by Whitney Smith | Nov 10, 2016 | News Slider
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has officially been announced as the winner of the 2016 presidential election. The reality television star and real estate mogul brought in 279 of the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to declare victory, according to the New York Times. “Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach,” Trump said in his victory speech. “America will no longer settle for anything but the best. We will seek common ground, not hostility. Partnership, not conflict.” A Trump victory was unlikely in most pre-election polls, but by getting unexpected swing states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, Trump took the lead early in the evening. A restorative criminal justice and German double major, Joel Cottrell gave his support to Trump and is optimistic about his presidency. “It’s exciting,” Cottrell said. “I think we had a really close race. It was a little nerve-racking from time to time, but I think in the end I’m excited for what’s to come and to see the change that comes from that and see where we go from here.” Clinton supporter Sam Hearn is less optimistic about a future with Trump in the Oval Office. “I’m fearing most of the overwhelming wave of victory from a place of anger and disillusionment with what we are called to as people, much less as Christians,” Hearn said. “I just think there is going to be an overwhelming person to person sense of victory in things I really detest.” As the results rolled in throughout the night, other victories were in store for Republicans. The Republicans maintained control of Congress, with the Senate losing...
by Brooke Dorris | Nov 9, 2016 | News Slider
Both guys and girls went head to head in a “Battle of the Sexes” philanthropy event, hosted by social club Delta Sigma last Thursday night in Shamblin Theater, where the girls ultimately took home the win. The event helped raise money for the nonprofit Mercy Multiplied. According to its website, Mercy Multiplied is a “nonprofit Christian organization dedicated to helping young women break free from life-controlling behaviors and situations, including eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, unplanned pregnancy, depression, sexual abuse and sex trafficking. “We hope to help every woman we serve experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness and life-transforming power,” the organization said in a statement. The night kicked off with an Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader round, which turned out to be a crowd favorite. Questions were asked about all kinds of different subjects, but the guys took home the win for that round with a score of 20 to five. The next round was The Price is Right, and contestants were asked to write his or her guess for what a particular item was worth on his or her own whiteboard. The items ranged from Kate Spade to iRobot vacuum cleaners. It came close during that round, but the guys captured the win once again with a score of 40-20. Although the guys took an early lead, the the girls took the lead after the two audience challenges. The audience challenges pulled a guy and a girl from the audience for a chance to win Nashville Predators tickets. A Family Feud round was up next after the audience challenges. For most of the questions,...
by Todd Lamberth | Nov 9, 2016 | News Slider, Sports
Winning one conference championship is impressive for any team, but winning six consecutive championships is almost unprecedented. Coming off of their sixth consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference championship, the Lipscomb women’s cross country team looks to continue their success at the Regional Championships this weekend in Tallahassee, Florida. Cross country head coach Bill Taylor knows that it has been no small feat being at the top of the conference for six straight years. “We’re pretty blessed,” Taylor said. “It kind of hit me more this year even than it did in previous year about how hard it is to keep on winning. The other teams aren’t letting us win. I think the whole conference is getting better trying to get to us.” Their recent success breeds a level of confidence amongst the runners on all teams that inspires them to continue working and striving for championship wins. “In some ways it’s easier because there’s an expectation of winning. We know what we’re out to do, and we believe we can do it because we’ve done it so many times. You do have to keep going out and recruiting great kids and developing them, and I think we do a great job of that. “We do a lot of development. Our runners probably improve more than any program in the country on a regular basis. We look for people that fit Lipscomb really well.” As proud as he is of their Atlantic Sun titles, Coach Taylor knows the program can do more than just win conference championships. “Our goals are actually well beyond the conference level. We haven’t achieved what we want to achieve and...
by Micah Dempsey | Nov 8, 2016 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb’s men’s and women’s soccer seasons have come to a close after losses in the ASUN semifinals and finals, respectively. As the two seed in the ASUN tournament, the Lady Bisons received a bye in the first round and defeated Stetson 2-1 in the semifinals. However, the team fell 0-2 to Florida Gulf Coast in the final game. They finished the season with a record of 12-5-2, a mark that ties last season for the most wins in program history. Lipscomb also put five players on the ASUN All-Academic Team: Emily Rogers, Ellen Lundy, Brooke Brenner, Maycie McKay and Scholar-Athlete of the Year Natalie DuBoise. Nominees were required to have at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games. As a team, the Lady Bisons achieved a cumulative 3.69 GPA, the highest mark in the conference and the second-best in all of Division I. Anna Buhigas claimed the ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year award for the third season in a row, becoming the first player in conference history. She accumulated 91 saves, six shutouts and a 1.08 GPA this season and finished her career with an incredible 376 saves. Olivia Doak was named ASUN Freshman of the Year with seven goals on the season, and Nimah Rawlins achieved the Defensive Player of the Year award as well. The ASUN All-Conference First Team featured five Lady Bisons: Buhigas, Doak, Rawlins, Lundy and DuBoise. Maycie McKay was also named Second Team All-Conference. Lundy, Rawlins and Brooke Brenner were named to the 11-person All-Tournament squad in addition to their regular season achievements. “It was another...
by Katie Bianchini | Nov 8, 2016 | News Slider
Lipscomb Department of Communication students welcomed award-winning television host Ashley Eicher for the final Media Masters event of the semester. Eicher now hosts The Ram Report on the Rolling Stone Country website, but said she weathered many ups and downs before she began her career. “I had to chase the dream that I felt like I was supposed to be doing,” Eicher told the audience. “From my perspective and my faith I just had to trust God and say, ‘OK, you’ve got this.’” She went through a 10-month unemployment period early in her career that changed her perspective on her vocation and taught her to lean on God. “I kept praying like, ‘Why am I a nanny right now,’ or, ‘When is this going to end,’ but I really needed that entire 10 months to change my attitude,” she said. “It knocked down my pride and gave me a reality check.” Junior Josie Burlison said Eicher’s message encouraged her as she pursues a career outside the journalism and media realm. “Going into something like interior design, you have to build up the clientele and there’s not always that steady income,” she said. “So I liked how she talked to us about that period of unemployment.” Eventually, in 2006 Eicher started her on-camera career as the host of ABC and the CMA’s first web series on the CMAs and CMA Music Festival. Since then, she has hosted with well-known personalities such as Luke Bryan, Jake Owen and Chuck Wicks. Eicher told the students that good television hosting comes from developing good conversational skills, being themselves and having more fun. “It...
by Cole Gray | Nov 8, 2016 | News Slider
Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales spoke to a crowd of students and alumni in Swang on Monday afternoon for “Freedom Matters,” an event organized by Lipscomb’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. Gonzales, who was the first Latino to serve as Attorney General of the United States, touched on topics such as dealing with criticism as a public servant, working in the White House, the September 11 attacks in 2001 and immigration reform. Most of the conversation was spurred by questions from the crowd of around 40 students, faculty and alumni. Vietnam veteran and Lipscomb Class of ’68 graduate John Bussell asked Gonzales his thoughts on improving security in terms of immigration. “First, we need a policy,” Gonzales replied, as the room then erupted in laughter. Gonzales also reminded the students in attendance to remember three equal principles when considering immigration policies. “We are a nation of immigrants,” he noted. “We are also a very compassionate people. We are also a nation of laws.” Though the majority of the student-asked questions were not related to policy or practice, some were more probing. Gonzales deflected a question about his support of the controversial Patriot Act, which was signed in October 2001 while he was White House Counsel to President Bush, reminding students that John Ashcroft was the Attorney General at that time. Gonzales admitted that he contributed to the drafting of the now-expired Act, but he emphasized that he did not have the final say. Gonzales also encouraged students to get involved with state and local governments. “We cannot continue to be a great country; we cannot continue to have...
