Abortion bill on VA House floor tabled A6
Will Rogers Follies hits downtown Lynchburg B8
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 12
LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2019 | LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
CAR SMASH following through
Ryan Klinker| Liberty Champion
PROMISE FULFILLED — During their campaign last spring, SGA executives Jacob Page and Derek Rockey promised the student body they would push for a car smash at an athletics event. See related story, B1.
SGA gives to Habitat club Club gets closer to meeting $20,000 fundraising goal for spring Madison Herneisen mgherneisen@liberty.edu
For Faculty Advisor Allison Pettit and her crew of students involved in Liberty University’s Habitat for Humanity club, the 2018-19 school year has been full of exciting and unexpected financial blessings.
Recently, Pettit and the nearly 60 students involved in the club learned they were rewarded a $1,000 grant from Liberty University’s Student Government Association (SGA). According to Pettit, the funds will go directly into the club’s fundraising goal for the spring, which totals $20,000. “We’re so thankful for the sup-
port of SGA,” Pettit said. “(They) have been a huge partnership with us over the years.” The money the Habitat club received from Liberty’s SGA will play a part in the club’s goal of matching a State Farm grant received prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year. In August 2018, Pettit learned that Liberty’s habitat club
was chosen to receive a $20,000 grant from State Farm, along with Habitat clubs from Clemson University and Purdue University. However, in order to receive the grant from State Farm, the club must match the grant amount and raise $20,000 by May 15. See HABITAT, A7
Joke’s on LU Allison Heise | Liberty Champion
LUNCH TIME — Students can now order from Garbanzo faster.
Garbanzo X
Garbanzo gets a new express line to accommodate the lunch rush hour Emily Wood ewood13@liberty.edu
Liberty Dining Services upgraded Garbanzo, the Mediterranean dining option in the Montview Student Union, with an express line to make lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. more efficient and accessible for students. District Manager of Sodexo Duke Davis said the first trial of the express round allowed an extra 300 students to dine at Garbanzo
in just one day. Improving the Liberty dining experience is the top priority for Liberty Dining Services. The express line allows more students to have their first choice for lunch without as long of a wait. “We are passionate about bringing change to the students, and the students appreciate it,” Davis said. See GARBS, A6
After Curfew renews this semester for season three, looking for crew members to lend a hand on set Caroline Veater clveater@liberty.edu
“Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh, Don’t you know ev’ry one wants to laugh?” This line from the classic movie “Singing in the Rain” is a philosophy that Liberty University junior Jacob Harding takes very seriously. Harding, who is studying cinematic arts, is heading up the ambitious effort to continue and expand the popular
Liberty late-night show, “After Curfew,” a production similar to Saturday Night Live. Season three of the student-produced show will open by the end of February with its live premiere. However, the show has not been in production for nearly a year. Season two concluded in the spring of 2018 after only three episodes. When season one premiered in 2016, the idea quickly
caught on with the student body and led to larger than anticipated audiences for the live shows. However, in the following few months, a lack of official marketing, decreased audiences and impending graduation for many of the leaders made season two spell a temporary end to the show.
See NEXT SEASON, A7
INSIDE THE CHAMPION
Content
Opinion
Commerce Street to open a fly fishing store owned by LU alumnus
Gov. Northam’s racist photo overshadows greater issue. A7
A4
Sports
Tom Brady doppelganger discusses how Tom Brady solidified himself B3 as the greatest.
Feature
Comedian brought back to life at the historical Academy of Music Theater. B8
What’s News Liberty
Journalism program to host a social media, sports seminar Feb. 11 and 12, Liberty Journalism will be hosting Football & Facebook: Sports Reporting and Social Media Seminar in the LaHaye Event Space. The seminar is open to all majors.
Local
Lynchburg nonprofit works to end homelessness Lynchburg nonprofit Lighthouse Community Center of Lynchburg drafted legislation with former congressional staffer Joel Segal to address the national shortage of affordable housing, according to the News & Advance.
National
President hopes to bring home troops, pressure ISIS While President Donald Trump plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan, he plans to keep troops in Iraq to “monitor and maintain pressure on neighboring Iran,” according to the New York Times.
Content Opinion Sports Feature
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content
A2 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Praying for the persecuted Student club highlights mistreated Christians around the globe Hattie Troutman hatroutman@liberty.edu
Project Fourteen 22 continues to bring awareness about the 215 million persecuted Christians in the world by hosting meetings and events that encourage students to stand up for mistreated Christians across
the globe. Tuesday, Jan. 29 marked the first meeting of the semester for Project Fourteen 22. Evan Gaul, president of the club, opened the meeting by discussing current events around the world where Christians are being attacked, such as the recent attack on a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Philippines
CLUB — Evan Gaul founded Project Fourteen22 in fall of 2018.
Lydia Poindexter | Liberty Champion
by an Islamic extremist group, resulting in 20 deaths. The group’s communications director, Jonathan Brown, spent 14 years of his life living in Tunisia where his father served as a missionary. Brown runs the group’s Instagram account and designs posters to inform students about upcoming meetings. This semester, Project Fourteen 22 will no longer have biweekly meetings but will announce via social media the time and location of future meetings. Gaul believes that word of mouth and social media are the best ways for students to stay up to date on when the group is gathering next. “Coming to the meetings is the … most basic way to be involved, and (the) least time consuming,” Gaul said. Since the creation of Project Fourteen 22, Gaul said that around 80 students have come to the meetings and engaged in prayer for persecuted Christians. “(Awareness on campus) is still getting there,” Brown said. “As long as we have peo-
ple coming, it still creates communication about those being persecuted.” Gaul encourages students who are part of the group to submerge themselves in the culture of the persecuted church, along with researching churches and organizations actively aiding persecuted people. “Try to reach people at Liberty (who) you know are international students … from hostile countries,” Gaul said. Project Fourteen 22 sends out a weekly newsletter about current events happening around the world involving persecuted Christians and how other Christians can pray for them. The next meeting will be held Feb. 12 during Global Focus week. More details about the meeting will be posted on Project Fourteen 22’s social media, @projectfourteen22 on Instagram.
TROUTMAN is a content reporter.
Lydia Poindexter | Liberty Champion
OPENING — Evan Gaul opened the meeting by discussing the persecution of Christians around the world.
Christians in Tunisia Jonathan Brown discussed the current problems in Tunisia that make it difficult for Christians to live there. “A lot of the persecution comes from within the communities,” Brown said. “So, families will kick out their children because they become a Christian, or communities will completely shun people from even knowing they are a Christian.” Due to the instability of the Tunisian government, Brown explained that not much is done to protect the Christians and minorities from persecution. According to Brown, out of the 11 million people living in the country, only about 2,000 of them are Christian. “Tunisian women want to marry Christian men, but most of the time, it has to be a foreigner,” Brown said. “The law says that if you are a woman and want to marry someone, and he is Tunisian, he has to be a Muslim in order (for her) to marry him.” Brown closed his presentation by sharing prayer requests for the country of Tunisia and opening the floor for questions from the students in attendance.
CAMPUS CALENDAR 02/05 - School of Music Romantic Era Opera Concert 10:00 a.m. | School of Music Performance Hall - 050 02/05 - Lunar New Year Celebration 12:00 p.m. | DeMoss Hall International Student Office Suite- 2232 02/07 - School of Music - Army Blues 7:30 p.m. | School of Music Green Room - 021 02/08 - The You and Me Tour: An Evening with Drew & Ellie Holcomb 7:30 p.m. | School of Music Concert Hall 02/09 - Hunt Seat Horse Show 10:00 a.m. | Equestrian Center 02/11 - Deliberative Dialogue Talks 2:00 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library Terrace Conference Room
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Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | A3
LU surplus sale draws crowd
12th Street warehouse opens doors to the public, offers retired university furniture tended a sale. Both Spencer and Diggs said they found out about Liberty University Resale via its Facebook page. “We’ve had things for sale for a while, but Lynchburgers rose early Saturday, Feb. people just didn’t know about us,” Jonathan 2, for a surplus sale hosted by Liberty Uni- Allen, assistant director of materials manversity’s Surplus and Resale Department, agement, said. Prior to hosting regular sales, the resale which offered retired university furniture to the community at heavily discounted prices. department sold surplus furniture to the The usually quiet Liberty University public several days a week. However, their Warehouse located on the corner of 12th offerings did not become popular until JanuStreet and Campbell Avenue opened its ary of 2018 when the department launched doors for eager shoppers at 7 a.m. sharp. its Facebook page. The department hostThe sale, which ended at 10 a.m., offered ed its first sale in the spring of 2018 and chairs, desks, sinks, dorm furniture and garnered significant interest from the other items of value no longer needed by the community. “Before that, the amount of space in this university. People of all ages braved the sub-freezing warehouse … that old dorm furniture was temperatures for the bargain sale, and ev- taking up was astronomical,” Joshua Nieeryone had a different intention in being haus, the manager of inventory control and there. Lynchburg resident Joshua Spencer surplus at Liberty, said. “And not only is it said he came to buy retired dorm bunks for helping the community, we’ve had several his sons. Katrina Diggs came specifically for people come up to us and thank us for offerchairs — she rounded up her choices, spread ing this, and there are several charities that herself across the selection, and waited for we work with as well, like Warm Streets, that help homeless people. (Surplus sales have) another member of her party to pay. “I love coming to these sales because it’s given us the opportunity to help the commujust a great way to get good, quality furni- nity, and, in addition, it’s freeing up space.” Many of the items are brought to the wareture at some great prices,” customer Brett house during remodeling or construction Sturgill said. Some of the attendees had been to several on campus. When offices are moved in new surplus sales, but many of them had never at- buildings, or dorms are torn down, all the furniture is brought to the 12th Street warehouse. Prior to offering surplus items to the public, the department keeps all the items in the warehouse for 30 to 60 days and allows university offices to browse the collection. “The stuff is worth more to us if we can continue to use it than it is if we turn around and sell it,” Niehaus said. “But if it has gotten to the point where offices don’t want it anymore, we turn Emma Smith | Liberty Champion around and let it go.” SELL OUT — Many residents went home with dressers, chairs, tables and As a last resort, bunk beds. the department will Emma Smith esmith83@liberty.edu
Emma Smith | Liberty Champion
12TH STREET — Liberty’s warehouse has a three-step process: offer the furniture to other departments, sell it to the public and to recycle the materials, as a last resort.
sometimes recycle surplus items. However, they usually do not have an issue selling off surplus. Allen said they had trouble selling chairs once, so they marked stationary chairs down to $1 and rolling desk chairs down to $5. They completely sold out at the next sale. The six-story warehouse is also home to a variety of inventory that helps the university run smoothly. Niehaus explained that it serves as the central receiving facility for many of the custodial supplies needed by the university and provides storage space for recruiting events, homecoming and more. The university’s print shop is also located in the warehouse, and all the resources printed are stored on site. “We’re first and foremost a warehouse — central receiving. That’s what our focus is,” Niehaus said. “Our department is actually inventory control. We manage the custodial and promotional inventory. We also manage the surplus inventory, but that’s just a small portion of what we do as far as helping the university run.” The resale department is planning to have sales every six weeks, with upcoming sales scheduled for March 16 and April 27. “With all the other stuff (we’re) doing, it’s too much for (us) to do more than what (we’re) doing right now,” Niehaus said.
“Ultimately, we don’t want to stop other university operations because we’re having surplus sales.” To help monitor questions coming in through social media, the department has a student worker who manages its Facebook page. “We’ve been working with the university to help bring more students in. … One of the things that’s important to us is getting the students in with us and giving them the opportunity to see what the university does as far as helping to give back,” Niehaus said. “It’s been a great opportunity for them. Right now, we have three (student workers). We’re looking to expand it over the course of the next year or two.” In addition to offering more student work positions, the department hopes to expand its sales online to reach a broader audience. “We have some niche items. There’s construction items like gymnasium lights. … It’s just hard for us to sell at a sale the public comes to,” Niehaus said. “We know that contractors or maybe even different businesses out there might be interested.” To keep up with Liberty University Resale’s upcoming surplus sales, follow their Facebook page, @LibertyUResale. SMITH is a copy editor.
OPINION
A4
February 5, 2019
Preview of the
Academy Awards Ryan Klinker rmklinker@liberty.edu
This year marks the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, and this Super Bowl for cinephiles has changed quite a bit since its inception in 1929. The first televised version occurred in 1953. The attendance has gone from 270 to well over 3,000, and the standards and barriers of nominated films and filmmakers have evolved dramatically. With all of this in mind, what exactly are the Oscars meant to be? The Oscars are known as a moment to celebrate the past year in film, but it seems as if there is consistently a disparity between the films that clean up on awards night and those that dominate the box office. Barring one or maybe two exceptions per year, I find that the films receiving the highest honor in filmmaking, a Best Picture Oscar, are ones the general public has not seen or didn’t know existed. Rumors of a Best Popular Film category being introduced have circled in recent years, with the category nearly debuting in this year’s ceremony. Some people saw this potential addition as a cheap attempt to add
viewership and even a sign of the end times for Oscar esteem. According to an article by The New York Times, “Many on Twitter mocked the organization, suggesting that it might increase ratings by adding categories like ‘Hottest Onscreen Kiss.’” However, this year there is a popular exception in the lineup of nominees for Best Picture. This year’s exception to the rule is “Black Panther,” a comic book movie that has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide since its February release. Rooted in its starstudded and almost entirely African American cast, “Black Panther” is a statement that audiences are hungry for stories written, directed, and starring minorities. The Academy recognized this culturally significant moment for representation and the thinly veiled political message rejecting isolationism in the story, and “Black Panther” became the first comic book movie to be nominated for Best Picture. Superhero flicks have a long history of being overlooked on Oscar night. As a Vox article describes it, “So many people see them, love them, and take their messages about heroism and morality seriously but the Academy typically hasn’t recognized them for being good movies.” “The Dark Knight,” indisputably one of the finest releases of 2008 and a film that should have
preceded “Black Panther” as the first superhero Best Picture nominee, was omitted that year. Critics and audiences alike were shocked at the snub, with the outrage so strong that the public practically forced the Best Picture to expand from 5 to 10 possible nominees. We can all recognize that there is a difference between what’s popular and what one could call “cinematic art.” I love popcorn flicks with impractical action sequences and comedies with outlandish premises as much as the next moviegoer, but they rarely belong in awards conversations. However, there can be an overlap between the recognition by artists and audiences alike, and I think the Academy misses that too often. I would not be surprised if we see Best Popular Film or some incarnation of it within the coming years, but I’m not exactly in favor of it. While I have already said that the Academy does not reward deserving blockbusters enough, I’m worried that a pandering new category like this will undercut films that have the ability to make the jump to Best Picture. If the category had been implemented this year, I suspect that “Black Panther” would have been downgraded to the new category, and we’d be left where we stood one year ago. KLINKER is the photography editor.
Yearbook disaster
Gov. Ralph Northam's political career is likely over
Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu
Multiple Democratic politicians, including Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, called for Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s resignation after a controversial photo from Northam’s medical school yearbook surfaced Friday, Feb. 1, depicting an individual wearing a KKK white hood posing alongside a blackface individual. Within hours of the photo’s appearance, Northam released an apology statement. “I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” Northam’s statement reads. The photo, taken over three decades ago, is one of four pictures featured on Northam’s yearbook page. Although the other bordering photos clearly show Northam’s face, the controversial photo depicts two individuals in costumes, their identities hidden. On Saturday, Feb. 2, Northam retracted his original statement, saying neither person in the frame was actually him. “I was not in that costume, either as blackface or as KKK,” Northam said at a press conference. “It’s not me.” Northam did admit, however, that he darkened his face that same year to replicate Michael Jackson for a dance competition. He also apologized for that, saying he “regrets that he didn’t understand the harmful legacy of an action like that.” It is difficult to take Northam at his word, especially since the entire page is dedicated to him. Northam
is clearly portrayed in the other photos, so why would the yearbook include a random picture without him in frame? The political climate is incredibly unforgiving for both parties, especially when matters like race and gender are the focus of discussion. Nearly the entire Democratic establishment has called for Northam’s resignation over this yearbook photo. Given the liberal obsession with identity politics, I’m not surprised at the intense backlash Northam received from his own party. Democrats retain a sizeable majority of the AfricanAmerican voter base, so the establishment Democrats will swiftly shun and criticize anything that suggests Google Images white prejudice, even if GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA — Ralph Northam has served as the traced from their own party. governor of the commonwealth for only one year. Much like President Donald Trump’s inappropriate est hearts. If a more recent ago is pardonable, but willcomments from the 2005 photo had surfaced, I would fully endorsing a barbaric Access Hollywood tape, hold a completely different evil like infanticide is much Northam now finds himself stance. But considering the more difficult to stomach. Without a moral foundain a similar predicament: an photo’s age, I think forgivetion, concepts of “good” and embarrassing past mistake ness is suitable. I’m much more concerned “evil” are merely subjective exposed to the public. I’m willing to forgive with Northam’s current poli- opinions, constantly changNortham of this mistake. cies than his past faults. Only ing with the nuances of soAmerican culture dur- several days prior to the pho- ciety and culture. Northam, ing the 1980s was drasti- to’s appearance, Northam and many of his political colcally different from our articulated his barbaric leagues, are products of that stance on abortion, which faulty worldview. current environment. Northam’s political career While culture never justi- many conservative lawmakfies immorality, it is impor- ers viewed as Northam favor- may be over. Even while he tant to consider for contex- ing termination after birth if refuses to resign, I cannot tualizing past errors. The decided by the mother. This imagine the Democratic Naphoto is disheartening, and was all in light of Virginia’s tional Committee forgiving no one should discriminate late-term abortion bill that him with outstretched arms. In the meantime, I think even in jest, but actions that thankfully was tabled in the Virginians should reevaluate we presently condone as Virginia House. Anyone who believes in their governor’s credibility, “racist” were unfortunately acceptable and common 40 killing the life of an inno- both as a pediatrician and cent, newborn child is moral- active politician, because years ago. Whether Northam was ly bankrupt and has no place his stance on abortion is way too radical, even for in the frame or not, I do not in public government. While college students a Democrat. believe he currently endorses racism. He may have held are old enough to be held acwhite bias 40 years ago, but countable for their actions, SMITH is the manager time can heal even the dirti- making a mistake 35 years of content.
LIFE WITH
LOGAN Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu
I had exactly 16 seconds to make my move. The game was tied, and it all came down to this. Hundreds of energetic fans cheered as I dribbled past half-court. 12 seconds. My 6’3 defender pursued me with extreme focus. The crowd shouted another chorus of “Defense! Defense!” as I stared down my destination: the iron hoop. 10 seconds. I had dreamt of this moment my whole life. My mind flashed back to my tiny driveway, and the hours of practice honing my basketball skills. My dad rebounded for me, and we replicated end-game scenarios just in case the moment would ever call for it. It seemed innocent at the time, but as I dribbled the ball with time disappearing off the clock, I realized its significance. 8 seconds. If I shot now, I would give the other team the final possession. I needed to wait just a few more seconds before making my move. 6 seconds. My teammate tried to set a screen for me, but I motioned him to clear out. I was going to take my opponent one-on-one. At that moment, everything was clear. The whole gymnasium knew I would take the final shot. 4 seconds. I quickly faked my defender with a left jabstep, my signature move, then I swung hard to the right. My fast change of pace forced my defender on his heels, providing a splitsecond window to take an open shot. 2 seconds. With my foot just inside the 3-point line, I elevated as high as possible. With my gaze directly on the iron hoop, I released my shot. My form was perfect. Everything felt just right. The crowd went silent, and the ball spiraled through open air. Something inside me knew I would make it, maybe because I had turned the shooting percentage to 100 before starting the video game. As expected, the ball flew directly into the digital hoop. “SWISH.” After nonchalantly celebrating my victory, I turned off my GameCube and grabbed a Coke from the fridge. Just another day at the office playing NBA 2k2. There’s a popular misconception floating around that video games are for lazy, unemployed 40-year-old men who live in their parents’ basement. While true in many instances, there’s also a colossal subculture of gamers who professionally compete for national prominence. This humble side of gaming culture commonly gets overlooked because of this video game stereotype. Around 2010, the gaming industry discovered an intense demand for livestreaming video games, particularly real-time strategy (RTS) and multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBA). This catapulted geek culture into a frenzy and opened the door for eSports (Electronic Sports) to take flight. Contrary to the popular stereotype, video games actually require intense mental fortitude. And although I don’t consider myself a competitive or talented gamer by any means, I deeply respect people who work hard to master their chosen game. Professional gamers aren’t couch potatoes aggressively consuming unhealthy amounts of carbs and energy drinks. Many professional League of Legends teams, for example, hire nutritionists to ensure mental and physical endurance while competing during tournaments and training sessions. But even if you’re not a talented gamer, you can always do what I do: adjust the game’s skill level. If you’re craving for a moment of basketball glory, increase the shooting percentage on 2k to 100. It may be cheating, but at least it’s not cheating in the real world. SMITH is the manager of content.
opinion
Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | A5
Competitive advantage Barry Bonds likely used steroids but should still be in the Hall of Fame Chad Wylie cewylie@liberty.edu
Hard as it might be to believe, the polar vortex will thaw away, and spring will follow close behind, bringing America’s best pastime with it. Soon, the crack of hard-rubber on wood and the faint scent of freshly mowed grass will return as fans of all ages don their team’s cap, grab a hot dog (with onions and ketchup, of course) and settle in for an afternoon of baseball. Yes, baseball will return soon. However, a few weeks before pitchers and catchers report to camp, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) announced the inductees to the Hall of Fame for 2019. While congratulations are in order for Mariano Rivera and company, the real story, for the seventh year in a row, is the slugger who once again fell short in the voting. A little explanation for the non-baseball diehards out there: 425 members of the BBWAA fill out ballots every year with the names of the players they are voting into the Hall of Fame. A player must be named on 75 percent of the ballots to be inducted. A player becomes eligible for induction five years after retiring, and then will remain eligible for 10 years.
With only three years of voting eligibility remaining, it is likely that Barry Bonds will never obtain the 75 percent of votes necessary to be inducted into Cooperstown (he received 59 percent in 2019), even though his play on the field and his impact on the game deserved first-ballot induction. Barry Bonds absolutely belongs in the Hall of Fame. Ask anyone who saw Barry Bonds play, and they will likely tell you he was the greatest player they had ever seen. Fans of Bonds certainly have a compelling case to make that he is the greatest player of all time. But some will never even consider that case, due to the links between Bonds and the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during his career. As initially reported by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, reporters for the San Francisco Chronicle and authors of the book “Game of Shadows,” Bonds has ties to Victor Conte and the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO). Bonds was a direct client of BALCO, and his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, is known to have distributed steroids to the athletes he trained. While Bonds never tested positive for any banned substances,
762 — Barry Bonds ranks first all time in home runs, ahead of Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.
Google Images
there is grand jury testimony and a paper trail that raises suspicions to his use of several illicit drugs. Perhaps an even better indication, the eye test, shows the dramatic change in Bonds’ body between the 1998 and 1999 seasons, when he gained more than 20 pounds of muscle mass (Google the pictures and see). The argument for Bonds in Cooperstown is not to say that he never used steroids. Many claim it, he denies it, and the answer will never be certain. The argument for Bonds in Cooperstown is his body of work, before and after being suspected of steroids, and the era in which he played that allowed a culture of steroid use. Before the 1999 season, when critics claim he likely started juicing, Bonds had a career batting average of .290 and he had over 400 home runs and stolen bases, the only player to reach that number in both categories. He was a three-time MVP and earned eight Gold Gloves, an award recognizing the best player defensively for each position. Bonds was 33 years old in 1998. If he retired immediately after the 1998 season, Bonds would have been a surefire, first ballot Hall of Famer. Take away every season in which he was suspected of steroid use and he deserves the votes. Include his career from 1999-2007, and Bonds goes from Hall of Famer to the greatest hitter who ever lived. He is the all-time leader in home runs (762), walks (2,558) and is a career .298 hitter who amassed almost 3,000 hits (2,935). Bonds was such a force from the plate that in May 1998 he was intentionally walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning, his team trailing by only two. But perhaps the more important point for the Hall of Fame voters to understand is the era that Bonds was playing. During the 22 years of Bonds’ career, 45 percent (20/44) of MVP winners have either admitted or been tied directly to steroid use. This is where the hypocrisy among the voters truly shines through. In recent years,
Ivan Rodriguez and Jeff Bagwell, two men both accused of steroid use, have been inducted into the Hall. Another Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt, has said that if he had played later into the 90s, he likely would have used steroids. Frank Thomas, a 2014 inductee to the Hall, currently appears in commercials for a testosterone boosting supplement. Bud Selig, former commissioner of baseball, was inducted into Cooperstown despite accusations that he intentionally overlooked the steroid crisis in baseball. Under his watch, Major League Baseball did not implement drug testing among players until 2003. Again, it is worth stating that Barry Bonds never failed a drug test administered by the league. The Hall of Fame proclaims on their website that their organization is “committed to preserving the history of America’s pastime and celebrating the legendary players … who have made the game a fan favorite for more than a century.” Barry Bonds is forever an integral part of the history of the game, and it would be a disservice to the fans and to the integrity of the sport if one of the all-time greats, the Home Run King of baseball, is never voted into the Hall of Fame. WYLIE is the opinion editor.
Trimming tuition costs Local Virginia college is joining other schools in lowering tuition prices
Kacey Huffty | Liberty Champion
SWEET BRIAR — Sweet Briar College is a nearby women’s college, only 20 miles away from Liberty University. Francesca Walker frwalker@liberty.edu
In 2015, Sweet Briar College nearly went bankrupt and closed its doors. Three years later, the school was ranked the 127th best liberal arts university in the nation. Sweet Briar, a women’s college in the Lynchburg area, has recently slashed its tuition by
32 percent. They are not the only private institution to do this. According to Nick Anderson of the Washington Post, Sweet Briar is among 22 other schools that have lowered their tuition costs. Is lowering the price of tuition good for schools or students? Of course, it’s obviously good for the students. With lower costs,
more students will afford higher education, while students already planning to attend these institutions will be able to more readily afford it. Students (and their parents) undoubtedly believe that schools should lower the price of their tuition. Sweet Briar’s president, Meredith Woo, told the News & Advance, “We are very serious about being excellent, relevant and affordable at the same time.” Beyond the clear benefit to the student, cutting prices can also benefit the university itself. For example, if a school lowers its cost for tuition, then more students may begin to go there, thus nullifying the lower per-student cost. But if more students do not attend the school, then the college will find itself in a sizeable financial hole. So why have some colleges been cutting prices? The fact that alternative means to education are more accessible and reliable than ever before could be another factor as to why private colleges are lowering their prices. From more official alternative avenues like Lynda.com, Skillshare, Udemy, to the ol’ standbys like You-
Tube and Google, the number of ways to educate oneself are growing exponentially. Making tuition more affordable can also benefit the reputation of the school. “Price cuts are risky,” Anderson wrote. “If they are not deep enough, they won’t get noticed. If they are too deep, colleges could lose substantial revenue. Furthermore, some skill position jobs no longer require their employees to have a college degree. An associates or certificate from a local community college will suffice for most skilled positions. In fact, many colleges that have slashed their prices are liberal arts institutions. According to the U.S. News & World Report, dental hygienists, landscapers, plumbers and paramedics are among the professionals that can make a living without obtaining a college degree. The only area that is not affected is the sciences, since many of those jobs involve higher education and even graduate school for doctorates. Given this, colleges are likely having to compete with not just each other, but alternative forms
of education. This could be one of the reasons for the apparent slashing of prices. Liberty University is a perfect example of a private university that has been able to lower prices while continuing to grow both in student size and in campus development. Liberty’s tuition price of $20,182 in 2017-18 was 27 percent cheaper than the national average that year for non-profit four-year colleges, according to CollegeCalc. Since 2007, the price of tuition for private non-profit four-year colleges has increased 2.4 percent per year. But despite that steady increase, the cases of Liberty, Sweet Briar and other schools are showing that a quality education can be priced affordably. If colleges want to continue to compete in the quickly changing landscape that is modern access to education, then private institutions should continue to cut their prices.
WALKER is an opinion writer.
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A6 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
State shakes over abortion
Delegate proposes new state abortion law, Gov. Northam chimes in Lillian Abbatacola leabbatacola@liberty.edu
Virginia House Delegate Kathy Tran, who has previously nursed her child on the House floor, proposed Virginia House Bill 2491, eliminating certain requirements for abortions in the commonwealth and putting regulations on hospitals and nursing homes across the commonwealth. “This bill would remove the following statutes. TRAP, or targeted regulations of abortion providers, removing language
Leah Stauffer| Liberty News Service
VISIT — Gov. Northam visited LUCOM in 2018.
clarifying facilities that perform five or more first trimester abortions per month as hospitals, it would repeal Virginia’s informed consent mandatory ultrasound and 24-hour delay,” Tran said to the subcommittee. “It would repeal the requirement that second trimester abortions be performed in a hospital licensed by the State Department of Health. It would repeal the requirement for two additional physicians in cases of third trimester abortions.” On Wednesday, Jan. 30, Governor Ralph Northam commented on the issue on WTOP radio. His comments caused a frenzy online. “So, in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen: the infant would be delivered; the infant would be kept comfortable; the infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the
GARBS continued from A1 On-campus student Eliza Cody was impressed with the speed of her first visit to the express line. “The new express line was awesome,” Cody said. “The staff was kind but effective, and they helped me get my food quickly.” Liberty Dining Services representatives attend resident assistant meetings, Student Government Association town hall meetings and focus groups to understand what students want. All of the dining locations in the Montview Student Union came from student input because student feedback is what pushes them to improve. “Everything we’ve done here
mother and family desired; and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,” Northam said. Northam’s comments were vague, but some political figures like U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra, Sarah Palin, U.S. Representative from New York Lee Zeldin, Rudy Giuliani, Jerry Falwell, and U.S. Representative from North Carolina Mark Walker said Northam was explaining infanticide. “Of those constituents who have contacted me on House Bill 2491, the overwhelming majority have expressed their opposition, particularly after all of the media coverage surrounding the bill. Governor Northam's comments were reprehensible and sickening. The description of House Bill 2491 has revealed the truth behind abortion, and it has shaken the hearts of people in my district and across the nation,” Virginia House Delegate Kathy Byron, who represents parts of Lynchburg, Bedford County, Campbell County and Franklin County, said. Currently, there are no specific requirements for abortions in the first trimester, according to Virginia Code Title 18.2-72. In HB 2491, this stays the same. “The bill eliminates all the procedures and processes, including the performance of an ultrasound, required to effect a woman's informed written consent to the performance of an abortion; however, the bill does not change the requirement that a woman’s informed written consent be first obtained,” HB 2491 says. The bill allows for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to terminate any pregnancy in the second trimester, and the procedure does not have to be done in a hospital. This differs from current law (Virginia Code Title 18.2-73), which says that second trimester abortions have to be done in a hospital. Furthermore, both pieces of legislation say third trimester abortions have to be performed in a licensed hospital. According to
has been the direct result of students,” Davis said. “Our success is built off of students and their surveys and our staff.” Davis and Liberty Dining Services always strive to bring students the best college dining experience. The senior management team meets bi-weekly to discuss the future steps of how they can make Liberty dining better. “We as a team do not want to be complacent,” Davis said. “We are always striving for the next big splash.” Ryan Wheeler, the unit marketing specialist for Sodexo, said the senior team often travels to other universities and trade shows to further perfect their craft and implement the best ideas for Liberty
Lillian Abbatacola| Liberty Champion
PROTEST — Liberty students demonstrated for the pro-life movement in January 2019. HB 2491, a physician has to certify in the hospital record that continuing the pregnancy would lead to the death of the mother or impair her mental or physical health. There has to be life support available for the “product of abortion,” which is the delivered child. The pregnant woman also must give a written consent to have an abortion in the third trimester, unless she is incapacitated, in which someone who is a parent, guardian or standing in place of a parent may give written consent and allow the physician to perform the abortion. HB 2491 has specific language. The word “substantially” was struck from the language concerning how impaired the woman’s health might become. Additionally, the bill calls a woman seeking an abortion a pregnant woman; the bill does not use the word “mother.” Lines 194-375 of HB 2491 outlines new regulations on hospitals and nursing homes. This accounts for 50 percent of HB 2491, although the bill is characterized as relating
Atang Agwe | Liberty Champion
ABBATACOLA is the content editor.
Atang Agwe| Liberty Champion
SERVING — Garbanzo has been a staple in the Montview Student Union since the building opened in 2016. University. continue to strive for the best. “There is a lot of stuff that goes “I’ve never worked at a univeron behind the scenes to see how we sity where the students are as encan continue to push ourselves,” gaging, appreciative and easy to be Wheeler said. around,” Davis said. Liberty placed in the top five Students at Liberty take the for Daily Meal’s 2018 ranking for time to show appreciation to din“Best Colleges for Food,” and en- ing hall workers and give “thank joys the distinction of being one of you” notes to the dishwashers. the best college dining halls in the Gestures like these go a long way nation. and make a lasting impression. “We like to be number one,” Davis has been with Liberty Davis said. “We like to set the dining for five years and promised trends on the market. We want that there are even more upgrades other people to come visit us and for Liberty Dining coming soon. see what we’re doing.” “We are looking at other dinAccording to LibWe try to meet every student erty Dining Services, the where they’re at and provide orgnization’s “student foa meal for them because if cused” approach is you have good nutrients and what makes good meals, you study, you Liberty stand out in dinget better grades and you ing services. Wheeler said work harder,” Liberty seeks to accommo- Ryan Wheeler date for every student’s dietary needs, regardless of dietary ing options to bring on campus,” restrictions. Davis said. “We have some excit“We try to meet every student ing changes and some potentially where they’re at and provide a meal new additions to campus next year, for them because if you have good projects that we will be attacking nutrients and good meals, you in the summertime.” study, you get better grades and Liberty keeps dining services you work harder,” Wheeler said. interesting by offering variety in Davis said out of the seven col- the menu and specialty events. leges he has worked at, the stu- Some upcoming events are speed dents make Liberty stand out from dating and free flowers at the the rest. He says the students mo- Reber-Thomas Dining Hall Feb. tivate the Sodexo team and him to 12, a cheesecake event in the
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NEW LINE — LU Dining converted some seating into an express lane.
to abortions and abortion requirements. But HB 2491 is not looking to change the time limit in which women are allowed to get abortions. The status quo in Virginia right now defines a legal abortion to have no restrictions in the first trimester; second trimester abortions have to be done in a licensed hospital; and third trimester abortions must be in the case to save the life of the mother or if the fetus is not viable. “I support the existing Virginia law, which has been in place since the mid-70s and it puts conditions upon a third-trimester abortion,” Tim Kaine said to the Richmond Times - Dispatch. “I support the existing law, not the Tran bill. I don’t think the existing law needs to be changed.” HB 2491 was tabled to another session because of the media backlash the bill and Tran received.
Tilley Student Center Feb. 13 and the yearly international-themed dinner. “A lot of students do not have the opportunity to travel the world and see different things, so we bring that to them,” Wheeler said. “We want students to walk into the dining hall and feel like they’re transformed into that place, like how you would be at Epcot.” To find out what’s around the corner for Liberty dining, follow their Facebook page, www. facebook.com/LibertyDining for updates. WOOD is a content reporter.
Valentine’s Day at the ROT
Speed Dating and free flowers Feb. 12
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Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | A7
New shop on the block
Commerce Street sees a new fly fishing shop owned by Liberty alumnus Will Evans wjevans@liberty.edu
A Liberty University alumnus-owned fly fishing shop specializing in handmade flies and other fishing equipment is coming to Commerce Street in downtown Lynchburg in late February. Liberty alumni Ethan Martin went from selling handcrafted fishing flies on Instagram to creating a brick and mortar fly fishing store. Martin has a degree in pastoral leadership, and owning a fly-fishing shop was not part of Martin’s 10-year plan. “I went to school to be a pastor. Now, I’m going into the business world,” Martin said. “That kind of seems backwards.” But after working in ministry as a youth pastor for four years, Martin said he felt God calling him in a different direction. “I went and worked for a church, and I loved it, but I saw so many doors opening on the store side, so I asked God (where he wanted me),” Martin said. In 2018, Martin and his family packed up and moved from Waynesboro, VA to Lynchburg to begin work on their new store, Taletellers Fly Shop. The store is located at 920 Commerce Street, Lynchburg. You’ll recognize it by its handmade furniture, window tying station HABITAT continued from A1 As a result, the club has been hard at work fundraising since the beginning of the fall semester and will continue throughout the spring semester. During the spring, the club plans to host a golf tournament April 12 and will also receive donations from the annual FACS fashion show April 6.
and neon fish “open” sign. “I saved money making the table and shelves, so I thought I’d splurge on the sign,” Martin said. The store will sell Martin’s handmade flies, rods, reels and other fly fishing equipment. Taletellers will also offer guided trips and casting and fly-tying lessons — Martin’s beloved childhood hobbies. “When I was 10, I was annoying my grandpa, so he went to K-Mart, bought me a fly rod, set out a hula hoop and told me to try and cast into it,” Martin said. “I think he went back inside, but I just stayed out there casting.” The year after his grandfather taught him to cast, Martin started tying his own flies. A friend of his dad’s brought over small a kit to get him started, and now he sells his uniquely crafted flies on social media to buyers all over the world, including New Zealand, Australia and Patagonia. “I used to knock social media until it helped me survive,” Martin said. “Instagram has been really helpful in getting my flies out there. I had no idea how effective it was.” Now that Martin has moved downtown, he is anticipating new challenges to come with the territory, but he is thankful to have a family that is supportive of his passion for
The Liberty Habitat club partners with the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity (GLHFH), which was founded in 1988. For more than 30 years, the GLHFH has been dedicated to providing affordable and sustainable housing for low-income families in the Lynchburg area. The Liberty Habitat club has contributed to the building process of two of
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WORK — Libetry students have built two homes in Lynchburg through Habitat and GLHFH.
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CHILDHOOD HABIT — Martin (pictured above) fell in love with the world of fishing when he was a child and now sells handmade fishing flies.
fishing. “My family has been great through all of this,” Martin said. “My dad owned a small business for 26 years, so he’s been really helpful in guiding me.” Martin not only wants to share his passions with customers, but also build relationships with them and with the Lynchburg community. “You can sit down with someone at a coffee shop for an hour and get to know them,
the more than 300 homes built through GLHFH. More than 100 families apply for Habitat houses each year in the area, according to Pettit. A common misconception about Habitat is that families are just given the houses, but this is actually not the case. Families chosen to receive a Habitat house are responsible for paying a monthly mortgage for the home. According to the GLHFH, more than 220 families have paid off their mortgages for their Habitat houses. According to Pettit, the club hopes to begin construction on the third Liberty Habitat home in August in order to have the family in the new home by Christmas. Students will have an active role in the construction of the home and will work alongside the builders swinging hammers, putting up walls and overseeing the project from start to finish. “It’s been a great impact on those families and for me too to see that, with a group of students, we are able to build that home,” Pettit said. Prior to coming to Liberty, Club President Madison Sumner was familiar with Habitat for Humanity through a friend’s father, who is an executive in the nonprofit. Sumner took an active role in the Liberty Habitat club since she first heard about the club her freshman year and was offered a leadership posi-
TEAMWORK — The 30-student staff has been trying to pay tribute to previous seasons while showcasing their creativity. NEXT SEASON continued from A1 But now, Harding is putting together a new team to try and revive “After Curfew” and make it a Liberty staple, much like Coffeehouse and Christmas Convocation. Harding wants this next season of the show to be a bit different than in past years. He and his production team of about 30 students are attempting to combine the
successful moments of the previous two seasons with fresh ideas to maintain and grow a wider audience. “What we are hoping to do with this new season is … keep the formula similar but also kind of heighten the late-night part of the show because it is kind of like a late-night/skit show hybrid,” Harding said. The plan for season three is to capture snapshots of Liberty’s student-life and more in 30-minute episodes
full of laughs and lighthearted fun. A major goal for the season is to include more guest stars on the show, such as Liberty faculty and student leaders, and hopefully incorporate members of the local Lynchburg community as well. Harding hopes more students will come to see and support the show this season, given the greater variety that the show will have. “They can at least expect to come see some
or you can go fishing on the river for five hours and really get to know them,” Martin said. “That’s what’s so great about fishing.” His store, Taletellers Fly Shop, will hold a soft opening in late February and grand opening in March. His products are online at www.taletellersva.com or on his Instagram @taletellersva. EVANS is a content reporter.
HANDS ON — GLHFH has built over 300 homes since 1988. tion in the club early on. Sumner looks forward to seeing the fundraising and building process come to fruition. “Our hope and prayer is that even with this (grant from SGA) and all the other fundraisers we have going on this semester, we’ll be able to hit that goal and build in the fall and get the family in the home by Christmas,” Sumner said. According to Sumner, it has been rewarding for herself and the other club members to witness the lasting impression a Habitat home can have on a family. Sumner said it is rewarding to see the families find stability in their new homes and enjoy benefits that many take for granted, such as feeling safe in a neighborhood or having a yard where children can run and play. Students in the Habitat club have a unique opportunity to take part in
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the process from start to finish and build relationships along the way. “You see the fundraising aspect, but then you also see building it from the ground up,” Sumner said. “You get to work alongside the families that are getting the homes, and this is honestly one of the most incredible things of the whole (process).” Students interested in joining the Habitat club in their mission to raise $20,000 can follow them on Facebook at Liberty University Habitat for Humanity Club. For further questions or to get involved, contact Allison Pettit at adpettit@liberty.edu.
HIRNEISEN is a content reporter.
of their favorite bands, and they will probably laugh along the way too,” Harding said. Looking towards the future, Harding hopes “After Curfew” will spread beyond the bounds of Liberty’s campus and into the Lynchburg community. But for now, he is focused on producing the best season the show has ever had while getting to highlight the talents of more students in the process. Harding encourages students to get involved in “After Curfew” to gain real world experience, no matter “if you love film, photogra-
phy, graphic design, editing, anything.” Students interested in joining “After Curfew” and earning CSER credit can message the group through their social media pages. To stay up to date with “After Curfew” performances, videos, and more, check them out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as @luaftercurfew.
VEATOR is a content reporter.
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A8 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
content
SPORTS
February 5, 2019
B1
FLAMES BOUNCE BACK Flames scorch past NJIT after heartbreaking defeat to Lipscomb to hold second place in ASUN
Basketball
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
BUCKETS — Sophomore Elijah Cuffee earned nine points Saturday. Emily Baker egbaker@liberty.edu
T
he Vines Center was an entirely different world Saturday, Feb. 2, compared to just days before, when ASUN leader Lipscomb paid Lynchburg a visit. The Liberty Flames basketball team found its feet again when it took down the NJIT Highlanders 77-57. Liberty’s dominant performance was led by junior guard Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz with 18 points, closely followed by redshirt junior guard Caleb Homesley with 17 and redshirt junior forward Scottie James with 16. The game was Liberty’s chance to redeem itself after a heartbreaking 79-59 loss to the Lipscomb Bisons Tuesday night, and
the team did just that. Tuesday’s game was marked with 12 turnovers, sloppy play and only 37.3 percent shooting. Saturday’s game was played with eight turnovers, sure hands and feet, and a 56.1 scoring percentage. “Tonight was a really mature win,” Head Coach Ritchie McKay said. “I was so elated for our guys because I think they earned it, and they did it the hard way. We had to earn this tonight. I’m really proud of our collective effort.” McKay told the media Friday afternoon that he shouldered the blame for the Tuesday loss, saying he got caught up in the desire to be a top-40 team and lost sight of mature, focused play. McKay said the loss was humbling, but it was what the team needed to get back on
track. According to Homesley, it was reassuring to know that McKay had their backs, but that it wasn’t all his fault. “It wasn’t all on (McKay) but it was on us and our preparation as well,” Homesley said. “I thought we did a good job on prepping for this game. Coach told us he had a ‘D’ in that game and said that he was going to be better, and I thought he was way better tonight. Whenever he’s in a good mood and bringing joy to the games, it brings us joy.” Scottie James was an unexpected first-half leader, who brought the crowd and team to life with early points and a dunk, which sparked the Flames to an early lead. James’ play was opposite to his normal second-half push, putting 11 of his 16 points on the board in the first half. Seven of those
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points were made in the first five minutes of the game. “It helped us gain a rhythm,” James said. “We know that we’re capable of making shots, so eventually we’re going to start hitting shots as long as we take shots that we know we’re going to make.” The crowd fanned the Flames on when senior guard Lovell Cabbil Jr. scooped up an NJIT turnover and led a fast break down the court and passed the ball to Homesley, who completed the run with a layup.
See BOUNCE, B2
‘Lipscombed’ over Topping the Basketball suffers first ASUN loss to Bisons Peter Gooch pgooch1@liberty.edu
A spectacular month of January for the Liberty Flames men’s basketball team ended with a thud, as the Lipscomb University Bison strutted into the Vines Center Tuesday, Jan. 29, and routed the Flames, 79-59. The humbling loss was by far the worst of an otherwise outstanding month for Liberty, as the Flames were riding an eight-game winning streak while maintaining an undefeated record at home and in conference play before facing the Bison. They had also tied the program’s best season start, accumulating an 18-4 record. The excellence seen in the first 22 games, however, was nowhere to be found in Liberty’s first loss to an ASUN Conference opponent. A disciplined Lipscomb team outworked the Flames to improve to 17-4 overall while becoming the last unbeaten team in
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
the ASUN at 8-0. “We got exposed in some areas we obviously need to get better in,” Liberty Head Coach Ritchie McKay said. “Credit goes to them and their coaching staff. We’ve got to do a better job of preparing our guys to play against a team like that because that’s a really good team.” The highly-anticipated matchup between the two ASUN powerhouses was controlled by the Bison from start to finish. They led 42-24 at halftime and were up by as many as 29 points after halting a marginal Flames push midway through the second half. “They just played a lot better than us (and) a lot harder than us tonight,” Liberty guard Caleb Homesley said. “And we took a step back, so we need to do better.”
Lady Flames defeat NJIT 58-47 Benjamin Craft bcraft2@liberty.edu
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
BLOCKED — The Flames only shot for 37
See LIPSCOMBED, B2
W. Basketball vs. Stetson Feb. 5 @ 11 a.m.
Highlanders
percent instead of their usual 50.
Basketball vs. Stetson Feb. 5 @ 7 p.m.
The Lady Flames basketball team grinded out a win against NJIT 58-47 Saturday, Feb. 2. With the victory Saturday, Liberty has won five consecutive games and improved to 4th overall in the ASUN despite starting conference play with three consecutive losses. Neither team shot above 40 percent from the field. Liberty employed double teams early and often to swarm NJIT’s offensive players. In the second quarter, NJIT shot only 1-10 from the field. NJIT did not have a single player who shot over 50 percent from the floor in the game. Another early story in the game was foul trouble. Redshirt sophomore guard and reigning ASUN
W. Basketball vs. FGCU Feb. 9 @ 12 p.m.
Basketball vs. FGCU Feb. 9 @ 7 p.m.
player of the week, Emily Lytle, picked up two fouls early in the game and sat on the bench for the majority of the first half. This led to early offensive troubles for the Lady Flames, but sophomore guard and forward Bridgette Rettstatt stepped up to carry the offensive load. In the first quarter she scored six points. “Without Emily, it’s definitely more looks inside because we have to focus on where we have strengths,” Rettstatt said. “If we pass inside, the post will kick out, and it just opens things up. With Emily gone, the defense is more combined and less focused on her.”
See TOPPING, B4
W. Basketball vs. Lipscomb Feb. 12 @ 7 p.m.
sports
B2 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Crazy about Crowder Lady Flames captain persevered to earn a spot on the team Despite her excellence on the basketball court, the 5-foot-6 Crowder received only NAIA and Division II scholarship offers, but If you asked Tatyana Crowder what her she had her sights set on attending Liberty. future plans were right now, you might not “I remember my last high school game get a lot of details about the specific place or I was crying because I knew I’d never play exact job she will pursue. Instead, she might the sport that I loved again,” Crowder said. fill you in on some of her personal goals, like “But I also knew, coming up in Roanoke, the playing the guitar more frequently, becom- only college I ever heard of was Liberty. … ing fluent in Spanish or learning jiujitsu. when I was a little girl (when anyone asked For Crowder, her circumstances have not me), I told them I was playing basketball at always been ideal, and the future has not Liberty.” always been clear, but her focus on her perWhile playing at LCA, the Liberty coachspective and her mindset of gratefulness are ing staff knew about Crowder’s talent, conwhat have helped her overcome. sequently they watched and evaluated her as “Your perspective can literally change a player during high school. everything about you and the way you view “I heard about (Crowder) as a sophomore things,” Crowder said. “Something can be (and) saw her play as a junior,” Carey Green, really crappy or really hard, but the way you head coach of the Liberty women’s basketlook at it -- perspective is everything.” ball team, said. “(Crowder was) a very talCrowder, a senior captain on the Liberty ented athlete and one that had a lot of energy women’s basketball team, had to overcome and enthusiasm.” a lot of obstacles, but those difficulties have Coach Green admitted he truly wanted shaped her perspective along the way. Crowder to be a part of his program, but he Crowder is the youngest of five children simply did not have a scholarship to offer her and grew up with a single mother in an urban at that time. neighborhood in Roanoke, Virginia. She Crowder decided she would come to Libstruggled with behavioral issues as a child, erty as a regular student, even if it meant givbut the trials she endured at a young age have ing up basketball. Then, just two weeks after translated into an encouraging testimony. making the decision, she was invited to be a “I work hard,” Crowder said. “I pick part of the summer bridge program and bepeople up because you never know what come a walk-on for the basketball team. someone is going through. My teammates, I Walking on, maintaining grades and love them, and they know that I love them be- working to pay for school was not easy, cause I know the struggle. I know heartache. but Crowder was thankful to just be a part I know pain. I know frustration.” of the team. Basketball did not become a major aspect “Some of my teammates were being reof Crowder’s life until seventh grade. Before cruited by six different schools and had all middle school, her mom would not allow these other options,” Crowder said. “I was Crowder to play organized basketball, so she just grateful to be in college. I was grateful to instead learned the game by watching her be on a Division I team, even if I was just on older brother play. the roster and nobody knew my name.” Once she began playing, Crowder was Crowder would play just 30 minutes and a standout high school player at Parkway score two points in her freshman year, but Christian Academy in Roanoke, before the tenacity and energy that she brought to transferring to Liberty Christian Academy the team was evident, even when she was not her junior year. The star guard would be on the court. selected to the Lynchburg News & Advance “Her commitment and passion were highall-area first team in her senior year, as well ly valued,” Green said. “Her impact wasn’t as earning second team VISAA all-state hon- based on playing time or points.” ors in both years at LCA. One of the special moments of Crowder’s time at Liberty came in the summer following her freshman season. On the day before she was set to leave for a summer internship, Coach Green sat her down in his office and offered her a scholarship. “It was just like weights were dropped from me,” Crowder said. “I don’t have to work. I don’t have to worry about where I am going to get money for this or that and I can really focus on crafting my sport.” Crowder worked hard and became a team captain in her sophomore season, appearing in 27 games. In her junior season, Crowder made 33 appearances, including Liz Fitch | Liberty Champion the first 17 starts of her career. HONORS — Crowder graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2018. Christian Weaner crweaner@liberty.edu
BOUNCE continued from B1
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
CATCH— The halftime entertainment for Saturday’s game was from the Flying Houndz Frizbee group, featuring Gizmo (above) and Jaz.
Cabbil’s performance was key to the Flames victory. He heavily guarded NJIT’s top shooter Zach Cooks, who averages 18 points a game. However, with Cabbil contesting his every shot and preventing him from reaching the basket, Cooks was held to three points. “(Cabbil is) one of the best two-way players in the region,” McKay said. “Zach Cooks can play — that dude is a bucket. And Lovell did a good job.” Then, at the ten-minute mark, after a two-minute scoring drought, sophomore guard Elijah Cuffee drove hard and broke through the Highlanders to soar above three defenders for a layup. NJIT refused to fall behind, however, and even took the lead around the 9:30 mark of the first half. The Highlanders only pulled ahead by three points before the Flames passed them again, making the last lead change of the game at 8:30 in the half.
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
FORCE— Redshirt junior Myo Baxter-Bell drives
for the basket.
LIPSCOMBED continued from B1
Jessi Rogers| Liberty News Service
PATIENCE — Crowder was originally a walkon for the Lady Flames.
As Crowder continued to see more playing time, the team kept winning. The success culminated in 2018, when the Lady Flames won the Big South Championship and ventured to play in the NCAA Tournament. “I just remember sitting down (after the Big South Championship game) and all the hoorahs going around, and I just was crying,” Crowder said. “It was tears of just pure and genuine gratefulness. Like, ‘God, thank you.’” Crowder graduated in May 2018 with her bachelor’s degree in social work, after just three years at Liberty. She is in the process of completing her master’s in public health, as she is using her final year of eligibility for the Lady Flames. The Lady Flames got off to a tough start in the 2018-19 season, but the team has now won their past four games in a row, thanks in large part to the charismatic leadership of Crowder. For as successful as the teams Crowder has been a part of, she understands that the impact she has the chance to make with her teammates goes far beyond basketball. “In 20 years, nobody is going to remember us,” Crowder said. “Nobody is going to know anything about me, but what impact am I leaving? What legacy am I leaving?... It’s bigger than this game.” Crowder continued to emphasize the importance of how her perspective and legacy transcends the championships and anything she does on the court. As her time winds down at Liberty, Crowder is just enjoying the fleeting moments of what has been an inspirational story and a fruitful career with the Lady Flames. “(My final season) is fun; I’m enjoying it,” Crowder said. “Nine more games left until I go in retirement and get my jersey up there beside (Jerry) Falwell’s in the Vines Center.” WEANER is a sports reporter. Liberty took full advantage of Homesley’s shooting and a Cabbil three to pull ahead to 36-28 with 5 minutes remaining in the half. McKay expressed his gratefulness to have Homesley on the team, especially now that Homesley is back and healed from repeated knee injuries. “Caleb Homesley is a high-major player,” McKay said. “He can play for money for a long time if he stays healthy. The sky is the limit for him. He’s a special talent.” The game turned furiously fast between several missed shots that sent the game up and down the court. A rebound by Keenan Gumbs and a second-chance layup changed the pace. The half finally ended on a driving layup from Pacheco-Ortiz, pushing the halftime score to 40-28. The Liberty basketball team of 1993-1994 was honored at halftime, including players Matt Hildebrand and Paul Nazigan. That team went to the 1994 NCAA tournament after a victory over Campbell, then lost to
Homesley, a redshirt junior, led Liberty with 12 points and four rebounds, although he shot only 5-of-16 from the floor. Senior guard Lovell Cabbil, Jr. was the only other Flame in double figures, with 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting. Lipscomb held the Flames to 37.3 percent shooting overall, including an atrocious 4-of22 from 3-point range. The Bison also forced 12 Flames turnovers. “They came in prepared,” Cabbil said. “We helped them out … playing on the perimeter instead of playing inside-out. And I think it’s really hard to win games when you play around the perimeter.” While Liberty struggled with inefficiency on offense, Lipscomb converted on 55.4 percent of their field goal attempts, including making 9-of-18 from beyond the arc. Guard Garrison Matthews was the Bison’s leading scorer with 22 points and was an economical 5-of-8 from behind the three-point line and 7-of-13 overall. “I think we were poor on the defensive end, and we were even poorer on the offensive end,” McKay said. The thrashing was a major disappointment for a Flames fan-base that had been steadily growing in the wins leading up to the Lipscomb matchup. Mostly all donning red, Liberty students and fans set the season attendance record for the second consecutive home contest. McKay said this game had received more national attention than any other in his six seasons coaching the Flames. “I get, for an 18- to 22-year-old, that’s tough to deal with,” McKay said of the added hype. “It’s a little bit elusive or a mirage because you kind of think you’ve arrived. And, obviously, we haven’t arrived.” But McKay was quick to say that it was not “doomsday” for the Flames. They still have eight games left in the regular season conference schedule, including a rematch at Lipscomb Feb. 13, with the ASUN tournament and a possible NCAA Tournament bid after that. “We have a good team that’s mature,” McKay said. “We’ll bounce back.”
GOOCH is a sports reporter.
North Carolina in the first round of the tournament. The second half started slow until Homesley broke open the scoring with a swished 3-pointer. NJIT retaliated with a 3-pointer of its own from guard Diandre Wilson a minute later. The Highlanders clawed their way back into the game with six unanswered points early in the half and refused to fall behind for much more than 10 points for much of the half. Liberty pulled away for the last time with 11:30 left in the game when Cabbil sank a three, closely followed by another James dunk. NJIT piled the pressure on with less than 10 minutes remaining, despite its 17-point deficit. It didn’t matter where the Flames held the ball, whether at halfcourt or under the basket, the Highlanders were covering them. Even the constant coverage couldn’t stop Liberty, however, with Cuffee scoring seven points and Pacheco-Ortiz scoring 11 in the final 10 minutes of the game. During this time, the crowd had become quiet,
content with the way the game was going. This changed, however, when senior Zach Farquhar and redshirt freshman Brendan Newton took the court. Liberty’s students went wild when the 5-foot-9 guard and 7-foot-2 center entered the game with 1:30 left. Their cheers grew even louder when Newton took the ball and assisted Pacheco-Ortiz to the final 3-pointer of the game. NJIT did not quit, even in the end when Liberty was ahead by 20 points. The game came to a close when NJIT’s Kjell De Graaf missed a 3-pointer and Pacheco-Ortiz came down with the rebound. The Flames will continue their march toward the ASUN conference title Tuesday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. when they host Stetson followed by a Saturday home game against Florida Gulf Coast University at 7 p.m.
BAKER is the sports editor.
sports
Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | B3
Compact capability
5’9” freshman guard making a big splash in the Atlantic Sun Paige Frost pmfrost@liberty.edu
Even at a young age, Darius McGhee was always throwing something around, whether that was a basketball or even a rubber duck. From the age of two, McGhee said his mom always caught him throwing a rubber duck into her crockpots while she was trying
Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service
SHOOT — McGhee averages nine points per game and 41 percent shooting.
to cook or clean, and so as he grew older it was only natural that he played basketball. From ages 6 to 11, McGhee played basketball at his local recreation center. “I was a little athletic,” McGhee said. “So, I was able to run past everybody. Then in middle school my skills started to develop and I was able to shoot. And I’d say that’s when basketball took off.” When he began high school basketball as a freshman, he started on the varsity team, and that was a turning point for McGhee because his older brother was a senior on the team. Playing alongside his brother motivated McGhee and gave him the courage that he needed to begin taking long court shots. During that time, McGhee said he thought, “This is something that I want to do for the rest of my life.” Sophomore year of his high school career, McGhee broke his arm and could not play basketball that season. During this time, he learned not to take things for granted and this only pushed his confidence on the court when he returned his junior year. Fall semester of his senior year, after transferring to an all-boys school, Coach Ritchie McKay began to recruit McGhee. After visiting Liberty University for the first time, McGhee knew that this was where he needed to be. “He’s just such a phenomenal kid, and we have the privilege of coaching him,” McKay said. “Offensively, people are not giving him a look, he has to shoot from 35 to get a clean look, and he will shoot from 35. We’ve had a few good shooters over the course of my career, and Darius is in that class.” Recently, McGhee has been tearing up the court at Liberty, and as a 5’9” freshman, that could be the last thing people expect. McGhee is encouraged to take shots from far out not just from McKay, but also from his teammates. “Darius has something that not a lot of people have,” teammate Caleb Homesley said. “You have a guy that shoot-
“
Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
FLYING — McGhee has a 48-inch vertical jump and regularly dunks on defenders.
He’s just such a
phenomenal kid, and
we have the privilege of coaching him.
— Ritchie McKay
ing far like that it adds a different element to the game, and not a lot of people are used to that.” Through encouragement and confidence, both things have been taught not just to McGhee but to his teammates, and they are all
Jacob Couch jtcouch@liberty.edu
As Super Bowl 53 confetti fell around New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, so did the star quarterback’s haters. Brady’s career has been a book of many chapters entitled, “Proving the Doubters Wrong.” At the age of 41, the six-time Super Bowl champion continued to do that by defeating the 13-3 Los Angeles Rams 13-3 (ironic, isn’t it?) on football’s biggest stage. Brady critics are already out in full force, saying that he didn’t play a great game and the Patriots offense was only able to put up 13 points. But these critics are only exposing their own ignorance and proving that they are in no place to critique anyone based off of their comments. The reality is that sports fans in general believe that being the best means that you have to be the hero. Now, is it true that if you are the best you are going to be the hero? It is quite likely. But what separates Brady from pro football’s other high-profile quarterbacks is his selfless ability to objectively assess every game’s situation. This is a characteristic that Brady even showed in his mid-twenties when New England possessed a strong running game with Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk. In those early years there were games where Brady would throw for under 100 yards a game because he understood that the overall team goal was so much bigger than himself. Midway through Brady’s career the Patriots had little to no running game to lean on. The product of those years was enormous numbers in the passing statistics and multiple league MVPs for Brady. In Super Bowl 53 Brady recognized that his defense was playing the hero, therefore his position to play was game manager. With the exception of his first possession deflected interception, the star quarterback displayed his clock management and ball security skills with excellence. But during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl, Brady couldn’t help but be Brady. With the bewildered Rams defense
trying to just encourage each other to use their gifts. “I didn’t take those shots from early on,” McGhee said. “But Coach McKay and everyone encouraged me, and once I started making a few the confidence built, so I could really play my game, which is shooting from out there.” McGhee is the first person in his family to play collegiate-level basketball, and his family motivates him more to give his best. He knows God has blessed him with these abilities, and he wants to use them.
FROST is a sports reporter.
playing on their heels the football world watched in agony as the most despised athlete engineered his sixth Super Bowl game winning drive. When you really stop and think about it, Brady really was Super Bowl 53’s hero. He was the hero because he understood that playing the Rams was not going to mean throwing the ball 60 times for 500 yards and four touchdowns. Brady recognized that obtaining his sixth Super Bowl championship was going to come in the form of a defensive battle highlighted by just one classic dominating fourth quarter Tom Brady touchdown drive. Well done Tom. You already were the best to ever play the game before Super Bowl 53, but now you have given no room for debate. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw appeared in eight Super Bowls combined. Brady has appeared in nine. Montana and Bradshaw each won four while Brady has won six. He has solidified himself as one of a kind. The greatest football player to ever play. In conclusion, a note to the Brady haters. You can continue to hate him and grow more bitter as the years go by, but understand one thing: you are the primary reason Brady is still able to play at an elite level. He appreciates you more than he appreciates his supporters because without you he wouldn’t have the fuel and motivation to continue to accomplish what no one else has accomplished. You have fed the monster for years and now you are reaping the consequences. Enjoy the next few years, number 12 isn’t satisfied yet.
COUCH is the asst. sports editor.
sports
B4 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
Skating to success Lady Flames dominate the Gaiters 5-2 John Simmons jasimmons2@liberty.edu
The Liberty University Women’s Division I hockey team capped off a successful final weekend in January with a 5-2 victory over the Division II Bishops Gaiters Sunday morning at the LaHaye Ice Center. At the beginning of the game, the Flames’ passing and offensive flow were sporadic and inconsistent. The Gaiters, who were playing their fifth game in three days, dominated the Flames with suffocating defensive pressure and an aggressive forecheck. A pair of goals by defensemen Arianne Charette and Miranda Snable gave the Gaiters a 2-1 lead after the first period. Flames’ Head Coach Chris Lowes said the subpar performance by the Flames was indicative of their preparation for the game and that he and his coaching staff were not surprised by the result of the first period. “I thought we just lacked a bit of energy, and I thought we had a pretty rough warm up as a team,” Lowes said. “We’ve got to prepare better and just mentally reset every game.” After the start of the second period, the Flames jumped out to tie the game at 2-2 with 13:49 left in the period on a wrister by soph-
omore Danica Polson. Shortly before the second period ended, the Flames went on the power play thanks to an interference call on Gaiters forward Rachelle Perras. With 30 seconds remaining before the second intermission, forward Vanessa D e m e r chant scored for the Flames to grant a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. During the third period, the Flames Joel Isimeme| Liberty News Service took advantage of an exhausted Gai- INTIMIDATING — The Lady Flames are currently 21-1-2. ters team, scoring two more goals to end with a Bishops net minder Maude top-ranked Adrian College Russell to score a shorthand- Feb. 15 and 16. Adrian and 5-2 victory. Lowes said the puck pos- ed goal and close the scoring Liberty have not competed against each other since last session was the key to the for the game. Even though the Flames semester, and the Flames Flames scoring four unanswered goals in the last two had to battle back from an are looking forward to early deficit, Lowes said it the challenge. periods. “I think our girls will be “Our time of possession was a good test for Liberty as excited for it, especially was good and was indica- the playoffs loom. “On both sides, both when it’s our only loss of the tive of what we wanted,” teams were battling really season,” Lowes said. “Our Lowes said. The best goal was saved hard and that’s good for us,” girls will be ready to avenge for last, with Lauren Mcdon- Lowes said. “It’s getting it hopefully.” ald doing the honors for the prepped for those top teams Flames. With the Gaiters on and playoffs.” Liberty will finish its reguthe power play with 10:45 left in the game, McDonald lar season with two games forced a turnover at the blue against one of those top line. Using her speed, she teams. The Flames have two SIMMONS is a sports blazed down the ice and beat weeks off before hosting reporter.
Emily Baker egbaker@liberty.edu
This is a column in defense of a sinner, saved by grace, becoming the head coach of a Division I football program at the world’s largest evangelical Christian institution. There has been some negative talk about Liberty’s new head coach. The thing I’ve heard circulating the most is how his hiring is “A questionable hire for Liberty’s athletics department,” or “How can Liberty hire someone like Freeze to be an example for the young men on the team?” Thing is, people see a major heart issue with Liberty’s choice to hire Freeze. This isn’t about his coaching ability — how can it be with a 163-55 record as a head coach? — but rather about his actions and the idea that Liberty “overlooked” them to hire him anyway. Quite frankly, it’s impossible to overlook what Freeze has done, and I believe Liberty took this into account when he was hired. Put lightly, Freeze’s career at Ole Miss ended poorly. Not only was he the head coach of the football program that had recruiting violations such as providing cash payments or free hotel rooms to athletes, an attorney retained by a former Ole Miss head coach found calls to a female escort service had been made from his university-provided phone. Those calls weren’t just a one-off mistake, either — they were made several times over several years. Freeze was heavily punished for his actions. He lost his job, his reputation and suffered the consequences between public backlash, difficulty finding a new coaching home and a twogame conference suspension from the NCAA that expired November 30, 2018. And Freeze completely owns up to that. He fully acknowledges that he has made some serious mistakes, and he doesn’t try to hide it. Whether in his January 2018 Convocation visit or his December 2018 introductory press conference as Liberty’s head coach, Freeze has not hesitated to say that he has done foolish things and that he paid the price for it. Freeze also hasn’t hesitated to profess his redemption through Christ.
He said in his introductory press conference that “Our program is going to be about certain core values. No. 1 is Faith. Faith for me is believing in the son of God, Jesus Christ.” He has already used his platform as Liberty’s head coach to share a message at a recent men’s conference at Cypress Baptist Church in Louisiana. His Convocation speech was based upon his experience in restoring grace and finding himself in Christ again, accompanied by his wife’s testimony in their trying times. Looking at the evidence of Freeze’s actions and words, it seems he has repented of his sin and has taken a genuine turn toward turning his life around. He took his two years off to reflect on life and his actions and find his way again and has repented of his sins and the mess he made. And while Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:12 that the church is responsible for judging its members, that time of judgment has passed. Freeze has, as said in Matthew 18, been publicly rebuked and, as in 2 Corinthians 2:8, been forgiven and welcomed back into fellowship with Christian people. I think hiring Freeze was the right decision. Freeze has been given a clean slate and a second chance, as he should have been. Even the aforementioned attorney who found the escort calls recently told CBS Sports, “Whatever the cynics might say, it makes perfect sense that Liberty would be willing to give Hugh a second chance.” It’s no longer up to us to judge him and hold onto his past mistakes, but rather to accept him and treat him as one of our own. It’s time to move forward and beyond what he’s done, and rather look to what he will do. I, for one, can’t wait to see where he takes Liberty’s football program.
BAKER is the sports editor.
Liz Fitch | Liberty Champion
ASSIST — Freshman Mya McMillian surveys the court for a pass.
TOPPING continued from B1 Liberty was getting those looks inside all night as the Lady Flames bruised their way to a 28-8 advantage in the paint. When the shots were not falling for the Flames, it was no problem as they raked in 16 offensive rebounds during the game. Late in the fourth quarter, it seemed as though NJIT might have taken the momentum as they went on a scoring run to reduce their deficit to five points. The Lady Flames held the Highlanders scoreless for the next five minutes and solidified their victory. Despite the win, Head Coach Carey Green did have some minor gripes about the defensive efforts when guarding NJIT senior guard Kelly Guarino. “You got Guarino, and she shoots 75 percent of her shots from three,” Green said. “Tonight, she took 10 shots, and nine of them were threes. It was 90 percent
threes tonight. We know that and we’re discussing that, but she still gets those off. That’s a little bit disappointing.” Rettstatt was the standout player, who had 15 points and a career-high four blocks. Junior guard and forward Kierra Johnson-Graham had 13 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Graham shot 9-10 from the free-throw line. Senior forward KK Barbour, who finished with 12 points, had her fifth consecutive game scoring double digits. The Lady Flames have a rough stretch coming, playing three of the four best teams in the ASUN in their next four games. The highlight of this stretch is a matchup against undefeated Florida Gulf Coast next Saturday in the Vines Center. FGCU defeated Liberty by 18 in their first meeting. CRAFT is a sports reporter.
sports
Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | B5
Tearing up the track The Flames track and field team impresses at weekend meet
The Stats - Men’s shot put Jose Ballivian – 58 feet, 6 ½ inches
- Women’s shot put Naomi Mojica – 48-3 ½
- Women’s weight throw Patria Vaimaona – 62-2 ½
-Women’s long jump Fiona Barnes – 18-8 ½
TRACKING — The Flames track and field team are trying to win the ASUN conference in 2019. John Nekrasov ydnekrasov@liberty.edu
Liberty Track and Field flew out of the blocks at last weekend’s Liberty Kickoff, winning 12 events in a dominant display at the Indoor Track Complex against their new ASUN opposition. In the Flames first meet this season, on Jan. 25-26, the men’s and women’s teams laid down a statement performance, firmly establishing themselves as strong contenders for winning the ASUN championship this year. Colombian Olympian and Liberty senior Alejandro Perlaza Zapata, last year’s Big South Outstanding Track Performer, made it clear he will play a crucial role in the team’s efforts this season. Wearing his trademark sunglasses, Perlaza Zapata powered his way to two individual wins in the 200-meter and
500, as well as a team relay win in the 4x400, smashing multiple records in the process. Perlaza Zapata’s 500 win clocked in at 1:01.35, setting not only a new school record, but also, according to Liberty’s website, clocking the world’s fastest time in the event so far in 2019. Perlaza Zapata also anchored the relay team’s win (3:11.39), helping take the lead over Hampton University to cap an exciting Saturday night for the Flames. “I was training for this moment – the general preparation was very hard,” Zapata said. “This year is long for me – I have races for Liberty, races for my country Colombia, the Pan American Games, the World Championships. This moment is my motivator — this is a moment for me to say thank you to Liberty for everything.” In a strong day across the board for Liberty track runners, the Lady Flames also recorded a 500 win, with Tanner Ealum and Cortney
Joel Isimeme|Liberty News Service
Dowling going 1-2 and both breaking the previous meet record with times of 1:11.92 and 1:12.31. Senior Michael Todd won another gripping race in the 800, defeating defending ASUN champion Ryan Speer in a neck-andneck final lap with a time of 1:52.57, as well as helping Perlaza Zapata, Jahquez Durham, and Brad Smalley take home the 4x400 relay. “I know with a lot of seniors, it’s easy to just get complacent and look on to what’s next, but right now I’m just trying to focus and enjoy the time I have left wearing a Liberty uniform,” Todd said. “It’s kind of sad at the same time, but it’s also exciting.” Rounding out Liberty’s track wins, senior Delaney McDowell won the 1,000 at 2:52.70, outpacing her nearest competitor by 3.54 seconds, while Ty’Asia Dansbury won the 400 with a time of 56:02. Dansbury, McDowell, Ealum and Dowling later combined to win the 4x400 relay.
Liberty also performed well in the field competitions, recording four wins. Looking towards the February ASUN championship meets, Vaimaona was encouraged by her strong performance last weekend. “I think it was a big improvement, but I think I can do better,” Vaimaona said. “Practices are a lot better, so I think it’ll just push me more to get a better mark.” For Todd, the Liberty Kickoff is just a springboard for the rest of the season. “Being back with such encouraging teammates and coaches – it’s been awesome,” Todd said. “We’re all really excited for it and we’re working together, and we should have a good year.”
NEKRASOV is a sports reporter.
feature
B6 | February 5, 2019 | Liberty Champion
The show will go on
Liberty play “Bloodroot” moves up to regional competition, nationals possible Tori Nelson vfnelson@liberty.edu
B
loodroot, the play that premiered November 2018 at Liberty University’s Black Box Theater, started out as a research project. Now it has a shot at regional stardom and even a national spotlight thanks to the invitation from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The play, written by 27 female student playwrights under the tutelage of Professor Linda Nell Cooper, department chair for the department of Theatre Arts, follows six stories of women who lived along the Appalachian Mountains. Scott Hayes, the director of “Bloodroot” and the dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, did not direct the play with the regional competition in mind, much less the possibility of nationals. Now, however, he thinks the play is perfect for the competition. “It’s an original play, written by students, solving a problem in academic theatre, delving deeply into other departments, (in this case) history,” Hayes said. The Kennedy Center holds festivals to help determine the best of the best among collegiate thespians. Schools across the nation are divided into eight regions. One play will be chosen from each region will be invited to the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. to compete in the final competition. Liberty is one of six institutions to represent Region Four,
which consists of the southeast states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The entire cast, crew and production team, a group of around 53 people, will travel to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to perform the play. He said the representatives from the KCACTF base their nominations on a show’s “innovation and excellence in production.” “Bloodroot” tackles a common college problem of having many male-heavy plays in standard repertoire when women
The play is inspirational and timely, and uniquely incorporates Christian themes of sacrifice and hope. — Gabrielle Crandall
make up the majority in theatre departments. While getting to perform in front of thousands is an honor, Hayes said the real privilege is being able to spread the gospel through storytelling. Since Liberty is a Christian university, the knowledge that everything happens through and because of Jesus is widely understood on this campus, according to Hayes. Because of this nomination, Hayes reasoned, students have the opportunity to share Christ through the excellence with
which they perform. “It’s really great that the excellence of our work is being recognized,” Hayes said. “We know the source of that excellence … — our identity in Christ. This gives us a great opportunity to be able to witness, both in our presence and in our craft, and in conversations that are going to happen to a group of people our students would not encounter unless they went to KCACTF.” Gabrielle Crandall, the assistant stage manager, could not agree more. She has studied the script and has seen where Christ is evident in each story. “The play is inspirational and timely, and uniquely incorporates Christian themes of sacrifice and hope,” Crandall said. Hayes cited how impressed the judges were that the writers were able to create such an emotional, raw, powerful script. He has faith in the ability of the students’ performances as the play moves up in competition. “I am confident that our students will be on par, or better,” Hayes said. The Bloodroot team will leave Liberty Tuesday, Feb. 5 and will return Thursday, Feb. 7. Should Liberty be chosen to represent the region at the national level, more rehearsals would be required, and the time commitment would be great. However, Hayes claims it would be well worth it. “Going to the next level would be a delightful problem to have,” Hayes said. “But, praise God for what’s happening right now.” NELSON is a feature reporter.
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Ryan Klinker | Liberty Champion
WOMEN — The play was written by 27 female student playwrights.
feature
Liberty Champion | February 5, 2019 | B7
Take the dough downtown Mama Crockett’s owner to open a brick and mortar location on Fifth Street Clayton Dykstra cdykstra1@liberty.edu
T
he first Mama Crockett’s trailer started slingin’ apple cider donuts out of an old camper trailer in October 2014. Mama Crockett’s has lived a nomadic lifestyle ever since, composed of frequent day trips to small towns in Central and Southwest Virginia. Beginning sometime in February 2019, owner Frederick Willis, will add to the roster an old house at 500 Fifth St. marking the first stationary location and a major company milestone. The Lynchburg-famous side of that trailer is the centerpiece of their first brick and mortar location. “It’ll be like the same as the truck but expanded,” Willis said. “We’re adding some things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do because of space.” Additional toppings and other menu items will be available solely at the Fifth Street location. The three current trailers will continue operation as normal. Scheduled locations are available on Mama Crockett’s website and on various social media such as Facebook and Instagram. Willis plans to continue scouting locations around Lynchburg, and has already moved trailers to toss donuts as far as High Point and southern Wake County, North Carolina. Lynchburg’s consistently positive community response made it a place Willis wants to maintain a long-term presence. “The shop will fill the void and allow for more expansion,” Willis said. Mama Crockett’s existed before the name
and donut business model. In Spring 2014, Willis operated an ice shack out of a wooden trailer that he hand-built. Based in Buena Vista, he sold snow cones and other shaved ice products. Shaved Ice Shack was the identifying title positioned with a long-haired man with a goatee and mustache, the style much alike the Mama Crockett’s logo and title design seen today.
leaves and temperature, so Willis concocted another way to keep a trailer going. At the first chill of the fall season in 2014, the warm, apple cider donuts were born. But without shaved ice, the name Shavey Crockett’s did not make as much sense. The success of the wordplay and cold products had attracted enough people that Willis wanted to make it obvious the new line of products
Clayton Dykstra | Liberty Champion
TRANSFORM — Owner Frederick Willis plans to move his store into an old house. The ice shack came to be known by its nickname, Shavey Crockett’s. “Shavey’s coming to town!” was one of many phrases used to alert people to its arrival, according to Willis. Due to the nature of their products, demand for Shavey went down with the
lauren osterhoudt | Liberty Champion
MOBILE — Mama Crockett’s began its tour of Central Virginia in 2014.
were related. Thus, Shavey’s mom was born. Using a 1961 Shasta camper trailer found on Craig’s List, Mama Crockett’s became much more mobile. Willis and business partner at the time, Coulter Sims, took the trailer to other nearby places like Lexington and
Lynchburg. When it came time to expand, Willis spent days driving around looking for a potential candidate to flip into a donut slinger. The second tag-along trailer was found in a field during a February 2015 drive, and after a few attempts to reach the owner, Willis purchased the trailer on the spot. Trailer three was also transformed from a Craig’s List find, and eventually wrecked. The fourth was custom made to look like the original Mama Crockett’s 1961 Shasta. The fifth mobile shop is the only actual food truck. The truck, though still in operation, sees less action than the trailers, and can probably be seen resting behind the Fifth Street location. According to employee Mark Gibson, Willis and employee Ty Bilodeau keep the truck and trailers maintained and running smoothly. Willis also handles all the designs from the famous logo to the handmade menu and wall decorations inside the Fifth Street shop. Willis said he will be looking for new hires to help at the Fifth Street location. Employee Mallori Gederberg will manage the shop while Willis primarily oversees further expansion. “Coming soon,” is the only official opening date for now, as permits and other necessary furnishings and appliances are still to come. Willis expects to be open within the month and will release a specific date on Mama Crockett’s social media.
DYKSTRA is a feature reporter.
lauren osterhoudt | Liberty Champion
SCRUMPTIOUS — Hot apple cider doughnuts are the business’ staple product.
Gracie’s Gowns brings comfort Liberty alumna makes colorful and personal hospital gowns for children Rachel Kauderer rkauderer@liberty.edu
Jessica White, the founder of Gracie’s Gowns, was first inspired to create her organization when volunteering on a rescue squad seven years ago. Throughout her experience as a medic in medical transport and pediatric critical care, she realized how many children were transported naked or uncomfortable wearing adult hospital gowns. While many gowns didn’t fit, many other children would have allergic reactions from the chemicals used in the hospital laundry rooms. “During my time as a medic, my youngest child fell, got a concussion and was admitted to the hospital,” White said. “When she was admitted, the hospital didn’t have any gowns in her size and she was stuck in her dirty clothes for three days.” According to White, a Liberty University alumna, Gracie’s Gowns is a faith-based mission that provides custom hospital gowns to children with chronic and lifethreatening illness. These gowns are made to make children feel comfortable, functional and safe. Each gown is personalized with the child’s favorite pattern and their names embroidered along the bottom. “Every gown is personally designed in my house or in someone else’s home,” White said. “There are no mass productions like in other organizations.”
According to White, she always had a passion for children, sewing and non-profit work. At the time, White did not possess the skills to create an organization on her own. Because of her busy schedule, White was not able to attend college residentially and started look-
started my master’s degree in Executive Leadership the next day.” After graduating from graduate school in 2018, White turned her hobby for sewing into acts of ministry and dedication. White’s friend, Crystal Oughton, lost her daughter from a hard battle
“When creating my organization, I asked my friend if I could name it after her daughter,” White said. “It was Crystal who gave me my organization’s name, Gracie’s Gowns.” White enjoys working from home. She is able to spend time
photo provided
CUSTOM — Gowns are made from colorful material of the child’s choice, and often sent with a care package. ing around for online programs. “Going to school on campus was not an option for me, plus I was a single mom at the time,” White said. “I finished my bachelor’s degree online through Liberty and
of against a neuroblastoma, a cancer that attacks nerve tissue. Through that experience, White decided to dedicate her organization to Oughton’s daughter, Gracie.
with her husband Brandon as well as her four children, Aubrey, David, Madeline and Alaina. By working from home, White is able to organize fundraisers for her organization and even personally
deliver gowns to children and their families. “I try to deliver gowns personally to someone if they are within a certain distance,” White said. “Typically, we incorporate a little care package with each gown for the child and their loved ones.” The Klosowki family recently posted a picture of their ninemonth-old daughter Tasmin, in the hospital wearing her personalized Gracie Gown. Tasmin suffers from a life-threatening illness called Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Throughout her many trips to the hospital, the Klowsoki family realized that Tasmin was uncomfortable in the hospital gowns that were provided. The Klowsoki’s found out about Gracie’s Gowns through a Facebook friend who had gotten a gown for her son. “We ordered two gowns, and they are beautiful,” Elise Klowsoki said. “My daughter could not have any clothing with metal or anything that pulled over her head or arms because of the EEG and IVs” The Klowsoki family is thankful they were able to find Tasmin a soft gown that was easy to snap on and off for her comfort. “It’s their gown,” White said. “It’s a part of their story, their journey and who they are.” More information can be found on the Gracie’s Gowns website.
KAUDERER is a feature reporter.
FEATURE ill Roger
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February 5, 2019
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Fo l l i e s
Comedian brought back to life at the Historic Academy of Music Theatre
Leah Stauffer | Liberty news service
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HOWDY—Alluvion Stage Company brings classic comedy to Lynchburg, starring Kelli Overmyer as Betty Blake (upper left) and Andy Geffken as Will Rogers (upper right). Esther Eaton eeaton@liberty.edu
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ill Rogers performed at the Lynchburg Academy Theatre in the 1920s. He swings back onto that newly renovated downtown stage Feb. 1-10 in Alluvion Stage Company’s production of “The Will Rogers Follies.” Liberty University Theatre Arts Department Chair Linda Nell Cooper directed the show. She credited Rogers for popularizing styles of entertainment like stand-up comedy and solo acts. “He’s a legend,” Cooper said. “He’s iconic. … And we enjoy what we now know of today because of what he did back then.” Known for his rope tricks and homespun humor, Will Rogers starred in Vaudeville and Broadway shows and movies, wrote daily newspaper columns and spoke weekly on the radio. He traveled the world offering political commentary through his jokes, and lyrics from the show’s song “Willamania” declare he had more fans than Shirley Temple. “The Will Rogers Follies” tells Rogers’ story as a Ziegfeld Follies show. Songs trace Rogers’ life through elaborate dance numbers and charming duets. Cheeky dialog often addresses the audience directly.
“It’s so different than anything that we’ve done,” Cooper said. “ … It’s a spectacle in the way that Ziegfeld saw spectacle.” Liberty theater arts professor Andy Geffken portrays Will Rogers with a shrug and a smile. He slings a lasso and sings to his sweetheart with equal ease and charm, adlibbing new jokes each night. The gum-chewing cowboy meets his match in Betty Blake, played with grace and gumption by Kelli Overmyer, a Liberty alumna. Overmyer sings as country sweet as her blue jean coveralls, then sends her voice slinking around her feather boa and ringing into the balconies. As Will Rogers’ father Clem Rogers, Liberty theater arts professor Neal Brasher shows off his musicianship with a good-natured scowl. Liberty student Hannah Mehl kicks up her red cowboy boots as Ziegfeld’s favorite showgirl. The entire chorus, in costumes ranging from cowboy hats and chaps to top hats and tuxedos, has mastered kneeslapping, hand-clapping choreography. They dance up and down the set’s massive central staircase, whooping and hollering, tipping and tossing their hats. Cooper said fitness trackers estimated they climb 25 flights of stairs in the course of a show. “Dancing on a staircase is a huge chal-
Showtimes
It’s so different than anything we’ve done. ... It’s a spectacle in the way Ziegfeld saw spectacle. — Linda Nell Cooper
lenge,” Cooper said. “Just think of how you have trouble with balance on a flat floor. Multiply that by a hundred times.” Performers also climb a set of stairs to reach the stage from their dressing rooms, unlike modern theaters where they are on the same level. Yet several cast members praised the theater’s beauty and history. “Finally coming and seeing it fully completed and performing in it, it feels like I’m not in Lynchburg anymore,” Shawl said. Overmyer considers the experience a highlight. “It just feels like an honor to be able to step on that stage and be part of this beautiful
community,” Overmyer said. This show was chosen in part to showcase the theater, newly restored to its 1912 heyday. Set pieces descend from above with the help of historical rigging, manually operated with sandbags and weights. Projections help set the scene. Actors sit on the edge of the stage and dangle their feet over the orchestra pit below. Brandon Shawl, a dance captain, described the atmosphere created by the theater’s rows of red seats and moldings of muses and lions. “It just feels like an honor to be able to step on that stage and be part of this beautiful community,” Overmyer said. Audiences may know how the story ends, and the haunting chorus of “Take off, hey let’s go flying!” echoes through the show to hint at Rogers’ death. But with Alluvion’s dazzling production, audiences will still miss Rogers when he goes. With the chorus, they can tip their hats to an American icon. Tickets are available at www.tickets.liberty.edu or call (434) 582-7328. The Academy recommends parking in nearby lots open on weekends or in abundant street parking.
EATON is a feature reporter.
Feb. 8 | 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 | 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 | 2:00 p.m.
Feb. 10 | 3:00 p.m.