Baker University will host its annual Scholars Symposium on Saturday. The symposium will feature an afternoon of speakers along with presentations by staff, faculty and students across many disciplines.

“The Scholars Symposium is Baker’s premier academic event,” Carrie Coward-Bucher, chair of the Scholars Symposium committee, said. “Students from across the departments apply to present their original research and performances. It is an exciting chance to get a sense of the accomplishments of the whole university and truly one of my favorite days on campus.”

The purpose of the program is to provide an environment where students can express and teach about topics they are enthusiastic about and hopefully gain some professional experience.

“The event is a great opportunity for students to share academic papers, laboratory projects, pieces of art, musical or theatrical performances, creative writing or a business plan in an interactive and engaging environment,” committee member Chris Todden said.

This year, the Scholars Symposium is going to have its first keynote speaker. Alumna Kelsey Rockey will share how she is a lifelong learner. The title of Rockey’s presentation is “Transitioning Your Baker Experience to the Real World.”

Senior Megan Rosa will present at the symposium for the first time. She will talk about awareness of eating disorders among female athletes. Rosa struggled with an eating disorder herself and is now advocating for more awareness among athletes and teams.

“I hope people realize how important this topic can be in collegiate athletics,” Rosa said. “Eating disorders are more prevalent in athletics compared to the general population.”

She wants students to have knowledge about eating disorders, so they can recognize the symptoms and be able to help.

“At larger institutions they have a lot more resources … so it can be easier to identify problematic eating behavior, but at smaller institutions, a lot of the responsibility for identifying problematic behavior falls on coaches and teammates,” Rosa said.

She hopes that her presentation will help educate fellow female athletes about the dangers and warning signs of eating disorders.

“Seeing the pride in the students, as they present their work, is without a doubt one of the best parts of the event,” Todden said.

There will be approximately 36 students presenting thorough the day.

“I hope it provides an opportunity for us all to appreciate and be inspired by the exciting work that is done on our campus,” Coward-Bucher said.