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Volume 32 | Issue 15 February 17, 2015
global gatherings
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
UNITY — Flags from several countries are raised during Convocation each semester to celebrate the start of Global Focus Week.
Living Well @ Liberty
Living a well rounded life Holistic wellness prioritized for students Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
Though many college students often think of only physical implications of the idea of living a healthy life, administrators at Liberty University are promoting a more holistic approach to the idea of wellness through a new Living Well @ Liberty initiative. According to Dean of Students Robert Mullen, the initiative recently began as a collaboration between academic officials and student affairs administrators. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Ron Hawkins and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Mark Hine led the charge for the partnership between the two areas of
Liberty, according to Mullen, resulting in Living Well @ Liberty. The new program is a comprehensive approach to wellness in terms of spiritual, emotional and physical health. “Our natural human tendency is to get our emphasis in these areas out of balance,” Mullen said. “But health in all three areas is absolutely essential to overall wellness. … To the extent a student is struggling in any one of these areas, that student is not maximizing their potential. We want to do all we can to see students growing in each of these realms.” According to Mullen, while it may be obvious that spiritual health is an important area of focus on Christian campuses like Liberty, emotional and
physical health should not be neglected. “(T)he Bible also addresses the realm of mental health — emotions and feelings — in a very clear way,” Mullen said. “God designed us to experience love, joy, peace and the rest of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22. And God cares about our physical wellness. Our bodies are ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit.’ 1 Corinthians 6:19. As such we have a responsibility to care for the body and to present it as a sacrificial offering to God. Romans 12:1.” The first goal of Living Well @ Liberty is to raise awareness
See LIVING, A7
Rj Goodwin| Liberty Champion
RING BY SPRING — Christian colleges have a high pressure to marry.
Emotional wellness
Students look for relational living Lauren Glossner lbglossner@liberty.edu
According to Dr. Arllen Ade, a professional counselor and adjunct professor at Liberty, everyone desires to connect to
other people. All people feel the need to be loved, even if they may not know where that need arises from or how to fulfill it. Humans were created for relationships. “If you were created
Global Focus Week brings international scope to halls of Liberty. A8
Opinion
Obama offers personal views on Christian history during Prayer Breakfast. A4
See WELLNESS, A2
Sports
Feature
News Opinion
Turner Gill brings in 14 new players for this season’s recruiting class. B1
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Sports Feature
INSIDE THE CHAMPION
News
by God, as we believe all people are, then the only way to start understanding relationships in a balanced and mentally healthy way would
A1 A4 B1 B5
news
A2 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Students seek alternative jobs Graduates turn to fields outside of their degrees as they serach for careers Emily Hoosier eahoosier@liberty.edu
Job openings are at a 14-year high, but graduates may need to look beyond their major to find one. The amount of job openings in December 2014 reached the highest level since January 2001, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released Feb. 10. That same report said the number of people hired in December 2014 was the highest since November 2007 — one month before the recession began. “If people who are graduating from school don’t have a job, it does not mean that there’s not a job out there for them,” Richard Glass, director of Liberty’s Career Center, said. The Career Center organized eight major-specific career fairs and 10 information sessions with individual employers that will take place during the spring 2015 semester. Each career fair and information session is open to every student regardless of his or her major. “Every person from every major can come to these events and benefit from the person representing the organization they’re going to talk to,” Glass said. “Undergraduates, graduate students and alumni should be coming to these events. Anybody who is in search of a job needs to come to all of them.” A November 2013 CareerBuilder.com report may give students in one school, such as the School of Government, motivation to attend career fairs explicitly focused on another school, such as the School of Communication & Creative Arts. That report said 47
Lauren Adriance| Liberty Champion
JOB HUNT — Several students have used the career fairs to find work after graduation. percent of college-educated people worked in a job different than the major they studied. “Nearly half (47 percent) of college-educated workers said their first job after college was not related to their college major,” the study said. “Thirty-two percent of college-educated workers reported that they never found a job related to their college major.” The Career Center offers students various tests to discover their talents and interests. The career counselors give students mock interviews and résumé critiques and help students connect with Liberty alumni working in the student’s desired field. Glass said parents come to him and say their son or daughter is interested in a particular industry and ask how the student can get
a job in that industry. He said the university aims to help students learn, grow and gain the appropriate tools to be able to get a job in whatever industry in which he or she is interested. However, there may be more options available to students outside of that field. “We help not only our students, but (also) our employers understand that they need to broaden their vision,” Glass said. “You’ve got to look at these entities as working organizations. And some of them are very large.” Glass challenged students to think of companies in a more holistic way, thinking of the whole company’s needs. The upcoming law enforcement fair, which takes place Feb. 26, will host employers looking to hire students with a government or criminal justice
major, but students in other majors could also benefit from the career fair. Police departments and the secret service are organizations needing more employees other than officers in order to function well. “They have human resources,” Glass said. “They have an accounting department … a maintenance department … a motor pool, a counseling department. They are an organization that is broad and wide and probably will take every major that we offer.” A graduate with an English degree may only see a couple options available, such as working in publishing or education. But the skills the student learned in English classes about effective communication could open more doors than the student thinks.
“What can a person who’s getting a degree in English do?” Glass said. “Well, there are so many things available for an English major. It’s unreal. But they won’t know unless they come and explore the different options.” One option is writing for the U.S. Navy. “Do you know that the navy hires more English graduates than engineering (majors) or technologists?” Glass said. “An English graduate will be able to properly notate and write manuals.” A Monster. com article placed technical writers in a list of 10 “Best-Paying Jobs for English Majors” with a median annual salary of $49,100. “An English major is able to articulate what needs to be said to a group of people from high level to a technical level,” Glass said. “And sure, they need to be trained on the product or the usage or whatever the case may be, but they are able to articulate it in a way that is communicated correctly.” A list of each career event is on the Career Center’s home page at liberty.edu. Clicking on a specific event will show more information about how to RSVP as well as a detailed list of the employers attending. These lists are updated regularly. The career fairs typically take place during the afternoon, and the information sessions are typically in the evening. “We just had the Samaritan’s Purse,” Glass said. “We had 205 students RSVP, (of) which 146 actually attended. It’s great. Seventy-five percent? I’ll take that all day long.” HOOSIER is a news reporter.
WELLNESS
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be to find yourself in God, your place in God, your identity in God, and then you will be able to branch out and love others well and appropriately receive love from others,” Ade said. When students go off to college, the expectation that they could find their future spouse is not uncommon. However, that expectation seems to increase at Christian universities, and Liberty University is no exception. “I think coming from the Christian perspective, men and women are hopeful when they come to a Christian university that they will find that person,” Liberty sociology professor J.J. Cole said. “There is a pressure that if you don’t meet someone at a Christian school, then you may never find that right person.” Cole and Ade both suggested that single people should reach out to their other single friends and express their appreciation to them. “This would be a beautiful time to look for other people that you can hang out with who may not be in a relationship as well so that together you can mutually be there for one another,” Ade said. The majority of those who come into counseling for relational issues are females, but this affects males as well. According to Ade, those who seek counseling for such issues are normally facing a situational or temporary problem like a break-up. Another situational problem is those who have experienced heartache when desiring to be with someone. “When I see students who are dealing with relational problems, it is often related to the grieving process that follows after they have experienced a break-up,” Ade said. Ade noted that these situations can also trigger other issues and make them worse. How a person handles a
situation has to do with what psychologists call a schema, which is the way people view the world, the way they view others, and the way they view themselves. This is generally developed during childhood or in his or her developmental years when they are learning how the world works through the influence of others. “Depending on the schema of the individual, whatever happens to them as far as whether or not they get into a relationship, the psychological effects or their responses to it will be different,” Ade said. Someone with a maladaptive schema will have an unhealthy view of relationships, causing them to rely too much or too little on others. Ade explained that those with a regular, balanced and healthy schema will have healthier relationships. According to Ade, the key is balance. To be holistically healthy, a person must be healthy physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. Each of these areas involves a certain amount of balance as well. In their social life, a person needs to regulate his or her relationships and not focus too much time or attention on only one individual. Other individuals in their social support system could be very helpful if a special relationship is suffering or ends up badly. Cole encouraged students not to become too obsessed with finding the right someone, but rather to relax and enjoy their time alone. “Be confident in the Lord, and be comfortable that it is his timing,” Cole said. “Being content, and having the spirit of contentment is important.” Cole noted that at Liberty there is a good support system for people who are struggling. For more information, email studentcare@liberty. edu or call 434-582-2651.
GLOSSNER is a news reporter.
news
Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | A3
Liberty professor dies Dr. Dennis Jennings remembered for his legacy of learning and teaching Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu
One of Liberty University’s most beloved psychology professors, Dennis Jennings, died from cancer at the age of 61 Tuesday, Feb. 3. Dennis Jennings received his Bachelor of Arts from Butler University and his Master of Arts and doctoral degree from Stanford University. Before he started working as a psychology professor at Liberty University in 2004, Dennis Jennings was a former professor at New York University and a consultant and senior manager of a Fortune 500 firm. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Susan Jennings, and his daughters Natasha and Taneka. Fred Volk, a professor of counseling at Liberty who was first interviewed by Dennis Jennings before he was hired, said Dennis Jennings loved the process of teaching. “Dr. Jennings above all else enjoyed teaching,” Volk said. “He enjoyed the process of working with students. And he really, in a lot of ways, was mentoring us, the staff members.”
Volk described Dennis Jennings as being optimistic, but realistic and practical as well. “He approached the most difficult problems optimistically, objectively, empirically,” Volk said. “He was always very clear and very fair and very organized — about the most organized that you would find as a professor.” Daniel Logan, a psychology professor at Liberty, said that Dennis Jennings heavily invested in the lives of students and would always make sure that his presentations were as upto-date as possible. “Where most of us know a lot about a little, he knew a lot about a lot,” Logan said. “And that came through in his interactions. His humor would sneak up on you if you weren’t ready for it, and I call it intelligent humor.” Susan Jennings also loved her husband’s sense of humor, even when it could be a little immature. “I sometimes refer to it as a sixth grade boy humor,” Susan Jennings said. “But also clever. Because he was so smart, some people would have been initially intimidated by him, but he was such a down-to-earth
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of cancer Dennis Jennings experienced was very quick, only being noticeable for a few months before it killed him. However, Volk said the cancer did not take a toll on his work or the way he interacted with people. “Even through the cancer, he was optimistic and trying to solve problems,” Volk said. “He was in hospice, and he and I are talking about lectures and how I might best communicate a certain thing. He lived a good life, and he would tell you that he lived a good life. And he had a chance to say goodbye, and folks had a chance to say goodbye to him. He described the last two weeks of his life as the best weeks of his life.” Susan Jennings loved her husband’s positive spirit, which never diminished even in his final moments. “The day he went into the hospital and he went into the emergency room and never came back — that afternoon he talked about wanting to keep teaching for the next five years at least,” Susan Jennings said. “Even though he was physically ill and very weak and it was clear he wasn’t going to live long, he still talked about want-
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guy that you could easily get past that.” Liberty Provost Dr. Ron Hawkins, who previously served as dean over the Department of Psychology, remembers Dennis Jennings fondly. “Dennis was Department Chair for Psychology and always manifested an upbeat, get-it-done well spirit,” Hawkins said. “I enjoyed working with him and knowing him. He will be missed.” Dennis Jennings experienced cancer for the first time at the age of 28. Through chemotherapy and radiation, Jennings was able to go into remission. Volk said that for as long as he knew him, Dennis Jennings would either use a cane or limp due to the effects of the radiation on his leg. According to Susan Jennings, the cancer that took her husband’s life was the result of high amounts of radiation that were used to treat a cancer he had dealt with 33 years prior. It spread to his pelvis, lungs and brain. “We thought we had that battle won,” Susan Jennings said. Volk said the last stretch
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HONORED — Dennis Jennings was loved by students, campus and community. ing to keep teaching till the end.” Volk believes Dennis Jennings’ greatest contribution to Liberty is the impact he made on the lives of the students and staff at the university. “If you talk to any faculty member who came in during Dennis’s time in the department, every one of them can tell you how
he’s influenced them,” Volk said. “One of the things I talked about (at the memorial service was that) for each of us, Dennis was an answer to prayer, and it was different for each of us. For me, it was to really learn to be a great leader and manager of people.” JANNEY is the asst. news editor.
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OPINION
A4
February 17, 2015
Obama accuses Christians President takes shot at Christianity, equating it to radical religious violence Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu
Last Thursday, Feb. 5, President Barack Obama attended the annual National Prayer Breakfast. As many remember, this event has brought the President much grief over the past few years. A year ago in February, Dr. Ben Carson, a possible Republican candidate for President in 2016, persuasively dissected many of Obama’s policies during his address at the prayer breakfast. This year, the President brought much of the criticism on himself for his comments on ISIS and Christianity. Despite assurances from the Obama administration that Al-Qaeda has been completely decimated, the strength of terrorist movements based on a Medieval interpretation of Islam has been clearly on display, whether it is the shootings at Charlie Hebdo or the attacks in Australia. Just days before the president took the stage at the prayer breakfast, ISIS burned alive a Jordanian pilot. This presented an opportunity to deliver a strong foreign policy speech that could rally the world to action, much like George W. Bush’s remarks on the embers of the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. However, this speech seemed to attack quite a different group than the one doing the killing. The president began by criticizing ISIS, referring to them as a “death cult,” stating “we are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religion — any religion — for their own nihilistic ends.”
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UPROAR — Barack Obama delivered controversial comments at yearly prayer breakfast. Yet, the speech quickly turned in a different direction when the president shifted his attention to a very different belief system. “Lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ,” Obama said. “In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ.” The most glaring failure is the president’s disastrous attempt at moral equivalence.
Every college student who has taken an entry-level history course has learned that you cannot simply take a prominent event from the past and equate it with one happening in the present. Historical events do not take place in a vacuum, but they have long and extensive contexts that surround them. Obama fell into the trap that so many before him have. He oversimplified a complex incident in the hope of making the point he wanted. Ross Douthat, in his article in the New York Times, writes “to be persuasive,
a reckoning with history’s complexities has to actually reckon with them.” Kevin DeYoung, pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, recently wrote an article challenging the conventional view of the crusades that drives Obama’s comparison. He summarizes the problem of making this moral equivalence beautifully. “The point of this article is not to make us fans of the Crusades, but to make us more careful in our denunciation of them,” DeYoung wrote. “We fight for nation-states and democracy. They fought for religion and holy lands. Their reasons for war seem wrong to us, but no more than our reasons would seem wrong to them.” The worst failure of the president’s speech was the missed opportunity. The president was speaking just days after a horrific act that shocked people across the globe. The world was ready to be called to action, to finally take the strong steps necessary to eliminate ISIS. But instead, our president told the world that no one should cast the first stone. That is hardly the inspiring moral call to action the nations of the world needed to hear. This is another in a long line of foreign policy blunders, including the lack of attendance at the Charlie Hebdo march. Lincoln, Churchill, Thatcher and Reagan saw moments where bold leadership was needed and acted on them. Obama has wasted his moment.
SUTHERLAND is an opinion writer.
Lenten season springs faith
Pope Francis admonishes the global Church to become “islands of mercy” Rachel Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu
“Dear brothers and sisters, how greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” The above words sound like they could have been written by the apostle Paul, urging Christians throughout the New Testament world to live worthy of the calling that they had received. But the apostle Paul did not write these words. Pope Francis did. In his Lenten address, the text of which was released by the Vatican Jan. 27, the pope admonished Christians around the world to wake up from their slumber and live as they were intended to — to actively shine the light of Christ in a dark, decaying world. It is a message that left me feeling challenged and inspired. A message I will reflect on during this Lenten season, which begins, for the Western church, with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, and ends Easter Sunday, April 5. Lent is not a tradition I was raised to practice. In fact, I spent 11 years of my life in a Southern Baptist church, where Lent was simply not a part of the program.
I am not saying whether that is good, bad or ugly. That is just how it was. Somewhat ironically, two of my years spent as a member of a Southern Baptist church were also spent as a student at a Catholic middle school in my hometown, where I was first introduced to the season of Lent, the 40-day period of concentration and consecration before Easter Sunday. While there are 46 total calendar days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, Sundays are not included in the Lenten count, making the season 40 days. As recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus underwent 40 days of testing and fasting in the wilderness. Thus, some Christians choose to set apart 40 days in their lives as well. Although the tradition seemed strange to me at first — other students were walking around with ashes smudged in the shape of a cross on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday — I began to appreciate the tradition much more when I discovered the meaning behind it. For Christians all over the world, especially those from liturgical backgrounds, Lent is a time of intentional, daily reflection upon the life and work of Christ. During the 40 days of Lent, many observe a fast from meat or choose some-
by Emily Brown I could list a number of reasons why Brian Williams should be fired. His story about a 2003 incident involving the Chinook he was in taking fire has evolved over the past 12 years, and ultimately, Williams has not told the truth. But on the other hand, I could also give you several reasons why Williams’ job should be spared. After all, traumatic
thing else to give up as a means to remove distractions, or those little everyday things that we so often run to for comfort. Starbucks or Facebook, anyone? Others, instead of giving up something for Lent, choose to add something to their lives. They commit to a more focused time of daily prayer, volunteer with a charity or take the time to make healthy changes to their lifestyle. And while all of this may sound like an extended New Year’s resolution to some, it is much more than that. It is a time, as Francis reminds us, to be intentional about living as the body of Christ, as individuals and as a community of believers. “I believe an evangelical celebration of Lent affords an opportunity to reinforce rather than undermine the significance of Christ’s person and work,” Michael Horton, professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California, wrote in an article for Christianity Today. What I love about Lent is that it crosses denominational boundaries. It is a time for all those who follow Christ to journey with him to the upper room, into Gethsemane, to Calvary, into the tomb and finally, to victory. To share in his sufferings, to know more of his heart and, as Pope
events can take a toll on a person’s mind, and everyone exaggerates a little bit. He has been a reputable anchor for 10 years. For now, Williams is only facing six months of suspension. Whether that punishment is too harsh or too lenient is up for debate. But what is not up for debate is the fact that this Jan. 30, 2015 story that was meant to honor a retired Command Sgt. Maj. Tim Terpak has sparked “choppergate,” the Brian Williams saga that is inciting arguments all across the nation. It is absolutely unacceptable for a journalist, whose priority should always be accuracy, to present this story that is not factual. However, I do not believe Williams, a professional who has been in the business for more than a decade, intended to lie on national television
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FAITH — Catholic leader encouraged all Christians to practice Lent. Francis said, to “become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” It is an invitation into an intimate fellowship with Christ, to become aware of the things in our lives that consume us, the things that keep us from seeking him. As a millennial university student living in an extremely chaotic world, the idea of an intentional, 40-day period of soul inspection and focus on Christ, taking my thoughts captive to make them obedient to him, is like finally stumbling upon an
in front of millions of viewers. I honestly believe he wanted to pay tribute to Terpak. But when Williams went on the air, he messed up. There is no denying or arguing that. With all that said, though, I think there is a much greater problem with this whole ordeal. Instead of focusing on the sacrifices of the members of the military, as Williams’ Jan. 30 story and the 2003 mission of Williams were intended to do, we are all more concerned with the rhetoric of one individual. Every day, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers must face the possibility that their loved one, who has left comfort and safety to protect our country, may not come home.
oasis in a desert. Refreshment. So, if you are looking for me this Ash Wednesday, you will find me in a pew, learning what it means to become an island of mercy, as my savior is. And do not worry — I will not say anything if you come in late. I will just slide on over and smile. The more islands, the better.
GRAF is a feature reporter.
Every day, families can only see each other for a short amount of time, and that on a screen. Every day, servicemen and women miss their children’s major milestones — a baby’s first steps, a daughter’s senior prom, a son’s high school graduation. Every day, servicemen and women put themselves in harm’s way so that we are safe. But I do not need a sensationalized story to know that. And whether or not a Chinook Williams was in was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade does not lessen the impact of the sacrifices so many have made for my sake. That is the tragedy of this Williams situation — that punishment, rather than selflessness and bravery, is what so many Americans are focused on now.
opinion
Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | A5
Aerie promotes authenticity U.S. clothing brand’s campaign boasts realistic, un-Photoshopped models Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu
Usually when we look at clothing advertisements, we see a model who is tall, skinny and, frankly, flawless in appearance. But when was the last time you looked at an advertisement and saw models with tattoos, beauty marks or even stretch marks? Aerie, a sister company of the very popular brand American Eagle Outfitters, has decided it is time to make a change. Aerie’s models are no longer being retouched with photoediting software, but instead are showcasing their natural beauty. The campaign, also known as Aerie Real, has been going on since the launch of the spring 2014 line. Looking at the untouched advertisements, I can immediately see differences. These girls do not have perfect stomachs. Most of them have stretch marks or even a little, dare I say, muffin top. Looking at these images, I realized that the problem is much worse than I first imagined. These girls are real. They look nothing at all like models from similar brands like Victoria’s Secret or Abercrombie & Fitch. This made me realize that almost every single advertisement that I look at has fake models who are so retouched that they look nothing at all like real women. This is a problem — a major problem. So is advertising changing the standard of beauty? Are people starting to strive
after looking like the models in advertisements, which, in most cases, are not portrayed accurately? “Companies are showcasing their own vision of perfection, and many consumers strive to be like the models in the ads,” Chelsea Bevins, a Studio and Digital Arts professor at Liberty, said. “Society places high importance on physical appearance, which drives people to think about it. Women begin to look at features to define whether they are beautiful or not.” With such a high emphasis on physical appearance, should the standards not at least be realistic? Well, apparently not. Should not the clothes we buy be worn on models that are actually people, not just images that are plastered on a huge billboard? Companies that use Photoshop in their advertisements are lying to us. I want to know what the clothes I am buying will look like on a human, not an altered image of model. Bravo to Aerie for accepting the authentic standards of beauty and for not being afraid of what their clothes look like on actual people. So why is it so popular for advertisers to use Photoshop? Put simply, it is all about the bottom line. Companies use photo-editing software to create an appealing — but unreachable — image, in hopes of bolstering sales. “It is very easy to alter an image in Photoshop,” Bevins said. “You can stretch anything, add highlights to hair, shave off
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NATURAL — Aerie, a brand of American Eagle Outfitters, launched a campaign with unedited models last year. pounds and retouch freckles, blemishes and scars. I have seen countless photos in the field of advertising that have been retouched. Almost every photo that you see has probably been retouched in some sort of way.” Aerie must have realized that its audience should not have to deal with this type of absurdity any longer and that making this change was a good move, both from a moral standpoint and a business standpoint. “Using unaltered images shows that Aerie knows
who their costumers are,” Bevins said. “Their target market is 15 to 21 year olds whose confidence often comes from beauty seen in the media. Aerie is embracing beauty and reflecting the general population. It is a smart move for Aerie, because (its marketing team) is setting a standard in the modeling industry that (Aerie models) are just regular and real people too and that beauty is more than a size.” One issue that I have had in the past with brands like Aerie is the tendency to sexualize sleepwear
advertisements. Aerie, however, understands its market is mostly girls ages 15 to 21. Its advertisements are fun, making girls look happy and comfortable instead of sexy and promiscuous. Obviously Aerie has to show its product on models but does it in a way that is age appropriate for their market. So, where should we stand as Christians on this subject? I believe that every day women get distracted and swayed from their true identity in Christ by looking at these
advertisements. We know that God has created each person individually just the way he wanted, but sometimes it is so hard to feel that confidence when we see these images. “(The down side to retouching models is that) they are not showing their real beauty that God created,” Bevins said. “Advertising can be vicious, and it is important to seek God in whatever we do.” FOLEY is a news reporter.
Men’s volleyball: ‘Thank you’ Club team’s first game in the Vines Center brings more than 2,000 guests Liberty University’s club men’s volleyball team thanks its fellow students for the overwhelming response to the team’s recent Spike at Midnight event. The chance to play a game in Vines Center has long been a dream for the team who, at 16-3 and with the postseason approaching, is playing back-to-back historic seasons. With last year’s promotion to National
Collegiate Volleyball Federation Division I-A play, the team’s first ever national ranking and Head Coach Bryan Rigg named Club Sports Coach of the Year, men’s volleyball went into this season hoping to share their success with the student body. “To gain 10 or 20 more fans at our games through this midnight game would just be huge for us,” opposite hitter
Kevin Snyder said before the game. Instead, an overwhelming 2,700 Liberty students flooded the Vines Center Jan. 31 to cheer on the team. While the team may not have gotten the win in a tight game versus Rutgers, all of us involved with the program know the support of their fellow students was the ultimate win for the Flames. Thank you for supporting men’s volleyball, and we hope you continue to do so.
As we pursue the program’s first national championship, we are thankful to already claim the most important title of all — best fans in the league.
Liberty men’s club volleyball program contributed this letter.
CONVO CONNECTION “God is asking. … The world is waiting.” These words by Clayton King defined Global Focus Week. This past week, Liberty was focused on engaging students in what is happening on an in- KELLY ternational scale — not only what is going on overseas, but how we
can be part of God’s mission to “go into all the world and preach the gospel.” We began with messages from Dr. John Strohman and Ghassan Thomas. Both men encouraged us to be salt and light in a lost world. To be stewards of the call God has given us all. King was then welcomed back to Liberty’s campus Wednesday by a crowd of students who could not wait to hear him bring forth the word. In loving convic-
tion, King explained how we have two choices in this life — you either send people out on mission or you go out on mission. God is calling us to go out and share. The truth of the gospel is alive and well. It is moving and working in people’s lives, and it always will be. We are being trained here at Liberty to become “champions for Christ.” We are daily being prepared to do exactly what God has called us to do — go. That does
B Y: E R I N K E L LY emkelly2@liberty.edu
not always mean that we have to go across the world in order to share the gospel. It could simply mean walking next door or down the street to share the good news of Jesus. Wherever you are called, go. Do not wait. The time is now for the children of God to rise up — unashamed, radical and ready to bring Jesus into all the world. Just as King reminded us, the choice is ours — send, go or disobey.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO Emily Brown editor-in-chief
Tré Goins-Phillips
Ash Brownd
Meighan Thompson
opinion editor
copy editor
graphic designer
Gabriella Fuller
Alex Tichenor sports editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
Josh Gordon
graduate assistant
Tom Foote graduate assistant
Nate Haywood asst. sports editor
CONTENT
Amber Tiller
Dave Van Dyk news editor
Josh Janney asst. news editor
feature editor
Olivia Brown copy editor
Courtney Russo photography editor
Leah Seavers asst. photography editor DESIGN Breann Black graphic designer
social media manager
Jomer Bunque web manager
ADMINISTRATION Deborah Huff faculty advisor
Omar Adams advertising director
The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University.
Send letters to: Liberty Champion Liberty University, Box 2000, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or drop off in DeMoss Hall 1035.
All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received— according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement. © Copyright 2014 Liberty University, Inc. All Rights Reserved
news
A6 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
SOUL MUSIC — Liberty welcomed Christian recording artist Kirk Franklin to campus for the first time during this semester’s College for a Weekend.
Franklin fills Vines Center
Grammy winner Kirk Franklin brings Gospel music and teaching to Liberty Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Nine-time Grammy winner Kirk Franklin made his first appearance at Liberty University for Convocation, Feb. 13. This past weekend was College for a Weekend (CFAW) and Liberty always brings in big-name speakers for Convocation along with a musician or a band for a concert that Friday night. This time around, Franklin was that big-name speaker and that musician. Franklin is a song writer and producer who, for more than 20 years, has been heavily involved in gospel music. And his music has brought him a large sum of success. The Grammy winner is no stranger to acquiring accolades. In addition to the Grammys, he has won 39 Stellar Awards, 16 Dove Awards and eight NAACP Image Awards, just to name a few, according to his website. Franklin was initially scheduled for the first Convocation in the fall semester of 2014, but due to renovations to the Vines Center, his arrival was postponed. At first, he was only intending on speaking at Convocation. But soon, word
spread that Franklin planned to speak and host a concert for Liberty as well. A semester later, Franklin made his arrival to Liberty, and he was rather impressed with the growing campus. “Man, I am so blown away by this huge campus,” Franklin said. “This campus is crazy. … I’m very impressed. It’s beautiful.” He took the stage and began to speak. He told a story about his son’s track team’s relay race. He further explained the premise of a relay and the significance of passing the baton. Franklin’s son’s team was well ahead, but the complacency of the runner resulted in him dropping the baton, which meant the lead was lost. This is where Franklin based a majority of his message. His premise was that generations prior, whether it was parents or pastors, may have “dropped the baton,” meaning that they have made mistakes that have directly or indirectly affected this generation. So his message to the students of Liberty, along with the potential students that attended for CFAW, was to progress on in the name of Christ despite their pasts.
It was Franklin’s intention to encourage all in attendance, but he said being at a place surrounded by young men and women praising God encouraged him. “It is very humbling when you get to come to places like (Liberty) and share what is on your heart,” Franklin said. “Y’all could have anybody at any time. And to have that type of opportunity to do this, it’s big. … What I want more than anything is just for the students to know how rare they are, and to not get discouraged, to not be a part of the majority, but to see the honor (there) is to be part of a community of people that still believes in the inerrancy and truth of the gospel. ” He then added how hopeful he was to see roughly 13,000 students at Liberty. He said that in his world, he fears that there may be a decline in Christianity throughout culture. But seeing the students of Liberty reminded him of something his wife constantly tells him whenever he gets discouraged about the state of the church. “(My wife) would always say, ‘Baby, there’s a remnant. There is a core of people that still have not bowed (to the world),’”
Franklin said. “And I saw that today. It makes me very proud.” In an interview after Convocation, his final word of advice to students was simple. “Be better than me. And not to only learn from my mistakes, but my failures,” Franklin said. After Convocation, the next item on Franklin’s itinerary was to prepare for the concert later that night. Around 4,000 students, CFAW students and local Virginians poured into the Vines Center as up-and-coming gospel singer Tasha Cobbs prepared to take the stage and open for Franklin. Cobbs initiated with a couple of her newer songs, but then sang two of her top tracks from her debut EP “Grace.” As she began “For Your Glory” and “Break Every Chain,” the crowd continued to sing along with Cobbs. After her performance, there was a brief intermission. But soon, the crowd created a loud uproar as Franklin and his band and singers took the stage. He greeted the audience but quickly got the music playing. Franklin performed songs from his award-winning album, “The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin.” He also
performed songs that he produced in the 2000s. Soon enough, the Vines Center was ringing with Franklin’s hits. The audience was blessed by his music. “God’s presence was in the (Vines Center),” Liberty freshman Isaac Shubert III said. “It was supposed to be a concert but quickly turned into worship unto God.” Shubert added that concerts such as this are reasons why he is happy to be at Liberty. Additionally, high school student Dallas Frazier was encouraged to be surrounded by fellow youth who were praising God. Some would chalk Franklin’s time on Liberty’s campus up as a success. During Convocation, he delivered a message that led multiple students to go down to the altar and re-dedicate their lives to Christ. He then put on a performance later that night that had people of all ages screaming for more. This was the first time Franklin had been to Liberty, but due to the audience’s response, this probably will not be his last. HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.
Living Well @ Liberty
Finding help in discipleship Multiple resources are made available to students through Counseling Services Tobi Walsh twalsh12r@liberty.edu
At college campuses around the nation, students are always thinking about what assignment is due next, when the next test is and how they are going to manage all the stress. Then, of course, there is the mental strength it takes to actually work on those assignments and study for those tests. It is easy for students to get mentally bogged down during the collegiate years. At Liberty University, administrators are working to help students maintain mental wellness in the midst of the chaos of college through the new Living Well @ Liberty initiative. According to Associate Dean of Students Mike
Kunzinger, the Living Well @ Liberty program emphasizes resources available to students aiming to live well emotionally and mentally. One such resource is Student Counseling Services, located in Green Hall, room 1830. Kunzinger explained that Student Counseling Services offers help to students wishing to receive support through difficult circumstances. “Part of our function is to reduce stigma,” Kunzinger said. “There can be embarrassment or shame around getting help, and we really hope to diminish that. The message of counseling is good. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person. We all need help at different seasons of our lives.” According to Kunzinger,
Student Counseling Services has recently undergone a few changes. Student Counseling
“
fields, but also makes sure that students get the help they need. Two students, who
It’s discipleship of the heart. It’s someone to walk with you and help navigate your heart. — MIKE KUNZINGER
Services was previously known as Student Care, according to Kunzinger, and now, all 10 members of the staff hold a Masters or doctoral degree in professional counseling. Kunzinger said this change not only ensures that the staff are professionals in their
wished to remain anonymous, shared how the Student Counseling Services has positively affected their lives. “It’s been pretty enlightening,” the first student said. “There’s been a lot of things that I never would have noticed that I now know and can work on.”
The second student explained that though the counseling process was not easy, it ultimately has helped them as they prepare to enter the workforce. “It’s been very hard, but hard in a good way because I know that I’m bettering myself in my interactions with other people. And later on, it’s going to help professionally. It will also help my walk with God.” According to Kunzinger, the counseling process mirrors that of biblical discipleship. “I don’t think anyone is embarrassed of discipleship,” Kunzinger said. “It’s discipleship of the heart. It’s someone to walk with you and help navigate your heart. … It is taking the time to tend the areas that need attention
to make us whole and alive people, just as Christians ought to be.” Kunzinger said he is blessed by the impact Student Counseling Services has had. “Just to see change in students is miraculous,” Kunzinger said. “What others may see as a small step is not little for them. It is quite large. It is a beautiful thing to collaborate with the Lord in his work of redemption and to see relationships restored, forgiveness happen, and to see people walk in freedom is incredible.”
WALSH is a feature reporter.
news
Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | A7
SCCA lecture series addresses art, culture Banquet speaker encourages redemptive arts Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu
“There can be no cultural change without a change in narrative.” Dr. Colin Harbinson spoke these words Thursday, Feb. 5, during his speech for the 11th annual Ann Wharton Lecture series banquet. More than 300 Liberty University students and faculty filled the Club Level of the Williams Stadium to hear Harbinson’s message about the impact of narrative on culture. The banquet, which was organized by the School of Communication & Creative Arts (SCCA) and co-sponsored by the Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement, started with a blessing from Dr. Cecil V. Kramer. Once guests were finished getting food from the buffet, LU Praise sang for the guests. Following the performance, which was met with applause from the audience, Associate Dean for SCCA Scott Hayes introduced the main speaker of the night, Dr. Colin Harbinson, whose message primarily revolved around redeeming America’s arts by restoring Christian values to them. Harbinson recalled a
time when he and some colleagues traveled to Papua New Guinea and discovered that a stone-age tribe, which is one of the few tribes to speak the Duna language, separated the males and the females because of a story that claimed that an evil spirit possessed all women. When Harbinson shared the story of Genesis with the tribe, they were puzzled by the verse in which God said husbands should cleave to their wives. “(The tribe wondered) if God’s story and narrative was true — what did that mean for their narrative about women and how they Photo Provided perceive life together?” Harbinson said. “The LIVING ART — Colin Harbinson focused on the power of narrative. Duna had a new nar“The world that we rative, a new story, but ries have a large impact “I want you to lislive in is an abnormal ten to God, who is they wanted to take on culture. “Narratives drive cul- world,” Harbinson said. forming a national diababy steps. So they picked the Christian ture,” Harbinson said. “It is not how God logue as that culture is family and (in one hut) “We’ve talked about intended it. It is dis- changing,” Harbinson put the man in one side the importance of sto- torted. All distortion, said. “My prayer is that and the women and the ries, how we need the all personal distortion, Liberty artists, encourchildren in the other. stories to have compel- all cultural distortion is aged and empowered They were still sepa- ling characters that we rooted in lies.” by their faculty, will Harbinson stated be those who go into rated, but they lived care about, but it goes for the first time under much, much deeper his belief that cultures the brokenness of our than this. It goes to the reflect something of culture and bring new one roof.” According to Har- heart of a culture and God’s original inten- understanding, another binson, the tribe would how cultural change tion, but that intention reality, a contrasting has been distorted. In story that people who inspect the man so that takes place.” Harbinson then order to restore the are fed up with the one if he showed any negative signs, they would spoke of the impor- culture, Harbinson said they are living in will get him away from the tance of redeeming Christians need to cele- embrace.” woman quickly. While culture in the arts and brate the natural, affirm this story drew some how skeptics are wrong the redemptive, oplaughter from the audi- in assuming that re- pose the demonic and ence, it illustrated Har- deeming the arts is restore the distorted JANNEY is the asst. news editor. in the arts. binson’s point that sto- not biblical.
Students and faculty were given the opportunity to learn from internationally acclaimed writer, producer and director Dr. Colin Harbinson Thursday and Friday, Feb. 5-6 as a part of the Ann Wharton Lecture Series. Harbinson spoke to classes around campus and during the HARBINSON 11th annual banquet Thursday night and met with student artists Friday. After a dynamic salvation experience when he was 12 years old, Harbinson launched headfirst into ministry. However, it took until Harbinson entered postsecondary education for him to understand that he was talented in a number of different areas. “I was brought up in a very conservative Christian home,” Harbinson said. “I saw my first movie at 19, and that was my big act of rebellion. … Once I got into university ... I realized that God had blessed me with creative juices, if you will, but I had never had the opportunity to develop those.” In his professional career, Harbinson has lectured in
more than 50 countries and has previously served as a dean of the arts programs at two different colleges. Har-
BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
VAN DYK is the news editor.
— COLIN HARBINSON
LIVING continued from A1 for the need to pay attention to all three areas of health, according to Mullen. The second goal of the initiative is to highlight resources available on campus, such as the Campus Pastors Office and Student Counseling Services, to help students to grow in these areas. In addition to Mullen, Hawkins and Hine, the Living Well @ Liberty campaign includes a number of other experts
the country. According to Harbinson, in recent years, Christians have been reluctant to embrace the arts. “The church has been in exile to the arts for a very long time,” Harbinson said. “It’s been a love-hate relationship. But God is doing something new. And just like the exiles left Babylon, my word to the church and my word to the artists is, ‘Your exile has ended.’ … I believe God is bringing the arts back to the church. He’s bringing artists back to the church. … I believe God’s calling Christians into the arts to be servants, to walk in humility, to walk in excellence, to walk in purity with him as our first love and everything flowing out of that.” Though Harbinson works with professionals in the arts, he said he also enjoys teaching young people and students to use their artistic skills effectively.
on spiritual, emotional and physical health from the university who will help come up with methods for assisting students in these areas. Living Well @ Liberty will also utilize the Champion to publish information about upcoming events or resources available to students. In the future, leaders of the initiative hope to join forces with leaders of Live Healthy Liberty, an already established “collaborative campus-wide effort spearheaded by Campus Recreation,”
David Van Dyk dvandyk@liberty.edu
according to the LaHaye Student Union Web page. Mullen believes the combined expertise from such a partnership will help the University reach its goal of a healthy community. For more information on the initiative, contact Mullen at ramullen2@liberty.edu, or check future issues of the Champion in print around Liberty’s campus and online at liberty.edu/champion.
should be influencing and creating culture. The lecture has been used in both secular and Christian universities across
I have a real passion for what God is going to do in and through the arts. binson also works with a number of ministries, including Wycliffe Bible Translators and Intervarsity, as a mentor on integrating the arts with missions. Harbinson is currently the international director of StoneWorks, a Belhaven College initiative. “StoneWorks is a catalytic movement — I call it a global arts initiative — and that involves many things,” Harbinson said. “I pull together leaders in the arts to empower them, to help them to partner together to share resources. I do the same for emerging artists. (I) encourage them and help them to be who God wants them to be. We’ve done so much in the arts in isolation in the past, so we need partnership.” During his visit to Liberty, Harbinson touched on his “Living Art, Living Stones” series, which is an extensive review of how Christians
Twining loved family, friends and laughter Jeremy Twining died Feb. 1, 2015, at the age of 21. Jeremy Twining was the second oldest of four children, with one older brother, Jonathan, 23, and two younger siblings, Jessica, 19, and James, 13. Jeremy Twining graduated from Liberty University in 2014 with a degree in criminal justice, aiming to become a police officer, like his father had been for 23 years, according to Jessica Twining. While Jeremy Twining took online classes for the last TWINING few semesters, he still exercised and trained mentally and physically, according to Jessica Twining. Jeremy left a legacy at Liberty summed up in one phrase: laughter is good medicine. It was something Jeremy Twining knew all too well, and something his friends were never short in supply of when around him. Jeremy Twining’s life was a model of encouragement and a special blend of smiles. According to Andrew Claudio, a close friend of Jeremy Twining, being around him was a guarantee of smiles and laughter. “He just knew how to make you laugh,” Claudio said. “He always brought a light to the room. You knew it was going to be a fun time if he was there. He was the most encouraging person I had ever met.” Claudio shared about Jeremy Twining’s ability to joke around, but also have the ability to turn on a dime and encourage the person if he suspected they were having a rough time. Being able to laugh and comfort anyone was a standout quality. Claudio shared his favorite memory of Jeremy Twining when he, Jeremy and a group of friends were spending a day at a local fair, and Claudio was going through a tough time. Jeremy Twining noticed and told Claudio that he was surrounded by friends who loved him and were praying for him. “That’s who he was,” Claudio said. “He was the guy who made sure everyone was OK, everyone was smiling. It’s still kind of surreal.” Jeremy Twining’s younger sister, Jessica Twining, remembered his love for family and friends, playing with and aiding each member of the household, no matter what it was. According to Jessica Twining, Jeremy Twining invested his time in the people who he came in contact with day in and day out. “Jeremy was very family-oriented, always making sure we set time apart for each other, (whether it was) playing video games with James, shooting guns with Jon, or fixing cars with dad,” Jessica Twining said. “As siblings, we were all very close, and my parents invested so much into raising him into the godly man he grew to become. He loved Jesus.” Jeremy Twining was a big sports fan, according to Claudio, and enjoyed watching the Florida State Seminoles, having been raised in Dade City, Florida. “He loved fitness, loved football and loved hanging out with friends,” Claudio said. “As far as he and I were concerned, we were big into sports, though I don’t imagine it was fun for him watching the Rose Bowl.” The Florida State Seminoles lost to the Oregon Ducks 59-20. Jessica Twining highlighted a favorite story that occurred one night when she had experienced a rough week. “I remember one Sunday, after I had a difficult week, he asked me what plans I had for the rest of the day, followed by the words, ‘Be ready at 6,’” Jessica Twining said. “Without answering any of my questions as to why or what, I was ready at 6. He showed up at the door, all dressed up and with a bouquet of flowers in hand. He then proceeded to take me out to Olive Garden and a movie, all the while focusing on me and showing genuine interest in his little sister.” According to Jessica Twining, Jeremy Twining will always be remembered as one with a caring attitude and a constant source of laughter. “He was caring, diligent, kind, compassionate, thoughtful, hardworking, driven and lighthearted,” Jessica Twining said. “He had a heart as big as the sky, and I daresay he did more in his 21 years than most people do in a lifetime. He is finally at the foot of Jesus, forever worshipping the savior to whom he gave his life.”
Harbinson speaks on art, culture and faith’s role Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
Graduate passes in sleep
“I have a real passion for what God is going to do in and through the arts,” Harbinson said. “So I have a lot of focus on mentoring the next generation, because I believe … God has his hand on this generation in a special way. And I want to affirm that. … Nothing makes me happier than when I see people realize, ‘God has gifted me, and it’s OK to be an artist and a Christian. And not only is it OK, God wants to use me in a very powerful way.’ So that gives me the most satisfaction.” Harbinson encouraged aspiring artists to intentionally seek to honor God with their talents in the arts. “I want to (encourage) young people to recognize their gifts and to develop them to their greatest potential and offer them to the Lord,” Harbinson said. “That might mean going into the culture. It might be in an orchestra, or it might be in the church. Wherever God places them, to do it with excellence and to make sure that they walk closely with him in the process.” For more information about Harbinson, visit colinharbinson.com.
BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
news
A8 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Gospel to the nations
Global Focus Week exposes students to various cultures and nationalities Shannon Ritter sritter@liberty.edu
Global Focus Week (GFW) is one of the many aspects that separate Liberty University from other colleges around the world. This year, GFW took place Feb. 9-13. Monday’s Convocation kicked off the week with the Parade of Nations, where dozens of students walked through the Vines Center waving flags from their home countries. Five students proceeded to read a passage from Revelation one at a time in English, Albanian, German, Rwandan and Thai. Convocation featured two guest speakers, evangelical Pastor Ghassan Thomas and Assistant Attorney General of South Dakota and author Dr. John Strohman. Thomas shared a few of his experiences in Iraq and Turkey and explained how he helped translate more than 6,000 Arabic Bibles and plant hundreds of churches in Iraq. Strohman spoke next about the difference between the “Fake Commission” and the “Great Commission.” He told students to focus more on getting the message of Jesus Christ to the world rather than how they look while they are doing it. “We’ve got to care enough to share the real gospel,” Strohman said. The LaHaye Multipurpose Center hosted “Taste of Nations” Monday night, an annual favorite of both students and faculty. The event consisted of food samples from 23 countries with cultural music and dancing. Dr. William Wegert, dean of the International Student Programs, said the event has been running
for a decade. Wegert said he loves the interest American students show in all things international, and he is glad he can be a part of the global celebration. “I have the best job on campus,” Wegert said. The rest of the week was filled with events, including different “Culture Breaks” in the Jerry Falwell Library Monday through Thursday, featuring themes of Bollywood, International Candy Tasting, Tribal and Sip Your Way Around the World. Tuesday evening featured “Into the Muslim Mind,” where students could get a deeper understanding of the Muslim culture as they listened to speakers and sat on the floor to eat Middle Eastern food. A similar event called “Into the Buddhist Mind,” also took place Thursday night. Jonny, coordinator of special events in the Center for Global Engagement (CGE), works on the planning team with Director of Special Events Anna. Together, they worked to schedule and facilitate the events, partner with different organizations and make this GFW one to remember. “My favorite part is seeing students (get) connected with representatives from the organizations and … seeing how those connections stick with students for the next 30-40 years,” Jonny said. Jonny said all the resources offered during GFW are practical for the future of students in any vocation or career path. “Just because we live in Lynchburg, doesn’t mean you’ll only interact with Americans,” Jonny said. “In the real world, students need to be prepared to interact with different people and cultures with which they’ll be working.” Although the week offers
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
CELEBRATION — A host of nations was displayed during the Global Focus Week kick-off. different, fun and experiential events every year, the vision of GFW, according to Jonny, always stays the same: to raise global awareness and appreciation and for students to understand the need to spread the message of Jesus Christ all over the world. “God loves every people, country, island (and) continent,” Jonny said. “Because he loves them, we should love them too. He has reached out to us, so we ought to do the same.” NOTE: For safety reasons, last names have been withheld. RITTER is a news reporter.
Lauren Smith | Liberty Champion
LEARN — Tables were set up for interested visitors to examine.
SprinG 2015 LaHaye Event Space concerts Feb. 28 MAR. 2 APR. 2 APR. 20 APR. 27 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. BRANDON
HEATH
JUSTIN COLONY FLOM JON Brandon FOREMAN Heath Propaganda HOUSE (magician) $8 in adv. $5 in adv. $5 in adv. $5 in adv.
FREE
For ticket information, call (434) 582-SEAT or purchase online at www.Liberty.edu/SA. For more information, email studentactivities@liberty.edu or call (434) 592-3061
SPORTS
February 17, 2015
W. Basketball
Baseball
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W. Tennis
Baseball
W. Lacrosse
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Presby.
Kenn. St.
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GSU
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JMU
Vandy
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41
11
9
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7
5
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20
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Flames ink 14
born to run (and jump)
Signing day goes well for Flames Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
Following a historic year for the Flames, Liberty Head Coach Turner Gill announced the addition of 14 new players to the 2015 football roster as a part of National Signing Day Wednesday, Feb. 4. At the afternoon press conference held in Liberty’s football For an inoperations center, depth look Gill announced at all 14 that of 16 official signees, visit visits, 14 athletes committed to Libliberty.edu/ erty. Gill credited champion. Director of Player Pe r s o n n e l / Re cruiting Charlie Skalaski III and Assistant Director of Player Personnel Kettie Fickter for their job on the recruiting circuit in the offseason. “The coaching staff really did a fantastic job of … (finding) out who these guys are,” Gill said. “(Our staff) researched them for months, figuring them out academically, figuring out them spiritually to see if they fit and have an open mind to receive Christ, and also (figuring out if they have) an open mind to (receive) the teaching (in) the way we teach our student athletes to be successful on and off the field. … I think our staff did a great job of really not wasting our time, not wasting university money and doing things in a great, efficient way.” According to Gill, players in the incoming class will be assets for the program in the 2015 season as well as two to three years down the road. “I think this class fits our needs for now, and it also fits our needs for the future,” Gill said. “… They’re athletic, they’re competitive, they’ve been winning football (games), and they know how to do the things that we want our players to do.” The signing class includes six offensive
FYI
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
HIGH FLYER — Senior Kyle Wheeler clears the bar on his way to victory in the men’s high jump.
Right on track Flames continue to rack up indoor season victories Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
The men’s and women’s track and field teams’ success extended beyond state borders this weekend, Feb. 13-14, as four men and two women brought home event victories at meets in Virginia and Alabama. In the two-day Liberty Quad, a home meet, both the men and women succeeded in the multi-events. Senior Tevan McIntire took the firstplace spot in the heptathlon with an Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) qualifying 5,169 points. Sophomore Zach Davis
also eclipsed the 5,000-point mark and took second place. Davis also qualified for the IC4A meet with 5,054 points. Senior Riley Brandon notched an event victory for the Lady Flames in the pentathlon with 3,475 points thanks to a dominant performance in the final event, the 800-meter run. Brandon crossed the finish line more than 11 seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the race, propelling her from third place, where she sat in the pentathlon standings heading into the last event, to the top spot. “We weren’t running (the 800-meter run) necessarily for a big personal record,” Brandon said. “It was a workout
to set me up and get ready for (the Big South Indoor Track Championships). … This meet was really in preparation for conference and getting all the kinks out. I’m really pleased with how it went. I feel like I’m ready to perform.” Brandon’s teammates, junior Erika Jackson and sophomore Jessica Harrison, also did well in the pentathlon, placing second and fourth, respectively. Senior Kyle Wheeler added another win for the Flames in the high jump with a 6-6.25 clearance at the home meet.
See TRACK, B4
See INK, B4
Big South streak halts Men’s basketball wins first conference game of the season over Campbell Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu
The drought is over. Liberty men’s basketball finally tacked a conference victory onto its record with a 73-60 home victory over Campbell Tuesday, Feb. 10. Redshirt freshman guard Ryan Kemrite’s onslaught of three pointers early in the second half sparked the Flames (7-20, 1-13 Big South), and they never looked back against the Camels (9-18, 3-11 Big South). Kemrite made three three pointers in a two-minute stretch as part of a 23-2
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
Flames run that flipped a 32-40 deficit into a 55-42 lead over the course of a significant chunk of the second half. As a team, the Flames shot a blistering 55.8 and 66.7 percent in their best shooting performance of the 2014-2015 season. Junior swingman Theo Johnson went 5-6 from the field, including 2-2 from three to go along with Kemrite’s 4-6 performance from deep. Senior forward David Andoh overcame six turnovers to lead the Flames in scoring with 16 points on 7-12 shooting. Turnovers continued to be
an issue for the Flames even in the win, as they gave the ball away 16 times, coming in right around their season average of 16.6 turnovers per game. However, the Flames made up for their turnover issues with defensive intensity, holding the Camels to 60 points, the lowest point total the Flames had given up since a Dec. 31 matchup with the Camels. The Camels shot just 35.1 percent from the field and missed nine of their 18 free throws. Whatever defensive intesity
See SALVATION, B2
M. Basketball DI Hockey vs. Longwood vs. Minot St.
Feb. 17 @ 8 p.m.
Feb. 20 @ 7 p.m.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
POWER — Freshman forward Evan Maxwell raises up for a layup.
DI Hockey vs. Minot St.
W. Tennis vs. Marshall
Feb. 21 @ 7 p.m.
Feb. 21 @ 1 p.m.
W. Basketball vs. CSU Feb. 21 @
7 p.m.
Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage
sports
B2 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Tich’s Take Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu
Revenge of the nerds — this is what NBA legend Charles Barkley thinks is happening to the NBA. On “Inside the NBA,” the studio pregame and postgame show that accompanies TNT’s NBA broadcasts, Barkley had some interesting things to say about the use of statistics and analytics in basketball. “I’ve always believed analytics is crap,” Barkley said. “It’s just some crap that some people who were really smart made up to get in the game because TICHENOR they had no talent. … All these guys who run these organizations that talk about analytics, they have one thing in common — they’re a bunch of guys who never played the game and never got the girls in high school, and they just want to get in the game.” I actually like Barkley for the most part. His candidness is refreshing and entertaining. Sometimes “Inside the NBA” is more exciting than the game around it. But as entertaining as Barkley can be, he can be ignorant on certain issues. However, before trying to understand Barkley’s comments, there needs to be an understanding of what analytics are. While some of the formulas for statistics like effective shooting percentage or player efficiency rating may seem complex, the most difficult mathematical functions involved in these “advanced” statistics are multiplication and division. “Metrics” like points allowed per 100 possessions do nothing more than give an equal sample size when looking at how many points they give up, giving a more accurate look of how good a team is defensively without worrying about pace. Despite what Barkley or other opponents of advanced statistics may think, analytics are actually quite simple. Like any statistic, analytics are simply an attempt to quantify what happens on the court in numerical form. Analytics are also partially responsible for the movement away from isolation-heavy basketball to ball-movement-heavy, three-point-launching basketball. Teams that paid attention to statistics realized a simple concept — the three-point shot is worth more than the two-point shot. For years, stubborn coaches ignored the three-point line as a weapon, choosing to almost ignore it as part of their offensive attack. Now, pretty much every successful team jacks up threes at a high rate. The top 10 teams in threepoint attempts are all probable playoff teams. It is not a difficult concept, but for a long time the weaponization of the three-pointer was seen as a gimmick rather than a legitimate strategy. Analytics are not just employed by people behind desks in front offices, coaches and players are embracing them. Still, the majority of analytics staffs around the NBA are what guys like Barkley would qualify as nerds. And sure, most analytics people were never talented enough to play the game past high school or at all. Barkley is right about that. However, just because a person only grows to be 5-foot-7 does not disqualify him or her from loving and understanding basketball. Plenty of people who have never played basketball have an advanced knowledge of what a good basketball player looks like. There is a misconception that people who love using statistics do not watch the games. In reality, they probably watch more games than anyone. Analytics are just one of the many ways to help understand basketball better. But they did not help anyone get the girls in high school, so they probably do not matter. TICHENOR is the sports editor.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
FOCUS — A student duels with Thomas Road Baptist Church worship pastor Charles Billingsley in racquetball.
Quite a racquet Charles Billingsly takes on students at LaHaye Matthew Voss mvoss@liberty.edu
The Liberty University racquetball team started the semester with a bang as it held a student tournament to celebrate the opening of the new courts at the LaHaye Fitness Center. The event was held Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. with special guest Charles Billingsley. Along with a successful career in the music industry and devoting his time to Thomas Road Baptist Church, Billingsley can be found playing racquetball quite frequently. When students returned from winter break, the LaHaye Fitness Center opened two new racquetball courts for students to use, along with a new dance studio and new recreational rooms for cardio, strength training, cycle training and aerobics. With
the new courts now available, students no longer have to go off campus to The Sports Racket to get their racquetball fix. Jeremy Martin, a junior at Liberty who plays hockey for the Division III team, is one of many students excited for the addition of the racquetball courts to the fitness center. “I think it’s a great thing for people who love to come to the gym and work out or stay active,” Martin said. “A lot of students don’t have cars on campus and just can’t find a way to get to an off-campus spot like that.” At the two-hour tournament, approximately 15 students, in addition to the racquetball team, battled Billingsley. But Billingsley was tireless, playing one match after another while taking little to no time for a break in between. The racquetball
team members gave him some fierce competition, but not even they had enough to bring him down in the early rounds. Even the team’s best members proved to be no match for the seasoned Billingsley. The Thomas Road fixture dominated, going a perfect 10-0 against his opponents. As Billingsley played students on one court, the second court was being used as practice space for the racquetball team. The new courts can be easily reserved. Students must reserve a spot no earlier than 24 hours in advance and simply must ask a worker at the LaHaye Student Union about availability. The only thing needed to reserve a court is an up-to-date Flames Pass. VOSS is a news reporter.
SALVATION continued from B1 the Flames brought on Tuesday was invisible when they traveled to Coastal Carolina (18-8, 9-5 Big South) Saturday, Feb. 14, leaving with a 96-56 shellacking at the hands of the Chanticleers. The defending Big South champions were firing on all cylinders against the Flames, knocking down pretty much everything, including 13 of their 23 three-point attempts. Preseason All-Big South second team selection sophomore guard Elijah Wilson was particularly devastating, torching the Flames for 17 points, hitting four of five from three-point range. Coastal Carolina’s foursome of talented guards — Wilson, Warren Gillis, Shivaughn Wiggins and Josh Cameron — combined for 55 of the Chanticleers points with none of them even playing 30 minutes. Perhaps more impressive, the foursome only combined for a lone turnover. Conversely, the Flames starting backcourt of Jordan Dembley,
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
DEFEATED — The Flames followed their first Big South win with a big loss. Kemrite and Johnson combined to shoot just 6-22 and turned it over six times. After their first Big South win since Feb. 25, 2014, against Longwood, the Flames suffered their worst loss since a 84-42 defeat at Richmond in 2012.
The Flames will be looking to get back on the right track Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Vines Center against Longwood. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. TICHENOR is the sports editor.
sports
Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | B3
Flame train rolling
Baseball squad is ready to improve upon last season’s unprecedented success Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
With another 40-plus win season, a Big South regular-seaso title and the first at-large bid to an NCAA Regional in the books, the Liberty baseball team is aiming to accomplish even more during the 2015 season. Head Coach Jim Toman wants to take Liberty to its first-ever College World Series in hopes of bringing the National Championship back to Lynchburg. “We want to get on that national stage on ESPN and tell everyone that we love the Lord,” Toman, the 2014 Big South Coach of the Year, said. The 2015 Flames are ranked No. 25 in Baseball America’s College Preseason Top 25 poll. The Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s 2015 Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I preseason baseball poll has the Flames at No. 23. Last season, the Flames went 41-18 and 23-3 in the Big South, taking home the Big South regular-season title and competing in an NCAA Regional for the second straight season. “It was big for the program because Liberty has never had anyone that has gotten an at-large bid to an NCAA Regional,” Toman said. “It gives us a bigger platform when people nationally know who we are, … and that gives us a better platform for our mission.” In order to surpass their 2014 accomplishments, the Flames will have 21 players back from last year’s squad, including seniors Alex Close and Ashton Perritt, who were both drafted into the MLB but chose to return to Liberty for their final seasons. According to the Liberty Flames athletics website, first baseman Close was selected to the 2015 Perfect Game Preseason All-American third team as well as the 2015 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American second team. Also, Close was named the 2015 Preseason Big South Player of the Year. In 2014, Close batted .324 with 45 RBIs and was one of only two juniors to be named to the Capital One Academic All-American first team. Close
was also named to the All-Big South first team. Perritt, the closer for the Flames, was selected to the 2015 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American second team. With 12 saves in 2014, Perritt currently ranks second in program history with 22 career saves. Yet, after such stellar 2014 seasons, both Close and Perritt, leaders on and off the field according to Toman, are back at Liberty to propel the Flames back to an NCAA Regional berth. “It means a lot to the program (to have) two captains last year coming back this year to lead us again and hopefully get us to Super Regionals and Omaha,” sophomore pitcher Parker Bean, the reigning Big South Freshman of the Year, said. Even though the Flames will have veteran leadership returning for the 2015 season, the Flames lost the 2014 Big South Player of the Year Ryan Seiz, as well as the Big South Pitcher of the Year Trey Lambert. However, Toman is confident the Flames have enough depth and experience to fill the voids left by Seiz and Lambert. “We are going to put out on the field this year a lot of guys that have played before,” Toman said. “Almost every position will be (filled with) guys that have experience. We just need someone who will play hard every day and hopefully we’ll have a couple guys that can replace (Seiz).” With yet another talented squad, Toman said there is not one team in the way of the Flames reaching the NCAA Regionals again, but rather the Flames must either win the Big South Conference tournament or earn an at-large bid by winning close to 40 games and having an RPI high enough to impress the NCAA selection committee. Close said the way for his team to be successful down the stretch is to focus on each part of the season when it arrives. “We need to take it one day at a time and not get too worried about the end result, because we have a lot of games to play before we get to the Big South Tournament and regionals,” Close said. “Once we get there, I think we just need to finish strong and put in the extra work to get
Win like a girl
Women’s athletics sponsors campaign Cierra Carter cmcarter18@liberty.edu
When the Always #LikeAGirl campaign aired during Superbowl XLIX, many were inspired by the message it sent, including Kristie Beitz, Liberty University’s senior associate athletics director for academic affairs. “Our female student athletes have won in every area,” Beitz said. “When you look to see what they are doing on the field of competition, ... that’s amazing. But take that a step further and see what they’re doing in the classroom, ... in the community. What an awesome opportunity to be at an institution that provides that opportunity where you can grow academically, athletically, socially and spiritually and win like an LU girl.” The girls of Liberty have been winning in every way. Whether it is another Big South Conference title, the Northern Pacific (NorPac) Championship, or the classroom, the Lady Flames are making a name for themselves. Women’s athletics has seen some of the greatest success, yet still suffers from low attendance and support. “We put so much into advertising and publicizing and highlighting and celebrating the successes of male athletes and teams, but at times, female athletes are always trying to play catch up,” Beitz said. “It’s not necessarily facing adversity, but it’s showing and demonstrating that we are just as good, whether it’s on the court or on the field competition, and we bring value and can, as a group, as a gender, be successful.” That is when the idea for #WinLikeAnLUGirl was born. It is a movement that looks to celebrate the accomplishments that all Lady Flames are making in all areas. The women of Liberty were eager to stand behind the idea. “I know when I was younger, I always looked up to, whether it was high school or college, … that girl in a jersey,” Reynolds said. “… That’s just something that people admire.” This season, women’s volleyball players Sirena Vorster, Jade Vorster and Allie Reynolds are such examples. The Lady
Flames volleyball team fought through a lot of adversity as a team this year, but still managed to finish 23-10 (10-4), swiftly collecting 20 wins and defeating the University of Virginia in the Vines Center. Last year, the Lady Flames volleyball team hosted a camp for Sandusky Middle School’s 21st Century Grant program. This was just one of the many different outreach opportunities presented by the Lady Flames, who are just as invested in the community around them as they are in their sports. “I think we’re at a unique kind of position because young kids, especially girls, they already look up to us as an older figure, and on top of that, an athlete,” Jade Vorster said. “We can become leaders in the community and have a positive influence on these people by just being present and letting them know they’re important.” So what does it mean to #WinLikeAnLUGirl? The Lady Flames shared their thoughts on the project that is meant to highlight and embrace their achievements. “It means to win with respect, but also set an example as Christ followers to the community,” Sirena Vorster said. Beitz takes it a step further. “It means to win in every aspect of your life — it’s not just about winning on the field of competition,” Beitz said. “It’s about winning in everything that you do and setting that example. … Winning just doesn’t have to be about how many points you scored.” Jade Vorster expressed what winning looks like specifically for women. “Winning is almost achieving a level of empowerment in females and letting them know that they can do anything,” Jade Vorster said. The movement will be celebrated at the Lady Flames basketball game Feb. 21, along with local Girl Scouts and sports teams who have been invited to join. The event will include prizes, free food and an autograph session with the Lady Flames. The game against Charleston Southern, which will also mark Senior Night for the Lady Flames, is scheduled for 7 p.m. CARTER is a sports reporter.
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
LOCKED IN — The Flames went a school-best 23-3 in the Big South in 2014. to that point where we are healthy and still felling good.” Toman also acknowledged the change in the type of baseball being used by the NCAA. He said the seams on the ball are lower than in the past, allowing for a more offensive game. “I think this year (people are) going to see a lot more runs scored, and hopefully we will be scoring a lot more than the other
team,” Toman said. The Flames currently sit at 3-0 on the season. They look to make it 4-0 against the University of Michigan Wolverines, Feb. 20, in Greeneville, North Carolina in the Keith LeClair Classic.
RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.
MONDAY IS ZAXBY’S COLLEGE DAY ®
Liberty University students and faculty receive 20% OFF any meal on Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Must present valid ID. Offer valid at this location only: 1038 Wards Ferry Rd. • Lynchburg 434.237.2651 Limited-time offer. Valid on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. only. Must present valid ID. Each restaurant independently owned and operated. Offer not valid at any other locations. © 2014 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” is a registered trademark of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.
sports
B4 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Flames topple WVU
Men’s Division I hockey comes out victorious in a physical weekend matchup Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu
Liberty men’s Division I (DI) hockey team swept West Virginia University (WVU) off its feet in a two-game series on Valentine’s weekend. Unranked and already out of the playoff race, the Mountaineers played like a team with nothing to lose, forcing the 13th-ranked Flames to earn their 3-0 game one win. Physical play slowed the game from puck drop and made scoring hard to come by. It was senior forward Ryley Egan, assisted by sophomore forward Robert Ward, who first found the back of the net midway through the first period. This goal was followed up by the annual “Teddy Bear Toss.” “It’s something we really enjoy doing once a year, and I thought it was a great success again,” Handy said. Shortly into the second period, junior forward Bram Erickson put away one of his own, assisted by junior forward Danny Logan. The game stayed quiet until the middle of the third, when senior defenseman Cam Bakker combined with senior forward Lindsay LeBlanc and freshman forward Paul Lamoureux to score on the power play — a goal of special significance, given the Flames recent power play struggles. Bakker said the play that set up the scoring opportunity was one on which the unit had been working all season, giving it an air of relief. The highlight of the game, however, was yet to come. Just over a minute later, Liberty crashed the WVU net once again, sparking a brawl into which the increasingly frustrated Mountaineers goalie readily jumped. Flames goalie Matt Pinel, at the urging of his teammates, crossed the blue line himself and joined the fight. “It was slow getting going (tonight), but then it really turned into the temperatures rising,” Handy said. “It was something
that kind of had to happen, and when their goalie jumped in, Matt (Pinel) had to go down there and help out.” LeBlanc, Pinel and freshman defenseman Ben Hughes were each ejected and given a game disqualification for fighting, while Bakker was handed a 10-minute misconduct. “The goal felt good. (The) fight not so much,” Bakker said. “We don’t really need to be doing that kind of stuff, but I mean they wanted it, so we responded, and I thought we responded well. We moved on and got a big win.” Even in the absence of their penalized players, the Flames managed to turn up the heat for game two, putting away a 7-0 win that Handy called one of the team’s best showings of the season. “It felt nice just to shut the door on that one,” Handy said. “I thought (WVU) played well tonight, but we were able to capitalize on our chances, and it was nice to see with the guys that were out, other guys stepping up.” The forward line combination of Ward, Egan and freshman forward Grant Garvin combined for a whopping 12 points (five goals, seven assists), driving the Flames offensive effort. Senior forward Christian Garland added a solo shorthanded goal in the second and Lamoureux, junior forward Kyle Miller and freshman forward Luke Simon combined for one midway through the third. With third-ranked Minot State University coming to town this weekend, the Flames hope to keep the goals coming. “We’ve been clicking for a couple weeks now, since Delaware, and tonight we finally really broke out,” Ward said. “Next weekend is a (much) tougher opponent, so we need to do what we did tonight against them.” The Flames will face the Beavers at 7 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, in the last home series of the season. RUSH is a sports reporter.
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
PAYING FOR IT — Senior defenseman Cam Bakker (top) scored a power play goal in Friday’s 3-0 win.
INK continued from B1
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
TOSSING AROUND — Decathlete Lewis Williams competes in the shot put event.
TRACK continued from B1 “Today was the best I’ve felt all season,” Wheeler said. “I came to the meet and was just 100 percent relaxed, … and just taking each jump, every clearance, like it’s seven feet makes it a whole lot more fun. … I didn’t really look at the height today. I was just jumping, and it was fun.” At the Samford Invitational in Alabama, redshirt senior Jocelyn Williams earned an event victory for the Lady Flames in the weight throw. Williams threw the weight to 60-6.75, more than three and a half feet farther than the rest of the field, for the win.
Redshirt junior David Scouten also brought home a win in the men’s weight throw. His winning toss traveled 61-9, a new season best. Freshman Titus Koech added a victory for the Flames in the 3K with a time of 8:32.35. In addition to the event wins, the Flames 4x400-meter relay team notched an IC4A qualifier. The quartet of sophomore Stephen Racanelli, senior John Sherret, sophomore Ryan Davis and redshirt senior Ryan Versen combined for a time of 3:19.49. The Lady Flames also earned two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) qualifiers on the track.
Redshirt junior Kate Flower ran the 200-meter dash in 24.96 seconds to earn her place in the ECAC meet. Freshman Ednah Kurgat qualified for the ECAC meet in the mile run, clocking 4:54.15 for second place. The Flames and Lady Flames will have a couple of weeks of rest before heading to the Big South Indoor Track Championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Feb. 26-27.
BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
players and eight defensive players. On the offensive side of the ball, the Flames will add offensive linemen Ernst Andersen and Dontae Duff, wide receivers Denvre Daniels and Damian King, tight end Zac Foutz and running back Frankie Hickson. Gill called Andersen, a 6-foot-7-inch, 310-pound midyear enrollee from Lillesand, Norway, a “big, raw and intelligent” player. “God has a way of putting people here that fit,” Gill said. “… I think our coaching staff did a great job of really connecting with (Anderson), and I think he did a great job of being able to come here and find out that this is a fit for him. … It’s always gonna be a transition period for anybody, whether they’re one mile away, or whether they’re 1,000 miles away.” According to Gill, Daniels and King can also add to the Flames special teams unit as return specialists, which is an area Liberty’s coaching staff has focused on in the weeks since the 2014 season ended. “(That’s) one area where I know that we definitely (emphasized) on our staff — return specialist,” Gill said. “Again, we know that was an area that we didn’t do very well this year, and I’m well aware of that. So we definitely wanted to attack that area and make sure that we bring in some people (so we) can have great assets at return specialist.” The Flames also added eight defensive players, including defensive linemen Will Brown, Javon Frazier and Juwan Wells, safeties Rion Davis and Cameron Jones, cornerbacks Malik Matthews and Jeremy Peters and linebacker Jaylyn McKinney. According to Gill, several of the signees are athletic players who can also transition to other positions. Gill compared Peters and Matthews to former Flames cornerbacks and current NFL players Kevin Fogg and Walt Aikens, respectively. Additionally, like Daniels and King, Matthews can also help on special teams as a return specialist. Gill also highlighted Lynchburg native Jones, emphasizing his “very good ball skills” and quickness. “The thing that caught our eye immediately with him — he came to our camp (and) ran a 4.4 (40-yard dash),” Gill said. “We all timed him. So when someone does that and we physically (time him) ourselves, that (shows a) very, very good (asset) for him.” Brown will add to the Flames defensive front as a “powerful, big, mature” player, according to Gill. “He has a similar body probably like (Flames redshirt senior defensive lineman) Toby Onyechi — and I’m saying Toby Onyechi’s body as of right now,” Gill said. “… This guy has an opportunity to grow even bigger than that.” The new-look Flames will open the 2015 season Sept. 5 when they host the Delaware State Hornets.
BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
feature
Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | B5
Saddle up your horses Equestrian teams display skills at Campbell University competition Feb. 5-6 Cassandra Steptoe cvsteptoe@liberty.edu
It is customary for an equestrian team to bring a certain amount of horses to a competition, but the Liberty Flames Western equestrian team went above and beyond and brought nine horses to a competition at Campbell University Feb. 5-6. The Liberty Equestrian team competes as part of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). Equestrian team Head Coach Caroline Trexler said IHSA “has competitions in both hunt seat and Western riding, … (so) you can really tailor your program to the needs of your school … and (still) have the opportunity to be successful.” According to the Liberty University club sports website, the Western equestrian team was started fall 2014. Though it is young, the equestrian program uses quality horses for training and competitions. “We have 30 team horses and … probably 15 are either Western or can double dip (in English and Western),” Trexler said. According to Trexler, bringing nine of the Western horses to the competition was the young team’s “first big outward excursion” with Liberty-owned horses. According to Trexler, the competition held new challenges for all involved. “It was a lot of different dynamics all combined because it was a matter of transporting all of the (horses), housing all of them, caring for them and managing them all,” Trexler said.
Managing the horses’ health is a top priority at the equestrian center, according to Liberty Equestrian Center Horse Care Manager Megan Velardo. Velardo made sure that the horses received vaccine boosters and a health certification from a veterinarian before attending the show. In addition to maintaining horse health, the riders and equines faced other obstacles in preparing for the show. “February is weird for a competing athletic team to come back to school and then have (practices) that are almost exclusively controlled by the weather,” Trexler said. “We’re fairly limited in making sure all of our horses are sound (and) making sure that the weather is cooperative. … So, managing all of that but still getting the (students) the quantity … and the quality time to practice was a challenge.” However, saddle time was only one aspect of rider preparation. “A lot of it is a head game,” Trexler said. “There’s a skill set component and there’s definitely a practice component. But, if you can be continually reiterating the things in your head that you need to practice as a rider and working on that component, … you condition your brain to help you do the right things.” Sophomore intermediate rider Bri Henry added that the team did “a lot of praying … because we know the only way we can be successful is through God.” Coaches also worked hard to prepare each horse to perform in the competition.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
SHOW — Liberty Equestrian teams bring home a win from the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. “(Velardo) and the coaches collaborated to personalize goals for each horse and develop(ed) a workout that would bring the best results,” Western equestrian team Coach Shelby Rader said. Despite all the difficulties, the competition was a success. “Everyone loved our horses (and) they represented tremendously well,” Trexler said. “(It) was exciting to know that not only did we bring quality riders, but that the horses we are building our program out of also represent quality.” In addition to the horses’ achievements, the Western equestrian team members placed
“exceptionally well,” according to Trexler. However, the highlight of the competition was a team effort. “The really exciting thing is we were tied with five other teams for third on Saturday,” Trexler said. “But leaving Sunday, we were in third place for the region out of 11 schools.” The team’s excellence gave them further opportunities to serve their IHSA region. “Four of our horses got invitations to Florida as mounts for National semi-finals, as they were great performers,” Rader said. Overall, the weekend showed how well the Western team is
achieving its goals for its first season. “Our (top) goal as a team is to become even more unified in Christ and keep him at the center of all we do,” Rader said. “I would have to say that one of the highlights of the show was watching one of our captains, Micah Armbrust, pray with the (hotel) clerk. That … was the ultimate victory for our show, that’s what being a light for Christ is all about.”
STEPTOE is a news reporter.
Spring season commences Department of Theatre Arts prepares to premiere upcoming performances Emma Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu
“Tales of the South Pacific,” a production of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein’s, will hit the stage Feb. 20 as the opening act in the spring semester for the Liberty University Department of Theatre Arts. According to the department’s website and The Broadway Musical Home website, the musical is based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific,” published in 1947. Set on an island in the South Pacific during World War II, the plot focuses on two parallel love stories threatened by prejudice and war. The musical score features songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” “Bali Ha’I” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair.” Director Neal Brasher, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts, chose the show for its classic songs. “It’s a classic musical from the golden age of musical theatre with a compelling story,” Brasher said. “It has never been done at Liberty before, nor has it been done in Lynchburg for about 17 years,” Brasher said. The next show will be “Everyman,” directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Chris Nelson. According to Nelson, although anonymously drafted, the play is one
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
ACTING — The Department of Theatre Arts allows students to perform on stage throughout the semester. of the oldest and most well-known morality tales written. “It speaks to the moral condition of man,” Nelson said. “It’s about a man that’s told it’s basically his time to die, he’s handed his book of accounts and told he needs to get right with God.” According to Nelson, the play is based in the Catholic tradition of ars moriendi, which were instructions for people during the Middle Ages on how to die well. Nelson believes the religious theme is something that will draw audiences to the show. “As a faith-based community, staying focused on Christ is something we should be able to resonate with,” Nelson said. Another element that Nelson hopes will draw audiences is the fact that
this production is movement-conceived. Nelson estimates that 98 percent of the show is done without words. Inspired by a Cirque du Soleil special he watched on PBS last semester, Nelson wondered if he could use elements of modern art to recreate the story. “If people are expecting the full text of ‘Everyman,’ they’re not going to have it in verbal form,” Nelson said. “They will have it in another language. I hope what will resonate is that between movement — forms of dance and other elements, such as various forms of multimedia and cinematic arts, shadowing, song and dialogue — the emotional life in the story will still be told in a way that resonates within our culture today.” The production will run March 19-22. Nelson
encouraged the midnight performance March 20 as an approved late-night activity and tickets are $5. The next show will be “The Secret Garden,” presented by the Alluvion Stage Company. Based on the classic 1911 novel by Francis Hodgson Burnett, the musical adaptation tells the story of an 11-year-old orphan who returns to England from India to live with her reclusive uncle and his son. According to the theatre department’s website, Mary Lennox discovers a magic garden with “dreamers,” which are spirits that guide her through her new life. Linda Nell Cooper, chair of the theatre arts department and director of the show, hopes audiences will resonate with the show’s theme of overcoming brokenness. “Just because someone is
broken in one moment of his or her life doesn’t mean they remain broken,” Cooper said. “A person’s life can come out of the ashes through nurturing, rebirth and regrowth. No matter what may have happened in your life in the past, (it) is in the past. You can grow a whole new part of your life out of that, something that can be beautiful and blossom like roses.” The show will run April 17-May 2. The season will close with the Summer Shakespeare production of “King Lear.” According to the theatre department’s website, the show focuses on King Lear’s decision to step down from the throne, his decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters and the consequences that ensue. Director Andy Geffken,
an assistant professor in the theatre arts department, said although current students are involved, the show is a way for department faculty, staff and alumni to challenge themselves to do a show that would not necessarily be performed on the Tower Theater main stage. According to Geffken, this is the third year the department has done a Summer Shakespeare production, performing it in a different location on campus each time. This year, “Lear” will take place in the Tower Theater because other buildings on campus are not suitable for some of the technical elements in the show. However, the show will take place in a different format than a traditional show in the theater space. “The audience will be on the stage and they will actually be looking out into the house,” Geffken said. “We’ll be able to use the front of the stage and the house where the audience would normally be as our stage area. It’s the reverse perspective that will be fun and different for the audience.” The production will run May 21-27. Tickets are $10. More information about the theatre department can be found at liberty.edu/theatre. More information about the Alluvion Stage Company can be found at alluvionstage.com.
MAURER is a feature reporter.
feature
B6 | February 17, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Weekend getaways
Student Activities offers trips for those needing to take a break from studies Brianna Young bdyoung470@liberty.edu
Everyday adventurers and couch potatoes alike are invited to outdoor excursions hosted by Student Activities (SA) every semester. Liberty students around campus recognize the SA staff and volunteers as those who plan a myriad of on-campus events such as Coffeehouse. Long hours and many cups of coffee describe the days of the SA staff members during busy weeks filled with planning for events. Despite the challenging schedule, SA strives to provide opportunities for students to explore the world outside of Lynchburg, Virginia. According to the SA Web page, trips are “almost always free or at a significantly reduced price.” Taking advantage of at least one of these trips each semester is a way for students to experience something they may have never had the opportunity to do before. Approximately eight to 10 trips are planned each semester, according to Josh Yeoman, SA associate director. The first two trips of the semester were to Wintergreen Ski Resort. During the trip, participants enjoyed discounted lift tickets and rentals provided by SA. Those who love to hike may be interested in the upcoming trip to Spy Rock, Virginia, Feb. 28. According to Yeoman, the hiking trip will replace a bouldering trip that had to be rescheduled for April 18. Registration opened Feb. 16. “In general, we see a lot of incredible things in nature,” Yeoman said. “From bald eagles to waterfalls, our trips do not lack beauty.” One of the most popular trips each semester, according to Yeoman, is to Washington, D.C., where students are given free range of the types of activities they wish to do. SA has offered the Washington, D.C., excursion longer than any other trip. The trip provides an opportunity for those with a wide range of interests to do something they enjoy. The Washington, D.C., trip will be held
MARKET continued from B8 beef, pork, lamb, goat, poultry and fish featured in the butchery section, according to cornermarketva.com. Rick Bennett and wife, Becky, provide the quality and care for the Corner Market. They are the parents of six children and have been avid farmers for years. The Bennetts moved to Campbell County, Virginia in 2009 and have experienced provision and an unexpected platform to serve others. The Bennetts welcome customers as if they were family. Rick Bennett’s calloused and worn hands tell a tale of hard work and selfless care for those he loves. The success of the Bennetts labor humbles them in greater ways than they could have ever imagined. Rick and Becky Bennett expressed their desperate need for God to provide strength and guidance for them as they run their farm and the Corner Market.
Dale Carty II| Liberty Champion
RECREATION — Liberty students Ezra Carty and Fantasia Remonvil in Washington, D.C., at the Cherry Blossom Festival in 2014. March 28. Registration opens March 16. Another trip that many have to look forward to is the white water rafting trip to New River, West Virginia. Held April 10 and 11, this two-day trip offers students the chance to spend a night in a cabin and enjoy the rapids all afternoon the next day. “Students get the opportunity to paddle the New River, which has some of the nation’s best commercial rapids,” Yeoman said. Every precaution is taken in order to ensure each guest has a safe trip.
“Honestly, we could write a book about all that God has done,” Becky Bennett said. “This store has very little to do with us as a family and it has a lot to do with how the Lord moves, how he provides and how he leads. When we took our hands off and surrendered it, that’s when it took off.”
“We have a very experienced staff with credentials ranging from EMT and wilderness first responder to swift water rescue,” Yeoman said. SA will also provide the opportunity for horseback riding March 21 and kayaking and canoeing April 11 and April 18. The number of openings for each trip is dependent on the how many individuals can be accommodated. Most trips allow for 14 registered guests, while the trip to Washington, D.C., provides space for 150 people and the white water rafting trip has
While the Bennetts are familiar with trial and aware of imperfections, they are learning to rest in the truth of God’s unchanging word. According to the Bennetts, their faith in him is the only reason they do what they do. “It is really all about what the Lord is doing,
and he is just allowing us to be stewards here,” Becky Bennett said. “We want to be tools in God’s hands.” For more information about the Corner Market, visit cornermarketva.com. TAYLOR is a feature reporter.
RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion
OLD-FASHIONED — An antique soda shoppe sits in the corner of the market.
30 openings. Due to the popularity of each trip, they tend to sell out quickly. Yeoman warns that most trips sell out within two days of registration opening. More information on SA events can be found at liberty.edu/campusrec/studentactivities.
YOUNG is a feature reporter.
LOVE continued from B8 Macice said CAO Artisan Chocolates has a new tasting box of chocolates, which allows customers to try four different squares of their nine unique flavors of chocolate. “We make our own dark chocolate, so we have different chocolates made from different beans from farms around the world,” Macice said. According to Macice, CAO Artisan Chocolates is set apart from other chocolate shops in the Lynchburg area because all of their chocolates are made locally. “Everything is fresh,” Macice said. “(Our chocolates are) made recently, they’ve not been shipped from somewhere and (don’t have) who knows what kind of preservatives in them.” Macice said CAO Artisan Chocolates makes its chocolate with some of the best cocoa beans in the world. “It’s all organic, fair-trade, so it’s good, ethical sourcing,” Macice said. “We’re just very, very, very picky about our ingredients, so everything is made from high-quality stuff that tastes very good.” According to Miller, Valentine’s Day is not just about buying gifts for one another, though. Instead, it is about the thought and the message behind the gift. “The rose has always been a symbol of love, and I think one thing I love is the message,” Miller said. “You’d be amazed at some of the stuff (guys) put in the message, whether it’s a little poem or their little love language and terms of endearment.” Macice thinks that giving chocolates as a gift for Valentine’s Day is special, because it is a gift that can be shared. “If you’re just going and getting a peanut butter cup and sharing it, it’s not so special,” Macice said. “But to get a special truffle, if you’ve never tasted those flavors before, … and you’re kind of experiencing something together, then that’s very romantic.” Miller said she enjoys seeing the different ways that people express their love through the giving of flowers. “That’s probably one of my favorite things, just hearing how people love and how they express it,” Miller said. “And I would say let flowers be the messenger. You can send a card and write a note, but if it’s on a bouquet of flowers, that’s so much better than (in) a mail box.” For more information on bloom by Doyle’s and CAO Artisan Chocolates, visit their websites at doylesflorist.com and caoartisanchocolates.com.
RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion
VARIETY — The Corner Market carries a wide spectrum of novelty treats and snacks unavailable at regular grocery stores.
BUNNER is a feature reporter.
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Liberty Champion | February 17, 2015 | B7
Lauren Adriance | Liberty Champion
PASTRIES— Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts opened up its window in October 2014.
Photo Provided
ACCOMPLISH— Mama Crockett’s is owned by F.W. Willis, Coulter Sims and Shad Sims.
Dreaming of doughnuts Three men fulfill an ambition by selling sweet treats from a remodeled trailer Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
What do three young men, a refurbished trailer and a vision all have in common? Doughnuts. But, for co-business partners Coulter Sims and Shad Sims of Utah and F.W. Willis of Virginia, a dream of selling fresh doughnuts has become a reality. Unlike other doughnut bakers though, these three men sell their sweet treats out of a redone bright blue trailer with the name Mama’s Crockett’s Cider Donuts painted on the side. Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts opened last year and has turned into a favorite snack spot for many Central Virginians. In April 2014, the three men began the Shaved Ice Shack in Buena Vista. But, as the weather turned colder, the men needed a way to transition their business to the winter months. Then, in October of 2014, Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts was formed. According
to Coulter Sims, the idea for a doughnut stand was already in the works before the Shaved Ice Shack, but it took time for the idea to come to fruition. “We pretty much had everything figured out except how to make doughnuts,” Willis said. “That really was the last thing.” After securing a portable trailer in September and figuring out logistical issues, the business grew. Willis said they set up Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts at the Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale in November 2014 and the business blew up on Instagram and Facebook. Though originally located in Buena Vista, Virginia, after the social media response in Lynchburg, Mama Crockett’s ventured to downtown Lynchburg regularly. “The end of December was the first time we came down (to Lynchburg) and set up on (12th and Main),” Willis said. “It was going so well that we kind of realized that we needed to (sell doughnuts) all the time.” Open Thursdays through Satur-
days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts serves the community of Lynchburg on Main Street. “Our business is more the way that we sell the doughnuts than it is about the doughnuts themselves,” Willis said. The three men use Facebook almost daily to interact with fans, share the location of the trailer and inform customers of contests and giveaways. The masterminds behind the doughnut trailer all agree that their favorite part of running such a unique business is interacting with the customers. “I think meeting new people daily is probably the (most fun) thing, because it’s interesting the different perspectives people have and the reception they bring to the shack,” Shad Sims said. “If you’re having a day where you’re going down to buy doughnuts from a trailer on the street, you’re probably having a good day,” Willis said. “We get to be a part of that all day long. We get the best part of people’s days. And that’s
probably the coolest thing.” Mama Crockett’s features a signature item, the Fire in the Hole, only available at certain times. The treat is a cup filled with two warm donuts, covered in a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with hot caramel. With their small business on the rise, the three men hope to open a second trailer in the near future to keep up with the increasing demand. College-age women, as well as women age 24-35, make up more than 50 percent of Mama Crockett’s Facebook fans, according to Willis. Down the road, according to Coulter Sims, the plan is to find a location closer to Liberty University. “Who doesn’t get excited about ice cream on a hot donut?” Willis said. For more information about Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts and to keep up with the latest happenings, visit facebook.com/mamacrocketts. RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.
We’re hiring teammates to join The VUE Crew • • • • •
Looking for 30 energetic guys & girls of all talents. $10/hr., 10-20 hours a week, nights & weekends. 40 hours available during spring break. Career opportunities available. Students only.
Apply Online at www.TheVueAtLibertyMountain.com
B8
FEATURE
February 17, 2015
RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion
FRESH — Auburnlea Farms located in Gladys, Virginia, opened a farmer’s market-like store at Cornerstone, offering a variety of locally grown produce, spices and other products.
Market reaches locals Owners of the Corner Market aim to bless their customers with high-quality products
Hannah Elizabeth Taylor hetaylor3@liberty.edu
Home. The place we long for, where we feel comfort and acceptance. The place where the scent of good food floods through the nostrils and overpowers the senses. The place where kindness is abundant and joy overflows. While we may not have access to a home, Auburnlea Farm’s Corner Market embodies a taste of home away from home and is located at Cornerstone, a community
for families and students, that is only a few miles from campus. Auburnlea Farm is located in Gladys, Virginia. Stepping inside the barn-structured building opens one’s eyes to an array of fresh, grass-fed meats, dried goods, locally grown fruits and vegetables, dairy products and freshly baked bread, all of which can be savored in Corner Market’s eclectic cafe. According to the cornermarketva. com, the only elements lacking in the Corner Market are sprays, chemicals,
genetically modified organisms and artificial ingredients. The Corner Market cafe is open Monday through Saturday. Monday through Friday, the cafe is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturdays, the Corner Market serves brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to the cornermarketva.com, the cafe also offers a to-go menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to the cafe, which caters
to specialty vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and gluten-free options according to cornermarketva.com, the Old Fashioned Soda Shoppe sits in the corner of the barn-like building adjacent to the cafe. The soda shoppe serves drinks such as homemade sodas, locally roasted coffee, and ice cream floats made with 100 percent grass-fed ice cream. The Corner Market also represents Auburnlea Farm’s organically raised, grass-fed
See MARKET, B6
Lynchburg profits from love Good weather over the weekend holiday results in increased sales for shops Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu
Characterized by blustery winds and blue skies, this year’s Valentine’s Day did everything but mirror the weather of Feb. 14 last year. The business of local shops bloom by Doyle’s and CAO Artisan Chocolates were hindered last year due to the weather. “Last year we had a snow storm, so that definitely affected the day,” Debbie Miller, owner of bloom by Doyle’s, said. “But my drivers ended up driving a lot of their own vehicles, which were four-wheel drive. So my big slogan was ‘Help us save Valentine’s Day.’” Despite the bad weather, every single delivery, no matter where it was, was made last Valentine’s Day with the help of Miller’s friends. “We did save Valentine’s Day, but it was affected in the sense that schools were closed,” Miller said. “A lot of our deliveries are at offices and schools and when you have a snow day, those things are closed. So this year, we’re rocking it and we’re so grateful. It’s cold, but it’s sunny and everything is open, so it’s a good day.” Owner of CAO Artisan Chocolates Carl Macice said last year’s snow storm affected his business as well. “The day before Valentine’s Day we almost did no business at all (because) it was such bad weather,” Macice said. “The general week, though, we did really (well). I
think we did twice what we would normally do in a week.” Both Miller and Macice expected better business this year as well as better weather. According to Miller, bloom by Doyle’s sold approximately 300-400 flower arrangements this Valentine’s Day, while Macice says that CAO Artisan Chocolates probably sold a few hundred boxes of chocolates. Both bloom by Doyle’s and CAO Artisan Chocolates sold Valentine’s Day classics such as roses and boxes of chocolate, but they also had signature items and special packaged deals available. This year, bloom sold three ultimate packages made especially for Valentine’s Day. The names of the packages were Truly, Madly and Deeply. Truly cost $85 and consisted of a dozen roses, a balloon and a stuffed bear. At $105, Madly contained everything that Truly did, plus an eight count of truffles. Deeply contained everything that Madly did, plus a soy candle, and cost $130. CAO Artisan Chocolates sold fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, makeyour-own s’mores and special truffles made especially for Valentine’s Day. To accompany the chocolate-dipped fruits or the traditional box of chocolates, a bouquet of flowers usually does the trick in completing a Valentine’s Day package. Miller said that the rose is always the most popular flower around Valentine’s Day. But bloom by Doyle’s works hard at
Photo Provided
TREATS — CAO Artisan Chocolates has been a hot spot to visit for Valentine’s Day. getting a variety of different colored roses from which to choose. “We work really hard at being a shop that does arrangements that look more garden picked and not so roundy moundy,” Miller said. “I used to live in California where you would have open carts and florists everywhere, and so we really try to be more of that kind of florist.” According to Miller, the bloom by
Doyle’s staff takes pride in the care they put into their flowers. Whether it is processing the flowers, changing their water, keeping food in them or monitoring the temperature they are stored in, Miller said bloom’s flowers are much healthier than ones that can be purchased at grocery stores.
See LOVE, B6