Ladies Lift Night encourages female students to gain body confidence

Ladies Lift Night encourages female students to gain body confidence

The first Women’s Only Lift Night took place Wednesday night in the Student Activities Center. This ladies-only weightlifting night was advertised around campus for the past couple of weeks, promising female Lipscomb students a place to work out in peace.  Despite it being a cold and rainy night, dozens of women showed up ready to lift and learn. What ended up being a night filled with laughter, growth, and community, began with one simple question: where can I help?  This question was asked by transfer student Haley Gaines, a junior majoring in dietetics and minoring in exercise science. Gaines has been a trainer for six years, and before that was in the marine core for eight.  It was in her years at the marines that Gaines realized her passion for women in fitness. She found it frustrating that she was the “only female surrounded by men that didn’t know anything about [her] body.”  After years of training, she found that women would approach her in the gym and ask her questions. “I could tell that a lot of women were intimidated,” Gaines said, “and that is why Ladies Lift Night became a thing.”  Gaines took her frustration around women’s discomfort in the gym and the judgment they often receive for their abilities and created the heart behind Ladies Lift Night. “I just want women to have a place where they feel confident not only on the outside but on the inside. [They should] have a place to believe in themselves.” The results are in, and the Women’s Only Lift Night did just that. The safe space Gaines tried to...
Lipscomb students “spin” themselves to a healthier community

Lipscomb students “spin” themselves to a healthier community

Before her class began at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Emily Patti spent a few minutes adjusting her seat pedals and fixing her microphone. She greeted students individually as they walked in the door and warmly welcomed new members. Then, she dimmed the lights, got on her bike, and blasted the stereo. This is Spin, the world of indoor cycling, which first found its way to Lipscomb University in 2009. Since then, group fitness has had a sharp increase in participation with Spin being the most attended class on campus. The concept of Spin is simple: a 45-minute fitness session where students ride stationary bikes at various levels of resistance while led by an instructor. This, combined with bass pumping music and a dark room, makes for an immersive yet entertaining workout. In recent years, spin classes have become extremely popular, with celebrities like Beyonce and former President Barack Obama loving the fast-paced and high-intensity workouts that make them break a sweat. But it’s more than just the challenging workout that keeps students coming back week after week. Some students rely on the class environment with an upbeat instructor to keep them involved in this fitness fad.  “I love the fun group vibe here and the music,” said Lipscomb student, Abigail Hardage. “Yes, it’s a challenging workout, but Emily motivates me to be the absolute best. I honestly don’t think I’d be able to do on my own what she pushes me to do each week.” Emily Patti is the instructor for the twice-weekly class, she began teaching after a soccer injury left her unable to exercise with the team. She...
Underground cave system remains Lipscomb legend

Underground cave system remains Lipscomb legend

Generations of Lipscomb students have heard the mysterious tale of the cave system that runs beneath campus but have been unable to dig deeply enough into the story — or into the ground for that matter — to discover the truth. “I went to school here back in the mid ’80s and graduated in the ’90s, so I’ve always heard of the cave system,” said Kim Chaudoin, associate vice president of communication and marketing. “I never went digging or exploring, but I reached out to people who I knew might know.” What she discovered are various writings and records that indicate that beneath Avalon House — home of David and Margaret Lipscomb on the campus’ edge — was a spring, that is now thought to be part of the cave system. The Lipscombs lived there in the mid 1800s, before the invention of refrigerators, and — as was common upper-class practice in those days,  either by building a spring house or in their case simply descending beneath the home to the coolness of a natural spring below — they used the spring  to store perishables like milk and meat. Because of Tennessee’s porous limestone underpinnings  springs and caves are relatively common. “The cave system has not been mapped out by the U.S. Geological Association and is not shown on the maps of any Tennessee cave systems,” Chaudoin said. “But what we think we know is that there are some places under the campus and that there’s evidence of it as far away as 100 Oaks Mall.” The theory is that one could travel beneath the ground from the old Lipscomb home all the way to that mall, if there...

Full Moon Festival takes students back in time

On Friday night, Lipscomb students stepped back in time for the second annual Full Moon Festival in the Student Activities Center. Organized by social clubs Theta Psi and Delta Omega, the fifties-themed dance raised awareness for Lipscomb’s drug and alcohol policy, providing students with a fun, drug and alcohol-free environment. “We’re doing a fifties theme each year,” said Delta Omega president Makenzie Kanyuh. “It will always stay that way, but we plan on constantly changing around the overall theme.” This year’s theme had a classic movie twist. The dance floor showcased posters for classic films like “Gone With the Wind” and “East of Eden.” The event was bustling with students dressed in ’50s and ’60s clothing. Popular elements of the evening included an ice cream float station, a photo booth and a live band. The clubs began planning the dance at the beginning of the spring semester, but the actual set up for the Full Moon Festival didn’t begin until Friday morning. “I had the roots set from last year, but it was a lot of work,” said Theta Psi social coordinator Cody LaRochelle. “I couldn’t have done it without the help from everybody.” Proceeds from the festival went to Good Spread, a peanut butter company that donates food to malnourished...

Delta Tau Fight Night raises over $2K for Youth Encouragement Services

Punching and yelling are not common sights on Lipscomb’s campus, but on Thursday night they were part of Delta Tau Fight Night, which raised $2,500 for a local non-profit organization.  The men’s social club brought in a professional boxing ring and referees to host 11 fights between male Lipscomb students in the Student Activities Center. Over 400 students filled bleachers surrounding the ring that SGA helped fund. “It’s especially fun for Greek life because many boys’ clubs have fighters in the ring,” said Blake Mitchell, a senior in Delta Tau. “It’s a very loud and exciting atmosphere, and it’s great that it all has a purpose.” All proceeds from the event went to Youth Encouragement Services, a youth center that allows inner-city children to engage in social, education and cultural activities. Fighters were members of Greek life or non-affiliated individuals. The matches were set up by members of Delta Tau, who put boxers against each other based on height and weight. “I thought it’d be fun to train and get out in front of everyone,” said Tanner Simmons, a freshman in Sigma Iota Delta. “It’s definitely nerve-racking.” In and out of the ring, the nerves were building up. “It’s my first Fight Night, so it’s fun to watch, but it makes me really nervous, especially to see the people I know fight,” said Kylee Van Horne, a freshman in Delta...