Flames make program history in March Madness
Anne Frank opens in the Box Theater
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VOLUME 36, ISSUE 17
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM | TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019 | LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
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LEAH STAUFFER | Liberty News Service
IN SAN JOSE — A few Jerry’s Jokers flew to San Jose for Liberty’s debut in the March Madness dance. The Jokers gained national spotlight on social media accounts like Bleacher Report
for their rowdy interpretation of the comic character. Myo Baxter-Bell (top left) was a crowd favorite during a viewing party in the Vines Center. The 2018-2019 year was Ritchie McKay’s (top right) seventh and best season with the Flames.
ROTC honored
2018-2019 MacArthur Award goes to LU for the third time Emily Wood ewood13@liberty.edu
Liberty University and the University of Virginia’s (UVA) joint Army Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) program received the MacArthur Award for the third time in seven years. “The honor is a testament to the dedication, patriotism and enduring support from Liberty, the cadets and cadre,” Major Jason
Winkelmann, the Liberty Army ROTC officer in charge, said. The MacArthur Award honors Gen. Douglas MacArthur and commends the highestscoring program in each of the eight university-level ROTC brigades across the United States. Since 1989, the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation and U.S. Army Cadet Command commemorates the former general and his legacy of “duty, honor, country,” through awarding college ROTC programs
for their excellence. Liberty and UVA’s joint Army ROTC program surpassed 37 other Army ROTC programs in the 4th BDE brigade for the 20172018 school year. The award recipients were announced in February 2019. Eight schools across the nation were chosen for the award in their respective region. See ROTC, A6
SGA election season opens Former rivals run uncontested, on-campus scooters update Madison Heirneisen mgheirneisen@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Student Government Association (SGA) had the greatest voter turnout in Liberty history during
the student body president and vice president elections for the 2018-19 school year, with more than 6,000 students casting votes, according to SGA. The candidates run-
ning during this years’ campaign season anticipate nothing less than another exciting election week, which will take place April 15-17. Current Student Body President Jake Page and
Vice President Derek Rockey won the hardfought April 2018 election. Over the past year, the two have worked to implement a number of policies they promised voters during their cam-
paign, which centered around establishing a school culture of unity and school spirit.
See SGA, A8
What’s News Liberty Med students receive matches Friday, March 15, fourth-year medical students across the country received residency placements during Match Day. For its second Match Day, LUCOM congratulated 115 student doctors who will be placed in cities such as Chicago, Tulsa, San Antonio and Lynchburg, according to Liberty News Service.
Local
New coalition to help mothers
Nonprofit Postpartum Support Virginia is launching a new coalition focusing on perinatal mood and anxiety disorder — the Lynchburg Maternal Mental Health Coalition. According to the News & Advance, the coalition hopes to provide the best care for women suffering from this disorder.
Main Street renewal underway
The city of Lynchburg released a tentative schedule for construction pertaining to the Main Street Renewal Project, which will replace all waterlines and electrical systems on Main Street in downtown Lynchburg. Precursory work began at the beginning of March and will extend through September, according to the News & Advance.
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A2 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Riggleman up for fight Freshman Congressman dislikes politics, takes servant DNA to Capitol Hill Hattie Troutman hatroutman@liberty.edu
U.S. Representative Denver Riggleman, (VA-5), shared his story of going from a small business owner to a congressman to Liberty students March 20. Young Americans for Liberty hosted the meeting in the Jerry Falwell Library. Clubs like Lifeline, College Republicans and Students at Liberty for Gun Rights attended. Riggleman focused on his life story and how he became a U.S. Representative. The freshman congressman emphasized the importance of individual liberties and encouraged students to stay engaged and to keep fighting for these liberties. “There is a fight going on between individual liberties and against the government trying to control your life,” Riggleman said. “You have to fight every day because you don’t even know sometimes that the stuff … in these bills (is) so damaging.” Before elected to Congress, Riggleman focused his time on his family-run distillery business, Silverback Distillery, which opened in 2014, and his job as a senior consultant for the Department of Defense, advocating for small business rights. Since co-owning the distillery business alongside wife Christine Riggleman, CEO of the company, Riggleman said he has faced several instances where government restric-
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tions have burdened his business. Because of this, Riggleman has a strong stance on government interference on people’s individual liberties. “How do all of us make what’s right for us go forward and not have the government picking for us,” Riggleman said. “There is an ideological war between those who believe in individual liberty and those who do not.” Riggleman said the reason he ran for Congress derives from his experience of being crushed by the government while trying to run a business. “Why does that government have that kind of power to dictate your life, based on weaponizing regulations and weaponizing compliance and continually raising the tax burden, (so) that you don’t even want to be an entrepreneur anymore,” Riggleman said. Despite not wanting to be a politician, Riggleman believes his service to the country is greater. He said he would rather have his Wikipedia biography say “just a dude,” rather than “politician.” “What I have seen already in the whole 10 weeks in Congress is that I am at the right place at the right time, and I absolutely hate it, but I am not going to leave because service is in my DNA,” Riggleman said. Later, the discussion shifted into a question and answer session where clubs asked
What I have seen already in the whole 10 weeks in Congress is that I am at the right place at the right time, and I absolutely hate it, but I am not going to leave because service is in my DNA. — Denver Riggleman
Kacey Huffey | Liberty Champion
IN HIS BLOOD — Rep. Riggleman said service is in his DNA, which is why he stepped up to serve in Congress, despite his personal feelings.
questions to the congressman, allowing him to give his perspective. One of the questions asked by a representative from Lifeline, LU’s pro-Life club, focused on the status of abortion and the Born Alive Bill, wondering what Congress will do to make a change. Addyson Garner, state chair of YAL, organized the meeting so the students could hear Riggleman’s opinion on current issues such as gun rights and anti-abortion laws and what he faces on Capitol Hill. “A lot of Liberty students were involved with congressman Riggleman’s campaign, so it was really meaningful that he came back and showed some support back to Liberty,” Garner said. Members of College Republicans attended the meeting, many of whom had taken part in helping the congressman’s campaign during the fall election cycle. Vice Chair of College Republicans Jessica Hughes said Riggleman is a well-spoken and personable individual, so the club was excited to see him
speak again. Hughes said a meeting like this one is standard for College Republicans, as they have had Congressman Ben Cline of the 6th District of Virginia, local officials and Fox News campus ambassadors all attend their meeting in the past. This event rounded out Riggleman’s three-day tour of 17 meetings and events throughout his district, focusing on local issues. Riggleman said he wants to look right in people’s eyes and ask what he can do to help them. “As a congressman, my job is not to give you anything, but to remove all those regulations and all those obstacles so you can be great,” Riggleman said. “That’s my job, and it is scary, and I get my face beat in, but I am going to do it.”
TROUTMAN is a content reporter.
Follow the musical calling
Liberty Music Group, LU’s music label, is finding the best Christian musicians Will Evans wjevans@liberty.edu
In 2016, Liberty University purchased the worship music label Red Tie Music from Thomas Road Baptist Church and changed the name to Liberty Music Group (LMG). Along with the acquisition came Lorie Marsh, LMG’s administrator of operations and a driving force behind the growing label’s success. Lorie Marsh is also married to Don Marsh, an associate professor of commercial music at Liberty. “We brought the vision from primarily church and worship music to include all different kinds of music,” Marsh said. “We wanted to do more artist-oriented music as well.” In addition to administrative work, Marsh spends her time doing artist and repertoire, “A&R,” research to find and develop fresh talent for the label. “We are really on a search for the best talent that this school has to offer … the very best,” Marsh said. “We want to be a part of training artists as they are coming up, but
we really want to bring them to the commercial level.” Luke Fortner, lead singer of country-pop band Relinquish, is one of those artists. Since he signed with LMG in 2016, he and his band have been on a 60-day tour and released a few singles. “I was one of those guys that started in the basement. … I was in a band for a couple of years, and Lorie came alongside us and helped us develop our songs,” Fortner said. With a state-of-the-art studio and a lengthy list of connections, LMG prides itself on helping passionate and hard-working artists take their music to the next level. “Ok, so you can sing, you can play an instrument, how do you actually turn that into a career?” songwriter John Forystek said. “That’s where LMG comes in to partner for brand recognition, digital integration, building fan bases and helping facilitate that talent.” Part of LMG’s rebranding has been a move to include a wider range of music that is not exclusively Christian. They have already begun to see success with artist Zach
Leah Stauffer| Liberty News Service
ACQUIRED — Lorie Marsh, pictured above, is the administrator of operations for LGM.
Radcliff, who performed his single, “I’ll Stand,” at the Conservative Political Action Conference at Liberty at the beginning of March. “What we’re looking for is Christians who are artists,” Forystek said. “At the center of their being, at their core, integrated
CAMPUS CALENDAR 03/27 - American Red Cross Blood Drive 1 p.m. | Montview Terrace Lounge 03/28 - Art Gallery Expo 3:30 p.m. | Green Hall Room 1855 03/28 - Film Festival: Day 1 7 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 03/29 - Spring Opera Performance: The Pirates of Penzance 7:30 p.m. | School of Music Performance Hall 03/30 - Phi Alpha Theta Student History Conference 8 a.m. | Montview Ballroom 03/30 - Movie Night: Aquaman 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space
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S E RV E LY N C H B U R G ANNUAL LOCAL SERVICE DAY Lynchburg Daily Bread
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into them, is the gospel.” LMG’s mission statement, “Creating. Connecting. Championing,” is an anthem that Marsh said sums up the label’s ambitions going forward. Marsh said she hopes to see more quality signed in the future and more of Liberty’s talent shared with the world. “We are always taking people under our wing to find out where they fit,” said Forystek. Marsh said students often come to the office to pitch songs and ask questions, but artists do not get involved. There are plenty of opportunities in music production, promotion, graphic design and other areas involved — you just have to want it. “If you want to be an artist, it definitely has to be a calling on your life,” Fortner said. “There are nights I go to bed defeated, wondering why in the world God called me to do this, and then I wake up in the morning reenergized and ready to go. … That’s how I know I’m called to do this.”
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Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | A3
LU students stay up late Student-run web series "After Curfew" launches third season with new cast Jacqueline Hale jrhale1@liberty.edu
After a semester off for leadership transitions, “After Curfew,” a student-run, Saturday Night Livestyle comedy show, is back with new faces, new content and a whole lot of laughs. Season three’s first episode was produced by a mostly-new cast and crew, with showrunner Jacob Harding and five other members returning from the previous season. The first episode featured videos and performances by Jonas Wells, cast members and Dryden Glod, a magician known for his magic trick wedding proposal at Convocation earlier this semester. Wells opened the season with a monologue tackling Liberty issues such as the parking on campus and set the record straight about the relationship status of Stephen Cook, the previous showrunner. Wells explained to fans that he believes Cook is not engaged because his Facebook relationship status on Facebook says differently, thus ending an on-going joke
about Cook. Wells’ goal was to “let people appreciate what happened with Stephen and all of the other people in the past, since it’s technically season three … and then get to know me and the new cast.” Similar to how “Saturday Night Live” intertwines video elements into their live show, “After Curfew” goers experienced digital skits written by Harding. One of these videos explored the concept and implications of National Favorite Chair Holiday. The crowd favored a video aimed at interacting with students on campus, which caught the reactions of unsuspecting students when they were asked to improvise a scene they were given on the spot. Grant Rye and Greta Harris also performed a movie date night skit with a disagreeing couple, written by Jake Gum. But then Glod stole the show. Glod performed on the show during season two, which caught Harding’s eye, but it was Glod’s on-stage proposal during Con-
Allison Heise | Liberty Champion
KNOWN — Campus magician Dryden Glod (center) is known for his magical proposal on stage during Convocation.
vocation that moved Harding to get Glod on the first episode this season. “It was really cool to have someone who’s kind of Liberty famous come on the show and do magic,” Harding said. Glod and his fiancée, Emily Scherreik, spoke with Wells about their engagement, wedding plans and their goals for after graduation. And then the magic began. “He’s really, really captivating on stage,” Wells said. Glod wowed the audience with card tricks and soda cans, miraculously refilling an empty soda can as his last trick. Glod stayed for more than 30 minutes after the audience had left, performing more card tricks and interacting with the cast members. “After Curfew,” however, is much more than what the audience sees onstage. “I honestly loved at the end when Jonas and the whole cast were on stage, and he turned around and said, ‘And this is ‘After Curfew,’’ Harding said of his favorite moment of the evening. “I loved that because it’s showing that ‘After Curfew’ is not just one person. It’s not just Jonas. It’s not just me. It is every single person that works on the show.” The behind-the-scenes crews include a writing team, photography and film team, graphic design team, art team, marketing team, editing team and stage team. “Most people that are working on the show — they have a love for this,” Harding said. “And it is so cool to see that love come out when people are truly passionate about acting, about the stage, about
Allison Heise | Liberty Champion
MAGICAL — Glod (left) entertained with magic involving card tricks and soda cans. film. It is the most fun thing in the world.” Those working on the show apply their studies and passions in a fun and creative way, learning through the process. “(I enjoy) learning how to make connections, learning how to write better, learning how to present myself and present other people in a light that makes them look good and kind of pushes it away from me and more on them,” Wells said. “Then I get to do it on stage, which is fun, and in a way that makes everyone laugh and have a good time,” Wells said.
“After Curfew” has five episodes planned for season three, with new skits and videos featuring more cast members, some exciting guests, live music and high hopes for many seasons to come. All episodes will be released on “After Curfew’s” Facebook page following their live performances. Follow @luaftercurfew on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates. If anyone is interested in joining the “After Curfew” team, email luaftercurfew@gmail.com. HALE is a content reporter.
900 consecutive weeks of support Since 2001, local veterans have met downtown to celebrate military troops Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu
On a September day, Liberty University freshman Toby Williamson of the Marine Corp reserves casually turned on his Dream Cast videogame system in his dorm room on the Hill. Everything was normal as he played Virtua Tennis, a Sega videogame released two years prior in 1999. Williamson noticed commotion in the hallway as he played. His friend entered the room, frantic, and commanded him to turn
on the TV. “I didn’t believe (what I saw on the news) to be honest,” Williamson said. “The whole campus at that moment shut down. Classes stopped happening, and video games went to the wayside.” America froze Sept. 11, 2001, when 19 terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, crumbling the skyscrapers and taking nearly 3,000 innocent lives. Multiple emotions rushed through Williamson, a trained Marine, as he called his platoon sergeant.
Logan Smith | Liberty Champion
SUPPORT— Monument Terrace has served as the home for the event every week for 17 years.
Photo Provided from Facebook NEVER FORGET — Around 250 attendees were present at the rally.
“Not only was I ready to go, I was prepared,” Williamson said. Faithful to his country, Williamson departed Liberty to fight. Two months following the attacks, in downtown Lynchburg near Monument Terrace, several protestors expressed concern over America’s decision to invade Afghanistan. Vietnam veteran and Lynchburg resident Steve Bozeman took notice and organized a counter protest. “I wanted to show Lynchburg that we have a bunch of veterans (who) supported our troops going into war,” Bozeman said. “I was pretty angry.” About 75 people, including local veterans, showed support for the invasion Friday, Nov. 30, 2001. Bozeman, who is 72 years old now, did not realize it at the time, but his counter protest would soon sprout into a weekly gathering of veterans and locals to show support for veterans, veterans’ families and active personnel in the military. “We didn’t plan on coming back the next Friday,” Bozeman said, referring to the initial counter protest in 2001. The following Friday, Dec. 7, 2001, the group gathered again in Downtown Lynchburg to recognize the anniversary of the attacks at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Between 40-70 now attend on a typical Friday, and March 22, 2019 marked the 900th consecutive meeting. “We made a point not to miss any Friday, no matter what the weather was,” Bozeman said. “Our mission was straightforward: to support our troops.” Friday’s 900th meeting saw roughly 250 attendees gathered around Monument Terrace. A vibrant American flag donning thousands of engraved dog tags colored the base of the steps. A 30-minute ceremony commenced, following an introductory playing of the National Anthem.
Lynchburg Chief of Police Ryan Zuidema spoke at the beginning, and Sheriff Don Sloan gave the closing benediction. A Gold-Star mother, the parent of a fallen service member, also made an appearance at the podium. “I get great satisfaction knowing what this has become: a brotherhood and sisterhood of veterans,” Bozeman said. “We’re going to keep it up. We feel very heartwarming that so many people came out today.” Commonwealth Attorney Bethany Harrison also spoke, representing the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). After serving, Williamson returned to Liberty to finish school. He attended his first gathering in 2014, two years after graduating. “It is commonplace in our language to say, ‘Never forget,’” Williamson said. “If you pulled 100 people from the community (and asked), ‘What are we not forgetting?,’ they would not have a clue.” A small building several yards from Monument Terrace housed refreshments for attendees. “The idea of ‘never forget’ is a real practice here,” Williamson said. “If we can do it here, it can be done on a larger scale throughout communities across America.” Expect to see American flags waving at Monument Terrace during the 901st gathering March 29 at 1 p.m. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page “Vietnam Veterans of America, Lynchburg Chapter 196.” “Anything a veteran has ever done to sacrifice themselves for the greater good (is) not something we can forget,” Williamson said. “It’s something that’s woven into our lives.”
SMITH is the manager of content.
17 years of honoring service Kharen Martinez kmartinez6@liberty.edu
For the 900th meeting, the Monument Terrace Troop Rally partnered with Veterans and Athletes United to bring a memorial created with dog tags engraved with the names of Army members who died in combat to Monument Terrace. The monument fills with veterans sporting leather jackets, accompanied by their families, motorcycles, flags and the never missing sign “honk if you support troops,” that invites people going by to be part of the rally, even for just a second. “It hits us personally,” Steve Bozeman, 72, said. “We lost 13 veterans from Lynchburg who were killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we know those faces, so we display those names and those faces every Friday.” Bethany Harrison, spokesperson for the Daughters of the American Revolution, said it is important to remember the sacrifices made by troops every day are the reason the United States is able to enjoy freedom. “We are here to honor those who uphold and upheld that quality (of patriotism),” Harrison said. Bozeman said they would keep coming every Friday, and even when he is not able, he would still come because it is about the community. “We sing the National Anthem, we pray, and we come back,” Bozeman said. “That is what we do as veterans. We keep coming back.” MARTINEZ is a feature reporter.
OPINION Peace on earth
A4
March 26, 2019
Israel is devoted to end conflict in the Middle East
Emily Wood ewood13@liberty.edu
Visiting the country of Israel over spring break opened my eyes to an overwhelmingly diverse nation that thrives, despite intense oppression from the outside. Understanding the context of Israel’s conflict and their longing for peace opened my eyes to the realities of the Middle-Eastern struggle. On May 14, 1948, Israel became a sovereign nation and a refuge for the Jewish people. To this day, Israel’s distinction of nationhood remains disputed and contested by some. Israel exists as the lone democracy in the Middle East and strives to maintain peace, despite the tumultuous nature of its existence. Arguably one of the most controversial countries, located in one of the most hostile regions in the modern world, war and the threat of war plagues Israel’s existence, and its enemies seem to outnumber their allies. Countries constantly wage war over the heavily contested borders shared by Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The country of Israel even has unfriendly borders within itself, fragmenting the state into portions of Israeli and non-Israeli territory. The fact that Israel remains a nation is a wonder. The size of the state of New Jersey, and surrounded by advocates for its destruction, Israel’s survival in the 21st century is nothing short of a work of God. How fitting it is that name Israel translates as “struggle” in Hebrew, originating from the Bible story when Jacob, whose name was change to Israel, wrestled with God. Anti-Semitism fuels other countries to engage in diplomatic isolation and economic boycott against the state of Israel, yet Israel holds its own as a dominant military superpower and economically as they outperform most of Europe. The centuries-old hate directed toward the nation only strengthens its resolve and fuels its survivor mentality. Israel represents a people group historically weathered by storms. Throughout history, the Jewish people underwent unspeakable oppression. They endured years of enslavement, centuries of dispersion, decades of societal oppression and the near-genocide of the Holocaust. So how does a nation continually threatened by war thrive under intense pressure? Israel has repeatedly shown a commitment to maintaining peace both within its own borders and in the region. In order to maintain peace outside its borders, Israel must first maintain peace within its borders. The spiritual climate of modern-day Israel makes for an intriguing intersection of religion and culture. The state of Israel is a paradox in itself, as the pilgrimage destination for the leading monotheistic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Millions of pilgrims from each of the three religions make their way from around the world to the Holy Land of Israel to visit the sites significant to their faith. The Islamic call to prayer rings publicly through Jerusalem as Jews weep at the Western Wall and Christians take communion at the Garden Tomb. Churches, synagogues and mosques
coexist in the land claimed by the Israelites after wandering in the desert and where Jesus ministered on the Earth. In the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Arab Israelis fight alongside Jewish Israelis for the same purpose. Israel stands united in its desire to protect families and live peaceful lives. Despite what some voices seem to echo, the people of Israel also desire peace with their neighbors in the Middle East. The IDF officially began an initiative in 2016 called “Operation Good Neighbor” to help Syria, their neighboring country. They look past their differences and provide humanitarian assistance for sick and wounded Syrians. Over six thousand Syrians have been treated in Israeli hospitals within the last eight years. Above all, Israel wishes for peace. Peace with their enemies. Peace with their neighboring nations. Peace within their borders. Peace with God. What unites the diverseness of the Israeli people is their pursuit of peace and prosperity as a nation. The people of Israel actively seek peace. They practice peace with one another. They push for peace with their neighbors. They promote peace beyond their borders. They pursue peace. They pray for peace. And Israel believes that “peace can be, and peace must be.” Israel understands that this peace will not come naturally, but that it must be fought for. May we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and continue to stand for Israel, our ally and our friend. May peace prevail for the state of Israel. Shalom. WOOD is a content reporter.
Emily Wood
FREEDOM FIGHTERS — The Israeli army contains Arab-Israeli and Israeli soldiers fighting to defend democracy in the Middle East.
'Captain Marvel' Ryan Klinker rmklinker@liberty.edu
Note: This review contain spoilers.
does
not
There is a certain formula that characterizes movies introducing a new superhero. Sometimes, a seemingly ordinary citizen possesses innate abilities, or a wealthy tech genius finds a desire to fight crime. Other times, an alien from another planet is trying to save the universe. Regardless of the means, the film usually contains a colorful suit and a quest to save the day. This month’s “Captain Marvel” placed a twist on this timeworn formula, and this admirable effort ultimately resulted in hits and misses. This film provides a breath of fresh air as the first female-led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 11 years into its existence. The Black Widow solo movie hasn’t been released yet, and so Brie Larson is the first female to stand at the forefront of an MCU film. I love that we’ll have a strong heroine in the mix for the rematch against Thanos, and I’m excited to see her stand alongside fan favorites Iron Man and Captain America, possibly in a role much like Thor in past films. Typical with Marvel, the film shows the hero trying to prove herself to those who say she doesn’t belong, and while I completely agree with this idea, I couldn’t help but think that it
was presented ineffectively. I am a firm believer in short yet poignant moments that address important issues in film, as spoon-feeding often gets nowhere, and there are a few scenes that seem like they fit into a commercial rather than a movie. Maybe that’s what it takes for those too stubborn to accept female empowerment, but it seemed shoehorned in and was a political statement with little subtlety. At the core of a quality origin story is a transformation into a hero audiences can admire and identify with. Steve Rogers was a scrawny nobody with a conviction for good before he got the muscles to back it up, and Tony Stark was an aloof golden boy with little care for others before he witnessed his harmful impact on the world and made a change. We don’t get this evolution with Carol Danvers when she becomes Captain Marvel. She begins as an Air Force pilot who isn’t shown to be kind, honorable or funny, and after she gets her powers — that are never truly defined by the way — she merely travels through the plot without a true motivation. I blame this on the script, and I hope that Brie Larson will get the writing she deserves in “Endgame.” However, I don’t dislike the film as a whole. This film is in an odd position as a prequel, and we know that many of the characters have to survive to fit in with the previous films, but it still manages to offer some new informa-
tion and introduce new characters that will likely come into play in April. I thought the shape-shifting ability of the Skrulls opens plenty of fun doors for deception and new theories, and their ability to search people’s memories could definitely come in handy for future adventures. I won’t go further about the Skrulls because they play a big role in this film but keep an eye out for them in “Endgame.” When it was first announced that the 70-year-old Samuel L. Jackson would play a younger Nick Fury, I was very skeptical. De-aging effects have had moderate success, such as in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and a brief scene in “Captain America: Civil War.” In the most impressive use of this technology to date, Fury is convincingly real in the film, and I quickly forgot there was even “movie magic” at play. If you are expecting a groundbreaking film, “Captain Marvel” only does so with its praiseworthy femalecentric story, as everything else mostly falls in line with the solo movies that came before it. The precedent has been set, and I hope Marvel can improve upon it. As a smart-aleck kid said in my theater during the credits, “Time to wait for ‘Endgame.’”
KLINKER is the photography editor.
LIFE WITH
LOGAN Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu
I confidently entered the blue building, pretending to own the place, and directed my dad to the video games aisle. As a 6-year-old without much money, Blockbuster visits were luxury occasions. Whenever I spent the night at a friend’s house, we frequently pit-stopped at Blockbuster to gaze at the different VHS tapes, video games and new innovative products they called DVDs. We never left empty handed, normally renting at least one video game. Finally, I convinced my dad to make a trip with me. I owned a PlayStation 1, a down-grade from the new Nintendo GameCube, but still a luxury item for a young kid without revenue. And although my “cool” friends owned newer systems like the Xbox or GameCube, I still relished in the opportunity of renting my own PlayStation 1 video games from the extraordinary blue building adjacent to my school. I distinctly remember my eyes catching the SpongeBob video game cover, a beautiful adaptation of my favorite TV show at the time. I immediately snatched it, already imagining myself smiling into my small television with controller in hand. “Enjoy the game!” a Blockbuster employee said as my dad surrendered a few dollars. I bagged my game and headed out the door. I rented the game for a week. I probably never passed level one. But the nostalgia of personally renting a video game from Blockbuster felt amazing. Simply walking into the store produced unspeakable excitement. Now, double-tap the forward button on your VHS and prepare for shocking news… Fifteen years ago, nearly 10,000 Blockbuster stores boasted dominance throughout the world. Now, in 2019, only one humble store in Bend, Oregon, holds the Blockbuster name. It’s the final store in existence. Blockbuster’s eventual downfall was inevitable. Stores could not compete with the online wave of Amazon, eBay and other platforms. Redbox, Netflix and Hulu definitely didn’t ease the burden. The franchise tightened to 300 stores nationwide after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Every year, more buildings shut their doors and surrendered control to online streaming and on-demand platforms. As Blockbuster declined, I turned to GameStop as my preferred purchasing hot spot. I still purchase from GameStop, but as I aged into my teen years and adulthood, I utilized the convenience of online shopping. Even though internet access revolutionized retail shopping, there’s something special about wandering into a physical shop. The old Blockbuster sign in Madison Heights, the store transformed into a completely different business, remains tall. It shoots goosebumps up my skin every time I drive by. When you purchase from physical stores who hire local employees, you’re helping hardworking individuals pay off student loans, car payments and maybe even diapers for their growing children. Contrast that with your Amazon purchases, made online and shipped from anywhere in the world with no local ties to your community. After years of business, Blockbuster is officially a local store in Bend, Oregon, and unlike its heritage, the store has no plans of shutting its doors. According to the New York Times, Bend, Oregon is a community where many residents lack sufficient high-speed internet for streaming. And even more than a video store, the last surviving Blockbuster also serves as a wondrous landmark for travelers to revel. Movies and video games make for great entertainment, but there’s something irreplaceable about purchasing from hard-working, local employees face-to-face. While it may be easier to download movies, TV and video games from the faceless mob of online sellers, nothing will replicate a trip to the store. SMITH is the manager of content.
opinion
Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | A5
‘Leaving Neverland’ My lifelong hero is accused of abusing minors, and I’m still trying to process it
Chad Wylie cewylie@liberty.edu
When I first heard of the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” I found every excuse not to watch it. Michael Jackson was found “not guilty” of sexual assault. In my mind at first, there was no way the accusations against him could be credible. When I listened to a New York Times podcast, “The Daily,” explain the credibility of the victims, I still made excuses. If these people had been assaulted, they should have shared their stories sooner, I told myself. Why did they wait until 10 years after Jackson died to make this documentary, eliminating any chance for the accused to defend himself? When I finally sat down and watched “Leaving Neverland,” I still made excuses for Jackson. I saw that he never had a real childhood due to his celebrity status, making him more immature as an adult. Maybe he had a mental illness and did not know his actions were wrong. But now, having watched the four-hour documentary twice, I am confronted with the brutal, almost unbearable truth I had willfully avoided. The greatest musical icon I know, and my personal hero, sexually abused young boys for over a decade. I do not like writing in first person. I’ve been told by journalistic instructors and English professors it diminishes the quality of my work. But my experience with Michael Jackson is so subjective, and so personal, that it seems fitting to share my love-hate relationship with the King of Pop. It’s hard to forget the first time seeing a Michael Jackson performance. For me, it
was in my grandparents living room, watching a DVD containing several of Jackson’s most popular music videos. His voice, his dancing, his entire aura was unique and sensational. I could not take my eyes away. I sat in my living room with my mom and brother, watching a replay of Jackson’s 1993 Super Bowl Halftime performance. When children flooded to the stage as Jackson sang his single, “Heal the World,” I was amazed by the universal love he conveyed. At the time, I didn’t understand why my mom physically cringed when Jackson began mingling with the children, holding their hands and putting his arms on their shoulders while he sang. I could not comprehend why she didn’t appreciate when Jackson said, “No one should have to suffer, especially our children.” Now, I understand. “Leaving Neverland” tells the story of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who knew Michael Jackson from their early childhood years. Robson first met Jackson at age 5, after winning a dance competition that awarded him the opportunity to meet Jackson at one of his shows. Safechuck was a child actor and met Jackson on the set of a Pepsi commercial the two starred in together. Jackson befriended the two young boys, flying them around the world with him. He brought them on stage to dance with him at his shows and ate dinner with them and their families. He also slept over with them in their bedrooms, invited them for sleepovers at his houses and, according to the two, sexually assaulted them from age 7 to 14. Watching the film, I was forced to reex-
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JAMES SAFECHUCK — Michael Jackson posed for a picture with James Safechuck and his father.
amine all the excuses I made for Jackson. The details the two shared of their relationships with Jackson are compelling. Perhaps the most striking moment of the film comes when Safechuck explains he and Jackson exchanged marriage vows in his bedroom. Jackson gave him a wedding ring, which he still possesses and showed to the camera in the film. I do not believe that Jackson’s mistakes were the result of a mental illness. Jackson clearly understood what he did was wrong. He groomed the boys, telling them they
could never tell anyone about what was happening. He drilled them on getting dressed quickly and silently in case they were ever interrupted. Much like Robson and Safechuck, I have struggled to process this understanding of who Jackson was and what he did. Both victims expressed love for Jackson, even now, and told of their sadness when he died in 2008. I still have Michael Jackson songs saved to my Spotify account, and I don’t skip them when they come up in my queue. I still hear his influence in the music of Brittany Spears, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars, who started his career as a Jackson impersonator. To me, Jackson is still the greatest dancer I have ever seen. As I examine my relationship to my hero, I am reminded of the disappointment that will inevitably come when I place my faith in human heroes. Whether it be a musician, athlete, politician or even personal friend, I cannot let myself unequivocally support them and ignore their mistakes or sins. Most importantly, I have learned to never run away from reality, even when it dramatically shifts my views of someone I have admired my whole life, and in some ways still do. Some will never accept that Jackson abused children, and many will refuse to see “Leaving Neverland” for that reason. But as every excuse I made for Michael Jackson came crashing down, I was left with the view of a talented, severely flawed man who will never be erased from the history books, but whose legacy will forever be stained. WYLIE is the opinion editor.
Improving infrastructure The water crisis demands the attention and finances of the government Macy Hrncir mhrncir@liberty.edu
Water dominates 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and 60 percent of the human body. People consume water daily to maintain happy, healthy bodies. We are constantly surrounded by water, but this fact is often overlooked. When we turn on our faucets, we do not often stop and think about where our ready supply of water comes from. However, we should be taking a much closer look at where exactly our water has been and what steps our government is taking to regulate it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the important responsibility of monitoring water conditions across the U.S. However in Trump’s latest budget announcement for 2020, it was proposed that the EPA’s budget be reduced by 31 percent. With this,
the EPA may find it more difficult to perform its job of keeping the U.S. water supply free and clear of contamination. “While many of the nation’s water sector systems have been working hard to move toward greater infrastructure sustainability, the level of renewal and reinvestment in the water sector has not kept pace with the need,” the EPA said. “This has resulted in a gap between the amount of spending needed and money available to support those needs.” One potentially dangerous substance has been causing some concern lately: lead. Until the early 20th century, lead pipes were widely used in the water-supply systems. In 1986, lead-containing components were banned from the new U.S. plumbing systems. However, these lead-containing components still remain throughout the U.S.’ water infrastructure
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FLINT — Rescue workers brought in hundreds of bottled water packages during the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
because much of it contains parts pre-dating the ban. Water traveling through these pipes could potentially expose consumers to small doses of lead. Lead can have concerning side effects such as increased blood pressure, kidney damage, and cognitive decline which include changes in memory or mental processing speed. Pregnant women are one of the biggest groups vulnerable to lead exposer. Low-level lead exposure could potentially affect their child’s cognitive function. One of the most well-known examples of this real problem is the Flint Water Crisis. In order to cut spending, the city of Flint, Michigan, decided to switch its drinking water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River. Because of inadequate water treatment and testing, many of Flint’s residents encountered major water quality and health issues. Residents complained the water was foul-smelling, discolored and off-tasting, and it was causing skin rashes, hair loss and itchy skin. However, it seemed the local government dismissed these complaints for some time. There were significant levels of lead found in the water coming from the Flint river. One pediatrician in Flint found that elevated blood-lead levels in children citywide had nearly doubled (and tripled for some) since 2014. For 18 months, nearly 9,000 children in Flint had been supplied leadcontaminated water. Unfortunately, the problems didn’t end there for Flint. Shortly
after the city’s water switch, it experienced an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease, the third largest outbreak in U.S. history. The Flint River had also been used as an unofficial waste disposal site for some time. It had received raw sewage from the city’s waste treatment plant, agricultural and urban runoff and toxics from landfills. Sometimes, budget cuts seem good on their face, they save the taxpayers money, but sometimes they also have unintended consequences, much like Flint, Michigan. Sadly, that’s not all. An analysis conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that in 2015, there were more than 80,000 reported violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act by community water systems. Additionally, more than 18,000 of those systems served nearly 77 million people. The violations included failing to properly test water contaminants, exceeding health-based standards and failing to report contaminations to state authorities or the public. Maura Allaire, a water economist at the University of California, compiled a national assessment of long-term water system violations using data from EPA. She found in 2015, nearly 21 million Americans (about 6 percent) were getting water from systems that violated health standards. Washington, D.C., Oklahoma, Idaho and Nebraska were found to be the highest ranking in water system violations over the years. When it came to counties, researchers found low-income, rural
counties had it the worst, especially in Oklahoma and in parts of Texas and Idaho. The biggest downside to water regulation and safety in the U.S. is the wide diversity of the systems and the varying degrees of renovation they receive. This means there is no simply one-sizefits all approach to regulating the nation’s water. Some have suggested a way to approach this is for the small water systems to merge with larger systems to have more consistent, widespread regulation. In the meantime, experts say spreading awareness is the best course of action. People can take easy steps such as buying water filtration systems for their homes and remembering to change them out regularly. Citizens in America should never be faced with a disaster like in Flint, and they have the right to know that their water is safe to drink. Rather than cutting budgets on water infrastructure, the government should try to find new solutions focused on restoration of the outdated pipes used to transport American’s drinking water and updating the water treatment plants. Undoubtedly, it will be expensive. Some analysts project that it could cost the U.S. as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades, but if anything in the country is worthy of that money, it’s the necessity of clean water.
HRNCIR is an opinion writer.
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A6 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
LU travels to Spain over break Liberty G5 partners with Christar International to serve refugees in Europe Caroline Veater clveater@liberty.edu
As part of Liberty University’s G5 initiative, nearly 100 students traveled with LU Send to North Africa and Spain over spring break. Students went with the mission to serve and bring hope to the refugees who flood into southern Spain every day. Refugees are pouring into Europe via roundabout paths, wanting to escape the imprisoning situations of their homelands in the Middle East and Africa.
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morning, on a long drive through the mountains of northern North Africa to reach a remote village, the team’s time of devotions turned into more than two hours of singing worship songs together, all while traveling through hills where Christians are scarce. From North Africa, the team then spent a week in the province of Andalucía, where most of the migrants enter Spain. According to NPR, in 2018, Spain became the main point of entry to Europe for migrants, taking in nearly six times more migrants than Italy
up and get locations ready to become more refugee housing, and do whatever was needed, including beach cleanup on a remote shore in Almunecar. Social work, psychology, theater, Christian service and communication students also used their areas of expertise to contribute to the greater mission of serving refugees in Spain. During the recent Global Focus Week at Liberty, students purchased supplies to be distributed to refugees entering Spain. These supplies were gathered and distributed by many of the Liberty students who traveled to Spain over spring break. But most of all, they listened to the stories around them and shared the hope of Christ. Liberty student Truitt Robinson said the Larson experience greatly impacted him. “Sharing God’s love and light in a place filled with darkness was a blessing and touched so many lives,” Robinson said. “(It’s) hard to put into words this life-changing experience.” One young refugee that the Liberty group met was only 20 years old and had fled his home alone due to religious persecution, slowly making his way through central and northern Africa. He recounted the harrowing sea crossing he made with several
I pray we were able to bring hope and love to the people. I pray they could sense the safety and freedom that we have that transcends understanding — the freedom found in Christ. — Kathryn
Liberty sophomore Makenzie Barnes summed up this mission. “As Christians, it shouldn’t matter if they come from a terrorist country or an Islamic country,” Barnes said. “What matters is that we love them, no matter what they come from.” The team spent three days in North Africa, learning more about the culture and environment migrants would be coming from. One
and receiving more refugees in some eight months than Italy did in all of 2017. The Liberty team partnered with Christar International, an organization dedicated to bringing the gospel to places where it is not known, to better serve the migrant population. From a base camp in Málaga, the team worked with other organizations such as the Spanish Red Cross to put on family fairs for the refugees, clean
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BEACH — Málaga is conviently located on the southern shore of Spain where many refugees enter into Europe.
other migrants on nothing but a slab of wood with a motor attached in the middle of the night with no lights. Now in Spain, he is in the middle of the official asylum and integration process, while having picked up both Spanish and French during his time there so far. When the long asylum process is completed, he hopes to make his way to the United States and pursue his lifelong dream of attending veterinary school. This is only one story out of thousands. The students heard many stories of families forced to flee their homes at night for their own safety, never to return, of teenagers who ran away to escape persecution and make a better life for themselves, of relatives separated on the way to safety, and of friends and family members who died on the arduous journey to
Europe. Liberty sophomore Kathryn Larson reflected on the trip since returning to the United States. “I pray we were able to bring hope and love to the people,” Larson said. “I pray they could sense the safety and freedom that we have that transcends understanding — the freedom found in Christ.” As the students returned home, Liberty will continue to focus on Spain as the G5 country for the remainder of the year. To get involved with LU Serve and the G5 initiative, visit the LU Serve office in Dorm 17 or check out the G5 page on Liberty’s website. Students wishing to go to Spain for longer can check out the study abroad opportunities on LU Send’s website. VEATER is a content reporter.
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TRAVEL — Liberty students traveled to Spain and North Africa over spring break to bring the love of Christ to refugees. They distributed supplies students had purchased during Global Focus Week.
ROTC continued from A1 Out of the 6,000 cadets across the U.S., each cadet receives a score based on their scholarship, leadership and athletic ability. The ranking of the university’s ROTC program comes from
Kevin Manguiob | Liberty News Service ROTC — Major Jason Winkelmann heads up Liberty’s Army ROTC program.
the average score of all their cadets. “Our cadets ranked the highest than any other program (in our brigade),” Winkelmann said. “That’s a testament to the support we get from Liberty and the quality of the cadets in the program and the outstanding cadre that we have teaching them.” Winkelmann said the support the ROTC receives from the university sets Liberty’s ROTC program apart. “I’ve been to other schools, and nothing compares to what we have here,” Winkelmann said. “Liberty is very pro-military. Whatever we need, they provide to ensure we can deliver topnotch training.” ROTC provides cadets with career opportunities and gives them leadership skills for the job market. Those who graduate from
the ROTC program enter the military as a second lieutenant. All 16 of the ROTC program’s seniors will serve in the military after graduation, and 13 will go into active duty. Among the program’s senior class is Cadet Andre Lobato, who will enter the army after graduation as an engineer officer. Lobato said being a part of ROTC was his favorite part of his Liberty experience. It also allowed him to complete college with an academic scholarship. Liberty’s Army ROTC program strives to offer not only an academic opportunity, but also a family atmosphere. “(Army ROTC has) provided the closest-knit community I’ve ever been a part of,” Lobato said. Lobato feels honored to be a part of a winning pro-
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GROWTH — The ROTC program gives cadets career opportunities and leadership opportunities. gram and a university that affords many opportunities for their Army ROTC program. “Its nice to see that we are recognized for it because we’re a pretty young program compared to the other programs throughout the country,” Lobato said. “It’s really cool to be a part of one of the best programs in the
nation.” Winkelmann said the distinction of the MacArthur Award is merely the by-product of striving for excellence in training future Army officers for military service. He describes it as a testament to their dedication, patriotism and support. “We love what we do. We love the cadets, we love
Liberty, and we love that we get to train the next generation of officers,” Winkelmann said.
WOOD is a content reporter.
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Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | A7
LPD kicks off 6-week course
Citizen's Police Academy offers residents opportunity to learn about LPD Emma Smith esmith83@liberty.edu
While many Liberty University students basked on beaches over spring break, 29 Lynchburg residents began a six-week journey with Lynchburg Police Department’s (LPD) Citizen’s Police Academy. The academy takes place at the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy on Church Street in downtown Lynchburg. Instructors cover a variety of topics, including traffic safety, use of force and citizen’s rights, among others. Cindy Kozerow, a crime prevention specialist with LPD’s Community Action Team (CAT), said the academy is not designed to teach attendees how to do police work. Rather, it is an educational opportunity to understand the difficulties of police work and “why police do what they do.” “Having gone through this course helps dispel some of the
myths people have about the police,” Kozerow, who went through the academy herself, said. “I think that’s very important.” Interested parties must apply for the academy online and pass a background check to be accepted into an academy class. While there is currently only one class offered in the spring, Kozerow said the department occasionally offers fall courses as well. “We have a diverse group, which is great. … I think what we’re trying to do — these days with … the media and some of the spins on police — (the Citizen’s Police Academy) is such a huge opportunity to again educate our city on how we’re serving them. … We’re serving and protecting,” Sgt. Jeff Rater, who works with LPD’s CAT team, said. Of the 29 students in the CPA class, several said they were attending because they want to pursue careers in law enforcement, others were family members of current LPD officers, and some
Emma Smith | Liberty Champion
DOWNTOWN — The Citizen’s Police Academy takes place at the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy.
wanted to learn more about local policing as a result of being part of Neighborhood Watch programs. “I want to see what it takes to be an officer and the procedures,” Kayla Snow, 19, said. Snow said she goes on ridealongs with a friend who works for the department, and she plans to apply to be an officer in May. Another attendee, Gregg Rinkle, said he wanted to be an officer when he was younger but never explored opportunities. Now, he hopes to learn how the police department works. Two major topics covered in the academy are traffic safety and citizen rights. Kozerow explained traffic safety is highlighted because it is something citizens encounter every day and often involves more than citizens understand. “(The traffic safety simulation) is a lot of fun, but I think it’s one of the most eye-opening things,” Kozerow said. Section 46.2-921.1 of the Code of Virginia states, “Drivers to yield right-of-way or reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles on highways.” Kozerow said citizens often do not understand the danger of failing to follow this law, often called the Move Over law. During traffic stops, the stopped driver can often feel their car shaking from fellow motorists who fail to move over before passing by. “Now, think about standing outside of the vehicle performing a traffic stop while (cars fly past),” Kozerow said. Rater also said the academy will focus on the “Know Your Rights” presentation created by LPD. The presentation was originally created after the NAACP reached out to Rater to educate Lynchburg youth on police interaction. Currently, the CAT is still working to get the
Emma Smith | Liberty Champion
LEARNING — Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema welcomed attendees and
shared basic information about LPD during the first CPA class March 14.
curriculum into Lynchburg City Schools, and Rater hopes members of the CAT team will be able to present the information to students and act out scenarios to help them gain a greater understanding of their rights. “(‘Know Your Rights’) covers everything from interactions with the police — the dos and the don’ts. I remember when I got my driver’s license, nobody ever told me what to do when I was pulled over by the police,” Rater said. “We’re really going to ramp that up this year.” In addition, the presentation covers information on filing complaints against officers as part of LPD’s commitment to holding officers accountable to the law. Officers are equipped with body cameras, and citizens are encouraged to file complaints if they believe they have been treated unfairly, among other accountability measures. “Even if you think you are in the right, and you are like, ‘This is ridiculous. What’s this guy doing?’ Do what the officer says,” Rater said. “There’s a (body) camera
running nine times out of 10, (and) there’s nothing against the law that says you can’t record on your own device. Then, deal with that later.” At the end of the six-week academy, attendees will have an opportunity to share takeaways from the experience. Rater said this gives the department an idea of the impact the Citizen’s Police Academy has on attendees. “We’ve gotten such positive feedback from those classes, even (from) people going into it with preconceived notions. … And then when we have the last day and people get to speak into what they’ve learned or what they see,” Rater said. “The mindset has changed dramatically of us and police in general. The lightbulb goes off.” For more information about LPD’s Citizen’s Police Academy or to be put on a list for updates on future classes, contact Cindy Kozerow — cynthia.kozwerow@ lynchburgva.gov.
SMITH is a copy editor.
T DAY N E M S S E S S IVERSITY A
LIBERTY UN
3 L I R P A , Y A D S E N WED You will receive information from your school or department regarding morning activities.
Liberty.edu/ADay
Watch your email for details about afternoon surveys and focus groups.
Convocation, some labs, and all classes (except those that only meet once a week on Wednesdays) will be canceled. Graduate students — check with your department for information about courses and activities.
Afternoon participants will be entered into a drawing for great prizes! Learn more at Liberty.edu/IESurveyOfficialRules.
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A8 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Students get A-Day off Assessment Day will help Liberty make beneficial changes to departments Rachel Van Tuyl rvantuyl@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Assessment Day, April 3, 2019, will give students the opportunity to share feedback on their experiences with various Liberty departments. To encourage participation, Convocation and most classes are canceled, except for some labs, classes that meet only on Wednesdays and some graduate courses. In the morning, students will be selected to participate in activities with their academic departments, while the afternoon will be for co-curricular departments. Students who complete afternoon ADay activities will have the opportunity to win one of over 40 prizes, including headphones, iPads, GoPros and Walmart gift cards valued from $50 to $300. Prizes are subject to the rules on the OIE’s website. According to Elicia Charlesworth, director of analytics for Liberty’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE), both morning and afternoon will include a range of activities. In the morning, students will take part in comprehensive tests and standardized tests that compare Liberty with other schools or students in similar programs. Some activities are specific for seniors, while others are specific to students who are newer in a program. Afternoon activities include focus groups and online surveys. Most morning A-Day activities will range from one to two and half hours. For some departments, like the School of Nursing and the Teaching English as a Second Language Department, their activities will be closer to three hours. However, Charlesworth said these departments let students know well ahead of time if they were chosen. Charlesworth said A-Day is about more
CAMPAIGNING continued from A1 As Page and Rockey review their past year in office, both are thankful for the opportunity to serve students inside and outside of SGA. “The entire experience has just been a real blessing, honestly, to serve the student body and to even serve those who did not even vote for us or maybe didn’t even vote at all,” Page said. “But to … represent the students and … to advocate on behalf of them has … really been an honor.” During Page and Rockey’s time in office, the pair has worked to fulfill their campaign promises through the implementation of new processes and new policies. To establish school spirit, the two began school-wide tailgates on the Academic Lawn during football season and promoted a student sec-
than just taking surveys and tests – it is about using those results to help Liberty improve programs and departments for future students. “Assessment isn’t just about testing. It’s about determining if we’re meeting our goals and how to get there,” Charlesworth said. Associate Director of Assessment for OIE Brandon Moore explained receiving this feedback helps Liberty be accountable and ensure it is following through on promises it has made to students. “Assessment is our investment into those goals and outcomes,” Moore said. Participating in A-Day will also benefit students in the long run. “It’s not only a service to Liberty, … but as a student, it improves the quality received of my (education). That’s good for me beyond just today,” Moore said. “Some students may think, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter, I’m going to be gone anyway.’ But for the rest of your
tion at basketball games. “The deep underlying thing is that we want to unify people, and part of the thing we wanted to do was unify through athletics and through our school and having spirit with that,” Rockey said. Page and Rockey also campaigned heavily with the idea of student involvement and worked to execute policy that positively impacted the student body. Under Page and Rockey’s leadership, SGA implemented a new system for funding clubs, created a club calendar for students to access club events, hosted two fundraising galas, created TED talk style events known as “Table Talks” and even began the process of bringing Bird Scooters to campus. “Just being able to serve and improve the school and to leave it better off than we found it is something that I’ve always loved,” Page
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said. “I have a deep love and passion for this school and being able to represent that same school is such a cool and unique opportunity that not many people get to have.” As a new election cycle begins, candidates will be blazing the campaign trail on Liberty’s campus once again, hoping to share appealing policies and make connections with students. Prior to announcing their campaigns, candidates were required to attend a candidate orientation March 20 in the SGA Office. Luke Broadway, election commissioner, met with candidates to review election rules to ensure a fair campaign season. Immediately following the orientation, candidates received permission to launch their campaigns. Rockey and Esther Lusenge — a pair of former rivals in two previous campaigns —
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PROMISES — During their time in office, Jacob Page (left) and Derek Rockey (right) have worked to fulfill the promises they made at the beginning of their campaign.
life, you’re going to carry this credential of Liberty. So, if I can do something that can improve my university, I’m improving the credential that I have for the rest of my life.” Liberty’s academic and co-curricular departments use feedback given during ADay to improve their programs. In the past, changes have included office hour changes or changes to course material. Departments work with Charlesworth to coordinate surveys and schedule focus groups to streamline the process. “That way, they don’t have to figure out how to get access to students. They tell me what students they need to survey,” Charlesworth said. “Advising, for example, may only want to talk to freshmen, or juniors and seniors.” The OIE then emails these surveys to specific students on A-Day. These afternoon surveys cover topics like students’ usage and satisfaction of departments, such as the bookstore and Student Activities, among
will be running together this election cycle. Rockey will be running for Student Body President, and Lusenge will be running for Vice President. Rockey and Lusenge have had a history of rivalry. Two years ago, the pair ran against each other in class elections. Last year, they ran on separate campaigns for student body president and vice president, with Rockey’s campaign taking the win last election season. The election cycles caused division between the pair, until both attended a trip to Israel over the summer with LU Send. Over the trip, their relationship had a chance to heal. “There was one night we had a really, really good conversation about what had gone down with the past campaign and the campaign before that,” Lusenge said. “And I would say that was like the start of the healing that needed to happen. Something that happened was that we realized it wasn’t going to benefit anyone if we were against each other.” Rockey has experienced an election before with his former running mate, Page, who will be graduating in the fall. Rockey understands the importance of picking a qualified running mate and feels confident in his decision of picking Lusenge as his campaign partner. “In going and running with someone, there’s a lot of different factors (to consider),” Rockey said. “There’s character, there’s motivation, there’s intentions, there’s relationships, and all of these boxes Esther checked off — not even just checked off but exceeded expectations so much.” Rockey and Lusenge share a common vision for Liberty: unity and reconciliation. These two words are central themes in the candidates’ campaign. They believe that using their influence together will be of great benefit to the university
others. Each time a student completes a survey, they will be entered into the prize drawing. They can complete multiple surveys for multiple entries. While departments want to gather feedback from a range of students, seniors are often selected to participate in activities more often than others. “Seniors have been here for a while, so they have more to offer in terms of their feedback and experience,” Charlesworth said. “So, they’re going to hear from their program more often for assessments. I think a lot of their academic programs are interested in them because they’ve been here long enough they can give feedback on their experience.” Charlesworth explained A-Day is timed carefully. Having it too early in the semester means some content may not have been covered in class yet. But later in the semester, it is more likely to conflict with end-of-semester exams and projects. “It’s really important for students to participate in their academic assessments, and it is up to the department if there are any consequences (for not participating),” Charlesworth said. Students will find out from their department via email if they will be participating in morning activities, and from other Liberty departments if they will be participating in afternoon activities. More information about A-Day can be found at www.liberty. edu/ADay.
VAN TUYL is the assistant content editor.
and the student body. “We saw that us serving alongside each other because of the passion that we both have for Liberty and what we wanted to see for the student body was so much better and bigger than if we were doing it on our own,” Lusenge said. Rockey and Lusenge shared that the pair has built relationships with administrators, and they hope to leverage relationships for the benefit of students and to implement effective policy. The pair plans to work heavily to the needs of students and serve the student body based on those expressed needs. “We ultimately love this school, but we know
there are things that can be worked on, and so we want to unify this campus in the best way possible,” Rockey said. Another pair planning to run during the election also arrived at the candidate orientation: juniors Brianna Caporaletti and Lauren Gill. However, Caporaletti dropped out of the race the day after the candidate orientation due to personal reasons, leaving Rockey and Lusenge’s campaign currently uncontested. The Champion will continue coverage of the upcoming election. HIRNEISEN is a content reporter.
Bird scooter update In October, Page and Rockey announced on the SGA Instagram page that Bird scooters would be coming to Liberty’s campus. However, since then, little update has been given to the student body. According to Page, the plan was to originally introduce the scooters to campus following Spring Break. Due to more time needed to complete contracting through the legal department and work out details with the transit department, the debut date for the scooters will be pushed back. According to Page, the idea to bring Birds to Liberty seemed like a solution to parking problems on campus and overcrowding of parking garages affecting commuter students. Page and Rockey’s team began brainstorming ways to help students get to their destinations faster when they park far away. According to Page, there was an original thought to create a bike sharing program, but then someone suggested the idea of transportation through scooters. “Scooters are the future, and we really thought a lot of students would be excited about that,” Page said. The Bird’s will function similar to the way they work in cities. Students will pay through the Bird app to start the scooter, but eventually, Page believes that students will be able to pay for Birds with Flames Cash. While there is not yet a specific date when scooters will be available for use on-campus, students can keep an eye out for updates on the SGA Instagram page. Page estimates that the administration will introduce the scooters either at the end of the Spring 2019 semester or at the beginning of the Fall 2019 semester.
SPORTS
March 26, 2019
B1
BRACKET BUSTERS
Leah Stauffer | Liberty News Service
SHATTERED — The Flames broke their season record with 29 wins and their first-ever NCAA tournament win.
Men’s basketball falls short to Virginia Tech after program-first round of 64 win Emily Baker egbaker@liberty.edu
T
he clock struck midnight and Liberty’s Cinderella story came to a close in San Jose, California, Sunday, March 24. The 12-seeded Flames fell short to No. 4 Virginia Tech 67-58. The game was Liberty’s first trip to the round of 32 in the tournament and their second matchup against the Hokies this season. The Hokies defeated the Flames 86-70 in their first matchup in November, which was a preseason scrimmage to benefit those impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael. In the tournament matchup, Liberty’s freshman Darius McGhee led with 15 points, followed by guards Lovell Cabbil and Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz with nine points each. Mc-
Ghee’s 15 points were from three-pointers, one short of his career-high six in a game. Redshirt junior guard Caleb Homesley was held to only eight points, much less than the 30 he scored in the first round of the tournament. The game was also the last for three senior Flames. Senior transfer forward Keenan Gumbs, guard Zach Farquhar and Cabbil each saw their last time on the court Sunday. Cabbil ended his career with the Flames as Liberty’s winningest player ever with 85 wins over the course of his four-year career, as well as being the 26th player in program history to break the 1,000 points mark with 1,408 career points. “It was pretty special for us,” Cabbil said. “The group of guys that we have on our team is amazing, just to be around and do life with
them every day. It’s a fun time every day, all day when we’re with each other. Throughout this entire journey from the offseason to this point was just a blast and I’m really sad that it’s coming to an end.” The Hokies, on the other hand, had four players scoring double digits. They were led by forward Kerry Blackshear with 19 points, followed by guard Abdul Hill with 14 points and guard Justin Robinson with 13. After a short scoreless defensive battle for the first two minutes of the game, the Flames started the game strong, leading for a large portion of the first half by as much as eight. Liberty shot a strong 48 percent in the first half, as well as 39 percent from three. Their lead and strong play did not last, however, as their accuracy dwindled in the second half. The Hokies surged forward with
10 minutes remaining, correcting their 35 percent shooting from the first half into 48 percent in the second. Liberty failed to keep up as the half waned on, growing colder and colder as its shooting percentage drained away with the time. The Flames shot a harsh 27 percent overall and suffered a five-minute scoring drought. The Flames will return home as Virginia Tech moves on to face Duke in the Sweet Sixteen. “Mike Young, the coach at Wofford, had a great quote that I think encapsulates our season,” Flames Head Coach Ritchie McKay said. “He said, ‘Don’t be sad because it’s ended. Be happy because it occurred.’” BAKER is the sports editor.
School of fish Crossing ODU Swim team boasts school-high GPA Women’s lacrosse routs Old Dominion John Nekrasov ydnekrasov@liberty.edu
As the bell in the Freedom Tower strikes 10 p.m., most students pack up their books and trickle out of the library, headed to their dorms after a long day of classes and homework. Spread out in clusters across the library, however, Liberty’s women’s swimming and diving team remain glued to textbooks, cramming in hours of studying into the night after a day of practice in the pool. Writing news stories and filling out lab reports, the swimmers and divers study in a variety of majors from journalism to nursing, but they are united by their passion for both swimming and academics.
For senior swimmer and journalism student Siani Null, these long nights in the library are more than personal goals. They are a fundamental aspect of the team’s culture. “I have always been pretty internally motivated to get all my assignments done early and earn good grades, but the culture our team has built makes it easy to prioritize both,” Null said. “I see every single one of my teammates pushing themselves to the limits in training but also studying at the library late every single night, and so we just work hard and remain focused. It’s not the easiest choice to remain this disciplined in both areas, but we do it for each other.”
See SCHOOL, B4
Paige Frost pmfrost@liberty.edu
The excitement from the field spread to the crowd Friday, March 22, when the Liberty Women’s Lacrosse team took on Old Dominion, defeating the Monarchs 14-8. The Liberty women have the best nine-game start in program history, 7-2. “We are at that stretch in the season where there’s a lot going on,” Head Coach Kelly Nangle said. “We have to try to keep the girls focused, and we still need to do better and focus on handling the ball.” While the game appeared to be a back-andforth of the ball between the Flames and the Monarchs, no one wanted to allow the ball to go in the goal. Both teams were putting out a defense that tried to let nothing slip by. In the first
half, the Monarchs scored the first four goals, but the Flames did not trail behind for long. Liberty then scored six goals, bringing the score to 6-4 at the end of the first half. The fans noticed the eccentric play from senior Brianna McCaffrey, and she helped bring the team together during this game. “Having the team push me was so encouraging,” McCaffrey said. “That’s what I play for. We went into this game with more composure and we saw that difference in the score. We had a lot of confidence.” The last time the Flames took on the Monarchs, they beat this cross-state rival for the first time, 14-12. This time, the Flames were not going to let the Monarchs get close.
See CROSSING, B2
sports
B2 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Ultimatum
Women’s ultimate frisbee team continues strong spring 2019 season campaign otal part of its season. After playing in the I-85 Rodeo tournament at Martinsville state Following spring break and the March 30-31, the Lady Flames halfway point of the semester, many head to the Conference Champistudents at Liberty University feel onships April 13-14 in Glen Allen an increase in pressure as grades state, where they must finish in start coming in, assignments and the four in order to advance to the exams pile up and the most relevant Regional Championships in Axton part of the semester arrives. April 27-28. In a similar way, the Liberty A top finish at Regionals guaranwomen’s ultimate frisbee team is tees a spot in the women’s ultimate gearing up to engage the most piv- National Championships. “It’s incredibly competitive,” Head Coach Jonathan Mast said. “We’re a young program, … (and it is) a rebuilding year for us, but I expect we’ll do pretty well.” After losing 10 of their 16 players as seniors from last year’s roster, the focus for this season’s squad rests on learning the fundamentals of ultimate frisbee and executing what they know. “Our veteran players really put a lot of the Gabrielle Calhoun | Liberty News Service load on their back,” Mast HOPING — The ultimate team’s goal is Nationals. said. “The younger playPeter Gooch pgooch1@liberty.edu
ers have really been challenged to learn quickly and they’re enjoying it — which makes them learn the game a lot faster.” Learning experiences have abounded over the course of the season so Gabrielle Calhoun | Liberty News Service far, but overall the Lady PRACTICE — Ultimate frisbee practices inside the indoor football practice facility. Flames have remained respectable in their results. On Oct. 27 and 28, thing they need to know,” Mast field, as she said it translates to betLiberty traveled to North Caro- said. “What we can make up for is ter chemistry on the field. lina State University to compete grit, being in shape and then play“There is a lot of camaraderie in a tournament that included ing defense as a team.” with the girls and it has fostered Clemson, Duke and others. Mast also identified specific ar- a culture of trust,” Ross said. The Lady Flames finished fifth, eas the team will focus on in prepa- “We spend a lot of time together going 4-2 overall. ration for the tournaments coming on and off the field which helps Three months later, playing at up, including deep threats on of- us work better together during the Winta Binta Vinta, a tourna- fense and tenacity on defense. tournaments.” ment in Charlottesville hosted by But another key ingredient to The team chemistry formed may the University of Virginia, Liberty success for the team, and a top help the Liberty women’s ultimate won three games, lost three and fin- priority for Mast as a coach, is en- team in numerous other ways as ished in sixth out of 10 teams. suring the Lady Flames cultivate a well, as they face the critical part of Liberty was one of three dozen strong team culture. the semester together. teams participating in the Com“Regardless of what happens in “(We’re) focusing on one tourmonwealth Cup in Axton Feb. 23 our season, our overall objective nament at a time and being faithand 24. Playing the second tier is to provide a place for the girls to ful in the little things,” Ross said. of squads, the 12th-seeded Lady grow spiritually and have camara- “This is a great mindset for ultimate Flames went 4-2 to hold their seed. derie,” Mast said. and the rest of life, both spiritually “Because we’re a rebuilding Senior McKenzie Ross, one of and in our school work.” team, one of our strategies has the few veterans on a roster combeen, we don’t have the time this prised primarily of freshmen, noted season to teach all the girls every- the benefits of team bonding off the GOOCH is a sports reporter.
Twice the victories
Softball wins two games in one day in double header against Lipscomb at home John Simmons jasimmons2@liberty.edu
The Liberty Flames softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of the Lipscomb Bisons with a dominating 7-1 victory Saturday March 23 in the second game of the day. The Flames took down the Bisons 4-1 in the first game behind Julia DiMartino’s strong pitching performance. The victory was a confidence booster for the Flames, who rebounded from their 1-0 loss to the fifth-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers Tuesday, March 19. The Flames pitching controlled the game, with senior Chase Cassady producing a spectacular performance in the circle, sur-
rendering one run on four hits. With that outing, her season ERA drops to 1.91, the third best on the team. Liberty Coach Dot Richardson praised Cassady for her performance, a mainstay for the Flames since opening day. “In the sport of softball, the key is pitching, you have to have something strong in the circle,” Richardson said. “That’s the type of pitching we have, some of the top in the country. It’s nice to be able to see Chase to come out and do as well as she did.” In the first inning, Cassady threw two strikeouts on six straight strikes, and was one pitch away from throwing an immaculate inning. However, Bisons designated
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
YOUNG — Freshman Kara Cametto gets a base hit against Lipscomb.
player Jordan Fortel forced a full count, and then hammered the ensuing pitch over the centerfield fence to give Lipscomb a 1-0 lead. However, Chase maintained her composure, and proceeded to earn a complete-game victory. She threw seven innings, striking out eight Bisons and only walking one. Richardson gave credit to Cassady for her mental toughness after that first-inning hiccup. “It was really exciting to see Chase have composure, and to finish through like she did,” Richardson said. Following that incident, the Flames offense quickly came alive. In the third inning, centerfielder Jasmeen Click reached on an error, and second baseman Amber Bishop drove her in to tie the game at 1-1. On the next at-bat, third baseman Jaclyn Amader stroked a 2-run home run to left field to increase the lead to 3-1, which the Flames would not relinquish. But perhaps the most exciting play came on the defensive side. In the fourth inning, Lipscomb’s Fortel hit a grounder towards the middle to Amber Bishop, who extended her glove to her right, scooped up the ball and fired a dart across her body to record the out. The Flames defense erupted, cheering on the stellar play. No one was more excited than Amber Bishop’s twin sister and first baseman Autumn Bishop. “I think it was the best play I’ve ever seen her make,” Autumn Bishop said. “She does it all the time in practice, but it looked really good today. I hope to
Allison Heise | Liberty Champion
ROAD TRIP — The Lady Flames lacrosse team will be on the road until returning Friday, April 26.
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
YOUNG — Senior pitcher Chase Cassady winds up vs. Lipscomb. see it on ESPN.” Autumn Bishop also tallied one hit and two RBIs, and said that the Flames combination of intangibles, offense and defense produced the victory. “We just played with a joy and a passion for the game today, and it was so fun,” Bishop said. “The energy was high, our pitchers brought it, the bats were hot.” The Flames weekend ended Sun-
day March 24 when they fell to Lipscomb 7-2. The Lady Flames will return to action Wednesday, March 27 at 4 p.m.
CROSSING continued from B1
The Flames were on fire, and they made that clear when they scored only a few minutes after the half began. The Flames ended the game 14-8. “They have done a great job this season about not giving up a lot of opportunity,” Nangle said. “They have continued to do a great job with those chances. Our midfielders are doing everything they can right now, and they are fun to watch.” Liberty Women’s lacrosse team faces Howard at home Friday, April 26.
There were not as many fouls on the Flames, although several players received yellow cards. However, there were many times when the Flames would turn the ball over when there had not been a fight put up for it. “We have been working hard on not turning the ball over in practice,” McCaffrey said. “We’ve started to notice a pattern over the last couple of games where we have unnecessary turnovers, so we have been focusing on that.”
SIMMONS is a sports reporter.
FROST is a sports reporter.
sports
Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | B3
Winter World Games
Liberty women’s hockey players compete on the world stage Christian Weaner crweaner@liberty.edu
While most Liberty students headed for warm weather and a relaxing vacation over spring break, four Lady Flames women’s hockey players boarded a plane for the blistering Siberian winter, where they represented their country playing the sport they love. Senior Lauren McDonald, juniors Vanessa DeMerchant and Dana McLeod and sophomore Shelby Bradford became the first Liberty women’s hockey players to ever receive the selection to represent Liberty University and USA Hockey in the Winter World University Games. “Our girls have impressed, and it was not an easy decision, but they have done enough, played at a high level in high-stress situations and championships and really represented well,” Head Coach Chris Lowes said. “It was not that hard of a task to convince people they were worthy.” All four players were excited to learn of their selection to represent their country and the hype continued to grow as the time to leave for the competition drew closer. “It did not really sink in until it started to become a little more official,” DeMerchant said The four Lady Flames Division I hockey players traveled to Krasnoyarsk, Russia, to play in the biennial Universiade March 1-11. Liberty’s quartet joined 18 other collegiate players from the ACHA as a part of the U.S. women’s hockey team. Competing with athletes from rival universities provided an opportunity to build relationships with girls who normally wear opposing uniforms. “There were people you have rivalries with on the ice that you have these preconceived notions about what they are going to be off the ice, but when we met those girls from
all the other teams, we bonded instantly,” DeMerchant said. “We made those lasting relationships.” McDonald, DeMerchant, McLeod and Bradford departed from Liberty Feb. 24 to meet the team in New York City, before flying to Russia. Traveling across the world granted a new adventure to the young hockey standouts. Upon arriving in Krasnoyarsk, the team faced some of the best collegiate competition in the world. Five preliminary matchups against Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Russia and China stood between Team USA and the semifinal round. “The competition was definitely a lot higher than the ACHA,” sophomore forward Bradford said. “It was a lot faster.” Competition began Friday, March 1, with a tight 2-1 loss to Japan, but the team responded in their second game thanks to strong play from some of the Lady Flames. Liberty forward McDonald netted a secondperiod goal in a 5-2 victory over Switzerland. The team next lost another heartbreaker to Canada, 1-0, before falling to Russia, the tournament favorite, in a lopsided loss. Many of Team Russia’s athletes have represented their Olympic team, and their prestige showed in the way they played. “(Playing Russia) was … humbling, and a little bit of jealousy set in,” DeMerchant said. “One of our teammates was joking around saying she almost got caught staring and watching because it was so impressive to watch.” Despite the stinging loss to the world-class host country, the Lady Flames and their team stayed together and continued to compete in the remainder of their games. In the team’s final preliminary matchup, Team USA faced China in the quarterfinals. Forwards DeMerchant and McDonald each tallied an assist in a 6-1 victory for the USA,
Lady Flames Hockey This Week: ACHA Nationals vs. Midland University March 27 @ 7 p.m. CT Dallas, TX
Jacob Couch jtcouch@liberty.edu
In light of the Liberty Flames unprecedented March Madness run I have been drawn to reflect upon the reason for man’s obsession with the underdog as well as share a story that comes to mind due to the similarity it bears to the Flames basketball team’s success. People witness incredible victories and watch seemingly impossible feats conquered and they integrate themselves into the scenario, seeing something in the underdog that causes them to relate to the unfavored. The general public roots against the favored, hoping and praying for their fall. In the predicted victor people see those who told them that they were not good enough or were not talented enough to seek after their dreams and pursue their ambitions. I remember a story of a middle school quarterback who was told that he was too short to play quarterback at the high school level. That same kid received his PSAT score as a sophomore in high school. The score depicted that being a college student in the future would be an uphill battle. That same kid went on to be a four-year high school starting quarterback and will be receiving his bachelor’s degree in less than a year. That kid was me. Throughout my life I have been the Liberty Flames in March Madness. The situations that I was placed in throughout my middle school and high school years and the
ACHA Nationals vs. Midland University March 28 @ 7 p.m. CT Dallas, TX
uphill battles that I have faced have formed a determined and motivated mindset that has helped me throughout the different circumstances I have walked through during college. A beauty that comes with underdog teams such as the Flames men’s basketball team is that they have the opportunity to uplift and give hope to people across the country who are in the trenches of life. To those who feel as if the odds are stacked high against them and do not think that anyone believes they can accomplish their dreams, you can. The amount of hard work, relentless pursuit, long hours and missing out on fun events that will be needed in chasing the improbable will at times feel like too much to bear. But the satisfaction once the goal is obtained and the lessons learned along the way will overshadow the negatives. The Cinderella stories of today give hope to those who need it tomorrow. Well done Coach McKay and the Flames basketball team. You have served as a reminder to many that perseverance pays off and dreams do come true.
COUCH is the assistant sports editor.
helping their team earn a topfour spot in the tournament. “When we went into the game (against China) we knew we had to win,” McDonald said. “There was no chance we were going to leave without a shot in the bronze or gold medal game. We were just determined that no matter how good they were, we were going to win.” Team USA again fell to Russia in the semifinals and moved to face Japan for the bronze medal in a rematch of their opening contest. The team left everything they had on the ice but closed out Photo Provided the tournament with a 2-1 defeat TALENTED — Four Lady Flames made history over spring in overtime. Though they did not achieve break by competing in the Winter World University Games. the results they were looking for, the Lady Flames believe their experience school history, but the task will not be easy. “I thought (there) would be a sense of relief of playing against top competition will help them as they prepare for the upcoming ACHA winning last year after losing the year before, but it also puts pressure,” Lowes said. “We national tournament. “We lost one game this year, so they are are the one seed and are defending champs, not used to losing,” Lowes said. “(Losing) so there is a little bit of intrinsic pressure, but ignited a fire in them to finish the year strong no matter who you are when you get down to and bring energy back to our team so we can nationals, teams are going to feel pressure.” Though Liberty women’s hockey does not go on a run.” base their success solely on their on-ice acThe Lady Flames will look to defend their ACHA title during the national tour- complishments, capping the 2019 season nament that will take place March 27-31 with a championship would help cement the growing legacy of the program. in Frisco, Texas. “If we go in there and lay an egg, it really As the top seed, Liberty’s opening-round opponent is eighth-seeded Midland Univer- does not matter what we did in the regular sity, who upset Colorado in the WWCHL season,” Lowes said. “We accomplished a championship game to earn an automatic lot and had some success, but when it comes down to hockey and results it will all depend bid to nationals. The Lady Flames enter the tournament on what happens this week.” with a 24-1-3 record, carrying a target on their back as they hope to win back-to-back championships. Liberty is looking to repeat as ACHA champions for the first time in WEANER is a sports reporter.
sports
B4 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service RACING — The Flames have already begun their outdoor season.
Going ASUN finalists outside Kj Jugar | Liberty News Service UNDERDOG — Despite a rough start to the season, the women’s basketball team reached the ASUN finals.
Women’s basketball falls short in conference tournament championship Benjamin Craft bcraft2@liberty.edu
Despite experiencing a new conference, the Liberty Lady Flames basketball team found themselves in a familiar position when they made the ASUN conference championship game. The Lady Flames defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins in the first round 65-53. In the second round, Liberty handily beat the North Florida Ospreys 65-51. This set up a matchup against Florida Gulf Coast for a bid to the NCAA Tournament. In the championship game, the FGCU Eagles beat the Lady Flames for the third time this season 72-49. The 28-6 first quarter advantage stuck out immediately as the main reason the Eagles controlled this game to win their third consecutive ASUN championship and complete an undefeated season of in-conference play. Green wants that first quarter ingrained in the minds of his players. “We won’t do it this week, but we are going to spend a lot of time looking at that quarter,” Green said. “I want it to eat away at them over the summer. Besides that quarter, we played them close.” During the Lady Flames inaugural ASUN season, they encountered their share of troubles when they started the year 4-12. “It took some time to find the right ingredient for our team,” Green said. “For several players, it was their first time operating out there. Emily Lytle and Ria Gulley just had their freshman year, then they had to sit for a year, and now they’re thrown out there as sophomores. They may academically be juniors, but they haven’t had those maturing experiences.” After the slow start to the year, the Lady Flames rebounded exceptionally well by finishing the year 12-3 before falling in the title game. “The big takeaway from this year is that we can compete and we can win,” Green said. “Everything we were not successful at was small. One of the verses that we always look at is Zechariah 4:10, which says don’t despise the little things. We can fix those.” Green emphasized that passing is one of the small things that took time for the team to develop over the course of the season. “Early in the year we weren’t sharing the ball very well at all,” Green said. “We became much better, and that’s what leads to games with 18 or 25
assists. We were a statistically much better passing team in the second half of the season.” Overall, Green is happy with the growth of the team throughout the season. “Our culture is the biggest key to our success,” Green said. “That’s something we need to keep working on, though. Culture is constantly changing from year-to-year. We’ll have new players that will have to learn to co-exist with the team. As long as we can do that, we can be successful.” CRAFT is a sports reporter.
Kj Jugar | Liberty News Service GROWTH — Liberty was 12-3 in conference play.
academics and athletics. Though juggling coursework with the many demands of life is already challenging, The Lady Flames recent victory in the the rigorous schedule of collegiate athletics CCSA championship, their first since often leaves athletes struggling to fit their 2014, grabbed headlines in February, but homework into their day. Aiming for high their unique drive to simultaneously per- academic standards, however, Head Coach form in the classroom is unrivaled. Scoring Jake Shellenberger prioritizes academic an average GPA of 3.79 in the fall semes- performance in recruiting his swimmers and ter, the highest of any collegiate swimming divers, knowing they will need a passion for and diving program in the nation accord- their studies to succeed while competing ing to Liberty’s website, the Lady Flames athletically. have found a winning formula for balancing “The secret is recruiting the types of student athletes who already excel in these areas (academics) in high school,” Shellenberger said. “Balance and success is natural to them because it is what they’ve always done. … We cannot change people much over the course of four years from who they are at the core level regarding work ethic and motivation, so the key is making sure we fill our team with people who are already highly driven Andrew Snyder | Liberty News Service and intrinsically moSMARTS — The women’s swim team strives for academic excellence. tivated.”
SCHOOL continued from B1
Track & field transitions from indoor to outdoor season Rachel Ali rmali@liberty.edu
With spring in the air, the Liberty University track and field team recently transitioned from its indoor to outdoor season. Liberty Flames fans are anticipating that this spring awakening will continue to bring success. Paul Carmany, the sports information director for the team, said he is hopeful the team will be just as successful outdoors as they were indoors. “At the conference level, the team has an advantage during the outdoor season because there are more events contested and Liberty can better utilize its overall team strength,” Carmany said. “Some of the events which are only contested outdoors (discus, javelin, 10K) are some of the Flames stronger events as a team.” The team prepares a little differently for the outdoor season by tweaking its training and practice rituals to adjust to Lynchburg’s weather, which can be rainy and uncooperative. “You have to watch the weather forecast a lot more to determine which days will be best to practice certain events,” Carmany said. “Wind plays a significant role in certain events outdoors, especially the sprints, jumps and discus. If the wind direction and intensity changes during a particular event, it can make a major impact on the outcome.” Georgia native thrower Chelsea Igberaese discovered the world of track and field in high school. While the life of a college athlete can be fast-paced and challenging at times, she said she is excited for this outdoor season and cannot wait to see what it brings for her and her teammates. “Growing up in Georgia we didn’t really have indoor track since the weather was so nice all the time, so I definitely prefer the outdoor season,” Igberaese said. “It’s where it all started
Even with that determination, finishing homework in between meets and practices requires careful planning. Null has to understand her strengths and weaknesses and then plan accordingly. “Before each semester starts I write down in my planner everything due on all my syllabuses and the dates we’ll be traveling,” Null said. “I know myself and I know that I don’t do much work when we’re traveling because I just want to relax, focus on the meet or spend time with teammates, so before travel meets I stress a lot about finishing everything I can before I go — whether that’s turning projects in early or getting a week ahead in an online class. That just allows me to be in the moment when we’re at a meet.” Liberty’s swimmers and divers do not have to work through their schedules on their own. Academic Coordinators Ethan Chase and Lauren Amy play a crucial role in the team’s classroom success, providing help with everything from class schedules to challenging courses. Chase views his personal approach as key to his success as he helps his athletes balance the dual stresses of athletics and coursework. “In college athletics now, where we have to be the best and everything’s a competition, it can be hard for kids to come out and say, ‘Look, I’m struggling,’” Chase said. “So, getting to know them on a personal level, knowing how their siblings are doing, their family, checking up on them — they know that I care beyond just did they pass their class or
for me. Playing outdoors has helped me grow to where I am now as an athlete.” Freshman Sam Mastro is one of the most recent throwers to be added to the team. He discovered his love for the sport in middle school and has not looked back since. “While I was lucky enough to have some schools look at me, it was Liberty that was always on my radar,” Mastro said. “I just love the atmosphere that this place offers and obviously our amazing facilities are unlike any other school.” Carmany said Liberty’s rivals remain the same even with the outdoor transition. “Within the ASUN Conference, the men’s team’s biggest rival is Kennesaw State and the women’s team’s biggest rival is Jacksonville,” Carmany said. “The Kennesaw State women will probably be a little stronger outdoors than they were indoors, so they could be in the mix too.” Carmany is confident in the skills of Liberty’s track and field team and remains optimistic about the team’s upcoming outdoor performances. “The Flames are somewhat unique in aiming to have strong competitors in every event,” Carmany said. “Many other teams focus on being strong in certain areas (sprints, distance, throws, etc.) but have weak spots on their team. Liberty’s overall team strength and depth helps the Flames succeed outdoors where there are so many different events contested.” The Flames will next compete at the Texas Relays at the University of Texas. The meet will take place Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30, while another portion of the team will be competing at NC State for the Raleigh Relays Friday and Saturday. ALI is a feature reporter.
not. So, I think that caring about stuff outside of my scope of academics ends up allowing them to feel more comfortable.” Shellenberger pointed to Chase and Amy’s work as signs of the program’s dedication to every detail of their athletes’ success. “Lauren and Ethan work tirelessly for our program, and the results speak louder than words,” Shellenberger said. When Liberty’s swimmers and divers finally leave the library at the end of a long night’s work, they know that another rigorous day lies ahead, but they believe that their work is not just meeting a shortterm academic target. In consistently performing with diligence both in and out of the pool, Null believes this current team is building a long-term foundation of excellence for the program. “I hope that as a senior I have set the same example that those before me have set,” Null said. “I remember when I was a freshman, I saw two of our seniors win awards at the Flamespys (Liberty’s student athlete awards) for achieving perfect 4.0s their entire collegiate career, and since then, that’s been my goal also. I know that our academic culture has been in the process of being shaped for a long time and is rooted much deeper than just one class.”
NEKRASOV is a sports reporter.
feature
Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | B5
A trip of eternal value A Liberty student’s firsthand experience serving in Spain over spring break Lydia Poindexter lpoindexter@liberty.edu
Journalism student Lydia Poindexter recently traveled to North Africa and Spain as a part of Liberty University’s G5 Initiative to focus on how Liberty students could serve the country of Spain. Lydia spent the first days of the
barely knew their names. As the time for the trip drew closer, the intensity of school assignments mounted as did the number of rehearsals. I was completely submerged in school work and not getting any sleep. Although it was a huge time investment especially the last two weeks before the trip where somedays we
MOMENT — Lydia (right) spoke with the three women in Arabic. trip in North Africa to learn about where many refugees come from before fleeing to Spain. Then Lydia traveled to Spain where Liberty partnered with Christar, an international organization working with refugees and immigrants in Málaga, Spain. Here is a glimpse into her journey. Before the trip Last October, Theater Arts professor Barry Gawinski approached me about joining the theater group to go to Spain with the G5 mission. I was amazed that I would
would have rehearsals for over five hours in a day, I loved being with the group and sensed God knitting us together in a special way. God’s provision during the trip The second day in Spain, several LU groups visited Christar’s headquarters and heard from three North Africa immigrants about their individual journeys. Two of the ladies had been in Spain long enough to speak in Spanish but the third lady spoke Darija, a specific dialect of Arabic. At the end of our morning with
Lydia Poindexter| Liberty Champion
SELFLESSNESS — Students served at local nonprofits in Spain. be asked to go considering I was them, the Christar leadership not a part of the theater group asked if some of us would pray for and knew practically no one in the women on behalf of all the LU the department. Mr. Gawinski ex- groups present. Sam (Sherburne) plained that my language skills in started in Spanish. I then prayed Arabic were a large factor in invit- in Arabic. Megan (Grant) prayed ing me to join. After much prayer, in English. Ms. Nastinka Morgan I accepted the invitation knowing from a different LU focus team God was working in it. I was ner- prayed in Farsi, and Mrs. Connie vous on how it would go consider- Hecker, our female theater chaping that I would be the only non- erone, prayed again in English. theater person on our team and After we finished praying, I was wasn’t sure if I would fit in. From so proud of our theater group for the very first introductory meeting taking initiative. When I looked God overwhelmed me with such a up at the end of the prayers, the love for the group even though I lady who only spoke in Arabic
SCREEN continued from B7 Most of the scenes had to be at night for the dramatic elements, but sometimes the crew had to nab golden hour (before sunset) to get perfect lighting for the animals. Humans could film at any time, but the canine crew member was a bit finnicky, Cuazzo said. “You can’t stick Christmas lights on a dog,” Cuazzo joked. Although filming is hard work, Cuazzo enjoys the thrills and bonding moments with his friends. “We wanted to go out and do something,” Cuazzo said. “We wanted to make a movie.” Wonsung Novalis, a professor in the cinematic arts department, is one of the judges for the festival. Specializing in editing, he has a high standard for the movies he will watch. He said filmmakers should keep the plot centralized and hook the audience via emotion. “I look for story and emotion first, and then various technical skill and breakdowns,” Novalis said. “I watch the camerawork and the post-editing job. Mostly, does the story resonate with me? Does it ring a bell emotionally?”
was wiping tears from her eyes. I waited for an opening and then introduced myself to the women in Arabic and conversed with them. Before we had to leave for the next activity, one of the Spanish speaking ladies reached for my arm, took off her bracelet and placed it around my wrist. I was shocked and didn’t know what to
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say other than stammer “thank you” multiple times. She said she wanted me to have something to remember them by since she would definitely remember us. My face shone with gratitude and excitement at the opportunity God had opened. I was in awe of what happened knowing the significance of what the lady had done. I was reminded in that moment not to underestimate what God can do through simply our presence and our prayers. Our team didn’t provide the ladies money or tutor their kids in English or do anything tangible to help them, yet the Muslim women knew that we loved them. On Friday, our team performed at the Artsenal, a creative art and culture hub in the heart of the city of Málaga. Our sound system had shut down, but last-minute God provided a huge speaker set we were able to use to project throughout the space. After singing several songs in English and Spanish, several team members performed short street dramas. Finally, we concluded with the “Everyman” drama, which takes the audience from the creation of man, through the fall and all the way to the redemption of man. Although the drama itself is wordless, we had team members speak the salvation prayer in English, Spanish, and then I translated it in Arabic. Following the performance, we dispersed into the crowd and were overwhelmed by people approaching us with positive responses. A famous secular Spanish singer commented that our team had done an amazing job. An Egyptian pastor came up to me and thanked me in Arabic for having our team come and share our presentation. We found out after the fact that ours was the
God is able everywhere God’s provision was evident throughout the entire trip in ways we did not always see in the moment. With a large percentage of the population of North Africa identifying as Muslims, we had an opportunity share the light of Christ simply by the way we conducted ourselves. In North Africa while on our way to our sightseeing location for the day, our theater team pulled out one of the guitars we had brought and started singing worship songs. Soon our Muslim tour guide’s attention perked and he came to the back of the bus with us to show us some of the American songs he knew. When he gave the guitar back, we continued worshiping for almost an hour. As praise poured out of our hearts, the guide sat watching intently and videotaping with his phone. Through this we were able to share the hope within us knowing it might have been the first time that such songs were sung on that bus or even on that road. After arriving in Spain, as a theater group, we wrote individual notes to both guides and sent them with the other Liberty students who were visiting North Africa later that week. A day or two later, we received a note from one of the tour guides that he had cried again after receiving our card. His message said that we had gained a huge place in his heart. During our time in Spain, God provided many unexpected opportunities. Twice we were able to raise awareness for our local partners through the local media. After performing on Tuesday at Christar’s business center, BIC Euronova, we were featured in at least two local newspapers. Following our Marina del Este beach cleanup day, our entire Liberty group made headlines in the Maritime Herald for our service with the environmental preservation group Playa Patrol. As a theater group, we had two other spur of the moment, once in a lifetime opportunities. On Thursday in the middle of the afternoon during the Malaga
first Christian performance in that space and it was opening doors for local worship leaders to come and present as well. After the trip Monday, our team arrived back in the States and instantly missed each other. It was the first day in a little over three weeks that we had not seen each other. Many groups after being together for so long would be extremely relieved to separate but we had become a family. We could not wait to see each other again and on Tuesday
Cinema Festival, we sang several songs in Spanish and English in the Roman amphitheater that dates back older than Christ. At one point we had an audience of over 40 people gathered around and listening. During our guided tour of the famous Málaga cathedral, we were granted permission to take a few minutes and sing “I Love You, Lord.” This was a very special, spontaneous honor. On the last day we were in Spain, we performed at an Arabic culture center that reached out to North African immigrants and refugees. We used this unexpected blessing to share the gospel through drama. After the performance we were able to interact with the audience
“
We are continuing to hear stories from local ministries of how our presence and presentations impacted them. — Lydia Poindexter
and make personal connections. Since being back in the States, we heard from the pastor who directs the ministry that he had a conversation with a man sparked by our presentation that led to the man accepting Jesus as his Savior. We are continuing to hear stories from local ministries of how our presence and presentations impacted them. Though we will never know the full impact of the trip, it was an amazing experience watching God orchestrate so many unanticipated blessings.
POINDEXTER is a feature reporter. we gathered for a meal so we could be together. I was so honored to be a part of the theater team and could not have imagined being in any other group. I saw God fulfill my purpose in being on the trip and could honestly say all the long hours and added stress was worth it. Once again, I watched God take one of my fears in joining the group for the trip and turn it into a massive blessing. POINDEXTER is a feature reporter.
He hopes the filmmakers use class experience to assist their work. If they have utilized their strengths and tricks learned in class, then they should produce some good work. “This festival is an opportunity for storytellers … to challenge themselves and showcase their work so other people can see it and see what they are capable of,” Novalis said. “It is good experience, exposure and a great community activity.” Cuazzo hopes his film wins the competition, but he knows the real prize is creating something to be proud of. Filming is not easy, but he thinks it is worth it. “All it takes is determined friends, a story, and a lot of guts,” Cuazzo said. NELSON is a feature reporter.
Kacey Huffty | Liberty Champion
EDITING — Students put in hours of work to produce a short film for the festival.
feature
B6 | March 26, 2019 | Liberty Champion
In another man’s shoes
Social work students participate in Poverty Walk to better understand poverty Rachel Kauderer rkauderer@liberty.edu
An old Cherokee proverb says to “not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” Liberty’s social work students were given a chance to walk in the shoes of those who are living in poverty during Poverty Walk. The assignment gives students a better understanding of what life is like for those living below an economic standard. This project opened the eyes of many students and to some, it even changed their lives. According to social work student Adriana Collins, the majority of Liberty students are unable to understand what it is like to live in poverty or be homeless. By learning about poverty and the multiple homeless populations, Liberty students have come across the lack of compassion towards those who may be suffering in today’s society. According to Collins, every student must complete The Poverty Walk in order to pass Social Work 101. The rules make students live as if they are living in poverty for five days. In other words, students have the opportunity to participate in a “simulated
“
poverty experience.” Social Work professor Elke Cox gives all the credit to Christine Fulmer, the chair of the Social Work department, for creating this program requirement. Cox said there is a lot of preparation that goes into the assignment that the majority of students are unaware of before beginning. “Students have to think, what if I didn’t have access to hot water?” Cox said. “What if I didn’t have access to money to have clean clothes, to buy food or even shampoo?” One of the main takeaways from this assignment was to show students how to manage money with very little spending. Spending is limited to $3.25 per day, including meals and transportation. “Even ROT meals aren’t ‘free’ and must be budgeted based on the cost of each food item there,” Cox said. The class requirements state that transportation of any kind to and from work, or to school, costs $0.50, and recreational use will cost students $0.75. Even laundry, personal supplies and emergency phone calls have a cost. “I’ve had students that have walked everywhere instead of taking the bus,” Cox said. “They’ve
I know that living under these rules for five days will not make me truly experience what a homeless or severely impoverished person would. — Adriana Collins
learned what it’s like to be outside for long periods of time in different weather conditions.” Many students were put to the test with the assignment’s social media requirements. No email, texting or social media for personal use was to be used at any time. According to Collins, this was the hardest regulation for the majority of students to follow. According to Cox, students completed the assignment on the honor system. Students can choose how far they want to take the assignment, with options such as going to the library or C-lab to do their homework. “They can choose what kind of clothing they want to wear for the week and how often they want to shower,” Cox said. “They can choose to sleep on the floor instead of in their comfortable beds.” During the time of completing the assignment, students were required to read the book, “Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America,” by Michael Yankoski. This book was written from the viewpoint of two college students who left their upper-middle-class lives for “scum-of-the-earth” living conditions based on their curiosity of the homeless. Professor Cox said the book is both insightful but hard to bear from the truth underlying life of poverty. “I had one online student say she slept on the floor with only a sheet, wearing the same clothes every day,” Cox said. “She stayed outside from morning to night with only a thin jacket just to feel what life is like for someone staying in a homeless shelter.” Although students are required to complete the assignment, Pro-
Poverty in Lynchburg 23.1
45 125
Poverty rate as of 2017
Average days a homeless person spent without proper shelter in 2017
People who experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017
Statistics provided by the News & Advance and the City of Lynchburg
fessor Cox said the safety of her students is the main priority when completing this assignment. “For those who have medical conditions, those who are a part of sports teams, or have any other concerns, we do make accommodations,” Cox said. “We want everyone to complete this assignment in a safe and healthy way.” Collins, as well as many other students, completed the assignment with success. Collins abstained from technology and limited her spending to the $3.25 per day. Collins also limited her bathing time where she timed out each shower. “I understand that living under these rules for five days will not make me truly experience what a homeless or severely impoverished person would,” Collins said. “ … I will still be living a pretty privileged
lifestyle, however, I know that the rules are limiting me and will be a stark contrast to the privileged life I typically live.” Many social work students who participate in the assignment are impacted, according to Cox. “The majority of our students do the assignment well,” Cox said. “I would say about 98 percent of students have a positive experience and have said the assignment has changed their lives in some way.” For more information about The Poverty Walk or Liberty’s Social Work program, students can visit Liberty’s website and the degree webpage or schedule an appointment to meet with faculty or staff members of the department. KAUDERER is a feature reporter.
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Liberty Champion | March 26, 2019 | B7
‘Holding onto hope’ Singer/songwriter Josh Garrels shares favorite songs and new tunes at concert Jenna Crenshaw jmcrenshaw@liberty.edu Nate Montgomery nimontgomery@liberty.edu
Josh Garrels stepped back into the spotlight Friday, March 22 at Liberty’s Concert Hall, marking his second concert appearance after three months of focusing on upcoming music. Garrels’ distinct voice was the highlight of the night as he performed folk-rooted favorites. Liberty students Nicole Miller and Naoto Barrett opened the night and excited the crowd long before the main event stepped on stage. “I would like to say that, for us as aspiring artists, we are just openers today, but we are so excited to be here and to play our hearts out for you,” Miller said. “We hope that our songs ask some of the same hard questions that Josh’s music does.” Miller said a lot of her music comes from personal moments and life lessons she picked up. She said that her song “Show Me to be Brave” came from one specific night. “It came out of a time when I was just being shown what I was actually afraid of,” Miller said. “I was just sitting at the piano crying and asking God why he was holding me in the midst of what I was scared of, why was he choosing to let me stay in this darkness, this night. God just spoke to me and showed me so clearly that this was how he was going to teach me to be brave.” Headliner Garrels took the stage with his band members, building the audience’s anticipation while he adjusted his microphone. “Hey Lynchburg, how are you doing?” Garrels said to the ecstatic crowd. “I’m excited to be here. I’ve never been to Lynchburg or Liberty, so thanks for coming out.” He opened the night with “At the Table” and “Born Again.” Although Garrels originally wanted to crank out three albums in 2019, he joked that he will be lucky to release one album. But he is content with that because he is enjoying the slower side of making music. “I really love this stage of the process, creating the work – creating, mixing and mastering,” Garrels said. He sang favorites and introduced a few new songs. One source of inspiration for the album “Love and War” and “The Sea in Between” was the serenity of the ocean and horizon. “I really think that does something to the soul and to the spirit when the eye can
Allison heise | Liberty Champion
SERENITY — Spending time on the coast of Portland, Oregon often provides the inspiration behind Garrels’ lyrics. wander farther,” Garrels said. “Even in this period that I’m in where I’m in a basement tweaking sounds and spending a whole afternoon trying to get the right snare tone … I have to get out and take walks and let my eyes rest upon open expanses.” The song “Ulysses” was inspired by moments like these. “The soul opens up to greater possibilities, … stories that are larger than our own that we’re connected to somehow,” Garrels said. He performed a few songs from his Christmas album, including the song he wrote for his son, Shepherd, titled “Shepherd’s Song.” Much to the audience’s delight, Garrels performed his hit “Farther Along.” The crowd gave Garrels a standing ovation at the end of his set, with shouts of “Encore, encore,” beckoning Garrels to return for just a few more songs. And of course, he did. He closed his performance with “Heav-
HITS — Garrels is most knows for his songs “Farther Along” and “Born Again.”
en’s Night,” a song he wrote for his wife, and “Zion Babylon” as the crowd stood and clapped to the rhythm. Throughout the night, Garrels focused strongly on the message of his music. Although Garrels does not typically write traditional worship music, the worship is woven into his songs in unexpected ways. “Over the years, I’ve wanted all my music to revolve around the story of the kingdom, and often I think I’ll tell things in parabolic form,” Garrels said. “I’ve seen how that can reach out to those who do not like him and do not know him.” For Garrels, his devotion to God did not come through a sudden, powerful moment. “My life has been this slow progres-
Allison Heise | Liberty Champion
sion of surrender,” Garrels said. “They say the problem with the living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar, and I can relate. Our part is just surrendering, and he will send the fire.”
CRENSHAW is the feature editor. MONTGOMERY is a feature reporter.
Allison Heise| Liberty Champion
MELODY — Student artists shared a few songs before Garrels’ show.
From paper to screen Students submit films to Student Activities’ upcoming Film Festival March 28-29 Victoria Nelson vfnelson@liberty.edu
What does it take to enter a film festival? A script, 12 people and a dog. Jonah Cuazzo, a cinematic arts major at Liberty University, is no stranger to filmmaking. Cuazzo has written and directed several films, but he has been waiting all semester for his newest film to debut at the Film Fest, hosted by Student Activities Thursday, March 28 and
Friday, March 29. His film “Sound of Wolves” is filled with biblical symbolism, even down to the name of the protagonist, whose name is Christian. The film is about a man trying to keep his secrets hidden away from the world, tussling with the growing fear and anxiety in his head and heart as his sin and secrets spin out of control. He fears the monster inside of
his heart — a monster he will actually become. The Christian symbolism in the
March 28-29,
7:00-8:30 p.m. LaHaye Event Space
story dives into the heart of sin nature and the futility of battling it in one’s own strength. “Everyone has a struggle within them, something they want to keep in the closet,” Cuazzo said. “Man hides his sin in the closet. There is something in him that he doesn’t want others to know. What is something other people can see? A monster.” Even though the premise seems dark, Cuazzo insists it has a silver lining. It is not a hor-
ror movie — rather, it is more like a fairytale. The movie had a dream team for production, Cuazzo said. The crew took two days to film, with one day devoted solely to the ending. The ending had to be perfect to encapsulate the message the writers were trying to convey.
See SCREEN, B5
FEATURE
B8
March 26, 2019
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
HIDING — In this scene, the families worry about being discovered by the Nazis as they celebrate Hanukkah.
It is ‘truly good at heart’ Black Box Theater brings classic “The Diary of Anne Frank” to audiences Esther Eaton eeaton@liberty.edu
“I
still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” While hiding for two years with seven other Jews from the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Anne Frank wrote those words in her beloved diary. Her father Otto Frank published the diary after the war. Liberty University’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” compacts those two years of hiding into a few hours. The play, its script approved by Otto Frank, brings audiences into the Secret Annex where Anne Frank grew from a whirlwind child into a self-possessed young woman. Director Chris Nelson, associate professor for Liberty’s Department of Theatre Arts, compared the play to a photo album. “Each scene is like a picture of a day or a moment in a day, and so it has its own life,” Nelson said. “And when you get to the end of a photo album there’s always this sadness that comes because you realize you’re done, and you always kind of wish you saw more pictures.” Most actors remain on-stage the entire show, even when not directly engaged in a scene. They play cards, sleep or fold laundry, going about daily life in the cramped attic. “You’re living constantly, even if you’re not the focal point of the action,” Nelson said. Freshman Kelsey Dial, who plays Anne Frank, acknowledged the pressure of the audience sitting mere feet away in the Black Box Theater. “There’s really no room to ‘fake it till you make it’ or just play around,” Dial said. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, if you’re not living in the character, people will know.” This, combined with portraying complex people under extraordinary pressure, while mastering accents and speaking over creaking floorboards, challenged the actors. “Putting that all together, as well as trying to
do justice to someone who really lived, someone who really wanted their story to be told, is a big responsibility,” Dial said. “And I know I’m growing so much from just learning how to do that truthfully.” Audiences climb the stairs past the bookcase and are immersed in the world of the Annex, where blankets cover the windows and using running water at the wrong time puts everyone at risk. The sound of boots tramping past in the street or a crash from the offices below freezes the hiding Jews, and audiences wait with them until, for at least a moment, the danger recedes. Amidst this tension, Anne Frank learns algebra, gazes through a skylight and celebrates Hanukkah with her family. Bright and quick as a candle flame, she dreams of her life after the war, determined to impact the world through her writing. When they hear of the Normandy invasion, she laughs and dances in her bright nightgown. Nelson said knowing the ending makes what he calls a “sacred story” even more impactful. “They thought (freedom) was so close when Normandy happened,” Nelson said. “We know how far we were. You know that and it hits you.” When the show ends, the cast sings Israel’s anthem, the Hatikvah — “The Hope.” Audiences climb back down out of the attic and past the bookcase. As they leave, they can sign the book of remembrance in the lobby, under a facsimile of the last two pages of Anne Frank’s diary. Dial said she hopes audiences carry Anne Frank’s hope and strength with them. “There is always hope,” Dial said. “(Anne) always kept faith and hope that everything would be alright, that the Lord would work it out. … If people who were literally hiding for their lives could remain hopeful and trust in the Lord, then I don’t think there’s really any excuse for us not to.”
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
WRITE — Freshman Kelsey Dial portrayed the lead role of Anne Frank.
Showtimes March 26, 29, 30 - 7:30 p.m. March 29 - 2:00 p.m. March 30 - 2:00 p.m. March 31 - 3:00 p.m. (ASL)
EATON is a feature reporter.
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
SURROUNDINGS — Anne arrived at her hiding place.
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
SCARCE — Mr. Drussel argued about food rationing.
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
HIDING — The Van Daans feared discovery by the Nazis.