Liberty Champion Feb 18 2014

Cao Artisan Chocolates opens

B6

Original lacrosse members reminisce

B2

libertychampion.com

30

th

‘83

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Today: Partly Cloudy 53/25 Tomorrow: Partly Cloudy 58/33 Liberty University

libertychampion.com

Volume 31 • Issue 15

Globally focused

‘13 Lynchburg, Va.

Poland visits

winter flurries

CGE events highlight cross-cultural needs

Mastermedia CEO reveals secrets

Gabriella Fuller gfuller2@liberty.edu

Emily Webster

Students were challenged to engage the world as Liberty University’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE) hosted Global Focus Week (GFW) Feb. 10-14.

According to CGE, the week-long conference is aimed at raising global awareness among students and offers the opportunity for students, faculty and staff to hear from influential speakers and to connect with cross-cultural workers from around the globe.

This year, CGE hosted 60 organizations with more than 150 representatives involved in a diverse number of international businesses and projects.

Coordinator of Special Projects for the CGE, whose name is withheld for security reasons, is enthusiastic about the impact that the week had on students. “(GFW) is a vital part of what we do in the (CGE),” she said. “This is the time each semester when we open up our campus to representatives from organizations who work all over the world, doing every type of work imaginable. Through this week, every Liberty student on campus, no matter their interest or passions, has access to opportunities that can help them take their degree global.”

Students heard from Dr. Samuel Thomas, president of Hopegivers International, Monday, Feb. 10. In his Convocation message, Thomas encouraged students to become internationally minded and to develop a heart for the last, the lost and the least.

Students were prompted with this message throughout the week as they participated in global breakout sessions — such as Take Sports Outreach Global, Take Social Justice and Humanitarian Work Global and Take Medical Work Global — and individual organization meet and greets. Interactive cultural events such as Experience Philippines highlighted exposure to different cultures and gave students a glimpse of life overseas.

Senior Brandon Pitzen was involved with several of the events throughout the week.

See GLOBAL, A3

Photo Provided

PARADE — Students enjoy GFW.

ewebster@liberty.edu

The students, faculty and honored guests who gathered at Liberty University’s Hancock Welcome Center Thursday, Feb. 6 heard Dr. Larry W. Poland, CEO of Mastermedia International, speak on the subject of Christians in Hollywood during the 2014 Ann Wharton Lecture Series and Banquet.

Prior to the keynote address, Ann Wharton was recognized as the founding advisor of the Liberty Champion.

Dr. Norman Mintle, dean of the School of Communication & Creative Arts, introduced Poland and said the art of a Christian is designed for God, “an audience of one,” and these artists have an advantage over all other artists.

See WHARTON, A8

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

BURIED — Students gathered on the South Campus intramural fields for some fun in the snow when Lynchburg received more than a foot last Wednesday and Thursday.

Braving the snow Personnel work to keep campus operational after storm

Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu

Emily Webster ewebster@liberty.edu

While many Liberty University students enjoyed their snow days by making snowmen, sledding or participating in snowball fights, hundreds of employees, including dining, grounds and postal service workers, braved the harsh conditions to ensure students had their needs taken care of and were safe.

Louis Cambeletta, director of food service operations for Liberty, explained how Sodexo played a major role in providing for students during the rough weather.

“I mean, just imagine being a parent and being home a thousand miles away from your child and finding out that they couldn’t get food,” Cambeletta said. “And that’s a pretty big responsibility that the Sodexo team takes

pretty seriously. It’s not just about making sure the food’s hot and fresh, it’s about really nourishing these kids.”

Dee Cardwell, the chef in charge of all kitchen production at Reber-Thomas Dining Hall, also saw the importance of feeding students in the midst of the snow. “(A)s a parent myself, I think that no matter what happens, I would want my daughter to be fed, no matter what kind of weather (or) who couldn’t get there,” Cardwell said.

When snow started coming down Wednesday afternoon, the Sodexo team sprang into action, putting into place a plan that had been thought through weeks in advance, according to General Manager for Sodexo at Liberty Cheryl Wolff.

“I think for some of the older chefs who have been here a while, when things like this happen, it’s pretty much second nature,” Cardwell said. “We shouldn’t have

to wait for (Wolff) to come and tell us, ‘Hey we need to do this. We need to do that.’ We’re already planning the first day we hear about snow.”

According to Wolff, dealing with the inclement weather meant much more than just preparing enough food for students on campus.

In the event of snow, Sodexo management first has to evaluate the number of employees able to work and then has to work to maintain adequate staffing.

All retail locations were closed when snow became an issue, and employees from other units pitched in at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall and the Hill City Bistro at the Annex, the two dining facilities which always stay open.

“It wouldn’t be that good (if the dining hall closed),” Cardwell said.

INSIDE THE CHAMPION News

Sports

Feature

American Bible Society ranks Lynchburg in BibleA8 minded survey.

Football team signs 13 new recruits for upcoming season.

B1

Switchfoot will play at TRBC during CFAW weekend Friday, Feb. 21.

B8

See SNOW, A6 News Opinion Sports Feature

CTE awards ILLUMINATE Grants assist professors Emily Webster ewebster@liberty.edu

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) recently awarded seven grants with the ILLUMINATE Grant, which is designed to encourage original teaching methods and student-engaged activities.

Funded by Dr. Ronald Godwin, the senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, and the Office of the Provost, the seven grants totaled $20,575, according to a final status report from CTE. Professors submitting a proposal could either receive $1,500, $3000 or $4,500, depending on whether they were submitting as a group or as an individual.

Sharon Wheeler, director of CTE, said she had been interested in started a grants program for teachers for a while before Godwin read the proposal and approved it.

“The main purpose behind this grant is to promote active learning and hands-on opportunities for students,” Wheeler said.

See ILLUMINATE, A8 A1 A4 B1 B8

NEWS

A2/Liberty Champion

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Hotels fill up fast for graduation Liberty University commencement reservation increases at hotels leave families searching for places to stay Joshua Janney jjanney@liberty.edu

Families of students graduating this semester may be out of luck when it comes to finding a place to stay for graduation if they do not take action as soon as possible.

“We have maybe eight rooms left,” Nancy Cash, general manager of Super 8, said. “We opened right after graduation.”

Many hotels are already booked for Liberty University’s graduation. Liberty offers housing for parents at various dorms on East Campus and the Annex to assist with the overload of visitors, but those rooms have already been filled, according to Kathy Phillips, a guest service member for housing and dining.

“Housing at Liberty opened at the end of January, and within the first day it was all filled,” Phillips said. “Things are getting filled up pretty fast.”

According to Andrew Marks, director of sales for the Hilton Garden Inn, numerous hotels have been booked for almost a year, with the rooms selling out within a few days of being available.

“Reservations opened on Aug. 1, and we were full within three days,” Marks

said. “If there is a cancellation, and a room comes up through my system, then (the family members) are able to book through me directly. But as of right now, I am sitting at a sold out position.”

The Holiday Inn Express in Lynchburg is also booked, as they allow reservations to be placed as early as 50 weeks before arrival, according to Mary Baldwin, general manager of the Holiday Inn Express.

“We started taking reservations since about the end of May last year, and we have been sold out since September of 2013,” Baldwin said. “Reservations go very quickly.”

Not all hotels are completely full, but many of the available hotels require certain qualifications. The Kirkley Hotel currently has the majority of their rooms open for a $279, two-night minimum, and the Extended Stay America still has about 60 percent of their reservations available, requiring a three-night minimum stay.

Meanwhile, the Sleep Inn has a limited number of rooms left.

“We have a few king beds left,” Phillip Andres, from guest services of Sleep Inn, said.

To further assist those in need of a room for graduation, Liberty has placed a

Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion

ROOM — The Wingate Hotel is one of the many hotels that is completely booked. list of hotels that have room availability as of Jan. 31. The hotels range from Super 8 in Lynchburg to a Double Tree hotel located 73 miles away from Liberty.

For more information on Liberty’s com-

mencement, visit liberty.edu/academics/ registrar/index.cfm?PID=10258.

JANNEY is a news reporter.

School aims to help

Martin helps students get to underserved regions James Ebrahim jebrahim2@liberty.edu

Liberty’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is designing a system to produce doctors who will work in portions of Virginia with inadequate service, according to Dr. Ronnie Martin, dean of the college.

According to Martin, physicians in inner-city or rural areas are considered to be in underserved regions.

Regions may be experiencing this because of the cultural mix of the region, lack of jobs, or low quality of life.

“The reality is that those same areas have tremendous need,” Martin said. “Many of those areas don’t have public transportation, so the ability of the patients to see a doctor that is only 20 miles away might as well be 200 miles away.”

The first step in assuring these struggling regions are targeted is recruiting the students, Martin said.

“We recruit students from rural and remote areas, because statistically, they are more likely to go back,” Martin said.

Another trait the school looks for in its applicants is age. According to Martin, students who are either older or second generation are more likely to go into primary care.

“People change,” Martin said.

“People’s goals change, but if we recruit a higher percentage, more will go back to those underserved areas.”

According to Martin, the second step in designing the system is integration of practices in regions with inadequate service into the curriculum.

“We give our students a significant amount of exposure to primary care and community-based care,” Martin said. “All of our medical clubs and organizations have to have a service project, and many of those are in underserved areas.”

This exposure includes medical outreach events during the first and second year of study, and a onemonth rotation in the third and fourth year of study, Martin explained.

“Many of the mentors and educators we are putting in front of them

1. REVIVE LIBERIA HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED AT LIBERTY.

“

Many of those areas don’t have public transportation, so the ability of the patients to see a doctor that is only 20 miles away might as well be 200 miles away.

—RONNIE MARTIN

have experience in rural and underserved areas,” Martin said.

According to Martin, osteopathic medicine has historically been a primary care profession that placed great emphasis on community-based practices.

According to their website, the College of Osteopathic Medicine has educational partnerships with Lynchburg General Hospital, Centra’s PACE program, Southside Community Hospital and the Virginia Baptist Hospital as well as Johnson Health Center, Lifepoint and Halifax Regional. However, Centra shares a similar vision and mission for delivery of health.

“Centra is a major partner and a very important partner to us,” Martin said.

According to Martin, the school is currently under a provisional accreditation and hopes to be accredited by the graduation of their first class in 2018.

EBRAHIM is a news reporter.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

HEALTH — Sodexo encourages students to make smart eating choices.

Sodexo teaches health Students learn cooking techniques for fast, easy meals Evelyn Hylton ehylton2@liberty.edu

Sodexo Dining Services hosted an educational cooking demonstration at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall Feb. 5, giving students the opportunity to learn easy and healthy cooking techniques.

The cooking demonstration featured various stations where students could watch Sodexo chefs prepare a variety of dishes in a step-by-step process while learning about the importance of nutritious food choices, according to Catering Chef Peter Jerominek.

Students also had the opportunity to taste test the chefs’ creations, savoring fresh dishes such as creamy avocado hummus, three-ingredient peanut butter and chocolate ice cream and The Easiest Red Curry Ever, all of which used natural, healthy fats as their base ingredients.

“The purpose is to showcase examples of healthy fats,” Jerominek said. “So

2. JUSTIN BIEBER TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORSE AND NEEDS TO GROW UP.

many people today are generally interested in cooking but don’t have the nuts and bolts to put it together.”

According to Sodexo Marketing Assistant Casey Guise, the cooking demonstration had a satisfactory student turnout, and the students seemed to enjoy the lively culinary entertainment.

Students were also given helpful recipe handouts so they could attempt to recreate the dishes on their own.

“At Liberty Dining, we always want to promote health and wellness,” Guise said.

“Having a cooking (demonstration) allows for the culture to expand here at Liberty.”

Guise said Sodexo events give students the opportunity to experience different cultural cooking traditions and gain general and practical knowledge of food preparation while also tasting foods.

Robin Quay, a Sodexo dietician, said she works to create nutritious food for ReberThomas Dining Hall, such as the “healthy fats” dishes

displayed during the cooking demonstration.

“Foods that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation, which plays a role in many chronic disease processes, such as heart disease and arthritis,” Quay said. “Foods that are particularly high in the omega-3 fatty acids include tuna, salmon, tree nuts, canola and olive oils, flax seed and avocado.”

Liberty Dining Services and Sodexo will continue to host cooking demonstrations and other special dining opportunities throughout the spring semester, including themed parties and culinary cultural enrichment opportunities, according to Guise.

For more information, visit liberty.edu.

HYLTON is a news reporter.

VISIT THE CHAMPION’S WEBSITE AT LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM. CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

NEWS

Liberty Champion/A3

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Students challenged to pray for Syria CGE, Campus Church and WorldHelp will host an interactive night for students to understand the Syrian crisis

Gabriella Fuller gfuller2@liberty.edu

Political strife, violent protests, millions of refugees and full-scale civil war have been defining the nation of Syria for the past four years.

In order to address what has now become an international issue, Liberty University’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE) will partner with Campus Church and the faith-based humanitarian organization WorldHelp Wednesday, Feb. 19 to present Engage Syria.

According to CGE, Engage Syria is designed as an interactive cultural encounter and will provide students with the opportunity to walk through the sights and sounds of the Syrian civil war. The event will feature Liberty student art in an effort to aid students in better

understanding the complexities of the current civil war, the involvement of the United States and the United Nations and the resulting refugee crisis for the millions of affected Syrians.

According to WorldHelp, more than 2.5 million Syrians have fled the country since the onset of the civil war in 2011. Ten percent of the population has been displaced, and more than 130,000 deaths have occurred since the conflict began.

In addition to walking through a simulated war zone, CGE and WorldHelp will provide students with the opportunity to learn about the diverse cultural and religious background of Syria while hearing personal stories and firsthand experiences of the facts and statistics of the war-torn nation.

Campus Church Director Ian MacIntyre said he believes Engage Syria is the perfect representation of Campus Church’s mission statement: to bring God’s glory on this campus and his fame among the nations.

“Every year during the spring Global Focus Week, Campus Church leadership gets together and decides one cause that the church body can stand behind, one we feel God is moving in,” MacIntyre said. “Engage Syria is an opportunity for us to mobilize our congregation to make a difference in the world with the gospel message.”

According to MacIntyre, integrating the Syrian cause into Campus Church will help students to see what is really going on around the world.

“A lot of times, especially

GLOBAL continued from A1

Photo Provided

CULTURE — Students represented countries around the world in the Parade of Nations.

“I really enjoyed participating in Experience Philippines,” Pitzen said.

“There was a lot of good student interaction. You could tell students were genuinely interested in the Filipino culture and lifestyle.”

In addition to the week’s special events, Pitzen also spent time speaking with representatives from different organizations.

“They were all super friendly and very interested in getting students involved overseas,” Pitzen said. “They were outgoing and willing to help

Photo Provided

NEED — Students can help the Syrian war by pledging to pray for peace and healing. at Liberty, we are isolated from persecution and hardships,” MacIntyre said. “Engage Syria is going to be an opportunity to give not only financially, but in prayer.”

According to CGE, students participating in Engage Syria will be asked to commit to a 10-week prayer challenge for peace in the nation of Syria.

MacIntyre said Campus Church will donate all proceeds to the Syrian cause in conjunction you even if you weren’t looking to necessarily work full time with their organization. It was awesome to see representatives working with each other to point students in the right direction, regardless of which organization the student decided to go with — they were all like family.”

According to Pitzen, GFW is a time that students look forward to each semester.

“I spoke to a lot of students before GFW who were definitely pumped,” Pitzen said. “This week gets students interested in taking their degree global. They see all the dif-

with WorldHelp.

“Wednesday night’s offering will all go to WorldHelp to aid in Syrian relief,” MacIntyre said. “It is going to be a powerful demonstration of God’s grace to people in Syria. It lets people in Syria know that there is a school and a church in Lynchburg, Va. that hasn’t forgotten about them. It gives a global perspective to the church body.”

The Campus Church message will be delivered

by Senior Vice President for Communications Johnnie Moore. Engage Syria will follow directly after the service in Thomas Road Baptist Church from 9-11 p.m.

For more information on Engage Syria or to donate to the cause, visit liberty.edu/ globalfocusweek or worldhelp.net/engagesyria.

ferent organizations that they can partner with to utilize their skill set on a global stage.”

Due to inclement weather and university closings, many of the week’s events were either canceled or postponed.

“Even though the snow caused us to end this spring’s (GFW) two days early, we received a lot of great feedback from representatives and students,” CGE Coordinator of Special Projects said. “Some of the events were cut short, but based on what we’ve heard, some important conversations happened and connections were made that can really

help launch those students into ongoing lifestyles of global engagement.”

As a part of GFW, CGE, Campus Church and WorldHelp will still present Engage Syria Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 9-11 p.m. in Thomas Road Baptist Church. For more information on Engage Syria, visit liberty.edu/ globalfocusweek. To find out more about the Global Studies department, email globalstudies@liberty.edu.

FULLER is the opinion editor.

FULLER is the opinion editor.

Reber-Thomas Dining Hall • 1971 University Blvd. • (434) 582-2262 • www.LibertyDining.com

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

Featuring:

$250 Gift Card to Dick’s Sporting Goods® $100 SpaFinder® Gift Card Nike+ FuelBand • BKR® H20 Bottle

Sodexo’s “Find Your Pinspiration” online contest. No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chance of winning. Enter online at www.findyourpinspiration.com. Open only to residents of the fifty U.S. and D.C. Contest ends on 2/28/14. Subject to complete rules available at Sodexo Campus Dining Center. Sponsor: Sodexo, 9801 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878.

All registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Get the free mobile app at

http:/ / gettag.mobi

OPINION

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

A4

Abortion rates lowest since 1973

Increased awareness and preventative measures resulted in a 13 percent decline in abortion rates over 4 years Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu

Many would argue that abortion has not had a national stage like the one it boasts of today since the days of Roe v.

Wade in 1973 when the practice was legalized in all 50 states. According to new reports from the Guttmacher Institute, a leading voice in abortion trends, abortion has reached an all-time low, decreasing by 13 percent between 2008 to 2011.

Both sides of the debate, pro-life and prochoice, claim the numbers as a victory.

In The Washington Post, those a part of Conservative groups such as Americans United for Life have been documented as saying, “This is a post-sonogram generation,” claiming that, “There is an increased awareness throughout our culture of the moral weight of an unborn baby.”

At the same time, the Guttmacher Institute claims that the decline has nothing to do with sonograms or a moral turnaround. Rather, it is a combination of increased contraception use and fewer pregnancies.

To both sides of the aisle, I say, you are accurate. Though only one side can be

morally correct, abortion is painted with a palette of black and white, often leaving a morally gray result. While I may see abortion as plainly immoral, an absolute truth is foreign to our postmodern society. Both sides see it as their job to prove which is the moral high ground.

How can both sides be correct?

The two factions, pro-life and prochoice, cannot both be morally right.

However, they can both be accurate statistically. When an issue gets such national and repetitive attention, everyone listens. While I do not necessarily think anyone became pro-life because they saw a picket sign, I do think it may, at least, have caused them to think twice about their decision.

A slight drop in abortion providers, a success of the pro-life movement, may have minimally contributed to the decrease in abortion.

Rachel Jones, the lead author of the Guttmacher Report, agrees with the correlation in trends and documented the findings in her article “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability In the United States.”

“Contraceptive use improved during this period, as more women and couples were

“

Abortion is painted with a palette of black and white, often leaving a morally gray result.

— TRÉ GOINS-PHILLIPS

using highly effective, long-acting reversible contraceptive methods,” Jones said.

In 1981, the abortion rate was a staggering 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women.

At that time, we had neither the preventative technology nor the pro-life faction we have today.

The success of the pro-life movement has been in establishing the moral weight abortion carries. Equally so, couples have become more proactive, choosing to use preventative measures prior to pregnancy. The abortion debate, from both sides, has had an impact on our society.

There is yet one other catalyst to the decline: the economy. As Jones asserts, “… The recent recession led many women and couples to want to avoid or delay pregnancy and childbearing.”

According to Guttmacher, the abortion rate among higher-income women

decreased by 28 percent, while it increased 18 percent among poor women.

In many cases, those of upper socioeconomic status can afford more preventative care, giving them a broader range of options than women in lower economic brackets. This research does support the notion that more women, in fact, are using contraceptives.

The long-term effects of the recent Republican-led restrictions on abortions, as well as the ever-delayed Affordable Care Act mandates, have yet to be seen.

Regardless, the debate will continue. The slight decline in abortion, as well as the uptick in proactive prevention, is encouraging to the pro-life movement.

GOINS-PHILLIPS is an opinion writer.

Coca-Cola depicts multilingual America What should have been a patriotic advertisement caused controversy and outrage from millions of viewers Sara Warrender sewarrender2@liberty.edu

This year’s Coca-Cola Super Bowl 2014 advertisement caused many viewers to jump on social media sites and freely bash the beloved soda company. The advertisement called “It’s Beautiful” featured people of different nationalities using different languages as they sang “America the Beautiful.” Granted, they were all standing firmly on American soil, many faces donning a patriotic look as the song switched to play in their native tongue, but for many, the advertisement struck a negative chord.

According to an article posted by Time Entertainment, viewers were quick to speak unabashedly on the issue. “@Coca Cola has America the Beautiful being sung in different languages in a #SuperBowl commercial?” one post on Twitter said. “We speak ENGLISH here, IDIOTS.” In regard to this post, yes, our primary language in the United States is English, but we also stand

Google Images

CONTROVERSIAL — Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl commercial caused widespread disagreement around the nation as “America the Beautiful” was sung by multiple ethnicities in eight different languages. for many values here, such as promoting diversity. I agree that residents of the U.S. should know English, but I do not believe disregarding their previous culture should be a requirement in order to safely step foot on American soil.

How should we view this advertisement with

by Greg Leasure My social media feeds are now full of updates and pictures from professional baseball teams in Florida and Arizona preparing for the new season, and the Liberty Flames have already begun their season as well.

No, the snow has not melted in Virgin- LEASURE ia, and the temperature still often dips below 32 degrees,

a Christian perspective?

An article on POLITICO shared a Facebook quote from a former Coca-Cola consumer who claims to be a practicing Christfollower.

“Today we are throwing away all our CocaCola products and replacing them with Faygo,” the Facebook page for the Tri

but baseball is right around the corner.

But the beginning of baseball season is not the only thing that happens in the spring. The return of spring also signals the rapidly approaching commencement ceremony in May, an event in which many of my classmates and I will be participating.

As much as I do love covering the sport I played for almost 15 years, May is only three short months away, and, hard as it may be to answer, there is always one question that we are asked seemingly every single day — what do you want to do with your life? More specifically for me, with such little time remaining until my professional career begins, is writing about baseball really

County Congregational Church in St. Cloud, Minn. wrote. “Faygo represents Christian Values and follows the Constitution. Mexicans singing the national anthem is an abomination.”

Can we put aside the Faygo long enough to see our national anthem is “The Star Spangled Banner?”

I am a proud, Englishspeaking American, born and raised on U.S. turf, but the opinions expressed about this advertisement by my fellow Americans are enough to dim the patriotic glimmer in anyone’s eyes. As Christians, we are taught to love and accept everyone, regardless of background or language.

what I want to commit to?

Trust us, all college students have a pre-prepared answer for the question of career plans, ready to regurgitate in the inevitable instance when we are asked about them. The answer is different for each person, but the real question is how much we believe that overused answer we give. Fortunately, career plans can still change after graduation. The truth is, none of us know for sure. That part is really up to God. I will be the first to admit that I am no expert on selecting a career path, but if there is one thing I have learned in my nearly four years of college, it is to find what you love and do that. For me, I think that path is covering base-

America is the great melting pot, presenting an opportunity for improvement to anyone with a beating heart. I am proud that my country accepts those with the drive to succeed. For example, the military is comprised of many different nationalities, but you can bet that my hat goes off to each and every one of them regardless of the thickness of their accent.

“America isn’t weakened because people don’t submit to a monoculture,” James Poniewozik wrote in TIME Entertainment.

“It’s strong because it can absorb the peoples and aspirations and talents of the rest of the world without erasing their cultures.”

If you ask me, an American song is beautiful in any language. I stand firmly on the fact that we are a great melting pot, working together to achieve success in life.

Sing loudly my fellow Americans in whatever language you are comfortable with. Cheers to that, Coca-Cola.

WARRENDER is an opinion writer.

ball. As interesting as writing hardhitting news or features about new businesses in town can be, nothing is as easy or as rewarding to me as getting to tell stories about the game I love.

If you have no idea what you want to do with your life, explore all your options, and do not be afraid to admit your inability to predict your future. If you do know what you love, pursue it. Because once you find that one career path that makes you — and God — happy, telling people about your career choice will never again be a negative thing.

OPINION

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion/A5

Transforming black history month

African-American History Month should focus primarily on American history and culture, not on race Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu

“We should emphasize not Negro history, but the Negro in history.

What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate and religious prejudice.”

These are words from Carter G. Woodson, one of the first African-American scholars to study African-American history.

He also created National Negro Week in 1926.

If a professor in a class were to ask students who W.E.B. Dubois or Dr. Mae Jemison were, many would not know he was an African-American sociologist or she was the first female AfricanAmerican astronaut to travel in space.

Since 1976, every February, the United States has recognized African American History Month. While we celebrate the history of African-American culture, there are questions as to why we place empha-

Google Images

CULTURAL CELEBRATION — Remembering our divided history helps us move toward a more united future. sis on this heritage. The same can be said about Women’s History Month or National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Why do we celebrate a gender or a culture? Simply, it is to bring awareness to the pioneers who help bring equality to our nation.

While it is good that we

place emphasis on races, genders and cultures, they should be a part of American history too.

America has come a long way from oppression of race since the Civil War. There was a time where there were colored and white bathrooms, water fountains and restaurants. My parents told

me stories of how they went to integrated schools and the trials and abuse they faced everyday when growing up in Baltimore, Md. in the 1960s and ’70s. Those problems they faced are what many African-Americans faced during that time. These are issues that are forgotten to our generation today.

Maybe the American culture is embarrassed about parts of its past and are trying to hide the negatives and the faults.

Or maybe our generation separates themselves from the cruelty of our history, choosing to erase the cultural and racial lines that once separated us.

Many may say that it

is racist to limit a certain type of history to a month. In 2005, Morgan Freeman said on “60 Minutes,” “You’re going to relegate my history to a month? … I don’t want black history month.

Black history is American history.”

Instead of studying just the wars and politics that happened in American history, we should also learn about those figures that sacrificed so that we may have equality today.

And I do not mean just Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks.

No matter what ethnicity we are, being an American is a culture not a race. Every part of our history as a culture should be studied and not erased.

Although we have made a step in the right direction as a nation for giving a month of recognition, we still have a long way to go to give full equality.

BATTLE is the sports editor.

Increase in minimum wage deceptive

Though temporarily beneficial, higher wages for federal workers could set a precedent for economic damage Tyler Beaston tbeaston@liberty.edu

In a political maneuver that surely thrilled millions of Americans, President Barack Obama announced plans in his State of the Union Address to raise the minimum wage of certain federal workers to $10.10 per hour.

He also discussed campaigning to raise the federal minimum wage to the same level.

As the audience clapped enthusiastically, I could not help but roll my eyes in irritation. An across-the-board change of that magnitude would not be beneficial to businesses, workers or the economy. In fact, I would go so far as to say that any boost of the minimum wage is a poor decision.

Raisetheminimumwage.com, a website that unabashedly supports Obama’s policy, cites a number of studies showing how previous wage boosts have not hurt businesses or employees.

“A raise in the minimum wage puts money into the pockets of low-income consumers who immediately spend it at local businesses,” the website said.

I think it is a pretty bold thing to say that consumers will “immediately” spend their new income, but the idea does jive well with the materialistic Keynesian economic theory — that is, people must spend money to cause growth in the economy. I find the idea to be unconvincing.

Yet, these are admittedly difficult economic times. So, I think the most intelligent and respon-

Google Images

INCOME — Obama’s new bill could boost minimum wage for federeal workers across the country. sible reaction to receiving extra income would be to save the money, not spend it. Or if it must be spent, use it for necessities.

Also, an article by Peter Morici of Fox News points out that “raising the minimum wage to keep pace with inflation creates little additional harm.”

So raising minimum wage is good, right? Well, no. “(W)hat Obama is proposing is a wholly different matter,” Morici wrote in his article. “Congress last adjusted the federal standard in 2009. Since then, consumer prices are up 9 percent, but the president is proposing a 39 percent jump.”

The years 2007 and 2009 both saw rises in the minimum wage, according to raisetheminimumwage.com. In 2007, the wage went up by 27 percent to $6.55 per hour. In 2009, there was a 70 cent increase, or approximately 11 percent to $7.25.

Comparatively speaking, 39 percent is a huge leap upward — huge enough, I think, to have serious negative economic impact.

Businesses that only pay employees the standard $7.25 or slightly higher could probably not withstand a 39 percent bump. Employers then have two main options. They can lay off a few workers, or they can charge

1971 UNIVERSITY BLVD, LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24515

Greg Leasure EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

administration

Deborah Huff FACULTY ADVISOR

Omar Adams

content

Sophia Hahn NEWS EDITOR

Mark Tait ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Gabriella Fuller

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

OPINION EDITOR

Ashley McAlpin

Derrick Battle

Nicole Steenburgh FEATURE EDITOR

Emily Brown COPY EDITOR

Emily Webster COPY EDITOR

photography

Courtney Russo

GRADUATE ASSISTANT

SPORTS EDITOR

Shelanne Jennings

Tom Foote

Leah Stauffer

GRADUATE ASSISTANT

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

ASST. PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

more money for their products.

You could argue that the wage increase balances the price increase, but such an assertion is incorrect. The millions of people that earn more than $7.25 an hour cannot expect to see a 39 percent pay raise. But they will see the costs of goods climb.

Also, consider this: According to the Department of Labor website, 21 states, including Washington, D.C., have minimum wages set higher than the federal level. Five states lack minimum wage requirements.

The remaining states adhere to $7.25 per hour.

Further, the highest minimum

LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO

wage is found in Washington, at $9.32 per hour. This means that even the highest paying state will see an 8 percent increase in payout.

If there must be a minimum wage, I think the states, and only the states, should have the authority to determine it. That means the federal government should not step in and override state levels. But this is not a realistic expectation.

Raisetheminimumwage.com suggests that in earlier years, when states expanded minimum wages independent of federal legislation, those states’ economies remained successful. People kept their jobs, and state income grew.

If a few states can do it and not suffer, why not implement the policy federally for all states?

Because most of the increases were very small — mere cents compared to the $2.85 proposed by the president. It seems to me that the states made increases they could afford, not ones that would bankrupt society.

I expect this debate will continue, thanks to its many nuances and complexities. Considering all of its angles quickly becomes overwhelming.

But in order to reach an intelligent and informed conclusion, we must be willing to look beyond the fictional facade of dollar signs the president so alluringly dangles before us.

BEASTON is an opinion writer.

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

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

design

Breann Black GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Meighan Thompson GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Melanie Oelrich

Send letters to:

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Jomer Bunque WEB DESIGNER

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

VISIT THE CHAMPION’S WEBSITE AT LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM. CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

A6/Liberty Champion

SNOW continued from A1 “I think that, for the most part, kids really depend on Reber to get them through the day on a daily basis. It would just be horrendous if we weren’t open.”

Sodexo also provided hotel rooms, totaling more than $1,000, for those who would not be able to make it to work and back home in the snow. Additionally, several Sodexo chefs used GPS to navigate Lynchburg to pick up employees to bring them to work, Wolff said.

According to Wolff, more than 35 employees and managers worked at ReberThomas Dining Hall on the students’ days off, and more than 15 people worked at the Annex dining hall. At the ReberThomas Dining Hall, 10 employees, including Cardwell, worked full shifts.

Cardwell was one of the first employees to report on Thursday and worked from 6:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cardwell said he also came back to support the kitchen during the dinner shift but was unable to stay because of the weather. He also worked all day Friday.

Leann Anderson, a full-time nursing student at Liberty and a chef at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall, also came in to serve students Thursday and Friday.

According to Anderson, she walked more than four miles in the snow to get to Liberty and worked for more than 10 hours Thursday.

Cambeletta stressed that many of those who came in to serve at the dining locations made Liberty students their priority on the snow days.

“One of the things … that shouldn’t go unnoticed is a lot of these (employees) … their families were at home with needs, and these guys put their families aside to be here for the students, which, I mean, that’s a pretty big deal,” Cambeletta said.

When it came to food that was produced, Wolff said the Sodexo team had to improvise when they were unable to stick to a preset menu.

At the Annex dining location, approximately 200 more meals than normal were

NEWS

served Thursday. Staff at the Hill City Bistro also had to change entrees four times, according to Wolff.

“The really neat thing is how, from my perspective, how (the Sodexo team) pulled together, knowing that this was a priority,” Cambeletta said.

In addition to normal services during the hectic days, Sodexo opened ReberThomas Dining Hall late Wednesday night to serve students doughnuts, cookies and hot chocolate. Wolff estimated that somewhere between 75 and 100 students took advantage of the free food.

The Sodexo team also exceeded expectations when they handed out carnations and chocolates to students in celebration of Valentine’s Day. In addition to the work Sodexo employees did to provide for students, the Grounds Department made sure students were safe by providing around-the-clock maintenance during the snow days.

According to Vice President of Field Operations Scott Starnes, the Grounds Department splits the crew into two shifts of about 30 employees each. They work to make sure roadways, parking lots and pedestrian sidewalks are safe and clear.

“Our main priority is to provide a safe campus during inclement weather for all students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Starnes said. “It is truly a team effort.”

According to Ryan Pelletier, a Liberty freshman and grounds worker, he estimated that the Grounds Department employees worked three times as long as they would have under normal conditions. In inclement weather situations, grounds personnel work 12-hour shifts of either 2 p.m.-2 a.m. or 2 a.m.-2 p.m.

Pelletier said that, although he normally works approximately 16 hours a week, because of the snow, he worked two, 12hour shifts during the snow days alone.

Pelletier said he spent at least 14 of those 24 hours shoveling snow to make sure his fellow students were safe.

“If Grounds had not been plowing, shoveling and putting down salt, very few students would have been able to get

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

“

Our main priority is to provide a safe campus during inclement weather for all students, faculty, staff and visitors.

on or off campus safely,” Pelletier said.

“Without Grounds working those hours, it would be likely that sidewalks would be covered with 4 to 5 inches of ice, making it a hazard to walk on.”

Another service provided to students despite the weather was the Liberty University Postal Services. According to Robert Boyer, director of fulfillment postal services and warehousing, six of the 13 staff members reported to the post office Friday, Feb. 14, as Valentine’s Day is the busiest holiday of the year for them.

“A lot of students get care packages, flowers – it contains a lot of perishable items, so the less time things sit on the shelf, the fresher they are for the students,” Boyer said. “So, we’re a servicebased department, and we try to serve the students as best we can.”

Boyer said, because of the snow, many of their big carriers such as USPS, FedEx and UPS could not get packages into Lynchburg.

“Everything kind of got backlogged,” Boyer said. “We weren’t able to get to the U.S. Post Office. We normally go in at 7 (a.m.) – we didn’t get there until 8:30 (a.m.). And then we didn’t open until 12 (p.m.), because we had a smaller amount of staff here, so we wanted to make sure that all the packages that came in that day were in the system for the students, so we were actually able to put those packages in the system before noon.”

Because planes were grounded and transit routes for trucks were cut off, Boyer said the amount of packages and mail was much smaller than a typical Valentine’s Day. “So that means next week – probably next Monday – it’s gonna be pretty hairy,” Boyer said. “So we wanted to come in and

— SCOTT STARNES try and service as much as we could in the six hours. We ended up processing … about 800 packages yesterday just from the U.S. Post Office, so that’s quite a bit.”

Sending out a text message to his staff, Boyer asked whoever could make it through the snow to come into work, because he knew there would be a line out the door as a result of Valentine’s Day. “We received 824 packages yesterday, and we delivered 656,” Boyer said. “So, in six hours, that’s basically over a hundred packages an hour, which, that’s a little bit more than a package every minute we were handing out. So (we were) fairly busy, considering everything.”

Boyer said he knew students would be tracking their Valentine’s Day package and would learn that the packages would not arrive until Friday. He said he expected the post office to be fairly busy, and he was glad to be able to service the large number of students who came in despite the snow day.

“I mean, even if only 100 people came in, it was still worthwhile, but the fact that many people picked up, I’m sure that was appreciated by the students and very worthwhile for us to come in and be able to do that,” Boyer said.

Along with dining services, the Grounds Department and the post office, the Liberty University Police Department, building services and the Liberty Equestrian Center employees reported to work, providing students with service despite the snow.

BROWN is a copy editor.

WEBSTER is a copy editor.

NEWS

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion/A7

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

FIGHT — Students celebrated cancelled classes with a snowball war on the South Campus intramural fields Feb. 12.

A

P

A

R

T

M

E

N

T

S

NOW PRELEASING for August 2014 Beach Volleyball Court The Fusion Club

LU Shuttle Spacious Apartments

Tanning Bed Fitness Center

The ultimate in college living 434-846-4319 www.parkplacelynchburg.com

*Limited time offer, restrictions apply, call for details

NEWS

A8/Liberty Champion

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Lynchburg receives national recognition American Bible Society survey ranks Central Virginia third-most “Bible-minded” area in the United States Jesse Spradlin jaspradlin@liberty.edu

The American Bible Society ranked the Lynchburg and Roanoke area the third-most Bible-minded city in the United States.

The ranking is based on a survey of more than 45,000 random citizens conducted over a sevenyear period of time and ending August 2013, according to the American Bible Society website.

According to the survey, participants who claimed “reading the Bible within the past seven days and who strongly agree in the accuracy of the Bible” were considered to be Bible minded.

Liberty University Biblical studies professor Donald Love has lived in Lynchburg for 18 years and said it has not always been a Bible-minded area.

“Generations of prayers and work of God’s people in a dark city” caused Lynchburg to be transformed, according to Love.

Lynchburg has increased in Bible mindedness since the last survey released in 2013, where they were ranked No. 8, according to a 2013 press release from the American Bible Society.

Local pastor of All People’s Church Bud Crawford said the Bible mindedness of Lynchburg has come more into the focus within the last 20 years.

Crawford credits some of the focus to Jerry Falwell’s obedience to God and his vision of training champions for Christ.

“Liberty University has helped make even the nation aware (of the Bible),” Crawford said.

According to the survey, 48 percent of the Lynch-

burg population was classified as Bible-minded, along with Springfield, Mo. and Shreveport, La. “I believe Lynchburg became a Bible-minded city partly because of Liberty,” sophomore Naomi Spradlin said. “(B)ut I also believe the churches in this area have been doing a lot to accommodate being a Bible-minded city.”

“There are so many more opportunities for Christianity in this town,” Liberty senior Lauren Bapst said.

The “Bible Belt” of the United States earned its title as the American Bible Society’s study shows the Midwest and South to be generally more Bible minded than other areas of the U.S. Chattanooga, Tenn. ranked No. 1, with 51 percent of the population classified as Bible-minded,

and Birmingham, Ala. came in second place with 50 percent.

The least Bible-minded cities were located in the northeastern United States. Providence, R.I. was ranked the least Bibleminded city with a 9 percent Bible-minded population, followed by Albany, N.Y. with 10 percent and Boston, Mass. with 15 percent.

Love said he believes Lynchburg will continue to be a Bible-minded city.

“I think as long as the churches remain Christ centered and the school the same, they’re here for a long time…there will be a lasting legacy,” Crawford said.

According to Love, Lynchburg remaining a Bible-minded city is attributed to Liberty students who practice being champions for Christ as

Students travel to Jamaica Training educators teach classes in Caribbean, earn practicum credit Shae Leitz sleitz@liberty.edu

For six days during Christmas break, education students were given the opportunity to fulfill some of their practicum requirements by traveling to May Pen, Jamaica to teach the students of Hazard Primary School.

The education students taught nine-hour shifts during the day and spent the remaining time preparing lessons that they would present and teach in various classes, according to Jacquelyn Waltmire, a junior in the education program.

“Teaching nine-hour days at a shift school may have been draining at times, but the opportunity was more than rewarding and eye opening for our team,” Waltmire said.

According to Waltmire, the classes at the shift school ranged from first grade through upper elementary levels.

Students had the opportunity to teach to any one of these grade levels, including the special education unit.

Assistant professor and Director of Educational

WHARTON continued from A1 “I would rather us be known as artists who are Christians, because Christian artist implies and suggests — and oftentimes means — you’re an artist for a Christian audience only, or you’re only painting for the church instead of reaching out into the culture,” Mintle said. “You see, our call as Christians, who are artists, who are Christ followers, who are filled with his Spirit and creativity, is to reach out into the culture and do something to engage the culture.”

Pointing out that God has never failed him, Poland began his speech describing how he gave his career over to God in 1956. Now, Poland works in Hollywood where people often tell him when they want to “be a star,” something that Poland said scares him. He said that having a career as a

Technology Randall Dunn said he accompanied the students on the trip to help set up a computer lab with 20 computers and an Internet connection to be used by the teachers and students with open-source productivity software.

The lab was donated

by Liberty, and the plan is to bring another 10 computers sometime in the future, according to Dunn.

He was also involved in planning future trips for students studying special education to travel to Jamaica January 2015 for practicum credit.

“The exciting part, though, is that we might start the process for developing a (Liberty University) sponsored and directed assessment center based in Jamaica,” Dunn said.

According to Dunn, this program would provide a place for families with special needs children to go through a diagnostic process as well as identify appropriate interventions and teaching and learning strategies based on the diagnostic results.

“Frankly, this is a very star should not be one’s identity.

“It’s not about achievement,” Poland said. “It’s about character. It’s about my relationship with God. Know who God made you and what he thinks about you. …

If you’re secure in who you are in Christ, you will clearly stand out from the show-biz crowd.”

Poland also spoke on mediocrity, saying it is “neither memorable nor noticeable.”

“My worldview is that God never calls onelegged people to be star halfbacks in football,” Poland said. “They just aren’t equipped for it.

And some people just aren’t equipped to be a star, to succeed in the field they’ve chosen. It’s sad, but it’s true. One of the important lessons in life is learning what you don’t do well.”

As he continued in his speech, Poland spoke about how truthfulness

Photo Provided

MISSION — Education students traveled to Jamaica to teach in the city of May Pen. exciting and unique opportunity for (Liberty’s) School of Education.

There is no service like this in May Pen, Jamaica,” Dunn said.

According to Waltmire, every evening, the students heard from various guest speakers, including the principal of Hazard Primary, a government official and a hospital director.

When the students were not teaching at Hazard Primary School, they would go to local hospitals and orphanages to play with the children, Waltmire said.

“We got really close

with our professors, which was a really neat experience,” Waltmire said. “Our professors gave us advice and encouragement during the whole trip.”

Liberty intends to continue the practicum experience, which is in its second year, not only at Hazard Primary but at other educational institutions as well, Dunn said.

Other trip opportunities for education students include the Dominican Republic and Greece, according to Waltmire.

LEITZ is a news reporter.

Photo Provided

STARS — Poland speaks about how Christians stand out in Hollywood. is a rare commodity in Hollywood. He gave examples of people who have stayed true to their faith and their character despite the standards that Hollywood placed upon them. According to Poland, each person was blessed by God for their obedience to Christ.

“In a business that’s sick and perverse with self-promotion, ego, exaltation, narcissism and unfettered ambition, a

humble, serving person stands out like a star in the dark,” Poland said.

Finishing his speech on this point, Poland encouraged those present to believe that if God lifts someone up in the industry, nobody can thwart those efforts.

WEBSTER is a copy editor.

Google Images

RANKED — The American Bible Society surveyed 45,000 adults over a period of seven years. a way of life.

“Training champions for Christ is not just our motto, it is our lifestyle,” Love said. “(M)any Liberty students stay after

ILLUMINATE continued from A1 “Many times in higher education, the predominant form of instruction is lecture, and we want to encourage our faculty to get out of that comfort zone and engage their students in a more active learning process … So this grant is for active, as opposed to passive, instruction.”

Wheeler said the grant committee of the CTE faculty advisory board, who selected which proposals out of the 30 received the grant, looked for originality in how the funds would be used.

“We have a chemistry teacher that is bringing in music during her sessions, during her labs,” Wheeler said. “She’s going to be comparing her results with students who are working with music in the background to students who are not doing that. So that’s definitely thinking outside of the box, and thinking of what that kind of environment will have on the students’ learning.”

One of the professors selected to receive the grant, Dr. Yan Xie, is an assistant professor of Chinese who said she stated in her proposal the significance of her students to having the opportunity to personally experience the Chinese culture.

“I applied for this grant because I’m teaching Chinese language at Liberty University, and learning about another culture has significant impact … on critical thinking by stimulating cultural comparisons,” Xie said. “So it’s extremely important to provide the personal experiences with a Chinese cultural product.”

Xie said this grant will allow her to train her students in such a way that she will be able to complete the goal of the Chinese program. “(It will) prepare students for the globalization of the world and equip them with language and cultural competence to reach out to the world and influence it through their Christian worldview,” Xie said. “The cultural products and practices allowed by the grant will witness an improvement of learners’ language and cultural knowledge and a stronger ability to reach out (to the) Chinese community, the largest one of the world.”

One of the ways Xie used the money from the grant was to give her students the opportunity to celebrate an authentic Chinese

graduation or return to raise their families.”

SPRADLIN is a news reporter.

New Year.

“This is just one of the events that the ILLUMINATE Grant allowed me to do, and in the future, my students will still practice Chinese calligraphy,” Xie said. “(W)e will recite the Chinese language … in the format of stories and even (in) the typical verse to the beat of bamboo clappers, and we can still play the Chinese traditional games like mahjong or Chinese chess and table tennis. …

All these activities can be integrated into the topics of the language learning.”

As Xie uses her funds to provide her students with firsthand experiences to learn about the Chinese culture, Wheeler said this is how she wants professors to teach – outside the box.

“I think it’s important for us to acknowledge and recognize good teaching, number one, and reward that,” Wheeler said. “So, these are teachers that are going above and beyond.

They’re taking the time to think about what they’re doing and to think about ways their students can have their learning experiments enhanced, and they take trouble to find projects, to find funds to go above and beyond the normal budgetary allocations that they receive.”

According to Wheeler, the ILLUMINATE Grant will continue each semester, but professors who have received a grant must wait until the next semester before they can apply again. These professors must also submit a final report to show how their methods worked and how successful their ideas were.

“So it’s that complete cycle of creation — creating the content for the students and finding creative ways to deliver it and then assessing whether it worked or not,” Wheeler said. “That’s demonstrating teachers who really care about teaching, and at Liberty, we want to fund that process, because it is a value.”

Other subjects that received the grant include chemistry, theatre arts, biology, and digital media and communication arts. Despite the fact that the professors received these funds, Wheeler said the ultimate winners are not the faculty, but they are the students, who will continue to receive the benefits of this funding.

WEBSTER is a copy editor.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Golf

T7th out of 14 in Suntrust Gator Invite

Baseball

Liberty Richmond 11 6

Football reloads

Softball

UNCW

Liberty

3

1

B1

M. DII Hockey UMBC

Liberty

3

2

M. Volleyball UNC 2

Liberty 0

climbing the ranks

Head Coach Turner Gill signed 13 recruits Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu

The defending co-Big South champion Flames football team looks to build on its 2013 success with the help of 13 new players as it gears up for the new season.

Last year, the Flames tied for first place in the Big South Conference last season. However, they lost vital components of their team, including senior cornerbacks Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg, who helped Liberty lead the Big South in interceptions. Additionally, 10 of the 21 players who graduated were defensive players, and the losses will play a factor in the upcoming season.

Head Coach Turner Gill and his coaching staff will use their 2014 recruiting class to fill gaps left by key players who graduated and to help Liberty defend its title. The Flames signed 12 freshmen and a transfer student from the University of West Virginia. Of the 13, six are offensive players, and the other seven play defense. “(It was) a great (signing) day, really, for Liberty” Gill said. “It’s a great day for a lot of young men. A lot of great things for our fans, for this team. I really feel great about this class.”

Liberty’s coaching staff signed four defensive backs, including South Carolina standout cornerback Chis Turner, to add more depth to the secondary.

During Turner’s junior year of high school, he had ten interceptions and returned seven for touchdowns. Unfortunately, two games into his senior year, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Liberty Assistant Coach Josh Bookbinder described Turner as a “phenomenal athlete.”

Also added to this class was cornerback Corbin Jackson from North Carolina, an under-theradar player who Bookbinder said can “do it all.” Jackson played both wide receiver and cornerback during his two years of high school football.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

MOMENTUM — Liberty capped off a weekend sweep of West Virginia with a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday night.

Mountaineers grounded Liberty’s Division I hockey team stretched its winning streak to five games Jacob Tellers jtellers@liberty.edu

Mary Omatiga momatifa@liberty.edu

The Liberty Flames Division I (DI) men’s hockey team completed a fourgame season sweep against the West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers Feb. 14-15. The victories extended the Flames winning streak to five games and improved their record to 24-6-2.

Liberty 5, West Virgina 2 A strong showing in the first two periods helped lead the Flames to a 5-2 victory over the Mountaineers Friday Feb. 14.

Liberty scored its first goal when the WVU goalie failed to completely stop the puck on a shot by Bram Erickson.

Flames sophomore Danny Logan gathered the rebound and put the puck into the net for the early lead.

After gaining a 1-0 lead in the first period, the Flames scored three goals in the second period to give themselves a commanding 4-0 advantage.

Freshman defenseman Chase Harris gave the Flames their first goal in the

See RELOADS, B3

second period, slipping the puck into the right side of the net after receiving a pass from Andrew McCombe.

Lindsay LeBlanc scored the next goal after maneuvering around two Mountaineer defenders to get a clear shot at the net, giving the Flames a 3-0 lead.

Flames captain Matt Sherry capped off the scoring run with a long shot from the left circle that was then deflected into the net by Danny Logan.

“With those shots, you just look for an open lane and hope that something will happen, and Logan was there to tip it in,” Sherry said After their fast start, the Flames gave up three power plays in the final period, but the Mountaineers only managed to convert one of those scoring chances into a goal. Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said afterward that he would have liked to have seen a complete performance by his team.

“I thought the first 40 minutes we played well,” Handy said. “We got away from our game in the third period. We took three penalties that we don’t want to have there obviously, and they were able to win the third period 2-1.”

Handy called a timeout a quarter of the way into the third period to remind

his team of the need to focus and play through to the end of the game.

“I just didn’t like what I saw,” Handy said. “We thought it was a good time to call a timeout to try and channel the guys’ energy back into the game. Something for tomorrow that we will tighten down on is to play 60 minutes of hockey and play disciplined for 60 minutes.”

The Flames succeeded in holding WVU to only four shots in each of the first two periods, but allowed 10 in the third period. The Mountaineers were able to capitalize with two goals, bringing the final score to 5-2 in favor of the Flames.

Liberty 3, West Virgnia 2 After defeating the Mountaineers Friday, the Flames took the ice Saturday night with the same objective in mind — winning. And they accomplished just that.

The first period began with a slow start, but minutes into the first period, sophomore forward DJ Dinnison fired a quick goal into the back of the net, giving the Flames a 1-0 lead. Dinnison’s goal sent Flames fans into a frenzy

See GROUNDED, B2

Losing streak extended to six The Flames failed to capitalize on an oppurtunity to end their prolonged skid Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion

ROUGH PATCH — Missed free throws doomed Liberty.

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

The Liberty Flames men’s basketball team (918, 3-9 Big South) slowed the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Keydets (15-10, 8-4 Big South), the nation’s highest-scoring offense, Saturday, Feb. 15 but could not stop them when it counted,

Baseball vs. ODU Feb. 18 @ 3 p.m.

dropping the contest 77-70.

The leading freshman scorer in the country, VMI guard QJ Peterson, slashed through the lane for the go-ahead lay-up with 56.8 seconds left, unknotting a 68-all tie. Keydets forward D.J. Covington followed Peterson’s bucket by swatting guard John Caleb Sanders’ layup attempt the next possession, putting the

W. Basketball vs. UNCA Feb. 20 @ 7 p.m.

Keydets up for good.

The six-foot tall Peterson, who averages 20.8 points per game, scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and notched a highlight-reel, fast-break block on Flames forward Antwan Burrus. Covington added 12 boards of his own, along with 12 points and three blocks. Keydets guard

W. Tennis vs. Morgan St. Feb. 21 @ 2:30 p.m.

W. Lacrosse vs. Elon Feb. 21 @ 5 p.m.

Rodney Glasgow scored a game-high 25 points and handed out a game-high seven assists.

The Flames held the Keydets well under their 90.2 points-per-game average but missed opportunities at the free throw line all night, converting only six times from the

See STREAK, B4

M. Lacrosse vs. Wake Forest Feb. 21 @ 10 p.m.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion/B2

Leaving a legacy on the field

Six inaugural members of the Liberty men’s lacrosse team hope to continue building on their progress Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu

“Ask anyone who starts something,” senior midfielder Derek Haywood said. “It’s personal.”

His statement lingered as the five teammates around him — seniors Kurt Tobias, Travis Briggs, Skylar Sipe and Miguel Lozada and first-year graduate student Mike Zumpano — voiced their wholehearted agreement.

The Liberty University Men’s Lacrosse program has achieved unprecedented athletic success in its brief existence. As members of the team since its 2010 inception, they have experienced every bit of its four years, three seasons, one conference championship and a swift rise to Division I (DI) of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) firsthand.

The six remaining originals, living parts of the program’s unique history value the milestones all the more.

Liberty’s history with lacrosse precedes its instatement as an official club sport. A thriving student-run program existed on campus until 2005, when the team was involved in a horrific car crash that left half the roster with extensive injuries.

The remaining players, including junior team captain and president Kyle McQuillan, managed to hold their shattered team together to complete the season. Afterwards, the program struggled along until it eventually dissolved and the players scattered.

By the time the club sports department was created in 2007 with Director of Campus Recreation Kirk Handy at its head, McQuillan had taken a job with the school working in finance — lacrosse relegated to the past.

Fast forward two years. Zumpano arrived as a prospective student on a campus visit, making a beeline for Handy’s office.

The Connecticut native was introduced to the game of lacrosse his freshman year of high school. Four years later, determined that his college experience would include his favorite sport, Zumpano met with Handy to discuss the possibility of starting a lacrosse program from scratch.

“Basically, Kirk told me there needed to be enough interest, there needed to be a league we could play in, and club sports also just wanted to know what the expenses would be,” Zumpano said. “He told me there was interest, but he needed somebody to kind of pull it together.”

With a deadline by which to have players and a league organized, Zampano and a handful of others pieced together a roster — an unlikely group of athletes with a shared goal. They researched potential leagues in which to play and held practices. South campus was home to regular games, participants running the length of the recreation fields and shooting on a softball net.

By spring of 2010, all club sports needed from the players to launch the program was a coach.

After receiving a tip from those involved with the past team, Handy reached out to McQuillan and explained the situation.

GROUNDED continued from B1 as hundreds of teddy bears hit the ice.

The Flames hosted their annual Teddy Bear Toss in support of Gleaning for the World’s Teddy Bear Brigade. More than 650 stuffed animals were collected for impoverished children around the world.

Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion

ORIGINALS — Mike Zumpano, Kurt Tobias, Derek Haywood, Miguel Lozada, Skylar Sipe and Travis Briggs (Left to Right).

McQuillan was surprised, but jumped into the fray without a second thought.

“I’d never coached before, so I didn’t have a whole lot of experience,” McQuillan said. “But what I told them was, ‘Look.

You’ll never find anybody who cares more about this program and this school who has the history I feel like I have with it.’”

That, along with McQuillan’s administrative skills and knowledge of the South Eastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) of the MCLA, was enough for Handy. Club sports hired McQuillan and announced the official start of a club team that fall, just in time for the arrival of freshmen Sipe, Tobias, Briggs, Haywood and Lozada.

All five shared similar lacrosse histories, picking it up as an offseason sport at the urging of friends, coaches and, in Tobias’ case, an older sister who played the sport and lined her little brother up in goal for frequent target practice.

Other than Tobias and Briggs, who attended rival high schools in Northern Virginia, none knew each other or Zumpano.

Most had no idea of the team’s revival until the semester was already underway.

Shortly after Dinnison’s goal, the Flames picked up their first penalty of the night after sophomore defenseman Steven Bellew was sent to the box for slashing.

Senior defenseman Dylan Coffey tied the game with a power play goal.

In the second period, Liberty could not hold onto the puck.

After a turnover, senior forward Dusty Campbell seized the op-

Through word of mouth, they learned that Liberty was bringing back lacrosse and showed up for tryouts. When the final roster was released, all six of their names were on it. “(That first season) was rough,” Haywood said. “We didn’t have a practice field, so we were on south campus inbetween dorms, always having to chase stray balls in the middle of practice, running through cars and stuff. ... It was a learning curve for all of us, coach included.”

Sipe said the team was forced to move around a lot that first year, and Lozada reminisced about a time they were forced to move near the softball field.

With inconvenience and inexperience working against them, the Flames shifted their sights.

“Just staying together as a team that first year was our main focus,” Zumpano said.

“We set goals as a team and as individuals, and we just tried to build a foundation for what we wanted to come.”

The attitude check worked in their favor. The team went 4-4.

“It was a big deal, considering we just kind of threw a team together and man-

portunity and sniped the loose puck past Liberty goalie Blair Bennett, giving the Mountaineers a 2-1 lead. The Flames were unable to score in the 2nd period.

With only one period remaining in the game, Liberty came back determined to win. McCombe skated swiftly down the ice and fed a cunning backhand pass Leblanc, who tied the game.

aged to win some games that we weren’t supposed to win,” Sipe said.

More importantly, they ended the season with their greater goals intact.

“When I look back at that first year, I think of it as being just as successful as the last two, because we established ourselves,” McQuillan said.

Liberty further contributed to that stability with the construction of state-ofthe-art facilities for the team.

“That in and of itself was one of the biggest boosters for us,” Zumpano said.

“They gave us a field and a locker room to be in.”

Without logistical mix-ups to worry about, the Flames could focus their attention fully on the field. They put up an 8-4 overall record in their second season, falling in the playoffs to eventual SELC champion Elon.

Just one year later, it was Zumpano hoisting the SELC championship trophy in celebration with his teammates, McQuillan receiving a customary Gatorade dousing after sweeping the playoffs.

Their 18-2 season only ended in a nailbiting, Final Four overtime loss to eventual MCLA Division II champion University of St. Thomas.

“What we did last year… is something I dreamed about doing as a player but was never able to accomplish,” McQuillan said. “To be able to come back and do that as a coach meant a lot to me.”

It also made possible the realization of another dream McQuillan had harbored since his playing days — moving up to DI of the SELC. The team received official approval in 2013, and while the players are excited to step up, they are not daunted.

After all, the six have lived every step of the rapid rise of Flames lacrosse — they see no reason the rate should slow now.

The six share high expectation for this season and NCAA dreams for the future.

“It’s kind of come full circle,” Zumpano said. “We were there through the growth phase, we think it’s a promising future in DI and ultimately, to be able to look back and remember those days, where this thing was, having that perspective is huge and helps us cast a much better vision for where we want to go.”

Wherever that vision is, the six know this season is their last to take the field. Their feelings are mixed, but all agreed on one point — they are proud of their role in Liberty lacrosse.

“We definitely have a bond, the guys who have been here since the beginning,” Sipe said. “And while it’s cool now, I think in five or 10 years, we’re going to appreciate it even more. When we come back and the program is really big, we can say we were the ones that helped start it.”

From humble but passionate beginnings to an SELC championship, they are accustomed to the extraordinary. In their final season together, the six aim to finish what they started in historic fashion.

RUSH is a sports reporter.

Less than three minutes remained in overtime when McCombe pushed another slick pass to freshman forward Robert Ward, who ripped the puck into the back of the net, electrifying the LaHaye Ice Center as fans celebrated the 3-2 overtime triumph.

The Flames will return to action on senior night when they take on the Richmond Gener-

als Jr. A, Friday, Feb. 21 at the LaHaye Ice Center.

TELLERS is a sports reporter.

OMATIGA is a sports reporter.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion/B3

Staying positive through adversity

Sommy Ogukwe continues to make strides after a knee injury hindered his promising young basketball career Jeremy Jefferson jjefferson3@liberty.edu

“Don’t lose sight of where you come from,” Sommy Ogukwe, a redshirt junior on Liberty’s men’s basketball team, said.

Ogukwe, born in Abuja, Nigeria, had the privilege of coming to the U.S., using basketball as his means to get here.

“Most of us athletes that come from Nigeria do not come from wealthy homes,” Ogukwe said.

“Basketball is a medium to come to the United States.”

Unlike most American children, Ogukwe did not have the opportunity to play basketball at an early age.

“I started when I was pretty much grown and gained height,” Ogukwe said. I picked up the game late and have been playing catch up to the guys who were blessed to play early.”

Regardless of not being able to play as a child, Ogukwe ended

RELOADS continued from B1 In those two years, he had more than 50 tackles and 13 interceptions.

Liberty brought in two safeties to complete the secondary — Avery “AJ” James from South Carolina and Cameron Jackson from Texas.

“AJ is very talented, long, tall and physical.” Recruiting Coordinator Marshall Roberts said. “He’s very mature, and he goes about his business systematically, every day.”

During James’ senior year, he notched 91 tackles, 12 pass breakups and four forced turnovers.

Jackson was also a coveted pick, according to Codefensive Coordinator Vantz

Les Schofer | Liberty University

DUNK CITY — Ogukwe throws down a slam dunk. up playing Division I basketball with only a few years of experience under his belt.

“When I came to college, I was blown away to say the least,” Ogukwe said. “It took a lot of devotion, in terms of extra work, Singletary.

“This one here, I tell you, man, he’s really special,” Singletary said. “Talk about character, talk about leadership, an athlete, a guy who is passionate for Christ. I mean he’s just got so many intangibles.

How could you go wrong with somebody like that? … He’s just an unbelievable steal.”

Linebacker Lucas Irons, a Florida native, was called “explosive” by Defensive Coordinator Robert Wimberly. Irons also had an impressive senior season with 77 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions.

“He can run,” Wimberly said. “He’s aggressive. He has great instincts. He makes plays on the football, and so we’re really excited to have him.”

Incoming defensive linemen Javon Majors and Tolen Avery

to catch up.”

During his freshman year, he appeared in 30 games.

“My freshman year, I still hold it today as my best year at Liberty,” Ogukwe said. “I had a balance in a sense, where basketball

were key targets for the Flames recruiting staff. Passing Game Coordinator Joe Dailey said Majors could “make our defense instantly better with his arrival.”

Gill also gave the offense plenty to work with as well.

Quarterback Josh Woodrum and running back Desmond Rice will have two new offensive linemen and a new fullback protecting them.

Daquin Edwards is a fullback that knows how to block, catch and run. The Floridian ran for more than 1,600 yards in his last two seasons and scored 12 touchdowns.

Wimberly said he is a mobile athlete with great hands and a physical blocker.

Offensive linemen James Passmore and Greg Storey were big pickups for the

RESERVE YOURS TODAY 434-258-3122 •

www.MoveToThevue.coM

was great, academics was great, and had great hallmates.”

Ogukwe relished the moments of his freshman year at Liberty, as he told a story about his roommates chanting his name at one game in which he played well.

“There was this crazy game once, and they were there screaming, ‘Sommy! Sommy!

Sommy!’” Ogukwe said. “Every time I sit back and think about it, it still brings me a lot of joy.”

Despite the progress he made in his freshman year, Ogukwe hit a setback when he suffered a knee injury his sophomore season, which resulted in him missing the entire season and ultimately affected his overall progress as a basketball player.

“Even today in my low moments, I ask God why the injury (happened),” Ogukwe said. “I still don’t know the benefits of the injury. Did it set me back?

Yes, it did. I am still playing catch up. Not to use that as an excuse.

It is what it is.”

Despite Ogukwe’s lofty expectations, his injury has not set back his positive attitude.

“Sometimes when I think, ‘God why me, why me?’” Ogukwe said. “(But) you have to sit back and look at millions of other people going through worse conditions. Instead of counting your failures or mishaps, count your blessings.”

One of those blessings, Ogukwe said, is being thankful for having access to things he never had in Africa, and he hopes to never lose sight of that.

After college, Ogukwe hopes to pursue a basketball career in Europe if his numbers are competitive. If not, Ogukwe will not hold on to disappointment but will keep pursing his dream of being successful.

JEFFERSON is a sports reporter.

Flames. Assistant Coach Dennis Wagner said he was pleased to have both.

“Greg’s a big young man, very athletic,” Wagner said. “... We want our guys to be athletic, and Storey’s got a great prototype as far as body, a big, long, lean guy that could run.”

Wagner is also excited to work with Passmore, the threetime Offinsive Lineman of the Year in North Carolina. His footwork and talent also make him valuable to this recruiting class. Additionally, the Flames also added another quarterback, J.T. Bradwell, who they believe has a great chance to start in the future.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

HAYWOOD is a sports reporter.

HITTING THE TRAIL — Gill recuited players from across the country.

Liberty Champion/B4

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion

GOING FOR THE GOLD — The United States looks to improve upon its gold and total medal counts during the final week of the XXII Winter Olympics.

Highs and lows of the Olympics American star athletes have had inconsistent performances in their marquee events in the Sochi Games Tom Foote tfoote2@liberty.edu

Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu

Whether you watch the Olympics for the competition, in support of your country or to see the progress on Bob Costas’ pink eyes, there has been something for everyone in the XXII Winter Olympics.

Most of the 230 American Olympians entered Sochi with a chance to cement their legacy on a world stage. Many unknown stars have made an impact by simply representing their country.

Blunders After pulling out of snowboard slopestyle due to a minor wrist injury and poor course conditions, Shaun White, the most recognized U.S. winter Olympian, stumbled in his pursuit of capturing his third straight Olympic gold in halfpipe, finishing fourth. The rituals of doing the same thing at every Olympics, such as going to the opening ceremony, did not help White when he faced terrible halfpipe conditions, nearly breaking his board in half on the deck.

Along with White, Shani Davis and the entire speed skating team failed to live up to expectations. Davis was defeated in all three speed skating events, and his best finish was eighth place in the 1,000-meter

STREAK continued from B1 line on 17 tries. Conversely, the Keydets went 15-17 from the charity stripe.

“I think Stevie Wonder could see that (free throws were the biggest difference maker),” Flames Head Coach Dale Layer said. “When you’re shooting 72 percent from the free throw line (on the season) and end up with a 6-17 night, it’s disappointing, because that’s certainly the game.”

Layer tinkered with the starting lineup for the third time in four games in an effort to snap a five-game losing streak, benching season-long starter Davon Marshall for Joe Retic. Marshall, who was shooting 31 percent from the field on the season, responded to his new role by finding his shot, scoring 10 points on 4-9 shooting. Retic had nine points and dished out four assists in his first start of the year.

Layer was not committed to keeping Retic in the starting lineup, but said he liked the way Marshall played coming off the bench.

“It was different catching the feel and the vibe of the game (coming off the bench), but in the second half, I feel like I caught it,” Marshall said. “It motivated me to go play harder.”

race. America failed to capture any medals in any event, while the Netherlands raked in 16 of their 17 total medals in speed skating, giving them the early lead in the overall medal count.

The Spectacular and Unexpected Although White did not achieve his glory, he opened the door for 20-yearold Sage Kotsenburg to win his first gold medal in snowboard slopestyle. Kotsenburg gave the Americans their first gold medal in the Olympics by performing a trick that he claims to have never attempted before.

Unknown to world before his bronze finish in the skelton, Matt Antoine ended a 12-year drought for the Americans. In his final heat, Antoine finished with a time of 56.73, 0.01 seconds faster than Latvian favorite Tomass Durkus.

Another athlete who has caught the eye of millions across the world is 15-year-old Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia.

After a mere three minutes, Lipnitskaia had the world mesmerized with her short program, and her program in the finals has become one of the most anticipated events of the Olympics.

While Russia has had a solid outing in the figure skating short dance program, the American team of Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who have been dancing for 17 years, clinched their first gold medal, defeating the 2010 gold mealist Burrus was a bright spot for the Flames offensively, starting strong by scoring eight of the team’s first 12 points and finishing with a team-high 23. Sanders and Marshall were the only other Flames to tally double figures with 11 and 10, respectively. Andrew Smith and Retic had nine apiece.

VMI, who the Flames beat 85-80 earlier in the year, went into the half with a 33-26 lead, and led by as much as 12 in the second half before a 12-0 Flames run deadlocked the score, which remained close until the final few seconds.

“Everybody was like, ‘We can’t let this happen again’ (after going down 12 early in the second half), especially after the last performance against GardnerWebb,” Burrus said.

The Flames will attempt to break a sixgame losing streak, their longest slump of the season, Wednesday, Feb. 19 when they travel to face Big South North Divison co-leader High Point at 7 p.m.

“We just gotta keep practicing hard, because if you give up, you don’t have a chance of winning,” Burrus said. “You keep going hard and if it turns around, it turns around.”

TICHENOR is a sports reporter.

Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

Davis and White scored an Olympic record 195.52.

After two lapses during the first week of the Olympics, Bode Miller finally capitalized on his opportunity to tie Bonnie Blair as the second-most-decorated winter Olympian in U.S. history when he captured bronze in the super-G alpine skiing event. Miller emotionally wept on the podium, dedicating the victory to his younger brother, Chelone Miller, who passed away last year after a seizure.

Miracle on Ice 2.0 In the most anticipated hockey game of the preliminary round of hockey, the U.S. team took on the Russians in their home country. Although the landscape has changed drastically since the miracle on ice in 1980, the U.S. still entered the competition with a chip on its shoulder.

After being tied 2-2 at the end of three back-and-forth periods and a scoreless overtime, the U.S. and Russia headed to a shootout. During the shootout, the miracle on ice part two occurred. As the underdog spirit would suggest, 27-yearold Washington native T.J. Oshie was the unknown athlete who created a legendary Olympic moment for the U.S. Oshie took advantage of International Ice Hockey Federation shootout rules, scoring four of six shootout attempts, outdueling Russian superstars Ilya Kovalchuck, Pavel Dat-

Tim Hipps | Creative Commons

PRIDE — Americans flaunt their colors. syuk and goaltender Sergi Bobrovsky en route to becoming an American hero.

The win helped ensure that the U.S. won their group, going undefeated and outscoring their opponents 15-4 in three games. By winning the group, the U.S. clinched an automatic bye into the quarterfinals, where they will compete Wednesday against either Slovakia or the Czech Republic.

FOOTE is the asst. sports editor.

BATTLE is the sports editor.

NEW DONOR FEES HAVE INCREASED.

EARN $250

FOR YOUR FIRST 5 DONATIONS!

Donate Plasma Today & Be Somebody’s Hero For Life.

Plasma donors help people with disorders of the blood and immune system.

A

s a plasma donor, you can earn money,* but best of all you have the satisfaction of knowing you are making a profound difference in someone’s life.

Octapharma Plasma’s conveniently located centers have free Wifi and most are open 7 days a week.

*Programs and fees vary per location Call your local center below for more information.

DONORS MUST Be age 18-64 Be in good health Have a valid picture ID & Social Security number Show proof of residence postmarked within last 30 days

You Could Earn up to $400 a Month!

6015 Fort Ave., Suite 23 Lynchburg, VA 24502 (434) 237-6861

www.octapharmaplasma.com Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion

GETTING BUCKETS — Liberty senior guard Davon Marshall attempts a layup.

BRING THIS AD & RECEIVE A $5 BONUS WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR FIRST DONATION!

FEATURE

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Liberty Champion/B5

Finding ‘The Road to Omaha’ After a strong sophomore season, Ashton Perritt hopes to lead the Flames into uncharted territory Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu

After a long offseason of practice and waiting, the date was finally Feb. 11, and only 10 hours remained before the Liberty Flames baseball team would leave for Jacksonville, Fla., to begin its 2014 season. As players, coaches and other staff prepared for the trip, junior Ashton Perritt stood only a few steps away from the Flames locker room in front of a wall decorated with a mural that perfectly summarizes the current mindset of the Liberty baseball team.

The mural includes a black, dotted line making its way across a U.S. map from Lynchburg, Va., to Omaha, Ne., the site of the annual NCAA College World Series. Above the line in bold, black letters is the phrase, “The Road to Omaha Starts Here.”

Those words might as well be printed on the front of Perritt’s jersey for the next few months, because after a strong sophomore season that included Big South Tournament MVP honors, it has become increasingly clear that he will be a huge part of the Flames future plans.

“We got a small taste of what we could do last year, and this year, we’re coming back stronger,” Perritt said. “We have confidence with the whole program that we want to go there. We’ve all been working our rears off for it.”

When Perritt, now a junior, arrived in Lynchburg, Va., for his freshman year of college, he was used to contributing to athletic teams in a big way. Whether he was earning football conference player of the year honors at Indiana’s Whiteland Community High School or roaming the outfield when spring came around, he seemed destined for college sports stardom.

As a freshman in the spring of 2012, Perritt looked for every opportunity he could find to contribute to the Flames baseball team, mostly pinch running and providing defensive help in the outfield late in games. Two years later, he will now be filling very different roles for the Flames as the team’s closer on the mound and everyday center fielder, in addition to serving as one of the team’s four captains.

“Freshman year was really tough, to have a small role like that,” Perritt said.

“It was a blessing to still contribute, but to do what I’m doing now, it just shows you how big God is and how humbling all of it is to be able to realize that you can work

Photo Provided

TURNING HEADS — Baseball America ranked Perritt as the 98th-best prospect in all of college baseball. your way up in certain situations.”

Perritt and the Flames both had breakout seasons in 2013. As a team, Liberty won the Big South Conference Championship and advanced to an NCAA regional, defeating the Clemson University Tigers twice before ending its season the way it began, with a defeat at the hands of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. As a sophomore two-way player, Perritt played a large part in his team’s success, taking over right field and emerging as one of the most reliable arms out of the Flames bullpen.

Although playing multiple positions is not uncommon in both professional and collegiate baseball, college teams are notorious for using multitalented players like Perritt as position players and turning them loose on the mound in the late innings of close games.

“I wish we had 35 players like him,” Flames Head Coach Jim Toman said. “I mean, he’s actually two players in one.

Offering 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms just minutes from Liberty!

Call today!

434.534.3003 Cornerstone

434.525.1202 Jefferson Commons

www.gracepropertiesofva.com

He’s a position player and a pitcher. With the way the NCAA sets up rosters, you’re only allowed 35 guys, and if you have three or four injuries — like we do have — a two-way guy is very valuable because they’re hitting in the lineup, and they also can help us on the mound.”

As a former football cornerback who received attention from Big 10 schools such as the University of Michigan, Indiana University and Purdue University, Perritt is no stranger to adapting to different types of athletics. Despite his natural ability, he described how tough it can be to put in the necessary work in practice as a pitcher and a position player.

“I would say it’s definitely harder on your body, but I think you just have to be smarter with the way you work,” Perritt said. “You can’t throw as hard as you can from the outfield every day. I feel like it hasn’t really hindered me that much.

I would say maybe it’s more tiring on my body, but I’ve learned to basically

suck it up.”

Perritt mainly relied on a low-to-mid90s fastball with a sharp curveball to get outs from the bullpen last season. This year, he plans to use his changeup more often to keep hitters honest, but according to Toman, Perritt will not have to change much to continue his success.

“If you throw 90 to 95 with a good breaking ball and a changeup and throw strikes and compete and work fast, we’re not going to tell him how to pitch,” Toman said. “We’re going to hand him the ball when it’s time to pitch and say go pitch.”

Perritt might get the opportunity to do just that when he steps onto the turf at the Liberty Baseball Stadium as a team captain for the first time Tuesday, Feb. 18 when the Flames take on Old Dominion University at 3 p.m.

LEASURE is the editor-in-chief.

FEATURE

Liberty Champion/B6

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

DELICIOUS — Cao prides itself on using only the finest ingredients for its homemade chocolate and chocolate products.

Chocolate shop inspired by the movies Jessica Jordan jmjordan3@liberty.edu

Inspiration meets decadence at Cao Artisan Chocolate, a specialty chocolate shop, located in downtown Lynchburg.

According to the shop’s website, the chocolate and other items sold at this small shop is of the highest quality, as it is only made from the finest and most expensive cacao beans on the market, the Trinitario and Criollo beans.

The most common and easiest grown cacao bean is the Forestero bean, which is where 90 percent of the world’s cacao comes from, thus making it a typical ingredient in chocolate.

According to shop owners and chocolate connoisseurs Carl and Mary Matice, they believe that chocolate should only be made from the finest ingredients available and seek to only provide customers such products.

“We delight in developing amazing chocolates and pastries without the additives, fillers or junk that makes cacao into candy,” Mary Matice said. “We are dedicated to providing products to our clients with transparent ingredients and health conscious development in every step.”

Carl and Mary Matice credit the creation of their speciality chocolate shop to the movie “Chocolat,” which, according to imdb.com, was made in 2000 and is about a chocolate shop that reminded a small town how to have a passion for life again.

The couple decided to embark on what Mary Matice calls “a marital enriching adventure” of making cacao into chocolate.

Their creation of chocolate began as a hobby and grew into a deep passion that they hold today.

Mary Matice and her husband moved to Lynchburg so that she could pursue her master’s degree, but they were in-

stantly charmed with the area and tantalized by the idea of turning their chocolate making hobby into an income. Thus, the Cao Artisan Chocolate shop was born. The name of the shop has a very specific meaning according to Mary Matice. “(We named our shop) Cao to indicate that we make it fresh from the cacao bean, artisan because we put great care, skill and creativity into every product and chocolate because, well, it is,” Mary Matice said.

According to its website, Cao serves various chocolate specialties such as baking bars, chocolate barks and an assortment of truffles. The shop even sells chocolate products that are meant for nontraditional purposes, such as facial bars.

Their facial bars only contain four ingredients: chocolate, cocoa butter, cacao husks, and oatmeal.

Chocolate contains caffeine, which firms skin and cocoa butter

softens it, according to Mary Matice. Though the bar is completely edible, it is meant to be used as a unique exfoliant that will leave skin smoother and firmer.

While the goal of the shop is to sell chocolate, the impact that Cao Artisan Chocolate has had on the community extends much further than just that, according to Mary Matice.

“Food is a big deal,” Mary Matice said. “It draws us together, nourishes our bodies and enriches our lives. … We are big on quality, but we are also big on community. We are excited to be a part of the revitalization of downtown Lynchburg.

Lynchburg is rich with history and local flair. We want to add value to our community through this store with unique events and to encourage more local interest and tourism.”

In the future, Cao Artisan Chocolate hopes to expand its online and wholesale presence

in the community. Mary Matice said she hopes that over the next few years, the lounge at Cao can be developed further so more coffee and wine pairing events can be hosted in the shop.

However, for now, Mary Matice said that she feels Cao provides the best chocolate with the best ingredients in the best date night form and encourages Liberty University students to check out the shop for all their sweet tooth cravings.

Cao Artisan Chocolate has tours and tastings every Saturday. Cao will be hosting events throughout the year and plans to post those events on its Facebook page and on discoverlynchburg. org.

For more information on Cao Artisan Chocolate, visit caoartisanchocolates.com/ or call (434) 847-2970.

JORDAN is a feature reporter.

Called to serve kids Alumna now leads the Lighthouse Kids Minsitry in Lynchburg Olivia Brown obrown5@liberty.edu

As she was growing up, Sarah Singer found it hard to believe that God’s love was unconditional, because she was raised in a rough home.

Now, she is the director of the Lighthouse Kids Ministry and uses her past to develop a connection and love for the people of downtown Lynchburg.

Singer grew up in Cumberland County, New Jersey, and followed God’s call to attend Liberty University in the fall of 2010. The following year, she volunteered to help with the children’s ministry at Lighthouse, a community center located in downtown Lynchburg.

“The first week (that I volunteered), Holly (Leidstrand) and my friend Jess and a few of us went and picked up, like, 10 kids max,” Singer said. “We fed them dinner and then someone played a horribly boring hymn … and then we played a game and then straight up just shared the gospel.”

The Lighthouse Kids Ministry is composed of three groups. The Lighthouse Precious Jewels, a group of 5th through 10th grade girls, meet every Saturday night.

The 1st through 4th grade boys and girls, known as the Lighthouse Littles, meet at a

different location every Sunday. The Lighthouse boys meet every Sunday as well, but at a location that has a gym with enough space for the boys to be active.

Singer said that the children’s ministry grew about a month after she began volunteering. Currently, approximately 160 children attend each week and about 47 to 50 adults volunteer between the three programs.

“We always are looking for volunteers who are willing to serve to the point where it hurts a little bit — (those) who are willing to say, ‘I’m going to get my hands dirty in this (and) invest in these lives even when it kind of cuts into my time that I have for other things,’” Singer said.

Laura Mayo, a Lighthouse volunteer since October of 2013, heard about the ministry after leading some of the children through Scaremare. Since then, she has felt that this ministry was where she needed to serve.

“My favorite part of the ministry is, week after week, the beautiful glimmers of hope I get to see in these little lives,” Mayo said. “I love that not only am I being able to make an immediate impact, but I’m getting to show these kids how to redefine normal. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

Devon Osei, the site coordinator for the older boys, was told about the ministry through his friend, who knew of his interest in youth ministry.

“I just want the guys I help with to know there’s a God that loves them more than their deepest desires for things of this world,” Osei said.

In the summer of 2012, Singer became the director of the kids ministry after Leidstrand went to Nepal.

“Sarah is really a neat mix,” Perry said. “She’s got … vision, but she also is organized enough to put the details into something to make it happen. … I’m thankful for her abilities to, you know, sit down and try to organize a plan of how are we gonna get from A to Z.” Singer has set up some goals for the ministry for the next year. This year, they are working toward starting another Lighthouse center in a different location that will be closer to the kids’ homes.

“I want to teach these kids and their families how to be disciples that make disciples,” Singer said. “That’s what I want to see and I think that’s what God’s desire is.”

BROWN is a feature reporter.

Photo Provided

RECLAIM— Rose Initiative recently began the sale of bracelets that help support the pro-life mission.

Rose: Taking a stand

Nicole Steenburgh nksteenburgh@liberty.edu

A heartbeat is one of the first evidences of a baby’s life, one of the first things a doctor will look for on the ultrasound, according to Parents magazine.

Rose Initiative, a pro-life organization based out of Lynchburg, Va., is drawing attention to the importance of a heartbeat through due date bracelets. “(The bracelets) have actual due dates of mothers who have chosen life,” Hillary Kline, associate staff member at Rose Initiative, said. “It connects you with the mother in a personal way.”

While Rose does support mothers internationally and across the U.S., the money from these bracelets will support the mothers at the Liberty Godparent Home.

“We are immensely blessed to partner with the Godparent Home,” Kline said.

“It is an honor and a privilege to spend time with them and hear their story.”

The Rose Initiative has extended the opportunity to support these mothers through selling bracelets on Liberty’s campus.

“It is campus’s opportunity to be a part of the redemptive story that is unfolding and taking place in their lives,” Kline said.

The bracelet sale is only one of the ways to support Rose, according to Kline. Students can be supportive through prayer and can raise awareness through social media, which helps reflect Rose’s mission.

According to the Rose Initiative’s mission statement, the organization is “a movement on mission to unite, reclaim and celebrate the sacred gift of life through the gospel of Jesus Christ,” This mission is so important because of the impact abortion has had on culture, according to Kline.

“Abortion is so prevalent, and we feel like we can’t talk about it,” Kline said. “It is abstract and distant, it is an overwhelming issue … but he is God despite all these things. This is what Rose is about — Christ and his story.”

Through Rose’s website, young women can find the beginning steps of support and encouragement they need. The initiative’s website presents the message of Christ’s hope and the healing he can bring.

“We aim to reclaim our sacred existence one day at a time,” roseinitiative.com says.

STEENBURGH is the feature editor.

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

FEATURE

Liberty Champion/B7

Foreign missions shape personality Missionary kids have the opportunity to explore the world and learn about parts of foreign cultures that others may never see Elizabeth Brownd ebrownd@liberty.edu

Liberty’s recent Global Focus Week began with international students presenting the flags of their home countries. However, there are some Liberty students who do not always know which country to call home. They are missionary kids.

Because they grow up in several places, missionary kids often adopt a mix of cultures.

Jessika Sams is a prime example of someone who has embraced multiple traditions.

She has lived in five countries besides the United States and her most recent home was the United Kingdom.

“The majority of my personal culture is very American, but because I grew up overseas, I also carry parts of those cultures with me,” Sams said. “They all mix together to make up who I am.”

Ben Franks lived in Poland for five years and said he views himself as more Polish than American. He said his favorite missionary kid experience was having church inside a castle. But amazing experiences aside, he said he wishes more people would ask him about overseas ministry and not just whether he can speak Polish.

Alex Adams, a missionary kid who has lived in three European countries, also said that being asked what languages he speaks can get tiresome. He did say, however, that he enjoys finally living in a country where he does not have to worry about understanding what is being said around him.

Sage Lewis is a missionary kid who used to live in Thailand. She said that the one question she gets tired of answering is “Where are you from?”

“That’s the most difficult question for (missionary kids) to answer,” Lewis said.

“We aren’t really from there. And for me, being from Thailand doesn’t make much sense to most, because I don’t look Asian.”

Sams added that one of the hardest parts of being an missionary kid is not being able to go back to the places she loves.

“For most of the places I’ve lived, I haven’t been given a chance to return,” she said. “It’s not like a favorite restaurant that I can return to every once in a while.

I’ve had to say goodbye to the culture and the people I knew and know that I might

Photo Provided

CULTURE — Elizabeth Brownd, Jessika Sams, Shannon Rutledge and Kaylee Akers are missionary kids at Liberty. never have those experiences again.”

Olivia Brown said something similar, stating that it is hard not being able to see her family over the holidays. She said she misses them and being a part of their ministry.

Aside from family, Brown, Franks and Sams all cited food as the thing they miss most.

“Everything else is usually replaceable or has similarities here in the U.S.,” Sams said. “But each country has a unique way of doing food that doesn’t normally translate across borders. Unless it’s McDonalds. That pretty much stays the same wherever you are.”

For Sams, coming back to the U.S. was a relief. After being surrounded by spiritual deadness, she was ready to be at Lib-

erty with others who could help her grow in her faith.

However, Brown and Adams had a more difficult time readjusting. Both struggled with homesickness and loneliness when they first arrived.

“It was very hard coming back,” Brown said. “I had a difficult time making friends, because I closed myself off since I believed that no one else knew what I was going through. ... I had to learn to find things I had in common with other Americans.”

In spite of the challenges, all missionary kids who were interviewed agreed that being a missionary kid was a positive experience. Some of the advantages they mentioned included traveling the world, seeing other cultures up close, having friends from different countries and learn-

ing to appreciate people who are different.

“I got to collect several friends from different areas, so I have multiple spheres of influence,” Adams said.

Sams encouraged her fellow students to broaden their own horizons by making friends who do not fit into their regular groups of friends. She specifically encouraged students to form friendships with international students and learn from their experiences as well.

“I would be a very different person if not for my missionary kid past,” Sams said. “Growing up outside of the U.S. has given me a love for other cultures, a desire to see the world and a desire to take the word of God to the nations.”

BROWND is a feature reporter.

B8

FEATURE

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Photos Provided

CHAMPIONS — Liberty students Brandon Roehm, Jesse Keyton, Keith Eshleman and Peter Horning (right) won the Liberty Champion Snowman Contest.

The British are coming Coffeehouse takes on a foreign theme Trish Hess phess3@liberty.edu

Photo Provided

CREATIVE — The grammy-winning band used their surfing trip around the world for inspiration.

From the surf to the stage Student Activities will host a Switchfoot concert featuring songs from “Fading West” Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu

The members of the band Switchfoot have always felt at home in the ocean. Whether they are exploring the oceans near their hometown of San Diego or places like New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, the surfing lifestyle has always been a large part of Switchfoot’s identity as a band.

Liberty University students will have the chance to hear the Grammy-winning band perform some of their surfing lifestyle-inspired songs from their ninth and newest album, “Fading West,” in a Liberty Student Activities-run concert at Thomas Road Baptist Church Friday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.

“We worked for about two years on this project, making the album and the film ‘Fading West,’” Switchfoot drummer Chad Butler said. “It is incredible to finally have both of these projects see the light of day, and now that the tour is starting, we can’t wait to play all of these songs live.”

The movie “Fading West,” which was released in the fall of 2013, follows the members of Switchfoot and their journey to some of their favorite surfing spots from around the world. According to Butler, the adventure also fueled the band’s musical creativity, which inspired many of the songs on the new album that was released Jan. 14, 2014.

“We went to four or five different locations around the globe …

and just found that in those elements, in the new environments, we were chasing not only waves but new songs and new sounds,” Butler said.

In addition to hearing new music, Butler said Switchfoot fans at Liberty should be prepared for an extra surprise if they attend the Student Activities concert.

“I think this will be one for the record books,” Butler said. “…

Without giving too much away, get ready for lasers.”

Tickets for the concert, which will also feature the Kopecky Family Band, are available for purchase at liberty.edu/sa or at the Vines Center Box Office.

LEASURE is the editor-in-chief.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of The Beatles emergence in America, the theme for this year’s spring Coffeehouse is British Invasion. Coffeehouse is hosted by Liberty University’s Student Activities (SA) and will take place Saturday, March 29 at 11:30 p.m..

Tryouts for the Britishthemed show will take place March 3-7 at 5-10 p.m. in the Tilley Student Center.

Tryouts are held each semester for a week, and auditions help SA put together a show that includes variety and allows SA to pick acts that best fit the theme of the show.

To help inspire students when auditioning, SA provides a list of movies, TV shows and music that fit the theme. This year’s list features bands like Pink Floyd, Muse, Oasis and The Beatles. TV shows on the list include “Dr. Who” and “S Club 7,” and movies such as “James Bond” and “The Princess Bride” can also provide inspiration, according to the list.

Coffeehouse provides an opportunity for students to show their talents to their peers and Liberty faculty, according to Stephanie Ward, associate director of SA.

“Each year, our spring Coffeehouse theme is different,” Ward said. “That alone makes the show completely new to prior years. We work hard to cater our acts, videos and decorations to the theme, which allows for us to create variety from year to year.”

Because there is a new theme for each Coffeehouse, which is held once a semester, students can look forward to a show that is unique. All kinds of acts, ranging from singing to dancing, are performed during Coffeehouse. Students are also encouraged to submit any videos that are funny and entertaining and that go along with the theme.

“We get a lot of bands and dance groups that try out, which is great for our theme,” Ward said. “However, we encourage students or groups to try out with unique talents that still fit within our theme.”

Tickets for general admission are $3 in advance and can be purchased online at liberty.edu/sa or at the Vines Center Box Office. For more information about spring Coffeehouse, visit liberty.edu/sa.

HESS is a feature reporter.