Senior class president won't be able to attend graduation due to Sabbath

The senior class president of a Connecticut high school will not be able to attend his own graduation ceremony because it is on a Saturday.

According to NBC Connecticut, the school board voted 7-1 to not change the Enfield High School graduation date, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 25.

On April 12, Patrick Knighton, senior class president, had asked the school board to change the graduation date because it conflicted with his religious beliefs.

Knighton told the school board that as a Seventh-day Adventist, he does not participate in "business or business-related activities" from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

According to NBC Connecticut, "parents of other students complained to the board that family members had already made flight arrangements" and couldn't change them.

Shenandoah Valley Academy senior killed in motorcycle accident

Photo: SVA website

A Shenandoah Valley Academy senior was killed in a motorcycle accident Thursday afternoon in Timberville, Va.

19-year-old Kent Grimm, from Broadway, Va., was driving west on New Market Rd. when he crashed into an eastbound car that had turned in front of him, police said.

SVA has brought in grief counselors to help students cope through the tragedy, stated the academy website.

Below is a video report from a local station.

Newsweek magazine says be an Adventist if you want to live long

Newsweek magazine posted a short, illustrated guide to living a long life. One of their suggestions? Be a Seventh-day Adventist.

We've included the image below:

Epic videos: Adventist universities edition

Today, we bring you two awesome videos from two awesome universities.

The first video is from Walla Walla University in College Place, Wash. In the video, students go backcountry skiing and take a video camera with them. The results are amazing mix of epic slow motion flipping and point of view shots.

The second video is from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tenn. It's a trailer for their end-of-year show. The feature length documentary sums the school year up through the daily lives of four students. Again, pure awesomeness!

400+ Adventist teens stage Christian flash mob at Universal CityWalk

More than 400 Adventist teenagers staged a flash mob with a Christian message Saturday, April 9 at Universal CityWalk in Orlando, Fla.

All of a sudden, hundreds of teens began chanting, "Look! Look! Jesus coming, I'm not ready! Are you?"

The flash mob was organized by the iServe United Youth Congress, an Adventist youth event held this year in Orlando, Fla.

Watch the videos below:

Watch iServe United Youth Congress live online

Photo by Josef Kissinger

More than 3,400 teens from Canada, United States, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are at the iServe United Youth Congress in Orlando, Fla. April 6-10, 2011. More than 10,000 people are expected to arrive on Saturday, according to the event newsletter.

The United Youth Congress is made for teens ages 11 to 17 years old and is hosted by the Black Adventist Youth Directors Association (BAYDA).

The keynote speaker was Zach Hunter, an 18-year old author and founder of Loose Change to Loosen Chains (modern day anti-slavery campaign). General session speakers include Paula Olivier, Willy Ramos, Donald Rolle and Myron Edmonds.

The four-day event concludes Saturday night with a concert featuring Committed, Fred Hammond, 21:03, and comedians Bone Hampton and Broderick Rice.

Committed talks about new album, Sabbath, and life after "Sing-Off"

Committed (l-r): Robbie Pressley (tenor 4), Geston Pierre (bass), Dennis “DJ” Baptiste (baritone), Maurice Staple (tenor 1), Alain “Tommy” Gervais (tenor 2) and Theron “Therry” Thomas (tenor 3). Photo: Facebook.

Committed, NBC's "The Sing-Off" champion, has been staying busy since winning the $100,000 grand prize and Sony Music recording contract last December.

The six-man Adventist a cappella group has presented and performed at award shows and music events across the country (and in Jamaica), singing mini-concerts for church schools and events, as well as recording their upcoming album.

Committed's second tenor, Alain "Tommy" Gervais, said they have finished their first album. According to an NBCUniversal press release, Committed's album is set for release this summer.

Update: The debut album is now available for pre-order on Amazon. At first, Amazon.com said the album would be released on May 3, 2011. But they have since changed that date to Aug. 30, 2011.

Committed will be in concert at the BAYDA United Youth Congress on April 9 in Orlando, Fla.

Why Committed almost said no to "The Sing-Off"