by Sydney Poe | Feb 21, 2013 | News Slider
February 17-23 is Severe Weather Awareness week in Tennessee. The National Weather Service in Memphis has been participating in the week-long focus by offering different topics to be discussed each day. Their efforts hope to help educate people about severe weather and the importance of safety in a storm. Kelton Halbert, a dual-enrollment student at Lipscomb, hopes to study about severe weather after he graduates from high school. After seeing an EF-4 tornado rip through Murfreesboro, Tenn., in 2009, he became interested in everything that went into a severe weather forecast. Providing different atmospheric analyses for storms that come through the Middle Tennessee area, Halbert is constantly monitoring the weather. He accomplishes this through his blog, Tempest Chasing, and his twitter account, @TempestChasing. After he graduates, Halbert plans on attending the University of Oklahoma to study...
by Whitney Jarreld | Feb 20, 2013 | News Slider
Buzzing sewing machines and the sounds of fabric being ripped and cut mixes with the chatter of daily topics in a room where a group of retired women come together to sew for love. The walls contain pictures, posters and notes with Bible verses that echo that loving motivation. But the ultimate testimony to how these women do everything in love is them taking time to sew for people in need. Now expanded into two rooms, one for fabric and the other for sewing, Sewing to Share is a group of retired women at Trevecca Towers who use their beloved craft to help charity and missions. The group came together in 2008. The women began filling requests to make quilts for an African school for young girls. The quilts were followed by baby blankets for orphaned children in China. The group then found their work so needed that they expanded into a full-time mission of sewing for hope and love. Other beneficiaries of the group include the Veteran’s Administration, Nashville Rescue Mission, nursing homes and other charities. Pearl Kidwell, who has lived in the towers for 10 years, spearheads the group. When she began the group, the women made use of leftover fabric. “We started making quilts, and no money was involved. Everything was volunteer. We took scraps and made beautiful quilts,” Kidwell said. “Since that time, we’ve made quilts for different organizations. We can’t make up our mind which ones we want to do.” Kidwell doesn’t sew alone. Grace Hall moved into the towers a little more than three years ago and enlisted in the project. “I’d always...
by Kathryn McKinley | Feb 19, 2013 | News Slider
Many Lipscomb students escape the “Spring Break” stereotype of sizzling sun and fun on Florida beaches by embarking on mission trips. Approximately 430 Lipscomb students are preparing to spend their spring breaks serving others through mission trips across the United States and beyond. This year, students will be traveling to 10 different countries on 23 different trips to serve others and spread the love of God during the break that begins March 18. Paul Stevens, the Lipscomb Missions Coordinator, said he’s excited about all the good students will do on their mission trips. He also recommended that students should start preparing for their trips now. “It’s important for students to attend their team meetings, fundraise diligently and, most importantly, build relationships with their fellow team members,” Stevens said. Mission teams have already started preparing for their trips, but it is not too late to sign up for a spring break mission trip. Stevens encourages those toying with the idea to not hesitate in joining a team. “What’s keeping you from it?” Stevens said enthusiastically. “There are so many different opportunities. We have a team that, one way or another, is going to incorporate something that you absolutely love to do and glorify God through something that comes to them very naturally.” Lipscomb first year pharmacy student Michelle Roberts, who has been on three Lipscomb mission trips, echoes Stevens’ enthusiasm. “Mission trips are memories you will never forget,” Roberts said. If you are interested in joining a mission trip, information about trips that are still open is available outside of the Missions Center in Ezell. If you have any questions,...
by Cory Woodroof | Feb 18, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Earlier this semester, the campus ministry department announced that Steve Davidson would be filling in the role of becoming one of Lipscomb’s new campus ministers. While he’s new to the position, Davidson, a husband, father of two and grandfather of two, is no stranger to campus. Davidson was recruited coming out of high school to play basketball for the university under legendary coach Don Meyer. After his time as an undergrad, Coach Meyer helped Davidson find two jobs with Lipscomb. “When I was finishing up, Coach Don Meyer, who I played under, asked me to stay, and he was able to work out a deal as far as me working in admissions as an admissions counselor representing the school, but also working as an assistant basketball coach,” Davidson said. For Davidson, this was only a two-year plan. He planned to leave Lipscomb after graduate school, but the education major and graduate student ended up taking on the role of assistant director of admissions. A year later, Davidson became the campus’ director of admissions – a title he would hold for 13 years. Davidson used some of Coach Meyer’s organizational lessons to help him succeed in the work. “Coach Meyer was a very organized person and loved to teach on organization, so that helped me a lot as far as being an administrator in the admissions office,” Davidson said. During his time as the director of admissions, the university saw, as Davidson put it, up and down years. Through the challenges that came with the job, Davidson admits he greatly enjoyed in the opportunity. “I really loved the job,” Davidson...
by Cory Woodroof | Feb 17, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Looking to shake off Thursday night’s loss to Stetson, the men’s basketball team posted up an 84 -74 win over the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles, currently the top team in the Atlantic Sun, Saturday night in Allen Arena. The victory snaps the Eagles’ seven-game win streak and marks the second time this season the Bisons have bested the visitors (they defeated the Eagles 87-78 in OT on Jan. 17 in an away game). The Bisons (now 10-15, 5-9 in conference) overcame a rough start that saw the Eagles (19-9, 11-4 in conference) leading 12-4 after the first four minutes of the half. Lipscomb slowly reduced the margin in the next six minutes, tying the ballgame at the 10 minute mark. The teams continued to battle for the lead, with the Eagles holding a slim four-point margin at the break. However, the Bisons fought their way back in the second, finally gaining the lead for good at 5:33 after a jumper by redshirt freshman Stephen Hurt. Lipscomb held off FGCU long enough to snag the big win. Sophomore Martin Smith was the team’s leading scorer and had a career night with 30 points. He also had 10 rebounds, which nets his first career double-double. Hurt also had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Deonte Alexander added in 14 points. Martin Smith (whose brother Malcom was held out tonight with an injury) said he felt that this win in particular was especially beneficial to the Bisons. “This is a win we needed,” Smith said. “Everybody’s kind of bunched up in the A-Sun.” Smith said he was happy...
by Monaih Sam | Feb 15, 2013 | News Slider
Pastor Khem Sam reminds his congregation that “we are the lucky ones” every Sunday at Belmont Heights Baptist Church. Those may be just words to most, but to Pastor Sam, those words hold a much deeper meaning. Sam was abandoned by his parents as a young boy. He struggled to survive on the streets of poverty-stricken Cambodia. That was just the beginning of his problems. “I did whatever I could to survive,” he said. “I took whatever jobs I could find.” One of Sam’s first jobs was as a taxi driver. The only difference with today’s taxi drivers and those in the 1950s and 60s Cambodia was that they did not use cars. Sam would sit passengers in a carriage and he would walk or run them around town for miles in a day. Sam eventually worked hard enough to pay his way through school. “In those days only the rich people went to school,” he said. “The poor were illiterate, and I knew that I had to educate myself if I wanted a better future for myself.” Then came the Vietnam War, and Sam’s world would turn upside-down. Cambodia was a neutral country during the war, but it was often bombed by American forces because its borders were used as a supply chain to the North Vietnamese. It is estimated that as many as 500,000 Cambodians died as a direct result of the bombings, while perhaps hundreds of thousands more died from the effects of displacement, disease or starvation during this period. After the Vietnam was over, the Cambodian government collapsed and was taken over by the Khmer...
