Lady Flames honor four seniors
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South Pacific opens in theater
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Lynchburg, Virginia
Volume 32 | Issue 16 February 24, 2015
the cold never bothered me anyway
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
WINTER WONDERLAND — Students Kayla Morel and Autumn Chesnut enjoy the snowdays that cancelled classes Monday through 10 a.m. Wednesday. (See more snow pictures, including the winner of the Liberty Champion Instagram Contest, on page B6.)
Phishing scams hunt for prey IT tackles problem of malware constantly plaguing university email accounts Emily Hoosier eahoosier@liberty.edu
Like fishing in a body of water, hackers send phishing emails to students complete with bait and a dangerous hook. But instead of a juicy worm, students could find malware at the end of a hacker’s hook. Phishing is different than other junk email because it is “trying to look like something from a trusted source,” Joshua Burch, Liberty University network security technician, explained. Burch deals with these
types of emails daily. The Information Technology (IT) department has filters in place to stop suspicious sites and known scams from reaching students, but Burch said, “the first line of defense in security is the students.” If a phishing email slips past the IT filter, students are encouraged to report it to the IT Help Desk by calling 434-5927800 or emailing scams@ liberty.edu. Some phishing emails make it to the inboxes of the entire student body, while others only reach one or two.
The goal of most phishing emails is to get usernames and passwords. And places with a large email base like universities, hospitals and large companies are prime targets. But students can be aware of red flags that hackers commonly wave in these phishing emails. Many phishing emails do not address recipients by name. They begin with, “Dear Email User.” Liberty University knows the names of students and will begin emails by properly saying hello. Watch out for emails with a warning and a
LU online expands to Dallas Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
LUO — Online office in Lynchburg.
Satellite office opens in Texas
consequence, such as, “If you do not reply with your username and password, then your email account will be suspended.” “If you get an email claiming to be from the university that is asking you to verify your username and password for whatever reason, it’s probably not from the university,” Burch said. “And if you ever have doubt, the best thing to do is just call the Help Desk and ask.” If the email is addressed to you and seems
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
See EMAIL, A2 DIGITAL WORLD — Users have encountered email scams.
Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell announced Wednesday, Feb. 18, that the school’s first satellite office will open in Dallas, Texas. According to Falwell, the idea for the satellite office came from research that showed that students are more likely to attend online
classes from a university close to them as opposed to a university several states away. The purpose of the office would be to offer students short-term intensive courses, as well as to give them an opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with Liberty University representatives. This would prevent students near Dallas from having to travel all the way to Lynchburg
for a two-week course. Despite opening a new facility in Dallas for online students, Liberty University Online will still be accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
JANNEY is the asst. news editor.
News
Opinion
Sports
Feature
News Opinion
Sean Hannity speaks to students about economy, fight against terrorism. A2
Baby Leo ignites heated debate over children with Down syndrome. A5
DI hockey sweeps Beavers in last home series of the season.
Philosophy professor embraces teaching opportunity in Romania. B4
Sports Feature
INSIDE THE CHAMPION
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A1 A4 B1 B4
A2 | February 24, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Hannity visits campus Political commentator grapples with important national issues Shannon Ritter sritter2@liberty.edu
Renowned television and radio host and New York Times best-selling author Sean Hannity, as well as “Duck Dynasty” TV personality John Luke Robertson, spoke at Liberty University in Convocation Wednesday, Feb. 18. Hannity is the host of “The Sean Hannity Show,” as well as the host of Fox News’ cable news show, “Hannity.” Before Hannity addressed the student body as the keynote speaker, soon-to-be Liberty student Robertson took the podium to share a short story with the audience. He told of his recent experience with an old, run-down building that he plans to use as a home for human trafficking victims in Louisiana. Still under construction, Robertson’s building has a lot of work to be done, but he remains hopeful, as God has moved in every aspect of the process. Robertson encouraged students to donate to the cause. Robertson and his team hopes to end human trafficking in northern Louisiana within six years of the building opening. The students then welcomed political author and commentator Hannity with a warm round of applause, and he expressed his gratitude to be able to speak at Liberty. “It’s great to be in a place where I can mention God,” Hannity said. Before beginning his portion of the Convocation, Hannity donated $50,000 to Robertson’s building for human trafficking. Hannity began his speech expressing his remorse for the United States’ large amount of
Joel Coleman | Liberty News Service
POLITICAL PASSION — Sean Hannity encouraged students during Convocation to be strong leaders. debt owed to other countries including China, irresponsible mentality among government leadership and, according to Hannity, President Obama’s lack of concern for America’s well being. “We live in a political time where nobody wants to take responsibility for their own actions,” Hannity said. Hannity described how his grandparents came to the U.S. to fulfill the “American Dream,” in order that their children and grandchildren would have better lives. According to Hannity, however, that may not necessarily be the case today. “Because of bad policy and politics, … (my generation) may leave this country worse off for all of you than the country we inherited,” Hannity said. He described America’s rap-
id descent into bankruptcy, especially within social security, healthcare and the 50 million Americans living on food stamps, which he noted was almost 20 million more people than when George W. Bush was president less than a decade ago. Hannity then described the poor state of the world, including the threat of ISIS, whose actions have included the shooting and beheading of innocent Christians living in the Middle East and journalists covering the carnage. He highlighted Obama’s apparent lack of concern over those actions and Obama’s inability to describe it as, according to Hannity, “radical Islamic terrorism.” “This is the world you are inheriting,” Hannity said. “That’s the evil that exists in the world.” In order to end the message on
a brighter note, Hannity encouraged students to step up and be the leaders that God has called them to be, whether during peace or seemingly endless evil. “The country is craving whatever talent God has given you,” Hannity said. “God put you here for a reason. Your job is to find out what that reason is.” He reassured the audience that there is no country or economy that cannot be saved. All it needs is better leaders. “The world needs your leadership, and you’re in a position to get it,” Hannity said. “We need your wisdom. We need your power. We need your courage. I want you to be the leadership that’s going to save this country.” RITTER is a news reporter.
news EMAIL continued from A1 friendly, but still suspiciously asks you to click on a link, read that link carefully. If the address does not end with @liberty.edu, it is not from Liberty. Some hackers use free websites like weebly.com and wordpress.com to create fake websites using Liberty University in the domain name. If a word is hyperlinked so the address is not visible, students should hover their mouse over it, and they should be able to read the link. Poor grammar is also a common red flag. Liberty University does not send emails riddled with grammar mistakes, while email scams will often contain poor spelling and sloppy sentence structure. A spoofed email address is another tactic that hackers use to make recipients feel more comfortable. These emails may seem like they are from a classmate or someone on that individual’s dorm. This can be trickier to detect, so it is best to go by the email content. Some hackers also send phishing emails to Liberty email users from a fake account resembling a trusted brand like a bank or department store. If a student notices a red flag, he or she can call that establishment and ask if the email is from them. Liberty IT provides more tips to identify phishing and fraud emails. For a list of current security alerts and images of “Known Scams,” click on the Security and Phishing Quicklink on the IT homepage, then the Phishing and Fraud link.
HOOSIER is a news reporter.
Champion Corrections Tweet us with the hashtag #whatsuplu at @LUChampionNews or email us at libertychampionmedia@gmail.com with any upcoming events that you want to share and we will put it in the newspaper.
CAMPUS CALENDAR 2/242/27 2/24 2/24 2/26 2/26 2/28 3/2 3/3 3/93/13 COLOR KEY:
- 90’s Coffeehouse Tryouts 5 p.m.-10 p.m. | Lahaye Event Space - LU Photo Club Scavenger Hunt 7 p.m. | DH 2199 - Dialogue: Today’s African American Community 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. | DH 1104 - Kaleidoscope: Senior Graphic Design Art Exhibit 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. | DeMoss Art Gallery, DH 4069 - New York City Showcase Benefit 5 p.m.-7 p.m. | Reber-Thomas Dining Hall - Jon Foreman Concert 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space - The Table Tour 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space - Doc Film Movie Night featuring: Fading West 7 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space - SPRING BREAK STUDENT ACTIVITIES
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The Liberty Champion strives to accurately report campus and community news each week. Regretably, several errors in fact in Issue 15 have been called to our attention. In an effort to rectify our mistakes, we have listed each correction and have updated our website, liberty.edu/champion, to reflect the accurate information. The Champion Staff apologizes and will work to prevent mistakes in the future. In last week’s #WHATSUPLU campus calendar, we incorrectly listed the date of the Jon Foreman concert as Feb. 23. The concert actually takes place Saturday, Feb. 28. All other information for the concert is listed correctly in this week’s calendar. In an article titled “Franklin fills Vines Center,” we failed to mention that Liberty’s Student Activities hosted the Friday-night concert. In the schedule showing the new times for classes in the fall 2014 semester, the last Monday/Wednesday/Friday class time was incorrectly listed as 4:20-5:05 p.m. The correct time is 4:20-5:10 p.m. In an article titled “Quite a Racquet,” we incorrectly referred to the LaHaye Student Union as the LaHaye Fitness Center. In an article titled “Flame train rolling,” we wrote that the Flames baseball team had jumped out to a 3-0 start this season. At the time of publication, the Flames actually had a record of 2-1. In an article titled “Spring season commences,” we incorrectly called the Liberty Department of Theatre Arts’ latest production “Tales of the South Pacific.” While the novel on which the production is based does bear that name, the title of the play is only “South Pacific.” Finally, in an article about the recent Ann Wharton Lecture Series banquet, we incorrectly wrote that Associate Dean of the School of Communication & Creative Arts (SCCA) Scott Hayes introduced the keynote speaker, when Dean of SCCA Norman Mintle actually introduced the speaker. The article also contained some incorrect information resulting from a misinterpretation of a story told during the banquet.
news
Liberty Champion | February 24, 2015 | A3
Debate team heads to Kansas Liberty students prepare to compete in upcoming CEDA National Tournament Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu
Unlike any other university, Liberty University’s debate team has won all the sweepstakes from the Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA), the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and the American Debate Association Tournament (ADA) each year from 2009-2013. This year, the team will be traveling to Wichita, Kansas, to compete in the CEDA National Tournament March 20-23. The CEDA National Tournament is a tournament that is open to all schools and is the biggest national tournament of the year. There will be around 120 to 150 two-person debate teams competing. Liberty is planning on taking one to three two-person teams. Megan Edwards and Vida Chiri will be attending the competition. They have been top contenders all year, and Liberty’s Director of Debate Michael Hall believes they have a lot of potential. “This year is our best chance of winning the CEDA tournament,” Hall said. “Edwards and Chiri have been our top team this year.” Liberty debaters will be participating in policy debate, which is the longest and oldest form of debate. During this tournament, they will be debating the legalization of online gambling, physician-assisted suicide, prostitution, marijuana and organ sales. The teams will be challenged to debate both sides of each argument. According to Chiri, she tries to maintain a Christ like attitude no matter which side she is debating. “Even if you disagree, it’s about learning all sides of it all,” Vida Chiri said. In order to prepare for this tournament, Hall has been helping his team prepare new ar-
Kevin Manguiob | Liberty News Service
COMPETITIVE — The debate team traveling to Wichita must learn to tackle both sides of complex issues in order to win. guments, managing the team schedule and making sure they properly take care of their academic responsibilities. “To prepare for CEDA, we have a mix of doing things that help us get better so we are peaking and we get better,” Hall said. “However, we don’t want to compete with school work, schedules and other responsibilities, or they will get burned out.” This road to the CEDA National Tournament has been filled with a lot of preparation and is something the whole debate team has been working toward all year. At the CEDA National Tournament, the debate team will
compete in two categories — two-person teams and sweepstake. The sweepstake award is based on the scores of the entire debate team. According to Hall, the debate program at Liberty is able to compete with any other university. This is due to debate being based on the experience of the debater and not the size of the school. “Our university has been generous with our program, because they see the value and that our students are able to compete with anyone,” Hall said. As the tournament approaches, the teams are preparing and practicing. At the end of the day, each
of the debate team members want to do their best and represent the true spirit of debate. “Debate isn’t what people think it is,” Megan Edwards said. “It has a lot more intellectual rigor. … Debate has much more value and understanding, but not everyone agrees.” According to Chiri, it is especially important for the Liberty debate team to maintain a positive spirit. “These discussions get heated,” Chiri said. “And we need to maintain a Christ like manner, approaching each debate as a way to share the gospel and being open minded and willing to engage in
tough discussions.” Hall said he is excited to have his team represent Liberty at CEDA. He is expecting big things from his team. However, after the tournament is over, he cares only about whether his debaters did the best they could. For Edwards and Chiri, he just wants them to end their debating career strong. “(I would) love to see ChiriEdwards win the tournament,” Hall said. “They have had such a successful run. … I want them to come out of this tournament having put an exclamation mark on their careers.” FROST is a news reporter.
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Sodexo Spotlight: Jeanie Griffis
Position/Years with Sodexo: Director of Operations Resident Dining, 25 years. Favorite Meal on Campus: Soup at the Food Court or Vanilla filled donuts at Dunkin! Loves: Playing with my 4 year-old grandson Gavin! He’s the light of my life! Can be found: Running from the Annex to the Food Court.
OPINION
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February 24, 2015
Faith fuels Islamic terror Religion is the key motivator behind jihadists’ violence, not economic woes Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu
Jobs — that is what the Islamic State needs. Jobs. According to State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf, that is the solution. But the reality is Islamic State radicals do not need a “shovelready,” five-step path to employment. The displaced, abandoned and abused Christians, Yazidis and peaceable Muslims are the ones who need help. “We need to go after the root causes that lead people to join these groups, … (including a) lack of opportunity for jobs,” Harf told MSNBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews. Matthews cut her off, reminding her that there are always going to be poor people and there are always going to be poor Muslims. The truth is, poverty is not the root cause of the Islamic State — religion is. “What makes these 17-year-old kids pick up an AK-47 instead of trying to start a business?” Harf asked. The root is a relentless desire to see the Prophet Muhammad’s radical teachings realized. According to Quran 9:12, jihadists are called to fight the disbelievers “that they might cease.” “Pretending that (the Islamic State) isn’t actually a religious, millenarian group, with theology that must be understood and combatted, has already led the United States to underestimate it and back foolish schemes to counter it,” Graeme Wood wrote in an editorial in The Atlantic. How can the U.S. govern-
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HOLY WAR — The Islamic State’s ultimate goal is to establish a religious caliphate around the world. ment address an issue that it has so far refused to clearly define? Even today, the White House will not acknowledge the Islamic State’s religious ramifications, even in the face of their bold action and unrelenting, theologically-charged rhetoric. “Their only words were, ‘Jesus, help me,’” Pope Francis said in response to the video of the execution of the Coptic Christians uploaded Feb. 15. “They were killed simply because they were Christians.” When the jihadi organization uploaded the video, titled “A Message Signed with Blood to
the Nation of the Cross,” President Barack Obama referred to the men executed as “Egyptian citizens” and the executors as “ISIL-affiliated terrorists,” doing everything he could to avoid acknowledging the religious, Muslim tie. “At this point, it is beyond burlesque — it’s pathological, it’s clinical, their inability and unwillingness to … accurately describe things,” political commentator on Fox News’ “Special Report” George Will said. “The secret of decent, strong communication is specificity.” Perpetually changing the
strategy and considering these terrorists victims of a poor job market is not going to bring safety to any of the thousands of displaced Christians throughout the Middle East. In an interview with Newsmax, Pete Hoekstra, a former Michigan congressman who once chaired the House Intelligence Committee, and Johnnie Moore, former senior vice president for communications at Liberty University and author of the forthcoming book “Defying ISIS,” agreed that putting boots on the ground, along with sending lethal weaponry to our
native allies, is the only option. “We’re witnessing a vacuum of power in the region that is allowing literally the most horrific actors in modern times to have all the power and all the opportunity that they want to exhibit as much horror as they want,” Moore said. Refusing to acknowledge the Islamic State’s motivation and its ultimate goal — a religious caliphate of global proportion — will only make that vacuum bigger. In a Fox News Sunday interview Feb. 22, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told host John Roberts that acknowledging any tie between Islam and the Islamic State gives the group too much “dignity,” claiming they are “hijacking” a religion of “peace and brotherhood.” While there are peaceful Muslims who denounce the actions of this more violent and extreme sect of the Islamic faith, the terror organization’s foundation is religious nonetheless. “(The Islamic State has) once again committed horrific violence in establishing their religious beliefs,” Todd Daniels, International Christian Concern regional manager for the Middle East, told the Christian Post in response to the 21 executed Christians. The best help and hope we can bring to all those persecuted because of the Islamic State is not jobs for terrorists, Harf. The best response is to acknowledge the group’s central theological motivation and move forward with clear and pointed action. GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.
Oscars: better than expected The 87th Academy Awards ceremony gets most of the winners correct Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu
When I decided to cover this year’s Academy Awards, I was ready to rip the ceremony to shreds. Having watched 70 of the 86 movies that had won the famed Best Picture award, I had grown weary of the way the Oscar game is played. Too often a picture is awarded for being politically relevant for the time rather than for actually being a fantastic movie. Other times, awards are given to an actor or director out of obligation to make up for the fact that they have been in the industry for a while and should have won an award sooner. And worst of all is the entire concept of Oscar campaigning. As a viewer, this is frustrating, because the Best Picture award rarely goes to a movie worthy of the title.
It is apparent that the Academy Awards say far more about the state of Hollywood politics than they do about the enduring appeal of movies to the public. The self-glorifying, tedious and overlong ceremonies that are thrown each year to celebrate the Oscars do little to try to disprove that belief. With all of that being said, something surprised me about the 87th Academy Awards ceremony — it managed to not be terrible. I could rant about several of the nomination snubs. It is a crime that critical and commercial favorites like “The Lego Movie” and “Gone Girl” were mostly ignored. And the less said about the lack of racial diversity, the better. But in a twist from the precursor awards, “Birdman” took the Best Picture over the anticipated front-
by Emily Brown Here we go again. Brian Williams, round two. Last Thursday, Mother Jones, a bimonthly magazine and online news site, accused Fox News correspondent Bill O’Reilly of making false claims about his reporting experiences during the 1982 Falklands conflict. Washington Bureau Chief David Corn and
runner “Boyhood.” And as much as I admire the ambition of “Boyhood,” which was filmed over the course of 12 years in order to capture the aging process of its protagonist, the movie was always going to be more of an impressive project than a storytelling masterpiece. The winners of the acting awards were predictable, but very well deserved. Most of the acceptance speeches tried to address various social issues relevant to the winner’s movie, which could seem like a blatant attempt to make their movies look more important and culturally relevant. Yet, I found these speeches very emotionally moving, as most of them were spoken with a genuine conviction. Patricia Arquette, who won Best Supporting Actress in “Boyhood,” spoke on the importance of women’s equality and
Senior Editor Daniel Shulman’s article centers on O’Reilly’s claims that he reported from a “war zone” and survived “combat” situations during his time as a CBS News reporter. Following the release of the article, O’Reilly fired back, offering a rebuttal during his Talking Points Memo in his show “The O’Reilly Factor” Friday night. While this situation seems very similar to the Williams case, it is too early to tell whether the accusations bear much weight. However, it is not too early to tell that the parties involved in this latest scandal do not seem to be focused on accuracy. Though critics of Williams were mostly concerned with whether he is trustworthy as a news anchor, the O’Reilly/ Mother Jones situation has turned into nothing more than a feud, each
the sacrifices mothers make in an empowering speech that earned a cheer from Meryl Streep. Best Actress winner Julianne Moore tried to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s when accepting her award, while John Legend spoke of racial prejudices still being overcome today when accepting an award for his song “Glory.” The most powerful moment came when scriptwriter Graham Moore revealed he had attempted to commit suicide as a teenager for feeling different. He won an Adapted Screenplay award for “The Imitation Game” and delivered a message about outcasts embracing their uniqueness and the promise that life gets better. The real surprise of the night was Lady Gaga’s magnificent tribute to the 50th anniversary of “The Sound of Music.” People can criticize Gaga’s bizarre artistic
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STATUETTES — The prestigious trophy was officially dubbed the “Oscar” in 1939. choices all they want, but they cannot deny the range and power of her voice. In the end, this ceremony was better than average. I may try to convince myself that the Oscars are meaningless and that I am never going to watch them again, but deep down I know that
party hoping for the other to crack first. In his Talking Points Memo, O’Reilly, who referred to himself as “your humble correspondent,” acted in exactly the opposite manner, arrogantly scolding Mother Jones and resorting to namecalling while he attempted to debunk the rumors. Then, in response to that rebuttal, Corn and others called O’Reilly out for his behavior and largely ignored O’Reilly’s evidence. Who knows how many more times Corn and O’Reilly will go back and forth before this fight finally fizzles. Now, instead of focusing on the facts, more attention is being paid to who will win this dispute. While this situation shows the importance of accuracy and truth in reporting, it is also a picture of what is so messed up with the media. It is no wonder the
I am always going to somehow get dragged into tuning in to see what movies the Academy recognizes. And for that reason, I am glad I did not have to suffer too much this time around. JANNEY is the asst. news editor.
general population is so fed up nowadays with us, the members of the media. How many minutes of each news segment focus on launching attacks at other media members or outlets? Every day, CNN attacks Fox News for its conservative guests and content, and Fox News attacks CNN for its liberal commentators and agenda. At other times, reporters attack each other individually. Should news agencies not be more concerned with the information they are presenting rather than the content of other, competing outlets? O’Reilly and Corn, along with his Mother Jones colleagues, should stop trying to merely win an argument. They should stop calling names, and they should worry only about the facts of the story. Maybe then these journalists can focus on the news.
opinion
Liberty Champion | February 24, 2015 | A5
Defining the value of life Parent decision in the birth of Down syndrome son becomes worldwide news Ash Brownd ebrownd@liberty.edu
For most families, the birth of a child is a day of great celebration. For Samuel Forrest and his wife Ruzan Badalyan, the birth of their son Leo quickly sparked international news. People around the world have taken sides with one parent or the other as they debate a mother’s responsibility to her child and how children with special needs, specifically Down syndrome, are being treated. It seems to me, however, that the world is focusing on the wrong issue entirely. Leo was born Jan. 21 in Armenia, according to the Mirror. Within minutes of his birth, doctors informed his parents that he had been born with Down syndrome. According to ABC News, Forrest claimed he took Leo in to see Badalyan, who promptly gave him a choice — her or their son. “I got the ultimatum right then,” Forrest said. “She told me if I kept him, then we would get a divorce.” Badalyan confirmed to ABC News that she had indeed separated from her husband and, after a great deal of backlash on the Internet, finally wrote out her own version of the story on Facebook. “I had to make the most ruthless decision in my life within several hours,” Badalyan wrote. “The first thing that came to my mind after the diagnosis was that I don’t want my child to live in a country where certain stereotypes dominate the lives of people with (Down syndrome).” Badalyan came to the conclusion that moving to another country with a higher opinion of Down syndrome would allow her son to live the life he deserved. She claimed she discussed the issue with her husband, who then informed her a few hours later that he was taking their son back to Forrest’s native New Zealand and she had no say in the matter. With both versions of the story all over the Internet, there is no way of knowing exactly which parent is telling the truth. Some people have chosen to paint Forrest as a saintly father
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FATHER’S LOVE — Samuel Forrest had to choose between his wife and their son Leo who was diagnosed at birth with Down syndrome. and Badalyan as a heartless woman who spurned her own child. Others say Badalyan is the true hero, making the heart-breaking choice to give up her son so he could have a better life, while Forrest is a selfcentered opportunist who used his son’s condition for his own publicity.
“
ed son,” Badalyan wrote in her Facebook post. Regardless of whether or not she gave up her son out of disgust or out of a genuine love, the fact remains that there is real discrimination against people with special needs, including Down syndrome. In fact, if Leo had been born
ing from.” According to a paper released by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, 99 percent of people with Down syndrome are happy with their lives. The paper also showed that people with Down syndrome tend to increase the amount of joy in the lives of those around them.
I believe the world has gotten so bogged down in the parent versus parent debate that we have overlooked the real issue here. — ASH BROWND
I believe the world has gotten so bogged down in the parent versus parent debate that we have overlooked the real issue here. Virtually every article I have read on the story had in the headline the clarification that Leo was born with Down syndrome. The implication here is that it is Leo’s condition rather than the love of his parents that truly makes the story. If Leo had been born without Down syndrome, it seems doubtful that his mother would have even considered giving him up. “(Jan. 21) was the happiest day for me as I finally gave birth to my long-await-
without Down syndrome, it is highly doubtful the story would have ever made it past the local news. But the added element of Leo’s Down syndrome turns this story from mildly sad into international news. Down syndrome is a genetic condition over which a person has no control. Discriminating against it makes no more sense than discriminating against someone because they are short or blue-eyed or female. I fail to understand people who look down on those living with Down syndrome. Notice I said “living with” instead of “suffer-
But according to Life News, 90 percent of babies diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome are aborted. One of the most commonly cited reasons for these abortions is that it will be best for the child. Yet this statement is in direct conflict with the data, which shows that the majority of people with Down syndrome lead extremely happy lives. It seems to be that the real reason children with Down syndrome are aborted is because it will be easier for the parent. “I just couldn’t do it, couldn’t be that kind of mother who accepts everything, loves her kid no
matter what,” one mother who aborted her child with Down syndrome said in a Life News article. “… Maybe it’s selfish, I don’t know. But I just didn’t want all those problems in my life.” I believe this is the real reason people have made such a big deal out of Leo’s story — not because a father fought for his son as any good parent should, but rather because he accepted his child born with Down syndrome. People view Forrest as a hero because he took on the “burden” of raising a child who was not considered normal. People are praising him for making the “sacrifice” of giving up his life to care for a child whose birth country, Armenia, would have discarded him without a second thought. Somehow the fact that Leo has Down syndrome takes Forrest from a father performing his parental duty to a saint on some angelic mission. I will be honest — this side of our society makes me sick. We place so little value on the lives of those with special needs that we view the idea of raising a child with them as a terrible burden. In reality, it does not matter whether or not a child has special needs. If parents bring a child into
CONVO CONNECTION “Making your life count starts now.” T h e s e words spoken by renowned evangelist Scott Dawson seemed to be woven t h r o u g h o u t KELLY each speaker’s message this past week in Convocation. Whether you are a reality TV star, political figure or
evangelist, we all leave a mark on this life. Sean Lowe, star of Season 17 of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” participated in a question-andanswer session Monday, Feb. 16, with David Nasser, the senior vice president for spiritual development. Lowe described how he was able to share his faith and be a light in the midst of the darkness of the Hollywood lifestyle. He also encouraged students to remain sexually abstinent until
marriage, regardless of what the rest of the world is doing. Making your mark for Christ requires living above reproach, regardless of the cost. Sean Hannity, host of Fox News’ “Hannity,” challenged the student body to be bold leaders. “Feel the fear and do it anyway,” Hannity told students. “Leap, jump — be the leadership that’s going to save our country.” With all that is going on in the world, we need Christians
to stand firm, unafraid and unashamed. People who do not let fear or anything else stand in the way of courageously living a set apart life in order to leave a mark for the gospel in this life. Dawson concluded Convocation on Friday by encouraging us to make our lives count for the sake of the gospel. “Once you get Jesus, that’s all you’re going to get,” Dawson told students. “The rest of your life is about giving him away.”
the world, they have the responsibility to love and care for that child. Regardless of financial and emotional strain, those with special needs are still people. Those who live with Down syndrome are still people, and they deserve to be treated as such. It would have been so easy to give up Leo. But Forrest chose to remain in his son’s life. He is a hero if for no other reason than because he refused to walk away when the rest of the world would have been happy to let him. He chose his son. Not “his son with Down syndrome.” Just “his son.” It is time for our society to stop arguing over which parent has the more accurate story here and instead take a page out of Forrest’s playbook. Down syndrome is not a person’s defining characteristic. Acceptance of our fellow man should be an everyday occurrence, not a novelty worthy of international headlines. That, I believe, is the lesson we should truly be taking from Leo’s story.
BROWND is a copy editor.
B Y: E R I N K E L LY emkelly2@liberty.edu
I want my life to be fully surrendered to my savior so that people cannot help but see him in me. This is what I am living for — to make the gospel known in this generation. I want my life to count for the sake of Jesus Christ. I want him to make his mark on my life so that through me, others might see him and start making their life count too.
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
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news
A6 | February 24, 2015 | Liberty Champion
NSLS comes to Liberty New, all-inclusive honor society seeks to train students to become leaders Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” To help students learn to be effective leaders and understand John Maxwell’s famous saying, which has been around since World War II, the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is an honor society new to Liberty’s campus, which allows students to explore the qualities and necessities of capable leaders. According to NSLS leadership, this society offers students the means necessary to become better leaders. Students will gain new knowledge through leadership seminars, learn from successful business leaders and network with peers. NSLS is a nationally recognized society with chapters spanning across the United States. Currently, there are 440,420 members nationwide, according to the society’s latest research. The founder and president of Liberty’s chapter of NSLS, David Leite, said his main goal for Liberty’s chapter is to train leaders to impact their field. NSLS also provides them opportunities to learn the skills necessary to impact their workplace. “Many want to be doctors, nurses, write books or be in politics,” Leite said. “NSLS provides stability and enhances a path for them to be successful in their field. This chapter is known for that.” Leite explained that students from all majors are welcome to join NSLS. This society prides itself on having a variety of majors represented. Undergraduate students as well as graduate students are able to be a part of this society. “The society is open to every-
Photo Provided
LEADERSHIP — The Liberty chapter of NSLS has offered students several opportunities to develop skills to prepare them for the future. one,” Leite said. “From nursing to biblical studies, everyone is invited. Our goal is to help you reach your goals.” To be inducted into NSLS, students must attend a series of nine leadership-training sessions. These consist of three leadership seminars, three webinars and three Social Networking Teams. After those steps are completed, a formal induction ceremony will be held and students will receive a certificate and all the benefits NSLS offers. The first induction ceremony will be held in May 2015. According to NSLS, the society offers a plethora of benefits
MAR. 21
to its members. These benefits include scholarships, nationwide networking, speaker broadcasts, interview skills, personalized recommendation letters and résumé improvement with lifetime access to these benefits. Leite said he has taken advantage of these resources offered by NSLS. The society created a personalized recommendation letter for Leite when applying for a doctoral program. He has also benefited from the leadership training seminars by getting formal training in leading large groups. “NSLS has enhanced my leadership skills, shown me how to manage time and people, then
unite them toward a common goal, which, in this case, is to help students of Liberty University achieve better professional skills,” Leite said. Liberty sophomore and chair member of NSLS Tyler Bernas said he has learned a great deal from the society already. He has been working behind the scenes to help prepare the society for the students of Liberty. “This society has given me a wonderful avenue to expand my skills within my (English) major,” Bernas said. “Not only has it developed the execution of my writing, but the professionalism as well. That’s what I like most.”
. VINES CENTER . GA TICKETS: $3 PURCHASE TICKETS AT LIBERTY.EDU/SA
According to Leite, NSLS is an official club registered through the Student Government Association. Currently, Liberty’s chapter can accept 300 members. NSLS hosted its first event in January in the Terrace Conference Room at the Jerry Falwell Library. The purpose of this event was to make the student population aware of NSLS. The next event will be held at the end of February. NSLS will be providing more information for this upcoming occasion.
FROST is a news reporter.
11:30 P.M.
SPORTS
February 24, 2015
M. Lacrosse
Baseball
Baseball
Softball
B1
W. Tennis
Liberty
Clemson
Liberty
Mercer
Liberty
UNCG
Liberty
St. John’s
Liberty
Marshall
10
5
0
3
5
6
1
4
2
5
Liberty 64, Charleston Southern 53
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
TOWER — The taller junior forward Ashley Rininger (55) skies above Lady Buccaneers forward Brianna Lakes (24) as she reaches for an offensive rebound.
Senior-day stand Lady Flames continue conference dominance against Lady Bucs Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
Behind a second-half turnaround, the Liberty women’s basketball team came from behind to defeat the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern, 6453, earning a 17th Big South Conference victory of the season Saturday afternoon, Feb. 21. With another conference victory over Charleston Southern (5-22, 1-17 Big South), the Lady Flames (21-6, 17-1 Big South) became the first team ever in the Big South Conference to win 17 conference games in a season. The Lady Flames of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 were previously tied for the record with 16 conference wins. More history was made as redshirt junior forward Ashley Rininger scored her 1000th point, making her
the 15th Lady Flame to accomplish the feat. Rininger recorded a doubledouble, leading all players with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lady Flames Head Coach Carey Green said he is proud of Rininger’s accomplishment and her contribution to the team. “She was really focused,” Green said. “Hopefully in the next year or so, she can add a couple hundred or so to those points. We are thankful she chose Liberty and (for) her continued development academically and physically as a basketball player.” On Senior Day, in which the game was moved from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. due to winter weather in the forecast, the Lady Flames found themselves down early 22-26, which progressed to a 3129 Buccaneer lead at the half. The Flames shot a mere 10 percent
from the three-point line in the first half, while the Buccaneers were lights out, draining six of 10 three pointers. “(Charleston Southern) knocked down some key shots and executed their offense very well,” Green said. “We got a little sloppy. I’d like to give them credit to their offense for being good and shooting the ball.” However, the Lady Flames would not be down for long. The Lady Flames responded right away in the second half with a dominant 21-4 run to take the 50-35 lead. Redshirt junior forward Catherine Kearney scored eight of her nine points during the Lady Flames run to retake the lead. According to Kearney, a balanced offensive attack and tough defense were the keys to the Lady Flames’ second half surge.
“I think we really needed to focus on rebounding and coming out with a sense of urgency, not just sitting back on defense, but really going after the ball,” Kearney said. Green echoed Kearney’s words, as the Lady Flames halftime adjustments were the difference in the game. “We adjusted specifically to a couple plays that they were running and how to handle screens,” Green said. “I think that took away some easy looks at the basket. It was a combination of a defensive effort and understanding and not turning the ball over and being more effective in the second half.” The Lady Flames offensive attack and strong inside presence proved too much for the Buccaneers, as they
See STAND, B3
Flames burn Beavers
Men’s DI hockey sweeps Minot State in final home stand of ’14-’15 season Liberty 5, Minot State 1 Liberty 3, Minot State 1
Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
FINALE — Freshman Luke Hannon weaves through defenders.
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
Liberty University men’s Division I (DI) hockey team seniors went out with a bang as they swept their final home series against the No. 3 Minot State University Beavers, Feb. 20-21. The 11th-ranked Flames — who, until last weekend’s wins over unranked West Virginia University, had not swept a home series since September — hit the ice Friday night with their full roster and consistent lines for the first time in almost as long. “We’ve had to battle through a lot of injuries this year,” Head
W. Basketball M. Basketball vs. Winthrop vs. Radford
Feb. 24 @ 7 p.m.
Feb. 26 @ 7 p.m.
Coach Kirk Handy said. “It’s exciting to have our guys back. It felt like for the last couple of weeks practice has been going really well, and it’s nice to see it pay dividends for our guys tonight.” Those dividends came in the form of a 5-1 game one win for the Flames. Senior forward Ryley Egan, assisted by sophomore defenseman Chase Harris and senior defenseman Cam Bakker, kicked off the scoring just over a minute into the game. Bakker found the back of the net himself just minutes later on a Flames power play, and sophomore forward Robert Ward scored off passes from Egan and
M. Basketball vs. UNC-A
Feb. 28 @ 3 p.m.
Baseball vs. Bryant
Feb. 27 @ 3 p.m.
freshman forward Grant Garvin before the period’s end. While the Beavers found the back of the net before first intermission, too, junior forward Bram Erickson restored the Flames three-goal lead in the second off a pass from junior forward Danny Logan. Freshman forward Luke Hannon, recently returned from national team play, capped off the scoring in the final period with help from senior forward Lindsay LeBlanc. “It felt like every guy was in the loop tonight, and it was nice to see,” Handy said. “We’re getting
See BURN, B2
W. Lacrosse vs. Richmond Feb. 28 @
1 p.m.
Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage
sports
B2 | February 24, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Lancers clip Flames Tich’s Take Longwood completes season sweep with close win
Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu
In 49 states, college basketball is just something that comes on television. People may even go to the games and everything. But in North Carolina, college basketball is a religion. Duke and North Carolina (UNC) met for the first time in 2015 on Feb. 18, and the game did not disappoint. Well, unless you are a Tar Heels fan. The Blue Devils came back from a 10-point deficit with less than four minutes TICHENOR remaining, forcing overtime, eventually escaping Cameron Indoor Stadium with a 92-90 win. Just another classic game in a classic rivalry. The hatred between the two is well documented, but there is also tremendous respect, like when a Duke student made up a Dukeblue T-shirt with the word “Dean” adorning the front, honoring the recently deceased UNC coach Dean Smith. Overall, there probably is not a better rivalry in all of sports. Smith’s death further evidenced the devoutness of North Carolinians to college basketball. Local public schools lowered their flags to half-mast in his honor. The arena named after him on UNC’s campus was packed to capacity for his memorial service. The entire state mourned. Still, Duke and UNC are only a part of North Carolinian basketball lore. NC State has won two national championships, including one of the greatest Cinderella runs in sports history en route to the 1983 national title. Wake Forest can claim NBA superstars Tim Duncan and Chris Paul as alumni, and is usually an NCAA tournament fixture. Still, if you are not a UNC and Duke fan, you are essentially a second-class citizen in the Old North State. Wake Forest fans have had to deal with early tournament exits, despite having guys like Paul and Duncan, along with college stars like Rodney Rogers and Randolph Childress. The Demon Deacons are more than half a century removed from their latest Final Four berth. And of course, despite growing up equidistant from Duke, UNC and NC State, I was born into a life of tortuous NC State fandom. Being an NC State fan among the great blue giants (and even Wake) has not been easy for any Wolfpacker born within the past 30 years or so. I was born in 1992 and have never seen the Wolfpack win a regular season or tournament conference championship. Meanwhile, UNC, Duke and Wake Forest have combined for 35 of the 44 ACC regular season and tournament titles. North Carolina and Duke have won the Big Dance a whopping five times in those 22 years. So 23 percent of the time during my lifetime, either Duke or UNC has won the National Championship. Good times. Still, NC State fans pile into PNC Arena year after year, game after game, just like Duke and UNC fans, hoping the Wolfpack will vault back into the nation’s elite one day. And no matter what kind of year a team has, there is the great equalizer awaiting at the end of the year — the ACC Tournament. The tournament is essentially a holiday in every corner of the state. Even uncool teachers will abandon their curriculum for a few hours to let students watch the games. College basketball is not a game in the state of North Carolina. It is a way of life. TICHENOR is the sports editor.
Longwood 78, Liberty 72
The Liberty Flames men’s basketball team (7-22, 1-15 Big South) continued its regular-season struggles after falling to the Longwood Lancers (8-21, 4-12 Big South), 78-72, Feb. 17. In the second matchup between these two teams this season, Longwood wasted little time getting on the scoreboard when junior guard Leron Fisher nailed a wide-open shot from behind the arc in the opening minute, giving the Lancers the early 3-0 lead. However, the Flames notched two points after junior forward Theo Johnson drove baseline for a quick layup. After a Longwood turnover, junior forward David Andoh hit a mid-range jump shot over a defender’s outstretched hand, giving the Flames the 4-3 lead. However, the Flames one-point lead lasted only 10 seconds after junior guard Shaquille Johnson knocked down another three-ball for the Lancers, giving them the lead. The Flames never gained that lead back. After a Theo Johnson miss, Longwood looked to increase its lead. However, the Flames forced a turnover, but then turned the ball over themselves, leading to an easy layup for Fisher. The Flames quickly ended their scoring drought after senior forward Andrew Smith hit a baseline jumper for his first basket of the night, making the score 8-6 in Longwood’s favor with 16 minutes left in the first half. But in the Lancer’s very next possession, freshman Ryan Badowski, who is shooting around 40 percent from behind the arc according to longwoodlancers.com, spotted up for an uncontested three-ball, increasing the lead to five. After Shaquille Johnson made a pair of free throws, Flames freshman guard A.C. Reid sank his 25th three pointer of the season. Longwood quickly responded with a layup from sophomore guard Darrion Allen, but Reid responded too as he cut the lead down to three with another long ball, his second on the night. Unfortunately for the Flames, senior guard Quincy Taylor, who shoots the 14th best three-point percentage in the nation according to espn.com, did
BURN continued from B1 back healthy, the guys are getting going and, man, what a good effort tonight for the guys.” While Friday’s win was nice, Handy and his team alike were not satisfied with splitting their last outing at home — especially with nationals looming. “We’re only halfway there,” Handy said. “We’ve got to make sure we win tomorrow, too, and really solidify ourselves.” The men did just that, battling through a tight, tense game two to down the Beavers 3-1 Saturday, Feb. 21. The Flames took the lead in an even first period with Ward firing one home off assists from Egan and Garvin. The Beavers returned with a fury in the second period, freshman goalie Josh Halpenny standing on his head
Kevin Manguiob | Liberty News Servcie
FIGHT — The Flames lost a tough battle against in-state foe Longwood Feb. 17. what he had done all season. He knocked down a three pointer of his own, giving Longwood the 18-12 lead with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. In the Flames next possession, Andoh missed a contested layup, which Taylor rebounded. He found Shaquille Johnson streaking down the sideline, who then rose up for the emphatic fast-break slam. Just as most teams have done against the Flames this season, the boys from Farmville, Virginia, went on a devastating run to end the half. But the main perpetrator was not Shaquille Johnson. Instead, Fisher was the culprit. “(Fisher’s) a good shooter,” Layer said. “He’s a good player. We could not guard Taylor off the bounce, which allowed (Fisher) to get open looks.” In the remaining 10 minutes of the half, Fisher either scored or assisted on more than half of the Lancers points. But he also hurt the Flames in ways that the statistic sheet cannot indicate. He constantly penetrated the Flames defense, causing the Flames to scramble and provide help defense. Quality ball movement from Longwood allowed them to usually find someone open. “We didn’t guard the bounce very well and we overhelped,” Layer said. “When you don’t guard the bounce, they drew help and had open shooters as a result.” At the end of the first half, Liberty was
to deny all but one shot before intermission. With under eight minutes to go in the game and the pressure mounting, Egan came up big for the Flames, burying the puck with help from LeBlanc and junior defenseman Steven Bellew to restore the Flames lead. The Beavers pulled their goalie as time wound down, and with four seconds left on the clock, Liberty senior
down 13, having only scored 26 points in 20 minutes. The second half began and the Flames looked to cut into their deficit, but only got it as low as 11. After a pair of free throws from Theo Johnson cut Longwood’s lead to 11, Taylor buried another three-pointer, igniting a 9-2 Lancers run and increasing their lead to 20 with 12 minutes left. Despite the 20-point hole, the Flames fought back. “We guarded a little bit better,” Layer said. “We started getting to the freethrow line and attacking the basket.” Theo Johnson and Liberty rushed the Lancers with an 11-2 run, but the Flames were still down by double digits with around four minutes remaining. Ultimately, the Flames could not recover, as the Lancers came out victorious for their first win in the Vines Center. The Flames also fell on the road to the Charleston Southern Cavaliers, 77-67, Feb. 21. Junior guard Joe Retic returned to the court after being sidelined for 12 games with a foot injury. He saw 14 minutes on the court and notched two points. With the loss, the Flames fell to 7-22 overall and 1-15 in conference play. HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.
forward Christian Garland netted an empty-net goal to seal the victory. “(These games were) a true test for our team,” Garland said. “We had to really want it, and it was unreal to win them senior weekend. … I can’t believe how quick the time has gone, and it’s awesome for the guys I’ve played with for four years to get both of these games.” Garland, like Handy, noted
increased health and consistency as major factors in the team’s success and positive indicators headed into postseason play. “We’re going into nationals with two huge wins where we all came together and finally meshed as a unit,” Garland said. “I mean, having a sweep of the No. 3 team in the country is huge. … I think now we all believe we can pull it off.” Handy echoed his players’ thoughts, expressing his pride in the character and maturity all have developed throughout an up-and-down season and a special gratitude for the commitment of his seniors. “Those eight guys out there have done so much for this program,” Handy said. “It’s been an exciting four years for them being here, and I really feel like the best is yet to come.”
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
RUSH is a sports reporter.
CALM — Goalies Matt Pinel and Cary Byron converse.
sports
Liberty Champion | February 24, 2015 | B3
Trials and triumphs of training Aaron Schreiner works behind the scenes to ensure student-athletes’ safety Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
When athletes go crashing to the floor, audiences are silenced, doing the only thing they know how to do — wait. But in those moments, while everyone else is frozen in fear, athletic trainers, including Liberty’s men’s basketball trainer Aaron Schreiner, jump into action. While athletic trainers are noticed when an athlete goes down during play, Schreiner’s work stretches far beyond the confines of the court on game days. “We’re a profession that I think is served best when we’re not seen or we’re not noticed,” Schreiner said. “We’re doing our job and things are going smoothly when you don’t see us. When you do see us a lot, it’s probably not a good thing.” According to Schreiner, who also works as the athletic trainer for Liberty’s men’s golf team and holds the title of rehab coordinator, he can be thought of as a gatekeeper. Schreiner assesses injuries, communicates with coaching staffs and medical professionals and refers student-athletes to doctors for everything from the common cold to a season-ending injury. A good chunk of Schreiner’s job also includes working with student-athletes to prevent and rehab injuries. In addition to the one-on-one work with the athletes, Schreiner
STAND continued from B1 were never able to gain back their first half lead. The Lady Flames finished with 46 rebounds and 20 second-chance points en route to their ninth consecutive victory. In a ceremony following
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
EXAMINE — Trainer Aaron Schreiner works to rehabilitate injured players. also spends time filling out paperwork to ensure the players on the teams he works with all receive the appropriate care. “There’s always enough work,” Schreiner said. “I could sit in that office and do paperwork and not get up for probably three days and still have work to do afterward.” Schreiner said that in the years since 2005, when he earned a master’s of science in clinical Kinesiology from the University of Toledo and started working at Liberty, he has experienced the difficulties that come along with
the match, the Lady Flames four seniors, Karly Buer, Emily Frazier, Jasmine Gardner and Ellee Rollins, were honored for their contributions to the program. Kearney said it was an honor to help lead the Lady Flames to victory on a special afternoon for many of her teammates.
the title of athletic trainer. “One thing that (I have learned) is if this job isn’t your mission field, it’ll chew you up, spit you out, and you’ll be burned out before you know it,” Schreiner said. “… It will take everything you’ll give it out of you and then ask for more.” Schreiner explained that during basketball season, 12-hour days are the norm rather than the exception. However, despite the long hours, he relishes the opportunity to serve others. “(I)t’s a service profession,”
“I am just so happy for (the seniors),” Kearney said. “They definitely deserve all the honor that they’ve been given. I am really happy that we were able to come out with a win for them.” With another victory in the books and the first seed for the Big South conference tournament
Schreiner said. “You’ve gotta learn how to serve people, know how to treat people well, understand who you’re dealing with. (You have to know that) kids, at times, have disappointments and frustrations, and … you try to work through that and still make them better in the end both physically and emotionally. … If you work really hard and you take care of kids and you take care of coaches, they believe you when you say that you care.” According to Schreiner, the best part of his job is the
already locked up, Rininger said these last few games are tune-ups for postseason play. “(The games give) us another opportunity to continue working on our defense and working on running our offenses, figuring out the things we need to work on and
chance to be a part of the path student-athletes travel — from an injury to a full recovery — and the lessons they learn along the way. “A lot of these guys are performance-based, and their identity is wrapped up in who they are and how they perform, and injury will take that from you,” Schreiner said. “And I think God is a good God, and he’ll do things to get your attention. He’ll basically say, ‘Do you want to serve me? Do you want to know me or do you want this to just be about you?’ In these moments where you see, I think, the Lord give someone an obstacle to see what they will do through it, and then watch them come through the obstacle and watch them succeed again is really awesome.” Though “God bless caffeine” may be the mantra of a sleep-deprived Schreiner, he says he has no plans to stop serving Liberty studentathletes through his work as an athletic trainer any time soon. “I think when I’m finally done with (athletic training), I’ll flip burgers somewhere (or) run a family restaurant,” Schreiner said. “I think I’ll be done when I’m done here. But as of right now, I’ve got no other plans.” BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
improve on,” Rininger said. Yet, Green always keeps the ultimate goal in mind — making it to the NCAA tournament and being successful there. “The hungry lion hunts best,” Green said. “We are still in the hunt. We want a conference championship tournament win and
to get into NCAAs.” The Lady Flames will have another opportunity to fine-tune their attack Feb. 24 at home against Winthrop, the only team in the Big South to hand Liberty a loss this season. RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.
MONDAY IS ZAXBY’S COLLEGE DAY ®
CALCULUS TUTOR NEEDED Looking for an upper level student (e.g. math major or similar) able to provide tutoring sessions twice per week, 1 hour per session, to a CVCC student currently taking Calculus. I can pay $25 per hour and the sessions can be at the location of your choice. Please contact Kevin at kevinbowen54@aol.com if interested.
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.
feature
B4 | February 24, 2015 | Liberty Champion
Foreign lectures Jones teaches philosophy in Romania Ellie Fraser efraser2@liberty.edu
Amber Tiller | Liberty Champion
PERFORMANCE — “South Pacific” depicts the joys and sorrows of World War II through musical compositions.
Musical debuts ‘South Pacific’ opened Feb. 20 in the Tower Theater
Emma Jane Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu
Despite blustery winds and freezing winter temperatures outside, audiences in the Tower Theater were transported to a sunny paradise as the theatre department opened “South Pacific” Friday, Feb. 20. Written by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the story is set on an island in the South Pacific during Word War II. Its plot focuses on two parallel love stories threatened by war. The story provided cast members with an opportunity to learn more about the war. For senior Lindsey Register, who plays Ensign Nellie Forbush, the challenge in her role was learning to care for something that happened so long ago. “I don’t even have grandparents that were involved in World War II,” Register said. “Caring about something I had no experience in was not only the most challenging, but also the most rewarding part of this role.” Senior Cameron Jones, who portrays Lt. Joseph Cable, had similar thoughts as Register regarding the historical lessons he learned through participating in the show. “Looking into the history has been so beneficial to me,” Jones said. “Gaining a better understanding of what was going on in that time period, such as fully understanding the gravity of the war and what that means for my character and how that
would affect his psychology and how he does and approaches things, was one of the most challenging aspects for me.” Through learning about the war, cast members also gained a deeper appreciation for not only World War II veterans, but current veterans as well. “To pay homage to the people that made this country the way it was (then) and is (now) is very rewarding for me,” Jones said. Register also hopes audiences will develop a deeper appreciation for service personnel both past and present. “I think our audiences will take away an appreciation for the people who fought so bravely and maybe a newfound appreciation for the veterans they might know — grandparents, great-grandparents or neighbors who sacrificed so much,” Register said. Relating to their characters emotionally was also another learning moment for the cast. “I find it to be an enjoyable success any time I relate to somebody I don’t imagine I would be able to relate to,” Register said. “I think we both are really optimistic. We both fight really hard to remain optimistic even in hard times.” For freshman Monica Oquendo-Alvarez, who portrays Bloody Mary, the challenge was trying to understand the various emotional sides of her character. “She seems very prideful and confident and is able to persuade anyone to do
whatever she wants,” Oquendo-Alvarez said. “Deep down it’s all because she has a desire and desperation to give her daughter a brighter future. To portray her with a hard exterior but with the motivation of love was the most challenging for me.” Aside from the historical and emotional aspects of the show, the cast learned even greater lessons about racism and prejudice, which is something they hope will resonate with the audience. “Racism was a hot topic when this musical was written,” freshman Joel Zayas, who plays Emile de Becque, said. “Even though the producers were skeptical about adding the topics that address racism, having it in (the script) reminds us that it’s still an issue today.” Zayas’ thoughts on racism are echoed in Jones’ own remarks. “As for some of the issues that are talked about (in the show), it is timeless between then and now,” Jones said. Oquendo-Alvarez understood the issue of racism as her character is involved in it. “As the main part of (the racist issue) as a Tonkinese native and being involved in it, it would be very rewarding if the audience understands the underlying message of this show,” Oquendo-Alvarez said. “South Pacific” runs through March 1. Student tickets are $8 and general ticket prices are $15. Tickets can be purchased online or at the university box office. MAURER is a feature reporter.
Equipping women New ministry aims to encourage and foster community Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu
Foraging means seeking out and gathering. And there is new ministry ready to do just that — in pink. Forage Gathering, a startup women’s ministry founded by Elisha Dudley, a former associate director for the Office of Student Leadership (OSL), launched in February. “Our goal is to gather women,” Kelsey Baker, the communications director for Forage Gathering and a current associate director for OSL, said. “We’re extending our arms. So, we’re foraging. We are foraging for women to grow closer to Christ … and to know how Jesus impacts their lives.” According to Baker, this effort flowed naturally out of the knowledge and wisdom that the Forage team has received throughout their years in ministry. At a women’s conference a few years ago, Dudley realized that many women there were turning to Liberty’s ministry leaders for insight. “Where does the country send (young people) to become world changers?” Baker said. “(They send them to) Liberty University. And (OSL)
Photo Provided
GROW — Elisha Dudley started Forage Gathering online to aid women in their walk with Christ. are the leaders of the leaders, … meaning we’ve had a lot of training to be able to reach this generation, because we do it every day.” So when it came to starting a ministry designed to equip women with practical, biblical knowledge, it felt like a natural fit for the Forage leaders. “Our mission … is to gather women in an inviting space, which, right now, is our website, and eventually we hope to do actual gatherings, to foster authentic community, … and to pursue a deeper understanding of Christ,” Baker said. “It’s a place where women can go and just receive practical truth in all different areas.” On the ministry’s pink, black and white website, its bloggers plan to address issues that are
relevant to women. Forage’s target age group is 18 to 30, but the Forage team plans to share advice that is practical for all ages, according to Baker. “I think what sets (Forage) apart from some other things that people are doing is (that our goals) are very practical,” Baker said. “You will (find information) that (is) based in truth as well as (being fun), because that’s a huge thing we enjoy in our friend group — having fun.” More than just having fun and sharing advice, Baker emphasized the importance of doing those things within community. The Forage team wants to come alongside women in life’s everyday ups and downs, according to Baker. Through weekly blog posts,
Forage leaders want to tackle issues they view as problem areas for women in the church, like comparing and competing with each other and making poor relationship decisions. “(Forage) is so practical and so real-life, so authentic, that we’re just going to say, ‘(These issues) are real, and this is how ... we can take steps as a global community to make this better, ’” Baker said. With topics ranging from interviews with Christian artists to advice on self esteem and last-minute decorating tips, readers can expect weekly updates on the group’s website, foragegathering.com. GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.
Finding a balance between vocation and passion is difficult for most people, but Liberty University Professor Michael Jones has found a way to seamlessly combine his. Jones, a professor of theology and philosophy since 2005, uses his teaching vocation as a way to fulfill his passion for missions. Because of a Fulbright grant, Jones is currently teaching philosophy at the University of Bucharest in Romania. JONES “My courses are electives for students who want exposure to the American style of teaching and who want to practice their English,” Jones said. “This Fulbright grant gives me the perfect opportunity to be both a scholar and a missionary at the same time, and hence fulfill both of these desires. … Being blessed with a Fulbright grant made this move possible. I’ve been planning and strategizing for this return to Romania since my first Fulbright in Romania ended in 2002.” After Jones left Romania in 2002, he returned in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for short-term trips. In addition to teaching, Jones is working on several publication projects, including translating a Romanian philosopher’s works into English. Jones has also been invited to speak at several other universities in Romania. Jones and his wife attend a small Romanian Baptist church where they started a junior church program. Every other month, they travel two hours east of Bucharest to a different church where Jones and his wife speak to men and women in separate Bible studies. “I really enjoy Romanian Baptist churches,” Jones said. “I can’t explain why that is, but it’s true. Part of it is the music, but there’s more to it than just that. Perhaps it’s because Romania has only had religious freedom for 25 years, and hence the people value their religion more than do many Americans. I think this explanation is likely true, since the fervency of the churches seems to have declined some since I first came to Romania 17 years ago.” After his positive experience in 2002, Jones continues to enjoy his time in Romania. “I can’t pick out any single thing that is the highlight,” Jones said. “The whole experience has been extremely positive. If it were possible, I’d do this every other year. In fact, that would be heaven. I can’t imagine a better life than being able to alternate years between Liberty and Romania.” Jones enjoys his time in Romania, but he still misses some things he left behind. “Most of all, (my wife and I) miss our families, especially our sons and their wives, who are Liberty alumni and still live in the Lynchburg area, and our basset hound, Dozer,” Jones said. “I also miss my motorcycles. I miss my colleagues, (and) Liberty really does have a lot of great people. I miss the Liberty fencing club and the Liberty Jiujitsu club. And I miss playing in the band at Berean Baptist Church.” Jones returns to Virginia in July and will be teaching again in the fall of 2015 at Liberty. FRASER is a feature reporter.
FYI The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U.S. government and administered by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Jones is one of 1,200 U.S. scholars to receive a Fulbright award in the past year.
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Liberty Champion | February 24, 2015 | B5
Senior work displayed
Student artists reveal best projects in the month-long show, Kaleidoscope Ellie Fraser efraser2@liberty.edu
Hours upon hours of time spent learning and creating will culminate Feb. 26 when senior graphic designers display their work at the Kaleidoscope art exhibit. Designers will each show one piece, and according to graphic design students, a wide range of art can be expected. Kaitlin King, a graphic designer participating in the show, explained the reason for the name Kaleidoscope. “(Kaleidoscope) is a diverse spread of pieces created by so many talented designers,” King said. “One of the reasons we decided on the show being called Kaleidoscope is because you can turn the instrument ever so slightly and you get a brand new image. Each artist has chosen a piece that represents his or her unique style.” Fonts, product designs, illustrations and hand-lettered creations are only a few of the projects students will be showing. “People coming to visit Kaleidoscope will see all sorts of styles of artwork and lots of creativity popping off the walls,” senior graphic designer Emily Hoover said. Anyone is welcome without an admission fee, and according to senior graphic designer Carson Ford, the number of senior art students that provide work for the exhibit allows for a better experience for all the viewers involved. “With so many seniors in the design
RECORD continued from B6 to sell their records. “So far I haven’t really had to seek people out, because there are constantly people coming in selling their old records,” Condon said. Price ranges on vinyl tend to vary depending on who the band is and the condition of the record. “We have a dollar bin and then prices go up (on the higher end) to like $180,000,” Condon said.
program displaying their work, there will be a diverse range of styles and pieces to come see and be inspired by,” Ford said. Another designer, Danielle Heitzman, encouraged Liberty students to visit the show. “Even though the show is solely graphic design, Liberty students visiting the gallery will see different ways in which we designers create art through the computer,” Heitzman said. Although the end products look good, designing comes with many challenges, according to Ford. He also mentioned the struggles that come with communicating visually. “Designing can be difficult, because it is more than just solving a puzzle where there is only one possible solution,” Ford said. “There can be many solutions to visual communication. The hard part is finding the best (solution).” Time constraints can also affect a designer’s ability, according to King. “(The hardest part) is finding enough time to complete all the artwork that is constantly running through your mind,” King said. According to King, even though the projects are self-created, designers did not reach their design level without the help of Liberty University graphic design professors. “I’ve had the privilege to learn from most of the design professors at Liberty,” King
There is a nostalgia that vinyl has that draws people in, Condon said. Unlike with CDs and downloadable music, people like vinyl because it is tangible, and once someone has started buying, it can become addictive. “You’re committed to it once you start listening,” Condon said. “It’s not something in the background like putting a mix together on your iPod and just forgetting about it. You’re more involved when you’re listening to (records), so I
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DISPLAY — Liberty’s Art Gallery will open the show with an artist reception Feb. 26. said. “Each (one) has been instrumental in my process to grow as a designer and have inspired me in so many ways.” In addition to being professional designers, Studio and Digital Arts professors also invest in their students, according to Hoover. “My professors are the best,” Hoover said. “I have learned so much from all of them. However, there are a couple who have definitely poured into my life
think that’s what I like about it.” In addition to vinyl, Speakertree also sells T-shirts, cassette tapes and a limited amount of CDs. According to Condon, the life blood of Speakertree is the customers that frequent the shop each week. “(The frequent customers) are really (the ones) that keep the place open,” Condon said. “I mean, we have people that come in like three times a week and buy records.”
and my design —David Meyer and Monique Maloney. They are amazing people and professors.” The show opens Feb. 26 with an artist reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. All graphic design seniors will be showcased until March 26 in the Liberty University Art Gallery, located in DeMoss Hall room 4069. FRASER is a feature reporter.
Speakertree hosts small concerts in the shop featuring local upcoming artists from time to time. “We have different bands play and then we’ll have bands from Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke as well,” Condon said. “And if (there is) anyone that we hear about that is passing through (then) we’ll try and get them to play as well.” Bands that have performed at Speakertree this year include Native Spirit, Fin, Missionaries
and Eureka California. Speakertree is open Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday – Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on Speakertree music store, visit facebook.com/ speakertreerecords. BUNNER is a feature 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
FEATURE
B6
February 24, 2015
walking in a winter wonderland
1st Place
2nd Place Photos Provided
SNOW DAYS — (Above left) Two Liberty students, T. Cassidy and S. Stone, won the Liberty Champion Instagram contest with their show of school spirit.. (Above right) Second-place finishers Emily Martin and Callie Lehner enjoyed their days off by making a traditional snowman.
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
FREEZE — According to the National Weather Service, Lynchburg experienced record temperatures Feb. 20, with the low reaching -11 degrees.
Just for the record
Speakertree Records owner Tim Condon buys and sells collectible vinyls Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu
Music is an art form, a passion and even a hobby. However, when describing music as an art form, most people probably do not think of collecting vinyl records. For Tim Condon, owner of Speakertree records, collecting vinyl is a hobby that blossomed into a passion and has become his dream job. Located at 522 Fifth St., Lynchburg, Virginia, Speakertree records first opened its doors in 2008. But it was not until February of 2014 that Condon bought the shop. “I was friends with the people that worked here before,
so it just presented itself, and I thought it was the perfect timing,” Condon said. Condon had an interest in vinyl as a teenager, and now he pursues his hobby as a means of enjoyment and employment. According to Condon, the shop was not doing well when he bought it. But people were interested enough in buying records that the shop excelled for the first few months under his ownership. “The first three months we were doing awesome,” Condon said. “I had no idea that we could make that much money. Then it just slowly (died) down, and then it (was) just kind of like a roller coaster. You have the good weeks and the bad weeks.”
Speakertree is home to a variety of music with genres ranging from classic to rock, pop and folk. Artists include the Beatles, Michael Jackson and The Civil Wars. “(We sell) a little of everything,” Condon said. “We try to get everyone’s input. I have a notebook that I keep in the store and anyone that doesn’t see something that they wish they would see, then I just try and get in a little of everything and make everybody happy.” Speakertree receives the majority of its vinyl from distributors. Some of the used vinyl the shop buys come from people that come into the shop and are looking
Lauren Adriance | Liberty Champion
See RECORD, B5 HOBBY— Owner Tim Condon took an interest in vinyls as a teen.