UPIKE celebrates 125 years with former presidents
0Written By Nicolas Gonzalez
UPIKE held its annual convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 16 in the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center at 11 a.m. The event honored the esteemed past of the university, as well as celebrating its future.
To celebrate the university’s 125th anniversary, four former presidents of the college spoke and shared stories of their memories of UPIKE. They recounted stories of the school’s development, sporting events and fond memories of being a Pikeville Bear.
“It was exciting to hear about the growth of our school from the different presidents,” said Professor Robert Arts, division of mathematics and natural sciences chair.
In appreciation of their service to the school, the university awarded all four men with honorary degrees. Dr. Jackson O. Hall (1975-1985), Mr. William H. Owens (1985-1997), Mr. Harold H. “Hal” Smith (1997-2009) and Chancellor Paul E. Patton (2009-2013) all received Doctorate degrees of Humane Letters.
The university’s choir performed, and Jenny Wiley Theatre presented a fun skit called “The Assignment.” In the skit, Amanda Mae Arts and Thomas Francis showed off their impressive acting, and also educated the audience with facts about the history of UPIKE.
“It was a great ceremony that celebrated past presidents and their achievements,” says Zach Nothwehr, senior. “I loved hearing the presidents’ stories.”
This 125th Convocation proved to be a special event for not only the students and staff of the university, but also for the residents of the community.