EKU OVC Champs

EKU beat UT Martin 33-31 to capture their 20th OVC title.  EKU blocked a 45 yard FG with seconds remaining to hold on for the win.   The Colonels are now 19-0 against the Skyhawks.   Eastern scored 24 points to start the game off of 4 Martin turnovers.  The second half was a different story as the Colonels’ offense sputtered and the Skyhawks could not be stopped.  EKU was able to hang on and win, clinching it with the blocked field goal.  The Colonels finished the year with a turnover margin of +16.  Last year the defense had a turnover margin of +22.

ekusports.com richmondregister.com

The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) 16 team playoff begins next Saturday, November 29.  The Colonels will find out who they play tomorrow during the NCAA FCS playoff selection show.

EKU President starts blog

Eastern Kentucky University President, Doug Whitlock has started a blog.  The President is currently in Japan and he is writing about his travels.  President Whitlock and his wife, Joanne, left on October 6 and will be returning on Oct. 22.

I am real excited about our President blogging on WordPress.
Check it out: http://blog.eku.edu/president/

Hideitsu Ohashi, President of Rikkyo University; Joanne Whitlock, President Doug Whitlock

EKU Arson cases under investigation

This past week I was in Springfield, Missouri attending the HighEdWeb 2008 conference.  While I was away, Eastern has had 4 fires.  Fortunately, no one has been seriously injured.  Richmond firefighters have responded to extinguish 4 fires, 3 in Dupree Hall and 1 in the Powell Student Center.  A roll of toilet paper was ignited and thrown down the trash chute in Dupree.  Another fire was started in the stairwell by lighting a stack of phone books.  This has got to stop.  This type of behavior will not be tolerated.

The University is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible.  The intentional fires appear to be related, however no official link has been established.

Anyone with information should call (859) 622-2821.

Richmond Register article

EKU Reads

Ron Suskind will be visiting Eastern Kentucky University today.  He will be talking about his book, A Hope in the Unseen.  The book was chosen as this year’s EKU Reads book for all new freshman.  The program gives the students a common academic introduction to EKU.  First Year Programs brings the author of the selected EKU Reads book to campus to talk about his/her work.  The author provides insight to the students on the reasons they wrote the piece and what the book was all about.

A Hope in the Unseen, is about Cedric Jennings, a honor student at a inner-city high school who goes on to college at Brown University, an Ivy League school.   He faces many intellectual and social challenges, even at college, trying to fit in with the white and privileged students.  Cedric relies on his faith, support from his mother, intellect and determination to help him persevere.

Ron Suskind is also the author of The Price of Loyalty, George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O’Neill; The One Percent Doctrine; and The Way of the World. Eastern is fortunate, Mr. Suskind will talk about A Hope in the Unseen at 3:30 pm and The One Percent Doctrine, at 7:30 pm on Thursday, October 2.

Eastern v. Western

The Battle of the Bluegrass is coming to an end Saturday night.  EKU and WKU will square off for the last time on the gridiron.  The Hilltoppers will be moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) and EKU is remaining in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).  The Sun Belt Conference has a rule that doesn’t allow Western to play road or neutral site games against a team in a lower division.  The teams have been going head-to-head since 1914.  The Hilltoppers lead the series 47-34-3.

It is real sad to see this rivalry ending.  The history and tradition between the Colonels and Hilltoppers runs deep.  It has been an exciting matchup over the years for players, coaches and fans.  It will be hard to see it all end.

Greg Stotelmyer, a Western alum and now converted Colonel (EKU sports play-by-play man for several years) said it best, “I hate that the series is ending. It shouldn’t end. Alabama should play Auburn. Michigan should play Michigan State. Eastern should play Western.”  www.kentucky.com - Mark Story

(EKU Archives)

(photo by Chris Radcliffe)

Fall Convocation

This is the picture for EKU’s Fall Convocation, August 19, 2008.

(President Doug Whitlock, photo by Chris Radcliffe)

I think it is badass.

Late advising & registration

Fall 2008 semester is right around the corner.  This is the time Academic Advising & Retention begins to feel it.  Those students who are new, transfer, or returning, who do not have a class schedule for the fall are finally realizing that it is August and classes will be beginning soon!  In fact, first day of classes at EKU are August 25.  We are doing our best to get those students advised and registered.  This week we have been seeing students in groups.  Career Services is gracious to let us use their classroom and computer lab.  We advise the students and then the students go into the computer lab so we can walk them through the registration process.  Class availabilities are not the greatest, however, we are doing a pretty good job getting students a full schedule.  I say that now, but lets see where we are at next week.  Should be fun.