Final Fours and Final Exams Login to comment

Wednesday, March 10 2010 02:22:57 PM

As everyone in the Commonwealth and across Big Blue Nation gets geared up for March Madness, there is a terrific basketball-related story playing out right here in the Bluegrass. And I am not talking about the men's and women's basketball teams (though it has been an exciting year, hasn't it!).
 
UK basketball great Derek Anderson is on campus pursuing his lifelong dream. This time his March Madness won't involve knocking down threes; he'll be hitting the books as he works on completing his degree.
 
"I've come back and so have a lot of my friends from the team (Tony Delk and Scott Padgett are both on Coach John Calipari's staff)," Anderson said. "It's just awesome to see it all again and relive it."
 
"Being in college now is different. There's not that sense of 'I have to do this,' I'm here because I want to do this and it is important to me. The pressure is off and I get to enjoy the campus and my classes and see how much the students enjoy the University of Kentucky."
 
I hope Derek's story inspires other former students who are just a few classes shy from receiving their degree. If you or someone you know of is interested in attending UK to finish a degree, contact UK Adult Student Services.
  
Click here to hear from beloved Wildcat and former NBA player Derek Anderson.

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DanceBlue Sets Another Record Login to comment

Monday, March 08 2010 08:31:48 AM

UK students brought in more than $636,000 during the University's 5th annual dance marathon, topping last year's record-setting total. With this year's total, DanceBlue has contributed more than $2 million to the Golden Matrix Fund and the UK Pediatric Oncology Clinic since its inception in 2006.
 
DanceBlue, Kentucky's largest student-run philanthropy, has quickly become a rite of spring semester on UK's campus, as UK's student leaders take to Memorial Hall for the 24-hour event. Students cannot sit or sleep during throughout the marathon, a gesture that symbolizes their desire to stand alongside children suffering from childhood cancer.
 
Congratulations to everyone involved in this year's event - from our development staff and volunteers to our donors and student participants. I appreciate the difference you are making in the lives of our patients and their families!

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Dancing for a Great Cause Login to comment

Friday, March 05 2010 08:24:44 AM

University of Kentucky students will break out their dancing shoes at Memorial Coliseum this weekend. They won't be at a concert, however, they are doing so for a very special cause.
 
Students will be taking part in DanceBlue, a 24-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon at the University of Kentucky to raise money for the Golden Matrix Fund. The Golden Matrix Fund benefits cancer research, children with cancer and their families at the UK Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
 
For those of you who don't know how important this is to our student body, I encourage to learn more about the great project. You can listen to an interview (click here) I had recently with Senior Kara Sutton on my radio program, UK Perspectives on WUKY Radio. Or you can click here to view a DanceBlue video.
 
This weekend's event marks UK's fifth annual dance marathon. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Coliseum. Since the first marathon in 2006, DanceBlue has raised more than $1.3 million for the UK Pediatric Oncology Clinic. This year, DanceBlue will have nearly 660 dancers from 120 different student organization teams.
 
Most importantly, it is not too late to help support this cause. The campus and Lexington community are encouraged and invited to participate in DanceBlue. At 6:30 p.m. today, anyone interested is welcomed to gather on Stoll Field to cheer on dancers as they enter the marathon. DanceBlue officially begins at 7 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum with a pep rally-like atmosphere and learning the 2010 DanceBlue line dance. Each hour of the marathon has a different theme, with coordinated music and activities.
 
From 4 p.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, are known as family hours. Family hours begin with a talent show featuring children from the clinic, a memorial hour to remember those that have lost the battle with cancer and to focus on those that are struggling now and at 7 p.m. the grand finale with the total fundraising amount revealed.
 
If you are unable to attend DanceBlue, you can watch it live streaming on the Web at www.danceblue.org. You can also connect with DanceBlue via Facebook (www.facebook.com/danceblue) and Twitter (twitter.com/ukdanceblue). Share your thoughts and encouragement with the dancers by using the hash tag #DB10 on your tweets.
 
If you'd like to support DanceBlue financially, click here to make a donation or text "DANCE" to 50555 and $5 will be added to your cell phone bill to go to DanceBlue.

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President Honors UK's Commitment to Community Login to comment

Wednesday, March 03 2010 02:02:46 PM

The University of Kentucky has received national recognition for its commitment to community service. UK has been named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice.
 
Last year, nearly 9,500 UK students participated in over 110,000 hours of service across the university.
 
This honor is a celebration of our students, faculty and staff. Their efforts to better lives in communities across the Commonwealth has created an institutional culture of commitment to service. Kudos to our entire university community for all you do to make this community and Kentucky a better place to live, work and raise a family.

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Three Premier Kentucky Brands to Impact Arts Community Login to comment

Tuesday, March 02 2010 02:17:59 PM

You have probably seen that UK men's basketball coach John Calipari will be featured on a bottle of Maker's Mark. The project is part of a partnership UK launched several years ago along with Keeneland and Maker's Mark, as we sought to leverage three of the state's most cherished brands to impact education.
 
Our Office of Public Relations and Marketing put together a fantastic video that shows how this project will have a impact on young people - particularly young people interested in the arts - across the Commonwealth. To learn more about this great partnership, click here.

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