The popular Disney classic was brought to life by an incredible student cast that left audiences in amazement.

As an avid lover of theater (and a former performer myself), I’ve always enjoyed the quality and intentionality behind Lyceum Theater’s productions. There’s something magical about the space; immediately, the audience is captivated and transported somewhere else. 

For this particular production, there was an especially high demand. The popular Disney classic attracted a large number of attendees. Nearly all of the shows were sold out, requiring some guests to be put on a waitlist. 

The show most certainly lived up to the hype. From colorful dance numbers, engaging and cartoon-ish humor, and stunning vocal performances, this “tale as old as time” was brought to life by director Nikki Snelson in a way that was astonishingly fresh and new. 

The talented cast members included Rezia Landers as Belle, Matthew Barge as Beast, Elijah Munck as Gaston, Luke Desmond as Lumiere, Jordan Ward as Mrs. Potts, Alexander Edwards as Cogsworth, Bella Christiana and Sadie Alexander as Madame, Yasmine Reid as Babette, Gregory Dodd as Maurice, and Koy Hackworth as Lefou. 

Notable characters also included the iconic Silly Girls (played by Gabriela Paul, Rylee Schmidt, and Leilani Cranford) and the sparking ensemble cast, who played everything from villagers to forks to wolves (the latter being my personal favorite). 

Overall, this show delivered exactly the kind of next-level performance audiences have come to expect from the Lyceum Theatre. To learn more about upcoming shows, be sure to give @lyceumtheater a follow on Instagram!

The post Lyceum Theater Delivers a Dazzling Performance of “Beauty and the Beast” appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

March 8 is a day internationally recognized as International Women's Day by the United Nations and observed globally, by nations around the world. While many nations in the rest of the world take the day to celebrate and call for the advancement of women’s rights, in Mexico, it is used as a day for protest, calling for the end of femicides, trafficking, and Machismo in the country, urging officials to lend a hand against the crimes that occur every day. 

On March 8, 2024 180,000 women gathered in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, wearing purple in various forms. The women wore purple clothing, and specifically, lilac bandanas, representing justice, dignity, and loyalty to the cause. They fearlessly marched through the city and in front of the presidential palace, protesting the lack of input and interference from government officials and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. 

Not only in Mexico City, but in many other states of Mexico, women gathered to march together, chanting in unison, against the femicides that occur daily in the country. In Culiacan, hundreds of women gathered and chanted, "Vivas las queremos, vivas se las llevaron," "We want them alive, they took them alive."

Femicide has been an ongoing issue in Mexico for the last couple of decades, with the statistics showing the situation is worsening exponentially. The women of Mexico often highlight that the numbers are actually much larger as half of the crimes committed against women remain unreported. In Guanajuato, a state in Mexico, femicides are reported at an unprecedented rate, with a report even showing that one in three women and girls go missing everyday. A study done by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Mexican Government Agency, cited that in 2021, 41.8% of women 15 and older, have faced violence. In 2022, they found that children from the ages of 10 to 14 experienced the most violence with girls from these ages experiencing violence 4.7 times more than boys between these ages. With statistics depicting the gravity of the danger girls and women face in Mexico, March 8th serves as a day for the public to urge for change in policy and in crimes. 

Many took to TikTok to share their frustration with not only their government, but with the complicity of other fellow citizens. One video depicts a father, Jose Castillo, marching with women, for justice for his daughter, Esmeralda Castillo Rincon. Her case is like many others, a young girl gone missing and never found. She disappeared on May 17th 2009 at the age of 14, and in May of 2022, her father expressed his frustration saying, "It has been 13 years of seeking justice for Esmeralda without success. We demand that the investigations into this case continue," after her name was removed from the missing person's list.

Esmeralda's story has gained traction with many in Mexico, and on March 8, her father joins the marches to demand justice for others just like Esmeralda. The same TikTok video reads, "Esmerelda, your father is still looking for you." Another video on TikTok displays women surroundingJose Castillo as he says, "The day that Esmerelda returns, she will be marching." The women chanted, "You are not alone." You can click here to view the TikTok video.

The effects of the rates of femicide and crimes against women in Mexico can be seen through the pain and anger of those who have tirelessly fought for change, for protection of women and girls. Young girls are commonly present at the March 8 marches in Mexico and have also been protesting the rise of femicides against very young girls. In a TikTok, a toddler aged girl can be seen and heard chanting, "Do not touch little girls."

While March 8th is a day of celebration for many around the world, it is a day of pain and protest in so many others. It is not a 'Happy Women's Day,' but a day to face the horrible reality that women in Mexico face daily.

The post International Women’s Day: A Day of Protest for Mexican Citizens appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

If you’re a Christian, it’s highly likely that you celebrate the holidays of Christmas and Easter to celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus. You may even attend a Good Friday service each year to reflect on Jesus’s death on the cross three days before Easter. However, not all Christians know about the full liturgical calendar (also known as the church calendar or liturgical year) which divides the entire year into an annual cycle of seasons and days based on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. While the liturgical calendar is often thought of as a primarily Catholic tradition, some Protestant denominations (such as Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists) observe it in their churches as well. However, other denominations, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, typically do not. So what is the liturgical calendar?

According to The Gospel Coalition, “The Christian calendar (also known as the liturgical calendar or ecclesiastical calendar) is an annual schedule that commemorates certain days and seasons related to the history of salvation.” The seasons that make up the liturgical calendar are Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, and “ordinary time”. But should Christians observe it?

[caption id="attachment_16251" align="alignleft" width="2560"] A church. Photo Credit: Gregory Hayes on Unsplash[/caption]

One Vanguard student, Amanda Fagan, said this when asked about whether or not she observes the liturgical calendar: “I’m Lutheran, and my church observes the liturgical calendar. I think one of the main benefits that the liturgical calendar provides is a sense of celebration, reverence, and structure...I believe the liturgical calendar teaches Christians about the stories in the Bible by giving them a celebratory experience. It’s a great way to learn about the Bible and culture.”

As the history of the church went on and denominations split from one another to create new ones, a lot of Protestant evangelical denominations dropped the tradition of following the church calendar, likely seeing it as an unnecessary invention of the Catholic church as they let go of other Catholic traditions too.

The first church I ever attended was an evangelical charismatic church that did not observe the liturgical calendar. However, I started attending a traditional Presbyterian church about a year ago that does follow the liturgical calendar. For me, I found that it was very helpful to me in my relationship with God to be constantly reminded of what God has done for us through seasonal reminders.

While observing the liturgical calendar is not a Biblical command and therefore should not be treated as such, there can be some benefits to following the tradition. It is not mandatory, but it can be helpful to one’s faith.

The post The Liturgical Calendar: Should Christians Observe It? appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

[caption id="attachment_16237" align="alignright" width="354"] Flour and dough. Photo Credit: Kari Shea, Unsplash.[/caption]

Time and patience are key to baking sweets with a typical trial and error process. When it comes to aspiring pastry chefs, there is great importance to wanting to create original recipes. With a diverse range of pastries, a lot of opportunities arise with expanding on recipes. Coming from a family of panaderos, Jizela Hernandez gained an interest in baking at a young age.

Unlike a typical high school senior, there is no urgency to head start to college, but rather invest more in her baking career. She says, “I would like to head straight to college, but I feel that time would be lost with my baking career. I’m currently looking at culinary schools, and most representatives have said that I could be the youngest person in their courses, which I find exciting!”

Most pastry chefs start their careers in their late 20s or wait for their college journey to be over. Jizela would be starting at the age of 18, which is fascinating for to culinary schools she is looking at. The passion and motivation to start at such a young age brings excellent qualifications for the industry.

People are not limited to furthering their career in baking at culinary school, and most just take it in as a hobby. Learning the basic skills and following along with recipes on streaming platforms can bring a noteworthy experience. Baking can be a great way to learn and create a small business in the future. When perfecting the best-tasting pastries will take time and patience, but the result is worth it all.

"It was something that I enjoyed doing, and the more I practiced, the more passionate I became! This got me thinking on opening up my shop in the future and continuing to make new recipes." Jizela started baking as a hobby and later found a passion for it, resulting in her choosing her career. So, whether you want to take it to the next level or keep it as a hobby, there is a spot everywhere to learn about baking. The sweet sensations of baking can be rewarding!

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For most Vanguard students, the O’Cope Budge Library is a relaxing place to study, read, and unwind. From the small desks nestled between rows of bookshelves to the tables facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, the silence of the space seems as though it can never be broken. 

That is, until one Friday evening on March 16th, when the tables and chairs were pushed away to make room for a drum set, a keyboard, film and sound equipment, a dolly track, microphones, guitars, lights, and so much more.

After much prayer and preparation, the night of Vanguard Worship Collective’s first-ever live recording had finally arrived.

The students of this school’s unique music ensemble come from a wide variety of backgrounds, music styles, and majors, but they all have one crucial thing in common: their heart for worship and their passion for creating music that moves the heart of God.

These students include David Figueroa (keys player/vocalist), Hannah Finch (keys player/media assistant), Luke Freire (drummer), Evan Garza (acoustic and electric guitarist/vocalist), Olivia “OJ” Jimenez (bass player), Rylee Orr (vocalist), Anniyah Rhone (vocalist/keys player), Julia Toomey (vocalist/media director), Evelyn Torres (vocalist/media assistant), and Pearl Whitehurst (vocalist).

The historical significance of this moment is not lost on the participants, including Bodie Kuljian, the worship director on campus and the leader of Vanguard Worship Collective. 

To begin the night, Bodie thanked the audience participants for coming to support this creative endeavor, declaring that this is the beginning of a new movement of worship at Vanguard University.

Plenty of time and effort has gone into the process of getting to this moment. The idea for a live album began in the middle of the first semester of the 24-25 school year, after most of the songs on the track had already been written. 

To undertake such a massive project, Bodie enlisted audio engineer Calin Veres to audio capture/produce the tracks, and filmmaker Dustin Laemmlen to direct/produce the film. Both are Vanguard University alumni, and were eager to return to the school to bring this extraordinary creative endeavor to life.

Another crucial element of this project was the audience, which included students, faculty, and family-members. One audience member, Delaney Orr, recounted her experience being in a worship environment on-camera.

“A lot of it felt like a normal worship night, which was honestly really cool!” she said. “It just felt like we were just at a youth group or camp having fun. We were worshiping, and we had energy, and it was a really great experience.”

The audience certainly did have energy. As the band began playing their four original songs, the surrounding students jumped, clapped, and sang their hearts out.

The tracklist included two fun and upbeat songs, one smooth R&B-style track, and a worship song that has already been played in numerous chapels and worship nights on campus: “All the Praise.” 

Many of these songs have lyrics that are inspired by specific passages in scripture. For instance, the bridge of “All the Praise” is taken directly from Revelation 5:9. 

“And they sang a new song, saying: 

‘You are worthy to take the scroll, 

And to open its seals; 

For You were slain, 

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.’”

This is the ultimate heart of Vanguard Worship Collective; that with their new songs, God will be glorified in every tribe and language, people and nation. 

The new album LIVE AT THE LIBRARY is set to release sometime near the beginning of next school year, though an official date has not yet been announced. To stay updated, follow @vanguardworshipco on Instagram or TikTok.

The post Vanguard Worship Collective Records Their First Album: “LIVE AT THE LIBRARY” appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

As some of you may know, Vanguard is blessed to be a part of this amazing community service program called College Corps. Vanguard is entering its third year in this program in Fall 2024, as they recently got renewed for another two years! More than 10,000 students have had the chance to assist and gain knowledge from community-based groups that address three key issues: food insecurity, climate action, and K-12 education. 

It was a memorable evening on April 16, 2024. Many had to say goodbye to one another because they were graduating or would not be able to continue in the program. Joy, laughter, happy tears, and positive vibes flooded our Vanguard Sanctuary. 

Abigail Frank, a senior majoring in English, and one of this year's College Corps Interns, shared a bit about her overall experience with the College Corps program. 

“How was your experience working as a College Corps intern this past year?” 

Abigail expressed, “It has been an incredible experience this last year, I have gotten to connect with Fellows, those who are completing 450 hours of community service, on various levels. It’s been so special to walk with these Fellows throughout the last year and watch every single one of them grow in different ways. It has also been so fun to be able to plan on-campus service projects, training, and celebrations for all our Fellows.”

“In what ways does this program impact Vanguard in your opinion?”

“This program impacts Vanguard greatly. It falls in line with our pillars of truth, virtue, and service. College Corps truly embodies the service aspect of Vanguard that they strive for. I also think it encourages students to leave campus and see what lies even a short distance away in the greater Orange County community. Those experiences, connections, and revelations are something that Vanguard students need to get out of that Vanguard bubble,” Frank explained.

“What will you miss most from being an intern?” 

Abigail shared that she will miss the Fellows that she’s gotten to know over the last year. “I have built so many amazing connections with them and I am very sad that I won’t get to continue to see them grow and continue their journeys at Vanguard. I will also miss the best boss on Vanguard’s campus, Shelley Youd. She is so incredibly wise and intelligent about students and just life, I will miss laying on her office floor and just being in her presence weekly. 

I asked Abigail, “What piece of advice would you give someone who would want to join the program in the future?” 

She responded with, “Don’t be intimated! 450 hours sounds like a lot right off the bat, but we create a lot of opportunities that make it possible. Take the leap of faith and experience something new. It never hurts to try!”

All in all, it is undeniable that the College Corps program on campus has made a lasting impact on the lives of those in our community.

The post The VU College Corps Closing Ceremony appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

The pursuit of success often feels like a relentless race, with authenticity pushed aside in place of rigid benchmarks to dictate value. Knowing the value of who you are and not what you do, is integral to success.

The Vanguard Voice / Journalism & Digital Media

Over the past 3 years, I have had the privilege of acting as Faculty Advisor for The Vanguard Voice, as well as Resident Faculty of the Journalism and Digital Media minor.

When accepting this role, I jumped at the chance to invigorate Vanguard students with finding their own voice and sharing that voice with community.

I invested copious hours in The Vanguard Voice, creating the print publication that we have now.

After publishing more than 300 Vanguard articles and 20 student newspapers, I am leaving my position at Vanguard University by the end of this academic year.

As I leave the Journalism & Digital Media minor, I hope to encourage the Vanguard students to maintain their voice and their desire to write about important topics. I hope that the students will not lose their vigor and will find ways to make themselves heard.

In many of the Journalism courses I have taught, I have encouraged students to pursue topics that have meaning, ones that need to be reported.

I implore them to understand that reporting is tied to activism. Journalism wants to bring about change, as is the nature of the field.

[caption id="attachment_16322" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Amanda White leading the Journalism Banquet in 2023.[/caption]

Pursuit of Success

I also reflect on the needs of balance in higher education. There is a pervasive energy in higher academia to be in constant pursuit of success. The pursuit of success often feels like a relentless race, with authenticity pushed aside in place of rigid benchmarks to dictate value.

That is not to say that there is not reason to pursue success as there will always be an underlying desire in life to find material wealth or professional acclaim, but there is also the need to find deeper sense of purpose and meaning in one’s professional actions.

In today's society, it is incredibly easy to get caught up in the pursuit of external markers of success — publishing the most articles, earning a high salary, or garnering recognition and fame; however, these traditional measures of success can often feel hollow and unsatisfying if they're not accompanied by a sense of value and meaning.

It is important to align your career goals with your personal values and passions, so that your work becomes an expression of who you are and what you believe in.

I encourage my Journalism students to not lose their voice in the coming years and to devote themselves to work that yields both success and intrinsic value.

[caption id="attachment_16323" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Professor Ona LaMotte (far left), Dr. Laurie Hatch (center left), Professor Warren Doody (center right), Professor Amanda White (far right).[/caption]

Meaningful Academia

One of the most rewarding aspects of the past 3-5 years at Vanguard University has been witnessing the growth and transformation of my students over time.

Of course, teaching is not without its challenges. From navigating academic politics, adjusting publications under heavy censorship, and to fighting the ever-present prejudice against the Humanities, I have faced a myriad of obstacles in this faculty position while overseeing Journalism & Digital Media.

I implore Vanguard University to give Journalism a chance to thrive on this campus. Having a stable, prominent, and permanent Journalism presence is integral to the authenticity of an academic space. Just as I encourage my students to incite change, I encourage Vanguard University to actively do the same.

Overall, my time overseeing the Journalism & Digital Media minor and The Vanguard Voice has been meaningful. I have had the opportunity to shape the minor, the students, the publications, and the community in positive ways.

I hope The Vanguard Voice will find its way back to campus and be allowed opportunities to create meaningful, honest stories in the community.

The post Embracing Authenticity in the Pursuit of Success: A Reflection on Journalism, Education, and Meaningful Academia appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

On Saturday, April 13, 2024, Vanguard University’s Department of Music held its Spring Concert in the Seymour Sanctuary. Waves of people entered when doors opened, waiting to hear Music from Around the World.

[caption id="attachment_16312" align="alignleft" width="237"] Graphic Design by Vanguard's Department of Music[/caption]

The concert set consisted of Korean, Latin, and Spanish songs and composers from different countries, regions, and musical styles. It was an interesting experience to hear diverse sounds of music. The Orchestra, Concert Choir, and Chamber Singers' musical capabilities were able to fill the sanctuary with music from around the world.

Conductors Kenneth R. Foerch and Jae Hyeok Jang expressed their gratitude to the audience for attending the show and told all to enjoy traveling around the world with the repertoire. Each individual performed musical dynamics which moved many people.

Notably “The Battle of Jericho” performed by Concert Choir, executed the emotions of the battle. High school student, Mackenzie Garcia, said, “ As someone part of a choir, this performance moved me to tears by the end of the piece. Their technique and the emotions they expressed stuck out to me.”

Music moves people and Vanguard University’s Department of Music were able to express that with their beautiful performances. Not only here in SoCal, but after the announcement they will be able to spread the love of music in department tours outside of Vanguard. Spreading the celebration for music from around the world!

The post Spring Concert: Music From Around the World appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

With the rising climate crisis, people are looking for ways to live sustainably more than ever, including recycling. Waste and single use plastics create greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, but how can individuals, especially college students, make an impact?

Despite being a normal practice in homes and businesses all across California, residents in the dorms of Vanguard University are faced with an environmental dilemma: inaccessible recycling. As students may know, there are no recycling options in Vanguard's dorms.

“I like recycling, even back at home,” Senior Andrea Velaquez states. “At Vanguard Centre, there’s no recycling either. There’s one large trash can that all the residents throw their trash into, but there isn’t a separate section for people to throw their recyclable waste.”

Currently, Vanguard University offers compost bins for food, plants, and other organic matter to be sustainably disposed, but plastics, papers, and glass have no place to be recycled. Placing visible recycling bins in residence halls and around campus fosters not only an eco-friendly environment, but a sense of stewardship among residents.

“If each person does it, you could save the world,” Velasquez states.

Being exposed to recycling on a daily basis encourages students to be mindful of their waste and consumption.

Vanguard University’s Assistant Director of Housing, Megan Sisk, states that despite not having recycling bins on campus, “Costa Mesa Sanitary Department recycles up to 60% of all mixed waste.”

Though the city has efforts to recover recyclable materials, Vanguard University has the ability to impact the recycling chain and lessen the burden on sanitary departments. By simply keeping the recyclables in a different bin from general waste, it reduces the risk of contamination and unrecovered material. 

Presorting waste is Orange County Waste & Recycling Deputy Director Jorge Hernandez’s suggestion for the university.

On campus, mixed waste, meaning recyclables and general waste, is deposited into singular containers. The waste is then transported by a waste processing company, CR&R, to a material recovery facility (MRF). There, the trash is sorted into recyclables and landfill by a conveyor belt system. Recovered recyclables are sent to recycling plants while the remaining waste goes to the landfill. Facilities like CR&R’s MRF must process hundreds of tons on a daily basis in order to keep up with Orange County’s waste needs.

In the past year, over five million tons of trash were buried in Orange County landfills, according to Hernandez. “On a daily basis we can get anywhere from 7,000 to 7,500 tons,” he states.

The strain of handling such large quantities of waste can overwhelm MRFs, slowing the recycling process.

In order to maximize efficiency, students and households can separate recyclables and other waste into separate containers. Mixed waste containers allow for contamination of recyclables and makes it more difficult for MRFs to sort through waste.

“When our residents take the initiative to presort the material, it makes it a lot easier to handle,” Hernandez states.

By making the small effort to sort recyclables and general waste, students and families have the ability to positively impact the recycling process and the environment.

As stewards of the earth, there is a personal responsibility to take care of the environment in all possible ways. Students and staff should be pushed to think critically about how they can help the planet. Recycling options on campus is the first step to integrating environmental consciousness into the Vanguard community’s daily lives.

This article was written in Spring 2022.

The post Recycling on College Campuses appeared first on The Vanguard Voice.

On the afternoon of Mar. 7, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Price Room from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for the Asian and Pacific Islander Club’s (APIC) Student Teacher Luncheon.

Vanguard University’s population is made of about 4% Asian students and less than 1% of Pacific Islander students. This event served as an opportunity for these students, professors, and other staff members to meet and facilitate a sense of community among people of similar cultural backgrounds.

Debbie Tran, senior majoring in history & political science, attended the event to meet professors and students with similar backgrounds. She noted the importance of professors that can relate to you, saying, “They understand you more in a culture sense and your cultural identity.”

[caption id="attachment_16257" align="alignright" width="300"] Amanda Young (right) and Debbie Tran (left).[/caption]

Having professors and staff that understand you not only adds a sense of belonging, but also serves as an inspiration for students of color.

On the staff’s side, Amanda Young, admissions and recruitment counselor for Vanguard’s graduate and professional education department, joined the Vanguard community this year and attended the luncheon to meet other AAPI colleagues and students.

“It’s definitely a different space to be in based off of where I was coming from before. I worked at a multicultural marketing agency before, so literally everybody I knew was Asian American,” stated Young.

She expressed gratitude towards having a space to join with others in the Vanguard AAPI community, stating, “It’s really helpful for there to be that space where you feel seen and known in a different way. When there’s that cultural understanding and background, it brings out more transparency and makes you feel like you can be more comfortable.”

Learn more about APIC on Instagram @apicvu.

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