Stetson Showcase: ‘Resilience. Resurgence. Revival.’

graphic that says, Stetson Showcase 2022."
graphic logo for Showcase
Adapted from original poster artwork by Diana C. Rodríguez Allende ’23

“Showcase is back.”

Those were the immediate and enthusiastic words from Kimberly Reiter, PhD, when about the status of Stetson Showcase 2022.

Since 1999, Showcase has been a springtime tradition that celebrates the research and scholarly achievements of students from across the DeLand campus. Students from all years and schools are invited to participate. Hundreds of them share their research through presentations, portfolios, posters, readings, music and theater performances, art shows and multimedia work to the general public. And they present their programs in professional settings for audiences that include judges, faculty, fellow students and esteemed members of the community.

In essence, while many Stetson students have the opportunity to present their work at professional meetings across the country, Stetson Showcase has provided an additional opportunity for them to display their work to faculty, fellow students and interested members of the wider community.

For the past two years, however, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the big show, leaving students with only an online platform to share their prowess.

portrait
Kimberly Reiter, PhD

Yet, now the return of Showcase is only days away, set for April 12 — live and in person, with one session available for students, regardless of major, to present online. In addition, Stetson President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, was the scheduled keynote speaker.

Appropriately enough, the Showcase theme is “Resilience. Resurgence. Revival.”

“We have almost no students who remember what a normal Showcase looks like,” said Reiter, associate professor of history and long-time chair of Stetson Showcase. “The only students who remember what a normal Showcase looks like are in the graduating class, and they were freshmen who probably didn’t participate in Showcase 2019.”

Reiter, nonetheless, was anticipating a very busy day.

There will be as many as 10 concurrent sessions during the hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.. That is followed by an evening reception, featuring Roellke’s keynote speech, “Higher Education at the Crossroads,” and an awards ceremony.

The program is available here.

“Everybody is engaged,” Reiter concluded, “and sessions will be going on all over campus.”

-Michael Candelaria