Liberty Champion, Nov. 13th, 2012

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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Volume 30 • Issue 10

Liberty breaks ground Melanie Oelrich moelrich@liberty.edu

Another historic groundbreaking took place atop the Liberty mountainside Friday, Nov. 9. to symbolize the beginning of construction for the new School of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences. Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., university officials and administration, Liberty’s Board of Trustees and representatives from the Tobacco Commission came together to dedicate the upcoming addition to the Lord and to thank those involved for making the next steps possible.

This new, multi-level facility will be built on a 100,000-square-foot lot up the road from the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and will overlook the Liberty campus, the City of Lynchburg and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Set to open in the fall 2014 semester, the School of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences will house several health and medicinal programs, including graduate degrees, physician’s assistant programs, nurse

See SCHOOL, A2

Election decided Tyler Eacho tpeacho@liberty.edu

Election Day has come and gone, and after months of hard-fought campaigning, the nation has voted to re-elect President Barack Obama.

The Champion featured political coverage in each of the issues leading up to Election Day. Virginia played an important role in this year’s election.

The Champion has continued its political coverage with a recap of the election results, including the presidential election, the senatorial election and the congressional election in the 5th and 6th Districts.

In addition to the Champion’s coverage of the election results, a story on voter turnout at the Vines Center has been included.

To read the Champion’s Election Day Coverage, see A3-A4.

EACHO is an asst. news editor.

Liz Roll | FEMA

DEVASTATION — This home in Mantoloking, N.J. is barely standing after Hurricane Sandy swept the East Coast.

Hope in Disaster’s wake

Jay Sir ysir@liberty.edu

S

alem Church, located in the northeast of Staten Island, was fortunate when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast earlier this month.

Besides the large tree that fell over and a couple shingles that blew off the roof, the church came out of the storm unscathed.

But only three miles away, thousands of homes lay devastated, according to Liberty alumnus and Lead Pastor of Salem Church, Ed Cole.

“It’s like we went to bed on Monday and woke up to a whole new reality,” Cole said. “While we can wait till everything goes back to some sense of normalcy, it will not be the same normal as it

was before. This hurricane happened.”

Staten Island was one of the worst-hit areas in New York City when the recordbreaking storm made landfall in Atlantic City Oct. 29. According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Sandy had a diameter of 943 miles, which is roughly about one-third of the distance between the West Coast and East Coast. Damages from the hurricane are estimated to be the second most expensive after Hurricane Katrina.

Power outages, flooding and housing damages were reported from the Altantic Coast to the Great Lakes area as the storm went land-bound, and thousands of people are still without electricity,

An Opportunity to Serve Kevin Corsini, the administrative dean for graduate programs, is in the process of planning a trip to Salem Church in Staten Island located in New York. Students interested in volunteering to serve there can contact Dr. Corsini at kdcorsini@liberty.edu.

See SANDY, A6-A7

Formal gala honors military Students gather for a classy night of food and fellowship at annual appreciation dinner Tyler Eacho tpeacho@liberty.edu

Liberty students, faculty and staff honored students serving in the armed forces at the third annual Military Appreciation Gala Saturday, Nov. 10.

For the second year in a row, the gala was held in the Williams Stadium Club Pavilion and was limited to about 300 people. Tickets for the event were $5, but members of the military were able to attend the event free of charge. The gala is formal, and attendees are required to wear appropriate attire, such as cocktail dresses and suits.

Liberty’s chapter of Concerned Women for America (CWA) holds the event in order to honor students, both online and on campus, who are members of the military.

According to its website, CWA is a coalition of conservative women that promotes biblical values and family traditions. CWA has nearly 500 prayer or action chapels located in almost all 50 states.

Young Women for America (YWA), Liberty’s CWA chapter, is in charge of the annual event. Kristin Handy, the president of YWA, coordinates Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion the gala.

APPRECIATION — Liberty honored the military with a See GALA, A2 formal event Nov. 9.

INSIDE THE CHAMPION News

Sports

Obama takes re-election, Goodlatte succeeds House and Kaine wins Senate. A3

Flames Football upsets No. 6 Stony Brook in the last home B1 game of the season.

Feature

The Valley View Trail Race honors military members and their families.

B8

News Opinion Sports Feature

A1 A4 B1 B8

NEWS

A2/Liberty Champion

November 13, 2012

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

BUILDING — Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. and Vice Provost Ron Hawkins overlook the lot where the new facility will be built.

SCHOOL continued from A1 practitioners programs, master’s in public health and others, according to Falwell.

Students wishing to study physical therapy are encouraged to take classes at Lynchburg College.

“It would cause problems locally if we started a program like that here,” Falwell said. “As a courtesy to Lynchburg College (LC), we don’t want to compete with them for the limited number of clinical opportunities available in the area, so we hope many Liberty graduates will continue to enroll in LC’s doctor of physical therapy program.”

According to Falwell, students enrolled in the program will spend two years in intensive classroom instruction and a year or two in a residence program in the local hospitals.

Liberty has been recruiting faculty that will eventually teach in the new school.

Ronnie Martin, who has the prior experience of founding an osteopathic school of medicine in Oklahoma and serving in a leadership role that accredits schools of osteopathic medicine, will serve as the

GALA continued from A1 “Concerned Women for America is all about prayer, and one group of people that we pray for is the military,” Handy said. “We want to honor those people who serve our country. There are students on campus who are serving in the ROTC program, students who are veterans, and online students serving in the military.”

The evening featured a dessert and coffee buffet, presentations from Liberty military student groups and the testimony of a military veteran, complete with a performance from the jazz ensemble.

“It was an honor to perform at the event,” Liberty

school’s dean, according to Falwell.

“I think this fulfills some of the vision that Dr. Falwell and others had,” Martin said. “They envisioned, as the chancellor said today, that this would be a fullservice university and represent to Christians what other universities represent to other religions such as Notre Dame and Brigham-Young University. In order to do that, you have to offer graduate-level programs.”

According to Martin, Liberty will be more than a religious school and more than a Bible-centered university. Liberty will become a full-service university and remain faithful to what it believes in.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Falwell mentioned how the idea of a medical school has been an intended topic for a long time — 41 years, to be exact.

“This isn’t something that we just decided to do in the last year or two,” Falwell said. “It was always a call of Liberty to train doctors, lawyers, engineers, and this is one of the last pieces of the puzzle.

We knew the time had come to do this because there were so many signs that were providential — the right people were sent here, the tobacco commission came and

senior and jazz ensemble member Kyle Harvey said.

“The Military Appreciation Gala is the most anticipated event for the jazz band every fall.”

Kendra Bartlett, the national executive director for CWA, and Janet Robey, the Virginia field director for CWA, spoke on behalf of the organization. Both of their husbands currently serve in the military.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Cpl. Jared Dellelo, a former Marine and a Liberty student who serves as president of the Student Veterans Group (SVG). Dellelo took the opportunity to share his testimony, including how his four years in the marines affected him.

“Sometimes you forget

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

GROUNDBREAKING — The first holes for the new School of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences were dug by the administration Nov. 9. the check for $20.5 million from the Tobacco Commission will really help us in getting this started.”

After the ground was broken, Falwell reminisced of the days when he was a student at Liberty and how much change has happened since then.

“I was here through all the tough years,” Falwell said. “When I was a student, there was no Vines Center, football stadium or DeMoss building. The only

buildings that were here then are what we’re tearing down now. What’s happening now is what everyone dreamed of happening back then, and I feel very privileged to be a part of it.”

The new school is scheduled to open in two years, and is expected to bring in 400 new jobs.

OELRICH is an asst. news editor.

there are veterans who are around our age that are sitting next to us in class,” Liberty senior Ruth Bibby said. “It was great to hear his testimony.”

The purpose of the event was to honor members of the armed forces, but several door prizes were also given away to attendees. The big prizes for the evening were an iPod Touch and an iPad. CWA raised $500 from the event, which went to Students Behind Our Soldiers, a student-run organization with a vision to serve and give back to the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. military and their families.

EACHO is an asst. news editor.

Champion corrections In last week’s issue of the Champion, there was an article written about the Order of the Torch Award given to the Alpha Lambda Delta society.

During the ceremony, five members of the chapter accepted the award on behalf of the chapter. Additionally, Liberty is one of the top six schools among ALD’s 270 schools in the country to receive the award. This resulted in a tie.

In order to receive the Order of the Torch Award, members of the chapter can take part in designing of a scrapbook, which recaps events within the chapter throughout the year.

Brian Mauldin, the 2011 chapter president, received the 2012 Jo Anne J. Trow Award.

For the corrected version of the article, see libertychampion.com.

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

FINE DINING — Liberty students come together to celebrate the armed forces.

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Melanie Oelrich ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Andrew Woolfolk OPINION EDITOR

Kyle Harvey SPORTS EDITOR

Derrick Battle ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

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NEWS

November 13, 2012

Kaine pulls win for Senate Melanie Oelrich

moelrich@liberty.edu

Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine held a tight race throughout the campaign season for the Senate seat, but it was Kaine who pulled ahead to win Nov. 6.

According to an article by Politico, Allen was resigned to the results of the election.

“Both Tim and I had the highest honor that anybody could be accorded from the people of Virginia, to serve as governor,” Allen said. “I have called Tim and congratulated him. We mentioned how we do have different views and ideas, and we’ve tried to wage this campaign on ideas, issues and reforms that we feel would be best for Virginia and America.”

Kaine will replace retiring Democrat Jim Webb, who held the Senate seat since 2007.

According to The Associated Press, the race was expensive.

Voters were exposed to endless advertising, paid for by outside Political Action Committees (PACs). Nearly 60 percent of the $53 million available to the state was pro-Allen.

In 2005, Kaine was elected Virginia’s 70th governor, according to his campaign website. As governor, he demonstrated fiscal stewardship by cutting the state budget by more than $5 billion.

OELRICH is an asst. news editor.

Goodlatte, Hurt win House seats Tyler Eacho tpeacho@liberty.edu

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell appeared on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday, Nov. 7, to discuss the implications of the election results for the Republican Party.

In his interview, McDonnell expressed his disappointment in presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s loss to incumbent President Barack Obama. The governor also discussed a record voter turnout in Virginia and added, “We won eight of the 11 congressional seats for the Republican team.”

The 5th and 6th Districts elected Republican congressmen Robert Hurt and Bob Goodlatte.

According to the Virginia Board of Elections, Hurt received 56 percent of the vote, while his democratic opponent, retired Air Force Gen. John Douglass, received 43 percent of the vote.

In the 6th District, Democratic Party congressional nominee Andy Schmookler failed in his bid to unseat Republican incumbent Bob Goodlatte, who has been reelected for the 10th time.

According to his website, Goodlatte first won a seat in Congress in 1992. Since then, he has won every re-election bid by more than 20 percentage points.

EACHO is an asst. news editor.

FYI

To view the full versions of these articles, visit liberty champion.com.

Liberty Champion/A3

Obama wins in close election Tabitha Cassidy tcassidy@liberty.edu

Reactions to the 2012 presidential election ranged from tears of joy to anguishing cries of defeat as American voters turned out to re-elect Barack Obama as president of the United States over challenger Gov. Mitt Romney.

“As an intern for the Obama campaign, I spent months knocking on hundreds of doors, making hundreds of phone calls and losing hours of precious sleep to help President Obama get re-elected,” Victoria Lind, a Liberty University student and Obama supporter, said. “The joy of seeing all of our work as a whole office being fruitful was a feeling I can’t match.”

“I stood in shock like millions of other Americans as I watched Virginia turn blue,” Zachary Martin, a Liberty alumnus and current representative for the 6th Congressional District on the State Central Committee for the Republican Party of Virginia, said.

Despite the large gap between Obama’s 303 electoral votes and Romney’s 206, the popular vote remained closer than anticipated. Currently, Obama holds 61,497,774 votes compared to Romney’s 58,378,967 votes.

While the commonwealth of Virginia did turn blue Nov. 6, according to the Virginia State Board of Electors, Lynchburg was more in favor of Romney, with 54.35 percent of voters casting their ballot for the for-

Marc Nozell | Creative Commons

PRESIDENT — Obama claimed victory once again Nov. 6. mer governor of Massachusetts.

Liberty University’s precinct turned out 3,347 voters, with 93.22 percent voting for Romney and 4.57 percent voting for President Obama.

Chancellor Falwell said that the large turnout by Liberty student voters will pay dividends when local politicians make decisions impacting college students.

Concerning the national election, Falwell said, “I learned this week that about 3 million Republican voters who voted in 2008 did not show up at the polls this time. That was about the margin of victory for the president, and I am convinced that many of the absent voters were the conservative Christian and Tea Party voters who supported (John) McCain in 2008 because Sarah Palin was his

vice presidential nominee.”

Regardless of being defeated by such a large margin in electoral votes, Romney said in his concession speech that he called the president and congratulated him on his win. Romney thanked his supporters and tipped his hat off to Obama.

“I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader,” Romney said. “And so, Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.”

With the election over and citizens preparing for four more years of Obama as president, many will be holding him accountable for all that he has promised now, and in the past.

“We’re very concerned about the president — his actions,

his executive orders,” Wendell Walker, a Liberty alumnus and Republican Party leader in Lynchburg, said. “There are a number of issues that just cause us to have greater concern…”

Obama also addressed some of the issues that his administration will be concentrating on this term in his acceptance speech in Chicago.

“You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours, and in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together,” Obama said. “Reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil — we’ve got more work to do.”

In order to accomplish the goals this country has set forth, both Obama and Romney agree on one thing — that both sides of the political aisle must work together.

“The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing,” Romney said in his concession speech. “Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work, and we citizens also have to rise to the occasion.”

Only time will tell if Obama will hold true to his word and to the promises he made.

CASSIDY is the editor in chief.

Vines Center precinct crowded Melanie Oelrich moelrich@liberty.edu

The Vines Center at Liberty University served as the major precinct for all residential students during the Nov. 6 general election. As doors opened promptly at 6 a.m., students rushed in to cast their vote for the next president as well as for their contender for the Senate and congressional seats.

Several students devoted hours and service to publicizing the election around campus.

Liberty student Sarah Smith, a volunteer with College Republicans at Liberty University (CRLU), credits the group for her involvement in this election.

“I woke up at 4:15 a.m., was here by 5 a.m., and we got right to work distributing signs all over campus to remind people to vote,” Smith said. “Around 10 a.m., there was roughly 690 voters — right after that, the line got extremely long and didn’t let up the rest of the day.”

There were 5,891 registered voters for the Vines Center. Of those, 3,347 were active voters and 2,405 were inactive voters, according to the Virginia State Board of Electors. Active voters had a verified and accurate address, whereas inactive voters needed to verify his or her address or update a voter registration card.

According to the General Registrar for the City of Lynchburg Carolyn Sherayko, there was a 56.88 percent turnout of voters at the Vines Center and a 61.9 overall city turnout. There were 18 total precincts throughout the city, including a central absentee precinct.

Wendell Walker, a Republican Party leader and alumnus of Liberty University, knows firsthand the influence that Liberty plays in the community

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

POLLS — Close to 3,500 students were active voters at the Vines Center precinct Nov. 6. and the surrounding areas.

“I think a lot of folks know … (about) Liberty and what we do here,” Walker said. “It blesses my heart to see so many champions for Christ out here today, knowing that this is their future. I’m sure that Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. is smiling down from heaven today.”

Numerous students were pleased with the convenience of the Vines Center location and the ease of voting that it provided for them.

“I like this whole method of voting here in the Vines Center,” Liberty junior Tim Young said.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to vote, and it was advertised really well. It wasn’t biased on one candidate or the other, and they recommended voting for biblical values. I thought that was a really good thing to understand for our country.”

Many students expressed their enthusiasm to vote in this election season. Hannah Mi-

erley, a senior from Northern Virginia, believes that voting is a big responsibility, one that many people do not take as seriously as they should.

Delegate Scott Garrett, who represents Virginia’s 23rd House District, took the time to observe the lines at each precinct during Election Day, including the Vines Center.

“Our values matter — those three words say it all,” Garrett said. “I think that’s why we’ve had such an extraordinary turnout of 20-somethings — young men and women who have a particular worldview.”

Garrett was more than pleased with the turnout at the Vines Center.

“Folks are very concerned about the future,” Garrett said.

“Our students reflect not only their individual votes, but also the votes of their sphere of influence — parents, neighbors, friends, hall mates, etc.”

Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr.

was delighted to see the student involvement on Election Day and strived to provide students with a positive experience, which included supplying dinner to those waiting in line for long durations — some up to four hours.

“The students turning out in big numbers has a big impact on local and state officials, and how they view Liberty University and issues that are important to Liberty students is important,” Falwell said. “The fact that students came out helps Liberty in so many ways when those officials make decisions about meal taxes, sales taxes and other taxes. There are so many decisions that the local government makes every year that affect students. Liberty students did themselves a big favor by showing up and being good citizens.”

OELRICH is an asst. news editor.

OPINION

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Attitude in the aftermath

Andrew Woolfolk

alwoolfolk@liberty.edu

It is official. President Barack Obama has won re-election.

With the final votes tallied, it is evident that Obama soundly defeated Gov. Mitt Romney in the electoral vote. The margin of victory for Obama in the popular vote was far smaller, with only a few percentage points splitting the candidates.

This means one thing: a lot of people are unhappy with this outcome, and a lot of the disgruntled are voicing their strong opinions.

At Liberty University, this mindset has been running rampant through the school.

The fact of the matter is that an overwhelming majority of students at Liberty were leaning toward Romney’s campaign, and this group undoubtedly served a pivotal role in Romney’s taking the City of Lynchburg’s vote by nearly 11 percent. A glance at Virginia.gov shows an even more lopsided result at the Vines Center voting center, with Romney receiving 93 percent of the votes cast there.

But who can blame those who hopped on the Romney wagon?

The former governor of Massachusetts dedicated numerous trips to the area, he spoke at last year’s commencement, and his run- WOOLFOLK ning mate, Paul Ryan, even stopped by a few weeks ago.

Now, with Romney’s defeat, many supporters are throwing in the towel on this great country.

My word of advice to you is this: remember who is truly in control.

I am not saying that being disappointed in the outcome of this election — one that this campus was so deeply involved in — is a character flaw. If anything, the intense reaction of the students is a positive sign that they at least care about the election.

But the reality this group of disgruntled voters must realize is that Obama’s victory is all part of a plan.

Crack open Romans 13. The

words may be tough for some to digest, but they speak the truth, which is something everyone could stand to hear more of nowadays.

The first verse hits you with a type of straightforwardness that you cannot ignore. Paul writes that “there is no authority except that which God has established.

The authorities that exist have been established by God.” As sinners, we may not understand all of these plans, but we must try to understand the planner. President Obama is a part of that plan, and as citizens, it is up to us to make the very best out of the situation.

A mindset of defeat or disdain helps no one. Whether you agree with Obama or not, one man simply cannot single handedly restore or destroy our country. This nation will not return to its zenith as a divided one.

Now is not the time to argue — now is the time to draw together.

Tim Lee, a retired Marine and double-leg amputee, may have said it best in his sermon during convocation Nov. 7.

“No political party is going to save America, and elections do

not save a nation,” he said. “The thing that will save America is if God’s people, you and I, will begin the process of revival.”

No matter how much change a candidate promises, the path to true change — or even better, progress — is firmly founded in Americans uniting with the goal to make each other better.

Christians, whether happy with the outcome of this election or not, are called to be the leaders of this movement.

If Christians who are upset with this election looked at it more as a challenge for them to step up to the plate and lead this nation instead of grumbling on the sidelines, we would be in much better shape as a country.

When I woke up on Nov. 6, I knew my God was in control.

When I went to sleep that night, I still knew He was. He does not demand a political title, He does not require a vote to gain power, and He does not need a residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Let us not forget that.

WOOLFOLK is the opinion editor.

Sandy’s destruction opens door

The storm’s devastation gives Christians everywhere the chance to lend a helping hand.

Karin Thompson kthompson21@liberty.edu

Shouts of excitement rang through study zones and residence halls at Liberty University upon the announcement of canceled classes because of Hurricane Sandy.

That extended weekend was a blessing to many See our students cramrelated ming for story tests or on A1, craving a few “Hope in m o r e disaster’s hours of wake.” sleep.

Some considered it silly that classes were canceled when the there was hardly a drop of rain in Lynchburg. But for many students, not having classes could hardly resolve their problems, although it gave them time to contact their family and wish that they could help out.

In a storm of this proportion, we all must pitch in to the recovery effort.

CNN reported that Hurricane Sandy affected more than 24 states along the East Coast, and many students’ families and homes were hit. Lynchburg scarcely showed any signs of a hurricane, but the rest of the East Coast

FYI

From the

Desk Tabitha Cassidy tcassidy@liberty.edu

Thankfulness is something we are all familiar with during the month of November.

Around Thanksgiving, people start realizing everything they have — their loving family, support-

can attest to Sandy’s beatings. Our nation’s most populated city, New York, was afflicted by some of the harshest weather.

Many subway systems flooded, and rats floated in the stagnant water.

According to the NY Times, Sandy caused more than $50 billion in damages and more than 100 deaths. Many homes remain without power, and relief efforts are still seeking to rebuild.

Liberty student Claire Rudd is one of many students affected by the hurricane. Her home in Fairfield, Conn. is about 15 minutes from Long kakela | creative commons Island. Rudd’s family was evacuated from their HURRICANE — Sandy went down as one of the worst on record. home for 10 days.

“I had to deal with a lot are many who are still and some who must bury game, the university doof doubt, envisioning my hurting and mourning their loved ones. nated $1 for every person A blessing is never as in attendance to Gleaning house being crushed by their losses. As Christians, the giant trees that sur- we should hold to the ex- great as when it is shared For The World, a nonrounded it,” Rudd said. ample of Philippians 2:4: with another person. We profit organization based “It was good to know that “Let each of you look not are blessed to not have felt in Central Virginia, so my parents were safe in only to his own interests, the effects of Sandy, and they could send supplies a hotel inland, but not but also to the interests of since we were not hurt, to those in need. Gleanwe have the opportunity ing For The World is still knowing was scary. Our others.”

We live in a great to get involved and help accepting donations at neighbors weren’t answering their phones, so country, where neighbors those who were less fortu- their website, gftw.com. we had no idea what was look out for one another. nate.

The time to act for LibA simple and effective erty students is now. The going on or if something There is a great need for relief throughout the East way to help the relief ef- winds of a hurricane are had happened to them.”

In the end, God showed Coast, and for those of us fort is with the American powerful, but they are his provision to Rudd’s who were not affected by Red Cross, who has al- no match to the intense family, and their house this disaster, it offers us a ready sent almost 6,000 might of a student body was spared despite many great opportunity to lend volunteers to the aid of following the calling of downed trees and power a hand. Although we may those in need. To donate Christ. lines in their heavily- have enjoyed that extra or get involved in the efday of homework and forts of the American Red wooded neighborhood.

THOMPSON is an Although Rudd’s story rest, there are people who Cross, visit redcross.org.

At Liberty’s last home opinion writer. has a happy ending, there must rebuild their homes ive friends, and even the breath in their lungs are reasons to rejoice.

But thankfulness should be something that we celebrate every day, not just one measly month out of 12. Every day we can breathe one more breath of air, have one more moment with our loved ones or have one more moment to spread that love to others is reason enough to shout for joy.

I was given an excellent opportunity last year to realize just how blessed I am and how challenging life is for some people.

Walking is something

that comes naturally for most, but it is often taken for granted.

After getting knee surgery last Christmas, I CASSIDY was forced to use crutches for three months, which meant struggling past seemingly healthy students to get on the elevators or plan an extra hour into my day so I could make it to the bus stop to get to school on time.

This experience made me pause and really think about what it meant to be able to do the little things in life and realize what other things I had been taking for granted, just like walking.

Over the course of a year, the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 1,593,150 Americans were homeless at some point in 2010. That is over 1.5 million people who did not have the privilege to fall asleep in their own bed or feel protected inside secure walls where they belonged.

These people would

OpenSourceWay | creative commons

My 2 cents Derrick Battle

dbattle2@liberty.edu

As Americans celebrated Veteran’s Day Nov. 11 and our own university’s Military Emphasis Week came to a close, we were reminded of those who fought so hard for our freedoms.

One of those freedoms is the right to free speech. Last month, three teenage girls decided to speak up against members of the Taliban in Pakistan, demanding that they be given rights to an education. Because of their petition for independence as women, they were brutally shot in the head by Taliban hitmen for instituting “Western thinking.”

The Pakistan government placed a $1 million bounty on the head of the Taliban spokesman who announced the command to attack those girls.

One of them, 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai, survived the attack and was placed in a rehabilitation hospital in London, England.

Doctors and officials said that she has responded well to treatments and will ultimately recover from her injuries. The conditions of the other two girls are unknown, but doctors are amazed at how Yousufzai was able to survive a gunshot wound to the head.

Some doctors said that she survived because her brain is still developing, while others believe that her character and individualism kept her alive. No matter what the case, it is a miracle that Yousufzai will even make a recovery.

While social inequality still happens in American society, extreme actions such as this one are virtually non-existent. We are blessed to live in a nation that allows us to speak our minds without repercussion.

After witnessing the results of the presidential election and the disgust of many when President Obama remained in office, I was reminded of two things. Remember that in other nations, they do not allow citizens to speak negatively about their government. Remember that social media websites that gave a voice to the people, such as Twitter and Facebook, are likely blocked.

People like Yousufzai exist in different countries worldwide, yearning for their rights and wanting their opinions to be heard peacefully, something we so often take for granted. Contrast the effort they must go through with how easy it is to voice our opinion in our own country. We even have pages in our newspapers dedicated to the sole purpose of giving our opinion.

Never forget, especially this time of year, to be thankful for those who have given us these freedoms.

BATTLE is the assistant sports editor.

have been thankful for a run-down shed if it meant they would be protected from harsh climates. And yet, we complain about not having enough closet space for our clothes.

Realizing everything that we are blessed with and all of the life-threatening ailments we do not have to experience is a sobering moment in life, but it should not just be one moment.

We reduce our thankfulness down to one month — one month of reflecting on what we already have — and for just one second, not wanting more. We pre-

tend like the very miracle of our life is not something to be ecstatic about.

Instead of showing our gratitude one month out of 12, we should thank the Lord for what we have every day of the year, not just when the season calls for it.

Being thankful for everything we have should come naturally, just like walking.

CASSIDY is the editor in chief.

OPINION

November 13, 2012

Liberty Champion/A5

A.J. Cann | Creative Commons

LOGGING OUT — With the often-crammed last few weeks of the semester approaching, students should consider stepping away from the social media giant.

Pro/Con: Keeping Facebook for exams?

Pro: Facebook gives students escape during exams.

“It is time to reveal our self-control and use Facebook to enhance our academic experience.”

Whitney Rutherford wrutherford2@liberty.edu

“If you do not have the self-control to stay off of Facebook, you should not be in college,” Liberty University junior Colin Dowd said.

The problem of balancing social media and academic pressures faces every Liberty student during the final weeks of the semester. When the stress intensifies, many students are prone to drop off the social media grid. However, abandoning social media, particularly Facebook, is counterproductive.

Squeezing more productivity into a day should not require deactivating Facebook. Instead, it is time to reveal our selfcontrol and use Facebook to enhance our academic experience.

“As college students, we should have maturity to possess self-control,” Liberty sophomore Laurin Eliot said.

We as college students need to realize it is time to start acting like adults.

Deactivating your Facebook because it becomes a distraction is a sad testament to anyone’s timemanagement skills. When studying awaits and assignments sit incomplete, we have the responsibility to manage our academic investment with finesse and prioritize. Defaulting to deactivation reveals an inability to control your schedule.

“The way I see it, my

Con: Deactivating Facebook gets rid of temptation.

— RUTHERFORD calling is as a student first,” Liberty graduate student Meagan Roper said.

Deciding to avoid social media for several weeks reveals a struggle with your calling: social life or GPA? Deactivating Facebook is particularly ineffective when accompanied by a status announcing your retreat and how to contact you. If the goal is isolating yourself from unnecessary distraction, why announce it to the world?

“People who publicize deactivation aren’t saving time. They do it for show,” Liberty senior Joshua Wade said.

Instead of taking drastic measures, be mature.

Some students claim that Facebook is productive as a break between long periods of studying and as a way to relax your mind.

“You have to set boundaries in life. Set a stopwatch,” Liberty graduate student Christian Collins said.

Boundaries are more beneficial than deactivation, and Facebook should not be branded as only a distraction. Brent Coker of the University of Melbourne published a study in October 2011 documenting the positive effects of Internet browsing

“I feel like if you have (Facebook) the whole school year and then you decide to delete it before finals and then reactivate it afterward, why do that?

Just have some CHELSIE BROWN self-control and SENIOR limit your time on Facebook and Twitter and the computer all together. I’ve tried deleting mine for awhile but didn’t stick to it. Just have some self-control!”

while in your workplace, particularly increased productivity. In addition to these spurts of academic inspiration, our academic responsibilities can often be fulfilled via social media as well. Facebook groups facilitate planning and organizing group projects as well as passing on last minute details on assignments to friends.

“It is encouraging to know others are working on the same assignment.

Facebook is useful for collaboration,” Roper said.

The end of the semester drives students to crazy extremes — mixing Red Bull and Starbucks, memorizing more flashcards than Bible verses — finals should not involve disappearing from social networks. These are the days to put your time management skills to work, proving you can enhance your education with Facebook.

Your social life and finals can coexist with a little dose of moderation.

In the end, you are only as involved as you allow yourself to be.

RUTHERFORD is an opinion writer.

“If Facebook is that bad of a distraction, then deleting it wouldn’t help because all you would do is find something else to distract you. Delete if you plan on BRYAN RASZINSKI trying to creSENIOR ate a consistent self-discipline. But if it is just for finals week, go to the computer lab with a study group so you can focus on that over social media.”

“Where is the harm in cutting out harmful temptations in life?”

Jacob Tellers jtellers@liberty.edu

With final exams less than a month away, students are looking for ways to get rid of distractions so that they can end their semester on a good note.

One suggestion for students looking to avoid interference would be to deactivate their Facebook account for the week leading up to the exams in the beginning of December.

According to Facebook’s help section, deactivating an account will block anyone from being able to view that account’s information. There is also an option for users to stop receiving email notifications from Facebook. Deactivation is not permanent, and users are able to reactivate their account at any time.

For many, deactivating Facebook for a period of time is seen as an extreme choice of action. After all, it is just Facebook. What harm could it do?

However, researchers are looking at the possibility of excessive Facebook use as a behavioral addiction. A study led by Cecilie Andreassen that was published in the journal Psychology Reports created a system for measuring Facebook addiction called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale.

Andreassen said that although only pathological gambling is recognized as an official behavioral addiction, other addictions such as video games or

— TELLERS shopping addictions are considered to be “other potential behavioral addictions.”

According to Andreassen, Facebook addiction would probably be categorized as a form of Internet addiction. For students, getting rid of this addiction has many benefits.

First, it provides some accountability. If someone were to deactivate and say they would be gone for one to two weeks and then come back on in a few hours, they would look silly. By making a public choice to avoid Facebook, it puts constructive pressure on that person to stay away from the website as they intended to.

Also, while deactivation can be reversed, it takes more time than it would take to log in to Facebook.

This process forces students to go through a longer ordeal requiring much more effort if they want to rejoin the Facebook world.

This increase in effort can discourage some from caving in to their social media craving.

Still, many will say that deleting Facebook is just a cop out, that students need to learn to manage their time properly. They see deactivating as running away from the problem, which will helps no one

“Facebook is a time-waster, and when you don’t have a lot of time to waste, it can be beneficial to deactivate your account. I have deactivated my account DAN BALLARD because it was SENIOR distracting me from my studies. Unfortunately, my computer saved my account information, and all that I had to do was hit ‘login’ and my account was reactivated. So, deleting my account was a fruitless endeavor.”

in the long run. However, if someone has a distraction or temptation, staying around it all the time will only contribute to them falling back into that habit.

Where is the harm in cutting out harmful temptations in life?

As with any other type of distraction, if Facebook use is cutting into study time and making it harder to do homework or prepare for exams, there is nothing wrong with temporarily removing yourself from the situation.

For students who have problems getting away from Facebook, deactivation is the best choice for exam week. While it is possible to avoid Facebook without deactivating, doing so will help the student get by easier because it makes it slightly harder to get back on Facebook, and it provides some public accountability as well.

We need to keep our increasingly-important attention span focused on our upcoming exams, not staring at a computer, waiting for a notification to pop up.

So sign off Facebook chat for a little while. Unimportant status updates will great you once you ace those exams.

TELLERS is an opinion writer.

JAMILYNN LESH JUNIOR

during the semester.”

“I think for me, it is a mind game.

Just knowing that I do not have as many distractions helps me focus more on my schoolwork. That is why I delete my Facebook at some point

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NEWS

A6/Liberty Champion

November 13, 2012

SANDY continued from A1

Josh Lazar | Photo Provided

WRECKAGE — A vehicle is pushed onto a homeowner’s porch in Staten Island during the Category I winds and high surf caused by Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of homes were destroyed on the island.

housing and food after two weeks. In response to Sandy, many Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) like the Southern Baptist Convention, governmental agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local churches like Salem Church in Staten Island have reached out to the disaster-struck communities. Ronald Davidson, President of Gleaning For The World, said that the additional storms that came after Sandy have made the recovery effort even more difficult.

“This is going to be longterm,” Davidson said about his company’s relief efforts in the disaster-struck areas. “On Wednesday night, (Athena) knocked down electricity for a lot of new

people, and some lost electricity again.”

Gleaning For The World has partnered with numerous churches in New York to provide relief to hurricane victims including Salem Church. Cole has mentioned that the recovery process is still in its infant stages.

“When the storm hit, everybody just went in (to the devastated areas) and dove in,” Cole said.

“Now, we have to get out of the emergency mode and think of survival.”

People still face a lot of problems in the aftermath of the storm. Tensions rise when they clean up fallen debris, search for electricity and gas, deal with the disunity of some relief organizations, and worry about looters emerging due to worsening conditions, Cole said.

See SANDY, A7

Liberty students react to hometown disaster across the Eastern seaboard Jay Sir ysir@liberty.edu

Liberty junior Andrew Claudio may be here in Virginia, but he still felt the devastation of Hurricane Sandy firsthand.

“The day before this was going to happen, you really knew that this wasn’t just a hoax — this wasn’t just the weatherman just panicking for nothing,” Claudio said. “All you could do was sit back and watch where you grew up go underwater.”

A week before the JACOBSEN hurricane hit, Claudio had taken his girlfriend and roommates to his hometown of Long Island, N.Y. Claudio said that it is difficult to accept that his home city is in ruins.

“As a New Yorker, it’s not just unbelievable, it’s CLAUDIO devastating,” Claudio said. “It had a very similar feel to 9/11, except that there wasn’t a terrorist attack, and you didn’t know if it was going to get worse — all you could do was just sit back and watch.”

“It’s really hard being nine hours away and knowing that there’s nothing you can do.”

— AMANDA JACOBSEN Claudio is one of 2,460 residential students and 5,788 online students who were affected from the seven New England states hit by Sandy. These numbers came from Lori Baker in the Registrar’s Office, who said that even more students have been affected outside these areas.

“The day after Sandy, my family took a walk up to the 7-Eleven that’s around the corner from my house, and there were trees down on cars, trees down on houses, ambulances left and right trying to get people out of trapped houses,” Claudio said.

However, according to students from the devastated area, the hardest part is the fact that they are helpless to do anything for their hometowns at the moment.

“It’s really hard being nine hours away and knowing that there’s nothing you can do,” Amanda Jacobsen, a Liberty graduate student, said. “I don’t get to go home for another week, so I’ll be really excited when I do get to go home and have a hand in everything. It’s really hard watching your city being underwater and not

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being able to do anything about it.”

According to Campus Pastor Johnnie Moore, many more students from Liberty share Jacobsen’s sentiments.

“It’s amazing how Liberty University students, time and again, respond on their own initiative to these crisis situations,” he said.

Moore has also said that since Hurricane Sandy hit, students have bombarded him

with requests for the university to send relief teams to the areas, and others have been raising support for the victims of Sandy. Some students have even gone back to help, according to Moore.

“That’s what makes Liberty a true, Christian university,” he said. “Students bear our mission out in the world, and they do it passionately and intuitively.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a single, major crisis in the last 10 years that doesn’t have on it the fingerprint of a compassionate Liberty student. When a crisis hits, Liberty students activate.”

SIR is a sports reporter.

NEWS

November 13, 2012

SANDY continued from A6 Despite the hardships New Yorkers have already faced, Keith Miraldi, executive pastor of Salem Church, has said that there was an great response from the local communities.

“A lot of people want to collect supplies and send them up, but from what we’re hearing, it’s so chaotic right now that sending supplies is not going to solve their problems,” Ishmael LaBiosa, the media specialist for Salem Church, said.

“We’re going to need a lot of money,” Cole said. “I mean, there’s just no other way to put it.

Some of these victims are two-income families, but they don’t have anything left.”

Another important thing people need in the devastated areas is prayer, LaBiosa said.

“These families lost their homes and some folks lost their loved ones, and it’s a big challenge,” LaBiosa said. “It’s a time where those who may go to church might be questioning their faith in God, and if we can have Liberty University praying for the people, volunteers who are on the ground, and the people who are affected, that’s a very important thing.”

Liberty students may also have a chance to go visit Salem church because Kevin Corsini, the administrative dean for graduate programs for Liberty University, is in the process of planning a volunteer trip to the New York area. Students who are interested may contact Corsini at kdcorsini@liberty.edu.

SIR is a sports reporter.

Liberty Champion/A7

The Flames Club raises money for opponent campus’ recovery Jay Sir ysir@liberty.edu

The Liberty University Flames Club raised more than $14,000 toward the victims of Hurricane Sandy in their victory against Stony Brook Saturday, Nov. 10. Their project, dubbed #fillthebill, resulted in the Flames Club partnering with long-time associate Gleaning For The World (GFTW) to raise funds for their New Yorkbased opponents and pledging $1 for every person who showed up to the football game.

“We’re actually shipping supplies into the community of Stony Brook, and we’ll be using some of the funds to get supplies for the team that is actually playing,” Ronald T. Davison, president of GFTW, said. “So it’s an awesome Christian outreach that is far beyond just a football game.”

According to libertyflames. com, 14,419 fans attended. The

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

SPORTSMANSHIP — Liberty Athletics helped raise money for relief efforts on the Stony Brook campus and for student athletes. match against Stony Brook also happened to be on the Liberty football team’s senior night. The Flames won 28-14 against the Seawolves, who were ranked sixth in the nation, and will be looking to prepare for the NCAA playoffs, which start Nov. 24.

“We tried to beat them on the field, but we wanted to show that we cared about them as individuals,” Todd Wetmore, the associate athletics director for athletics communication, said.

According to the Stony Brook president’s letter to the students of his university, their Manhat-

tan campus has experienced power outages since the hurricane hit.

“We as a community experienced something similar to this during the summer,” Wetmore said. “We had a massive storm come through here that wiped out a lot the power in our area.

I was without electricity for a week at my house.”

During the power outages, Liberty and Thomas Road Baptist Church ministered to the community by setting up housing, offering discounted meals to people and even offering free repairs for people affected by the storm, he said.

“Now we can be a ministry to another community, and we’re just hoping that it helps,” Wetmore said. “By no means are we going to rebuild everything that’s happened up there, but we can be a bit of a ministering hand to (Stony Brook).”

SIR is a sports reporter.

Organizations mobilize relief efforts; need money and volunteers

Gleaning For The World is a Virginia-based charity organization that was established in 1992. You can find their donation page for the relief effort at gftw.org/superstorm-sandy.

The North American Missions Board is the missions branch of the Southern Baptist Convention. You can donate to their cause at namb.net/disaster-relief-donations.

Salem Church in Staten Island, N.Y. is a 108-year-old church organizing efforts to serve its community. Visit their disaster relief page at salemchurchnyc. org/disaster-relief.

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Fashion show to wow This year’s show focuses on fashion in cinema

NEWS

November 13, 2012

Nicole Steenburgh nksteenburgh@liberty.edu

For seven years, Liberty students from all majors who are interested in fashion design have participated in Liberty’s annual fashion show.

Three years ago, Liberty student Ruth Bibby initiated the designer launch party. The event prepares designers for meetings, fittings and workshops in preparation for the Spring Fashion Show.

This year’s theme is Project Hollywood: A Glamorous Encore.

Students must design a garment around a classic movie from the given list, which includes movies such as Casablanca, Superman and Jaws.

According to this year’s Designer Handbook, which explains the rules and guidelines for the show, students must give their top three movie choices along with an explanation of why they chose the movies. After an evaluation, their assignment will be given.

According to Matalie Howard, Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS), a student came up with the idea of having a fashion show seven years ago. When the show first started, only 135 people were in attendance. Now, the event has grown to more than 1,000 spectators.

“The main purpose of the launch party is for the designers to hear the theme for the upcoming show and to meet other designers who also want to pursue a career in fashion design,” Ruth Bibby, the director of the fashion show, said.

Each year, Bibby chooses a theme for the show. Once the theme is given, student designers must work within the set guidelines to design their garments.

“It’s really up to the designers and their skill level to determine how many looks they create. One’s the minimum and the sky’s the limit,” Bibby said.

According to Howard, students are responsible for providing their own materials for their garments. When designing and planning their outfit for this year’s show, students must

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

SPEAKER — Dean Parker, CEO of Callis Communications, addresses business students.

Nathan Rohrer | Liberty Champion

FASHION — Designers prepare for the spring show. keep in mind the two paths specified in the Designer Handbook. Their first option is costuming — designing something that would be seen in the movie or would be period-relevant.

The other option is a modern interpretation of the movie — designing a garment based on key elements from their movie, meaning that special attention would be given to the details of the film, not just the overall look.

“This is a time to show creativity in a big way,” Howard said. “The biggest draw is for fashion merchandising, but we look to interior design to help decorate, the food department helps with the catering and family and child development just wants to help.”

The Designer Launch Party even reaches beyond the FACS department.

Graphic arts majors are involved with advertising, and student photographers attend the event to take pictures.

It is not even necessary to be a FACS major to design for the show.

According to Howard, it is open to all majors interested in design.

“It is a time for students to showcase their talents,” she said.

For more information on designing for the fashion show, email Bibby at rnbibby@liberty.edu.

STEENBURGH is a news reporter.

CEO seeks to motivate Samantha Boontjer

sbboontjer@liberty.edu

Liberty University business students had the opportunity to listen to Dean Parker, founder and CEO of Callis Communications, a leading company in unified cloud communication services, Thursday, Nov. 8.

The 1996 Liberty alumnus encouraged students to do what they love and focus on Christ.

Parker came to the event with Callis’s Executive Vice President, Troy Hartless, a 1993 Liberty alumnus.

“We are excited about Callis making a significant investment into Liberty University as the students start their professional careers,” Hartless said.

According to a press release, Callis Communications is one of the fastest growing companies in Alabama and has been an Inc. 500 company every year since 2008.

Parker used his experience with the communications corporation to inspire students with the message

of his son’s adoption.

“You have to remember you are the intersection of faith and business, and how does that intersect? It intersects because I thought I was making a business investment … and then that little boy showed up in our household.”

He encouraged students to remember that God has a time and a purpose, and good things will happen if they just “follow their faith.”

Parker connected with students by sharing some of his experiences at Liberty and asking if any of them had ever spray-painted the “Spirit Rock.” He and a friend had gotten the permission from Dr. Falwell to have the rock delivered.

He also was influential in starting the tradition of Coffeehouse.

Parker then shared the principles that he considers crucial to success, starting with where a company positions itself in the beginning.

“It’s great to have a highly successful business alumnus that’s out there serving the Lord,” School of

Business Dean Scott Hicks said. Hicks explained how successful Parker’s company has been, saying, “That’s what our students need to hear, ‘cause that’s what we’re trying to do in the School of Business and that’s what we want to deliver.”

In a meeting with 13 students before the event, Parker challenged their reasons for being at Liberty.

“Is a Christian education really what you want? Or do you want a Christian worldview of where you want to be?” he asked.

Parker then encouraged students to remember to keep God first and remember that He has a plan.

The one point that was hammered home to the students was to remember to do something that they love doing. Hicks was enthusiastic about the professionals coming to speak.

“It’s not easy, and (they shared) that with our students — that’s what I’m excited about, and I think our students need it.”

BOONTJER is a news reporter.

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SPORTS

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Women’s XC

Men’s D2 Hockey

Men’s D3 Hockey

Women’s D2 Hockey

Women’s Swimming

Women’s Swimming

Liberty @ Regional Finals 15th of 37

Liberty 5 UMBC 2

Liberty 10 George Mason 4

Liberty 1 Villanova 4

Liberty 172 Boston College 117

Liberty 173 Maine of the America East 110

Tolsma maintains standard of excellence Olivia Witherite ogwitherite@liberty.edu

Under the leadership of one coach, the Liberty Flames cross-country and track and field teams have recorded 47 Coach of the Year awards, 87 conference titles and 48 All-American athletes.

Head Coach Brant Tolsma is the longest-tenured coach at Liberty University, and he has grown the cross-country and track programs from their early stages. Tolsma earned his doctorate in the biomechanics of sport from Indiana University

before beginning his coaching career at Campbell University, where he was the head track coach from 1979-1986.

Tolsma first came to Liberty in 1986 as the men’s track and field head coach.

By 1991, he had taken over the men and women’s track and field and cross-country programs.

“I wanted to be in a program that was a nationalcontender type program, but we were far away from that 27 years ago,” Tolsma said. “Even along the way, even though we didn’t have the things that other schools

would have, God blessed us with some amazing blessings through the years. … We had a sense that things were going to happen as a team down the road.”

With the team’s success came recognition for Tolsma. Along with the 47 Coach of the Year awards between the two sports, he also earned two NCAA District Coach of the Year awards.

“Coach of the Year is kind of funny. It’s really the team if you think about it,” Tolsma said. “Usually, the winning

See TOLSMA B2

Timothy Sutton | Liberty Champion

FULL TROPHY CASE — Head Track Coach Brant Tolsma will need a larger trophy case with the addition of his 47th Coach of the Year Award.

Men’s soccer eliminated Jay Sir

ysir@liberty.edu

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

PUNISHMENT — Junior cornerback Walt Aikens delivers a big hit on a Stony Brook runner.

LU stuns Stony Brook

Flames upset No. 6 Seawolves to keep Big South title hopes alive Kyle Harvey kharvey@liberty.edu

No one gave the Flames a fighting chance against Stony Brook. With a senior-laden cast of players busy rewriting the record books, Saturday’s game was supposed to cap the end of one of the most successful seasons in Stony Brook history.

But Liberty stamped out Stony Brook’s hopes of an automatic playoff berth and finished its own home schedule with an exclamation point.

Led by a ball-hungry defense that played its most dominant game of the season, Liberty took the lead in the beginning of the second quarter and never looked back on its way to a 28-14 victory. No. 6 Stony Brook is the highest-ranked opponent the Flames have ever beaten.

“I’m proud to have an opportunity to be a part of it,” Head Coach Turner Gill said about the historic win. “This is

one major step that is going to help us to continue to move forward.”

The floor in the media room was literally shaking after the game as players on the other side of the wall celebrated what many called the greatest game of their careers.

“Best win I’ve ever played in,” senior center Aaron Lundy said. “I would venture to say that it’s probably the best win at Liberty University, all-time.”

“This is probably the biggest win I’ve ever had in my football career,” senior nose guard and captain Bryant Lewellyn said. “Stony Brook was ranked No. 6 this week. We didn’t really pay attention to that. ... We were coming in, getting ready to go, saying, ‘We are going to beat these guys. … We’ve never lost a home conference game in my five years here, and we’re not going to do it tonight.’”

Liberty has played exceptionally well at Williams Stadium in recent years.

The win over Stony Brook extends

Liberty’s home winning streak in conference play to 18 games.

Not many could have predicted the victory, and even fewer could have predicted how Liberty would win it.

After struggling to earn takeaways throughout the first half of the season, the Flames defense forced five against Stony Brook, equaling their total from the first nine games combined. The secondary more than doubled its season interception total, earning four Saturday.

“Everybody was saying that (the turnovers) were going to come all at once,” Gill said. “This was the right game for them to come.”

Liberty’s defense muzzled the Seawolves prolific running game, allowing only 156 yards on the ground — half of Stony Brook’s season average.

Senior running back Miguel Maysonet, the Big South’s all-time touchdown leader, was held to a 2.8-yard carry

See FOOTBALL B3

Winthrop Eagles men’s soccer program proved that tournament seedings should be taken with a grain of salt during this year’s Big South Championship.

The Eagles were seeded sixth going into the tournament, but they managed to beat the top three seeds that were expected to take the championship title based on their conference performance.

Liberty University was the first victim of Winthrop’s impressive run, defeating Liberty 2-1 in overtime. In the semi-finals, the Eagles edged Radford University 2-1. Winthrop lifted the Big South Championship cup in the finals when they defeated Coastal Carolina 3-2 during regular time.

The Flames scored late into the second half when senior Greg White headed in a loose ball deflected from a free kick. Winthrop tied the game in the 82nd minute when Liberty goalie Scott Sutarik kicked the ball in the back of Winthrop forward Marc Segarra near the Liberty goal, and then a striker chipped the ball over Sutarik and into the goal.

The game-winning goal was scored by Mason Lavallet, who redirected a cross into the goal just four minutes into overtime.

“This is obviously a very disappointing game for us,” Head Coach Jeff Alder said.

“We had such a good year … and to lose a game like that, I hurt for our seniors.”

Showing Improvement The men’s soccer team had a very polarized season in 2012. They slumped to a 2-6-0 record at the first half of the year but ended the season with a positive record and a winning streak. Liberty was seeded third when it went into the quarterfinal rounds Tuesday, Nov. 6.

“I really felt we started the season very slow, but to finish the regular season with a nine-game winning streak, I think our guys learned how to play together, and I think our guys learned how to win close games,” Alder said.

Alder also mentioned that the team improved with every game they played, and that through their defeats, they became hungry for victory.

“We have a good returning group next season, and we just have to use (frustration of losing) as a catalyst to get better,” he said.

The Liberty men’s soccer team ends its season with an overall record of 8-7-3 and a conference record of 6-1-3. Although Liberty was knocked out of the tournament in the first round of the Big South Championship, Alder said that he is proud of his team.

“I was very proud of them overall because they gave us everything that we asked them to give us, but unfortunately, we just didn’t close it out tonight,” Alder said.

SIR is a sports reporter.

SPORTS

B2/Liberty Champion

November 13, 2012

Highlights for the Class of 2013 LOREN THOMAS •

2011 Big South Tournament MVP. 2012 Big South Presesaon Player of the Year.

•

Two-time All-Big South team, including first team in 2011. 2009 Big South All-Freshman.

•

Liberty’s rally-scoring blocks leader.

#21 THOMAS

ERICA MANOR •

Made 19 starts as a redhsirt freshman in 2010, finishing third on team in aces.

•

Recorded 14 kills during her collegiate debut against Cleveland State.

•

Posted a career-high three solo blocks Oct. 14, 2011 versus Coastal Carolina.

#23 MANOR Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

DOMINANCE — Liberty sets up their attack. The Lady Flames continues their home-wining streak with 14 in a row.

Volleyball clinches No. 1 seed Courtney Tyree

cntyree@liberty.edu

Liberty’s volleyball team swept the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in three sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-20) Saturday, Nov. 10, while they celebrated senior day.

Prior to the match, the Lady Flames recognized seniors Lauren Bosché, Erica Manor, Kendle Rollins and Loren Thomas.

With its victory Nov. 9 against University of North Carolina (UNC) Asheville, Liberty clinched the regular season Big South Championship.

Against Gardner-Webb, they also won their 14th straight-home match and a program-record of 21 conference home matches in a row.

“Every team starts off each year with goals and expectations, and one of ours is to have a chance to be at the top and possibly win a regular season championship,” Head Coach Shane Pinder said.

Liberty led Gardner-Webb in hitting average, .280 to .152. Caroline Douglas led the team with 13 kills, and Lillie Happel followed with 10 kills.

The Lady Flames led the Runnin’ Bulldogs in digs 55-46. Liberty’s Gabrielle Shipe led in digs with 16 with

TOLSMA continued from B1 team wins Coach of the Year.

I don’t think anyone aspires to be the coach of the year, but if someone asked me how to, I’d say, ‘Just get your team to win.’ If your team finishes in last, your chances of getting Coach of the Year are slim to none.”

In recent years, the Flames have been recognized in both sports coached by Tolsma.

This season, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams earned Big South titles. The

Becca Haraf following with 14.

The first set included eight ties and five lead changes. Liberty hit .412, while Gardner Webb hit .237. The Lady Flames were able to pull off the win as Jade Craycraft ended the set on a kill.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs had an early lead in set two, 14-6. The Lady Flames crawled back into the match with a 12-4 rally to tie the score at 18all. With kills from both Douglas and Happel, the Flames took the lead and pulled off a 25-20 win.

“We got a little off-rhythm than what we wanted to do, and they made a few plays. I wasn’t worried about that set,” Pinder said. “It was just about getting back in rhythm.”

Liberty took control early in the third set with a 20-10 lead over Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs then went on a 6-0 rally, putting them within four points. Liberty did not let it get any closer and pushed for a 25-20 win.

The Lady Flames seniors were proud to end their last regular season home game with a win.

“I have learned so much outside volleyball just being here, being on this team and playing under Coach Pinder and being around such godly girls,” Thomas said.

men have won eight consecutive championships. The women earned their fifth championship in the last seven years.

“I’m thankful for all the years I had working here,” Tolsma said of Liberty. “It’s been a lot of fun. Not without heartache, but a lot of fun.”

The track team will begin its season Nov. 30 with the Liberty Kickoff event.

The team will be able to use the recently-resurfaced track that is in its final stages of renovation.

Tolsma is excited for the

“It has been such a blessing and an amazing journey. I’ve learned so much through being here at Liberty. It has really helped me develop as a person,” Rollins said.

Manor spent her last season out with an injury but was still a huge asset to the team, according Pinder.

“She’s come every day and finds a way to add value to our program by the way she carries herself,” he said.

“Getting to spend time with and getting to know these girls have been great,” Manor said.

“I’ve been surrounded by great coaches and players that love the Lord, and I think realizing (that) it is so much bigger than volleyball is a blessing,” senior Lauren Bosche said.

Pinder expressed how important this group of girls was to the team.

“They are leaving something bigger than numbers, and it’s a legacy, and it’s relationships, and it’s their walk with Christ that shines when it is all said and done,” Pinder said.

The Lady Flames will head to Boiling Springs, N.C. Nov. 15 as they compete in the Big South Championship Tournament.

KENDLE ROLLINS • Ranks No. 8 in program history with 296 career blocks.

# 1 ROLLINS

• During rally-scoring era, holds third and fourth best singleseason block totals at Liberty.

• Hit .538 overall during the 2011 Big South Volleyball Championship.

LAUREN BOSCHÉ • Posted a career-high 13 assists against Saint Francis Sept. 7.

• Set the career highs in kills, assist and blocks against CSU Oct. 2, 2010. #6 BOSCHÉ

• Has scored a point on all three career attack attempts.

TYREE is a sports reporter.

new state-of-the-art track, which he says will help recruit new athletes.

The facility, which is being renovated by Beynon Sports Surfaces, will feature eight 48inch lanes as well as expanded field event capabilities.

WITHERITE is a sports reporter.

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

LEGACY — Tolsma has built strong cross-country and track programs.

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SPORTS

November 13, 2012

Liberty Champion/B3

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

CELEBRATION — Senior Brandon Apon takes a victory lap, thanking fans in the student section for their support throughout the season.

FOOTBALL continued from B1 average — more than five yards shy of his season average. The Flames defense was also superior on third down, allowing only five first downs out of 13 third downs all night.

“We call it the money down,” Lewellyn said. “That’s what makes your money — getting off the field on third down.”

Maysonet began the day with a one-yard touchdown run, scoring the Seawolves only points in the first half. Liberty responded in the second quarter on a 49-yard scoring throw from Brian Hudson to Desmond Rice. Hudson, who lost the starting quarterback job earlier in the season after an injury, has worked his way back into the offense, taking several snaps a game in the wildcat formation.

“I guess they were thinking run because usually I’m in there to run,” Hudson said. “The corner bit and the safety was nowhere in sight. It just worked out like we planned it to.”

During the next series for Liberty, Woodrum connected with Pat Kelly on a 67-yard pass, followed by a penalty setting up the Flames inside the red zone at the four yard line.

Hudson’s number was called again. He scored his second touchdown in as many plays, running it in himself to give the Flames a 14-7 lead. Liberty would not lose the lead for the remainder of the contest.

“For us being able to lead most of the game takes a little bit of the pressure off,” Lundy said. “But at the same time, you have that mentality where you want to put your foot on their throat and keep gaining a lead.”

Yet, what Lundy probably did not expect was that it would be the defense that would be stepping on Stony Brook’s throat for the rest of the evening and scoring the remainder of the Flames points.

The Flames were able to preserve their halftime lead when safety Brent Vinson intercepted a pass at the Liberty three yard

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

FLAG BEARERS — The halftime show featured a patriotic celebration honoring the nation’s veterans. line. His interception triggered the start of a miserable second half of play for Stony Brook quarterback Kyle Essington.

Five minutes into the second half, Essington threw to the wrong-colored jersey again, into the waiting arms of linebacker Nick Sigmon, who returned the pick 21 yards for a touchdown. Sigmon finished the evening with a team-high nine tackles, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble to go with his interception. Gill was full of praise for Sigmon’s play around the ball.

“Nick Sigmon played a heck of a ball game,” Gill said. “He had some great hands. I may put him on offense now, you never know.”

Two Stony Brook possessions later, Essington threw another interception, with the third of the night going in the direction of safety Jacob Hagen.

Stony Brook did add one more score, a 13-yard run by Maysonet that brought the score to 21-14 at the start of the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late.

The next Stony Brook drive

ended with another defensive touchdown for Liberty.

Sigmon forced a fumble by Maysonet that was picked up

by Hagen, who ran 44 yards to the end zone.

With the game already out of reach for Stony Brook, Essington added insult to injury, throwing a fourth interception, this time to Liberty’s Scott Hyland.

With one game to go, Liberty has renewed hope for a conference title. A win over Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Nov. 17 will guarantee the Flames at least a share of the Big South title. The Flames can claim the whole title with a win and a Coastal Carolina loss to Charleston Southern University.

“If God kind of opens the door for Coastal to lose, that would be great. If not, it certainly has been a fun four years,” Pat Kelly said.

HARVEY is the sports editor.

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Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

TURNOVER — Liberty linebacker Scott Hyland returns an interception in the fourth quarter against Stony Brook.

SPORTS

B4/Liberty Champion

November 13, 2012

Delaware hands Flames two losses

Hannah Kearney

hlkearney@liberty.edu

John Pearson jwpearson@liberty.edu

The Liberty University D1 men’s hockey team lost by one goal to defending American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) champion University of Delaware Friday, Nov. 9th. The game was a defensive struggle down to the wire, but the Flames were unable to hold off the Blue Hens, losing 2-1.

The Flames found themselves on the defensive during the first several minutes but turned the momentum and outshot Delaware 13-6. Noble Tucker tended goal for the Blue Hens and made an impressive save on a shot made by senior Andrew McCombe at the end of the period.

Delaware outshot Liberty 10-9 in the second period, but Flames goalie Clayton Brown held off several attacks to keep the puck out of his net. At the halfway point in the period, Steven Bellow found the back of the net on a power play, putting Liberty in the lead.

In the third period, Delaware managed to gain control of the puck and put in a breakaway goal during a Liberty power play. Delaware found the back of the net

again when Christopher Volonnino scored, giving them a 2-1 with eight minutes to go.

“We are definitely disappointed,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “We would have liked to have won the game, obviously.

There were just some things that we didn’t accomplish tonight that we needed to.”

Liberty had a lot of penalties and a player ejected.

“We need to stay away from the penalty box,” Handy said. “Some are OK to take, but there was so many that we just ended up killing penalties all night and you can’t do that all night because it just tires the guys out. We come back to work tomorrow.”

Team captain McCombe was also unsatisfied with the final score and knew what the team had to do to change the outcome for the next game.

“It was pretty frustrating,” McCombe said. “We just got away from our system and what we do well, and it cost us the game tonight, but the best thing about hockey is you get to come back to the rink tomorrow and play a fresh one.”

Saturday Night The Liberty Flames D1 hockey team fell short once again to the University of Delaware Blue

Hens 6-3 Saturday, Nov. 10. The Flames attempted a comeback from a 2-1 loss the night before, but were denied.

“We had a slow start, and putting us down 3-0 obviously was a major problem,” Handy said.

“However, we got back in the game, made it 4-3, and then from that point, it was 4-3 till late in the 2nd period. We took five penalties in a row and six the rest of the way.”

The Blue Hens scored the first goal only 19 seconds into the game.

Liberty’s McCombe scored off an assist from Ryley Egan before the Blue Hens made it 4-1 by the end of the first.

Liberty answered in the second period with a goal from freshman Danny Logan assisted by Tyson Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion Street and Paul Ingles two minSPEED — Bram Erickson makes a play on the puck. utes into the period. Christian Garland then scored another goal We had control when it was 4-3 we would have wanted,” Handy for the Flames off a pass from and we knew if we scored the next said. “We want to go on a better one and tied it up, the momentum run, and that’s the important part McCombe, making it 4-3.

By the end of the second, the was going our way, but you know between now and Christmas. We Blue Hens had made it 5-3. They that happens, and we need to play some good teams and need to play well.” finished it up in the third, leaving learn from it.”

After an eight-game winning The Flames will head to Stony the final score at 6-3.

“Some of the opponents streak to begin the season, the Brook, N.Y. to take on the Stony weren’t good ones,” Handy said. Flames have lost seven of eight Brook Seawolves this Friday, Nov. “Some of the penalties were defi- with their only win against Ohio 17 at 8:30 p.m. nitely questionable, but regardless University.

“This season, we’ve definitely KEARNEY and PEARSON of it, we still took five penalties and let them back in the game. had more ups and downs than are sports reporters.

Liberty basketball slow out of the gate Derrick Battle

dbattle2@liberty.edu

The Liberty men’s and women’s basketball teams opened their season Friday, Nov. 9. Both teams came up short, with the Flames losing to the Richmond University Spiders 84-42, and the Lady Flames were down 63-46 by Duquesne University.

Poor shooting and turnovers were the story when the Flames were upended by the Spiders.

Liberty converted 13 field goals in the entire game. In the first half, Richmond held the Flames to 33 percent (9-27) shooting from the field.

The Spiders forced eight turnovers during the half, which led to 15 points.

Richmond also shot 53 percent and knocked down five baskets from beyond the arc.

In the second half, the Flames only made 17 percent (4-23) of their shots and committed nine more turnovers.

Overall, the Flames shot 26 percent. Richmond continued its hot shooting and stayed aggressive, get-

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ting to the free-throw line a total of 25 times. It also hit five three-pointers to seal the victory.

Women’s season begins The Lady Flames travelled to Pittsburg, Pa. to face the Duquesne Dukes as a part of the Preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT).

The Lady Flames made seven field goals, which included their only threepoint bucket in the first half. They also committed 17 turnovers during the half. The Dukes poor shooting allowed Liberty to stay within 10 (32-22) at halftime.

Turnovers continued to thwart the Lady Flames chances at a comeback.

The Dukes were able to collect 18 takeaways in the second half. The Lady Flames host Grambling State Friday, Nov. 16 in the WNIT Consolation round.

BATTLE is the asst. sports editor.

FEATURE

November 13, 2012

Liberty Champion/B5

Aeronautics alumnus excels in Africa Jeff Burnham, a pilot working for Flying Mission Services in Botswana, advances up the aviation ranks Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu

The Liberty University School of Aeronautics is a different place than it was when Jeff Burnham left for Botswana. A 2009 graduate of Liberty, Burnham now works as a pilot for Flying Mission Services (FMS), a mission organization that uses aviation to fund Christian ministries in the southern part of Africa.

Burnham recently upgraded to the role of captain and designated pilot examiner in Botswana, which gives him the ability to issue the required test for people who want to get their pilot’s license in Botswana. “I never, ever thought that I would be an examiner,� Burnham said. “I was asked to do it.

Flying Mission didn’t have guys with instructing experience, and I had three years of instructing here at Liberty under my belt.�

FMS provides charter and passenger flights, but according to Burnham, about 90 percent of the flights that FMS makes are air-ambulance flights transporting people in need of immediate healthcare to a hospital. The organization also has pastors who visit patients in the hospital and provide discipleship and evangelism. “The pilots fly and make the money, and that goes directly back into the HIV/AIDS work, orphan care work, discipleship evangelism there in Africa,�

Burnham said.

He said that the also enjoys the dual nature of his job, both flying and contributing to the ministry. “I wholeheartedly view what I do as ministry,� Burnham said. “Not only are you helping to impact the ministry that we have there, but the flying that you do is very rewarding. You’re chang-

Photo Provided

UP IN THE AIR — Burnham lives in Botswana with his wife, Sarah, and their two children. ing people’s lives.�

Burnham returned to Liberty at the beginning of November while on furlough to work on his Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate, and he will return home to Botswana in December.

Burnham said that the ATP is the next step in the pilot certification process for him, and it allows him to captain bigger planes.

As chief of flight training for FMS, Burnham’s job involves recruiting and training new pilots, and he said that he hopes to attract some Liberty students to join the organization. “(We are looking for) as many as we can get, really,� Burnham said. “(FMS) is growing at a very fast rate, and we’re gradually losing staff with no staff coming to replace (the losses).�

Despite its seemingly constant need for new pilots, FMS has increased the amount of work that it takes on. “The mission organization has grown a lot while I’ve been there,�

Burnham said. “I’m hoping that a lot of these seniors catch the vision and come over to Flying Mission Services in Africa.�

After returning to Liberty’s hangar at the Lynchburg Regional Airport, Burnham realized how much things have changed at the School of Aeronautics. Liberty has made many improvements since his departure for Botswana, including new planes, upgraded office buildings and the ongoing improvements on Liberty’s main campus. “It’s amazing,� Burnham said. “The new aviation buildings are

incredible. All the classes are out at the airport now, which blows my mind. That’s what we wanted while I was here, and it never happened. It’s incredible that everything has been taken to the next level.�

Burnham said that, coming out of college, he wanted to work for an airline flying bigger planes, but God drew him to missions. His parents, Gracia and the late Martin Burnham, were also missionaries. “I’m very content with what I’m doing, and not once have I felt like I made a mistake,� Burnham said. “At times, you can look at the jets and think, ‘Aw, man, that would be cool to go do that.’ But I get to do some cool flying, and I’m happy with what we’re doing.�

According to a Liberty Journal article about Jeff Burnham, his father was a missions pilot in the Philippines, but his parents were kidnapped by the militant Abu Sayyaf Group in 2001, and his father was killed in a firefight.

Despite what happened, Jeff Burnham still decided to pursue missions. “Even right after it happened, I wouldn’t say that it drove me away at all,� Jeff Burnham said. “If anything, it drove me closer to the Lord and showed me the need for missions. If anything, it made it more clear how important it was.�

Although Burnham and his wife, Sarah, experienced some culture shock living in Botswana, they have learned to accept the differences. “We had to overcome that hump and stick it out,� Burnham. “We can’t change the country. We’re not going to change the culture, so we need to just continue to be patient.�

Jeff and Sarah Burnham have lived in Botswana for over a year along with their children, 2-yearold Tristan and 2-month-old Vanessa.

Jeff Burnham has flown to many places throughout southern Africa, including Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa and Namibia. “God has led us in a different direction than I thought when I first came, and we’re excited with the work that has gone on in Botswana,� Burnham said. “We will continue to serve there.�

LEASURE is the feature editor.

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FEATURE

B6/Liberty Champion

November 13, 2012

Zumba event to promote vision Greg Leasure

gleasure@liberty.edu

Jill Springer | Liberty Champion

TRYOUT — Coffeehouse will be Dec. 7.

Singing in Christmas Sara Warrender sewarrender2@liberty.edu

Lights flicker as students run onto the stage, wide smiles fading to the cheerful words of the song they chose to perform.

Each year, the Christmas Coffeehouse at Liberty University offers drama, music and student-submitted video performances that highlight the participants’ hidden talents.

“Christmas Coffeehouse is by far the most exciting event we host the entire school year,” Stephanie Ward, Promotions Manager for Student Activities, said.

Coffeehouse allows Liberty students to put their talent on display in the Vines Center at either the spring or Christmas Coffeehouse events. Run by Student Activities, tickets to the biannual event are open to both Liberty students and non-students.

The Christmas season means that it is time for the first Coffeehouse of the academic year. The specific theme varies each year. In previous years, the themes have been Island of Misfit Toys, Christmas morning, the movie Elf, presents and other iconic images of the festive season.

“Students always amaze me with their different talents and the twists they put on their performance,” Ward said.

For over 20 years, Student Activities has hosted Coffeehouse on Liberty’s campus.

“We usually see around 70 acts and 15 video submissions for Christmas Coffeehouse each year. In order to keep the show around two hours, we typically add three to five videos and 12 to 15 acts,” Ward said.

Auditions for this semester’s show are offered Nov. 5 through Nov. 7 and Nov. 12 through Nov. 14. Outside performers are welcomed, but 75 percent of each performing act must be composed of Liberty students.

As an approved late night activity, the performance will be held Dec. 7th at 11:30 p.m.

“I went to both last year. I’m excited to go this year,” Gladis Gonzalez, a sophomore at Liberty, said.

More than 6,000 students are expected to cheer on the event this year, according to Ward.

“It’s really the start of the Christmas season for me,” Ward said.

Tickets for the event are available at the Vines Center box office. The tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the door. In the past few years, students have sold out the Vines Center, so Student Activities urges students to buy their tickets early.

WARRENDER is a feature reporter.

Liberty University students and Lynchburg residents are preparing to kick off the Christmas season with a workout Saturday, Dec. 1 at the first annual HIS Vision Christmas Zumba Event.

Everyone in attendance must raise $30 in order to participate, which is enough for the HIS Vision Project to provide a free eye exam and glasses for one child.

Innovations is a student-run public relations firm at Liberty that collaborates with HIS Vision, a non-profit organization that works to provide eye care to children and young adults, both locally and internationally.

“By giving local children eye care, it really helps bring under-privileged children out of poverty because if they can’t see, they can’t do anything,” Olivia Witherite, firm director of Innovations, said. “They can’t get educated. It’s not as easy to socialize, make friends or do anything that a person (with perfect vision) would do. I think it’s kind of an overlooked cause because obviously you need necessities like food, water and shelter, but if you’re providing eye care, you’re providing an indirect way for people to fight poverty.”

The Christmas Zumba Event will be held at Brookhill Church on Cifax Road in Forest, Va. from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Zumba has become more popular in recent years, combining a dancing and party atmosphere with a workout.

According to Innovations account executive Heather Zentz, the HIS Vision Project and Innovations started working together in September after Liberty graduate and former Innovations worker Haley Collins assumed the role of director of marketing for the HIS Vision Project.

Innovations and HIS Vision primarily created the event as a fundraiser to help local children receive eye care, but it will also allow participants the chance to work out and possibly win prizes.

“We’ve organized a lot of giveaways,”

Photo Provided

VISION — The $30 admission fee is enough to provide one child with free eye care.

Witherite said. “The community has been really great in getting involved.”

Witherite also said that they have received gift cards to use as prizes from Lynchburg businesses, including Sweet Frog, Wasabi and several tanning salons.

Best Buy donated an iPod Shuffle to the event. JC Penney donated Christmas decorations used from previous years, and Prospect, Va.’s J & J Treeland donated a Christmas tree and decorations that will be auctioned at the end of the event.

“It’s all local, and I really think that’s important, to notice what’s in your own backyard,” Witherite said. “There’s a lot of need in the greater Lynchburg area that I think people tend to overlook. By holding this event, we’re promoting it locally, but people will see the direct results of where their money is going.”

Getting the community involved is one of the main reasons that the event will be held at Brookhill Church. Innovations has not neglected people at Liberty, though.

Zentz said that during the week after

Liberty’s Fall Break, they organized an event to raise awareness for the cause.

About 50 people stood outside DeMoss Hall with signs saying things like “hisvisionproject.com” or “vision is a way to get out of poverty.” Some of the students even wore blindfolds to attract attention to the cause.

According to the HIS Vision Project Facebook page, the organization “is dedicated to help children and young adults see a brighter future through eye examinations, medical treatment and prescription glasses. HIS Vision’s mission is to eradicate needless blindness and visual impairment internationally, one individual at a time.”

Anyone interested in participating in the Christmas Zumba event can register either in person Dec. 1 at Brookhill Church or online at hisvisionproject.com.

LEASURE is the feature editor.

TRBC rehearses for Spectacular Chase Smith csmith13@liberty.edu

With the holiday season just around the corner, the Virginia Christmas Spectacular has been preparing for another round of productions featuring a musical show celebrating the Christmas season and the birth of God’s only son, Jesus Christ.

According to the director of the Virginia Christmas Spectacular, Lorie Marsh, this year’s production, titled “Yes, Virginia ... Christmas Letter,” will feature 300-400 participants including the cast, choir, dancers and orchestra.

“It is a whole new experience,” Marsh said. “This year’s production features everybody’s favorite carols plus a dynamic cast of amazing dancers with numbers modeled after the popular ‘Newsies’ Broadway production.”

Marsh said that their mission aims to celebrate the

Photo Provided

TREE — This year’s show marks the event’s 42nd anniversary.

Christmas season and share the good news of Christ’s birth with unbelievers. The show is a chance to share the true meaning and the life-changing message of God’s love for mankind.

“The show gives a ministry outlet to the many artistic people in (Thomas Road Baptist Church) who love to act, dance and sing,” executive director of the production,

Charles Billingsley, said. “It also gives a place of service to several other church members by way of ushering, building sets, serving in the parking lot, doing make-up, designing costumes and more.”

According to Marsh, the impact of the production reaches a wide array of people.

“Somewhere around 40,000 people normally attend the shows, and the event is often

televised locally, so many more people can watch from their homes,” she said.

Audiences have enjoyed the Virginia Christmas Spectacular for almost half a century.

“I think there is still some merit and value to a traditional production like this,” Billingsley said. “It is a wonderful outreach to those who would typically not come to a worship service but are attracted to the lights and celebration of Christmas.”

According to the Virginia Christmas Spectacular website, the dates for this year’s performances are Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9.

Pricing and tickets are available at virginiachristmasspectacular.com or (888)-244-2178.

SMITH is a feature reporter.

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FEATURE

November 13, 2012

Liberty Champion/B7

Liberty artists display work at Ars Nova Studio and Digital Arts Department holds exhibit to showcase the talent of five senior Liberty students Daniel Bartlett dbartlett@liberty.edu

Over the centuries, art has been a means of expressing emotions and portraying ideas, and has even been considered a window to the soul.

The well-known philosopher Aristotle once said that “the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

This semester, Liberty University introduces Ars Nova, or “new art,” a senior art exhibit showcasing the projects seniors have worked on during their time at Liberty. This year, each artist brings something different to the table as they seek to explore new techniques to artistic approach.

The show features work by Maria Eakin, Jasmine Myers, Kyla Potter, Abbey Sargent and Bethany Saunders. Each artist chose different avenues to portray each of their artistic styles, including portrait, digital painting and drawing, scratchboard etching, acrylic painting and pencil drawing.

“Someone once told me that there is no right way of doing art, there’s only what’s been done before,” Saunders said.

“So, learning from the artist, you can either copy, or you can also come up with your own style.”

Each artist has their own reason for doing art and also have great expectations for this exhibit.

“I hope that my art can go to places (where) I can inspire people,” Eakin said. “I hope my art encourages other people to look into art, to try harder, to broaden their horizons and to be inspired.”

“To get feedback from an outside perspective, that is what I’m most looking forward to,” Potter said.

Katelyn Welch | Liberty Champion

ARS NOVA — Liberty students Kelsey O’Berry and Jessica Morrison admire Maria Eakin’s artwork at the gallery in DeMoss Hall.

Todd Smith, Chairman of the Department of Studio Arts and Design (SADA), said that he appreciates what these artists are capable of.

“Their gifts are given to them

by God, and He wants to glorify Himself through what the artists do with their art and reflect His creativity,” Smith said. “It is basically a two-fold idea: first to reflect God’s creativity, and to bring God glory. That’s based solidly in scripture. The Bible tells us to be the salt and light,” Smith said.

Liberty is currently in the process of building a permanent art collection, including works donated by the Blue Ridge Plein Air Painters. SADA puts on art exhibits each semester, including works featured by regionallyand nationally-acclaimed artists.

“The Church has really re-

gained the idea of how art can impact culture,” Smith said. “We live in a visual culture, so it’s such a privilege to know that rising artists in all art styles are going out into the field and making a difference for God.” The gallery opened Nov. 8 and will display student art until Dec. 14. The event is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and it is also open Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information about Ars Nova, contact SADA Secretary and Gallery Assistant Katelyn Coogan at kcoogan@liberty.edu.

BARTLETT is a feature reporter.

FEATURE

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Valley View race honors military Liberty students participated in the fourth annual trail race Melissa Terry mterry3@liberty.edu

The Valley View 5-mile trail race was held Saturday, Nov. 10 in honor of Military Appreciation Week. More than 100 runners rallied at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre to show support and race for a cause.

“Valley View, along with five other trail races throughout the school year, accomplishes our goal in providing relevant events for the running community here at Liberty and in Lynchburg,” Promotions Manager for Student Activities Stephanie Ward said. “This year, we’ve partnered in appreciation of Military Appreciation Week, so we’re very enthusiastic about that.”

Student Activities created the Valley View race in the fall of 2009 and continued to hold the race every November.

“As a department, the goal for our events is to foster relationships and create community among the student body,” Ward said. “It’s important to create diverse events that will cater to all types of students.”

This year, the event was highly promoted throughout Liberty’s campus.

“I really enjoy trail racing, and running in general, so having a race here at Liberty is really convenient,” Liberty student Peter Bohrer said. “My favorite part of the trail was probably going along the mountain, having a little bit of a view and being able to see everything — just getting into the woods and enjoying nature.”

With a challenging outdoor trail, runners ran up Liberty Mountain and experienced the various trails surrounding the Snowflex Centre.

“This is definitely a challenging course,” Associate Director of Student Activities Joshua Yeoman said. “It is about 75 percent single track trail with a significant amount of elevation change. This year, we wanted to recognize our service members, both past and present.”

According to Ward, Liberty offers many ways for students to become involved throughout campus, and racing in honor of those supporting our country is one of the small ways Liberty gives back.

“My favorite part was probably the finish,” Liberty student Austin Burling said. “It was very hard, but I really like running the trail races that Liberty hosts.

I think it’s important to do stuff like this because I have a lot of friends in the army, and it’s really helpful to do stuff like this to (honor) them while they are fighting.”

Liberty student Hannah Parnell also appreciated the cause behind the race.

“I only run races that support a good cause,” Parnell said.

“This is a good cause, and I love that Liberty emphasizes it.”

For information on upcoming races and events being held by Student Activities, visit the Liberty University Student Activities page at liberty.edu/sa.

TERRY is a feature reporter.

Julie Ochoa | Liberty Champion

FINISH LINE — The 5-mile race challenges runners, leading them through trails near Snowflex.

Friday, December 7 Vines Center 11:30PM

tickets on sale now

$3 advance purchase at liberty.edu/sa