Annual Spring Spotlight to be Held on Campus May 22 This year’s in-person presentations will be accompanied by a keynote magic show on May 20.

By Brian Laubscher
May 5, 2026

Washington and Lee University will hold its annual Spring Spotlight on Friday, May 22, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at several locations within Leyburn Library. The event, traditionally held on the final day of Spring Term, is free and open to the W&L community.

This year’s spotlight will again showcase in-person presentations as well as online summaries of the work of various Spring Term classes. Additionally, this year’s event will include a keynote magic show, “Psychics vs. Science,” held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, in Stackhouse Theater. The performance features the nationally recognized duo of Joe Diamond and Anthony Barnhart. Diamond, a mind reader, and Barnhart, a cognitive psychologist and magician, will perform magic and mentalism while discussing how such performances inform instructional practices.

Jacob Gibson, visiting assistant professor of cognitive and behavioral science, has frequently had his class Psychology of Magic and Deception (CBSC 296E) present as a part of the Spring Spotlight and spearheaded the efforts to bring Diamond and Barnhart to campus.

“I met Anthony Barnhart at the Science of Magic Association (SOMA) conference last year, and while presenting together at an annual teaching conference, he mentioned his show with Joe Diamond,” said Gibson. “I thought it would be fun to get them here to perform for my class and the wider W&L community and approached [Harte Center Director] JT Torres about it. He agreed it was a great opportunity, and support from JT and the Harte Center, the Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science and the Office of the Provost made it possible to offer this performance to the W&L community for free.”

The Spring Spotlight is an opportunity for the university to recognize and celebrate the impressive work undertaken by W&L’s students and faculty during the intense and engaging four-week Spring Term courses. The event, which debuted in 2010 and annually features more than 20 classes, is a joint effort sponsored by the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning, University Library and the Office of the Provost.

Presentations will be held in the library’s Northen Auditorium, Collaboration Gallery (Leyburn 128), Innovation Classroom (Leyburn 109) and the Teaching Hub (Leyburn 119). Formats include interactive and web-based projects, podcasts, video and multimedia projects, visual communication and graphics and digital publishing and writing.

“Spring Term is one of the most unique learning environments I have experienced. Students lead some very cool, interesting experiences that defy the expectations of a typical class,” said JT Torres, director of the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning. “Some dance on the side of walls, create documentaries, perform magic and produce podcasts. The Spotlight isn’t just about celebrating our awesome students, it’s also about exchanging ideas among educators, helping each of us imagine new possibilities for student learning and engagement.”

Gibson’s class was among several who presented their work in-person at last year’s Spring Spotlight, while numerous others saw their work featured on the event website. Associate professor of English Diego Millan’s class, Funny Women (ENGL 295A), was among them.

“When creating anything, it’s so important to consider audience,” said Millan. “The Spring Spotlight gives us an opportunity to create for a broader audience than just ourselves in the classroom.”