Liberty University welcomes first class of MFA students

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Lynchburg, Va. (PRWEB) January 14, 2015

Liberty Universitys School of Communication & Creative Arts welcomed its inaugural class of Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) students Friday, Jan. 9, in the Liberty University Art Gallery.

Last semester, the university announced the launch of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) and the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) programs, two of the most prestigious degrees in the arts industries. Both programs are initially being offered through the Department of Studio & Digital Arts (SADA). The B.F.A. will launch in Fall 2015.

In both programs, students can pursue studies in two-dimensional art (with courses such as photography, painting, and drawing), three-dimensional art (with courses such as sculpting and ceramics), and graphic design (with courses in web design, print design, illustration, game design, animation, and new media). The B.F.A. requires 127 credit hours and the M.F.A. 60 credit hours. Both degrees will be available online for the graphic design concentration this fall.

At the inaugural event, faculty and staff reminded the incoming students that they are making history in being the first M.F.A. class at the university.

Dr. Norman Mintle, dean of the School of Communication & Creative Arts, which includes SADA, called the students pioneers in the sense that they are starting something brand new.

The faculty here is committed to nurturing you as an artist, he told the students. We want to help you recognize the creativity God has given you because it is important for you to be to a spiritually inspired artist who delights in what you do because God delights in what you do as an artist.

Mintle also said that this degree is important because it allows students to receive a more focused concentration in their specific art form.

This program will enhance our students professional degrees so they will be more marketable when they graduate, Mintle said. It will also help them bring greater notoriety to the university and to themselves as others begin noticing the work they produce.

Todd Smith, chair of SADA, said the goal of the program is to send students into the art industry prepared for whatever may come their way.

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Liberty University welcomes first class of MFA students

Liberty Beats Longwood to Stay Unbeaten in Big South

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Lynchburg - Liberty hit a season-high 11 three-pointers during Tuesday evening's contest against Longwood, propelling the Lady Flames to a 70-48 victory at the Vines Center.

Liberty, whose first seven made field goals were triples, equaled the most three-pointers the Lady Flames have ever hit at the Vines Center. Meanwhile, Liberty dominated the glass (62-23) and held its fourth straight opponent below the 50-point mark.

As a result, the Lady Flames improved to 11-5 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Big South play. Simone Brown's 12 points paced Liberty's balanced scoring attack and helped the Lady Flames extend several streaks.

Liberty has now won a season-best five straight games overall, six consecutive home games, eight straight matchups with in-state opponents and 12 consecutive meetings with Longwood.

The Lancers fell to 2-15 overall and 2-6 in Big South games despite a game-high 18 points from Raven Williams. Longwood has never won at the Vines Center.

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Liberty Beats Longwood to Stay Unbeaten in Big South

Liberty University Announces Partnership With #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Kingsburg

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Lynchburg, Va. (PRWEB) January 13, 2015

Liberty University has announced a partnership with #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, welcoming her as a visiting professor for the schools residential and online programs. Exclusive to Liberty, Kingsbury will offer students the secrets to her storytelling and to selling more than 25 million copies of her books.

I believe in Liberty University and in the students who attend this great school, Kingsbury said. I am honored to officially be part of the great things God is doing at Liberty.

Kingsbury will contribute to the universitys English and creative writing programs and provide writing curriculum exclusively to Liberty University. This will include teaching about story development, marketing, and publishing through both written pieces and video instruction. In addition, she will frequently visit the campus to teach hundreds of students, beginning in February and again in April.

We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Karen Kingsbury, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell said. Karen is one of the most important voices in Christian publishing and literature today. We are excited about all she has to offer our students and our Liberty community.

Over the years, Kingsbury has become a favorite guest of Liberty University. Students have heard her speak in Convocation, telling her personal story from the stage and inspiring them in much the same way she has inspired millions around the world through her books. Students have also connected with her as a Liberty parent three of her children (and a nephew) are current students.

Kingsbury will interview Liberty students for her weekday radio program, The Karen Kingsbury Show, which launched last year. The radio show is currently heard on Libertys newly reformatted radio station, The Journey FM, throughout Virginia and North Carolina, as well as nationally on Salem Radio and TodaysChristianMusic.com. As a public speaker, Kingsbury reaches more than 100,000 women annually through various national events.

Kingsbury will visit Libertys campus Feb. 23-25, and again on April 7-10, during College for a Weekend. In addition, Liberty will work with Kingsbury for the Karen Kingsbury Liberty University Scholarship contest, which will award four students each $20,000 toward tuition. Details of the scholarship competition will be revealed on Kingsburys website, KarenKingsbury.com, in the coming weeks.

Ive always believed if Heaven has a university, it would be Liberty, Kingsbury said. I wish every student would have the chance to attend this amazing university.

Ron Kennedy, Libertys senior vice president of Marketing, said Liberty is excited to be able to draw from Kingsburys professional talent to advance the mission of the university in Training Champions for Christ.

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Liberty University Announces Partnership With #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Kingsburg

Libertarian Kennedy Montgomery: disclosing CEO to worker pay ratio is "slut shaming" – Video

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Libertarian Kennedy Montgomery: disclosing CEO to worker pay ratio is "slut shaming"
Libertarian Kennedy Montgomery says that forcing public companies to disclose CEO-to-worker pay ratio is "slut shaming." The type of Reason Magazine Trash Fox News Pulls straight from Youtube.

By: antilibertarian

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Libertarian Kennedy Montgomery: disclosing CEO to worker pay ratio is "slut shaming" - Video

$35 million in criminal profits seized by SA Police shows 'unfairly balanced' laws, civil libertarian says

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More than $35 million in property and cash seized by South Australian Police last financial year reflects "unfairly balanced" laws targeting criminal assets, a civil libertarian says.

SA Police this week said luxury cars, homes, jet skis, jewellery, boats and a large amount of cash were restrained by the courts last financial year in a tactic to target the profits of criminals.

Superintendent Wayne Overmeyer said it had bolstered the confiscation branch's claim value from a comparatively small $9 million five years ago.

But criminal defence lawyer and SA Council for Civil Liberties spokesperson George Mancini questioned the fairness of legislation targeting the proceeds of crime.

"Some years ago, there was a man who cultivated some cannabis in his home, and he lost his home," he said.

"But his home had never been connected to crime, other than the fact it was being used this once to grow cannabis. It was certainly not bought from the proceeds of crime.

"Just because a person gets a criminal record, it doesn't mean everything they have is from the proceeds from crime. Many people will acquire property legitimately."

Mr Mancini also questioned the figure claimed by police, saying the total dollar value would ultimately depend on the forfeit orders made by courts.

"It's one thing to say you've got $35 million restrained, but what's the actual yearly recovery?" he said.

Superintendent Overmeyer said the confiscation process included identifying potential assets prior to a planned raid by detectives.

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$35 million in criminal profits seized by SA Police shows 'unfairly balanced' laws, civil libertarian says

Major 6.0 EARTHQUAKE just shook INDONESIA ARU ISLANDS N of Australia 1.12.15 See DESCRIPTION – Video

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Major 6.0 EARTHQUAKE just shook INDONESIA ARU ISLANDS N of Australia 1.12.15 See DESCRIPTION
http://www.harvestarmy.org - - SUBSCRIBE FOR PREDICTIONS THAT MAY AFFECT YOU - - watch official upload here --- http://youtu.be/HHOsLkGhY70 Prophecy: ...

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Major 6.0 EARTHQUAKE just shook INDONESIA ARU ISLANDS N of Australia 1.12.15 See DESCRIPTION - Video

Rollercoaster Tycoon Loopy Landscapes #13 (Iceberg Islands: Building challenge) – Video

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Rollercoaster Tycoon Loopy Landscapes #13 (Iceberg Islands: Building challenge)
We #39;re in the last stretch to get the park done. We #39;re still short a few guests and so long as we don #39;t screw up, we should be right on track of winning the park. A few rides, a few shops and...

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Rollercoaster Tycoon Loopy Landscapes #13 (Iceberg Islands: Building challenge) - Video

Eco-friendly solution to rising seas in St. Petersburg? Fake islands

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ST. PETERSBURG Consultants are proposing a big change of scenery for the downtown waterfront: islands.

Man-made, eco-friendly barrier islands made of organic materials like planted rock piles, sea grass or mangroves a living breakwater would protect the city against storm surges associated with higher sea levels.

They would also smooth out an often choppy basin, making for an easier ride for kayakers and small watercraft enthusiasts.

That was the pitch by AECOM, the global consultant hired to come up with a long-term waterfront plan, delivered at a meeting Friday to the City Council and the Community Planning and Preservation Commission.

"This is a big idea," said Pete Sechler, a consultant working for AECOM. "If you think about visitors coming. With a really unique environmental move like this? You think about what a draw this could be. I think it could be a really big deal."

New York City has embarked on a similar project in Staten Island, but not a lot of other such breakwaters have been built, potentially putting St. Petersburg on the cutting edge of environmentally creative solutions to rising seas, the consultants said.

Details, including how much it will cost, aren't available yet. On Friday, consultants showed a map of the waterfront with green squiggly blobs resembling caterpillars representing breakwaters and looking like tiny barrier islands.

The consultants wanted to get early feedback before developing the idea further. The public will get a look at the plan in a series of workshops at the end of the month.

Still, a general picture emerged Friday of a string of islands and other barriers along unprotected stretches of the waterfront made up of underwater breakwaters of sea grass, rock piles and other measures to dissipate wave energy far from shore.

"They won't all be 8-foot islands," Sechler said. "Some will be underwater, others barely at water level."

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Eco-friendly solution to rising seas in St. Petersburg? Fake islands

Japan approves record defence budget

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Japan's cabinet has approved the country's largest defence budget, with plans to buy surveillance aircraft and F-35 fighter jets to improve defences of disputed islands amid China's increasing assertiveness in the region.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet endorsed on Wednesday a nearly $42b defence budget for the year beginning in April, a two percent rise. The budget must still be approved by parliament, but Abe's coalition holds majorities in both houses.

The military outlays were included in a record $814b total budget for the coming fiscal year.

Japan's military budget is rising for a third year in a row under Abe, who took office in December 2012 and ended 11 straight years of defence budget cuts.

The increase mainly covers new equipment, including P-1 surveillance aircraft, F-35 fighter jets and amphibious vehicles for a new unit to boost island defences.

The 2015 budget also covers cost of purchasing parts of "Global Hawk" drones, planned for deployment in 2019, and two Aegis radar-equipped destroyers, as well as missile defence system development with Washington.

Chinese patrol boats often visit waters near uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China.

Abe favours a stronger role for Japan's military, despite a commitment to pacifism enshrined in the US-inspired constitution drawn up after the country's defeat in World War Two.

Japan's defence guidelines were revised in December 2013 as tensions rose over the disputed islands in the East China Sea.

In July, the Abe government adopted a new interpretation of Japan's war-renouncing constitution to allow its military to defend American and other foreign troops under attack.

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Japan approves record defence budget