When April arrives, you can sense a change on the Marietta College campus.
It’s almost like you can hear the clock ticking as students try to wrap up projects, write papers and study for tests before the semester comes to an end and Commencement hits in May. A major reason why there is a buzz of activity is the hundreds of students getting ready for All Scholars Day, which falls on Friday, April 20th, this year.
Morgan Thompson ’18 (Woodsfield, Ohio) is one of those students, and she’s excited for All Scholars Day, and for an opportunity to talk about her culminating project, Brick Street Arts Bash.
“All Scholars Day gives me an opportunity to showcase my work to peers and faculty in a way that is simply showing up to Brick Street Arts Bash cannot accomplish,” said Thompson, who will earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre this year. “I can elaborate on how, through my work on my Capstone and other events, my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree encompasses leadership and management as well as performing arts. My Theatre degree means a lot to me, and All Scholars Day gives me a chance to elaborate why it does.”
Approximately 200 students will participate by making presentations on their research or creative projects in multiple campus venues from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. A large poster session highlighting students’ work will be held in the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center from 3:30 to 5 p.m., with time out for a celebratory toast and door prizes.
“All Scholars Day gives us a chance to shine a spotlight on students’ work,” said Dr. Bev Hogue, McCoy Professor of English and Director of All Scholars Day. “They’ve been spending long hours in labs conducting experiments, or they’ve been in a studio creating art, or they’ve been putting their skills into work in an internship, and now the rest of us get to hear about what our students have discovered.”
The event will culminate with an all-campus picnic on The Christy Mall starting at 5 p.m., featuring entertainment by Floodstage and the Marietta College Jazz Ensemble. In case of rain, the picnic will be moved inside the DBRC.
“We’ll see an incredible wealth of knowledge and creativity on display — research about how trauma affects student learning, how political scandals affect legislation, what chaos theory suggests about modeling population growth, and all kinds of topics related to the sciences, arts, business, and the world of work,” Hogue said. “I always leave the Poster Session amazed at our students’ intellectual curiosity and their enthusiasm about explaining their work.”
The Honors and Investigative Studies committee, along with the Office of Academic Affairs, have provided support and resources to make All Scholars Day a success. All Scholars Day started at Marietta College in 2011 and has grown into a signature moment as a one-day celebration of undergraduate research.
Thompson is appreciative that Marietta College offers students an entire day to share with the community all of the hard work that went into completing a capstone or research project.
“This capstone is important to me because it has helped me shape the way I look at different career paths in Theatre,” Thompson said. “The beginning of my college career had been dedicated to acting and smaller parts of design. As I grew in the department, I fell in love with management and direction. This capstone allows me to experience what it takes to be an Artistic Director and Arts Manager in a different perspective than the experiences I’ve had at Marietta with our smaller festivals. When I graduate, my experience with Brick Street Arts Bash will be a shining star on my resume that will boost me above other competitors in the theatre field.”