New Lipscomb recovery group ‘Free To Be’ offers friendship, accountability

The major message of the “Free To Be… You and Me” record, produced by Ms. Foundation for Women, was to inspire everyone, male and female, to achieve greatness. The goal of Lipscomb’s new recovery group, Free To Be, is similar in that it inspires students to take care of their bodies, achieving wellness.  “Free To Be [started] because we realized there wasn’t a lot going on as far the drug and alcohol support was concerned,” said Andrea Mills, associate director of Lipscomb’s Counseling Center. “We wanted to make sure students felt like there was something they could come to and not feel like they were going to get in trouble for admitting that they had an issue or problem,” Mills said. Free To Be is a drug and alcohol recovery group, that also serves as a breakout chapel, where students can receive one chapel credit per session. Beginning in January, Free To Be meets once a week on Thursdays and gives students the opportunity to engage in a community that understands their situation and offers accountability. The group is not just for recovering addicts, however. Mills said she knows students think they have to be in recovery to join the group, but Free To Be is for any student who has any struggle with alcohol or drugs and wants help. Mills came to Lipscomb in October 2013 from the UAV Hospital, where she worked with emerging adults in the in-patient recovery program. She said students do not have to identify as an alcoholic or addict. The student just needs to see that they are struggling and want help. Free...

Commuters get their space

Commuting students don’t have the option of their dorm-dwelling comrades: they have no dorm bed to go slip into if there’s dead time between classes. To answer that problem, the university last week opened The Commuters’ Lounge. Up until the lounge opened, commuting students were forced to spend their “down time” in public spaces, which generally are congested and raucous. Now there’s a home away from home for communters in the lounge that comes fully equipped with an ample sectional sofa for big study sessions, a futon (for students who are wanting to squeeze a nap in between classes), a refrigerator, microwave, lockers for storage and a plasma television with cable. It is located behind Elam Hall, adjacent to Lipscomb Security for added convenience in case of an emergency. For questions or comments, visit the Campus Life office located at the bottom of the Student Center. Scott McDowell, vice president for student development, was instrumental in the construction of The Commuters’ Lounge. Last week, he invited commuting students to take a tour of the lounge and also asked them for questions or suggestions about how it can better serve their needs. Sophomore Denise de la Torre, who is studying biology, suggested that “the hours be extended, since there are many commuters who have evening classes or...