the way I found that I had the ability to inspire people. I found that I wanted to make things better for people.” Wilkerson said that in order to help other people, he had to first focus on himself. For Christians, Dr. Wilkerson quoted the book of Matthew to explain what it means to be leaders. “We’re called to be light and we’re called to be salt,” he said. “Light and salt is about influence, so we’re called to influence. This means that we all have some ability to influence. “Lead yourself effectively because that’s where you start. People follow people who are trying to go...
by Charissa Ricker | Feb 25, 2017 | News Slider
The Leading Edge hosted “Confessions: Part One” to allow Lipscomb students and staff the opportunity to anonymously share their spiritual journeys. The Leading Edge is a group of students who strive to seek out areas on campus that need improvement and to help make those improvements. “We know that sharing our stories can sometimes be difficult,” said Russell Vannozzi, Leading Edge student member. “While some people might have stories that are full of joy and happiness, other people have stories that aren’t full of that. They might be frightened to reveal details about their path. “Strive to create an environment where people can be vulnerable with each other and people can share their stories without fear or shame.” The anonymous speaker told his spiritual journey and, after a series of questions, revealed himself to the audience of students. Sam Smith, dean of student life, opened up about his struggles and how God has led him to where he is now. “I remember loving hearing my dad preach and wanting to be just like my dad,” Smith said. “I was your typical preacher’s kid. I was a Bible-thumping, Jesus-loving, God-enthusiastic preacher’s kid.” Though Smith seemed to be set on a perfect path, he was introduced to pornography at a young age, and it began to shape his life into something far from God. “Satan found a way to get me off track,” Smith said. “Satan found a way to help me exit out of the age of innocence. Then, I was introduced into this age of rebellion.” Smith recalled how his school called his parents several times thinking he was...
by Lorena Coleman | Feb 24, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Hollywood’s finest will gather this weekend at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 89th Academy Awards. The awards show, commonly known as the Oscars, will celebrate the year’s cinematic achievements, and some of Lipscomb’s film students are tuning in. Sophomore film student Clay Mortensen said he will “absolutely” be watching and is excited to see who wins the coveted title of Best Picture. Freshman film student Siena DeMatteis will be attending a watch party put on by the film department and said she is hoping to see her two favorite films, “Moonlight” and “Manchester by the Sea,” take home some awards. According to critic’s predictions, “La La Land” will be the film to beat, with a record-tying 14 nominations, including nods for Best Picture, Best Director (Damien Chazelle), Best Actor (Ryan Gosling) and Best Actress (Emma Stone). The film centers on aspiring actress Mia (played by Stone) and jazz pianist Sebastian (played by Gosling), as they try to navigate falling in love while pursuing their dreams in LA. So far, the musical-drama has taken home multiple awards at every other award show this season. DeMatteis said she is “interested in seeing how many awards ‘La La Land’ receives,” given its track record at other award shows and viewers’ mixed opinions toward the film. Mortensen, an aspiring director, said he is rooting for Chazelle to win Best Director, as he has always admired Chazelle’s work. Other films receiving attention for their nominations include “Fences” starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, “Moonlight” starring Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris, “Manchester by the Sea” starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams and “Arrival” starring Amy...
by George Wong | Feb 24, 2017 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s baseball team officially began its much anticipated season over the weekend with a 2-1 series victory over Oakland University. The Bisons hosted the Oakland Grizzlies with a three-day series starting on Friday at the Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Marsh Stadium. After a slow start during the opening game, the Bisons got into rhythm and won the first game with a 7-3 win. The second series was a much closer affair; the Bisons would edge past the Grizzlies 3-2 after junior Lee Solomons scored two home runs to seal the deal. The third and final game would be an epic and high scoring encounter with Oakland, giving plenty of fight. Lipscomb was unable to recover from an early deficit and eventually succumbed to the Grizzlies pressure in a 16-11 slugfest. The Bisons will face Middle Tennessee with a mid-week matchup beginning Tuesday at Dugan Field before hosting the Mule Mix Classic next weekend. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Olivia Waldorf | Feb 23, 2017 | News Slider
This Tuesday, Lipscomb University welcomed Captain Ronald S. Johnson to the Gathering. Rhonda Lowry helped tell his story, asking him questions ranging from his faith to his experience in Ferguson. Being placed in charge of controlling the riots was something huge that Johnson felt God had given him, but he felt ready for it. Knowing the district and its people led him to take the lead when the riots broke out. Johnson said his faith had everything to do with it, saying that being called to a faithful life leads us to unimaginable places. Johnson grew up going to church and, like most people, had a hard time with a consistent faith. “Faith was something that I believed in. In tough times, I went to my faith, but in good times, I sometimes forgot about my faith,” Johnson said. As he grew older, his faith grew stronger. This was integral in leading up to his guiding Ferguson through the riots and protests. Johnson said a lot of young people came out because they had a voice. They embraced the differences of the culture and wanted something better for our country. Johnson continued, saying Ferguson wasn’t just a black and white issue. He said that people of different colors were saying, “Maybe I don’t understand every issue, but this is an issue my brother is facing.” This moved Johnson to see how this younger generation was a group of spiritual leaders. In regard to other spiritual leaders at Ferguson, Johnson said, “They need to see you out there. They might not like what they’re going to hear, but you need to come back.” He continually told the audience that there...
