Liberty Helms School of Government Hosts 20th Anniversary Celebration and Spring Public Policy Conference
Liberty University’s Helms School of Government held its 20th anniversary celebration, as well as its Spring Public Policy Conference in the Montview Student Union and Alumni Ballroom March 18-20.
The anniversary celebration was held March 18 in the Alumni Ballroom, where alumni, staff and supporters gathered to enjoy a night of laughter and recognition as they celebrated the growth of the department.
The event opened with prayer and a message from the dean, retired Major General Jason Bohm. Three speeches were then given by current students, detailing how God led them to the school of government and their current academic pursuits.
Next, a video presentation honoring the school of government’s staff was displayed before the school’s longest serving professor, Thomas Metallo, was given an award for his many years of service. The night concluded as guests were encouraged to participate in providing material for a time capsule.
“Please know that each of you, in your own unique ways, have contributed greatly to building up the professional reputation of the Helms School of Government in training champions for Christ,” Bohm said.
In addition to the 20th anniversary event, the Spring Public Policy Conference took place the same week. The gathering included several panels and breakout sessions taking place over three days, all exploring the theme of “Legacy and Freedom: Then and Now.”
The panels and breakout sessions were moderated by Liberty professors, such as Rear Admiral Tony Cothron, Scott Daniels and Melissa Stewart. Experts were invited to present their insight on various issues during these discussions; Liberty students were also given the opportunity to present research during the various sessions.
Students, staff and experts provided information concerning foreign policy, national security and the relationship between Christianity and politics, while also discussing the origins and solutions to many of these modern-day concerns.
Senior Kaeli Rasnake presented her research, titled “Sex and Labor Trafficking in Cambodia,” in the “Criminal Justice and Culture II” breakout session March 19. She discussed how Cambodians struggling in poverty are often taken advantage of and locked into labor contracts or trafficked while making earnest attempts to better their lives.
“They have a long history as a nation, and they don’t have freedom,” Rasnake said. “So, I think they have the legacy, they just need to get the option or get the chance to pursue freedom, pursue justice, in the nation.”
In addition to worldwide concerns, American conflicts were addressed as well, such as in the “National Security and Intelligence” panel with Cothron, Zoltan Feher and Wayne Hugar. Feher and Wayne, visiting professors from George Washington University and the National Intelligence University respectively, offered their expertise regarding China’s past and present relationship with America.
“The United States needs to rebuild its national power base,” Feher said. “It needs to resist soft power because China is there to fill any vacuum that the United States needs — China and Russia. The Trump administration should continue to be closing tariffs, import bans and sanctions to force China to change, finally, its unfair economic practices of the past 40 years.”
Feher also warned the audience to not be confused by the various wars threatening the world and America, as he said they are all part of one larger adversary that has consistently threatened the nation.
“We need to understand that the United States is waging one war. … It’s one war and three theaters and the enemies are the same, it’s China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. Wherever we go, we always run into the same enemies, the same adversaries, of the United States,” Feher said.
While diverse in topics, each aspect of the conference offered significant insight into American freedoms and legacies. For photos of the 20th anniversary and Spring Public Policy Conference, visit the school’s Instagram at @helmsschoolofgovernment.
McKinnon is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.