Important Homecoming Update
September 9, 2020
Each year, Liberty University’s Homecoming brings our Liberty family together for a weekend of celebration and fun on Liberty Mountain. From carnivals and concerts to athletics and tailgates, we always have a great time reminiscing and creating new memories.
While that spirit of celebration remains, the COVID-19 pandemic makes it necessary to cancel our 2020 Homecoming festivities.
The health, well-being, and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and campus guests are our utmost priority during this unprecedented time. For this reason, we feel that the COVID-19 situation has not changed enough for us to host a large number of people on our campus.
While we are disappointed that we cannot gather together this year, we will be offering suggestions on ways you can “celebrate from home” on our social media pages, so be sure to follow Student Activities!
In the meantime, if you have questions, please visit our Homecoming webpage or reach out to Homecoming@liberty.edu.
We hope to see you and your family on campus for our 50th Anniversary Homecoming in 2021!
Event Preview: SA Workshops Series
September 4, 2020
Here at Student Activities, we not only want to provide you with fun events where you get to hang out with your friends, but we also want to provide you with events where you get to learn new skills that will help you develop in knowledge and creativity. This fall, we are introducing a new workshop series focusing on just that. Each workshop is being held in the LaHaye Event Space with a 25-person limit (with the exception of coffee brewing), and all of them will start at 6 PM.
We are kicking off this series with our planting workshop on September 17th! For a small fee of $5, you will learn the basics of indoor plant care. Registration is already open for the event, so be sure to quickly register online to secure your spot. Irvington Spring Farms will lead the workshop through different plant care topics; such as, different types of soil, how to properly care for your plant, how to re-pot, and tips for your first year of care. At the end of the workshop, you will have the opportunity to take home your very own indoor plant. After the workshop, we hope you feel confident and capable when taking care of indoor plants.
Our second workshop is a virtual coffee brewing lesson led by Third Wave Coffee shop, a local Lynchburg favorite! The session will be held online at 6 PM on October 1st. You’ll have to tune into IGTV to watch, so if you aren’t following us on Instagram yet, our handle is @LibertySA. Austin from Third Wave will be leading you through various coffee brewing techniques; such as, French Press, V60, and Aeropress. This workshop is perfect if you’re like me and don’t have much experiencing making coffee outside of popping a K-cup in the Keurig and calling it a day. After attending this virtual session, we hope you feel ready to be experimental and innovative when making your daily cup of coffee.
The third workshop is a Cake Decorating session on October 22nd. There is a 25-person limit at this workshop, and registration will open on our website on October 2nd. At this workshop, Autumn, from Autumn’s Cake Creations, will lead you through cake decorating techniques; such as, leveling, filling, piping borders, and decorating tips. You will be able to try each of these techniques on your very own stacked cake, and at the end of the night you will take your cake home. We hope this workshop gives you the assurance you need to confidently decorate a cake for your friends and family to enjoy.
Last but not least are the pottery workshops on November 5th and 12th. Registration for this workshop will open on October 16th. During the first session, an instructor will lead you through hand building techniques on how to make pinching pots, coiled pots, and slab pots. After the first session, your piece will be fired in a kiln, and ready to be glazed at the next session. On November 12th, you will be able to glaze your piece, which will be fired a second time and ready for pickup. At the end of the pottery session, you will go home with your one-of-a-kind, hand built piece to put on display in your home.
Our workshops’ primary purpose is to help you expand and grow in knowledge and creativity…but to also have fun! Covid-19 has brought on a lot of unexpected life events that can often make you feel anxious and overwhelmed. Maybe a planting, cake decorating, coffee brewing, or pottery workshop is just the thing you need to take yourself away from the stress of everything for a couple of hours. We are so excited for you to join us for this series!
Written by Madelyn Mauck
Madelyn is a Senior studying Business Administration: Project Management. She enjoys writing for the blog, not only because it helps her develop as a creative writer, but because it gives her a chance to share her experiences through a platform she would not have without Student Activities.
Concert Preview: Skillet
August 31, 2020
Mark your calendars for September 25 and release your inner teen angst with our first concert in the newly renovated Vines Center, Skillet feat. Ledger! Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Skillet is not only one of the biggest Christian rock bands, but also one of the most widely known rock bands across the whole genre. The general audience who may not enjoy Christian music is gifted the opportunity to listen to music about the Creator without the common singer-songwriter vibe. The band found its origins with its two original members, John Cooper and Ken Steorts. John has stayed true to the group since the beginning, being the only original member to still be in the band. Skillet has continuously been nominated for various awards including wins for five GMA Dove Awards and one Billboard Music Award.
Opening for Skillet is the pop rock band Ledger, created and led by Skillet drummer Jennifer Carole Ledger. After drumming and singing backup vocals with Skillet for a decade, Ledger released her first solo project LEDGER EP in 2018. The band has been on the road ever since, opening for Skillet on multiple tours. Ledger’s music is clearly influenced by her roots with Skillet, continuing in the pop rock genre while utilizing her exciting vocal talent. As the band together continues to work hard and produce new music, I hope to see them continue to grow their audience. The more the band reaches, the more listeners are able to hear the good news of Jesus in a unique way. We are so excited to see you next month as we all get to enjoy some solid music and rock out together!
https://skillet.fandom.com/wiki/Skillet_(Band)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Ledger
https://www.skillet.com/blog/christian-rock-band-skillet-shares-its-secrets
Written by Josiah Frisbee
Josiah Frisbee enjoys writing for the blog because he believes in the power of discussing relevant topics. He wants to be challenged in his writing and research style while still growing and striving for knowledge.
SA Previews: Jumanji: The Next Level
August 28, 2020
In Jumanji: The Next Level, the crew is back in action, but the game is not the same as they remember. The original cast of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black are back, but they have some new friends this time around. Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Awkwafina are just a few of the new faces we see in the movie.
If you saw Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, you should have a pretty good understanding of what to expect from the original Jumanji crew. The chemistry between the four can clearly be seen on screen. Jack Black’s hilarious antics mixed with the friendship Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have off the screen makes their characters feel even more real on the screen. The film takes what Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle started and makes it even greater during this film. There are new levels added to the game that are even more challenging. On top of this, the game is starting to fight back against the players, making the teenager’s alter egos mission even harder than before. The players must once again figure out a way to beat the game, and get out while trying to rescue another player.
Jumanji: The Next Level really does take the crew to the next level in this movie. The danger is greater, the thrills are even more hair-raising, and the humor is funnier than ever. If you want to see this hilarious, action-packed movie, come out to the Commons Lawn on September 5th for either showing at 8:30 or 10:45pm. We will have free popcorn and concessions for sale. We hope to see you there!
Written by: Andrew Reynolds
Andrew Reynolds is a Senior Project Management Major, and enjoys writing for the blog because of the opportunity it gives him to grow as a writer and to challenge himself to see current topics and discussions from a view point he may not have otherwise thought about.
Event Preview: Block Party – How We’re Changing During COVID
August 24, 2020
Block Party is one of our most anticipated events each year, as we get to celebrate the start of a great school year together! This year, the event is slated to take place on August 29 in the LaHaye Parking Lot. We’ll have five artists joining us throughout the night, as well as rides, food vendors, giveaways, and more! If you’ve been following us on social media for some time, you’ll have seen quite a few announcements already regarding how we’re changing this event during COVID. As we enter Block Party week, we wanted to make sure everyone was following along to the changes and sanitary enhancements that will take place this year, in order to make the event a safe place for everyone.
First, we’ll be reducing our crowd sizes by offering three time slots for the event. Specifically, we’ll max each slot at 1,000 guests, so we’re in compliance with Virginia’s Phase 3 policies for entertainment sectors. These slots are:
Group One: 4:45 – 6:30 PM
Group Two: 7 – 8:45 PM
Group Three: 9:15 – 10:45 PM
To attend one of those slots, you must pickup a wristband this week on the Academic Lawn. We’re handing these out on Wednesday from 12 – 5 p.m. and if we have some left, we’ll be out there on Thursday from 2 – 5 p.m. Here are a few details regarding pickups:
- You must be a current Liberty student, faculty or staff to attend Block Party
- You may pick up a max of two wristbands (Separate LU ID/Flames Pass required per wristband)
- You may only attend one group session
- Time slots are on a first come first served basis
All guests will enter from Regents Pkwy and exit from the LaHaye Lobby or bus stop loop. This ensures lines won’t intersect and guests are spaced 6’ from another. There will be 30 minutes between group sessions to ensure the event can be turned over appropriately for the next session. Be sure to watch for line entrances/exits at each vendor so you’re doing your part in staying 6’ from other groups – we’ll have ground stickers navigating lines to make it super easy for you. Additionally, we’re asking all guests who attend our events to review our social media and website the day of the event for the latest info on what’s changing and how you can do your part in keeping the event safe. For now, there are three resources to help prepare you for Block Party:
- Keep an eye on our event page, where details will be added as necessary
- Review our Event Sanitary Guidelines to see how you can do your part in protecting all our guests
- Check out our recent blog post, “How We’re Changing Events During COVID”
Together, lets all do our part in making sure Block Party is safe and kicks off the school year the right way! We’re expecting nothing short of an upbeat, fun, and energetic event (hey, who isn’t excited about those shorter ride lines?). As always, for the latest event info, follow us on Instagram or the specific event page on our website. We’re really looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Written by: Steph Ward
Steph is the Director of Student Activities. She has a B.S. in Visual Communication Arts: Graphic Design and a M.S. in Management. Steph oversees the overall calendar and vision of the Student Activities Department from promotion to execution and analysis. She also leads the Student Activities staff, comprised of 20+ full time and student worker employees.
How We’re Changing Events During Covid
August 17, 2020
We’re just a few short days from events starting up and we couldn’t be more excited. FIVE MONTHS – that’s how long we’ve waited for this semester, and boy are we ready! If you keep up with our blog, you know we’ve hinted at some changes being instilled at events, like increasing sanitary procedures or limiting capacity. While this may be true, we’re still committed to bringing you the same great events with just a little twist. We want to host events and we want you to stay safe, so we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to do this right.
So what does this look like? First, this post is giving you the most current information as of today (August 17). Unfortunately, just as state guidelines change, so will our event procedures. In an effort to communicate the most accurate information and make the safest decision possible for guests, all changes and guidelines for events will be posted on Instagram in addition to the specific event page the week of the event. Our weekly event rundown on Instagram will give you capacity limits each Monday, and we’ll always be posting tips on how to attend our events safely.
As of today, Student Activities is operating within Virginia’s Phase 3 ‘Safer At Home: Entertainment and Public Amusement’ guidelines. This means an increased sanitary event environment, such as staff wearing masks in all customer facing areas, discontinuing hand-to-hand contact where applicable, encouraging halls/households to physically distance from other groups, and limiting guests in high traffic spaces. We’ll have mobile hand sanitizing stations all around our events, so utilize those to keep yourself and others protected. Operating within these guidelines also means that our events will have limited capacities of 50% of the lowest venue occupancy or 1,000 guests, whichever is lesser. In order to accommodate this, all venues (whether indoors or outdoors) will have distinct entrance and exit points. Outdoor event spaces will be roped off with signage to help guide you to the entrances. By adhering to these policies, we’re all working together to ensure these events are safe for everyone who attends.
So, how can you help? In general, keeping up with our guidelines and reviewing our social media for any event changes prior to showing up to an event will be key. Once we reach capacity, we’ll post it in an Instagram story – we don’t want you to travel all the way to the venue if you don’t have to! To keep groups separated, we’re asking halls and households to arrive together so you can easily be seated together (i.e. Movie Night, Bingo, Outdoor Open Mic, etc.). This ensures you have enough space for your group, while leaving 6’ between you and the group next to you. Lastly, pay close attention to signage throughout the event, as it will guide you to entrances, exits, line queues, etc., and allow you to maintain a safe distance from other individuals.
There’s a few other practical things you can do to keep safe:
- Use wipes to clean any surface that you come in contact with
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 30 seconds
- Stay home if you’re feeling sick or have flu-like symptoms
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and dispose of it in the trash
- Wear a mask or face covering
- Avoid close contact with other halls/households (groups) or individuals at events to promote social distancing
One of our greatest resources at Student Activities is the feedback we receive from students who attend our events. We always want to do things with excellence and intentionality, so when you fill out a survey, it helps us make necessary changes in improving our events. These surveys will be increasingly important at events this year to make sure we’re doing a good job with the changes we’ve implemented and making our guests feel comfortable, while maintaining university and state guidelines. To eliminate passing around tablets and paper surveys like we typically do, our staff will be walking around with QR codes so you can take the survey right from your phone at every event. If you get the opportunity to fill one out, please do so. They take less than 60 seconds and are a huge asset to us as we continue to learn and change during this season.
We’ve developed this theme within our team culture that we’re “all in this together”, and we mean it. If we’re doing our part and you’re doing yours, we think these events will run smoothly and safely. I speak for all of Student Activities when I say we’re so excited to have you back on campus, and are really looking forward to building community with each of you this semester.
As a reminder, for updated info on event policies follow us on Instagram and check out our website. To see a full list of what we’re doing and what you can do to make events safe, visit the event sanitary procedures page on our website. Thanks for the support – we can’t wait to see you this week!
Written by: Steph Ward
Steph is the Director of Student Activities. She has a B.S. in Visual Communication Arts: Graphic Design and a M.S. in Management. Steph oversees the overall calendar and vision of the Student Activities Department from promotion to execution and analysis. She also leads the Student Activities staff, comprised of 20+ full time and student worker employees.
Block Party Premier Sponsors
August 12, 2020
This year, our Block Party has an awesome lineup of premier vendors that are supporting our event! We wanted to give you a rundown of who they are and what they do, so here they are:
Premier Sponsors
YES (Your Event Source) – based out of Charlotte, NC, YES has been a part of our SA events for many years now. They provide the attractions you love, like the Ferris wheel, the mechanical bull, Meltdown and more! We love working with them and having them be a part of our events, especially Block Party.
90.9 FM The Light – the Contemporary Christian Music station based in Lynchburg that you probably listen to on your drive to and from work. They play the best of the Christian music charts right now and consistently support our events by advertising for us.
Domino’s – who doesn’t love some consistently good pizza?! Domino’s is another business we work with often, especially at the beginning of the year. Bring your Flames cash – they’re one of the only food trucks that will accept it at BP.
So there you have it! See you August 29 for some good coffee, pizza, and amazing attractions!
Block Party Title Sponsor: Coca-Cola
August 5, 2020
We are proud to announce that Coca-Cola is the title sponsor for Block Party once again this year! We have partnered with Coke for the past few years at Block Party and are incredibly thankful to continue our relationship with the company.
Did you know that the company was founded in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia? 134 years ago, only nine bottles of Coke were sold a day when it was first created. Decades later, Coca-Cola products are sold in over 200 countries with over 500 different brands, making it the number one beverage company in the world. An estimated 1.9 billion daily servings of Coca-Cola beverages are distributed!
Coca-Cola is known for their viral marketing strategies that have inspired many corporations over the century. With their current campaign, “Together Tastes Better”, Coca-Cola is teaming up with celebrity chefs and professional athletes to bring their family cooking tips and secrets from the virtual Coca-Cola Kitchen to your own home. Nothing brings the family together quite like a home cooked meal and an ice-cold Coke.
At SA, we appreciate companies that go above and beyond to change the way things have been done before, and we feel that Coca-Cola is one of the best examples of that. At Block Party, Coca-Cola has given us free Coke and Dasani to hand out, so don’t forget to pick yours up for free!
Homecoming: Make 2020 Come Alive
July 2, 2020
The feeling you get thinking about your first day of college is quite nostalgic. Many of you were dropped off for the first time, in a place that was unfamiliar, not knowing what the future would hold. Move in week brought bittersweet feelings – you’re nervous leaving home for the first time yet excited for the next stage of life. College is one of the most pivotal times in your entire life, as you learn to navigate some of the best experiences and greatest challenges life offers. Jump four years and you’re sitting at graduation thinking of all that Liberty means to you – a place you’ll always call home, good lessons you’ve learned, professors who cared about your success, late nights, and most importantly, the lasting friendships you’ve made along the way. But it doesn’t have to end there. Liberty becomes a place you can come home to, and we’re here to join you as you journey from a student to an alumni, a full 360 experience!
That is why Student Activities is proud to announce that starting this fall, we will begin overseeing Homecoming weekend. We’re passionate about cultivating relationships and fostering community among students throughout their time here at Liberty, and what perfect way to further that mission by continuing to engage with you as alumni! We can’t wait to have you back, and hope you’ll join us October 9-10, 2020 to celebrate your coming home.
Homecoming 2020 has a lot in store – I’d check out our website for an exhaustive list of what to expect; events including Flames Football vs. Louisiana-Monroe, the carnival, meeting deans and other notable alumni, bonfire, Hockey vs. Syracuse, the parade, and more. Grab your friends and family and come back to the mountain! We highly encourage you to register early to lock in the best things the weekend has to offer. Anyone who registers by July 31 will receive a branded scarf or blanket for you (and your group). Those who register by September 4 will guarantee that each member of their group receives a Homecoming branded t-shirt and one tote for the group (as seen on our Registration page). Early registrants will also get first opportunities at tickets like football, theater, concerts, and more. We guarantee there’s something for every member of your family, so I hope you join us and make 2020 come alive!
Visit liberty.edu/homecoming for a full list of events and details you’ll need to know for your weekend on campus. I encourage you to check out our FAQ page to help answer any questions you may have right away! Feel free to email us at homecoming@liberty.edu or call (855) 222-8836. Registration is open now – we’ll see you in October!
Written by: Steph Ward
Steph is the Director of Student Activities. She has a B.S. in Visual Communication Arts: Graphic Design and a M.S. in Management. Steph oversees the overall calendar and vision of the Student Activities Department from promotion to execution and analysis. She also leads the Student Activities staff, comprised of 20+ full time and student worker employees.
SA Previews: Block Party
June 11, 2020
I’ve been saying for months now how sweet and refreshing it will be to have students back on campus this fall. When you run a department full of events that brings people together, you can expect that there’s a void in all of us when those events get canceled, and we are to limit interaction with any sort of group. I get antsy after three months of students being gone, so you can imagine how I’m feeling with our current five-month gap. All this to say, I’m really hopeful and ecstatic for what the fall will bring!
One of our most anticipated events of the year is set for August 29 at 5 p.m. in the LaHaye Parking Lot – Block Party. Though there are a lot of loose ends right now, boy are we ready! Chock-full of food vendors, attractions like the ferris wheel and mechanical bull, local businesses and interactive vendors, prizes, live music, and more, this event has much to offer Liberty students, faculty and staff. As you may have seen, we’re bringing you a full night of music, kicking off at 5 p.m. all the way until 10 p.m. Five artists/bands are set to hit the stage, and I dare say this is one of my favorite line ups to date. Lets get to know our artists a bit more:
GAWVI
A native to the Block Party stage, GAWVI, a pop and hip artist and producer, will be closing the show. Born in the Bronx and raised in Miami, he uses his Latin roots to create versatile sounds with Latin-Caribbean rhythms. His set is guaranteed to be upbeat and bring energy to the crowd.
The New Respects
The New Respects are a pop, soul, and roll & roll band from Nashville, Tennessee. Their mesh of many genres with overlays of acoustic tones set them apart in the music industry. Comprised of two sisters, a brother, and their cousin, they’ll undeniably bring soul and spirit to the stage.
Temecula Road
Where are all my country music fans at? Temecula Road was formed by two sisters, Emma and Maddie Salute, and longtime friend Dawson Anderson. They’re well-known for their trademark harmonies and impeccable vocals. The band is from Temecula, California, which they named are named after, to signify their deep ties to their community.
Angie Rose
Angie Rose is a pop and hip-hop artist from the Bronx. Her Puerto Rican roots really inspire her music, with lyrics that promote diversity and overcoming various obstacles in life, alongside a sound that brings upbeat and lively energy.
NICE.
Kicking off the night will be NICE., bringing a sound they’ll describe as nostalgic yet modern, comparable to The 1975 and Coldplay. These guys will make us feel right at home, as they were formed here at Liberty University!
Each of these artists are unique, upbeat, and will bring diversity to our Block Party stage. I encourage you to check out their music in advance, so you can be ready to party with us that night.
On a more serious note, as with anything we do, we do our best to create events that are safe and inviting for all guests. In an effort to make Block Party the best it can be, while maintaining a safe environment, we will be adjusting our sanitary procedures and adhering to any crowd limitations issued by the State of Virginia for this event. We will consistently monitor specific guidelines and recommendations from the university, our government, and the CDC to make all necessary adjustments in August. In an effort to communicate the most accurate information and make the safest decision possible, all changes and guidelines for this event will be posted on both our social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and our Block Party page the week of the event. The page currently lists how we’re increasing all sanitary measures at events (regardless of crowd size) as we move into the fall, so take a look and see how you can do your part to make this event safe for everyone! Again, there will be more details coming the week of the event to make the best decision possible as the event approaches.
Be sure to check out our full calendar of events, as Block Party isn’t the only thing you’ll want to join us for this fall. See you August 29!