the patriot - december 2012

The Patriot

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 21 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y E d i t i o n

Past staff ofThe PatriotWhere Are They Now?pages 20 - 32

Sports Superstitionspage 15

Last minuteChristmasgift ideas

page 8

Staff2

Editor-in-ChiefZac Bruckner

Managing EditorChristin Miller

Design EditorKasey Malone

Online EditorAshley Lingard

Copy Editors:Kelly Allen

Brandy Norman

Andres Pedraza

Matthew Williams

Staff Writers:Kelly Allen

Caleb Hetrick

Natasha Jones

Morgan Miles

Brandy Norman

Caleb Vander Ark

Whitley West

Solomon Whitaker

Alex Williams

Matthew Williams

Timothy Wyatt

Faculty Advisor:Jeremiah Massengale

Editorial Review Board:Lisa Bartram

Jeremiah Massengale

Marianne Worthington

Our Staff

The official student publication of the University of the Cumberlands

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series, Bilbo Baggins is known to have said, “It's a dangerous busi-ness, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowingwhere you might be swept off to.”

As the staff of The Patriot, we are out on a journey. Along this journey, we’ve kept you in mind. The time hascome for something new, something fresh. So, we decided to do away with the hard to hold and even harder tofold broadsheet newspaper layout; instead, we’ve brought in a more modern, compact page design.

But we didn’t stop there. Not only have we changed our cover, but we’ve also changed what comes inside thatcover. We felt like we needed to change our style and content to become something that’s more visually appeal-ing as well as more relevant for you, our reader, through in-depth stories and features focused on students andtheir lives.

Our goal is to present you with a publication that is fresh and modern, not just in the format but also in thecontent we bring to you. Welcome to the redesign of The Patriot, your campus publication that is written, edit-ed and designed by your fellow students.

As we mark the publication’s 10th anniversary with this issue, we’re reminded that our design journey is nevercomplete; it simply keeps moving forward.

A note from the Editor-in-Chief:

NEWS 3

Conversation partners

International students at the University of

the Cumberlands have the opportunity to

improve their English speaking skills through

the Conversation Partner Program.

In this optional program, native English-

speaking students are paired with internation-

al students for informal conversation. The

program helps international students learn

English through conversation and listening

while making new friends at the same time.

Approximately five students volunteer for the

program.

Ronald McKnight is in charge of the

Conversation Partner program. He is also the

lead instructor of the UC Intensive English

program, which prepares international stu-

dents for the English Composition course.

McKnight, who has an interest in teaching

abroad, helped promote the program through

the use of flyers and word of mouth.

McKnight is interested in teaching abroad

and the program is preparing him for just

that. McKnight says, “Throughout the year I

am able to learn about life and culture in

places I may never get to visit.”

The international students in the program

can speak some English, but most of these

students are fresh out of high school with

very little formal English training. “There is a

lot to learn in a little time,” says McKnight.

“Sometimes it can be overwhelming to spend

weeks working on the basics, but ultimately it

is very rewarding to see students grow more

confident in the language.”

The Conversation Partner program was

started a few years ago. McKnight hopes that

the program evolves and will allow interna-

tional students and volunteers to meet right

when school starts instead of in the middle of

the semester.

Caleb Hetrick, a communication arts and

business major at UC, volunteers for the pro-

gram. His favorite part of the program is how

quickly he forms a connection with his part-

ner and how “non-mechanical” it is.

“I really like hanging out with interna-

tional students. I also know that it would be

very hard for me to go to another country and

live there by myself, away from my family

and friends, so I just want to make things eas-

ier for them and I would hope they would do

the same for me if I were over in their coun-

tries,” Hetrick says.

Laura LaMonica, an international student

from Brazil, is part of the Conversation

Partner program. She says that she enjoys the

program and that her favorite part is meeting

new people.

The program is currently accepting vol-

unteers. Students interested in applying for

the program can visit Ron McKnight in the

International House in the Boswell Campus

Center parking lot or contact him at

[email protected].

International students at UC can learn betterEnglish through converstaions with nativeEnglish speakers.

BY ALEX WILLIAMS

Staff Writer

Laura LaMonica and Amber Dickison work together to improve LaMonica’s

English through the Conversation Partner program.

Photo by Morgan Miles

Features4

Figure 4 Fallout

“YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, iTunes,

we’re everywhere. Taking over like

Hulkamania” says Russell Ridenour, lead

host of WCCR’s radio show, “Figure 4

Fallout.” The dimly lit broadcast studio is

filled with microphones and shelves stacked

with CDs, Russell Ridenour, Bo Kidd, Casey

Pollitte, Kasey Malone and Matt Campbell

get together Tuesday nights to discuss profes-

sional wrestling. Ridenour starts the show at

6 p.m. with the “Figure 4 Fallout” theme song

which was produced by UC assistant profes-

sor of communication arts Jeremiah

Massengale. Ridenour then introduces every-

one in the booth before going over the review

of that week’s WWE matches.

“Figure 4 Fallout” is a professional

wrestling talk show hosted by faculty, staff

members and students on campus, where they

discuss the points and views of the current

product of professional wrestling as well as

discussing the history of the industry. All of

the hosts are longtime fans of the sport of

professional wrestling. “Getting to talk about

something that I absolutely love without any-

body telling me I couldn’t, is a dream come

true,” says UC sophomore Kasey Malone.

UC senior Casey Pollitte, is the wrestling

historian of the group. Pollitte says.

Ridenour, now a UC graduate admissions

counselor, is the founding father of the pro-

gram with the most experience both in broad-

casting and the knowledge of professional

wrestling. Also, on the program is UC sport

statistics & photography coordinator, Bo

Kidd who has been a fan of pro wrestling

since age 3. Eric Skelley , UC’s head swim

coach, is a part time host, as well as a long-

time wrestling fan. UC freshman Matthew

Campbell, a newcomer brings a fresh new

perspective to the show.

“It’s an outlet, to share a passion in a way

we can share our thoughts with others in the

community”, says Ridenour. When asked if

the success of this show would be considered

a dream come true to him, Ridenour said,

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction for

me, to become more involved in radio”. Pro-

wrestling shows that are discussed consist of

“Monday Night Raw,” “Impact Wrestling,”

“Friday Night Smackdown” and each

month’s two pay-per-view shows.

This semester, the gang at “Figure 4 Fallout”

have interviewed multiple pro-wrestlers from

the organization Pro Wresting Freedom, a

new independent pro wrestling organization

based in Corbin, Kentucky. Malone says,

“We can’t express how much we appreciate

the talent we get to work with. I feel more

connected to this show because I feel con-

nected to the wrestlers.” Interviewees have

included Ryan Dookie, Derek “The Real

Deal” Neil and Shawn “The Virus”

Harddrive.

Kristin Reese, a former UC student says a

few of her favorite things about the show are,

“The guys not only tell the facts on what hap-

pened but their opinions. And they do it with

such comedy you can’t be mad at them for it.

But I really just love the show and the guys

hosting it. I moved all the way to Texas and I

still listen to every show.” Reese started lis-

tening to the show when she heard Malone

talking about it, she says, “I loved it from day

1. Of course I’ve been a huge wrestling fan

for years so it was fun to have people to talk

to who shared my interest.”

In October, the group interviewed

Christopher Daniels, a current Impact

Wrestling star (who works alongside “Hulk”

Hogan on SPIKE TV) and former Ring of

Honor star who is a multiple tag team cham-

pion. Malone described the experience as, “It

was out of this world. I was actually talking

to someone that I’m a fan of. To actually

know that they’re taking time to answer my

questions is something that I’ve always

dreamed about, especially being a lifetime

fan.”

Another fan of Daniels, Bo Kidd, said,

“Talking to CD [Daniels] was great! I have

followed his career for quite a while now so

to actually speak with him about his journey

throughout the business is awesome to hear.

He is a phenomenal athlete who is actually

just nearing the peak of his career.”

“We’ve had a lot of success this past

semester developing a relationship with

wrestlers. I would love for it to continue on.

For more people to have that dream and

desire, for others to chime in”, says lead host

Ridenour when asked his opportunity to

interview Pro Wrestling Freedom wrestlers.

When I asked Reese, a fan of the show what

hopes she had about the future of Figure 4

Fallout she said, “I hope that they continue

doing the show for as long as possible and

that the guys stick around. I mean, that’s the

whole fun of the show is hearing Bo, Skelley

and Russell pick on Kasey and Casey.”

”The show has come a long way, and con-

tinues to change for the better with every new

edition. They hope in that listenership will

continue to increase, but it will become a

more mainstream show. With the inspiration

and drive behind those involved in the show,

it can only continue to blossom.

BY NATASHA JONES

Staff Writer

“We’re taking over like Hulkamania...”

Hosts of the Figure 4 Fallout radio show: Matt Campbell, Russell Ridenour, Kasey Malone and Casey Pollitte.

Photo by Natasha Jones

Features 5

Wesley’s strings

She unzips the faded green case and pullsout her violin and its bow. Then she begins toapply rosin to the bowstrings: “It’s almostlike oil for an instrument. It just loosens upyour bow and makes it sound a lot better.”And her bow is going to need loosening up; ithasn’t been used in over a year.

Wesley Hale has been playing the violinsince she was in fifth grade. Now she’s asophomore at University of the Cumberlands,but, unfortunately, the college doesn’t have aviolin teacher.

Since her violin hasn’t been played in awhile, it needs to be tuned. She sits at thepiano and alternates between pressing one ofthe keys and plucking a string on the violin,comparing the two sounds. “I don’t have per-fect pitch, and I don’t even pretend to,” shesays about having to use the piano for tuningher violin. One of the strings reverberateswith a particularly loud twang, obviouslyway off key, and she says, with a straightface, “That sounds perfect. In tune, complete-ly.”

When Hale came to Cumberlands twoyears ago from Cincinnati, she knew thatthere wasn’t going to be a violin teacher forher, but she came anyway, because she lovedthe school and everything about it. At leastfor now, her violin isn’t for performing. Shealso plays the guitar, and since it’s quieterthan a violin (and she doesn’t squeak on it),she plays it more often.

However, in her desire to learn how toplay every instrument to be found in anorchestra, Hale is currently one of the twostudents learning to play the cello under Dr.Steven Sudduth, assistant professor of music.She’s also learning to play the piano, as everymusic major does. She is pursuing her dream, if not as directlyas she expected. “I came down here reallyexcited because I thought there was going tobe an orchestra program – there wasn’t, but Iloved the school too much, so I came any-way,” she says with a smile.

Dr. Jeff Smoak, chair of the music depart-ment, says that the reason UC doesn’t have astring program is that there hasn’t beenenough student interest. “Also, in order tobegin such a program, we would need toemploy at the very least an adjunct violinteacher,” Smoak says, and the closest avail-able violinist is in Lexington or Knoxville.

Hale’s family has its own history at UCthat played a part in bringing her here. Herbrother is an alumnus and her parents met oncampus. When she visited for the first timeherself at age eight, Hale said she “saw thateverything was so pretty” and it seemed tostick with her. Later she returned and attend-ed the Madrigals, a renaissance musical eventat UC, falling in love with them and tellingherself, “I’m going to be in that choir. I don’tknow when, but I’m gonna.” In her secondsemester, Hale was a part of that choir.

Hale insists that to her, UC “is not just aschool.” She likes its Christian foundation,the convocations and the people. “I love thewhole community,” she states simply. Sheeven likes room checks.

“I love to have a clean room,” she says,but she admits that she isn’t likely to cleanwithout someone pushing her to do it. Exceptwhen she’s mad. If Hale is cleaning her room,it might be smart to come back later.“You’re not violent, you’re not yelling at any-body, you’re just getting the stress out –things are cleaner, the end. It’s a good thing,”she says.

Sometimes anger proves to be a motiva-tion, like when she had her violin restrungand she got “the Cadillac of strings” for it.She says, “I thought that if I got better stringsthat I would sound better. I didn’t think it wasthe practicing, I thought it was the strings.”But she has been known to get mad at herselfand force herself to play a piece until itsounded right.

“Anger is my motivation sometimes.Anger makes me clean, makes me practicemore,” Hale says. Anger, however, does nothelp her when she performs.

Hale isn’t a shy person when it comes totalking to people, but she confesses, with alaugh, to having “serious stage fright.” Thenerves come about because she worries aboutpeople evaluating how she does. Determinedto overcome, she states, “I’m gonna do it one

day. I’m gonna get up there and not be nerv-ous. I can do it. One day I will actually con-quer it – sometime …” She laughs again.

She has two years to overcome her fearbefore her senior voice recital where she willbe in the spotlight. The following year, she’llbe student teaching. Hale is a music majorwith an education minor. She hasn’t decidedwhether she wants to teach kids about musicor if she wants to have a choir and makemusic.

“I think I’m leaning more towards the lit-tle kid one. I love little kids,” she says.Logan Butler, Hale’s fellow cello student,shows up for practice in the McGaw Recitalhall. When he sees her violin, he asks, “Is that[violin] full sized?” Primarily playing the altosaxophone, Butler also knows how to playthe violin because he had a grandfather whowas a fiddler, but it’s obvious that he hasn’tseen her with her violin before. ChristinMiller, a fellow musician and close friend ofHale’s, says that she has never heard Haleplay the violin before.

As they continue to practice together,Hale and Butler chat about trying to get astring ensemble together. They’re sure thereare other people who play stringed instru-ments, but since they don’t have a teacher,they, like Hale, just don’t play much or at all.However, Hale insists that with her violin,she’s “gonna find ways to keep going.”

BY ZAC BRUCKNER

Editor in Cheif

Wesley Hale warms up on her violin.

Violinist Wesley Hale mixes apassion for UC and music.

Photo by Zac Bruckner

Features6

Miles of Pinterest

Having bare, white walls in your dorm

room is, quite frankly, depressing. You want

to decorate your room, but you have no idea

where to start, so that’s where I come in! I

was browsing Pinterest and thought this

would be a fun craft. Basically its recycling

old papers into a decoration that is simple to

make yet pleasing to the eye. It’s a craft for

those of us that are a little artistically chal-

lenged. Its perfect for getting a group of

friends together for a craft night to revamp

those blank walls.

Step 1: Put on some good music, grab

some friends and prepare to be creative.

Step 2: Get a canvas board or a sturdy

piece of cardboard and a few newspapers.

Step 3: Cut out various sections of the

newspaper; an article you loved, the cross-

word, a random column or even your favorite

comic. Don’t worry about cutting them into

perfect squares; it actually looks better with

lots of different shapes!

Step 4: Use Mod Podge glue and start

throwing your cutouts onto your canvas. It’s

easiest if you completely cover the piece with

the glue (the glue is white but don’t worry, it

will dry clear) Place your cutouts randomly

on the canvas, some upside down or at an

angle. You don’t want the pieces to be per-

fectly straight or it will look boring and

weird. Put enough pieces on the board to

completely cover it. Then add some more just

to give it a layered look.

Step 5: After you’ve glued all the newspa-

per cutouts you want on the board, put anoth-

er layer of the Mod Podge glue over the entire

thing. Let it dry for at least four hours, or

until the glue is completely clear.

Step 6: Use black paint (or even a black

sharpie) to paint (or draw) whatever you want

on top of the layers of newspaper: an inspira-

tional quote, a tree, or even birds on a tele-

phone wire. I thought the birds on the wire

would be something simple yet still make a

statement. It doesn’t matter what you choose,

just be creative and have fun with it.

Step 7: Hang it on your wall and enjoy

your handiwork!

As an alternative to newspaper, you can

even try this with pages of an old book, or

colorful comics.

BY MORGAN MILES

Staff Writer

I’ll spend my time testing crafts onPinterest to make sure that you don’t

waste yours!

The final product.Photo by Morgan Miles

Features 7

Black Friday has once again come andgone. While some say it is the best time tofind sales, others say that people are crazy forgoing out in the weather and the masses ofpeople just for a good deal. Whether you par-ticipated in this year’s event or even if youstayed home wrapped up under the coversthinking to yourself that you might go nextyear, here are some tips for surviving BlackFriday 2013.

Know which stores open first.Knowing what stores to hit first is the

main thing. This year, some stores startedtheir deals at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Daywhile others started at midnight or 5 a.m. onBlack Friday. This is important to knowbecause the products with the best deals willbe gone early. For example, Toys”R”Usmight open at 4 a.m. If getting a child thatnew Barbie Jeep is the most important thingon your list, go there first.

Know the route which will get you to thestuff you want the fastest.

Stores have maps on their official web-sites and some even provide maps of the localstores especially for Black Friday. This isimportant because you need to know thequickest way to get to the items you want themost, so others won't get the items before youdo. Most items are going to be where youthink they should be, but make sure youcheck the map.

Prioritize which items are the most impor-tant.

If there is an item that is on sale for aridiculous price and there are only so many ofthem that each store gets, make sure that yougo for that one first. There are going to be lotsof people trying to get it so don't think thatyou can just go for something else first andcome back for the other later. Trust me, itwon't be there.

If there are any additional coupons havethem organized and ready.

Some stores will give out an additionalcoupon that you need for special items. If thishappens to be one of the items that you want,make sure you have it. No one wants to haveto wait in line any longer than they have to.Most people have a bunch of other stores andsales they are trying to hit and can get crazy.So, holding up the line could endanger yourlife.

Print the store advertisement from home.There are probably going to be tons of

people in line in front of you by the time youget there and they will probably get all thesale papers. Once again just like the storemap, print this from home and save yourselfsome real trouble later on. Different storesput the advertisements up online at differenttimes, but usually around noon onThanksgiving Day they are all available.

Don’t take small children.Small children are only going to hold you

back and can cause a distraction when youare trying to shop for good deals. Keeping achild in the cart only takes up valuable spacethat you might need later when the items startstacking up.

Be prepared to fight with people over high-ticket items.

Black Friday seems like the only time toget the best deals of the season. People aregoing to be going after whatever big salesthey can get their hands on. Even if they donot have a need for an item now, they willbuy it just to say that they got one. Yes, this istruly the only way to shop and find gooddeals. Know the items that you are willing togo to war for and pick your battles wisely;some items probably aren't as worth it as youthink.

BY KELLY ALLEN

Staff Writer

Customers look for great Black Friday deals on televisions at the Best Buy Store in Albany, NY on November 23, 2012.

Courtesy of Flickr's samsungtomorrow. Used with permission.

Black Friday

How to survive one of the biggestshopping days of the year.

Features8

A last minute list of gift ideas

It’s that time of year again! Christmas isonly weeks away and I’m sure you still havesome shopping left to do. Here is a list of giftideas for those you’ve yet to check off yourlist, and since most of us are broke collegestudents, they are all under $25.00!

1) Many people enjoy reading so why notget them a book? If they have a Kindle, youcan purchase kindle gift cards at Walmart, orfrom Amazon.com.

2) Fix them a gift basket of goodies! Fill itwith things you know they like, such ascandy, popcorn and a movie, or maybe fill itwith candles, lotion and bath salts.

3) Get them something decorative for theirhome. A cute, “unzipped glass zipper bag”bowl which is a candy bowl that looks like azipper bag. (found at Uncommongoods.comfor $17.50) is something unique and useful.

4) For those who like to write or draw, getthem a new journal or sketch pad. A set ofwriting and drawing utensils would be greatto go along with it too.

5) What about a photo album? This wouldbe great for newlyweds, new parents or evena significant other. To make it more meaning-ful, add a few photos of special memoriesyou share with them.

6) For someone who has everything, howabout a “Magic Egg Baby?” It’s a little eggwith a face drawn on and all you have to do

is add water. The “Magic Egg Baby” thengrows grass that looks like hair… kind of likea Chia Pet. The “Magic Egg Baby” can befound at Currentcatalog.com, and this cutegift is only $5.49!

7) For something funny but useful, howabout “The Butt Station Assistant?” It’s atape dispenser, pen and sticky note holder allin one! Made to look like an indistinct figureon a toilet, this amusing office assistant canalso be found at Amazon.com for only$15.95.

8) What about a game? Everyone loves agood board game, and maybe after the giftexchanging is done, everyone can sit downand play.

9) A great gift would also be a Furby.Depending on who you get it for, it could befunny and will also bring back good, or not sogood memories, from when they first debutedin 1998.

10) Last but not least, perfume or cologne.It’s always nice to smell pretty.

11) Bonus gift: if worst comes to worst andyou still don’t know what to get them, givethem a gift card. Whether it’s for food, cloth-ing, music, gas or a Visa gift card that theycan use on whatever they want; you can’t gowrong.

BY CHRISTIN MILLER

Managing Editor

Features 9

Why UC?

This year’s incoming class was one of thebiggest University of the Cumberlands hasever seen. There are probably a lot of reasonsfor that, so I decided to ask a few students“Why UC?”

Zack Morrow is a guy from WayneCounty, Kentucky who enjoys keeping busyand is very enthusiastic about attending UC.His major at the moment is undecided, but hefirst became interested in UC when helearned about scholarship opportunities andthe university’s good reputation from somecollege students from his hometown who arego to UC. He also likes the good environmentthat Williamsburg has to offer. He works atthe Grill on campus and enjoys attending

convocation. In his first three months atschool, his favorite things are the really niceand welcoming people he’s met. He says he’sbeen impressed by how much all the studentsget along and how willing they are to helpeach other if needed.

Kimberly Jones is a biology major fromKnox County, Kentucky with multiple rea-sons for picking UC to continue her educa-tion. Jones said, “It was far enough awayfrom home but wasn’t too far away. I wantedto go to graduate school and this was one ofthe few universities around that have pre-vet.I wanted to experience dorm life on a safecampus, and I love the religious background:it helps me stay on track with my faith.”

She’s a part of the UC Singers class and lovesits fast pace as well as the way it relates backto her beliefs with songs, devotionals andprayer requests. She hopes to advance on toShow Choir or Chorale if she can make timefor it. Her favorite things about campus arethe dorm life and learning to be responsiblewith guidance from the faculty and staff atUC.

Elvis Eneh is a friendly and fun-lovingguy who came to UC from the country ofNigeria. When I asked why he picked UC, aschool so far away from his home, he said,“Basketball, first off, and my major of inter-est, which is chemistry. Nice tuition rate, andUC offers a lot of great scholarship opportu-

nities, and, of course, good people.” He’splaying basketball for UC this semester andwill be doing track and field in the spring. Healso let me know that he is part of the soon-to-be Intramural Flag Football Champs. Hisfavorite things about UC are the people, fam-ily environment and pretty campus.

As you can tell from this trio, this year’sfreshmen class holds a variety of charactersthat bring a lot of potential and differentinterests to campus.

Three freshmen give their reasonsfor choosing to come to UC.

BY NATASHA JONES

Staff Writer

Zack Morrow

Kimberly Jones

Elvis Eneh

Features10

Chris Morrison performs at The Kingdom’s Cypher event

Photo By Whitley West

Features 11

Walking toward the mid-BCC at the

University of the Cumberlands, I hear a bass

pounding, loud music playing, and the voice

of Casey Hamm, the semester missionary

working with UC’s Baptist Campus

Ministries, announcing what is to come. I

walk through the doors and take a seat and

observe my surroundings. There are lots of

enthusiastic people anxious to get this night

started; waiting to see what the event called

Rhapsody event is all about. Claps of hands,

cheers of approval, encouragement for fellow

peers to step up to the challenge that Hamm

had issued them.

Who is going to rap battle with UC stu-

dent Ezra Anderson? No one steps up. A few

awkward, quiet seconds pass by. Still no one

comes. Finally, White Toaster, UC’s Sam

Meredith, with his 1980s wannabe gangster

jacket accompanied by his silly-dressed com-

panions, the Strudels, storm to the front and

they approach the microphones. Hamm starts

playing a catchy beat of instrumentals and

Anderson begins to spit out a web of intricate

rhymes all being created on the spot but

sounding as if he had sat down and written it

all out before. White Toaster and the Strudels

return with goofy and lame, but still funny,

jokes. Anderson returns with lines composed

as excellently as the first time. White Toaster

returns with the same sub-par jokes.

Hamm asks the crowd to cheer for who

they thought won. The response to Ezra

Anderson’s name blows White Toaster com-

pletely out of the water. The crowd loved

Anderson. The night is over, and I am pleas-

antly surprised about my experience.

“It was really fun watching different stu-

dents get up and express themselves. I think

it’s a unique and entertaining way to both get

to know more people and just watch a good

free show, or even jump in if you want!” said

UC freshman Cherly Deputy, who attended

the event.

Rhapsody is just one of many projects

that UC’s student-led group The Kingdom

has created. According to Hamm, The

Kingdom was created with the intention of

discovering unknown talents of UC students

and showcasing them. With the goals of pro-

viding more entertainment on campus, creat-

ing an avenue for self-expression, and

encouraging creativity, The Kingdom wants

to engage people with truth through expres-

sion in many different art forms such as: hip-

hop, spoken word, music, poetry, comedy

and dance.

Each event The Kingdom hosts will be on

Monday evenings at 9 p.m. in the mid-BCC.

Plus, another night later in the week will be

used to highlight specific events during

Monday’s event.

The idea for The Kingdom came about

when Hamm, Anderson and UC student

Julian Norman were all chatting and the idea

to have an improvised freestyle rap battle

called a Cypher was sparked and it just

expanded from there. Rhapsody, The

Kingdom’s open-mic night, was originally

called Cypher, but the name was later

changed because it has become something a

little different than originally pictured.

When Hamm was asked if he was pleased

with the progress so far, he responded, “With

things like this, it takes patience and perse-

verance. Although I would like for it to be

better now, I know it will get there one day as

long as we keep seeking improvement and

get more people involved. So yeah, I’m defi-

nitely pleased with the results so far.” Hamm

also has hopes that The Kingdom will expand

and reach other campuses in the future.

The Kingdom is composed of Hamm,

Anderson, Norman and four others who are

committed to the project. The group is look-

ing for people interested in participating in

the events. Anyone who is interested in join-

ing the group can contact Casey Hamm or

Julian Norman for more information.

During the next event, everyone can come

support Hamm and his crew by attending

Rhapsody. You won’t want to miss a fun

night of hip-hop, hanging out, music videos,

free food, and live performances.

BY WHITLEY WEST

Staff Writer

The Kingdom

Engaging students with truth throughself-expression in hip-hop, spokenword, music, poetry, comedy anddance.

Casey Hamm and Ezra Anderson sing together at Rhapsody. Photo by Whitley West

Features12

John Varley, a communication arts assis-

tant professor and the UCTV-19 station man-

ager, came to University of the Cumberlands

last year. After living overseas during his

childhood, he finished his bachelor of arts in

2004 with a degree in anthropology from

Michigan State University and then got his

master’s degree in mass communication from

University of Florida in 2010.

After deciding that he wanted to continue

his education his pursued and gained his mas-

ter’s in fine arts at Wake Forest University in

2011. Varley has been presented with an

extreme honor. His documentary film, “My

Brother, My Sister” which shows how two

white brothers and two black sisters were for-

ever changed by their activism in Florida's

Civil Rights Movement, has been screened at

the Daytona Beach Film Festival and at the

Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival

where it won first place. In this interview, we

discussed making the documentary, his inspi-

rations, and his advice for aspiring filmmak-

ers.

Kelly Allen: How did you come to

Cumberlands?

John Varley: While at Wake Forest, with stu-

dent loans looming, I started to apply for jobs

that would allow me to both teach and have

some involvement in hands-on production

work. I had offers from a couple different

schools but The University of the

Cumberlands stood out as the place for me. I

was drawn by the opportunity to manage the

student TV station and oversee a group of

work-study students who wanted to learn

how to produce videos and write stories. I

was also given quite a bit of leeway in decid-

ing what classes I wanted to teach and how to

do so. It has been an amazing experience for

me, and I am really glad to have been given

the opportunity to teach at UC.

Behind the movie making magic with John VarleyBY KELLY ALLEN

Staff Writer

John Varley, assistant professor of communication arts,

works on a video project for campus in the UCTV 19

editing bay on October 24, 2012.

Photo by Christin Miller

Features 13

KA: What made you decide to make the

documentary, “My Brother, My Sister”?

JV: I read a book (“Freedom in the Family”)

co-written by one of my subjects, Patricia

Stephens Due, and her daughter,

Tannanarive. Patricia told the story of racism

and the Civil Rights Movement in Florida in

the early 1960s, and Tananarive told the story

of racism today. It was eye-opening for me

for several reasons. I wasn’t aware of

Florida’s dark past as one of the most segre-

gated and violently racist states. I also hadn’t

considered that those activists who were

protesting racism in the ‘60s were conflicted

when it came to celebrating the changes they

made happen. The glass is both half full and

half empty when you consider race relations

today. As I was reading the book Patricia

talks about the toll of participation in the lives

of activists beyond their activism, and she

related the story of Dan and Jim Harmeling

briefly in her book. It was a very touching

chapter and Dan and Jim’s story in particular

intrigued me. So did Patricia and her sister

Priscilla’s. So I said, “Hey, what if we put

these stories together?”

KA: Explain the documentary.

JV: “My Brother, My Sister” is a documen-

tary about the effects of Florida’s Civil Rights

Movement on two brothers and two sisters.

Dan and Jim Harmeling and Patricia and

Priscilla Stephens fought for justice as stu-

dents in the 1960s. Each experienced events

that would shape the rest of their lives.

Beyond being an intimate portrait of these

heroes, it is a story of tragedy and triumph

that mirrors the history of our country.

KA: Who were your partners for the proj-

ect and what did they bring to the table?

JV: Jameil Weldon had worked as a news

producer at a TV station in Pittsburgh, so she

brought an expertise on the writing side of the

storytelling, where I brought expertise on the

visual side of storytelling.

KA: Who came up with the idea for it?

JV: My filmmaking partner, Jameil Weldon

first showed me the copy of the book and we

did a short film focusing on Patricia

Stephens. Then while reading the book the

light bulb went off in my head to expand the

film to include Patricia’s sister and her

friends Dan and Jim Harmeling. So, it was a

team effort.

KA: What was your role in the documen-

tary?

JV: Jameil and I did everything for the film.

Researching, scriptwriting, writing interview

questions, transcribing interviews. We both

sat in the editing room together and pieced it

all together, etc. We spent a lot of time

together working on this project. Other teams

edited parts of their films separately, but we

sat together in the editing room piecing every

frame of the film together. It was a madden-

ing process, but having a partner was

absolutely essential. When one of us would

get burnt out and just feel like collapsing on

the floor, the other seemed to always be ready

and able to pick them up and dust them off

and re-energize the team. By the end of edit-

ing, we were spending 70 hours a week in a

little room staring at the computer screen

watching the same 40 minutes of video over

and over and over… you don’t even hear the

words or see the images any more after

spending that kind of time looking at it.

Luckily, we were both really passionate about

our film and our subjects and we wanted to

do their story justice.

KA: Where did you draw your inspiration

from?

JV: The courage of our subjects were the

inspiration for this film. It was the inspiration

on those long 10-12 hour days in the edit lab

making such small adjustments that it didn’t

seem like we were getting anything done. I

never felt like it wasn’t worth it or I was

wasting my time because in the back of my

mind I knew how important it was to tell this

story.

KA:. Did living overseas during your

childhood have any effect in the film?

JV:I think we always carry experiences from

our past into whatever new experiences we

have. Specifically, I would say having seen

some real disparities in wealth and resources

among and within different societies informs

my feelings about equality. This isn’t some-

thing that you don’t see in the USA, but it is

perhaps a bit more stark of a contrast in some

of the countries I lived in. Also, being the

child of a U.S. diplomat, I was in a position

to go to school with and to see how the more

wealthy people in those countries lived.

KA:. Did living overseas during your

childhood have any effect in the film?

JV:I think we always carry experiences from

our past into whatever new experiences we

have. Specifically, I would say having seen

some real disparities in wealth and resources

among and within different societies informs

my feelings about equality. This isn’t some-

thing that you don’t see in the USA, but it is

perhaps a bit more stark of a contrast in some

of the countries I lived in. Also, being the

child of a U.S. diplomat, I was in a position

to go to school with and to see how the more

wealthy people in those countries lived.

KA: What had the most effect on you while

making the film?

JV: We interviewed Jim and Dan’s sisters and

brother during a family reunion in southern

Florida. We asked them to allow us to do this

in order to bring Jim’s character to life

because he died in the late 1960’s. The details

surrounding Jim’s death were something that

the family had never talked about openly

before. It was a very emotional interview, the

emotional wounds that they had buried for so

long were opened up and they allowed us to

film them. It was the most powerful moment

I have ever filmed. The most surprising

moment was when we were done filming

everyone said they felt a profound sense of

relief. They had been suffering silently for all

of these years about their brother’s death and

having the opportunity to share their pain and

their love really helped them. Going into the

interview I was feeling bad, wondering if

maybe we were taking advantage of their

pain. Afterwards, they thanked us. This is

part of why we thought it was so important to

make this film. By sharing these stories, we

celebrate those who sacrificed so much and

remember the sacrifices they made.

KA: What do you want people to walk

away with after watching the film?

JV:I hope people walk away from this film

inspired to look around them and think about

how they can make things better. Everyone

can make a difference.

KA: What is one piece of advice you would

give to someone who is trying to get start-

ed in documentary film or who might be

interested in documentary filmmaking?

JV:I would say start reading about documen-

tary filmmaking. It is one thing to watch

films and appreciate them, and that is impor-

tant, but it is another to learn how to inter-

view, how to shoot, how to research, etc.

Sports14

Dunks, touchdowns, upsets and champi-onships—we’ve seen them all this year, butnot all sports moments are created the same.So far, 2012 has cranked out some of the beststorylines in sports, not to mention some ofthe most long-awaited ones. Here is a recapof the top five.5. Tebow knocks off the Steelers in theplayoffs.

People love him; people hate him.Regardless of how you feel about him, heturned the Broncos’ season around. WhenDenver slid into the Wild Card round by theseams of their jockstraps, they were theheavy underdog. Pittsburgh was obviouslythe better team and Roethlisberger was obvi-ously the better quarterback, but talent does-n’t always win out.

Denver kept the score close and forcedthe game into overtime. Once there, some-thingamazing happened. Tim Tebow hitDemaryius Thomas on a post route with onlyone man to beat. Thomas stiff-armed adefender and took the catch 80 yards for thegame-winning touchdown.4. “Lin-sanity.”

Jeremy Lin stepped into the national spot-light after New York Knicks’ stars CarmeloAnthony and Amare Stoudemire were side-

lined due to injuries. In Lin’s first five games he scored a com-

bined 136 points, which, according toDiscovery News, is more than any player inthat span of time since the NBA and ABAmerged in 1976. Hype around Lin grew solarge that famous ice creamers Ben & Jerry’seven sold a flavor called “Taste the Lin-Sanity” around Harvard Square in Boston(his alma-mater).

During the height of the craze, he led the8-15 Knicks on a seven-game win streakbefore falling to the Hornets by two points—proving that all good things do come to anend.3. Michael Phelps becomes most decoratedOlympian in history.

Michael Phelps is not a man. He is aswimming machine, and a gold-medal-win-ning machine at that. Since the 2004Olympics, Phelps has won at least four goldmedals every time he’s competed. During his“breakout year” in 2008 though, he broke theOlympic record for gold medals won at onetime by winning eight and setting worldrecords in seven of those eight events.

During the following years, it becamehard to turn on your television and not seehim. Maybe he was endorsing Subway oryour favorite cereal. Prior to the 2012 games,

rumors surfaced that he was out of shape orthat he hadn’t seen the pool in quite sometime. Needless to say, he put those thoughtsto rest. Sure, 2012 wasn’t his most stellar per-formance, but even winning one gold medalis an incredible triumph and he still won fourgold medals at the Olympic Games inLondon.

Phelps announced, following this year’sgames, that he is heading into retirement.When you’re 27 and already the “greatest ofall time” in your sport, there isn’t much left todo. He holds 22 total Olympic medals, 18 ofwhich are gold.2. LeBron gets his first ring.

From the first time “King” James everlaced-up his sneakers in an NBA uniform, itseems that critics have been heckling himabout not being able to win the “big one.”When James stepped out of Cleveland andinto Miami in 2010, the hecklers only gotlouder.

The following season, the Heat wereNBA analysts’ heavy favorites to come out ofthe Eastern Conference. While the analystswere right, the team (specifically LeBron)couldn’t close the deal against an agingDallas Mavericks team in the Finals. Thehecklers bought bullhorns.

James’ second year in Miami proved to be

the most hyped. He had to win a title thisyear. If not, the Heat was a bust. But he madetrue to his promise of bringing a title to thefans in South Beach; now he just has to winsix more.1. Kentucky gets #8.

At Kentucky, basketball has always heldits standard at a level that could rarely be met.And seeing that most of the 2000s weren’tparticularly favorable for the Cats, that stan-dard was routinely unmet (see: Billy G.).Luckily, there is always a light at the end ofthe tunnel, and for Kentucky that light wasJohn Calipari.

With Coach Cal’s arrival in 2009 came anumber one ranked recruiting class featuringJohn Wall, the eventual number one overallNBA Draft pick. In one short year, Caliparihad returned UK to its former glory as aperennial contender.

2010: Elite Eight. 2011: Final Four. Thenfinally, in 2012, Cal’s team marched into the promised land: the NationalChampionship game. Anthony Davis andcompany didn’t disappoint either. When thefinal buzzer sounded, after 14 long years, col-lege basketball’s greatest tradition sat atopthe basketball landscape as champions onceagain.

Sports in 2012

A top five countdown of the best sportsmoments in 2012.

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Staff Writer UK wins the 2012 National Championship.

Sports 15

Do you get scared when you see a black

cat run in front of your car? Do you purpose-

ly avoid “splitting” an object as you walk by

it with another person? Is there something

that you have to do every day to ensure that

luck is on your side? If you said yes to any of

these, you might be a little superstitious.

Superstitions are crazy things that can

consume anyone’s mind. Old wives tales and

folklore can cause an irrational fear of almost

anything, including simple things like a lad-

der. Although anyone can be affected by

these bizarre beliefs, athletes are more likely

to have routines set around superstitions, par-

ticularly baseball players.

“I played with a guy that chugged a Red

Bull before every game, and then smashed

the can in his face,” says UC assistant base-

ball coach Colin Duffie. “That kid was nuts.”

Duffie also says that in his time as a player

and a coach, pitchers were, and are, more

superstitious than the rest of the players.

“When I played, I always ate the same break-

fast the morning before and the same dinner

at night before I pitched,” he said.

Even hardcore fans partake in these rou-

tines so that they don’t feel responsible if

their team loses and so that they can feel a

sense of achievement if their team wins.

Dr. Dennis Trickett, a professor of psy-

chology at UC, states that a superstition is

generally the result of coincidental reinforce-

ment.

“Two things occur at the same time and

the person assumes a cause-effect relation-

ship between them. Once that coincidental

connection has been made, repeating the

behavior becomes a way of ‘controlling’ the

outcome for them,” says Trickett. “Obviously

they aren’t really controlling anything, but

they believe they are and that causes less anx-

iety and more confidence about their per-

formance.”

Most baseball players from high school to

the big leagues follow the same superstitious

patterns. As a player, you don’t walk on the

foul line, you tap your bat a certain amount of

times before hitting and you always sit in the

same spot in the dugout. However, a few

players at UC take it a little farther than that.

“I always have to put my things in my

locker a certain way and wear eye-black to

every game,” says UC junior Jared Martin.

“Also, the way I put the tape on my wrists

varies from game to game depending on the

outcome. If we win, I keep wearing it the

same way, if we lose, I change it again.”

Associate professor of psychology at UC,

Dr. Kristy Keefe says, “Most people, at some

point in their lifetime, engage in superstitious

behavior; be it wearing a particular sweatshirt

to help your team win the game or avoiding

cracks as to not cause your mother back

pain.”

Although these old sayings seem silly and

strange, many people will do whatever they

can to avoid certain outcomes, especially bad

ones. Sometimes, people can even associate

their routines with bad things that have hap-

pened so that good things will happen.

“I always draw a cross on the back of the

mound before I pitch. I have done this since

my grandparents passed away my sophomore

year of high school. When I don’t do it, I get

really nervous because I have lost before

when I didn’t do it,” says UC freshman

Landon Case.

Many other players like Case, also like to

use the loss of a loved one as the motive for

their game day routines.

UC sophomore Zack McRoberts says, “I

always look up to the sky and think about my

summer coach that just died last January. I

don’t know if I’ve ever lost or won because

of it, but I don’t feel as good about the game

if I don’t.”

Not participating in these game day rou-

tines and superstitions can clearly cause anx-

iety for athletes. But is it causing real prob-

lems for them off the field?

Trickett says, “Most superstitious behav-

ior is harmless even though most people will

agree that their behavior is irrational. In some

ways the behavior becomes a self-fulfilling

prophecy – ‘I’m wearing my lucky socks …

I’m going to play well.’ The only time it

becomes problematic is when the supersti-

tions turn into obsessive rituals (as in OCD)

and the person feels compelled to engage in

the behaviors for fear of some dire catastro-

phe.”

What is it about baseball and supersti-

tions? Maybe it’s the curse of “The Great

Bambino,” or maybe it’s just something that

players pick up by watching their teammates.

In any case, if players can create their own

positive reinforcement by developing a daily

routine, then let them be.

College athletes as well as non-athletes

can easily get discouraged when expectations

aren’t met. So, if you can break the pressure

by using superstitions, go ahead and knock

on the wood.

BY BRANDY NORMAN

Staff Writer

Very superstitious

UC baseball believes

Photo by Brandy Norman

Sports16

Many people look at soccer as only as asport, where the results show how good orbad a team can be. Soccer, however, is notonly about winning or losing, but also aboutsharing experiences and guiding others.Soccer can allow players to be examples ofsuccess, not just in the game, but in life.This is the case of Patriot Soccer captainCedric Muteshi, from Nairobi, Kenya.Muteshi had the idea of giving back to thesoccer club that he used to play for backhome, the Dagoretti Green Santos, before heenrolled four years ago at UC to represent thePatriots.

Part of Muteshi’s way of giving back

involved taking the old UC uniforms thatwere going to be replaced for the 2012-13season during this last summer to the teamthat allowed him to play during his youthyears, the Green Santos.

“Everything was a team effort,” saidMuteshi about putting his plan into action. Heshared his idea with the Patriot Soccer HeadCoach, Brenton Benware, who readily com-plied, saying, “Soccer is not just in the field,but also outside, how we can contribute tosociety is important to reflect the kind of pro-gram we have here.”

From that moment on, Muteshi knew itwas just a matter of time and a little bit of

organizing to get everything going. So hepartnered once again with his older brotherBoni, a coach from the Fever Soccer Club inFort Wayne, Ind., who set about to collectunused cleats to take to Kenya and add themto those that Muteshi had already gotten fromhis teammates. They were able to gather 29pairs.“They were very happy. Their faces grinnedwith joy and I knew that I had done a greatthing. The cost for uniforms is very expen-sive and getting one for free was like a mira-cle,” said Muteshi about giving away thecleats and uniforms.

What we see as regular and common

things can bring joy to those that need it, andthat is why soccer goes beyond the result of agame or championships. The effort put for-ward by Muteshi through soccer helped tochange lives through providing a betteropportunity for those who enjoy soccer topractice which will help them to become bet-ter at the sport, but also better at life.

The sport of soccer

BY ANDRES PEDRAZA

Staff Writer

Cedric Muteshi leads the way in the Christmas season by his thoughtfulness andgenerosity toward those less fortunate than himself.

Photo by Andres Pedraza

More than a game;a way to help

Faith & Ministry 17

The word stress isn’t in the Bible; howev-er, it does ask in Matthew 6:27 (NKJV),“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit(eighteen inches) to his stature?” This versequestions why you would bother to getstressed when it doesn’t do anything for you.The Bible also gives us truths like Proverbs17:22 which says, “A merry heart does good,like medicine, but a broken spirit dries thebones” and challenges like Psalm 125:1which states, “Those who trust in the LORDare like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved,but abides forever.”

Here are a few tips about how to get rid ofthe stress that is wearing you down with someverses to encourage and help you through theprocess:Pray

As a follower of Christ, one of the mostimportant things you can do when you’re introuble is to cry out to your heavenly Father.Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times,you people; pour out your heart before Him;God is a refuge for us.” God wants to hearwhat is happening to you. He wants you tocome to Him like you would a friend, confid-ing in Him all the things that are weighingyou down. God cares a great deal about you.That saying may have lost a lot of its weightover the years, but its truth is no less signifi-cant.Give thanks

Although it may seem strange to make apoint to be thankful when feeling down, ifyou start thanking God for all that you haveand the things that He has done, you may findthat your heart will feel considerably lighter,because you’ll be able to see outside your

problems and see the many (often insignifi-cant or seemingly silly) things that He hasdone for you, like when the sun is shining,when an assignment is postponed or when theCaf has cinnamon raisin bagels. Psalm 75:1says, “We give thanks to You, O God, wegive thanks! For Your wondrous worksdeclare that Your name is near.”Read some truth

Sitting down to read the Bible isn’talways easy to do when you’re stressed. It’stoo deliberately thoughtful. When you’restressed, you don’t usually feel like sittingdown and contemplating life, but with a con-scious, prayerful reading of God’s word, youcan be confronted with a truth that will con-front, challenge or comfort you. For example,this not so well-known verse in Psalm 56:8says, “You number my wanderings; put mytears into Your bottle; are they not in Yourbook?” God is with you so often and cares somuch about you that He keeps all of yourtears in a bottle. How amazing is that? God’sword is a powerful letter written to you and isreadily available and is the most direct wayHe can speak to you. The psalmist also says,“My soul clings to the dust; revive meaccording to Your word” (Ps. 119:25).Get out in nature

Get away. Leave the campus, the bustleand the technology behind and escape some-where like Cumberland Falls or IndianMountain State Park in Jellico. A friend ortwo can go with you, but don’t make it a biggroup. If you don’t have time to leave cam-pus, just get a blanket and soak in the sun.Savor the solitude and overall stillness andbeauty that God’s creation has. In the begin-

ning of time, Adam and Eve lived in a gar-den: “The LORD God planted a garden east-ward in Eden, and there He put the manwhom He had formed” (Genesis 2:8). Thereis no other place where the presence of Godcan be felt more distinctly than in the worldthat He has given you to live in. Take yourtime, slow your steps and enjoy the naturalworld around you.Tell a friend

While God wants you to talk to Him andtell Him your woes, remember that He’s alsogiven you friends in your life for a reason.Jesus Himself had 12 close disciples for com-panions while on earth, and out of those 12there were three that were particularly close.All of your friends don’t need to know yourproblems, but having one or two close friendscan be a good boon for you. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one … for ifthey fall, one will lift up his companion. Butwoe to him who is alone when he falls, for hehas no one to help him up.” Life is a commu-nal and social activity, so don’t think that youhave to handle it all on your own.Listen to music

And not just any music, instrumentalmusic is best. Lyrics can be more distractingwhen you are trying to relax than you mightrealize, so find an instrument you enjoy lis-tening to or playing and just sit back and bestill. Psalm 81:2 says, “Raise a song andstrike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with thelute.”Take the initiative

Proverbs 22:3 states, “A prudent manforesees evil and hides himself, but the sim-ple pass on and are punished.” Can you see

stressful times coming? Prepare for it or, ifpossible, just get out of the way. Don’t waituntil an assignment is on top of you to startworking on it (a sure-fire way of losing sleepand getting stressed) or don’t go to that partyif you know someone who aggravates youwill be there. When midterms and finals rollaround, plot your study schedule. A lot of stu-dents aren’t big on making lists or schedules,but lists can be a huge help in managing timein a more efficient manner and thereby helpyou to get more done with less stress. Don’tlet stress take you by surprise; be ready for it. Move

This doesn’t have to be exercise strictlyspeaking, but physical exertion is a great wayto channel heightened emotions out of thebody. Go for a walk, a run, a bike ride or,even better, go for a hike. I Timothy 4:8 says,“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godli-ness is profitable for all things.” Spiritualhealth and physical health often reflect eachother, so don’t forget the physical and focuswholly on the spiritual. Physical health is alsoimportant to God. So if you’ve got some agi-tated energy, get out of your room or thelibrary and expend that energy by burningsome calories.

Whatever the stress may be and whateveryou do to let it go, remember this: “Which ofyou by worrying can add one cubit to hisstature?” Stressing won’t do you any goodbecause it doesn’t change anything; you’vegot to be prudent and choose to lean on God’swisdom and strength, not your own.

Get rid of stress, the biblical way

BY ZAC BRUCKNER

Editor-in-Chief

Photos

Photos by Brandy Norman

game day at Cumberlands

Drum Majors Tyler Vaughn and Sarah Wheeler lead the UC Marching

Patriotsaround the track for the football game.

18

Senior Dekeldric Felton steps away from his team to get prepared for his last home game on Nov. 17.

Photos 19

Painted Patriot fans cheer on the football team against

the MidAmerica Nazarene Unviersity Pioneers.

Freshman Whitney Davis is all smiles as she waits for the game to start.

After playing hard, the Patriots come out

and win the game 42 - 24.

Celebrating 10 Years20

Where are they now?

The Patriot: What years did you contributeto The Patriot and what role(s) did you play?

Kelly Foreman: I began working with ThePatriot in its infancy in spring 2002, as agroup of us began discussing re-creating thecampus newspaper and cultivated its cre-ation. From the fall 2002 semester until Igraduated in 2004, I served as The Patriot’seditor-in-chief.

TP: Which story that you covered at ThePatriot first comes to mind? Why?

KF: The story that always comes to mind forme is when the beam of steel from the WorldTrade Center was brought to campus byWhitley County Coroner Andy Croley. Asmost people do who lived through the Sept.11 terrorist attacks in 2001, I rememberexactly where I was when the planes hit – oncampus in the BCC. The emotional impact ofbringing a piece of the terror home was a verypersonal one for me. It also was the first timeI had an opportunity to cover a topic thataffected people on a national level.

TP: What are you doing now?

KF: I am a Public Information Officer in theCommunication Office of the KentuckyDepartment of Criminal Justice Training. Myprimary responsibility is writing features forour Kentucky Law Enforcement Magazine. Ialso moonlight as a children’s clothingdesigner with my company, Faith & Fancy.

TP: How did your time with The Patriot helpyou get to where you are today?

KF: The Patriot was a pivotal point in myjournalistic path. It led me to make connec-tions which led me to my first post-collegecareer job. It helped me to learn about man-agement, organization, deadlines, responsi-bility, controversy and the craft of creating apublication. My dreams of being a workingwriter were guided into reality because ofThe Patriot.

TP: Where has your work been publishedsince your time at UC?

KF: After college, I worked for The TimesTribune daily newspaper in Corbin and theSoutheast Kentucky Family magazine. I thenmoved on to the Richmond Register dailynewspaper in Richmond, Ky. Because oftoday’s digital nature of newspapers, theAssociated Press and the CNHI news service,some articles from those papers have beencarried across the nation. As previously men-tioned, I also write today for the KentuckyLaw Enforcement magazine, and those arti-cles have been re-published in a variety ofpublications. I have written for newsletters,blogs and other Internet publications as well.

TP: What do you remember most from yourexperience at the campus newspaper?

KF: Stress, followed by accomplishment. Itwas hard work, I think even more so becausewe were making up the rules as we wentalong.

TP: What’s the best piece of advice thatyou’ve actually followed?

KF: My favorite journalism quote is, “Thereis no news in the newsroom.” In other words,you can’t find out what’s going on in theworld around you by sitting at a desk andwaiting for the phone to ring. Get out, talk topeople, build relationships with people in theknow and be a journalist who can be trusted.It is so important to establish a name foryourself as someone who is easy to workwith. Because when the hard stories crop up,the people who run from the other media willanswer the phone when you call if you haveearned their respect.

TP: Anything else you’d like to add?

KF: Enjoy your time in college! Don’t be insuch a hurry to get out in the real world. Takeit all in and remember each day that fouryears pass in the blink of an eye. Getinvolved, work hard, have fun and make themost of it.

Kelly Foreman

The first issue of The Patriot Newspaper made its debut an entire decade ago

on November 20, 2002. To mark the campus newspaper’s 10th anniversary, we

decided to catch up with some of the former members of our staff. From pub-

lishing novels to writing for Rolling Stone to teaching in Japan, just to name a

few, we think they’re all up to amazing things these days. Where they are now

just might surprise you.

Celebrating 10 Years 21


Tiffany Sokolowski: Assistant Editor -2002-2003.Editor-in-Chief - 2003-Fall 2005.


TS: The "vs." columns that I did withJeremiah first come to mind. We alwaysfound something interesting to debate about...whether it be the colors blue and pink orsomething more pertinent like Frosty andRudolph at Christmastime. I also reallyenjoyed being able to "take a stand" in Lettersfrom the Editor.


TS: I am the circulation manager at TheWinchester Sun Newspaper.


TS: The Patriot molded me into a well-rounded newspaper person. I was able todabble in all different types of roles at ThePatriot. Learning a little about stories, photg-raphy, layout, working with reporters, work-ing with advisors, etc., all helped me find myplace in the newspaper world.


TS: I have been freelancing at many newspa-pers throughout Central Kentucky in additionto working at The Richmond Register andThe Winchester Sun.

I am currently working on a novel andother personal writing adventures on the side,as well.


TS: I remember loving every minute of thehustle and bustle of it! My favorite memorywas the early morning pick up of the newspa-per and getting to hold that fresh copy in myhands, knowing how much went into it. Thefinished product (even today at my real worldjob) is still very rewarding.


TS: Look at the real world application of thedegree you are trying to attain. Are youmajoring in something that's becoming obso-lete? Are you going somewhere that therewill be jobs in your future? We all hear thatthe newspaper industry is dying. It's notdying, it's changing and we have to be able tochange and adapt with it.

Where are they now?

Tiffany Sokolowski



Jolina Petersheim: 2004-2008: I was awork-study student my freshman year (wrotetwo articles per edition). After I became anRA in Gillespie and gave up my work-study,I submitted articles that Heather Mays, theeditor, accepted regardless of the subjectsbuzzing around in my head. Bless her.


JP: My first story was about UC alumnus andOlympic wrestler, Toccara Montgomery. Iwill always remember that article, because(1.) I was terrified to interview Tocarra. Iknew if I asked the wrong question, she couldput me in a pretzel hold in a second flat. (2.)I wrote this long, passionate descriptionabout the "fire in her eyes, rippling muscles,ect." that got chopped before going to print. Iremember reading the new version in thecafeteria (albeit far, far better than my own)

and getting pretty feisty about it. It was oneof the reasons I realized was not cut out forinverted pyramid, black-and-white journal-ism, but for fiction.


JP: I live in the foothills of the CumberlandMountains with my Mohican-man husbandand our darling baby girl (who is a slightlysmaller version of him, but without thescruffies). I am a happy work-at-home momwhose debut novel, “The Outcast: a modernretelling of The Scarlet Letter,” will bereleased with Tyndale House in June 2013.Getting to tend my child and create storieswhile she sleeps is a dream come true. I knowI am blessed.


JP: It helped me learn how to write more likeHemingway and less like--well, L.M.Montgomery, who is the author of “Anne of

Green Gables.” I thought that series was aclassic before college (sorry, Dr. Fish).


JP: I've had the privilege of meeting a com-munity of authors who are very supportive ofeach other. Through them, my writing's beenfeatured on the radio, a nonfiction book,small literary journals, and creative writingwebsites. My blog, The Happy Book Blog, issyndicated with the on-line edition of TheTennessean. My novel, of course, is the crazi-est publishing experience I've had.Sometimes I pinch myself . . . or let mydaughter do it.


JP: I remember spray painting filing cabinetsblack in frigid weather as we prepared thenew office in the lower BBC. Once wemoved, I loved that our office was so close to

CAB. They watched movies like “EdwardScissorhands” and munched snacks. I wouldpeek out of the office and admire JohnnyDepp before snatching something and scurry-ing back to my hole.


JP: Be concise! Don't muddle your messagewith extraneous words and compound modi-fiers (right, Mrs. Worthington?). I still strug-gle with this but, thankfully, have a wonder-ful editor in my husband, who sees my firstdrafts even before my fiction team atTyndale.


JP: Go after your dreams but, in the process,don't forget those who are your life. When theglamor fades, they will still be standingbeside you.

Where are they now?

Jolina Petersheim



Rachel Worley: I was a staff writer at ThePatriot from 2007-2009.


RW: Since I also took creative writing andjournalism courses, I can’t remember whichstories I actually submitted to The Patriot andwhich were used.


RW: I am currently living in Japan and teach-ing English to junior high school and elemen-tary students.


RW: My time with The Patriot increased myskills as a writer and my understanding of theEnglish language. This has proved helpful asI teach English. Also, my students have ashort attention span and so speaking to them

in a journalistic style helps them to followwhat I say. I give them clear, concise infor-mation in order of most important to least.


RW: Being a staff reporter at The Patriottaught me to looker deeper into events andpeople. The real story is usually not what yousee on surface. This has been beneficial to mewhile abroad because it has helped me tounderstand foreign cultures and people better.


RW: The best piece of advice I ever receivedwas from an elderly man who said, “Youknow all those things you've always wantedto do? Do them.

Where are they now?

Rachel Worley


Where are they now?


Heather Conley: I was part of The Patriotfrom 2005-2008. I was the layout editor andthen the assistant editor.


HC: I wrote a column on wedding planningduring the 05-06 school year while I wasplanning for my own wedding. It was thefirst time I had ever written anything for thepaper. It was fun to help others who weresharing my experiences. Now I have a wayto remember that time in my life.


HC: I’m an English teacher at North LaurelHigh School in London, KY. I live in Londonwith my husband—Janson Conley—myson—Brody—and our two dogs.


HC: I was always afraid of writing, eventhough I was an English major. The Patriothelped me to relax about my own writing andnot worry so much about letting others seewhat I had to say. I learned a lot about writ-ing and editing from doing the work first-hand. I also learned a lot of neat computertricks.


HC: I remember the friendships and spend-ing time in the office the most. I miss thepeople that worked at The Patriot. We don’tget to see or speak to each other very often,but when we do, it’s as though nothing haschanged. I still consider my co-workers asclose and dear friends.


HC: Travel. See as much of the world as youcan. The world does not exist in a bubbleinside of Kentucky. Other cultures are beau-

tiful. You will have a deeper appreciation forwhat you have. It may even change yourmind set on the world around you.


HC: The Patriot is definitely a chapter in mylife that will always hold special memoriesfor me. I learned a lot about myself as awriter, editor and person through my timewith the newspaper.

Heather Conley


Where are they now?


Ryan: I contributed to The Patriot duringmost of my college career. If I'm not mistak-en, my first piece (an album review of TheBeatles' “LOVE”) was published in late2006. I wrote quite a few reviews for ThePatriot before I graduated in 2009.


RR: I have a pretty cool story to share. Oneof my first stories for The Patriot was areview of Radiohead's 2007 album, InRainbows. Radiohead were--and are--one ofmy very favorite bands, so it was a really bigdeal for me to write about them. I was soexcited when the review was published. Thatsame week, I got a Facebook message from agirl who also went to UC--her name wasJenifer Thoele. She'd read my review ran-domly while she was waiting on one of herfriends to come out of her dorm room. Shetold me she loved the review, and I thankedher. Jenifer is now my wife--we've been mar-

ried for two-and-a-half years.


RR: I do a lot of things. First and foremost,I'm a freelance music journalist. I writealbum reviews, concert reviews, Q+A stories,and feature stories for tons of online and printpublications. (I also write movie reviews onoccasion--something I hope to do more of inthe future.) In addition, I teach adjunct class-es for UC: currently two Public Speakingcourses and one writing course in the IEPprogram. I live in Knoxville, TN with mywife and my Brittany Spaniel, Tegan.


RR: The Patriot gave me my first real writingexperience. I grew substantially as a writerduring my college years, and The Patriotgave me a platform to hone my skills before Ientered "the real world" of journalism.Without my experiences at The Patriot, Iprobably would have lacked the confidenceto pursue a career in journalism.


RR: I think this covers it: Rolling Stone,Billboard, Paste, eMusic, A.V. Club, BostonPhoenix, Metro Pulse (Knoxville), ChicagoReader, Interview Magazine, UltimateClassic Rock, American Songwriter, Relix,BLURT, LEO Weekly (Lousiville), Filter,Under the Radar, Consequence of Sound (for-mer Associate Editor), PopMatters (currentAssociate Music Editor), Glide, ClevelandScene, American Noise, AU, Culturedeluxe,The Line of Best Fit, Critical Mob, Skope, It'sa Trap!


RR: I remember the pure excitement of flip-ping the pages and seeing my name in printfor the first time. It was an incredible rush.


RR: When I enrolled at UC, I had no ideawhat my career--or life--would be like upongraduation. I always wanted to write aboutmusic, but I wasn't brave enough to ventureoff to some far-away journalism program andtake that plunge. I was complacent andunsure of myself. When I met my wife,everything changed: It wasn't a direct pieceof advice; it was a feeling of compassion andmutual understanding. Jenifer gave me thecourage to pursue my dream, to be unafraidof failure. Without her, I wouldn't be where Iam today, and I can't thank her enough.I got lucky.


RR: Go for it--whatever "it" is. When I lookback on my Patriot days, I only wish I'dworked harder for what I wanted. If you're awriter, write every day. If you're a photogra-pher, take pictures every day. If you're anartist, create art every day. Don't waste time.

Ryan Reed


Where are they now?


Grant Doepel: I'm pretty sure it was January2007 to May 2009. And I was layout editorand then editor-in-chief.


GD: The most memorable for me was whenKaitlin Gotch and I stayed up all night of the2008 election writing stories and doing cov-erage. Not only was that awesome, but wemanaged to have the paper out the followingday in a special election edition. It might notsound that impressive now, but we were pret-ty dang proud of what we accomplished. Andthe articles, I like to think, were very biparti-san as well.


GD: I currently work as a Digital MarketingSpecialist for Naked Lime in the Cincinnati,Ohio area. I get to play on Facebook, Twitterand Google all day long...and get paid for it.


GD: I'd say the main way The Patriot helpedme was by teaching me how to work in a pro-fessional environment successfully. I wasgiven such a creative blanket when it came torunning the paper that it allowed me toexplore so many possibilities creatively toexpand the paper and myself at the sametime. The Patriot also helped me earn aninternship with Fox News in Washington,D.C. and I truly believe that once-in-a-life-

time experience never would have happenedwithout The Patriot. So in short, The Patriothelped make my life the bomb-diggity.


GD: I remember spending pretty much everyfree moment I had in the newspaper office. Atthat time we had a crazy amount of peopleworking on the paper in general, so some-times that office got a bit crowded. However,the majority of my time wasn't spent writingor editing articles (surprisingly), instead itwas always spent using the "eraser" tool onPhotoshop to constantly change our pageheaders for the upcoming issue. We printed aton of issues over the course of those twoyears and there was never any down time.And I wouldn't trade it for the world.


GD: Don't be afraid of failing. Sometimesthe best lessons we learn come from the timeswe have failed. Be brave in whatever yourendeavor becomes.

Grant Doepel



Kendra: My time at The Patriot was from2007 to 2010. I started as a staff writer (casu-ally), then the news editor, and finally themanaging editor.


KP: I always think of some of those from mysenior year. For example, Ms. ConnieHoward received the National DeathEducator of the Year award, and I was giventhe task of writing about her. She was a pro-fessor I had heard a great deal about, butnever had the opportunity to meet, until then.Ms. Howard is quite inspirational in her questto help others through some of their toughesttimes. There are others like that, individualsthat are doing things, which are completelyordinary to them, but rather surprising to therest of us. I love finding those stories.

TP: What are you doing now? KP: I currently live near Danville, Kentucky,which is where I am working as a staff writerfor The Advocate Messenger, a daily newspa-per.


KP: Working at The Patriot armed me with aslew of articles and experience, so that whenI walked into my interview, I was able toshow them what I had done and the quality ofmy work. Don’t ever doubt the things youcan learn on your college staff, no matter thesize of the school or paper. At the end of theday, some things have to be experienced andwriting is one of those things. Also, having aportfolio of any kind is better than not havingone at all, so keep it all and make it look nice.


KP: I have been published in The Casey

County News, UT’s The Beacon and TNJN,and The Advocate Messenger.TP: What do you remember most from yourexperience at the campus newspaper?

KP: A lot of blood, sweat and tears.Seriously, though, there was something awe-some about seeing all your hard work: weeksof planning the issues, meeting the staff, writ-ing the articles, arranging layout, harassingwriters, editing the articles and so many otheraspects; there was something about finallyseeing the finished product. Part of the reasonI love print, as much as it may soon be a lostform, is that is tangible. You can hold it inyour hands and smell the paper. It also is acommunity effort; not one person can do itall. There's a bond forged when you have towork for hours on end with others as youpush to get this thing finished and in people'shands.


KP: Just keep at it and have faith. I believestrongly in God and that He has a plan. Therewere times after college when I thoughtthings were going to work and times when Ithought things were going to fall apart, butGod knew it all along and, eventually, I trust-ed Him enough to see that. It seemed themoment I stopped fighting Him, things wouldwork out. So have faith. Even if it feels likeyou're going to wind up sleeping on your par-ents' couch forever or have to eat ramen forevery meal, it will get better. Take it fromsomeone who's been there.


KP: Not really. Another bit of advice, per-haps. That would be, get outside of yourself.Try something new, go somewhere new, meetsomeone new. Break out of your routine,which is easy to fall into in college, and trysomething different. There's a world out thereto be seen and experienced, all you have to dois go for it.

Where are they now?

Kendra Peek



Kate: I was part of The Patriot from 2007 to2011. I started as a staff writer then becameentertainment editor and worked as assistantmanager part of my senior year.


KM: Two stories first come to mind. I wrotea feature on Heath Ledger soon after hisdeath. That was my first big piece and mademe realize I love writing about people. Thesecond story was a feature I wrote aboutReclaiming Futures, a local organization, andreally a network of individuals, who wereworking with at-risk young men in the area. Ispent a lot of time observing karate lessons,tutoring sessions, and group therapy discus-sions, and I was able to attend a banquetwhere the volunteers, professionals, andcommunity leaders who started this programwere served dinner by the same young menwho now had a support system and hope for

a better future. This story showed me whatjournalism, for me, is all about: telling thestories of the everyday people and events ofour communities in order to incite action, cre-ate purpose, and give hope.


KM: I am currently living with my husbandin Williamsburg, Kentucky, and working as asecretary on campus until I finish my mas-ter’s degree in teaching this spring. After that,we’re hoping to teach English abroad wher-ever God leads us.


KM: I joined The Patriot my freshman yearbecause I was looking for ways to getinvolved on campus and because I loved towrite. The Patriot helped me increase thescope of my writing skills and increased mycreativity because instead of writing wordyessays on literary topics, I was writing instraightforward language about topics that

would interest my peers. I viewed the paperas a sort of personal challenge, particularlywhen I had to break out of my introvertedbubble of comfort and interview people, butit also showed me I love journalistic writingand sharing the untold stories of people Imeet. I plan to continue writing and to usejournalism in the classroom to teach myfuture students about language and writing.


KM: The Kentucky Philological Reviewrecently contacted me about publishing a ver-sion of my paper, “A Story That’s Truer ThanTrue:” A Linguistic Exploration of LeeSmith’s Oral History, which I presented at theKPA conference last spring. I submitted myedited final copy of the essay last week, sohopefully that will be my first publishedwork soon.


KM: I remember our campus newspapergroup being like a family. We all had our dif-ferences and didn’t always like each other,but we were too small of a group to stay madand had to come together to get an issue out.I especially remember our times of celebra-tion and fellowship together, whether a picnicat the Falls or a pizza party in the Grace Crumlobby.


KM: I never had a clear-cut idea of what Iwanted to do career-wise, so the best piece ofadvice I’ve followed most recently in my lifeis to find what you love to do, what you cando well, and what people will pay you to do.When you discover where those three condi-tions intersect, you have found your dreamjob. You may not know the end result of thatdream, but stick to the path it takes you downand enjoy the journey.

Where are they now?

Kate McKnight


Where are they now?


Sarah Denison: I was involved with ThePatriot from fall 2008 through spring 2012. Ihave been a writer, photographer, assistantdesign editor, copy writer and my last year, Iwas editor-in-chief.


SD: I wrote an article about Boswell Park fora literary journalism class with MarianneWorthington. It was the first time I had spent

a lot of time on a piece of literary journalism,which is a genre I’ve discovered I love. It wasalso really interesting to interview the profes-sors and faculty who knew Dr. Boswell andto learn more about UC’s past.


SD: Right now I am a Peace Corps volunteerin Guinea (West Africa). I’m living in a vil-lage called Khorira teaching middle schoolEnglish.


SD: My time with the Patriot challenged meand grew my leadership ability and commu-nication skills. In addition to giving me theconfidence to apply to the Peace Corps, theseare all skills that have been incredibly usefulto me during my training and service.


SD: My favorite memory of the Patriot is ourtrip to the journalism conference inIndianapolis. It was a good bonding experi-ence and we had so much fun. I also havefond memories of everyone crowding into the

small office in the afternoons, and staying uplate rushing to finish an issue.


SD: Something my dad always told me wasto never quit once you started something.This advice has gotten me through working atthe Patriot as well as other aspects of my life.

Sarah Denison



Marc Webb: I contributed to The Patriotfrom January of 2011 to December of 2011. Iserved as an entertainment writer, photogra-pher and copy editor.


MW: The story that immediately comes tomind is my interview with Peter Furler, theformer lead singer of the Newsboys. Afternumerous phone calls, emails and a little helpfrom Jeremiah Massengale, I managed toland an interview with Furler. The Newboyshave always been my favorite band. I stillremember seeing them in concert for the firsttime when I was in middle school. TheNewsboys played a huge part in shaping my

love and passion for Christian rock. It wasdefinitely a surreal experience by having theformer lead singer of my favorite group callme on the phone and do a 30-minute inter-view.


MW: I am currently living in Shelbyville,Kentucky. I am pursuing a Master ofDivinity Degree in Christian Ministry at theSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary, andstudying to become a pastor.


MW: That’s a good question. By going toSeminary, I am not pursuing a career in jour-nalism. But, I think my time at The Patriotreally helped to foster a love for writing.

I always knew that I liked to write. ThePatriot inspired me to constantly write andhave a voice about the things I love.


MW: I’ve had four Christian rock albumreviews published in Fruit Magazine. ThisChristian publication is strictly for inner cityand at-risk kids in Texas. I also run aChristian rock blog. I post everything fromartist interviews to artist testimonies to evensome top ten lists. My site recently surpassed90,000 views in just over two years.


MW: The main thing I remember is having aspecial feeling each time a new issue was

printed. It’s hard to describe. But, you justhave this mixed feeling of anxiety and joywhen you see your work published. All thehard work and long hours definitely feelworth it when you read your name in thebyline.


MW: I don’t know if this necessarily countsas advice, but I try to live by it every day.Stephen King said, “If you want to be awriter, you must do two things above all oth-ers: read a lot and write a lot.”


MW: Everyone should read The Patriot!

Where arey they now?

Marc Webb


Where are they now?


Setera Sears: I wrote for The Patriot from2010-2012. I was a staff writer and did somecopy editing.


SS: The feature I did on Mollie Creech,which was for a feature series on graduatingseniors. I feel like it was my best work andfeature writing is my favorite.


SS: I am in my first year of the ClinicalPsychology Ph.D. program at UC.


SS: Writing for The Patriot has helped mywriting in general. It’s helped me to be clearand concise and also helped me to meet dead-lines.


SS: I loved when I wrote a story about some-one and that person told me how much they

enjoyed my writing. It felt really good tomake them proud of my work. Also, I wasasked to be a part of the cover for the last edi-tion of my senior year, and it was a really bighonor to me and helped make my graduationspecial.


SS: Don’t wait until the last minute to getsomething done! I definitely have to followthis advice now in my graduate program.


SS: I really enjoyed writing for The Patriot

and working with the staff. Even though myfocus in school is Psychology now, I stillwouldn’t trade my time with The Patriotbecause it was an amazing opportunity!

Setera Sears



Kristin Gotch: I was involved with ThePatriot from 2009-2012. I served as staffwriter/photographer, design editor, editor-in-chief and online editor.


KG: I remember a few stories...but I proba-bly most fondly remember one of my firstinterviews. It was with Dr. Robert Reising ona book he was writing about a professionalbaseball player. I sat in his office for, literal-ly, two hours while he talked about his book.There was no way I was going to tell him Iwas late for class. It was not only one of thelongest interviews I have ever conducted butalso one of the most entertaining. His passionwas astounding.


KG: I’m a graduate student in the MFA inCreative Writing program at EasternWashington University. My emphasis is inpoetry. I am also an English 101 instructor forthe English Composition Department atEWU, and I am currently involved withWillow Springs (the literary magazine). Ilive in Cheney, Washington, which is a smalltown just outside of Spokane. I drink coffeeand grade papers at the Red Rooster CoffeeCo. I really enjoy listening to live music inthe city. I read a large number of books on aweekly basis. I ride the bus a lot, and I enjoyrunning in the forest when it’s not too cold.


KG: I think that The Patriot prepared me forwhat I’m doing now in that it was really myfirst writing and publishing/editing experi-

ence. I think it gave me confidence to be ableto write material that would be available tothe public. I think it helped me form a con-sciousness for time management and meetingdeadlines. I also find that being a journalisthelps me to be a better poet. I can write con-cisely. I can maintain focus. I am also moreconscious of how elements in my work arefunctioning to reach a “universal” audience.Working in editorial positions also providedme with much of the leadership skills that Inow use to manage my classroom.


KG: My work has been published in theCorbin Times Tribune, the Western Recorder,PopMatters, and Still: The Journal.


KG: I remember so many things... ThePatriot was a wonderful community and agreat learning experience for me.


KG: I think the piece of wisdom that I con-tinually return to is Jeremiah’s advice, “Doneis good.” I still use this advice as I make les-son plans and write papers for my own class-es (of course I could follow it more than I do,and I still haven’t been able to apply it topoetry—partly because Walt Whitman hastaught me that poetry is never finished...).Honestly, it saves me sometimes; I even lendmy composition students this same advice.

Where are they now?

Kristin Gotch

Technology 33

If you have recently looked at purchasing

a new laptop, you may have noticed the

advent of what are known as “ultrabooks.”

Billed as thin, fast and incredibly portable,

this new form-factor is starting to gain trac-

tion as people demand thinner and lighter

notebooks.

Popular models such as the Macbook Air, the

Asus Zenbook and HP’s ENVY line are start-

ing to take the spotlight.

A key ingredient in the success of the

ultrabook is the widespread adaption of solid

state technology. Traditionally, computers of

all types stored user data and other informa-

tion on a hard disc drive, or HDD. An HDD

stores information on a spinning platter or

disc similar to a CD or DVD.

Over the years HDDs have grown expo-

nentially in size, now reaching volumes of

thousands of gigabytes of storage space.

However, HDDs have the unfortunate disad-

vantage of being rather volatile in nature and

susceptible to damage from moisture and

accidental drops. They are also a bit slow, as

it relies on reading data from a spinning disc.

On the plus side, HDDs are incredibly cheap,

with 1,000 gigabyte models costing as little

as $75.

In recent years, another method of data

storage has risen up as an alternative to tradi-

tional HDDs. Solid State Drives, or SSDs,

rely on solid state flash memory for storage;

similar to an USB Drive or an MP3 player,

but on a much larger scale.

SSDs enjoy many immense advantages

over traditional HDDs. Because they have no

moving parts, they are incredibly reliable and

accident-proof. They are anywhere from ten

times faster to a hundred times faster than

normal HDDs depending on the application.

I installed an SSD in my personal laptop

and the difference in speed was immediately

evident when Windows 7 loaded in less than

17 seconds. They draw less power, create less

heat and weigh less, which makes them per-

fect for laptops. Unfortunately, SSDs are also

relatively small and expensive. While you

can get a 1,000 gigabyte HDD for about $75,

that same amount of money would only buy

about a 120 gigabyte SSD.

Ultimately, you need to look at your per-

sonal needs when considering what type of

storage to get in your new laptop. If you rely

on your laptop for storing thousands of pic-

tures, videos and music files you may want to

stick with the higher capacities of an HDD.

If, however, you would prefer much

greater speeds and reliability, I would suggest

looking for a new laptop with a solid state

drive.

If you want to meet in the middle, look for a

model with “hybrid” storage. These laptops

usually utilize a small 24 gigabyte SSD to

store the operating system, thus increasing

load times, while also employing a 500 or

750 gigabyte traditional hard drive for maxi-

mum storage.

Based on my experience, I would encour-

age looking for an SSD-only laptop or ultra-

book. You will notice and appreciate the dif-

ference.

Tech Talk

BY CALEB VANDER ARK

Staff Writer

Solid State Drives: is speed or sizemore important?

Mac Book Air.

Technolegy34

Tech Talk

Christmas is just around the corner, and

that means great deals on all sorts of tech

products. However, before you splurge and

buy that latest and greatest piece of technolo-

gy, here are some simple guidelines to help

you in your search.

Laptops

First, decide what operating system you

feel the most comfortable with, either Apple

or Microsoft Windows. Neither is really

inherently better than the other.

If you prefer an Apple operating system,

your only choice is to buy a Macbook. These

laptops are generally more expensive, but

usually have a higher quality construction.

Apple’s customer service is excellent, though

their reliability is somewhat lacking.

On the Windows front, the best brands are

Asus, Samsung, Toshiba and Lenovo. These

brands historically have the best reliability

and better than average customer service.

When looking for a laptop, choose mod-

els with an Intel processer. If you will be

using your laptop primarily for word process-

ing, listening to music and web browsing,

buy a model with an Intel Core i3 or i5

processer. If you will be doing any sort of

gaming or video/photo editing, go for an Intel

Core i5 or i7 processer as well as a dedicated

Nvidia or AMD graphics processing unit.

If you have no idea what any of those

things are, just ask an employee at a store like

Best Buy and they will steer you in the right

direction.

Which brings me to my last point: always

go and try before you buy. Go into a retail

store and try out the different laptops to see

which models feel best to you.

Keep away from HP, Dell and Acer

though as these companies tend to fall below

average on reliability and customer satisfac-

tion. Look for deals on amazon.com and

newegg.com. These two stores generally

have some of the best prices on laptops.

Tablets

The world of tablets has been shaken up

recently by Microsoft’s new operating sys-

tem: Windows 8. This has opened up quite a

few opportunities for consumers. Now, one

can choose between an Android, Apple or

Windows tablet. Each system has its own

strengths and weaknesses.

Apple’s iPads are some of the most popu-

lar tablets. They are well built, reliable and

fun to use. However, they are also a bit

expensive compared to competitors, and the

operating system itself is aging a bit.

Android tablets are cheaper, though many

do not quite match the build quality of the

iPad. They have a pretty robust operating sys-

tem that is better oriented for a cross between

play and productivity. However, beware dirt

cheap Android tablets. If it’s less than $200,

stay away. Tablets falling under the $200

mark have extremely poor quality, reliability

and user satisfaction.

Often, they are manufactured by cheap,

international companies looking to make

some easy money. The only notable excep-

tion would be Amazon's 2nd generation

Kindle Fire. At $159, it is the only sub-$200

tablet worth considering. Though, spending

an additional $40 will get you a Nexus 7, and

that extra $40 is more than worth it.

Both Apple and Android have over

600,000 apps available. Windows tablets are

new on the scene. Though they are as expen-

sive as Apple’s tablets, they feature a full-

fledged operating system in the form of

Windows 8. The Windows tablets generally

have some of the best build quality. They also

have SD card slots, USB ports and video out-

put ports. If productivity and flexibility are

key, then Windows is the way to go. If you

can, try the different models out and find

which one is best for you.

The following are some basic recommen-

dations for tablets:

Android

7 inch: Google Nexus 7. $200 for the 32GB

model

Kindle Fire HD (7-inch model). $200 for

the 16GB model

9 or 10 inch: Google Nexus 10. $400 for the

16GB model

Kindle Fire HD (9-inch model). $300 for

the 16GB model

Apple

7 inch: The iPad mini is priced too high to be

competitive

10 inch: iPad. $500 for the 16GB model.

Windows

10 inch: Microsoft Surface. $500

for the 32GB model (free MS Office with

purchase)

Asus Vivo Tab RT. $549 for the 32GB model

(comes with a form to send in for an awe-

some free keyboard/extended battery combo

dock.)

Smartphones

The smartphone market is primarily dom-

inated by Apple and Android. Both varieties

are excellent and it really comes down to per-

sonal preference.

Apple’s iPhone is smaller, but it features

a more unified system across the rest of the

Apple product line as well as integration with

iTunes. It is a bit pricier than its Android

counterparts though.

Android phones tend to have a larger

screen and are more suitable if you want a

better web browsing experience or like to

watch movies on your phone. Android

phones also come in all shapes and sizes to

meet various tastes.

Microsoft and Blackberry are attempting

to stage a comeback with their respective

operating systems, but I would recommend

waiting until they mature a bit more.

The following are a few basic recommen-

dations for smartphones: (note that prices are

with a new 2-year contract unless specified)

Android

- Samsung Galaxy S3. 4.8 inch screen.

$150 - $200 for 16GB. Verizon, ATT, Sprint

- Motorola Droid RazR HD. 4.7 inch

screen. $150 - $200 for 16GB. Verizon

- Google Nexus 4. 4.7 inch screen. $300

for 8GB (no contract required) T-Mobile

Apple

- iPhone 5. 4-inch screen. $200 for 8GB.

Verizon, ATT, Sprint

A Christmas buying guide for laptops and tablets

Entertainment 35

10. Sent By Raven - Mean What You Say

With their sophomore release from Tooth

& Nail Records, Sent By Ravens take a hard-

er, darker route with their music. The theme

of being honest, something Sent By Ravens

has never had a problem with in their lyrics,

is complemented nicely with their blend of

singing and screaming (mostly singing). The

album is a pounding rock showcase, put on

display in songs like “Prudence” and “We’re

All Liars,” that will appeal to the hard-rocker

inside.

9. Wolves at the Gate - Captors

Another sophomore release from Wolves

at the Gate brings a fresh hardcore sound to

Solid State Records. With a delicate balance

of clean and screaming vocals, the band

brings a catchy sound that is light, but still

pounding. The thing that will catch the ears of

listeners the most is the straightforward lyrics

about Christ, which can be heard in such

songs as “Safeguards” and “Man of

Sorrows.”

8. For Today - Immortal

Having just played at Warped Tour this

summer, For Today is one of the most popu-

lar bands on the heavier side of Christian

music. This album has a metal sound with

streams of punk influence scattered through-

out, which is only completed with their signa-

ture screaming vocals. A few clean vocals are

mingled in as well. Altogether, this is the best

and catchiest album of theirs to date, with

songs like “Fearless” and “Foundation.”

7. As I Lay Dying - Awakened

As I Lay Dying is one of the legends in

modern Christian metal, and their new album

proves that they can continue to build upon

their last. Mixing intense screaming vocals

and clean vocals on almost every song, they

have crafted a very mature metal record with

strong lyrics. Throughout the album are

intense metal riffs and catchy choruses, as in

“A Greater Foundation” and “Wasted

Words.”

6. The Classic Crime - Phoenix

This new masterpiece of alternative rock

shows a slightly stripped down showcase, but

has hints of Foo Fighter sounds. The vocals

are just as passionate as ever, supported by

the rhythmic guitars, bass and drums with

solos here and there. The lyrics are strong

and, when mixed with the music, create a

passionate, smooth rock enjoyment for the

listener. A few good examples are “You and

Me Both” and “Let Me Die.”

5. Project 86 - Wait for the Siren

This album was destined to be a hit or

miss after everyone but the lead vocalist left

the group. It was a hit, carried by the vocals,

which still contain the signature raspiness of

the vocalist. The pounding guitar, bass and

drums hint towards the general World War II

theme of the album. The lyrics are based off

Bible stories and not as obscure as they usu-

ally are, which, when combined with the

music, form a Rock masterpiece. A couple

good examples are songs “Fall, Goliath, Fall”

and “SOTS”.

4. Matt and Toby - Matt and Toby

Matt and Toby, from the band Emery,

have come together and written a master-

piece. The vocals are as clear and strong as

ever and the guitar work fits the songs per-

fectly. The lyrics are passionate, some are

even worship songs, and it comes together to

give the listener a great acoustic, light rock

album with good songs like “Good Boys”

and “What Plays in my Head.”

3. Showbread - Cancer

Very experimental and always changing

their sound from album to album, Showbread

will not disappoint their fans with this album.

The science fiction opera showcases punk

instrumentation as well as both clean and

screaming vocals. The lyrics are challenging,

controversial and convey stories, which can

be heard in songs like “I’m Afraid that I’m

Me” and “Anarchy!

2. House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want

In this album House of Heroes tried to

tackle the question “If this is the last album

we put out, what would we want to say?” The

lyrics for this album definitely answer that

question for the band as well as tackling other

subjects, unlike in previous albums where

they have told a story instead. The vocals are

very passionate and the guitar work is flow-

ing with great solos, which can be heard on

songs like “Out My Way” and “Suspect.”

This is truly a rock album.

1. The Overseer - We Search, We Dig

This album is an impressive screamo

debut for the band The Overseer, who just

signed to Solid State Records. The music on

this album is original and has a lot of work

put into it, something hard to find in this

screamo genre. Vaguely reminiscent of

Underoath, “We Search, We Dig” is a mixture

of screaming and clean vocals along with

pounding bass, drums and guitar riffs. The

lyrics are also straightforward and Christian-

based, another characteristic that is hard to

find in this genre. It all comes together to

form a hard-hitting screamo album that will

have listeners banging their heads along with

songs like “Dredge” and “Estrange.”

Christian Rock of 2012

A top ten album countdown from 2012

BY SOLOMON WHITAKER

Staff Writer

Entertainment 36

“Slender: the eight pages”

The myth of the Slender Man has been

lurking on the depths of the Internet since

June 2009. Since his creation, many people

have created stories, photographs, and even

videos revolving around this myth. However,

in June 2012, one team managed to take it

one step further. Mark Hadley and Parsec

Studios plunged their audience deep in the

woods and even deeper into horror. Their

video game creation is known as “Slender:

The Eight Pages.”

For those who don’t know who the

Slender Man is, here’s some backstory.

Slender Man was originally a Photoshopped

image. The image featured a crowd of chil-

dren playing at a playground and a tall, face-

less figure with tentacles in the background.

The myth became part of online culture and

soon many other images appeared with the

same premise shortly afterward, taking the

world by storm. In June 2012, “Slender: The

Eight Pages” was released for download to

the PC with much critical success. Despite

being just an indie game, it gained a lot of

attention.

The story for the game is very simple.

You wake up in the woods with a flashlight

and a simple message: “Collect all eight

pages.” Throughout the woods are eight

pages which are pinned on various landmarks

within the woods. However, there is one

threat within these woods: the Slender Man.

If you look at Slender Man long enough or if

he touches you, it’s an automatic game over.

Though it sounds simple and harmless,

Slender Man makes it terrifying. He just

appears out of nowhere and just stares at you

from afar. The more pages you collect, the

more aggressive and closer he gets. The real

challenge appears when you collect most of

the pages. If you stop running in game, the

Slender Man catches you and a “game over”

screen appears.

The music of the game is the main source

of terror with an eerie soundtrack that builds

the tension. The game is silent, except for

crickets and other wildlife, until you collect

page one. As soon as you collect it, you hear

a beating drum that sounds just like a heart-

beat. With more pages come more additions

to the soundtrack. When you finally see the

Slender Man, you hear a sharp screech

accompany the music and this adds more to

the tension and terror that already exists.

The graphics are well done, especially for

an indie game. However, the best part of the

graphics is when you see Slender Man. The

static is essentially your health bar of the

game. The longer you see Slender Man, the

more static appears on screen. It starts disap-

pearing when you no longer see him on the

screen.

This game is well worth your time con-

sidering that it’s a free game you can down-

load for the PC. If you’re familiar with the

mythos or not, it still brings scares and enter-

tains. However, the biggest drawback of the

game comes with the replay value. It may be

fun at first, but after the first initial run

through it seems to get repetitive.

“Slender: The Eight Pages” is a free game

for the PC (available at www.parsecproduc-

tions.net/slender/) that brings plenty of

scares, thrills and entertainment. Its score and

overall creepiness makes it a title that is

worth both your time and effort. Though not

perfect, it’s an excellent way to make you

avoid woods at night.

★★★★

Brings chills, thrills and terror

BY ALEX WILLIAMS

Sataff Writer

Entertainment 37

Werewolves, vampires and zombies. Oh

my! To the current teenage population, and

some of the adults, anything with horror-

stricken-characters is class-A material. TV

shows and film series such as “The Walking

Dead,” “The Twilight Saga,” and the

“Underworld” series have become products

that this generation has clung too.

One of the most recent releases to stimu-

late that addiction is the latest installment of

the “Resident Evil” video game series.

“Resident Evil 6” brings fans back to the hor-

ror-shock-value that had been missing in the

previous two action-oriented games.

Providing an as-believable-as-possible-for-a-

zombie-apocalypse-game storyline,

“Resident Evil 6” reminds those fans what

it’s like to be stuck in the middle of nowhere,

trying to prove that you are innocent or

recover your memory, while a horde of zom-

bies surround you.

The story of “Resident Evil 6” follows

two very familiar characters from the earlier

“Resident Evil” games and also one new

character who has a very deep connection to

the previous games as well as to one of the

other playable characters.

The game is played from a third-person

shooter style, which defiantly allows the

improved camera movement to be even more

noticeable. Its only foreseeable downfall is

that it has a very interactive story, which

causes the gamer to switch from playing to

observing, then back very often. If you are

“here for the story,” a gamer mode that can be

chosen in the settings option, then this makes

the game even more entertaining.

The gameplay changes have advanced the

game’s qualities tremendously. Be it the abil-

ity to change weapons while the game is still

going on, being able to run and slide/dive

then aim from a floor position, or even move

while you are aiming at the undead or bio-

organic-terrorists, these advancements have

made the game appear even more realistic.

The “Resident Evil” series has always

been somewhat popular among gamers, espe-

cially “Resident Evil 4,” which totally

revamped the series and playing style.

However, “Resident Evil 6” takes the cake as

arguably the best of the series yet. It gives a

redemptive quality to the beloved games,

which was needed after the flawed “Resident

Evil: Operation Raccoon City.” “Resident

Evil 6” is something of a “must have” for

serious gamers. During this holiday season,

it’ll make for horrifying, undying, unforget-

table holidays.

★★★★★

BY KASEY MALONE

Design Editor

“Resident Evil 6”

Back to the horror

Entertainment38

1. Imagine Dragons - “It’s Time.” This song deals with a

very difficult situation, a hard break-up. It’s takes the perspec-

tive of one of the members of the relationship as they look

from the outside in on the wreckage of their relationship. The

song has a good musical melody and it matches the emotion

that the lyrics call for.

2. Green Day – “When I Come Around.” Green Day’s first

hit song, without it they might not have some of the amazing

music that they have today. The song can be interpreted in

many ways; one message I found was to leave those who have

left you. Aside from that I like it because of its upbeat and fun

tone. It’s a different spin on songs about bad relationships of

any kind.

3. Laura Story – “Blessings.” This song is such a great

song because it reminds us that no matter what we’re going

through, God is in control and that He works “all things

together for good…” – Romans 8:28.

4. The Rocket Summer - “Circa ’46.” This song is amaz-

ing because the lyrics speak truth in to my life with lines such

“Life will write the words, but you choose your own melody.”

Even though my life is headed in a direction, I can choose

how it gets there or the “melody.”

5. House of Heroes - “Out My Way.” This song has an

awesome rock sound that is hard-hitting but also has classic

rock overtones. It is the first song off the Cold Hard Want

album and is saying that if this album was the last one House

of Heroes wrote, then they are going to go out singing and

sounding the way they want to.

6. Taylor Swift - “22.” I love to listen to this song whenev-

er I’m really stressed with school; it’s a fun song that talks

about letting go and not worrying about tomorrow.

“Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we’re

22.” It’s a fun song to sing to at the top of your lungs!

7. Britt Nicole – “Set the World on Fire.” It’s an encour-

aging song stating that while we may not be “big” or “strong”

enough to make our dreams come true, God possesses the

power to make anything happen.

8. Tame Impala – “Elephant.” It is a fun song with a psy-

chedelic feel. Tame Impala sounds like a modern day version

of The Beatles, so anything they sing is going to be a favorite.

Staff PlaylistFind out some of the staff’s favorite songs

Comics 39

PhD Comics

Photo by Whitley West

The Kingdom’s Ezra Anderson

The Patriot

the patriot - december 2012

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