Thirteen students in the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program at Missouri State University-West Plains attended the annual Ozarks Technical Community College Honors Conference April 13 in Springfield.

The conference covers an eclectic spectrum of student- and faculty-led panels on such topics as the sciences, humanities, service learning, among others.

For many two-year undergraduate students, the conference is a rare opportunity to experience and participate in an academic conference, Darr Honors Program Director Alex Pinnon said.

“This year, we had five presenters,” Pinnon said. “Michael Jewell led a presentation entitled, ‘Genealogy-The world, global village before the modern global economy,’ and Zeke Webb, Olivia Grandberry, Bailey Stevenson and Makenna Cornelison led a panel entitled, ‘Does Anarchism Have Value in Modern Society?’”

Calling it a “highlight of the academic year” for his students, Pinnon said the event gives students the opportunity to network with four-year schools that offer honors programs, learn about topics unfamiliar to their studies, “and they just have an all-around blast.”

For more information about the Darr Honors Program, contact Pinnon at 417-255-7965 or apinnon@missouristate.edu.