Category: Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Liberty University’s CIO Needs to Resign

John Gauger has been accused of rigging polls for the 2016 Presidential Election. If Liberty University wants to retain Christian credibility in the academic field, their Chief Information Officer John Gauger needs to resign. On Wednesday, Jan. 17, The Wall Street Journal released a report detailing how former attorney Michael Cohen paid off Gauger to rig poll data in favor of Donald Trump for the … Continue reading Opinion: Liberty University’s CIO Needs to Resign

Jack Panyard4 Comments
Opinion

Students: Let Your Voice be Heard

The Lynchburg Torch has many opportunities for students of all majors and interests.  Christmastime is here, and with it comes the end to another semester at Liberty. This semester, The Lynchburg Torch has gone from a lofty idea to an established student project. We’ve been enormously blessed by the student interaction we’ve received, and we are enormously thankful for the interest all of you have … Continue reading Students: Let Your Voice be Heard

Jack PanyardLeave a comment
Opinion

Opinion: Patrol Rifle Purchase Best Option to Protect Lynchburg

Officer injury leads to city council approving rifle purchases.  The Lynchburg City Council recently voted to purchase 43 semi-automatic rifles in order to “fully outfit the department’s patrol division,” according to the News & Advance. The vote came just weeks after a Lynchburg police officer was shot in the line of duty. While the officer has been released from the hospital, the incident caused Lynchburg … Continue reading Opinion: Patrol Rifle Purchase Best Option to Protect Lynchburg

Joel Schmieg1 Comment
Opinion

Liberty Needs Freedom of Speech on Campus.

Liberty claims to be a big proponent of free speech, but is it really? Liberty University prides itself on being  one of the largest Christian universities in the world, one that trains students to be “Champions for Christ.” But Liberty has had a mixed history in regard to freedom of speech and expression on campus. While public universities are required to allow free speech on … Continue reading Liberty Needs Freedom of Speech on Campus.

Aaron Sobczak4 Comments
Opinion

Opinion: Holi-gay Craft Fair Presents Moral Quandary for LU Students

Liberty students should use the Holi-gay craft fair as an opportunity to reach into the community. With the Christmas season fast approaching, the city of Lynchburg is in full celebration mode. Whether through tree lightings, parades or Christmas movie marathons, Lynchburg is taking every opportunity to embrace the holiday season. But one event in particular may leave some Liberty University students in a moral quandary: … Continue reading Opinion: Holi-gay Craft Fair Presents Moral Quandary for LU Students

Sarah Jackson7 Comments
Opinion

Is Rising Tuition Causing Liberty’s Enrollment to Stagnate?

Tuition might be cause for enrollment decline. Back in my day, Liberty was the “world’s largest Christian university.” And then came Grand Canyon University. When Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service broke the news Liberty no longer held the self-proclaimed moniker turned marketing tool, Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. took offense. “Our definition of a Christian university only includes universities who hire faculty who adhere … Continue reading Is Rising Tuition Causing Liberty’s Enrollment to Stagnate?

Joel SchmiegLeave a comment
Opinion

LU Professor Resigns After Pornography Mishap. How Did the Students Handle It?

A professor’s mistake publicized on Twitter creates problems for all parties involved. On Nov. 9, Liberty student Ian Parish posted a screenshot on Twitter showing an email sent from his professor containing a link to a porn website. Parish called out his professor in the tweet.   The tweet quickly blew up on social media as students began a flurry of sharing and commenting, ruining the reputation … Continue reading LU Professor Resigns After Pornography Mishap. How Did the Students Handle It?

Jack Panyard1 Comment
Opinion

Coffee Community – Why Are There so Many Coffee Shops in Lynchburg?

Coffee shops can serve as their own communities in college towns. Liberty University is filled with students who love to drink coffee. Regular coffee, macchiatos, cappuccinos and lattes. All of the coffee. As a university with such strong views on alcohol use, coffee dates are a daily substitute. However, are businesses sniffing this demographic out and oversaturating it? Perhaps, but maybe there is a more … Continue reading Coffee Community – Why Are There so Many Coffee Shops in Lynchburg?

Abigail MichosLeave a comment
Opinion

D’Souza’s Bias: How Should Political Historians Conduct Themselves?

A Liberty history student’s take on Monday’s Convo Select. I recently traveled with the Liberty University History Department to the Undergraduate Conference on Faith & History at which the conference’s plenary speaker, Jemar Tisby, spoke on the use of history as activism. The talk was illuminating and inspiring, but the most important point came from a student’s question: “How do you ensure that in your … Continue reading D’Souza’s Bias: How Should Political Historians Conduct Themselves?

Jack Panyard1 Comment
Opinion

My Life at LU: A Student’s Reflection on Her Growth at Liberty.

A journalism student reminisces on her time at college. The days are long but the years are short. I blinked and time leapt forward through two-and-a-half years of undergrad life, procrastination and homework (in that order), all-nighters and copious amounts of black coffee to the final pages in this chapter. I moved to the aspiring metropolis of Lynchburg as a transfer student, carrying an armload … Continue reading My Life at LU: A Student’s Reflection on Her Growth at Liberty.

Rachel EstesLeave a comment