EKU STORIES
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MARTIN HALL TIME CAPSULE OPENED
PROFESSOR EYES ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF GORGE When he visits Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, Dr. James Maples meets rock climbers from around the world. Besides enjoying scenic views and world-class climbing, approximately 7,500 climbers spend an estimated $3.6 million annually in the region.
John F. Kennedy was president. Worries about a Soviet attack on U.S. soil were real. It was the year America’s current president, Barack Obama, was born. Robert R. Martin was one year into his presidency of what was then Eastern Kentucky State College. And near the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Park Drive, a cornerstone was laid in 1961 for a new residence hall that would house generations of Eastern students. Fast-forward to Feb. 11, 2016, several days into the demolition of Martin Hall, when the contents of a time capsule placed in that cornerstone 55 years ago were revealed to a large crowd. President Benson and SGA President Katie Scott described the items before laying them on a table for all to peruse: several copies of The Eastern Progress and Richmond Register newspapers, an alumni magazine, Martin’s inauguration program, an admissions brochure, course catalogue, photos of Martin and his wife, Anne, construction of the hall and much more. A new Martin Hall, with approximately 600 beds, will open on the same site in Fall 2017. Benson said some of the contents from the 1961 capsule will be placed in a cornerstone capsule for that building, with the remainder going to University Archives. For more information, click here.
The EKU faculty member recently completed a Red River Gorge economic impact study, surveying more than 700 climbers. The study determined that rock climbing contributed to 39 full-time jobs in the surrounding six-county region. Maples, who envisions the Gorge as a “predictable and renewable economic resource that can generate economic growth and jobs in our service region,” presented the results of his initial study to area residents, regional tourism officials, business leaders and other stakeholders. Maples said many are surprised to learn of the high educational attainment and income of the average climber. Of the six counties (Powell, Wolfe, Lee, Estill, Menifee and Owsley) that form the basis of the study, four are among the 100 poorest in the nation. “As such, we need to find ways we can create economic activity without requiring lots of change or government economic investment,” Maples said. “This project captures that possibility very well.”
EMC STUDENTS HELP SAVE LIFE Thanks to quick action and their education and training, four emergency medical care students and an EKU instructor played a key role in a life-saving situation. As they were returning from a conference in Baltimore, Maryland, EKU instructor David Fifer and EMC students Leah Gaddis, Richmond; Jon Gaddis, Corbin; Brad Harp, Lexington; and Ashley Brosmer, Plainfield, Indiana, were among the first to come upon a serious wreck on an interstate highway in West Virginia. The damage to the wrecked pickup and the condition of the injured driver suggested immediate help was critical. “The only equipment we had was just us and what we have been taught,” said Leah Gaddis. Because the accident victim had a diminished level of consciousness and a lot of fluid in his airway, their first priority was to prevent choking. “We had to do a lot of work to make sure that didn’t happen.” The students and Fifer helped support the driver’s injured spine while firefighters extricated the driver, who is expected to make a full recovery.
EKU MAGAZINE 05