The Levee

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.

This spring the University of Ozarks Theatre Department is staging "John Proctor is the Villain," a 2022 play written by Kimberly Belflower. The play's Broadway debut happened this week, 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.

Ozarks students Gabriel Mendoza, Daniella Ugarte, and William Guillen want to reduce textile waste while making a comfy, unique bed for your pets. That's the idea behind Pet Buddy, their entry into the 2025 Governor's Cup business plan competition. The team from Ozarks is in the finals, with the winner to be announced April 16 in Little Rock. The trio are the first students from the U of O to compete in the Governor’s Cup since 2012, and none from the university have ever won the competition. Host Estefania Bautista sat down with them ahead of the contest to talk about their product, their pets, and their business accomplishments.

The University of the Ozarks is a diverse place, with students and faculty from dozens of different nations. Levee host Estefania Bautista Lopez discusses the spring International Fest event with organizers Nicole England, the International Program Manager for U of O, and senior Jorge Mendoza.

Science at the University of the Ozarks reaches for the stars - and recently impressed NASA for doing so. Dr. Christie Sampson, a biology professor at Ozarks, talks with host Russell Jones about space radishes, her time tracking elephant poachers, and how microplastics research can impact the way we fish here in Arkansas. 

Dr. Chris Sarver, assistant professor of political science, talks with host Russell Jones about the big waves made by U of O's Model UN team in their 2023 appearance. He shares how his time in the Peace Corps helped shape his approach to politics, and how students are adapting to the current political climate without losing their heads.