The dedication of Dixie State College’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps building began and ended with high-flying style.
A Black Hawk helicopter surfaced from behind the red landscape of Zion National Park and caught the attention of up-looking viewers.
Students, faculty and construction workers stopped what they were doing to watch the low-flying helicopter.
“I saw it circle the school and it swung out over the Old Gym and then it went over the Holland building,” said Jay Mckeehan, a sophomore general education major from St. George. “From my angle I thought it was going to land on top, but it swung around and came down right on the field. It was way cool.”
The dedication ceremony commenced an hour after the helicopter arrived.
President Stephen Nadauld, DSC administration, a group of army officers, and a crowd of about 30 students gathered for the dedication. Nadauld addressed the crowd first.
Nadauld said he was a member of the ROTC when he attended the University of Idaho as a freshman, and his experience introduced him to the character of the men and women who serve our country. He continued to praise the members of ROTC for their discipline and strong character.
William Christensen, the dean of the Udvar-Hazy School of Business, took his turn to address the crowd after Nadauld finished.
Christensen said he is proud of the ROTC and what it stands for, and that it’s great for them to have a new area on campus, which is located just south of the Burns Arena on 800 East.
Christensen looks over the ROTC since it falls under the business department’s jurisdiction.
Nadauld and Maj. Darin Gumucio, assistant professor of military science, took joint honors in cutting the dedication ribbon.
“We are glad [the ROTC] has a new home here,” Nadauld said.
The crowd moved over to the field next to the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons right after the end of the dedication to watch the helicopter’s departure.
It slowly hovered next the Holland building, performed a few circles around campus, and then flew back from where it came.
