This past Friday, Union students from across the disciplines gathered together to present once again on this year’s Steinmetz Day. The academic symposium, which is the only day off for Union’s students during the academic year, is a staple of the college’s academic calendar. This year marked the 36th annual Steinmetz, featuring presentations in both academia and the arts. Friday’s Steinmetz Day featured its usual activities, ranging from presentations on student research to celebrations of dance and music. However, this year’s Steinmetz Symposium contained a few minor changes. The interdisciplinary poster session, which was previously held in both Wold’s atrium and Schaffer Library, has now been moved exclusively to Schaffer, with both posters and presenters spanning the first and now the second floor of the library. The annual Templeton Institute Special Session was moderated by award-winning author and journalist Vauhini Vara, who presented a talk titled “If AI Can Write [not Communicate], Why Should We?” the day prior to the symposium.
Outside of academics, the day featured musical performances from various student ensembles, including a chamber music showcase, choral and orchestral performances in Memorial Chapel, and much more. The day also showcased more of the arts Union has to offer, such as a visual arts exhibit held throughout the weekend and the ever-popular Lothridge Festival of Dance.
The following day, Saturday, featured another integral piece of the Steinmetz weekend: Prize Day. On this day, Union selects students for recognition for the work they have done throughout the academic year or over their four years on campus. On this Prize Day, 107 prizes were awarded to various Union students in Memorial Chapel, including the prestigious Josephine Daggett Prize and Frank Bailey (1885) Prize, which were awarded to Mai Tran ‘26 and Dani Brown ‘26 by President Elizabeth Kiss.
Once again, this year’s Steinmetz weekend showcased the best Union students have to offer in academics, the arts, and character, truly demonstrating how special the day is to the Union community.
