Record number of graduates celebrated; updated alma mater led by Pat Boone

Record number of graduates celebrated; updated alma mater led by Pat Boone

A record number of graduates, a 1950s pop icon who rewrote the Lipscomb alma mater and Yellow Ribbon scholars who sacrificed so much were among the highlights Saturday when Lipscomb students were celebrated in the commencement ceremonies in Allen Arena. That icon, Pat Boone, introduced his “new” version of Lipscomb’s alma mater. He led that special part of the ceremony during which over 400 undergraduates crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and jubilant friends and families joined in the celebration. Boone, the original author of Lipscomb’s alma mater, recently made a few changes to the lyrics, but the melody remained the same. He described how he and Don Henley created the original song that he “rebooted” to make more modern this year. “I listened to some of the other college alma maters, and they’re impressive, and some are fight songs,
 and based on my experience here, and knowing what Lipscomb is about, I felt it needed to have an anthem quality,” Boone said. “It needed to have a spiritual quality, because that’s who we are. “Not many colleges around this great United States can say that.” Backed up by four Lipscomb students, Boone led the audience in the updated alma mater. Like others who were toasted during the commencement exercises, Boone worked extra hard to attend the school where his spirituality was nurtured. Long before he became a Hollywood mainstay and resident of Beverly Hills, Boone and his brother worked through the summers so that they could afford going to Lipscomb Academy. His reasoning, likely echoed by all the graduates who were at saluted during the ceremony, was he wanted an education in a Christian context....

Lady Bisons lose in three to Ohio State

The Lady Bisons lost 3-0 to Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament to bring their season to a close. Friday night started out with an exciting up-beat atmosphere as the Lady Bisons took to Memorial Coliseum on Kentucky’s campus. Many Bison fans and parents made the trip to Lexington to support the team, and Lipscomb fans outnumbered Ohio State fans in attendance. Despite the amount of support for the Bisons, Ohio State took all three sets. The first set was a fight as the team came out strong only to fall 25-20. The Buckeyes dominated the second set winning 25-14, and completed the win with a 25-18 victory in the final set of the night. During the match, Ohio State won every aspect of play except number of attacks. The Lady Bisons had 109 attacks to the Buckeys’ 95; however, Ohio State finished with a .274 hitting percentage to Lipscomb’s .037. Senior Lauren Ford led the team with 10 kills, and sophomore Kayla Ostrom led with 28 assists. With the loss the Lady Bisons finish their season at 21-9 and the highest RPI ranking in program history, no. 33. The Lady Bisons lose four seniors to graduation in the spring, Lauren Ford, Sophie Kellerman, Megan Stout and Jordan Huston. Jewell Dobson will return for her redshirt season in the fall. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...

Volleyball jumps to first place in A-Sun after two win weekend

Halloween was a day for tricks and treats, but in Allen Arena, it was also a day for an important volleyball matchup. The Lady Bisons pulled off a 3-0 victory against conference foe, Stetson in fairly quick fashion. Libero Bri McCombs led the Lady Bisons with a match-high 16 digs. Jordan Huston also posted a match-high 34 assists while adding a service ace and three kills, and Brittnay Estes had a match high .538 hitting percentage. The Student Athletic Advisory Committee organized some fun for the fans also Halloween night. Several athletic teams dressed up in costume while they supported the Lady Bisons. The track and cross country team dressed as the 101 Dalmations. The softball team dressed as phone apps, and women’s basketball dressed as Noah’s ark. Several other athletes dressed up as well. In between the third and fourth sets of the game the athletes handed out candy to any children who were at the game, and they were also dressed in costume. On Saturday the Lady Bisons stepped into the number one spot in the conference after defeating Florida Gulf Coast 3-1. Both squads now have one loss within the conference. Next week, Lipscomb will be traveling to Florida to play North Florida on Friday and Jacksonville Saturday. Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Photo gallery by Erin...

Komen Race for the Cure helps in fight against Breast Cancer

On Oct. 25, over 20,000 people participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Brentwood. The event had a 5k for the competitive runners, but also a walk for all the people that wanted to participate. The breast cancer run is not your typical running event. Participants included men, women, babies and even their dogs dressed up in tutus, bedazzled bras and wigs, all of which were pink. One of the runners that joined in on this event is Alanna Walser, a senior at Lipscomb. She shared what this race means to her. “My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a sophomore in high school, ever since then I have been coming to the race for a cure. Just recently, my grandmother has also been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Walser said. “So we come out here to celebrate her and the determination and fight that she and my mother have shown throughout this journey.” At the race, women that have overcome the disease were honored during the parade of survivors. These survivors range from those being cancer free for one year to long-time survivors. The longest survivor from the group that has beaten cancer is now 37 years cancer free. This event is for the families that have gone through this journey, for the women to celebrate new life and to also bring hope for the future. Two other Lipscomb students shared their experiences of how breast cancer affected their loved ones and impacted their lives. “My mom had breast cancer when I was 14; it was incredibly scary, I had no idea...

Lipscomb’s volleyball team reflects on 11-day mission trip to Brazil

In early May, the Lipscomb volleyball team embarked on an 11-day mission trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Head coach Brandon Rosenthal said that the trip was an exciting time for the group. “There was a tremendous amount of excitement,” Rosenthal said. “It was the first mission trip for a lot of the players and for six of them it was their first time out of the country.” Rosenthal’s main goal for the trip was the get to know each of his players better, and the girls wanted the same thing from each other. “We are already a team,” Rosenthal said. “This is a close team, but I urged them to break down the walls and develop an even deeper relationship as a team.” Work at the church, a stop at the legendary Christ the Redeemer statue and a hike up the Sugarloaf Mountians all played huge roles into making this such an unforgettable trip for all who went. However, the deeper connections formed and lives changed throughout their time in Brazil made this a truly invigorating expedition. “I really had no expectations going into it,” teammate Lauren Ford said. “I wanted to grow in my relationships with the team more than anything.” Playing only one game while over there, the girls had ample time to grow both mentally and spiritually. “Experiencing another culture with my teammates while getting to serve the Lord was the best part of being gone,” teammate Jordan Huston said. “It was cool how we were able to get closer as a team while we were helping others,” teammate Jewell Dobson added. As the week...