Graduation changes aim to shorten commencement ceremonies

After years of constant growth and increased enrollment, Lipscomb has chosen to hold two commencement ceremonies for May 2014 graduates.  Lipscomb expects to have over 700 seniors graduate or participate in the May 3rd commencement ceremonies. The university has seen an 86 percent growth rate over the past nine years. “It’s based on numbers so that the groups can be more comfortable,” said Jacqueline Langston, an administrative assistant from the Registrar’s office. The ceremonies will be divided by graduate and undergraduate students. Graduate and pharmacy students will participate in the 10:30 a.m. ceremony. Undergraduate students will participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony. Both ceremonies will take place in Allen Arena, with doors opening one hour before each ceremony. “We can’t anticipate the upcoming years, it will depend on the numbers and enrollment,” Langston said. “Nothing is set in stone [for future ceremonies] and it will be decided at the necessary time.” With splitting the commencement into two ceremonies it allows each ceremony to be focused on the individual group graduating and also cuts down on the length of time for the ceremony. Photo courtesy of...

Women’s golf team heads to Hawaii for tournament

The Lady Bisons golf team is taking its spring break getaway a week earlier than most students. The group is taking its third trip to Hawaii where they will play in the University of Hawaii’s Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational this week. “We [will] play The Klipper Course on the Kaneohe Marine Base on the island of Oahu,” said head coach Buddy Harston. The invitational will feature teams from the SEC, PAC 10, Big 10 and the Big 12. The team is looking forward to the nice weather Hawaii will provide. “Playing there with green grass and blue skies is going to be wonderful,” said sophomore Miriam Parker. While on the trip, Parker said she will focus on her time in the tournament while also enjoying the beauty of Hawaii. Senior MacKenzy Carter is looking forward to getting back to the tropical course. “We came last year and had so much fun, so getting to come back for my senior year is just icing on the cake,” Carter said. The Lady Bisons spent much of their offseason indoors due to the harsh winter. In their first spring outing, they placed fourth at the Time Warner Racer Classic hosted by Murray State. Parker was the top finisher for the Lady Bisons at the Time Warner Racer Classic. She finished at tenth overall with a score of 154 total. Besides participating in the University of Hawaii Donis Thompson Invitational, the team will take some time for sightseeing, including stops at the USS Arizona Memorial and the North Shore. “Golf is a different sport everyday, so we’ll just have to do our best...

The Postgame, March 7 – Your week in Nashville sports

Spring sports are in full spring while winter sports are wrapping up. Here’s what you may have missed this week in Nashville sports. Lipscomb Softball: Lady Bisons softball continues their strong start, this week behind senior pitcher Ashley Anderson who pitched 12 shutout innings during the team’s sweep of University of North Florida. She received her first Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week award for her shutout performance. Lipscomb followed up that sweep with another, this time over Ohio. Their record sits at 17-3 overall, and their next game is a double header against Florida Gulf Coast University on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Lipscomb Baseball: Bisons baseball is currently on a three game winning streak after wins over Connecticut and Western Kentucky. Junior shortstop Grant Massey received the Atlantic Sun Baseball Player of the Week after he had three RBI’s and seven walks in the Bisons three wins. Lipscomb has a three game series against Oakland this weekend, including a double header on Saturday at Dugan Field, starting at 12 p.m. Lipscomb Men’s Basketball: The Bisons basketball season ended in a double overtime thriller at the first level of the A-Sun Men’s Basketball Championship against ETSU on Tuesday. Despite having a 16 point lead in the second half, the Bisons would fall one point short in double overtime. Junior forward Malcolm Smith led Lipscomb with 24 points and scored his 1000th point in the loss. The Bisons finished with a 15-15 record, the first time they’ve been at .500 since the 2010-2011 season. Lipscomb Women’s Basketball: Despite a struggling start, the Lady Bisons will appear in the A-Sun Women’s Basketball Championship with a win over ETSU Thursday night. Redshirt sophomore forward...

The Postgame – Feb. 27: Your week in Nashville sports

The Lady Bisons softball team are off to a quick start, track and field finishes strong in the A-Sun championships, a top ranked team makes a stop in Music city and teams prepare for conference championships on the hardwood in this week’s Nashville sports.Lipscomb Softball: The Lady Bisons are off to a strong start in their season. They’ve posted a 12-2 record while defeating teams like Virginia Tech and Baylor. They’ve received votes in ESPN.com/USA’s Top 25 poll and are quickly on their way to a successful season. The team will play Belmont away today at 3:45 p.m. Lipscomb Track and Field: Dani Walker continued her success into the A-Sun indoor conference championships, winning three events and claiming the A-Sun Championship Most Valuable Player award. Madi Talbert finished second behind Walker in the 3000 meter, helping the women’s team score fifth place.Tucker Peabody repeated as 200 meter dash champion as the men’s team finished in third place. The outdoor track and field season will start on March 15 at Rhodes Opens in Memphis, Tenn. Belmont Men’s Basketball: The Bruins are on a five game winning streak after defeating SIU Edwardsville on the road Wednesday night. Senior J.J. Mann along with junior Reece Chamberlain and sophomore Craig Bradshaw have led Belmont to a 22-8 record and first place in the OVC standings this season. Their final game of the regular season is at Jacksonville State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball: It’s a lot of pressure to take on the number one team in the nation, but historically Vanderbilt has stood up to the challenge. However, in Tuesday night’s match up against Florida, it just wasn’t in the...

Lady Bisons earn first conference win of season against Jacksonville

Three point shots were falling all over the court for the Lady Bisons as the team secured its first conference win of the season against Jacksonville University. Sophomore guard Kelli Smith had a career high 18 points for Lipscomb in the 94-79 win. She was four for six from the 3-point line and five for seven from the field. Her previous career high was also against Jacksonville. Thursday’s win was also the first home win of the season for Lipscomb. Before tonight, their last win was on Dec. 21 against Gardner-Webb. Chandler Cooper led the Lady Bisons with 22 points. She scored 12 points in the first eight minutes, including a trio of 3-pointers. Lipscomb made nine 3-pointers in the first half, which allowed them to lead the Dolphins 46-37 at the half. The Lady Bisons have struggled to put together two complete halves this season, but that wasn’t the case tonight. Jacksonville made 50 of their points in the paint and they only took four 3-point shots the whole night. The Dolphins made three quick baskets driving right through Lipscomb’s defense to tie the game at 61 with 11:11 left in the game. Smith countered Jacksonville’s run with a 3-pointer that would start the Lady Bisons on a 15-2 run to build the lead again. Lipscomb had stretched the lead to 12 with 3:57 to go and, with four Jacksonville players in foul trouble, the game was all but over. “I feel great. It’s a huge relief,” Smith said. “Its one of those things where we’ve been close a lot, and it’s just time for it to happen. Now, we can take this...