Former Ky. governor speaks for Greek Week
Marty Finley
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: News
She has dined with the Queen of England and brought hundreds of jobs into Kentucky by acquiring the Toyota plant in the 1980s.
She set a precedent by becoming the first female governor in the state and doing business with the Chinese.
But, for former Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins, it all began in Baghdad- Bagdad, Ky.
You just have to drop the H from that town's name, she said.
"We didn't have a stop light, even now (we don't)," she said.
Growing up, she never expected to sip tea with the Queen or meet with businesses around the world, but she said she refused to do anything other than plan on a large scale.
Collins, who served as Kentucky's governor from 1983 to 1987, shared advice and stories with hundreds of fraternity and sorority members Monday night in Brock Auditorium during inspirational, a kickoff to the Greek Week 2008 festivities.
She addressed the crowd to a standing ovation and asked audience members to tell her where they came from.
She mentioned Kentucky and Ohio by name, which brought cheers, and then asked for other states to speak up as well, which brought both cheers and laughter from Collins and the crowd.
Collins insisted on making the night informal, talking to students as if she was in a small classroom instead of a large auditorium.
She focused on competition and how it shapes people, and said that the opportunities available to Greeks are not to be taken for granted, as they can experience things normal students cannot - opportunities such as working with different cultures and team building.
Likewise, she said these experiences add responsibility as parents, instructors and employers will expect more out of those who choose to be Greek.
She also said students should look at their fraternity brothers or sorority sisters as teammates, with team building serving as a fundamental element of the Greek life.
"I'm a firm believer in teams," she said.
She set a precedent by becoming the first female governor in the state and doing business with the Chinese.
But, for former Kentucky Gov. Martha Layne Collins, it all began in Baghdad- Bagdad, Ky.
You just have to drop the H from that town's name, she said.
"We didn't have a stop light, even now (we don't)," she said.
Growing up, she never expected to sip tea with the Queen or meet with businesses around the world, but she said she refused to do anything other than plan on a large scale.
Collins, who served as Kentucky's governor from 1983 to 1987, shared advice and stories with hundreds of fraternity and sorority members Monday night in Brock Auditorium during inspirational, a kickoff to the Greek Week 2008 festivities.
She addressed the crowd to a standing ovation and asked audience members to tell her where they came from.
She mentioned Kentucky and Ohio by name, which brought cheers, and then asked for other states to speak up as well, which brought both cheers and laughter from Collins and the crowd.
Collins insisted on making the night informal, talking to students as if she was in a small classroom instead of a large auditorium.
She focused on competition and how it shapes people, and said that the opportunities available to Greeks are not to be taken for granted, as they can experience things normal students cannot - opportunities such as working with different cultures and team building.
Likewise, she said these experiences add responsibility as parents, instructors and employers will expect more out of those who choose to be Greek.
She also said students should look at their fraternity brothers or sorority sisters as teammates, with team building serving as a fundamental element of the Greek life.
"I'm a firm believer in teams," she said.