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Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

Cal Ripken Jr. to Headline MSU’s 2015 Public Affairs Conference

Submitted photo

Next Year’s Public Affairs Conference at Missouri State University will feature keynote speaker and Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

Ripken’s presentation on April 14 is entitled Get in the Game.

“Mr. Ripken will address elements of ethical citizenship and perseverance – the strong will to succeed, to be consistent and to have conviction,” says Brent Dunn, executive director of the Missouri State University Foundation.

Ripken played for the Baltimore Orioles for 21 seasons, retiring in 2001. He is one of only eight players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. In 1995, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s Major League record for consecutive games played (2,130) and in 1996 he surpassed Japanese great Sachio Kinugasa’s streak of 2,215 straight games. Ripken voluntarily ended the streak two years later after 2,632 games. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

The April 14 keynote address, sponsored by the MSU Foundation, begins at 8 p.m. at JQH Arena. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to attend. They can be picked up at Hammons Hall, JQH Arena or Plaster Student Union ticket offices beginning Jan. 13. Tickets may be ordered through the ticket office by calling (417) 836-7678 or (toll-free) 1-888-476-7849; but a shipping and handling fee will apply.

Also on April 14, the Foundation is sponsoring a private reception and conversation with Ripken at 5 p.m. for $1,000 per person, which includes an autographed baseball, opportunity for a personal visit and photo with Cal Ripken, entrance into the VIP meet and greet reception, and a baseball themed dinner, along with VIP reserved seating at the convocation.

For those interested in the reception alone, the VIP meet and greet reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. for $500 per person and includes a photo with Cal Ripken, hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, as well as reserved seating at the convocation. For more information, contact Dunn at (417) 836-6666.