Basketball suffers close loss
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President Falwell clarifies Convo comments about California tragedy A3
®
Lynchburg, Virginia
Volume 33 | Issue 11 Tuesday, December 8, 2015
not just presents underneath the Christmas tree
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
CELEBRATE — Students enjoyed the Christmas season at Liberty by taking pictures inside the Christmas tree in front of DeMoss Hall.
Rightful reasons to rezone President Jerry Falwell and senior VP give insight on current zoning rights Taylor Coleman tcoleman64@liberty.edu
Liberty University is in the process of rezoning land on various parts of the ever-growing campus within the city limits by adopting a new zoning classification. Plans for taking ownership of the land have been in the works for approximately five years, according to President Jerry Falwell. From 1977 to 1992, Liberty had its own right to the land, but in 1992, those rights were taken away. With the loss of zoning rights, Liberty was under city orders as to how its land was used. “Back years ago when Lib-
erty built new buildings, they had to use a conditional use permit,” Falwell said. A conditional use permit is a document that allows the property owner to use the land in a way that is not usually permitted within the zoning district. Falwell explained when Liberty would reach certain numbers in enrollment, various constructions were required to take place. For example, building the tunnel and different private roads on campus were part of the installment deal. In 2008, shortly after Falwell became president, students began voting in local and national elections. Prior to that election,
students had to go home or get an absentee ballot to vote. Once students began voting, Falwell said the city considered the idea that Liberty needed its own set of zoning rights. “The city created zoning designation by giving back the zoning rights, because Liberty was voting locally,” Falwell said. The conditional use permit provided by the city council in 2008 approved Liberty to increase the on-campus enrollment to allow 15,000 students. With Liberty regaining RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion
See CHANGE, A2 NOTICE —Signs around campus informed students of rezoning.
Gaining real world experience Liberty’s Career Center counsels current students on how to land an internship Jacob Clarke jlclarke3@liberty.edu
For college students who are approaching their final years in school, the summer months become less about relaxing with free time and vacations and more about gaining the experience necessary to land a job after graduation. Application season for summer 2016 internships has already begun, and the Liberty University Career Center is available to assist students each step of the way. Director Richard Glass said employers often
require job applicants to have relevant experience in the industry before graduation, and the summers between semesters give students that opportunity. “One of the things that employers are looking for is your experience,” Glass said. “Often you’ll see on a job application … the required degree and then one to three years of experience for a new graduate. How do you get that one to three years of experience? You do it through internships.” Employers are already filling positions for their
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
ADVICE — Career counselors helped students find jobs. summer interns, and Glass “For an internship, it’s recommended students very important that stuvisit the center as soon dents come to the Career as possible. Center and meet with a
counselor and explain what they are looking for,” Glass said. “Together, (we) will help them do the right things in preparing their cover letter, their resume and any other part of the application process.” Debra Saucier, a career counselor at Liberty, said students should first learn more about the companies they want to apply to and then come to the Career Center to have their resumes critiqued. She said a resume is “marketing material” that should give a picture of the student’s professional qualities.
INSIDE THE CHAMPION
News
Advice on how to stay safe when buying from online yard sales.
Opinion A7
A look at how a former student paid it forward before his death.
Sports A4
Div. I hockey wins both weekend games against Rutgers University. B2
Feature
Information regarding the recent serious car accident involving Liberty students. B8
“You don’t want to simply list the places you’ve worked and give a simple list of tasks you’ve done because listing tasks is not telling them about the kind of professional and individual you are and how you did your work,” Saucier said. “(You want) something that tells (the employer) all about the person so they have an idea of who you are and why they would want you to work for them.” In addition to a resume, most hiring managers
See FUTURE, A6
News Opinion
A1 A4
Sports Feature
B1 B5
news
A2 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
‘What is Jeopardy!?’ Liberty alumna competes on popular game show’s ‘Tournament of Champions’ Elizabeth Lapp elapp@liberty.edu
Liberty University alumna Catherine Hardee returned to trivia game show “Jeopardy!” for the “Tournament of Champions,” winning the quarterfinal round Monday, Nov. 9 before being eliminated in the semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 18. In September, Hardee went on a four game winning streak that earned her a total of $95,201. This performance placed her in the top 15 winners and earned her a spot in the “Tournament of Champions.” Hardee won $27,600 during her time in the tournament, though she said her main goal was to relax and have fun. “I felt a lot more comfortable,” Hardee said. “I knew what to expect, and I didn’t have the same anxiety and the same pressure that I did going into my first appearance on ‘Jeopardy!.’ I have already been on there, and I’ve already won money, so the worst that can happen is I get a trip to California and $5,000 out of the deal. So I was just kind of there to enjoy it, and that made it very much more enjoyable, and (there was) less pressure.” Hardee graduated from Liberty with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2012 and received her master’s degree in history in 2014. This background attributed to Hardee’s strength in history related categories. “I definitely have learned so much from the history major, and you pick up on not only history but artwork and music and things as you’re learning about history and culture which helps with the dreaded opera category or an art category,” Hardee said. “I got an art category that I did very well in. Thanks to Professor Donald’s Renaissance and Reformation class I got Botticelli … so shout out to Professor Donald. You pick up things where you don’t really realize you’re making that connection until you are on a stage in front of what will be a TV audience of millions, and all of the sudden you realize that you know this.” While a student at Liberty, Hardee competed on the quiz bowl team, helping the team to become the undefeated Big South Conference champions in 2011 and 2012. She returned to the team in 2014 as part of the first quiz bowl team from Liberty to qualify for the National Academic Quiz Tournament’s national tour-
Photo Provided
CHAMP — Alumna Catherine Hardee made her second appearence on the nightly game show “Jeopardy!,” winning more than $25,000. nament in Chicago, where they ranked 20th in the country. “Quiz Bowl definitely was a big help, and I got to hang out with people who love trivia, so obviously the quiz bowl team was an amazingly fun thing for me,” Hardee said. “You just learn a lot
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on ‘Jeopardy!,’ you know what it is talking about.” Hardee said she does not really know what sparked her love for trivia, only that it is something that she has always enjoyed. “My brain just works that way so I can’t help it,” Hardee said.
Quiz Bowl definitely was a big help, and I got to hang out with people who love trivia, so obviously the quiz bowl team was an amazingly fun thing for me. — CATHERINE HARDEE
even if you don’t get the answer at that tournament. You hear the question and you hear the specific pieces of information that fit together, so you learn to associate different pieces of information and have them just go together in your brain so that when one little group comes up in a clue
“I just loved learning and reading since I was old enough to read. Apparently I told my mom on my first day of kindergarten that it was the most exciting day of my life. Then when she asked me why I said that, (I said) it was because I was going to learn to read that day.”
CAMPUS CALENDAR 12/10 12/10 12/11 12/11 12/11 12/12 12/14 12/14 12/15
- New Commuter Orientation 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. | JFL Terrace Conference Room - Brian Moore Book Signing 11 a.m. | Bookstore - Therapy Dogs 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. | JFL Lower Atrium - Student Advocate Office Hosts Sweet Treats 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. | DeMoss Hall - Christmas Coffeehouse 11:30 p.m. | Vines Center - Sodexo Craft Fair 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. | LaHaye Multipurpose Center - Chair Massages 10:30 am - 12:30 p.m. | JFL Terrace Conference Room - Christmas Crafts 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. | JFL Upper Atrium - Chocolate Candy Booth 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | JFL Lower Atrium
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Having now competed on the show twice, Hardee said her favorite part was getting to meet people who love trivia as much as she does. “The best part, especially of the ‘Tournament of Champions,’ was getting to meet all the other
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champions that I had watched throughout the year and getting to hang out with them. They are all incredibly smart, nice (and) brilliant people, so its super fun to get to hang out with 16 of probably the smartest trivia nerds in the country.” Hardee currently teaches 5th
and 6th grade history along with high school government and geometry. After her first time on the show, Hardee said she wanted to use the money to travel and has already begun fulfilling that dream. “I went to New Zealand in March, and I went to Ireland last summer, so I feel like I’ve gotten some nice traveling in,” Hardee said. “We’ll see if I can find anywhere else to go, but I don’t have anything planned in particular.” Her plan right now is to save her winnings from the show to supplement her current salary and to provide a nest egg for herself. In total, Hardee won more than $122,000 on the show.
LAPP is a news reporter.
The other new desCHANGE continued ignation, IN1district, is from A1 ownership of its zoning rights, Falwell believes the university will be able to grow in its number of residential students. Senior Vice President of Auxiliary Services Lee Beaumont said it has been a long time coming to gain the zoning rights. He explained the new rights are a result of hard work between city and university staff, which was all made possible by students becoming active in local elections. “We are rezoning all Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church property in the city to IN-2, which is a new zoning classification geared specifically to large educational institutions not adjacent to residential areas,” Beaumont said. “Land owned by the university is not under a single zoning classification and consists of property zoned B3, B5, I2, RC, R1 and R2. The new IN2 designation provides both consistency and more freedom to develop the campus in a manner that best meets the needs of our student body.”
intended for schools, churches and colleges in a campus setting located near residential regions. There are around 1520 rezoning signs located throughout campus, but they do not signify any future construction projects. “The signs are there simply for public notification,” Falwell said. “The code requires signs be placed within 500 feet of the land area.” “The city ordinance has rules on where signage notifying the public must be placed,” Beaumont said. “Since we have so many parcels and so much road frontage, it resulted in quite a few signs placed around the campus.” Falwell believes that with Liberty having ownership of the land on campus, decisions concerning land use will be easier to make as the campus continues to expand with new buildings and more residential students.
COLEMAN is a news reporter.
news
Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | A3
Another attack
FALWELL SPEAKS OUT
14 people killed in California suburb Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Less than one full week after our nation finished celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, two ISIS supporters mercilessly gunned down an innocent group of employees of the local health department at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California Wednesday, Dec. 2. The first gunshots were fired around 11 a.m. Two gunmen, later identified as husband and wife Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, made their way to the Inland Regional Center where the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health was hosting a holiday party, according to the regional center’s website. Farook, an employee of the health department, was initially at the party but left early. He and his wife returned around 11 a.m., dressed in combat gear and carrying legally obtained
assault rifles. Police reports indicate the assailants fired 65-75 rounds, killing 14 and injuring 21. Employees and other bystanders in adjacent buildings remained hidden for nearly two hours. First responders arrived within four minutes. They evacuated the injured and directed those who already fled to the San Bernardino Golf Club’s golf course across the street from the location of the shooting. Farook and Malik reportedly escaped the scene in a black SUV, leading to a manhunt by local law enforcement. Authorities received multiple tips regarding the black SUV’s location as well as a tip from an employee as to who the shooters might have been. The tips led them to a home in the Redlands, roughly 10 miles from San Bernardino. When law enforcement arrived, the black SUV slowly drove by then sped away, warranting pursuit
by police cruisers. A chase between the shooters and police returned toward to the San Bernardino office. Malik drove while Farook shot at law enforcement. The first shots of the police shootout rang around 3 p.m. After firing 76 rifle rounds at police, Malik and Farook were both killed by police gunfire. Malik was shot dead while in the vehicle, while Farook was killed outside of it. At 3:16 p.m., four hours after the first bullets fired, the manhunt was over. The FBI joined local police in further investigation to determine if this was in fact an act of terror. Two days after the event, the FBI confirmed the San Bernardino shooting was being treated as an act of terrorism. Editor’s Note: Various news sources were used in this story.
President Falwell reacts to Obama's statement concerning the recent California shooting that left 14 dead. This kind of tragedy and act of terrorism naturally evoked quite a response from the American people, with some calling for stricter gun laws and others urging citizens to get ready to defend themselves. President Jerry Falwell was no exception. During Liberty University’s Convocation Friday, Dec. 4, Falwell provided his take on the matter. His exact words follow: “It just blows my mind when I see the president of the United States say that the answer to circumstances like that is more gun control,” Falwell said. I mean, if some of those people in that community center had had what I got in my back pocket right now … . I’ve always thought if more good people had conceal-carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they go out there and kill. I just want to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to get your permit. We offer a free course. Let's teach 'em a lesson if they ever show up here.” While Falwell received much support for his statement, multiple media outlets cut Falwell’s statement after the word “Muslims,” providing the impression he was saying people should “end those Muslims.” Many, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, vocally expressed disdain for Liberty’s president’s comments. While he stands by his claims, he has since clarified and specified those to whom he was referring. “The News Advance and WSET cut my quote off short,” Falwell said. “I said, ‘If more good people had concealed carry permits we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed us. Those two press outlets ended the quote after the word Muslims and others ended it after ‘walked in.’ The entire quote makes it clear which Muslims I was talking about defending ourselves against.” For more information see “University responds to Convocation remarks” at www.liberty.edu/news.
HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.
CONVOCATION RECAPS NOV. 18 During Convocation Nov. 18, students learned from Erin Kelly what God has done through her family’s life and from Rabbi Daniel Lapin how earning wealth is consistent with the Bible. Erin Kelly, daughter of the football legend Jim Kelly, is a Liberty student and author. Erin Kelly and her mother, Jill Kelly, recently released a New York Times Best Seller entitled “Kelly Tough.” Erin Kelly spoke to students about how God has used the pain in her and her family’s lives for his glory. Her experiences are documented in the book. “‘Kelly Tough’ is really my heart on paper,” Erin Kelly said. “(It’s) what God has done through our family.” Erin Kelly described the trials of watching her younger brother suffer and die from Krabbe disease when he was eight years old
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
STEWARD — Rabbi Daniel Lapin spoke. and then witness her father go through cancer a second time. She said God has given her family a chance to share these trials and encourage people through what God has done. “The platform (God) has given us, I believe (is) far beyond football,” Erin Kelly said. “Yes, my dad was an amazing football player, but God has used that platform to make his name known, to make his name known above all things. It’s not really about the Kelly family. It’s really about God’s story in the midst of it all.” Convocation continued as President Falwell introduced the main speaker of the morning, Rabbi Daniel Lapin. Lapin, a friend of Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., told students how earning money is pleasing to God. “Step number one in the principles of making money is to believe in the dignity and morality of making money,” Lapin said. “Making money is not taking money. Taking money is one thing. Making money means you are delivering value to another one of God’s children. You are caring for another child of God.” Lapin said making money encourages God’s virtues, but entertainment today indoctrinates people with the message that businessmen are evil. “We’ve all been impacted by popular entertainment’s slandering of business,” Lapin said. “Even the language of popular culture is horrible.” Lapin, president of the American Alliance for Jews and Christians, said when society says, “give back,” it gives the impression that someone is taking from society when making money, but that is not the case.
“Profit isn’t plunder,” Lapin said. “It’s good. It’s evidence that you are pleasing God’s other children.” Lapin stressed the importance of connecting with one another in business. He said God wants us to connect with one another and blesses us with the incredible gift of financial abundance if we try to take care of his other children using the abilities he has given each person. “In God’s blueprint for affluence, specialization is crucial because it makes us need one another,” Lapin said. “It makes us love one another.” Lapin closed with a re-emphasis of the point of how vital Christians are to the U.S. economy. “I do believe that the economic vitality of the United States of America absolutely depends upon the restoration of a vibrant fervent Christianity,” Lapin said.
NOV. 20 Mark DeMoss, founder of The DeMoss Group and author of “The Little Red Book of Wisdom” spoke in Convocation Friday, Nov. 20 about what’s in a name. President Falwell introduced DeMoss and talked about how they both lived on the same residence hall in the 80s. Falwell explained how their dads were best friends. The DeMoss Hall academic building is named after Mark DeMoss’ father, Arthur S. DeMoss. “Mark was so close to my parents that my parents used to call him their third son,” Falwell said. Falwell arranged for 500 student leaders on campus to get a copy of “The Little Red Book of Wisdom. Mark DeMoss began his message by saying how thankful he is for Liberty University and how the university continues to play a huge role in his life. Mark DeMoss said when he came to Liberty as a student after he lost his father, the Falwells treated him like family. “The time I spent with Dr. Falwell those eight years traveling the country serving him, representing him, really gave me the foundation and the experience to do what I do now and to start a public relations firm,” Mark DeMoss said. “I am intrigued with names,” Mark DeMoss said. “Our firm gets paid a lot of money to create names, to promote and protect names. A big part of public relations is reputation management.” Mark DeMoss read a list of the 10 most followed people on Instagram, which included names such as Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. “Are these people finding cures for cancer?” Mark DeMoss asked. “Are they leading nations? Are they serving the poor? Are they writing meaningful books? Are they thought leaders? Clearly some of them are famous merely for being famous.” He then read a list of names he told students they wouldn’t recognize. “The main difference is that these nine people are dead,” Mark DeMoss. “Their names came from a cemetery from cemetery grave markers I looked at during a recent visit in a cemetery in Atlanta.” Mark DeMoss pointed out that even though these people died before social me-
dia, there is some notation for the kind of life they lived. “You may be sitting here in this big arena thinking, ‘Nobody knows my name,’” Mark DeMoss said. “‘This is a big school. I do everything with a card and a number. I’m not on an athletic team. I’m an introvert not an extrovert.’” Mark DeMoss shared a poem called “Everyone Has a Name” that was written by the Jewish poet Zelda in concern that Holocaust victims were largely unknown. Mark DeMoss shared with students six things he knows about their names, the first being that God knows their names. Secondly, they did not chose their names. Thirdly, ultimately each person gives their name meaning. “When we leave the hospital at birth with our given name, it’s as if we are given an empty bucket, and the rest of our lives we fill the bucket with positive or negative things that give meaning to our names,” Mark DeMoss said. Mark DeMoss said one of the ways students give their name meaning is through social media, but students should be careful about the way they present themselves online. “Would you want your social media feeds to replace your resume when you graduate and start looking for a job?” Mark DeMoss asked. “Employers are increasingly using social media to screen applicants and candidates.” Mark DeMoss said he could say with certainty many students would not be chosen for certain jobs simply based on their social media habits. “Every post is really another entry on the resume and biography of your life,” Mark DeMoss said. “Post by post, day by day, you are building a patchwork quilt that becomes
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
DEC. 2 Students at Liberty University had the opportunity to hear from Darrin Patrick, vice president of the church planting organization Acts 29, Dec. 2 during Convocation. “(Patrick’s) books on church planting were influential in (my) life,” David Nasser, senior vice president for spiritual development, said. Patrick, an author and pastor of The Journey, a church in St. Louis, Missouri, said God grows us holistically, gradually, internally and communally. He taught from Galatians 5:16-6:2 and explained to students that God is like a surgeon who cuts impurities out of everyone’s lives to make their lives reflect him. “We grow spiritually the way fruit grows naturally,” Patrick said. Growing holistically means that the fruit of the Spirit grow together, Patrick said. However, all of the fruit of the Spirit do not grow at the same time. It is a process that takes place over a period of time. “You measure your maturity by your weakest trait,” Patrick said. “God wants to grow us in our weakness … and God wants to grow you in every part of your life.” According to Patrick, growth happens gradually. Patrick prompted students to ask their peers, mentors, family and friends where they had grown over the course of the semester. “I think that growing in our faith is a step-by-step process that involves seeking God daily,” senior Sylvana Gorgui said. “Through reading the Bible and praying we can know God more. Asking my friends where they see growth allows me to actively see where God is working in my life.” Striving toward the Lord means sin is going to lessen, Patrick explained. Ultimately, sin has been put to death and sin stayed in the grave. However, putting sin to death means constantly crucifying the fleshly desires of this world. “Do we get to be in charge?” Patrick asked. “That is our flesh. Or does God get to be in charge? That is the Spirit. That thing in you that needs to die, it’s dying, but it’s gradual.” Lastly, growth happens in community, Patrick said. He explained that people are one of the most valuable resources. He said there is great value in having people in your life that will say when a mistake has been made and explain where growth is needed. “If you want to grow, you have got to get around people in your life … (that are) helping shape who you are,” Patrick said.
NAME — Mark DeMoss shared a message. your personal brand.” Mark DeMoss said the fourth thing he said he knows about each person’s name is that they can make a bad name good. The fifth thing he said is that they can also make a good name bad. The last thing that he knows about each person’s name is that if they call themselves a Christian, they now carry two names. “We should be more about (God’s) name than our own,” Mark DeMoss said.
RODRIGUEZ is the news editor. SHERRILL is a news reporter. FROST is a news reporter.
OPINION
A4
December 8, 2015
Quit using your head
U.S. Soccer bans heading in youth soccer leagues to prevent concussions Joel Schmieg jaschmieg@liberty.edu
I am sure you have heard about the concussion epidemic that has taken the sports world by storm. It seems everyday another high profile football player has revealed he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy late in his life. Unfortunately, many governing sports bodies are feeling the pressure to take action, and they are forgetting to use logic when making these decisions. U.S. Soccer has recently called for youth soccer to ban heading for children under 10 and to ban heading in practice for children ages 11-13. To the uninformed, this seems like a great idea. To those who grew up in or around the game, this is certainly a huge accident waiting to happen again and again. “Given the enormous stakes of a significant health risk to millions of American children, it was the right thing to do,” Leander Schaerlaeckens said in an article for FC Yahoo. I strongly disagree with Leander. First of all, imagine a 13-year old child who has never learned to head the ball, playing in a competitive soccer game. By the age of 13, many young boys already have quite a bit of skill and power in their game. They can easily float a ball to a teammate or send a goal kick sky high. When the situation arises, the child is going to attempt to head the ball. Thanks
to U.S. Soccer, he or she has no idea what the proper technique is because it has never been allowed in practice. Children will be thrown into a game with a ball flying at them from a goal kick. They get under the ball and brace for impact with their head pulled in like a turtle. If you have ever done this, you know that the child most likely just sustained a concussion or possibly a pinched nerve. Ironically, that child’s concussion would be a direct result of the new policies to limit concussions. You see, throwing the child into the game with no practice is a recipe for disaster. Can you imagine sending a football player into a game with zero practice tackling someone? The whole point of youth football these days is teaching kids the techniques of tackling before they get into the game. Now U.S. Soccer wants to do the exact opposite. In practice, coaches can slow the game down and teach. But in a game, the coach has no control over the speed of play. It seems all U.S. Soccer is worried about is covering themselves from lawsuits. As long as the players do not get hurt in practice, they really do not care what happens. After all, these new policies are a direct result of a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer. They are more worried about making a change just for the sake of public opinion and dollars than they are the safety of the kids they
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HEADING — U.S. Soccer banned heading in leagues with players under the age of 10. are supposedly protecting. Heading a soccer ball is all about technique. If you sit back and let the ball hit you, it is going to hurt. If you attack the ball, it will be virtually pain free. Instead of banning headers in practice, we should encourage proper heading techniques in practice. Let the kids learn to head the
ball from 5 feet away before throwing them into a game and asking them to do it in full game speed. U.S. Soccer needs to learn to use its head so that youth soccer players do not hurt theirs. SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.
What is your legacy? Former Liberty University student Matthew Jackson leaves legacy of Christlike Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
When our time on Earth is over, how will we be remembered? What kind of legacy will we leave? And what does it mean to leave a legacy? The events surrounding former Liberty University student Matthew Jackson’s recent death show how he left a lasting legacy, leaving Earth a better place than before. During her shopping trip to a Trader Joe’s in California, Nov. 10 with her fussy 5-month-old daughter in her arms, JamieLynne Knighten’s credit card was declined. Twenty-eight-year-old Jackson, who attended Liberty from 2007-2012, stepped forward and asked to pay for Knighten’s $200 grocery bill. According Christianity Today, Jackson would not take no for an answer and said, “I would be glad to take care of your groceries as long as you promise to do it for someone else.” Before Knighten left Trader Joe’s, Jackson mentioned what his name was and that he worked as a personal trainer at LA Fitness. A week went by and Knighten decided to call Jackson’s manger, Angela Lavinder, at LA Fitness and explain to her what a great employee she had in Jackson. However, Lavinder had to break the news to Knighten that Jackson had been killed Nov. 11 in a car accident, just one day after paying for Knighten’s groceries. Jackson had been paying
Liberty University News Service
SERVICE — Matthew Jackson “paid it forward,” leaving a chain reaction of love and kindness. it forward once again as he was driving his co-worker to Wal-Mart when his car went off the road and hit a tree. According to NBC Today News, Knighten could not believe the news she had just heard. She was saddened she would never be able to thank Jackson again for his good deed. “I could sense that he had a kind presence, but after talking to his family and friends, I found out just how big his heart was,” Knighten said to NBC Today News. “I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to meet him, but so sad that I won’t get a chance to thank him again.” To keep the promise she had made Jackson, Knighten has already paid for three strangers’
grocery bills, according to NBC Today News. Knighten also made a Facebook page called “MatthewsLegacy” to encourage people to remember Matthew’s legacy as well as pay it forward. Heather Piper, who grew up with Jackson in Phoenix, Arizona and then attended Liberty when Jackson was here, said her memories of Jackson included that he was an outgoing person as well as a talented musician. “Anywhere we went he wasn’t afraid to talk to anybody at all,” Piper said. Matthew had a habit of serving others way before his trip to Trader Joe’s Nov. 10. Piper said Matthew would volunteer and help lead trail rides at the horse farm she worked at in
Lynchburg, Virginia. Leaving a meaningful legacy is living in such a way that you are remembered for the good you did on Earth. The way you love people should make them want to love others more. It means using the talents you have been given and making everyday count. Jackson did not waste the time on Earth he was given. “(His legacy) just shows somebody that is not afraid of living life to the fullest,” Piper said. “He was always up for new adventures.” As a Christian it means living your life now in a way that people will remember not just you but how Christ worked through you. It means serving others and making choices that put others first.
Jackson did just that. He spent $200 he could have used for anything else, on a stayat-home mom who was having a rough night at the grocery store. Jackson’s only expectation was for Knighten to pay it forward. He didn’t ask for a thank you or a pat on the back. He only wanted Knighten to bless someone else. Piper said she was a firsthand witness to Jackson’s faithful serving of others. “Anyone that knew Matt knew that God, his family and his girlfriend, Juli, were the most important to him,” Piper said via email. “He was passionate about Christ and reaching people. No matter how terrible your day had been, he always came up with a way to make you laugh. His smile was contagious, and he could easily command everyone’s attention in a room. He was never afraid to be himself. He always stood up for his friends and his faith.” Jackson’s simple gift of paying for groceries will continue to be multiplied every time someone pays it forward with Jackson’s selflessness in mind. This is how to leave a lasting legacy. You live your life serving others without expecting anything in return. Jackson will never see the media coverage of his good deed, but there is no doubt he has secured a legacy of showing Christ’s love.
RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO Nate Haywood editor-in-chief
Paul Vandenbosch
Gabriella Fuller graduate assistant
Joel Schmieg asst. sports editor
CONTENT
Amber Tiller
Sarah Rodriguez
sports editor
feature editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCIAL MEDIA
Leah Seavers
Josh Gordon
photography editor
Michela Diddle asst. photography editor DESIGN
news editor
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Quinn Foley asst. news editor
Meighan Thompson
Cierra Carter
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opinion
Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | A5
Christ, born in a manger The Christmas season reminds us to prioritize what is most important in life Rachel Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu
No vacancy. That is what might have been written on the sign outside of the Bethlehem inn the night an anxious, expectant couple arrived at the door. Maybe Mary and Joseph knocked, their hearts beating hard as they awaited an answer. Perhaps the stressed, overwhelmed innkeeper shooed them away after they explained their situation. Or maybe he offered them his condolences: Sorry, there was nothing he could do. Too many people were in town for the census. While no one knows what that exchange looked like that night, what we do know is that Mary and Joseph spent the night in a stable or some sort of cave where animals were kept. And the innkeeper often gets a bad rap. After all, he was the first one to reject Jesus, even before Jesus had been born. I have often imagined the innkeeper redfaced and flustered, dismissing the young couple as someone else’s problem. He had paying guests. But it is possible that the innkeeper was not so callous as I like to believe. He could have tried to make room, but to no avail. I cannot help but think that, if the innkeeper knew exactly who was at the door, if he knew that God was in the womb of the young mother, he would have moved heaven and earth to make room for the couple. But he did not. And the savior of the world was born among the animals, wrapped in rags and laid in a cattle trough, worshipped not by the innkeeper and his guests but by a bunch of smelly shepherds. Regardless of what the innkeeper’s motives were that night, we all have a
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HOLY NIGHT — The innkeeper in the Christmas story provides a reminder to invite Christ into our hearts. lesson to learn from him. Reflecting on why I think about the innkeeper the way that I do, I am confronted with the uncomfortable truth that maybe I picture him that way because that is how I would have responded. If I had been the innkeeper that night, I probably would have been worried about all the tasks that I needed to take care of, all the guests I wanted to please and whether or not I was going to get any sleep. Surely someone else could take Mary and Joseph into their home. As I anticipate Dec. 25, I am pondering the innkeeper. How did he feel once he knew who he had turned away? Did he then go and worship him? Or was it too late? The truth is, we are all innkeepers.
The human heart is often compared to a home. We let some people in, and we keep some people out. So when Jesus comes knocking, are we going to answer? Will we open the door to our inn and make room for him and give him the reception he deserves? Are we going to turn him away because he is an inconvenience? I know, more often than not, that I have turned Jesus away simply because I am too busy for him. Yet he comes to me anyway. He comes in meekness and humility, as a baby boy born of a teenage mother. Yeshua, the savior. Immanuel, God with us. The child born to die. The innkeeper was human, fraught with
failure. He was not expecting the Messiah to come as the innocent newborn of newlywed parents. But the Messiah came for the innkeeper and died for him because he loved him. And while the innkeeper may not have opened his door to Jesus, Jesus opened his door to the innkeeper and invited him in. And he invites us still. This Christmas, may we remember that Jesus came not just for the shepherds and the Magi but for the innkeeper as well. Oh come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
GRAF is a feature reporter.
CENTCOM reports altered Intelligence scandal reveals deeper leadership issue that plagues White House
Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu
While we were all enjoying our Thanksgiving break, the New York Times was reporting the latest Obama Administration scandal. On Nov. 21, the Times published an article that stated the Pentagon inspector general was investigating claims that military intelligence had been significantly changed by senior intelligence officials. Specifically, intelligence analysts at the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) had produced military intelligence assessments detailing the failure of the Iraqi Army in combating ISIS forces and the growth of ISIS in the region and all around the world. These CENTCOM analysts are now claiming these reports were significantly altered by their supervisors and then provided to the president. “The analysts say supervisors were particularly eager to paint a more optimistic picture of America’s role in the conflict than was warranted,” the New York Times article states. The intelligence reports coming from the CENTCOM analysts and others in the intelligence community are not welcome in the Obama Administration be-
SIERRA CLONCH
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SCANDAL — CENTCOM analysts claimed superiors altered reports on ISIS. cause it stands in stark contrast to what the president has stated on international terrorism. Beginning with his 2012 reelection campaign and continuing into his second term, President Obama said numerous times that terrorism around the world had decreased under his watch and that Al Qaeda, specifically, had been “decimated.” Later, Obama referred to ISIS flippantly as “a (junior varsity) team.” While this New York Times article asserts that the senior intel-
ligence officers are to be blamed, I believe that this reflects a leadership issue that runs deep within the White House. “The inability or refusal of government leaders to listen to new, independent information that challenges their policies is the most important failing in every capital I have observed in 35 years of government-watching,” Jim Hoagland wrote in The Washington Post. This “inability or refusal” is not new to Obama but has been
a characteristic of many administrations. The quote above from Hoagland is in reference to a scandal that arose in 2000 when an investigation was launched into whether then-Vice President Al Gore had “kept himself ‘deliberately uninformed’ about corruption and other problems that would have undermined Bill Clinton’s Russia policies.” Along with this, it has long been understood by political historians that Lyndon B. Johnson suffered from this same problem. John-
DESIGNERS SAY
GOODBYE
“SEE YA!”
son had staked his presidency on the war in Vietnam and would not see any intelligence that concluded the war was not a going well. This blindness to the facts of the situation would ultimately cost Johnson a second full term in the White House. The president and his upper leadership’s refusal to acknowledge information contrary to what it wants to hear is already proving to be detrimental to the U.S. and the world. With recent terrorist attacks in both Paris and California, it has become increasingly clear that ISIS is not merely a “JV team” but that it is a major force to be reckoned with. Nevertheless, the president and the Democratic Party as a whole seem content to pontificate on climate change and gun control without addressing the deeper national security issue at play. The president and his advisors would do well to learn from King Solomon: “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15, ESV).”
SUTHERLAND is the opinion editor.
MEIGHAN THOMPSON
news
A6 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Rocking in the new year Liberty recruitment prepares to host Winterfest 2015 concerts and speakers Cassandra Steptoe cbsteptoe@liberty.edu
Complete with Christian music artists, speakers and activities, Liberty University’s 14th annual Winterfest will take place Dec. 30-31. Bands such as NEEDTOBREATHE, For King and Country and Casting Crowns will accompany speakers such as David Nasser, Clayton King and illusionist Jim Munroe at the event, according to liberty. edu. The event drew about 8,000 people a day in 2014. Assistant Director of Recruitment–Strategic Partnerships Aaron Marks expects to have a similar turnout this year. “The climax of the whole event is the countdown to New Year’s,” Marks said. “Many people have never had the chance to be in a room with 8,000 of their closest friends to celebrate New Year’s. … It’s a great time just to celebrate the past year.” Winterfest was started in order to “showcase what Liberty University had to offer” and bring in the New Year on a positive note, Marks said. The artists and speakers are specifically chosen to provide Christian encouragement. “Liberty University wanted to provide an event, not only to perspective students but also to families as an alternative event that they could attend with their kids and friends,” Marks said. “We wanted it just to be a great time to really focus on the year and on the year to come but do it with a lot of fun.” Winterfest draws many high school students, and it is an opportunity for them to get a taste of what Liberty has to offer as a
FUTURE continued from A1 require a cover letter, which provides students another chance to stand out among other applicants by providing a more personalized way to connect with the company. It also serves as a writing sample. Saucier said the letter should contain three paragraphs explaining why the student wants the position and why he or she
James Hancock | Liberty University News Service
CELEBRATE — Confetti came down in the Vines Center during Winterfest 2014. college. Those who attend are able to experience Liberty’s amenities such as Snowflex, the LaHaye Student Center and other recreational opportunities the school offers. Additionally, there will be two youth leader sessions to encourage and invest in leaders during Winterfest, Marks said. “We want to focus on the sheep and the shepherds when they come to Winterfest,” Marks said. “They leave with something tangible where they will actually have resources and materials that will help them as they continue to invest in the students that God has given them.” In order to plan and coordinate Winterfest, Liberty’s team for strategic partner-
would be a good fit. “In the opening paragraph, introduce yourself and state the position you want to apply for and what you love about the company,” Saucier said. “In the second paragraph, elaborate a little bit more on your skills and how they match that position. … The third (paragraph) is thanking them for their time and (saying) you’re looking forward to hearing from them.”
ships collaborates with the recruitment office and Liberty marketing, according to Marks. These teams know the ins and outs of setting up a large event and the different elements that must come together. “We do have full production for Winterfest,” Marks said. “It’s the most production the Vines Center actually handles all year long. We bring in huge speakers, huge TV screens, the works.” Winterfest takes a great deal of effort to produce. However, Marks said the many lives that the event touches makes the heavy workload worthwhile. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase the campus from a recruitment per-
Another useful resource for Liberty residential and online students and alumni is the LU Network, an online service that connects Liberty talent with employers who are specifically looking to hire from Liberty. Kathleen Welch, an employer relations coordinator at the Career Center, said there are more than 7,700 employers on the network. “On LU Network, we have all disciplines and all geographic re-
spective, but once everybody has had the chance to enjoy campus recreation and everything during the day, we … want to make the keystone of the night the gospel presentation,” Marks said. “Between David Nasser speaking on the 30th and Clayton King on the 31st we’re really expecting to see some really cool things happen spiritually. The utmost goal for us is to see students come here and have their hearts and minds changed by the gospel.” Winterfest is also open to Liberty students to help with and attend. Liberty junior Grant Huizenga attended Winterfest in 2014 as a part of the altar call team. He remembered being “baffled by the Lord’s work through the event” and recommended Winterfest to others. “My favorite part was when, amidst the rush of people coming forward for the altar call, a little girl, who was about as tall as my waist … told me all about her love for God and Jesus and how she wanted to accept the Lord into her heart,” Huizenga said. “It was absolutely adorable.” Every year, Winterfest tries to add new elements in order to appeal to more people. Newly added giveaways at Winterfest include a scholarship, a GoPro and a meet and greet with one of the artists, according to liberty.edu. All event access tickets range from $55 to $160. More information can be found at liberty.edu/winterfest.
STEPTOE is a news reporter.
gions, so there is something out there for everyone,” Welch said. “We sometimes get up to 100 new job postings and internship postings a day, so if there’s not something on there today, it could be there tomorrow.” Though summer is still many months away, Glass said students should try to land an internship earlier in the school year instead of waiting until the spring to start sending in applications while also
finishing up the semester. “If they are interested in an internship for this upcoming summer, they need to start looking and applying now,” Glass said. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve got a job lined up when classes stop.”
CLARKE is a copy editor.
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Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | A7
Facebook page safety
Administrators of Free & For Sale and Only Girls LU share how they monitor pages Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu
Online yard sale websites have become popular for buyers and sellers alike in the past few years, especially Facebook sale pages such as Only Girls LU and Free & For Sale. Both sites, created by Liberty University students, continue to grow in number. Only Girls LU currently has more than 6,400 members, while Free & For Sale has approximately 5,400 members. Both pages were designed to run like online yard sale websites such as Craigslist in order to make selling unwanted items easier for Liberty faculty and students. While senior Tyler Lucas was not the original administrator of Free & For Sale, he said he now helps run it alongside of Garrett Shue. Only Girls LU was started on impulse when now-senior Brittany James and a friend of hers came up with the idea in class during her freshman year in 2012. According to Lucas, these Facebook pages differ from other sites like Craigslist because they actually give you some context as to who you are selling to. “Without the page, people would have to (use) websites such as Craigslist which doesn’t put a face to a buyer or a seller, which can be sketchy to some people,” Lucas said. “Our page makes it possible for people to know who the individual is interacting with.” In order to be on the page, people must be in the Liberty network, associated with Liberty either through work or school. According to James, Only Girls LU was designed to run like a yard sale page, but she wanted it to be more mature and professional in the sales. Liberty students and faculty can use these pages to buy and sell items such as books, clothes, furniture, CDs and DVDs. Some people even use the pages to find apartments to live in, which is how James found the apartment she currently lives. While these pages can be useful and fun for faculty and students, some people tend
RJ Goodwin| Liberty Champion
ONLINE MARKETPLACE — Students participated in the growing trend of online yard sales. to abuse the system. As the pages continue to grow, so does the need to keep a closer eye on the items that are being sold and the people who try to join the closed groups. According to James, the biggest problem she has with Only Girls LU is when girls try to sell things from Mary Kay and Jamberry. “I’ve had a lot of complaints and issues regarding them, and it resulted with banning all personal business from the page,” James said. While selling Mary Kay, Jamberry and similar brands are banned from the page, homemade items and Etsy projects are allowed. Lucas said the biggest problem he tends to see on Free & For Sale is people saying inappropriate or rude things to other buyers and sellers on the page. “It doesn’t happen too much, but every so often we will have someone who is having a bad day or thinks they’re the funniest person on Earth, and they will cuss someone out or tell someone that their post is dumb and would
never sell,” Lucas said. “If it goes too far then I block the person, but if not then I will just delete the comments and move on.” Both Lucas and James monitor their pages to make sure they are running as they should be. “I monitor every person that is on the page and keep it to only LU students and employees,” James said. “They are the only ones allowed on the page, so meeting up with those selling is a bit safer since it’s only for LU girls.” Lucas said he checks in on Free & For Sale four to five times a day to look for posts that should not be there. While they do not rely on users to report content that should not be there, Lucas said people have gone “above and beyond” helping he and Shue out with monitoring the page. “Our page would not be possible without the support of the many members who enjoy using the page,” Lucas said. “I am always very thankful when people are willing to help me manage the page so that it can be made better. Believe it or not, people don’t like it when our rules are broken.”
According to Lucas, in order for people to get the best use out of Free & For Sale, it is important to follow the rules that are listed on the page. “Each rule helps to keep the page flowing, gives each person equal opportunity for their post to be seen, and doesn’t allow for people to be taken advantage of,” Lucas said. “It is a simple system that for the most
part works. It makes our job as administrators a lot easier.” Lucas encourages students to meet in well-lit and highly populated areas such as the Jerry Falwell Library or DeMoss Hall to ensure safety.
BUNNER is a news reporter.
CNN’S 10 WAYS TO STAY SAFE WHEN BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE
1. Always meet in a public place 2. Tell someone 3. Never meet at home 4. Always meet during the day 5. If it is a high-priced transaction, do it at a bank 6. Do not pay in cash 7. Disable caller ID 8. Do not use personal email 9. Keep your cell phone close 10. Do not reveal personal information
Finals week fun
Activities are being offered to ease stress
Patricia Barnes pbarnes5@liberty.edu
Photo Provided
RELAX — The Jerry Falwell Library encourages students to take a study break.
Puppies, crafts and free coffee will help students de-stress during their fall 2015 final exams. Liberty University’s Student Activities plan to encourage students during their tests by handing out coffee in DeMoss Hall. Monday, Wednesday and Friday from The Muse, a coffee shop located in Wyndhurst According to Erin Diaz, supervisor for Student Activities, the staff will be giving free coffee to students. The Jerry Falwell Library will host destress events from Dec. 10-16. Each day there will be board games, puzzles and
coloring books in the Lower Atrium. From Thursday to the following Wednesday, the library will provide events and food for students to enjoy while taking a break from studying. On Thursday, Dec. 10, there will be cotton candy in the Upper Atrium from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Puppies and dogs will be available to play with in the Lower Atrium Saturday, Dec. 12 from 3-5 p.m. There will be a chocolate candy booth in the Lower Atrium Thursday, Dec. 15 from noon-5 p.m. For a full list of events during finals week visit liberty.edu/library/upcoming-events. BARNES is a news reporter.
On mission to serve Middle East Team of Liberty students and alumni work to start raising money to help refugees Shannon Ritter sritter2@liberty.edu
Two Liberty University alumni and two current Liberty students, all sisters, recently teamed up to begin a project called Middle East Mission to raise and donate money to The Cradle of Christianity Fund (TCF). TCF is a fund by television producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, whose goal is to help rescue, restore and return Middle Eastern Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities to a home where they can live and practice their faith in peace, according to Danni White, one of the Liberty alumni. “We chose to donate to this organization because we like the fact that (TCF) works with and through local churches to
help all those who suffer including Yazidis, Turkmen and Muslims who have fled the terrorists,” Danni White said. Danni White and her sisters, Danita White, Dana White, Daniqua White and their 12-year-old sister, Danyelle White, started this project in hopes of helping to bring relief to refugees during the holiday seasons by selling an array of baked goods such as Russian tea cakes and cookies. The mission was founded by Danita White. “After much prayer and thought, we had the idea to start (Middle East Mission) for the 2015 holiday season and donate 50 percent from every box that we sold to The Cradle of Christianity Fund,” Danni White said. “We decided to do this because making sweet foods is something that we love
doing. It also gives people something to enjoy while supporting a great cause.” So far, the band of sisters has raised more than $120 and is currently selling holiday-themed baked goods throughout December. However, Danni White said they will continue to sell after Christmas and will introduce new products at the beginning of the new year. Those who are interested in purchasing and donating to their cause and wish to receive their baked goods before Christmas must purchase their products online by Dec. 15. Diabetic-friendly options are also available. “Even above supporting our campaign, we would like to ask everyone to pray for all refugees who have had their lives upended by terrorism, hate and violence,” Danni
White said. “We would also like to remind everyone not to let fear of the unknown or (the) fear of retaliation freeze our compassion. We know that no amount of money can revert the devastation caused by ISIS. We know that money can’t heal hearts. Only Christ can do that. But we help where we can, how we can, and with what we can because we have a living hope that this darkness will not last.” To purchase baked goods or donate to Middle East Mission, visit thevirtuousgirl. org/store/, or for more information about TCF, visit www.cradlefund.org.
RITTER is a news reporter.
news
A8 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
DECEMBER — University Boulevard is lit with Christmas lights, and the tree in front of DeMoss Hall glows as students enjoy the holiday festivities throughout the month.
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SPORTS
December 8, 2015
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Breathe Flames remain calm after loss Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
After storming back from an early double-digit deficit, the Liberty Flames men’s basketball team (2-6, 0-2 BSC) dropped another game to a Big South opponent, as they fell to the Charleston Southern Buccaneers, 68-61, Saturday, Dec. 6. After winning the opening tip, birthday boy and sophomore center Evan Maxwell, picked up where he left off after his 24-point and 12-rebound performance just two days prior, by pulling in an offensive rebound and putting back up to open scoring for the game. Despite the Flames getting on the board first, it was the Buccaneers who asserted their dominance early on. Immediately after Maxwell’s basket, CSU got the ball into junior guard Patrick Wallace’s hands. Wallace instantly delivered, nailing a three pointer and giving the Buccaneers the 3-2 lead. As the Flames tried to inbound the basketball after the made shot, Wallace intercepted an errant inbound pass and hit senior forward Aaron Wheeler for the easy layup. After Flames sophomore forward A.C. Reid hit one of two free throws, the Bucs strung together a nearly identical series of events. Wallace drove through the Flames defense and found freshman guard Armel Potter for another wide open three. Flames freshman guard Lovell Cabbil continued to struggle inbounding the ball as CSU overwhelmed the Flames with a stifling full-court press. “We knew (the press) was coming,” sophomore forward A.C. Reid said. “We just didn’t do a good job against it.” Cabbil’s pass was intercepted for the second time. Similar to the first
time, it led to an easy basket for the Buccaneers as redshirt junior forward knocked down a three point shot of his own. Down 11-3 around three minutes in, the Flames looked to their No. 1 option on offense, Maxwell. The 6-foot-10-inch big man was instantly double teamed as soon as the ball hit his hands. However, he found an open Reid behind the arc who took care of the rest, cutting the lead to five. Wallace apparently did not take too kindly to that and went on a scoring tear. He decimated Liberty’s defense as he nailed his next three shots, all of which were threes. During Wallace’s offensive tirade, the Flames could not buy a basket, going scoreless for six minutes, when Reid made another three. Down 25-9 with eight minutes remaining, Reid ended the scoring drought with another three pointer. But the Buccaneers once again, answered with a three of their own. Down 16, it became Reid’s turn to showoff his offensive prowess. A quick pair of threes and a steal leading to a fastbreak layup halved the deficit in just two minutes. The sophomore out of Texas reignited the seemingly doused Flames, sparking a 18-0 run, eventually taking a two point lead against the boys from Charleston, the first lead since Maxwell’s opening tip. He finished with a game high and season high 18 points. CSU finished the half in the most fitting of ways — another three — and reclaimed the lead, 31-30. The Buccaneers all but lived behind the arc in the first half. The team shot 9-20 from downtown. Only six of their field goal attempts were not three-point attempts. Liberty Head Coach Ritchie
See BREATHE, B3
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
LEADERSHIP — Freshman guard Lovell Cabbil had an off game but continues to be a main factor.
Everything has changed The Liberty football season ends much differently than it did one year ago Paul Vandenbosch prvandenbosch@liberty.edu
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
COACH — Gill does his best Jim Harbaugh.
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
Though the 2015 season may have ended sooner than the Liberty Flames football team had hoped, it was a season full of at least individual achievement and some firsts for the program. The team finished 6-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play, missing the playoffs a year after getting there for the first time in program history in 2014. In an upand-down season, the Flames notched consecutive wins only once and finished 1-5 in road games, despite going 5-0 at Williams Stadium. The Flames scheduled two FBS opponents, West Virginia and Georgia State, on the road in 2015. The Flames suffered a tough 41-17 loss at the hands of West Virginia Sept. 12, but beat Georgia State in a 41-33 shootout in the Georgia Dome Oct. 3.
M. Basketball W. Basketball vs. Seton Hall vs. Lamar
Dec. 12 @ 2 p.m.
Dec. 12 @ 5 p.m.
In addition to FBS play, the Flames also grabbed wins against two Top 10 FCS teams, beating No. 8 Montana (Sept. 19) and No. 4 Coastal Carolina (Nov. 19), both at home. The Flames came into the season ranked No. 15 in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll and climbed as high as No. 10 after beating Montana, the team’s highest ranking since 1990. Hoping to return to the postseason to build on last year’s success, the Flames started the season 3-2. However, after their win over Georgia State pushed them over .500, they dropped back-toback conference games to GardnerWebb and Monmouth to start 0-2 in conference play, a setback they would not be able to overcome. The Flames responded with wins over Kennesaw State and Presbyterian, giving them an outside chance at a share of the Big South title and a shot at the playoffs, until a road loss to No. 11 Charleston Southern
W. Basketball vs. Shepherd
Dec. 19 @ 12 p.m.
effectively ended their season. The team finished on a high note, defeating rival Coastal Carolina, 24-21, at home in the final game of the season and Coastal’s last contest as a Big South member. However, the three conference losses were the most in Head Coach Turner Gill’s four years at Liberty. “I think one thing our senior class had to instill into these young (players) is that you can have all the talent in the world, but you still have to go out there and do it,” Flames senior running back Desmond Rice said. “You can have talent and not go out there and do it, and that’s what we did this year.” The Flames also suffered a season-ending injury at the running back position for the second year in a row. Senior D.J. Abnar sustained an ankle injury in the loss to Gardner-Webb that cut his season and
See CHANGED, B3
M. Basketball
W. Basketball
vs UNC-A Jan. 2 @ 2 p.m
vs UNC-A Jan. 4 @ 7 p.m
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sports
B2 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Forever and always Track and field team seeks to continue success of old
Kallie Britton kbritton@liberty.edu
It is no secret Liberty’s track and field program has garnered unprecedented success over the years, collecting 18 Indoor Big South Championships and 20 Outdoor Big South Championships along with three ECAC Championships. The Flames are setting their goals high this year and aiming to compete as an elite team at the national level. “There are a lot of things that go into having a successful program, but probably the main thing is the heart of the athletes,” Head TOLSMA Coach Brant Tolsma said. “I think as Christian athletes, we have a distinct advantage in that we’re not necessarily limited by our own abilities. To achieve a performance beyond your ability you need a power beyond yourself.” According to Tolsma, the program’s achievements stem not only from the talent of the athletes and the disciplined training regimen, but also from the spiritual growth of the team. “Our coaches are genuinely interested in how we are doing mentally and emotionally at practice because they know that we won’t train well and compete well if our hearts and minds aren’t in it,” sophomore sprinter and hurdler Jeff Jacobs said. “They make sure we keep our priorities straight and stay focused on God through the whole season. When you know that you’re not competing for your
own glory but competing to bring glory to God it makes hard training days easier because we have faith that God will bless our efforts and put us up on a stage where we can glorify him.” The Liberty Kickoff was track and field’s first event of the season hosted Dec. 3-4 at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. Jacobs said the meet was mostly against local Division III schools, so Liberty dominated the score across the board, despite not running their best times. “We make sure we don’t overthink small meets, we do not train for each meet we train for the end of the season,” Jacobs said. “Not being discouraged by bad times early in the year, but knowing that our training is setting us up to be able to compete in the national championship at the end of the season.” Tolsma said he has set specific goals for his athletes to accomplish this season, which will propel them toward further success. They are looking to run the table at the Big South Championship, win the IC4A Indoor Championship in Boston, have more athletes qualify for nationals and also score points at nationals. “To reach a higher level of performance as a program, we have to start recruiting athletes with more God given potential,” Tolsma said. “And part of that lies in doing the work of recruiting, but another part is having a high level team that attracts high level athletes. You have to earn respect to be considered.” To guarantee success for the future of this program means the Flames need to dig in and work hard this season, setting themselves up to compete against the top 25 teams in the NCAA.
“Through the years we’ve tried to teach athletes to trust the Lord for big things beyond themselves,” Tolsma said. “They dare to believe for big things and they dare to do the work that is required to accomplish big things.” According to track and field’s mission statement, they desire to develop highly competitive teams of individuals who represent Jesus Christ in athletics and in daily life. “As captains, one of the things we talked about doing was eliminating distractions when it comes to practices so that we can be productive in our training,” junior sprinter and captain Stephen Racanelli said. “But I think one of the most important things we can do for each other is making sure we are caring about the athletes in their spiritual life, that will help push us to that next level.” According to Tolsma, the team has incredible depth and there is a great sense of competition amidst the team. These aspects will benefit their pursuit of future championships this season. Yet during their hunt for success, Tolsma does not hesitate to bring the focus back to tangible goals. “But ultimately it’s not so much about winning and losing, as (it is) us getting better,” Tolsma said. “Our real goal is to have a better team this year than we had last year.” Liberty will attend the Hokie Invitational Jan. 22-23 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The meet will be held at Rector Field House, site of the 2016 Big South Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Flames end of year success continues Denton Day dday26@liberty.edu
them more credit for coming out with more fire.” The Lady Flames ended a five-game losing streak with their victory over the Lady Bucs, and Green was thankful for the first win in Big South play. “We needed this win,” Green said. “I think it is a win that will boost our confidence.” The Lady Flames honored Rininger before the game for becoming the eighth player in Lady Flames history to reach the 1,000 point milestone for their career. The Lady Flames have a week-long break until they face No. 22 Seton Hall Dec. 12 at home, followed by No. 14 Duke Dec. 17 on the road. DILLARD is a sports reporter.
DAY is a sports reporter.
BRITTON is a sports reporter.
Lady Flames gain first conference win of the season
Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
PAINT — Lady Flames guard Candice Leatherwood drives to the basket. to pour in 14 points for the Lady Flames. She outscored the entire Bucs squad 12-6 in the last 10 minutes of the contest. “I was ready to go,” Rininger said. “I definitely came in with a sense of urgency and even though my shots were not falling initially, I know I am capable of making layups and post moves. I had a lot of opportunities in the fourth quarter. I was not double-teamed as much, so I was able to drive a little bit. The opportunities were there, and I was just able to take advantage of (them).” Green said Rininger’s second half performance came after a spirited halftime discussion from the Lady Flames. “The players are in there discussing strategy and encouraging one another,” Green said. “I would like to just give
Back to December
The Liberty men’s Division I hockey team extended their winning streak to four games Dec. 4 with a 6-1 victory over the Rutgers Ice Knights. The Flames have not lost in the month of December since 2012. The Flames were sporting their pink jerseys that were auctioned off in an effort to raise awareness in the fight against cancer. Seeing their first action since before the Thanksgiving break, the Flames wasted no time putting points on the board. Senior forward Tyson Street worked from the left wing and was able to send the puck to the upper right corner across the goaltenders body 49 seconds into the game. Four minutes into the first period, graduate goalie Cary Byron was taken down behind the net by an Ice Knight forward. Byron was on the ice for a few minutes, but stayed in the game and stopped 24 of 25 shots. On the Flames second power play of the game, Street continued to put pressure on the goaltender, firing a shot on net that ricocheted off the goaltender and was tapped in by junior defender Chase Harris. “I thought we played a really good game tonight,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “I liked our penalty kill and scoring two power play goals is always a positive as well.” Rutgers put themselves on the board 15 minutes into the first period with a slap shot that came from the feet in front of the blue line, cutting the Flames lead to just one. Less than a minute after the Flames responded. Graduate defenseman Peter Shantz found freshman forward Zechariah Roberts skating down the ice, Roberts then dished it to senior forward Kyle Garcia and Garcia put a wrist shot top shelf and gave the Flames a 3-1 lead. In the third, the Knights turned the puck over and junior forward Robert Ward gained control and raced down the ice. Ward had only the goalie to beat as he deked left then right and placed the puck right over the goalie’s shoulder for the goal. “I have terrible luck with scoring this year,” Ward said. “In my mind I just needed to get a shot on net and hit the net, don’t miss the net, and the puck went in.” Ward found the net 25 seconds later off a feed from junior forward Grant Garvin. Ward positioned the puck on the top shelf again and extended the Flames lead. Harris finished the scoring with his second power play goal of the night, taking a slap shot from the top right of the circle that slid past the goaltender and making the score 6-1.
Are we out of the woods? Resilient second half defense and 18 points from Big South Preseason Player of the Year and senior center Ashley Rininger propelled the Lady Flames (3-5, 1-1 Big South) basketball team to a 51-40 victory over the Charleston Southern Lady Buccaneers (5-3, 1-1 Big South) to grab their first Big South conference win of the season Dec. 5. The Lady Flames held the Lady Bucs to 29 percent shooting for the game, including just 22 percent in the second half. “In the third and fourth quarter, I thought our defense was much better (and) more consistent,” Head Coach Cary Green said. The Lady Flames contained Big South leading-scorer Alyssa Mann (18.7 points per game) to just five points for the game on 2-16 shooting from the court. That marked the first time she was held under 10 points since last season. Lady Flames senior guard Jaymee Fisher-Davis played tight defense on Mann throughout the game, following every step she took on the court. “It was definitely kind of tiring because she moves a lot to get open, but she was our focus going into the game so just knowing where she goes and switching on screens helped us a lot,” Fisher-Davis said. “I was just doing whatever it takes to get the win.” Rininger sat on the bench for the majority of the first half due to early foul trouble, but returned in the second half
Jessie Rogers | Liberty Marketing
PINK — The Flames wore pink jerseys for Hockey Fights Cancer night in LaHaye.
sports
AUL VANDENBOSCH
It is hard to believe it is that time of year again. A time of joy, good will toward men and a whole lot of bowl games. So without further adieu, here are my predictions for the New Year’s Six Games. Peach Bowl: Hous-
ton over FSU Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook has been a force on the ground all season. Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is an electrifying playmaker who can put up big numbers on any given day. I think UH jumps out to a fast start in this one gets the win on New Year’s Eve. Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State over Notre Dame For all the hype surrounding the Buckeyes coming into this season, they find themselves on the outside looking in, and you can bet they are not thrilled about it. The Fighting Irish came so close to sneaking into the playoff, which is impressive considering all the injuries they have had. In the end, Ohio State will simply be too much for a banged-up Notre Dame squad. Rose Bowl: Stanford over Iowa This game pits a phenomenal Iowa defense against one of the most exciting players in the nation — Stanford running back Christian McCaffery. The Hawkeyes will have their hands full with the Heisman contender, and their offense is efficient enough to keep this one close, but McCaffrey will make a couple key plays
BREATHE continued from B1 McKay said no change in gameplan brought the Flames back. It was simply execution. “I didn’t make any adjustments,” McKay said. “… (Reid) started to make some shots and we felt better about ourselves. (We) made more of a commitment on the defensive end and got back in the game.” Unfortunately for McKay, his group was unable to carry any of that momentum into the second half. The Buccaneers jumped on the Flames early, boosting their lead up to 10. Liberty’s stagnant offense coupled with the driving of CSU’s Potter proved to be too much for the Flames to overcome. The Flames lead
Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | B3 to carry The Cardinal. Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State over Ole Miss The Cowboys had us all believing, until they dropped their last two games of the season. The Rebels have confused us all season, doing things like beating Alabama, then getting shellacked by Florida. Ole Miss has a good defense that stops the run as well as any team in the nation, and Oklahoma State has a potent offense. If Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph is healthy, I expect Mike Gundy’s team to come away with this game. College Football Playoff Orange Bowl: #1 Clemson over #4 Oklahoma Both offenses possess superb quarterback play as well as a powerful running game, but it will come down to which defense can come up with a big stop late. I think the Tigers defense will rise to that challenge. College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl: #3 Michigan State over #2 Alabama Big plays will favor the Spartans in this game and will most likely be the deciding factor. The Spartans will do it with their senior quarterback Connor Cook through the air and prevail in a close one.
PICK A SIDE
VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.
towards the end of the first half was the last one this game saw. McKay was somewhat pleased with the effort of his team, but also added winning is the ultimate goal, not just keeping games close. “We just have to execute better,” McKay said. “If we don’t, we’re not going to win the game. If we’re satisfied with going on the road and being close to a team that is predicted to be one of the top teams in the league (Radford), if that’s all we want, then I’m the wrong guy for them. (My team is) going to get that message continuously, because that is not our goal.” HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
PETEY — Senior receiver Darrin Peterson in his last game in a Flames uniform.
CHANGED continued from B1 his Liberty career short as the Flames lost their leading rusher from 2014. It may have been a disappointing season for the Flames, but in certain ways it was also a very memorable one. Multiple seniors in a decorated class made their mark on Liberty football history. Senior quarterback Josh Woodrum became Liberty’s all-time leader in completions (883), passing yards (10,266) and total offense (10,690 yards). Woodrum also became the all-time leading passer in Big South history with 10,266 passing yards. “I hope (the younger players) can have the success that I was able to have,” Woodrum said. “I’ve been around great players and great coaches, I’ve had great games and I’ve had really bad games. It’s been a tough road, but I just hope I can be a great example to those (young) guys so that when they get here and they want to play great … it’s only going to make the team better.” Woodrum’s favorite target and AllAmerican wide receiver Darrin Peterson also passed into Liberty football lore this season by breaking every major receiving record in program history. Peterson, a senior, now holds all-time school records for most receiving yards (3,170), receptions (215) and touchdown receptions
The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year for many reasons. It is the time for drinking peppermint mochas, singing Christmas carols and most importantly, college football bowl games. There are six premiere bowl games on Dec. 31-Jan 1 and they have been cleverly deemed “The New Years Six Bowls.” Sounds like Paul came up with it, right? Without further adieu, here are the picks. Peach Bowl: Houston over FSU Tom Herman and the Houston Cougs are going to smash Florida State … maybe. Florida State is coming off a disappointing year while Houston has had their best season in a very long time. Jimbo Fisher may not ever leave the gift tent. Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State over ND Talk about a disappointing season. The Ohio State Buckeyes were supposed to be the most dominant team in the history of college football. Instead, they are playing Notre Dame as the third best team in their conference. Look for Urban Meyer’s team to have a statement win in this game and possibly jump into the top five. Rose Bowl: Iowa over Stanford This game is a toss-up for me. Iowa played Michigan State to an extremely close game, but Stanford is apparently really good. But then again, what does it really mean to win the Pac-12 conference? In the end, Stanford lost to the fifth best
(27), achieving each record in 2015. His receiving yards are also the most in Big South history. On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive end Chima Uzowihe had a record-breaking season of his own. Uzowihe led the Big South with eight sacks, becoming the all-time sack leader in Liberty and Big South history (25), and was named a finalist for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Award. Despite all the individual accolades, the expectations that were so high for this team at the beginning of the season were not met. Although this season ended earlier than they had hoped, Gill said these players, particularly the seniors, have been a part of a very special time in Flames football history. “I think (the senior class) has set a high standard,” Gill said. “There (have been) many historical things that have happened within this senior class as far as wins against ranked teams, making the playoffs and so on … half of this class contains players that I did not recruit, so we have had a nice little mixture. I’m proud of (the players) and they have really set the standard high.”
VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.
team in the Big Ten, so how can they beat the second best? Sugar Bowl: Oklahoma State over Ole Miss Ole Miss is terrible. The entire SEC is over- OEL rated (more on that SCHMIEG later). I picked Oklahoma State to be in the playoff not too long ago, so I might as well stick with them here. The other OSU will beat Ole Miss and the SEC lovers will have an excuse for it. The College Football Playoff Orange Bowl: #4 Oklahoma over #1 Clemson The four seed has won the college football playoff every year since its inauguration. So why should that storied streak end here? The Sooners lost to a terrible Texas team, much like the Buckeyes last year. Also, I still do not think Clemson is that good. They play in the ACC, for crying out loud. Sugar Bowl: #3 Michigan State over #2 Alabama Michigan State will beat Alabama and Nick Saban will cry at the hands of the Big Ten for the second year in a row. The Spartans are probably the best team in the nation and they did win the best conference in the nation. As long as I do not have to see their kicker’s windmill celebration again, I will be cheering for Sparty. SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
DEFENSE — Flames in-game leading scorer A.C. Reid also contributed on defense.
sports A place in this world
B4 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Rashad Jennings gives back to kids Bobby Keating rfkeating@liberty.edu
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
GET UP — Lady Flames sophomore Lindsay Foreman sends a serve over the net during a home game.
The last time Lady Flames volleyball play final game of the season Jonathan Husker jhusker@liberty.edu
The Lady Flames volleyball team capped off its 2015 season with an appearance in the Big South Championship Quarterfinals against No. 6 Radford. While the championship appearance would ultimately culminate in a 3-2 loss, it was an unfortunate conclusion to an otherwise solid season of play. The Lady Flames finished their season with a 14-14 record, finishing 9-5 in Big South Conference play. They began their season with a 3-0 start against UNCG, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Hampton, before beginning a difficult month-long stretch on the road away from the Vines Center, which they would finish with a 2-8 down the stretch. The Lady Flames won their next three at home. They concluded the season on a 6-5 stretch, which led to a 1414 finish, giving them the No. 3 seed and the appearance in the Big South Championship Quarterfinals. “We scheduled pretty tough,” Lady Flames Head Coach Shane Pinder said. “We tried to get us ready up front for the conference portion and then postseason hopefully. We did that again this year. We had a couple opportunities to beat some quality teams and fell a little short, so it wasn’t quite what I wanted in the preseason, but we got better as we went along.”
For their efforts this season, Liberty redshirt seniors Caroline Douglas and Jade Vorster were awarded with spots on the Big South Volleyball All-Conference first team. The honor was the third Big South All-Conference award for Douglas. Also earning awards for the Lady Flames were sophomore Anna Willey, who was voted All-Big South honorable mention, and freshman Margaret Latchford, who earned a spot on the All-Freshman team. Jade Vorster also received All-Academic team honors. Looking ahead to next year, the Lady Flames recently announced they will be adding six new student-athletes to the team for the 2016 season. Payton Carter, Leah Clayton, Casey Goodwin, Anna Gragg, Hannah Morris and Kainah Williams have all committed to Liberty for the 2016-17 season. Carter was a four year starter at Fort Mill High School in Fort Hill, S.C. She earned both 2015-2016 UnderArmour All-America honorable mention and All-Region mention for her efforts this season. She has also been named to the UnderArmour Phenom Watch List. Clayton played for Westover Christian Academy in Danville, Va. Recently she captained Westover Christian Academy’s efforts in bringing home the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) state championship. Casey Goodwin played her four-year career in Roxboro, North Carolina, at Person High School. There she was awarded Athlete of the Week honors by
Roxboro’s The Courier-Times at least once each season of her sophomore through senior years. Anna Gragg was a four year starter at Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana for four years. She earned second team all-conference, as well as second team all-state honors in her junior season. Local standout Hannah Morris played her high school career for Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg. Morris has been a part of four straight conference title-earning teams as a member of LCA. She also earned first team all-conference along with first team all-state honors in both her sophomore and junior seasons, and then went on to earn first team all-region honors in her senior season. Kainah Williams played her high school career in Spring Branch, Texas at Smithson Valley High School. There, she earned an inclusion as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Phenom Athlete, while also earning first team All-District 25-6A honors in her junior season. “We are excited about the future of Liberty volleyball with this incoming class,” Pinder said. “With their size, speed and skill, we have added depth and valuable competition to our gym.”
HUSKER is a sports reporter.
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Rashad Jenning’s story begins with an overweight kid and a reading deficit. A kid, like many others, with dreams and aspirations of playing in the National Football League, Jennings found himself on the sideline during games more than he got to actually play in them. “He was just an overweight, chubby kid with glasses, asthma, a 0.6 GPA and a reading attention deficit,” Christina Hoverstadt, director of programs for the Rashad Jennings Foundation, said. One fateful day, Jennings decided to take ownership of his life and turn things around. With the help of his older brothers stepping in as mentors, Jennings put aside all excuses and worked hard until his dream became a reality. Jennings, starting running back for the New York Giants and former Liberty Flame standout running back, has decided to use his platform as a professional athlete as a way to impact communities and nations. In order to accomplish the tall task of impacting the masses, the Rashad Jennings Foundation seeks “to inspire youth by making education fun, to provide mentorship for individual success, and to promote health and fitness worldwide,” per the foundation’s website. The primary way in which the foundation helps make education fun is the Reading Challenge. Scattered throughout four states (Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia), more than 20,000 children are currently enrolled in the program. Once entered into the reading challenge, a student reads as many books as he or she can within the span of a month. Following the reading, each student takes a test to ensure that he or she comprehended the book. Upon completion of the test, the student is put into a drawing for a wide array of prizes. Rewards come from NFL players and include Skype sessions with players, game worn cleats and gloves, tickets to games and locker room tours. The foundation places a high emphasis on reading because two-thirds of students who are unable to read by the fourth grade will end up either in jail or on welfare, according to begintoread.com. “If your teacher is telling you that you have a reading deficit, you’re automatically going to separate yourself,” Hoverstadt, who used to teach high school reading courses, said. “We’re trying to get every student, whether they’re great readers or lower readers, to improve.” In addition, the foundation is rolling out a new mentorship program geared toward high school student athletes. The turnaround in Jenning’s life occurred while he was in high school, so he is hoping that through mentorship other high school students will take ownership over themselves as well. “Mentorship is going to be very hands on,” Hoverstadt said. “A piece of that is going to involve a lot of professional athletes that want to give back to communities.” Teenage athletes involved in the program will have an opportunity to interact with a cast of professional athletes via online video calls and chat forums. Each high school athlete will receive a personal experience with each mentor Hoverstadt said. The desired outcome of the program is to motivate each participant to dedicate him or herself to do what needs to be done in order to accomplish goals that they have set up for life. As a result of being mentored by his brothers, Jennings decided to take control of his life and use it for good. “You’ve probably heard of Rashad as a renaissance man,” Hoverstadt said. “Now all he does is read and wants to learn, so it’s kind of a testimony in itself that if you can overcome that challenge you can do great things.” For more information on the Rashad Jennings Foundation, visit rashadjenningsfoundation.com or follow them on social media @therjfoundation. KEATING is a sports reporter.
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Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
GIVING BACK — Jennings announced his plans for his foundation at the Liberty-Coastal game.
feature
Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | B5
Providing for others Fish & Bread Project helps Axiom Sports and Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center
Photo Provided
RUNNING FOR A CAUSE — Fish & Bread Project held a Halloween Costume 5K, one of their projects to fundraise for the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center and Axiom Sports.
Laura Genn lgenn@liberty.edu
Four years ago, a group of Liberty University students living on the Hill started a fundraising initiative called the Fish & Bread Project — and today, their efforts fund ministries both at home and abroad. Both the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Lynchburg and the Axiom Sports Christian camp in England are significantly supported by Fish & Bread’s fundraising today, but it all started with a simple dream. Inspired by the story of Jesus feeding five thousand by multiplying a small offering of fish and loaves, Matt Short — the project’s current director — decided to start small.
“The purpose of the project was to challenge students to grow in their faith, by asking them to practice generosity through giving, serving, and praying for some local ministries,” Short said. “We asked each student to donate a dollar each week and pray a specific amount of time each week, and to serve these different ministries if opportunities came up.” Over the four years since its inception, Fish & Bread has expanded far beyond simply asking students to give a dollar each on a regular basis. The project frequently holds ministry concerts to raise funds. In addition, their students participate in a 5K for the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in the fall, then in a second 5K organized by Fish & Bread in the spring. Alongside general monetary donations, Fish & Bread has also been able to meet
specific needs at the pregnancy center. “We bought a Keurig coffee machine for the staff,” Short said. “And a couple years ago, we actually did a jacket drive for the center’s Mommy & Me boutique so that parents who need a jacket can get them there.” Students who want to get involved are encouraged to attend the project’s ministry concerts and 5K races, but according to Short, the practice of small generosity does not begin and end with Fish & Bread. “We have students that were involved with Fish & Bread, became youth pastors, and implemented the dollar-a-week giving with their students — they sponsor children in other countries, missionaries overseas and so on,” Short said. The process of fundraising can be slow, monotonous and exhausting, but Short
says there is nothing more rewarding than delivering a sizable check to the pregnancy center or Axiom Sports at the end of a year. Very often, Axiom responds with photos of their newly purchased sports equipment in use at camp, where the gospel will be shared. Short hopes that even students who graduate, leaving Fish & Bread behind, will implement similar initiatives to make a difference wherever God leads them. His mantra is as basic as it is profound: “I can’t do something big by myself, but if everybody puts in a little bit, we can trust that Jesus is faithful to do something big with it.”
GENN is a feature reporter.
All-American musical The classic “Meet Me in St. Louis” debuted Dec. 4 at the Tower Theater Emma Jane Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu
“So won’t you meet me in St. Louis, Louis, meet me at the fair?” The cast of Liberty University’s Department of Theatre Arts encouraged audiences to join them as they anticipated the opening of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri through the production of “Meet Me in St. Louis.” The play opened Friday, Dec. 4 at the Tower Theater. Director Chris Nelson, an associate professor in the department of theatre arts, chose the show because it is a classic. “We were looking for a classical musical because we look to hit many different styles and genres of production pieces our students should be familiar with,” Nelson said. “It’s a nice piece of Americana. It’s such an iconic piece because of the movie and Judy Garland. It’s nice to see our students learn to appreciate the classics.” Senior Makenzie Pusey, who plays the main character, Esther Smith, noted the challenges of the role in the musical in light of the movie version. “It has the potential to be kind of cheesy and like the movie, so I think finding the depth and thinking the way these characters actually are thinking and feeling what they’re actually feeling and remembering they are real people is most rewarding,” Pusey said. “With Judy Garland originating the role (of Esther), a challenge is finding a good balance of being like that and being myself.” Although anticipating the fair is a central part of the plot, the story is really about family. “There’s things people can relate to because it’s just a normal family going through life,” Dean Cestari, who plays the next-door-neighbor John Truitt, said. “You’re able to see into this life of this typ-
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
MUSICAL — The “Meet Me in St. Louis” cast re-enacted the opening of St. Louis fair. ical American family and relate to it and be able to feel them and understand what they’re going through.” Sophomore Christopher Young, who plays Lon Smith, Jr., felt the show was a classic example of the American dream. “It really is the American dream in one play,” Young said. “When you picture a house with a white picket fence, that’s what you see onstage.” The idea of family had a personal meaning for senior Nathanael Westover, who plays Grandpa Prophater. “One of the rewards of this show was getting to know a lot of new people,” Westover said. “There’s a small senior class left. With this show, we became a tightknit family like the characters. It’s fun getting to know the underclassmen, meeting new people and just getting together.” Young echoed Westover’s opinion on
the bonds between cast members. “Being my first show at the Tower Theater, the friendships I made have been great,” Young said. “I didn’t really expect that. (With me) you have some little emo kid from South Jersey who doesn’t really fit in with the theatre scene, so I didn’t really expect to fit in as well as I did.” Since the show is set between 19031904, the show provided cast members an opportunity to learn more about the time period. “It was really cool to do research because I enjoy history,” junior Kimberly Camacho, who plays the family matron, Mrs. Anna Smith, said. “I did a lot of research on the Fair and didn’t realize how big it was. One of the facts I found I thought was cool was the world’s largest pipe organ during this time was in there and the auditorium alone sat 4,500 peo-
ple; and that was just one auditorium of 20 buildings. It was also the first time the Smithsonian was putting stuff on display.” Through her research process, Camacho also learned to appreciate the lifestyles of people during the time period. “They called this the ‘Time of Optimism,’” Camacho said. “People didn’t hope they would become wealthy and have a good life; everybody expected it. If you didn’t have a family and weren’t well off, you weren’t living fully, that’s what everybody expected.” Camacho was able to compare lifestyles of then and now. “It was also right before the time when women’s feminism started, but nobody even thought about it because their minds were so focused on being a wife and a mother,” Camacho said. “It’s interesting to think of that because that’s obviously not how things are today. Even though it makes no sense to us, it made complete sense to them at the time and that’s interesting to think about.” Although the show is a musical, which Camacho realized some audience members might not enjoy, she, along with the rest of the cast, encouraged people to come see the show for its message. “It’s just a good, classic musical,” Camacho said. “I know not everybody’s into musicals, but (the show is) just about life when you take out the dance numbers. It’s about a family that’s not perfect that’s dealing with situations and how they come together to deal with them and how they’re resolved.” The show runs through Dec. 13. The remaining show dates are Dec. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. as well matinee showings Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 3 p.m.. More information can be found at liberty.edu/theatre. MAURER is a feature reporter.
feature
B6 | December 8, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Leadership longevity “Two-term” Quincy Thompson talks about his experience as SGA president Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Student Body President, Quincy Thompson made school history last April after the rare occurance of becoming student body president for two consecutive terms. Thompson will enter his last semester in office in the spring, and with it, he offers Liberty’s campus another semester of change and growth. Thompson, a senior pastoral leadership major, made his start in Liberty’s Student Government Association (SGA) as a hall senator his freshman year, and has since been a driver in creating change within the SGA system. Under Thompson’s presidency, the SGA has a goal of being more active in and around campus and more effective in meeting the demands of students. “As a hall senator, I went into my first SGA meeting really excited, but left disappointed,” Thompson said. “We talked for an hour-and-a-half over whether the student body president should be required to have a 3.5 or 3.0 GPA. It didn’t feel like we were making an impact, but I stuck with it, and SGA has become much more proactive since then.” According to Thompson, one concern of students last year was there was no bus route that serviced south campus. Alongside his administration, Thompson oversaw the drafting of legislation to change the bus routes on campus. The ban on rated-R movies was also amended under Thompson’s leadership. Thompson is mostly known in the SGA, though, for his partnership with the 10 Campaign, a student-driven effort that seeks to deliver clean water to those who need it. Last spring, Thompson’s administration hosted the Clean Water Gala last year, which sold 200 tickets and raised $51,000 to give clean water to impoverished families in Liberia. “When he leaves, Quincy will best be
Isaac Apon
IMPACT — Since Thompson’s election in 2014, changes have been made to the SGA. known for his partnership with the 10 Campaign,” Student Body Vice President Jack Heaphy said. “He was the main driver in hosting the Clean Water Gala last year, and he was able to make a tangible impact on the lives of those in Liberia.”
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love that he challenges me and our team at SGA to become better leaders,” Heaphy said. “He has a great vision and can see years down the road, and finds ways to better prepare the way for those who will (follow).”
He’s a really good leader himself ... he challenges me and our team at SGA to become better leaders. — JACK HEAPHY
Heaphy, who along with being Thompson’s vice president is also a long-time friend, pointed to Thompson’s leadership, integrity and strong work ethic as Thompson’s best qualities, and the characteristics that he believes make him stand out as a successful student body president. “He is a good leader himself, but I really
As the student body of Liberty continues to grow — Thompson said many of his recent initiatives in office have been to better prepare the SGA to accommodate the rapid growth of the school. One such initiative was the drafting of SGA’s new constitution, which is currently in the stages of ratification, and was created
to better fill in the holes of the previous constitution, according to Thompson. He hopes that the new constitution will be able to better serve a larger Liberty campus and give direction to future officers. “Our previous constitution had a lot of gray areas, and no one really knew exactly what (the SGA’s) role was,” Thompson said. “So we refined that, and now we have the document that will be able to sustain the SGA in the future.” Thompson said that he was also glad to see club life grow exponentially during his reign as student body president. Liberty now has more than 120 clubs on campus, and Thompson played a major part in enabling the SGA to manage the growing number of clubs. He said he did so through growing the SGA treasury. Through Thompson, the SGA has received more money from the University for its budget than ever before. “Some students don’t realize, but that money is for them,” Thompson said. “The SGA uses its funds to help start up clubs and student initiatives.” Preparing to enter his last semester as student body president, Thompson plans on re-establishing his partnership with the 10 Campaign in the spring with hopes of raising more money than last year and said he will focus on paving the way for the next student body president. “I want to leave the SGA better than I found it,” Thompson said. “I want to ensure that when I hand off the baton to the next student body president, that it can be a baton that’s worth passing on.” After graduation, Thompson said he wants to stay in Lynchburg to pursue a master’s degree at Liberty’s School of Divinity. With it, he hopes to eventually join the staff of a church or plant a church himself.
YOUNG is a feature reporter.
AFTERSHOCK continued from B8 a man pulled over to help, according to Kaminski. He called 911, helping Kaminski, who was not receiving good cellular connection. The vehicle that the Holland brothers were in was less than 10 minutes behind the crash. Liberty students Chris, Nick and Nathan Holland arrived at the scene to see their friends, Jyung and Paulding, lying down outside of the vehicle. According to Paulding who was sitting in the backseat, the seat belt gave her lacerations in her abdomen, and the impact of the belt damaged parts of her small intestine and colon. In addition, the force of the impact caused a tear in her iliac artery. “The Lord has definitely kept me from breaking down, even though I’ve wanted to so many times,” Paulding said. “He has given me his peace, strength and love throughout this whole thing.” Jyung and Paulding were both taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center to recover during the Thanksgiving break. Paulding was rushed into the emergency trauma center, and Jyung was airlifted to the emergency intensive care unit (ICU). Friends and family visited them over the course of the week and brought cards, balloons and prayers. Jyung and Paulding’s loved ones traveled to visit them in the hospital once they were stabilized in the ICU and trauma center. According to Jyung, her sister flew over from Korea, and her aunt traveled from New York. Paulding’s immediate family in Florida all gathered around her. “The response from everyone was unbelievable,” Paulding said. “I was shocked with the amount of responses and prayers. I was even more shocked with the amount of people that came to visit me. I hated seeing my family devastated, but I knew they were holding on to the Lord’s strength. They were by my side for ev-
Gregory Castel| Liberty Champion
INJURY REPORT — Both Aubrey Paulding and Jane Jyung experienced injuries from the impact, but Jane Jyung was airlifted from the scene. ery second, and we’ve become a stronger family from this.” Jyung said Liberty University campus pastors were contacted soon after the car accident and the university provided support through the situation. “I am so glad it worked out to be able to visit Aubrey, Jane, and Chris at the hospital in Ocala,” Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Hine said. “We wish them a speedy recovery and will continue to pray toward that end. I am thankful for God’s protection and provision for them during this difficult time.” Friends gave financial donations as their friend Thiago DeSouva created a GoFundMe fundraiser account. In 12 days,
the amount of money raised for medical expenses was just under $11,000. “Almost all my friends found out about my condition, and when I checked my phone for the first time, I was overwhelmed with over 1,000 personal messages and prayers from friends around the world,” Jyung said. “Liberty University as one body prayed over Aubrey and I at Convocation. I did not cry at all after the accident, maybe once because of the pain, but I was weeping in my bed watching Convocation online.” The two girls are still slowly recovering, Jyung said. Jyung, after the surgery, was able to take a few steps with a back brace on in the
hallway outside of her hospital room. She is now being cared for at the home of the Holland family in Mount Dora, Florida. Kaminski has returned back to school and is in classes preparing for final exams. Paulding said she is at home in Boca Raton, Florida with her family. She and Jyung are eyeing the spring semester 2016 as a goal to return to school if they fully recover physically. As nursing students, they will have to make up final exams over the Christmas break. “There was never (a single) day that I did not praise God,” Jyung said. “In the midst of all the pain, I was able to praise him because of the unshakable truth that Jesus
is good all the time.” Paulding also reflected on how she has learned from this traumatic experience. “I have learned how short and fragile our life is,” Paulding said. “You never know what God has in store and you have to be ready for it. A word of advice to everyone: Stay close to the Lord and always follow him, even in times of trouble. The times of trouble are always opportunities of growth.” Editor’s note: The reporter was at the scene of the car accident.
CASTEL is a sports reporter.
feature
Liberty Champion | December 8, 2015 | B7
Trending technology
Senior business student commemorates his father with Slick Riders LLC Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu
“The difference between good and great are (the) little things.” Rick Crider used to say this often. And now his son, senior at Liberty University, Trent Crider, takes this motto to heart and has applied it in a business venture he shares with one of his brothers, Ryan Crider. Their company, Slick Rider LLC, sells a newer technology know as “hoverboards.” These vehicles operate much like Segways and are propelled by forward and backward shifting of the body, but “hoverboards” do not have any handles like Segways according to Trent Crider. After Ryan Crider had purchased a “hoverboard” this past summer, Trent Crider had seen the technology used by Casey Neistat, someone he follows on YouTube, and instantly caught on to the user-friendly device. “(Then) I was like ‘Ryan, we need to figure out a way that we can buy a bunch of these not only … so we could sell them and make money, but also to spread them and that way we could share (them) with other people,’” Trent Crider said after using a hoverboard for the first time. Trent Crider also wanted to endorse the product to allow for inspiration and innovation stemming from this technology. “I want to share with people that this is a new and trending product,” Trent Crider said. “And I think it’s going to be something that evolves into a different technology that helps us to get a step further to future technology, so that can propel us to something new and (more) exciting.” Trent Crider’s business with his brother operates from wherever he is at — which happens to be his dorm room at the moment. Trent Crider teamed up with Sam Stone, Austin Shaffer and Joel Miller — people he believed had a good amount of influ-
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
ENTREPRENUER — Trent Crider sells his Slick Rider hoverboards around campus. ence — and allowed them to ride his hoverboards around campus to promote and sell the product. Trent Crider said by dividing up the responsibility, stress is taken off his shoulders. Although not all the selling may be his responsibility, Trent Crider does take on the role of repairman for his boards. Since Trent Crider orders the boards in bulk from China to keep the price low
at $375, he learned the technology in order to fix any potential issues. Because he does not actually make the hoverboards himself, Trent Crider checks every board by test driving it for about 30 minutes to make sure there are no issues before he makes a sale. “By the time you buy them from me, you know that they run, and you know that they are going to work,” Trent Crider said.
Currently a senior majoring in finance and economics in the business school and a Resident Assistant, Trent Crider said he puts about five hours a week to the business, but he does not want the idea of money or love of the idea to take over his life. A downside for Trent Crider though is that he sees negativity from people, but he hopes that people would give “hoverboards” a chance. In recent media, Trent Crider has seen quite a few skeptics of the “hoverboard,” but he believes they are safe and innovative rather than harmful to people. Trent Crider still believes that people will catch onto this trend. “If so many people make fun of this, what were the people (saying) that made fun of long-boards or bicycles or anything (like that),” Trent Crider said. “ … I wonder what was the stigmatism towards those things at the beginning. But there had to be somebody who was like ‘I want this to innovate, and I want this be something that we embrace and that we can use for great things.’” Trent Crider also dedicates most of this to his father who passed away during the spring of 2015. Even the company, Slick Rider LLC was named to rhyme his father’s name, Rick Crider. Since his father encouraged innovating in little ways, Trent Crider wants to take hoverboarding as more than just a business venture and use it to better others. “I do see this as a stepping stone,” Trent Crider said. “Somebody’s going to take something they learned from (hoverboards) and apply to something else … (This) may not be a big step, but it’s an important one (to innovation.)” To purchase a Slick Rider hoverboard, email trentcrider@gmail.com
TILLER is the feature editor.
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B8
FEATURE
December 8, 2015
merry musical
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
THEATRICAL — Liberty University’s Department of Theatre Arts debuted the classic musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” Dec. 4, and the show will continue through Dec. 13.
See MUSICAL, B5 FOR FULL STORY
Aftershock of accident Update: Three students recuperate from injuries after accident over break Gregory Castel gcastel@liberty.edu
Three Liberty University students were involved in a life-threatening car accident Nov. 21, the first day of Thanksgiving break. Chris Kaminski, Aubrey Paulding and Jane Jyung were carpooling to Mount Dora, Florida to spend a few days with the Holland family, friends of Paulding and Jyung. The three brothers of the Holland family are all Liberty students and were on their way to Central Florida as well. “I opened my eyes and saw a big tree, then I lost my consciousness,” Jyung said. The two injured passengers, Paulding and Jyung, are both sophomore students in the nursing program at Liberty. The crash occurred less than 30 minutes away from their destination. Sophomore Kaminski was the driver of the vehicle. They were approaching an intersection on County Road 445A right before 2 a.m. when the accident occurred. “I wasn’t in too much pain at first because I had so much adrenaline, but I did know there was something wrong with me,” Paulding said. “The worst part was seeing Jane unconscious and seizing.” According to Jyung, she was seated in the passenger seat and asleep. The impact with tree caused her head and facial injuries. Jyung said most of the physical harm was done to her back. She experienced spinal injuries in her lumbar region. While
Photos Provided
AFFECTED — The three Liberty students involved, from left to right, are Aubrey Paulding, Jane Jyung, and Chris Kaminski. wearing her seat belt, she went through an up-and-over pattern where a passenger
“
The damage by the seat belt resulted in a resectioned colon, according to Jyung. She
I remember Chris Holland’s voice, saying something like, ‘Jane you are going to be okay. I am praying for you. Stay with me here.
goes up-and-over or strikes the dashboard. According to Jyung, she also experienced direct impact with the tree.
— JANE JYUNG underwent surgeries for both her back and abdominal area. “I remember Chris Holland’s voice, say-
ing something like, ‘Jane, you are going to be okay. I am praying for you. Stay with me here,’ something along those lines,” Jyung said. “Next thing I remember is that when I got moved from (the) ambulance to (the) helicopter, I heard (a) bunch of men shouting to get me into the helicopter. I then lost my consciousness again until I had my second surgery.” After the car smashed into the tree,
See AFTERSHOCK, B6