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Volume 32 | Issue 19 March 31, 2015

in the year of our Lord

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BEHIND THE CAMERA — Juan Pablo Di Pace plays the role of Jesus. He is replacing Diogo Morgado, who portrayed him in the original Bible miniseries.

New series unveiled Ed Hindson gives theological advice for ‘A.D. the Bible Continues’ Rachael Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu

Action. Drama. Intrigue. Tragedy. Victory. This is “A.D. the Bible Continues,” where a 2,000-year-old, biblical story and 21st-century prime-time TV collide. “This is not your grandmother’s flannelgraph story of the book of Acts,” Ed Hindson, dean of Liberty University’s School of Religion, said. Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, will not only mark the celebration of Jesus’ victory over the grave, but it will also mark a significant event in

prime-time television history. For the first time ever the New Testament book of Acts will come to life in the homes of millions of viewers around the world. Produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, the series seeks to examine how an ancient faith continues to impact a postmodern world. “To understand Christianity in general, you need to understand its roots and how it got started. And that story is told in the book of Acts,” Hindson said. “The story of the faith and courage of the early disciples, but the human side of their fears and their concerns, how the church was established, how it grew. It’s a people movement.

It is not institutional at this point at all, which I think portrays the real heart, the genuine movement of the Christian church that Jesus really intended in the first place. They have done a superb job of telling that story.” At the recommendation of Johnnie Moore, chief of staff to Burnett and former Vice President of Executive Projects and Media Relations at Liberty University, Hindson, who is also the dean of Liberty University’s Institute of Biblical Studies and a distinguished professor of religion, served as a biblical content adviser for the A.D. series, examining the scripts to make sure the story of the book of Acts was told accurately, bearing in

mind the values and beliefs of Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical and Jewish viewers, as well as unbelievers. “First of all, when I think of Christian scholars, and I know lots of Christian scholars, I would almost without question put Ed Hindson at the very, very top of the list,” Moore said. “Dr. Hindson has played a really, really significant role as one of the top two or three faith advisers of the entire program of ‘A.D.’ He’s provided absolutely indispensable advice. He’s had a combination of excellent academic understanding coupled with faith sensibility in a way that connects

See BIBLE, A7

Weapons fired for reenactment ROTC cadets to learn about historic battle tactics used during the Civil War Emily Hoosier eahoosier@liberty.edu

File Photo

ARMED — Students given a glimpse of war tactics.

Liberty hosted several events this spring celebrating the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. The celebratory season will literally go out with a bang during the final scheduled event when Civil War reenactors fire a cannon behind the Hancock Welcome Center. The Liberty ROTC Eagle Battalion and the Department of History are sponsoring Liberty’s first Civil War Battle Tactics and Weaponry Encampment Thursday, April 2 at 3 p.m.–5:30 p.m. on the field behind Hancock Welcome Center. The primary audience is Liberty and University of Virginia ROTC cadets, but

the event is open to the public. Sponsors are expecting 400 cadets to attend. “The genesis of the idea was that our cadets go on a staff ride to Fredericksburg every year,” Maj. Bret Hamilton said. “We go through the battlefield and what happened, but one thing we don’t do very well is talk about the different technologies and weapons.” Hamilton said a lot of cadets have trouble understanding why Civil War soldiers fought in certain ways, such as standing in lines on opposite ends of a field. “It’s just different than the way it is now,” Hamilton said. “In the last 150 years, there have been a lot of evolutions of military technology and tactics. It’s a good

opportunity to get (cadets’) hands on what (soldiers) were using at the time, because if you take it out of context, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Liberty Army ROTC cadets will attend the Civil War Day Encampment event before its annual trip to the Fredericksburg battlefield Thursday, April 16. “Before they go on the Fredericksburg battlefield, (cadets) should see the tools soldiers were using,” Hamilton said. “It starts to make more sense of why they formed into lines.” At the event, groups of attendees will tour five stations, each exhibiting a different aspect of the Civil War, in sequence, stopping at each station as an expert gives a 15-minute presentation.

Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs commemerates Vietnam War. A3

Opinion

Editors take different sides on the university’s ban of R-rated films. A5

Sports

Freshman outfielder Tori Zavodny follows in her sister’s footsteps. B4

See FIRED A2

Feature

News Opinion

Local artisans sell their work at biannual Vintage Lynchburg market. B6

A1 A4

Sports Feature

B1 B4

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

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Kenny Rowlette, director of the National Civil War Chaplains Museum, is leading the first station, which exhibits Civil War weapons. He will show each group replica guns, swords and knives and will talk about how the new weapons introduced in the Civil War changed warfare. “The Civil War is the last of the old wars and almost the first of the new wars,” Rowlette said. “The weapons changed warfare quite a bit.” Rowlette said the smooth board muskets soldiers used early in the war were not as precise as the new rifles at the typical 100-yard distance. Once soldiers began shooting the new rifles, a new method of taking cover in trenches

news

A2 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Experts participate in seminar History Department commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Jacob Clarke jclarke3@liberty.edu

Liberty University’s 19th Annual Civil War Seminar commemorated the 150th anniversary of the end of the war by focusing on its final year — 1865. The seminar took place March 27-28 and began with an evening banquet and keynote address, followed by a day of lectures by renowned Civil War experts. The event, hosted by the Department of History, sought to inform guests about the most important moments in the war and how they shaped today’s society. “I hope guests have a greater understanding of why the Civil War was so important — a defining moment in American history,” Liberty professor Christopher Jones said. “It helps us understand why our nation is the way it is today both culturally and politically.” Dr. Steven Woodworth, a professor at Texas Christian University and author and contributor to more than 30 books on the subject, addressed the audience Friday night with a message about President

Abraham Lincoln and also closed out the event Saturday afternoon. Woodworth emphasized the vast number of lessons that can be learned from such a trying period in the nation’s history. “Aside from any specific lesson we learn, I think we also gain wisdom from history,” Woodworth said. “I think there’s much to be gained from learning how people dealt with very difficult times.” The second day featured five sessions on various aspects of the war. David Jon White, a returning speaker, detailed the elections that took place in Virginia during the war, and Dr. James Finck of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma discussed the governor’s race in Kentucky. Each of the speakers shared from his specific area of expertise and was available to answer questions from the audience. The seminar welcomed guests of varying degrees of knowledge about the Civil War. There were some who had been studying the period for many years, while others were not as well versed on the subject. The speakers

Civil War Celebration Ash Brownd ebrownd@liberty.edu

Erica O’Rock | Liberty Champion

RE-ENACTMENT — Experts recreate key battles. kept both parties in mind by providing background information before exploring topics in depth. Among the crowd of more than 100 was Liberty senior Becky Barker, a history student and Civil War enthusiast. After discovering some of her ancestors fought in the war, she became eager to learn more. “I was here last year, and it was very informative,” Barker said. “It’s always interesting to hear different perspectives on what happened and hear insights on things I didn’t know about. It’s a great way to expand my

historical knowledge.” Lucius Clay, attending the seminar for the sixth time, said he has always been interested in the war. He noted that he continues to attend the event because it features something different every year. “The Civil War has it all, whether you’re interested in individual courage, morality or military tactics,” Clay said. “It was a huge transition. It’s fascinating,”

CLARKE is a feature reporter.

Tweet us with the hashtag #whatsuplu at @LUChampionNews or email us at libertychampionmedia@gmail.com with any upcoming events that you want to share and we will put it in the newspaper.

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champion clarification In last week’s issue of the Champion, we published an article about current Student Government Association (SGA) President Quincy Thompson. The article was written as a profile of Thompson, as he is the only person in Liberty history to hold the office as a junior. The article was in no way meant to endorse Thompson for the upcoming election. An additional article in last week’s issue about the upcoming SGA election mentioned the intention of other students to run for student body positions. The Champion does not endorse any candidate mentioned in the article. The Champion is in no way associated with SGA and was not made aware of any rules pertaining to the timing of election bid announcements.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the ending of the Civil War. The war lasted four years before Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee officially surrendered April 9, 1865 in Appomattox, Virginia. In honor of the sesquicentennial anniversary, the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park will be hosting a number of events from Wednesday, April 8 through Sunday, April 12. All events in the park will be free and open to the public, according to the park’s website. • April 8 – A three-phase interpretive program will focus on the Battle of Appomattox Station. The program will occur in real time with each phase occurring approximately when and where the phases of the actual battle occurred. The three phases will be at 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. • April 9 – Park Historian Patrick Schroeder will discuss the Battle of Appomattox Court House, including stories of the soldiers who died there and how the battle played into Lee’s decision to surrender. Re-enactors will also participate in a real-time firing demonstration at 7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. • April 10 – A program called the Surrender Meeting at 1 p.m. will examine the famous meeting between Lee and Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. • April 11 – The event Why Appomattox / The Campaign at 1 p.m. will look at both Lee and Grant’s campaigns in the area, as well as why the surrender took place there. • April 12 – Dr. David Blight of Yale University will hold a session at 2 p.m. examining the aftermath and legacy of the surrender at Appomattox. For information on more park events celebrating the anniversary of the Appomattox surrender, visit the sesquicentennial anniversary page on the park’s website at nps.gov/apco/150th-anniversary-of-appomattoxcourt-house.htm. BROWND is a copy editor.

FIRED continued from A1 started to take place. “(Soldiers) were standing close and really hitting their targets,” Rowlette said. “This got to be crazy, because the deaths and the wounds were just getting enormous. Not only do you have more accurate weapons, but you have weapons that fire more quickly.” Reenactors will demonstrate drills and the process of loading weapons. They will also display items that Civil War soldiers carried with them, such as canteens and leather gear. Another station is dedicated to medicine and surgery. “Everyone knows the horror stories of Civil War medicine,” Rowlette said. “In the old days, bullets were .58 caliber (15 mm or about half an inch). When they hit the hand or the arm or the leg, they smashed bone.” Rowlette said those bullets caused irreparable damage, leaving wartime surgeons few options beyond amputation. “They cut off limbs because there was no way for them to repair such damage,” Rowlette said. “They

also knew nothing about sterilization.” Another station of the tour will pay tribute to several Civil War chaplains. “In addition to preaching to the soldiers, writing and reading letters and counseling them, chaplains were a very practical part of the military, because they kept men away from vices,” Rowlette said. “You need to keep these soldiers busy, but you couldn’t drill them all day long. There had to be some down time.” The final stations will focus on infantry and artillery, including a functioning cannon. Rowlette said armies in the Civil War began to use field artillery as an offensive weapon toward the front line rather than as a defensive weapon toward the back. The firing demonstration will begin at 4:45 p.m. Rowlette said the cannon will be fired with a reduced charge due to the location. Attendees will find designated parking spaces near the Liberty University Bookstore.

HOOSIER is a news reporter.

POLICIES & INFO Emily Brown editor-in-chief

Tré Goins-Phillips

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The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University. All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received— according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement.

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news

Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | A3

Amber Tiller | Liberty Champion

PATRIOTS — Veterans from various American wars gathered at the Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg to pay tribute to those who fought in the Vietnam War.

Vietnam War remembered Office of Military Affairs partners with local veteran groups to honor sacrifices Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu

The rain could not hinder the American patriotism that radiated from the corner of Ninth and Court Street in downtown Lynchburg March 27. In celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the Vietnam War ending April 1975, Liberty’s Office Of Military Affairs held a Vietnam War Commemoration event at the Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg. The event started at 1 p.m.

when veterans and their families gathered for cookies, coffee and hot chocolate. The veterans welcomed each other as they flooded the sidewalk, most dressed in either a hat or jacket that displayed their branch in the military or the word “veteran.” Signs reading “Honk if you support our troops” that were placed along the street led to a barrage of blaring horns and applause from those who passed by the event. Veterans held up multiple military flags, as well as two American flags as they stood in the rain.

Kathi Kuenzi, who works at the Office of Military Affairs, said this event is a take on something that happens every Friday. “This is where all the Veterans meet,” Kuenzi said. “I am a veteran also, and we meet here every Friday at noon. “ Kuenzi said Lynchburg veteran Steve Bozeman was the one who started the event in November 2001. “Today particularly we are partnering with Mr. Bozeman to pay special tribute to the Vietnam veterans since this is the 40th anniversary since the war (ended),”

Kuenzi said. “Liberty University has a partnership with the Department of Defense right now, and this is our first event together.” At around 12:30 p.m., Liberty graduate student and staff member Stephanie Lambert sang the national anthem while veterans and surrounding spectators saluted the American flag. Soon after, veterans spoke about their gratitude for the event, and one Veteran shared a poem that spoke of his appreciation of veterans and particularly of Vietnam veterans. The names of 27 soldiers who died in the war from Lynchburg

and the surrounding areas were read. After each name was read, a bell rang to honor their memory. Taps was played as veterans removed their hats and paid tribute to those who had fallen. The event ended around 2 p.m. with a closing prayer, and then veterans and their families were invited to take free T-shirts from the Office of Military Affairs. According to Kuenzi, there will be a Liberty baseball game on Sunday, April 12 that will honor Vietnam War veterans. FOLEY is a news reporter.

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OPINION

March 31, 2015

U.S. in diplomatic depression Iran nuclear deal proves to ignite frustrations between Netanyahu, Obama Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu

Last week, Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected as prime minister of Israel despite the best efforts of President Barack Obama’s administration. Netanyahu promised before his election there would not be a Palestinian state under his watch, much to the chagrin of the U.S. administration. The president and his foreign policy team, who have been trying to strike a deal with the Iranian government over the past few weeks, have been treating our allies like our enemies and our enemies like our allies. Multiple White House officials have attacked Netanyahu for his comments on the Iranian-U.S. deal despite his apologies and redactions of his statements. “We cannot simply pretend that those comments were never made or that they don’t raise questions about the prime minister’s commitment to achieving peace

through direct negotiations,” White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said at the pro-Israel J Street conference. Yet it does not seem to bother those same people that Ayatollah Khamenei declared “Death to America” at his New Year’s message. This statement, as CNN reported, is seen by the Obama administration as merely “intended for a domestic political audience,” and State Secretary John Kerry recently remarked, “We have great respect — great respect — for the religious importance of a fatwa.” This comical double standard is summarized well in Jeryl Bier’s article in the Weekly Standard. “Even for veteran observers of Middle Eastern policies, it must be disorienting to witness the benefit of the doubt extended to the worst state sponsor of terrorism whose ‘Supreme Leader’ wishes ‘Death to America,’ while this nation’s closest ally in the Middle East (and also a target of death wishes by Iran’s supreme leader) is

met with the wounded lament, ‘I think we just don’t know what to believe at this point,’” Bier wrote. Obama’s actions are grounded in an almost apologetic mindset for the position of authority the United States has gained in the world. From Russia’s gains in Eastern Europe to Syria’s crossing of Obama’s “red line” in dropping chemical weapons on its citizens, the administration has been showing a “strange new diffidence” that has many around the world terrified. “The common theme in all these examples is that somehow the United States (or its allies) is portrayed as being culpable for current problems,” Military historian Victor Davis Hanson recently wrote. This theme is being played out daily as Christians are warned not to judge ISIS because of the Crusades, and the military budget has been cut to historically low levels. It reflects even more in the American political environment

Google Images

RIFT — Foreign policy created chasm between U.S. and Israeli state. where the Democratic Party “has moved from being a traditional American, pro-Israel Democratic Party to a European-style left wing, mostly anti-Israel party” according to Bill Kristol. The Democrats, who have relied heavily on coalitions for the last 30 years, may be driving their pro-

Israel faction out of the party all together. It may not be sudden, but this shift could take place, and it is up to Republicans to see the opportunity to capitalize off of the president’s poor policies. SUTHERLAND is an opinion editor.

Creflo (wants a) Dollar or two After much pushback, Georgia televangelist reverses request for private jet Leah Depiero ldepiero@liberty.edu

Atlanta-based televangelist Creflo Dollar wants a few bucks to add to his name. $60 million, to be exact. After continued controversy, the moneyed minister walked back his request for “200,000 people committed to sow $300 or more” into his private jet request, according to CNN. “The word of God is the gateway to the world of wealth,” Dollar said in a CNN video. This is a misrepresentation of Scripture, encouraging people to donate money simply so they can then receive more money from God. Gaining money should never be an incentive to donate, but Dollar has used an age-old human weakness of greed to gain a mega-church with a large following.

Dollar’s foray into acquiring a personal aircraft was not the first time he has lavishly spent money, as he reportedly has a $2.3 million house outside Atlanta. According to CNN, Dollar and his wife also sold their Manhattan condominium for $3.75 million. Due to the fact that the money he receives from parishioners is tax-exempt and his church does not need to give information on how the money is spent, no one knows how much money he actually has. Google Images While Dollar has personally denied using money CRASH — After much controversy, Georgia pastor’s $60 million plane did not take off. from offerings for his own use and says he has pur- ing a probe into how these what the government finds, take all teaching, not only chased homes and cars for prosperous pastors used it is biblical truth by which that of pastors of megapeople in his congregation, their money, according these ministers should churches but small churchhe has still come under fire to CBS News. conduct themselves. es or any position of for his spending. Dollar, Ultimately, the Senate This is a time for believ- Christian leadership, and along with six other promi- investigation was inconclu- ers in the global church determine whether it lines nent televangelists, was sive in its effort to ensure or to remember to never up with Scripture. Prayer, subject to investigation by discredit the legitimacy of give total, unwavering daily Bible reading and the Senate Committee on these ministries’ nonprofit allegiance to any one man or discretion are all needed to Finance in 2007, launch- statuses. Regardless of woman. Rather, they must be sure false teaching does

CONVO CONNECTION These three words come to mind when I ponder the events that took place on Liberty’s campus this past week — unprecedented, historic and monumental. Unless you have been under a rock, you know Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, publicly announced March 23 to the Liberty

community and national media that he will be running for president of the United States. Because I work under David Nasser with the Convocation team, I was able to witness and participate in the behind-the-scenes whirlwind that took place hours before the senator’s announcement. It was fascinating. Preparation for the event and the influx of media and security was abundant. It was exciting and somewhat intimidating at the same time.

by Emily Brown When someone hurls an insult at you, whether jokingly or in a serious manner, you probably get defensive or send an equally insulting phrase right back at the offender. Though this seems to be the immediate response of most people in our generation, one person, a 13-year-old girl, chose to rise above the immaturity when she responded to a rude — and downright mean — tweet directed toward her.

During what was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, there was a deeply profound moment I will never forget — a simple, childlike gesture that has stuck with me. In the midst of the busyness, one of Ted Cruz’s young daughters, Caroline Cruz, ran up to me and hugged me. I will never forget that hug and the look on her sweet, innocent face. Caroline Cruz has no idea what her father and family are up against. She has no idea that she

This girl is Mo’ne Davis. She generally makes headlines because of her unbelievable pitching ability in the sport of baseball — not softball, by the way. But this time, her humility rather than her athletic prowess has put her in the news. About a week ago, a college baseball player tweeted something in response to Disney Channel making a movie about Davis, calling her an inappropriate name and mocking her for her performance in the Little League World Series. He was promptly kicked off his college team. Only a couple days later, Davis asked the school to reinstate the player. “It hurt on my part, but he hurt even more,” Davis said in a “Sports Center” interview. “If it was me, I would want to take that back. I know how hard he’s worked. Why not give him a second chance? I would be impressed by any person that could respond in a similar manner. A

lives in world that is hostile to the conservative moral values and Christian ideology her father so valiantly proclaims. She does not understand that the world she lives in now will not be the same world in which she will one day raise her own children. But what Caroline Cruz does know, in all its beauty and simplicity, is that a hug is good. I will never forget Caroline Cruz’s hug. It reminded me to live out in childlike faith what I know

response like this from a 13-year-old girl, who had every right to be hurt and angry with the player, is even more impressive. Davis could have answered with a quick hit to the player’s pride, sarcastically asking him to show the thousands of articles praising him for his talent. She could have called him out for having nothing better to do than to spend his time crafting such an immature tweet. She could have yelled back in anger with equally rude, or possibly even more offensive, words. But she did not do any of those things. Commentators and writers across the nation have fuel for all kinds of responses through this situation. They have written about how Davis, and women in general, should not have to endure such ridicule. They have written about whether the player should actually be allowed back on the team. What so many of these people miss, though, is the idea that we

not distort the truth of the gospel. Humility — a trait Dollar has not portrayed in his spending — is also a trait Christians should seek after. “I am not sure which is crazier — that Dollar insisted on being treated like the king of a small country or that his church-owned (public relations) firm didn’t realize this inane fundraising plan would backfire,” Charisma News columnist Lee Grady wrote. I think it is time Dollar took a couple zeros off the end of his last name and started using more of the congregation’s tithes and offerings for legitimate evangelism and ministry. As far as I am concerned, he can fly commercial with everyone else. DEPIERO is an opinion writer.

B Y: E R I N K E L LY emkelly2@liberty.edu

to be true — that no matter what is going on around the globe or in my own life, God is still good. And because of his goodness, we have the opportunity to make a difference and impact this generation through simple acts of love and kindness every single day.

should be learning from a girl who is much younger than most of us. At 13 years old, Davis understands the concept of forgiveness — a concept most adults cannot fully grasp or put into practice. Rather than wanting the player to have to suffer for his inappropriate behavior, Davis rose above the idea perpetuated among our generation that people have to get what they deserve. It is time for us to start realizing, like Davis already has, that every time someone offends us, it is not necessary for that person to also suffer simply because we did. Next time someone says something rude to you, next time someone hurts you, next time someone mocks you, keep your mouth shut, and let your actions and decision to forgive, rather than your emotionally charged words, speak for you.

“ “

opinion

Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | A5

“ LE BAN LE BAN “

UT THE BAN OF R-RATED MOVIES

THE

K F

EDITOR’S NOTE

“

IF SOMEONE REALLY DESIRES TO WATCH AN R -RATED MOVIE, THEY WILL WATCH IT ANYWAY.”

Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu

It is always a wonder to me to see what it is that creates debate, inspires discussion and ignites disagreement. Around Liberty’s campus, much of that talk is focused on the R-rated movie rule. Students’ perception of the rule is varied. Some find it absolutely uncalled for while others see value in the ban. Based on Champion research, the latter view is the minority. I have heard the discussion from both sides an innumerable amount of times, and I understand the comments and concerns of each side of the debate. In full disclosure, I have watched a few R-rated movies and, as university President Jerry Falwell wrote in the “Presidential perspective,” there are exceptions to the rule. Some movies with the restricted rating do provide valuable and wholesome content. But to me, the rule has much less to do with R-rated movies being inherently bad and much more to do with teaching and instilling within students respect for their fellow man and woman. “It does create a better atmosphere,” Joel Cockrell, a resident assistant and graduate student at Liberty, told the Champion. “I think it teaches people responsibility, how to handle authority and how to handle people around them. (Liberty’s rules) teach greater values in the end.” As students, many of whom live in close quarters in university dorms, it is important to learn that what is offensive to one may not be offensive to another. Instituting an overarching rule blocking R-rated material is much more feasible than picking and choosing which movies to allow and which to restrict. “If you were to look at R-rated movies as a whole, I think (restricting them) is a good choice,” Abbie Seale, a 2013 Liberty graduate, told the Champion. Though I understand — and generally agree with — the position that, as adults, we should be able to choose what it is we do, watch and say, that is not how the world works. People will always be under some authority and/or have the responsibility to respect those around them. This R-rated movie rule is simply a method of teaching students that respect. With differing views on what is appropriate and what is inappropriate, it is better for the one who finds no issue with R-rated movies to practice restraint than for the one who finds them harmful to have to be

exposed to them while on campus. When a student signs an application to attend Liberty, he or she is also signing an agreement to follow the university’s honor code, which is no secret. There are several rules within the honor code that provide structure. Since its founding, when the university was known as Lynchburg Baptist College, there have been rules — many of which were stricter than the current Liberty Way. The university has changed and adapted to allow for cultural shifts, but the underlying principle of respect has remained. I see the R-rated movie rule just like I do the curfew rule. It is not that being out after midnight is, in and of itself, bad, wrong or harmful, but it can be disrespectful. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals,” Laurence Sterne, an 18th-century Anglican clergyman, said. “Respect for others guides our manners.” The rules that govern us at Liberty help establish within us a structure of respectfulness and a disciple of understanding. This rule is not a mandate on morality. It is — as many of the other rules are — a mandate for consideration. Just as the movie rule does not indicate that all PG-13 movies are good, it does not establish that all R-rated movies are bad. The fact is, when you are dealing with a 13,000-student campus, there have to be generalizations in the rules established. “(Before coming to Liberty), there were a good amount (of movies) that influenced me negatively,” Cockrell said. “I wish there were some movies I didn’t see, so I think it’s been good for me to have that restriction.” At the end of the day, this rule is really about two things: respect for yourself and respect for others. For many, being in this atmosphere is the first opportunity they have had to reexamine the kind of material to which they expose themselves and others. GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.

Josh Janney jjanney@liberty.edu

There are many rules that are questionable in the Liberty Way, but none of them baffle and infuriate me as much as the one that states that Liberty University students cannot watch R-rated movies. The rule makes it nearly impossible for a movie buffs to really explore their passions when the university is preventing them from seeing so many movies that are vital to discussions about film-making, including R-rated classics like “The Godfather” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” But the bigger problem with the rule is that it makes an assumption that all R-rated movies are inherently bad. This is not true. A movie can hold a positive worldview while also depicting acts that are too much to handle for a 13 year old. Depicting R-rated content in a movie is not the same as endorsing it. Pretty much any war movie contains legs and arms getting blown off, but that is necessary in order to accurately depict the setting. R-rated films are more true to real life, and the rating allows for a broader range of topics to be covered. Even when it comes to sexual content, which is what I presume Liberty’s administration is most worried about when it comes to R-rated films, I would argue that the intent of the sex scene is what is more important in terms of content than the amount of nudity shown. “Schindler’s List,” which I saw before I came to Liberty, has several moments of nudity, but I do not think any of those scenes are nearly as degrading or objectifying as the camera ogling a scantily clad Megan Fox bending over a car in the PG-13-rated “Transformers.” Many movies contain scenes involving sex or nudity that are directly tied to the plot and are not filmed in a way that is made to entice the viewers. For example, Bradley Cooper’s character walking in on his wife having sex with another man in “Silver Linings Playbook” is an entirely different form of sexual content from Natalie Portman

“

YOU SHOULD EVALUATE WHAT’S INFLUENCING YOU.”

and Mila Kunis’s graphic sex scene in “Black Swan.” The former was an unsettling development that kickstarted the plot of the entire movie, while that latter was an exploitative scene that served little purpose other than luring teenage males into a movie about a ballerina. In addition to the morality of R-rated content, the Motion Picture Association of America rating system itself is inconsistent and hardly a good way of determining what is appropriate for a viewer. Take “The King’s Speech,” an uplifting movie which could have easily snagged a PG rating if not for two scenes in which the main character drops several F bombs as a way to get over his stuttering. It was given the exact same rating as “Fifty Shades of Grey” and a more restrictive rating than dark PG-13 films like “The Dark Knight” and “Insidious,” both of which would be far more traumatic to an 8 year old. In short, the R-rated movie rule is a mess and needs to be completely reformed or excised altogether. In addition to getting a job, one of the main purposes of college is for young adults to learn about how to make decisions of their own. To use their own discernment. Yet the rule on R-rated films sends students back to their prehigh school years. I feel trying to shield these students from roughly half of the movies that are being released is hindering their personal growth. Regulating certain movies based on objectionable material does not resolve the R-rated movie problem, because each person has a different standard on what is objectionable. I suppose some Christians on this campus would argue that the Bible should be the standard by which to judge movies, but people have so many different interpretations on certain aspects of the scriptures that trying to create a universal standard to apply to everyone would be pointless. For these reasons, I think it is time to stop coddling young adults as if they were impressionable toddlers who would take poisoned candy from a stranger. Liberty students are adults and should be allowed to view movies that deal with adult subject matters that they or people they know are dealing with. Lifting the ban on R-rated films would be one of the most significant changes in the Liberty Way’s history, but it is a change that would encourage students to think for themselves and to start judging movies by their content rather than their rating. JANNEY is the asst. news editor.

President Jerry Falwell

According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a movie recieves an R-rating if it contains “some adult material.” This material often refers to explicit sexual content and/ or frequent vulgarity and sexual references throughout the film. Based on the MPAA’s recommendation, children under the age of 17 should be accompanied by an adult guardian or parent. However, film ratings are not required for every movie, according to the Classification and Rating Administration. Rather, it is a voluntary decision made by the filmmakers.

According to Student Government Association President Quincy Thompson, no official system is in place to get an R-rated movie approved for viewing. However, there are a few movies which are unofficially permissible, such as “The Passion of the Christ.” Thompson said the SGA has presented bills in the past to make adaptations to the movie restriction and plans to present a bill in the future that would streamline an official process for getting movie approval. Right now, movie viewing allowance is permitted or restricted by the Dean of Students Office on a case-by-case basis.

According to the Liberty Way, the university’s official honor code, absolutely no R-rated movies are allowed to be watched. All Liberty students agree to follow this honor code when they sign their application to attend the university. The official text of the Liberty Way states any “attendance at, possession or viewing of an R-rated movie” results in “12 points” and a $50 fine. Appeals are permissible, according to the honor code. These appeals should be submitted in writing to the student’s resident director or the Student Court within 48 hours of receiving the reprimand.

The standards in the Liberty Way fall into two broad categories. Some of the rules (e.g. cheating, dishonesty, immorality) are based upon indisputable biblical values on which almost all evangelical believers would agree. These standards are in place at Liberty to foster biblical morality in students and our community. Another category of rules (e.g. dress code, curfews, convocation attendance) are designed to instill personal discipline in students, much like the rules at West Point are intended to train future soldiers. The goal of this category is to help students learn how to lead disciplined lives by complying with a code of conduct during their college years. These rules have been changed and updated over the years to stay relevant with current cultural norms and will continue to be revised and modernized. The Liberty Way policy on R-

rated movies, restricting certain movies that contain inappropriate images or content, is part of the second category of rules designed to teach discipline and to create an environment at Liberty that one would expect at the world’s largest Christian university. While the Hollywood ratings system is an imperfect gauge for separating appropriate from inappropriate movies, it is the most practical way for Liberty to establish a standard. Recognizing that some R-rated movies promote values that are important for students to learn, we do grant exceptions to the policy. When a student leaves Liberty we want them to be prepared to evaluate and make the difficult life choices they face through the framework of biblical morality. While not a perfect system, we believe that the Liberty Way teaches self-discipline and helps students develop a biblical worldview to navigate life.

news

A6 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Elmer Towns releases book ‘Grandpa Pitched for the Cubs’ features suspense centered on the diamond Shannon Ritter sritter2@liberty.edu

Shannon Ritter | Liberty Champion

BOOKWORM — Fiction novel released May 15.

Best-selling author of more than 200 books, former professor and co-founder of Liberty University Dr. Elmer Towns will release his first ever sports fiction novel, titled “Grandpa Pitched for the Cubs,” May 15, 2015. The novel, published by Heritage Builders Publishing, is a story about a man named Remle Noel who has always dreamed of pitching baseball professionally. His dream becomes a reality at a late age, when he is a grandfather. Remle is also a preacher, and the story tells of his struggle to hide his successful baseball career

from his family and church. However, Remle also has a dark secret in his past that is threatening to resurface and ruin both his careers. Towns shared his inspiration for the story, speaking of his love for baseball, and more specifically, his love for the Chicago Cubs. Towns has been an avid fan of the Cubs since he had moved to Chicago in 1965. “I wrote (the novel) 20 years ago,” Towns said. “I took (my son) all the time to the Cubs games. … I always thought, ‘I’d like to play baseball,’ (but) I don’t think I was good enough. … I (was) living a dream when I wrote the book.” Although Towns began

writing the story two decades ago, he was able to finish and finalize the novel during his sabbatical in 2014. Towns, who has won second place in a fiction novel contest for Virginia two years in a row, said his favorite part of writing “Grandpa Pitched for the Cubs” was keeping things a surprise until the end of the story. From beginning to end, the plot unfolds with one surprise after another, keeping the reader guessing until the conclusion. According to Towns, there are a lot of parallels drawn between multiple characteristics of the story and Towns’ personal life. For example, the main character’s name, Remle, is “Elmer” spelled backwards.

Also, the name Night-Train Hatch, a police inspector whose character is prominent in the novel, is based off of one of Town’s former teachers. Towns has two more historical fiction novels coming out next year. One will be on the life of Job’s wife from the Old Testament. The second is based on the wise men of the New Testament and concerns the birth of Christ. Look for “Grandpa Pitched for the Cubs” in bookstores soon.

RITTER is a news reporter.

Debate team secures prize Liberty defeats Kansas to win CEDA National Tournament sweepstakes Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu

As the year draws to a close, the Liberty University debate team competed at the Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) National Tournament, which took place March 20-23 in Wichita, Kansas. Liberty’s debate team was able to gain enough points to win the CEDA sweepstakes. “Everyone was very excited,” Michael Hall, director of debate, said. “First of all, our goal was to win the sweepstakes … Especially coming off of (what happened) last year made us refocus our efforts. It was very gratifying to win CEDA.” According to Hall, the CEDA National Tournament is a tournament open to universities across the country. The top three in the running for the CEDA sweepstakes were Liberty, George Mason University and Kansas University. However, the sweepstakes came down to Liberty and Kansas as the final two. Liberty was able to seal the sweepstakes award when Kansas’ second place team

was eliminated in the round of 16 teams. The CEDA National Tournament also has a competition for teams of two to debate different arguments. Liberty took Megan Edwards (senior) and Vida Chiri (junior) as well as Kaitlyn Schiess (junior) and Leonora Cane (junior). Each team debates a total of eight times. They debate four times on the affirmative side where they choose the topic and four times on the negative side where their opponent chooses the topic. During the competition, all teams debated every aspect of legalizing online gambling, physician-assisted suicide, prostitution, marijuana and organ sales. According to Hall, Edwards and Chiri were the team expected to win the whole competition. They have been doing very well this year and are Liberty’s top team. However, they were eliminated in the octofinal round, which is the final 16 teams. “This was a little disappointing,” Hall said. “We were competing to win the tournament. There were so many variables, I feel like

Photo Provided

DISTINCTION — The debate team traveled to Kansas to add another accolade to the trophy case. we didn’t lose (the tournament). … We just ended up losing this debate.” Edwards and Chiri debated the legalization of prostitution when they were on the affirmative side and able to choose the topic. According to Hall, Schiess and Cane ended up finishing the competition in the middle of pack. They

won four of eight debates. When on the affirmative side, their debate of choice was the legalization of marijuana. “We didn’t finish as well as we wanted to,” Hall said. “Things could have been done differently, but we will file those away for next year.” Towson University won

the two-person debate competition beating Kansas 7-2 in the final round of debate. There were 116 teams entered in the two-person debate at the CEDA National Tournament. The Liberty debate team is now looking forward to competing at the National Debate Tournament

(NDT) April 3-6. Edwards, Chiri, Schiess and Cane are preparing to go once again. The whole team will also have the opportunity to win another sweepstakes award. The NDT is the final debate tournament of the year. FROST is a news reporter.

Surgeon reaches out to poor Bruce Steffes uses skills in Africa to help overworked medical personnel Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu

Liberty University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine held a lecture that challenged students to take their career global. The lecture, titled “Compassion, Capacity, and Concatenation: Is Medical Missions on a Cusp?” was given by Bruce Steffes, chief medical officer for the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PACCS). Kenneth Dormer, chair of PathoPhysiology and Applied Pharmacology at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said the event was the first of many the Medical school’s library plans to sponsor. “The intent is to reach out to all of the campus, as well as the Lynchburg community, to tell them about health (and) medicine and to have a teaching time about what is going on in the world,” Dormer said. “It is an informational meeting to let people know not only what Liberty is involved in, but also what is going on in the world in missions and caring for the underserved.” Dormer said he and other Liberty faculty are involved in

PACCS with Steffes. Ronnie Martin, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, was the first to speak, introducing Steffes by giving a summary of Steffes’ background and past education. After a brief prayer by Martin, Steffes was welcomed to the podium to start the lecture. Steffes began by reading Matthew 9:36 and Luke 9:2. “We have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Steffes said. Steffes continued by saying that God is a God of healing and that he enjoys being able to bring physical healing to a man in Africa but is even more excited when he is able to share his faith to bring emotional healing. Steffes spent the first portion of the lecture giving statistics about Africa and its lack of surgeons. Steffes explained the “brain drain,” which is when surgeons take their knowledge and skills to help people in more prosperous countries. “If 10 people are carrying a log with nine people on one end and one person on the other end, then who are you going to go help?”

Steffes asked the crowd. Steffes lectured about surgeons he knew that served and died from catching diseases such as Ebola. Steffes said people must trust God with whatever he calls them to do. “There may be a (risk) with praying about a problem,” Steffes said. “You may be the solution. What God calls me to do, that’s what I have to lay at the altar.” Steffes made it clear that medical missions is not black-bag evangelism anymore. Steffes also encouraged students to be praying for medical missionaries. Steffes closed in prayer and took questions from the crowd. He talked about how the Lord has worked in his life and how he is still continuing to work in his life. Steffes gave out free copies of his book “Your Mission: Get Ready! Get Set! Go!” to all who attended the lecture.

FOLEY is a news reporter.

Bre Black | Liberty Champion

news

Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | A7

RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion

RECOGNITION — LEFT: Seniors enjoyed a ceremony meant to recognize their achievements in their academic pursuits. RIGHT: Mark Hine congratulates students at banquet.

Honor society salutes seniors Alpha Lambda Delta hosts annual ceremony honoring graduating members Matt Voss mvoss@liberty.edu

The Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) Honor Society held its annual banquet Saturday, March 28, honoring all of this year’s members as well as the graduating seniors. The banquet was held in the Grand Lobby of DeMoss Hall and was catered by Sodexo.

BIBLE continued from A1 this content to the everyday person.” Before “A.D.,” Burnett and Downey produced the wildly successful “The Bible” miniseries, which aired on the History Channel for two seasons and was the No. 1 television series of 2013, as well as an Emmy award winner. “The (Burnetts are) very committed Christians,” Hindson said. “They’re excited about the Bible and the Bible story, and they wanted to make the book of Acts come alive. In the series on the Bible, there wasn’t enough time to really develop the piece on the book of Acts to the extent they wanted to. So this gave them the opportunity to go back and refocus on that particular piece.” To recreate the culture of Jerusalem at the time of the apostles, men and women of all different ages and ethnicities are present in the cast, representing several different countries, including Argentina, England, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Ireland. “When you watch ‘A.D.,’ you feel like you’re there,” Hindson said. “You’re

ALD member Casey Gordon provided live music. The theme for the evening was Chocolate Decadence, and the aroma of chocolate filled the Grand Lobby thanks to a chocolate fountain that flowed throughout the event. The evening began with a welcome from the ALD Chapter President Amanda Kieffer, followed by an opening prayer from Michael Romero, the inter-

there, and you feel that tension between the Romans, the Christians and the Jewish leadership, and all the interaction that’s going on, yet (Burnett and Downey) tried to be respectful of every tradition of involvement in the story in the book of Acts, and yet clearly present the Christian cause that’s represented in the book of Acts.” In order to make the series flow as both a historical narrative and a prime-time television drama, some creative, literary license was used to weave the characters’ individual narratives together to create one grand story. “Allow the artists to tell the story,” Hindson said. “If you nitpick every little detail, you’ll lose the blessing of the whole thing. What I love about ‘A.D.’ is that they’ve got the biblical story right. The imagination for filling in the in-between details is creative and expansive, but they know that. Christians will need to discern between what’s biblical and what’s imaginative. But the truth is, every time you try to make any movie about the Bible, you’re using your imagination.” Although Hindson served as a biblical content adviser throughout the making of “A.D.,” he said

nal communication officer. After the welcome and prayer, members began eating a meal from Sodexo catering while enjoying time to relax, talk and laugh among friends. Mark Hine, senior vice president for Student Affairs, addressed the students about loving others and finishing strong with their college careers and all they commit to in life. “Give attention to God,” Dr.

he never had the privilege of meeting Burnett — or seeing any “A.D.” footage — until Burnett’s second visit to the Liberty University campus, Feb. 6 of this year. “Up until then, I (could) only imagine what the characters would look like based on what I was reading in the scripts,” Hindson said. “But the scripts themselves were so dramatic, I had the highest anticipation of what this was going to be like, and it delivered. What was nice was, when I met Mark Burnett, the best compliment ever was, when he finally met me in person, he said, ‘You’re a lot cooler than I thought you would be.’ And I said, ‘What were you expecting, some stodgy old professor?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ So he and I struck up a really good friendship, I felt like I have known him all my life. He’s very easy to talk to, and I have a high regard of respect for him and for what he’s wanting to do.” After reading numerous scripts and watching the first two episodes of A.D. at a private screening, Hindson said what he was most impressed with was how all of the conversions found in the book of Acts were portrayed in the series.

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Hine said. “Love God. Love others. A long time ago, I decided it’s a whole lot easier to love people than it is to hate and fight and carry on. So I committed to God and said, ‘Let me love my friends and family, especially let me love my enemies.’ Love God with all your heart, your mind, your soul and your strength, and love your neighbor like yourself.” The banquet continued with an

introduction of ALD officers, followed by the awarding of honors and certificates to seniors. For more information about the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, visit their Liberty Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society Facebook page or on Twitter @LibertyALD. VOSS is a news reporter.

Kevin Manguiob | Liberty News Service COLLABORATION — Ed Hindson and Mark Burnett worked on making “AD: The Bible Continues” as biblically sound as possible while using creative techniques to adapt the story for television.

“That’s the one thing I love about it from an evangelical standpoint,” Hindson said. “All the conversions are clearly portrayed in ‘A.D.’ And if I were a non-Christian viewer, I think that would get my attention. I grew up in a nonChristian home. No God, no Jesus, no Bible, nothing. No church. If I would’ve viewed something like that, I think it would’ve captured my attention. It would have made me think. These are not just emotional decisions and conversions. These are really heartfelt, and (in) some cases, they are going against the tradition of their background. They are going against society. They’re risking their lives to make this commitment. And all of that is powerfully portrayed in A.D.” Concerning how the advising process affected him personally, Hindson said the series helped him remember the big picture of God’s redemptive story. “In my own life, it reinvigorated my excitement for the story in the book of Acts,” Hindson said. “It also taught me

that artistic believers can lend a focus dramatically to the biblical story that sometimes more traditional theologians miss. We’re so focused, the scholars, we’re so focused on the facts and the details that we can miss the passion of the big story, and I think (Burnett and Downey have) captured the big story and the passion very effectively.” Hindson, who is no stranger to the world of television — he has his own program, “The King is Coming,” which airs on World Harvest Television every Sunday — said he believes that “A.D.” is one of the best treatments of the book of Acts ever done. “There’s drama, there’s passion, there’s action, there’s excitement,” Hindson said. “It moves rapidly from one scene to another every few seconds. It’s very fast-paced. It’s as good as any modern drama on television today. … It’s going to make the average Liberty student visualize the book of Acts in a very creative, imaginative manner which will make the story in the book of Acts come alive to them in their gen-

eration. It will also equip (them) better to tell the story in years to come to (their) generation.” Season one of “A.D.” will premiere on NBC at 8 p.m. Easter Sunday and will run every Sunday night through Father’s Day, June 21. “I think it will make both believers and unbelievers think and ask themselves some serious questions about the story,” Hindson said. “It’ll challenge believers to get out of their preconceived notion of some things and take a look at the broader implications of the story. It will certainly, I think, cause unbelievers to have a better understanding of the dynamic and miraculous way in which this all got started and ask themselves ‘Is the message still worth living for and dying for today?’” GRAF is a feature reporter.

news

A8 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Pondering the Passover Center for Judaic Studies hosts event on aspects of traditional Seder meal Cassandra Steptoe cbsteptoe@liberty.edu

From the opening prayer to final Shalom, the Center for Judaic Studies’ “Christ in Passover” presentation Monday, March 23 informed listeners about the traditions of the Jewish Passover holiday and how Christians can learn from them. According to Executive Director of the Center for Judaic Studies Dr. Randall Price, the main goal of the Center for Judaic Studies is to “educate students and include them in … experiences that also educate them about the Jewish people and Israel, both ancient and modern.” The Center for Judaic Studies was founded by President Jerry Falwell in May 2008, according to the Center for Judaic Studies website. Price said the center was founded so that students would understand the importance of Judaic studies. “I want our students to always know that (Liberty) stands with Israel, why we stand with Israel, … how God has a purpose for the Jewish people and that that purpose is not yet finished,” Price said. “Learning about Judaic studies shows students how (they) can bless Israel, … first and foremost by telling them about their own Messiah.” Price said the Center for Judaic Studies has hosted an annual talk on the traditions of the Jewish Passover meal, called Seder, since 2008. Price said it is important for Christians to learn about Passover and Jewish traditions because of the Jewish foundations of Christianity. “Our Christian faith has Jewish roots,” Price said. “Jesus was Jewish, the disciples were Jewish, the apostles were Jewish and the Old and New Testaments were both products of the Jewish people. … (Even) the Passover was used by (Jesus) to communicate to us everything he was going to do for us at the last supper.” This year, the center invited Stephen Katz to speak. Katz is a Messianic Jew who currently lives in Chicago and is the North American director of Jews For Jesus, according to his biography on the Center for Judaic Studies’ website.

Kari Moye | Liberty Champion

REMEMBRANCE — The Center for Judaic Studies teaches students about Jewish traditions concerning the Passover holiday. Katz opened the presentation with a prayer and proceeded to demonstrate and explain the meanings of the rituals Jews perform during the Passover meal. Additionally, Katz related many of the Jewish traditions to the Christian sacrament of communion and encouraged listeners to see the parallels of the Passover lamb and Jesus Christ. “(The Passover) is an object lesson on the life and mission of the lamb who takes away the sin of the world,” Katz said. Katz went through the names and meanings of the four cups of wine that are drunk throughout the dinner. According

to Katz, these cups were called the “sanctification cup, plague cup, redemption cup and praise cup.” After the first two cups were presented, Katz opened up the floor for questions. Katz answered questions ranging from how Christians can use knowledge of Jewish traditions to why certain customs are observed. Katz finished the talk with the last two cups and a prayer. To tie the talk together, Katz told listeners to remember Passover as the picture of one concept: “Redemption.” Price echoed Katz’s beliefs about the meaning of Passover for Christians today.

“The whole message of the Passover is freedom,” Price said. “But not just freedom to do whatever you want but to do what you ought. That is freedom from sin. Jesus was the Passover lamb for us when he died on the cross and gave us the chance to be truly free.” Price and Katz both noted that the start of Passover and Good Friday coincide on April 3 this year. For more information about the Center for Judaic Studies, visit liberty.edu/ judaicstudies. STEPTOE is a news reporter.

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March 31, 2015

Softball

W. Tennis

Baseball

Softball

M. Lacrosse

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Campbell

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Presby.

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winning ways

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

MR. VERSATILITY — Senior Ashton Perritt helped the Flames in the field and on the mound during their weekend series against Presbyterian.

Spring cleaning Flame Train sweeps through Presbyterian for three straight wins Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu

Struggling after four losses in five games, Liberty baseball needed to sweep Presbyterian to get its season back on track. And that is exactly what it did, downing the Blue Hose in convincing fashion in three straight games Friday-Sunday, March 27-29. Liberty’s bats came alive during Friday’s game against the Blue Hose, tallying 12 hits, including three home runs en route to a 9-5 opening game win. Senior Alex Close was a one-man

wrecking crew for the Flames, blasting two home runs and batting in six runs in the process. A big fifth inning keyed the Flames to victory, as Close came to bat with the bases loaded early in the inning. The first baseman smacked the first pitch he saw over the center-field fence for a grand slam to put the Flames ahead 6-5. Senior catcher Becker Sankey added a solo home run two at bats later to give the Flames a bigger cushion. Senior long reliever Shawn Clowers shut the Blue Hose down after starter Parker Bean struggled, allowing no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings,

striking out six to close things out. Behind solid pitching from lefthanded senior Jared Lyons and some late offense, the Flames added a second win, 4-1, in the series Saturday. The Flames sealed the victory in front of more than 1,000 fans, who braved the cold and wind to watch their team. Lyons pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and one run. Though the game got off to a slow start offensively, the Flames began to hit their stride in the third inning. A single followed by a stolen base by senior center fielder Ashton Perritt put the Flames in scoring

position, and Will Shepherd delivered the first blow to the Blue Hose. Shepherd, who went into the game hitting only .180, notched an RBI triple and scored Perritt to put the Flames on the board. “Shepherd’s been hurt all year, … and he’s just now getting back to being the hitter that we know he is,” Flames Head Coach Jim Toman said. “… Getting (Perritt and Shepherd) back in the lineup, it gives a little bit of speed at the top. Their averages aren’t that high right now, but they’re starting to warm up a

See SPRING, B2

Flames jump Georgia Men’s lacrosse team hosts annual Midnight Mayhem event, defeats the Bulldogs Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

Across the Liberty University campus Friday, March 27, at midnight when students are normally in their rooms preparing for the nightly curfew, hundreds of dorm rooms laid vacant. Typically boisterous halls were nearly silent as fans packed the East Campus lacrosse field bleachers for the third annual Midnight Mayhem men’s lacrosse blackout game. Clad fully in black attire, students went out by the hundreds to create an energy-filled environment to watch the Flames (7-3) defeat the Bulldogs of the

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

University of Georgia, 19-5. Junior defenseman Brandt Grauss, who has seen the midnight game progress over the years, spoke to his favorite part of the entire night — the atmosphere the crowd created. “Honestly, when you run by the crowd or do something good, you just feel it,” Grauss said. “You don’t just hear it, you feel it when you are on the field, and it gives you a boost to play.” With the crowd yelling throughout the entire game, freshman attack Nick Lombardozzi acknowledged the advantage the Flames had over the Bulldogs (6-1). “(W)hen they were trying to call out the plays, our home-field

advantage just drowned (Georgia) out,” Lombardozzi said. “You could see a lot confusion coming from the other side of the field.” Students flocked to the lacrosse field as early as 10 p.m. Friday evening in order to get their glow-inthe-dark bam-bam sticks and help build the home-field advantage Grauss and Lombardozzi look forward to each game. To inform the student body and get the university excited about the midnight mayhem, Head Coach Kyle McQuillan said the marketing team for Liberty Club Sports began working in advance to prepare for the unique evening.

See JUMP, B2

Softball Baseball vs. Old Dominion vs. Longwood

March 31 @ 4 p.m.

March 31 @ 3 p.m.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

ON FIRE — The Flames have won five straight games.

Softball vs. Longwood

W. Tennis vs. Radford

March 31 @ 5 p.m.

April 1 @ 2 p.m.

W. Lacrosse vs. Campbell April 4 @

1 p.m.

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sports

B2 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Long-lasting reliever Shawn Clowers gives the Flames a bullpen arm they can count on to deliver Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

STINGY — Lefty reliever Shawn Clowers has posted a 2.15 ERA.

SPRING continued from B1 little bit, which is good to see.” On the other side of the ball, Lyons continued to pitch a solid game. In the fifth inning, Lyons sat down three Presbyterian hitters in order. He also ended the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with strikeouts, finishing the game with eight total strikeouts. “Right now, (Lyons is) throwing well, and we’ve just got to make sure we keep his pitch count down,” Toman said. “He threw a complete game in under 100 pitches. That’s pretty efficient, so really good job by Jared.” In the seventh inning, Sankey added another run for the Flames on a solo home run to right field off a fastball. “I knew I hit it pretty well,” Sankey said. “I know it was windy up there, but running down first, I had a pretty good idea it was going to go out once it kept just carrying and carrying.” Sankey’s homer, which was helped out of the stadium by the wind, was his second in two days. Perritt and Shepherd combined for another run in the eighth inning. Perritt stole second after getting walked, and Shepherd singled this time to send Perritt home. Following the Flames offensive spurt, right-handed pitcher Ethan Wortkoetter

came in to relieve David Sauer. But Wortkoetter only threw five pitches before he was done for the day, as Close immediately doubled and scored Shepherd. With Liberty up 4-0 late in the game, the Blue Hose looked to left hander Hayden Deal to finish the game. After Deal struck out Flames junior shortstop Dalton Britt and Sankey to end the eighth, the Flames headed into the ninth with a little bit of a cushion. In the final inning, sophomore second baseman Glen Casaceli scored Presbyterian’s first run on a wild pitch to make the score 4-1, which held up as the final score of the game. With the Casaceli run, Lyons’ streak of 24 straight innings without giving up a run came to an end. According to Toman, his

When Liberty baseball’s Shawn Clowers needed a changeup, he found it in the pitch. After two mediocre seasons with the Flames, the left-handed pitcher was left dissatisfied with his performance. As a freshman, his 12 relief appearances amounted to a 2-0 record and 2.63 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. His sophomore year, he made just eight relief appearances for an 0-1 record — his ERA spiking to 10.08 over 10 total innings. “I didn’t have a lot of success my first couple years,” Clowers said. “With the speed of the game changing and getting faster and me trying too hard, probably, the first two years weren’t too good.” Now, flash forward to the start of this season. The senior is coming off a 2014 Gregg Olson “Breakout” Player of the Year semifinalist season. He led the team with 23 appearances on the mound, claiming a 9-0 record — including his first collegiate career win — over 54 1/3 innings and pitching a school single-season record .83

team, led by seniors Close and Sankey, has started to swing the bat well recently. However, although the Flames have made strides lately, Toman explained that they still have work to do. “We’re not where we need to be offensively, but we’re better than we were,” Toman said. While Toman said he is proud of the way his team played Saturday, he was quick to emphasize the need for taking every game seriously. “If we don’t play well, we could find ourselves 1-5 or 2-4,” Toman said. “… You’ve got to be in the top eight (in the Big South) to go to the (conference) tournament, so every single conference series is really important.” The Flames capped off

ERA. Opposing hitters were held to a .166 batting average versus Clowers. So what changed? “My changeup got a lot better my junior year,” Clowers said. The changeup looks like a fastball leaving a pitcher’s hand but is slower and dives before reaching the batter. During summer baseball after his sophomore year, as pitchers are apt to do, Clowers was playing with his grips. Fiddling with the way he held the ball and throwing experimental pitches, Clowers hit upon one grip with a lot of movement — something he had struggled to achieve in his changeup in the past. “I was just playing catch one day and found it,” Clowers said. “It moved a lot, and I kept throwing it and it was consistent, so I just rolled with it.” As Clowers rolled with the pitch, so too did opposing batters’ hits — the trajectory of his throw caused right-handed batters in particular to swing on top of the ball and ground out. “I don’t get a lot of swing and misses, but I do get a lot of ground ball outs,” Clowers said. “I try to change speeds, get

the weekend with a 9-3 win Sunday, unleashing another offensive onslaught to pair with starting pitcher Victor Cole’s 10 strikeouts. Sankey hit his third homer of the series to give him a team-leading seven on the season. Errors also helped spur on the Flames, as the Blue Hose made four gaffes in the field, leading to three additional runs. Old Dominion will visit Lynchburg March 31 before the Flames head to Charleston Southern this weekend, where they will look to build on a four-game Big South winning streak.

BROWN is the editor-in-chief.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

BRING THE HEAT — Senior first baseman/pitcher Alex Close hurls a fastball.

(batters) out in front and then just try to get quick outs.” While the lefty expressed dissatisfaction in the outs he has accumulated on the season so far and a desire to improve his numbers by season’s end, his 2.15 ERA in 10 appearances has contributed to a quiet but strong start for a Flames team primed to make yet another big postseason run. “We started out kind of slow, which last year that’s what we did and then went on a phenomenal run,” Clowers said. “Here, lately we’ve been playing well — hitting, pitching and playing the field. It’s going good.” Clowers has played a big part in the success of his team, and he and his fellow Flames are looking to surpass themselves once more. It is safe to say, though, that Clowers may never experience a bigger leap than the one he made from his under- to upper-classman career — all thanks to a changeup in his changeup.

RUSH is a sports reporter.

JUMP continued from B1 Game posters were displayed all over campus, including in Green Hall and the ReberThomas Dining Hall. Before Convocation Friday morning, players passed out handouts and temporary tattoos. Sodexo dining services even created a special menu for the evening. “We really tried to make this event stand alone,” McQuillan said. “… It’s our marquee event of the year. Marketing really helped be able to do that.” The Flames began the game strong against the Bulldogs, holding possession for the majority of the match and never letting Georgia gain a lead in the game. Lombardozzi, freshman midfielder Sam King and junior midfielder Brett Bernardo paced the Flames in the first half. Lombardozzi found the net twice in the first quarter to give the Flames the early 5-2 lead. King netted three goals and one assist in the second, and the Flames took the 10-4 advantage into halftime. The second half was marked by superior defense from the Flames, as the Bulldogs went scoreless in the third. Three goals from

junior attack Ryan Miller spurred the Flames six-goal run in the third quarter. The Flames tacked on three more goals in the fourth to seal the 19-5 Midnight Mayhem victory. McQuillan said the tradition of hosting a midnight lacrosse game began more than three years ago when the coaching staff was searching for ways to get the team’s name out to the student body while gaining continued fan support. “I think a lot of people that come to a lacrosse game (and) … see it’s a good game … usually come back,” McQuillan said. “We were just trying to find ways to get people here. We figured, ‘Let’s take advantage of the fact that there is curfew and you can’t be anywhere else.’ They could either be in their dorm rooms or they could be at the lacrosse game.” With Georgia Tech scheduled for next year’s midnight match, McQuillan said the plan is to continue the successful late-night tradition for years to come.

RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.

sports

Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | B3

Racing to the finish Track and field teams hope indoor success translates as they head outdoors Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu

The Liberty Flames outdoor track teams look to continue their recent success on the track in the 2015 outdoor season. Last year, the Flames raced by the competition, securing the Big South men’s Triple Crown for the eighth year running. The Flames claimed their ninth consecutive cross country title, 17th straight indoor track championship and eighth outdoor track and field title in a row. The Lady Flames came in second at the Big South championships in women’s cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Their best performance came at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. They posted a thirdplace finish, the best placing in school history. Head Coach Brant Tolsma, the most highly decorated and longest-tenured head coach in Liberty Athletics history, leads a young team into this season, with 74 underclassmen to only 44 upperclassmen. Tolsma believes every person on each team has a specific role, and each person must fulfill that role for the team to succeed. “We have a lot of good leaders on our team now,” Tolsma said. “We have a lot of veterans, upperclassmen who have bought into the mission and are getting a good understanding of what it means to compete as a surrendered Christian athlete, and then we also have a lot of people who are in the learning process, but they seem to have good attitudes.” Tolsma said the outdoor teams’ mission is to become a

unit before they start competing for championships. “Our goal ... is to come together as a team before we get into our championships so that people are motivated not just by selfish desires, but motivated by the bond that they have on the team,” Tolsma said. That bond on the two teams is strong, according to sophomore sprinter Stephen Racanelli, the 2015 Big South 200-meter and 400-meter indoor champion. “Being a team with this group is more like a family,” Racanelli said. “We call it a family instead of a team, because we really do talk to each other about everything, and we work together on the track, off the track (and) have fun on and off the track as well.” Senior cross country runner Jacy Christiansen, the fall 2014 Big South champion long distance runner, also said the teams are close. “Everyone is so different,” Christiansen said. “But we all come together to get the job done, just like all the parts of the body of Christ, or all the parts of the human body.” As for this current season, Tolsma said the teams have failed if they are only successful on the track. “In the short term, our big focus is on trying to reach the athletic level of potential that they are blessed with,” Tolsma said. “But in the long term, we’re trying to impact them to gain an increased understanding of what it means to be surrendered to Christ and to use (their) abilities to honor him.” Tolsma said he expects to have a successful season, emphasizing the Flames and Lady Flames throwers.

“Probably our best athletes from the national level this year are from the throws,” Tolsma said. “Coach (Clendon) Henderson has got a good throw crew going for him.” In the first meets of the outdoor season, the men and women throwers have fared well. In the Coastal Carolina Invitational, the teams’ first meet of the outdoor season, the Flames throwers racked up three event victories, while the Lady Flames brought home two throwing wins. Senior Steve Feister won the javelin throw, and redshirt junior Fred Fulton came out on top in the shotput and discus. On the women’s side of the meet, redshirt junior Mychelle Cumings also took home wins in the shotput and discus. The Flames throwers continued their success in the next meet, the Virginia Cup, helping to seal the men’s third consecutive Virginia Cup title. Feister repeated as javelin champion, and Fulton got the win in the hammer throw. Cumings won the discus for the Lady Flames, while senior Jennifer Smith posted a hammer throw win. Liberty’s teams have also enjoyed success in other field events. At the Coastal Carolina Invitational, junior Alexandru Barker brought home a victory in the pole vault for the Flames. In the Virginia Cup, the Flames captured four more field event titles, courtesy of junior Ken Ritchey in the pole vault, senior Kyle Wheeler in the high jump and sophomore Aklesso Agama in the long and triple jumps. Redshirt sophomore Dana Mercer leaped to a win for the Lady Flames in the long jump during the Virginia Cup.

Clinical Trial | Asthma Study

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

HEAVE — Redshirt senior Tim Abbott placed 10th in the men’s invitational discus throw during the Raleigh Relays last weekend. As the Flames and Lady Flames near the halfway mark in the outdoor season, they hope to continue to come out on top in the racing events. In the two meets previously mentioned, the men and women have combined for five total wins on the track. According to Christiansen, after getting out to a good start in the outdoor season, the teams just need to repeat what they have been doing. If they do that, they believe they will heighten their

chances for another title run. Liberty’s track and field teams will now spend the weekend at home when they compete in the Liberty Collegiate Invitational at the Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex Friday and Saturday, April 3 and 4. Friday’s events begin at 1 p.m., and Saturday’s events will start at 9:30 a.m.

DILLARD is a sports reporter.

MONDAY IS ZAXBY’S COLLEGE DAY ®

Do You Have Asthma? Asthma Study Participants from Liberty University Needed 

Volunteers are needed for a study about asthma and the common cold. 

You must have asthma, not smoke and be 18-40 years old. 

Screening at UVA is in progress now and involves 2 visits ($40 for the 1st visit; $60 for the 2nd). $30 reimbursement for gas mileage for Liberty University participants will also be provided. Those who qualify can participate with payment of up to $1,870 for completing the study. For more information, please contact the UVA Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center via email at ddm9q@virginia.edu or 434.982.3510. (HSR#12656 and 14427)

Liberty University students and faculty receive 20% OFF any meal on Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Must present valid ID. Offer valid at this location only: 1038 Wards Ferry Rd. • Lynchburg 434.237.2651

UVA Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center ddm9q@virginia.edu | 434.982.3510

Limited-time offer. Valid on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. only. Must present valid ID. Each restaurant independently owned and operated. Offer not valid at any other locations. © 2014 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” is a registered trademark of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.

sports

B4 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Tich’s Take Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

The sports fan is a different breed than the rest of humanity. Sometimes they are not enjoyable to be around — whether it is during a big game and they cannot stop yelling at the screen or after a big loss and you do not know how to console them. Dealing with the sports fan after a big loss is one of the least fun things in life TICHENOR probably. The first thing you should know when dealing with an angry/depressed fan who just saw his or her favorite team lose a heartbreaking game is that there really is not anything good you can say. But there are plenty of wrong things you can say. If you can stay away from these few certain phrases, you should be able to avoid getting the coffee table thrown at you, at least. “There’s always next year.” Looking forward to next year would not be so bad if next year did not always suck just as much. Next year brings an equal amount of pain and sorrow and depression and sadness and awfulness as the present year. Eventually (usually about 2-3 hours after the loss), the sports fan will convince himself that next year will actually be better, but this needs to be something they do in their own brains. Do not accelerate this process. “It’s just a game.” Monopoly is “just a game.” Chutes and ladders is “just a game.” No game involving someone’s favorite team is “just a game.” The sports fan cannot truly say why he or she cares so much. There is not a good explanation, really. But the sports fan does care, and that is all that matters. Everyone cares about certain things that they probably should not care so much about. Be sensitive to the sports fan or he or she might throw the dust from the bottom of the Cheetos bag on your brand-new sweater and ask, “Why do you care so much about your stupid sweater?” “Think of all the good times you had this year.” There will be time to think of all the great moments a fan’s team had during the season. There will be a time to go on YouTube and watch that regular-season upset that nobody saw coming. There will be a time to rewatch that buzzer-beater that changed the direction of the season. Right after a season-ending loss is not that time. Just know that. “Man, y’all were so close.” This is the equivalent of seeing your friend break his or her leg and then kicking him or her in that leg. The sports fan will be talking about a close, heartbreaking game for the rest of his or her life probably. Every painful loss sticks with the sports fan. Every one. Never remind him or her of any of those moments. “I called that one.” Only a true monster would say something like this, but true monsters are out there and need to be called out. No way around it, you are the worst friend ever if you rub a loss in the sports fan’s face because it brings you personal gain. Even if it is your team that ends the sports fan’s season, have some respect. Give him or her a pat on the back. Pour him or her a nice tall glass of Diet Sunkist. Be a real friend. “At least you are not a Cubs fan.” Actually, this one would probably make the sports fan laugh. Sorry, Cubs fans. There’s always next year.

TICHENOR is the sports editor.

A sister’s spark

Outfielder Tori Zavodny hopes to leave her own legacy Cierra Carter cmcarter18@liberty.edu

Not every freshman athlete can be expected to come in and make an immediate impact on their new team, but not every freshman is like Tori Zavodny. Tori Zavodny began playing softball at the age of six, learning the basics and growing in her love for the sport as she grew older. As her skills improved, she joined a more competitive traveling league. Tori Zavodny played fast pitch for the North Carolina Lady Lightning Gold, and by her sophomore year of high school, she began to realize that playing collegiate softball was a definite possibility. “I was on the Lady Lightning and my coach was looking at schools that I could possibly go to, and I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to play softball in college. That’s crazy,’” Tori Zavodny said. “I started working really hard and looking at schools, and it just turns out that I got the ability to come (to Liberty).” Although she watched her older sister Katie Zavodny play in the outfield for the Lady Flames, Tori Zavodny initially looked to pave her own way when she verbally committed to Charleston Southern. “She came to our clinic, … but with me hearing that she had verballed somewhere else, I could not pursue her,” Liberty Head Coach Dot Richardson said. The support and influence of her older sister proved to be the key. With the program shift and a new stadium on the way, Tori Zavodny chose to bring her talents to Lynchburg, and it is proving to be working out quite well. Inspired by her older sister’s attitude and approach to the game, Tori Zavodny reflected on some of the things she learned from watching her over the years. “Just by watching (Katie Zavodny) play, I learned a lot from her,” Tori Zavodny said. “… She played in the moment, and she was just always having a ball no matter if they were winning or losing. She was really competitive, so it was really cool to see her and hopefully be like her too.”

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

THIEF — Freshman Tori Zavodny leads all Lady Flames players with 17 steals. Now it is Katie Zavody’s turn to watch her younger sister, and she gets to do that from the new Liberty Softball Stadium, something she was never able to experience for herself. “(Katie) is actually working in Lynchburg, so she gets to come watch, so it’s really cool to have her support,” Tori Zavodny said. “It is sad that she didn’t get to have any of this, but she still gets to tag along with me being here, so it’s pretty cool.” Having already coached one Zavodny, Richardson was excited for the opportunity to keep that legacy alive at Liberty. “Tori impressed us with just her passion for the game and her quickness and her ability offensively to be able to get the job done in many aspects of the game,” Richardson said. “She has the entire arsenal.” Tori Zavodny has had to push herself in all new ways as a Division I athlete. Balancing hours of lifting, conditioning and practice with classes and exams can be

tricky, but she is fairing well with the help of her teammates and coaches. “I think the whole student-athlete aspect is definitely the hardest part, but with my teammates, it’s really encouraging,” Tori Zavodny said. “They’re always willing to help.” As her freshman campaign continues to progress, Tori Zavodny just keeps getting better. She is currently among the team leaders in batting average (.330), RBIs (10), and home runs (three). Richardson said she is looking forward to seeing how Tori Zavodny continues to progress as a Division I athlete. “There’s no reason that Tori cannot be a first-team All-American,” Richardson said. “She has the numbers, and it’s just a matter of her maturing in a way that mentally she continues to become stronger.”

CARTER is a sports reporter.

Burned by the ACC Duke and Virginia take back-to-back games versus Flames Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu

Last season, Liberty baseball went 3-4 against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents. Not a bad mark for a team in the smaller, less prestigious Big South. However, last season was last season. The Flames dropped back-to-back home contests March 24 and 25 to Duke and Virginia to fall to 1-4 against ACC teams in 2015. The Blue Devils downed the Flames 3-1 in the first of the two matchups, limiting the Flames to just five hits, while the latter game was a hit parade with Virginia and Liberty combining for 24 hits

in a 10-7 Cavaliers victory. Senior Ashton Perritt, who is also the Flames everyday center fielder, pitched one of his best games of the year for the Flames, allowing two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings, but ultimately still earned the loss. “It’s always good to be able to keep your team in the game,” Perritt said. “Early on (in the season), I was taking our team out of the game, but it’s good to keep our hitters in the game. It’s encouraging.” A collection of five pitchers combined to allow only one run for the Blue Devils with Ryan Day earning the win in just 1 1/3 innings of work. Alex Close’s play was the

lone bright spot for the Flames offensively as he went 2-3 with a double. Close also continued to be effective as a spot-reliever, striking out four Blue Devils in 2 2/3 innings of work. Unlike Tuesday’s game, it was one big inning that spelled doom for the Flames against the Cavaliers in Wednesday’s contest. Virginia scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning on a collection of bunts and bloop hits that kept finding the holes in the Flames defense. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of an inning like that on defense,” Close said. “I felt bad for (pitcher Michael Stafford). He was out there pitching his butt off and I

think they had like three or four (bloop hits), and if those are a couple feet either way, we are right in that game at the end.” As much as that inning could have sucked the life out of the Flames — Virginia led 9-0 going into the bottom of the fourth — they continued to fight back, cutting the deficit to 10-6 entering the ninth inning. Perritt led off the final inning with a solo homer to bring the Flames within three runs, and two batters later Close nearly brought the Flames within one. But Close’s near-homer landed in the glove of Cavaliers leftfielder Pavin Smith at the warning track, effectively extinguishing the Flames rally. “(That ball is gone) 10 out of 10 (times),” Close said. “I don’t know what else I have to do.” Close’s hot bat carried over from the Duke game, going 3-4 with two RBIs against Virginia. Despite the loss, his team’s ability to fight back, as well as their lively bats, encouraged Flames Head Coach Jim Toman. “I’m proud of the guys,” Toman said. “That was probably our best game all year offensively. If you can get anything out of a loss, it was that our guys competed and didn’t quit and came back and swung the bats extremely well.” The Flames will look to improve their record against teams from the ACC when they travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina April 8. The matchup with the Tar Heels marks the first of four remaining games with ACC foes, the others being a home-and-away with Maryland and a rematch with Virginia in Charlottesville.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

TICHENOR is the sports editor.

CLEANUP — Catcher Becker Sankey drove in one run against Virginia.

feature

Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | B5

Brianna Young | Liberty Champion

TRIUMPH — Tyler Dove won the event by catching five fish.

Hannah Taylor | Liberty Champion

GO FISH — Students competed to catch the most fish during Student Activity’s fishing derby at Camp Hydaway.

Anglers reel in success Fishing enthusiasts compete in Student Activities derby at Camp Hydaway Brianna Young bdyoung4@liberty.edu

Despite the cold weather, more than two dozen students decided to brave the chilly conditions in order to spend the morning of March 28 participating in a timed fishing derby coordinated by Student Activities (SA). By 9 a.m., the lake at Camp Hydaway was already teeming with students eager to be the first to catch a fish. Experienced fishers and beginners alike participated in the event, drawn in by the promise of prizes and a good time spent outside. Director of Outdoor Recreation Joshua Yeoman said the

fishing derby had been held in the fall and its success inspired SA to hold the event again. With a turnout of 26 participants, those in attendance easily found an area around the lake that they could call their own during the competition. Location turned out to be the deciding factor in who went home with a gift certificate to Anglers Lane for $25. In one corner of the lake, student Joselyn Perez-Gutierrez spent the beginning of the competition teaching her friend Sasha McGee the basics of fishing. While teaching McGee some of the finer details of casting a fishing line, Perez-Gutierrez noted

that fishing is not an easy sport. “Bringing a buddy who knows what they’re talking about is a good thing, because there is not such things as ‘I watched YouTube. I know what I’m doing,’” Perez-Gutierrez said. Freshman Paul Furman found himself in a secluded area sheltered from the wind. Growing up in Northern Virginia, Furman said fishing is a tradition in his family, which led him to spend his Saturday morning at the fishing derby. “I always loved just coming out on the water,” Furman said. “It is the one time you can be at one with nature and see God’s creation and see

the beauty of it.” It was not until 11 a.m. that the first fish was caught. With a loud cheer resounding from one end of the lake, everyone participating in the event was aware of the fisher’s win. Sophomore Tyler Dove caught the first fish and soon became the individual to have caught the most fish. When the event concluded at 12 p.m., his tally reached five fish caught. After Dove caught his second fish of the day, student Christian Conte became the second person to catch a fish. Junior Zachary Phillips caught the longest fish of the day, measuring in at 13

inches. Originally sitting between a tree and a couple bushes, Phillips saved himself some valuable time by replacing the fishing line that had been caught in a tree branch and changing locations to avoid an accident like that again. Overall, despite the cold weather and the fact that only three people caught fish, all participants could take away the experience of either fishing for the first time like McGee or reminiscing over past memories like Furman. YOUNG is a feature reporter.

Making a joyful noise Thomas Road Baptist Church hosted its eighth annual Night of Worship Lauren Glossner lbglossner@liberty.edu

The string section began to play softly, setting the tone for an evening filled with praise during the School of Music’s eighth annual Night of Worship Sunday, March 29. The rest of the ensemble entered and the Thomas Road Baptist Church sanctuary was filled with sweet music as the massive sea of vocalists joined. The sound continued as the instruments and voices blended to reach a powerful crescendo. The music students captured the audience members’ full attention, causing them to sing along, clap, raise their hands and even shed a few tears. Dr. Vernon Whaley, dean of the School of Music, shared that this year’s Night of Worship was planned around Psalm 40:5, which states, “You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” In addition to worship led by School of Music students, other Liberty ministry teams, such as LU Praise, also participated. The event also

Kiara Leers | Liberty Champion

PRAISE — Students from Liberty’s School of Music performed for Thomas Road Baptist Church’s congregation. featured videos related to the theme and a brief message from Whaley. Whaley encouraged the audience to not see this event as a concert, but as a time when they could corporately worship the Lord. “I love Night of Worship, because it’s amazing how part of the School of Music can get together and just proclaim the testimony of Jesus Christ,” junior Dominique Richburg, a member of LU Praise,

said. “I love LU Praise, because it gives me a way to use the talent that God has given me. Especially being a biology major, it’s cool to have the opportunity to lead people in worship and study science.” Appropriately for Palm Sunday, LU Praise sang “God So Loved” based on John 3:16 by Hillsong. During the song, two men painted an outline of Jesus’ arms, feet and head on four canvases. They added red paint in the spots where his

wounds likely would have been. The paint dripped down, bleeding across the canvases, and displayed Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. “It was a great experience having the whole School of Music come together and worship as one body, and it was great watching people in the audience genuinely sing out and praise the Lord with us,” senior David Stoeltzing, a participant in the evening, said. “I want to be a professional musician,

because music is a language that speaks directly to the heart. And I feel, as a Christian, that the gospel message is the greatest message to convey.” According to Whaley, there are currently 2,069 students in the School of Music, but he projected that numbers will continue to grow. Whaley also mentioned Liberty’s School of Music consists of God-honoring faculty that seek to teach students musical skills,

and, most importantly, how to share Jesus Christ through their music. “We want all the work that we do, all the songs that we sing, all the teaching that we do to be done to the glory of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, so that every mountain that Jesus Christ brings us through and every trial that he has us face and that in every blessing, we can say, ‘Hallelujah,’” Whaley said. “And at the end of the day and at the end of our lives, we can say, ‘Lord I give you praise.’” Whaley wants his students to appreciate what they have been gifted from talents to facilities and to use everything and anything to give praise to God. “What is truly exciting is moving forward with God’s help, knowing the best is yet to come,” Paul Randlett, a Liberty alumnus from the class of 1993, said during one of the videos. According to Whaley, next year’s Night of Worship will be April 17, 2016 in the new music building.

GLOSSNER is a feature reporter.

feature

B6 | March 31, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Photo Provided

PARTNERS — Kelly Pittman (left) and Leah Wiebe (right) are friends and co-founders of the collaborative organization Vintage Lynchburg.

Biannual market approaches Vintage Lynchburg showcases handmade, special items from local artisans Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu

Celebrating and showcasing the talents of Lynchburg’s artistic community, the Vintage Lynchburg Spring Market will take place at Urban Arts Garage 10th and Commerce Street in downtown Lynchburg April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vintage Lynchburg is a biannual vendor market that showcases local artisans and features vintage, antique, repurposed and handcrafted goods, according to the Vintage Lynchburg website. The event is planned and coordinated by Leah Wiebe and Kelly Pittman. The idea for Vintage Lynchburg was sparked by accident, Wiebe said, when she and a friend of hers made the decision to have a physical grand opening for their online business, Regeneration. “As we began planning, we decided we should invite a few friends who also had small businesses out of their homes, to set up with us, and (that) quickly turned into the Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2012,” Wiebe said. “What began as a means to simply showcase our own work became an event with 17 vendors and 800 attendees. Now it has become a biannual event, having just wrapped up our fifth sale (Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2014) this past November with 75 vendors and 2,700 in attendance.” This year, Wiebe said she anticipates more than 3,000 attendees at the Spring Market. “(The event) has grown in nearly every way imaginable,” Wiebe said. “The location size, number of vendors and number of attendees are the most measurable. Plus, we are always looking to challenge ourselves to increase the scope, scale and

Photo Provided

MARKET — More than 3,000 customers are expected to attend the Spring Market, which will host more than 80 local vendors specializing in various arts, crafts and decor. professionalism of each event.” Wiebe and Pittman met at church and were merely acquaintances until Pittman offered to help Wiebe with the Vintage Lynchburg Holiday Sale 2013. “This was the first sale I was really trying to plan and coordinate on my own, and I think Kelly could tell I was in over my head and more than slightly overwhelmed,” Wiebe said. “From there, she helped with the next sale, after which we officially formed a partnership as Vintage Lynchburg together.” Both Wiebe and Pittman studied at Liberty University. Pittman graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in business, while Wiebe got her undergraduate degree in psychology and her master’s degree in human services. This year’s Spring Market will include more than 80 vendors from businesses throughout the Central Virginia area, some of which include Golf Park Coffee, Simply Wooden and The White Hart Cafe. According to Pittman, there will be a wide variety of handcrafted items available

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at the Spring Market. Items include furniture, wooden items, home decor, pottery, clothing, children’s items, spices, herbs, jewelry, chalk art, leather goods, food and candles. For each event, Vintage Lynchburg chooses to support a local nonprofit organization. This year, Wiebe said that a portion of every admission ticket benefits Word Works! “Word Works! is a nonprofit creative writing lab that provides writing enrichment and remediation services to kids in grades K-12 through a variety of fun and interesting workshops and activities,” Pittman said. “Their programs are designed to foster a love of language and give young people the power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently and in their individual voice while at the same time, it teaches the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to be a successful and contributing adult.” Coordinating an event like Vintage Lynchburg is not an easy feat, but Wiebe and Pittman said that seeing it

all come together is rewarding. “There are moments leading up to the sale that (Kelly and I) ask ourselves, ‘Are we crazy?’ and ‘Can we really pull this off ?’” Wiebe said. “But the moment the doors open and people start coming through, it is very surreal. I just love seeing all the people be so surprised that this is our Lynchburg … and it’s filled with amazingly talented people.” Pittman added that she loves hearing the positive feedback from people who attend the events. “It’s great hearing about everyone getting excited and being able to see all of the new creative items our vendors bring each time,” Pittman said. “The wonderful handcrafted items our vendors create never ceases to amaze me. I believe it reveals the talent that is right here in Lynchburg and encourages entrepreneurship and the importance of those in the local community, encouraging each other in their talents.” According to Wiebe, Vintage Lynchburg’s goal overall is to help create a closer community with the local businesses and people of Lynchburg. “Establishing a creative community that inspires, encourages and supports one another as well as giving artisans a platform to sell their work locally is the mission behind Vintage Lynchburg,” Wiebe said. “It is the reason we work for months prepping, planning and enduring many sleepless nights.” General admission tickets for the Vintage Lynchburg Spring Market are available at the door for $3, cash only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early bird shopping is available from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for $10, cash only. For more information on Vintage Lynchburg, visit vintagelynchburg.com. BUNNER is a feature reporter.

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Liberty Champion | March 31, 2015 | B7

Honoring the troops Military families dine and fellowship at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre Cord Chipman cchipman@liberty.edu

The Office of Military Affairs hosted Military Family Fun Day for service members and their families in the Barrick-Falwell lodge at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre March 27. The event was free of charge for those with military ID. With a temperature hovering in the low 50s, it was a chilly day on Liberty’s Mountain, pushing most of the families to gather inside the warm lodge. Inside, military families and troops, including active duty, reserve and retired, all came together for fellowship and fun. Though 250 individuals attended the semiannual event, an environment of friendship existed within the lodge as stories were shared. This familiarity is key according to Josh Turner, a former Army Ranger who is now a chaplain’s assistant, as well as a husband and father. Turner explained that for a lot of service men and women, it could be difficult to go to large events because of the noise and crowds. “I don’t like hanging out in big crowds, I don’t like being around stuff like that,” Turner said. “… So smaller events like this (are a) little bit more intimate, military stuff, (and) I appreciate that. It’s important.” This was the first Military Family Fun Day Turner and his family attended, but he said he would definitely come back for similar events in the future. Issac Van Epps, a chaplain, husband and father who works with Turner, explained that military families are put under a lot of stress. When service members are deployed, oftentimes for a year or longer, the service members change, and their families often change as well. “(Your family) learns how to do life without you,” Van Epps said.

According to Van Epps, it can be difficult and awkward to transition back together. “Family days are absolutely essential for resiliency, so Liberty doing this means a lot,” Van Epps said. “… I’m really glad that Liberty’s valuing the family, and helping to bring health back to them by offering to do stuff like this for free.” After lunch, which consisted of beans, burgers and hot dogs, Van Epps and his family rode inner tubes down Snowflex’s turf slopes, which was just one of the Snowflex activities available to the families throughout the day. Laurie Schweinsberg, wife of a retired Army veteran and a professor at Liberty, thought Liberty did a great job with the event. She also explained her appreciation for Liberty’s constant support of the military. Van Epps and Turner both attended Liberty for their undergraduate careers as well as for seminary. They said Liberty’s support for the military is the best support they have experienced from a school. Turner said that after he graduated with his bachelor of science in psychology, he “shopped around” for master’s programs, but he said he came back to Liberty because he did not find the support Liberty gives military members anywhere else. The Office of Military Affairs hosts Military Family Fun Day two times a year, once in the spring and in the fall. For more information about the Office of Military Affairs and services it provides for military students and families, visit the Liberty University Military Affairs Office Facebook page or visit them at liberty.edu/militaryaffairs. CHIPMAN is a news reporter.

Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion

SAY CHEESE — Military Family Fun Day showered families with appreciation for their service.

Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

FUN AND GAMES — Children of military families enjoyed the Snowflex slopes for an afternoon.

Manners matter Liberty PRSSA chapter hosts etiquette banquet Tazhji Lewis tlewis38@liberty.edu

The number of degrees people have will not get them far in life if they do not know better than to not chew with their mouths open or belch out loud at the dinner table. Respectable manners, along with a solid education, have the potential to open doors to a bright future. At an etiquette banquet hosted by Liberty’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter March 24, Dr. Stephen Preacher, a professor in Liberty’s School of Business, spoke on the importance of business etiquette. He said businesses pay attention to the social intelligence of an individual, and added that acting appropriately can come in handy. “Etiquette helps establish the rules of behavior that allow you to have a smooth social interaction and help to avoid anxiety, embarrassment and possibly offending someone,” Preacher said. According to Preacher, inappropriate behavior can also lead to awkward situations. “Not having proper etiquette can inadvertently offend someone, create a bad impression and show lack of professionalism or competency,” Preacher said. “It also shows you

aren’t sensitive to others.” During the event, students and staff were taught the importance of first impressions, especially when an individual introduces himself or herself to a potential employer. “I recommend (this event) to everyone I meet, because a good impression is important,” Preacher said. “While many may not remember the details of my speech, I hope they could take away that you can never undo a

first impression.” While some students may say the event was just a repeat of what they already know, others explained that the banquet was still beneficial. “The purpose of our etiquette banquet is to guide students through the dos and don’ts when at a business dinner,” Vice President of Liberty PRSSA chapter Joshua Gordon said. “I have become more aware of business and table etiquette as a result of the event.”

Megan Miller, a business student working on her doctoral degree, explained that students from all majors could learn from the banquet, as interpersonal skills can be applied in any setting. For more information on PRSSA events, visit the Liberty University PRSSA Facebook page.

LEWIS is a news reporter.

CAMPAIGN continued from B8 “Our goal is for every one of the 13,500 students at Liberty to transform the life of at least one Liberian with water and the gospel.” Phillips explained why The Last Well chose Liberia and the progress the organization has made to date. “We realized very quickly that the greatest physical need in this world right now, globally, is the need for clean water,” Phillips said. “The greatest need is water, and the worst place is Liberia.” According to Phillips, 250,000 Liberians died in a civil war that lasted 14 years, but 300,000 have died in the last 11 years since the war has ended from water-borne illness. In light of this, Phillips noted the end goal of the organization. “Everyone in Liberia, border to border, every man, woman and child will be within a 15-minute walking distance of clean water,” Phillips said. One well can serve up to 600 people, but Phillips said they are aiming to serve 400 people per well. The Clean Water Gala was The 10 Campaign’s first event in support of The Last Well organization, but Liberty’s The Last Well team is hoping to make the gala annual. Although the 10 Campaign is finished with an overall total of funds raised hitting $19,721, another campaign supporting The Last Well is in the works. “We are so excited to announce that the 01 (or ONE) Campaign is a year-long campaign that will start over the next few weeks,” Ethridge said. “The vision is to have at least 365 people give up their birthdays in order to support the work of The Last Well.” The 01 Campaign is for students to ask for donations toward The Last Well for their birthdays instead of receiving birthday gifts. #OneBirthdayOneWell is the hashtag that the 10 Campaign will be using for students who want to keep up with the campaign progress. Additionally, anyone can donate to The Last Well online at thelastwell.org.

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ETIQUETTE — Dr. Stephen Preacher gave tips and tricks for fine-dining interviews.

FRASER is a feature reporter.

FEATURE

March 31, 2015

Amber tiller and Eric Carson | Liberty Champion

CONTEST— From beginner level to advanced, participants chalked up their hands, stretched out their muscles and began to attempt each problem designed by the rock wall staff.

Rocking the competition Students test strength, resolve in bouldering contest at the LaHaye Rock Wall Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu

Chalk dust floated in the air while upbeat music blared from the back corner of the LaHaye Student Union. A crowd of spectators and competitors gathered around the rock wall as the bouldering competition began March 27. Bouldering opponents lined up at 4:15 p.m. in anticipation of the challenges ahead. Each competitor took turns on the wall, trying to successfully navigate the skill-based puzzles — often referred to as “problems” — the wall presented. The climbers had exactly two and a half hours to test their limits and attempt to solve as many problems, or sets of certain colored rock paths, as possible. In order to complete the challenge, competitors had to move from rock to rock in a certain order based on the color of the rocks. Some competitors, like senior aviation major Zachary Lamothe, claimed this to be their first competition. However, beginners like Lamothe, intermediates and advanced climbers all participated beside each other while being ranked in different categories for scoring. According to Lamothe, all the

competitors desired to win, but they were also all friendly with one another, showing a desire to help others improve their skills on the wall. “How the competition works is even though you are competing against people, you’re kind of competing with them as well,” Lamothe said. “You’re helping other people get holds (on the wall), and you’re cheering for people when they get their problem they’ve been trying to solve.” Despite the friendly competition, someone did come out victorious in each of three divisions. They each took home the bragging rights that go along with first place, as well as gift cards to Outdoor Trails — adding up to $500 — and gear from the event sponsors. Ethan McGann took home the victory in the beginner division. In the intermediate category, Corey Messer won first place and then grabbed another top title for the crash pad stacking competition, in which competitors had to practice balance as pads were added underneath them. Tristan Landon captured the top spot for the advanced sector, and Mark Chauvette achieved the win in the dyno competition, a competition that required an advanced jump move.

Landon, a freshman industrial systems engineering major, only began frequently visiting the LaHaye Student Union Rock Wall when he arrived at Liberty last August, and he said he has now fallen in love with the sport. “I’m there every day,” Landon said. “I find such a passion in climbing. It’s like an escape for me. I absolutely love being at the wall, because when everything is super stressful, … I have a place I can go.” For Landon, while the rock wall is a place that challenges him physically and mentally, it has also become a type of home. “I have a family I can go to, and at the end of the day, every single one of (the rock wall staff) is there for me,” Landon said. “And I think that’s partially why I always (keep) going back to it, because no matter what happens (the rock wall staff is) there for me.” For some climbers like Landon, the rock wall provides more than just a place to train, it is somewhere they can climb among friends and people who will not judge, no matter what level they are, according to sophomore business administration major Josiah Bardy. Bardy just concluded his third bouldering competition at Liberty,

competing in the intermediate sector. Bardy said he has had an appreciation for the sport ever since he was introduced to the rock wall in the fall of 2013 in his first few weeks attending Liberty. “(Bouldering) is for any sort of body type,” Bardy said. “There’s no prejudice. If you come to the wall and you try it out, people are going to want to help you get better. I find (the rock wall) to be a very accepting — in a good way — culture.” Although Bardy is unable to come to the rock wall as much as he would like, he still mentioned that the best way he can train is just to climb, even if he feels like he cannot master a set. Landon agreed with Bardy, confirming that the best way to train is to climb out of personal motivation. “Nobody’s asking me to come (to the rock wall),” Landon said. “I’m just doing it because I love it. … I’m not doing it because I’m forced. I’m doing it because I love (climbing).” For more information about the LaHaye Student Union and activities occurring during the semester, visit liberty.edu/campusrec/studentunion TILLER is the feature editor.

Campaign raises awareness Liberty’s The Last Well chapter brings attention to the lack of clean water in Liberia Ellie Fraser efraser2@liberty.edu

“How many lives do you want to transform?” This is the question that Daniel Ethridge, the 10 Campaign director, asked fellow students. The 10 Campaign was first envisioned last spring in a Liberty University classroom when Todd Phillips, founder and executive director of The Last Well, visited and spoke about his organization. The Last Well was founded in 2008 with the mission of providing every person in Liberia access to clean drinking water, as well as sharing the gospel with every person served by 2020. The 10 Campaign officially started March 18 and ended March 27 and held a Clean Water Gala Friday, March 20, during which Phillips spoke to 200 students at the sold-out event. After Phillips’ speech, a group of Liberty students was inspired to start the 10 Campaign that works with The

Last Well. The money raised by the 10 Campaign through social media and personal fundraising efforts go directly to The Last Well organization. “Ten dollars is all it takes for one Liberian to get the gospel and clean water for the rest of (his or her) life,” Ethridge said. “That is what 10 (Campaign) is all about.” Phillips said The Last Well is about more than just getting water to people. It has a greater purpose. “This 10 Campaign that students have put together here at Liberty is driven by the reality of the Great Commission,” Phillips said “It’s driven by sharing Jesus. That’s what we’re about. And this water is simply a tool.” Ethridge hopes all Liberty students will get involved. “The 10 Campaign at Liberty University was created with a simple but profound goal. … One student: One life,” Ethridge said.

See CAMPAIGN, B7

Ellie Fraser | Liberty Champion

GALA — Students gathered for a banquet to support The Last Well.