It’s always a good time in the COA

I "CatPaw" UK Ag!

April 18, 2013 marked a very eventful day in the UK College of Agriculture, as not one, but two incredible events took place, extending from Commonwealth stadium to the E.S. Goodbarn, and even across Cooper to the Seay Auditorium in Ag. North. UK Field Day was first to the plate, including hundreds of agriculturally-minded students in FFA and/or 4H from all over the state that were prepped and anxious to gain the competitive edge over the other contestants. Events included livestock judging, weed and seed identification, tractor driving, auctioneering, and much more. Between the competitions, the high school students enjoyed some pretty tasty burgers and were able to learn about the numerous opportunities available to them in the College of Agriculture if, or hopefully when, they become freshmen at UK. The event was a huge success for both the college and the visiting schools.

Next up to bat was the annual Ag. Bash, sponsored by the Ag. Student Council and the UK SGA. The event was open to any and all students in the college, and the first 100 students that made a donation to the Ronald McDonald House received a pretty swanky lime green UK Ag. T-shirt. Not to mention, food was in full array, including donations from Chipotle, Qdoba, Wal-Mart, Subway, Cane’s, and the infamous Ale-8. The ginormous steak burrito I enjoyed sure did hit the spot! Also, the entertainment for the event was incredible, featuring the Brown Brothers Band, who sure knew how to get your feet tappin’ and your hands clappin’. It was such a fun event, and the company wasn’t too shabby, either!  Here's a video of the last song as some Ag Student Council members celebrated!

One of the best parts of the College of Agriculture is that days like this are not a rarity. In fact, it’s more of a rarity when there isn’t a campus event going on during the week. This makes for one of the coolest atmospheres on the campus, where every student is passionate about their futures and look forward to networking and taking leadership roles on a weekly basis, not just every now and then. Being a sophomore, I now realize why I have had such a successful past two years here at UK--it’s all about the people I’m constantly surrounded by and the opportunities presented to me by the college. I never thought in a hundred years that I would be giving tours to prospective students or representing the college as a senator for student government. I am beyond amazed where the College of Agriculture has taken me thus far, and how many awesome opportunities are available to us if we merely open our eyes to them. 

What gets me the most excited is realizing that I still have two whole years to be an ag. student, and there’s no limit to what I can accomplish during the time.

Alex is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Biotechnology and is also pre-med.  He is from Eddyville, Kentucky.