This April, McMurry held a special academic conference to celebrate student success and the Centennial year — The Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works. Classes were suspended for the day so the whole campus could participate in a day of learning and community.
The day began in Radford Auditorium with keynote speaker, Sterling Hawkins: an author, investor, and entrepreneur and founder of the #NoMatterWhat movement. Hawkins spoke to students and faculty about how to achieve the results they want regardless of the circumstances. His five-step program has carried him through failure and success by pushing him #NoMatterWhat.
Afterwards, there were several opportunities for students to present their work, including oral presentations, honor thesis presentations, poster presentations, business pitches, and 3-minute thesis presentations. Fine arts students also put on music performances, art exhibits, and theatre events.
Closing out the symposium was Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh with an interactive presentation that took the audience through his creative process. Joonbug is a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles, California. His Jamaican roots loom large throughout his work and find reflection across his creative wheelhouse, which includes illustration, design, painting, and analog photography. Across medium, his work is narrative-driven, seeking to capture some emotive moment in the long string of moments that make a life. An avid collector of images, Joonbug considers the curation process an integral exercise in his practice.
After his presentation, students gathered in the Breezeway for some Roll Shack Ice Cream. This special conference gave students and faculty time to present and celebrate their hard work, and we hope to continue the symposium for many years to come!