by Erin Franklin | Jun 29, 2016 | News Slider, Sports
The importance of building relationships with members of the team and staff is just one of the things Lipscomb women’s basketball coach Greg Brown learned during his years coaching on the staff of legendary coach Pat Summitt. Summitt, the long-time coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols and a pioneer in the world of women’s athletics died Tuesday after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was buried Thursday in a private ceremony in Clarksville, near where she grew up. From 2002-2004, Brown was the assistant coach for the Lady Vols while the legendary Summitt was head coach. Brown got his start in coaching college basketball at the University of Tennessee, thanks to Summitt. “I really appreciate her taking the chance on a young high school coach to join the staff,” Brown said. During the time they coached together, Brown and Summittdeveloped a close friendship, like many others Summitt came in contact with. Brown reflected on this, stating that building relationships with others is what Summitt was best at. It’s something that he took away from the years of coaching with her and employs with his own team at Lipscomb. Strengthening relationships with his players even off the court is something Brown said he strives to do. “At the most, you’re going to play 40 games together, but you’re going to be together off the court the whole year,” Brown noted. “I think the first thing that you’ve got to understand is you’ve got to develop relationships. Before they’re going to trust you on the floor, they’ve got to be able to trust that you’re there for them.” Not only does Brown have fond memories of coaching...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 27, 2016 | News Slider
The Christ-centered youth camp Impact kicked off last week, celebrating its 25th consecutive year on campus with teens, counselors and adults worshiping God. Impact has two programs — Impact Junior, for grades 6-8, and Impact Senior, for grades 9-12. The Junior Camp is a weekend program and was held June 17th-20th. The Senior Camp is a week-long program and was held June 20th-25th. Senior Campus Minister Steve Davidson started the program after prayer and a lot of work nearly 30 years ago. “I really wanted to follow [God] and honor Him,” Davidson said, adding that he was “prayerful of a vision to spark my heart.” Davidson said God did give him a vision, and that vision was Impact. Impact has grown tremendously over the past 25 years, bringing people in from all over Tennessee. It started in 1992 with 250 campers, counselors, and adults coming together to worship. Impact 2016 had almost 3,100 students on campus. Most importantly, though, Davidson noted that “over the past 24 years, 2,124 teens have surrendered their lives to Jesus.” Most of these teens were baptized on campus in varying places, such as the swimming pool underneath McQuiddy Gym, to feeding troughs, above ground pools and in the fountain in Bison Square. Impact activities vary from worship with all students gathered together in Allen Arena to small-group studies to recreational activities such as “Frisbee football” to get to know fellow campers better. Recently-graduated high school senior Sarah Kate Robinson attended Impact for her first time this year. Robinson said the lessons she learned at Impact were “incredible.” “The theme of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ was one...
by Patrick Carpenter | Jun 25, 2016 | News Slider
Watching stocks tumble and the British pound diminish in value, at least one Lipscomb graduate is frightened of last week’s vote which set in motion the departure of Great Britain from the European Union. “I am horrified by the decision,” said Danielle Kinnen, a 2016 Lipscomb graduate and former tennis player when reached in Scotland. “It’s a really sad day for our generation,” Kinnen said. “It has already affected our economy, and the pound could plunge even lower.” One day after the vote, the British pound already had dropped in value to less than three-quarters the value of the American dollar and further discord will follow the announced resignation of the prime minister. Kinnen, born in Scotland, is concerned about the landscape of Scottish politics. “The majority of Scotland actually voted to stay (in the EU), which will cause a second referendum for Scotland to become independent from the UK.” The Scottish separatist movement narrowly failed in a referendum back in 2014. Pundits are suggesting that such a measure would find warm reception if it comes up again. Many political pundits refer to this vote as an “anti-elite” or “populist” vote, resembling the motivations of U.S. voters who have been backing “outsider” presidential candidates like presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, who still hasn’t conceded the Democratic nomination, even though rival Hillary Clinton has the nomination mathematically in the bag. According to BBC News, the vote to leave the EU — which in many ways is similar to the U.S.-Canada-Mexico NAFTA partnership –“won by 52 percent to 48 percent. The referendum turnout was 71.8%,” bringing 30 million voters...
by Patrick Carpenter | Jun 24, 2016 | News Slider, Sports
After another successful season, Bison baseball didn’t strike out when it comes to off-season accolades. Rising junior pitcher Brady Puckett was named a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball on June 2, 2016. Puckett was also named Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and first team all conference the week before. Puckett became the first non-freshman Bison to ever earn an All-America nod from Collegiate Baseball. “What a huge honor this is for him after having such an outstanding season,” Lipscomb Head Coach Jeff Forehand said. “We grow accustomed to what he does when he goes out on the mound, but for others to recognize him as one of the top pitchers in the country is pretty special.” Puckett was a force in the A-Sun as he tossed his way to a 9-2 record and a 2.93 ERA. In his 15 starts this season, Lipscomb was 13-2 and never lost a decision in eight games. Puckett was also one of 12 players that started summer ball nearly three weeks removed from the Atlantic Sun Tournament. They will compete in eight wooden bat leagues ranging from Massachusetts, Louisiana and Wisconsin. Sophomores Michael Gigliotti, Jeffrey Passantino and Pucket will join the top players in the country in the largest amateur baseball league in America since 1885. They are the first Lipscomb players to compete since Hunter Brothers in 2013. Brady Pucket wasn’t the only Bison to be singled out. Freshman Zeke Dodson was named to the Freshman All-American team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Dodson was the only player from the Atlantic Sun to be honored by the NCBWA. Dodson played in...
by Brittnay Estes | Jun 20, 2016 | News Slider, Sports
Incoming senior volleyball player Kayla Ostrom begins training and competing this week for the 2016 U.S. Collegiate National Team – Indianapolis program June 21-30 in Indianapolis. In February, Ostrom attended the USAV Women’s National Team Open Tryout in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center and made the team — one of only 36 women chosen. The program will be divided into three teams, each consisting of 12-players. Those teams, chosen during training, will compete in a round-robin tournament June 26-29 at the USA Volleyball Girl’s National Championships. It will serve as a second tryout for the USA National Team. This is the same tryout that Lipscomb volleyball alumni Jewell Dobson and Lauren Ford attended two years before. Ostrom was presented with the opportunity over winter break by head coach Brandon Rosenthal. “I was on the fence about going, but after talking with many people and praying for direction, I decided to go. I am so thankful I did,” Ostrom said. Ostrom flew out to Denver for the tryout with Associate Head Coach Billy Ebel, who was working the tryout. After they landed, they hopped in a car and drove to Colorado Springs for the first session the same afternoon. “Playing with girls from all over the country was way more fun than I expected. There was so much positive energy in the gym. Everyone brought their best effort,” Ostrom said. She said the drills were sometimes crazy; setting 6’5’’middles was a little tricky at first, but she said that, overall, competing in the drills was freeing and exhilarating. She added that she approached the weekend with the mindset that she was going to have...
by Erin Franklin | Jun 18, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Many wondered if “Finding Dory” would sink or swim, but in typical Pixar-fashion, the animated comedy gets along swimmingly. Ellen Degeneres’ Dory, one of Disney’s most beloved characters, returns to the screen for her own feature film, providing lots of laughs and delighted squeals — from children, college-aged students who grew up with “Nemo” and adults alike — along the way and teaching some valuable lessons about family and focusing on one’s strengths. Among many good qualities, one of the film’s greatest strengths lies in its voice actors, brilliantly voiced by Degeneres (Dory), Albert Brooks (Marlin), Ed O’Neill (Hank), Ty Burrell (Bailey), Diane Keaton (Jenny), Eugene Levy (Charlie) and newcomer Hayden Rolence (Nemo). For moviegoers who are familiar with Pixar’s 2003 hit, “Finding Nemo,” Dory’s “short-term memory loss” ‘disability’ has often landed her in trouble. For example, she, on occasion, wanders off, then forgets where she has wandered off to — causing much despair for the fish who try to keep an eye on her. She forgets that Marlin has told her she’s not supposed to go on the class trip (making it a very awkward situation for Marlin to tell her in front of the class). She can’t even remember when she’s already told Marlin something in the night, so she repeatedly keeps waking Marlin up to tell him. For a moment, she even forgets why she and Marlin trekked across the ocean a few months ago (it was to find Nemo). It would seem Dory can’t remember much of anything important. One day, though, Dory does remember something important — something very important. She has a family. Somewhere out in the...
