DOMINATION
Duke University controversy
over Savannah State
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Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Volume 28 Issue 5
First game in newly renovated Williams Stadium
Arieli Kinzer
Be early, be loud, wear red — Liberty students cheered on the football team for the first game in Williams Stadium Saturday. Liberty beat Savannah State 52-14. For more about the game and the stadium see B1.
Is the recession really over? The fallen economy’s effect on students “My dad had to pay for me oadams@liberty.edu to come back down here, because I was never able to find The National Bureau of a job,” he said. Economic Research anHiring managers from local nounced last week that the re- stores said they were not really cession ended a year ago. The looking for students. According news has not alleviated the un- to them, students do not have employment problem facing very open schedules, often canmany students at Liberty. not work mornings, and usually The Department leave for Thanksgiv12.8% of college of Labor’s Bureau of ing and Christmas Labor Statistics de- students are — critical times for fines “unemployed” unemployed. most businesses. as someone who These limitations are is available to work but does serious drawbacks for potential not have a job, despite actively employees. searching for at least a month. “You need to be able to tell The bureau’s latest numbers a company why they should show that 12.8 percent of full hire you,” Ashby said. “Now time college students are unem- it’s not about how the compaployed. The general unemploy- ny needs you, it’s about what ment rate here in Lynchburg is you are going to bring to the 8.0 — among the highest in the table for that company.” state, according to the U.S. DeFormer Liberty student partment of Labor’s Bureau of Jesse Knowles is a LynchLabor Statistics. burg resident who is actively Compounding the local searching for employment. problem is that many students After finances forced him to were not able to find work leave school as a sophomore, over the summer. Senior Gary he is struggling to come back. Ashby Jr., head of the Entrepre“I have just enough money neur Club and a member of to pay for two more years of Liberty’s American Marketing school, but I literally cannot go Association case competition past that point,” he said. “I have team, could not find a job back absolutely no room for error.” home in Michigan and is now struggling to pay bills. See Recession on A3 Omar Adams
Inside the Champion
Family finds grace after brutal murder Newlywed finds forgiveness for her grandfather’s murderers and expresses love for the community one month after his tragic death Jonathan Parker Photo Provided
jparker17@liberty.edu
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eslie Gahagan fondly recalls her grandfather smiling and dancing during her wedding last month. “He was having a great time,” Leslie, who graduated from Liberty last spring, said. “He was happy to see everybody.” Her husband, Joe, also a Liberty graduate, described George Baker III as the “life of the party.” As Joe waited downstairs for his new wife to change clothes and leave for the honeymoon, his dad told him Baker had been rushed to the hospital. After the couple left the reception, Joe told Leslie in the car they had to go to the emergency room. Three teenage boys allegedly at-
News
A1
Last dance — Leslie Gahagan dances with her grandfather, George Baker III, at her Sept. 4 wedding in downtown Lynchburg.
tacked Baker, 81, as he walked back to Craddock-Terry Hotel from the reception in downtown Lynchburg late Saturday, Sept. 4. Baker, of Tempe, Ariz., died the next day. Two 16-year-olds face murder charges and will be tried as adults. A 13-year-old was also charged in the attack. The honeymoon plans were put on hold as the couple prepared for a funeral. “We were really close,” Leslie said of her grandfather. In the midst of a devastating loss, the young couple is extending grace and forgiveness. “It’s human to struggle with anger and hurt,” Leslie said. “I feel
Opinion
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like there is a glimpse of mercy and grace.” Joe and Leslie, who live in Swansboro, N.C., feel sorry for the alleged attackers’ families. “It’s easy to forgive someone when you know that you are in need of the same amount of grace,” Joe said. “Those boys need the same amount of grace as I do.” Joe hopes the accused attackers will find comfort in the Lord. “If they have Jesus, they have everything they need,” he said. “There is a lot of grace to go around.” Leslie is hopeful for an opportunity to reach out to the attackers’ families. See Victim on A3
Sports B1
Feature B6
NEWS
October 5, 2010
90
Mid-term elections
Words
AROUND LIBERTY
Light Meets Dark Tour Meets Liberty The Light Meets the Dark tour will stop on Liberty’s campus, along with Tenth Avenue North with Addison Road and Matt Maher and will perform in the Schilling Center on Nov. 6. Students can purchase tickets at a discounted price of $5 at the Vines Center ticket window or by calling the ticket office at 434-582-7328. Students may also go to the splash page to purchase their tickets online at the ticket return website.
The Results Are In The Student Government Association (SGA) held its annual election to elect new class officers Wednesday, Sept. 22. It was a very close race in all classes with Caleb Perla winning the Freshman Class President with Sarah Oster as the Vice President. The Sophomore President is Alexander Colon, and the Vice President is Evan Lockwood. Winning the Junior Class President title was Ashley Johnson, and Stephen Walsh is the Vice President. Senior Class President is Joel Krautter, and the Vice President is Taylor Webb.
Higher One Announces Scholarship Higher One announced it will be offering the OneScholarship again this year. Higher One offered 10 scholarships in previous years, and two scholarships were awarded to Liberty students last year. Now the company will be offering twenty scholarships to the universities and colleges that use Higher One. For more information and to apply, visit the splash page. The deadline to apply is Oct. 29.
Off Campus Connect Groups The Campus Pastors office has announced a new ministry that is specifically geared to off campus students called the Off Campus Connect Group. Off-campus students will now be able to commune with other students. This group will also provide prayer groups similarly to the ones held on campus. These groups help off-campus student connect with each other while making an impact on the community. Students interested in becoming an off-campus prayer leader, contact Bliss Spillar at offcampusprayergroups@liberty.edu.
Girls Night Out Robin Alexander will be hosting Girls Night Out Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant is partnering with locals businesses to raise money for local women who have been affected by breast cancer. Studio Style and Spa will be doing hair, makeup and giving massages on site and Robin Alexander will be offering its newest dishes. Premier Jewelry will also be at the event showcasing its latest trends in fashion. Robin Alexander is located at 1314 Main Street in downtown Lynchburg.
Who will hold Congress when the dust clears? Katie Bell kebell2@liberty.edu
“With 32 days until the election things are very tense in Washington, D.C. People are very charged, and new scandals are breaking daily, Republicans are trying to focus on the economy and Democrats are trying to portray Republican and tea party candidates as extreme, this is the current narrative of Washington,” Scott Whitlock of the Media Research Center said. The significance of the 2010 midterm election is that every congressman is up for reelection. One third of the Senate is up for re-election. This means that after the ballots have been counted on the evening of Nov. 2 America could have an entirely new House of Representatives. The election could change control of the House and the Senate. In each respective house of Congress the majority party has control over who serves on the committees, which means that the party will have power over investigations. For instanceCongressman Darryl Issa (R-Calif.) claims he wants to have investigations on Obama campaign officials, on any sort of Democratic scandal in the last two years if he becomes chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in 2011, according to an article in Politico.com by James Hohmann and Jake Shermann, “That will make all the difference in the world. I won’t use it to have corporate America live in fear that we’re going to subpoena everything. I will use it to get the very information that today the White House is either shredding or not producing,” Issa said at a dinner, according to Politico.com. Democrats are threatening to have a lame-duck session after the midterm election and before the new Congress takes office in January. A lame-duck session of Congress takes place when Congress votes to pass legislation which is unpopular among their constituents, legislation such as cap and trade. According to Gallup polls taken Sept. 20-26, 28 percent of Demo-
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The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University. All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received — according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement.
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Unexpected visit — State Senator Robert Hurt (R) makes an impromptu visit to the Helms School of Government.
crats are excited about voting, whereas 48 percent of Republicans are excited about voting. On Sept. 13, Gallup Polls listed GOP candidates with 48 percent favorability and 43 percent favorability for Democrats. There are 51 seats needed for a majority in the Senate. Currently, Democrats are ahead in polls in maintaining control of the Senate according to RealClearPolitics.com. Democrats are expected to take 48 seats, 44 of those seats are considered not up for re-election. Republicans are expected to take 46 seats, with 35 seats considered safe or not up for re-election. GOP candidates would have to win all six of the tossup states that include Wash., Calif., Nev., W. Va., Colo., Ill. and Conn. “If Republicans take back the House and Senate on November, the Obama administration will be over on Nov. 2. Not much is going to get done. It is going to be gridlocked,” Whitlock said. The current House of Representatives holds 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans and two vacancies. According to RealClearPolitcs. com, the GOP is expected to win the House of Representatives. Republicans are expected to take 207 seats, of those seats 163 have been deemed
Recession continued from A1 “I have just enough money to pay for two more years of school, but I literally cannot go past that point,” he said. “I have absolutely no room for error.” Some students have decided to take matters into their own hands. If they cannot find a job, why not create one? Ashby said that he is starting his own company and that job creation was part of his decision. “That’s one reason I decided to start my own company—because it’s needed,” he said. “We need more startups whether the government’s small business friendly or not.” Ashby has big aspirations for his company, Kaleo. He intends to start with advertising
safe. Democrats are expected to take 190 seats, of those seats 139 have been deemed safe. There are 38 tossup seats. In the Virginia’s 5th district, incumbent Tom Perriello is expected to lose his seat to state Senator Robert Hurt (R) according to RealClearPolitics.com. u BELL is a news writer.
What is at stake: In the upcoming mid-term elections, 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate are up for election. Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives is made up of 256 Democrats, 178 Republicans and one vacancy. All members of the House are facing reelection. Elections will be held Nov. 2. For more information about voting and absentee ballots, contact your current congressman or the Registrar’s office.
and design before eventually branching out into a number of different fields. His website www.yourkaleo.com explains some of his ideas and the logos for future divisions. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the “trough” of the recession was June 2009, and the economy has been on the mend ever since. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment has been steadily dropping, and student jobs have been on the rise. With more people like Gary Ashby Jr. taking risks and starting businesses, perhaps students will soon have an easier time getting hired and find school bills less daunting. u ADAMS is a news reporter.
CORRECTION BOX Send letters to: Liberty Champion Liberty University, Box 2000, Lynchburg, VA 24502 or drop off in DeMoss Hall 1035.
In the previous issue of the Liberty Champion, there were some factual errors. In “Seeking a Safe Haven: Salamanders move to find refuge from harsh weather” on page A7 the article headline should have read “War of the Predators: Salamanders compete for territory at the Peaks of Otter Ridgeway.” Also, on page B5 of “Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center aims for change” the article reads that the benefit raised $32,000. This number is incorrect and should say $250,000.
NEWS
A3/Liberty Champion
October 5, 2010
VICTIMS continued from A1
Photo Provided
love for lynchburg — Despite the brutal murder of her grandfather, Liberty Alumni Leslie Gahagan and husband Joe Gahagan still enjoy the city of Lynchburg.
“I will admit I have had a hard time in the last couple of weeks,” she said. “But I really do want to love these people. They are suffering just as much as we are.” Leslie said her grandfather, an avid golfer, was dedicated to prayer. “He was just a nice guy,” she said. “He wanted the best for everybody.” During the wedding reception, Baker told the couple’s minister, “If I were to die tonight, I’d die a happy man.” “He was ready to go home … he really missed my grandmother,” Leslie said, pausing for a moment. “This is how it was supposed to be. This is such a huge random thing there has to be a purpose behind it.” The Gahagans visited friends in Lynchburg last weekend. They ran the Virginia Ten-Miler downtown.
“You have complete strangers cheering you on and giving you water. It gives me chills to think about, but that’s Lynchburg,” Joe said. They have thought about moving back to Lynchburg after Joe, a United States marine, finishes his enlistment in two years. He will leave in January for a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan. “I love Lynchburg. It’s such a community,” Leslie said. The alleged attackers will face trials in the coming months. Joe and Leslie said they will watch closely and trust God to work through a difficult circumstance. “God will have His way, and His will accomplished,” Joe said. “He’s going to complete His plan.” u PARKER is a news reporter.
City leaders say downtown is ‘safe’ Melinda Zosh mzosh@liberty.edu
Murders in Lynchburg are not common, according to City Council Member H. Cary. George Baker’s murder early last month was an exception, he said. “(Downtown) is crime free with the exception of Mr. Baker,” Cary said. “There have been a few minor incidents, but not anything that would give you cause for your personal safety.” Liberty alumna Robin Dimond co-owns Robin Alexander Restaurant downtown. For the first week after the Sept. 5 murder, her business declined, she said. Now, her business has picked up again. “Downtown is safe,” Dimond said. “Lynchburg is a beautiful city.”
news tip?
To report a news tip, call 582-2428 or e-mail luchampion@ liberty.edu. More ‘burg for your buck
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War of the Salamanders
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tUeSDay, oCtober 5, 2010
Female steps up as president
VoLUme 28 iSSUe 5
wards road
A PEDESTRIAN CHALLENGE
Leong’s resignation makes way for new leadership oMAR AdAMs oadams@liberty.edu
Bethany Davis was sworn in as the new student body president Sept. 13, becoming the first female student president in Liberty University’s history. The moment came after former president Tim Leong stepped down earlier in the week. The change in leadership took place during a Student Government Association meeting. Davis spoke optimistically of her goals for this school year. “My hope is for the Student Government Association to dAVis serve the student body like never before,” Davis said. “I especially hope for an SGA whose prime purpose is to serve its fellow students with humility and love.” Speaking of his resignation, Leong said that his relationship with Christ has suffered, as he had been focusing most of his time on Student Government. Davis said that working with him had been a privilege. SGA continued on A2
getting back to the basics Hurt: ‘We have a congress that can’t adopt a budget’ MElindA Zosh mzosh@liberty.edu
Thomas Jefferson often traveled to Poplar Forest, located just miles away from Lynchburg, to escape from his other home, Monticello, in Charlottesville. U.S. Congressional Candidate Robert Hurt (R-5th District) wonders what Jefferson would think if he had a chance to come back and see the political shift happening near both his homes in Central Virginia, he said. “If Thomas Jefferson could come back to Bedford County, I think he would find that we don’t have limited government. We have a Congress that can’t even adopt a budget,” Hurt said.
Chris MaBes
cross no More — The Lynchburg City Council will be making a decision regarding the addition of sidewalks or a pedestrian bridge on Wards Road so that students will no longer have to cross in the middle of the busy highway.
KEEP TALKING City, Liberty officials discuss plans for Wards Road crossing JonAThAn PARKER jparker17@liberty.edu
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ynchburg and Liberty University leaders will meet in the coming weeks to iron out a proposal for placing a pedestrian bridge over Wards Road. “My goal at this point is to present a plan to city council to build a bridge,” City Manager Kimball Payne said Thursday. Lynchburg City Council discussed the proposed
bridge, which would be placed 18 to 20 feet above Wards Road, Tuesday night. Council members did not approve the project, but agreed to discuss the bridge further. In September 2009, council members unanimously agreed to build a street-level pedestrian crossing on Wards Road. The project, designed to make crossing Wards Road safer, included placing crossing signals and marked crosswalks on the highway and a fenced-in pedestrian refuge in the median. Council members set aside over $2 million for the project, which includes placing walking trails on Rock Castle Creek along Wards Road. CROSSING continued on A3
HURT continued on A2
Values Voter Summit unites conservatives Aims to focus back to winning issues KATiE BEll kebell2@liberty.edu
A small group of Liberty students, faculty and administration had the opportunity to listen to and meet prominent members of the Republican Party at the Value Voters Summit over the weekend in Washington, D.C.
The event made national headline news. Chairman of Liberty Counsel, Mat Staver, Rev. Johnnie Moore and Ergun Caner were among the event’s prominent speakers. The GOP drew national media attention as the celebration of Constitution Day on Sept. 17, 2010 marked the beginning of a two-day
inside the Champion
news
summit which brought together 2,000 of its members at the annual Family Research Center sponsored Values Voter Summit. The event was held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Friday’s session began with a breakfast sponsored by both Liberty and the Liberty Council. “The idea of a ‘values voter’ has drawn the ire of many who claim that those who focus on social issues
A1
Opinion
distract from the winning issues — the economy for example. The Values Voter Summit is here to disprove this idea,” senior Josh Damon said. The Values Voter Summit was covered by the Associated Press, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, NBC, ABC and was featured on Sunday Morning’s Meet the Press. VALUES Continued on A3
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sports B1
thoMas tUrner
values voter — Sean Hannity speaks to conservatives.
Feature B6
Both Dimond and Cary applaud the Lynchburg Police Department for monitoring the downtown business district and other parts of the city. “The police can’t be on every street corner, but they were (at the crime scene) immediately,” Cary said. He hopes that the recent murder is “isolated,” he said. “I hope future events don’t prove me wrong,” Cary said. Local groups proactively review safety concerns on a regular basis, Cary said. Senior managers of the city council, members of the police and fire departments and neighborhood watch groups meet and discuss concerns. “That’s our way of reaching out, and it helps build rapport,” Cary said.
ing, ‘Hey, do your homework.’” Dimond hopes to give back to the city that offered her opportunities during college, she said. A native of Miami, she has chosen to stay in Lynchburg and manage two restaurants here. “I want to raise my family here some day,” she said. Cary feels safe bringing his family downtown, he said. “I would not hesitate to take my kids (downtown),” Cary said. “Main Street is relatively safe.” Melinda Zosh
Downtown safety— Lynchburg Police regularly monitor the downtown business district and other parts of the city.
Near Cabel Street, a group of neighbors meet with a member of the LPD, and they talk about “trouble spots” and ways to make the area safer, Cary said.
“One of the things we did pick up on this area is that there are a number of single parent homes,” Cary said. “When kids come home from school, no one is say-
u ZOSH is the Editor in Chief
Opinion
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Convocation Speaker
mcewen
Former U.S. Congressman Bob McEwen addressed the student body on Sept. 29, discussing the importance of participating in political elections. The following are some excerpts from his speech.
October 5, 2010
Duke University controversy
College Republicans student group loses charter, funding ABBY ARMBRUSTER aarmbruster@liberty.edu
Who is the strong man to maintain stability in the world? It’s the United States of America, and as such, that makes it a target. Let me assure you, America is not under attack because it’s evil; America is under attack because it stands for good.
The only way that wealth can
be created is in a free market, in a free exchange.
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an a criminal create wealth? No. Can the government create wealth? No. Therefore, when you hear a politician say how he’s going to create a job, he cannot create a job. He can only take a job that someone else had.
Every time we use our right to
vote to take from one group to give to another, we are in the process of destroying our very personal liberties.
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f all the economic systems known to man, the most beneficial has been the American private enterprise system...Government cannot create jobs, it can only re-distribute what somebody else makes.
Eighty-five percent of the millenial generation voters believe that the answer to our problem is more government. Well, it’s important for us to make it clear that the answer to our problem is not more government, the answer is more freedom.
Here’s the principle: The greater
the government, the greater the poverty. The greater the freedom, the greater the wealth. That’s all politics is.
When
(politicians) say ‘we’re going to take from them,’ and it sounds noble, the truth of the matter is: it’s theft.
By doing what is right, the future can be just as bright.
Duke University’s College Republicans student group faces university de-charterment and is under risk of being de-funded after the removal of its president during the spring semester. The student senate of Duke University recently voted 20-3 to de-fund the political group, as ramifications to former President Justin Robinette’s impeachment in April, according to University of North Carolina’s The Daily Tar Heel. Robinette had been president for a year and then ran unopposed this spring before his impeachment three weeks later. Robinette compiled e-mails and other evidence to show that his impeachment was based on his sexual orientation, not due to unprofessional conduct as the College Republicans stated, according to Duke University’s The Chronicle. The remaining College Republican members wrote a list containing Robinette’s wrongdoings, including failure to call meetings and attempting to fix club elections. What is more shocking than the allegations of Robinette’s impeachment is the lack of news coverage on the topic. When Liberty University officially did not endorse the College Democrats student club last year, it was covered by Newsweek, CBS News and the Washington Post among countless other minor news sources — Duke’s situation has not been covered by any major news source, other than the Huffington Post and local student newspapers. Liberty also received national coverage when Americans United wrote a press release
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discussing Liberty’s taxes in 2009, which still shows thousands of hits on Google.com. “Last year, Liberty University withdrew its endorsement of College Democrats because the club supported a candidate that did not share the university’s views on the sanctity of life and traditional marriage,” Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said. “Liberty and delegated the governance of its student clubs to VP Mark Hine, who acted on behalf of the school. This year, Duke University is withdrawing its endorsement of College Republicans because the club is not supporting the university’s position on gay rights. Duke has delegated the governance of student clubs to its student senate, which is acting on behalf of the school. “Liberty’s action was front page news and Liberty was criticized widely in the mainstream press. Duke’s action was only discovered after an extensive internet search by Dr. Barry Moore at Liberty. Something is wrong with this picture.” Considering the topic of bullying and intolerance due to sexual orientation, the media is giving much to the topic, as more and more cases of intolerance have surfaced in the past few weeks. The most recent example is seen in Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. He committed suicide last week due
to an online broadcast, showing that he was gay when Clementi had not become public about his sexual orientation. His roommate recorded him via webcam, showing a live broadcast of Clementi engaging in gay sexual acts. Once Clementi discovered the live feed, he jumped off a bridge to kill himself. Clearly, death as a result of bullying is not what anyone wants, and it is sad that tragedy led to media’s coverage of the topic. While Clementi’s death is a sad example of what can happen when intolerance exists, it is a relief to see the media covering topics that need to be addressed. The scandal at Duke University is not as drastic as Clementi’s, yet it still is an important topic that should make national headlines. Is there a reason that the media is specifically not covering the topic? Speaking from experience, Liberty has received national headlines over less controversial topics, so hearing of Duke University’s situation through the grapevine is a shock. The lack of coverage leads one to believe that there could be an agenda by the media, either for acceptance of gays in leadership or a hate against the College Republicans — the former not being likely. By de-funding the student group, Duke is indirectly showing its acceptance toward gay rights. Although it does not change one’s leadership due to their sexual orientation, the school’s response declares its acceptance of gay and lesbian students on campus. While the fine line between tolerance and acceptance is walked daily, media should bring these issues to light to reduce ignorance on the topic. The lack of coverage by national media sources implies where they stand on politics as well. u Armbruster is the opinion editor.
Letter to the Editor
Response to ‘China to lift one child ban’ Dear Editor, Recently the Champion (Sept. 21 issue) posted an opinion piece on the one-child ban in China. There were various portions of that article that I felt needed to be addressed. I would like to respond to the following statement that the opinion editor made. She wrote, “Now, China is re-thinking their strategy, since the strict ban has prevented 400 million births since 1979.” To this I say, respectfully, what a beautiful euphemism for abortion. It is not the prevention of 400 million babies; it is the slaughter of 400 million babies. It is saddening that your opinion editor has bought into the euphemistic style of pro-choice language. When one starts using their style then, ultimately, the fight is lost. The enemy of a pre-born child does not want women to know that it is the enemy; it
Wouldn’t it be nice if fairy tales were real? That thought suddenly hit me this summer. My hairdresser Sara was cutting and coloring my hair, and her daughter was watching a Walt Disney movie in the living room (not the Pixar ones. Think more old school, like the Lion King). I could not help but hear her enthusiasm. Her laughter could have filled the entire house. Then she showed me her Woody and Buzz Light Year action figures, and her eyes were twinkling with delight. She
wants to hide behind the title of “champion for a woman’s right to choose” or “the savior of the world from overpopulation.” On an aside note, overpopulation is a lie that is used to defend abortions — especially the racially motivated ones. The enemies of human life claim that if we continue to reproduce then we will destroy ourselves; so, we must stop having children. In addition, if it is true, why should we not start with China? Are the Chinese any less valuable than our precious Western society? Can we honestly print articles that tout population control in China without becoming outraged? What if your opinion editor had written an article about fines, sterilization and forced abortions here in the United States? Why do we not cry out for our Chinese brothers and sisters? God knows the pain and the suffering that
does not have to worry about homework, fights with friends and well, the realities of the world! For 4-year-olds, come Christmas time Santa Claus is their new best friend, and when they lose their little teeth, they dream of the tooth fairy who will take their teeth and leave crisp, one-dollar bills in their place. I remember being that child, the one who believed in happily-ever afters and Prince Charmings. Trust me, I was also convinced that there really was a one-inch high person named Thumbelina (if only that little person really existed so she could help me do my work). You probably remember being that kid, too. Those days consisted of more than believing in magic and pixie-dust. When you’re a kid, you dream about your future career. Nothing is stopping you from becoming an astronaut or a famous singer. Then, one day, we wake up and realize that that future really was only a dream. We give up on flying to the moon, and we settle for mediocrity and routines. We stop trying,
the Chinese government has inflicted on her people. I say that we should be praying to prevent this horrible crime against these people. We do not need to find a solution to overpopulation; we need to pray for God’s mercy to fall on the people being oppressed by China’s vicious policy of death. This is something that I felt needed to be addressed. I am in no way condemning your opinion editor, however, for future articles, please do not hide the truth. If an article is going to be written about issues such as this, then it needs to be addressed exactly as it is. This is the death of countless innocent pre-born children. Respectfully, God bless, Sean T. Maguire, ‘13
because we are told that we are not good enough. By this point, fairy tales are long forgotten, and we have settled for less than what we deserve in a partner, in a job, and in life in general. Why should we stop believing in the unbelievable? We have a choice. Be Cinderella who turned into a beautiful princess, and do not let the “ugly stepsisters” tell you that you are not pretty enough. If you have not found Prince Charming or John Smith, do not settle for Mr. Right Now. It seems like we could learn more from a 4-year-old kid than meets the eye. mzosh@liberty.edu
OPINION
October 5, 2010
A5/Liberty Champion
Kim Jong-il picks son as North Korea successor
congressional hearing
andrew gula
JENNA SHOFFNER
jagula@liberty.edu
The youngest son of Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea, was promoted to a military general on Sept. 27, a clear sign that he is to succeed his father as the country’s leader. Kim Jong-un has, for his entire life, remained one of the most elusive people on the planet. Only one photograph of him has ever been released, and it was taken in his adolescent years. Even his age is unknown — he is believed to be about 27 or 28, although there is no way of proving the educated guesses. “No one knows what he looks like, but it is certain that he indeed exists and is slated to be the next leader,” professor at Seoul National University Tae-Gyun Park said, according to ABC News. The news of Kim Jong-un’s promotion came prior to a gathering of the ruling Workers’ Party in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on Monday, Sept. 27. This seemingly sudden move by Kim Jong-il declaring his third and youngest as his heir is, by no means, a surprise to analysts or experts around the world. In 2008, Kim Jong-il suffered a stroke, which made him consider succession. It was soon after this that he placed Kim Jong-un into the same position in which he began his political career. According to reports, his health is continuing to worsen. Rumors surfaced in 2009 about Kim Jong-il’s absence from the public spotlight. Reports from undisclosed informants claimed that Kim Jong-il was suffering from pancreatic cancer. According to the U.S. National Can-
cer Institute, the five-year survival rate of a pancreatic cancer is 5.5 percent, which would explain Kim Jongil’s need to promote his son. Daniel Pinkston, a senior analyst and expert at the International Crisis Group, found the idea of pancreatic cancer difficult to believe. He explained that the information was so delicate that any definitive diagnosis is “a little odd.” “This kind of information would not be shared easily or casually. (But) it would explain a lot of things that may be going on internally: the rapidness of some of their actions over the past (year) or so, with the attempted satellite launch, nuclear test and missile tests,” Pinkston said, according to the Guardian. Unfortunately, this will most likely not affect the long-term future of North Korea. With Kim Jong-un set to follow in his father’s footsteps, the control of North Korea will only change hands within the same family. “When things really get tough — when the leader gets ill — it is the family that starts to circle the wagons,” an Alexandria-based analyst specializing in North Korean leadership Ken Gause said according to the Washington Post. “We have seen this in Iraq, in the last years of the Saddam regime. It seems to me not an accident that the day before they make party appointments, they make the bloodline appointments,” Gause said. “That is a clear signal to what is happening here: the Kim family is still in control.” u GULA is an opinion writer.
Colbert creates laughs
ery day in a field, Colbert said horrid jobs mean immigrants invariCongress recently had a very un- ably have no rights. usual, yet well-known speaker. What Colbert fails to recogComedian Stephen Colbert nize is that illegal immigrants do gave a testimony on migrant labor not have any rights, as indicated issues during a hearing of Congress by the label “illegal.” In fact, illegal referred to as “Protecting America’s immigrants pawn off the society Harvest” Sept. 24. The hearing was that generations worked so hard for the House Judiciary Commit- to build, and take away the rights of tee’s Subcommittee on Immigra- America’s legal citizens. tion, Citizenship, Refugees, Border On the other hand, legal imSecurity and International Law, ac- migrants are welcome to live and cording to the Huffington Post. prosper in America. Immigrants Colbert testified with United who enter and live in a lawfully Farm Worker’s president Arturo way can only add to the prosperity Rodriguez at his side. Colbert’s of America by making worthwhile testimony was based on his experi- contributions. ence with UFW’s “Take Our Jobs” Furthermore, Colbert’s presence campaign, in Congress was inappropriate. Huwhich urged mor is positive, Americans to Perhaps the concept is even in Congress, take the job but Colbert took old-fashioned, but in of farm labortoo many distastetoday’s increasingly ers for a day, ful liberties by profane culture, according to referring to a colopropriety must be preserved. CBS News. noscopy of his, as W hile well as the need C o l b e r t ’s for roughage in his presence in diet. Congress certainly made a splash, Perhaps the concept is oldfeedback on Comedy Central’s fashion, but in today’s increasingly mock-conservative was mixed. profane culture, propriety must be While Colbert appeared to display preserved. a genuine concern for migrant laSpeaker of the House Nancy Pebor issues, his expertise and appro- losi said that it is “great” a celebrity priateness was questionable. like Colbert “can bring attention to Colbert’s experience came from an important issue like immigraone day working on a farm picking tion,” according to the Washington vegetables. He gave no insight other Post. If bringing attention to an isthan the difficulty of the job. sue takes a comedian in Congress While the difficulty of the job is talking about his personal dietary not to be taken for granted, and few need for roughage, then our counpeople voluntarily work all day, ev- try is in intellectual danger. Far more
jlshoffner@liberty.edu
“
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valuable minds had been put to work on this issue, and probably could h a v e colbert made more progress before Congress than Colbert. Member of the immigration subcommittee Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) lamented his hard work being passed over for Colbert’s five-minute comedy session. “It’s just unfortunate I’ve sponsored close to a dozen bills that deal seriously with immigration,” Chaffetz said, according to CBS News, “and none of them have been brought up for discussion. None.” However, America is in an age fascinated with the fame and glamour of celebrities. Hopefully, Colbert’s Congressional appearance is not a precursor to a trend of celebrity accountability within the government. Colbert’s testimony is protected by the First Amendment. He is free to speak his opinion in court, on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” or any other medium of his choice. However, Congress would do well to seek wiser counsel from more informed and dedicated sources, and to leave the laughs to television. u SHOFFNER is an opinion writer.
NEWS
October 5, 2010
Liberty Champion/A6
Faith strengthens Crossman in cancer battle Jonathan Parker jparker17@liberty.edu
Daniel Crossman’s hospital room was a revolving door of friends four weeks ago. As Crossman, a sophomore, waited on test results for what he thought was mononucleosis, friends from his hall flooded his room. When Crossman was alone, doctors came to him with the diagnosis: lymphoblastic leukemia. “To say that I wasn’t scared would be a lie,” Crossman said. “I didn’t know what to think. However, it is in those exact times, when we have no idea what to do, that God works in mighty and beautiful ways.” Crossman prayed and began reading Psalm 118. “It’s an incredible passage that talks about giving thanks to the Lord, no matter the circumstance because of his unfailing love,” said Crossman, a spiritual life director (SLD) on hall M26-2. “Once I read those words, my cries immediately turned from fear and anguish to joy, thankfulness and utter peace.” Crossman’s parents flew from South Dakota to Lynchburg the next day. After spending the weekend in the hospital, Crossman flew home to battle cancer. “I am very blessed compared to many other cancer patients. My type of cancer is very treatable and curable,” Crossman said. Crossman and his mom are staying with relatives in Denver, Colo., for the first few weeks of chemotherapy treatments, which includes taking four medications. Doctors inject two drugs into a major artery weekly. It is an exhaustive regime of painful treatments and procedures, including bone marrow samples and spinal taps. Despite the obstacles, Crossman trusts in the Lord’s plan. Josh Fish, Crossman’s Resident Assistant (RA), said his example has united the hall. “It’s really brought our hall together. His example has
Photo Provided
Surrounded by support — (Above) Daniel Crossman, fourth from left, poses for a picture with friends during the RA and SLD banquet this year. (Below) Daniel Crossman (left) and fellow prayer leader Rich Matthews, who stepped up to SLD after Crossman left, sit at the top of Mount Pleasant during a camping trip last Easter.
given guys on the hall more boldness in their faith,” Fish said. Over 65 students visited Crossman in the hospital, Fish said. “It was humbling for me to see the impact he had,” said Campus Pastor Michael Miller, who worked closely with Crossman. “His attitude has just been remarkable. He has been an example to guys on his floor.” Crossman is grateful for the support. “I cannot explain the depth of love and care my hall mates, fellow students and staff have shown me during this,” Crossman said. As expected, Crossman has good and difficult days. He is blessed with a supportive family, which also includes two younger brothers, he said. “God uses these tragedies just to glorify Him. That should be our ultimate purpose to bring honor to Him,” Crossman said. “My hope is
to really embrace what God is trying to teach me through this.” Crossman plans to return to Liberty next fall and may take online classes this spring. Miller said Crossman’s friends keep in touch with him. “Daniel’s impact is evident by just how positive the guys are,” Miller said. “There is a lot of trust in the Lord to see him through it.” Crossman is also drawing strength from God daily, he said. “This is part of God’s plan. He has been preparing me for this. But I will not be able to get through this without him,” Crossman said. “In fact, I would be a complete wreck right now if it were not for him and the people he’s put into my life.” u PARKER is a reporter for the Liberty Champion
Photo Provided
Ruling Liberty:
How the rules have changed since 1971 Crystal Heavner and Sarah Stockslager cheavner@liberty.edu and scstockslager@liberty.edu
Although students sometimes gawk and gripe about the rules at Liberty University, policies here have evolved considerably since the school’s formation—to make life easier for everyone. The first statement of the first Liberty rule book was: “Attending Lynchburg Baptist College is a privilege, and there are policies, and you will want to keep the policies and rules at the college to reflect the spiritual life that we expect of all students and the type of lifestyle that you will live after you graduate from Lynchburg Baptist College,” Towns said. The set of policies was not dubbed “The Liberty Way” until 1974 when the University changed its name to Liberty Baptist College, according to Co-Founder and Vice President Elmer Towns. Originally, the reprimands of today were
called demerits. After 50 demerits, Towns would stand up in chapel and read the delinquent student’s name. “After I read that name, I would also say to the student, ‘If you don’t have a place to sleep tonight, you can sleep on my front room couch,’” Towns said. One student who ended up on Towns’ couch was Kirk Nowery who is now the director of Samaritans Purse. One Liberty policy that produces groans and sighs for students is dress code. President for Student Affairs since April 1994, Dr. Mark Hine chimes in from the administrative standpoint to put the issue of dress code into perspective for those who have qualms with it. “There are far larger issues in life on which to dwell. There will be many instances in life where we are asked to do things we would perhaps not prefer doing, but as long as they are not illegal/immoral, the more important question is, how do I handle this?” Hine said.
Students should also realize where the Liberty Way came from to truly appreciate where it is now. According to the 1974 to 1975 edition of the Liberty Way, men were required to wear a tie and professional clothing from before breakfast until the end of classes every day and no long hair or facial hair was allowed. Women were to wear dresses to class and church, and the dresses had to fall below two inches above the middle of the knee. Today attendance for Convocation is required three days a week. However the Liberty Way for the 1974 to 1975 school year reads, “Students are required to attend Sunday morning and evening services at Thomas Road Baptist Church and Wednesday evening services. Students must also attend all chapel sessions.” This mandatory church attendance continued through the 70s, 80s and 90s. In the 1982 to 1984 Liberty Way, students were prohibited from missing more than two TRBC
services each semester, even when they were signed out for the weekend. Another major change came when administration changed the rule that discouraged students from marrying during the school year or over breaks. If the couple chose to marry, however, written approval from both parents and a consultation with the dean of students was required. Although many things about Liberty have changed over the years, one thing that will not be compromised is its unwavering commitment to a biblical foundation. “Some of the preferential or ‘house rules,’ have changed, but not the rules dealing with biblical or ethical offenses,” Vice President for Executive Projects and Media Relations and Campus Pastor Johnnie Moore said. u HEAVNER and Stockslager are news reporters
NEWS
A7/Liberty Champion
October 5, 2010
Creation Hall floods...again Melinda Zosh mzosh@liberty.edu
Senior Sammye Spillar was walking through the back hallway of DeMoss two weeks ago, on the way to study in the biology department. She had just stepped out of the sudden rainstorm when a familiar face greeted her. “I saw one of the professors, and I said ‘This weather is crazy,’” Spillar said. Then the professor pointed farther down the hall, and Spillar suddenly realized that instead of escaping the rain, she was about to walk right into it, she said. “He said,‘ You haven’t seen the hallway yet,’” Spillar said. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh,’ because I forgot the last time that it happened.” DeMoss Hall flooded twice during the summer and again Wednesday Sept. 22 just before 6 p.m., Director of Creation Studies David DeWitt said. “During the summer, everything (on one side of the hall) was ruined, because there was no one here to salvage it,” DeWitt said. When people saw the flooding this time, both faculty and students rushed to help, DeWitt said. He called LUPD and building services as soon as he saw the flooding. “There was no way that I could have done this alone,” DeWitt said. “A whole slew of students were walking through and said ‘Can I help? What can I do?’” Spillar cleaned up the wet papers and models that biology students re-created after the first ones were destroyed. “It is hard to describe the damage that’s been done,” Spillar said. Her paper mache giraffe was ruined, along with dozens of other similar paper mache models and papers, she said. “It still kind of looks like a giraffe but the water has done a lot of damage,” Spillar said. Senior Nathan Hubbard, who is also studying biology and pre-med, immediately helped clear the shelves, and one thought was running through his head, he said. “Oh no, here we go again,” Hubbard said.
He saw the damage this summer and felt frustrated for the alumni and students who dedicated hours of volunteer time every week arranging the shelves, he said. Spillar often worked until 3 a.m. some days, she said. “It’s just disheartening to have something that looks great and … can glorify God and is just ruined,” Hubbard said. Two alumni donated $350 combined to items that are now ruined, Hubbard said. “It is extremely discouraging for them to see their work ruined,” Hubbard said. It took several volunteers weeks to recreate the creation hall the first time, DeWitt said. Students remade several documents electronically that were not saved, Hubbard said. DeWitt is not sure how long it will take them to assemble it again, but Spillar is concerned that more water might leak onto the shelves. “We could come in tomorrow and ceiling tiles could be completely soaked,” Spillar said. Hubbard wonders what will happen next time and what will happen to the creation hall, he said. Students stopped on the way to class, looking at replications of dinosaur bones and reading about them, Hubbard said. He hopes to see that ministry continue without the rain interfering, he said. “The creation museum is for both Christians, to attract them to learning more about creationism, and to defend the basic beliefs that we have as creationists and Christians,” Hubbard said. As students were placing black garbage bags over the empty shelves, DeWitt pondered on the way in which the items within those shelves were destroyed. “It’s quite ironic to have a creation museum destroyed by a flood,” DeWitt said. According to the Director of Field Operations Scott Starnes, the issue will be resolved by adding a gutter system and a base coat of uniflex which helps seal the roof. Work was scheduled to begin Monday. u ZOSH is the Editor in Chief.
Cat Hewett
Cleaning up — (Above) Dr. Gary Isaacs surveys the damage in the Creation Museum portion of DeMoss Hall after a storm caused it to flood. (Right) Students entering DeMoss seeking shelter from the rain were met with the same conditions inside.
Cat Hewett
NEWS
October 5, 2010
Liberty Champion/ A8
SGT David Porter Duty is a family affair Cat Hewett cahewett@liberty.edu
Sergeant David L. Porter of the 1-116th Infantry Battalion has served two tours of duty in Iraq. Even though his first tour was almost twice as long as his second, Porter said his most recent tour felt much longer. “The first time I had been divorced about two years, and it was a different situation for me, I was single,” Porter said. “This time it was a lot shorter tour, it felt longer because I was away from my wife and my children.” Porter left behind his pregnant wife, Tamilyn Thompson Porter, and two daughters, Bethany Porter and Alexis Thompson. Porter said that even though he and his fellow soldiers could communicate with family and friends online — giving them an advantage over soldiers of other wars, who would receive letters once every month or two — the added communication almost made the time drag by slower. “I would still hear about a lot of the things going on here, but wouldn’t be able to do anything about it,” Porter said. “It kind of helped me learn to put a lot of trust in God, that I am not Superman, Superdad or Superhusband and that I can’t do everything even if I was here.” Porter, a pastoral leadership major, came back after the other Liberty students he served with because he is not taking classes this semester. “I am taking this semester off just because I want to spend time with my family, get to
know them, get situated back in our new house,” Porter said. Because he came back later, Porter participated in the official homecoming for the 1-116th battalion at the National Guard armory in Lynchburg Aug. 25, 2010. “It was a huge honor for me because I got to carry our company colors in,” Porter said. “As soon as we got off the bus, we marched in and I was literally the first person people got to see as (we) came home and I was the first person to hear the cheers of the crowd as I was walking in and I was trying to fight back tears.” While in Iraq, Porter worked in the operations center. He was the non-commissioned officer in charge of coordinating all of the combat operations for his company while stationed in Iraq. Now that he is home, Porter is getting to know his daughter, Hadassah Porter — who was born while Porter was in Iraq — and help home school Alexis. Porter loves teaching the Bible course. “I just love sitting down with her and teaching her about scripture,” Porter said. “It is interesting, having to take these biblical principles and break them down so that a kindergartner can understand them, it is really something I am not used to, but it is fun.” Porter said that Hadassah is helping him to keep the long hours he kept in the Army by keeping him up late and waking him up early. “I can’t make mommy do all the work,” Porter said. “It feels a little bit different because I am home so I should be able to sleep in, but (Hadassah) has other ideas.” Porter said the hardest thing to adjust to
Photos Provided
honor and family — (Top left) SGT David Porter presents his company colors at the 1-116th homecoming celebration. (Top right) Porter marrying his wife, Tamilyn Thompson. (Bottom) Porter with his wife and two youngest daughters, Alexis and Hadassah at the battalion homecoming at the Lynchburg armory.
was not having to constantly be on high alert. “Being over there you have to have a constant state of awareness because anything can happen at any time,” Porter said. “We could be mortared or have rockets shot into the base. It is definitely more relaxed (here) and it took a little while and there are times where I am
looking over my shoulder constantly.” Porter plans on finishing his undergraduate work at Liberty then getting his Masters of Divinity and becoming a chaplain in the armed forces. u Hewett is the news editor.
New Dining Options for Students on South Campus Allyssa Hinckle ahinckle@liberty.edu
Students living on Campus South now have new dining options, Campus Pastor Johnnie Moore announced in Monday morning’s Convocation. There are two new food vendors for students to choose from. One vendor will house Liberty University Dining, said General Manager of Liberty University Dining Doug Pugh. The second food vendor will be for different sub-vendors, including Domino’s. The vendors’ grand opening was Monday at 3 p.m. and will be open Monday through Friday with dining hours from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Both vendors can be found on the south side of Dorm 7 with a small seating area of picnic tables that seat about 15 people. They are in the place of the basketball courts. The vendors take Flames Cash, as well as
cash and credit. Liberty Dining’s vendor also takes meal points. The Director of Retail Operations at Liberty University Dining Jay Carpenter expects both to eventually take meal points. The pricing will remain consistent with the usual on-campus pricing, with items running between $3 and $6. “What we’re trying to do is just provide the students with another option on the circle because right now all that’s over there is the Keyhole,” said Pugh. “Even though we’ve added a lot of new items to the menu over there to try to accommodate, it’s still not real convenient for some of the students living on other parts of the Circle.” Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. has been aware of comments and requests concerning a lack of dining options on Campus South. He worked with the Director of Auxiliary Services Lee Beaumont to solve the problem. Beaumont contacted Liberty Dining about
two weeks ago and the food vendors began moving towards a reality. According to Falwell, adding more dining options for Campus South has been in discussion for over a year. There were plans to build a free standing dining hall before, but circumstances prevented it. The vendors are meant to be a temporary solution. Food available at Liberty University Dining’s vendor will be an assortment of hot sandwiches, fries, drinks and various combos. The menu will change throughout the seasons and depending on vendors, Carpenter said. “It will be more than just the convenience store options that are largely at the Keyhole,” Carpenter said. Senior Jodiann Green lived on Campus East and the Hill before moving to Campus South. She has been less than impressed with the dining options on Campus South.
“There are not enough options,” Green said. “I like that they’re going to put up the trailors — it’s good food, it’s worth the meal points.” Pugh welcomes all student comments or suggestions. Some of the best ideas and improvements on dining actually come from students and their input, Carpenter added. Students can e-mail comments or suggestions to libertydining.edu. u Hinckle is a news writer.
Tower theater debut
B6
October 5, 2010
FLAMES IGNITE UNDER FIREWORKS
Newest addition wins six in historic first meet Liberty’s new swimming team takes six out of eleven events
Derrick Battle dbattle2@liberty.edu
Chris Mabes
Cruise control — Chris Summers gets by Savannah State defenders with a little blocking help from his friends.
Explosive WIN Flames light up scoreboard, fireworks lit the sky
Nate Brown nbrown4@liberty.edu
The Liberty Flames improved their 2010 playoff campaign by dismantling Savannah State University in a 52-14 landrush Saturday. In an offensive outpouring, Liberty forgot their road-weary woes, suffering losses to Robert Morris and James Madison University and came home to more than 19,000 welcoming fans and a newly-molted mascot under a firework-streaked sky. “A lot of good things happened today,” Liberty head coach Danny Rocco said. In a distinct change of success, Liberty running back tandem SirChauncey Holloway and Chase Barnett cruised through massive holes cleared by the offensive line led by captain Soeren Wendland and by fullback Nathan Revell. Coming into Saturday’s game, Liberty’ offense was carried by the arm of Mike
Chris Mabes
nice ‘hans’ — German tight end Matthias Wrede enjoys his first career reception and touchdown Saturday.
Brown and the hands of Chris Summers. Over 70 percent of Liberty’s offense came through the air, contrary to what Rocco and his staff expected at the beginning of the season. “In order for us to do what we have set out to do, we have to have [balance]. We have to have that run game. We have to have the play action pass,” Rocco said.
Liberty was almost completely symmetrical against Savannah State, throwing for 276 yards, and rushing for 288. Holloway enjoyed 140 yards on the ground for the Flames, a first for the redshirt sophomore. See FOOTBALL on B2
The Liberty Flames women’s swimming team began their first season at home against the Campbell University Fighting Camels. This is one of only two meets being held at Liberty this season, so it was important for the Flames to take advantage of the home field. Under Coach Jake Shellenberger the Flames hoped to start the inaugural game on a positive note. A capacity fyi crowd filled the LaHaye u Scoring for indiAquatics Cenvidual events: ter to see the first women’s First place-9 points, swim meet as a part of Divisecond place-4 sion I sports at points, third place-3 Liberty. Ca m p b e l l points, fourth University enplace-2 points, fifth tered the new season starting place-1 point off fresh from a number six u Scoring for relay ranking last events: year. The Lady First place-11 points, Flames won second place-4 six out of 11 events which points, third place-2 included both medley events. points The 200yard medley, which was made up of Dani Fletcher, Amber Kerico, Hannah Yacynch and Kati Masters was won by the Lady Flames as well as the 200-yard freestyle medley with the team of Lindsey Romkes, Sarah McCorkle, Emily Mudd, and Bethany Wakeley. Although the Lady Flames won many of events, they still were not able to defeat the Fighting Camels, losing 111-94. See SWIMMING on B3
Curtain opens on newest Liberty addition New additions to stadium are a “huge leap” Kelly Marvel krmarvel@liberty.edu
The grand re-opening of the newly renovated Williams Stadium ended with a bang Saturday night. A 15-minute display of fireworks was shot off toward the end of the game to celebrate the new addition of the press tower to Liberty Athletics. The construction of the press tower began in January. Delays due to snow and inclement weather set the con-
struction behind schedule. Because of the delays, the stadium was not able to be re-opened on the first home game, like Liberty Athletics had hoped. But thanks to the hard work of the construction team from Branch & Associates, the stadium was able to be built in an extremely timely manner. “I think it went exceptionally well,” Athletic Director Jeff Barber said. “They didn’t have a whole lot of time to do what they did and they have been absolutely fantastic.” The new press tower and additional seating has been a long-time dream of Liberty Athletics and its completion, according to Barber, means
Crowd Control u 19,314 fans came out for Saturday’s game u Previous stadium record: 16, 000 so much to the university. “I think its shows a comC M mitment to being who Chan- looking up— The lights are bright and the stands full for the grand re-opening of cellor Falwell wants it to be the newly expanded Arthur S. Williams Stadium. and what Dr. Falwell set this school out to be,” Barber said. The press tower is five in the tower, all of which the capacity of Williams Sta“When you have outstanding stories tall, featuring a new have been sold for the 2010 dium from 12,000 to 19,200. facilities, it shows a commit- concessions concourse on season. The fifth floor is the Barber said that seeing the ment and it validates you’re the ground level. The new press level, fully equipped completed press tower brings commitment to being suc- Flames Club floor is the sec- with broadcast-ready cable the entire Liberty commucessful and doing things the ond largest banquet facility in boxes for television and radio. nity together. right way.” Virginia. There are 18 suites The additional seating takes See STADIUM on B3 hris
abes
SPORTS
October 5, 2010
Cheerleaders
Spirit spreadin’, crowd pleasin’ Jessica Young jyoung12@liberty.edu
Sports fans know the infamous debate surrounding cheerleaders. Are cheerleaders athletes, or not athletes? However, most of those engaged in such debates are not aware of the work, preparation and talent it takes to be a Liberty University cheerleader. Contrary to stereotype, the Liberty’s cheerleading squads’ practices do not merely consist of learning and rehearsing dance routines, cheers and chants. Regular practices take place three days a week for two hours and weight lifting sessions and workouts are two days a week for an hour and a half. “We do not have an ‘off season’ like other sports teams. We practice and cheer from August until April,” MollyCatherine Goodson said. Performing in front of others is a complex skill to master, but some find the rush and the adrenaline exhilarating. “My favorite part about cheering at a game is being close to the game and in front of thousands of people supporting our athletes,” Laura Massey said. Liberty has two cheerleading squads, a co-ed squad and an all-girls squad. Working with two squads may sound overwhelming, but Coach Jennifer Sydnor shrugs off the extra work. Her priority is ensuring each team is provided what they need to be
successful. “I love my two teams and what they are trying to accomplish,” Sydnor said. “I think it is so imperative to have two teams so the program can continue to grow.” Sydnor has impressed a significant affect on her athletes and her influence is apparent in her three years at Liberty. “[Sydnor] knows the potential we have and holds us to that standard,” Chelsea Andrews said. “Jenny has really had a great impact on the growth of this program in just the few years she’s been here.” Sydnor grew up as a gymnast, but upon coming to Liberty, she started cheerleading. She understands that cheerleaders do not generally have an outstanding reputation, but she aims to assist her Arieli Kinzer squads in implementing the desires of God’s will in their Fired up — Liberty’s cheerleaders add to the exciting everyday lives. atmosphere of Flames athletics. “Each year my foremost goal is to build a team of the LU cheerleading squads. this amazing opportunity to athletes that are unified in Liberty cheerleaders are as- represent our school.” Megan Christ,” Sydnor said. sociated with the PACE Neff said. Notes of encouragement program, the Hill City Youth Andrew Jordan is proud and Bible verses are often giv- Cheerleaders, and the Chris- to be apart of the Liberty en to the athletes to remind tian Cheerleaders of America co-ed squad and considers them their coaches support competition that is hosted at the team to be a family. “Its and are praying for them. LU every year. different than high school, in Sydnor’s favorite part The all-girls squad, LU that most people think it is reabout coaching at Liberty is Red Squad, is looking for- ally cool that you are a male forming relationships with ward to competing at the cheerleader,” Jordan said. her athletes. “I am so blessed UCA College Nationals in “People actually show you to be able to work with each Orlando, Fla. this year. UCA respect that you are able to of these athletes,” coach Jen- College Nationals is one of throw girls in the air and do nifer Sydnor said. “They are the largest and most repu- certain stunts.” such a blessing to me.” table college cheerleading u YOUNG is a sports Community involvement competitions. reporter. is an important aspect for “We are all very excited for
Saturday Night Lights
Ruth Bibby
boom, boom, wow — Fans and players enjoyed a fireworks display at the end of the fourth quarter Saturday, welcoming football once again to Williams Stadium. Nate Brown nbrown4@liberty.edu
Pageantry is what makes football, football. A record-shattering 19,314 fans found their seats while taking in the enormous new press tower and club deck on the
west side of Arthur S. Williams Stadium, were jolted by pre-game pyrotechnics and were thrilled by Sparky 2.0. Flames head coach Danny Rocco’s team were the thespians that delivered and completed the theatre with an explosive 52-14 W over the visiting Savannah State Tigers. “I had a major role I had to play to-
night, and at the end of the day we got our job done,“ Rocco said. The Flames opened the show with fireworks of their own—an 88-yard Danny Broggin gallop that took the opening kickoff back to score. A flag would deny Broggin the points and bring the ball back to the 49-yard line. Three plays and one minute, 17 seconds later, Mike Brown danced into the end zone for an 18-yard score, replacing Broggin’s lost points. Liberty was up 7-0 and the show went on. In the first ‘act’ alone, Liberty tallied five touchdowns, and 350 yards of total offense. During intermission, the audience enjoyed Beethoven, Rihanna, Bill Withers, and Stevie Wonder performed by the Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band. Back to Rocco’s show. The second ‘act’ featured rushing performances by SirChauncey Holloway and Chase Barnett each of whom finished with respective touchdowns, passing arias by Tyler Brennan who tossed a touchdown to Chris Summers and immovable defense that has been the feature of Liberty’s cast. As the finale closed and fireworks rained and shimmered overhead, the Flames took their bows. As each show has its own memorable numbers, so did this show have its numbers. Mike Brown throwing for 231 yards and rushing for 54, contributing four total touchdowns. Kevin Fogg registering seven punishing tackles, 2.5 for losses. Chris Summers reeling in eight balls for 132 yards. Savannah State’s number: one more punt by specialist Derek Williams, and he would have gathered more punting yards than the team had total yards. Bravo.
Liberty Champion/B2
Liberty Athletics inducts five into Hall of Fame Liberty Athletics inducted five alumni in the Athletics Hall of Fame at a banquet on Friday to culminate the Hall of Fame Weekend. Athletics Director Jeff Barber announced in January 2009 that there would be an Athletics Hall of Fame. The first class was inducted in September 2009. This year’s class of inductees included Theresa Bream, Gina Gibson Richardson, Lee Guetterman, Chip Smith and Al Worthington. Bream was Liberty’s first true female standout student-athlete, according to the Hall of Fame Website. She excelled in basketball and volleyball from 1987 to 1993. She still holds three volleyball records and two women’s basketball records. Bream was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic handball team in 1992. Richardson was a five-time All-American in track and field, receiving honors in the long jump and the 4x100 relay. She placed fourth at the NCAA Division II outdoor championships in 1983. She still holds the indoor and outdoor long jump records for Liberty’s track and field. Guetterman was a highly successful left-handed pitcher for the Flames baseball team. He is the alltime leader in games started (47), complete games (30), shutouts (7), wins (29) and innings pitched (334.2). He ranks second in school history in career ERA with 3.07. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 1981 MLB Draft. He lasted 11 years in the major leagues, playing for the Mariners, New York Yankees, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. Smith, the first scholarship recipient, helped Liberty’s football program get to a running start in 1973. Smith also holds the honor of scoring Liberty’s first touchdown in their first game. He was Liberty’s first captain, MVP, leading rusher, scoring leader and letterwinner. He was also Liberty’s first team captain in baseball and led the program in batting average with .454. Worthington started Liberty’s baseball program in 1974 after playing three years at Alabama and playing for five major league teams. He coached the Flames for 13 years, making him the winningest coach in program history with a record of 343-1891. Worthington was named Liberty’s fifth Athletic Director in 1983. He helped Liberty Athletics make the jump to NCAA Division 1 in 1988. Liberty’s baseball facility was named after Worthington in 1986. FOOTBALL continued from B1 “It feels good. Thanks to the linemen they did real good. They helped me get open,” Holloway said. In Liberty’s losses to Robert Morris and James Madison, Holloway and company were stifled and had trouble finding open running lanes. A fast, physical JMU front line disrupted zones and chased down runners. In preparation for Savannah State, Liberty players watched film and developed blocking schemes. “We watched film a lot this week. We had an excellent week of practice, so doing that and blocking really well opened it up,” Holloway said. The Flames open conference play Oct. 9 against Charleston Southern University for their homecoming game. u BROWN is the asst. sports editor.
Chris Mabes
u BROWN is the asst. sports editor.
Express shipping — Mike Brown threw four touchdowns and carried for one against the Savannah State Tigers.
SPORTS
B3/Liberty Champion
October 5, 2010
Men’s Soccer edges Coastal Peter Sawyer psawyer@liberty.edu
Ruth Bibby
Making waves — Charter members of the new women’s swimming team debuted Saturday, taking first place in more than half of the meet’s events.
SWIMMING continued from B1 “We did great today, but we need to work on getting depth for this team,” Coach Jake Shellenberger said. In two individual events, sophomore Brye Ravettine finished first in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle events. Freshman Lindsey Romkes won the 200yard freestyle with a time of 1:55.87. Wakeley finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle and won the 100-yard butterfly. The Lady Flames were very competitive and took the lead, 57-56 at one point. “Getting first place is important, but they won be-
cause they placed more than we did,” Shellenberger said. Throughout many of the events the Fighting Camels placed second and third, picking up crucial points that eventually help them to win meet. “It’s going to take about four years to build up this program,” Shellenberger said. “We have a solid foundation here.” The Lady Flames next meet is against Radford University and North Carolina A&T, Friday Oct. 8. Liberty’s next home meet is November 6. BATTLE is a sports reporter.
STADIUM continued from B1
Ruth Bibby
the high life — Members of the Liberty Flames Club enjoyed the plush banquet facility on the third floor of the press tower.
“I’ve had a number of Liberty alumni that have come over and just stood in the stadium or stood on the grass and looked at and have said, ‘This makes me so proud to tell people where I went to school’ and to me that a really neat thing,” Barber said. The additional seating and the completion of the press tower is the first phase of construction to the complete renovation of Williams Stadium. The second phase will be adding a deck on top of the current student section and the third phase will be enclosing the stadium with seating in the south end zone. Once the last two phases are completed, the total seating capacity of Williams Stadium will be at 60,000. “This stadium is not just a step forward of football or the university, it’s a leap forward. A huge leap forward,” Barber said. MARVEL is the sports editor.
The Liberty Flames men’s soccer team came home to Osborne Stadium after a month on the road to squeeze past the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 1-0 Saturday afternoon. The Flames improved 6-2-1 (2-1 BSC). The Flames opened the season at home with their win over Bluefield Sept. 1, but have been on the road since. “This seven game road swing has strengthened our group,” Flames head coach Jeff Adler said. “I think it has been good for our mental toughness.” The Flames were coming off a win on the road against Winthrop coming into Saturday’s game. Winthrop won the Big South tournament last year. “Last year is last year,” Adler said. “We [do not] want to operate by looking into the rearview mirror.” The Flames also had lost to Radford during their month on the road and came into Osborne Stadium on Saturday 1-1 in the conference. A total of 679 fans cheered the Flames as they battled the Chanticleers back and forth across the field. “[We have] got a faithful and loyal fan base,” Adler said before the game. “[That is] going to be instrumental in our success.” The Flames were able to play an effective defensive game. The Chanticleers took 10 shots on the goal but none went in. Adler said
this shutout was great for their momentum. “Our team is built on collective [defensive] responsibility,” Adler said. “When we lose it our guys fight to the death to get it back,” The Flames took 14 shots on the Chanticleers but it was Timothy Bullock’s single goal toward the end of the first half, combined with tight defense that allowed them to hold on for victory. “Our guys dug in today and found a way to be one better than Coastal,” Adler said. Adler said his overall team strategy has not changed. He wants the Flames to be united and he wants them to be concentrated as much as he wants them to give effort. “[We are] in a swing of our four toughest games of the year,” junior goalkeeper Paul Gilbert said. Gilbert had four saves for the Flames on Saturday. The Flames will travel to Charlottesville next Tuesday to play the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are the 2009 defending national champions and ranked third in the nation. “The next game on our schedule is the most important game,” Adler said earlier in the season. “[It is] going to be a tough environment,” Gilbert said. “We’ve got to fight hard.” Gilbert said the Cavaliers play a similar style of soccer as the Flames. Adler anticipates they will put a lot of pressure on the Flames. “We’ve got to make sure we take care of the ball,” Adler said. SAWYER is a sports reporter.
SPORTS
October 5, 2010
Liberty Champion/B4
Men’s Hockey drops weekend series Callie Cagwin Email@liberty.edu
The Liberty Flames hockey team fell to a record of 3-31 after losing its games against Davenport University on Friday and Saturday. The Panthers of Davenport University were prepared to face the Flames this weekend. “They’re a very good team. They’re a top five team for sure,” Flames leading scorer Brent Boschman said. “They’ve got a great power play and it showed by their multiple power play goals.” According to the weekend preview on Davenport’s Official Athletics Site, Davenport’s game plan consisted of five things: take few penalties, slow the Flames’ offense, score early to quiet the fans, test the goalie with many shots and play solid defense. Davenport was able to accomplish almost all of its goals over the course of the weekend. Davenport scored early in the first period Friday, starting off the weekend as planned. Liberty remained down by one until Boschman scored with 30 seconds left in the period. Liberty took the lead at 17:58 in the second period, but 48 seconds later Davenport scored a power-play goal. Liberty’s Andrew McCombe was able to score on a power play chance shortly after to gain the lead once more. McCombe added a short-handed tally with 7:06 left in the second period after a tripping call against Boschman. “We were in our own end and Jackson Kuhn made a great play to get the puck out. It just kind of bounced to me. I was on a breakaway and I just shot under [the Davenport goalie’s] glove,” freshman for-
ward McCombe said. Boschman’s penalty had not quite expired before Davenport’s Brit Ouellette was able to put the puck in the net. Boschman took two more penalties for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct at 5:51 that proved to be costly for Liberty. Ouellette scored on the power play again to make the game a 4-4 tie going into the third period. Liberty was unable to recover from that point, allowing three more Davenport goals in the third period. The final score was 7-4. “The penalties just killed us. There’s nothing else to it,” Boschman said. Saturday’s game started out much the same way with an early short-handed Davenport goal from Jonathan Juliano fulfilling Davenport’s plans. The next goal was scored by Davenport’s Justin Smith at the beginning of the second period. Bobby Collar scored next to give Davenport a 3-0 lead. Liberty’s Greg Jensen scored towards the end of the second period, keeping his team in the game. In the third period, Tyler Forbes scored twice for Davenport, once at even strength and once on the power play. With his team down by four goals, Liberty’s Jonathan Chung scored at 11:52 to give his team a chance to come back. Liberty was unable to score again. Davenport finished off their second win with a goal by Trevor Cope, making the final score 6-2. Though Davenport’s team was able to win both games, it was not able to fulfill all of its goals. Davenport was unable to avoid the penalty box. Taking 7 penalties Friday and 7
Chris Mabes
joe cool — Forward Joe Smith and the Flames battled against Davenport Friday and Saturday nights in close contests. The Flames host Oakland University Oct. 8 and 9.
more Saturday, the team took just 2 fewer penalties than Liberty’s. Davenport’s plan to have many shots on goal, however, was a definite success. The team racked up 56 shots Friday night and 37 on Saturday, forcing Liberty goaltender Blair Bennett to face a total of 93 shots. “They definitely kept me busy. They’re fast. [They] moved the puck around well,” Bennett said. Liberty’s offense was effectively slowed by Davenport as well. Davenport’s defense made it difficult for Liberty’s team to get the puck into its offensive zone and to get shots through to the net. Liberty had 17 shots on goal Friday and 27 Saturday for a total of 44, less than half of the total shots the team allowed. “[The main problem was] discipline in Friday’s game. [We took] too many penalties. Saturday, [we were] not
smart in our own end,” junior forward Mackenzie Bauman said. Liberty’s play wasn’t all bad. “There were bits and pieces of each game that were good,” Bauman said. The players agree about what the team needs to work on. “We just need to get more shots. We need to shoot the puck more,” McCombe said. The sentiment was echoed by Bauman and Bennett, who expressed the need for the team to score more goals. The fact that many of LibC M erty’s players are injured does PUSH AND SHOVE — Forward Brent Boschman fights not help their productiv- for the puck in a physical two-game series. ity. Greg Jensen returned this weekend after missing three improve. observe the team’s improvegames, but Eric Reynolds and “I think we played hard. I ments will be Oct. 8 and Oct. Colton Crossley were unable mean, we’re definitely work- 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the LaHaye to play. Junior forward Luke ing hard,” said McCombe. Ice Center when the Flames Aitken is unable to play at all “We’re learning to work to- take on Oakland University. this season after tearing his gether as a team. We’re noticACL and meniscus. ing improvements. We get u CAGWIN is a sports reporter. Despite a few challenges, better every day.” Liberty’s team continues to The next opportunity to hris
abes
Volleyball splits Big South weekend Brad Horneffer bhorneffer@liberty.edu
The Lady Flames Volleyball team split their conference weekend, dropping one to Winthrop and winning against Charleston Southern. The Lady Flames played extremely competitive games against Winthrop. They were in every game and had their chances to put Winthrop away, but fell short. “We have five freshman compared to their five seniors,” coach Shane Pinder said. “We had our chances out there but we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities that we had.” DEATH FROM ABOVE — With spikes coming from hitAfter losing the first game, ters like Lillie Happel, the Lady Flames posted a season the Lady Flames responded high attack percentage (.406) Saturday. back with a great win in the eli overbey
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second game. “When we play great offensively and defensively, our girls are very tough to beat,” Pinder said. In the third and fourth games is where the Lady Flames could not close the games out with the win. “We hit great and our outside attackers did a great job as well as our overall physical play was good,” Pinder said. “Our experience tonight with the young group was exposed during different key plays.” The Lady Flames have not played a home game at the Vines Center since Sept. 14. Even though it is their home court, Pinder does not feel the home court advantage. “I feel like our girls fight harder on the road,” Pinder said. “It is really tough losing
at home, but I feel like we are a more aggressive team when we are on the road.” Karyl Bacon had a great game for the Lady Flames and is a key vocal leader for the team. Her leadership is evident in every point of every game. “Losing our first conference game will only fuel us to become better as a team,” Karyl Bacon said. “I know that our team fights no matter what happens when we are out on the court.” The Lady Flames continued conference play Saturday with a 3-0 sweep against Charleston Southern. The win brings the Lady Flames to 13-7 overall and 4-1 in the Big South. They posted a season-high attack percentage of .406 and redshirt freshman Lauren
Bosche was the stand-out player for the match. She recorded her career first ace with 10 assists and two kills. Karyl Bacon led the Lady Flames with 11 kills and Jade Craycraft led in assists with 23. The Lady Flames held Charleston Souther to only a .109 attack percentage for the match. “I feel great where we are in our conference right now”, coach Pinder said. “Our girls will only get better and I want to see what we can do as we finish the second half of the season. The Lady Flames will continue conference play action Oct. 5th against Radford in the Vines Center. u HORNEFFER is a sports reporter.
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B5/Liberty Champion
Nathalia Giraldo ngiraldo@liberty.edu
People from all over Central Virginia will soon be lining up for a haunted house experience unlike any other. Liberty University’s Center for Youth Ministry will put on its annual Scaremare function opening Oct. 14, taking a pagan holiday like Halloween and turning it around to glorify God. According to Scaremare supervisor Mike Aldridge, Scaremare was started as a ministry focused on seeing people accepting Christ as their savior through showing them the reality and impact of death. This year’s “House of Death” features a variety of rooms depicting different death scenes that everyone can somehow relate to. At the very end of the tour, the gospel is presented to the group of people, giving everybody the opportunity to hear the good news. “It will probably be the best bonding
FEATURE
experience for a group of friends to go through,” Aldridge said. “To kind of get scared together and kind of pull together and have a great time, all with a specific purpose, to hear more about Christ.” According to Scaremare’s Facebook page, it has excited the lives of many since Oct. 12, 1972, and it is still going strong. The Scaremare staff has been working on this year’s event since the beginning of the summer, according to Aldridge Hundreds of Liberty students attended what is known as the Scaremare rally in September for the opportunity to fulfill their Christian service with this ministry, using roughly 200 volunteers every night to run the event. This past Saturday the volunteers participated in their first work day with over 75 students helping to clean up the surrounding area. “(Scaremare) has given me the opportunity to share the gospel in a fun and active way,” sophomore Valerie Claros said. “What’s better than scaring people in the name of Jesus?”
October 5, 2010
Like Claros, many Liberty students look forward to serving in a ministry opportunity that calls people from all over to come and experience it. According to Claros, she learned in the Scaremare rally that even people outside of Virginia travel here for this event. Scaremare, located on Carroll Avenue, will take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning on Oct. 14 and ending on Oct. 30, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. A college special is offered every Thursday making tickets $3 with a college ID, and $8 per person on any other day. For more information visit the Scaremare Facebook page or www.scaremare.com. u GIRALDO is a feature reporter.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS — Scaremare has been a community outreach since 1972.
Blessings for the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center TIFFANY EDWARDS tredwards2@liberty.edu
The Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center (BRPC) received $250,000 in donations at their annual benefit Sept. 14. The benefit featured internationally acclaimed author of “The Prayer of Jabez,” Bruce Wilkinson. Roughly 130 people attended the event, yet the amount the center received was more than four times what has been raised at past benefits. Previous benefits were by invitation only, but this year’s benefit was the first made open to the public to increase awareness about their ministry.
“We made the event open to the public to allow the Lord to bring the people he wanted to the center,” Director of Development Stephanie McBride said. The center not only received monetary donations, but also pledges for computer equipment, new doors for their center and design work on their website, according to McBride. The benefit also helped to raise awareness in the Central Virginia area about their work. “Last year we raised $68,000, so this year was huge, above and beyond what we’ve ever raised,” McBride said. “It’s almost unheard of to have only 130 people at the event and to
raise $250,000 from that. We totally give the Lord credit for that, it wasn’t anything we did on our own.” The BRPC has other fundraisers that run throughout the year, such as the Food Lion Shop and Share program and Giving Circles, where people can host a personalized information session for friends interested in getting involved with the center in the privacy of their own home, featuring a BRPC representative. One of the center’s main fundraisers is the Baby Bottle Boomerang, an ongoing drive where churches and organizations collect loose change in baby bottles provided by the BRPC, according to McBride.
“We just want people to know that we are here, not just for the purpose of volunteering but here for them to serve as godly guidance in a time of crisis,” McBride said. BRPC will be sponsoring a comedy night featuring comedian Tim Hawkins at Hyland Heights Baptist Church on Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds will benefit the BRPC. Tickets can be purchased through itickets.com. For more information about the BRPC, contact Stephanie McBride at (434) 528-9750, or visit the BRPC’s website at blueridgepc.org. u EDWARDS is the feature editor.
B6/Liberty Champion
FEATURE
October 5, 2010
Joel Coleman | University Advancement
“THE NICEST KIDS IN TOWN” — Senior Sarah Seaman sashays through the production as super-sized freedom-fighting teen Tracy Turnblad. Tracy, along with friends Link, Penny and Seaweed, fight for racial integration on “the Corny Collins show” in 1960s Baltimore.
Hairspray ‘holds’ its own in the new Tower Theater TIFFANY EDWARDS tredwards2@liberty.edu
T
he beat at the new Liberty Tower Theater can’t be stopped in its debut production “Hairspray.” The play, starring senior Sarah Seaman as the lead, follows plussized heroine Tracy Turnblad as she obsesses over heartthrob Link Larkin, played by junior Caleb Hughes. She fights for integration in turbulent 1960s Baltimore and climbs her way to stardom on the hit teen TV series “The Corny Collins Show.” The story starts with an average day in Tracy’s life — waking up, going to school, hanging out with her best friend Penny Pingleton, getting in trouble for the size of her voluminously teased hair and
drooling over “The Corny Collins Show.” Tracy skips school to audition as a dancer on the show and is turned down by the show’s racist producer Velma Von Tussle, the mother of Larkin’s girlfriend and Tracy’s nemesis Amber. Tracy lands in detention for skipping school and meets Seaweed, son of famous deejay Motormouth Maybelle, and she also meets other black students, who teach her a few dance moves. She uses the moves to introduce herself to Corny Collins himself. He hires her on the spot, leading her to stardom, a plus-size modeling gig and even bigger hair. Her appearance on the show causes controversy as she battles to integrate “The Corny Collins Show,” which leads to love, jail time and explosive song and dance numbers.
The show also features sophomore Taamu Wuuya as Seaweed, senior Ronald Brady as Corny Collins and senior Kathryn Williams as Penny Pingleton. Being a part of the cast in the play’s opening production is a big event for theater students. “As an actor, you rarely get to be part of an opening of a brand new theater because it happens every 30 plus years,” Director Linda Nell Cooper said. “We could not have done this in the Lloyd Auditorium. Because of the new theater that we are able to (present Hairspray) so we did not have to adjust the play at all.” Liberty is the first college in Virginia to perform Hairspray, primarily because of the versatility of the new theater. “Not only is it an honor to have a supporting lead in the brand
new theater, but it has been such an incredible journey acting in the Lloyd Theater for the past three years to presently acting in the Tower Theater,” Brady said. “It has been surreal to see this transformation because it seems just yesterday that it was announced in convocation. This is also the first time we used topnotch equipment such as a fly loft. It has opened my eyes wider than ever.” Hairspray opened Sept. 24 and runs until Oct. 9. An additional showing has been added on Thursday, Oct. 7, all other showings are sold out. Tickets are on sale for $7 for students, $10 for faculty and staff and $12 for general admission. See the Liberty Theatre Arts website for more information. u EDWARDS is the feature editor.
Joel Coleman | University Advancement
“Run and Tell That” — The fictitious “Corny Collins Show” was based on an actual live-TV dance series based in Baltimore, “The Buddy Deane Show.” The TV show featured teenagers from local high schools showing off the hippest and most popular dance moves of the 1960s.
B7/Liberty Champion
FEATURE
October 5, 2010
King’s Players celebrate 50th anniversary and military bases to share the Gospel. Allison hopes to have more military bases book the group. The ministry strongly values the need for the men and women protecting our country to hear about true salvation. “We’ve had hundreds of Marines hear the gospel, get saved, then deployed to battle weeks later,” Allison said. “Nothing is at random chance. God is clearly at work.” On top of their evangelical work, Allison is highly anticipating Easter 2011. According to their schedule, the King’s Players will be performing the play “Days of Glory” for four different churches, each with live orchestras and choirs. Described on the King’s Players website, the play P P depicts the final days of Jesus’ ministry FOR THE KING — The King’s Players theater ministry has traveled to military bases and to on earth from the last supper to the detention centers to share their message. resurrection. production “told the story of the ministry and lauren edwards The King’s Players has been a traveling martyrdom of missionaries … in the Oregon ledwards2@liberty.edu ministry since its creation, as stated on their Territory,” according to the King’s Players website. Trips all over North America have led website. What started out as a humble evangelical the group to Mexico, Florida, even restricted Throughout the 50 years, the group has theater troupe is now Liberty’s oldest ministry, access Parris Island Marine base, according to expanded beyond just evangelical plays, seeing 200 people on average dedicate their Allison. according to Allison. lives to Christ each year, according to Dr. “I loved visiting Dr. and Mrs. Lloyd’s “Our focus is winning more for the Lord. David Allison, current director of the King’s home in Sun Valley, Idaho. It was so beautiful We still do evangelical plays for our main Players. there,” Teresa Woolridge, who served on the target audience. However, now we also This year marks the 50th anniversary of ministry for three years, said. “I also enjoyed perform encouraging and edifying plays for the King’s Players. Dr. Mark Lloyd and his [watching] the Grunion Fish jumping onto believers,” Allison said. wife Mrs. Helen Lloyd, the donors of the the beach in San Diego.” This year, the King’s Players will be Lloyd Auditorium, created the ministry in Wooldridge auditioned for the King’s traveling to prisons, youth detention schools spring 1960 at Cascade College. The original Players in 1979 and served on the ministry hoto
rovided
until 1982. Despite being often cast as “the older woman” Woolridge is thankful Helen Lloyd allowed her on the team. “[When] I went to her office to try out, she had me read a bit from Shakespeare. I was horrible,” Woolridge said. “She kindly told me that she liked my desire to do this and because of that, I could join the team.” Since her time in King’s Players, Woolridge feels like she has lived a very full life. Married with three children, she has been teaching French for 30 years. Woolridge and her husband lived in Paris, France for two years and just recently moved back. She now teaches at both Liberty and Rustburg High School. According to Allison, the King’s Players ministry is also preparing for overseas missions. The goal would be to not only create plays that are culturally relevant to the citizens, but also spoken in the native language. “Haiti is going to be one of my first projects,” Allison said. “We would like to open up trips like these to current participants and alumni of King’s Players.” According to Woolridge, her time in the ministry became more than just acting. “My teammates were my family while I was involved,” Woolridge said. “They helped me to become the confident and strong person I am today. I can’t say enough about how important and wonderful of a ministry this is.” For more information go to www.libertyu. edu/kingsplayers. u EDWARDS is a feature reporter.
Students ‘Write Their Hearts’ at Writer’s Conference
lydia rollins lgrollins@liberty.edu
Liberty University hosted the 7th biennial Writer’s Conference on Sept. 23-24, 2010. About 100 people attended the event. “This is the 7th Writers Conference sponsored jointly by the Integrated Learning Resource Center and the English Department. It has been offered every two years beginning in 1997,” Co-Chair of the Writer’s Conference and Head of ILRC Public Services Rachel Schwedt said. The theme of the conference was “Write Your Heart,” according to Schwedt. Speaker’s at the conference included
Bruce Wilkinson, who challenged adults and students to evaluate the purpose of their own writing, David Van Diest, a literary agent, who taught writers what publishers are looking for in a manuscript, and Andy Scheer, who taught practical ways to edit a manuscript and write query letters that editors will notice. Other speakers included John Riddle, Michelle Medlock Adams, Donna Dunn, Dawn Stephens, Jamaica Conner and Ruth Erquiaga. The combined purpose of the conference was to speak to the writers’ hearts and provide practical tips to jumpstart careers. “What the conference team hopes to do through our conferences is to help students and faculty who want to write to get out of their textbooks as it were and into the heads of some folks who have been successful as writers, editors, agents, etc. At the conference, you get information you might not get in the classroom,” Master of Ceremonies and Co-chair of the conference Dr. Jim Zabloski said. Zabloski is an online adjunct professor for the School of Education and the Seminary, as well as an academic evaluator for the Registrar. “It was a great opportunity to meet with other writers and hear from published authors. I learned a lot of helpful tips about how to search for publishers and make sure that the work matches the type of material they’re looking for,” junior Geoff Matthews said. “I also learned how
to make query letters that present a story to a publisher. My favorite parts included Dr. Bruce Wilkinson’s encouragement to write to change lives and meet people’s needs and meeting one-on-one with an author to discuss my own piece.” According to Schwedt, the conference
incorporated 15-minute sessions throughout the event. Each session cost $15. Attendees bought one-on-one time with an author, where they could present an idea or manuscript and ask questions. u ROLLINS is a feature reporter.
October 5, 2010
Photos
by
Nicole Salerno
WATCH OUT FOR MONSTER MONSTER — The Almost flooded the TRBC auditorium with their latest hits, warming the crowd up for internationally acclaimed powerhouse Switchfoot. Below is Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot .
DARE YOU TO MOVE performing songs from their latest album “Monster Monster.” Fans flooded the front of stage, with the occasional bodysurfer wafting over the heads of the crowd. The Almost revved up the crowd with their hits “Say the Sooner,” “No I Don’t” and “Monster Monster.” Only having released two full-length albums to date, the Almost has become a well known and acclaimed musical force, delivering an equally powerful performance as their following act and nearly 10 year senior. Switchfoot took the stage with lead singer Jon Forman appearing in the audience as he started to sing. Throughout the evening Forman left the stage and stood on the rails of the staircases leading to the auditoriums balcony, allowing adoring fans to surround him. Switchfoot performed the songs “24,” “Your Love Is A Song” and “Awakening,” along with smash hits “Dare You To Move” and “Meant To Live.” Switchfoot, founded in 1996 by Jon and Tim Foreman, has used their influence for causes such as To Write Love on Her Arms and Habitat for Humanity, according to the band’s website. After the concert, fans waited outside their tour bus for an hour and a half for the band members to appear for pictures and autographs. “I liked Switchfoot a lot before, but I love them even more now,” junior Janna Barber said. Even Switchfoot veterans were impressed by their performance. “This is my 10th Switchfoot concert, and this was one of the best,” senior Jessica Jones said.
tiffany edwards tredwards2@liberty.edu ETHAN MASSEY ehmassey@liberty.edu
As the lights went down in the Thomas Road auditorium, the volume rose and fans went wild. The Almost took the stage first,
u EDWARDS is the feature editor. u MASSEY is the assistant opinion editor.
Jon Foreman: “I had a great time. Good crowd, (Liberty is) a bunch of great people. I like the communication and the collective unity that you can feel between so many people that are so different, all through music.” Drew Shirley: “Where the Spirit is, there’s liberty, and there was a lot of spirit tonight. We love you guys.” Tim Foreman: “We wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for songs that we really believe in. And whether it’s here at Liberty University or the other side of the world, to have people singing along with these songs that mean so much to us, that’s a great feeling.”
Jerome Fontamillas: “I didn’t expect it to be this awesome, it was great.”
Chad Butler: “It was amazing. The energy in the crowd was contagious and it was a very special night. The best part is when the crowd is singing louder than we are.”
Running the race: Liberty Mountain Trail Series Betsy Abraham babraham3@liberty.edu
Student Activities will be hosting its first race in the Liberty Mountain Trail Series bright and early the morning of Saturday Oct. 9 at Camp Hydeaway. The Deep Hollow Half-Marathon and 5k will give students, faculty, staff and members of the community the ability to test their endurance as they run the hills of the Liberty Mountain Trail System. Those doing the half-marathon will begin at 8 a.m. and 5k runners will start 15 minutes later. The half-marathon is 13.1 miles long and covers the entire Liberty Mountain Trail System property. Runners will do a 3.1 mile loop followed by a 10 mile loop around the perimeter of the property. The 5k serves to compliment the half-marathon and is 3.1 miles. Runners doing this race will take a trail road called Falwell Road down to the Snowflex Centre. After replenishing
themselves at an aid station, runners will return following the same path. Joshua Yeoman, the associate director of Student Activities, says that having the option of two routes gives more runners the chance to experience marathon running. “The idea with the half marathon is to get a lot of people out to the event to see what it’s like. They may not be ready to run a half marathon, but they can run a 5k. So it’s more motivation for them to next year run the half-marathon,” Yeoman said. Yeoman says that the race always brings out a very diverse group of runners, ranging in all levels of experience. “It’s not usually your stereotypical runners who you imagine would be running something like this. It’s really different types of people,” Yeoman said. “The similarity between everyone is that they’re up for an extreme challenge or experience which this race definitely provides.” Sophomore Jessica Graham has been run-
ning for two years, but this will be her first trail run experience. “I thought it would be a nice starter race,” Graham said. “A few of my friends ran last year and encouraged me to do it.” Senior Petra Gerber views the race as training for a bigger marathon she is doing with the Marine Corps later this month. As an experienced trail runner, she says she enjoys the unique experience that it provides. “It’s less about getting a personal record and more about finishing and making friends along the way,” Gerber said. “Unless you’re the top runner, it’s more about the experience and less about the competition, and that is why I love trail running more than any other type of racing.” The race is open to anyone who wants to participate. Liberty students, faculty and staff receive a discounted price when they register. The half-marathon costs $20 for students who register before Oct. 9, and $25 if they register on race day. Community members can register
for the half-marathon for $30 before Oct. 16 and $40 on race day. The 5k costs $10 for students in advance and $15 on race day. For the general public, the 5k icosts $15 before Oct. 16 and $20 on race day. An award ceremony will follow the race where awards will be given to the top three male and female overall winners, top three males and females in each age group, and the top male and female overall winners. Door prizes will also be handed out. The Deep Hollow Half-Marathon and 5k started in October 2007 and got its name from a trail named Deep Hollow that used to be in Camp Hydeaway. The race soon became a part of The Liberty Mountain Trail series, which features four races throughout the year. For more information about the race or to register, go to the Deep Hollow Half-Marathon and 5k Facebook page or visit the Student Activities website. u ABRAHAM is a feature reporter.