This Friday, Sept. 11, marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In recent years, Lipscomb University has partaken in the nation’s memoriam of the devastating attacks by planting American flags all over the Square. With this year being the 25th anniversary, Lipscomb staff has put together a full day of activities in which students can learn about 9/11 and how it changed the nation. The events will begin on the Bell Tower steps at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony. Director of Veteran Services Samuel Lynn will give a speech. Alongside him the Lipscomb Concert Choir will perform an acapella rendition of “God Bless America,” the same way Congress did on the night of 9/11. After that a blood drive will begin in the Paul Rogers Boardroom at 9:30 a.m. and will run to 2:00 p.m. Every pint of blood donated will lead to a donation to first responders. Participants will receive a free t-shirt. At 10 a.m., 11a.m and 1p.m. there will be showings of three different short documentaries that focus on personal impact stories. All three screenings will be in Shamblin Theater. The final major event of the day is a 2,200 stair-climb honoring first responders who climbed 110 flights of stairs. Whilst climbing participants can listen to the story of Welles Crowther also known as the Man in the Red Bandana. The event will take place in Allen Arena at noon and will run until 2 p.m. The first 200 to arrive will receive a red bandana. Lynn played a major role in putting this year’s event together. While past events only took a couple weeks of preparation, he explained that this year’s event has been in the works since March because of the anniversary’s significance. “We’re recognizing that this is not just a remembrance event anymore,” said Lynn. “This is also an opportunity. Most of our graduate students either weren’t born yet or they were infants when it happened. So, for those of us that remember it, it’s an incredibly… sobering event. But for you guys, while you may not have been around when it happened, all of our undergraduate students and most of our graduate students were at least born during the time of war that happened in the aftermath of it, so you’re still connected to it.” Part of what makes this year’s event so much larger than the previous ones is that Lynn and his team set out to plant a flag for each person that passed away on 9/11. Flags will be set up in a way that represents the lives lost in four different places: the North tower, the South tower, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. “60% the North Tower. 32% of the casualties from the South Tower. 3% at the Pentagon and 1.7 [Flight 93]. So if you want to know the breakdown, 2,977 total lives were lost. 1,792 of those in the North Tower, 952 in the South Tower, 189 in the Pentagon. 07:28 and 44 from Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when the passengers took over.” The 2,977 flags will be placed on the lawn by the campus’ Bell Tower September 10th, the day before the event. At its center will be a flagpole with a flag featuring the names of those who perished. Adjacent to these flags will also be a 10-by 20-foot tent that will be walkthrough timeline of events. Boards inside will be dedicated to the events, aftermath and heroes of 9/11. This will be available throughout the day. “Encourage your friends to come out,” said Jimmie Handley, outreach coordinator for veteran services. “Here there are so many wonderful people that are at this university that during aftermath went and sacrificed to ensure that you all could be here doing what you’re doing now. And do it in a loving, friendly way.” Feature image shot by Frances Inwood.
This Friday, Sept. 11, marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In recent years, Lipscomb University has partaken in the nation’s memoriam of the devastating attacks by planting American flags all over the Square. With this year being the 25th anniversary, Lipscomb staff has put together a full day of activities in which students can learn about 9/11 and how it changed the nation. The events will begin on the Bell Tower steps at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony. Director of Veteran Services Samuel Lynn will give a speech. Alongside him the Lipscomb Concert Choir will perform an acapella rendition of “God Bless America,” the same way Congress did on the night of 9/11. After that a blood drive will begin in the Paul Rogers Boardroom at 9:30 a.m. and will run to 2:00 p.m. Every pint of blood donated will lead to a donation to first responders. Participants will receive a free t-shirt. At 10 a.m., 11a.m and 1p.m. there will be showings of three different short documentaries that focus on personal impact stories. All three screenings will be in Shamblin Theater. The final major event of the day is a 2,200 stair-climb honoring first responders who climbed 110 flights of stairs. Whilst climbing participants can listen to the story of Welles Crowther also known as the Man in the Red Bandana. The event will take place in Allen Arena at noon and will run until 2 p.m. The first 200 to arrive will receive a red bandana. Lynn played a major role in putting this year’s event together. While past events only took a couple weeks of preparation, he explained that this year’s event has been in the works since March because of the anniversary’s significance. “We’re recognizing that this is not just a remembrance event anymore,” said Lynn. “This is also an opportunity. Most of our graduate students either weren’t born yet or they were infants when it happened. So, for those of us that remember it, it’s an incredibly… sobering event. But for you guys, while you may not have been around when it happened, all of our undergraduate students and most of our graduate students were at least born during the time of war that happened in the aftermath of it, so you’re still connected to it.” Part of what makes this year’s event so much larger than the previous ones is that Lynn and his team set out to plant a flag for each person that passed away on 9/11. Flags will be set up in a way that represents the lives lost in four different places: the North tower, the South tower, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. “60% the North Tower. 32% of the casualties from the South Tower. 3% at the Pentagon and 1.7 [Flight 93]. So if you want to know the breakdown, 2,977 total lives were lost. 1,792 of those in the North Tower, 952 in the South Tower, 189 in the Pentagon. 07:28 and 44 from Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when the passengers took over.” The 2,977 flags will be placed on the lawn by the campus’ Bell Tower September 10th, the day before the event. At its center will be a flagpole with a flag featuring the names of those who perished. Adjacent to these flags will also be a 10-by 20-foot tent that will be walkthrough timeline of events. Boards inside will be dedicated to the events, aftermath and heroes of 9/11. This will be available throughout the day. “Encourage your friends to come out,” said Jimmie Handley, outreach coordinator for veteran services. “Here there are so many wonderful people that are at this university that during aftermath went and sacrificed to ensure that you all could be here doing what you’re doing now. And do it in a loving, friendly way.” Feature image shot by Frances Inwood.
Lipscomb’s Black Student Association (BSA) brought a taste of the wild west to campus today, hosting its highly anticipated “Cowboys and Cowgirls” themed cookout at the Pavilion from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event was a high-energy gathering designed to unite the campus community before the long holiday weekend. Students showed up clad in western wear, filling the air with music, laughter and line dancing. Sizzling hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and cold drinks, kept the crowd fueled as the line dancing kicked into high gear. For many attendees, the cookout provided a unique space to bond across different backgrounds. “I came to a cookout event, you know, to enjoy some community with our fellow people here on campus,” said Yazeli Ortiz, a junior education major. “I feel like it’s very much cultural. You get to learn from them and how, even though we’re all different, we’re still people at the end of the day and we can still enjoy each other.” Beyond a fun evening of music and food, the cookout served a dual purpose as a vital fundraiser for the organization. “BSA is the Black Student Association, and this is a fundraiser for the organization,” said Olivia Webb, assistant director of First-Year Programs and BSA co-advisor. “Just trying to raise money so we can host more events for campus, for students… just trying to find fun ways to bring students together and raise some money, have some food and listen to music and just have a good time.” Nyari Joyce, the Secretary and Treasurer of BSA, emphasized that the family-style cookout format is inherently meaningful. “I think you could say they’re like a cultural event within the Black community,” Joyce explained. “I think it’s where we are able to connect with each other. We make food, we play games, we dance. It is just community building. You get to interact with each other. You build deeper relationships. A lot of cookouts are family. So I think we’re throwing this event just to connect with the campus and with the people on it.” This year’s fundraising effort came with a massive incentive: the chance to dump a freezing bucket of ice water onto Jose Brown, BSA advisor and the resident hall director of High Rise Hall. The group set a strict pricing tier for the watery punishment. “This time, we’re fundraising, and depending on how many donations we get, we’ll have bigger or smaller sizes of ice buckets that we’re gonna dump on Jose,” Joyce noted. The tiers ranked from a $25 small bowl and a $50 small tub to a grand total of $100 for a massive, heavy-duty cooler. By the time the event wrapped up, the student body exceeded expectations, raising over $160 in total. Webb shared her excitement about hitting the milestone, adding that the event was an amazing way for students to segue right into the Student Activity Board’s “Boot Scoot” dance later in the evening. The evening ended with the ultimate payoff. A crowd gathered to watch Brown get drenched by the top-tier $100 cooler of ice water. “Yeah, a lot of ice water,” Brown laughed. “I was willing to do that only because we were taking fundraisers for BSA, like donations, and the goal is to help this group thrive and succeed, and we want to put on events like this to have fun.” Brown reiterated that the organization’s overarching mission is rooted in inclusivity and hospitality. “Our goal as Black Student Association, BSA… is just creating space for Black students or anybody on campus who wants to be a part of this group to just have a space to connect.” According to leadership, that space is expanding rapidly. The cookout marks a strong, visible trend in student engagement for the organization this semester. “I feel like we’ve had amazing turnouts,” Joyce said. “We’ve had two events so far this semester, and we’ve had a lot of people show up to them for the first time. So I think we’re doing a better job outreach, and we hope to continue doing that, growing the club, having people meet each other, and build relationships outside of the club.” Featured image taken by Harold Espinoza Lopez.
This Friday, Sept. 11, marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In recent years, Lipscomb University has partaken in the nation’s memoriam of the devastating attacks by planting American flags all over the Square. With this year being the 25th anniversary, Lipscomb staff has put together a full day of activities in which students can learn about 9/11 and how it changed the nation. The events will begin on the Bell Tower steps at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony. Director of Veteran Services Samuel Lynn will give a speech. Alongside him the Lipscomb Concert Choir will perform an acapella rendition of “God Bless America,” the same way Congress did on the night of 9/11. After that a blood drive will begin in the Paul Rogers Boardroom at 9:30 a.m. and will run to 2:00 p.m. Every pint of blood donated will lead to a donation to first responders. Participants will receive a free t-shirt. At 10 a.m., 11a.m and 1p.m. there will be showings of three different short documentaries that focus on personal impact stories. All three screenings will be in Shamblin Theater. The final major event of the day is a 2,200 stair-climb honoring first responders who climbed 110 flights of stairs. Whilst climbing participants can listen to the story of Welles Crowther also known as the Man in the Red Bandana. The event will take place in Allen Arena at noon and will run until 2 p.m. The first 200 to arrive will receive a red bandana. Lynn played a major role in putting this year’s event together. While past events only took a couple weeks of preparation, he explained that this year’s event has been in the works since March because of the anniversary’s significance. “We’re recognizing that this is not just a remembrance event anymore,” said Lynn. “This is also an opportunity. Most of our graduate students either weren’t born yet or they were infants when it happened. So, for those of us that remember it, it’s an incredibly… sobering event. But for you guys, while you may not have been around when it happened, all of our undergraduate students and most of our graduate students were at least born during the time of war that happened in the aftermath of it, so you’re still connected to it.” Part of what makes this year’s event so much larger than the previous ones is that Lynn and his team set out to plant a flag for each person that passed away on 9/11. Flags will be set up in a way that represents the lives lost in four different places: the North tower, the South tower, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. “60% the North Tower. 32% of the casualties from the South Tower. 3% at the Pentagon and 1.7 [Flight 93]. So if you want to know the breakdown, 2,977 total lives were lost. 1,792 of those in the North Tower, 952 in the South Tower, 189 in the Pentagon. 07:28 and 44 from Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when the passengers took over.” The 2,977 flags will be placed on the lawn by the campus’ Bell Tower September 10th, the day before the event. At its center will be a flagpole with a flag featuring the names of those who perished. Adjacent to these flags will also be a 10-by 20-foot tent that will be walkthrough timeline of events. Boards inside will be dedicated to the events, aftermath and heroes of 9/11. This will be available throughout the day. “Encourage your friends to come out,” said Jimmie Handley, outreach coordinator for veteran services. “Here there are so many wonderful people that are at this university that during aftermath went and sacrificed to ensure that you all could be here doing what you’re doing now. And do it in a loving, friendly way.” Feature image shot by Frances Inwood.
This Friday, Sept. 11, marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In recent years, Lipscomb University has partaken in the nation’s memoriam of the devastating attacks by planting American flags all over the Square. With this year being the 25th anniversary, Lipscomb staff has put together a full day of activities in which students can learn about 9/11 and how it changed the nation. The events will begin on the Bell Tower steps at 9 a.m. with an opening ceremony. Director of Veteran Services Samuel Lynn will give a speech. Alongside him the Lipscomb Concert Choir will perform an acapella rendition of “God Bless America,” the same way Congress did on the night of 9/11. After that a blood drive will begin in the Paul Rogers Boardroom at 9:30 a.m. and will run to 2:00 p.m. Every pint of blood donated will lead to a donation to first responders. Participants will receive a free t-shirt. At 10 a.m., 11a.m and 1p.m. there will be showings of three different short documentaries that focus on personal impact stories. All three screenings will be in Shamblin Theater. The final major event of the day is a 2,200 stair-climb honoring first responders who climbed 110 flights of stairs. Whilst climbing participants can listen to the story of Welles Crowther also known as the Man in the Red Bandana. The event will take place in Allen Arena at noon and will run until 2 p.m. The first 200 to arrive will receive a red bandana. Lynn played a major role in putting this year’s event together. While past events only took a couple weeks of preparation, he explained that this year’s event has been in the works since March because of the anniversary’s significance. “We’re recognizing that this is not just a remembrance event anymore,” said Lynn. “This is also an opportunity. Most of our graduate students either weren’t born yet or they were infants when it happened. So, for those of us that remember it, it’s an incredibly… sobering event. But for you guys, while you may not have been around when it happened, all of our undergraduate students and most of our graduate students were at least born during the time of war that happened in the aftermath of it, so you’re still connected to it.” Part of what makes this year’s event so much larger than the previous ones is that Lynn and his team set out to plant a flag for each person that passed away on 9/11. Flags will be set up in a way that represents the lives lost in four different places: the North tower, the South tower, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania. “60% the North Tower. 32% of the casualties from the South Tower. 3% at the Pentagon and 1.7 [Flight 93]. So if you want to know the breakdown, 2,977 total lives were lost. 1,792 of those in the North Tower, 952 in the South Tower, 189 in the Pentagon. 07:28 and 44 from Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when the passengers took over.” The 2,977 flags will be placed on the lawn by the campus’ Bell Tower September 10th, the day before the event. At its center will be a flagpole with a flag featuring the names of those who perished. Adjacent to these flags will also be a 10-by 20-foot tent that will be walkthrough timeline of events. Boards inside will be dedicated to the events, aftermath and heroes of 9/11. This will be available throughout the day. “Encourage your friends to come out,” said Jimmie Handley, outreach coordinator for veteran services. “Here there are so many wonderful people that are at this university that during aftermath went and sacrificed to ensure that you all could be here doing what you’re doing now. And do it in a loving, friendly way.” Feature image shot by Frances Inwood.
Lipscomb’s Black Student Association (BSA) brought a taste of the wild west to campus today, hosting its highly anticipated “Cowboys and Cowgirls” themed cookout at the Pavilion from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event was a high-energy gathering designed to unite the campus community before the long holiday weekend. Students showed up clad in western wear, filling the air with music, laughter and line dancing. Sizzling hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and cold drinks, kept the crowd fueled as the line dancing kicked into high gear. For many attendees, the cookout provided a unique space to bond across different backgrounds. “I came to a cookout event, you know, to enjoy some community with our fellow people here on campus,” said Yazeli Ortiz, a junior education major. “I feel like it’s very much cultural. You get to learn from them and how, even though we’re all different, we’re still people at the end of the day and we can still enjoy each other.” Beyond a fun evening of music and food, the cookout served a dual purpose as a vital fundraiser for the organization. “BSA is the Black Student Association, and this is a fundraiser for the organization,” said Olivia Webb, assistant director of First-Year Programs and BSA co-advisor. “Just trying to raise money so we can host more events for campus, for students… just trying to find fun ways to bring students together and raise some money, have some food and listen to music and just have a good time.” Nyari Joyce, the Secretary and Treasurer of BSA, emphasized that the family-style cookout format is inherently meaningful. “I think you could say they’re like a cultural event within the Black community,” Joyce explained. “I think it’s where we are able to connect with each other. We make food, we play games, we dance. It is just community building. You get to interact with each other. You build deeper relationships. A lot of cookouts are family. So I think we’re throwing this event just to connect with the campus and with the people on it.” This year’s fundraising effort came with a massive incentive: the chance to dump a freezing bucket of ice water onto Jose Brown, BSA advisor and the resident hall director of High Rise Hall. The group set a strict pricing tier for the watery punishment. “This time, we’re fundraising, and depending on how many donations we get, we’ll have bigger or smaller sizes of ice buckets that we’re gonna dump on Jose,” Joyce noted. The tiers ranked from a $25 small bowl and a $50 small tub to a grand total of $100 for a massive, heavy-duty cooler. By the time the event wrapped up, the student body exceeded expectations, raising over $160 in total. Webb shared her excitement about hitting the milestone, adding that the event was an amazing way for students to segue right into the Student Activity Board’s “Boot Scoot” dance later in the evening. The evening ended with the ultimate payoff. A crowd gathered to watch Brown get drenched by the top-tier $100 cooler of ice water. “Yeah, a lot of ice water,” Brown laughed. “I was willing to do that only because we were taking fundraisers for BSA, like donations, and the goal is to help this group thrive and succeed, and we want to put on events like this to have fun.” Brown reiterated that the organization’s overarching mission is rooted in inclusivity and hospitality. “Our goal as Black Student Association, BSA… is just creating space for Black students or anybody on campus who wants to be a part of this group to just have a space to connect.” According to leadership, that space is expanding rapidly. The cookout marks a strong, visible trend in student engagement for the organization this semester. “I feel like we’ve had amazing turnouts,” Joyce said. “We’ve had two events so far this semester, and we’ve had a lot of people show up to them for the first time. So I think we’re doing a better job outreach, and we hope to continue doing that, growing the club, having people meet each other, and build relationships outside of the club.” Featured image taken by Harold Espinoza Lopez.