Student Coffeehouse event celebrates the ’80s

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More than 6,000 students attended an ’80s-themed Coffeehouse event at Liberty University late Friday night, giving many students an opportunity to showcase their talent and have fun with icons of the decade.

“Coffeehouse is one of our favorite events. We look forward to it each semester. We are always impressed with the talent of the student body,” said Christopher Misiano, Director of Campus Recreations.

Coffeehouse is sponsored by Liberty’s Student Activities Office.

The competition to perform is steep, with 50 acts auditioning live and only 15 slots available.

The ‘80s theme was a student favorite with many students showing up decked out in ‘80s dress. Decorations, acts and videos included a wide array of ‘80s references and celebrities, including ‘Back to the Future,’ ‘Star Wars,’ Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and President Ronald Reagan.

“Each spring semester we try to change it up with a theme that is fun and nostalgic. We thought the ‘80s were rich with lots of cultural references from music, television and pop culture to create an original act,” Misiano said.

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary student Lorenzo Jackson performed Michael Jackson’s song, “Man in the Mirror,” along with 11 of his friends in their group called “LoLo and the Funky Bunch.” This is Jackson’s third Coffeehouse performance while studying at Liberty and he said this was his favorite.

“ ‘Man in the Mirror’ is one of those songs you will remember for the rest of your life. The message is about standing up for what you believe in. I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe that everything we do should show Jesus and preach the gospel,” Jackson said.

As a member of Liberty’s Ministry Team, Sounds of Liberty, Jackson said this was a different performance than he is accustomed to.

“It stretched me to get in the role like Michael would. It was really fun to do that song,” he said.

During Coffeehouse students, were able to ask questions, comment on acts and win prizes with Student Activities via their Twitter and tag “LU80CH.” With hundreds of tweets, the tag made its way to the top 10 trending topics on Twitter that night.

Freshman T.J. Stump said he loves Coffeehouse and it is a “great night of entertainment.”

“Liberty’s Coffeehouse is a one-of-a-kind chance for musicians and artists to show off their creations in front of an energetic crowd who is excited to see what they will do next,” Stump said.