lipscomb academy class of 2015 · pdf filehave i had a more godly teacher!” ... petition...

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There are very few accom- plishments as prestigious as being recognized as the valedictorian of your graduating class. Out of 112 seniors this year, Maribeth Beyer was number one academically. I cannot express how happy I am for Maribeth, who also doubles as one of my dearest friends. Dedicated, talented, deter- mined, and humble are just a few of the words that accurately describe Maribeth’s attitude towards her aca- demics, as well as her attitude to- wards her hobbies such as softball and cheerleading. Maribeth has worked dili- gently all four years of high school to achieve this goal, as well as the years preceding high school. Her natural talent in school is incred- ible, and she has humbly used it time after time to help others who are struggling academically. Freshman year, I missed a week of school due to being sick, and I was unbelievably stressed because missing a week of school also meant missing a week of Alge- bra II. Maribeth came to my house voluntarily to teach me every lesson that I had missed. Thankful does not even begin to express what I felt for Maribeth, and when I tried to pay her for her help, she refused, which portrays her humbleness perfectly. Maribeth has chosen to fur- ther her education at Lipscomb Uni- versity and study law, justice, and society. I cannot wait to see how bright Maribeth’s future will be, and how great of an impact she will have on our world. Issue 7, Volume 68 May 16, 2015 Lipscomb Academy High School 3901 Granny White Pike Nashville, Tennessee 37204 Teacher of the Year: The Legendary Dr. Lowell Hagewood Davis Duncan is one of the most impressive guys you will ever meet. He came to Lipscomb in first grade, and I have been great friends with him since then. Davis has al- ways had a positive impact on my life, and I am proud to have him as a friend and proud to recognize him as this year's salutatorian. If I could choose one word to describe Davis Duncan it would be the word "excellent". Davis is an excellent man of God, and he em- bodies a strong faith that helps him to be a leader at his home church of Crieve Hall Church of Christ. Davis also embodies excellence in athletic pursuits, participating on the school's bowling team and help- ing lead the tennis team to the re- gional competition last year. Lastly, Davis embodies excellence in aca- demics. Davis has taken a wide range of Honors and AP classes, and if that wasn't enough, he has even taken four college classes this year alone. Academically, Davis is fearless; he not only takes on a wide range of challenges, but also excels in them. Davis will be attending the University of Alabama on a full ac- ademic scholarship, and will study Civil and Construction Engineer- ing. I am so proud to call Davis a friend. I know that he will continue his career of excellence at Alabama, and I know that he will do great things. Proud of you, man! There are certain iconic teachers at every school that most students have the pleasure of expe- riencing. They are unique, engag- ing, and are the undisputed masters of their profession. Dr. Lowell Hagewood is the perfect embodi- ment of that idea. Dr. Hagewood came to teach at Lipscomb High School after graduating from David Lip- scomb College in 1976. He then went on to receive a M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in History Education from Middle Tennessee State University. After a thirty-nine year tenure, Dr Hage- wood is retiring from teaching. From my first day in the high school, my peers and I had heard numerous great things about this seemingly legendary history teach- er. We heard about his projects, his videos, and most importantly about his great attitude towards life. All of these rumors were a bit abstract to me as a young highschooler until the day I stepped into his classroom. Dr. Hagewood came into class with a genuine smile that put everyone at ease, and at that point, I could tell that every great thing I had heard was going to be true. As the year progressed, it was not hard to tell that Dr. Hage- wood was a man of God and that he genuinely cared about us as students. This was obvious in the way that he presented the material to us. He not only included movies and games into the curriculum but many great projects as well. (Who will forget the flintlock pistols?) We not only obtained great knowledge, but many great memories as well. Tyler Pierce says, "American His- tory as well as Western Civilization will hold a dear place in my high school memories. I am honored to have been in Dr. Hagewood's class and to be the last group of students he taught throughout his stellar ca- reer at Lipscomb." Upon hearing about Dr. Hagewood winning the teacher of the year award, I cannot say that I was shocked. There is no other teacher so deserving of that title, and many would agree. John-Ad- am Bevels says, “Dr. Hagewood is a great man and a great teacher. He always finds a way to relate history to our experiences today. Never have I had a more Godly teacher!” There are many teachers, but none so memorable and beloved as Dr. Lowell Hagewood. Lipscomb Academy Class of 2015 By Mackenzie Hunter By Alex McQuain Valedictorian Maribeth Beyer Salutatorian Davis Duncan By Cullen Nowell

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There are very few accom-plishments as prestigious as being recognized as the valedictorian of your graduating class. Out of 112 seniors this year, Maribeth Beyer was number one academically. I cannot express how happy I am for Maribeth, who also doubles as one of my dearest friends. Dedicated, talented, deter-mined, and humble are just a few of the words that accurately describe Maribeth’s attitude towards her aca-demics, as well as her attitude to-wards her hobbies such as softball and cheerleading. Maribeth has worked dili-gently all four years of high school to achieve this goal, as well as the years preceding high school. Her natural talent in school is incred-

ible, and she has humbly used it time after time to help others who are struggling academically. Freshman year, I missed a week of school due to being sick, and I was unbelievably stressed because missing a week of school also meant missing a week of Alge-bra II. Maribeth came to my house voluntarily to teach me every lesson that I had missed. Thankful does not even begin to express what I felt for Maribeth, and when I tried to pay her for her help, she refused, which portrays her humbleness perfectly. Maribeth has chosen to fur-ther her education at Lipscomb Uni-versity and study law, justice, and society. I cannot wait to see how bright Maribeth’s future will be, and how great of an impact she will have on our world.

Issue 7, Volume 68

May 16, 2015

Lipscomb Academy High School

3901 Granny White Pike

Nashville, Tennessee 37204

Teacher of the Year: The Legendary Dr. Lowell Hagewood

Davis Duncan is one of the most impressive guys you will ever meet. He came to Lipscomb in first grade, and I have been great friends with him since then. Davis has al-ways had a positive impact on my life, and I am proud to have him as a friend and proud to recognize him as this year's salutatorian. If I could choose one word to describe Davis Duncan it would be the word "excellent". Davis is an excellent man of God, and he em-bodies a strong faith that helps him to be a leader at his home church of Crieve Hall Church of Christ. Davis also embodies excellence in athletic pursuits, participating on the school's bowling team and help-

ing lead the tennis team to the re-gional competition last year. Lastly, Davis embodies excellence in aca-demics. Davis has taken a wide range of Honors and AP classes, and if that wasn't enough, he has even taken four college classes this year alone. Academically, Davis is fearless; he not only takes on a wide range of challenges, but also excels in them. Davis will be attending the University of Alabama on a full ac-ademic scholarship, and will study Civil and Construction Engineer-ing. I am so proud to call Davis a friend. I know that he will continue his career of excellence at Alabama, and I know that he will do great things. Proud of you, man!

There are certain iconic teachers at every school that most students have the pleasure of expe-riencing. They are unique, engag-ing, and are the undisputed masters of their profession. Dr. Lowell Hagewood is the perfect embodi-ment of that idea. Dr. Hagewood came to teach at Lipscomb High School after graduating from David Lip-scomb College in 1976. He then went on to receive a M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in History Education from Middle Tennessee State University. After a thirty-nine year tenure, Dr Hage-wood is retiring from teaching.

From my first day in the high school, my peers and I had heard numerous great things about this seemingly legendary history teach-er. We heard about his projects, his videos, and most importantly about his great attitude towards life. All of these rumors were a bit abstract to me as a young highschooler until the day I stepped into his classroom. Dr. Hagewood came into class with a genuine smile that put everyone at ease, and at that point, I could tell that every great thing I had heard was going to be true. As the year progressed, it was not hard to tell that Dr. Hage-wood was a man of God and that he genuinely cared about us as students. This was obvious in the way that he presented the material

to us. He not only included movies and games into the curriculum but many great projects as well. (Who will forget the flintlock pistols?) We not only obtained great knowledge, but many great memories as well. Tyler Pierce says, "American His-tory as well as Western Civilization will hold a dear place in my high school memories. I am honored to have been in Dr. Hagewood's class and to be the last group of students he taught throughout his stellar ca-reer at Lipscomb." Upon hearing about Dr. Hagewood winning the teacher of the year award, I cannot say that I was shocked. There is no other teacher so deserving of that title, and many would agree. John-Ad-am Bevels says, “Dr. Hagewood is

a great man and a great teacher. He always finds a way to relate history to our experiences today. Never have I had a more Godly teacher!” There are many teachers, but none so memorable and beloved as Dr. Lowell Hagewood.

Lipscomb Academy Class of 2015

By Mackenzie HunterBy Alex McQuain

ValedictorianMaribeth Beyer

Salutatorian Davis Duncan

By Cullen Nowell

Page 2 Graduation Facts

Guest writers for this issue:Cullen NowellEmily WiemanAlex McQuain

Mike RollerGreg Glenn

The Pony ExpressA Publication of Lipscomb Academy

Nashville, Tennessee

Memberships and AwardsMember of the Tennessee High School Press

AssociationMember of the Middle Tennessee Scholastic Press

Association2009 Excellent rating from THSPA

2005 Outstanding rating from The University of Tennessee School of Journalism and Electronic

Media

StaffEditors in Chief: Scott Brons and

Griffen Price

Sports: Lexie Burch and

Burgess Rye

Features: Aspen Odom,

Lexie Burch, and Grant Parker

Novelties: Griffen Price

Senior Farewells:Scott Brons, Griffen Price, Noah

Adams, and Katie Monsor

Sponsor:Alice Sanderlin

Top 9

Schools1. Lipscomb University (36)

2.Samford University (6)

3. University of Tennessee-Knoxville (6)

4. Harding University (5)

5. Tennessee Tech University (5)

6. East Tennessee State University (4)

7. University of Tennessee- Chattanooga (4)

8. Belmont University (3)

9. University of Alabama (3)

Senior Statistics

Number of Boys: 57

Number of Girls: 54

Number of Seniors who went on 2015 Spring Break Mission Trips: 11

Number of seniors affected by Senioritis: 100%

Number of Seniors with Freshman Siblings: 13

Most Popular First Name: Hunter (4)

Most Popular Last Names: Smith and Jones (3)

Most Popular Car: Nissan Xterra (6)

Number of Seniors Born in Another Country: 6

Lipscomb Lifers: 34

Academic Facts Scholarships

AcceptedAverage GPA: 3.242 Average ACT Score: 25.3

HOPE Scholarship Winners: 87

Number of Total AP Classes Taken: 106

Number Dual Credit College Courses Taken: 86

Senior Celebrities

Fun Facts!

Griffen Price and Taylor Johnson are published authors.

Grant Parker has preformed a duet Keith Urban.

Holly Hein's horses are World Champion title holders.

Kylie Morris has turned her hand-writing into a published font.

$25,549,032 for all four years

We would like to congratu-late writing maven and Pony Ex-press editor Griffen Price for win-ning an award from the Tennessee High School Press Association during a ceremony at Lipscomb University yesterday. Griffen was nominated for his review of "The Guardians of the Galaxy" in the Pony Express last fall.

The National Merit Schol-arship Program has recognized se-niors Maribeth Beyer and Myron Sailors for their academic achieve-ment. Maribeth has received the designation of National Merit Com-mended Scholar. She has been at Lipscomb Academy since the 5th grade and participates in cheerlead-ing, Mu Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, Pep Club and Span-ish Club. She is interested in study-ing business or pre-law and is attending Lipscomb University in the fall.

Myron has been designat-ed a National Merit Achievement Semi-Finalist. He has also been at Lipscomb Academy since the fifth grade and is a member of the cross-country team, Concert Chorus, French Club, Art club and partici-pates in school theatre productions. He would like to study English or theology and is attending Lipscomb University in the fall. Congratulations to Myron and Maribeth on this great honor!

Page 3 Top Ten Percent

ValedictorianMaribeth Beyer

Salutatorian Davis Duncan

Which college do you plan on attending?What career will you pursue?

College: Lipscomb UniversityCareer: Law, Justice, and

Society

College: University of Alabama

Career: Construction

Mary

Lillicrap

College: Lipscomb UniversityCareer: Nurse Practitioner

Jacob

McAlister

College: Lipscomb University or Harding University

Career: Nurse Anesthetist

Alex

McQuain

Kylie

Morris

Griffen

Price

Audrey

PriddyVicky

Zhang

College: Lipscomb UniversityCarreer: Actuary

College: Lipscomb UniversityCareer: Anything creative that

lets me tell a story

College: Lipscomb UniversityCareer: Undecided

College: Boston CollegeCareer: Accountant and

Musician, together

Mackenzie

Hunter

Hannah

Hutcheson

College: Univeristy of Tennesses, Knoxville

Career: Social Worker

College: Lipscomb UniversityCareer: Physician's Assistant

or Medical Doctor

College: University of VirginiaCareer: Officer in the Navy,

Nuclear Engineer

Class of 2015 Top Ten Percent

Musicians are everywhere in Nashville. They run rampant around the streets of Downtown Franklin, opening guitar cases and setting out buckets to accept any form of “appreciation” possible. The musicians here at Lip-scomb definitely deserve more than pocket change for what they do. One such musician is Hunter Taylor. He writes solid country songs with real-deal lyrics and fluent melodies that he performs throughout Nashville. More than that, he has begun to redefine what the Lipscomb music scene is about-- adding raw coun-try to a primarily folk-pop culture. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Vicky Zhang, a classical pianist who rivals the skill of even the best of the best. Vicky was a finalist of the Nash-ville International Piano Com-petition and won superior in the Tennessee Music Teachers Asso-ciation State Competition along with numerous other awards and honors. Unknown to most, Vicky is also proficient in classical gui-

tar and made All-State chorus. These two seniors have enough drive and poten-tial to accomplish anything they want, both in music and in life.

This Saturday I had the op-portunity to see the school’s pro-duction of The Wizard of Oz and found it to be a wonderful produc-tion. The performance was perfect with a great set and cast!

For starters, the set had cool features not used before in Lip-scomb Academy productions. First, a new green screen added a little razzle-dazzle to the normally bland background. The green screen was especially commendable while the pink bubble floated about hint-

ing the arrival of Glenda the Good Witch (Hayden Hall). The props used to create the world over the rainbow added a spark of life mak-ing the audience feel as though they too had been transported over the rainbow along with Dorothy (Hatty King). The true crowning jewel of this production had to have been the great combination of actors. Hatty King played the lead of Dorothy and let me just say that she has an absolutely amazing voice. She managed to bring the character of Dorothy straight out of the screen and right on to the stage. But what would Dorothy be without her com-panions throughout her journey? They include: the Scarecrow (Mat-thew Smith), Tinman (Scott Brons), and Cowardly Lion (Noah Adams). Matthew Smith managed to move as though he too was made of straw leading to some very enter-taining flips and falls. Scott Brons

seems as though he was born just to play the part of Tinman, and Noah Adams managed to imitate exactly the sound of the original Cowardly Lion. This crew managed to effort-lessly create the tale that all of us know and love. “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” were the first words spoken by Glenda, showing the audience how much talent Hayden Hall really had. With her big spar-kly dress and beautiful voice, she managed to bewitch us all. At the very first entrance of the Wicked Witch, I knew they had cast the right gal. Anna Biggerstaff captured the true evilness of the witch laced with a hint of humor. The Wizard of Oz was played by Jacob McAlister who perfectly hit every punch line. All in all, this play showed incredible teamwork that show-cased each actor’s talent. Most im-portantly, it shows how in the end, all that matters is finding home.

Page 4 The Arts

The "Wonderful" Wizard of OzBy Emily Weiman

By Grant Parker

Musical Mustangs Concert Chorus: Commitment to

ExcellenceRegional Adjudication Score: 11.86/12

State Adjudication Score: 11.86/12(Highest in the state for the third year in a row)

All-Region Participants: Logan Campbell, Vicky Zhang, Scott Brons, Grant Parker, Holden Montgomery, Matthew Smith, Clay Howell

All-State Participants: Grant Parker, Matthew Smith, Scott Brons, Holden Montgomery

Concert Chorus Officers:President- Grant ParkerVice President- Andrew SaundersSecretary- Vicky ZhangLibrarians- Scott Brons, Shelbi Sullivan, and Lily McPherson

To the class of 2015, Today you walk off our campus as graduates and into the world as servant leaders. Congratu-lations! Thank you for the remark-able achievements and impact you have had during your time at Lip-scomb Academy. From winning state athletic and fine arts champi-onships to serving your community in love, you have all made a differ-ence. As this high school chapter of your journey comes to a close, I pray that your aspirations full of

passion, excitement and hope are fulfilled. This new chapter you are entering is filled with opportunities, and I have confidence that you hold the skills and have the heart to ful-fill God’s plan for you. The time has come for you to take another big step and you have a host of folks here at Lipscomb that will be watching and looking for-ward to seeing you through. As you step off this campus today, take a moment to consider that you are now part of a legacy of alumni spanning three centuries. Through the investment of loved ones in your time at Lipscomb, you are now prepared to face the un-

known roads ahead. There will be good days and more challenging days ahead; continue to seek and keep your relationship with Christ the top priority. This is far and away my greatest desire for each of you. I truly appreciate the impact each one of you has had on me and my first year serving at Lipscomb Academy. Lord willing, I look for-ward to hearing and following your progress for many years ahead. You will always be part of the Lipscomb family, and you will forever remain in our heart and minds. Congratulations, seniors, and job well done.

Page 5 Features

By Greg Glenn

By Mason Price

Mr. Glenn Bids a Fond Farewell to the Seniors

Coach Smith named to TSSAA Hall of Fame

McQuain Receives Military Scholarship

Congratulations to Alex Mc-Quain who will receive an $180,000 ROTC scholarship this fall from the United States Navy to attend the Uni-versity of Virginia. After visiting Honduras on a mission trip, Alex says he felt in-spired to seek an opportunity to serve others, and began to consider joining the military. Alex credits his parents for helping him see the opportunity to both serve his country and receive an excellent education. Alex describes the ROTC ap-plication process as starting simply, in the form of an online application, but becoming more thorough, requiring

many interviews. He says the charac-ter building and leadership skills that he developed at Lipscomb Academy set him apart from the other applicants. He goes on to say that he feels pre-pared academically for the challenges ahead, having taken honors courses in high school and college courses at the university which helped him boost his ACT score. Alex will graduate college as an officer before beginning his six-year commitment with the United States Navy. He hopes to be stationed as a nuclear engineer on a submarine or possibly as a weapons specialist on a carrier. Congratulations, Alex. We are so proud of you!

Lipscomb Academy Coach Ernie Smith has added another distinc-tion to his coaching career, as he was recently named a member of the 2015 TSSAA Hall of Fame. In his more than 35 years of coaching, Smith has captured seven TSSAA state baseball championships and one girls’ basket-ball state title. He has more than 800 wins in each of the two sports, with 865 in baseball and more than 870 in basketball. Coach Smith says, "I was very surprised, humbled and honored. It caught me off-guard. I've been very lucky. God put me in the right place at the right time." \ Assistant Baseball Coach Charlie Hale notes that "Ernie is now

unquestionably the face of Lipsomb athletics." Athletic director Mike Roller adds, “Ernie has impacted hundreds if not thousands of students during his career at Lipscomb and continues to show the same passion and drive every season,” “He has molded godly men and women for four decades and helps them use their individual talents to the benefit of God and the success of their teams.” Senior Hunter Bradford says, "Coach Smith is the true definition of a player's coach" adding players "value his friendship as much as his leader-ship." Senior Burgess Rye praises Coach Smith saying, “He has honestly changed my life.” Thank you, Coach Smith, for the amazing work you have done!

By Alice Sanderlin

Page 6 Novelties

By Vicky Zhang

By Griffen Price

The winter may go, and the spring disappear

Repetition Pattern A

Will you please wait for me, tenderly folded hands?From a cloud of dust I breathe the ancient desert air

Blistering sun and brutal stretches of sandWhen winter passes, spring will come again

Are you still waiting, beautiful hair of serene dignity?Let the bleak moonlight join me with my beloved bride

Grimy tents scattered and bonfire intensely flamedOur last memories the piercing wind carries far away

When winter passes, spring will come again

Have I kept you waiting too long, anxious furrowed brows?Warmth of blood heaves tumultuously in my chest

Fire and brimstone and rusted bladesIn the putrid slurry I wade and wield a broken spear

When winter passes, spring will come again

Have you stopped waiting for me, melancholy eyes of smoky quartz?Cast out those detestable black-feathered messengers

Blunted swords and ashes from the skyBlood veins in exhausted legs filled with heavy, poisonous lead

When winter passes, spring will come again

From the horizon you frequently gaze, the awaited one eventually comesScarlet wedding gown and meteor of ruby jade

If spring may bring a breath, the grass will grow and wakeI shall meet you thereAnd never part again

When I die don't linger long,Don't pass the hankies 'round and 'round,When I am gone to sleep without sound.Fot Blackest coffee fills my cup.Don't pass the hankies 'round and 'round,But leave my Facebook up.

Pass the casket, earth to Earth,Aging ornaments, rust to rust,Remember what you can and must--For I shall drink this blackened cup...Let my knick-knacks rust and rustand leave my Facebook up.Sit around what house I have,

Change some stories, eat some cakeRecall how I did and spakeBefore leaving; locking up.

Take your things, box your cake.I'll be here, I will wait.I'll leave my Facebook up.

If I sang to you til midnight,Would you ever sing along,

If I held your hand thru rainstorms,Would you ever slip and fall,

And when you lay down at night,Do your thoughts rest too?

Are the strings of this old guitar,Still resounding in your dreams,Can you feel the water running,Or my lips against your teeth,

Does the light still hurt your eyes,Like it does to me?

Can you see the rock walls falling,Like your hair falls down your

cheek,Are you skipping stones in bore-

dom,Or doing backflips in the creek,Do you realize what you've got

here?That it's not just me?

Is your pillow feeling softer,Than it ever has before,

My eyes are always open,What do you avoid them for?

Is all this just an idea,Do you really want me?

Do you care about the vision,Like you make me think you do,Are my minutes being wasted,

Do you even have a clue,If I threw myself over,

Would you climb that far?

If my body was an ocean,Would you try and catch my

waves,Can you hear the voices talking,

Do they echo in the cave,When I'm already falling,

Are you braced on solid ground?

Quiet OneBy Grant Parker

And Now... Poetry (from the Senior Class of 2015)

By Noah Adams

Mountaintop SunriseEarly one morningwhile the ether was still formingthe starry, cold breath swept down

The breath of the silence, the mountain top’s guidance, the worn path on the ground

Oh, now the trumpets are singing, the skyline is gleaming, with the beauty from the father,I know that I’m home-again

The sky turned to fire, while the angel choir, swept life down under our feet

The violets in the mountainsthe ever-flowing fountainan apple, so crisp and so sweet.

Oh, now the trumpets are singing, the skyline is gleaming, with the beauty from the father,I know that I’m home-again

Well, the sun burnt like fire, I began to feel tiredas the day turned into the night.

My stomach started growling my body was howling,with exhaustion, from the strenu-ous climb

Oh, now the trumpets are waning,the skyline is fading,the beast of the night is upon meI know that I’m home-again

As the Lipscomb Academy Athletic Director I am always pleased when our student athletes receive an op-portunity to continue their careers at the college level. Every year we have been blessed by having talented young people who have put in the time and effort to be coveted by uni-versities across the country, and with the young athletes moving up through our grades it looks as if this

will continue. Lipscomb athletics, however, is much more than young people having a chance to receive college athletic scholarships. Athletics at Lipscomb ex-ists to be an integral part of a young person’s education. Every athlete on every team is there voluntarily. They play because they want to play. This creates a wonderful edu-cational setting where coaches can not only teach the skills that our

athletes need to be successful in their particular sport but also teach lifelong skills and values. There is no better venue in a school setting to teach unselfishness, accountabil-ity and work ethic than on the field of competition. In addition, at Lipscomb, because we are intentionally Chris-tian, we have the added blessing of using our programs to spiritually form our athletes. Every coach at

Lipscomb embraces the mission statement of the athletic depart-ment: “to develop and use our gifts for the Glory of God.” In addition to carrying out our mission to help educate our stu-dent athletes, Lipscomb Academy Athletics believes in participation opportunities. There are nearly sixty individual teams offered at the Academy. The future of Lipscomb Athletic Program is bright.

Page 7

The United StatesNaval Academy

University of Central Oklahoma

Jackson Mitchell: Football

Channing Bearden: Rowing

Lipscomb Athletics: Giving Glory to GoD

By Dr. Mike Roller

Blair McFarlin: Equestrian

Hannah Hutcheson: Volleyball

Cameron Webb: Basketball

Trevecca Nazarene University

Senior Athletic Signings

Auburn University

Lipscomb University

Well… it's here. Whether the end of this four-year roller-coaster is a cause for celebration or tears, the cars have come back into the station, and it’s time to get off. We're moving on to bigger and (hopefully) better things, and facing the scariest, most wonderful thing in our lives: Maybe. There are an infinite list of "Maybes" that fringe our shared, immediate future: maybe you’ll like your new college, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll transfer, may-be not, maybe you’re good at mak-ing new friends and adapting to a new place, or maybe you’ll have to learn those skills all over again. But seniors, can we prom-ise each other two things? Two little things? First, set aside those "Maybes" for a minute, because

I have three "Definitelys" to give you instead: 1) You have a God that loves you and plans good things in advance for you to do. 2) You have parents, mentors, and—I prom-ise— friends who will support you and guide you every step of the way 3) You’re okay. You have a heart beating in your chest and a brain on your shoulders, and if you keep the second in place, the first will be just fine. I know that you— yes, YOU— are a capable, lovable, un-breakable individual more powerful than you know and I know that you can get through this. Oh, and that second favor? Never forget that. Love, The PX Staff

Page 8 Farewells-

The Class of 2015

Noah's Nook: Freeze's Fond FarewellBy Nordista Freeze

By Scott Brons

Change becomes more evident every day. As the school year draws to an end, I see myself in a position I’ve never been in. Every day I’m expected to prepare for college, looking forward and embracing the newness as it un-folds. An unequaled sense of liberation carries me like the time I left the op-tometrist with my first pair of glasses. I’m filled with excitement and dreams to be seized. At the very same time, I’m sitting in dark rooms watching slideshows of the last eighteen years click through. I’m shaking hands with everyone that has been an influence on my life while they are asking me what’s next. I’m participating in “my last” ev-erything, and I’m not really sure when my next anything is going to be. The opposing tides could re-ally outstretch you, if you’re not care-ful. These two contradicting situations

of childhood, nostalgic sentiment and potential, forward progression can together bring out an overwhelming sense of change. Everything familiar seems to be dying, and everything new is another open-ended choice or option that I have no clear idea about. Comfort may be found in this truth, and although it may be more evident to seniors, it always will be a truth in each of our lives: We are changing quickly, every second realizing and creating new ideas and solutions. The search for undeniable truth and unending content-ment is eternal, but each day we grow a little closer to understanding what our purpose is. The rapid conversations, countless classes, and most definitely the art we consume may feel as if it is passing right through us, but beneath the surface we are slowly and steadily growing in grander ways. Often I hear people rating their mood on a 1 to 10 scale. More than

that, we like to view our work and even relationship with God on a linear scale. Progressing during the joyous days and deteriorating through our darkest. I would like to ask you to reconsider this. You and I are not battling in or-der to progress. We are progress. It’s an unending current called “time” that we have yet to find any control over, and as time continues, so does change. This change is not a fleeting trend. This change is a constant growth of our heart and soul. Each day we are faced with de-sciscions, some we respect and others we regret. But wether we are brought happiness or despairity, there is some-thing to be learned, furthered, and ad-vanced. In the midst of this time, where change is so very apperant, let’s re-member that we are in constant growth. Even in times of confusion or frustra-tion, there is a hope and even a purpose in the continual progress we live. More

than that, there is hope in the furthering of The Kingdom. The Kingdom is big-ger than any of us. The Kingdom is for all of us.

This, the farewell as editor of the Pony Express, will be fully contained in one sentence that hope-fully will effectively say my ap-preciation for everyone (and folks, I mean absolutely anyone reading this article) who has supported this writer who presents his writing in humble efforts with a passionate joy that emanates from his heart. This senior year. however, has been painful at times (having mono dur-ing a play is like having a sickness during a theatrical production), but my two final semesters have brought me so many great memo-ries like Hannah Hutch: thanks for being the best impromptu Jr/Sr date ever; my many trips to that Emerald City with Noah, Hatty, Matthew, and Griffen; the third State title for Chorus with all my acafellas and

chorgals; and lastly all my new friends this year1; as we seniors go onto new horizons, I would like to thank Lipscomb for all the fantastic growth I have had here*

1: I thought I had already met all the cool people here: man, was I wrong

*: This growth is because of SO many underclasswomen like Anna Sager, Anna Biggerstaff, Hayden, and of course, the beautiful Anna Grace Brons-- guys I love you too, just not in a “listy” kinda way. Well, anyway, I guess I should wrap this up now: I love you all, until our paths may cross again remember this, you must intentionally grow up, become yourself, and develop a relationship with God†

†: Do that.

By Griffen Price