by Aaron Schmelzer | May 9, 2014 | News Slider
Lipscomb has a generally good reputation concerning the amount of crimes that occur on campus. But, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2013 crime statistics show that the school ranks near the top of the list in comparison to nearby colleges with the number of reported burglaries and thefts. The amount of reported larcenies and thefts have gradually increased from 2010. In 2013, there were 52 reported larcenies/thefts, while in 2012, there were 29, a difference of 23 reports. The difference between burglaries and thefts/larceny, as Lipscomb Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron described, is a matter of where the crime occurs. “If you leave your dorm room unlocked, [and] somebody comes in and steals your wallet out of your dorm room, it still counts as a burglary because it’s your residence,” Cameron said. He went on to say that theft occurs when an possession is stolen from a public place that the thief has permission to be in. To the left are the 2013 statistics compared to the past few years. Sophomore molecular biology major Mark Mitchell was a burglary victim last year. He and his roommate left their door unlocked at night quite often, and the money in his wallet was stolen. “I had [about] 100, 200 dollars in my wallet, in my desk, tucked away,” Mitchell said. The thief had walked into his room, taken the money and left. Though Mitchell was stolen from, his outlook on Lipscomb hasn’t changed. He does, however, encourage students to be more aware. “People need to be aware,” Mitchell said. “You need to recognize that this is not a bubble....
by Jesica Parsley | May 8, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb Lady Bisons softball team was eliminated from the Atlantic Sun Softball Championship Thursday evening at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. The 3-0 loss to USC Upstate that ended the tourney for the Lady Bisons was the end of a scoreless day for the home team. Earlier Thursday, the Lady Bisons lost their first game of the tournament to the Stetson Hatters 2-0. That struggle began with senior pitcher Ashley Anderson walking in a run in the first inning. The Lady Bisons had a chance to answer when junior infielder Paige Neely got a single in the bottom of the inning but was left stranded. The next runner to cross the plate did not come until the fifth inning. Stetson junior infielder Demi Meza and senior pitcher/infielder Meredith Owen earned back-to-back walks. Meza and Owen were bunted over by sophomore infielder Kayla Drury. Meza scored on a sacrifice fly from junior utility player Amanda Grimaldo to give the Hatters a 2-0 lead. The Lady Bisons scattered six hits in the losing effort. Anderson picked up the loss. Her record fell to 19-5. Owen picked up the victory for the Hatters, improving her record to 24-7. Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman said she was not expecting the morning to end like it did. “I thought we came out in good spirits,” Ryman said. “We struggled to adjust to the strike zone early in the game. It’s frustrating to come into a game expecting to start one way and not have that happen.” The offensive struggles continued for the Lady Bisons Thursday evening in game two against USC Upstate. Upstate got on the board...
by Cory Woodroof | May 8, 2014 | News Slider
The friends and family of the Anastasia Sloan gathered to celebrate her immensely impactful life in the Ezell Center’s Swang Chapel Wednesday night. “She was such a ray of sunshine,” Walt Leaver, vice president for university relations, said. Ms. Sloan, a 2013 graduate of Lipscomb University, lost her life in an auto accident late Monday night. “As we have all mourned greatly in the past couple of days and will continue to do so over the days and weeks ahead, the purpose of tonight is to bring a message of hope,” said Mark Jent, the director of missions outreach for Lipscomb. Jent and his wife Beth were Ms. Sloan’s team leaders on two mission trips to Australia in 2010 and 2011. “She has been a blessing and joy in our life,” Jent said. During the service, those in attendance joined in worship, prayer and reflections of Ms. Sloan’s life and impact. “I think the greatest blessing for me is knowing her heart,” friend Kaylynn Allen said. “She loved people.” Shuen Lim, of Brisbane, Australia, came to know Ms. Sloan during one of Lipscomb’s mission trips. “I was just blown away by her adventurous spirit,” Lim said. “She was so brave to go and bless the world.” Dean Scott McDowell, senior vice president for student life, recounted reading some of Ms. Sloan’s blog posts on the website for the World Race, a mission trip she was planning on going on later this year. He recommended that everyone in attendance go back and read Ms. Sloan’s powerful words. “You will be blessed by doing that,” McDowell said. Various memories were shared from the...
by Logan Butts | May 8, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Former Lipscomb Bison baseball player Caleb Joseph’s journey to the majors has seen stops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona since he was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. On Wednesday night in Tampa, Joseph made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles against the Tampa Bay Rays. Joseph, who replaced usual starter at catcher Matt Wieters, batted 0-3 on the night. Joseph has spent the last seven years playing baseball in various minor leagues with great success since his playing days at Lipscomb. Last season alone, Joseph was named to the mid-season and post-season Eastern League All Star Team and took home the honors of Eastern League MVP and Home Run Derby champion. Joseph finished the season with a batting average of .299 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs. At Lipscomb, Joseph was a key contributor to Lipscomb’s first Atlantic Sun championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance. In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, he homered in the Bisons’ upset win over the Georgia Bulldogs. Joseph is the third Bison to have played in the MLB, joining current Colorado Rockies pitcher Rex Brothers and current Colorado Rockies assistant coach Bo McLaughlin. McLaughlin played for the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics in his MLB career. Joseph’s brother, Corban Joseph, also made a MLB appearance for the New York Yankees in 2013. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Cory Woodroof | May 6, 2014 | News Slider
Update: A celebration of life for Ms. Sloan was held in the Ezell Swang Chapel Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Former Lipscomb University student Anastasia Sloan died in a highway accident late Monday night. Ms. Sloan was driving on Interstate 40 West when her vehicle went off the right shoulder. She over-corrected and crossed both lanes of traffic before going into a guardrail. The vehicle overturned and rested in the middle of the road, and Ms. Sloan was ejected, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s report. The report says she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Ms. Sloan, 23, graduated from the university in May 2013 with a degree in organizational communication and public relations. She was also a member of the Pi Delta social club during her time as a student. The university released a statement on Ms. Sloan’s passing, sharing their condolences to all impacted by the loss. “The Lipscomb community is saddened by the sudden loss of alumna Anastasia Sloan, as we are with the loss of any of our alumni across the country and around the world,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends as they navigate this difficult time.” Aerial Ellis, one of Ms. Sloan’s teachers, spoke to the kind of person she was. “Anastasia was an awesome person,” Ellis said. “She was very bold and confident. I can always depend on her to be a leader and to stand out. “She always had a heart for community, and she loved learning about public relations and was really excited about the career ahead...
by Logan Butts | May 4, 2014 | News Slider
Due to a record number of graduates, Lipscomb University held two commencement ceremonies for the spring 2014 graduates Saturday afternoon in Allen Arena. Over 800 students received their undergrad, graduate or doctorate degrees in the ceremonies, including those who received Lipscomb’s first ever doctorate of ministry degrees. During the undergraduate ceremony, Director of the Beaman Library and 30-year faculty member Carolyn Wilson offered words of wisdom for the graduating students. “My father told me when I began my first career, which was teaching, that I should not determine success in terms of just monetary rewards,” Wilson said. Lipscomb president Randy Lowry also spoke during the ceremony, commenting on the bittersweet feelings of graduation day. “You’re on a path right now, and I know it’s hard to look back and look forward at the same time, but I want you to take a moment to think about that,” Lowry said. “Every path connects you not only to where you are going, but also to where you’ve been. “I hope you spend time celebrating. The past is a wonderful thing for us to recognize. But then there’s the future. The future is in some ways very uncertain and in other ways not so much.” During the undergraduate ceremony, David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, was awarded with the prestigious Alumnus of the Year award. Sampson has also worked in the government as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and assistant secretary of commerce for economic development in the George W. Bush administration. In a change from the usual solo performance, Lipscomb’s Alma Mater...
