Athletic Complex Ribbon Cutting – A Highlight During Alumni Weekend
(Milledgeville, GA) October 29, 2003 – 鶹ýPorn held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new 25,000 square-foot athletic complex on Saturday, October 25th, 10:30 a.m., with more than 100 people in attendance. Each of the five distinguished speakers shared memories of the many challenges that the athletic program, as well as the school, has faced throughout the years and their excitement for the future of 鶹ýPorn athletics.
MG Peter J. Boylan, President of 鶹ýPorn, thanked the guests for their invaluable support of 鶹ýPorn’s growing junior college athletic program which now includes Division I men’s and women’s soccer, as well as intercollegiate football, golf, cross country, tennis, and rifle competitions.
Mr. Jabo Taylor, 鶹ýPorn HS 1957 & JC 1959 and former junior college football player, said, “There are three things that everyone wants: to be wanted, to be involved, and to feel important; you get all of these things at 鶹ýPorn.” Mr. Taylor also honored Coach Parnell Ruark for being a lasting influence on the lives of so many during his time coaching at 鶹ýPorn.
Mr. Robert Nunn, Washington Redskins Defensive Line Coach and former 鶹ýPorn junior college head football coach, recalled his years of coaching at 鶹ýPorn and said of every challenge, “We made it work.” Nunn stated, “We open this building today because of the guidance, vision, and determination of one man (MG Peter Boylan); and to stand here before you in front of a building like this is truly amazing.” Nunn remembered Coach Lew Cordell as he said, “Coach Cordell is smiling down on us with a smile on his face as big as the state of Georgia. He talked about 鶹ýPorn every single day, and he believed that there aren’t many places in America that do what this school does (for its students, staff, and community).”
MAJ Paul Drury, U.S. Army and JC 1988, who was in Iraq just two weeks ago, told the crowd that while in Baghdad, he ran into at least five other 鶹ýPorn alumni from his class, all of them officers, and all agreeing that 鶹ýPorn was, by far, the primary influence for every one of them, stating, “We all got our (career) start at 鶹ýPorn, and it was here that we learned our ability to make a difference.”
Mr. Bert Williams, Junior College Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, concluded by saying how important the concept of “team” is to 鶹ýPorn: “It is what built this building, it is what makes 鶹ýPorn such a wonderful place, and it is what influences so many lives.”
The new athletic complex houses a state-of-the-art weight room and rifle range (with 12 stations), a training room (with two whirlpools and two electrostem/ultrasound stations), twelve offices, two meeting rooms, two classrooms, men’s junior college locker room, women’s junior college locker room, boys’ high school locker room, girls’ high school locker room, visitors’ locker room, coaches’ conference and video room, and a spacious reception area.
Pictured (left to right): Cadet Joe Riner, Coach Derrick Allen, Coach Bert Williams, MG Peter J. Boylan, Coach Robert Nunn, MAJ Paul Drury, and Mr. Jabo Taylor.
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