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yesterday at convocation.

Miss USA runner-up visits LU convocation

April 29, 2009 : Dominique McKay

Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California, made a special appearance at Liberty University’s Wednesday convocation in a sit-down interview with Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., who asked her about the bold choice she made to stand up for her faith at the recent Miss USA Pageant.

After making it to the top five in the pageant, Prejean was asked a question from guest judge Perez Hilton, a homosexual activist blogger, about her beliefs on the topic of legalizing same-sex marriage in each state.

Prejean responded with the statement, “I think that in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

Prejean finished runner-up in the pageant.

At Liberty, Falwell asked Prejean, a student at San Diego Christian College, how she felt on stage that night.

“As I was standing on that stage I felt so alone, I felt like I was up against the world. I saw Donald Trump sitting there in the front row, my family, my friends were nearby — millions of people were watching it on national television. I was so nervous …” Prejean said. “They instructed the question to Perez Hilton and he then asked the question, and from there I just knew that I was either going to please man or please God.”

Falwell praised Prejean for standing up for her beliefs.

“To me, it’s scary that we’ve come to a point in this country where somebody like you is castigated for supporting the institution of marriage between a man and a woman — something that most Americans support — and it just shows all of us what our challenge is in this next generation to turn this country around. We deeply appreciate what you did and for standing up for what you believe,” Falwell said.

Following convocation, Prejean was scheduled to join Mat Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law, and Matt Barber on their one-hour nationally syndicated radio program, Liberty Live, that will air from 4-5 p.m. on American Family Radio and broadcast with video online at www.afr.net.

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Chancellor delivers "State of the University" address

April 29, 2009 : Dominique McKay

Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. addressed Liberty University students for the final time this school year at Wednesday’s convocation, where he shared the current state of the university and plans for the future.

In his speech, which he finished writing at 1 a.m. this morning, Falwell praised the student body for the register-to-vote campaign they joined last semester and the Liberty Champion staff for its recent tabloid publication showcasing the impact students can have on local elections.

Falwell also spoke about the solid financial footing of Liberty University and the decision to lower the current tuition rate by nearly $6 million, saving about $500 per student. This year, while many other universities raised tuition rates, he said, Liberty took into consideration the national economic downturn and made the decision to help students with families who had experienced financial troubles.

Falwell said by the 2000s, Liberty experienced an explosive growth in student enrollment and campus size and last summer the decision was made to limit enrollment. Now, as the university enters “a new phase of history,” Falwell said the focus will be on academic excellence in Liberty’s facilities and programs.

“The original vision of Liberty University was to create a worldwide university that is distinctively Christian. The vision was to have academic excellence, world-class facilities, NCAA Division I athletics — everything that’s offered by major secular universities but with an overriding commitment to biblical truth and morality,” Falwell said.

In the weeks and months to come, Liberty will be unveiling many projects, including the new Thomas Indoor Soccer Complex, the Snowflex year-round ski slope, a building expansion for Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, renovations for the Visual Communication Arts department and a new performing arts center.

Falwell also announced that the tennis courts are back on schedule to be rebuilt on Campus North and that the Career Center will be relocating onto the first floor of Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center, in the space that formerly housed the university bookstore. There are also future plans to relocate the School of Business onto the fourth floor of DeMoss Hall.

“Our commitment is to continue to improve Liberty’s reputation so that as you go through your careers your Liberty education will become more and more progressive to you,” Falwell said.