Centre College

Area resident receives alumni award BLACKSBURG, Va., -   January Haile, of Danville, has been awarded the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award for the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Haile is an assistant professor of chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology at Centre College. Haile earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 2009. Every year, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences honors one alumnus from each department who has graduated more than 10 years ago for his or her achievements since graduation.

Events for this column must be submitted to the Advocate by noon Tuesday to be in the Thursday newspaper. Call (859) 236-2551, ext. 135, with complete information, including hours and admission price, or email advocatearts@gmail.com. EXHIBITS SpringScene, through May 26, Mahan Gallery, Boyle County Public Library. Open during regular business hours. Free. Opening reception:6-7:30 p.m. today. Information: (859) 238-7323. MUSIC Johnnie Holland and Trouble Train band, 8 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, Mae Johnson's White Barn, Waynesburg.

The Centre College baseball team lost 3-2 to Transylvania on Wednesday at Gary Wright Field after Transy scored in each of its last three at-bats. Centre (10-18) led 2-0 after six innings, but Transy (13-11) scored single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth to hand the Colonels their eighth straight defeat. The Pioneers outhit the Colonels 9-3 but pushed across the go-ahead run without a hit, taking advantage of three Centre errors in the ninth inning. Losing pitcher Trey Litsey allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings.

A mock shooting was performed Tuesday afternoon at Centre College just as a college community in Texas was struck by a real attack. While Centre students prepared for the drill about 3:30 p.m., students of Lone Star College were just being released from lockdown after 20-year-old Dylan Quick went on a stabbing spree, injuring more than a dozen people. Boyle County Sheriff Marty Elliott said the coincidence reinforced the very purpose of active shooter training. “Situations like that are the very reason why we try to prepare here,” Elliott said.

The Centre College and Transylvania University baseball teams will hold a fundraising drive at their game Wednesday at Gary Wright Field for Travis Gaines, a Lexington high school baseball player who was seriously injured during his team's spring break trip last week. The teams will take donations at the 5:30 p.m. game, and both schools are also conducting fundraising drives on campus. Gaines, a senior at Paul Dunbar, plans to play baseball at Centre. He was injured while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico during his team's trip to Destin, Fla. If you would like to make a donation, visit https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/bTlzd?

The old beech tree at Centre College was known to all. It is estimated it had grown outside the college's Young Hall for somewhere between 140 to 200 years.  Young Hall received a facelift two years ago and, sadly, the tree died as a result of the construction activities around it. Centre biology professor Anne Lubbers requested a six-foot-tall section of the trunk be set aside. She formed a committee to find a sculptor to create a work of art to commemorate the well-loved landmark.

STANFORD - Centre College President John Roush had a much younger audience than he's probably used to on March 27, when he paid a visit to Stanford Elementary School. Roush, Centre's 20th president, spoke to students about the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and what lessons they could learn from his life. "Abraham Lincoln was the greatest president and most important president in the history of our nation," Roush said. Lincoln exhibited three main qualities Roush told students they should strive to exhibit as well: honesty, kindness and courageousness.

The Centre College men's golf team finished tied for 11th place Tuesday at the Emory Spring Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta. Kenyon Cook finished tied for 19th to lead the Colonels with his two-day score of 77-73 - 150. Patrick Davison was 39th (79-74 - 153), followed by Grant Blevins (76-81 - 157), John Minton (84-74 - 158) and Rob Aldrich (83-77 - 160). Centre finished with a team score of 613. Oglethorpe won the tournament with a score of 571.

Patrick Noltemeyer, who currently serves as associate dean of students and director of community service and the Bonner Program at Centre, has been selected to serve as the new special assistant to the president for institutional research and college events. He begins his duties May 15. The position was created to fill responsibilities previously assumed by Nancy Lackey, special assistant to the president and event planner, and Steve Winrich, director of institutional research, both of whom recently announced they are stepping back from these roles.