Highlights

Campus News

LC, ADF file lawsuit to challenge Obama Administration health mandate

Cited as an attack on religious freedom

Faith

College students ‘Reawaken’ at CEC 2012

College Evangelism Conference held at FBC Pineville

Sports

LC hoops teams close out ASC season with sweep of MC

Conference tournaments up next for LC men and women

Organizations

LC athletes learn dangers of PEDs

Hooton Foundation working to educate

Campus Life

What’s your glass measurement?

The power of positive thinking in your college career

Culture

All the Shakespeare you could laugh at… and more!

tlc's adaptation of 'Shakespeare Abridged' pulls out all the stops

Special Coverage

LC brings another successful ‘Follow the Star’

'Christmas on the Hill' and 'Gala' add to festive weekend

LC brings another successful ‘Follow the Star’

by Wildcat Staff

'Christmas on the Hill' and 'Gala' add to festive weekend

For a fifth straight year, Louisiana College opened its campus to the Central Louisiana community with its annual presentation of "Follow the Star."

The Wildcats Media staff compiled the following reports on the weekend as a review of another successful event.

Event Overview
by Melody Mutch

Despite the frigid weather in Central Louisiana both nights of Follow the Star, members of the community came out to enjoy all the LC had to offer.

LC students and faculty came together to portray one of the most important stories that the Bible tells, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Live cows, goats, and rabbits all accompanied the actors in trying to take the audience back in time.

The first stage of the journey began with the angel appearing to Mary and Joseph explaining to them that the son of God would be born, and they would be his earthly parents. Tour guides took spectators through the journey of Mary and Joseph as the Bible describes it. The journey took advantage of the entire campus as different stations were located near various buildings on campus.

After being taken on a trip through time, ending with the birth of Jesus, attendees were given the opportunity to watch a musical performance in the Martin Performing Arts Center with "Christmas on the Hill." Students and faculty members joined together to sing Christmas music and highlight the reason for the season.

LC’s Voices, Chorale, Wildcat Band, and Louisianians were among acts that were featured in the show. The theater filled up for every performance as the cast showcased some of the amazing talents that LC has.

Follow the Star had a turnout that brought a sense of community to LC and all of those who attended.

LC Debate Team leads the way through campus tour
by Lydia Magallanes

Every year around Christmas, when Louisiana College presentes Follow the Star, the public is taken on a 25-minute tour of seven scenes.

Student actors depict the Nativity, namely theater and communications majors, with a few others participating simply for enjoyment. Members of the Debate Team serve as tour guides, and who better to lead then excellent orators?

Andrew Dufour, a senior at Louisiana College and captain of the debate team, said the team has been involved in Follow the Star in the four years he has been in school.

Plenty of preparation goes into LC’s live Nativity. Jeff Young and his Media Communications students are the backbone of Follow the Star, responsible for the setting up audio and the twinkling lights that light up each scene.

The student actors who depict the nativity and the Theater Department providing props and costumes are also critical to Follow the Star.

The debate team however, has a unique involvement.

"I enjoy getting to meet the people of the community and the chance to talk with them about what they like about Follow the Star,” said Travis Kliewer, a junior at LC and a varsity debater. “I think being a tour guide is the best job because you get to interact with the guests and the actors.”

Although the actors get to see the immediate reaction from the audience, they don’t get the interaction the tour guides do to see how much the guests enjoy and appreciate the students acting.But any doubts about appreciation were taken care of this year.

Kliewer said the difference between this year and previous Follow the Stars was the private showing of Christmas on a Hill, the festive musical performance, for all the LC actors and workers. At the after hour performance of Christmas on a Hill, Dr. Fred Guilbert, Director of Chorale, made sure to thank all the individuals involved in Follow the Star.

This year’s Follow the Star was also a new experience for freshmen debaters like Heather Williams.

“Joseph Buzzeta (Varsity debater and captain for the novice), took us on a tour first," Williams said. "Then we got the feel of what being a tour guide felt like. We went from scene to scene and made sure our guests knew little details here and there about scenes and their purpose.”

Williams said she loved her first experience as a tour guide.

“I’m social and getting to know other people and making conversation is my thing," she said. "I had a lot of fun being a tour guide for Follow the Star and everyone could do it if they wanted to.”

Christmas on the Hill Review
by Mark Klein

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas on the campus of Louisiana College. The twinkling Christmas lights that lined the Martin Performing Arts Center set the stage for LC's second production of “Christmas On the Hill”, a holiday variety show.

Taking place Dec. 1 and 2, Christmas On the Hill ushured Christmas festivities on the campus into full swing. The hour-long event included several songs performed by LC students and faculty, spreading Christmas cheer to all who heard.

The audiences sat bundled in coats inside MPAC after the outdoor Nativity production of “Follow the Star”, eagerly watching performances that would serve as the culmination of a year of hard work from many groups around campus including the Louisiana College Chorale, Wildcat Band, Theatre Louisiana College, Voices of LC, The Louisianians, and the Dept. of Media Communications.

“This is our Christmas present to the community,” said Dr. Fred Gilbert, Instructor of Music at Louisiana College. “So from all of us, Merry Christmas.”

Highlights from the performances included the song “Glorious Impossible”, performed by a gospel quartet of faculty members, Mary Evelyn Cesar and Ben Waites's duet of “One King”, and the Voices of LC's A capella rendition of “Joy to the World.”

“We met every single night to practice for hours all week leading up to the concert,” said Voices member, Kalee Christian. “But it's definitely worth it.”

Although it is the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas time is without a doubt the busiest as well. LC students of all shapes, sizes, and majors are cramming in study guides and flash cards, prepping for winter finals. Most families are setting up lights, feverishly shopping for Christmas presents, and getting caught up into the commercial aspects of the holidays forgetting the “Reason for the Season.”

“I know that saying sounds cliché, but everyone forgets that this holiday is all about how lucky we are to have a savior who died for us,” said Christian. "And that's our main motivation for this show.”

So look for Christmas On the Hill next year, during Louisiana College's Follow the Star, and on behalf of everyone participating, have a very Merry Christmas.

Watch excerpts of "Christmas on the Hill"


Watch highlights of this year's Christmas Gala at LC

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