Lecrae draws sold-out crowd March 22
Softball sweeps Presbyterian College B1
B8
LIBERTY CHAMPION Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Today: Sunny 50/31 Tomorrow: Sunny 48/31
libertychampion.com
Volume 30 • Issue 18
Proposed budget
spring?
Lauren Creekmore lcreekmore@liberty.edu
Ashley McAlpin | Liberty Champion
MARCH MADNESS — A blast of winter weather left the courtyard’s ornamental cherry trees covered with more than six inches of snow.
Campus Safety Act moves on Proposal seeking to increase campus safety nationwide goes to Senate Dylan Friberg dwfriberg@liberty.edu
The Campus Safety Act championed by Virginia’s Sen. Mark Warner passed the U.S Judiciary Committee Tuesday, March 12, showing strong bipartisan support with a vote of 14-4. Coming on the heels of the Sandy Hook massacre, this act would create an easy solution to increasing the safety of school campuses nationwide.
The act outlines a plan to provide grants for higher education institutions to increase research and implementation of security measures, as well as to create a “National Center for Campus Public Safety” to share successful practices and strategies between schools. “In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre and violence at campuses across the country, we should be able to take common sense steps to make sure we are provid-
ing the safest possible campus environment,” Warner said in a press release. “The Campus Safety Act creates a onestop shop for quality research that will allow us to share best practices from around the country.” The act will now move on to a full Senate vote sometime in April before it can be implemented, according to a press release by Sen. Warner. The act is part of a bill from Majority Leader Harry
Reid addressing gun violence, which will also be brought to the floor in April. The center of shared knowledge that this act would create is based on a crowd-source mentality that would encourage colleges and universities to share their best ideas for effective security measures with each other, according to Warner’s press release. If the act passes with a
See SAFETY, A8
Lynchburg City Manager Kimball Payne announced the City of Lynchburg’s proposed budget for 2014 on March 12. The budget includes funding for many different areas in the city, according to Payne’s proposal. “We’ve had a number of difficult budgets over the last four years, especially January of 2009,” Payne said. “We’ve made a number of adjustments, such as cutting spending and erasing tax increases in the new budget and including a pay raise.” According to Payne, the proposed budget includes money for the general, capital, airport, water, sewer and storm water funds, among others. Without the beginning funds and transfers between them, the total amounts to $318.1 million. The 2014 budget is different than previous budgets. The 2013 budget proposal totaled $294.6 million, and the 2012 budget amounted to $306.6 million. The obvious increase between the budget proposals is due to more spending on capital projects, fleet expenditures and the general fund. According to Payne, the main goal for the new budget proposal was to maintain a level of services, public safety and fire emergency rescue services, as well as to improve parks and the city in general. This budget mainly affects teachers, schools and city employees, Payne said. The proposed budget supports an acrossthe-board pay increase for city and school employees for the first time since 2008. “After several years of very challenging budgets, it may be reasonable to ask how we have arrived at this place,” Payne said. “We are not in this position by happenstance. The last four years have been characterized by diligence and discipline, by sacrifice, and by tough decisions such as cutting positions and raising taxes.” In the proposal meeting, the Lynchburg city council said that they would work to ensure an environment in which all of the residents of Lynchburg are free to pursue their dreams, hopes and aspirations through a commitment to meet the public’s needs. If approved, Payne’s proposal will take effect July 1, 2013 and remain in effect until June 30, 2014. The city council will vote on the proposed budget several weeks from now, following numerous public meetings and discussions. CREEKMORE is a news reporter.
Teddy bears bring smiles to hospitalized kids Emily Hoosier eahoosier@liberty.edu
Those who have seen playpens littering the DeMoss hallways this past week can rest any ideas about a new Liberty University Day Care. Liberty’s chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society made them available for peers, faculty and staff to donate teddy bears and other stuffed animals for hospitalized children. ALD Head President Rebecca Smith and other chapter officers delivered these teddy bears to the
Centra Health Pediatric Center at Lynchburg General Hospital Thursday, March 21. This year’s annual Teddy Bear Drive moved students and faculty to donate more than 150 stuffed teddy bears, giraffes and monkeys. According to ALD faculty advisor Marilyn Gadomski, this amount of teddy bears — although impressive — was slightly less than the usual amount collected. Gadomski also said that the honor society will gather more stuffed animals next week from
Liberty’s online student community. “I think it is awesome,” Smith said. Smith is in her second year at Liberty and will finish this December. She said that this is the first year she has participated in the Teddy Bear Drive. Gadomski, Smith and ALD Administrative Advisor Bessie Grayson loaded the gifts and delivered them to Pam Enochs, a nurse who accepted the bags of
See ALD, A2
Kamryn Reynolds | Liberty Champion
COMPANION — ALD members collected stuffed animals to give to children in the Centra Health Pediatric Center.
INSIDE THE CHAMPION News Pastor Judah Smith of The City Church addressed students March 20. A3
Sports
The men’s and women’s basketball teams competed in March Madness. B1
Feature Tenth Avenue North is set to perform in the Vines Center B8 Friday, April 12.
News Opinion Sports Feature
A1 A4 B1 B8
NEWS
A2/Liberty Champion
March 26, 2013
Health master’s offered New program equips students to impact
Mark Tait mtait@liberty.edu
The aim for Liberty University’s new master’s in public health program is to train students to impact the world through their future careers, according to Richard Lane, the founder and director of the master’s in public health program. Lane said the new degree prepares students for work in preventing disease, not only treating it. “We saw … how we could utilize this degree to reach out to nations in need and use it as a platform to spread the Gospel,” Lane said. The new program began with 22 students taking an online environmental health course in the fall of 2011, according to Lane, but it has grown to include 740 online students and 33 residential. Students are taught by 53 online faculty members as well as several residential professors. Lane also said that he looks forward to graduating the first class of the young program. This May, nine students will receive their master’s degree in public health from Liberty. According to Lane, he is excited to see these students impact the world. “We’re embracing public health, and we’re going full force at it,” Lane said. “We’re doing it so others can embrace the love of Christ. That’s the whole reason we’re doing this.” In order to graduate, each student must complete a practicum, and public health students meet this requirement through various means around the world. “It’s basically putting everything they have learned into practice,” Lane said. According to him, nine students are currently completing practicums in Virginia as well as in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and even Korea. Lane has done a variety of public health work that he hopes to implement into the program. He recently took a trip to Trinidad, where he corresponded with physicians from Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica. Lane is also developing a practicum in Guyana and may send students to the country to combat problems of malnutrition in the nation. “We hope to work at getting people in critical countries, where there’s a need to do public health work … working with governments to solve real problems, real health issues, and, through that, earn the right and the platform to be able to share personally, with people in high positions in other governments, about their faith,” he said. According to Lane, the idea for the master’s of public health program originated when he met Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. in Louisiana in 1985. Lane told Falwell about public health, and Falwell mentioned the idea of one day starting a program. “He was such a visionary,” Lane said. “He saw the medical school that’s going up on the mountain, and I think … he saw a school of public health coming up, and we are in the infancy of doing that. I think God’s saying, ‘Well done.’” TAIT is a news reporter.
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
Students take in communion CELEBRATION — Students participate in the ceremonial service that recognizes the sacrifice of Christ.
Cecilia Hines
chines2@liberty.edu
Liberty University students celebrated Christ’s sacrifice by taking part in communion during the weekly Campus Church service Wednesday, March 20. Worship Pastor Justin Kintzel and the Campus Praise Band led thousands of students in worship throughout the night. Afterwards, Johnnie Moore taught from the Book of Mark and discussed the significance of the Last Supper and the impact of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for all. Moore also instructed students to remember
the ordinance of baptism as instructed in the Bible. “Why do you think God gave us instructions to take communion? So we will remember the sacrifices of Christ,” Moore said. “Communion allows us an opportunity to assess our lives in light of the cross. It’s a time of unity for the body of Christ and a time to remember that Jesus has freed us of sin and given us a new and better life. Communion presses the pause button on lesser things, so that we have the space to look inside our hearts again and remember how we’ve been loved and
changed by Jesus.” Clips from the History Channel’s mini-series “The Bible,” including un-aired scenes, were shown after Moore spoke to help illustrate points in his sermon. “Showing the clips from ‘The Bible’ miniseries was a great visual rendition of Christ’s sacrifice for us, and it added a lot to the visual emphasis of the communion ceremony,” Liberty graduate student Colby Tallafuss said. According to Liberty junior Devan Mello, this is the third year he has attended communion at the university. “I think that com-
In memory of the Civil War
Daniel Bartlett
dbartlett@liberty.edu
Spectators took a step back in time Thursday, March 21 as they listened to Civil War songs performed by the 97th Regimental String Band in DeMoss Hall 1113. As 7 p.m. rolled around, seats were packed with grandparents, parents and students coming to get a glimpse of the history. According to their website, the 97th Regimental String Band specializes in music from the 1800s and the Civil War era. The group consists of three performers who have been working together for 30 years. Using the bass, guitar and mandolin, the 97th played songs ranging from those sung by Confederate and Union troops on the front lines and in war camps, to music surveying the different cultures of the troops — including German and Irish soldiers. “When people think of Civil War music, automatically they think of the death and the dying, but you couldn’t be more
Kyle Milligan | Liberty Champion
MUSIC — The 97th Regimental String Band performs in DeMoss Hall. wrong,” Moock said. “The soldiers sang a lot of songs about home, God, mothers, apple pie, doorknobs and anything that struck their fancy.” After each song, the three performers entertained the crowd with jokes, poems and stories from the Civil War time period, all bringing laughter and applause. According to Moock, the group originally started playing together as a hobby, beginning with songs sung around the campfire after Civil War re-enactments. It was a slow start, with shows mostly confined to malls and libraries, but
as the word spread, so did their venues. One of the entertainers known only as Mad Dog said that in 1996, the 97th was performing more than four shows a month, taking them to places all across the United States. The songs sung by the 97th are actual songs found from old music sheets as well as from the diaries of Civil War soldiers, according to Moock. “We’ve always tried to sound like what we think the soldiers sounded like when they sung these songs,” Moock said. Some of the songs
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they played included “Bonnie Blue Flag” and “Sad Tale of the Plantation” — where the phrase Jimmy cracked corn comes from — as well as “Dixie,” which got most spectators on their feet as they danced and clapped along. As part of the evening’s entertainment, the band informed listeners about the Civil War Era throughout the night. “It’s not our music, but your music, and it always has been,” Moock said. BARTLETT is a news reporter.
take the time to remember, then what are we doing?” Kintzel said. According to Kintzel, members of student leadership and students seeking Christian service hours helped set up the cross-shaped table that held communion. Other students were involved in the service as ushers or technical production helpers. Moore ended his sermon by urging students to examine themselves before taking communion and to honor Jesus by remembering his broken body and sacrifice. HINES is a news reporter.
ALD continued from A1 gifts for the children. Among the teddy bears was box of coloring books and crayons. “Oh, we could definitely use those,” Enochs said. According to Enochs, as long as the nurses have them in stock, they give each child a set of crayons and a coloring book in addition to a teddy bear. “If there’s a birthday or special something going on, they might get another one,” Enochs said. One of the nurses who helped unpack the donations said that the children get so excited when they find a stuffed animal sitting on their bed. Imitating a child, she said, “Oh, this is for me? I get to keep this?” “They do brighten up so much,” Cathy Goad, pediatric center manager, confirmed. “It brightens up their day.” HOOSIER is a news reporter.
The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University. All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received—according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement.
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munion is one of the most important parts of your relationship with God,” Mello said. “At home, I don’t usually go to church because of work, so this is one of the only times all year I get to take communion, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to do so.” Kintzel also stressed the importance of communion in a Christian’s life. “We are commanded as a body to take communion, and as a Christian university, Campus Church is when we come together as a body and be a community of believers. Christ is what we center our lives around, and if we don’t
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NEWS
March 26, 2013
Liberty Champion/A3
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
TRUTH — The City Church pastor Judah Smith, who happens to be Justin Bieber’s pastor, urged students in Convocation to be who God created them to be.
Judah Smith ignites passion among crowd Students filled the Vines Center Wednesday, March 20, to hear the “Jesus is___� author preach on self-worth
Melanie Oelrich moelrich@liberty.edu
“Be who you really are.� These five words rang through the Liberty University Vines Center Wednesday, March 20, as Pastor Judah Smith addressed a full crowd about what it means to have worth and to appreciate life as a gift. Smith, the lead pastor of The City Church in Seattle, Wash., described a conversation he had with his son, who told him that he was ready to fulfill his duties as a Smith. “You are a son by birth — you just became a Smith,� he said in response to his son. “It was a gift
— accept it, enjoy it, but please do not offend me by trying to hurt (the name). Be who you really are.� Smith’s newest book, “Jesus Is ____: Find a New Way to Be Human,� skyrocketed in pre-sales thanks to a shout-out from Justin Bieber, who Smith has known personally for about three years, according to Christian Post. “So proud of my pastor,� Bieber wrote on Instagram, including a picture of Smith’s book. “Judah is the best speaker of our generation. Read this book — you won’t regret it.� In his new book, Smith considers John 1 to be the foundation of defining who Jesus is.
“Jesus is grace and truth,� Smith said in an interview with the Christian Post. “Grace is always first in the biblical order, and obviously I’m one of those guys that believe that even the order of the wording in Scripture is completely inspired and divine. I think Jesus is grace, truth and love. Obviously, there’s so much in there to unpack, but grace is always first.� During the Convocation service, Smith joked with the crowd, saying that he needed prayer, because he was one of only five Christians living in Seattle. “The way I see it is, Seattle is a very black-and-white culture, so why not be a missionary in your
own backyard? It’s a place that is in need, too,� Smith said. “Being a missionary doesn’t mean you need a band or a pulpit backing you up — just be who God’s called you to be and do what he’s gifted you to do.� Smith also said that the purpose of his new book is to spread the name of Jesus to those who do not know him. “As a community in Seattle, we want to make Jesus a big deal,� Smith said. “(The ‘Jesus Is ____’ theme based on Luke 15) started out as a 30-day series at church, and then it evolved into billboards, bumper stickers and magnets. We started to see people’s lives change, and we put it
in the local paper so that people knew what was happening in our community.� According to Smith, human beings cannot find their worth in the world they live in, but in the image they were created in. “God loves you,� Smith said. “He doesn’t need you, but he wants you and he loves you. But the only thing that impresses God is his son, and that’s why it’s impossible to please God without faith. All of us who trust Jesus are pleasing to God.�
OELRICH is the news editor.
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STOP Join the local CROP Hunger Walk to
....one step at a time.
Walk Details DATE:
Sunday, April 14, 2013
LOCATION:
St. John’s Episcopal Church off Rivermont Ave
REGISTRATION:
1:00 p.m. | Walk starts at 2:00 p.m. The Walk will go from the church down Bedford to the end and back up Rivermont and then by Randolph light. There will be rocking chairs provided for people to Rock the Walk who cannot walk.
To sign up online or join our team, visit the link below! www.crophungerwalk.org/lynchburgva Sodexo at Liberty
OPINION
March 26, 2013
March madness is a slam dunk Andrew Woolfolk
alwoolfolk@liberty.edu
I am a man of tradition. Every year around the middle of March, my daily routine is always the same. To some, the terms “Selection Sunday,” “The Big Dance” and “bracketology” sound like alien vernacular. But to me, all of the madness — March Madness, that is — makes sense. To those confused by these terms, they refer to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. For sports fans, it is hard to find a sporting event more intriguing and rewarding than the 68-team, single elimination tournament that the collegiate basketball’s playoff system offers. We love the fact that you cannot have an “off ” game. For your team to win the title, there are no complicated requirements, no mention of home-field advantage, no unnecessary reliance on statistics not directly correlated to success, such as point differential. All they have to do is shut up and win. Fans love that. We love the fact that at any given game, an unsung school like Lehigh University or Norfolk State University can knock down powerhouse programs like Duke University and the University of Missouri. And although Liberty did not make it past the first round of
March Madness has no glaring flaw, like other playoff systems. Major League Baseball has the bizarre home-field advantage rule in the World Series. The NBA lets in too many teams. Personally, I have never found a college football fan who would say the BCS is the pinnacle of human achievement. And though the NFL is the closest to matching the magic of March, it still seems too easy for a team to get on a hot streak near the end of the season and steal the trophy. March Madness is the only tournament that gets devout, casual and even non-sports fans to sit down, look at a piece of paper with teams strewn across with a jagged group of lines and spend the next 10 minutes or so filling it out. So, as you sit back for the next few weeks, watching the tournament come to a close with your bracket resting right beside you, Andrew Woolfolk | Liberty Champion do not get discouraged if your BRACKETS — No matter how frustrated basketball fans get year after year, filling out the March Mad- team loses or your bracket gets ness brackets is a tradition for almost everyone. destroyed. Next year, another bracket will be out, and you will this year, that does not stop the corny yet emotionally-charged only to crumple them up just a almost assuredly be sucked back Flames faithful from thinking video montage at the end of few hours after the tournament into the system, no matter how about that one day when we in- every tournament. There is has begun. Sure, there are more many games you have predicted evitably get a crack at slaying a the cutting of the nets, the post- than nine quintillion — that is a wrong before. game handshake and the filling nine with 18 zeroes behind it, for giant. That, ladies and gentlemen, is those who are curious — possi- true madness. The sports nerd in me could out of the brackets. Yes, those frustrating, dream- bilities for a bracket to turn out, go on and on about why March Madness is the best playoff sys- quashing brackets. Every year, but that does not stop us from tem in American sports. There it seems like we fill them out getting a little cocky about our WOOLFOLK is the opinion is “One Shining Moment,” the with the highest of expectations, prognosticating prowess. editor.
Does electing a new pope give us hope? Gabriella Fuller gfuller2@liberty.edu
The world was shocked Feb. 11, 2013 when Pope Benedict XVI publicly announced his official resignation as head of the Roman Catholic Church. According to the Catholic Education Resource Center, Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope to retire in nearly 600 years, and the first to do so on his own volition since 1294. The unexpected nature of the papal proclamation rapidly gained attention for Catholicism, placing newly-elected Pope Francis at the pinnacle of global news headlines. According to International Business Times, more than one million people traveled to Rome for the inauguration of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, former cardinal and archbishop of Buenos Aires. Among those in the crowd at St. Peter’s Basilica were religious leaders, royalty and heads of state representing more than 130 countries. The significance of a new pope, however, has
In a voluntary, rolling blackout, thousands of cities across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas flipped their switches to complete darkness as a symbolic gesture of support for the planet. The World Wildlife
far more implications than merely a day of spectacle and re-energized spirituality in Rome. It is for no small reason that Protestants ought to heed the words and deeds of the new leader of the Catholic faith. Though the position of the pope may seem nothing more than a traditional formality, the pope is recognized as the official voice of the Roman Catholic Church. His comments and calls to action reflect the voice of all Roman Catholic leaders and followers for matters both inside and outside the church. According to Ken Cleaver, chair of the Department of Biblical and Theological Studies at Liberty University, insofar as the pope’s choices affect the direction of Roman Catholics around the world, his position matters considerably. “To the extent that 1.2 billion people’s beliefs and lives are impacted by the choices and teaching of the pope, yes, his position ought to be of great concern,” Cleaver said.
Though Protestants may not look to the pope as head of the church and sole vicar of Christ, we are called as ambassadors of Christ to make disciples of all people and nations. Protestants should be neither passive nor condemning. Though Catholicism and Protestantism may be two different religious sects, Protestants should avoid the extreme of altogether dismissing those of Catholic faith. “It is our duty, love and joy to speak and live the truth and righteousness of God every day in every way,” Cleaver said. “Protestants should affirm popes and Roman Catholics when they speak and live in a manner consistent with God’s truth and righteousness. However, we should equally speak out against and call others to turn away from them and anyone else who speaks and lives in a manner inconsistent with God’s truth and righteousness.” Rather than observing with indifference, Protestants need to be actively and intelligently engaging the world as people
culturally aware. As we witnessed history in the making, the installation of Pope Francis provided the opportunity to further discover and discuss the essentials of Christianity and how they fare with papal claims. When it comes to governing leaders, the Bible speaks clearly on where we ought to begin — in prayer. We are charged in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray for all those in authority. Prayer for the pope, then, is a responsibility that every Protestant bears, despite inconvenience or difference of opinion. As the most powerful spiritual leader in the world, Pope Francis will set the tone on issues of life and death. He will frame the church’s role in the moral debates concerning abortion, divorce, homosexuality, euthanaCatholic church | Creative Commons sia, education and much TRANSITION — Though viewed mostly as a figuremore. head by many, popes still have the power to change. Yet, regardless of future papal decisions and actions, God is the ultimate So, let us pray fervently for the Vatican. sovereign, and Christians the future of the Roman can rest assured knowing Catholic Church and for that our prayers affect de- the salvation of all whose FULLER is an opinion cisions at the highest level. eyes are currently fixed on writer.
Fund (WWF) reported that cities such as Paris, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Beijing and even the Vatican shut off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in each of their respective time zones Saturday, March 23.
My house was one among them. After participating in this event, I could not help but wonder, why do we shut off our lights only on this special day? Turning off the power in my house did not hinder anything that I had planned for the night. In fact, my friends and I had more fun sitting together and telling ghost stories, singing and reminiscing than we ever had watching an overplayed movie. While it is not plausible for every household, business or agency to turn off their lights each night, it should be considered more than one day a year, and it
should be done without consistent prompting from the WWF. Since most of us have heard at least some sort of argument about global warming, the impact that the consumption of electricity has on the planet should not be foreign to us. Still, being reminded of the numbers every so often has a sobering effect. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that on average, an American home uses 940 kilowatthours per month. This equates to 2,166 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions leaking into the atmosphere per home, ac-
cording to the EIA. The CO2 emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have significant environmental impact. One consequence is the trapping of heat within the earth’s atmosphere, which can contribute to global warming. Yes, CO2 is a part of a natural cycle on earth. Still, EPA reports show additional human activity has contributed to more CO2 being released, altering the carbon cycle. As witnessed on Saturday, shutting off the lights for just one hour each night is not a difficult task for cities, homes and agen-
cies. If businesses would pledge to go light-free during non-operational hours, then the fossil fuels saved and the environmental benefits would be endless. While my small house in Lynchburg, Va. does not contribute much to electrical use across the United States, and while I cannot keep my lights off every night of the year, I will start making an effort to cut back my electricity usage to make my time on earth a little less polluted. CASSIDY is the editor in chief.
March 26, 2013
Liberty Champion/A5
OPINION
Wikidemia Commons
A SHARP DIVIDE — Many have expressed concerns over new risks, questioning the motives behind the recent change in TSA policy to allow pocketknives on planes.
Knives on planes, how times have changed David Van Dyk dvandyk@liberty.edu
What immediately comes to mind when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is mentioned? Hostility, conflict in the security lines, and a roll of the eyes at the strict policies are some characteristics associated with a trip through the airport’s security system. TSA has become quite the household name, and not in a good way. In a move to conform to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s laws, Director of TSA John Pistole allowed knives to accompany passengers on the airplane. Needless to say, it has been met with harsh criticism. In a recent news conference held outside the Capitol, George Taylor, president for the federal air marshal service within the Federal Law Enforcement Office Association, spoke out against the new ruling, saying that terrorists could get past the reinforced cockpit door with tools similar to box cutters. “It’s just absolutely insane,” Taylor said to members of the House of Representatives. “I don’t put my faith in that reinforced door. If it’s made by man, it can be broken by man.” Taylor is not the only one voicing his concern. Flight attendants have been frank concerning the TSA’s bold, yet dangerous, move. Along with Taylor and Rep.
Ed Markey, advocates from several flight attendant unions gathered at the news conference to denounce Pistole’s decision. Pilots have been outspoken as well. Liberty University alumnus and airplane pilot Josh Stadtlander was critical of the alterations to the list of banned items. “Since Sept. 2001, (TSA) started banning all kinds of things like this, so it raises the question, ‘Why do we really need that?’” airplane pilot and Liberty University alumnus Josh Stadtlander said. “We’ve been fine without it for … 12 years, so why do they need to start bringing stuff like that back?” Stadtlander flies an Embraer 145, a jet for the world’s largest regional airline, ExpressJet. Seating 50 people, only one flight attendant is needed for the cabin. Stadtlander expressed his understanding of the flight attendants’ disapproval. “She saw a definite safety threat. I sided with her opinion — it’s stupid,” Stadtlander said. “Why do they need to have this?” Granted, TSA has put regulations on the dimensions of the knives allowed. The official proportions measure 2.36 inches long and half an inch in width. In my opinion, it is an attempt to move on. It is an effort to bring back the leisure that we enjoyed before the Twin Towers fell. I see a nation that is slowly getting back on its feet and feeling less paranoid when they hear a plane flying overhead.
Allowed: Not Allowed : Golf Clubs
Box Cutters
Hockey Sticks
Ski Poles
Knives with no molded grip or locking mechanism.
Razor Blades
I can only imagine the time it takes for TSA screening officials to whip out their rulers with magnifying glass in hand and measure if the blade fits within the 2.36inch parameter. For those with 2.50-inch blades — sorry, nothing personal. It just does not quite make the cut. Stadtlander also pointed out that other belongings TSA once banned — such as pool cues, golf clubs, hockey sticks and other sporting equipment — are now being given the green light. Once a level of standard is lowered, people inevitably wonder how far it will go. Quentin Fottrell, a writer for MarketWatch, is not convinced that these recent changes are the only ones that will be made in the next few years. Fottrell believes a discussion about what liquids should be allowed on planes is on the
horizon. “While passengers can once again carry small blades on flights, bringing aboard more than 3 ounces of liquid is still a nono. Experts say that that too may soon change,” Fottrell said. “So what’s next? The TSA’s restrictions on the sizes of bottles for drinks, shampoos, gels and lotions will likely be next for review.” Knives will have a tough time bringing down an aircraft, whether a regional jet or a Boeing 747. However, they could certainly aid in the process. Box cutters and razor blades were used by terrorists to gain entry into the cockpit during the 9/11 attacks. Some see it as a step in the right direction. Allowing these small knives to be carried on airplanes is a blessing, especially for frequent fliers. Though the shoes still have to come off, the pocketknife can pass through the line. For others, it is a foolish move that not only can put the flight attendants at risk, but can bring back haunting memories of times past. Whether it is reckless or rational, the move is an illustration that this is a nation trying to move on and reunite with the assurance we enjoyed before tragedy altered our lives. It is a step on a long ladder leading to a firm future. VAN DYK is a news reporter.
1. THE STUDIO AND DIGITAL ARTS DEPARTMENT WILL HOLD AN EXHIBIT THURSDAY, MARCH 28. 2. TEACHERS OF PROMISE INSTITUTE HONORS SIX EDUCATION STUDENTS. 3. CAREER CENTER HOSTS FIRST JOB FAIR FOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJORS.
VISIT THE CHAMPION’S WEBSITE AT LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM. CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK. Kevin Manguiob
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NEWS
A6/Liberty Champion
March 26, 2013
Blackboard president of global sales speaks Sophia Hahn
shahn3@liberty.edu Research contributed by Kara Smith kasmith8@liberty.edu
Siegfried Behrens, the president of global sales at Blackboard, answered questions presented by students and staff at Liberty University’s School of Business Convocation Monday, March 18. The Convocation, held at the tower level of Williams Stadium, was co-hosted by the information technology department and the School of Engineering. Behrens spoke about the experiences that shaped his career, made him who he is and helped him get to where he is today. Despite his current success in the business realm, Behrens said that he endured many failures with his ever-changing career choices. At one point or another, Behrens pursued careers in aviation, engineering, international business and politics before finding his niche in business. “The hardest challenge for me was constantly picking myself back up and not getting discouraged,” Behrens said. However, Behrens said that failure is not exactly a bad thing. “You are going to fail if you haven’t failed,” Behrens said. “You want to have failures — you are going to learn from
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your failures.” Behrens said that he started working for Microsoft Corporation at the age of 25. After working his way up through the business, Microsoft asked him to be the leader of education. When he had worked in education for six months, he knew it was the field for him. According to Behrens, he took the job at Blackboard because he wanted to be part of leadership in education technology. “At Blackboard … focusing on students’ success is absolutely the most important mission for us,” Behrens said. According to the company website,
Blackboard was founded in 1997 and has since accumulated more than 160 partnerships and has 21 locations with eight global data centers. “Blackboard has been a very accomplished education technology company, but we’re just getting started,” Behrens said. While Blackboard currently has roughly 950 education, corporate and government clients worldwide, according to its website, Behrens said that it is his wish to see the good reputation of Blackboard significantly increase in the future. “I would like Blackboard to be more prominent in the mainstream opinion of companies that matter,” Behrens said. “Our CEO always talks about good, great and important companies. An important company is a company that is benefiting the nation or the world’s education in the process. Being an important company is top-of-the-line for us.” Behrens also spoke about how businesses, such as his own, become successful. “What makes a great company great is a company that believes in a higher purpose and serves a higher purpose than its own personal self-interest,” Behrens said. For a company to believe in and serve a higher purpose, Behrens claimed that it has to have a clear and focused mission statement that people want to follow.
Companies fail when they focus on their profits and lose sight of the long-term goals. According to Dean of the School of Business Scott Hicks, this idea is in line with what Liberty teaches. “When we bring in somebody from the outside that says the same things, it tends to sink in and you tend to respect it more because (of) the person — it’s their position in the business world,” Hicks said. Students took away many positive lessons from Behrens. Bethany Green, a business communications major, discovered the importance of learning from experiences. “He really appreciates the values of the companies he works for and that was a big deal for me to hear,” Green said. “The company I work for in the future should also reflect my values, too.” Behrens left students with words of encouragement that he took from his parents as a child. “If you believe in yourself, you can be anything you want to be in life. If you are focusing on a goal that has an importance to you, then you will be happy and you will be fulfilled.” HAHN is a feature reporter. SMITH is a news reporter.
Students take time to examine spiritual walk students in a positive way, to build resilience and to kind of work ourselves out of a job,” Ritchey said. “We would rather do something positive for the bigger population of the school than the smaller population that we see in our offices.” The walk-through event featured seven different stations targeting various areas of the Christian life. “The whole idea is to get them to self-evaluate. Where are you with the
Mark Tait
mtait@liberty.edu
The Dean of Students Office held its second annual iTransform event in the Hancock Welcome Center Tuesday, March 19, providing students with the opportunity to examine their spiritual lives. Brigitte Ritchey, a senior care officer in the Dean of Students Office, organized the event. “The idea was to have some kind of event to help
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Lord? What’s going on in your life right now? Do you want to change? Is it where you want to be?” Ritchey said. At the beginning of the walk-through, students evaluated their spiritual life by writing words that described themselves. “I really enjoyed the questions that were brought up during the event,” Liberty student Kimi Dahl said. “The questions were meant to get us thinking about our
own spiritual walk, both where we are and where we want to be.” In another portion of the walk-through, students took note of all of the clutter in the world that can be a distraction to a relationship with God. “One of the focuses of the event was about how distracted we can get, whether from our own sinful habits pulling us away from God or through distractions such as advertisements, social media, etc.,
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that can create bad habits,” Dahl said. At the end of the walkthrough, students were offered a 31-day challenge to read through a free electronic book featuring Andrew Murray’s “Waiting on God.” During a time of worship, students had the opportunity to decide if they would commit to the challenge and ponder the question, “How transformed are you?” After a time of reflec-
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tion, students wrote words describing where they want to be in the future and took a second picture. According to Ritchey, more than 300 students took the 31-day-challenge last year, and a Facebook post about the event received nearly 90 likes in a matter of minutes. This year, a follow-up event will be held to see the progress of students who took the challenge. TAIT is a news reporter.
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NEWS
March 26, 2013
Liberty Champion/A7
LUO adds certificate programs New courses can be taken in areas of interest or to add specialized skills to a completed degree Cecilia Hines chines2@liberty.edu
Liberty University Online began classes for its new certificate programs Monday, March 18. These programs offer undergraduate certificates ranging from business to criminal justice as well as graduate certificates in various subjects from applied communication studies to executive leadership, according to the Liberty University Online website. Executive Director of Admissions for Liberty University Online Steve Peterson said that the certificate programs were just launched this spring and that there has been a great response so far. More than 100 people have enrolled in the 38 programs that went live for the spring, as well as the few that are going live for the summer and fall. According to Peterson, the certificate programs are open to everyone regardless of college degree, as long as they are a high school graduate or have a general education diploma. The programs also allow students to transfer in their credit to finish a full-degree program if they desire. “For a few years, the university has looked into developing certificate programs that would serve students that may not want to pursue a full degree, or maybe they’ve already earned a degree and are looking to add on an area of specialization that would help them in their current employment,” Peterson said. The certificates compliment any degree that students may already have or give an edge to those already in the workforce, according to Peterson. People are drawn to these programs be-
Jenny House | Liberty Champion
ONLINE — Liberty University Online employees answer questions from current and prospective students by telephone. cause 9-15 hours is much more manageable and provides for a quicker completion than a traditional degree. “For instance, if someone had an undergraduate degree but was now in a position of leadership or management in their company, they may want to go back to school and not attempt a whole degree related to management, but take our graduate certificate courses that total 9 hours,” Peterson said. “The certificates try to fill the gap for students trying to gain employment or add on to a degree.” In some cases, a specific cer-
tificate can help someone get a job, even if they do not have a full degree. “Thinking about what we do here at Liberty, if someone came to us and had specific training through a certificate program, we would consider hiring them, even though they do not have a full degree,” Peterson said. Peterson also said that the most popular programs so far are biblical studies and theology, but leadership and accounting have also seen some larger enrollment numbers. “Liberty is very intentional with the degrees they offer. We
want to make sure we are equipping students to go and get the positions that they want, and the jobs that they are seeking,” Peterson said. “We rely on a few outside agencies to help guide us in that process. One is the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. They publish findings of what they think will be areas of high employment in the years to come. We keep an eye on that reporting to make sure our new degrees match up with what the marketplace is hiring for.” Last year, Liberty Online had more than 81,000 students enrolled, and administration fully
expects that these certificate programs will help that number grow. “The great thing about online enrollment is the expansion of the mission of Liberty. We want to train men and women with the values, knowledge and skills to impact their world,” Peterson said. “This program has helped to reach so many people and help spread our mission.” HINES is a news reporter.
NEWS
A8/Liberty Champion
March 26, 2013
Renowned broadcaster visits James Brown, host of THE NFL Today on CBS, spoke in Convocation Monday, March 25 Andrew Woolfolk alwoolfolk@liberty.edu
Three-time Emmy winner and renowned sports broadcaster James Brown addressed students about the keys to success in the corporate world during Convocation service Monday, March 25. Brown stressed that mastering the fundamentals of life was a lesson that made him the man he is. A former basketball standout at Harvard University, Brown went from falling short of his childhood dream of playing professional basketball to working at the printing company Xerox before becoming the sports broadcaster that the country has come to know and love. During his time at Xerox, a company executive gave a speech that Brown said had a huge impact on his outlook. The speech, entitled “The Objective and Subjective Criteria for Success in Corporate America,” inspired Brown to create his own list of fundamentals, each of which he put his own spin on. “I tied seven fundamentals to a scriptural foundation because I grew to understand that ultimately, success in life didn’t necessarily mean there was going to be eternal success,” Brown said. Brown’s list of fundamentals ranged from dressing like a professional
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
PROFESSIONAL — CBS sports broadcaster James Brown addresses students. to being on time, a characteristic that Brown readily admitted he still struggles with. Between each topic, Brown made sure to include comical stories from his career, from showing
up to an interview with a plaid blue suit and velvet bowtie to his first encounter with his former co-host and cultural opposite Terry Bradshaw. For students reaching the end of their academic
career, Brown’s speech was particularly encouraging and entertaining. “I grew up watching him on television, both with FOX and CBS, so it was a real thrill to get to hear him in person,”
Liberty senior Kyle Harvey said. “I think he succeeded today in doing what he said he does with sportscasting — that is, sugarcoating the education pill.” At the end of Convocation, Brown had a short question-and-answer time with Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. When asked if there seemed to be an increasing number of Christian athletes in sports, Brown cited Tim Tebow and Tony Dungy as examples of strong Christians on the athletic field. Brown believes that if Christians display godly principles in the workplace, they can leave an impression that truly makes a difference. “There’s no question that athletes are in tune, when they see someone being successful doing something different, to see if there is a competitive edge,” Brown said. “You can show them there is no better competitive edge than walking the walk.” Brown aimed to leave students with the confidence that, through the principles of Jesus Christ, they could find success in a world that seems to be growing more politically correct by the day. “God’s people can be the most successful doing it the right way,” Brown said. “Well done is better than well said.” WOOLFOLK is the opinion editor.
SAFETY continued from A1 majority vote in the Senate, then Liberty University could be directly affected. Along with providing these security grants and a knowledge center for institutions of higher education, the Campus Safety Act will also renew authorization for the Secure Our Schools (SOS) program headed by the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Grant money comes from the already existing Byrne grant program at the Department of Justice, which “gets significant funding each year to assist state and local police,” according to Warner’s press secretary, Kevin Hall. The SOS program conducts assessments of certain public schools and provides funding based on security needs. COPS works in conjunction with state, local and tribal government in order to organize the program. Warner’s office is optimistic that the bill will pass, according to Hall. FRIBERG is a news reporter.
FYI
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid formally introduced a gun bill Thursday, March 21, to be debated by the Senate after a two-week recess.
SPORTS
MARCH 26, 2013
M. Lacrosse
Baseball
Golf
W. Tennis
M. Volleyball
Liberty 23
High Point 9 Liberty 3
Liberty finished 11th of 14th
Liberty 4 Gardner-Webb 3
Florida 2 Liberty 0
Davidson 4
Flames fall in ‘First 4’
Boiling Point
Purdue beats Lady Flames at the boards, ends tourney hopes
Liberty loses to N.C. A&T, 73-72
Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu
Kyle Harvey kharvey@liberty.edu
When the buzzer sealed Liberty’s win over Charleston Southern University in the Big South Conference Championship March 10, it launched a week-long media frenzy during which the Flames fetched headlines across the nation on the airwaves and in the papers. The New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press and ESPN were all quick to jump on the story. The Times ran a piece March 14 entitled, “Losing 20 Games, Not Faith, on the Way to the NCAA Tournament.” Whether liked, loved or hated as one of only two 20-loss teams in history to claim a spot in what is arguably the NCAA’s signature event, the Liberty Flames began their unlikely march into college hoops’ postseason play as the media darling of the tournament. Sitting in the No. 68 seed typically reserved for some lucky team from an irrelevant conference, the Flames were strangely relevant. And so, Tuesday, March 19, Liberty took to the court in Dayton, Ohio to play North Carolina A&T with a shot to play perennial heavyweight Louisville up for grabs. With less than three minutes to go in what was a back and forth game that A&T took control of in the
See FIRST 4, B2
freshman Kenzie Friesen threw a wild pitch that rolled to the backstop, allowing the runner on third to score. Despite the Blue Hose early momentum, the Lady Flames quickly responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Amber Donovan tied the score with a solo home run, and Allen added a threerun home run for the Lady Flames to give them a 4-1 lead at the close of the first inning. After an unsteady start to the second inning and with the Lady Flames lead in jeopardy, sophomore Chandler Ball
Since the 71-63 loss to High Point, Jan. 17, the Liberty Lady Flames basketball team went on to win 14 straight. In their third consecutive NCAA appearance (14th all-time), the No. 13 seed Lady Flames fell to the No. 4 seed Purdue Boilermakers, 77-43. Liberty’s last victory in the NCAA tournament was in 2005, when it defeated DePaul, 88-79, leading to the Lady Flames only Sweet 16 appearance. “I’ve got a young group of women who are five seniors, who have led us this year and in the preseason with all of our training. I’m very proud of their efforts,” Head Coach Carey Green said in a press conference after the game. “It’s just unfortunate that we get to this level and didn’t play very well.” Under the leadership of senior guards Devon Brown and LaKendra Washington, as well as forwards Tolu Omotola, Brittany Campbell and Terika Lunsford, Liberty held a record of 100-33 for the past four years. Against Purdue, Liberty was known as one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, averaging 48 per game. “If we can rebound and be physical, they only get one shot,” Green said. “It’s that simple. In addition to that, you better get back on defense, because they’re going to transition
See SWEEP, B4
See BOILING, B2
Jake Mitchell | Liberty Champion
CLUTCH — A Lady Flames walk-off in game one helped build momentum for the rest of the series.
Softball sweep Coach Wetmore: everyone contributed in three-game series Tom Foote tfoote@liberty.edu Courtney Tyree cntyree@liberty.edu
Mike Williams mwilliams5@liberty.edu
The Lady Flames softball team (13-12, 2-1) swept the Presbyterian Blue Hose (14-14, 0-2 Big South) Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23. Including all of the weekend games, the Lady Flames have won six of their last seven. Liberty 5, Presbyterian 4 In game one, Hanna Nichols stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. With runners on first
and third, she drove a fastball to the left centerfield gap to give the Lady Flames a 5-4 win in extra innings. “Hanna had a great game,” Head Coach Paul Wetmore said. “Not just the winning hit, but she really battled and had some great at-bats. She really came to play today.” Despite the victory, the game was a long and grueling affair for the Lady Flames. “They shut us down — they really did a good job,” Wetmore said. “We battled, had some opportunities and didn’t get it done, but we didn’t give up then (and) got it done in the end.” The Blue Hose took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when
Track at top of the heap Emily Brown name@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s men’s and women’s track and field squads notched two team titles and 16 individual event victories as they competed against in-state foes at the Virginia Cup, March 23. The Flames faced Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia and James Madison University in its third meet of the outdoor season. The one-day event, which was scored as a series of dual meets, was a chance for the track and field athletes to focus on the success of the team, according to Head Coach Brant Tolsma. “I mean, this was kind of a fun
meet where we were just competing as a team, and we don’t get to do that very often,” Tolsma said. “We weren’t as much chasing times or distances. We were just trying to compete.” The Liberty men finished the day undefeated and picked up three victories over Radford (104-69), Virginia Commonwealth (109-64) and Virginia (99-62.5) to secure the team title. Despite having a different focus during the meet, the Flames still brought home nine individual event victories on the day. The men dominated in the field, securing six of the eight available wins. Redshirt senior Ryan Smith threw for a pair of event victories in the shot put and hammer throw.
Smith’s throw in the shot put sailed 57-6.5 — nearly seven feet farther than the second-place distance. In the hammer throw, Smith recorded a distance of 179-7. The redshirt senior also notched a third-place finish in the discus. Sophomore Daniel Klase placed first in the javelin with a distance of 180-3. The Flames also secured three wins in the vertical and horizontal jumps. Cody Bingham cleared a height of 16-0.75 for first place in the pole vault. The height was also a new personal best for the redshirt freshman. In the long jump, Aaron Johnson Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
See CUP, B4 NOT A CHANCE — With its showing at the Virginia Cup, Liberty established itself as the team to beat.
We’ll see you at the game W. Tennis vs. Radford March 27 @ 2 p.m.
M. Lacrosse vs. Tennessee Weslyan March 27 @ 12 a.m.
M. Tennis vs. Presbyterian March 28 @ 1 p.m.
Baseball vs. Longwood March 29 @ 6 p.m.
W. Lacrosse vs. Davidson March 30 @ 3 p.m.
SPORTS
B2/Liberty Champion
March 26, 2013
Men’s and women’s tennis take tumble The Flames winning streak ends at six as the Lady Flames suffers a defeat against No. 72 East Carolina Steven Sullivan Ssullivan5@liberty.edu
Liberty University men’s tennis team played three matches over spring break. The first match was against the Brigham Young University-Hawaii Seasiders, 7-1, and marked Liberty’s sixth win in a row. Liberty’s double pairing of Shea Thomas and Egon Samaai defeated BYU’s pairing of Zevhan Zakharov and Martin Chojnacki. The duo of Siim Tuus and Stan Vaughan won the second doubles match for the Flames, defeating the Seasiders team of Jordan Barlow and Andy Xing. After winning two points from the double matches, Liberty went on to win the majority of single pairings, 7-1. The second match for Liberty’s men’s tennis team was a loss against No. 63 Idaho University, 5-2. The Flames lost in doubles, 2-1. Idaho’s Ramos Salazar and Jose Bendeck defeated Thomas and Samaai, 8-5. For Thomas and Samaai, it was their first doubles loss in seven matches. Liberty also lost 4-2 in singles competition. Jorge Azureo suffered his first defeat this season when he lost in two sets to Jose Bendeck, 6-3, 6-4. Liberty lost its third match, 4-3, against Hawaii. The loss was its second in a row. The Flames dropped the doubles competition, 2-1. Hawaii’s Jonathan Brooklyn and Kovalyov Dmytro defeated Liberty’s Thomas and Samaai, 8-5. “Our team had a great spring break in Hawaii,” Head Coach Christopher Johnson said. “We fought hard in all three matches. While we have several players with many singles wins, we need to get more consistent in doubles.” After losing two of three matches in Hawaii, the Flames dropped three more in their return home. Two of these were
FIRST 4 continued from B1 second half, Liberty found itself down by seven. J.C. Sanders hit a three-point field goal to pull the Flames to within four and make it a two-possession game. But A&T’s Jeremy Underwood drew a foul and connected on two free throws to restore A&T’s lead to six, 73-67. Liberty countered on a three-point jumper from Davon Marshall to make it 73-70 with 1:25 to go. Marshall led the Flames with 22 points. His six three-point field goals lifted him past Seth Curry to claim Liberty’s record for most three pointers in a season, with 107. Senior Tavares Speaks came back with a layup to make it a one-point game, 73-72. Speaks recorded 17 points and six boards in the final game of his collegiate career. A&T fumbled the inbound and only won a jump ball by virtue of the rule of alternating possession. On the second inbound, Liberty fouled and sent the Aggies to the charity stripe, where they missed the first shot. The Flames rebounded, and Sanders took off on a one-man mission with six seconds on the clock. “We’ve had a lot of late-game situations similar to that, and Coach (Layer) has always said, ‘Take it to the rim,’” Sanders said. Charging hard into a mess of A&T defenders, Sanders attempted a heavily contested layup. “They took away my right hand, so I went left and tried to get to the basket, and it just didn’t fall for me,” Sanders said. The ball bounced out and into the waiting arms of an A&T defender as time expired. The Liberty bench leaped to protest the no-call, but it was to no avail. The Aggies won their first-ever national tournament game.
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
ON HIS GAME — Junior Shea Thomas has posted a 11-4 record in singles competition this season. against Big South conference foes Winthrop and Gardner-Webb. On the women’s side, the Lady Flames shut out the Western Kentuckey Hilltoppers, 5-0. In the competition, Liberty won every doubles and single matches against the Hilltoppers to extend its winning streak. “Winning four matches in a row has certainly improved our confidence,” Head Coach Jeff Maren said after the victory. “Our goal has always been to peak in April for the conference tournament, and I believe that our recent wins have moved us another step closer to achieving this.” Liberty’s next match was against No.
“When you come to
these, as a media person or as a fan, you don’t know what these guys’ hearts are like.”
— LAYER “We came this far, and it hurts to go down like that,” Sanders said. “When it comes down to the end of the year, one team is going to lose.” Sanders finished the night with 21 points and nine assists. As a team, Liberty shot 43 percent from the field and 89 percent from the free-throw line. In spite of the loss, Layer described Liberty’s astounding comeback as giving a needed boost to the program. “I think this certainly is a shot in the arm for our program, but it’s a shot in the arm for our people in this program, which is way more important,” Layer said. The experience of competing in the NCAA tournament on a national stage was something that Layer said was the culmination of years of arriving early and staying late. It was a satisfaction that can only be felt by those who have taken part in that labor. “When you come to these, as a media person or as a fan, you don’t know what these guys’ hearts are like,” Layer said. “This is what they dream about every day when they’re shooting shots and getting up extra lifts and coming to the gym at midnight and asking a coach to rebound for them and asking a girlfriend to rebound for them. This is their moment. This is what it’s all about.” HARVEY is the sports editor.
72 East Carolina University, where they fell, 4-3. While they won in doubles competition 3-0, Liberty lost the singles portion, 4-2. “After the match, the girls were disappointed because they felt that they were better than ECU and should have won,” Maren said. With the loss against East Carolina, the Lady Flames fell to 6-6 on the year. Although the team lost a close match against the Pirates, they are still confident in their ability to play against the top teams. “That was great to see, because it means that they are beginning to believe that they
are good enough to compete with and beat the top teams,” Maren said. The remainder of the schedule is crucial in determining Liberty’s ranking in the Big South Tournament. The Lady Flames next match is a home game against Radford, March 27.
BOILING continued from B1
first media timeout. The Lady Flames poor shooting persisted as they shot 36 percent from the field (9-25). Liberty could not find the net, and the Boilermakers controlled the tempo on the floor. Purdue forward Sam Ostarello finished with a double-double, gathering 10 points and a Boilermaker record of 17 rebounds. “I wanted her (Ostarello) to wear a Liberty jersey yesterday, so she proved me right,” Green said. “She did a great job with 17 rebounds. I’d still like to have a Liberty jersey on her.” Moses finished the game with 21 points and shot 5-8 from three. After shooting 1-6 from the field in the first, Brown scored 16 points in the second half and was Liberty’s only scorer in double figures, with 21 points and seven rebounds. Brown also became the second Lady Flame to score 2,000 career points. “It’s been a blessing up and down, but I’m really proud of the accomplishments I’ve made, and I’m glad I made it with these girls,” Brown said. While forward Ashley Rininger was held scoreless, shooting 0-6 from the field and grabbing a Liberty game-high of 13 rebounds. “They played as well as they could, and we didn’t play as well as we could have, so we lost to a very good Purdue team,” Green said. “They played up to their potential.”
(and go on a) fast break, and then you’re sort of in scramble mode on defense.” Only averaging 37 rebounds a game, Purdue held the Lady Flames to zero second-chance points and under 40 rebounds. Center Jasmine Gardner, who averaged 7.6 rebounds during the season, was missed in the Lady Flames frontcourt due to injury. “They came out physical,” Omotola said. “They just won most of the battles inside. We came out, and we’re only one deep, so there was a lot on us.” After going scoreless for nearly three minutes, the Lady Flames pulled ahead to a 10-9 lead after guard Reagan Miller hit a three with 15:00 minutes left in the first half. This would be their only lead of the game. Miller’s three was one of two made for the entire game as the Lady Flames shot 2-11 from beyond the arc. Liberty also made six field goals and shot 18 percent in the first half (6-32). Brown and Omotola were unable to find their stride and scored only eight points combined by halftime. “They came out hitting, they came out shooting well, and we didn’t,” Omotola said. “We felt like on the defensive end, we needed to step up there. I felt like we could have communicated more as a team.” Led by guard Courtney Moses, the Boilermakers went into halftime on a 24-7 run. Moses entered the locker room at half as the only player in double figures, with 16 points that included shooting 4-6 from three. As the second half got underway, the Lady Flames continued to struggle. Purdue applied pressure on Liberty, widening its lead to a 17-point deficit at the
SULLIVAN is a sports reporter.
BATTLE is the asst. sports editor.
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SPORTS
March 26, 2013
Duke
Florida Duke
Liberty Champion/B3
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miami
ohio st.
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indiana
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michigan st.
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SPORTS
B4/Liberty Champion
March 26, 2013
Lady Flames complete record season Standout Jess Reinhardt finishes 46th among the nations best at the national swim and diving championships Jay Sir ysir@liberty.edu
When the competition grows fierce in competitive swimming, the difference between first and last place is measured in milliseconds rather than seconds. This year, the difference between first place and third was a mere five milliseconds. Auburn University’s Olivia Scott beat out the competition with a time of 51.64. U.C Berkley’s Rachel Bootsma took second with a time of 51.68, and University of Florida’s Ellesse Zelewski finished with a time of 51.69 at the 100 meter fly finals event during NCAA DI Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Although she finished only 2.59 seconds behind first place, Liberty University’s Jess Reinhardt finished in 46th with a time of 54.22 and placed above only four other competitors. Reinhardt’s finishing time was 1.35 second off her seeded time of 52.87. She was the only Liberty swimmer invited to the NCAA DI Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships this year. Reinhardt became the second swimmer to participate in the annual championship, with her teammate Brye Ravettine being the first. Season review The Liberty women’s swimming team has had a successful season, both individually and as a team. They finished 9-1 in the
conference with an overall record of 14-2. They are ranked 37th by Endless Pools/collegeswimming.com and finished second in the CCSA Swimming and Diving Championships this season for the second consecutive time. During the tournament in Athens, Ga., Emilie Kaufman, Emily Duff, Hannah Wakely and Reinhardt broke the program record for their respective events. According to the Liberty Flames website, the Lady Flames have finished their regular season and will attend the USA national championships in Indianapolis, Ind., June 25. SIR is a contributing reporter.
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
TEAMBUILDING — Liberty finished 14-2, which was its best ever.
to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Liberty held the Blue Hose to only one run in the last three innings, allowing them one hit. Nichols was 3-for-3 in the game, and Allen batted 2-for-3. Zavodny’s single kept her 17-game hitting streak alive, tying her with Beth Bennett for the second longest in program history. “Overall, I am really pleased with the way we battled through the whole thing and held — it really shows some character,” Wetmore said. “The only way you get these wins is if everyone contributes.” Jake Mitchell | Liberty Champion
PUTTING IT TOGETHER — The Lady Flames earned their first sweep of the season against the Blue Hose.
SWEEP continued from B1 replaced Frisen on the mound. Ball was able to help Liberty escape the inning with a 4-3 lead despite a costly error during which they gave up two runs. Presbyterian added another run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at four, but both teams remained scoreless until the ninth — mainly because of quality pitching. “Chandler really did a terrific job,” Wetmore said. “You ask someone to come in relief and throw that many innings, and for her to shut them down like that, she did a great job.” The score remained tied at four through seven innings, so the game entered extra innings to decide the victor. After the uneventful seventh and eighth innings, the Lady Flames were able to capitalize on Nichols’ game-winning hit in the ninth. Allen reached first on a fielder’s choice with two outs, and Kensley Loudermelk of the Blue Hose threw two wild pitches that allowed Allen to reach third. Loudermelk then walked junior Grace Nordon to first base, which set the stage for Nichols. “When I get prepared to get in the box, I always tell myself, ‘Come on Hanna, you can do this,’” Nichols said. “I always look at a certain spot on the bat and stay calm through it all.” Nichols’ calm demeanor helped her deliver the clutch hit, and she
knew there was only one thing left to do to clinch the victory for the Lady Flames. “Coach Tuesday (Van Engen) told me rounding first, just touch the base, and we got it,” Nichols said. “It was just so exciting — it was the whole team, not just me.” Nichols was 3-5 in the game with an RBI, and Ball picked up the win in relief, throwing the final 7 2/3 innings of the game for the Lady Flames and only allowing one earned run on 10 hits. Liberty 2, Presbyterian 1 The Lady Flames kept their winning streak alive Friday, taking game two against the Blue Hose. In the bottom of the third inning, junior Katie Zavodny hit a single to right field. Sophomore Amber Donovan followed and brought Zavodny home with a home run over the right field fence. “I was just focusing on trying to make contact and put the ball in place so we could score runs,” Donovan said. “I was just kind of shocked, like, ‘Whoa, I just hit that.’ It felt good.” Donovan’s home run makes it her fourth of the season. The Blue Hose came fighting back in the top of the fifth with a home run from Erin Ruff to cut Liberty’s lead in half. The Lady Flames fans were on the edge of their seats in the bottom of the fourth. The bases were loaded with only one out, and Presbyterian pitcher Cat Tarvin threw back-
Liberty 8, Presbyterian 6 Nichols capped off a four-run rally in the fifth when she smacked her fourth home run of the season in route to an 8-6 victory for the Lady Flames. The bats started icy cold for the Lady Flames as the first eight batters were retired by Presbyterian starter Kensley Loudermelk. During the icy start, Presbyterian jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the back of two home runs from Shelby Petik and Morgan Durham. The Blue Hose hot start was snapped by a two-out walk to Lawrence followed by a single by Zavodny that moved Lawrence to third. Donovan brought two runs home to cut the deficit down to 3-2. Allen then gave the Lady Flames a 4-3 lead on a two-run double. The Blue Hose jumped in front to a 5-4 lead when Legacki smacked a two-run home run over the fence. The lead was short lived as Allen once again came through with a clutch hit, ripping a two-run double to put the Lady Flames ahead 6-5. Nichols then sent her fourth home run of the season over the fence to go ahead, 8-5. The Blue Hose tried to answer back when Shelby Petik sent her second home run over the fence, but the Lady Flames managed to close out and take the victory 8-6 and earn the series sweep. FOOTE, TYREE and WILLIAMS are sports reporters.
CUP continued from B1 secured a victory for the Flames with a distance of 23-2, while his brother Chris Johnson claimed the win in triple jump with a distance of 47-10. On the track, Roderick Spruel, Andre Washington, Tarell Williams and Leonard Robbins combined to win the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 41.12 seconds. Washington and Robbins, along with Kyle Gill and Paul Arslain, also teamed up for the 4x400meter relay and finished the race in second place, crossing the finish line at 3:20.18. In addition to their relay win, Spruel and Washington each notched individual first place finishes. Spruel ran the 100-meter dash in 10.89 seconds to secure the victory. Washington finished the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.95 seconds for a new personal record. On the women’s side, the Lady Flames also focused on the team, wrapping up competition with a 4-0 record on the day and a team title. The Liberty women beat their competition by an average of about 48 points. “To be able to come out on the top in that situation is encouraging,” Tolsma said. “We definitely like that.” Seven individual event victories aided the Lady Flames on the road to a team title. In the field, the Lady Flames secured two event victories in the throws and two in jumps. Redshirt senior Christina Mitchell won the javelin with a throw of 140-3. The reigning Big South Women’s Field athlete of the week remains unde-
feated in the event and now owns a perfect 3-0 record on the season after three outdoor meets. Sophomore Jennifer Nicholson became the third different Lady Flame to claim first place in discus on the season. Nicholson’s winning throw sailed 151-4. Shelley Parker added an event victory for the women in the pole vault. The senior cleared a seasonbest height of 11-5.75. Rookie Janae Jones rounded out the women’s field victories with a firstplace finish in the triple jump. Jones jumped to 385.5 for the win. On the track, freshman Brittney Webley won two events. Webley crossed the finish line first in both the 100-meter hurdles (14.56 seconds) and 400-meter hurdles (1:06.55). Senior Betel Yosef added a victory in a distance event for the Liberty women. Yosef posted a seasonbest time of 11:15.39 in the 3000-meter steeplechase to win the Lady Flames’ seventh individual event. “I think in general I was pleased with the way (they) competed,” Tolsma said. “They kind of rallied to compete as a team, and I think it was motivational to everyone.” Liberty’s track and field athletes will be spread across the country to compete in three different meets beginning March 27. Four distance runners will travel to the West Coast to compete in the Stanford Invitational, while the remaining athletes will represent Liberty at the Texas Relays and Raleigh Relays. BROWN is a sports reporter.
FEATURE
March 26, 2013
Liberty Champion/B5
PRSSA’s ‘Catchy Communications’ Lynchburg Hillcats employee Erik Wilson shared his public relations experience with Liberty students Thursday Melissa Skinner mjskinner@liberty.edu
Communication students were invited to attend a workshop Thursday, March 21 that was hosted by Liberty University’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA). During the event, Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations at Lynchburg Hillcats Minor League Baseball Club Erik Wilson spoke to students about his daily duties as well as about how important it is to begin networking as a student. “Inviting prominent speakers to our PRSSA events allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the communications field,” Kristen Gorsuch, the president of Liberty’s chapter of PRSSA, said.
DESIGN continued from B8 designs simple because the simplest designs can be the best designs. “The first thing was weeding out all the first things that came to mind, because everything that hit me right at first was stuff I’ve seen, like floating islands,” Siner said. “That typically happens with design. Everything you know comes back first, and you’ve got to weed through that and try to do something a little newer.” Siner said that he did not know what to expect beforehand because he did not know what the competition would be like. Upon arrival, however, Siner also said that he knew he was in good company with his fellow designers. “I sit down and design all the time,” Siner said. “It’s just how I spend most of my time and most of
“One of the reasons I enjoy and value being a part of PRSSA is because it gives me the opportunity to network with experienced professionals and gain advice for when I enter into life after Liberty.” Wilson explained that when he was in college, he studied business economics and accounting. However, after graduation, he realized that he would rather pursue an alternate career choice in public relations. “Internships and hands-on experience are important,” Wilson said. “If you can put something together in front of employers that can make you look viable and that you know what you are doing, that is incredibly important for getting a career for a job that will interest you for the rest of your life.” According to Wilson, he eventually took
an internship in the sports broadcasting field, which caused him to realize that he wanted to work in that area. When he landed his job with the Hillcats, he had to move from California to Lynchburg. Wilson stressed the need to be willing to relocate and emphasized the importance of networking while still in college. “When you have the chance to attend events where you can meet future employers, you should not take the opportunity for granted,” Wilson said. His primary focus during the presentation was toward communication students wanting to enter the sports industry. “If you are going into sports, you will have to do more than public relations,” Wilson said. “You will have to convince people
you can sell things and be competitive. Begin now looking into job websites and get your résumé out to the right people early.” Members of PRSSA believe that it is very important for communication students to attend these events. “This is a unique opportunity to hear about the importance and role of communications in the sports industry. Whether you are into sports or not, challenge yourself to learn about communications and the different ways it can be used,” Bailie Porter, director of communications for PRSSA, said. For more information about future PRSSA events, visit liberty.edu/PRSSA. SKINNER is a feature reporter.
my life. The hard part really was just sitting and waiting for the judging in the end. The whole night was just great fun, being here with everybody. It didn’t feel like a difficult atmosphere. It was a good way to create.” Assisting with the judging was instructor of Studio and Digital Arts Monique Maloney, who said that she agreed to be a judge because she wants to be able to cheer her students on as they go above and beyond school assignments. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Maloney said. “I was expecting good things, Emily Becker | Liberty Champion but our expectations were exceeded. Overall, the DELIBERATION — Judges Monique Maloney, David Meyer and Sandra Slayton show of work was great. review the entries for the competition. People did a lot of portraiDuring the judging pro- rangement. The judges studio and digital arts, ture, a lot of illustrations. I was really impressed espe- cess, Maloney said the also looked for the overall compared the competition cially because they were on judges looked for things appearance of a movie to physical exercise. the spot. They had no … such as concept, type ex- poster. “When you do it, you David Meyer, also a feel better afterward and incubation time. It was re- ecution, illustration execution and overall ar- judge and instructor of you start to have good ally good.”
physical benefits. So their minds get conditioned to think like this, and it becomes easier and easier,” Meyer said. Conditioning the mind with conceptual thinking was a main benefit that Meyer said this competition brought to students. “When you’re in the industry, you don’t always have the normal school assignment deadlines that last for weeks,” Meyer said. “It could be a couple days or a few hours. So that’s one reason why I wanted to come, because it’s something we teach in our classrooms.” According to Stell, competitions like Design Wars are created to encourage the students to foster community among fellow designers while motivating them to succeed in their field. WEBSTER is a feature reporter.
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B6/Liberty Champion
FEATURE
March 26, 2013
Connecting through worship Gospel Community Church Praise Band and Gavin Davis visit Waldon Pond Apartments clubhouse
According to the Liberty University Commuter Services Facebook page, students are currently involved in a Bible study called iTransform, which gives students the chance to connect with the Liberty community while being transformed into God’s image. In a few weeks, an iTransform party will be held in order to discuss what was learned and for students to reconnect with one another. A commuter orientation is also annually hosted for students planning to leave campus for the upcoming semester and is generally held on Reading Day. Commuter Services is an office on campus offering support for off-campus students in academics, social and spiritual matters, according to Mosley. Any student who is contemplating moving off campus or is currently off campus can contact Commuter Services about upcoming events and the programs provided for commuters. For more information about Commuter Services, email commuter@liberty.edu or call (434) 592-3067.
Jessica Jordan jmjordan3@liberty.edu
An off-campus apartment can be a lonely place sometimes, but Liberty University’s Commuter Services, which is committed to the inclusion and bonding of commuter students with one another through planned events, works to find ways to bring students together with connect groups and Bible studies. According to Commuter Programmer Steven Mosley, Commuter Services holds many events throughout the year for offcampus students. They recently hosted a night of worship March 21 at Walden Pond Apartments that included special music, free pizza and drinks, and a raffle for prizes. The event began at 7 p.m. with music from the Gospel Community Church Praise Band as well as Gavin Davis, a singer from Thomas Road Baptist Church. The band performed approximately 10 songs throughout the course of the night. The Gospel Community Church Praise Band said that they were very grateful for the opportunity to perform for other Christians. “We enjoyed performing because an event like this allows students to refocus on their purpose, to be lights for Christ,” Davis said. “Being a part of that is a privilege.” According to Davis, the band mostly performs sporadically in the community wherever they are needed. “Hosting this event is important for offcampus students because it allows them to connect to one another, God and the community,” Mosley said. Because off-campus students normally do not come in contact with as many students as those who live on campus would, they can sometimes feel spiritually detached. According to Mosley, events like this are designed to help keep students plugged into the university, one another and the community in which they live. Students dined on free food as they connected with one another, listened to music and enjoyed a short message. Mosley
Jessica Jordan| Liberty Champion
PERFORMING — Commuter Services hosts their first night of worship this year.
“We enjoyed performing because an event like this allows students to refocus on their purpose, to be lights for Christ. Being part of that is a privilege.” — GAVIN DAVIS briefly spoke to students, raising the question, “How do you know you’re distracted from building up the kingdom of God?” Mosley gave students a small list of things in their lives that can be examined in order to answer that question, urging them to evaluate how they live. “God holds each person accountable for the condition of their heart,” Mosley said at the end of his speech. “How is the health of your heart?” Liberty junior Meredith Shuler said that she appreciated the opportunity to be around other off-campus students in a
Christian atmosphere. “This was a nice event because we don’t have the same accountability to worship as other students at Liberty, but I would like to see Commuter Services add more events that focus on just fellowship with one another,” Shuler said. “It was nice having a chill night off campus, not connected to the chaos of school,” Liberty junior Elizabeth Stegall said. “I really enjoyed it.” Mosley said that commuter students should keep an eye out for future events that Commuter Services may host.
JORDAN is a feature reporter.
FYI The first 50 commuter students to arrive at the event were entered into a drawing to win a free Gavin Davis CD. His CD is entitled “I’ll Be Your Minister” and is available most places where Christian music can be purchased.
FEATURE
March 26, 2013
Liberty Champion/B7
COMS students visit D.C. Journalism class experiences media at work on a field trip to the nation’s capital Kyle Harvey kharvey@liberty.edu
Have you ever wondered what America’s very first newspapers looked like? If you are curious, find one of the 30 students who joined Liberty University communications professor Deborah Huff on her trip to Washington Tuesday, March 19 — they could tell you all about it. The students, most of whom are upperclassmen in Huff ’s investigative reporting class, made a visit to the Newseum, the Fox News Washington bureau and the Capitol Rayburn Building for a meet and greet with several Liberty alumni now working in various capacities in the D.C. metro area. The Newseum, which is located on Pennsylvania Avenue with a view of the Capitol Building, is a news junkie’s dream. The seven-story building features a variety of exhibits highlighting everything from old newspapers, famous radio and television broadcasts to artifacts from some of the biggest historical events — both in America and abroad. “It’s very unique seeing how newspaper coverage has progressed and changed over time — especially since 9/11,” Liberty junior Derrick Battle said. One of the exhibits was a giant wall of hundreds of headlines and photos published around the world Sept. 12, 2001. “It just takes me back to my childhood,” Battle said. “Reliving those pictures and reliving the moments from that day.” From the Newseum, students bussed over to the Fox News building a few blocks away, where they got a private tour of all the studios and workspaces of America’s No. 1-rated cable news network. Shannon Bream, a Liberty alumna who left a promising career as a lawyer to pursue television, offered words of wisdom about the media business as she conducted a tour of the entire bureau. Bream currently reports on the Supreme Court. Some students were also able to meet and greet Peter Doocy, a general assignment reporter for the Washington bureau, while others met news anchor Bret Baier. “It was a great opportunity to be able to tour such a well-known news station,” Liberty senior Andrew Woolfolk said. After their time in the newsroom, the
Deborah Huff | Liberty Champion
FOX NEWS — Shannon Bream gives advice to Kendra Alleyne and Taheshah Moise.
Deborah Huff | Liberty Champion
MEDIA TRUCK — Chris Becker, satellite truck operator, explains his job at Fox News. students rendezvoused with a variety of alumni as well Rep. Robert Hurt, who spoke to the students at length about the interplay between politicians and the media. “I thought it was great that he decided to come down and talk to us about how journalism and politics mesh together,” Woolfolk said. “It was cool to get a different perspective on our careers.” Also in attendance was Liberty alumna Kristi Way from the office of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as well as Alexandria Paolozzi, Caroline Biggs and Ali-
son Howard of the Concerned Women of America. Several other alumni appeared — many of whom are working in congressional offices. The entire event was orchestrated and planned by Liberty alumnus and Communications Director for the House Committee on Small Business Darrell “DJ” Jordan. “He pulls together an incredible networking opportunity for our students,” Huff said. HARVEY is the sports editor.
TENTH AVENUE continued from B8 “I still majored in theater, so now I can at least act like I’m a really good musician,” Donehey said with a laugh. According to Donehey, he and Tenth Avenue North drummer Jason Jamison met and started playing music together during Donehey’s freshman year. The next year, Donehey and Jamison lived one room apart from each other near Tenth Avenue North, the street for which they eventually named their band. “The last thing (that) I thought I would be doing is singing and making music for a living,” Donehey said. “Kids taught me how to play guitar in the dorm room, and I started writing songs.” As the band began gaining popularity, the struggle continued for Donehey and the rest of Tenth Avenue North. According to him, constantly being on the road and working with the rest of the band took some work. He even compared being in a band to being married to four other people. The band’s current tour will come to an end in April, but according to Donehey, they are planning to spend their summer playing at festivals, vacationing and working on a new Motown-style Christmas album. According to Donehey, exploring Lynchburg is one of his favorite things to do when Tenth Avenue North comes to town. “You know what I really dig there? I like going to downtown Lynchburg and hitting up the White Hart. That’s a great spot.” Even though the White Hart’s owner announced that it will close March 30, Donehey was still enthusiastic about the prospect of playing to a packed Vines Center. “I’m excited to play to a bunch of Liberty students in there and see if you guys know how to party,” Donehey said. For more information about Tenth Avenue North’s upcoming concert, visit liberty.edu/sa. LEASURE is the feature editor.
Champion corrections In the March 5 edition, in the article titled “World of Social Media,” the Champion reported that Josh Beaty completed his master’s. He is still in the process of completing it.
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featuring Rend Collective Experiment & Moriah Peters
FEATURE
MARCH 26, 2013
Students go crazy for Lecrae The Grammy-winning hip-hop artist spoke in convocation and performed at a Student Activities concert March 22 Daniel Bartlett dbartlett@liberty.edu
Run by Student Activities, the Lecrae concert Friday, March 22 sold more than 5,800 tickets and was an evening filled with bustling hip-hop, godly messages and even an on-stage proposal by an attending couple. As 4 p.m. approached, Liberty students and guests had already begun to show their dedication as hardcore fans of Lecrae waited outside for the doors of the Vines Center to open. Students and members of the community eagerly flooded into the Vines Center at 7 p.m. Nearly every seat in the Vines Center was filled with a noisy spectator as the time neared the 8 o’clock curtain call. The Lecrae concert had two opening acts, Propaganda and Andy Mineo, which both brought different musical tastes to the line-up. Propaganda presented a style not often seen among hiphop singers. Along with rapping, the artists recited songs resembling poetry and sermons. Andy Mineo took things one What was step further your main when he got the reason for majority of the wanting to crowd on their get into hiphop? feet, shouting “AYO” after I just grew up his new single. in it. I grew He then beup singing gan rapping it. It was all around me. at an incredible speed To see more from that made the Lecrae’s press crowd frantic. conference, visit By 9:15 Libertychampion.com p.m., fans were primed and ready for the main event. The announcer’s voice yelling “Lecrae” to introduce the main attraction could not even be heard over the roar of the crowd. The audience moved closer to the stage, getting out of their seats as Lecrae
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came out singing. Lecrae had spectators fist pumping and waving their arms in the air together as one while one student surfed through the crowd of his fellow schoolmates, filming it on his phone as Lecrae rapped across the stage. Lecrae played hits from his newest album Gravity, including “Fakin’” and “No Regrets,” where Lecrae encouraged the crowd to pursue Christ-like lives. “It was awesome! Everyone seemed to enjoy it,” Liberty junior Becki Rose said. “There were parents dancing and little kids singing along, so it was good.” Later in the show, Lecrae invited a couple from the crowd to come on stage, the girl unaware of her boyfriend’s intentions as he went down on one knee and proposed with the crowd going wild. Lecrae and the audience prayed over the couple, and Lecrae gave them some relationship advice. Lecrae closed off the evening by playing songs from his past albums, like “Jesus Muzik” and “Don’t Waste Your Life,” getting the crowd to sing along with him. “I was really excited that he played some of his older stuff,” Liberty senior Mark Wilson said. During the show, Lecrae took the time to share some of his testimony, telling the story of how he came to Christ. “Do you not know that you were bought at a price?” Lecrae said. After the show’s supposed conclusion, Lecrae came out one more time to perform an encore song with Propaganda and Mineo. Lecrae took the time to reflect on what has kept him humble throughout the years of his music career. “I have great people around me consistently who remind me who I am,” Lecrae said. “And when you spend time in the word of God, you see real quickly that you are nothing but a product of grace, and everything going on around you is done by his hands.” BARTLETT is a feature reporter.
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
GRAVITY — Lecrae performed many songs from his Grammy-winning album.
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
SOLD OUT — Students lined up in advance for Lecrae’s packed performance.
‘The Struggle’ Tenth Avenue North introduces album Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu
Emily Becker | Liberty Champion
DESIGN WARS — Students show off their work after completing the art competition.
Design competition
AIGA hosts second annual student contest Emily Webster ewebster@liberty.edu
Tensions were high as the eyes of 21 students remained glued to computer screens and fingers feverishly clicked away at mouse and keyboard, no one wanting to waste a precious second as they fought the battle known as Design Wars. Hosted by the Liberty student graphic design group affiliated with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the second annual Design Wars took place March 21 in DeMoss Hall for all graphic design majors and minors. Contestants were presented with a fabricated movie title upon arrival and spent the following four hours creating
a poster to promote it. Three winners were named at the end of the night. Lauren Stell, president of AIGA@Liberty, said that she was excited to see what creative pieces the students would design. According to Stell, this year has brought a good response from students. “Last year, we did a threeseries event that was actually over the course of three weeks, where (students) came in and did a different design competition, but we found that people lost interest by the end of the event. So, this year, we’re doing a one night, four-hour (competition), and by the end of it, we’ll have a winner.” According to Stell, Design Wars provides a good way for
students to boost portfolios and increase their experience with designing. “It just shows that (students) care because they participated, and it’s important to job recruiters that you do more than just scoot by with your degree,” Stell said. “It’s also good because it gives them a clear idea of where they rank among other designers in the community. It’s a good, healthy competition.” Winning a Wacom Bamboo Create Tablet for first prize, senior graphic design major Jacob Siner received the movie title “The Dreaming Land.” According to Siner, he had to re-learn how to keep his
See DESIGN, B5
Christian band Tenth Avenue North will return to Liberty University for the fourth time Friday, April 12 for a concert held by Student Activities in the Vines Center as a part of their “The Struggle” tour. Named after the band’s most recent album, the title holds a deeper meaning for a group of musicians who have experienced their share of struggle. Tenth Avenue North lead singer and Fredericksburg, Va. native Mike Donehey has experienced his share of tough times. During his senior year in high school, Donehey was in a car accident that left him with a broken back Rend and multiple other injuries. Collective Experiment According to Donehey, it and was during this time that Moriah he picked up Peters the guitar and will also chose to experform press himself through music. April 12. “I consider myself blessed in that it never really produced an anger in me,” Donehey said. “It made me think that, if I’m looking at another person, that person is there because God is giving them breath. So, it really just kind of woke me up to the mystery of life and just how amazing it is that anyone is alive around us. It had a profound effect on me and sobered my conscience.”
FYI
Looking back, Donehey said that he would not be where he is his today without the accident. “‘The Struggle’ is a fitting mantra for us in view of everything we’ve been through,” Donehey said. “But isn’t it funny (that) when you look back at the really hard times, those are often the best times? So, the struggle isn’t all bad.” According to Donehey, the band spent the better part of eight years driving to concerts in a van, forcing them to sometimes get creative with things like food choices. “If you were eating Taco Bell, that was like a fancy night,” Donehey said. “I remember in our first summer tour, I was actually making peanut butter and jellies in the back of the van out of the cooler of food that we had because we couldn’t afford to stop for fast food. We didn’t even have any knives, so I was like making it with my fingers. Of course, I didn’t tell the guys that until after they ate the sandwiches I made.” Donehey also said that the band chose to name their album “The Struggle” because God’s grace gives freedom to people struggling to be free from their sin, but also because grace means that Christians are free to struggle and fail with the assurance that God will always forgive them. After recovering from his car crash and graduating from high school, Donehey said that he considered attending James Madison University for theater, but after a short visit, he chose to attend Palm Beach Atlantic College in Florida.
See TENTH AVENUE, B7