Since Lipscomb University has been established for so many years, there are bound to have been a few changes here and there. But with such a rich history and great legacy, much has stayed the same.
Mary Anne Thomas Smith attended Lipscomb in the early 1950s. She chose to go to the school to find a Christian husband – an ambition at which she succeeded.
Mary Anne Thomas Smith was a Lipscomb cheerleader and also worked in the McQuiddy gym. She describes student activities as being very similar to those of students today.
“Mostly, we stayed on campus and went to whatever event was going on. On weekends, we went to movies and church-hopped. We were just entertained by spending time together,” Mary Anne Thomas Smith said.
Jan Craig, a classmate of Smith’s who also “loved, loved, loved “ Lipscomb, noted many changes that have occurred at the university, both good and bad.
“The faculty is great. There are many wonderful Bible teachers. There are so many more programs, so many things to do, so many improved facilities and the campus is a lot prettier,” Craig said.
But, she doesn’t approve of the changed dress code, the cutting down of trees and the overuse of cell phones.
Of course, there’s always been romance at college.
“We all snuck in kisses when we could, but they were very brief,” Craig said.
A big change came to Lipscomb’s campus in the 1960s when Social Clubs were introduced. Cherie Bandy Smith, a student in the 1980s, said Social Clubs (she was a member of Delta Sigma) were the best part of campus life.
“The campus has changed a lot, but the social clubs have stayed the same in being the best part of campus,” Cherie Bandy Smith said. “Delta Sigma always had fun functions to go to, and pledging was always the most entertaining part of the year.”
All the women agreed there’s one thing that never should change at Lipscomb.
“I want God and the Christian values to always be put first, and for the Bible to continue to be the authority,” Cherie Bandy Smith said.