Liberty Champion November 15 2016

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the people have spoken

Dillon Brown | Liberty Champion

ELECTION DAY — Students campaigned for their candidates of choice outside the Vines Center and stood in line throughout the day to vote for presidential and congressional candidates Tuesday, Nov. 8. The Champion editorial staff helps answer questions about the election on page A6.

Sound the Trumpence President-elect Trump upsets Clinton in national election, loses in Va. Jack Panyard jepanyard@liberty.edu

In an unexpected landslide, Republican Donald Trump beat out Democrat Hillary Clinton in the presidential race, winning 290 Electoral College votes over Clinton’s 228 as of Nov. 14, making Trump the president-elect.

The results came as a shock to many as Clinton was predicted to win the presidency. The New York Times posted a graph forecasting the results, putting Trump at a dismal 15 percent chance and Clinton at 85 percent.

As Tuesday’s election results were

tallied, the numbers took a sharp turn as Trump managed to lay claim to many swing states, including Florida and Pennsylvania, which ultimately secured his victory.

Trump surprised many pollsters when he took Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, scaling the Democrats “blue wall.” “(More) blue-collar working-class whites turned out in mass numbers for Trump than anyone expected,” Dustin Wahl, the former spokesperson for Liberty United Against Trump said.

Allie Childers, acting president of the unofficial College Democrats of

Liberty, suggested this happened because not enough millennials came out to vote, of whom the majority lean Democrat.

“It probably has to do with demotivation among young Democrats as well as people who support Trump not being as vocal about it in the primaries,” Childers said.

Despite Trump winning through the Electoral College, Clinton acquired the popular vote, a stat that is causing much tension between parties and calling the reliability of the Electoral College system into question.

“We live in a democracy, but that’s

Breaking barriers Liberty students help public high school students apply and prepare for college Valerie Pors vpors@liberty.edu

Thirteen Liberty University work-study students are working with the nonprofit Lynchburg Beacon of Hope to help prepare local high-school students for postsecondary education. They provide the guidance and resources the students need to apply for college and financial aid.

Beacon of Hope has “Future Centers” at E. C. Glass High School and Heritage High School, where students meet

one-on-one with the Liberty work-study students.

The Liberty students look at transcripts, help edit personal essays, aid in scholarship searching and provide mentorship, according to Tony Ryals, a Liberty student working with Beacon of Hope.

“Our goal was not to put a group of administrators in the hallway behind a table — that doesn’t make sense,” Robert Ritz, senior vice president of Student Financial Services, said. “It’s great when Liberty students are connecting with

high school students because they’re living college — they’re doing it.”

The program targets at-risk youth, encouraging them to advance to a four-year college, community college, trade school or the armed services, Ryals said.

“While ‘at risk’ may seem that they have behavioral issues, that’s really not the case,” Ryals said. “It’s more their economic or income status. … Income is that huge barrier that they See HOPE, A3

not what democracy is — that’s not how it’s supposed to work,” Childers said.

“At this point, there are some people’s votes that don’t matter with the winnertake-all Electoral College vote system.

If you are a Democrat in Texas or a Republican in California, you might as well not vote. As difficult as it is to say, as much as we want to encourage people voting, with a winner-take-all system, it really demotivates people from taking their place in the system if they know it isn’t going to count anyways.”

But there are still many who think-

Don’t take it for granted Grant given to school of divinity Katelyn Rutt kerutt@liberty.edu

Board members of the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund joined with the Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity to celebrate the signing of their partnership Thursday, Nov. 3. The affiliation will allow graduate students in the school

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

News

Liberty President Jerry Falwell shares his view on the election and A7 president-elect.

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A student’s opinion on the difficulty of transitioning into adulthood A5 during break.

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Business spotlight on Forest-based artisanal coffee shop, Third Wave B7 Coffee.

of divinity to apply for the grant and receive the financial help needed to further their education and achieve their ministerial goals.

“Right out of the gate, this has unlimited returns,” school of divinity Associate Dean Troy Temple said. “Not only does this provide for their education and training, but it will help them See GRANT, A2

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A2 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Spreading Christmas cheer Operation Christmas Child collects more than 1,750 boxes from Liberty students Hayden Robertson hbrobertson@liberty.edu

Following Liberty University’s Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Blitz Week, more than 1,750 boxes full of toys, school supplies and hygiene products were filled by students and faculty at Liberty for children across the world.

With OCC Blitz week at an end, the chapter is now preparing to send those boxes to North Carolina to be processed and distributed. While the goal was not met, the OCC chapter president at Liberty University has a smile on her face.

“We were ecstatic,” OCC student President Taylor Frost said. “The fact that so many children are going to receive gifts and the gospel makes my heart full.”

The goal for the chapter this year was to raise 3,000 boxes for the children. Even though the amount was not met, Frost said the number of people that participated this year made her extremely happy.

“Students got their boxes and went straight to get the supplies,” Frost said. “Wal-Mart and Dollar General had backed-up lines all night (Wednesday, Nov. 2).”

While the checkout lines were being filled, Frost said how enjoyable it was to see Liberty work together on this project.

“We’ve noticed this year, being our third year (as a club), that usually three to five students partner together to pack a box, Frost said. “We love seeing LU come together for this cause. It gets everyone in the Christmas mood.”

Liberty’s OCC chapter is not yet done collecting shoeboxes, however. Nov. 14-21 is national collection week, and Frost wants to make sure students know they still have time to turn in a box.

As of November 6, Frost said they are still collecting shoeboxes at the school of aviation. All the shoeboxes will be collected and sent to a processing plant in order to ensure all items are able to be shipped and are packed correctly. After leaving the processGRANT continued from A1 be able to progress at a more efficient rate in finishing their degree programs because they won’t have to take smaller loads and extend their time at school. Therefore, they get into the full-time ministry a lot quicker without the stress of academics and finances on their shoulders.”

Temple teaches a senior-level capstone course and said he often sees new graduates start their careers with anywhere between $40,000 to $80,000 of debt.

Because of this, he said school of divinity students frequently choose to complete their graduate degrees at other schools where the grant is available. Temple said the new option will be very helpful for students pursuing further education because it covers tuition, as well as everyday expenses such as rent and electric bills.

“When you’re going into fulltime vocational ministry, the salary potential is a lot less promising than other majors,” Temple said.

Amber Tiller | Liberty Champion

GIVE — Liberty students filled shoeboxes with items to be shipped to children in third-world countries for Christmas. ing plant, they will be delivered to children.

Ciara Craddock, a global studies student, took part in this experience last year in Senegal, Africa where she handed out the boxes that were collected.

“I have to say it was incredibly humbling to hand out those boxes,” Craddock said.

“The children were so incredibly thankful, and these boxes are filled with items that are a true blessing — things that are needed like a toothbrush, but also things that bring joy, like a small toy or stuffed animal.”

Craddock was doing her internship in Africa. She spoke about the expressions on the children’s faces when they got their box.

“I can’t even think about how the children responded without tears coming to my eyes,” Craddock said. “They would stand up, hold

“This will go a long way to help eliminate one of the most common barriers ... that is that they need to work full-time and it doesn’t afford the opportunity for them to pay the tuition necessary for them to complete their degree.”

School of divinity Administrative Dean Gabriel Etzel said the scholarship program was initially established in 1940 by Charles B. Keesee for students in Southern Baptist seminaries. However, he said Liberty was never among the list of approved schools.

“One of our faculty members, Rusty Small, asked us if we had ever considered approaching the Keesee fund to ask if we could become one of the allowed colleges,” Etzel said. “That started a yearlong process of meeting with the Keesee board and us demonstrating our commitment to the Baptist tradition and the Southern Baptist convention, as well as the things we do to support and have a strong tie with them.”

According to the Liberty University News Service, Liberty is

the box above their head, smile and just start screaming with joy.”

Craddock also said it was incredible seeing the shoebox ministry come to life. She said she has always filled a shoebox every year, but that year, she felt “honored to give those boxes out.”

“Every year my brothers and I each fill up a shoe box around Christmas time, spend maybe $10 on each box and then pray over them before we turn them in,” Craddock said. “Honestly, I don’t think much of it after that point. It was amazing to hand the box to a child knowing that I’m not just handing them a box full of coloring books, crayons and toothpaste, but I am handing them a box that had been prayed over by people all over the world.”

one of two schools to be accepted into the program in 20 years.

“They have historically tried to keep the gate pretty small because they want to be able to contribute significantly to the students who apply,” Temple said. “So if they widen the gate too much, then they can only give students a little instead of helping fewer students with a lot.”

Temple said the application focuses on the character and calling of each student, as well as their dreams for ministry. In addition, each graduate must fill out a detailed financial budget outlining each of their expenses for the semester. Overall, Temple said the grant is based on need.

“The focus of the Keesee fund is to train individuals who go to work within local church settings,” Etzel said. “We are really interested in helping students reduce the amount of debt they may go into with getting an education.”

Etzel said the school of divinity is very excited about the future of their partnership with the Keesee

The change that Craddock saw in this not only changed her mind on the boxes, but she went as far to say that it changed something in her.

“I saw that this ministry really does impact and change someone’s life,” Craddock said. “Sure, we can talk about it and say it all we want. But when you physically see the crowds of people, the children’s smiles, and the way that it actually meets a need that otherwise wouldn’t be met, there’s nothing like it. It changes your perspective on life, and it changed me.”

ROBERTSON is a news reporter.

board. Not only do they hope it will benefit current students in a financial sense, but it will also help them serve and influence others in the ministry.

“I think beyond that, it helps Liberty reaffirm our commitment to training church workers,” Tem-

ple said. “The spirit of the Keesee organization is to train church workers, and really, that’s at the heart of what we want to do within the school of divinity. It’s a great relationship with them.”

RUTT is the asst. news editor.

Kaitlyn Becker | Liberty University News Service

GRATITUDE — Members of the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund board signed a partnership with Liberty University that will provide grants to graduate residential students in the Rawlings School of Divinity.

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Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | A3

Praying for protection Liberty's Stand with ISRAEL club gathers together to pray for the Middle East Kylie Kehrman kkehrman@liberty.edu

In order to show support for Israel and the Middle East, Liberty University’s Stand with ISRAEL club held a prayer meeting and vigil, bringing students together to pray for and discuss the issues surrounding the Middle East and the persecuted church.

The prayer meeting was held at the Jerry Falwell Library in the Active Learning classroom Nov. 3 from 7-8:30 p.m.

Dr. Randall Price, curator of the Liberty Biblical Museum, said the meeting was intended to cultivate a broken heart for a broken world.

“What moved me was the heart of the students here and to see the burden in the heart of the students for the persecuted church,” Price said.

The meeting focused specifically on the Arab-Israel conflict, the constant terrorist threat against Israel, the war in Syria, the refugee crisis and the worldwide persecution of the church.

“We care about the Middle East,” Melissa Robertson, cultural advocate for Stand with Israel, said. “That is the day-to-day world Israel lives in. The troubles that they are facing are not just in their nation. It’s regional.”

Erica Tomlin, the president of Stand with ISRAEL, said the event was unique to other events hosted by Stand with ISRAEL. She said this meeting was dedicated solely to prayer, which was something they had never done before.

Instead of having a guest speaker, every 15 minutes someone would present an issue facing the nation of Israel, and anyone was welcome to pray out loud over it.

There were five tables set up in the room that provided the attendees with statistics and information regarding each issue. Note cards were made available for attendees to write HOPE continued from A1 sometimes don’t know if they can cross or get over, so we’re there to help.”

Liberty matches scholarships offered by Beacon of Hope for students interested in attending Liberty and pays 25 percent of the work-study wages, according to Ritz.

Beacon of Hope offers scholarships of $8,000 to students going to local postsecondary schools and $5,000 for others within Virginia, according to Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster, development director of Beacon of Hope.

down their prayers.

“We wanted to be very serious and direct about what we prayed about and what we talked about,” Tomlin said, “We wanted to set a tone for approaching God in prayer.”

Tomlin said that with the elections in the media spotlight, it is important to raise awareness about the situation in the Middle East and the persecuted church.

“The majority of the time I was in there praying for these situations, I was also subconsciously thanking God for my situation,” Tomlin said. “Just the fact that he did place me in America for such a time as this makes me very thankful. … Why them and not me?”

Stand with ISRAEL was founded in 2005.

Tomlin said the club’s original focus was on lobbying and informing people on the political aspect of Israel. This year, the club reworked its constitution, adding in a biblical and a cultural branch.

Doing so, Tomlin said, has allowed Stand with ISRAEL to connect with a broader range of students and touch on more pressing issues in the Middle East.

“The Bible still has a lot to say about God’s plan for Israel in the future,” Robertson said.

“We try and bring awareness to what the Bible says about Israel as well as understanding to the ancient history of Israel.”

After spending 10 days in Israel, Robertson said she saw the importance of learning and understanding the culture and history.

“It’s such an international conflict that I realized I have to understand,” Robertson said. “Ever since last summer I’ve been trying to be active in the club and in learning everything I can.”

For more information on the club and its future events, visit the Stand with ISRAEL page on Facebook or contact luswi@liberty. edu.

KEHRMAN is a news reporter.

“We are just trying to make it so that these students … see a future,” Liberty financial aid advisor Jennifer Loomis said. “They see that they can do anything, and we’re just trying to break those barriers down.”

The overwhelming process of application also contributes to the barriers. On FAFSA Nights hosted

by Beacon of Hope, Loomis and other financial aid advisors help families through FAFSA forms.

“When we finally complete the FASFA after working on it for 30 minutes, families have broken down crying, because that’s not something that they thought

Photo Provided

PRAY — Students prayed for the nation of Israel and the persecuted church around the world.

Photo Provided

A WOUNDED NATION— The Stand with ISRAEL prayer vigil was the first of its kind held by the club, which was known before as primarily a political activist organization.

that they could get through,” Loomis said.

Ryals said one student he worked with had recently returned to Lynchburg after spending eight years in Scandinavia. Since his credits were being transferred, he didn’t even know his GPA. “It really seemed like the odds were stacked against him, but he was just like, ‘Just tell me what I need to do. Tell me what I need to work on, and I will do it. I will come here — if you’re here, or if anyone is here — I will come here and get the help that I need,’” Ryals said.

Liberty’s work-study students also serve in elementary schools

Taylor Coleman | Liberty Champion

MENTOR — E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg is one of the two public high schools with “Future Centers” Liberty students visit to assist high school students in preparing for college life.

and in recreation or community who have, and those who have not.” centers as part of the Federal Foster said Beacon of Hope also Work Study Community Service helps the local economy, when stuProgram (FWSCSP). Beacon of dents become educated, remain in Hope is simply the high school fac- the community near their college et of Liberty’s educational work in and join the workforce. the community.

“Overall, if we have an educated “They’re not only reaching the and skilled workforce, we’re going high school students, they’re try- to improve the quality of life in this ing to get the middle school stu- community for everyone by investdents and the elementary school ing in what I call our most precious students already interested in col- resource, which are our children, lege,” Loomis said. “We want to who, of course, are the future.” start young. We want to put this Foster said they always welcome hope in you as early as possible, Liberty volunteers and work study so that once students if they you get to high We are just trying to are interested school, you’re in Beacon of make it so that these already thinkHope. ing about “They help students see a future. college.” us out tremen— JENNIFER LOOMIS dously,” Foster In addition to the 13 stusaid. “I can’t dents workbegin to exing at local high schools through press our gratitude to Liberty for Beacon of Hope, 24 students tu- the number of work study interns tor at local elementary and middle we have. We have interns from the schools and 53 work at recreation other local colleges, (but) we just and community centers, Ritz said. have more from Liberty. It’s been a “President Falwell has directly tremendous asset.” supported the program,” Ritz said, More information is available “He wanted it to happen with May- at www.beaconofhopelynchburg. or Foster, and it happened.” org.

Beacon of Hope began in 2011, the result of a talk on race and racism initiated by Foster, as well as the city manager and other citizens of the community.

“Education is just a great equalizer for all,” Foster said. “It tears down the barriers between those PORS is a news reporter.

“

OPINION

A4

November 15, 2016

LIBERTY PROFESSORS RESPOND

TO THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Polling presents itself as a science but still has to build in some assumptions, such as the electorate in 2016 looking like the electorate in 2012 in terms of composition and turnout. We now know this wasn't the case. Add to that what appears to be a late swing of voters to Donald Trump after the last polling was done, either due to last-minute decisions by independents, prospective third-party voters or a silent electorate that kept their options to themselves because of how negatively they've been portrayed, and you have the formula for an election which defied the polls.”

Stephen Witham Associate Professor of Government Helms School of Government

Stephen Alan Samson, Ph.D. Professor

Helms School of Government

This election proved that the evangelical vote is necessary to Republican success. Clearly, the majority of evangelicals did not support Hillary Clinton. In the end, it appears they more closely aligned with Trump’s policy positions (and) his promise to align the Supreme Court with evangelical priorities on abortion, freedom of expression and religious liberty, among other issues, which led to him receiving the highest level of evangelical support of any presidential candidate in over a decade.”

Stephen Witham Associate Professor of Government Helms School of Government

Donald Trump is the most unique President-elect in recent American history. He has a great opportunity to assure the American people that he can govern effectively. Keys to his success will be bringing in the best minds, crafting sound and effective policy and enacting his agenda with deliberate speed, which will build confidence in his ability to govern. Perhaps most importantly, he is in a position to use his new platform to try and bring a deeply divided nation together.”

Ron Miller Associate Dean & Asst. Professor of Government Helms School of Government

Money can’t buy me love The rise of Black Friday is reshaping the holiday season Nov. 25, 2016 marks the unique event of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. This event has become a huge market for retailers. According to The Balance, 30 percent of annual retail sales happen between Black Friday and Christmas. In 2015, 74.2 million people shopped on Black Friday, and 35 million shopped on Thanksgiving Day. The amount of money made during this particular weekend and holiday is up to the hundreds of billions each year.

Many leave their homes in the early mornings after Thanksgiving or even shop during the holiday. According to CNBC, Target is one of the many stores that will be open early during Thanksgiving Day, promoting the activity of shopping as a tradition instead of the traditional dinner.

Because of this tradition, America has lost sight of the meaning of Thanksgiving and the important relationships that come with holidays and family.

Instead of sitting down to enjoy a meal with each other, millions have chosen to leave the

table to stand in line to buy the newest and best merchandise offered at a great price.

Images of people racing in the stores, climbing over each other and fighting over the last toy left on the shelf are hard to watch.

The lessons of being thankful are lost in the wind just hours after the last bite, or the meal is forgone altogether.

What good is buying gifts for your loved ones if they are bought through a rushed, impatient thirst for a good deal? It is a shame to see this happening every year, as companies think of the next best thing to sell to those dying to spend their money.

Black Friday is no longer something people strive to go and participate in the day after Thanksgiving, but instead it is something people have to choose over the holiday in order to get to the stores when the doors open.

Americans should look back at the past, the millions and billions spent and the precious time lost, and figure out what they want out of their holidays. Lost time in the cold night, waiting in line for the next best thing? Or

TH

SAID

Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

At best, a new president has a year to win over the electorate. Donald Trump will have the advantage of a working majority in both houses of Congress. He should strike while the proverbial iron is still hot.”

Cassandra Hernandez chernandez59@liberty.edu

AT

WH S ’ T A

The table is set, the sweet aroma from the kitchen wafts over and you look up, but it’s not Aunt Sally or Uncle Bill across from you — it’s a dozen of your closest friends.

A new tradition is sweeping the millennial generation over the past years, and for once, I’m not complaining.

Friendsgiving, the gathering of people who aren’t related to each other for a Thanksgiving meal filled with good food and laughter, has become more and more popular with college students.

While Thanksgiving day is usually reserved for gatherings of extended family you may see once or twice a year, friendsgiving is a time for close friends to spend an evening together enjoying classic Thanksgiving dishes with people your own age.

After participating in three friendsgivings this year with friends at Liberty University, I now understand the hype around the new fad. The chance to see if you can cook as well as your mother and the opportunity to remember how thankful you are for the friends in your life make friendsgiving a tradition I want to continue.

Normally on Thanksgiving, my mom or grandmother are the ones in the kitchen in the morning making all the delicious dishes we’ll eat later in the day, but friendsgiving is a time for me and my friends to try our hand at cooking.

Understanding my lack in the cooking skills department, I stayed away from cooking the turkey and sweet potato casserole and chose to confine myself to the dessert with much success.

As well as being a time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner food more often than just on the fourth Thursday of November, friendsgiving is a chance to reminisce on the year with your peers.

At college, your friends are the people day-in-and-day-out with whom you hang out and spend the majority of your time.

Friendsgiving is the perfect time to reflect and be thankful. It’s also a chance to spend quality time with college friends before you all go across the country to spend the holiday at home.

Though I love family gatherings at Thanksgiving because I get to be around people I deeply care about, friendsgiving is the perfect addition to an already great holiday season.

RODRIGUEZ is the editor-in-chief.

Google Images

CONSUMERS — Black Friday brings in a bulk of yearly profits. sitting down with family, enjoying the company of those you love and appreciate in your life?

It is a season where we have the opportunity to come together and remember the blessings that we have right in front of us.

The Thanksgiving season gives many the often-rare chance to be surrounded by their loved ones, and Black Friday is slowly but surely taking that away. We need to embrace the time that we have

with those we care about, engaging in meaningful conversation, not greedy consumerism.

Maybe changing the way we do Black Friday can be a catalyst to doing the rest of the seasons in a better, more wholesome way.

HERNANDEZ is an opinion writer.

AT’S H T !

D ...AN E WROTE SH ALL

opinion

Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | A5

At odds with Title IX? Transgender Virginia teenager Gavin Grimm’s case presents complex issues

Google Images

RIGHTS — Transgender use of restrooms has become a prominent issue in recent months.

Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@liberty.edu

The Supreme Court announced in late October that it will review the “Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.” case sometime early next year, marking the first exclusively transgender rights case to ever be brought to the federal level.

The case involves a transgender teenager named Gavin Grimm, who sued the Virginia school district on the basis of sex discrimination, as the high school prevented her from using a male bathroom, despite her transition to personal identification as a male.

The Gloucester school district board had allowed 17-year-old Grimm to live, dress and address herself as the male she wished to be within her school community. When it came to restroom use, however, the school board offered the accommodation of a single-stall, unisex bathroom in an attempt to appease both Grimm and other students who had expressed concern over the born-female Grimm using the male facilities.

Yet Grimm filed suit against the school district, calling its policy “discriminatory” for not allowing her to use the male restroom as she wished, according to a report from The Washington Post. Grimm and her attorney went so far as to invoke Title IX in pursuing their case against the school.

The case is now coming to the Supreme Court early next year thanks to an appeal from the Gloucester School Board.

In an interview with NPR two weeks ago, Kyle Duncan, the attorney representing the Gloucester School Board, emphasized the broader approach that the board has tried to maintain during the proceedings, even despite threats of federal defunding. “(The school board is) hearing input from the community on both sides of the issue,” Duncan said. “The difficulty in this case is the inflexible position that the Justice Department is taking, where the Justice Department says you have to reinterpret what sex means in Title IX to include gender identity and really to let gender identity trump all other considerations of sex and privacy.”

Grimm’s attorney Joshua Block, from the American Civil Liberties Union, implied in the same NPR feature that it basically all comes down to the injustice of one person being excluded from “common spaces,” and effectively intimidated, simply because of their gender identification.

“Any student who wants additional privacy, for whatever reason, can use a separate restroom if that makes them more comfortable,” Block said. “But what you can’t do is take a transgender student and say that he has to use the separate restroom from everyone else because other people object to his presence there. … When it comes to sex discrimination, that’s not something that individual communities get to decide. Individual communities don’t get to say that they’re uncomfortable with boys and girls being treated equally at school. And so what you have here is a case of sex discrimination.”

Enacted in 1972, Title IX protects people who are in an educational institution, partaking in educational activities or enrolled in any kind of educational program from discrimination that is based on their sex. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Under the basis of Title IX’s aforementioned scope, discrimination based on sex in an educational program extends to any kind of sexual harassment and violence as well.

I have no qualms against Title IX or its overall intent. It is the application to this particular case with Grimm that befuddles me. It seems to be not so much an appeal to protection on the basis of one’s sex as it is an attempt to actually redefine that very basis — one’s “assigned” sex versus one’s “preferred” sex.

Frankly, I understand where Grimm is coming from in regards to the initial quandary of the whole restroom situation as it pertains to her. In an interview with

NBC12, she expressed the dilemma she faced in just using the women’s bathroom, as many people are demanding.

“If I were to walk in a women’s restroom now, I could expect to probably be arrested — perhaps be assaulted by a few angry women,” Grimm said. “I don’t mean to make light of it. It is a serious thing. It’s not an option for me.”

Seeing and hearing Grimm in real life, one would immediately see the legitimacy of the problem. Grimm is very masculinized in manner, voice and appearance thanks to hormone therapy, chest reconstruction surgery, and other drastic transitory measures taken to reassign Grimm’s perceived gender from female to male.

Of course Grimm is faced with a legitimate issue, and she has every right to personal privacy.

But this is not a privacy concern just for Grimm. Whatever direction this case may go — which I feel I cannot even begin to speculate on at this point — I do not find it fitting to rule out the community’s perspective for that of the individual on the basis of perceived, but maybe not necessarily existent, discrimination.

To me, an outsider looking in, the Gloucester school could not have been more accommodating up to this point concerning Grimm’s personal choice to go transgender. Invoking Title IX in retaliation not only clashes with the spirit of the law in place (based on one’s actual gender, not one’s chosen gender), but could ultimately require an entire redefinition of the terms of the law, and thus the spirit of it too.

One cannot help but ask what the actual purpose of this case has become for the graduating high school senior, and what tenuous implications this case’s resolution may hold for Title IX come next year.

JARRETT is an opinion writer.

Growing up and giving thanks College students enter the holiday season with the weight of adulthood William Rice wsrice@liberty.edu

The holiday season can be a very hectic time, even for college students, who would probably prefer to go toe-to-toe with a calculus problem than figure out how to navigate the awkward transition from the kid’s table to adulthood.

We can all remember the Grinch’s heart growing three times in size when he discovered that “Christmas is not just about the presents,” our Sunday School teacher ruining the Easter Bunny to tell us the true meaning of the cross or the “Star Spangled Banner” being played on the Fourth of July as the fireworks erupt, but not all holidays are as easy to define.

Going through elementary school, I could never fully understand the reason behind Thanksgiving. My teachers seemed to imply we celebrated the fact that our forefathers didn’t know how to grow their own vegetables. My parents said we celebrated being together with family, despite the stress produced from inviting all blood relatives to one chaotic gathering.

As a kid, I simply got through the awkward going-around-the-

table-saying-what-we-are-thankful-for by focusing on the next two weeks of leftovers. This year, I have a new strategy.

Anytime a holiday break comes around, we tend to get almost too excited to see our family again. After all, it has been a long time since summer, and we miss those people who raised us – and maybe even our siblings too — but going back is never what we want it to be.

The first day or two can be great to see them again, but by the end of the week we are almost longing for our inconsiderate professors and heavy textbooks. Why? Things change. The dynamic

“

turn out to be stressful, and possibly even annoying, it can be a blessing in disguise.

Going from a utopia where you don’t have to check in every hour with Mom when you’re out to being asked to help Dad pull weeds in the yard can be very confusing.

Home can be almost too much of a ‘blast from the past’, too accurate and too unsettling. We feel like adults here on campus, free from the restraints of parents, but going back home for break is like putting the shackles back on.

But the tension is necessary to break away from dependence to independence, and it is important for both child and parent. It can be hard to make the break and become an adult, and even harder for our parents to let go.

Some instances can be more problematic, as I have personally shown my parents for the last 21 years of my life that I am not ready for adulthood. My parents look at me and see the toddler who shoved pears in the toaster,

IT CAN BE HARD TO MAKE THE BREAK AND BECOME AN ADULT, AND EVEN HARDER FOR OUR PARENTS TO LET GO.

of parent and child begins to take a critical twist when we leave for college, as we are hopefully becoming adults.

Although going home for Thanksgiving break will probably

Google Images

HOME — The transition into adulthood is obvious during the holidays. the adolescent teenager who repeatedly got in trouble for climbing over ceiling tiles at school, and the want-to-be adult who thought it would be a good idea to take on boxing as a sport. They have seen me at my worst and best and want to make sure I get the worst out of my system before I am dubbed an adult and sent into the world on my own.

They see us for who we were, as they were present for our upbringing but have missed the last few

months of maturity we achieved living on campus.

This Thanksgiving break can be the time to show who we have become, but no substantial change is easily accepted.

I count my blessing this Thanksgiving, and the opportunity to begin a more matured relationship with my family is high on the list — right behind stuffing and pumpkin pie.

RICE is an opinion writer.

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news

A6 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Photo by Will Young, Liberty Champion

QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKING AFTER

THE ELECTION How did Liberty vote?

At Liberty University’s voting precinct (the second precinct of the third ward) Republican Donald Trump received the majority of votes with 2,739 while Democrat Hillary Clinton received 140.

On-campus Liberty students registered at the Vines Center cast a total of 3,205 votes Nov. 11 compared to the 3,347 cast in the 2012 presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Dean of Students Robert Mullen said that although there is no way to know for sure, he believes the lower amount of votes cast in 2016 can be attributed to working with the Lynchburg Registrar’s Office to get students’ voting records cleaned up as well as making sure commuter students were registered at

their off-campus location.

With the students at the Annex who voted at Sheffield Elementary School and commuter students, Mullen estimates that a total of 4,000 Liberty students voted in the area.

Mullen said that about 500 students lined up to vote at 6 a.m., and the wait time was an hour when the polls opened. But throughout the day, the maximum wait time was 30 minutes.

Mullen said the effort by the school to help students get registered and fix any mistakes allowed Election Day to go smoothly at Liberty.

“As a consequence of those efforts, there were very few issues at the polls on Election Day as far as students not being properly reg-

istered,” Mullen said. “In 2012, there were a lot of mistakes.”

Students voiced their opinions about third-party candidates by casting 137 votes for Libertarian Gary Johnson, 156 for Independent Evan McMullin, and four for Green Party candidate Jill Stein and 29 write-ins.

Mullen said he believes more students voted third-party than in the past because there were more options and students felt they could vote for whoever they felt was best.

“I was encouraged to see that our students felt like they could think for themselves and come to a decision and a conclusion and did not feel that they were constrained to vote a particular way,” Mullen said.

Dustin Wahl, spokesperson of Liberty

United Against Trump (LUAT), said the third-party vote turnout at the Vines Center was impressive, even though the results did not shock LUAT. “As for the on-campus precinct, I and my team at LUAT were not surprised with the results,” Wahl said. “We have always known that many Liberty students would likely vote for Trump, even though a lot of them wouldn’t chose to associate their school’s brand with Trump.”

In the congressional election also taking place Nov. 11, Republican Bob Goodlatte was reelected to another term, taking 94 percent of the vote with 2,842 ballots cast for him.

How did Trump win?

The makeup of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton can be broken down into key demographics that ultimately decided the outcome of the race. The presence of three demographics in particular — race, location and education — shifted significantly enough to undermine core voting blocs Clinton was counting on to show up at the ballots, thus securing a largely-unexpected victory for Trump.

According to data from the Pew Research Center, Trump won white voters by a 21-point margin, almost identical to Rom-

ney’s 20-point win of white voters. What was critical to Clinton’s loss was her slip in African-American and Hispanic voters. Clinton received 7 percent less African-American voters than Barack Obama did in 2012 (87 percent to 80 percent) and 8 percent less Hispanic voters than Obama (44 percent to 36 percent).

A large swing in the votes of those without a college degree further helped Trump’s secure his victory. Data from the same Pew Research Center report showed Trump winning 8 percent more voters without a college

degree than Clinton, a contrast from 2012 where Obama won 4 percent more voters of the same demographic than Romney. The 12-point swing in Trump’s favor absorbed Clinton’s nine-point lead in voters that have a college degree (52 percent to 43 percent).

Finally, and most critically, rural voters showed up to the ballots strongly in Trump’s favor. Exit polls show that Trump won rural and small towns in Michigan by a 19-point margin (57 percent to 38 percent), more than doubling Romney’s sevenpoint win (53 percent to 46 percent) of the

same group. In Pennsylvania, another swing state that ultimately decided the election, Trump similarly won over rural voters by a margin of 71-26. In Wisconsin, he won the demographic 63-34.

Overall, Clinton won a mere 29 percent of rural voters, a nine-point decrease from the amount Obama won in 2012. That, along with a lower than expected turnout of voters in urban areas and stagnant Democratic support amongst females, effectively handed the election to Trump.

What are evangelicals saying?

Never before has a presidential candidate divided so many in the evangelical community. While many evangelical leaders endorsed Trump as one who would nominate conservative justices to the Supreme Court and protect religious freedom and the unborn, others condemned his character as unfit to hold the office. In the end, Trump brought them together and earned 81 percent of their votes, according to Religion News Service.

“The bottom line is, I think what we ex-

pected and thought would happen (Tuesday) did, in fact, occur, which is a historic turnout of voters of faith fueled by the largest turnout of evangelicals … since exit polling began,” Chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition Ralph Reed said.

Though Trump earned a vast majority of the evangelical vote, many of those votes were specifically from white evangelicals, and Ed Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, said many

non-white evangelicals feel betrayed.

“Many are asking, ‘How can white evangelicals shut their eyes to the reality of a man (Trump) who seemingly allows and even perpetuates painful and ongoing wounds that many of our brothers and sisters deal with each day — prejudice, harassment, marginalization, violence, and rejection?’” Stetzer wrote for Christianity Today.

Johnnie Moore, former Liberty University senior vice president and current spokesman

for My Faith Votes, pointed out in an interview with Newsmax that Trump reached out to Christians like no candidate in the past. “(I’ve never seen anybody) with so much power and so much influence go to the effort he went to build individual relationships with not dozens of significant Christian leaders, but thousands of them,” Moore said.

How is the stock market reacting?

Even as issues such as immigration, the Supreme Court, and gun control rose to prominence in the 2016 election, Americans still listed the economy as their top concern, according to the Pew Research Center. It’s therefore no surprise that all eyes were on the stock market as Trump’s odds of winning continued to increase throughout the night.

Essentially, the markets adjusted in the months and weeks before the election based off whom investors thought would win. In 2016, Clinton was the clear favorite. News

that favored Clinton eased fears of investors and caused stocks to rise and vice versa.

For example, the day after FBI Director James Comey cleared Clinton of all charges after a second review of her emails, stocks jumped up.

After the sharp drop of the Dow futures as Trump started winning battleground states, the Dow Jones index rose sharply in the coming days, finishing with its best week since December 2011, according to CNBC. Markets in Asia dropped sharply after

Trump’s win, and Liberty business professor Dr. Andrew Light said it was because Trump thinks the current trade deals with China are unfair.

“People think he will become what we call ‘protectionist,’ and if you do that, like increase tariffs on imported products … they are concerned that trade, especially between the U.S. and China will decrease and that will hurt their economy because China is an export-oriented economy,” Light said.

James Mackintosh of The Wall Street

Journal explained after the election why he believed analysts were wrong about a potential stock plummet in the U.S. because of Trump’s win.

“By the time markets opened Wednesday, Mr. Trump was confirmed as president-elect, and the market had switched from worrying about the bad stuff he promised to the possible good side,” Mackintosh wrote.

What went wrong with the polls?

As the afternoon turned to evening and evening turned to night Nov. 8, the nation watched as Donald Trump defied odds and the polls to take the presidency.

CNN’s final poll before before Election Day gave Hillary Clinton a 3-point lead. NBC News’s poll Nov. 7 gave Clinton a 6-point lead. Out of RealClear Politics’s 45 featured polls the day before the election, 34 had Clinton winning.

There may not be one clear reason why

many polls did not predict the upset victory, but, slowly but surely, theories are being compiled.

1. Women who voted Trump may have been particularly hesitant to speak with pollsters (David Paleologos of Suffolk University).

2. Polls missed some large demographic changes, including “complete collapse of support for Clinton among white voters without college degrees” (Nate Silver of

FiveThirtyEight).

3. Undecided voters made up their minds at the last minute (Sam Wang of Princeton University).

4. There was an over-emphasis on belief that the rising demographic diversity would be enough for a Clinton victory (Geoff Garin, a veteran democratic pollster who worked for the pro-Clinton super PAC “Priorities USA”).

Dr. Darrell Scott, a pastor and early sup-

porter of Trump, said he believed there was absolutely a hidden Trump vote of people who did not say who they were supporting, but when it came to the voting booth, they chose Trump.

“In order to avoid argument or to avoid an attack or avoid being bullied … they just kept their vote to themselves,” Scott said.

Though theories are being constructed, this historic election will take months to decipher.

news

Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | A7

Falwell gives his take As election season wraps up, Liberty President Jerry Falwell shares his experience Jacob Clarke jlclarke3@liberty.edu

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. found himself playing a key role in the presidential election cycle after his endorsement of Donald Trump in January 2016. With the election now over and Trump preparing to take office, Falwell provided his perspective on the president-elect and how he came to believe that Trump was the best choice to lead the nation.

When did you first meet Donald Trump, and what did your relationship with him look like?

I first became intrigued with Donald Trump five years or more ago while listening to Sean Hannity interview him on the radio.

The fact that he was a businessman appealed to me first and foremost. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and business-oriented ancestors on my dad’s side, and I believe there is nothing this country needs more than a businessman who has been successful in the private sector to lead us — the type of citizen legislator our founders hoped would govern this country.

I also was impressed with his desire to level the playing fields with foreign countries that were taking advantage of the United States and stealing our jobs and industries through unfair trade deals.

In 2012, I invited Donald Trump to speak at Liberty. He graciously accepted, and I instantly became a fan of the Donald. I was impressed with how personable and likable he was. We stayed in touch over the next few years and became friends.

In December of 2014, my son, Wesley, and I were in New York doing some Christmas shopping and our good friend, Michael Cohen, invited us up to Mr. Trump’s office in the Trump Tower. During that visit, Michael told me that Mr. Trump had decided to run for president and would make his announcement on June 16, 2015.

You were one of the first evangelical leaders to endorse Trump, and I’m sure you knew that would draw sharp criticism. What gave you the confidence that Trump would be a great president?

It was, in fact, June 16 when Donald Trump

announced he was seeking the highest office in the land. In January of 2016, I became one of the first evangelicals to endorse Donald Trump after I introduced him to speak at a Liberty Convocation. I had become convinced by that time that Donald Trump had a good heart, he loved the American people, especially the disenfranchised and forgotten Americans and that he would do the right thing for the common man as president, whether the elites on Wall Street, in the media, and in academia liked it or not. I had concluded that, as he formed his positions on the many social and political issues, he would come down on the right side because of his love for our nation.

And he did. He chose Mike Pence as his running mate. He released a list of conservative, pro-life, strict constructionist Supreme Court justices that he would appoint if given the opportunity and, according to my friend Tony Perkins, he became the first Republican presidential candidate since 2004 to allow the conservative platform committee of the Republican platform to write a truly conservative platform.

Then, Mr. Trump went further. He became the first presidential candidate to propose the repeal of the Johnson Amendment in order to return political free speech to churches and nonprofit universities like Liberty.

What was it like playing such a key role in this election cycle?

This has been quite a year. I realized the other day that I may have been the first Trump supporter to be called a “deplorable” by Hillary Clinton in December of 2015 when I urged Liberty students to arm themselves after the San Bernadino terrorist attacks. I went on Sean Hannity’s TV show and said the only thing deplorable was that Hillary Clinton was a liar for distorting what I actually said.

I received a call in January from Mr. Trump on a Saturday at 11 a.m. asking me to come to Iowa to moderate his rallies. The only catch was I had to be there by 5 p.m. I made it, and our family enjoyed getting to know the Trump family — all wonderful people who sacrificed so much for this country — on the Trump 757 flying around Iowa to three rallies. I had the privilege of making numerous media appearances and writing national editorials to make the case for why Donald Trump would become the greatest president since Ronald Reagan.

2016 ELECTION RESULTS

290

ELECTORAL VOTES

45%

OF VIRGINIA VOTES

50%

DONALD TRUMP

OF LYNCHBURG VOTES

232

ELECTORAL VOTES

50%

HILLARY CLINTON

OF VIRGINIA VOTES

41%

OF LYNCHBURG VOTES Source: AP and Virginia Department of Elections

RESULTS continued from A1 the current system is the best way to do the elections.

“I’m actually a fan of the Electoral College,” Wahl said. “I think

we’re not a democracy. We’re a republican form of government, and the people’s views on things shouldn’t be the driving force behind everything. The founders put in a system of checks and balances

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

SPEECH — Liberty President Jerry Falwell (right) stood on stage next to President-elect Donald Trump as he waved to Liberty students during his visit to Convocation Monday, Jan. 18.

I was honored and humbled to play a key role as an American citizen (not as president of Liberty University) in this historic election. When Sen. Jeff Sessions visited Liberty the night before the election, he told the story of how he was with Mr. Trump when he called me to reveal his choice to be his VP candidate. A little while later, he called Gov. Mike Pence to give him the news.

Donald Trump truly is America’s blue-collar billionaire. He is incredibly brilliant, and he listens to others, gleaning wisdom whenever he can. He answers his cell phone often — a sign that he is in touch with his constituency.

Describe what it was like being in New York during election night.

The victory speech in New York Wednesday morning was a dream come true for my family because I believe it represents a new beginning for America. I said in the weeks leading up to the election

that the Trump movement had become a peaceful revolution of the common man taking their nation back from the elites and the establishment. I truly believe that, even though we probably don’t deserve it as a nation, God chose to give America one more chance to get it right.

The best part of the celebration Wednesday morning was when we got back to the hotel room at 3:30 a.m. and my 16-year-old daughter, Caroline, said, “Thank you Dad,” I said “For what?” She said, “Because now I get to grow up in a great America like you did.”

That made all the sacrifices and criticism I’ve received worthwhile. I told Mr. Trump what she said late last week and he said, “Tell your daughter we are not only going to make America great again, but we are going to create an atmosphere where people of faith will have religious liberty again without being ridiculed.”

CLARKE is the managing editor.

five years.

“I think this can happen in any election,” Chairman of College Republicans at Liberty University, Jonah Athey said. “In Brexit, when (Great Britain) pulled out of the European Union, you saw a huge shift in stock markets, and then it sprung back up.”

According to TIME, third-party candidate Gary Johnson only gathered around 4 percent of the popular vote and no Electoral College votes, underwhelming his projections.

The President of Youth for JohnDillon Brown | Liberty Champion son and Weld’s Liberty chapter, POLLS — Students voted at the Vines Center all day on Nov. 8.

Tito Reyes, and his vice president, Aaron Sobczak said as far as the Libertarian candidate goes, he didn’t make enough of an impact, adding that conservative candidate Evan McMullin served that purpose better.

“I think McMullin made a bigger statement,” Sobczak said. “I think him being in the election showed the Republican Party that conservatives weren’t happy and that if they’re looking to win elections in the future, they’re going to have to find a more conservative person.”

“I think his presence during the Dillon Brown | Liberty Champion VOTE — The polling booths opened at 6 a.m. and stayed open until 7.p.m. campaigning was more of a statement of what the American people in federal power, like the Electoral ing Democratic. wanted,” Reyes said. “I think that College, where the states decide to According to the Virginia De- he really called out the major party elect the president.” partment of Elections, in Lynch- candidates on the fallacious arDuring the election, the Repub- burg City, Trump received 50.44 guments they were giving. They lican Party also took the majority percent of votes, Clinton 41.48 weren’t addressing real issues. of seats in both the Senate and the percent, Johnson 3.87 percent, They weren’t addressing policy.”

House, giving the party control of independent candidate Evan Mc“Emotions are running high in both houses and the White House. mullin received 2.80 percent, and all of us, so we need to take a deep “I think the main thing with the the Green Party’s Jill Stein earned breath and realize, ‘Well, this isn’t House and Senate is Republicans 0.58 percent. what (the College Democrats of were more motivated to vote this According to Fox News and Liberty) hoped for,” Childers said. election,” Childers said. “Most CNN, the DOW reacted with eco- “It’s not ideal, but in four years the of the people who were voting for nomic whiplash to Trump’s vic- world will still be here.’ This is not Trump were going to vote Repub- tory, initially plummeting almost the end — it’s just a setback.” lican down-ticket.”

900 points at one point, but rising In Lynchburg, the results were rapidly even just after his victory evidently swayed by Trump’s speech. By Nov. 11 the DOW had strong support on Liberty Univer- not only recovered but rose 37 sity’s campus despite Virginia vot- points, the highest it has been in PANYARD is a news reporter.

news

A8 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

it’s you. it’s me.

Thomas Jefferson Crossings • 16960 Forest Road 434.237.6301 • www.finks.com

␣ P O LY VORE

No Interest if paid in full by January 2018* On Purchases of $1,000 or more with your Fink Jewelers credit card made between November 1st and December 31st 2016. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full by January 2018. Minimum Monthly Payments required. *Off er applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay the promo purchase amount in full by January 2018. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. Depending on purchase amount, promotion length and payment allocation, the required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off purchase by end of promotional period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Subject to credit approval.

November 15, 2016 We’ve had our backs against the wall for a while now, and let’s face it, we responded in a big way when we needed to respond the most.

SPORTS

B1

This week in Flames history

The Liberty Flames football team demolished division rival Coastal Carolina 63-27. The Flames lead the all-time series vs Coastal Carolina at 7-6.

2011

- Former Flames Head Coach Danny Rocco

air raid

Hot start

Flames win first game of year Timothy Cockes tlcockes@liberty.edu

The Liberty Flames men’s basketball team (1-0) began its season with an 81-53 win against the Cairn Highlanders (0-1) Friday, Nov. 11 in the Vines Center.

The Flames never trailed, leading by as many as 28 points during the game.

Flames seniors John Dawson and Ray Chen led the way for the Flames with 15 points and 14 points respectively.

The senior guards led a balanced scoring attack for the Flames against the Highlanders.

The Flames used effective ball movement and aggressiveness to outscore the Highlanders in both halves by double digits. Thirteen of the Flames’ 15 players saw playing time with 11 players ending up in the scoring column.

The Flames finished with 21 assists — more than double the Highlanders’ nine assists. Six different Flames hit a 3 point shot in the game.

The Flames defense held steadily across both halves allowing 26 points in the first and 27 in the second. The Highlanders were led in scoring

by Zachary Dolton with 29 points, including 19 in the first half.

Liberty Head Coach Ritchie McKay said that he was not completely satisfied with his team’s defensive effort in the game.

“Defensively, I was upset a time or two on the sidelines,” McKay said. “We let them get into the lane too easily, and we let their hot hand get open and easy looks, but I think we did a better job in the second half.”

McKay spoke after the game about the improved balance of this year’s team compared to last year’s team.

“I think one major difference for us is depth,” McKay said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can play, and although young and still inexperienced, I think we have a lot of options.”

Dawson said he was excited for the start of the season and getting back to playing basketball.

See HOT, B4

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

MOVE — Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz drove inside.

Football CSU

Liberty

48

26

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

SCORE — Bucs tight end Travay Hatten plowed past Flames senior linebacker Nate Newman for the game’s first touchdown.

Bucs raid the Flames

Flames loss puts playoff hopes on hold for a week Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu

The Charleston Southern Buccaneers rolled over the Liberty Flames football team 48-26 Saturday, Nov. 12 at Williams Stadium in front of a senior day crowd of 21,712 fans, virtually putting to rest the Flames hopes of postseason play.

Behind 235 total yards and four touchdowns from the Bucs redshirt freshman quarterback Shane Bucenell, and a total of 514 total yards, the Bucs offense was too much for the Flames defense to handle.

On the offensive side, Liberty freshman quarterback Stephen “Buckshot” Calvert finished with 261 yards passing and three touchdowns despite throwing for just 35 yards in the first half. The Bucs sacked Calvert five times, and the Flames were never able to get into a rhythm on offense.

“The offensive line did not protect as well as they should have,” Flames Head Coach Turner Gill said. “We just never got anything going to get established for us. That’s tough to overcome. (Charleston Southern) is a good football team.”

Things started well for the Flames in the first quarter as redshirt sophomore cornerback Chris Turner intercepted a pass from Bucenell on the second offensive play of the game and returned it to the Bucs 14-yard line.

The Bucs forced the Flames to settle for

M. Basketball Cairn

53

a 32-yard field goal by freshman kicker Alex Probert to take the early 3-0 lead with 12:55 left in the first quarter.

After three-and-outs from both teams, the Bucs offense came alive near the end of the first quarter.

FYI

After two field goals and two extra points, freshman kicker Alex Probert now holds the school record for points scored by a freshman in a season with 77.

Facing third down from the Flames 11yard line, Bucenell found redshirt freshman tight end Travay Hatten on a slant pattern across the middle of the field, giving the Bucs the lead and the momentum.

Calvert and the offense took the field again and drove into Bucs territory. On third-and-long from the Bucs 22, Calvert rolled right outside of the pocket and fired a pass down the field, just over the outstretched hands of open senior tight end Kendall Couamin. The Flames settled for

another Probert field goal, this one from 39 yards out to trim the deficit to 7-6.

The Bucs responded by scoring on their next four offensive possessions, the following drive with a 38-yard field goal of their own from sophomore kicker Tyler Tekac to make the score 10-6 with 14:49 left in the second quarter.

Regardless of different looks shown by Liberty’s defense, Charleston Southern always had an answer.

“Their offense got some things going,” Gill said. “Defensively, we didn’t take care of some things. We gotta play better than that.”

On first-and-10 from the Liberty 28, Bucs senior running back Ben Robinson burst through the offensive line with nothing but open field in front of him to make the score 17-6.

After a Liberty punt, Bucenell drove the Bucs down the field and found senior running back Mike Holloway on a wheel route out of the backfield for a 20-yard score.

The Flames took the field again, trying to slow down the momentum that had swung to Charleston Southern’s side, but Bucs’ sophomore corner Shadarius Hopkins picked off a pass from Calvert at the Liberty 45.

Volleyball

W. Basketball

See BUCS, B2

W. Soccer

Liberty

Duke

Liberty

CSU

Liberty

Liberty

UNC

81

38

98

3

2

0

3

W. Basketball vs. JMU Nov. 15 @ 5 p.m.

M. Basketball vs. VCU

Nov. 15 @ 8 p.m.

Football vs. Coastal Nov. 17 @ 7 p.m.

W. Basketball vs. App. State Nov. 17 @ 7 p.m.

Volleyball vs. HPU/UNCA Nov. 19 @ 8 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports

B2 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Flames duked Lady Flames fall to Duke in opener Lindsey Ball lcball1@liberty.edu

In their first time entering the Vines Center, the Duke Blue Devils (1-0) dominated the Liberty women’s basketball team (0-1) in the Flames season opener Nov. 11, 38-98 in front of a crowd of 3,741.

The Lady Flames put up a fight early against the Blue Devils, but the visitors were able to pull away in the second quarter.

“We started off well,” Head Coach Carey Green said. “We were focused on the game and on its details. A lot of it is going to be how the team responds to this. It was a big challenge game and an opportunity for us to truly be assessed, and we have a lot in front of us.”

In the beginning of the game, the Flames and Blue Devils exchanged a five-point lead, with the Flames leading 18-14 at one point.

The first period went downhill when Duke guard Rebecca Greenwell stole the ball from Liberty.

“The first period was tough,” junior guard Nene Johnson said. “We went up strongly, but the momentum went down. It is hard to get everyone back in it after that. When you are down 20 points, it isn’t easy.”

The Flames experienced a nearly fiveminute scoring drought in the second quarter that was reflected in the rest of their play.

When the buzzer rang to mark the end of the second quarter, the scoreboard read 48-24.

“Duke is a really hard opponent, and everyone knows that,” freshman forward Ola Makurat said. “The first quarter went really well, but that was just the first. In the second, we started to beat ourselves. It was a lack of focus and cooperation.”

Liberty struggled to drain 3-pointers throughout the game, shooting just 5.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Although eight of the Lady Flames players were new to the team, Green does not attribute this loss to his squad’s lack of experience.

“It does not make a difference if they are a

junior, a senior or a freshman,” Green said.

“There is a sense of experience that you learn lessons from that the young players haven’t obtained yet, but it is about focus. It doesn’t matter if they are 18, 19 or 22.”

Prior to this game, Duke was 4-0 all-time against Liberty and 26-5 against all Big South opponents. Duke Coach Joanne McCallie knew that while her team succeeded, they too were taken off guard by Liberty’s strong start.

“We saw things a tad too late in the first half,” McCallie said. “We can play a lot better — and we know that — but we were able to maintain intensity.”

This game broke the record for the most points ever given up by the women’s basketball in the Vines Center. Despite a loss in the first game of the season, Green saw it as a learning curve.

“They understand it is one game, and they are not defined by it,” Green said. “I challenged them to assess and assume responsibility of the things they can control in the next game. We are just taking small steps towards the championships.”

Green plans to apply lessons learned from this first loss to preparing for future games.

The Lady Flames will have to rebound from the loss quickly as they take on James Madison and Appalachian State in their next two contests.

“I really respect the level of intensity with which JMU plays,” Green said. “They do a great job rebounding. If we don’t take this game seriously and understand that we have to take care of business and improve rebounding, then it will be very difficult to beat JMU.” The Lady Flames take on James Madison Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. and Appalachian State Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. Both games will take place in the Vines Center.

BALL is a sports reporter.

Caroline Sellers | Liberty Champion

SHOOT — Freshman forward Keyen Green went up to score against the Blue Devils.

BUCS continued from B1 Bucenell and the offense took the field and added to the lead on the very next play with a 45-yard pass to wide receiver Kameron Brown, who snatched the ball over the head of the defending Turner.

The score gave the Bucs a 31-6 halftime lead.

“They had too many explosive plays on us,” Flames senior linebacker Dexter Robbins said. “Because of that, we couldn’t recover.”

Things did not get better for the Flames as the Bucs found the endzone on their first offensive play of the second half.

Bucenell found another hole in the Flames defense and scrambled

through it on his way to a 57-yard touchdown run to give his team the 38-6 lead with 13:55 left in the third.

“We gotta make some plays,” Gill said. “We didn’t make plays early in the third quarter to give ourselves more of a chance. Unfortunately, they made more plays than we did, and we were not able to overcome it.”

Calvert connected with Couamin on a deep pass down the left sideline that barely made it past the outstretched hand of a Bucs defender. Couamin did the rest and took it 65 yards to the endzone. A failed 2-point conversion kept the score at 38-12.

His third-quarter touchdown was

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

CANNON — Flames quarterback Stephen Calvert threw for 261 yards.

Kaitlyn Becker Johnson | Liberty University News Service

LEGACY — The women’s cross country team won their first Big South title since 2012.

Keep on running Tolsma gets 100th conference win Wierenga finished 10th to place four Liberty runners in the top 10.

“The way the women’s race unfolded was completely according to plan,” Tolsma said.

The Liberty women’s cross country team “In the first half mile we were getting killed, finished as Big South champions and the but once we settled in, we pretty much had men’s team as runners-up at the 2016 Big the meet won at the mile, and we just stayed South Cross Country Championships Oct. in the lead the whole time.”

In the men’s 8k, they fell in a tight race 28 at Asheville Christian Academy in Swanthat resulted in Campbell defending their nanoa, North Carolina.

With the Lady Flames win, Liberty Head Big South title from last year.

“We definitely felt like we had a shot at Coach Brant Tolsma tallied his 100th conboth titles,” Tolsma said. ference championship “(In) the men’s race, we in 31 years of coaching knew it was going to be with the Flames. tough to beat Campbell, “I told the girls Head Coach Brant and we would’ve needed they’re going for 100, Tolsma is the to fire on all cylinders but if they don’t get it, the guys are getting it, winningest coach is and we almost did that.

We had them worried, but if they don’t get it Liberty athletics but in the end we were either, then we’ll have one guy shy of winning to wait until track,” history. the men’s race.”

Tolsma said.

Freshman standout The Lady Flames seized the opportunity to mark the 100th Stanley Langet led a trio of Liberty runners win for Tolsma completing the 5k race with that finished in the top five with his third eight Liberty runners in the top 17, includ- place finish. Sophomore Azaria Kirwa fought ing sophomore Anna Van Wyk finishing as anemia to take fourth, and senior Josh Showalter took fifth leading the Flames to their first runner-up.

“The season’s been great,” Van Wyk said. third straight finish as runners-up.

After the race, Liberty received not only a “I feel like we haven’t raced very much, but I’ve gotten a 5k and 6k PR (personal record) Big South trophy but also a variety of awards.

All the way from Kenya, Langat’s efforts this year so that’s cool. (I’m) just happy to be this season gained him the honor of Big back running.”

After sitting out the entire season last year, South Men’s Freshman of the Year, and LibVan Wyk fought back to make a major impact erty junior Graham Hansel was named to the Men’s All-Academic team. for the Flames.

Liberty Senior Kat Bouton’s 3.97 GPA “Anna had a concussion in a sleigh-riding accident last year so she didn’t get to run won her the title of Women’s Scholar-Athtrack at all, so I think she was pretty hungry,” lete of the Year and earned her a spot on the Tolsma said. “She trained well over the sum- Women’s All-Academic team.

Making Tolsma’s 100th conference chammer and really stepped it up this year. We didn’t expect her to be our top runner, but pionship win a bit sweeter was the announcement that he had been named Women’s she’s done (well) in that role.”

Along with Van Wyk, senior Terrill Zent- Coach of the Year for 2016. meyer finished fifth, sophomore Kammi Kurtz took eighth, and freshman Valerie COLLIER is a sports reporter.

Will Collier wcollier@liberty.edu

the first of Couamin’s career.

“It was emotional,” Couamin said. “Just looking back at the summer and working hard with the team, it felt good to celebrate with the team and score.”

The Bucs added to their lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run from Holloway at the goal line and a 28-yard field goal from Tekac to give them 48 points on the night, tied for the most points the Flames defense has surrendered all season.

The Flames added two scoring drives of their own in the final quarter of play. Calvert found sophomore wide receiver B.J. Farrow on a slant pattern in the end zone for an 8-yard score and Farrow’s third score of the year.

Calvert connected with senior receiver Dante’ Shells on a 48-yard touchdown with 1:30 left in the game to make the final tally 48-26.

A win would have given the Flames an outright Big South title and extended their five-game win streak. Instead, the Bucs had other plans.

For Robbins, a senior and team captain, the loss was a hard pill to swallow.

“Things happen for a reason,” Robbins said. “It sucks we came up short, but we just have to move on. It’s a tough loss. I’ve lost to (Charleston Southern) for three years. You gotta give credit to them. They’re a good football team.

It’s a stinging loss.”

Having already clinched a share of the Big South regular season conference title, the only way

FYI

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

MOVE — Running back Carrington Moseley ran for 59 yards on the day. the Flames can earn bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs is if the Bucs lose their final game of the regular season next Saturday against the Kennesaw State Owls. If the Owls prevail, Liberty will receive the Big South’s automatic bid since the Flames knocked off the Owls 36-21 Oct. 15.

Gill will serve his one-game suspension in this week’s game at Coastal Carolina Thursday, Nov. 17. Gill — along with assistant coach Ron Brown — was suspended earlier this season for a secondary NCAA recruiting violation.

Despite the loss of Gill on the sideline, Robbins said the team is looking forward to the opportunity to defeat the Chanticleers

one last time before the move to the Sun Belt Conference at the Division I FBS level. “(Winning) would mean a lot,” Robbins said. “Sending (Coastal Carolina) to the Sun Belt losing to us would mean a lot to me.”

The Flames kickoff against the Chanticleers at 7 p.m. in Conway, South Carolina.

DILLARD is the sports editor.

sports

Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | B3

Keeping up with the pros Liberty triathlon athlete becomes first to compete in NCAA Championship Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu

Senior Megan Merryman placed sixth for the Liberty University triathlon team at the NCAA Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championship Nov. 5, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana, according to teamusa. org/USA-Triathlon.

Out of nearly 60 women, Megan Merryman completed the 400-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run race in one hour, three minutes and 40 seconds — less than three minutes behind the first place winner Erika Ackerlund from the University of Montana, teamusa.org reported.

Megan Merryman’s coach, Parker Spencer, said she was the first to represent Liberty’s club triathlon team in an NCAA championship since the team’s formation less than

Photo Provided

SMILE — Merryman showed off her medal.

10 years ago.

“What she was able to do was incredible,” Spencer said.

Not only did Megan Merryman place in the top ten, but she later found out she would earn her pro card from the race. Because two of the top five winners were international, Megan Merryman earned fourth place, and the top five nationally ranked triathletes earn their pro card, Spencer said.

“The top 10 girls were already professional athletes,” Spencer said. “Megan was really still the only amateur.”

Megan Merryman started her triathlon career at the end of her freshman year at the Angels Race in Lynchburg, Virginia — a sprint triathlon — for recreation. Less than a year later, she joined Liberty’s club team and has competed since.

For the past two and a half years, Megan Merryman trained under Spencer, and he said a major contributor to her performance had been her work ethic.

During the summer, Megan Merryman trained alone at home in Fairfax, Virginia while Spencer coached her from Richmond, Virginia.

Spencer said the past few months — even since 2016’s spring semester — Megan Merryman’s training brought her to this accomplishment.

“So watching it come together … everything that could have gone right went right,” Spencer said. “I think as a coach, it’s honestly one of the most fulfilling things to see someone’s hard work pay off. … The race was truly a celebration of her hard work.”

Megan Merryman also accomplished her personal record during the race.

Her father, Mike Merryman flew with her to Louisana, and he said she went from 28th after the swim to 14th after the bike then sixth overall when she finished.

“It was just a thrilling race to watch,” Mike Merryman said.

Mike Merryman and Spencer both

Not enough Flames fall in season finale at LCA Julie Deutsch jdeutsch@liberty.edu

The Liberty University women’s volleyball team (11-5) lost to Charleston Southern (8-7) in five sets with a fifth set score of 15-13 at the Liberty Christian Academy gymnasium Nov. 12.

Liberty won the first set 25-21. Liberty ended the first set with 13 kills, 10 errors, 35 total attempts and a 45 percent hitting success rate.

Charleston Southern won the second set 25-20.

The team’s attack resulted in 12 kills, two errors, 36 attempts and a 71 percent hitting success rate.

“We gave an entire set away with a couple of daggers and unforced errors,” Flames Head Coach Shane Pinder said.

Liberty won the third set 25-20. Liberty’s team attack ended with 18 kills, six errors, 39 total attempts and a 61 percent hitting success rate.

Pinder said Liberty held a strong momentum throughout the game. He was proud of the girls for staying strong until the end and fighting when it got tough.

Charleston Southern tied Liberty in the fourth set after a 25-20 win. They ended with 14 kills, two errors, 30 attempts and a 66 percent hitting success rate.

“It comes down to execution. We’ve talked game plan all week and did really good things at practice, and there are places we did not stay consistent in what we worked on all week,” Gragg said.

Charleston Southern took the lead and won the

last set 15-13. They had nine kills, three errors, 23 total attempts and a 61 percent hitting success rate.

“The toughest thing about the loss today is the better team didn’t win.

The better team for today did, and they protected the ball,” Pinder said.

There were nine lead changes, and the score was tied 20 times throughout the match.

Liberty will host the first round of the Big South Volleyball Championship Semifinals against High Point and the University of North Carolina Asheville Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Vines Center.

DEUTSCH is a sports reporter.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

STRETCH — Sophomore libero Margaret Latchford dove for the ball during the game.

Photo Provided

SIXTH — Merryman was joined by her father, Mike, (right) and coach Parker Spencer (left). voiced one quality of Megan Merryman’s they think also played a role in her success — her humility.

“The thing I love about her is every time she wins a race or does really well, she seems ten times more surprised than anybody else,” Spencer said.

Mike Merryman echoed the same thought.

“She often does not bring a lot of attention to herself,” Mike Merryman said. “She wants to give the glory to God.” Megan Merryman will compete during the spring semester with Liberty’s team, and she has applied for her pro-card in the meantime.

“She still has so much room to grow,” Spencer said. “I don’t even think we’ve tipped the surface with her potential.”

Spencer also competed in a draft-legal tri-

athlon the same morning, earning 11th place overall. Megan Merryman and Spencer raced Sunday as well in a dualthon — only biking and running — both placing second overall.

The ranking also earned the two a chance to go to the amateur 2017 Dualthon World Championship in Canada next August. Spencer qualified for the amateur Trialthon World Championship in the Netherlands next September as well.

“The whole experience was amazing,” Megan Merryman said. “It was probably one of the best weekends of my life.”

TILLER is the social media manager.

sports

B4 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Probable Probert Freshman kicker stands out in the Big South Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu

There is almost no day of the year I look forward to more than Thanksgiving. It’s by far my favorite holiday, and I have some of the best memories with my family around the dinner table stuffing our faces with food.

Shoutout to the Native Americans in 1621 for eating a meal with the Pilgrims instead of eating the Pilgrims for DILLARD the meal. Also, shoutout to Abraham Lincoln for declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1864. I do not want to diminish the work he did to help fight slavery, but the recognition of Thanksgiving as a national holiday is the key reason he is my favorite president. Honest Abe knew what he was doing.

This time of year brings about many things. Most notably, the leaves change colors and Liberty students carry pumpkin spice lattes around campus wearing flannels.

Hopefully you will take a step back and think about the things you are thankful for, whatever they may be.

Let us not forget about sports. Sports rule, and we should be more thankful for them now than ever before because who knows what their future may hold with an ever-developing emphasis placed on injuries and big meanies like NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanting to take the fun out of the game.

With that being said, I have composed a list of a few moments and legends in sports I am most thankful for.

First on my list is former NBA MVP Allen Iverson’s “practice” press conference. Iverson managed to say the word ‘practice’ 25 times in a press conference that was only a few minutes long.

Sometimes when I am bored, I just watch Iverson ask the media questions about why they are talking about practice at a press conference instead of a game. Iverson was one of my favorite players growing up as a kid, and now I can almost recite his legendary press conference word for word — just ask my friends — they are sick of it.

Second on my list is the Cubs finally winning a World Series. Look, if the Cubs can win the World Series, you can definitely ask out that girl in class you’ve been staring at all semester. Anything is possible. If she says no, there is no way you feel as bad as the fans of a professional team that went 108 years without a championship.

The Cubs pulled off a miracle and came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Indians in a legendary Game 7.

Cubs fans and that city deserved a championship, and now they finally have one.

Next on my list is Peyton Manning. There will never be another quarterback like Manning. He is down to earth, humble and could be the smartest individual to ever play the game of football.

He has the most NFL MVP awards with five, and two Super Bowl victories. I was so glad he got the chance to win another championship before he hung up his cleats last season. It was a perfect ending to a legendary career.

After a crazy weekend of college football that saw the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 teams fall in defeat, I am thankful for the unpredictability of college football. This weekend reminded me why I love it so much — because anything can happen any week of the season.

Underdogs pull off upsets. Favorites collapse under pressure. Possibly my favorite upset this year so far was Penn State beating Ohio State on a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown. That play was madness, and it was incredible.

These are just a few reasons why I am such a big sports fan.

I encourage everyone this Thanksgiving to take a slight break from chowing down on your turkey to spend time with loved ones. Go throw a football or play soccer in the backyard. Beat your old, grumpy uncle in a game of one-on-one.

Then promptly return to the pumpkin pie your grandmother made and eat all of it.

DILLARD is the sports editor.

Liberty University freshman football player Alex Probert grew up playing multiple football positions, but it was not until seventh grade when he realized his passion for kicking.

According to libertyflames.com, Probert has been recognized by the Big South Conference twice this season. He was awarded the Big South Special Teams Player of the Week after the Flames victory against Kennesaw State Oct. 15 and then was named the Big South Freshman of the Week following his game-winning field goal in overtime against GardnerWebb Oct. 29.

“As a specialist, I go into practice the whole week before a game and anticipate winning the game with a field goal,” Probert said. “I have to be mentally prepared for that.”

According to Probert, kickers are normally overlooked despite their influence during a game. However, Probert has already scored 77 points this season, breaking the record for most points scored by a freshman in program history.

“We go out onto the field after putting in a lot of work that people don’t see,” Probert said. “We do our best with the opportunities we’re given.”

In Liberty’s game against Gardner-Webb, Probert’s abilities were put to the test. The match was tied 20-20 in overtime, and Flames fans, teammates and coaches were relying on him to drain a field goal from 34 yards out.

“Going out there was daunting,” Probert said. “You just have to walk out there and clear your mind and focus on the process.”

Although Probert has kicked thousands of times during practice, he said he dedicates his performance to God before stepping out on the field.

Before and after each kick, Probert points upward, giving God the outcome of the play.

“Then I say, ‘It’s yours,’ and my mind goes blank,” Probert said.

Probert drained the field goal against Gardner-Webb, stretching Liberty’s record to 3-0 in the Big South.

Probert’s father, who attended Liberty 30 years ago, was a big influence in Probert’s decision to bring his talents to Liberty.

“I got on campus, went on a college tour, then kicked,” Probert said. “The biggest thing (about Liberty) was that it was Christ-centered.”

Probert said another reason for coming to Liberty was because of the vision Liberty had for its football program.

“We have a great athletic director (Jeff Barber) who gives

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

SMITH is a sports reporter.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

KICKER — Alex Probert has made 89 percent of his kicks.

New and improved Liberty tennis facility receives addional courts Julia Mabe jnmabe@liberty.edu

Liberty University added six new tennis courts to the Hershey-Esbenshade Tennis Complex this summer in order to further the growth of the NCAA Division I tennis program.

Jeff Maren, head coach of the women’s tennis team for the past five seasons, said these new courts will add more space and greater opportunities for the tennis program to grow.

“These new courts help with the intramurals and with different school events,” Maren said. “It also helps with LCA because they have practice out here on the courts and matches for their team. By having 18 courts it frees up more courts for the Liberty students to come out and play and not be hindered by our team practices or LCA’s team practices.”

The six new courts began construction during early summer 2016 and officially opened Sept. 2.

To earn approval for six additional courts, last year Maren spoke with Liberty Athletic Director Jeff Barber and Mickey Grady, who is in charge of facilities, to get the additions for the Cook Tennis Center approved.

“The fact (is that) we have gotten HOT continued from B1

QUICK — Senior guard Ray Chen dribbled past the defense.

us the best stuff to be successful,” Probert said. “We have a brand new facility popping up (near the practice field). Everything just felt right.”

Liberty’s previous kicker, John Lunsford, has been an important influence on Probert. During Lunsford’s college career, he was known for his powerful leg. He nailed a 60-yard field goal that made ESPN’s Sportscenter’s Top Ten Plays. “(Lunsford) was probably one of the best kickoff specialists in all of college football when he was here,” Probert said.

“He’s definitely a role model for me to have as far as what to aspire to in the goals I set.”

When he’s not on the football field kicking, Probert is occupied with his other hobbies. He said he loves to sing, read and practice poetry.

“I can play a little bit of piano,” Probert said. “I even said in an interview that I could sing opera.”

Probert said he has always been business-oriented, which influenced his decision to major in business management.

“Just being able to problem-solve within a company is definitely something I can see myself doing,” Probert said.

The football team will play its last conference game Nov. 17 against Coastal Carolina in Conway, South Carolina.

“I felt really comfortable out there,” Dawson said. “I loved getting back to playing basketball and competing against people who are not on my team and going at other players.”

Dawson said having a four-man rotation of big men will help the team and add to team balance and depth.

“Last year we had one big man and the rest of the guys were really guards,” Dawson said. “This year we have four big men and can rotate, and our big men are not just big

better, and we have gotten a lot better players to come in and play for us,” Maren said. “We have better results, better finishes in tournaments and better rankings. They see the growth in the program, and it would just make sense to add the facilities to add to the growth and the program and keep it going.”

The Hershey-Esbenshade Tennis Courts are open for any student or community member to practice on. Also, there are stadium lights to illuminate the courts for night tennis.

Women’s tennis team captain Evangeline Crist sees the benefits of the new courts early in this tennis season.

“The courts add so much more space for the team to be able to be practice at the same time as the men’s tennis team and for students to be able to enjoy the courts too,” Crist said.

The courts were built in three months and are open to the public, but have a few final additions to complete before they are game-day ready. New tennis court logos will be added to the courts, and windscreens, benches and water coolers will soon be installed. Once the final accessories are added, the courts will be ready for the spring season of tennis tournaments to begin.

Maren said there are more additions coming to the Cook Tennis Center facility. A patch of grass has been marked

men. They are really mobile.

That helps us match up a lot better with other teams.”

Dawson said that along with team balance, team chemistry will be a huge part of the Flames success this year.

“We all live on the same hall,” Dawson said. “We’re with each other 24/7, and we get to know each other so well. We start to learn where every guy wants the ball, whether someone will pass or shoot the ball and our tendencies. It puts faith and trust in one another when a relationship outside of basketball is built.”

McKay said he enjoys the

by Liberty for indoor tennis courts to be added next to the six new courts that were built this summer.

Currently the Flames tennis team uses The Sports Racket’s indoor tennis courts during the colder months to practice inside. Giancarlo Lemmi, assistant coach of the women’s tennis team for the past four years, said indoor courts on campus would only propel the team to achieve bigger and better goals faster. Lemmi said the courts allow for more practice time, better training facilities, and for the better schools to travel and play against Liberty on a home court.

“Driving 15 minutes to The Sports Racket during the winter is such a pain,” Crist said. “Having indoor courts right on campus would make all the players lives easier and save us a lot in gas money, too.

“Now that we have 18 courts on campus, we can host bigger tournaments, national championships, summer events and even pro tournaments in the future,” Lemmi said.

MABE is a guest writer.

atmosphere around his team, and it will translate to the way they play on the court.

“Our guys are working really hard,” McKay said.

“They’re really fun to coach, and I think we’re fun to watch too.”

The VCU Rams beat the Flames last year in Richmond, 85-57.

Dawson said he hopes to improve on the negative experience of last year’s game and come out with a better effort Tuesday.

“They put it on us last year,” Dawson said. “It’s kind of like a nightmare replaying in my head as I think about it, but this Tuesday

I’m hoping to turn it into a good dream and come out on top. We just have to worry about what we can control and not worry about other external factors.”

The Flames have a tough upcoming non-conference schedule as they face in-state foe VCU on Tuesday, Nov. 15 as well as Indiana Saturday, Nov. 20.

COCKES is a sports reporter.

feature

Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | B5

Out in the real world LU Send and study abroad offer students academic opportunities worldwide Siani Null snull@liberty.edu Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu

Through Liberty University’s Office of International Education and LU Send programs, Liberty students have had the opportunity to experience cultures from around the world.

Liberty’s Study Abroad Program was established in 2009, helping students live and learn abroad for up to a year in many countries.

LU Send was established last year in 2015, and through both of these programs, students have been placed around the world to fulfill both academic and personal opportunities.

Between LU Send’s short-term travel opportunities, and International Education’s long-term

study abroad options, both departments work together to manage all of the university’s international travel needs.

Julie Deutsch, a junior, was a member of LU Send’s first trip to Israel in spring 2016. The group she went with visited multiple biblical landmarks such as the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River and the Garden of Gethsemane.

Deutsch said the highlight of her trip was to be able to “stand where Jesus stood, walk where he preached and read his stories where they took place.” She said her favorite moment of the trip was when the group visited the Sea of Galilee.

“We all sat outside and just sang and worshiped and meditated,” Deutsch said. “Dr. (Ben) Gutierrez is a great speaker and really spoke to our hearts. We got to go out on a boat and watch a storm coming in.

There was this little stream of light coming out of the clouds (and) dancing on the water while we were singing, and it was so gorgeous.”

LU Send’s trips all have an academic base, according to associate director Brandon Milks. The trips, which allow students to learn about history and culture while allowing some sightseeing, are a “once-ina-lifetime opportunity,” according to Milks.

“We want to have our students see their degrees become global and just get out there and make a difference for the gospel,” Milks said. “I think our trips do that very well, and we have a good list of students who will go and eventually … study abroad.”

LU Send operates multiple short-term trips throughout the school year and summer that can often count for academic credit.

In the spring of 2017, trips will

Photo Provided

TRAVEL — LU Send offers academic group trips and study tours to students, including ones to Greece (pictured).

be offered to France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Israel, Palestine and Ukraine. In the summer, students will be able to go on trips to Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Guatemala or Romania.

According to Milks, the current goal for international trips is for students to experience an LU Send trip before participating in the natural progression to a longer study abroad program. Though they are encouraged, they are not required for a student who desires a semester or year-long study abroad experience.

Audrey Hammond, the director of International Education & Internships, said that around 150 Liberty students participate in a study abroad or international internship program each semester. According to Hammond, at some nearby schools, 25 percent of their student population are involved in a study abroad program, and Liberty is striving to meet this goal as they are working to get more students involved with the programs available.

One-hundred-twenty different countries are available for Liberty students to travel to, and Liberty works with multiple academic organization’s foreign schools to get each student to the country they desire to study in that also has classes that will work toward their degree completion plan here at Liberty.

According to Hammond, the department is working to change the current preconceptions that students may have toward studying abroad.

“A lot of people say, ‘I would love to study abroad, but I don’t want to fall behind,’ or ‘I would love to study abroad, but I don’t have the money,’” Hammond said.

“We have a lot of things in place to help. (You would) be taking 12-15 credit hours anyway, so why not do them overseas?”

Hammond also said financial

aid, student loans, and outside scholarships can be applied toward the cost of study abroad. Depending on the student’s major, there are grants and scholarships available outside of Liberty specifically for students who want to study abroad.

Hammond herself, when she was an undergraduate student eight years ago, went on a shortterm trip to China with Liberty, and then later decided to complete a more long-term internship in Brazil for her major. Because of these experiences, she encourages others to go on an extended international trip.

“I mean, why not?” Hammond said. “Students grow spiritually, academically and in maturity because other countries teach differently than we do. You really stretch yourself, you learn who you are, and you find your independence.”

Students who participate in study abroad programs gain important experiences that can help them in their future careers, according to Hammond.

“People who take advantage of programs like this have an 86 percent higher job placement after they graduate because it shows they take initiative,” Hammond said.

“Employers know that when you learn to live in a different country … it makes you a different person.”

Liberty students interested in studying abroad, international internships or LU Send trips can visit liberty.edu/academics/studyabroad.

NULL is a feature reporter.

MOYER is the feature editor.

’Tis the season to be jolly 46th annual Virginia Christmas Spectacular opens Nov. 30 at Thomas Road Erin Covey ercovey@liberty.edu

Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) is taking audiences back to a 1940s Christmas in New York City for its 46th annual Virginia Christmas Spectacular this holiday season.

“Jingle in the City,” a musical drama which follows the adventures of a group of young orphans in the city, will be showing at TRBC from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. The first showing on Wednesday, Nov. 30 is free for Liberty University students as well as friends and family of cast members.

Producer and Director Lorie Marsh said the church is expecting around 30,000 people to come to the six performances.

“It’s a way for creative people within the church body to be able to do a great Christmas production and also be an outreach to the community,” Marsh said.

Marsh, who is directing the Virginia Christmas Spectacular for the ninth year in a row, wrote “Jingle in the City” in 2009 with stage director and current forensics coordinator at Liberty Denise Thomas. Marsh has been involved with creating dramas and musical productions for churches across the country for about 30 years.

Marsh said producing an original, two-hour show would normally take several

years. However, the cast and crew for this production goes through this process almost every year.

“You can’t go out and buy a show like this,” Marsh said. “You can find them for Broadway, but they’re not shows for churches. If we were going to do it, we were going to have to write something original.”

Each year, Marsh and Thomas focus on writing a story that contains themes relevant to the audience. The orphaned main characters in “Jingle in the City” struggle with finding a place where they belong. Marsh believes that theme of belonging will translate to the audience.

“We always try to have our main characters experience a conflict that people sitting out there in the audience struggle with in their own life,” Marsh said. “No matter how much we have, we can still be very lonely. There’s something lacking in our life if we don’t have that relationship with God.” More than 500 cast and crew members, which includes an onstage cast of 120, are involved in the production.

In addition, the Virginia Christmas Spectacular features the Living Christmas Tree each year. The Living Christmas Tree is a massive part of the set filled with TRBC’s choir members.

“It’s a truly gorgeous set,” Marsh said. “The Living

Christmas Tree is 37 feet high, and it has 250,000 lights on it.”

Marsh said about 100 Liberty students are involved with “Jingle in the City.” Members of the Liberty Marching Band along with many dancers, musicians and actors from Liberty will be a part of this year’s production.

The dance cast has especially benefited from the involvement of several stu-

dents, Marsh said.

“They make up such a large portion of our dance cast particularly,” Marsh said. “The level of excellence in the dance cast has really risen over the last few years.”

However, Marsh hopes that Liberty students and other members of the community will come out to see “Jingle in the City” this year.

“It’s a great way to kick off the Christmas season,” Marsh said. “There is really

nothing like (it) anywhere within hundreds of miles.”

Beneath the dazzling lights and Christmas carols, Marsh hopes that audiences will hear the same themes that are preached at TRBC on Sunday mornings.

“What we care about the most is that it has a strong gospel message to it,” Marsh said. “Audiences hear the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that has relevance to their lives today.”

The show will have two matinee performances Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, along with evening performances Dec. 1, 2 and 3.

Ticket costs range from $5 - $15 and can be purchased at virginiachristmasspectacular.com.

COVEY is a feature writer.

Photo Provided

FESTIVE — Liberty students play an important role in the production each year, including the 2008 Spectacular (pictured).

feature

B6 | November 15, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Shocked and surprised LU Online student awarded $25,000 on “The Ellen Show” Erin Covey ercovey@liberty.edu

When Liberty online student Amber Thomas won tickets to “The Ellen Show,” she had no idea she would end up as a special guest on the show and be the recipient of $25,000.

The 24-year-old online college student who lives in San Diego, California, was recognized in October 2016 by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and guest co-host Kevin Hart for her work ethic and her service to the community.

“The producers afterward were laughing at me because when they were describing the person (in the audience), I was just looking around trying to figure out who it was, not realizing it was myself,” Thomas said. “The things that I have done and the things I have accomplished I just see as part of my life.”

Thomas spends her days working multiple jobs and volunteering at a youth center while being a full-time college student. Although her daily schedule typically goes from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m., she still enjoys watching “The Ellen Show” regularly.

“I come home, and I watch your show just to revive myself,” Thomas said about DeGeneres on the show.

DeGeneres gave Thomas hundreds of dollars in gift cards along with a MacBook Air. Afterward, DeGeneres presented her with a $25,000 check from Shutterfly to help pay for her tuition.

Thomas, who started taking Liberty Online classes in 2015, was initially unsure about attending Liberty due to the cost.

“When I got accepted to Liberty, I was very stressed out about the cost of tuition,” Thomas said.

“I struggled with the fact that I really wanted to finish my degree at Liberty University, but I also didn’t want to have a significant amount of student loans after graduation.”

However, Thomas will now be able to graduate in 2018 without any student loans due to the money she received.

As a business administration major, Thomas’ dream is to own her own business one day to serve the community.

“My goal is to own a Chick-fil-A one day, which is one of the places I’m currently working at,” Thomas said.

In addition to working at least 40 hours a week at Chick-fil-A, Thomas works two to three days each week at Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization that teaches young students financial and entrepreneurial skills.

Throughout her life, Thomas has spent thousands of hours in volunteer service. As the daughter of a military service member, Thomas has moved across the country several times. She now serves the military community at Murphy Canyon Youth Center, a recreation center for families and children.

“I’ve been volunteering there since I was about 13 as a youth sports coach,” Thomas said. “I was one of those children, and without something to do and some guidance, you can easily become lost — especially without having a parent around.”

As Thomas works to financially support her family and stays awake long hours to finish her own studies, she said she does become exhausted and worn down. However, her experience on “The Ellen Show” has caused her to realize the long-term value of all her efforts.

“Everyone’s focus has been on the fact that I’ve gotten $25,000,” Thomas said. “But my focus has been on the fact that it really put in perspective the things that I have done in life.”

Photo Provided

MARCH — The Spirit of the Mountain boasts 230 members and is led by 10 upperclassmen band officers and their band directors.

Go the distance

Liberty’s marching band displays musical excellence Ryan Klinker rmklinker@liberty.edu

A marching band brings more than music to a venue.

As a result of the rumbling drums and the brilliant horns sounding through the air, there is a tangible fervor and spirit that fills anyone in attendance. This spirit can be seen in the audience listening to Liberty University’s own marching band, The Spirit of the Mountain.

Holding a company of 230, the Spirit of the Mountain seeks to entertain and exhibit musical excellence to the audience of thousands who come to Liberty’s football games each week. Dr. Stephen Kerr, the band’s director, admired the effort and dedication from his musicians.

“The band is a family — we work hard together and play hard together,” Kerr said.

“This is a group of students who are talented, committed to excellence, sacrifice their personal time and energy to be a part of something greater than any person can by themselves, and do not seek to gain accolades or personal notoriety, but benefit the whole en-

CONCERT continued from B8 Rinehart shared his gratitude with the audience for being another concert in the tour that made his childhood dream a reality after years of hard work and struggle in the early

semble.”

With a large number of performers and such a high standard to maintain, there comes a need for responsible leaders who enjoy what they do, and the band’s 10 officers are exactly that. Sophomore Abigail Summers, one of the band’s officers, has enjoyed her experience as a member of the band and the many opportunities it has afforded her.

“Getting to know more members through being an officer has been incredible, and it is so easy to serve these men and women who I love and who love God,” Summers said. “The Lord has blessed us abundantly, providing us with top-of-the-line equipment, staff and facilities to work with.”

Apart from regular appearances at Liberty’s athletic and community events, the band also hosts various band festivals and competitions for the state of Virginia and surrounding areas, and its Wind Symphony has performed across the country. Kerr, who has been the band director for 16 years and a member of Liberty’s music program for 26 years, said the band is

days of the band.

“I had a dream since I was a kid of playing some huge arena that’s absolutely packed,” Rinehart said. “We think we’ve played almost 2,000 shows as a band — and most of them were in really ratty clothes and places where people were sweating on us and all that. As weird and cra-

constantly trying to expand themselves and spread its reach into the community.

“We seek to honor the Lord in all we do: provide for social maturation and leadership opportunities, serve the community via performance and other means such as food drives with the Blue Ridge Food Bank, to partnering with the local public schools for marching band festivals in our … stadium,” Kerr said.

In all of these many opportunities to perform and interact with their community, the band members make sure to routinely take the time to gather together before God prior to rehearsals and games.

According to Summers, the band members gather behind the Hancock Welcome Center before every home game, play “Be Thou My Vision,” and pause to pray for both one another and their upcoming performance.

“From section leaders to directors to other officers and regular members there is so much support not only musically, but also spiritually,” Summers said. “Getting to learn under directors and upperclassmen who are so experienced and who love the

zy as that time was, we kind of miss it.”

NEEDTOBREATHE was joined on stage by members of Clevelandbased Welshly Arms for additional instrumentation and backing vocals for their nearly 20-song set list.

Combined with songs from the opening acts, the full concert set list consisted

Lord so much has been indescribable.”

In regards to the band’s spiritual theme for the fall — “Go the Distance” — Kerr cited 1 Timothy 6:11-12, which says, “Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.”

Striving for more than greatness in musicianship, every person involved in the Spirit of the Mountain seeks to entertain and expand their abilities along with their spiritual beliefs.

Students can apply to audition to join the marching band and learn more about the band by visiting liberty. edu/band.

KLINKER is a feature reporter.

of nearly 40 songs.

After three months on the road and 53 cities, NEEDTOBREATHE and the rest of the compadres can finally put a cap on the tour.

“On behalf of the band — and all the rest of the bands, to be honest with you — we just think that it is absolutely stupid that we get to

do this every night for a living,” Rinehart said.

“After tonight, I’m going home to sleep for like three weeks.”

FRATICELLI is a feature reporter.

COVEY is a feature reporter.

Photo Provided

SURPRISE — DeGeneres presented Thomas’ check.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

HARD LOVE — The audience packed the Vines Center for the last leg of the Tour de Compadres, selling out the venue.

feature

Liberty Champion | November 15, 2016 | B7

Bold roasting, no boasting Third Wave Coffee offers unique flavor blends inspired by a heart for missions Kirkland Gee kgee10@liberty.edu

Jimmy Thomas always wanted to spend his life doing missions work, but after meeting a missionary couple in China who used their coffee shop as a way to minister to the people there, he was inspired to do the same.

“Originally, I was really interested in going to China for missions, and basically,

in order to go to China, since it’s a closed access country, you have to either do business missions or be an English teacher, and I didn’t want to be an English teacher,” Thomas said.

But after three visits to the intensive care unit, 24 EpiPen injections, 20 episodes of anaphylaxis and countless doctor’s visits, Thomas had to reevaluate where his life was headed and what God was calling him to do.

Thomas had contracted an autoimmune

Caroline Sellers| Liberty Champion

CAFFEINATE — Third Wave Coffee offers distinctive drink blends and roasts from ethically-sourced locations.

disease commonly known as ACIU, which causes the immune system to attack itself.

“I was at UVA, and these are some of the best doctors in the world,” Thomas said.

“I’m in the ICU, but they still don’t know.

When you are stripped of everything you have and you’re stripped of all your power, that’s the time when you either question and get angry at God, or you say, ‘No, I trust in your plan.’”

Because of his disease, he was no longer physically able to go to China, but he still wanted to do something with coffee. After seeking counsel from his mentors and praying for God to reveal his will, he began the process of planning and preparing to open a coffee shop here in Lynchburg.

Third Wave Coffee, the first shop of its kind in this area, opened Aug. 22 at 16955 Forest Road and holds its coffee to a higher standard than a typical Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, attempting to bring the coffee scene of a city such as Portland or Seattle here.

Thomas explained that the shop is named after a movement of coffee that began in 2007 called the “third wave” of coffee. It is a shift in the way roasters make coffee that focuses on bringing out more flavors than are typically found in commodity coffee.

“I started realizing that there’s other kinds of flavor notes like citrus notes or having a nice acidity to it instead of just being some bitter, carbonated drink,” Thomas said.

The modern shop features a variety of pour-over roasts including Costa Rican, Colombian and Guatemalan.

Their Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeo is one of Thomas’ favorites. It combines floral and citrus flavor notes to create what one of the employees described as a blueberry flavor — the same flavor of coffee that inspired Thomas to open Third Wave.

Third Wave sources all its coffee from small farmers, who they feature on their website and in photos in the shop. Thomas said that from the start, they wanted to sup-

SODEXO SPOTLIGHT Position/Years with Sodexo: 5 years with Sodexo as Campus Executive Chef.

MICHAEL LOWE

Favorite Meal on Campus: Roasted chicken bacon ranch pizza at Woodfire.

port farmers in countries such as Ethiopia and Guatemala.

“Even if the coffee costs us twice or three times as much money, which it does, that’s okay because we’re going to make sure that these farmers are paid well enough to feed their families,” Thomas said.

Adding to Third Wave’s missional focus, they are currently working on getting into the Forest Farmer’s Market to hand out free coffee samples and pray with people.

“In America, everyone knows about God, they have an opinion about God, so you don’t just go and say, ‘Oh, let me tell you about God,’” Thomas said. “But if you build a relationship with them, that’s a huge part of showing them love and showing them kindness.”

Forrest Navarre, general manager of Third Wave, said he and Thomas have been friends for years and worked together at a different coffee shop before opening Third Wave.

“Immediately upon hiring you could just tell this kid had a passion for coffee,” Navarre said. “He always strived to bring that quality to the coffee there. The more you talk to somebody, the more you realize their passions. You can see that this is something he enjoys. He’s researching, studying and perfecting the art.”

Navarre said it was a privilege to be able to see one his best friend’s dreams come to fruition.

“He’s going to do what he has to from a business aspect, but his heart is in the coffee,” Navarre said. “If he could, he would let me take care of all the business stuff and he would just spend his time roasting.”

GEE is a copy editor.

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Reber-Thomas Dining Hall • 1971 University Blvd. • (434) 582-2262 • www.LibertyDining.com

B8

FEATURE

November 15, 2016

rockin’ out

Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion

JAMMIN’ — NEEDTOBREATHE guitarist Bo Rinehart (left) joined Mat Kearney (right), Welshly Arms and Parachute at the Vines Center Nov. 12 for the final show of their tour.

Singing oh, happiness ‘Tour de Compadres’ concludes with multi-act concert at Vines Center Nathaniel Fraticelli nlfraticelli@liberty.edu

Parents, high school students visiting for College for a Weekend, Liberty University students and community members alike gathered in the Vines Center Saturday, Nov. 12 to see Christian rock band NEEDTO-

BREATHE and its notable opening acts for the final night of the Tour de Compadres.

For opening acts Welshly Arms, Parachute and Mat Kearney, this was their first time at Liberty University. Liberty’s Vines Center was the Tour de Compadres’ final destination on a journey of 53 venues.

“This is the last show ever of this tour,” Kearney said. “We’re going out (with) a bang. We’ve been practicing and practicing

for this right here. We’ve never played a better show than this one.”

During their set, Kearney and his band covered songs from popular groups such as Twenty One Pilots and U2. Charlottesvillebased group Parachute also covered popular artists including The Chainsmokers, in addition to their set of original material.

The tour came in the wake of NEEDTOBREATHE’s sixth studio album release.

“We put this record out called ‘Hard Love’ a few months ago,” Bear Rinehart, NEEDTOBREATHE frontman said. “We are absolutely in the best place we’ve ever been as a band.”

NEEDTOBREATHE performed multiple songs from their newest album, including “Money & Fame,” “Happiness” and “Great Night.”

See CONCERT, B6

Playing in the limelight Charlottesville-based band Parachute talks music, success and touring Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu

Since 2006, Parachute has been performing across the world at various venues to sold-out crowds. Their song “She is Love” reached No. 14 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40

chart, and they have toured with Kelly Clarkson, The Script, All-American Rejects and others throughout the years.

Most recently, the band toured with NEEDTOBREATHE and Mat Kearney on the “Tour de Compadres” lineup.

With four studio albums out — all having charted on the Billboard 200 — Parachute

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

GROOVE— Will Anderson (pictured) serenaded the audience at the Tour de Compadres.

has reached international success. The band has toured across North America, the United Kingdom and Europe — far cries from Charlottesville, Virginia, where the band was formed.

The lead singer of Parachute, Will Anderson, has been a part of the band since its beginning. Originally known as “Sparky’s Flaw,” the band was signed in 2007 to its first record label while the band members were still in college.

While the band’s genre has changed over the years, Anderson describes the band’s current sound as “acoustic-driven soulful pop-rock.” Although the band has achieved a great deal of success, it began with the same humble beginnings as most other bands.

Anderson had advice for those beginning their musical careers. He said that building a local fan base is a key component to a band’s success.

“Go play a great show with some good songs, and make sure that people come out to your shows,” Anderson said. “That’s way easier … than trying to break through all the noise on the internet.”

Anderson recommends that bands start locally and sell out shows in their hometowns when they are establishing themselves. According to Anderson, songwriting is also an important part of being in a band, and he believes that aspiring musicians should write music every day.

In his own music, Anderson includes both an empathetic and a personal side so that he can have a conversation with the listener.

“My goal is always to be as authentic as

possible,” Anderson said. “Authenticity is such a hard thing to find, (and) real life is nothing to shy away from.”

For Anderson, his inspiration for songwriting comes from everyday life. Anderson said that “there’s always a kernel of truth” in his songs, and that for him, songwriting is a way to write about what is happening to him while also telling a story.

In March 2016, Parachute released a new album entitled “Wide Awake,” and have been on their Wide Awake tour since the release.

The tour concluded in November, but another tour is being planned with fan-created set lists and more intimate venues, with a stop in the band’s hometown planned for April.

In all of the band’s success, Anderson said that it all stems back to God. “It’s just truly an unbelievable ride that can only be described as providential,” Anderson said. “(We were) so naively optimistic growing up, being in high school and being in a band. Every time that something goes wrong, it’s amazing how much he shows that we’re not in charge and we don’t have control of everything — especially when it comes to our careers. It’s been a wild ride, … and there’s no way that we could be doing this on our own and get to this point.”

Parachute’s music is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Google Play. Tour information and updates on the band can be found at weareparachute.com.

MOYER is the feature editor.