Start spreading the news! Student Activities pulled off another Coffeehouse with a twist for the spring semester in the Vines Center Saturday, March 28, at 11:30 p.m.
The “I Heart Coffeehouse” theme encouraged students, staff and community members to appreciate New York City and the contribution the city has made to pop culture and in the Christian faith.
The setlist for the event included 15 live performances from student musicians and dancers, six student short films and several comedic emcee segments from hosts Ty Justice and Sophia White.
In his third and final year as a member of Student Activities, Ty Justice reflected on his time hosting the campus-wide event.
“I thought I’d be sad, but I’m not. If I came back and did it next year, I don’t think I would enjoy it as much,” Justice said. “It’s nice to go out knowing that I really enjoy it and it’s not nerve-racking at all. I’m excited to be done with it, but not because I hate it, just because it’s been so good. All of them have been so good.”
Justice said it is a great honor to be able to represent the student body on such a large stage. His biggest hope is that students take a step back from their schoolwork and enjoy the show.
“I hope they just laugh and don’t think about their assignments, and they walk away with a few jokes that make them giggle or chuckle every time they think of them,” Justice said.
In preparation for this event, Student Activities staff designed the stage and decorated the Vines Center to bring a New York City feel to the venue.
Special Events Manager for Student Activities Anna Pender said the preparation and planning for the event began months in advance and all came together to create an immersive experience for the audience.
“We’ve kind of structured the entrance into the concourse to kind of feel like you’re actually traveling over the Brooklyn Bridge or through the Lincoln Tunnel to get to New York City, so once you step into Vines, it really is like ‘Welcome to New York’ in the truest sense,” Pender said.
For Pender, this year’s theme marked a special milestone in her career with Student Activities. This is the 10th Coffeehouse Pender has been part of in more than five years with the department and it was her pitch that came to life on the Coffeehouse stage.
“The theme is kind of my brainchild for this one; I’ve never had my Coffeehouse theme picked for spring, so I’m so excited to see it all come together,” Pender said.
Pender hoped students walked away from the event with a new appreciation for the culture and experience of New York City and a new belief in themselves.
“My hope with the majority of the audience that maybe doesn’t care for New York or is there just because they come to Coffeehouse all the time … is that they kind of see a new element of it that maybe inspires them to go to New York,” Pender said.
Student filmmakers Ben Hosler and Bella White directed and wrote “East Side Story,” a short film parodying “West Side Story” that was featured on the Coffeehouse stage.
Junior Daniel Prothe, who was a featured actor in the film, shared his thoughts on working with fellow students to bring the film to life.
“The experience has been so great, getting to work with fellow students, some of whom are friends on this amazing project of bringing parody work to Liberty,” Prothe said.
Prothe also said that he hopes students are encouraged by the filmmakers and actors and are inspired to create films of their own to submit.
“It does not take anything huge, … just a creative mind and a wonderful team,” Prothe said. “Take time to relax and enjoy the things of life. As students we’re always ‘go, go, go’ but Coffeehouse is such a wonderful way for students to take a break and look at the talent we have on this campus that’s not always shown.”
For more information on events like Coffeehouse, visit liberty.edu/sa.
Riden is the campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.