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 | Apr 4, 2020 | COVID-19, News Slider
Lipscomb University will be refunding, via credit or refund, spring semester room-and-board fees on-campus residents and their parents already had paid before the COVID-19 outbreak forced the campus to close, according to President Randy Lowry. Those same students — who had left their belongings in their dorm rooms before leaving for the extended spring break that turned into the full closure of the campus for the semester — also will be able to reunite with their belongings. Lowry detailed these solutions Thursday in a live video with the Lipscomb Community. “We think already, it cost a school like Lipscomb, 5… 6… 8… $10 million, and that’s before we even get into next fall,” said Lowry of the losses due to the COVID shutdown. About 1,500 people were planning to return to campus living for the rest of the semester at the time the university instructed students that, because of the pandemic, they were not to come back this spring. As of Sunday, April 5, there 327,253 cases and 9,302 deaths associated with COVID-19 across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 3,321 confirmed cases and 43 deaths in Tennessee, according to those CDC numbers. While Lipscomb classes have transitioned to on-line learning this spring and for the summer, there are an awful lot of empty beds and dorm rooms on the Green Hills campus. 2020-2021 undergraduate room and board costs are listed on Lipscomb’s website at $13,380 a year, $6,690 a semester. Lowry knows students and parents are concerned about the money they spent on the room and board they are...
by Mckenzi Harris | Mar 15, 2020 | COVID-19, News Slider
Thanks to concerns over the coronavirus, the week after spring break this year will be one unlike any Lipscomb has ever experienced. The university announced the following for the week of March 23-27: Undergraduate students will have an extended week of spring break. Graduate classes will resume; programs will determine the format. Faculty will report to campus to transition classes to a remote teaching and learning environment. In a presentation to faculty and staff on Thursday, President Randy Lowry said that “‘closing’ is not a very good word for this.” “We are open and will at some level stay open because we have certain kinds of needs we need to meet for our students,” Lowry said. “We’ll be here working that week [of March 23] so that on Monday the 30th of March, we can reinstitute the educational piece to our students wherever in the country we might be,” he said. “And we will be prepared at that time to extend that as long as we need to. We have to be prepared for a longer-term engagement with students in some kind of effective way.” President Lowry expressed his safety concerns of both the faculty and staff, wondering what the right decision for the Lipscomb community would be. “Is a student better off at home or is a student better off here?” Lowry asked. The university had concerns about students all having a home to return to, he said, if it called for a delay of classes. “Something as simple as where should they be becomes really complex when you try to work down at a level that’s sensitive...
by Mckenzi Harris | Mar 6, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
The Bisons’ hopes for an ASUN title and return to post-season glory faded Sunday afternoon when they fell to the Liberty University Flames, 73-57, at the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Liberty Flames (30-4) will go on to the NCAA tournament. The Bisons finish with a 16-16 record after a strong comeback in the second half of the season. Thriller carried Bisons to the championship game: With 3.1 seconds left on the clock Thursday night in Jacksonville, the Bisons earned a 73-71 win over North Florida courtesy of a floater from senior guard Andrew Fleming. Sophomore center Ahsan Asadullah, who had scored a career-high 40 points Tuesday night in the quarterfinal win over Florida Gulf Coast, led all players Thursday with 27 points and 19 rebounds. With eight seconds remaining and the score tied, senior guard Michael Buckland got the ball to Asadullah, who soon found himself triple-teamed. Asadullah fed the ball to Fleming in the lane, and Fleming tossed in a teardrop for the game-winner. “Ahsan flicked it to me,” said Fleming. “I actually didn’t know he was passing it to me. I’m just happy it went in ’cause that kid [6-7 forward Wajid Aminu) had been blocking my shot a ton, so I’m just happy it went in.” Fleming finished with 26 points, a career-high. Lipscomb led by as many as 10 points, coming off of a strong first half, but the Ospreys saw the momentum swing in their favor to take the lead with five minutes left in the game. The Bisons were able to even the scoring and stop two North Florida shots with less...
