Barry McNamara  |  Published April 21, 2016

Scholars Day

April 26 celebration to feature poster presentations, special exhibits and more
Monmouth College students have taken a scholarly approach to the celebration of spring, celebrating the end of winter with a festival of the mind.

The College will cancel April 26 classes in observance of Scholars Day—a day devoted to scholarship, arts presentations and academic discussions. The public is invited.

This year’s Scholars Day celebration will feature almost 100 posters and several exhibits and oral presentations.

Monmouth faculty member Terry Gabel, who is one of the co-organizers of this year’s celebration, said he is particularly excited about two of the featured exhibits: the Samuel Weed exhibit organized by history faculty and students, which will have its grand opening; and a series of exhibits and posters related to the “Ethiopia Projects.”

Activities begin at 11 a.m. with the Honors Convocation in Dahl Chapel and Auditorium. Students will be recognized for departmental awards, induction into honorary scholastic organizations and the receipt of scholarships. The traditional ceremony will also include bagpipe music, a performance by the Monmouth College Chorale and the introduction of new student government officers.

The afternoon will be devoted to academic presentations, starting at 1 p.m. in the Center for Science and Business. In addition to poster presentations from virtually all of the College’s academic disciplines, Scholars Day speeches and Honors Program presentations will also take place, beginning at 2 p.m.

The “Ethiopia Projects” exhibit, which will be located near the second floor south entrance of the Center for Science and Business, will feature artifacts and outcomes of projects being conducted on campus in conjunction with Monmouth alumnae Caroline Kurtz ’72 and Jane Kurtz ’73, both of whom spent much of their childhood in Ethiopia as the daughters of missionaries.

Daphne Nelson ’16 of Chicago will display her illustrations for two books she wrote for Ethiopian children; Gabel’s students will have poster projects displaying their business plans for an apple orchard in Maji, Ethiopia; and there will be a large-screen TV displaying photos that development staff member Jeri Candor took on a recent trip to the East African nation in which she was accompanied by the Kurtz sisters.

The day’s other major events include:

  • 2 p.m., Hewes Library – Introduction to Public History students will present their Samuel Weed Melodeon project, which includes a webpage, podcasts and archival and museum exhibit. A Civil War veteran, Weed (1843-1927) attended seminary on the Monmouth College campus in the 1860s and served as a Presbyterian missionary and pastor in western Illinois for the rest of the 19th century before retiring to Monmouth. A scholar of Greek, Weed is also credited with having coined the word “chiropractic,” at the request of his friend, D.D. Palmer, founder of the medical practice.

    “The beautiful melodeon (a type of accordion) he used in his missionary work is the centerpiece of the exhibit, which will remain on display in the library for the next several months,” said associate professor of history Fred Witzig.

  • 4 p.m., Morgan Room of Poling Hall – Discussion will continue about the “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul.” It is based on a critical and insightful book by the same name, which addresses problems faced many African Americans. The book was written by last month’s Thompson Lecturer, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., chair of Princeton University’s department for African American studies.

  • 4:30 p.m., Wallace Hall Plaza – The Monmouth College Pipe Band, under the direction of faculty adviser Tim Tibbetts, will present a concert.

  • During the lunch hour, the Class of 2016 will sponsor a Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser on Dunlap Terrace.
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Did you know?

  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an active Pipe & Drum Band. Each year on Scholar’s Day in April the bagpipers wake students up at 6:00 a.m. by playing in the residence halls!</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/music/pipe-band/" target="_blank">Pipe Band</a></li></ul></div></aside>
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  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers several international trips each year during 2-week Scots Terms in January and May. Recently students have traveled to Botswana, Greece, Scotland, Japan, and more. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/offices/global-engagement/" target="_blank">Scots Term</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 98% of Monmouth graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/wackerle-center/career-services/" target="_blank">Career Preparation</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers unique academic minors in Global Public Health and Global Food Security for students who want to use their education to address global challenges. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-public-health/" target="_blank">Global Public Health</a></li><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-food-security/" target="_blank">Global Food Security</a></li></ul></div></aside>