Liberty Champion September 6 2016

9/11 fifteen-year anniversary

A6 Liberty football falls to Virginia Tech

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 1

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LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA

LIBERTYCHAMPION.COM | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 | LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

together at the union

Flood relief LU Send team travels to La. Logan Price lprice7@liberty.edu

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

LOUNGE — Students study and socialize at the new Montview Student Union located in central campus.

A new campus

Student union and concert hall open for student usage

Will Young weyoung@liberty.edu

The Montview Student Union and a new 1,600-seat concert hall mark the latest additions to Liberty University’s campus as both are now completed and open for Liberty students, faculty and staff in preparation for the fall 2016 semester.

The student center, located in central campus and attached to the backside of DeMoss Hall, is four stories high and spreads across a 168,000-square-foot area that allows it to house six new dining venues, gaming areas and a bowling alley available for students. The exterior of the building showcases a grand staircase designed to hold large events including concerts and future commencement ceremonies.

Though some academic opportunities

are available in the student union, Liberty’s Planning and Construction Coordinator Brad Butler said most rooms and spaces were built to house student-run clubs and serve as a space for students to take a break from classwork.

“We wanted to maximize the opportunities for students to not only stay on campus, but to enjoy and thrive on campus,” Butler said. “So this building was built strictly with the students in mind.”

Spaces in the student center such as the ballroom and various multi-purpose rooms do not have a designated purpose, but instead were meant to host multiple events for students and guests of the university throughout the year.

The six dining locations located within the building — Argo Tea, UFood Grill, The Grid Marketplace, Garbanzo, Woodfire Pizza and

Star Ginger — are on the first floor, and residential students with the PLUS+ dining plan can use PLUS+ meal swipes at all six locations, according to Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Louis Cambeletta.

“The new dining options are going to give (the students) so many more options than before and really expand this side of campus,” Cambeletta said. “Because the classrooms are located really close in DeMoss, students are now able to get quicker meals between classes and do not have to walk longer to the dining hall.”

The second floor of the student union includes a gaming area with billiards, table tennis and various gaming consoles, while meeting rooms for clubs and the new headquarters for Liberty’s Student Government See OPENED, A2

A very brief summer Five events students missed over the summer break

Jack Panyard jepanyard@liberty.edu

Psychology, Social Work departments counsel sex trafficking victims Students from Liberty University’s Department of Psychology and Department of Social Work traveled for the second time to Athens, Greece July 1019 to provide relief and support

for local sex trafficking victims.

The team stayed at The Greek Bible College in Pikermi, outside of Athens, and worked with a group called Nea Zoi, which reaches out and offers counseling and spiritual support to those in brothels. The students also teamed up with the A21 Campaign, a non-profit that fights against human trafficking around the world.

The trip gave students a

chance to use their counseling training in real life situations, and junior Psychology student Hannah Weiland said she was shocked by the prominence of human trafficking in Greece.

“It’s allowed me to want to take this on and create awareness, let people know and help in any way I can,” Weiland said.

“It’s allowed me to also view the clients and people that partake in the trade with a patience,

a love, a grace that I never had before.”

Disc golf team builds course in Africa Two members of the Liberty University disc golf team, Lance Brown and Hunter Thomas, traveled to Macha, Zambia, from May 17-19 to build a disc golf course.

The students worked with See BRIEF, A8

As opposed to spending the last week of summer basking in the sun, a dozen Liberty University students and staff flew to Louisiana to provide aid for those affected by the historic flooding in Baton Rouge this August.

The Washington Post reported that 60,000 homes were damaged and 13 people died due to flooding in Baton Rouge.

According to the Red Cross, it was the worst natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

In response, the Liberty University Send Now program sent out emails looking for approved students to volunteer and help with the relief effort.

Team leader Molly Hall said that she, the co-leader and 10 students met at Liberty on August 20, in the pre-dawn hours, to begin their journey to Baton Rouge. After being split into vans, senior nursing major Kayla Yaeckel said even though none of the group knew each other, they quickly bonded over their desire to serve.

“It’s a blessing to be the one being sent,” Yaeckel said. “Going is such a blessing because you get to grow in that same realm ...

The Lord calls us to a life of abundance and that is something He gives freely, so that’s something I want to be a part of.”

The trip was special for Yaeckel because in 2003, when her home flooded, a group from the local high school came to do repair work. Now, 13 years later, Yaeckel had the chance to pay it forward and do the same for others.

Sleeping on cots in a church at night, the group spent their days gutting four homes.

Hall said each house had to be cleared of ruined belongings and the floors and drywall had to be ripped out to make way for Samaritan’s Purse construction workers who would follow.

Kylie Smith, a junior exercise science major, said the damage was more widespread than she had imagined, as entire communities would have piles of furniture, pictures and other personal items discarded by the curb. For Hall, witnessing the mountains of memories made the disaster personal for her.

“You realize these are people because now I have faces and I have stories,” Hall said. “It’s different than seeing it on TV where you can turn it off. We couldn’t turn it off.”

The focus of the whole trip for Smith was the people. Smith stated that while one purpose of the trip was to do work, the primary purpose was ministry. At one point the work and the ministering all came together, as the neighbor of a house the group was working on got saved.

Throughout all of the work and ministry, Hall said she and everyone else they came in contact with noted the willing spirit and absence of complaints from the students.

Smith was quick to redirect the compliment back to the team leaders, like Hall.

“Our leaders kept reminding us of why we were there,” Smith said. “It’s not about Liberty, it’s not about us at all. It’s about the Lord and His work. So they weren’t necessarily

INSIDE THE CHAMPION

News

A review of the life of renowned author and Liberty donor Tim A3 LaHaye.

Opinion

A student look at the controversial “Gender Unicorn” cirriculum A4 discussion.

Sports

Lady Flames win both games over the weekend.

B2

Feature

An interview with the members of the Block Party headlining band, B8 Colony House.

See SEND, A6

News Opinion Sports Feature

A1 A4 B1 B5

news

A2 | September 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

University expansion Liberty updates its master plan for the future look and layout of campus Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

Though a master plan of Liberty University has been released for multiple years, over the recent months, the university announced new changes to the plan, many of which will change campus as it is presently known.

Alan Askew, vice president of major construction planning & construction, said the comprehensive master plan was first officially released in 2014, but the concepts for many of the new buildings including the Jerry Falwell Library, science hall and the school of music began earlier in 2011 and 2012.

However, Askew said the recent plan that was updated in spring 2016 has additions that have been added in order to best serve the university and its students.

“We’re always very aware and try to follow the needs of the campus and the students and also try to forecast what those are going to be in the future where the demand is at,” Askew said.

The updated master plan has a graduate campus located on Liberty mountain next to the current Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Askew said the longterm plan is to move many of the graduate programs to the mountain, including the law school and a center for graduate counseling.

Also on the updated master plan, Commons III and Commons IV housing locations would be located adjacent to the current Commons I and Commons II. Askew added that there is no proposed date for Commons IV currently, but when it is complete, the campus dining hall will be located in the bottom of the building and the current ReberThomas Dining Hall will be torn down.

Connecting almost all of campus will be a lawn space of open grass. Askew said the lawn has been a part of the plan all along, but this year when the Montview Student Union opened, part of the lawn, called the academic lawn, was first opened.

Askew said the lawn will go from the Commons housing to the grass above the Vines practice facility and then continue through campus along the Academic Performance

Center to the baseball stadium.

“I believe they’re going to call the whole piece the campus walk because you’ll be able to access from point A to point B in an accessible (way) in the middle without having cars intersecting,” Askew said.

Another notable feature on the master plan is the south campus bridge, which will connect South campus and East campus over Route 460. Askew said the bridge will be for vehicles and pedestrians. Construction has already begun on the bridge, which is anticipated to be finished in October 2017.

Though no major plans have been drawn, Askew said there have been discussions to build another arena on campus to host basketball and volleyball games. He said the Vines Center would then solely host Convocation and concerts.

OPENED continued from A1

FYI The name Montview originates from the Montview Mansion located in central campus.

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

BIRD’S EYE VIEW — An aerial shot of Liberty’s campus in 2016.

Association can be found on the third floor. Though the interior of the building is fully completed, a pedestrian bridge that can currently be used for emergency purposes is being built on the north side of the building to connect it to the Freedom Tower, which is currently being constructed adjacent to the student union.

Across the lawn on the west side of the student center is the Center for Music and Worship Arts, which on Sept. 1 officially opened a stateof-the-art fine arts concert hall that is attached to the educational wing of the building, originally completed in fall 2015.

The concert hall -- which has not been given an official name

“It is a major undertaking to set up and tear down for Convocation three times a week when basketball is still in there and volleyball, so the thought is if we could make Vines solely a Convocation and concert center, we can leave it set up,” Askew said. “Then there is the possibility to add an upper ring of seating in the Vines Center without having to raise the roof. … It would take the seating to probably 14,000.”

Liberty is also in the midst of multiple projects on the master plan including the indoor football practice facility and the APC. Askew said the football facility is projected to be completed early summer 2017, while the APC could be finished as early as late spring 2017 or summer 2017. He said the APC will centralize the main components of athletics. The academic portion of athletics,

yet — includes several notable features such as an orchestra pit lift, a choir loft and a Myers Constellation acoustic system located on the ceiling that can raise and lower to and adjust the room’s acoustics depending on the type of event being hosted.

“The sound system here is so incredibly complex,” Butler said. “In terms of technology, this building is in a league of its own.”

Although currently open for usage, the concert hall will not be completely finished until Nov. 1 due to the sound system needing several weeks to be correctly tuned. Christmas on the Boulevard — a musical production that incorporates music from the school of music’s choir and the Liberty University Symphony Orchestra — is

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conies for every classroom and includes multiple recital rooms and songwriting labs that students can use at their leisure. According to Butler, the project has helped send admissions up for worship and recording arts majors.

“It’s crazy to see how much it has changed,” third-year music student Kara Witt said. “When I first came here, the school of music was still in the dorms on the Circle. It’s so different now, but now that we have this new building, we all feel really blessed from students to faculty to staff.”

YOUNG is the news editor.

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Joe Theisman

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Vernon Brewer & Children of the World Darren Whitehead Brian “Head” Welsh Kaká Tim Hawkins & Bob Smiley James Dobson David Jeremiah For King & Country Special Olympics Ralph Reed Stephen Furtick & Elevation Band Ed Hindson & Benny Prasad

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the first major production set to be hosted in the concert hall.

Throughout the entire school of music, the walls were constructed with a “box-in-box” design for soundproofing reasons. The design requires that two separate walls are built next to each other and connected with steel bars and drywall to create a single wall.

“You’ve got a train track literally about 100 yards away from (the school of music), and when it comes by, you can scarcely hear it because of the type of glass used and the construction of the exterior walls,” Butler said. “The designers were very intentional in trying to reduce outside sounds to help the people performing.”

The Center for Music Arts and Worship also features viewing bal-

CAMPUS CALENDAR 9/9 - Game Night

8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 9/10 - Outdoor Movie Night: Finding Dory

10:30 p.m. | Dorm 28 Fields 9/13 - Open Mic

7 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 9/16 - Bingo Night

8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 9/23 - Vertical Church Band Concert

8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 9/24 - Movie Night: Civil War

10:30 p.m. | Williams Stadium 9/27 - Student Concert Feat. David Duque and Haley Greene

8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space 9/30 - Laser Tag

8 p.m. | Paintball Fields 10/1 - Lipsync Battle

8 p.m. | LaHaye Event Space

which is now scatted in the football tower, will be in the APC. Weights and training as well as rehabilitation and therapy for athletes will also be housed in the APC. Because it is just a plan, Askew anticipates more changes in the future with Liberty’s master plan, but he said the changes are what make the school special.

“One of the exciting things about being here is that fact that we do look for those forecasted needs, and we really do try to project where we need to be instead of just sticking to something that we had planned years ago,” Askew said.

To see the updated master plan visit www. liberty.edu/aboutliberty.

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Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | A3

The life of Tim LaHaye

Author, longtime friend and donor of Liberty dies at the age of 90 Katelyn Rutt kerutt@liberty.edu

Timothy Francis LaHaye, 90, died July 25, 2016 at the San Diego Hospital in California a few days after suffering a heart attack.

Surrounded by family, LaHaye passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of ministry and generosity that will forever leave a mark on the Christian world.

Perhaps best known as an awardwinning author, LaHaye played an influential part in co-authoring the “Left Behind” books. Christianity Today notes that co-author Jerry B. Jenkins wrote the apocalypticthemed novels from LaHaye’s notes. Almost overnight, the 16-volume series became a worldwide sensation, and over 84 million copies have been sold to date.

“His biggest accomplishment by far was the ‘Left Behind’ series,” Liberty University co-founder Elmer Towns said. “Tim created these books during an era when the pre-tribulation rapture was a very big idea, and because of that, their success was unprecedented.”

LaHaye also wrote more than 50 nonfiction books on subjects like family life, marriage, Christian life and prophecy. These books were pivotal in his ministry and still continue to serve as a guide for many individuals and churches today.

Nonetheless, LaHaye’s impact spreads far beyond the world of print. For a large majority of his later life, he traveled and spoke at various churches, becoming a wellknown minister in the evangelical world. LaHaye served as an influential pastor at multiple churches before settling at the Scott Memorial Baptist Church in San Diego, California for 25 years.

LaHaye, along with his wife Beverly, was also involved in politics.

He joined with Jerry Falwell Sr. and the Moral Majority to promote

conservative values in politics and schools. LaHaye formed many close ties with Falwell during this time and built a strong relationship with the school.

Not only did he and his wife donate more than $4 million to the LaHaye Student Union he also founded the Tim LaHaye School of Prophecy, a Liberty affiliate school, and served as its president for many years. Additionally, LaHaye gave money to the construction of the LaHaye Ice Center, which is named in his honor.

Liberty Flames Division I Hockey Head Coach Kirk Handy notes that the LaHaye’s generosity toward the school has never gone unnoticed.

“Without him and his wife, I doubt that we’d have an ice rink on campus today,” Handy said. “We have a lot to be thankful for, not only for his donation, but also for making that commitment to Liberty and the hockey program.”

LaHaye’s dedication was also evident in his relationships with others. He spent a great deal of time investing in his colleagues, family and friends.

“He was just another friend and another great pastor,” Towns said.

“I’ve known him for years, so I felt very privileged to be able to fly out to his funeral and represent Liberty University, as we are all very grateful for his contributions to our school.”

Earlier this summer, the LaHayes celebrated 69 years of marriage. LaHaye is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

RUTT is the asst. news editor.

SPEAK — Tim LaHaye gives the baccalaureate address at Thomas Road Baptist Church in 2001.

VISIT — Tim and Beverly LaHaye join Jerry Falwell Sr. during Convocation in 2005.

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OPINION

A4

September 6, 2016

Kaepernick’s stand The San Francisco quarterback’s protest causes uproar Cierra Carter cmcarter18@ liberty.edu

America has a hard time acknowledging its flaws. When 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick announced his decision to sit during the national anthem in solidarity with those oppressed by racial injustice, this point evidenced itself once again. We are a great country, full of opportunity and diversity, but often unwilling to challenge tradition.

While Kaepernick may be a wealthy pro athlete, he is still a black man. No amount of money or fame can change the color of his skin and the history of injustice that comes with it. He does not have the privilege of removing himself from this issue. He lives with those challenges and must attempt to conquer them daily.

Kaepernick’s silent protest gives a voice to those who have not been afforded equal justice or liberty. Kaepernick himself expressed his personal connection to service men and women and respect for what they do.

During an NFL media session, Kaepernick clarified his position concerning the work of those serving the country.

“I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@ liberty.edu

For a cause he called “bigger than football,” Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the American flag and anthem nearly two weeks ago at a pre-season game in San Francisco. According to an exclusive post-game interview with NFL Media, the 49ers quarterback said he refused to “stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

Cue the storm.

The outrage over Kaepernick’s display has vocalized the same few points in different pitches: He desecrates the very country that made him a one-percenter; he grossly disregards the virtues symbolized by the flag and the people who fight and die for it; he should try playing football in Syria or North Korea for a while and see how his definition of “oppression” stands there.

While statements like these flood social media and jab at the act itself, there is something bigger here than the act alone. Something else renders Colin Kaepernick’s fierce stance to be deeply and vitally wrong.

By no means do I decimate the gravity of the race issue at hand in this country. I fully acknowledge it. I will not say “The black experience in America is really no different from the white. It’s not the 60s anymore, so what’s the

for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening,” Kaepernick said.

The problem lies in getting caught up in his action more than what it stands for. America must be willing to see past tradition in an effort to understand systemic issues.

Once again we looked at the action, a peaceful, nonviolent action, and made it the main thing, ignoring the issue at hand. We do not all experience America the same way.

Does America actually want peaceful protests or merely the silence of the oppressed? Over the past year, this country has experienced an influx of racial tension that has become nearly impossible to ignore. We have seen protests turn violent in Baltimore and in Dallas, and that is clearly no means to an end.

The flag is a symbol of what our nation should be to everyone: free and just. There are many people who see that symbol as a complete truth. For those, Kaepernick’s action comes as a shock to the system, but to those it effects, it shows passion.

The fact that Kaepernick has proven himself to be aware of an issue that is bigger than himself and football is a breath of fresh air. As an NFL quarterback, he has earned a sort of super herolike notoriety and has decided

to use his power for what he feels is right.

There are plenty of people who feel a sense of indifference and have given up. In a league plagued by domestic violence incidents, drug related suspensions and a slew of other illegal activities, we have somehow decided that a man standing up for his beliefs in a peaceful way is wrong.

Kaepernick would be wrong in the eyes of many regardless of his method of protest. That is just the nature of injustice. Looking past the symbols and examining our history would quickly reveal deep seeded discrimination that has only seen change through those brave enough to take a stand.

Kaepernick’s actions are not a matter of disrespect, as he is using his action to hopefully bring about liberty and justice for all. He is using his platform to push America forward by forcing us to address a very real, deeply dividing issue. You cannot ignore racism – not even on game day.

CARTER is the opinion editor.

fuss?” Obviously, it is a different experience, otherwise it would not be an issue.

I also acknowledge that human cruelty is every bit as real as human compassion. The 49ers.com | Liberty Champion even more tragic reality is that PROTEST — Colin Kaepernick sat during the national anthem. wherever the latter is, the former will always be lurking to this divisive, immature tactic. pounce. It’s just the way our fallen world works.

You, Colin Kaepernick, are indeed a But to say that dehumanizing oppression exists part of something “bigger than football”: a where liberty and compassion yet still exist is to weary, tense, and wounded nation. To stand me a kind of friendly fire. It may be well-inten- with others in honor of your country detioned, but it renders a crippling, demoralizing spite its struggles and bruises is somewhat blow to brothers and sisters who strive for sub- comparable to the parent who says to the stantive change too. child, “You’re breaking my heart and aging me The flag is a symbol. The anthem is a sym- beyond my years, but I will never, ever stop lovbol. While they are only symbols, they do ing you or fighting for you.” stand to remind us of the unity, courage and Ultimately, Colin Kaepernick, you have an sacrifice by which we hold on to our sacred undeniable right to choose how you express values. Allegiance denotes alliance, not a your conscience, which is, as James Madison white scheme to propagate or exploit inequal- called it in a “National Gazette” article, your ity. Our allegiance is not to a piece of cloth or “most sacred of all property.” But know that an arrangement of musical notes. It is to every any stand which weakens our country’s alliance person’s God-given rights to life, liberty and in liberty or dismisses the unthinkable sacrithe pursuit of happiness. fices that ward off definite oppression is poison You, Colin Kaepernick, by your man- in the well of our country’s strength and unity. ner of protest, have trivialized the causes you perhaps see yourself standing (or rather, sitting) for: earnest unity, commitment and action. All have been undermined by JARRETT is an opinion writer.

Conflict arises in Charlotte A new gender identity curriculum rumored to hit NC schools

Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) in North Carolina made national headlines this summer when information was released that the school system was possibly going to use a gender unicorn in its curriculum to teach about transgenderism and allow students to choose their preferred restroom and changing room.

The gender unicorn is a purple cartoon graphic with section headers on the right side titled “gender identity,” “gender expression”, “sex assigned at birth,” “physically attracted to” and “emotionally attracted to.” There also is a rainbow in a thought bubble above the unicorn’s head.

Uproar began across the country when news leaked, and Christian leaders were not silent.

Liberty University alumni and entrepreneurs Jason and David Benham took to the internet to voice their opinion. They shared with their internet following how appalled they were that students could possibly be exposed to this teaching on transgenderism.

According to a Charlotte Observer article, CMS employees said they only used the gender unicorn in principal training material, not in material to teach the students.

“There is not a transgender

curriculum for students,” CMS Superintendent Ann Clark said to the Charlotte Observer. “There’s not a plan to have a transgender curriculum.”

Though Clark made this statement clarifying the gender unicorn, others in the community were not convinced their children would be immune from being taught lessons with the gender unicorn.

In June 2016, it was announced by CMS that it would allow transgender students to use bathrooms and changing rooms based on their current gender they identify with, as reported by the Charlotte Observer.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Clark said, “Although official transcripts must carry the name and gender on the student’s birth certificate, schools will be expected to create class rosters that use the student’s preferred identity.

All students will have access to increased privacy, such as a screened area in the locker room or a singlestall restroom, on request.”

“And gender-based activities that have no educational purpose, such as having a girls’ and boys’ line to go to recess, will be phased out,” Clark said, as reported by Observer reporter Ann Doss Helms.

Christian leader Franklin Graham, President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association located in Charlotte, posted on Facebook

about the gender unicorn curriculum, calling Charlotte area Christians to attend school board meetings and to pray for truth to be made known.

“Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina want to try to brainwash our children into accepting that homosexuality and transgender behavior is okay — and they’re using an innocent looking Gender Unicorn to do it,” Graham said on his Facebook Aug. 5.

In August 2016, due to a Supreme Court ruling, CMS had to put on hold its new proposed regulations regarding treatment of transgender students in the school district, Helms reported.

After living in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County all summer and passing a public school in the system on my drive to work, I can’t help but think what would happen if those Charlotte-Mecklenburg students were taught using the gender unicorn in their classes.

Elementary schoolers barely able to handle the daily separation from their parents could be taught that they can choose their gender.

The majority of elementary students would never even consider that he or she could be the opposite gender if he or she wanted to.

This would lead to so many confused children. Christian parents who are teaching their children Christian values would have to

compete with public school teachers in so many more ways.

As Christians, how can we be okay with our children being repeatedly told that they can be different that what God has created them to be? How can we allow our children to be repeatedly told something other than what we believe?

After enough times of hearing something, students are bound to start taking it as their own beliefs.

Public schools have been given the power to educate our children during the school day, but we must stand up for what we believe should be taught in our schools.

With a little sister who just finished elementary school, my heart is broken for her innocence that is already being ripped away by the world. Yes, she needs to be aware of what is going on around her in the world, but she does not need to be enveloped in gender identity discussions each day at school.

Though the gender unicorn will not make its debut this school year in CMS, we must be prepared for similar things to creep into our public school curriculum. God has given us a voice for a reason, and we must be ready to proclaim truth even when it is difficult.

RODRIGUEZ is the editor-in-chief.

HAT

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TH

SAID

Sarah Rodriguez srodriguez70@liberty.edu

Welcome back everyone.

The summer has passed. For some it felt like an eternity and a half, and for some it felt like you woke up the day after you left Lynchburg and you were right back in your dorm bed.

For me, it’s somewhere in between. After a hard summer of a full-time internship, I had the chance to experience the new phenomenon that is sweeping the young adult generation. The phenomenon of #adulting.

You’ve seen it on Facebook and Twitter — young adults posting about menial tasks they’ve accomplished and yet are so proud about it. And I succumbed to this over the summer. But through my experiences, I had a revelation as well.

This summer, after driving in Charlotte, North Carolina traffic each day, working in a cubicle for 40 hours a week, living away from my family in a new city, I felt like I was #adulting. #Adulting is great, but the young adult generation can’t be overjoyed when they accomplish a basic task they should know how to accomplish. I’ve been guilty of it, especially this summer, but we can’t expect our elders to teach us everything we need to know. Instead, we need to take the initiative to ask those smarter and wiser than us to teach us what we need to know in order tackle the world ahead of us.

During my “grown-up” summer adventure and the weeks following, I had to get work done on my car — of which I was very unprepared. I wasn’t unprepared because my parents had failed in their parenting by not teaching me these skills, but really it was because I had failed to take the initiative to ask about it. But at least I have some great stories now.

Finally, after a few months of getting prepared for future life, my perspective has changed.

I’m no longer content to write off my lack of skills as the older generation failing to help me #adult. But rather I’m going to learn from those who have learned the hard lessons before me.

This year is a time to start over. This year is a time to take the initiative and ask someone to teach you the essential #adulting skills we all need to learn.

Good luck #adulting. And we’ll all suffer through these young adult years together, hopefully coming out of them with a little more wisdom and a few more practical skills in our repertoire.

RODRIGUEZ is the editor-in-chief.

T’S !

A H DT OTE ...AN HE WR S ALL

opinion

Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | A5

Reflection: Dare to look up A look back at one of the nation’s darkest days and its lasting impact Jordan Jarrett jjarrett4@liberty.edu

This fall marks the 15th anniversary of one eternal, dreadful morning and the days that followed in our nation’s memory. Most of the college freshmen I met last fall never remembered personally experiencing history as it happened on Sept. 11, 2001. I realize this with an inexplicable mix of sadness, indignation and awe. The day of 9/11 was to me and my parents what Kennedy’s death was to their parents and what Pearl Harbor was to their parents’ parents.

This year’s freshmen will be the first to never fully connect with me over how I watched and made clumsy, seven-year-old sense of the live horror on TV. How I realized that my dad had been in the air to Tokyo that morning — or so we hoped — before my mom finally heard his voice on the phone.

No, these kids will not quite connect to my distant experience, much less the immediate and crushing agony too many others experienced that day.

We will always remember the attacks, of course. But more out of necessity than comfort, we will also remember the aftermath.

The devastation that was 9/11 realigned our entire nation in mind, heart, and spirit. We saw this sudden realignment in the people who ran toward the tsunami of smoke instead of fleeing with thousands the other way. We saw it in the likes of Welles Crowther, going up the stairwell instead of down with just a red bandana around his nose and one life to give for 12 others. We saw it in the lionhearted Fire Department of the city of New York (FDNY) who were, as columnist Peggy Noonan so aptly entitled them, the Light Brigade of our day. We will eternally hear it in two little words, “Let’s roll.”

We surely saw unity in the heroism of that day. But there was another kind unity in New York City — and the rest of the nation, to some degree — during the following months that words cannot aptly describe. The realignment here was not a quick switch in the thick of peril; it was a slow, wincing turn amid the settling smoke and the countless hours of work to follow.

No one in NYC was above digging through “the pile.” According to The Saratogian, retired fire chief John Betor recalled the “organized mass confusion” he saw in the thousands of volunteers at Ground Zero. As an operations officer at the time, Betor said that although typical FDNY response protocol was largely ignored by the mass of volunteers, he found that the “free-for-all” aura there was not a totally negative thing.

Everyone was looking for something. A

body. A memento. The ground. Hope.

People’s hearts suddenly unlocked to spill raw compassion however they were prompted in the moment. People’s minds learned to sort the superficial from the eternal, lightly brushing their desperately outstretched hands across heaven’s surface for one moment. People’s untended spirits suddenly enlivened, and learned to look inward as well as outward. Some even dared to pray. Strangers and rivals became brothers and sisters.

But ease is now curling up in our laps again, purring as it poises its retracted claws. My own generation largely does not remember or even know how it feels to have our country’s values so immediately and suddenly threatened as they were 15 years ago. Of course, we have certainly received bitter doses from within — Aurora, Sandy Hook, Charleston, Orlando, and Dallas, to name a few. We know that profound evil is among us, even passing off as part of us. But we are numb to it.

We have become our own warring factions.

We are divided among ourselves and proud in it. Certain lives seem to matter more than others. Our own president’s role in fanning this multi-faceted division is no small one.

Division is obviously seen in the outright aggression, but how often we forget that it also masquerades as pacifist acceptance. Any divergent (read: traditional) perspectives on even the most fundamental human principles, like identity, are demonized now in the name of tolerance and cultural relevance by my generation, as we deal with our “quarterlife crises” on the side.

As a people who either know what reality is but choose not to acknowledge it, or who really and truly cannot discern what reality is anymore, how are we to ever deal with the living, breathing, hungry reality of something else to come? I’d say “God help us,” but that’s a religiously marginalizing statement, isn’t it?

A thought there.

Pew Research conducted a study in 2010 showing that millennials as a whole claim little to no religious affiliation. Only 37 percent claim any “strong” affiliation.

Surprising? To think so is naïve. We have it in our power to be our own moral titans.

No concept is so beyond reason anymore that we cannot at least touch it with a quick swipe through Google. Mystery has become a cutesy plot trope we smile at in old movies.

No religion is better or worse, more peaceful or more dangerous, than any other one.

Another Pew Research poll conducted in December, 2001 showed that those whose prayer and worship life increased after the attacks were already the most religious of their

google images

MEMORY — Most Liberty freshmen were in preschool at the time of the attacks. peer groups. This indicates not quite the radical religious shift seemingly represented by all of the heart-wrenching, skyward-pointing stories we’ve all heard. Yet in an interview for The National Catholic Register, Cardinal Edward Egan recalled the 9/11 Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where the crowd in attendance so far outnumbered the usual 500 that they spilled into the street outside.

It was not the state department that these people ran to, nor was it DC, nor as it even their own homes. It was the church.

While the spiritual realm of people’s hearts is something that I cannot and will not make a sweeping judgment about, I do recognize one generality that was evident in 9/11 and its aftermath. There was undeniably a spiritual awakening that day. For some, it meant religious rejection. For others, it meant finding God. Still for others, it meant simply being a little kinder and gentler toward others than their natures allowed. All were shaken and shattered, but many took the hard and

high road out of the misery through a cracked open spirit and a new kind of love. This love looked different for every person, but was in essence a love beyond themselves. Just for a moment, though.

I can’t help but wonder: Are we due another national realignment? I pray not, but if it comes, may we all — every generation — have a collective mind steeled to bravely face the terror, a collective spirit opened to allow change, and a collective heart unlocked to spill raw compassion as those of us did amid the ashes of 9/11.

Let us not be so tall in ourselves that we forget the enormous unknown sky above us, and look up to wonder. And maybe even dare to pray.

JARRETT is an opinion writer.

Successful summer in Rio A look at Brazil’s challenging journey as the host nation of the 2016 games Francine Longie fllongie@liberty.edu

google images

RIO — Team USA was dominant.

You know those people who always one up you? Like the mom who brings homemade chocolate chip cookies to the bake sale when you bring smashed apple pie from the freezer section. I feel like the Olympics operates that way. At least when it comes to the pressure of hosting a global event.

Each country, when graced with the opportunity to host, is not only expected to produce a world-class experience for Olympians and bystanders, but scrutinized every step of the way.

We all saw China’s attempt to stand above the rest in 2008, when

the $40 billion venue was constructed in Beijing. They actually built a stadium called the “Bird’s Nest” that looks just like an actual bird’s nest. Sadly, the place is now in shambles and has cost Beijing more in upkeep since the games were hosted there.

That all to say, despite Brazil’s current state of recession, they still stepped forward in pride this year to build an experience worthy of an olympian. While I realize that revenue being brought in from so many other countries can be beneficial in many ways, the reality that it won’t ever find its way to the poverty stricken corners of Rio de Janeiro is disheartening.

Huge companies and organizations in charge of planning and

developing the event will see the bulk of the profit. In that respect I see this year’s Olympic location as no greater than another. Other than that one guy who walked away with way more gold than he could carry, the whole thing almost screams average.

However, unlike other host countries in the past, Brazil did something that almost makes up for their lack of financial sensibility.

They made a game plan for life after the Olympics.

Listed on the Olympic website is a list of the positive and impactful effects the games have had on Brazil as a whole. Not only were the city streets re-paved and cleaned, Rio de Janeiro now has four brandnew methods of public transpor-

tation throughout the city that afford quicker and easier access to its citizens.

Last but not least is the fact that one of the stadiums was specifically designed to be taken apart later on and used to build four new schools in and around the community. While Brazil may not be the place to live economically speaking, it certainly never lacks in creativity and spirit.

So were the Olympics in Brazil a raging success? As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to all of it. But seriously, how can you say no to young Brazilian children getting new schools?

LONGIE is an opinion writer.

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A6 | September 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Face-to-face with horror

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Two Liberty students share their stories of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Amber Tiller atiller2@liberty.edu

Thomas Johnson sat at his desk in the United States Department of Defense headquarters in Washington D.C. on the morning of September 11, 2001 his son, sophomore Tim Johnson, recalled.

Senior Sarah Casmass remembered her father Rick Casmass had commuted from Long Island, New York into New York City for a meeting in the business district the same morning.

Tim Johnson and Sarah Casmass both shared the stories of their fathers, both Liberty graduates, and their memories of Sept.11, 2001.

Thomas Johnson reported to work as usual, a civilian working in the Pentagon as a project manager at the time, stationed in the outer ring — office number 2E541.

“We were watching what was happening in New York on TV like everyone else,” Thomas Johnson said in an email. “I worked in an office with a number of gentleman who were retired Special Forces, and we wondered if this was the prelude to attacks across the country.”

As his department watched the chaos unfolding in New York, he felt the building shake.

“I got up from up my desk to go to speak to our admin/secretary (who was a pregnant Air Force sergeant),” Thomas Johnson wrote.

After a tremendous concussion, the next thing I know I’m lying on the ground with a piece of modular furniture wall lying on top of me. It’s important for me to say for those in deference to those who went through much worse that my office was relatively safe as soon as the pilot decided where he was crashing the aircraft — although it was only 90 feet away, it went right past and under us.”

The Pentagon had been hit by the hijacked plane, Flight 77, around 9:40 a.m., according to 911research.wtc7.net. The Boeing 757 hit the building at 345 mph and killed all aboard the plane as well as workers in the Pentagon — 189 in total, according to pentagon.spacelist.org.

Smoke filled Thomas Johnson’s office. He said the retired Special Forces were commanding their co-workers to take cover under desks for fear of an inferno breaking out.

Huddled under a desk, Thomas Johnson grabbed a phone and called home.

“My wife answered,” Thomas Johnson said. “(I) told her that we had been hit, I

was alive, and that (I was) getting out, and then hung up.”

Thomas Johnson was still not safe though, so the co-workers collaborated in an attempt to exit the building.

“Our normal fire evacuation route was an inferno,” Thomas Johnson wrote. “As you can imagine, it was chaos.”

After help from security workers, Thomas Johnson’s office staff exited near the gym and Pentagon Day Care.

“The Day Care was staffed sufficiently for normal operations, but it was not staffed to evacuate under such a crisis,” Thomas Johnson wrote. “We, and many others who had been fleeing … joined in to help and started escorting small groups of children away from the building. After we evacuated all the kids to a safe area, we did our best to keep up the children’s spirit as we watched the building burn in the distance.”

Tim Johnson, meanwhile, sat at home, almost four years old at the time. He said his first vivid memory was of this day.

“I remember it was Fox News … and I just see the Pentagon (on the television) and smoke started coming out (of the building),” Tim Johnson said.

Sarah Casmass — a first grader at the time — remembered Sept. 11 in a different light.

“We were in class, and all of the sudden my teacher screamed,” Sarah Casmass said.

The school bell rang “almost like a firedrill,” Sarah Casmass said, and the teachers and administrators gathered everyone together to take the buses home.

As soon as Sarah Casmass and her older brother came home, her mom took off. Later she found out that her mother stayed with her sister-in-law while they waited for contact from Rick Casmass.

Sarah Casmass said she saw pictures of the towers on the television screen at home, but she though it might have been some awful movie.

All the while, Rick Casmass was safe — Sarah Casmass later learned.

Earlier that September morning, Rick Casmass drove to work — two hours from Long Island — into the city. Sarah said her father usually took the train, but that day he drove. Afterward, he was glad he did.

“For whatever reason, my dad drove to the city that day, and he worked in Rockefeller Center, and he had a meeting,” Sarah Casmass said. “I can’t remember if it was nearby or in one of the Twin Tower buildings, …. (but) he had this feeling

North Tower collapses at 10:28 AM south tower falls at 9:59 AM in 10 seconds

united airlines flight 175 strikes the south tower at 9:03 am American airlines flight 11 strikes the north tower at 8:36 am

11 10 9 8 7

Photo Provided

FAMILY — Tim Johnson and his dad, Thomas Johnson. Thomas was in Washington D.C. during the Sept. 11 attacks. of ‘I’m not gonna go.’”

He turned around to head home, and as he left the city the first tower was hit.

At 8:45 a.m., the World Trade Center shattered after being attacked by a hijacked American Airlines flight, according to history.com.

Eighteen minutes later the second plane hit the adjacent twin tower. “(My dad) said it was just insane because … the subway system just shut down, the train, everything like that, and people were just running on foot,” Sarah Casmass said.

Rick Casmass could have been amidst the chaos, but instead he was on his way back to Long Island and along the way, he saw a family friend running away from the business district. He and his friend made it safely.

Rockefeller Center, where Rick Casmass worked at the time, was located only five miles away from the World Trade Center, and Sarah Casmass said she is thankful her dad turned around to go home.

“Had he gone in (to work) … I definitely don’t think that between falling rubble and ash, and the chaos, I don’t even think he would have made it out,” Sarah Casmass said.

For Sarah Casmass though, she said she reflects on the amount of people lost, and the “sweeping devastation” that hit the city.

“When (Sept. 11) comes around, I think about classmates and friends that I know that lost their parents,” Sarah Casmass said.

“And to think my dad was there and wasn’t affected. … He knows, we all know, (it was) the absolute undeniable hand of the Lord of his life and on our family. And it doesn’t really seem fair … when I had some many classmates

and so many people that I know that were affected by it.”

While these two Liberty students were directly affected within their immediate family, Ben Gutierrez, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs reflected on how Liberty University reacted. In a video posted by Convey Church Media and Communication on YouTube, Gutierrez said students and faculty were called into the Vines Center to pray.

“We were all scared and afraid,” Gutierrez said. “Through that event, our trust in God grew more. … If you trust in him, he can bring hope, he can bring beauty through the ashes, and there will be a time when you can rejoice again.”

Amidst the horrific memory of the event, fifteen years later, some like Thomas Johnson can now see past the pain of the event and take some good away from the tradgedy.

“While I may have once viewed 9/11 and the resulting wars only through the eyes of an American citizen, I now strive to see them only through the viewpoint of a citizen of the Kingdom,” Thomas Johnson wrote. “The gospel of Jesus is the only thing that will bring peace to the world. The people of God have a responsibility to bring the hope to the entire world … by heading throughout the world to share the good news.”

TILLER is the social media editor.

1,042 Employees died 614 employees died

20% of americans knew someone hurt or killed 3,051 children lost a parent in the attacks

2,753 343 were firefighters and paramedics

102 minutes elapse between the first attack and the fall of the second tower

Total killed in the New York Attacks 60 were NYPD and Port Authority police officers *information from CNN and New York Magazine Sierra Franklin| Liberty Champion

SEND continued from A1 impressed with us, they were impressed with the Lord in us.”

While Yaeckel went on the trip willing to serve, she said she came away with a mindset of gratitude and being content in the Lord. When she asked if she could pray for Bob, who was a Christian, 89-year-old homeowner the group worked with, he was quick to say they should pray for others, never mentioning himself.

“Here he is, 89 years old,” Yaeckel said. “Everything he’s ever purchased is out here on his curb, but his prayer request was for those who had also lost everything, for those who had family that don’t know the Lord.”

After returning and having a few days to process everything that happened, Smith also expressed thankfulness for getting to be a part of the trip.

“It wasn’t work at all,” Smith said. “It was an opportunity and a privilege. I wouldn’t have spent my last week of summer any other way.”

Liberty is sending a second team of about 40 students to Baton Rouge Sept. 6-11 to work in flood relief alongside Samaritan’s Purse.

PRICE is a news reporter.

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Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | A7

Freshman class breaks record Hayden Robertson hrobertson@liberty.edu

With the fall 2016 semester underway, Liberty is breaking records with the number of new freshman on campus.

The class of 2020 first arrived Aug. 24 for welcome week in order to get to know the campus and get situated for its first year of college. After all freshmen were moved in and accounted for, Liberty broke the a record for new students once again.

According to the Liberty News Service, Liberty has 3,900 new students. Among the 3,900 students, more than 60 percent are freshmen while the remainder are transfer students.

With this being Liberty's largest freshman class, the university added the Montview Student Union behind DeMoss Hall and is beginning construction on the new Commons III dormitory. Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Mark Hine said why Liberty needed these new buildings.

“Because our classes that leave Liberty are quite large, we need a new class to come in that is bigger than our graduating class to replace them,” Hine said. “Before the year ended and throughout the summer, dozens, if not hundreds, of moves took place in order to accommodate the large number of new students.”

Hine referenced the moving of the school of communication and creative arts as one of the changes that took place. He also said the future plan for Liberty is to have each school scattered across campus to help accommodate the large number of students.

“What the design is actually working toward is that the DeMoss Hall will be the

freshmen/sophomore experience,” Hine said. “After finishing at DeMoss Hall, the students will then move to the school of their desired major to finish their degree.”

Hine said that having an area for students to relax, do homework and sit before class is already proving to be very helpful. He also said that the new student union helps keep students scattered in order to keep the congestion down.

Liberty News Service also reported077 thatLYN the university has a record-breaking number of students living on campus this year.

There are 8,100 students living in the residential dorms this year. With this new record of students on campus, Liberty re-opened the Residential Annex to help house a portion of the students.

“I think the Annex provided the relief that we needed for this year because Commons III is not there yet,” Hine said. “We hope to open Commons III in the fall of 2017, which will give us the ability to do other things with the Annex.”

Liberty also created new programs and reorganized its leadership and campus pastor offices to better accommodate the rising number of students. Former resident assistant Caroline Conklin said she thinks the new structure of leadership will improve spiritual life on campus.

“The new changes to student leadership are going to help freshmen much more,” Conklin said. “We are focusing on student’s spiritual growth much more, I think, than we have before.”

ROBERTSON is a news reporter.

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A8 | September 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Long live the Annex

Off-site residential housing location reopens for students for the 2016-2017 year Alexandra Ramey aramey3@liberty.edu Kylie Kehrman kkehrman@liberty.edu

Meghan D’Amico| Liberty Champion

IT’S BACK — The Annex I housing location returns for students in the fall 2016 semester.

BRIEF continued from A1 Push the Rock, a global sports ministry located in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Using machetes, they cleared and designed a path for the nine-hole course, and crafted the baskets from wash basins and poles with chains welded on, according to the Liberty University News Service.

“It was cool just to see the joy of learning how to throw a Frisbee for the first time come over (the locals’) faces,” Brown said in an interview with the Liberty University News Service.

Liberty hosts the Virginia Commonwealth Games Thousands of competitors filled Liberty’s state-of-the-art fields, courts and stadiums as the Virginia Commonwealth Games commenced this past July. This was the first of five years that Liberty has agreed to host the games.

Dick Fosbury, a 1968 Olympic gold medalist and inventor of the high jump technique called the Fosbury Flop, delivered a keynote address during the opening ceremony of the games, which included a parade of the athletes and a torch lighting.

Liberty also provided housing for over 400 participants, creating its own Olympic Village.

Peter Lampman, president of Virginia Amateur Sports, which is the administrative organization for the Commonwealth Games, is pleased about the partnership with Liberty, saying that not only were the facilities very useful, but “the people were very professional and knowledgeable.”

Dean of Students hosts field day for disabled adults Staff from the Liberty University Dean of Students Office teamed up

After being vacant for the spring 2016 semester, the Annex I housing complex, located 2.5 miles away from main campus on Odd Fellows Road, has reopened for one more year as Liberty University welcomes the class of 2020.

Annex I originally closed down in January 2016, forcing the students who lived there during the fall 2015 semester to move to the new Commons II dormitory located in the center of campus. Due to an increase in demand for on-campus living this school year, though, the Office of Residence Life was compelled to reopen the Annex I to accommodate for students.

According to Executive Director of Residence Life Dustin DuBose, the students have accepted the re-opening of the Annex with open arms.

“Students are pleased that we have made this decision,” DuBose said. “We have always heard that those who live at the Annex enjoy it. That response has been no different this year.”

Madison Carroll, a current Resident Assistant (RA) at the Annex, said she too has encountered a lot of positivity about the reopening.

“I guess I would say my experience has been nothing but positive interaction,” Carroll said. “It’s (the Annex) allowing students who were unable to find housing on main campus to still experience the on campus life

in an off-campus way.”

Although scheduled to stay open for the remainder of the 2016-2017 academic year, DuBose said opening the Annex is only a temporary fix and that students can expect it to close again before the start of the fall 2017 semester.

In order to attract students back to the Annex, the Office of Resident Life offered a curfew exemption to students living at the Annex who are 21 or older, or a senior.

“We wanted to encourage the upperclassmen to move out to the Annex, to free up some new student beds for incoming freshmen,” DuBose said.

DuBose said students who met the qualifications had a set time frame to take up the offer, of which about 40 students accepted.

It is still unclear what will happen to the Annex I following its closing. The neighboring Annex II building, a former on-campus living option for female residential students, has been remodeled into housing for married and graduate students, now called Liberty North Point. According to DuBose, no similar plans have yet been made for the Annex I.

RAMEY is a feature reporter.

KEHRMAN is a news reporter.

with the Central Virginia Training Center (CVTC) July 12 to create a field day for disabled local residents where more than 30 volunteers participated to care for handicapped attendees, host games and activities and tend a music station.

Mary Harris and Brittany Dalton, counselors at the Dean of Students office, helped coordinate the event.

“We really enjoyed being there,” Dalton said, adding that the event was a good experience for the Dean of student’s team too.

Looking to the future, the office is planning another Halloween themed event this fall, according to Harris.

Students receive Adobe Academic Achievement Awards Seven Liberty University students were awarded semifinalist status by the Adobe Academic Achievement Awards, a digital media competition, in July.

The submissions are judged in a variety of categories such as photography, illustrations and animation. The awards are a global competition which received thousands of entries this year. From the seven students, 11 projects have been recognized.

The students recognized were Bri O’Neal for four projects, Annie Shelmerdine for two and Ben Nicholes, Garrett Shue, and Noelia Alvarado, Sydney Lane, and Audra Rygh.

“We’re very proud of our students and the excellence their work exhibits in the industry,” Todd Smith, chairman for Liberty’s Department of Studio & Digital Arts, told the Liberty University News Service.

Kevin Manguiob| Liberty University News Service

PANYARD is a news reporter.

SPRINT— Runners pass DeMoss Hall during their race in the 2016 Virginia Commonwealth Games.

SPORTS

September 6, 2016

W. Soccer App. State

Liberty

2

3

W. Soccer JMU

B1

Volleyball

M. Soccer

Volleyball

Liberty

W&M

Liberty

Upstate

Liberty

ETSU

Liberty

1

2

0

0

3

3

0

0

Norman nets his first win

oh-no and one

Lady Flames beat App. State Anthony Davis adavis331@liberty.edu

Despite conceding two goals in the first 18 minutes, the Lady Flames soccer team (1-3-0) rallied past the Appalachian State Mountaineers (3-2-0) for their first victory of the season with a final score of 3-2.

The tempo was set by redshirt senior goalie Holly Van Noord, who recorded eight saves including a one-on-one save against Appalachian State’s quick senior forward Jane Cline, who accounted for both of the Mountaineer goals in the first 19 minutes of play.

“I had adrenaline going,” Van Noord said. “I just knew I had to do everything I can to stop the ball and thankfully it went in my favor.”

Van Noord leads the conference in saves with 25 on the season, according to the Liberty Athletics website.

The Flames’ first goal of the season was netted by junior forward Isabella Habuda, with the assist coming from freshman forward Sierra Lam. The whole team collectively displayed relief when the ball finally reached the back of the net after going scoreless in its first three games.

Redshirt sophomore midfielder Abigail Persson blasted the second goal from the top of the box just eight minutes after the Flames’ first goal.

Persson also recorded an assist. The game-winning goal was rebounded in by junior forward Sami Santos in the 55th minute.

“It was pretty exciting,” Santos said.

“At that point, I felt we were dominating, so we were all anticipating a goal.”

The win was significant for new Head Coach Nate Norman, who earned his first victory at the helm of the Lady Flames program.

“The first win, I think, is always important,” Norman said. “We played well in a number of the games so far, and if you don’t get the results, you start to doubt yourself, even if you’re doing the right things. We play a result-driven sport, and there’s not really moral victories. I think a lot of the hard work these ladies have put in paid off. I was proud of them.”

Going into the game, the Lady Flames were only outshot 43-44 by their opponents, according to Libertyflames.com.

See FIRST, B2

Michela Diddle| Liberty Champion

PACE — Caroline Boone dribbles.

WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE GAME

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

ALPHA MALE — Senior safety Alpha Jalloh (38) darted to the endzone after recovering a Virginia Tech fumble, giving the Flames their only lead.

Hokies beat the heat Virginia Tech cruises in season opener against Flames Joel Schmieg jaschmieg@liberty.edu

The last time the Liberty Flames football team won a season opener on the road was 1988. Exactly 28 years later, that losing streak continues as the Flames dropped their 12th consecutive season opener on the road Sept. 3 at Virginia Tech, 36-13 in front of 62,234 people.

Junior quarterback Stephon Masha, in his first start since 2014 against Coastal Carolina, went 9 for 25 with two interceptions and 70 yards against the Hokies. Junior runningbacks Todd Macon and Carrington Mosley combined for 49 yards on the ground and one touchdown.

“We just never could get anything going on offense today,” Liberty Head Coach Turner Gill said. “That was … kind of the momentum killer.”

The game turned ugly early for the Flames as a bad snap in the first quarter led to a fumble, which two plays later led to a quick touchdown for the Hokies.

On the next Flames series, the offense was unable to get the ball moving as the team was called for five false starts, four of which were called on redshirt freshman right tackle Sam Isaacson, forcing Liberty to punt.

“This game, the penalties hurt us,” Masha said. “We practiced all week with the noise. I was just trying to tell them to calm down — just listen to me — listen to my voice.”

After both teams traded three and outs, sophomore defensive end Juwan Wells forced a fumble, allowing the Flames to take over at the Hokies 10-yard line. Eventually, on a first and goal from the 2-yard line, Macon punched it in for his sixth career touchdown against an FBS opponent.

Early in the second quarter, the Hokies added a field goal to increase the lead to 10-6. On the ensuing drive for the Flames, Masha threw his first interception of the game and Virginia Tech took over 34 yards from the end zone.

“It’s very frustrating,” Masha said. “But it’s the first game of the season, mistakes are gonna happen. You just gotta build off it — learn from it.”

On a second-down run by Tech’s junior wide receiver Cam Phillips, sophomore cornerback Chris Turner was able to knock the ball loose and senior safety Alpha Jalloh scooped and scored for a 71-yard fumble return touchdown, giving the Flames a 13-10 lead.

“I believe our defense can play with anyone in the country,” Turner said. “If we execute the way we were taught — the way we practice.”

The Flames found themselves leading a power five conference FBS team for the first time since 2014 when the Flames led North Carolina 22-21 early in the third quarter.

Much like that game, the lead was short-lived and the score quickly turned lopsided.

Later in the second quarter, the Hokies started a drive from their own 37-yard line and six minutes and 21 seconds later found the end zone to take back the lead, 17-13.

After the kickoff, the Flames took over at the 25-yard line but took only 51 seconds off the clock and punted the ball back to the Hokies with 2:40 still to play in the half. Eight plays later, junior quarterback Jerod Evans found redshirt junior tight end Bucky Hodges for a touchdown to extend the lead to 24-13 and effectively end the half.

“As (Evans) continued to play, I think he got a little bit better,” Gill said. “He got better like you wanna see your quarterback do.”

See HOKIES, B4

FYI The last team before Liberty to lose its first game in Sept. to Virginia Tech went on to win the National Championship.

(Ohio State, 2014) Liberty has defeated two FBS teams — both road games — in as many years under Head Coach Turner Gill.

(Georgia State and Appalachian State)

Football vs. Jax.

M. Soccer vs. Buffalo

W. Soccer vs. GWU

W. Soccer vs. FGCU

M. Soccer vs. American

Sept. 10 @ 7 p.m.

Sept. 11 @ 1 p.m.

Sept. 11 @ 4 p.m.

Sept. 16 @ 4 p.m.

Sept. 16 @ 7 p.m.

Follow @LUChampSports for Flames athletics coverage

sports Flames soccer

B2 | Semptember 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

suffers first loss Timothy Cockes tlcockes@liberty.edu

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

FOCUS — Senior Michelle Melendez bumped the ball during the weekend as the Flames advanced to the finals before losing to ETSU.

Flames take two Volleyball hosts three teams for Liberty Invitational Lindsey Ball lcball1@liberty.edu Logan Smith lcsmith1@liberty.edu

Game 1: The Liberty Flames won their first game of the 2016 Liberty Invitational against the University of South Carolina Upstate Sept. 2 at the Vines Center (25-17, 25-19, 25-16).

“We want to stay low error this weekend and make good decisions. We want to be great on the service line (and) keep pressure on teams,” Coach Shane Pinder said.

The 2016 Liberty Invitational is a sixgame tournament which includes four teams: Hampton University, East Tennessee State University, USC Upstate, and Liberty University. Despite a rocky start last weekend, the Flames overcame and won their first home game of the season. According to the Liberty Athletics archives, they have defeated the competition in eight consecutive home openers.

“We had a rough start last weekend, but we came out here and showed what we could do,” junior setter Anna Willey said.

The student crowd of 1,343 cheered the Flames on to their first seasonal victory.

The team started the first set and finished the third with a strong defensive plan and unpredictable, powerful hitting patterns.

“We just kept trying to attack,” Willey said. “We kept trying to move the ball around. We got out of our regular hitting patterns and moved the ball on some different patterns so it would mess them up and make them struggle some more.”

Willey finished this game with a total of 31 assists and 11 digs. Her teammates, outside hitters Leah Clayton and Gabrielle Vess, led the offense with nine kills each.

Sophomore defensive specialist Margaret Latchford ended the game with 12 digs.

Comparatively, the defensive strength of the Flames overpowered that of their opponents. The team totaled eight blocks while USC Upstate only recorded two.

“I liked our defensive energy tonight,”

Pinder said. “Our block is big and physical, creating problems for the other team.”

This year, the team brought on six freshman. Although it is a young team, the Flames performed as a cohesive unit and overcame nerves.

“We stayed steady, at a good tempo,” Clayton said. “We had some rocky plays, but we just moved on to the next one.”

The Flames dominated the third set.

The team refused to let the opposition recover. Pinder encouraged the players to pay attention to their side of the net and their decision-making.

Willey described the team dynamic as “fun,” and if the team continues to play with the same amount of precision and vigor, “fun” will be the name of the game.

“You can only control the next match,” Pinder said. “Moving forward, our team is athletic. We have playmakers out there. I think we have a real chance to be a real efficient, effective offense.”

Game 2: The Liberty University women’s volleyball team defeated the Hampton Pirates 3-0 in the Vines Center Saturday, Sept. 3, stretching the Flames’ record to 2-0 in the Liberty Invitational.

Although the Flames won the first set 25-6, the Pirates proved worthy competitors later in the match. The Pirates, led by sophomore outside hitter Reeana Richardson, fought to stay even with the Flames, but ultimately lost 25-17 in sets two and three. “(The Pirates) were a good team,” freshman setter Hannah Morris said. “But we were able to stay at our level and play through it.”

Liberty’s Clayton and Latchford both had exceptional games, together scoring 22 points in the match. Sydney Morris also contributed, scoring a total of eight points. Richardson, of Hampton, finished with 10. On the defensive side, the Flames finished the match with 26 digs and 10 blocks.

“We had a lot of girls who were hitting high and hitting hard,” Morris said. “The

other team did a good job digging them and getting them up.”

After winning the night before, the Flames were excited to have another victory before playing the ETSU Buccaneers for their final match of the invitational.

According to the Flames’ senior captain Michelle Melendez, the Liberty Invitational is very important for the team because it serves as the home opener.

“We always want to come out on top,” Melendez said. “And (the invitational) gets us ready for the rest of the season and conference play.”

According to Pinder, the most difficult challenge his team faced during the match was learning how to play together, being such a young team.

“We are still trying to learn ourselves,” Pinder said. “We are trying to develop the brand of volleyball we want to play. We want to come out and play consistent.”

For many Liberty students, the Liberty Invitational was the first opportunity to witness a volleyball match. Liberty student Matt Cruickshank, a Canadian native, said he thoroughly enjoyed watching the sport.

“It is pretty exciting all around,” Cruickshank said. “I love it when players celebrate after scoring a point. After I see them get excited, it makes me excited. I want to see them win. It is awesome.”

After the Invitational, Clayton and Melendez were awarded spots on the all-tournament team. Briana Allmon, of ETSU, was honored with the tournament MVP award.

The Flames will play in the Davidson Wildcat Classic Sept. 9-10 and the Virginia Commonwealth University invitational Sept. 16-17 where they will play USC Upstate, Furman, Davidson, Morgan State, Middle Tennessee and VCU. “We have worked really hard to get where we are right now,” Melendez said. “It is definitely tough, but our coaches got us ready for this moment.”

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

COCKES is a sports reporter.

BALL is a sports reporter.

SMITH is a sports reporter.

FIRST continued from B1

GET BIG — Junior forward Isabella Habuda battled for position against ASU.

The Liberty Flames men’s soccer team (21) lost its first game of the 2016 season 2-0 against the Tribe of William & Mary Friday night at home in Osborne Stadium.

This first loss for the Flames, and second win for the Tribe, evens both teams’ records to 2-1.

The Flames and the Tribe played a balanced game in the first half with two shots from the Flames and one shot for the Tribe. Liberty posted more shots on goal, and William & Mary maintained more possession of the ball.

The direction of the game changed drastically for the Flames a little over one minute into the second half when starting sophomore forward Kevin Mendoza received his second yellow card, disqualifying him for the rest of the game. Liberty went on to play the rest of the second half down one player.

Effort was not enough for the Flames as the Tribe scored twice within a five-minute stretch in the second half. Tribe freshman midfielder Reeves Trott headed a ball into the right corner of the net off of an assist from Ryder Bell in the 61st minute. Antonio Bustamante scored an unassisted goal off of a free kick for the Tribe in the 64th minute.

The deficit was too much for Liberty to overcome. William & Mary survived a few late shots by the Flames and held on, winning 2-0.

In a video interview before the match on Libertyflames.com, Liberty Head Coach Jeff Alder spoke of the challenge that William & Mary would bring the team.

“This is a great atmosphere to test our resolve, to test our character,” Alder said.

The Flames’ character was tested, and it showed in how they responded to the challenge of playing the entire second half down a man.

When asked about the character his team displayed, Alder praised the effort and resolve of his players.

“I thought we fought like crazy,” Alder said.

Alder said he felt his team was in control of the game until the disqualification against them in the second half.

“I thought we were on top of the game at that point,” Alder said.

Alder said that though some calls did not go their way, he was still proud of the way his team played and faced adversity.

“We never blame the officials,” Alder said.

“They see it one way, we might see it another way, but we have to keep playing. Even down a man, we showed great character. Every day we preach character, but you never know how your team will respond until they are put in a situation like we faced tonight. They say that character is not built but revealed, and I thought they handled it very well.”

The Flames’ next game will be Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 4 p.m. when they travel to the University of South Carolina Upstate.

“We needed this win, honestly, because our record hasn’t been good,” Santos said. “It’s definitely a confidence-builder for us.”

Van Noord, who holds the Lady Flames record for most shutouts in a season with 14 (set in 2013), helped keep the team focused when they trailed early in the game.

“I think we definitely needed

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

RACING — Martin Agredo flies downfield.

this one,” Van Noord said. “For a boost of confidence and to finally see the results. Because in the past we’ve played well and should’ve won a few of the games, so it was nice that it finally clicked and we put it in the back of the net.”

The team is still looking to progress and keep improving.

“We can still grow in a lot of ways, defensively, we can be sharper,” Norman said. “We’ve had a lot of players back on the back line that aren’t used to it, so it’s great to see them battle

against a good team.”

Van Noord and the rest of the Lady Flames are hungry for more.

“I don’t think anyone is satisfied with where we’re at right now,” Van Noord said. “We definitely have room for improvement, we want to get everyone on that page to see how we can get better.”

DAVIS is a sports reporter.

sports

Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | B3

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

BATTLE — Redshirt junior midfielder Bertha Martinez jockeyed for position against two James Madison players during their 1-0 victory, marking the program’s first-ever win over JMU.

Flames outlast Dukes

Liberty scores late goal against JMU to win its second game in a row Will Collier wcollier@liberty.edu

The Lady Flames soccer team grabbed its first win in program history against James Madison University with their 1-0 victory Sept. 4 at Osborne Stadium.

“Clearly they’re a fantastic team, and that’s what makes it a very, very good win for us,” Liberty Women’s Soccer Head Coach Nate Norman said.

Although the game was tied until the 85th minute, the Dukes controlled the ball the majority of the game, getting twice as many shots on the goal and twice as many corner kicks, but the Liberty defense withheld the technical JMU offense.

“It was kind of a bend but don’t break attitude today, and we did a good job covering for each other,” Norman said.

“It was great,” Liberty senior goalkeeper Holly Van Noord said. “We knew from the beginning they were going to be tough, that they were coming out full blast,” .

The Flames backline hustled hard to limit shots for JMU, but even when they did manage to get one by the Liberty defense, Van Noord was there to make the save.

“With Holly, she’s so good, you sometimes forget because you almost expect her to make those saves,” Norman said. “That last layer gives the backline confidence.”

The day’s shutout was the 34th for Van Noord, which makes her the all-time Big

South leader in shutouts.

“Shutout mentality comes from the whole team,” Van Noord said.

The Liberty defense kept the Dukes scoreless, but the game-winning goal from freshman forward Gabrielle Farrell propelled Liberty to the win. Farrell took a perfectly played ball from fellow freshman forward Sierra Lam to net her first career goal for the home team in the 85th minute, giving Liberty a 1-0 lead.

“Being able to score that goal for my team, for God, for my family, for everybody, it was such an amazing feeling,” Farrell said. “It’s a surreal feeling. I feel like it didn’t happen, but it’s such a blessing playing on this team.”

This is the second win in a row after the Lady Flames’ tough comeback win

over Appalachian State.

“We had an emotional game on Friday, and we were able to win a hard-fought battle, and I love the way we came back on Sunday and continued to fight,” Norman said. “We could have folded up shop, but we didn’t and I’m very proud of them for that.”

Van Noord and the rest of the Lady Flames travel down to Greensboro, North Carolina Sept. 8 looking to extend their win streak to three against the Lady Spartans of University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The game will take place at 7 p.m.

COLLIER is a sports reporter.

B4 | September 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

sports

Those around me have frequently likened me to a dad, and recently I embraced this lifestyle. Dad jokes, dad style, and for a while even a dad bod became the norm for me. Today I take it a step further with Porch Talks with yours truly.

Each week, we’ll join together on the porch where I will share my thoughts, SCHMIEG feelings, emotions and most importantly, dad advice, on a variety of topics, including sports, entertainment and maybe even girls. Probably not girls though, I don’t know much about them.

This week on the porch, I want to share with you my thoughts on Liberty football.

While watching the Flames fall to the Hokies, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the loss to North Carolina just two years ago. In that game, the Flames had a lead in the third quarter against the nationally ranked Tar Heels, but saw that lead slip away in a matter of minutes when North Carolina scored 28 unanswered points in just under four minutes.

That team was led by former Flames quarterback Josh Woodrum. Have you heard the saying, “you never know what you got, till it’s gone?” Unfortunately, I am not sure I appreciated Woodrum as much as I should have during the 2015 season.

It was easy to pick on every bad throw or poor decision Woodrum made, but now I just wish I could see him don the Flames jersey one more time. I wish I could go back to freshman year as I yelled “Joshy Football” while he led the Flames to their first ever playoff victory. But those days are over.

Now I’m not necessarily giving up on starting quarterback Stephon Masha just yet, but I am definitely looking at Stephen “Buckshot” Calvert to start warming up. If Masha has another game like his first this season, I cannot imagine Head Coach Turner Gill will be able to deny Buckshot a chance at the starting job.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Buckshot is any better, but we will never know until he gets a chance to “fire away.” See what I did there? That’s what you call a dad joke. You’re welcome.

I will leave you with a staggering statistic on the Flames’ road game woes.

After the Flames most recent loss on the road to Virginia Tech, Liberty has only won one road game out of their last eight, dating back to 2014. What’s more, the last time Liberty beat an FCS team on the road was their playoff victory at James Madison in 2014.

Maybe Masha will turn things around. Maybe he will be the next quarterback that I wish I appreciated better after the fact. Or maybe his college career climaxed when he led the Flames to victory over Coastal Carolina in 2014.

If the latter is true, he’ll still be a hero in my book. After all, nobody likes Coastal.

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SCHMIEG is the sports editor.

Classic Dad Move of the Week Child: “I’m hungry.”

Dad: “Nice to meet you, hungry.”

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

BUSY — Various Liberty athletic teams played across different courts and fields this past weekend.

HOKIES continued from B1 The Hokies got the ball to start the second half and were quickly forced to punt, but any hopes of a Liberty comeback were squashed when sophomore wide receiver Damian King fielded a punt at his own 2-yard line before running backwards and being tackled in the end zone for a safety.

Virginia Tech scored their final touchdown on their very next drive making the score 33-13.

The Flames’ final scoring opportunity came when Masha put together a string of passes while leading Liberty down to the Virginia Tech 20-yard line before a sack and delay of game penalty on the kicking team pushed Liberty out of field goal range.

With 22 seconds left in the third quarter, the Hokies sent in their backup quarterback, redshirt senior Brenden Motley, to lead the

offense the rest of the way. In his first drive, Motley took the Hokies down to the Flames 17-yard line where they eventually settled for a field goal and pushed the lead to its final score of 36-13.

Despite the 23 point loss to Virginia Tech, Liberty’s defense remained optimistic about the future.

“I think we proved that we won’t get run over,” Wells said. “Even though the score may not say that. … This is a learning process for us, going against a power five school and playing at a high level.”

The Flames look to bounce back next week when they play their first home game of the season against FCS opponent Jacksonville.

“I think if we remain going down the path we’re going down, keeping everybody positive and doing it the way we did it today, we’ll see a lot of success in this season,” senior linebacker Dexter Robbins said.

SCHMIEG is the sports editor.

Michela Diddle | Liberty Champion

ON THE RUN — Frankie Hickson carries the ball behind the Flames’ offensive line.

feature

Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | B5

Jacob Clarke jlclarke3@liberty.edu

Students who are new to Liberty University have finished their first week of classes and are becoming familiar with the leadership on their halls, their professors, and even life in Lynchburg.

And while all students know of President Jerry Falwell Jr., other members of leadership in and around Liberty also make important decisions that impact students’ lives. Some operate in a more public sphere than others, but each contributes to the lasting legacy left by school founder Jerry Falwell Sr. Here’s a rundown of who’s who around Liberty University.

Jerry Falwell Jr. served at Liberty University in the decades prior to being appointed president in 2007 after the passing of Jerry Falwell Sr. He grew up in the Lynchburg area and graduated from Liberty before earning his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. As president, Jerry Falwell Jr. oversees all aspects of the university and sets the vision and direction for the school. Under his leadership, the school has seen tremendous growth in both residential and online academics as well as its financial standing.

Jonathan Falwell is the lead pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC), a church founded by his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., in 1956 that is currently connected to Liberty’s campus. He served in full-time ministry at TRBC beginning in the 1990s and has held his current position since Jerry Falwell Sr.’s death.

The younger brother of President Jerry Falwell Jr., Jonathan Falwell grew up in the Lynchburg area and graduated from Liberty. He earned a J.D. from William Howard Taft University.

Dr. Ronald Hawkins was appointed provost in 2015 after serving at Liberty in roles such as dean, professor, vice president for Academic Affairs, and as the president of Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

As provost, Hawkins leads the undergraduate and graduate programs and allocates funds to the individual schools. He works with department heads to ensure academic progress and that programs meet the requirements of accreditation.

Hawkins first came to Liberty as a Bible professor in 1978, according to liberty.edu, and is currently an executive board member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Dr. Mark Hine is involved in all facets of student life at Liberty through leading Student Affairs. He works closely with offices such as Residence Life and the Center for Multicultural Enrichment, and issues related to student government.

Hine first came to Liberty as a student in 1973 and has been serving full time since 1979 in positions such as Resident Director, dean of graduate and commuter students, and dean of students, according to liberty.edu.

David Nasser was named Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development in August 2014 after previously serving as pastor of Christ City Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

He oversees spiritual programs such as Convocation, LU Send, LU Serve, and LU Shepherd, all with the purpose of seeing students grow in their walk with Christ.

Nasser is also the author of “A Call to Die,” “A Call to Grace,” “Glory Revealed,” and “Jumping Through Fire,” a memoir about how his family left Iran when he was young to escape religious persecution and how he discovered faith in Christ.

Robert Mullen was appointed dean of students in 2014 after serving as a senior pastor in Roanoke and previously practicing law for nine years. He oversees the offices of Community Life, Student Counseling Services, Commuter Student Life, and the Title IX Office, among others.

Each semester, Mullen hosts a town hall with other departments from Liberty so students can express their ideas and concerns about ways to further improve the university for students.

Mullen graduated from Liberty in 1985 and earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989 and a Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1998.

CLARKE is the managing editor.

feature

B6 | September 6, 2016 | Liberty Champion

Extracurricular fun

Student Activities to offer a wide variety of events throughout the semester Amelia Whittaker awhittaker1@liberty.edu

Leah Seavers| Liberty Champion

STRUM — An amateur guitarist played at an open mic night in the Tilley Student Center.

As a record number of residential students settle into campus and adjust to the daily grind of classes, Student Activities has scheduled a semester filled with trips, camping and an array of on-campus activities.

One of these activities is a game night, set to take place in the LaHaye Event Space Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. This is a time for students to come play classic board games such as Clue and Monopoly. There will also be multiple video game systems set up, with tournaments for FIFA 16 on the Xbox One and for NBA 2K16 on the Playstation 4. Students will have the chance to win hundreds of dollars in prizes throughout the night, according to the Student Activities website.

Drew Snavely, event supervisor for Student Activities, believes there will be a good turnout for game nights.

“We typically get anywhere from 200 to 400 people at our game nights,” Snavely said.

Student Activities will also host multiple outdoor movie nights throughout the semester, with the first happening at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 on the Dorm 28 fields. “Finding Dory” will be shown and concessions will be available along with complimentary popcorn.

The second movie night of the semester will be a showing of “Captain

Leah Seavers | Liberty Champion

PERFORM — Student Activities hosted musical events throughout the last year, including concerts from professional and amateur artists.

America: Civil War” at Williams Stadium on Sept. 24 at 10:30 p.m., following that night’s football game.

Trivia nights and bingo nights also take place in the LaHaye Event Space, where students will have the opportunity to win more prizes. Trivia night consists of teams of up to six people, and is set for Sept. 17 with team registration beginning at 8 p.m.

Open mic nights will also occur throughout the semester, giving students the opportunity to showcase their on-stage talents.

Students are encouraged to share music, comedy or poetry from the stage, or just come to watch other performers.

A new event that will be debuting this year will be a lip sync battle, similar in style to those seen on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” according to Snavely.

“We are very excited to see the turnout for the lip sync battle, as it is a new event,” Snavely said.

Student Activities is also offering laser tag Sept. 30, set to take place on the paintball fields. There will first be a tournament featuring 16 teams, with five people allowed per team. Free play will be offered after the tournament, again in teams of five.

Music is an important part of what Student Activities does, as they put on many concerts for the student body throughout the semester. This semester, groups such as Vertical Church Band, Switchfoot, Relient K and NEEDTOBREATHE will come to campus.

While these concerts are open to the public, students do receive a discount on tickets.

Concert tickets can be purchased through the MyLU page, under the ticket portal.

Another event that Student Activities hosts is Coffeehouse, which happens near Christmas and again towards the end of the spring semester. This is another event that allows students to showcase their talents in front of classmates. Coffeehouse is Snavely’s favorite event of the semester.

“So much work … goes into Coffeehouse, that when we get to see the final product, it feels so rewarding,” Snavely said.

Student Activities also hosts trips offcampus throughout the semester. Students are invited to take part in outdoor activities, such as bouldering at White Rocks, Virginia or camping at Virginia Beach.

An event that happens each semester is a trip to Washington, D.C. Student Activities organizes buses to take students to D.C.’s Union Station, offering students an opportunity to explore the nation’s capital.

More events are set to be added throughout the semester. The most current list of events can be found on the Student Activities website and on the MyLU homepage.

WHITTAKER is a feature writer.

Friendly competition

Various intramural sports and tournaments scheduled for the semester Ryan Klinker rmklinker@liberty.edu

Many want to be athletes, but only a few have the ability to earn a spot on the roster of an official collegiate athletic team — and that is where intramural sports fills that gap. Whether because of time restraints or other barriers, Liberty students who cannot participate in upper-level athletics have the opportunity to experience the physical and mental benefits of intramural sports.

Regardless of skill level, there are 24 options for sports or events for students to participate in, according to the intramural sports website. For $50 per season and $30 per tournament, any student can join the program.

Ed Barnhouse, director of Liberty University Intramural Sports (LUIMS), pointed out how easy it is to participate, and listed the helpful and constructive aspects of student involvement.

“There are students with all types of skill levels,” Barnhouse said. “Anyone can play intramural sports. Most teams play twice a week, so it’s only a couple of hours a week of time commitment. It’s a chance to relax, have fun and fellowship with current friends and a chance to make new friends.”

Barnhouse also announced two new sports to choose from – a trio of Friday night bowling tournaments at the new bowling alley in the Monteview Student Union (Sept. 16, Oct. 14, and Dec. 2), and a wiffle-ball tournament to be held Oct. 28. Both tournaments, with enough student participation, could develop into leagues by the spring semester.

Through intramural sports, students can also grow closer to others within their halls. Senior Tyler Hasty, who has played intramural indoor soccer, cites this as one of his favorite aspects of his participation.

“I liked (intramurals) because of the fact that it was easy to organize a team since people were on my hall,” Hasty said. “I also like it because it’s competitive yet fun at the same time.”

With more than 2,000 games each semester, the competition of around 400 teams and 3,500 students comes with the need for a lot of preparation, daily maintenance, and more than 100 student workers to be referees. Barnhouse, who has been the full-time LUMIS director for 18 years, and was a student worker in the past, knows this very well.

“We could not provide this service without the 100 student workers,” Barnhouse said.

With its 24 choices, Liberty’s intramural sports selection is almost double that of other universities across the country. According to Barnhouse, many other schools only schedule teams to play five to seven games a semester. Depending on the sport, Liberty’s teams play anywhere from 10-16 games per semester.

Though winning is not everything, there is a prize for those who win the championship in their respective sports. According to the LUMIS website, each team who finishes will receive Intramural Champions T-shirts, and those who were first in a seasonal sport will have the additional honor of having their team name engraved on their sport’s trophy, which is housed in the LaHaye Student Union.

In the end, the goal of intramurals is to enjoy physical activity, develop relationships among people with common interests and release some of the pent-up stress that can become synonymous with college coursework.

For more information on intramurals, visit the LUMIS website.

KLINKER is a feature writer.

Alexander Doub | Liberty Champion

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Liberty Champion | September 6, 2016 | B7

Caroline Sellers | Liberty Champion

CARNIVAL — Liberty students gathered in the LaHaye Student Union parking lot Sept. 3 to enjoy food, fair rides, games and the opportunity to connect with other students.

Beginning the year with a bang Annual Block Party gives students chance to unwind after first week of classes Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu

As the sun set over the mountains, the crowded parking lot of the LaHaye Student Union glowed with lights. That was the scene of Liberty University’s 2016 Block Party, an annual event hosted by Student Activities to promote student involvement and welcome students back to campus.

This year’s Block Party included a Ferris wheel, multiple carnival-style games, trampolines and fair rides — all free for students. Food trucks from around the Lynchburg area were also present throughout the Block Party.

Tents across the Block Party provided students with opportunities to win prizes, get coupons for local businesses and learn more about campus activities.

Multiple organizations hosted booths

throughout the Block Party to promote their causes and interact with students. Both official Student Government Association clubs and departments held tables, offering free swag and the chance to learn more about campus activities.

Local businesses were also welcome to set up booths at the Block Party. Locked-Up Lynchburg had a mock-escape room set up, where students could attempt various activities and attempt to win T-shirts.

This event helped both students and various departments looking to reach the student body, offering an array of student opportunities in an accessible space.

At the club sports table, recruitment coordinator Ben Hughes said they had each of their clubs represented at the Block Party by student volunteers. “[The response] has been awesome,” Hughes said. “We’ve done a table in the past, but this year we’ve done it

Dean Hinnant | Liberty Champion

RISING ABOVE — Students climbed a rock wall outside of the LaHaye Ice Center.

Caroline Sellers| Liberty Champion

HELPFUL — Organizations such as Cure spoke with students at the Block Party.

a little bigger.”

LaHaye fitness coordinator Javaz Williams also saw an increased turnout at this year’s Block Party. Williams helped run a table for the LaHaye Student Union where students could play cornhole and ask staff any fitness questions they had.

“We set up a table at the Block Party because we just want people to become familiar with the things that we offer over here at LaHaye,” Williams said. “Sometimes you have people at the Block Party who normally wouldn’t come to our facility, so it gives us an opportunity to connect with another part of the student body.”

Senior Jared Devin worked for Student Activities at the Block Party and was encouraged by the event’s turnout.

“Our goal for any event is to culturally engage students and society,” Devin said.

“We really just want to engage students and let them meet each other. It’s really

about loving others.”

Junior Alexa Carlson attended the Block Party and felt that a connection with the student body was present.

“It’s good bonding for our hall, and it’s a good time to spend together and see what other opportunities are out here for LU students,” Carlson said.

“I think it’s always cool to see everybody come out at the beginning of the year,” senior Hannah Phillips said. “It’s always a good time.”

Vacation Manor, Colony House and Dave Barnes all took the stage throughout the Block Party to play music to the crowded parking lot. At the end of the night, the event concluded with a fireworks display.

MOYER is the feature editor.

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FEATURE

Semptember 6, 2016

lit up in lights

Caroline Sellers| Liberty Champion

PLAYING HIS HEART OUT — Colony House bassist Parke Cottrell provided bass and backup vocals at the Sept. 3 concert held in the LaHaye Student Union parking lot.

Rolling with the punches Colony House performs at Block Party, discusses the future of their music Shannon Moyer srmoyer@liberty.edu

In front of a packed house, Colony House performed at the annual Block Party the night of Sept. 3 to a crowd of students and community members.

Colony House is no stranger to Lynchburg or Liberty University. Under the name “Caleb,” the band first performed at Liberty with Anberlin at the Vines Center in 2011. More recently, as Colony House, the band headlined Lynchstock music festival in the spring of 2016.

Colony House is comprised of band members Caleb Chapman, Will Chapman, Parke Cottrell and Scott Mills.

The band took their name from Colony House — an apartment complex located in Franklin, Tennessee — where most of the band’s members are from. All of the band members have assorted ties to the apartment complex and collectively changed the band’s name from Caleb to Colony House to better reflect their plan for the band.

Lead singer Caleb Chapman and his brother, Will Chapman, are familiar with the limelight. As the sons of Christian musical artist Steven Curtis Chapman, the brothers toured with their father in their high school years and played music in his live band.

“My dad is our biggest fan,” Caleb Chapman said. “He loves what we’re doing and believes in it.”

Nearly seven years ago, they began the band that would become Colony House.

The band takes influence from both secular and Christian musical artists. Guitar player Scott Mills named Led Zeppelin and U2 as his biggest guitar influences, while Caleb Chapman takes his musical influences from bands such as Coldplay.

Due to the musical influences the band has, their music has characteristics of alternative music and their songs have been played on religious and secular radio stations nationwide. Their debut album reached No. 154 on the Billboard 200, and their song

“Silhouettes” was the top track played on one of Sirius XM’s secular channels, Alt Nation, for four months in a row.

According to the band, Colony House has evolved since its founding seven years ago.

Bass player Parke Cottrell came on board about halfway through those seven years, and the band has grown to playing on larger stages for larger audiences. As the band has changed, so have the band’s opportunities to put its music out into the world.

Caleb Chapman had advice to give to anyone afraid to put their art into the public eye.

“Every time you get up on stage, you’re doing something brave,” Caleb Chapman said.

“I think there’s something healthy about being scared and being afraid of putting your art out there because that means you’re probably doing something really honest. Know that honesty speaks louder than anything else.”

Colony House’s next album was meant to come out in September 2016 but has been pushed back to a release sometime in early 2017. There are more than 200 tour dates lined up for 2017, but the Chapman brothers were quick to mention that number will only grow.

With that growth, Caleb Chapman named a long-term goal that the band has to one day play at the Ryman auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. However, he also said that he has more important goals for the band.

“If at the end of this thing, we can still say that we’re best friends and we love each other, that’s a great goal,” Caleb Chapman said. “We want to grow this bigger. We want to move to the next level. At the end of it, we care mostly about our music being an honest conversation between us and the audience.”

Colony House’s music is available on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube. Information regarding their upcoming tours can be found at www.colonyhousemusic.com.

Caroline Sellers | Liberty Champion

CHORDS — Colony House guitarist Scott Mills peformed a guitar solo at the Block Party.

Caroline Sellers| Liberty Champion

MOYER is the feature editor.

SING — Vocalist Caleb Chapman played guitar and led the audience in song Sept. 3.