President's first Convocation, freshmen and upperclassmen inducted into alumni association
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During the convocation, the freshmen class and all upperclassmen were inducted into the Lipscomb University Alumni Association. Students received memorial pins, meant to provide them with visual representation of the mission of Lipscomb University as well as reminding them of their own experiences at the university.
The Convocation included a charge to freshmen by Ashley Garman, president of the Student Alumni Association and to the upperclassmen by Randi Johnson, president of the Student Government Association. Jim Pounders, executive director of the Alumni Association inducted the new alumni.
The university will have a convocation ceremony every semester from this point forward to induct new alumni into the alumni association, according to Pounders.
After the induction, Lowry spoke of Lipscomb’s rich history as being a campus school and university whose seed was planted 115 years ago with a vision to prepare people both spiritually and academically for not only their jobs, but for the rest of their lives.
“It is an important and unique endeavor where we seek to bring those together. I am here because of that mission. I am here to support that mission. I am here to extend that mission, and I’m sure you are as well,” Lowry said to the Lipscomb community. Lowry, in his address, focused on several of the challenges facing the Lipscomb community and highlighted ways to ensure success through the challenges.
He mentioned the challenge that naturally accompanies diversity of any kind, which is the possibility that different experiences, orientations and preferences can cause challenges when trying to live together in community. Lipscomb enjoys many types of diversity on campus, including that of varying ages, religious backgrounds, race and more. However, the key, according to Lowry, is not to become uniform, but to be unified in our goals as we move forward for the cause of Christ. It is not uniformity, but learning to deal effectively with diversity, for which we strive.
The next challenge is that of ensuring that our students are well prepared for life outside of college by the time they leave. We must strive to equip students to be prepared for that world by guiding them and surrounding them with support as they go through experiences facing real world situations for the first times.
The next challenge is to not get caught up in mediocrity. We must all work together to get through the challenges that arise and to be all that we can be, Lowry commented.
“We have great resources in our students, faculty and trustees. We are capable of doing what we’re doing and of doing it wonderfully,” Lowry said.
Lowry charged the Lipscomb community to look to the future with great anticipation.
“This is an extraordinary moment and calls for an extraordinary response.”