UK Community Colleges
All compete in Mountain Dew Festival
by BARBARA McREYNOLDS
The Community College System, supervised by the University of Kentucky, was a rapidly expanding, state-wide program of educational opportunities. The svstem had 13 community colleges, including Lexington Technological Institute, and over 12,000 students.
Each community college was well-equipped with modern facilities and all were fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Ashland Community College was very active. A Japanese Student Seminar was held during which visitors from Japan stayed in area homes for three days. A concert was held on Nov. 24 featuring Dennis Yost and the Classics Four. Another activity, Campus Caucus, hosted Senator Nelson Allen, Senator Roy Ross, and Senator Charles Holbrook who spoke to student groups around campus. Applachian artists displayed their arts and crafts at an art exhibition. Enrollment remained high with student attendance set at 1169.
An annual car rally, coffeehouse, and casino nights spotlighted the events at Elizabethtown Community College (ECO. Nov. 15 was declared Sadie Hawkins Day, which was an all day affair, complete with costumes, contests, and games. The day concluded with the performance of marriage ceremonies in the evening at the Sadie Hawkins Day dance. The all-female Student Government and a local sorority and fraternity sponsored a visit to the Hardin County Bloodmobile on Feb. 22. ECC also entered the Mountain Dew Festival in the spring. Official enrollment was 837.
Intramural sports, art exhibits, and lectures highlighted the year at Hazard Community College. Participation in the Mountain Dew Festival was held spring semester. Official
enrollment was 219.
Enrollment grew to 586 at Henderson Community College. Intramural sports such as softball, flag football, basketball, tennis, and bowling were major student activities. The Ice Breaker Dance held in the fall and the Fall Field Day were main events held during the year. The Field Day featured egg throwing, rope-pulling, volleyball, softball, games, and food. In the spring, local talent was exhibited when a group of professors organized a band and played during the lunch hour.
In addition to the 808 students enrolled in Hopkinsville Community College, 300 students attended Eagle University in Fort Campbell, which was affiliated with the community college. This program offered college level courses to men stationed at the military base at Fort Campbell. Intramurals and art exhibits offered diversified activities for the students. Students also participated in the Mountain Dew Festival.
Jefferson Community College, located in downtown Louisville, offered more courses than any other community college. The total enrollment was 4183. Jefferson had one of the largest business programs of all the community colleges. Its newspaper, The Quadrangle, won a community college award for the best student newspaper.
In addition to an enrollment of 371, Madisonville Community College also enrolled 190 students in non-credit community service classes. A basketball program was initiated and in their first year, Madisonville finished with a 15-5 record.
Maysville Community College, with an enrollment of 378, had a Karate team and a full program of intramural sports.
Paducah Community College entered into Regional VII Basketball competition for the first time. An annual Senior's Day was hosted and
a free dinner was served to all graduating seniors in area high schools. Homecoming and the Magnolia Ball were the main social events of the fall semester. At the Magnolia Ball, Miss Paducah Community College and her court were crowned. During the spring semester, the highest award for top male and female students, The Citizenship Award, was presented. The total enrollment at Paducah was 1048.
The largest event at Prestonsburg Community College was the hosting of the Mountain Dew Festival, one of the largest sporting events in Eastern Kentucky. Fifteen schools and approximately 1200 students from the community colleges entered the games. Events ranged from badminton and crafts to tennis and volleyball. Prestonsburg, with an enrollment of 518, co-sponsored the Eastern Kentucky Concert Series and hosted guest lectures contracted by the Paul Blazer Lecture Series.
Somerset Community College hosted their annual cross country meet. The Queen of the 1974 Mountain Dew Festival was a student from the Somerset college. Total enrollment was 597.
Southeast Community College focused on two main activities. Spring on Clover Lake consisted of a week of folk singing, dramatic presentations and art displays. The Kingdom Come Swapping Meeting featured crafts and other hand-made objects, Intramurals, speech, and debate groups were popular student activities. The Mountain Dew Festival was an important spring event for Southeast. Enrollment at Southeast reached 361. f^F*
(Opp. pg., Top Left) Somerset Community College. (Top Right; Students attend awards presentation at Mountain Dew Festival held in Prestonsburg. (Center Left; Somerset Community College enters a float in the annual festival. (Lower Left; Ashland Community College. (Lower Right; Intramural sports are popular activities at all the community colleges, but especially at Prestonsburg.
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