French student joins aviation
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Flames win home opener
Lynchburg, Virginia
Volume 32 | Issue 3 Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Polls close
vendors spark interest
Parent contest
SGA reveals election results
Students show their gratitude
Josh Janey jjanney@liberty.edu
Erika McLeod etmcleod@liberty.edu
A week of intense campaigning came to an end when Liberty University’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced the winners of the class officer election Friday, Sept 5. During the election week, the candidates were allowed to campaign by putting up posters, making announcements in residence halls and in class and by setting up tables in the back hallway of DeMoss Hall. Polling opened online to all Liberty students at 8 a.m. Friday and closed at 5 p.m. The roles of president and vice president went to Chelsea Andrews and Danielle Dias for the senior class, Jack Heaphy and Mckenna Knowles for the junior class, Spencer Roesch and Daniel Garvin for the sophomore class and Dustin Wahl and Danielle Bush for the freshman class. The elected class officers, who make up the Executive Council, are responsible for running the daily operations of the SGA. Their duties include working with students, planning and organizing events, advocating student concerns and planning weekly legislation. According to Senior Vice President Danielle Dias, some of the tasks the senior class officers are in charge of include planning the Junior/Senior gala (a $10,000 event), deciding what the senior class gift is and helping nominate the 2015 Commencement speaker. “I plan on helping (senior president) Chelsea in all of her goals as senior class officer,” Dias said. “Being able to work with close friends is something that matters to both of us. It’s just been a great opportunity. Last year we both were junior vice president and president, and I’ve also known her since freshman year.”
The Parent and Family Connections Office is providing one student an opportunity to spend the weekend in Lynchburg with his or her family at no cost. From Aug. 25 through Sept. 20, the Outstanding Parent Essay Contest is open for all students to enter. The Outstanding Parent Essay Contest has been a part of Liberty’s culture for six years and continues to welcome families from throughout the nation. According to Theresa Dunbar, director of the Parent and Family Connections Office, the Outstanding Parent Essay Contest originated in an effort to recognize and honor the contribution that Liberty University parents make toward their students. Students who are interested in the competition will be required to submit an essay entry describing how their parent or guardian has supported and encouraged them. Essay entries should consist of 250-500 words. The winner will be notified Sept. 29. The winner will receive a $75 gift card to the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 100 additional meal points and a free, three-night stay at the Wingate by Wyndham for their parents/guardians during Fall Family Weekend, Oct. 24-26. The student and their parent/guardian will attend the Fall Family Dinner as the honored guests where they will be presented with a special plaque. The winner of the Outstanding Parent Award must be able to attend Fall Family Weekend, Oct. 24-26, and must also be present for the award presentation at the Fall Family Dinner and to be recognized at the home football game on Saturday against Gardner-Webb.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
OFF TO MARKET — A customer buys flowers from the Lynchburg Community Market.
Market opens Doc’s Diner hosts collaborative event Tiffany Samuels tksamuels@liberty.edu
Liberty University will hold its first Farmer’s Market in the Doc’s Diner parking lot, Thursday, Sept. 18. The market will be held every Thursday until Nov. 13 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will feature vendors
See POLLS, A8
such as the Liberty Campus Garden, Cakes and Fudge by Kondo, and Lorraine Bakery. The Farmer’s Market is a collaboration of Sodexo and Senior Vice President of auxiliary services Lee Beaumont that started last semester. Anthony Delligatti, district manager of Sodexo,
spearheaded the initiative to solicit farmers and artisans from the Lynchburg Community Market, Forest Farmer’s Market and other surrounding markets to join the Liberty Farmer’s Market. According to Delligatti, both Sodexo and Liberty thought
See MARKET, A2
See CONTEST, A2
School of Business accredited Business programs obtain official recognition from accreditation council Kiara Leers kaleers@liberty.edu
This year, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) held its annual conference in Chicago June 29 and officially recognized the Liberty University School of Business. Liberty’s business programs were given accreditation from the ACBSP Nov. 2013. According to the website for Liberty’s School of Business, ACBSP is the only association offering specialized business accreditation for all degree levels, from associate degrees to doctoral degree programs. Accreditation makes certain that Liberty University has met all the standards in its degree programs, faculty, administration, student support and services. This
promises that other accredited institutions will accept any courses and degrees received through Liberty University. Dr. Melanie Hicks, School of Business professor and director of assessment, was the head of the accreditation team. “The entire process took a little over three years from the time we first started,” Hicks said. “It was certainly a team effort, with countless hours poured into the final documents, the two site visits and a lot of prayer. We are very thankful for the experience, because we have improved our programs and processes, and hopefully the students and other stakeholders can see the value in our programs and services.” According to Hicks, the team was comprised of 19 individuals, plus additional support, and
Tomorrow: Foggy
Ruth Bibby| Liberty Champion
RECOGNITION — School of Business is now officially credited. provides an added assurance that our programs are high quality and they are receiving a positive return on their investment.” To find out more information
News
Forbes honors Liberty graduate as one of 1,000 rising game changers. A3
on Liberty’s School of Business accreditation, visit liberty.edu/ business. LEERS is a news reporter.
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Lady Flames soccer beat the Charlotte 49ers in a close game. B2
Students compete for cash in fast paced ThinkFast Game Show. B5
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spent approximately 4,000 hours working toward accreditation. The School of Business website states that the ACBSP is a dedicated accreditation association for business education that recognizes teaching excellence. It encourages constant improvement and appreciates superiority in the accreditation of business education programs around the world. The department’s newly accredited status adds to the value of its degree. “We are finding that more and more, employers who pay a portion of, or all of, the tuition for an employee are wanting to know they are getting a positive return on their investment,” Hicks said. “Regional accreditation is no longer enough for some of these employers. So, the additional specific business school accreditation
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news
A2 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Alumni make ‘33 Under 33’ list Christianity Today recognizes former students for exceptional qualities Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu
Liberty alumna Alison Howard and current Liberty professor Dr. Joshua Chatraw recently made Christianity Today’s “33 Under 33” people’s choice list. The “33 Under 33” list includes young professionals, mostly in ministry or the media industry, who are under 33 years of age. According to the Christianity Today website, they are considered outstanding and capable of leading the church forward in years to come. According to the Christianity Today website, Christianity Today publishes a “33 Under 33” list every year and then opens nominations for a people’s choice “33 Under 33” list as well. Howard and Chatraw were inducted in this year’s edition. Howard graduated from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a specialization in advertising and public relations and is now employed as the communications director for the Concerned Women for America (CWA) organization. Through CWA, Howard has been exposed to problems such as abortion, sex trafficking, exploitation of women and children and other issues dealing with family and education. She has also been active in coming up with solutions for
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these problems. Howard believes her activity in this organization and her passion for spreading the message of Jesus is what placed her on this list. “If anything I can do can make someone, particularly a young woman, reach farther and dream bigger, then that’s wonderful,” Howard said. “I think people on Christianity Today’s ‘33 under 33’ list are no different
CONTEST continued from A1
MARKET continued from A1
“We promote the contest in hall meetings, on the splash page, posters on halls … and a mass email letter inviting students to participate,” Dunbar said. Dunbar highlighted oppurtunities Liberty provides for families. “Offering events like the Family Weekend helps families feel connected to their student and to the university,” Dunbar said. “It provides the students an opportunity to reconnect with their families and to make great memories together while here at Liberty.” Dunbar also spoke of the importance of involving parents with students. “We recognize that this generation of parents and family members are more involved with their children and like to stay connected to them even once they go away to college,” Dunbar said. “This is our 13th year to sponsor a weekend event for parents and families, and we have seen the numbers increase each year. Parents want to be included, as they are investing financially into their student’s education just as they have invested so much of their values and beliefs into them for the past 18 plus years.” The Parent and Family Connections Office also encourages younger siblings ages 10 and up of the same gender to stay overnight simply to add to their on campus experience. “(Younger siblings often) are inspired to attend Liberty when it’s time for them to seek their college education,” Dunbar said. “… obviously we love keeping it in the Liberty family.” The office encourages students to participate in the contest as well as invite their families to Family Weekend. “We want to encourage unity throughout the Liberty family by offering different events through which families can get to know each other and the campus,” Dunbar said. “From a theatre production night to a dinner to the football game to a book signing with Newt Gingrich, there is sure to be something for everyone.” For more information on the outstanding Parent Essay Contest, visit liberty.edu/admissions/ parents.
introducing the farmer’s market on the Liberty campus would introduce students to the local farmers and artisans in the surrounding area, enable them to purchase locally grown and harvested products and artisan crafts and offer to the faculty, staff and administration the ease of buying local right on campus. “The farmers market was something I wanted to start here on campus when I arrived last November,” Delligatti said. “By offering a market with local farmers and artisans, it helps to support and strengthen the local economy and introduces to students the many things that Lynchburg and this area have to offer in regard to locally grown and made items. The market will help us to promote nutrition, health and wellness, work with our local community and promote good stewardship through our awareness of reducing our carbon footprint.” Vendor Kondo Jenkins, part owner of Cakes and Fudge by Kondo, said she is looking forward to the Liberty Farmer’s Market. “We are very excited to meet the students at Liberty, and we are looking forward to a good energy with them,” Jenkins said. Located at the Lynchburg Community Market, Cakes and Fudge by Kondo offers a variety of homemade treats and, according to Jenkins, a unique way of dining. She offers handcrafted roses and a variety of glutenfree cupcakes, which will both be offered at the event. Jenkins, who has been making fudge for her family for more than 20 years, said she is excited to introduce her product to Liberty students. In addition to fudge, students will be able to en-
MCLEOD is a news reporter.
Caroline Milwicz| Liberty Champion
LEADERS — Christianity Today readers nominated Liberty alumni for the list. than anyone else. We are united in our brokenness. We are open in our unworthiness. We are not qualified, but we are called. I think each person on this list is … working to their best abilities in the field that God has put in front of them whether it’s a football field, whether it’s a stage, whether it’s a podium.” Howard will continue to work with CWA
in an effort to help others through prayer, education and influence in society, which is the basis of CWA’s mission. Chatraw also made the list through nomination by Liberty’s School of Religion. Chatraw recently acquired a position in the fall of 2014 as the director for Liberty’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement. He is also a professor for the theology and apologetics programs for Liberty’s School of Religion. Chatraw is a co-author of two books and has a passion for the truth of God’s word to be unveiled to the teenage and college-age generation, according to the Liberty University News Service. “I’m just plugging away and trying to be faithful,” Chatraw said. Both Howard and Chatraw stated their gratitude toward Christianity Today and the opportunity to be involved in this list, but they also made a point to direct all of this attention back to God. To read Howard and Chatraw’s profiles on “33 Under 33,” visit christianitytoday.com.
TILLER is a feature reporter.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
PASTRIES — Lorraine Bakery makes all of their products on site and does not use frozen ingredients. joy another spin on sweet treats. Lorraine Bakery is a European-style bakery that was started in 2008 by Steve Hackman and his wife. According to Hackman, the bakery offers crepes, breads and a vari-
ety of pastries. Hackman said he is looking forward to featuring his products at Liberty. “I do not know which students are from Liberty or not, so it will be great to be able to have
them up close and personal with the bakery,” Hackman said. Liberty’s own campus garden will also be offering their variety of fresh produce at the market. Other vendors will in-
clude Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats, Laura’s Little House, Grains of Sense, Miss Amanda’s and Cane Creek Country. SAMUELS is a news reporter.
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Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | A3
Changing the game Forbes honors Liberty graduate as one in a thousand Tazhji Lewis tlewis38@liberty.edu
Forbes will honor Liberty University graduate student and alumna Tori Utley as one of its 1,000 rising “game changers” at its Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia Oct. 19-22. According to the Forbes website, this first Under 30 Summit is estimated to bring 1,000 brilliant young magnates and the finest entrepreneurs from across the United States.
The intent is to share ideas, collaborate on business plans that will advance their companies, form partnerships and help them grow as individuals. “I feel so incredibly blessed to have been chosen to attend the Forbes Under 30 Summit,” Utley said. “I look forward to meeting incredible people with engaging stories and hope to learn from everyone I meet and hopefully gain connections and partnerships that will impact my career and the world for a lifetime.”
Utley, who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Liberty and is currently working to earn her MBA, has worked with Mission21, MLT Group, a Minnesota marketing firm, and currently works at the Mayo Clinic. Utley credits her success to Christ and her higher education experiences. “My entire career at Liberty University helped prepare me for this opportunity,” Utley said. “I have been a part of a great university with incredible
community, even online. My professors have been compassionate, godly and academically challenging. They have had high expectations of students … and have taught me to aim for higher things, because they are possible with Christ. I am so thankful for the preparation I have been given through my studies at Liberty.” Photo Provided
LEWIS is a news reporter.
MOTIVATED — Tori Utley attributes her success to God and her studies at Liberty.
Upcycling contest commences Students unleash creativity in competition that honors National Book Month Tobi Walsh Twalsh12@liberty.edu
Everyone has one or two old books sitting on their shelves collecting dust. The Jerry Falwell Library is offering the chance for students to take those old books and create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in their first Creative Upcycling Contest. “The associate dean and I were at a conference when we first got the idea,” Cynthia Schmidt, the head of Communications and Customer Services at the library,
said. “We heard about other places around the country that were holding similar contests, and we thought it might be neat to hold a contest here.” The contest, which is being held in honor of National Book Month in October, invites students, faculty and staff to showcase their artistic talents to create something completely out of old books. “We know it’s not going to be entirely out of books,” Schmidt said. “We purposely left it broad enough where students can create
something 2D or 3D, even clothing or furniture.” There are five categories in the contest: best in show, most original, most functional, most intricate, and most Liberty school spirit. Each category has a different prize with the grand prize being a Google Nexus tablet. Only currently enrolled students will be eligible to win prizes. Though it is too early for entries to start rolling in, Schmidt said the library has given students who want to enter a head start. Interested contestants can find a
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CREATIVITY — First upcycling contest celebrates a fun, creative way to reuse old books.
cart filled with old books to help them get started on their projects. The book that inspired the contest, “Art Made From Books: Altered, Sculpted, Carved, Transformed” by Laura Heynga is being held at the reference desk so those interested can get inspired on what to create. The contest also gives students the chance for their work to be seen by professionals. “I don’t have any verification yet, but we will have a judge from an architectural firm and a design firm,” Schmidt said. “We wanted to find people that had the right qualifications in their field to judge.” It was also hinted that there may be a celebrity judge as well. Schmidt said the contest also gives students the chance to build a portfolio that holds merit in the professional world. “It’s one thing to have your work win a contest,” Schmidt said. “But if you can say your work won an award that was
judged by people who know what to look for it, raises the prestige of the award.” Schmidt is hoping that the library will have room to display all the entries from the contest. “Since this is the first year we’re doing this, it’s almost an experiment,” Schmidt said. “We are really hoping to hold more contests like this where we can showcase student work from all fields.” Students who have any suggestions for events and other contests like these should email Cynthia Schmidt at libraryevents@liberty.edu. Only one entry per person is allowed. Entries must be delivered to the Jerry Falwell Library Customer Service Center by 8 p.m. Oct. 1. Online students can also mail in their entries. Judging will take place Oct. 2-5 and the winners will be announced Oct. 6. WALSH is a feature reporter.
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OPINION
A4
September 9, 2014
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UNSURE — As ISIS continues to advance, President Barack Obama holds press conference Aug. 28, addressing the role the United States will play in diffusing the deadly conflict.
U.S. foreign policy falters As the Islamic State advances, instability in American diplomacy is exposed Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu
The United States government seems to operate under the umbrella of three absolutes: we do not leave Americans behind, we do not negotiate with terrorists and we do not put troops on the ground. While President Barack Obama recently added the third absolute, the trio has proven to make dealing with the militant terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), nearly impossible. By my estimation, unless we choose to sacrifice at least one of these absolutes, we cannot move forward at all. Unfortunately, it seems the only absolute we have been faltering on recently is leaving Americans behind — most notably, two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were beheaded, and Saeed Abedini, a Christian American pastor, who will have been imprisoned in Iran for two years on Sept. 26. The United States has a rich history of rescuing, protecting and ensuring the safety of our fellow Americans. While typically an absolute reserved for military personnel, we do our best to protect the lives of every U.S. citizen captured abroad. The second absolute, “we do not negotiate with terrorists,” is also a stronghold of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. “The argument against negotiating with terrorists is simple: Democracies must
never give in to violence, and terrorists must never be rewarded for using it,” Peter R. Neumann, director of the Center for Defense Studies at King’s College, London, wrote in an essay for Foreign Affairs. We have done a lot to negotiate with our enemies recently. The U.S. has armed rebels in the “Arab Spring” — individuals that are certainly not our allies — because of mutual interest in toppling militant governments. And, more recently, we have released five Guantanamo detainees to the Taliban in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. We have, without a doubt, broken that absolute. So, what does any of this have to do with ISIS? Enter the third and most geopolitically dangerous absolute: “we do not put troops on the ground.” Under orders from Obama, the last troops left Iraq in December 2011, against the advisement of U.S. military leadership. “Commander Austin (commander of the U.S. Central Command) wanted to keep 24,000 troops in Iraq,” Marc Thiessen, former chief speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, said. “Obama went to zero.” Bush, nearing the close of his second term in office and weary from the criticism he had faced over the war on terror in the Middle East, eerily predicted the situation America now faces. “To begin withdrawing before our com-
Christians to obey and worship God. “When we obey God, we’re not doing it for God — I mean, that’s one way to look at it,” Osteen said. “We’re doby Emily Brown ing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives him the greatest joy People say dumb things all the time. this morning. So, I want you to know Fortunately, for most of us, those this morning, just do good for your words are often quickly forgotten. own self. Do good because God wants But for Victoria Osteen, that has not you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship him, you’re been the case. not doing it for God, really. You’re doWhile not all Chrising it for yourself, because that’s what tians think Osteen’s makes God happy.” words in an August It is true that God takes delight in sermon at Lakewood seeing us, his creation, happy. But the Church in Houston, truth in Osteen’s statement ends there. Texas, were inapproThe rest of Osteen’s monologue enpriate, she has deficourages a self-centered view of God. nitely provoked harsh responses, ranging from tweets to per- According to her address, Christians sonal blogs and even coverage from should be worshipping and obeying God for their own gain rather than national media outlets. During her address to the church, to glorify him. Osteen espouses a phiOsteen tried to encourage the con- losophy of giving to God in order to gregation by talking about reasons for merely get something in return.
manders tell us we are ready would be dangerous for Iraq, for the region and for the United States,” Bush said in 2007 to a warweary America. “It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to al Qaeda.” Nevertheless, Obama powered forward. Focusing on campaign rhetoric and playing off U.S. citizens’ readiness for implementation of this third absolute, by Dec. 18, 2011, all U.S. troops were yanked off the ground, according to Reuters. Secretary of State John Kerry, sure of our ability to destroy ISIS through airstrikes, said sending in ground troops would be crossing a “red line,” according to ABC News. “We’re convinced that in the days ahead we have the ability to destroy (ISIS),” Kerry said. “It may take a year. It may take two years. It may take three years. But we’re determined it has to happen.” In our determination to not break this binding absolute, not only has the U.S. government repeatedly sacrificed the other two absolutes, but the fate of thousands of Christians and other minorities, like the Yazidis and Mandaeans, may also be sealed. “In (Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom senior fellow Paul Marshall’s) well-informed view, there is a very real possibility that … Christianity may essentially cease to exist in a country to which the apostles brought the gospel in the first century,” Samuel G. Freedman, religion commentator for the New York Times, wrote.
Although her words were far from orthodox, I honestly do not think Osteen aimed to reveal some new doctrine to that congregation. I do not think she wanted to go against the traditions of the Christian church. I do not think she wanted to offend anyone. I think Osteen wanted only to reframe worship and obedience in order to encourage more Christians to do those things. If it becomes about what we can gain, why not do those things? Unfortunately, if we are completely honest, I think we would do a lot more things if we were able to directly benefit from those actions. Whether she meant to use those particular words or not, I believe Osteen was actually pretty clever in her attempt to get more people to worship and obey. Osteen appealed to prideful human nature with her reasoning. However, while I give Osteen credit for saying all the right things to ad-
Over the last decade, the Chaldean Catholic population — a Christian majority in Iraq — has dwindled to a mere 400,000. Some estimate nearly one million Christians have been displaced, according to the New York Times. Bush was right. Caving to political pressure, the Obama administration has bound the hands and feet of the United States’ diplomatic power, leaving countless people suffering. “It means that we would be risking mass killings on a horrific scale,” Bush said of withdrawing troops too soon. “It would mean that we would allow the terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq.” The reality is, unless we do return troops to the ground, I am fearful that we will not only be sacrificing our other two absolutes, but also the safety of the United States and the lives of minorities throughout the Middle East. As ISIS continues to grow and native Christians continue to be killed, orphaned, abandoned and displaced, the U.S. is left with no options. Our trio of absolutes has left America powerless. I think it is time for America to reevaluate its absolutes.
GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.
vance her goals, her focus is completely off. Osteen focused on our gratification, not on God. As Christians, we are made to worship God because he deserves it, not because we feel better about ourselves when we sing or praise him. We are to obey him because he commands it, not because we become happy when we do something good. Once worship becomes about us and what we can get out of it, we are no longer worshipping. We are merely using the act as the coin necessary to get good feelings of happiness out of a cosmic vending machine. Although Osteen made an argument for worship that is probably appealing to many people, I think I will stick with obeying and worshipping my God because his word tells me to, because he deserves it and because he has given me much more than temporary happiness.
opinion
Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | A5
9/11 defines generation Attack on the World Trade Center continues to shape millennial culture
Elijah Smith esmith65@liberty.edu Tré Goins-Phillips dgoinsphillips@liberty.edu
Born in the early ’90s, relatively speaking, millennials have not witnessed many worldshifting events. We did not see the first man on the moon, a presidential assassination, the dropping of an atomic bomb, the Pearl Harbor attack, the fall of the Berlin wall or the Civil Rights marches. But there is one event that will be forever etched in the minds of this generation. When the World Trade Center came crashing to the ground, millennials — most of them in elementary school — remember exactly where they were, exactly what they were doing. It was as if the world was ending. What would drive a person to such acts of cruelty? Through the lens of Christianity, it is not hard to see that we live in a dark world. However, we must not allow these events to wreck us. Rather, they must shape us and make us better. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the millennial generation saw a stronger America. Ever since then, our appreciation for our military and public servants has been unwavering. “Young people saw that when America was in danger, the country — its citizens, its government and its armed forces — could rise to the challenge and get urgent tasks done quickly and decisively in order to meet the threat,” Margaret Hoover, former aide to President George W. Bush and Fox News commentator, said. On this 13-year anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, we need to commit to standing by those individuals
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MEMORIAL — The newly-completeled Freedom Tower breathes new life into a city rocked by terror 13 years ago on Sept. 11. and families who lost loved ones. As a nation, we must remember the connectedness we felt and remain committed — together — not only to defeating terrorism, but to becoming a better people. The horrors we face today come down to a true difference in ideology, a worldview that solves problems through war and a nation that is founded on liberty. As tragedies continue to happen, we cannot allow them to define us. Instead, we must be defined by our ef-
forts for peace, our commitment to freedom and our desire to combat the evils that we face. “Despite our fallen nature, God desires to reflect goodness, beauty and truth in us,” Christian artist Makoto Fujimura, who lives in a Manhattan loft only blocks away from the World Trade Center, wrote of the attacks in his book, “Refractions.” For the millennial generation, it is hard to imagine living in a world without terrorism, a world without the
threats of evil. However, faith in something greater — faith in God — gives us the opportunity to be positively shaped by the atrocities of our time. “God desires to refract his perfect light via the broken, prismatic shards of our lives,” Fujimura wrote. SMITH is an opinion writer. GOINS-PHILLIPS is the opinion editor.
Lost emails protect IRS
Destroyed evidence in IRS investigation could have exposed Lois Lerner Kimberly Stefanick kmstefanick2@liberty.edu
Former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official Lois Lerner has been in the news in recent weeks following the discovery that emails from her Blackberry had been deleted. This event is directly related to the current congressional investigation against the IRS. Many news outlets have speculated that these emails could have been evidence in the investigation into the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups and were deleted from Lerner’s phone. This is just another example of the abuse of power overtaking Washington, D.C. Deputy Assistant Chief Counsel for the IRS Thomas Kane wrote in a sworn declaration that the BlackBerry was “removed or wiped clean of any sensitive or proprietary information and removed as scrap for disposal in June 2012.” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen has said more than once that Lerner’s hard drive crashed, according to The Blaze. However, many have questioned the validity of this statement. According to Fox News, there are more than two years worth of emails that have been deleted with supposedly no way to retrieve them. Is it truly possible that the government has no way to back up lost or deleted information?
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EXPOSED — More than two years’ worth of Lois Lerner’s emails were erased in a suspected cover-up. Lerner, who has found herself at the heart of this scandal, has not built a strong image for herself during her professional career. What started with a lawsuit that seemed illegitimate has become a mass investigation into the IRS, as it very well should. The grandiose overreaches of today’s government and the stigma that politicians are untouchable is taking over politics while
the real issues are sidelined. If the IRS was not destroying evidence, more time and resources could be given to greater dire issues. If politicians and government workers did their jobs with integrity, citizens would put more faith in our republican form of government. Following the speculation that surrounds this situation, Judicial Watch launched its own investigation into whether or not Lerner’s
emails could have been saved. “When government does not meet its obligations to turn over evidence, the system falters,” District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is presiding over Judicial Watch’s lawsuit against the IRS, told Fox News. “A Department of Justice attorney told a Judicial Watch attorney on Friday (Aug. 22) that it turns out the federal government
backs up all computer records in case something terrible happens in Washington,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. Many officials have reportedly come out stating that there is indeed a backup system in effect and the government could find said emails that were allegedly lost. This is an instance where government organizations are more concerned with covering up corruption than bringing those responsible to justice. The new question becomes: Why are the e-mails still missing? The answer is simple — Washington plays favorites. This instance is not the first time Lerner has been accused of overlooking information or targeting conservatives. In an email to her husband, Lerner used colorful language to describe some members of the GOP, and proceeded to call them “crazies,” according to The Huffington Post. This issue does not hinge on technical glitches. The answers are available. The IRS agents who abuse their positions need to be punished accordingly and reminded that the organization is here to help the government and people, not assist in advancing its own political agenda.
STEFANICK is an opinion writer.
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news
A6 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Elections approach
VOT E
Students inspired to vote with upcoming midterm elections Dave Van Dyk dvandyk@liberty.edu
With midterm elections set to take place Nov. 4, the results could change the face of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. General elections include all 435 seats of the House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 Senate seats, including area congressmen and one of the Senate seats from Virginia. With a large portion of seats up for election, voting will take center stage around the nation as well as here at Liberty University. However, students will first need to register before they can vote. At present, all students can register by getting a form at the Student Conduct Office where someone will be able to answer questions and help with the process. In order for students to fill out a registration form to vote, they will need to know their social security
number as well as their MSC box number. Students who have voted elsewhere in previous elections will also need their previous registration address when switching to Liberty’s address. The deadline for students to hand in registration to the Dean of Students Office for this year’s general election is Oct. 8. After this date, students will need to bring their forms to the city registrar office by Oct. 14, or they may register online at vote.virginia.gov. According to Bradley Milks, assistant director of programming at Liberty, the university has, over the past few years, been striving to make it easier for students to cast a ballot. “We’re hoping to make the process very easy for students this year,” Milks said. “One of the cool things about Liberty is we actually have the precinct on campus in the Vines Center, so that makes it easy for (on-campus) students to come and vote.” Prior to 2012, Liberty did not
have a precinct on campus, and students were required to travel across the city in order to cast a ballot at a voting precinct. Lynchburg City Council decided to redraw city voting lines in October 2011 after Liberty recruited 4,122 on-campus students to register to vote. In the following 2012 Republican presidential primary, Liberty’s voting precinct received more votes than any other precinct in the state, with 590 total votes. Now, on campus students are able to vote in the Vines Center rather than taking time out of busy schedules to travel to vote at another local precinct. According to Milks, Virginia law mandates that voters show a valid photo ID when voting at the polls. “(Students) should always have their Flames pass on them when they’re going to vote if they’re registered on campus,” Milks said. “It’s a quick and easy process.” Milks encouraged students to
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
CIVIL RIGHT — Before the precinct moved to campus, students stood in long lines to vote.
research the candidates in order to understand their values and where they stand on political ideals. Candidates often display their views on their individual websites, making it easy for the public to understand the candidates. Debates and other public appearances will also give insight into their character and concerns. “A big thing I would suggest is research the individuals who are running for office,” Milks said. “You don’t want to go in blind without knowing what the candidates’ beliefs are and what their platforms are.” With this many open seats, the Republican Party is pushing to gain a majority in the Senate while the Democrats are hoping to hold on to the current majority. The Republicans already maintain a majority in the House, though it is up for grabs with several tight elections across the country. According to a News and Advance article discussing the low turnout across the city, only 200 students voted in the Vines Center in the last Lynchburg City Council election in May 2014, which was significantly fewer than what had been expected. “In terms of the last election, we had hoped every registered voter would have voted in the city council election,” Milks said. “We were honestly expecting more.” According to the Lynchburg registrar’s website, 5,700 students were registered to vote on Liberty’s campus during the spring 2014 city council elections, though only 60 percent, or 3,415 of those registered voters are active. Milks’ office regularly sends out reminders to students to stay active or change their status once they graduate or move away. As the midterm elections approach, it is vital that students understand the difference their voices can make.
“The great thing about Liberty is that students here actually have the ability to impact a state election, which is really encouraging,” Milks said. “It’s really something students should rally behind, that they do have an opportunity to make a difference in today’s world.” Though students often feel the weight of a busy schedule and may be skeptical of the importance of a single vote, the votes of Liberty students can and do sway election outcomes. “What’s one vote?” Milks said. “One vote is very important. If you get 4,000 people who think ‘I’m just one vote,’ there are 4,000 votes that never occurred. You may think you’re only one vote, but that one vote is very important.” During the November 2013 elections for Virginia’s attorney general, the voting difference between the candidates showed the importance of each vote. More than two million votes were cast, but Republican State Sen. Mark Obenshain conceded the attorney general’s race to current Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring after being defeated by only 165 votes, according to the Washington Post. According to the Lynchburg registrar, only 1,171 votes were cast out of 5,700 registered voters on Liberty’s campus during that November 2013 election. If even half of the registered voters on campus had voted, it might have significantly altered the election results for that position. For more information on casting a ballot here at Liberty, email vote@liberty.edu, or visit the Dean of Students Office in Green Hall 1830 to learn more about the voting process. VAN DYK is the news editor.
Liberty helps NC school reopen University comes alongside high school as financial woes appear on horizon Lauren Glossner lbglossner@liberty.edu
Liberty University’s Online Academy, a branch of Liberty University Online, partnered with Hope Community Church in Burlington, North Carolina, to help reopen Faith Christian Academy Thursday, Aug. 28. According to an article from The TimesNews (Burlington), Marchael Bullard, the pastor of Hope Community Church and the co-director of the new school, reached out to his alma mater, Liberty University. Jay Spencer, the dean of Liberty’s Online Academy who helped start the program in 2007, noted that every year there has been an increase in participants in this program, especially this year. He attributes the growth spurt to the fact that schools have been reaching out to Liberty University’s Online Academy. This change is likely linked to Spencer’s involvement with Glen Beck’s event “We
Will Not Conform,” which was broadcasted in theaters across the country this past summer. According to Spencer, this opportunity increased advertising and promoted the academy. “We are continuing to expand and grow,” Spencer said. “We are a little over 900 students ahead of where we were last year at this time. We have about 3,300-3,400 students.” Dr. Kelly Bingham and another online academy employee went to Burlington and met with the families of Faith Christian Academy. According to Bingham, the parents’ biggest concern was moving to an online format, but during their visit the Liberty University Online Academy officials were able to ease any anxieties and answer any questions the parents had. “We were able to give them a great demonstration of what the courses look like and answer their questions about accreditation and all the content issues,” Bingham said. According to The Times-News article,
★
Faith Christian Academy, formerly known as Hope Christian Academy, had to close in May due to financial issues. Hope Community Church and Liberty’s Online Academy came together with others to develop the stability the school needed. “This is an ideal program for small schools that struggle with budget because they have to hire so many teachers,” Spencer said. “That’s the thing. We have the teachers online. They just need a classroom supervisor, who makes sure that the students are staying on task and answers any questions they have.” Spencer noted this program is also applicable for homeschoolers. “It is often described as the best of homeschooling and private education rolled into one,” Spencer said. “The parents who are intimidated by homeschooling do not have to be the teacher. We do that for them. They can be as involved as they want to be.” According to Spencer, Liberty Online Academy recently expanded its program
Election 2014
Register to vote in the upcoming midterm election Register by getting a form at the Student Conduct Office, where someone will be able to answer questions and help with the process.
from grades 3-12 to K-12, so Faith Christian Academy will be able to offer all grades. Bingham said the program is very interactive and is great for developing a strong student-teacher relationships. Students and teachers are able to send video messages and receive one-on-one time with teachers to ask questions. According to Bingham, staff members at Faith Christian Academy have a heart for ministry and really want to provide a quality education. They are taking the program to the next level by expounding on the material. Spencer said that high school students can earn dual credit up to and including an associate’s degree. The tuition they pay toward their classes can be applied to their tuition to Liberty if that is where they decide to attend. For more information on Liberty University’s Online Academy, call 866-4188741 or visit liberty.edu/onlineacademy. GLOSSNER is a news reporter.
★
What you will need... You will need to know your social security number as well as your MSC box number. You should also know your previous registration address when switching to Liberty’s address. The deadline for students to hand in registration to the Dean of Students Office for this year’s general election is Oct. 8. After that date, students will need to bring their forms to the city registrar office or by registering online at vote.virginia.gov by Oct. 14.
news
Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | A7
Library reboots website New search abilities offered in digital domain amidst physical expansions Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu
After the doors of the Jerry Falwell Library opened earlier this year, students flocked into the new building to explore the computer labs, the 24-by-11-foot media wall and the Automated Storage and Book Retrieval System. One of the most recent additions to the library is the new website, which has been up and running since Aug. 13. The home page (liberty.edu/ newlibrary) includes the hours of operation for that day, a search bar and various links to blogs, research tools and library contact information. According to Cynthia Schmidt, head of communications and customer service, the new website was designed with students in mind. “The website was completely redesigned in response to student feedback on surveys in the spring of 2011 and 2012,” Schmidt said. “The concept behind the redesign was to create a more Google-like search experience with a cleaner, more simplified interface while still enabling customers to find what they needed within just a few clicks.” Liberty student Adam Shull expressed his thoughts on the new website, talking of its improvements over the old one. “I had heard about the new website from some friends recently,” Shull said. “I looked at the home page and I thought it was very different and much better than the previous website.” Despite taking students into consideration when redesigning the site, the library still wants more feedback. “Student feedback has been very helpful so far,” Schmidt said. “It has revealed a few things that we have tweaked to make the site
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
REDESIGN — The new Jerry Falwell Library website includes search functions designed to streamline the research process. even better. Many seem to really love the redesign, while others have expressed a preference for the previous site.” With all the upgrades, the new website will welcome discovery for researchers and those who wish to utilize its resources. “As with any new endeavor, there is a learning curve involved, but we feel that customers who take the time to explore the site and perform some searches will be pleased with the new design,” Schmidt said. “Of course, if help is needed, it’s only a visit, call, email or chat away. We really strive to provide excellent customer service and support to our residential as well as our online students, faculty and staff through our web-
site, but also through our faculty and staff in the library.” The old Jerry Falwell Library home page is still accessible through a link at the top of the new website, but it will be retired Dec. 31, 2014. In order to help with the website’s transition, a tab located at the top of the page labeled “Assistance” enables students to chat live with a research assistant, review frequently asked questions, look at what the library offers for both residential and online students and more. “While the Search Anything box provides a simple search interface that searches approximately 70 percent of the library’s available resources, students and faculty with specialized or advanced top-
ics will likely want to perform a more focused search in our specialized databases,” Schmidt said. “Our totally redesigned research guides provide top resources for various subject areas, making it easy to find the best resources for any given topic in a variety of formats.” Shull expressed his desire to take advantage of the new website. “I will definitely be using the new and improved website this year to do research for all of my classes,” Shull said. Try out the new website at liberty.edu/newlibrary. Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
FOLEY is a news reporter.
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news
A8 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Navy remembers 9/11 The National D-Day memorial will host the U.S. Navy Band for performance Quinn Foley Qfoley@liberty.edu
From military appreciation football games to the numerous American flags hung around campus, Liberty University communicates a sense of American pride. One way that students can show their patriotism is to attend a special concert played by the U.S. Navy Band’s Country Current at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. The Navy Band’s website, navyband.navy.mil, explains that the Navy Band’s Country Current is a seven-member bluegrass ensemble that was formed in 1973. The Country Current regularly performs for the president, vice president, the chief of naval operations and many more. Adam Grimm, chief musician in the Navy Band, explained how some of the members became involved in the Country Current. “Country Current’s guitarist, Musician 1st Class Joe Friedman, is an interesting example,” Grimm said. “He was touring with Eartha Kitt and was featured on recordings by Justin Timberlake, Britney
POLLS continued from A1 Dias attributes the success of their campaign to the experience she and Andrews have gained over the years. “It wasn’t our first campaign,” Dias said. “Chelsea campaigned her freshman year for freshman vice president, and we both assisted in the student body elections as well. I think we knew what we were doing.” For Heaphy, who was elected junior class president over opponent David Cruz, the campaign was a little more challenging.
Photo Provided
NEVER FORGET — Navy to honor the fallen with a special band performance. Spears, Backstreet Boys, Florida Georgia Line and Katy Perry before joining the Navy in 2009. Sometimes our folks are already Navy musicians serving in our fleet bands. Country Current’s singer, Musician 1st Class Kenny Ray Horton, spent several years in the fleet before coming to the U.S. Navy Band.”
“We had to fight for that last vote up until 5 p.m. when it ended,” Heaphy said. “David Cruz put up a very good campaign. He really kept us on our toes.” Some of the specific goals Heaphy wants to accomplish this year are modifications to the dress code, curfew, the bus system and the policies on open dorms. “We can’t promise that it will happen, but we can promise that we’ll do our best and we’ll work as hard as we can,” Heaphy said. “My goal is to serve the students, represent them as best as we can to the Student Govern-
The location and date of this performance are very significant as well. The band will perform on Sept. 11 at 3 Overlook Circle in Bedford Virginia, which is the site of the National D-Day Memorial. “Our job is to help people understand the investment they make in their Navy, which has been especially important since
ment (Association), and that means listening to the requests of the students.” Wahl believes his partnership with Bush, whom he befriended at debate camp a month prior, played a big role in the success of their campaign for freshman class president and vice president. “A couple of weeks ago we sat and talked about it and realized we’d make a good team to run for president and vice president,” Wahl said. “Two people working together that have experience and know each other’s strengths is very important when you are serving so
9/11,” Grimm said. “Our sailors are deployed around the world, working around the clock to keep us safe here at home. That message is especially poignant on Sept. 11 and at the National DDay Memorial.” The performance will honor those serving in all branches of the military.
“We take time during every Navy Band concert to recognize those who have served or are currently serving in the military,” Grimm said. “Our tours offer a great opportunity for sailors and communities to come together and honor our veterans.” Grimm spoke of the people who attend such ceremonies and the amount of work that goes into creating such a performance. “We’ve been doing this a long time, and it’s rare that you see someone walk away from a concert disappointed,” Grimm said. “We work really hard to create an entertaining show, a fun show and a show that highlights the service of our sailors.” During the event, the community and surrounding region will have a time of remembrance and appreciation to remember the daily sacrifices of military personnel. As the band salutes the fallen heroes who have given their lives in defense of this country, those who take part will be treated to a memorable time. FOLEY is a news reporter.
closely with each other.” Wahl and Bush decided to base the main message of their campaign around representation of students. “There is something about being able to serve students in a leadership position that’s always attracted me,” Wahl said. “Probably just because it gives you the ability to serve people in a way that’s more than just hands-on. It allows you to address matters that affect the entire student body.” JANNEY is the asst. news editor.
Photo Provided
COUNCIL — New class officers prepare for the year.
SPORTS
September 9, 2014
W. Soccer
Field Hockey
B1
M. Soccer
Field Hockey
M. Soccer
GWU
Liberty
VCU
Liberty
ODU
Liberty
Liberty
VMI
Liberty
Marshall
1
0
2
1
2
1
5
0
2
2
Safe(ty) Hagen
back on the ice
Captain leads tough defense Dalton Britt dbritt10@liberty.edu
“It was one of those nights where we expected to be working out some kinks,” Sherry said, echoing LeBlanc. “(It was our) first time playing an actual game. There’s a lot of new bodies out there, so it was just good to get the chemistry going. The first two periods we made a couple of mental errors in all aspects. … But the third period was a good one for us. That’s where we pulled away a little bit.” Head Coach Kirk Handy agreed with his team leadership, noting that the Flames got stronger as the game progressed. He praised Sherry and LeBlanc for their solid play and example throughout. After all, the two returned
Liberty Defensive Coordinator Robert Wimberley has coached many players throughout his career. Of all the players that have come in and out of Lynchburg, there have not been many who have impressed Wimberley quite like Flames senior safety Jacob Hagen. Hagen’s senior season picked up where his award-winning junior year left off, returning a fumble for a touchdown in week one at North Carolina, then forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass against Norfolk State in week two. As a junior, he led the Big South in interceptions with six, a mark that was good for third in the entire nation. Hagen was named first-team All-Big South and thirdteam Associated Press Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-American. The Florida native and team captain attributes his success to hard work and consistency. “I approach every day with the same mentality to come and get better,” Hagen said. “That’s in everything that I do.” As a team captain this year, Hagen hopes that he can be a positive influence on younger players. “I hope they see work ethic, coming to work every day and giving all (their) effort,” Hagen said. “You give that effort in everything you do. Everything else will take care of itself.” Wimberley has worked with Hagen for three years and said that he is a great teaching model for younger players. “He is like a son to me,” Wimberley said. “He is a great leader and he understands what we are trying to build here defensively. The whole team looks up to him and values every word that comes out of his mouth.” Hagen’s success and leadership role on the team comes with expectations and responsibilities. Wimberley said that Hagen leads the younger
See FLAMES, B2
See HAGEN, B4
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
FULL SPEED — Senior captain and defenseman Matt Sherry leads the Flames to the first victory of the 2014-15 season.
Flames strike Division I hockey starts off the season with 7-2 rout Ryley Rush rarush@liberty.edu
While the Liberty Flames men’s division I (DI) hockey team began a new season with nine new players and a new playbook Friday night, they posted a 7-2 win over the Potomac Patriots Junior A team in decidedly old fashion. It was captain Matt Sherry and alternate captain Lindsay LeBlanc, both seniors and veterans within the Flames hockey program, who set the tone for their team. LeBlanc anchored the starting front line with freshmen Luke Hannon and Luke Simon, setting them up to score within the first five minutes of the
game. LeBlanc went on to assist on three more goals, including one of Sherry’s two. “It was our first game,” LeBlanc said. “We do have nine new guys, and so we have some things to work on. We’ve got a bunch of new systems this year, but overall we were happy. … All the boys battled hard, and that’s what we’re looking for.” Sherry, who like LeBlanc, was paired with a first-year player in defenseman Peter Shantz, offered the Flames crucial stability in the neutral and defensive zones and timely scoring to boot. His first goal came in a hectic second period to put the Flames up 4-2, stall the Patriots scoring hopes and set up Liberty for a strong, three-goal third period.
Early season struggle Field hockey has seen everything go wrong after a NorPac championship last year Alex Tichenor atichenor@liberty.edu
After winning the NorPac Championship last season and returning nearly every player, Lady Flames field hockey would never have imagined starting the year 1-3. But a mixture of a challenging schedule, an injured star and uneven play has led to their worst start
WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME
in program history. Still, the Lady Flames have reason to believe they can build on last season’s unprecedented success. While they have started 1-3, the Lady Flames have faced the No. 9 and 12 teams in the country in Old Dominion (ODU) and Stanford. A tough schedule is not accidental. Lady Flames Head Coach Jodi Murphy
scheduled teams like Stanford and ODU early in the season, and top-tier teams like current No. 2 North Carolina and No. 4 Duke to test her team. While the Lady Flames went 17-5 last year, they had one of the worst strengths of schedules in the nation of teams who made the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament. The biggest blow of
all has been missing highscoring co-captain Natalie Barr, who had knee surgery in the spring and has not been fit to play. The oldest of three sisters on the squad, Barr scored 19 goals in 22 games last season. To put that in context, the next highest goal-scorer on the team was Ashlee Krulock with 10. “It’s hard to have Nata-
lie (Barr) on the sideline,” Murphy said. “She’s more of the enforcer of our two captains. She is doing the best that she can to rally the troops (from the sideline).” Not only is Barr a leader with her play, but she is the team’s vocal leader as well. After the loss to ODU, she gathered her teammates near midfield and gave a passionate speech
of encouragement, despite watching the game from the bench. Murphy said there was no timetable on Barr’s return, only saying the team is hopeful she will be back this season. The Lady Flames have struggled to find scoring in Barr’s absence, only notching five goals in their
See EARLY, B4
Football vs. Brevard
W. Soccer vs. Davidson
M. Soccer @ RMU
Field Hockey @ Lafayette
Volleyball @ Brown
Sept. 13 @ 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 @ 4 p.m.
Sept. 12 @ 1 p.m.
Sept. 12 @ 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 @ 7:30 p.m.
sports
B2 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Defense stymies Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion
FIGHT — A Lady Flames defender fights for the ball during a very close battle against the Charlotte 49ers.
Sweating it out Lady Flames score in final minutes to defeat the Charlotte 49ers Joel Schmieg jaschmieg@liberty.edu
With only one minute to go in the final overtime period, freshman forward Jennifer Knoebel drove to the right side of the goal and placed a hard shot into the bottom left corner to give the Lady Flames soccer team (2-2) the 1-0 win over the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers (1-3). “It’s still so surreal to me,” Knoebel said. “I couldn’t believe it went in at first, but I looked up and it was in the back of the net, and it was just so exciting.” The match between Liberty and the 49ers was a battle to the end, as the teams combined for 39 shots, 15 corner kicks and one yellow card in 109 minutes of soccer. “I feel like every game has been like that and we haven’t got the win, so it was nice to finally get the outcome and actually get what we deserve for once,” junior midfielder Brittany Aanderud said. It was a tough, physical, hard-fought match, and it showed. Players were visibly fatigued, but Liberty kept fighting. In the two overtime periods, Liberty outshot Charlotte 9-2, as Charlotte’s goalkeeper, Annika McHenry, kept
FLAMES continued from B1 more than just athleticism — they brought experience and the Flames traditional values to a new generation of the hockey program. “I guess after your fourth year, you kind of figure it out a bit,” Sherry said. “But the contributors really were from both the old guys and the new guys, so it was good and spread out along the lineup. (The freshmen) were great. They all have different roles on the ice, and I think they executed them well by the end there.” Hannon and Simon had an immediate offensive impact
the 49ers in the game for as long as she could. “I think we had momentum,” Aanderud said. “I felt it. I felt that we could win, but we haven’t been scoring that much, besides last game. So, I had some doubts, but we had so much momentum that I wasn’t surprised when we scored.” Due to the extensive length of the game, fatigue began to kick in during the final minutes. “I was definitely tired going into those last couple of minutes,” Knoebel said. “I never want to play for a tie. There’s always a chance to go for a win.” Unlike the previous 25 shots, number 26 finally made it into the back of the net, clinching the Lady Flames second victory in four games. “It’s great to win in overtime,” Head Coach Jessica Hain said. “It’s always really intense. In overtime, it is goldengoal overtime, so as soon as there’s a goal in the back of the net, the game is over. So it feels amazing to be on the victorious side.” Overtime rules for collegiate soccer differ from professional soccer in that the first team who scores in overtime wins the game. However, in professional soccer, a goal in overtime will not imme-
with one goal and two assists apiece. Fundamental defenseman Ben Hughes found the back of the net. Shantz delivered staggering body checks, and faceoff specialist Grant Garvin won all but two off the drop throughout the game. The Flames freshmen lived up to their hype, but the consistent play and presence of Liberty’s respected returners grounded the team’s performance noticeably in its first outing of the year. “Both of those guys have been solid for us over the years,” Handy said, “But tonight, LeBlanc, starting out, makes a pass to Hannon for the first (goal) of the game and
diately end the game. “I like golden goal,” Hain said. “It requires that teams go to a more intense level at the very end of the game when they are tired. I think that’s great training to go into the NCAA tournament, because a winner has to come out of each game.” Both teams had their opportunities in the game, as Liberty had eight shots on goal, while Charlotte had five. Alanna Dunkle and Aanderud combined for 14 of Liberty’s 26 total shots. In the 77th minute, play heated up when Charlotte’s Tori Fubara was given a yellow card for unsportsmanlike behavior. As Fubara got tangled on the ground with one of the Lady Flames, she rose to her feet and shoved the Liberty player back to the ground, resulting in an immediate yellow card. Later in the half, Fubara came close to receiving a second yellow for a similar offense. The Lady Flames will host Davidson College Thursday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.
SCHMIEG is a sports reporter.
The Liberty Flames football team improved to 1-1 on the season as they shutout the Norfolk State Spartans (1-1) 17-0. This was the first time the Flames had seen the Spartans since Liberty fell short 31-24 in 2012. Spartan quarterback Terrance Ervin drove the offense all the way down to Liberty’s 18-yard line when the senior cornerback and team captain Jacob Hagen forced a fumble, which Liberty cornerback Tyrin Holloway recovered. However, the Flames did not capitalize on the turnover, as it led to zero points for Liberty. After marching down the field for 88 yards, the Flames hit the scoreboard first when freshman kicker Avery Echols hit his first collegiate career field goal, a 22-yarder, to give Liberty the lead. With a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter, quarterback Josh Woodrum led the offense to scoring the first touchdown of the game on a seven-yard quarterback keeper, Woodrum’s seventh career rushing touchdown. The two scores were good for a 10-0 lead by halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Liberty began to attack. Around the six-minute mark, Flames Head Coach Turner Gill called D.J. Abnar’s number. Following two handoffs to the freshman running back, Woodrum hit Abnar for a 22-yard touchdown pass to go up 17-0, ultimately ending any chance of a Norfolk State comeback. The Flames last shutout an opponent Oct. 26, 2013 against conference opponent Gardner-Webb. The defense for the Flames gave the Spartans trouble throughout the entire game. Defensive linemen Toby Onyechi and Chima Uzowihe combined for a total of 12 tackles and four sacks. Senior linebacker Dylan Lewellyn finished with a career-high 11 tackles to lead all Flames, according to liberty.edu/flames. Hagen, who forced the early fumble, also picked off Norfolk State quarterback Ervin. The Spartans were held to only 56 passing yards and 159 rushing yards. All-conference wide receiver Darrin Peterson led the Flames receiving core for the second straight week with four receptions for 69 yards. The junior receiver eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards, putting him at 1,050 yards in his three years at Liberty. He was one of Woodrum’s seven targets. Woodrum is only 66 yards away from hitting the 5,000-career-passing-yards mark, which he will likely hit in the Flames home opener Sept. 13 against the Brevard College Tornadoes at Williams Stadium. Last season when the Flames played Brevard, Woodrum threw for 247 yards with three touchdowns. According to liberty. edu/flames, only six Flames quarterbacks have ever reached this milestone. HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.
plays a solid game all night and Sherry scoring timely goals. That’s huge, right? They had a great night for us tonight.” With returning leadership guiding the way and the first win under their belts, the Flames look forward to progressing further. For all the newness of the hockey club, the ultimate goal is older than them all — one win at a time, right up to a national championship. The Flames will hit the ice again at the LaHaye Ice Center Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. as they take on the Richmond Jr. A Team. RUSH is a sports reporter.
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
BREAKTHROUGH — The Flames won their third straight season-opening game.
sports
Tich’s Take Alex Tichenor
atichenor@liberty.edu
This column is about the FIBA World Cup. That probably means nobody is reading by this point. FIBA recently rebranded their World Championships, calling it the World Cup in an attempt to raise the profile of international basketball. The Olympics have been the most important international basketball tournament pretty much since James Naismith hung TICHENOR up that peach basket more than 100 years ago. FIBA is looking to change that and make their World Cup a mega-event like soccer’s FIFA World Cup. However, unlike FIFA’s World Cup this summer, FIBA’s basketball World Cup has not exactly been a success in the United States, registering about 1.3 million viewers for Team USA’s preliminary matchup against Turkey. Compare that to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s (USMNT) first match of the FIFA World Cup, which had 11.1 million viewers nationally. The comparison is pretty easy, actually — a bunch of people watched the soccer World Cup and nobody has watched the basketball World Cup. Why are people not watching? As odd as it sounds, Team USA is too good. Sure, in soccer, the same few teams win just about every World Cup. Even so, a different country has won the cup each of the last five tournaments. The last time a country won back-to-back World Cups was Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Since professionals have played international basketball, there have been six Olympics. Team USA has won gold at five of those six, including the last two. Dominance is a conservative term to describe the team’s performance. Americans love a Cinderella story. Almost as much as we love burgers and guns. That is part of why so many people watched the USMNT — they wanted see an underdog defy the odds. It is why we love March Madness. On the international basketball level, we are much more the prince than Cinderella. The U.S. has no ugly stepsisters and we do not need magic pumpkins and fairy godmothers to continue smacking every team we encounter. Since a loss to Greece in the 2006 FIBA World Championships, Team USA has won 61 straight games as of Sept. 8, including 45 of those coming by more than 20 points — yes, 61-0. The widely regarded No. 2 team in the world, Spain, which features NBA stars Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol and Serge Ibaka, has gone 0-5 against Team USA during that stretch. On second thought, Team USA is not the prince, we are the king that we never see in Cinderella. Basketball has grown considerably in popularity worldwide over the past two decades. When NBA players were unleashed in international basketball, Team USA held an even larger advantage over the rest of the world with the Dream Team running roughshod over the 1992 Olympics, not allowing a team to get closer than 32 points when the buzzer sounded. In eight games, the Dream Team maintained an average margin of victory of 43.8 points. So, by that standard, other teams kind of stand a chance now. Argentina won the gold medal during the 2004 Olympics. Yugoslavia and Spain won the World Championships in 2002 and 2006. Even in losing to Team USA five times during the 61-game streak, Spain has put a real scare into the Americans on multiple occasions. Some people even tabbed the Spaniards as favorites in this World Cup. Maybe if we actually do lose, people will start watching.
Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | B3
Editorial:
NFL kicks off
After a seven-month wait, the NFL is up and running Jonathan Husker jhusker@liberty.edu
It is finally upon us. After a long summer of practices, training camp, and the preseason, week one of the NFL regular season arrived. The Green Bay Packers and defending Superbowl champion Seattle Seahawks kicked things off Thursday night, and the rest of the NFL’s thirtytwo teams got into the action Sunday and Monday night. Here are some of the key storylines from the action thus far. Defending champs look strong Packers-Seahawks should have been a brilliant chess match featuring the Packers prolific offense against the Seahawks Superbowlwinning defense. But that was far from the case. The defending champion Seahawks dominated the Packers, winning 36-16. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Russell Wilson added two touchdown passes in an excellent offensive performance. While the Seattle offense may have stolen the show, the Seahawks defense was very good as well, limiting Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to just 189 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. If the Seahawks continue
to play this well offensively, they could be looking at another strong Superbowl run this season. Atlanta wins thrilling NFC South matchup Two of the NFL’s more prolific offenses faced off Sunday afternoon in Atlanta, and what an offensive showdown this game was. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints combined for a whopping 71 points in a thriller that ended in overtime. Matt Ryan’s Falcons hosted Drew Brees’ Saints. Brees had a good day, throwing for 333 yards and a score, but it was Ryan who stole the spotlight. Ryan threw for a franchise-record 448 yards and three touchdowns. After the Saints opened up an early lead, the Falcons fought back and Falcons kicker Matt Bryant nailed a 51yard field goal to tie the game and send it into overtime. In overtime, Bryant again worked his magic, kicking a 52-yard field goal, which won the game for Atlanta, 37-34. Although the Falcons got the win, both teams flashed on Sunday. Both the Saints and Falcons are teams to watch this season, if only for the explosive potential of their offenses. Romo struggles against San Francisco All preseason long, the San Francisco 49ers defense suffered hits from all sides.
With an unfortunate mix of injuries, suspensions and legal troubles, nothing was going right for San Francisco’s defensive unit. But the 49ers defense responded in a strong way against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday evening. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo looked like the Romo critics love to hate, throwing three interceptions that can only be characterized as poor decisions. The Cowboys trailed 28-3 at halftime, making the 28-17 final score quite deceiving. Dallas looks like a team in trouble this season. J.J. Watt is an unstoppable force The Houston Texans game against the Washington Redskins was solidly unspectacular, but Texans defensive end J.J. Watt’s performance was quite the opposite. Watt had a sensational game, notching a sack, a fumble recovery, a pass deflection, a blocked extra point and an incredible seven quarterback hits. Houston won the game, 176, and Watt deserves a lot of the credit. The man is a monster, and he has placed himself at the top of the list of contenders for defensive player of the year. After a seemingly endless summer of waiting, football is back. Some teams, like the defending champion Seahawks, look like they picked right up where they left off. Other teams look like they need to
take things back to the drawing board. We are looking at you, Cowboys. Regardless, the first week of long-awaited NFL action is in the books. Here is to hoping the other 16 weeks of NFL action prove to be just as exciting as this one. HUSKER is a sports reporter.
KEY INJURIES Watt’s teammate, rookie first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, suffered a torn meniscus against the Redskins and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson may miss the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was ruled out for the Panthers’ first game of the season against the Buccaneers. Newton is nursing a rib injury, but is expected back for week two.
Major league intern Student Mark Bowman spends his summer with MLS team Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu
Liberty student Mark Bowman is entering his senior year and is two semesters away from graduating with a sports management degree. As he prepares to graduate, he had the opportunity to get valuable experience in his preferred job field. Bowman spent this past summer interning for Major League Soccer (MLS) team Sporting KC. Sporting KC is a professional soccer team based out of Kansas City. In 1995, they were announced to be one of the first 10 MLS teams, only two years after the league’s formation, according
to sportingkc.com. Bowman said the team has invested more than $200 million in a brand new stadium. Bowman also said the U.S. Men’s National team practice facility will be moving to Kansas City in 2016, which he said will aid the city in developing a reputation as a “soccer town.” “They’ve nicknamed themselves as the ‘soccer capital of America,’” Bowman said. “And it’s true.” Sporting KC is also home to players Graham Zusi and Matt Besler, who spent the summer playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team in the FIFA World Cup. Bowman considered it a blessing to be able to do something he loved with an
TICHENOR is the sports editor. Ash Brownd| Liberty Champion
FINISH LINE — Mark Bowman will graduate in May 2015.
organization that contributes so much to the sports. Just as the 2014 spring semester came to a close, Bowman loaded up his car and drove approximately 20 hours from his home in Pennsylvania to his new, temporary home in Kansas. Bowman worked with the youth development department under Sporting Club Network. “(Sporting Club Network) works somewhat with youth academies,” Bowman said. “We have set up a network that any club in the Midwest can join.” Local athletic clubs had plenty incentive to join as joining came with a series of perks, such as meeting a Sporting KC player or even practicing with them. Bowman worked with managing these perks and making sure the right team received the right benefit. Bowman was also responsible for running a soccer skills clinic. “A clinic is a 90-minute session,” Bowman said. “We have 60 minutes for drills. We’ll do a 15-minute warm-up and then rotate them through four or five different stations. … They will spend eight to 10 minutes at one station, and then they move as a group to the next station.” Bowman also said that the final 30 minutes were dedicated to autographs and photos with the kids and players. Along with that, Bowman was also responsible for orchestrating an important moment for teams that joined the Sporting Club Network. Certain teams were eligible to take a team picture on the sideline during a Sporting KC game. There were instances when there were
so many teams, that if the process had not been done properly, some fans may not have been able to take their pictures within the allotted time slot. Through’s Bowman’s work, the teams were able to take pictures without a single mishap. Bowman’s final, major task with the organization was a coaching seminar called “Chalk Talk.” This gave club-member coaches the opportunity to watch a professional coach as he managed and prepared for the upcoming match. “This event was basically five days of coaching education at our training facilities,” Bowman said. “Throughout the summer, Bowman caught a glimpse of a professional environment. He said he fully intends to maintain the values he learned while in Kansas and use them to get him to where he wants to go. “I want to start a soccer academy overseas,” Bowman said. “It will be working with youth clubs, kind of like how we did at Sporting Club Network. It gave me ideas on how I can incorporate and find local youth in the area, and how I can make my program more attractive to them.” Bowman hopes to return to Kansas City after graduating. “Ideally, I would love to be back in Kansas City,” Bowman said. “But, if the Lord calls me somewhere else, then that’s where I’ll go. He’s prepared me for whatever he has in front of me. I’m really excited to see where the Lord takes it.”
HAYWOOD is the asst. sports editor.
sports
B4 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
FRONT LINE — Lady Flames middle blocker Jade Vorster (24) tallied 33 kills in four games during the Liberty Invitational, the first tournament hosted by Liberty since 2011.
Vines hosts tourney
Lady Flames win two of four games as the Vines Center reopens for action Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu
In front of a home crowd at a newly renovated Vines Center for the first time in the 2014 season, the Lady Flames split four matches at the Liberty Invitational Tournament. The Lady Flames took down the Howard University Bison (2-5) in their first match of day one, while falling to the Murray State Racers (6-0) in the evening match. Day two saw the Flames drop their afternoon match to the USC-Upstate Spartans, before rallying to beat the UNC-Greensboro (UNCG) Spartans in the final match of the invitational. The Lady Flames opened the invitational by defeating the Bison in dominant fashion, taking three straight sets (25-21, 25-22, 2521) from the Howard team, who was led by
freshmen outside hitter Khaila Donaldson. Donaldson recorded 12 kills. In the match, the Lady Flames recorded 14 blocks, with six from junior middle blocker Jade Vorster. Freshman right side hitter Hannah Weidner led the team with 11 kills against the Bison. Coming into the weekend’s contests, Weidner led the team with an average of 3.67 kills per set, according to the official Liberty Flames Athletics website. Lady Flames redshirt junior outside hitter Caroline Douglas acknowledged how exciting it was to get a win in the first match back in the Vines Center, which was hosting its first event since undergoing a summer renovation that added more than 1,000 seats. “We really take a lot of pride in the Vines Center,” Douglas said. “This is our building, our place to play. So as a team, we really want to protect this, and we were able
HAGEN continued from B1
Courtney Russo| Liberty Champion
PICK — Jacob Hagen has one interception in 2014.
players through film sessions and is a voice of influence on and off the field — and he expects it to stay that way. “When you have a young man who has been through the fire saying something on the football field, it adds value,” Wimberley said. Over the past three years, Wimberley said he has noticed certain changes in the safety. “Coming in his first year, he was still learning and questioning himself, and now he doesn’t question himself,” Wimberley said. Wimberley said Hagen’s most enduring traits were his consistency and hard work. “I never have to talk to (Hagen) about going harder,” Wimberley said.
to do that with Howard.” In the second contest of day one, the Lady Flames lost a tough match to Murray State three sets to one (20-25, 25-23, 1925, 20-25). It was the first matchup ever between the Lady Flames and the Racers. Junior setter Caila Stapleton of the Lady Flames recorded 41 assists and seven digs against the Racers. Stapleton has stepped in and filled the shoes left by graduated senior Jade Craycraft. “(Stapleton), for the most part, has been able to play fairly consistent … (and) stay fairly steady through the challenges,” Pinder said. “We hope throughout the year she continues to get better.” The Lady Flames got off to a slow start on day two, dropping their first five sets over two games, losing 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 19-25) to USC-Upstate and dropping their first two sets against UNCG. Suddenly, the Lady Flames caught fire, winning three With all of the success that Hagen has had in his Liberty career, there is still a ticket to the playoffs that has not been punched. During his final season, Hagen not only has personal goals, but he also wants to see the Flames finally make it into the FCS playoff field of 24 come postseason. “I want to be the best player I can be to help the team,” Hagen said. If Hagan and the Flames continue their strong play, it is a good bet that Hagen’s goals for himself and the team can be accomplished, and maybe even exceeded.
BRITT is a sports reporter.
straight sets to beat the Spartans 3-2 (1825, 17-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-8). Weidner and Douglas combined for 37 kills, rallying the Flames back after getting blown out the first two sets. Weidner, who played at home for the first time in her career, saw lessons in the tough losses to Murray State and USC-Upstate. “We might not have won that, but we learned a lot of key things of how to adjust our defense,” Weidner said. “I think it helped our team a lot even though we didn’t pull out a win.” The Lady Flames will travel to Washington, D.C., to face Georgetown Sept. 9 before heading to Providence, Rhode Island for the Brown Invitational on the weekend.
RODRIGUEZ is a sports reporter.
EARLY continued from B1 first four games. Murphy said Sarah Gipe, who leads the team with six shots on goal, is key in initiating the offense in Barr’s absence. Gipe only started eight games last year due to some injury problems, but scored 13 goals in 21 starts as a freshman. Senior co-captain Helen Dolittle is the anchor of the Lady Flames defense, and even in losses, she has made plays on both sides of the field. While naturally quiet, Dolittle has become more vocal in the offseason, stepping up as the leader among the seniors on the squad. (Mercedes Cox is the only other senior who starts). “(Dolittle) was all over the field (against ODU),” Murphy said. “She was making
huge defensive plays for us. I can’t say enough about her fitness and her heart.” Even with a rough start, there is reason for optimism for the Lady Flames. They started 2-2 last season and finished with a 17-5 mark on the year, and that slow start came with Barr on the field. A Sept. 19 home date with No. 11 Wake Forest will not make things easier for the Lady Flames, but they are all on the same page. “We’re inches away,” Dolittle said. “(The ODU game) was definitely a disappointing loss, but we want to use it to continue firing us up. We’re going to go into practice and work really hard this week.”
TICHENOR is the sports editor.
feature
Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | B5
Action on the rails
Liberty Mountain Skate Park offers a place to perform stunts and tricks indoors Ashley Bunner abunner@liberty.edu
Rain or shine, Liberty University students and the Lynchburg public have a safe place to practice their railslides and land their kickflips at the Liberty Mountain Skate Park. Located at 3700 Candlers Mountain Road behind CiCi’s Pizza, the park offers 8,600-square-feet of yearround indoor features for skating and biking. The facility has a wide selection of features, including a spine ramp, mini ramp, a bowl, rails, boxes, funbox/ledge, five block/large handrail, banks and an observation deck, according to the skate park’s webpage. Nick Barton, clerk and instructor at the skate park, said the facility opened approximately five years ago to Liberty students and opened to the public in 2011. “There are many Liberty students that visit the park regularly, but the majority of the people that visit are from the public,” skate park Clerk and Instructor Robbie Hubbard said. Admission to the skate park is free for Liberty students with a valid Liberty ID, and the price for the public is $1 per hour or $5 for all-day admission, according to the park’s website. Over the course of a few years, the facility has seen many changes to its features. According to Hubbard, there have recently been some new additions, including a middle section, which includes hubbas, smaller handrails and a beginner section. “We’re constantly improving, constantly changing it up,” Barton said. “(It) makes it more interesting and fun. It’s something different.” Liberty Mountain Skate
Park is unique in the fact that it is an indoor facility that is open year-round, which is not offered by any other local facilities, according to Barton. “There are a couple of other parks in the area, (but) this is the only indoor park for a while,” Barton said. “We have a spectator’s point with couches and TVs. We have wifi, so that sets us apart a lot.” According to Barton, skateboarding lessons are offered at the skate park and anyone on staff can give the lessons. They are informal and no appointments are required. Hubbard said the park is slowly starting to attract the general public as more people find out about the facility. “The park is getting a lot more recognition and the public is starting
to come in more often,” Hubbard said. According to Barton, Liberty’s skate park is convenient because of its location and hours of operation. “The downtown park isn’t open unless someone volunteers, so they’re never open,” Barton said. “And Bedford Skate Park, which is about 25 or 30 minutes away, is all concrete outdoors.” According to Barton, the skate park is busiest when temperatures are extreme, or if it is raining. He said weather plays an important part in determining how busy the skate park is on a given day. The park also hosts a number of special activities throughout the year, including Pizza Jams and a couple of other skating contests. Hubbard said Pizza Jams
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
RIDE — Students and locals can sharpen their skills at the Liberty Mountain Skate Park. occur on the first Tuesday of every month at 6-9 p.m. Admission is $5, which covers the cost of skating and all-you-can-eat pizza. The skate park will have a booth set up for the
Get! Downtown event Saturday, Sept. 12, which is held on Main Street in downtown Lynchburg. For more information about the Liberty Mountain Skate Park, visit liberty.edu/
skatepark or the official Facebook page at facebook. com/LibertyMountainSkatePark. BUNNER is a feature reporter.
Students compete for cash
Student Activities hosts a night of fast-paced trivia as a chance for students to win prizes Emma Jane Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu
Students enjoyed a night of fast-paced competition Friday, Sept. 5 as they participated in the ThinkFast Game Show in hopes of winning one of many prizes. The event took place in the new LaHaye Event Space. This was not a traditional game show, as questions were random and spanned a wide variety of topics, including sports, science, pop culture and entertainment, spelling and math. Some questions required participants to watch a video and quickly answer a question related to what they saw. Players selected their answers using a clicker, and one by one, wrong answers slowly disappeared from the screen. Other questions were more survey-based and asked students for their opinion on a particular topic. These questions, known as Extrasensory Perception, tallied the number of responses and asked students to guess how many participants gave each answer. Guessing within four seconds and within four numbers of the correct answer resulted in more earned points. Another type of question was the “Clue” question, in which puzzle pieces slowly revealed a scene from a movie, and players had to guess the movie’s title. There was also a “Think Faster!” question, in which
Kari Moye | Liberty Champion
THINK — Students had to be quick in order to advance in the ThinkFast Game Show over the weekend. participants were given less time to respond. At the end of the night, the three highest-scoring teams each selected one individual from their team to compete for the $200 cash prize. The evening also included nontraditional challenges, including singing and dancing competitions and two mini-debates to determine who would compete for the “wildcard” position in the final, cashprize round. Two singers each sang 30 seconds of a song of their choice,
while four dancers were given a chance to show their best moves. One debate, known as the “Superhero Smackdown,” involved two contestants presenting their case for 20 seconds as to which one was better: Flash or Captain America. The other debate involved two contestants explaining how they would argue their way out of a speeding ticket. After each competition, the audience voted for their favorite argument using their clickers, and winners of both talent and debate competitions received their choice of
a Starbucks or Chipotle gift card. Each of the singing, dancing and debate winners then advanced to a quiz round, where the first person to answer three questions correctly was declared the winner and the wildcard competitor for the final round. After the regular rounds were completed, there was a final question called the “Big Bid” where participants could wager their points. After the “Big Bid,” the top three teams were announced and team representatives, along with
the wildcard contestant, were sent to compete in the final round. The top three teams were Tulips, Fireflies and Nebula. In the final round, whichever contestant was the first to answer 10 questions correctly was declared the winner. However, if the wildcard winner answered any question incorrectly, he or she was out of the running and a new, random contestant was chosen to compete in that person’s place. Many students participated in the game show as a way to try to earn some money. Freshman Shelby Edgell, who sang “I Dreamed A Dream” in the singing competition, came to the event in hopes of earning some of her tuition back. For freshman Chandler Alder, who said he got really excited when he heard about the event because he had always wanted to be on a game show, ThinkFast was a way to earn money to pay for his normal college needs, like food for his dorm and books next semester. By the end of the night, Matt Johnson was victorious for the second year in a row. For more information about Student Activities and future events, visit liberty.edu/sa.
MAURER is a feature reporter.
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B6 | September 9, 2014 | Liberty Champion
Flying for a purpose
Student leaves France behind and comes to Liberty in search of God’s will Rachel Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu
Gwen Lassez never thought she would be studying to be an airplane mechanic. In fact, it was the furthest thing from her mind. “I like airplanes, but when it comes to mechanics, like on cars, I could care less,” Lassez said. “I mean, I like nail polish and butterflies.” The 21 year old from Maisons-Laffitte, France, is one of three female students currently enrolled in Liberty University’s Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS), an intense, one-year program that allows students to earn their Airframe and Powerplant (maintenance) license upon graduation. The AMTS website states that the program exists to “train pilots, as well as non-pilots to maintain aircraft in the context of a faith-based missionary organization” and states that it is also for “those pursuing other careers in general, corporate and commercial aviation.” Before coming to Liberty, Lassez attended Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, a law school in France, for three years. Lassez graduated in May of this year with honors and a degree in French, English and American law, which is similar to a bachelor’s degree in the United States. “I never even thought of flying,” Lassez said. “I never even thought that was possible. … My imagination never went that far.” Two years ago, in the summer of 2012, Lassez came to the United States to train for her American private pilot’s license with her uncle, an aircraft mechanic
who runs a Fixed Base Operation (small, private airport) in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. She obtained her license within two months. Later, she returned to France, where she trained for her European private pilot’s license, as she continued studying law. One day, Lassez went on the internet and searched “Christian pilot,” not entirely sure of what she would find.
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finish law school before making any decisions. The following summer in 2013, Lassez participated in a mission trip with MAF-US to Haiti for two weeks. The trip, which Lassez described as a “wonderful experience,” left her even more confused as to what God wanted for her life. “God, why don’t you show me?” Lassez said. “Why don’t
I never even thought of flying. ... My imagination never went that far. — GWEN LASSEZ
One of the results that popped up during her search was a link to Mission Aviation Fellowship. Curious, Lassez clicked it and began reading. Not having grown up with the concept of missions — France is a “very secular country,” according to her — Lassez admitted she was a little bit skeptical at first and did not pursue MAF immediately. But, over the next few months, she continued to check MAF’s website, which states the organization’s mission as, “Sharing the love of Jesus Christ through aviation and technology so that isolated people may be physically and spiritually transformed.” Finally, in the early fall of 2012, Lassez picked up the phone and called MAF-US. “(I remember thinking), ‘Wait, what am I doing?’” Lassez said. She explained her situation to the woman on the other end of the line and was put in contact with MAF-France, whose employees encouraged her to
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you give me a clear sign?” So she prayed. And sure enough, she received her answer. The MAF pilots in Haiti told her that if she was serious about flying, she should get her Airframe and Powerplant license, which would allow her to be an airplane mechanic, in addition to being a private pilot. Following her return to France in September 2013, Lassez discovered Liberty’s AMTS via MAF’s website and applied. The journey to Liberty, however, was not without its obstacles. “Sometimes the more we follow God, the more challenging it can be,” Lassez said. “It was really a moment of struggle, where I was thinking … ‘Do I follow God and trust him, even though I have no idea why this is happening to me, or do I turn back?’” Lassez chose to follow God and arrived at Liberty in the beginning of August of this year. “God has a funny sense
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Ellie Fraser | Liberty Champion
SOAR — Gwen Lassez has allowed God to pilot her life. of humor,” Lassez said. Working and studying for eight hours a day, five days a week is challenging, but Lassez said she is loving every minute of it. For Lassez, the best thing about being an AMTS student is “seeing how aircraft maintenance can mesh with the Christian faith.” Although she is unsure whether God is calling her to missions
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aviation or something else, Lassez trusts in the Lord’s provision and leadership, knowing that her mission field is wherever she is. “Whether it’s aviation, whether it’s law, whether it’s housekeeping (or) mopping, … God knows best,” Lassez said. GRAF is a feature reporter.
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Liberty Champion | September 9, 2014 | B7
Elizabeth Fry | Liberty Champion
Amber Lachniet | Liberty Champion
VIRAL — A student-filmed video of snowboarder Jason Anderson on top of Snowflex hit the internet and quickly gained popularity.
Showcasing Snowflex Video of snowboarder’s talents captures the attention of major websites Shae Weyant sleitz@liberty.edu Emily Brown erbrown@liberty.edu
After five years of operation, the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre (LMSC) is still receiving attention thanks in part to the talents of Jason Anderson and Isaac Gibson. During the summer, Anderson, an LMSC employee who works at the facility during the non-peak skiing and snowboarding months, and Gibson, a senior graphic design major minoring in cinematic arts, collaborated to put together a video featuring the unique facility. Much to their surprise, the video went viral,
gaining more than 60,000 hits and 4,500 likes in one week, according to a Liberty University News Service article. “I definitely did not expect the video to do as well as it did,” Gibson said. “I was thinking if the video got 10,000 views I would be stoked. … I was completely blown away.” According to Gibson, the video was also posted to four of the most popular snowboarding websites and also gained the title of most popular video of the week on Snowboarder Magazine. “The video ended up on a lot of rad major snowboarding websites, which was pretty wild,” Anderson said. According to Anderson, he and Gibson only met in the summer and quickly became friends. Each of them utilized
After Gibson finished the original filming stages, Anderson edited and posted the completed production on Vimeo, where it quickly gained viewers. “Isaac is incredibly humble about his amazing filming and editing talent, and such an awesome guy to work with,” Anderson said. With all the attention the video has received, Gibson said he believes that more people will be aware of Snowflex and all it has to offer. For more information on LMSC, visit liberty.edu/snowflex. WEYANT is a feature reporter. BROWN is the editor-in-chief.
Comic genius
ROAM continued from B8 County, 45 minutes from campus, Crabtree Falls is the highest waterfall East of the Mississippi, as stated by the website virginia.gov. Dropping 1,200 feet over a series of five major cascades, the falls can be enjoyed from a wide, gentle path to the base. The more adventurous hiker will be tempted to continue up the threemile-long trail, which promises spectacular views of the waterfalls, as well as wide vistas of the Tye River Valley. Panther Falls is another of Virginia’s hidden treasures. The falls were the destination of a Liberty brother-sister dorm outing two weekends ago. Jessica Trotter, a resident of the Annex and a freshman at Liberty, went on the trip and had a great time. “I think everyone should go and enjoy it with friends,” Trotter said. The site, according to swimmingholes.org, stands out due to its “beautiful falls with several deep swimming places.” However, it is advised that only the lowest pool is used for swimming and that visitors should stay off all other falls, as slippery conditions, hidden rocks and fast currents render the rest of the falls highly dangerous. The falls are about an hour’s drive from campus, an hour which Trotter said “flew by” because the students were having so much fun together. Once they arrived, it was only a 5 to 10-minute hike to the falls,
their skills to put together the video. With the experience Gibson gained in his cinematic arts classes, he strung together several clips of Anderson landing tricks on the apparatus at Snowflex. “I have always had a fascination in cameras, whether it be for photography or video,” Gibson said. “There is something special about capturing an image through the lens of a camera.” According to Anderson, his snowboarding skills have their origin in a trip he took to Massanutten Lodge in McGaheysville, Virginia, when he was 12 years old. For Anderson, the trip triggers memories of when he first began to love the sport. In the video, Anderson performs several tricks, including aerial stunts and jumps, on Snowflex’s ramps and rail features.
Artist to display his work at Liberty Jen Kujawsk jkujawski@liberty.edu
Christieanna Apon| Liberty Champion
HIKE — Students relax and enjoy the view . according to Trotter. Dozens of other activities are available for the outdoor enthusiast, including kayaking on the James River, hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail, or exploring the Liberty Mountain Trail System on campus. Jimmy Slyby and Jordan West, freshmen at Liberty, did just that on a recent Saturday. “The trails were beautiful and worn. … They would have been even more beautiful had we known which way was North,” Slyby said, reflecting on the two and a half hours spent wandering through the woods on what should have been a 25-minute hike. Outdoor adventures like this one can strengthen legs, lungs and friendships,
as West and Slyby will attest. Botzenhart said that the trails allow her to destress, pray for people that come to mind and admire God’s creation. Botzenhart also recalled escaping north to Shenandoah National Park and being left breathless by the views. “Our God took good care to create a world that we could delight in,” Botzenhart said. For more information on parks, trails and directions, visit lynchburgva.gov or virginia.org.
The new Liberty University Art Gallery will soon be hosting the work of renowned comic book artist Sergio Cariello, a man known for his work with big-name companies. His résumé features drawing famous characters including Wolverine, Captain America, Hulk, Ironman, Batman and many others. In his career, Cariello has worked for DC and Marvel comics and even developed a graphic Bible that has sold approximately 800,000 copies worldwide. His “Story of Jesus Booklet” animates the gospel and has been freely distributed to more than 39 million children around the globe in various languages. Those involved in the ex-
hibit are looking forward to having Cariello display his work at Liberty and get students excited about different forms of art. Gallery assistant Chelsea Bevins said the department is thrilled to host Cariello and the opportunity to attract more students to the gallery. After comic book artist Lee Weeks’ works were displayed last year, Liberty has been looking into bringing more similar talent to inspire students to shine using their God-given talents in real-world fields they plan to enter. Chair of the Studio and Digital Arts department Todd Smith estimates opening night will bring in at least 500 students — the same number that showed up to the Weeks exhibit last year. The exhibit is open to the public, and department
officials hope it will attract comic book fans from all over Virginia and North Carolina. Those who plan on visiting the exhibit can expect to see a large variety of pieces both from Cariello’s Marvel and DC work as well as pieces from the Action Bible. The exhibit will open Sept. 18 and will remain open until Nov. 8. The opening ceremony will take place Sept. 18 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. where Cariello will be selling and signing prints. Cariello will also be speaking in a forum about his life experience in the comic book world Sept. 17 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in room 4040 in DeMoss Hall.
KUJAWSKI is a feature reporter.
RIEGEL is a feature reporter.
Sergio Cariello
ACTION — Sergio Cariello has illustrated many famous superhero characters.
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September 9, 2014
Early price Winterfest tickets on sale Mary Helen Norris mhnorris@liberty.edu
Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion
ADVENTURE — Lynchburg and the surrounding areas offer opportunities to catch a breath of fresh air.
Venture off campus
Students can explore many parks and trails around the area Leanne Riegel lriegel@liberty.edu
Lynchburg, Virginia, is home to more than just Liberty University. Beyond the bounds of campus, recreational activities abound. The James River Heritage Trail network, described by lynchburgva.-gov as the city’s “greatest asset,” is a 10-minute drive from campus, and offers tree-shaded avenues for running, walking, and biking. Park the car at Percival’s Island or one of seven other access points and take advantage of 21 miles of mostly flat paths.
Karin Botzenhart, Lynchburg resident and recent Liberty graduate, said her “craving for exercise and adventure” is satisfied by a 13mile bike ride on the Blackwater Creek Bikeway. “After a long day at work, these trails offer relief to my stresses,” Botzenhart said. “The trails travel through miles of urban greenery and are a hidden treasure right in the heart of the city.” Bikes can be rented from Bikes Unlimited Downtown Riverfront for $12 an hour. The shop is located at the junction of the Blackwater Creek and Riverwalk trails, which its website calls “the perfect
place to hop on a bike and explore the trails.” Hiking is another of Botzenhart’s favorite activities. “With the Blue Ridge Mountains so close by, the temptation is always there to go out and get lost on an adventure in the woods,” Botzenhart said. Sharp Top Mountain, visible from Liberty’s campus, “provides a spectacular panorama from the top,” according to Botzenhart. Located in Bedford, Virginia, it is within an hour’s drive of campus. Lynchburg also plays host to a variety of parks. One of these, Riverside Park, is 14 minutes from
Liberty and boasts tennis and basketball courts, a sprayground, as well as the first dedicated hiking trail in Lynchburg. Created in the 1920s, the mile-long Alpine Trail offers a steep loop overlooking the James River, according to the Lynchburg city site. Waterfall lovers will be pleased to know that Virginia is host to 42 waterfalls, as tallied by geology.com. Located in Nelson
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While it may seem early to be thinking about the best way to ring in the New Year, Winterfest tickets are currently on sale at the super early bird price. Winterfest is a Liberty tradition, and 2014 marks its 14th year, according to Liberty’s website. Bands like Skillet, For King and Country and Newsboys will be playing in the Vines Center Dec. 30-31. “Strictly from the concert standpoint, it’s a great value,” Liberty alumnus David Baldwin said. Baldwin worked security for the 2005 event. According to Liberty’s website, 80 Liberty students volunteer every year. On both days, Winterfest will be presenting Artist Question and Answers in the afternoon before doors open. The concerts begin at 6 p.m. both nights and go until midnight. According to Liberty’s website, annual attendance is about 8,000 people, but thanks to the expansion of the Vines Center this year with 1,400 additional seats, Winterfest is able to offer more tickets to the event. Ordering tickets before Sept. 22, allows for savings of 25 percent off the price of admission, making general admission tickets only $68, according to Winterfest’s website. Winterfest will also be streaming the Lynchburg event online. More information about how to access the live stream will be added to the Winterfest website in the days leading up to the event. Tickets are available at the event’s website, libertywinterfest.com.
NORRIS is a feature reporter.
Festival heads to Lynchburg Get! Downtown offers a variety of music and vendors for locals to enjoy Olivia Brown obrown5@liberty.edu
For the past five years, six blocks in downtown Lynchburg have been closed off for a single day to make room for the annual Get! Downtown Street Festival. The sixth annual event will take place Sept. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature four stages for musical entertainment, food vendors, more than 120 local businesses and a variety of street performers, including face-painters, stilt-walkers and jugglers. The event will stretch from 13th Street to 7th Street. “This year’s festival welcomes Aerialist Robin Bryant as she suspends 20 feet in the air at the Community Market; the steel drum
band, Skiffle, all the way from Trinidad; a live video broadcast of the entire event over livestreamlynchburg.com; and an expanded festival block sponsored by Genworth Financial,” Event Coordinator Tabitha Abbott wrote in a press release of the event. Abbott was a Get! Downtown street vendor for the past two years before she was asked to coordinate this year’s festival. She said the best part of each event is getting to see all of the different attractions. “I enjoy finding out how much talent we have here in Lynchburg,” Abbott said. “From incredible breakdancers to stilt-walkers and amazing bands, Lynchburg has a lot of talent.” More than 10,000 people
attended last year’s event, making Get! Downtown the largest outdoor street festival in Lynchburg, according to the Get! Downtown website. According to Abbott, preparing for an audience this large takes a lot of work. “I have been planning the event since July, but I would honestly have preferred to have started earlier,” Abbott said. “There is a lot to coordinate over six blocks. … It takes a lot of people and support to make this possible.” According to Abbott, Get! Downtown was named for the idea of connecting Lynchburg residents with all of the downtown Lynchburg facilities. “We are encouraging Lynchburg’s colleges,
Ruth Bibby | Liberty Champion
ACTIVITY — Downtown will be filled with food and entertainment. families and general public to come to downtown Lynchburg to patron its businesses and find out more about all of the amenities that downtown Lynchburg has to offer,”
Abbot said. For more information on Get! Downtown and to see a full list of the activities that will be set up on each block, visit getdowntownlynchburgva.com.
For continued updates on the what is happening at Get! Downtown, visit their Facebook page. BROWN is a feature reporter.