MSSU's fall themed semester to spotlight Ireland

Emily Younker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
·3 min read

Aug. 9—With the start of the fall semester at Missouri Southern State University comes the annual themed semester, which this year will focus on Ireland.

The themed semester, a mainstay of the university's mission of international education, is typically full of lectures, plays, concerts and other events highlighting a specific country or region of the world. Most of the events are open to the public at no charge.

"We chose Ireland as our fall 2023 themed semester focus because of student and faculty interest in the Emerald Isle, the country's rich cultural heritage and the fact that numerous American businesses have used Ireland as an entry point to the European Union," said Chad Stebbins, director of the MSSU Institute of International Studies. "We had more faculty participating on the Ireland semester planning committee than any of our previous themed semesters."

According to the Institute of International Studies, Ireland is an important country to spotlight because:

—With a GDP exceeding $504 billion in 2021, Ireland is one of the most open and export-driven economies in the world. Ireland remains a wealthy country and a net exporting nation with a per capita GDP in 2021 of $100,602.

—In 2022, the Irish economy grew at the rate of 12.2%, the highest on the European continent.

—More than 30 million Americans, almost 10% of the population, cite Irish heritage. John F. Kennedy, America's first Irish-Catholic president, was a son of two families whose roots stretched back to Ireland.

—For its small size, Ireland has a large cultural imprint, particularly in English literature. The country's famous authors include Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. Ireland has rich musical and folklore traditions and is also the creator of Guinness, perhaps its most famous export along with St. Patrick's Day.

Semester events

Highlights of the semester will include:

—A Nov. 16 visit by Colm Tóibín, author of the historical novel "Brooklyn." Related events will be a screening of the 2015 film starring Saoirse Ronan, and the author signing copies of his book.

—Two concerts in September by Eimear Arkins, a St. Louis fiddler and singer originally from County Clare.

—A taste of Irish cuisine. The menu includes Irish stew, Irish pub salad, bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, colcannon mash, braised cabbage, glazed root vegetables, boxty (potato cakes), Irish apple cake, bread pudding with whiskey sauce, and Irish soda bread.

—A lecture from Andrea Malcomb, director of the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver. Most noted for her heroism in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, Molly Brown was born in Hannibal, Missouri, as the daughter of Irish immigrants.

—Presentations from MSSU faculty including Rachel Bechtold, speaking on the Great Famine and Typhoid Mary; Dominic Buccieri, speaking on Ireland's economics; and Mike Hulderman, speaking on the Murphys, Ireland's most notorious serial murderers.

—A book club that will read Siobhan Dowd's 2008 novel "Bog Child" and Claire Keegan's 2021 novel "Small Things Like These."

—The Irish Film Festival, which will screen films on Tuesdays throughout the semester. Selected films include "The Banshees of Inisherin," the Academy Award-nominated film from 2022.

—A performance by the MSSU concert band featuring works such as "Kirkpatrick Fanfare" by Andrew Boysen Jr., "Irish Tune from County Derry" (commonly referred to as "Danny Boy") by Percy Grainger, "Irish Suite" by Leroy Anderson, "Hands Across the Sea" by John Philip Sousa, and "The Rusty Bucket" by Carol Brittin Chambers.

For a full schedule of events, go to mssu.edu/academics/international-studies.