Midcap 1 MaKenzi Midcap Mr. Harrell English Comp.

1 16 October 2013 Life At Liberty Most college students struggle enough with the difficult transition from high school to college life. They spend the first couple years of college trying to figure out how to study, what friends to hang out with, but mostly with whom they really are or who they want to be; however, Kevin Roose, a freshman at Brown University wanted to face an even bigger challenge in college. In Rooses book, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinners Semester at Americas Holiest University, he wrote about how he wanted to know how college life at a secular school was different from life at an all-Evangelical Christian school. Ultimately, this led to Kevin realizing that the students, the lifestyle, and the relationship with Jerry Falwell at Liberty University would change his life forever. When Kevin Roose first decided to go to Liberty University, he did not expect what the final outcome would be. The students that Roose interacted with were definitely different from what he was used to. Roose writes, At Pancake Night, I meet a few girls from the sister dorm. Theyre all at least moderately attractive, at least moderately personable, and seemingly normal. In fact, thats the thing that strikes me hardest: this is not a group of angry zealots. I knew Id see a different side of Liberty students once I resolved to blend in among them, but I thought it would be a harsher side. I had this secular/ liberal paranoia that when evangelical students were among themselves, they spent their

Midcap 2 time huddled in dark rooms, organizing anti- abortion protests and plotting theocratic takeovers. But thats not true at all (38). Kevin slowly began to realize that the students at Liberty were not at all what he expected them to be. Instead of the harsh, overbearing demeanor he imagined, they were much more like the people that Roose was used to interacting with. Roose really struggled with keeping his true identity hidden, especially when he became so close with the students at Liberty University. As the semester progressed, Roose started to get involved in more activities that normal Liberty students would be involved in. He played on an intramural softball team with the friends he made from Dorm 22. He joined the Thomas Road Baptist Church Choir, where he sang every Sunday and faithfully used his choir book to read the music since he really did not know most of the songs. Roose also attended an off-campus party with his friend, Paul. This party is where he met his Liberty love interest, Anna. Roose writes, After a while, Marianas friend Anna comes over to talk. Anna is a tall, slender girl with long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing a form-fitting green sweater and smart-looking glasses. Very cute, sort of a young Tina Fey(56). Kevin and Anna go out on several dates but when Kevin is faced with the decision of making his relationship with Anna official, he worries that this relationship with Anna will jeopardize his story or reveal his identity. Roose writes, The situation with Anna points to the biggest ethical dilemma of my semester. Namely, if I were a normal Liberty student, I would have no qualms about making friends, dating girls, and following all my social impulses. But Im not a normal Liberty student, and as Im learning, Im not immune to guilt. At some point,

Midcap 3 these relationships begin to get a little too close for comfort, and I feel compelled to pull back, distance myself, lessen the eventual blow (126-7). The struggle of keeping that distance between the Liberty students and himself proved extremely difficult for Roose because he never expected to become so close with them. If becoming close with Liberty students wasnt hard enough on Roose, he had no idea how Liberty would affect his lifestyle. Kevin Roose knew from the beginning that going to Liberty University for an entire semester would be like travelling to a different country. The culture would not be anything like what he was used to. Arriving at Liberty, Roose learns about The Liberty Way, which is Libertys forty-six page code of conduct. Roose writes, Rev. Falwell envisioned Liberty as a Christian safe haven where young evangelicals could get a college education without being exposed to binge drinking, pot smoking, sexual experimentation, and all the other trappings of secular coed culture. He planned to make it the evangelical equivalent of Notre Dame or Brigham Young, a university where every student would be trained in the liberal arts, fortified in the evangelical faith, and sent out into the world as a Champion for Christ (2). Kevin wanted to follow The Liberty Way so he could get the whole effect of being a Liberty student; however he began to realize that most of the students at Liberty didnt even follow The Liberty Way behind closed doors. The structure and rules that Liberty imposed upon its students would be interpreted to an outsider as harsh and overbearing, but by the end of the semester Roose began to feel differently about the lifestyle at Liberty.

Midcap 4 Roose never thought that his semester at Liberty would break him of bad habits and dramatically change his day-to-day lifestyle. By the end of the semester Roose can see a difference in himself and eventually experiences an overwhelming moment at Thomas Road. Roose writes, Pretty soon, I was joining the rest of my classmates in shouting and cheeringnot out of any duty or desire to blend in, but because in that moment, I couldnt restrain myself. Whats happening to me? Two weeks ago, I was bored out of my skull in church. I was getting as much spiritual nourishment out of my Sundays at Thomas Road as I get from clipping my toenails or reading Harpers on the toilet. And now, Im finding myself actually looking forward to services (231-2). This is ultimately where Roose realizes that he is being changed and didnt even realize it. Before this moment, Roose felt as if he were just going through the motions in his dayto-day activities at Liberty. He would attend class, go to convocation, and do things that a normal Liberty student would do. Roose never expected how much Liberty University and Jerry Falwell would change his life. Roose discovered quickly that God was not the only person that the students of Liberty University worshipped, but another major figure at Liberty was Rev. Jerry Falwell. Roose writes, When I arrive in their room, I do a double take. On Stubbss desk, beside his laptop, is a Jerry Falwell bobble-head doll. Dr. Falwell is mounted on a clay platform, dressed in a black suit, clutching a Bible and gazing straight ahead. When he sees me ogling his doll, Stubbs flicks the head, sending it in motion. So

Midcap 5 cool, right? he says. I got it in the bookstore. Its a limited edition. It occurs to me that Stubbs and I have led vastly different lives (21). This is where Roose realizes that Jerry Falwell has more impact on his students then he ever imagined. Roose also decides to visit the Jerry Falwell museum located on campus. When he leaves he compares Liberty University to a personality cult. Roose writes, Wow, this place really is a personality cult. What other college president has an entire museum dedicated to him? I was slightly reassured when I read that Dr. Falwell didnt build the museum himselfit was a gift from his sons on his seventieth birthday. But still, its an odd thing to have(46). Most of the hype built around Jerry Falwell is blown completely out of proportion. Falwell is a man, not a God. Kevin Roose doesnt see the true Jerry Falwell until he has the opportunity to interview him for an article in Libertys newspaper, The Champion. When Roose came up with the idea to interview Falwell he went to The Champion and proposed his idea to them. After they agreed to publish his article if he got the interview, Kevin Roose immediately went and emailed Falwells secretary. Roose received a ninety-minute interview with Falwell and really struggled with what to ask him. In all of his other interviews, Jerry Falwell was asked about controversial issues and topics, but Roose wanted to get to know the real Falwell. Roose writes, The other Jerry Falwell, the one Im seeing today, is more akin to a religious Willy Wonkaa whimsical, mercurial figure who delights in unexpected acts of generosity and trickery. This is the Jerry Falwell who gives away college scholarships to kids who hit baseballs over his fence, who plays lighthearted

Midcap 6 pranks on uptight fundamentalists and speaks adoringly of his grandchildren (258). This is the Jerry Falwell that people at Liberty wanted to know and see, and Roose wanted to show that side to them. Rooses interview got much more media attention then he ever expected because it was the last printed interview that someone had with Rev. Falwell before he died two weeks later. Feeling more guilty then ever about continuing to lie about his identity, Roose writes, Whatever Jerry Falwell has been to the world, however hell be remembered, I have to acknowledge that if it werent for him, I wouldnt have come to Liberty at all(303). Kevin Roose knows that everything about Liberty has changed him and he has found a profound appreciation for Rev. Jerry Falwell. Kevin Roose experienced first-hand how different a secular university and an all Evangelical-Christian university truly is. He began his experience having no idea what may lie ahead of him. Will he have anything in common with Liberty students? Will the regulations be too harsh for him to live by? Throughout his journey, Roose discovered that the students and lifestyle at Liberty University, as well as the one and only Rev. Jerry Falwell, were changing the way he lived and thought about religion forever.

Midcap 7 Works Cited

Roose, Kevin. The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinners Semester at Americas Holiest University. New York: Grand Central, 2009. Print.