By: NATALIE MOSER

From two o’clock to three forty-five on Thursday afternoon students rejoiced in the campus-wide class cancelation, due to President Ramsey’s State of the University Address. This yearly event commemorated last year’s achievements and revealed plans for the upcoming year. President Ramsey was escorted to the Comstock Music Hall by the thundering parade of the Louisville Cardinal drum line. The march from the University Club to Comstock was an impressive sight to see, the power and intensity of the drum line could be seen, and heard from far off. As the crowd settled into Comstock Hall and President Ramsey began his speech the prestigious atmosphere was created with a multitude of tasseled caps, and gowned professors. Ramsey began his address with regard to the university’s abundant success last year, in football, baseball, and of course our national basketball championship. Not only however, was the focus set on athletics, attention was quickly shifted to academics. President Ramsey made notice of the astounding fact that the incoming 2012 freshman class was the best academically prepared class in the university’s history, and the even more astounding fact, that this year’s incoming freshmen are even more prepared than last year’s.

Looking forward, the president announced four steps that he and the faculty established for this year’s advancement. The outlined goals for this year were: to implement new multi-disciplinary subject areas into school programs, become more globally engaged through university and student outreach, create equal opportunities for all types of students (traditional and non-traditional), and lastly to gather public funds for the university in order  to pull back from reliance on state funding. With power and integrity the University of Louisville will go forth to carve these goals into reality, knowing that we have the abilities it takes to succeed. Ramsey attests that our past successes will fuel our future efforts.  Through an informative, polished speech students and faculty walked away empowered and motivated for an extraordinary year to come.