Written By: Erin Diaz

Get excited, everyone – Fall Welcome Week is finally upon us! We have so much lined up for you incoming freshmen (and anyone else on campus who wants to attend our awesome events). Read a description on each of our events below!

Bingo Night (Thursday, 8/23)

Everyone’s favorite welcome back event will be on Thursday in the LaHaye Event Space. It’s a classic game with some big-time prizes – in other words, we’re giving out $350 in gift cards to some of your favorite local restaurants, coffee shops and more. Doors open for the event at 8 p.m. and games begin at 8:30 p.m., so get in the door and get a prime seating location!

SA @ Nite (Friday, 8/24)

It’s the best throwback night of the year! Beginning at 10 p.m., we’ll be showing tv shows that will take you back to your childhood (or even before). Throughout the night there will be karaoke, games, junk food that you definitely need in order to kick off the best year yet, and so much more. Come join us in the LaHaye Event Space for a good time!

Outdoor Open Mic (Saturday, 8/25)

Outdoor Open Mic is a new event that SA is excited to have you be a part of. We wanted to kick off a semester of Open Mic Nights by doing it the best way – singing outdoors! There will be free Chill City Pops for the first 150 people, Rookie’s cookies for the first 250 people, and a free microphone for you to sing or speak into. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. at the Montview Lawn, and one of our favorite student bands Oceanic will be opening and closing the event for us. See you there!

Outdoor Movie Night (Saturday, 8/25)

Avengers: Infinity War, Solo: A Star Wars Story, free popcorn and concessions (that we now accept Flames Cash for!) – need we say more? We’ll see you on the Commons Lawn at 8:30 p.m. to kick off the first Movie Night of the semester. Bring a blanket, bring your hall and enjoy a great start to an even better semester.

For updates on our Fall Welcome Week events, visit our social media (@libertysa). We can’t wait to meet you!

Student Activities is very excited to bring you a special highlight post for some of our Block Party sponsors this year. These sponsors have worked hard this summer to prepare for our big event on Saturday, September 8. We asked them about what they’re excited for at this year’s Block Party – read their answers below!

90.9 The Light is a Top 40 College Christian music station located on the campus of Liberty University. In addition to music programming, The Light also broadcasts news programs and sports, including Liberty Athletics. It is our mission to reach our listeners with the Gospel of Jesus Christ while training the next generation of broadcasters that will go out and impact the world.

90.9 The Light: “We are always excited to meet our fellow students at Liberty University up close. LU students will always be our core audience and we love interacting with them (and we are looking forward to the concert too!). We bring positive music, news, sports and entertainment to our listeners while training the next generation of broadcasters that will go out and impact the world. We have a great staff with several new members that have fresh ideas on ways to interact with our audience and provide cool content, so give us a follow (909thelight) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!”

Your Event Source is a full service event planning and amusement rental company located in Charlotte, NC. Since 2001, Your Event Source (YES) has been supplying quality event planning services and rentals for birthdays, corporate picnics, church events, campus activities, and more. With our wide range of party supplies and unique event rental equipment, we’re sure to have exactly what you need for your special event!

Your Event Source: “We love partnering with Liberty University on Block Party! The excitement on the students’ faces is always the best part. Simply put, we bring the fun! We do around 10 events for Liberty each year and each one is always different and more exciting than the last one. Your Event Source is a full service event planning and amusement rental company. Just Say YES and “Let Your Event Source Handle The Rest!””

Since 1783, the Lynchburg Community Market has played a key role in the development and growth of downtown Lynchburg. Their Market Mission is:

• To perpetuate Lynchburg’s historic public market activity
• To celebrate regional food traditions
• To provide access to fresh, farm-grown food while supporting local area agriculture
• To provide a public downtown “town square” gathering place
• To help revitalize downtown Lynchburg

Lynchburg Community Market: “The Lynchburg Community Market is excited to welcome Liberty students invite them to enjoy all the great things we have to offer including: fresh, locally grown produce, locally made crafts and art, and a selection of mini-restaurants inside.

We are the best place to get fresh, locally grown produce and handmade crafts and artworks in downtown Lynchburg. Join us for our Harvest Festival, October 27 and weekly Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.!”

Golf Park Coffee was founded in 2014 by Co-Founders Adam Shurr & Ben Young. They started Golf Park Coffee out of a desire to grow the coffee culture in our area and bring a new exciting product to the market. They believe that community and collaboration are the backbone of our company. In July of 2018, Golf Park Coffee opened their first brick and mortar shop in Lynchburg, inside of the Bedford Exchange at 2306 Bedford Ave. This shop is Golf Park’s first move into a full espresso and coffee program featuring coffee from Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co. and tea from Hugo Tea Company.

Golf Park Coffee: “We’re pumped to welcome back all of Liberty’s students & and we’re stoked to meet the new freshman class…and, of course, we can’t wait to hang with our awesome friends from SA. We hope that people look at Golf Park as a place to meet up with friends, get work done…maybe even be a first-date destination. Essentially, we want to become everyone’s go-to shop for a good cup of coffee–both students & Lynchburg locals alike.

We’re the new kids in town–we’d love for you to check out our new shop at 2306 Bedford Ave, just off of Rivermont Ave. Follow @golfparkcoffee for regular info & updates.”

Domino’s operates more than 14,000 pizza restaurants in more than 85 countries, and delivers more than 1.5 million pizzas each day. Domino’s delivery experts drive more than 10 million miles across the United States every week to bring you the best food we can make. Talk about passion!

Domino’s (Wards Road): “We are always to excited to see how many students come to have fun. We bring amazing product, brought to each student with awesome service, and a great attitude. Liberty should know we love being part of this incredible school. We have been with Liberty for almost a decade now. The students and what they bring to Lynchburg are our top priority.”

The vendors above are just a few of our many Block Party attractions this year that we are proud to have at our event. For updates about Block Party, check out our social media (libertysa on Twitter and Instagram) or our page for the event. See you September 8^th!

*All vendor bios were taken from their websites. For more information, visit each of the websites highlighted.

Written By: Steph Ward

Many of you will be returning to Lynchburg in just a few short weeks, and for those of you who are, you can most certainly agree that time flies by! College is a unique time in life where you juggle so many aspects with very little time – you’re trying to manage the stress of school work, build friendships with those around you, and work enough to maintain enough cash flow to eat Cookout on the reg. It’s not easy, but we here at Student Activities are here to help manage it all. Okay, we can’t do it all, but we can help relieve some of the stress!

If you haven’t seen on our social media, we’ve released our entire fall calendar. There’s sure to be something for everyone, but I’ll highlight a few of my favorites:

Block Party (9/8) – A must attend! This event is shaping up to be one of our best yet with a full line up of artists from a variety of genres. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our latest blog post about the event!

Movie Nights – Other than Open Mic, this is one of our staple events. We’re bringing you 5-6 movie nights this fall and they’re sure to be action-packed. As always, popcorn is a must, and we’ll provide it free of charge!

Christmas Coffeehouse (11/30) – A fan favorite! As if Christmas isn’t exciting enough, this event really puts us in the holiday spirit. From videos to live performances, we believe Coffeehouse showcases some of the best Liberty has to offer!

Christmas Karaoke (12/4) – The name says it all. Why wouldn’t you want to attend an event where you get to watch your roommates make a fool of themselves on stage, all while eating Christmas snacks and making gingerbread houses?

Coffee – Not an event, but some of our favorite days are hanging with you guys in Montview between classes, so that won’t stop anytime soon.

Those are just a few highlights, but be sure to check out our calendar for a full fall schedule. We believe that your extracurricular experiences are a vital part in shaping you these next few years. And when you reflect on your time at Liberty, what will stand out is the time you’ve spent investing into others and the experiences you’ve shared outside the classroom. Of course, I’m not advocating for you to skip class to hang out with your friends (although, we wouldn’t be opposed to you postponing a night of studying to join us at an event). However, I am advocating for you taking time to foster the relationships around you and enjoy the short time you get to spend here.

You may have seen a piece of Fred Rogers’ commencement speech at Dartmouth from our post last week, but it applies here so well: “We don’t become competent human beings without the investment of others.” Some of those people he refers to will be friends you make during your time here, and we just want you to slow down enough to realize it. Choose dinner with your hall overeating while studying. Don’t feel guilty to choose a book you’ve been dying to read over your textbook every now and again. Grab coffee with a friend (or us) during the peaks of your exams. We all need a break and life requires balance – in school, in friendships, and in every aspect of how we spend our time. Just remember that in a world where life seems to always be in the fast lane, you have the choice to take opportunities to slow down and enjoy every aspect of it along the way.

We’re super excited to kick off another year with you and can’t wait for you to return. After all, we do exist for YOU! Enjoy your last few weeks of summer, we’ll see you soon.

By: Naomi Bower

Black Panther preview

The Black Panther has reclaimed his throne in the box office ranking as the highest grossing February release of all time*. Just a week before the movie hit theaters, Black Panther debuted a personal album instantly reaching its status as number one on the Billboard Top 200**. Kendrick Lamar, producer of the movie’s soundtrack, has a prominent voice in the music scene as his most recent album released just a year prior to Black Panther. Lamar was highly involved in the making of the album everywhere from the production to the features. It is not a surprise that Lamar played such a major role within the album as the movie centers around issues that he is passionate about***.

This film encompasses a variety of issues from the complexity of family dynamics to the overwhelming responsibility that follows power. While the movie itself is fictitious, the underlying themes resonate with many people today. Black Panther is a story of resilience as the main character T’Challa struggles to balance the challenges of the world while maintaining the overall best interest of his people. In his fight for the kingdom, T’Challa must determine what he values in attempts to achieve his place on the throne.

Come watch how T’Challa leads the people of Wakanda at our April 28 movie night on the Commons Lawn! Black Panther will begin at 10:45pm.

By: Trae Christian

Thor: Ragnarok preview

If you’re a fan of Marvel movies, then you know that ever since Thor: Ragnarok came out on November 3, 2017, it has changed the game for the superhero franchise. Thor: Ragnarok, the third movie in the Thor series, offers viewers the perfect amount of humor and action, something that Marvel seems to be including in more of their movies.

This movie follows Thor as he tries to save his home planet Asgard from Ragnarok, which is the end of civilization in Asgard. Thor must fight against Hela, the goddess of death in order to save his home planet from destruction. From the beginning of the movie, Thor finds himself in challenging situations such as being enslaved, not having his hammer, and fighting against the Hulk. Seeing Thor fight so hard to save Asgard throughout the movie kept me on my feet the whole time.

If you are like me and haven’t seen the first two Thor movies, you can still enjoy this one because it is fairly easy to follow and very entertaining. Marvel did a great job of using humor to make the plot easy to follow and the characters more relatable. Overall, this was a great movie filled with humor, adventure, and action. It got me really excited to see Thor in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War.

*http://www.businessinsider.com/marvel-cinematic-universe-movies-ranked-by-box-office-list-2018-2

**https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8205904/black-panther-album-billboard-200-chart-no-1

***https://www.spin.com/2018/02/review-the-black-panther-soundtrack-the-album/

By: Trae Christian

Jumanji: Welcome to The Jungle preview

A jock, a nerd, an outcast and a popular girl end up in detention and have an unlikely bonding experience. Does this plot sound familiar to you? Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a hilarious mix of The Breakfast Club and Indiana Jones.

This movie features four teenagers who end up playing a video game and getting stuck inside of it in the bodies of the players they chose. Each player has their own strengths and weaknesses that they have to use to their advantage to win the game. In order to get out of the game they must use each other to complete all of the challenges without losing the three lives that are given to each of them – basically, they must finish what Alan from the previous Jumanji movie started. Through each of these challenges, the players end up growing closer together and realize that the only way they can win the game is if they use each other’s strengths to do so.

What made me really enjoy this movie was how funny it was, yet how inspirational it also comes across.  Its message to live your one life to its fullest and embrace other people’s differences is one that never gets old. Another component of this movie that makes it great is all of the talented actors that it features. The cast includes Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, and Karen Gillan, as well as a few other lesser known actors that also put on a great performance. It’s no surprise that since the movie was released in December it has achieved extended time in theaters. With such a funny plot and a great cast, it’s almost impossible not to enjoy this remake.

By: Makenzie Theiss

Star Wars: The Last Jedi preview

The Star Wars saga has been around long before the December 15, 2017 release date of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The first Star Wars film was released in 1977 and the movies have consistently been released since then. The Last Jedi is the eighth episode to be released in the trilogy series. In this specific trilogy, there has been episode seven, The Force Awakens (2015), episode eight, The Last Jedi (2017), and there is an episode nine that is speculated to release in 2019.

The Last Jedi continues the story where episode seven left off. The First Order is in full pursuit to have complete reign over the galaxy and to destroy Leia and the Resistance completely. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker encounters an unexpected visitor when Rey discovers where he has been taking solitude. Much to Skywalker’s surprise, Rey displays intense signs of the Force. The plot unfolds over the battle between good and evil and whether the Resistance will be able to stop Kylo Ren, General Hux, and The First Order.

One of the most daunting aspects about sitting down to watch this film can be the fact that there are so many movies before this one and the amount of backstory that leads up to this particular film. However, as a person who has seen all of the Star Wars movies before, this movie is worth seeing regardless of a person’s Star Wars trivia knowledge. The film itself is of excellent quality and boasts a thought-provoking plot. The tangible struggle between good and evil proves for an intriguing and stimulating experience.

May the Force be with you as we Welcome you to the Jungle at our Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday, April 21. Jumanji is showing at 8:30 p.m. and Star Wars: The Last Jedi is showing at 10:30 p.m. on the Commons Lawn!

Last week, we had our second annual Every Square Inch Conference. If you’re not quite sure of what that is, you can check our preview blog post here for more details. What you really need to know is that the ESI Conference is one of the coolest events our department has the privilege of being a part of each year.

Thursday, we kicked off the two-day conference with a workshop led by Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury of The King’s College discussing the fragility of faith. After the speaking portion, there was a Q&A time led by Dr. Joshua Chatraw of Liberty’s School of Divinity. That evening, the conference’s highlighted lecture occurred in the Grand Concert Hall of the School of Music. Dr. Thornbury spoke on “Cain, Abel & Kanye: The Gospel & Pop Culture”, and was joined by Liberty’s own Dr. Karen Swallow Prior and Dr. Taylor Worley of Trinity International University.

Friday began with another workshop led by Dr. Thornbury discussing his new biography on Larry Norman. There was time for questions at the end of the workshop, leading to great discussion among the group. That evening, John Mark McMillan closed out the conference by performing a concert in the LaHaye Event Space.

All in all, Every Square Inch Conference was everything it claimed it would be – a two-day event where students and faculty alike were posed with thought-provoking questions and engaging discussion. If you would like to watch the lecture from Thursday night, feel free to do so here.

Student Activities is grateful to be able to partner with Liberty’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement to host this important event. We are excited to see what is in store for ESI in the future!

Years ago, two directors imagined a new kind of event at Liberty University. There were not many festivals at Liberty at this point, especially one that focused so heavily on the arts and entertainment realm of the outdoor industry. Because of this, the directors of Student Activities and Outdoor Recreation created the first ever Outdoor Rec Fest. The festival includes a variety of recreational activities and workshops from a photo expo to art and outdoor skills workshops, to music, tasty food, and so much more!

Here is an interview about Outdoor Rec Fest with a Student Activities Supervisor (Kay Torres) and an Outdoor Recreation Manager (Jordan Tatro):

1. What are some events that students can look forward to at Outdoor Rec Fest?

Kay – Student Activities is hosting an outdoor-themed Photo Expo, a Movie Night showing Jumanji, a painting workshop and a photography workshop.

Jordan – Outdoor Recreation is putting on a crash pad competition, wilderness survival skills workshop, bird watching and a backcountry cooking workshop.

2. Tell me your personal favorite highlights of ORF.

K – I love the Photography Workshop because it attracts a specific crowd and the instructors are incredibly talented. The instructors are professionals at Liberty and can teach students of all skill levels.

J – My favorite part of ORF is the Expo on Saturday afternoon. I genuinely enjoy observing the interaction between students and vendors. Students have the opportunity to speak with local professionals about specific outdoor skills and products.

3. What is something new to ORF this year that you are really excited about?

K – Outdoor Yoga is a new event to ORF this year that will take place at Hydaway Outdoor Recreation Center. The yoga class will be led by one of Recreation Centers Group Exercise instructors.

J – This year, for the first time ever, we are hosting a Night Hike on Liberty Mountain with s’mores at the end. Also, new vendors will be at the Expo on Saturday afternoon, along with a Fly Casting Competition hosted by local fly shop: Angler’s Lane.

4. What is the overall goal of Outdoor Rec Fest?

K – We love the opportunity to work with Outdoor Recreation because we can attract a different demographic of students that would not normally attend our events.

J – We hope that the students will become aware of the wide variety of activities, trips, and tools that Outdoor Recreation has to offer. We want students to feel welcome to interact with the Outdoor Recreation staff and freely ask questions about outdoor skills. There tends to be an “elitist” culture among outdoor recreationalists, but Outdoor Rec hopes to encourage students of all skill levels to try an activity that is offered this weekend.

5. Why did Student Activities and Outdoor Recreation decide to create a joint festival?

J – SA and OR actually used to both fall under the “Student Activities” department. A few years ago, OR split into its own department, but we still find ways to continue to work together on events. Outdoor Recreation handles the knowledge of the outdoors and loves to share what they have experienced with the student body. Student Activities manages the logistical portion of ORF and adds artistic activities to the fest! We love collaborating on events and hope to attract students from both demographics.
Join us March 9-10 for a weekend filled with festivities – find out more info here!

By: Erin Diaz

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” – Abraham Kuyper

When Abraham Kuyper, Dutch politician and theologian, spoke the words above at his inaugural address at the dedication of the Free University in 1880, he was not aware that his words would be foundational to a movement: Every Square Inch Conference.

Liberty University’s Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement, in partnership with Student Activities, is honored to host the second annual “ESI” Conference on March 1^st and 2^nd. The two-day event will be packed with riveting lectures and workshops led by intellectuals, highlighting Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, Chancellor of The King’s College and Professor of Philosophy. Thursday night’s lecture, entitled “Cain, Abel, & Kanye: The Gospel & Pop Culture”, will be led by Dr. Thornbury in the Grand Concert Hall. John Mark McMillan, American songwriter and musician, will be joining us Friday evening in the LaHaye Event Space, rounding out the event.

To say that Student Activities is a part of Every Square Inch Conference is nothing short of an honor. Our department has been working tirelessly for years to arrive at the point of hosting an event such as this one. We strive to actively analyze pop culture and its relevance to Christianity, and this conference is the epitome of the cultural engagement we aim for and seek to discuss. To hear from a speaker such as Dr. Thornbury is exciting in itself, but to have the opportunity to also learn from speakers such as Dr. Taylor Worley, Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, Dr. Joshua Chatraw and Christopher Misiano is a highlight of the Student Activities spring calendar and the department’s journey thus far.

We look forward to seeing you March 1^st and 2^nd for a stimulating conference that will challenge your perspective and freely give insight to the pop culture/Christianity crossroads we often find ourselves in. For more information about Every Square Inch, visit the event’s website at www.liberty.edu/esi.*

*All events are free of charge for the conference, with the exception of the John Mark McMillan show. Workshops/lectures do require registration and a valid flames pass.

By: Kate Dolan

For decades, Pixar has been the gold standard for quality animated films, and rightfully so. They have released some of the most important, original, and challenging films of the last 20 years. Their most recent and highly anticipated release, Coco, catalogues yet another triumph for Pixar as it manages to give a very familiar story a fresh perspective.

Coco tells a story of a young boy, Miguel, whose passions of becoming a musician are stunted by his family-long tradition against music. In order to prove to everyone he is destined to be a great musician, he travels to the land of the dead to visit his idol and world famous musical genius, Ernesto de la Cruz.

One thing that sets this film apart is the terrific and authentic voice acting, which brings to life this already immensely bright and expansive world of Coco. Lee Unkirch, the film’s director, chose to forego traditional means of casting A-list movie stars to voice the characters. The story is based in Mexico, and as a result, Unkirch decided to select predominantly Latino voice actors. This decision was made to ensure the story would properly reflect its setting and give authenticity to its narrative.

One of the first things I took away from the film after watching it was the endless vibrant landscapes. In my opinion, it may be Pixar’s most visually beautiful film to date. The landscapes not only serve as visual feast, but also complement Miguel’s lively journey towards the expansive world of music. Along the trip, the overarching theme of family tradition is particularly powerful.

However, I would contend that it is in Coco’s softer, quieter moments which lie some of the most emotionally moving scenes of the film. The moments that emphasize the value of family, no matter how broken it is, were especially touching. It is nothing new for Pixar to explore such adult themes in their children’s movies, but to continue to deliver again and again with the utmost quality and respect is something to appreciate.

In closing, Coco is a genuine pleasure to watch. Miguel guides the audience through his unique and crazy world delightfully. The joyful moments are endlessly fun and its tender moments are sincere and lasting. Coco is able to provide the audience with a perspective they may not have experienced without engaging in the film. It is quite a journey and it is worth celebrating this immensely valuable film.

Join us here at Student Activities on Saturday February 17 at 8 and 10 pm in the LaHaye Event Space, and enjoy this colorful, exciting, and moving film. You won’t regret it.

by: Trae Christian

Since “The Greatest Showman” was released in theaters on December 8th, it has filled news feeds, entertainment blogs and maybe even your friends’ conversations with reviews and opinions. Your friends at Student Activities are here to give you some background on yet another popular musical that will make you say, “I’m glad I purchased a MoviePass so I can watch this movie three more times in theaters!”

“The Greatest Showman” is a musical that follows the life of P.T. Barnum as he works to create what is known as Barnum & Bailey’s circus. The film features original music written by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul, who both wrote for your favorite recent musicals “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen”. There is also a star-studded cast featuring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya and many more talented actors/actresses. While the movie is nothing short of a visual masterpiece, its album also does an excellent job of taking listeners through Barnum’s journey of following his dreams with every song.

Speaking of the album, it starts off on a high note with “The Greatest Show”. This song fulfills its purpose of setting the tone for the rest of the movie. The songs “Come Alive” and “The Other Side” also do a great job of capturing the thrill and excitement of the circus life. While these three songs are more upbeat and fast-paced, the rest of the album offers uplifting ballads. When listening to “A Million Dreams”, one can only feel inspired as young Barnum sings “a million dreams are keeping me awake”. “This Is Me” tells the circus’ bearded-lady’s story of self-acceptance in an honest way, with lyrics such as, “When the sharpest words wanna cut me down, I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out, I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I’m meant to be, this is me”.

Overall, “The Greatest Showman” is a well-written body of work that effectively communicates the journey and challenges that P.T. Barnum faces while trying to make his dream come true. Whether listening to the album or watching the movie, you can easily follow along with the musical’s uplifting message. Come feel the inspiration with us on March 3rd for Movie Night in the LaHaye Event Space!

References:

https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-greatest-showman