New pavilion dedicated with special ribbon cutting ceremony

New favorite student gathering spot named The Marni in honor of donor

Kim Chaudoin  |  04/14/2025

The Lipscomb community gathered on a chilly afternoon to officially dedicate the new pavilion that has been constructed over the last few months with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 11.

The pavilion was the vision of Dick Cowart, chair of Lipscomb’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Becky, who funded the project. The couple wanted to provide a place for students to gather and build community on campus.

“There is a pavilion at our church and at a retreat that we have and it’s the first place that people want to go,” Dick Cowart said at the dedication ceremony. “We wanted students to have a place like that on campus — a place to gather and to connect in different ways than they would in the classroom or the dorm.”

At the ceremony, Cowart surprised Becky with the announcement that the pavilion would be named The Marni, which means to rejoice in Hebrew, in her honor. Marni is the name she is called by her grandchildren.

Construction of the pavilion was completed in mid-March. Since that time, it has quickly become a favorite gathering place for students.

“This is truly a gift from the heart for Becky and Dick. We gather here today to say a special thank you to both Becky and Dick for their generosity and for their vision for this,” said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “I talked to a student who was in the pavilion earlier this week. She told me that she has been there every day since it was finished — studying in the evenings and eating lunch there. She has certainly enjoyed it, and that’s what I continue to hear from our students.”

“The pavilion has already made this campus a different place,” she continued. “It’s a place that speaks to our mission. It’s a place that is a fun gathering opportunity, and it’s a place where relationships will blossom.”

The pavilion is a 30-foot by 40-foot structure with wood sourced locally from Pioneer Log Systems in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, and stone is from Nashville’s Centurion Stone. The structure features a gas fireplace, lighting, tables and chairs, electrical outlets conveniently located throughout and fans for the warmer weather days. It is located in the center of campus, nestled between Collins Alumni Auditorium and Fanning Residence Hall.  

The focal point of the pavilion is a cross sculpture that is installed above the fireplace. The artwork was crafted by Brady Bates, who graduated from Lipscomb University in 2017 with a degree in art, of Bates Welding & Fabrication.

"One detail that Dick wanted to include as a surprise to Becky was the text on the face of the cross. Her mother’s maiden name was Marney which he wanted to include in both Greek and Hebrew," said Bates. "In Greek it means 'sparkling' or 'shining' and in Hebrew it means 'rejoice.'"

He explained that all of the pieces for both the back plate, bracing and cross were fabricated from stainless steel. The back plate was designed using AutoCAD and then cut using a laser machine. The pieces were burnished and polished using grinders to achieve texture, movement and depth. He applied a chemical patina to the cross in order to achieve a darker finish that he then buffed down to achieve the desired tone. The cross is backlit using an LED light strip. 

Briley Dunn, a law, justice and society major, shared thoughts at the ceremony on behalf of the student body.

“Our student body has been so excited all year to see the pavilion being built. When Dr. McQueen announced that this coming and the exact location at Convocation earlier this school year, we were ecstatic,” she said. “We have been anticipating using it this spring and it has already been a popular gathering spot.”

“On behalf of our students, I am so grateful for the gift that the Cowarts gave to make this pavilion possible. Your investment in something so useable AND beautiful for students will be a legacy that will literally touch every student’s experience at Lipscomb.”