After being completely online last year, the recent Eudora Welty Writer’s Symposium returned in a physical capacity to Mississippi University for Women.
The festivities were kicked off on Oct. 21, with keynote speaker W. Ralph Eubanks reading a portion of his book, “A Place like Mississippi.” The events lasted until Saturday, Oct. 23, with many opportunities for students, staff and the community to come out and listen to the invited guests The W brought to its campus to speak.
The main event was the Welty Gala, which is an exclusive event reserved for those who support the school financially. The event raises money for the MUW Scholarship Fund, which allows many of The W’s top-ranking students the opportunity to have a scholarship for their hard work. Contributors and students at the Ina E. Gordy Honor’s College receive tickets to attend and listen to the guest speaker while eating a meal cooked by the team at MUW Dining by Sodexo.
This year’s guest speaker was Elizabeth Vargas, an Emmy award-winning journalist who released the bestselling “Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction” in 2016 which detailed her struggle, and eventual triumph, against addiction while still being a majorly successful network journalist.
At the gala, guests were served wine and snacks before being ushered into the gala promptly at 7 p.m. where they were seated at their respective reserved seats. After a brief introduction of the event detailing its importance to the school and thanking its donors, it kicked off, and guests were served a steak and halibut or vegetarian meal, depending on their preferences. There was then a period of socialization as everyone ate and finished their dinners. Afterward, Vargas was introduced and came to the stage.
Throughout her time on stage Vargas detailed various accounts of her life as a journalist. She explained how she got interested in the craft, sharing some of the stories she was most proud of, her difficulties reporting on certain situations, interviews she has had with presidents, and her struggles with anxiety and mental health. She did not hold back on any of the details, offering attendees a nuanced account of her life, functional alcoholism and her subsequent recovery. After she was done speaking, she opened the floor up to questions. It was a session that helped shine a light on some of the difficult and more competitive aspects of TV journalism, especially as a woman in the field.
The event this year was successful with many people buying tickets to attend. It was an excellent return to form for the Gala with a speaker who spoke passionately about her work while advising those who may be struggling personally and professionally. The Welty Gala is held annually with a different speaker every year and events that are open for the rest of the public proceeding and following it.