The Lance

Commencement will take place at the Great Southern Back Arena on the campus of Missouri State University, bringing together graduates, families, and faculty for a celebration on Thursday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m.

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After heavy rain, lightning and hail in Springfield today, Evangel is left with a campus-wide power outage.

Evangel issued an alert at 7:12 p.m. tonight stating that students should expect at least 1-2 more hours without power. The statement read, “We’ll assess buildings once power returns. Expect limited lighting tonight.”

Students should look for further updates from Public Safety or administration.

Starting in the fall of 2026, Evangel plans to launch a new meal plan structure. This updated system will remove the current semester-block swipes, and switch to a weekly swipe system.

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During the final university chapel of the semester, Aubrey Vaughn was revealed as the face behind the Valor mascot.

Students have questioned the identity of Valor all year. “I didn’t know there was just one [mascot],” Student body president Gavin Carnett said. “I figured it would be a blonde girl because I saw her hair sticking out at homecoming, but I was completely surprised it was [Vaughn].”

Vaughn is leaving her legacy as the first Valor mascot at Evangel.

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Evangel University will transition to a new student information system in fall 2027. The university will replace its current system with Ellucian Colleague, a cloud-based platform designed for higher education institutions.

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Story by Madison Mabry.

Starting this summer, Evangel’s Bookstore and coffee shop, the Barracks, will get a makeover to accommodate a better use of space for students in preparation for the 2026-27 school year. The basic plan is to make the bookstore smaller and extend the Barracks into that new space with a $200,000 renovation, according to 2025-26 ESGA Senate president Lilia Parks.

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Story by Morgan Sparks.

Natalie Morgan is a freshman catcher from Ozark, Mo. Morgan went 8-10 with four walks, and five runs batted in during last week’s games against Avila University and Bethel College. Congratulations to Natalie Morgan!

Graphic by Grayson Miczo.

Evangel’s College of Online Learning (COL) will be taking a new shape next year, integrating more closely with the College of Arts and Sciences and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS).

“The College of Online Learning is not going away,” Kristopher Blanchard, Associate Vice President of Academic Operations said. “It remains an important and strategic part of Evangel University’s future.”

Starting next year, that structure will shift. Online classes will be run directly by each academic department, just like in-person classes. COL will still exist, but more as a support system behind the scenes rather than a standalone pathway.

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Story by Madison Mabry.

Senior music major Abigail DeMent recorded her live album, Honey, on Sunday evening at Barnett Recital Hall. Honey features songs she wrote throughout her four years at Evangel.

“This is my life in music,” DeMent said, “I’ve poured every part of my testimony into this.”

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Story by Morgan Sparks.

For the first time in Evangel’s history, The Lance won the “Best in State” award at the Missouri College Media Association (MCMA) awards ceremony on Saturday.

Schools competing for this award range from community colleges to Division I universities across the state. The schools are classified by size with Evangel ranked Division III.

Along with the "Best in State" award, The Lance earned 26 different awards within Division III. Excalibur won an honorable mention in the magazine illustration and infographic category, and Valor Media won an honorable mention int he website category. Overall, Evangel won 24 out of its 34 entries.

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Story by Andrea Shuford.

Evangel University will host the fourth annual Veteran Valor Day today in Spence Chapel. During the service, University President Mike Rakes will host a Q&A with panelists Amy Dykman, Jennifer Danko, Trevor Liverpool and Scott Morris to honor the men and women who have served our country.

“[Veteran Valor Day] reminds students of their calling to serve both God and society with courage and compassion,” career service specialist Shannon McClure said.

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Story by Obed Cordero.