WPU welcomes high school students for Creative Arts Visit Day

Oct. 27—OSKALOOSA — More than 60 artistic high school students from seven schools across the State of Iowa converged on William Penn University Friday for Creative Arts Visit Day, a chance to showcase the school's creative arts and new media programs.

Andy McGuire, executive director of the George Daily Auditorium and an instructor of theater at William Penn, is thinking about the future. Today's youth live busy lives, pulled in so many different directions toward academics, sports, social interactions and more. McGuire says that Creative Arts Visit Day is a chance for William Penn to connect first with students who are willing to push the boundaries in their pursuit of the arts.

"I think with how busy everything is in the world, everyone, especially at a certain point, schedules get really full, right? And so everyone, especially really talented students ... you get to a point where everyone kind of wants a part of who that person is going to be," he says. "And I think sometimes it's just a game of, well, we want to build that relationship now, because we want the most creative and the most open-minded, and the most curious students to think about something that is different than what you would get at almost any other university in the state."

"Theater doesn't make it if you don't have students who are ready to push the field and think creatively about the problems in their communities, and try new and weird things," he adds. "And that, ultimately, is what the creative department, arts department is. It's a place where you can be weird, try new things, and ask 'Well, what's theater going to look like in 20 years?' I don't know that answer, but I bet one of those students does."

The William Penn Theater Department works closely with the George Daily Auditorium to provide opportunities for students to be involved with high quality shows performing in Oskaloosa. The high school students visiting Friday got the privilege of attending a workshop with Ghanaian performing artist Okaidja Afroso and his ensemble, who have spent the past week touring Oskaloosa and performing their music as part of the World Fest program through Arts Midwest. Afroso's workshop with the students covered topics including music, rhythm and dance. The visiting students also heard from Max Leonida, from the school's new media program, and Brant Bollman, head of the theater department at William Penn and a puppeteer.

Bollman says the day gives students an opportunity to explore what William Penn does differently. One perk of doing theater at William Penn is that students can get a theater scholarship and apply it to their studies in other fields.

"I want them to know that at William Penn you can get a theater scholarship and get an affordable education in anything they want using a theater scholarship. You can major in elementary ed, but be involved in theater to make it affordable," he says. "You can be a nursing student on a theater scholarship. I would love them to all be creative arts media people, but the neat thing about this place is you can be a theater person, and you can be involved. You can be a theater person and get any degree."

Channing Rucks can be reached at crucks@oskyherald.com.