by Hunter Patterson | Jan 14, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The first in a series, Lumination asks Lipscomb students what their thoughts are about the mascot change. This will be an ongoing series until the decision is made final. The following is written by senior American Studies major Grant Winter. We are Lipscomb. This has been our university’s mantra ever since L. Randolph Lowry became president. It is a phrase that could be heard every time he spoke, coupled with the latest statistics or rankings for a little school bragging rights. While I soon grew tired of the continual usage, one thing about the phrase provided solace. It did not include the name of our mascot, Bisons. Don’t get me wrong. I have as much school spirit as the next. There is nothing I enjoy more than heckling an opposing player to the point of frustration. Yet, every time I hear “Bisons” in a cheer, I cringe. There is a reason that every time I type the word “Bisons,” a little red squiggly line appears underneath. Our beloved mascot is a falsehood. A fantasy. It doesn’t exist. It belongs only in an imaginary land with deers, gooses and mouses. I know there are many who are holding on for dear life to the consonant in question. There have been arguments of tradition. I call it more of a bad habit. Some think that it will cost too much money to rebrand everything on campus. Look around. “Bisons” is not displayed many places. It would seem the athletic department has long been ashamed of the name. Others say “Bison” sounds weird or that keeping the current spelling sets us apart. ...
by Hunter Patterson | Jan 13, 2012 | News Slider, Opinion, Sports
The first in a series, Lumination asks Lipscomb students what their thoughts are about the mascot change. This will be an ongoing series until the decision is made final. The following is written by senior biology major Alexander McMeen. Lets Go Bison. The Bison played great today. We are the Lipscomb Bison. Sounds strange doesn’t it? For all of you grammatically correct people out there, there is your correct usage of the word “Bison”. For all of us with feeling, the S is what adds the extra magic. We are the Lipscomb Bisons! Long before I was born we have been the Lipscomb Bisons. Some say it is incorrect. Others say it sounds funny. Some (Belmont) make fun of it for being different, but I find that more than ironic. For a University that prides itself on setting itself apart from others, giving in and changing our name to the Bison is crazy. Some say setting ourselves apart with the wrong form of the word is ignorant. I disagree. The word Bisons is being more and more recognized as a correct usage of the word. Even ESPN recognized it as a now correct usage of the word. Next year, it will be in the Merriam Websters dictionary, AS A WORD. What schools change their nicknames!? Some might say it is only an S, but to those who have been around Lipscomb, it is more than just an S. It is who we are. It is who our alumni are. It is whom I have grown up as. We are the Lipscomb Bisons. If you actually think about it, Bisons...
by Hunter Patterson | Jan 11, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
Since the first basketball game in 1931, the sports teams at Lipscomb have had the same name – The Bisons. Late Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Athletics announced a new set of logos that Lipscomb Athletics will be using from this point forward. “The updated brand reflects Lipscomb’s position as an NCAA Division I institution,” said Director of Athletics Philip Hutcheson. “The marks will allow us to increase the visibility of Lipscomb throughout the nation while also respecting the rich tradition of our department.” The logos were created by the design team of Luke Flener of Prolific and Logan Hartline of Hartline Studio – both Lipscomb graduates. “We aimed for a classic but fresh design in our new marks,” said Trevor Garrett, associate athletic director for external affairs. “The traditional design represents Lipscomb’s legacy of athletic success. Our new logos also incorporate some of the latest design trends giving the marks a fresh feel as a growing Division I school.” The logos can be seen in person on the new floor in Allen Arena on Don Meyer Court. Pictures can be found here. This is not the only thing that could be changing, though. If you saw Lumination’s game story from the Belmont game, you may have noticed something a little different. Over the break, the athletic department tried out using the name Bison, with no S, instead of Bisons, with an S. This was first noticed when Joey Garrison, reporter for The City Paper mentioned it in a tweet. Then, the Athletic Department changed their Twitter handle to @LipscombBison, with no S. During Battle of the Boulevard, their tweets all...
