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Volume 32 | Issue 11

Lynchburg, Virginia Tuesday, December 2, 2014

welcome to the playoffs

Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service

HISTORY IS MADE

FLAMES PLAY ON Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu

As the Flames walked off the field following a loss to Charleston Southern in the last home game of the season two weeks ago, making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs seemed to be an improbable dream more than a legitimate possibility. With Liberty’s postseason hopes on the line in the final seconds of the ensuing game, Coastal Carolina kicker Alex Catron lined up for a 24-yard field goal and the No. 1 Chanticleers had all but sealed a Big South Championship. But the Flames had other plans. As time expired, Liberty defensive end Chima Uzowihe got a hand on the ball, blocking the kick and sending the Flames to the playoffs for the first time in school history. “I attended Liberty’s first football game in 1973 at age 11, and I had been waiting for Liberty to make the playoffs since then — for more than 40 years,” President Jerry Falwell said. “… I (am) so proud of (Athletic Director) Jeff Barber, (Head) Coach Turner Gill and the guys on the team for

“

I’m so proud of this football team. They could have given up a whole lot of times this season, but they haven’t. They continue to fight. They continue to understand what belief is, what faith is and what teamwork is. — TURNER GILL

finally breaking down that barrier for Liberty University. … It is so wonderful to see how Coach Gill has built incredible character in the players on the team. He leads by example, and the result has been a team that plays with more heart than any football team I have seen on the field.” The Flames continued to make history when they traveled to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and beat the James Madison University Dukes Saturday, Nov. 29, with a score of 26-21. In addition to winning its first playoff game in program history, Liberty snapped a six-game losing streak against

the Dukes and put a stop to the Dukes’ seven-game winning streak. According to Falwell, who received the game ball following Saturday’s game, Liberty’s current success is “worth every penny we’ve invested in the program,” and winning against high-caliber opponents “will open new doors for our football program in so many ways.” Gill said he was pleased the team persevered in order to reach the playoffs. “I’m so proud of this football team,” Gill said in a News & Advance article. “They

could have given up a whole lot of times this season, but they haven’t. They continue to fight. … They continue to understand what belief is, what faith is and what teamwork is.” Falwell praised Gill, saying he has played a vital role in the development of the football program over the past few years. “Jeff Barber and I are proud to have played a role in bringing Coach Turner Gill to Liberty University,” Falwell said. “He is definitely the right man in the right place at the right time to take Liberty University football to the next level with integrity and in a way that honors Christ.” As they continue their playoff run, the Flames will travel to Villanova, Pennsylvania, to take on the No. 6 seed Villanova University Wildcats Saturday, Dec. 6 at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased online by searching “tickets” on Liberty’s website or by calling 434-5827328. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN3, ESPN’s online live streaming service. BROWN is the editor-in-chief.

news

A2 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

Radio station on the air 90.9 The Light receives equipment to begin rebroadcasting from campus Kiara Leers kaleers@liberty.edu

Liberty University’s campus radio station, 90.9 The Light FM, has been undergoing major changes this semester. After moving its location from the courtyard to the first floor of DeMoss Hall, the new station aired its first live broadcast of the semester Monday, Nov. 3. “The idea is that it is supposed to create an upgrade for the station, not so much in power but in the things that it can do,” Chris Underation, professor and manager of 90.9, said. “So the new equipment that you’ll see when you go down there is not the same equipment you would have seen when it was in the courtyard. It’s pretty much a totally new station in that regard.” The new equipment is already drawing students into the station, according to Underation. Caleb Barefoot, a broadcasting major, has been using the equipment to work on some of his projects. “I go into the radio station every Tuesday and Thursday between my classes to work on any projects that I may have that week,” Barefoot said. “I have used some of the equipment to record most of my broadcasting projects this year, and I think that the upgrade from the old equipment is really nice.”

Underation explained that media is shifting, and 90.9 is all about keeping up with the changing times. “The thing about the station is that broadcasting today is all about flexibility, so the station is meant to be flexible,” Underation said. “You have a big, on-air studio with five microphones, and you’ve got two studios with news, and you have got things where there is actually a line of sight from the main studio into other studios so that you can put multiple studios on at the same time.” The station’s new studio is meant to give students experience with producing live broadcasts. “The idea there is that students are producing work that is going on the air live, and they are doing stuff that they are producing and putting it in a pre-recorded way.” Underation said. “It is all supposed to be relatively seamless just like radio is supposed to be.” Underation talked about how technology has improved so that 90.9 can be more like stations in major cities such as Chicago. Underation explained that, in order for the station to stand out among its competitors, 90.9 is undergoing some changes. “There will be a new branding initiative that is going on as well,” Underation said. “This is to give the station more to sell, that we are a different kind of Christian radio

Caroline Milwicz | Liberty Champion

SOUNDBOARD — New resources offer oppurtunities for students involved in radio. station that can give a different experience.” The practicum where students run the radio station might be slightly different in the coming semesters. Underation explained that classes may morph in order to support the new radio station. “I have done the radio practicum

before,” Barefoot said. “Now, I am really excited to take it again with the new station.”

LEERS is a news reporter.

Sciences receive sequencer Students now have the opportunity to use new technology in the classroom Felicia Hudson fphudson@liberty.edu

The School of Health Sciences’ Department of Biology and Chemistry recently received a gene sequencer that students will be able to use in classes to help them learn about DNA. Dr. David DeWitt, biology professor and chair of the Department of Biology and Chemistry at Liberty University, said the gene sequencer is used to determine the DNA sequence of

whatever genome is put into the machine. He said students from the molecular techniques class have already been working on sequencing and that they are now in the final stages of getting the sequence alignment. Dr. Andrew Fabich, assistant professor of microbiology, teaches the molecular techniques class in which students use the gene sequencer. “DNA is the hereditary instructions for producing all the proteins in an organism, and with a gene sequencer, you’re able to

obtain the exact sequence of every nucleotide base pair,” DeWitt said. DeWitt said students are very excited about the gene sequencer because it is something they are used to reading about in textbooks, but do not typically have the opportunity to use. “It’s a tremendous asset to have such a cutting-edge instrument available for use by undergraduates, which is extremely unusual,” DeWitt said. DeWitt said he believes the university is positioning itself to be a leader of higher

education with the new equipment the School of Health Sciences Biology and Chemistry has received recently. He also said they have added significantly to the quality of the science equipment in the last several years. “Our biology and chemistry department is on the verge of starting to get significant recognition, particularly for the quality of our graduates, as well as our faculty,” DeWitt said. DeWitt said many of the students are winning awards at both the state and regional level, and

the faculty is winning awards in fellowships. “I’m very grateful for the support of the administration for the science department and for our new building and all the new equipment,” DeWitt said.

HUDSON is a news reporter.

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Visit our homepage frequently for weekly menus, calendar of events and news you can use.

Sodexo Spotlight: SELINA ELSWICK

Position/Years with Sodexo: Human Resources Manager, 6 years Favorite Meal on Campus: Pizza at the Food Court, and the salad bar Loves: Walking, doing yardwork, and watching birds Can be found: Hiding behind the file cabinets

news

Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | A3

TRBC dazzles Thousands enjoy holiday spectacle Tobi Walsh twalsh12@liberty.edu

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

CELEBRATION — Students braved the cold weather to participate in the fifth annual campus Christams tree lighting event.

Festivities begin Students celebrate annual tree lighting ceremony Cierra Carter cmcarter18@liberty.edu

Liberty University’s Student Activities hosted the fifth annual Christmas in Lights ceremony on the steps of DeMoss Hall Tuesday evening, Nov. 18, drawing a large crowd of students excited for the Christmas season to begin. Delayed a day due to inclement weather, the holiday festivities were moved, but temperatures still reached a low of 21 degrees, according to the Weather Channel. The cold did not stop students from showing up to participate in the festivities. According to Liberty News and Events, nearly 1,000 students still decided to brave the cold in order to catch a glimpse of the

Christmas lighting extravaganza. Christmas carols were sung as the crowd grew in anticipation of the lighting of the trees all along University Boulevard and the main tree in front of DeMoss Hall. President Jerry Falwell and his wife Becki joined in on the festivities, announcing that there would be Christmas music continuously playing throughout main campus. After the ceremony, students stuck around to enjoy hot chocolate and take selfies with friends in front of the tree. “We hide a pickle ornament on the tree and whoever finds it first gets a present,” sophomore Jenna Aylor said. “It’s usually a nutcracker.” With the end-of-the-semester anxiety starting to pile up for many students,

the event came as a much-needed change of pace. “It makes me want to do my school work more so that I can go home for Christmas, honestly,” sophomore Meredith Boyce said. With the boost of joy that comes from the simple lighting of trees, the task of finishing out the semester seems a little less daunting. “I just feel like it’s Who-ville,” Boyce said. “I feel like I’m a Who and I don’t know where the Grinch is, but I’m ready to sing.”

CARTER is a sports reporter.

Every year around Christmastime, Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) hosts the Virginia Christmas Spectacular, a holiday event that brings a taste of Broadway to Lynchburg, Virginia. “We begin auditions in August,” show director Lorie Marsh said. “Rehearsals begin in September, but we work on the show for about 10 months all together.” Marsh, who has been directing the show since 2008, said that each year, TRBC tries to do something a little different than years past. “This year is a Radio City-themed variety show that tells the story of God’s redemption, starting with creation all the way up to Jesus’ death,” Marsh said. Some of those variety numbers include a Motown theme, Victorian, classical and contemporary numbers. “Since it is a Broadway-style show, we try to have as many variety of styles that we possibly can,” Marsh said. Unlike years past, which only told the story of redemption through the manger, Marsh said the production will be using video footage of the “Bible” series to help give visuals of Jesus’ life and ministry. However, the use of the TV series is not the only addition to this year’s version of the show. “We have a Frozen number featuring Olaf,” Marsh said. “We try to incorporate original music, Christmas favorites and also Christian hits as well.” With a cast of more than 300 people, which includes Liberty students and members of TRBC, Marsh said the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is more than a small church Christmas production. “It is really great to have so many talented people working with us,” Marsh said. “It is a product of excellence that we have been told is as good as something that you would see on Broadway.” Nearly 100 Liberty students make up the cast, choir, backstage crew and actors. According to Marsh, attendance for the production has ranged from 25,000 to 45,000 over recent years. “It’s a tradition,” Marsh said. “People come back year after year to see it.” The show will run Dec. 4-7 to the public. Ticket prices range from $8 to $15 and can be purchased online at virginiachristmasspectacular.com. WALSH is a feature reporter.

Kintzel gives final performance Former Campus Band leader plays farewell concert during Campus Church Lauren Glossner lbglossner@liberty.edu

Justin Kintzel performed at Campus Church for the last time Wednesday, Nov. 12. The twohour event was filled with memories, music, laughter and tears. Justin Kintzel has served as Liberty’s worship pastor for several years and has been with the university for a decade. He noted his favorite part of the job has always been the students, specifically forming strong connections and bonds with them. “I’m so excited to do this final campus church,” Justin Kintzel said. “The students that attend Campus Church, I believe, are truly the lifeblood of the worship community at Liberty. To be able to lead one last time with a congregation who have been like a family this year walking through so many things with me, will be really special.” Justin Kintzel said he hopes to stay connected with students on social media and be able to return and lead for events such as Spiritual Emphasis Week, Campus Church or Convocation. “If I’m invited, I’ll absolutely make it happen,” Justin Kintzel said. “I still love this place.” Thomas Road Baptist Church’s sanctuary was filled with students. Ashley, Justin Kintzel’s wife, sang with him. The rest of the campus band, who were hired by Justin Kintzel himself, also accompanied him on stage. Before the offering was collected, Justin Kintzel was presented with a teenage mutant ninja turtle

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

END OF AN ERA — Justin Kintzel sold more than 300 CDs after leading his final worship service. toy and a Darth Vader toy. “I am a giant nerd,” Justin Kintzel said. “Those things absolutely appeal to me.” Laughter filled the room as Justin Kintzel did his Johnnie Moore and Dr. Ed Hinson impersonation — he had the two talking to each other in a comical conversation. David Nasser, senior vice president for spiritual development, gave a brief message on the verses just before the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. Nasser emphasized

the importance of a sincere and simple prayer. He described worship as “musical prayers” and challenged students to really think about song lyrics. The evening was filled with songs including “Always” and “Love Displayed.” “To me, content is heavily important,” Kintzel said. “I always try and focus heavily on what we’re singing and why, and I try to remind those I’m leading why it’s significant.” Before the last scheduled song,

students stretched out their hands and prayed over the Kintzels, asking God to bless them and their new journey. Both Justin Kintzel and Ashley Kintzel became emotional during the prayer, and several hands in the room reached to wipe tears away. “For this next season, we’re super excited about an opportunity to partner with a church plant in Arvada, Colorado, called Storyline Fellowship,” Kintzel said. “We’re currently packing up our stuff after just selling our house,

and we’re headed out soon to help create a worship culture there.” Justin Kintzel and the campus band sold their CD’s afterward and all the profits went to the Kintzels. “I’ve gotten so much encouragement and support over the last several weeks,” Justin Kintzel said. “It’s been overwhelming.” The evening ended on a high note with three encores. The intended last song, “Alive,” shifted the mood to celebration, and many students moved to the front where they jumped, clapped and sang along. It was not hard for the audience to convince Justin Kintzel to play more music. The students requested “Oh Happy Day.” The room was alive with the upbeat music and coordinating arm movements. Justin Kintzel then requested the second encore, “Come to the Water,” which, according to him, is one of his favorites to hear the audience sing. “For a large gathering of believers to sing ‘Let revival come, let the people sing the glory of your name,’ it’s amazing and important, and when we come together and as a body proclaim those things to the Lord in one voice, it’s more significant than I think we even realize,” Justin Kintzel said. The second encore song led into the third, “How He Loves.” When the song was over, Justin Kintzel slipped away to begin his next chapter of life. GLOSSNER is a news reporter.

OPINION

A4

December 2, 2014

How to survive finals Satire: the ultimate end-of-the-semster exam tutorial for college students Elijah Smith esmith65@liberty.edu

When the cool days, gray skies and colorful leaves of late November and December roll around each year, the collective brain of the population of this celestial ball that we live on turns toward the holiday season. Lights are hung, songs are played, presents are bought and wrapped, food is cooked and the general spirit of the population is uplifted. However, no matter how much joy and good tidings are spread around the globe, there are several spots where the gloom cannot be lifted — university campuses. On the average university campus, the month of December means one thing — final exams week. This horrific beast of a week is filled with tests and assessments, leaving no student untouched by its terror. It clutches every student in its depressing, high-stakes claws, eliminating those who do not know its ins and outs, getting the best of those who do not possess the tools to properly defeat it. As a senior with a double major, I have been fighting this terrible beast for four years. Over the course of seven semesters, I have fought, triumphed and lived to tell about it. It is for this reason that my editor at the Champion has asked me to put together a little “how-to” list for readers looking to triumph over this frantic finals frenzy. So with a little help from some of my other wise and scholarly friends, I have put together “The Ultimate Guide for Surviving Finals Week.” 1. Studying helps if you do it right As many people know, studying is very important to defeating the finals monster. However, how much and how hard to study is widely debated by

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

PANIC — Enduring final exam week is an inescapable struggle every student faces at the end of each semester of their college experience. many of the great scholars of our generation. But do not worry or fret. I have the answer. The key is to not over-study. You really only need to put a couple hours into it to get the important elements. Do not stress. If you cannot memorize it in an hour, it is not important enough to go on the final. The experts agree with me. According to Samuel Eisbrenner, an international business major, studying whiz and guy with great hair, minimal studying guarantees success. “When I study for finals, I like to wait as long as I can up until the final, like within a few hours before it, then I study,” Eisbrenner said. “That way, I remember it, because it is all fresh in my mind.” As far as studying methods go, Levi Smith, an accounting major

and a guy with a great smile, has some advice for you. “Watching YouTube videos intermittently while studying really helps you remember and stay focused on the material,” Smith said. 2. Sleep is not crucial Leading up to finals week, you may hear that sleeping habits can make all the difference in the battle against the beast. I could not agree more. However, once again, a fine balance is needed. If you choose to disregard my advice in the last section — and the methods suggested by the experts — by spending many hours studying, make sure you stay awake all night doing it. “Staying up all night, getting as little sleep as possible is the

best way to stay focused on your exam,” Kathryn Aylett, a nursing major, said. Many say this will lead to you being too drained, causing you to sleep through your exam. If this is the case, do not stress. You have just averted a disaster. “If you sleep through your finals, you won’t have to deal with them, therefore they don’t exist,” criminal justice major Patrick Daugherty said. You do not lose 100 percent of the wars you do not fight. 3. Professors are your friends The last piece of advice to add to this guide is something of a best-kept secret at many universities. However, I am here to let you in on this secret, Champion reader.

Despite what you may think, your professors are on your side, and if you speak with enough conviction, they are always willing to move exam times to best fit your schedule. Any exam time is movable if you try hard enough and if you make the professor cookies. So when final exam week rolls around, the stress is not necessary. Just pull out your copy of the Liberty Champion and consult this very handy guide to defeating the finals week monster. You will fly through with minimal damage and march proudly into your Christmas break.

SMITH is an opinion writer.

Farewell from feature editor Sam Campbell graduates, reflects on experiences at the Liberty Champion Sam Campbell scampbell75@liberty.edu

Standing in the doorway of each new semester, I am always overwhelmed by the classes, papers and projects that lay ahead of me. I find myself anxious and uncertain of my abilities to conquer the next 16 weeks. But the start of this semester was different. I was more nervous than I had ever been before. I was going to be the feature editor for the Liberty Champion — and that terrified me. It seemed too big of a task, too much work. Honestly, I thought being on the newspaper staff was only for the brainiacs, the overachievers, those who wished

to commit educational suicide. Simply put, it just seemed too hard. When Mrs. Huff encouraged me — several times — to apply for the position, I had already made up my mind. I was not going to do it. I did not have the time or the talent. But somewhere in the midst of all those negative thoughts, I said yes. My final semester at Liberty has come and gone, and as I look back over the past 16 weeks, I cannot believe what I have been able to accomplish. God has stretched and challenged me in so many ways. He has given me so many unique and amazing opportunities, ones I would

by Emily Brown From the California rolls to the chateaubriand — a meat dish cooked with a thick cut from the tenderloin filet — Christmas is full of traditions. OK, so maybe those things do not fit into your typical ideas of the December holiday, but to me, these things fill me with joy as they bring to mind memories of the dishes my family eats every Christmas

never have experienced if I had turned down Mrs. Huff ’s offer. So not only do I thank my heavenly father for blessing me with this opportunity, but I also need to thank Mrs. Huff. Thank you for teaching me, for pushing me. But most importantly, thank you for believing in me. This experience has taught me more about writing than any classroom ever could. I also want to thank the entire Champion staff. After spending many weeks together inside a tiny office, chowing down on Domino’s pizza and listening to epic battle soundtracks (compliments of Josh), you guys have become some of my closest friends. Even though the work was hard and

Eve and Christmas. Suggest a change in the menu and just wait for my brother, Andrew, to go crazy. “We have to have California rolls,” Andrew would say with conviction. “It’s tradition.” Christmas in the Brown household also would not be complete without one specific argument that takes place as we set up and decorate the tree. The argument: every year, Andrew and I fight over whose turn it is to hang the special, Japanese fish ornament. That’s right. A fish, complete with a gold finish and scales that allow the fish to shimmy when you touch it. Perhaps you have already pushed my family into the “crazy” category. Or maybe you just think, “Good for them for being unique.” Call my family crazy, weird or odd. Call

stressful at times, I enjoyed coming into the office each week, knowing there would always be a few good laughs. As I say goodbye to Liberty and the Champion, I cannot help but wonder what God has in store for me next. The future can be a scary thing. But as this chapter in my life comes to an end, I can rest assured, knowing God is already holding his pen. He is ready to write. All I have to do is turn the page.

CAMPBELL is the feature editor.

us special, unique or funny. But no matter what you think or say, your opinions will not cause us to put a stop to our traditions. Those traditions are what make Christmastime so special for us. In addition to the odd cravings for sushi and a French meat dish those memories induce, my mind is flooded with joy as I think through the traditions we observe. But that joy that brings a smile to my face is not just because of the superficial things that accompany Christmastime in the Brown/Jenkins families. That joy comes because all of those things mean time I get to spend with my family. Each member of my family is busy. Several of us are in college, going through each day one hour, one class, one assignment at a time. Two are teachers, juggling middle school students, lesson plans and

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

GOODBYE — Editor graduates.

grading numerous assignments. Others work tough jobs that involve manual labor and stretch way beyond a normal 9-5 job. But during Christmas, as we enjoy our Japanese and French cuisine, our responsibilities and endless to-do lists fade to the background, and just enjoying time with each other becomes our focus. As Christmastime quickly approaches and my mom and aunt gather all the necessary ingredients for our favorite dishes, and as we pull out the decorations, hoping to grab the sought-after golden fish ornament first, I am particularly grateful for the family God has given me. I am thankful that we can press the pause button on our busy lives to spend time with each other at Christmas.

opinion

Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | A5

Google Images

ENCHANTING — Christmas is not the celebration it should be if it does not include frosty window panes, snow-covered trees, Christmas lights, holiday carols and traditions.

Why winter needs snow

Every holiday season should be filled with visions both “merry and bright”

Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu

More than just Bing Crosby’s claim to fame and a 20-year chart-topping hit, “White Christmas” is iconic for one very important reason — there is no Christmas like a white Christmas. However, many do not know the story behind the song. Though Crosby made “White Christmas” famous, it was Irving Berlin, a Jewish man, who wrote the wintry ballad. You see, Berlin wrote the holiday hit after the death of his infant son on Christmas Day in 1928, according to the Chicago Tribune. I cannot imagine anyone dreaming of a “merry and bright” white Christmas

more than him. While I am unable to relate to such a tragedy, I can relate to the comfort and joy that comes with a freshly fallen snow. Ever since I was little, my family and I have traveled to Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont, for the week of Christmas. Tucked in between New England’s snowy mountains, Smugglers’ Notch is a Thomas Kinkade Christmas painting come to life. “The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event,” English novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley said. “You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment, then where is it to be found?” A snowy Christmas is an enchantment I

believe everyone should experience. “It’s December the 24th, and I am longing to be up north,” Berlin wrote in the song’s often-forgotten first verse. Snow is both calming and stunning at the same time. The ground becomes a bed for a blanket of snow, and the trees become shelves on which flurries can rest. All at once, what was harsh and dreary becomes peaceful and magnificent. There is nothing greater than heading north for the holidays. From Virginia to Vermont, Christmas carols and conversations fill the air in the car, and, before we know it, snowflakes are glistening in front of the headlights. Driving into the mountains and walking down streets paved by

snow, it truly is a winter wonderland. “I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas,” author Rachel Cohn said. “It brings people together while time stands still.” I, like Berlin, dream of a white Christmas, where time stands still, snow crunches under my feet and frosty breath dances with snowflakes in the sparkling winter air. So, in the words of the dreaming songsmith, “May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.” GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.

Christmas ain’t that great Materialism and obnoxious songs have buried the meaning of the season

Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

Christmastime is here. Whatever that means. At a certain point, it probably meant it was late December, a few days, or even a few weeks before Christmas Day. I would not really TICHENOR know, because since I can remember, Christmas has been more of a season than a holiday. And with each passing year, the season of Christmas seems to become slightly more abstract. Evergreen-shaped Reese’s are on the shelves the day after Halloween. “Jingle Bells” is on the radio in mid-November. Next thing you know, the seasons are going to consist of spring, summer, Christmas and winter. Watch your back, autumn. Speaking of music, it has to be time to get some new Christmas songs, right? I think that Mariah Carey one is the most recent song, and it came out in 1994. I am all for respecting the classics — I listen to Beethoven before bed every night — but come on now. Fanny packs were still sort of a popular thing in 1994. Can we not write another good Christmas song? Not one?

That is assuming most Christmas songs are good in the first place. They are not. “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” — every one is lukewarm garbage. OK, “Feliz Navidad” is kind of fun. While we are on the subject of Christmas-themed entertainment, why not talk about movies? “Elf ” and “Home Alone” were funny, but I will take a pass on pretty much every other Christmas movie. Christmas used to be a lot more fun, you know, back when my parents chronically lied to me about it. Turns out, they just wanted an excuse to eat milk and cookies. No wonder they always rushed my sister and me to bed Christmas Eve night. Warm milk would be no good. Looking back, I probably should have realized Santa would have had to drink millions of glasses of room-temperature milk in one night to fulfill his duties. Although if he could slide down a chimney, the limits of things like the laws of physics do not really apply. Christmas was definitely not as fun once the whole “Santa Clause is real” bubble was burst, which is really quite a shame. Parents (most parents, anyway) work extra hard and save up money for Christmas to make sure they have good presents for their

Google Images

BAH HUMBUG — Many of the modern Christmas traditions we celebrate overcrowd the holiday season. children. And the kids would rather get those gifts from an old, fat dude they have never met. The lesson — kids are kind of evil. At the root of all the lying, bad music and bad movies is one thing — the materialism of Christmas. Back me up, Kirk Cameron. We seem to have forgotten the whole reason we even celebrate Christmas is to mark the birth of Jesus.

Instead, we worry about if someone messed up the family breakfast casserole recipe or if Aunt Dorothy got anybody something besides socks this year. Before I am christened the modern-day Scrooge, let me defend myself — there are good things about Christmas. Jesus, multitudes of mint-flavored stuff, ham and Christmas Day NBA games are some of my favorite

things in the world. I even enjoy an occasional glass of eggnog. Christmas can be a great time of the year, but we have made it into a monster that could end up devouring the entire calendar. We must stop feeding that monster. Or we really will have Christmas in July. TICHENOR is the sports editor.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO Emily Brown editor-in-chief

Tré Goins-Phillips

Ash Brownd

Meighan Thompson

opinion editor

copy editor

graphic designer

Gabriella Fuller

Alex Tichenor sports editor

PHOTOGRAPHY

Josh Gordon

graduate assistant

Tom Foote graduate assistant

Nate Haywood asst. sports editor

CONTENT

Sam Campbell

Dave Van Dyk news editor

Josh Janney asst. news editor

feature editor

Amber Tiller feature editor

Olivia Brown copy editor

Courtney Russo photography editor

Leah Seavers asst. photography editor DESIGN Breann Black graphic designer

social media manager

Jomer Bunque web manager

ADMINISTRATION Deborah Huff faculty advisor

Omar Adams advertising director

The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University.

Send letters to: Liberty Champion Liberty University, Box 2000, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or drop off in DeMoss Hall 1035.

All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received— according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement. © Copyright 2014 Liberty University, Inc. All Rights Reserved

news

A6 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

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Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

1. Construction workers build framework for the upcoming Performance Hall located across from the Jerry Falwell Library. 2. The second Commons dorm, located directly across from Commons 1, undergoes construction efforts for a completion date scheduled around January 2016. 3. Commons 1 construction was completed this semester to welcome new and returning students. 4. Center for Music and the Worship Arts takes shape across from the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall. 5. Crews work throughout the day to complete projects.

Students see new architecture Construction transforms campus to offer new opportunities for students David Van Dyk dvandyk@liberty.edu

Recently, construction has been at the forefront of campus attention as the university continues progress on several new buildings and structure expansions. With campus-wide development underway, the campus is currently home to a flurry of activity. One of the biggest projects currently being worked on is the second commons dorm, located directly across from the Commons 1. The dorm will feature many of the same amenities that students are currently enjoying in Commons 1. Charles Spence, senior vice president for construction planning, highlighted the importance of good weather in the dorm's construction. “At this point, the construction has seen very few setbacks other than being a lot of work to do in a short period of time,” Spence said. “We have had very little rain since the project started, which is one of the most important factors. A portion of it is due to be completed for the fall of 2015. The remainder and the total completion of the building is scheduled for January 2016.” While South Campus has had a front-row seat to watching the

massive dorms rise above the cranes, another area of campus that is seeing steel beams and yellow vests is across from the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall. The science building, along with the new Center for Music and the Performing Arts, has been under construction since the beginning of the semester. Though classes have been temporarily moved into the Circle Dorms while the new buildings are under construction, the science building is quickly nearing completion. “The new science hall will be partially opened for classes this spring,” Spence said. “The building is loaded with state-of-the-art labs and classrooms.” Dr. Vernon Whaley, dean of the School of Music, highlighted the impressive facilities that can be found in the soonto-be-completed Concert Hall and Center for Music and the Performing Arts. “This building is just one more of the compelling reasons to study music at Liberty,” Whaley said. “Students will enjoy the 50 new practice rooms, new computer labs, songwriting suite, concert hall, large classroom space, private lesson commons areas, beautiful student recital areas, teaching studios, recording studio and piano lab.”

These new academic facilities will be a vast improvement to the earlier classrooms that were previously housed behind DeMoss Hall. With each building dedicated to a particular field of study, students will be able to concentrate more time to learning and studying rather than navigating from dorm to dorm. Another facility that has been completed within the year is the Jerry Falwell Library, which was officially unveiled spring 2014. Since opening last semester, the library has been able to offer a full suite of luxuries to incoming and returning students this semester. “When the Jerry Falwell Library opened its doors Jan. 15, 2014, the $50 million building, named for the founder (of the university), became the academic cornerstone of the campus and the centerpiece of the university’s $500 million campus reconstruction projection,” Angela Rice, dean of the Jerry Falwell Library, said. The library has no shortage of opportunities to learn and study in complete quiet or among friends. “With over 170,000 square feet of physical space, the library is able to accommodate individual or group study in one of over 30 group study rooms, six learning commons — with three different

levels of quiet to accommodate all study preferences — a two-story traditional reading room, a Curriculum Library, an archive reading room and a cafe,” Rice said. North Campus was another portion of the university that profited from the campus-wide expansion. “With the added space in the LaHaye Recreation and Fitness Center, there are now more opportunities than ever for students, faculty and staff to focus on their personal wellness,” Chris Misiano, senior director of Campus Recreation said. “With more equipment, a new rock wall and numerous other amenities, our staff has been overwhelmed by the positive response. LaHaye has record numbers coming through the turnstiles week in and week out.” The new Center for Medical and Health Sciences has also offered much to incoming students, having officially opened its doors at the beginning of the fall semester. According to the facility’s webpage, the building houses a 12,000-square-foot Center for Standardized Patients and Simulation Lab, a 5,300 square-foot Anatomy Lab, a 5,000-squarefoot Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Lab and a 7,500-squarefoot Medical Library.

Dr. Timothy Leonard, associate dean of Biomedical Affairs and Research, underscored the resources found within the new facility. “This amazing building boasts more than breathtaking views,” Leonard said. “Over $6 million has been invested to equip the Center with state-of-the-art technology for classroom instruction, hands-on clinical training using standardized patients and patient simulation, and biomedical laboratory and clinical research that will expand medical knowledge.” The vehicular tunnel, located on Wards Road, has provided a much more convenient method of travel for students, staff and faculty. The tunnel was opened in May 2014 and has since provided a more efficient means of travel compared to the earlier railroad passage that was prone to long train crossing delays. Liberty is currently seeing a development in academic and recreational facilities across campus, giving its occupants a chance to appreciate and observe, as the former Provost Ron Godwin would say, “accelerated dynamic growth. VAN DYK is the news editor.

news

Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | A7

Hawkins and Britt appointed School of Behavioral Sciences and Nursing Program each receive a new dean Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu

Two faculty members were recently named as dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences and the School of Nursing.

Ronald Hawkins

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Interim Provost Dr. Ronald Hawkins has acquired another position to add to his long list of leadership roles, as he was recently appointed the dean for the new School of Behavioral Sciences. The School of Behavioral Sciences is a new department that will cover all of the psychology, sociology, human services and clinical and pastoral counseling programs. It currently has 30,000 students both online and residentially, according to Hawkins. Hawkins has been with Liberty since 1978, when he taught preaching, homiletics and Bible for the School of Religion. After briefly departing the school in 1995 to become president of Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, Hawkins returned to Liberty in 2000 as the dean of Arts and Sciences. He left the position in 2008. During his time as a pastor, before he came to Liberty, Hawkins came to realize that certain people needed more than spiritual counseling. They also need mental and psychological treatment as well. Hawkins believes that providing people with psychological counseling helps assist them in their spiritual growth as well.

“People from the field of psychology and counseling are very people-oriented,” Hawkins said. “What they are interested in is helping people to experience a higher level of health physically, mentally and spiritually. So as we think about this new school, the opportunity is there to prepare Christians to enter the workplace and to be working from a biblical theological framework.” Hawkins said that in the future, the program would expand some of its undergraduate programs. There is talk of creating a master’s of psychology program, which will be available both online and residentially, according to Hawkins. “I think that we who are deans have both an amazing opportunity and an amazing obligation,” Hawkins said. “The opportunity with the behavioral sciences is to create a division that continues to focus on preparing people to minister as professionals within a community of care-giving. What we have here is an opportunity to train a wonderful group of people who go out and speak to the whole person.” Hawkins said there is also a spiritual responsibility to train future Christian leaders in addition to the academic responsibility that deans possess. “The obligation is to train these people effectively and to help them understand the authority and the power of the word of God and the spirit of God to bring health and healing to people,” Hawkins said. “And (we) also (hope) to (help them) understand how the

Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service

Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion

RESPONSIBILITY — Interim provost named dean.

PLANS — Dea Britt has years of experience at Liberty.

science of undergirding psychology and counseling can help people. And what I’ve seen is that as we meet that obligation we enhance our ability to help people achieve higher levels of emotional, psychological and spiritual help.”

and staff, supervising policy development, determining a budget and representing the school to university administration. According to Britt the School of Nursing has grown significantly over the years. It recently introduced a new Doctor of Nursing Practice program. The degree is for students who are already finished with a master’s degree and want to earn a doctoral degree or students who want to pursue a Family Nurse Practitioner certification along with a doctoral degree. “I have seen many, many changes (since the school began),” Britt said. “When our first department chair,

Dea Britt

Former Provost Ron Godwin announced in October that Dr. Dea Britt would be promoted from department chair to dean of the School of Nursing. Britt has been a part of Liberty’s nursing department since 1986. She is the only current faculty member who has been at the university since the Bachelor of

Science in Nursing (BSN) program was instituted. Britt earned her BSN at Liberty University, her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Virginia and her doctorate at Virginia Tech. Before coming to Liberty as a faculty member, Britt was a nurse for Centra specializing in pediatrics. “I really enjoy taking care of sick children and helping their parents cope with their fears and frustrations related to having a sick child,” Britt said. Some of Britt’s responsibilities as dean include overseeing the quality of all the programs, motivating and inspiring the faculty

Dr. Linda Miller, left in 1995, I assumed the chair position. At that time, we had six faculty members and were graduating about 36 students a year. Currently, we have 28 faculty members, 12 staff members and four distinct nursing programs graduating several hundred students each year.” Britt said a nurse midwifery program and PhD program are being considered in future plans for the nursing school.

JANNEY is the asst. news editor.

1,000 boxes Club wraps up its first official event Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu

After a week filled with a late-night packing party, a dance-off and students dressed as giant shoeboxes longboarding down University Boulevard, the Nov. 1014 LU Shoebox Blitz brought in nearly 1,000 shoebox gifts as a part of the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child initiative. According to Ellen Ferguson, president of Liberty’s newly established Operation Christmas Child club, this was the first time Liberty, as well as Operation Christmas Child, had hosted a week-long shoebox collection event like this. “It wasn’t just my first time or the club’s first time, it was everyone’s first time,” Ferguson said. “So, of course, there is a learning curve. I do think that the blitz was very successful, and I know that we will reuse most, if not all, of this year’s ideas.” Operation Christmas Child’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager Mesfin Abera, who facilitated Liberty’s collection process, said the organization hopes to make the LU Shoebox Blitz an annual event. “This has been very successful in many ways because we have started something new, a tradition that hopefully we can build on next year,” Abera said in a Liberty University News Service article. Approximately 75 volunteers helped during the event, Ferguson said. Volunteers assisted by folding shoeboxes for distribution, dressing up as shoeboxes to raise awareness around campus and collecting boxes at Shoebox Central, which was the home base for the blitz. Ferguson and the others involved believe the LU Shoebox Blitz gave the Liberty community an opportunity to tangibly bless children around the world. “I would describe it as a huge success,” Ferguson said. “Last year, Liberty only collected 400 boxes. This year, we collected 989. That’s 989 children who are going to hear about Christ.” In addition to the toys and personal

care products the kids will receive when they open their shoeboxes, they will also be enrolled in a 12-week program that teaches children how to become followers of Christ and share their faith with others. The program, titled The Greatest Journey, is taught by local, trained teachers and even includes a graduation ceremony at the end. Ferguson called the distribution of the boxes “a modern-day fish and loaves story,” as each box has the potential to share the gospel message with several people. “You give one box and it could reach 15-20 people, sharing the hope of Christ and the glory of his resurrection,” Ferguson said. “ … You are dealing with God’s multiplication, and with God, all things are possible.” According to Ferguson, the LU Shoebox Blitz gave volunteers the chance to work with several people who received shoeboxes when they were younger and have since accepted Christ, including Liberty graduate student Natasha Ivanova. “The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year, because it was during this season that my life was changed 17 years ago,” Ivanova said. “I want to encourage everyone to … pray over the boxes, because you will never know how it can change lives around the world.” Following the event, Ferguson said she is excited about the future of the Operation Christmas Child club. “(I)’ve been saying since August that the goal for this year was simply to raise awareness of Operation Christmas Child and let the student body know who (our club is),” Ferguson said. “I think we did that in a big way.” The new club will also host a few events during the spring semester, according to Ferguson. For more information about Operation Christmas Child or the Liberty club, visit samartianspurse.org/occ or email lushoeboxblitz@gmail.com. BROWN is the editor-in-chief.

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news

A8 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

Crash survivors recover

Liberty students begin to heal after being involved in road-related accidents Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu

It has been nearly a month since 22-yearold Liberty University student Kung Jin Oh, known by her friends as Kendra, was hit by a tractor-trailer Oct. 17. The accident placed Oh in critical condition and threatened to end her life. Now she is slowly beginning to recover. Oh is an exchange student from South Korea. She was crossing the intersection at Odd Fellows Road near the university’s Annex dorms at the time of her accident. Freshman Courtney Sullivan, a friend of Oh’s who lives on her hall and has known her since school started, recalls the night of the accident. “She’s very fragile,” Sullivan said. “She’s less than 100 pounds. I was at Wal-Mart with my friend, and when we came back, they had just taken her to the hospital and people were outside praying for her.” The accident took place by the intersection on Odd Fellows Road, which has become a notorious for being difficult for pedestrians to cross. “I visited her at Lynchburg General a day after her accident,” Sullivan said. “It helped me a lot, because she didn’t even look like an 18-wheeler hit her. She had two scratches on her and she was really swollen, but it was already amazing how we thought it would be so much worse. I thought she was going to die originally.” During Convocation Oct. 24, it was announced that Oh was expected to make a full recovery. “She’s back to her hilarious, funny, laughing self,” Sullivan said. “She’s been walking. She’s walked without a helper, so she’s walking on her own. She didn’t even have to have surgery for her shattered pelvis. It healed that quickly by itself. She’s talking. She has to whisper, because I think her throat is still swollen.” Despite the injuries, Sullivan said that Oh really wants to go back to school. “She’s very impatient about being in the rehabilitation center, because she just wants to be here learning,” Sullivan said. “She can’t wait to be back, but she still has a couple of weeks of regaining her strength. She wants to come back in January.” Oh is not the only Liberty student who has been involved in an accident this

semester. Four days before Oh’s accident, Liberty student Devin Nicholson and her boyfriend Patrick J. Lo were placed in critical condition Monday night, Oct. 13, after a car wreck involving a deer. According to police and witness reports, the pair was heading south on the Lynchburg Expressway toward Candlers Mountain Road when a deer jumped into the road. Their Honda hit the deer, which passed through the windshield, and then the car drove off the road into a utility pole. Lo was released from the hospital after receiving treatment for cuts, but more than a month after the accident, Nicholson remained in critical condition and sedated in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. She was moved from the Neuro ICU to the Neuro Intermediate Care Unit Nov. 2 after her vitals stabilized. Kristy Cruz, the fiancée of Nicholson’s brother Chase, created a Facebook page titled “Pray For Devin,” consisting of frequent updates on Nicholson’s condition and prayer requests the family wants answered. “That information is what the Nicholson family would really like to be known to the public,” Cruz said. “Any extra information is really wished to be kept private at this time, since Devin can’t really tell us what her wishes are, as she is still in a coma. (Our family would appreciate) prayer for continued healing as Devin begins rehab, prayer that God would provide help with financial burdens and prayer that the Nicholson family will be able to be together for the holidays.” On the Facebook page, Cruz revealed that Nicholson was moved to an inpatient rehabilitation facility in Georgia that specializes in brain trauma, as she is now showing signs of improvement. “Devin gave us a thumbs up — not just a twitch but a solid thumbs up,” Cruz wrote on the Facebook page. “It took a lot of work and concentration, but she did it. We all cheered and were so excited. She closed her eyes and rested again. She is also beginning to make eye contact and small movements with her right arm. No voice or sounds yet and still a lot of blank stares, but we have been given hope that we will see that beautiful smile and hear that sweet voice soon. It has been too long since we have seen a smile.”

Photo Provided

HOPE — Devin Nicholson is currently in an inpatient rehabilitation program.

Photo Provided

RECOVERY — Friends visit Kung Jin Oh at the hospital as her health restores. On the most recent update, Nov. 29, Cruz said Nicholson’s condition has improved and that she is emerging from her coma. Nicholson has displayed more responsive actions and gestures and is currently undergoing physical, speech and occupational therapy. “She is pushed hard but just the right amount,” Cruz said. “We are keeping visits

strictly to family members due to the therapy schedule and the need for privacy and rest as she relearns many basic skills and the stress this causes.”

JANNEY is the asst. news editor.

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SPORTS

December 2, 2014

B1

Liberty 26, James Madison 21

Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service

CELEBRATE — Javan Shashaty (18) and John Lunsford (49) had plenty of reasons to be happy, each playing key roles in the Flames 26-21 playoff victory over James Madison.

Flames keep rolling Playoff run will continue after toppling JMU for the first time in 22 years Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

The last time Liberty beat in-state foe James Madison (JMU), most of the players on both teams had not been born. Victory could not have come at a better time for the Flames, defeating the Dukes for the first time since 1992 in what was Liberty’s first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff game in program history. After driving down the field for a late goahead score against archrival Coastal Car-

olina to capture the Big South title and a playoff berth, there were more than shades of déjà vu in Harrisonburg, as the Flames drove down the field late in the game. Fullback Nicky Fualaau’s one-yard touchdown punctuated a mammoth, clock-gobbling 17-play, 85-yard drive that ate up just over 11 minutes of the fourth quarter to put the Flames ahead 26-21 with 2:53 remaining. With the win, Liberty advances to the second round of the FCS Championship, facing 6-seed Villanova in Philadelphia Dec. 6. The Wildcats only loss to an FCS school this season was a 10-9 defeat against

Richmond, who Liberty fell to in a 46-39 overtime loss earlier in the year. Key play: Facing a fourth-and-four from its own 39-yard line early in the second quarter, kicker John Lunsford trotted out to attempt a 56-yard field goal. Instead, Liberty faked it by running holder and backup quarterback Javan Shashaty down the right sideline for 26 yards. D.J. Abnar’s touchdown three plays later and the subsequent extrapoint cut JMU’s lead to 21-17 and forced the Dukes into a state of shock. It was

Shashaty’s only rush attempt of the season. Key player: Kenny Scott Scott, who dropped what would have been the game-icing interception against Coastal Carolina, made big play after big play against the Dukes. He helped the Flames defense hold Dukes quarterback Vad Lee to completing just six of 15 passes in the second half, after he went 12-19 in the first half. Scott also intercepted Lee in the end

See PLAYOFFS, B2

Preview: No. 6 Villanova Wildcats Flames stay alive, head to Pennsylvania for second round in FCS Playoffs Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu

The Villanova Wildcats finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference, which produced four of the 24 teams in this year’s Football Championship Subdvision (FCS) playoffs. They entered the tournament as the No. 6 ranked team after a 10-2 season. Villanova boasts a potent running attack and the numbers to back that claim. Villanova currently ranks 10th among FCS teams in rushing yards per game (240.4). However, their leading rusher is no running back, but instead is junior quarterback John Robertson,

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

who is also second on the team in rushing touchdowns. Not only has the junior dashed defenses on the ground, Robertson has done it through the air as well. Robertson, who has the third highest rushing yards for an FCS quarterback, also leads all FCS quarterbacks with a 183 passing efficiency rating. He is second in the nation in passing touchdowns (34), while only throwing three interceptions. He is a quarterback who spreads the wealth, as he has connected with 10 different receivers for touchdowns this season. Villanova’s defense has also been a key factor to the Wildcats success this season. While teams

average 250 passing yards per game against the Wildcats, they only average 106 rushing yards, which is less than half of Villanova’s average. Junior linebacker Don Cherry has been big for the Wildcats defense. Cherry leads the team in tackles and also forced a team-high five fumbles, one of which he recovered, according to villanova.com/sports. The offense of the Wildcats may have been a force this season, but it does have its weak points. Villanova frequently runs the ball, which has led to a fumbling problem. They have fumbled 12 times this season, averaging one a game. Penalties have also plagued this team. They average around eight

M. Basketball M. Basketball vs. St. Francis vs. Bluefield

Dec. 6 @ 2 p.m.

Dec. 13 @ 2 p.m.

penalties, accounting for nearly 67 yards a game. In order for the Flames to continue this historic run at an FCS Championship, they will have to accomplish something that no team has done this season: beat Villanova at home. Villanova Stadium has proven to be a difficult place to play for opponents, as visitors are 1-10 in the past two seasons. Editor’s note: all statistics obtained from ncaa.com unless otherwise stated.

HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.

WHO: Liberty vs. No. 6 Villanova WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 6, 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pennsylvania WHAT’S AT STAKE: A spot in the FCS quarterfinals

M. Basketball vs. C. Penn

W. Basketball vs. G-Webb

DI Hockey vs. VT

Dec. 19 @ 7 p.m.

Dec. 13 @ 7 p.m.

Dec. 6 @ 7 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports

B2 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

Tich’s Take Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

All it took was a blocked kick. And a backup quarterback. And a clutch field goal. And beating an undefeated team on the road. OK, so maybe it took a lot. Either way, Liberty football is finally playoff-bound for the first time in school history. Since joining the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 1988, the Flames have watched the postseason take place while they sat at home for 26 seasons. Particularly in the past decade, Liberty has been painstakingly close to making the field of 24, only to TICHENOR come up just short. Since the Big South champion has received an automatic bid into the FCS Championships in 2010, the Flames have found themselves on the wrong end of a tiebreaker three out of four seasons prior to this one. The other season, a win over Stony Brook during the season’s final week would have sent the Flames to the playoffs, but they fell 41-31 on the road. There was a stigma around the program that everybody knew about but nobody wanted to acknowledge: the Flames could not win the big one. That stigma is now dead. On a November day in Conway, South Carolina, those demons were exorcized when Chima Uzowihe blocked a 24-yard field goal that would have won the game for No. 1 Coastal Carolina. Liberty finally found itself on the right side of a tiebreaker, sharing the Big South title with the Chanticleers, but earning the conference’s automatic bid with the head-to-head win. And that is how it seemed it had to be. Everything fell into place for the Coastal game to be the climax of the “Liberty has never been to the playoffs” narrative. A script writer could not have written a better lead up to the game ­— s­­tarting quarterback injured, a loss the week before, undefeated opponent. Big picture, this could help Liberty’s case for an eventual move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since 2004, 11 schools have made the move from FCS to FBS. Only five of those 11 schools had football programs older than five years, and each one had considerable FCS playoff success. Liberty has the money and facilities to make the leap, but its lack of prestige has hurt its recent bid to join the Sun Belt. If the Flames can make some playoff noise over the next few years, it would really help their FBS aspirations. Either way, Liberty football has broken through a wall, and it is not going back.

TICHENOR is the sports editor.

Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion

FAMILY — The Lady Flames will honor fallen sprinter Darius Dixon when they begin their indoor season Dec. 3.

Track team pays tribute Women begin season with Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

When Liberty’s women’s track and field team begins its season Dec. 3, the women will be competing with heavy hearts. The Lady Flames will host the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational in honor of DIXON freshman sprinter Darius Dixon, who was killed in a car accident shortly after running in his first race for Liberty last year. Assistant Coach Andrew “Pete” McFadden, along with Head Track and Field Coach Brant Tolsma and Assistant Head Coach Lance Bingham, decided to name Liberty’s invitational meet after Dixon. McFadden acknowledged the responsibility of the team to honor Dixon’s legacy. “(Dixon’s) family sent him here, and this is the last place

Liberty vs. JMU

By the Numbers PLAYOFFS continued from B1

zone late in the second half, which put the Flames in much better position to make a comeback. And... Clincher: Facing a fourth-and-13 at the Liberty 27, Lee floated a pass to Daniel Brown near the end zone, but Scott was there to break it up, effectively ending

they sent (their) child,” McFadden said. “(This meet) should be something that is said and done annually to let them know how much we loved him and how much we appreciate them sending him here. It wasn’t just a death and it’s over. We wish he was here with us.” The night prior to the invitational, McFadden said the team will host a banquet, during which a large photograph of Dixon will be hung in the Tolsma Indoor Track. Dixon’s father, who is a pastor, will be invited to speak at the banquet remembering his son, according to McFadden. Dixon’s former teammates, sophomore sprinter Stephen Hayes and senior sprinter Abigail Flower, were some of Dixon’s closest friends during his only semester at Liberty. Dixon’s legacy was clear even though he only attended the university for a few short months. “Ever since I met him on the first day, we just hung out everyday,” Hayes said. “We would eat together. We went

3

17

Number of plays the Flames ran on their go-ahead drive late in the 4th quarter.

to basketball games together. He was really funny. For me, he always kept me out of trouble. We were just accountable for each other.” Dixon’s absence affected not just a few of his teammates, but the track program as a whole. “He was a really good encourager to everybody,” Flower said. “He had a really nice smile. Any time you saw him, he would just light up the room. Once he died, all of us went (downhill). Everybody was not performing as well as they used to be. It was hard because the whole team is like a big family. We lost one, so it affected everybody.” Hayes particularly felt the sting of the loss of one of his best friends. “After I lost him, it was hard for a while,” Hayes said. “He kept on motivating me when I didn’t have a lot of confidence coming in. He would always think of others before he’d think of himself.” Dixon’s generosity was noted by his teammates, and because of that, they seek to honor his memory by continuing to

Turnovers by Josh Woodrum, tied for the most in a single game for his career.

the game with 53 seconds remaining and JMU down to one timeout. The stop came on the heels of the Flames go-ahead drive that ate up most of the fourth quarter. Other Notes: • Josh Woodrum had three first-half turnovers in his first start since sustaining a leg injury and infection against Monmouth Nov. 8. He cleaned things up in the second half to

give back to the community this year as Dixon did. In the Lynchburg Thanks for Giving clothing drive at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester, Dixon donated 257 pieces of clothing. “In the little things, we are just trying to step up and keep his memory alive,” Flower said. Even though the pain resulting from Dixon’s tragic death is evident, McFadden has seen how God can use a horrible situation for good. “(Dixon) had one race at Liberty University track,” McFadden said. “That was his last race. But we never know what’s going to happen. We want (the athletes) to compete in that mindset. It’s sad that something like that had to happen for us to remember (that) this is an honor and privilege (to run for God).”

RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.

15 21:04 Rushing touchdowns on the season for D.J. Abnar after two scores vs. JMU.

finish with 244 yards passing and 46 rushing. • Liberty nearly doubled JMU’s time of possession, winning the clock battle 39:01 to 20:59. • This marked the second game all year in which Liberty failed to score a passing touchdown. D.J. Abnar scored twice on the ground and Nicky Fualaau punched in the other Flames touchdown. The other game in which the Flames failed to score through the air

Time of possession in the second-half compared to JMU’s 8:56.

was in their season opener at North Carolina. • Freshman running back Todd Macon secured 13 carries for 41 yards in his second game back since missing six games because of injury.

TICHENOR is the sports editor.

sports

Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | B3

Flames set for upgrade Improvements to athletic facilities are just the start of Jeff Barber’s plans Dalton Britt dbritt10@liberty.edu

For those who have been at Liberty University for any amount of time, it is obvious that the school is growing. This growth has helped the school burst into the national scene not only for its outstanding academics, but in the athletic realm as well. Liberty athletes have been blessed with some of the best facilities in the country. Take the new baseball stadium as an example, as StadiumJourney.com ranked it the No. 5 in the country for gameday experience. But, to help further the school’s mission of spreading God’s word through athletics, there are more additions and improvements on the way. One of these additions is what will be called The Academic and Performance Center. This 65,000-square-foot building will cater to athletes’ needs. It will feature a new weight room as well as a training room that will be equipped for all the latest advancements in athletic treatment, including hydrotherapy. The building will also include a 20,000-square-foot academic center for athletes. This will be the new home of the compliance and academic coordinator staff and will include tutoring offices, a computer lab, study rooms, a lounge and more. The three-story building will also have an equipment room that will accommodate multiple sports. “We think we can put something together that is going to be better than anything (the athletes) have,” Barber said. “We’re in the design phase now.” Barber said this building will be located just outside of the baseball stadium. “We’re going to take down the

Olivia Miorelli | Liberty Champion

PROGRESS — Liberty’s new softball stadium nears completion months before the upcoming season begins. (soccer) scoreboard along with all those bushes and it’s going to go right in the bank and the parking lot,” Barber said. The 18-month project is planned to break ground in August 2015. Barber also said there are several other projects that will be built in the future. One of these is a natatorium, which will include an Olympic-size pool for the swimming and diving team. A new basketball arena and a 6,000-seat addition to the east side of Williams Stadium are also being discussed. The addition to Williams Stadium will also include a fourstory tower behind it, along with improved concessions. Barber said the university is waiting until

football goes to the Football Bowl Subdivision before this addition is started. There is discussion for a new indoor practice facility for football. This facility could accommodate multiple sports for practice and training. Liberty kicker John Lunsford feels that this indoor facility would aid in Liberty’s mission of “training champions for Christ.” “Champions don’t take days off,” Lunsford said. “Having world-class facilities can just enhance this mindset to be great athletes and also coaches.” There are also discussions of an expanded hockey arena with 4,000 seats. Because hockey is a club sport, Barber said the pro-

cess for the arena is more of a university-based decision. One of the more unique additions to sports facilities is the 40-foot caboose that will be placed in right field of the Liberty Baseball stadium this year. The “Flametrain” will be painted red and have the logo placed on the side. It will also feature a patio for seating and viewing the game and will sit on train tracks. Barber said all of these improvements are going to help bring in recruits and accommodate current student athletes with some of the nicest facilities in the country. “I operate under the premise that (athletes) don’t care how much you know until they know

how much you care,” Barber said. “I want our recruits to come in and say ‘Wow they really care about my sport.’” Even though there are several changes going on now and some that are destined to come, the goal of the improvements to the sports facilities is the same as it has always been. “As we enhance facilities, that will enhance recruiting, which will enhance winning,” Barber said. “This makes our platform bigger not only to share Christ, but for people to know who Liberty is.”

BRITT is a sports reporter.

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B4 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

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Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | B5

Called to the Congo Liberty alumnus aids Congolese people through Mavuno organization Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu

From the halls of Liberty University to the streets of South Korea, Air Force Capt. Daniel Myatt is inching ever closer to working in the country he is most passionate about — the Republic of the Congo. After studying civil engineering at the University of Virginia, getting a master’s degree in Christian leadership at Liberty and serving in the military, Myatt is wellequipped for mission work. The Congo, plagued by conflict since the ’90s, is victim to one of the longest and bloodiest wars in human history, claiming more than 5.5 million lives — more than the total deaths recorded in World War II. Much of the conflict was focused around greed for natural resources. However, Myatt believes the Congo to be “quite possibly the most naturally resource-rich nation in the world.” Nearly two years ago, Myatt, a young military man, was assigned to South Korea. Myatt moved to Korea to deactivate and dispose of bombs for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, uncertain of how his passion for global missions would ever be realized. “My wife and I have always been interested in global missions, the global arena in general — particularly with Africa,” Myatt said. Traveling to Korea, Myatt was unaware that this military assignment would be the catalyst for a ministry to the Congo. Myatt learned that the Korean church he attended had a partnership with a local university. The university had an international program for developing nations, and the most recent class focused on agricultural and rural development, hosting 20 students from 20 different nations. One of those nations was the Congo. An assistant professor from the university attended Myatt’s church and knew of Myatt’s interest in global missions. Driving a van from the university to the church every Sunday, the professor invited Myatt to join him. Myatt began meeting several of the students, and it was not long until he was driving the van every weekend. It was there that Myatt met David Masomo, a Congolese native. The Congo is a French-speaking country, and Myatt’s wife speaks French fluently, so conversations were plentiful. With Masomo’s agricultural education and Myatt’s years of military experience, discussions about rural development became commonplace. “We talked about development, theories of it, … how I’ve seen the military do

CHIVALRY continued from B8 never had any future. And I was like, ‘This is the end. This is how people die.’” A cousin provided the money Bizimana needed to return to school, and he was able to complete another year in Uganda. Afterward, two of Bizimana’s sisters, who were living in the United States, encouraged him to finish his high school career stateside. After a series of mishaps and miracles, Bizimana set foot on American soil for the first time and became a student at the Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, making history as the school’s first international African student. “(E)verything was like a dream or like heaven. Nothing was actually making sense,” Bizimana said. “Everyone was super happy. Back in Africa, when someone is interested in you, he wants either to get money from you, or he is making a deal with you. People were interested in me and trying to help me, and I was really ready to give them money.” Adjusting to a new culture took some getting used to, Bizimana said. Things like laundry rooms and hot water were all welcome changes — not the least of them being a trip to Wendy’s and his first taste of an American cheeseburger. Senior year in the United States also brought with it another challenge: applying to colleges. One of those colleges was Liberty University, a university

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CATALYST — Through working with native churches and ministries, Daniel Myatt created a program to help revive the Congo. that wrong and a bunch of ways we wanted to do gospel-centered development,” Myatt said. As conversations continued to develop and progress, neither Myatt nor Masomo wanted to keep their new ideas to themselves. This was the birth of Mavuno. “We thought we had some really good ideas,” Myatt said. “And rather than just let them be good ideas, … we wanted to actually do something about it.” After nearly a year of development, Masomo and Myatt’s dream is beginning to take shape. “I’m from the region where the conflicts started in the Congo,” Masomo said of his past. “I’ve experienced (living in) a peaceful place … to a very insecure place. I lived that and I have that experience.” Masomo explained that 92 percent of Congolese people are Christian. However, their government is extremely corrupt. In fact, many refer to the Congo as the “rape capital of the world.” “It was like a contradiction how a country that has a Christian background can live (with so much) rape and conflict and insecurity,” Masomo said. “So we were thinking, ‘Why can’t we — through the church — drive development and change in the country?’”

Bizimana said he never thought he would attend. “I wanted to be where everyone’s bulbs are dark, and I am the one who is like the light, and show them that they can actually light them,” Bizimana said. “I wanted to go to a non-Christian school so I could try as much as possible to light their bulbs.” God had other plans, however. He gave Bizimana a bulb-lighting job at Liberty University. “There (are) a lot of people who are broken. There (are) a lot of people who are just pretending they’re Christians and they’re not really Christians or they’re confused,” Bizimana said. “Even though we’re in this Christian place, we can still encourage people. We can still show them that they can actually do much more than what they are doing. We can still be the mirror of Jesus Christ and let Jesus Christ work though us. That’s one thing that motivates me, and that’s one thing that makes me do whatever I do. I want people to see Jesus Christ when they see me.” And, as part of his God-given mission, Bizimana holds doors — sometimes for as long as two hours — outside the ReberThomas Dining Hall. For Bizimana, holding doors for others is a simple way to share the gospel and love his neighbors as he loves himself. “A lot of times, I’ve found out that you can actually do a good deed to someone … and it actually means a lot,” Bizimana said. “I want to do it because I want them to see me as Jesus Christ. If Jesus

This is the heart of Myatt’s passion for the Congo as well. “My wife and I wanted to help in the places that need it the most,” Myatt said. “The areas of the world that have been though the most suffering, or maybe the most dangerous … where the gospel could really take hold. … When the door opened with David (Masomo), we needed to walk through that.” The Mavuno founders believe all of the wealth-creating pieces of the puzzle are already there and want to come alongside Congolese natives, empowering them to create a sustainable society for themselves. Their mission philosophy is even reflected in their name. Mavuno, a Swahili word, means “harvest.” Along with rural and agricultural development, Myatt and Masomo want to aid in the spiritual development of church and local leaders. While 92 percent of the population may be Christian, Myatt described many leaders as “maybe not preaching good biblical truth.” “The population is predominantly Christian, yet many of the things that occur are not in tune with that,” Myatt said. “The government is plagued by corruption up and down … and not even really existent in parts of the country. So, our model for development there is through the local church.”

Rather than importing ministry leaders and pouring money over the problems that plague much of the Congolese society, Myatt wants to use Mavuno to inspire from within, working with the local church leaders. “We are not coming in with outside aide,” Myatt said. “ … We are igniting and stimulating growth from the inside out. So, empowering local leaders at the grass-roots level to utilize what they already (have) to drive their own development.” Myatt wants to build a mission organization with a sustainable and holistic method, partnering with the industries that already exist in the Congo, listening to and supporting their ideas. Coming out of the storm of war and still rocked by the wake that remains, Myatt sees the Congolese people in need of a movement to come alongside them, empowering them to rebuild and reestablish. The Mavuno founders want to be a catalyst for that movement. For more information about the organization and its mission, visit mavunocongo.com.

GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.

Rachael Graf | Liberty Champion

GIVE — Elie Bizimana shows the Gospel by greeting people with a smile at the Reber-Thomas entrance. Christ was going to do it, how was he going to do it?” Just as holding the door at the dining hall is a tangible way of showing God’s love, the bracelets that adorn Bizimana’s wrists are tangible reminders of where he has come from and where he is going. “This is my past — this is my country’s flag. This is my future and my present — today God is first,” Bizimana said. “When I have a bad day and everything is not according to plan, I just look

at (my Rwanda bracelet and) realize that there were days like that, that I can actually (get) through. And then I look at (my T.G.I.F. bracelet) and I say, ‘God is in control.’ I relax. And then I smile.” Although Bizimana is finishing up a semester of 18 credits and working in the Testing Center, he still takes time out of his day to make someone else smile. “It is amazing how people react to actually doing a small deed because, for me, it’s not a big deal,” Bizimana said. “Doing an act of

love is not supposed to be a dramatic thing. … I’ve learned that to change someone’s life does not mean a big, dramatic change. You can actually do something small and just impact them in a way no one has ever impacted them.” GRAF is a feature reporter.

feature

B6 | December 2, 2014 | Liberty Champion

Photo Provided

DEDICATED — Stephen Christian, along with other band members, decided to stop after many years together to pursue other options such as business and ministry careers.

Ending on a high note After 12 years, Christian band Anberlin says goodbye with Farewell Tour Marissa Nadeau mnadeau@liberty.edu

Hundreds of cities, millions of fans and countless hours on the road. All of these things make up the life of Stephen Christian, lead singer of the widely known alternative rock band Anberlin. With carefully styled brunette hair, a black leather jacket and deep-set brown eyes focused on the people in front of him, Christian took the stage and sang his heart out night after night. What many people do not know about Christian, however, is that he received his master’s degree from Liberty University. In the midst of a busy schedule comprised of constant touring, making music and press engagements, he set aside time to take online classes in business administration. “I loved my experience at Liberty,” Christian said. “I learned so much from my professors and fellow students alike.” Academics, however, were not the only thing that Christian learned during his time at Liberty. “Even more than the curriculum, I learned self-discipline and the confidence that I can succeed when I work hard and dedicate myself to a task,” Christian said. According to fellow business student Dan Holmberg, Christian’s 45-hour

BIKES continued from B8 Milford, who’s a homeless fella here downtown,” Reside said. “I’d given him a bike. … So that’s pretty much where it started — God putting it on my heart to do it.” Coupled with the motivation from his faith and his mechanical talent, Reside has been able to give others what he has been given — the gift of transportation. “Reside is refurbishing old bicycles to give away to the homeless. … (He) will also be raffling off bikes throughout the year to help fund his ministry,” according to the ministry’s website. For the bike mechanic, the best part of giving someone a bicycle for the first time is seeing “the love of God” in a real and tangible way. “Basically, I’m giving (people) a bicycle so they’ll have the means to get around, to get what they need to get done, with the hope that they can get their lives back on track,” Reside said of his hopes for the ministry. More than just meeting the day-to-day practical needs of

Master of Business Administration program required hard work. “Quite honestly, I don’t know how he did it,” Holmberg said. “The business program is hard enough as a residential student, never mind adding a full-time music career into the mix. That takes dedication and perseverance.” Anberlin has sold more than one million records, attracting the attention of the masses throughout the band’s decadelong music career. But Anberlin’s time has dawn to a close. The band members officially announced that they were planning on calling it quits earlier this year. Anberlin closed with one last headlining tour in the fall. The tour was entitled “The Farewell Tour.” It had both national and international dates, including more than 50 cities worldwide. Anberlin played music from its newest and final album “Lowborn,” but also included songs from the beginning of its career. “I plan on absorbing every single second,” Christian said about the band’s last tour. “I want to make sure to take in every moment of the tour on and offstage.” Christian shared that over the years, he has had to miss out on several family activities. He was excited to be reunited with his family and to be able to attend events ranging from birthday parties and graduations

local Lynchburg residents, the ARK ministry has given Reside the opportunity to share his faith and the love of God with people outside of the four walls of the church. “Considering how big the homeless problem is in this town, with unemployment being as it is, … any small, little hand up is a blessing for anybody,” Reside said. So far, Reside says the initiative has been “a success,” and he dreams of one day expanding the ministry to include “bicycle campers.” These small campers, attached to the back of a bike, could provide homeless people with a bed to call their own, a trend that he says is growing in popularity around the country. “As of today, I have given away seven bicycles, and I’ve got one ready to give away, but I haven’t had anybody come (by) in a bit,” Reside said. When Reside was a kid, he said he would tear apart his bicycle and put it back together, just for something to keep him busy. Little did he know that years later, his childhood pastime would grow into an opportunity to lend a helping

to anniversaries and reunions. “All of this may sound mundane to the average person, but for us, instability has been the only stability throughout the years,” Christian said. “I want to reconnect with my family and friends and put down roots.” Christian is originally from central Florida but now looks forward to living full-time in Nashville with his wife and children. Although Anberlin’s members are ready to take some time off and begin a new season of life at home, many fans questioned what made the band decide to call it quits. “(For) 12 years, we just put our heart and soul into this, so why leave it with putting a bad taste in peoples’ mouths?” Christian said. According to Christian, he has seen many bands that have prolonged their careers for far too many years, and Anberlin would rather end on a positive note. “We want to end with hugs and celebrate the life that was Anberlin and not be bummed about us ending,” the band’s blog states. “We want to give each of our fans, the ones that gave us the most, one last show.” Christian and the band have always been open about their faith, saying they desire to live as lights for Christ during their time both on and off the road.

“We, as followers of Christ, need to be on the forefront of dance, art, photography, painting, design, fashion, etc.” Christian said. Christian calls students to “embrace the culture, learn, grow, then evangelize through whatever means God has given you talent in.” With his degree from Liberty, Christian said he can see himself pursuing a career combining both business and ministry. “I think that God’s really leading me to work with an organization much like World Vision, or something to that effect, where they want a master’s degree in something very practical,” Christian said. “I think business is very practical in the ministry, because a lot of times there’s either a real business mind in the ministry or there’s a real ministry mind. I think there needs to be a conglomerate of both.” As Christian’s musical career with Anberlin recently closed and he began a new season of life, he calls us to remember the words that Helen Keller once shared: “What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose — all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

NADEAU is a guest writer.

hand to those in need. “(I’m) looking for people who are down on their luck and are trying to get their lives back together,” Reside said. “ … I offer those people the opportunity to do so.” To donate a bike or get more information about the ARK ministry, call 434-847-5050 or visit lighthouse.farrrfoundation.org. GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.

FYI

The Lighthouse Community Center offers programs including clothing closets, a food bank program, job placement and résumé building opportunities. Other opportunities are listed at lighthouse.farrrfoundation.org.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

SUPPLY — Liberty gave Shane Reside bikes to help his ministry.

feature

Liberty Champion | December 2, 2014 | B7

Ringing bells for Christmas Liberty’s Rotaract Club helps serve the community throughout the season Emma Jane Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu

With the holiday season around the corner, bell ringers for the Salvation Army are out in full force. This year, some members of the Liberty University Rotaract Club will be among them. According to Grace Vohden, a junior at Liberty and founder of Liberty’s chapter of Rotaract, serving with the Salvation Army is the club’s main focus for the Christmas season. “The Salvation Army doesn’t have many volunteers right now, so we’re trying to make sure every bell has a man there and gets the attention it needs,” Vohden said. “We’re also doing a lot of phone calls to find people who would be willing to ring bells.” In addition to participating in the bell drive, members of Liberty’s Rotaract Club serve dinner at the soup kitchen run by the Salvation Army the third Thursday of every month, and they also pick up donated bread and take it to the soup kitchen. Recently, the club packaged meals at the Lynchburg plant of the “Stop Hunger Now” organization, which distributes meals to those in need. “We have a lot of bread donations, so we need people to drive to those places, pick it up on Tuesday mornings, and bring it to the soup kitchen,” Vohden said. According to Vohden, bread is donated by the Food Lion on Memorial Avenue as well as Panera and Starbucks on Wards Road. Although Liberty’s Rotaract Club only has three members, Vohden is hopeful it will continue to grow. She said she met more Liberty students while volunteering with “Stop Hunger Now” who seemed very interested in joining the club. Students can also earn Christian/Community Service (CSER) credit for volunteering with the club. “I’m looking for more people to liven up my group,” Vohden said. “If we had more people, we could get involved in more projects. If someone wanted to help out at the

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

VOLUNTEER — Equipped with red bells and buckets, Liberty’s Rotaract club is participating with the Salvation Army this Christmas. Daily Bread or United Way for example, that would be great.” Vohden started Liberty’s chapter of Rotaract during her freshman year. She was part of a local Rotary Club along with her mom when the club suggested she start a chapter of Rotaract at Liberty. According to Vohden, Rotaract is the college version of a Rotary Club. According to the Rotary’s website, rotary.org, Rotaract clubs are for adults ages 18-30 whose purpose is to “exchange ideas, plan activities and projects and socialize.” Local rotary clubs sponsor them, but it is up to each Rotaract chapter to decide how they want to be run and which service projects to perform. Vohden chose to work with the Salvation

Army because of the connections she has within the organization. “My mom works there, and her being there made me want to help out there even more,” Vohden said. According to Vohden, running the club taught her several life lessons. “It gives me responsibility and helps me practice my leadership skills,” Vohden said. “It’s very rewarding to put an event together and see the outcome. It makes me stand back and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I did that. Maybe I should do more.’” More importantly, Vohden has seen firsthand the effect of helping others. “I see this little picture become a lot bigger and affect more people,” Vohden said. “I look at all the people these events help

and I ask myself, ‘What can I do more of ? How can I help more people?’” For more information on Liberty’s chapter of Rotaract, contact Vohden at gvohden@liberty.edu. MAURER is a feature reporter.

FYI

Fourteen Liberty University departments will be ringing the Salvation Army bell outside the Wal-Mart on Wards Road throughout December.

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FEATURE

December 2, 2014

Chivalry is not dead Rwandan man demonstrates God’s love by holding doors open for others Rachael Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu

At 6 feet 3 inches, Elie Bizimana is hard to miss. He stands like a sentry outside the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall, holding the door for weary diners seeking dinner after a long day, his bright smile wide as he nods hello or tells his fellow students to have a good evening. On his right wrist, he wears a black bracelet that bears a simple message in white letters — T.G.I.F.: Today God Is First. On his left wrist, above a burn scar that runs the length of his left forearm, he proudly wears a bracelet colored with the green, yellow and blue of his native Rwanda. Life for the 20-year-old freshman has not been easy. “A lot of times, as adults, we make choices to abuse our lives or to miss out on life,” Bizimana said. “We just live and do nothing.” And that is exactly what Bizimana does not want to do. Born in Kigali, Rwanda, the nation’s capital, Bizimana never knew his father, who was killed in the 1994 genocide between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes. His mother passed away in 2011 after a battle with cancer. Bizimana, whose name means “God knows,” understands that he has been given much. And he knows that to whom much has been given, much is required. Giving back is exactly what Bizimana has set out to do. “I have a big future and big dreams that I want to achieve in my life,” Bizimana said. “I have a heart with kids. I love kids with all my life. I lived in a country where a lot of kids are really abused in a lot of ways. They’re told, ‘You’re stupid. You can never make it in life.’ A lot of them run away from home and become street children.” Currently pursuing a degree in computer science with a minor in cinematographic arts, Bizimana is a visionary who wants to serve God’s kingdom by doing what he loves best: making videos and telling stories. He has created something he calls T.I.M.E.: Truth that Inspires, Motivates and Educates. The videos Bizimana posts on his Facebook page and YouTube are intended to speak truth into the lives of youth that are struggling — to encourage them to not give up hope.

Rachael Graf | Liberty Champion

SERVING — Elie Bizimana has experienced much grief, but he now shares joy with dining hall guests by holding doors. “For me, I’m a guy who is, in a way, protecting the kingdom of God,” Bizimana said. “The thing that kills a lot of the kingdom of God is the society shaped on Hollywood or videos. My main thing is to impact and protect the kingdom of God by showing a lot of videos, films, everything on Christ’s basis.” Thinking about the future, Bizimana said he would like to earn enough money in the field of computer science to one day open his own cinematographic company, making videos that will encourage, inspire and motivate people to better themselves. He hopes to invest the money he earns from his company in education for youth around the world. “A lot of kids I want to work with — they’re broken kids. I want to give them hope,” Bizimana said. “But I want to show them that this is a favor that someone is actually investing in them for no good

reason (other than) just loving someone without actually expecting anything back from them.” Before coming to the United States to finish his senior year of high school and attend college, Bizimana attended high school in Uganda, which shares a border with Rwanda, a school that Bizimana can only describe as “hell.” It was a place where three hours of sleep a night, one meal a day, caning and carrying jerricans of water long distances were common. It was a place that both crushed him and brought him to the knowledge of the God he now joyfully serves. “I’m just trying to make the best out of this opportunity, because I feel like I didn’t deserve to have this opportunity,” Bizimana said. “It was God who gave me this opportunity, so I’m always a happy guy.” Amid the tumultuous years of high school, Bizimana’s mother passed

away, leaving him feeling stranded, alone and hurting. “When she died, that killed my whole entire dream, killed my whole entire purpose,” Bizimana said. “I became really mad, frustrated. I was losing my only hero in my whole entire life. I really lost hope in life. I was like, ‘I don’t know what exactly what God wants me to do in life.’ I had given up. I was studying just to study and get out.” Soon thereafter, his stepfather kicked him out of the house — four days before he was to return to school in Uganda, without the $400 school fee he needed. It was then that Bizimana said he began contemplating suicide. “I felt like every single thing I did was for no good reason,” Bizimana said. “I really felt (like) everything was pointless. I’m out of school. I’m kicked out. I really, really

See CHIVALRY, B5

Man’s faith inspires action Lynchburg resident Shane Reside repairs bikes for locals in need of transportation

Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu

From having no faith to being filled with faith in God, local Lynchburg resident Shane Reside has gone from being an atheist to sharing God’s grace with those around him, all within a matter of months. A staple for humanitarian work in Lynchburg, Virginia, The Lighthouse Community Center of Lynchburg has branched out once again to reach the people around them in a new way — with bicycles. Reside has taken it upon himself to collect and repair bikes as he gets them in order to gift them to those who need a way to get around. With a knack for fixing things and having experienced the difficulties of having no transportation himself, Reside had a deep, personal motivation to start the “Acts of Random Kindness” (ARK) ministry. “Well, I have personal experience, (knowing what it is like) not having any form of transportation,” Reside said. “ … I’m technically homeless myself. So, from personal experience, having to walk everywhere … takes forever. … If you have a bicycle, it’s easy to get there in half the time or less, you know, and it helps you become more productive if you’re trying to get your life together.”

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

DONATION — Shane Reside, a homeless man, desires to help others by providing transportation. The opportunity and the passion were already there. Reside just needed bikes. Liberty University was able to be one of the providers for that need. According to the Liberty University News Service, several bicycles had been left on Liberty’s

campus, remaining unclaimed by students, so the university’s police department decided to donate them to Reside’s cause. “Lynchburg Daily Bread was so blessed by this unexpected gift,” Tracey Dixon, director of the Daily Bread, a ministry of Light-

house Community Fellowship, told the Liberty University News Service. “Our guests were so grateful for this remarkably kind gesture. … The recipients have told us this gift is life-changing.” Dixon said those that received the bikes — restored to mint

condition by Reside — are using them to cut down on travel time to and from job interviews, doctors’ visits and several other programs. The bikes have also proven to be a great form of exercise. Reside said he has always been mechanically inclined, explaining that he has been working on cars “since I was 17, and I’m 34 now.” He already had the know-how, so this ministry gave him a purpose for his passion. “I was attending a Bible study group … and the last thing we talked about was the book of James,” Reside said. “ … It says in (James 2:14) that faith without works is dead, and I realized that all this time, I hadn’t been doing anything. … I was just doing what I thought I should do to get by, day-to-day. Then I realized that there are some things that are bigger than me, and I should be a part of the world and contributing (to it).” However, Reside was not always sure what his contribution to society should be. After studying the book of James, he said he prayed to God, asking, “What is it you would have me do?” It was while he was repairing a bike for himself that he remembered repairing a bike for a friend nearly a year earlier. “I reminded myself of something I did for this guy named

See BIKES, B6