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Volume 33 | Issue 3 Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Spread hope

go fetch

Week events help reach the world

Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu

Global Focus Week kicked off Monday, Feb. 8 at Liberty University and is in full swing across campus. Students now get the opportunity to familiarize themselves with countries from all over the world with culturally engaging events planned throughout the week.

The semi-annual conference, which is sponsored by Liberty’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE), is scheduled to run through Friday, Feb. 12. With it, Global Focus Week brings talks from professionals in global studies, cultural break sessions and a week-long exhibit showcasing 46 different global organizations.

“You don’t have to get on a plane and fly across an ocean to witness another culture,” CGE Coordinator of Special Projects Jonny Williams said. “All of our cultures are intermingled in our world, especially in the U.S., and (Global Focus Week) expresses that.”

Monday’s events included a number of Global Talks — miniature “Ted Talk”-style presentations in which viewers were given a look into the humanity of language from linguistics professor Dr. Jaeshil Kim — and a presentation of the cultural significance of henna art from guests Monica Waters and Sydney Egan.

Global Focus Week will continue with events designed as study breaks, called culture breaks, where students will have opportunities to experience other cultures through small stations that represent a variety of countries throughout the globe.

On Tuesday, for example, an international board game station will be hosted, where board games from places such as Korea, Italy and Africa will be brought for students to play.

Wednesday brings with it a crêpe tasting, and a Japanese origami segment will be hosted Thursday. All culture breaks last from 2-4 p.m. and will be hosted in the Jerry Falwell Library.

Two separate events, one highlighting Western European culture and the other Israeli culture, are also scheduled to take place Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Each event has five components to it — food, language, geography, art and religion — and will take place in the Library Terrace Conference Room.

“We’ll have crêpes, gelato and British tea for examples of postmodern food and falafels, hummus and Israeli salad for examples of Israeli food,” Williams said. “For the art sections, a play from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” will be performed, and students will be given a lesson in krav maga.”

The conference also offers a Taste of Nations Food Festival Tuesday at 8 p.m., and global-minded speakers will be premiered during Liberty’s Convocation lineup throughout the week.

The purpose of Global Focus Week, according to Williams, is to highlight some of the best and most unique aspects of cultures from all

See WORLDWIDE, A2

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

LEAP — Flying Houndz Frizbee performed at halftime Feb. 2, showing off the dogs’ ability to jump, fetch and retrieve cross-court throws.

Construction continues Updates on new building projects around Liberty’s campus Cierra Carter cmcarter18@liberty.edu

Crawler cranes and Bobcats on Liberty University’s growing campus are popular sights, and the spring 2016 semester is no different. With the steady increase of students on campus, the university is making arrangements to best accommodate the growing crowd.

The female wing of Residential Commons II opened, and students formerly living in the Annex made their way to main campus. Due to protocol suggested by the Office of Student Housing, the students were able to move in after the first week of classes.

“We typically try to move the students as soon as they arrive,” Charles Spence, senior vice president for construction and planning, said. “We really don’t like to move them at all during the spring semester because it’s a hardship on them. … This particular time, it was just unavoidable. It’s when the

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

BUILD — Progress continues on the new student center that is planned to open in the fall of 2016. building was ready.”

A notable addition to campus has been the large flowerpots outside of the Vines Center. These not only added curb appeal to one of the campus’ most visited locations but also serve safety purposes. The

new flowerpots offer more security to the building and will help restrict drivers from parking in front of the building and stopping the flow of traffic.

“They were an effort to soften up the hardscape out there (as) part of the campus

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

News

Hundreds of students apply to see if they can fill the role of RA for A8 next year.

Opinion

Texas courts rules against Planned Parenthood video makers.

Sports A5

Men’s hockey sweeps Oakland in weekend series.

Feature B4

Sodexo plans fun food events for the upcoming weeks.

B8

beautification plan,” Spence said.

“At the same time they helped with the (presidential candidates). The police department was part of the request.”

See UPDATE, A7

News Opinion

A1 A4

Sports Feature

B1 B5

news

A2 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

GUEST — Erwin McManus spoke in Liberty Convocation Feb. 3 about creativity.

CONVOCATION RECAP

Mitchell Bryant | Liberty University News Service

SERVANT — Jentezen Franklin addressed students about confronting fears Feb. 5

Kaitlyn Becker Johnson | Liberty University News Service

PASSION — Francis Chan spoke to students about Christian suffering Jan. 29

WORLDWIDE continued from A1

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

INFO — Students have the opportunity to speak with missionaries.

over the world to spread awareness of multicultural diversity.

“We live in a globalized world, so we want to get students actively involved with real-time global needs,” Williams said.

“Basically, the purpose of all this is to provide opportunities for students to be engaged globally in God’s work.”

In order to do so, Global Focus Week is also hosting an exhibit hall that will run throughout

CAMPUS CALENDAR 2/9

2/9

2/9

2/10

2/11

2/11

2/13

2/13

2/18

- Culture Break: Global Games 2 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library - Sentara Healthcare Information Session 6 p.m. | DeMoss Hall 1079 - African American Heritage Month: Merge Worship 7 p.m. | R.C. Whorley Prayer Chapel - Europe: Into the Post-Modern Mind 5 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library - Culture Break: Japanese Origami 2 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library - Campus Outreach Club Meeting 7 p.m. | DeMoss Hall 3345 - Ski Trip 4 p.m. | Wintergreen, VA - John Mark McMillan w/ Kings Kaleidoscope 8 p.m. | Vines Center - Dylan Vestal feat. Jake Ziegler 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space

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the week in the grand entrance of DeMoss Hall. The exhibit features international service organizations such as Wycliffe, Crossworld and WorldVenture that are looking for students to volunteer to help overseas.

Williams said he hopes the exhibit hall and the other similar events happening throughout Global Focus Week will create more interest in global work from students who never thought they might be interested before.

“We want students who have never interacted with anything like

this before to experience an awakening of the heart toward God’s global work,” Williams said. “Every (student’s) life can serve for a global impact no matter who they are, whatever their passions are, and whatever the degree they’re striving to get.”

To find out more about Global Focus Week and to view the full schedule of events, visit liberty. edu/academics/globalengagement.

YOUNG is a feature reporter.

Champion corrections In the previous two issues of the Liberty Champion, the following words were misspelled: Issue 1, Jan. 26 Presidental-presidential Universtiy-university Activitist-activist Devestated-devastated Potrayed- portrayed Issue 2, Feb. 2 Preform- perform The following are factual errors: Issue 1, Jan. 26 Page A2- In the caption of the picture in the “New Program Partnership” article, Dr. Ronald Godwin was mistakenly referred to as Dr. Ronald Hawkins.

Page B6- In the caption of the picture in the “Social Media Mogul” article, Dr. Chris Underation was mistakenly referred to as Christ Underation.

Issue 2, Feb. 2 Katelyn Rutt, not Abby Sweeney, wrote the article “Broadway background” on B7 Abby Sweeney, not Katelyn Rutt, wrote the article “Disney Design” on B6 Editor’s Note: We strive for perfection in all things and to reflect timely and accurate reporting. The above errors were unfortunately overlooked before publishing, but the staff of The Liberty Champion is dedicated to correcting all errors and will continue to strive toward accuracy in the future.

news

Liberty Champion | February 9, 2016 | A3

Hooah Hut discovered Liberty students share story about building the tree house behind East Campus Matthew Pierce mpierce17@liberty.edu

In only two months’ time, five friends on East Campus constructed a two-story tree house in the woods behind their dorm, East 53. They were beginning construction on a third story when the Liberty University Police Department (LUPD) deemed the structure unsafe and requested the students no longer went up to the tree house until it could be deemed safe and secure.

Brian Cross, Chase Giess, Jakob Knisley, Robbie Moretz and Aaron O’Donnell decided on a whim that a tree house would be a great project for them to take on, according to Moretz. Giess, Knisley, Moretz and O’Donnell are all ROTC members in their junior year.

Each of the builders described the tree house, which they call the Hooah Hut, as a place where they can relax and share stories together. “‘Hooah’ is an army term,” Moretz said.

“It’s a motivational thing.”

The Hooah Hut is constructed completely from wood from a local hardware store, pieces of wood they chopped down, or scraps from construction sites around campus, according to Moretz. Except for a few pieces that required a drill, these five students used a hammer and nails to hold the entire tree house together.

“We went to Lowe’s, got some 2-by4s and just started building,” Moretz said. “No blueprints or anything. We just started nailing stuff.”

After beginning construction Jan. 30, 2015, each of them would find time two or three days out of the week to work for a couple of hours. Though they were not always able to work together at the same time, each of them committed to put in an equal amount of effort. Construction was completed March 30, 2015.

“After class there would always be one or two people up there working, and it would cycle back when people had free time,” O’Donnell said.

When they would spend time in the Hooah Hut together, after construction was completed, they would typically swap stories of some of their best and funniest memories together. Moretz recounted his funny memory during construction — when he was hammering in a log and accidently slipped. He landed on his ribs and rolled all the way down the hill, and once he sat up, everyone else was staring at him and waiting to see how he would respond.

Everyone started laughing.

One evening an LUPD officer approached the Hooah Hut while they were inside after noticing an unusual light from inside the forest. If they were ever in the Hooah Hut at night, they would light a few tiki torches on the porch on the second level. That evening, multiple LUPD officers showed up to see what was going on behind East Campus. “(The school wants) to make a student body project,” Moretz said. “I’m not really sure what that means, but that’s the last thing I heard.”

Since the discussion with LUPD, caution tape was put around the Hooah Hut until it could be determined if the structure was stable. Moretz claims they have significantly less time to go up there anyway this year due to the rigor of the ROTC program.

“We weren’t really up there at all last semester,” Moretz said. “It was mainly last year when we went up there and enjoyed it.”

Since the verdict on the Hooah Hut is still up in the air, according to Moretz, they have considered taking on a few other projects. Even with the busy schedules they keep, some thought has gone in to building a canoe or even a wigwam, but they said they may wait until next year when their schedules free up.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

PIERCE is a news reporter.

CONSTRUCTION — The Hooah Hut is located in the woods behind East Campus.

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OPINION

A4

February 9, 2016

Bloomberg eyes third party run

Former mayor’s interest in presidency must wake up politicians in Washington Erica Tomlin entomlin@liberty.edu

One thing is for sure: The campaign for the 2016 presidential election in the U.S. has been anything but ordinary.

On the side of the Democrats, the potential nominees include a proclaimed socialist, Bernie Sanders, running against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who, according to recent reports, seems to be the focus of a possible indictment from the FBI. The Republicans do not fair very well on the conventional scale either. With more than 15 candidates announcing their presidential intentions last year, the playing field has now leveled off, and the leader among the majority of polls happens to be far from the norm of politicians: Donald J. Trump. Despite his lack of political experience, the business guru seems to be extremely comfortable in the spotlight and sharing his vision for the future of America — even if some of his claims are viewed as polarizing and inappropriate by many citizens, according to polls.

Interestingly enough, the contenders for the White House in 2016 may not be complete. Rumor has it that the eighth richest person in the U.S., according to Forbes, may just throw his hat into the ring. While Michael Bloomberg may be rich like Trump, the similarities end there. Bloomberg has experience as a politician and an interesting history among differing political parties. According to a CNN article, the former mayor of New York City was a longtime Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2001 and then finally running as an independent during his third campaign for mayor. Sources say that he is “seriously considering” a White House bid, even commissioning a poll last month to see how he would fair as a third-party candidate, according to another CNN article.

“As America becomes more polarized, the desire grows for a candidate in the center focused on building consensus and getting results,” writes Douglas Schoen in the Wall Street Journal. “This is the hidden message of Monday’s

Google Images

ELECTION — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering a third party candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections. caucuses, the one that Mr. Bloomberg is contemplating as he considers a run for president.”

When Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was asked about such a decision, he responded optimistically, flirting with the idea that Bloomberg could just split the Democratic vote due to his longtime support for greater gun restrictions. Paul told CNN such a split “might be good for Republicans.”

Is this the year of the billionaire in American politics? Or has the bureaucratic stalemate within Washington forced the hand of involvement among privileged individuals who would have otherwise never involved themselves in the

headache of government?

If polls are any indication of the mood among Americans, trust for elected officials is among the lowest levels in the past half-century, polling at a mere 19 percent, according to the Pew Research Center last year.

Either the career politicians need to clean up their act in Washington, or they need to brace themselves for other public figures to forcefully enter the equation and solve the issues on their own unconventional terms.

TOMLIN is an opinion writer.

Donald Trump attacks Clinton Are Bill Clinton’s past issues ‘fair game’ for Republican candidates to criticize?

Carrington Garber cgarber6@liberty.edu

He’s wearing a very expensive suit. Maybe he does not have a platform that extends deeper than the first link in a Google search, but his assortment of red and blue ties is remarkable.

He’s spent half of his unfairly granted airtime backtracking on boorish comments made in the other half. During the televised

FOX News debate, he waited patiently for Megyn Kelly to finish listing the crude, childish names he has called women in the past for his chance to crack, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” to uproarious laughter from the crowd. He’s the comedian candidate.

It is unsurprising Donald Trump plans to use Bill Clinton’s past sexual transgressions against Hillary Clinton as the race progresses — it provides ammunition that can very easily be turned into a punchline. Affairs are

Google Images

CLINTON — Trump has no reservations attacking Bill Clinton over past sexual issues.

A TES NO

HAYWOOD

The quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, is a winner.

Dating back to his collegiate tenure when he won the Heisman Trophy and a BCS National Championship with the Auburn University Tigers, Newton is accustomed to strutting off the field with a hat full of confetti and some hardware in his clutches.

Even when an evident “lapse of judgment” resulted in his transfer from the University of Florida to Blinn College — a junior college in Texas — he led those Buccaneers to a championship in 2009.

Per 247sports.com, he was a highly sought-after recruit in 2006. Five years later, that theme remained as

funnier than ISIS. Trump seems to be the candidate most eager to unleash his fury upon Hillary Clinton by flinging harsh words about her husband’s presidential misbehavior, but his campaign has been characterized all along by entertainment, not substance.

Trump is correct that the indiscretions of the former president are “fair game.”

Bill Clinton is a public figure, and to his misfortune, that leaves the full array of his mistakes vulnerable to the biting wit of Trump.

Republican candidate Carly Fiorina agrees, conceding in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that it is more than fair to use Bill Clinton’s misdeeds as campaign material. She continues to explain that discussing such matters is permissible but not the most effective method of combating the Democratic Party.

“The way to defeat Hillary Clinton is to go after her track record, her lack of accomplishment,” Fiorina said.

Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders agrees, stating his opinion that the presidential race merits more substantial content than memoirs of an unfaithful husband.

“I think we’ve got more important things to worry about in this country than Bill Clinton’s sex life,” Sanders said.

As far as the lineup of other 2016 White House hopefuls is concerned, using the

Newton was selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. His rookie campaign was decent. He only won the Pepsi Rookie of the Year and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year awards. Oh yeah, he also broke the record for most passing yards by a rookie in his first game. In his second game, he proceeded to break the very record he set seven days prior. To top it all off, he broke the record for most passing yards by a rookie, shattering its predecessor by more than 300 yards.

Sure, it was not all glitz and glamour for Newton. There were a few growing pains for the young quarterback, as there are with most. But he was something special. He has carried his team to the playoffs the last three years. This season he was one game away from winning it all.

The 2015 MVP is a winner. But people do not seem to like him.

They just don’t.

marital-offense argument would devalue the content of their campaigns. As far as Trump is concerned, this content aligns perfectly with his current, seemingly successful jokester strategy.

Character reflects future leadership. A man so restless to use mud-slinging techniques to win an election is one who would use it just as readily from a seat in the Oval Office.

Making crude and insulting comments about others in the public eye does not make you a man of poor integrity, but it necessitates a lower standing on the scale.

Supporting abortion when it suits you, and then changing your tune to pacify an audience does not make you a man of poor integrity — but it too necessitates a lower standing.

Refusing to acknowledge a higher authority — yet claiming religion — does not make you a man of poor integrity, but it is a factor that pushes someone further still down the scale.

These components and numerous others have culminated to condemn Trump to the position he now occupies amongst men at the lowest end of the scale of morality.

No matter. His suit really is very nice.

GARBER is an opinion writer.

There are a couple of reasons why.

There’s, “He’s cocky and/or arrogant.” Newton is not shy about his confidence, so I can see how somebody could have this perception.

Newton has also a bevy of celebrations to choose from, most notably the infamous dabbing epidemic he ignited. It has news anchors, children and even the NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, putting their heads into their elbows, mimicking the quarterback’s all but patented move.

(I do not hate Cam. But if I did, I’d fall under this category. STOP DABBING). However, the final reason is one that concerns me. “They don’t like him because he’s black.” This argument is dangerous.

ESPN conducted a poll involving questions about Newton and the criticism he receives. According to the poll, 62 percent of fans think he’s criticized due to his style of play on the field. Fourteen percent be-

lieve it to be race related. However, the numbers among blacks told a different story. Thirty-four percent of African Americans surveyed believed the criticism was “racially based.”

I am sure there are a very small few who despise the idea of a black quarterback. However, to instantly presume this idea is among the majority can bring very divisive results. People just might not like Cam because he exudes a high dosage of confidence.

If we are too quick to pull the “they don’t like me because I’m black” card, it could have a “boy who cried wolf ” implication. If we call for it when it may not be there, it will be difficult to get the help needed when the wolf does in fact arrive.

HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.

opinion

Liberty Champion | February 9, 2016 | A5

Rubio surges in Iowa

Florida senator’s third place finish may have been a win for him in the long term Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu

Sen. Marco Rubio climbed on stage to flashing cameras and a roaring crowd Monday, Feb. 1. Just minutes before, the final totals for the voting in the Republican Iowa caucus had been received.

“This is the moment they said would never happen,” Rubio said as his supporters cheered. “For months they told us we had no chance.”

If you had just turned on your TV at that moment, you would have thought Rubio and his campaign had won the Iowa caucus. Instead, he had finished third behind Sen. Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump. Yet this may very well have been a win for the Rubio campaign.

Leading up to the caucus, the famous Des Moines Register poll had Rubio polling at 15 percent, eight points behind Cruz and 13 points behind Trump. This was a good position for him to be in, as he did not totally fit the electorate, and many pundits predicted a small rise into the high teens on voting day.

Instead of the small rise many anticipated, Rubio surged on election night, finishing a few thousand votes shy of stealing second place from the tanking Trump.

The eventual winner, Cruz, finished a mere four points ahead of the Florida senator.

This finish, while surprising many in the media, fell directly in step with the vision the Rubio campaign had all along for the Republican primary. In an article in the National Review a few weeks before the Iowa caucus, Tim Alberta detailed the “3-2-1” path the Rubio campaign was envisioning for the first three primaries of the nomination process. They hoped for a solid third place finish in Iowa, a second place finish in New Hampshire that would clear out the rest of the “establishment” lane, and a first place finish in South Carolina.

“From there, Rubio would be well-positioned in the long haul to win a plurality of voters, and ultimately a majority of delegates, in a three-way contest against Donald Trump and Ted Cruz,” Alberta wrote.

This strategy may seem counterintuitive to many. However, it fits perfectly with the Republican primary process.

The dirty little secret many may not know about the Iowa

Google Images

IOWA — Sen. Marco Rubio gained momentum going into the very important New Hampshire primary. caucus and the New Hampshire primary is that they are of little significance beyond the momentum a candidate can get from winning them and dominating the news cycle.

Both these states have a small amount of delegates that candidates can win, so they have a relatively small impact on the greater nomination process. Also, these states distribute their delegates using a proportional system, where candidates win the percentage of delegates that matches the percentage votes they won in the primary.

Instead, the calendar for the GOP primary is back loaded with delegate-heavy states, such as Florida and Ohio.

These states also specifically favor an establishment or more conventional candidate.

“The GOP calendar is front-loaded with insurgentfriendly states,” David Wasserman of fivethirtyeight. com wrote. “Rubio can’t afford to get clobbered early by missing thresholds in SEC states, he merely needs to stay within striking distance.”

This is why the results in Iowa were such a win for Ru-

bio. He is more than just a “striking distance” away from Cruz and Trump but is directly at their heels and could very well finish ahead of Cruz in New Hampshire. And Rubio’s chances to win South Carolina continue to get higher, as he has picked up endorsements from South Carolina Congressmen Trey Gowdy and Tim Scott.

“When I put together a strong position on national defense and foreign policy, coupled with a compassionate attachment for people to alleviate poverty using conservative principles exclusively, Marco Rubio became the only candidate that I honestly believe can do both,” Scott said.

Rubio’s path to be the Republican nominee is growing stronger, and with a good showing in the New Hampshire primary he could eliminate his main competition, Gov. John Kasich, Gov. Jeb Bush, and Gov. Chris Christie.

SUTHERLAND is the opinion editor.

Texas jury rules against videos Daleiden and Merritt indicted for tampering with government documents Samantha Rozenblum serozenblum@liberty.edu

If pro-lifers were not rendered speechless at the videos exposing the desensitized, commercialized and horrifying abortion practices of Planned Parenthood released earlier in 2015, the outcome of the corresponding lawsuit between Planned Parenthood and its “accusers” surely swallowed up any remaining hopes of justice for the unborn.

A Texas grand jury did more than silence the voice for the voiceless. They flipped the ruling and instead indicted the journalists and researchers who spoke up against Planned Parenthood, while all of the charges against the organization were dropped completely.

Despite bombarding the public with 10 disturbing videos that revealed Planned Parenthood’s business-as-usual attitude toward the harvesting and redistribution of fetal tissue, it was the Center for Medical Progress, the organization that released the videos, that was charged with tampering with government documents, which is a second-degree felony.

On top of being outrageous and disturbing, this ruling sets a precedent for investigative journalism and for justice that is difficult to accept for those who believe in a baby’s right to life.

“As the dust settles and the truth comes out, it’s become totally clear that the only people who engaged in wrongdoing are the criminals behind this fraud, and we’re glad they are being held accountable,” Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in an official statement following the jury’s decision.

Google Images

ABORTION — Man and woman behind Planned Parenthood videos indicted by jury.

David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, the two people who actually posed as fetal tissue “buyers” and captured the videos of Planned Parenthood executives talking about the undercover sale of fetuses, now face criminal charges for up to 20 years in prison.

Partiality and injustice do not seem good enough answers to the question of how Daleiden and Merritt could be charged with buying fetal tissue without Planned Parenthood being charged with selling it.

“The Center for Medical Progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades in exercising our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and follows all applicable laws,” Daleiden said.

“We respect the processes of the Harris County District Attorney, and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well.

Planned Parenthood still cannot deny the

admissions from their leadership about fetal organ sales captured on video for all the world to see.”

Even more disturbing is the new information that Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson received more than $25,000 toward her campaign from another attorney in her office who works for a lateterm abortionist. The attorney, Chip Lewis, represented an abortionist in a previous controversial abortion case.

A number of Republican presidential candidates weighed in with their thoughts on the decision.

“I’m disturbed,” Sen. Marco Rubio said to CNN. “We’ll need to learn more, but I’m disturbed that while Planned Parenthood, who are the ones that were actually selling off these (body) parts, were found having done nothing wrong, the people who tried to expose them are the ones that are now facing criminal charges.”

Another Republican politician, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tweeted, “It’s a sick day in America when our (government) punishes those who expose evil (with) a cellphone — yet accommodates those who perform it with a scalpel.”

As Christians, this ruling should be troubling, but not completely surprising.

Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (NIV).

We do not belong to this world, and we certainly do not interpret what is just based on how the legal system interprets what is just. But does this ruling mean that Christians should be prepared to go to jail for speaking up on controversial issues?

The short answer is yes, but the truer answer is that God sometimes uses the bleakest of situations to provoke the most needed change. Think Martin Luther King Jr. and Paul. Great men and women have temporarily gone to prison for a cause that was bigger than themselves, and it would be wise for us to keep this in mind when we think of Daleiden and Merritt and remember them and the rights of the unborn in our prayers.

ROZENBLUM is an opinion writer.

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news

A6 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Improving programs

Liberty readies for reaccreditation by implementing Quality Enhancement Plan

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

BETTER — The first school to receive QEP benefits is the school of health sciences.

Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@liberty.edu

Liberty University will be implementing a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “Illuminate: Cultivating a Community of Research” in the spring, which is a necessity for the institution’s 10-year reaccreditation plan through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

The QEP is a plan designed to “enhance student learning,” according to the plan’s director, Elisa Rollins. In order to undergo the accreditation process, the SACSCOC wants to see that Liberty is continually improving the state of overall student learning with an effective plan.

The QEP is one of the major methods used to ensure this end. “(The SACSCOC doesn’t) want it to be

some plan that’s way up in the air,” Rollins said. “They want it to be something that students know about, get excited about, and see the benefits of.”

Such benefits in the case of the QEP would include more opportunities for undergraduate students to develop and apply new skills in research and scholarship.

Simply visiting a library and printing an article may pass as research for many students, but Rollins hopes students will soon learn the broader spectrum of research in its totality.

“There are a lot of different levels to research that we want students to understand as a very interactive process,” Rollins said, citing possibilities of faculty mentoring students under QEP. The coming QEP will focus mainly on undergraduates, based on data derived from varied surveys, assessments and information literacy tests. QEP will be im-

plemented in five schools within Liberty throughout the first five years of the plan.

The first school receiving QEP benefits will be the school of health sciences. The plan will gradually progress to the other schools.

Specific implementation of the QEP, according to Rollins, involves curricular actions and co-curricular actions.

A prominent curricular action within the QEP will be the addition of a “Twentyfirst century researcher” course, in which faculty members themselves will personally teach and mentor students in research, directing them through a multiple-semester research project.

As an additional curricular action within QEP, students will experience further introductions to information literacy and research skills from certain 100- and 200-level courses within the students’ given disciplines.

Co-curricular options exist within QEP as well. One is the upcoming Research Week in March, and the other is future student research societies.

The research societies will be similar to other official student clubs at Liberty, only more markedly research-focused.

“The QEP ‘Illuminate’ will support the establishment of student research societies in a variety of schools and college,” Rollins said.

The other co-curricular of QEP will be Research Week, which takes place March 29-31, 2016. It will be a symposium featuring student exhibitions, a keynote speaker and a rewards reception. SACSCOC representatives will also be present for an on-site visit.

QEP will officially be implemented after Research Week.

As an official part of QEP, there will also be a new Center for Applied Re-

search & Scholarship. It will serve as the primary vehicle through which QEP is implemented on Liberty’s campus. The center will be the focal hub of collaboration on campus research.

“It’s going to be quite a bit of collaboration across campus, which we’re excited about,” Rollins said. “It gives us a lot of opportunity to take the expertise of each university organization and coordinate it all together to promote research and scholarship.”

Aside from hoping students learn the fundamentals of technical research, Rollins also hopes students learn the fundamentals of the spirit of scholarship within research.

“Scholarship is taking the knowledge you have discovered through your research and making it available to others,” Rollins clarified. “You’re doing the giving. You’re sharing your knowledge.”

Rollins further acknowledged that an important part of the QEP, one being unique to Liberty, is presenting learning and research within the context of a Christian worldview — not just in terms of research but also in taking interest in what is happening out in the rest of the world.

“A researcher with a Christian worldview is motivated to conduct research and seek after new knowledge for the purpose of knowing God,” Rollins said. “God created the world around us, and (has) given us a mandate to take care of it and to cultivate it. Through investigation of the problems and complexities in the world around us, we have the opportunity to know God better through the inquiry of creation and to find ways to use this new knowledge to impact the world for his glory.”

JARRETT is a news reporter.

Eating disorder awareness

Live Healthy Liberty prepares to host its first NEDA week later this month Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu

Liberty University is planning for its first ever National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) Week that is set to take place beginning Feb. 22.

Lia Fischer, a group exercise manager at the LaHaye S t u d e n t Union, said she proposed the idea to Lydia Lee, a campus wellness manager for the Live Healthy Liberty initiative, last semester because the topic of eating disorders is personal to Fischer.

“I was praying, ‘Lord, it’s my last semester. How can I make a difference here at Liberty? What

can we do that would make a lasting impact?’” Fischer said. “I thought about how many girls and guys on this campus … are struggling with self image and eating disorders … and so I approached (the staff), and we talked all about what we could do to make an impact on the campus in this area.”

Lee said they used nedaawareness.org to research tried and true ideas for activities but have chosen ones they think will best fit the culture of Liberty.

Some of the events include a wellness series, a panel discussion event and a mini expo.

“We have wellness series throughout the whole semester, but this particular one will be geared toward eating disorders,” Lee said. “Dr. Linda Mintle will be speaking, and not only is this a

passion of hers, she has expertise in this area. Dr. Mintle has written several books on the topic and has been a part of events similar to NEDA week at other schools.

Her talk will be called, ‘Get off the scales and get on with your life,’ and she will be a key speaker in our panel discussion as well.”

Lee said there will be a panel event Thursday, Feb. 25 titled “Food Fight: 30 million people suffer from an eating disorder in the US. Bring a Friend and Your Compassion.” This will be an event where professionals from different fields of work will come together in a panel and answer questions that will be submitted anonymously by the participants.

For the second half of the event, each professional will join a group to lead an interactive discussion.

Lee said Student Counseling Services is going to be one of their main resources during the week, and she also urged students who are concerned about their eating patterns to talk to one of the counselors who are located in Green Hall 1830.

Fischer said the week is aimed at helping both people that are struggling with eating disorders and people who may know someone who is.

“I think it is so important to know warning signs as a friend or family member (so you are) able to see those things and know how to reach out (in the right way),” Fischer said. “Also if you are a person that is struggling with that, know that you aren’t alone and know how to take care of yourself and to reach out for help.”

Lee said this week goes beyond identifying whether or not you struggle with eating disorder tendencies.

“NEDA week is not just about a personal battle with disordered eating habits.” Lee said. “It’s actually larger than that. It’s about addressing a toxic culture that encourages body dissatisfaction and destructive methods to manipulate the body that God has blessed us with. We hope that even students who have not personally struggled will join us in a fight to change the narrative and influence the culture in a positive way.”

FOLEY is the asst. news editor.

New Wards Road car wash

Express Jet Car Wash offers a variety of services to the Lynchburg community Kirkland Gee kgee10@liberty.edu

After the snowstorm Jan. 22, thousands of cars are still dirty from snow, salt and slush, and Lynchburg’s newest car wash is here to help.

Express Jet Car Wash opened Jan. 1 after months of building and preparation by giving out free car washes to the citizens of Lynchburg.

Bill Hinton, the owner of Express Jet, told WSET people seemed happy with the services.

“Well, so far everybody is very excited about what we are delivering,” Hinton said. “They think it’s the best car wash they have ever been through.”

The car wash is located at 3805 Wards Road next to Caspian Tattoo & Body Piercing. It is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Jordan Engle, an employee at Express Jet, said they do not have any sort of student discount, but they will hopefully begin accepting Flames Cash soon.

“We are looking into Flames Cash to make sure it is doable with our processors,” Engle said.

Engle explained the car wash processes its transactions out of state, so it may take some time before they are able to accept Flames Cash.

They offer five different levels of wash ranging from $6 to $20. The services include normal washes, tire shine, wax and, at the highest levels, a paint sealant they call “Lava Shield.”

The Coach Class wash includes only cleaning and drying, but the first class level adds the tire shine, a rain repellent and a threecolor conditioner for only $10, according to the Express Jet website.

The Simoniz Hot Wax

and Shine package is $15 and includes a “waterfall” of wax that falls onto the car as it drives through.

They claim the wax product produces the same result as traditional wax in three minutes. The wax is also available as a $4 add-on outside of its package.

Alternatively, they also offer something called the “Frequent Flyer Program.”

Through this program, the customer no longer pays for each wash but pays a monthly fee instead.

Once enrolled in the program, Express Jet will place a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag in the windshield of the customer’s car. The car wash will recognize this RFID tag and allow the car to go through and receive whichever wash plan the tag is good for.

The prices range from $30 a month for the First Class Wash Package to $50 for the Captain’s Spe-

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

CLEAN — Express Jet Car Wash took the place of the old Sonic drive-in restaurant. cial, which is typically $20 per wash.

The cost is automatically billed each month to a credit or debit card provided by the customer.

This program applies to all Express Jet locations, which currently include the Wards Road location and another in

Roanoke, Virginia.

For students looking for a job, Engle said Express Jet is always taking applications.

“They can go to our website at expressjetcarwash. com, and there’s a tab to click on for job opportunities,” Engle said. “They can download the application

and email it or pick one up in the store.”

The application can be found under the “Contact Us” tab through “Employment.”

GEE is a news reporter.

news

Liberty Champion | February 9, 2016 | A7

Continuing Christmas spirit Operation Christmas Child gives students opportunity to serve beyond December Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu

Christmas is a year-round celebration for the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) club at Liberty University. There are many opportunities for students to get involved with the OCC club at Liberty and OCC through Samaritan’s Purse.

According to Ellen Ferguson, club president, the main goal for the OCC club on campus is to prepare for the corporate-led OCC blitz held each November. Last year the OCC blitz collected 1,815 shoeboxes at Liberty Nov. 9-13.

“The blitz was wildly successful because of student involvement,” Ferguson said. “(There’s) no way we could do it alone. All the volunteers helped us reach over 1,800 children and their families so that they may hear the gospel of Jesus Christ ... quite possibly for the first time.”

Ferguson said OCC is unveiling a new membership program this semester that students can join.

“OCC is almost entirely run by volunteers,” Ferguson said. “Volunteers are people who want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Through OCC, people have the opportunity to introduce orphans to their perfect, loving Father. The sick can meet the Great Physician, and those who feel nameless learn that they are known. That is why people become members and volunteer . ...

Year-round volunteers are needed.”

According to Ferguson, to become an

UPDATE continued from A1 The new student center is progressing and appears to be on track to open in the fall of 2016.

According to Alan Askew, director of construction, at the end of July and into early August, they will begin bringing in furniture and training food court employees. The awaited student center will offer students six new food venues, including Argo Tea and Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, in addition to a full-service, eight-lane bowling alley.

Jessie Rogers | Liberty University News Service

TENT — OCC collected boxes at a tent set up in Liberty’s bookstore parking lot. official member, students must create one boy shoebox and one girl shoebox. Then members will be considered part of the OCC club board.

“We are building a board,” Ferguson said. “(This will cause) people to know about OCC — not just at Liberty but in general.”

There are four different boards members may choose to be a part of: volunteer

The athletic training center, located just below the track in the Bailey parking lot, is set to open in the fall of 2017, and work has already begun on the project. Askew said this building will be the most unique building on campus, with three stories that invert, and will be a part of the “campus walk” that connects North Campus to the main campus, all the way to the Residential Commons.

“It really provides core critical functions to the athletic department, putting them all together in one building,” Spence said. “It’s a full service operation for the student athlete — tutoring, training

relations, prayer team, media relations and campus involvement. Each board specializes in making the blitz become a reality. Members may choose which board they desire to be a part of, depending on their abilities.

“Each board will be a direct arm for planning the blitz,” Ferguson said. “With an opportunity as incredible as this, there is

for their physical ailments, weight training … those kind of things.”

As the academic focus of student athletics continues to gain attention, the university is doing what it can to help Liberty’s athletes succeed, both on and off the courts and fields.

“The academic piece is a big component because they’ve been scattered around trying to do that, so it gets them in one central place,” Askew said. “It helps with the service ability and also with the accountability because everyone will be together.”

CARTER is a news reporter.

always something to be done.”

Ferguson said the club will be hosting a meeting March 1 at 6:30 p.m. to share their membership plan with the student body. The location of this meeting is to be announced.

Katherine Lash, club secretary, said students of all majors can also get involved with OCC through Samaritan’s Purse. Currently, Lash is volunteering with a new pilot program called Student Relations, which launched in January 2016. Lash’s primary responsibility is to bring awareness to high school and college students about the mission of OCC. “Eventually we want to get into the various school systems so that kids in the area can get involved,” Lash said. “It’s about reaching the younger generations.”

Lash said students wanting to volunteer year-round can help at different OCC conferences throughout the year and volunteer at the processing center. The processing center is open in select cities from the end of November to the middle of December.

“Wherever your heart is, you can be involved somewhere,” Lash said. “(OCC) is a great way to be involved with people from all different kinds of walks … and you meet the coolest people.”

For more information visit samaritanspurse.org.

FROST is a news reporter.

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

ADDITIONS — Large flowerpots are now located outside of Vines.

news

A8 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Top-notch ratings for LUO Online counseling programs receive nationwide recognition for their success Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu

The department of counselor education and family studies at Liberty University Online (LUO) was recently ranked as one of the top 10 online counseling schools in the nation for 2016, according to multiple ranking organizations.

The department’s online professional counseling program was ranked third best in the U.S. overall by bestcolleges. org, fifth best in the U.S. overall by superscholar.org, and number one in the U.S. for value by onlineu.org.

In addition, the department’s online marriage and family therapy program was ranked sixth in the nation overall by bestcounselingdegrees.net.

The reputability of the different ranking organizations vary, though all have listed under their respective websites the means by which they rank online counseling programs. Market reputation, accreditation, student satisfaction and tuition were among the common factors in each of the rankings LUO was cited in.

“Our program has really grown with leaps and bounds,” Department Associate Dean Dr. Mark Myers said. “This story is not just that some of these programs are best in the nation but that they are also the best in the nation during this phase of massive growth.”

In the past eight years, both the online professional counseling program and the online marriage and family therapy

program have experienced a 46 percent growth in student enrollment with a total of 6,397 online graduate students between the two of them.

The online department of counselor education and family studies now operates with more than 500 class sections to meet the demand of such a growing student population. The causes for the exponential growth of students, explained by department Residential Chair Member Dr. Elias Moitinho, can be broken down into five factors.

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

AWARDED — The LUO office is located at the River Ridge Mall.

“Academic excellence, flexibility, face-toface intensive opportunities, the integration of a Christian worldview and the organized team that we have to assist students, I believe, are the main reasons why (students) choose us,” Moitinho said.

To ensure quality educational programs, the department adopted an organized

structural system for not only the students, but for faculty also. Instructional mentors, for example, were installed to oversee the progress and efficiency of the department’s 217 faculty members.

“Instructional mentors (are) faculty members who were performing very well, and so each one would be assigned 1520 faculty members to oversee,” Department Online Chair Member Patti Hinkley said. “Instructional mentors have a set of procedures to guide them in maintaining high contact with faculty members, especially first-term professors.”

Hinkley, who has worked for Liberty for more than 30 years and has been with the online counseling department since its inception, remarked how greatly the growth has changed the way the school operates.

When it was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ron Hawkins, the department would record lectures on VHS tapes and mail them to students studying from afar.

It was not until the beginning of the 21st century that the department moved to CD-ROMs, and the online department of counseling was not officially considered online until 2005. Before then, students would traditionally receive a work text along with their tapes or CDs and take tests with a proctor.

Now, the online school operates identically to the residential counseling department — except through electronic means — and Hinkley said the organizational structure and accountability of professors in the online program exceeds that of the residential program.

One of the few things the department has yet to accomplish, though, is becoming accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a national agency that reviews counseling schools across the U.S. to see if they meet national standards.

As the residential counseling and family studies program at Liberty has already been CACREP accredited, the online department expects to be shortly. Documents from the department have recently been sent to the agency for review, and the online department is currently waiting to hear results.

“We have been climbing this mountain of trying to get accredited by CACREP for a long time now,” Myers said. “I think that the next level after we get that would be to just (enhance) the ability to utilize our online capabilities to make better counselors.”

Myers said becoming CACREP accredited would most likely boost the online department’s standings in the web rankings, though he said he is more than happy with the results his department has produced so far.

“This story is about a team of faculty, and it’s not about just being top in the nation,” Myers said. “It continues to prove to be an incredible, complex machine that has been built over and over and expanded over the years.”

YOUNG is a feature reporter.

Growth, learning, experience Students spend week trying out for the Resident Assistant position next year Katelyn Rutt kerutt@liberty.edu

Each spring, the Office of Student Leadership (OSL) is flooded with Resident Assistant (RA) applications from Liberty University students who desire the chance to learn, practice leadership and grow in their relationship with God and others.

The RA application process is open to any full-time residential student. Around 400 Liberty students submit RA applications each year. However, only about 130 students are accepted to fulfill the leadership position on campus.

“It is one of the most extensive leadership-development processes that exists at our university,” Cimberly Cummings, an assistant director of OSL, said.

“However, students who become RAs usually experience personal, ministry, administrative, leadership and spiritual growth during their involvement.”

Cummings said she encourages students to pursue an RA position if they are passionate

about leadership, service and the mission of Liberty. She said it is vital applicants maintain a teachable and open mindset throughout the process.

“Going into this, I think the hardest part of all is finding the balance between humility and confidence,” Kelsey Baker, an associate director of OSL, said. “People are judging you all week, and you want to put your best foot forward, but it is also important to remain humble, trusting the Lord and his plan throughout the whole process, cheering others on, and having a teachable spirit.”

After filling out an application, a student will meet with a Resident Director for a face-to-face interview. If the student displays the qualities and skills needed for the position, he or she will be invited to participate in the next two stages of the process: Host Week and Experience Weekend.

“Host Week is where we place applicants on a residence hall for the week where they shadow the current RAs and gain hands-

on experience,” Cummings said.

“Experience Weekend occurs the weekend after Host Week and involves the applicants being evaluated by our Resident Directors.”

During both of these events, an applicant will undergo a series of group evaluations. The individual will be placed in a variety of scenarios to assess his or her character and competence.

“Personal character includes integrity, a growing relationship with Christ, emotional stability, biblical convictions and maturity,” Cummings said. “Competence skills refer to their agreement with the mission of Liberty, people skills, Bible-knowledge skills, small group skills, counseling and confrontation skills, and communication and decision-making skills.”

Immediately afterward, OSL will analyze each applicant and prayerfully decide which students to invite onto the leadership team.

“We take discipleship seriously,” Baker said. “In the book of James it tells us that ‘not many of you should presume to

Sarah Rodriguez | Liberty Champion

TRYOUT — Applicants gathered multiple times during the week. be teachers.’ The standard of a plicants who are going to use leader in the Bible is high, and their position to glorify the Lord, we, too, expect our leaders to be point others to Christ, and perat the highest level of charac- form their personal and RA reter and competency in order to sponsibilities with excellence and lead the student body well.” diligence,” Cummings said. “We Each day, RAs are entrusted take the process seriously because with a great deal of responsi- it is a serious role, and the probility. Ultimately, they must be cess helps reveal the qualities we equipped to deal with every cir- need to see.” cumstance in a way that positively reflects both God and Liberty.

“We want to do our due diligence in selecting the right ap- RUTT is a feature reporter.

No room left in the inn today On-campus housing has already been filled for 2016 Commencement in May Samuel McQuage smcquage1@liberty.edu

As May approaches, many students are preparing for graduation. However, housing options are becoming harder to find for friends and family of graduates who would like to attend Commencement.

The bad news continues for families who are hoping to stay in special housing provided by Liberty University. A quick search of the registrar’s Commencement page online shows that housing is sold out for the 2016 Liberty Commencement. The housing was first come, first served, and it went very quickly.

“On-campus Commencement housing filled

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

PACKED — Graduation housing on East Campus is full. up on January 28,” Lori motel room for the occaBaker, associate registrar sion, but the closer to the for operations, said. “We university, the more likely rented 200-plus East Cam- that rooms that week have pus apartments this year. already been booked.

The reservations opened “At this point, I believe on January 25, so we were that Lynchburg is comat max capacity within pletely full for Commenceabout four days.” ment weekend,” Baker said.

There is still the op- “On our Commencement tion of renting a hotel or website ... there is a link for

a PDF for Commencement weekend availability. We frequently call the hotels in the area and keep a list on this site with where we know that there are still rooms available. The last that we checked, there is still availability in Danville, Roanoke and Charlottesville.”

There are many other hotels and motels within a few miles of the school, in nearby cities. Depending on how big a family is, there is always a chance that a room will open up nearby.

Some students have other options they are using to their advantage, including family member’s houses and their own housing, if they live close enough.

“My parents are coming into town for the Com-

mencement,” senior Garrett Scott said. “We actually have an uncle who used to work for Liberty, and they are going to stay with him at his place. His house is only about six or seven miles away from the school, so it is very close and easy to get to. They are going to be getting here the day before the Commencement ceremonies.”

The only thing left for students who have their housing situation arranged is to finish out the semester so they can walk across the stage and receive their degree.

If a student is still without a place for their family to stay, it is still early enough in the semester where multiple hotels and

motels nearby might have space open for small families. Checking in with Liberty’s Commencement page will provide details and updated information on many topics such as rooms.

“I also encourage graduates to follow us on our Commencement Facebook page at www.facebook. com/liber tyuniversitycommencement,” Baker said. “We frequently post updates to things such as housing availability (and) reminders, and we also do lots of giveaways during the spring.”

MCQUAGE is a news reporter.

SPORTS

February 9, 2016

M. Basketball

Golf

M. Tennis

B1

W. Basketball

M. Basketball

Winthrop

Liberty

Furman

Liberty

Sea Best Invitational

Radford

Liberty

High Point

Liberty

77

88

5

2

2nd Place

53

67

76

80

the streak continues

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

BAD MAN — Flames sophomore guard John Dawson puts up a contested jump shot as time expires in the first half against Winthrop’s Bjorn Broman (13) and Jimmy Gavin (44).

Young guns stay hot The Flames knock off Winthrop and High Point to keep the win streak rolling Bobby Keating rfkeating@liberty.edu

Liberty took down Big South opponent Winthrop 88-77, for the first time since 2010, in a men’s basketball showdown on Tuesday, Feb. 2 in the Vines Center.

Both teams carried a winning streak into the game. The Flames won their previous four games, and Winthrop won seven straight games. Winthrop, the last team to beat the Flames, had routed Liberty by 16

points just two weeks earlier at Winthrop Coliseum.

A.C. Reid propelled Liberty to an early lead in the game. The sophomore forward was perfect from the field in the first 20 minutes of action, scoring five three-pointers, contributing 17 of the team’s 44 first half points.

Winthrop’s main scoring threats struggled to keep up with Reid and the Flames.

Junior guard Keon Johnson and graduate guard Jimmy Gavin, two of the Big South’s

top five scorers, contributed just 10 points collectively, combining for 23 percent from the field in the first half.

Liberty’s pack-line defense managed to tame the highest scoring offense in the league in the first 20 minutes of action. The Eagles, who are 3-5 when losing at halftime, were held to 26 points while shooting 30.8 percent from the field in the first half.

“It feels great … to go on any court and know that we have a chance to win because of our defense,” Reid said.

Redshirt-sophomore guard John Dawson explained the season’s game plan has been to “impose our will on defense, and offense will take care of itself.”

Although Winthrop pieced together some promising runs in the second half, Liberty’s offensive success fueled by relentless defense continued.

Sophomore Evan Maxwell, the only center on Liberty’s roster, helped

See HOT, B4

Journey with Kearney

Lady Flames redshirt senior post player having career year in her final season Paul Vandenbosch prvandenbosch@liberty.edu

KEARNEY

It may come as a shock, but Catherine Kearney did not always want to play basketball.

As a young girl, she wanted to be a ballerina, but a summer

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

growth spurt combined with a knack for scoring brought her into basketball.

Born into a basketball family, Kearney started playing in first grade, but never really had a passion for it until middle school. In the summer of 2007, just before her freshman year of high school, she grew five inches, which changed a few things. The average height of an American woman is 5 feet, 5 inches tall. Kearney currently stands at 6 feet, 6 inches.

After finishing her high school career at Gloucester County (Monroeville, New Jersey) Christian School with 2,011 points and more than 1,000 rebounds, Kearney came to Liberty in 2011 to play for the Lady Flames. She said it was largely the people that brought her to Liberty.

“When I came (to Liberty), I just knew,” Kearney said. “I went to a small Christian school and I really wanted the same values in college. And the fact that I could

play at a DI level at a Christian college was huge for me.”

Kearney, now a redshirt senior, has played in 114 games for the Lady Flames and is a regular starter for the first time in her collegiate career this season. She was named Big South Player of the Week for the first time in her career Jan. 25.

Ashley Rininger went down with a knee injury against Duke Dec. 17, 2015, leaving the Lady Flames without their leading

scorer and needing someone to fill the void left by the preseason Big South Player of the Year. So Kearney stepped up.

“I don’t think I ever felt like it would just be me,” Kearney said.

“I think we all just felt that overall as a team we had to step up. I mean, we already push each other in practice everyday.”

Kearney is modest, but her numbers were not. During the

See JOURNEY, B2

W. Tennis vs. WVU

M. Tennis vs. NC Central

M. Basketball vs. Radford

W. Basketball vs. Coastal

M. Basketball vs. Presby.

Feb. 12 @ 2 p.m.

Feb. 13 @ 12 p.m.

Feb. 18 @ 7 p.m.

Feb. 20 @ 4 p.m.

Feb. 20 @ 7 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports

B2 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Rise to the challenge Liberty men’s lacrosse team looks to carry over momentum from last season Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu

The Liberty University men’s lacrosse team enters the 2016 season ranked No. 16 in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) preseason poll, but Head Coach Kyle McQuillan will not let the ranking define his team.

“It means absolutely nothing to us, honestly,” McQuillan said. “It needs to mean nothing to us, because we kind of floated around in that range all last season. We just need to focus on winning a (SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference) (SELC) championship and getting to nationals.”

The Flames finished No. 17 in last season’s final MCLA poll, and look to build off last year’s strong finish, in which they won seven of their last nine games.

“I do not think (preseason ranking) is really something we need to focus on,” senior midfielder Brett Bernardo said. “I think (preseason ranking) does not matter as much necessarily as the rankings at the end of the year.”

Getting to the SELC championship this season will be challenging for the Flames, as they have one of the most difficult schedules in program history. Six of the team’s 12 games are against opponents also ranked in the MCLA preseason poll.

“Strength of schedule is so important,” McQuillan said. “You have got to be prepared to play the best teams in the country if you want to win a conference championship or go to nationals and be competitive.

We need to schedule difficult programs and difficult teams and I think for this sea-

Courtney Wheeler | Liberty Champion

UPWARD — Sophomore Nick Lombardozzi and the Flames look to continue to climb. son we have got a whole slew of them both at home and on the road which is good.”

The Flames will have a tough four game stretch against No. 17 Michigan State, No. 18 Texas State, No. 19 Florida State and South Florida University before playing

against Florida in the team’s annual midnight game on April 1.

“It is good to get the whole campus involved with (the midnight game),” junior defender Nathaniel Whyte said. “That midnight game is another reason for people to

JOURNEY continued from B1

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

TOO MUCH — Catherine Kearney’s height poses a big problem for opponents.

nine games that Rininger missed from Dec. 19-Jan. 26, Kearney averaged 15.9 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the foul line. She also scored at least 20 points four times in that span and the Lady Flames went 8-1.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” Lady Flames Assistant Coach Alexis Sherard said. “The numbers especially were, and she’s capable of doing that. And now with Ashley back, the hope is to have two prolific scorers inside, which of course only helps our team.”

Kearney is the thirdtallest player in Liberty women’s basketball history, but obviously, a player needs more than height alone to be successful in a sport such as basketball.

Kearney’s parents, Steve and Kate, who both played collegiate basketball at Saint Joseph’s, are the people she points to as having the biggest impact on her both as an athlete and as a person.

“I always know I’m going to have a text from them after every game, and

stay out past curfew if you live on campus.

We get really hyped up for that game.”

The midnight matchup is one of the most unique events in college lacrosse, according to McQuillan. “(The midnight game) is a lot of fun,” McQuillan said. “It is a lot of fun for the team we bring in. I know we have gotten a lot of exposure from it. It gives us an opportunity to showcase the sport of lacrosse and this team on campus. Until people stop showing up, we will keep doing it.”

The Flames then face Kentucky, Tennessee and No. 3 Virginia Tech on senior night, a game many of the players are looking forward to, according to senior midfielder Bryce Mrakovich.

“They are our rivals,” Mrakovich said.

“We have a big senior class so we are definitely looking forward to that game.”

Virginia Tech and other opponents will have to deal with the Flames ability to score fast and often, according to McQuillan.

“The thing we pride ourselves on is our ability to transition and our ability to take points very quickly,” McQuillan said.

“Speed (and) keeping a fast pace (are) our primary objectives.”

The Flames season starts Feb. 20 when they take on No. 14 Boston College in Atlanta, Georgia. The first home game is Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. against George Washington.

DILLARD is a sports reporter.

they’ll always have pointers for me,” Kearney said. “Just knowing that they always have my best interest in mind has really helped me as a player … and they’ve always been so supportive of me as a player and off the court as well.”

Kearney graduated with a degree in Sports Management in May 2014 and is currently working on her master’s in Human Services with a concentration in Executive Leadership. She said her future plans are unclear right now, but she hopes to one day work at the collegiate athletics level in basketball operations. Sherard, who works mainly with the post players, said he has seen tremendous progression from Kearney over the years. “(Kearney has) gotten stronger,” Sherard said.

“And I think she has matured in just understanding the game. She has embraced her role (on the team), and her role has changed over the course of (this) year, especially recently with Ashley being injured, her role has changed dramatically. And she’s developed very well too. I mean, she’s a fifth-year kid, and if over the course of five years she’s not where she

needs to be, then we’re not doing our job.”

Kearney has won three Big South championships with the Lady Flames and is hoping for a fourth this season, along with a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Carey Green’s squad has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 games since starting the season 2-8, and Kearney has been a vital part of the turnaround. So while the Lady Flames roll on, Kearney will continue to stay the course and work on her outside jump shot.

The Lady Flames next game will be against Campbell in the Vines Center Tuesday, Feb. 9. The Lady Flames defeated the Camels, 62-52, in their last meeting Dec. 29 in Buies Creek, N.C. Kearney tied her career-high with 22 points in that game and added 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season. Liberty has won the last four meetings between the two teams.

VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.

sports

Liberty Champion | February 9, 2016 | B3

Now that the Super Bowl is over, I have just one question: what in the world are we going to do for the next month? Well, while we figure that out, let us go ahead and talk about the Super Bowl. Admittedly, this will be the first AUL column that Joel and I VANDENBOSCH have done that really has nothing to do with sports, other than the fact that it is related to the Super Bowl.

There are plenty of Americans who watch the Super Bowl for the game itself, but there are also those people who watch it simply for the commercials. Now, the latter will most likely not be reading this, but we will go ahead and give you our top three commercials from Super Bowl 50.

Coming in at No. 3 I would say is the Doritos Ultrasound commercial. It was one of only two that aired, but the other one was a substantial disappointment.

Here we have another ad with a sloppy husband and an irritable wife. What makes this commercial so memorable is the last few seconds when the baby makes its early appearance because it wants the Doritos so bad. Funny, but I think every woman might have cringed a little watching that last scene. Maybe men, too.

The second-best commercial in my opinion was the squarespace.com ad featuring comedians Key and Peele. This one was not talked about much, maybe because it was a little difficult to follow what exactly was going on, but still made me laugh more than most. Key and Peele play two aspiring sports commentators who want to put together a website for their podcast. They are dressed like, well, I am not entirely sure, but the ad also plays on some of the standard things you will hear

sports commentators say, whether that was intentional or not. Plus, if you have watched them before, it makes much more sense that they are the guys making fun of sports broadcaster stereotypes and acting like fools.

At the top of my short list for best Super Bowl commercials in 2016 is the Kia: First Date ad. Not only is it a hilarious tale of an overprotective father looking out for his little girl, but it all happens to the tune of “Another One Bites the Dust,” which is very fitting. The ad is designed to promote the new “car finder” technology from Kia that allows you to track your car via GPS, which is the only good reason a man would let some kid he does not know even think about touching his new car. What father with a daughter did not enjoy watching Kevin Hart follow the kids everywhere they went and appear in every place Romeo looked? I am no father, and I even enjoyed it. Although I hope my girlfriend’s dad does not get any ideas.

Earning honorable mentions are the Amazon Echo commercial and the other Kia commercial with Christopher Walken using sock puppets. So there you go.

Next week we will return to talking about sports, I promise.

VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.

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Another year of football has come and gone, and Paul and I were with you every step of the way through Sports In Our P.J.’s. We laughed and cried — mostly cried — and we made way too many predictions.

While many of those predictions were wrong, we finally got one mostly right.

I am not trying to brag, but the majority of sports writers picked the Panthers to win. But not us! Paul and I are smarter than your average football fan. We analyzed numbers, watched game film, broke down score projections and most importantly, we listened to our hearts.

Emotions are a lost art in the world of sports writing. Sometimes, it is necessary to forget what you know, and go with what is inside of you. Everything pointed to Cam Newton and the Panthers winning Super Bowl 50, but we threw caution to the wind and went with Peyton Manning one last time.

With that being said, this week’s column is not about the game of football.

This week we are discussing something so ingrained in the Super Bowl that is has become a tradition in itself. I am talking about the commercials.

Without further adieu, I present to you my top three Super Bowl 50 commercials.

No. 3: Avocados from Mexico.

First off, who does not love Avocados?

If you are raising your hand, I am going to assume you have never actually had an avocado. Now, the actual commercial itself pretty much nailed what aliens are going to say about the human race when we are gone.

“Why did they fly on those death contraptions? Why not just teleport?” “What in the galaxy is an emoji?” “Why did all

those people think that dress was black and blue? It is obviously white and gold.”

No. 2: Super Bowl Babies.

Now, this one was actually quite genius, and I am convinced that its sole purpose was to anger Patriots fans, and OEL I am 100 percent OK SCHMIEG with that.

There were three Super Bowl baby commercials aired during the game. The first featured Seahawks babies. The second commercial aired, and it was about Giants babies. Pretty much anything to do with the Giants is a knock at the Patriots, so this kind of clued me into the NFL’s intentions.

The third commercial was the dead giveaway. How could the NFL feature the Giants, Colts, 49ers, Packers, and even the Cowboys and Buccaneers, but no Patriots? This commercial had no other purpose than to allow Roger Goodell to laugh in Tom Brady’s face, and that is alright with me.

No. 1: T-Mobile.

I am putting both of the T-Mobile commercials in the No. 1 spot because they proved that pop culture can still be pretty funny, and it is always better to laugh at yourself. First, the Steve Harvey commercial making fun of Steve Harvey. Of course, I do not think anyone actually knew the commercial was about T-Mobile, but that is not what Super Bowl commercials are about anymore. And second, Drake making fun of himself in the Hotline Bling commercial was priceless.

SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.

sports

B4 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Staying alive Flames still in playoff hunt after sweep Denton Day dday26@liberty.edu

The Liberty Flames men’s Division I hockey team kept playoff hopes alive this weekend with a two-game sweep of the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies Friday Feb. 5 (5-4) and Saturday Feb. 6 (8-4).

Friday, the Flames jumped out to a quick lead but found themselves down 2-4 late in the third period. The team stormed back scoring two goals to force the game into a sudden-death overtime period. With two minutes left in overtime, freshman defenseman Zane Schartz delivered the finishing blow that gave the Flames a 5-4 win.

The Flames jumped out to another quick lead 30 seconds into Saturday’s game and never surrendered it. Senior forward Kyle Garcia wrapped around the goal and found junior forward Grant Garvin in the slot for the first goal of the night and the first of many connections between the two. “(It was) a big weekend for Garcia and Garvin,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said.

“Those guys play the honest way. They’re hard workers on both ends of the rink and battled hard for us all night.”

Moments later, the Flames struck again.

Junior forward Robert Ward received a pass from freshman forward Zach Hayes. Ward finessed his way around the Grizzlies goaltender, leaving him laying on his stomach with the puck in the back of his net and giving the Flames a 2-0 lead.

The Golden Grizzlies had their share of chances in the first period, but graduate goaltender Cary Byron stood strong with glove and blocker saves. Byron also got a layout save from senior defenseman Kyle Miller when Byron’s back was turned on a broken play.

Entering the second period the Flames led 2-1, and that lead received a big boost from Garcia who scored two goals within two minutes of each other to extend the

Flames lead to 4-1.

“I really liked our battle all weekend,” Handy said.

Heading into the third period, the Flames had a 4-2 lead, but the offense only got hotter in the third. Garcia started the period with his third goal giving him a hat trick on the night. Garvin followed that up with two more goals of his own, which gave him a hat trick as well.

Garvin’s third goal came with some controversy and took a review to decide if it would count. Seconds after the puck went into the back of the net, players came crashing into the net and knocked it loose.

The officials took a few minutes to discuss whether the puck entered the net before it was run into. “GOAL!” chants rained down on the officials before they decided to award Garvin the goal and put the Flames up, 7-4.

With less than a minute left Garcia added one more goal and secured the Flames 8-4 win.

“I’m just more excited about the win,” Garcia said. “We had to win this game to stay alive for playoffs. If we would not have won both of these games this weekend, there is no way we would have been able to make the playoffs. I think we’re building momentum these last couple of games before playoffs.”

The Flames are in action Saturday, Feb. 13 against Arizona State and then return home for the final two games of the regular season the following weekend against Minot State.

DAY is a sports reporter.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

SPEED — Flames freshman Owen Harris moves up the ice during the Flames win.

HOT continued from B1 Liberty retain its lead early in the second half.

Maxwell scored five of his team’s first seven points of the period as the Eagles did their best to cut into the lead. Maxwell, who has struggled with an eye injury throughout the season, finished the game with 20 points.

The closest Winthrop came to the lead was five points with eight minutes to go in the game. Liberty remained calm under pressure and stretched the lead back out with the help of a Maxwell jumper and a timely Lovell Cabbil three-pointer.

Winthrop reverted to intentional fouls at the end of the game, a tactic that proved to be insufficient. Liberty took the game by a final score of 88-77. Xavier Cooks scored a game high 26 points for Winthrop, while Maxwell and Dawson tied for a team high 20 points for the Flames.

“It doesn’t feel good just to win — it feels good because we’re earning the wins, and we earn it every day in practice,” Dawson said.

Having won five straight and seven out of their last nine games, Dawson said “togetherness” was their key to success.

“We were here during (winter) break when nobody else was here — all we had was each other,“ Dawson said. “We’ve seen that if nobody believes in us, we’re the only ones that can believe in us. Having that mindset is a really big plus for us and it’s shown going throughout the season.”

Through the team’s recent success,

Courtney Wheeler | Liberty Champion

MOVING UP — Captain Kallie Britton leads the Lady Flames forward.

Lady lacrosse Flames say family is the key to success Bobby Keating rfkeatingl@liberty.edu

Coming off of its best year in program history, the Lady Flames lacrosse team is looking to make history this season.

Liberty finished last season with a record of 9-11, the best mark in the program’s short six-year history. The team went 5-2 in Big South conference play. The record year propelled them to the conference championship where they would lose to rival Winthrop by a score of 13-8.

“This upcoming season is going to be one of new faces, new games and hopefully a lot of success,” senior midfielder Kallie Britton said.

Britton, a captain for this year’s squad, is one of three sets of sisters on the team.

Kallie Britton is the older sister of Abby Britton, and both are the cousins of fellow teammate Paige Britton. Katy Pridemore is the older sister of freshman newcomer Hannah Pridemore. Victoria Tickle, a junior, is also welcoming her younger sister Brittany Tickle to the team this season.

On a personal level, sharing this experience with family helps spur Kallie Britton’s aggressiveness.

“I’m more competitive with (Abby and Paige) than anyone else on the team,” Kallie Britton said.

Duke transfer Callie Francis, a redshirtsenior captain, said the theme of family reaches throughout the entire team.

“I definitely consider this team to be a family,” Francis said. “I feel like I can be myself completely in front of everybody.

Some of the freshman I feel like are my younger sisters already.”

Having a tight-knit squad with good team chemistry will be a must for Liberty as the team will play a very difficult schedule this upcoming season.

The team will begin the season logging countless travel miles, as the first five games will be played away from Lynchburg.

The first game of the season is against instate rival Virginia Tech, a team that Liberty has never defeated.

Next, Liberty will travel to the University of Richmond followed by a visit to Virginia Commonwealth University. The team will then travel to play Navy who went an astonishing 15-5 last year. Old Dominion, 13-5 last season, is the next stop on the trip.

The road trip ends with a bout against Notre Dame, ranked seventh in the Nike Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Top 20.

Kallie Britton explained that playing toplevel teams is key to raising the caliber of the fairly new program at Liberty.

“When we play teams like Navy, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, they’re good teams, so we run with them,” Britton said. To be able to keep up with teams like that is an accomplishment because they’re good.”

Big South play opens up with a rematch of last year’s conference championship: Winthrop versus Liberty.

“I think that will be a very intense game, and it will set the tone for the rest of conference play,” Kallie Britton said.

Helping set the tone for success in the Big South is a trio of Big South Preseason All-Conference picks. Attacker Katy Pridemore, Kallie Britton and redshirt-senior defender Colleen Ekert all claimed spots on the honorable list.

Picked to finish fourth in the league, the Lady Flames are confident to write the script to a new era of winning.

“I’m very hopeful for this season,” Francis said. “Our mantra for this year is ‘chasing history.’ I think we’re going to make it even farther than last year because of all the confidence and experience we have this year.”

According to the team’s four captains, the goal for the season is to win the Big South and advance to the national tournament.

As for wins and losses, Francis confidently predicted an undefeated season.

Liberty will open its season at Virginia Tech Feb. 13.

KEATING is a sports reporter.

Coach Ritchie McKay is keeping a level head and being careful not to get ahead of himself.

“Our guys are rowing in the same direction and they’re all in the same boat…I don’t know if it’s turned around,” McKay said. “I see them everyday so I know we’ve got a long way to go.”

The Flames extended their win streak to six, Feb. 6 at High Point, beating the Panthers 80-76. For more on that game, visit libertyflames.com. The Flames next game is Feb. 13 at Longwood.

KEATING is a sports reporter.

FYI

Despite managing only two points against High Point, sophomore guard John Dawson has reached double figures in scoring in 13 of his 15 games as a Flame. He is also averaging 13.8 points per game and is shooting 54.4 percent from the field during the Flames six-game winning streak.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

MAXIN’ — Flames center Evan Maxwell lays it in during the win against Winthrop.

feature

B5 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Matt Pierce | Liberty Champion

LABORATORY — More than 800 biology and nursing students have participated in the MRSA research study at Liberty. Above, Michael Cargill demonstrated an experiment.

Answers in Genesis

Biology professor Dr. Alan Gillen published two research articles last fall Matt Pierce mpierce17@liberty.edu

Dr. Alan Gillen, a professor of biology at Liberty University published two research articles last semester in Answers In Genesis about the changing trends in Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over the past three school years at Liberty University. Along with the contribution of Michael Cargill, Jason Conrad and Rachel Walters, the articles discuss recent trends as well as the benefits of Staphylococcus aureus also known as staph.

Since 2013, more than 800 biology and nursing students have contributed to this research study through their participation in sample collection and a simple survey for any students who take Biology 203, 303 or 305. Gillen said in one of his articles that students in these courses have a “5 to 30 times higher MRSA carriage rate than the national average.”

“The reason that we have a higher re-

porting rate than the national average is that I believe we test more thoroughly,” Gillen said. “When the (Center for Disease Control) is reporting Healthcare Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA), they’re reporting it from select places, and they are not really sampling anything beyond the nose.”

Beyond testing both nostrils, Liberty students are also asked to take swabs underneath their armpits as well as participating in an anonymous survey, which may help point to the cause of MRSA carriage.

When it comes to MRSA, there is no danger or threat unless there is a break in the skin where it can become invasive. This is another reason why the reporting rate at Liberty is higher than the national average.

Most places do not report MRSA carriage unless it becomes invasive.

“One in three people in America at any given time are staph carriers, that’s staph aureus carriers,” Gillen said. “So, in a lifetime, literature says 85 percent of all Americans will carry staph aureus at some time or the other. So, it’s more common

to carry it in your lifetime than it’s not.”

Over the past three years that Gillen has been studying MRSA, he has seen a shift between the different types of MRSA that are prevalent on campus.

“The surveys indicated the prevalence of HA-MRSA among nursing majors with clinical experience, while other carriers who lacked clinical experience typically harbored CA-MRSA,” Gillen said in a research article.

Gillen attributes the rapid change within Community Associated MRSA (CAMRSA) to what is known as the ping-pong phenomenon. Various strands of unique DNA are transferring between different hosts as MRSA carriers come in contact with people. Gillen believes that this is a possibility in close-knit dorms on campus or in other areas such as the gym and athletic facilities.

“As MRSA picks up more genes to survive against antibiotics it sacrifices some of its fitness (more foreign genes acquired results in slower growth) to survive in its

environment,” Gillen said in a research article. “The new genes are a temporary beneficial change for the bacteria, an adaptation in order to survive in a hostile environment.”

Gillen is sure, through his study over the past three years and many years in the field of biology, that MRSA carriage is no greater threat on Liberty’s campus than it is anywhere else. Gillen claims the greatest prevention of MRSA is a thorough washing of the hands, using real soap and water, as well as Clorox disinfecting wipes.

“Don’t panic, but if you do find you have it, get it treated,” Cargill said. “It’s important people keep good hygiene.”

Gillen, with the help of some biology students as well as Dr. Randall Hubbard and Dr. Yingguang Liu, hopes to continue to do more research on the MRSA carriage topic at Liberty and how it can be further prevented.

PIERCE is a news reporter.

B6 | February 9, 2016 | Liberty Champion

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Liberty Champion | February 9, 2016 | B7

Lynchburg is for lovers Throughout the city, restaurants and shops show love to their customers Danika Delello dlrichards2@liberty.edu

On a weekend dedicated to romance, in the state that proclaims itself to be “for lovers,” the city of Lynchburg does not disappoint in providing sweet Valentine’s Day specials all around town.

Cao Artisan Chocolates on Main Street of downtown Lynchburg will be offering strawberries dipped in their own handcrafted chocolate. They will also be featuring a special menu with combo deals on items like their luxurious hot cocoa and chocolate fondue.

Irvington Spring Farms will be providing bouquets of fresh flowers for sale at Cao. Their floral arrangements are understated bunches, reminiscent of wildflowers handpicked from a meadow.

For more traditional arrangements, other florists in town are offering Valentine’s Day specials.

Bloom by Doyles on Boonsboro Road has several romantic arrangements, especially for the weekend. These bouquets are advertised on their website, doylesflorist.com.

Bloom will be delivering all weekend, including Sunday, Feb. 14, and they will grant $5 off delivery charges for any Valentine’s orders placed that week.

Kathryn’s Flower and Gift Shop on Fort Avenue will also be featuring Valentine’s Day arrangements in a wide range of prices. All of their bouquets are available in vases, and many of the Valentine’s Day vases come with a silver bracelet attached.

Kathryn’s will also be selling simple, classic bouquets of a dozen red roses wrapped in paper for $22.95.

For romantic dinners in the area, several local restaurants are staying open Sunday and offering special menus.

SISTERS continued from B8 Before playing the song “New Kids,” the band introduced it as an R&B song, something different than their typical sound.

“It’s all fun (and) games until the bluegrass band tries to be funky,” Callie Cryar said.

Bruno Jones backed up the song’s uniqueness by defending the instrument he was playing, a banjo.

The Vespers continued in a night of entertainment and fun. The crowd cheered as the set came to a close and the band said their farewells.

Phoebe and Callie Cryar began the band as a duo under the experience of their father, Morgan Cryar, who is an 80s and 90s contemporary Christian music star.

It was not until May 2009 that Taylor and Bruno Jones left their rock band and joined with the sisters to become the band they are today.

Bruno Jones said Phoebe Cryar liked the name because it can also mean eve-

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

BE MINE — Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Lynchburg with special deals and gifts galore.

Isabella’s Italian Trattoria on Boonsboro Road, although usually closed on Sundays, will be open for brunch from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m. Their chef, who comes up with the regular specials, will be cooking up something special to celebrate the day.

Also extending its regular hours this Sunday is Jimmy’s on the James on Commerce Street downtown. Dinner will be a three course meal for two at a total of $60.

Depot Grille on 9th Street will have a special menu from Friday through Sunday.

ning prayer, which they thought was an appropriate tie to faith.

Although the band identifies as having a folk rock genre now, it was not always classified as such. The sound of their band has changed throughout the years.

“We started off a little bit more like indie folk, and then the sound has kind of gotten bigger,” Bruno Jones said. “We added a keyboard track, and then we just added more power in their vocals. It got a little bit more powerful, ‘blues-ier’ and stronger as they came out of their shells.”

With musical inspirations from The Beatles, Nickel Creek and The Avett Brothers, The Vespers have hopes to continuing writing and performing in larger venues.

“We’ve always loved the idea of playing in theaters,” Bruno Jones said.

The Vesper’s albums are available on iTunes, and the band has tour information on social media sites.

Included on the weekend menu are items such as the Baked Brie appetizer, the Surf and Turf entrée and a Strawberry Shortcake dessert.

Several other restaurants will be featuring special dinners and menu items, although they have not announced those specials yet.

Such restaurants include Market at Main in downtown Lynchburg, Shakers by River Ridge Mall and Shoemaker’s at the Terry Craddock Hotel.

For a sweet treat to celebrate the weekend, Cao Chocolates is not the only place to go. Coldstone Creamery on Wards Road will have their signature Fudge Truffle Decadence Cake available.

According to Coldstone’s website, the cake is comprised of “layers of moist Red Velvet Cake, Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings and Fudge Truffle Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings wrapped in rich Fudge Ganache.”

Lynchburg Salsa and Lynchburg Swing will both be hosting special Valentine’s Day themed dances, although the dances will be held on regular dance nights.

Lynchburg Salsa, held at the Dance Theatre of Lynchburg on Commerce Street, will have a masquerade dance Friday, Feb. 12 with prizes for best masks. A $5 fee covers the 9 p.m. lesson and the social dancing that begins at 10 p.m.

Lynchburg Lindy will be hosting its Valentine’s dance Thursday, Feb. 11 at One Community Church on Kemper Street.

They also require a $5 cover charge for a shim-sham lesson at 8:15 p.m. and social dancing starting at 9 p.m.

No partners are required for either dance event. Simply come by yourself or with a group of friends for a fun night out.

Lynchburg has something for everyone to love on this Valentine’s Day weekend.

DELELLO is a feature reporter.

Courtney Wheeler | Liberty Champion

COSMOS COUTURE — The fashion show will take place April 2 at the Schilling Center.

SWEENEY is a feature reporter.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

IN THE SPOTLIGHT — Joel Kaiser with Native Spirit opened for The Vespers.

MODEL continued from B8 in at, where to walk, how long to hold a pose and stuff like that, just to show us how it’s going to work. It really is like a finely oiled machine... If one person is even slightly off, it messes up the whole routine.”

Floros expressed her excitement for the many changes coming to the fashion show this spring, including the addition of modeling coaches Eddie Tyler and Leah McNamara, both of whom have extensive experience in runway modeling for events such as the Richmond and New York fashion weeks.

“I want the models to feel even more invested than they already are,” Floros said. “These (coaches) aren’t just students that have walked in maybe one runway show. These are experienced, high-fashion models. I think it will inspire them more, having someone with such high stature instructing them.”

The show annually displays concepts from approximately 30 designers, each of which can have up to three designs worn by three different models. This year, the show has gathered 41 models to flaunt everything celestial, from a Star Trek theme to the sun.

According to Floros, the day of the show is usually the most challenging due to the amount of time it takes to set up the stage, get prepped for hair and makeup as well as undergo the dress rehearsal for the models.

“The dress rehearsal before the show is about four hours long,” Floros said. “So, their feet are probably going to be hurting by the time they are finished with everything.”

Although it may seem like a lot of strenuous work, both Keene and Liberty junior Emily Stokes, who is also a FACS model, assure that the event is an enjoyable experience that leaves them with fond memories and a sense of accomplishment.

“I love seeing how it all comes together,” Stokes said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking when you first walk out and see all the people, but it’s also really exciting and fun.

It’s really important because you feel the responsibility of getting to showcase all of the designer’s creativity. You really feel the honor of getting to represent someone who has put hours and hours of work into their designs.”

The FACS department welcomed students of all majors to audition during November and offered modeling as a fulfillment for students’ Christian Community Service requirements.

According to Keene, the show is a great way to network with other models and agencies while building up a resume. The models also have the opportunity to win awards at the fashion show, such as “Best Runway Presentation.”

“It is really good to have this kind of experience on your resume,” Keene said.

“But the best part is getting to work with the other models and designers. Plus, we can win awards, too, so it is nice to be recognized. The show really is a lot of fun, and I’m excited to see how it turns out this year.”

The event will take place Saturday, April 2 at the Schilling Center. Tickets will be available online closer to the date of the event.

ELLIOTT is a feature reporter.

B8

FEATURE

February 9, 2016

Fun food Sodexo offers spring events David Moraes dmoraes@liberty.edu

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

PERFORM — The Vespers brought folksy-rock music to the LaHaye Event Space along with Joel Kaiser and the Native Spirit band.

Sisters, brothers The Vespers double duo of siblings debuts at Liberty Abby Sweeney asweeney8@liberty.edu

Folk rock band “The Vespers” made its debut appearance at Liberty University Saturday, Feb. 6.

Hosted by Student Activities, students gathered in the LaHaye Student Union’s Event Space as the band Joel Kaiser with Native Spirit opened the event.

“We didn’t expect to see this many of you here, to be honest,” bass player Bruno Jones said. “I thought that’s awesome. We’re blown away.”

Sisters Phoebe and Callie Cryar led the vocals, while brothers Taylor and Bruno Jones played the drums, bass and other various acoustic instruments.

The Vespers preformed a variety of songs from their albums, including their most recent album, Sisters and Brothers, which was released in February 2015. Singer Callie Cryar explained the idea behind the song “Sisters and Brothers.”

“It’s about what it’s like being in a band with your family, ‘cause us girls are sisters and the guys are brothers,” Callie Cryar said. “It’s basically what we’ve learned over all our years together, and it boils down to: take care of people. Take care of each other.”

The Vespers invited the saxophone player from the group Joel Kaiser with Native Spirit to the stage to perform a saxophone solo during an instrumental break. The crowd clapped and cheered as he played.

See SISTERS, B7

Life of a model Designers prepare for the ‘cosmos’ spring fashion show Hannah Elliott helliott9@liberty.edu

When it comes to fashion shows, designers are not the only ones working long hours in preparation to showcase their art.

Models, too, are exerting their talents to assure that the designs are presented in a way that expresses themselves as well as the designers’ visions.

With Liberty University’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) 10th annual spring fashion show quickly approaching, designers and models are gearing up to illustrate this year’s theme of “Countdown to Chic: Cosmos Fashions,” featuring collections inspired by the galaxies.

While the modeling industry is known for its glamorous styles and fierce runways, it is also known for its strict body-type and lifestyle requirements. Although the FACS fashion show is currently progressing toward meeting the industry’s high standards, it is not restrictive of diversity, according to Fashion Show Director Rebecca Floros, a Liberty graduate and last year’s “Best in Show” designer.

“There are no exact specifications for our models, especially because every design in our show is so different,” Floros said. “It is really all about the clothes. If the designer is preparing something that would look

From classy nights in New York City to tuneless karaoke evenings, Sodexo’s events never cease to surprise, and the food giant promised to take things to the next level.

“The goal is to knock everything we’ve done before out of the park,” Ryan Wheeler, the company’s unit marketing specialist, said.

On Feb. 10, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Sodexo will be hosting a speed dating event at the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall.

“It was a big hit last time we did it, so we are going to revamp it this year,” Wheeler said, referring to a similar event that took place in 2013.

From 5-7 p.m., men and women will have just three minutes to get to know each other before having to switch partners. The following day, those who manage to beguile a special someone will be notified of their achievement via email.

“We’ve had a very sharp increase in followers this year because we’ve really upped our game with students,” Wheeler said of Sodexo’s “Liberty Dining” Twitter account, which currently has 1,223 followers.

Next on Sodexo’s calendar is the Seafood House at the Tilley Student Center. The event will take place Feb. 19, also from 5-7 p.m. Students wishing to visit the premium seafood station will have to hurry, though — last month’s Stone Steak House, an event that offered premium steak options, sold out within an hour and a half.

“We really want to engage with students and offer things that they don’t see every day,” Wheeler said. “It’s a great way for us to showcase our ability and the things we can do.”

Finally, Feb. 24, from 5:30-7 p.m., Campus Dietitian Kristina DiSanto will lead a cooking demo. This event will focus on healthy foods and will be free for everyone. Sodexo has not yet determined its location.

“Sodexo is a very large but very personal company as well,” Wheeler said.

“We don’t make any profit or gain off of these events. We want people to have a great impression of our company.”

Last year’s New York City showcase benefit saw proceeds donated to the Lynchburg Daily Bread, an organization dedicated to feeding homeless people.

The Reber-Thomas Dining Hall has won Best Dining Hall for two years in a row now from bestcolleges.com, and Wheeler believes these events are a key part of Sodexo’s success.

MORAES is a news reporter.

Courtney Wheeler | Liberty Champion

FLASHBACK — Models strutted on the runway last year after many hours of practice. best on a pear-shape, then we would need a model with more curves, not necessarily the industry’s preferred slender frame. We also have models that are on the shorter side that are all still fabulous.”

According to fourth-year FACS model and Liberty senior Corinn Keene, the designers choose their own models depending upon the needs of their collection. The models then spend several hours training in weeks prior to the show in workshops that

will prepare them for the big debut.

These workshops include a basic demonstration on the layout of the runway as well as perfecting a model’s ability to walk smoothly, pace and pivot while wearing heels.

“You do walkthroughs over and over and over again until everyone gets it right,” Keene said. “They show us where to come

See MODEL, B7

Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion

SPRING — Sodexo anticipates events.