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Volume 33 | Issue 5 Tuesday, March 1, 2016
caught in a whirlwind
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
DEVASTATION — A tornado swept through Appomattox County leaving an aftermath of wreckage. The driver of the truck pictured above was in his vehicle as the tornado touched down, and he survived. LU Send Now student volunteers responded to the scene beginning Feb. 26. See pages A6 and A7 for the complete story.
Planting churches Since the start Liberty’s CMT holds its annual conference Liberty continues Israeli support Jacob Clarke jlclarke3@liberty.edu
Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Center for Ministry Training (CMT) held its annual Church Planting Conference Feb. 23-24 where students had the opportunity to learn from pastors and connect with churches and other ministries. Maria Marsico, the operations coordinator for the CMT, said the event helped bring Liberty students and church planters together, as they all strive to serve their local churches. “(Our purpose) is to give church planters and our ministry partners an opportunity to connect with students and offer internships, volunteer positions, staff positions and residencies,” Marsico said. “Part of it is (also) to help all Liberty students of all career paths (know) it’s not just for professionals or school of divinity students but that every Christ follower has a role to play in the local church.” The main event of the conference was dinner and a panel discussion Tuesday night led by Dahati Lewis, the pastor of Blueprint Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Adelina Longoria, a government consultant who is also a worship leader at Iglesia La Red in Washington, D.C., and Dan White Jr., who develops urban ministries in Syracuse, New York with V3 Missional Movement. They each spoke about how they minister in their respective areas. Lewis said pastors must know how to best communicate the gospel to diverse groups of people without compromising the truth of the message. “Contextualization is communicating in a way where the receiver can understand the message in his or her heart’s language, while maintaining the integrity of the content,” Lewis said. “The goal of contextualization needs to be
Ever since Dr. Jerry Falwell founded Liberty University in 1971, the school has been a strong supporter of Israel. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer spoke to students in Convocation Feb. 19. Dermer began by thanking President Jerry Falwell and the Falwell family for their support of Israel over the years. “It is crystal clear to me that your father (Dr. Jerry Falwell) has passed his devotion of Israel to you,” Dermer said. Israel has been on a remarkable journey to restoration, Dermer said. “Open the Bible and start reading from the book of Joshua, and you will learn how Jewish sovereignty began about 3,300 years ago as Joshua crossed the Jordan River and conquered the land of Israel and how our sovereignty continued under the leadership of towering judges, like Gideon and Deborah and Sampson,” Dermer said. “(In) the book of Samuel you can read about Saul, the first king of Israel and about that brave shepherd boy with the slingshot who became his anointed successor and made Jerusalem our eternal capital, three thousand years ago.” According to Dermer, Israel has been on a path of restoration. The Israeli people have en-
RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion
ENCOURAGE — Maria Marsico and David Wheeler addressed conference attendees. reconciliation (with God).” Longoria focused on missional living. She said she became a Christian because someone shared their faith with her at her workplace, so now she encourages believers to evangelize wherever they are. “If you want to properly minister to and reach people, you have to be out in the world,” Longoria said. “You can’t expect that people are just going to come to your doorstep and your church. At my job I see this all time. Not only are there tons of nonbelievers, there are tons of people who are against anything that has to do with church and Christianity.” White encouraged church leaders to not equate the size of their ministries with its impact.
See CHURCH, A3 INSIDE THE CHAMPION
News
LU Send Now students travel overseas to work with refugees. A8
Opinion
“Primaries for Dummies” explains candidates and primaries. A5
Sports Men’s basketball earns a victory in its final home game of the season. B1
Feature
A look into the history of the Ploughcraft Tea Room.
B7
dured much suffering through events such as the Holocaust. “We’ve always clung to the hope of restoring our sovereignty,” Dermer said. “Year after year, decade after decade, century after century, in country after country the Jewish people prayed three times a day to return to our land. … We continue to pray despite all the suffering we endured during our long exile.” Dermer said the Jewish sovereignty has been restored to their land. Currently, Israel is excelling in all areas, Dermer explained. Israel has unique cyber capabilities, medical advancements, their people are responding to global disasters, participating in flourishing basketball teams, and there are many museums dedicated to preserving their history. “Israel has continued to race ahead,” Dermer said. Dermer emphasized the importance of supporting Israel. At Liberty, the Stand with Israel club speaks up as a voice for Israel on behalf of the students. “The Stand with Israel club was created to educate students about Israel and to provide opportunities for students to advocate on behalf of Israel on campus and on Capitol Hill,” senior Shelby Keith, president of Stand with Israel, said.
See NATION, A2
News Opinion
A1 A4
Sports Feature
B1 B6
news
A2 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Shining a light on trafficking Liberty participates in event to raise awareness about modern day slavery Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu
In the largest awareness campaign for human trafficking at Liberty University to date, approximately 5,000 Liberty students marked their hands with a red “X” and stood with arms crossed in defiance to what many are now calling modern day slavery. The campaign, which was sponsored by Liberty’s Student Government Association, took place on campus Wednesday, Feb. 24 in the Vines Center immediately after Liberty’s Campus Community — a weekly gathering in which students partake in worship and listen to a biblical message from a speaker. Red markers were passed out to students after the events of Campus Community concluded, where they were encouraged to draw a red “X” on their hand in remembrance of the more than 30 million people who are enslaved worldwide. “I love the idea of the red X and what it means,” Haley Van Ness, a Liberty graduate student who played a large role in starting the campaign, said. “When you look at the number (of slaves), it’s normal to think that you can’t fix it, but bringing awareness is the first step.” The awareness campaign at Liberty came in recognition of Shine a Light on Slavery Day Feb. 25. The day is hosted annually by a coalition of the leading anti-human trafficking organizations in the world, named the End It Movement, which hopes to use the day to raise funds and awareness for the issue. Van Ness said she wants the End It Movement at Lib-
erty did not only raise awareness of the greater issue of human trafficking but that it was also able to teach students about the local problem of human trafficking within Lynchburg. “Once you become aware of the signs and understand them, you become much more aware of the issue,” Van Ness said. “Virginia is one of the top five consumers of human trafficking in the country, and a lot of the signs can be seen right here in Lynchburg.” Not only is Virginia the fifth top consumer of human trafficking in the country, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, but there also was an 8 percent increase in cases of human trafficking between 2013 and 2015. The Liberty chapter of the Help Save the Next Girl organization, a non-profit that exists to sensitize young women of predatory danger, is one example of how students around campus are striving to fight the increasing cases of human trafficking. Leah Deaton, the Liberty chapter’s president, said the Help Save the Next Girl club on campus is specifically trying to spread awareKevin Manguiob | Liberty University News Service ness and educate women in the TAKING A STAND — Thousands of Liberty students stood up for #LUInItToEndIt. Lynchburg area of different ways to be aware of their surroundings, brary to raise awareness of the is- to the issue and underplay the way human trafficking prevention helping to limit their chances of sue. The Help Save the Next Girl significance of it. can move forward. being abducted. club on campus, Deaton said, is “I really think the only way “(You can) raise awareness even “The first step is just stating also in the works of teaming with you can save 30 million people by just talking to people about the that it is an issue in our area,” De- the Bedford County Police De- in slavery is through prayer,” Van issue,” Deaton said. “What we’re aton said. “I think knowing that partment to educate teenage girls Ness said. “If you’re aware, you’re really all doing in the end is giving will make the issue a little more on cyber-trafficking. reminded to pray, and you’re re- a voice to people who don’t really real to the students, and I hope Prayer, though, is the num- minded to talk about it.” have one or can’t really speak up that then more students will stand ber one thing Van Ness said she Fighting the issue through at the moment.” up and try to take action.” believes people can do to get awareness and prayer can be To Deaton, action comes in more involved in helping the is- tough, both Van Ness and Deathe form of putting up posters sue without having to devote too ton said, because a student canaround campus with tips on the much time or money. Without not see the direct effects of his usual signs of predatory danger constant prayer, Van Ness said or her efforts. Without doing so, and setting up booths in the li- people can often become numb however, Deaton said there is no YOUNG is a feature reporter.
NATION continued from A1
Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion
ADDRESS — Ron Dermer spoke in Liberty Convocation Feb. 19 about U.S. relations with Israel.
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“The mission of Stand with Israel is to spread a love and passion for the nation of Israel and its people on this campus, as well as to enable students to get active and empower them to make their voices heard whether that be abroad, on Capitol Hill or in their community.” Dermer concluded his speech by challenging students to recognize the threat militant Islamic groups are to people everywhere. He then asked the students whether they had the courage to help defeat the Islamic threat. “The best test of whether the world has that clarity and courage is whether it is prepared to support the country that stands on the front lines of this struggle,” Dermer said. “But I came here today to tell you that I am as confident as ever in Israel’s future. No matter if the world stands with Israel, Israel will stand.” Keith agreed with Dermer’s speech and said his address perfectly depicted the reason why the Stand with Israel club exists. “Israel has a direct impact on everyone’s lives,” Keith
said. “When students realize how important Israel is to the world and their own life, they cannot help but support the state of Israel.” Much of the student body was moved by Dermer’s presentation of Israel’s journey to restoration. Senior Micah Green said Dermer’s speech gave him a new outlook on what it means to support Israel. “It was a privilege and a real honor to hear from (Dermer),” Green said. “He had a lot of good points to share about the current state of Israel and what he believes our society and the world misses based on what we hear from modern media.” Dermer said he is grateful for Liberty’s continued support. “I promise you that in the Middle East, steeped in darkness, we will continue to stand tall and proudly hold high the torch of Liberty,” Dermer said. “And I have no doubt that as we do, Liberty University will be right where it has always been, standing by our sides, standing for the truth, standing with Israel.”
FROST is news reporter.
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Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion
SUPPORT — Dermer encouraged students to stand with Israel.
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Liberty Champion | March 1, 2016 | A3
Dedication and diligence Liberty's inaugural class of American Sign Language students passes state exam Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
Since its inception in the fall of 2013, Liberty University’s American Sign Language and Interpreting (ASLI) program has been thriving, with its inaugural set of students all passing the Virginia Quality Assurance Screening (VQAS). Nicole Thorn, the program director and assistant professor of ASLI, said students take the two-part exam and are rated on a four-part scale. In order to pass Liberty standards, students must receive at least a two. Students Bethany Steele, Ann Bryant, Jami Macdonald, Kelsey Pate and Hannah Silver all passed the written and oral exam with at least a two. The inaugural class of ASLI students who have passed the VQAS and completed internships are set to graduate in May. “It was extremely affirming (to see), and (they are) a remarkable group of young ladies, these first five that came through,” Thorn said. “(They are) very motivated and really helped shape the program with their feedback and just how they walked through the program as pioneers.” According to the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the VQAS is an “assessment process designed to assist you, as a developing professional, to identify your strengths and weaknesses in your knowledge and skills of interpreting in order to assist your growth
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SIGNING — Pictured above are Bethany Steele, Ann Bryant, Jami Macdonald, Kelsey Pate, Professor Nicole Thorn and Hannah Silver. in interpreting competence.” According to Thorn, after completing the ASLI 410 class, interpreting professional ethics, students are given the written portion of the VQAS, which focuses mainly on the ethical components of interpreting. The students who pass then complete a practicum of observing nationally certified interpreters. Thorn said the students then complete the performance part of the VQAS where actual interpreting skills are rated in different settings. After passing with a score of a two or more, students are placed in internships before graduation.
CHURCH continued from A1
RJ Goodwin| Liberty Champion
DISCUSS — Dahati Lewis spoke.
He said culture has taught that “we should go home if we don’t go big.” “We have an obsession with impact having to be big if we’re going to call it impact,” White said. “I think the church is caught up in this idolatry. Most millennials, and even the successive generations that will be raised, are raised … and nurtured to do big things, not to do small things. … They are scared
Jami Macdonald, a senior in the ASLI program, said via email the university prepared her well for the VQAS. “I’d have to say Liberty prepared us for this test by hiring the best team for the job — the instructors we’ve had in this program,” Macdonald, who has already completed a degree in Spanish language and literature, said. “Our classes have been modeled to give us a skill and knowledge base, followed by applied experience, valuable feedback, and exposure to the professional field of interpreting. Our faculty knew when to push us beyond our selfperceived limits and maintained a demon-
to death of being ordinary.” He said church members should form communities by spending “more time around tables rather than stages.” The event ended with a Q&A by the panelists, where they explored topics such as balancing ministry and family, how a church’s model affects its culture, and how Christians should approach the divide between the sacred and the secular in today’s culture. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon at the Jerry Falwell Library, students attended break-
strated confidence in each of us. They have each invested themselves into our personal and professional development, raising us up by their beautiful worn hands through our quality program, encouraging us every step of the journey.” According to Thorn, Liberty has had ASLI classes since the 1970s as Sue Wilmington did interpreting for the university and started some sign language classes with interpreting components. “It’s actually been around for a long time, which was unheard of,” Thorn said. “However, it didn’t have the same structure that follows suit with what’s going on in the current realms of the interpreting world. So in 2012, the RID, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, started requiring a bachelor’s degree to be able to sit for the national exam to be a nationally certified interpreter. That was rather timely because that was the same time that we finished the development of this program. We didn’t roll it out until the fall, but our development finished at the same time that they mandated that requirement.” Liberty students will not take the National Interpreter Certification exam while at the university, but they are well on their way to becoming prepared for the national test. Though the official ALSI program at Liberty has only been in effect for a short time, Thorn said the program is growing with each passing year. RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.
out sessions with leaders such as Jon Langford, the pastor of The Gathering, a ministry dedicated to reaching those in the hospitality industry in Orlando. Lewis taught a session titled “Six Burdens for Urban Ministry,” and Jason Roberts, the founding pastor of Crosscurrent Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, led a breakout titled “How to Lead the Church Without Destroying Your Soul.” Jeremiah Brinkman, a Liberty University Online graduate and pastor at Life Church Elizabethtown in New York,
said his training from Liberty helped prepare him for his work and that he came to the event to support ministry students. “What brought me down here this week was the opportunity to connect with church planters and church leaders and also to network with students, to help cast vision for future ministry opportunities for them,” Brinkman said.
CLARKE is a copy editor.
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OPINION Pro-life bill passes A4
March 1, 2016
Virginia House of Delegates provides model for other states in fighting abortion
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HOUSE — Virginia legislature passed a bill that defunded Planned Parenthood. Carrington Garber cgarber6@liberty.edu
HB 1090 sounds like it could be a mutated strain of swine flu or perhaps a new Microsoft operating system. Maybe it is Mazda’s most recent model. The obscure, numerical title that reveals no hint of meaning is not a virus — nor is it a computer program or a car. House Bill 1090 is the legislature passed by Virginia’s House of Delegates Feb. 16 that suggests a moral compass does exist
within the state’s governing body. Politicians tend to walk the line where viewpoints intersect — after all, liberals’ votes do still count. But, where abortion is concerned, inaction will not pacify conservatives much longer. State legislatures nationwide should take note of Virginia’s decision, and ban state-funded abortions. A 64-35 vote rattled pro-choice activists as Virginia’s delegates passed the bill that prohibits the Department of Health from spending any funds on abortions not matching Medicaid provisions, according
to wtvr.com. Barring the Medicaid footnote tacked to the end of the bill, this legislature represents both a victory for Christian values and a springboard for triumphs in other areas of public policy. An anti-abortion law has strong implications of Virginia’s leanings toward a Republican presidential choice in 2016 as well. As politics and diplomacy command, the bill does not name the particular program targeted by its content. However, upon perusing its contents and in light of recent body-part-sale scandals, Planned Parenthood is an easy first guess. Monumental as it was, Virginia’s motion to strike down abortion was a small step in a big race. Following the 2014 midterm elections, Republicans gained control of “70 of the nation’s 99 state legislative chambers, both chambers in 30 states,” according to Reuters. Yet only 10 states in the nation have passed laws that defund Planned Parenthood, according to the Daily Signal. Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. In response to the bill’s passage, Tarina Keene, the executive director of Virginia’s National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), responded vehemently. “With their vote today, Virginia’s anti-women legislators have made it clear that their top priority is continuing to attack women’s rights and restrict access to critical health care,” Keene said in a NARAL press release. “Anti-women” is a pretty broad category.
Cianti Stewart-Reid, director of Virginia’s Planned Parenthood Advocates, follows suit with angry words of her own. “This bill cannot become law,” StewartReid said, according to wtvr.com. “We need to trust and respect women to make their own private, personal health-care decisions, and that includes selecting their own health care providers.” Rest assured, the elimination of Planned Parenthood funding does not take away women’s choice of health care provider. It simply shrinks the field from which they must choose — a lighter burden for delicate shoulders. The remaining state legislatures, the Republican-controlled ones especially, need to take similar action individually to defund the program that represents a threat to human life. While the argument of other services provided by Planned Parenthood often serves as a red herring to distract from the main issue, those in public office must turn a discerning eye to this matter. A program that aborts babies is wrong. A program that provides birth control, screens for STDs, tests cholesterol, helps you quit smoking and aborts babies on the side is still wrong. Virginia took a big step. Legislators made the effort to defund a program that breaches both faith and morality. Opposition has noticed — hopefully fellow representatives notice as well. GARBER is an opinion writer.
The fight for the Court Senate Republicans promise to oppose Obama’s Supreme Court nomination Samantha Rozenblum serozenblum@liberty.edu
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” -Mark Twain In regard to recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away Feb. 13, Mark Twain might have had a point; however, the Senate is in quite a different state of preparation, or lack thereof, and faces a tricky decision in opposition to President Barack Obama. The Supreme Court members have a career with a unique level of job security – a lifelong appointment – which they attained through a timely vacancy in the court, a presidential nomination, and the approval of the Senate. The issue is that Obama has already said he will nominate a justice for the position, but Senate Republicans have adamantly stated they will oppose any of his nominations because his term is too close to being over, preferring to wait until the new president makes a nomination. Like greedy relatives at the funeral of somebody’s rich greataunt, Republicans and Democrats quickly turned to arguing
and debating the constitutionality of a judicial appointment by Obama, who has less than a year left in office. “If, in fact, the Republicans in the Senate take a posture that defies the Constitution, defies logic, is not supported by tradition simply because of politics, then invariably what you are going to see is a further deterioration in the ability of any president to make any judicial appointments,” Obama said. Obama also listed a series of slightly generic qualities that he is looking for in a new member of the Court on the SCOTUSblog website. “A sterling record,” Obama said. “A deep respect for the judiciary’s role. An understanding of the way the world really works. That’s what I'm considering as I fulfill my constitutional duty to appoint a judge to our highest court, and as senators prepare to fulfill their constitutional responsibility to consider the person I appoint, I hope they’ll move quickly to debate and then confirm this nominee so that the Court can continue to serve the American people at full strength.” However, it is important to note the hint of hypocrisy in the
A TES NO
HAYWOOD
Chris Rock is a man of many talents. He’s an actor, comedian, producer and director, to name a few of his credentials. But last night, he added host to the list. In the 88th installment of the Academy Awards, Rock was granted the opportunity to host the awards show dedicated to honoring the year’s best movies, actors and directors and more. This easily was one of his harder tasks, as this awards ceremony was blanketed in a shroud of good ol’ controversy. For the second year in a row, no actors or actresses of color were nominated for an Oscar. Obviously, this was not received well by many, as they felt movies such as “Concus-
president’s request, since in 2007, when Obama was still a senator, he was an early supporter of the filibuster against President George W. Bush’s nomination of Justice Samuel Alito. Bush’s nomination occurred midway through the third year of his final term in office, which is technically earlier than Obama’s nomination would be taking place. “Presidents have a right to nominate just as the Senate has its constitutional right to provide or withhold consent,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “In this case, the Senate will withhold it." McConnell also cited a 1992 speech by Vice President Joe Biden in which then-Sen. Biden said, “Once the political season is underway, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over.” The Democratic administration cannot seem to make up its minds on this issue, but what do the American people think? According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans say the Senate should hold hearings and vote on Obama’s choice to fill the vacancy. About 38 percent say the Senate should
sion” and “Straight Outta Compton” warranted at least one nomination. Prominent African-American actors such as Will Smith (star of “Concussion”) and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, elected to “boycott” the Oscars. The snubbing sparked a social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which addressed the lack of diversity displayed at the Academy Awards. People even asked Rock to refrain from hosting the event, to which he obviously declined. So when Rock took to the stage last night to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” not a soul knew what to expect next. But boy were they in for a show they would not soon forget. Rock instantly took a few jabs at the Academy, calling the Oscars the “White People’s Choice Awards.” He even followed that statement by saying if hosts were nominated, he would not have gotten the job. The funnyman proceeded to joke about the whole incident, offering the
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JUSTICE — There is an opening on the Supreme Court. not hold hearings until the next president selects a court nominee. Most of those who want the Senate to hold off consideration of a Supreme Court nominee say they would not change their minds about this, regardless of whom Obama selects to replace Scalia. “We believe the American people need to decide who is going to make this appointment rather than a lame-duck president,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said. It would serve young Ameri-
alternative of having black categories in the future. And this was essentially the theme of the entire night. Rock, along with others he brought on stage, tossed around crude, crass and cringe-worthy “jokes” about racial issues. He even called Hollywood “racist” in his opening monologue. But somewhere, between all of the mess (a lot of it was a mess), there was a message that should not be ignored. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s not about boycotting or anything,” Rock said in his opening monologue. “It’s just we want opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors. That’s it.” I don’t agree with much of what Rock said or did last night. The Oscars are supposed to honor those who tirelessly and diligently worked to put out a film. And I truly believe somewhat shifting the focus away from them was disrespectful to all involved.
cans well to appreciate the constitutionality and boldness of Republican senators as they honor 2016 voters and patiently wait to review a nomination from the next president.
ROZENBLUM is an opinion writer.
But his point still remains true. All actors and actresses just want a chance. And not just those that are black, but also those of any nationality and race. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu was awarded with the best director award for “The Revenant.” During his acceptance speech, the Mexico native said the following. “What a great opportunity to our generation, to make sure for once and forever that the color of the skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair,” Iñárritu said. This is what Rock wanted. Despite taking it miles across the line, this was the message he was trying to relay. And hopefully his wild antics and inappropriate humor did not cover that up.
HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.
opinion
Liberty Champion | March 1, 2016 | A5
Facing the idol of education
College students often slip into the sin of putting their grades above God Brianna Young bdyoung4@liberty.edu
Every American student faces the reality that sacrifices must be made in order to maintain a good, or even passing, grade in college. For many Christian students, the first sacrifices to be made are usually regular church attendance, alone time with God or time spent at Bible study. It starts out innocently enough. Skipping one Sunday, after all, is not that bad. However, as the skips continue to pile up, the God who loves and created each and every stressed-out college student is soon replaced by the very vengeful god of education. The American dream is often defined by success, and the first step to success is getting a quality education. Therefore, passing those tests and writing those essays become the number one priority in the life of the average American college student. According to The Gospel Coalition writer Chelsea Kingston, the idol of education is subtle yet dangerous to students and their families. “Since it’s socially acceptable to pursue education at any cost, we’re not too bothered when the pursuit of academic achievement begins to rule our lives,” Kingston wrote. “We hardly notice when fellow Christians size up one another based on their alma mater — or even their children’s preschool.” Education is a positive installation in Christians’ lives. Without it, there are several opportunities that God has placed before us that we would miss. However, when education becomes the most important thing in Christians’ lives, it becomes a dangerous idol. Even students at Liberty University fall into the academic trap. “The idol of academic achievement entices us with its promise to win success, to secure freedom, to help us be someone important,” Kingston wrote. However, it is this enticement that destroys what is most important in a person’s life — a relationship with God and fellowship with other followers of Christ. So what should Christian college students do to keep the education gods from taking over?
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EDUCATION — Students should be wary of idolizing their grades and sacrificing their relationship with God. The key to maintaining a safe balance between education and God means taking a step back and evaluating what sacrifices really need to be made. If honors or upper level classes are taking too much time, perhaps it is time to cut back. If homework on Sunday replaces church, getting up early to go to the first church service is always an option. Making room for God in a hectic college schedule is not easy. However, in order to ascertain the most important things in life (and it is not school) it is critical that time for God be made. Waking up early to read one chapter in the Bible or watching one less episode of Netflix to really talk to God can go a long way in getting back
to what is most important. Overcoming the academic obsession means encouraging students, whether in college or high school, to spend time outside of school to really engage in community with fellow believers. It means asking young people what they learned from their study of the Bible instead of what they did in math class. Because, as important as it is to talk about education, the most meaningful education comes from studying and discussing God’s Word. The idol of education runs rampant, even in a strong, evangelical university. Do not prioritize academic success over having a relationship with the God of the universe. YOUNG is a opinion writer.
PRIMARIES FOR DUMMIES A CONTINUING SERIES
by
PART 2
LEE SUTHERLAND lsutherland6@liberty.edu
How the primary schedule affects candidates and their chances at the nomination. Everyone who has ever played a board game or a sport of some kind knows how important the rules of the game are. Without a clear understanding of them, the game cannot function properly. I remember playing wiffle ball games in my backyard with friends after school where the rules were not particularly clear, which often led to arguments. The nomination process for each party works in a similar way. There are certain rules and structures that give shape to how the candidates run their campaigns. One very important and often overlooked portion of this is the schedule of primaries and caucuses. Specifically, this year’s Republican primary schedule can help certain candidates, such as Sen. Marco Rubio, and hurt other candidates, such as Sen. Ted Cruz. The Republican National Convention (RNC) opted to model its nomination schedule after the one used by the Democrats in 2008. In that year, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) “back loaded” its schedule, meaning it pushed many of its delegate-heavy, winner-take-all states to be held later in the nomination process. This extended the time it took for one candidate to gain the number of delegates needed to win the nomination and created a thrilling, drawn out showdown between then-Sen. Hillary Clinton and then-Sen. Barack Obama. The Democrats stole the attention away from the Republicans because their process was more drawn out and
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VOTING — The GOP primary schedule helps certain candidates and hurts others. therefore garnered more media attention. Learning from this, the RNC back loaded its primary schedule in the same way the DNC had in 2008. The majority of the winner-take-all states in the nomination process come after Super Tuesday (March 1) instead of before it. Also, these states are overwhelmingly moderate, establishment-friendly states, known as “Blue States.” Data collected by the Cook Political Report states that the delegate benchmark for an insurgent candidate before March 15 is 627 while the establishment benchmark is 486.
“The GOP’s primary calendar is surprisingly front-loaded with states friendly to insurgents like Trump and Cruz,” David Wasserman of fivethirtyeight.com writes. “But because of the Republican National Committee rules, all but one of these states will award their delegates on a proportional basis, intentionally making it difficult for any candidate to build a durable or commanding lead.” The candidate who is most likely to be affected by this is Cruz. Despite winning Iowa, Cruz had a very concerning third place finish in South Carolina, which is home to evangelicals and tea party mem-
bers, the voters he appeals to the most. Yet the big picture problem for his campaign is that his delegate sources may begin to run dry after the early burst of insurgentfriendly states. “An examination of the GOP delegate landscape shows that in states where evangelical Protestants are at least 30 percent of the population, just 22 percent of delegates will be awarded on a winner-take-all basis, compared to 47 percent of delegates in other states,” Wasserman wrote. While Cruz is hurt by the calendar setup, Rubio is the candidate who stands to benefit the most from how it has been laid out. To put it plainly, the states Rubio should do the best in are the ones that award the most delegates and give none to his competitors. States such as Rubio’s home state of Florida fit this model. In light of this, there are a few important things to watch for as the Super Tuesday results come in. First, will Rubio perform well enough in these states to siphon off delegates from Cruz and Donald Trump? Second, will Cruz fall far enough in these states that he will not be able to keep up with Trump and Rubio in the delegate count? Third, will Gov. John Kasich drop out of the race? This last point may seem odd, but Kasich dropping out is very important for Rubio, who needs to win Kasich’s home state of Ohio (March 15) to keep pace with Trump.
SUTHERLAND is the opinion editor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO Nate Haywood editor-in-chief
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CONTENT
Amber Tiller
Sarah Rodriguez news editor
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feature editor
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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Leah Seavers
Josh Gordon
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news
A6 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Tornado touches down locally
LU Send Now students respond to natural disaster about 30 miles from campus
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
HAVOC — The tornado ripped through the Evergreen community in Appomattox. Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
Donned in blue jeans and laced-up work boots, more than 20 Liberty University students piled into two Liberty vans and made the half-hour drive off campus on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 28. As the vans filled with students pulled into the Evergreen Baptist Church parking lot on White Pine Drive in Appomattox, Virginia, the damage was evident. Trees were uprooted, power lines were down, house siding was ripped off, and roofs were obliterated. Students from Liberty’s newly created disaster relief program, LU Send Now, made the trip from Lynchburg, Virginia to help with relief efforts after a tornado struck the Appomattox community Wednesday, Feb. 24. LU Send Now began mobilizing teams quickly after a tornado struck the neighboring community, with the first team coming to serve Friday, Feb. 26. After students arrived, they were debriefed by Mark Gauthier, the state disaster relief director for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Virginia. Gauthier said the SBC was onsite in Appomattox, Virginia at 7 a.m. Thursday morning, close to 12 hours after disaster had struck. Willie Pearce, a part-time volunteer with the SBC disaster relief, said the beginning stages of relief were to calculate the damage. “We did evaluations the first day … and went up and tried to evaluate the damages and get work orders for people (of) what their needs were,” Pearce said. “And of course today and yesterday (we were) cleaning yards, separating out personal belongings, that type of thing.” Gauthier said the next phase of disaster relief the LU Send Now students assisted with Sunday, Feb. 28 was cleanup. “What we are doing right now is working with homeowners to help them clean up after the storm,” Gauthier said. “We are still putting up tarps on roofs. We’ve got rain coming in on Tuesday, and we want to make sure all the houses that have roof damage have tarps on them. We are also doing chainsaw work, cutting up trees that are in the yards, helping homeowners recover their belongings, sorting through their belongings that have been damaged or destroyed, helping them recover what they can, and sorting through and (deciding) what they cannot save.” After the debriefing, LU Send Now student volunteers were broken into smaller groups and assigned specific work orders. Gauthier said Evergreen Baptist Church has become the center of operations for the relief effort. “Evergreen Baptist Church (was) at the epicenter of the storm,” Gauthier said. “It’s really centrally located on both directions where the storm (was). Right across
the street there was total devastation, but the church itself has very little damage, has power back, and we’re able to use this as a headquarters.” A portion of the LU Send Now students then traveled 10 minutes down the back roads of the small country town to a secluded house far off the main road. As the students approached the house, the damage was instantly apparent. The students were quickly put to work by homeowner Joey Davis. Davis’ former multi-story house had barely two stories left as the students began sorting through belongings in what was his former basement bedroom. Some students headed to the destroyed backyard barn to try to salvage any tools that could be recovered. Davis, who is a tractor-trailer driver by trade, said he was in Bloomington, Illinois when the tornado ripped through his home, taking off the roof. He said his youngest daughter, Jo Elizabeth, called him and told him what had just occurred. “You don’t know what to think,” Davis said. “You kind of think at first, ‘You’re kidding.’” His daughters were standing on the porch moments before the tornado approached when they decided the storm was getting serious, and they needed to seek shelter immediately. Davis said his oldest daughter, Amy, her fiancé, Jake, and Jo Elizabeth were hunkered down under a mattress in a corner of the basement at the touchdown of the tornado. Davis said his family was unharmed as well as his pet horse that ran away during the storm but later returned. Davis returned to his home in Virginia the following day to check on his family and his house. He remembers what went through his mind as he approached his home. “Me and my wife and a friend of ours built this house a little over 20 years ago,” Davis said. “Jo was a baby. We built this house, ran all the wires, all the plumbing, everything. When I came down the hill and (saw) the house, it looked like I was about to build it.” After not receiving much assistance because of the rural location of his home, about a half-mile from the epicenter of the storm, Davis said his middle daughter’s future mother-in-law called the City of Appomattox requesting help. He said 150-200 volunteers appeared Saturday, Feb. 27, including the Appomattox County football team, the Brookville High School football team, the Appomattox County girl’s softball team, and people from Henrico County. The Liberty students who came to help Feb. 28 worked alongside Davis to sort through the debris in his bedroom — brick, pipe, wood, carpet and pieces of glass. Among the pile of rubble, memories of Davis’ late wife were found. “My wife passed away in April, so (it has been) almost a year (since) I lost my wife,” Davis said. “We were married for 34 years.
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
CLEANUP — LU Send Now students worked to repair a resident’s broken roof.
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
RESILIENT — Appomattox officer and grandson of Keith Harris, who died in the storm, looked at the damage. The officer was the first to find his grandfather’s body. She was my mechanic help. If I had to change a transmission in a truck, she was right there helping change the transmission (and) motor. She was right there. No matter what I (did), she was right there. (If) she needed help doing something, I was there. We were best friends. We were husband and wife. She had cancer, and when she got to where she couldn’t do anything, I’m out here by myself, pushing and struggling to get things done, too proud to ask someone to come help me. But that’s just the way I am.” With his home in an unlivable condition, Davis said his friends have allowed him to borrow two campers because Davis’ motorhome was torn to pieces in the storm. Though he has suffered two catastrophes in his life in less than a year, Davis encouraged the Liberty students by telling them that God has gotten him through the difficult circumstances. Other LU Send Now students traveled to another devastated home and assisted with the cleanup effort. Freshman mechanical engineering student Marshall Davidson, one of the Liberty LU Send Now volunteers, said his group picked up items around the damaged house because it was condemned as unsafe. The students could not go inside, so they assisted outside and helped chainsaw workers clean up brush. With homes completely destroyed in the Appomattox County area, many families needed assistance with preparing meals. Located in the Evergreen Baptist Church parking lot, families could find sustenance for free provided by Mercy Chefs. Gary LeBlanc, the founder of the emergency feeding organization, said the government called his faith-based charity and requested their services in the Appomattox area. He said Mercy Chefs has been serving around 800 chef-prepared meals a day to victims, volunteers and first responders in the affected area. “VDEM (Virginia Department of Emergency Management) called and just said that we need you to deploy,” LeBlanc said. “I had already been watching everything going on up here. I have friends and connections throughout, and I already had a crew here on the ground doing an assessment here in Appomattox.” LeBlanc, who lost his grandmother in Hurricane Katrina, said God spoke to him and told him to enter the emergency feeding industry. Though the nine and a half years of Mercy Chefs has not always been easy, he said God has provided. “I really hate kitchens, so this really was a ministry of obedience for me,” LeBlanc said. LeBlanc gave credit to those who spent their time and hard work helping a community recover. “It’s like looking at a hot rod and bragging on the gas,” LeBlanc said. “(Volunteers) are the hot rod, and we are just putting fuel in the tank. That’s all I do, just put fuel in the tanks.” Though the time the students spent in Appomattox was just a portion of the entire relief effort, the students learned what
it really means to serve their neighbor. “Sometimes loving your neighbor is loving your global neighbor, and sometimes it’s loving your local neighbor,” Isaac Lacey, the team leader for the Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28 LU Send Now trips and a resident director at Liberty, said. “I think (serving here) also puts the students in a mind and the perspective that they don’t have to travel across the country to serve their neighbor. I think we have this preconceived notion that if we want to help people and serve people we have to go across the country, and that’s not true.” Davidson acknowledged the importance of serving those in need so close to Liberty. “Missions is in our everyday lives,” Davidson said. “It’s not just something that has to be done internationally or even domestically. It happens in our everyday lives. Partnering with the people around us is what’s most important.” Pearce said he has seen the Appomattox community of 15,000 people come together in the wake of such a damaging tornado that ripped through trees and houses. “The whole community has pitched in together,” Pearce said. “They are very appreciative of all the help that everybody has done.” LU Send Now students have had to sacrifice class time, sleep and their social lives to put others first in such a time of need. “When you give something up, it makes the thing that you’re doing more worthwhile,” Lacey said. “If you’re willing to give something up, even if that’s just a Saturday or Sunday evening to be able to do homework, (that) giving something up gives a weightiness to the thing that you’re working toward. I think if they hadn’t given up anything to come out here, it wouldn’t mean that much to them.” LU Send Now student Abby Griffiths acknowledged the significance of LU Send Now’s role in the community. “I think there is strength in numbers,” Griffiths, a freshman English student, said. “So getting as many students as possible who are young and passionate about helping others … can make an impact in a quick way especially since disaster relief entails getting things done as quickly as possible. So (I think) Liberty having students available to go at a moment’s notice (is) important.” As the SBC continues to serve the devastated Appomattox community in the coming days, Pearce said the locals need prayer. “Most people we’ve talked to (said) they’ll rebuild,” Pearce said. “Just give them a few months, and they’ll be back on their feet and off and running. It’s amazing what’s happened today and how much they’ve gotten stuff cleared, and the next phase will be building it back up.” According to Morgan Monasterio, administrative assistant of LU Send, Liberty will continue to work with its partner organizations in Appomattox, including the SBC, in the coming days. Liberty will keep sending teams as long as a need is identified by its partners. RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.
news
Liberty Champion | March 1, 2016 | A7
Experiencing the tornado
Appomattox man gives firsthand account of devastation and relief efforts Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
RELIEF — Several local churches brought help to families who experienced loss.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
REBUILDING — Volunteers met at relief headquarters at Evergreen Baptist Church.
When a natural disaster strikes, the surrounding communities face the devastating realities of loss and brokenness. When tornadoes hit parts of Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 24, the community of Appomattox, Virginia rallied together to restore their county. Ishmael Labiosa experienced the devastation of the recent tornado but has also been a part of the restoration of the community. Labiosa has lived in Appomattox with his wife and four sons for five years and attends Liberty Baptist Church located on Church Street. Labiosa is also the director of communication for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) of Virginia, an organization that has been involved with Appomattox relief efforts since the tornado struck. Labiosa was driving to Concord, Virginia with his family when he heard an announcement on the radio about an approaching tornado. However, after seeing lightning in the distance, he decided to head back toward his home. Labiosa said after he had stopped at a bank on his way home, he saw an official tornado warning alert on his phone. He noticed the wind getting stronger and the rain getting heavier, so he took his family across the street to a CVS for cover. Although the tornado did not touch that area, Labiosa said he saw the effects of the tornado closer to his home. Labiosa’s house is located approximately 4 miles from where the tornado hit. Although there was temporary flooding around their house, there was no internal flooding or wind damage that impacted their home. Labiosa said the SBC disaster relief volunteers, along with several other churches and relief organizations, responded and assessed the needs in Appomattox. “Volunteers have been putting tarps on damaged rooftops,” Labiosa said. “Our debris removal teams have gone into these locations to remove fallen trees (and) scat-
tered items around properties. … We (also) have portable showers and toilets.” Labiosa said there are ways for others to get involved and help respond to the damage caused by the storm. “Of course we are asking for prayers,” Labiosa said. “Also we are having to collectively organize manpower because there is just not a lot of room to move around with so many people. So we are strategically signing up people with times and locations so it doesn’t get out of hand.” According to Labiosa, the SBC of Virginia is encouraging financial donations for Appomattox disaster relief so those affected can buy food and clothing. Although progress is being made, Labiosa said this will be an ongoing project. “As we are helping them with food … clothing and shelter, we are also sharing the gospel with them,” Labiosa said. “We are making sure these folks at least get the opportunity to hear that God loves them … even though this a hard time and … the storm did a lot of destruction. There is still hope.”
FOLEY is the asst. news editor.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
REMAINS — Residents hold on to hope.
Watching the storm develop
Information on how the recent Appomattox tornado developed in size and stature Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@liberty.edu
An EF-3 rated tornado tore through Appomattox County, Virginia Feb. 24. The tornado was traveling at 69 miles per hour and lasted for about 15 minutes on a path that spanned several miles. One person was killed, and seven others were reported injured. According to William Stafford, weekend weather correspondent at WSET, this tornado was an unusually strong one for Virginia, as its winds got up to 165 miles per hour. “The tornadoes we get here are generally on an EF-0, EF1, maybe a very weak EF-2,” Stafford said. “We usually don’t see anything in the EF-3 or EF-4 category.” While a tornado is a largely unpredictable phenomenon until it touches down, there are certain weather conditions which precede tornados and can serve as warnings themselves. As long as these conditions are met, a tornado can happen anywhere at any time. “Generally you need a bit of moisture in the air,” Stafford said. “You need it to be generally warm, which it was on Wednesday due to the warm front up north. You need a lot of shear, which is the turning of the winds. You also need a good amount of convective available potential energy (CAPE).” As defined by the National Weather Service’s glossary on its website, convection is the transportation of heat and moisture by the movement of fluid. The higher the convection value, the higher the risk of severe weather like tornadoes. CAPE represents the potential energy available in determining convection levels.
“For this particular instance, we had a high-shear, low-CAPE environment,” Stafford said. “Usually in ‘high-shear, low-CAPE’ or ‘low-shear, high-CAPE’ environments (in Virginia), you get tornadoes that pop up for two seconds and go away. We were not anticipating all of the tornado warnings we got on Wednesday. We definitely weren’t anticipating an EF-3 tornado touching down right in our backyard.” The best course of action for someone caught in their home or any other building is to get to the lowest level possible. A basement is preferable, but a first-floor bathroom is the next best option. “Get to the most interior room, away from windows and away from anything that may tear off and hit you,” Stafford said. “Protect your body in any way that you can. If you have a mattress, put the mattress overtop of you.” Stafford said WSET had reported on a previous tornado survivor who hid in a bathtub with a mattress overtop of him. While the entire home around him had been demolished, the man survived untouched in his bathtub. For anyone who might be caught driving when a tornado hits, the best option may be a counter-intuitive one for most people. “You don’t want to outdrive the thing,” Stafford said. “Chances are you’re not going to outrun it. The best thing you can do is get as low as you can. It might seem silly or it might seem like it’s asking for trouble, but you need to get out of your car and take cover in a ditch and protect your body any way you can.” Stafford urges drivers to avoid being in an underpass during a tornado. A resulting wind tun-
nel effect in an underpass will suck drivers and their cars back out into the storm. Finding low ground out in the open is the best course of action for drivers caught in such a storm. For more information, contact WSET’s weather station via email at weather@wset.com. JARRETT is a news reporter.
EF-3 tornadoes can reach wind speeds of 136-165 mph. One fatality and seven injuries were reported, making this tornado Virginia's deadliest in the month of February. 200 homes were destroyed or damaged. The tornado touched down in Appomattox County at 3:30 p.m. and stayed grounded for 17 miles. Information provided by the National Weather Service and the News & Advance.
Sierra Franklin & Zander Doub | Liberty Champion
news
A8 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Working with refugees LU Send Now students go to Greece and Macedonia on first international trip Matthew Pierce mpierce17@liberty.edu
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 59.5 million forcibly displaced people in the world. As a response, LU Send Now sent its first international team to the border of Greece and Macedonia to serve at a refugee camp near the Idomeni village in Greece. For the past five years, the refugee crisis has plagued the Middle East, causing refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and migrants from other countries to evacuate their homes and countries in search of safety in a new land. “There is all this war taking place right in people’s homes, which is causing the largest refugee crisis since World War II,” Vince Valeriano, LU Send Now coordinator and a team leader on the trip, said. “So with something that is so historically significant, we need to step up and respond to this.” The trip took place Feb. 13-20, and in that time, the team of six students and three leaders sorted clothing items by gender, style and size, organized containers, passed out bags to help refugees carry their belongings, and spent time listening to their stories. According to Moriah Thompson, a student on the trip, the first few days the team was at the camp were slow and quiet, which offered the opportunity to sit and talk with refugees in the camp waiting for permission from the police to cross the border. “The purpose of it was to go and help out with the refugees in any way that we could,” Thompson said. “Basically it was just to go and show them love, and while we were there, (we looked for op-
Matthew Pierce | Liberty Champion
SERVE — Liberty students dropped everything and traveled overseas Feb. 13-20 to work at a refugee camp in Greece. portunities) to be able to witness to them and share the gospel.” According to Valeriano, one of the non-governmental organization workers in Greece described the team as the most gospelsharing group he ever had come help. On Tuesday evening, Feb. 16, an Iranian woman proclaimed faith in Jesus Christ after Nastinka Morgan, a team leader on the trip, shared her story and answered questions the woman had in her native language, Farsi. “She was a beautiful example of how God uses the entire body together to work and how many people had planted seeds in her life,” Morgan said. According to Morgan, the Iranian woman’s husband had already been a believer for two years and was constantly praying for his wife. He spent that night back in Athens, about 340 miles south of the Idomeni camp, waiting to rejoin his family the next day. “I was there at the right time and the right place,” Morgan said. “She was anxious, extremely fearful, brokenhearted, and … desperate for help, and I just told her
that Jesus was that help.” The next day her husband arrived at the camp, and he was reunited with his wife and two children. Later that day they crossed the border into Macedonia and were on their way to Germany. “Seeing them reunite the next day was probably the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed,” Courtney Seiler, a student on the trip, said. After returning to campus, many of the students expressed how heartbroken they were for the people they encountered and talked with while overseas. All of them expressed the burden they felt to share their experience with people and the need to make people aware of what was going on across the world. Spencer Gravely, a senior global studies student said she began praying a few months ago for God to strike revival in refugee camps. When Valeriano asked her if she wanted to go on the trip, she immediately said yes. “I wanted to see firsthand the crisis and the deep, dark, raw reality of the crisis in order to tell the stories, to be an advocate
and a catalyst to people here,” Gravely said. On the final day in the camp, the team was split into two locations, at the camp near the border and about 15 miles away at a gas station, where buses full of refugees and migrants would wait until the police allowed more buses to arrive at the camp. Gravely was at the camp where she connected with a family of five. As she approached them, she noticed the 18-year-old boy was playing with his scar that ran all the way up his arm. After spending some time with the family, Gravely asked how the boy received that scar. He responded by telling her that it was because of ISIS and that he had also seen his father beheaded by ISIS. “He physically carries that heart wound on his arm,” Gravely said. Gravely, whose passion is visual storytelling, desires to use her gifts and abilities in photography to tell the stories of the people she came into contact with so others can know and advocate on their behalf. “For me and the people that
went on this trip, we have tasted and seen in a very physical, tangible way, and now we are responsible,” Gravely said. “But there’s not a single person at this university, or even in this nation, who is not counted as responsible because they have seen and they have heard, and the reality is they are even if they haven’t physically touched the reality.” Since the arrival of the team back in the U.S., the situation has heightened in Greece, including the introduction of a new refugee camp in Thessaloniki, about 53 miles from the camp where the team served in Idomeni. Although Syrian, Iraqi and Afghani people were once allowed to cross the border into Macedonia, officials have ceased letting Afghani people cross the border, and there are now thousands of people staying at the camp for extended periods of time. According to Valeriano, the non-governmental organization Liberty worked with said there is still a huge need for volunteers to work with refugees. PIERCE is a news reporter.
Week Lineup: March 21-25 Join us for five exciting days preparing for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) team visit, March 29-31. Attend any of the week’s events to test your QEP “Illuminate” knowledge, meet Liberty student and faculty researchers, ask questions, and have fun!
QEP “Illuminate” Tent
March 22 | 10 a.m.-Noon | Jerry Falwell Library Lawn
QEP “Illuminate” Photo Booth
March 23 | 2-4 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library, Esbenshade Lower Atrium
QEP “Illuminate” Late-Night Café
March 23 | 8:30-10:30 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library, Esbenshade Upper Atrium
QEP “Illuminate” Breakfast Q & A
March 24 | 8:30-9:30 a.m. | Jerry Falwell Library, Terrace Conference Room
QEP “Illuminate” Sparky Challenge
March 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Jerry Falwell Library and Science Hall Additional events can be found at www.Liberty.edu/QEP.
SPORTS
March 1, 2016
Softball (F/10)
M. Basketball
Lamar
Liberty
GW
Liberty
5
6
81
86
W. Basketball LWD
Liberty
47
67
B1
Baseball
Baseball
Duke
Liberty
Marshall
Liberty
0
1
3
7
Baby, bye bye bye
‘It might sound crazy, but it ain’t no lie’ the Flames secured a first round bye Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Live by the three, die by the three. In the regular season finale against the Gardner Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, the Liberty Flames men’s basketball team did just that in an 8681 Senior Day victory, Feb. 27. The Flames could not have asked for a hotter start. An immediate defensive stop led to a quick three from freshman forward Caleb Homesley. After forcing a steal in the next possession, sophomore guard John Dawson maneuvered his way through Gardner-Webb’s defense and found a cocked and loaded Homesly who nailed his second straight three, giving Liberty the early 6-0 lead. The Bulldogs got on the board with an instant reply from senior guard Adonis Burbage who hit a three. However, Flames sophomore guard Ryan Kemrite netted a corner-pocket trey-ball to put the lead back at six. And in the next possession, the sophomore did the exact same thing from the other corner. Three minutes in, the Flames were 4-4 from the three-point line and maintaining a commanding 12-3 lead. It was not until the 16-minute mark that Liberty scored elsewhere. With most of the Flames set up shop around the three-point line — as they were for most of the game — they swung the ball from one end to the court, stretching out the Gardner Webb defense, creating a driving lane for senior guard Anthony Fields. Fields blew past a closing-out defender for an easy layup. Three minutes later, sophomore center Evan Maxwell added three points the oldfashioned way with a spinning and-one drive to the basket. Down 17-5, Bulldog senior Harold McBride stopped the bleeding with a corner three. But Flames freshman guard Lovell Cabbil shot the lead back up to 12 with a three on the left wing. After Cabbil and Homesley both knocked down a three apiece, the Flames, up 26-10, appeared to be running away against the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Homesley, who finished with a careerhigh 22 points, drilled his third three of the first half. Then Isaiah Ivey arrived to the party. Gardner Webb’s senior guard buried a corner three. After a pair of free throws from both Gardner Webb’s junior forward Tyrell Nelson and Flames freshman forward Ezra Talbert, Ivey buried another. Liberty’s lead became 11 points. After another stop, the Bulldogs passed Ivey the ball at the top of the key. Ivey
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
FAREWELL — The Flames also said bye to senior Anthony Fields on Senior Day. pulled up for another three-pointer, cutting Liberty’s lead to eight points. A two-minute scoring drought for both teams ended when Ivey found Burbage for
his second three of the day. Liberty’s lead dwindled to five points. Gardner Webb freshman guard Laquincy Rideau joined the ongoing three-point bar-
rage, as he knocked down a three from the top of the key. Then Ivey swished another from downtown as the Bulldogs watched their double-digit deficit become a onepoint lead. “Defensively, we were balanced … until (Ivey) got cookin,” Flames Head Coach Ritchie McKay said. “It didn’t seem like we could stop him.” The Flames failed to score a single point in more than six minutes. With 3:30 remaining in the first half, Fields sizzled past defenders for a layup, ending the drought and reclaiming the lead, 30-29. But Ivey took the lead right back with his fourth three of the half. Down 32-30, Liberty closed the half on a 6-3 run, giving them a one-point lead. In the first half alone, McKay’s side took 27 field goal attempts and made 12 of them — 20 of those shots were from behind the arc (made 9). “We shoot a lot of threes,” McKay said. “We want to take what the defense gives us.” Despite the offensive explosion, there was one player who failed to notch a single point — sophomore point guard John Dawson. But after a halftime speech with his team and coach, the second half would be his. “We challenged him at halftime,” McKay said. “When (John) doesn’t feel like he’s pulling his end of the bargain, he’ll get a little down on himself. I asked his teammates at halftime ‘do you believe in John Dawson?’ And they all said in a resounding way, ‘yes.’” Dawson’s team believed in him, and in the second half, he gave them ample reason to. In the first moments of the second half, the guard drove and hit Homesley for an open three. Then, after sizing up the defender, Dawson nailed a quick mid-range jumpshot — his first points of the game. After this, he was in complete control. Dawson either scored or assisted on 17 of the Flames 19 points to start the half. He, along with Fields’ constant penetration in the paint, was vital in freeing up the outside shot for their teammates. “All year, we’ve been trying to touch the paint,” Fields said. “That’s kind of been my role as a facilitator and get guys shots. It opens up for our shooters when we’re touching the paint and sharing the ball.” The Flames dribble-drive gameplan continued to plague Gardner Webb’s defense throughout the second half. Dawson, who finished with 17 despite not scoring in the
See BYE, B2
Colonial beatdown
Men’s lacrosse team wins 19th straight home game with thrashing of GWU Denton Day dday26@liberty.edu
The No. 17 Liberty Flames men’s lacrosse team took down the George Washington Colonials in dominating fashion, extending its home win streak to 19 games with a 16-2 win Saturday, Feb. 27. The Flames added a mark on the scoreboard less than three minutes in. Freshman attacker Sam Gregory scored the first goal for the Flames followed shortly by a goal from senior attacker Ryan Miller. Miller circled completely around the Colonials
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
before sending the ball into the back of the net. The lead was 4-0 before the Colonials even held the ball in the Flames zone for less than a few seconds. Senior midfielder Charles Fianko dominated the face-offs in the first half. “You got to do it for the guy next to you,” Fianko said. “Coach always reiterates to me if we do not win possessions we will not win games. Every time I go in it’s just one at a time.” The first quarter ended with the Flames leading 5-2 and that would be the closest
the Colonials came to taking the lead. The Flames offense continued to roll on as fans witnessed a highlight-reel goal in the second quarter. Senior midfielder Chad Moore whipped a shot behind his head that found its way over the Colonials goaltender’s shoulder and into the net. “This game was needed,” Head Coach Kyle McQuillan said. “We had a rough weekend last weekend from a morale standpoint and for expectations we had this season we needed to come out and be dominant. It was not expected but it was needed.”
Heading into halftime, the Flames led 10-2. After a slower-paced third quarter, the Flames added one more goal extending their lead to 11-2. The Flames capped off their performance with a five-goal fourth quarter that sealed the win. “This game was a step in the right direction,” McQuillan said. “I still think there is a lot of work, we’ll take a look at the film and look at the things we did right and continue to work on the things we didn’t.”
See BEATDOWN, B2
W. Tennis vs. Campbell
Baseball vs. UConn
M. Tennis vs. UNCA
W. Basketball vs. Presby
Baseball vs. UConn
Mar. 3 @ 2 p.m.
Mar. 4 @ 3 p.m.
Mar. 5 @ TBA
Mar. 5 @ 2 p.m.
Mar. 6 @ 1 p.m.
Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage
sports
B2 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Lady Flames oust Lancers Head Coach Carey Green gets 400th career victory in 67-47 rout of Longwood Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu
Liberty University women’s basketball Head Coach Carey Green grabbed his 400th career win when the Lady Flames defeated the Longwood Lancers 67-47 Feb. 27 at the Vines Center. “I’m really thankful that God led me here to Liberty,” Green said. “I think it’s the greatest school in the world, and the administration has supported us and I’ve been blessed to be in the world of these young ladies.” The Lady Flames won the game in part to Green’s trademark of domination in the paint and out-rebounding opponents. “There is a blueprint to success and part of that is to do a dominating job on the boards and that really helps out,” Green said. “There’s a lot of other things in the complexity of winning ballgames, but (rebounding) is certainly one we focused on. It’s almost like every player that played got a rebound. Our post players did an exceptional job rebounding.” The Lady Flames were first in the Big South in rebounding margin at plus-9.8 rebounds per game coming into the game, and they put on a clinic against the Lancers, out-rebounding them 58-33 on the afternoon. “(The Lancers) were definitely smaller, so that gives us an advantage,” senior center Ashley Rininger said. The Lady Flames also dominated around the basket, scoring 38 of their 67 points in the paint. Rininger led the team in scoring with 14 points and grabbed five rebounds. Senior center Katelyn Adams chipped in 12 points while snatching nine rebounds. Fellow senior forward Catherine Kearney added eight points and five rebounds. “Coach Green has always had an emphasis on rebounding and pounding the ball inside so we can get open outside shots,” Adams said. The Lady Flames got the offense going
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
SIDE STEP — Sophomore guard Sheana Vega drives through the lane during the Lady Flames blowout victory over Longwood. in the third quarter, shooting 67 percent from the field. “We executed our offense much better in the second half,” Green said. “We had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio because we took care of the ball and executed and went to the boards.” Much of the offensive execution was credited to freshman guard Brooke Alexander, who scored a career-high 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. The Lady Flames have won their last two games after dropping their previous three. The team now turns its attention to the
last two scheduled games as it attempts to earn the number one seed in the Big South conference tournament and the conference regular season title. “It’s exciting that we are in this position,” Green said. “Our hands are still full with the challenges in front of us. We just need to take care of business.” Rininger, Adams and Kearney have been together for the past five years and will play their last home game together along with senior guards Sadalia Ellis and Jaymee Fisher-Davis March 5 at 2 p.m. in the Vines Center against Presbyterian.
BYE continued from B1
“We were here when he got his 300th win and now we are here for his 400th win, so it’s just exciting,” Adams said. “It just shows what he has taught us. It’s crazy that it’s coming to an end. (I’m) just going to do what I can for the team and finish strong.” The Lady Flames control their own destiny and are tied for first place in the Big South with UNC Asheville. They will play next Tuesday, March 1 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, against Winthrop at 7 p.m. DILLARD is a sports reporter.
BEATDOWN continued from B1
first half, continued to attack the paint and find open shooters. But as he had done throughout the game, Ivey — who finished with a career high 32 points — willed the Bulldogs back into it. Down 60-51, Gardner Webb ignited a 14-5 run, capped off by Ivey’s fifth three of the contest. But Kemrite and Dawson both hit crucial threes in the final minutes to reclaim the lead and ultimately put the Bulldogs away. After the second half offensive explosion, the Flames walked out with the 86-81 victory. And after a little help from Longwood and Radford, Liberty secured the fifth seed and a first round bye in the upcoming Big South Tournament. “Going into the tournament with a fourgame losing streak would have been hard to prevent them from doubting,” McKay said. “It helps us.” Fields, Liberty’s lone senior who was honored before his final game in the Vines center, echoed his coach’s comments. “You never want to get too high or too low,” Fields said. “But I feel like if you’re going into the tournament with some momentum that’s always good. … Going in with a win is going to get guys to have more confidence.”
Most of the Flames offensive production came from three players. Senior midfielder Brett Bernardo, sophomore attacker Nick Lombardozzi and Miller combined for 12 of the Flames 16 goals, each of them scoring four. Gregory added two more and Moore and sophomore midfielder Morgan Pitts each scored one goal. Freshmen goaltenders Matt Nichols and Brayden Harriman combined for 14 saves on 16 Colonials shots. “This is just a testament to our guys,” Fianko said. “We had a really bad opening weekend. We had some high expectations but things just did not go our way. We had to decide what team we wanted to be. A team that lets those losses define us or a team that takes those and lets them encourage us. We took that to heart and showed up today and absolutely killed it.” Liberty is in action at home again Saturday March 5 at 2 p.m. against West Virginia University.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.
PENETRATION — Caleb Homesley scored 22 points in the season finale.
DAY is a sports reporter.
sports
Liberty Champion | March 1, 2016 | B3
While the foundational rules and truths of sports remain the same, the way they are played and the athletes that play them are forever changing. SMU women’s basketball coach Rhonda Rompola stepped AUL down Feb. 25 after 35 VANDENBOSCH years with the team as a player and coach. In an interview, she said the reason she stepped down is because she believes athletes these days are too entitled and they are simply not as coachable as they used to be. Today’s athletes are different from athletes say, 20 years ago, and maybe they are a bit entitled, but so is most of this generation. And athletes have a little more of a right to be that way. I know, how dare those stuck up athletes walk around as if they are good at what they do and should be rewarded for it. It is not as if they have countless NCAA rules and regulations to follow to the point where someone cannot even buy them lunch without it being sanctioned. Sure, they get the applause and the TV interviews and the front-page pictures, but even the most talented athlete must work hard in order to rise to the top of his or her game. In addition, with frontpage pictures come front-page expectations, and those can be more difficult to overcome than any opponent. A five-star football recruit will receive offers from many schools and will likely end up going to a place such as Alabama, Ohio State or Clemson. Once he signs that letter of intent, big things are expected of that young man. It does not matter how many touchdowns he scored
in high school, once he steps onto that college field for the first time, all that goes away. And if he does not live up to the firstround pick hype, he is cast aside and written off as a bust. Not to mention he will be forgotten if he is injured and cannot recover. And you are telling me that someone who carries that kind of weight should not expect something in return? Especially with how much money these athletes make for their schools? Even if we think athletes are entitled, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Look at how much college sports are glorified these days, particularly basketball and football. A five-star recruit 20 years ago would receive offers and make a decision on a school and go about his business. Today, as soon as kids hit high school they are ranked by position and overall talent and some even get offers from schools as early as eighth grade. Once they are in college, we raise the stakes. With mock drafts that come out every other week and SportsCenter specials on any athlete that has a big game, we have created a culture in which we drive these athletes to believe the more press they receive or the more “shares” they get on Facebook, the more important they are. So while Rompola spends her time working on her short game on the back nine, there are hundreds of other coaches who are not afraid of a little entitlement and continue to mold their players into disciplined, respectable people despite “privilege.” VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.
Student-athletes are kings and queens when it comes to NCAA Division I schools. They rule college campuses, and they do not try to hide it. If you turn on any major sports network throughout the week, you will see at least one scandal involving a selfish student-athlete, throwing away all of his talent just to have a little “fun.” This brings us to the story of the week. SMU women’s basketball coach Rhonda Rompola retired from coaching at 55 for a few reasons, one of them being that rule changes have given teenagers a sense of entitlement, according to the Associated Press. I am actually slightly confused why this is such big news. Are people really surprised that someone thinks athletes are entitled? To be fair, it is not the athletes’ faults that they have been fed from a silver spoon since they were old enough to say “5-star recruit.” College recruiters are going after middle school kids these days, and we are surprised athletes feel they are entitled? Do you really expect to set the precedent that kids are old enough to be coveted by college coaches at the age of 12, but when they turn 18 and set foot on campus they should all of a sudden feel inferior again? “Kids are not as coachable as they were years ago,” Rompola said to the AP. “I see kids sometimes talking back to their coaches and it’s like a way of life. I’m just being honest. The rules and everything they get, they haven’t taken time to appreciate.” Well of course they are not coachable. Kids think from a young age they can go anywhere they want and play ball.
And when adults start to confirm this theory, it only grows in their head that they are the best. I played soccer all through high school and during my senior year I had a teacher who allowed me to show up to first period as late as I wanted, and the morn- OEL ing after a game he did SCHMIEG not care if I came to class at all. Of course, he never told me this directly, but he confirmed it through his actions. And I was just a high school athlete playing a sport in front of maybe a hundred fans. How confused must college athletes, who are known by thousands of total strangers, feel when we tell them that they are no better than normal college students, but then we give them scholarships, cost of attendance checks, athletic gear, food and so many other perks — and those are just the legal ones. It truly is a messy subject when it comes to student-athlete entitlement. I am not sure anyone could argue against the fact that student-athletes are entitled — at least not the ones in the revenuegenerating sports — but I do know that their entitlement will only continue to grow as long as the NCAA stays on the same track it is on. Have you ever heard of the Little League World Series? You know, the sporting event where 12-year-old children are broadcast throughout the world by ESPN? Do I seriously need a punch line for that one?
SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.
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sports
B4 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Buies Creek bound
The Flames tip-off their postseason March 4 at 2 p.m. against UNC-Asheville Joel Schmieg jaschmieg@liberty.edu
Over the last 10 years in the Big South conference, the Men’s Basketball team picked to finish last in the preseason poll has never finished higher than sixth, and that was when there were only eight teams in the conference, now there are 11. This year the Liberty Flames were picked to finish last in the preseason poll — voted on by each head coach and two media members representing each school — according to the Big South. With 31 people voting in the preseason poll (two people did not vote this year), the Flames finished with 42 points. If all 31 voters had picked the Flames to finish in the cellar, they would have received 31 points, meaning a few people had a small amount of faith in the Flames. Nobody expected them to accomplished what they did this season. “I don’t ever worry about preseason expectations whether they are high or low,” Flames Head Coach Ritchie McKay said. “I still think we showed that we were capable of achieving more than maybe what others thought.” Historically speaking, the Flames did not just exceed expectations, they obliterated them. In the last 10 years, the average amount of points the last place team received in the preseason poll was 52, and the second to last team received, on average, 80 points. Furthermore, the average amount of points separating last and second to last was 38. Compare those numbers to this 201516 season. The Flames received 42 points, 9 points less than the average. The second to last team received 119 points. The difference between last place and the next worst team was 77 points. The only other time the gap has even been close to that large in the time span was in 2008-2009 when there
were 55 points separating the teams. Looking strictly at the numbers, no team in the last 10 years has even come close to being picked as unanimously low as the Flames were this season. Which is why the Flames accomplishments this season are even bigger than they first appear. After beating Gardner-Webb at home Saturday Feb. 27 to close out the season, and with Radford losing its final game, the Flames secured the fifth seed in the conference tournament, and a first-round bye. In other words, the team that was supposed to be the worst team in the Big South in at least a decade, finished the regular season better than six other teams. “It’s us against everybody else,” Flames redshirt-sophomore guard John Dawson said. “If everybody else thinks we’re last, we’ll show them that we’re not. If everybody else thinks we’re not gonna be any good, we’ll show them that we are.” Not only did the Flames surpass expectations this season, but they blew last year’s team out of the water. The Flames finished the 2014-2015 season with a 2-16 conference record and bowed out of the conference tournament in the first round. This year, the Flames finish the regular season with a 10-8 conference record, their best since the 2010-2011 season, and hope to make a run all the way through the Big South finals. “I think people should be worried about us,” Flames senior guard Anthony Fields said. “We’re capable of going on a seven game win streak. We’re just worried about Liberty — we’re not worried about anyone else. So they better watch out for us.” The Flames seven game win streak from Jan. 19-Feb. 13 was what got them to this position, but the Flames are forgetting about what has transpired, and are looking toward the matchup ahead. “Every game in this conference tournament, you can throw out the window the seeds and the jersey color,” McKay said.
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
LEADERSHIP — Coach Ritchie McKay has rekindled the Flames this season. “This league is very balanced and very well coached … anyone has a chance.” The Flames will tip-off their postseason play March 4 at 2 p.m. against UNC Asheville in Buies Creek, North Carolina.
Editor’s Note: The 2012 and 2013 seasons were not used in the figures due to the Big South using a divisional format. SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.
Waiting for a chance
Lady Flames junior Victoria Tickle seizes her opportunity to make an impact Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
Joel Coleman | Liberty University News Service
LEAD BY EXAMPLE — Victoria Tickle’s leadership has been invaluable to her team.
After sitting on the bench for the majority of her freshman year, Victoria Tickle was patiently waiting for her number to be called. Halfway through the 2015 women’s lacrosse season last year, Tickle’s skills were needed on the field, and she has fully taken advantage of each opportunity since then. Tickle, a now junior defensive player, has honed her lacrosse skills and was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Week for games played from Feb. 8-14. “I can’t talk enough about her and how far she’s come,” Liberty Head Coach Kelly Nangle said. “She didn’t play at all her freshman year. She came in halfway through the year last year because someone got injured, and there was an opportunity for her. So to be able to see what she has done with her opportunity is every coach’s dream. She was ready when her number was called, and she hasn’t looked back since.” In the Lady Flames Feb. 13 game versus the Virginia Tech Hokies, Tickle led the team with five groundballs and three caused turnovers. Currently, Tickle leads the team with 19 groundballs. She is tied for the second on the team with a total of eight caused turnovers. Tickle, who is a core member of the Lady Flames experienced defense, only began playing lacrosse as a freshman in high school. After being persuaded by people, including her older brother Chris, to try out for the high school lacrosse team, Tickle instantly fell in love with the sport and with the defensive position. Tickle was a threesport athlete in high school, also playing field hockey and basketball. “Defense was the easiest thing to pick up for me,” Tickle said. “I know it sounds weird, but it is kind of similar to basketball. You’re always anticipating the next thing. I love the feeling of being in a unit with someone and knowing they have your back. Our defense is so strong.” Nangle has also seen how Tickle’s basketball skills translate to her ability to be a shut-down defender. “She sees the field really well,” Nangle said. “And the more and more she gets comfortable with every game … the better
I think she is going to do. … She is able to bring our athleticism to our defense and make our defense as a whole better.” Though Tickle’s physical skills out of the field have helped the Lady Flames thus far, her leadership skills continue to be an asset to her teammates. “I think one of her greatest qualities is her personality,” Nangle said. “She has a really special way to take things seriously, but to have fun at the same time. A lot of girls don’t know that balance. In a Division 1 atmosphere, getting into season, things tend to get serious and it’s really nice to have someone like Victoria who is constantly getting everybody together and making it lighter.” After two years on the team, 2016 is a different year for Tickle. This year she is able to play alongside her younger sister Brittany, who plays attack for the Lady Flames. “One of the fall ball games I picked up a ground ball … and I looked down the field, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, it’s my sister,’” Tickle said. “I threw the ball to her. It’s just so cool. … Playing together is definitely a blessing. I’ll look down (when) we are running sprints or doing something with conditioning, (and) my sister’s there with me. It’s another motivation to want to be here.” While a college athlete herself, Tickle said she has a special family member she looks up to — her cousin and NFL football player Jason Witten. “It’s cool to watch him play and (say) ‘that’s who I am related to,’” Tickle said. “He’s definitely a man of God. He’s a good athlete. He’s kind of a role model. I know we play different sports, but seeing where he has come from and where he is now and how he impacts people’s lives. … That’s what I want to be.” As a junior, Tickle has another year left to lead the Lady Flames back to the Big South Championship, but after leaving Liberty, Tickle plans to pursue an elementary teaching job. “I want to impact kids to go down the right path,” Tickle said. “To be there for them and care for them is one of the big things.” Tickle and the Lady Flames lacrosse team look to improve their record as they return to action March 5 versus Old Dominion. RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.
sports
B5 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Over the weekend, three Liberty head coaches recorded milestone victories in their respective sports.
Carey Green’s 400th Win Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Carey Green won his 400th game Feb. 27 as the Liberty Flames beat the Longwood Lancers 67-47 to move into a tie for first place in the Big South.
Jim Toman’s 300th Win
Head Baseball Coach
Jim Toman recorded his 300th win on the diamond, 9-8, Feb. 26 against the Marshall Thundering Herd in the “Baseball at the Beach” tournament in Myrtle Beach.
Brant Tolsma’s 87th team championship Head Track & Field Coach
Brant Tolsma led the men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams to Big South Championships to add to his record number of Big South team championships.
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feature
B6 | March 1, 2016 | Liberty Champion
Coffeehouse kick off ‘The Legends’ auditions began Feb. 29 and will continue through March 4
Hannah Elliott helliott9@liberty.edu
Thousands of students will once again fill the Vines Center Saturday, April 9 to attend a night of music, laughter and entertainment as Liberty University’s Student Activities (SA) work hours on end to pull off the grandest, late night event of the semester: Coffeehouse. This semester’s Coffeehouse theme, “The Legends,” is all about honoring some of the most timeless and influential performers across the cinematic and musical spectrums. From the musical and rhythmic genius of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley to the iconic roles portrayed by Lucille Ball and Robin Williams, many of these performances are well known. According to SA Director Stephanie Ward, it seemed only fitting to pay a tribute to some of the most legendary celebrities the industry has ever seen. “We always try to find fresh ideas and themes for Coffeehouse,” Ward said. “We haven’t done a theme so focused on entertainment and celebrities, so we thought honoring the legends was the perfect way to do so.” Tryouts for this semester’s event began Monday, Feb. 29 and will end Friday, March 4. Auditions are held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the LaHaye Event Space. Tryouts are open to all students. However, some restrictions may apply. For groups auditioning, groups of three or less must all be current Liberty students, whereas groups featuring four or more members must be at least 75 percent Liberty students, according to the SA website. Auditions operate on a first come, first serve basis. According to SA, musical acts
Joel Coleman| Liberty University News Service
BLAST FROM THE PAST — Last year, the spring Coffeehouse theme was the ’90s. planning to sing along with a track will not be permitted to perform. Musical acts are required to sign up with all group members present as well as provide their own instruments, amps and cables at auditions. SA will provide drum kits for the tryouts in order to remain time efficient. Video submissions should be entered to the SA Office during their office hours (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) or during audition times. Videos should not exceed five minutes in duration. Any videos with footage of “illegal or unlawful activity” (which also refers to the Liberty Way) will not be considered, according to the SA rules. For more information about regulations, go to liberty.edu/campusrec/ studentactivities. For drama, dance or other performances,
it is crucial to come prepared with lines and routines completely memorized and music correctly formatted as it would be at the real event. However, full costumes, sets or stage props are not necessary for auditions. According to Ward, Coffeehouse auditions see close to 70 acts and more than 20 videos each semester, although only about 30 altogether are chosen to perform or air. Members of the SA staff judge performances based upon a range of criteria, including song choice, stage presence, vocals and simply how well the act fits with the overall theme of the show. “There’s a lot of talent here at Liberty,” Ward said. “Coffeehouse is one of the most unique experiences on our campus. From bands to skits and videos, the student body has so much to offer. You pay (under
$10) to see some of the best performers on campus come together for one night. I don’t know that I’ve seen anything like it anywhere else.” Ward expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming show while giving some insight on specific performances she is eager to see. “I am excited about the theme overall,” Ward said. “I think it’s going to be a big hit and I’m really hoping we see some awesome costumes of famous celebrities, (but) anyone that can pull off a Michael Jackson moonwalk while performing a song of his takes home the trophy in my book.” For performers, this semester’s Coffeehouse is an opportunity to honor those that have left a lasting impression in the world of music, television and film, while building their very own legacy. For others, it is a chance to take a break from the often hectic and stress-filled season of exams and deadlines to enjoy talented performances while surrounded by friends and fellow classmates. The show is set for Saturday, April 9 at 11:30 p.m. in the Vines Center. Tickets can be purchased from the Vines Box Office or the online Student Tickets portal. Early bird general admission tickets are $3 until March 11. The price will then increase to $5 until April 9 and will be $7 at the door. Floor tables for the show are officially sold out. For more information on the rules, audition times or ticket purchases, visit liberty.edu/studentactivities.
ELLIOTT is a feature reporter.
Competitive community Students, faculty and staff challenged each other at the rock wall Feb. 26 Abby Sweeney asweeney8@liberty.edu
Dozens of students watched as climbers conquered the rock wall with strength and finesse. The bouldering competition kicked off Student Activities’ Outdoor Rec Fest Feb. 26. The competition was held at the LaHaye Student Union rock wall. Students, faculty and staff competed in three different categories, each having three winners and a top female overall prize. Raffle prizes were given to participants throughout the event as well. “It’s been really exciting to see the culture and just the numbers, and everybody kind of grow slowly but surely and get more and more interested in it and become more passionate about it,” rock wall Coordinator Elliot Gaunt said. More than 80 participants competed for the top spot in either the beginner, intermediate or advanced category. The females did better than ever, according to Gaunt. “The female competition was the best we’ve ever had, so it was really fun to watch them compete,” Gaunt said. “So maybe we’ll have their own category instead of just a top female prize eventually.” Competing for her second time, freshman Haylynn Gaunt won the top female overall category. “My favorite part about the competition is certainly just the community. … Everyone is so close,” Haylynn Gaunt said. “Sportsmanship was the theme for the night, and seeing everyone cheering each other on and just having an awesome time in fellowship is such an awesome experience, not to mention the music is always spectacular.” Although the majority of competitors were male, Haylynn Gaunt did not let it intimidate her. “I did not find it intimidating competing with mostly males because I was really shooting for overall female and I am currently climbing quite well,”
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
CHALK UP — More than 80 participants gathered at the LaHaye Student Union rock wall to compete at different levels of difficulty. Haylynn Gaunt said. “In climbing, it really does not make much of a difference between male and female climbers as each problem plays to different strengths. For example, guys tend to struggle on problems with more crimpy (smaller and thinner) holds, but because I have smaller hands I can usually excel in this area.” First place winner of the advanced category, sophomore Tristan Landon, had put the time and effort into training for the competition. “From the moment I started, it became my favorite thing,” Landon said. Landon has competed every semester he has been at Liberty. He placed first in the intermediate category his first semester. The next three semesters after that, he has won first place in the advanced category. According to Landon, he devotes about two to six hours a
day at the rock wall and he spent the most time there during his freshman year. “I would do (homework) from when I got out of class until about (3 p.m.),” Landon said. “I’d go to the wall, leave the wall at 9 (p.m.) or 10 (p.m.), finish (schoolwork) at night and do it all over the next day.” Landon’s advice to other climbers and hopefuls was simple. “Practice,” Landon said. “Just time ... put time in. The most common thing I hear whenever I try to get people to climb is, ‘oh, I’m not good at it’ and I wasn’t good at it when I started and I’m here a year and a half later. Just have fun. You don’t have to do it because you want to win.” The LaHaye Student Union offers three different classes covering the styles and techniques of climbing. Each class is offered three times a semester. The top roping and boulder-
ing classes are open to beginners and experts upon passing the LaHaye Student Union’s Belay Test. The lead climbing class is geared toward intermediate and expert climbers and require completion of the other two classes first. “There’s a lot to that class, so that’s why I have to make sure that they have that base knowledge before they can take that class,” Elliot Gaunt said. The LaHaye Student Union also offers an outdoor rock climbing trip once a semester that provides transportation, food and safety equipment. “They get to go out and climb on real rocks and see how they’re doing on real rock climbing,” Elliot Gaunt said. Elliot Gaunt has been climbing for six years and has watched the program grow. “That’s what makes me really excited — to see other people get
passionate about it, so it’s been fun,” Elliot Gaunt said. Elliot Gaunt enjoys the sport and the new challenges it brings. “Climbing … it’s a constant challenge,” Elliot Gaunt said. “Even if you get stronger, there’s gonna be something harder. You get better, there’s gonna be another challenge that shuts you down or something like that. Like as soon as you think you’re good at something, you find something else that you have to work on. So it’s just a constant improving, critiquing, and changing that just always keeps me coming back.” For more information about the rock wall classes and events, visit liberty.edu/campusrec/studentunion.
SWEENEY is a feature reporter.
feature
Liberty Champion | March 1, 2016 | B7
Engraving, evangelizing The Olson family aims to share the gospel through ‘Against the Grain Laser’ Rachael Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus spoke those words to the brothers Simon and Andrew, who were fishermen by trade, when he invited them to become his disciples. More than 2,000 years later, the Olson family decided to embrace the words of Jesus in a unique way: by creating “fish boards” — skateboards and longboards designed to look like fish, with Bible verses engraved underneath. After retiring from a 26 year career in the Air Force, Chuck Olson and his wife, Lou, along with their son and daughter, Austin and Casey, left Oahu, Hawaii in May 2014, to make the cross country trek to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Austin and Casey would begin their freshman year at Liberty University. The move turned into a month-and-a half-long road trip as the Olsons stopped to visit family and friends along the way. With plans for creating fish boards in mind, the family stopped in Las Vegas, Nevada, to purchase a laser engraver. Then they began pondering what they should name their business. “We liked the name ‘Grafted’ at first, but it turned into ‘Against the Grain Laser,’” Austin Olson said. “I like it because the wood we use, it’s like a bamboo composite. It’s solid bamboo, and you’ve got grain going one way in the middle, and you’ve got it going horizontally, and then vertically, or however you look at it, so it’s like crossgrain — against the grain.” While the bamboo itself is unique, the Olsons settled on “Against the Grain Laser” because it represents their family’s mission. “We want to be counter-cultural,” Chuck Olson said. “We want to be against the grain for God.” Once the family arrived in Lynchburg in July 2014, they set up shop in the basement of their home, and started to work creating their skateboards, longboards, plaques and other gifts. Because fish on wheels are a bit unusual, the Olsons have a creative way to share the gospel with those who may have never heard of Jesus. “It’s kind of an attention getter,” Austin Olson said. “I get maybe eight to 15 people a day comment when I carry one around
Photo Provided
BUSINESS — The Olsons use bamboo and literally go against the grain of the wood in order to create the art pieces displayed. here at Liberty, and they don’t even know the ministry purposes behind it yet. So I always imagine wherever (you are), the board is going to start a conversation with somebody. … (It) opens a door to share your testimony and share that Bible verse. … It’s for ministry purposes to get people to be more evangelic, but it’s kind of neat because the other person is usually going to be starting the conversation. It just opens a door for you to share.” Owning and operating a small business is no easy task. And, as the Olsons are quick to point out, God has not only used the business in the lives of others, but in their own lives as well. “Well, by working with family I’ve realized that patience is something that I thought I had a lot more of,” Casey Olson said. “This may be one of the simpler areas he’s growing me in (and) through this business, but it’s been one of the most noticeable to me.” Not only does each member of the Olson family have a specific role in the business, but they are also all students at
Liberty University. Chuck and Lou Olson are completing their degrees online — a masters in business administration and an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies, respectively — while Austin and Casey Olson take classes on campus. Austin Olson is majoring in global studies with a minor in aviation, and Casey Olson is majoring in Judaic studies with a minor in biblical languages. Finding balance between school, work and relaxation proves to be quite difficult at times. “This is definitely the most challenging area,” Lou Olson said. “Our classes come first and the shop time is play time in our free time. We’re not promoting much other than our next fair at Vintage Lynchburg April 30.” The Olsons participated in their first craft fair held Dec. 12, 2015, called “Craftburg,” sponsored by Sodexo and hosted by Liberty University. In addition to their fish boards, they sold artwork, some of which was created in collaboration with fellow Liberty students.
“The artwork we display is pointed directly to Scripture,” Lou Olson said. “Its intent is to prompt others to seek the deeper meaning and dig deeper into God’s word. We hope that our creative expressions will remind and encourage people everyday and bring spiritual revival to our hearts. We have hope for the future in Christ alone and no matter who you are and what you do, be a shining light for all to see. By simply sharing the love of Christ we make this world a better place.” For those interested in purchasing a fish board or artwork from Against the Grain Laser, visit againstthegrainlaser. com, like the Facebook page at facebook. com/against-the-grain-laser or follow the Olsons on Instagram at instagram.com/ againstthegrainlaser.
GRAF is a feature reporter.
Just her cup of tea Patricia Hutto explains the British history behind the Ploughcroft Tea Room Ellie Fraser efraser2@liberty.edu
Marked by a waving British flag, the Ploughcroft Tea Room is quintessentially British in all things from décor to food, despite its location in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. Owner and creator Patricia Hutto was born in Dover, England and moved to the U.S. after marrying an American man. She opened the Ploughcroft Tea Room six years ago. Prior to living in Lynchburg, Hutto lived in the Virginia Beach area where she operated a tearoom for 14 years, accompanied by much success. According to Hutto, the larger British population in Virginia Beach made an ideal location for a tearoom. But once her husband retired, they moved to Lynchburg, making Hutto unsure if there was a big enough customer base for a new tearoom. Hutto taught at Sweet Briar College for 10 years, and while there she hosted four English teas. Because of the event’s popularity, Hutto was forced to turn people away. “I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I could open a tearoom in Lynchburg,’ and it’s been amazing,” Hutto said. When it comes to atmosphere at the tearoom, expect to find dainty teacups carefully placed on each table and a bookshelf complete with London guides and a silver Big Ben figurine.
“This is typically what you would see in an English tea room,” Hutto said. “I think that’s why it’s so successful. It’s not at all American.” Hutto drew much of her inspiration for the tearoom from early life in England. She grew up at the Plough Inn, a building more than 300 years old, according to Hutto. “My parents bought (the Plough Inn) and named it Ploughcroft,” Hutto said. “It’s still there,
but my parents passed away and my sister and I sold it. I go visit it once in awhile. That’s how the name Ploughcroft Tea Room came about. I thought it was appropriate.” Hutto thoughtfully designed each menu item and attributes that to part of the Ploughcroft Tea Room’s success. “Every (menu item) is custom from me,” Hutto said. “The food is typically English. There is no American flavoring. It’s freshly
made everyday. (At) lunch time we do homemade soups that are made fresh every morning. Chicken and mushroom pie is probably one of the favorite (menu items), and both of our chicken salads are popular.” Because of the Ploughcroft Tea Room’s growing success, Hutto decided an expansion was needed. “I’ve got almost 30 private parties booked between now and the end of June,” Hutto said. “I had
to do something because (parties) were filling up the tearoom, and there was nowhere to put anybody. I was losing customers, really. People that just walked in and didn’t have a reservation were turned away.” The expansion will feature a new room designated for group parties and special events, but an English atmosphere will continue throughout. “The door that’s going in between (the two rooms) is actually the original door from this building,” Hutto said. “So we’re still keeping with the old stuff.” Hutto is proud of the Ploughcroft Tea Room’s success and has enjoyed her best year of business so far. “I was a little uncertain opening it in Lynchburg with not too many ‘Brits’ hanging around here,” Hutto said. “It’s just the idea that has caught on, and this is my best year so far.” For anyone wishing to experience the Ploughcroft’s English charm and house-made food, Hutto advises making a reservation prior to visiting to ensure a seat. Reservations can be made by calling 434-832-7467. For special event or menu information visit facebook.com/ PloughcroftTeaRoom or ploughcrofttearoom.com.
Ellie Fraser | Liberty Champion
SPOT OF TEA — The Ploughcroft Tea Room is owned and operated by British-born Patricia Hutto.
FRASER is a copy editor.
B8
FEATURE rock the competition
March 1, 2016
Play on
Intramurals still open for teams Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu
Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion
BOULDERING — The Outdoor Rec Fest started Feb. 26 as competitors challenged each other at the LaHaye Student Union rock wall.
See COMPETITIVE, B6
Outreach to Asia Liberty hockey players will spend spring break overseas William Rice wsrice@liberty.edu
Despite having finished their last game, the Liberty University Division I Men’s Hockey team continues its involvement both on and off the ice by gearing up for its first cultural engagement trip to East Asia. The team will complete this outreach program during spring break, leaving March 10 and returning March 19. The trip will allow the hockey players to connect with the culture of East Asia, share stories and compete athletically. “The doors have really opened over there,” Associate Head Coach Jeff Beottger said. “We are going to be running some youth hockey clinics and we’re playing four games. Our first game will be with a club team, the second will be an Asian national team, the third game is with an under 20 league, and the fourth game will be with a university from South Korea. So there’s a lot of different levels, and impact opportunities.” According to Beottger, the hockey program is hoping to establish international partnerships through this trip by joining the other teams in a meal after the games, and possibly organizing a function at Liberty for the abroad teams. “Sports really break down barriers and allow for connections,” Beottger said. “We might even be able to recruit some players.” Beottger, a former professional hockey player, participated in similar trips when he was 20 years old, and now has been encouraging
Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion
CROSSING CULTURES — Most of Liberty’s Division I Men’s hockey team will travel to Asia. his players to travel like he did. “It’s great to be able to see this type of thing done with Liberty hockey, because it had a huge impact on my life,” Beottger said. “There’s a lot of growth that can come from this.” And while the hockey players are giving up their spring breaks for a trip halfway across the globe, the team members do not consider this opportunity to be sacrificial. “I don’t look at it as giving up my spring break, it’s a trip of a life time,” the team’s captain said. “I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to every aspect of this trip.” The hockey team has launched several campaigns to raise funds for the trip, the most recent of which being a “Division 4” hockey game, where the
Division I hockey team competed against the rink employees. Throughout this “Division 4” game, spectators could donate money and set stipulations and obstacles for the players. “During the first period, my teammate and I were tied together with bands from the gym,” the team captain said. “We were slingshot-ing each other, skating backwards, and taking other people out with the band, which would then make us fall. We actually took out our goalie in warm-ups when we accidentally close lined him with the band. During the second period, I had to play with the butt end of my stick and I had my skates tied together. I was just falling all over the place. It was honestly one of the funniest moments I’ve had in a while.”
Each player has the obligation to raise $2,200 for the trip, however, they work as a team to make sure nobody is left behind for financial reasons. “The guys have done an awesome job (raising money), and for the last month or so it’s been pretty hard,” Boettger said. “So we’re just trying to finalize the last few thousand dollars to be able to wrap it up.” As well as trying to encourage his team, Boettger also encourages others to help with this trip by donating to the team through hockey@liberty.edu. Editor’s Note: Names and locations have been changed for security purposes.
RICE is a feature reporter.
From disc golf to intense basketball competitions, Liberty’s intramural sports offer a range of athletic activities. Intramural sports are lower-level athletic competitions, which allow for students of varying athletic ability to compete in their chosen sport. Over the course of a semester, students have access to more than 20 intramural sports and competitions. Men’s, women’s and coed teams exist throughout the intramural spectrum. Non-athletic students need not fear — there is an intramural for everyone, according to the Associate Director of Intramural Sports, Steve Chamberlin. Chamberlin noted broomball as an example. “That seems to be the most fun sport that kids like to play, regardless of athletic ability,” Chamberlin said. “Anybody can play it, it doesn’t re- IMLEAGUES quire athletic ability.” A flag football tournament will be held April 15-16 with both a men and women’s division. The team participation fee is $30 per team, with a six player minimum and a 14 player maximum. Coed beach volleyball runs from April 1 to April 17, requiring a $50 team payment. At least two females are required per team, with a maximum of six players per team. Games are played on Sunday nights at the Liberty Mountain Intramural Complex. This semester, the start of intramural softball was delayed due to construction around the intramural athletic fields. However, both men and women’s softball will still take place this semester, with a registration deadline of March 7. “We are anticipating around 40 softball teams this semester, combining men and women,” Chamberlin said. “By far, our biggest (sports) are usually basketball, coed volleyball, and then soccer.” Outdoor soccer will run until April 15. There are separate teams for men and women, both with a minimum of eight players and a maximum of 18. The season has already begun, but March 7 is the official registration cut-off. Both racquetball and disc golf can be played alone or with friends for a $5 player fee. Registration ends March 2 for both sports. The racquetball season runs from March 4 to April 15, and the disc golf season runs from March 7 to April 15. Intramural tennis offers flexibility with four different teams. Both men and women’s teams have singles and doubles. The season runs from March 7 to April 15, with a registration deadline of March 2. Contests and competitions are also offered, such as the slam-dunk contest, which will be held on April 13. That same day, a 3-point basketball competition will be held with a division for men and women. Many intramurals, like basketball and indoor soccer, begin soon after the start of the semester. As the semester goes along, new intramurals may be offered based on student interest. Sports such as “wallyball,” a sport much like indoor volleyball but played in a racquetball court according to walleyball-info.com, which debuted at Liberty in early February, may reappear. Intramurals are played at different locations across campus. To register for an intramural, visit the Intramural Sports link on the Campus Recreation page. For assistance, visit the Campus Recreation office in Green Hall on the mezzanine level. For more information about the Campus Recreation office, when to visit and who to contact, go to liberty.edu/campusrec intramuralsports. MOYER is a feature reporter.