by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 6, 2014 | News Slider
Entering the last show of the three-day production of Singarama’s On Fire, the “Stop,” ‘Drop” and “Roll” groups were all tied up with one win a piece. That changed when university president Randy Lowry announced the show “Just Drop It” as the Sweepstakes Award winner at Collins Alumni Auditorium Saturday night. The show, consisting of members from Sigma Iota Delta, Delta Sigma, Pi Delta, Kappa Chi and friends, made its way to the top, something that director and senior Aaron Joseph said was unforgettable. “It was a fantastic feeling,” Joseph said. “I’ll never be able to forget the feeling [of winning].” Joseph also spoke on one of the key elements of the production. “Scott Bledsoe and Rainey Lankford wrote the script for me, and they did a fantastic job,” Joseph said. “I think that’s what pulled the whole show together.” The story of “Just Drop It” is about a man named Dan, who is constantly assailed by his fear in life. Eventually, he drops his fear and becomes a happier person. The act won its first honor, the Theme Category Award, on Thursday. The “Drop” group sang and danced to “I’m So Excited,” “Bad,” “More,” “Love on Top,” “Higher and Higher,” “Any Way You Want It,” “I Know Where I’ve Been” and “Goodbye.” Joseph admits that he did not walk the path to success alone. “I got so much help from so many different people,” Joseph said. “I couldn’t have done it without those people.” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” directed by junior Makenzie Kanyuh, won the Music Category Award on Friday night. The show consisted of students from Delta...
by Kyrsten Turner | Apr 4, 2014 | News Slider
The Lipscomb community gathered on Thursday to hear Terry Waite, a globally known humanitarian and peace worker, speak in The Gathering at Allen Arena. Waite was introduced by university president Randy Lowry, who called Waite a “hostage negotiator,” paving the way for Waite to share his story of captivity and survival with students. In 1987, Waite was taken hostage while negotiating the release of several hostages in Beirut. Before his abduction, Waite had been recognized for championing the release of hostages in Iran and Libya, all in the 1980s. Waite said his approach to negotiating the release of hostages meant that he had to meet the abductors face-to-face. It is a “risky approach,” Waite said, but worth the effort. “The first thing was to seek a face-to face meeting,” said Waite, who is the scholar-in-residence in Lipscomb’s Institute of Conflict Management this year. “Now, that is risky, because you are dealing with people who are often in a precarious situation, who are highly suspicious and who may well easily take you captive.” This approach, Waite said, requires a level of trust, especially when working with people from different backgrounds and different beliefs. “Somehow, you have to be able to stretch out a hand and form a bridge, and grasp the hand of the other in order to build a relationship of trust,” Waite said. Waite went through his entire negotiating process, building trust and relationship, and seeking a face-to-face meeting with those in Beirut. He was on his way to meet them, or so he thought, when he was abducted. It was not until he had already been held captive for...
by Logan Butts | Mar 31, 2014 | News Slider
Bennie Harris, Lipscomb’s Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations,will be leaving the university to join Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. On June 1, Harris will be taking over the role of Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Morehouse. “Bennie led us through two highly successful campaigns,” said university president Randy Lowry in a press release from the school. “He assembled an excellent team of development professionals to undertake a major capital initiative which many schools shied away from in the depth of the economic challenges the country has faced in recent years. “Bennie and his family are an important part of the Lipscomb community and he will be greatly missed.” Harris has been at Lipscomb since 2007, and in his time with the school, he has overseen multiple projects concerning the betterment of the campus. Harris speaks highly of the Lipscomb community, but he said he looks forward to the next step in his career. “My family and I have cherished the supportive, loving and Christian community we have been a part of here,” Harris said in the press release. “But, this is a very unique opportunity to for me to have a new experience in higher education that fits with my long-term career goals. I am excited about this new chapter in our lives.” In 2010, Harris was the leader of the $54 million overhaul project of Lipscomb’s campus that included the construction of The Village, the Thomas James McMeen Music Center and the establishment of the school’s College of Pharmacy, the first of its kind in Middle Tennessee. The 2010 project also involved major...
by Cory Woodroof | Dec 3, 2013 | News Slider
By Bridgette Begle and Brianne Welch The ninth annual Lighting of the Green brought rich tradition and holiday spirit to the Nashville community Tuesday night. Show regular Amy Grant was joined tonight by Ben Rector, David Phelps, Brenda Lee, Nicole C. Mullen, Hymns for Hunger & Friends (feat. Cindy Morgan and Andrew Greer) and the Stella family, including Nashville‘s Lennon & Maisy, for a night of music, merriment and plenty of bright Christmas lights. Fourth and fifth grade students from Lipscomb Academy, as well as the high school chorus, joined the University chorus on stage throughout the performance. The younger chorus tipped off the night with a medley of holiday classics, and the University chorus sang “Deck the Halls.” “We came here to hear one of our children sing in the chorus,” parent Heather Duncan said.” Our daughter is in the fifth grade at the campus school, so we’re looking forward to hearing everyone sing tonight.” About halfway through the show, Brenda Lee, singer of holiday classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” came onto the stage and ignited enthusiasm throughout the crowd. She asked for “eight really good singers,” and ended up with about 15 children, ranging from ages five to 20, to join her in the Christmas classic “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Lee shared her delight in being a part of the night’s fun. “You know, when miss Amy Grant asks you to do something, it’s just awful hard to say no,” Lee said. “So I’m awfully proud to do this for Lipscomb. It’s a wonderful event.” Christian artist Nicole C.Mullen insisted the crowd stand during her song “365.” People...
by Cory Woodroof | Apr 28, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
The largest crowd in the history of Lipscomb University gathered over two days in Allen Arena at three separate shows to see Miss Kay, Phil and Si Robertson from A&E’s Duck Dynasty for the 2013 Don Meyer Evening of Excellence. Over 14,000 people attended the Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening shows. The trio from the hit reality series came as this year’s headliners for the fifth annual Don Meyer Evening of Excellence. Past headliners include NFL star Tim Tebow, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens. During the Saturday night show, the masses packed into Allen Arena to be greeted by Lipscomb trivia scrolling on the gigantic screens above the Duck Dynasty-themed stage, which had four large recliners at the center. After a welcome from university President Randy Lowery and Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson, a brief video about Coach Don Meyer was shown. Coach Meyer came to the stage shortly after to introduce the group from Duck Dynasty, whom Meyer called ‘friends’ to everyone in the audience. Following another short video that introduced the evening’s guests, Miss Kay, Phil and Si came out to a chorus of applause and duck calls from the audience. Hutcheson joined the three on stage for a Q-&-A, where topics ranged from why people watch the show (which Phil attributes to people getting enjoyment out of watching a ‘functional family’ for a change) to Phil and Si’s infamous beards. Hutcheson also discussed the story behind Phil and Miss Kay’s marriage, Si’s days in the army and Miss Kay’s noted cooking skills. Since it was Si’s birthday, the crowd...
