Liberty Champion

“We want to make this an amazing experience for our guests and our graduates,” Boyce said. “It ties directly into the drone show. It’s about experience and celebrating and featuring Liberty and our grads, and that’s what we are really striving for with that.”

Sky Elements is the largest drone show provider in the United States. Because the team does not visit the show site beforehand or conduct any rehearsals elsewhere, Sky Elements worked closely with Liberty to craft a show perfect for Williams Stadium.

“We like doing things very well here at Liberty,” Boyce said. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right. We looked at several companies and (Sky Elements) was just top-notch for us.”

“Being at Liberty is an awesome experience,” Kyle Pivnick, vice president of Sky Elements said. “We have the story being told in the sky that’s special to the audience there, and I think on any event it’s special, but Liberty’s an extra special one because of how big, amazing and just custom it is for that audience.”

✍️ Katie Hagen
📷 Liberty Marketing

Liberty University Dance team senior Elizabeth Haab has been in the world of dance since the age of 2, exploring many styles in classical and competitive settings. She attributed her entry into the sport to her mother, who did cheer growing up and wanted Haab in a safer activity.

“I grew up in Southern California, so there were really good dance studios around me,” Haab said. “My mom cheered and got hurt a lot, and so she said I wasn’t going to cheer, and decided that dance was a better option for injuries.”

✍️ Kenlee Lewis
📸 Photo provided

For anyone who spends a considerable amount of time on the campus of Liberty University, it is only a matter of time before you hear the phrase, “the Liberty bubble.” The term refers to the idea that you are sheltered from the real world while at Liberty, giving way to the theory that students are fragile and venturing too far outside could cause the bubble to burst.

But what does this concept really mean, and is it a positive thing? Well, in truth, it all depends on your perspective. For students who use their time at Liberty as a training ground to become a Champion for Christ as Jerry Falwell Sr. intended, the Liberty bubble can be a beautiful thing. However, we must resist the urge to remain trapped inside the bubble.

I grew up going to a public school. Although I sometimes envied my friends who were in learning institutions surrounded by believers, I began to realize that the Lord intentionally placed me where I was. In middle and high school, I took on the unique opportunity to be on mission, reflect Christ and share the gospel frequently.

As I considered where I would go to college, I initially felt pulled to secular universities. I felt like I would not be fulfilling the great commission if I did not go to a place full of nonbelievers.

✍️ Anna White
📸 Unsplash

“We want to be sure our students and these 100,000 people that are going to be here in the next couple of weeks are safe,” Simpson said. “Now, we’ve always got things we can work on, but in general areas that we know are going to be … used quite a bit — we’re having to do quite a few repairs right now.”

All hands are on deck from Liberty University’s Grounds Department as they have been preparing for Commencement since mid-February, and preparation won’t end until after the final ceremony on May 15.

✍️ Lily Riden
📸 Ross Kohl