Liberty Journal Winter/Spring 2017

TRACK & FIELD

NEW FACILITY IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S FINEST

BUILT FOR SUCCESS

BUSINESS GRADUATES ARE DRAWING ATTENTION

JOINING FORCES

FORMER CONGRESSMAN ROBERT HURT HEADS NEW CENTER FOR LAW & GOVERNMENT

LIBERTY JOURNAL WINTER/SPRING 2017

LU PRAISE SINGS AT INAUGURAL NATIONAL PRAYER SERVICE PAGE 4

LIBERTY JOURNAL WINTER/SPRING 2017

PUB LIS H E R Jerry Falwell SENIO R M A NAGIN G E D ITOR Mitzi Bible GRAP H IC D E SIGNE R Carrie Mitchell CO NTRIBUT IN G E D ITORS Becki Falwell Ronald Kennedy Amanda Stanley STA FF Ted Allen Rebecca Beem Heather Bradley Ron Brown Rachel Dugan Kerry Hogan Cheryl Job Leslie Keeney Drew Menard Dawn Neal Amy Price Josh Rice Kim Smith Len Stevens Tobi Walsh PHOTOGRAPH E RS Joel Coleman Caroline Cummings Kaitlyn Johnson Kevin Manguiob Leah Seavers Nathan Spencer Jessie Rogers

Photo by: Kevin Manguiob

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FEATURES

NAT HA N SPENC ER

ON THE COVER

LU Praise, Liberty’s gospel choir, sings at the Inaugural National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 21.

Read the story on Page 4.

INSIDE this ISSUE CENTER FOR LAW & GOVERNMENT: Headed by former U.S. Congressman Robert Hurt (of Virginia’s 5th District), a new university center will prepare students for positions of influence in our nation’s capital. — 8 UP AND RUNNING: The state-of-the-art Liberty Indoor Track Complex is now open. Winning coach Brant Tolsma tells why the facility is one of the finest in the country. — 12 PATHWAY TO SUCCESS: Employers are showing increased interest in Liberty’s business graduates.

Meet some of LU’s alumni at top firms around the country and learn how the School of Business is expanding, including the construction of a new building set to begin this summer. — 16 SPECIAL GUESTS: For decades, Liberty University has welcomed a diverse range of speakers to its stage, from sports icons, to politicians, to leaders in business and entertainment. Read some of the highlights through the years. — 22

The annual Christmas on the Boulevard concert, one of the first events in the new concert hall at the Center for Music and the Worship Arts, was so popular that President Jerry Falwell requested an encore performance three days later. The concert featured more than 350 singers, 60 orchestra members, 15 house band members, and seven faculty soloists from the School of Music. Visit Liberty.edu/Music for a schedule of performances this semester.

KAREN KINGSBURY: The best-selling author shares her perspective on Convocation, a unique experience Liberty students share together three times a week. Plus, find out who is coming to the Convocation stage this semester. — 26 RIGHT OFF THE BAT: First-year Head Coach Scott Jackson shares his goals for Liberty Baseball. — 30 INSIDE FREEDOM TOWER: The Rawlings School of Divinity is on schedule to be completed in the fall. Learn about its features, including a scriptorium, and what will occupy its 275-foot tower. — 32

NEWS & EVENTS ACCREDITATION NEWS: Liberty’s accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges was reaffirmed for the next 10 years. — 36

SHOOTING SPORTS: A new on-campus gun range comes with the addition of several shooting teams. It will also be used for firearms training. — 46

ATHLETICS MCCAW AT THE HELM: New athletics director shares Liberty’s vision for world-class programs. — 48 SERVING THE CHIEFS: Meet alumnus Phillip Kelley, team chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs. — 51 SPRING SCHEDULES: Look here to find out where to catch the Flames in action this semester. — 53

CLASS NOTES ALUMNI: Read about the achievements of your former classmates in this special section. — 56

SCIENTIFIC STUDIES: Students are studying DNA found in a Civil War-period home used as a hospital, plus more ongoing research at Liberty. — 39

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INAUGURATION 2017 WI TN ESSING Last year, the spring semester kicked off with Convocation featuring thenpresidential candidate Donald Trump as the guest speaker. It was one of the most heavily attended Convocations to date. President Jerry Falwell introduced Trump as “one of the greatest visionaries of our time.” One year later, almost to the day, Liberty students watched as their former guest speaker was introduced for the first time as the 45th President of the United States.

Whether students were watching the swearing-in of Trump from the National Mall in Washington, D.C., or taking time to pray for our nation during Convocation in the Vines Center, they all became part of the nation’s 58th Presidential Inauguration. Thousands gathered inside the Vines Center on Friday, Jan. 20, for a prayer service.

After The Liberty Worship Collective opened the service with worship songs, a member from each class, freshman to senior, prayed for the City of Lynchburg, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the United States, and the world.

David Nasser, Liberty’s senior vice

H ISTORY

president for Spiritual Development, said the service was special because students have an amazing platform from which to impact the country.

“We have the opportunity to speak into the future of our nation,” Nasser told the students. “I hope you understand that at this particular moment, we’ve been granted by God an opportunity to speak into our government.”

Nasser also introduced a video message to students from President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, on their way to the swearing-in ceremony and just moments after Falwell spoke and read Scripture at a private church service for Donald Trump and select guests at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Falwell read one of his favorite passages, Matthew 6:5-13, from the same Bible that he used when he was a Liberty student in the 1980s; it is still filled with all of his notes and underlines. The small crowd at that private service included the

then-President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and their families, as well as the president’s new cabinet and invited guests. Falwell had a chance to speak with many of them and celebrate the upcoming Trump presidency, including Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States.

“He (Carter) stopped me afterward and told me he thought I did a good job,” Falwell said. “He said he saw my name on the program before I spoke, and he thought it was great that I’d be here to read Scripture. He was very kind.”

Back at the Vines Center, Nasser closed Convocation by reading the same Bible passage that Falwell read to the new president. Classes scheduled immediately after Convocation were cancelled so that students could watch the swearing-in ceremony.

As students poured out of the Vines Center, 200 more students were working their way onto the National Mall and the West Lawn of the Capitol.

The university reserved five buses for students to attend the Inauguration and parade on Friday. In addition, 14

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Members of Liberty’s Eagle Scholars program stand with President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, after arriving in Washington, D.C., for Inauguration 2017 festivities.

Eagle Scholars (part of the university’s two-year leadership program), students and faculty from the Department of History, and members of The College Republicans also attended Inaugural events in D.C. “Being on the Mall made me feel like I was a part of history,” said sophomore Logan Smith.

A journalism major, Smith said he was impressed with Trump’s Inauguration speech.

“He never deviated from his initial message 18 months ago,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to say I went to Trump’s Inauguration. I will be able to tell my kids that down the road.”

Senior Autumn Price, one of more than 40 history majors on the trip, said the experience was remarkable.

“The hope and energy you could feel in the crowd was fantastic,” she said.

“It left me in awe. I had a blast, and I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.”

John Wood, who attended the Inauguration with fellow members of The College Republicans, said the trip was a culmination of what he and other students had been working toward for over a year.

“When you are standing on the National Mall with hundreds of thousands of people who believe what

you believe and are just as excited as you are to see what the next four years will hold, it is rejuvenating and makes the work you have put in worth it,” he said. “When I left Washington, D.C., on Friday, I was excited for the future and eager to get to work.”

On Saturday, Jan. 21, Liberty’s gospel choir, LU Praise, sang two songs at the Inaugural National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Inaugural Prayer Service, a tradition dating back as far as President George Washington, included President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and their families, as well as invited guests. President Falwell, >> JE SSI E R OGE R S

Liberty University held a special Inauguration Day prayer service for Convocation. Students prayed for the City of Lynchburg, the state, the country, and the world.

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Liberty University President Jerry Falwell speaks and reads Scripture during a private service at St. John’s Episcopal Church the morning of the Inauguration.

Students pose in front of the Capitol Building when they arrived for the Inauguration. Five buses of students left campus early Friday morning.

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“Inauguration” was the No. 1 search on Google in the U.S. during the swearing-in ceremony, with Lynchburg, Va. (home of Liberty University) being the top town searching — ahead of Hyattsville, Md. (2), Tysons, Va. (3), Provo, Utah (4), and Mobile, Ala. (5).

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell with former President Jimmy Carter

>> his wife, Becki, and their family attended. After President Falwell told Vice President-elect Pence about LU Praise in early January, the 28-student singing group was asked by the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee 2017 to be a part of the service. Other groups performing included The United States Army Band, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, and the Washington National Cathedral Choir.

Many prominent leaders from different faiths read Scripture and spoke.

“Of the thousands of groups in America that could have been chosen, we understand that the vice presidentelect personally chose LU Praise to sing

for the event,” said Dr. Vernon Whaley, dean of Liberty’s School of Music. “I was so proud of our Liberty University students. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone in the group.

I am so grateful that our students had this opportunity. They sang with grateful spirits in honor of a nation that celebrates the transition of power from one president to another with grace and peace. This was a historic moment that I will never, ever forget.”

Whaley said the audience was “hugely responsive.”

“They were so complimentary of the way our students presented themselves in every way ... not just in singing. Even during the time when we were standing in line for the security clearance, our LU students interacted with some really well-known personalities, pastors, military leaders, and politicians with grace, expertise, and enormous skill.”

Falwell said Liberty was “honored and humbled to have had such a

prominent role in such an important event for our nation.”

LU Praise sang the prelude, “Total Praise,” as well as “We’ve Come This Far By Faith,” a theme song for Liberty in the early 70s when the young college was struggling in its first years of existence. Whaley said the songs were requested by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and Falwell said it was providential that they chose a song that was an integral part of Liberty’s history.

“Hearing that song in that setting brought me to tears,” he said.

“This experience will have a lasting effect on all of us and on future LU Praise members,” said graduate music student and LU Praise member KyLisa Freeman. “Our goal was to make Christ known and to leave confident that people had had an encounter with God.” LU Praise was formed in 2006. The group, which blends gospel and worship music, has led worship and performed across the country.

President Falwell excited about influencing education policy in Trump administration Liberty University President Jerry Falwell said he was humbled by the offer he received in November from then President-elect Donald J. Trump to serve as Secretary of Education. He just couldn’t accept it.

“I told him there’s so much unfinished business that I have here at Liberty that we’re right in the middle of achieving,” Falwell said. “So, we started talking about other things I could do.”

One of Trump’s aides asked Falwell to serve on an education task force within the Administration. His top goal in this new role will be to help eliminate many of the regulations that the Department of Education has placed on colleges and universities, regulations that he said “have gotten out of hand.”

“There’s almost unanimity among college presidents. It’s not a conservative or liberal issue; it’s an autonomy issue for universities and their regional

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accrediting agencies, to not be Falwell said his personal endorsement micromanaged by the Department of of Trump led to a lot of national Education (DOE),” he said. “I’ve been attention for Liberty University, which working with a number of college has been positive. presidents and other leaders in education “Liberty’s been in the limelight to identify what changes need to be probably more over the past year than made. I’d really like to see more freedom ever before,” Falwell said. “And the from federal intrusion for universities timing is perfect because we’ve never across the country in a variety of areas.” had more to offer than we do now.”

Falwell, who was a member of Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board during the campaign, has spoken publicly about his excitement over Trump’s victory and what that means for America, often as a guest of network news programs such as Fox News Sunday Liberty President Jerry Falwell (right) and his family attended with Chris Wallace, Fox and the Liberty Inaugural Ball. From left, Trey and Sarah Falwell, Friends, Sean Hannity, and Caroline Falwell, Laura and Wesley Falwell, and Becki Falwell.

Erin Burnett of CNN.

FEATURES

TWITTER REACTS TO PRAYER SERVICE

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump react to the LU Praise performance.

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Watch a broadcast of the National Prayer Service, featuring LU Praise, on the Washington National Cathedral’s YouTube channel.

LOOKING BACK:

Donald Trump’s visits to campus Donald Trump first visited Liberty University in September 2012, where he spoke at Convocation before a record crowd. His talk focused on the nation’s debt, unemployment, dependence on foreign goods, and the oil crisis — as well as the lack of leadership to tackle these ever-growing concerns.

“The world is laughing at us,” he said.

“We just seem to have lost our edge, and now we’re in a position that unless things take place and take place fast, we are going to be, for many, many years to come, in serious trouble to the point that I don’t know if we can really come back.”

Trump praised Liberty for continuing to make an impact on the nation and honored Liberty’s founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., and Liberty’s president, Jerry Falwell Jr., for their roles in all that Liberty had accomplished.

“This is an amazing school. … All over the world they are talking about it

— Liberty University, what they’ve done and in such a short time. You can be very, very proud of yourself and your leaders.

When asked at a press conference why he accepted the invitation to come to Liberty (and waived his speaking fee as a gift to the school), he said, “I’ve heard so much about Liberty and the job that’s been done, that this was really, really my honor.”

Liberty President Jerry Falwell said that since Trump’s first visit, he and Trump, as well as Trump’s staff and family members, have stayed in touch. When Trump returned in 2016 as a presidential candidate, Falwell’s introduction included the many sides of the successful real estate investor that the media had not been privileged to see. Falwell shared touching stories of Trump’s generosity in helping struggling businesses and families and those affected by 9/11.

“Donald Trump has stunned the political world by building an unlikely coalition that crosses all demographic boundaries,” Falwell said during the Convocation in 2016. “Donald Trump is a breath of fresh air in a nation where the political establishment from both parties has betrayed their constituencies time and time again with broken promises and a continuation of the status quo. …

Donald Trump shuns the censorship that is rooted in political correctness and speaks the plain, common sense truth that so many have been longing to hear.”

Liberty aims to influence public policy with new

CENTER FOR

LAW & GOVERNMENT

Robert Hurt (center) stands with Dr. Shawn Akers (left), dean of Liberty University’s Helms School of Government, and Dr. Keith Faulkner, dean of Liberty University School of Law.

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FEATURES

Former Congressman Robert Hurt named executive director

BY LEN STEVENS

After 15 years in local, state, and national government, former U.S. Congressman Robert Hurt (Virginia’s 5th District) has joined Liberty University to head up the new Center for Law & Government. In concert with the Helms School of Government and Liberty University School of Law, the center has many ambitious goals. At the top of the list is to influence public policy in America and to celebrate and spread conservative ideals.

“I could not be more thrilled to be a part of this project,” Hurt said. “I think this is an excellent opportunity for Liberty University to be a part of the policy-making process in a way that other places cannot.”

The center will be a public policy innovator and incubator, engaging faculty and students across the nation in research, analysis, and formation of sound conservative policy ideas at all levels of government. It will create practical

solutions to challenges in education, health care, business and economics, government regulation, national security, and other areas affected by public policy, as well as train the next generation of men and women in statesmanship and public service.

It will be a place of ideas, an arena for thought and debate with a focus on conservative principles, such as limited government, the rule of law, and a free market economy. The center will initiate studies on various >>

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CONGRESSMAN

ROBERT HURT U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Washington, D.C. 2011 – 2017 (term ended Jan. 3) VIRGINIA SENATE Richmond, Va. 2008 – 2011 VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES Richmond, Va. 2002 – 2008 Robert Hurt is a native of Southern Virginia. After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College and Mississippi College School of Law, he returned to his hometown of Chatham as a prosecutor.

He went on to achieve a decade of successful private law practice before being elected to represent the people of Virginia’s Piedmont region in a variety of elective positions.

During Hurt’s time in elected office, he put together skilled legislative teams with the primary focus of sponsoring and supporting policy to promote jobs and economic growth – especially in rural America. In addition to using his seat on the Financial Services Committee to promote legislation to increase access to capital, he has also worked for policy to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens and to make it easier for families, small businesses, and family farms to be free and successful. He has made constituent service and outreach a number one priority. In Congress, he was successful in working in bipartisan and bicameral efforts to persuade executive branch agencies to address specific concerns, resulting in significant regional job growth potential.

Robert Hurt meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2011.

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>> issues in law and government and provide regular policy opinions.

In addition, there will be a speaker series with some of the country’s biggest names in politics and law.

Students will be able to put what they’ve learned into practice in skills labs, where they can run through real-world scenarios and receive feedback on their performance.

For instance, students could play the role of a legislator’s spokesperson and try to stay firmly on point while delivering a press conference to journalism students.

“Hands-on experiences for students are so important,” Hurt said. “A very big part of what this center will bring is the opportunity for them to more fully take part in activities that will hone their skills. Whether you serve in an elected office or in a supporting role to an elected official, practical experience is absolutely critical. It makes you more effective. It makes you able to hit the ground running. And it gives you a full appreciation for the powers and limits of government under our constitution, something that I don’t think is taught regularly across this country.”

Liberty President Jerry Falwell said Hurt’s experience and track record of impacting policy locally and nationally will be an asset to the university.

“The polls are saying Americans think it is time we take some advice from our founding fathers, and instead of electing career politicians, we elect citizen legislators who have succeeded in real life. Congressman Robert Hurt has certainly succeeded through more than a decade of successful private law practice. His commonsense approach, respect for the Constitution, and support of conservative ideals make him the perfect leader for this new center.”

With many Liberty graduates already working in law and government, Dr. Keith Faulkner, dean of the School of Law, said the center will allow alumni, as well as current students, to have an even bigger impact.

“This center is another reflection of how Liberty wants to lead the way,” Faulkner said. “We are not passive. We are active in the community, in our nation, and in our world. I’m really excited about not only what the policy-making aspect of this new center can bring forth but the true intersection between law and policy as well. The partnership between the Center for Law & Government, the Helms School of Government, and Liberty Law will

FEATURES

What local newspaper editorials said about Robert Hurt following his announcement in December 2015 that he was retiring from Congress at the end of his third term:

Congressman Robert Hurt presents commemorative pins to Vietnam veterans during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

certainly advance the mission of the law school to equip future leaders.”

Dr. Shawn Akers, dean of the Helms School of Government, is equally excited about the cooperative venture.

“I’m so thankful to be able to work with Congressman Hurt, who brings the height of practical policy-making experience, and with the dean of an incredibly successful law school, whose bar passage rates are exceptional. I think the new center, the law school, and the Helms School of Government, working together, can create a place where theory and practice meet and can produce a powerful synergy in the fields of law, government, politics, and policy. The center is an exciting step in Liberty’s leadership in the study of law and government that I think will become a training ground for statesmen and stateswomen and a place where tomorrow’s leaders learn to engage today’s culture and impact the discussion of law and policy in America.”

According to Akers, statesmanship, morals, and a commitment to the spirit

of service will continue to be a major focus. The goal is to not just teach students about law and government but to train future leaders.

Hurt, Faulkner, and Akers all say it is the ideal time for a center such as this, one that is committed to promoting conservative principles and creating world-changers through programs based in fact, research, and debate. They see the center as being firmly dedicated to free speech, where people can express their thoughts and opinions without being judged.

Future plans call for the construction of a new building on campus to house the center, with an arena, lecture halls, and classrooms.

“I think Liberty University has built over time, under the leadership of President Jerry Falwell and the deans here, not only a tremendous reputation,” Hurt said, “but also a platform that I believe can be used for the education of students in unique and important ways.”

“Hurt has worked hard to support every economic development effort that has been launched to revitalize communities like this one.”

DANVILLE REGISTER & BEE JAN. 10, 2016

“Hurt did the job well. …

He has a disposition the process needs. … We salute him but wish he had decided otherwise.”

RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH DEC. 27, 2015

“He’s a good man, a good public servant who takes seriously his responsibilities toward his constituents. …

Congress, we believe, would function better if there were more Robert Hurts, not fewer.”

LYNCHBURG NEWS & ADVANCE DEC. 30, 2015

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FEATURES

FOR LONGTIME COACH BRANT TOLSMA, LIBERTY’S NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART INDOOR TRACK COMPLEX IS A DREAM COME TRUE

BY TED ALLEN Head Coach Brant Tolsma considers the new Liberty University Indoor Track Complex a field of dreams.

Tolsma, who led the Lady Flames’ cross country team to victory in the Big South Conference Championships last fall — the 100th conference championship of his career — said Liberty’s athletics facilities have made quantum leaps since he first started coaching track & field in 1986.

“If you would have asked me when I came here, ‘In your wildest dreams, what would you like the track & field facilities to look like in 30 years?’ I never would have envisioned this,” he said. “It makes me think (of Ephesians 3:20) that ‘God will do abundantly above what we ask or imagine.’ That’s in heaven, for sure, but even here He’s done abundantly above what I would have asked or thought of 30 years ago.”

The new 169,000-square-foot complex glows at night beneath the illuminated monogram on Liberty Mountain, standing as a testament to the standard of excellence Tolsma has established for Liberty’s men’s and women’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field programs over the past three decades. It hosted its first competition Jan. 13-14, the Virginia Showcase, presented

by Milestat.com, attracting over 3,000 high school athletes from nearly 25 states, Washington, D.C., and Jamaica. Two national records were broken at the meet.

Jeff Caron, who ran collegiately at the University of Maine and professionally for New Balance in recent years, traveled from Washington, D.C., to witness the recordsetting performances at the Virginia Showcase.

“From spectating this event, it appears like a national championship,” he said. “If I were to walk in there and someone told me this was the national championships, I would believe that.”

The facility, he said, is “certainly something that would attract people to Liberty.”

“If I was a track athlete and I was looking for a school, I would want to look at their facilities and this would definitely draw me in to compete here,” Caron said, adding that the relatively rural location of Central Virginia is another selling point.

“When I was competing in college and professionally, all of the best indoor tracks were in the Northeast, and that’s where everyone would flock to,” Caron said. “Lynchburg is just such a great community. I always enjoy coming here. It’s a beautiful part of the state, and it’s nice >>

TRACKING 100 Coach Brant Tolsma’s 100 conference championships include 90 Big South Conference (BSC) titles as well as three IC4A titles and seven Mason-Dixon titles (before Liberty joined the BSC). His first conference title at Liberty was the 1987 Mason-Dixon Conference men’s indoor track & field championship, held Feb. 21, 1987, at VMI in Lexington, Va. The Lady Flames’ cross country team recorded Tolsma’s 100th conference crown Oct. 28 at the Big South Championships at Asheville Christian Academy in Swannanoa, N.C. Below are the number of conference championship wins, by teams, under Tolsma’s lead: 27 — Men’s Outdoor Track & Field 23 — Men’s Indoor Track & Field 15 — Men’s Cross Country 15 — Women’s Outdoor Track & Field 11 — Women’s Indoor Track & Field 9 — Women’s Cross Country

ON YOUR MARK…

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE NEW INDOOR TRACK COMPLEX: The track’s support structure is made of 200,000 pounds of steel, equipped with 72 hydraulic cylinders (36 at each turn).

Each cylinder is capable of 9,800 pounds of thrust.

It takes approximately two minutes for the track’s hydraulic system to raise the turns from a flat surface to a maximum bank of 10 degrees.

The state-of-the-art track surface is made by Beynon, one of the top track manufacturers in the world.

A high-tech videoboard will show live results and instant replays.

Athletes can gather between events on a second-floor mezzanine area located above an eight-lane, 100-meter warm-up track.

200-meter, six-lane main track 46-66 foot high ceiling 6,000-square-foot weight room 3,000-square-foot training room Hydrotherapy treadmill (in an area shared with the natatorium)

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STAR PERFORMERS

Heather Zealand

Josh McDougal

Sam Chelanga

These Liberty student-athletes, coached by Tolsma, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials: Sam Chelanga (2016 men’s 5K, 10K, marathon) Josh Cox (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 men’s marathon) Mike Decker (2000 men’s 400 meters) Clendon Henderson (2008 men’s discus) Danielle McNaney (2008 women’s heptathlon) Carol (Jefferson) Smith (2012, 2016 women’s marathon) Andrea Wildrick (2000 women’s pole vault) Heather (Sagan) Zealand (2004 women’s 1,500 meters) These Liberty student-athletes, coached by Tolsma, represented Team USA in national and international competitions: Josh Cox World Championships – Marathon (2001) Josh Edmonds World Junior Cross Country Championships (2007) Brandon Hoskins NACAC Under-23 Championships – Decathlon (2006) David McCombs Junior Pan American Games (1991) Jordan McDougal World Junior Cross Country Championships (2006) Josh McDougal World Cross Country Championships (2005) Danielle McNaney Nike Combined Events Challenge (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) Ramsey Moore USA vs. Canada Junior Decathlon (1997) Gerald Mosley USA Bobsled Team (1993) Mike Reed East Olympicfest Team (1995) Jacob Swinton South Olympicfest Team (1994) Ryan Werner East Olympicfest Team (1995) Andrea Wildrick – U.S. National Under-25 Team – Pole Vault (2002) Keith Woody USA vs. Canada Junior Decathlon (1990) Heather (Sagan) Zealand World Cross Country Championships (2002)

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>> to have these events outside of the major cities … you can actually enjoy the event a little bit more.”

The Flames made their season debut in the new facility at the Liberty Kickoff, featuring more than 45 collegiate teams, on Jan. 20-21. An official grand opening was held on Jan. 28, during the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, the second collegiate meet hosted by Liberty.

The facility was built by Glass & Associates Inc. “We spent countless hours getting this one right, using input from various existing facilities and figuring out what it would take to make it better,” said Alan Askew, vice president of major construction in Liberty’s Planning & Construction Department. “We arrived at something we’re very proud of — from an aesthetics standpoint, from a fan experience standpoint, from an athlete’s standpoint, and from an event management standpoint.”

Glass & Associates’ previous on-campus projects include the Hancock Welcome Center, Tower Theater, and basketball practice facility at the Vines Center, as well as the renovation and expansion of the LaHaye Recreation and Fitness Center, LaHaye Ice Center, and Food Court at Reber-Thomas — all part of Liberty’s nearly $1 billion ongoing campus restructuring.

“The indoor track is going to be their crown jewel, I think,” Tolsma said. “We’re very grateful to President Jerry Falwell for making that call and demonstrating so much faith in our program. It’s amazing. It’s going to turn the attention of the track & field world here.”

Not factoring in the adjoining natatorium (to be completed in November) or road improvements leading to the facility from Candlers

Mountain Road, the project cost is just under $30 million.

The new complex is nearly triple the size of the previous 60,000-squarefoot Tolsma Indoor Track Center in Marie F. Green Hall. It is 425 feet long by 300 feet wide, with an arched roof ranging in height from 46-66 feet. The configuration of the track layout includes room for all six field events, with the weight throw, shot put, and high jump pits located outside the track oval, and the pole vault, long jump, and triple jump runways located inside.

It is among only a few indoor tracks in the nation large enough to have a secondfloor mezzanine area — a spacious loft where competitors can sit or huddle with their teammates and interact with athletes from other schools — above an eight-lane, 100-meter warm-up track straightaway. The mezzanine is on the opposite side of the track from stands that seat nearly 1,500 fans, with the capacity to hold more than 2,500 when track-level portable bleachers are added.

The complex is large enough for a maximum occupancy of 5,000, including 2,500 or more athletes.

The track itself is the facility’s most dynamic feature and one of only a few indoor tracks in the U.S. to offer a sixlane, 200-meter, hydraulically banked oval. (Other such tracks are located at the Naval Academy, Alabama, Birmingham, Nebraska, Penn State, Texas A&M, and Virginia Military Institute (VMI).)

With the push of a button, 72 hydraulic cylinders, each capable of nearly 10,000 pounds of thrust, flex the underlying support structure, fabricated from 200,000 pounds of steel, to create up to 10-degree banks on each of the track’s turns in a matter of two minutes.

VMI and Liberty are the only schools to have banked tracks that feature a specially formulated surface

FEATURES

The Virginia Showcase, featuring over 3,000 high school athletes, was the first meet held in the new Liberty University Indoor Track Complex, on Jan. 13-14. Two national high school records were broken on the new track.

manufactured by Beynon, the company that resurfaced Liberty’s outdoor Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex and the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, site of the United States Olympic Trials in July. The International Association of Athletics Federationcertified track surface, sealed on top of a 3/4-inch marine-grade plywood, incorporates original (not recycled) butyl rubber in the force-reduction layer, creating the most responsive track surface in the world.

Jeff Jacobs, a Flames junior sprinter from Kansas, is thrilled to run on such a state-of-the-art surface.

“Banked tracks are awesome, and they’re really fun to run on, too,” he said. “It just lets you hit the turn a little bit harder — to put faster times down in training. It doesn’t take away as much of your momentum as the flat track does; it will be safer for our bodies because training on a flat track can be really strenuous. It also gives us an advantage competing against the big schools that will be coming in because we’ll already be used to the track.”

Fans can keep track of all the studentathletes in action with help from a digital scoreboard that displays both active times and field event results, as well as a videoboard that shows live action and instant replays.

Other amenities in the facility include a 6,000-square-foot weight room, a 3,000-square-foot training room and underwater treadmill (to be shared with the NCAA women’s swimming &

diving team and new Club Sports men’s swimming & diving team), a coaches’ hospitality room with windows that overlook the track, a concessions area, a press box, and ample restrooms, locker rooms, and office space.

Tolsma, who earned a master’s degree in hydraulic engineering from the University of Michigan in 1973, considers the complex and its unique track one of the best indoor venues in the nation and one that will attract not only top collegiate athletes and teams from around the country, but also blue-chip recruits to Liberty’s track & field programs.

“Obviously, we’re really blessed, but we also understand that where much is given, much is also required,” he said. “This track is raising the bar of expectation, but I embrace that. Our staff embraces that. We want to represent the Lord at the highest level and … this is going to be a huge push in that direction.

Our goal is to become a national power.

We would like to consistently be a top-25 — and frequently a top-10 — program in the country.”

The student-athletes are just as hopeful.

“Our team goals are to be a presence at indoor and outdoor nationals this year,” Jacobs said. “Having this facility really prepares us and not only tells the world that Liberty is supporting its athletes but that we are also ready to move up into that level of competition. The track will help us get to those higher levels, and then it will also bring in teams, and

we’ll be able to share the Gospel and be a light in here.”

Liberty is slated to host the Big South Indoor Track & Field Championships starting in 2018, and Tolsma said others have been lining up to request use of the facility. This year, it will host the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships (Feb. 12-13) and the Virginia Commonwealth Games. The facility will also be used for the 2019 State Games of America.

According to Tolsma, University of Virginia Head Coach Bryan Fetzer visited the complex last summer and expressed interest in seeing the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships held there in the future. Tolsma said that he would love to host the Junior College National Championships, in part for recruiting purposes.

The facility has already hosted some of the brightest stars in the high school ranks. In the crowd of more than 3,000 prep athletes at the Virginia Showcase on Jan. 13-14, for example, were at least three Summer Olympic Trials qualifiers, along with 13 athletes ranked No. 1 in the nation in their respective events, and 22 national class record-holders.

“The future looks bright, and I’m glad we have the experience we do with managing meets because we will need to continue putting out a top-ofthe-line product,” said Tolsma, who expects to see records broken at all levels in the facility, from youth to high school, college, and beyond.

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of BUSINESS

A PAT H WAY T O

SUCCESS

BY DREW MENARD

Business student Casey Davis sharpens her capstone presentation in the President’s Boardroom in Liberty’s Hancock Welcome Center.

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FEATURES

There is an expectation that comes with Liberty University School of Business graduates when they are hired — whether they asked for it or not. The past performance of their predecessors and the tireless work of their school, both in identifying what employers want and tailoring their programs to match, have contributed to the impression that Liberty graduates bring a higher standard to the table.

As more and more alumni reinforce this notion, interest in hiring Liberty graduates has been compounding, from Wall Street banks, boutique investment firms, and Fortune 500 companies, to major nonprofits, leading software developers, and industry giants.

In some cases, employers are hiring graduates as fast as Liberty can produce them.

“We emphasize a strong work ethic in our programs,” said Dr. Gene Sullivan, who has served at Liberty since 1987 and is currently directing the Doctor of Business Administration program.

“Our graduates are leaving here and putting forth the extra effort, going the extra mile, and doing an outstanding job. Employers see an employee with a strong work ethic, good character, and integrity — you don’t get that in a lot of places — and they say, ‘We want more of that.’”

LEAH S EAVERS

BRINGING DREAMS TO FRUITION Every workday, Tom Cirbus (’13) walks 12 blocks up Park Avenue from his Manhattan apartment to New York City’s historic Seagram Building, the skyscraper where he works as an investment banking analyst at Wells Fargo Equities. When his three-year commitment is up this summer, Cirbus will be promoted to associate.

Cirbus is in the thick of equity market strategies, working with some of the nation’s largest consumer retail companies.

“It’s front-of-the-Wall-Street-Journal

kind of stuff,” he said. “It’s what every (business graduate) dreams to do one day.”

Top candidates from the nation’s leading universities are lining up around the block to land similar jobs, Cirbus said, and though he was a little intimidated when he first walked in the door, he quickly realized that “Liberty prepared me more than I could have imagined.”

“I never felt behind,” he said. “Liberty taught me to find a way to add value wherever I go, to connect with people and foster relationships, and to be helpful beyond the stated ask. That is what I was told would take me further, and it has proven to be true.”

He added that while it is by God’s grace that he is sitting where he is today, his education empowered him to chase his dream.

“Liberty taught me to be well prepared and humble along the way,” Cirbus said, “and that I can knock down any door in front of me.”

While Liberty graduates are succeeding in the world of high finance (read about Connor Carew, who was hired by a top investment firm while he was still a student, on Page 21), the same is true in related business fields, such as accounting and information systems.

“For the most part, our accounting majors are getting hired in their junior year,” said Dr. Melanie Hicks, chair of accounting, economics, and finance for the School of Business. “If you are an accounting major and you are graduating without a job already lined up, it isn’t because there hasn’t been a company interested in you.”

Accounting’s Big Four — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC — all >>

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>> reach out to Liberty directly to help them fill positions. These companies, which have offices in major cities around the globe, recruit only from select universities. The same is true of other large companies, like the nonprofit accounting firm Tate & Tryon, which Hicks said “will hire as many students as we can send them.”

“They know the quality of our students, and they want them,” Hicks said. “There is this expectation that Liberty graduates have a higher moral code because we have been instilling Christian values and reinforcing what their parents have taught them. When you are talking about an industry like accounting, their work ethic, Christian ethics, and humility is what businesses want.”

Through the Career Center, business students are presented with internship and job opportunities at hundreds of companies throughout the year.

Many of these opportunities are made available through large career fairs held every semester. Auto-Owners Insurance, a Fortune 500 company, was so pleased with its Liberty recruits and relationship with the university that it recently donated to the center.

LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION Dr. Scott Hicks, dean of the School of Business, said that this success is a “reciprocal effect” of encouraging a culture that focuses on serving God first.

When he took the helm five years ago, Hicks shifted the school to a student-centric focus. Applying a business mindset, Hicks realized that while students are “customers,” ultimately they are “products” that Liberty sends to market. Employers, then, are the true customers.

“There is only one you. There is

not going to be another one just like you,” Hicks said. “So how do we take those people who are coming in the door with all of the right raw material and refine them into something more polished?”

The question is rhetorical, but Hicks explains the school’s educational philosophy: “It is knowing at the beginning that you are here to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your strength, all of your mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself.”

You then build on that foundation, he said.

“We send out students with

phenomenal critical thinking skills and good communication skills — students who are teachable, who know how to embrace conflict, challenge, crisis, and change in a Christlike manner, students with a hard work ethic and good moral ethics, students with confident humility, knowing Whom they are serving.”

That mindset is emphasized, whether a student is studying online mid-career or on campus as a recent high school graduate.

“Students have bought into the (Liberty) culture because they get a sense that we care about them and that we are here for them — because we are — and that we are here to come alongside them, not just for today, but for a lifetime,” Hicks said.

The school also works with businesses to find out what they want in their employees, pairing them with students and providing those students with invaluable learning experiences to develop their skills before they graduate.

From an academic perspective, students are receiving the theory and rigorous application necessary for any good business education. But hands-on experience, coupled with a Christian worldview, produces a “product” that stands out in the marketplace.

“We are fortunate to have a culture wherein God is present and where we have this synergistic relationship

LU PARTNERS WITH LEADING AUTO RETAIL GROUP TO LAUNCH NEW PROGRAM

This semester, Liberty began piloting its first course in automotive dealership management, thanks to a partnership with Hendrick Automotive Group, the nation’s largest privately held automotive retail organization. Liberty plans to offer a full specialization in the

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fall, both residentially and online, under its Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

“I couldn’t think of anybody better to partner with on this journey than Liberty,” said Dan DeHass, executive general manager for Mall of Georgia Mazda, Mall of Georgia MINI, and Rick Hendrick Buick GMC. Only two other colleges in the nation have similar programs, even though the U.S. has the second-largest automotive industry in the world (behind China).

Students will be trained in managing

a dealership as well as adapting to technology in an ever-changing marketplace.

The North Carolina-based automotive company has an extensive training program in place, which is being incorporated into Liberty’s expanding curriculum. Hendrick employees contribute to course instruction, including prerecorded and live videos.

In addition to classroom learning, the specialization will include two eight-week internships at a Hendrick Automotive Group dealership.

FEATURES with our students striving to create value wherever they are,” Hicks said.

“Businesses see that mentality, and they fall in love with it.”

DEVELOPING WORKERS FOR NEW FRONTIERS Dr. Michael Hart, chair of Business Management Information Systems for the School of Business, explained that careers in software development regularly place in the top 10 nationally in terms of growth and new jobs.

Liberty was among the first to offer a simulated computer networking environment online — a tool that lets students gain experience in an “enterprise-class” environment (a computer network large enough to serve a major company or Internet Service Provider) — through its partnership with Cisco Systems.

The relationship has led to several

internship and job opportunities for students at large companies.

Through other strategic partnerships with leading companies, such as Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and VMware, Liberty students are not only able to earn system certifications as part of their education, but they are also getting a foot in the door with these top employers.

“Every one of these partnerships has produced jobs that students were given as a result of the relationship,” Hart said.

For example, students who earn certification in Oracle Database, the lead enterprise database provider in the world, are “earmarked before they even leave” for employment.

And Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) has hired Java developers from Liberty.

“We have these organizations that keep coming back for more,” Hart said.

“It is a regular supply channel because they are finding that our students are doing well. And the value system they have helps a lot, especially in realms like cyber security and accounting information systems.”

He said that the FBI’s Cyber Division, which also regularly hires Liberty graduates, has confidence that Liberty graduates will clear security screenings and will “uphold the highest standards of character and integrity” on the job.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE After Commencement this May, Liberty will begin demolition on the Elmer Towns Religion Hall to make way for a new 78,000-square-foot, three-story building for the School of Business.

This facility will complement the classical Jeffersonian architecture of >>

KAI T LYN JOHNSON

In addition to the university’s full regional accreditation, all of Liberty’s business programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) or are in the process of ACBSP accreditation.

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Liberty’s business graduates are working for some of the top 10 companies on Universum’s World’s Most Attractive Employers – Business 2016 list, including Google (1), Apple (2), Ernst & Young (3), Goldman Sachs (4), PwC (5), Deloitte (6), Microsoft (7), and KPMG (8).

>> Liberty’s main campus reflected in the nearby Arthur S. DeMoss Hall and serve as an aesthetic landmark for drivers passing Liberty along U.S. 460.

Features will include meeting, conference, and executive boardrooms, a 500-seat auditorium, and a number of innovative spaces, from information technology labs to networking and data centers. Plans call for a simulated stock trading room, which faculty envision serving as the building’s centerpiece. The trading room would be visible from behind glass and include a real-time ticker, New York Stock Exchange display boards, and computer terminals, giving the building the feel of a financial center.

It will serve as a training ground for finance, accounting, and international business students, as well as benefit

Student Asset Management, a student group that invests actual funds for the university (under faculty supervision).

“We will be able to emulate multiple types of large-scale trades — we are talking millions of trades — that we couldn’t even do in real life because of the physical hardware, servers, and systems, and the type of bandwidth that is necessary to complete that type of trade,” Hart explained.

Numerous spaces will encourage student collaboration, including the 2,000-square-foot Center for Entrepreneurship, which currently serves both the campus and local communities. The center connects students who have ideas for business ventures with faculty who can help them determine if their ideas are viable and, if so, develop and launch them. Students

can also connect peer-to-peer to draw from the different talents they need to be successful — be it programming, marketing, or engineering.

Though relatively new, the center is already yielding results.

Several companies have expressed interest in testing software developed by senior Luke Rettstatt.

“The center helped me to develop a completely different business model from my initial idea, (producing) a new media platform with high growth potential,” Rettstatt said.

Within the new world-class facility, Dean Hicks envisions increased collaboration across the university’s schools and colleges, as well as with the local community. As entrepreneurs find success in the marketplace, they will share their experience and give back to future endeavors, fueling the fire of ambition and innovation, which was sparked for them at Liberty.

“Where else but Liberty is there a more sustainable mission that you can use to impact the world for Christ through business students?”

The School of Business offers some of the university’s most popular degree programs, from the associate to the doctoral level, with specializations ranging from information technology to digital marketing and advertising, entrepreneurship, and health care management. Graduate programs include Accounting (M.S.), Business Administration (M.B.A.), Executive Leadership (M.A.), Health Informatics (M.S.H.I.), Information Technology (M.S.I.T.), and a Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) with several concentrations. Minors in accounting, business, and information systems are also available.

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KAI TLYN JO HNSON

Dr. David Calland, associate dean for the School of Business, joins business students Alex Kooistra and Elfrida Johnson at the Jerry Falwell Library.

FEATURES

JUNIOR BUSINESS STUDENT EARNS POSITION AT NYC INVESTMENT FIRM

NATH AN S P ENCER

In one of the most competitive financial markets in the world — Manhattan, New York — Liberty University junior Connor Carew has landed an enviable position at an elite asset management firm, even before completing his college degree.

As a sophomore, Carew was persistent in seeking an internship with Permanens Capital, which he

was offered and then completed over spring break last March. He impressed the executive staff so much that they offered him a full-time position; he accepted and started in September.

Alan Alsheimer Jr., a senior investment officer at Permanens Capital, said that positions similar to Carew’s are usually filled by graduates from a short list of elite business programs and Ivy League schools.

“Upon his departure, we all loved his ‘I don’t care what it is, I’ll do it’ work ethic,” Alsheimer said. “We were sold on the character and the friendly natured person that Connor is. There was a universal buy-in from everyone he touched or dealt with.”

In industry terms, Permanens Capital is a boutique asset management firm, meaning it provides custom

investment solutions for institutions.

It currently oversees about $2.3 billion across multiple asset classes for institutional clients.

Though Carew was a residential student at Liberty when he was offered the position, he was able to easily transition to Liberty’s online education program while in New York in order to continue working toward his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and minor in accounting.

“I am overwhelmingly thankful and humbled by the opportunity,” Carew said. “I realize there are millions of people just as hungry who want to do the same things that I want to do.

If I don’t do my job with excellence, there is no guaranteed spot for me here. I have to do my absolute best to glorify God.”

FROM THE GROUND, UP: AN ALUMNI SUCCESS STORY

KEVIN MA NGUIOB

Before their lives even intersected, Thomas and Lauren Bell came to Liberty, graduated, and built their own successful local businesses from nothing.

And before she earned her business degree with a concentration in marketing

in 2006, Lauren Bell waited tables so that she could pay to purchase and flip a house. She became incorporated for real estate investing while still enrolled in college and, two years after graduating, became a licensed realtor. Regularly a top performer in the local community, Bell started her own company last year.

For two straight years, she has been the No. 2 realtor (out of about 600) in the Lynchburg area, with $21 million in sales in 2015 and $27 million last year.

While he was studying business at Liberty, Thomas Bell (’05) approached a contractor in Wyndhurst, now a local upscale community with apartments and single-family homes, looking for work. He worked through college and then earned his Class A contractor license. He began by asking a bank for a loan to build one custom home — a project that sold quickly. He founded Thomas Builders of Virginia in 2006, and the company has continued to build custom homes, as well as purchase and

develop land. He has built homes in Lynchburg’s Cornerstone community and in other new developments.

The couple met after Lauren sold a home that Thomas built, and they married in 2014. Their businesses now work very closely. Together, they have purchased land for high-end subdivisions, including Lake Manor Estates in Forest, Va., where he builds and she sells custom homes.

Their work has its fingerprints all over the community.

“It is a really good feeling to leave a mark here,” Thomas Bell said, noting that principles he learned at Liberty have helped him to make wise business decisions.

Lauren Bell added, “Liberty developed and encouraged a strong Christian foundation in each of us, which we took into the business world. We try to put God first and honor Him in the way we do business, and I think that is why our businesses have been blessed.”

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WELCOME

TO OUR STAGE

Through the decades, guest speakers have enhanced the Liberty experience

BY RON BROWN When envisioning the role that Liberty University would play in the world, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty’s founder, thought it essential to bring influential leaders from every walk of life to campus. He recognized the value in learning from culture-makers all along the ideological spectrum —

even those with opposing viewpoints.

Convocation — a thrice-weekly gathering — brings students together to pray, worship, and hear from thought leaders in all areas of culture. In addition, some of the world’s greatest thinkers and heroes have addressed Liberty students

from the stage at Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies.

Liberty students have been inspired and challenged by both the wellknown public figure and the quiet missionary working behind the scenes.

Here is just a sampling of those who have spoken at Liberty over the years.

The 2010s

Steve Forbes, former Presidential Candidate and CEO of Forbes Magazine In December 2016, Steve Forbes spoke at Convocation as an advocate for competitive capitalism. He was introduced by President Jerry Falwell as a man who believes in tax reform, strong national defense, and school choice.

“Liberty University is a very entrepreneurial university,” Forbes said.

“You have done things that others have not done. You are ahead of the pack.”

According to Forbes, capitalism

thrives on a sense of cooperation, requiring a meeting of the minds between the producer and the buyer in which transactions are voluntary and not overly regulated.

“You may not want to love your neighbor, but most people love selling to their neighbors,” Forbes said, and the end result is that most products are made up of components that create jobs and improve standards of living all over the world.

Washington Redskins Quarterback and NFL TV Analyst Joe Theismann Joe Theismann is a textbook example of perseverance, and he shared his story at Convocation on Oct. 21, 2016.

Theismann told how his pro football career, which included a Super Bowl championship, came crashing down when he broke his leg during a game in 1985. He was the fourth-highest paid player in the NFL at the time. He said he had lost sight of God and His

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blessings until the injury, which taught him to put others before himself.

Theismann said that he now realizes he is merely a vehicle for God’s work. “(God) noticed that I used those skills and was abusing those skills.

It was time for me to not do that anymore, but to talk about the great graciousness of our loving Lord and the opportunities that He presents every day,” he said.

FEATURES

Democratic Presidential Candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders When he accepted the invitation to speak at LU, Sen. Bernie Sanders sent political pundits into a tailspin.

Rarely had a progressive candidate with such high poll numbers entered an arena where so many listeners held conservative political views.

By appearing at Convocation on Sept. 14, 2015, Sanders became an unorthodox candidate in a bruising political campaign. He acknowledged early on in his speech that some of his

MORE FROM

THE 2010s

Joni Eareckson Tada

Author and Artist April 7, 2010

views differed drastically from those of his audience.

“I came here today because I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse,” Sanders said.

Sanders said the United States has become a country where a few have extravagant wealth and many are desperately poor.

“We talk about morality. And we talk

about justice. We have no justice when so few have so much while so many have so little,” he said. “Within your hearts, you will have to judge the morality and justice of that.”

This decade has drawn an impressive lineup of prominent speakers.

Go to Liberty’s news archive at Liberty.edu/News to view photos and videos from their visits.

S. Truett Cathy Chick-fil-A Founder May 12, 2012

Mitt Romney Presidential Candidate May 12, 2012

Willie Robertson “Duck Dynasty” Sept. 27, 2013

Sarah Palin

Former Alaska Governor Dec. 4, 2013

Rashad Jennings New York Giants running back May 14, 2016

Mel Gibson

Actor/Producer May 14, 2016

Vince Vaughn

Actor/Producer May 14, 2016

The 2000s

Former Speaker of the House and Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich has been a frequent visitor to Liberty. The battle-tested veteran of partisan politics faced the daunting task of delivering the Commencement address on May 19, 2007, just days after Jerry Falwell Sr. died. Much of his speech was a tribute to Falwell.

“When Ronald Reagan spoke of a shining city on a hill, we know it was the servant leaders of God, and God’s

Actor Chuck Norris When Chuck Norris spoke at Commencement in May 2008, he was seen as an unorthodox pick. In the years following, his speech has been lauded as one of the best Commencement addresses of all time.

Norris was the first Commencement speaker selected by now President Jerry Falwell, who quipped about Norris wearing cowboy boots to a college graduation.

Norris described himself as a shy boy from Oklahoma who refused to stand up to give an oral book report in school and then became a martial arts champion, movie star, television star, and spokesman for numerous products.

He praised God as his teacher through both success and failure.

“The Holy Spirit said to me, ‘The only time you lose at something is when you don’t learn from your experiences.’”

people whom they served, who were among the brightest beacons, not only here on Liberty Mountain but also across the land,” he said. “Look around you, and you know that they shine brightly today. Drawing strength from this institution and others like it, and most especially from the life example of Dr. Jerry Falwell and other servant leaders, they will shine still brighter tomorrow.”

President George H.W. Bush

The 1990s In May 1990, Marine One, the presidential helicopter, landed at Liberty University with President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush on board.

With 16,000 Commencement spectators awaiting the first couple, Jerry Falwell Sr. wasted no time in letting the Bushes know how welcome they were — the stage where Bush was to give the graduation address was adorned with a huge American flag.

Falwell assured the Bushes that they had come to a “Bible-believing, Christhonoring university.”

In his speech, President Bush emphasized public service. “Remember, individually, we can change a life,” he said.

“Collectively, we can change the world.

Each of you can reject membership in a ‘Me’ generation and prove that yours is the ‘We’ generation. You can show how the definition of a successful life must include serving others.”

Harkening back to the theme of his inaugural speech, Bush said, “Here at Liberty, you’ve shown how ‘a thousand points of light’ can become a galaxy of people working to solve problems in their own backyard.”

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas In May 1996, Justice Clarence Thomas spoke at Liberty’s Commencement.

“He is a voice that God raised up for such a time as this,” Dr. Falwell said as he introduced him.

Thomas spoke of his grandfather, whom he described as his greatest influence, a hardnosed realist, and a Bible-believing Christian. He moved

the audience with his rags-to-riches story of perseverance through hardship and reminded the graduates to expect highs and lows in life.

“When I enter all the debits and all the credits of my life and my personal efforts, it doesn’t add up,” he said. “It doesn’t add up until Almighty God is added. And by His grace, all accounts fall into balance.”

The Rev. Billy Graham When the Rev. Billy Graham rolled into Liberty University in May 1997 to speak at Commencement, storm clouds were literally on the horizon.

When he started his speech, the skies began to clear.

Graham challenged the graduates, “I’m asking you today not to graduate, but to commence a new life following the will of God every step of the way.”

Graham said the 1997 graduates

should expect to grapple with many uncertainties in modern life, and he urged them to make each day count.

“God calls us to invest our time — our very lives — primarily in people, not in projects or possessions,” Graham said. “We are to behave like Jesus.

He’s our example; He lived and died for others. Jesus told His disciples, ‘Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.’”

Other notable speakers that have graced the Liberty stage over the years include: ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY: Sean Astin Mark Burnett Kirk Cameron Roma Downey Kirk Franklin Larry the Cable Guy Lecrae Brian Littrell Mac Powell

Korie and Sadie Robertson Ben Stein Chris Tomlin Randall Wallace Brian “Head” Welch MINISTRY LEADERS: Kay Arthur Mark Batterson Alistair Begg

Christine Caine Tony Campolo Francis Chan Chuck Colson James Dobson Elizabeth Elliot Tony Evans Louie Giglio Franklin Graham David Jeremiah John MacArthur

John Maxwell Josh McDowell Eric Metaxas Beth Moore Luis Palau John Piper Adrian Rogers Francis Schaeffer Rick Warren Bruce Wilkinson Ravi Zacharias

BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT: Michele Bachmann Glenn Beck Jeb Bush Ben Carson Ted Cruz Dinesh D’Souza Trey Gowdy Sean Hannity Jesse Helms

Mike Huckabee Wayne Huizinga Michael Hyatt John McCain Oliver North Mike Pence Rick Perry Michael Reagan Cal Thomas Dave Thomas Donald Trump

SPORTS FIGURES: Frank Beamer Bobby Bowden Chris Broussard James Brown Kaká Bethany Hamilton Lou Holtz Jim Kelly Darryl Strawberry Tim Tebow

The 1980s

U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy

In October 1983, Sen. Ted Kennedy, the liberal lion, walked into Liberty Baptist College’s gymnasium to speak at Convocation.

“I always thought it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to have a Kennedy come to LBC,” he joked, and the crowd gave

him a standing ovation.

Kennedy’s mission that night was to express his views on religious tolerance to a crowd of 5,000 students on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

“We will always respect the right of others to differ … and never lose sight of our fallibility,” he said.

Presidential Candidate and Governor Ronald Reagan In October of 1980, just a month before he won the Presidential election, candidate Ronald Reagan addressed a gathering at the Liberty Baptist College multi-purpose building for a meeting of the National Religious Broadcasters.

Classes were canceled, and the campus buzzed with reporters, security, and excitement.

When Reagan arrived, students sitting on bleachers jumped to their feet and cheered.

Reagan spoke about the responsibility of religious broadcasters in helping to change the world and of ordinary citizens in bringing peace to America.

“In all we do we must be peacemakers, for ourselves and for our children, for our nation and for the world,” he said.

LIBERTY ALUMNA SHANNON BREAM GETS NEW ROLE AT FOX NEWS C ALI GODL E Y

The new year brought a new position for Shannon Bream (’93) of Fox News Channel. On Jan. 16, Bream began co-hosting America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer. The program, which airs weekdays from 9-11 a.m. EST, focuses heavily on politics, as well as on the news of the day. The Bream/Hemmer pairing will last for the first 100 days of the Trump presidency.

Bream will also be heading up

the network’s coverage of President Trump’s first Supreme Court nomination. She says she’s thrilled at the opportunity, even though it will be a big change for her.

“I’m used to commuting back and forth between D.C. and New York City, but this will be three months living away from my home base in Washington,” Bream said. “I’ll also have to dig in and find my previously undiscovered ’morning person.’ I gave up caffeine more than a year ago, so this should be interesting!”

Bream is proud of her alma mater.

She met her husband, Sheldon, at Liberty and spoke at Commencement in May 2013. She said her time at Liberty has prepared her for this big move.

“More than anything, it gave me deep roots in my faith. God always has a bigger plan; when I’m staying close to Him, I have a deeper peace when things are chaotic. For me, it’s always unsettling to

leave home for an extended period, but it’s part of my job. Though I never know where this business is going to take me, I know there’s purpose in every twist and turn.”

Bream joined Fox News Channel in 2007. Since then, she’s interviewed many big names in politics. But her most memorable interview was with an elderly man who had escaped the Holocaust as a child.

“There was a mistake on his passport, and it was the lucky break that allowed his parents to get him out of Germany just in time. He lost everyone he loved and eventually made it to America. He cried when he talked about how grateful he was to become a U.S. citizen and live in a country that took him in and gave him a chance. I’ll never forget him.”

Bream graduated from Liberty with a degree in business in 1993 before getting a law degree at Florida State University.

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A Glimpse of Heaven

BY KAREN KINGSBURY

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FEATURES

From all sides of the Vines Center they streamed into the building, throngs of students, smiling and chatting and excited to be there. A buzz hung in the air. Energy and anticipation. The big event was about to begin.

KEVIN MANGUIOB

No, this wasn’t a playoff basketball game or a Switchfoot concert or a political rally. This wasn’t a holiday festival or a New Year’s Eve party.

This was Convocation at Liberty University.

I remember the first time I attended Convo. It was 2011, and our son, Tyler, was a Liberty freshman. My husband, Don, and I were dropping him off at the Lynchburg campus, ready to let our boy go.

Part of the experience was a chance to share in Convocation. So that day my husband and I arrived at the Vines Center early. We already loved everything else about this incredible school. Now we wanted to check out Liberty’s spiritual life.

Some background first. At that point, we had had prior experience with a school that was supposed to be “Christian.” But during our visit to that school we could tell something was terribly wrong. Chapel there had become a time for students to pull out their cell phones, a time for texting and playing Candy Crush. At that West Coast school, the students openly chatted during worship and didn’t seem to care about the speaker.

How would Liberty be different, we wondered?

As my husband and I settled into our seats, I uttered a quiet prayer.

Lord, show us. Is Liberty University really stronger? Can Liberty lead students closer to You? Is this a place where Tyler can grow in his faith?

My prayer ended as the doors of the Vines Center opened. Suddenly students began making their way down the stairs. A lot of students.

Thousands of them. As if there was a prize for being first to their seats.

“They must’ve been waiting to get in,” my husband said to me. He was in awe.

I agreed. “Absolutely.”

Still, we assumed the flood of students was just the initial rush.

But that rush never stopped. The Liberty campus band took the stage and filled the building with beautiful instrumental music as the flood of students continued, as the seats quickly began to fill.

Tears stung at my eyes as I watched.

None of these students looked bored or forced or like they were merely fulfilling an obligation. Instead, the Liberty guys and girls still making their way down the stairs looked like they actually wanted to be there.

I was about to see why.

Right at 10*, the worship team broke into its first song, and immediately students were on their feet.

Throughout the arena, something was happening. Students closed their eyes and raised their hands. The Spirit of God was moving in and over the place.

I could feel it.

There was a sense that here in the Vines Center — for these fortunate students and for this hour — all worries ceased. Whatever homework assignments were due or papers had to be written, however many tests loomed in the coming hours or days, all of that was a distant concern compared to the matter at hand: Simply drawing close to Jesus.

My husband put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s like a glimpse of heaven,” he whispered. “All these students worshipping the Lord.”

I nodded, too choked up to speak.

Indeed, the glimpse of heaven continued while a former NFL football player took the stage. I don’t remember the man’s name. That wasn’t the point. But all these years later I can still hear his message: Fame is fleeting. Faith is forever.

For me, a parent about to say goodbye to my oldest son, the message had a more personal impact. >>

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>> Childhood is fleeting, too, I told myself. Tyler’s days at home, the years of elementary school and kickball games, middle school and choir concerts, high school and graduation plans.

All of it was behind us.

But Faith …. Faith was forever.

It would always be forever. Which was why Liberty University had clearly made such a priority out of Convocation.

In that moment, I could feel the comfort of God. I could hear Him telling me that everything was going to be okay with Tyler. Having him at Liberty University would mean seeing his faith fanned into a fire great enough to last into eternity.

My heart overflowed with gratitude for Liberty and all that was ahead for our son. That glimpse of heaven would belong to God and to Liberty University. Tyler would have this joyous occasion three times a week, as often as the Vines Center burst into praise for Almighty God. As we said goodbye to Tyler the next day, again I felt the assurance of the Lord. Our son was in His hands because Tyler was at Liberty. I went home consumed by a peace that passed all understanding.

Today, six

JESSIE ROGE RS

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years later, Tyler is still on fire for Jesus. And Liberty is still giving students that glimpse of heaven. Three times a week, when students meet at the Vines Center, they become the largest Christian gathering of young people anywhere on the planet. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! I’ve had the chance to attend several of

those Convocations over the years.

First as a parent, and also as a speaker.

Always Convo includes a worship time that takes my breath. And always it seems the administration at Liberty University raises the bar on the experience. In the years since Tyler was a freshman, Liberty has added seats to the Vines Center and now sets up the stage in the center of the floor for many Convocations.

“So that we can be more connected

to the students,” David Nasser tells me. “It’s better for everyone that way.”

Nasser has one of the greatest hearts for Jesus I’ve ever seen.

He is the senior vice president for spiritual development at Liberty, and his beautiful love for the Lord is accompanied by a deep devotion to LU students. Under his watch, Liberty’s campus church service (called Campus Community) has tripled in size, with many thousands of students in attendance every Wednesday night — also at the Vines Center.

Under Nasser’s leadership, Liberty continues to host a variety of speakers.

Some carry a direct message from Scripture. Others help students wrestle with issues of the day. But always Nasser is there, bringing the issue back to Jesus, adding context to the text of the message.

Making it about the Lord.

And it’s not just the message that speaks to the students at Convo.

Sometimes it’s a mission, a project, a way for Liberty University to change lives. The students rallied for a blood drive to benefit the people of Orlando, Fla. — a way to extend sympathy after the mass shooting there. They’ve collected food and toys and dollars for people in the community. People in need.

All to the glory of God.

#1 New York Times Best-selling Author Karen Kingsbury is also an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where she teaches master classes on English, writing, publishing, and research.

There are more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print.

She draws strength from being close to Jesus and close to her family — and from times when she’s at Liberty and has the chance to attend Convocation.

SPRING 2017 CONVOCATION SCHEDULE Currently, our four youngest boys are students at Liberty.

Nearly every week, I get a text from Sean or Josh or EJ or Austin telling me how wonderful Convo is and how powerfully the message spoke to them. Austin will sometimes take a quick video during worship and send it to me.

I can’t believe I get to go to this school, he’ll text me. This is like heaven, Mom. Indeed. That same glimpse of heaven we saw back when Tyler was a freshman.

One reason is that Nasser holds to a popular Liberty University belief first stated by Liberty’s founder, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. — If it’s Christian, it ought to be better.

And so it is.

Actually, at Liberty, it’s simply the very best. Not only for students but for speakers. The last time I spoke at Convo, Nasser staged a lunch for me and my boys and some of the staff at Liberty. We met upstairs at the Vines Center in a dining room with a tangible warmth and the longest table I’ve ever seen.

A dozen Liberty guys and girls served us and tended to our every need. They gave me gifts and shared kind anecdotes of students who had been touched by my message. Instantly this Liberty team felt like family and friends — because there is a beautiful Christlike character common to Liberty students.

They really are Champions for Christ.

“Our behind-the-scenes time with speakers should be an extension of the experience at Convocation,” Nasser told me. “We love serving the students at Convo, and when it’s over, we love serving the speakers.”

The entire experience was more than I could take in. Another glimpse of heaven.

A few weeks later, I spoke to a local Nashville pastor who had also recently given a message at Liberty’s Convocation. “I’ve never had a speaking engagement like that one,” he told me. “Leading Convo at Liberty was one of the greatest moments ever.”

Rev. Falwell’s words came back to me: If it’s Christian, it ought to be better.

I smiled. Of course the students behind the scenes were wonderful.

Of course they showed the love of Jesus.

All those hours at Convocation are life-changing, after all.

My boys still tell me Convo is a highlight of their week. The worship time, the speakers, the chance to focus on what really matters.

“It never seems like something we have to go to,” Sean told me last fall. “It’s something we get to do. How many students out there would love to be in the Vines Center having that amazing time at Convo?”

I’ve heard the same message from all my kids. Sometimes Tyler thinks about going back to Liberty for his master’s degree. One of the reasons?

Convocation.

The thing is, I still find myself arriving early to Convo — whether I’m speaking or just sharing in the beautiful hour with my Liberty students. I still watch the guys and girls streaming down the stairs, anxious to be there. The excitement and energy still get to me.

The Holy Spirit’s presence still brings tears to my eyes.

Because I know that Convocation at Liberty will always be a time to worship and learn and grow. But it will also be something I can only get at Liberty University.

A glimpse of heaven. *Convocation now starts at 10:30 a.m.

Convocation is held in the Vines Center at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Watch it live at Liberty.edu/Watch.

Past events can be viewed at Liberty.edu/Streaming or at YouTube.com/LibertyUniversity.

This schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Visit Liberty.edu/Convo for the most up-to-date schedule.

1/18: Shawn Michaels – WWE Superstar & Four-Time World Champion 1/20: Inauguration Prayer Service 1/23: Jonathan Cain – Member of the Multi-Platinum Band “Journey” 1/25: Steven Furtick and Elevation Worship – Pastor of Elevation Church & Dove-nominated Worship Band 1/27: Simone Biles – AP Female Athlete of the Year, Four-Time Gold Medalist 1/30: Dr. Ron Hawkins – Provost, Liberty University 2/1: Michelle Williams – Member of R&B Group “Destiny’s Child,” Grammy-nominated Artist 2/3: Star Parker – Syndicated Columnist, Author, & Founder of “CURE” (Center for Urban Renewal and Education) 2/6: John Borek (President Emeritus, Liberty University) and Ed Gillespie (Former RNC Chairman) 2/8: Global Focus Week with Ed Newton (Lead Pastor of Community Bible Church San Antonio) and Jay Gilligan (World-renowned Juggler and Performer) 2/10: Global Focus Week with Kate Thornton – Director of Hunger and Sustainability Initiatives at the Hunger Solutions Institute 2/15: Dave Barnes – Musician, Singer, & Grammy-nominated Artist 2/17: Todd Starnes – Columnist, Fox News Contributor, & Digital Host on FoxNews.com 2/20: Jan Harrison (Speaker & Founder of Stepping Towards Hope and With Open Eyes) and Kelvin Cochran (Former Administrator of the United States Fire Administration) 2/22: Mike Breen – English Church Leader, Author, & Entrepreneur (Missional Living Conference) 2/24: Jeff and Rachel Lovingood – Global Church Leaders (Missional Living Conference) 2/27: Brad Lomenick – Former President and Leader of Catalyst Conference 3/1: Kick’n It For Africa Humanitarian Partnership with Steph Curry 3/6: Rebekah Lyons, Ann Voskamp, & Christy Nockels – Featured Guests on the “Broken and Free Tour” 3/20: Brent Crowe – Speaker, Author, & Vice President of Student Leadership University 3/22: Brock Gill – Humorist & Illusionist 3/24: Johnnyswim – American Folk, Soul, Blues, Pop Music-Duo 3/27: Lisa Kratz Thomas (Speaker, Author, & Former Member of Senate Joint Subcommittee of Prisoner Reentry), Bryce Reeves (Former Army Ranger & Narcotics Detective), and John Adams (Former Federal Prosecutor & US Naval Officer) 3/31: Jesse Watters – Host of Fox News’ “Watters’ World” 4/5: Skit Guys – Improv Comedy Duo 4/7: Chad Veach – Lead pastor of ZOE Church in Los Angeles 4/10: Jon Gordon – Motivational Speaker & Best-selling Author 4/12: Mosaic MSC – Worship Band from Mosaic Church in Los Angeles 4/14: Liberty Worship Collective – Good Friday Service 4/19: Nick Floyd – Teaching Pastor of Cross Church Fayetteville 4/21: Serve Lynchburg Kickoff with Bob McDonnell (former Virginia governor), Joan Foster (Mayor of Lynchburg), & Lynchburg City Leaders 4/24: Craig Groeschel – Founder and Senior Pastor of Life.Church 4/26: Phiona Mutesi and Robert Katende – Chess Prodigy and Coach, Inspiration for Disney’s “Queen of Katwe” 4/28: End-of-Year Convocation on the Lawn with President Falwell

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RIGHT OFF THE BAT Baseball is a sport that requires tremendous patience — at the plate, in the bullpen, and in the dugout — throughout a 56-game collegiate season.

Entering his first season at the helm, Liberty University Baseball Head Coach Scott Jackson is gifted with the perfect blend of patience and passion, essential qualities in a baseball manager.

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“I’m very hands-on,” said Jackson, who was recognized by “Baseball America” magazine as one of the top assistant coaches in the country before his 2013 season at the University of North Carolina (UNC), where he spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. “I’m not one to sit back and watch. I want to be on the field with our guys. I’m the type of guy who’s going to invest in you and hopefully see you become somebody you never thought you could be.”

During his time in Chapel Hill, N.C., Jackson helped coach North Carolina to a 345-156 record, three College World Series appearances (2009, 2011, and 2013), and six-straight NCAA Regionals appearances (2009-14).

He is excited about his new team, which won nine of its last 11 games to reach the Big South Conference (BSC) Championship final last season for the eighth time. The team also hit the 30-win mark for the 12th consecutive season.

“It’s an unbelievable group of guys,” Jackson said. “I think they’re eager — they want to win. We have a

veteran core of 14 seniors, and I feel an immense responsibility to give them the opportunity to have the experience that they want.”

He would like nothing more than to lead them to Omaha, Neb. — the “Promised Land,” as he calls it — site of the College Baseball World Series.

Outgoing Big South member Coastal Carolina captured the title last June after edging the Flames in the BSC Championships final, 1-0.

“It can be done,” Jackson said.

“There’s a lot that has to happen, and a lot of things have to go your way.

Certainly, you have to stay healthy and have some guys with some resolve and who can finish a season because it’s a grind. You have to take it one day at a time and not always have the destination at the front of your thoughts. You’ve got to have today as your priority. Your highs can’t be too high, and your lows can’t be too low, or it’s just going to be an emotional rollercoaster as you go through the season.”

Jackson remembers well the winning pedigree of Flames Baseball

ATHLETICS FEATURES

New Head Coach Scott Jackson was a utility player for the Campbell University Camels, playing all positions except first base and catcher.

That versatility has carried over into his coaching career, where he has worked with pitchers, hitters, base runners, and infielders, in addition to serving as a recruiting coordinator.

SCOTT JACKSON IS READY TO TAKE THE FLAMES FAR IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS HEAD COACH

when he served as pitching coach at Liberty in 2008.

“It’s something I think is expected here, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I took the job. Our players expect it, I expect it, and our assistant coaches don’t know any different. I envision taking (the winning culture) even beyond that and maintaining the expectation level because it’s not fun unless you’re winning. I’m all about having fun and winning and competing and, hopefully, we’ll be able to do that.”

Jackson’s first order of business after being introduced as Liberty’s seventh head baseball coach in July was to assemble his staff. Two of his top choices were former North Carolina pitcher Bryant Gaines and UVA shortstop Tyler Cannon, who both starred for the ACC and NCAA powers.

At UNC, Jackson was known for developing hitters with a keen eye at the plate, who were patient enough to wait for their pitch. He also recruited players who shared his passion for the game.

“Any time you’re recruiting, you look for energy, life in the body, athleticism,

and certainly strength,” Jackson said, noting that Liberty Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning for Olympic Sports Sheldon Stevens has helped develop the latter among the Flames. “Recruiting’s the lifeblood of your program. You’re only going to be as good as the talent you bring in.”

Jackson received commitments from 19 players in the early signing period who will join the Flames this fall.

“That’s exciting for us, but you have to wait and be patient for those guys to get here. My biggest focus is the 35 guys in that locker room right now,” he said.

The Flames return a talented mix of veterans and underclassmen, including sophomore D.J. Artis, the BSC Freshman of the Year and BSC First Team selection, who led the conference with a .500 on-base percentage and ranked third with 23 stolen bases.

Andrew Yacyk, who earned BSC First Team honors as a utility player, leads a balanced senior class that also features Will Shepherd, who batted .328 with a team-high eight home runs, and pitcher Shane Quarterley, who recorded seven saves in 29 relief appearances.

While keeping the atmosphere at practices light, Jackson is businesslike in his coaching style, motivating his players to invest in the program through hard work.

“My approach is to go out here and let it be our time to have fun in practice, (but) let practice be tough so that the game seems like a reward to them, and they get a chance to go compete,” he said.

“I’ve been really impressed and very satisfied with the hunger and the energy and the effort that they’ve put in.”

The Flames open their 2017 season Feb. 17 against the University of Virginia in a three-game tournament hosted

by The Citadel. Their home opener is scheduled for Feb. 22 against Kentucky.

They will also face North Carolina on April 18 in Chapel Hill and BSC rival Campbell, Jackson’s alma mater, May 5-7 at home. (See the full schedule on Page 54.)

Follow Flames Baseball at

LIBERTYFLAMES.COM

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INSIDE FREEDOM TOWER Scriptorium, immersion classroom among special features in Rawlings School of Divinity’s new home

BY MITZI BIBLE

As Liberty University’s newest and now unarguably tallest landmark, Freedom Tower, rose high above campus last semester, architects and university leaders were hard at work designing the unique spaces inside that will help divinity students stay grounded in their callings as ministers of the Gospel.

Upon entering the base of the 17-story structure when it opens this fall, guests are sure to be drawn to the Rawlings Scriptorium, located just off the main lobby. (A scriptorium is traditionally a room where special manuscripts are read and stored.) The space will feature a number of rare books and Bibles provided to the university by the Rawlings Foundation. The collection includes a first edition 1539 Great Bible, the first English Bible authorized by King Henry VIII; a 1561 Tyndale New Testament; and a 1560 first edition Geneva Bible, the Bible brought to America by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. It also includes a first edition 1537 Matthews Bible, a first edition 1568 Bishops Bible, two first edition 1611 King James Bibles, and two first editions of 1563 “Fox’s Book of Martyrs.”

Interactive, multimedia screens will help students research particular

sections of the books.

The space will also feature a life-size replica of the Gutenberg press, the first movable-type printing press. In the mid1400s, this invention made it possible for printed materials — including the Bible — to become available to the masses. The Gutenberg Bible was one of the first books ever printed.

Though the scriptorium’s book collection has been valued at over $1 million, School of Divinity staff understand its true worth far outweighs any dollar amount. Students will have the opportunity to learn directly from early documents that stand as a testimony to the Christian faith — the faith they plan to spend their lives sharing with others.

“We are praying that God will use this incredible facility to attract, educate, and equip a generation of students who

will help change the world for the cause of Christ,” said Dr. Ed Hindson, dean of the School of Divinity.

Other features in the base of the building will be equally impressive.

A 150-seat auditorium is planned, as well as an “immersion” classroom, where students can view 180-degree multimedia presentations, allowing them, for example, to take a virtual tour of the Holy Land.

Consistent with other architecture on campus, large amounts of glass will give the facility a transparent feel, allowing for plenty of natural light inside. Peering in from the Academic Lawn, guests will have an unobstructed view through the glass exterior walls on through the lobby on the first level and the dean’s suite on the second. A glass elevator will carry visitors up and down the tower’s 17 floors.

An artist’s rendering shows a replica of a Gutenberg printing press in the Rawlings Scriptorium.

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FEATURES Students will be able to walk freely along rooftop terraces on levels two through four. The terrace on the fourth level will have a formal lawn and a garden pergola.

The tower portion of the facility will be used primarily for academic programs in the School of Divinity. The seventh floor will house a homiletics lab, where students can practice public speaking, and the ninth through twelfth floors will feature classrooms.

Conference rooms will be located on the eighth and thirteenth floors, and floors 15 and 16 will have observation areas. Each 34-by-20 story features 12-foot ceilings.

Crews completed the basic frame of the tower in January. It is constructed almost entirely of concrete; steel is used at the very top, where there will be an observation area, a skylight,

and a 25-bell carillon.

The bells, weighing in at approximately 7,230 pounds total, are scheduled to be installed in April. They will include Liberty’s own replica of the Liberty Bell, which, at about 3,000 pounds, will require special delivery by crane.

When complete, Hindson said the facility will not only become the focal point of campus, it will also serve as a reminder of the university’s mission: “The Freedom Tower will stand at the center of campus, reminding everyone that the power of the Gospel will sound forth the message of freedom in Christ for generations to come.”

Watch construction of the Freedom Tower in real time at Liberty.edu/LiveCams.

The Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity is the world’s largest accredited school for religious studies and ministerial training.

A digital screen will allow students to read particular sections of the books displayed in the Scriptorium.

A FAMILY BLESSING Last fall, the university received $2 million from the Rawlings family (brothers Harold, George, Herb, and JOE L COL E M AN

President Jerry Falwell and Harold Rawlings

Carrol) to further fund the School of Divinity and tower project. But that wasn’t the first outpouring of generosity from the family; the School of Divinity was named in the family’s honor after the brothers donated $5 million just one year earlier. The Rawlings family has strongly supported Liberty over the years, contributing greatly to its vision of becoming a world-class Christian university. Dr. John Rawlings, their father, was the president of Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo.,

where Liberty founder Jerry Falwell Sr. attended college in the early 1950s.

John Rawlings, a pastor for over 70 years, was an adviser to Falwell Sr. in his ministry and in the establishment of Liberty. He preached often in Lynchburg over the years and later served on the Liberty University Board of Trustees. The Rawlings family has been fully engaged in the planning and design of the scriptorium and other features of the School of Divinity and Freedom Tower project.

GRADUATE MINISTERIAL STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR KEESEE GRANTS In the fall, Liberty University joined The Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund, established in 1941 by the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Keesee of Martinsville, Va., enabling students in the residential Master of Divinity program, select Master of Arts degree programs, and the Doctor of Ministry program to become eligible for grants.

At the master’s degree level, grants will range from $4,000-$8,000 per year for a maximum of four years. Students

pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree could receive between $2,000-$3,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

“This is the most significant scholarship gift that the School of Divinity has ever been given, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving, year after year,” said Dr. Ed Hindson, dean of the School of Divinity. “While we are training a wide variety of students at Liberty for various kinds of ministry, the heart and soul of what we were in our founding

days is still a part of who we are today, and this cooperative relationship will help that to continue.”

Applicants must be residents of Virginia, North Carolina, or South Carolina (they must prove 12 months of residency prior to beginning a graduate degree). They must also be a member of a Baptist church and have the intention of entering a Baptist ministry upon graduation. For more information, email keesee@liberty.edu.

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K EVI N M ANGUI OB

SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THESE SITES How much do you know about these popular campus landmarks?

MONOGRAM:

NATHAN SP E NC E R

From across most of Lynchburg, the Liberty University Monogram on the side of Liberty Mountain is easy to spot.

Created in 2007, the monogram stretches across 3 acres. The background is made up of more than 200 tons of white stone, and red brick chips fill in the areas between the approximately 1,200 Japanese Barberry and additional flowering plants that make up the “L” and “U.” Not only is the Monogram a giant landmark, but it also serves as a popular resting spot for hikers using the Liberty Mountain Trail System.

Students can gaze at spectacular views of campus from a gazebo on-site. Monogram Road leads to the Monogram trailhead from Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre.

DEMOSS FOUNTAIN:

LIBERTY BELL: Commissioned in 1976 for America’s bicentennial celebration, the university’s Liberty Bell is a replica of the iconic American symbol. In April 2015, the bell rang for four minutes in remembrance of the 150th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox Court House, which ended the Civil War. For years, the bell has been housed along University Boulevard outside of the Elmer Towns Religion Hall, but it will soon be moved to the top of Freedom Tower where it will ring again, along with a 25-bell assembly.

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NAT H AN SPE NCER

Outside of DeMoss Hall, a cast-bronze eagle greets students and guests as they walk by the 19-foot fountain. The structure was installed in 2009 as a way to honor donors who helped fund the expansion of the building in 2000. On sunny days, students can be seen sitting around the fountain chatting with friends or finishing up assignments.

NATH AN SP ENCER

PRAYER CHAPEL: With its tall, white steeple, the R.C. Worley Prayer Chapel is a picturesque monument to the importance of faith on Liberty’s campus; it serves as a place where students can come to worship and pray. Inside, wooden pews line the aisles, and sunlight seeps through the locally made stained glass windows. Since being built in 1981, the chapel has hosted worship services, all-night prayer meetings, and weddings (including the wedding of President Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki). In 2014, the chapel was restored, with special care taken to preserve its history. Additions included a renovated stage, an extension of the front of the building, and a restructured and more open ceiling.

KAI T LYN JOHNSON

PRAYER GARDEN: Once a swimming pool at the estate of Sen. Carter Glass, the Prayer Garden is now one of the quietest spots on campus and a favorite for students seeking solitude or reflection.

Located behind Montview Mansion (Glass’ former home that now houses special guests and features a museum), the nook has benches, a small fountain, and blooming flowers in the spring.

SPIRIT ROCK: It would be hard to find a student who hasn’t spray-painted the giant boulder sitting across from DeMoss Hall. The rock has been plastered with thousands of layers of paint over the years, and messages change almost daily. The Spirit Rock has been used to exhibit everything from dorm pride to the symbols of favorite superheroes. Messages have paid tribute to our nation’s heroes and memorialized victims of tragedy. It has also helped more than a few students propose.

SUNKEN GARDEN:

JOEL CO LEMAN

In between the Jerry Falwell Library and the new Center for Music and the Worship Arts sits the Sunken Garden, a space that features a quaint one-story waterfall fountain, lush plants, and a stone patio. It has been used to host a variety of gatherings, including the alumni social over Homecoming Weekend.

Where is your special spot on campus? Post a photo and use the hashtag: #myLUspot 35

NEWS & EVENTS Liberty University accreditation reaffirmed for next 10 years After a rigorous review, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) reaffirmed Liberty University’s accreditation for the next 10 years. The accreditation affects almost every area of the university.

President Jerry Falwell informed the campus of the continuing accreditation during the Dec. 7 Convocation, calling it a monumental achievement.

“I’m so grateful for the hard work everyone put into this, from the faculty to the Provost’s

Office,” Falwell said. “To have full accreditation from SACS, no sanctions, for the next 10 years, is going to allow us to focus fully on our very big plans for the future. This reaffirms that we are doing things the right way and meeting the highest standards required of universities.”

SACSCOC requires a rigorous selfstudy report every 10 years, including responses to 96 standards, as well as an additional report every five years.

“It’s impossible to really describe how complex that report is,” said Provost Dr. Ron Hawkins. “It’s

thousands of pages and appendices that look like the IRS code. We’ve been seriously engaged in this report for the last two years.”

Liberty was first accredited by SACSCOC in 1980. In 2009, Liberty received Level VI accreditation, the highest classification from SACSCOC, reserved for colleges and universities that offer four or more doctoral degrees.

Visit Liberty.edu/Accreditation to read more about Liberty’s Institutional Accreditation.

Liberty’s growth and impact recognized by state publications State of the Commonwealth Report: The 2016 State of the Commonwealth Report features a 20-page spread on Liberty University’s explosive growth and “burst into prominence” over the last decade. The report is produced by the Center for Economic Analysis and Policy at Old Dominion University (ODU) and is jointly sponsored by ODU’s Strome College of Business and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

James V. Koch, Board of Visitors professor of economics and president emeritus in the Strome College of Business at ODU, highlighted many areas of the university and noted Liberty’s plans for the future and its goal of becoming the Evangelical Protestant equivalent of the University of Notre Dame or Brigham Young University.

Also in the report, an unnamed higher education official from Washington, D.C., heaps the following praise: “Liberty

University is nothing less than a marvel.

There are few stories like it in the entire history of higher education. They are teaching lessons to my institutions on a daily basis.”

Read the report at StateoftheCommonwealth.com.

Virginia Business Magazine: Virginia Business Magazine published a feature article, “A Vision Comes to Pass: Liberty University has transformed itself into Virginia’s biggest school,” in the fall, telling the story of a decade of impressive growth at Liberty, including new construction, new academic offerings, and a rise in enrollment.

Reporter Heather Hayes toured campus at the start of the Fall 2016 semester and highlighted some of Liberty’s state-of-the-art facilities.

The story features a photo gallery and interviews with President Jerry Falwell and Provost Ron Hawkins.

LEA H SEAVERS

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Hayes also chronicled the university’s history through its financial struggles in the 1980s to its status as a pioneer in online education.

Alan F. Edwards Jr., director of policy studies for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is quoted as saying “(Liberty) really got a jumpstart on the other schools, and they’ve remained popular because of the breadth of what they offer, which includes a lot of liberal arts programs, which is very unusual. They’ve also got the economies of scale to keep the tuition costs relatively low.”

The article points out that Liberty’s tuition is 30 percent below the U.S. average for private schools. “What’s more,” Hayes writes, “students’ second-choice schools weren’t other private, Christian colleges but Virginia public universities, led by James Madison, George Mason, and Virginia Commonwealth University.”

Read the article at VirginiaBusinessMagazine.com.

NEWS & EVENTS

Economic report reveals Liberty’s tremendous impact on Virginia Liberty University’s impact on the economy is not only seen in the greater Lynchburg area, but also throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to an independent study.

During the 2014-15 academic year, Liberty University, its associated enterprises, students, and visitors totaled $593 million in direct spending, generating almost $1.1 billion in economic activity in the Lynchburg MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), according to a report

by Richmond, Va.-based Mangum Economic Consulting LLC. Statewide, the contribution in direct spending was $694 million, with $1.4 billion in economic activity. The report showed that every $1 of Liberty’s state spending is generating $2.04 in

economic activity in Virginia.

In December, the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance held its 2016 Economic Summit, where it discussed Lynchburg’s accomplishments in economic growth, echoing the report’s findings that Liberty draws an array of business to the area. Barry DuVal, president of the Virginia Chamber, called Liberty “the economic engine that helps this region grow and prosper and attracts people from around the world.”

Liberty’s regional spending was responsible for supporting 11,080 jobs in the Lynchburg MSA, which generated $417 million in labor income, according to the report. Liberty was also Lynchburg’s largest employer between 2014-15, providing jobs for

5,469 individuals in the Lynchburg MSA and more than 8,000 worldwide.

According to the report, the city of Lynchburg had 51,163 jobs in 2014, meaning about one in every five jobs was somehow connected to Liberty.

Through volunteer initiatives, Liberty students contribute 975,511 volunteer hours per year. Those volunteer hours are estimated to add $8.4 million within the Lynchburg MSA each year.

“In sum, Liberty University is a rapidly growing institution that has a significant economic and fiscal impact on the Lynchburg MSA and the state of Virginia as a whole, and plays a very active and positive leadership role within its community and Virginia,” the report concluded.

Liberty featured as top university on Instagram

Liberty University has been recognized as the No. 1 university on Instagram, according to an article highlighting “15 Universities That Are Nailing It on Instagram.” The post was compiled by eCity Interactive, an award-winning digital agency, and placed Liberty ahead of universities like Colorado State University (No. 2), Arizona State University (No. 3),

Duke University (No. 4), West Virginia University (No. 6), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 7), Penn State University (No. 8), and the University of Virginia (No. 13).

Liberty’s posts are ones “that anyone can relate to,” the article explained. “They inspire school spirit. Focusing on human shots as well as campus photos personalizes

your campus and connects you to your students.”

The university has more than 52,000 followers on Instagram and typically receives an average of 2,000-3,000 likes per photo, as well as over 7,000 views on its most recent videos.

Follow Liberty on Instagram:

@libertyuniversity 37

Student cracks code hidden in Science Hall DNA art display

KAI T LYN JOHNSON

A four-story DNA double helix crawls up one of the stairwell walls in Liberty University’s Science Hall. It’s been more than a year since the facility was completed and, unbeknownst to passers-by, the artwork — a winding red ladder with a sequence of letters — features a hidden message.

Hidden, that is, until November, when senior biomedical sciences major Josiah Twiddy heard rumors that the art may conceal a secret. He decided to write down all of the letters, and 20 minutes later he had solved the puzzle.

“If you read genetic code,” Twiddy explained, “there are four letters — A, G, T, and C. Every three pairs of letters in that code stands for an amino acid, which is a building block for a protein. Every amino acid has a certain letter associated with it. If you read the code in groups of three, and then you look at the letter associated with the amino acid that each group of letters represents, the artwork spells out, ‘Christ is

risen, He is risen, amen.’”

“I hope the hidden code in the DNA challenges our students to look for things that may be hidden in plain sight,” said Dr. David DeWitt, chair of Liberty’s Department of Biology & Chemistry. “The code in the DNA is a reminder of two things: First, it is a reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ is our risen Savior. Second, for us as scientists, it’s a reminder that we are really just uncovering what God has done, and it is possible to recognize evidence for design.”

Twiddy said he appreciates the thought put into planning the one-of-a-kind artwork.

“The designers were putting what is most important first — glorifying God in all we do,” he said. “Liberty is giving us a good education, but on top of that, even in a piece of artwork, leadership is showing us that their main goal is our walk with Christ. It is cool enough that the DNA is there, but it is even better that there’s actually a message in it.

I’m amazed how they did that.”

Research around Liberty Faculty and students from multiple departments are engaged in a number of exciting research projects that are enhancing the learning experience while making significant contributions to their fields of study.

BIOLOGY: Upper-level biology students interested in conservation have the opportunity to take part in a long-

term population study of the timber rattlesnake along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

During the summer months, snakes are captured, marked and measured, then released so researchers can gather data beneficial

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to understanding population ecology.

This study, directed by Dr. Norman Reichenbach, professor of biology, is useful for assessing impacts on and trends in the reptile’s population, which has shown significant decline across its range.

CHEMISTRY: Working with Dr. Alan Fulp, associate professor of chemistry, students are helping to make new pharmaceutical active compounds.

Unlike many other pharmaceuticals, these new compounds target the endocannabinoid receptors that are located outside of the central nervous system, rather than those inside the brain and spinal cord, and can lessen

the side effects associated with other drugs while maintaining the same positive effects in treating a variety of disorders. The endocannabinoid system impacts appetite, mood, memory, and pain sensation.

ENGINEERING: Engineering students have begun designing and building

NEWS & EVENTS

Project tests blood samples at historic home used as Civil War hospital

TH E AM ELI A B ULLETI N M O NI TOR

Forensic science students are getting an in-depth look at American history as they analyze blood samples taken from the Hillsman House in Rice, Va., which served as a Union field hospital during the last major Civil War battle fought in Virginia.

The project, funded by a university Illuminate Grant, brought students to the historic site — now a museum — last fall to collect samples from a number of stains on the floorboards.

Dr. J. Thomas McClintock, director of

forensic science at Liberty and a worldrenowned expert in his field, initiated the project.

The research is unlike any other — McClintock and his students are using a variety of presumptive tests and extraction methods to try and generate DNA profiles from samples that are 151 years old. To do this, Liberty acquired an Applied Biosystems/Hitachi Model 3500 Genetic Analyzer, worth about $150,000. McClintock said that even the FBI is not using this new piece of

robots that resemble and fly like dandelions, reacting to wind. The concept belongs to Dr. Hector Medina, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and has never been attempted before. The first wave of the project involved collaboration between mechanical and computer engineering students to create prototypes with limited hovering capacity. This semester, the research team is finetuning the project to improve stability during flight.

consumption, and changes in key neurological indicators like dopamine receptors (D2). The project continues a study conducted last year that found adolescent mice exhibit depressionlike symptoms when sugar is withheld after a period of binge use. The series of studies is intended to provide insight into the possible lifelong effects of sugar on humans when consumed in high quantities during this important developmental period.

PSYCHOLOGY: A team of psychology students have begun a study to investigate the effects of binge sugar consumption in adolescent and adult rats. It is hypothesized that consumption of large amounts of sugar during adolescence will result in memory impairment, enhanced alcohol

HISTORY: With the purchase of the historic Mead’s Tavern (built in 1763) by the university in the summer of 2015, students are gaining hands-on experience in historic preservation and archaeology. The Department of History has been working with a local historical organization and renovation professionals to restore the building

equipment yet.

Students first ran a number of presumptive blood tests, both at the site and in the lab, to confirm what the samples were made of. Establishing that they were, in fact, blood corroborated historical accounts of Union and Confederate soldiers being treated there and also supported stories supposedly told by residents of the home, who claimed to witness blood dripping between slats of the wooden floor as they were locked in the basement.

The research team is now working to extract as much DNA as possible from the samples, hoping to create a database of individual DNA profiles. Records show that about 500 soldiers were treated on one surgical bed and two post-op beds in the house.

“Since there were so many soldiers, we are hoping to see DNA profiles from many contributors,” McClintock said.

McClintock said that once the research is completed and made public, tests could be done to find familial matches for people who may have had a relative who was injured or killed in the battle.

The team is planning to present their research findings later this semester.

to its original design. The building was used as an ordinary (or tavern) that provided meals and lodging to travelers in the once-bustling colonial town of New London, about 15 minutes from campus. It is believed to have attracted well-known historical figures, including Thomas Jefferson,

Patrick Henry, and Daniel Boone.

Students have also been educating the community under a new public history program, presenting their research on the rich history of the town.

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SHEPHERDING

THE FLOCK

AT L I B E R T Y, S T U D E N T S F I N D A C O M M U N I T Y O F C A R E

BY MITZI BIBLE

Even if you’ve never met Dr. David Wheeler, a popular Liberty University professor, you may recognize him from a video that went viral on social media last semester. Wheeler recorded a lighthearted message by phone to a student who had missed his class, panning an auditorium full of students who were waving to their absent classmate.

Wheeler wished the student a great weekend, reminding him that he had better be in class on Monday.

Although the video was done in fun, the culture of community that

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Wheeler and other faculty, staff, and student leaders have created at Liberty is evident in the way that students care for each other. It isn’t unusual to be sitting in one of Wheeler’s classes — with over 600 students — and learn that one of them needs extra prayer or support that day. It also isn’t unusual to witness a crowd of classmates gathering around the student when class is over, wrapping him or her in hugs and praying with them.

Countless examples occur outside the classroom as well. During a Campus

Community service in November, an offering was taken for a fellow student who needed an airplane ticket so she could visit her terminally ill father before he died. The college students gave far more than expected — about $5,000 — which turned out to be an even bigger blessing, as the family was in need of funds to cover funeral expenses.

Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development oversees many departments that work together to ensure that every student receives the special care they need during trying times.

NEWS & EVENTS

BELOW: Bowman with Kyle Seeger, a staff member with LU Shepherd.

NAT HAN SPENC ER

Junior Avery Bowman, right, greets students at Campus Community, along with fellow student leaders in the LU Shepherd program.

NAT HA N SPENC ER

Liberty’s commitment to the well-being of its students is demonstrated through the dedicated people students can turn to for help, especially when their family may be many miles, states, or even countries away.

One of those programs is LU Shepherd, which has been specially designed to provide ample opportunities for peer-to-peer counseling and continuous support.

Wheeler is the executive director, along with Director Tim Griffin.

Eight full-time shepherds oversee 261 resident shepherds (students assigned to residence halls), who in turn oversee 1,400 student community group leaders (students gather in their community groups following each Campus Community service on Wednesday night to discuss how the message can be applied in their lives). The LU Shepherd teams serve alongside resident assistants and resident directors from Liberty’s Office of Residence Life. A 24-hour prayer ministry ensures that students are prayed for daily.

Junior Avery Bowman has experienced this support firsthand, from the LU Shepherd leaders in his residence hall to the entire student body. Last spring, when Avery’s 17-yearold brother, Trevor, was diagnosed with cancer and facing an 11-hour surgery, the student body united in prayer for him during Convocation. “To see the school come together to pray for us was a really special moment for me,” Avery said, “to have that many people touched

by Trevor’s story.”

When students learned that his family was selling “#BowmanStrong” T-shirts to honor his brother, they asked to purchase one. First, it was Avery’s close friends, then his girlfriend’s intramural soccer team, then scores of students he had never met.

Last April, Trevor — who would have been a freshman at Liberty this year — went home to be with the Lord. Avery said he continued to be overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for him and his family. “People were always checking on me, taking me out to eat, helping me.

Professors prayed for me and my family before class.”

Recently, Avery saw someone running on campus wearing a #BowmanStrong T-shirt. “I didn’t know them at all,” he said, “but they have no idea how it made my day to see that. That’s what makes Liberty, Liberty — you don’t see that at other places.”

The encouragement he received from his peers and Liberty’s faculty and staff touched him so much that by the time he returned from summer break, he signed up to be a resident shepherd himself, or, as he put it, “to be ‘that guy’” to others, showing the same care that he had been shown.

“Going through this, I know I am definitely where I am supposed to be, at Liberty,” Avery said. “God knew what I was going to go through and what I needed.”

Learn more about how students are cared for at Liberty and ways they can grow in their faith and service on the Office of Spiritual Development website: Liberty.edu/OSD

“People were always checking on me, taking me out to eat, helping me. Professors prayed for me and my family before class...

That’s what makes Liberty, Liberty — you don’t see that at other places.”

AV E R Y B O W M A N

Do you have a “community of care” story to share?

Email News@liberty.edu.

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Treasure seeker: Professor uncovers one of year’s top archaeological finds in Israel

Teaming up with archaeology professors from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Chet Roden, an associate professor of Old Testament and the chair of graduate online Biblical Studies in the Rawlings School of Divinity, made a discovery last summer that was listed as one of the “Best Archaeological Finds in Israel in 2016” by Haaretz, an Israeli publication and website.

In the foundation of what is believed to

be military barracks in the biblical city of Gezer, Roden and his colleagues uncovered a treasure trove of silver and gold relics wrapped in linen inside a small piece of lidded pottery dating back to 1700-1500 B.C. It is believed to be the best-preserved cache from that time period ever discovered in Israel.

The ancient Canaanite center of Gezer is located west of Jerusalem along a strategic highway between Egypt and Mesopotamia in an area allotted to the tribe of Ephraim and where much of Old Testament history took place. The site is now part of the Israeli National Park System.

The School of Divinity has signed on as a consortium member for the

archaeological excavation of the site, which started in 2009. The team’s primary objectives are to fully excavate the tunnel, determine the approximate time period in which Gezer’s unique water system — an astounding tunnel over 20 feet wide and 150 feet deep — was originally constructed, and to eventually open it to the public.

During a recent excavation of the tunnel, a mold to form idol plaques was found. These plaques represented either the Canaanite goddess Astarte or the Egyptian goddess Hathor. Roden believes a silver pendant he found in the pottery last summer also represents Hathor and was left, along with the other small relics, as an offering to her for protection.

He theorized during a presentation to the Evangelical Theological Society that this discovery of pagan relics is evidence of syncretism — the blending of two belief systems — in the area.

Roden plans to return to Gezer for this year’s dig, May 20-June 9.

Pre-med student represents Liberty through research and humanitarian efforts For Ramon Misla David, a junior majoring in biomedical sciences

(pre-med) in Liberty University’s Department of Biology & Chemistry, hands-on learning opportunities have already led to success. He has completed two competitive internships with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and presented his research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at a national conference.

With the ultimate goal of attending medical school, Misla David spent the past two summers interning with the NIH, participating in ongoing PTSD research at Ponce Health Sciences University in his home of Puerto Rico, and gaining experience in behavioral

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studies, surgery, and tissue analysis.

His research focused on the expression of a protein in the brain associated with PTSD, demonstrating that lower levels of this protein in rats correlated with more fear.

The long-term implications of the study could include screenings for soldiers to determine future susceptibility to PTSD and enacting preventative measures.

Misla David said that he was encouraged to apply for the internships through Liberty’s Eagle Scholars Program, which trains highachieving residential, undergraduate freshmen and sophomores for leadership. He was invited to display his work at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida in November. Misla David was the first student from Liberty to present at the conference.

As a minority student, Misla David appreciated the opportunity to see

students like him engaged in research.

“It helped boost my pursuit, my drive, to go deeper into academics,” he said. “It really motivated me to know that there is a lot of interesting science going on and a lot of opportunities available. It was great to be a part of that, to present my research, to add my grain of sand. It made me feel like I was a part of something bigger.”

In addition to his academic pursuits, Misla David has put his heart into starting a campus chapter of a health care charity for children — the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC).

The chapter, for which Misla David serves as president, raises money to support the organization’s mission of bringing health care to underserved communities in the developing world.

Liberty’s FIMRC chapter has already helped a local single mother with farm work and plans to add health care service opportunities this semester as well as a medical service trip to a country where FIMRC is at work.

NEWS & EVENTS

LU helps Gleaning For The World provide relief for Hurricane Matthew victims Hurricane Matthew caused devastating flooding along the East Coast in October, and Gleaning For

GL EANING FOR THE WORLD

The World (GFTW) was among the first relief organizations to respond.

Liberty University then offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, up to $12,500 in donations to GFTW to help the people of Lumberton, N.C., a city that was hit hard by the flooding. Liberty promoted the fund drive throughout the Lynchburg community and its website and donors responded by far exceeding the goal. In all,

about $37,500 was raised between Dec. 13-31. The funds were used to send 12,300 blankets, 2,000 Bibles, 126,000 pounds of food, 1,000 Christmas gifts, and a load of roofing material to help residents of Lumberton begin rebuilding their lives.

While the match is over, donations are always appreciated. Visit GFTW. org for more information.

Medical students find ways to give back

Throughout the year, studentdoctors from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) take time out of their strenuous schedules to give back to the community. Here’s a brief look at what they accomplished in 2016: SPRING SEMESTER: LUCOM-SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medical Association) visited thirdgraders at a local elementary school to talk about how the heart works, the importance of exercise, and making healthy food choices.

Student-doctors, under the supervision of faculty physicians, offered complimentary Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) to over 30 patients during a public clinic at the Center for Medical and Health Sciences.

OMM is a non-invasive, hands-on approach that is used to diagnose, treat, and even prevent illness and injury.

LUCOM raised more than $20,000

for the American Heart Association at the third annual HeartChase. About 200 people participated in the fastpaced scavenger hunt on campus, styled after gameshows like “The Amazing Race” and “Minute to Win It.” Challenges ranged from exercise activities to trivia questions.

The college held its first black-tie Helping Hands gala. Approximately $750,000 was pledged by Gleaning For The World and World Help to build a future health care clinic in Guatemala through a partnership with Hope of Life International. Another $10,000 was raised at the event for supplies, medicines, equipment, and training.

The event was hosted by the Office of Medical Outreach and International Medicine at LUCOM. The LUCOM chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP) partnered with the Jubilee Family Development

Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lynchburg, and Amazement Square for Teddy Bear Clinics.

Student-doctors gave each child’s favorite stuffed animal a “checkup” in an effort to remove the fears associated with doctor visits. (Another clinic was held in the fall).

FALL SEMESTER: Student-doctors from the Class of 2019 gave more than 85 local middle and high school student-athletes preparticipation physical examinations to gain practical patient care and interaction experience.

LUCOM groups helped organize the first Lynchburg Parks & Recreation HealthFest at Miller Park. LUCOMSNMA (Student National Medical Association) hosted a booth to discuss the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

LUCOM’S NaPMed (Nutrition and Preventative Medicine) chapter worked with the Type 1 Diabetes Experience group to offer assistance with diabetes risk assessment and blood sugar screenings.

The third-annual Pancakes for Parkinson’s fundraiser, hosted by LUCOM-SOMA, raised over $500 for the Thomas Hartman Center for Parkinson’s Research at Stony Brook University.

LUCOM hosted its first-ever Christmas variety show, Osteopathic Merry Melodies. More than 400 attended, raising over $2,100 in ticket sales. Proceeds benefitted studentdoctor Dusty Eck, whose wife and two children were involved in a car crash.

The accident took the life of their 7-year-old son, Cole.

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Outstanding Parent of the Year taught sons to love God through hardship Jesse said he felt “compelled” to nominate his mother for the award because of all she has done for him and his brother, Santos Alvarez, a junior at Liberty.

In the essay he wrote to nominate her, Jesse explained how his mother overcame all of her circumstances through her faith and a strong work ethic. After her husband died, Reina cared for and supported her young family on her own. And even though

she was never able to step foot in a classroom as a child growing up in El Salvador, Alvarez still assisted her children academically. “(My mother) supported me in (high) school when I was on the track, cross country, and wrestling team(s) by coming to those events and paying for my sports gear,” Jesse Alvarez said. “Whenever I stayed up late studying or doing homework, she would stay up as well, encouraging me to keep going.”

K EVI N M ANGU I OB

Despite her own health struggles, Reina Alvarez remained steadfast in her commitment to God, encouraging her son, Jesse Alvarez, as he worked toward his exercise science degree at Liberty University.

“My mother empowered me for success in life by inspiring me to continue studying for a better future and teaching me to love and have faith in God,” said Jesse Alvarez, a sophomore from Greensboro, N.C., who nominated her for Liberty’s 2016 Outstanding Parent of the Year Award. The award was presented by Flames Football Head Coach Turner Gill during a banquet over Fall Family Weekend, Oct. 28-30.

Last summer, Reina Alvarez was diagnosed with leukemia. Jesse said it was a difficult time for his family, but watching his mom as “her faith and love for God grew,” inspired him.

“Seeing how she never held anything against God was amazing,” he said.

Last fall, she was declared cancer-free.

School of Education ranks first for number of teacher candidates in Virginia

Liberty University’s School of Education leads the way in teacher program graduates for the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to a report released last fall.

The Title II report (an annual report that is part of the Higher Education Act) stated that 637 candidates from Liberty completed their respective programs during the 2014-15 school

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year. This was a 29 percent increase from the 2013-14 report.

The Virginia schools with the next highest number of teacher candidates were George Mason University (431) and James Madison University (366).

According to School of Education Senior Assistant Dean Dr. Michelle Goodwin, the numbers included both residential and online students pursuing a degree in education through Liberty.

“The growth of our numbers is due to our multiple formats of delivery,” Goodwin said. “We offer both residential and hybrid programs that

lead to eligibility for a teaching license.”

In the 2014-15 report, the two areas with the highest number of completers for Liberty were Elementary Education/Pre-K-6 and Special Education – General Curriculum K-12.

The report also showed that 518 out of the 637 candidates took their teacher certification test for Virginia — with a 100-percent passage rate. Liberty has had a 100 percent passing rate on all state-required testing for teacher candidates since 2010.

“We seek to provide convenient, practical programs that effectively prepare our graduates to teach in multiple classroom environments,” Goodwin said. “We do this while maintaining national and state accreditation requirements.”

The School of Education’s Teacher Licensure Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

NEWS & EVENTS

Liberty University Art Gallery Spring 2017 Exhibits “Prism” Faculty Exhibit with Christopher and Kelsey Phillips – Jan. 26-Feb. 11 The exhibit showcases paintings by Christopher and hand lettering by Kelsey, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at their processes, which begin similarly but have vastly different results.

Dr. Seuss – Feb. 16-26 The show will feature limited-edition prints by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Most are familiar with his children’s books or even political cartoons, but Seuss also had a personal collection that was revealed after his death.

The following pieces from this collection, including “secret” items, will be displayed at Liberty: “Green Cat in Uleåborg Finland,” “Worm Burning Bright in the Forest in the Night,” “That Winter Spring Came Late,” “Talk Talk Talk,” “Hop on Pop Diptych,” “Stars Upon Thars Diptych,” “These Things Are Good Things Diptych,” and “I Like Them, Sam I Am.” Juried Digital Arts Competition – March 2-26 Annual competition that features animation, graphic design, illustration, photography, and user-experience design from digital arts students.

Senior Studio Art 1 – March 1-April 14 Students will showcase photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Senior Studio Art 2 – April 20-May 6 Students will showcase photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture.

The gallery, located in Green Hall, is free and open to the public. Visit Liberty.edu/Gallery for current hours and exhibition information..

Furniture store awards scholarships for student showroom design The Liberty University Department of Family & Consumer Sciences’ (FACS) interior design program was recently awarded $5,000 in scholarships from the Virginia Furniture Market (VFM).

VFM partnered with Liberty to offer the first annual VFM Design Challenge last fall. Three groups of five students each worked closely with VFM staff to research trends and best-selling items in order to create a room design. Then each group presented “mood boards” (a display

of pictures and concepts) to a panel of judges made up of VFM staff.

The winning group — seniors Bethany Batton, Taylor Ford, Courtney Gilmour, and Diana Alligood and junior Cayla McHaney — received a $2,500 scholarship to be divided between the members. Their showroom vignette (pictured here) was showcased in the company’s Bedford and Rocky Mount, Va., stores on Black Friday.

“The students were so professional and put in a real effort,” said VFM owner Joel Shepherd.

VFM also presented a $500 People’s Choice Award, chosen through a social media vote, to seniors Greyson Walsh, Emily Compton, and Skyler Wheeler and juniors Lauren Jenkins and Victoria Cummings.

An additional $2,000 was given to the FACS department to award scholarships to interior design students, with

recipients to be announced at Commencement.

Assistant Professor Lisa Campbell, who incorporated the challenge into her FACS 345 Materials and Specifications course, said students gain practical training in the design industry.

“Any opportunity where students can interface with the public outside of the classroom is so much more valuable than lecture time,” Campbell said. “It’s a great hands-on experience.”

Interior design is one of three concentrations offered under the Bachelor of Science in Fashion & Interiors, along with fashion merchandising and fashion design.

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On-campus shooting range will be used for Olympic sports, firearms training Set to open by Labor Day, Liberty University’s new shooting range will be the first facility on a U.S. college campus to meet every NCAA and NRA specification for all Olympic Shooting Sports. The university will debut men’s and women’s skeet shooting teams as part of the Club Sports program in the fall and is planning to add NCAA teams in the future.

The shooting sports program will feature three main areas: shotgun sports (skeet, trap, bunker, sporting clays, and five stand), rifle and pistol (with 100- 200- and 300-yard ranges), and three-gun competition/tactical training range.

The $3 million, 490-acre range will be located off Camp Hydaway Road

on Liberty Mountain, across from the Hydaway Outdoor Recreation Center.

The facility will also feature a field house and awards pavilion.

Dave Hartman, a former member of the United States Cycling Team and nationally recognized shooting sports organizer and coach, will serve as director of the shooting center and head coach. His son, Tommy Hartman (pictured here), is a freshman at Liberty and helped lead the Spokane (Wash.) Area Youth Shooting Team to a USA Youth Education in Shooting Sports (YESS) National Championship in 2015.

The new range will also serve as the location for the range portion of Liberty’s handgun safety class, which can be used to apply for a concealed carry permit in Virginia. Since Liberty started offering the class for free to students, faculty, and staff two years ago, more than 900 people have taken part. Because of the strong interest, university officials determined that the current shooting range off of Candlers Mountain Road could no longer accommodate the growing

numbers. In fact, it was student feedback that led to the decision to construct the new range.

Planning Coordinator Brad Butler says all aspects of the range will be visually appealing and, most importantly, safe.

“Safety is our top priority,” Butler said. “Every aspect of the design and the operation of this facility will be firmly focused on keeping everyone safe. It will also be a beautiful facility and will match the architectural standards of our new buildings on campus. We’re very excited about it.”

The design will utilize the land’s natural topography to minimize noise.

The range will be open to the public during designated hours but will cater primarily to students. Trained instructors and range masters will be on hand to supervise shooters.

“According to our research, there is not a college or university that offers all of these features at a collegeowned facility on campus grounds,” Butler said. “Most have to lease or rent space. It’s another example of Liberty leading the way.”

2016 George Rogers Champion of Freedom: Dr. Charlie Davidson

For decades, Dr. Charlie Davidson, director of Liberty University’s Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program, has been on the frontlines of both spiritual and physical warfare. The retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel ministered for 20 years as a chaplain, serving his men even as they braved combat zones overseas. Davidson was the first Air Force chaplain to set foot in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom and, on Nov. 7, 2003, was the first Air Force chaplain from

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that campaign to receive the Bronze Star for bravery and valor under combat conditions.

Over 6,200 individuals came to Christ during Davidson’s military service.

“What a blessed life, to be able to serve God and to serve your country at the same time. It was a fruitful ministry,” Davidson said.

During a patriotic halftime celebration at the last Liberty Flames home Football game on Nov. 12, Liberty honored Davidson with its seventh George Rogers Champion of Freedom Award. The award is given annually to a man or woman who displayed extraordinary heroism while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The award’s namesake is a survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II. (Rogers worked at Liberty from

1974-99, starting as its chief financial officer and retiring as vice president of finance and administration.)

Davidson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Liberty in 1982, a Master of Divinity in 1984, and a Doctor of Ministry in 2001. Today, he serves as the director of both the doctoral program he graduated from and its endorsing agent, Liberty Baptist Fellowship.

While Davidson has hung up his military uniform (as of 2006), his fighting days are not over. Currently, he is battling cancer. Still, he remains positive, convinced that the Lord is good and has blessed his life greatly.

Watch a recorded interview with Davidson at Liberty.edu/CharlieDavidson.

REVVED UP

Byron stays on NASCAR fast track during freshman year at Liberty Liberty University freshman William Byron lived life in the fast lane this fall, adjusting to classes and activities as a residential student during the week, then shifting gears on the weekend to complete a phenomenal rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“The key to success is adapting to different environments almost every week — doing something different and learning from it,” Byron told “Game On,” a TV sports show produced by the Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN).

Byron was named Rookie of the Year after winning a rookie-record seven races and helping to clinch the Truck Series Owners’ Championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) and crew chief Rudy Fugle.

“It feels awesome. It’s incredible,” Byron said after he qualified for the pole (starting in the first position on the track) and claimed his seventh win of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the series’ final race. “This

team has worked so hard all year. It’s just insane how good they are — so many talented people. I can’t thank KBM and Liberty University enough.”

On Nov. 8, Michael Waltrip, NASCAR veteran and FOX Sports analyst, took a video tour of campus with Byron, interviewing him about life at Liberty and how the business communications major balances it with a full-time racing career. Three days later, Byron earned his second pole of the season and was dominating the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway when, with only nine laps to go, his engine blew out. That eliminated the series points leader from competing for the championship, but he regained momentum for the 2017 season at Miami-Homestead (the final race of 2016) with a third pole and a decisive win.

For the fourth consecutive year,

Byron moved up to a new race series (division) when he signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports to race in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. The Hendrick team includes seven-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

“I really want to be in a Cup (Series) car one day,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible to know that’s even possible now, being with Hendrick Motorsports.

I just can’t wait for the future, and I hope that’s a possibility down the road.

That would be all I can really ask for.”

Byron recently extended his sponsorship deal with Liberty, which will be his primary sponsor for 17 of the 33 races in the Xfinity Series.

The series starts Feb. 25 at Daytona International Speedway, where Byron will debut the No. 9 Liberty University Chevy Camaro.

RACES WON BY WILLIAM BYRON IN HIS NO. 9 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY TOYOTA TUNDRA: No. 4 Kansas Speedway, May 6 No. 7 Texas Motor Speedway, June 10 No. 8 Iowa Speedway, June 18 No. 10 Kentucky Speedway, July 7 No. 12 Pocono Raceway, July 30 No. 17 New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sept. 24 No. 23 Homestead-Miami Speedway Nov. 18

FOX Sports commentator Michael Waltrip interviews William Byron outside his residence hall in November.

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McCaw shares Falwell’s vision for Athletics program’s future

Ian McCaw, Liberty University’s new director of athletics, and President Jerry Falwell's ambitious plans for the future of Liberty Athletics echo those of university founder Jerry Falwell Sr. “Our vision for Liberty is to develop the pre-eminent Christian athletics program in the nation,” McCaw said.

“We’re looking forward to having championship programs in all 20 of our NCAA sports. We want Christian student-athletes to grow up dreaming of competing for Liberty and to have the opportunity to be a part of the largest Christian university in the world.”

“I have such high hopes and expectations for the future of Liberty Athletics,” President Falwell added, “and I believe that in so many ways

48

we’re going to go places we’ve not yet been.”

McCaw has had an impressive career as athletic director, serving at four previous schools, most recently Baylor University for the past 13 years. During his tenure at Baylor, McCaw presided over five national team championships and 58 Big 12 Conference titles, with its football team reaching bowl games in six consecutive seasons. The Baylor Bears’ combined record of 350-84 in football and men’s and women’s basketball over the last five years ranks as the best in the nation.

One of McCaw’s top priorities at Liberty is to move its football program from a mid-major to a toptier conference, something he feels the university is poised to do. He was

extremely impressed by his first visit to campus.

“The quality of the athletics facilities here is outstanding. I think that’s really what gives this athletics program a high ceiling — its great facilities and tremendous leadership.

President Falwell’s fingerprints are all around Liberty. I’m very honored, and I feel fortunate to serve under such a dynamic leader. He certainly has the university on a steep upward trajectory at this point in time. I’m excited to see what we’re going to be able to do in the future.”

McCaw and his Flames Athletics staff have proactively crafted a strategic plan for the program, addressing everything that factors into a student-athlete’s experience — academic performance, athletic performance, spiritual development, social development, competitive success, and living in a way that reflects Liberty’s Christian values.

“Our vision is, first of all, to Train Champions for Christ, providing a world-class experience for our student-athletes and achieving victory with integrity,” McCaw said.

“With God’s favor, we’re going to do great things as we seek to honor Him through this athletics program.”

McCaw met one-on-one with the Flames’ and Lady Flames’ 20 head coaches during his first week on the job and left a positive first impression.

“He’s an unbelievable guy, very easy to talk to,” Flames Baseball first-year Head Coach Scott Jackson said. “He certainly has a vision for this school and this athletics program that I think matches the vision of all of our coaches, maybe even beyond that, which is probably how it should be.

I’m excited to just be around him and work with him and use his leadership as a tool for us because he has a great track record.”

ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS NEWS WOMEN’S SOCCER CROWNED BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONS

The Liberty University women’s soccer team won its second straight Big South Conference (BSC) tournament championship Nov. 6 in Greensboro, N.C. — its third in four seasons and sixth in history.

The Lady Flames upset top-seeded regular-season champion High Point, 2-1, on BSC Freshman of the Year

Gabrielle Farrell’s overtime goal. That extended Liberty’s program-record winning streak to eight games, eclipsing the mark set in 2005. Ironically, it also ended redshirt senior goalie Holly Van Noord’s record-setting shutout streak at seven.

Between a season-opening loss to No. 4 Virginia and season-ending setback to second-seeded North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Championships, the Lady Flames made tremendous strides, finishing 14-8 and second in the conference race (7-2).

Van Noord was selected as the Big South Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons and made her fourth National Soccer Coaches Association of America AllSoutheast Region team. She finished her

four-year career as the BSC’s all-time leader with 41 shutouts. She also posted Liberty’s all-time career low with a 0.79 goals-against average and its secondmost saves with 407.

Midfielder Isabella Habuda, a junior transfer from the University of Louisville, made a major impact, earning BSC All-Conference first team and NSCAA All-Southeast Region team honors after leading all Big South scorers with 10 goals and 25 points.

That ranks her fifth on the Lady Flames’ all-time single-season scoring list in both categories.

Junior forward and BSC tournament MVP Jennifer Knoebel moved up to third on Liberty’s all-time scoring list with 55 points and second in assists with 21.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS CLAIM NINTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

The Lady Flames held off two-time defending champion High Point University, 38-45, to win the Big South Championships in Swannanoa, N.C., in October.

Sophomore Anna Van Wyk took

runner-up in the women’s 5K race in a personal-best time of 18 minutes 2.1 seconds. She earned All-BSC honors for the second straight year and gave the Lady Flames a top-three finisher at the BSC Championships for the 12th consecutive season.

Van Wyk paced a pack of eight Lady Flames who crossed the finish line in front of High Point’s fifth runner.

As a result, Liberty surged past the Panthers for its ninth BSC women's cross country team championship.

Senior captain Terrill Zentmeyer

closed out her cross country career with a fifth-place finish, after placing 20th the past two seasons, in 18:51.8.

Liberty’s 38 points total was the lowest winning score (in cross country, the low score wins) at this meet since 2007, when the Lady Flames won with 36.

The Flames’ men, meanwhile, were runners-up to defending champion Campbell, 31-37, in the closest margin of victory since 1995. It was Liberty’s 14th consecutive top-two men’s finish.

LIBERTY WELCOMES CAMPBELL FOOTBALL INTO BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE Flames Football will have a new opponent in the Big South starting in the fall of 2018. After competing in the Pioneer Football League for one more season, Campbell University’s football program will join the conference, replacing Coastal

Carolina which moved into the Football Bowl Subdivision Sun Belt Conference.

Campbell, a founding member of the Big South in 1983 before joining the Atlantic Sun Conference in 1994 and returning to the BSC in 2011, already competes in the Big South in 18 other sports, including baseball, softball, basketball, and soccer. The Camels football team, which will go from offering no scholarships to funding 63, will join two-time defending

conference champion Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State, Monmouth, Presbyterian, and Liberty.

The Flames have won at least a share of eight of the past 10 BSC regular-season championships. This fall, by tying Charleston Southern at 4-1 in BSC play, Liberty moved ahead of Coastal Carolina into the lead for most titles (eight) since the conference started sponsoring football in 2002.

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STATE GAMES OF AMERICA COMING TO LIBERTY IN 2019

Nearly a year to the day after announcing it was taking over as title sponsor and primary host of the Virginia Commonwealth Games,

Liberty University revealed in October that it had also won the bid to host the 2019 State Games of America, set for July 31-Aug. 4, 2019.

The biennial competition invites top participants from individual state games across the country to compete in one place, and this is the first time Virginia has been selected to host the national festival. The 2017 Games will be held Aug. 3-6 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Meanwhile, individual sport competitions for the 2017 Commonwealth Games begin in April

with several of this year’s events being held in campus facilities or other locations around Lynchburg.

The Main Games Weekend, from July 21-23, will include opening ceremonies in the Vines Center and is expected to draw thousands of athletes to campus. The university celebrated its first year as title sponsor of the 27th Commonwealth Games in 2016 by hosting close to 10,000 athletes who competed in 60 sports. Registration is available at CommonwealthGames.org.

CLUB SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTS THIRD CLASS

Former Liberty women's hockey goalie Patti Smith, former Flames snowboarder and Ski & Snowboard Assistant Coach Kevin Manguiob, and former Men’s Hockey Head Coach Corrado Puglisi became the newest members of the Club Sports Hall of Fame to be inducted, Dec. 9 in a formal ceremony held in the Hancock Welcome Center.

The three athletes and coaches embody the university’s ideals of athletic, educational, and spiritual excellence.

They each helped launch or revive their respective programs on tight budgets, before the Club Sports department could afford to provide transportation, hotel accommodations, or even meal allowances on road trips. Their hard work and dedication made a lasting impact on the lives of their teammates and players.

Smith played more minutes and

posted more wins (42) than any goalie in Liberty women’s hockey history and finished with a 94.0 career save percentage. Manguiob, now a senior photographer at Liberty, helped the Flames dominate Southeast Region competition and land several skiers and snowboarders on the podium at the United States Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships.

Puglisi was promoted from assistant to head coach of the men’s hockey team in 1996 and helped get the Flames into the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey Association and win the tournament on their first try in 1997.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING TEAM TO LAUNCH THIS FALL Liberty University’s thriving Club Sports program will offer men’s swimmers and divers a chance to compete for the Flames for the first time this fall.

The men’s Club Sports program and the already established NCAA Division I women’s swimming & diving program will both utilize the new $15 million, 70,000-square-foot Liberty Natatorium (connected to the new Indoor Track Complex) when it officially opens Nov. 1.

Liberty’s men’s team will compete as members of U.S. Masters Swimming (the new governing body for collegiate club swim teams), against collegiate club programs from around Virginia and North Carolina before traveling to regional and national meets.

“We’d like to have at least 20 swimmers and five divers the first year,”

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Liberty Club Sports Athletic Director Kirk Handy said. “Now that we’ll have a facility that’s one of the best in the nation, it definitely sets us up to build a very successful program.”

Current men’s and women’s triathlon and cycling Head Coach Parker Spencer will also take on head coaching responsibilities for men’s swimming & diving.

“It’s really exciting,” Spencer said. “Now I look at it as my responsibility to make these the best teams that Liberty can offer and the best in the country. I think we’re going to produce

professional athletes out of all three of our teams, athletes who may become Olympians and compete at the top levels of their sport.”

ATHLETICS

GRADUATE SERVES KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AS CHAPLAIN Phillip Kelley (’04 and ‘06), chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs, once asked the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University’s founder, if he could walk alongside him as Falwell served as a pastor. Kelley, who played baseball for Liberty while earning his degree in biblical studies, eventually became Falwell’s personal intern, working toward his master’s degree in pastoral leadership through the Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.

According to Kelley, Dr. Falwell was more than a fierce warrior for Christian values. He was a compassionate listener who helped friends — and sometimes the not so friendly — understand the love of God. “I observed him — how he interacted with people and how he prayed for audacious visions,” Kelley remembered. “It was such an incredible opportunity.”

And it taught Kelley more about ministry than any class could.

“He would slowly and gingerly walk me through the responsibilities of

being a pastor,” Kelley said.

Kelley took what he learned from Dr. Falwell and went on to pastor churches in Austin and Dallas, Texas, before returning to his hometown to shepherd a church in Kansas City.

After speaking at a chapel for the Chiefs, the NFL team offered him the job as chaplain. Kelley and his wife, Frances, now minister to the players and their families before games.

“We just help them to see Christ in an authentic way,” Kelley said.

“I really encourage these guys to articulate their testimonies and to use and leverage the platform that God has given them to broadcast the Gospel to the world.”

Quarterback Chase Daniel appreciates the support. “I have a call with (Kelley) almost every single week, just to catch up and to make sure we’re staying strong in our faith and holding each other accountable,” Daniel said.

Not long after Kelley started as Kansas City’s team chaplain, he saw an opportunity to bring more Chiefs

fans to Christ. In a partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, at 9:30 a.m. before every noon home game, they turn the Bud Light Party Pavilion into a place of worship.

“And we just bust it out,” Kelley said. “We hand out Bibles. We give people an opportunity to invite Christ into their lives. It’s the only thing like it in the NFL ... Hopefully, we will be able to take the idea to other teams, other professional sports.”

Kelley’s association with a major sports franchise has multiplied his opportunities to share Christ. And he’s taking advantage, humbly.

“I just tell people all the time, ‘Look, I’m a broken person who has found Christ, and I just want to share authentically what God has done in my life,’” Kelley said. “And hopefully, by our lives, and by the redemption that Christ has offered, they can see hope.”

And through it all, the audacious visions of Dr. Falwell often reemerge.

“Christ and Christ crucified — that’s our message,” Kelley said.

WATCH HIS INTERVIEW WITH ‘GAME ON’ AT LIBERTY.EDU/PHILLIPKELLEY.

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TRIATHLETE

CHARTS NEW TERRITORY FOR LADY FLAMES

When she ran her first triathlon in the spring of her freshman year — the Angel’s Race in downtown Lynchburg — senior Megan Merryman never dreamed she would become Liberty University’s first triathlete to compete at the NCAA Women’s Collegiate National Championships and then turn professional in the sport.

Merryman joined the professional ranks on Jan. 1, two months after she reached the pinnacle of her collegiate career by placing sixth at the NCAA Women’s Triathlon National Championships, a DraftLegal Sprint race held Nov. 5 in New Orleans. Merryman has even higher aspirations after she competes in her third USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships in late April in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and graduates with a degree in exercise science in May. She plans to compete in Half Ironman triathlons starting this summer and is hopeful that she could represent the United States in the Olympics someday.

“I'm not going to say I'd be opposed to going to Tokyo in 2020, but I've got

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a lot of work to do, that's for sure,” Merryman said. “I guess 2024 would probably be a little more realistic, but (earlier) would be really cool.”

In New Orleans, Merryman was one of only a dozen club sport-level triathletes in a field of 48 women, with the majority coming from NCAA programs. She qualified for her professional triathlon license by finishing among the top five Americans (the race also included international competitors), completing the 750meter swim, 20-kilometer cycling stage, and 5K run in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 40 seconds.

“The amount of development she’s made in three years is just incredible,” Liberty third-year Head Coach Parker Spencer said. “It's a proud moment for a coach to see someone come so far so fast. A lot of it is her work ethic and mindset and ability to push herself to new limits. It also speaks to Liberty’s ability to develop athletes. If they’re dedicated and work hard, the sky’s the limit as to what they can accomplish at Liberty.”

Merryman, who was named

Liberty’s 2015-16 Club Sports Female Athlete of the Year, credits Spencer and her fellow Flames, including the many male triathletes she has trained with, for her rapid rise in the sport. Spencer himself has competed in triathlon or duathlon world championships the past five summers and has qualified for both events again this year: triathlon in mid-September in The Netherlands and duathlon in mid-August in Canada.

"I'm very blessed to be on this team — to have an awesome coach and awesome teammates," Merryman said.

"Parker definitely sets us all up for success with our training plans, and he knows exactly what he's talking about."

Merryman also qualified for next summer’s world championships in Canada after winning her 20-24 age group and finishing second out of 55 participants in her first sprint duathlon, in which she competed just one day after the NCAA triathlon championships. The sprint duathlon features a 5K run, 20K cycling stage, and 2.5K run; Merryman clocked a 1:05:55.8 finish.

SPORTS SCHEDULES This listing only includes events occurring after publication.

View results from earlier in the season at LIBERTYFLAMES.COM.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Feb. 9 at Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.* Feb. 11 Charleston Southern, 2 p.m.* Feb. 14 High Point, 7 p.m.* Feb. 18 at Winthrop, noon* Feb. 23 Longwood, 7 p.m.* Feb. 25 at UNC Asheville, 2 p.m.* Feb. 28-March 5 Big South Championship, TBA March 14-April 3 NCAA Championship, TBA *Big South Conference game

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Feb. 7 Radford, 7 p.m.* Feb. 11 at Presbyterian, 7 p.m.* Feb. 14 at High Point, 7 p.m.* Feb. 17 Charleston Southern, 7 p.m.* Feb. 21 at Longwood, 7 p.m.* Feb. 25 at Winthrop, 1 p.m.* Feb. 27 UNC Asheville, 7 p.m.* March 4 Campbell, 2 p.m.* March 9-12 Big South Championship (Vines Center) TBA March 17-April 2 NCAA Championship, TBA *Big South Conference game

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

MEN’S LACROSSE

Feb. 10 at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

Feb. 12 at Butler, 11 a.m.

Feb. 18 Richmond, noon Feb. 22 Virginia Tech, 4 p.m.

Feb. 25 Navy, noon March 4 Old Dominion, noon March 11 at George Mason, 1 p.m.

March 13 at Robert Morris, 7 p.m.

March 22 at William & Mary, 7 p.m.

March 25 at Virginia Commonwealth, 1 p.m.

April 1 at Presbyterian, noon* April 5 at Longwood, 4 p.m.* April 8 Campbell, noon* April 12 at Gardner-Webb, 4 p.m.* April 15 High Point, 2 p.m.* April 19 Radford, 6 p.m.* April 22 at Winthrop, 1 p.m.* April 29-May 7 Big South Championship, TBA *Big South Conference game

Feb 18 East Carolina, 1 p.m.

Feb. 27 at Michigan State, 7 p.m.

March 4 Tennessee, 2 p.m.* March 13 at George Washington, 3 p.m.* March 15 at Sonoma State, 7 p.m.

March 17 at West Virginia, 6 p.m.* March 24 at Colorado, 6 p.m.

March 25 at Colorado State, 6 p.m.

March 31 Florida State, 8 p.m.* April 2 Connecticut, 3 p.m.

April 7 Davenport, 11:59 p.m.

April 15 at Virginia Tech, 7 p.m.* April 21-23 SELC Playoffs, TBA *SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference game

Ryan Kemrite

Morgan Pitts

Keyen Green

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BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

Feb. 17-19 The Citadel Tournament (Charleston, S.C.) vs. Virginia, noon; vs.

Kansas, 11 a.m.; vs. The Citadel, 2 p.m.

Feb. 22 Kentucky, 3 p.m.

Feb. 24-26 at Lexington County vs. Cancer Tournament (Lexington, S.C.) vs. UMBC, 6 p.m.; vs. Kansas State, 2 p.m.; vs. Kansas State, 11 a.m.

Feb. 28 at Elon, 4 p.m.

March 3-5 Bryant, 3 p.m., 2 p.m., 2 p.m.

March 7 Duke, 3 p.m.

March 10-12 St. John’s, 3 p.m., 2 p.m., 2 p.m.

March 14 Saint Joseph’s, 3 p.m.

March 17-19 High Point, 3 p.m., 2 p.m., 2 p.m.* March 21 James Madison, 3 p.m.

March 24-26 at Charleston Southern, 6 p.m., 4 p.m., 2 p.m.* March 28 at East Carolina, 6:30 p.m.

March 31-April 2 Bethune-Cookman, 6 p.m., 4 p.m., 1 p.m.

April 4 Radford, 6 p.m.

April 7-9 at Radford, 6:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 2 p.m.* April 11 at James Madison, 6 p.m.

April 13-15 Winthrop, 6 p.m., 6 p.m., 2 p.m.

April 18 at North Carolina, 6 p.m.

April 21-23 at Gardner-Webb, 6 p.m., 2 p.m., 2 p.m.* April 28-30 at Longwood, 6 p.m., 4 p.m., 2 p.m.* May 2 at Virginia, 6 p.m.

May 5-7 Campbell, 6 p.m., 6 p.m., 2 p.m.*

May 9 Elon, 6 p.m.

May 12-14 at VCU, 6:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 1 p.m.

May 16 at Duke, 6 p.m.

May 18-20 Presbyterian, 6 p.m., 6 p.m., 2 p.m.* May 23-27 Big South Championship (Lexington, S.C.) TBA June 2-27 NCAA Championship, TBA *Big South Conference game

Feb. 10-12 Dot Richardson Invitational Feb. 8 at Elon, 2 p.m.

(Clermont, Fla.), vs. Chattanooga, Feb. 11 at Navy, 1 p.m.

1:30 p.m.; vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, Feb. 12 at George Mason, 10:30 a.m.

6:30 p.m.; vs. Chattanooga, 11 a.m.; vs.

Feb. 17 at North Carolina Central, 2 p.m.

Fairleigh Dickinson, 4 p.m.; vs.

Feb. 19 at Furman, 2 p.m.

Morgan State, 10 a.m.

March 1 Longwood, 3 p.m.* Feb. 17-19 Mary Nutter Classic (Palm Springs, March 9 Campbell, 2 p.m.* Calif.) vs. Loyola Marymount, 1:30 p.m.; March 13 vs. Farleigh Dickinson (Orlando, Fla.) vs. California Davis, 4 p.m.; vs.

TBA Oregon, 1 p.m.; vs. St. Mary’s, 3:30 p.m.; vs.

March 15 vs. Saint Joseph's (Orlando, Fla.) TBA Cal Poly, 2:30 p.m.; vs. UCAL, 5 p.m.

March 15 vs. Fairfield (Orlando, Fla.) TBA Feb. 24-26 Citrus Classic I (Orlando, Fla.) vs.

March 22 at East Carolina, Oakland, 1:15 p.m.; vs. Syracuse, 3:30 p.m.; 2:30 p.m. vs. Florida, 11 a.m.; vs. Ball State, 1:15 p.m.; March 25 at Gardner-Webb, noon* vs.

Morgan State, 9 a.m.

March 26 at Georgia Tech, 5:30 p.m.

March 2 at Auburn, 7 p.m.

April 1 Presbyterian, 1 p.m.* March 3-4 Wilson/DeMarini Classic (Auburn, April 5 at UNC Asheville, noon* Ala.) vs. Savannah State, 1:30 p.m.; vs.

April 6 at Radford, 3 p.m.* Auburn, 7 p.m.; vs. College of Charleston, April 12 at Winthrop, 1 p.m.* 11 a.m.; vs. Texas State, 1:30 p.m.

April 19-21 Big South Championship March 10-12 Liberty Softball Classic (Liberty (Winston-Salem, N.C.) TBA Softball Stadium) vs. Rhode Island, 4 p.m.; vs. Saint Francis (Pa.), 6:30 p.m.; vs.

NC Central, 12:30 p.m.; Semifinal, 6:30 p.m.; Championship/Consolation, 2:30 p.m.

March 14 North Carolina A&T, 6 p.m.

March 17-18 at Charleston Southern, 3 p.m.

(DH), 1 p.m.* March 24-25 Radford, 7 p.m., 3 p.m. (DH)* March 28 at Tennessee, 4 p.m.

March 29 at NC State, 5 p.m.

April 1-2 at Campbell, 1 p.m. (DH), 1:30 p.m.* April 4 Hampton, 4 p.m. (DH) April 7-8 Presbyterian, 6 p.m., 1 p.m. (DH)* Eddie Gutierrez April 11 Virginia, 6 p.m.

April 12 at Virginia, 6 p.m.

April 14-15 at Gardner-Webb, 5 p.m., 1 p.m.

(DH)* April 18 Virginia Tech (DH), 5 p.m.

April 21-22 at Winthrop, 7 p.m., 1 p.m. (DH)* April 25-26 Longwood, 5 p.m., 5 p.m. (DH)* May 10-13 Big South Championship at Longwood (Farmville, Va.) TBA May 19-June 7 NCAA Championship, TBA *Big South Conference game

Deidra See

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MEN'S TENNIS

WOMEN'S TENNIS

TRACK & FIELD

GOLF

Feb. 11 at Wake Forest, 3 p.m.

Feb. 12 at Tennessee, 3 p.m.

Feb. 15 Radford, 2 p.m.* Feb. 18 at UNC Asheville, 2 p.m.* Feb. 19 at Furman, 11 a.m.

Feb. 24 vs. Florida Atlantic (at Central Florida, Orlando, Fla.) 11 a.m.

Feb. 25 at Central Florida, 4 p.m.

March 4 George Washington, 1 p.m.

March 11 Charleston Southern, 1 p.m.* March 14 at South Florida, noon March 15 vs. Tulsa (at South Florida), noon March 22 Maryland, 2 p.m.

March 24 East Carolina, 2 p.m.

March 26 Presbyterian, 1 p.m.* March 31 at Gardner-Webb, 2 p.m.* April 1 at Winthrop, 1 p.m.* April 4 at James Madison, 3 p.m.

April 6 at UNC Charlotte, TBA April 11 at Campbell, 2 p.m.* April 20-23 Big South Championship (Winston-Salem, N.C.) *Big South Conference match

Feb. 10-11 Liberty Elite Invitational, 2 p.m., 10 a.m.

Feb. 25-26 Big South Indoor Championships (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 10 a.m., noon March 3-5 ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships (Boston) TBA March 10-11 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships (College Station, Texas), TBA March 17-18 Charleston Southern Spring Break Invitational (Charleston, S.C.), 10 a.m., 9 a.m.

March 24-25 Raleigh Relays (Raleigh, N.C.) TBA March 24 Florida State Relays (Tallahassee, Fla.) TBA March 31-April 1 VertKlasse Meeting (High Point, N.C.) TBA April 7-8 Liberty Collegiate Invitational, 1 p.m., 10:30 a.m.

April 14-15 Mt. SAC Relays (Torrance, Calif.)

TBA April 15 South Carolina Meet (Columbia, S.C.) TBA April 21-22 Virginia Challenge (Charlottesville, Va.) TBA April 21-22 Duke Invitational (Durham, N.C.) TBA April 27-29 Penn Relays (Philadelphia) TBA May 3 Liberty Twilight Qualifier, 11:30 a.m.

May 10-12 Big South Championships (Charleston, S.C.) TBA May 25-27 NCAA Division I East Preliminaries (Lexington, Ky.) TBA June 7-10 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.) TBA June 22-25 USATF Junior/Senior Outdoor Championships (Sacramento, Calif.) TBA *Big South Conference meet

Feb. 6-7 Sea Best Invitational at Jacksonville (TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) Feb. 18-19 SunTrust Gator Invitational at Florida (Mark Bostick, Gainesville, Fla.) Feb. 24-26 The Hayt at North Florida (Sawgrass Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla) March 6-7 Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate at USC Aiken (Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken, S.C.) March 31-April 2 Mason Rudolph Championship at Vanderbilt (Franklin, Tenn.)

April 14-15 The Maxwell at Oklahoma (Dornick Hills, Ardmore, Okla.)

April 21-23 Big South Championship at High Point (Ninety-Six, S.C.) May 15-17 NCAA Regionals, TBA May 26-31 NCAA National Championship at Northern Illinois (Sugar Grove, Ill.)

WRESTLING Feb. 8 at Ferrum Duals, 7 p.m.

Feb. 25 Mid-Atlantic Conference meet (LaHaye Multipurpose Center), 9 a.m.

March 9-11 NCWA Grand Nationals (Allen, Texas) TBA

Dates and times are subject to change. Complete schedules can also be viewed at LIBERTY.EDU/ATHLETICS. Watch live coverage nationwide on the Liberty Flames Sports Network. View a list of TV affiliates at LIBERTY.EDU/LFSN.

Isaiah Logue

Delaney McDowell

Ike Podell

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CLASS NOTES CONNECT WITH US

’82

DAVID BARNA has served as the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Platteville, Wis., for the last 25 years. He and his wife, Vicki, have three children and seven grandchildren.

’85 Share your accomplishments, career advancements, family news, celebrations, and other life events through Liberty’s Class Notes.

VISIT LIBERTY.EDU/CLASSNOTES Submissions will be published online and may be featured in the Liberty Journal.

SCOTT GWARTNEY went on to obtain his law degree from the Florida State University College of Law after graduation.

For the past 25 years, Gwartney has specialized in representing those who may have been abused and neglected while in long-term care. He also maintains a medical malpractice caseload. He recently took the Virginia State Bar exam and plans to expand his long-term care litigation practice there. Gwartney’s two daughters now attend Liberty University.

’86

’80

JONI COOK and her husband, Ralph, started a nonprofit counseling center in 2008 called Lantern Lane Farms, just outside Nashville. The staff includes 11 professional therapists and four interns who serve up to 100 individuals and families each week by providing traditional and equine-assisted counseling services. According to their website, Lantern Lane Farms’ purpose is “to offer rest, while providing a compassionate, nonjudgmental atmosphere for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing to all in need.”

’81

KEITH EADES retired in November 2016 after a 32year career in education. He served as a teacher, high school administrator, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

56

DOUG SMITH was selected as one of two winners of the U.S. Cellular 2016 Most Valuable Coach award. Smith and Allan Trimble, of Jenks High School in Oklahoma, were selected from 1,500 nominations. A former Liberty University football player, Smith is currently the head football coach for Appomattox County High School.

He led the Raiders to back-to-back Virginia 2A West state championship in December 2015 and 2016. Smith and Trimble were presented with $5,000 each for their respective school districts during halftime at the Under Armour All-American Game, a high school senior all-star game on Jan. 1. “As a coach, even early on, I knew that coaching wasn’t just about football,” Smith said in an interview with TheMostValuableCoach.com.

“It was a lot more about ministry and helping others and helping kids to realize how what they can learn through football can help them in life.” The game was also broadcast on ESPN.

’90

DAVID PARMER has been a counselor in Texas for 26 years. Over 20 years ago, Jerry Falwell Sr. helped Parmer finish his M.A. in Counseling by awarding him a scholarship. At Liberty, David worked with YouthQuest and Light Ministries along with Thomas Road Baptist Church.

’90

JAMES PETERSEN was ordained as a Messianic rabbi in 2005 and is part of a Messianic congregation in Houston.

As an adopted child, he did not learn of his Jewish heritage until after he graduated from Liberty and was able to meet his biological family. In 2015, Petersen served as a volunteer with the reserve units in Tel Aviv and Beersheba Israel Defense Forces through Volunteers for Israel. He and his wife, Judy, have six children and nine grandchildren.

’93

AVERY SMITH earned his doctorate in business administration from George Fox University in 2014. He is now a business intelligence manager at Oregon Health and Science University and a professional faculty member in the Carson College of Business at Washington State University – Vancouver Campus.

’97

STACY HAYNES works as a Liberty professor online and Center4ME advisory board member. She is the women’s ministry director at her church. Her first book, “Powerful, Peaceful Parenting: Guiding Children, Changing Lives,” was a finalist in the 6th Annual International Book Awards’ Self Help: Relationships category and in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards’ Parenting & Family category.

Stacy has been featured in more than 40 national magazines, websites, and blogs.

CLASS NOTES

’06

MATTHEW MILLER published his book, “Overcoming Obstacles in Diabetic Cooking,” in 2013. The book includes exercise tips, Bible verses about food, and even a crossword puzzle. It was awarded a Christian Author Award through Xulon Press in January 2016.

’06

STEPHEN SCHULTZ taught in the New York City Public School System while he pursued a master’s in secondary math education at Liberty. But God began redirecting him toward a career in education administration in a Christian academic setting. After a series of interviews, Stephen accepted a position at Grace Christian Academy in Merrick, N.Y., as the new chief administrator. “The Lord really used Liberty to formulate my vision for education and ministry,” Schultz says.

’07

HADYN REID graduated with a degree in biology from Liberty then enrolled in graduate school at Alabama A&M

University. He eventually earned a doctoral degree in food science and is now an associated product development scientist at the Kellogg Company. He married his wife, Nicole, in September.

’09,’11

CORY RICE released his first book, “Jailbreak,” this past summer.

The book was published by his church, and all proceeds from the book will go toward helping Rice and his wife, Julia, adopt a child. “Our wish is to go back and adopt from the same orphanage my wife was adopted from in Ukraine,” Rice says.

’10

JEFF GREENE accepted his dream job with GE Aviation the same week he graduated from Liberty with a degree in business. Jeff is the quality leader for the military jet engine program at company headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

’10

PATRICK HUBBARD and his wife, Barbara, launched Freegrance Products this summer, a program that works with women in Southeast Asia by teaching them how to start a business as a way of combating human trafficking. The Hubbards buy the products made by these women, sell them in the United States, then reinvest 40 percent of the proceeds into Living Bread Ministries, a nonprofit organization that they helped lead for 13 years. The organization helps plant churches around the globe.

’11

MARK SMITH is the Senior Consultant for Family Evangelism and Discipleship at the North Carolina Baptist State Convention in Cary, N.C. He was previously a family pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church in Hickory, N.C. Recently, Smith published his dissertation as “Parental Guidance Suggested” and has begun offering it as a resource to a variety of ministries.

A Life of Service

After serving 11 years in the Navy, alumnus Joshua Larson (’12, Master of Business Administration) has found success as a civilian, advancing in his career while remaining in the reserves.

Larson is the director of manufacturing for Twin City Fan Companies in Brookings, S.D. He also oversees nine manufacturing plants across North America and supervises more than 1,000 people. In addition to this demanding job, Larson

is the commanding officer of his reserve unit in Kansas City.

Larson was recently recognized for his career success by CivilianJobs.com, an online recruiting site for veterans and service members looking to transition out of the military. He was named among the website’s Top 40 Under 40 Military Class of 2016.

“My original plan for life was nothing like how it is now,” Larson said. “But, I’ve always believed that I needed to work very hard with what God has given me, and God will open the door.”

His faith has guided him into many avenues of service; prior to joining Twin City Fan Companies, Larson helped to plant and manage Downtown Church in Staunton, Va. Larson said he has been called into military service since he was young — it was only a matter of which branch to join. Eventually, he settled on attending the Naval Academy. During his military

career, Larson visited every continent except for Africa and Antarctica.

Military service was key in developing Larson’s outlook on life.

“I think that serving my country has given me a much deeper appreciation for the things we enjoy and often take for granted every day,” Larson said. “I look at the news today, and I see everyone frustrated and upset, I appreciate that, I appreciate people’s right to expression a little bit more because of that.”

In addition to the work ethic that the Navy helped develop in him, Larson attributes his success to his time at Liberty.

“Getting my M.B.A. from Liberty was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my military career,” Larson said. “It showed me how to run a business and manage large-scale operations.”

Larson and his wife, Molly, who earned a criminal justice degree from Liberty, have three children.

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’12

STEVEN COMBS recently signed with the New Vine Media record label in New York as a singer-songwriter and released his first EP “This Is the Day.” He plans to graduate from Campbell University as a physician assistant in July 2017. “I’m thankful Liberty allowed me to pursue both my passion in music and my goal of becoming a health care professional via the individualized studies program,” Combs says.

three-year tour at the U.S. Air Force Preparatory Academy as an instructor, military teacher, and the commander’s executive officer. In 2014, Prichard published his first book, “Culture v.

Christ: Pursuing the Biblical Truth of Marriage and Children.” Recently, he signed with NavPress for his next book “New Dawn: Joy and Hope Amidst Suffering,” based on his study of poverty and missions in Africa. It is set to be released in 2018.

’12

CHARLIE MARQUEZ graduated with a master’s in theological studies in 2014. He works as the facilities manager for Esterline Engineered Materials in Whittier, Calif., and pastors Impact Church, which he helped to plant.

ERIN MAGUIRE received her M.A. in social work from Loyola University Chicago in 2015. She went on to earn her certification as an Advanced Practice Social Worker and is now working in a nursing home setting.

’13

PEYTON CHITTY received a pacemaker in December 2015 for an undetected congenital heart defect. Despite the setback, he was able to complete a marathon and beat his personal record by seven minutes. “Refuse to be defined by a diagnosis,” Chitty says. “Work within your limitations while comfortably pushing your boundaries.”

’14

CHARLES PRICHARD and his family moved to Colorado Springs last year to complete a

’14 ’14

JEFFREY PEARCE retired from active duty in the U.S. Army in July 2015. After earning his master’s degree in management and leadership from Liberty, he established a second career within the Army.

“The knowledge and experience that LU instilled within me strengthened my skills and grew me closer to the Lord,” he says. “I’m honored to be an alum and grateful to the faculty and staff at Liberty for helping me to become a better Champion for Christ.”

’15

SHERYL BUCHANAN was recognized as the 2016 Rhode Island Adult Educator of the Year.

Buchanan says her time at Liberty University gave her the confidence she needed to become an effective educator. She is also humbled by the honor. “Every student that enters my classroom is empowered and constantly reminded that they are each unique and wonderfully made,” she says.

’15

TREACY DOBBINS decided to enroll in Liberty’s online program after 21 years in the military and received both an undergraduate and graduate degree. Dobbins felt called to work with veterans in need and now works as an outreach coordinator for homeless veterans. “I am blessed beyond words to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Dobbins says.

’15

JENIFER BURRIS was presented with a special proclamation from the Alaska State Legislature at the State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Military Ball in October 2016. The proclamation honored her volunteer work with the Alaska National Guard, her selection as the Alaska National Guard Spouse of the Year in 2015 and 2016, and her work

Faith in the face of death

Justin Brown’s father, Ron, taught his son to be “faithful to the Lord in all you do.” Now Brown, 29, is following in his father’s footsteps as a chaplain.

Capt. Ron Brown served as a U.S. Navy Chaplain for 25 years before retiring in 1989, and Justin Brown, who graduated from the Liberty University

58

Baptist Theological Seminary (now Rawlings School of Divinity) in 2013, has served Centra Hospice in Bedford, Va., as a chaplain for the past three years.

Holding the hand of a dying patient or comforting the patient’s relatives or friends, Justin Brown feels God provide a calmness that helps him convey peace to others together with the knowledge that God is always in control.

And today, more than ever, his father’s guidance is ringing true. Justin believes that if his faith was the least bit shaky, a dying person could sense it. This drives him to depend more and more on the God who enables him to be a light to those going through some of the darkest times of their lives.

Brown’s experience has ingrained in him how fragile life without God can be and what makes a true hero.

“I have learned that heroes are the ones who have done the best they can do with the mundane,” he said.

Justin looks forward to one day hearing his heavenly father say what his earthly father said to him more than two decades ago. “I am proud of you” his father said. “You’re my son.” Being a hospice chaplain enables Brown to raise his children while serving veterans and others in need at critical times in their lives. Brown and his wife, Samone, are raising twins, Jude and Olivia.

“I know that, in this time of life, this is where God wants me,” he said.

CLASS NOTES with the Chris Kyle Patriot Hospital and Alaska State Troopers. “The proclamation mentions my graduation summa cum laude from Liberty University and my current pursuit of a master’s degree in human services counseling,” Burris says.

’15

TAMERA LAWRENCE said while working in the nutrition department at Clayton County Public School in Georgia, an opportunity opened up to allow her to work within special education. Lawrence is now an interrelated paraprofessional within the school district. “It’s a demanding job, but I love giving back,” Lawrence says. “I am looking for more of a challenge and hoping for other opportunities to grow and make a bigger difference.”

’15

ANGELO ROBINSON recently displayed his artwork at Senoia Coffee & Café in Senoia, Ga. The exhibit, called “Love Thy

Neighbor,” included mixed media pieces featuring residents of Senoia as well as new work from his mixed media series “Crayola Feelings.” “The idea was to show work that would bring the community together for a discussion on love, community, and faith,” Robinson says. “The exhibit was received excitedly, as community members saw their friends and family in a different way. Sometimes we see people every day, but we never take the time to talk to them and love them.”

’16

MCKINLEY DAY was recently promoted to executive pastor of Covenant Church, based in the New Orleans area.

’16

DERRICK CALLICUTT recently finished his master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in marriage and family.

’16

JOSEPH PROVOST married his fiancé on July 16, 2016, after graduating from Liberty University in May. Provost says they put off marriage until he was able to finish his undergraduate degree.

Joseph says they were able to spend Commencement weekend together “as we took in all the wonders of campus and the hospitality Liberty has to offer.”

’16

JASON RACHELS was selected as the Head of School for Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in August 2015.

Rachels was hired as the first employee of the school in January 2000 and has served in a variety of roles, ranging from teacher to principal.

’16

ANDREW STRADER graduated with a B.S. in Aviation Maintenance Management and started a new job with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Alumni couple making a difference for kids in the Washington, D.C., area

When Jerry and Tamara Carroll (’11, ’12) married in 1997, the couple felt God calling them into ministry. Saying “yes” was the easy part, according to Jerry Carroll. The hard part was walking away from their careers.

Tamara resigned from her job at the Pentagon as a budget analyst for the Army a year before the 9/11 attacks. In December 2002, Jerry left his job as a mail carrier with the United States Postal Service.

“Many did not understand our plans,” Jerry said. “We had no choice but to depend on God.” Two years after their wedding, the couple founded The Sparrow’s Nest Ministries LLC (TSN), a metro

Washington, D.C.-based ministry dedicated to providing a safe haven for children ages 13 to 18 in crisis or at risk of being removed from their homes. TSN has served more than 3,000 children and their families to date.

For the Carrolls, it is clear God has provided above and beyond for their ministry. They operate TSN on their own, but have assistance from a five-member board of directors, parent volunteers, their church, and Riverdale (Md.) Baptist School, where the Carrolls both teach.

The couple also mentors a group of teens through a weekly Bible study and field trips. One of those field trips included spending the weekend at Liberty for Homecoming 2016 where the group got to experience Scaremare (A Liberty ministry for over 40 years, Scaremare presents fun-house rooms and scenes of death in order to confront people with the question, “What happens after I die?”)

Both Jerry, who studied theology and Christian leadership at Liberty, and Tamara, who earned a business degree, said their time at Liberty better equipped them to make an impact on the D.C. area.

“Both Tamara and I use our biblical training and education to nurture and spiritually mentor teens as they struggle through the trials of life,” Jerry said. “Of course, our degrees have also qualified us to teach the Bible at Christian schools, so it (the education) assists in providing income for our family where support has fallen short. Though meeting the challenges of ministry requires a lot of creative time management, we do our best as the Lord makes opportunities available.”

The Carrolls are currently working on building a home where they hope to mentor teens around the clock. For more information about their ministry, go to tsnministries.org.

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The President’s Circle 2012

THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 2016 The President’s Circle $1,000,000 - and above Individuals Cloyce Keith Avey*

Organizations The Rawlings Foundation Inc.

$500,000 - $999,999 Individuals Rita Joan Long* William & Sylvia Stevens*

Individuals Barton Charitable Remainder Trust* Dr. Troy L. Day H. Glenn & Rachael Esbenshade Oswald K. Forsee* Virginia H. Johnson* John M. Kowalchik Dona P. Roberts* Rebecca Thigpen-Coulter Mr. & Mrs. Pete Vann Dorris D. Williams

$50,000 - $99,999

Individuals Melvin W. Buster* Dwight K. Kay Lynne LaGuardia Barbara W. Lastella Sally G. Moore* Earl & Bonnie Redding Luke H. & Mabel G. Wetherington* Ellwood J. Whaley

$25,000 - $49,999

Individuals Margaret McCracker Ashman* Martha H. Brooks Joanne Cavanaugh Beatrice L. Dickinson* Evelyn Dotson Willem & Kathleen Griffioen

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Organizations Permanens Capital L.P.

$10,000 - $24,999

$100,000 - $499,999

Organizations A. L. Williams Jr. Family Foundation Inc.

Norman K. A. Hoffer Hardy Kochrian Jon & Margie Lienemann Johnnie W. McDowell Nina Catherine Roe* Jimmy & Rhonda Thomas

Individuals Fred Allen* Neal & Anita Askew Tony & Kellie Bartlett Jeff & Gaye Benson Norma G. Bloebaum Worth Harris Carter Jr. Louise Chalker Daniel & Cynthia Copp Lester B. Cundiff* Watt & Jennifer Foster William S. Garvin Jr. Turner & Gayle Gill Keith Gilroy Cline & Beverly Hall Betty A. Herbel Douglas & Julletta Hershberger Mark & Michelle Hiepler Dr. Mark & Toy Hine Carroll & Nancy Hudson Brian & Melissa Hufhand Robert W. Hunsberger Susan Kohl John A. Kosha* Ashley M. Lovegrove Robert & Karen Martin Karl & Lynnette Miller John & Linda Muckel Bonnie Noll Val & Kathryn O’Day Ben & Donna Patterson John & Wanda Poche Jim Roller Marlene Senner David & Martha Smith Charles R. Stone Lorraine Taylor Gilbert & Mary Tinney Alexandra Winiarskyj

Organizations Boxley Citation Oil & Gas Corp Herr Family Foundation KMR Aviation Services Inc. Safe Surfin’ Foundation Terry Volkswagen Subaru

$5,000 - $9,999

Individuals David & Connie Allison Anonymous, Carter County Okla.* Fred N. Beason William E. Berg Frederick D. Bornman* Randy & Cynthia Brackett Tony & Polly Byrd Ralph E. & Shelvia Joan

Campbell Tim & Julie Clinton Chris & Cindy Cruz Leora E. Daniel* Bob & Sandra Day Mary C. Dibert* Olive M. Eckmann* Fred & Barbara Engstrom Dennis & Sonya Fields Erma Frock* Erica B. Frost* John & Judy George Samuel E. Gillespie Carey & Denise Green James Larry Ingram Alexander Kendrick Ira Stephen Kennedy Dr. John & Mrs. Jennie Kim Louis & Joan LaMay Martha E. McClung J. Richard (Dick) & Barbara J. Metzler Barbara L. Michalski Glen & Susan Miller Geraldine E. Moose Deanna Mox Gene & Joyce Myers Bob Pinto & Dot Richardson Randy & Carol Pollet John & Ann Porter William R. Rasmussen Daniel B. Rice

Pat E. Richards Matt & Johanna Schubert Melissa Seaman Willard & Barbara Smith Jesse & Heather Stephens Robert A. Stone* Judy Stumme Glen & Teresa Thomas Terrance J. Tigges Juston Trivett* Roy Unsin* Gerald & Genie Vaughn Kathy L. Weber Charles & Claudia Wigglesworth Organizations American Assoc. of Christian

Counselors Agape Embassy Ministries AstroTurf Corporation BB&T Dolan Group LLC Dominion Foundation Fellowship of Orlando Inc. DBA ReThink Life Church Gentle Shepherd Hospice Inc. Lynchburg Ready Mix Concrete Co. Inc. Mabry Automotive Group Mundy Communications Inc. National Philanthropic Trust Peter & John Radio Fellowship Inc. The Bolick Foundation The Boyd & Joan Kelley Charitable Foundation ZMJ LLC

$2,500 - $4,999

Individuals Mona Ables Anna Alajajian Georgiana L. Arakaki Seth Baker Tim & Kathy Baldree Steve & Tina Barrett David & Pam Bell Brandon & Ida Blankinship O. H. & Deborah Bobbitt Jeff K. Boettger Scott & Michelle Bonheim

The President’s Circle recognizes donors whose giving to Liberty University qualifies for one of the following categories. This list recognizes donors from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2016.

Andy & Linda Bowling David & Pamela Brown Mike & Allison Brown Kendall Burdette John T. Clark Barry & Pam Clarkson Kevin & Debbie Corwin Rick & Diane Crickenberger Johnny & Anne Crist Robb & Kimberly Cropp Jim & Brenda Dowd The Duggan Family Robb & Paula Egel Herschel L. Elder, III Glenn & Lois Enderud Brad & Annie Fairchild Jerry & Becki Falwell Charles E. Geyer Jr. Jonathan A. Giles William R. Grachan John & Rachelle Grimm Lee & Tonja Hall Joel & Theresa Hesch Rodney & Melissa Hizy Daniel & Hannah Hudnall Kevin & Mary Jones Marsha K. Justice Ron & Rachel Justice Linda F. Kay Wayne & Shirley Kerr Harry & Mary King Charles & Jane Knox B. A. Langley Dr. Jon & Sissie Lenzen Steve & Kathy Lloyd Virginia MacDonald* Lance & Stephanie MacKenzie Carolyn M. Martin Perry & Laurie Maze Ronald R. McDaniel Ritchie & Julie McKay Andrew Meadows Mark G. Minar O. J. & Sue Misjuns P. H. Mitchell Jr. Stephen & Tricia Mock Arthur Moore* Kelly Nangle Walter & Sharon Orr Clyde & Esther Ott Scott & Kelli Overton

Mr. Bradley Owen & Dr. Pamela Zimmerman-Owen Bill & Vida Parker Limarie Perry Craig & Cindy Petry Manfred & Ana Pino Sandra J. Pyle Jack & Judi Reid Eric & Diane Rhoton Hugo F. Roberts Jack Schewel Archie & Carlita Smith Bryan & Carole Stone Bo & Kipplyn Summers Jimmy & Mary Thomas Lewis & Mary Thomas Gene & Debbie Walker Duke & Carlene Westover Sonny & Sharon White Dr. & Mrs. Daryl Wilkins Shawn & Lori Willis Jewel E. Wilson Scott & Shelly Wolf Organizations 701 Korean Church A.G. Jefferson Opticians A.J. Blosenski Inc. Abilene Baptist Church Inc. Alpha-Omega Training and Compliance Inc. American Design LTD Awakening Events Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Inc. Beacon Credit Union Blumenschein Living Trust Chapel of Hope Religious Offering Fund Commencement Flowers Inc. Compassion International Inc. Keith & Amy WarmanComputer Resource Team Inc. Cottle Multi-Media Inc. Crestwood Baptist Church of

Crestwood, Ky. English Construction Company Inc. Environmental Options Inc. First Bank & Trust Company - Forest, Va. Hebron Baptist Church

HSC Wealth Advisors Ignite Men LLC Illinois Tool Works Foundation Ironbridge Baptist Church JOR Foods Inc. - Zaxby’s Live The Life Foundation Maddox Air & Electrical Inc. MH Masonry & Associates Inc. Mid-Way Baptist Church Inc. Moore’s Charitable Foundation Olive Baptist Church Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia Parker Dental, PC Precision Marble & Tile Prestonwood Baptist Church Purple Princess Properties Inc. Replenish Ministries Inc. SBC of Virginia Foundation Sonny Merryman Inc. Temple Baptist Church The Creek Church The Lawn Ranger – Robin & Tracy Dangerfield The News & Advance Total Packaging Services LLC Trane Company Verizon Foundation Wells Fargo Bank Zaki Gordon Memorial Charitable Gift Fund

$1,000 - $2,499

Individuals Dr. Gregg & Andrea Albers Barry & Linda Armstrong Dr. & Mrs. William R. Armstrong Donald Arneson Tom & Sherye Arnold Robert Arthur Doward F. Austin Phil & Lois Ayers Jeff & Donna Barber Martha B. Barton Ann H. Beard-Montague David & Kristal Bechtold Billy & Jane Belcher Margaret Bellew James & Louisa Berens John A. Berg

Dale & Tina Birdsall James A. Blackburn James & Sally Blume Jerome & Kathy Bogacz Bob & Brenda Bonheim Marc-Andre Bourdon Michael & Tonia Bradshaw James E. Brandt Leroy & Joan Bream Sheldon & Shannon Bream Paul & Smita Breton Judith I. Brown Fleet & Dorothy Browning Thad & Elizabeth Brundrett Dr. Kendrick & Lelanda Brunson Paul & Laurel Brusseau David Lee Bryant Janice E. Buckley Cley & Renae Bullock Joel P. Bunyard Brad & Heather Burgess Nancy Burnet Jean B. Burns Cary J. Byron Alicia C. Carbaugh Raphael de Chiara Cardoso John & Phyllis Carstens Mary Ann Carter George Caylor Christine G. Chambers Edie Clarke Daniel & Cynthia Corrigan Tim & Autumn Cox C. Lloyd Cox Kenneth & Martha Cox Scout Marie Craig Kyle Crane Gordon R. Crawford John F. Cross Larry Cumberland William & Ruth Darr Charlie & Roydene Davidson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. DiPaola Nancy D. Dodd Brandon & Megan Duke Abigail Dyson Gary & Barbara Eastman Andrew D. Edilson Walter Elbrecht William K. Emmanuel Richard Eng

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Catherine C. Esposito Robert Estes Linda Farver Rose C. Faucette Lois E. Fergerson Carla Ferguson Kenneth E. Ferry Christopher E. Fogal Gregory A. Fontaine Jackie & Mary Helen Forrest Everett & Dianne Foutz Larry & Judy Fredricks Monty G. Fritts Gil & Karen Gaillard Michele Gall Kenneth D. Garner Robert W. Garthwait Sr. Stephen K. Garvin Max Gasser Frank Giammona Karen B. Gilbert Glenna D. Gilliland David P. Gilmore Odis G. Glover Marcus W. Goldman Bob & Tracey Good Dan Gordon Tanya Graybeal David S. Graziotti Donald & Roxey Group Lisa Gurule Mike & Phyllis Hall Rosamond Carson Hall* Richard & Betty Halstead Bob Handwerker Kirk & Jannie Handy Barbara A. Hanshew Michelle Hardin Kathy Haro John A. Harris Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Harris Robert Hayes Sara E. Heist Shelby Heist Jeff & Allison Helgeson David A. Helt Alan Hill Tom & Rhonda Hill Dr. & Mrs. Ed Hindson James S. Hisey Giles C. Hoback, III George & Barbara Hoffman Charles & Shelvie Holmes Dr. Michael G. Hueber Melanie Ives Leslie J. Jackson Leslie L. Jacoby Jr.

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Frances Jirouch Brian Johnson Carolyn M. Jones Barry Kane James R. Kennedy Ron & Jennifer Kennedy Don & Kymm Kerekes Charles W. Kilpatrick* Gerry & Cathy Kimble Michael L. King Dr. David & Deborah Klink William A. Kolb Ladmir J. Kubichek Jr. Jason Lai Mr. & Mrs. Earl R. Lewis Sonya Lipscomb James & Deborah Livingston Devon G. Logwood John & Annyce Maddox Kim Magnano David & Linda Martin Michael J. Martin Herbert E. Maxey Jr. Kenneth D. McAuley Scott & Christy McCall Michael A. McCleery Steve McDonald David McKenney Tracy Metten Jeanette C. Miller Kyle T. Miller Teresa K. Miller Thomas & Janet Miller Dayton Moore Ivan A. Moore Orrie Mork Paul A. Morrell Julie Morris Ray L. Morrison Wayne & Deb Mullin Paula B. Mullins Dianne S. Nazif Mark Christian Nazigian Dayton Neeley Arthur Nicholson* Keith Nielsen Dorothy Y. Norman John & June Orchanian Linwood & Trudy Parker Robert & Pamela Passburg Deborah A. Patton Melany A. Pearl Nancy Oglesby Peters Zachary Peterson Bruce A. Phillips, II Scott & Cindy Phillips Shane & Haley Pinder

Edward Poplawski Bandi V. Prabhaker Andrew & Miriam Prantner John & Janna Pyle Kathryn Quinconi Mark Raisor Bessie C. Rankin Charles & Sharon Raquet Edward & Karin Renner Susan C. Repstad Mary Reyes Gloria Roakes Dale & Karen Roede Joe & Debby Rolewicz Dr. William & Amy Roller Hiram M. Royer Charline Russell Donald R. Sadler Zoe Sargent Alexander I. Saunders Steve & Alice Schlafman Robert & Pamela Schmidt Ben Selvan Peter B. Shantz Bubba & Clarice Sherrill Kiley K. Shionis Al & Beth Sites Brad & Jennifer Smith David & Kim Smith John A. Snider Paul & Sara Spinden William & Laura Stanton Arthur & Claudia Sterrett Roger H. Stiles Alan C. & Lois R. Stoneman* Tim & Martha Stoudnour Bob & Sara Straub John W. Strother Barbara G. Stunz Martha A. Sudholt Wayne & Susie Surface Douglas Taylor Troy & Karla Temple Judith H. Terrana Jerry R. Terry John & Anne Thompson Elizabeth J. Thoreson Mr. & Mrs. John Ticer Mike & Ellie Tilley Diana L. Todd Brant & Nancy Tolsma John Tucker MaryAnn Tulloch Fred & Claudia Uelses Dr. Richard D. Urwiller William & Virginia Van Hee Jan Vaughan

Robert & Lisa Vogel Dennis & Cyndi Wagner Darrell Wargo Rick Warrender Michael & Tammy Weigner Joanne Wible Beverly Wiley Anthony & Beth Williams Jim & Kathy Williams Brian & Christina Wilson George Warren Wilson Wyatt & Gwen Wilson Wendell O. Wilson Mark & Colene Winyard Christy Witcher Faye P. Witt Paul E. Wolpert Mary Lou Wonsitler Tyree S. Wooldridge Judy A. Wright Rupert Wright Ralph W. Young Organizations Airport Lodging Inc. - TA Comfort Inn & Suites

Lynchburg Allegeny Plywood Co Inc. Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church Auto-Owners Insurance Company AXA Foundation Baker Heights Baptist Church Battlefield Baptist Church Bellevue Baptist Church Best Choice Homes Inc. Blue Ridge Community Church Brown Church Development Group BWX Technologies Inc. Calvary Baptist Church Calvary Road Baptist Church Calvary Technical Management Carmel Baptist Church of Charlotte, N.C. Centra Health Professional Services Central Baptist Church Charity Baptist Ministries Inc. Christ Chapel-Mountaintop Christ Community Church Church of the Redeemer Community Baptist Church, Edwardsburg Community Bible Church Cool Spring Baptist Church Decorative Expressions Inc. Disciple Now Conyers Inc. Donald’s Electric & Refrigeration

Service Inc. Ebenezer Baptist Church

FARRR Foundation DBA The Lighthouse Fellowship of Christian Athletes- Kansas City First Bank & Trust Company - Abingdon, Va. First Baptist Church - Madison, Miss.

First Baptist Church - Okeechobee, Fla. First Baptist Church - Spartanburg, S.C. First Baptist Church of Brandon First Baptist Church of Indian Trail First Baptist Church of Norfolk Franklin Heights Baptist Church Fusion Camp Garber Lowe Fence Co. Inc. Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia Gilead Baptist Church of Taylor Inc. Global Promotions LLC Grace Harvest Baptist Church GraceLife Baptist Church Greenwood Treatment Specialist Harvest Bible Chapel Lancaster Hickory Grove Baptist Church Highmark Matching Funds Hill City Pharmacy Hunter Street Baptist Church Hutchco LLC

John & Linda Muckel

Foundation Journey Church International K & J Enterprises Inc. - McDonalds Kings Way Baptist Church of Charlotte Lakeview Baptist Church London Bridge Baptist Church Lorry’s Island End Motel LLC Madison Avenue Baptist Church McMaster - Carr Supply Company Matching Gifts Program Millbrook Baptist Church Motiva Enterprises LLC NCC PS Enterprises LLC dba The National Nelly’s House Inc. New Song Ministries Inc. Northside Baptist Novo Nordisk Matching Gift Program Oak View Baptist Church Oakland Baptist Church Osborne Baptist Church Overton Family Foundation Pediatric Associates of Lewiston Pinecrest Shell Inc. Print-Rite Technologies Priority One Properties Purcellville Baptist Church Pure Freedom Inc.

R. Coffee, Ltd Ray Smith Rentals & Farms Rejoice Ministries Inc. Ridgecrest Baptist Church RoadTek Traffic Solutions LLC Robbins Family Limited Partnership Rock Bridge Family Services RockFish Church Roger Roller Evangelistic Association Inc. Runk & Pratt Healthcare Enterprise Sedalia Baptist Church Shades Mountain Baptist Church Shenandoah Baptist Church Inc. Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy Sodexo Inc. & Affiliates Staples Mill Road Baptist Church State Farm Companies Foundation Ted Counts Realty & Auction Company Inc. The Chatlos Foundation Inc. The Church of God in Virginia Inc. The Scriptive Stethoscope LLC The Trinity Baptist Church of Jacksonville Inc.

The Woodstock Church at Panama City Beach Inc. Thomas Road Baptist Church Timberlake Christian Schools Tonys Ground Control

Landscaping Tunecore Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Uplands Reach Conference Center Inc. Upward Program Watts Petroleum Corporation Wellington Builders Inc. Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program West End Baptist Church Young Pearl Education Foundation YourCause LLC * Estate Gift If we have omitted, misspelled, or misplaced your name, please accept our apologies and notify our office by calling toll-free (866) 602-7983.

For more information on planned giving to Liberty University, visit LIBERTY.EDU/GIVING or call (800) 543-5309.

LE AH SE AVERS

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WATCH FRESHMAN

WILLIAM BYRON DRIVE THE LIBERTY CAR IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES!

© 2017 JR Motorsports, LLC

2017 RACES WITH LIBERTY UNIVERSITY AS THE PRIMARY SPONSOR Check the full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule at WilliamByron.com

2/25 Powershares QQQ 300, Daytona International Speedway (FX1) 3/4 Rinnai 250, Atlanta Motor Speedway (FX1) 3/11 Boyd Gaming 300, Las Vegas Motor Speedway (FX1) 4/22 Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, Bristol Motor Speedway (FX1) 5/6 Sparks Energy 300, Talladega Superspeedway (FOX) 6/10 Pocono 250, Pocono Raceway (FX1) 6/17 Michigan 250, Michigan International Speedway (FX1) 7/22 Indianapolis 250, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (NBCSN) 7/29 U.S. Cellular 250, Iowa Speedway (NBCSN)

8/27 Road America 180 Fired Up By Johnsonville, Road America (Wisc.) (NBC) 9/8 Virginia529 College Savings 250, Richmond International Raceway (NBCSN) 9/16 Chicagoland 300, Chicagoland Speedway (NBCSN) 9/23 VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300, Kentucky Speedway (NBCSN) 10/6 Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina Drive for the Cure 300, Charlotte Motor Speedway (NBCSN) 11/4 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, Texas Motor Speedway (NBCSN) 11/11 Ticket Galaxy 200, Phoenix International Raceway (NBC) 11/18 Ford Ecoboost 300, Homestead-Miami Speedway (NBCSN)