Super Bowl Celebrations

Posted on Monday, February, 08, 2010 at 15:21 PM

Parties are thrown across the country on Super Bowl Sunday, and Liberty University was no exception. There were many environments for students to chose from to watch the big game, such as the party held in Tilley Student Center. The student center has about a dozen televisions down one side of the room, and just about every couch and chair in the room were brought over in front of them. The crowd was diverse, some students on their computers and others having conversations, and, of course, there were many students who were very into the game, either yelling at the television or cheering on their team. Just about every table was filled with typical Super Bowl snacks such as the pizza and wings sold at the café in Tilley.

Liberty also hosted a party to raise money for the people of Haiti in the large classroom in north campus. It cost four dollars to attend the event that showed the big game as well as fed each student a delicious curry dinner - which smelled awesome! There was a great turn out, so they were thankfully able to raise a lot of money for the Haiti earthquake victims. The environment of the party was much different from that of the Tilley Student Center. Many of the students were standing, walking around and conversing with each other while eating their food as opposed to focusing on the game.

Though there was not a party held here, another place where some students had the option to watch the game was at the Campus East Clubhouse. For years, the clubhouse was always full of fans filling up its couches to watch the game, but it seemed to be a bit more empty this year, perhaps because of the other two parties that were held. Though I can't be certain, I will say that it seemed like most of the students from all three locations were pulling for a Saints victory, and they got their wish!

Julie Celano

Overcoming the Incomplete

Posted on Monday, February, 08, 2010 at 15:21 PM

Campus pastor Johnnie Moore challenged students during his message Sunday, February 7, with the question: “How many unfinished things do you have in your life?” His message, based on Philippians 2:12, asked students to evaluate their faith: was it incomplete, putting on a "faith show", or was it lived out day to day in a "faith life"?

Philippians 2:12 says, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling...” Pastor Johnnie used this verse to illustrate the relationship between Paul, the author and the church at Philippi that he was encouraging in its faith. Much of what we begin, Johnnie said, fails only because of incompleteness – not the pressure of outside circumstances. Paul exhorted the Philippians to continue taking their faith seriously, a call that Pastor Johnnie reiterated to students at LU.

Signs of an incomplete faith are evidenced in two ways, according to Johnnie Moore: First, an incomplete faith puts on a "show" rather than being founded on sincerity. Secondly, an incomplete faith is characterized by spiritual weakness. “A fake faith,” said Pastor Johnnie, “is like being a doctor with a lapsed license in a hurting, broken world.”

In contrast, the "faith life" is committed to obedience. “There is no 'why?' between ‘He Speaks’ and ‘I Listen’,” Johnnie continued. Johnnie illustrated that a faith life is manifested in the application of truth, not simply the theory of obedience. “We have to work out our salvation – just like working out in a gym, resistance and repetition are what strengthen you. We have to work out spiritually.”

Pastor Johnnie concluded his message by asking students to evaluate their faith and their lives for anything that was incomplete. “We err on one of two sides: either we want God to do everything for us, or we try to do it all on our own. We need to work out – work at – our salvation with a reverence toward God.”

Phylicia Duran

Snowy Days

Posted on Monday, February, 08, 2010 at 15:21 PM

As students enjoyed last weekend playing in the first snowfall of the semester, they were secretly hoping for more snow for the upcoming weekend, and their wishes were granted. As early classes were cancelled on Monday and Wednesday, students also were granted the whole day off on Friday as LU closed its doors due to a huge winter storm.

Students gladly took advantage of the three day weekend. They could be seen around campus building twelve feet tall snowmen, sliding down hills on air mattresses and partaking in snowball fights. The dining hall kept up with the large amount of patrons for the weekend making sure they were stocked with food and staff to outlast the storm. As cabin fever attacked, students ordered in pizza, watched movies and played games on the dorms. When Sunday rolled around, however, students could be seen outside shoveling their cars off and trying to get off campus for some fresh air. As students made their way off campus for Super Bowl festivities, the roads started to freeze up once again. And if students are still hoping for more days off of school, the forecast is in their favor come Tuesday.

Ana Brooks

College Republican Club hosts Comedian

Posted on Thursday, February, 04, 2010 at 12:48 PM

The College Republican club hosted a night of comedy with Steven Crowder, a 22-year-old conservative comedian, on Friday night. The performance was a precursor to the Conservative Strategy Conference on Saturday in Towns Auditorium. Caleb Mast, the chairman of the College Republicans, organized this to generate interest in conservative clubs on campus. He expressed that the purpose was to give Liberty's conservative clubs (such as Concerned Students for America and Students Behind our Soldiers) a chance to showcase themselves.

Comedian Steven Crowder recently played a leading role in the 2010 movie 'To Save a Life,' and as a child he voiced “The Brain” for the PBS kid's show Arthur. After his run with Arthur, he began performing stand-up comedy. Most recently, however, Crowder has been video blogging on PJTV (a conservative internet TV station) and updating his successful YouTube channel. He has made several guest appearances on national television such as Fox & Friends, Hannity's America, and Redeye.

Crowder's conservative and comedic approach to politics made him the perfect candidate for this event. Also, he agreed to participate in the conference for free. He said, “A lot of my material is political. What better place to try it out than the place with the name Liberty University?"

Hundreds of students showed up at the Tilley Student Center to watch Crowder perform. He interacted with the crowd through funny comments about Christian stereotypes and moved on to joking about health care and politics. Many times during his performance he included members of the crowd in his humor. Using expressive faces, voices, and movement on the stage, he brought laughter to everyone in the audience.

Crowder's performance provided entertainment and heightened awareness of Liberty's conservative clubs. More information is available on the facebook page “LU College Republicans”.

Jane Marczewski 

Snowed In

Posted on Tuesday, February, 02, 2010 at 12:07 PM

The students of Liberty enjoyed a fresh nine inches of snow over the weekend. The snow started late on Friday evening and surprised all the students on Saturday morning. The snow kept falling throughout the day, accompanied by cloudy skies and wind. But, the dreary weather didn’t stop students from jumping on a storage container lid and sliding down one of the many hills on Liberty’s campus. Many tried using anything they could, including cardboard boxes, trash can lids, and plastic bags. Plows continued throughout the day to make roadways and sidewalks as safe as possible. Even though the sun came out on Sunday, it was not quite enough to melt the majority of what lay on the ground. Students attempted to get their cars out because of cabin fever. Some ordered pizza and some enjoyed movie marathons in their dorms. Either way, students were able to relax and rejuvenate over the weekend.

The snow cancelled Campus Church, but Thomas Road still held its 11:00 service. Classes for Monday were postponed two hours.

LU Hockey: Flames vs. Sooners

Posted on Tuesday, February, 02, 2010 at 12:07 PM

The Liberty University men’s hockey team hosted the University of Oklahoma Sooners this past weekend, January 29-30, 2010. The Flames fell to the Sooners on Friday night, but triumphed on Saturday night with a 6-3 victory. Friday night’s game was an upset as the Sooners stole the game in the last period. Saturday night’s game, however, was neck and neck the entire time until the very end when the Flames pulled out a victory. The LaHaye Ice Center was packed with fans as Friday night was WHITE OUT night and students entered both nights at a discounted rate. This was the perfect event for students snowed in from this weekend’s snowfall, and a great way to end the weekend with a win over the University of Oklahoma.

Ana Brooks

Comedy Night with Steven Crowder

Posted on Tuesday, February, 02, 2010 at 12:07 PM

This past Friday, PJTV's conservative comedian, Steven Crowder, performed a free comedy show in the Tilley Student Center. Surprisingly, the threat of snow didn’t seem to effect the size of the crowd. I could barely get a parking space, and there was not an empty seat in the large center. Everyone in Lynchburg tends to run home when there is a threat of snow, but many Liberty students braved the imminent storm. The Liberty staff confirmed my prediction that there was a much bigger turn-out than expected. Crowder's set was about an hour; he poked fun of things such as old television shows and fads, political and religious views, and himself. Anyone remember the children's show Arthur? Well, if your voice was funny enough to play The Brain on Arthur when you were twelve, you might make fun of yourself too. He claimed that he was thrilled to get paid to share his peculiar voice as opposed to being beaten up for it. The crowded student center was filled with laughter and applause through most of the hour and was followed by a question and answer session. Crowder mostly answered questions regarding his acting career, particularly his role on Arthur. Even though most of the students seemingly enjoyed Crowder's set, I overheard a few students saying that he was a bit too controversial. He did share his opinions rather bluntly, but I would argue that every comedian needs a little controversy, or else there wouldn't be much humor in the routine.

To learn more about Steven Crowder or to hear some of his comedy acts, visit his website (http://stevencrowder.ning.com/page/about-steven) or to the PJTV website (http://www.pjtv.com/page/Louder_With_Crowder/176/?gclid=CIO6lcbs0J8CFZMK5Qod1BBPtg).

~Julie Celano
 

Hill City Hunt

Posted on Friday, January, 29, 2010 at 14:35 PM

This past Saturday, January 23, Liberty University’s Student Activities office hosted the Hill City Hunt. The hunt hosted over 30 teams who received their instructions and clues and headed out all over Lynchburg. Locations included well-known places such as Point of Honor and some not so well-known places such as The Good Cherry coffee shop. The furthest destination was the D-Day Memorial. Other stops along the way included Percival’s Island, pottery painting venue All Fired Up and pizza restaurant Little Cucci’s. The winning teams had the choice of a Flip video camera, iPod shuffles or $75 gift certificates to the movies.

One of the participants said, “I think the scavenger hunt was a great idea and great activity hosted by Student Activities. It was a fun activity to do with friends.”

Ana Brooks

A Call to Prayer

Posted on Monday, January, 25, 2010 at 14:54 PM

Thousands of years ago, Jesus drove out the money lenders out of the temple with the words, “My house shall be a house of prayer.” At Friday’s convocation, Pastor Jim Cymbala called Liberty students to make those words personal to themselves.

Cymbala is senior pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a church that he planted with his wife almost thirty years ago. It was during the planting and growth of the Tabernacle that Cymbala realized the importance of prayer to effective Christian ministry. “The world is made up of two kinds of people,” Cymbala said. “Those who pray, and those who don’t. No one can be a Christian who doesn’t pray.”

Cymbala’s message continued in emphasis on prayer, using a passage from Acts to reveal how prayer for and by the saints of God has such a powerful effect for Christ. “When we pray, God sends light. When we pray, God wakes us up.” Cymbala focused on the unifying aspect of prayer as well: “The church that prays together, stays together!” He then asked Liberty students to stand if they wanted to go to the next level of commitment to prayer in their walk with God. Students surrounding those standing prayed over them to encourage them in their new commitment.

Cymbala also spoke at the RenewLife conference at Thomas Road Baptist Church, both Friday night and during the Saturday sessions. LU students in Dr. Daniel Henderson’s classes at LU volunteered at the conference and were able to hear another encouraging message from Pastor Cymbala Friday night.

Phylicia Duran

Friday Night Flick

Posted on Monday, January, 25, 2010 at 14:54 PM

Liberty has been hosting free movie nights for their students for many years. This past Friday's movie night was in the Vines Center and featured Where the Wild Things Are and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

The free movie night is a wonderful idea for us poor college students and provides an opportunity for guys and girls to get together without having to spend money. Because guys and girls cannot go into each other's dorms, it can sometimes be a challenge to hang out without paying to go out to eat or see a movie. However, Liberty is great at providing free activities for students just about every weekend.

There was a huge turnout at Friday's movie night, with about a third of the large Vines Center filled. The students sat in the section with the comfortable padded chairs and watched the flicks on one of the two big screens, just like at an actual theater. In fact, Student Activities even set up a concession stand, which was a whole lot cheaper than the one at the movie theater!

Most of the students were quiet during Where the Wild Things Are, and I overheard some negative comments about the movie, but there were many laughs and cheers all through Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. There is something really fun and enjoyably different about going to a "theater" where you can see a movie with hundreds of classmates instead of a room full of strangers. I would definitely recommend attending all of Liberty's free events!

Julie Celano

Prayer Groups meet in Prayer Chapel

Posted on Monday, January, 25, 2010 at 14:54 PM

Almost everyone who attends Liberty University is aware of the tiny white chapel in the center of campus. The prayer chapel is open most hours of the day to students who need a quiet place to pray and connect with the Lord. Not very many students, however, are aware that the prayer chapel is used for more than just quiet devotions. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, the prayer chapel is filled with students who gather for student-led services known as The WATCH and The Rend.

The WATCH (Waiting Awakened to Change History) is a service that takes place every Tuesday night from 7:30-9:30 p.m. In this service, the focus is placed on whole-hearted worship and intercession for the world. The WATCH's approach to worship is anything but traditional. Without a consistent worship band or a set list, The WATCH's worship is led by various instruments, drums and voices. Andy Castillo, a Liberty freshman who attends The WATCH says he enjoys it's spontaneity: “There's no set schedule ... You just go in there and you worship God from your heart.” In a given week at The WATCH, students will spend time enjoying the presence of the Lord and passionately crying out for revival. Students who attend are encouraged to worship freely — which often includes face-down adoration, dance and spontaneous song.

The Rend, a similar service, takes place on Thursday nights from 8:00-9:30 p.m. Andrew Earley, one of the founders of The Rend says that their goals are to “encounter God in a creative way based on Scripture, teach Christians how to meet Biblically with God, and equip mature prayer warriors to personally train others to communicate with God at deeper levels.” Andrew says that its not just a service, but praying together and through scripture. During a typical meeting, a leader will read a passage of scripture and the congregation will join in prayer fueled by that scripture. With acoustic worship playing in the background throughout the service, at times the students stand and join in song together.

Both The WATCH and The Rend are student-led, and exist for students who are interested in pursuing God and going deeper in a relationship with him. Christine Hansen, a sophomore who attends The Rend, says this about students who have never visited: “If they want to go deeper in their walk with God and encounter him in a new way, then they should come.” Andy Castillo, who attends The WATCH, agrees: “I would say, absolutely, totally go. If ... you've never done anything like that before, I would say totally do it.”

Jane Marczewski

The Virginia Christmas Spectacular

Posted on Thursday, December, 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM

The theme of this year's Virginia Christmas Spectacular is "Jingle in the City," and it is fabulous!

In case you haven't heard, the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is Thomas Road Baptist Church's annual Christmas production in which a traditional Christmas play is given a little something extra - a huge Christmas tree filled with the Thomas Road choir. The play was great, but my friends and I agreed that we would have been satisfied with watching the tree all night. In addition to being filled with the Thomas Road choir, the tree had the most fantastic light show I have ever seen. As the choir sang Christmas songs, the tree lit up to perfectly match all of their notes.

Almost the entire production was in the hands of five young children who played the main characters in the play, and they definitely delivered. The youngest girl, a crowd favorite, was incredibly precious and talented, and all the children had wonderful singing voices. They played orphans who wanted someone to love them at Christmas time. They met a compassionate woman who looked after them and also told them about the love they could find in Christ, and the entire second act consisted of a beautiful reenactment of the birth of Jesus.

From the Broadway-like set to the talented actors, the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is sure to wow people of all ages and is a great reminder that the reason we celebrate Christmas to celebrate the birth of our Savior who will always love us. I definitely recommend going to see it to get in the Christmas spirit!

There are three shows left on December 11, 12, and 13. For more information, go the Virginia Christmas Spectacular page on the Thomas Road Baptist Church website.

Julie Celano

The Virginia Christmas Spectacular

Posted on Thursday, December, 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM

What do you get when to combine 62,500 watts of power and 130,000 bulbs on a gigantic Christmas Tree holding 170 church choir members? Well, Thomas Road Baptist Church calls it “The Virginia Christmas Spectacular!” For 39 years, TRBC has presented this musical Christmas tradition which was previously called The Living Christmas Tree. This year, the the story follows a group of orphans living in New York City during the 1940's. Through some kind owners of a store downtown, the children learn that true love and belonging are found in Jesus.

The part of the production that captured the audience most was the music. The show contains 17 songs including Christmas classics such as “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Silent Night.” Also in the show were some original songs like “His Name is called Immanuel” and “O To Be Loved.”

Loren Green, a Liberty freshman who attended the event was especially impressed with the talented children who performed. “It was really amazing how even the children in the show — their singing range was off the charts!”

Over 400 people worked together to produce the drama including the choir members, set design, construction, stage crew, costume design, and of course the cast. Michael McCain, a member of the Liberty University marching band performed in the show. He said this about the experience: “It has been real fun. It was a good experience getting up in front of thousands of people playing music and help share the word of God in a fun way.”

In the midst of all the music and lights, the true purpose of the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is to share the world's most important story — the story of Jesus. This production is an easy way to share the love of God with unsaved family and friends. The last weekend of show will be on December 11-13. For information about tickets and show times, visit www.trbc.org.

Jane Marczewski

Professor speaks on dying

Posted on Thursday, December, 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM

Tuesday night was an eye-opening experience for hundreds of psychology students as they heard Dr. Daryl Pitts speak of his experience coping with the dying process.

A professor of psychology at Liberty and Counseling Pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, Dr. Pitts has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Also called ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease is a slow decaying of the muscles. As the muscles cease to work, simple tasks like dressing and bathing become impossible. Eventually, failure of the chest muscles causes difficulty breathing and death.

Dr. Pitts led the students through the process of coping with death and explained the psychological stages he has experienced. After being diagnosed two years ago, Pitts has gone through the difficult stages of denial, anger, bitterness and bargaining with God. Sharing verses to go with each stage of coping, Pitts encouraged students to comfort those dealing with similar situations.

Despite the tragedy of Dr. Pitt's story, one thing that students remembered about the night was his humor. “I thought that he was definitely using humor to cope,” said Cort Comfort, a student who attended.

Dr. Pitts concluded by expressing that although his life was uncertain, God was his strength and he would continue living for the Lord until the end of his days.

“I really enjoyed myself,” says Joey Tantomonico, a freshman psychology major. “Dr. Pitts gave some good applications, had some humor and taught me to really care for the people I love because life is short.”

 Jane Marczewski

Liberty Symphony Orchestra performance

Posted on Thursday, December, 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM

Towns Auditorium swelled with people and classical music Thursday, November 19, when Liberty’s Symphony Orchestra (LSO) performed for the first time on campus this semester. The concert was free to students and the local community.

The concert included the first movement of Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony”; Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” first and third movements and Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty”. The national anthem was also performed.

LSO director, Dr. Armenio Suzano commented on each piece Thursday night, providing a short history of the composer and the piece itself. Audience members were treated to Suzano’s professional knowledge and sense of humor. Dr. Suzano welcomes new members to the orchestra with this upcoming semester.

Dr. Suzano was born in Brazil and was the youngest member of the famous Rio de Janeiro Opera House Symphony Orchestra at age sixteen. Suzano has participated in many different orchestras and has taught at public high schools and colleges. He also holds the Outstanding Music Graduate Award, Outstanding Performer of the Year (1997) and first prize in the Sul-America International Competition in Brazil. Suzano most recently worked as Director of Bands at Brewton-Parker College, Professor of Church Music at Indiana Wesleyan University and Graduate Instructor at University of Michigan.

The LSO is open to students of all majors. Students with prior experience in strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion may audition for the spring semester. Participation in the orchestra may be counted as Christian Community Service credit.

To audition, contact Dr. Suzano at asuzano@liberty.edu. Auditions are scheduled for the first week of classes.

Phylicia Duran

Liberty Flames vs. Clemson Tigers

Posted on Thursday, November, 19, 2009 at 15:57 PM

The Flames took on the No. 22 Clemson Tigers in the Vines Center Tuesday morning. The game was broadcasted on national television as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon which featured 12 college basketball games in 24 hours. Tuesday's game was the sixth in the marathon.

A crowd of over 8,000 watched as the Tigers walked away victorious over the Flames with a final score of 79-39. Both teams scored within the first few minutes but Clemson was ahead 17-1 fifteen minutes in.

Students were excused from classes and filled the Vines Center to watch this historic game. Decked out in red, the student section was overflowing, as well as the rest of the Vines Center. The building was filled beyond capacity for the second time. Back in 1997, over 9,000 fans packed into the Vines Center to watch the Flames face off with Virginia Tech.

For more information about the Flames match against the Tigers, check out www.LibertyFlames.com.

Jake Ford

Christmas Coffeehouse Tryouts

Posted on Monday, November, 16, 2009 at 11:59 AM

Tryouts kicked off last Thursday for this year's Christmas Coffeehouse. Coffeehouse is an exciting campus event in which students gather in the Vines Center (all decked out in the finest Christmas décor) to watch their fellow classmates put on short acts that include dancing, singing and drama. With Christmas Coffeehouse being less than a month away (December 11), it is again that time of year to check out the talented students who would like to be this year's entertainment. Tryouts this year are very public, unlike tryouts in past years. They are being held in the new Tilley Student Center, which is filled with students chatting, eating and doing homework on any typical day. Therefore, many students happened to catch a glimpse of the acts that could be chosen to perform at Coffeehouse.

The auditions were very spaced out on Thursday due to the fact that there are multiple days this week for people to try out, and many students are likely still working on perfecting their performance. However, the groups that did try out seemed to be very well-rehearsed and are likely to be chosen to perform in December. The acts I witnessed all happened to be musical acts, but they varied greatly in style. The songs ranged from acoustic to hard rock, some being Christmas tunes and some not. One of the most unique songs I heard was a band that played their own rendition of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Instead of singing it slowly and softly as it traditionally done, they rocked it out, giving it a very Underoath sound.

The talent is already looking good for this year's Coffeehouse, and there are still many other acts that will audition this week. Check back after December 11 to see how it went!

Julie Celano

A Life-Changing Mission

Posted on Wednesday, November, 11, 2009 at 12:27 PM

Missionaries David and Ester Scovill visited Liberty this past week to share the amazing story of their time spent with the Dani tribe in Papua, Indonesia. Little did they know when they landed in Indonesia, God was preparing the Dani people for their arrival. The Dani were a very warlike and fearful people. They saw disease as a result of evil spirits and were very afraid of those spirits and of death. When one of the members of the tribe was about to die, he told the other members about his dream in which strange people came to visit the Dani tribe. He told the members of his tribe to welcome these strangers when they come because they would have an important message to tell them. Shortly after, David and the rest of his team landed in Papua and were particularly welcomed by one member of the tribe, a young man who said he had seen David in his dream. This young man helped David and his team to learn the language of the Dani. During the years the missionaries spent with the Dani tribe, they helped the members in medicine and literacy education; they also worked to translate the Bible into the Dani language. Amazingly, almost all of the members of the Dani tribe made the decision to follow the Lord because of God's plan and the people who were willing to take part in it. The Dani tribe transformed from a fearful and warlike tribe to a peaceful tribe, unafraid of death. When surrounding tribes saw the transformation of the Dani people, they came to seek out David to bring the Gospel to their tribes so they could be happy and changed like the Dani. There are now tens of thousands of Christ followers in that area of Indonesia. Because a few people listened to God's call into missions, thousands of lives have been changed for eternity.

If you are interested in doing missions work through Liberty, check out Light Ministries.

Julie Celano

VCAR 492 Exhibit

Posted on Wednesday, November, 11, 2009 at 12:27 PM

LU students recently had the opportunity to show off their skills at an art show in downtown Lynchburg. This past Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, senior Visual Arts majors hosted a semi-annual art exhibit at Riverview’s ArtSpace Reading Room Gallery. Several pieces of art were on display and the show. The room was packed with several LU students and others enjoying the amazing art and a variety of hors d’oeuvre catered by Liberty Dining. The exhibit was a part of First Friday’s, which is a tour of several galleries in the downtown area that takes place every first Friday of each month.

Ana Brooks