Looking for a way to relax during finals? Almost 50 lucky students at Loudoun got a free massage to help relieve stress on Dec. 2.

Students watch students and faculty perform their own works and the works of other poets at the second annual Rapatry at Loudoun campus. Instead of applauding, students were encouraged to snap to show approval for the performances.
Photos by Traci J. Brooks/NOVA Fortnightly

The iconic play, “A Streetcar Named Desire” comes to life at the Waddell Theater through thefinal weekend of February, presented by Taking Flight Theatre Company. The demanding, emotional play fares well on the stage, breathing an honest, raw air into the gritty play set in the 1940s.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” follows Blanche DuBois, a fading southern beauty, who comes for an extended stay with her sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley Kowalski. Blanche works to keep hidden her real reasons for visiting, and her secrecy begins to wreak havoc on Stella and Stanley’s relationship, as Stella often finds herself defending her sister to her husband. As Blanche tries to find her place into the industrial, blue collar New Orleans, her world as she knows it begins to crumble.

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Add in a few alligators, giraffes, monkeys and a big pile of fluffy stuffing, and all components of building personalized stuffed animals are present.

Student Activities at Loudoun campus hosted a “Build-A-Bear” day on Feb. 10 in honor of Valentine’s Day. For no charge, students could come and create their own stuffed animal. Dozens of students turned out for the event, a number the organizers hadn’t anticipated in their planning.

[Sabbath-Night-in-the-Church] No family is perfect – just look at the Penrose family presented in the play, “Sabbath Night in the Church of the Piranha.” Performed by Taking Flight Theatre at NOVA’s Loudoun campus from Oct. 8 through 23, the play allowed the audience a glimpse into the dysfunction and wounds that family can inflict upon each other.

Health reports indicate students may want to exercise caution when selecting glowing food in the college cafeteria.