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Women’s hockey extends streak
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Volume 31 • Issue 14
King backs abstinence
the great outdoors
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LifeWay re-launches the True Love Waits movement Tiffany Samuels tksamuels@liberty.edu
Continuing the 20-year legacy of encouraging purity and abstinence, Clayton King released a study through LifeWay Christian Resources as a part of their relaunch of the True Love Waits movement last December. According to LifeWay’s website, the project, called The True Love Project, is a video-based Bible study for young adults that examine biblical principles on sex, purity and romance. King, along with his wife, Sharie, was asked to be a part of the revival. “When Lifeway decided to re-launch True Love Waits for a new generation, they invited me and my wife Sharie to create the new name and the new brand called True Love Project,” King said. King said his connection to the project started before its recent re-launch. “I began speaking at True Love Waits events 20 years ago when the movement originally began, and I committed myself to abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage,” King said. “Relationships and sexual purity are topics I have strong convictions about, and I’ve taught on them consistently, even writing several books on them.”
See KING, A2
Stop signs removed Students close in on prize Vines Center intersection Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
RELAXATION — Nikki Pittman (left) and Hannah Uvodich (right) enjoy the warmer weather at the LU monogram Saturday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to stay near 40 degrees for most of the week.
undergoes changes
Tiffany Samuels tksamuels@liberty.edu
Mark Tait mtait@liberty.edu
Officials removed stop signs at the crossing between DeMoss Drive and the Furnace parking lot on University Boulevard at the beginning of the spring 2014 semester. According to Charles Spence, senior vice president of Planning and Construction, revisions to the intersection located in front of the Vines Center motivated the change. “The signs were needed in the past because the intersection had two roads coming into it,” Spence said. “Now, there’s only one road and a parking lot entrance, so we generally do not make a traffic stop for a parking lot entrance.” He said the decision was made by a committee of representatives from the Liberty University Police Department, grounds and road crews, the construction and planning office, engineering and the university administration. “We realize that the road has been a little busy this semester, but a lot of the traffic was due to the temporary closure of the north side of Regents Parkway, which has since reopened,” Spence said.
See STOP SIGNS, A7
Seniors Courtney Garrett and Sarah Corder were announced as a part of the top five finalists for the PRWeek Student of the Year competition in December, an award given to the top public relations students around the country who compete to
showcase their skills. The top two finalists will travel to New York City for PRWeek’s award show March 20. The winner will receive $5,000 and a paid internship at PRWeek. According to PRWeek. com, the magazine hosts the award in order to recognize students who are making an impact in the field of public
relations. The competition honors undergraduates who excel in a variety of public relations skills. As a part of their communication strategies course last fall, students were able to pitch a campaign idea to promote a fictitious client called “Flight Airlines” while demonstrating their communications skills.
Ana Campbell | Liberty Champion
COMPETE — Corder and Garrett are the only two Liberty among five finalists.
INSIDE THE CHAMPION News
Sports
Feature
Quizbowl team places second in the Big South A8 Tournament Jan. 5
Walt Aikens competes in collegiate all-star game Jan. 25. B4
Hockey broadcast “Game On” premieres with the help of students. B5
News Opinion Sports Feature
“Usually (PRWeek) partners with real-life organizations such as Ford, but this year, they came up with a hypothetical company,” Corder said. “In that way, there was no current data to collect about the company.” While creating a campaign for Flight Airlines, students restructured the airline’s frequent flier program. According to Corder, the goal for the campaigns was to increase flights in the airline’s frequent flier program by creating a partnership between Flight Airlines and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Olympics. Students incorporated skills in research and creating marketing strategies. Garrett said the process required strategic development. “We had to write a paper and make a plans book, which is like a magazine,” Garrett said. “(In the plans book) someone should be able to go from front cover to back cover and look at your ideas.”
See PRWeek, A3 A1 A4 B1 B8
NEWS
A2/Liberty Champion
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Cooking fun foods FACS club serves up free culinary training Joseph Park ypark9@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s first cooking club organized by the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences held its inaugural meeting Jan. 28. Students gathered in Science Hall room 103 to learn how to cook food with high nutritional value. “I have come to this club hoping to learn about a new cooking style (and to) learn how to cook American and Italian cuisine, cuisines that I’m less familiar with,” Jennyfer Alvarenga, a FACS major from El Salvador, said. The instructor, Linda Kitchel, started off the night by telling the students why this class is important. “This will be a great opportunity for students to learn cooking skills and practice the skills that they have learned,” Kitchel said. The menu for the students to learn for the night was scrambled eggs, southern biscuits and cinnamon rolls. As students entered into the kitchen, they divided themselves up into smaller groups and began the cooking process. “I really like cooking, and I love to bake,” junior Brianna Coleman said. “That’s why I’m so excited about attending this club. I hope to learn new and more complicated recipes.” When the students finished cooking, they gathered around the table to enjoy the food and each other’s company. “It’s awesome to see so many people come out to learn about cooking,” Mikala Reinman, a junior biomedical sciences student, said. “As I prepare for my life after college, I want to learn more about independent living.” After students shared the food with each other, the night came to a close after cleaning the kitchen. According to Kitchel, her personal goal for the club is to help improve the diets of students in order for them to function better. “It is important for the students to know what foods the body really needs and cook from scratch with natural ingredients,” Kitchel said. According to Kitchel, she was excited about the turn out for the firstever student-led culinary club. “The response from the students was great tonight, and if the attendance is constantly high, we hope to divide into two sessions, which will give students more (of a) chance to put their hands on the food that they are making,” Kitchel said. PARK is a news reporter.
Amber Lachniet | Liberty Champion
YUM — Students learned to cook.
1. BIBLE STUDIES FOR THE SEMESTER BEGIN.
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
GOING GLOBAL — Liberty created this scholarship to show their commitment and support for missionary families.
World missions rewarded Center for Global Engagement offers tuition scholarships to missionary children
Joshua Janney jjanney@liberty.edu
Beginning this semester, Liberty University’s Center for Global Engagement will be providing a full tuition scholarship of up to $80,000 for the children of missionaries. According to Liberty’s Financial Aid website, the $80,000 of the missionary scholarship will be disbursed over the four consecutive years of the student’s bachelor’s degree. The scholarship was created to show Liberty’s commitment to provide support for missionary families. “About six months or so ago, we started … evaluating how we could provide for more missionary kids,” Johnnie Moore, vice president for communications, said. “President Falwell and a member of the (cabinet) started evaluating different options, and we found a program
KING continued from A1 The movement launched in 1993 with a Tennessee youth group signing commitment cards pledging to abstain from sexual activity before marriage. King said True Love Waits guided him through practicing purity before marriage. “By God’s grace, my wife and I were both able to practice abstinence until we were married and have been faithful to one another for 15 years,” King said. “While I was by no means perfect or sinless, and while I still fight for purity now at age 41, I have the tools necessary to submit my body and its desires to the lordship of Christ. That all began when I was 14 years old and was strengthened by the True Love Waits movement.” The True Love Project study includes student and leader kits that contain tools such
that’s going to help dozens of the largest missions organizations in the country provide affordable education for their children.” To qualify for the scholarship, students must be U.S. citizens and children of missionaries serving through one of Liberty’s strategic missions partners, Moore explained. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, but students are still responsible for their applications and room and board. “We knew that we could (create the scholarship) from 10 to 12 agencies to start off, and we had already been strategically partnered with a number of agencies,” Moore said. “We decided to pilot the program with our strategic partners since we already had such a close relationship with them.” According to Moore, these agencies were the ones that Liberty had worked with the
as interviews and study modules. King said his favorite advice from the study urges young adults to avoid entertaining the invitation of sin and sexual temptation. “When fighting temptation, you must hate it, starve it and outsmart it,” King said. “The best way to fight sexual temptation is to flee sexual temptation. Surround yourself with godly influences — people who share your convictions and beliefs about the gospel and the person of Jesus Christ. “And when you sin, be quick to confess it and repent and receive the grace and forgiveness that Jesus offers,” he said. “Just because you mess up, it doesn’t mean you give up,” he said. According to an article by Relevant Magazine, a study conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reported that 80 percent of Christians have engaged in sexual
2. ZOES KITCHEN OPENS TO THE PUBLIC IN LYNCHBURG.
most and had more graduates and internship opportunities. “Liberty throughout the years has given various forms of aid to the children of missionaries and to the children of other people in ministry,” Moore said. “Any (missionary kid) of one of these agencies whose parents are serving overseas qualifies for the program, so the (missionary kid) does not have to be themselves committed to going to the mission field.” According to Moore, some of the strategic partners actually have full-time personnel living in Lynchburg for the sole purpose of mentoring Liberty students. “This is just one more example of Liberty’s commitment to the great commission,” Moore said. “I mean, no other institution of higher education in Christian history has done the types of things that Liberty is
doing on a regular basis to advance the great commission, and this is kind of exhibit A. We want to help missionaries.” Another example of Liberty’s assistance to missionaries is the school’s Loan Forgiveness Program for graduates intending to go into the missions field, Moore explained. This program pays up to 20 percent per year of the balance of federal student loans. “I’m grateful for President Falwell, the board of trustees for their leadership and for the employees in the Center for Global Engagement, for their constant effort to counsel students to prepare for the world,” Moore said. “And I’m grateful to see what is going to happen when a generation of liberty students takes their chance to reach the world.” JANNEY is a news reporter.
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
ADVICE — King’s new book seeks to help those fighting for purity. activity outside of marriage. King said the lack of concern toward the sanctity of sex has contributed to these statistics. “As our culture has embraced an ‘anything goes’ mentality about sexuality, women have become objectified, pornography has become an epidemic, child porn and human trafficking have become a global scourge, and 25 percent of all Americans will experience some form
of sexual abuse or assault by the time they become an adult,” King said. “We are paying the price for how we’ve cheapened sexuality.” According to King, LifeWay hopes to encourage young Christian adults to strive for purity through honesty and relatable teachings. “The True Love Project offers hope and help, because it deals with these issues honestly and openly,” King said. “It is redemptive.
It is practical. It is readable.” King said that, despite the common belief that purity means perfection, he desires to teach young adults the meaning of purity through a biblical worldview. “I am pure because of my position in the family of God, not because of my perfect performance,” King said. SAMUELS is a news reporter.
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NEWS
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Liberty Champion/A3
School of Law holds information session
Event gives prospective legal students opportunity to receive expert advice on preparing for their futures Zachary Pinkston zpinkston@liberty.edu
The Liberty University School of Law held an information session Tuesday, Jan. 28 on the bottom floor of DeMoss Hall. The intention of the event was to inform those interested in law school to become better prepared when researching and applying to the law school of their choosing. Daniel J. Castellucci, an admissions counselor for the Liberty University School of Law, instructed the students to research and understand the institution before applying. “I want to make you a smart consumer of law schools today,” Castellucci said. “I want to give you information so that you understand the process. I want you to understand what law schools mean when they say things, what they maybe are not saying, that you should ask. Because you won’t get that information unless you do ask.” Castellucci conducted the event and explained why a law degree from Liberty is one that will allow them to seek justice for those who cannot seek it out alone. “In all reality, we don’t have students that are coming here because they want to be the next generation of celebrity divorce court lawyers,” Castellucci said. “They come here because they want to fight for kingdom things. They want to stop human trafficking. They want to fight for the rights of the unborn. They want to fight to keep policy in place that
PRWeek continued from A1 Students also created campaign slogans. Corder’s slogan, “Go for gold, Go with Flight,” incorporates an Olympic theme for potential customers. “Depending on how many miles a customer has flown, they get to be bronze, silver or goldlevel fliers,” Corder said. Defined by Garrett as a slogan with a double meaning, she created a motto called “Every
identifies a marriage as between one man and one woman.” Although Castellucci did promote the law school at Liberty, endorsing it was not his only objective. “Today, I want to be very plain about what I am attempting to achieve,” Castellucci said. “My goal is not to brainwash you into going to Liberty law. Obviously, as a representative of the school, I want to tell you why we are the preeminent legal educator in the country.” According to Castellucci, everyone applying to law school must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a standardized exam that does not evaluate a student on knowledge, but evaluates the student on how they use and analyze knowledge. “The test is unlike any other test you’ve ever experienced before,” Castellucci said. “It is five, 35-minute sections that don’t test your ability to know information. It is a test that measures your ability to use information.” Castellucci then turned the session around and gave an argument for why the Liberty University School of Law was the best choice for prospective students. “The worldview of your law professors will directly correlate to the legal professional you become,” Castellucci said. “It’s hard to have law founded on anything but biblical truth.” Castellucci addressed the view that many of the founding fathers were not Christians, but said that nonetheless, this nation was founded on principles found
Second Counts.” “One meaning is that every second someone invests their time with Flight Airlines, we will make the most of every moment for them,” Garrett said. “On the flip side, we want to know where every second counts in their personal lives.” Both Corder and Garrett have been forced to view the competition from different perspectives because of recent events in their lives, Garrett explained. As a double major in music and com-
Dale Carty II | Liberty Champion
WISDOM — Castellucci provides insight into preparation for law school. within the Bible. “Schools that deny that and deny the existence of absolute truth, which in and of itself is illogical, teach you to win, not to seek justice,” Castellucci said. “We want you to seek justice, we want you to be a minister of justice, whether it’s on Capitol Hill or in your hometown.” Andrew Murphree, a history major at Liberty, said he attended the event because of the opportunities he would be given with a law degree. “I’ve been interested in the law school for a couple years now,” Murphree said. “I think it would be really interesting to
munications, Garrett said she recently discovered complications with her voice. She said her advancement as a top-five finalist was an unexpected gift from God. “It was a huge blessing that he didn’t have to give,” Garrett said. “But he has been saying, ‘I have you here for a reason, and I have prepared you to do this. Trust me.’” Unexpected change was in store for Corder as well. Over Christmas break, her mother
see all the career opportunities with a (law) degree, like opportunities in business and family law and possibly even something like public policy or political affairs.” For those who are interested in a law school with a biblical worldview but could not attend the meeting, Castellucci urged students to seek out information. Students can obtain information about the Liberty University School of Law by going to law.liberty.edu, emailing the law school at lawadmissions@liberty.edu or calling (434) 592-5300. PINKSTON is a news reporter.
passed away. According to Corder, despite her loss, she continues to view her involvement with the competition and her life as a testimony to others. “God is just so good,” Corder said. “He has just been reinforcing that he is with me, and that he has a purpose for me.” Along with the placement of Corder and Garrett as finalists, the award will give recognition to Liberty in the field of public relations. Keri Cook, a Liberty alumna, won the award in 2012.
Garrett said it would be an honor if a Liberty student won this year. “For Liberty to bring it home again, I would be so proud,” Garrett said. “Whether it’s me or Sarah. I would be proud.” SAMUELS is a news reporter.
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OPINION
A4
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
The virtue of Valentine’s Day Despite the negative connotations surrounding the holiday, there are still postitive aspects to a day of love Gabriella Fuller gfuller2@liberty.edu
Every Feb. 14, countless numbers of chocolates, candies, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones in the name of Saint Valentine. Despite the mixed popularity of the holiday, Americans spend a significant amount of money
$1.6 billion on candy $1.9 billion on flowers $4.4 billion on jewelry
every year to commemorate the day of romance. According to the United States Census Bureau, the average person will spend approximately $130 in presents and decorations, bringing the nation’s total receipt to more than $18.6 billion a year on Valentine’s Day. In 2014, nearly six million people will plan Valentine’s Day marriage proposals, and more than 151 million cards will be exchanged between loved ones. Now, if you are a single on Valentine’s Day, you understand perfectly when I say that the above statistics are enough to make you nauseated. Watching friends and strangers overload on cuteness can certainly make the holiday a difficult time to spend without a significant other. Commercialized and blown out of proportion as it may be, however, there has always been something inherently charming to me about what most consider a silly, industryfabricated holiday. Though chalky candy hearts spelling out one’s feelings in poorly written grammar have never really appealed to me, the idea of falling in love has, and does.
While the romantic love that is celebrated on Valentine’s Day is certainly something to look forward to and enjoy, the holiday also serves to remind me that there is a deeper, more genuine self-denying love that exists outside the 24-hour confines of Feb. 14. As Christians, we understand that love is much costlier and significantly stronger than our modern glorification of sentimental love. Despite culture’s say in the matter, pure and perfect love does exist — only not in the costumes we have become so accustomed to seeing. Unlike Taylor Swift’s incessant saga of romance and break-up that would have us believe that “love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right,” love is neither treacherous nor tragic. Love, true unadulterated love between two people, is a beautiful picture of Christ’s love for his bride, the church. This representation, though often times distorted, ought to remind us of the faultless love that exists between our savior and his creation. So while it may indeed be
irritating to see grocery aisles flooded with pink and red, the idea of spending a day dedicated to loving others bears an intrinsically beautiful quality. It is evidence to the fact that we were designed to love and to be loved, that our very DNA was constructed in such a way that we crave love because we have a desperation and a need for the righteous love of Christ. Maybe I am a hopeless romantic, but maybe there truly are lessons to be learned in how far we are willing to go to show love to those who matter most to us. In a society that is infatuated with pleasing self first and foremost, perhaps we ought to allow the seemingly silly tradition of exchanging gifts to remind us that it is people — not wealth or fame, careers or fortune — that are meant to have the number one priority in our lives. It is easy to look outside and find examples of hatred in our world. Pain, tragedy, war and grief are sobering components of life that surround us on a daily basis. So what if, for one day, we choose to be surrounded by the idea of love and affection
— if for 24 hours we indulge in the doting and the over-the-top signs of endearment. You do not need to believe in cupid’s magic arrow, and you certainly do not need to spend a small fortune on cultural concoctions, but at least stop for a moment this Valentine’s Day to recognize the power and the presence of love. Google reported that the simple three-word query “what is love?” was the single mostsearched question in 2013. From Shakespeare to Swift, it is obvious that our culture is longing to discover what true love looks like, feels like and is. In case a few of you need reminding, Valentine’s Day is next Friday, Feb. 14. Go out of your way to do something special for the people you care about this year — not out of obligation or because the holiday mandates it, but because there are people in your life deserving of the words “I love you.”
FULLER is the opinion editor.
Will soldiers come home in 2014?
Obama weighs the options as American forces inch closer to a permanent return from war-torn Middle East David Van Dyk dvandyk@liberty.edu
According to President Obama’s annual State of the Union address, the war in Afghanistan could be leading to a complete troop withdrawal as we begin 2014. Should Afghan President Hamid Karzai refuse to sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA), a complete troop withdrawal will take effect, reducing the country’s current number of U.S. troops from 37,500 to zero after 2014. The BSA ensures that U.S. troops will not be subjected to local laws, while setting other considerations for continued U.S. presence as well. However, Karzai has not taken kindly to the agreement. The proposal for 10,000 troops after 2014 came from Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization coalition commander in Afghanistan. With State Department officials and intelligence officers still in Afghanistan, troops are needed to ensure their safety. If Karzai decides to consider the BSA null and void, I believe we will see an Afghanistan that will quickly tumble into a state of disrepair under the rule of the Taliban. Since the push to eliminate the Taliban during the summer of 2002, the evasive group has reorganized, recruiting young individuals. Stephen Parke, associate dean of the Helms School of Government, said he believes that the Taliban is not yet finished
by Greg Leasure The Super Bowl is probably the most unique sporting event in the world. Sure, football does have a lot to do with the popularity of the big game, but every year, whether you’re a lifelong football fan or completely clueless, one culture-defying trend unifies the entire LEASURE country – America’s one-day interest in advertisements.
with Afghanistan. “I fear that if there is a complete troop withdrawal, that Afghanistan will look like Iraq,” Parke said. “The Taliban has made it clear that they seek an Islamic state subject to Sharia law.” In discussing the troop proposal, Parke thought it was a sound suggestion, pointing out the politics involved. “The Pentagon’s recommendation to keep 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 is reasonable,” Parke said. “The U.S. military is under civilian command and control and so ultimately, the Pentagon makes recommendations and the president, as commander in chief, and Congress, who control the purse strings, make decisions.” President Obama spoke on the situation in his State of the Union Address Tuesday. “More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan,” Obama said. “With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over.” I do not doubt that “America’s longest war will finally be over.” However, I do doubt that it will be a decisive victory. Seeing that the Taliban is gaining favor with Karzai along with his anti-U.S. rhetoric, the Islamic fundamentalist group might see their greatest dream come true.
In a 2006 CBS News article, Yankelovich Marketing Firm President Jay Walker-Smith estimated that Americans see approximately 5,000 advertisements every day, and we can only assume that number has since increased with the advent of more new media and technology. Americans are subjected to sitting through anywhere from 15 seconds to two minutes of advertisements for products in which they have no interest whatsoever almost every time they click on a YouTube video or a television show on Hulu. It has become the ultimate in first world problems. After all those advertisements as companies battle for attention, what still sends countless non-sports fans flocking to the television at the end of every NFL postseason? Advertisements. Super Bowl advertisements have become even more of a competition
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TROOPS — When the military should return has long been a topic of debate. The Taliban has also been gaining traction in Pakistan with the newly appointed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. After eight months of attempted negotiations and suspended counter-terrorist operations, Taliban leaders have regained their strength and have taken several important areas throughout Pakistan. Should Karzai decide to discount the BSA, our withdrawal from Afghanistan will have dire consequences on the struggling country that depends on us. If we intend to keep the Taliban from gaining traction in Afghanistan like they
than the game itself these days. In an industry where standing out and being remembered is the goal, humor used to be the way to go. I can still remember the E-Trade baby commercials and the monkeys from the CareerBuilder.com commercials during the early 2000s that made life impossible for the one human employee in the office — although I will admit I had to look up what company it actually promoted. These days, there seems to be more complaints about the lack of funny commercials. Why is that? Companies want to be remembered. As companies pursued a new formula for effective advertising during the Super Bowl, fans started to wonder where all the humor had gone. As soon as Dodge broke through all the noise with their emotional 2013 portrayal of the importance of farmers, companies began imitating their
are in Pakistan, we must ensure that the Afghan Security Forces are capable to take over operations when we leave. Bringing the troops home before the mission is complete would be a discredit to those who have given their lives upholding democracy in a country where terror threatens the lives of its own citizens every day. Let us make sure we finish this war with a triumphant victory, knowing we have handed over this hurting country to a people ready for real change. VAN DYK is an opinion writer.
success with advertisements running for multiple minutes, forcing viewers to wonder why their television has suddenly switched to such a dramatic tone for more than just 30 seconds. As if making a noticeable advertisement were not hard enough already, some companies have begun to circumvent the system and post their Super Bowl advertisement online days before the game. Although the tactic does create advance interest in an advertisement, it also spoils the punch line when half the room has already seen a funny commercial. For the sake of all Super Bowl viewers, I hope advertisers return to their humorous ways in 2015. But do not be surprised if next year brings more of the same, because if professional football and the advertising industry have taught us one thing, it is to go where the money is, right?
OPINION
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Liberty Champion/A5
Threats will not thwart games Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to prevent radical Islamists from overshadowing upcoming competition
Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu
The modern Olympic Games began April 6, 1896. This was a battle of athletic brawn showcased in the hallowed coliseums of Athens. Over many centuries, the tradition has become a gala of patriotic glory, showcasing only the best the world has to offer. Throughout history, the Olympics have been a competition for creating camaraderie, passion and unity. Today, the goodness of this ancient institution has been overshadowed by threats of terror and tragedy. U.S. Congress Representative Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican, called the terror threat “the greatest I think I’ve ever seen because of the proximity of the terrorists to the Olympic village.” The United States and five European nations revealed that they had received threats of terror just weeks before the Winter Olympics were set to begin Jan. 22, 2014. The United States, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia all reported receiving the threats in the form of emails and handwritten messages. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, has deployed more than 40,000 police officials inside the 1,500-mile Olympic center. Putin has full faith in what he calls his “Ring of Steel” and has brushed aside President Obama’s offer of the full U.S. security team, as well as offers from surrounding nations. In any case, the Pentagon and the Russian government are prepared to work in coordination should there be need for evacuation. Spectators are all beginning to ask one question: Are the Olympics worth it? Beginning Friday, Feb. 7, the “Ring of Steel” will be home to athletes from 88 nations around the world, and the United Kingdom officials are saying that more terrorist attacks are “very likely to occur” near or during the Winter Games. The truth is, no pending attack can be thwarted—or eliminated—unless we acknowledge the root of the terror: a “holy” mandate. The Russian terror group has
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CHAMPIONS — Team USA won 37 medals, including nine gold, in the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. been identified as Caucasus Emirate, or Imarat Kavkaz. The radical Islamist group is already prepared to strike once the games are underway, U.S. intelligence officials said. A video released last week by the terror group revealed two terrorists’ activity behind a bombing in Volvograd, 600 miles northwest of Sochi, Russia, killing 34 people and leaving many more injured. This war is real. In my opinion, we will not see resolution until the world powers, in unity, acknowledge the moral depravity we are up against. “Putin has strategically located the games at the Caucasus, where he’s basically daring those people,” Ian von Gordon, director of operations at the Dip-
lomatic Protection Training Institute in Youngstown, Ohio, said in an article with Voice of America. “That creates a very dangerous situation, because now you have the opportunity. You have the motive. You have an unprecedented situation where you have people from all over the world — civilians — participating in a highly publicized event.” Obama has very often agreed too easily to Islamic ideas, painting the U.S. as a Muslim sympathizer. “I made clear that America is not — and never will be — at war with Islam,” Obama said in his speech in Cairo. Do not get me wrong — moderate, nonviolent Muslims do exist. However, unlike all other mainstream faiths, violence to-
ward and elimination of the enemy at any cost is a pillar of Islamic theology. The United States, as well as Russia, and the remainder of the developed world must take a hard line against radical Islam. Should the free world continue its passive approach, the goodness of freedom will continue to erode. We, as a developed world, cannot kneel to the radical ideals knocking on our door. The Olympic Games are a time-honored salute to patriotism and camaraderie that has existed for years. It should not stop with Sochi.
GOINS-PHILLIPS is an opinion writer.
Blood donations make a difference Shortages throughout the nation should encourage students to overcome fears and give blood to those in need Emily Webster ewebster@liberty.edu
There are two small words in the English language that, when placed side by side, generate a mixture of reactions — some realize the gravity of these two words, while others shrink back in fear or brush them off as if they did not care. Give blood. One response I have heard when these two words come into conversation includes positive reassurance that the need for blood is realized and the challenge accepted. But too often, I hear responses that show me the fear of needles is real and the impact that one donation of blood can have is not as obvious as it should be. As Liberty University hosts another blood drive, it is not uncommon for a large number of students to participate. However, with the need for blood so great, too many people are holding back for fear of nausea or lack of incentive to willingly allow a
needle to pierce their skin. “They think that their blood is not needed,” Michelle Westbay, marketing communications lead for Virginia Blood Services, said. “Maybe they have a very common blood type … and they think that we have plenty of that on hand. A lot of people also just think that it’s scary.” According to the Virginia Blood Services website, blood shortages would disappear if only one more percent of Americans would give blood. “Seventeen percent of nondonors cite ‘never thought about it’ as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they’re too busy,” the website states. As someone who has received two blood transfusions, the reason for not giving blood because of busyness does not cut it for me, nor does the fear of needles. The Virginia Blood Services website states that someone in America needs blood every two seconds, and an average of three lives are saved with just one donation.
I cannot comprehend why someone would let nausea get in the way of saving the lives of three people. True, after thinking how the blood from two different donors once flowed through my veins, I hold more bias on the subject than those who have never experienced what it feels like to need blood. But should not the mere thought of saving the lives of three people stir a desire to overcome nausea or the fear of needles? If there is an issue with people “not thinking about it,” then something needs to occur to promote more awareness of the need for blood. “We try to get the word out as much as we can,” Westbay said. “We rely a lot on our coordinators to … spread awareness and just promote education. I know it’s not top-of-the-line for most people, but I think that the more education we can get out there, you know, other organizations get out, the better.” In the grand scheme of things
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giving blood is not a big deal for the donor. It takes about an hour of time before getting up, walking out the door and carrying on with life. One hour to save three lives. “It makes a difference,” Westbay said. “I think if you ask a handful of people, at least one of those people will have had an impact or have had … someone related to them or a friend who has been affected by a blood transfusion. Maybe they know a recipient or have some sort of success story. So it is pretty crazy to have that type of (mindset) for your blood, you know, to go directly into someone. It supports life, you know? It definitely saves a life. And not just one life, but three lives. It’s a huge impact. You may never know who your blood is going to, but it’s needed.” To this day, I still think about the fact that there are two people somewhere who, nearly eight years ago, gave up an hour or so of their time to give blood, maybe not even thinking about the 14-year-old girl in the
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hospital bed who would receive their blood. It might not seem like a big deal to the donor, but to those of us who are alive today because of the people who put aside their own comfort, it is not just a big deal — it is our lives. WEBSTER is a copy editor.
FYI According to the American Red Cross, more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day, and 30 million transfusions occur in the U.S. every year.
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A6/Liberty Champion
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Students fight shortage
Liberty donates about 1,200 units of blood at each Red Cross blood drive on campus Shae Leitz sleitz@liberty.edu
Eighty percent of the blood donations given to the Red Cross are collected at mobile blood drives set up at community organizations, companies, high schools, colleges, places of worship and military installations. The remaining 20 percent are collected at fixed Red Cross donor centers, according to the Red Cross website. Liberty students can earn their Christian Service (CSER) credit by volunteering to help out with the American Red Cross Blood Drive or donating blood. “Very few students have completed their CSER through the Red Cross,” Director and professor of biblical worldview Lew Weider said. “However, a brand new Red Cross Club is starting on campus, so I expect many more students will earn their CSER through the Red Cross in the future.” According to Weider, Liberty’s partnership with the Red Cross began when Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.’s daughter, Jeannie Falwell, helped bring the Red Cross to campus when she served as president of the Liberty Uni-
DEW wins contest Youth group earns Winterfest tickets Evelyn Hylton ehylton2@liberty.edu
Abby Kourkounakis | Liberty Champion
GIVE — Students help during a blood shortage by giving blood in the back of DeMoss Hall. versity Circle K Club. Liberty student and nursing major Aleiyah Mollenhauer said she had no idea that she could have completed her CSER with the Red Cross, but if she had, she would have signed up for it. “I have talked to many different people about donating blood, and I recommend this opportunity, because I know that it could save someone,” Mollenhauer said. In comparison with other schools, Liberty ranks in the No. 2 spot behind the University of
Virginia when it comes to amount of blood given annually in the Appalachian Region, Bill Johnson, American Red Cross account representative, said. “Liberty gives about 1,200 units of blood annually,” Johnson said. According to Johnson, The Appalachian Region includes southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and just into the Farmville, Va. area where Longwood University is located. When there is a shortage of blood drives, there is a shortage in
all blood types, Johnson explained. Since Type O negative is universal, people with this blood type are encouraged to donate. According to the Red Cross website, the winter months are the most crucial because of severe weather conditions. About 240 Red Cross blood drives were shut down in 23 different states, leaving a dramatic loss in blood. More than 41,000 blood donations are needed each day. “I really appreciate the gratitude of our donors,” Lynchburg Red
Cross Supervisor Tawanda Rosser said. Phlebotomist Nancy Ashwell, who collects blood samples for the Red Cross in Lynchburg, said she has been working for the Red Cross for seven years and loves recruiting new people to donate blood. “It is very rewarding at the end of the day, when you know you have saved a life,” Ashwell said. LEITZ is a news reporter.
Hannah Lipscomb | Liberty Champion
PARTY — Students have fun learning the steps to a dance at the African American History month kickoff Jan. 31.
Center4ME honors heritage
Students begin African American History month with a gathering on DeMoss steps Brittany Jones bljones24@liberty.edu
Live entertainment, colorful clothing and homemade barbecue welcomed students to the front steps of DeMoss Hall Friday, Jan. 31. Liberty University’s Center for Multicultural Enrichment (Center4ME) hosted its annual African American History month kickoff event where students were able to learn more about African American culture, according to Joy Jefferson, associate director of Center4ME. “Students are able to learn about some stereotypes that they may have had, and they might even feel led to change their thinking,” Jefferson said. “I think a lot of students have learned from the events that we have put on.” The kickoff included several booths where people could learn about famous African American inventors, purchase
clothing and jewelry or chat over soul food. “I’ve learned about what others eat and what they wear,” Fantasia Remonvil, Liberty sophomore, said. “As we’re learning, we get to tell everybody else and hear what they have learned. (Center4ME) teaches people so many things about different cultures.” Christopher Smith, known as Advocate in the music industry, is a Christian rapper. Smith performed live for the dozens of students who attended the event. According to Smith, he has been asked to perform a couple of times since graduating from Liberty in 2012. Jefferson asked him to perform for the African American History month kickoff event, which he said he was excited to do. “I think a lot of times, people aren’t culturally aware of other ethnicities, because sometimes we get stuck in our own cultures,” Smith said. “I think ev-
erything that (Center4ME) does is good and helps people go out and see other cultures. It helps us see how others act and allows us to coexist.” According to Jefferson, the purpose of the kickoff is to bring students together to teach them about African American culture and have fun as well as to promote the events coming up throughout the rest of the month. Jefferson said one event she would highlight for students to attend is the upcoming Gospel Fest. This event will take place in the Towns Alumni Center Feb. 10 from 7-9:30 p.m. and will cost $5. “(The Gospel Fest is) the one people will probably really come to because there’s dancing and music,” Jacqui Washington, Liberty senior, said. “It’s really upbeat and fun!” Center4ME will be hosting other events for African American history month such as the MERGE worship service and a
soul food night, according to its Web page. Jefferson said Center4ME hosts a multitude of events throughout the school year. “Our Fun Fridays are an open house that we have each Friday where we celebrate a different culture each week,” Jefferson said. “During African American history month, all of the Fun Fridays will pertain to African American culture. That gives us the opportunity to meet with different students, staff, and faculty and form friendships.” According to the Center4ME’s statement of purpose, the goal of events is to celebrate cultural diversity by offering experiential learning opportunities to all students. For more information on Center4ME, visit its Web page at liberty.edu/center4me.
JONES is a news reporter.
As Winterfest 2013 was in progress, so was a video contest to produce an Instagram video compilation of the greatest moments from the largest Christian New Year’s kick-off in the region. The leaders and youth of Dew Student Ministries of Round Hill Baptist Church in Round Hill, Va. captured the first place Instagram video, winning two VIP tickets per person to the 2014 upcoming Winterfest event. Already familiar with Instagram and the rest of the social media scene, volunteer youth leader Doug Johnson said he jumped at the opportunity to participate in the contest. “We were (already) connected with the Winterfest promo,” Johnson said. “We were considering VIP tickets for 2013.” According to Johnson, the students were especially excited to enter their video into the contest. The challenge was figuring out a way to create a winning piece only 15 seconds in length. Johnson said he and his students were to “basically create a compilation of experiences at Winterfest.” Dew Student Ministry’s video highlighted the students’ most cherished moments in both Lynchburg and Liberty University, featuring clips taken of the students experiencing everything from the local cuisine to rocking out in the Vines Center to music from some of the most wellknown Christian artists in the country. “I didn’t think much of it,” Johnson said, regarding the odds of winning the contest. “It depended on the number of submissions (from other youth groups).” However, Johnson realized that the odds had been in their favor a few weeks later when he received a Twitter notification on his phone congratulating Dew Student Ministries on their win. Since he was away from Round Hill at the time, Johnson said he started receiving excited text messages from his students almost instantaneously. Although winning the contest was certainly a thrill, Johnson said the best part of the whole experience was having the opportunity to “show the kids around Lynchburg,” where he and his wife, a Liberty University alumna, spent a significant amount of time in the recent past. According to Johnson, he believes that social media networks such as Instagram will continue to have a big impact on this and future generations of young Christians through sharing experiences such as Winterfest trips and for general ministry. “Any kind of media can be used for good or bad,” Johnson said. “The biggest danger is that kids constantly compare themselves to others.” However, the potential to use social media for good, according to Johnson, is not something to be dismissed. “With everyone always connected, it makes sense to connect hundreds,” Johnson said. “(Young Christians) can leverage social media with their peers . . . I think it’s absolutely necessary to use.” Dew Student Ministry’s winning video can be seen at instagram.com/dewstudents. HYLTON is a news reporter.
NEWS
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Liberty Champion/A7
Writing Center welcomes guests
The Center for Writing and Languages invites students and staff to celebrate their new location in Green Hall James Ebrahim jebrahim2@liberty.edu
Students and staff gathered at the Center for Writing and Languages to celebrate its new location with an open house Jan. 29. The center, previously located in DeMoss Hall, was moved to the second floor of Green Hall in December of 2013, according to the center’s website. “We are right next to CASAS, and that is good,” Tess Stockslager, director of the Center for Writing and Languages, said. “We like that.” The Center for Writing and Languages began in 2006, but was formerly known as the University Writing Program, according to the center’s website. “It was the University Writing Program, which at the time reflected just the Undergraduate Writing Center and the Graduate Writing Center,” Allison Scoles, director of the Undergraduate Writing Center, said. “When the Foreign Language Lab became a part of our department, we decided we needed to encompass all language.” According to the center’s
website, they are dedicated to teaching students better language skills. “The Center for Writing and Languages is committed to fostering and facilitating university-wide excellence in communication in a variety of languages and mediums,” the website said. There are more than 40 staff and student workers at the Center for Writing and Languages, according to Scoles. The Undergraduate Writing Center, the Graduate Writing Center and the Foreign Language Lab are the three parts that make up the Center for Writing and Languages, according to Scoles. Each of these sections has a department for online students as well, according to the center’s website. The Graduate and Undergraduate Writing Centers provide students with tutors who can help them to improve researching and the technical aspects of academic writing and thought, according to a center brochure. The center has tutoring rooms available to students for one-on-one instruction. According to Scoles,
STOP SIGNS continued from A1 “You should start seeing a significant traffic reduction on the main road as folks rediscover the new Regents Parkway.” Alex Argyropoulos, a junior at Liberty, said he believes removing the stop signs has helped
Kyle Erikson | Liberty Champion
BRAND NEW — The Center for Writing and Languages is now located next to CASAS. both the Graduate and the Undergraduate Writing Centers each see approximately 1,000 students in a semester. The center does not cater only to beginners of writing, according to Scoles. “Anybody who considers themselves advanced is welcome to come in for tutoring, and we can help them with whatever issues
reduce congestion. “It keeps the traffic flowing more quickly, and there’s less traffic on campus,” Argyropoulos said. Spence said traffic flow will continue to improve on campus as vehicular tunnels to Wards Road open later this spring, and a new parking garage is completed by the beginning of the fall 2014
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they have,” Scoles said. The Foreign Language Lab contains computers with language learning software for six languages as well as tutors for English as a Second Language, German and Spanish, according to the Center’s website. The center also includes a Spanish Writing Center online. The center offers workshops throughout the
semester. Argyropoulos said, while he is glad to have one less stop on University Boulevard, he is concerned about possible hazards at the intersection. “Some people will speed through, and they won’t even look for pedestrians and any other vehicles turning around there, so it can be a safety issue,”
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semester for students to “learn how to write, cite and improve your research,” according to the center’s website. One of the first workshops this semester includes formatting, according to a center flyer. The only class that the center offers is introduction to graduate writing, according to Stockslager. “We now have a section
Argyropoulos said. Spence said while traffic continues to improve, officials are considering temporary measures to improve safety for pedestrians using cross walks at the intersection. “Conversations are underway to determine if additional measures are needed, such as a traffic patrol officer during heavy traf-
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specifically for Korean students, and it is being taught by a Korean graduate doctoral student,” Stockslager said. For more information or to set up an appointment with the center, visit liberty.edu/index. cfm?PID=11859. EBRAHIM is a news reporter.
fic times or some other form of traffic calming devises to slow the traffic down without causing the traffic to completely stop,” he said. TAIT is the asst. news editor.
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A8/Liberty Champion
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Quiz Bowl team takes second Students win silver at tournament with a 7-1 record and more overall points than any other team in contest
Mark Tait mtait@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Quiz Bowl team placed second out of nine teams in the Big South Conference College Bowl Tournament held at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. Jan. 25. Excluding a 325-245 loss to undefeated High Point University (8-0), Liberty handily defeated the seven other teams in the tournament, according to Dr. Jim Nutter, Liberty’s Quiz Bowl coach. “We tended to win by 200 to 400 points,” Nutter said. “Our largest win was against Coastal (445-60), and our closest victory margin was against Radford (330-180). We still almost doubled their score.” While Liberty finished the tournament with a 7-1 record and more overall points than any other team in the contest, Nutter said a second place finish to High Point was disappointing for his players. Before the tournament, Liberty had won seven of the last eight Big South tournaments and had not lost a game to an inconference opponent in the last four years, according to the Big South Conference Web page. Along with wins over conference opponents, Liberty has captured out-of-conference victories over several well-known universities, according to Nutter. In fall
Photo Provided
COMPETITION — Mikah Sauskojus, Jon Bateman (back row) Greta Hanks, Kelly Kramer and Kaity Shondelmyer (front row) represented Liberty in the Big South Tournament. 2013, the team defeated Johns Hopkins University, the University of Virginia (UVA) and Virginia Tech. Jon Bateman, who placed second in points scored by an individual player at the Big South tournament, said beating UVA has always been rewarding. “That’s always a fun experience, just because they are such a well-respected school, such a historic school,” Bateman said. “They’ve been around for almost
200 years, and Liberty’s only been around for about 40.” In addition to UVA and Johns Hopkins University, Nutter said Liberty has taken down schools like Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Kentucky and North Carolina State University in previous years. “It’s just amazing — the depth and breadth of the knowledge of some of these players,” Nutter said.
According to Nutter, his students will have the opportunity to test their knowledge against High Point once again when Liberty competes in the sectional Quiz Bowl tournament at Virginia Tech Feb. 8. The contest will decide which team advances to the National Quizbowl Tournament. “We are very much looking forward to a rematch against them in this friendly rivalry that we have,” Nutter said. “We’re
bringing two teams, a Varsity A and a Varsity B, so we could definitely have the opportunity to beat them, not once but twice.” While Nutter said he is excited to compete in the sectional tournament, he hopes to one day enter his team into contests against America’s most academically esteemed universities. “My goal is to eventually play some of the Ivy Leagues in quizbowl tournaments,” Nutter said. “In the last couple of years, we have beaten most of the major land-grant universities within neighboring distances of us.” Nutter’s players may be competing at Ivy League schools in the future, but some of his former students are already attending as graduate students. According to Nutter, alumni from Liberty’s Honors Program, where most quizbowl players are recruited, have been accepted to six of America’s eight Ivy League graduate programs. One former Quiz Bowl player currently has interviews scheduled this semester with the two remaining Ivy League universities, Princeton and Harvard. “If this student gets into both, we can say ‘eight for eight,’” Nutter said. “And that’s my goal, my dream, my hope.”
TAIT is the asst. news editor.
CMT helps plant churches Kathleen DeWitt kedewitt@liberty.edu
Formerly known as Church Planting Emphasis Week, the Center for Ministry Training’s (CMT) annual Church Planting Emphasis Conference will be held Feb. 25-26 to provide information and opportunities for students to connect with church planters from across the country. According to Campus Mobilizer James Hobson, the goal of this event is to raise awareness about the need for churches and encourage students to become actively involved in this aspect of ministry. Forty-two church planters are scheduled to come for the event. Unlike previous years, this conference will include a Church Planting Expo Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 1-4 p.m. in the ReberThomas Executive Dining Hall, according to Hobson. During this three-hour event, church planters will set up informational tables for their ministries, and students are invited to walk through to find out how they can be involved with specific church plants. “These students have an opportunity to be a part of what is going on in the cities by applying for internships in the cities that tug most at their heart, whether that is local or abroad,” Hobson said. The event will expose students to the various needs within the cities represented, according to Hobson. These internships are available for undergraduate and graduate students and include living in a city, reaching out to the lost and learning about ministry while in the field. Hobson emphasized that the event is for students of all majors. “Far too often we tend to think that ministry is for the professional,” Hobson said. “Ministry needs to be in the
marketplace just as much (as), if not more, than in the pulpit.” Breaking down the stereotypes, the CMT uses this event to show students how they can use their various talents to serve God. “Be a nurse, be a graphic designer, be a film editor or be a teacher who is missionminded in a city that needs it the most,” Hobson said. In addition, four church planters will participate in a panel discussion to share their insights and experiences in ministry Tuesday, Feb. 25. Since space is limited, students are invited to register for this event through the CMT Web page, according to Hobson. Though the formal events provide valuable information, a unique part of the conference is the opportunity for students to interact with church planters from different backgrounds and ask any questions they have about the process of starting a church, according to Hobson. “The most important aspect of the conference is the down time in between events where students can schedule one-on-one time with planters and ask questions,” Hobson said. Hobson emphasized that students can gain valuable insights through the personal interaction with those who have served in the field and faced the challenges of ministry firsthand. According to Hobson, the Church Planting Emphasis Conference will provide opportunities to equip students to go out and participate in church planting and sharing the gospel with those who are lost. For more information about the CMT and future events, visit liberty.edu/cmt.
DEWITT is a feature reporter.
Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion
SHOOT — Both Farnsworth and O’Dell have the chance to work with Sony’s newest equipment.
Sony invites students Farnsworth and O’Dell will spend five days during April in Las Vegas
Jesse Spradlin jaspradlin@liberty.edu
Sony has invited students Samuel Farnsworth and Jerusha O’Dell to represent Liberty University in the National Association of Broadcasting (NAB) Sony Student Experience in Las Vegas, Nev. April 5-10. “Students were chosen by the digital media faculty based on senior status, technological knowledge and ability, Christian character, involvement in on-campus digital production, overall academic ability and service to others,” Digital Media Director of Student Programming Pam Miller said. Farnsworth and O’ Dell will receive an allexpense paid trip to Las Vegas, will have the opportunity to receive training on the latest Sony equipment and will “work the convention floor” at the Sony booth during the NAB confer-
ence, according to Miller. Farnsworth and O’Dell both described themselves as “freaking out” when they were first notified about their selection for the event. Farnsworth said he had no idea he was going to be selected. O’Dell said she was “thrown off at first,” and the opportunity came from “out of the blue.” “I’m really excited to be learning all of Sony’s new equipment,” Farnsworth said. “I love working with cameras — it’s my favorite thing to do.” The 2014 Sony Student Experience marks Liberty’s second time participating in the event. In 2013, Liberty students joined 51 students from 17 different universities including New York University, Baylor University and Penn State University, according to Sony’s education blog. “Out of all the schools in the country, there (are) only 17 schools that get to have representatives,”
O’Dell said. “The fact that Liberty’s on there is huge.” Farnsworth said he and O’Dell will be trained on Sony equipment for two days, then present the equipment to broadcasting station representatives such as FOX News, CNN and ESPN. According to Miller, “everybody that’s anybody” in broadcasting and filmmaking is going to be at the conference. O’Dell said she is looking forward to seeing what other schools are doing in broadcasting and meeting new people who share her passion for video. “I know that I wouldn’t be going to NAB on my own… Now that the opportunity’s being thrown at me, I feel like I need to dive in,” O’Dell said. Miller said the Sony Student Experience broadens the horizon for students, and she hopes the event adds opportunity to their lives. Miller
also said Sony invests in the students, providing them real-world application of their knowledge. “Sony was really happy with the two students from last year, and I know they are going to be thrilled with the students from this year,” Miller said. Both Farnsworth and O’Dell said they are excited to go. “It’s really cool for us students to go, because we get all this hands on experience,” Farnsworth said. Farnsworth and O’Dell currently work at the Liberty Flames Sports Network. Farnsworth is a student director and O’Dell is a technical director. The Sony Student Experience began in 1989 with the relationship between Sony and Baylor University, according to Sony’s education blog. SPRADLIN is a news reporter.
SPORTS
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
W. DII Hockey Virginia 4
Liberty
3
M. D1 Hockey
Liberty Delaware 4 2
M. Basketball CSU
Liberty
80
66
B1
W. Basketball
Campbell Liberty 61
55
W. Tennis
Kansas 5
Liberty 2
Bright outlook
full speed ahead
Softball team has high expectations this year Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
Northeastern net to put up four in the second and three more in the third. The shots were snuck in off the backhand, put top shelf and fired from distance in blistering slap shots, wearing out the Huskies backup goalie. “I felt like the second and third period our girls played really well, and we adjusted our game to what was going on (on the ice) and were able to capitalize on it,” Bloomfield said. Bloomfield also acknowledged goalie Kristina Toppazzini’s shutout performance, as she stopped all 22 of the Huskies shots on the night. “It was not exactly busy out there, but their shots were decent,” Toppazzini said. “It was a good game. The team really stepped it up after the first.” The victory was made a bit sweeter, as it came on senior night —
After an offseason that included a major shakeup in the coaching staff, the Liberty University Lady Flames softball team looks to improve on last year’s 20-37 record as it begins the regular season in just three days. According to senior center fielder Katie Zavodny, a lack of passion may have led to a disappointing 8-16 Big South Conference record last season. “I just feel like last year, the past three years, we were kind of just going through the motions,” Zavodny said. “It was just like the same routine. This year, it’s different. We believe we can go to the next level.” Zavodny attributed the change in the team’s attitude to the motivation from the new coaching staff, which includes Head Coach Dot Richardson, a twotime Olympic gold medalist, 16-time Amateur Softball Association (ASA) All-American and ASA Hall of Fame member. “(Our coaches have) really transformed this team into a believing, winning team that (knows) we can go beyond Big South, that we can go to regionals,” Zavodny said. The Lady Flames will count on Zavodny, along with senior shortstop Sammi Shivock, junior catcher Kelby Allen and junior infielder Hanna Nichols, to lead the offense this year. In 2013, Zavodny led Liberty with a .384 batting average while tallying 40 total runs. She also proved to be a threat to opponents’ defenses with 41 stolen bases on the year. Additionally, Allen contributed 10 home runs, 35 RBIs and 29 total runs while batting .275 last year. Shivock added eight home runs and 43 RBIs last season for Liberty while hitting .328. Nichols hit .277 with six homers, 21 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Richardson explained that stepping up at the plate may prove to be one of the most important factors for her team this year. “I do believe ...
See BURNING, B4
See BRIGHT, B3
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
DOMINANCE — The Liberty Lady Flames combined to score 19 goals in a two-game sweep of the Northeastern Huskies.
Burning the competition The No. 7 Lady Flames cruise past the Huskies for their third straight victory
Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu Tom Foote tfoote2@liberty.edu
Depth was the name of the game as Liberty women’s Division I (DI) hockey team (12-8-4), who played at full strength, took down Northeastern University (119-1) team, which traveled only 13 players, 9-0 at the LaHaye Ice Center Saturday, Feb. 1. It was the third meeting of the season for the teams and the Lady Flames first win against the Huskies, solidifying a recent poll shift that saw Liberty assume Northeastern’s seventh place slot in American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) DI rankings. The Lady Flames have suffered their share of injuries this semester, including a back problem that kept junior forward Sarah Stevenson out of the lineup since
Christmas. Saturday, though, the Flames featured a full roster. The Huskies shallow lines tired quickly, while Liberty’s reserves provided valuable energy for the game. “We were fortunate to have everybody playing, and for some reason they weren’t here with a full house,” Head Coach Paul Bloomfield said. “I think our team played well, and having a couple of extra girls to rotate through the lines certainly helped us too.” Sophomore forward Carrie Jickling, who put up two goals on the night, agreed with her coach, acknowledging endurance as a factor in the win. “We were pretty much all over them the whole game,” Jickling said. “We had a couple lapses, but other than that, we just kept moving the puck and tired them out basically. It worked in our favor.” The Flames played a decent first period, going up 2-0 on the Huskies. It was in the final two periods that the team really came alive, however. They rushed the
Swinging for the fences
Liberty’s baseball team hopes to build on its success after winning the Big South Tom Foote tfoote2@liberty.edu
The 2013 season was a monumental year for Liberty University baseball, as they won their first Big South Tournament since 2000. The team hopes the 2014 season will bring even higher acievements. After being crowned Big South champions, Liberty was chosen to compete in the Columbia Regional, which included prestigious programs such as Clemson University and the University
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
of South Carolina. “Prior to last year, none of the guys on the team had been to a regional,” Flames Head Coach Jim Toman said. “I’ve been to 14 of them, so I was proud that I could just get these guys to feel what it’s like to be in a regional and have the opportunity to play in an environment like South Carolina.” The feeling of reaching a regional final left Toman and the players wanting more for next season, and they have set high expectations for themselves and the school. “I think anything less than a regional
M. Basketball vs. Winthrop Feb. 4 @ 7 p.m.
W. Basketball vs. Coastal Feb. 6 @ 7 p.m.
(appearance) would be disappointing,” Flames first baseman Alex Close said. “Our goal is to not only get to a regional, but also win a regional, and take that next step.” Close’s teammate, Ashton Perritt, echoed Close’s desires of wanting to continue the momentum from last season and improve on the success of the program. “We ended (ranked) 26th, and we know we are a top-25 program, and we are working hard at it everyday,” Perritt said. Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
See SWINGING, B3 BUZZ — Liberty hopes to keep winning.
M. D1 Hockey vs. Oakland Feb. 7 @ 7 p.m.
W. D1 Hockey vs. Davenport Feb. 7 @ 10 p.m.
W. Basketball vs. CSU Feb. 8 @ 2 p.m.
SPORTS
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Liberty Champion/B2
Building on early success Hawks Liberty’s men’s tennis team downs Bluefield State in a 5-2 Flames victory at home Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu
After winning its season debut against the Morehead State Eagles, 6-1, the Liberty men’s tennis team (2-0) defeated the Bluefield State Blues (0-1) 5-2 in Liberty’s home opener Friday, Jan. 31. The Flames opened the matchup sweeping doubles competition. The No. 26 team in the nation of Shea Thomas and Jorge Azuero set the tone for Liberty by beating the Blues pair of Jacob Carey and Piotr Kruk, 8-6. With the victory, Thomas became the second player to reach 75 career doubles victories. Thomas is now four wins away from tying Ginacarlo Lemmi’s record of all-time doubles victories. Pairs Stan Vaughan and Alejendro Llamas and Egon Samaai and Guillem Secanell also picked up victories, giving Liberty an early 1-0 lead in the series. In singles competition, Liberty added
four more wins to its total. Thomas defeated Carey in two sets 7-5 and 6-3. With the wins, he extended his singles winning streak to five, dating back to last season. Thomas’ last loss came against the James Madison Dukes last April. Azuero faced Aziz Yuldashev in the second singles match. After Azuero won the first set 6-3, Yuldashev answered and controlled the second set 6-2. Even with one win apiece, Azuero bounced back and won 6-2 in the final set. Conner Pickering and Vlad Catlan picked up wins for Bluefield State in the fifth and sixth matchups for the evening. Liberty looks to start the season 3-0 for the second consecutive season when they travel to play the College of William and Mary Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m.
Seattle celebrates its first Super Bowl victory in team history Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
BATTLE is the sports editor.
ACE — Liberty improved its record to 2-0.
Editorial: Reasons to see Winter Games
Every two years, the Olympics brings the world together to celebrate athletic prowess Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu
The 2014 Olympic Games will begin in Sochi, Russia, Friday, Feb. 7. The Summer Olympics always receive paramount attention, but the Winter Olympic Games never seem to match the fanfare of their counterpart. Usain Bolt and LeBron James might not be skiing down the slopes in Sochi, but the Winter Olympics are far from dull. Here are some reasons to watch:
true team sport on the slate, and the best hockey players in the world will be taking a break from their season in the NHL to compete in Sochi. In 2010, Sidney Crosby buried an overtime winner to lead Canada over the U.S. in the gold medal game in one of the most climatic events of the entire games. Hockey has always been one of the biggest and most exciting events (Miracle on Ice), and should not disappoint this year either.
1. Capitalism is better than Communism The last and only time the Olympics — Winter or Summer — took place in Russia, the U.S. was part of a boycott of the games because of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. That was 34 years ago. Now, the Soviet Union is broken up, communism is all but dead in Europe, and Russia and the U.S. are not worried about the imminent threat of nuclear holocaust. Yay, capitalism!
3. Shaun White White recently cut off his signature, flowing red locks, but he still remains one of the favorites in the men’s halfpipe snowboarding event. He has dominated the event for the past two Olympics — winning the gold medal in Torino and Vancouver — and appears to still be in top form. According to Yahoo Sports, White will also be giving the slopestyle event a go for the first time in his Olympic career. Not bad for a guy whose nickname is “The Flying Tomato.”
2. Hockey Basketball is to the Summer Olympics as hockey is to the Winter Games. It is the biggest
4. Ski Jumping If there is a way to get an adrenaline rush by sitting on your couch, ski jumping is it.
Skiers/daredevils/crazy people fly down an 80-meter or 120-meter hill, depending on the event, and fly through the air at heights well higher than human beings should be flying without a parachute. Somehow they land hundreds of feet from their launching point on two skis, evidently not defying the laws of physics. 5. Crazy uniforms The Winter Olympics do not have sports like basketball and soccer, which have pretty standard, if not boring, uniforms. Most athletes will be wearing skin-tight snowsuits with flamboyant-to-completely outrageous designs. The outfits may not end up on the runway in Paris, but they will leave you unable to turn your head away from the screen. 6. Figure skating For something so graceful, figure skating may be the shadiest event of the Winter Games. The Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan fiasco happened on the eve of the games in 1994. There was the incident in 2002 when Canadian pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were appar-
ently robbed of a gold medal by a French judge. Stay tuned for more sinister activities in 2014. 7. Lolo Jones on a different type of track Many people know Jones as the outspoken, self-proclaimed virgin track star who was not quite good enough to medal at the 2008 or 2012 Summer Games. For the winter festivities, Jones is trying her hand at something a bit different – bobsled. She’s gained about 20 pounds, eating about 9,000 calories per day according to an interview on the Today Show, in preparation for her new gig, hoping to finally bring home an elusive Olympic medal. 8. Curling Here is a fun game to play with friends — have them watch curling, and see how long it takes them to figure out what is happening. Winner gets to understand curling – truly a gift in itself. 9. The Jamaican bobsled team Remember that movie “Cool Runnings?” That was actually based on the true story of four Jamaican bobsledders who competed in the Calgary Games in 1988, according to USA Today. Now, they are back for another go for the first time since 2002. The Jamaicans, who lack funding and adequate training grounds, will be severe underdogs, but remain a remarkable story. 10. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! Even if you do not like sports, the Olympics present the rare opportunity to root for your countrymen above everything else. Be a patriot. Watch the Olympics.
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REPEAT — America looks to retain its title as the best four-man bobsled team in the world.
fly high
TICHENOR is a sports reporter.
Defense wins championships. It may be the most overused saying in sports, but the Seattle Seahawks proved just how accurate it is in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium Sunday, Feb. 2. The top-ranked Seahawks defense suffocated the Denver Broncos top-ranked offense and created turnovers, which led to points and resulted in a game that was just about as interesting as trying to watch turf grow or figure out what XLVIII adds up to in Roman numerals. The Seahawks wasted no time scoring points in Super Bowl XLVIII, taking advantage of a bad Broncos snap to force a safety and using the ensuing possession to kick a field goal for a 5-0 lead. With the exception of a meaningless third-quarter Denver touchdown, the rest of the game became a Seahawks highlight tape, a 43-8 Seattle victory. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning constantly dealt with pressure in the pocket and was hit almost every time he dropped back to pass. Although the Seahawks had already taken a 15-0 lead, linebacker and eventual Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith put the nail in Denver’s coffin and returned an intercepted Manning pass for a 69yard touchdown. At halftime, the Broncos found themselves looking at a 22-0 deficit. As if that were not a big enough problem, their only chance of getting back into the game was throwing against a defense known for its ferocious secondary. In the end, the challenge was too much for Manning, the regular season MVP, and the team that averaged a leaguebest 37.9 points per game. Turnovers proved to be the Broncos Achilles’ heel, killing drives and ensuring that the commercials would be the most interesting part of the second half. Denver fumbled twice and threw two interceptions, while the Seahawks avoided turning the ball over entirely. The Seahawks special teams unit also made an impact when Percy Harvin, who spent most of the season watching from the sidelines, returned the first kickoff of the second half 87 yards for a touchdown. Football fans will look forward to a warmer game in 2015 when the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, Ariz., will play host to Super Bowl XLIX. LEASURE is the editor-inchief.
SPORTS
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Liberty Champion/B3
Panthers thrashed in home finale
Three seniors leave the LaHaye Ice Center victorious after the Flames defeat Pittsburgh in final home game Nate Haywood nhaywood@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s men’s Division II hockey team (24-7) capped off its regular season by defeating the Pittsburgh University Panthers 5-3 at LaHaye Ice Center on senior night Saturday, Feb. 1. Both teams struggled offensively to start the first period until Liberty senior Brad Docksteader scored his 36th goal of the season at the 12:47 mark in the first period. His goal gave the Flames a 1-0 lead. The Panthers responded quickly with a goal by senior Mark Clifford. The Flames scored once again at the 9:44 mark in the first. This time, Devon Docksteader, who is second on the team in scoring, found the back of the net. At the end of the first period, Liberty had a 2-1 lead and maintained it throughout the game. “We outshot them dramatically in the first two periods,” Head Coach Chris Lowes said. “Yeah, we had a good first period. (I) thought the energy was good. We were the better team overall.” The second period was a dominant one for Liberty.
The team continued to outshoot Pittsburgh and eventually scored two goals, one each by sophomore forwards Jeff Boschman and Josh King. After Boschman’s goal, the Panthers made a goalie change around the five-minute mark in the second period. Freshman Michael Mina entered the net and only allowed two goals, including King’s lone goal and one from senior forward Bobby Cervone in the third period. Throughout the third period, Mina made a number of impressive saves, including important stops during a 5-on-3 penalty kill and a 3-on1 breakaway opportunity for the Flames. In the third period, the Panthers cut Liberty’s three-goal lead to one with goals by sophomore defensemen Sean Brawley and Clifford. Pittsburgh’s newfound confidence and momentum led them to several potential game-tying shot attempts. But sophomore goalie Cary Byron ended the final 14 minutes with a shutout. With 10:03 remaining, Cervone’s goal was the dagger that ended Pittsburgh’s chances of a comeback. All momentum had switched back over to Liberty, and the
Jake Mitchell | Liberty Champion
SLIDING HOME — The Lady Flames are hoping to produce more runs this season with their renewed focus.
BRIGHT continued from B1 that hitting is not only fun, but it’s fun to watch, and it’s es-
SWINGING continued from B1 “We know what we are capable of, and we want to go further this year. We think we have a lot more in the tank, and we’re working at it every day, and we know what we got to do. We just got to prove it now.” Toman sees the upward trend of the baseball program continuing and has attributed the major boost in the program to the newly constructed Liberty Baseball Stadium. “We’ve already seen a new interest in even better players across the country, some of the elite players across the country,” Toman said. “They’ve heard from word of mouth from others teams that have played here, it’s considered one of the top 10 (stadiums) in the country, maybe even as high as the top five.” Close expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to play for Liberty and in the new stadium in front of excited fans. “It’s cool, because the crowd gets excited, and we feed off of that for sure,” Close said. “It’s cool to see all of the people come out and support.” Liberty hosted fourth-ranked University of Virginia (UVA) last season and will be hosting Virginia Tech and Kent State University, both of which made the College World Series last season, in 2014. “Before the game, it’s hard to believe,” Perritt said. “I grew up watching these teams on TV, but when you’re up there, I realize how good of a program we are here at Liberty. It’s humbling, but it’s also great to know that we finally made it, and we are able to compete with these guys.”
sential to feel competent up there,” Richardson said. “… I want (our) pitchers to feel (that) when they give up … three or four runs, we’re gonna score four or five. They give up 10,
“
Flames defense shut down any chance of a comeback. Liberty has finished its regular season play and is now in preparation for the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) tournament. The Flames are confident about their chances in the tournament, especially with the production of the Docksteader brothers and goalie play from Byron and sophomore goalie Nick Devine. “We really relied on (Brad and Devon Docksteader) for offensive production,” Lowes said. “… They just have a nose for the net. They’ve been consistent all year. … They are definitely a big part of our success.” Lowes was pleased with the consistency and efficiency his team showed in the victory in the final game before the MACHA tournament. Lowes said that the team used this game as an opportunity to “fine tune.” “We’re excited (for the tournament),” Lowes said. “We’re going in as a No. 1 seed, and we’re hoping to have some solid performances.” HAYWOOD is a sports reporter. we’re gonna score 11. … Pitchers have to have the mindset that it’s OK if you give up a hit. It’s OK you give up a run, because we got your back, and we’re gonna get it back.” Richardson also said she is confident her team will win if they physically and mentally execute the fundamentals they have been practicing in the offseason. “Fundamentals are number one,” Richardson said. “It does not matter what level you reach in a sport, the team that executes the basic fundamentals of the sport the best will win the game.” Additionally, the Lady Flames will have to limit mistakes and play solid team ball in order to win in 2014, according to Zavodny. In addition to tough conference foes, the Lady Flames will be taking on one of their toughest opponents in program history in the University of Oklahoma Sooners, the 2013 Women’s College World Series Champions, at
Right now, we are a little overlooked in the baseball world, just because of the conference we are in.
According to Toman, playing against those teams and in the NCAA College World Series, which aired on ESPN, has been a huge boost to the program’s image across the country. “Just going down (to South Carolina) was an incredible experience for our players and a great platform for our program and our mission,” Toman said. “I mean we were on ESPN four straight days … so now we get calls all the time (of people saying), ‘Yeah we saw you on ESPN,’ so that was awesome for our school.” Toman explained that only one or two teams from the Big South usually make it to the NCAA College World Series per year, but in conferences such as the ACC or SEC, eight or nine teams often make the tournament. With the new stadium and recent success, Toman believes that a move to a bigger conference could really help move the team to even greater heights. “We can get to regionals and super regionals and Omaha from (the Big South),” Toman said. “But when you’re in a little bit better conference, you have a better chance to get an at-large bid. … I would say that if we could get into anther league that has a really good RPI and baseball teams, that would help us.” Perritt reiterated Toman’s point about the possibility of moving into a more competitive
— ASHTON PERRITT conference. “Right now, we are a little overlooked in the baseball world, just because of the conference we are in,” Perritt said. “I mean there are more competitive conferences, but (the Big South is) still a competitive conference, and we are hoping to move up.” Despite being in the Big South, Liberty has still had the opportunity to play nationally ranked teams and has been competitive in many of those games. “It’s cool to be playing teams that are playing in Omaha every year,” Close said. “My freshman year we beat (UVA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Last year, we were a hit away from beating North Carolina, so it’s just cool to be able to play those teams, those guys are really good. You know how it is in baseball, anybody can beat anybody on any given day.” With a majority of the team returning next season, Toman believes that the success the team found last year is just the beginning. “We have over half the team back and they all had a chance to dog pile there at the end at the Big South tournament,” Toman said. “To beat a program like Clemson who … was ranked 14th in the country, that was huge for our program. The guys now know what it takes to get into a regional, and the idea
Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion
ATTACK — The Flames adavance the puck up the ice.
“
Talk is cheap. . . We’re gonna have our bats, gloves, attitude, and our effort do the talking. — DOT RICHARDSON
Oklahoma March 8. “That’s gonna be an experience,” Zavodny said. “That game alone, no one’s gonna expect us to win. So we just need to come out like we’re any other team.” For the Lady Flames, who are predicted to finish seventh in the conference according to Big South preseason polls, their effort and play in the upcoming season are more important than any previous records or expectations. “I hope they don’t even think about (the preseason ranking),” Richardson said. “It’s just like if you worry about how other
people are thinking or how they rank you, isn’t that limiting yourself ? … Talk is cheap. Watch our actions. We’re gonna have our bats and gloves and attitude and our effort do the talking. To me, it’s not about rankings. There’s only one team in this nation that wins the last game of the season. And guess what? One day, that’s gonna be us.” The Lady Flames will open the season with a game against Western Kentucky University during the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Invitational in Fort Meyers, Fla., Friday, Feb. 7.
now is to continue that and then try to win a regional. Then if you can win a regional, it’s best two out of three for a chance to go to Omaha. So you get closer and closer, and we hope that the program now feeds off of that.” At the end of the day, Toman has been thankful for all of the opportunities the school has given him during his six years as head coach at Liberty. “It’s been humbling, because
you usually don’t have this type of setup if you’re a college baseball coach, and we’ve got everything right here,” Toman said. The Flames will go on the road to face North Florida in their season opener Friday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m.
BROWN is a copy editor.
FOOTE is the asst. sports editor.
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
KEY DEPARTURE — The Flames hope to continue their success this season despite the loss of players such as Trey Wimmer (above).
SPORTS
Liberty Champion/B4
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Playing with something to prove Walt Aikens had a successful showing at the Senior Bowl and looks to impress NFL scouts on his pro day Tom Foote tfoote2@liberty.edu
Thousands of football players walk onto the gridiron every Friday and Saturday, but only a select few get the opportunity to play on Sundays. For players in major conferences, getting noticed by NFL scouts is simple, but for players such as cornerback Walt Aikens from Liberty University, gaining recognition is a little more difficult. “Regardless of where you’re at, football is football,” Aikens said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to go out on the field and perform. I mean, of course I felt like I belonged there, and I really tried to turn some heads coming from Liberty. … We play the same ball every week and go out there and try to beat our opponent and play our hearts out. If you can play, they will find you.” After being named the Big South AllConference team in his senior season and Big South All-Conference second-team in his sophomore and junior seasons after transferring from the University of Illinois, Aikens was invited to play in two college senior all-star games — the Senior Bowl and Medal of Honor Bowl. Aikens credits his transfer from Illinois as the turning point in his young career. “It helped me humble myself,” Aikens said. “I had to reevaluate some things. I
BURNING continued from B1 a special treat for graduating seniors Courtney Fischer and Nikki McCombe. With just seven games left in the regular season, the Lady Flames look forward to continuing to capitalize on their healthy status and climb the rankings as much as possible to secure a solid playoff spot. LU 10, Northeastern 1 The Lady Flames picked up right where they left off the night before, as they beat the Huskies 10-1 Sunday, Feb. 2 at the LaHaye Ice Center.
Photo Provided
ATHLETICISM — Walt Aikens’ size has NFL scouts intrigued. had to really get in touch with myself and God. At a big school you can get kind of complacent if you’re doing really well. It’s easy to say thank God for everything and if things are going good, but when things are going bad, you have to stay relying on God. And that’s what I did. I relied on God, and he got me through the situation. And he just refocused me, and I had to
Freshman forward Courtney Gilmour started the scoring for the Lady Flames early in the first period, and freshman forward Marissa Graham also scored two-thirds of her hat trick in the first 20 minutes. Their goals gave the Lady Flames a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period. The Lady Flames extended their lead to 7-0 in the second period behind goals from Jickling, Fischer, Stevenson and Jenny MacArthur. The Huskies finally got on the board with 1:14 remaining in the second period after defenseman Mackenzie Boedicker deflected in a shot from the point for a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 7-1.
come out here and play if I wanted to be where I am today.” Both the Senior Bowl and Medal of Honor Bowl are used as opportunities for college football players to display their talents in front of dozens of NFL scouts and coaches. “It was a great experience,” Aikens said. “I was able to talk to guys from all around the country. You don’t have time to be nervous or anything, especially coming from a small school. You have to go out and prove yourself everyday and show them you can play with these guys.” Aikens said that all 32 NFL teams showed some level of interest in him, and he had the opportunity to talk with dozens of coaches and scouts. “Talking to all the coaches is kind of nerve-racking, because you’re talking to so many of them you can barely get a break,” Aikens said. “You might have a meeting with one team, and then as soon as you come out you expect to have a little break, but then another team is coming out and grabbing you.” Despite a strong performance during Senior Bowl week, Aikens did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine, which he has used as motivation for his pro day March 4. “It’s not the end of the world to me,” Aikens said. “I still got to keep moving forward. Every day is a blessing, and (not be-
ing invited is) just something I didn’t get, and God is gonna show me His light in another way, and I’ll have to go another direction.” With an influx of taller and bigger cornerbacks in the NFL, Aikens believes this gives him an advantage heading into the NFL Draft. “I feel the 2014 draft is a draft for corners because of Richard Sherman and what some of the other bigger corners are doing,” Aikens said. “A lot of teams are looking to imitate that style of play and incorporate that within their defense. So coming out as a big corner at this point is the best thing because it is a hot commodity.” Aikens also mentioned that he had been in touch with former Flames Mike Brown of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chris Summers of the Minnesota Vikings, who provided encouragement and tips about their experience in the NFL. Aikens hopes to be the seventh Liberty football player in history to be drafted when the 2014 NFL draft is held May 8-10.
FOOTE is the asst. sports editor.
Jickling added her second goal of the game on a shorthanded breakaway to extend the Lady Flames lead to 8-1. Graham completed her hat trick in the third period, and Gilmour capped off the scoring with her second goal of the game to complete the Lady Flames 10-1 rout of the Huskies. The Lady Flames will next be in action Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 p.m. against the Davenport University Panthers at the LaHaye Ice Center. RUSH is a sports reporter. FOOTE is the asst. sports editor.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
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FEBRUARY 4, 2014
FEATURE
Liberty Champion/B5
Christieanna Apon | Liberty Champion
CREATIVE — Students participating in the event used hammers, nails and string to create colorful works of art.
Getting creative with Pinterest
The Interior Design Society helps students get crafty in the first workshop inspired by pins from the social network Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu
The sound of hammers on wood filled the air as Liberty University students participated in the first Pinterest DIY event, hosted by the Interior Design Society (IDS), Thursday, Jan. 30. According to IDS President Lia Serapiglia, the turnout for the event was much better than she had anticipated, estimating that there were more than 30 students in attendance. Students were asked to sign up for the event in advance, which was free of charge and included the craft supplies
needed for the project. Using a variety of colored strings, students made different outlines in the shapes of hearts, stars, states, anchors, deer, crosses and more. Each student hammered nails into a 5-by-7-inch wooden board to outline their chosen shapes. Once the shapes were complete, string was used to fill in the shape. According to Serapiglia, IDS has done workshops before but has never held a Pinterest workshop. Serapiglia said that she wanted everyone to be able to actually do a craft project instead of just pinning it on Pinterest in hopes of doing it someday. For Christa Shive, a junior interior de-
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sign major at Liberty, this was her first Pinterest craft she had ever made. Shive said that she considers herself to be artistic and that she uses art to help her relax. At the event, Shive created her project in the shape of her home state of Maryland. The string art project was also a Pinterest first for Joy Grant, a freshman at Liberty majoring in biology. “I thought it was pretty easy,” Grant said. “I thought (the event) sounded really cool, so I figured why not (go).” Grant said that she is not very crafty and probably would not have done a Pinterest craft if she had not come to the event.
According to Serapiglia, the event was a success, and she received a lot of positive feedback from participants. “We have had so much interest in this, (so) I think it will be great for IDS to establish it as a regular event with a different craft each time,” Serapiglia said. For more information about IDS, visit liberty.edu/academics/arts-sciences/ facs/. BUNNER is a feature reporter.
FEATURE
Liberty Champion/B6
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Vision serves Liberty ministry assists many East coast churches Christine Brown cbrown181@liberty.edu
Hannah Lipscomb | Liberty Champion
MUSIC — Odyssey’s name was inspired by the Focus on the Family radio drama “Adventures in Odyssey.”
Odyssey branches out
A band that began as just a few friends with a love for music is now a Coffeehouse regular Elizabeth Brownd ebrownd@liberty.edu
Between Open Mic Nights, the Campus Artist Series, and the biannual coffeehouse shows, Liberty offers many performance opportunities that give rise to a variety of student bands. One such band is Odyssey. Odyssey consists of four members. Jere Essig is the lead singer and guitarist. Tyler Bunzey plays primarily banjo, although he also does a bit of piano, guitar, harmonica and vocals. David Wright is the band’s percussionist, and new member Caitie Hurst rounds out the group as a singer and pianist. Essig and Bunzey, the founders of the band, said they originally met during their freshman seminar class, stayed in touch and eventually decided to form a band together. “We like music, and we’re friends, so why not?” Essig said. “We can have fun and make some memories.” He and Bunzey played their first coffeehouse together in the spring of 2012 along with Jordyn Burton, who is no longer with the band. Their friend Wright joined the group a short time later. “The first time was nerve-racking,” Essig said. “But then it got easier. It’s exhilarating, and it’s just fun.” The band was originally named Adventures in Odyssey in homage to the Focus on the Family radio drama. According to Essig, they chose the name because the drama was a fun and familiar part of their childhood. The name was later shortened to Odyssey, a reference to Homer’s epic poem of
the same name. “When you think about our lives as Christians on earth, we’re on this epic journey,” Essig said. “It’s a story. Odysseus was on a journey into the unknown.” In January 2014, the band added its fourth member after meeting Hurst at a recent show that featured both her band and Odyssey. “We pretty much stole her,” Bunzey said. According to the members of Odyssey, creative differences that normally make it more difficult for musicians to work together actually contribute to the band’s unique sound. Essig and Bunzey described Odyssey’s music as eclectic, citing Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, and Ben Rector as the band’s musical influences. “We all have different musical backgrounds and different ideas of what it should sound like,” Essig said. “It creates a cool mash-up.” Essig does most of the writing for the band. He said that often a lyric or piece of music simply pops into his head, and he takes it from there. Although the band has only recorded one song, its members expressed interest in recording a full album, but lack the money to do so. “Recording is expensive,” Essig said. “I don’t think most people realize just how much.” Essig also added that if Odyssey does record some of their songs, they want them to be good quality and not just something they threw together.
Time is also a barrier to recording, according to Essig, as all four band members have time-consuming majors. Essig majors in biomedical sciences, Bunzey in English and education, Wright in business and Hurst in biblical studies. According to Essig, they simply do not have time to sit in a studio and record a full album. Even if an album does not materialize, they are not going to stop making music. Bunzey said that they love playing together, particularly at Liberty’s biannual Coffeehouse. “(Coffeehouse is) a lot of fun,” Bunzey said. “It’s a great creative outlet.” The band played its most recent show Friday, Jan. 30 along with a band called Hemingway at Canvas, a coffeehouse in Lynchburg that frequently features performances by musicians. The purpose of the show was to celebrate the release of Hemingway’s first album, entitled “Light Will Follow.” Odyssey members said they are currently in the brainstorming stage of their act for spring Coffeehouse. Although the band does enjoy playing large venues, such as Coffeehouse, its members still stay committed to its purpose. “We’re not in it to make it big,” Essig said. “That means we don’t have to care what people think of us or if people like us. We’re here to have fun. If just five people come to a show, we’re still gonna have fun.”
BROWND is a feature reporter.
Parade tradition continues
International students will present their flags during the first Convocation of Global Focus Week Jessica Jordan jmjordan3@liberty.edu
The International Student Center (ISC) will be kicking off Global Focus Week at Liberty University with its annual Parade of Nations event Monday, Feb. 10. According to the ISC website, Parade of Nations is a chance for international students to showcase their heritage to their fellow classmates. The international students represent their country by wearing their native dress and carrying their country flag around the Vines Center during Monday’s Convocation. The Parade of Nations has been held for the past 10 years, according to Kristina Bautista, operations assistant and insurance representative at ISC. “The purpose is to celebrate the different nationalities represented at Liberty University
and to show we are unified in Christ,” Bautista said. “This is a great way for students to represent their country and show their country pride.” Bautista said that Liberty is currently home to students from more than 78 different countries. The ISC, a place dedicated to helping students “learn, grow and belong,” hosts several events for international students and the general student body, according to Yuliya Shubina, international student and student worker for ISC. “A lot of Liberty students are globally minded and interested in learning about other cultures,” Shubina said. “It is always better to learn about a culture or an ethnic group through a direct interaction with them. Parade of Nations is one of those opportunities.” Shubina, who has participat-
ed in the event for three years, had only positive things to say in regard to what it meant as an international student to participate in the Parade of Nations. “I am the only student from my country,” Shubina said. “… For me, it is an opportunity to introduce Uzbekistan and give a glimpse of its culture to the students at Liberty. There is something incredibly powerful about a student body … worshiping the same God despite the differences in our cultures, traditions and different languages.” While the international students prepare for Global Focus Week, many other students are looking forward to the week, and more specifically to the Parade of Nations. “I love the fact that I go to a university where diversity is celebrated and students can show off their cultures with pride,” junior Mallory Corpe said. “I
have so many international friends and events like Parade of Nations allow them to showcase who they are. I think that’s an awesome thing.” According to its website, ISC will also be hosting an event called Taste of Nations for Global Focus Week as another way for international students to showcase their native countries. The Taste of Nations event allows international students to cook their favorite recipes and share the food from their home countries with their university, according to the ISC website. In the past, the event has fed more than 1,000 people. For more information on Parade of Nations or the ISC, email isc@liberty.edu, call (434) 592-4118 or visit liberty.edu/ international. JORDAN is a feature reporter.
Vision Ministries is part of the Center for Ministry Training (CMT) at Liberty University, but its impact reaches beyond campus, bringing encouragement to churches along the east coast. According to Tara Hineline, one of Vision Ministries’ team leaders, the Vision team held auditions Thursday, Jan. 23 in Towns Alumni Center to fill open positions on its travel team. Hineline, along with Ryan Stoll, leads the Vision Ministries team in reaching youth with the gospel. This faith-driven team operates through CMT and consists of 30 people. The team is split in two, and each half is comprised of a band, drama team, media specialists and speakers. “Vision exists to serve the local church by coming alongside them with the purpose of discipleship,” Hineline said. “Our vision is to see God glorified through life change in students, whether that is in salvation or growth.” The Vision travel team has reached out to several churches in Maryland, North and South Carolina and Pennsylvania through youth rallies and events. According to Hineline, Liberty professor David Wheeler, the director of CMT, helped the Vision team to connect with local Southern Baptist churches. During their travels, the team will help with seven upcoming Disciple Now-style weekends in Maryland, Delaware, the Carolinas, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Richmond, Va., according to Hineline. “The Discipleship Now weekend is a mini youth retreat,” Stoll said. “The youth will have a time of worship and hearing from a speaker on Friday, worship and activities on Saturday, and we go to church with the youth on Sunday.” According to Hineline, Vision not only assists the local church, but also helps out with Ministry Impact on Liberty’s campus in Lynchburg. The team serves Impact, an occasional, alternative Convocation that takes place in Towns Alumni Center, through worship and greeting. Hineline, who is in her fifth semester of working with Vision, remembers when the team was in constant prayer about the need for financial support to keep the ministry alive. “The heart of our leadership was to keep the ministry alive, and we even discussed the possibility of local church sponsorship,” Hineline said. “The Lord was faithful in answering their prayers, she said, and Liberty’s Center for Ministry Training fully sponsored them the next year and continues today. With the support of CMT, Hineline said vision is able to fill its schedule to maximum capacity, which is what it has done this semester. “Just the other day Dr. Wheeler spoke to CMT, reminding us not to focus on ourselves, but to remember the team we have around us and ultimately knowing that it is God who does these good works,” Hineline said. To find out more about Vision Ministries and its events, email visionministrieslu@gmail.com or visit its Facebook page. The team will use a blog, visionministrieslu.wordpress.com, to update information about its travels and events this semester.
BROWN is a feature reporter.
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
FEATURE
Liberty Champion/B7
Alumna to hold book signing
Stroke survivor, author Delanie Stephenson details her miraculous recovery in “The Calm Before the Storm” Greg Leasure gleasure@liberty.edu
Delanie Stephenson had just returned home when it started to happen. She had just begun to clean out her van when she became extremely nauseated, and the headache she had fought for almost a week prior began to intensify. Then her heart began to beat faster, and the left side of her body fell numb. That was when she knew — she was having a stroke. Fortunately for Stephenson, a 2000 graduate of Liberty University, her husband was already on his way home. After
a rushed trip to the hospital, Stephenson found herself unable to speak or move. “When I got to the hospital … it was like the TV show, ‘ER,’” Stephenson said. “They were just rushing me down the hall.” Stephenson later learned she had suffered a stroke in her brain stem. As she sat in a hospital bed, unable to participate in conversations happening around her about whether or not she would survive, let alone walk or talk again, she said her relationship grew stronger with the only one she could talk to — God. “Without God putting his hand on me, without my family praying, my friends
praying, … I really shouldn’t be here right now,” Stephenson said. “I’ve always been somebody who is a believer, but I definitely grew closer to God through all of this.” Her sister, Karen Beatty, was still recovering from her 2011 stroke when Stephenson suffered hers in June 2012 at the age of 33. Beatty’s happened as a complication from surgery at the age of 29. “We were basically used to normal life with a stroke patient, and all of a sudden, I had a stroke out of the blue,” Stephenson said. Now, Stephenson’s family had to pull together and support her as she relearned how to walk, talk and do many other supposedly simple things. If there was a bright side to her stroke, she said her relationships with her husband, her two children, her in-laws and her entire family were all strengthened because of their willingness to help her through her difficult recovery. “Normal life wasn’t exactly normal anymore,” Stephenson said. “It’s just amazing how many things we take for granted that we do on a daily basis.” It took her more than a month in the hospital and a rehabilitation facility in addition to two months of outpatient rehabilitation to be able to carry on with normal life again. Although she still suffers from long-term effects of her stroke that make it harder to speak and slow down her mental capacities, she considers herself “one of the lucky ones.” According to Stephenson, a history major in college who became a teacher soon after graduation, the idea of writing a book had always been of interest to her. Not long after her stroke, she had made up her mind to turn a negative situation into
“ Meighan Thompson | Liberty Champion
a positive. She wrote a book that details her The book signing stroke and will take place the hardships at the Liberty she endured Barnes & Noble in hopes of Bookstore Feb. encouraging both stroke 8 from 1-3 p.m. victims and and the people Thomas Road close to them. Baptist Church “It’s so important to let Feb. 9 at 12 p.m. others know some of the thoughts, some of the fears, some of the things that I’m going through, and I wanted to help and give hope to as many people as possible,” Stephenson said. According to Stephenson, she finally returned home at the end of August 2012, and by October, she had begun writing her book. “The Calm Before the Storm: A Stroke Survivor’s Story” was released June 2013, a little more than a year after her stroke. “It’s very, very, very important that people take care of themselves, educate themselves about strokes, know the warning signs and don’t think that you’re untouchable,” Stephenson said. Stephenson now lives in Hopewell, Va., but she will return to Lynchburg for book signings at the Liberty Barnes & Noble College Bookstore Feb. 8 from 1-3 p.m. and at the Liberty Bookstore’s satellite location in Thomas Road Baptist Church Feb. 9 at 12 p.m.
FYI
LEASURE is the editor-in-chief.
It’s very, very, very important that people take care of themselves, educate themsevles about strokes, know the warning signs and don’t think that you’re untouchable. — DELANIE STEPHENSON
FEATURE
B8
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Teams conquer quest
Hill City Hunt encourages team building and friendship Olivia Brown obrown5@liberty.edu
Students gathered at the Tilley Student Center Saturday, Feb. 1 to participate in the fifth annual Hill City Hunt hosted by Student Activities (SA). Every year, the hunt allows students the opportunity to explore the sites around Lynchburg, ranging from Ivy Lake to Camp Hydaway, according to sophomore and SA volunteer Jasmine Bonner. “It’s good for students to get to know Lynchburg and get off campus and see what Lynchburg has to offer,” Bonner said. When students arrived at the Tilley Student Center to register, they were asked to organize teams of four to participate in the hunt. Those who did not have teammates were also formed into four-person groups. According to freshman Leah Howard, she most enjoyed getting to meet new people by becoming part of a team on the day of the event. “I guess (my favorite part was) breaking out of my comfort zone,” Howard said. “I got coerced into it, because another team needed another person.” Although Bonner has never participated in a Hill City Hunt herself, she has been a volunteer with SA at the hunt for two years. “It is fun to see transfer students and people who don’t have a lot of friends just click with certain groups,” Bonner said. Before the hunt started, rules about staying with the group, getting back on time and following all of the instructions on provided pamphlets were read. The pamphlets contained a variety of riddles, which were divided into “challenges” and “quests” categories, for the participants to decipher. The challenges revealed locations where students either had to take a picture and post it on Instagram or meet an SA volunteer to complete the challenges. The quests consisted of questions that teams could answer via text message and activities
to be completed at each location. Howard said her favorite challenge took place at Monument Terrace, where teams had to take a picture in front of the stairs. Even though the stairs were blocked off because of snow and ice, it did not stop Howard from having a good time. “The stairs were pretty rad,” Howard said. “I felt so tiny next to them.” Howard’s teammate Doug Thompson also enjoyed the challenge at the terrace. “It was a bummer we couldn’t go upstairs, but then we would have been late (arriving back at the Tilley Student Center),” Thompson said. Teams were given from 2-3:30 p.m. to complete as many challenges as they could. All teams who arrived late were disqualified. Prizes were distributed after SA was able to evaluate the points each team earned. Students that were members of the teams that came in first, second and third places, received gift cards adding up to $200, $100 and $50 respectively. According to Bonner, the gift cards were from Target, Best Buy, Chipotle, Cinema 14 and Panera Bread. To find out more about upcoming events hosted by SA, visit liberty.edu/sa. BROWN is a feature reporter.
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It’s good for students to get to know Lynchburg and get off campus and see what Lynchburg has to offer. — JASMINE BONNER
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
ADVENTURE — Students gathered at the Tilley Center before exploring.
LFSN goes national Liberty’s new program, ‘Game On,’ will reach millions of homes Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu
Derrick Battle | Liberty Champion
NATIONAL — Liberty’s sports network now has a daily show.
The dream of being like Brigham Young University or Notre Dame University has been a goal for Liberty athletics since day one, and Liberty has furthered that dream through its School of Communication & Creative Arts (SCCA). Since the fall, the Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) has increased telecast viewership of Liberty’s Division I (DI) and club sports with game coverage of football, basketball, hockey and other sports to homes across the nation. Now, LFSN has its own SportsCenter-like segment. After a year of planning and preparation, the “Game On” program was unveiled to a national audience Monday, Feb. 3 through DirectTV and Dish Network affiliates. It is hosted by anchors Matt Warner and Lyndsay Keith and is produced by Andy Freeman and Russ Martin. The 30-minute show not only focuses on Liberty sports, but national sports stories as well. According to Martin, “Game
On” will be broadcast to approximately 35 million people across the U.S. through Liberty’s flagship station, WTLU. With a show that is exposed on a national scale, it can eventually help with athletic recruiting, according to Martin. “Anything you do that brings exposure to the university helps recruiting for the general student population as well as the athletes,” Director of Athletics Marketing Kevin Keys said. “In addition, to (be able to) tell a student athlete that you may be on a daily sports show with highlights and stories (gives you) an opportunity to use that as a huge recruiting tool.” According to Keys, LFSN has previously had a weekly, awardwinning show. However, the vision has always been to have a daily show. The show’s goal is to enhance Liberty sports on a national scale, and also to allow students from SCCA to have professional exposure, according to Martin. “We have about a half-dozen students working daily,” Freeman said. “We try to get around four to six students (working) and, at
the same time, dance around their schedules. Some students work on the field teams, (which) go out and shoot, report or do research.” Although the main focus is to expose Liberty sports, Freeman, Martin and Norman Mintle, the dean of SCCA, hope to broaden Christian viewership. “We wanted to find someway to (attract) men to look at Christian programming,” Freeman said. “When Mintle came here, he saw that we had all of these DI sports. We have great coaches and players. … He said what if we could do a show that focused on Liberty, other Christian teams, and at the top of the show we would talk about the big stories or issues of the day.” According to Freeman, Mintle wanted a segment that showed athletes sharing their faith as well as playing sports. “We wanted to show people that athletics and faith go handin-hand, and that their faith is (just as) important to them on the field as it is off the field,” Freeman said. BATTLE is the sports editor.