Liberty Champion April 19 2016

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Volume 33 | Issue 9 Tuesday, April 19, 2016

on the horizon

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

SUNSET— Warm weather and clear skies drew Liberty University students and faculty outside to watch the sun disappear over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Big Apple adventure New Liberty Eagle Scholars travel to New York for ministry

Health school offers new program

Elizabeth Lapp elapp@liberty.edu

A group of Liberty University students traveled to New York on the weekend of April 6-10 for a service opportunity at Evangel Christian Center and School. The trip was part of the Eagle Scholars Program.

On Friday of that week, Eagle Scholars led young students in songs and testimonies during chapel services, assisted teachers in the classrooms, and helped with the upkeep of the school’s facilities. Liberty students also participated in church services Sunday morning by helping to lead worship and teaching children’s Sunday School classes.

Dr. Roger Mackey, a professor for the Eagle Scholars Program, described the school as a “perfect fit” for certain students. These students come and implement the lessons on changing culture that they have been learning throughout the semester.

“It’s a picture of servant leadership that we get to demonstrate, and it works,” Mackey said. “Servant leadership works.

When we developed Eagle Scholars, I said, ‘What a natural opportunity for something called culture change and to encourage and equip these students in a controlled environment.’”

All of the activities that took place, from recreational games to mini theater workshops, were organized and run entirely by Eagle Scholar students. Eagle Scholar Coordinator Frank DiGregorio

options David Moraes dmoraes@liberty.edu

Bailey Pilgreen| Liberty Champion

HEARTFELT — Gabby Jenkins shared her testimony during a chapel service. said that Eagle Scholar students were provided with very loose instructions of what they would need to do in New York, in order to encourage student initiative on projects.

“As we were planning this months ago, we basically said, ‘You are going to plan certain ministries,’” DiGregorio said.

“You can assign something to someone and say cover A to Z, cover all the details, and they might be just going through the motions to carry it out. But if you give them a basic idea and tell them that they are free to make it their own, I think they take ownership and have more of a love for it.”

Sophomore Eagle Scholar Carleen Long was part of the dance team who performed at each chapel on Friday.

However, she said that her favorite part of the day was getting to spend time interacting with Evangel students during their lunch and recess.

“Not all of them get the attention when they are at home or quite as much during the school day,” Long said. “I’m sure their teachers try, but they still need love, and so it was cool to give them some attention and talk to them one on one at lunch.”

As the elementary school children ran around on the playground with their new friends from Liberty, the Evangel teachers and staff repeatedly said how grateful they were to have the Eagle Scholars visit

Liberty’s department of public and community health has announced the addition of a bachelor’s degree in public health to the university’s undergraduate program. The new degree is set to replace the current bachelor of science in health promotion in the fall, according to a press release issued April 1.

“This undergraduate degree is a natural transition for those wishing to seek a master’s in public health,” Darlene Martin, director of the health promotion program, said. “Our old program is very, very good. This just reorganizes it in order to allow students to have more options for the future. It gives a well-rounded education in public health but (also) expands their future job market.”

According to Martin, the degree in public health “opens the door to a very broad spectrum,” as students graduating under the new program will have the flexibility to pursue a career in diverse fields, such as wellness coordination, patient education, nutritional counseling and others.

In addition, the new degree will also allow students to take science courses that are prerequisites for programs such as medical school, chiropractic school and dentistry school, Martin said.

See EAGLE, A2

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

News

The story of restoration for a 1950s steam locomotive that traveled to Lynchburg. A2

Opinion

Pro/con debate of what types of media Christians should be viewing.

A4

Sports Lady Flames softball defeats the Fighting Camels in a doubleB1 header.

Feature

Liberty’s advertising team recently won third place in a national advertising B5 competition.

See HEALTH, A3

News Opinion

A1 A4

Sports Feature

B1 B5

news

A2 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Full steam ahead to Lynchburg Historic 611 steam locomotive pays visit to city to educate and inspire Hayden Robertson hbrobertson@liberty.edu

After being in Spencer, North Carolina for more than a year, the 611 steam locomotive finally finished restoration and is back on the tracks. The 611 made its way to Lynchburg Saturday, April 9.

Norfolk and Western’s pride steam locomotive, the 611, was the first passenger steam train to be completed when it was finished May 29, 1950. This was one of the first homemade steam engines made from Norfolk and Southern.

After the diesel engines emerged in the 1950s, the J class locomotives from Norfolk and Western numbers 600-613 were retired. The 611 was retired in 1959 and given to a city park in 1963. In 1981, the 611 was restored and ran from 1982-1994.

After finishing its second run in 1994, the 611 was officially retired until 2013 when the FireUp611 project began. In 2014, the 611 was delivered to the roundhouse in Spencer, North Carolina to be restored for a second time and be put back on the tracks. Since leaving Spencer, the 611 has made numerous stops on the way including one in Lynchburg.

Since 1994, the engine had a third chance to finally get back on the tracks. With the 611 being the prime locomotive for Norfolk and Southern, the project took a great deal of time to make sure all restoration was completed and done properly.

The North Carolina Transportation Museum came out with a small magazine detailing the restoration process and what actually happened to the train. After sitting for 19 years, the process to restore it was lengthy.

Hayden Robertson| Liberty Champion

ALL ABOARD — The 611 steam locomotive pulled into Lynchburg April 9.

“The jacket and insulation were removed, and an engineering survey of the boiler was performed as a part of the Federal Railroad Administration mandated 1472-day inspection,” the Museum of Transportation wrote. “A full repaint and lettering job was done following the reassembly of the locomotive. At the end of the year-long project, the streamlined 4-84 breathed again in May 2015 after being dormant since December 1994.”

With this long process of restoration, the Museum of Transportation needed more help and found it in volunteers who worked on and off the train. Many of these volunteers have worked for years on the 611, and some had just recently started on the

process of restoring the 611. One of the aspects that the volunteers enjoy is working on an actual piece of history.

“It’s fantastic,” dining car volunteer Phillip Retcho said. “It’s a once-ina-lifetime thing.”

Volunteer worker Megan Kegley said that the train is an amazing experience and something people do not see everyday.

“It really is a wonderful experience,” volunteer worker Sara Kammeraad said.

“Especially to see kids of all ages as their eyes light up.”

Retcho said he had not been with the 611 that long, but he and the women do the fall excursions every year. They all appreciated the experience of volunteering on the 611.

“Everybody that volunteers is different,” Kegley said. “It just depends on how long you have been volunteering.”

Kegley said she had been with the volunteer program since 2008, and she stuck with the program even before the train was sent to be restored. She said she has enjoyed this and also is glad she is a part of the team that helped bring the 611 back to service.

“I’ve only officially been car hosting just for this year,” Kammeraad said.

“Like (Kegley) said, there are lots of ways to volunteer. Even if you can’t be there physically, you can raise awareness online or even help raise funds.”

As the train travels from station to station seeing a great number of people, many of the volunteers have a favorite part of the trip.

“Just seeing everybody’s face getting to enjoy a meal on a train — that’s exciting all in itself,” Retcho said.

“When it comes to car hosting, my favorite part is dealing with the kids — when I see the kids’ eyes light up and they say, ‘Aw, there’s a choo choo,’ or teach them all about the train (that) catches their imagination,” Kammeraad said.

“One of the best things about working on these excursions is seeing everybody smile,” Kegley said. “It does not matter what kind of engine is on the front, but seeing everybody happy and making sure everybody is safe is the big thing that makes these trips worth it.”

For more information about the 611 restoration or excursions, please visit www. nctrains.org or www.VMT.org.

ROBERTSON is a news reporter.

Bringing the boxes full circle OCC club hosts event allowing former shoebox recipients to share their stories Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu

Liberty’s Operation Christmas Child (OCC) club hosted a Full Circle Night for students April 12. The event celebrated students who received shoeboxes when they were young and now are able to tell their story.

“We wanted to give students a chance to hear how God uses shoebox gifts to glorify himself,” OCC club President Ellen Ferguson said. “So often when people donate or contribute to mission organizations they don’t get to see the other side.”

The full circle recipients who shared their stories were Sherika Moss, Shanika Moss and Johnny Coggins. Dr. Jeffery Ritchey, associate chairman of the global studies department, also shared how his children received shoeboxes

during their time serving on the mission field in Croatia.

“We want to make sure people understand why we pack shoeboxes like we do,” Coggins said. “I received a shoebox when I was 8. … It was the happiest day of my life.”

Twins Sherika Moss and Shanika Moss grew up in a Christian family in rural Jamaica. They shared with the audience the struggles and heartache they experienced being raised in poverty.

“Our parents couldn’t really afford the necessary items for school for us,” Shanika Moss said.

“We used to use these (small) sized notebooks in school, and our dad would cut our notebooks in half for us to share. Sometimes

it was really embarrassing because others students each had their own notebooks, but we had to share. … Our father also used to cut pencils in half for us to share, and they were sharpened with knives because we couldn’t afford a sharpener.”

One day, when the twins were sitting in their school building, they saw massive boxes being delivered. The Moss twins explained that all the children immediately became excited, but the teacher asked them to wait quietly in their seats and she would call them up row by row.

Both Sherika Moss and Shanika Moss received an OCC shoebox gift that day in Jamaica. In Sherika’s box there was a calculator that she still uses to this day.

In Shanika’s box there was a full sized notebook along with other school supplies.

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“The Lord used these boxes to provide these blessings because we didn’t have these notebooks and things before,” Shanika Moss said.

Coggins, now 22 years old, said that receiving a shoebox was one of his best memories. He was raised in Uganda and received a shoebox when he was 8 years old.

He spoke about how these shoeboxes bring hope to the children who receive them and the power that they have.

“When you put a toothbrush in these boxes, the children are honored,” Coggins said. “You all in America cannot comprehend that. It is that you are giving the children something of their own.”

According to Coggins, the most important part about OCC is that the shoeboxes help the children understand that they are known and people love them. Then they

are able to learn about the gospel through these gifts.

“This is not just a project,” Coggins said. “It is a life-changing experience. It changed my life.”

There were many students who attended Full Circle Night.

Students said they learned more about what happens after the shoebox gifts are packed.

“I learned that OCC isn’t just an organization,” sophomore Jana Gilbert said. “It’s one that legitimately makes a difference. Full Circle Night displayed to the participants that OCC genuinely has a heart for children overseas and that they are incredibly prayerful and intentional about what they pack inside their boxes.”

The OCC club will begin planning in August for their yearly Shoebox Blitz.

EAGLE continued from A1

There were indeed places where duct tape was holding the carpet down. This isn’t exactly a glamorous, high-paying job that they do. So I think that having people go there to help them really touched them.”

At the end of the day Friday, the Eagle Scholars presented Mako with a $600 donation that was raised during the Captivate fundraiser April 4 and through student donations. Mako said she hopes to put the money toward encouraging her students to consider college after graduation by sending them to Liberty’s College for a Weekend.

DiGregorio described the weekend as both physically and emotionally draining but a blessing at the same time.

“I think it is always good for people to get out of their daily life and see how other people live and see what challenges other people face,” DiGregorio said. “There is always someone who has a very difficult situation and presses on. I hope it has made us all a little tougher or stronger — given everyone a bigger heart for people.”

FROST is a news reporter.

and volunteer at the school.

“It makes all of us here feel so supported because many times being here in New York you are alone,” Caroline Mako, Evangel principle said.

“Churches don’t connect.

When we first came here in 1989 ... this area was very dangerous to be in. There were crack houses. There were prostitutes on every corner. ... When you look at the area now, the area has completely changed, and I truly believe a lot of that has to do with when you bring God into an area and you guys pray.”

The school enrolls students from preschool through high school. The majority of enrolled students come from some of the largest public housing projects in the country. According to Mako, approximately 85 percent of the enrolled students come from single-parent homes.

“The one thing I really appreciate about them is they do a really tough job,” DiGregorio said. “If you walk around the school, you notice how things need to be fixed (and) things need to be updated.

LAPP is a news reporter.

news

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | A3

Taking it to another dimension Advanced 3D technology promises revolution in research and collaboration Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@liberty.edu

The Jerry Falwell Library at Liberty University has made a new addition to its array of cutting-edge research tools. The department of scholarly communications installed a Makerbot 3D scanner in the Scholar’s Commons in early March.

With a turntable and advanced laser technology, the new scanner can digitally render objects into 3D models directly to a computer. Its use is not limited to any department, student or faculty.

“An art student could scan his or her sculpture and project it on a big screen for a presentation, or a student with FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) who’s designing, say, a belt buckle, could use it,” scholarly communications assistant Joshua Waltman said. “You can’t take a small buckle and just pass it around the room for a presentation, but you can throw a 3D model up on the screen.”

The scanner is not only part of the library’s mission to expand its research tools, but it is also part of a greater mission of expanding collaboration.

“A lot of people think of a library as just a place with a bunch of books,” Waltman said. “Our library is not just a place for books. It’s a place for creativity. It’s a space where people can come work, do scholarship and explore their disciplines. This new scanner falls right in line with that.”

One thing the department of scholarly communications does is manage a

HEALTH continued from A1 “Health promotion is one aspect of public health,” Dr. Anette Florence, chair of the department of public and community health, said in the press release. “One of the tracks of study still focuses on health education and promotion, but now the core classes for this program will include other key areas of public health, such as environmental health, disaster management and health administration.”

storehouse of student and faculty research publications. The repository is responsible for making articles and material available online, through search engines such as Google.

However, the long-standing challenge facing the department and repository has been finding a method of presenting nontraditional scholarship online. That is where the Makerbot 3D scanner comes in.

The process of acquiring the scanner started in the summer of 2015. Hannah Lowder, librarian for the department of cholarly communications, served as the primary researcher in justifying the purchase and installation of the scanner. She explained how utilizing technology like the Makerbot scanner has become a growing trend among other libraries, as it promotes a new realm of scholarly discovery, presentation and publication.

The installation of the scanner at the Jerry Falwell Library has served as an extension of the relatively new building itself. Such technology provides the needed space for collaboration and innovation.

“We’re always looking for new ways to build upon the theme of collaboration,” Lowder said. “That was one of the motivating factors behind getting the library’s robotic system, too.”

The Makerbot scanner will allow students and faculty alike to provide visual appeal to projects and presentations. For instance, scholarly communications con-

According to Martin, students in the current program have already begun showing interest in switching to the forthcoming degree.

“Students love it,” Martin said.

“We still will have the old health promotion program until all of our current students finish. However, they do have the option to change to the new program if they desire.”

Martin said one of the main benefits to the new public health degree is that “both the health promotion and the pre-clinical

Seth Dotson| Liberty Champion

INNOVATION — The Jerry Falwell Library added new technology. nected with the biblical museum in the library’s basement over the scanner. Now, anyone can scan certain artifacts from the museum into digital format for research. Students can study artifacts without worry of breaking or over-handling the items. The research capabilities of

concentrations are able to take the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, which is the professional credential of the profession, and both concentrations will get practical experience in the field of public health before graduation.”

Another reason for the change is that Liberty is seeking accreditation through the Council on Education of Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. According to Martin, the new program was needed “in

the scanner transcend departments or degree programs.

Scholarly potential and usage is not limited to the scanner itself. Waltman said the 3D scanner in the library could easily be coupled with the 3D printer at the Liberty School of Engineering.

Also paired with the service of the machine is the service of the people working in scholarly communications.

“We can give students or faculty consultations about how they could possibly use the scanner for their projects,” Lowder said.

“We’re willing to provide training, but we’re hoping that people can feel free to just walk up and use it.”

Pavel Vasioutovitch, associate dean of library technologies and collection services, explained the dual goal in the installation of the scanner: promoting the partnership of different departments within the school and promoting the partnership of researchers with the services of scholarly communications. Thus, the scanner markets both material resources and human resources.

“If you want to follow this development in any way, follow it as a chain of events,” Vasioutovitch said, referring to future technological innovations within the library. “This scanner is just a starting point. The capabilities that the scholarly communications people bring to the table are far greater than the capabilities that the scanner can bring.”

JARRETT is a news reporter.

order to align with accreditation standards.”

The press release also noted that many employers today, including government agencies, “want employees who graduated from CEPH-accredited institutions.”

Liberty alumni and seniors graduating under the old program, however, have no reason to worry, according to Martin.

“The health promotion program is one of the best around,” Martin said. “Our students have been very successful finding jobs

that focus on health education and health promotion. This is just a new avenue for future students.”

The press release ended with an important reminder from Florence.

“While we have made changes to course requirements, the program is still committed to Liberty’s unique integration of spirituality and intellectual preparation of students.”

MORAES is a news reporter.

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OPINION

A4

Brianna Young bdyoung4@liberty.edu

Pro

It has been said time and again in perhaps the majority of Christian circles, including church services, universities and small groups. “Do not watch that movie, read that book or listen to that song, because it is not biblical.” Whatever the issue a pastor, professor or small group leader has against certain forms of entertainment, it usually revolves around violence, sex or some form of witchcraft.

But what is biblical?

In a very cursory glance of the Bible, violence, pre-marital sex and witchcraft can all be found and are condemned.

However, it remains true that these depraved and unholy acts are still in the Bible, read by millions of people for over 2,000 years. So would it not be comparable to movies, books or songs that also talk about, but condemn, those same acts of depravity?

War movies, perhaps, are the greatest example of films that show shockingly real images of violence and tell the audience through their portrayal how horrible war truly is.

Philippians 4:8 states, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things (NIV).”

Author of “Hollywood Worldviews” Brian Godawa argues that this verse encourages believers to become aware of the world around them, not ignore that which they are uncomfortable with.

“Biblical storytelling is simply not a series of Precious Moments figurines or Thomas Kinkade paintings,” Godawa wrote. “We must face the fact that the Scriptures depict sinful acts that are revolting to our sensibilities. The portrayal of good and the portrayal of evil are two sides of God’s revelation to us of his one good and holy truth.”

Viewing entertainment that may portray acts of evil reveal truth about humanity that cannot otherwise be fully understood. Not everyone will find himself or herself in a war zone, but they can go to the movies and watch a film about war. By doing so, people can better understand, or at least imagine, what war is like.

Why is that important? Film can be used as a teaching tool, not only to teach moral lessons to others but also to engage in conversation about God and the Bible.

What about films that include witchcraft?

“Harry Potter” is one of the most

TV out e m Ti popular franchises of the 21st century.

Kids and young adults love it. However, many Christian parents hate it.

Even though the films’ overarching themes are about friendship and overcoming evil, Christians cannot seem to get over the witchcraft. Never mind the fact that the beloved series “The Lord of the Rings” also portrays a wizard who uses magic for good.

Film, television, books and music teach valuable lessons that would otherwise be hard to come by. Stories have been a part of mankind from the time of creation, and they will continue to grow and shape us to be better.

Relevant Magazine’s Carly Gelsinger wrote that art and entertainment lead Christians and mankind to God. “A skilled painting, sculpture or photograph can make us uncomfortable and challenge our assumptions,” Gelsinger wrote. “Film can inspire us. Good literature can give us empathy for others outside our own limited realm and shed light on the triumph and destitution of the human condition. Great art points us to grace.”

Christians should remain careful in what form of entertainment they choose to enjoy. But this does not mean that movies, books or television shows that depict particular forms of depravity should be written off automatically. After all, it could very well convey a message that every Christian needs to learn.

YOUNG is an opinion writer.

Con

Carrington Garber cgarber6@liberty.edu

A wife, a house, a car, two kids and a dog. The American Dream used to be simple.

It used to be popular. Mike and Carol Brady had it. Cliff and Clair Huxtable had it, and so did the Waltons, the Cleavers and the Cunninghams.

Hollywood’s creations used to depict functional families, mirroring the desires of the American majority. If television today is still a mirror of American desires, the TV landscape obscured by gore, sex, crime and dysfunction is a horrifying wake-up call for those looking into it.

Since “The Cosby Show’s” farewell in the 80s, the closest thing to a popular family sitcom on today’s television is “Modern Family;” however, the fact that there is a family depicted is pretty much the extent of similarity between the two.

Rather than finding humor in everyday life, “Modern Family” instead uses every opportunity to make a political statement. By following a couple on their second marriage, it advocates divorce. By following a gay couple, it advocates homosexuality.

As if 12 million viewers, a Golden Globe, 21 Primetime Emmys and seven successful seasons were not enough, “Modern Family” even won an award from the Catholics in Media (CIMA) organization.

According to CIMA’s mission statement, their mission is to “(recognize) those projects and people in the enter-

April 19, 2016

tainment industry who, by their work, have made clearer the Word of God. These awards were created to promote and applaud films, television programs and other entertainment forms that uplift the spirit and help us better understand what it is to be part of the human family.”

In this deeply misguided decision, CIMA has mistaken “human family” for broken family. Christians should not seek to understand, but to combat the dynamics that are portrayed. Sin should be met with the opposition it deserves. By accepting such behavior as normal, Christians are aiding in society’s moral decay.

From misguided to depraved, the darker side of American television reveals still further degradation of culture.

“American Horror Story” grabbed viewers’ attention with body parts in jars. It elicited grimaces nationwide with gruesome murder. It developed intrigue with a demonic teenager, a sexual encounter and an unplanned pregnancy.

Each of these twisted plotlines played out just in the series’ pilot episode, and the twists became darker still with each succeeding show.

More horrifying than the images of dread depicted onscreen are the positive reviews that critics awarded the display of gore.

“The humiliation and panic feel real,” New York Magazine’s Emily Nussbaum said.

While their twisted messages branch into two different, depraved genres, both “American Horror Story” and “Modern Family” stem from the same tree — both began in the mind of creator and producer Ryan Murphy.

If his subtle jabs at Christianity are missed in “Modern Family,” they are screamed blatantly in “American Horror Story” with demons, murderous nuns, the “Ten Commandments killer,” and an antichrist baby.

Primetime television has begun down a dark path with Murphy leading the procession. For the preservation of their morals, Christian viewers must turn a discerning eye to the values, or lack thereof, of the programming they allow themselves and their families to view.

America follows the examples of its Hollywood elite. With no example of the American Dream to look up to, fewer young people aim to achieve it. If television continues to show depravity, depravity is what its audience will produce in return.

GARBER is an opinion writer.

NOT UP FOR DEBATE WUSA9, a local DC CBS affiliate, recently reported that five high school debate teams will boycott Virginia state finals taking place at Liberty University due to comments made by Liberty President Jerry Falwell regarding radical Islamic terrorism. Seriously? Do they honestly fail to see the irony in their decision to boycott a debate because they disagree with the position of another person? And a grossly misinterpreted position, at that. According to the report, McLean student Fatima Shabaz (or Shahbaz or Shahbbaz; her name is spelled each way in the original report), Falwell labeled

“an entire faith (Islam) as terrorists, as violent, as extremists.” Falwell, of course, never made such a blanket statement, and for Shabaz to claim so displays ignorance or a willful disregard for truth.

On December 2, 2015, fourteen people in San Bernardino, California were murdered by two Islamic terrorists. Days later, Falwell promoted both the lawful concealed carry of handguns and personal self-defense against Islamic terrorists. To many, this was common sense, but Shabaz accuses Falwell of “promoting ideas of Islamophobia.”

In another twist of irony,

A TES NO

HAYWOOD

Dear Kobe, You went and did it. You hung up those low-top Nikes for good.

And to be honest, I did not think you would truly go through with it.

I figured this was just a small part of one of your crazy schemes. I was not the only one who partially hoped that once the final buzzer in the Staples Center sounded, you would walk straight to center court and proclaim to the world, “The Mamba is coming back!”

And why wouldn’t you? After that 60-point Utah finale, it looks like you

Shabaz, an apparent staunch defender of religious liberty, posits that Liberty should be disqualified from hosting state tournaments because it is a private religious institution. She points out that the Virginia High School League (VHSL) runs the debate competition and uses tax dollars to organize the debate and other tournaments. State tournaments should be held, therefore, at public institutions like VCU, UVA, or William and Mary, according to Shabaz, because they are “accredited public institutions.” Liberty is a fully accredited private institution, and it does not charge VHSL to use

still got some venom in those fangs.

But you didn’t. When you said this was your last game … you meant it.

That said, thank you, Kobe.

Thank you for loving the game I love so much. Each moment you stepped on the court was a spectacle. From the rare occurrences when you could not buy a basket, to the day you scored 81 points on Jalen Rose’s Toronto Raptors.

The grit you displayed night in and night out was unparalleled to that of anyone else in the NBA nowadays. Quite frankly, your retirement sort of wraps a bow on one of the NBA’s best eras.

Twenty years. Do you know how difficult it is to maintain relevancy in today’s NBA for just five years? Yet you did that four times over.

Whether it was the old Forum, or

its facilities. One might reasonably conclude that her proposition is Christophobic. Prohibiting a Christian university from hosting a public debate smacks the First Amendment on two cheeks. Which one do we turn?

In the WUSA9 report, fellow McLean student Jessica Boyer agrees wholeheartedly with Shabaz. Boyer said she hopes that she and Shabaz can “create a dialogue that’s against (Islamophobia).” I may be wrong, but shutting down debate — literally — doesn’t seem the best way to “create a dialogue.”

In addition to Liberty’s rampant Islamophobia, the uni-

today’s Staples Center, you made the stage your own. Boy, did you make it your own. I remember watching you walk on the court with the dim lights in the background. You couldn’t see the fans or the stands. All that was visible was the court.

Honestly Kobe, I could not fathom the possibility of anything stopping you from playing. You practically broke or sprained every bone and tore every muscle possible. You even shot free throws with a torn Achilles against Golden State.

On top of that, you never folded under the pressure of being a Los Angeles Laker.

NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Jerry West all donned the world-famous purple and gold. Not just anyone gets that honor. But you did, and

versity’s weapons policy is also “problematic,” according to Jim Dunning, debate coach at Broad Run High School. However, it is beyond debate that gun-free zones are the sites of most gun violence in America, including public schools from the elementary to college level. So in one final turn of irony, I hope these students can find a safe space for their debates, but given Liberty’s pro-Second Amendment stance on guns, I doubt they will find a safer space than Liberty.

DR. DANIEL HOWELL Professor of Biology

when you did, it fueled you to earn those five championship rings. The pressure ignited a spark within you.

In one of your recent Nike commercials, you told us to hate you because it fueled you. But you will get no such thing from me. Enjoy retirement, Mr. Mamba. Until the next stone-cold killer takes the court, I’ll watch your highlight tapes to hold me over. Trust me when I say there is plenty to choose from.

Sincerely, a Wizards fan named Nate.

P.S. If you really want to be like Mike, I recall him doing a short stint in Washington … Just saying.

HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.

opinion

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | A5

Together for the Gospel Conference calls pastors and leaders back to the truths of the Reformation Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu

In 2006, then-Christianity Today journalist Collin Hansen was finishing an exploration of sorts. Hansen had immersed himself in a growing evangelical movement and had just published an article in Christianity Today on it. The article, entitled “Young, Restless, Reformed,” details the growth or resurgence of Reformed theology, somewhat synonymous with Calvinism, among young adults in their 20s and 30s.

The article, which would later turn into a book by the same title, takes the reader to the major hubs around the U.S. where the doctrines of the Reformation were being taught. From the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hansen speaks with young adults who aligned themselves with Reformed theology.

One of the stops Hansen makes on his tour of the country is Louisville, Kentucky where the Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference is held. Birthed out of a friendship between four men, Albert Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, Mark Dever and Ligon Duncan, this conference sought to equip and train pastors.

April 2006 was the inaugural T4G conference, and it drew around 3,000 pastors and church leaders.

“Most of the audience were in their 20s and 30s,” Hansen wrote. “Each of the seven speakers holds to the five points of TULIP. … They drew unity as Calvinist evangelicals from their concerns: with seeker churches, church-growth marketing, and manipulative revival techniques.”

T4G celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year, and I had the privilege of attending the conference last week. The conference focused primarily on the upcoming 500-year anniversary of the Reformation and how it is still effecting our lives as Christians to this day.

Some things have changed over the last 10 years for T4G. The conference was orig-

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GOSPEL — The Together for the Gospel conference continued to grow as it celebrated its 10-year anniversary. inally held in the Kentucky International Convention Center but has now moved to the KFC Yum! Center a few blocks away due to spacing issues. T4G, which was attended by approximately 3,000 people at its first ever meeting back in 2006, has now ballooned to around 10,000 attendees.

Yet even with these changes, many important things have stayed the same. One evident example is the friendship between the core four who established the conference. As fickle as human relationship are, the deep love and friendship shared between Mohler, Mahaney, Dever and Duncan is encouraging and heartwarming.

Another aspect that has lasted over the last 10 years is the conference’s focus on

the gospel. As one can tell from its name, T4G was originally established in the hopes of pointing pastors and church leaders back to the riches of the gospel. In an age where Christians can be more focused on the lighting, smoke machines and shallow songs, T4G’s emphasis on doctrine and sound theology is refreshing.

In a society that is so focused on personality and celebrity, it can sometimes be hard to bring the attention of the listeners from the speaker to the message itself. Yet from the sermons to the worship to the breakout sessions, this conference leaves those attending with a greater appreciation and love for the Word of God. “What stood out to me about this con-

ference is that it will not be remembered for any particular person,” Tim Challies, a popular Christian blogger, wrote describing the first T4G. “I don’t know that anyone will look back and remember the words or message of one speaker far above the others. What people will remember is the collective passion for the gospel, a passion that existed not only in the hearts of the seven men who spoke, but in the 3,000 who sat and listened and participated.”

SUTHERLAND is the opinion editor.

Panama papers scandal Journalists uncover potentially illegal offshore accounts of wealthy elites

Samantha Rozenblum serozenblum@liberty.edu

Pervasive, poignant, and devastatingly problematic, the saga of the largest data leak in history, dubbed the Panama Papers, has bombarded news outlets since surfacing Sunday, April 3.

Published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), this massive data leak links hundreds of global power players — from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Argentine FIFA superstar Lionel Messi — to the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which helped establish secret shell companies and offshore accounts for these wealthy elite.

The political and societal repercussions of this scandal are sure to continue, considering the almost immediate resignation of Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson shortly after he walked out of a taped interview in which he was questioned about his finances, according to The Huffington Post.

The Panama Papers do more than convict the people and companies they contain. It is an incredible testament to the disparity and distrust between

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SCANDAL — Mossack Fonseca helped establish offshore accounts. the super-rich and everybody else. It is the living proof of the taxpaying middle-classman’s conspiracy theories.

“The leaked data covers nearly 40 years, from 1977 through 2015 and provides a day-to-day, decade-by-decade look at how dark money flows through the global financial system, breeding crime and stripping national treasuries of tax revenues,” the ICIJ said on its website.

The report covers 214,488 offshore entities connected with people in more than 200 countries, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to Time Magazine, these entities include

“at least 33 individuals or companies that have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department — including several from ‘rogue states’ like North Korea.”

Clearly, Mossack Fonseca is no small firm and is in fact the world’s fourth biggest provider of offshore services and has acted for more than 300,000 companies, according to The Guardian.

What is most interesting about this leak is not just its magnitude, but also its potential legality.

Offshore accounts and shell companies are legally opened by plenty of non-millionaires who might use them to simplify transactions with relatives overseas or to

keep money in places where they travel often — or for less pleasant reasons, like to hide money from a soon-to-be ex-spouse.

However, these accounts are typically associated with shady business.

“Our industry is not particularly well understood by the public, and unfortunately this series of articles will only serve to deepen that confusion,” Mossack Fonseca stated in an official public statement responding to the release of the documents. “The facts are these: while we may have been the victim of a data breach, nothing we have seen in this illegally obtained cache of documents suggests we have done anything illegal, and that is very much in keeping with the global reputation we have built over the past 40 years of doing business the right way, right here in Panama.”

The statement asserted that the firm still wishes to continue to serve its clients and its community. Whether or not this will be possible is certainly to be determined.

One of the biggest consequences of the leak is the massive blow to secrecy, which is the biggest selling point of offshore tax havens.

“The offshore world really only has one product and that is secrecy and when you take away that product they don’t have anything for sale,” Gerard Ryle, the director of ICIJ, said to CNN. The Panama Papers will simultaneously bring truth, justice, and added accountability for millionaires and billionaires seeking to keep their family money safe.

This unearthing will hopefully reform the way that powerful individuals and companies are held accountable to the taxes they should be paying, however horribly steep.

Just imagine how these phenomenal amounts of money buried away overseas could affect national taxation or even our national debt. Crime and punishment are not something to celebrate as much as truth and resolution.

The Panama Papers should give lawmakers new inspiration to pursue financial transparency as a top priority, rather than allowing the wealthy elite to continue to beat the system at the expense of the honest taxpayer.

ROZENBLUM is an opinion writer.

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news

A6 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion

LOCAL POLITICS OTE 2016

The Liberty Champion is seeking to provide information on all candidates running in the May 3 Lynchburg elections. The candidates on page 6 are running to fill the vacated seat of former treasurer David Thurman, who retired last October during his term.

The office is now being filled by interim treasurer Patricia Dinterman. The treasurer is responsible for helping local businesses file their sales tax reports, selling cigarette tax tags, and collecting income tax for the state.

CANDIDATE TREASURER

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Longtime local accountant and Lynchburg native Robert Bailey is running for treasurer of Lynchburg City in a special election taking place May 3.

Bailey faces opposition on the campaign trail from current Vice Mayor Ceasor Johnson, who is stepping down from his job as vice mayor on the Lynchburg City Council to run for treasurer.

Bailey is the current owner of R.L. Bailey Company, an accounting firm that has provided income tax and accounting services to the Lynchburg area since 1991.

Before that, he worked in accounting for the Craddock Terry Shoe Corporation and Pepsi-Cola.

“What I have going for me is my 30-plus years in accounting, which is extremely related to the job I would be doing as treasurer,” Bailey said. “The vice mayor likes to say he has 12 years of government experience, but that’s in policymaking, not performing the functions of a treasurer.”

Bailey said one of the biggest hurdles in his campaign has been convincing constituents he has extensive, applicable experience despite his lack of government work. Bailey has run twice in the past for a seat in the Lynchburg City Council — once in 2000 and another time in 2006.

In his campaign for treasurer, Bailey is running as an Independent in order to avoid making the job into a partisan position. The treasurer has no influence in the local legislative process and must instead abide

by the tax rules and regulations put in place by the Lynchburg City Council.

“The problem is that everyone wants to know whether you’re Republican or Democrat,” Bailey said.

“When it comes time for the polls, I hope the public is open enough to vote for the person with the most experience and qualifications.”

If elected, Bailey said he looks to establish himself in the role as an effective worker, and he hopes to take on more responsibility than is usually prescribed to a treasurer. In order to manage the workload, Bailey said his firm would operate under new management while he took a part-time position.

Bailey graduated from Lynchburg College where he received his bachelor’s degree in social science and his master’s degree in industrial management, a degree no longer offered by the college.

According to Bailey, it is the combination of his education and work experience that makes him the ideal treasurer, and it is why he is confident in his ability to run a successful campaign.

“I’m the most qualified person for the position, and when I’m out knocking on doors, the constituents that we’ve been talking to all seem to be in agreement with that,” Bailey said.

ROBERT BAILEY WILL YOUNG weyoung@liberty.edu

YOUNG is feature reporter.

Lynchburg Vice Mayor Ceasor Johnson will run for treasurer in the upcoming May 3 election after serving for 12 years on city council.

Johnson said what he has learned by serving on city council would allow him to be effective in the new position. He said one of his greatest assets is his ability to listen to citizens and either help them directly or relate their concerns to those who can.

“I think that skill will carry over well with as me the next treasurer because more than anything, it’s (about) customer service more than a job,” Johnson said. “You have people that come in who have needs, and then you’re able to share that need and get that information through the process in a fair and equitable way with the highest customer service available.”

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from Alcorn State University and has a Master of Divinity. He holds a Doctor of Divinity from Eastern Theological Seminary and is the pastor of Spring Hill Baptist Church in Brookneal, Virginia, where he has served for close to two decades, according to lynchburgva.gov.

During his time as vice mayor, Johnson took part in developing the downtown Lynchburg area. He said he is proud of the work that has been done on the boardwalk area, the district renovation projects, the infrastructure work, and building the first roundabout in the city. “(You) can see the work and progress that has been done in the downtown area,” Johnson said. “I can’t take credit for it, but I’ve been a part of making sure the funding has been there and supporting the downtown businesses and the growth that has been happening there.”

In addition to his role as a GED instructor in

CANDIDATE TREASURER

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Lynchburg City Schools, Johnson also focused on public education as vice mayor and said he saw a need for better school facilities at both the middle and high school levels.

“During the time I’ve been (on council), I’ve voted to maintain adequate finances for our public school system, as well as the new school buildings for the Sandusky community and the brand new Heritage High School,” Johnson said. “I’ve been a part of the push to have the best places possible (and) the best resources to support public education.”

Johnson’s time as vice mayor has allowed him to build connections with other officials in the city from many departments. He said his personal contacts with people who work throughout the city would allow him to better support citizens.

Johnson said all of his campaign activities and decisions in office are guided by his core belief that all people are created equal and deserve equal representation.

“As a public servant, you treat everyone fairly, regardless of race, religion, skin color or orientation, and that’s been one of my core beliefs as I served on council for the past 12 years,” Johnson said. “When I became the vice mayor to represent the city of 80,000 people — students, senior citizens, homeowners, renters — I treated them with the highest respect.”

CANDIDATE TREASURER

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CLARKE is a copy editor.

CEASOR JOHNSON JACOB CLARKE jlclarke3@liberty.edu

Polls will open May 3 allowing registered members of the Lynchburg community to vote for the open treasurer seat in the city of Lynchburg.

Brian Keith Triplett, the current chairman of the Lynchburg Republican Party, is one of three men running for the position.

With three degrees from Liberty University in English and education, Triplett currently works at Fort Hill Community School, an alternative school within the Lynchburg City Schools system and has been there since 2009. Triplett said most students only spend between six months to a year at the school before they return to their assigned school based on where they live.

If he were to be elected to the treasurer position, he would hope to finish out the school year at Fort Hill Community School and then begin his tenure as the treasurer for Lynchburg.

“I went to Liberty University when I was in my 20s, and it changed my life,” Triplett said. “Liberty was very politically-minded back then, and we were thinking about, as we grow up and leave Liberty, how do we help this country not slide morally to a horrible place?”

Triplett explained that though he has spent the vast majority of his professional career in education, he has always been interested in politics and using those platforms “to make the world a better place.” As far as his goals for the position of treasurer, he hopes to maintain the high level of customer service and integrity

that he believes the former treasurer, David Thurman, instilled into the position.

“It is a position of public trust, but (this position is) a matter of integrity, character and public trust,” Triplett said. “When you come to work every day, you do your job, you do it with integrity, and you do your job no matter who’s watching or who’s not watching.

You do it right every time for the right reasons. I want to bring that to this office.”

Triplett also currently serves on the board of directors as the treasurer in his homeowners association and has for the past few years. He is running against Robert Bailey and Lynchburg Vice Mayor Ceasor Johnson.

While both opposing candidates are running as Independents, Triplett is the only Republican running in the race.

BRIAN KEITH TRIPLETT MATTHEW PIERCE mpierce17@liberty.edu

PIERCE is a news reporter.

news

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | A7

OTE 2016

The Liberty Champion is seeking to provide information on all candidates running in the May 3 local Lynchburg elections. The following candidates running for the Ward II and IV seats on Lynchburg City Council are featured on page 7 and Ward III candidates are featured on page 8.

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Running as an Independent, McKinley Marshall, 73, will be seeking a spot on Lynchburg City Council for the Ward II seat. He will be running against Sterling Wilder, the executive director of the Jubilee Family Development Center. Both men will be looking to take the seat currently occupied by Vice Mayor Ceasor Johnson.

WARD II

Editor’s Note: After multiple attempts to contact Marshall were made, including numerous phone calls and a registered letter, we were unable to contact him for an interview.

Google Images | Liberty Champion

MCKINLEY MARSHALL Sterling Wilder, executive director of the Jubilee Family Development Center, announced his bid for the Ward II seat on the Lynchburg City Council in January.

Wilder said his bid for a seat on city council is motivated by his “passion for our community.” A Lynchburg native, Wilder graduated from E.C. Glass High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University, and later obtained a master’s degree in counseling from Lynchburg College. For 10 years, Wilder also worked as an auditor at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Washington D.C. Despite his academic and professional accomplishments, Wilder said it is his work at the Jubilee Center that gives him the most pride.

According to its website, the Jubilee Center “was founded in 1999 in response to the community’s overwhelming need for a program that would target at-risk youth and offer them programs and services to help develop their academic and social skills.”

Wilder was recognized for his work at the Jubilee Center on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2000 and then again on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2012, where he was called an “everyday hero.”

“To see kids in the inner city who didn’t have hope go on to finish high school and then make it to college — to see those kids be successful — that’s my biggest accomplishment,” Wilder said.

Politically, the candidate said he considers himself an Independent.

“It depends on the issues, and I act on my conscience based on that,” Wilder said.

He added that his Christian faith is very important to him. He is the assistant pastor at the Prayer of Faith Temple Church, a church founded by his late father.

“I’ve been working in church since I was born,” Wilder said. “When you’re a pastor’s kid, you don’t have a choice, but I love it.”

The candidate is confident that he can break the

cycle of poverty in Lynchburg by training the unemployed in partnership with schools, such as Central Virginia Community College.

“My chief areas are economic empowerment, education empowerment and safe communities,” Wilder said.

If elected, he hopes to encourage workforce development by attracting new businesses to the community and making sure they have the resources to thrive.

Wilder also has lofty goals in the educational department and called it his passion.

“I believe we need to have a strong educational system,” Wilder said. “Sometimes it requires teaching our children different learning styles, so (we need) to make sure our school boards have the resources they need to educate all children — good facilities, good teaching styles and qualified teachers.”

Wilder said the key to the city’s safety is the adequate compensation of police officers and fire personnel and the increase in community policing.

“It can be a challenging job, and in all senses we want to make sure that they are safe,” Wilder said.

“If you’re going to attract businesses or attract good schools, you need to have safe streets. We’re going to make sure Lynchburg continues to be a safe place.”

WARD IV

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QUINN FOLEY qfoley@liberty.edu

WARD II

MORAES is a news reporter.

CANDIDATE

TURNER PERROW

CANDIDATE

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STERLING WILDER DAVID MORAES dmoraes@liberty.edu

Edgar James Turner Perrow Jr., also known as Turner Perrow, has served on Lynchburg City Council since 2008. Perrow represents Ward IV and is running unopposed in the upcoming May 3 election.

After being born and raised in Lynchburg, Perrow moved back to Lynchburg to work as an engineer after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute. Perrow said that since he planned on living in Lynchburg for the majority of his life, he wanted to have a say in government matters.

When the Ward IV city councilman stepped down after an eight-year term, Perrow ran for the spot. In order to win, he had to run against his former high school government teacher, whom he beat by 31 votes.

Since he was elected to city council in 2008, Perrow has focused his efforts in several areas within local Lynchburg government.

“I focus on fiscal responsibility, public safety, infrastructure and smart growth,” Perrow said. “Basically, I want to focus on economic development and investment in the core of Lynchburg so that we can get long-term growth … and increase the tax base organically.”

Perrow explained that organic growth means increasing the amount of revenue the city receives by way of a better economy and not as a result of taxing people more. Since serving on city council, Perrow said he has seen the tax base starting to grow more organically due to real estate value and an increasing number of businesses.

Perrow said the amount of revenue from downtown Lynchburg, the Wards Road area and the expansion of Liberty University has led to the economic

growth that Lynchburg is experiencing.

When looking toward his next term, Perrow said he plans to focus on allowing every student in Lynchburg to have the same opportunities no matter their race.

“In November of last year, the school board presented data on the disparity and achievement of African Americans (as compared to) white students,” Perrow said. “That’s unacceptable. … It was determined to be nonsocial-economic reasons, but purely racial reasons, and that is unacceptable. We’ve got to focus and do something about that.”

Perrow is working on a project that will privatize one of the urban community centers and partner with the Boys and Girls Club to help educate the children in that neighborhood.

“It’s a way to get the … schools closer to the kids because the Boys and Girls Club has partnerships with the schools,” Perrow said. “This will help the kids do better through the mentoring process, and I think it is really going to do a lot to close that gap.”

Perrow said this plan would not cost the city anything because it is using resources that are already available. The end goal is to help students graduate from high school, find jobs and stay off the streets.

“We want to support these kids, give them the opportunities they deserve, that frankly everybody deserves, and we can do it without spending any more money,” Perrow said.

Even with the issues Perrow plans to work on, he said Lynchburg is a place that he loves. Perrow said he has seen the city develop into a more exciting place over the years he has lived there.

“I really love Lynchburg,” Perrow said. “We’ve got the river, we’ve got the mountains, we’ve got a nice urban downtown area, (and) we’ve got the colleges.

There is a lot to like about Lynchburg.”

FOLEY is the asst. news editor.

news

A8 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion Insurance agent Albert Billingsly is seeking the Ward III seat on city council in the local office election May 3 and is running as an Independent.

Billingsly, 64, will compete for the seat currently held by Jeff Helgeson, who has been part of the Lynchburg City Council for three terms and is running for re-election.

“I think it is good to have some turnovers, some fresh eyes and ears on problems,” Billingsly said. “I would like to bring a more positive approach to the Ward III council position, so that is why I decided to go ahead and run.”

Billingsly grew up in Kansas and graduated from the University of Memphis in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology. He moved to Lynchburg with his wife, Lisa, in 1986 when he was offered an engineering position at Babcock & Wilcox (B&W).

They have two adult children, Amy and Wesley.

“I took an early retirement from B&W, so I am no longer employed there,” Billingsly said. “I do sell life insurance and health insurance. The health part is the biggest part of what I do.”

In 2008, Billingsly started Billingsly Insurance, where he also specializes in annuities, workplace benefits, advantage plans and Medicare supplements.

Although Billingsly said being part of city council was never in his long-term plans, he enjoyed the nine years he spent on the Lynchburg City School Board.

“I interfaced with the city council a considerable amount during that time, so I enjoyed that interaction,” Billingsly said. “I watched what they were doing, and I was kind of interested in that. It was in the back of my mind and kind of sat there for a while, but I did not really act on it until a couple of weeks ago.”

Billingsly has been involved with Safe Families for Children for a year and a half and joined the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) board in the past year.

Safe Families for Children is an organization that

works to place abused children in Christian homes while the troubled family gets their situation resolved.

Billingsly said the goal is to get the children returned to their family.

CASA works on behalf of the child in court proceedings. An assigned volunteer will be a constant figure in the child’s life.

“The situations that I have heard of are just heartbreaking when you hear what some of these children have endured,” Billingsly said. “It is very rewarding to see an organization like this that is dedicated to helping these children.”

Billingsly believes some of the city’s restaurant taxes should be taken care of if he should win the seat on city council. He said working with the city manager and others would be key in order to get the core values back in place.

“We have meal taxes and restaurant taxes that are pretty horrendous,” Billingsly said. “I would like to see that reduced or repealed completely starting with either half percent or full percent taken off of that.”

Billingsly said one of his strengths is being a good listener. Listening to and understanding the needs of the community has been crucial in making decisions on the various task forces he has been involved in, including the Heritage High School task force.

“I am a better listener than I am a talker,” Billingsly said. “I know that I do not have all the answers, but I am willing to listen and help with other people who may have the better ideas.”

WARD III

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COLEMAN is a news reporter.

ALBERT BILLINGSLY

TAYLOR COLEMAN tcoleman64@liberty.edu

CANDIDATE WARD III

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City Councilman and Liberty alumnus Jeff Helgeson announced at a Lynchburg Republican City Committee meeting in February that he is running for the re-election of his seat in the Lynchburg City Council.

Helgeson has served three consecutive terms as a member of the Lynchburg City Council, being first elected in 2004. Since then, he has been the Ward III representative of Lynchburg City. Ward III takes up most of the southern half of the city and includes Liberty University within its borders.

The councilman is a self-described Republican and fiscal conservative, the only one in the current Lynchburg City Council. His proposed policies have ranged from hard-line tax cuts to defending the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Currently, Helgeson is in the process of negotiating the operating budget for the 2017 fiscal year with his fellow councilmembers. His number one priority in outlining the budget, he said, is maintaining fiscal responsibility through lowering government spending.

“When we have higher spending, we have higher taxes,” Helgeson said. “When we have higher taxes, businesses move to other localities. It creates this sort of cycle of dependence on the government and cycle of poverty, and outside of Liberty’s campus, that’s what we’ve seen in the city.”

Despite being the only elected councilmember who identifies as a Republican, Helgeson had little to no problems in being re-elected in past elections. In 2008, he beat his competitor by a nearly 2-1 margin. In 2012, he ran unopposed.

“None of my opponents have my experience,” Helgeson said. “I have three degrees in financial plan-

JEFF HELGESON WILL YOUNG weyoung@liberty.edu

Charleta Mason, a native of Lynchburg, will be running as an Independent for a seat on Lynchburg’s City Council. Mason will be running for the Ward III seat against incumbent Jeff Hegelson and newcomer Albert Billingsly on Tuesday, May 3.

Mason grew up in Lynchburg and graduated from Holy Cross Regional Catholic High School, and she received her B.A. in liberal arts from Georgetown University, according to her biography on Democracy.com.

Mason then began her career at Georgetown until her husband’s death in 2012, when she left her position as operations manager at the university and returned to Lynchburg to be closer to family and her original roots.

“I have always been interested (in public office),” Mason said. “I grew up in a political household, so I think it’s just in my blood.”

Mason’s father, M.W. “Teedy” Thornhill Jr., served on Lynchburg’s City Council for 16 years, from 1976-1992. He was the city’s first African American mayor.

In addition to her deep ties with the city, Mason said one of the reasons she decided to run for public office is the lack of social activism she sees in Lynchburg.

“I see the need in society for people to have a voice, but no one is willing to do that,” Mason said. “I feel like it’s a moral obligation to step up and allow myself to serve the public.”

Mason said she is passionate about education and desires to work on closing the education and achievement gaps in the school system and the poverty gaps in the city. She said that often both poverty and education go hand in hand.

“The education gap in Lynchburg really, really disturbs me,” Mason said. “I work with students now in a mentoring program, and it’s really hard to get their attention when they’re more worried about if they

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ning, I’m a graduate of Liberty University, where I got my MBA, and nobody looks at the budget the same way as I do.”

Helgeson said he is optimistic about securing his seat in the council because of the hard work he and his volunteer staff have put forth in running his campaign. He has personally spent hours going door-to-door to meet with voters while also attending political forums to discuss the issues that his constituents are worried about.

“It takes up quite a bit of time, but it’s actually very doable because I’ve represented these folks for 12 years,” Helgeson said. “A lot of folks in the city have known me for a long time.”

Along with visiting members of the community, Helgeson will occasionally visit Liberty’s campus in order to talk with students and attend Convocation.

He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business from Liberty in 1988 and 1990 respectively and was a member of Liberty’s wrestling team.

Throughout his time on the city council, Helgeson has supported Liberty on key issues. In 2008, he fought to give Liberty its own polling precinct in the Vines Center. Though it was initially voted down in 2008 by the council on a 6-1 vote, Helgeson consistently fought for the issue until 2011, when the council approved the measure unanimously.

Such support has garnered Helgeson with the endorsements of university President Jerry Falwell and Liberty’s College Republicans Chairman Jonah Athey.

“Helgeson has been a good friend of Liberty for a while,” Athey said. “He’s been fighting for a lot of things like the construction of the sky bridge over Wards Road and the polling precinct in Vines. He’s been a really good voice for Liberty.”

YOUNG is a feature reporter.

have a home to go to, if the lights are going to be on, if there’s food on the table, or does Mom have a job today?”

According to her biography, Mason is the director of the STEP (Striving to Enhance Potential) with Links Program in Lynchburg City Schools, is a member of Links, Inc., and is involved in community activities and organizations.

Mason also hopes that her background in higher education for close to two decades will appeal to college students. She said she had the opportunity to watch Liberty University grow from the beginning. She has visited the campus multiple times and also took classes at Liberty.

“I would want students to know that I’m the candidate most like them,” Mason said. “(I’m) most sympathetic to … recognizing the importance of education. I think that really makes me the ideal candidate because I think independently, and I make decisions based on what’s better for everybody involved.”

CANDIDATE WARD III

Google Images | Liberty Champion

RITTER is a news reporter.

CHARLETA MASON

SHANNON RITTER sritter2@liberty.edu

SPORTS

April 19, 2016

M. Lacrosse

W. Lacrosse

V-Tech

Liberty

GWU

Liberty

7

15

10

16

W. Tennis

Softball

(series) Campbell Liberty

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Cry for mercy

offense rules the day

Lady Flames take the series Denton Day dday26@liberty.edu

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

POISED — Flames quarterback Stephon Masha drops back to pass in the annual spring football game Saturday.

The boys of spring Offense beats defense in football team’s annual spring game Paul Vandenbosch prvandenbosch@liberty.edu

Spring has finally arrived in Lynchburg, bringing with it warm air, allergies and … football? Yes, football.

The Liberty Flames football team held its annual spring game April 16 at Williams Stadium in which the offensive unit defeated the defensive squad, 57-46. The offense scored on the final drive of the game to grab the victory on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.

The spring game employed a unique scoring system that awarded points to either side for every play. The offense was given points for actions such as explosive plays (a run of 10 or more yards or a pass of 15 or more yards) and touchdowns, and lost points for mistakes such as turnovers, dropped passes and penalties. Consequently, the defense was rewarded for causing turnovers, tackles for a loss and sacking the quarterback, and deducted points for mistakes such as penalties and dropped interceptions. Quarterbacks wore black jerseys, while all other offensive players wore white jerseys and the defense donned red jerseys.

The game began in an unusual but stirring way. Nine-year old Nathan Norman, a Rustburg native who has battled cancer since he was two years old, took the opening handoff from junior quarterback Stephon Masha and ran 35

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

yards to score a touchdown to begin the spring game. Norman signed a national letter of intent with the Flames in February.

In a contest that featured no special teams, the defense dominated early, forcing a three-and-out on the very first series, followed by a sack from junior safety Solomon

“

Masha settled in and led the offense down the field with ease. He found sophomore receiver B.J. Farrow down the right sideline for a 50-yard pass play, and freshman running back Carrington Mosley found the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run to give the offense a 45-6 lead at that point in the game. The of-

Overall I think it was a good evaluation ... but we’ve got a long way to go.

— TURNER GILL

McGinty two series later. Following the McGinty sack, the offense found a way back into the game. Junior quarterback Bo Swanson, who saw action with both the first and second team offense, hit senior wideout Dante Shells for a 34-yard completion on his first pass attempt of the afternoon. Junior running back Todd Macon punched it in from two yards out to cap off the drive.

“I thought both sides of the ball had some good things going on,” Flames Head Coach Turner Gill said. “The offense made some good plays, and in the second (half) they didn’t play as well as they had, but the defense came out and played strong too. Overall I think it was a good evaluation … but we’ve got a long way to go.”

On the ensuing series,

fense took a 42-19 lead into halftime of the game.

At halftime, Gill announced this spring’s Samkon Gado Award winners, which are given to the most-improved players during spring practice.

The 2016 winners were junior fullback Thomas Kennedy (offense), sophomore linebacker Lucas Irons (defense) and redshirt freshman safety Elijah Benton (special teams).

Gill also announced linebacker Zachary Schreiber as the winner of the Luke 2:52 award, given to a graduating senior who best exemplifies the program’s whole-person development mission.

The defense bounced back in the second half, aided by sacks from sophomore defensive ends Tolen Avery and Juwan Wells and a 41-yard pick-six from senior safety

Alpha Jalloh. Senior corner Wesley Scott did not play in the spring game due to a torn ACL. Scott will likely miss the 2016 season, pending confirmation from the doctors. If Scott cannot play, it would leave a big hole in an already young secondary.

“We have young guys that are not afraid to be leaders,” Jalloh said. “They’re not afraid to compete, and that’s what we like and that’s what we need. That’s the future of our program.

I believe we can get through (Scott’s injury), we had some young guys that played in 2015, and they’re going to be an asset.”

On the final series of the game, Masha led the offense on a 65-yard drive using a quick tempo and numerous short passes. He connected with sophomore receiver Zac Parker over the middle for the final score of the game.

The Flames did not run the ball in the second half and took more shots down the field, particularly with Masha, who has continued to grow as a passer. After sitting behind Josh Woodrum and a different offense for two years, Masha is looking forward to getting his shot in a system built for him.

“I really focused on my technique (as a passer) this spring,” Masha said. “Playing quarterback, throwing the ball

The Liberty Lady Flames softball team took down Big South rival Campbell Fighting Camels in a double header Friday, April 15 at Kamphuis Field 9-0 and 5-4, respectively.

The Lady Flames started scoring early, with runs in the first inning. Freshman first baseman Deidra See drove in two runs with a double. Two batters later, See crossed home plate on a two-run single from senior third baseman Kassidy McCoy. At the conclusion of the inning, the Lady Flames built a 4-0 lead.

The score remained 4-0 until the third inning when Liberty’s offense struck again. Freshman second baseman Rylee Reynolds drove in a run with a single and advanced See to second. A walk then loaded the bases for the Lady Flames. Sophomore designated player Jessica Cicerchia grounded into a fielder’s choice on a throw that went home.

With the Camels catcher unable to secure the catch at home plate, See came in to score for the Lady Flames.

Sophomore outfielder Cassie Gingerich drove in another run on a ground out to shortstop and freshman outfielder Jaclyn Amader brought in another two runs with a single into right field giving the Flames a 9-0 lead.

“I was pleased that we adjusted offensively and defensively came through with a lot of people playing different positions,” Head Coach Dot Richardson said.

The first game ended in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule giving Liberty a 9-0 victory.

In the second game, the Lady Flames got on the scoreboard early once again.

Sophomore catcher Alexia Taylor drove the ball to deep left center field for a double that scored sophomore left fielder Tori Zavodny. See came to the plate and doubled off the deep left field wall, scoring Taylor and securing a 2-0 lead for the Lady Flames after the first inning.

Liberty built up a 3-0 lead, but after a big fourth inning from the Lady Camels the game was tied up at 3-3.

“Second games are harder because they know our pitching and where our holes are in our hitting lineups,” See said.

See BURNING, B2

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

See SPRING, B4

DROP — Tori Zavodny lays it down.

Baseball vs. Duke

W. Lacrosse vs. Presby.

Softball vs. CSU

Softball vs. CSU

Softball vs. CSU

Apr. 19 @ 6 p.m.

Apr. 23 @ 1 p.m.

Apr. 23 @ 5 p.m.

Apr. 23 @ 7 p.m.

Apr. 24 @ 1 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports

B2 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Eagles stun Lady Flames Winthrop comes back from 3-1 deficit to defeat Liberty and win Big South

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

HEARTBREAK — Winthrop jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point, but the Flames stormed back with three straight points to take a 3-1 lead — only needing one more to win the match. Anna Dollar fell in straight sets to start Winthrop’s comeback. Evangeline Crist lost 6-2 in her third set to tie the match at three points. Junior Mariely Hassey was the final Flame standing as she took Tijana Uzelac to three sets before losing 7-5 to seal the victory for Winthrop.

BURNING continued from B1 The Lady Camels nearly added to their lead, but a number of defensive holds by the Lady Flames, including a leaping catch at the wall made by Zavodny, kept the game in hand.

With the game tied at 3-3, the Lady Flames had the bases loaded with one out and See up at the plate.

She smacked a single down the left field line scoring freshman center fielder Jasmeen Click and Zavodny to give Liberty a 5-3 lead.

“Coach always tells us that we have to have our pitchers backs at the plate and we did that,” See said.

The Lady Camels had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh.

They added one run, but that was not enough to prolong the game, and the Lady Flames picked up the victory 5-4 sweeping the double header.

“When we play the first

FYI

Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion

ALMOST — Kassidy McCoy applies the tag during the Lady Flames blowout Game 1 win at Friday’s doubleheader. game and win it pretty solidly the second game is always a test,” Richardson said. “We need to have close ballgames so everyone is used to feeling it. It was good to see us respond. We did not get discouraged and

we kept going.”

See finished the day with three hits, two runs scored and five runs batted in. McCoy added two hits with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Freshman pitcher Julia DiMartino picked up

two wins on the day with the first one coming in just five innings, and the second coming in relief work for freshman Chase Cassady in the second game.

“I didn’t know I was going to relieve in the second

game,” DiMartino said. “I knew Chase was going to get the job done, but sometimes we fall so we have to pick each other back up.”

DAY is a sports reporter.

The Lady Flames are one of only four teams in the Big South Conference with a winning record.

They lead the league in times caught stealing as well as the amount of times they caught others stealing.

sports

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | B3

April does not just bring showers, it brings three wonderful things: Opening Day baseball, playoff basketball and playoff hockey.

Besides MLB Opening Day, my favorite thing to watch in April is the NHL playoffs.

AUL So far, these playoffs VANDENBOSCH have not disappointed as first round action began this past weekend. With that in mind, here are my picks for this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference semifinals: Capitals over Rangers in six Last year, the Rangers were able to ride the coattails of Henrik Lundqvist and reach the Stanley Cup finals with minimal scoring, but their luck will run out this year. The Capitals are a balanced team that is playing well right now, and unlike the Rangers, they have a superstar in Alex Ovechkin.

Lightning over Panthers in seven Ben Bishop was outstanding this season for Tampa Bay and his play has carried into the postseason. The Lightning are also very deep, a strength the Panthers do not share. Playoff experience and a potent Tampa Bay offense will put the Lightning in the conference finals for the second straight year.

Western Conference semifinals: Stars over Blackhawks in six These two teams will trade blows, but look for the Stars to emerge in this one.

Dallas possesses three 30-goal scorers and had the fifth-best power play in the league during the regular season. The Blackhawks will also be worn out from a grueling series with the Blues and the Stars will take advantage.

Sharks over Predators in seven The Sharks had the third-best power play in the league this season and Joe Pavelski looks to be hitting his stride at the perfect time. This series will come down to special teams and who can take advantage of opportunities on the man

advantage. Plus, the Sharks would have home ice in this series, which I believe will be critical in this particular matchup.

Eastern Conference finals: Capitals over Lightning in seven Bishop can match Braden Holtby save for save, but the rub in this series will be goal-scoring. If the Lightning had Steven Stamkos, this series would be even harder to pick, but without their captain, the Lightning are missing a key piece in getting past Washington. This will be the year the Caps break through and get to the Cup finals for the first time since 1998.

Western Conference finals: Stars over Sharks in six Imagine, a matchup in the West finals that does not include the Blackhawks or Kings. The Sharks have the advantage in the net, but the Stars are simply too good offensively. San Jose will put up a fight, but Dallas’ offense will overpower the Sharks. The Stars also have a top 10 penalty-killing unit, which will come in handy against a team as good on the power play as the Sharks and will send the Stars to their first Stanley Cup finals since 2000.

Stanley Cup finals: Stars over Capitals in seven It could be one of the best Cup finals we have seen in a long time. The top two scoring offenses going head-to-head for the coveted Stanley Cup. Dallas is among the best in the league at possessing the puck and will keep it away from the likes of Ovechkin, which will take pressure off Kari Lehtonen and keep pressure on Holtby. Their balance on offense also makes them deadly and will bring the Stanley Cup back to Dallas for the first time since 1999.

VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

When Paul told me to pick between the NBA and NHL playoffs, I tried to call an audible and take the NFL draft instead, but alas here I am making my picks for the NBA playoffs.

When choosing between the NBA and the NHL, the choice is simple. I am a redblooded American who enjoys living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I do not drink Tim Horton’s, and I definitely do not like hockey. But that debate is for another day. Today, I will make my picks for the NBA playoffs.

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland over Miami in Five Starting with the east, I predict the Cavaliers and the Heat will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals to make for a very intriguing matchup. The matchup would be a fun one for obvious reasons, and I think Miami would have a very real shot at beating the Cavaliers once or twice.

Unfortunately for Dwyane Wade, his team cannot last in a 7-game series with LeBron James and company.

James will have his team back in the Finals for the sixth straight year, but can he bring a championship to Ohio?

Western Conference Finals: Golden State over San Antonio in Seven Over on the west side, things are pretty simple. The Golden State Warriors are going to be in the NBA Finals barring a miraculous Spurs upset in the Western Conference Finals. The Spurs should be able to win their home games, but a win in the Oracle is one of the hardest things to come by, and it is going to be rocking in there.

NBA Finals: Golden State over Cleveland in Seven With that, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be set to meet in the NBA Finals for the second straight year. Last year, a healthy Cleveland team probably would have gotten the job done. But this year, I am not sure

that would be enough.

Even with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love playing their best basketball, Steph Curry and the Warriors are still ridiculous.

The best chance for the Cavaliers is if Golden State meets the same fate Cleveland did last OEL year and loses a couple SCHMIEG players to injuries. Otherwise, I am not sure how they can pull it out. And with another Finals loss, baby Bron Bron is not going to be happy. Sure, he promised a championship to the city, but he proved long ago that he did not truly care about Cleveland.

With another tough loss, another long offseason of talks about James leaving will surely follow. I just hope for the sake of the fans, he does not break their hearts once again. I was once one of those sad people. But when James left Cleveland the first time, I could never bring myself to love again. He put a hole in my heart that can never be filled by an NBA team ever again.

I have tried my hardest to be a Cavaliers fan, but I just cannot bring my broken heart to love again, as another loss would tear it to pieces.

Of course, I will pull for Cleveland for the sake of Ohio. For the sake of those who have gone lifetimes without a championship. For those who do not deserve to be hurt again. But that is sports. They hurt. But again and again, we pick up the shattered pieces of our hearts and naively think that maybe this time, things will be different.

SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.

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sports

B4 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Flames fall in semifinals The men’s tennis team loses close match during Big South tournament Will Collier wcollier@liberty.edu

The No. 5 seed Liberty Flames men’s tennis team nearly overcame a 3-0 deficit, but came up short losing 4-3 in the semifinal match against top-seeded Coastal Carolina in the Conference Championship tournament April 16 at the Cook Tennis Center.

The victory for Coastal Carolina punched its ticket to the Big South Championship.

The Chanticleers move to 20-3 on the season, and the Flames concluded the season with an 11-11 record overall.

“When we were down 3-0, we weren’t in panic mode at all,” Liberty Head Coach Chris Johnson said. “We knew we were coming back.”

The Flames found themselves down 3-0 after losing the doubles point quickly in the one and two doubles slot. Coastal gained their next two points in the fifth and sixth seeded matches where they handed Liberty a swift defeat in both matches.

But with Coastal ahead 3-0 and losing his first set 6-2, freshman Eddie Gutierrez battled his way back into the match capturing the second set 6-4.

“Both coaches knew that’s the match (the comeback) is hinging on because we needed four points,” Johnson said. “We knew if Eddy didn’t turn his match around, we didn’t have a chance.”

Gutierrez went back and forth but managed to edge Coastal senior Pedro Leme in the third set 7-6 (7-2) to beat the guy who just a week ago defeated Gutierrez in their April 6 matchup.

“To see a freshman get beat 6-2, 6-1, literally play the same guy a week later and comeback and beat him 7-6 in the third … that’s huge,” Johnson said. “That shows you that you got a freshman that’s got a

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

FOREHAND — The Men’s Tennis team lost in the semifinals to Gardner-Webb. lot of grit.”

The Flames needed the players still fighting on courts one, two and four to play big in order to steal victory from the Chanticleers.

Junior Sam Matheson was pushed to the

brink in the first set in the top singles spot against Coastal junior Jabor Al-Mutawa but pulled out a straight set win 7-5, 6-2.

Moments later with the momentum in Liberty’s favor, Liberty sophomore Diego Castano seized victory with the crowd roar-

ing as he scored the match point. Castano took down Chanticleers junior Sebastian Schneider in three sets 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 to knot up the match score at 3-3.

The fate of the match swung to Liberty senior Egon Samaai’s court where he battled Coastal junior Vuk Velickovic to decide the match.

“That’s like giving Michael Jordan the ball, he’s going to make a lot and miss a few,” Johnson said. “If he’s the one that’s got to make the shot, you give it to him every time and you’re going to live and die on that.”

Samaai won the first set in a close tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4), but dropped the second 6-3. With Flames fans cheering each break on points won and lost, Samaai fought but fell in the third set 6-4 to give Coastal the victory for the match.

“To see our guys show up and take the best tennis I’ve seen them play all year, doing it on the biggest of occasions here in the conference championships, as a coach, to say I could live with that is an understatement,” Johnson said. “I am very proud of our guys, they played like champions.”

Although the Flames did not come away with the victory, Johnson had nothing but high praise for his players. Johnson extended a special thanks to the fans for their loud uplifting praise throughout the match.

Looking toward next year, Liberty men’s tennis fans have to say goodbye to Samaai, but the rest of the team returns for the 2016 season, along with Matheson who finished this season ranked No. 94 with an 18-1 record on the year.

COLLIER is a sports reporter.

burning bright

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

UP-TEMPO — Senior Alyssa Kidder looks to score against Gardner-Webb.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

INSPIRATION — Nathan Norman, an honorary Flame who has battled cancer since he was two, scored the spring game’s opening touchdown.

SPRING continued from B1 is all about footwork, so I’ve really been focusing on my footwork. Throwing the ball, putting it on the receivers … and I’ve just been following Coach Gill’s motto for this year: Be better than yesterday.”

Masha finished the game completing 12 of his 18 pass attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown, unofficially. Junior quarterback Bo Swanson was two-forthree for 49 yards and an interception, while freshman signal-caller Rudiger Yearick was one-for-four for five yards. Gill said things were not as honed as he had wanted, but the development of all three quarterbacks is promising.

“Execution was not quite as sharp,” Gill said. “(Swanson) missed a couple throws, (Yearick) missed one or two and I think Masha did the same, so I think

the execution can be better. But I like the progress in the 15 days that we’ve (practiced), from when we incorporated the offense to where we are today.”

Macon carried the ball six times for 19 yards and a touchdown, and Shells caught five passes for 40 yards.

Under new offensive coordinator Joe Dailey, the Flames moved quickly and spread the field on offense, utilizing more option plays and designed quarterback runs for the speedy Masha and taking shots down the field to stretch the defense.

“A lot of the plays are similar to the old offense, it’s just more up-tempo,” Shells said. “So it’s more about being physically in shape and more focus, because you have to get your eyes back to the sideline (after every play). It was a big transition, but at the same time it was doable.”

Macon, who will likely be the feature back with Des-

mond Rice and D.J. Abnar gone, looked solid in the spring game and knows he will still have to earn his spot in the backfield.

Macon will also be taking handoffs from a different quarterback than the one he saw his first two seasons, and with a new offensive system to boot, things will not be the same for Macon in the backfield.

“From Josh Woodrum to Stephon Masha is almost like night and day,” Macon said. “Especially with the speed aspect. You just got to get your speed right and keep up with Stephon Masha.”

The Flames open their 2016 season on the road when they travel to Blacksburg for an FBS showdown with Virginia Tech Sept. 3.

They return to Lynchburg the following week to open their home schedule against Jacksonville Sept. 10.

VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

DEFENDED — Freshman Brianna McCaffrey tries to get past the Bulldogs.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

END — Liberty ends the regular season at home against Presbyterian April 23.

feature

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | B5

Preaching from the choir School of Music holds ninth Night of Worship at Thomas Road Baptist Church

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

SING OUT — Five choirs from Liberty University’s School of Music, about 500 students and a 60-piece orchestra gathered to perform at the annual Night of Worship April 17.

Oh Snapple, for the win Advertising Team takes third place at the National Advertising Competition Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu

Every year, all across America, college students prepare to compete against one another in a competition hosted by the American Advertising Federation.

The Liberty University Advertising Team participated in the 2016 District 3 National Advertising Competition, winning third place in a competition that included 10 other colleges. As a university, the team also took home the most awards from the competition, winning both Best Presenter and Best Plans Book.

The competition itself had teams creating a plans book, which outlined a campaign concept for a national brand.

The book included a year’s worth of research material, business information and design work.

“Each year there’s a different company that we come up with a campaign for,” junior Sierra Tilley said. “Last year, we did it for Pizza Hut. This year, it was for Snapple.”

Tilley, who is an advertising and public relations major, participated in the competition as a practicum. The class is offered in both the fall and spring semesters, but students are encouraged to participate for a full year.

“We’d research different tactics throughout the week and just form the

campaign slowly together,” Tilley said.

“I think I learned the most from the class than any other, just because it’s so hands on and you just go and do it.”

Nine students from the School of Communication & Creative Arts formed the team, ranging from those pursuing advertising degrees, to those pursuing graphic design and journalism. Matthew Voss, a senior in advertising and public relations and the president of the Advertising Team, noted the unique experiences this practicum offered.

“We get to do things that most classes don’t offer, which included more work on the business side,” Voss said. “It’s really a unique opportunity, because none of the other classes really offer working at an agency, or the feel of it.”

Last year, the Advertising Team took home a sixth-place finish in the competition. Voss discussed how the team operated differently this year and what the team learned from the year-long experience.

“Listening to people is always huge, because you never know where a great idea is gonna come from,” Voss said. “Also, to stick to something and keep pushing it — because you never know how it’s going to turn out.”

MOYER is a feature reporter.

Photo Provided

AD TEAM — From left to right, Tabitha Cassidy, Casey Bell, Jeremy Ng Jia Le, Alexander Doub, Annie Evans, Benton Evans, Adilene Estrada, Katie Clinebell, Sierra Tilley.

In front: Matthew Voss. Not pictured: Dr. Stuart Schwartz.

feature

B6 | April 19, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

ON THE AIR — 90.9 The Light, a station certified by the Federal Communications Commission, offers hands-on experience to students looking for experience in radio.

Calling all disc jockeys 90.9 The Light provides air-time and professional experience for students Amelia Whittaker awhittaker1@liberty.edu

Liberty University gives aspiring disk jockeys (DJs), along with students interested in radio and talk shows, the opportunity to gain true hands-on experience at the university station 90.9 The Light WQLU. The Light is the student-run radio station, which has been located on campus since its creation in 1980 according to the official site liberty.edu/thelight. The Light began as a simple station, only reaching a few dormitories on campus, and has grown into a 100 watt station certified by the Federal Communications Commission.

As stated on its site, the mission of the station is to reach the listeners with the Gospel of Jesus Christ while training the next generation of broadcasters that will go and impact the world. The Light

has regular music programing along with several different shows.

Matt Guercia, production director for the station, loves the variety of shows the station is able to have.

“We have talk shows, sports shows, late night and even a live skit show currently,” Guercia said.

All of the shows are created and run by students, giving future DJs or those interested in trying their work in radio the chance to try. Any student who would like to have his or her own radio show has to go through a process before that show can make it on the air.

Each idea for a show is first discussed and mapped out with program director, Paul Vandenbosch. Once there is a preview and structure formed, the student will record a demo. They are shown how to work the sound board and how to play songs.

“It’s good to help students gain con-

fidence and get comfortable with what they’ll be doing,” Guercia said.

Once a student has a demo recorded, it will be critiqued to help improve the overall show. Students have the opportunity to record two or three demos sometimes, in order to make sure that they understand the process of running a show.

When the show is ready for broadcast, it goes on the air, sometimes with Vandenbosch or Guercia sitting in to make sure everything runs smoothly. Once the show is established, it is the student’s responsibility to keep it full of content and running each week.

When it comes to the content of the shows, students have a free range of options, as long as it stays within the Liberty Way. “Students can be very creative as long as they stay in the boundaries,” Guercia said.

Students do not need prior experi-

ence or training in the broadcasting field.

Once they are serious about getting a show, recording the demos helps teach them the skills needed to maintain a radio show.

“Our job is to make sure that students are learning, because everyone is not going to be a great DJ starting out,” Vandenbosch said. “But the idea is (for students) to get better as (they) go along, and to maintain professionalism as (they) are learning.”

On average there are nine different shows each semester, but The Light has no limit per semester. The shows can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours in length.

For students interested in the working at The Light, call or email 434-582-3691 or wwmcfm@liberty.edu.

WHITTAKER is a feature reporter.

Caring for the community Love on Lynchburg event offers assistance, service projects to Lynchburg Alexandra Ramey aramey3@liberty.edu

Every year in the spring, the Community Care Initiative (CCI) of Liberty University sets aside one day to spread love to the community of Lynchburg through the participation in between 30 to 35 different service projects, according to Dr. Will Honeycutt, the Faculty Coordinator for CCI. This year, the Love on Lynchburg day was held April 16. Honeycutt said CCI sends out teams of students to seven to 10 service projects every Saturday morning, but for the Love on Lynchburg event, the number of care projects increases two to three times. “… The purpose of (Love on Lynchburg) is to be this practical demonstration to those that we are serving, but at the same time it’s a demonstration to each of us who are co-laboring,” Scott MacLeod, the director for the Center for Ministry Training (CMT), said. “But it also creates things like community, commitment, (and) a better understanding of ultimately local engagements.”

The preparation for Love on Lynchburg has been in progress since the start of the semester, according to MacLeod. He says more than 100 students and staff, as well as a few local church participants, take part Matthew Pierce | Liberty Champion in Love on Lynchburg. The CMT and CCI meet throughout the semester, the first SPREAD THE LOVE — Volunteers served with Community Care Initiative Saturday, April 16 for the Love on Lynchburg event. meeting being in January, and begin reaching out to different people in the com- through … work projects.”

Love on Lynchburg. He said this Love on the team participates in include paintmunity to see who has need for a Liberty Honeycutt said the teams who go out Lynchburg day was set to be the biggest ing and waxing floors at the Boys and University team to come help them on the for love on Lynchburg average about five one CCI has had, with more than 1,000 Girls Club, helping the disabled at Rush Love on Lynchburg day, MacLeod said. to seven people. He recruits different care hours of care.

Homes, working at Interfaith Outreach “The thing I love about Love on Lynch- team leaders from Prayer and Life Group “We are blitzing the city of Lynchburg Association, and serving the elderly at a burg is it’s … trying to get people together Leaders, Eagle Scholars, and those who with Jesus in very practical and tangible retirement home. for this one day … as a start to be a change want to be a part of the CCI service proj- ways and doing a whole lot of good in For more about CCI, email agent in the community,” MacLeod said. ects. These leaders then ask around and a little bit of time to serve our (neigh- cci@liberty.edu. “… They’re great practical opportunities choose people for their teams. bors) to show that we love them …,” for students and staff and anyone else According to Honeycutt, this is the Honeycutt said. to … physically show the love of Christ third year the CCI has participated in Some of the different service projects RAMEY is a feature reporter.

feature

Liberty Champion | April 19, 2016 | B7

For the love of music The annual Lynchstock Festival aims to showcase local artists April 23

Kirkland Gee kgee10@liberty.edu

The fourth annual Lynchstock Music Festival will be held Saturday, April 23 featuring more than 40 performers to showcase the importance of music and the arts in memory of Jon Gregoire, one of the co-founders of Lynchstock.

Lynchstock began in 2013 with around 200 attendees and has seen tremendous growth since then, reaching close to 3,000 people in 2015.

Jonathan Smalt, Lynchstock co-founder, said the festival started as a grassroots campaign to meet a need in the Lynchburg community.

“The reason we (started Lynchstock) is because we wanted a place in town for music and for artists to be able to hang out,” Smalt said. “That’s something Lynchburg is lacking and has been lacking for a long time.”

Smalt said the second year was when they saw real potential for the festival’s growth, increasing from 200 to 1,000 attendees.

It was around that time when Gregoire passed away. After his passing, Smalt said he had to decide if they would continue the festival without him.

“After seeing how much Lynchstock was growing, it wasn’t about any one person, it wasn’t even really about Jon,” Smalt said.

“It was always about the community of Lynchburg and finding ways that we can unite different types of people, regardless of their background, their religion, or their sociopolitical status.”

He has been running the event with a team of about 10 people for the last year.

Most of them live in Lynchburg, but Smalt coordinates a lot of the festival from his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

He said that the festival has never been about the money, but it has always been

Photo Provided

FLASHBACK — Local artists, such as Atlas Rhoads, played at Lynchstock 2015. about bringing new opportunities to the artists and the community.

“A lot of our team volunteers their time,” Smalt said. “It really comes down to loving the city and wanting to see things improve.”

This year’s festival will see 32 musi-

cal acts and 10 spoken word performers split across three stages throughout the day. Each stage is within walking distance from the others, so attendees can listen to whichever act they prefer.

As with years past, the artists will be performing multiple genres includ-

ing indie rock, Americana, country, hip-hop, and this year will even feature an Electronic Dance Music (EDM) performer.

One of the bands performing, Jake Ziegler and the Locals, is comprised of Liberty students. Ziegler, their guitarist and lead singer, said Lynchstock is shaping up to be a fantastic experience.

“Everyone that is involved with this event has been nothing but welcoming to us as a new band, and we’ve felt right at home with everyone,” Ziegler said. “We’ve been looking forward to this festival for a long time, and we can’t wait to show everyone what we’re all about.”

Ziegler said their band plays classic rock ‘n’ roll and will be showing off a lot of original material. He said their goal is to entertain the crowd.

“We just want to give the audience a high-energy, live show and hopefully they’ll come away from our set and say, ‘wow that was entertaining,’” Ziegler said. “Our set will be at 1:55 (p.m.) on the dot.”

Smalt said in addition to the music, there will be craft vendors, food trucks and a live painting of a mural. He also said at the end of the night, they are going to close the festival down and turn it into one huge hip-hop dance party.

The festival will be held at Benjamin’s Restaurant, which is located at 14900 Forest Road, Forest, Virginia.

Tickets can be purchased online at www. lynchstockmusicfestival.com/tickets or at the door the day of the festival.

Smalt said they are always looking for volunteers to help put on the event, and for anyone interested, they can apply at www.lynchstockmusicfestival.com/ volunteers.

A full lineup of performers can be found at www.lynchstockmusicfestival.com.

GEE is a news reporter.

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FEATURE

April 19, 2016

cultural couture

Pierce Phillips | Liberty Champion

STRUTTIN’, STYLIN’ — The African Fashion Show showcased the cultures of Africa through fashion, food, music and interpretive dance April 16 in the LaHaye Event Space.

Provision for others The 10 Campaign raises funds to supply wells and share the gospel in Liberia Katelyn Rutt kerutt@liberty.edu

After just one year, the 10 Campaign has made a remarkable impact both on Liberty’s campus and the West African world. Founded in 2015, the student-run initiative seeks to change lives by providing clean water and the Gospel to the nation of Liberia.

“It started during a talk with my good friend Daniel last year around early November,” Co-founder and campaign manager Quincy Thompson said. “He told me about an idea that he had about doing something meaningful on campus in Jesus’ name … clean water had been on his heart and he had a dream of seeing students mobilized on campus to provide clean water to those in need.”

Thompson said the 10 Campaign previously partnered with The Last Well, a nonprofit organization based in Liberia, to raise support for the nation as a whole. Because it was strongly supported on campus, the group decided to raise their fundraising goals a bit higher for 2016. Ultimately, it plans to continue its partnership with The Last Well because of the incredible difference the organization is making in Liberia.

“The Last Well’s mission and our campaign’s mission is one and the same,” Thompson said. “To provide every Liberian with access to clean water and share the Gospel with every person served by 2020.”

Throughout the year, the 10 Campaign hosted a variety of campus fundraisers to bring awareness to the projects The Last Well is doing in Liberia. One of the most anticipated spring events is the Clean Water Gala, hosted by the Student Government Association. The second annual student gala was held April 8 in the LaHaye Event Space.

“We enjoyed a catered meal, jazz music and a keynote address by Todd Phillips, the founder and executive director of The Last Well,” Thompson said, “In total, we sold 180 tickets and students raised $7200 at the gala alone.”

All of the evening’s proceeds were donated to The Last Well for their water project in Grand Kru, one of Liberia’s largest

Photo Provided

HELP — The 10 Campaign, part of The Last Well organization, fundraised through a Clean Water Gala and other events this spring. and neediest counties. Because of its size, Grand Kru is the area most desperate for fresh water and the Gospel. Each year until 2020, the 10 Campaign is raising money for a particular part of Liberia, and specifically in Grand Kru. Twenty-five water wells must be constructed in order to alleviate the water shortage in the county.

“As soon as we can cut a check to The Last Well, they will take the funds and begin drilling,” Thompson said. “Teams and the infrastructure are already in place on the ground in Grand Kru, Liberia.”

Following the gala, the 10 Campaign hosted a Worship Night April 11 to give students the opportunity to worship and

pray for the people of Grand Kru and hear an encouraging message from Phillips.

Additionally, the group hosted the 10 Tailgate on April 15, which allowed people to learn more about the ministry, meet other mission-minded individuals and enjoy an evening of games and food.

“Students should get involved because we have an opportunity to make history and do something significant for the glory of God,” Thompson said. “Never before has an entire nation gained access to clean drinking water at once, and we can be the tipping point in helping this happen for the very first time.”

Thompson encourages students to con-

nect with the 10 Campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, he says that the link to the campaign’s main fundraising page can be found on any of their social media accounts.

“I would love to see students impassioned to go and start their own initiatives and campaigns that are Christ-centered, Gospel-focused and meet the needs of people here in Lynchburg locally and around the globe,” Thompson said. “We can be a student body of world changers.”

RUTT is a feature reporter.