Jerry Falwell Jr. Cracks Down on Gun Control

PRINT

Jerry Falwell Jr. Cracks Down on Gun Control

by Seth Dotson

In response to an ISIL-inspired terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, that took the lives of 14, President Barack Obama made a call for tighter regulations on civilian firearm access, a statement regarded as counterintuitive by many including Liberty University’s president Jerry Falwell Jr.

“It just blows my mind when I see the president of the United States say that the answer to circumstances like that is more gun control,” Falwell said in an address to Liberty’s student body at their tri-weekly Convocation. Falwell continued, “I’ve always thought that if more good people had conceal-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walk in and kill us.”

His controversial remarks were received with hearty applause, giving an impression of unanimous agreement by the student body. Later in the afternoon, a mass email was sent to the university’s students offering a free conceal-carry course for students age 21 and up. By Wednesday, 240 had signed up for the course adding to the 950 having already obtained their conceal-carry permits.

While the applause may have indicated universal acceptance amongst the students, opinions were diverse, ranging from wholehearted agreement, to reluctance, to indifference, to antipathy. “Jerry can say whatever he wants,” said senior Catherine Trevithick, desiring to distance herself from Falwell’s choice of phrasing.

Public reception to Falwell’s remarks was less enthusiastic, if not equally vigorous.

Many reporters and politicians attacked Falwell, including Hillary Clinton, who called his remarks “deplorable” and “giving aid and comfort to ISIS,” to which Falwell responded “what’s deplorable is Hillary is a liar.”

The following week, Falwell addressed Liberty students again, this time stating that he was working with administration to lift the current ban on firearms in the school’s residence halls. Until now, firearms have only been allowed to be kept in parked vehicles, but as a result of ongoing construction, vehicles have been forced to park further away from the dorms, making it difficult and time-consuming for students to retrieve their firearms for conceal-carry.

Falwell, emphasized his belief that students who carry concealed firearms can better protect themselves as well as other students in the event of an attack, an opinion shared by the majority of the student body. Liberty’s initiative to arm its students can be traced back to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre. The school was permitted to implement a firearms course by 2010, three years after the attack.

Liberty University is unique amongst American colleges in not only permitting but encouraging its students to purchase and carry firearms. California, where the San Bernardino shooting took place, has some of the tightest gun-control laws in the nation. France, where an ISIL-related attack took place in November, has prohibitive gun laws, effectively preventing civilians from defending themselves. On the other hand, in Switzerland, civilians are encouraged to own firearms and receive mandatory gun training. Switzerland has one of the lowest murder rates in the world.

Liberty’s mandatory Convocation service, occurring nearly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the semester, makes Liberty an attractive target for shooters seeking a high body count. This makes it a safety liability, and an ever-important reason to arm its student body in case of an emergency.

Word Count: 528

 

WEB

Jerry Falwell Jr. Cracks Down on Gun Control

by Seth Dotson

“I’ve always thought that if more good people had conceal-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walk in and kill us,” said Jerry Falwell Jr. on Friday in response to President Obama’s call to gun restrictions after the San Bernardino Jihadist attack.

Falwell later clarified that he was referring only to Islamic terrorists when saying “those Muslims.”

His controversial remarks were received with hearty applause, giving an impression of unanimous agreement by the student body. Later in the afternoon, a mass email was sent to the university’s students offering a free conceal-carry course for students age 21 and up. By Wednesday, 240 had signed up for the course adding to the 950 having already obtained their conceal-carry permits.

While the applause may have indicated universal acceptance amongst the students, opinions were diverse, ranging from wholehearted agreement, to reluctance, to indifference, to antipathy. One student even wrote an article entitled “Why I Didn’t Cheer for Jerry Falwell Jr.”

Public reception to Falwell’s remarks was less enthusiastic, if not equally vigorous, with Hillary Clinton calling the statement “deplorable.”

Falwell later stated on Wednesday that he wanted to remove the current policy prohibiting firearms on the residence halls. The University has made many recent contributions to the safety of its students. These include:

• Conceal-carry allowance for students age 21 and up
• A conceal-carry training course implemented in 2010
• An armed police department including casually-dressed undercover officers
• An in-the-works policy allowing firearm storage in dorms
• An armed university president

Word Count: 248

 
BROADCAST

Jerry Falwell Jr. made comments at Convocation urging students to carry firearms to protect themselves and fellow students should a terrorist attack ever occur on Liberty’s campus//

Many people disliked his comments/which called the San Bernardino terrorists “those Muslims”//

Others felt concern about safety issues of Falwell’s statement bringing so much attention to the university//Liberty’s Convocation is the nation’s largest single gathering of young adults//

To continue keeping Liberty a safe place, Falwell has implemented a firearms training course and is issuing conceal-carry permits to residential students over age 21//

Word Count: 90

 

Sources:

I discussed the issue of guns on campus with two fellow students: Catherine Trevithick and Jonathan Ryckman.

News video sources include Hillary Clinton’s interview with MSNBC and Jerry Falwell’s interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity discussing the remarks.

I was personally present for all Convocation speeches but I also watched replays to ensure I didn’t misquote Falwell.

 

Web References:

Brooke, K. (2015, December 9). Jerry Falwell Jr: Resident Halls Could Soon No Longer Be Gun Free Zones. Retrieved December 11, 2015.

Bailey, S. (2015, December 5). Jerry Falwell Jr.: If More Good People Had Concealed-carry Permits, Then We Could End Those Islamist Terrorists. Retrieved December 11, 2015.

Chuck, E. (2015, December 9). Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University to Allow Guns in Dorms. Retrieved December 11, 2015.

Jerry Fallwell Jr. appers on The Sean Hannity Show to Clear Up His Muslim Remark

Final Jour220 Project

By: Pabelly Bueno

---

 

Liberty University’s Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., spoke to thousands of students Dec. 5 during Convocation enforcing his thoughts on carrying your own concealed gun for safety.

 

Convocation is a place where Liberty students join together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for worship, prayer and hear from the assigned speaker for that day. Convocation is also featured online for viewers around the world to join for the message as well.

At the end of convocation, Jerry Falwell gave his condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the San Bernardino shooting in California that was caused by radicalized Islamists. As his speech went on, Falwell spoke to the students to take advantage of our free gun permit class that is offered on campus for faculty and residential students who are 21-years-old and up. Falwell’s point of view was meant for safety in one’s surrounding but it was misinterpreted to his earlier comments about Muslim terrorists.

“If more good people had concealed carry permits then we can end those Muslims before they walk in and kill us,” Jerry Falwell said as he ended his speech before students were dismissed.

Falwell’s context was shown in the media in within the day of it being said to the students. Several TV News stations such as Fox News and ABC had headlines surfacing through the week. Democratic Presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, aired on TV in an interview about ISIS and directed comments towards Jerry Falwell’s remarks on his judgment of Muslims.

“Not only a hateful response to a legitimate security issue but it is giving aid and comfort to Isis and other radical Jihadists,” Hilary Clinton said referring these comments towards Jerry Falwell.

The media and including Hilary Clinton ignored him speaking about the San Bernardino shooting and only focused on his words about Muslims, which were not indented. Falwell was opening eyes on safety and to be alert within your surroundings, but his words were not puzzled the right way.

Jerry Falwell was contacted and appeared in an interview on Fox News for The Sean Hannity Show to defend his call on carrying a concealed gun on college campuses and to clarify his explanation behind it.

“Hilary is a liar! That’s not what I said, I went on to say those Muslims, before they could come in and kill us referring specifically to the community center incident in California,” Jerry Falwell said.

During the interview, Falwell clarifies that the reason why he made the Muslim comment and why he is for students carrying a concealed gun.

“I feel as if the media took Jerry’s comments out of context, though I do agree, his word usage could have been more specific,” Jordan Elliott, student at Liberty said.

The student body was astonishingly supportive in what Jerry Falwell had to share and stood by his word.

“The media tends to turn a small problem into something worse without giving the full truth, I was moved on Jerry’s speech and hope others understand his intentions,” Samantha Bastone, student at Liberty said.

Jerry Falwell ended the last convocation for the fall semester Wednesday morning giving thanks to the faculty and student body on being understanding and defending his words.

Print News word count: 533

Web News Story:

Jerry Falwell Jr. makes a remark to the students of Liberty University on the Muslim attack that occurred in California, but his intentions behind it were never meant for all Muslims.

The campus of Liberty University meets three times a week for Convocation to hear from an assigned speaker three times a week. On Dec. 5 Jerry Falwell Jr. began to talk about the tragic that had occurred in California with the radicalized Muslims who killed 14 innocent victims. During his speech Jerry urged students on taking advantage to our free gun permit class that is available for faculty and students 21-years-old and up.

His words were misinterpreted when this certain issue was brought the media worldwide and only quoted Falwell on his Muslim comment. Falwell then appeared in an interview with Sean Hannity to clear up his use of words and why he feels it is important for students to carry a concealed gun on them.

“The incident he was talking about was in San Bernardino and it lead to Jerry enforcing safety and our free course, he never meant it to direct towards Islamists,” Jordan Elliott, student at Liberty said.

Not only was this heard during Convocation but made headlines in these TV news channels and more:

• The Atlantic
• CNN
• Fox News
• The Washington Post

Though this was changed to a judgement comment, the students at Liberty University were very supportive on Jerry’s outlook on the safety on our campus and within our surroundings. Students who are old enough to get their gun permit should take the advantage of the course.

Hilary Clinton sent her thoughts on Jerry Falwell’s remark on urging the students to carry their own gun but it was never meant for the Muslims directly, simply for the fact of the shooting that occurred in California.

Falwell thanked the students on the last day of  Convocation for the fall semester for being so supportive with the way they were handling the issue and seeing his intentions behind it.

Web News word Count: 333

 

Broadcast News Story

At Liberty University/ the faculty and students meet here every Monday/ Wednesday and Friday for Convocation// On December 5th/ Jerry Falwell Jr./ President of Liberty/ spoke to the students about the San Bernardino shooting that occurred in California by radicalized Muslims/ and also expressed his defense on students getting their gun permit///(Ashley): I believe that Jerry’s comment was towards the California shooting and not towards all Muslims/// Jerry then followed up on the last day of Convocation to thank the students for being supportive on this political issue///

---

 

*Photo of Jerry Falwell was taken during convocation and found on Liberty University’s Website. Broadcast video was recorded and edited by Pabelly Bueno.*

Liberty University’s Freshmen Break Records, Raise Standards

by Rachel Casdorph

Print

For the 2015 freshman class of Liberty University, a congratulations is deserved: the class of 4,000 not only brought the university to a record high of residential students, but also in terms of academic achievements.

With the addition of the freshman class, the university’s residential student population reached over 14,000—and that number is expected to climb even higher in upcoming years.

Along with the increase in enrollment, even more impressive numbers were the scores for the freshmen’s entrance exams, GPA levels, and Honors Program involvement.

Freshman James Adams, an international student from Costa Rica, was pleased to hear the news that his class set such high academic standards for the school.

“I’m really not that surprised though. Most of the freshmen I know work really hard to keep up good grades—myself included,” Adams said.

According to the Liberty University’s News & Events article, by just the addition of the freshmen’s academic scores, the school’s average for SAT rose 18 points, the ACT up 0.3 points, and GPA up by 0.7 points. This brought the mid-range scores for future admissions up to 950-1170 for SAT, 20-26 for ACT, and high school GPA mid-range to 3.17-3.85.

Additionally, more students are becoming enrolled in the Honors Program, and the number of National Merit students on campus rose by 41 percent.

Also quite impressive, many freshmen reached eligibility requirements for the highly prestigious Eagle Scholars Program, which offers students many opportunities for some of the most highly competitive internships.

“It’s a program that is highly focused on getting you out of your comfort zone and getting you involved,” freshman and Eagle Scholar Noah Osbourne said.

But being involved in scholarly programs such as Honors or Eagle Scholars comes with a price. Freshman Nathan Gafford, an Honors student with a 4.0 GPA, emphasized how maintaining a high GPA means practicing excellent time management and self-control.

Both Osbourne and Gafford agreed that they often find it necessary to give up time with friends in order to have adequate time for their studies. However, the fellow freshmen both agreed the sacrifices they make now pay off in the end.

“An extra amount of academic rigor right now will help me later on in my life. When I’m graduated and working my future job, and things get tough and there’s a large workload, I’ll already have experience dealing with difficult situations,” Gafford said.

With the addition of such diligent new students, standards are high for prospective hopefuls. According to US News in ranking college statistics, Liberty’s current acceptance rate is only 20.2 percent, and listed as being quite “selective” in their admissions.

Due to an increasing number of students vying for an acceptance, standards are being raised for those planning to apply, and competition for a spot at the world’s largest Christian university will likely continue to grow.

However, considering the large number of new students on campus, Liberty is working hard to prevent overcrowding. Many plans are underway for multiple new buildings, totaling $500 million in construction, according to the Liberty University News & Events.

Boasting some of the most top-of-the-line facilities, a campus of over 7,000 sprawling acres, over 522 programs of study, incredibly knowledgeable and experienced staff, and not to mention some of the most famous speakers for Convocation, it’s no wonder why Liberty is so attractive to prospective students.

“I take pride in being a student here at Liberty, and so I want to do the best I can. And I’m glad to be a part of this freshman class,” Adams said.

As for the current 2015-2016 school year, with the help of the freshman class, Liberty’s school motto “Knowledge Aflame” has never seemed so aptly titled.

Word Count: 616

Web

As if being the world’s largest Christian university isn’t already enough of an achievement, Liberty University’s 2015 freshman class just helped to make the school even more impressive.

 With the addition of the freshman class of 4,000, Liberty’s residential student enrollment reached over 14,000, the highest residential population for the school as of yet.

Additionally, the class succeeded in raising standards for future hopefuls looking to apply.

When asked how he felt to hear that his freshman class had made history at Liberty, James Adams, an international student from Costa Rica, was very pleased, although not surprised.

“I’m really not that surprised though. Most of the freshmen I know work really hard to keep up good grades—myself included,” Adams said.

According to Liberty University’s News & Events article, the freshman class’s SAT/ACT scores, high school GPA’s, and involvement in Honors, Eagle Scholars, and National Merit programs were some of the most impressive the school has seen.

Now with the accommodation of the freshmen’s scores, Liberty’s mid-range levels for SAT, ACT, and GPA have risen for admissions:

• SAT scores rose 18 points, bringing the mid-range to 950-1170
• ACT scores rose by 0.3 points, bringing the mid-range to 20-26
• GPA rose by 0.7 points, bringing the mid-range to 3.17-3.85

 

Additionally, involvement in such prestigious programs as the Honors Program or Eagle Scholars have increased greatly. Liberty also saw a 41 percent increase in National Merit students.

With more top-tier marks from incoming students, Liberty is raising the admissions standards for future students looking to apply.

And with the acceptance rate already at only 20.2 percent, Liberty’s freshman class raised the bar even further, while competition for an acceptance to Liberty continues to grow.

“I take pride in being a student here at Liberty, and so I want to do the best I can. And I’m glad to be a part of this freshman class,” Adams said.

With the quickly increasing student population, Liberty has had to make some adjustments. According to the News & Events page, a $500 million construction plan is already underway.

The upgrading and expanding is necessary in order to accommodate for the new students–and plenty more expected to arrive in future years.

Word Count: 366

Script

 Though it’s only their first semester on campus/ Liberty University’s 2015 freshmen are already making a name for themselves// The class not only brought Liberty’s residential enrollment to 14,000 students/ but also set records with their impressive entrance exam scores/G-P-A numbers/ and increased involvement in Honors and other collegiate programs// With Liberty’s acceptance rate already at only 20 percent/and competition for a spot at the school continuing to grow/the freshmen class has succeeded in raising standards for future students looking to apply///

Word Count: 82

 

Johnny Get Your Gun

Johnny, Get Your Gun
By Lexie Patterson

When the majority of Liberty students at convocation cheer on Jerry Falwell Jr’s proactive stance on concealed carry and the possession of guns within residence halls, the question arises: Is the majority taking the most intelligent course?

Liberty University has been hopping in the last week after Jerry Falwell Jr. explained in Convocation that his students should all apply for a concealed carry permit. His comments have been reiterated on CNN, Fox News, Washington Post, Facebook and The New York Times. While many, including Fox News, have backed him, others have expressed concern.

“I think it is risky to allow students to have their concealed carry inside the dorms,” Rachel Liverman, a student at Liberty, said.

Huffington Post called Falwell’s comments a “hate speech” and listed seven consequences of students having access to guns, including that it would encourage violence towards ex-partners, suicide and accidents where alcohol is involved.

With all this publicity, it begs the question: Is it risky or is it proactive for students to conceal carry?

According to the NRA’s description of the right-to-carry, “Self-defense is a fundamental right, and the right to use firearms for self-defense is recognized by the Constitution of the United States, the constitutions of 44 states, the laws of all states, and the common law.”

The majority of students think the risk is worth the reward. A poll of 156 Liberty students revealed that 90 percent of students believe that concealed carry is proactive whereas only 3 percent thought it was risky. A small majority of students thought that it was both risky and proactive and that only upper classman, professors and faculty should be in possession of a firearm.

“I believe that students having a concealed carry permit is going to make our campus safer in the occurrence of a terrorist attack as opposed to not having any protection,” Chris Crowder, a junior at Liberty, said.

When asked about consequences, however, students voiced some concern.

“Even going through detailed training, it is clearly a big concern. There is no training or assessing that can completely identify someone’s emotional stability. And there is always a problem person who doesn’t have a permit that can have access to someone else’s gun,” Beca Bruder, 22, said.

Chloe Thomas, a first semester Freshman at Liberty, agreed.

“I think it’s a good idea, but a thorough background check is needed. It would be wise for only upper classmen to be in possession of a concealed weapon,” Thomas said.

Virginia Concealed Carry Permits are given by circuit court of the county after a person over 21 completes a safety or training course. According to Falwell, 1600 people have taken that course and around 950 people at Liberty are in legal possession of a handgun.

“At most universities, the students would have no option. They would not be allowed to protect themselves. They would not be allowed to have a permit, and we’ve got to change that in America,” Falwell said on his appearance on the Sean Hannity Show.

Falwell urged his students to support those who conceal carry and those who don’t and to be proactive.

“As a Christian University community, we must trust God and pray for His protection on this campus, but we must also look out for each other and report suspicious activity and be alert,” Falwell said.

The biggest concern, however, has been the change in policy that allows guns in residence halls. While a large number of students are supportive of concealed carry, the reality of having guns in their living quarters has been cause for some apprehension.

“I particularly don’t really like that we are allowed to have guns in the dorms. It makes it easier for an accident to happen or for someone that is not the gun owner to have access to it,” Bruder said.

Other students feel differently.

“There’s a possibility that someone could use a weapon irresponsibly, but others will be able to defend themselves in case someone uses their gun for harm instead of defense,” Emily Patterson, 20, said.

Word Count: 673

Johnny, Get Your Gun

By Lexie Patterson

 

When students rally to their president’s aid and push for more guns on campus, the questions arises: is it risky or is proactive?

•         Is Jerry Falwell Jr’s statement for more guns on campus safe?
•         What are the risks of having guns in residence halls?
•         What if one student turns on another?

Huffington Post voiced their concern and listed seven consequences of students having access to guns, including that it would encourage violence towards ex-partners, suicide and accidents where alcohol is involved.

“I think that is 75 percent proactive and 25 percent risky,” Caleb Calefino, Jr, said.

A student has to be over 21 to obtain a Virginia Concealed Carry Permit that is given by circuit court of the county after they complete a safety or training course. According to Falwell, 1600 people at Liberty have taken the course and around 950 people at Liberty are in legal possession of a handgun.

A poll given to 156 Liberty students showed that 90 percent of students agree with concealed carry while the other 10 percent thought it was risky and that only faculty, upper classmen and professors should be in possession of a firearm.

“I believe that students having a concealed carry permit is going to make our campus safer in the occurrence of a terrorist attack as opposed to not having any protection,” Chris Crowder, a junior at Liberty, said.

When asked about consequences, however, students voiced some concern.

“Even going through detailed training, it is clearly a big concern. There is no training or assessing that can completely identify someone’s emotional stability. And there is always a problem person who doesn’t have a permit that can have access to someone else’s gun,” Beca Bruder, 22, said.

However, Falwell remained firm.

“As a Christian University community, we must trust God and pray for His protection on this campus, but we must also look out for each other and report suspicious activity and be alert,” Falwell said.

Word Count: 325

 

Here Jerry Falwell Jr explains the change in policy that allows guns in residence halls/Is this risky or is it proactive//A poll given to 156 students revealed that 90 percent think it is proactive while the other 10 percent think it is risky and better for only faculty to have// I think that is 75 percent proactive and 25 percent risky says junior/Caleb Calefino//Falwell says that around nine hundred and 50 people at Liberty have a concealed carry permit///We must pray for God’s protection, but we must also look out for each other/Falwell says///

Word Count: 94

Final Project

Liberty Students Enjoy Their Last Week on Campus

by Shelby Loveday

As 2015 comes to an end, students of Liberty University are about to enter finals week, the most stressful but also the most arguably fun week of the semester.

The last week students spend at Liberty is most definitely the craziest.  The week is filled with studying, stress, and the anticipation of final exams.  Along with this, however, comes fun Christmas festivities such as Christmas Coffeehouse and Christmas Convo, Destress Fests, and the excitement of finally going home.

While some students dislike the upcoming week, others enjoy it because of all the fun activities that are offered.

“I like this last week of school because of all the events.  It makes it fun and something to look forward to in the midst of finals,” student Leah Klein said.

With the end of regular classes on Wednesday, students are granted one day off before exams start, which has come to be known as Reading Day.  While Reading Day is meant to be used primarily for studying for finals, there are lots of other activities that occur around campus.

The main event that occurs on Reading Day is the annual Christmas Convo.  Christmas Convo is an hour long comical production filled with singing, skits and videos, that meant is to mimic regular Convocation.

“Christmas Convo is my favorite thing Liberty does.  It’s so fun and it builds a sense of community within the student body,” Liberty student Meredith Brown said.

Reading Day also hosts other popular events, known as Destress Fests.  These fests, which are normally held in the library or bookstore, offer fun and creative activities meant to help students relax and take a break from the stress of studying for exams.  This year’s Destress Fests will include free cookies, coloring sheets, the opportunity to make your own stress ball and even the chance to play with puppies brought from the Humane Society.

“I am a lot more stressed this semester because I am close to graduating and I want to make sure I finish strong in every single class.  The Destress Fest will be a nice break,” Alyssa Davis, Liberty student, said.

Friday, Dec. 11, will officially kick off the most stressful part of the week – exams.  That night, however, students will get another chance to relax and celebrate the end of the semester with Christmas Coffeehouse.

Christmas Coffeehouse is an annual event that showcases the many talents of Liberty students, such as singing, dancing, and even producing their own videos.

“I enjoy Christmas Coffeehouse because it reviews the whole year and allows people to break away for a late night of fun with the whole campus,” student Alyssa Davis said.

For the majority of students, the rest of the weekend will be used for studying.

According to student Haley Thomas, she studies at least six to seven hours a day for her final exams.

After a weekend of studying, exams will resume on Monday, Dec. 14 and go through Wednesday. Students must be out of the residence halls 24 hours after their last exam.

Approximately 9,000 students who live residentially will be leaving the campus for the month-long break.  Residence halls will open again for students on Jan. 15.

Word Count: 530

Liberty Students Celebrate the End of the Semester

by Shelby Loveday

As the fall semester comes to an end, students at Liberty University spend their last week studying for final exams and participating in fun end-of-the-year activities.

With Christmas just around the corner and the campus lit up with lights and decorations, many of the activities held for the students are Christmas-themed.  The two most popular of these activities include Christmas Convo and Christmas Coffeehouse.

Christmas Convo shows the more comical side of Liberty with skits that light-heartedly joke about the school and performers that are dressed in tacky Christmas garb.  Christmas Coffeehouse takes on a more classy appeal and showcases performances of Liberty’s own students.

“I enjoy Christmas Convo because it’s light and fun.  It’s a creative way to begin the Christmas season,” student Leah Klein said.

Even in the midst of all the Christmas excitement and events going on around the campus, students still spend a lot of their time studying and preparing for exams.

“I study about three to four hours for every exam and then another one to two hours on concepts I can’t grasp,” Liberty student Alyssa Davis said.

With final exams quickly approaching, other activities available are Destress Fests that provide students with opportunities to take their minds off of exams and relax.  These Destress Fests are held on Reading Day, which is the day before exams start.  Students are given this day off to study for exams.

Some of the things provided to students at Destress Fests include:

• Free snacks to ease growling stomachs.
• Crafts to bring an element of creativity.
• The opportunity to play with puppies brought from a local animal shelter to help students relax and have fun.

Exams start on Friday, Dec. 11 and continue through Dec. 16.  Residential students must be checked out of their dorms 24 hours after their last exam.

Word Count: 302

Broadcast Script

Students of Liberty University are spending their last week on campus enjoying fun activities provided by the school and studying for exams ///

With Christmas coming up / the two most popular activities for students are Christmas Convo and Christmas Coffeehouse // The two annual events are Christmas traditions for Liberty and great ways for students to let loose and celebrate the end of the semester ///

When students need a break from studying / they can go grab a snack / make a craft / or even pet a puppy at one of Liberty’s Destress Fests ///

Exams begin on Friday / Dec. 11 and end the next Wednesday // Students are required to leave their residence halls 24 hours after their last exam ///

Word Count: 126

Have A Merry Liberty Christmas

A gorgeous look into what is in store for Liberty University’s campus this December.

by Christianne Gormley

With Christmas right around the corner, Liberty University is hosting holiday festivities for its students and community to celebrate and spread Christmas cheer this December.

This year, the university’s campus rekindles the Christmas spirit by hosting events such as the setting up its annual lights, Christmas Convocation, Christmas Coffeehouse and many more events led by Student Activities, the School of Music and the Tower Theater.

“We want to connect you to your friends, your campus, and your culture–all for free or at a significant discount,” Liberty University’s Student Activities said.

Liberty kicks off the holiday season with its annual “Christmas In Lights” that was supposed to happen on Dec. 2, but according to was delayed due to inclement weather conditions.

Aside from the set time of the event being cancelled, students and the public can still enjoy this recreational activity by adoring thousands of the gorgeous lights along the pavements of the University Boulevard as well as the 40-foot gorgeous Christmas tree in front of Liberty’s educational building, DeMoss Hall.

According to Liberty’s events website, on Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. in the Vines Center, Liberty University will be hosting its annual Christmas Convocation gathering students, faculty and staff to sing Christmas carols, wear their favorite Christmas apparel and enjoy the holiday season before final exam week.

David Nasser, the campus pastor and vice president of the university states the students will definitely enjoy how fun this year’s Christmas convocation will be.

On Dec. 11 at 11:30 p.m., Liberty University’s Student Activities is hosting its annual Christmas Coffeehouse filled with music, dance, videos and interaction with the students on Twitter and Instagram.

Christmas Coffeehouse gives students a chance to audition, form a band, submit videos and perform individual concerts in Liberty’s Vines Center for their peers to sing along, laugh and enjoy together.

“Coffeehouse is still that same student-led, all-hands-on-deck show that started 23 years ago. Easily the most repeated statement we hear at every Coffeehouse, whether it’s by word of mouth or on Twitter, is essentially, “This student body is so incredibly talented,”” Brian Shesko, Associate Director of Student Activities at Liberty University said.

According to Student Activities’ “Christmas Coffeehouse Recap,” last year, Coffeehouse sold 7,926 tickets , 13 musical acts, 3 dance acts, 7 videos, 1 host, 4 game contestants, 26 Student Activities event staff, CSER volunteers, 867 posts on Twitter containing the hashtag “#SACoffeehouse,” 225 posts on Instagram containing the hashtag “#SACoffeehouse,” 1,798 boxes wrapped, 8 actual cups of coffee sold, 14,983 donuts consumed, 152 suspects apprehended sneaking in backstage, 22,347 Christmas lights replaced and over 3,600 instances of someone screaming ‘Santa!!!’ in their best Buddy the Elf voice.

This year’s Coffeehouse theme will be “Fa-la-la-la-la.”

Tickets can be found on Liberty University’s website or at the door of Vines.

Liberty University invites all students and the public to come enjoy the holidays with them with many more Christmas themed events hosted by the university’s Student Activities center, School of Music, and the Tower Theater.

The Tower Theater will be showing the production “Meet Me In St. Louis” that tells of a family going to 1904 World’s Fair.

The production will be shown Dec. 4-13. Tickets are sold on the Tower Theater’s website or Liberty’s Box Office.

Student activities is hosting their annual Reindeer Run at Camp Hydaway on Dec. 5 at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling Student Activities.

The School of Music’s Liberty University Symphony Orchestra is performing their annual “Christmas on the Boulevard” with songs such as “The Messiah” on Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling Liberty University Ticket Office.

University Events is hosting “A Peanuts Christmas” on Dec. 9 at 12-3 p.m. at the Jerry Falwell Library providing students, faculty and staff with holiday treats, arts and crafts, Peanuts music, photo booths, and many more.

With all the events happening at Liberty University, Christmas only seems a few days away-or if you’re a student, a few feet away.

684 words.

Is There Such Thing As Having Too Much Christmas Spirit?

By Christianne Gormley

This year, Christmas is in the air at Liberty University by providing its students with gorgeous lights, festive activities, holiday treats and many more where students can literally taste, feel, and smell Christmas spirit.

The question is: is this Christmas spirit at Liberty University a little too much?

“I think we could use more lights and decorations,” Ashlee Goode, senior at Liberty University said.

With thousands of lights and decorations already up, most students are either unbothered or think the university could use more.

Despite the pressure of finals and Christmas break coming up, the university provides their students with numerous fun holiday festivities such as Christmas Coffeehouse, Christmas Convocation, Reindeer Races, events providing hot coa coa, holiday treats and many more.

In a poll, Liberty University students were asked if they could pick one Christmas activity Liberty provides, which one would be their favorite.

• 55% said lights and decor
• 27% said Christmas Coffeehouse
• 18% said Christmas Convocation

Though the students are rushing to defeat stress of studying for finals, Liberty University does not fail to keep students from enjoying the season to be merry.

“I remember going to the other years’ Christmas convocations and Coffeehouse and I really enjoyed them. I am really looking forward to the Christmas festivities this semester. I really hope they would do skits this year just like when I was a freshman,” Bethany Viteri, junior at Liberty University said.

So to answer the question: there is no such thing as too much Christmas Spirit for Liberty University students. Students remain unphased by the many Christmas activities and adore the overpowering Christmas Spirit at the university.

Students can purchase tickets and view schedules for Christmas Coffeehouse and many more activities on Liberty University’s website or box office.

308 words.

Liberty University’s gorgeous lights/ decorations and what might seem overwhelming festive activities do not phase the students from defeating the pressure of finals//

As you can see here/ Liberty’s holiday decor fill the streets with Christmas Spirit to make this campus feel like home for students and faculty//

With days before Christmas break and the pressure of getting everything done/ Liberty provides their students with recreational events leading up to Christmas break such as Christmas Convocation, Christmas Coffeehouse and many more to keep students cheerful during this season of joy//

90 words.

Journalism Final Project

Christmas at Liberty University

by Amelia Whittaker

Liberty University cuts no corners when it comes to celebrating the Christmas holiday around campus, offering many activities to spread the cheer and joy that surrounds the season.

 
The celebrations begin with the annual lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree in front of DeMoss building and the rest of the lights lining University Boulevard. Preparations for this event began at the beginning of November when the lights were being wrapped around all the trees. Though the event was cancelled this year due to inclement weather, the lights were still turned on lifting any dampened spirits.

 
“Even though we didn’t get to have the official lighting ceremony, I was so happy when I saw the lights finally turned on,” Molly Gusler, Liberty student, said.

 
The lights are accompanied with the addition from last year of speakers lining the street playing festive Christmas music. Along with these decorations the Jerry Falwell Library features three Christmas trees decorated with characters from Charles Dickens Christmas “A Christmas Carol”. In addition to these decorations there are many activities and events that students participate in leading up to their finals and heading home for the holiday.

 
The LU Tower Theater presents the musical “Meet Me in St. Louis” which is running from Dec. 4-13. The annual 2-mile Reindeer Run took place at camp Hydaway with many students participating and watching the event. Camp Hydaway manager Graham Matthews said they had a great turnout and the event was a success.

 
The school of music also will present its annual “Christmas on the Boulevard” where the student choirs and symphony will perform a holiday themed concert for family and friends.

 
Liberty encourages the public to take part in most of its Christmas events inviting them to join in the celebration. Two events that are open only to Liberty staff and students are the Peanuts Christmas in the library and Christmas Convocation. Christmas Convocation is a special convocation that includes singing carols and getting into the Christmas spirit before final exams begin.

 
“Christmas Convocation is so much fun because we get to be silly and act like kids again before worrying about our exams,” Susanne Whittaker, Liberty student, said.

 
Christmas Coffeehouse is another annual event held that showcases many students’ talents as they perform Christmas themed songs, dances and share videos. This is just one more Christmas centered occasion that helps students and the community get into the mood for the holiday.

 
Along with the events offered to the public and Liberty students, Liberty holds an important tradition in getting involved with giving during this time of year. Operation Christmas Child is an organization that allows people to fill a shoebox with items and the news of the gospel and send that box to a child somewhere around the world as a gift for Christmas. These shoeboxes are sent to areas where poverty is high and this is the only present these children will receive.

 
Liberty University has hosted this event for many years and continues to grow the amount of boxes collected. This event helps students focus on the giving part of the holiday and remember what is truly important. University President Jerry Falwell Jr. gets involved each year by packing a shoebox himself.

 
So as the Christmas season draws closer Liberty University displays great Christmas spirit and opportunities to help students and the community celebrate the holiday.

Word Count: 560 words

 

Christmas Spirit at Liberty

by Amelia Whittaker

 

Liberty University celebrates the Christmas season in many forms including various decorations, opportunities to give back and other holiday events.

 
The campus of Liberty University is all lit up this time of year thanks to the many Christmas lights lining University Boulevard and covering the 40-foot Christmas tree. The display of the holiday season is accompanied with Christmas music playing from the speakers along the sidewalks. The students enjoy this cheery environment for their last few weeks on campus.

 
“The lights and tree are my favorite part of the Christmas season here on campus,” Susanne Whittaker, Liberty student, said.

 
Along with decorations, Liberty offers opportunities for their students to give back and remember what is important by working with Operation Christmas Child. This organization allows students to volunteer and help fill shoeboxes to send to children around the world. This is possibly the only gift these children will ever receive making the impact huge.

 
Many other holiday themed activities include:
• Meet Me in St. Louis play
• Reindeer Run
• Christmas on the Boulevard
• Liberty Christmas Convocation
• PraiseFest on Ice

 
The most popular among students seems to be the annual Christmas Coffeehouse event that takes place Dec. 11 at 11:30 p.m. in the Vines Center. This event showcases student talents in song, dance and video production. Each year there is a new theme and this year’s theme is “Fa-la-la-la-la” focusing on classic Christmas songs.

 
This is a time that students get to take a break from all of their studying and worrying about finals and relax with some holiday cheer. This is also an approved late night activity that allows students to be out past the normal 12 a.m. curfew.

 
It is obvious that Liberty University takes the holiday season of Christmas very seriously. They want their students and community to have many opportunities to get into the spirit and help celebrate the season.

Word Count: 312 words

 

Broadcast

 
Probably the first thing you will see when you hit Liberty University’s campus after dark this time of year is the bright Christmas lights// These are one of the many ways the university celebrates the season of Christmas// Many various activities and events help spread the cheer/ but nothing quite holds a candle to the display of lights lining University Boulevard// This year many of the resident dorms have gotten involved in the decorating spirit// This goes to show that Christmas spirit is not lacking among students at Liberty University///

Word Count: 90 words

A Closer Look at Scaremare, Lynchburg’s Own Halloween Hot Spot

By Shelby Loveday

Every October thousands of people come to Lynchburg to attend Scaremare, one of the most popular Halloween-themed activities around, for a fun and frightening night.

Held for three weekends during October, Scaremare is a walk-through journey that takes approximately 45 minutes and leads visitors through a variety of spine-tingling activities, such as haunted houses, dark woods and trails filled with the nightmares of Halloween.  Visitors are scared by spooky characters and ghouls as they walk through the trails and make their way through the old houses.

According to the official Scaremare website, what started out as a small attraction in 1972 has grown into one of the busiest weekend activities during the Halloween season.

As the quality and quantity of Scaremare has developed and improved over the years, the number of participants has as well.

“It was another very successful year with over 28,000 in attendance,” Josh Coldren, supervisor for Scaremare, said.

This year Scaremare broke a record for the amount of people who attended and the average attendance for a Friday night was around 4,000.

One of the most interesting aspects about Scaremare is that all the workers are volunteers.  Sponsored by the Center for Youth Ministries at Liberty University, Scaremare needs about 300 volunteers each night to operate.  Many of these volunteers are Liberty University students.

“I enjoyed talking to people about what they are scared of, encouraging people, calming people down and even scaring people,” Liberty student Alyssa Davis said when asked what she enjoyed most about volunteering.

To keep the attraction running, there are a multitude of jobs that volunteers can undertake.

– Ticket booth operator

– Line regulator and group organizer

– Security

– Characters and actors who scare visitors as they make their way through the journey

– Backstage roles that keep the night running smoothly

While all of these roles are vital to the attraction, the most popular of the jobs are the characters.  Although the experiences within Scaremare vary slightly from year to year, there are certain characters that remain because of popularity with the visitors.

The most well-known of these characters is Sickle, a frightening yet lovable clown who makes an appearance every year and loves to interact with the crowd.  Other memorable characters include a giant demented Easter bunny and ghostly figures known as Candle-Walkers.

Supervisors for Scaremare say the attraction plans to continue to grow and improve so that they can keep interacting with the community in an even better version of this unique outreach.

New Student Center Making its Way to Liberty University, Ready for Students to Enjoy Good Food and Relaxation

By Pabelly Bueno

Student Center currently under construction. Due to be finished fall 2016. Photo taken by me.

Liberty University announced a new Student Center to be built for students and faculty to enjoy come the fall semester of 2016, which will not only include more dining, but gaming stations and plenty of lounge seating.

“When I first heard about the new student center being built, the first thought that came to me was food. I love the choices that our school has already but I would not mind more,”  said Cassidy Stegall, a student at Liberty University.

Liberty wants students to experience a more diverse dining and is excited about the new restaurants being added.

• Garbonzo’s (Mediterranean)
• Star Ginger (Asian)
• UFood (Burgers)
• Argo Tea
• The Grid Marketplace (A convenience store)

All these new restaurants being added are grabbing attention and students are anxious to try the food out.

This new facility will be a place for students to come together to socialize and take breaks after classes are done. The student center will be on the first floor of Demoss which is expanding 150 thousand square-foot and adding four floors. Not only will there be new dining but gaming, an eight-lane bowling alley and plenty of lounge seating throughout the floor to enhance relaxation.

“I definitely think this will grab more attention for students to come and hangout other than the C-lab and Tilley, especially since it is closer to campus grounds and walking distance from the other buildings around,” said Samantha Bastone, a student at Liberty University.

Student activities will be handling entertainment to attract attention for students on new things coming to Liberty. Students are loving that it is in Demoss building since all the main classes are located there and it is an easy way out to just hangout and get some work done as well. Faculty and students are already loving the idea of the new student center location, and of course the new lounging couches for them to de-stress.

“To finally see it come to fruition is a real thrill for me,” commented President Falwell as he spoke about all the other construction being done around campus.

It looks like Liberty is ready to be done building as well but who knows what else is yet to come. They strive to be able to reach other people and have theme experience what this college has to offer.

Liberty University Encourages Sustainable Agriculture through Campus Farm, Raising Livestock

by Rachel Casdorph

Crop fields at the Morris Campus Farm

Liberty University is paving the way in educating students in sustainable agriculture, as evidenced by the recent developments made by their highly successful Campus Farm, which now not only raises crops, but livestock as well.

The Morris Campus Farm received a great deal of attention lately, mainly due to the new addition of animals to the farm, beginning now with just chickens, but expanding to cows and pigs as well in the future.

“I think that one of the biggest reasons [for the attention] is that news coming from Liberty is usually about construction, or sports news—so this is something really different,” Campus Farm manager Alicia Cripe said.

According to the Washington Times, the farm plans to sell the organic meat to Liberty faculty and staff, and hopes that this will be the start of a booming new venture.

The farm holds multiple purposes for the Lynchburg community and Liberty student body, from education to ministry and outreach.

Kyle Herrington, the events and education coordinator at the farm, says that they host many different workshops and culinary events, and even display documentaries and hold panel discussions revolving around sustainable agriculture.

Aside from education, the farm also sells their produce to local Lynchburg restaurants, and even Sodexo. Their produce is also available at the campus farmer’s market.

A peak inside the process

In the spirit of generosity, the farm also donates much of their produce, and sells some of it at a reduced cost through the organization Lynchburg Grows, which gives lower-income residents access to affordable fresh food.

Formerly known as the Campus Garden, at a time when they used to only raise crops, the Campus Farm was started back in 2012 by Cripe, who began a job at Liberty directly after interning and working at multiple farms.

“My inspiration was knowing that a lot of other universities have campus farms, I had started to see it, hear about it. I got involved here at Liberty and I could hear God saying ‘Start a garden here!’” Cripe said.

Following her calling, Cripe proposed the idea, and the farm has been a great success ever since. According to Cripe, the mission of the farm is to help students to see the earth as a gift from God, and see the importance of good stewardship and sustainable agriculture

“I definitely think it is a Christian issue. We’re called right out of Genesis to be put in charge of the earth. God put us in charge right from the beginning, to care for the earth, and I think that became more difficult with the Fall of man, but it’s still our duty,” Maria DeFosse, president of the campus environmental club Students for Stewardship, said.

Looking ahead to the future goals of the farm, the Liberty Champion explains how the farm hopes to use cows and chickens in a method of rotational grazing in the pastures, which will help enrich the farm’s poor soil.

No matter what changes lie ahead, the Campus Farm’s three main goals, explained by Cripe, remain the same:

⧫ Education: teaching students and the community proper techniques for sustainable farming

⧫Ministry: teaching simple growing techniques that can be used anywhere in the world, even on the mission field in other countries

⧫Community: to be a place where students will want to visit often, and feel engaged

Promoting a Christian worldview, even in agriculture