Category: Features

One of Lynchburg’s beloved late-night ice cream stops has a brand new home. Rookie’s, the iconic ice cream cookie truck, relocated to a brick-and-mortar location not even 150 feet from where the food truck had been parked for three years.  Rookie’s owner Jordan Nickerson reflected on the June day back in 2017 when he first saw the building Rookie’s now […]

The percussion section of LU’s marching band, The Spirit of the Mountain, cultivates community and boosts team morale through “hype” clothing. “The ‘hype’ is kind of an extension of the group’s personalities and it changes every year,” said drumline captain and drum quad section leader Jonathan Byus. Every year, the percussion sections of the marching band each wear their own […]

On a typical Sunday, Sarah Mertz, a senior psychology student, arrives at Breakthrough Church early to serve. She sets up chairs in the back room of Mission House Coffee, where Breakthrough meets. Then she stands outside, greeting those who come in. “I feel called to work in a church,” Mertz said. “I love welcoming people into church and serving others, […]

Dr. Roger Mackey aims to inspire and impact students as a professor in LU’s two-year Eagle Scholars Program. Mackey decided to become a teacher because of the significant impact his own teachers had in his life.  “I had a couple of teachers who saw the gold in me and knew I had a good heart,” Mackey said. “I had teachers […]

Nomad Coffee used to primarily be known for its iconic mobile trailer, usually parked outside an office building to serve workers, on LU’s campus for a game, or at a farmer’s market for Saturday shoppers. Nomad catered events—parties, weddings, benefits, festivals—providing the drinks and snacks that encouraged people to linger together. Then came COVID-19. Couples postponed their weddings. Office workers […]

Lynchburg businesses are embracing community and creativity in a time of uncertainty and adversity. “Quarantine really gave us the time, space, and impetus to act creatively,” Myke Barron, co-owner of the White Hart Cafe said. “I’ve been inspired by a number of innovative ways people in the Lynchburg community have begun to operate their small businesses, specifically in our restaurants.” […]

From Spider-man neck gaiters to NFL cloth masks, nearly everyone can get their hands on a mask that represents their passions. “You have to represent your favorite sports team,” Josh Hisaw, a junior at Liberty, referencing his Houston Texans mask. Mask laws around the world and on Liberty University’s campus offer  a new way for students to express themselves through […]

The Annex, a former LU residential hall situated approximately two and a half miles from campus, reopened for quarantine purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the new semester commences, campus life is different, as COVID-related precautions are prominent – including social distancing, wearing masks, and readily available quarantine locations such as the Annex.  The Annex, located on Odd Fellows Road, […]

We were standing outside the empty storage unit, my car filled with boxes of bedding and dorm decorations and my mom’s rental car ready to drive the 12 hours home to New Hampshire. I went to hug her goodbye, a moment I had been waiting on apprehensively and restlessly since she welcomed me with a similar hug when I unexpectedly […]