Poets and poetry fans gathered at the University of the Ozarks this semester to hear another round of competitive creations. After several rounds, audience members and judges crowned another Poet Laureate of the Spadra Valley; Catasia Ferguson. The Levee's Makayla Hollowell sat down with Ferguson, as well as finalists Matthew Dunsworth, KJ Lewis, Prudence Majoni, and Shemarie Munroe, to hear their poems and more about how they create their work.

This week, University of the Ozarks Theatre opens their production of "Elephant's Graveyard" by George Brant, a true story of the 1916 execution of a circus elephant in a Tennessee town. The show is a mix of fact and legend told by characters embodying people of the town who witnessed Mary the Elephant's death, a tale highlighting "the deep-seated American craving for spectacle, violence and revenge."

Brant's narrative draws a connection between the hanging of Mary and lynching in the Jim Crow South. The Levee host Estefania Bautista Lopez spoke with Walton Professor of Theatre Dr. Macy Jones and Philosophy of Religion Professor Dr. Dave Daily to discuss those connections as well as the necessity of examining the subject of lynching today.

Homecoming week is a chance for University of the Ozarks students and alumni to connect about their shared experiences. Many Eagles, though, might have very different ideas about what a traditional homecoming feels like - if they even had that tradition at all before arriving on campus.

University President Rich Dunsworth sits down with Levee hosts Hailey Ritter and Kjersta Lybbert to talk about his 13 years of homecomings at Ozarks, the value of connecting generations of Eagles, and some traditions from the past that might be better off left there. What even is a bed race, anyway?

A popular figure on campus is Jeremy "Chaps" Wilhelmi, the university chaplain. He organizes trips each year to help students explore how Ozarks' values and mission to remain true to our Christian heritage play out in the world outside of campus.

At the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, Chaps took a group to Kansas City for one such trip. The Levee's Hailey Ritter spoke to students after they came back about what they experienced, and how it affected their understanding of what it means to be an Eagle.

Being outgoing about faith has challenges today. Ozarks students Sheyla Zamora and Taegan Schnurr are members of Baptist College Ministries, and spent their spring break in Panama City Beach, Florida, providing free shuttle rides to people and talk with them about their faith. The Levee's Estefania Bautista Lopez talks with them about how it went and what they learned.

Gabriel Mendoza, Daniella Ugarte, and William Guillen won big at the ACC Capital Governor's Cup business competition in April.

They took first place in the small business elevator pitch category and third place in the small business plan category. You can listen to the first episode where the three describe their eco-friendly pet bed business idea here.

The Levee's Estefania Bautista Lopez talks with the trio about their win, representing Ozarks on a bigger stage, and what's next for their business idea.

"Out of everything you want to automate... why would you want to automate human creativity?"

Host Melany Serrano is joined by Ozarks seniors Mirian Miralda (Art/Marketing) and Alexandra Melgar (Business Administration / Art) to discuss the impact of emerging AI technology in the arts world. They also share their paths to finding art as a pursuit in life, and how it will impact their futures once they graduate.

The University of Ozarks Theatre Department staged "John Proctor is the Villain" in the spring of 2024. The 2022 play written by Kimberly Belflower debuted on Broadway shortly before the University of the Ozarks performance, directed by Tony award winner Danya Taymor and with Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in its ensemble cast.

The story takes place in a small high school during the 2018 #MeToo movement, where students reading The Crucible and discussing abuses of power must also navigate accusations of sexual assault and other misdeeds among their friends and family members.

Dr. Macy Jones, the Walton Chair of Theatre at U of O, talks with host Kjersta Lybbert about the story, its central questions, and how students today navigate those topics. "John Proctor is the Villain" will run April 24-26 and May 1-3 at the Walton Fine Arts Center on the university campus.