What Liberty University is not: Trump University.

It is no secret that President Trump came to speak at Liberty's Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13th; the media has made sure that everyone knows this. I have seen, especially on Twitter, so many hateful reactions to the news that our school's president invited our nation's president to speak at our graduation. Their hatred of President Trump extends to disdain for President Falwell and, by default, Liberty University as a whole. Our commencement ceremony, among other things, was compared to the terrible Hitler and Nazi regime. Apparently, we are being brainwashed by President Trump, as we cannot think for ourselves, and we will soon become his army. Who knew?

Comparisons such as this are, frankly, ignorant. We do not blindly follow and support President Trump. We do not all share the same political stances; there is actually quite a variety of positions from our student body, some of which have been more vocal than others. We are not turning into angry, hateful, privileged people who turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. We do not hate those who disagree with us; we have had many politicians, including Bernie Sanders, at our Convocation, and the students listened with respect to what the speakers had to say, even if they disagreed. We are not living in ignorance to the social and political issues that are so prevalent in the U.S. right now.

This applies to our faith as well-- although Liberty is a Christian university, and many of our students are Christians, others hold a variety of worldviews, from atheism to other religions. We do not blindly cling to a judgmental and hateful religion; that is not what true Christianity is. It has been said that a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted, and Liberty does not take this lightly; they do not keep us from thinking for ourselves and being intelligent human beings, but actually encourage it. (For most of us, this helps us grow all the more stronger in our faith rather than diminishing it.)

To claim that Liberty is filled to the brim with zealots and ignorant Trump supporters is simply untrue, and shows a lack of understanding of who we are as a university and (for most of us) as followers of Christ.

(As far as the Commencement issue goes: I may not agree with all that President Trump says or does, but I still recognize that, regardless of who our President is, it is a huge honor to have him speak at Liberty's graduation. Furthermore, it's rather sad that Liberty graduates cannot simply graduate in peace without the media criticizing our school because we dared to have the President come and speak. It's a commencement ceremony, not a Trump rally. Let it be.)

What Liberty University is: A university that strives each day to reflect Christ in all that they stand for and all that they do.

One Twitter user commented, in defense of our school, that if one actually visits Liberty, they will see that this is the most loving university. As someone who has spent the past year living at this university, I wholeheartedly agree. Liberty University faculty and students are known for the ways that they go above and beyond to care for their own, for their community, and for those in need around the globe. Programs such as LU Send (mission and service trips), LU Send Now (students who are available to go help those in need upon emergencies), and LU Serve (volunteering that every student gets involved in) give students opportunities to actively love others on both a local and global scale. Both the faculty and the students in leadership positions are intentional about connecting with students, praying for them, meeting their needs when possible, and truly caring for them. When my family visited Liberty before my decision to attend the university, they were struck by how genuinely kindhearted and service-oriented the students and faculty were; this is by no means a special act for potential students, but something I get to see and am blessed by every day when I am there. Yes, Liberty is unashamed of being a Christian university and of teaching from a Biblical worldview, but they are wonderful about balancing their standing up for what is true with their extending Christlike love to everyone. I am so incredibly thankful to go to a school that does both, and am tremendously proud of Liberty and of who we truly are.

I don't have the time to go into all the amazing things that Liberty does, but suffice it to say that we are a force for good in this world, a light shining in a dark world that so desperately needs it, a school that loves like no other school does.

So long as people let a perceived association with President Trump warp their view of Liberty University, they will be blinded to who we truly are and all the good and wonderful aspects of our university, and that is a shame indeed.

To those who still despise Liberty from what they've seen and heard on social media: Y'all are missing out on something amazing, and I challenge you to come visit us yourself and see if your opinion of us doesn't change.