Lowry stresses importance of character at his final commencement as president

Lowry stresses importance of character at his final commencement as president

This year’s commencement, flavored by COVID-19 precautions, marked not only the graduation of Lipscomb’s class of 2021 but also one of President Randolph Lowry’s final major events as president of the university. Lowry announced earlier this year that this summer he will begin transitioning to the role of chancellor. While an in-person graduation was able to happen for the first time since December 2019, several changes were made to ensure the proceedings were COVID-safe.  All 2020 graduation ceremonies were done remotely because of the pandemic. Rather than having one large ceremony as was usual in the pre-COVID days, graduates were divided by college across four separate ceremonies on Friday and Saturday (May 7-8). Masks were worn during each ceremony, and all graduates were seated several feet apart to allow for social distancing. “Resilience” of the Lipscomb community throughout the past year was a consistent theme in the ceremonies. In his final speech in the role, Lowry thanked the students for their commitment to Lipscomb. “I was thinking in this COVID world, in this particular moment, what is it that I as the president would suggest you take with you? I want to suggest just one thing: I hope from this experience at Lipscomb University you take a sense of character,” said Lowry. “I thought if there was any group of students around that will come back, will come to this institution and follow the protocol, will understand why we are trying to be respectful of everyone — it was Lipscomb students, because you have character.” President Lowry also reflected upon his shared experience with the graduates. “I feel a...

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...

Senior trio leave their marks on men’s tennis program

With the season wrapped up and the the school year coming to a close, the Bisons say goodbye as they send off three graduating seniors: Mario Hernandez, Joe McArdle, and James Murrell Hernandez has spent 3½ years at Lipscomb and on the Bisons tennis team. A senior political science major from Vancouver, Canada, and captain for this season’s team, Hernandez made a name for himself in the Lipscomb tennis program. “Mario was nominated the team’s captain at the end of the fall because of his strong leadership on and off the court,” men’s assistant coach Mike Sherman said. “He was the perfect example of being a great ambassador for the Bisons, carrying himself with class and honor at all times. Because the guys respected him, he was able to effectively lead the team to the conference tournament. “On top of this, his drive to succeed motivated other team members to push themselves beyond their expectations. Mario will be able to use his attitude of leadership and humility to affect every one he meets in the future.  I expect he will be a great leader in whatever industry he pursues.” Hernandez will graduate in December after completing his final semester at Lipscomb. Following his graduation, he plans to tend the States’ Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. When reflecting on his career as a Bison, Hernandez said he is proud to have helped the program improve. “I just loved being a part of the movement to improve the Lipscomb tennis program in all areas,” Hernandez said. “When I came in as a freshman, we didn’t really get any...