From April 22-26, Virginia Wesleyan will be hosting its annual Port Day. Port Day is a signature VWU event that celebrates the academic achievements of students completing a variety of academic experiences, including research, internships, performances and study away trips.
Students in the past have shared their work orally, by poster or in a panel presentation in VWU’s CMAC. However, due to COVID-19 protocols, this year the conference will be held virtually on YouTube.
On April 22, all of the videos that the presenters created for their presentation will be posted on YouTube. The presentations will be available to the entire campus community along with the availability to ask questions and have discussions. However, this will be in a moderated format. There will be a discussion board where students can comment and eventually post after they have been moderated by a Lighthouse member.
In the upcoming Port Day there will be 45 presentations. Three of the four schools of the university will be represented in these presentations.
“So on Sunday, in our weekly Lighthouse email, the email will focus on Port Day, and it will have directions and the link to for everyone to click to see the YouTube channel,” said Amy Rush, executive director of experiential learning.
Rush also added that there will be several emails being sent out through the Lighthouse on Port Day so it will be hard to miss the actual presentations.
For most presenters this is their first Port Day presenting their experiences. Junior Katie Yeager will be presenting a research project on how environmental conservation content on Instagram impacts children. She is not phased by presenting in the virtual format, even though it is her first time presenting for Port Day.
“To be able to film it ahead of time, practice it multiple times, and be able to have drafts made it really easy to be comfortable with doing it… The fact I was able to record it multiple times and pick the best version of my presentation is what made the virtual format better for me,” said Yeager.
For more information about the Port Day presentations, please keep an eye out for emails from the Lighthouse or check out the VWU Youtube Channel.
By Nathan Sheirburn
nssheirburn@vwu.edu
