Westminster celebrates students at URAC, Honors Convocation on April 17

Westminster College will showcase student research presentations and performances at its annual Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration (URAC) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, in locations across the College’s campus.

More than 300 students, ranging from first-years to seniors from nearly every academic discipline, will participate in the day-long event. Classes are suspended for the day for the College to showcase the collaborative work between Westminster faculty and students in the form of poster presentations, oral presentations, video screenings, poetry readings, research roundtables, art displays, live musical performances, public speeches and debates and podium presentations.

Posters will be on display in the Witherspoon Room of the McKelvey Campus Center in four sessions: 9 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to noon, 1 to 2 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m.

Oral presentations will be held in on the first and second floors of Patterson Hall in two sessions: 10 to 11:20 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. Three sessions of research roundtables will be held in the same location from 10 to 10:45 a.m., 1:15 to 2 p.m., 2:10 to 2:55 p.m.

Four select podium presentations, to be held in Mueller Theater in McKelvey Campus Center and on Facebook Live, will be held from noon to 12:25 p.m., 12:30 to 12:55 p.m., 3 to 3:25 p.m. and 3:30 to 3:55 p.m.

Live musical performances will take place throughout campus during the day. Performing on the first floor of McKelvey Campus Center will be the Market Street Brass Quintet from 9 to 9:15 a.m., the Westminster College Chamber Singers from 9:45 to 10 a.m., The Wicked Winds of the West Woodwind Quintet from 1 to 1:15 p.m., and the Trumpet Ensemble from 1:45 to 2 p.m. Rhythmic Renaissance Percussion Ensemble will perform from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. in Will W. Orr Auditorium.

Student artwork will also be displayed throughout the day. A poetry collection by the class of 2027 will be on display on the main quad from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. An art gallery talk will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. in Foster Art Gallery in Patterson Hall, while other works will be on display in the McKelvey Campus Center atrium located on the third floor.

The annual poetry slam—sponsored by the English honorary society Sigma Tau Delta and the campus literary magazine SCRAWL—will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. in Berlin Lounge in McKelvey Campus Center. A release party for SCRAWL will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Cultural Center, also located in McKelvey Campus Center.

Seven video screenings will be held in Mueller Theater in McKelvey Campus Center from 9 to 11 a.m. Titan Radio focus group sessions will be held from 9 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to noon, and from 3 to 4 p.m. in McKelvey Campus Center Room 275. Students will present their global experiences in the Cultural Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A parliamentary debate will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Berlin Lounge. Public speeches will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and a readers theater event will be held from 3:30 to 4 p.m., both also in Berlin Lounge.

All events are free and open to the public. A full schedule of the day’s events and a complete list of participating students can be found by visiting www.westminster.edu/urac.

The College's annual Honors Convocation will follow at 5 p.m. in the Will W. Orr Auditorium. Honors Convocation celebrates the academic achievements of Westminster students. Those being honored include dean’s list students, recipients of academic scholarships and awards, seniors in the Honors Program, new members of honors societies Pi Sigma Pi and Lambda Sigma, recipients of Student Affairs service awards, scholar-athletes of the year and athletic recognitions.

For more information about URAC or undergraduate research at Westminster, contact Dr. Patrick Lackey, director of the Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research, at lackeyp@westminster.edu. For information abaout Honors Convocation, please contact Kim Winfield, academic events coordinator, at winfieka@westminster.edu.

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