Herd Media

Micah Barkley serves as Herd Media's Features Editor and Sports Photographer. She is a Junior Journalism major with a minor in German and a passion for photography. Outside of writing and learning languages, she enjoys riding horses, music, basketball, swing dancing and line dancing, and spending time with her friends, among other things. She has writing experience with The Numismatist – a publication of the American Numismatic Association – and is an aspiring author with two books currently published under the pen name Summer Ryland. When not at Lipscomb, she lives on a communal cattle ranch in the great state of Texas.

  • News

    From Lipscomb’s classrooms to Survivor’s shores: Sam Phalen’s story

    Many childhood dreams are never realized. For a lot of us they are outgrown, replaced by something else as we get older and discover new things. Some childhood dreams are dismissed as unrealistic or immature. But when a childhood dream does come true, it is all the sweeter for the years of wishing for it. And when that dream comes with deeper roots and meaning, its realization is powerful, as well. Sam Phalen, a 2022 sports media alumnus from Lipscomb, grew up with a dream of being on the CBS reality show Survivor. That dream has come true, as he is a contestant on the show’s soon-to-debut Season 47. Phalen…

  • Sports

    Lippy Lunatics live up to their name in the best way

    Most would think that a heat spike pushing the temperature into the triple digits would stop most student sections at a sports game. But on the night of August 29, that was not the case for the Lippy Lunatics. As the Lipscomb Women’s Soccer team faced off against the Belmont Bruins for the historic Battle of the Boulevard, the Lippy Lunatics – Lipscomb’s student section – came out in force. Despite the temperature passing 100 degrees, the attendance nearly passed 600 as fans assembled to cheer on the Bisons. The Lippy Lunatics came ready, bringing drums, cowbells, Lipscomb flags and school-spirit-colored smoke bombs. Determined to bring and keep the energy,…

  • Sports

    Corso takes bronze at Paralympics in Paris

    Lipscomb senior track and field distance Runner Liza Corso won bronze for the United States in the 1500m race this weekend while competing at the Paralympics in Paris. This is not her first win at the Paralympics, having competed in Tokyo in 2020 and taking silver in the 1500m race. She will be in France at the Paralympics through Sept. 8. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lipscomb XC/T&F (@lipscombxctf) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team USA (@teamusa) Herd Media writer Ben Butcher, also a distance runner for the Bisons, will be providing more details in a later article, featuring an interview with…

  • Sports

    From the rock climbing club to a spot in Nationals

    When most people think of rock climbing, not many imagine a sport. And not many imagine that sport to be as organized and tiered as other college and professional level sports. But it is, and Lipscomb junior Kalissa Finn is not only excelling in the sport, but climbing through those tiers. Finn, who started climbing seriously when she was 18, recently reached another level in the climbing world. Placing fifth in the Regional competition in Kennesaw, Georgia, Finn earned a spot to compete in Nationals. A fashion major at Lipscomb University, Finn spends her days in the fashion labs piecing together unique designs, and her nights in a very unique…

  • Sports

    Lipscomb softball – making their way through the season… brick by brick

    Before the start of the 2023 softball season, Herd Media sat down with then senior outfielder Elise Shewmaker, along with some other players, for a look at the team and the upcoming season. Now partway into the 2024 softball season, Herd Media sat down with now graduate student infielder Elise Shewmaker once again to talk a bit about the team and the season. Joining Shewmaker was transfer graduate student catcher and infielder Lauren Higginbotham. While the Lipscomb baseball team has a roster stacked toward the older side, the softball team has a far younger roster. In fact, only eight of the 21 girls are above sophomore level, and six of…

  • Sports

    A Beautiful Day for baseball

    This past Tuesday was Lipscomb’s A Beautiful Day, and amidst many events, the baseball team hosted Vanderbilt. The first time Vandy had come to Lipscomb for a home game in 14 years, the stands – and surrounding hills – were packed. In fact, the final official attendance number was 1,547, a record number for Lipscomb baseball. Check out some snapshots from the game, taken by Herd Media Photographer Micah Barkley.

  • Sports

    Building Chemistry: The Story of Unity and Growth in Lipscomb’s Baseball Squad

    This year’s Lipscomb Baseball team is a little bigger than last year’s – numbering forty athletes strong. But they’re also facing a lot of interesting dynamics and changes coming. With thirty of the players at Junior level or above, most would expect a split among the players. But that’s not the case with Lipscomb’s team. Senior Outfielder Alex Vergara was the first to quickly put any suspicions to rest. Vergara has been on the Lipscomb team for the past two years, and has been playing college baseball for the past five. “This is the best the chemistry has ever felt,” Vergara said. “A lot of times I think guys say…

  • Series

    Lipscomb by the numbers: SEJC victories

    This edition of Lipscomb by the numbers follows nine students and one professor almost 600 miles to Troy University for a weekend in February. From Feb. 23-25, nine students went with Dr. McCollum to the Southeastern Journalism Conference to compete and represent Lipscomb. They also went to find out if any fellow students from Lipscomb had won any of the prestigious Best of the South awards. It was not a disappointing weekend. Here are some of the numbers: The nine students who went included multiple different majors across the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. They included four PR majors, three Journalism and New Media majors, one Spanish major, and…

  • Sports

    Jersey Madness: Unveiling the Inspiration Behind the Lady Bisons’ Dolly Parton Jerseys

    Amidst March Madness, where 168 teams bring their A-game to the court, one jersey stands out as a light of uniqueness and inspiration. While each team reps its colors with pride, none quite match the spirit and Dolly charm of Lipscomb’s latest addition to the court. Step into the world where basketball meets country music, and discover the story behind the Lady Bisons’ one-of-a-kind Dolly Parton jerseys. Dolly Parton displayed some of her iconic fashions at Lipscomb University last semester in a unique exhibit “Dolly & the Makers” – but that wasn’t the end of Dolly’s partnerships with Lipscomb. This basketball season, the Lipscomb fashion department and women’s basketball team…