Gaines Center Spring 2019 Newsletter

Spring 2019 Edition

CAPTURING

GAINES NEWSLETTER

Historic Appointment of

New Gaines Director

Dr. Melynda Price And the EMMY Goes to

Dominque Luster,

Gaines Alum

On The Road with Rhodes: Gaines Fellow

Hadeel Abdallah

NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS

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HISTORIC APPOINTMENT OF NEW GAINES DIRECTOR DR. PRICE The Gaines Center has had a long legacy of oustanding directors who have enriched the lives of a number of students who have participated in the Gaines Fellowship program. The new historic appointment of Dr. Melynda Price is no exception as she brings her expertise and optimism to the Gaines Center.

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2019 INCOMING GAINES APPLICATION DEMOGRAPHICS The Gaines Fellowship welcomes our newest class of Gaines Fellows. We are excited to have them a part of our 2019 - 2021 fellowship class. As part of their commencement into the program we wanted to highlight the demographics of this year’s overall application pool for 2019 Gaines.

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CALL FOR PHOTOS Do you have photos of your Gaine’s Days? The Gaines Center would like to capture your memories and adventures from your time with the Gaines Center and Gaines Fellowship, particularly in preparation for the Gaines Fellowship 35th Anniversary (2019 - 2020).

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GAINES ALUM DOMINQUE LUSTER WINS EMMY Read all about how our Gaines Alum, Dominque Luster, is doing oustanding work. Read about how one of our very own was recently awarded an Emmy.

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HADEEL ABDALLAH, ON THE ROAD WITH RHODES One of our very own Senior Gaines Fellows, Hadeel Abdallah, was awarded and recognized as a 2018 Rhodes Scholar. Hear her testimony on what this opportunity means to her and what the future holds.

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SENIOR GAINES FELLOWS AND THE FUTURE Hadeel Abdallah (08), Susie Smith (14), Ben Jones (15), Beau Revlett (16), Amaris Wade (17), Sophia Juliana-Decker (18), Nate Cortas (19), Meghana Kudrimoti (20), Eric Poore (21), Michael Regard (22), Meg Coppala (23), Alyssa Mertka (24).

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MEET THE CREATORS OF THE SPRING 2019 NEWSLETTER It has been a joy preparing the newsletter to bring the Gaines audience an update on everything involving the Gaines Center and Fellowship, the Junior Fellows Montre’ale L. Jones, Madan Subheeswar, and Umair Bhutto bring you the Spring 2019 Edition of the “Capturing Gaines Newsletter.”

HISTORIC APPOINTMENT OF NEW GAINES FELLOWSHIP DIRECTOR DR. MELYNDA PRICE LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2019) — The next director of the John R. Gaines Center for the Humanities has been named by the University of Kentucky Division of Student and Academic Life subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. If approved, the William L. Matthews Jr. Professor of Law and former director of UK’s African American and Africana Studies Program, Melynda J. Price, will take over the directorship and the position of John R. Gaines Endowed Chair in the Humanities. Her appointment is historic in that she will become the first woman and African American to lead the center.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Melynda Price to this new role — one which will extend her already deep and dynamic influence on our campus,” said UK Provost David Blackwell. “Dr. Price’s accomplishments in research, examining issues at the forefront of important national dialogues, parallel her excellence in the classroom. She is an enthusiastic, compassionate and energetic teacher who radiates a love of learning and passion for academic and personal growth. I’m confident that, under her leadership, the Gaines Center for the Humanities will further strengthen its role as a vital, intellectual link between the campus and community.”

The Gaines Center, established in 1986, functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education and is dedicated to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in UK students and faculty. This is primarily accomplished through the awarding of student fellowships and by offering numerous symposia, seminars and lectures aimed at promoting dialogue, intellectual exploration and partnerships among campus, Bluegrass and Commonwealth communities.

Gaines Fellows are selected from across the UK student population (from any major) based on outstanding academic performance, a demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and a desire to enhance understanding of the human condition. Gaines Fellows complete a jury project in their junior year aimed at community improvement (on campus, in Lexington, or in the larger world). As seniors, fellows complete a major independent study under the direction of a faculty committee.

In her role as director, Price will provide oversight, direction and intellectual leadership to the center’s numerous activities, as well as supervision of the Gaines Fellows’ jury projects.

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Capturing Gaines | Appointment of New Gaines Director

Price said that she is “honored to continue the legacy of the Gaines Center and to work in this place that’s such a symbol of the university’s commitment to expand the humanities throughout our community.”

Associate Provost for Student and Academic Life Greg Heileman was excited about Price’s selection. “The humanities play a crucial role in developing informed and critically engaged citizens. I am confident the center, under her inspired leadership, will broaden its tradition of imaginative and innovative humanities education and will further strengthen our campus link to greater Lexington.” ​ rice joined the UK College of Law as an assistant professor in the fall of 2006 P after completing a doctorate in political science at University of Michigan. She also serves on the faculty of UK College of Arts and Science’s African American and Africana Studies Program and Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.

In addition to her degree in political science, Price also holds a juris doctor from the University of Texas School of Law. She completed her undergraduate studies in physics at Prairie View A&M University.

Price’s research focuses on race, gender and citizenship, the politics of punishment and the role of law in the politics of race and ethnicity in the U.S. and at its borders. In 2008, she was awarded a Ford Foundation Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship. Price is the author of “At the Cross: Race, Religion and Citizenship in the Politics of the Death Penalty.” Her work has been published in both peer-reviewed social science and law journals, newspapers and literary journals.

Credit for this Article goes to the University of Kentucky’s UKNOW. Capturing Gaines | Appointment of New Gaines Director

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2019 Gaines Applicantion Demographics

43 FIRST-GEN APPLICATIONS

Completed Applications

8

21 HONORS 20 NON-HONORS Applicants

Average GPA

3.8 4

Capturing Gaines | 2019 Gaines Application Demographics

Call for

Photos

Do you have photos of your Gaine’s days?

Share by sending them to gaines.center@ gmail.com. Any photos from your time as a Gaines Fellow would be appreciated in preparation for the celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Gaines Center.

Capturing Gaines | Call for Photos

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The EMMY Goes To Dominque Luster Dominique Luster and fellow members of the Carnegie Museum of Art Teenie Harris Archive team have won an Emmy for their Documentary. The work, titled ‘Pittsburgh 360: Service and Sacrifice,’ was made in association with WQED Pittsburgh. Dominique Luster is a UK Theatre and Dance Department graduate who was awarded as a Fulbright Scholar after her undergraduate career. She continued on to work as a Liaison Librarian for the University of Pittsburgh and later as a collections processor for Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Currently, Luster is working as a Teenie Harris Activist as well as works to incorporate more on the life of African Americans in the Carnegie Museum of Art archives.

As one of the most complete understandings of African American urban life, the Teenie Harris Archive contains nearly 80,000 images from the 1930s to the 1970s. This collection includes a wide range of topics such as cars, weddings, births, and many more. It also features established African American, ranging from politicians to entertainers to local community members.

Charles “Teenie” Harris, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, worked to document detailed accounts of black urban experiences—often

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related to the stories of black soldiers fighting for a better future. These soldiers continued to fight for a country that didn’t always fight for them. The documentary featured some photos from one of Harris’ exhibition which was guest curated by Master Sergeant Eugene Boyer Jr. and former staff Sergeant Lance A. Wood in conjunction with Luster. Both veterans talked about their experiences regarding the honor of service and sacrifices made by family members.

The inspiration for the exhibit came from the father, a military veteran, and the 17th anniversary of the integration of the armed services. Various major news outlets, such as the New York times, Huffington Post, Daily Mail, and others exemplify the impact of the exhibit through their own pieces. The exhibit also allowed patrons to help with the archive by working to identify unknown subjects. And the accumulation of all this work led to the documentary winning a regional Emmy Award presented by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Luster’s ambition towards being an Archivist started at the University of Kentucky. She worked with the Special Collections Library under Deirdre Scaggs, the Interim Dean of Libraries, and later worked under Stacie Williams, the Director for the Center of Digital Scholarship at the University of Chicago. Being a theatre student and archiving theatre playbills, Luster found the transferable skills between her theatre degree and the field of archive and switched when she was a senior. She graduated in 2014 and started a successful career in archival research.

Luster was invited to TEDxPittsburgh because of research on biased appraisal practices within archives.

The preparation process can take six to eight months, requires a number of speaker training sessions, and must be memorized within the TED “Formula” guidelines. Her talk entitled, “Archives Have the Power to Boost Marginalized Voices” focuses on the history of individual and groups of people and significance of an archivist’s job. Luster continues to build a historical view of marginalized voices and conscious language and in her talk, Luster shared the lessons she acquired while working on archiving the photography of Teenie Harris.

Capturing Gaines | Gaines Alum Wins Emmy

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You’re the first Rhodes Scholar here at UK since 1955. The first female Rhodes Scholar here ever.

There are so many looking up to you as an inspiration. Do you have any advice for them?

I don’t really see myself as an inspiration, so I think it’s funny when I’m asked that question. But general and honest advice I can give to someone who wants to pursue what I pursued - Truman, Rhodes, even the Bilal Scholarship - is to find mentors and find people who believe in what you’re doing. If you don’t, refine your idea until people are forced to listen to your ideas. Some people told me it would take three years to set something like the Bilal Scholarship up. If you have a great idea and have something in mind that you want to accomplish, find supporters, mentors, and keep refining your ideas. All you need is one or two people to get up and start what you want to start. Don’t do things for the sake of accolades or prestige, because you’ll feel empty and unfulfilled soon enough. I know a lot of people who tried for Truman or Rhodes, some who received it even, who didn’t realize that those awards weren’t the end but rather the beginning. The people who didn’t recognize that before going just ended up stressing and burning themselves out because they didn’t start with the right reasons. Always pursue what you love, but even if you don’t love something in a moment, 8

always pursue what is right, because you will eventually land in the right place.

You’ve been a Gaines Fellow for the past couple of years - how has that fellowship helped you along your path to becoming who you are and the work that you do?

Because I found mentors within the Gaines Fellowship who have stuck with me and believed in me the way they did throughout my undergraduate career, I was catapulted towards greatness. On days when I was really down, I’d walk by the Gaines Center and Connie would just provide so much advice and support. Being a first-generation student, you never want to put that burden on your family because you know they wouldn’t really give you the answers you really need in order to get your problems solved. The Gaines Center gave me people who cared about my well-being way beyond my academic accolades and what I had to contribute my own education - they cared about me as a person.

An institution is nothing without the people who run it.

To have a center dedicated to cultivating the humane aspects of you is amazing. I know that I am never going to get that small cohort that brings people who Capturing Gaines | On the Road with Rhodes & Hadeel

On the

Road with

RHODES are so different from each other and puts them all in a little bubble to learn from each other. I think every single Gaines Fellow is so different from the next. I’ve learned so much about Catholicism, about Asian cultures and countries, about Appalachia and growing up there, and so many more. I was exposed to things all the time that I wouldn’t have had any other way of getting exposed to outside of the Gaines Fellowship. I think I’m going to miss having knowledge thrown in my face all the time like that.

Having classmates who care about your well-being and teach you about their life was an amazing experience for me personally. It gave me the opportunity to develop my character in a really positive way and I’m really thankful to the Gaines Center for allowing that for me.

How did your engagement and thesis projects go and how did they serve as stepping stones on your path to where you are today?

My senior thesis focuses on the way South African activists, particularly youth, saw themselves in solidarity with Palestine and why. I had the opportunity to go to South Africa and conduct research in-person there. That was an extremely formative experience for me - it was my first time traveling alone outside of Capturing Gaines | On the Road with Rhodes & Hadeel

the country, I met people who I never even thought I’d be able to, going there and coming back gave me a completely different world view. I became more passionate about issues of justice, it helped me vocalize my own opinions a little more, it refined my sense of justice. My thesis had a lot of positive outcomes that I did not expect and introduced me to writers and thinkers that I never really thought about looking into before. My research allowed me to interview people who met with Nelson Mandela and are shaping South Africa as we speak and to meet youth who just want to see a better future for themselves coming out of apartheid and so much racial division.

My research actually turned out to change my life and the Gaines Center contributed in large part to that.

My engagement project was where the Bilal Scholarship started! I worked with the Vice Mayor’s office, the Gaines Center, the Muslim community, and the mentorship of [Assistant to the Vice Mayor] Nathan Dickerson, I was able to use the Gaines Fellowship as a springboard to begin talking about the Bilal Scholarship. At the time, it was just called ‘The Refugee Women’s Scholarship for Empowerment’ or something like that, a name that I came up with arbitrarily. Then we were able to refine after the Gaines Center gave me more mentorship.

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I pursued the Vice Mayor’s internship on my own, but because Nathan Dickerson was a Gaines Fellow himself, he knew exactly what was required of me when it came to the engagement project. Having someone who had been through the Gaines Fellowship himself and who also was extremely invested in city council and government work with me so closely was such a blessing; I didn’t realize how much that impacted me. Having someone who had gone through the engagement project process on his own before giving me advice about my engagement project was a great.

When Nathan and I began working with UK, all of my contacts here led me to [Assistant Vice President for Philanthropy] Mr. [Don] Witt, we began to talk about the Bilal Scholarship, I had the idea to start talking to the mosque, and everyone started working together.

How did you feel when the scholarship was integrated into the institution?

It felt great and it was amazing to see history being made right in front of my eyes. I didn’t realize the weight of Bilal ibn Rabah Scholarship becoming a part of the University until I saw the reactions of the community when they saw that it was finally the ‘University Bilal ibn Rabah Scholarship Endowment.’

I remember the day that I got the email that I was a “William C. Parker” scholar and I remember running up to my oldest brother and telling him ‘I’m a William C. Parker scholar! I get to go to UK on a full ride!’ That memory is ingrained in me for the rest of my life because I knew at that moment how much my life would change by simply being given funding to go to school without having to worry about paying for it or putting that burden on my family. Because of that scholarship, I recognized that at that moment, I am going to have the opportunity to pursue whatever dream I have because I am not going to come out of college being in debt. So that feeling, that yearning, of wanting to go to school so badly - I remember being a high school senior and being so worried about what was going to come next and then finally receiving that relief was such an amazing feeling for me. Because of that, I was able to work on something like the Bilal ibn Rabah Scholarship. Who knows, if I wasn’t given the William C. Parker Scholarship, I could have been working three jobs trying to make sure that my loans weren’t as massive. I probably would have pursued medicine or engineering to make sure I had a stable job to pay my debts and would have gone through the cycle of life without really ever recognizing what 10

my passions were. None of this - Gaines, Rhodes would have been possible without that scholarship being established. I hope that future Bilal scholars also are able to pursue their passions the way I was able to. When we help others, it truly comes back to us.

What are the next steps you are taking to allow the scholarship to endure as an institutional part of the University of Kentucky?

So right now we’re working on the Bilal ibn Rabah Scholarship million-dollar campaign. We’re trying to ensure that before the fall of 2019 rolls around, we have one million dollars endowed to ensure the scholarship’s permanence. I’m trying to make sure that freshman, sophomores, and juniors are involved in this and that they feel like they have a stake in this so that the scholarship will last. I care about the student voice being incorporated in this because I believe that when students are involved in making a change in their college community, that’s when the best change in their college community, that’s when the best change occurs. I am really focused on the monetary sustainability of the scholarship and accordingly, ensuring that the community always feels like they have a stake in it and that their voices are considered.

Capturing Gaines | On the Road with Rhodes & Hadeel

Capturing Gaines | On the Road with Rhodes & Hadeel

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Once a Fellow, Always a Fellow!

The John R. and Joan B. Gaines Fellowship in the Humanities here at the University of Kentucky is more than a program of academics, but it is a one-of-a-kind undergraduate program designed to enrich the undergraduate experience in the humanities in a culture where science and technology are increasingly dominating. Here from our current Senior Gaines Fellows, and what they intend to do next...

BEN JONES

SUSIE SMITH

“I plan to pursue a master’s degree in public administration or Classics (or both, who knows?)

I am also in a band with fellow fellow Nate Cortas, and we are going to attempt to release an EP and maybe do a house show tour of the Midwest this summer.”

“Being able to read and discuss with people who are just as curious and eager to dissect the world and learn ignited something entirely new in me.

My outlook on the purpose of education as well as my purpose and abilities has changed entirely and I have Gaines to thank for that.

AMARIS WADE “Advice for future fellows. Just invest in the friendships. Please don’t care so much if the people in your cohort aren’t perfect. Don’t play into cheap fights and disagreements. I realized late in the game that my differences from everyone else really didn’t matter because at the end of the day they’re my UK family and I’m gonna miss them being around when they’re gone. Enjoy everything--every trip, every event. Talk to everyone. Drink with people in your free time, get coffee, enjoy them and learn about their lives, because it’s such a waste of good smart company to not invest in your Gaines cohort like they’re your family.

Favorite memory: During the Proust unit with Dr. Sachs I quite literally had zero clue what was happening all three weeks. Not even an ounce of understanding. I had coffee with Dr. Sachs to ask for help on the paper, during which I tried to come off as if I knew something. After working endlessly on a paper that I was unsure of the entire writing period, I received my highest paper grade yet in Gaines. Dr. Sachs said the work was original and the writing was “marvelous.” I cried and put it on my fridge. For me it solidified that I was meant to be a Gaines fellow and is still one of the proudest moments of my academic career.

Honestly, junior year advice and life/college in general: invest in those friends. Prize your friends (and your family) above all other relationships because if cultivated right, those relationships really do last forever.”

Favorite memory #2: Crashing a wedding in China when Phil and Dr. Maske convinced the emcee to let Eric Poore sing Journey acapella during their reception.”

MEGHANA KUDRIMOTI

NATE CORTAS

“My favorite Gaines memory is our Pine Mountain retreat tradition. Each year, the Gaines Fellows get to take a trip to Harlan, Kentucky and spend a night up in the mountains. This past year, we learned more about the coal industry and its lasting impact on the people that have lived in Appalachia for generations.”

“I had a fantastic time travelling through Europe with my fellow fellow, Alyssa, through the generous Zolondek Grand Tour Scholarship. Wandering through the towering cathedrals and expansive art museums of Europe was a fantastic way to spend the month of July, and it was especially meaningful to see works of art and architectural masterpieces that I had only been able to read about before.”

SOPHIA JULIANA DECKER Upon graduating, “I will be traveling to France next Fall! In the future, I hope to translate the works of Denis the Carthusian, a medieval philosopher who wrote many books that have never been translated out of Latin.”

MICHAEL REGARD “My favorite Gaines memory was our trip to China in the summer before senior year. It was such an amazing opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and education policy while visiting some of the most beautiful places in the world. From hiking along The Great Wall to running along The Bund in Shanghai, it was the trip of a lifetime.”

BEAU REVLETT “Focus on the relationships, even if that means you have to sacrifice a little work. That was hard for me to get through my head. I’m glad I finally did.”

ERIC POORE Upon graduating, “Prioritizing work is something I’ve struggled with my senior year simply because of other engagements that take priority in the short-term, such as extracurricular activities, jobs, family commitments, etc. I would advise future fellows to have an accountability partner to keep their work on track, as even the best and most motivated students can fall behind.”

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Political Science Minor Economics

Susie

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Williamsburg, Kentucky

Smith

Senior Thesis: Telling the Whole Story: Using Narrative Literature as Evidence in Policy Making

Our current legislation places strict regulations on what types of evidence are considered valuable in the policy making process. Scientifically based research evidence relies on experimental protocol is difficult for education research because children are not as easily controlled as chemicals. The language of NCLB restricts the federal funding of programs that do not utilize scientifically based research evidence. This legislation actively excludes certain forms of data that evaluates the student holistically and humanistically. This project evaluates the types of data considered valid by NCLB standards and contrasts it to the rich trove of experiences and perspectives that can be pulled from qualitative data, specifically focusing on the data in narrative, canonical literature.

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

Gaines made me love learning again. I had been searching for small communities that would make me think about new things and think differently about what I thought I knew. I had entered into multiple programs and fellowships on campus looking for this but had not found it. I was considering transferring because I did not feel satisfied but what I was receiving in the classroom.

Except for a few incredible and unique professors I would venture to say that I felt stifled. Gaines opened up a whole new world for me.”

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Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Spend time with fellows. Do the reading. Don’t procrastinate on the papers. Try something new for your thesis. Do not get discouraged when nothing makes sense, it will happen often. Never doubt that you are meant to be here and are here for a reason.

This is a rare time in your life where you have complete academic and intellectual freedom to explore the depths of the world and your brain in the company of other curious and brilliant people - cherish it.

Upon graduating, “ I will be moving to Boston to teach English as a Second Language with Teach for America. Depending on whether I love it or not, I will either stay in the classroom for a few more years or go to graduate school after the two year commitment.

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Political Science Minor Economics

Ben

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Williamsburg, Kentucky

Jones

Senior Thesis: A New(?) Kentucky Story: Young People in the Harlan County Diaspora of the 2010s A rumination on life in and out of Harlan County, Kentucky, through conversations with four young Harlanites who have left their home to settle in central Kentucky as part of the latest large-scale outmigration from Harlan. As the stories and perspectives of these young and diverse individuals show, there is no one monumental view of Harlan County; instead, there exists a variety of views on Harlan as home, its challenges in the post-coal mining era, and its place in a greater Kentuckian and American context.

This diversity speaks to a complexity of life and thought that challenges prevailing popular narratives about Harlan and Appalachia.

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

My favorite Gaines memory has to be when I rode a giant metal slide down the side of the Great Wall of China during our trip last May. It was the most absurd thing I’ve ever done. The rumor was that Beyonce had been on the same slide. Just one of many examples of the unique places and activities Gaines can introduce you to.

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Enjoy your time as a Gaines Fellow, and enjoy the people in Gaines around you. It’s easy to get caught up in assignments and the thesis and whatnot--but remember that those things aren’t the point of Gaines per se. It’s the community. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard and often or had as much fun as I did on the Gaines trip to China. The people you’ll meet in Gaines are one of a kind--cherish them!”

Upon graduating, “I plan to pursue a master’s degree in public administration or Classics (or both, who knows?)

I am also in a band with fellow fellow Nate Cortas, and we are going to attempt to release an EP and maybe do a house show tour of the Midwest this summer.”

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Philosophy Graduation Year May 2019

Beau

Hometown Georgetown, Kentucky Calhoun, KY

Revlett

Senior Thesis: Game theory and social inequity: How formal methods tell us about the social world A set of simple mathematical models claim to give insight into the evolution of social inequity. My thesis investigates how the models do this. At the same time, it investigates how abstract mathematical tools like game theory can ever tell us anything about the complicated, messy social world. I argue that many traditional approaches in the philosophy of economics fail to account for these kinds of models.

Instead, we have to turn to philosophy of modeling more generally, and philosophy of physics in particular, to understand how the models work.

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How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

I have met a lot of really awesome people through Gaines.

In particular, fellow students, both in my grade and in the years above and below me. Some of these folks I expect I’ll keep in touch with after graduation.

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Focus on the relationships, even if that means you have to sacrifice a little work. That was hard for me to get through my head. I’m glad I finally did.”

Upon graduating, “Community organizing. Fingers crossed on a couple job applications I have out right now.”

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major FLIE Chinese Graduation Year May 2019

Amaris

Hometown Lexington, Kentucky

Wade

Senior Thesis: Exploration of innovation Policy and Education in China

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Advice for future fellows. Just invest in the friendships. Please don’t care so much if the people in your cohort aren’t perfect.

Don’t play into cheap fights and disagreements. I realized late in the game that my differences from everyone else really didn’t matter because at the end of the day they’re my UK family and I’m gonna miss them being around when they’re gone. Enjoy everything--every trip, every event. Talk to everyone. Drink with people in your free time, get coffee, enjoy them and learn about their lives, because it’s such a waste of good smart company to not invest in your Gaines cohort like they’re your family.”

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

“I think Gaines is all about who your cohort is. The people around you are what shapes you more than any singular experience. I don’t really remember class details the way I remember how my peers have made me feel, whether that’s inspired or joyous or moved (or something not as positive). I think Gaines has really taught me more about coexisting with people of different backgrounds and weaving friendships out of unlikely places.”

Upon graduating, “I’m part of a two-summer program called the United States Foreign Service Internship Program (USFSIP) that, in its second summer, sends interns to work abroad in an embassy. From May to August, I will be working in the Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. After that, the government will fly me home for a couple weeks before they take me back abroad to Beijing, China, where I’ve been awarded a Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award to study Mandarin at the Inter-University Program from August to December. After that, I’ll conduct my Fulbright award research until October 2020 in Chengdu, where I will study the lifestyle and nature of counterculture amongst LGBT women and Chengdu’s LGBT cultural fabric at large.”

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Classics and Linguistics Minor Vocal Performance

Sophia

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Los Angeles, California

Juliana Decker

Senior Thesis: Accessit Latinitas: Urbanite Hymnody and the Relationship Between Classical and Ecclesiastical Latin During the Middle Ages, Latin began to become different in syntax and vocabulary from the language spoken in Ancient Rome. One of the objectives of Renaissance humanism was to establish pre-Christian authors, rather than Medieval Christian authors, as the linguistic standard for Latin. This posed some problems for the Latin prayers and hymns used in the Roman Liturgy, since these had been written using a later style of Latin. One solution that was sometimes proposed was to edit such prayers and hymns to make the Latin more Classical. This paper explores one of the most far-reaching such projects, the Urbanite hymns promulgated in 1632. Using new evidence found in the margins of a book in the British Library, this paper also discusses the involvement of Pope Urban VIII in the process of re-writing the hymns.

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

My jury project, starting the early music choir Canticum Canticorum, has had a huge impact on my development as a musician and as a leader.

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Advice to Gaines Fellows: Success as the world defines it is way overrated, and the things that are causing you stress are probably not very important.

Upon graduating, “I will be traveling to France next Fall! In the future, I hope to translate the works of Denis the Carthusian, a medieval philosopher who wrote many books that have never been translated out of Latin.”

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Philosophy Minor Economics

Nate

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Williamsburg, Kentucky

Cortas

Senior Thesis: James Still, John Jacob Niles, and the Makings of Peripheral Artistic Identity This thesis studied the works of the poet and novelist James Still and musician and folklorist John Jacob Niles and compared the importance of the southern Appalachian region to their respective oeuvres. In it I argue that while much of their work embodied the particularities of place and a strong sense of rootedness in the region, at the same time their work was not limited to regional depiction or by local convention.

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

I had a fantastic time travelling through Europe with my fellow fellow, Alyssa, through the generous Zolondek Grand Tour Scholarship. Wandering through the towering cathedrals and expansive art museums of Europe was a fantastic way to spend the month of July, and it was especially meaningful to see works of art and architectural masterpieces that I had only been able to read about before. Drinking beer in a Munich beer garden wasn’t bad either!

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Much more than just a line for your future resume, this fellowship is a fantastic means of embracing a study of the humanities that is wide open and interdisciplinary. Ask as many odd questions as you can, constantly interrogate your own perspective, listen closely, and do your best not to procrastinate.”

Upon graduating, “After spending this summer in Lexington, I plan to enter the Novitiate of the Midwest Province of the Jesuits in St. Paul MN this August. “

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Political Science & Biology Graduation Year May 2019

Meghana

Hometown Lexington, Kentucky

Kudrimoti

Senior Thesis: The Impact of Food Insecurity on Maternal Health Outcomes and What Obstetricians Can Do to Address it.

This research combines my two main passions I have cultivated throughout college: improving reproductive healthcare and serving food insecure populations.

In this thesis, I look at the ways in which lack of access to food produces measurable effects on a pregnant woman’s health. My findings include interviews with obstetricians at the University of Kentucky, as well as recommendations for hospitals to increase their sensitivity to food insecurity amongst their patient population.

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

My favorite Gaines memory is our Pine Mountain retreat tradition. Each year, the Gaines Fellows get to take a trip to Harlan, Kentucky and spend a night up in the mountains. This past year, we learned more about the coal industry and its lasting impact on the people that have lived in Appalachia for generations.

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “You don’t have to be a humanities major to enjoy the Gaines Fellowship! I have learned so many things that allow me to understand science and medicine in a completely new light. Take advantage of the Fellowship seminar to inform your understanding of non-humanities subjects as well!”

Upon graduating, “I’ll be attending medical school in the fall, though I’m not sure which one just yet! I am currently deciding between Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Virginia medical schools. I hope to become a women’s health physician and continue a lot of the advocacy and service work I am involved with now.”

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Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Political Science Minor History

Eric

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Williamsburg, Kentucky

Poore

Senior Thesis: The State and Importance of Music Education in the Commonwealth My thesis deals with the current state of affairs concerning music education in public schools and how music is prioritized in school curriculums.

Upon graduating, “I plan to take a year off to spend time with family back home and prepare for admission to law school in the fall of 2020.”

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

Gaines has provided me with so many opportunities that I otherwise would never have had access to. My trip to China, in particular, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I still reference often in my conversations with others and think about on occasion.

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Prioritizing work is something I’ve struggled with my senior year simply because of other engagements that take priority in the short-term, such as extracurricular activities, jobs, family commitments, etc. I would advise future fellows to have an accountability partner to keep their work on track, as even the best and most motivated students can fall behind.”

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major Public Health Minor Political Science

Michael

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Lexington, Kentucky

Regard

Senior Thesis: Guilty Until Proven Wealthy

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

How cash bail and mandatory minimums influence plea bargaining and promote the miscarriage of justice.

My favorite Gaines memory was our trip to China in the summer before senior year. It was such an amazing opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture and education policy while visiting some of the most beautiful places in the world. From hiking along The Great Wall to running along The Bund in Shanghai, it was the trip of a lifetime. Most importantly though, this trip helped bring my Gaines cohort closer together, with shared experiences and memories we can all cherish together.

Upon graduating, “I will be attending Vanderbilt Law School.”

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “My best advice would be to take full advantage of the fall semester of you senior year when writing your thesis. It can be so easy to procrastinate working on your project because the deadline seems so far away, but I promise it will sneak up on you faster than you think!”

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Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major English & Gender & Women Studies Graduation Year May 2019

Meg

Hometown Scott Depot, WV

Coppala

Senior Thesis: Deconversion

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

A creative exploration of becoming an “Ex-Evangelical”

The people make it worth it. It’s a community unlike anything else you’ll find as an undergraduate.

Upon graduating, “Moving to Philadelphia to be the proud house husband of my MFA-candidate partner and see where life takes me. Writing on the side, reading all the stuff I didn’t have time to read in school. Hiking, going to museums, grocery shopping. Being a person, not a student. (You know what I mean!)”

Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Don’t take yourself seriously. Prioritize joy, and the other stuff will follow. We’re all twitchy perfectionistic stressballs, and we’ve been conditioned to protect that as part of our identities, but it’s ultimately crushing and not even very productive in the process. You need a life and a sense of self before you can pursue anything worth pursuing.”

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Senior Gaines Fellows

17’-19’ Major English Minor Latin and History

Alyssa

Graduation Year May 2019 Hometown Geneva, IL

Mertka

Senior Thesis: Reading Between the Lines: Exploring Dualities in Medieval Liturgical Objects This thesis uses three case studies of objects from medieval culture: books of hours, Exultet roll manuscripts, and choir screens. It explores the relationship between the paired concepts of public/ private devotion, the laity/clergy, and text/images. Each object study reveals that while these dualities are often considered to be made up of separate entities, the boundaries between them are remarkably fluid. In the liminal spaces these objects provide, these separate characteristics of medieval liturgy are free to act with and on each other.

How Has Gaines Impacted You or What Is Your Favorite Memory?

Gaines taught me that the best way to study the humanities is to experience other human beings. Whether I was traveling the world, having conversations with students from different backgrounds, or examining the microcosm that is UK, I found that my experiences in the Gaines Fellowship gave me a broader look into what it truly means to be human.

Advice to Gaines Fellows: “Never be afraid to be passionate! Apathy is the great enemy of the world. Spend your time in Gaines (and beyond) discovering cool things about subjects you’ve never studied before and asking big questions! Make room for curiosity in your life, and you will find the path you are meant to follow.”

Upon graduating, “I hope to attend Indiana University-Bloomington in pursuit of my master’s degree in library science with a focus on rare book and manuscript librarianship. After receiving my degree, I plan to continue my work with medieval manuscripts as a university librarian or curator.”

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Capturing Gaines | Capturing Senior Gaines Fellows

TRADITION The 2017 - 2019 Senior Gaines Fellows were scarved by Mrs. Joan Gaines at Stella’s on March 29, 2019.

This annual tradition was a moment of leaving our 12 fellows with a memento before they embark on their different endeavors after graduation in May.

The Creators of the Spring 2019 Newsletter In part of the Gaines Junior Engagement Project, the Capturing Gaines Newsletter Spring 2019 Edition was created and provided to you by yours truly: Montre’ale L. Jones, Madan Subheeswar, and Umair Bhutto. On our part it was a pleasure to capture everything that has taken place here at the Gaines Center since the last newsletter publishing in the fall. We look forward to the new coverages of the Gaines Center.

Montre’ale L. Jones Newsletter Designer

Madan Subheeswar Content Accumulator

Capturing Gaines | Meet the Creators of the Spring 2019 Newsletter

Umair Bhutto Content Accumulator

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