President honors students of excellence at 2010 Convocation ceremony
Janel Shoun |
The 120th academic year at Lipscomb University convened Tuesday with the fifth annual President’s Convocation ceremony. This year students of excellence -- athletes, community servants and nationally competitive engineering students -- were recognized at the ceremony, considered the formal start of the 2010-11 school year.
The traditional ceremony launched with a procession of faculty in academic regalia and a parade of flags, to the piping of the Nashville Pipes and Drums. In an unexpected conclusion, the ceremony concluded with a victory lap in Allen Arena by the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering’s award-winning all-terrain vehicle, built and operated by engineering students.
Students from the David Lipscomb Campus School joined 3,752 university students, members of the Lipscomb University board of trustees and public officials Rep. Jim Cooper and state Sen. Douglas Henry for the annual ceremony.
“May God bless you in your determination and zeal to fully accept the adventures of the 2010-11 academic year,” Nancy Magnusson told the students in her welcome. Magnusson is one of Lipscomb’s newest leaders, serving as senior vice president for strategic initiatives.
Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry inspired the students with stories of how Lipscomb is “fighting against the tide” toward success.
Successes in the past school year included: adding more than 300 students this fall, hiring more than 70 new faculty in the past five years (an investment of $210 million in students’ future), expanding the ministry team on both the university and campus school campuses, and sending 700 students out into the community to volunteer at 45 organization and in more than 20 nations.
“We hope to be creating the kind of community that you not only want to be involved in, but one that you want to be your legacy,” Lowry said.
Also during his speech, the president recognized Lipscomb’s 260 athletes for their accomplishments in the NCAA this past school year, including winning the Atlantic Sun All-Academic Trophy.
He also recognized students and faculty who served over the summer in academic and athletic programs for youth, who volunteered hours at the Red Cross shelter during the May floods in Nashville and who worked to help host the Nashville Symphony and the Grand Ole’ Opry on campus while their facilities were being renovated after flood damage.
Finally, the president recognized the engineering students on the SAE Baja engineering team, who built an all-terrain vehicle and raced it in a long-distance off-road race in New York this past June. Out of 70 teams from across the nation, Lipscomb’s team came in 12th, ranking higher than teams from far more established programs such as the University of Illinois, Michigan Tech, Tennessee Tech, the University of Alabama and Syracuse University.