A&S100-021 "Community 101: Learning Lexington" students were "treated" to a Halloween visit by Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in class Thursday. Mayor Gray provided a first-hand account of proposed renovations to Rupp Arena, which is owned by the city and serves as the arena for Big Blue Basketball. The vision for a revised Rupp is to create a stand-alone structure that is more accessible to pedestrians and is better connected to the downtown area. Gray, a construction company owner and executive, agreed that the existing Rupp "has good bones" and the proposed reconstruction will create a physical separation between the interior shopping mall and the Lexington Convention Center. This will give Rupp it a more distinctive and lasting presence -- like the Coliseum in Rome, which served as a sport arena in ancient times -- to support what he called "the Roman Empire of basketball."

Community 101 students posed for a class picture with the Mayor, and several students requested selfies with the Mayor.

Community 101 is a 2-hour course intended to familiarize UK students with the greater Lexington community, including its history, economy, and challenges for the future. It is taught by Geography's Dr. Lynn Phillips.

Photos by Brian Connors Manke