Kentucky Kernel: March 15, 2021

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Monday, February 22, 2021 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel Twitter @kentuckykernel Instagram

‘SKY’S THE LIMIT’ For championship-bound debate pair | pg. 8

SPRING BREAK PLANS PG. 6 , WOMEN’S PETITION PG. 7, SOFTBALL COMES HOME PG. 14

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NERVOUS FOR NORMAL

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MAYOR APPROVED

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SOPHOMORE TAKEOVER

Monday, March 15, 2021

news

Washed away and picking up the pieces

By Brooklyn Kelley news@kykernel.com

With no way in and no way out, citizens of Estill County in Eastern Kentucky were left to watch as floods destroyed the fabric of their lives.

According to the National Weather Service, on March 3 the Kentucky River crested at 41 feet in Estill County – more than 17 feet above flood levels. Houses were hidden by water that carried debris from already ravaged towns. Many residents lost personal belongings, already hard to come by in a town with a poverty rate of 27 percent according to a 2016 assessment.

Estill was just one of Kentucky’s many counties severely affected by flooding in the first week of March. More than 49 local disasters were declared across the state, according to Kentucky Emergency Management. Estill declared a state of emergency on Monday, March 1, following heavy weekend rains.

A local landmark, the bridge crossing the Kentucky River, is marked with water levels following local floods. The markings show that this is the worst flood in county history. Estill’s Emergency Management office posted photos and videos of the damage on Facebook.

“This flood is like nothing most of us have ever seen,” one post said. “Everyone please be safe and stay home if possible.”

Estill EMA also reported power outages in the county.

Since the town is located on the Kentucky River, flooding is a frequent occurrence. This time, the county seat of Irvine was cut off from aid as the water rose to cover roads. Residents were not

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able to evacuate due to road conditions, but their homes were not safe either.

The Saturday following the flood, Joey Dobson stood in what remained of his aunt’s house reflecting on a sunny day that belied the damage done to his community. In his aunt’s house, the bottom portion of the walls was ruined and were demolished and only fragments of the flooring remained. In a second room, flooring was covered in debris that was coated in mud – the only thing left intact.

“Nobody in our family had ever seen this house even flooded,” Dobson said.

Dobson said that the house was his grandmother’s when she was living, and the last time his family saw water reach the house was in 1957, but that damage was minuscule compared to this. He was concerned for older community members who sustained property damage and would not be capable of repairs nor able to recover financially.

Few Estill residents have flood insurance because of its high cost and not living in a declared “flood zone.” Still, residents like Greg and Sharon Hardy sustained damage that left almost nothing salvageable.

The Hardys live in a trailer; Greg said the pair lost nearly everything after the flood waters rose to cover the top of the trailer, leaving only a small portion of the top of the roof exposed. Their floors remain caked in mud and their belongings ruined by the water that swept everything from its place.

“There’s just so much damage there,” Greg Hardy said. The hardest loss for this couple was the sentiment box they had been

BROOKLYN KELLEY | STAFF Estill County resident Joey Dobson surveys the yard of his aunt’s house, which was damaged by the record floods in March of 2021 in Kentucky.

keeping with their daughter’s first haircut clippings, first outfit, and other mementos.

Fortunately, the couple is able to stay with a family member and friends of theirs are organizing a GoFundMe page to help rebuild the Hardys’ life.

Repairs in Estill will be slow to come by. A first step towards healing was made on Thursday, March 11, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency visited Estill for a first assessment of the damage. This kind of survey will determine what kind of federal assistance the county can receive.

But assistance has arrived from other sources as well. As the waters continued to rise, Estill

natives came together to shelter and provide for their neighbors.

One local business, Mountain Adventures, has recently partnered with 2 Farms Meet to provide citizens with food. Mountain Adventures is a produce store and 2 Farms Meet a meat provider. Now, Mountain Adventures is buzzing with activity as volunteers band together to give clothes, food and other items to those in need.

“For it to be such a bad tragedy, it’s such an awesome and cool, humbling thing,” said Jen Richardson, an Estill resident who is gathering and distributing supplies out of her music venue on Main Street.

River City Music and Art,

co-owned by Richardson and her husband, closed their doors to local performers and instead began welcoming volunteers to help with flood relief. This group of volunteers is comprised of both community members and outsiders who want to help with the devastation. Richardson said that they are giving flood victims totes and buckets filled with supplies like bleach, paper towels, trash bags, latex gloves, toilet paper and sanitizing wipes. Food, baby essentials, hygiene products and water are available for people to pick up as needed.

See AWAY on page 10

Monday, March 15, 2021

kentuckykernel

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD UK NIXES ACT REQUIREMENT FOR NEXT THREE YEARS UK will not require ACT or SAT scores as part of its application process for the next three years, following a vote by the university’s faculty Senate council.

The test-optional policy was first enacted as a pandemic response in order to accommodate students whose testing dates were canceled, but will continue through the 2024 - 25 application cycle.

According to the proposal, UK will gather data on a student’s high school education in order to account for differing modalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“National data is demonstrating performance differences based on modality,” wrote Christine Harper, UK’s chief enrollment officer, in the proposal.

Individual colleges may opt out of this pilot program, which will be assessed over the next three years.

“Students who have a test score will still be considered, as well as those without test score,” Harper said.

The vote passed with 52 faculty voting in favor, one against and five abstaining.

UNIVERSITY COVID-19 DATA MORE THAN TWO WEEKS BEHIND Despite a statement that COVID-19 data would lag by only two days this semester, the data on UK’s dashboard is 16 days behind. As of March 14, UK’s dashboard shows data through Feb. 28, more than two weeks ago.

In the fall semester, UK said the dashboard would be updated daily on a threeday lag, meaning that the dashboard would show cases first reported three days prior to that update. Now, the dashboard’s lag is more than fives times that lag window.

UK’s COVID-19 currently shows the state of coronavirus two weeks ago with no data on present cases.

“Moving forward, we will continue to update the data dashboard daily. Data will demonstrate a short lag, as it takes time for our team to clean, analyze and present test results,” says a data DL from Feb. 12. UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the delay was due to a technical issue with the data sorter that has been resolved.

“Now, it is a case of being behind and

CONTACT Editor-in-chief: Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com being stretched with staff doing a number of related issues,” Blanton said. “We’ve hired some staff to try to expedite getting caught up.”

Blanton said the daily and seven-day averages have been ‘pretty consistent.’ The dashboard shows 87 active cases as of Feb. 28.

STIMULUS DEPOSITS UNDERWAY

A third round of stimulus checks are beginning to reach Americans following President Joe Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Act on March 11.

Individuals earning under $75,000 qualify for the $1,400 check. Adult dependents like college students can also qualify for $1,400, but the qualification depends on parental income. If college students are claimed on the taxes of a single head of household making under $112,500 or married couple making under $150,000, that family will receive a $1,400 check for each dependent over 17. But the money will be deposited to the person who filed the taxes, so college students seeking their $1,400 must ask their parents to tranfser the money into their own account.

Managing editor: Michael Clubb editor@kykernel.com Asst. news editors: Hannah Stanley Brooklyn Kelley Sports editor: Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com Opinions editor: Sarah Michels opinions@kykernel.com Asst. Opinions editor: Gillian Stawiszynski Asst. photo editor: Jack Weaver Designers: Ryder Noah From Social media manager: Sarah Simon-Patches KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICES 340 McVey Hall University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the cover: Jordan Di (left) and David Griffith (right) pose for a portrait on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff

The data on UK’s COVID-19 dasboard shows student cases of COVID-19 are on the decline following a small bump in mid-February, but no data has been published yet for March contrary to the university’s proposed update schedule. Graphic by Natalie Parks.

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Monday, March 15, 2021

news

Students have mixed feelings on plan for normal fall

By Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

As the Biden administration shortens the expected timeline to normal, the University of Kentucky has become one of a select number schools committing to just that: a return to pre-pandemic operations for the fall 2021 semester.

UK announced that they would pursue “levels of in-person instruction in similar numbers to that of fall 2019 in terms of course delivery and attendance” in a March 12 email from president Eli Capilouto. Students met the news with a mix of relief and uncertainty.

“I am excited because I’m kind of tired

of online classes but I’m still kind of worried, not like from a pandemic standpoint, but like as a student I kind of got used to the online class format,” freshman Daisuke Kikumoto said.

Kikumoto, a human health sciences major, said he was concerned about arriving on time for in person classes, a skill not required of him so far in his college career.

He is more excited for the resumption of normal social opportunities than academic ones.

“I would like to have better community environment because I just don’t feel everybody’s that friendly right now,” Kikumoto said.

Kaylee Foster, a junior chemical en-

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Two UK students sign up for graduation while enjoying the warm weather on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, outside of William T. Young Library in Lexington, Kentucky.

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gineering major, said she would be more excited for campus events to return than in person learning. But Foster was more hesitant about the ‘return to normal’ decision.

“Still worried about the pandemic, I don’t know that it necessarily will be over by then,” Foster said. She said she is not used to in person classes anymore, either.

Foster said she thinks UK made the call to go back to normal too early.

“I think people definitely don’t take it seriously enough already, so that announcement just will make it worse,” Foster said.

UK’s decision to return to normal operations was announced at a time when high school seniors are beginning to make admissions decisions. UK’s application deadline was on Feb. 15 and acceptance letters are beginning to go out in earnest.

Knowing that UK will offer a normal fall may affect some of those decisions, just as UK’s 2020 admissions extension and May 2020 announcement to reopen affected last year’s high school seniors.

“I think they’re kind of on time because the vaccine rollout is going pretty good,” said Kikumoto, who was vaccinated a few weeks ago, of the announcement. He believes that UK vaccinating its students most definitely played a role in their decision to go back to normal.

“I know a lot of people are getting more and more vaccinated every day, so hopefully the trend goes by, like stays the same for people getting vaccinated,” Kikumoto said.

UK sent an email to students the day after the return to normalcy announcement encouraging students to register for COVID-19 vaccines through UK. Though the number of students who will be vaccinated depends on supply, several thousand students were already eligible because they are university employees and thousands more because they are in healthcare colleges.

With the Biden administration saying vaccines will be available for all adults by summer, along with the partial immunity acquired by the 4,000 UK students who have had COVID-19, UK may be on the track to herd immunity for its campus population.

“I think it’s great, honestly, but at the same time, I’m still worried for numbers and COVID like then rising and seeing what could happen if that happens again,” freshman Kylie Meadows said of the plans for a normal fall.

Like Kikumoto and Foster, Meadows was worried about transitioning back to in person classes and social interactions.

“Personally, I get kind of scared trying to like stick my neck out, like talk to people, so it’s kind of been different for me but I’ve seen another side of myself through this virtual learning so hopefully I’ll even be more confident than I used to be when we we’re back to normal,” Meadows said.

She said she is concerned for going back to in person classes because she will sometimes sleep in and miss Zoom classes.

“I’ll have to be more diligent and actually like going to class because, you know, that’s what I’m here for,” Meadows said.

As a freshman, Meadows has not had ‘the college experience.’ With this return to normal, she hopes to get more involved socially, perhaps joining a sorority.

“I’ve just been too scared to even, you know, want to join a sorority because it’s just like there’s all the parties and I’m like, ‘mm-hm, not doing that,’” Meadows said.

The exact details of UK’s fall plan will be released over the summer, similar to the pandemic playbook created for the fall of 2020. Some aspects of the pandemic in higher education, like extended sick day policies and a virtual component to all classes, may be around for the long-term.

Students hope for help in transitioning back to normal for academics, extracurriculars and social life.

Monday, March 15, 2021

news

First batch of pop-up vaccine clinics concludes with mayoral visit

By Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

With 10 vaccine stations and a couple dozen volunteers, mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics coordinated by the University of Kentucky are a miniaturized version of the mass site at Kroger Field. But unlike the Kroger Field clinic, the pop-up clinics meet community members where are they are, in environments they find comforting, in an effort to boost vaccine distribution for medically underserved communities.

Lexington mayor Linda Gorton visited one of these clinics, held at Charles Young Center on Saturday, March 13, and gave it her seal of approval.

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said around 450 people were registered to be vaccinated at the center on Saturday, which falls right into the 300 – 500 person range of similar clinics held earlier in the month.

“We found out during the mayor’s neighborhood testing sites that people really responded positively to a site within the neighborhood where people could get to,” Gorton said.

UK has hosted four of the neighborhood pop-up clinics, each held in a community stronghold like a church. UK will now cycle back through each of the four initial sites for the booster shots.

Blanton said the pop-up hours and appointment times will remain the same as the first shot for each recipient to make the process as easy as possible.

Gorton said many of the re-

cipients at the Charles Young location walked to the center from their homes. She spoke to two people who initially had not planned to get the vaccine “They didn’t think it was important, were worried about different things, and they listened to all of the information and talked to people and they came today and got their injections,” Gorton said. She thanked the University of Kentucky for its partnership in the pop-up clinics, which are aimed at reducing various disparities – including racial – in Lexington’s vaccine rollout.

As of March 1, 153,138 doses of COVID-19 had been distributed in Fayette County according to the city government’s website. In the kick-off of the vaccine equity campaign on Feb. 12, Gorton said only 5.7% of vaccine doses had gone to Black residents, who account for 14.6% of Lexington’s population.

Gorton said she did yet not have data on whether Lexington’s racial gap in vaccine distribution has started to close.

“I think what we are seeing is the numbers from hospitalized patients going way down, that’s a great difficulty,” Gorton said.

“And the number of patients on ventilators has dropped, and those are those are real people who used to be high numbers, and now they’re going down.”

Gorton said the pop-up clinics could be applied to community flu shots in the winter, but that lessons of the pandemic are already making an impact on public health.

“A lot of people are kind of talking about when we get back

in flu season maybe I’ll put my mask back, you know, just to get through a couple, three months of flu season. I mean there, people are thinking in a different way about what might work for future situations and that’s very good.

“We believe, from a community stand that they are doing everything they can to be sure the students aren’t spreading this around,” Gorton said. She pointed to the student volunteers at the pop-up clinic as an example of how UK benefits the community.

“The students who say, ‘you know we want to help too.’ We want to make sure our friends know to get vaccinated, to get MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF tested, to do whatever they need Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton talks with a vaccine recipient on Saturto do,” Gorton said. “They’re beday, March 13, 2021, at the mobile vaccine clinic at the Charles Young ing proactive.”

Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF People receive COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at the mobile vaccine clinic at the Charles Young Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Monday, March 15, 2021

news

Spring broke: Calendar change leaves students nostalgic

By Haley Simpkins news@kykernel.com

In March of last year, students left for campus for spring break knowing they would have two weeks of online classes after. Some students went home, while others set off for beaches and vacations across the country, sneaking in one last hoorah before COVID-19 lockdowns began.

By the middle of 2020’s spring break, UK had decided to remain online for the rest of the semester and students returned to campus in shifts to move out for good. This year’s spring break looks a bit different: the university replaced the usual week-long break with a one-day academic holiday, creating a threeday weekend at the end of March.

UK decided to remove spring break from the spring 2021 academic calendar in hopes of “creating a safer, more condensed experience for our campus community, during which travel is less likely,” UK President Eli Capilouto said in an email to students on Sept. 17, 2020.

The news sparked a backlash from students, with some tweeting that they would be go on trips anyway, a logistically feasible option due to online

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classes. Others agreed with the decision saying that it was a necessary sacrifice to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the one-day academic holiday coming up on March 26, students still have mixed reactions and plans for the three-day weekend.

UK freshman Emily Earnst and Taylor Kennedy said they would both stay on campus for the threeday weekend. Earnst said if she could go anywhere for an actual full spring break right now, it would probably be home to spend some time with her family.

Kennedy said this wasn’t the first time her spring break had been a bit of a bore; her high school senior spring break trip was canceled last year due to COVID-19 as well.

Junior media arts and studies major Ashley McCann said she plans to do the same during the shortened break: just spend an extra day doing the usual.

This time last year, McCann was at home with her family waiting on the news of virtual school and move-out instructions from UK. McCann also said that even though she wishes she could be somewhere warm or out in the countryside, she understands UK’s decision to shorten the break.

“I feel like it makes

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Madeleine Spencer, a freshman environmental science and natural resources major, does homework while enjoying the warm weather on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, outside of William T. Young Library in Lexington, Kentucky.

sense that we didn’t have spring break, because everyone would have gone somewhere and we would have had to do so much more testing,” McCann said.

Some universities are offering a financial incentive for students to stay on campus during spring break. UC Davis is giving

students $75 for staying on campus in hope of minimizing travel.

Nathan Munster, a senior music education major, said his plans consist of pretty much just staying here in Lexington during the break, though he wishes he could have a traditional beach spring break in Florida before he graduates.

Alexis Cerise, a sophomore music performance major, said she actually does have plans for a short trip to New River Gorge in West Virginia to hike with friends.

“We wanted to do something that allows us to still be away from people,” Cerise said.

Cerise said

that she didn’t have any plans last year, but if she could have a pre-COVID full break again this year, she would use it to take a little bit of a bigger trip to Minnesota to find a new instrument.

Matthew Soller, freshman marketing major, and Adam Creeham, a freshSee SPRING on page 10

Monday, March 8, 2021

news

Proposal calls for UK to establish safe space for women

By Haley Simpkins news@kykernel.com

March marks Women’s History Month and the conversation around issues facing women is happening nationally and locally. Some UK students are now calling for the establishment of a UK Women’s Center to serve as a place of support and resources for students who identify as women.

Brittney Sawyer is the president of the Women’s Coalition for the establishment of the UK Women’s Center. Sawyer said she and the rest of the Women’s Coalition team aim to found the Women’s Center as a place where female students can find support and feel safe beyond the traditional spaces that are associated with that on a college campus.

“We want to cultivate a different message about what it means to support women outside of the Greek life on campus,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer added that the Women’s Center will of course be inclusive and welcoming to those involved with Greek life, but it will eliminate the financial barrier of dues that would traditionally come along with Greek life, which can feel like the only major source of support for female students on campus.

The Women’s Coalition has developed several ideas for how a UK Women’s Center could support students in an initial proposal to be used in future conversations with the administration.

“Women amongst varying races, ethnicities, socioeconomic

statuses, sexual identities, cultures, religions and backgrounds all have experiences that are unparalleled. These must be addressed. Without a space to break down these barriers, provide tangible resources and actively participate in policy change-- equity will never be possible,” reads the proposal’s opening/ The Women’s Coalition aims to amplify the diverse experiences of women-identifying students here at UK by highlighting what a women’s center would mean for students on their social media.

In a story highlight on the UK Women’s Coalition Instagram, one anonymous student shared an experience where they had trouble finding a safe space to breast-feed on campus. Another anonymous student shared an instance where they were threatened to be counted absent when their period unexpectedly started in class, and they needed to go to the bathroom. Another student shared a want for a safe space to discuss the intersection of womanhood and religion because she was constantly asked by strangers about her hijab.

In order to address issues like this, the Women’s Coalition has included an outline in the proposal on what they hope the UK Women’s Center will be able to do once it comes into fruition.

One of the major components of the Women’s Coalition proposal is the focus on education.

The proposal outlines the Women’s center as a place to “supply education and support on the raw experiences of women in every

perspective.” This includes education on how systemic racism impacts women, education on cultural and religious differences amongst women, education on financial aid opportunities offered to women at UK and education on further financial help and childcare programs.

One major aspect of this proposal in terms of education is the incorporation of educational events hosted by the Women’s Center. Some of the education events that the Women’s Coalition suggests the Women’s Center would host are: • Seminars discussing current events involving women • Seminars on how to better support immigrant peers that have gender-based violence occurring in their home countries • Weekly sessions for open-discussion on a variety of women-related topics • Monthly table-talks about issues facing women The proposal also paints the UK Women’s Center as a physical and mental health resource for students. The proposal says that the Women’s Center would be a place for counseling and mental wellness for women by women, as well as a safe place for women to seek medical help. The center will also provide Women’s Health 101 and information on transgender health.

The proposal also suggests a few more physical suggestions for the space such as having a

Brittney Sawyer, president of the Women’s Coalition calling for the establishment of a womene’s center on UK’s campus. Photo provided

by Sawyer.

lactation room and a study and conference room, as well as having a space to celebrate women’s art and publications.

The proposal also offers a look at the University of Missouri’s Women’s Center, where the Women’s Coalition got their inspiration for the proposal.

“Above all, the Women’s Center will offer a guaranteed safe place for women to participate in higher education,” the proposal reads. “Not to just bring women’s

careers to fruition, but to further understand, uplift and celebrate the differences of all women that take part in UK’s community.”

Sawyer said she believes these resources could be life-changing for women on campus.

“UK has the chance to change the futures of so many women coming to campus,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer said that the resources can help to mend the divides and rifts that we all feel in the world See SAFE on page 16

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Monday, March 15, 2021

news

Freshman debate team clinches first round bid to national tournament

By Sarah Michels news@kykernel.com

Kentucky Intercollegiate Debate team members David Griffith and Jordan Di are a little ahead of schedule.

As of February 2021, the freshman pair have punched their ticket to the 75th annual National Debate Tournament (NDT), to be held virtually from March 25-31. Griffith and Di are members of a very short list as only the eighth freshman team to be ranked in the top 16 and receive a first-round bid in the tournament’s history.

One other UK freshman team has also accomplished this feat. Dan Bannister and Anthony Trufanov, who received automatic bids during their 2016 freshman year, went on to win the national tournament in 2019 during their senior year.

One of their coaches, David Arnett, said he wasn’t surprised at Griffith and Di’s early level of achievement. He said that typically, the biggest obstacle talented high school debaters face during their college transition is discipline— “the grit to dig in every day and do things that maybe aren’t super fun.”

But that isn’t the case with Griffith and Di, who are already adapting their daily habits to maximize

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MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Jordan Di (left) and David Griffith (right) pose for a portrait on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

their chances of success.

With UK’s reputation as a debate powerhouse on par with Harvard, Dartmouth and Northwestern, they have a strong alumni base and century-old tradition of success behind them.

Even during a pandemic, the pair was able to hit the ground running as soon as they stepped on campus last fall. They knew each

other from the national high school debate circuit, where they once competed head-to-head (Di won, Griffith said). Ever since, they have been friends, even sometimes sharing their research during high school. Now, they are college roommates and debate partners.

Griffith said that he thinks their prior working

relationship, the dedication of their coaching staff, hard work and a little bit of luck added up to their automatic invite to the NDT. While their top-16 ranking was never a given, it was a goal the team aspired to from the beginning of the year.

Griffith and Di are both political science majors, which they said helps them parse through arguments,

most of which are rooted in political science research and literature. Di is also pursuing a statistics minor, which gives him an extra edge in interpreting these studies.

The pair also possesses different, complementary debating strengths. Griffith, for example, is better at thinking on his feet under pressure.

“I can wriggle my way out of tough situations, like if another team is prepared more than we have or if they have a new argument that we’re not ready to answer,” he said.

Di, on the other hand, has a broader base of knowledge, garnered from extensive research. Griffith said he thinks Di does more research than any other freshman in the country.

“He is always working and is very good at preparing for every possible scenario and has foresight that I don’t have,” Griffith said.

Di said one of the biggest differences between high school and college for him is the ability to dive deeper into certain areas and investigate nuances at a level he never has before.

He uses sources like Google Scholar and UK Libraries’ databases for most of his research, he said.

In college, and a growing number of high schools, debate is much more than a casual extracurricular activity. It’s a sport, and just like an athletic team, success requires hours and hours of dedication to the craft.

Di and Griffith went to high school in different areas—the Atlanta suburbs and Chicago, respectively—but their experiences were similar. Both regions are home to several schools who are consistently com-

Monday, March 15, 2021

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MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Jordan Di poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

petitive within the national high school circuit.

However, Di and Griffith had to face some challenges to get to where they are today. Griffith’s school lacked the level of coaching and team size that most nearby schools had, and his freshman year was the program’s first year under a new coach. As such, he had to be self-sufficient to achieve at a high level.

“It was pretty much debate research over everything,” Griffith said. “Like, including homework and schoolwork, and maybe that was not a very good decision, but it was really just a 24/7 grind.”

At Di’s high school, the debate program was completely shuttered, so he transferred to a new school his senior year. There, he was able to take advantage of the better infrastructure to get more tournament

experience and rise in the national rankings.

Arnett said that UK is known for providing the dual opportunity to succeed in both academics and debate. However, that doesn’t diminish the level of dedication and preparation debaters need to perform well.

“The kind of debate that we do is not just so much getting up and kind of making stuff up,” Arnett said.

“It really is questions of policy that get researched throughout the year.”

Arnett said that as soon as the year’s topic comes out in early summer, the entire team begins months of preparation for the first tournament. Each year, debate teams across the nation tackle one current politically relevant question, called a resolution.

Past resolutions have asked debaters to argue whether

or not the U.S. government should reduce the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal (2009-10), cancel all Allied War debts (1932-33) or establish national health insurance (2017-18), for example.

This year’s resolution is that the United States should reduce its alliance commitments with NATO, South Korea, Japan or the Philippines. In some rounds, teams will be responsible for affirming, or supporting, this resolution, while they will negate it in others.

Like any other college sport, debate has a regular season. In a normal year, teams travel across the country for multi-day tournaments that run from Friday or Saturday to Monday and that last up to 12 to 14 hours.

Depending on the size of the tournament, there

are six or eight preliminary rounds in which teams randomly alternate between affirming and negating the resolution. At the end of the preliminary rounds, the top 16 or 32 teams, based on preliminary round winning records, are chosen for the bracket-style elimination round. During this single elimination tournament, teams flip a coin to choose which side of the resolution they wish to argue.

Even though everyone debates the same topic, it doesn’t get boring or repetitive, Griffith said.

“There are a variety of different ways that people interpret the resolution, so there’s a lot of room for, like, what you’re really debating about and no two debates are really the same,” he said.

Di said that while not travelling to competitions during the pandemic saves

time, it can also make long tournaments even more draining than usual.

“You’re on Zoom for basically 12 hours during the day, already exhausted doing school that way,” Di said. “And then when you’re doing something like debate where it’s like you got to basically almost always be thinking and talking and really getting through complex things, Zoom fatigue really hits.”

Another major loss of virtual debate that everyone is missing, Griffith said, is the opportunity to socialize with teammates, as well as friends and acquaintances from other schools. Arnett said that this aspect of the pandemic has been difficult from a coaching standpoint too, especially with a young team of mostly freshmen and sophomores who haven’t built strong relationships yet.

“So much about the team and kind of the secret of our success is the informal time together that we’re missing so much,” he said. “Just like hanging out in the office, socially, but also kicking around ideas, is what we’ve lost and it really has been important to building our culture.”

To counteract this, the team has more scheduled and organized meeting time this year. Di said that even though they are physically separated, the team is still united around their primary goal of making the whole team as good as it can possibly be. The team has a saying at tournaments—“none of us are done until the last team is done”—which reflects the idea that while debate consists of individual competitions, one pair’s achievement represents the whole See DEBATE on page 10

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF David Griffith poses for a portrait on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Monday, March 15, 2021

news SPRING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

man kinesiology major, both said they were taking the extra day off to catch up on homework and school. Soller and Creeham both added that they could definitely both use a fulllength spring break right now, even if that just meant some time off school.

Some professors scheduled breaks into their syllabus to give students a mental respite.

Dr. Lauren Cagle, a professor of writing, rhetoric and digital studies, said she saw a need for the break based on what she saw in the fall.

“I knew that by spring midterms, both students

and I would be struggling to stay motivated and synthesize new information,” Cagle said. She built in a break both to give her time to grade and time for students to absorb what they’ve learned.

“When I reminded students about our course spring break during a zoom class, they all responded with heart emojis. Students are under so much pressure right now, and experiencing so much strain,” Cagle said, noting that students have faced challenges like becoming caretakers, missing interactions, grieving loved ones and facing illness this year while feeling pressured to act as if everything is normal.

“Giving all of us a break isn’t about generosity. It’s

about doing the right thing for all of uss, intellectually and ethically,” Cagle said.

Regardless of their plans, students can keep themselves and their community safe by practicing social distancing and being regularly tested for COVID-19. With finals week just a month out from the three-day weekend, students can see the light at the end of the tunnel and the addition of two reading days during prep week may offset some of their semester fatigue.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Freshmen Caroline Slicer and Carter Hall pack up for spring break on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Students would come back during spring break to move out for the semester.

BROOKLYN KELLEY | STAFF Mud and debris fill the home of Greg and Sharon Hardy, Estill County residents who lost almost everything in historic flooding in the first week of March

AWAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Outside of River City is Diggin’ Dogs, a hot dog stand run by Marion Burrough and

10 | kentucky kernel

his wife. These neighbors also pitched in on the relief effort - even Burrough’s grandson helped on Saturday evening as many volunteers and citizens attempted to pick up the

ruins of the town. Burrough handed out food to those who were either helping or in need.

“I don’t think it’s really going to hit them until after the cleanup,” Burrough said. Though

he has only lived in Estill County for seven years, Burrough spoke of the charm of the small town. He bragged on the citizens’ initiative to help their neighbors during this trying time.

Native Steve Tipton said Estill has seen a huge response to the county’s needs from people donating supplies. He said that now they need people’s time to help with the rebuilding process.

Other avenues of aid also support local businesses. Alex and Ali Grise, owners of “Old Fashioned Wicks,” are donating 100% of the net proceeds from their Kentucky Mountain Moonshine candles to flood victims in Estill.

These candles can be

purchased through direct messaging their Instagram account, @ oldfashionedwicks.

Estill native and recording artist Sarah Beth Terry has designed and is selling “#EstillStrong” t-shirts for $25 and is donating all proceeds to the Estill County Flood Relief, available for purchase on their website.

Physical donations can be made to several churches and outreach teams in Estill, with an emphasis food items, cleaning supplies, clothes, toiletries and other hygiene products. These items can be taken to River City Music and Arts at 211 Main Street or to Helping Hands Outreach at 1589 Richmond Rd in Irvine.

DEBATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

team.

“This really is a collective effort,” Arnett said. “Two people, no matter how good they are, cannot get it done by themselves. There’s too many arguments to research, it’s too complicated when you’re debating Harvard or Dartmouth or whatever and their machine.”

Griffith and Di aren’t sure where they’ll end up placing at the NDT later this month, but they hope to make it to the elimination rounds by placing in the top 30 of the 78 NDT qualifying teams after the preliminary rounds. Arnett said he isn’t focused on winning or losing, but rather the process. He compared debate to ice skating, where judges’ scoring can be more of an art than a science in some ways.

“All you can do is maximize your chances of winning and put yourself in a good situation and hope and believe that if you do all those things, it will in time work out,” he said. “Hopefully, the sky’s the limit.”

Monday, March 15, 2021

sports

Softball to host EKU in home opener following struggles in Gainesville

By Barkley Truax sports@kykernel.com

After one year and five days, Kentucky will once again take the field at John Cropp Stadium for their home opener against Eastern Kentucky.

Kentucky opened conference play this past weekend, No. 5 Florida, dropping their first two games of the three-game series, falling 3-1 both games. Uncharacteristic defensive mistakes led to three straight runs for the Gators as they took down the Cats in the first matchup.

Aside from a home run hit by senior pitcher Grace Baalman on day two, Kentucky just couldn’t find their way to home plate. The Cats even found themselves with bases loaded at the bottom of the sixth inning, coming up empty handed in the second game.

Game three was Kentucky’s most promising; a two-run home run from Erin Coffel at the top if the first inning put the Cats up 2-0 until the bottom of the seventh where a defensive error allowed the Gator comeback, tying the game at two and sending Sunday’s matchup into extra innings.

An RBI single from sophomore utility player Rylea Smith gave Kentucky the lead in the top of the ninth put the game away.

After a strong defensive stand in the bottom of the inning, Kentucky would earn their only victory in Gainesville in three tries.

Prior to the Florida series, the Cats rolled through non-conference play, cruising to a 19-0 start to the season – the best in the

JORDAN PRATHER | STAFF Kentucky sophomore Kayla Kowalik hits the ball during the home opener against Texas A&M on Saturday, March 7, 2020, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 11-9.

country at the time, while ranked No. 9 nationally. EKU heads into Tuesday recovering from a long weekend as well; before, they had won 11 of their last 12 games.

Their only losses this season have been on the road as well.

Through those first 19 games, Kentucky outscored their opponents 191-41 (150 points). Wins against NC Central (20-1 and 140), Stetson (15-0) and Sanford

(15-3) are a few examples of the dominance Kentucky has shown on the field through the first half of the season.

The Cats are led on offense by junior catcher Kayla Kowalik, senior infielder Lauren Johnson and true freshman infielder, Coffel.

Coffel, one of the most highly touted recruits in the class of 2020, leads Kentucky this season with 10 home runs. The freshman

sensation has started every game for the Cats this season, batting .437 and leads Kentucky in total at bats with 75 and 27 RBI’s.

Johnson, along with Coffel was started every game for the Cats this season. Batting .485 with 66 at bats, while hitting four doubles and four triples, the most on the roster so far; she’s solidified herself as the most consistent hitter on Ken-

tucky’s roster.

The real MVP for Kentucky this season, however, has to be awarded to Kowalik. The junior not only has the best batting average on the team (.493), she leads the team in hits (36), runs (33) and has five home runs this season; which is second only to Coffel.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior infielder Mallory Peyton is on an island by herself when it comes to making plays.

Last season, Peyton led the Cats will 11 home runs – she has five this season, tied for second most on her team.

While she may have taken a step back from her offensive role she had at this point last season, she has more than made up for it on defense, leading the team with 154 catches to go with 150 put outs while fielding .987 percent of balls perfectly.

The Colonels have a star freshman of their own in utility player Jasmine Miller, who, prior to their double-header against Murray State on Sunday, was batting a team-high .424 in 33 at bats. In those attempts, she’s scored 10 runs, 10 RBI’s and seven doubles.

Kentucky struggled last weekend leaving runners on base – something that EKU has the ability to take advantage from. So instead, the Cats will likely look keep this game low scoring (EKU only has 82 runs on the season) given their offensive struggles as of late.

See SOFTBALL on page 16

spring 2021 | 11

Monday, March 15, 2021

sports

History bodes ill for women’s basketball in the NCAA tournament, but Cats have chance to rewrite narrative

By Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com

Everyone knows the long and illustrious resume of Kentucky’s men’s basketball program, one of the winningest in history; by comparison, the list of accolades for the women’s team seems small, though they have had a shorter time span to rack up those wins. Rhyne Howard and company are seeking to change that reality in San Antonio, but it’s possible they’ll end up as the latest Lexington bunch to fall short of lofty expectations.

The Lady Wildcats first achieved varsity status in 1974 after a 50-year hiatus of women’s basketball at Kentucky. A University Senate bill abolished the sport after the 1924-25 season because state politicians of the time believed “basketball had proven to be a strenuous sport for boys and therefore was too strenuous for girls.” The 2020-21 campaign is the 47th for the Cats since reinstatement.

The Associate for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) hosted women’s basketball national championships for a decade (1972-1981) before the NCAA officially sponsored an event on its own.

The 24-team AIAW tournaments were Kentucky’s first “bids” for national title competition. Their first appearance came in 1979-80 under the direction of Debbie Yow, who coached the Cats to a 24-5 record. The team bowed out in the initial round to Oregon 86-81.

Kentucky made the AIAW the very next year despite changing head coaches. Anchored by superstar Valerie Still, Terry Hall’s Cats defeated Syracuse 81-80 for their first tournament victory but succumbed to Maryland 83-80 in the Sweet Sixteen.

Still and Hall brought Kentucky to the first NCAA Tournaments in 1981-82, which sported an expanded 32-team field. A No. 2 seed, the first-time SEC Tournament champion Wildcats fought their way past Midwest regional No. 7 seed Illinois 88-80 and No. 3 seed South Carolina 83-79 to reach the Elite Eight, where they matched up with overall No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech. The Lady Techsters entered the tournament 30-1, and would not be deterred from destiny, beating the Cats 82-60 on their way to the national title.

Still and company returned to the Big Dance in 1982-83, then up to

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Rhyne Howard (10) drives the ball into the paint during the UK vs. Georgia womenís SEC Tournament basketball game on Friday, March 5, 2021, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

UK lost 78-66.

36 teams. Ranked No. 12 in the country, Kentucky seemed poised for another deep run, but surprisingly dropped its first round Mideast regional contest to six-seeded Indiana 8776. The Cats were the only top-three seed to lose their

initial game that year.

Kentucky made just four NCAA tournaments from 1983-2009, never advancing past the second round. Matthew Mitchell’s arrival in Lexington changed the trajectory of the program, making it a

regular NCAA participant.

The Cats appeared in the event for eight straight seasons (2009-2017), and nine of ten after returning in 2018-19.

All in all, Kentucky has competed for the national championship on 17 occa-

sions. The Cats have fallen to a team ranked below them or a single seed line above in a whopping 13 of those tournament appearances: See NCAA on page 13

Monday, March 15, 2021

sports

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Robyn Benton (1) gets tangled up with UGA during the UK vs. Georgia womenís SEC Tournament basketball game on Friday, March 5, 2021, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. UK lost 78-66.

NCAA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

•

•

•

1979-80: Ranked No. 13 in the AIAW poll, Kentucky falls to Oregon, who was T-20.

1982-83: The No. 3 seed Cats lose to a No. 6 seed Indiana squad that never appeared in the NCAA Top-20 during the regular season.

1985-86: No. 7 seed Kentucky

•

•

•

lost to No. 10 seed Drake 73-70 in the first round (40 teams).

1990-91: The No. 9 seed Cats slip against No. 8 seed James Madison 7062 in round one (48 teams).

2005-06: No. 5 seed Kentucky is defeated by No. 4 seed Michigan State 67-63 in the second round.

2 0 0 9 - 1 0 : Fourth-seeded

•

•

Kentucky beats fifth-seeded Michigan State and regional topseed Nebraska before falling to third-seeded Oklahoma 88-68 in the Elite Eight.

2010-11: The No. 4 seed Cats are sent packing by No. 5 seed North Carolina 86-74 in the Round of 32.

2011-12: No. 2 seed Kentucky defeats No. 7 Green

•

•

Bay and No. 11 Gonzaga on the way to the Elite Eight, where it falls to No. 1 Connecticut 80-65 2012-13: The No. 2 seed Cats knock off No. 7 Dayton and No. 6 Delaware to make the Elite Eight for a second straight year, where No. 1 Connecticut again beats them (83-53).

2013-14: No. 3 seed Kentucky

beats No. 6 Syracuse before losing to No. 2 Baylor 90-72 in the Sweet Sixteen.

• 2014-15: The Cats, a No. 2 seed, lose to the No. 7 Dayton Flyers 99-94 in round two.

• 2015-16: No. 3 Kentucky is upset again by the No. 7 seed – this time Washington, 8572, in the Sweet Sixteen at Rupp Arena.

• 2016-17: No. 4 Kentucky loses to No. 5 Ohio State 82-68 in Memorial Coliseum.

The Cats have undoubtedly had their fair share of success, including four Elite Eight appearances.

But in some of their strongest seasons, they’ve been forced out by worse teams on the opening weekend or blown out by opponents on a similar level. The final games of this season bring credence to the possibility of something equivalent happening again. Kentucky lost to a solid but inferior Ole Miss squad to end the regular season, barely escaped Florida upset in the SEC Tournament’s second round and then got bullied by a Georgia team then ranked directly in front of them in the AP poll in the SEC Quarterfinals.

This gives the Cats cause for concern about their trip to San Antonio being cut short. They’ve struggled defensively against talented interior players and have become overly reliant on Howard at times, going in

the tank offensively for long stretches when the game gets more physical.

Howard, back-to-back SEC Player of the Year, could be heard begging teammates to shoot the ball during the conference quarterfinal with Georgia and has appeared frustrated numerous times throughout the season at the occasional lack of will from teammates to take open shots.

As a consensus No. 4 or 5 seed among bracket experts for the upcoming NCAA tournament, Kentucky will be tasked with one of the better low-major conference champions looking to make a name for itself in the Round of 64 and if they advance will likely face a fellow top-25 team two days later. Like the SEC Tournament path, the NCAA one will not be easy to traverse.

While the Cats could head home early, they may also stick around for longer than teams in their position typically do. Rhyne Howard captaining the ship gives them a chance every game, but the remainder of the roster is extremely talented. Jazmine Massengill is a great facilitator; Chasity Patterson can light up the scoreboard and provides elite defense; Dre’una Edwards has walking double-double potential. Robyn Benton and Blair Green have shown the ability to contribute off the bench. Treasure Hunt has been Howard-esque before in limited minutes, stuffing all categories of the stat sheet.

See NCAA on page 16

spring 2021 | 13

Monday, March 15, 2021

sports

Rhode(s) to success: sophomore star hopes to level playing field for women’s soccer

By Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com

Jordyn Rhodes only began her Kentucky soccer career in 2019, but immediately made waves.

She tied for the team lead in goals as a freshman and racked up countless conference achievements throughout her sophomore fall. While all the individual acknowledgements are nice, they’re not her focus. Rhodes wants to restore a winning tradition to her program.

The 2020 portion of this year’s schedule didn’t occur under circumstances anyone would consider ideal. COVID-19 limited the women’s soccer team to an eight-game all-SEC schedule. The slate was difficult for the youth-laden roster and they concluded their run with a 1-5-3 record, but Rhodes believes that mark is deceiving.

“We were all very grateful to even be able to play,” Rhodes said. “I definitely think we are increasing our abilities… [does] our record reflect that? Probably not. But we did compete in some pretty big games… put ourselves in position to win games, which was important… I think we did pretty good in the fall despite our record.”

The sophomore made the AllSEC first team after notching ten goals – four more than the conference’s second-place finisher – in only nine outings. She deflected the credit for the impressive tally though, giving praise to her fellow Wildcats.

“I wouldn’t have had any of

12 | kentucky kernel

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky freshman forward Jordyn Rhodes challenges a defender during the UK vs Bowling Green State University women’s soccer game on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, at the Bell Soccer Complex in Lexington, Kentucky. UK and BG tied 3-3.

those goals without my teammates,” Rhodes said. “They put me in positions where I was able to score and help our team.”

Five of those goals came via penalty kick, her specialty. She not only leads the nation in goals off penalty kicks, but is one of seven players to attempt three or more without a miss. Raise that number to four, and she’s the upper end of a couplet with South Alabama’s Brenna McPartlan, who has one fewer in twice the appearances.

How has she pulled off such an astounding feat? Rhodes didn’t want to give too much away, but said these goals aren’t preplanned.

“I don’t want to give away any of my tricks,” Rhodes remarked.

“But honestly, I never really know which way I’m going… until I get up there. I kind of look at the goalie and feel ‘which way should I go today?’”

Five of her scoring strikes came in the fall’s final two games, both against Florida. The

first was a 3-1 victory at The Bell; the second, a thrilling 6-5 result in the Gators’ favor in what was each school’s first SEC Tournament match. Rhodes recorded her first collegiate hat trick in the loss and believes the team’s performance was an indication of its improvement.

“I think we’re going to take that game and hold onto it for a very long time,” she said. “That game was very important for us… just knowing we can compete against a team at the caliber of

Florida the way that we did gives our team a lot of confidence.”

“It was very exciting for our program in general,” Rhodes continued. “We’re definitely getting where we want to be.”

Rhodes’ mind is set on raising the team’s bar. The Cats haven’t had a winning record since 2015.

She’s intent on changing that reality by doing whatever is necessary moving forward.

“I just think that our program has gone through a lot… we deserve to have good seasons,” Rhodes told me. “My primary goal is to help us get there. If that means I have to score more goals, then I have to score more goals. If I have to get more assists, that’s fine too. I don’t really care about my accolades as long as our team is winning.”

One of the reasons she sees her squad as worthy of more wins, in addition to the effort it has put forth, is because it has been on the verge of so many in her short tenure. The Cats have tied six times and lost by a single goal in ten instances during Rhodes’ brief time in Lexington.

“We have come so close… we end up tying or losing a late one in overtime,” she said. “My freshman year, we lost a lot of games in overtime.”

The women’s team, like the men’s, was supposed to have a large number of opponents for the spring (“eight non-conference”, according to Rhodes). But differing COVID-19 protocols amongst the neighboring leagues have cut into that drastically.

See RHODES on page 16

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spring 2021 | X

Monday, March 15, 2021

sports SAFE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

right now.

“The women’s center would provide a place of not only acceptance but that uplifts and educates women to build bridges over so many societal barriers,” Sawyer said.

The proposal already has 10 organizations who have given a verbal endorsement, meaning they support the belief that UK should establish a women’s center in a timely manner. Sawyer said she is looking forward to bringing this idea to the UK Vice President for Student Success

SOFTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

One player in particular that could cause problems for Kentucky in that category would be junior outfielder Sammi Miller, who leads EKU in runs (14), hits (17) and is the only player to hit a triple all season; she has three. Although she’s only batting .395, it’s not from a lack of effort – Miller

in a meeting soon, with hopes to bring it to higher administration in the coming months.

Students who wish to support can find the Women’s Coalition on Instagram at @ thewomenscoalition. Sawyer also added that students can fill out the petition for the establishment of the Women’s Center at the link in the bio of the page’s Instagram. Sawyer said while numbers were of some importance, the most important part of the petition was the call for personal statements at the end because she said those anecdotes will show the administration what it would really mean to students to have this resource.

puts a lot of power behind her swing so whenever she finds her rhythm, it could spell danger for the Cats.

While both teams lost their footing heading into their matchup, there’s nothing like an in-state rivalry game to pick one team up – and leave the other writhing in defeat.

Tuesday’s game against EKU is set to begin at 6 p.m. for Kentucky’s home opener at John Cropp Stadiumon SECN+.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Chasity Patterson (15) dribbles the ball into the paint during the UK vs. Georgia womenís SEC Tournament basketball game on Friday, March 5, 2021, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. UK lost 78-66.

NCAA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

The biggest factor for each of those players, along with KeKe McKinney and Tatyana Wyatt, is consistency. Putting the burden of carrying this team entirely on Howard – no matter her greatness – isn’t fair, nor is it the recipe for success. She has demonstrated she can lead the team to victory when games come down the

RHODES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

STAFF FILE PHOTO The Kentucky softball team cheers with the crowd after the game against Marshall on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.

16 | kentucky kernel

Currently, Kentucky is set for only one spring meeting against SEC foe Ole Miss.

The date of the game has yet to be announced, but it’s something the team is much looking forward to for a variety of reasons, including self-assessment.

“Our main goal is to continue to build up what we’ve already done,” Rhodes said. “[We] want to use it as a spring, a literal spring... It will be a good test to see where we are right now.”

That’s not the only thing though, of

stretch but forcing her to do it for an entire quarter or half is untenable. Allow her to conserve energy for crunch time, and good things can happen.

Kentucky is possibly the most polarizing team in the country. The Cats have gone stride for stride with some of the nation’s best, but also toiled with some on the opposite end. They’re capable of positive and negative surprises. Whatever transpires is ultimately on their shoulders.

So goes March Madness.

course.

“Obviously we want to come out with a win,” she added.

Unsurprisingly, bringing home victory is her top personal priority for the battle versus the unfamiliar Rebels.

“My main goal for the spring is to beat Ole Miss,” Rhodes said. “Especially because we haven’t faced Ole Miss. At least I haven’t since I’ve been here. It’ll be fun to [face] a new team, in conference as well.”

With Rhodes in tow, the future for the Cats appears bright. If she can continue to grow alongside her young comrades, Kentucky may again find itself in the thick of the SEC’s best before long.