Kentucky Kernel: November 11, 2021

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Thursday, November 11, 2021 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971

Thursday, November 11, 2021

news

By Emily Girard news@kykernel.com

UK’s College of Fine Arts announced Tuesday that students will no longer need to wear masks while performing and physically distanced.

In an email to College of Fine Arts faculty, staff and students, Mark Shanda, the college’s dean, explained that performers must still wear masks offstage and when entering a performance space. When actively singing, playing an instrument, performing a solo or conducting an ensemble, however, performers can remove their masks.

Performers are not required to remove their masks, and audience members must remain masked.

“I think it is safe to say that all ensemble directors have been looking forward to being able to have musicians perform without masks,” Shanda said.

Dalton Stanland, a sophomore majoring in saxophone performance, said playing an instrument without a mask is easier than playing with one.

Currently, the College of Fine Arts distributes “playing masks” with closeable holes that allow students to blow into reeds and mouthpieces.

“Usually, we have to put

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UK College of Fine Arts loosens mask policy our mouthpiece through the hole, and sometimes that can be weird for woodwind players because the rubber parts can mess up the fibers of our reed,” Stanland explained. “Pulling [a mask] down and putting a mouthpiece in is easier than fitting it through the hole.”

Director of choral music Jefferson Johnson submitted the request for this mask policy exception to UK Health Corps on Nov. 3, and the request was granted on Nov. 8. UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the request was approved “as part of our commitment to continuing to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our campus and those who visit us.”

Blanton said the change is not unprecedented, as the university continues to examine such requests on a case-by-case basis.

“I think this is consistent with what you are seeing in other places and with other modifications we have made over time, as we monitor the virus and work with units, departments and colleges on needs or questions specific to those areas,” Blanton said.

According to the email, the request was granted “based on the anticipated compliance by all and considering the campus

vaccination rate of 88.3% as of November 3.” The email also said that as of Nov. 5, all College of Fine Arts faculty and staff were in compliance with UK’s vaccination and testing policies.

“I am pleased that the success of the campus testing [and] vaccination protocol has made a greater return to a more normal concert [and] performance experience possible for our student performers and our audiences,” Shanda said.

Richard Smith, a freshman majoring in music performance and education, said the college “must have had good reason” for changing the policy.

“I guess the vaccination rate is high enough on campus that it should be fine,” Smith said. “As long as everyone’s being safe about it, there’s not much I can do. I just go with the flow, I guess.”

The request was made in anticipation of the upcoming Collage concert, scheduled for Dec. 4-6.

“Collage is a beloved holiday tradition for our community, and we are thrilled to welcome audiences back in person this December,” said Jennifer Sciantarelli, the communications director of the College of Fine Arts.

Collage, described as a

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF The Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Holiday Spectacular” on the College of Fine Arts website, is an annual holiday concert that features vocalists and musicians from the UK School of Music, the Lexington Singers Children’s Choir, local high school choirs and a community handbell choir.

“Because Collage involves non-UK performers, we had to check in to see what was possible,” Shanda said. “I would assume all concerts moving forward will take advantage of these granted exceptions.”

Shanda predicted that

these modifications will continue to be applied to College of Fine Arts performances. Smith, who plays viola and guitar, said he likes keeping his mask on when performing, but he also hopes mask policies will continue to loosen.

“I hope this is the beginning of the end, and we can finally get out of this situation,” Smith said. “I went to a jazz concert, and it was the first concert where they didn't have their masks on, and they seemed to be having fun.”

Stanland agreed, predicting that this easing of

restrictions will spread.

“I feel like most colleges will probably continue to make it to where [students] can pull [their masks] down,” he said.

However, Blanton said he does not anticipate a large-scale change in UK’s mask policy.

“We are, of course, continuing to evaluate and monitor all of our policies and the trajectory of the virus, both here and in Kentucky, as well as across the country and globally,” Blanton said. “But there are no major modifications planned at this time.”

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Humans of UK:

kentuckykernel

Josh Nadzam is optimistic for change

By Abbey Cutrer news@kykernel.com

This is Humans of UK, inspired by the Humans of New York Instagram series by photographer and author Brandon Stanton. This series dives into the individuals of UK as well as their stories, strifes and passions.

Instead of drinking coffee to start his day, Josh Nadzam spends every morning taking 10 minutes to get grounded and uses his passion for social justice and his optimism as his caffeine.

As a coordinator at the VIP Center, Nadzam’s role is to educate students about the need to reduce interpersonal violence on campus and how they can help.

“My role is more proactive,” he said. “Can we create a campus where students can spend four years here and not a single person is assaulted or harmed in any way? [It’s] a big dream, but I think [it] is totally possible.”

Nadzam, a violence prevention coordinator and professor at UK’s College of Social Work, is from Monaca, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he was 18. Nadzam describes his hometown

ABBEY CUTRER I STAFF Josh Nadzam, a violence prevention coordinator, smiles for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky.

as a “tight-knit, close community” where he is grateful to have the sense and feeling of home.

However, his personal life was less comfortable. When Nadzam was a child, he witnessed his father abuse his mother, which has stuck with him.

“As a child, I couldn’t do anything about it, but now as an adult, I can,” Nadzam said. “Now that I have that ability, that’s really important to me.”

Nadzam said that his passion for social change motivates him to work to eliminate the too-common problem of domestic violence.

“I remember there being a quote that says, ‘Be the adult you needed as a kid,’” he said.

Nadzam’s genuine care for the physical safety and mental wellbeing of students is reflected not only in his profession but in his free time as well. Na-

dzam is the co-founder of On the Move Art Studio, a nonprofit organization headquartered in a trailer transformed into a mobile art room.

“I wanted to start a nonprofit to help kids who grew up like I did, and I grew up in a pretty rough situation,” Nadzam said.

The trailer is taken to underserved neighborhoods and low income schools that lack art programs, where it houses free art classes for kids.

Right now, the studio is serving around 400 students per week.

Nadzam describes himself as “annoyingly optimistic;” this optimism radiated from him as he shared that once he understood the impact of art, he began to view it as a solution.

In a world that is discouraging at times, Nadzam remains positive and holds true to his core values.

“Nobody has to experience violence,” Nadzam said. “Nobody has to experience all these man-made things: poverty, racism, discrimination [and] homelessness, and I think we can change all of it. I want to be able to say that in my short time that I have on this earth, I tried.”

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KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICES 340 McVey Hall University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the front cover:

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Davion Mintz (10) shoots a floater during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

On the back cover:

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Kellan Grady (31) shoots a 3-pointer during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

news

By Lindsey Jones news@kykernel.com

University of Kentucky students were quick to take advantage of the re-release of the beloved iOS social media platform Yik Yak. The app, originally released in 2013

by CEO Tyler Droll, allows people within a five-mile radius of each other to create threads of short, public messages known as “Yaks.”

Much of the appeal behind the app is that unlike other thread-based apps, such as Twitter or Nearby, users remain completely anonymous.

“My favorite part is the anonymity.

Apps like Twitter and Instagram are pretty superficial,” UK junior Bryanmarc Ray said. “With Yik Yak, I can still express an idea without having the stress of showing

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Yak is back!

my face.”

The craze of seemingly consequence-free posting declined when the company received backlash over cyberbullying and hate speech associated with the app. After a significant loss of nearly 1.5 million downloads in two years, the app was removed from the iOS app store in April 2017, according to the New York Times.

Prior to its shutdown, the app was purchased by the online commerce corporation Square, which then purchased the rights to re-develop the app in February 2021 for $1 million.

The app announced its return in August 2021, and thousands of college students immediately flocked to the app store. UK students were no exception to the bandwagon. “[The app] is full of risqué comments

My favorite part is the anonymity. Apps like Twitter and Instagram are pretty superficial.

With Yik Yak, I can still express an idea without having the stress of showing my face.

- Bryanmarc Ray about students, professors and overall campus activities; the ability to post anonymous chats thrilled students,” sophomore Elyse Pilcher said.

Most posts, as Pilcher noted, include gossip and vague talk of happenings around campus and the Lexington area.

“What’s the move tonight?”

“It kinda stinks in Willy T right now.”

“Best bars in Lexington??”

Though many of the public posts still seem to be unregulated, the app’s updated website includes an extensive list of community guidelines for recognizing and reporting prohibited behavior and mental health resources such as national help hotlines not affiliated with the app.

Any “Yak” can be reported and sent to moderators for review of conduct. Posts that are deemed inappropriate are then removed from the local feed.

Many students have their own concerns about the fate of the app, though.

Sophomore Grace Hughes said she predicts the app will likely be shut down again due to “the extent of the harsh comments directed at specific students and groups.”

Though anonymity is what drives many students to be bold and courageous on the app, an undeniably large portion of “Yaks” could be considered vulgar, rude and unnecessary.

“Even though it is anonymous, the app can do a lot of harm,” Hughes said.

Widespread controversy of Yik Yak has yet to create any corporate indication of another shutdown, so the app doesn’t seem to be going anywhere in the foreseeable . future.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

news

Lexington Kroger locations implement earlier closing time

By Hannah Stanley news@kykernel.com

Kroger has changed all of its Lexington locations' closing hours to 10 p.m., with the exception of the 704 Euclid Avenue location, which closes at 11 p.m.

Friday through Sunday.

The Euclid location remains open one hour after others to satisfy the needs of local University of Kentucky students, according to store manager Joshua Hughes.

Hughes said many factors led to the adjustment of the hours, but all revolve around effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and similar actions of competitors such as Target, Meijer and Walmart.

For example, he said the shorter hours are an effort to resolve being understaffed, with a “shortage of truck drivers and warehouse issues with product availability,” in line with a national worker shortage amid the pandemic.

Employees of the Euclid Kroger have noticed this lack of staff firsthand.

“We definitely have been understaffed in the past couple of

months, but I don’t know if it’s just being understaffed or [the store] being more busy than usual, with school being back in session and being the place that a lot of college students go to,” said UK junior and Euclid Kroger employee Renardo Johnson.

Even on fall break, Johnson found himself picking up extra shifts, while other employees have had to stay later than scheduled due to the store not having enough workers.

“Once we start getting more staff and better availability, then we’ll probably go back to regular hours,” Hughes said.

Unlike Hughes, Johnson was not as optimistic about the new hours’ potential to resolve some of the supermarket’s struggles.

“I don’t think that closing early will necessarily change the problem of being short staffed, but it definitely does help a bit,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the reduced hours allow staff to be in the store for less time, at an increased rate of productivity with more breaks.

While Kroger workers are

This is definitely an nience for me. With late often only have time to er in the day for my - Luke Allen

inconveclasses, I shop latgroceries.

STAFF FILE PHOTO Kroger on Euclid Avenue on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, in Lexington, Kentucky. Ths location, along with others in Lexington, has adjusted its hours in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

catching a break with the new adjustment, some university students feel otherwise when walking in just before the new closing hours.

UK sophomore Luke Allen did not know Kroger was adjusting closing hours until asked about how he felt about the change.

“This is definitely an inconvenience for me,” Allen said. “With late classes, I often only have time to shop later in the day for my groceries.”

A waiting game of short staff-

ing and company struggles will determine when hours will return to normal, leaving students with reduced hours at their local Kroger in the meantime.

“We don't have an end date,” Hughes said. “We did something very similar during the pandemic.”

At the start of the pandemic, Kroger changed some location hours. Original store hours of 1 a.m. and midnight were adjusted to close between midnight and 10 p.m.

After reverting to original midnight hours prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year, the adjustment of earlier closing times once again impacts some students.

“This will affect when I go shopping and where I shop, especially when it gets later at night,” said Allen.

Allen later said he will have to take his business elsewhere to resolve the timing conflict until either his classes allow or the hours are adjusted to the original ones.

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

news

‘It’s impossible.’

Students face obstacles in purchasing UK game tickets

By Sophia Shoemaker news@kykernel.com

In May 2021, UK announced that Kroger Field would be returning to full capacity for the first time since COVID- 19 shut down in-person sporting events. Students and spectators have felt the excitement to get back in the stadium.

Once the Wildcats picked up a winning streak that lasted from their first regular season football game until an upset by Mississippi State, student tickets began selling out quickly. Bigger games like Florida on Oct. 2 and Tennessee on Nov. 6 completely sold out before game day.

“With everything selling out so quickly, it’s impossible to claim your tickets,” said sophomore John Dougherty.

“Kentucky should consider expanding the stadium.”

With the growing demand, people are trying to resell their student tickets at a much higher price than what they paid for them.

“It is already impossible to get a ticket, and then you have people thinking they are Jordan Belfort, attempting to sell their $11 tickets for $200,” said junior Ha-

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ley Wilson.

Although student tickets are hard to come by, freshman Katie Hutchinson said purchasing a season pass has helped her.

“Since I have the season pass, I can get tickets earlier than most people,” Hutchinson said. “As a freshman, I knew that I wanted to experience as much as possible and have never missed getting a ticket.”

Despite Hutchinson’s advantages, she said she still had difficulty purchasing guest tickets.

“My friend ended up paying $120 where she would have normally paid $80,” Hutchinson said.

“Regardless, I have been lucky to see some really cool games in a packed stadium. The energy has just been insane.”

Even students who have been able to obtain student tickets or season passes have faced issues with the website.

Sophomore Joey Rotondi, who bought a student season pass, has attended every home football game, although he said he has encountered some roadblocks along the way.

“It has been really nice [because] I don’t have to scramble for the big games,

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky students cheer on the Wildcats during the UK vs. Florida football game on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

even though they’ll sell your ticket if you don’t claim it in a specific time frame,” Rotondi said. “Although I haven’t had any issues lately, when I tried to buy the pass, I had to email a few different people due to issues with my account,

which was an inconvenience.”

Football season passes sold out quickly, and basketball season passes went even faster. The first regular season home basketball game is Nov. 12, and season passes are already

gone.

“I went to get tickets as soon as they went on sale, and the website crashed,” said sophomore Claire Osborne. “I finally was able to get a season pass, except I won’t be able to claim my tickets for the first five

games. They’re already sold out.”

To purchase single-game tickets for basketball games and the remaining football games, students can download the UK Athletics app or visit their website.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

sports

Men’s soccer ends regular season with big win; prepares for conference tournament

By Cole Parke

sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky men’s soccer concluded their regular season on Friday with a 3-0 win over FAU at The Bell. With the win, the Cats finish their regular season with a record of 11-1-4, one of their best in history.

En route to their 11 win season, the Wildcats had 10 shut out games on the back of St John’s transfer goalie Jan Hoffelner. Hoeffelner, a graduate student, only allowed four goals all season — with two coming in the Wildcats’ lone loss of the season on the road against Charlotte.

The Wildcats played four ranked opponents during their regular season, three coming in conference play, but didn’t allow a goal to a single one.

Kentucky started their season on the road against then No. 25 Coastal Carolina, with that game resulting in a 0-0 draw.

The next time the Cats would play a ranked opponent would be late September when they traveled to Huntington to face the reigning national champions, then No. 5 Marshall. Yet again, Kentucky fought to a 0-0 draw.

Not long after, they hosted then No. 20 FIU at The Bell, which once again concluded in a 0-0 draw.

The streak of 0-0 draws against ranked opponents came to an end, however, in mid-October when Kentucky hosted then No. 25 West Virginia. Both teams entered the second overtime without a goal, but senior forward Daniel Evans scored for the Wildcats halfway through the period.

Kentucky went undefeated through the first 14 games of the season before its lone loss came against Charlotte in overtime. Kentucky fell 2-1 after allowing a goal during the first extra period.

On top of the games against then ranked opponents, Kentucky also boasts a win over currently ranked No. 20 Notre Dame. The Wildcats won 1-0 at home early on in the season, with St Mary’s transfer Luke Andrews scoring the lone goal of the affair.

Despite the win-loss record appearing stout, Kentucky

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky celebrates forward Ben Damge's (27) goal during the UK vs. Duquesne men's soccer game on Sunday, Sept.

12, 2021, at the Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky.

entered the Conference-USA tournament ranked fourth, having a regular season conference record of 3-1-4. After disposing of Coastal Carolina 3-1 on Wednesday, Nov. 10, in the first round, the Cats will attempt to knock off the top seeded FIU Panthers on Friday, Nov. 12. The Conference-USA championship is also set for Sunday, Nov. 14, with the conference’s auto bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.

Kentucky also found themselves ranked No. 5 in the

initial NCAA Top 16 list for the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament as well. All 16 teams, when the list is finalized, will be awarded a first round bye in the tournament and a guaranteed home game in the second round.

“We only have one loss in 16 games,” head coach Johan Cedergren said after the team’s regular season finale.

“We have wins over teams like Louisville, Notre Dame and West Virginia. I think that shows we can play with anyone, and we’re not afraid of anyone.”

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

The Cats take New York

PHOTOS BY JACK WEAVER

The Wildcats took on the Blue Devils in the Kentucky vs. Duke basketball game on Nov. 9. The game, Kentucky’s season opener, was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although the Cats lost 71-79, coach John Calipari said he is optimistic for the season. “I loved our fight. I loved our competitive spirit,” he said. “And that's what our program has always been about.”

Kentucky Wildcats guard TyTy Washington Jr. (3) shoots a free throw during the UK vs. Duke me basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Ma Square Garden in New York City, New York.

On the top left: Kentucky Wildcats guard Sahvir Wheeler (2) calls out to his team during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

To the left: Kentucky Wildcats guard Sahvir Wheeler (2) clenches his fists in pain while laying on the court during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game during the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) celebrates after drawing a foul on a rebound during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

en’s adison Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari coaches his team from the sideline during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

On the top left: Kentucky Wildcats forward Lance Ware (55) and guard Sahvir Wheeler (2) reach for the ball during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

To the left: Kentucky Wildcats guard Kellan Grady (31) attempts to defend the ball during the UK vs.

Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

sports

Keels carries and Tshiebwe shines:

Quick hits from Duke's 79-71 victory over Kentucky

By Hunter Shelton sports@kykernel.com

No. 9 Duke and Mike Krzyzewski reigned victorious over No. 10 Kentucky and John Calipari on Tuesday, winning the second game of the Champions Classic, 79-71.

The star freshmen duo of Trevor Keels and Paolo Banchero led the way for the Blue Devils, accounting for 47 of Duke’s 79 points.

Oscar Tshiebwe was Kentucky’s leading scorer and rebounder, totaling 17 points and 19 boards.

Sahvir Wheeler was right behind Tshiebwe with 16 points.

The Wildcats did their best to contain Banchero in the first half, but the freshman still dropped 12 points and four rebounds. His mid-range jump shot was flush all night.

Sahvir Wheeler kept it close for the Cats in the first half, scoring 12 points to go along with five assists. The Georgia transfer hit both of his 3-point attempts while only turning the ball over twice.

Kellan Grady’s nine points on three first-half treys all came at opportune times for UK. The Davidson transfer picked his shots wisely in The Garden, keeping UK’s deficit slim.

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Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. caused many problems for UK’s Keion Brooks Jr., connecting on all four of his shot attempts in the first 20 minutes, compiling two boards and two assists along the way. Brooks, meanwhile, failed to record a point in the first half.

The biggest matchup on paper and in person did not disappoint on Tuesday. Oscar Tshiebwe made a statement early, grabbing eight rebounds to go along with four points in the first half.

Seven of the West Virginia transfers boards came on the offensive glass. Williams would haul in six rebounds of his own to go along with five points.

Freshman TyTy Washington failed to get going early in The Garden, shooting 1-7 from the field, nabbing just two rebounds and two assists.

Trevor Keels would prove to be the X-factor for the Blue Devils; the twoguard produced nine points in the first half, also contributing two assists, one rebound and a steal. The freshman would takeover in the second half. On 7-11 shooting, Keels dropped 16 to pace Duke after halftime.

Like the first half, Washington could not get to grips with the speed of the game for the Cats. The freshman shot two of seven

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari argues a call during the UK vs. Duke men’s basketball game as part of the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.

as Duke’s backcourt kept the guard from picking his shots, forcing tough midrange jumpers and heavy contests.

Duke fans around the globe held their breath in the second half, as Banchero headed to the locker room early in the half for what was later identified as cramping. Despite being down their best player, the Blue Devils would outscore UK 18-6 during Ban-

chero’s absence.

Keion Brooks would play a pivotal role in keeping UK close in the second half, as the forward scored nine points in just eight minutes on the court.

Down by 15 with nine minutes left to play, Kentucky would go on an 11-0 run in their last attempt to sway the game into their favor. Tshiebwe would spearhead the run, scoring seven straight points for the

Cats. Duke would respond hard and heavy, quickly going on a 7-0 run of their own to push the lead back out to nine points with just over three minutes remaining.

Duke did not have to shoot the lights out from deep to win on Tuesday.

The Blue Devils made just one of their 13 3-point attempts. From inside the arch, Duke shot 30-48, a 62 percent clip. UK would

make seven of 18 3-pointers, but a 22-59 night from 2-point range plagued the Wildcats from keeping up in MSG. Kentucky will have a quick turnaround once they get back from the Big Apple, as they look for their first win of the season in their home opener, welcoming Robert Morris to Rupp Arena on Nov. 12.

The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. E.T.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Across the (By)Line:

sports

Vanderbilt Commodores

By Hunter Shelton

Stats:

sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky

The “Across the (By) Line” series will give Kentucky football fans an indepth look at their opponent for this week — from the mind of the opposing school’s sports editor.

This week: Vanderbilt Hustler, Justin Hershey, Vanderbilt.

With Kentucky on a three-game SEC skid, what do you find attractive about the matchup that could favor the Commodores?

Hershey: Honestly, I think Kentucky coming in on a losing streak is a worse thing for Vanderbilt.

Every team that comes into Nashville is always given a jolt of confidence due to the Commodores’ poor SEC standing, and I fully expect that to be the case this week for Kentucky. The one thing I think Vanderbilt will continue to have in its favor is unpredictability. Currently, Vanderbilt’s usual starting quarterback, Ken Seals, is battling back from injury. That would slate Mike Wright to start his fourth straight game.

However, Seals is close to returning and head coach Clark Lea has been pretty confidential about Seals’ status. I expect him to do the same this week as well and if he can delay nam-

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (1) runs past a defender during the UK vs.

Tennessee football game on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

ing a starter, he can keep Kentucky a bit off guard.

Wright is a runner, while Seals is a traditional pocket passer. Kentucky’s defensive game plan will need to be different depending on who starts, and keeping the Wildcats in the dark is certainly an advantage for Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt kept it close against Missouri last week until the last few drives. What went wrong in that fourth quarter?

Hershey: Well, really what went wrong was a Hail Mary completion at

the end of the first half that gave the Tigers a halftime advantage, but late in the game it was more of the same issues for Vanderbilt — big plays coupled with turnovers. Missouri was able to tack on a touchdown just after Vanderbilt cut the Tiger lead to three thanks to a huge 73-yard run from Tyler Badie. The big play has hurt the Commodores all season long, and their rushing defense continues to be a problem.

On the subsequent possession, Wright tossed an interception that was essentially the nail in the coffin.

For a team with little margin for error simply based

on talent, those types of big mistakes just won’t result in victories.

What does Vanderbilt have to do to keep up with a Kentucky offense that just put up 42 points and compiled 612 offensive yards?

Hershey: That’s a great question that I’m sure Lea and company are addressing this week, considering the Commodores are surrendering a whopping 36 points and over 450 yards per game to opponents.

Oddly enough, however,

• Will Levis QB — 167-254, 1,848 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions.

• Wan’Dale Robinson, WR — 71 receptions, 811 yards, six touchdowns.

• Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB — 157 carries, 918 yards, five touchdowns.

• DeAndre Square, LB — 65 total tackles, 34 solo, three sacks, one forced fumble.

Vanderbilt • Mike Wright, QB — 48-89, 545 yards, five touchdowns, four interceptions; 59 carries, 286 yards.

• Will Sheppard, WR — 36 receptions, 466 yards, three touchdowns.

• Rocko Griffin, RB — 89 carries, 296 yards, two touchdowns.

• Ethan Barr, LB — 64 total tackles, 35 solo, two interceptions.

See ACROSS on page 14

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

features

A day in the life of the UK student center piano

By Katie Hall news@kykernel.com

Another cloudy day on UK’s campus brings a slow trickle of students passing through the student center, where they’re greeted by classical music being played on the grand piano.

Samuel Johnson, a senior studying secondary English education, shares warm melodies to take those passing through away from the overcast skies outside into a new world.

“Most of the time [I play] because I have time in between classes,” Johnson said. “It’s something I like to do. A lot of the stuff that I play, I already know, and it’s relaxing because I don’t even have to think about it.”

Johnson's audience enjoys the music as they take a break from their shift, eat their meals or work on their laptops.

“I’d like to think that I play music that people enjoy hearing,” Johnson said.

Sophomore accounting major Calvin Rowe prefers to study in the student center rather than working in another location, partly because of the piano.

“I like that it’s such an open and active area,” Rowe said. “It’s nice to see students that are that talented in the student center, playing on the piano that’s out there.”

Some of the students who pass by turn their heads to acknowledge the player sitting at the piano, but needing to be somewhere, don’t have time to stop and listen.

Johnson doesn’t mind the

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MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Norman Chan, a second-year psychology major, plays the piano in the Gatton Student Center on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky.

passersby. Even as people leave the area, he stays bent over the keys, pouring music by Ludovico Einaudi out from the instrument.

After Johnson leaves the piano bench, another student breaks the silence by sitting down to play.

Dubem Anikamadu, a senior studying public health and chem-

istry, decided to play piano for the first time a year ago.

“Any piano I see, I just sit down and try to play it,” Anikamadu said. “I’m trying to make music as well and bring some pop culture to this campus.”

In addition to sharing his own creativity, Anikamadu also helps creative people around campus

by letting them use his home studio if they need a place to record their music.

“I’ve met so many new people through my own passion …

When I start telling my stories and my goals to other people, it seems like they get inspired too,” Anikamadu said. “It’s exactly what I want, to bring people to-

gether through the music.”

With Anikamadu no longer on the piano, the student center once again falls back into the gloomy silence that reflects the cloudy sky. All that remains are the footsteps and occasional conversations from the people passing by the grand piano that waits to be played again.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

opinions

Twenty-first century swashbucklers: The rise of ethical media piracy

By Kaleb Littleton opinions@kykernel.com

Is there such a thing as ethical media piracy? Let me ask you this: of the streaming services you use, how many of them do you personally pay for?

It’s a tale as old as time: the main goal of entertainment companies and mass media is to make money, and streaming is no different. The face of TV, film and video game distribution has changed dramatically compared to 10 years ago. Viewers watch television series on their own schedule, view new movies at home and replace physical video games with storage on a hard drive.

Even still, piracy has never gone away.

So why is that?

Look at the price of cable in Lexington.

Spectrum’s “TV Gold” package costs $94 a month for premium channels; additional fees for HD and a “Broadcast TV surcharge” bring it to $126.96.

The equivalent program from Dish was $74.99 a month, but the website was laid out in such a way that you couldn’t see the price without going to check-out. Given these prices and tactics, I’m not surprised that people are ditching cable.

With the migration to streaming, companies have decided to move along with them. And that’s a good thing, because it means more money and time has gone into perfecting streaming services. Considering that many college students primarily consume media through their computers or mobile devices, cable is becoming a less viable business model.

The other edge of this sword, however, is the number of companies that want your money. Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and many more streaming services offer original content and old favorites, but this is causing an issue similar to the one people had with cable.

If you paid for subscriptions to Amazon Prime, Apple+, Crunchyroll, the Disney+/ ESPN/Hulu bundle, HBO Max, Netflix Standard, the Paramount+/Showtime bundle, Peacock and Spotify at the same time, it would cost $100.61 for a month, which is still less than cable, though not by much.

Because of this, it has become harder to keep up with the shows, movies and podcasts people are talking about — unless you share passwords.

Password sharing has taken off as a re-

what a lot of companies will never admit is that piracy might actually help them.

In a 2017 study, the European Union found that a game’s sales increase when it is pirated, which implies that many gamers will pirate a game and then buy a legal copy.

Likewise, piracy acts as an invisible form of competition, preventing companies like HBO from raising prices.

For the sake of fairness, it’s worth discussing the negative effects of piracy on

Ethically, piracy is a strange beast. Many companies will claim that it hurts the artist to pirate, and that you are taking money out of the creators’ pockets. But what a lot of companies will never admit is that piracy might actually help them.

- Kaleb Littleton sult of increased pricing. A study by Magid found that 35% of millennials share their streaming information with someone else, and that’s not a bad thing.

Many streaming services already give you the option to watch on multiple screens or have multiple tailored profiles, so why shouldn’t you? And for those that don’t have access, many have started to pirate exclusive content.

Ethically, piracy is a strange beast.

Many companies will claim that it hurts the artist to pirate, and that you are taking money out of the creators’ pockets. But

studios and music companies. Film studios lose between $29 billion and $71 billion each year due to piracy, with the RIAA arguing that music piracy costs them $12 billion a year. The iTunes generation dramatically shook up how music sales worked, and consequently, it’s harder for musicians to pay their rent these days.

If we take the organizations at their word on profit loss, the amount of money lost on their products is a tragedy. But every step of the way, companies have pushed back against new innovations that would have caused them to change how

they do business.

Sony Corp v. Universal City Studios was the result of Universal and Disney suing over the concept of the VCR, which they argued could cause media piracy and make people less interested in seeing movies. The MP3 Player only exists because the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal in Diamond v. RIAA. This, of course, leads to the most relevant case on this topic, Metallica v. Napster. Napster was a peer-to-peer server used to share MP3s among friends, and Metallica sued when one of their songs was shared on it.

Part of the reason this was such a big deal is that, in that era, if you wanted to listen to, say, “Enter Sandman,” you’d have to find a copy of Metallica’s Black Album and buy the CD for $10. Because of this, a lot of artists and music companies would make a few good singles and then crank out album filler for the rest.

Napster fell, and iTunes was launched a year later. This ended the album era of the music industry, because now, people could spend two dollars to buy “Enter Sandman” and ignore the rest of the album. The only thing Metallica achieved was killing a website that could have been a pioneer in streaming and permanently damaging Lars Ulrich’s reputation in the eyes of music fans.

That’s why it’s not surprising that companies like Netflix are trying to crack down on password sharing or that various directors didn’t want to release their movies to streaming during a pandemic. They could have some of the money, but they’d rather have all of the money.

Does that mean you should stop paying for entertainment and sail the seas forever?

Absolutely not. People still deserve to get paid for their work. However, there are a handful of ways that you can pirate withSee PIRACY on page 14

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

sports ACROSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Vanderbilt has 11 interceptions this season — good for third in the SEC. That’s going to be the key for Vanderbilt to remain in this game. Kentucky is bound to come out hungry to break out of its slump, but if Vanderbilt can capitalize on some turnovers, they could potentially keep things interesting. Will Levis has tossed 10 picks this season, so if the opportunistic Commodore defense can force a couple bad throws, they might be able to hold Kentucky in check.

We’ve really only seen what quarterback Mike Wright can do for three full games under center this season.

What are some of the positives and negatives of his game?

Hershey: Wright has added a refreshing level of explosiveness to the Vanderbilt offense over the past three games. If he starts, which I believe he will, he will continue looking to use his feet to create offense. He tallied two gallops of 65-plus yards that helped Vanderbilt put points on the board. That’s where he can be dynamic. This past weekend, Vanderbilt really expanded its offensive playbook by incorporating more option concepts in the running game. That left Wright to be creative, use fakes and jukes and find better one-on-one matchups with linebackers

that he took advantage of. Where Vanderbilt struggles is when it falls behind.

If Kentucky jumps on the Commodores early, Wright will need to start throwing, which is not his strong suit. In the short passing game he is accurate, but my feeling is that the staff doesn’t fully trust him to really air it out downfield, which makes the Commodore offense somewhat predictable and low-octane.

With four running backs with at least 200 yards rushing this season, how does that ability to always rotate a fresh body into the backfield play to Vanderbilt’s advantage?

Hershey: I would say that the running game was a big strong suit early in the season, but right now, the group is decimated. Lead back Re’Mahn Davis went down for the year early on with a toe injury, while Rocko Griffin, his backup, has been banged-up of late. Lea said last week that he expects Griffin back this week, but that is yet to be determined.

Other than that, Patrick Smith, who is a true freshman, has been really impressive. He has great speed, and when the Commodores get him outside of the tackles, he is dangerous. James Ziglor III is the next tailback in the group, but he is a converted defensive back. This is a very banged-up group, and unless Griffin returns this week, Vanderbilt will be reliant on Wright to create plays on the ground himself.

PIRACY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

out hurting anyone.

One common reason for piracy is that something simply isn’t available in your country. As an anecdotal example, one of my favorite shows is the “Kamen Rider” franchise.

“Kamen Rider” is the older brother to “Super Sentai,” which was adapted into “Power Rangers.” “Kamen Rider” has been an influential work in both the East and West, but until recently, there was no legal American release. In my own experience, however, that didn’t stop people from subtitling the footage from Japanese television and making it available.

Over time, Toei noticed that there was an American fanbase, and media company Shout! Factory got the license to stream select seasons of Kamen Rider, complete with Blu-Rays for Kamen Rider Zero-One. The key in cases like these, however, is that if a show or movie is released in your region afterward, you should buy it and support the show. That way, the creators will be incentivized to release more content to that area.

Another common argument for piracy is media preservation. Magnetic tape degrades, DVDs and Blu-Rays get discontinued, and sometimes game companies lose the license to sell a game online. This is why the concept of emulators, or software that emulates a previous gaming console, took off among fans of older games. After all, if the physical cartridge for a game is rare and discontinued, why not upload the game’s ROM, the digital copy of the software on the disc or cartridge, to preserve it for future generations?

As for when people stop finding it acceptable, the line becomes murky. Often the argument is that it’s not acceptable to pirate current generation games or those for the generation that just ended because they are still available.

I have heard some say that they will pirate media featuring people they find detestable, but I disagree with this point of view. If you are so offended by the views of JK Rowling, for example, that you don’t want to financially support her, that’s fine. That’s not a justification to pirate her work, though.

We live in a time and place where there is a vast array of media you can enjoy at any time. But no matter how you enjoy said media, make sure you remember the human that created it, whether that’s an independent creator trying to make a living or an executive deciding to take their ball and go home to their own streaming service so they can make more money.

Subscribe to the Kentucky Kernel newsletter for FREE! Go to kykernel.com and find the paper airplane on the home page!

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