The college campus that the late Rev. Jerry Falwell founded isnot known as a particularly fun-filled place. Falwell himself occasionally referred to Liberty University as a 'Bible Boot Camp.'But the school's new image includes ski boots -- and a $2 millionsynthetic slope.
Saying goodbye to some of its straight-laced stereotype,Liberty's fresh face also includes a track for off-road motorcycles,a paintball battlefield, an equestrian center with horse trails andorganized student shopping trips to Richmond.
'Our mission was never to be a Bible school just trainingteachers,' said Jerry Falwell Jr., a son of the founder who isLiberty's chancellor and president. He is leading a multimillion-dollar campaign called 'Ultimate LU' to enhance the university'sappeal to a broader range of prospective students.
The new slope for skiing and snowboarding, scheduled to open inFebruary, is Ultimate LU's centerpiece. 'It's the kind of thing thatcatches your eye. We're hoping this saves us some money onrecruiting.'
At first glance, Liberty University's recruiting doesn't seem toneed a boost. In July the Christian liberal arts school closed itsfall enrollment early for the first time since opening in 1971. Theschool accepted 3,500 new students, raising its enrollment to about11,300 -- an increase of nearly 8 percent from 2007.
But the future of college admissions around the nation depends ondemographics that suggest increased competition for new students iscoming. Projections are that the annual number of U.S. high schoolgraduates will peak in 2009 at about 2.9 million, after a 15-yearclimb.
As a result, many colleges expect to see fewer applications insubsequent years, and they will have to compete more vigorously forthe best students.
'The colleges that are going to be particularly troubled in thenext few years are small, private liberal arts schools in ruralareas. That's Liberty,' said Scott Carlson, a senior writer whofocuses on campus building and infrastructure trends at theWashington, D.C.-based Chronicle of Higher Education.
In the midst of the nation's current economic uncertainties,Liberty's spending on high-profile student amenities contrasts withsome small schools that are more financially conservative.
For example, at Bob Jones University, a nondenominationalChristian school of 4,100 students in Greenville, S.C., theinfrastructure priority is improved campus housing, said BrianScoles, a Bob Jones spokesman. The most discretionary venture underway at Bob Jones is a new water fountain at the front entrance.
Strict code will remain
But Liberty's emphasis on spare-time diversions won't change itsstrict code of conduct, which includes possible reprimands and finesfor such activities as attending dances, entering the bedroom of amember of the opposite sex and viewing R-rated movies.
'We're known as a conservative religious school,' Falwellacknowledged. The school's expansion of leisure options 'can be donewithout compromising our Christian beliefs.'
'We don't have coed dorms,' he added. 'We don't have beerbashes.'
Liberty officials vow vigilance in enforcing limits that keepUltimate LU from venturing into the unacceptable. The school'sentertainment parameters were tested a few weeks ago when a promoterwanted to hold a professional mixed martial arts competition oncampus.
'Ultimate Fighting wanted to come here and do an event. I saidno,' said Lee Beaumont, the Liberty official in charge ofspearheading the new campus recreation programs. 'We're not going tohave people beating each other's brains out.'
Another recent proposal from outside: an on-campus pokertournament -- was also rejected. 'It wasn't going to be for money,just chips,' Beaumont said. 'But it was still the concept ofgambling.'
Outsiders did not suggest such nontraditional events for Libertyuntil recently, and the ideas might underscore a misperception ofhow much the school's personality is changing, said Chris Misiano,director of campus programming. 'We're open' to new concepts, hesaid. 'We're not wide open.'
'Champions for Christ'
After all, he reasoned, Liberty officials still filter out HBO atthe nearby Ramada Inn that the school leases and manages.Occasionally, Misiano hears someone voice a yearning for campustheaters to show R-rated movies.
'Some guy in the hall might say in passing that he wished wecould see 'Braveheart.' But they're not pushing the envelope. Theyknow where they're attending and what we stand for.'
Mark Krom, a senior from Massachusetts majoring in healthpromotion, endorsed the ski slope and other new pursuits. 'I thinkit's exciting. It's a great form of marketing, and the universityis still producing champions for Christ.'
Not all the students seem so enthusiastic. Sara Blackmon, asenior from South Carolina who is a nursing major, expressed concernabout Liberty's priorities. 'If money that could go to outreachmissions goes into things like a ski mountain, that would botherme.'
But school officials maintain that no money is being divertedfrom worthy efforts in academics, worship facilities or humanitariancauses. Falwell noted that the $2 million to pay for the new skislope came from a single anonymous contributor specifically for thatpurpose. Recreation spending, while on the increase, stillrepresents a small part of the university's $300 million annualbudget, school officials said. They declined to be more specific.
Artificial ski slope
Liberty University aims to get a big bang for the bucks investedin its new Snowflex Center, a 1-acre, year-round ski andsnowboarding run. It is located adjacent to the campus atop theschool's Liberty Mountain.
The snowless, 500-foot-long slope has a polymer skin kept slickwith small misting devices. Thanks to its foam underbelly, 'Youcould fall on it all day without being bruised,' said Brian Thomas,a former ski instructor who helped design and engineer the concept.
His company, Briton Engineering Developments Ltd., of Manchester,England, has sold several snowless ski areas in the likes of Beirutand Hong Kong. Sales in the United States have been limited tosmall practice runs in Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid, N.Y.University officials, including Jerry Falwell Jr., test-skied aprototype in Scotland before signing a contract, the company said.
The Snowflex Center will have ski jumps and a half-pipe -- anarea that resembles the curved sides of a swimming pool bottom tomake for a downhill challenge.
It will be open to the public, although no admission fee has beenestablished, and the operation will accommodate roughly 100 skiersat a time.
While that number is far smaller than the hundreds and eventhousands who can fit on most natural ski mountains, the shortdistance of the Snowflex Center's run and the speed with which liftswill return skiers to the top means they can take a dozen or moreturns an hour -- far more than on most conventional slopes.
The announcement of the ski slope earlier this year broughtnational news coverage, a good start toward the image alteringLiberty officials hope for.
Thomas is excited that the publicity garnered by the school mightgain him more customers. He is already talking with Californiadevelopers who deal in a market he considers potentially lucrative:theme parks.
New leisure-time pursuits offered for students at LibertyUniversity
Snowflex Center Artificial slope for skiers and snowboarderswith a $2 million price tag. Covers about 1 acre on a mountainadjacent to the campus.
Target completion date: February.
Rock climbing wall An $80,000 50-foot wall inside LaHaye StudentUnion. Classes in rock climbing are available to students.
Opened in summer.
Paintball battleground Two competition fields; each are 160 feetby 120 feet in size. Home to the school's paintball team. Featuresretractable mesh nets to keep paintballs from hitting spectators andpassers-by.
Target completion date: fall.
Equestrian center Horseback riding and competitive equestriantraining facility that will cover 200 acres. Will include trails.
Target completion date not yet set.
Motocross dirt bike track For off-road motorcycles. Built partlywith volunteer help from students including Trey Falwell, grandsonof Jerry Falwell Sr. Includes 1.25 miles of motocross loop plus fourmiles of wooded trails.
Opened in September.
Archery field Features plastic targets -- offers 25 lifelikereplicas of deer and other wildlife. For recreational use and alsoto train an internationally competitive archery team.
Target completion date: November.
Hiking trails About 60 miles of woodsy dirt paths. Some varywidely in vertical grades, ranging from beginner to verychallenging. Can also be used for mountain biking.
Completed this year; more being planned.
Tennis complex Planned to have 12 courts for recreational andvarsity team use. The facility will offer more than double theschool's previous tennis capacity. Clubhouse with team locker roomsand concession stand.
Target completion date: May
Source: Liberty University
