UWF raises new flag downtown

Ashley Carswell
Staff Writer

On April 19 members of the community, the University of West Florida Board of Trustees and West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. gathered in front of the Jesse Earle Bowden Building in downtown Pensacola to raise the new UWF flag and dedicate two new classrooms located in the Bowden Building.
The event was held in commemoration of the University’s partnership with West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. and its dedication to the communities of West Florida.
“ The flag will fly in front of the downtown campus as a symbol that the University is working with our neighbors to create a better community,” said John Cavanaugh, president of UWF.
Cavanaugh said the flag was designed by UWF’s Leadership Enhancement and Development class of 2003. The class hoped the flag would have a stately design that would emphasize the integrity and quality of UWF.
He also said the flag will fly at each UWF locations, including the UWF main campus, the joint campus with Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Fort Walton Beach, the downtown Pensacola campus, Hurlbert Field, Eglin Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The flag was raised by UWF student ambassadors David Klein and Timothy Moore. Both students said they thought the flag was important to the University.
“ I think it’s an amazing event just to have the flag raised and shown at every location,” said David Klein, a junior majoring in psychology. “It really represents how the University is growing,”
In addition to the flag-raising, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to dedicate two new classrooms located on the first floor of the Bowden Building.
“ The meeting rooms we dedicate allow the University to offer more educational services to the downtown area, making it easier for those who cannot drive out to the main campus,” said Collier Merrill, chair of the UWF Board of Trustees. "These rooms represent another step forward in growing relationships between the University and the community.”
Merrill said that the rooms will also be used by business and civic organizations as conference rooms.
The new large classrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access, wireless microphones, PowerPoint and projectors.
Cavanaugh said that the University is in the process of scheduling the rooms for classes in the fall semester.
The partnership between UWF and West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. is a representation of the University’s desire to be active in the community. UWF is responsible for the management of 22 historic properties in downtown Pensacola.
In his speech, Merrill said that the University will spend at least $2.5 million for the preservation of the historic village in the next five years.
The Bowden Building is the headquarters for West Florida Historic Preservation Inc.
The building was named after Jesse Earle Bowden for his commitment to the preservation of the Historic Pensacola Village and his work as a member of Historic Preservation Inc. and the UWF Board of Trustees.