Symposium on the American Civil War

Eighth Annual James Caster Symposium on the Civil War

Wednesday, October 2
8:30am - 4:00 pm
Mabee Auditorium, Randall University

Randall University to Host 8th Civil War Symposium

Randall University, located at 3701 South I-35 in Moore, Oklahoma, will host the 8th annual Dr. James G. Caster Symposium on the Civil War on October 2nd. The sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m., and continue each hour until 11:30 when there will be a break for lunch from 11:30-1. Then, starting at 1 p.m., there will be three more sessions, with each session lasting one hour. The symposium is free and open to the public.

Randall University is the sponsoring institution for the symposium. It is a liberal arts college associated with the Free Will Baptist denomination. It was founded in 1959, and has grown steadily over the years, adding programs, faculty, and students. Recently, Randall has added a Bachelor of Arts in History designed to advance the overall Christian mission of the university.

The late Dr. James Caster said that the naming of the symposium after him was one of the three proudest moments of his professional life. Dr. Caster was the epitome of a Christian gentleman and a scholar, and was greatly admired, respected, and loved by Civil War buffs in Oklahoma.

If one would like to eat in the Randall Cafeteria, please contact Steve Byas, the superintendent of the symposium. Byas is the director of the history program at Randall, and any questions about the lunch or any other aspect of the program should be directed toward him, at sbyas@ru.edu.

High school students who participate are eligible to enter an essay contest for a $500 scholarship and 2nd, 3rd place gift cards. More details and the submission box can be found below the schedule.

Schedule of Sessions

TimeWorkshopSpeaker
8:30amDr. Mary Edwards WalkerCraig McKinley
9:30amJoshua ChamberlainGreg Kent
10:30amVan Buren Raid of 1862Tom Wing
11:30am - 1:00pmLunch Break
1:00pmThe Battle of Stone RiverDan DeKalb
2:00pmThe Civil War in Indian TerritoryBen Odom
3:00pmCivil War MusicRoger Epps

Essay Contest Details and Submission

Essay Contest Rules  

Eligibility: The contest is open to high school students in grades 9 through 12 who attend at least one session of the 8th Annual Civil War Symposium at Randall University on October 2, 2024.

 

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024 by 12:00 p.m. (noon) CST.

 

Grounds for Disqualification: Submitting an essay that 1. does not comply with these Contest Rules; 2. is not the student’s original authored work; 3. provides fake entry information; or 4. plagiarizes content. All decision of disqualification will be final.

 

Essay Requirements

1. Essays must be reflective about one of the sessions during the 8th Annual Civil War Symposium at Randall University.
2. Essays must be typed and submitted as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF (.pdf) document.
3. Essays should be at least 500, but not to exceed 800 words, not including citations.
4. Citations must be placed in footnotes, endnotes, or bibliographies.

 

Essay Submission

Only one essay may be submitted per student. All essays must be submitted online on or before the submission deadline. Hardcopy or late submissions will not be accepted. Please complete your essay before starting the online contest entry form, which include instructions for its completion.

To submit an essay, a student must:
1. Complete and submit the online contest entry form; and
2. Upload an essay that complies with the “Essay Requirements.”

 

Scoring of Qualifying Submissions

The essays will be judged by a team of Randall University faculty and staff. Their decisions will be final.

 

Recognition

The winner will be notified by phone, email, and/or mail. Recognition can be given at the student’s high school at an agreed upon time and place.

 

License to Use Essays, Names, and Photographs

The student winner is granting Randall University permission to use their essay, name, and photograph by mere submission of the essay. Promotional material, including but not limited to marketing materials, press releases, etc., may use the student’s essay, name, and photograph.

 

Essay Questions:

1. Which session(s) did you attend?
2. Summarize the session in your own words. If you attended more than one session, pick one to write about in this essay.
3. What did you learn that you did not already know?
4. Reflect on any correlations from the historical events surrounding the Civil War and current events in the news today.

Click or drag a file to this area to upload.

For More Information

If you would like to know more about the symposium, please contact the symposium organizer, Steve Byas, at sbyas@ru.edu.