Kimberly Nelson | Co-Editor-in-Chief

The eighth annual Scholar’s Day will be held on Monday, April 30, from 2 to 9 p.m. Scholar’s Day is a chance for Buena Vista University (BVU) students to present their academic intelligence through projects and research done within their field of study. The event, according to Assistant Professor of English Matthew Packer, holds a variety of great academic achievements.

“Scholar’s Day is kind of like a kaleidoscope of intellectual activity. It’s almost an embarrassment of riches,” Packer said.
Those who attend Scholar’s Day can expect a variety of projects to be exhibited. Ten rooms have been set aside in the Forum for 117 student presentations of projects where each will last 10 to 15 minutes. Packer cites that there will be 159 students presenting overall at the event.
“One thing we are surprised about is the great leap in numbers of presenters,” Packer said. “The whole event has seen a great growth which is fantastic.”

This year, BVU community members can expect to see projects from the school of business such as the presentations from the seven finalists of the Beaver Business Plan Contest sponsored by Assistant Professor of Business Management Kihwan Kim. Participants will give their presentations to reviewers who will then evaluate the presentation.

“Finalists also had to submit a paper which will be reviewed by four BVU faculty members,” Kim said.
The winner will be announced on May 11 along with the second and third place winners, all of whom will receive a cash prize.
The Global Fellows students will also be giving a presentation on their Interim trip to Chile. The students will discuss the Omora Biocultural Program which has a goal to make people aware of the biological and cultural perspectives of Chile, along with the overall focus of the larger concepts of the trip surrounding the philosophy of ecology.

Students can also expect a presentation from 14 students about service projects and civic engagement projects in the presentation entitled “Serve, Don’t Help”, headed by Director of Civic Engagement Ashley Farmer-Hanson. According to Hanson, the presentation was researched and developed during most of the winter months.

“This presentation and research was developed for the National Collegiate Leadership Conference in Tucson, AZ,” Hanson said. “The presentation was very well received in front of a national audience, so they thought that they could present at Scholar’s Day. I think this project is a perfect example of the co-curricular experience and how it complements the academic experience at BVU.”
Packer echoes Hanson’s feelings about Scholar’s Day and encourages students to come and see the work of their fellow peers.
“This is BVU at its finest,” Packer said. “People take their work to the next level, and that’s really fun to see.”