Liberty Journal Summer 2017

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

STUDENTS DEVOTE THEIR TIME TO SERVING OTHERS NEAR AND FAR

FBS BOUND

FOOTBALL RISES TO TOP LEVEL; SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED

HEADING TO COLLEGE

AUTHOR KAREN KINGSBURY OFFERS ADVICE TO PARENTS

LIBERTY JOURNAL SUMMER 2017

CONGRATULATIONS

CLASS of 2017

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP MAKES HISTORY

SUMMER 2017

INSIDE this ISSUE

PUB LIS H E R Jerry Falwell

4 | LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

SENIO R M A NAGIN G E D ITOR Mitzi Bible

CO NTRIBUT IN G E D ITORS Becki Falwell Kristin Conrad Amanda Stanley STA FF Ted Allen Rebecca Beem Heather Bradley Ron Brown Rachel Dugan Kerry Hogan Cheryl Job Leslie Keeney Drew Menard Dawn Neal Amy Price Josh Rice Kim Smith Len Stevens Tobi Walsh Todd Wetmore PHOTOGRAPH E RS Joel Coleman Caroline Cummings Kaitlyn Johnson Kevin Manguiob Leah Seavers Nathan Spencer Jessie Rogers

ON THE COVER Liberty University welcomed U.S. President Donald J. Trump to its 44th Commencement on May 13, 2017.

Photo by: Leah Seavers

For more information about the Liberty Journal, email news@liberty.edu, call (434) 592-4955, or write to: Liberty University External Communications Office, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, Va., 24515.

View a digital version and past issues at Liberty.edu/LibertyJournal.

For information on Liberty’s academic programs, the admissions process, alumni, or athletics, call (434) 582-2000.

Liberty University is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any military service.

CAR O LI NE CUM M I NG S

GRAP H IC D E SIGNE R Carrie Mitchell

Service is a longstanding tradition at LU as students take part in projects across the city, state, country, and the world.

18 | CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES

Class of 2017 gets historic send-off from U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

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| FBS BOUND

Flames head to the top level of collegiate football.

40 | LEAVING YOUR HEART AT LIBERTY

Karen Kingsbury gives advice to parents on moving your child to college.

44 | NEWS & EVENTS

Read about Liberty’s first televised political debate, an LU team’s role in the first Dead Sea Scrolls cave discovery in 60 years, the Department of Cinematic Arts’ first student-driven movie to debut nationwide, and more.

CONVO on the LAWN The back steps of the Montview Student Union were transformed into the Liberty University Convocation stage as students, faculty, and staff gathered on the new Academic Commons Lawn for the final Convocation of the year on April 28. It was the first time in decades that the event had been held outdoors.

Students from the School of Music shared the stage with the Liberty Worship Collective as they led the

crowd in renditions of “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Amazing Grace.”

President Jerry Falwell started the event by talking about the history of the early days of Convocation. He recounted how students would meet in a giant tent for chapel services and for some classes. Falwell also recognized members of the university’s Board of Trustees, who were on campus for their semiannual meeting. Board members and fellow Liberty alumni William

Graham (’97), grandson of the Rev. Billy Graham, and Steve Snyder (’82) shared stories of their time at Liberty and gave students messages of encouragement as the semester came to a close.

In a historic moment at the end of Convocation, the university’s replica of the Liberty Bell, which was mounted in place on top of the new Freedom Tower the day before, rang 71 times in honor of the year Liberty was founded. (Read more about the bells on Page 45.)

Watch the Convocation at Liberty.edu/Streaming.

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LOVE THY NEIGHBOR More than 950,000 hours*. That’s how much time Liberty University students spend each year in community service throughout the City of Lynchburg, the state, the country, and the world.

Serving others is one of Liberty’s longest-standing traditions.

Since its founding, the university has been committed to preparing students not only for careers, but also for lives of meaningful service to God and to others. Through multiple opportunities each semester, students cultivate their sense of social responsibility and are spurred on by their Christian faith to bless those in need.

While students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service each semester, many go above and beyond that number by participating in programs offered through the Office of Spiritual Development and various academic departments.

They join ministries, help nonprofits, and even create their own initiatives to meet needs in their community.

In this issue, you will read about some of the many projects through which students display selfless service as they strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and obey His greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” *As reported by Mangum Economic Consulting’s 2014-15 Economic Impact Report

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FEATURES

K E VI N M ANGU I OB

Lynchburg Grows

[ A DAY OF SERVICE ] F I R S T ‘ S E R V E LY N C H B U R G ’ DAY B R I N G S L I B E R T Y A N D T H E C O M M U N I T Y TO G E T H E R

BY TOBI WALSH Heavy rain didn’t stop more than 1,500 Liberty University students, faculty, and staff from coming together to give back to the City of Lynchburg during the first Serve Lynchburg event on April 22.

The one-day service blitz sent teams to 54 sites around the city, ranging from day care centers to nursing homes and nonprofit organizations. Service projects varied by location — students

joined LU Athletics Director Ian McCaw in making meals for the homeless at Lynchburg Daily Bread while members of the Flames Football team picked spinach at Lynchburg Grows (a farm that partners with nonprofits to provide community members with fresh produce). Other students collected trash and cleaned public sitting areas along the James River in cooperation with the James River Association.

Liberty’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Ron Hawkins, along with Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser, visited students throughout the day.

“I will remember Serve Lynchburg day as one of the high points for me this year,” Hawkins said. “I thoroughly enjoyed seeing our students’ passion for service. I am confident the goodwill and bridge building that resulted from the >>

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>> work our students accomplished will far outweigh our fondest expectations.”

Despite an early-morning start, students were in high spirits as the sea of red shirts and umbrellas started to fill the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore parking lot at 7 a.m.

After they received their assignments, the students loaded onto buses.

Recent graduates Caitlyn Parr and Rebekah Hargett were excited to take part in the event, especially since it was one of their last chances to give back to the community before graduating and leaving Lynchburg. The Family & Consumer Sciences students helped to create a new butterfly garden at the historic Old City Cemetery near Downtown Lynchburg. When the heavy rain started, they weren’t fazed.

They simply unpacked their rain

jackets, zipped up, and continued to plant flowers.

“Today is important,” Parr said.

“This is another chance for us to get outside of campus and learn more about Lynchburg at the same time.”

“Lynchburg isn’t just Liberty and college students,” Hargett added.

“There is a whole community here.”

Across town at the Lynchburg Humane Society, about 100 students walked and bathed dogs, cleaned cages and windows, and played with animals.

Freshman nursing student Olivia Eshleman said she thought a lot of students would want to sleep in on a Saturday — especially a rainy one — but was surprised to see so many of her peers coming out to help.

“It makes me proud to be part of

Liberty,” Eshleman said. “It was great to see so many people ready to represent our campus in a positive way.”

Leaders of the organizations expressed their gratitude for Liberty’s support. Lynchburg Humane Society volunteer and education coordinator Taylor Reinson said she was “blown away” by how many students showed up to help.

“The students did everything I asked them to do, even in the rain,” she said.

Lynchburg Grows Executive Director Shelley Blades had a similar feeling when over 45 volunteers stepped off the bus.

“We were so grateful to have Liberty come out and serve with us,” Blades said. “We’re a small nonprofit, so having all those extra hands really helped us out a lot.”

Lynchburg ranked No. 8 for communities with the highest well-being, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index for 2016. The report measured a community’s social, financial, and physical well-being. More than 250,000 people live in and around the Lynchburg area, making it a thriving city with a small-town feel. Lynchburg hosts diverse industries, an active arts community, and several historical sites.

K E VI N M ANGU I OB

One Body In Christ Ministries

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KAI TLYN JOH NSON

Parkview United Methodist Church

K EVI N M ANGUI OB

Lynchburg Humane Society C AR OLI NE C U M M I NGS

Lynchburg Daily Bread

RiverWalk Trail, near the James River

FEATURES Former Virginia governor, mayor help kick off Serve Lynchburg day

AND REW SNYD ER

City of Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell shared the stage at Convocation on the eve of Serve Lynchburg day and encouraged students to impact the world through Christian service. “(Liberty University) is an intricate, important piece of our community,” Foster began. “From all of us as citizens, we appreciate who you are, and we try to love you and court you the four years you’re here.”

Before she became mayor, Foster was an educator in Amherst County, Va., where she said she saw social issues that needed to be addressed.

“I quit teaching and went into community service,” Foster said. “So many families were hurting in our community, and I wanted to make a difference.”

She served on Lynchburg City Council and eventually became the city’s first female mayor in 2006. Foster said prayer was an important part of that decision.

“I had prayed the Prayer of Jabez for two weeks,” she said. “If you pray that prayer, beware.

You might get called. And literally, God called.

That led to my 15 years of service on Lynchburg City Council.”

McDonnell spoke to the students about suffering and service. His most compelling advice was to view life through an “eternal lens.”

The things we might focus on today, he said, might not be what God focuses on when He asks us to account for our lives.

“God’s not going to ask me what I did as governor or attorney general,” he said. “Because the Kingdom isn’t about the works; it’s about the heart. Jesus didn’t come in order to overthrow the Romans and establish a Christian empire.

He came to talk to people about what’s in their hearts.”

He said Jesus showed true service. Even in the time leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

“Greatness is service,” McDonnell said. “Those ideas of service and humility are what Jesus says define greatness in this world. … That’s what’s beautiful about the Christian faith and what we’re called to do.”

Watch the Convocation at Liberty.edu/Streaming

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A STUDENT’S DREAM, A G R A D U AT E ’ S PA S S I O N , A N D A N N B A S TA R ’ S G E N E R O S I T Y :

[ MASSIVE SHOE DRIVE ] A I M S T O S AV E L I V E S I N T H E C O N G O

BY DREW MENARD

K EVIN MA NGUIOB

In July, representatives from Liberty University will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to bring thousands of people one of the most cherished gifts they will ever receive — a pair of sneakers.

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Each year in America, countless shoes sit collecting dust in the backs of closets. But Liberty aims to make sure they are put to good use. In the DRC, shoes are hard to come by, but they can literally save lives by safeguarding against infections transmitted through the soil.

The trip is being made possible through one of the largest collection drives in Liberty’s history. In March,

students collected new and gently used shoes, bringing them to a packed Vines Center for Convocation where NBA superstar Steph Curry joined them in the cause. In all, 20,000 pairs of shoes were collected, and $10,000 was raised.

The project combined the visions of two ambitious dreamers, worlds apart, who came together at their alma mater to do something incredible.

FEATURES

JOE L COLE M AN

EMMANUEL NTIBONERA

LIBERTY GRADUATE AND CURRENT M.B.A. STUDENT In 2000, Emmanuel Ntibonera, his parents, and eight younger siblings fled their homeland, the DRC, to escape what would become the bloodiest conflict since World War II. (More than 5.4 million died there in the Second Congo War between 1998 and 2008.)

“We had to leave the country,” he recalled. “There was so much killing; it just wasn’t safe for us, being a family, and my dad was a preacher. We (became) eternally displaced, moving from one place to another, looking for safety, traveling miles and miles just to seek refuge.”

The family lived as refugees for nine years in Kenya, where they struggled daily just to get by, before being granted asylum in the United States.

Since coming to America, Ntibonera has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Promotion from Liberty (2016) and is working on a Master of Business Administration.

He also founded a nonprofit ministry,

the Ntibonera Foundation, and travels the country with his siblings, leading worship at churches and conferences.

But even as he built a good life in the Land of Opportunity, Ntibonera was troubled for his homeland.

“During the war when I was running, my family and everybody, we were told: ‘Just keep going forward.

Don’t think about what is going on behind you,’” Ntibonera said. “God is telling me now: ‘Look behind you.’”

Ntibonera returned to the Congo in 2014 with his father and two of his brothers. He was struck by how much his people were still suffering. Liberty’s Intramural Sports department had supplied him with 350 T-shirts and 200 jackets, and Ntibonera used money he had saved to provide food to villagers. Knowing that much of the relief coming into the country never makes it to the communities that need it most, he vowed to return to do more.

Back in the U.S., Ntibonera and his family began collecting shoes as they ministered across the country. After two

years and 10,000 pairs of shoes — which took over entire rooms in the family’s house — he knew he would need help getting them across the ocean.

Ntibonera asked Liberty Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser if the university would help him ship the shoes overseas.

Nasser caught the vision and offered to do more — he wanted to help double the collection. Nasser connected him with alumnus Chris Strachan (’11), and the project grew bigger than even Ntibonera could have imagined.

CHRIS ‘COSEEZY’ STRACHAN

LIBERTY GRADUATE, FOUNDER OF KICK’N IT As a Liberty student, Chris Strachan learned the value of hard work. The New York native worked as a team manager for the men’s basketball team from 2007-11, handing out water and washing uniforms. But he soon caught the eye of Head Coach Ritchie McKay in 2008. McKay saw something special in him and offered him a position helping to welcome recruits to >>

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LEAH S EAVER S

LE AH SE AVE R S

>> campus and creating video scouting reports.

One of those new players was Flames freshman standout Seth Curry, who currently plays in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks. Strachan became friends with Curry and his family, including his brother Stephen, now a two-time NBA MVP with the Golden State Warriors.

Since graduating from Liberty with a degree in sport management, Strachan has launched Kick’n It, a platform to unite people through an affinity for footwear, pop culture, and community service — all things he is passionate about. Strachan organizes community events and gives celebrities in sports, fashion, music, and film a way to give back. Stephen and Seth Curry are members of Kick’n It’s advisory board.

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The brand debuted with a “Kickback” event in Sacramento, Calif., partnering with a local YMCA and collecting over 500 pairs of sneakers for underprivileged innercity kids. Members of the Sacramento Kings, as well as Steph Curry and his wife, Food Network chef Ayesha Curry, showed up to sign merchandise and play games with the guests. A follow-up event in Oakland involved distributing clothing and 200 meals to the homeless.

“I want to build people up,” Strachan said. “I want to use the things I love to put smiles on people’s faces. Coach McKay used to always say, ‘Speak life.’

That stayed with me.”

After meeting Ntibonera, Strachan agreed to help organize a “Kick’n It For A Cause” Convocation at Liberty on March 1. A social media campaign, in the vein of the Ice Bucket Challenge,

invited students — and their friends and families across the country — to donate a pair of new or gently used sneakers. Stephen Curry attended the Convocation, where he spoke in support of the drive and brought 1,000 pairs of Under Armour shoes with him. Nike, Liberty’s basketball sponsor, sent 500 pairs.

For Ntibonera, being in the Vines Center that day was overwhelming.

“When I saw everything happening, I was just praising God the whole time,” Ntibonera said. “This is God … this has nothing to do with me. It was just unbelievable.”

Curry even shot some hoops to raise money, joining his mother, Sonya, his wife, Ayesha, Strachan, McKay, Ntibonera, and Liberty President Jerry Falwell. The students erupted with cheers when Falwell sunk his shot.

The shoes have been stored at the headquarters of a nearby relief organization, Gleaning For The World, where students volunteered to help pack them.

Ntibonera and Strachan will join Nasser and Josh Rutledge, Liberty’s vice president for Spiritual Development, in the Congo to deliver the shoes this summer. While this venture is sure to leave long-lasting footprints, both in the Congo and at Liberty, it is just the beginning for these young Champions for Christ who want to continue making an impact on the world.

CH R I S B R EED LOVE

LUCOM, SCHOOL OF NURSING HOLD

[ COMMUNITY CLINICS ] I N G U AT E M A L A

C H RIS B REE D LOVE

for the School of Nursing, said the trip focused on health education.

“There is a deficiency in knowledge when it comes to health care in Guatemala,” she said, noting that people there often don’t know how to treat common injuries, such as minor burns they may receive while cooking.

Laura Santiago-Slagle, coordinator of medical outreach and international medicine at LUCOM, said that after the students return to the U.S., LUCOM continues to work with its partners in Guatemala to make sure all the patients they cared for there have the opportunity to follow up with local health care providers.

“We don’t believe in drive-by medicine,” Santiago-Slagle said. “We want to make sure all of these people continue to receive the basic care they need.”

LUCOM is planning a return trip June 17-24, where student-doctors will conduct clinics focusing on general medicine, ophthalmology, and pediatrics.

C HR I S BR E E DLOVE

This past Spring Break, 13 secondyear student-doctors from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) joined 15 nursing students to medically serve the people of Guatemala.

The group focused primarily on women’s health and pediatric care.

They conducted clinics in three different villages, where students taught mothers basic first aid, administered vision tests, and provided triage care. They also assisted the staff at Kelly’s House, a home for children with special needs on the campus of Hope of Life International (HOLI), a humanitarian aid organization that battles hunger and poverty.

This was LUCOM’s fourth trip to Guatemala in an ongoing partnership with HOLI. LUCOM sponsored its first trip in the summer of 2015, and though nursing students had accompanied the student-doctors before, this was the first time the trip counted toward their pediatric clinical requirement.

Kat Rivera, an assistant professor

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BUILDING HOMES AND HOPE Throughout the school year, Liberty’s Habitat for Humanity Club helps to build homes for those in need around the Lynchburg area.

The group became a Student Government Association (SGA) club in 2014. In February, Liberty was recognized as an official Habitat for Humanity International Campus, and it continues to support the local chapter, Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity.

The club’s current project is building a home for an elderly Lynchburg man.

Students hope to complete and dedicate the home by 2018.

The club also holds many fundraisers and events every semester.

Last year, students completed a home for a mother and her three children.

The club raised $60,000 to fully sponsor the home and spent weekends working at the site.

CITY BUS STOP BECOMES A GREETING SPOT No matter the weather, you can find a dozen Liberty University students handing out snacks and talking with people waiting for a ride on the City of Lynchburg’s transit system every Friday during the school year.

Students take time out of their busy schedules to spend a few hours at the bus stop in front of Lynchburg Public Library.

They set up tables with chips, drinks, and

free clothes to give to those who may be in need.

The bus stop ministry was started five years ago and is now organized through LU Serve. David Shin, who graduated in May with a religious studies degree, took over as the student leader two years ago, along with fellow graduate Stephen Kwoen.

“God really pushed me to step out in

KAITLYN JOHN SON

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faith,” Shin said. “When I was asked to take over the ministry, I thought I was too young.”

Shin said that during his first week of seeking volunteers, he talked with students in an Evangelism 101 class.

On that Friday, more than 20 students showed up to help.

“God has provided for us time and time again,” Shin said.

The students meet with an average of 35 bus riders at the stop each week. It isn’t unusual for students to arrive and see several people waiting for them.

“A few of them have nicknames for us,” Shin said.

Snacks are provided by a local Food Lion, while clothes are donated by churches around Lynchburg.

The students also host a block party near the bus stop each semester. The party includes an inspiring message, followed by worship, prayer, and a cookout.

“You meet a lot of interesting and fun people,” Kwoen said. “What I love about it is that we get to come together as friends and serve the community.”

FEATURES

STUDENTS HOST HANDS AND FEET HYGIENE CLINIC AT SALVATION ARMY SHELTER

KAI T LYN JOHNSON

Liberty University School of Nursing students continue to serve the homeless and impoverished members of the Lynchburg community during their Hands and Feet Clinic at the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope.

The clinic has been offered for the last two years. In the spring semester, the clinic was held once a week for six weeks. Students wash hands and feet, give manicures and pedicures, and hand out socks. The clinic was made possible through the university’s Illuminate Grant for the Improvement of Teaching, which allows faculty to increase hands-on experiences for students. The grant has also been used to purchase shoes for participants who attend at least two sessions.

Glover Martin said the students made him feel so welcome that he came to several clinics.

“They were so kind and very sweet,” Martin said. “They made my hands feel so good.”

Assistant Professor Dr. Dana Woody said that she has served as a community health nurse for 17 years, and the Hands and Feet Clinic is special.

“It gives a whole new meaning to coming alongside those in our community,” Woody said. “We’ve had students so touched by the opportunity that they have invited their hallmates and prayer groups to volunteer.”

Recent graduate Amy Steadman said she enjoyed interacting with the participants and hearing their stories.

“They were really impacted; you could see that they were taken aback when we would greet them by name,” Steadman said. “Part of nursing is building relationships with people, and that’s what we were able to do.”

LIBERTY DINING GIVES BACK that feeds the hungry), and the Society of St. Andrew’s Gleaning Network in Virginia, which distributes food to people in need.

Throughout the year, Sodexo also donates the leftover food from its catering events to Lynchburg Daily Bread.

Students have a chance to support the community every time they make a purchase at The Grid, a convenience store on campus. When students pay for their items, they can drop a token into one of three boxes designated for local charities. A percentage of sales is then donated to the charities based on the number of tokens in each box.

FEDERAL AID PROGRAM PLACES STUDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY Through the Federal Work-Study Program for universities, several Liberty students work in part-time positions with community organizations each year. The program is part of the nationwide Federal Title IV campusbased aid program. Federal funds pay

for 75 percent of the program, while Liberty pays the remaining 25 percent.

More than 60 spots were filled this academic year. Students worked at organizations such as Lynchburg Parks & Recreation, Jubilee Family Development Center, Boys & Girls

TOBI WAL S H

During the 2016-17 academic year, Liberty and its dining services provider, Sodexo, donated food and more than $6,500 to nonprofits in the Lynchburg area.

In the university’s annual Fall Food Drive, students collected 1,100 pounds of canned food. Sodexo matched that amount (plus some), resulting in a total donation of 2,371 pounds to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

Sodexo also sponsored craft fairs and farmer’s markets during the school year, donating vendor fees to Miriam’s House (a local organization that serves homeless women and their children), Lynchburg Daily Bread (an organization in downtown Lynchburg

REACHING OUT For 14 years, up to 300 students have joined Liberty’s Campus Serve program every Saturday morning throughout the academic year to play with children, spend time with elderly neighbors, and minister to those in need in downtown Lynchburg neighborhoods.

Clubs of Greater Lynchburg, Linkhorne Middle School, Mary Bethune Academy, and Lynchburg Beacon of Hope (a program that targets at-risk youth in Lynchburg City Schools to prepare them for college and careers after graduation).

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[ SEND ME ] DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS M A K E N AT I O N A L A N D G LO B A L I M PAC T When parts of South Carolina saw devastating flooding after Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, the university saw a need, decided to act, and dispatched its first disaster response team through its humanitarian relief program, LU Send Now. Since then, the program, part of the Office of Spiritual Development, has sponsored 17 trips. Work has ranged from handing out water bottles and filters during the water crisis in Flint, Mich., and hurricane cleanup in the Carolinas, to aiding Liberty’s neighbors in nearby Appomattox, Va., after a tornado, and caring for people in a refugee holding camp in Greece.

Lima Region, Peru

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FEATURES send a team to their hometown because of the extensive damage.

Disaster relief efforts continued into February when another 11 students and two LU staff members went to Hattiesburg, Miss., after an EF3 tornado touched down in Forest County, killing four people and leaving 20 injured.

In March, a team traveled to Constitución, Chile, where wildfires ran rampant across the country. More than 1,000 homes and more than 900,000 acres were destroyed in what was the worst wildfire season in the country’s history. The relief team partnered with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) in building two prefabricated homes (purchased by

Liberty) for two families. One of the families had two special needs children and were at risk of having them removed from the family home if adequate housing wasn’t found.

LU Send Now’s most recent trip was in April to the Lima Region of Peru, where a team of eight students and two staff members assisted with flood relief efforts after the effects of El Niño caused 150 deaths and left more than 150,000 people homeless. The team worked alongside Peace and Hope International, an organization that focuses on fighting poverty and social injustice in Latin America. Students handed out food and water to local communities and helped with the reconstruction of homes.

Constitución, Chile

SAMARITA N’S PURSE

LU Send Now partners with organizations, such as Gleaning For The World, Samaritan’s Purse, and Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, and connects Liberty teams with the organizations’ staff on site.

Students can sign up for LU Send Now at the beginning of each semester, and as trips are planned, students are selected based on a wide range of criteria, including current service involvement, their degree program, and previous experience. The university and donors cover the cost of the trips.

Last fall, 61 students and staff — one of the biggest LU Send Now efforts to date — assisted with rebuilding efforts in Baton Rouge, La., after the region saw deadly flooding. Then, only a few weeks after returning from Louisiana, two teams joined Samaritan’s Purse in Lumberton, N.C., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., to respond to destruction caused

by Hurricane Matthew. The hurricane left a wide swath of devastation in its wake as it swept through the Eastern Caribbean and up the Atlantic Coast, producing its most damaging flooding in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Teams were continuously dispatched throughout the spring semester. In January, a team traveled to Albany, Ga., during the first week of the semester to help with cleanup efforts following a powerful straightline wind storm that ripped through Dougherty County, damaging about 369 homes and leaving thousands without power. Partnering with Samaritan’s Purse, the team cleaned up debris and put tarps on roofs of homes.

After the team returned, Vincent Valeriano, LU Send Now participant coordinator, showed a video during Convocation documenting the trip.

“Most people had no clue what had happened due to lack of media coverage,” Valeriano said. “Samaritan’s Purse said it was one of the worst unreported natural disasters they have ever seen.”

The effort started when a group of students asked Senior Vice President of Spiritual Development David Nasser to

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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JOR DAN BARTL E TT

Lacrosse players Faith Wells (left) and Nikki Stumpf read to a class at Yellow Branch Elementary School in nearby Campbell County for ‘Hop on Pop Day’ in February.

[ STUDENT-ATHLETES ] P U T S E R V I C E P R O J E C T S I N M OT I O N

For Liberty University’s studentathletes, community service is a privilege. On top of their already packed schedules, the Flames and Lady Flames serve willingly and faithfully, making the most of opportunities to reflect the love of Christ to their neighbors.

During the 2016-17 academic year, Liberty’s NCAA student-athletes contributed over 13,000 hours of community service.

Starting last fall, Liberty’s 20 NCAA Division I Athletics teams competed to see which one could raise the most money in the sixth annual Dollar Makes A Difference campaign.

“Our teams love to compete, so we always try to make it a competition to

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see who can collect the most of whatever it is,” said Jordan Bartlett, academic and student-athlete development coordinator for Liberty Athletics.

The cheerleading squad, which performed “tucks for bucks” around campus, edged out the men’s soccer team, which organized a car wash, in raising close to $2,300. Altogether, teams collected nearly $10,000 and used it to purchase school supplies for elementary schools in the cities of Lynchburg and Roanoke and in Amherst and Campbell counties.

In October, nearly every studentathlete participated in the “Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat” food drive, going door-to-door in area neighborhoods on

Halloween night to collect over 6,000 canned goods to be donated to the Lynchburg Daily Bread and Bedford Christian Ministries.

“Teams were claiming whole neighborhoods,” said Kristie Beitz, senior associate athletics director for academic affairs. “We’ve been doing it every year for the past eight years, and this was our largest collection yet.”

Groups of student-athletes also regularly volunteer at the two organizations.

“When they go to the Daily Bread, student-athletes are cutting up food, cooking, doing dishes, serving meals,” Beitz said. “You have people downstairs stocking shelves, moving pallets,

FEATURES impact the lives of kids.”

Liberty’s athletics program will also collaborate with the Club Sports department on service projects in the future. One of the projects will be a book drive, with a goal of collecting more than 1,000 books. Both NCAA and Club Sports student-athletes will read the books one-on-one to children at local elementary schools.

Club Sports teams have already taken the initiative to perform community service when they are on the road.

In March, members of the Lady Flames figure skating team traveled to an intercollegiate competition at the University of Delaware where they spent an afternoon at Urban Promise, an inner-city after-school program in Wilmington, Del., directed by former Liberty Football player Josh Gregor (’09). They encouraged youth ages

6-10 — many from broken homes, living in impoverished neighborhoods — by playing games, sharing their testimonies with them, and treating them to pizza. Sophomore captain Katherine Thacker told her story of courage and faith after her father died in the line of duty when she was 10.

Thacker also started her own service project back at Liberty, enlisting more than 200 students to write letters to over 300 families of fallen police officers.

Before playing the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., in October, Liberty’s ACHA Division I men’s hockey team stocked shelves and prepared and served meals for visitors to the Providence (R.I.) Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter run by the parents of former Flames Division II goalie Connor Carew.

JOR DAN BARTL E TT

Jeremy Lee, a goalie on the Flames Soccer team, reads a note from a student at Robert S. Payne Elementary during a Thanksgiving celebration.

JAMES H AN COCK

mopping floors. It’s a system of people doing a lot of different things.”

Bartlett said athletes don’t necessarily have the opportunity to openly share their faith on every community service project, “but we are able to share God’s love through the way that we serve others.”

“Everything we do is on a volunteer basis,” she said. “They all choose to come and participate, which is one of the great things about our program. Our student-athletes have a heart to serve, and they love to do these things. They are always a positive influence on everyone they’re around.”

Every other week, a group of 40 Liberty student-athletes visit area schools to help their “buddies” (students whom the schools have identified as needing a mentor). They assist them with their homework, read to them, and spend lunch or recess together.

“Those students are having fewer occurrences of absenteeism and fewer occurrences of behavior issues,” Beitz said. “It’s helping the students academically because they’re seeing greater achievement. Their socialization, decision-making, teamwork, and communication is improving because of the partnership and relationships and influence that they’re having from their mentor, who is an NCAA student-athlete.”

When Beitz’s father died in November, the women’s lacrosse team rallied the athletics department to collect over 400 books for Yellow Branch Elementary School in Campbell County in his honor.

More than 40 student-athletes, as well as former Flames Football player Kevin Fogg, traveled to the school in February, taking the books into each classroom and reading to students.

“It was very touching and an amazing tribute to my dad,” Beitz said, noting that the day was designated “Hop on Pop Day” after the famous Dr. Seuss book and also because her father, known as “Pops,” used to go into public libraries to read to children and give them books.

“What was so special about it was seeing how the student-athletes were working together and really embracing the whole opportunity … to pay it forward and

Members of several athletics teams handed out Easter baskets on Good Friday to residents of Runk & Pratt at Liberty Ridge, a senior living center in Lynchburg. Here, volleyball players Anna Willey and Sirena Vorster present a basket to Evelyn Stevens.

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GRADUATING into HISTORY C LASS OF 2017 WE LCOME S DONALD TRU MP FO R HIS FIRST COMME NCE ME NT SP E ECH AS P RE SIDE NT OF THE UNITE D STATE S

KEVIN MAN GUIOB

In the weeks before Commencement, Liberty demolished the visiting locker room at Williams Stadium and replaced it with bleachers in anticipation of a record crowd. More than 50,000 attended Commencement, the largest crowd ever.

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As nearly 19,000 Liberty University graduates prepared to make their own marks on history, United States President Donald J. Trump prepared to make his mark as well, arriving on campus May 13 to give his first Commencement address of the presidency.

A record crowd of over 50,000 heard Trump’s remarks to the Class of 2017, the second graduating class to welcome a sitting U.S. president for Commencement (President George H.W. Bush addressed the Class of 1990).

The moment shined a spotlight on Liberty — no longer as a university rising to prominence, but as one that has achieved it.

“Notre Dame has had a tradition the last few generations to have the new president deliver his first Commencement address (there),” Liberty President Jerry Falwell said before introducing Trump. “We’ve always respected and admired Notre Dame University. In fact, from our very beginnings, we aspired to be for evangelical young people what Notre Dame is for Catholic young people.

Well, I am proud to say today that the president of the United States chose to deliver his first Commencement address not at Notre Dame, but at Liberty University.”

Welcoming President Trump back for his third visit to Liberty, Falwell

said he has “noticed a new hope and a new optimism sweeping the country,” since Trump’s election.

“As a country, we needed fresh and bold leadership,” Falwell said.

“President Trump’s love for ordinary Americans and his kindness, generosity, and bold leadership qualities made him the best candidate for the job. Mr. Trump possesses the resolve to put his country first and to never give up in a world that is increasingly hostile to our values.”

Trump followed in that vein, making several remarks throughout his speech that encouraged graduates to go against the tide.

“No one has ever achieved >>

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K E VI N M ANGU I OB

L E AH SE AVE R S

>> anything significant without a chorus of critics standing on the sidelines explaining why it can’t be done,” Trump said. “Nothing is easier or more pathetic than being a critic, because they’re people that can’t get the job done. The future belongs to the dreamers, not to the critics. The future belongs to the people who follow their heart no matter what the critics say because they truly believe in their vision.”

Following your convictions, he said, “means you must be willing to face criticism from those who lack the same courage to do what is right — and they know what is right, but they don’t have the courage or the guts or the stamina to take it and to do it. It’s called the road less traveled.”

Trump recognized two individuals in the crowd whose lives were prime examples of persistence and grit. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was celebrating his daughter Erin’s graduation. Trump called Kelly a man with “tremendous heart” who “knew how to win,” both on the field and in

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two battles with cancer. The president also honored decorated World War II veteran George Rogers, who served Liberty faithfully for many years as its CFO. Rogers survived the Bataan Death March and, because of his suffering, wasn’t expected to live past the age of 40. Rogers is now 98.

A R IC H H E R ITAG E The week of Commencement marked the 10-year anniversary of the death of Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell. President Falwell honored his father’s legacy by sharing the advice he had always given to students.

“My father would find a way to weave into every speech and sermon the admonition that students should never quit and never give up, and my goal is to reiterate that advice today,” he said. “Graduates, you will face seemingly insurmountable hardships and obstacles often throughout your life. At times, everything will seem hopeless and every fiber of your being will be screaming for you to quit and give up on your dreams. But

persevering in those darkest hours is what separates the winners from the losers. Only if you press on will you achieve greatness.”

Trump also honored the legacy of Dr. Jerry Falwell, noting that it was his vision that made Liberty what it is today. He said the elder Falwell would be “very proud” of his son for carrying the vision forward.

SA LU T E TO MILITA RY G RA D UAT E S In his speech, Trump commended those who fight on the front lines in the war for freedom — the men and women of America’s armed forces.

“We are profoundly grateful to every single one of you who sacrifice to keep us safe and to protect God’s gift of freedom,” the Commander in Chief said, recognizing the nearly 6,000 of Liberty’s Class of 2017 with military ties. “It is truly a testament to this university and the values you embrace that your graduating class includes so many patriots who have served our country in uniform.” >>

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I was thrilled to be back @LibertyU. Congratulations to the Class of 2017!

This is your day, and you’ve earned it. -@realDonaldTrump

Thank you @POTUS @realdonaldtrump @whitehouse for making this LU’s greatest day ever! -jerryfalwelljr

JOE L COL E M AN

HONORARY DOCTORATES WALLACE AND ELEANOR TURNBULL

Founders of Baptist Haiti Mission, which has planted over 350 churches and changed lives in Haiti for more than 70 years, and the Turnbull Family Foundation, which has provided Liberty scholarships to 34 Haitian students Honorary Doctors of Divinity

DANIEL JEAN-LOUIS (’06)

CEO of Bridge Capital, author, consultant, international speaker, professor of entrepreneurship and development in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Honorary Doctor of Business

KAREN KINGSBURY

New York Times best-selling novelist Honorary Doctor of Letters

REV. JAMES ROBISON

Founder and president of LIFE Outreach International Honorary Doctor of Divinity

DAVID NASSER

Campus pastor and senior vice president for spiritual development at Liberty Honorary Doctor of Divinity

DONALD J. TRUMP

President of the United States Honorary Doctor of Laws

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I SAAC AP O N

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, ride in President Donald J. Trump’s motorcade on the way to Commencement. The Falwells met Trump when he arrived on Air Force One at Lynchburg Regional Airport.

>> Praising all the graduates for their thousands of hours of community service and predicting that a future U.S. president “or two” may likely be among them, President Trump honored the Class of 2017 for already impacting the world.

“America is better when people put their faith into action.”

President Donald J. Trump and Liberty President Jerry Falwell give a thumbs up after greeting members of LU Praise, who performed during the ceremony.

FOOT BA LL D R E A MS R E A LIZE D Trump noted how Liberty’s vision has always included a top-level athletics program, and he congratulated the university for recently being approved to join the Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of collegiate competition.

“The success of your athletic program — arriving on the big stage — should be a reminder to every new graduate of just

what you can achieve when you start small, pursue a big vision, and never, ever quit — you never quit,” Trump said.

He surprised the crowd by announcing several of Liberty’s upcoming football opponents, including the University of Virginia, Auburn, Army, Brigham Young, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Ole Miss (see schedules on Page 34).

“From the most humble roots, you have become a powerhouse in both education and sports,” Trump said.

E R I C LU BE SHKOF F

I wish I could graduate all over again today!

Thank u @realDonaldTrump & @LibertyU! Great seeing #LUCommencement today! #LUGrad -@saramarietweets

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WATCH 2017 COMMENCEMENT AND BACCALAUREATE:

LIBERTY.EDU/STREAMING

ANDR E W SNYDE R

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KAI T LYN JOHNSON

I am a proud #LUGrad and I am deeply humbled and blessed I got the opportunity to attend this institution. #LibertyU @LibertyUDiv @ThomasHBowen

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ANDR E W SNYDE R

Watching my graduation from home since I was unable to make the trip from Nebraska! I find it fitting to “attend� from home since I went to this college from home. -Margina Kendall

TO THE CLASS of 2017:

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“If you give God your heart and your mind, He always has a big, wonderful plan for you.” – WALLACE TURNBULL Honorary Doctorate Recipient

“Be a Champion for Christ one by one. Together you can do what you cannot do alone – you can change the world.” – KAREN KINGSBURY, Honorary Doctorate Recipient “Never stop fighting for what you believe in and for the people who care about you. Carry yourself with dignity and pride. Demand the best from yourself and be totally unafraid to challenge entrenched interests and failed power structures.”

– PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP Commencement Keynote Speaker

“You will face seemingly insurmountable hardships and obstacles often throughout your life. At times, everything will seem hopeless and every fiber of your being will be screaming for you to quit and give up on your dreams. But persevering in those darkest hours is what separates the winners from the losers. Only if you press on will you achieve greatness.”

– JERRY FALWELL Liberty University President

“Don’t let the devil tell you that you’re unqualified.

There are no small, insignificant members of the Body of Christ.”

– REV. JAMES ROBISON Baccalaureate Keynote Speaker

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JO EL CO LEM AN

COMMENCEMENT 2017 WAS FILLED WITH SPECIAL MOMENTS FOR GRADUATES For new graduates Vhuthuhawe Tintswalo Madzinge and Dwight Hernandez, their last semester at Liberty came with a double dose of excitement.

As members of LU Praise, Liberty’s gospel choir, they sang at the Washington National Cathedral for President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Prayer Service in January. Performing for the president is usually a once-in-alifetime opportunity, but the group was privileged to give a repeat performance at Commencement, where they sang the same song, “We’ve Come This Far

By Faith.”

This time was especially meaningful.

When they finished, Trump personally greeted the singers as he exited the stadium. He posed for a picture with the group and President Jerry Falwell.

Originally from South Africa, Madzinge said that as an international student, it was a tremendous honor to sing for Trump.

“I didn’t realize it was a big deal until I was standing right at the Inaugural Prayer Service,” Madzinge said. “Now, to be from South Africa and sing for the President of the United States, it was profound. I can’t even find the words to describe what the opportunity is like.”

Madzinge, who earned her

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bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences, said that when Trump came off the stage, she was shocked. While her family was unable to fly in for the ceremony, Madzinge still felt loved and supported.

“I motioned for him to come up to me,” she said. “Even President Falwell came down and said, ‘Where’s my friend from South Africa?’ He remembered me and congratulated me on graduating. It was amazing.”

Hernandez, a music graduate, said he has sung with LU Praise since his freshman year at Liberty. Singing for a sitting U.S. president, he said, is a moment he will never forget.

“It’s great to see how God leaves His mark on things,” Hernandez said. “I couldn’t ask for a better way to close out my bachelor’s degree.”

More than 1,600 military graduates, including military spouses, participated in Commencement, and relished the chance to hear directly from their Commander in Chief.

U.S. Army officer Benjamin Solem, who was commissioned in a special ceremony on Friday morning, led the more than 50,000 people in attendance at Commencement in the Pledge of Allegiance. Afterward, Trump came up to Solem and shook his hand.

“To be a newly commissioned officer for only 24 hours and be able to shake the hand of the president is a great honor,” he said. “I think I speak for all military personnel, whether they’ve been serving for one day or years, that it’s a huge honor for the president to speak at Commencement, and I think (Trump) brought it.”

Trump asked all the members of the military and those with military ties to stand as he recognized and honored their sacrifice during his speech.

For all graduates, Commencement was not only a time to celebrate, but also to reflect on their years at Liberty.

Earlier Saturday morning, as the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains peeked through the sheet of fog in the distance just before sunrise, Hannah Phillips danced across the soccer field, where the graduates waited for their processional. She dragged four friends along to get a picture with Sparky, the Flames’ mascot. The excitement and pride she felt about earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing shined brighter than the yellow stethoscope around her neck, accessorizing her regalia.

“I did it; it’s crazy. There were times when I didn’t feel like I’d make it,” she said. One of her friends responded:

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Hannah Phillips (second from the left) and Emily Stotmeister (third from left) pose with their friends before Commencement.

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“You did.”

“This is the year,” mused Phillips, who arrived on campus at 4:48 a.m. to beat the security lines. “I’ve been looking forward to 2017 since I started (at Liberty). It is so awesome.”

Emily Stotmeister, who studied digital media, was glad to be in the company of friends who have been with her since the beginning.

“We’ve grown up into adulthood together,” she said. “We all met freshman year. It feels like it took forever, but it went so fast at the same time. It went by in the blink of an eye.”

“We all had hard times,” Phillips interjected. “But to have people come up behind you, spur you on … it’s been a crazy ride, lots of unexpected turns. It was like a roller coaster. You get off at the end and you’re like ‘That was great,’ but you were terrified in the middle of it.”

“I wouldn’t trade any experience I had here,” Stotmeister added.

Having the sitting president of the United States as the keynote speaker added even more prestige to an already significant moment.

“He is at our graduation,” Stotmeister said.

Strategic communication graduate Wesley Fouse said that, “Whether

you agree with him or not, having the president here is pretty awesome.”

He and a group of friends were discussing what got them through their education. “The Lord,” they all said, almost in unison, as well as things that they will miss about campus life: the professors, the events — football games, Coffeehouse.

“Dorm life was a big part of my experience,” said Hunter “Texas”

Bowen, who studied religion and served as a resident assistant. “Living on a hall, leading a hall, I’ve loved it, every second of it. Well, most seconds of it.”

The group laughed as Bowen continued: “Being here at Williams Stadium — we started with the freshman kickoff, and now it’s literally coming full circle,” Bowen said. “It is (a moment) four years in the making.”

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TURNING THE TASSELS: A Faith Journey God uses the struggles in life to shape us into the people He created us to be. The Class of 2017 has many stories to tell about surmounting the obstacles and beating the odds along the road to earning a degree.

The Liberty Journal celebrates all of our graduates who have stood firm in their faith through life’s trials and serve as an inspiration to many others to pursue their dreams.

Master’s grad heads to med school less than a decade after hearing she would never walk again

Hannah Thompson marched into Williams Stadium with thousands of her classmates for the main Commencement ceremony. She also walked across the stage at the Department of Biology & Chemistry’s degree presentation ceremony to receive her Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, a year after earning her bachelor’s degree from Liberty’s pre-med program. And this fall, she will move on to medical school, attending Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Each of these steps are significant milestones for Thompson, especially after being told nine years ago that she would never walk again.

“I remember that moment where the doctor was sitting there, looking at my family saying, ‘She is not going to walk again, she is going to be like this forever.

Let’s just make her comfortable and realize this is how her life is going to be,’” the North Carolina native said.

At age 12, Thompson was a normal, active girl until one day she found herself screaming from ankle pain. The pain progressed, spreading through her right leg. She had to be pulled out of school

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and homeschooled. After several tests and misdiagnoses, she was ultimately diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a neurovascular disorder that affects the cardiovascular and central nervous systems and causes the brain’s pain signals to overreact to stimuli. Symptoms include severe pain, extreme skin sensitivity, muscle atrophy, and decreased blood flow.

Thompson began a series of treatments, including nerve blocks, epidurals, and high-powered medications, none of which were successful. At one point, Thompson was taking 18 pills a day. She had trouble sleeping. She was confined to a wheelchair. And the pain was constant.

“Wind would bother (my leg),” she recalled. “If a pencil shaving fell on my leg, I could tell you exactly where it landed, it was so sensitive.”

While family, friends, and her primary care physician continued to pray for a breakthrough treatment, Thompson had to face the fact that her condition might never go away.

“There were definitely moments when I said, ‘God, why me?’” she said.

“I vividly remember sitting in my (hospital) room by myself, saying out loud, ‘Lord, if this is how I am going to be, then I am still going to serve You and I am going to use this for good. If I get better, then I am going to use this and pursue medicine, and if I don’t, then I am going to use this situation to talk about how You are still faithful even where I am right now.’”

At age 15, Thompson moved to a Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia with her mother to enter an experimental program.

“It was eight hours a day of intense physical therapy and occupational therapy — with no pain medication,” Thompson said. “The idea was to force your body to hurt more than your brain can process and hope that your brain will restart a new pain signal.”

But Thompson never finished the program because she got injured about five weeks into therapy and needed knee surgery. The surgery, it turns out, was the cure.

“When I woke up from surgery, all the pain was gone,” Thompson said.

The explanation, she was told, was that her body was restarting its pain signal because of the trauma of the injury.

Looking back, Thompson realizes how those painful years shaped her. Growing up, she thought she would become a teacher, like her mother. Now, she wants to use her experience with RSD to better relate to patients as a doctor.

“I just remember being sick and thinking that I wasn’t going to get to do these things,” she said. “Now, to take another step toward something the Lord has called me to — it is just incredible to think that I am at that point.”

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KAI TLYN JOHNSON

Waterskiing accident grounds aspiring pilot, but new career is on the horizon As far back as he can remember, recent Liberty University graduate Cameron Row wanted to be a pilot. He pursued his goal with passion, soloing a plane at age 16 and earning his private pilot license at 17. Row, a Lakeland, Fla., native, then came to Liberty in 2013 and joined the School of Aeronautics, where he remained on the fast track to achieving his dream — he earned his instrument rating by the end of his freshman year.

But things took a sharp nosedive for Row just days before he planned to return to Liberty after summer break.

On Aug. 4, 2014, Row was waterskiing on a lake near Orlando when he lost his balance and fell forward, causing the ski to strike the back of his head.

He blacked out for a brief period of time, during which a friend, who is a lifeguard, jumped from the boat and pulled him to safety. Row came to, with blood pouring from his head, and was taken to the hospital. He was almost released the same day with stitches and a concussion before a “just-incase” CAT scan revealed that he had escaped death by a tenth of a millimeter.

The force of the injury had caused a depressed skull fracture; the skull had shattered, and fragments pressed up against the brain. If one of the fragments had gone any further, it would have

killed him instantly. Later that week, Row found out he had also broken two vertebrae and torn the oblique muscles on his sides. He underwent surgery to remove the fragments.

Despite the lingering effects of the recent injuries, Row opted to return to Liberty and begin his sophomore year, only missing the first week of classes for his recovery.

The pain was not the only fallout from the accident. Because of the head injury, which put him at an increased risk for a stroke, Row lost his FAA Medical Clearance to fly.

“It was hard; it felt like my dreams were shattered because that was the only thing I had ever planned on doing my entire life,” Row said.

He had given up on a career in aviation.

“I told myself, ‘If I can’t fly, I don’t want to work for the airlines,’” he said. “It was going to be too hard to be around aviation and not be up in the air.

I would just be jealous of the pilots all the time.”

But Row had already secured a competitive internship with Delta Airlines working with flight operations the first semester of his junior year.

Though apprehensive, he followed through on the commitment — and ended up “falling in love with the

business side” of aviation.

As it turned out, Liberty was in the process of developing an aviation safety management program for non-pilots.

The timing was perfect.

“Cameron met with us multiple times to help us develop this, even helping research courses to build a degree,” said James Mashburn, School of Aeronautics online chair and professor. “He was instrumental in pushing us to get this degree off the ground and is its first graduate.”

Row graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration with both flight and aviation safety management specialties, as well as a minor in business. He also earned the School of Aeronautics’ annual Airmanship Award, which recognizes the graduate who has most demonstrated the character, integrity, and discipline of an outstanding aviation professional.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him for sticking with it and keeping a positive attitude when I don’t think a lot of people would have,” Mashburn said.

“He is still going to be used in aviation by the Lord in an awesome way. He is a trailblazer for this program, and I think that is going to be a mark for him his whole career. He is going to go out and change things.”

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TURNING THE TASSELS: A Family Affair Family relationships are valued at Liberty University, and it isn’t uncommon to find family members pursuing degrees at the same time — no matter what age. In the Class of 2017, there were 23 groups of parents graduating with their children, 51 pairs of married couples, and 48 pairs of siblings.

The stories below show that there is no stronger bond than the one between a parent and a child.

KAI T LYN JOHNSON

Student advocate Leah Trent (left) with Hope Larson.

With support from LU staff member, graduate finds strength to continue degree after son’s death When Hope Larson walked across the stage to receive her diploma, she wore one graduation cap and carried another, in memory of her middle son, Ryan.

Larson enrolled in Liberty’s online program in 2013 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Crisis Counseling concentration. Ryan joined her in 2015, taking psychology classes with a focus on addiction and recovery.

He had gained victory over drug addiction himself and had big plans to help others.

“Ryan had such a heart for kids in the Myrtle Beach area who are dying from heroin overdoses and felt so called to reach them,” Hope said. “We had talked about opening a treatment center that ministered to addicts and their families.”

Ryan had only taken a couple of courses when he died unexpectedly at age 24 from a diabetic condition (he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 20). Hope leaned on her faith — and timely counsel and prayer support from Liberty student advocate Leah Trent (’12) — to complete her degree.

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“Leah’s amazing,” Larson said. “She was my advisor and my God-sent rock. I would not have graduated without God and Leah. She played a very significant role, sending me cards when I needed to be encouraged and praying for me every day. She went above and beyond, and I will never forget her for the rest of my life.”

Trent, who presented a Liberty football jersey and helmet with Ryan’s favorite No. 13 to Larson during her degree presentation ceremony, said her role quickly turned from advocate to friend.

“I remember both of us crying and discussing her next course of action,” Trent said. “I encouraged her not to give up on her educational goals, as I knew they were important to her. I do believe that she can have a huge impact on many lives, and I know that she will be able to glorify God in anything that she does.”

Hope Larson has since endured many more trials. Soon after Ryan’s death, she lost her best friend to a rare form of cancer. She followed God’s lead to close the family’s photography studio in Myrtle

Beach, S.C., and move to Maryland to become her parents’ primary caregiver; her mother was diagnosed with mid- to late-stage dementia three days before her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Even through the hardship, Larson continued her studies, using memories of her son as motivation. She graduated summa cum laude.

“My inspiration definitely exploded with Ryan’s inspiration, goals, and dreams,” she said.

Hope is one of the close to 6,000 graduates with military ties in the Class of 2017. Her husband, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Larson, now works as a civilian at the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. “She showed an amazing amount of commitment and dedication to completing her degree,” Bob Larson said. “The sky’s the limit for her. What I know from watching her go through this experience is there’s nothing she can’t do if she sets her heart and her mind to it.”

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LEAH S EAVER S

Vicki Ball with daughters Abigail (left) and Chandler (right).

Mother and two daughters share special moment at Commencement Graduating with her two daughters in Liberty University’s 44th Commencement exercises made Mother’s Day weekend particularly special for retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Vicki Ball.

Ball, who spent 23 years as a military nurse and is now a residential professor and online director of the master’s nursing program at Charleston Southern University, received her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), joining daughters Chandler — a former star pitcher for the Lady Flames’ softball team who received her Master of Arts in Public Policy — and Abigail, who completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Planning.

The family said that marching at the same Commencement was divinely orchestrated by God. “I knew I would be graduating in four years, but my mom didn’t know her exact date for graduation,” Abigail said, adding that her sister likely would not have pursued a master’s degree had she not been injured at the start of her junior season and received a medical redshirt for a fifth year of eligibility.

“God worked it out to make it even more of a celebration.”

Chandler was the first member of

the Ball family to attend Liberty. She fell in love with the school during a softball prospect camp. She then received a scholarship to play softball for the Lady Flames and went on to set the Lady Flames’ program record with 162 pitching appearances. She earned her undergraduate degree in Communication with a specialty in Advertising and Public Relations in 2015.

Chandler worked as a field representative on the re-election campaign for Congressman Dave Brat (R-Va.) in October before starting her current position with the American Conservative Union in Washington, D.C., in January.

Abigail has worked the past two years as an office assistant for academic advisors and a tutor in Liberty’s Athletics department. Previously, she served as manager for the softball team during Chandler’s junior and redshirt junior seasons in 2014 and 2015. Both sisters traveled with the team on weekend road trips.

“It definitely helped having Abbie there with her,” Vicki said, noting that the support of the coaches was also instrumental. “Looking back, one of the best things that Coach (Dot) Richardson and Assistant Coach

(Paige) Cassady did for Chandler was letting her work with the pitchers and motivate her teammates, even though she was injured and couldn’t play. They appreciated her leadership enough to make a place for her that entire 2014 season. I’m not sure if she would have gotten that level of support at a public university.”

Vicki and her husband, Jeff, would travel from their home in Charleston, S.C., to Lynchburg, Va., and as far as Florida and Texas to meet their daughters and teammates nearly every weekend during the softball season.

She was impressed with the Christian atmosphere the Lady Flames fostered at every game.

“To see them praying after games with the other team and to watch the girls be representatives of not only Liberty but of Christianity was pretty special,” Vicki said. “What Liberty has done for them has reinforced what we’ve tried to do in our home: help them develop a faith system where they put God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ first in their lives so they can take that into whatever they do. Whether they’re in politics like Chandler or finances as Abbie will be, they will continue to be good examples and good role models, wherever they are.”

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GAME CHANGER

FLAMES HEAD TO THE TOP LEVEL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL B Y “Feb. 16, 2017, will go down as one of the most exciting moments in Liberty University history.”

That’s how Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) Announcer Alan York started his report from Williams Stadium Tower following a press conference to announce Flames Football’s move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

Liberty President Jerry Falwell was notified of the move just a few hours before. The news was so big that it couldn’t be kept a secret for long. He soon found himself in front of TV cameras, along with Director of Athletics Ian McCaw and Head Football Coach Turner Gill, announcing that the Flames were indeed “FBS Bound.”

The excitement carried over to the

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M I T Z I

B I B L E

team room in the Williams Football Operations Center, where the three celebrated the news with players.

“It spread like wildfire,” said Flames running back Frankie Hickson, a rising sophomore, in an LFSN interview. “As a team, as a family, it’s a dream come true for every single one of us who puts a helmet on, and for coaches, too.

It’s a great opportunity for us, knowing for the longest time that Liberty had everything that we needed, we just needed the grace of God to get there, and we finally are here.”

Sports media nationwide were reporting on Liberty’s “surprise jump” and “bold move.” It wasn’t long before billboards around the city were sporting Flames Football players in shiny uniforms and the words “FBS Bound”

in giant letters.

The news was a true game changer for Liberty Athletics — and for the university as a whole. As Falwell shared at the press conference, it was the fulfillment of a vision cast over 45 years ago by his father, the late Jerry Falwell Sr., Liberty’s founder (and an avid football fan) who dreamed of seeing Liberty achieve the highest levels of academic and athletic success.

President Falwell showed the crowd a framed picture of himself with his father on the sidelines at one of Liberty’s first football games. He was 12 years old at the time, but he was already a part of something bigger than even a child could imagine.

Liberty played its first season of football in 1973 and quickly climbed the

FBS BOUND

Liberty President Jerry Falwell stands on the sidelines with his father, the late Jerry Falwell Sr., Liberty’s founder, as the football team takes on Washington & Lee in 1974.

collegiate athletics ranks, moving from the NCCAA level (National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association) to full NCAA Division I status in 1988.

Liberty’s football program joined the Big South Conference in 2002 and has won eight conference titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016).

Liberty made its first-ever NCAA FCS Playoff appearance in 2014, where the Flames advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

Over the last year, while Liberty continued to focus on strengthening its athletics program and making major improvements to facilities (see Page 36), attorneys were working behind the scenes to request a waiver from the NCAA, which currently requires that all schools receive an invitation from an FBS football-sponsored conference to join the top ranks. The chance for Liberty to become the first school since 2011 (when the requirement

was instituted) to receive a waiver and compete as an independent program boiled down to Liberty’s ability to demonstrate its readiness to begin the two-year reclassification process for the FBS. “Even before we had a campus, we had all the major team sports, and that shows how committed we were from the very beginning to taking Liberty to the top levels of the NCAA,” Falwell said. “This is the culmination of 45 years of effort, of prayer, and of hard work.”

Falwell credited attorney Dennis Coleman and his colleagues at Ropes & Gray in Boston, who spent many long hours helping to share Liberty’s story — and praying for the outcome.

“Our attorneys and I both agreed that we intend to use this new status for God’s glory in everything we do,” Falwell said.

He also expressed gratitude to the NCAA for allowing Liberty to make its case and for understanding its unique position.

For Coach Gill, the move is a challenge accepted. The door is opened, he said, to recruit more players who can compete at the highest level of collegiate football.

“It’s great for Liberty University to now have that national scope — not just from a football perspective, but also for its academics, its student environment, and its faith-based perspective — for evangelical Christians,” Gill said during an interview with Liberty’s “Game On”

SEASON BY SEASON 2017:

• Begin the two-year FBS reclassification process • Compete as an FCS independent program

2018:

• Compete as an FBS independent program • Play four FBS home games

sports television show in April.

As far as this coming season, when Liberty will be ineligible for playoffs, “We’re going to play a winning game, there’s no question about that,” Gill said.

“I’m a competitor, everyone on the staff is a competitor, and we’re out here to win as many football games as we can and do all of them the right way.”

The transition also comes with scheduling challenges. With plans to play four FBS opponents at home in 2018 and five at home in 2019, it’s a “tall task,” Gill said, to try to get other teams to adjust their schedules which, for football, are usually set at least three years in advance. “Now we’re trying to shake up people’s schedules and have them come play us.”

But McCaw said the process is going “extremely well.”

“We’ll be bringing some excellent opponents to Williams Stadium, including a couple of Power Five schools,” he said. “From a fan standpoint, people can obviously renew their season tickets right now and reserve season tickets for 2018, which is exciting.” (Call 434-582SEAT to order tickets.)

McCaw said fans have even more to be excited about in the future, as plans are being made to enhance Williams Stadium.

“We’re studying additional seating, premium seating, and fan amenities to really create a great game-day experience for our fans as we move to FBS.”

NO STRANGER TO FBS

Liberty University recorded its first win over an FBS opponent in 1989 (Eastern Michigan) and has remained competitive against other FBS teams since then, posting three wins over FBS opponents since 2010: Ball State (2010), Appalachian State (2014), and Georgia State (2015).

LIBERTY HAS FACED THE FOLLOWING FBS OPPONENTS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS:

2019:

• Become the 18th private FBS institution in the country • Eligible for bowl game • Must play at least five FBS opponents at home

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SAVE THE DATE While future season schedules are still being confirmed, Liberty is set to play these FBS foes:

2017:

SEPT. 2 » Baylor University McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas

View the complete 2017 schedule at LibertyFlames.com/Football

2018:

SEPT. 1 » Old Dominion University Williams Stadium SEPT. 8 » Army (United States Military Academy) Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y. SEPT. 22 » University of North Texas Williams Stadium SEPT. 29 » University of New Mexico University Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M. OCT. 6 » New Mexico State Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, N.M. OCT. 13 » Troy University Williams Stadium NOV. 3 » UMass (University of Massachusetts) Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

NOV. 10 » University of Virginia Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Va. NOV. 17 » Auburn University Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Ala. NOV. 24 » New Mexico State Williams Stadium

2019:

AUG. 31 » Syracuse University Williams Stadium SEPT. 14 » University at Buffalo Williams Stadium SEPT. 28 » University of New Mexico Williams Stadium OCT. 5 » New Mexico State Aggie Memorial Stadium, Las Cruces, N.M. OCT. 26 » Rutgers University High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J. NOV. 9 » Brigham Young University Lavell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

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NOV. 23 » University of Virginia Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Va. NOV. 30 » New Mexico State Williams Stadium

2020:

Sept. 5 » Virginia Tech Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Va.

2021:

OCT. 9 » University of North Texas Apogee Stadium, Denton, Texas NOV. 13 » Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) Vaught–Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.

NOV. 27 » Army (United States Military Academy) Williams Stadium

2022:

SEPT. 17 » Wake Forest University BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, N.C. OCT. 22 » Brigham Young University Williams Stadium

2023:

SEPT. 16 » University at Buffalo University at Buffalo Stadium, Getzville, N.Y.

2025:

AUG. 30 » Wake Forest University Williams Stadium SEPT. 20 » Army (United States Military Academy) Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y.

2026:

SEPT. (TBD) » Wake Forest University BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, N.C. NOV. 28 » Army (United States Military Academy) Williams Stadium

2027:

SEPT. 11 » University of Virginia Williams Stadium

FBS BOUND

2017 FOOTBALL OUTLOOK: FLAMES FANS CAN EXPECT PLENTY OF TALENT THIS FALL B Y Although much of the excitement surrounding Liberty’s football program right now is its two-year FBS reclassification process, don’t think that the Flames are overlooking the 2017 season.

Liberty, which will be an FCS independent program this fall, is coming off its 11th-straight winning season. Flames Football is one of only five FCS programs in the country to post a winning campaign for 10 or more consecutive seasons.

A youthful offense was able to gel after a challenging start to the 2016 season, reeling off five wins in a row to capture a share of the Big South title.

The winning streak was the program’s longest since 2013 and allowed the Flames to claim their eighth Big South title in the last 10 seasons.

Buckshot Calvert was at the head of the youth movement, taking over as the Flames’ starting quarterback five games into the season. The true freshman finished the year with the third-highest passing total by a college rookie in program history (1,931 yards).

The native of Plantation, Fla., was named to the HERO Sports Freshman All-America team and finished as one of two Liberty players named as finalists for the Jerry Rice Award (top

TO D D

W E T M O R E

FCS freshman in the country).

Working alongside Calvert in 2016 were a trio of running backs: rising seniors Todd Macon and Carrington Mosley, and upcoming sophomore Frankie Hickson. The three combined to rush for 1,737 yards and 16 touchdowns during last year’s Big South championship run.

Calvert’s top returning targets for the upcoming campaign will be rising junior B.J. Farrow and rising sophomore Antonio Gandy-Golden, who each had three touchdown receptions in 2016.

Farrow caught the game-winning touchdown in Liberty’s upset win against No. 4 Coastal Carolina during the Flames’ 2015 season finale, springboarding his sophomore season where he ranked second on the team in receptions (30) and third in yards (281).

Gandy-Golden wasted little time making his mark, finishing 2016 with the second-most receiving yards on the team (315) and fourth in receptions (21) — all as a true freshman.

Another rookie who wrote his name in Liberty’s record books was Alex Probert. The kicker set a school record for points scored by a freshman (78), was named to the HERO Sports Freshman All-America team, and was

the second Flames finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

On the defensive side of the ball, Liberty has a good mixture of veteran players and upcoming standouts that make up the team’s seven returning starters.

Solomon McGinty and Juwan Wells are key players on a defensive unit that ranked No. 12 in the country in turnovers gained last year, No. 18 in red zone defense, and No. 20 in first down defense.

Wells was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America team and has recorded 18.5 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks during the defensive lineman’s first two years at Liberty.

McGinty, a 2016 transfer, played safety during his first year with the Flames and ranked fourth on the team with 52 tackles. During his senior campaign, the Navasota, Texas, native will anchor the Flames’ defense from the middle of the field as linebacker.

With a younger group taking over several key positions on Liberty’s roster in 2017, the Flames’ future — both on the gridiron and as a program in the middle of an exciting transition — seems brighter than ever with the FBS level just over the horizon.

SUPPORT THE FLAMES’ MOVE TO FBS Fans can support Liberty Football and enjoy special game-day privileges by joining the Flames Club. The Flames Club exists to underwrite Liberty Athletics’ three-fold mission to Train Champions for Christ, provide a worldclass student-athlete experience, and achieve victory with integrity.

Club members can enjoy preferred parking, seating, and pregame hospitality

benefits, based upon membership level.

All seats at Williams Stadium, other than general admission bleacher seats, require membership in the Flames Club.

Membership starts at $60.

For more information about season tickets, reserved seats, and club seats, call the Flames Club at 434-582-CLUB (2582), email FlamesClub@Liberty.edu, or visit LibertyFlames.com/FlamesClub.

ORDER YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY!

434-582-SEAT (7328) 35

BUILDING UP AT H L E T I C S FAC I L I T I E S G E T B O OST I N M A SS I V E C A M P U S R E B U I L D I N G P R OJ EC T

Years before Liberty University requested a waiver from the NCAA to move its football program to the top level, the university began a near $1 billion campus transformation. The massive building project — one of the most aggressive of any university in the country — would include a number of state-of-the-art academic buildings and world-class athletics facilities.

As Liberty gradually grew from a small college of 154 students in 1971 into the nation’s fifth largest university and the largest Christian university in the world (with over 110,000 in total student enrollment), leaders began planning for adequate infrastructure to support the growth.

The commitment by President Jerry Falwell and Liberty’s leadership team to transform the campus aided in the NCAA’s decision to grant the waiver.

The first step in elevating Liberty’s

NCAA Division I athletics programs began in 2010 with renovations to Williams Stadium, home of Flames Football. The $16 million renovation included expanded seating and a 5-story tower. For six out of the last seven years, Liberty was ranked one of the top 10 FCS programs in the country in attendance and drew more than 16,500 fans per game during the seven-year span.

Following Falwell’s announcement in 2011 that Liberty would begin an FBS feasibility study, nearly every Liberty athletics facility has been renovated, and several new facilities have been constructed. This summer, crews will be putting the finishing touches on the Indoor Football Practice Facility, which will give the football team a full-size practice field with a 70-foot ceiling clearance.

By the fall, Liberty Athletics will see

the addition of two more new facilities.

The Academic and Performance Center will open its doors for the return of Liberty’s student-athletes in August.

The 60,000-square-foot facility will provide a centralized area for their academic pursuits, as well as stateof-the-art strength and conditioning, nutrition, and rehabilitation areas.

The new Liberty Natatorium will open in time for the 2017-18 swimming & diving season. The 75,000-squarefoot facility will feature an eight-lane, 50-meter pool with a bulkhead and a separate 17-foot-deep diving well.

Liberty Natatorium and the adjoining Liberty Indoor Track Complex will share a weight room and training room.

While the campus has changed dramatically, Liberty’s mission of Training Champions for Christ — in the classroom, on the court, and on the field — never will.

JOEL CO LEMAN

Liberty Baseball Stadium and Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium were both featured this year on NCAA.com’s “7 Must-See Stadiums” lists for each sport.

Liberty University was the only school in the nation to have two stadiums recognized.

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FBS BOUND

LIBERTY ATHLETICS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (SINCE 2010) Estimated Cost: $16M

Williams Stadium

• Major renovation completed in 2010

Estimated Cost: $5M

Estimated Cost: $3M

Liberty Field Hockey and Lacrosse Fields

Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex/Osborne Stadium

• Completed in 2011

• Renovation completed in 2011

Estimated Cost: $2M

Estimated Cost: $20M

PROJECTS UNDERWAY Estimated Cost: $32M

East Campus Field House

Liberty Baseball Stadium

Estimated Cost: $1M

Estimated Cost: $10M

• Completed in 2012

• Completed in 2013

Academic and Performance Center

ACADEMIC & PERFORMANCE CENTER LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: LYNCHBURG, VA

ARRIVAL EXTERIOR RENDERING

• Opening Fall 2017

SHEET:118 04.08.2015

Estimated Cost: $19M

Clarkson Clubhouse

• Completed in 2014

Estimated Cost: $20M

Vines Center

• Multi-year renovations completed in 2016

Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Completed in 2015

Estimated Cost: $4M

Liberty Natatorium

• Opening Fall 2017

Cook Tennis Center/ Hershey-Esbenshade Tennis Courts

• Multi-year renovations completed in 2017

Estimated Cost: $29M

Estimated Cost: $29M

TOTAL CAMPUS RECONSTRUCTION 2007-17

$965,000,000

CAMPUS INFRASTRUCTURE $63,000,000

Liberty Indoor Track Complex

• Completed in Winter 2017

Indoor Football Practice Facility

• To be completed Summer 2017

HOUSING $297,000,000 ACADEMIC FACILITIES $409,000,000 ATHLETICS FACILITIES $196,000,000

37

MEET IAN MCCAW Liberty University welcomed Ian McCaw as its new director of athletics last fall. Previously, McCaw spent 13 years as athletic director at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

During that time, Baylor captured five national team championships and 58 Big 12 Conference titles. McCaw has also served as athletics director at the University of Massachusetts (200203) and Northeastern University (1997-2002). He started his career in athletics media relations for the University of Maine, then transitioned to Tulane University, where he managed a number of areas.

Did you always want to work in sports?

“I grew up just outside of Toronto in Canada and, like a lot of youth, I played a lot of sports. I knew in my teenage years that I wasn’t going to be able to make a career out of playing sports, but I had a passion for business as well. I wanted to combine business with sports and was fortunate to go to Laurentian University, which has a sport management program that prepared me and combined two passions that ended up creating my career path.”

When did the desire to work in college athletics, specifically, hit you?

“During my time at UMass (where McCaw earned his master’s degree), I was doing an internship with the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) and got a taste of professional sports. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I liked working in college athletics with student-athletes. I especially was gratified watching the transformation of student-athletes between the ages of 18-22 — from seeing them come in as freshmen to seeing them mature academically, athletically, spiritually, and socially. To get to observe

38

this growth is something that drives and excites me. That’s why I decided to make a career in college athletics.”

In the last 20-30 years, what have you seen as the biggest change in college athletics from a business or fan standpoint?

“I believe the biggest change has been television. Television has changed everything in terms of the resources that are brought into college athletics, along with the tremendous exposure and the ability to build the university’s brand. That has clearly been the number one change, and it’s affected everything from the visibility of a program, to salary structure, to the competitive nature of college athletics. It’s been the game changer.”

Which accomplishments during your time at Baylor are you most proud of?

“We were blessed to experience incredible growth at Baylor from humble beginnings in 2003, when it had a $26 million budget and was a struggling athletics program. We weren’t winning very much and had a lot of challenges in just about every area of the program. In

FBS BOUND the first five years, we went from being at the bottom of the Big 12 to becoming competitive, and in the next five years we went from good to great. I was grateful for the opportunity to hire and work with some great coaches and staff, and to help develop some extraordinary studentathletes. Most Baylor fans will remember the national championships and the Big 12 championships; however, the studentathletes’ performance in the classroom, earning a 3.3 grade point average — the highest on record — and the sports ministry program will have the most lasting impact. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, we were also able to invest about $400 million into new facilities. So it took a lot of people coming together to build one of the top athletics programs in the nation and that’s what I’ll remember.”

How has your first year at Liberty been going?

“It’s been incredible. The way I describe Liberty to colleagues around the country is that we have gamechanging facilities and life-changing people. We have a beautiful campus, and the athletics facilities are first rate. We have incredible coaches and staff who have the ability to pour into people and transform lives.”

If you could tell Flames fans your vision for Liberty Athletics, what would you say?

“We need to rally everyone together and unite Flames Nation behind the athletics program if we’re going to achieve all the vision and goals that we have established. We have great coaches, staff, and student-athletes — obviously, they work hard to build this athletics program each day. Yet to reach our full potential, we need our alumni, the Lynchburg community, our donors, and Flames Club members, faculty, staff, and students to rally around this program. I see Liberty Athletics becoming the premier evangelical Christian athletics program in America, similar to what Notre Dame is to the Catholic community and BYU is to the Mormon community. This program is one that has a very high ceiling, and we’re looking forward to realizing that.”

What does Liberty represent to you?

“Liberty represents the pinnacle of professional and personal opportunity where we’re going to develop Champions for Christ, provide a worldclass student-athlete experience, and achieve victory with integrity. We desire to have Christian student-athletes from throughout the country and around the world grow up dreaming of competing for Liberty University.”

Where do you see the success of the men’s basketball program headed under Head Coach Ritchie McKay’s leadership?

“Ritchie McKay is doing a terrific job and has the program on a rapid upward trajectory. There’s been a remarkable turnaround in his first two years, and we have a lot of momentum.

He’s recruited at a very high level, developed a positive culture within the program, and I’m excited about what he and his staff are doing to elevate Liberty basketball. The studentathletes in that program represent Liberty extremely well on the court, on campus, and in the classroom.”

Tell us about your family.

“Heather and I met in Maine, where she was born and raised. She played field hockey at the University of Maine when we first met. She began her teaching career at Maine and we met through one of her best friends and one of my best friends, who introduced us.

I hosted a Bible study and through that time of fellowship, we got to know each other and eventually married. Four kids later, we have a wonderful family that includes three daughters and a son.”

IAN MCCAW

39

LE AH SE AV ERS

“We have a beautiful campus, and the athletics facilities are first rate. We have incredible coaches and staff who have the ability to pour into people and transform lives.”

Leaving Your Heart at Liberty Advice for parents on letting go and learning to be empty nesters

BY KAREN KINGSBURY LE AH SE AVE R S

There were times when every heartbeat whispered the date.

August 26. August 26. August 26.

Some history. Our youngest son Austin was 3 years old when I turned to an empty page in my journal and randomly figured out when each of our kids would go to college. Austin wouldn’t leave until the fall of 2016.

No problem, I told myself. Light years away.

Ah, but time speeds.

Seasons flew and suddenly we were living out Austin’s last semester of high school. August 26 was the date Austin would pack up his car and head eight hours east to Liberty University.

The day we would caravan to the best school ever and say goodbye to the youngest of our six children.

40

The day my husband, Donald, and I would officially become “empty nesters.”

In a blur of final exams and graduation parties, summer melted through our fingertips, and August 26 arrived. We gathered around Austin and our other three boys who were already attending Liberty, and we prayed for God’s guidance and wisdom, for His protection and provision.

Then we hit the road.

Yes, I cried most of the first few hours of the trip. Songs like “So Far Away” by Carole King seemed to dominate the radio that sunny afternoon. The tears were something I never let Austin or the other boys see. After all, they were excited. This was a time they had looked forward to since school let out months earlier. All four of them were

headed off to Liberty.

As it turned out, the sadness didn’t last long.

By the time we pulled onto campus in Lynchburg, all of us were brimming with joy. Because this was Liberty University. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the world. People are happy and friendly, quick with a smile or word of encouragement or direction.

And now Austin would have the thrill of attending this great school!

What wasn’t to love?

Our older boys headed to East Campus and a dorm they were familiar with. Austin and my husband and I pulled into the Commons parking lot, the dorm where Austin would live for the next year. We thought we’d drive headlong into a traffic jam.

FEATURES

Karen Kingsbury with her sons (left to right) Sean, Austin, Emanuel (EJ), and Josh, all students at Liberty.

Instead we were greeted with a party!

A slew of Liberty students, all wearing blue T-shirts, literally cheered for us as we pulled up. Not just us. They cheered for every car that entered the parking lot. The student helpers rallied into action. They welcomed Austin, and they welcomed us. Smiles and hugs from everyone — like we were long-lost family members. Then a bunch of guys with enormous bins hurried up to the car. “Let’s get Austin unpacked!” one of them said.

Music played across the parking lot.

Balloons were tied to every post. I’ve never seen more enthusiastic helpers in all my life!

In minutes, the students had our car unpacked and Austin’s things in his dorm. Every student entering the

“At Liberty, the administration treats parents like part of the team. Parent and family connections with Liberty are an important part of the four-year experience.”

K A R E N K I N G S B U RY Commons parking lot was treated to the same experience. “It’s the Liberty way,” one of the helpers said. “We want students to know this is home now.

And we want parents to know how much we love their kids.”

Amazing. No sooner had Austin’s things arrived in his room than his hall

leaders popped in and met us. They told Austin they’d been waiting for him, looking forward to meeting him, praying for him. And they told him about a hall meeting that would take place that night.

Just like that, Austin was connected.

The next day during parent orientation I sat with my husband as we listened to a dozen speakers share how they were available to help our students adjust to life at Liberty. Literally every question I could possibly ask, the staff at Liberty University answered that hour.

And then some!

Before we knew about Liberty, our daughter — the oldest of our six children — attended a school on the West Coast. At orientation they told us not to be helicopter parents. They >>

41

Karen Kingsbury speaks to parents at a special session during College For A Weekend on April 7.

>> had our kids now. We could say goodbye and move on.

It’s not like that at Liberty University.

Yes, students need independence.

Liberty encourages that in a healthy way. They need the chance to grow and become who God has for them to be. But at Liberty, the administration treats parents like part of the team.

Parent and family connections with Liberty are an important part of the four-year experience. Parent orientation at Liberty also involved a quick bit of information on everything from dealing with homesickness to problem-solving and even Training Champions for Christ — students and parents together.

A laminated card was given to us with the name and phone number of every department at Liberty that parents might want to be familiar with. Computing, IT, student health center and wellness information, LUPD, emergency numbers, student counseling, restorative practices, ways for students to grow and give back in their faith.

An explanation was given as to how each student is cared for and loved, accounted for and encouraged.

Liberty has prayerfully designed a net of accountability, including leaders in each dorm, prayer leaders, and another few layers of accountability, prayer, and support.

Something else. Every student is part of a brother or sister dorm. Every student is part of the “in” crowd. No running for a fraternity or sorority, no social clubs with a week of hazing and

42

rushing. No fear that your student won’t be accepted or included. At Liberty University, all students are all-in.

If your student occupies a bed on campus, he or she will have a brothersister dorm. That two-dorm group will get together multiple times a week for an optional hang-out. Bowling on campus, Frisbee on the lawn, potluck dinners, and tailgating. From the beginning, I knew that Austin — like our other boys — would have friends.

Real friends.

People who would stay friends for life because of the commonality of faith and the adherence to Liberty University’s high standards. Every hour I was on campus I felt better about the situation. Even knowing that in just a few days goodbye was coming.

And so it did.

Three days after we arrived on campus, after making sure our boys were moved in and that their rooms were stocked with snacks and water bottles and the right sort of bedding and toiletries, my husband and I bid goodbye to our three older boys.

They were good. Together with us, they’d done this before. We prayed with them and talked about how Thanksgiving would be here soon. Then it was time to say goodbye to Austin.

The three of us hemmed and hawed a bit, the usual last-minute conversation.

“You’ll call if you feel alone, right?” I looked at him.

“Yes, Mom. You know I will.”

“And you’ll go to Campus Community.” My husband blinked

back tears, strength, and tenderness, trying to stay strong. “David Nasser said that was the highlight of the year for his son. Campus Community.”

“Yes, sir.” Austin didn’t try to rush the moment. “I’m looking forward to Campus Community.”

“And if you need more healthy snacks, Target is right down the street.”

“Right. I’ll stay stocked up.”

Finally there was nothing more to say. Austin hugged his dad and then he hugged me. His eyes were damp as he told us once more, “I love you both.

Thank you … for believing in me. For letting me be here at Liberty.”

We nodded. For the first time that day, words were not needed. Donald put his arms around Austin and me.

“Let’s pray.”

So we did. We prayed for God’s protection and leading and for His divine direction for Austin and our other boys. And then with one last hug, one last goodbye, one quick and hurried kiss … we climbed in the car and drove away.

I watched in the rearview mirror as Austin waved to us, as the image of him grew smaller and smaller. I thought about that journal entry when he was three. When August 26, 2016, seemed forever away.

Tears were a part of that drive home — for both Donald and me. Beautiful tears. Because the years of raising our kids were ever so wonderful. Season after season of together times. Family dinners and sports practices and theater performances and recitals.

KAI TLYN JO H NSO N

Karen Kingsbury is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print. She is also an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where she teaches master classes on English, writing, publishing, and research.

FEATURES Silliness and singing and Scripturerich evenings and the very real sense that life would stay that way forever.

That the days when our home was filled with the laughter and voices of our kids would never end.

In the days since then, Donald and I have embraced this new season. Date nights and long walks. Time for us. The chance to look forward to the breaks when everyone is home again. For now.

Yes, the nest is empty. But in so many ways it is full. Full of new and old memories and a sense of purpose and even a new little grandson! God is great. But what makes this season so rich and full and purposeful is the knowledge that we did the right thing on August 26.

We took our boys to Liberty University.

PARENT and FAMILY CONNECTIONS Liberty’s Parent and Family Connections Office, located in DeMoss Hall, encourages parent input, interest, and involvement in many areas of campus life and focuses on assisting parents during their students’ transition to college. Office staff lead special parent sessions during orientations, presenting information on departments within the university, ranging from health and wellness services, dining, and housing, to academic support, computing, and police and safety. Staff are also available throughout the year to answer any questions and concerns.

The office hosts many activities and

programs to develop and strengthen the relationship between parents and the university.

Visit Liberty.edu/Parents for information on services and resources and to subscribe to the parent e-newsletter.

Parents can also stay connected on the Liberty University – Parent and Family Connections Facebook page.

CONTACT: Parents@liberty.edu (434) 582-2339 DeMoss Hall 2247

SAVE THE DATE: Fall Family Weekend: Nov. 3-5, 2017

PARENT-TO-PARENT with ‘Duck Dynasty’ JOE L COLE M AN

NAT HAN SP E NC E R

Liberty held a “Duck Dynasty” reunion in Convocation shortly after the A&E reality show aired its final episode this past spring. The event coincided with College For A Weekend, where prospective students visit Liberty to get a taste of campus life. Willie and Korie Robertson, parents of Liberty student John Luke Robertson, whose wife, Mary Kate, also attends Liberty, were asked what advice they would give parents in the crowd.

Willie began by assuring them, “You are in a good place; this is a good start.”

Korie encouraged parents to realize that they can’t see their children as young kids forever.

“We tell our kids, ‘Dream big, but not too big, because I don’t want you to go too far away,’” she said, laughing. “But our kids can do incredible things. And they are doing incredible things; I am seeing this generation serving God and glorifying Him and just really passionate for the Lord, on fire for Him. I say we trust our kids and push them and get behind them and encourage them to follow their dreams — but follow them in the way of God and ask for His calling on their lives. We try to guide (our children), but God made them a certain way. He is working in their lives, and we have to trust that.”

Willie shared his appreciation for the

environment that Liberty provides his son and daughter-in-law to help them grow in wisdom and in faith.

“We were proud that (John Luke) came here,” he said. “The main thing that we wanted him — and all our kids — to do was to develop spiritually, to stretch their minds. You pray that your kids will end up being in a great spiritual place.”

The “Duck Dynasty” reunion also featured Phil, Miss Kay, Uncle Si, and Alan Robertson. Watch it on Liberty.edu/Streaming.

To learn more about College For A Weekend and other events where guests can discover all that Liberty has to offer, go to Liberty.edu/VisitUs.

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NEWS & EVENTS LU receives highest-possible financial responsibility score Liberty University not only passed a U.S. Department of Education financial-responsibility test for private universities for the 2014-15 academic year, but also earned the highest possible score.

The department looked at 3,374 nonprofit and for-profit institutions, evaluating their debt and assets and assessing their overall relative financial health. (The Higher Education Act of 1965 requires institutions to submit audited financial statements, demonstrating adherence to the

standards of financial responsibility necessary to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs.) Scores are a composite of three ratios (primary reserve, equity, and net income ratio) and range from -1 to 3, with scores lower than 1.5 considered failing. Liberty received a score of 3, joining 809 schools on the test, including Harvard University, Temple University, and Princeton University. Liberty scored higher than Yale University and Boston University.

Liberty continues to receive positive

reports on its financial stability. In 2016, Standard & Poor’s affirmed an ‘AA’ long-term rating on Liberty’s taxable bonds with a stable outlook. In 2015, Moody’s Investors Service affirmed the university’s Aa3 rating with a stable outlook, taking into account Liberty’s expansive growth, superior operating performance, strong liquidity, and manageable debt burden.

In December 2012 (41 years after its founding), Liberty became the first evangelical Christian university to surpass $1 billion in net assets.

First televised debate on campus features Virginia’s GOP governor candidates Audiences across Virginia tuned in to watch the Commonwealth of Virginia Debate for Governor at Liberty University on April 13. The event, hosted by Liberty’s new Center for Law & Government, was the first televised debate at Liberty and the first for governor in this election cycle.

Virginia’s gubernatorial race is among the first statewide elections since the recent presidential election.

All candidates vying for the Republican nomination — Frank Wagner, Corey Stewart, and Ed Gillespie — took the stage at the concert hall in Liberty’s new Center for Music and the Worship Arts. The event was broadcast and fully produced

by Liberty’s Event Production team.

Sinclair Broadcast Group partnered with Liberty to carry the event on several TV stations across Virginia.

Len Stevens, Liberty’s executive director of External Communications, and WSET-TV news anchor Mark Spain served as moderators.

Robert Hurt, former U.S. Congressman and executive director of the Center for Law & Government, welcomed guests, calling the event “a robust debate of issues of national significance.”

Topics included the economy, revitalizing Virginia’s coalfields, regulating businesses, gun control, Medicaid expansion, expected job losses due to automation, illegal immigration, and improving transportation.

Hurt said he was honored to be a part of Liberty’s first televised debate.

“I don’t think any university in the country could have done a better job, which speaks volumes to the quality of the employees who work here,” he said.

He added that the event demonstrated what Liberty aims to do through the Center for Law & Government.

“We want to educate the public on important issues, to inform them so they can elect good men and women to public office,” he said. “We expect to host more events like this and continue to be a platform for the exchange of ideas.”

The debate was also a learning experience for dozens of student volunteers from the Helms School of Government and Liberty University School of Law. Liberty has become a popular stop for those seeking political office — among them Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Gary Johnson, and Bernie Sanders. Gillespie and Stewart each spoke at Liberty Convocations earlier in the semester.

KEVIN MANGUIOB

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NEWS & EVENTS

Work begins on new School of Business building Demolition will start this summer on the Elmer Towns Religion Hall to make way for a new 78,000-squarefoot, 3-story building for the School of Business.

This facility will have a public entrance facing U.S. 460 and a student entrance in line with Reber-Thomas

Drive. The building will complement the classical Jeffersonian architecture of Liberty’s main campus, as reflected in nearby DeMoss Hall, and will serve as an aesthetic landmark for drivers passing by.

Features will include executive boardrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, a

grand lobby, a coffee bar, and a number of innovative classrooms and meeting spaces, from information technology labs to networking and data centers, a simulated stock trading room, and a 2,000-square-foot Entrepreneurship Center for Innovation that will serve students as well as the local community.

The building is expected to be completed by Fall 2018.

ARTI ST R E NDE R I NG

Let Freedom Ring: Bells top city’s tallest landmark A carillon of 25 bells, weighing approximately 8 tons, was hoisted more than 275 feet above the Liberty University campus on April 27 before coming to rest atop Freedom Tower, now the tallest building in Lynchburg.

At the center is the university’s replica Liberty Bell, which was unveiled in 1976 in recognition of America’s bicentennial and the renaming of Lynchburg Baptist College to Liberty Baptist College (years before it became Liberty University). It was previously housed in a pavilion near Elmer Towns

Religion Hall. The Liberty Bell alone weighs about 3,000 pounds and is 30 inches in diameter.

The Liberty Bell was played for the first time in its new location on April 28, during Liberty’s last Convocation of the spring semester, which was held on the Academic Commons Lawn. It tolled 71 times for the year Liberty was founded — 1971.

The carillon will be electronically controlled from a remote keyboard and can be programmed to play a number of melodies.

The bells are protected from wind and rain by a glass panel enclosure and pyramidal glass roof.

The 17-story Freedom Tower will be completed this fall and will be used primarily for academic programs in the Rawlings School of Divinity, housing 45-seat classrooms on each floor.

Visit the Liberty News Vimeo channel to listen to examples of what the carillon will sound like when in use.

KEVIN MA NGUIOB

KEVIN MA NGUIOB

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Worship Collective works with popular Christian artists to release first album The Liberty Worship Collective released its debut album this spring, featuring the single “Run,” written by students in collaboration with professional artists Phil Wickham and Josh Auer, along with Louis Fabrizi, Worship Collective director. The selftitled debut album was produced by Shane & Shane through their Worship Initiative project with Wellhouse Publishing.

“Run” began as a lyric by rising junior Fiona Barbosu, inspired by Psalm 63, and then was developed in a writing session with Wickham, Auer, Fabrizi, and seniors Judd Harris and Ashley Kidd.

In addition to the Collective’s original song, the album includes nine covers of contemporary worship hits, including Chris Tomlin’s “Good, Good Father” and “At the Cross;”

Hillsong United’s “This I Believe” and “Hosanna;” and “No Longer Slaves,” originally written by Bethel Music.

The album is available on iTunes and Spotify. Copies are sold at Liberty’s bookstore and at Worship Collective events.

The Liberty Worship Collective is

made up of 45 student worship leaders, songwriters, and musicians who lead worship at a number of campus events as well as at conferences, youth events, festivals, churches, and other venues across the country. The Collective plans to release another album featuring all original songs in the future.

Digital media students deliver cutting-edge storytelling in new virtual reality course Students pioneered the digital art of storytelling using virtual reality (commonly referred to as VR) in a pilot course last semester. The elective course through Liberty’s B.S. in Digital Media program was led by visiting guest lecturer Kam Diba, founder and president of Reverge, a digital marketing company that is one of the world’s trailblazers in virtual reality production and distribution.

“This is about changing the entire way that you think about capturing

content,” Diba said. “This is new. It’s never been done before.”

Diba said he was willing to share his expertise at Liberty because of the students’ potential to influence the future of the industry.

“It is important to empower the next generation of VR filmmakers,” he said.

“It is really great to empower creatives who are going to do awesome secular work, but I want to expand that into amazing faith-based creative work as well.”

Coursework included making a 360-degree thriller, documentary, and faith-based VR experience.

“Liberty has made it easy for us to be desirable to employers,” recent graduate Jeremie Grandemange said. “We get access to a lot of high-end equipment that many students don’t get access to.

And I can add ‘virtual reality’ right on my résumé under specialty skills.”

Liberty plans to offer the course again in the future. View class projects at Liberty.edu/News/VRcourse.

Recent graduate Dylan Harrell tests out a VR headset, guided by John Rost, assistant professor of digital media and communication arts.

LEAH S EAVERS

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NEWS & EVENTS

FILM ABOUT PROFESSOR’S LEGACY PUTS LIBERTY ON THE BIG SCREEN

BY DREW MENARD

The feature film “Extraordinary,” which tells the story of Liberty University exercise science professor and ultra-running legend David Horton, is hitting the silver screen in over 600 theaters across the U.S. on Sept. 7. It will be the first student-driven film in the country to have a nationwide theatrical release. “Extraordinary” is produced by Liberty’s Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center and Working Title Agency.

“The fact that it is in the theaters and students were the drivers behind the production process shows that our film department has arrived on a national scale in a very significant way. It demonstrates the quality of the education that Liberty University funds, encourages, and supports,” said Stephan Schultze, executive director of Liberty’s Cinematic Arts Department.

Sixty cinematic arts students worked on the film. Staff, faculty, and industry professionals mentored them as they learned by doing — a hallmark of the program.

“Extraordinary” stars Christian comedian Leland Klassen, Shari Rigby (“October Baby”), and Karen Abercrombie (“War Room”), with a star cameo by Kirk Cameron. Theater alumna Lindsley Register (’15) plays

one of Horton’s children. The film is directed and written by Scotty Curlee, assistant professor of cinematic arts, with co-writer Cheryl McKay. Along with sweeping shots of American landmarks (Hoover Dam, Mount Rushmore, the Washington Monument, and more) as well as breathtaking drone footage of the Rocky Mountains and the Mojave Desert, the film also prominently features Liberty’s campus, from the Jerry Falwell Library and DeMoss Hall to Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and Williams Stadium.

“On a very large scale, this film helps to showcase the university for viewers to see how incredible this place really is,” Schultze said.

In Horton’s lifetime, he has run enough miles to circle the globe fourand-a-half times. He once held the speed records for the Appalachian Trail, the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, and the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Mexican border to the Canadian border. “Extraordinary” centers around Horton’s experience during the Trans-America Footrace — 2,906 miles from Huntington Beach, Calif., to Central Park in New York City.

But “Extraordinary” is not just about an extraordinary man. The

film’s tagline, “Behind every good man is an extraordinary woman,” hints at Horton’s relationship with his wife, Nancy, whose inspiration and sacrifice were vital to his success as a runner.

The movie explores the struggle to find balance between building one’s legacy and spending time with family. David Horton must deal with the physical and emotional consequences of pursuing his life’s dream.

“We wanted to make a movie that is in line with the values of Liberty, and this is a story people can relate to on a number of levels,” Curlee said. “This is a story of perseverance, pushing yourself beyond what you’re capable of. Dave’s life is amazing and inspiring.

But there is also Nancy, holding things together, and a number of students who have been impacted by Dave’s encouragement. I was one of those students. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Dave and Liberty for the impact that they had on my life.”

Liberty’s cinematic arts program is a two-year immersion cohort program where students concentrate solely on filmmaking. In addition to creating their own short film and business plan, students earn at least one IMDb credit on a professional film project.

To find out where the movie will be showing near you and to purchase tickets, go to

EXTRAORDINARYMOVIE.COM

“Extraordinary” director Scotty Curlee works with lead actors Leland Klassen (left) and Shari Rigby (right) on set.

Cinematic arts Class of 2017 students Hanson Cook and Luke Wittel work behind the scenes on “Extraordinary.”

Liberty University Exercise Science Professor Dr. David Horton

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Changes announced for academic leadership posts Liberty announced the following changes during the spring semester:

Dr. Ron Hawkins Hawkins now holds the title of provost and chief academic officer, a position that most accurately defines his role as Liberty’s senior academic administrator.

Dr. Ben Gutierrez Gutierrez was appointed co-provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Gutierrez has served at Liberty in teaching and academic leadership roles since 2001.

He most recently served as vice provost for undergraduate education. He now focuses primarily on the oversight and improvement of the online program, helping to ensure that Liberty continues to comply with the accreditation standards that require online and residential academic programs be comparable in scope and quality.

Dr. Gabe Etzel Etzel is Liberty’s new vice provost for undergraduate education. He most recently served as administrative dean of the Rawlings School of Divinity, where he has taught since 2004.

Dr. Scott Hicks Hicks has assumed the role of vice provost for graduate education after leading the School of Business for five years as its dean.

Hicks joined Liberty as a business professor in 2007.

Dr. Peter Bell Peter A. Bell, DO, MBA, HPF, FACOEP-dist., FACEP, took the helm as the new dean of Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) on April 10.

Dr. Bell came to Liberty from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM), where he most recently served as assistant dean for undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Bell is board-certified in both family medicine and emergency medicine.

Dr. Ester Warren Warren was named the new dean of the College of General Studies. Warren has served at Liberty for five years as chair of the Department of Psychology.

Dr. Bruce Kirk Kirk has been named dean of the School of Communication & Digital Content, which includes the digital content, interpersonal communication, strategic communication, and journalism programs. Kirk began teaching at Liberty as an adjunct professor in 2003, joining the faculty full time in 2009. He previously served the SCCA* as a department chair and has had an extensive career in broadcasting.

Scott Hayes Hayes now serves as dean of the School of Visual & Performing Arts, which includes the Cinematic Arts, Studio & Digital Arts, and Theatre Arts departments. Hayes has 18 years of teaching experience, having worked at six universities in the United States and England. He has more than 100 stage writing, directing, choreographing, acting, and producing credits to his name. Before his new post at LU, he served as an associate dean, and then interim dean, for the SCCA*.

Dr. Steve Warren Warren has accepted the position of dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences after serving as its interim dean. He has been involved in administration for a number of years at Liberty, including as associate dean of undergraduate psychology and associate dean of graduate counseling.

Dr. David Calland Calland has stepped up to serve as the interim dean of the School of Business.

A faculty member since 2006, Calland most recently served as an associate dean for the School of Business.

*The former School of Communication & Creative Arts U.S. News ranked Liberty No. 2 on a list of the top 10 universities with the most undergraduate enrollment in Fall 2015, with 49,863 students. Liberty was the only private institution on the list, placing ahead of Texas A&M University (College Station), Ohio State University (Columbus), Arizona State University (Tempe), Florida International University, Pennsylvania State University (University Park), University of Texas (Austin), Michigan State University, and Indiana University (Bloomington).

NEWS & EVENTS

New awards program honors student research

Debate team continues winning tradition Liberty’s Debate Team, consistently one of the country’s top collegiate teams, swept all three national debate tournament titles this year. For the eighth time, Liberty placed first for the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA), the National Debate Tournament (NDT), and the American Debate Association (ADA).

Liberty remains the only school in the country to finish first in all three rankings in a single year. The team has placed first in the CEDA for the last eight years, first in the NDT for seven out of the last eight years, and first in the ADA for 13 out of the last 14 years.

system). Quijano will travel to Australia to research extracting starch from beets, yams, and sweet potatoes as a source of carbon to make bacterial cellulose; he is blending science with fashion to find more responsible ways to make textiles. Schonta will study the effect that the 1938 Munich Agreement had on Czechoslovakian Jews, both before and after it was signed. The grant will allow him to travel to the FDR Presidential Library in New York, the Princeton University Library in New Jersey, and the Library of Congress.

“We are an institution that values curiosity, and we want to encourage our students to be curious — to move the barriers of research out of the way and to do some exciting,

cutting-edge work,” said Dr. Ronald Hawkins, provost and chief academic officer. Hawkins has encouraged undergraduate research, distinguishing Liberty from other universities that only focus on major graduate research.

Up to five recipients will be selected annually by a faculty panel. The program is directed by the Liberty University Fulbright Committee, which is administered through the Liberty University School of Law and supervised by the Office of the Provost.

The process of designing a research project, developing an application, and executing research will help students improve their chances of being selected for local, state, and federal grant opportunities.

LE AH SE AVE R S

The inaugural recipients of the Provost’s Award for Research Excellence were announced in March: rising junior Blake Davis (history), rising senior Caroline Roberts, (biomedical sciences), recent graduate Ruth Nair (pre-med), rising senior Luis Quijano (fashion design), and graduate student Connor Schonta (Master of Arts in History).

The program promotes, supports, and advances student research, scholarship, and creative endeavors at all levels and across all disciplines.

Students were awarded grants of $2,500-$4,000 to continue their research, which will be completed this summer. Davis will be researching the 1807 treason trial of Aaron Burr and will travel to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the Library of Virginia in Richmond. Roberts is studying the genetic effects of folate on mice through an ongoing nutritional study on mice at Liberty under the supervision of Dr. Gary Isaacs, associate professor of biology, and Dr. Greg Raner, professor of biochemistry.

Nair is studying the effects of curcumin (a plant-produced chemical) on fungal species that cause aspergillosis (an infection caused by a type of mold that usually affects the respiratory

From left: Liberty University rising junior Blake Davis, rising senior Caroline Roberts, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Ronald Hawkins, recent graduate Ruth Nair, rising senior Luis Quijano, and graduate student Connor Schonta.

2017 President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching These prestigious awards recognize faculty dedicated to outstanding teaching in both the residential and online classrooms.

Several areas of teaching are considered, including the use of instructional technology, the integration of faith into learning, innovation, and a commitment to the personal growth of each student. Winners are selected based on peer recommendations, deans’ endorsements, nominee responses to specific prompts, and student letters. Recipients received monetary gifts and were formally honored at their school or college’s individual degree presentation ceremonies during Commencement.

UNDERGRADUATE RESIDENTIAL: Brianne Friberg, Ph.D., M.S. Associate Professor, School of Behavioral Sciences/Psychology UNDERGRADUATE ONLINE: Robert Francis Ritchie, M.A. Assistant Professor, College of Arts & Sciences/History GRADUATE RESIDENTIAL: Ellen L. Black, Ed.D., M.Ed. Professor, School of Education

GRADUATE ONLINE: Amanda J. Dunnagan, Ed.D., M.A. Instructional Mentor and Assistant Professor, College of Arts & Sciences/English

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Liberty team makes history in Dead Sea Scrolls cave discovery A team of six Liberty faculty members and students, led by Distinguished Research Professor Dr. Randall Price, assisted in the first discovery related to the Dead Sea Scrolls in 60 years. In January, they excavated a cave on the cliffs west of Qumran (near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in Israel) and helped to uncover evidence that proves the scrolls were once stored there.

Price served as co-director with Dr. Oren Gutfeld from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology in making the discovery of broken storage jars, scroll wrappings, string, and a piece of worked leather. A pair of iron pickaxe heads from the 1950s was also found, proving the cave had been previously looted.

Price first discovered the cave in 2010 and worked for several years to secure permission to excavate the site. The latest dig was conducted

by Operation Scroll, a joint effort between Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria to protect historical artifacts from thieves. Until this recent

discovery, it was believed that only 11 caves had contained scrolls.

“This is only the beginning of our search for more scrolls,” Price said.

“Undoubtedly, they are out there, and we know of some 300 caves in the area. Our team is planning to return to excavate other caves in the near future.”

He called the discovery a “once-ina-lifetime experience.”

“Now that we were successful, it means there are new opportunities for us to get in there and continue to study these caves. The goal is to find scrolls.”

Graduate student Christy Connell, who is pursuing her Master of Arts in History, said she crawled for hours on her hands and knees in the cave. “In the smallest parts of the cave it was so narrow I had to crawl on my stomach,” she said. “It was pitch black. I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I was crawling over pieces of animal bones and gravel.”

The work was worth it, as her team learned of the significance of their findings after they arrived back in the U.S. “It’s just really amazing to be a part of history, especially something that I’ve studied for so many years,” she said.

Liberty students and faculty pose with the rest of the Operation Scroll team near the cave.

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NEWS & EVENTS

Alumni shine on television screens across the nation CAR OLI NE FALWELL

President Jerry Falwell came to the airport to say goodbye to his wife, Becki, and the Jennings family as they left to see Rashad Jennings on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

RASHAD JENNINGS (’09) Former Liberty Flame and current NFL free agent running back Rashad Jennings (’09) stood out as a formidable contender on Season 24 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Paired with professional dancer Emma Slater, Jennings debuted in the Season 24 lineup. His Week 4 performance on the show’s “Most Memorable Year” episode in April captivated the nation, as he dedicated his dance to his father, Lynchburg resident Albert Jennings, who was in the audience cheering on his son because of a kind act

by Liberty.

Albert Jennings is a double amputee and had not planned to travel to Los Angeles because he is unable to fly commercially. But when Rashad Jennings contacted friends at his alma mater — President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki — asking for help, they offered the university’s private jet to transport his parents and a brother and sister-in-law to the show from Lynchburg. President Falwell saw them off, and Becki Falwell, along with their daughter, Caroline, joined the Jennings family on the jet and attended the live television event, meeting with Rashad afterward.

In a pre-filmed video shown during the episode, Rashad revealed how he had overcome a strained relationship with his father and learned the value of unconditional love. After his first

year playing football at the University of Pittsburgh, Rashad was told his father’s health was declining and he was in need of an amputation. Rashad transferred to Liberty so he could be closer to home and help take care of his father. Jennings and Slater’s dance to Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” captured the highest score of the night.

“Thank God for you (Becki Falwell) and Liberty University for flying my dad out to the show! I’ll never forget your most kind gesture,” Jennings wrote in a post on Instagram.

Jennings and Slater continued to do well on the show and made it to the finals.

It was announced in March that she would replace sports broadcasting legend Chris Berman. Before the announcement, Ponder, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, was among the network’s top college football reporters. She has been a contributor to “College GameDay” since 2012. Ponder also reported for ABC Saturday Night Football last year. She has been with ESPN since 2011 after a stint with FOX Sports Net. As part of her new role, Ponder will contribute NFL features and interviews to the network. She is only the third host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” in its 32-year history.

At Liberty, Ponder was a Liberty Flames Sports Network sideline reporter for all football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball games.

CABOT PHILLIPS (’15)

SAMANTHA PONDER (’09) Alumna Samantha Ponder will take the desk at one of the most coveted positions in the sports broadcasting world this fall as host of ESPN’s longrunning “Sunday NFL Countdown.”

Cabot Phillips regularly appears on national news networks, including FOX News, to discuss political issues.

He is currently the director of campus outreach for the Leadership Institute, where he trains college students around the country to effectively spread conservative ideals, and has been a contributor to its Campus Reform news platform. Phillips was recognized on Red Alert Politics’ “30 under 30” list of young leaders making an impact in their communities. He is also a YouTube Partner, starring in numerous videos which have received more than 100 million views.

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FOR THE FUN OF IT

BY T E D A L L E N

JOE L COLE M AN

UNIQUE SPORTS AND RECREATION OFFERINGS ENHANCE STUDENT LIFE Facility upgrades and the expansion of several sports and recreation programs at Liberty University have encouraged more students to try new activities and team-building exercises with their peers.

“Because of our local geography and top-tier facilities, Liberty students have the chance to participate in a very diverse and unique range of opportunities,” said Chris Misiano, vice president of Campus Recreation.

“There aren’t many campuses where you could climb a rock wall on Monday,

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play spikeball on Tuesday, go out on a challenge course (high-ropes) on Wednesday, swim in the indoor pool on Thursday, go kayaking on Friday, and then run in a 5K on Saturday.”

Playing sports — whether on one of Liberty’s 20 NCAA Division I or 41 Club Sports teams or in its popular Intramural Sports or Outdoor Recreation programs — can help students excel in the classroom and improve leadership skills while strengthening the body, invigorating the mind, and uplifting the spirit.

“Spiritually, the bonds that students form through these activities and the relationships they build help them develop their faith,” said Vice President and Athletic Director of

Club Sports Kirk Handy.

Nearly 600 student-athletes played on Liberty’s Club Sports teams this past year, competing on campus as well as traveling to regional and national collegiate tournaments in everything from archery and disc golf to ice hockey, figure skating, paintball, rock climbing, tae kwon do, and skiing and snowboarding. That number is expected to rise to nearly 700 this fall with the recent addition of men’s and women’s shooting sports, men’s swimming & diving, and women’s wrestling.

Liberty’s Intramural Sports program has one of the highest participation rates in the country, with nearly 25 percent of residential undergraduate

CAR O LI NE CUM M I NG S

students playing on a team. Each semester, about 3,500 students compete in 20 organized leagues in both traditional sports (basketball, softball, and volleyball) and emerging sports, such as broomball, spikeball, and Ultimate.

Other unique sports are offered at the club level through Liberty’s Student Government Association and include bass fishing, Brazilian JiuJitsu, fencing, and table tennis.

Liberty’s Outdoor Recreation department also invites students on off-campus adventure trips that are affordable and provide unique opportunities, such as kayaking on the James River, fly fishing, horseback riding through the foothills of the

Blue Ridge Mountains, whitewater rafting in West Virginia, bouldering, and hiking and camping at state parks.

Recent graduate Corey Messer took advantage of many of Liberty’s recreational activities. He was a member of Liberty’s first-year rock climbing team and worked as a ski instructor at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, the university’s year-round ski and snowboarding slope. He said the wide range of opportunities, including the 50-plus miles of mountain bike and running trails on Liberty’s mountain property, made the university an attractive choice for him.

“We’re really fortunate here at Liberty that our president, Jerry

Falwell, believes having these extra sports, which are kind of unique, is beneficial,” Messer said. “It really helps the student on an emotional level. It gets them out doing different things and gives them a release from the academic pressure.”

Liberty Mountain Skate Park, located in the Candlers Mountain Shopping Center, provides an indoor alternative for skateboarders, rollerbladers, and BMX bikers. Horse lovers can pursue their passion at Liberty’s Equestrian Center, where, in addition to competing on the Hunt Seat and Western Club Sports teams, students can also take kinesiology courses for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. >>

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To learn more about Liberty’s exciting recreational opportunities, visit

LIBERTY.EDU/CAMPUSREC. K EVI N M ANG UI O B

>> Liberty’s Center for Professional & Continuing Education offers unusual courses as well. Students can sign up for SCUBA training and earn their diving certification or take a wilderness survival and First Aid class.

Liberty’s expansive Hydaway Outdoor Recreation Center, located

five minutes from campus, serves as the start and finish point for the six races offered every year through the Liberty Mountain Trail Series. Besides the trails used for walking, running, mountain biking, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the center also features a lake with kayaks, canoes,

and standup paddleboards, a zipline and high- and low-ropes course, and campground with 12 tent sites. One of Liberty’s two 20-hole disc golf courses is located nearby, and a new shooting range and 3D archery course are under construction across from the main entrance.

EQUESTRIAN CENTER UPGRADES ENHANCE RECREATION OFFERINGS The expansion of Liberty University’s Equestrian Center was completed this spring, providing more recreational opportunities for students and elevating the fourth-year competitive equestrian program to regional prominence.

Additions to the 380-acre facility include a new outdoor ring and a new indoor arena. A new barn features 24 stalls (bringing the center’s total to 60) as well as a team room and a locker room for the 33 members of the Club Sports Equestrian program.

Starting last fall, the center offered classes for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riding and horsemanship through Liberty’s kinesiology department. In May, the center debuted its therapeutic program as a method

of providing stress relief for students, giving them the chance to care for the animals in a peaceful retreat setting.

Liberty’s Hunt Seat and Western teams enjoyed exceptional seasons.

Rising junior Hunt Seat rider Kendall Burdette, competing in the intermediate flat division, won the prestigious Tournament of Champions High Medal award, leading Liberty to a seventhplace team showing in its first season of the national-level series. Captain Elizabeth Chenelle, who graduated in May, received the Cacchione Cup trophy as the Region 4 high-points champion, leading the Lady Flames to the regularseason title in their first year competing in that region. She was Liberty’s first participant in the 50th annual IHSA

Collegiate National Championships in Lexington, Ky., in May, placing 10th out of 41 open riders.

Sophomore Western rider Leah Ofalt was Liberty’s first Southeastern semifinals qualifier and advanced to the finals before placing eighth overall.

Besides attracting prospective riders, the enhanced facilities have helped draw high-level shows. Liberty will host the equestrian events of this summer’s Virginia Commonwealth Games for a second time in late July as well as a variety of Virginia Horse Show Association shows. It has landed two IHSA Hunt Seat shows next February — a regular-season event and the IHSA Region 4 Championships on Feb. 24.

KAITLYN JOH NSON

COMMONWEALTH GAMES COME TO CAMPUS FOR SECOND YEAR

Liberty University will greet thousands of athletes over the summer as the campus hosts the Virginia Commonwealth Games at Liberty University for the second year.

Liberty is the title sponsor of the annual amateur sports festival, which will see approximately 10,000 athletes

of all ages flock to the Lynchburg area to compete in more than 50 sports.

A large crowd is expected for Main Games Weekend on July 21-23, when about 30 sporting events will take place. The weekend will kick off on Friday afternoon with festivities in the Olympic Village on campus, followed by a tailgate party in the new football indoor practice facility and a parade of athletes at the opening ceremony in the Vines Center. Vernell “Bimbo” Coles, who won bronze for basketball in the 1988 Olympics and is a retired NBA player, will be the featured speaker.

The newly crowned Miss Virginia is also scheduled to attend.

Reports indicated a $1.6 million economic impact on the City of Lynchburg from the 2016 games and over $2.2 million on the state as a whole.

Liberty is already making preparations to host The State Games of America in 2019. The four-day, biannual competition is open to medal winners from State Games around the United States and is projected to have a $5 million economic impact on the Lynchburg area.

To register for the Commonwealth Games, visit CommonwealthGames.org.

TRACK TEAMS CAPTURE CONFERENCE CROWNS

PRATT

EALUM

For the third consecutive season, Liberty University’s outdoor track teams swept the men’s and women’s titles at the Big South Conference (BSC) Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The event was held on May 12 at Bagwell-Settle Track in Charleston, S.C.

It was the 11th straight crown and 22nd overall for the Flames’ men’s squad and the 16th title for the Lady Flames.

The men’s team racked up 279 points, far outdistancing runner-up Campbell (130 points) for the Flames’ largest margin of victory at this meet since 2001. Liberty senior Stephen Racanelli had a hand in three victories (men’s 200and 400- meter dashes and the 1,600 relay), earning BSC Men’s Outstanding Track Performer honors. Sophomore teammate Denzel Pratt shared the BSC Men’s Outstanding Field Performer award after winning the men’s javelin with a Bahamian national record throw

of 232 feet.

The Lady Flames defeated runner-up Campbell by a score of 253-162.

Freshman Tanner Ealum won the 400 in 54.65 seconds to complete a sweep of the BSC indoor and outdoor 400 titles before Mary Witmer lowered her own program record in the women’s 400 hurdles to 59.84.

Liberty Head Coach Brant Tolsma was named the BSC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year. He has now guided the men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field and cross country teams to 94 Big South team championships in his 31 years with the program.

NATIONAL WRESTLING TOURNEY HIGHLIGHTED BY TWO CHAMPIONS, ONE PROPOSAL

Liberty University’s wrestling program produced two individual champions — one men’s and its first women’s — at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Grand National Championships in Allen, Texas, March 9-11.

Recent graduate Josh Ferenczy, the 174-pound men’s team captain, earned the national crown with a 6-2 decision

over Penn State-Monto Alto’s Clay Kocsis. Immediately after his national championship triumph, Ferenczy got down on the mat again — this time with a ring in hand — to propose to graduate student and second-year team manager Riana Turner in front of the crowd.

“That was the first time in 34 years of coaching that I’ve seen that happen at a wrestling match,” Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro said.

Liberty (155.5 points) placed second as a team to defending champion Emmanuel (Ga.) College (233.5) on the strength of its seven All-Americans.

The unprecedented night at nationals also featured Lady Flames freshman Cendall Manley capturing

the 170-pound crown in the female division, becoming Liberty’s first NCWA women’s national tournament champion. She defeated Richland College’s Alexus Sauceda by fall in 6 minutes, 16 seconds in the championship bout.

The former Hawaii high school girls’ state champion is the daughter of former Flames wrestler Randy Manley (’87), who competed for Liberty in the mid-1980s. He is now a missionary on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.

Cendall Manley will be a key member of the Lady Flames next year, as women’s wrestling officially becomes a part of Liberty’s Club Sports program.

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CLASS NOTES CONNECT WITH US Share your accomplishments, career advancements, family news, celebrations, and other life events through Liberty’s Class Notes.

VISIT LIBERTY.EDU/CLASSNOTES Submissions will be published online and may be featured in the Liberty Journal.

’75

MICHAEL KORPI of Hewitt, Texas, has been a professor of film and digital media at Baylor University since 1982. Korpi received the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Excellence in Education medal last October for his teaching method and course creation.

’85

JANETTA DAVENPORT of Murfreesboro, Tenn., earned her M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University in 2005 and her Ed.D. from Lipscomb University in 2013. She is currently a school administrator in Franklin, Tenn.

’87

GREG VARNDELL of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., was recently called to serve as the lead pastor for First Baptist Church Jacksonville Beach.

’89

STEVE LEVINSON of Rutherfordton, N.C., has been touring the nation and the world for the last 10 years, teaching creation evangelism. He has spoken in 49 states and 10 countries.

’90

DOUG KAUFFMAN of Rosemount, Minn., is the president and founder of Hope 360, an online ministry that combats hopelessness by equipping people to share their stories on video about how Jesus brought them new hope.

Kauffman believes that by hearing others’ stories of pain, viewers will be more open to the Gospel. Topics discussed include addiction, loss, cancer, abortion, sexual abuse, and more. The website, Hope360.org, has had more than 316,000 visits, and Kauffman hopes to grow it in the next 10 years. His goal is 10,000 “storytellers” who proclaim Jesus to millions of people around the world.

Aviation graduate honored with Pilot of the Year Award

Growing up only half a mile from the local airport in Fayette, Ala., Greg Maddox (’14) spent his childhood watching technicians work on the planes that would fly over his house. It only made sense that Maddox would grow up to become a pilot, flying Cobra attack helicopters for the United States Army (1983-89) and piloting helicopters for health care companies. Maddox is currently the lead pilot for Wellmont Health System in Kingsport, Tenn.

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The father of two received the Pilot of the Year Award from The National EMS Pilots Association at a national award ceremony in Charlotte, N.C., in September. Maddox was recognized for his heroic actions during a June 2016 emergency helicopter landing in Johnson County, Tenn. When the helicopter’s engine malfunctioned, Maddox’s quick thinking saved the lives of the crew and a patient they were transporting.

Maddox said his crew was dispatched to a car wreck to tend to a patient. They loaded up the helicopter and took off. At 100 feet, Maddox realized something was seriously wrong.

“I heard these five loud bangs, and then there was smoke,” Maddox said.

“Something just told me to veer in a certain direction so we were away from all the power lines.”

Maddox landed the helicopter hard onto a nearby parking lot, but there were no major injuries.

“The Lord was with us that day,” he said.

Maddox graduated with a B.S. in Aeronautics through Liberty’s online program. He said he grew up learning about the vision for Liberty University by watching “The Old-Time Gospel Hour,” an evangelistic television program that aired from the late 1950s through the early 2000s and featured the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., Liberty’s founder.

Once, on the way to Washington, D.C., for a family vacation as a child, Maddox said his family stopped in Lynchburg. “I have always admired Liberty,” Maddox said. “I wanted to go to a university where I could learn from a biblical perspective.

I’m so grateful for this school.”

CLASS NOTES

’90

ANITA KLOPFENSTEIN of O’Fallon, Ill., received the 2017 Women in Foodservice Technology Award from Hospitality Technology. She is the vice president of eCommerce and consumer systems at Panera Bread. Klopfenstein has more than 20 years of experience managing profitable information technology departments in highly competitive markets. She played a key role in increasing digital ordering for all catering orders, from zero to 50 percent, and customer orders through PaneraBread.com mobile apps, in-cafe kiosks, or catering websites to 22 percent. In addition, she manages the myPanera loyalty platform as well as the digital marketing platforms.

’91

BRYANT JOHNSON of Hampton, Va., published his science fiction book, “Dialogue Prompt,” in January.

’92

’93

THERESA SMITH NIMO of Lancaster, Pa., earned her master’s degree in education through Liberty’s online program and now works in the field. She is married to George, also an LU grad, and they have three children. Their daughter will finish her undergraduate degree from Liberty this year.

SHANNON BERRY POPKIN of Grand Rapids, Mich., released her new Bible study/women’s ministry book, “Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible.” She and her husband, Ken, have been married for more than 20 years and have three children.

’92,’98

’96

JEFFREY COCKRELL of Gallatin, Tenn., celebrated his one-year anniversary as a professor of Biblical Studies at Welch College and program coordinator for the M.A. in Theology and Ministry. Cockrell graduated from Liberty in 1992 with a B.S. in Church Ministries and in 1998 with an M.A. in Religion. He has also taught Biblical Studies courses online for Liberty’s Rawlings School of Divinity.

STEPHEN CURTAS of Annapolis, Md., is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy and is currently stationed at the Pentagon’s Joint Staff. Over his military career, Curtas has served on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and taught political science at the United States Naval Academy. He and his wife, Anne, are expecting their fourth child this summer.

Alumnus serves community as interim sheriff, runs for election

Don Sloan (’82, ’87, and ’90) has built a life and career in Lynchburg over the last 39 years. Originally from Oregon, he and his twin brother, Ron, came to Liberty Baptist College in January 1978. While pursuing a ministry degree, Sloan began working in the college’s emergency services department, which would eventually become the Liberty University Police Department.

“I had two older brothers who were deputies back in Oregon,” Sloan said.

“Growing up, I had always been around law enforcement, but I never intended to go into it as a career.”

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in religion in 1982 and later earned a Master of Arts in Counseling and Master of Divinity from Liberty, as well. Working for the university’s police force started out as a way to help pay his tuition, but Sloan quickly found himself moving up the ranks. He served as Chief of Police for LUPD from 1997 to 2001, working closely with Liberty’s founder, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., who made a big impact on his life.

“Dr. Falwell was consistent with people.

It didn’t matter who you were,” he said. “I would see him meet with presidents and diplomats, and he would turn around and talk to me the exact same way.”

In 2002, Sloan was appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff for the City of Lynchburg under Sheriff Ron Gillispie and has been serving as interim sheriff since Gillispie’s retirement in March. He is one of two candidates running on the Republican

ticket for the City of Lynchburg in the June 13 primary.

Though he serves the city, Sloan has stayed close to his Liberty family by teaching the university’s gun safety courses (required for concealed carry permit holders to carry on campus), helping with security details for larger campus events, and teaching a theology course online. His son now attends Liberty, while his wife, Carla, is an instructor in the College of General Studies.

Despite his Pacific Northwest roots, Sloan sees Lynchburg as his home now.

“When you care about something, you want to take care of it in the best way possible,” he said. “Lynchburg is something I care about, and I want to serve the community where I basically grew up.”

Sloan uses his ministry background to do that.

“Like in ministry, law enforcement officers meet people in crisis,” he said.

“I’ve talked with plenty of people during my time in law enforcement who needed the love of Jesus.”

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’07

THOMAS MARSHALL of Laurinburg, N.C., recently published “The New Testament: Its Background, Setting, and Content.”

The book is designed to be a basic introduction to the New Testament for Bible studies and classes.

’12

JAMES EVANS of Folsom, Calif., works for Northrop Grumman in Oklahoma City as a Project Manager 3. He recently received his second promotion in two years. He has earned his PMP certification and started his master’s degree in operations management through the University of Arkansas.

’12

TONY LAWSON of Randallstown, Md., was appointed by Maryland Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. to the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council in August 2015. His job is to promote, support, assist, and provide resources to people living with disabilities in the state. Through his position, Lawson has traveled to the White House, the Annapolis State House, and Capitol Hill.

’12

’13

ANGELA WRIGHT of Sierra Vista, Ariz., has been serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army for more than 24 years. Wright’s degree in counseling has allowed her to continue to serve in the Army as a government civilian. She is currently pursuing a degree in social work so that she can become a change agent for those she serves.

BENJAMIN KARNER of Laredo, Texas, who graduated with a Master of Divinity, has published his first book, “Unity in the Body: Maintaining Biblical Unity in a Divisive Culture.” The book encourages followers of Jesus Christ to show the world strength by being unified in mission and purpose.

’13

’13

CHAD BOSWELL of Enterprise, Ala., is the director of operations for Harvest Foundation.

This ministry provides needed rest and relaxation for pastors and their spouses by inviting them to five-star resorts and paying for their rooms and meals.

Boswell said he is able to minister to pastors all over the United States by allowing them to recharge outside of their day-to-day environment. Harvest Foundation also allows pastors to network with other pastors. Boswell is looking forward to growing the foundation as a way to bless pastors across the nation.

BRIAN NAGY of Piggott, Ark., served as a chaplain with Raceway Ministries at Texas Motor Speedway while pursuing his Master of Divinity degree. He was able to share the Gospel and show the love of Christ during his time there. After graduation, Nagy began working with Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief teams and ministered to those affected by the 2015 Baltimore riots.

’11, ’13

MATT SWANSON of New Orleans, La., graduated with his bachelor’s in business from Liberty in 2011 and earned his M.B.A. in 2013. In January, he became vice chancellor for finance and administration/chief business officer for Fletcher Technical Community College in Schriever, La.,

Liberty Law alumna named partner at Minnesota law firm

When the parents of Kristal Dahlager learned their unborn daughter had a condition that would require a caretaker her entire life, they refused the doctors’ recommendation for an abortion.

Born with arthrogryposis, a condition that causes limited movement in the joints and lack of muscle, Dahlager has been wheelchair bound since she was a child. But that didn’t stop her from attending Liberty University School of Law, more than 22 hours from her hometown of Sacred Heart,

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Minn., and reaching her career goals.

After graduating in 2012, Dahlager returned to Minnesota, where she took the bar exam, passed, and became an attorney at the prestigious Anderson Larson Saunders & Klaassen in Willmar, Minn. In January, she was promoted to partner. She practices in real estate transactions, estate and business planning, probate, and Social Security disability law.

“I’ve always loved helping people because I am so dependent on others,” she said. “I may not be able to help my clients physically, but I can help them with my mind.”

Dahlager said she first desired to become a lawyer in high school, but thought she was too reserved to go into the profession.

“I was scared away by the fictional portrayal of lawyers in Hollywood,” she said. “I thought you had to be really aggressive. But I learned later on that as a lawyer, you’re an advocate for your clients.”

Dahlager earned her undergraduate degree in statistics and actuarial science from the University of Minnesota Duluth and began at Liberty Law in 2009.

The top reason she chose Liberty Law was for its Christian worldview.

“We had friends from our church back home who had gone to Liberty,” she said.

“I really wanted to attend a school with a biblical worldview.”

While at Liberty, Dahlager served as a staff member of the Law Review, a member of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Board, treasurer of the Student Bar Association, and a prayer mentor for incoming law students.

“Law school is not an easy task,” Dahlager said. “Though the professors pushed us, they were so encouraging. The students would come together and pray with one another. There was so much love and support.”

CLASS NOTES making him one of the youngest chief business officers currently serving in higher education. Swanson said he sees this opportunity to “blaze the trail” for his generation, serve his community, and display the value of an LU education.

’14

STEPHEN AMMONS of Rockdale, Texas, is the pastor of Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale.

’14

JUDITH HATFIELD of Lakeland, Fla., is the state director of adoptions for Florida Baptist Children’s Homes. Hatfield’s responsibilities include guiding a team of adoption specialists and helping expectant mothers who choose life instead of abortion.

’14

DANIELLE MORRIS of San Antonio, Texas, has published her second book, “Wonderful Wilson.”

’14

JESSICA STEVENS of Fort Mill, S.C., published her first novel, “Secondhand Romance.” She describes the book as a tale of grief and recovery on the journey to discovering the will to love again.

’15

TORIE PENDLETON of Trenton, N.J., is the administrator of an adult medical day center that serves intellectually and developmentally disabled, physically challenged, and dementia clients on a day-to-day basis. The center focuses on medical maintenance, nutritional enhancement, and programs that promote independence and a sense of self-worth.

’16

JASON COACHE of Toms River, N.J., graduated with a master’s degree in discipleship ministries from Liberty. Coache and his wife, Ava, started WellSpring Church in Toms River.

’16

NATALIE FORD of Helen, Ga., is an associate professor at Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Ga., and works as a professional counselor.

’16

PAMELA MCKEE of Daphne, Ala., completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Liberty in July 2016. McKee has worked in classical Christian education for the past 16 years and serves as the head of school at Bayshore Christian School in Fairhope, Ala.

Brothers follow their dreams as members of White House press corps

For brothers Kadesh (left) and Mike DuBose, their interest in media began in childhood, when they toured broadcasting studios around Chicago.

Their parents homeschooled them and were always exploring opportunities for their sons to learn from professionals in different fields.

“Our parents had childhood friends who went to work for Oprah and Steve

Harvey,” Mike DuBose said. “They took us to their studios. We always felt comfortable around cameras.”

In high school, while living on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., the brothers started their own production company. Their first big job was covering an appearance by then-President Barack Obama at a local grocery store near their house.

“It was a God thing,” Mike DuBose said. “The rest is history after that.”

They soon became freelancers for a variety of media outlets that hired them to broadcast or photograph news from the White House. Now, the siblings share office space near the North Lawn; they earned their hard credentials last year, which allow them to be stationed there as members of the press corps.

“It’s surreal,” Kadesh DuBose said.

“You’re respected for your work and get to document things in real time. Even if it’s a bad day, you’re still working at the White House.”

Mike works on the broadcast side and has freelanced for clients such as the EPA, BET, and the Lithuania Tribune. He

was also asked by C-SPAN to help design a mural that features those who have worked in the press corps for at least 10 years; the piece was signed by Obama and is now on display in the White House press room.

As for daily life at the White House, the Duboses said each workday is different.

“I compare it to a fire station,” Mike DuBose said. “Sometimes you’re sitting around waiting for something to happen.

Other days it’s crazy, and you’re running around nonstop.”

Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Liberty’s online program in 2015. Kadesh is set to graduate this year with the same degree.

Mike DuBose said he applied to three colleges after high school. Liberty wasn’t his first choice.

“Then I came and visited, and I just fell in love with it,” he said. “Ironically, on the first day I was enrolled in online classes, I was visiting the White House with my dad. I never knew that’s where I’d end up. It’s been beyond a blessing for us both.”

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HEY PROUD ALUMNI! Have you seen the updated website?

NEW FEATURES INCLUDE: • An interactive map showing locations of Liberty alumni in your area and around the world • Information on special alumni events • Exclusive discounts • A new Class Notes section with photos and stories • Access for you to easily update your information

’16

BRIAN MILLER of Lynchburg, Va., was named a finalist for Teacher of the Year for Bedford County Schools. He teaches at Staunton River High School. This summer, Miller will be going to Sunsari-Dharan, Nepal, where he will train teachers at New Hope Academy and teach future pastors at the local Bible college.

’16

RUSSELL LAMENDOLA of Flemington, N.J., has written his first book, “Slaying the Marriage Dragons.”

’16

AUSTIN PRITCHARD of Gettysburg, Pa., completed his B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Business & Computational Science after transferring into Liberty’s online program in 2015. He works as a cyber transport specialist for the U.S. Air Force. Pritchard is now continuing

his education at Liberty where he is pursuing an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy.

’16

BEKAH RUTH of Mohnton, Pa., worked as art director on the feature film, “Billboard.” The film is a comedy about a struggling radio station that tries to boost its ratings by holding a contest in which four people must live on a billboard. Ruth, a cinematic arts graduate, managed all the props and production design. She worked with actors such as Leo Fitzpatrick, Heather Matarazzo, and Eric Roberts. The film is scheduled to release this fall.

’16

ETHAN WARREN of Hudson, Fla., is working full time with Word of Life International as a member of the band, Overflow. The band opened for Building 429 at the Florida State Fair in February.

Visit Liberty.edu/Alumni today.

Alumna helps to heal Haiti one family at a time

Elisa Bachmann (’16) said she wanted her life’s work to have purpose. She found that purpose on a trip to Haiti in 2012 with the nonprofit organization Healing Haiti.

“I thought, ‘I have to move here, I’ve got to be involved in this because I love every aspect of this ministry,’” Bachmann said. “The people of Haiti are amazing.

They have such resilience.”

She moved there later that year and now serves as the director of partner and child development for Healing Haiti.

The Christ-centered ministry “leverages resources to elevate and unify Haitian families,” according to its website. Across

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Haiti, Bachmann said there are about 32,000 children living in orphanages.

About 80 percent have living parents who lack the means to care for their children financially. Healing Haiti is tackling this problem by creating jobs (it recently opened a bakery and a pizza shop) so that parents are empowered to care for their children. The organization also operates family-style homes, where staff can give guidance to Haitian parents.

“We don’t want to do for Haitians what they can do for themselves,” Bachmann said. “That just means if there’s something that can be done for a family, we want to be part of walking alongside them, not doing it for them.”

After she moved to Haiti, Bachmann decided to pursue her M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy through Liberty’s online program. She said she was especially motivated to study family counseling after speaking with a family who had been displaced by the deadly 2010 earthquake and was living in a tent

city. She is using her counseling degree in the family-style homes and works directly with the children, using play therapy to help them cope with trauma.

“Children in Haiti who have come to an orphanage have gone through some sort of trauma,” she said. “Whether it’s small or big, it matters.”

Bachmann was one of 120 representatives from 52 nonprofits and organizations who visited campus in February as part of the university’s biannual Global Focus Week. Bachmann said she loved talking with students who were interested in working on the mission field.

“One of the things I love about Liberty’s Global Focus Week is that it is focused on sending missionaries from every background,” Bachmann said. “It’s not just Bible majors or pastoral majors, but people who say, ‘Man, I have a business degree, and I would love to use this knowledge for the Kingdom.’ Those are the people we need.”

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM SHINJAE PARK On March 13, two days before her 23rd birthday, junior Shinjae Park tragically lost her life in a car accident in South Carolina. Park and three other Liberty students were headed to Florida for Spring Break when their car lost traction, left I-95, and struck some trees. Park was riding in the back seat and died at the scene. The other students suffered various injuries.

Park’s death shocked and saddened her classmates, friends, and church family at 701 Korean Church in Lynchburg.

“A caring person,” the Rev. Nak Jung Kim said of Park. “She would always ask, ‘How are you? How are you doing?’”

Timothy Chong, dean of Liberty’s Center for Asian Ministries, said, “I always found her to be joyful and very kind. It was fun to be around her.”

Park’s family traveled from her native South Korea to Lynchburg after her death. Chong said the family was grateful for the support they received from Liberty.

“In their tears, the parents received comfort in seeing that Shinjae had lived happily in such a good and safe environment at the school, with friends, faculty and staff, and at her apartment.”

The Department of Family & Consumer Sciences presented the Park family with a memory book. Park was studying family and child development.

TIMOTHY ADAMS On Saturday, March 4, in Warren, Ohio, Leonard Adams was told that his brother, Tim, a Global Studies student on an internship in Indonesia, had died. With that, the last of his immediate family was gone. The brothers had already seen both of their parents pass away.

“My brother and I were always close,” Leonard said. “But it pretty much locked the deal that we were best friends after we buried my father in 2013. He was my prayer partner.”

Tim Adams spent nine years in the Army, doing one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Leonard said that

though his brother was a gym rat with a muscular build, he was also a quiet and humble man.

That Saturday in Indonesia, Tim Adams was swimming with friends and some children. The tide rose quickly, and they were caught in a rip current. Adams put the youngest child on his shoulders and swam hard. Another man was able to reach them and take the child, who was still clutching Adams’ cap. Then Adams disappeared into the water.

“That’s exactly who he was, the way he died,” said Leonard. “He’s been like that all his life. He’d give the shirt off his back to a stranger just because he saw him suffering. He didn’t do that out of military training; he did that out of the heart of Christ.” Later, Leonard heard from the boy’s father.

“All he kept saying was, ‘Tim was a hero,’ and that he couldn’t thank God enough for what Tim did for his son.”

Liberty honored Tim Adams at Commencement, where he was awarded a posthumous Bachelor of Science degree in Global Studies. Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs is also setting up a scholarship in Adams’ honor.

Prison chaplain ministers to terminally ill inmates

When alumnus and current graduate student Adrian Dirschell (’14) was asked to serve as a chaplain for the Michigan Department of Corrections, he initially declined. However, he soon felt God tugging at his heart.

A month later, Dirschell was offered the position again, and this time he accepted — on one condition: that he could fulfill the spiritual needs of terminally ill inmates.

His request was granted, and he was stationed at the Charles E. Egeler Reception and Guidance Center in Jackson,

Mich., a maximum-security prison that acts as a working hospital and hospice.

Dirschell said that God revealed to him the loneliness prisoners feel when they die in prison, and he decided to make sure terminally ill inmates did not die alone.

“This has been a calling from God,” Dirschell said. “I have thrown myself in and opened my heart.”

Dirschell established a program that gives dying inmates 24-hour hospice care, ensuring that they are not left alone during their last days. His ministry, On Eagle’s Wings, focuses on dignity therapy, including writing a biography for each dying prisoner to leave their loved ones.

“It’s a chance for them to tell their stories on their terms,” Dirschell says.

He also works with 54 prisoners who are enrolled in the CHOICES (Choose, Health Options, Initiate Care, and Educate Self)

program for inmates with chronic illness.

About 14 of those inmates are enrolled in CHOICES II, which supports those with a life expectancy of six months or less.

After working in the corrections systems for more than 20 years, Dirschell knows that inmates will pretend to be something they’re not in order to seem tougher. But when they are diagnosed with a terminal disease, they change.

“All the walls are gone,” Dirschell said.

“We can just come together as people.”

Earning a B.S. in Religious Studies through Liberty’s online program helped Dirschell fulfill God’s calling on his life.

He said the professors encouraged him and provided resources for him to continue his ministry. Dirschell is currently pursuing an M.Div. in Biblical Studies through the Rawlings School of Divinity.

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The President’s Circle 2012

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Individuals Georgiana L. Arakaki David & Pam Bell Stan & Tammy Budd Chris Camplejohn Rick & Diane Crickenberger Dennis P. Delisle Monty G. Fritts Joel & Theresa Hesch Ron & Rachel Justice Kristina D. Kroemer B. A. Langley Ian & Heather McCaw Gene & Joyce Myers Mr. Bradley Owen & Dr. Pamela Zimmerman-Owen Bill & Vida Parker Madeline A. Price Gretchen Rought Jack Schewel Gary & Traci Schmincke Abigail (Abby) Strohman Gene & Debbie Walker Organizations A. J. Blosenski Inc. American Association of Christian Counselors Actors, Models & Talent for Christ Candence Companions Dunham ShareMedia Services English Construction Company Inc. Fill the Gap Concerts Gentle Shepherd Hospice Inc. Homestead Creamery Inc. Ignite Men LLC

Individuals Steve Andrews Anonymous-Carter County, Okla.* Robert & Mildred Baynard* Fred N. Beason Billy & Jane Belcher Albert & Lisa Billingsly Dale & Tina Birdsall Jerome & Kathy Bogacz Sheldon & Shannon Bream Paul & Smita Breton Deanna C. Britt Herman & Shirley Burgess William & Kathy Carney Worth Harris Carter Jr. Charles & Ruth Cole Johnny & Anne Crist John F. Cross Leora E. Daniel* Bob & Sandra Day Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. DiPaola Olive M. Eckmann* Herschel L. Elder III Linda L. Farver Kenneth E. Ferry Christian Ficco Christopher E. Fogal Tina Friar Max Gasser Rodney E. Gladfelter Steven Hall Jennifer R. Hughes James Larry Ingram Leslie L. Jacoby Jr. Linda F. Kay Raymond & Ruth Keating

Ira Stephen Kennedy John Kenney Connie Kesler Kevin & Lori Keys Rebecca T. King Dr. David & Deborah Klink Charles & Jane Knox Abigail B. Krueger David Lane Thompson B. Longest Ruby B. McMillen William R. McNabney Timothy Mellish Teresa K. Miller Mark G. Minar O. J. & Sue Misjuns P. H. Mitchell Jr. Ray & Pam Morrison Kelly Nangle Darin & Larita Orendorf Clyde & Esther Ott Roland W. Pardoe* Amanda Parker Annette S. Pedde John R. Pulliam Susan C. Repstad Gloria Roakes Karen Robinson Jon & Jeanette Rogers Dr. William & Amy Roller Margot S. Sample Zoe Sargent Archie & Carlita Smith Brad & Jennifer Smith Heidi Smith Willard & Barbara Smith Roger & Bev Sorensen H. Gregg Strader Mike & Ellie Tilley John Tucker Deborah Walker Jeff Wall Michael & Tammy Weigner Sonny & Sharon White Bryan & Natalie Willis Dr. Lian-Tuu & Mrs. Arlene Yeh Organizations 1 Chronicles 4:10 LLC I Scream You Scream

The President’s Circle recognizes donors whose giving to Liberty University qualifies for one of the following categories. This list recognizes donors from Jan. 1-April 30, 2017.

701 Korean Church A.G. Jefferson Opticians All Peoples Church-Lynchburg, Va. AXA Foundation Bell Shoals Baptist Church Inc. Bonsack Baptist Church BWX Technologies Inc. C.T. Jamison Precasts Centra Medical Group LLC Coastal Community Baptist

Church Community Bible Church Beaufort, S.C. Construction Management Associates Inc. Cricket Wireless Crossroads Camp and Conference Center Daniel’s Auto Glass Delta Air Lines Foundation East Pointe Baptist Church Inc.

Embrace Home Loans Inc. Environmental Options Inc. Executive Board of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention First Baptist Church - Lenoir City, Tenn.

First Baptist Church of Charlotte First Baptist Church of Charlottesville First Baptist Church of Roanoke First Baptist Orlando First Redeemer Church Inc. Franklin Heights Baptist Church Goodview Baptist Church Inc. Hill City Pharmacy His Generation Johnson Health Center Liberty Baptist Church Light The Night Ministries Inc. Madison Avenue Baptist Church

Member One Federal Credit Union North Metro First Baptist Church Novo Nordisk Matching Gift Program NY Plumbing Wholesale and Supply Parkwood Baptist Church Inc. Pediatric Associates of Lewiston Peter & John Radio Fellowship Inc. Philadelphia Baptist Church Piedmont Eye Center Inc. Radeas LLC Rock Bridge Family Services Romar Elevators Inc. Salem Civic Center Terry Volkswagen Subaru The Church at Battlecreek The First Baptist Church of Temple Terrace Florida Inc. Thomas Road Baptist Church Timberlake Family Pharmacy

Tomlin & Associates LLC Verizon Foundation Weddle Bros. Construction Companies Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program World Help * Estate Gift If we have omitted, misspelled, or misplaced your name, please accept our apologies and notify our office by calling toll-free (866) 602-7983.

For more information on planned giving to Liberty University, visit

Liberty.edu/Giving

or call (800) 543-5309.

Latest gift to Rawlings School of Divinity brings family’s total contribution to $10 million Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity received another huge financial boost from its namesake this spring. In March, the Rawlings family donated $3 million to the school, bringing the family’s total contribution to $10 million in recent years. The school will move into the new 275-foot-tall Freedom Tower and its extended three-level base when construction is completed this fall.

“This is another fantastic example of the Rawlings family’s very strong commitment to Liberty and our mission to impact the world for Christ,” said Liberty University President Jerry Falwell. “We can’t thank them enough for their generosity and the wonderful relationship we have built over the years. We are honored that they hold Liberty in such high regard, and we are proud to have their name attached to the School of Divinity.”

Brothers Harold, George, Herb, and Carrol Rawlings have long been strong supporters of Liberty, along with their father, the late

Dr. John Rawlings, former president of Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo., where Liberty founder Jerry Falwell Sr. attended college in the early 1950s.

Dr. Rawlings was a pastor for over 70 years and was an advisor to Falwell in his ministry and in the establishment of Liberty.

He also served on Liberty’s Board of Trustees.

The Rawlings family continues to be involved in the planning and design of the scriptorium and other features of the Freedom Tower project.