Students experience Suitcase Syndrom e

It was 4:10 p.m. and Terry had only 20 minutes to get to the Student Affairs office before it closed. Breathlesslv rushing though the door, he nearly collapsed on the secretary s desk.

"I need permission to go home this weekend, " Terry said.

"Is it an emergency?" the secretary asked as she searched her desk for the familar pad of permission slips.

"No, no emergency at all," Terry assured her. "I'm just going home to visit my family."

"Terry, this is the fourth weekend in a row," she said. "How can you afford the time to go home so often?"

Terry's only problem, ifthat's what itis, iswhat some LBC students know as "suitcase syndrome," a condition that hits more than 200 students every month Many of these students are likeTerry — they livewithin arelatively short drive from campus and find the time at home more productive than on campus Some go home forwork, some torelaxand some students gohome tobepartoftheir home churches.Any wayone looksatthesituation, these students are on themove — some every weekend.

"Every two weeks Igo home to Roanoke and transport tirestoOhio," Terry said "Iend up driving about 15to 16 hours on those weekends The other weekends I just go home tovisit my family.

Another student misses herfamily somuch that shewill travelmore than four hours toVirginia Beach whenever she can

I usually donthave any important reason togo home except toeathome cooking andtosleep in my own bed," the elementary education major said. "I just like being ableto be alone, too."

She confessed that her time at home really isn't very productive academically.

"Most ofthetime Itake my books home but I don t end up doing anystudying,"she said "My parents can'tseem to understand whv Icome home so much.'

Whatever thereason, numbers ofanxious students make their way tothedean's office each weekend for permission to go home leaving thedorms, for the most part, empty When asked about the situation of students leaving an RA showed littleconcern

"It'sone less voice tokeep quiet on Saturday night."he said."We need thevacation too."

John Schlesinger

^he LBC Concert Series had a •^ twist in itsapproach during the 1980-81 school year. Along with the regular sacred music series,two additional non-musical programs wereintroduced.

The season kicked off with the Searles Sisters, a gospel group from Nashville, Tenn

The group has recorded one album although they only sing part-time The triplets all hold full time jobsas legal secretaries

"They had a very smooth harmony," said one person from theaudience, "and they presented a clear Christian testimony."

In September, the series took on a different type of program with Zig Ziglar, a nationally known bornagain speaker on motivation and positive thinking.

He has appeared on stage with many personalities such as Art Linkletter and Norman Vincent Peale.

Itwas said that he was an exciting speaker and that for the three hours he spoke on how to be successful, he held the audience spellbound

"He gave practical ideas to promote self-confidence the right way," one student from the audience said. "It was awesome."

The October facetofthe seasonpresented Joe Blanton, a sacred musicartist Blanton has sung with a number of opera companies including the New York Opera Company atLincoln Center

His style followed his operatic background, as he strived for excellence in light of "good music" and Christian testimony together Blanton's repetoire consisted of classicAmerican music which included selections by Stephen Foster,avariety of Negro spirituals and selections from great American musicals.

November brought Johnny Hall and Kay DeKalb, long-standing favoritesof the college They both hada full weekend while performing and emceeing the Miss Liberty Pageant, and then performing the Homecoming concert the next night.

(continued un page 40) rohnny HallandKayDeKalb added theirspecial touchJi) es to the Miss Liberty Pageant and the total LBC Homecoming weekend experience thatclimaxed with aSaturday night concert.

Johnny Hall,anative ofDetroit,Mich., was first discovered as a singing talent attheageof three by hismother.

"I was rocking on my hobby horse singing,'Holy, Holy Horsie',when my mother found me," Hall said "Shediscovered thatI could carrya tuneandbegan towork withme Itraveled occasionally with my father, who isapreacher, to gain experience."

Hall, who currently travels the country with his wife Terri,held an acting role with theUniversity of Michigan Opera Company

"Ihadplanned togoon Broadway,but God began todeal with me about being a gospel singer," he said.

Two yearsago hehadthelead inthe musical, "Saddled for Glory," directed by the Rev Ken Parker of Taylor, Mich Hall was deeply affected by thepresentation of thelifeof circuit preacher, Peter Cartwright

"The traveling lifeis onewith no rootsortime todevelop them," Hall said. "I could really relate toPeter Cartwright."

Hall's future plans include another play performance and the formation of a small back-up group

"I used to be a singer first and a communicator ofthe gospel second," Hall said "Nowcommunicating the gospel ismy main goal and singing is only a tool toexpress that message."

Robbie Hiner, who performed for LBCstudents in February, was one of the first graduates of LBC. Inhisconcert, Hinergave students some insight as to what theschoolwas like in its earlier days.

Miss Kay DeKalb ofHartseller,Ala.,began hercareeras the result ofa newspaper ad.

"With theencouragement ofmy mother,I answered an ad calling forpageant contestants," shesaid.

Fom this Miss DeKalb went on towin thetitle of Miss Teenage Alabama andused her resulting public appearances as a springboard tocommunicate the gospel through song.

She adds another dimension to her performance with impersonations of famous characters like Shirley Temple, Alfalfa of the"Little Rascals," and Edith Ann

"I love tomake people laugh," Miss DeKalb said. Miss DeKalb considers her travelthroughout thecountry an educational experience

"The songs I sing are the same,buttheillustrations I use are as varied asthe parts ofthe country that Ising in," she said "When something goes wrong with my performance, I cannot hide I have tobe genuine andI expect the same from others."

Her firstalbum The Best IsYetTo Come," wasreleased last fall She continues to travel throughout the country performing in colleges,churches and singles conferences -Lori Davis I I

(continued from page 38)

Each artist performed a segment alone and then they sang together.

"They conducted aconcert in sucha way that provoked a relaxed atmosphere," one student said

After Christmas break, Robbie Hinpr began the second segment of the series with a concert on Jan. 23.

Hiner,whohas anumber of recordings, hadaback-up of afull orchestra and vocal group

In the course of the evening he brought several grandmothers from the audience up to sing, and he also had his parents sing.°Hiner's little brother gotinto theact also when he sang asolo what wascalled by some inthe audience, a very effective and clear description of salvation It was noted that 59 people from the community were saved as a result of theperformance

When Robbie got ready to sing "Get Up and Get Ready" he told the audience thatpeople hadtold himthat he couldn't sing the song with the right style When he started to sing thesong though,toeveryone's amusement, Randal Miller and Jeff Brown took themike from Robbie and sang the song "the wayit should besung."

The last production of the series was theappearance ofthe internationally known illusionist Andre Kole. Kole isconsidered by most criticsto be one of the world's leading illusionists.

In histwo-hour performance, held at E.C Glass High School, students experienced a unique and fascinating presentation of magical effects and unusual illusions.

Some of the illusions that were noted were: his cutting a woman in half, dematerializing, and levitation.

"It was very professionally done," Phil Atkins said. "All his illusions were great and he made itclear to everyone that itwasn't magic, but illusion."

-John Schlesinger

Christine Wyrtzen,though not on the regulai concert schedule performed a lull chapel -cr vice and •.ana at Thoma- Road Bapti-t Church

I8)llaM(om sk©w ;

E ver y movement and sound accounted for, acclaimed opera and sacred singer Joe Blanton demonstrated ideals of discipline and perfection to LBC students inthe second concert of theyear

Blanton spoke tomusic majors theafternoon before the concert and told them that thepersonal artofobedienceis the key todevelopement.

The paradox oflife is that totalfreedom isnot freedomat all," Blanton said

Along the same lines as this idea, he explained that in order tocommunicate one must experience what heis trying to convey

Itmust be real toyou," hesaid,"before it canbe real to anyone else.You have tofeel itin your heart."

He also told students that they should always strivefor mastery,and as sacred artists they have a responsibility to be thegreatest artists in theworld

Blanton scareer hasbeen highlighted with a membership in the Israeli National Opera Company, the Bonn Opera C ompany inGermany and theNew York Opera Company :t Lincoln Center.

"Opera wasacall from God forme," Blanton said. "There have been many opportunities to witness."

Blanton explained that while in New York at Lincoln Center, the Lord opened up a new door to him,one of performing sacred concerts in colleges and churches

"I want topresent artistry and dignity with warmth," he said

In his concert, Blanton concentrated on a repetoire of classicAmerican music Inhis firstset, Blanton didaseries ofStephen Foster'smusic,then went on totraditional Negro spirituals like "Go Down Moses" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

After a brief intermission, Blanton sang songs from the great American musicals A special tribute was made to the college with The Hills are Alive," and "Climb Every Mountain" from theplay "TheSound of Music" byRodgers and Hammerstein These were followed by "TheImpossible Dream," "You'll Never ^Valk Alone," and anencore of "Ol Man River."