 On Monday, August 28, the University of Pikeville began its first day of classes for the fall 2023 semester. Students are now focusing on their studies after being properly introduced to the U-Pike campus. U-Pike President Dr. Burton Webb shares his thoughts and expectations for the upcoming semester. It's great to have the students back on campus. It always feels to me like life comes back to the campus as the students arrive. You know, sitting here in my office, I can look across the plaza and the cafeteria is just across from where my office sits. So every day at about a quarter to 11, there's a line that starts and it comes all the way out the doors and snakes its way into the plaza as people line up for that 11 o'clock start for lunch. It's energy. It's just energy that comes back to campus. It's life that comes back to the city. I'll go to a restaurant in downtown and sit outside and watch the students all walking by with their dogs or with their spouses and it's just so much fun to see them come back onto campus every fall. Are you ready for a new school year? What better way to start a new school year off right than with a new device on the network that keeps our students and teachers connected? Appalachian Wireless. Whether you need a new smartphone, wearable, or an iPad, we have your back to school solution. Visit AppalachianWireless.com or go into one of our 26 retail locations for our back to school deals that'll help you show up and show out this school year. We are you. We are Appalachian Wireless. Dr. Webb also comments on the diversity on campus claiming the student population is made up of individuals from 27 different countries. The university is happy to accept any student interested in joining. We actually have 61 international students this year from 27 different countries. So that's a really great way to introduce people who live here to the cultures of other places and we do occasionally have dinners on campus where folks get to come and make their own favorite dish and they share it with their friends and you know they talk about where they're from. The number of languages that are spoken on campus even in small groups is pretty amazing right now. Reporting from Outantop News, I'm Nick Colum.