Liberty Decorates Campus and Plans Events to Honor 50 Years Aflame
There are banners, stickers, signs, hats and T-shirts to showcase the anniversary that only comes by once: Liberty University celebrating 50 years of training Champions for Christ.
Liberty University, originally known as Lynchburg Baptist College, was founded by Dr. Jerry Falwell 50 years ago with a dream to educate Champions for Christ.
On Sept. 15, 1971, the first day of classes were held with 154 students. 50 years later, Liberty University held its first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 23, with over 100,000 students, both residential and online.
This important moment in the university’s history is visible at every corner of campus. Each light pole holds an anniversary banner, and celebratory stickers scatter the campus grounds in front of doorways, roundabouts and in some elevators. The School of Business holds three of the largest anniversary banners.
However, the anniversary decorations go beyond signs and stickers. Sodexo workers are wearing special anniversary hats at select dining locations. For freshman move-in, all RAs, RSs and CGLs wore anniversary T-shirts featuring a design with Jerry Falwell Sr.’s handwriting.
Liberty’s yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration launched with 50 days of prayer led by the School of Divinity on Aug. 23, 2021. According to the event site on Facebook, the 50 days of “intentional prayer” is meant to be “an encouragement for the entire LU Community.”
Along with this, the first convocation of the year will be held on Sept. 1, 2021, and will focus primarily on the anniversary.
According to Student Activities, the biggest anniversary event for this semester is Homecoming on Oct. 8-9.
“This commemorative Homecoming is a celebration of 50 Years of Training Champions for Christ, and we are excited to have you – our Liberty family – together again,” Makayla Joseph, Coordinator of Special Events for Student Activities, said in an email. “We hope you enjoy exploring campus, creating memories, and cheering on your Liberty Flames as we celebrate our past, present and future on Liberty Mountain.”
Alumni and their families are invited to register for this weekend event through the Student Activities Homecoming website. They must register by Sept. 3 to guarantee a homecoming T-shirt. Online registration closes on Oct. 7 at noon.
The weekend celebration includes a carnival, opportunities to meet with school deans, alumni reunions, a bonfire, the Deep Hollow Half Marathon and 5K, the Homecoming parade, an alumni tailgate, Flames Fan Fest, a Liberty football game and two hockey games.
The School of Music will also host a special Homecoming concert at Thomas Road Baptist Church for free, on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. According to the ticket website, the concert will include performances by guests, alumni and current students.
According to an article released by the Office of Communications and Public Engagement, multiple departments plan to host celebratory anniversary events throughout the year. These events will give current students, alumni, staff and family each the opportunity to participate in person or from the comfort of their home.
Those interested in the anniversary and any related events can keep up to date through the new 50th Anniversary website at: https://www.liberty.edu/50-years/
Charity Fitch is a News Reporter.