IF THE SHOE FITS

A Creative Outlet For A Good Cause

Over 37,000 Ethiopian children received their first pair ofshoes in the month of December through the TOMS Shoes organization The Studio, an art group on campus, took part in supporting this organization by hosting a shoe painting event in the courtyard Senior Sarah Shoaf, the event coordinator of The Studio,appreciated those who came out tothe event despite the chilly November weather conditions "Iwas truly surprised by the turnout andsoencouraged that students were so generous inhelping the TOMS organization and hadsuch good attitudes about standing outside in the cold painting shoes," Shoaf said

For every pair ofshoes TOMS sells,they give a pair away toa child whoneeds one Senior Am y Hunt's passion made the event possible.

"They're walking intrash,on broken glass Some people have created makeshift 'sandals'out of plastic bottles Their feet are hard andswollen from walking in the bare elements since they were born. Many diseases can becontracted from this,so it's important that they have protection for their feet," she said

At the event the 62 people who purchased shoes hadthe opportunity tocome outand style their shoes themselves orwith the help of The Studio members President ofThe Studio, senior Traci Tenesair, said, "A lot ofpeople in the community pulled together and helped."

Tenesair said AC Moore donated a box of paints, different bands came out, another organization sold T-shirts for AIDS relief and Sodexho provided hot dogs, cookies, hot chocolate andcoffee for whoever stopped by

Like most college students, time and money were in short supply for Hunt She said, "I don't have a lot oftime ormoney todonate, so I do the most I can. I buya pair of shoes so that someone else can have a pair That pair of shoes I just bought — it just changed someone's whole life."

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BUY A PAIR OF TOMS?

"I want a little girl tohave a sparklypair ofshoes like me." Heather Patterson SR

"I bought TOMS shoes because they are so unique intheirlook, comfort and cause I loved theshoes,but when I found outthatthey givea pairto someone inneed.I was eager tocontribute You justdon'tsee many businesses do stufflike that"Dan Mills, JR

"When I saw thattherewas going to be a TOMS event on campus I wasreally excited because not only aretheyreally fabulbus shoes,but forevery pairyou buy, a pairis donated toachild who does not have shoes And I wholeheartedly believe inboth ofthose things - great shoesand greatgiving." EricaMesman, SR

"I thought it was agreat outletto showing mycreativesideand being able tocontribute totheircause.Knowing that the pairofshoes I bought was not just another pairI would leavesitting in my closet, but I know thatsince my purchase another person was able toown possibly theirfirst pairofshoes" Kelly Reece, SO

"Common Ground is agreatuplifting servicewhen you need it most in the week I always enjoy themessages and theworship" - PhilBrotzman JR

"I like ESPN com because I getall my sports "I'll catch up on mysleep when I die Until info for basketball, football and college then I'll study" - Andrew Bnttain SO football I canalsogetall theup-to-datenews, scoresand stats there"- Aaron Beasley JR

They heard the callofUncle Sam and chose tocombine military servicewith a college education "Ilived halfofmy lifeseeing how the Army changed my dad intothe great man thathe is today,and Iwanted to do the same,"Cadet Henry Davis, freshman, said.

Reestablished in2001, theArmy Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), apartnership school ofthe University of Virginia, grew from fivestudents to 116 "Libertyattracts service-oriented kids,"Director Major Robert Foy said

Before and afterclasseach week,while their classmates were either sleeping orbreathing sighs ofrelief that classeswere over, ROTC cadetstrained

Cadet Melissa Thomsen,senior, said, "This program ispreparation fora career as an Army officer, which is essentially a career as aleader."

Leadership and Thomsen went hand inhand.She received the SGT York Award,given tothe cadet who did the most to

"Betweenmy support the ROTC program "Ireallyenjoy leadership,"she said "I'm glad I've gone thisroute I have a securejob Iknow where I'm going and how much I am going tobe making."

After graduating, each cadet would begin fouryears ofservice asa Second Lieutenant Untilthen, they were molded into strong, capable leaders Field training, labdays, physical fitnesstraining and classroom instruction added a minimum ofeight hours toeach cadet'sweek

"We go to Camp Hide-A-Way where we practice land navigation,map reading, riflemarksmanship and karate forms,"Cadet Michael Clanton, sophomore, said ROTC responsibilities on top ofschoolwork could be rough, but each cadet considered it worthwhile "You can become overwhelmed, but Scripture says thatGod willnever giveyou something thatyou can't handle,"Clanton said "Keeping thatrelationship [with God] strong is the only thing that helps tobalance everything out."STOFft

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Seen from University Boulevard, miniature flagsalong with the decorated spiritrock act asa visual signof remembrance on Veterans Day Dr Jerry Falwell Sr lefta long legacy ofpride in God and country that today isevidenced by themany opportunities for students to getinvolved Whether it be through volunteer effortsthroughout the year or the more long term commitment of ROTC students are able togam valuable leadership experience while servingour country Joaull Bazil, senior, said, "Ienjoy the hands on activities, from finding navigational points inthe woods, to squad attacks ona pinpointlocation."

Club Profile: Students Behind OurSoldiers

"Istarted thegroup inOctober of last year Basically our mission is to provide thesupport and awareness to ourtroops W e meet once a month and our primary duties include gathering donations to send care packages overseas and to hold several functions where we can show oursupport W e tryto do a variety ofdifferent activities There are around forty to fifty people in the

Dr Tim Lee, aVietnam veteran who lost both legs ina landmine explosion, addresses thestudent body during a convocation service Lee's message was part ofMilitary Appreciation Week which encourages students to be thankful for the service ofour soldiers Amanda Ashmead, junior, said, "Iam glad to see that ourschool takesthe time torecognize ourmilitary. Liberty dbes a great job offering an ROTC program giving men and women an opportunity toserve ourcountryand still getagreat Christian influenced education,"

Rotc Students Respond

"Personally I believe itisoneof the greatest opportunities ayoung male or female cando during theircollege experience It helps develop something that isstarting tolack inour culture and that isleadership It alsoinstills discipline orintheleastshows that we need discipline W e do have towear our uniform on Thursday forour lab time Those days I appreciate every moment because I'mnotonly taking a classortraining tobecome anofficer I am representing theU.S Army and allthose who have gone before me have done things from repellingout of helicopters tohaving torunsevers miles in20degree weather at5:30 inthemorning" BenWalls SR

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"Ithink seeing members of the ROTC program walking around gives credibility toLiberty's campus that it supports a Pro-American outlook I also feelsafer inthe threat ofapotential terroristattack,"Joel Ready,SR

Tubing down the James River,two students relax inthe sun Student Activities planned numerous eventsfor the student body every month Junior Courtney Addington,who worked on staff, said "Night on the town,$20 Night with Student Activities, priceless."

"I think Ultimate LU is a great addition, for not only the campus,but to the students who are a part of it It gives studentslike me something different to do,with the many options itopened up It offers many things fordifferent people whether it is more dirttrailsfor biking,slopes forthose who liketo snowbbard or even those who liketojust hang out with theirfriendsin the Tilley It has been creating a better college environment and it has Matt Cameron's approval."-Matt Cameron, JR

A student appreciatesthe scenic routeof the horse trail while ridingatthe Master's Inn Senior Nicole Pawlowskis said, "I enjoyed the wide variety ofeventsthat Student Activitiesoffered this year I have been riding horsesforyears so the opportunity to rideforfreewas great." Pi.

PH0T05BYJOELCOLEMAN

"Ibelieve that they're really putting a lot of money into things that,while good for the student body on a superficial level, detract from the experience as a whole,simply because we're missing key amenities such as parking and housing."

-Logan Powell,SR

"I'm excited a new era has begun My firsttime voting and it counted!" - Alyssa Pegues, FR

"[At Common Ground] it's easy to be who you really are because you can say whatever you feel. You can be honest with yourself."- Anand Vissa, SO

"My favorite place to eatin Lynchburg is Chick-fil-A.The food's great and the service isalways unbelievable." -

Chad Laughlin,SR

"IfI could invitesomeone to sbeak at convo it would be George W, Bush because I feel likehe has stood firm as a leader for our country," -Shelley Rotruck,Staff