“You will create a second family with them, a kind of tribe that makes you feel less vulnerable. Sometimes our families can’t love us all the time. Sometimes we’re born into families who don’t know how to love us properly. They do as much as they can but the rest is up to our friends. They can love you all the time, without judgment. At least the good ones can.” – Ryan O’Connell, from “The People You Will Fall in Love with In Your 20’s”

My friends at Student Activities are some of the people who embody what Ryan O’Connell says about the friends you make in your 20’s. As a group, they are some of the people I love the most: from the full time staff who work behind the scenes to plan and coordinate every event, to the supervisors who plan alongside the full time staff, to the event staff who will hopefully become some of my lifelong friends.

One of our values at Student Activities is loving others, and I don’t think we’d be able to successfully love the student body without loving each other as a staff first. I believe that we execute quality events because our service to the student body starts with our service to each other. We hear it in staff meetings time and time again – “it starts with the staff”, and I truly believe that my experience at Student Activities has been such an integral part of my college experience because of the relationships I’ve made here.

I think that fostering relationships with each other is what helps us focus on creating relationships through our events, whether it’s at College For a Weekend tables (which are my personal favorite), or Block Party, or Bingo Nights where there are hundreds of 20-something year olds playing bingo. What other college can offer that? I believe that our events are successful because there is a collective group of people planning, promoting, and executing these events week after week. My experience at Student Activities wouldn’t be what it is today without that group of people.

There’s something so special about working 18+ hour shifts and then still wanting to go to IHOP together at 2AM. Who knew that building decorations for Coffeehouse, in the middle of a snowstorm inside a storage cage for hours on end could create friendships? It’s only been two months, but I can confidently say that this is going to be one heck of a year. The way the full time staff always seem to hire the right people boggles my mind. Honestly, there are days where I ask myself “How in the world did I get this job?!” But don’t just take my word for it, check out an event for yourself and stop by our promo table because I promise that no matter who the staff member is you stop and talk to, he or she should be one of the nicest people you’ll meet on campus.

It’s almost that time of year: Fall is nearly here. The leaves are changing, the cool breeze is blowing in, and everything is getting “pumpkin-ed”. The heat from the summer is starting to fade away and you can’t help but hear the outdoors bid for your attention. The beautiful fall foliage and smoke rising from a campfire seem to blend so pleasantly with these September and October weekends and are a perfect backdrop for your outdoor excursion.

I’m always one to encourage exploration, but I encourage it even more this time of year. Does this mean, though, that you should just run out there into nature and explore, completely unprepared? No. So don’t you think more people should ask me something like, “Mike, what it is in your pack on a typical weekend excursion and what should I bring with me?” Yes, they should. But no one has ever asked me that, so that’s exactly what I am going to share with you this week. As I head out on these fall weekends with many other outdoor enthusiasts, there are a few items that I will be taking with me.

Pack – My current weekend pack is the Kestrel 32. I love this thing! For me, it’s the perfect size for 1-3 days out. It offers great support via the sturdy hip belt, and has an integrated rain cover for those surprise showers.

Tent – I’ve never been more pleased with a tent as I am with the Kelty Trail Ridge series. These tents are great, and it is nice to see them in the inventory at Camp Hydaway (wink, wink…available to rent). The 2-man is lightweight enough to strap to my pack, and large enough for me and a friend. These tents are easy to set up, yet sturdy and mobile.  This is my favorite home away from home.

Boots – I’m currently wearing my Oboz Sawtooths. I like a lightweight, sturdy, but sneaker-ish boot, and these couldn’t be better for me. However, the right hiking boots really are conditional upon what your foot shape is and how you walk. I always recommend going to a local store to try on different pairs or even talking to a pro about different options.

Clothes – I basically have 2 articles of clothing that I can’t live without when I’m out.  I have a synthetic Patagonia zip-neck that works great in all seasons. It breathes when it’s hot, and as the cool evening rolls in, I simply add another layer and this baby keeps the heat right near to my body. This type of middleweight layer is ideal for fall camping.  I also love the Prahna Bronson shorts. I live in these things!  They are made with a tough and sturdy canvas fabric that also stretches in all the right places for optimum comfort.

Other Cool Stuff – I have had my Gerber Instant knife for a few years now. It’s with me almost every day and is always ready to lend a hand. Few items are as helpful when you’re outdoors as a trusted knife in your back pocket.

• A sturdy flashlight will be just as helpful in a pinch. There’s a lot of debate out there on what flashlight to buy. I’m a huge proponent of not spending a lot of money on one. Just get one that is reliable and bright. Some people can spend $60-$100 on a flashlight. I think that’s crazy! I’ve had my Coleman from Walmart for 2 years now and I love it.
• It’s also great to have a back-up headlamp just in case. Inevitably, someone will forget a flashlight on your trip. So, I always act the hero and carry two. The same rule for flashlights applies to headlamps – DON’T OVERSPEND!

Student Activities just got back from our overnight beach trip to Virginia Beach and we have a few more excursions left on the calendar. That means you have a few more opportunities to utilize this pack list. Be sure to check out our upcoming fall break trip. But, more importantly, just get outside! Step out of your comfort zone this fall and go camping with some friends.

Have fun, stay safe, and engage the world around you!

At Student Activities, we try to bring in artists and bands from an array of genres. Most recently, we were able to invite Johnnyswim and Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors to perform at Block Party 2015. For those who went to Block Party, we hope you enjoyed the show and the night as a whole. Johnnyswim and Drew Holcomb are just a couple of the many artists and bands that are able to produce not just great music, but music that has a story to it. I love to be able to listen to an entire album in one sitting, because it lets me see how each song contributes to a bigger story.

Ben Rector is one of those artists for me. Over the past couple years, I have known several couples who want to use Ben’s music, such as his song “White Dress”, to be in their wedding one day. I mention this as I believe couples want a song like “White Dress” because it addresses honest and personal issues that provide joy and excitement for the future, a song that can be the start of, and forever part of, their story.

That brings me to Ben Rector’s latest album Brand New. The first song I want to bring to your attention is “The Men That Drive Me Places.” He talked about this song following one of his most recent shows this summer:

“I started talking to cab drivers because I travel a lot, and it is interesting because most of the time those drivers are brilliant. Through the encounters and conversations, I realized that I am a product of my circumstances, and upbringing. I say that in regard to not just myself, but actually all of us. I mean even through parents that instilled hard work and positive reinforcement, I had a great start and foundation, and many people do not have that. Thus, after talking to many of these drivers, I saw that each driver was hardworking, diligent, and spent lots of time giving back through driving, but receive such small rewards… so I wrote a song.” (watch the video)

I mention this introduction because it goes back to the real life stories embedded in Rector’s songs. If someone were to ask me: “What word first comes to mind to describe Ben Rector’s music?” I would have to say: stories. “The Men That Drive Me Places” is the story of a man named Howard, “who drives a minivan with the cruise ships from Ft. Lauderdale, and it’s been that way since 1994…Oh isn’t that just the way it goes, you’re dealt a good hand and you get celebrated. Oh how am I the only one who knows I’m half the man of the men who drive me places.”

Another album highlight is “Favorite Songs”, which mentions many influential artists and songs, including Steven Tyler, Madonna, and even Smash Mouth’s “All-Star”, that have impacted many people. It shows Ben’s ability to be relatable to each and every listener through upbeat melodies and easy lyrical patterns.

There is even a story while Ben is on an airplane with the desire to introduce himself to a man who has been “better, has been worse, chased after pretty girls, and seen the kind of places he never thought he’d see. He has walked into harder times, and even walked out the other side; but it seems like you get up what you need and when looking down from 30,000 feet, life has been good to me” (30,000 Feet). It’s an interaction between Ben and another person building a relationship, and it’s a story that we can probably relate to: we have good times, and we have walked into hard times, but in the end, life has been good. It’s the hope for our life that, despite hardships, we can see the blessings we have been given, and we can only thank God for who we have become.

To end the album, Ben writes a slow song called “More Like Love” that shows Ben’s heart in being a musician and performing in front of large crowds. Ben declares his desire to just be “more like love” especially in a world that seems so crazy, a world that does not have enough love sometimes, and that even without all the answers, we still seek to embody love.

The song I want to close with is the one that opens up the album. It is an important introduction, acting as a short anthem for the listener to “Make Something Beautiful” in a world that is filled with sin and destruction. The person that makes something beautiful could provide hope, just like the album Brand New, which I think achieves this through the honest, personal, and relatable stories that are the basis for the songs on this album.

If you haven’t listened to the album, I encourage you to check it out.

The term “cultural engagement” is being used more frequently in Christian circles, and that is a good thing. It’s pretty easy to get upset living in a culture that has different values and beliefs than we do. Even in the “everyday” aspects of life, we hear value claims of all kinds in terms of what we should or shouldn’t do, whether it’s how we spend our money (“Buy local!”), what we listen to (“You shouldn’t listen to that album, it has bad language”), or what we watch (“Don’t see that movie, it’s too violent”), to name just a few examples. But a healthy view of cultural engagement helps to decipher and weigh the value of these competing claims, and at the same time keeps us grounded in biblical principles. At Student Activities, we have had to deal with many of these questions for quite some time, especially as they relate to movies and music. What follows will hopefully help shed some light on what “cultural engagement” has meant for us and show how we have approached the subject. Basically, as we have articulated in our department values, we see it as ‘not retreating from culture, but finding ways to press on, learn from and influence the culture around us…to move from passive consumption to active engagement.’

For us, it starts every year with our student worker staff. All the unique backgrounds, experiences, and opinions come together, and you see how different everyone’s views and tastes are. (This is really true for me because of how much I love country music – it’s a borderline obsession. My co-workers want to poke their eyes out when I turn it on, but I don’t care!). In any case, what our staff members have in common is that they are involved in the culture around them, meaning that they have been born in, grew up in, and now live as young adults in the culture of the United States. Of course, this is true for almost all Americans, but this means that they, like the rest of us, know about and have been shaped by the cultural elements they have experienced. Our hope, as we said above, is that we can facilitate a “move from passive consumption to active engagement.”

Alissa Wilkinson’s Lazy Cultural Engagement makes a good point of clarification here:

“[Christians’] ‘re-engagement’ with culture has sometimes amounted to, well, talking about talking about culture. Things get much trickier when we actually pull out the actual cultural artifacts: it’s one thing to talk about watching movies, and a whole different, more complex thing to try to talk about specific movies.”

I definitely agree with her assessment. Saying that we should “actively engage” the culture around us is far easier than being able to evaluate the particular claims, ideas, or artistic merit of movies, music, or any other form of entertainment.  What does this mean for Student Activities? Initially, many questions arise (as they do for us when we discuss this as a team). For example:

• Can any work of art be “Christian”?
• How far is “too far” in what we engage in?
• Can something be “good” art but “bad” entertainment?

Over the course of your time here at Liberty, we hope to answer questions like these more thoroughly than I will be able to in this post.

As for our events, we don’t want to provide something for you to do on a Friday or Saturday night just to “keep you out of trouble”; we want to provide something for you to enjoy in terms of its entertainment, but we also hope that you’ll take the time to engage and think critically about what you watch or hear. This is why we host such a diverse set of events, and we hope that you’ll give it all a chance – whether it’s a movie night or a concert or even an Art Expo. It will be worth it, whether you agree or disagree with the opinions being given.

I hope this helps to show that Student Activities is intentional in our decision making. If something doesn’t line up for you at our events or in what you read, feel free to ask us about it. We may not see eye-to-eye, but, to be honest, that is mostly why I’m frightened by this topic. Not just because I think my knowledge of this topic is small compared to others, but because at the core, my selfishness wants my opinion to be the right one. Thankfully, I have grace to remind me that there’s beauty in being redeemed by a Savior who gives us the choice to think differently, to live abundantly, and to engage fully in the things around us.

If you’re interested to dive into this more, here are a few, short articles to check out:

• ‘Cultural Engagement,’ a Bad Fix for Christian Isolationism by Will McDavid
• Another Switchfoot Concert by Tim Challies
• Lazy Cultural Engagement by Alissa Wilkinson

A few weeks ago we talked about Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change and why we should care.  Let’s continue the environmentalism discussion using another classic source, Dr. Seuss.  “The Lorax” is a wonderful book and movie that has a pretty focused environmental theme.  If you haven’t read the book or watched the movie, you should.  It focuses on the story of the Once-Ler, who destroyed an entire ecosystem.  Truffula trees are chopped down and the Brown Bar-ba-Loots, Swomee Swans, and Humming fish (Dr. Seuss sure is creative) are all forced to abandon their homes due to pollution, food shortage and disease.  The Once-Ler’s remorse over his initial removal of the trees is short-lived and he gets lost in his dreams of success. He becomes self-absorbed, unloving, and full of greed.

Some of the principles in this story really resonate with the staff here at Student Activities Outdoor Recreation.  We have adopted the seven principals of Leave No Trace and try our best to use resources responsibly and teach participants these same ethics.  We are in no means perfect in our execution, but we believe in opening up more discussion about these ideas and are regularly making changes to our programs.  Our care for the environment is not act of worship towards creation; we see it as an act of service to our Creator.

John Piper makes a case for stewardship in a recent podcast by asking “Are you loving others”?  He uses the biblical command from Matthew 22 where Jesus tells us to “Love the Lord your God” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  You may not personally be destroying rainforests or creating toxic sludge, but the everyday decisions that you make do have a role.  Do you care about the people who drink the water that you pollute with your unnecessary waste?  Or do you love the people who do not get to take advantage of the extra energy that you use?  In this sense, do we become any less self-centered than the Once-Ler in Dr. Seuss’s story?

Taking care of the environment is first loving God.  He created the Earth and stewardship becomes an act of gratitude towards the Creator.  We are also demonstrating compassion for our current and future neighbors, whoever they may be.  We may never even meet them, but we are caring for their land and loving them.

Dr. Seuss intentionally left the face of the Once-Ler unseen because he believed that the Once-Ler should represent big business industrialists and not be a single individual.  But, I believe that the Once-Ler could have been left faceless because we each can see a sinful part of us demonstrated in the Once-Ler’s actions.  When we think selfishly and believe that throwing that gum wrapper out the window is no big deal, think about God’s creation you just dirtied, or the person who picks it up four months from now.  These actions may come from our own egocentric attitude.  It isn’t just an issue of global warming, fossil fuels, or recycling; for the Christian, environmentalism is an issue of personal sanctification.

How are your everyday actions in regards to nature, to creation, indicative of the state of your own heart?

If you are a fan of popular, dystopian/post-apocalyptic visions of the future, then you are probably loving 2015. The Walking Dead, aka the most popular show on television, returns this fall for its sixth season, Terminator: Genisys added the fifth installment to the Terminator franchise this summer, and Muse (the OFFICIAL band of the apocalypse) released Drones in June, just to name a few examples. But two of the most interesting and anxiously anticipated entries to this field have been this spring’s Mad Max: Fury Road and the yet-to-be-released video game Fallout 4. Fans of both have waited a long time for each of these sequels (30 and 7 years, respectively) and expectations were and are high. Fury Road exceeded nearly all expectations (as far as critics are concerned, at least), and if the response to its E3 video game conference presentation is any indication, so will Fallout 4. Though both Fury Road and Fallout are worth considering for the merit of their craft and artistry, I want to look briefly at their content and, subsequently, some of the reasons for their lasting appeal and influence.

Consider the basic questions of setting when looking at a work of science fiction – “Where in the world am I? What in the world is going on? What am I going to do?”* The natural outcome of these questions inevitably leads to a fourth: “What in the world have we done?” Even if you were to find yourself in the middle of post-apocalyptic chaos, it seems natural that you would want to know how things got to be that way, whether or not that information provided any strategic benefit. The narrative of Fallout provides the surface answer to that question – nuclear war as the result of a global struggle for control of natural resources. Characters in Fury Road are less fortunate, as probably the most pained question of the movie is asked twice: “Who killed the world?” This is especially difficult knowledge as revealed so far in the previews for Fallout 4, since the protagonist is shown in both pre and post-war settings, so the loss of the older reality is especially poignant. We can identify fairly easily with these ideas because they are the flipside of our current situation. We are faced with a growing tension between the optimism of progress, especially in terms of technological advancement, and the underlying pessimism that things cannot possibly stay this way. It is pessimism driven by the feeling that no matter how good it gets, at some point, there will be a loss of moral restraint or an unchecked “progress” that leads to the end of us all.

Despite the pessimism, stories like these are not only enjoyed, they are beloved. We fear the idea of “the end” and we love it, too. Despite our pessimism and our fears, these are stories about survivors. And not only survivors, they are here, on this earth. What else can explain this but our undying capacity for hope? Part of this, as author Ann Morisy says, is the “desire” (and I would add expectation) “for a hero who can rescue humankind.”** The other part is the hope that there is somewhere to be rescued to, which at least means a temporary place away from the chaos, but ultimately it is a hope for the reformation or restoration of the ruins. In Fury Road, Furiosa searches the wasteland for her former home, carrying passengers with her who, as she tells Max, are “looking for hope”. Fallout 4 will have building and rebuilding as a primary function of the protagonist, a natural sequel to Fallout 3, which centered on the restoration of the wasteland made possible by the cleansing of the water supply (spoken of in the game as “living water”/the waters of life – pulled directly from Revelation 21:6). This is where knowledge of the overarching, biblical story – Creation/Fall/Redemption/Restoration – becomes essential to our understanding of post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories: Our home has been broken, yet we have hope, we hope for a rescuer, and that rescuer can make things right again.

What makes movies and games like Fury Road and Fallout so compelling is that they act as cautionary tales for us as we ask slightly different questions than those of our sci-fi worlds, the questions asked by everyone alive: “Who am I? Why am I here? What is wrong with the world? How can what is wrong be made right?”*** We recognize that something is wrong, and we may even recognize that something is tied to us.  The difference for Christians is that our hope is for a full restoration of all things to the beauty and perfection intended by our Creator, not simply a reassembly or patching together of the broken pieces to make something like we had “before”, or even something better than we have now. Fury Road concludes by asking: “Where must we go, we who wander this wasteland, in search of our better selves?” It is ultimately a question of identity, and a terrifying question, until you find that the answer is in being forever bound to your Rescuer.

* –  See Scraps of the Untainted Sky: Science Fiction, Utopia, Dystopia by Tom Moylan

**-  See Bothered and Bewildered: Enacting Hope in Troubled Times by Ann Morisy

*** –  See The Supremacy of Christ and Truth in a Postmodern World by Voddie Baucham

As you may have noticed in the news this week, Pope Francis addressed the subject of the environment head on with his encyclical on climate change. I highly encourage anyone to read the transcript. I am not going to attempt to tackle the issues Pope Francis raises in his encyclical. However, I would like to address one theme that seems to run throughout his address. The common issue that permeates his writing is a lack of care by people in regards to nature and the environment, which I believe is an important issue regardless of your position on the Pope’s other diagnoses.

It is truly difficult to care for something that we do not first know. This is true of many things, but I believe we can apply this notion specifically to the subject of our natural environment. Think of it this way: how well do you know your environment? Can you identify the species of birds outside your window? Do you know which vegetables are in season? What is the difference between a cirrus and a cirrocumulus cloud? These should be simple answers, but you would be surprised how many people would struggle to answer them today. I would bet these are easy answers for our grandparents (most definitely for our great grandparents).

It can be difficult to stay in contact with our natural environment in a society so used to the conveniences of modern technologies. I am not talking about viewing Instagram pictures of sunsets. I am talking about actually going outside and watching a sunset. Experiencing God’s beautiful creation WITHOUT the urge to constantly take pictures and share them with your friends is a wonderful thing. We spend a lot of time in virtual environments, and it is a challenge to disconnect from our own devices and re-connect with God’s creation. God did declare it good after all. So why do we not enjoy it more?

Student Activities Outdoor Recreation is one way you can connect to your natural environment at Liberty. Anyone who has been to Camp Hydaway or participated in any of our river trips can attest to the solace and pleasure there is in being outside. I invite you to participate with us as we seek to engage God’s beautiful creation!

Confused yet?

When I first heard that Spotify was coming to the U.S. in 2011, I was thrilled – finally, I can listen to music at no cost and it’s legal! It was a sigh of relief because I could finally put my Napster days behind me. Spotify is great – you get to listen to all your favorite music without paying a dime (or breaking any laws) and all you have to do is listen to the occasional advertisement.

Sounds like a win-win, right? I thought so, until I saw how little artists make from services like Spotify. Artists ARE ok with it in the sense that you aren’t stealing their product. But when it comes to the financials, Spotify pays fractions of pennies to most artists. In fact, Spotify pays so little that many artists are removing their music from the service – Taylor Swift being the most recent high-profile star to do so. In order to better illustrate what I mean, take a look at this infographic.

Crazy, right? In order to make minimum wage from Spotify plays, you need to have play counts with the likes of Justin Bieber.

So what’s the point? Spotify is generally not good for bands/artists/musicians. Personally, I’ve decided to use Spotify strictly as a music discovery tool. If friends tell me about a new artist or I hear something on the radio, I’ll check it out on Spotify. If I like it enough to keep listening, I’ll buy it. Why? Because I want to support the artists that I enjoy and give them resources to keep creating music. The music industry can seem like a lucrative business, and for a select few it is. But I’ve seen first-hand that for many artists, there’s just not a whole lot of money to be made, even for ones that are getting radio play and gigging regularly.

So consider using Spotify to discover new music and then help support the artists you like by purchasing their albums in stores or on iTunes (or even better, at their merch tables) – I’m sure they’d appreciate it!

How do you use Spotify or other streaming services? Do you pay for premium options? How do you discover new music? Let us know – hit us up on Facebook or Twitter!

Freshman week begins and you’re bombarded with all that Liberty has to offer. There are people in Leadership shirts running around and helping people move in, but then you also have people in Student Activities shirts telling you all about the events they have going on during the course of the year. Rumor had it that those wearing the Student Activities shirts were the cool kids on campus…but what did I know? As time went on, I would continue running into the people wearing Student Activities shirts, promoting their events all over campus. The staff my freshman year carried themselves with some type of swagger. And whatever it was, I wanted some.

My name is Thiago, and I was born and raised in the beautiful city of San Francisco, California. If you have not been there, do yourself the favor. Let’s just say that coming to Lynchburg was initially very…different. Who would have thought that some kid from San Francisco would end up in Lynchburg, Virginia? Not me. I am currently a senior studying psychology, and I enjoy drumming, spending time with those I love, and doing hood rat things with my friends. Some dislikes would include waking up early, doing the dishes, and seeing couples sit on the same side of the booth at the Rot. Can I get an amen?!

Going back to that Student Activities swagger, I wanted some for myself. Fast forward to the summer going into my junior year: I contacted SA and told them I was returning to LU after being away for a year and that I was interested in joining the Event Staff. The opening was there and I was hired. This is currently my second year on Event Staff, and the job has not been what I fully envisioned it to be. I thought it was going to be a walk in the park as we worked some events on campus; instead, the territory has come with blood, sweat, and tears.

My comfort zone came under attack during my time with SA. I have had to work with people I did not previously know, people who to some degree had different interests, came from different cultures, and people who went about their business differently. I am not the most outgoing person in the world, and I have never enjoyed walking up to strangers and starting a conversation. There have been some bumps in the road that have led to times of growth and stretching (which can be hard at times) but I am a better person because of it. The other Event Staff have become family over the last couple of years. We spend countless hours together and there is something special about doing life with them. There is something special about working long hours with them and still wanting to be around them outside of work.

Graduation is rapidly approaching and that means a lot of change is to follow. There are a lot of questions that are yet to be answered. What I do know for sure is that I will be pursuing a master’s degree in professional counseling through Liberty. I will be living in Lynchburg for at least another 2-3 years.

Since I’ve been here for a few years now, I will say this: freshmen, get involved on campus in whatever capacity. Do not be afraid to ask for help when needed, learn how to manage your time, and choose your friends wisely. You do not need to find your significant other right away, and lastly, enjoy your college years because they will go by way too fast. Oh and attend every single SA event! To everyone else, enjoy whatever time you have left because it will all be over before you know it. My biggest regret is not taking advantage of everything Liberty has to offer. Despite all that, thank you Liberty University and Student Activities for these past four years. It was quite the journey. Whenever my time with SA comes to an end, I will look back and be proud to say I worked there.

“Bro, do you even lift?”

Many of you have probably heard this question. Some of you might think it sounds ridiculous. You might even ask yourself, “Who actually says that?” Before I go any further, let me say that this is not about working out. I have nothing against working out. It is just that working out is one of the common bonds and a typical point of emphasis among “Bros”, and THAT is exactly what this post is about. This brief post is about the Bro: what a Bro is and what we can do about the growing Bro problem.

You are probably familiar with the term, but in case you need a more thorough definition, let’s look at what Wikipedia says a Bro is:

A male youth subculture of “conventional guys’ guys” who spend time partying in ways similar to each other. Although the popular image of bro lifestyle is associated with sports apparel and fraternities, it lacks a consistent definition. Some aspects vary regionally such as in California where it overlaps with surf culture.[1] Oxford Dictionaries have noted that bros frequently self-identify with neologisms containing the word “bro” as a prefix or suffix. Analyses into the subculture have identified swimmer Ryan Lochte and television character Barney Stinson as recognizable adherents.

The bro has been a longtime fixture of pop culture. Some say it started with the movie Animal House, others say ESPN was the advent, but I say you can trace the roots of Bro-dom all the way back to King Henry the VIII.

“Why such a fuss with Bros? What’s the big deal?” The big deal is that Bros are slowly taking over the world! Ok, maybe they are not taking over the world, but they are certainly outnumbering gentlemen at a very fast pace. “Gentleman? You mean like the international smash hit by South Korean recording star Psy?” No, definitely not that kind of gentleman. I am talking about the exact opposite kind of gentleman: that drab, boring, archaic term associated with men of good character. Gentlemen, not boys, not “guys” or “bros”, but gentlemen, are the type of people that have others in mind. Gentlemen are considerate, and humble when they speak AND when they act.

So come on Liberty, lets band together and boycott the word Bro, and I don’t mean boycott in the way Elton John Boycotted Dolce & Gabbana. I mean let’s actually stop using the word bro. Instead, let’s start by referring to each other by our actual names more often. If Liberty as a community could transform from a Neanderthal statement such as “Bro, do you even lift?” to something like “Hey Brian! It is really good to see you at the gym today!” then Liberty would be a much better place. Although it seems like a small change, it would be a baby step in the right direction!