Fall of 2012 was the perfect time to conduct a class about American electoral politics - so it was taken up as the topic for Currents, a class offered to incoming Freshmen. The course explores the 2012 election from a variety of academic perspectives - including, but not limited to, philosophy, economics, history, and, of course, political science. In this podcast, five Currents students shared their experiences with the class. 

The Center for English as a Second Language organized a discussion and viewing of the 2012 Vice Presidential debate, which gave students an opportunity to practice conversation and express their political opinions. In this podcast, students share some political insight, comparisons to politics in their home countries, and reactions to the debate. View the photos from this event here.

Rachel Hensley didn’t always know she wanted to study political science, but she found that the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts and Sciences had much to offer her both as a student finding her way, and as a Spanish language major. The broad variety of classes offered at UK and through the A&S college allowed Hensley the breathing room to work her way toward where she wanted to be.

Jin-Young Kim is a student at the University of Kentucky's College of Dentistry but her path there was paved as an Arts and Sciences undergraduate majoring in biology. Kim's experiences visiting the dentist as a child instilled in her the desire to give other people the confidence to let their pearly whites shine. Similarly, the goal of UK and the College of Arts and Sciences is to instill in its students the confidence they need to let their best selves show.

Owsley County is the first site for Homegrown Kentucky, a farm-to-school project developed by University of Kentucky students Ben Smith, Adam Meredith, Luke McAnally, Patrick Johnson and Ben Norton. Ideally, this model will be applied to other schools across Kentucky, making Kentucky schools more self-sufficient while offering students and community members an opportunity to learn and practice agricultural skills.

For undergraduates on the path to becoming doctors, UK’s B.S./M.D. program accelerates the student’s educational path allowing them to earn a medical degree in only seven years. One dimension of this track, is a degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences. By combining a student's undergraduate and graduate degree into one program, the University of Kentucky is better able to serve those students who already have their collegiate goals mapped out.

For many University of Kentucky students, the right undergraduate degree is an important stepping stone towards a life-long goal of pursuing medicine, dentistry, or law. The College of Arts and Sciences works hard to develop programs and majors that help cater to the pre-professional goals of its many students.

This past July, a group of eight female student athletes traveled to Ethiopia as part of a week long service trip. It was the second consecutive year that the UK Athletics Department has led such a group.

For many, moving to a new place is part of the college experience - but at UK, students can take a class that connects them to many community organizations and civic institutions. Community 101 is a course designed to help incoming students get their bearings in Lexington, Kentucky. Guest lecturers come to class frequently, and students get to engage with the local organization of their choice for a final project.