by Camryn Given | Sep 6, 2021 | COVID-19, News Slider
President Randy Lowry doesn’t exactly remember his first day at Lipscomb. He does remember sitting in his office for the first week or two and not thinking there was much to be done. Now, 16 years later, as he prepares to end his time as Lipscomb’s president, he no longer has to wonder, “What am I supposed to be doing?” “Eventually, we figured that out and the pace picked up,” Lowry told Lumination Network. “Once the pace picked up, it hasn’t paused since then.” Lowry said there were a lot of emotions he associated with his coming to Lipscomb, including hopefulness for what he could accomplish. “This Christian college, which is a sister school to Pepperdine where I was coming from, really could and should be the leading university in our church fellowship,” said Lowry. “I was filled with anticipation, very excited and complemented to be here.” Now, as Lowry steps down as president at midnight tonight and assumes the role of chancellor, he says he’s looking forward to taking a break. He added for context that most university presidents only serve six years. “After 16 years, if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we’re probably more exhausted than we know. And so I’m going to sleep for the first 10 days,” he said with a laugh. Lowry said that in the next few months he’ll be taking a working sabbatical in which he wants to take piano lessons, which he hasn’t done since high school. He also said he plans on spending a lot of time with his nine grandchildren, all of whom have been born during his...
by CJ Arndt | Sep 6, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb Bisons volleyball team lost 3-1 against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Sunday. The Bisons fall to 1-4 on the season after a winless showing at the LUV Invitational. In the first set, Lipscomb got the opening 2 points over the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest responded with a three-point run early in the set. Wake Forest and Lipscomb had tied for the largest lead of the set at 1 point until Lipscomb put up a two-point lead at 8-6. Lipscomb put up a five-point run after falling behind to take a 18-16 lead. Wake Forest worked back to 18-18 and an even score in the set. Both teams fought to keep the score even, getting to 21-21 A 3 point run put the Bisons on top with a 24-21 first set score. The second set started with Wake Forest’s two-point run. The Bisons responded with a five-point run before a Wake Forest timeout. Wake Forest challenged the Bisons with a five-point run of their own to bring the score to 6-8. Both teams fought with Wake Forest gaining a 15-10 lead over the Bisons. Wake Forest was able to put a considerable lead up after a three-point run and a five-point run split up by only one Lipscomb point. With a 24-14 score in favor of the Demon Deacons, the Bisons posted a four-point run. The second set ended 17-25 with Wake Forest, which allowed the Demon Deacons to even the set score at 1-1. In the third set a back and forth battle ensued as each team tried to gain a lead over the other. The...
by Abigail McQueen | Sep 6, 2021 | News, News Slider
Every year, students of all ages look forward to the first Monday of September, whether that holds an end-of-summer get together or a break from an already busy school year. But where exactly did Labor Day come from, and why is it a significant holiday in the history of America? The story of Labor Day starts with the labor movements of the late 19th century. Conditions for American workers at the time were notoriously bad. Twelve-hour workdays and unsanitary factories made their jobs dangerous, and benefits (such as health care) were either severely limited or non-existent. There were also no laws protecting child workers, who were often subjected to particularly unsafe jobs, like getting into and cleaning out chimneys, because of their small size. To protest their unfair treatment, labor unions across the country organized strikes, some of which were more violent than others. In the infamous Pullman strike of 1894, the American Railroad Union led a nationwide boycott of Pullman Palace train cars to protest wage cuts. The strike ended only when the government sent troops to Chicago, which triggered a series of deadly riots. Such shocking events caused many writers, photographers, activists, and politicians to turn their focus to exposing the horrors of factories, helping workers fight for their rights, and pushing for legislators to make serious changes. As greater awareness of the plight of workers began to spread, many advocated for a holiday to celebrate American workers and their contributions to society. In 1887, Oregon became the first state to recognize Labor Day as an official holiday, and four other states (Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and...
by Danny Kotula | Sep 6, 2021 | News Slider, Sports, Student Spotlight
After a whirlwind of a summer ended on a Paralympic podium in Japan, freshman distance runner Liza Corso is only now giving herself time to reflect. “When I crossed the finish line and realized I came in second with a time that was 13 seconds better than my personal best, I was in a little bit of disbelief,” Corso said in an email conversation. Corso, diagnosed with albinism that makes her legally blind, finished second in the T13-class women’s 1500-meter final race in Tokyo on Aug. 28 after being ranked eighth in the field. “Once I had time for it to really sink in, I was just filled with joy and gratitude that God gave me the ability to not only run in the final but also get the silver medal,” Corso said. As a freshman in college, Corso was one of the youngest to compete in track and field at this year’s Paralympics in any event. She said her expectations were modest and that the result really did come as a surprise. “I was definitely not expecting to medal at my first Paralympic Games!” said the Newmarket, New Hampshire, native. “I had thoughts about how amazing it would be to medal, but I wasn’t focusing on it because I just wanted to have a good race.” In an email with Lumination before her race, she said her overarching goal was to inspire others rather than to secure a result. After her performance, she feels she’s been able to do both. “This race taught me to never count yourself out and that God has greater things in store for...
by CJ Arndt | Sep 4, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb women’s volleyball lost 3-1 to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Friday night, moving to 1-4 on the season. After a loss to start the Lipscomb University Invitational, the Bisons matched up against the nationally-ranked Hilltoppers. Western Kentucky was ranked #15 on the Week 1 American Volleyball Coaches poll. Lipscomb also entered 1-9 in the all-time series against WKU. The Bisons started off hot on a 4-0 run with momentum in their favor in the first set. The Hilltoppers were able to push it back to a 3-9 lead after a few quick back-and-forth points. WKU took a 5-point run to tie the set back up at 9-9. The Bisons responded with a quick 5-point run of their own to take a 14-9 advantage. After a few 3-point runs by both teams the Bisons finished the first set, winning 25-21. With the first 9 points split 4-5, the second set was always going to be tight. A double block at the net by senior Garrett Joiner and sophomore Meg Mersman brought the set back to 10-10. A slow but substantial lead was grown by the Hilltoppers as they led 15-22 after a back-and-forth battle. The second set finished 17-25 which brought the sets to an even 1-1. The third set was a hard-fought loss for the Bisons. After a pair of points by Lipscomb to bring the set to 4-5, WKU put together a momentum-swinging 5-point run. Lipscomb put up a point to break the streak and the Hilltoppers responded with 4 of their own. The set worked to 10-17 as the Hilltoppers put up another huge run of...
by Lumination Staff | Sep 3, 2021 | Galleries, News Slider
The Presidential convocation was held at the Gathering on Aug. 31. It was full of Lipscomb traditions such as the bagpipe quartet and traditional outfits for faculty. This year was different than usual since it the convocation included the transfer of presidents. Click through the photos below to see photos from the event. Photos courtesy of Cora Coletti and Jack...
