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From participating in family talent shows to working at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina, Â鶹ÊÓƵ senior Christopher Staskel has always bled theatre, whether acting, dancing or singing. The North Carolina native, the fourth student to be featured in a monthly series of E-net profiles on the inaugural class of the university's Lumen Scholars, is now at it again – this time as the mastermind behind an original stage production.

Luminarias bathed the Â鶹ÊÓƵ campus in a soft yellow glow Thursday evening as students, faculty, staff and community members filled Scott Plaza for the annual Holiday Celebration and lighting ceremony, which featured Christmas carols and a visit from – who else? – Mr. and Mrs. Kris Kringle.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ junior Kayla Hicken received a North Carolina Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award last month during the Compact’s student conference at Western Carolina University.

Two teams of Â鶹ÊÓƵ students have advanced to the final round of Stanford University’s Global Innovation Tournament, a contest where students around the world were challenged to make an impact on a global issue.

A new BioBus route to help students volunteer at local agencies will begin operations at the start of the spring semester, with trips leaving campus every hour Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. to stops in Burlington near community partners that work with the Kernodle Center for Service Learning.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ senior receiver Terrell Hudgins has been named as one of three finalists for the 2009 Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top offensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Hudgins is joined as a finalist by 2008 winner Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State and Southern Illinois’ Deji Karim.

A philosophy class at Â鶹ÊÓƵ is teaming up with Allied Churches of Alamance County the weekend before Thanksgiving to build replacement bunk beds for the nonprofit on North Fisher Street in Burlington.

To many Americans, healthy living involves counting calories, watching medical segments on the morning news, or drinking diet soda. Health elsewhere on the planet takes a more active approach, according to Â鶹ÊÓƵ senior Ryan Bleam, the third student to be featured in a monthly series of E-net profiles on the inaugural class of Lumen Scholars.

Learn more about Â鶹ÊÓƵ's newest graduate program at a special Interactive Media Open House on Thursday, Nov. 12 The full-time, one-year program is open to students with an undergraduate degree in communications, as well as those students with degrees in other areas.