Bridge — Bridge construction is expected to delay traffic for an indefinite time. Photo credit: Victoria Pearce

Drivers encouraged to avoid Candler’s Road mall entrance

Last Wednesday, construction began on the new Candlers Mountain bridge. Those traveling in the area should not expect to see both lanes of the bridge open for quite some time. The bridge is in need of various repairs since its initial construction in 1958.

“The old deck has to come off, and there is some borderline work that needs to be done. We are replacing one line of beams. There’s also some work under the bridge that needs to be done as well,” Area Construction Engineer Todd Bolling said.

According to Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), unlike most local construction, the City of Lynchburg is not financially responsible for the project.

“Because that is a national route, we are using the federal funds to do the bridge,” VDOT spokeswoman Paula Jones said.

Nearly 40,000 people will be affected by the construction, as it requires one lane of the westbound side of Candlers Mountain Road be closed off.

Bolling describes the construction’s two-phase process.

“One phase will be the inside, the left lane, and then traffic will be switched to the new deck, and then we will go to the right lane and do that one,” Bolling said.

VDOT encourages travelers to use alternate routes.

“Liberty University students should be aware that this construction will take place during the time of graduation,” Bolling said. “The left hand turn lane onto 460 Westbound will not be there into the mall. Those wanting to eat within the mall or along Wards Road should follow the detour signs that go up to Wells Fargo and circle around to the traffic signal. There are access points in other places off of Wards Road to get to the mall and the restaurants in the area.”

The project will not end anytime soon. According to Bolling, the goal is to open both lanes of traffic by November and complete the entire project by the end of the year. Opening the bridge will alleviate traffic congestion and once again allow Lynchburg residents easier access to River Ridge Mall.

“We are anticipating having the bridge open for traffic by Thanksgiving of this year,” Bolling said.

This event is geared toward educating the attendees on the work that is going into improving the efficiency of the government. Mathes, along with several other individuals, were given the chance to present some of the top projects in the industry.

“Each year Microsoft does a U.S. Public Sector Chief Information Officers conference,” Mathes said.

The conference takes place annually in Washington State, near Microsoft’s headquarters, according to Mathes.

The recipient of the award is selected through a vote of the summit attendees and is bestowed by industry peers to the most innovative and effective government IT (information technology) project presented.

Mathes presented the work that his team has been working on for the past several years.

“We’re transforming state government paper processes into electronic processes and electronic workflows using the Microsoft technology,” Mathes said.

His team is working to make it so that filling out paper forms for various governmental reasons becomes an unnecessary step. Their goal is to allow individuals to access and fill out the documents through the internet, instead of having to submit it in paper form, according to Mathes.

“We’re building web- based portals where citizens with an iPhone, an iPad, a PC … can fill out the form electronically and submit it,” Mathes said.

Mathes and his team are currently working with 10 different agencies as they begin to incorporate their plans. The agencies include the State Board of Elections, the Department of Education, the Governor’s Office, the Department of Historic Resources and several others, according to Mathes.

“What I am most proud of is the fact that this is actually producing a result,” Mathes said. “We’re actually changing things.”

One change that Mathes and his team are working on is the process of becoming a notary.

“Every year, approximately 20,000 citizens apply to be notaries. Before, that was entirely a paper process and took 30 days to complete,” Mathes said. “Now, it is an electronic-based process and you can get approved and get your ability to be a notary within a week.”

The change allowed the department to reassign three employees to different positions. It not only minimizes the time that goes into the process, but it also greatly reduces the amount of paperwork, according to Mathes.

Mathes was not originally involved in technology when he attended Liberty. He graduated from Liberty in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in religion.

“I actually started working in technology at Liberty as a student and then a full-time employee,” Mathes said.

Mathes has had about 12 years of experience working in Liberty’s IT department. Following his time working at Liberty, Mathes interviewed for the Chief Information Officer position at the Attorney General’s Office, according to Mathes

Since then, Mathes has become Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Technology at the Secretary of Technology Office of the Governor.

Mathes is pleased with the amount of change that his team has been able to bring about. Both he and his team are looking forward to continuing to impact the way the government utilizes technology.

“We want to improve citizen services and at the same time reduce the size, complexity and cost of government,” Mathes said.

Mathes does not take the credit for the success that they have experienced. He credits both his team and the governor.

“I don’t see it as my success, the governor gave us the opportunity and the mission to make government more efficient,” Mathes said.

Mathes and his team will continue to work to give the government and the citizens the best possible options available when the two interact.

“I was very honored to accept the award on behalf of the Commonwealth,” Mathes said.

Liberty University will witness eight brand-new second lieutenants commissioning into the U.S. Air Force at 3 p.m. Friday, May 11, in a special ceremony at the Tower Theatre.

Future officers — Air Force ROTC cadets pose at Detachment 890’s 2011 Dining Out ceremony. The front row (from left), Luke Williams, Nate Cromer, Jared Abramowicz, Jessica Vaughan, Molly Morrissey and Arielle Marino, along with Jesse Moser (back right), will commission May 11. Photo provided

Jared Abramowicz, Nate Cromer, Arielle Marino, Molly Morrissey, Jesse Moser, Jessica Vaughan, Jayson Warren and Luke Williams will be the latest Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets to commission out of Liberty since the university’s first class in 2007.

Williams will be transitioning into pilot training with the goal of flying fighter jets. It will be a yearlong training regimen after passing initial flight screening, where the Air Force weeds out initial pilot candidates.

“I would love to fly fighter jets, but I’m open to anything,” Williams said. “I’m open to wherever the Air Force takes me, and I’m excited to see what kind of flying I like.”

According to Williams, pilots often intend to fly fighters but find they enjoy the flight and lifestyle of other types of aircrafts instead. Larger aircrafts like transports — nicknamed “heavies” — offer more opportunities for travel and overseas stations. Either way, Williams is looking forward to flying for the military.

“I’m kind of excited for pilot training — nervous excitement — because it’s going to be a lot of studying, a lot of long hours,” Williams said. “It’s also going to be what I love, so that’ll make me amped up to do well.”

Another cadet will be stationed with her husband at Columbus AFB, Miss. Morrissey married her husband Sam — who commissioned from Liberty last May — in January, right before he started pilot training in March. As a Force Support Officer, Morrissey could hold a number of jobs on base, but she is currently studying Swahili for the Department of Defense.

“I will also be travelling to Kenya for eight weeks for the second summer in a row through a Department of Defense program called Project GO,” Morrissey said. “Project GO is a program that enables ROTC students to study critical languages for the Air Force.”

Morrissey said it has been tough being away from her husband, but she is “extremely proud” of him and his accomplishments.

“When you marry someone in the military, you have to expect to spend some time apart, but, like I said, I am so very proud of him and support him in every way,” Morrissey said. “He is always very supportive of me as well. I am really excited because he is able to come to commissioning and will be administering my oath of office.”

Williams is also looking forward to having his family members attend commissioning.

“That’s the best part of our commissioning, I would say — having our families there and having them pin our (second lieutenant rank) bars on our brand-new uniforms,” Williams said.

Of the other six commissioning cadets, Abramowicz will be a Financial Management Officer, Cromer will be an Air Battle Manager, Marino will be a Space and Missile officer, Moser and Vaughan will enter Security Forces and Warren will be an intelligence officer.

“I cannot think of a more honorable thing to do than to have the ability to serve my God and this country,” Morrissey said. “Through ROTC, I have not only learned life skills such as discipline and leadership but have developed some great friendships. In a lot of ways, we are like a big family. I am proud to have the seven other Liberty cadets by my side to commission on May 11, and wish them the best of luck as we go off into the ‘wild blue yonder.’”

Board room — The new board room in the Hancock Welcome Center is ready for use. Seating over 30 people, it will offer a state-of-the-art location for meetings. Photo credit: Ruth Bibby

Building expected to open by mid-June

Dirt, hard hats and backhoes, all signs of construction, have been evident on the hill across from Williams Stadium day after day for anyone who walks or drives through campus, but people may have forgotten that construction began on the three-level, 33,000 square-foot Hancock Welcome Center in March 2011.

“The university decided that this building truly needed to be special and a flagship unlike anything else we had ever constructed,” Alan Askew, construction coordinator for the university, said.

“It is exciting to continue to raise the bar with each new structure at Liberty. After Hancock, the new library will continue that trend,” said Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. “The Hancock Center will be a silent statement to prospective students and their families that Liberty is a warm and welcoming Christian university and that providing a quality Christian education to students is its top priority.”

Nearly complete — Sunlight shines through the full windows in the new atrium. Photo credit: Ruth Bibby

The completion date of the Jeffersonian-style building was originally scheduled for October, but the deadline was extended to allow for more details to the interior. According to the university’s website, designers wanted to be assured that the newest technologies and amenities could be incorporated into the new building.

Students and faculty are no strangers to construction across the campus of Liberty University. In less than a year, there have been five major construction projects completed either on or nearby the campus.

The Wards Road pedestrian bridge opened in November 2011. Shortly after, the 200-foot-long pedestrian tunnel, which connects campus to Wards Road, was completed. Regents Parkway, the perimeter road that borders the west side of campus, was also extended from Sonic to the circle dorms on south campus.

The university also constructed a double-sided press box and bleacher seating to separate two east campus athletic fields for field hockey and lacrosse as well Liberty’s club and intramural programs. Finally, the new Schilling Center is the latest addition to the LaHaye Student Union.

In all of that time, the visually stunning welcome center has continued to undergo changes and developments.

According to Askew, while the initial October goal was a stretch, the six-month redesign of the entire interior of the facility halted basically all of the interior construction during that time.

Askew says that construction crews are currently finishing a few items on the upper two floors and are about halfway done with the terrace, or lower level.

“We will be completely done with the top two floors by the time graduation weekend arrives, and we hope to have the terrace level and the remainder of the exterior landscaping completed by the first half of June,” Askew said.

At that point, the building will be ready for use, and the visitor center staff will begin to occupy the building, moving from their current location in the grand lobby of the Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center.

“It truly is a remarkable building,” Askew said. “It was interesting to watch the contractors begin to take ownership of and pride in their work as the project progressed.”

Actor — Chips actor Erik Estrada discusses his leading role in the upcoming film. Photo credit: Melanie Oelrich

Estrada, who is the international face of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, is a staunch supporter of the Safe Surfin’ Foundation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces.

Estrada, a big fan of Liberty, mentioned how he and the production team in charge of shooting the movie plan to utilize parts of TRBC and Liberty’s campus for the film.

“Liberty’s a terrific place. I think it’s wonderful that there is a place where Christians can come and continue their education,” Estrada said. “The facilities are great here, and the people are totally professional.”

According to his website, Estrada is a professing Christian and starred in “The Cross and the Switchblade,” the first faith-based movie ever made.

Delegate Scott Garrett and Senator Steve Newman were also in attendance at the press conference and are supportive of the efforts of the movie.

“Because of the work that Sheriff Mike Brown is doing, we have put in place a 25-year mandatory minimum (sentence) for sex crimes against children,” Newman said.

“This project is not about one man, and it’s not about one problem — it’s about our society and what we value. This film will strike a chord of harmony for our families, for our faith, for our fundamental freedoms and for the future of our greatest assets, which are our children,” Garrett said.

Sheriff Mike Brown of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Department is the man behind the big idea. Brown has stood behind the Internet Against Crimes Task Forces for many years. During his 42 years of law enforcement, Brown has witnessed numerous events which spawned the idea for this film. Because the film has a Christian message and is targeted toward teens, Brown requested that Liberty and TRBC be involved with the film.

“It didn’t take a lot of thinking to say this is the avenue we want to go — utilizing Thomas Road and Liberty University for support — and they’ve been great. We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Brown said.

Scottie Ward, the film’s producer, is excited for the film, and firmly believes Lynchburg will make an impact for Christ.

“The doors that have opened on this…in two months, we’ve locked up the post production house, the distribution … the biggest hitters in the industry side,” Ward said. “Lynchburg, in my opinion — because of Liberty and TRBC — is going to be the new Christian Hollywood. I’m 100 percent positive of that fact. The great thing is that faith-based education is now going mainstream, and I think it’s awesome. The support of the university is everything,” Ward said.

Casting has already begun and production is expected to start this summer.

One word to accurately describe Dew Games 2012 at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre is “epic.”

Double-corks, double-backflips and double-side-flips were all thrown down Saturday night as nearly 20 of the best skiers and 30 of the best snowboarders the East Coast had to offer came out for a chance at part of the $10,000 purse.

Flips — In this year’s Dew Games, snowboarders and skiiers nailed various trick combinations. Photo credit: Ruth Bibby

The games were broadcast live over the Internet and Liberty’s local television station, WTLU. Kevin Pearce and Brent Blakeney hosted the games live.

Ski qualifiers started at 2 p.m. and were followed by snowboard qualifiers shortly after. The rail jam qualifiers debuted the newest Snowflex Centre feature—a stair-set with a five-foot ledge drop, handrail, creeper rail, flat-down box and a butter-box where the stairs would normally be. The athletes had three tricks to make their best overall impression on the judges in the rail jam and big air competitions.

In the rail jam finals, both skiers and snowboarders familiarized themselves with the new features, and many flip variations were thrown off the five-foot drop of the ledge. The progression of the athletes in the area since the first Dew Games two years ago has been drastic, and this was quite apparent on the very technical stair-set feature.

Big air finals were the last event of the evening. Skier Timothy Steltzer came out on his first run and stomped a double-side-flip 180, setting the bar quite high. Other highlights were a switch misty 900 and a cork 1260.

The most impressive trick of the evening was Steltzer’s double-cork 1260, which scored a 96 and earned him $1500 for first place in big air. This was the first double-cork 1260 landed at the Snowflex Centre and just the second double-cork to be landed.

There was no shortage of tricks never before attempted at the Snowflex Centre as the event progressed. Ryan Paul landed a double-backflip and attempted a triple-backflip. Ben Sullo attempted the double-cork 1080 for all three of his runs. Sullo was the first to ever land the double-cork at a Snowflex Centre. Other big tricks thrown were a backside cork 1080, a backside cork 900 and a switch backside 900.

First place winners in all categories received a $1500 prize, second place winners received $750 and third place winners received $250.

Snowflex — Military families enjoyed free snowboarding, skiing and tubing at Liberty’s Snowflex Centre. Photo provided

Liberty University Military Affairs hosted its second annual Military Family Fun Day on Saturday, April 21.

A total of 190 guests attended the event at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, according to Military Outreach Coordinator Kathi Edinger.

Every military base in Virginia was invited to spend the day for free at Snowflex. Several military bases in D.C. and Maryland were invited to attend as well. Military families were able to enjoy free skiing, snowboarding and tubing and were also provided a catered lunch.

Edinger directed the event and felt it was a great way to show appreciation for Virginia military.

“It is important to show appreciation for all they sacrificed to secure our freedom,” Edinger said.

Edinger said it was a day of relaxation for the military families as they enjoyed the Snowflex activities and free ice skating at LaHaye Ice Center.

According to Edinger, two Liberty military support groups helped coordinate the Military Family Fun Day—Students Behind our Soldiers (SBS), which regularly sends care packages to the military personnel all over the world, and Silent Ranks with a Vision (SRV), which provides support for military spouses.

“Students Behind Our Soldiers (SBS) came to the event to assist with Community Service (CSER) hours, but also to give more meaning to what their group is about, to be students actually supporting our military,” Edinger said.

It was significant for the military families to see the student groups involved, according to Edinger.

“It allows the military to see Liberty has military support groups,” Edinger said.

SBS member Meredith Gilbert said the group worked with registration, setting up lunch and handing out free Liberty paraphernalia.

“This shows we are proactive in showing support for the military,” Gilbert said.

The SRV actively supports the military as well, specifically providing support for military spouses, fiancées and girlfriends, according to Edinger.

“I believe it was good for our military guests to see that they can also be a part of this support group and that it’s not just for Liberty students, but that we are also reaching out to the community,” Edinger said.

Drewcilla Shumake Holifield, a member of SRV, said the SRV set up a booth at the event and spoke with most of the military wives who attended.

“We asked these women questions about what needs they are not getting met in this area. We were able to direct many of the wives to our group for community and to another Sunday school group at TRBC,” Holifield said.

According to Holifield, the Military Family Fun Day was an opportunity for SRV to make connections with military wives.

“We are part of the military ourselves, so it was nice to be involved with other women who have the same needs and desires we have. The military life is not normal, and it was wonderful to meet with other women who understand the struggles we also face,” Holifield said.

Tours — Students from the Helms School of Government pose outside the FBI Academy building. Photo provided

A class from the School of Government had the chance to visit the FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Va. Associate Dean at the School of Government Stephen Parke and his Counter-Terrorism class was given an in-depth tour of the Academy on April 10.

While the Academy is not usually open to the public for tours, Parke and his class were given a unique opportunity to privately tour the secured facility.

According to Parke, one of the goals of the GOVT 482 class is to produce graduates who will become future decision-makers, with the tools necessary to make rational and effective decisions for both preventing and countering terrorism.

The purpose of the FBI tour is to expose undergraduate students to the world’s finest learning and research center for counter-terrorism and intelligence analysts with the desire that some will pursue positions as members of these professions in serving their country.

“Liberty students had an opportunity to meet and interact with FBI agents and experience the sights and sounds of the nation’s top law enforcement academy,” Parke said.

Three tour guides led the group throughout the day. The first guide was a senior agent who has taught counter-terrorism at the academy and is now working in the cyber-terrorism division. The second was a former police officer from Lynchburg who is now teaching at the academy. The final tour guide was Tony Dillon, a Liberty alumnus who is now working as a Supervisory Special Agent.

Dillon, who played football for Liberty from 1982-86, has been with the FBI for more than 15 years. Dillon met the class in a conference room, where he shared his testimony and life story and answered questions from the students.

Brian Sammis, a junior in the criminal justice program, mentioned how much he benefited from the tour of the academy.

“The coolest part of the tour was seeing the history that is in the academy. There are certain areas where the new students cannot step because it’s a place of honor and a way of keeping the pride in the academy,” Sammis said.

Sammis also recalled the 9/11 memorial set up to serve as a reminder of what has happened in the past and to give an incentive to prevent anything like it from happening in the future.

“The connection between the academy and the counter-terrorism class is the constant reminder that there are always threats out there and that we need people with many skill sets. That’s what the academy is for, to train people and keep everyone safe,” Sammis said.

Daniel Desmond, also a junior criminal justice major, said that the best part of the training center was seeing the mock city center. The academy has a fake movie theater, drugstore and other community buildings set up to train agents in specific scenarios.

“I thought it was really cool how the academy gave us specifics on how to become an FBI agent, because they gave us practical steps and told us what we need to know and do in order to set ourselves up for the academy,” Desmond said.

The mission of YWA is to train high school and college students to promote biblical values of American citizens through prayer, education and influencing society, according to the CWA website.

Liberty’s chapter of YWA is committed to being involved in current issues in the nation and through prayer, fundraising events and education.

“We are built on prayer and action, so we hold prayer meetings that educate our ladies on the issues at hand, then we pray about them and for our nation’s leaders,” Haas said. “After each meeting, we have one action item that each member is to do. Some of the action items include calling a list of Representatives in Congress, urging them to vote a certain way on a bill, or it’s writing a letter to the editor or assembling care packages for our troops or girls in crisis pregnancies.”

YWA has hosted several large events on campus that have raised money for crisis pregnancy centers, anti-sex trafficking organizations and military aide groups.

Members of YWA also took a group to Washington, D.C. this January to participate in the March for Life rally, according to President Shea Anderson of Liberty’s YWA chapter.

YWA also participates in lobby days called Project 535 in Washington, D.C. through CWA’s Legislative Action Committee.

Project 535 is named after the 535 members of Congress. Each month, Project 535 members visit up to six congressional offices to tell them what they think about a piece of legislation, according to the CWA website.

“We all go up to D.C. and meet with CWA National, and we are put into groups to go meet with legislative aides in congressional offices to discuss and inform them on certain bills. This last time, about six of our girls went,” Haas said. “It was for H.R. 1179 — the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act so that religious institutions, like Liberty University, would be exempt from paying for the mandatory health care insurance that includes the costs of abortion pills and contraceptives.”

“The group keeps up with legislation both in the state and at the federal level,” Haas said. “We make sure the conservative woman’s voice is being heard in both. We not only do this, but we pray about the work we are involved in, and for our country and our leaders, and finally, we are involved in ministry through the fundraising efforts.”

Anderson sees the club as an important asset to the university.

“YWA has a passion for our country,” Anderson said. “I truly believe that the girls can have a major impact on Liberty’s campus by spreading the word that the members of Congress are making decisions for us.”

Female students who are interested in more information about YWA can visit the chapter Facebook page at facebook.com/groups/luywa/.

Building — Building Liberty brick-by-brick has gone according to plan thanks to donors like Towns. Photo credit: Betsy Abraham

Inscribed with the words “In honor of Mrs. Erin Towns, given by Dr. and Mrs. Towns to the glory of God, Liberty Baptist College,” this brick is part of Liberty’s original brick campaign, which took place in the ‘70s. Donors paid $500 to dedicate a brick to a loved one or to commemorate a special moment or team.

In return, they had one copy of their engraved brick mailed to them and another used to build part of Liberty’s campus. Towns’ brick was used for the original Schilling Center, and bricks from the campaign were also used to construct the prayer chapel and residence halls.

Liberty is once again rolling out a brick campaign to pave the way toward the Jerry Falwell Library. While funds from the original brick campaign went toward a one-story residence hall on main campus that cost $100,000, the new library costs 500 times as much. While most people may not be able to donate thousands to the library to get a study room or book tower named after them, the brick campaign is a more affordable way to get involved.

The campaign is driven by the Marketing Department, formerly known as the Office of Promotional Publications. Marketing Manager Christi Gee said the idea to do another brick campaign came about in the initial stages of planning how to raise funds for the library.

“(The Chancellor) was very insistent that we include options for people to be able to give at a smaller amount. We do need the multimillion dollar gifts, but his heart is always for the students and the alumni, and he really wanted there to be an option so that they could feel like they had participated,” Gee said.

A standard brick is 4 by 8 inches, allows for up to 3 lines of engraving and cost $125. A large brick is 8 by 8 inches and costs $500 for 6 lines of engraving. The most expensive brick is the premier, which is 12 by 12 inches, has 12 lines of engraving or a logo and costs $1500.

To appeal to a student budget, the Marketing Department allowed for payments to be split up into monthly installments. Gee also encourages students to get together with a group of friends, a residence hall or club to buy a brick together.

According to Gee, the Marketing Department does not have a goal for how many bricks they hope to sell. However, the success of the campaign will be measured by how many people participate.

“Honestly, the main goal of this campaign was to engage more people to give back to the university. We’re gauging this by how many people choose to get involved with this,” Gee said.

Already, more than 300 bricks have been bought, including 17 by Towns, who bought bricks for his wife, children and grandchildren.

“I want to remember my grandchildren. I want them to be able to come to campus and see (I) did that for them, I want to tie my children to the campus, to show them they’ve got a part in this campus,” Towns said. “After I’m gone, I want them to keep that relationship with the campus and with Liberty and all that God is doing here.”

According to Gee, this campaign is a great way that members of the Liberty community can leave a mark on campus.

“These bricks will be here for decades, if not longer. No matter where you go, there’s a little piece of your history in the mountain with your name or something that was special to you,” Gee said. “There’s so many people who Liberty has made a mark on, and this campaign lets you give back. You get to leave a mark on the mountain that has left a mark on you.”

The bricks will be placed on the ground at the main entrances of the library. Bricks can be viewed online at the Jerry Falwell Library page of Liberty’s website. Those wishing to purchase a brick can see what their personalized brick will look like before they order. To find out more about the brick campaign or the Jerry Falwell Library, go to www.liberty.edu/jflibrary.