by Caitlin Galo | Mar 23, 2011 | News Slider
Survivor Live Blog
by Marlee Vogel | Mar 23, 2011 | News Slider
Tornado season in Middle Tennessee means increasing threats from the skies here at Lipscomb. In fact, the university has continued to hone its security plans, even going so far as to install a new warning system that was tested out during spring break. So far, this campus has been lucky over the years.But others haven’t been. For example, just two years ago Union University, in Jackson, Tenn., sustained severe tornado damage: roofs torn off, dorms destroyed, buildings flooded. Fortunately, no lives were lost at Union due to the university’s tornado preparedness. Being safe during a tornado is crucially important, and here at Lipscomb it is taken very seriously. Recalling the recent hazardous weather conditions, do you remember the obnoxious siren that continued blaring even when Lipscomb had cleared the tornado warning? Whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Davidson County, the city of Nashville activates the countywide sirens. However, Davidson County covers a very wide area, and the alarm is sounded when there is a tornado warning anywhere in the county. This can be confusing and misleading. Fortunately, Lipscomb is taking action to halt confusion and notify students of any immediate danger. That’s where the new warning system comes in. Lipscomb has installed an emergency tower and outdoor warning system on top of the Bennett Campus Center. If there is a tornado warning in the immediate area, there will be a recorded message notifying those on campus to seek shelter immediately. You will hear a siren and then the message notifying you of the emergency. This system was tested during spring break and is ready to help keep students...
by Vanessa Medina | Mar 22, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
Alex Kelly is the only Lipscomb student who can lay claim to spending a part of her winter playing professional volleyball in Germany. While she’s now back on campus getting ready for graduation, she got her chance to sample the world of professional volleyball over Christmas break after signing a contract with a team in Germany. It started when volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal called her about a team from Germany that needed a middle hitter. The trip got off to something of an uncomfortable start after the airlines lost her luggage and didn’t locate it for six days. “That was a struggle,” Kelly said. The team there was exactly what she expected from a pro team, with winning being their only focus. This was an entirely different mindset from college athletics in which homework, papers and GPA are all important. Kelly said she loved almost everything about Germany, from the culture to the freezing cold weather. She didn’t like the management of her team, though. “I didn’t feel like I was treated with the respect that you expect and deserve,” Kelly said. “The team was run like a business and the players were not looked at as important. I had so much going for me here at Lipscomb, it was too hard to give it up and be treated that way.” With all those things behind her, Kelly decided to come back to Lipscomb and finish up her studies. She plans on graduating in May with a degree in marketing and a minor in communications. Once she gets her diploma, Kelly plans on trying her hand at professional volleyball again in Europe. While she...
by Kelsey Durnin | Mar 21, 2011 | News Slider
A recently increasing level of violence at Middle Tennessee State Unievrsity has resulted in injuries, deaths and growing concern among students. Lara Kaplan, a senior from Brentwood majoring in foreign languages at MTSU, has been attending the school since 2006 and, initially, did not feel unsafe on campus. However, the school began the Rave Emergency Alert System that notifies students of potential safety threats via text messages and e-mails, consisting of everything from false alarm reports to the recent stabbing of Tina Stewart. This program has created awareness of the violence that has become more and more apparent. Former MTSU student Josh Gross, who attended the university from 2009-2010 says he received these violence alert messages about once a week. “It was somewhat comforting because the messages were pretty specific about the what, who and where,” Gross said. “But there seemed to be a lot more issues off campus in the student apartments.” Kaplan finds it hard to believe the violence didn’t exist prior to the program, but does believe it has definitely instilled more fear in people knowing that these things were going on. “There has always been violence to some degree in Murfreesboro,” Kaplan said. “But now there have been two shootings, a stabbing, a burglary and shots fired all within a month.” Former Lipscomb student and current MTSU student Anna Taylor doesn’t feel nearly as safe on the campus in Murfreesboro as she did when she attended school in Nashville. “At MTSU, I feel as though I am constantly checking my surroundings while making my usual 15 minute walk to class,” Taylor said. “I could probably...
by Vanessa Medina | Mar 15, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
If you drive out to a Little League Ballpark and ask any little kid what they want to be when they grow up, most will answer “a professional baseball player.” Caleb Joseph, who was one of those kids before his time at Lipscomb, is living that dream, aiming for a roster spot with the Baltimore Orioles when spring training breaks. The former Bison star got the call to join the big league team in Florida when the Orioles opened camp this winter. Joseph is one of seven catchers in the rotation, meaning he will catch about every three games until the dust settles and the roster is filled. This will give him the opportunity to wear the official Baltimore Orioles jersey. He comes by his baseball love naturally. Mom and Dad both graduated from Lipscomb and were involved with athletics. His dad, Mark, played baseball for the Bisons during the NAIA days. Caleb’s sister, Carly, currently cheers at Lipscomb. Caleb’s younger brother, Corban, is also in the minor leagues and is working out with the New York Yankees. The young Joseph has been working with the major league stars after being called upon twice in the past week to play alongside Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira. He also gets to learn from one of the best second basemen in the league, Robinson Cano. Corban was drafted out of Franklin High School and bypassed college ball to try his hand in the majors. While the Joseph brothers are both in the minor league stages, they work out together and push each other. Caleb finally got to see Corban in action on the field last summer. “It’s...
