Emporia State University had more than one cause to celebrate during the university’s 163rd Founders Day luncheon Friday afternoon.
In addition to the school’s founding, the university was also celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Beach Music Hall, which opened in 1926 and was named after former ESU Professor Frank Ambrose Beach. More than just the history contained within its doors, the recognition of the anniversary also saw current ESU Dean of Visual and Performing Arts David Sharlow honor the impact Beach himself had on the current landscape of music education at the national level.
Sharlow says had it not been for Beach, music education would not have been available to individuals from all walks of life as we know it today, noting that before Beach’s time, it was something reserved only for children of affluent backgrounds.
Beach came to Emporia State in 1909 and remained at the university until he died in 1935. While opened in 1926, the music hall would not bear Beach’s name until it was renamed back in 1956.
In addition to this, the university was also celebrating a highly successful and historic Day of Giving fundraising campaign that surpassed its goal twice, first hitting the original $250,000 goal before exceeding a stretch goal of $300,000 before midnight Wednesday. This was the first year in which the university managed to exceed $100,000 through the annual charitable endeavor, according to remarks made during Friday’s celebration luncheon.
The afternoon also saw the university once again honor the winners of the 1863 Scholarship Essay contest. First place went to second-year graduate student Laura Budke with her essay titled “Finding Purpose and Belonging at Emporia State University.”
Budke’s essay detailed her journey from a previous higher learning institution to ESU, where she says she found a level of acceptance, confidence and purpose she struggled to find at her previous university. Budke tells KVOE News she believes that sense of belonging has a lot to do with her growing up in Chase County, a community, much like Emporia, known for its tight-knit sense of unity among residents.
For earning first place, Budke received a $1,000 scholarship. Earning second place and receiving an $863 scholarship was library education student and current Colorado-based career teacher Lauren Brockett of Littleton, Colorado, with her essay “The Power of Education.” Brockett was unable to attend the luncheon but still expressed her gratitude to the university and the contest judges for selecting her for the honor.
Finally, the university was celebrating a wave of success over the past several years, something Interim President Dr. Taylor “TK” Kriley noted during her closing remarks, asking all in attendance, “Can you feel that momentum?” Dr. Kriley would specifically point to the relationship building between the university and Emporia community in recent years as a key piece of the formula that has helped to generate the aforementioned momentum at ESU.
She says she hopes to see the community and ESU continue to partner and work together to further ride this wave of momentum well into the future.
Kriley would note that across the nation, similarly sized universities and higher learning institutions are either faltering or beginning to see the impacts of issues that ESU has faced and addressed over the past three years. She says the struggles of others should underscore the importance of maintaining the university’s momentum in recent years and why it cannot be allowed to slide.
Kriley would conclude her comments to KVOE News, stating she is extremely proud of “Hornet Nation” and even more excited for the future of the university when incoming President David Baker arrives on campus and begins his duties next month.
Emporia State University was founded in 1863 as Kansas State Normal School, with the first day of classes being held on Feb. 15, 1865. In addition to its original identity, ESU was also known as the Kansas State Teachers College after being renamed in 1923 and was again renamed in 1974 to Emporia Kansas State College until April of 1977, when it was finally dubbed Emporia State University.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
