by Colleen Casner | Jan 28, 2015 | News Slider
Sigma Alpha Iota, a national music fraternity, provides Lipscomb women with opportunities to serve others through music and form friendships outside of Lipscomb. SAI members are active in Lipscomb’s music department — many are involved in the University Wind Ensemble and A Cappella Singers. Although SAI is a music organization, members are not required to be music majors or minors. Majors in Lipscomb’s chapter range from elementary education to chemistry to pre-law. SAI is smaller than most Greek organizations on campus, with only nine collegiate members, but the chapter is growing, having more than doubled its membership in the past three years. This semester’s member-in-training class alone will increase the chapter’s size by more than fifty percent. The small chapter size is augmented by SAI’s status as a national organization. Lipscomb’s chapter frequently collaborates with chapters from other colleges in the Middle Tennessee area such as Vanderbilt, Belmont and MTSU. This experience of sisterhood outside the Lipscomb campus provides SAI members with a unique experience not offered by campus social clubs. Lipscomb’s chapter, Zeta Omicron, was established in 1974 and celebrated its fortieth anniversary last fall. SAI meets once a week to plan service projects, performances and formals. The club holds a musicale at least once each semester in which members demonstrate their musical talents. Different fundraisers held throughout the year benefit music-oriented philanthropies supported by SAI. The philanthropies are dedicated to meeting various musical needs such as providing musical instruments to children in developing countries and providing Braille and large print sheet music to visually impaired musicians. Photo courtesy of Kristin...
by Erin Turner | Jan 27, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
With Super Bowl XLIX quickly approaching, many Lipscomb students jumped at the opportunity to share their opinions on the game. On the other hand, some did not. This year’s matchup will feature the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, who won Super Bowl XLVIII. The recent controversy on whether the Patriots deliberately used under-inflated footballs against the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game has sparked much attention from fans. SAB will host a Super Bowl party at 5 p.m. on Sunday in Bison Cafe with tailgate food and door prizes. Reporter Brianne Welch interviewed students about who they think will win and why. Story by Brianne Welch and Erin...
by Danielle Kinnen | Jan 27, 2015 | News Slider
Lipscomb University has been ranked as one of the top Christian universities in the nation according to the 2015 Niche Ranking. The Best Christian Colleges ranking includes 288 Christian colleges in the country, with Lipscomb ranking in at No. 23. Lipscomb was also listed as the top Christian university in the state of Tennessee. These rankings have been based on 50 statistics and ratings from thousands of surveyed students. This is not the first time Lipscomb has received recognition for its high standards and distinctions. In December 2014, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named Lipscomb on its list of best values in private universities for 2015. This listing is the first time Lipscomb has been among other top schools in the nation, such as Harvard, Vanderbilt and Duke. Students come to Lipscomb for many reasons — for some it’s the faith aspect, academic quality and community feel. Junior Anna Lail from Charlotte, North Carolina said that she has experienced transforming moments through Lipscomb. “I had a life changing experience on a mission trip to Haiti and knew I needed to change my life’s path,” Lail said. “Knowing that Lipscomb is in the top 25 in the country has made me realize I made the right decision switching schools and majoring in theology.” For freshman Joel Cottrill from Columbus, Ohio, Lipscomb’s location and spiritual emphasis were huge decision-making factors. “My main objective in finding a college was that it was in the South and Christian,” Cottrill said. “My brother goes here and I knew spiritually that Lipscomb would be perfect for me and I’m happy with my choice. “Lipscomb was also my first choice as I...
by Ellen Butterfield | Jan 25, 2015 | News Slider
After spending much of January at Belmont University, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s tour of “Twelfth Night” will arrive at Lipscomb’s Willard Collins Alumni Auditorium this week. Shakespeare can frighten off modern audiences due to the confusing diction and seemingly out-of-date expressions. “Don’t be intimidated by the language,” said “Twelfth Night” cast member and Lipscomb senior Austin Hunt. Hunt is urging fellow students to give the play a try when it opens. “Show up and watch the show. Pay attention to what we’re saying, but pay attention to what we’re doing, too. We will tell the story to you through our actions and our physicality.” The production was written by William Shakespeare as a celebration for the 12 days of Christmas, but it is also an entertaining blend of comedy and romance infused with song. In “Twelfth Night,” a shipwreck occurs that forces a young girl named Viola to believe her twin brother has died. She then dresses up as him and takes a job with Duke Orcino, who loves Olivia. While disguised as a boy, Viola is sent by the Duke to woo Olivia for him. Olivia falls in love with Viola as a boy instead of the Duke. Twelfth Night speaks comedically about the power and problems of love. Hunt portrays Curio, a manservant to the duke. He has studied with The Nashville Shakespeare Festival since 2013, and he is proud to point out that to best enjoy Shakespeare’s writings, a visit to a live performance is necessary. “Shakespeare was never meant to be read,” Hunt said. “Shakespeare was meant to be performed and watched.” The challenge for Hunt is understanding...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Jan 25, 2015 | News Slider
Good music, good vibes and a captivated crowd — that was the theme of The Arcadian Wild’s show Saturday night at Two Old Hippies. This indie-folk group was formed in October 2013 when three Lipscomb students came together. Sophomore music major Sarah Wood from Pueblo, Colorado, junior music major Everett Davis from Avon, Connecticut and Lipscomb graduate Lincoln Mick from Jacksonville, Florida, make up the group’s original members. In the fall of 2014, the group welcomed a new member, freshman music composition major Isaac Horn from Jonesboro, Arkansas. Several Lipscomb students came to the show, which featured a mix of new songs and some from the group’s first EP. “My favorite part was watching them express their artistry through their music,” sophomore Kelly Morrell said. “You can tell they put a lot of work into not just the lyrics, but the instrumentation – you can tell they are very passionate.” Although the group classifies itself as indie-folk, each member brings a distinctive style to the mix. “I think we’ve all been really influenced by a lot of different people, which makes our sound so unique because we all bring completely different writing styles to the table and different styles of playing,” Wood said. The group’s influences range from artists like The Avett Brothers, Regina Spektor, The Lumineers and The Tallest Man on Earth. Audience members agreed that the group’s sound and songwriting is unique. “I really enjoy that they write all of their own music,” freshman Zoey Dodge said. “It’s all really original and inventive.” Two Old Hippies is just one of the many venues they have played in Nashville. Last summer The Arcadian Wild played a tour, traveling...
by Sarah McGee | Jan 25, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
It was Star Wars night Saturday in Allen Arena, but the Force was not with the Bisons. Lipscomb lost 75-66 to North Florida, with first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference on the line. This game brought in over 3,000 fans — one of the largest crowds of the season. The Bisons entered the first half strong, with forward Malcolm Smith scoring the first goal of the game. The Bisons ended the first half with a 29-19 lead. “The first 20 minutes are easily the best 20 minutes we’ve played all year on both ends of the floor,” head coach Casey Alexander said. “We made very few mistakes in the first half.” In the second half, North Florida led by 13 points, sparked by 24 from Beau Beech in the second half. Beech led all scorers with 27 points. The Bisons did not go down easily, cutting the UNF lead to single figures. Guard Josh Williams led the team with 21 points. He has double figures in 21 of his last 22 games. “Josh is playing so hard,” Alexander said. “He wants the ball. He wants to be the guy and deliver.” Also in double figures for the Bisons were Smith with 13, followed by guard J.C. Hampton with 12 and forward Talbott Denny with 11. The men’s basketball team was 0-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season, but this year the team is 4-1 — the best conference start in the history of the program. “Nobody’s happy about the result by any stretch, but this loss is better than several of the wins we’ve...
