Fifty-nine EKU Honors Program students made presentations at the National Collegiate Honors Council's 35th annual conference in Washington, D.C. Oct. 18-22.

The Eastern students, accompanied by 14 faculty mentors, were involved in 15 panel presentations. Both the number of students and the number of presentations easily led all other participating schools. The theme for the conference was "Capital Ideas."

The panel discussions included "Gender Roles and Communications in Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening,'" "A Capital Idea: Selling Jane Austen," "Cubist Art Forms and the Fourth Dimension," "Gender, Spirituality and Pagan Influence in the Evolution of Christianity," "Human Rights: The Idea and the Practice," "Women, Capital and the Lack Thereof," "National Consumerism: Exploitation or the American Dream," "American Injustice: Capital Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Muslims in America/American Muslims," "Human Capital: Views on the Economics of Slavery," and "Fanaticism in Sports," among others.

In addition, the students enjoyed several cultural diversions, including a performance of the Tony Award-winning musical "The Dead," a tour of the Holocaust Museum and major monuments, a gala at the National Museum of American History and a show by the Capitol Steps.

Eastern's extensive participation in the conference was made possible in part by funds from the Paul S. McBrayer Endowed Scholars Program and a gift from Jane and Charles Boyer, Prospect. The McBrayer scholarship fund was established by former players to recognize the high standards that Coach McBrayer set for his student athletes on and off the basketball court. McBrayer coached at Eastern from 1946 to 1962. Jane Boyer is a member of EKU's Board of Regents and the Boyers are long-time supporters of EKU's Honors Program.

EKU's Honors Program is designed for intellectually promising students who seek a strong grounding in the liberal arts along with their more specialized major. The 28-credit-hour program includes course work in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, with emphasis on effective communication, development of critical thinking skills and integration of knowledge across academic disciplines.

Students with excellent academic backgrounds are invited to apply to the program. National Merit finalists and semifinalists are automatically accepted. In addition, students with high school grade point averages of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and with at least a score of 26 on the American College Test will be given priority. Other students demonstrating the potential for outstanding academic performance also will be considered.

For more information about the program, contact Dr. Bonnie Gray, director, at 859-622-1403.