by Emily Snell | Sep 11, 2012 | Opinion
Most students at Lipscomb remember details about where they were, what they did and how they were affected on Sept. 11, 2001. Each of us has a unique perspective about what took place that day, but we all share in the way that it changed our nation forever. On this eleventh anniversary of 9/11, a handful of Lumination staff members share their experiences from that fateful day. Erica Aburto, senior studying journalism & new media; in Chicago on Sept. 11, 2001: The chilly gusts of wind were making a presence early in the year. It was a murky morning that day, almost as if foreshadowing something ominous was going to happen. I was in fifth grade at Nightingale Elementary on the southside of Chicago at the time. About thirty minutes after school had started, I remember one of the teachers from another hall coming into the classroom, sobbing, and whispering something into my homeroom teacher’s ear. My teacher, Ms. Hillman, gasped and put on her glasses to turn on the TV. She lowered the volume and told us that there had been some very bad men doing bad things. She said we wouldn’t be able to understand but that some bad guys flew a plane into a building, killing people. I remember one of my classmates breaking into tears and asking the teacher if we’d get hit too, since we also have big buildings. Ms. Hillman tried to put her at ease but said she hoped not. The rest of the day, we switched classes, but in every class we saw the same thing–the planes crashing into the towers....
by Emily Snell | Sep 10, 2012 | News Slider
In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week, Dr. Paul Cates, director of the Lipscomb counseling center, offered some advice for students who may be struggling or know someone who is struggling with emotional issues. To learn more about what Dr. Cates said and to gain more information from organizations like To Write Love on Her Arms and The International Association for Suicide Prevention, read the article “Dr. Paul Cates shares advice for students during National Suicide Prevention Week.” Statistics from the International Association for Suicide Prevention: Selected Global World Suicide Prevention Facts and Figures: Data from the World Health Organization indicate that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death by suicide every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined. Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation are far more common; for example, the number of suicide attempts may be up to 20 times the number of deaths by suicide. It is estimated that about 5% of persons attempt suicide at least once in their life and that the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation in the general population is between 10 and 14%. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among the young. Suicide is estimated to be under-reported for multiple reasons including stigma, religious concerns and social attitudes. The psychological and social impact of suicide on the family and community is enormous. The economic costs associated with self-inflicted death or injuries are estimated to be in the billions of US dollars a year. Documented rates are...
by Emily Snell | Sep 10, 2012 | News Slider
National Suicide Prevention Week is Sept. 9-15, and Lipscomb’s counseling center staff reminds students that resources are available for those who have concerns about depression, suicide or other issues. Director of the counseling center Dr. Paul Cates, Ed.D, LMFT, LPC, said students should seek out “anyone they feel comfortable talking with,” especially faculty and staff, if they’re struggling with something. “A pretty good percentage of the population will have periods of depression,” Cates said. “Those are situational. We have things that throw us a curve, and it takes time to work through it. “There are all kinds of reasons why we get down, and it’s in those kinds of times that we’re going to think drastically,” he said. “And that’s a good time to go talk to a counselor or talk to somebody that you feel is a good listener who can share some experienced wisdom with you and can help you work through those things.” Cates said suicide is not as common at Lipscomb as it might be in other communities but said there have been times when he’s had suicidal clients at the counseling center. He said students should not take it lightly if they know someone who might be suicidal. “If an individual has been thinking suicidally, that is something you take very seriously.” To Write Love on Her Arms, “a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide,” reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. The International Association for Suicide Prevention reports that women attempt suicide 2-3 times...
by Emily Snell | Aug 27, 2012 | News Slider
Two armed Campus Security and Safety officers are on patrol during every shift this semester. Brad Wyatt, director of security, and Phil Ellenburg, Lipscomb’s general counsel, said the university has been working on the arming process for a few years. “For the last five years, we’ve been really intentional about upgrading all of our security and safety, emergency planning, everything across the board for the institution,” Ellenburg said. “We’re trying to improve and increase our professionalism. Over the last five years a lot of improvements have been made, but over the last two years, we’ve had a very intentional process where we’ve done several things, and the arming component was a part of that whole process.” Ellenburg said there weren’t specific events that prompted the decision to begin the armed patrols over the summer, rather it was “a normal step in enhanced service.” Wyatt said Lipscomb’s security and safety department, in recent years, intentionally has been hiring officers who would fit the qualifications for an armed officer. The department created a “Security Officer II” position, which requires an advanced security background for example as a police officer, military police officer, armed hospital or prison security officer. Wyatt and Ellenburg said all of the university’s security officers are licensed with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, which handles both unarmed and armed security licensing. “Our internal policies as far as training and standards for officers are a lot higher than the baseline for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance,” Ellenburg said. In addition to licensing, Lipscomb hired a security expert from the Boston area to analyze the campus...
by Nicci Carney | Aug 25, 2012 | News Slider
Record-setting enrollment, the start of a new semester and changes to overflow parking have students concerned about the on-campus parking situation. Most of the overflow parking lot at Stokes Elementary School has been closed for Lipscomb parking, and the closest parking lot near the campus is at Lipscomb Academy’s football field, 10 minutes away from campus. Students affected the most by this change are the upperclassmen, commuter students. Lipscomb senior Gillian Pulley said she is not happy about how parking has been managed since she has been a student here at Lipscomb. “I feel like parking should not be as bad as it is,” she said. “As an upperclassmen, I don’t want to park 10 miles away or 10 minutes walk away from campus.” Students say parking far away from campus is not only inconvenient, but at night, it can become an issue of safety. “When I leave campus and come back late at night, I can’t find parking near my dorm, and I have to park very far away,” said freshman Michaela Canter. Junior Daniel Cal said the move from Stokes to the high school football field could result in even more difficulty getting to school on time. “We already had a far walk [from Stokes],” he said. “Now that we are at the football field, it’s that much farther. If you’re already late, then it makes it that much harder.” Kim Chaudoin, director of University Communication and Marketing, sent emails to students and faculty announcing the sudden changes to parking and updating the Lipscomb community mid-week. “Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we...
