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Lynchburg, Virginia

Volume 33 | Issue 1 Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Roanoke shooting

on top of the world

WDBJ7 employees killed in tragedy Nate Haywood nahaywood@liberty.edu

Two WDBJ7 employees were murdered during a live broadcast in Roanoke, Va., Wednesday Aug. 26. Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were the two deceased. According to NBCnews.com, the two were conducting an interview with Chamber of Commerce executive Vicki Gardner Wednesday morning. It was during that interview when a gunman identified as former WDBJ7 employee Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41—also known as Bryce Williams, his on-air name—fired multiple rounds at the WDBJ7 employees, killing them. Gardner was also caught in the crossfire, but her wounds were not fatal. She was quickly transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, per multiple reports. Gardner had successful surgery, and is currently stable. Virginia State Police pursued the shooter after spotting his vehicle on Interstate 66. Flanagan’s vehicle crashed. After the crash, he was found with a seemingly self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to further reports, he was transported to a nearby hospital where he died. The motive behind the shooting is not certain. Flanagan, a gay, African American male, faxed a 23-page manifesto stating that he had been subjected to racial and sexual discrimination from the deceased. The manifesto entitled “Suicide note for friends and family” detailed his plan to kill. The title alone indicated he intended to kill himself as well. Vigils and memorial services have been held in honor of Parker and Ward at many locations including Parker’s Alma mater (James Madison University) and in front of the WDBJ7 studio in Roanoke. Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.

EXCITEMENT — Students enjoyed the carnival rides at the annual Student Activities Block Party.

Convo changes take effect The Office of Spiritual Progams aims to make gatherings more meaningful Taylor Frost tfrost2@liberty.edu

Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Programs decided to make changes to the threetimes-a-week gathering that attracts some of the most recognized leaders around the world, hoping to provide an even greater learning experience for the thousands of students that attend Convocation. According to Daniel Bolton, director of Spiritual Programs, because classes now begin at 8:15 a.m. instead of 7:40 a.m., Convocation will begin later as well. In addition, there is no longer Convocation on the first Monday of each month. “The Office of Spiritual Programs and the Provost Office have been working together to make

everything fit … so that this will be a win for all,” Bolton said. “Because the class schedule has changed, we can have more time for Convocation.” Convocation will now be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Bolton explained that adding an extra 15 minutes to Convocation will allow students to have more access to speakers and more time to listen to some of the world’s most influential leaders. “I think that lengthening the time slot will be beneficial because the time is already factored into the schedule of our classes, so it just provides more structure for Liberty students,” junior Tyler Bernas said. Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

See CHANGES, A2

CONGREGATING — Students made their way to the Vines Center for the first Convocation of the fall semester.

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

News

Campus bus routes change to create new traffic patterns.

Opinion A7

A student gives thoughts on the necessity of Christian community. A5

Sports

Feature

Flames men’s soccer defeated Bluefield 2-1 in the season opener. B1

Students gather at Snowflex for sunrise prayer service.

News Opinion

A1 A4

Sports Feature

B1 B5

news

A2 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Kallie Britton| Liberty Champion

LIFT — Students flocked to LaHaye and worked hard to get in shape when they returned to campus this fall.

Living healthy this semester Students sign up for semester-long challenge to encourage positive habits Quinn Foley qfoley@liberty.edu

During the last week of August, the Live Healthy Liberty initiative kicked off a wellness challenge that aims at improving students’ spiritual, mental and physical health. According to the Live Healthy Liberty website, “96% of employees and 91% of students are interested in wellness promotion activities at Liberty. Live Healthy Liberty is a collaborative campus wide effort in response to these findings and our focus is to promote holistic well-being.” Jamie Swyers, the associate director of Fitness and Programming at the LaHaye Student Union, said Live Healthy Liberty is a revamped version of the pilot program that ran after spring break last semester. Swyers said that this semester’s campus-wide health challenge is on a larger scale because it is a full semester long and includes more than

80 different events within the challenge period. The event has a maximum of 2,500 people, and Swyers said she would like to fill all of the spots as soon as possible. According to the Live Healthy Liberty website, this year’s partners include the Campus Pastor’s Office, Student Counseling Services, Dining Services, Campus Farm, Student Activities/Outdoor Recreation, Digital Wellness and Liberty Online Communities. Swyers said the challenge runs from Aug. 24 – Dec. 5 and is open to students and Liberty employees, but they compete separately. The challenge allows the top teams, ranging from four to eight people, as well as the top three individual participants to win prizes that total more than $700 combined. According to the Live Healthy Liberty Website, prizes include gift cards, campus farm produce, personal training packages, race vouchers, T-shirts, workout gear and other

various prizes. “Students and employees will log in with their Liberty ID and receive points for exercise, nutrition and wellness,” Swyers said. “Participants will also be able to receive credit for attending wellness-related events on campus.” Swyers said that through the Live Healthy website, participants can track their points and see the leaderboard.

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- Spiritual Emphasis Week 7:30 p.m. | Thomas Road Baptist Church - Trivia Night 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Center - LU Football Fun Friday 12:00 p.m. | Green Hall 1878 - Adventure Challenge 9 p.m. | Camp Hydaway - Outdoor Movie Night 11 p.m. | Williams Stadium - Open Mic Night 7 p.m. | LaHaye Event Center - Dustin Kensure 8:00 p.m. | LaHaye Event Center - Campus Artist Series 8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Center - Fairground Fun Friday 8 p.m. | Green Hall 1878

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Swyers broke down the purpose of Live Healthy Liberty and explained the first goal of the challenge. “One of the purposes of the challenge, and the Live Healthy Liberty initiative as a whole, is to create a community of people invested in creating a culture of wellness at our university.” The second goal of the chal-

lenge is that it serves to connect students and faculty to resources already available to them such as cooking demonstrations and exercise classes, according to Swyers. Swyers explained that the third reason for Live Healthy Liberty is to encourage participants throughout the semester and give them incentive to live healthy. “(Live Healthy Liberty) is a way to encourage students and employees to continue to pursue healthy habits when the semester is stressful or when work is busy and there is a lot going on,” Swyers said. “Initiatives like this give support to individuals as they strive to live a healthy lifestyle- which encompasses more than just physical health, but emotional and spiritual wellness as well.” For more information and to sign up for the challenge, visit Liberty.edu/LiveHealthy.

FOLEY is the asst. news editor.

CHANGES continued from A1 The Office of Spiritual Programs is also hoping to make Convocation more interactive, giving students opportunities to connect with the speakers. “We are planning on having numerous book signings, Q&As and an ice cream reception,” Bolton said. “We want to create multiple avenues for students to meet the guests.” Bolton also confirmed that Convocation has been given more resources by the university. A new LED wall has been installed in the Vines Center, there is a new creative team working for the Office of Spiritual Programs, and there will be more media use this semester during Convocation. “Convocation is distinctive to Liberty,” Bolton said. “There is no place like it in the world that brings in (this) caliber of speakers and provides access to the best and brightest in the world.” Additionally, students will now be allowed to skip one Convocation each semester by notifying their Resident Assistant (RA) in advance, a change brought about by feedback from students. “Students talk, and we lis-

ten,” Bolton said. According to Bolton, this absence policy simply makes sense. Students can miss a specified number of class periods, so they should have that same freedom in regards to Convocation. The Office of Spiritual Programs has also made a few changes regarding Campus Community. Bolton said Campus Community will be releasing an app before the end of the semester that will enable students to receive a list of questions and topics to reflect on, called the recap, created by campus pastors. The recap is designed to be used by Prayer and Life Group Leaders (PLGLs) in their small groups on Wednesday evenings at 10 p.m. Bolton sees the app as framework for PLGLs to use to create conversation within their small group. Ultimately, Bolton hopes all of these changes will lead people to Christ. “We have a greater responsibility,” Bolton said. “We are responsible for sharing the greater vision, goal and purpose to worship Christ.” FROST is a news reporter.

news

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | A3

Liberty Way revised

Changes in wording have been made to the university's Student Honor Code Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

As students returned to campus to begin the 2015-2016 school year, discussion immediately began about the alterations to the Liberty Way, Liberty University’s Student Honor Code. Dr. Mark Hine, senior vice president for Student Affairs, and Robert Mullen, dean of students, said there was one main reason for the adjustments in the wording of the document that every student agrees to abide by when attending the university. “There are some things that we took out of the list because where we are trying to go with the Liberty Way is more of a principled approach to life such that you don’t need a whole big … list of things that say do this and don’t do this,” Hine said. The changes in wording include a new entertainment policy in which students are instructed to use caution when watching movie content rated R or PG-13 and video game content rated M. In terms of relationships, the revised Liberty Way encourages students to make wise decisions on how to conduct themselves. According to the document, students “are encouraged to know and abide by common sense guidelines to avoid the appearance of impropriety.” Hine said there is a standard of appropriateness against which couples need to evaluate their actions. In addition, the wording for the dress code sections for females was adjusted.

Mullen said the dress code was simplified in terms of “modesty, appropriateness and neatness.” Different schools within the university are still allowed to implement their own dress code. Hine and Mullen said the goal of changes in the Liberty Way is to encourage discussion between students. “The Liberty Way is an old document that has been updated from time to time,” Mullen said. “The way it has been enforced and applied has changed over the years, but what was written hasn’t changed necessarily in style and approach. So our student leadership is being taught to have conversations about issues …” Mullen emphasized that some of the rules in the Liberty Way are intentionally ambiguous so that students can have conversations to help each other make decisions. “We still want there to be engagement and conversation if someone is wearing something that is not appropriate,” Hine said. “If an RA goes in a room and sees (students) watching an inappropriate movie, (the) goal is for conversations to happen. …” Mullen said the plan is also to empower student leaders to have the necessary conversations that induce life transformation. “We wanted to put the tools into the hands of student leadership so (those students) wouldn’t come across like cops but more like coaches,” Mullen said. “ … They (can) help students walk through

(and) think through (making) good decisions. If (students) happen to make a really bad decision, there is still enough there to help guide them back into a safe place for them during that time. It’s putting into the hands of student leadership the tools they need to do what they already want to do.” Hine and Mullen said the adjustments to the Liberty Way wording are also to help students grow to become young adults who can make godly decisions in the future. “I think what we are trying to do is equip students for the next step,” Hine said. “If there’s this great big, long list and all (students) know is if (they) follow this list (they) don’t get in trouble, when (they) get out in life (there are not) a lot of lists. … But, there are a lot of decisions that will be made that there’s no list that they can refer to.” Mullen reiterated Hine's sentiments. “Students can begin to make these decisions,” Mullen said. “If we are just telling them do A, B, C and don’t do X, Y, Z, they’re not going to learn to think when they leave here.” Even though the wording of the Liberty Way may have been adjusted for the upcoming school year, Hine and Mullen said Liberty is not changing its goal to train Champions for Christ. “We went at (the changes) with the approach that we wanted to stay mission true,” Hine said. “We did not want to touch

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

DISCUSSION — New changes encourage mentorship between students. in any way things that make Liberty distinct because Liberty is a special place. It is a lifechanging place. If anything, we are taking it in a better direction to do what we really want to accomplish.” RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.

Note from Dr. Mark Hine, senior vice president for Student Affairs: Students returning to campus this fall may have noticed several changes to Liberty’s Honor Code, the Liberty Way. This summer we carefully studied the Liberty Way, listened to feedback and input from students and observed how enforcement was actually taking place. We found that both our students and student leadership were desiring an Honor Code based more upon a personal discipleship relationship than on rote rule enforcement. That is the same approach Jesus took with his students.

As a result, several areas of the Honor Code were revised and updated to focus more upon principles than hard and fast rules. The goal of the revision was not to lower standards, but to elevate our students to a position where they can learn to apply principles to particular life situations and make wise decisions. While there are still certain, clear-cut rules and community expectations, we believe that the process of our students learning to apply life principles will effectively equip them for future life decisions. You may notice

that some of the revisions leave open room for discussion. This was intentional and designed for students and student leadership to enter into discussions about how to make good decisions. Liberty’s Office of Student Conduct is also available to clarify any issue that may be unclear. Additional revisions and clarifications are under consideration, and the administration welcomes feedback from students, faculty and staff.

OPINION

September 1, 2015

Trump: his own achilles Leader of recent Republican presidential polls will not finish the race on top Kimberly Stefanick kmstefanick2@liberty.edu

In the past weeks, one name has continuously found a home in the headlines when discussing the Republican lineup for the 2016 presidential race: Donald Trump. From fiery interviews to taking jabs at media figures, Trump never disappoints when it comes to telling the world how he really feels. One question remains when speaking of his run for the presidency though. Is Trump a real contender, or is his success just a passing fad that is the result of his brash personality and reluctance to conform to social mores? In truth, I believe Trump is just a passing fad. In a lineup of less-than-impressive candidates for the 2016 election on both sides of the field, the American people are looking for someone impetuous who is not afraid to speak his or her mind, and that is Trump in a nutshell. This can be seen no more clearly than in the Fox News debate that took place in Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 6. During the debate on Fox News, Megyn Kelly commented on Trump’s unfiltered mouth in some of her first remarks to him. “Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter,” Kelly said. She then quickly moved to how this action is not without its downsides as he has a history of making disparaging comments about women. “You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals,’” Kelly said. “Only Rosie O’Donnell…” Trump said in response. “If you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me.” Trump did not stop there. On his Twitter account, on Aug. 24, Trump retweeted tweets that described Kelly as a “bimbo” and suggested she should take another vacation. While Kelly was doing her job of analyzing comments made by the candidate hopefuls, Trump took the comments personally and created a scene in which Kelly was his target. With gender equality at such a pivotal place in the world today, such sexist comments cannot be tolerated from a candidate atop the polls of a major political party. His misogynistic views and pettiness are not his only flaws though. Trump also has a

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CAMPAIGNING — Businessman Donald Trump continues to surge in the polls despite his lack of previous political experience. record of making enemies of entire demographics. Many are of the Latino community after Trump’s harsh comments about illegal Mexican immigrants. The immigration problem in the U.S. has been well documented. The Department of Homeland Security’s most recent estimate says there are 11.4 million undocu-

“

United States,” said Trump in a statement according to The Washington Post. “They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” This disrespect for a heritage that many Americans share is uncalled for, and it has turned many Latino Americans against him. Ashley Parker of The New York Times

The American people are purely sending a message to those who want to lead this country that change is needed. — Kimberly Stefanick

mented immigrants in the country. Trump has taken advantage of this fact, making uninformed remarks in order to draw more attention to himself. “The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the

A TES NO Their bodies were not even cold yet. Their family members’ faces were still soaked with tears. Nobody even truly knew what had happened, before social media users took the murHAYWOOD der of reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward and twisted it for their own cause. For those who are not aware, WDBJ7 employees Parker and Ward were simply out doing their jobs as reporters. Little did they know, this would be the last job they would ever have.

reports that many “El Mandril” radio listeners in Los Angeles refer to Trump “simply as Hitler.” While Donald Trump’s quick remarks and harsh mouth have gained him followers so far in the race to 2016, I believe that

The two were broadcasting a live interview when a disgruntled former employee of WDBJ7 fired as many as 17 shots, killing them both and injuring interviewee Vicki Gardner. The shooter later took his own life, leaving Gardner as the only survivor of this tragedy. It was not too long until the media grabbed ahold of this. As I perused through Twitter for updates, what I saw completely baffled me. There were the expected Twitter users offering their condolences and prayers for the families of the deceased. That came as no surprise. However, there were seemingly endless tweets about “needed gun reform,” race issues and even the media as a whole. Heartless and insensitive tweets ranged from “The media is only talking about this because they were white” to “They got what they deserved.” One man, who claims to be an activist for the “African American community” took to Twitter and predicted that the

shooter would be a white man and that the media would do whatever it could to protect his image. When the gunman was confirmed as Vester Flanagan II, a black man, he deleted the completely inaccurate prediction. Gun reform, a very hot social topic in our nation, was also thrown in the mix. Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe was one of a few politicians who pounced on this tragedy and twisted it into almost a validation that gun reform was needed. Essentially, he — along with any other politician who made this incident about guns — made Parker and Ward the poster children for gun reform, before their bodies were even buried. While on the other end of the spectrum, those in favor of guns took to their keyboards and defended guns before even offering a single bit of sympathy to those who just lost a loved one, as if keeping their guns was a more pressing matter than the two people losing their

this momentum will not last. Instead of expressing support for Trump and his “policies,” the American people are purely sending a message to those who want to lead this country that a change is needed. His name comes with notoriety and he is a known businessman and television personality, which increases his popularity, but as America meets the other candidates Trump will fade into the background. Once the American people finish getting their message across about the problems with political correctness they will see Trump for who he really is: a grumpy old man with a lot of money, a loud mouth, big hair, and too much time on his hands.

STEFANICK is an opinion writer.

lives. And if they were not defending guns, they jumped to conclusions, claiming, “‘Liberals’ will come and use this to take our guns!” I have no issue with social media when it is used as a positive tool. But I do have an issue when people use it at the most inappropriate of times and in the most inappropriate of ways. Sometimes, it gives some people a voice when they have no need for one. Two innocent people were just murdered, and people on social media are screaming that the government has somehow “failed” the victims. Down the road, I agree that it may be wise to revisit these tragedies and devise necessary ways to prevent it from happening again. But please, lets mourn the dead before we try to make a point.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICIES & INFO Nate Haywood editor-in-chief

Paul Vandenbosch

Gabriella Fuller graduate assistant

Joel Schmieg asst. sports editor

CONTENT

Amber Tiller

Sarah Rodriguez

sports editor

feature editor

PHOTOGRAPHY

SOCIAL MEDIA

Leah Seavers

Josh Gordon

photography editor

Michela Diddle asst. photography editor DESIGN

news editor

Jacob Clarke copy editor

Quinn Foley asst. news editor

Meighan Thompson

Cierra Carter

graphic designer

copy editor

Sierra Clonch

Lee Sutherland opinion editor

graphic designer

social media manager

Jomer Bunque web manager

ADMINISTRATION Deborah Huff faculty advisor

Omar Adams advertising director

The Champion encourages community members to submit letters to the editor on any subject. Letters should not exceed 400 words and must be typed and signed. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Letters and columns that appear are the opinion of the author solely, not the Champion editorial board or Liberty University.

Send letters to: Liberty Champion Liberty University, Box 2000, Lynchburg, VA 24515 or drop off in DeMoss Hall 1035.

All material submitted becomes property of the Champion. The Champion reserves the right to accept, reject or edit any letter received— according to the Champion stylebook, taste and the Liberty University mission statement. © Copyright 2014 Liberty University, Inc. All Rights Reserved

opinion

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | A5

Republican primaries

Marco Rubio shines in the first Republican debate of the 2016 election cycle

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DEBATE — Quicken Loans Arena hosted the first Republican debate of the primaries as an audience of more than 24 million viewers tuned in around America.

Lee Sutherland lsutherland6@liberty.edu

The 2016 presidential race has officially begun. On Aug. 6, Fox News hosted two Republican debates in Cleveland, Ohio, the sight of the 2016 Republican National Convention. This was an opportunity for the candidates to make a first impression on a national stage, and few took advantage of it. There were two clear winners of the first Republican debate of the 2016 cycle. In the 5 p.m. debate, Carly Fiorina blew viewers away with her confidence and intelligent policy answers. Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, had a number of encouraging media appearances leading up to the first debate but was viewed by many as too good to be true. This outlook was shattered as she handled question after question with grace and poise, showing she was more than a dark horse candidate for the vice-presidency. Charles Krauthammer, from the Washington Post, stated that Fiorina “took the stage and made it her own” and that she was “articulate, knowledgeable, and relentlessly combative.” The other winner coming out of Quick-

en Loans Arena was Senator Marco Rubio. Calm, cool, and collected, Rubio handled every question thrown his way with ease, including an awkwardly worded one from Megyn Kelly on “God.” One of his stronger moments of the debate was his correction of Donald Trump’s faulty assertion that all illegal immigrants are coming from Mexico. “Let me set the record straight. ... The evidence is now clear that the majority of the people coming across the border are not from Mexico,” Rubio said. “They are coming from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.” Rubio left the debate as the favorite to win the nomination in the eyes of many. While Rubio and Fiorina helped their campaigns for the presidency, one candidate hurt himself by having a mediocre performance and being somewhat boring. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush came into the debate with all the name recognition and money a presidential candidate could want. Yet throughout the debate, Bush came across as dull and unenergetic. He had a few strong answers including his expert redirection of a Common Core question meant to trip him up. However,

his stumbling over a question on how his older brother, former President George W. Bush, handled the war in Iraq seems to be a reoccurring problem for his campaign. Earlier this summer, Bush was asked a similar question in an interview with Fox News and bumbled his way through a poor response. One would think in light of this, Bush and his campaign would have come up with a strong, go-to answer that would end these questions. Instead, he continues to struggle with a difficult question that will surely not go away if he makes it to the general election. Finally, senator Ted Cruz has become a darling of many grassroots conservatives over the last few years for his attacks of both the Obama Administration and the Republican congressional leadership. Over the summer, Cruz went so far as to accuse Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of telling “a flat-out lie” to the GOP conference on the Export-Import Bank. With this reputation in hand, the senator from Texas was aggressive from the very start of the debate. However, he made one large gaffe in his attack of the Obama Administration’s handling of ISIS. Cruz began by stating that President Obama is “essentially, an apologist” for radical Islam and

then preceded to express his support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s work against the Islamic State. “We need a president that shows the courage that Egypt’s President al-Sisi, a Muslim, [showed] when he called out the radical Islamic terrorists who are threatening the world,” stated Cruz. This is an extremely high compliment to be paying a leader who, Foreign Policy pointed out, killed over 1,000 Egyptian protestors who opposed his administration and overthrew the previous, democratically elected president in July 2013. These types of brash, poorly thought through statements are ones that will hurt the senator’s chances in this tight and competitive campaign. This Republican field is much different from previous cycles. In 2012, there were, at most, three reasonable candidates for the nomination. For the 2016 elections, the group is full of influential governors, senators, and businesspersons that could all take on the presumed Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.

SUTHERLAND is the opinion editor.

New perspective on community As Christians, we are called to love others despite our differences and preferences Rachel Graf rgraf5@liberty.edu

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, ESV). Speaking to his disciples in the Upper Room on the night he was betrayed, Jesus urged his followers to love each other as he loved them. He had just washed their grimy, sweaty, smelly feet and then broke bread and drank wine with them, preparing to show them the full extent of his love. The 12 disciples in that room were all different. They came from different places, were of differing socioeconomic classes and were different ages. Some were fisherman, one was a tax collector, one was a zealot (i.e., a Jew who was willing to defend his people from Rome at any cost) and one betrayed him. They differed in their political ideologies and family lives. Some were married and some were single. Yet, they all had one thing in common: They had all been called by Jesus, invited to be his friends. As I begin my final year at Liberty University, I am thinking about community. The followers of Jesus

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COMMUNITY — Christians are called to love each other as Christ has loved them. that I read about in the New Testament are all unique. No two of them are the same. They have different joys and sorrows, strengths and weaknesses. But they all belong to Jesus. So it is with our community at Liberty. We are all different, and our differences are what make us beautiful. I was convicted and challenged by a sermon I heard preached one Sunday this summer concerning

Christian community. And as much as I hate to admit it, I have had the wrong idea for quite a while now. Yes, Liberty University is a Christian university. But is Liberty University a Christian community? Jesus did not come merely to save individuals, as the pastor I listened to so wisely pointed out. He came to save us as a body. He came to save us as a family. And that is exactly what we are if we are followers of Christ: a family.

Unfortunately, we sometimes treat our families worse than we treat strangers or new acquaintances. Since I am naturally an introvert, it is easy for me to hide and come up with excuses for not getting together with people. It is easy for me to get wrapped up in my own little world as I go through my day. It is easy for me to see people without really seeing them. But that is not how I want to live. And that is not how I am called to live.

I am called to live in community with the people around me because that is what Jesus did. No matter how they look, how they speak, where they are from or what year they are. Christ commands that we love all without distinction. As the pastor who was preaching that Sunday so eloquently put it: Sometimes the only thing I have in common with others is that they love Jesus too. And that should be enough.

As a Christian, I may not always agree with or have everything in common with other Christians. However, it is my duty to follow Christ and to love those around me. If you are reading this and you are a Christian, then we are siblings in Christ. We are journeying together. We are headed to the same eternal home. We will all one day spend eternity together, and all those weird quirks that seemed so odd will no longer matter. We will behold Christ together and worship him together, thanking him not only for saving us as individuals, but for saving us as a family. So as we begin a new year together, let us actually see one another. Let us listen to one another. Let us care for one another. There are no strangers in Christ. Let us not lay aside our differences, but rather embrace them. Let us love one another in spite of them. And my prayer is that we may all become more like Christ for doing so, because we are known by our love for one another. That is the only way a lonely, broken world will see the face of the Savior who invites them to belong.

GRAF is a feature writer.

A6 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

news

Celebrating family

Family Weekend and essay contest give students a chance to thank parents Emma Jane Maurer emaurer@liberty.edu

Parents often sacrifice so their children can attend college, and for the seventh year in a row, students have the opportunity to publicly thank their parents by submitting an essay detailing these sacrifices in the “Outstanding Parent of the Year” contest. “It is an opportunity for parents to be honored and students to say thank you,” Theresa Dunbar, director of Parent and Family Connections, who hosts the event, said. While there is no annual theme for the contest, there are three points students should address in their essays, according to the Parent and Family Connections website. The points include how parents have encouraged and supported their students’ education at Liberty, how they have provided opportunities or made sacrifices for their students or the benefit of others, or something that makes their parents unique. The essay must contain 250-500 words and must be submitted by midnight Sept. 4. In addition to the essay requirements, an undergraduate student must be in good standing with the university in order to nominate one or both parents. Essays will then be judged by a panel of three to five faculty/staff members, with only the students’ identification numbers provided so there is no bias. Judging will take place Sept. 4-8. The winner will be notified by the Parent and Family Connections Office between Sept. 8-9 to determine if parents can attend the ceremony. Attendance is required in order to win. According to Dunbar, the contest winner will receive $100 in Flames Cash and $250 Barnes and Noble book dollars. Their parent(s) will receive a free three-night stay at the Fairfield Inn and Suites, a photo clock to commemorate the event and additional prizes courtesy of the campus bookstore. The winner will be announced during the Family Welcome Reception, which officially kicks off Family Weekend, Sept. 18. Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury will be on hand to assist with the presentation of the award. Now in its 14th year, Family Weekend is an event designed to help families feel connected to their student(s) and Liberty.

“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. “Parents remain involved as they continue to invest financially and emotionally into their student’s education just as they have invested their values and beliefs into their children for the past 18 plus years. Offering this opportunity helps them feel connected to their student and to the university.” Family Weekend will encompass a variety of activities designed to introduce families to Liberty’s campus Sept. 18-20. According to the schedule on the Parent and Family Connections website, families will have the opportunity to attend classes and Convocation with their student(s) on Friday, a book signing with Korie and Sadie Robinson of “Duck Dynasty” fame, a football game against the University of Montana Grizzlies and/or Tenth Avenue North’s “All the Earth is Holy Ground” Tour concert. Alluvion Stage Company’s production of “Sister Act” will also be showing through the weekend. Dunbar encouraged siblings 14 and older to stay in the residence halls. “This allows them the opportunity to experience campus life,” Dunbar said. “Usually they are aspiring to attend Liberty when it’s time for them to pursue their college education. We love keeping it in the Liberty family.” According to Dunbar, the weekend is a method for recruitment and retention. “If the parents and families are encouraged to come visit their students while they’re here, we’re hoping it will increase the opportunity for the students to be successful so they finish all four years at Liberty,” Dunbar said. Dunbar estimates that she currently has 2,200 guests registered for the weekend visiting approximately 500 students. With registration open until Sept. 17, she expects the number to increase to more than 3,000. To register for Family Weekend or to view a complete schedule of activities, visit liberty.edu/parents. Courtney Russo | Liberty Champion

MAURER is a feature reporter.

SPIRIT — Families showed Liberty pride during family weekend last year.

news

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | A7

Building the future New construction projects include science hall, music center and Commons II Jacob Clarke jlclarke3@liberty.edu

Liberty continued its $500 million campus improvement plan this summer as new facilities and a housing location made progress to accommodate the school’s growth. The Science Hall was completed this summer, welcoming new students for fall 2015. The Center for Music and the Worship Arts and the newest residential building, Residential Commons II, are still under construction, though sections of each of the buildings are already in use. Last school year, crews began construction on what will be the Student Center behind DeMoss Hall. Completion is scheduled for fall 2016, according to Dr. Mark Hine, senior vice president for Student Affairs. The first three levels of the Science Hall are dedicated to the department of biology and chemistry, while the terrace level houses the department of health professions. Students began classes in the facility during the spring 2015 semester, and Dr. David DeWitt, chair of the department of biology and chemistry, said the building was fully completed just a few weeks before students returned this year. DeWitt noted how the hall helps complement the science department’s growth with additions like the 300-seat auditorium while providing more research opportunities for students with the six new handson research labs for the department of biology and chemistry. DeWitt is confident that the department is continuing in the right direction. “We have a variety of projects. We have students that are working on projects related to … Alzheimer’s disease, algae biofuels, and chemical synthesis,” DeWitt said. “We have people doing field research as well. This building demonstrates the commitment of the university to scientific research and preparing students for science and health related careers.” The Center for Music and the Worship Arts is expected to be fully completed in time for the spring 2016 semester, but students and faculty are already able to use one wing of the facility. Liberty University

News Service reports that the Center features 50 practice rooms and a 1600-seat concert hall and auditorium. Zachary Monroe, a junior in the artist development program in the school of music, has three classes in the new building this semester and said Liberty is providing music students with the tools they need for success. “It’ll give me a lot of the resources I need, and (the additional practice rooms) will really help with the practice I need,” Monroe said. One of the most anticipated additions is the new recording studio. “I’m super excited about the recording studio. It’s really at the professional level and will give us and the sound technicians the opportunity to hone (our) craft,” Monroe said. The first section of Residential Commons II opened this fall and is already home to hundreds of students, and the second wing is expected to open in time for the upcoming spring semester. According to Liberty University News Service, Residential Commons II will house approximately 1,000 students when completed. It stands next to Residential Commons I, which first opened in the fall of 2014. The Student Center, located directly behind DeMoss Hall, is scheduled to be completed by the time students arrive next fall. “It is a continued effort to add ‘living room’ hang out space for students,” Hine said. “(It is) a place they can go meet with friends, socialize, eat, (and) rest.” Hine said the Student Center will provide those opportunities to students with a new bowling alley, several dining options and a large banquet hall. After adding 4,000 new undergraduate students this year for a total of 14,000 students residentially, Liberty’s new residence halls and facilities are making a way for the school’s continued expansion.

CLARKE is a copy editor.

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

HIGH RISE — Students recently moved into the new Commons II residential hall.

New year, new routes Safety concerns cause campus transit to devise alternate traffic patterns Elizabeth Lapp elapp@liberty.edu

Liberty students were welcomed back to campus with an array of new traffic patterns and bus routes, designed to improve safety and transportation around campus. Chief among the new changes was the construction of the new roundabout at the corner of University Boulevard and Liberty University Drive. The roundabout enables drivers to make left-hand turns while also easing congestion at the intersection. According to the Liberty University News Service, Maggie Cossman, a corporate engineer in Liberty’s Department of Planning and Construction, said the intersection had to be closed to left-hand turns last year because of the traffic backup it caused. With the new roundabout, the ability to make left handturns has been restored while maintaining the flow of traffic. Liberty’s transportation and transit manager, Ted Sweet, has high hopes for the roundabout. “Once everybody figures it out, I think it will work out perfectly,” Sweet said. “The main thing is people getting used to the roundabout.” In addition to the LU logo located in the center of the roundabout, people will also notice its small, flat design. Sweet said the design was intended to reduce the impact the roundabout will have on buses and other large vehicles as they will be able to drive over the roundabout’s edge. This feature will enable them to

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

TRANSIT — Liberty buses started new traffic routes. make the tight corner without causing damage to their vehicles, according to Sweet. Other road changes include the widening and repaving of Hershey Esbenshade Drive, Evans Boulevard and Mountain View Drive in order to make way for the new bus routes. The new routes were laid out to form a clockwise loop around the outer rim of campus. Sweet said these new bus routes were designed to reduce traffic on University Boulevard by diverting a large portion of the traffic to Regents Road. The new 71 bus route contains the most changes from previous years. The new route restored stops to South Campus along South Campus Drive and Ingram Parking Lot while adding new stops at the new Academic Commons Parking Garage and tennis courts. Sweet hopes that this new route will not only ease traffic congestion but will also promote student safety. In addition, there is no longer a stop at the Liberty Bell on

University Boulevard. “At the Liberty Bell, all the kids were actually walking across the road and it was unsafe because they were walking in front of the buses,” Sweet said. “They don’t have to do that anymore because (every stop) is on the door side of the bus.” Sweet did express that there are currently some concerns about the intersection of Liberty University Drive and Regents Road. The added traffic on Liberty University Drive as a result of the roundabout paired with increased bus traffic on Regents Road has caused added congestion at the intersection. However, he is optimistic that everything will move smoothly and the changes will prove beneficial for everyone once both students and faculty become more familiar with the new routes.

LAPP is a news reporter.

news

A8 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

CGE transforms campus Center for Global Engagement prepares for upcoming Global Focus Week Cassandra Steptoe cbsteptoe@liberty.edu

Seeking to “foster a global perspective within the Liberty community,” the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) will host Global Focus Week Sept. 7 -11, according to the CGE website. Featuring an international chocolate tasting, a world music festival and more, the CGE seeks to help Liberty students of all backgrounds and goals reach the world, according to Jonny Williams, coordinator of special projects at the CGE. The CGE is enthusiastic about the improvements and new events at this year’s Global Focus Week. “We are really excited for … an event called Global Talks,” Williams said. “(These will be) a series of talks similar to TED talks … given on global subjects by experts.” According to Williams, those presenting at Global Talks include professor Doug Miller from the cinematic arts department, history and geography professor Dr. Robert Ritchie IV and John Miller, a representative for the environmental mission initiative Eden Vigil. Williams also said that there would be an event Tuesday evening called secret church, but information about the event is not being disclosed at this time. Williams said the goal of Global Focus Week is “to introduce the student body to the concept … that they can use their skills and degrees on the global platform.” Additionally, Global Focus Week serves to expose Liberty students to other cultures and international career fields. “We have Global Focus Week to increase awareness of global issues, organizations and just encourage the idea of other cultures,” Williams said. The CGE staff selects the ministries and organizations that present at Global Focus Week, ensuring that the organizations correlate with Liberty’s “vision, values and doctrine,” according to the CGE website. “We try to choose organizations that we have a relationship with and that offer opportunities for our student body,” Williams said. Global Focus Week unites the student body and encourages students to think on

Cultural Immersion

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

Influenced by the fall 2014 Global Focus Week, sophomore nursing student Leah Wright served on a global trip to Cameroon through CGE. Wright said Global Focus Week inspired her to use her talents on a global scale. The diversity presented at the 2014 Global Expo encouraged her interest in working in a different culture. “You’re living with the (Cameroonian) people with no electricity, the toilet is pretty much a hole in the ground and (it is) just kind of rough,” Wright said. According to the CGE website, the Cameroon team that Wright participated in was able to perform dramas filled with hope as well as provide education on HIV and AIDS . Wright’s experience opened her eyes to international opportunities and strengthened her spiritual walk. Global Focus Week helped Wright to “think a little bit outside the box” and become more aware of different cultures. “It really makes you step out in faith and rely on God,” Wright said. To find more information about how to get involved with an overseas trip visit liberty.edu/academics/globalengagement.

INTERNATIONAL — Campus serves students from across the globe. a global level. “We don’t live in a self-contained environment anymore,” Williams said. “All the cultures of the world are here. You don’t have to go get on a plane and fly to India to meet somebody from India. It could be your co-worker. It could be the person that lives down the street or your classmate.”

In addition to Global Focus Week, the CGE provides internships and retreats to prepare Liberty students for cross-cultural work around the world. To learn more, visit liberty.edu/academics/globalengagement. STEPTOE is a news reporter.

STEPTOE is a news reporter. RODRIGUEZ is the news editor.

SPORTS

September 1, 2015

M. Soccer Liberty

Bluefield

W. Soccer

(2OT) Liberty Tenn.

W. Volleyball Liberty

Farleigh

W. Volleyball Liberty

Field Hockey

Hampton

Liberty

JMU

strong start

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

DEFENSE — Junior transfer defender Kyle Carr maneuvers out of pressure in the first half against Bluefield with Liberty goalkeeper Jeremy Lee giving directions.

Flames batter Rams Two late goals in second half carry Liberty over Bluefield in season opener Kallie Britton kbritton@liberty.edu

Liberty men’s soccer team pulled out a 2-1 victory against the Bluefield Rams in their home opener on Friday August 28. The Flames took the lead in the second half with two goals in the span of 1:09 to solidify the win and earn a 1-0 start to the season. Liberty started the game with a few early chances to score, but not capitalizing resulted in the Rams taking the momentum in the 17th minute. Midfielder Florian Gleissner streaked down the left

wing and took a shot from 25 yards out after not receiving any pressure from the Liberty backline. His shot arched its way up and over redshirt junior goalkeeper Jeremy Lee’s fingertips for an early goal to give the Rams the lead. In the 37th minute, sophomore midfielder Alan Arellano received a pass and attempted to shoot over the opposing goalkeeper only to have it saved. The Flames only other opportunity in the half came from a corner kick in the 44th minute when freshman midfielder Nico Bellarde connected with the corner off his head but the Rams goalkeeper made the save.

As the second half began, the tempo of the game began to increase. As the fans started chanting and cheering, Liberty’s pressure grew stronger. “Everyone was sharp, everyone was tuned in during the second half,” Head Coach Jeff Alder said. The Flames’ renewed intensity resulted in outshooting the Rams, 10-2 in the second half. With the majority of the second half played on the attacking end of the field, the Flames had more opportunities to score. Just seven minutes into the second half, Liberty senior midfielder Khalil Karl ripped

a shot from outside of the box that hit the right post, resulting in one of the Flames seven corner kicks. After many other unsuccessful attempts to score, Liberty finally found the back of the net in the 69th minute. Senior forward Blessing Tahuona gathered a pass from freshman forward Geovanny Murillo in the 18-yard box and drilled a shot into the net, tying the game at one goal apiece.

See BATTER, B3

New hires welcomed

Liberty Athletic Director Jeff Barber brings on three new employees to his staff Luke Dillard mdillard1@liberty.edu

Liberty University Athletics Director Jeff Barber has a mission: to have a top-20 overall athletics program at the Division I level. This summer, he added key employees to the athletics department that he believes will help to accomplish that mission. Barber said the reason for such a desire to reach that kind of athletic prominence is so the name

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

of Christ can be shared. “The reason we want to do that is really two-fold,” Barber said. “We want our program to show Christ to people in the way we compete and to shine the light on the mission of this university.” Barber made it very clear what he was looking for in potential candidates to join the Liberty athletic department. “We’re looking for Christian people that have a high level of experience,” Barber said.

Barber found just that in the three new members of the athletics department. Tim East was hired as the senior associate athletics director for external operations. Lauren Jones was hired as the director of sports nutrition. Eric Overland was hired as the director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports. Each of the new hires has important experience in their field. “They have experience because they’ve seen it done at the highest

level,” Barber said. “All of these people have done their job at a high level. And that’s where we’re trying to take our program.” According to the Liberty Athletics website, East spent more than 20 years with Virginia Tech’s athletic department. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State in 1985 and his Master of Science degree in sports administration from St. Thomas University in 1987. “Tim comes in with a lot of

great experience,” Barber said. “He’s done this before with Virginia Tech. He helped guide them through those waters of growth and expansion and we’re planning on growing and expanding too.” Barber said East will be in charge of several important areas of the department.

See HIRES, B3

W. Soccer vs. ODU

Field Hockey vs. Penn

M. Soccer vs. NC State

Football vs. Del. State

Field Hockey vs. Lafayette

Sept. 3 @ 3 p.m.

Sept. 4 @ 4 p.m.

Sept. 4 @ 7 p.m.

Sept. 5 @ 7 p.m.

Sept. 6 @ 1 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports

B2 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Hello hockey LaHaye gets a makeover Denton Day dday26@liberty.edu

The LaHaye Ice Center is the home to the men’s and women’s hockey teams, the figure skating team and the synchronized skating team. On March 15, that home started to receive a makeover as Liberty began the expansion of the LaHaye Ice Center, and soon that makeover will be complete. The expansion will bring a significant upgrade to the seating in the stadium and will allow a much more comfortable viewing experience for fans. With close to 1,000 chair back seats and 3,200 bleacher style seats, every fan will have a great view of the ice no matter where they are sitting in the stadium, according to assistant director of Club Sports David Semenyna. Due to the angle of the bleachers, fans will no longer have to look around other fans to see the ice. With the expansion, 10 overhead suites were added to the arena. “We’ve increased each side of the rink, the east and the west along with the entrance on the south end, it is about 15 to 20 feet on each side,” assistant director of Club Sports David Semenyna said. “It’s given us a more locker rooms, more storage under the bleachers, a lot more seats and a lot more suites. And it’s given us a better viewing experience for the fans.” The expansion gives each of the hockey teams, the figure skating team and the synchronized skating team their own locker rooms, making practices and basic team storage run more smoothly and efficiently. The arena is also the headquarters for the Club Sports department, which will expand from 32 to 35 programs next fall, according to libertyflames.com. “Hockey is pretty popular on campus,” Semenyna said. “And with five hockey teams and a synchronized skating and figure skating team, there are around 150 student athletes that have to get to use the facility. This is a top notch facility and it will just work better for everyone.” The rink itself is still in use, as the teams are currently using it for practices and tryouts. However, the facility may not be fully functional for a few more months, according to Semenyna. October 23 is the men’s Division I hockey team’s home opener and the arena will be operational, but may not be 100 percent. “This has actually gone a lot quicker than it normally should and (the workers) have done a lot of work in a short period of time,” Semenyna said. “As of right now, it looks like we are on schedule to hit most of our target dates. Our hope is that it will be fully functional by opening night but it is going to come down to the wire.” The grand opening of the new arena will be on October 23 as the men’s Division III hockey team takes on James Madison University at 2 p.m. and the Division I team takes on Davenport University at 7 p.m.

DAY is a sports reporter.

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

TRENCHES — Liberty Flames football team sets up for a goal-line push against Richmond in the 2014 Homecoming game.

Football returns Breaking down the new season for LU and the Big South

Paul Vandenbosch prvandenbosch@liberty.edu Joel Schmieg jaschmieg@liberty.edu

Liberty Preview: Following the most successful season in program history, the Liberty Flames football team will begin regular season action Saturday Sept. 5 as it hosts Delaware State in Williams Stadium. Liberty comes into this season ranked No. 14 in the FCS Coaches Poll, according to ncaa.com, which is the highest preseason ranking for the team since 1996, when it was ranked No. 9 in the Sports Network poll. The Flames have five home games slated for the 2015 season, including bouts with two ranked FCS opponents – Liberty’s arch rival No. 5 Coastal Carolina (Nov. 19) and No. 12 Montana (Sept. 15). As it continues its climb up the FCS ladder, Liberty also scheduled two FBS opponents for this year — West Virginia and Georgia State. The Flames will travel to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineers Sept. 12 and will visit the Panthers in Atlanta Oct. 3. Conference play will

“

touchdowns), according to the Liberty Flames Record Book. Woodrum’s favorite target, All-American wide receiver Darrin Peterson, is in position to break a few records of his own. Peterson, a senior, is only 449 yards away from breaking Chris Summers all-time receiving yards record (2,712). He is also just 42 catches away from breaking the all-time receptions record (188) and eight touchdowns away from breaking the alltime touchdown record (27), which are both held by Summers. Rejoining the Liberty offense this season will be red shirt senior running back Desmond Rice, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. The year prior (2013), Rice ran for 967 yards and logged the second-most rushing touchdowns in a single season in program history (16), according to libertyflames.com. Rice is listed as the starting running back ahead of senior D.J. Abnar, who filled in brilliantly for the injured Rice in 2014, rushing for 1,289 yards and 15 touchdowns. With both running backs at full strength, the Flames boast what could be a potent rushing attack. Defensively, Liberty is led by senior defensive end Chima Uzowihe, whose field

We started something. We made history last year, but we don’t want it to end there. — CHIMA UZOWIHE

begin Oct. 10 when the Flames play the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on the road. Having had many key players graduate this offseason, the Flames responded by adding a solid recruiting class of 14 players in the spring. However, the task of building on last season’s playoff run will remain with the upperclassmen, as only two freshmen are listed as starters on the latest depth chart released by Flames Head Coach Turner Gill Aug. 26. Senior quarterback Josh Woodrum, who will become the first four-year starting quarterback in the program since 1992, when Robby Justino started his fourth season as quarterback, will guide Liberty’s offense yet again this season. Woodrum stands to break nearly all of Justino’s records during the 2015 campaign. He currently ranks second in program history with 7,494 career passing yards and is tied for third with 49 career passing touchdowns. Justino holds the career program record in both categories (9,548 career passing yards and 64 career passing

goal block in last year’s season finale at Coastal Carolina sent the Flames to their first-ever playoff appearance. Uzowihe and the Flames defense will be tested early this season against a team such as West Virginia, which was ranked 12th in the country in total offense and 9th in passing offense last season, according to ESPN Stats. “We started something,” Uzowihe said at Big South media day. “We made history last year, but we don’t want it to end there,” Liberty has also started to garner national attention, especially concerning its rivalry with Coastal Carolina. In 10 of the last 11 seasons, either Liberty or Coastal Carolina has won at least a share of the Big South title. This year’s matchup between the Flames and the Chanticleers will be the final regular season game for each team and will be aired on ESPNEWS. The game has also been moved from Saturday, Nov. 21 to Thursday, Nov. 19, because of Thanksgiving break beginning for students Nov. 21. Last season’s playoff run made

Liberty much more relevant in the realm of FCS football, but that was last year. With a new season comes new expectations and new challenges, and the Flames, like any other team, will have their share of those. So buckle up, Flames fans, as another exciting season of Flames football begins Saturday. Big South Preview: While people may think they know the Big South, this is not the same old football conference many have grown accustomed to. This year the Big South not only added a new member in Kennesaw State, but it also has two teams, Coastal Carolina and Liberty, in the Preseason top 25 FCS polls for the first time in its history according to bigsouthsports.com. Just because the favorites are obvious, does not mean that the other Big South teams will not come ready to compete. Charleston Southern is the only other Big South team that received votes in the preseason top 25 polls and they are the team that beat Liberty a week before the Flames turned around and upset the number one team in the country last year. If looking for a realistic team to dethrone Coastal and Liberty, look no further than Charleston Southern. Kennesaw State is the new guy at the table and it ranks last in the preseason Big South rankings, but do not expect them to stay quiet for long. The Owls have already sold out their 8200-seat stadium for their inaugural football game in September, according to ksuowls.com and they will get the chance to make some noise as they play both of the Big South powerhouse teams on the road. A win in either game would be monumental in paving the way for the Owls in years to come. Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and Monmouth make up teams four through six respectively in the Big South preseason poll, but anything can happen this year in the Big South. Coastal Carolina red shirt-senior quarterback Alex Ross was voted the Big South Conference’s 2015 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Gardner-Webb senior defensive lineman O.J. Mau was voted the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor. SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.

sports

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | B3

This season in college football, there are many things to get excited about, but I am most excited for one thing in particular. Two words: Trevone AUL Boykin. Texas Christian VANDENBOSCH University’s senior quarterback and his offense could be the most exciting in all of college football this season. Boykin is smart, fast and has a lively arm that makes him a thrill to watch. Plus, he takes good care of the football, throwing 33 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions in 2014. So if you happen to be flipping through channels on a Saturday and you land on a TCU game, I urge to stop and give that game a look – I promise you will not regret it. My bold prediction for this season is Oregon returning to the College Football Playoff. Now pick your jaws up off the floor and here me out. Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams was recently named Oregon’s starting quarterback, beating out junior Jeff Lockie, Marcus Mariota’s backup for the past two seasons. Adams, a senior, joined Oregon after throwing for 3,483 yards and 35 touchdowns in the best season of his collegiate career in 2014. Adams will also have a solid supporting cast around him, especially

HIRES continued from B1 “His job will be to oversee all of our external areas (such as) ticketing, game sponsorship, the Flames Club, development, fundraising, (and) television,” Barber said. “He will oversee all of those for us and really do two things: have oversight over the efforts of the external areas and also drive them to be better.” Barber knows that every major athletic department in the country

defensively, where the Ducks could potentially start all seniors in their front seven. The National Champion will be the TCU Horned Frogs. I know, it seems almost idiotic to not pick Ohio State, but bear with me. The Horned Frogs come into this season ranked No. 2 in the nation, and for some teams, that pressure might be too great, but not Gary Patterson’s team. They are 19-1 as a top-five team under Patterson, and this year’s squad makes it seem like that trend will not be ending anytime soon. Also, remember how they got snubbed from the College Football Playoff last year? Yeah, so do they. The Frogs have a chip on their shoulder and are out to prove themselves in 2015. At the moment, their only games against ranked opponents this season come in their last two games (Nov. 21 at Oklahoma and Nov. 27 against Baylor), and there is more than a good chance that they could run the table in the regular season. If that happens, you can bet they will not be ignored this time. When given their chance, they will emerge as champions. VANDENBOSCH is the sports editor.

has its own nutrition expert and a top priority of his was to hire one for the Flames. He did just that with Jones. Jones has experience working with college and Olympic athletes. She is a member of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association as well as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics from Kent State in 2011 and her Master of Science degree in Sports Nutrition from the Uni-

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

BATTER continued from B1 Just 69 seconds after their first goal, the Flames continued attacking Bluefield when red shirt sophomore midfielder Kurt Meyers received the ball on the right wing and raced past the defender. Meyers crossed the ball into senior forward Tyler Bullock who nailed a shot into the upper right corner of the net, giving Liberty the 2-1 lead. Meyers is not a starter for the Flames, but he has seen extensive play time after being sidelined much of last year with an injury. The Rams were not able to mount any serious attack on the Flames as Liberty maintained the lead for the remainder of the half, dominating possession on the field until the final whistle. The Flames credit their victory to their determination and composure despite being down 1-0 at the half.

in the upcoming football season, but in choosing one, I decided to keep it simple. I am excited for football. Period. Since football ended seven months ago, I have hesitantly watched the NBA playoffs, the Women’s World Cup, the Masters, the MLB All-Star game and a few MLS games. At one point, I even briefly considered watching a WNBA game. The point is none of those things are football. They do not even come close most of the time. The very first NFL preseason game of the year drew higher ratings than championship games in the NBA and MLB, according to profootballtalk. So to put it simply, football is back and I could not be happier. At least until my favorite teams start losing. My bold prediction for this season is that Georgia will finally find a way to keep from choking and will finish on top of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for only the third time in over 30 years. The Bulldogs are an interesting team. In fact, they are one of the only SEC teams that do not make me cringe. Unfortunately for UGA, I feel as though they will never make it over the hump with Mark Richt. I cannot deny that Coach Mark Richt is a winner — he has the

versity of Colorado - Colorado Springs in 2013. “There are not a lot of schools that provide a full-time sports dietician,” Barber said. “We’re very fortunate that we are one of them.” Barber hired Overland to oversee strength and conditioning for the Olympic sports teams on campus. “Eric is going to come in and oversee 19 sports,” Barber said. “He will have the opportunity to … be very invested

UNDER PRESSURE — Sophomore midfielder Bay Kurtz shields ball at half-field. “The second half we definitely came out knowing we needed to step it up a lot,” Bullock said. “So we just shook off the first half and came out a lot harder and we were more determined than the other team.” Much of the composure displayed was a result from the senior leadership on the team. Liberty has the advantage of returning eight seniors, which have each provided both leadership and experience. “We showed some great poise to come back and find two goals and I think a lot of that is because we have good senior leadership,” Alder said. Almost a year ago exactly, Liberty battled Bluefield to the same 2-1 result. Liberty will hit the road to Williamsburg, Virginia, for its next game Sept. 1 against William & Mary.

BRITTON is a sports reporter.

I am excited for many things

best winning percentage of any UGA coach since the 1800s, the thing I can deny is that Richt will ever win the big one. The Bulldogs have never played in the na- OEL tional championship un- SCHMIEG der Richt, let alone won it, so while Georgia will win the SEC and make it to the second college football playoff, its season will end soon after. I will now make the safest prediction in the history of sports. The Ohio State Buckeyes will repeat as National Champions, and Urban Meyer will become the greatest college football coach of all-time. The Buckeyes are predicted to win every game this season by double digits, according to espn, and for good reason. They are so loaded—it almost isn’t fair for the rest of college football. Barrett, Jones, Miller and Elliott. Add to that the best defensive player in the country, Joey Bosa, and Ohio State becomes a team that could only be beat by one team ... themselves. If you think about it, that is actually pretty scary. Joey Bosa versus Joey Bosa. Who will win? Editors note: stats acquired from sportsreference.com unless otherwise noted. SCHMIEG is the asst. sports editor.

in each of them.” Overland earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history at Winona State in Winona, Minnesota, where he later worked as the associate director of strength and conditioning before God called him to Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, as the director of strength and conditioning. “Eric brings great experience,” Barber said. “When I called some of the coaches at Abilene about him, they were like, ‘Please don’t take him away from us.’ He’s really

a strong Christian guy who is passionate about strength and conditioning and loves the kids.” Barber believes that these hires will allow him to focus more on getting Liberty football to the highest level, FBS. “I want to be the best in the country in everything we do,” Barber said. “I want us to be the best because that’s what I think God wants us to do.” DILLARD is a sports reporter.

sports

B4 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

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feature

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | B5

Kallie Britton | Liberty Champion

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY — Students at Liberty have the chance not only to enjoy on-campus dining, but to help administration by suggesting new venues and choices.

Students shape dining

Sodexo club allows students to interact, critique and effect campus eateries Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu

Liberty’s campus has recently undergone several major changes, including the Jerry Falwell Library and the LaHaye Student Union, both completed in 2014. However, the campus’ large-scale construction projects are not the only transformation on campus. One such area of continued growth on campus can be seen in Sodexo, the food servicGUISE ing corporation that represents Liberty. Sodexo’s official website wrote that the French-based international food giant has undergone many developments since its debut with Liberty. These changes and more are in a large part caused by Liberty’s branch of the Student Board of Directors (SBOD). According to Casey Guise, Unit Marketing Coordinator for Sodexo, the SBOD is a group of students who meet to discuss the dining options on campus. The group’s goal is to not only give a voice to those students on campus concerning dining at

PRAYING continued from B8 Kelsey Baker, an associate director of the Office of Student Leadership, organized the event and oversaw the progression of the morning. She opened and closed the morning as well as casted the vision for the event. “It’s about focusing our heart’s attention and affection on the Lord at the beginning of the year,” Baker said. In previous years, students with their respective residence halls would par-

Liberty, but to also ensure high standards and high quality at every dining location on campus. “We [the SBOD] get to see the change to dining on campus,” senior SBOD member Audrey Bamford said. “The decisions we make directly affect the student body. We believe that students should take more advantage of having

“

the addition of the training table that makes it what it is now.” According to Guise, the SBOD helped engineer the food truck on campus idea as well, and played a role in the Reber-Thomas Dining Hall being voted the best college dining hall in the country as calculated by bestcolleges.com. “The Student Board of Directors is in-

There’s nothing like seeing a dining location through the eyes of a customer. -CASEY GUISE

their voice heard to make a difference.” Guise said the improvements being made include ensuring better customer service for students to more innovative ideas such as more franchises or dining options to be added to the campus. The SBOD is responsible for proposing a vast majority of the decisions that affect dining at Liberty. “I’ve been a part of the SBOD for about two-and-a-half years now,” Bamford said. “I’ve been able to witness a lot of great changes to Reber (Thomas Dining Hall) like nutritional changes and

volved in a lot of decisions regarding student dining,” Guise said. “There’s nothing like seeing a dining location through the eyes of a customer. The SBOD allows us to do this.” To bring about such advances to the dining at Liberty, Guise noted students who are a part of the SBOD participate in a secret shopper program where they dine at different locations at Liberty to grade them on customer service, quality and the overall dining experience. Students posing as the secret shopper will often intentionally complain about the

food or a dining experience to a worker or manager to test the location on its overall service and ability to handle a dissatisfied customer. Such tactics help give the students on the SBOD a better look into how a dining location operates, the location’s overall dining experience and allow students an opportunity to look at tangible solutions to improve any dining situation when problems arise. Ultimately, according to Guise, the SBOD at Liberty exists to be a representative for the rest of the student body, and to prioritize student health and satisfaction at every dining option on campus. “The SBOD offers a different voice for the students at Liberty,” Guise said. “They collaborate and decide on important decisions so that the rest of the student body can benefit.” To find out more about the Student Body of Directors program visit and apply at www.forstudentsbystudents.com.

YOUNG is a feature reporter.

ticipate for an hour in an organized prayer event known as All Night of Prayer. This year, ARISE gave the opportunity for the entire student body to come together as one and give up sleeping in on a Saturday to worship together. ARISE also kicked off the beginning of Spiritual Emphasis Week, which will welcome back Clayton King to speak in Convocation Sept. 2.

PIERCE is a feature reporter.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

ATTITUDE OF REVERENCE — Students gathered together to devote the semester to God through prayer and worship.

feature

B6 | September 1, 2015 | Liberty Champion

Market serves students Sodexo’s second annual event showcases local businesses and vendors Dominique Howerton dhowerton5@liberty.edu

As students and faculty settle themselves into a new semester, vendors at Liberty’s Farmer’s Market welcome returning students with anticipation. The farmer’s market serves hundreds of students and Lynchburg residents a variety of goods ranging from homemade dog treats to personalized accessories. The Barbeque Bistro of Lynchburg is one of many businesses present at the farmer’s market. Owner J.R. Revely explained the origins of his barbecue business and how his father played a large part. “My dad (who is) retired military … (was) off for the summer,” Revely said. “He kept waking me up at eight o’clock (in the morning) so I said, ‘you have too much time on your hands, let’s do a barbecue,’ and that was how we started our barbecue food truck that we had open all summer.” Another vendor, Elizabeth Keating, was inspired to begin her business Aprons for Asia after a mission trip to East Asia. “I needed to raise money for this (mission) trip (to east Asia) that was coming up in the summer,” Keating said. “I was praying about what I should do and my mom is a seamstress so she donated all these fabrics to me. I had already made the apron I’m wearing and I remembered that was pretty easy, so I figured I could sell these.” In addition to local businesses, the farmer’s market also hosts local food trucks. Rebecca Bennett can often be seen inside the Uprooted Food Truck, an expansion of the local store, The Corner Market. “It all started on a farm in Gladys, Virginia,” Bennett said. “That is actually my family’s farm. We started raising organic beef, pork and poultry and marketing it directly to cut out the middleman and then as the

business grew, we sold at different farmers markets and made a name for ourselves. Last year, we opened The Corner Market and about a month and a half ago we opened the food truck.” Another regular vendor, Jessica Borneman, owner of Tanker Tots LLC, has a unique business at the market — dog treats. According to Borneman, the business was born after discovering that their pet dog Tank had several food allergies. “We came up with the recipe on our own and it is unique to the industry,” Borneman said. “It has millet, sweet potato and egg with no additives in the food.” Though filled with vendors from the surrounding area, the farmer’s market is not without its own Liberty ties. Sodexo, the official food provider on campus, both hosts and participates in the market. “Liberty’s farmer’s market is sponsored by Sodexo in that we provide coordination for all the vendors,” Unit Marketing Coordinator for Sodexo Casey Guise said. “It is all coordinated mainly by the Sodexo district manager, Anthony Delligatti, who has a passion for farmers markets.” In addition to the farmer’s market, Sodexo will also be sponsoring a craft fair this semester. “In December, Sodexo will host the Liberty Craft Fair,” Guise said. “We did this last year and it was a hit, so there will be another opportunity for those and even more vendors to sell their products.” The Liberty Farmer’s Market is open every Thursday from 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. until Nov. 12 in the Doc’s Diner parking lot. Interested businesses can email anthony.delligatti@sodexo.com for more information regarding setting up a booth.

HOWERTON is a feature reporter.

RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion

MOBILE — While others companies use booths and tables, food trucks are also a part of the experience.

RJ Goodwin | Liberty Champion

SPECIALTY — Vendors such as Golf Park Coffee Company branched out to potential customers.

Rock the block party Student Activities hosts its annual event to kickstart the new school year

Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu

Travel north down University Boulevard, and a heavy amount of construction on the LaHaye Ice Rink is generally the only reason to stop and stare. Saturday, Aug. 29 though, past the fences holding dozers and dirt, the LaHaye Student Union parking lot bustled with students instead of cars as the annual Student Activities (SA) Block Party kicked off the new school year. The stage, set up in the corner of the parking lot closest to Williams Stadium, provided space for students and faculty to browse around some of the LaHaye Student Union parking lot filled with stations featuring carnival rides, inflatable obstacles, and booths with games like ring-toss, and Liberty-sanctioned clubs. The Student Government Association (SGA), organized for all of Liberty’s clubs to participate in the event, according to SGA President Quincy Thompson. “From an SGA perspective, we’ve had a lot of club participation,” Thompson said. “So (many) more clubs are at this Block Party than in years past … so that’s been really cool to see, getting students

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

ENTERTAINMENT — Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors and the duet JOHNNYSWIM performed for the crowd. interact(ing) with clubs.” Students were able to go directly from one club table to the next as they were lined up on the fence line side by side. Liberty Jujitsu club president Aaron Bonaguide verified that making the clubs more tangible for students helps students weigh their choices when thinking about club participation. “We would love more op-

portunities to do stuff like this,” Bonaguide said. “It’s a really great opportunity to grow the club and to really showcase one aspect of activities that is available to students. … (This event) shows that not only (does Liberty) have big events, but we also have room for your personal interest.” Clubs spanned a spectrum from the Liberty University American Sign

Language Club to the Book Club to the National Guard. Food stands also provided diversity for Block Party attendees. Food options included BBQ, Dominoes, Bahama Snow-Shack, Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts, Golf Park Coffee Company and more. As students and faculty snacked and socialized around the many

tents and tables, many returning Block Party attendees had a thought in the back of their minds — will it rain this year? “Rain or shine, (the block parties are) always fun,” junior Megan Kruse said. In previous years, guests have left concerts drenched from head to toe, but this year the only thing in the night sky was the smoke from the fireworks set

off behind Thomas Road Baptist Church. JOHNNYSWIM and Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors headlined this year’s concert. “Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors (and) JOHNNYSWIM are different (than other tours featured at Liberty because of their music style) but they’re good enough that you can rock n’ roll with them,” junior Garrett Hendrick said. The Block Party allowed students the opportunity to hear different bands, eat a hot pastry and have something fun to do on a Saturday night. In addition to these social activities, the visibility of campus clubs at the Block Party offered a practical purpose students want to see again. “(SA) did a great job with the variety and with the different (clubs) from Liberty represented,” junior Morgan Rakes said. “I think the rest of the student body would agree to say maybe we could do more than one block party a year ...” For more information on SA and upcoming events, visit liberty.edu/campusrec/studentactivities.

TILLER is the feature editor.

feature

Liberty Champion | September 1, 2015 | B7

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FEATURE

September 1, 2015

rock the block party

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

PARTY — Students kicked off the semester with fun and games, participating in activities such as an obstacle course, flying bungee ropes, a mechanical bull and more.

FOR FULL STORY SEE B6

Praying for the year Students gather for 5:30 a.m. sunrise service in front of the Snowflex Lodge Matt Pierce mpierce17@liberty.edu

ARISE, this year’s sunrise prayer and worship service, began at 5:30 a.m. and continued till 7:30 a.m. Thousands of students sacrificed sleep, comfort and warmth Saturday, Aug. 29 to gather beneath Snowflex Lodge and be led by other students. Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre hosted the event, offering their entire facilities to make the event possible. The Office of Student Leadership and the Student Government Association came together to sponsor the event, providing breakfast and coffee in the lodge before the event began. Jessie Osborn, a Spiritual Life Coach (SLC) on the third floor of Residential Commons I, prayed for the student body to pursue holiness, encourage one another, and have unity among each other. She urged them to move out of their comfort zones and into a deeper relationship with God. “May we lock arms as brothers and sisters,” Osborn prayed over her peers, “and run toward

Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion

WORSHIP — Some students dedicated two hours of their Saturday morning to praying for their campus and for the upcoming school year. you seeking your face, and your face alone.” Her prayer was just one of many lifted up during the chilly morning event. Students were scattered from the lodge to the stage, some of them sitting, some

standing, some kneeling, but all listening. “Lord, when we gather at dining tables, in prayer groups or at student events and games, may the words that leave our mouths be glorifying to you and

you alone,” Osborn prayed. Osborn was just one of a few students who had the opportunity to lead the student body during the event. Other SLCs participating in the event were joined by members of Worship Collective

as they led the student body in prayer and worship through the early hours of the morning.

See PRAYING, B5