Homecoming fun and festivities
Liberty Godparent Home uses
Baby Bottles for Change B6
B8
LIBERTY CHAMPION Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Today: Cloudy 76/57 Tomorrow: Cloudy 59/44
Libertychampion.com
Volume 29 • Issue 07
Homecoming weekend
Chancellor announces new library New state-of-the-art facility to honor late Dr. Jerry Falwell Katherine Lacaze kelacaze@liberty.edu
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
FOOTBALL FUN — Cheerleaders run out onto the field of William’s Stadium on Sat., Oct. 15, before the Flames football team wins its Homecoming game against Coastal Carolina 63-27 in front of a record-breaking crowd. See B1 for full story.
Chancellor of Liberty University Jerry Falwell Jr. announced Friday, Oct. 14, that Liberty University will soon begin construction on the Jerry Falwell Library. The library is part of Liberty’s campus makeover and “will make a statement about our commitment to academic excellence,” Falwell said. “(The) new freestanding library will be the academic hub of Liberty’s campus,” the Liberty Journal states. “It will overlook a new lake behind the Vines Center.” The Board of Trustees met Tuesday, Oct. 11, to finalize details about the library. According to Falwell, because of the capital investment being made for the library, as well as the fact that it will become a focal point of the campus and the center of student life and academic programs, he suggested it be called the Jerry Falwell Library to commemorate his father and Liberty’s founder. “They (the Board of Trustees), for years, have been looking for the right structure, the right opportunity to honor his memory,” Falwell said. “They all decided it should be named in his honor, because of the sacrifices he made to make Liberty a reality.” See LIBRARY, A8
Candidates for Virginia House of Delegates, District 59 Democrat Connie Brennan Jenna Vanden Brook jvandenbrook@liberty.edu
BRENNAN Connie Brennan is using her community involvement and healthcare background as the basis for her campaign for the 59th District Virginia House of Delegates seat. Brennan is campaigning against Republican Matt Fariss and Independent Linda Wall. The candidates seek to replace retiree Watkins Abbitt Jr., who has held the 59th seat in office for 25 years. Brennan involved
herself in committees ranging from a poverty agency to the Jefferson Area Board of Aging, where she is currently active. She also worked on the Nelson County Child Care Center Board, the Sexual Assault Resource Agency and the Planning District 10 Workforce Council. She served on the Dental Advisory Board and volunteered in her community criminal justice system, Brennan’s campaign website said. Brennan is in her 10th year as a member of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors. “I’m the kind of person that if I don’t know something then I have to volunteer to be on some committee that is related to that because it’s how I learn,” Brennan said. See BRENNAN, A6
Independent Linda Wall
WALL Businesswoman Linda Wall seeks to reform the nation by reintroducing biblical truths and action into government beginning with running for the 59th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Wall is an Independent whose opposition is Republican Matt Fariss and Democrat Connie Brennan. Although Wall does see a challenge in running as an independent as opposed to being attached to a party, she has prepared
to run for political office since the mid-1990s. She worked for the House of Delegates, lobbied and fought for laws and amendments and testified in committee hearings. The Virginia native believes that the focus of the United States government and citizens should be to turn their focus back to God. “It’ll be 50 years in 2010 since prayer was taken out of schools,” Wall said. Ultimately, Wall believes the solution to the nation’s problems, particularly those of the economic crisis, starts with obedience to God and prayer. Wall referenced recent history and stories from the Bible explaining that, often, the result of
See WALL, A6
Republican Matt Fariss
FARISS Matt Fariss’ business experience and conservative values define his campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates. Fariss is the Republican candidate in the race for the 59th District delegate and is a self-proclaimed “common sense conservative.” Fariss is running against Connie Brennan, Democrat, and Linda Wall, Independent. Some of the most significant focuses of Fariss’
campaign are lessening government regulations, lowering taxes and fighting against excessive government spending. Fariss approaches the economy with a pro-business mindset believing that incentives for entrepreneurs, investors and farmers will stimulate business growth which will, in turn, increase job availability, he said. “We can foster a probusiness environment right here in Virginia by keeping effective tax rates low and fighting back against the big government regulations breaking the backs of small businessmen and women,” Fariss said. Fariss’s stances on the economy and job creation stem from his business experience. The Campbell County native was involved in various See FARISS, A6
INSIDE THE CHAMPION
News
Zombie Walk
Lynchburg participants donate canned goods for local food bank. A3
Sports
Events
Avery Warley gets selected for PanAmerican games. B1
Psych. Club, nursing and SGA present winning floats at parade. B8
Represent
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News Opinion Sports Feature
A1 A4 B1 B8
NEWS
A2/Liberty Champion
October 18, 2011
Community meetings pushed forward City Council gives Lynchburg locals a voice in the redistricting process Justin Jones jljones9@liberty.edu
Lynchburg City Council is currently hosting a set of community meetings as it moves forward in the redistricting process. Before the plans are voted on for approval, the meetings give citizens a chance to speak with members of council and voice their concerns. The meetings began Oct. 6 at Bass Elementary School and continued Oct. 13 at Bedford Hills Elementary. The meetings will conclude at the public library on Oct. 20. City Attorney Walter Erwin opened the floor to those at Bass Elementary, but no one presented concerns. “I think having gone through redistricting before, I now know what to expect,” Erwin said. “People don’t like moving from their regular polling place. But so far, through the first meeting, we haven’t heard any complaints.”
The meetings are primarily to inform citizens on changes with their voting location. Erwin explained those changes as necessary changes to keep each ward within the plus or minus five percent of the ideal population. Since Lynchburg has four wards, the total population divided by four gives officials their benchmark number. When the population per ward is not within the five percent allowance, redistricting is used to make those necessary changes. The community meetings were not scheduled to take place until November. With meetings that late in the year, changes in voting locations would not be in effect until May of 2012. Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. addressed city officials requesting that the timetable be pushed forward, as he saw no need for the delay. According to Erwin, he was not alone in his belief. “There was a heavy turnout in support for the change,” he said. “So now it’s been moved up.”
FYI
The next community meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 and will be held at the public library.
The changes will allow students to vote on campus for the presidential primaries in March. The move will be a welcome change for both Liberty students and Heritage voters due to heavy congestion in recent elections. Additionally, others will have a new polling center. Approximately 760 voters from Miller Park will be moving from ward three into ward two, according to Erwin. Their new polling place will be R.S. Payne Elementary instead of the public library. Plans also include those voting at Fairview Christian Church to move out of ward three and into ward
two, but voting will remain at Fairview. Ward one will experience changes, as those in the Moose Lodge precinct will begin voting at Bedford Hills Elementary School. This change accounts for the new 22nd Senate District added by the General Assembly. The new district is described as “long and skinny,” according to Attorney Erwin. Democrat Bert Dodson, a Lynchburg businessman, is running for state representative against Republican Tom Garrett in this newly formed district. In addition to Erwin, Tom Martin, the Lynchburg city planner, will be speaking at the meetings. City Council’s formal public hearing will be held in November before the final vote takes place. JONES is a news reporter.
Texas student vindicated
School district retracts freshman’s suspension Katherine Lacaze kelacaze@liberty.edu
After being accused of bullying other students and given in-school suspension, Texas high school freshman Dakota Ary was given permission to return to his classes with no consequences. This case, in which the Liberty Counsel is representing ARY Ary, arose when, during a discussion about religious beliefs, Germany and same-sex attraction in a German class at Western Hill High, Ary stated that homosexuality is wrong, according to a news release from the Liberty Counsel. Subsequently, Ary was sent to the principal’s office by his teacher, Kristopher Franks, on the charge of “possible bullying” and given suspension, the news release states. The Fort Worth Independent School District conducted a review of the situation and issued a letter Oct. 7 that stated that the suspension was retracted and that neither a First Amendment violation nor the implication of bullying behavior was valid. “As previously stated, Dakota was not punished for expressing an opinion and there is no permanent record of his being punished for expressing an opinion,” the letter from the Fort
Worth Independent School District states. “We recognize Dakota has the right to express an opinion in a manner consistent with law and policy.” According to the Liberty Counsel news release, the letter issued by the Fort Worth Independent School District is a response to its “demand letter requesting full vindication and a full retraction of the suspension.” This case has incited a great deal of controversy because it is centered on a sensitive topic. Comment sections under various articles on this topic include opinions from those who side with Ary, such as one commenter on LifeSiteNews. com who states that “we have the Right to discriminate between appropriate and inappropriate sexual inclinations and sexual behavior.” Others have tagged this situation as an example of homophobia and ignorance, according to comments on Dailymail.co.uk. “This case is about the First Amendment right to express your view on moral issues,” Dean of Liberty University School of Law and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Mat Staver said. “The teacher tried to bully the students to accept his view of homosexuality. That was inappropriate and his actions clearly crossed the line. I am proud that Dakota Ary stood firm in his Christian beliefs.” LACAZE is the news editor.
photo provided
TOURNAMENT TIME — The Liberty forensics team from top left Josh Wade, Colin Dowd, Rachel Brown, Whitney Rutherford, Andre Craig, Rebecca Rudolph, Yemisi Egbewoli, Joseph Woods, Meagan Roper and Meridith Styer.
Forensics team moves to nationals Rahab Mugwanja
rwmugwanja@liberty.edu
The Liberty University forensics team will be competing at the national tournament, following recent victories in competition at George Mason University. The team, which began its work in 2009, is not about crime solving but has to do with public speaking. “Forensic speech seeks to provide introduction, theory, training and instruction in public communication necessary to develop speech performance skills required for successful speaking in a variety of arenas,” Coach Meagan Roper said. The team consists of 15 students who compete under the guidance and direction of their coaches Meridith Styer and Roper. “Communication skills are often singled out as the most important aspects of success in arenas from business and teaching to
evangelism and preaching. With this in mind, the forensics speech team seeks to build not simply successful competitors but great Christian communicators,” Roper said. The team is a member of the Southern and Northern Atlantic Forensics Union, also known as District Seven (D7), the American Forensics Association (AFA), the National Forensics Association (NFA) and the National Christian College Forensics Association. Each of these associations holds a national tournament in the spring semester of each year. “Each of these events cover presentations from limited preparation events like impromptu and extemporaneous speaking to prepared, memorized pieces in the interpretive and platform categories,” Roper said. “Our principle is the power of individuals to participate with others
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in shaping their world through the human capacity of language,” the AFA website stated. Liberty’s forensics team recently traveled to compete in the Virginia is for Lovers Swing at George Mason University. Liberty freshman Whitney Rutherford and juniors Josh Wade and Colin Dowd each earned one of three top placings needed to win a place to present at the American Forensics Association’s national tournament in April in San Marcos, Texas. On a previous competition hosted by Liberty, Rutherford qualified to present her persuasive piece on DDT at the National Forensics Association national competition in April in Athens, Ohio. Wade and Dowd also get to take their duo piece, a compilation on teachers, to nationals as well. Wade placed for his prose piece on greed and will take the piece to NFA nationals.
“In these competitions you talk about what you are most passionate about,” Dowd said. Dowd also made it to the final round with his Communication Analysis (where competitors are given a few minutes to prepare a five to 10-minute speech based on prior research) on collective conscious. Almost all the students from Liberty who participated in the competitions made it to the final rounds of the tournament each day. “The Liberty University Forensics Speech Team, its coaching staff, leadership and students seek to demonstrate the principle that ‘if it is Christian it should be better’ through excellence in ethical and Christ-like behavior, interpersonal relationships, academics and competition,” Roper said. MUGWANJA is a news reporter.
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
October 18, 2011
Liberty Champion/A3
Zombie ‘outbreak’ benefits local food bank ganizer Patrick Hubble rallied participants, reminding them of official Zombie Walk Rules (which included refraining from chasing innocent onlookers). “We’d really like to be able to do this again,” he announced. Hubble was the principle organizer of the event and currently serves as Funeral Director for Tharp Funeral Home. Aside from benefitting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, the Zombie Walk also partnered with local businesses, such as Skull Fly Accessories, which hosted a table full of quirky accessories. Newly opened Visulite Cinemas offered a discounted showing of “The Thing” for Zombie Walk participants at the conclusion of the event.
Jessica Rowell jrowell@liberty.edu
Who says a zombie apocalypse is a bad thing? It seems the walking dead have become the new — and somewhat unpleasant — faces of charity. Local zombie enthusiasts gathered on Saturday evening Oct. 15 to participate in Lynchburg’s first Zombie Walk, which was organized as a charity event for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “I think it’s fun and different,” participant Brad Bennett said. “It’s something that seems to be catching on in bigger cities too.” Bennett and his wife, Lyndsey, both attended, decked out in full zombie attire. The open community event consisted of more than 100 participants who donated canned goods and non-perishable foods, which were creatively placed in a real coffin accompanied by a hearse. However, the “undead”
Jessica Rowell | Liberty Champion
OUTBREAK — A horde of shambling zombies prowls downtown Lynchburg to raise supplies for charity. participants seemed to benefit more from the Walk as they exhibited their creativity through both costumes and theatrics. Zombies from all walks
of life were represented, including zombie brides, zombie babies in strollers and even a zombielike Hulk Hogan. The eccentric parade be-
Lynchburg receives visit by Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade
Jim Cheng includes stop at Liberty University Katherine Lacaze kelacaze@liberty.edu
Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade and member of Governor McDonnell’s cabinet Jim Cheng will be visiting Lynchbu r g, Va., and speaking to a group of business CHENG students at Liberty University on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Cheng is coming to Lynchburg at the request of Delegate T. Scott Garrett, M.D., according to Sara Owen, legislative aide to Garrett. “The purpose of his visit is to share with our community about what is happening in the agencies he oversees in Richmond and also for him to hear from our community about the opportunities and challenges we face in the areas of commerce and trade,” Owen said. “His day begins with a breakfast with several key business leaders. He will then keynote a “regional summit” held at the city’s I.T. Building on Young Place at 10 a.m.”
After that, the Helms School of Government and Liberty School of Business is co-hosting Cheng to address students from these schools from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Helms School Suite, SLAB 128. According to Dean of the School of Business Scott Hicks, they have not traditionally had a lot of speakers come, but it is something that they are trying to increase the frequency of this semester. “This term, through clubs and classes, we can basically average a speaker a week coming through the school, which we’re excited about, because we’re very big on applied academics,” Hicks said. “It’s one thing for a student to learn a theory, it’s another thing for them to be able to get practical application alongside that theory. It will add more value to them as they go to market, which is where our greatest concern is.” Hicks said that Cheng will probably discuss with the Liberty students topics such as international trade, tourism and how the region can retain businesses, with a focus on Region
2000. “Virginia’s Region 2000 Partnership is an interwoven network of organizations with a centralized vision to provide regional development leadership within the 2,000 square miles that surround Lynchburg, Va.,” the Region 2000 website states. “We provide a single point of contact to the public and private sector for regional planning services, economic development, marketing and workforce training.” According to Hicks, it is important for Liberty to become more involved, a catalyst even, in Region 2000. “One of the big initiatives that we have in the School of Business is internships,” Hicks said. “We have 59 internships. I’d say 75 percent of them are paid internships and that’s coming directly from companies in Region 2000.” Owen said that Cheng’s visit to Lynchburg will commence with a trip to the Center for Advance Engineering and Research facility “to view the science and technology housed there.” LACAZE is the news editor.
gan its trek in Amazement Square and continued through the historic district of downtown Lynchburg. Participants staggered their way down Main Street and
9th street as curious onlookers followed behind. Secret judges in the crowd picked the most creative costumes to be awarded prizes. Event or-
ROWELL is a news reporter.
Kyle Maynard speaks to business students Professional athlete and best-selling author to address Liberty School of Business Katherine Lacaze kelacaze@liberty.edu
The Liberty University School of Business will be holding a special convocation for students in athletics and from the School of Business on Friday, Oct. 21, which will feature 2004 ESPY awardwinner and MAYNARD best-selling author of “No Excuses,” Kyle Maynard. Having a renowned athlete and motivational speaker like Maynard speak at Liberty is a great asset for the School of Business and athletes because “he’s a Christian and will not only share ‘No Excuses,’ but his Christian faith,” according to Scott Hicks, the dean of the School of Business. “(It will be beneficial) for our students to hear, at this point in the semester, from someone who literally has all the reason to make excuses, if you will,
but he doesn’t,” Hicks said. “Our students need some of that.” Maynard, 25, is a congenital amputee, which means that his “arms stop around where (his) elbows would be and (his) legs end slightly above the knees,” according to the official website of Kyle Maynard. “His story begins as an 11-year-old that wanted to wrestle and a coach that gave him an opportunity to try,” the website states. Maynard went on to win 36 wrestling matches during his senior year of high school. Since then, he has pursued weight training and achieved a world record in the modified bench press, as well as multiple other awards and recognitions that acknowledge his physical abilities as well as his humanitarian efforts, according to the official website of Kyle Maynard. There is currently a documentary being made that chronicles “his life and the pursuit of his first Mixed Martial Arts fight,” according to the website.
“Having a renowned athlete and motivational speaker like Maynard speak at Liberty is a great asset for the School of Business.” Mary Kerry, School of Business faculty support coordinator, said Maynard has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, HBO Real Sports, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The CBS Early Show and Larry King Live. This special convocation will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in DeMoss 1113-1114. Maynard will also be available to sign copies of his book “No Excuses” in the hall outside of DeMoss 1113-1114 directly following the morning convocation.
LACAZE is the news editor.
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OPINION
OCTOBER 18, 2011
occupy wall street
Horrors of Halloween Isaac Eder ieder@liberty.edu
I
ASHLEY BOLLINGER
THE 99 PERCENT — Protestors speak out about corporate greed, skyrocketing college debt and more.
Wall Street protest runs risk of being a political puppet
Without unity, protest is bound to miss its own goal Clint Hayes Rhayes4@liberty.edu
A
ctivism is an essential component of democracy. Activists can inspire and educate, they can open up dialogues and sow seeds of discontent, but without a clear mission statement the protests of the counterculture can be manipulated by the very power they oppose. Just look at the current state of the Occupy Wall Street protests. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the campaign arm of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, is seeking 100,000 signatures on a petition it is circulating asking party supporters to “stand with the Occupy Wall Street protests.” Democratic alignment with the Occupy Wall Street movement is misguided, as many occupiers are protesting the Obama administration’s decision to bailout rather than reform Wall Street. The movement has chosen not to have a spokesperson and, therefore, has no unified voice to comment on the DCCC’s endorsement. On the other hand, the Republican National Committee is looking to use the protests against President Obama. “The protests began with anger aimed at Wall Street, but the anger is also directed at the failure of leadership in Washington and that starts with the president,” RNC spokeswoman Kristen Kukowski said. Statements such as this one concerning the overall message of the protest are also misguided. The protest is intentionally free of any specific goals. Occupy Wall Street has spread well beyond the confines of downtown Manhattan, spawning over 1,500 solidarity protests throughout the world. The movement claims a method of “horizontal democracy,” meaning that every individual protester makes demands autonomously and these are reviewed in a daily “General Assembly” meeting. Their stated general goal is to represent the 99 percent of Americans not in the upper crust of the economy.
M O FRTHE
K S DE C EY SHL A : By
ER ING L L BO
andy, costumes and corruption. That is what Halloween is known for in the Christian church today, isn’t it? Growing up, I trick-or-treated. That’s right, start throwing your judgment stones — but it looks like I wasn’t the only American child participating in the seemingly harmless events. In 2006, the National Retail Federation conducted a survey in regards to
“They lack a single unified voice, opting instead for a cacophony of individual voices raised in protest.” Some studies lend credence to the need to address economic inequality in America. American earners in the top one percent receive about 18 percent, nearly a fifth of the country’s total income, according to economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez’s study of inequality on the Paris School of Economics website. A free, democratic method of developing demands is an important concept and the Occupy Wall Street organizers deserve praise for creating a public forum for the expression of ideas. However, the economy is largely influenced by the government and many government officials are wealthy. Billions of dollars are spent on corporate lobbying efforts each year in order to influence officials in Washington. If either major political party aligns itself with the movement, then their protests become meaningless. The mere concept of a government-sanctioned protest against government policy is not only ludicrous, it is also dangerous. It speaks of an Orwellian state, in which the voice of the people is manipulated by the party in power. Occupy Wall Street’s inability to comment about the political attentions focused on them reflect the democratic nature of their protest, but it also poses a major problem. They lack a single unified voice, opting instead for a cacophony of individual voices raised in protest. Democratic ideals are admirable, but without effective and timely agreement on issues like political endorsement, Occupy Wall Street may become a mouthpiece for those in power.
don’t know about you, but I hate Halloween. The holiday is a time of “merriment,” claim its proponents. They say that Halloween is “fun for kids,” and they bring their grubby little children around to every house in the neighborhood, descending upon us like a swarm of locust. Every year I do my best to be civil to those little masked vultures, but to no avail. Last year, I even spent three hours cutting up celery sticks into kid-sized pieces and wrapping them in a fun colored plastic, but they would have none of it. They came back the next day and egged my house. (Surely, Halloween must instill in its participation a hatred of healthy treats and good neighbors). I do understand the allure, however. Dear reader, I even celebrated that wretched day once upon a time. Let me explain a little bit about this topic. It only takes three Halloweens in a row, the older kids from my school stealing my candy, the bike I was using to get around town and ripping my favorite Genie from Aladdin costume to realize that Halloween is not for you. Low and behold, however, the evils of Halloween eventually drew me back in. What is worse is how expensive everything is, especially the candy. Some would argue that it is quite the opposite and that candy is actually on sale because they know you will be able to sell it in bulk, but that is exactly the problem. (When they make it $3 for a five-pound bag, how can I be expected to not buy 57 bags on the first of the month and run out the week before Halloween?) Maybe if that had not happened, I would not have had to spend so much time cutting up the stupid celery. What is worse, still, as Sean Hannity once pointed out, trick-or-treating is really just training children for a life of relying on the government to sustain them. They go around to each house, demanding free handouts. I never had such luxuries as a child. I never got anything, not even from my own parents. (Noted child psychologist Alfred Yankovic summed up my childhood perfectly in his seminal work “When I Was Your Age” “We were hungry, broke and miserable and we liked it fine that way. There were 73 of us living in a cardboard box. All I got for Christmas (more on that holiday next time) was a lousy bag of rocks. Every night for dinner we had a big old chunk of dirt. If we were really good we did not get dessert.”) Truer words have never been spoken. So I admonish you, dear reader, to not participate in Halloween. It will drain your pocketbook and cause you to wake up sweating from nightmares you once experienced, just as I did. I would type more, but I feel faint and my blood sugar is a little low. Time to self-medicate with more candy corn. EDER is a contributing writer.
HAYES is an opinion writer.
the celebration of Halloween. The survey found that nearly 63.8 percent of consumers participated in Halloween in 2006. That was nearly 12 percent more than in 2005. Although the survey has not been recently re-evaluated, I think it is fair to assume that those numbers have not dropped drastically. According to ChildStats.gov, an organization funded by the Census Bureau, there are over 75 million children in the US. With 63 percent of all children trick-or-treating, it is not reasonable to assume such evil exists amidst innocent fun. For as long as I can remember, I trickor-treated. Dressing-up and going door-to-door was the highlight of my fall festivities. However, the holiday was more than that for me. Some of the best memories I have with my dad are from years of trick-or-treating. From the time I could walk until my 17th birthday, my dad came trick-ortreating with my younger sister and me. The most common argument sounding from the Christian church today
against Halloween is the corruption surrounding the festivities, scantily clad teenagers and lurking evils awaiting young prey. But how can hiding your children from these things help them? I never participated in the inappropriate dress BOLLINGER code, nor did I ever fear the “danger” which Halloween is rumored to contain. Halloween is a time when parents can bond with their children. Yes, if you send your 14-year-old daughter out to roam the streets by herself, she may be faced with decisions that her undeveloped brain is not yet mature enough to respond to appropriately. However, if you go out with your children and use Halloween as a time to disciple them, you may find you are building memories that will last a lifetime — and life
lessons as well. Many argue that Christians are to abstain from the ways of the world. Well, then do it. Instead of hiding yourselves away in your homes with locked doors and closed blinds, try getting out and meeting those neighbors Jesus has called you to love. Instead of following the world’s standards of parenting, spend time teaching your children to make the right choices and do it by their side. Yes, I am only a 20-year-old college student who still has a lot to learn, but what I do know is that I am not a worse person — or Christian — because I trick-or-treated. I was taught values and life skills that will stay with me forever. I developed a relationship with my dad that, although imperfect, is stronger than most. Most importantly, I was taught not to judge but to love and to take every opportunity to express that love to a broken and dying world. Even if that expression comes through a smile and a thank-you after a cheerful “trick-or-treat.”
OPINION
October 18, 2011
Liberty Champion/A5
Google aids thieves: Software used to pick targets Jasmine Martin Jmartin14@liberty.edu
Aided by Google Maps, a man was recently caught burglarizing people’s homes once they’d left. With some simple research and available addresses on the internet, he was able to use the so-called helpful software in order to rob nine homes. “He said he Googled ‘expensive homes along highways,’ and Indian Head Park and Burr Ridge came up… He used the satellite view on those homes where you can see 360 degrees,” Indian Head Park Police Sgt. Curt Novak said in the article “Man Used Google Maps To Find Homes To Burglarize” from the news site Chicago.cbslocal.com. Google should limit the content on Google Maps and Google Earth in order to ensure the safety of people and the nation. Sure, it is fun to look at your home through your computer screen, but then I wonder who else has been able to
Google Maps
PRIVACY SETTINGS — Not everything has been blurred since Sept. 11, 2001. view the same image. It is understandable to view Google Maps as entertainment or even as an educational tool, but it is not necessary when finding your way around town. Many people use their own personal global positioning systems or old-fashioned directions. It seems ridiculous that anyone has the ability to scope out almost any address that comes to their imagination. In fact, it seems to be more of a danger to our safety than anything else. New technology has the ability to serve criminals who operate on a much grander scale than the petty burglar mentioned
Education decline: Schools not up to par Rachel Deas Rdeas@liberty.edu
People begin learning the day they are born. An infant learns to crawl, then to walk and finally, to run. Once an infant becomes a toddler, he or she learns to talk. Soon enough, parents take their child to school for the first time. However, parents should have cause for concern about the quality of education their child receives at these schools as the quality of education children obtain there appears to be steadily decreasing. School used to be more challenging, requiring much more of students. According to Digital
History.com, in order to pass the eighth grade in 1895, students were required to take a test covering grammar, arithmetic, U.S. history, orthography and geography. From a test used in the Kansas school system during this time, here are some sample questions from each category. Grammar: Give nine rules for the use of capital letters. Arithmetic: Name and define the fundamental rules of arithmetic. U.S. History: Give the epochs into which U.S. history is divided. Orthography: What the following means: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology and syl-
before. Man is inherently evil, so it is no wonder that criminals have used what is supposed to be useful technology for their illegal enjoyment. Even more recently, the government uncovered plans to bomb several people and places in Washington, D.C. from a terrorist group based in Iran. The group planned to attack the Saudi Arabian and Israeli embassies, which are blurred but can be found on Google Earth. Google Earth does entertain some aspects of limitation, whereas important places are blurred and some street views are unavailable. Although Washington,
labication? Geography: What is climate? It is doubtful that even half of the population in the United States could pass the exam today. A recent survey done by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences found that U.S. adults between the ages of 16 and 65 received the secondlowest scores in both literacy and numeracy out of the countries tested. A large part of the problem with education today is not what is being taught, but, rather, the process of teaching. Students seem to be more spoon-fed than forced to learn things on their own. They complain when a teacher does not give a study guide for a test. Often times, students procrastinate on assignments, knowing that as long as they do well on the “big projects” they will be fine. “Teachers are the key to im-
D.C. is blurred, you can still see it from a bird’s eye view. It does not take much imagination to figure that a viewer with ill-intentions could use that image to cause destruction if he or she chooses. “Evidence introduced at a New York terror trial showed that the defendants referenced Google’s mapping software during a foiled 2007 plot to blow up jet fuel tanks at John F. Kennedy International Airport,” the Associated Press said in the article “Blurring Google, other online maps to prevent terrorism part of the new normal after 9/11” in the Florida Times-Union. Even with the blurring that Google Maps has implemented since Sept. 11, 2001, it is imperative that Google takes further steps in order to keep people, on a personal and a national level, safe. America should continue to be a frontrunner in technology but that does not mean we should have to sacrifice our safety. MARTIN is an opinion writer.
“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” - CHESTERTON proving the quality of education. Research has indicated that the individual teacher makes the greatest difference in student learning, with a stronger effect than other factors, such as curriculum, funding or policies. Every child deserves a great teacher,” Dean of Education Dr. Karen Parker said. Part of the problem with education today is a result of society. With the government regulating education and implementing programs such as No Child Left Behind, education loses its value. The program instated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has caused teachers to “teach
to the test,” according to About. com. These programs pressure teachers to meet specific numbers. It takes the focus off students and turns the school system into a numbers game. As the quality of education suffers, so will everything else. Students stop gaining knowledge and practice the skill of short-term memorization. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, a writer born in 1874, once said that, “Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” The American society is passing on to this generation an education of laziness, immediacy and a focus on self. America will shift into a society of people who cannot think for themselves, who will be ignorant to anything of worth. When ignorance reigns supreme, disaster is sure to follow. DEAS is an opinion writer.
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NEWS
A6/Liberty Champion BRENNAN continued from A1 “I’ve worked for 35 years in my community on various things.” The retired nurse practitioner wants to use her healthcare background to influence the healthcare system in Virginia. Her experience gave her insight into environment-related healthcare issues which drove her toward her stance on environmental protection. “We have very few people in the state legislature that really have any experience with health issues, and we really need people with some expertise and some understanding of some of those issues and I have that,” Brennan said. Brennan wants to make healthcare affordable for all. In her 28 years at the University of Virginia’s health clinic, Brennan watched people without insurance struggle to pay for their healthcare. As far as focusing government resources, Brennan puts the most emphasis on funding for disease prevention. “It’s quite clear that preventing disease is a much more economically sound way to deal with (costly healthcare) than trying to treat diseases when they get going,” Brennan said. “I don’t know what the answer to our healthcare crisis is but we’ve got one … and I would like to be
WALL continued from A1 a nation’s turning away from God was a cursed economy. “As believers, we have failed to realize part of the economic downfall is a direct result of a nation turning from the Lord,” Wall said. “I really think a big part of that solution would be for God’s people to humble themselves, pray and turn from their wicked ways because the Lord said he’d heal the land.” Turning to the natural side of the economic issue, as opposed to the spiritual side, Wall is “a firm believer in getting back to the label ‘Made in America.’” As the owner and operator of Linda’s Buttons and Fun Fotos in Appomattox, Wall has experience in the area of small business. Wall claims one of the biggest reasons for the economic downturn is the China job drain. She believes jobs are no longer available in the United States because they are being outsourced to other countries, mainly China. Wall referenced Capps Shoe Company Inc., a manufacturer in Virginia that makes shoes and has an outlet, Johansen, in Lynchburg as an example of locally-made goods. She
part of looking at it at the state level.” Brennan also seeks prevention in the area of unwanted pregnancies. “Nobody likes abortion,” Brennan said. “I haven’t met one person that is pro-abortion. I think, really, it distracts from the real problem and that is we want to prevent unwanted pregnancies.” The economy and job market are also of high importance on Brennan’s list of campaign issues. Brennan wants to bring jobs to the 59th District, claiming many residents commute out of district for work. “We are definitely going to have to work very hard on making a turnaround in our economy,” Brennan said. “Of course, a lot of it stems from what happens at the national level so we’re in kind of a bind here. If we want to improve the economy, we’re going to have to attract new industries to the area and new industries that have good paying jobs so that hard working people can support their families.” Brennan wants the government to ensure broadband internet is available to all areas of the district and wants to improve education to attract new industries to the area. Industries she hopes to entice include tourism and alternative energy, such as bio-fuel, part-
wants to develop a directory of American-made and Virginiamade products to spur citizens to choose to buy American-made products. “Every time we purchase something with a foreign label, that’s some American’s job that he doesn’t have anymore,” Wall said. “Do we still think about pinching a penny or do we take this thing to heart and decide we’ve had enough.” As people who will soon become major players in the United States economy, Wall speaks to college students, particularly Liberty University students, in calling them to be witnesses for Christ now and especially after graduation. “It is not enough to say, ‘I’m a Christian lawyer,’ or, ‘I’m a Christian teacher,’ but we have to be God’s representatives in everything we do,” Wall said. In addition to the economy, Wall takes firm stances on abortion, marriage and family issues. Early in her life, Wall believed “the lies” that an unborn child was just a glob of tissue, Wall said. “It took a Pro-Lifer handing out Pro-Life tracks on the streets of Norfolk for me to grab one, look in it and see those little feet at 10-weeks-old, and I knew then
FYI
The 59th District is compiled of Red Hill, Porter’s and Country Green precincts in Albermarle County, as well as half of Campbell and Nelson counties and all of Appomattox and Buckingham Counties.
Photo Provided
HEALTH — Brennan’s experience as a nurse practitioner has given her knowledge and understanding of Virginia’s healthcare system. making for solar energy and wind energy. Having three kids attend a Nelson County public school and a grandson who currently attends, Brennan places education high on her priority list. Brennan was on the Nelson County School Board for four years.
“We know that not all children learn the same way,” Brennan said. “I think we need to be sure that each and every child has the opportunity for a good educational experience and sometimes I see kids falling by the wayside.” Brennan also wants to ensure that state funding for public
schools does not diminish as she says it has been in years past. Brennan is an advocate of making higher education available to more people through state funding and assistance. “I think we need to take a good, hard look at trying to help fund higher education for everyone,” Brennan said. “We need to be looking at how our tax structuring is, in the state of Virginia, to look at increasing our revenues somehow or another.” Brennan is married to John Hessselbart. She has three children, Vanessa, Jeremy and Luke, and a grandson, Oliver. Brennan moved to Nelson County, Va. over 35 years ago. VANDEN BROOK is a news reporter.
FYI
Voting in the Virginia general election will be Nov. 8 and will include ballots for the Virginia House of Delegates, as well as State Senators.
Photo Provided
LOCAL BUSINESS — Wall is a small business owner in Appomattox and emphasizes the importances of purchasing American-made goods and services. that we were killing unborn ba- set up in the beginning with bies,” Wall said. family traditions in this country, Wall believes that marriage that’s the only way this country is designed for a man and a will survive,” Wall said. woman to be in union with each Wall attended Longwood Colother. The repeal of Don’t Ask, lege where she graduated with Don’t Tell in the military will sig- a bachelor’s degree in teaching. nificantly affect this country and Aside from working as a teachbring an attack on the Virginia er, Wall worked in the Virginia Marriage Amendment, Wall General Assembly as a lobbyist, said. Wall fought for the Virgin- defeated the regional sales tax ia Marriage Amendment for two and marched for the unborn, years and saw it come to pass. Wall’s campaign website said. “I believe that the way it was “There are four core functions
FARISS continued from A1 businesses including the operation of a general store, real estate, cattle raising and farm management, Fariss’s campaign website said. Currently, Fariss is the co-owner and vice president of the Lynchburg Livestock Market. “As a small-businessman, I know firsthand how to create jobs and expand the economy,” Fariss said. “I’ve made a payroll. I know how to trim fat from a budget. I think it’s about time Richmond operated more like a business.” Fariss directly addressed preparing the job market for college graduates. Not only does Fariss want to stimulate job growth in small business, but he also wants to foster an increasing businessfriendly environment in Virginia. “In working with Gov. McDonnell to make Virginia a more business-friendly state,” Fariss said. “We will improve the job market here and make it easier for Liberty students to find good paying jobs when they graduate.” Fariss and his wife, Crystal, have three sons, Hunter, Bobby and Harrison. “Fariss hopes (his family) can continue to enjoy the same rights and freedoms that he has been
October 18, 2011
Photo Provided
FAMILY — Fariss emphasizes traditional family values and incorporates them into his campaign platform. blessed with and, as delegate, level. He is determined to fight he will fight against liberal (big any attempt to undermine tragovernment) policies that will ditional marriage, his campaign put those liberties in jeopardy,” website said. Fariss’s campaign website said. “(Fariss) believes that there is “Despite his various successes, he no more sacred right guaranteed is first and foremost a Christian to our citizens than the right to family man committed to serving life,” Fariss’s campaign website his family and community.” said. “Being raised with a menFariss’s family values extend tally challenged uncle, (Fariss) is to his campaign positions. Fariss all the more aware that all life is believes that traditional mar- precious.” riage between one man and one The pro-life candidate extends woman should be the only union his protection of life to the suprecognized on the state and local port of capital punishment to
those who take life. Fariss’s campaign also stresses the importance of education for children. “Virginia’s greatest natural resource is our children,” Fariss said. If elected, Fariss plans to fight to put funds meant for education directly into the school system. He wants to eradicate excessive government control in the school system, believing that the best people to make decisions for the Virginia schools are people at the local level. He wants parents and the local communities to have a say in their children’s education. As a longtime National Rifle Association member, Fariss will also seek to protect the right to bear arms if elected to office. As a seventh generation Virginian, Fariss recognizes the cultural traditions of hunting and gun ownership, his campaign website said. Another area in which Fariss wants to return government control to the local level is the area of property rights. “(Fariss) understands the challenges and frustrations that come when government attempts to regulate how property owners utilize their property and he will work to remove power from regulating bureaucracies and return it back to the people and their
of state government: economic development, transportation, education and public safety,” Wall said on her campaign website. “It is time for state government to restore those functions.” The candidates running for District 59 seek to replace retiree Watkins Abbitt Jr. who has held office as Delegate since January 1986. District 59 includes Appomattox County, where Wall resides, Buckingham County, much of Campbell County and parts of Albemarle and Nelson Counties VANDEN BROOK is a news reporter.
FYI
The current delegate for District 58, Watkins Abbitt Jr., is retiring after holding the office since 1986.
elected representatives,” Fariss’s campaign website said. Fariss’s had some advice for college students: “Work hard, honor your savior and keep plugging along,” Fariss said. Voting for the House of Delegates is Nov. 8. District 59 covers Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell and Nelson counties. The District 59 delegate seat is available because its current occupant, Watkins Abbitt Jr., who has held office as Delegate since January of 1986, is retiring. Abbitt endorses Fariss alongside Campbell County Sheriff Terry Gaddy and Virginia Senator Steve Newman. VANDEN BROOK is a news reporter.
NEWS
October 18, 2011
Liberty Champion/A7
A sport to test mental endurance
Liberty University Quiz Bowl team excels at Duke, University of Virginia tournaments Tabitha Cassidy Tcassidy@liberty.edu
Groans of defeat were present on the lips of Virginia Tech quiz bowl students Saturday, Oct. 8, as Liberty University’s team annihilated the competition. Liberty University took two quiz bowl teams, a Varsity Ateam and a Varsity B-team, to the University of Virginia’s (UVA) tournament. The two teams squared off against 12 other squads, with the Varsity Ateam finishing in the middle of the competition. Dr. Jim Nutter, who has been coaching the quiz bowl team at Liberty University since 2005 and boasts winning the Big South Conference Quiz Bowl Tournament five out of the past six years, stated that the most satisfying victory this tournament was over Virginia Tech, 130-85. “Based on the competition, I was hoping that our Varsity Ateam could play close to .500, because two of our best players were away on fall break,” Nutter said. In addition to beating Virginia Tech, the Varsity A-team won three additional games, including one match against Western Kentucky University. The team also came within five points of beating Penn State. “Those four ladies are a force to be reckoned with,” captain of the Varsity B-team James “Jake” Rogers said. The Varsity A-team consisted of four women varying in academic experiences. The Varsity B-team contained both men and women from Liberty University that were willing to give up heading home for fall break to compete. In addition to giving up their fall break, students had to
Photo Provided
A-TEAM — Liberty Quiz Bowl’s Varsity A-team poses after their competition at the University of Virginia.
“Tournaments are really a test of mental endurance. We get up early, take a long ride in a cramped van, walk across a strange campus and spend most of the day in and out of matches.” wake up early Saturday morning in order to get to Charlottesville, Va., the location in which the tournament was being held. “Tournaments are really a test of mental endurance. We
get up early, take a long ride in a cramped van, walk across a strange campus and spend most of the day in and out of matches with other teams,” Rogers said. Quiz bowl tournaments not
only consist of early mornings and long car rides, but they also constitute hours of preparation and days of practice leading up to the competition. According to Nutter, training for this tourna-
ment involved two practices a week, each practice consisting of three games. “The extra practice time has really paid off in the two tournaments we’ve played at Duke and UVA,” Nutter said, referring to the two tournaments Liberty has gone to this semester so far. Quiz bowl is a game that challenges students to answer questions in any field of study, including popular culture, history, art, science and everything in between. The UVA Tournament contained questions written in the American College Federation format. These questions, according to Nutter, are longer and generally harder to answer than the National Academic Quiz Tournament questions that students are given in the spring. “Some of the questions are very hard to pay attention to. When I hear that I got a question right, I am mostly just relieved, and sometimes a little gratified, that my hunch was right,” captain of the Varsity A-team Catherine Hardee said. Each question answered correctly is immediately followed by a set of bonus questions, Rogers said. These bonus questions, according to Nutter, are generally worth 10 points each and students are not given much time to answer. “There isn’t a lot of time to ruminate on correct answers,” Rogers said. Quiz bowl players at Liberty will have a few weeks to prepare for their next tournament set to take place Oct. 22 at George Mason University.
CASSIDY is a news reporter.
NEWS
A8/Liberty Champion
October 18, 2011
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LIBRARY continued from A1 Construction has already begun on the perimeter road behind the main campus. Falwell said that demolition of buildings that were built in the 70s to be temporary academic buildings, such as parts of the Schilling center, the Science building and the SLAB, will begin before the end of 2011 and new construction will be well underway by the spring of 2012. The modern, state-ofthe art library will be
170,000 sq. ft. and home to electronic resources and new technology, such as a robotic storage retrieval system, as well as a traditional book collection, Falwell said. He said that students will be able to search the library catalog for books and view them electronically online to determine whether or not that is the book they want. “If it is, (they can) have it delivered to their desk within five minutes,” Falwell said. “Old-style libraries would use about one-third of their space for collections, one-third for student research and
one-third for other uses. With this robotic system, we’re able to reduce to 7 percent the space used for collections.” Jeffersonian architecture will be incorporated into the library, as well as other future buildings and infrastructure that are part of the plans to “transform the look of the University over the next few years,” Falwell said. The new library will be the biggest capital investment in any one structure that Liberty has ever made, costing between $45 and $50 million, Falwell said.
This revenue will be generated not only from the tuitions of the growing online and residential student body and generous donors, but Liberty’s marketing team is also conducting a capital fundraising campaign, Falwell said. He said that there will be naming opportunities for donors, where they can have a different area or aspect of the library, such as the retrieval system, learning areas and study rooms, named after them or a loved one in exchange for their donation. In regards to the
“growing pains” that will inevitably be incurred by students who will be attending classes and using facilities on campus during the demolition and construction process, Falwell said they have plans to address this challenge and indicated the end result will be worth it, as “the Jerry Falwell Library will be a bridge to the future in terms of academic research.”
LACAZE is the news editor.
provided
Top Photo: The future Library will overlook a new lake behind the Vines Center.
Bottom Photo: The library will be a “bridge to the future” of academic research.
Photo
provided
‘Wings of Freedom’ tour allows visitors to fly classic warplanes Omar Adams Oadams@liberty.edu
Classic World War II aircraft will be flying into Lynchburg Regional Airport this week with the Collings Foundation’s 22nd annual “Wings of Freedom” tour. The nonprofit aviation history foundation from Stow, Mass. conducts tours and flights with aircraft from World War I through the Cold War. The Collings Foundation is a regular at air shows across the country. B-17G Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine,” B-24J Liberator “Witchcraft” and P51C Mustang “Betty Jane” will be available for tours from Oct. 19 to 21. Adults can explore the aircraft on the tarmac for $12, $6 for children. Guests who want to ex-
perience flight in the bombers can pay $425 for half an hour in either “Nine O Nine” or “Witchcraft.” Because the P-51 Mustang is a dual-seater — the last of its kind in flying condition — visitors can actually fly the 60-year-old fighter plane for $2,200 for half an hour or $3,200 for an hour. The three aircraft are iconic for their role in winning World War II through strategic bombing of German factories. Mustangs were known as “Little Friends” by the bomber crews they escorted all the way to Berlin and back. According to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, more than 15,000 Mustangs were built of all types following its introduction in 1942. The fighter scored 4,950 air-to-air kills in World War II — far more than any other Allied
U.S. Air Force archive
MUSTANG PILOTS — The famed Tuskeegee Airmen flew P-51 Mustangs. aircraft. A 1943 Popular Science article called the plane “a latter-day miracle.” “… I find that (the Mustang) is the outstanding fighter plane anywhere in the world,” legendary American ace Eddie Rickenbacker said in a Popular
Mechanics article from the same year. The Collings Foundation’s Liberator is the only B-24J in flying condition left in the world. The bomber is painted in the same scheme as “Witchcraft,” a Liberator that recorded 130 combat mis-
sions over Europe with the 8th Air Force, according to the foundation’s website. More than 18,000 B-24s were built in World War II — more than any other American combat aircraft in history. The Liberator is partly known for its role in the unsuccessful Aug. 1, 1943 raid on oil refineries in Ploiesti, Romania. 53 bombers and 660 airmen were lost on “Black Sunday,” the worst single-day losses suffered by the U.S. Army Air Forces, according to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The Collings Foundation’s B-17 “Nine O Nine” is one of only 14 such aircraft in flying condition in America. Famous for the “Memphis Belle” — the first American bomber to complete 25 combat missions in World War II — the B-17 Flying Fortress
is an iconic image of the conflict. The original “Nine O Nine” completed 140 successful missions without losing a crewmember. The bomber flew with the 91st Bomb Group from Feb. 25, 1944 through the end of the war, making 18 flights to Berlin and dropping more than half a million pounds of bombs in the process, according to the foundation’s website. Visitors interested in reserving a flight aboard any of the three aircraft can visit the Collings Foundation’s website at collingsfoundation.org/cf_flightexperiences or call 1-800-5688924.
ADAMS is the web editor.
OCTOBER 18, 2011
Warley to play in Pan-American games for U.S. JaQuayla Cameron Jccameron@liberty.edu
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
ROLLING THUNDER — Aldreakis Allen (20) had a total of 154 all-purpose yards and two rushing touchdowns Saturday.
Big South foe falls to LU The ‘Quest’ continues after a Coastal victory
Nate Brown nbrown4@liberty.edu
S
ome days, everything seems to go right. Like, Flames junior wideout Ryan Fergueson blocking a punt on the 22-yard line and freshman linebacker Bobby Partilla recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
In the Flames 63-27 defeat of Coastal Carolina Saturday, from SirChauncey Holloway’s 54-yard gallop on the first snap, to Kevin Fogg’s block of Coastal’s fourth quarter extra-point attempt, everything went right for Danny Rocco. “I’m really proud of the guys,” Rocco said. “We’ve had our backs against the wall for a while now and let’s face it, we
responded in a big way when we needed to respond the most.” Those with a long-term memory will remember last year’s road loss in Myrtle Beach to the Chanticleers in the jostle for a playoff berth. “We felt like they took it from us last year,” quarterback Mike Brown said.
Liberty University student-athletes rarely receive the opportunity to represent their country by playing basketball on an international level. Redshirt senior center Avery Warley has been selected as one of the 12 studentathletes to represent the United States by competing in the Pan WARLEY American Games from Oct. 21-25 in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Pan American Games is a multi-sport competition that is held every four years, usually the year before the Olympics. “I do feel like it is an honor,” Warley said. “I think the USA will only improve and impact my game.” Warley is already well-prepared for the experience. In the 2010-11 season, Warley averaged a double-double and led the Big South in field goal percentage. As a result, Warley does not have qualms about playing on an international level. “I’ve worked really hard,” Warley said. “Definitely going hard every day in practice. I’m just excited.” “I’m very excited for her,” head coach Carey Green said. “I don’t think that there is a greater honor for a studentathlete, or an athlete period, than to represent the country in competition.” Warley has plans to do more than represent just the United States with her presence in the Pan American Games. “God’s blessed her,” Green said. “This is to honor God as a player on the ultimate international level and at the Olympic Pan American Games. She wants to give her very best in honoring Him as well as the USA team, Liberty University, our conference and our basketball team.” This year, the USA women’s basketball team, comprised of 11 collegiate players and a high school senior, began training camp Oct. 15. According to usabasketball.com, the U.S. women have won the gold medal with a 5-0 record at the 2007 Pan American Games. Overall, they have won 14 gold, four silver and two bronze medals that comprises their 72-12 record. CAMERON is a sports reporter
See FOOTBALL, B2
Flames remain atop Big South, beating rival Coastal Kyle Harvey kharvey@liberty.edu
For fans that arrived one set late, Friday’s volleyball game against rival Coastal Carolina must have appeared terribly one sided. For those who were present from the sound of the National Anthem, it was a totally different ball game. The Homecoming crowd was on its feet for the set point for more than 10 minutes as neither team would give in, en route to Liberty’s longest set of the 2011 season. The duel pitted two rival coaching staffs against each other, with Liberty’s eighth year coach Shane Pinder against Coastal’s 13th year coach Kristen Bauer. Both coaches called on every weapon at their disposal in set one, using the full allotment of substitutes. Coach Pinder, paced the sidelines as his youth-laden team fought hard against an older Coastal squad. The visiting Chanticleers claimed the thrilling first set 30-28. “It’s almost like they smacked us in the mouth. I asked them in the huddle, ‘What are you going to do with this?’ They came in here and took the first set, and you gave it away. This moment right here could define your season. You need to (decide) whether you’re going to fight or not,” Coach Pinder said. The decision to fight was an easy one for Erica Manor, who set a career mark with six blocks, including three solo.
“We bring a little extra for this game every year. Coastal is a big rival and we always look to play our hardest,” Manor said. “I did notice a different energy against them and obviously the ‘Beat Coastal’ Tshirts say a lot,” Melissa Racz said. Racz also set a career high Friday putting down 10 kills, breaking a personal best set earlier in the week against Campbell. Set two was much like the first, with each set including six lead changes. Ansley Gebben led the charge contributing five kills while hitting .444 in the second set. “We refocused mentally and got back out there and showed them that we aren’t leaving, we’re staying here and playing,” Gebben said. The Lady Flames threw a counter punch in the second set winning 25-23. The third and fourth set belonged to the Flames as well, with the defense continuing its dominance at the net, posting another double digit blocking performance. “We started to control the net in that second set... We really made some pretty good adjustments that got them uncomfortable and we took control,” Pinder said. The Flames won the third set 25-13 and fourth 25-18 to claim a 3-1 victory, moving their Big South record to 5-1. Liberty will return to the Vines Center Oct. 28 to take on Radford University. Chris Mabes | Liberty Champion
HARVEY is a sports reporter.
CRUISING ALONG — Lillie Happel (12) and Lady Flames continue their dominance of the Big South with victory over rival Coastal Carolina.
SPORTS
B2/Liberty Champion
October 18, 2011
Quarter Reporter Breaking down the Game
1
2
Liberty 21 Coastal 0
Liberty 42 Coastal 7
Key play:
When Mike Larsson came on to punt after Liberty’s second drive stalled, Coastal corner Tyler McCarthy drew a personal foul for hitting the punter. The penalty resulted in an automatic first down and bumped the Flames 15 yards upfield. The drive was extended and Liberty opened the game to a two-touchdown lead. Key player:
Chris Mayo had a knack for creating plays in the first quarter. He forced a fumble and recovered a fumble, leading to 14 Flames points. Key stat:
The Flames put up 213 yards of total offense in the first quarter alone. Two Coastal fumbles gave the Flames two extra drives in the quarter.
4
3 Liberty 56 Coastal 21
Key play:
Summers found a soft spot in Coastal’s coverage and Brown exploited it, hitting Summers for a 24yard pass. The play put the Flames threatening on Coastal’s 12-yard line. Key player:
Mike Brown was perfect passing the ball (5-5) for 78 yards and a touchdown. Brown also added 20 rushing yards to his stat column. Key stat:
At the half the Flames time of possession was more than double Coastal’s. The Flames controlled the ball for 20:53 in comparison to Coastal’s 9:07.
Key play:
The entire Coastal defense fell for a play action fake late in the third. Mike Brown tossed a pass to a wideopen Pat Kelley for a 50-yard touchdown. Key player:
Coastal quarterback Aramis Hillary took the momentum from a score right before the break and turned it into 14 points for the Chanticleers. Hillary tossed a 44-yarder to Adrian Sullivan for a score and was in on 32-yard trick play that scored Matt Hazel. Key stat:
A Flames defense that had not allowed a touchdown in over three weeks allowed three in less than 15 minutes. The defense regained their footing later in the fourth.
Liberty 63 Coastal 27 Key play:
Ryan Fergueson jumped in front of Coastal punter Austin Cain, knocking the ball into the endzone. Bobby Partilla pounced on it, scoring a touchdown for the Flames and ending the scoring at 63 points. Key player:
Coastal quarterback Craig Cody led a valiant final salvo late in the fourth. The game was past decided, but the quarterback still led the team to a consolation score. Key stat:
The Flames have won their past four Homecoming contests by an average of 36.25 points. Saturday’s 36-victory followed suit.
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
WRAPPED UP — Freshmen defenders Bobby Partilla (4) and Randy Spann (21) were part of a miserish outing against Coastal. The Flames did not surrender a score until the final drive of the second quarter.
FOOTBALL continued from B1 “We had that in mind all week and it was good to get out front tonight and not look back.” No score for you When Liberty’s defense took the field for Coastal’s first offensive drive, the Flames had not surrendered a touchdown since the third quarter of the Lehigh game three weeks ago — over 144 minutes of game time. Coastal opened no better. Chanticleer running back Marcus Whitener took Coastal’s first snap up the middle but was met by Liberty defensive end Corey Freeman, who jarred the ball loose. Chris Mayo scooped up the loose
ball, putting Liberty’s offense back on the field after just nine seconds. “Taking the ball away — that’s one of our biggest things,” Freeman said. “If we can get three-plus turnovers, that is key for us. If we do that, it’s very hard to lose.” The Flames forced their three wanted turnovers all in the first half, ballooning the lead early. Chris Mayo forced Coastal back Jeremy Height to fumble in the first quarter, and Chanticleer quarterback Aramis Hillary dropped the snap from center. Liberty end Paco Varol recovered both. “(I am) really pleased with our defense,” Rocco said. “(They) played hard, played physical and I think we’re in a good spot moving forward.”
Boots on the ground Every opportunity Liberty’s defense handed Rocco, sophomore back Aldreikis Allen ran with — literally. Allen punched in two touchdowns and gobbled 96 rushing yards en route to 156 all-purpose yards on the day. “We wanted to come out and play a championship-caliber game,” Allen said. “It was a time to man-up, really.” The Flames rushed for 259 yards on the day, the most since almost 300 yards against Kentucky Wesleyan, and the second-highest rushing mark on the year. “I’m real proud of the way we ran the football,” Rocco said. “It’s been a while since I felt we could control the tempo of the game with our run game…when we run the ball, we’re hard to stop… and to-
night, we won the game running the ball.” Number Crunching The win boosts Liberty’s record to a positive 4-3 (2-0) and tilts the all-time record between the two Big South heavies in the Flames favor, 5-4. Brown’s two touchdown passes tied him as sixth all-time in the Big South for career touchdown passes (39) with GardnerWebb alumni Devin Campbell. Saturday’s homecoming ticket drew 19,111, a Williams Stadium record. Bobby Partilla’s recovery of a blocked punt for a touchdown was the first since 1997 when Torrey Rush recovered one against Glendale State. Coastal drops to 4-2 (1-1) on the year. BROWN is the sports editor.
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SPORTS
October 18, 2011
Liberty Champion/B3
Joseph, Asewah provide winning goal Jay Sir siryw8@liberty.edu
A first half goal by Phillip Asaweh was enough to end Liberty’s three game losing streak against Presbyterian College as they won 1-0 Thursday night. Liberty’s Juan Nino started off a chain of passes from the middle which saw Travis Joseph send the ball to forward Phillip Asaweh past the defense. Asewah calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. “I thought we did a good job of controlling the tempo of the game. Our shots were 15-5, (so I) really felt we should have got a second goal,” Coach Jeff Alder said. “We created some good chances. We
didn’t get a second goal which I felt would have opened up the game overall, but I was very pleased with us controlling the game.” It was a dynamic game with a lot of action on both sides of the field, a disallowed goal and some close calls that potentially could have resulted in more goals. Presbyterian College burst into the game as they took the first shot just one minute into the game. A cross from the left flank saw Presbyterian’s Byron Quinatoa head the ball wide of the goal. Not satisfied with their earlier attempt, Presbyterian took another shot at goal when Presbyterian’s Jonny Mercado and Luke Ade got past the defensive line with
a give-and-go pass. The shot on goal was blocked by Liberty’s Scott Sutarik. Moments later, the first goal seemed to be scored when a series of passes from the center of the field sent Liberty’s Timothy Bullock behind defenders to a one-on-one position with the goal keeper which he scored, but was disallowed because of an offside call. The first goal of the game came shortly after at the 20 minute mark as Nino dribbled up the middle and passed the ball to Joseph. Joseph tricked the defense and feinted the ball to Asaweh, who scored for the home team. Presbyterian looked lively going into the second half, and Ade once again shot
on goal from the 16-yard line, only to see the ball sail over the cross bar. Darren Amoo almost got on the score sheet 81 minutes into the game with a long range effort from the 16-yard line, but hit the crossbar. Presbyterian almost evened up the game when Quinatoa made a run down the middle, beating two defenders. Amoo seemed hungry for another goal, as a few minutes later he found himself in a one-on-one position with the goalkeeper inside the box after beating a defender, but he was too hasty to shoot the ball and his shot went wide of the goal. Sir is a sports reporter.
B’ball ready for season Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu
Losing two starters can be critical for any team. Losing your top two scorers can be devastating. After Evan Gordon’s unexpected departure and John Brown’s season ending injury, the Liberty men’s basketball team will look for new players to fill those voids such as seniors David Minaya and Jesse Sanders and junior forward Antwan Burrus. With nine returning players, the Flames will look to improve on last season’s record. In head coach Dale Layer’s second season, the Flames finished 19-13 (13-5), which earned them a second overall finish in the Big South Conference. But, with a more experienced team, the Flames are expected to compete even more in the Big South, as well as their non-conference schedule. “I like our schedule. Many times we will be in hostile environments against NCAA tournament teams and that’s good for us. We will grow as a result,” Layer said. “We have two more home games, which is a positive as well. This is a good schedule and our guys are looking forward to it.” Liberty will open its season against Texas A&M, William & Mary twice, traveling to Richmond and playing in
the ESPN BracketBusters for the second straight season. Not to mention playing conference rival Coast Carolina, last year’s Big South Champion. But, looking toward a potential bid into the NCAA tournament in March is not where Layer wants his team to focus. Instead, he wants them to take this season game by game. “When you bring together good days, good things happens from it,” Layer said. “If you start worrying about the last couple of weeks of the season in October, we don’t take care of the things we are suppose to take care of. You can only be in position to win if you do the right things along the way.” Coach Layer said that his team has come out of training camp prepared for season practices. The team has been working on becoming more unified as a team. “We have great character, togetherness and teamwork. It has all been good. I think we are ready to move on to the next stage and start practicing,” Layer said. While playing together overseas during the summer in Belgium and France, the Flames built a strong chemistry and look to compete against difficult competition this upcoming season. Battle is the asst. sports editor.
Club sport Roundup • DII men’s hockey — Friday, (Liberty 1, Richmond 0), Saturday (Liberty 9, Kennesaw State 6) • DIII men’s hockey — Saturday, (Liberty 17, VMI 1) • Triathlon — The men’s team finished in 2nd place in the MidAtlantic confernce out of 18 teams. Joseph Anderson placed as the 2nd male overall. The women’s team took 3rd place in the Mid-Atlantic conference with Blakely Harris placing as the 3rd female overall.
Nate Brown | Liberty Champion
RUBBING IT IN — Liberty dished out 16 goals in the win against Kennesaw State.
D1 Hockey pours on goals Handy’s squad put on an offensive clinic Friday night Jessica Grigg jgrigg@liberty.edu
Kyle TerMarsch kmtermarsch@liberty.edu
There is only one word to describe the DI hockey team so far this season: dominant. The Flames continued their dominance as they demolished Kennesaw State Friday night, 16-4. The scoring frenzy included 12 players, netting at least one goal a piece. A mere five-minutes after Kennesaw’s first score, sophomore Rick Turner put the first points on the board for the Flames. Captain Joe Smith put the Flames ahead on the scoreboard, 2-1. “It’s tough going into a game when you know it’s a division two team because you can get into some bad habits,” Smith said. “But we are really stressing that every weekend, and every game and practice we are getting better and giving it everything we have.”
With just under two minutes left in the first period, freshman Luke Baumgarten, defensemen Jackson Kuhn and Josh Cornelissen each scored for the Flames, bringing the score to 5-1. Junior forward Brent Boeschman, who entered the night leading the American Collegiate Hockey Association with 15 points, continued to impress with a goal and three assists. “My personal greatest strength is offense,” Boschman said. The Liberty Flames Hockey Team will be hosting Davenport at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21. “We’re just going to have a good week of practice and get ready because every single guy on our team has to play well,” Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “From our goalies, defense, forwards, every single guy has got to battle hard and be willing to give that extra effort.” Grigg and TerMarsch are sports reporters.
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SPORTS
B4/Liberty Champion
October 18, 2011
Camels spoil Homecoming weekend Julie Gonzalez jngonzalez@liberty.edu
Although there were many Homecoming activities throughout the weekend, the Lady Flames soccer team was determined to remain focused on their game against Campbell University and use Homecoming as a source of energy and support. “Homecoming will not be a distraction, it will be an encouragement to the team. Friends and family will be here on campus, and there will be many fans in the stands,” Hain said. Liberty was hungry to end their losing streak, having not won a game since their 3-1 win over Charleston Southern two weeks ago. The Campbell Camels, at the same time, hoped to end a three game road streak with a win against Liberty and did so in a 2-1 victory over the Flames. “We just concluded a three game road trip of our own. It is a difficult position for the Campbell team from a physical standpoint, but it will be an opportunity for them to show their depth and desire. If I were the Campbell coach, I would be encouraging the team in that way,” Hain said. “For us, it is an opportunity to play at home and play with tremendous unity. I think the girls are thirsty for the next level and we are talking about the kind of maturity it takes to get there. I believe this game will be an emotional one for both teams.” The game was, as predicted, emotional. The Lady Flames took an early lead after junior forward Kelly Henion finished a rebounded shot from her teammate junior defender Lauren Stell in the 2nd minute. Play continued in Liberty’s favor until the 26th minute when Campbell’s Kirsty Meyer beat Lady Flames goalkeeper Karen Blocker to the right corner and found the equalizer. The game looked destined to end in a draw until Campbell’s Pirjo Leppikangas secured the win, beating Blocker with a 25-yard shot in the 89th minute. Despite the loss, the Lady Flames remain strong in spirit and in faith. “Our team focus is to grow deeper in
Les Schofer | Promotional Publicaions
STELL PLAYIN’ HARD — Junior defenive back Lauren Stell and the Flames narrowly dropped a game to visiting Campbell. our relationship with Christ and grow stronger as individuals and as a team on the soccer field. “We talk about doing the little things every day (even when no one else is watching) that will create excellence within and excellence without. “Our team verse it Philippians 3:13 and we are constantly discussing what it takes
and what it means to ‘forget what is behind, and pressing on to what is ahead,’” Hain said. “Basically, we stay focused by daily reminders (through team devotional time and coaching time) of our goals and our direction. Then we underline the fact that we are not just words, but we must be action too,” Hain said.
With only two home games left before the Big South tournament, Lady Flames fans should come out and support the team as they take on VMI and Radford Thursday and Friday. GONZALEZ is a sports reporter.
Fantasy 4-1-1 advice for mid-season Andrew Woolfolk alwoolfolk@liberty.edu
Entering week seven of the season, fantasy owners are beginning to deal with a new obstacle — player bye weeks. One minute you feel like your team is great, and the next minute you realize two of your star players have the upcoming week off and you panic. That’s one problem that faces almost everyone, and it’s what happens when you don’t keep track of your respective player’s bye weeks when your draft happened or when you picked your players up off of waivers. Here’s a word of advice. Don’t cut good players on your team to fill a position you are short on one week. If anything, drop a backup defense or even go without a kicker for a week and sign a solid player on waivers. If people in your league are smart, they’ll pick up the good players you drop the second they hit the waivers. Adjust your roster weekly. Don’t worry about what a player you’re thinking of picking up will do in the next four weeks if you are only going to use him for
one week. Find a free agent with a good matchup, sign him, get your points and then cut him if you don’t need him the next week. Again, it’s all about adjusting. Tip of the Week – Check your lineup for the next few weeks and make sure you don’t have an overload of players on bye weeks on the same week. Start ‘Em Quarterback – Matt Hasselback – Hasselback is still unsigned in a lot of fantasy leagues. Against a Houston defense reeling from the loss of Mario Williams, he could get good points. Wide Receiver – Pierre Garcon – Garcon and quarterback Curtis Painter have developed quite the chemistry the past few games, and they’ll throw often against New Orleans. Running Back – Darren McFadden – Multipurpose backs have had solid games against the Chiefs so far this year, and McFadden is heating up. Tight End – Jimmy Graham – His combination with Brees is unstoppable. Start him every week. Defense – Baltimore – The Ravens face
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the Jaguars, who are scoring less than 12 points a game this year. Kicker – Jason Hanson – The Lions kicker has been as accurate as anyone in the league, and he should have a good chance for points in an intense match against the Falcons. Sit ‘Em Quarterback – Donovan McNabb – It’s surprising he’s still the starter at quarterback, and don’t expect his stats to improve at all against the Packers defense. Wide Receiver – Devery Henderson – With Marques Colston back, it means less targets for the streaky Henderson. Running Back – Mike Tolbert – Tolbert is losing carries to Ryan Mathews, and the
Jets are a tough defense to start against regardless. Tight End – Todd Heap – Heap missed the Cardinals’ last game with an injury, and coming back against the Steelers will be a rough matchup. Defense- Tennessee – The Titans defense has been inconsistent this season, having great weeks followed by terrible ones. Don’t risk starting them against high-scoring Houston. Kicker – Ryan Longwell – Longwell’s Vikings face the Packers, who aren’t giving up many points to kickers this year. WOOLFOLK is a sports reporter.
FEATURE
October 18, 2011
Scaremare haunts again Allison Cundiff ancundiff@liberty.edu
The list of options for Liberty students to fulfill Christian and Community Service (CSER) requirements is always growing. Choices can include helping the elderly, tutoring kids from local schools — or in the month of October, chasing people around the woods with a chainsaw. From Oct. 13 to 29, hundreds of visitors to Scaremare will line up for hours for the chance to get creeped out, disoriented and jumped out at from dark places. Scaremare has been a Liberty tradition every fall since it was first started in 1972. Senior health promotions major Christine Anasco volunteered to work Scaremare for the first time this year as her CSER. Her job was to hold candles in a mourning-themed room in the Scaremare house to guide visitors’ way while adding to the eerie environment. She said she wanted to get involved because of the fun and unique ministry opportunity Scaremare provides. “You definitely need endurance. I definitely lost my voice by the end of the night, but it’s awesome to hear about a lot of people making decisions or even start questioning the gospel, thinking more about salvation,” Anasco said. “I think it’s good how they share the gospel at the end — it’s not meant to scare you into salvation, because that’s what some people think — but they do try to bring up reallife scary situations to get you to start thinking.” Volunteers work throughout the weeks leading up to October to make the experience worth the wait for visitors. CSER volunteers work the event four times total — three of the scheduled nights and one day spent either building or tearing down the sets. “I think it’s definitely a fun Liberty experience, and when you go with groups, it’s all about just having a good time,” Anasco said. “I actually really enjoyed working it in a different way, because it’s a lot of fun to just walk through and get scared and have that experience but it’s different to be on the other end, seeing people’s reactions and being a part of it.” Although a total number of visitors will not be known until the event is over at the end of the month, approximately 2,000 people visit Scaremare on each of the nights it is opened and about 200 people made first-time salvation decisions on the event’s second night open this year, Anasco said. According to Kamilla Dening, who coordinates use of CSER workers, Scaremare used nearly 250 volunteers last year. As a result, an estimated 3,000 people made professions of faith. “It’s fun because it gives you an adrenaline rush and it supports our school. It’s a great fall activity to do with your friends, especially with the student discount on Thursday nights, which is great for big groups of people especially,” said Lindsay Frye, a senior nursing student who has been to Scaremare for the past three years and plans to go again this year. Scaremare is located at 2300 Caroll Avenue in Lynchburg. The event opens each scheduled night at dusk and closes at 11 p.m. Admission is $8 per person, except on Thursday nights, when admission is $3 per person for visitors with a college I.D. or military I.D. For more information, visit Scaremare.com or the event’s Facebook page. CUNDIFF is a feature reporter.
Liberty Champion/B5
Bonfire sets spirits aflame Emily Brown ejadams@liberty.edu
S
parks were flying long before the Liberty Flames took to the field for their Homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 15. The fervor, fanfare and fire shown by students and alumni at the game may have, for many, begun at the Homecoming bonfire the night before. On Friday, Oct. 14, hundreds of students and alumni gathered in the Evans parking lot to watch planks of wood several meters high be set ablaze to the beat of drums, the tune of rock music blaring out of speakers and the cheering of the crowd. Before this traditional bonfire took place, Liberty football Head Coach Danny Rocco set the tone for the rest of the evening and let the crowd in on the intentions of the football team. As Rocco stepped out onto the stage, the audience cheered and spoke to one another in animated tones, seemingly oblivious to the chilly night air. “This is really exciting,” Rocco began, echoing the energy set forth by the fans. “We’ve got an opportunity tomorrow to continue our quest. We’re on a quest here for our fifth consecutive Big South Conference championship. We certainly look forward to you all being there tomorrow and making as much noise as you possibly can, and we’re really excited,” Rocco said. Rocco’s speech was followed by the words of several key football players. Each of them encouraged the enthusiasm of the crowd in their own ways. “Let me here ya’ say, ‘Yeah!’” running back Sirchauncey Holloway shouted into the microphone, followed by a wholehearted, “Yeah!” from the fans. “When I say ‘Knock, knock’ you say ‘Bang, Bang!’ Knock, knock…” said all-American
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
FEEL THE BURN — Students gathered Friday, Oct. 14, for Liberty’s annual Homecoming bonfire to rally excitement in preparation for Saturday’s football game against Costal Carolina. quarterback Mike Brown. “Bang, bang!” shouted his crowd with no hesitance. Sandwiched in between these players was defensive lineman Frances Bah, who offered his quick speech in his native language of German. If the language baffled the audience the only sign they showed was laughter, and they cheered Bah on with the same ardor as they did the players who spoke before him. The speeches soon ended but the shouts, applause and anticipation refused to die out. The crowd followed Rocco as he carried a burning torch toward the untouched wood planks that had been piled high for the occasion, and students continued to play off of each other’s liveliness.
The fire took its time getting started but reached its full potential within minutes, spitting out sparks at any person standing on the wrong side of the wind and just a little too close. Liberty students roasted marshmallows around little campfires and kept a sense of humor and hope for the team in the air. Liberty senior Michelle Orange said the bonfire is a way for people to bond in a Liberty approved way. “I think it’s a really good bonding experience for kids because a lot of schools don’t get to do fun things like this, and it’s just a good alternative to other things going on Friday night that aren’t the Liberty Way,” Orange said.
Sophomore Brien Sabella agrees that the experience is one that brings people together…but maybe for a different reason. “Well, you get a lot of students out here and it’s pretty cool. Everyone likes to see things on fire,” Sabella said. Sabella echoed the general consensus and hopes of the loyal fans in concerns to Liberty’s chances over Coastal Carolina. “We’ll beat ‘em,” Sabella said. Whether it’s thanks to events like the bonfire and student morale, raw talent or divine intervention, “beat ‘em” they did. BROWN is a feature reporter.
Lighting up the night Snowflex hosts colorful late night event Elise Peer eapeer@liberty.edu
Midnight Madness, an approved late night event for Liberty students, was held Friday night. “It’s Liberty, so I’m expecting something great,” freshman Justin Gibson-Faber said. Expectations for a large crowd were also high. “These guys (professional Snowboarders and Transworld Magazine) draw a good crowd, and we expect to see people from North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland and West Virginia come just to see them,” General Manager and Liberty Alumnus Drew Sherwood said. Sure enough, there was a huge turnout that seemed to overrun the Centre. Once the okay was given, students streamed into the actual snowboarding area. “We are just going to have a good time,” Sherwood said. The snowboarders performing at the event were professionals and confidently executed various impressive jumps. “Transworld Magazine is bringing in five professional Snowboarders to film and take pictures for their website and magazine. These riders have been in all the major competitions and even in snowboard-
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
GLOW ON THE SNOW — Students gathered on the slopes for a late night snowboard performance and party. ing movies,” Sherwood said. The event began with impressive stunts and demonstrations, and it ended with a party. The event differed from what one might expect of the typical college party. Countless students flooded the actual
snowboarding area, lights were shut off, music blared and students waved glow-sticks in the air. “I think it’s cool that we can have clean fun,” junior Dee Walker said. “They (Liberty students) can
have the party scene without the alcohol and drugs,” Sherwood said. “We can glorify God with our talents and music. Students can meet and see some of the best Snowboarders in the world. This is the place to be Friday night.” The Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre is a phenomenon unique to Liberty University. Midnight Madness gave Liberty students the opportunity to witness firsthand everything that Snowflex has to offer. “Snowflex has been a blessing to the community and the ski industry. We are focused on serving and helping the community. We have people that travel from all over the country just to ski at Snowflex,” Sherwood said. “The students need to take advantage of this ski resort in their backyard —Free lessons, free rentals and free fun. No other college or person gets this opportunity,” Sherwood said. For more information about future events and Snowflex recreation pricing, visit liberty. edu/snowflex. PEER is a feature reporter.
FEATURE
B6/Liberty Champion
October 18, 2011
Stephanie Marshall | Liberty Champion
ONE PENNY AT A TIME — Godparent Home volunteers prepare baby bottles for the campuswide Baby Bottle Campaign. All money from the fundraiser goes towards helping pregnant young women have resources, education and a safe place to stay during their pregnancy, and provides them an alternative to abortion.
Small change makes big impact: Baby bottle campaign returns to campus Desiree Wheeler Dwheeler4@liberty.edu
Start flipping those couch cushions and digging through the floorboards of your car to find spare change for the Baby Bottle Campaign, which kicked off Oct. 12. The Baby Bottle Campaign is an annual campus wide fundraiser hosted by the Liberty Godparent Home. During the campaign, Liberty students and faculty are given baby bottles to fill with change, bills or checks. The money raised during the course of the campaign goes to help support the ministry of the Liberty Godparent Home. This is Liberty’s eighth year participating in the Baby Bottle Campaign. This year’s Baby Bottle Campaign will run until Wednesday, Nov. 2, when students will return their bottles to Convocation. The boy and girl hall that raise the most money will each win a pizza party.
“This is a ministry that literally saves lives and changes lives.” The Liberty Godparent Home is a safe haven for females from the ages of 12 to 23 who, while pregnant, are able to stay with other women facing the same situation. During the course of their time in the Godparent Home, the women take classes such as parenting, life skills, nutrition and Lamaze. They also participate in counseling sessions and receive encouragement. Each resident is also faced with perhaps the hardest decision of their young lives — to become a parent or choose an adoption plan. “All aspects of our program are de-
signed to share God’s unconditional love while providing support for building a parenting or adoption plan,” Kris Richard, Liberty Godparent Foundation Director of Operations, said. The Godparent Home is also a ministry that strongly advocates a pro-life stance. “I think that the best and most effective way to protest abortion is by being involved in this ministry and ministries like it and being active in their success. If we say we are pro-life, what are we doing about it? This ministry gives girls another option,” Godparent Home intern Chesli Hutson said. Last year, Liberty students were able to raise over $12,000 in support for the Godparent Home. Richard is optimistic about this year’s success and students increasing involvement in the campaign. “The Liberty Godparent Ministries are so grateful for the help of the Liberty students,” Richard said.
All money raised during the course of this campaign goes to supporting the Godparent Home, where additional money means additional opportunity for the young women currently involved in the program. The Godparent Home can house 12 girls, averaging about five to six girls at any given time. “This is a ministry that literally saves lives and changes lives. Any money raised for the ministry directly benefits a motherto-be and her child. That is so special and it’s what makes this a worthy cause,” Hutson said. “And remember, your change can change lives.” The Liberty Godparent Ministry is involved in numerous events over the course of the semester. For additional information or how to donate, call 1-800542-4453. Information on the Godparent Home is also available on Facebook. WHEELER is a feature reporter.
UPCOMING EVENTS Oct. 22 Fall Festival
Student Activities is hosting a fall festival complete with hay rides, horseback riding, pumpkin carving, pumpkin painting and other fall activities. The event will take place at the Equestrian Center on Lone Jack Road and begins at 1 p.m. For directions and more information, go to liberty.edu/sa.
Oct. 13 - 29 Scaremare
Oct. 28 Art Expo
A favorite Liberty tradition, Scaremare leads visitors though dark woods and a “House of Death.” The event is located at 2300 Carroll Ave. and costs $8. College students and those with a military ID get in for $3 on Thursday nights. Doors open at dusk and close at 11 p.m.
Student-submitted art pieces will be voted on by their peers and then left on display for viewing the next day. Prizes will be awarded for the first and second place winners in the categories of fine art, mixed media, photography and digital media. For more information on submission or the event, visit liberty.edu/sa.
Oct. 28 - 30 Little Shop of Horrors Liberty’s production about a floral assistant who discovers a not-sofriendly exotic plant opens Oct. 28 and continues on until Nov. 13. For tickets, go to the Vines Center Box Office or Department of Theatre Arts webpage to buy tickets online.
Oct. 31 Costume Fun Run Students can spend their Halloween running a 2k in costume thanks to the 2nd annual Costume Fun Run. The event will begin at Snowflex at 8 p.m. Prizes will be given to those with the best costumes and it costs $5 to race. For more information, call Student Activities at 592-3061.
Nov. 4 The 7 Tour The David Crowder Band, Chris August, Gungor and John Mark McMillan will be playing at the Vines Center. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and ticket prices range from $10-$20.
Champion archives
READY TO RUN — Student Activities invites students to don their best costume and come out to the second annual Fun Run on Halloween.
SA Fun Run: Creativity welcomed Janessa Smith
Jsmith39@liberty.edu
The fall season has arrived, and at 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, students will pull out their best Halloween costumes to participate in the second annual Halloween event, the Costume Fun Run at Snowflex. Halloween is a time for people to buy candy and get dressed up in their most elaborate and creative costumes. Liberty is getting in the spirit too with the Costume Fun Run, which provides an exciting way for students to come together and show off their best Halloween costumes while getting a good workout. “The Costume Fun Run is a 2k race that focuses more on the costume then the race results. We will register names as we do every other race, but we will not carry through with race results. We will have winners but the competition will revolve around the costumes. So we’re hoping people get creative,” Associate Director of Student Activities Alese Chandler said. The event is popular in many places, and last Halloween was the first time Liberty hosted one of its own. “We’re hoping to make this an annual event,” Chandler said. The purpose of the fun run is to provide pure entertainment and joy for both the fans and the participating stu-
dents. Bonding with friends and creating crazy memories is why Liberty decided to host the run. “Most folks that give time to a Fun Run just want to have fun with friends doing something silly together to create a memory. We want to do just that. Give our students here at Liberty a good social memory,” Chandler said. “These are the kinds of things you can connect on when you become alumni. I can hear the conversations now, ‘Hey, remember when we dressed up like the Three Stooges for that race? That was a fun time,’ something like that.” Students can come and dress up in any creative costume as long as it abides by the Liberty Way. The fun run is not only fun for those involved, but it also gives students the chance to win prizes in special categories. “We are having prizes for Best Group Costume, Best Couple Costume and Best Male & Female Costume,” Chandler said. All students who register before Oct. 22 will be given a free race T-shirt. Printable registration forms and race information can be found on Liberty’s Student Activities website at liberty.edu/campusrec/studentactivities. SMITH is a feature reporter.
FEATURE
October 18, 2011
Liberty Champion/B7
Photos provided
FALL FRIENDLY— Fall festivals, such as the 38th Annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, are taking place all over Central Virginia. These events feature pumpkin picking, wagon rides, corn mazes and seasonal treats like apple cider and kettle corn.
Autumn festivals worth falling for Samantha Fowler
slfowler@liberty.edu
The warm, vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of the autumn season create the ideal setting for fall fun in the Central Virginia region. Numerous fall festivals and Halloween events are being held all over Central Virginia, allowing everyone from children to students to athletes to participate in the spirit of the season.
Fall Festival & Country Store
Relive childhood fall memories at the Fall Festival & Country Store hosted by Jeter Farms. Visitors can bounce up and down on hayrides as they search for the biggest and brightest pumpkins they can find. They will also get the chance to explore or get lost in a corn maze and feed baby barnyard animals, as well as enjoy seasonal munchies such as kettle corn and apple cider. Jeter Farm is located at 181 Blue Ridge Blvd., Roanoke, Va. The festival will continue through Oct. 30th on Fridays from 3 to
7 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays, 1 to 7 p.m. General admission is $6 and includes all activities. Learn more at jeterfarm.com.
38th Annual Blue Folklife Festival
Ridge
Enjoy live music from the Blue Ridge Music Style stage, the Blue Ridge String Style stage or the Blue Ridge Gospel Style stage. Attendees can see how high a mule can jump a fence in the Coon Mule Jumping contest. Get leashed into the tail wagging excitement of a Coon Dog Treeing Contest or a Coon Dog Water Race. Experience these good ol’ traditions at Ferrum College on 20 Museum Drive, Ferrum, Va., on Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and children under the age of 15. Learn more at blueridgefolklifefestival.com.
Haunted Harvest
There are spooky tales of strange signs carved into corn fields and scarecrows haunting the fields. Are
these frightening stories true? Those at Layman Family Farms encourage participants to take a “wagon ride to the Haunted Harvest Cornfield” during the Haunted Harvest. The harvest will be hosted on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 to 22, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 to 29, at Layman Family Farms, located at 1815 Mountain View Church Road, Blue Ridge, Va. 24064. Admission is $10 per person and the rides are open from dusk to 11 p.m. Learn more at www. laymanfamilyfarms.com.
Fall Festival
For those wanting to stay closer to campus but not wanting to miss out on the fall fun, Liberty University’s Fall Festival hosted by Student Activities is the place to be. Explore the mountain area either on horseback or on hay rides. Be astounded by the performances of trick horse riders. Carve or paint a pumpkin to decorate dorms or apartments. Win prizes by participating in fall inspired games. Enjoy hot apple
Give a hand up to a Give a hand up to a neighbor in need. neighbor in need.
ANYTIME BETWEEN October 17 – November 11, 2011 Bring in non-perishable food items to Reber-Thomas Dining Hall to donate to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank For more information on the many ways you can help stop hunger within our community, visit www.HelpStopHunger.org.
cider with other delicious seasonal treats. All these activities will be held at the Equestrian Center on Oct. 22, 1 to 5 p.m. Learn more by calling Student Activities at 434-592-3061 or visit the website at www.liberty.edu/campusrec/ studentactivities.
Nelson County Fall Festival 5k
Enjoy the colorful outdoors and contribute to various charities by participating in the Nelson County Fall Festival 5k. The starting point for the one mile run/walk will be located at 1655 Rock Springs Rd., Faber, Va. and will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. After the race, relax on a hayride, participate in games and enjoy homemade baked goods. Registration for the 5k closes on Oct. 27 and the fees are $10 for age 14 and under and $20 for age 15 and older. You can register at eventful.com/lynchburg/events/ categories/festivals_parades. FOWLER is a feature reporter.
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DELIVERY
TO GREEN HALL
LUNCH FROM 11-2 $6 MIN, $2 DELIVERY CHARGE *MUST PRE-PAY
582-2886
Reber Thomas Dining Hall 1971 University Blvd. Lynchburg, VA 24502 (434) 582-2262
www.libertydining.com
FEATURE
OCTOBER 18, 2011
4 0 Ye a r s O f H o m e c o m i n g T r a d i t i o n
Ties and tights: week of spirit Abigail Koppenhaver
akoppenhaver@liberty.edu
Brittany Laird bhlaird@liberty.edu
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
GRAND FINALE — Fans watched as fireworks lit up the sky after the Flames won the football game against Coastal Carolina at Williams Stadium, making a happy ending to a week long celebration of Liberty’s 40th Anniversary Homecoming.
Creative floats color Homecoming parade Kayla Gurley kgurley@liberty.edu
Floats filled the streets and candy flew through the air, landing in the hands of sugar-loving college students who cheered the parade on from the sidewalks. Liberty University’s 40th anniversary homecoming parade was held at 1 p.m., Oct. 15, on University Boulevard and many students, as well as alumni, showed up for the event. The parade, which lasted an hour, was full of energy and school spirit. Jacob Vinson, an accounting major graduating in May, was one of several students who came out to support Liberty University by watching the parade and exhibiting school spirit. “This is the first homecoming parade I have attended in my four years at Liberty,” Vinson said. “I have to say I was surprised with how big the turnout was.” The parade began with Liberty University’s marching band and color guard leading the way down University Boulevard, followed by the cheerleaders, the Chancellor and his family and many floats. Among some of the floats was a student leadership float with the theme “m3,” which stands for “Minister. Mentor. Mobilize.” Several students involved with leadership were atop the float all dressed in red, throwing candy to those watching the parade. Another float that made its way down University Boulevard was the Student Government Association’s float with the theme of “in God we trust.” This float presented a scene of a student dressed as a judge proclaiming to members of a court that “in God we trust.” “You could really tell the hard work that students and student groups put into making their floats,” Vinson said. “The only thing that could have topped the floats there was if Liberty could have hired a popular band to play on one of the floats. Maybe in the future that will become a reality.” Familiar faculty and staff around campus judged the floats and cash prizes were awarded to the ones exhibiting the most creativity and school spirit. The first place prize went to the psychology club, the second place prize went to the Liberty Nursing Student Association’s natural disasters-themed float and third place was given to the Student Government Association. “The purpose of the parade is to show school spirit and excitement for the homecoming game,” Associate Director of Student Activities Alese Chandler said. “A float competition is just extra incentive for the students to want to participate in the activity.” Michael Grooms, one of Liberty’s alumni from the first graduating class, brought his family to the parade and was surprised to see how much the college had grown since he was a student.
ruth bibby
| Liberty Champion
LET THE GAMES BEGIN — The parade, which featured the Falwells and Sparky in a red convertible, kicked off the Homecoming festivities Oct. 15. “They had more students involved in the parade than in the entire school when I was studying there,” Grooms said. “It’s amazing to see how much this place has grown.” The parade attracted a wide variety of onlookers, both old and young, as well as families and students. Following the parade, many began tailgating in the parking lot in preparation for the big homecoming football game.
“I won’t lie,” Vinson said. “I was pretty excited to get lots of candy from the parade.” For more information about upcoming Student Activities events, visit their website at liberty.edu/campusrec/studentactivities.
Hometown pride, red ties and Batman may seem like a strange combination, but at Liberty University, it means Spirit Week. Liberty students celebrated the university’s 40th anniversary Homecoming weekend with their first Spirit Week, dressing up for specialty themed days throughout the week of Oct. 10 through 14. “Spirit Week was the perfect way to get students pumped up for the 40th anniversary Homecoming. There’s no better way to celebrate the aspects of Liberty that serve as our common bond throughout the decades than the events of this week,” senior Keri Cook said. The Dean of Students Office hosted the event and established a different theme for each day of the week leading up to the Homecoming celebration Oct. 15. “As I was gearing up and getting excited about celebrating our 40th year Homecoming, I thought it would be great to do a Spirit Week with our own twist,” Dean of Students Keith Anderson said. The theme of each day was specially crafted to focus on a distinct aspect of Liberty’s heritage. Monday celebrated hometown pride to showcase the various places that people come from to be at Liberty, while Tuesday featured a dash of John Travolta with a side of the Bee Gees as students celebrated 70s retro day to celebrate and remember Liberty’s founding year, 1971. A quick favorite, though, was Wednesday’s red tie day, in which students were encouraged to wear red ties to honor the memory of Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., who wore a red tie daily. “I like the red tie day best because more people got involved,” sophomore Brianna O’Neal said. “Me and some friends went and got some red ties at the mall. I thought it was pretty cool.” Perhaps the most anticipated of the themed days was Thursday’s flames favorite, in which superhero day was selected. Students were able to vote on the theme for Thursday through an internet poll on the Dean of Student’s website. The three options were “dress like a cowboy,” “dress like a superhero” and “wear all your clothes backwards.” The student body chose Superhero Day. “It’s a great idea. I love that they had us choose our own for Thursday,” sophomore Jesse Thompson said. “Superhero day was my favorite. I have a slight obsession with super powers and superheroes,” freshman Kati Bowlin said. Bowlin dressed as Batman for the day, sporting a T-shirt with an attached cape, Batman earrings and a Batman mask. Superman, a Ghostbuster and Mr. Incredible, and many others, also made appearances on campus. Friday wrapped up the week with Spirit Day, where students and faculty wore red to show their support for the football team as they prepared for Saturday’s game. “Each day builds on the other and leads to this weekend, a lot of noisy, rowdy fans wearing red,” Director of Spiritual Development Dr. Ed Gomes said. The week gave students a chance to celebrate the school’s history and achievements, and also to recognize the little things that make Liberty unique and to have some fun. “I think it got the student body more involved because Homecoming weekend doesn’t mean a lot to lower classmen, so it was nice to be involved,” O’Neal said of the week as a whole. “Spirit Week captured the student body’s Liberty pride, reflections on how far we’ve come and excitement for the future,” Cook said. Students have already begun discussing their plans for next year’s Spirit Week. “I think it was fun. It definitely got people pumped up,” freshman volleyball player Gabby Shipe said. The Dean of Student’s Office plans on holding Spirit Week again in upcoming years. “I hope that this will become a long standing tradition,” Anderson said. KOPPENHAVER and LAIRD are feature reporters.
GURLEY is a feature reporter.