May 2014 graduation ceremonies send record number out into world

May 2014 graduation ceremonies send record number out into world

Due to a record number of graduates, Lipscomb University held two commencement ceremonies for the spring 2014 graduates Saturday afternoon in Allen Arena. Over 800 students received their undergrad, graduate or doctorate degrees in the ceremonies, including those who received Lipscomb’s first ever doctorate of ministry degrees. During the undergraduate ceremony, Director of the Beaman Library and 30-year faculty member Carolyn Wilson offered words of wisdom for the graduating students. “My father told me when I began my first career, which was teaching, that I should not determine success in terms of just monetary rewards,” Wilson said. Lipscomb president Randy Lowry also spoke during the ceremony, commenting on the bittersweet feelings of graduation day. “You’re on a path right now, and I know it’s hard to look back and look forward at the same time, but I want you to take a moment to think about that,” Lowry said. “Every path connects you not only to where you are going, but also to where you’ve been. “I hope you spend time celebrating. The past is a wonderful thing for us to recognize. But then there’s the future. The future is in some ways very uncertain and in other ways not so much.” During the undergraduate ceremony, David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, was awarded with the prestigious Alumnus of the Year award. Sampson has also worked in the government as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and assistant secretary of commerce for economic development in the George W. Bush administration. In a change from the usual solo performance, Lipscomb’s Alma Mater...

Lady Bisons can’t overcome offensive woes against Stetson

Despite a back and forth first half, the Lipscomb Lady Bisons extended their losing streak to 10 games in a 82-47 loss to the Stetson Hatters at Allen Arena. The win for the Hatters was their eighth in a row. The Hatters came out firing on all cylinders after halftime, starting off the second half with a 13-0 run to extend their 11 point lead to 24. The Lady Bisons struggled to find their shooting touch throughout the game as Stetson’s defense was strong from the get-go. The Lady Bisons shot 15-66 from the floor on the game. Lispcomb especially had trouble behind the arch, finishing the game 6-33 from the 3-point line. The Lady Bisons usual sharpshooters all had trouble finding the basket. Danay Fothergill, Chandler Cooper and Sara Bliss combined to shoot just 3-24 from outside. One silver lining for the Lady Bisons was the play of sophomore Ashley Southern. Southern almost notched a double-double in the first half with nine points and 11 rebounds. She finished off the achievement in the second half, ending the game with 14 points (on 6-14 shooting) with 16 rebounds. Southern has now recorded a double-double in seven straight games. Southern is also closing in on the Atlantic Sun Conference record for most double-doubles in a season. She has 16 double-doubles on the season, just five away from the conference record of 21. “I mean, that’s pretty exciting, but I’d much rather us be number one in the conference,” Southern said. With the outside shot lacking, the Lady Bisons ran the offense through Southern for most of the game. Even though...

December commencement honors record number of fall graduates

As another semester came to a close this week, another group of Lipscomb students walked across the stage in Allen Arena Saturday afternoon to receive their diplomas. Lipscomb University’s December commencement ceremony honored the 414 students earning their undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. The number of honorees at Saturday’s commencement is a fall record for the university. University president Randy Lowry mentioned the special feeling that accompanies graduation day. “There was a day, two, three, four, five, six years ago that was a day of great anticipation, and today, we have the end of that experience – a day of great celebration,” Lowry said. Areas of degree study ranged from a doctoral degree in Learning Organization and Strategic Change to a bachelor’s degree of Social Work. During the ceremony, Lipscomb alum David J. Clayton was honored as the Young Alumnus of the Year, while history professor Richard Goode was honored with the Kopio Award. Associate professor and academic chair of the nutrition department Autumn Marshall led the university’s Alma Mater. Lumination Photo Editor Whitney Jarreld and regular contributors Ariel Jones and Monaih Sam were among those to receive diplomas. Visit the university’s website for stories about three of Saturday’s...