by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 6, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
The Lipscomb College of Pharmacy began compounding hand-sanitizer for the Nashville community in May, due to a shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students, alumni, faculty and volunteers were involved in the compounding, and more who want to help are filling up a waiting list. “We started getting reports from our healthcare community saying supplies were getting extremely limited in terms of PPE (personal protection equipment) and also just hand-sanitizer to have available for both the patients and staff as they carry out their healthcare duties,” said Tom Campbell, dean of the College of Pharmacy and associate professor of Pharmacy Practice. Many of the college of pharmacy graduates are on the front lines in this battle against the virus, and the school keeps in contact with them, so when alums gave the word of the shortages around local healthcare facilities, Lipscomb stepped in. This is an experiment that the college would normally do in a pharmaceutical compounding class, according to Campbell. So making the hand-sanitizer was a way to reinforce compounding skills, while meeting a public health need with student pharmacists. “It was a great opportunity for our students to use the knowledge and skills they developed, knowing that they were able to help people in need. That’s always a very rewarding and refreshing feeling,” said Campbell. He said the college hopes to continue compounding throughout the summer and into the fall if needed, possibly even providing more hand-sanitizer around campus to create a safer environment as students return in the fall. Campbell encourages all who can to donate to the effort. “The one limiting factor will be costs, over...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 6, 2020 | News, News Slider
Lipscomb alum Cedric Duncan said there was a great motivation for the 10,000-plus protesters who marched through the streets of Nashville in a rally supporting change after the death of George Floyd. “If you just talk the talk, nothing changes,” said Duncan, who was among those who began the trek at Bicentennial Mall, through downtown Nashville to the Tennessee Capitol and back in an orderly and peaceful procession. Much of downtown was boarded up as merchants feared a repeat of the violence that occurred after a peaceful protest last Saturday. But the crowd, which appeared to include at least as many white people as blacks people, was peaceful. The march planned by high school students occurred on the same day that Minneapolis — where Floyd was killed by police May 25, when one officer held his neck to the pavement by kneeling on it for more than eight minutes — was celebrated by the Rev. Al Sharpton and others, including Floyd’s family and children. Floyd’s pleas of “I can’t breathe” went ignored and he died. His final cries were for his mother. The officer has been charged with second-degree murder and three other officers who assisted in the fatal encounter also have been charged. The tragic incident and graphic video of Floyd dying stirred up protests nationwide, in which Floyd’s death was lamented and used as an illustration of general police action against black men in particular, though black women also have been victims. “For me, it was more of marching for change in the culture of policing,” said Duncan, of the massive gathering Thursday in Nashville. In addition...
by Lumination Staff | Jun 3, 2020 | News, News Slider, Uncategorized
The killings of three black Americans — including the recent slaying of George Floyd, killed by a white Minneapolis police officer who kept his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, until he was dead — are “tragic and inexcusable,” said Lipscomb President Randy Lowry. Lowry addressed the Floyd case — the officer has been charged with murder and more charges are expected against the other three officers on the scene — and the other two deadly racist incidents in an email to the Lipscomb community. The killing of Floyd has led to demonstrations and rioting across the nation, including in Nashville, where a peaceful rally on Saturday was overshadowed by mob violence and arson of the Metro Courthouse and looting on Lower Broadway. Downtown businesses continue on alert in case other incidents flare-up. “I write to you this Monday evening with a sense of deep sadness as we respond to the tragic and inexcusable deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor,” Lowry said. “It follows recent similar instances when the lives of black Americans have been wrongfully taken revealing continuing injustice and inequality in our nation. The Lipscomb community stands clearly on the side of respect and love. We are completely intolerant of racial abuse and injustices for all. “The Lipscomb community stands clearly on the side of respect and love,” he said. “We are completely intolerant of racial abuse and injustices for all.” The death of Floyd came on the heels of two highly publicized killings of black people by authority figures. Taylor, 26, an emergency room technician in Louisville, Kentucky, was shot at...
by Mckenzi Harris | Jun 1, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, COVID-19, News, News Slider
Several members of a construction team working on the Lipscomb campus have tested positive for the coronavirus, said President Randy Lowry in an email sent out to faculty members. “Yesterday one of the contractors on-site notified us that during routine daily health screenings required before an employee enters the construction site, several of their employees presented with a fever and were asked to leave the construction site to get COVID-19 tests and to self-quarantine,” Lowry wrote in the email. All of the individuals working at the site were tested, and the results have begun to come in. “While we are awaiting results from all of the tests, the contractor has notified us that several of the construction workers did test positive for the virus,” Lowry said. “When we learned of self-reported cases through one of our contractors, we engaged with the contractor to ensure access to testing was available to all members of the work crew,” said Kim Chaudoin, Lipscomb assistant vice president for public relations and communications. The site has been temporarily shut down for cleaning, and Lipscomb is taking precautions by holding virtual meetings with all of the contractors working on summer projects and reviewing their protocols. “The university has also implemented enhanced precautionary measures that require all subcontractors to assess their employees when they arrive on the work site, including a temperature check and health screening, wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distance among other measures,“ said Chaudoin. “While these results are concerning, we were not necessarily surprised to have a situation like this occur at some point, and we are prepared,” Chaudoin continued. “This quick...
by Lumination Staff | May 15, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
By Megan Kuper, Shelby Talbert and Rose Schaddelee The Lady Bisons softball team looks for its 12th win of the 2020 season, approaching the fourth inning ahead by 10. Less than an inning later, Lipscomb defeats the Lady Tarheels due to the “mercy” run rule. The girls celebrate the big win and give hope to having the best season yet… until the unimaginable happened. The day after the Bisons big win, all winter and spring sports were brought to an end by the NCAA, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that became a national emergency. “There’s no way that it’s over,” said Jenna Endris, a Bison whose junior season abruptly ended. “We did not see it coming at all,” she said, drawing a long, slow breath. “And it doesn’t seem real….” Hearing the season is over sprung many “Whys?” to Endris and the team: ”Why did we want to kill ourselves in the fall from conditioning and weights? And why did we go to practice for four hours every single day to not even compete for a championship?” Every day gets easier for the junior, she explained. The Lipscomb Bisons are reigning conference champions, and her positive attitude was fueled by cracking light-hearted jokes about going “back-to-pause-back (instead of “back-to-back”) conference champs” in her final season as a Lady Bison next season. Endris was not the only one feeling the impact of the season’s cancellation. “There were lots of tears and many expressed frustration, you know some having worked their whole softball careers and to have it end like this….,” said coach Kristin Ryman. “However we tried to remind...
by Kathryn Farris | May 14, 2020 | COVID-19, News, News Slider
Ever since the close of the spring semester, uncertainty has been in the air over the slowly approaching fall semester. Lipscomb announced its intention to move ahead on the fall semester; however, what that will look like depends on a variety of factors in the coming months. “The challenge is really how do you figure out how to bring 1,500 people back and live in dorms two to a room and use a common bathroom down the hall and take care of those that might get sick along the way,” said President Randy Lowry in a video call to faculty on May 7. A return to campus would come with potential adjustments, due to the spread of COVID-19 across the country. “The No. 1 concern will be our health security,” said Lowry, announcing his intentions to appoint a new director of Health and Wellness. Lipscomb follows in the steps of several other colleges and universities, each grappling with the impact of COVID-19. “We also are planning to be able to open not just the middle of August, but also right after Labor Day, and also the first of October,” Lowry said. “Students generally are not going to change their plans, especially if we have through the summer done all the things we’re trying to do to connect with them. They can tolerate three weeks online before we open the door.” Another possible plan mentioned by Lowry was an early finish before Thanksgiving. “Now, that may sound kind of screwy, but that’s a 12-week period of time,” Lowry said. “It’s essentially what a quarter would be in the other system....
