by Gunnar Eng | Jul 10, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
Lipscomb’s recent graduates and others currently in the nursing program have been thrown into the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. They join an army of new nurses and nursing students nationwide who have been called into action because of the emergency. “Many signed up for the COVID-19 relief team at Vanderbilt and other area hospitals, which they all did voluntarily and not under any mandatory process from the School of Nursing or Lipscomb,” said Dr. Chelsia Harris, director of the nursing program at Lipscomb. “Many are getting paid in some capacity.” “Some of our graduates went straight to work in hospitals and other health-care facilities with COVID-19 units, post-graduation,” Harris said. “Out of 35 graduates, at least 15 or 16 that I know of have been doing that.” Kayla Neal is a recent graduate, who works as a patient care tech at Skyline Medical Center and AHC Cumberland nursing home. Neal, who graduated in May, has been in close vicinity of quarantined sectors. “They take our temperature at the beginning of the shift and make sure we are wearing our required masks,” Neal said. “All patients are screened beforehand and are also required to wear masks when being transported around.” Neal said the increasing number of patients, due to COVID, is putting stress on the healthcare system. “The nurse-to-patient ratio has increased from five-to-one to six-to-one just while I’ve been working there, and the responsibility for each employee has increased significantly as well,” said Neal. “COVID-19 is a stressful thing, but it gives me an advantage because I’m starting off as a new nurse in the midst of a...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jul 8, 2020 | Arts and Entertainment, News, News Slider
Charlie Daniels, who died Monday at age 83, used his stardom and energy to help veterans’ causes, including helping provide the educational costs for veterans attending Lipscomb. Daniels, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died after suffering a stroke. The funeral for the Grand Ole Opry member, best known for “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” and with his Charlie Daniels Band helping to define the “Southern Rock” genre, is at 11 a.m. Friday at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro. Sellars Funeral Home in Daniels’ adopted hometown of Mt. Juliet will host a visitation from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Thursday. The singer played a part in Lipscomb’s Yellow Ribbon scholars program, which — along with the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and Veterans Administration — funds the education of Post 9/11 veterans. For five years, Daniels put on a concert at Lipscomb for the Copperweld Charlie Daniels’ Scholarship for Heroes to raise funds for Lipscomb University’s Yellow Ribbon Enhancement Program. The first installment of the Copperweld Charlie Daniels’ Scholarship for Heroes concert was held in spring 2010. “Charlie Daniels was a talented musician, a man of deep conviction and principles, and a patriot,” said Lipscomb President Randy Lowry. “But most of all he was a compassionate person who tirelessly invested his time, talents and resources to make the lives of others better.” Daniels was best known for his crossover hit from 1979, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which remains a staple on country and classic rock radio stations. The song made it to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Daniels the Grammy for...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jul 5, 2020 | News, News Slider
Because of the uncertainty and threat of COVID-19, Lipscomb students will be given the option of staying home after Thanksgiving and taking their exams on-line rather than in-person at the end of the fall semester. Classes will begin Aug. 24, with the last day of finals Dec. 16, according to the university. “The fall semester will continue with on-campus classes until Thanksgiving break,” according to the Lipscomb Return to Campus web page. “In an effort to be both mindful of additional travel expenses and individual student health concerns, students will have the option of staying home after Thanksgiving break and completing the last week of classes and finals remotely.” “I think it’s a good idea, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” said senior public relations student Makena Sneed. “There are a lot of students who have to travel, and considering all the travel restrictions there are right now — I’m not sure how the numbers will continue to trend — but virtual finals sound like a great idea.” “I think it could allow for some really great learning opportunities and allow students to flourish in ways that they aren’t usually able to with a regular exam schedule at Lipscomb,” said Sneed. Move-in for new students is scheduled over three days this year, Aug. 14-16. Quest week and new student orientation will look the same as in the past for the most part, taking place on Aug. 17-23. Fall graduation is still planned as an on-campus event on December 19. But Lipscomb will continue to monitor the regional guidelines to determine if an in-person event can be held at that...
by Gunnar Eng | Jun 29, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
With the European Union banning American tourists beginning this summer and other factors as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, study abroad programs have been postponed indefinitely. “This tough decision was a collaborative agreement between our Office of Global Learning, Risk Management, and upper administration,” said Rebecca Zanolini, director of Global Learning, citing information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department as source material in this decision. “Given the current information we have and due to a number of factors out of our control, such as many countries either limiting entrance or imposing a 14-day quarantine on those entering, it is the decision of the university to cancel our fall 2020 study abroad programs,” said Provost W. Craig Bledsoe. The EU has said that American tourists will be banned from entering the continent because the virus is raging uncontrolled here. It is similar to the winter’s ban on most European visitors to the U.S., issued when COVID-19 was reaching its peak in several countries. The university is now making accommodations for all students who planned to study abroad this semester to help them transition into a semester on-campus, including classes and housing registration assistance. “Even with this temporary situation regarding fall 2020 programs, we are moving ahead with our investment in Lipscomb’s global learning program and on-campus activities for students interested in future international travel opportunities,” said Bledsoe. “In the next few weeks the university plans to purchase the Florence villa that has served our global students so well for the last few years,” Bledsoe said. “This is a significant investment in our global learning program...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 16, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, News, News Slider
Savannah Miller, remembered as a “sweet, loving” student in Lipscomb’s IDEAL program died Saturday “following complications related to a medical procedure,” said President Randy Lowry. “It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news of the loss … of Savannah Miller, a student in Lipscomb’s IDEAL program, Lowry said in an email to the student body. Miller was well-known for her positive attitude around campus and her internships with admissions and Student Life. She was a member of Phi Nu and a resident of Johnson Hall. “Savannah was a sweet, loving, joyful, and caring friend,” said Riley Hoag, also a student in the IDEAL program. “She was always there to help me out when I needed someone to talk to. She always put a smile on everyone’s face during school.” Savannah could be easily found drinking a frappuccino in the Starbucks on campus, according to Hoag. Grief sessions have been set up by the Office of Student Life as virtual Zoom calls. The links have been sent out to the student body and can be found here. Lipscomb plans to have a memorial service on campus in the fall to honor her life. More details will be released on that when the details are finalized, according to the university. Miller is survived by her mother, Renee Miller; her father, Bill Miller; three siblings, Shayna, Justin and Jacob; and her extended family. She was preceded in death by her brother, Garrett. “What we are hearing over and over again in the hours following her death is that Savannah is clearly a young lady who will be missed...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 14, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, News, News Slider
Lynn Griffith, professor of kinesiology in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and a long-time coach at the university and the academy, died Saturday of “an apparent heart attack,” said university President Randy Lowry. “The Lipscomb family is mourning the loss of Lynn Griffith. Lynn passed away earlier this morning,” said Lowry in a Saturday email to the Lipscomb community. Griffith had served the university and the academy in academics and athletics for four decades. Griffith joined the Lipscomb faculty in 1980 and served as the department chair of the former department of health and physical education, and he most recently taught courses in motor learning, kinesiology, mechanics of movement and coaching education. “Beyond the profound loss, we celebrate with him a larger story,” Lowry said in an email to faculty. “It is the belief he claimed in a loving God and an eternal relationship with him. Even in this tragic moment, we share that hope.” Griffith was the men’s tennis coach for 21 years and the NCAA D-1 Independent Men’s Coach of the Year in 2002. Griffith also served as Lipscomb’s cross country coach from 1994-1999. He was also an assistant coach under Bison baseball coach Ken Dugan for several years and was a former assistant athletic director. Lynn was most recently a coach at Lipscomb Academy, where he served as the head swim coach for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons and as girls’ and boys’ tennis head coach for several years. He led the boys’ tennis program to an undefeated season and a Class A-AA team state championship in spring 2016, the first team state championship...
