by Micah Kennedy | May 3, 2022 | News Slider, Student Spotlight
Thousands of graduating college students across the country are preparing to close this current chapter and open another. Many students do a lot of reflection around this time of year, and Lipscomb University’s Trey Phillips is no exception. Phillips will be graduating with a bachelor of science in civil engineering and a minor in applied mathematics. He said his experience at Lipscomb has been much more than formulas and equations. “The word that best describes my time at Lipscomb is fun.” Phillips said. “Meeting new people, learning new ideas, and challenging myself has been very fun. These four years really helped me break out of my shell.” It’s no surprise that Phillips had a rich experience while at Lipscomb when you consider his extracurricular resume: – President of the Lipscomb chapter of The Collegiate 100 and four-year member – Former Black Student Union president and chaplain and four-year member – Member of African Student Association – Member of Presidential Student Advisory Council These experiences have allowed Phillips to make quite the impression on the Lipscomb community. Prentice Ashford’s time as dean of Community Life started just one semester before Phillips’ arrival, and Ashford gave him high praise. “Steadfast and reliable are the two words that immediately come to mind when I think of Trey Phillips,” Ashford said. “He is a person who came in as a freshman with high expectations already on his shoulders and he exceeded those expectations. He has been a vocal leader among students in a space where representation matters.” Phillips will be taking those qualities into his next venture as an employee at Collier Engineering, a local multi-disciplinary consulting...
by Shawna Mann | May 2, 2022 | News Slider, Student Spotlight
Students often turn to their school for ways to help meet their needs. Many times these can go beyond what is provided through academics. College campuses are filled with students who work jobs on and off-campus. Students work these jobs for a variety of reasons, ranging from trying to pay tuition to just having a bit of spending money. Student workers contribute to the daily operations of the university through their efforts. At Lipscomb there are 626 students who are currently employed by the university. Outside of class, they can be seen by their peers working at Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, or as a tour guide just to name a few jobs. “These students also benefit from networking and forming meaningful relationships with other students, faculty and staff,” said Lynn Chappin, director of Human Resources. “On-campus jobs provide income for students in a convenient work environment.” A plus side of being a student worker is being able to prioritize school while working a job. At Lipscomb’s Beaman Library, Kahwit Tela is a student worker who oversees the reference and circulation desk. “One thing I’m really grateful for with my job at the library is their flexibility,” Tela said. “If it’s slow and there’s no one really around, we can do our work.” Tela said working in an environment where you can do homework on the clock is most definitely a pro when having to manage time. “We can focus on our studies while also getting paid,” Tela said. More information about on-campus jobs at Lipscomb can be found at this job board....
by Kahwit Tela | Apr 11, 2022 | News, News Slider, Student Spotlight
Amid turmoil and destruction, one girl completes a beauty ritual every night before going to bed. The 11-year-old sister of Liza Diachenko, a senior fashion major and tennis player from Kharkiv, Ukraine, would put on makeup every night before going to bed for one particular reason. “[My Mom told me my] sister puts on makeup on every night and says if that if she dies, she wants to die pretty,” Diachenko said. “[No] 11-year old should be thinking about dying,” Diachenko said. “They should be talking about school, friends, boys, or whatever.” For Diachenko, It’s heartbreaking to see her younger sister experience a “completely different childhood” than she. One that forces her to grow up fast. This is one of the many harsh realities Ukrainians are currently facing due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict.On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, causing the largest assault on a European state since World War II.Since the start of the invasion, more than three million refugees have fled Ukraine, and more than six million have left their homes in the country. Diachenko’s teammates Kate Popova and Sasha Dobranos are from Ukraine as well and have joined her in grieving that their home country has been filled with unrest. All three women played tennis since an early age and would often travel to different places across Europe to play, including different parts of Ukraine. “We’re thankful to tennis that we got to explore because not a lot of people pretty much explored the whole country [of Ukraine],” Diachenko said. When the conflict started, the three joined a group chat with other Ukrainian tennis players to check up...
by Jayme Foltz | Mar 26, 2022 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Student Spotlight
She may not have the accent, but that doesn’t mean she ain’t country. Sydney Brown, a commercial music major from Parker, Colorado, took to the Black River Stage at The Well to perform 12 original songs. “I have a lot of country influence in my writing,” Brown said, explaining the inspiration. “That’s what I grew up with, and that’s what I love. “I don’t have the Southern accent, of course. So it doesn’t always sound the most country at first. But that’s definitely a major influence.” Brown’s musical tales of young love, heartbreak, and growing up quickly commanded the attention of the crowd. This was especially true during her performances of “I Got You” a story about love, “Vienna” which shared her hope to see the world, and “Walking Through a Memory,” which is one of Brown’s favorites. “It’s about going back to your hometown, like, after you’ve graduated and left and moved on, and just go into the same places that used to be, like, your stomping grounds and it just doesn’t feel quite the same,” Brown said. “Like, it’s still that special place, but you don’t quite fit in there anymore. It is one of my favorites I’ve ever written.” Jay Meng, a student who attended the event, said she was pleasantly surprised by Brown’s performance. “It was very sweet and calming to hear her voice,” Meng said. “All of her songs were so soothing, but I especially loved the one about her hometown.” For Brown, who has been singing all her life, it was clear what she would pursue when she made her way to Lipscomb....
by Shelby Talbert | Mar 23, 2022 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Student Spotlight
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Singarama will be held in person, in Collin Alumni Auditorium, March 24-26. The 59th Annual Singarama event had looked different the last two years. The pandemic halted the 2020 competition, and last year’s event was held without an in-person audience. The event is back in full force this year with the theme being Story-time. Shawna Mann is a communications major from Florida and is one of the four hosts of this year’s Singarama.“I am most excited for Collin to be back with people, it’s been three years since I’ve performed because of COVID and I’m just excited to have a live audience,” said Shawna. This year’s event will have four hosts, and it is their job to move the night along and to create smaller numbers in between each of the social club performances. “It’s awesome but nerve-wracking,” Shawna said. “We either perform solo or with two other people as hosts so we have to make sure and be extra entertaining cause we can’t fade to the background.” The three teams competing this year are History directed by Mallory Nunley; Mystery, directed by Shelby Bratcher; and Fairytale, directed by Nate Pearce. The teams have been in the rehearsal process since the start of the semester, and for many, it will be their first experience with performing. Sidney Webster is a youth ministry major from Charlotte, NC, who is participating on the fairytale team. Webster was hesitant to audition at first, however after a dissuasion with Fairytale director Nate Pearce she decided to join. “I feel like my main role is to help the director’s image...
by Savannah Brouwer | Feb 4, 2022 | News, News Slider, Sports, Student Spotlight
The first Women’s Only Lift Night took place Wednesday night in the Student Activities Center. This ladies-only weightlifting night was advertised around campus for the past couple of weeks, promising female Lipscomb students a place to work out in peace. Despite it being a cold and rainy night, dozens of women showed up ready to lift and learn. What ended up being a night filled with laughter, growth, and community, began with one simple question: where can I help? This question was asked by transfer student Haley Gaines, a junior majoring in dietetics and minoring in exercise science. Gaines has been a trainer for six years, and before that was in the marine core for eight. It was in her years at the marines that Gaines realized her passion for women in fitness. She found it frustrating that she was the “only female surrounded by men that didn’t know anything about [her] body.” After years of training, she found that women would approach her in the gym and ask her questions. “I could tell that a lot of women were intimidated,” Gaines said, “and that is why Ladies Lift Night became a thing.” Gaines took her frustration around women’s discomfort in the gym and the judgment they often receive for their abilities and created the heart behind Ladies Lift Night. “I just want women to have a place where they feel confident not only on the outside but on the inside. [They should] have a place to believe in themselves.” The results are in, and the Women’s Only Lift Night did just that. The safe space Gaines tried to...
