SA Previews: Coffeehouse: The Late Show
March 5, 2020
Live from Lynchburg, Virginia, it’s Coffeehouse: The Late Show! The theme in the spring semester always brings an original and exciting twist to Coffeehouse. Last year, we put on Coffeehouse: Where Dreams Come True which you, the students, really enjoyed. With each theme, we want to make sure we are offering something completely new, and we think Coffeehouse: The Late Show will give us just that.
Late-night television has been an iconic part of the American entertainment experience for the last 60 years. It was people like Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson who helped pave the path for the lip-sync battles we enjoy, from Jimmy Fallon and the hilarious carpool karaoke sessions James Corden offers. There are other late-night shows like Saturday Night Live! which has made us fall out of our chair laughing while watching their “Celebrity Jeopardy” skit or listening to Christopher Walken demand more cowbell from a crop-top-wearing Will Ferrell. These shows have always held a special place in entertainment because of what they accomplish. Wherever we come from, we can sit down together to enjoy different skits, interviews, and other hilarious moments on these shows. One of the best parts of the talk shows are listening to the interviews with various celebrities who are invited on. These shows give us the opportunity to relate with a celebrity we may think is nothing like us. But just watch an interview with Emily Blunt talking about her children and husband, John Krasinski, and you will quickly see that these people are going through a lot of life’s issues just like anyone else. Our goal is to capture the excitement and glamour from all these different shows, whether the show be Johnny Carson, Conan, or SNL, the instant you walk through the doors.
At Student Activities, we love taking different parts of entertainment and culture and making them into a fun-filled time for students. Whether you’re familiar with late-night TV or not, we want you to come out to Coffeehouse: The Late Show on March 28 for a night filled with student performances, laughter, and much more!
Written by: Andrew Reynolds
Andrew 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.
SA Previews: Every Square Inch Conference
February 20, 2020
Our fourth annual Every Square Inch Conference (ESI) is just a few weeks away, and we’re so excited for what’s in store. In conjunction with the Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement, we’ll host a series of events centered around the topic of political culture. The name ESI originated around a concept from the Dutch politician and theologian, Abraham Kuyper, who said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign overall, does not cry, Mine!” As we explore this concept here at Liberty, we look to provide opportunities for our campus to dig into Christ’s dominion over all aspects of culture.
This year, we have the privilege to hear from two of our very own professors at Liberty. Dr. Mark D. Allen is the Executive Director of the Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement and Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies. He is the co-author of “Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness” (2018) and a contributor to “Biblical Leadership: Theology for the Everyday Leader” (2017). His lecture “Christian Civility in Politics as Gospel Witness” will be our featured event for the conference. Keith Faulkner is the Dean and a Professor of the Law School. He joined Liberty in fall 2015 and prior to that served as an interim dean at Campbell Law School where he led the institution to its highest rankings as a top tier law school in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools 2014 guidebook, competed for three national championships, created Campbell Connections Mentorship Program, Public Interest Fellow Program, and more. He will kick off our events on Thursday, March 5 with a workshop titled, “America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship.”
The events will take place March 5 – 6, beginning with a private luncheon with our speakers and ending on Friday night with a concert featuring alternative rock band, Kings Kaleidoscope. Here’s what to expect for all our ESI events:
Thursday, March 5
Christian Civility in Politics as Gospel Witness
Friday, March 6
Kings Kaleidoscope feat. LU Praise
7:30 p.m. / LaHaye Event Space
Tickets start at $15
We hope you join us for these conversations regarding our faith in politics March 5 and 6. For more info about Every Square Inch, visit our website.
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 Recaps: Film Fest
February 18, 2020
Thursday, February 13, we had the pleasure of showing six student-produced and directed films at our second annual Film Fest! It was a great night full of videos, mingling, a Q&A with the directors, and of course, awards.
We wanted those of you who missed the event to feel like you were there, so we’re attaching four of the six films to this blog post for your viewing pleasure. You might want to watch them before reading which awards were won so you can form your opinion, but if you want to cut to the chase, here are the award winners:
Best Acting: “1959 On My Mind” by Cameron Wilson
Best Cinematography: “Jesus Heals a Paralytic in Lego” by Sam Lee
Best Directing: “1959 On My Mind” by Cameron Wilson
Best Editing: “When They Fell” by Philip Pomeroy
Best Musical Score: “1959 On My Mind” by Cameron Wilson
Best Special Effects: “Jesus Heals a Paralytic in Lego” by Sam Lee
Best Screenplay/Writing: “1959 On My Mind” by Cameron Wilson
We had the best time at the event and can’t wait for next year!
SA Previews: Ford v Ferrari
February 12, 2020
When you see the title Ford v. Ferrari, you may think that this movie is only made for the car junkie who tells you about the newest upgrade to his car while you smile and nod even though you don’t know how to jump your car battery. This is far from the truth. Ford v. Ferrari is based on the incredible true story of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a retired racer, and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), an ambitious British racer, and their journey to build a revolutionary race car and racing team to beat race car powerhouses, such as Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone), at the track Le Mans.
While the trailer makes this movie look like a serious, put-together story, this movie puts you in the same chaotic, ambitious shoes of Shelby and Miles. The dialogue is filled with passion and conflict as the team from Ford is hustling to build a world-class race car after Enzo Ferrari backs out of a deal to sell his company to Ford because of a much more lucrative deal given to him by Fiat. In 1964, Shelby would take over the Ford GT40 project from John Wyer after the Nassau Race, and Shelby with the help of Ford would go on to make the GT40 a staple of not only Ford engineering but of all racecar engineering.
Come out to the LaHaye Event Space on February 29 at 8pm to watch this incredible true story of an underdog duo.
https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/ford-v-ferrari
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/
Written by: Andrew Reynolds
Andrew 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.
SA Previews: Binge & Banter: The Mandalorian
February 6, 2020
Welcome to Episode 3 of Binge and Banter! This time around we will be discussing the famed Disney+ show The Mandalorian. On February 18th, Student Activities will be hosting the “Banter” portion of this show. During this event, we will be showing short clips of the series, discussing characters, significant plot moments and symbolism, and driving at hyperspace speed into fan theories with complementary Star Wars-themed concessions being available. Both Sith and Jedi alike can come for a night of discussion about this beloved Disney+ series with plenty of audience discussion to be had. In the past, we have covered binge-worthy shows such as 13 Reasons Why and Stranger Things with audience interaction being the cornerstone of the event, so come prepared to comment and theorize with us about the vast Mandalorian series.
Following a grizzled bounty hunter who was rescued by the fierce Mandalorian people at a young age and raised as one of their own, The Mandalorian is the story of how Din Djarin discovered and must protect a half-century old child of the same species as famous Jedi Master Yoda. The Child, who displays impressive force-sensitivity despite being the equivalent of a baby in his species, has yet to be named but is highly sought after by the Imperial Forces. Regardless, both bounty hunters and Imperial forces alike are going all out in search of the Child, who is protected solely by the father-like protectorate Mandalorian.
Binge and Banter: The Mandalorian is a free event open to students, staff, and the public. Disclaimer: there will be spoilers, and some of the talking points we will discuss have ties to other Star Wars TV shows such as “Rebels” and “The Clone Wars”, so it is recommended that you come having watched those or at least have looked into their involvement with the Mandalorian people and folklore. Cosplay is welcomed and encouraged, but not required. If you’re not already thinking about coming, Student Activities will be giving away a whole year subscription to Disney+ to someone who attends the event! From the event developer perspective, few events have made us more excited, and we hope that excitement has carried over to you as well. Come to Student Activities Binge and Banter: The Mandalorian on February 18th – I have spoken.
Written by: Mike Tammaro, Landen Swain, Alex Quan, and Josiah Frisbie
Mike is a Junior double majoring in Finance and Economics and writes for the blog in order to expand my skills as a student. As a business major, the curriculum does not allow for a lot of creative writing, so being able to publish written work is freeing from my normal educational routine.
Swain believes the human experience longs to be expressed; through our art, our labor, our songs, our storytelling. As a published playwright, author, and poet, he enjoys expressing his little chapter of the human experience through his writings and is thankful that the SA blog allows him to do that. He is published in numerous magazines, literary journals, and has several plays published by Off the Wall Plays, an online play publishing house.
Alex is a Junior Business Communications Major and enjoys writing for the blog because of the opportunity to express his thoughts and interests through the medium of a blog! It’s a healthy way to share his opinions with others and hopefully start a dialogue with them.
Josiah 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.
Fall 2019 Semester Recap
December 16, 2019
This semester was one of our favorites we’ve ever had. With the addition of new events like Battle of the Bands and Jazz Night, as well as artists like Tenth Avenue North and Rend Collective performing here, it seems like it’ll be hard to top! Other highlights of the semester were our student concerts, Christmas in Lights, Fall Festival, and of course, 25 Days of Coffeehouse. We put together a compilation video to give you a taste of the semester from our perspective – take a look, and come out to our spring events!
SA Previews: Spider-Man: Far From Home
November 7, 2019
We’ve all seen some form of the Spider-Man movie franchise, whether it was the original Tobey Maguire version, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal, or who seems to be the new crowd favorite—Tom Holland. With Holland making his debut in Captain America: Civil War, fans were bound to take a liking to him since he was introduced immediately into the Marvel world. Shortly after, Spider-Man: Homecoming was released, in which fans were able to see the original backstory that is associated with Tom Holland as Spider-Man. Tom Holland quickly became popular with the Marvel fan-base, as he starred in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. With SA’s movie night just around the corner, I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek into the latest Spider-Man release: Spider-Man: Far From Home.
In this Spider-Man based sequel to Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker is still dealing with having to hide his secret identity from his classmates as they embark on a school trip to Europe. Peter, wanting to refrain from any sort of super-hero activities, intentionally leaves his suit at home. Thankfully, Aunt May sends it along. What Peter thought would be a relaxing vacation with his classmates turns into a whirlwind of chaos, including a new character–Mysterio, a gift from the late Tony Stark, and the Marvel icon—Nick Fury. With the introduction of Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Parker is forced to take on his secret identity as Spider-Man to ensure the safety of his classmates. This film gives fans a more in-depth look at the life of our new favorite superhero by appealing to the grief we all felt when [SPOILER ALERT!!!] Iron Man fought his last battle in Avengers: Endgame. But let’s get real, if you didn’t know Iron Man is no longer with us, you’ve been hiding under a rock.
After Spider-Man: Far From Home was released this past summer, fans were concerned when Sony announced that Spider-Man would no longer be a part of Marvel; however, not long after, it was settled that Spider-Man was officially back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with a new release date for Spider-Man’s next movie. I highly recommend stopping by our movie night on November 15 at 8 PM in the Vines Center for some free popcorn and a thrilling look at Peter Parker’s adventure in Europe!
Sources
https://screenrant.com/marvel-studios-spider-man-sony-mcu-deal/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4043618/
Written by: Madelyn Mauck
Madelyn is a Junior 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.
SA Previews: Binge & Banter: 13 Reasons Why
October 31, 2019
After the success of our first ever Binge and Banter (which was on the topic of the fan-favorite Netflix original Stranger Things), we decided to bring the event back this November! For those of you who were unable to attend the first Binge and Banter and are unsure of what this event is we wanted to explain it, because this is an event you are not going to want to miss. The first part of the event, “Binge”, is what you will do on your own time – watching the show. SA does not endorse or promote the shows we use for this event, meaning that we’re not going to be the ones to tell you what to watch. Rather, we choose shows we know a majority of students have seen, that way we can have healthy discussion about it. The “Banter” portion is when we will have a group discussion about the show, fan theories, the characters, and more.
We are excited to announce that this Binge and Banter is going to be on the Netflix Original series, 13 Reasons Why. We decided on 13 Reasons Why for our second Binge and Banter because it has been such a controversial discussion since Netflix first aired the show back in 2017. We want to discuss the content, characters, purpose, and fan theories through a biblical worldview. The series is on their third season and there has been so much that has happened from season one to season three – there is so much that needs to be discussed! Therefore, this Binge and Banter is going to cover all three seasons. We hope that you will join us on November 12 at 7:00pm in the LaHaye Event Space, for some refreshments and conversations about the series. We will see you there!
Written by: Gabi Cormier
Gabi is a Junior majoring in Integrated Communications. She loves being a part of the SA blog and having the opportunity to discuss crucial topics that she is passionate about with the students of Liberty.
SA Previews: Battle of the Bands
October 23, 2019
All around Liberty, there are musicians who want nothing more than for their band to be the one that makes it. Students seem to be constantly coming together with their friends to create music that will mean something to someone. Lucky for all the musicians out there, Battle of the Bands gives the opportunity to 10 special bands who have wanted to create meaningful music; it is a time to finally let their band be THE BAND on campus. Each band has to have just three or more students, allowing 75% of the band members to be Liberty students (which should be no biggie considering Liberty is filled with some pretty amazing musicians).
Battle of the Bands is a one-night event on November 16, but who performs is up to Liberty students. From November 4 until November 10, the 10 bands Student Activities chooses who submit themselves as contestants will be voted upon by other students online. Submitted bands can be classified as whatever genre they prefer – from rap, to folk, to rock, all are welcome.
After the online round of voting, the top five bands will then perform on the night of the show. So yes, invite your friends, your family, and your campus crush all to come and see what you can do. After the top five bands perform, another round of text voting will take place to narrow down the top two bands. This is when the night gets juicy. The top two bands will battle it out for the winning spot and only one will be elected to win by a second round of text voting.
“But what happens when I win?” you may ask, and friends, the prizes are good. To the band who battles the hardest, they will receive not only clout, but also a Speakertree recording session, $500 Lynchburg Music gift card, and will be gifted the chance to perform once again as the headliner at a spring student concert.
Now after hearing about one of the best events coming up this fall, gather your musical friends, practice like no other, and submit your band to Student Activities!
Written by: Natalie Barsamian
Natalie is a Junior Digital Marketing & Advertising Major, and she decided to write for the blog because getting to share a bit of her story to encourage other students sounded like an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
SA Previews: The Lion King
October 17, 2019
The Lion King is a classic Disney movie that almost all of us grew up watching as a child. Its heart-wrenching plot and irresistible soundtrack must leave us thinking ‘How could The Lion King get any better?’ Well, it can! The new 2019 version of The Lion King is ranked #11 overall of all-time box-office hits domestically, while the original version ranked #26. So, one might ask, “Why is the new version of The Lion King ranked higher than the old one [in these statistics]?”
This year’s movie does a fantastic job of keeping a lot of the original ideas of the 1994 version present; it seems like that was important to everyone working on this version. The live-action version’s nostalgic feel is undeniably a draw for adults that grew up in the original Lion King era. Even though this year’s Lion King kept a lot of the animated film’s essentials, it did add a lot, starting with the graphics. The graphics this year changed the animated movie to being one of many newly computer-generated movies, which is similar to game technology. This makes everything in the movie not only pop, but also feel realistic. In addition to this, the creators also used “…a range of live-action filmmaking tools and techniques — from lighting to camera movement to set dressing — that have been around for more than a century, as well as a few that are entirely new”. Many have commented about how beautiful the animals and scenery are, making it look like a real-life nature documentary. Another change in the new Lion King is the popular casting among the characters. Some big names that were casted in this movie include: Beyoncé, Seth Rogan, and Donald Glover. The publicity from having these actors be a part of this year’s movie has caused a lot of success.
The basic plot of The Lion King (2019) is about Simba’s journey from a young lion to a powerful leader that takes after his father Mufasa. Scar, Mufasa’s brother, tries to kill Mufasa and his son Simba in order to take over the kingdom’s reign. However, he does not succeed with killing Simba. Simba runs away from home after the unimaginable scene that happened in front of him, and it was not until he met Timon and Pumbaa that he returned home. Once he returns home, he is approached by his childhood friend, Nala, who tells him about Scar’s reign throughout the kingdom and how Simba needs to stop it. After he is informed, Simba does everything he can to fulfill his destiny as king and overtake Scar. The audience gave this film an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.1/10 from IMDB reviews.
Join us Saturday, October 26th at 8 P.M. in the Vines Center for a fantastic night of nostalgia with The Lion King (2019)!
Sources
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic.htm
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/lion-king-2019-facts
Written by: Kaitlyn Skarstein
Kaitlyn loves being able to write for the SA blog because she thinks it is important to share her voice. She loves being able to express her own opinions on important subjects that are relevant for students, faculty, and many others.