Loras College to Host Legacy Symposium April 26

Loras College will host its tenth annual Loras Legacy Symposium starting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 26. During the daylong event, free and open to the public, students and faculty members representing every major at the college will showcase their academic accomplishments through posted and oral presentations across campus and a film festival.

“The Legacy Symposium serves as one of Loras’ greatest days. We come together as a community to celebrate the numerous academic and co-curricular successes of students, faculty, and staff,” Jim Collins (’84), president of Loras College, said. “Having the opportunity to witness the amazing work of our campus, especially our students, serves as a special point of pride for us all.”

The symposium also celebrates the liberal arts tradition at Loras College, where connections between disciplines are made, and allows people to see things from different perspectives.

Student and faculty work will include capstone projects, case studies, creative readings and works, research papers, honors projects, and presentations of service trips to Arizona, Mexico, Washington, DC and Kentucky.

This year, intriguing projects and various works include a 3-D printed microscope attachment, works by the Loras College Art Club, “The Fight for Housing,” “Combating Food Insecurities,” “Destigmatize Autism” and “Comparing Noninvasive Treatments for Epilepsy with Surgery and Medication.” Topics also include wellness, history, environment and sustainability, philosophy, education and learning, healthcare, community and culture, health, sports and local issues.

The film festival showcases a variety of the best of short films, including documentaries, narratives and experimental pieces, produced by the award-winning Loras Media Studies program. A list of selected films and their student directors will be available during the festival. The Legacy Symposium is made possible through a donation from The Rev. Msgr. James Barta (’52). Barta began teaching at Loras College in 1961 as an assistant professor in the psychology department. He was promoted to associate professor in 1969 and to professor in 1974. While continuing to teach, Barta was named academic dean in 1977 and became the president of Loras College in 1987. In 1994, the Archbishop appointed Barta regional vicar for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and he was named vicar general in 1999. He has since retired the position of vicar general and serves as vice chancellor on the Loras College Board of Regents.