Kentucky Kernel: November 2, 2020

kentuckykernel

Monday, November 2, 2020 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

BIG BLUE BOO HOO Offense stalls, UK falls to Georgia on Halloween | PAGE 9 Community in SWE

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Faculty and gender

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Pragmatism or passion?

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Monday, November 2, 2020

sports

No. 3 Kentucky volleyball hitting a rhythm in hot start to season

By Barkley Truax sports@kykernel.com

In their first four matches, the No. 3 Kentucky Women’s Volleyball team has been steamrolling through the opposition to earn a 4 – 0 start on the season.

The Wildcats are coming off a 25-7 record, SEC championship and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2019-20 season. UK lost to the University of Washington in the regional round of the NCAA championships; Leah Edmond ended her UK career with that game,

notching 17 kills. But the Cats made up the loss of Edmond and other seniors by bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for this season.

Kentucky opened their season on Oct. 16 - 17 at home against Tennessee. The Cats swept the Volunteers on the first night of action, riding senior Avery Skinner’s 13 kills to a 3 - 0 win (25-15, 25-16, 25-15).

Freshman Reagan Rutherford had the second most kills, finishing the night nine total in the home opener, which also served as her collegiate debut.

Tennessee started off hot in the second

STAFF PHOTO Senior Gabby Curry, shown here at a match against Mizzou in 2019, partnered with Laure Tharp to net 21 digs in UK’s match on Oct. 29. match against the Vulunt smiles in between points during the match against Mizzou on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 in

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match, winning the first set 26- 24.

Skinner had other plans for the match, however, deliver a career-defining performance with 21 kills as Kentucky won the next three sets in short order, concluding the match in four sets (24-26, 25-23, 2522, 25-13). On top of her new career-high in kills, Skinner finished with two blocks and was responsible for 23 points that night.

Kentucky senior Madison Lilley led all players in the game with 48 assists. Lilley ranks No. 2 in the nation in assists; 12.9 per set.

Kentucky continued its season this past week with another two game series, this time traveling to Columbia to take on the No. 9 Missouri Tigers.

Kentucky dropped the first set 23-25.

They were down eight early, but rallied back and had a chance to tie 24-all but missed on the attack and the Tigers took advantage.

The second set was a thriller; the Wildcats fell behind early, before pulling it together to surge in the latter half of the.

Missouri and Kentucky traded the lead as the score ticked into the 20s, going on to extra points before junior Alli Stumler came up with a kill to conclude the set 35 - 33.

Kentucky took two more sets to seal the deal at 3 - 1(23-25, 35-33, 25-20, 25-18).

Skinner and Stumler had 21 kills each.

Lilley had an astonishing outing with 51 total assists and six digs; senior Gabby Curry led the Wildcats with 13 digs and has been responsible for at least a dozen every game this year for Kentucky.

The Wildcats took on Mizzou again on Oct. 29, dropping the first set for the third game in a row with a score of 19-25 - the largest margin Kentucky has lost a set by all season.

The Cats bounced back, winning the game in four sets (19-25, 25-21, 25-13,

STAFF PHOTO Kentucky junior Avery Skinner, shown here at a match in 2019, set a career-high 21 kills in UK’s second match against the Volunteers.

25-16). Kentucky has yet to be pushed to five sets thus far.

Stumler led Kentucky with 22 kills, followed by sophomore Azhani Tealer with a career-high 14. Curry and junior Laure Tharp played some of the best defense of the season, totaling 21 digs and some massive plays down the stretch that allowed Kentucky to take control of the game in the final sets.

The Wildcats have not had a shortage of scorers on this year’s team.

Stumler leads the team with 73 points overall, followed directly by Skinner with 72. At 4-0, Kentucky is tied with Texas A&M for the top spot in the SEC rankings. defeating the Cats in Kentucky is already halfway through their eight-game season. Kentucky’s next match ups are on Nov. 7 and 8 against Auburn in Lexington, both at 4 p.m. EST.

Monday, November 2, 2020

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

kentuckykernel

CONTACT Editor-in-chief: Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

NOW VIRTUAL: FALL COMMENCEMENT

Sorry, December graduates; you, too will have your commencement ceremony virtually, like graduates from spring 2020.

UK announced last week that fall commencement, scheduled for Dec. 4 at 2 p.m., would be held virtually. Students who apply for a degree in the Fall 2020 Semester will receive an email on how to register for the virtual ceremony.

Each graduate will be recognized with an official slide during the ceremony. Graduates are encouraged to upload their picture and a personal message to be displayed during the live stream, which can be downloaded and shared on social media.

In their announcement, UK confirmed they plan to hold an in-person ceremony for Fall 2020 graduates when it is safe to do so.

“The university is fully committed to honoring the December and May 2020 graduates at an appropriate time, when it can be done in a safe and healthy way. As a future UK graduate, you will have earned

p[the moment to wear your graduation regalia and walk across a stage.”

In-person festivities will occur during a University-wide Senior Week on November 16th-20th hosted by the Alumni Association, where graduates will be able to pick up their diploma cover and participate in other events throughout the week.

May 2020 and August 2020 graduates are invited to to participate in this this virtual graduation as well.

FINAL MEN’S SOCCER GAME AFFECTED BY COVID-19

Kentucky men’s soccer’s final game against Duke was postponed due to “positive COVID-19 tests and appropriate quarantine procedures of close contacts on [the Wildcats]”, according to a UK press release on Wednesday.

No exact number of positive cases concerning men’s soccer players and staff was revealed in the release. UK Athletics’ last Return to Activity update on Oct. 2 said 336 student-athletes and 225 staff members

were PCR tested between Sept. 3 and16, with 20 athletes and three staff members – not specified by sport – testing positive.

The match was the last of the men’s soccer fall season. in its press release, UK said the postponement is “is consistent with Covid-19 management requirements developed by the Southeastern Conference Medical Guidance Task Force.”

According to UK Athletics, SEC protocols are being used because Kentucky’s men’s soccer conference (Conference USA) is not playing a fall league schedule and doing so helps the university “be consistent across its sports and athletes.”

The SEC task force lists men’s soccer as a “high transmission risk sport”, meaning PCR testing is required “weekly during practice and three times weekly during competition periods.”

Conference requirements state that athletes diagnosed with COVID-19 will “require isolation for at least 10 full days with day 0 starting at the onset of symptoms or the day of testing” if asymptomatic.

UK said in its press release both it and Duke plan to reschedule their matchup for the spring season.

UK REQUIRING COVID-19 TESTING UPON ARRIVAL TO CAMPUS IN SPRING Similar to the fall reopening, UK students living or going to campus in the spring will be required to be tested for COVID-19 at the beginning of the semester. In an email to students, UK said students must be tested between Jan. 18 and Jan. 31. Classes start on Jan. 25 and run through the first week of May. Tests must be polymerase chain reaction based tests. Students can get them off-campus, but UK will again offer free testing on campus at locations like the 90, Blazer Dining and Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB I STAFF Photo of the week: Young trick or treaters walk down the sidewalk with their candy during Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, on Chenault Rd in Lexington, Kentucky.

Managing editor: Michael Clubb editor@kykernel.com News/features editor: Lauren Campbell news@kykernel.com Asst. news editors: Haley Blackburn Emily Girard Sports editor: Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com Opinions editor: Sarah Michels opinions@kykernel.com Asst. Opinions editor: Gillian Stawiszynski Photo editor: Tori Rogers Designers: Mya LaCLair Ryder Noah From Social media manager: Sarah Simon-Patches KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICES 340 McVey Hall University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the cover: A UK father-son fan duo wait for the game to start before the University of Kentucky vs. University of Georgia football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. UK lost 14-3. Photo by Michael Clubb | Staff

— STAFF REPORT

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Monday, November 2, 2020

news

Women engineers gain community, development through student society

By Lauren Campbell news@kykernel.com

The Society of Women Engineers is a student organization that provides a thriving community of support for female students within the College of Engineering.

This week, the UK chapter of SWE will have the chance to attend a national conference with women in collegiate sections of SWE across the U.S. UK SWE’s Secretary, Tori Cambron, says this yearly conference allows SWE women to bond with members across the country while getting professional development opportunities.

“Each year, national SWE hosts a conference for professional and collegiate members to come together to connect and learn. This year, our chapter will be attending virtually, but there will still be plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development,” Cambron said.

UK SWE members met last Wednesday to prepare for the conference.

“Before the conference, our members got together to work on resumes, career fair skills, and simply bond with others in our organization. Then, over the next few weeks, members who are attending the conference will have the opportunity to listen to break out sessions, network with professional members, and attend the virtual career fair,” Cambron said.

Brittany Williams, president of SWE at UK, says the conference was supposed to be four days in New Orleans, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, it is now virtual and two-weeks long.

“This conference is a conference we would typically go to in some cool city, it was supposed to be in New Orleans, but now it’s fully virtual this year… It’s a twoweek virtual conference, versus the fourday in-person one, so we’ll be able to go

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JACK WEAVER | STAFF Jill Steffen, conference chair, speaks to members during the Society of Women Engineers meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at the Ralph G. Anderson Building in Lexington, Kentucky.

to new sessions which will be really cool,” Williams said.

Williams says the sessions with cover different skills SWE members will need when they land their first job.

“The sessions cover how to vouch for yourself in the workplace, being a woman in a male-dominated field, places you can take your career, and different companies.

The best part of the sessions are getting to chat about them and getting our women

ready for really great professional development,” Williams said.

The conference highlights the mission of the organization, and its four core pillars: belongingness, professional development, outreach, and diversity and inclusion.

Locally, UK’s SWE organization has been hosting socially-distanced events to prepare the women for the conference and teach them about SWE’s pillars.

“Each of our SWE events includes one or more of these pillars so that our members will get a well-rounded experience by being involved with SWE,” Cambron said.

Through their Leaders and Learners Program, UK SWE hopes to foster a sense of belonging.

“Belongingness we do through our Leaders and Learners Program, which is essentially a fun event where we all get to See SWE on page 5

Monday, November 2, 2020

SWE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

hang out with each other and connect upperclassmen with underclassmen, talk about classes, professors, and give each other advice,” Williams said.

This year, due to COVID-19, students have gotten acquainted over Zoom.

“Normally we take 70 girls to Malibu Jacks to play games and laser tag, so this year it looks a little different… We did a virtual Bob Ross paint night that over 60 girls registered and attended. They got to pick up a canvas and paint that we provided, and everyone hopped on a Zoom call to follow along with a Bob Ross paint tutorial and then show each other our canvases,” Williams said.

SWE members get professional development through speakers at meetings, the national conference, and helping host the College of Engineering’s Career Fair.

“Our second pillar, professional development, we do though speakers at all of our meetings, and the SWE Conference every year. In the past, we’ve been in places like Anneheim, California, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Austin, Texas. We

send the most members of a collegiate section around the country. We sent 53 girls to Anaheim last year. We also help host the College of Engineering’s Career Fair,” Williams said.

To achieve their outreach pillar, UK SWE partners with local schools in Lexington.

“We do a lot of outreach on campus and in the Lexington area to help encourage women that engineering is an option for them, that they can do it. We go to William Wells Brown, a local elementary school, and meet with the fourth and fifth grade girls there to tell them what engineering is, how they can go after it, and get them excited about possibly going after a career in the STEM field one day,” Williams said.

However, because of COVID-19 and not being able to host events for younger students, SWE has sent out science kits and provided video lessons for elementary girls in Lexington.

“We used to go every other week to William Wells Brown Elementary, but instead we’ve switched to a virtual program…

And instead of doing one elementary school, we can do it at elementary schools all around Lexington… We mail the kids

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Brittany Williams, president of UK’s Society of Women Engineers, passes out shirts after a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at the Ralph G. Anderson Building in Lexington, Kentucky.

science kits to do experiments and make a video for them to follow along and learn about the science behind it,” Williams said.

They also award the students for their work in science.

“We get to send them t-shirts and candy when they complete their experiments. So we still get them exposed to science and technology that encourage them that engineering is an option,” Williams said.

Williams says their newest pillar, diversity and inclusion, is very important for the organization. SWE hosts diversity and inclusion networking nights to ensure all students are represented.

“It’s always been a priority of SWE to make sure women feel equally represented in the STEM field and have that equity throughout their career. Also ensuring all minorities in the engineering field can have the same opportunities. We started hosting diversity and inclusion networking nights last year, where companies interested in specifically hiring diverse talent come in to meet with our students and form those relationships,” Williams said.

Cambron says students need a community to exceed in engineering, which SWE can provide.

“You shouldn’t try to succeed at engineering alone. Engineering is challenging enough as it is, so working with others and using the resources around you can make all aspects of college more enjoyable and beneficial,” Cambron said.

And while colleges and academic services are helpful, it’s also important to find a social network to support you.

“UK is a large university, so if you can find your small group or niche on campus, especially by joining a student organization, you will have a strong group of friends that can inspire you and motivate you to achieve all your goals,” Cambron said.

Any female-identifying student interested in engineering is welcome to join SWE. “The best way to learn about upcoming events is to join our emailing list by visiting our website at uky.swe.org. You can also learn more about our organization by visiting our BBNvolved page or following us on Instagram @swe.uky. SWE is a no pressure organization. You can participate to the extent that you have time and interest. Feel free to jump in at any time,” Cambron said.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Members of UK’s Society of Women Engineers play Kahoot during a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at the Ralph G. Anderson Building in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Monday, November 2, 2020

news

Men outnumber women among UK faculty, especially in STEM fields

By Haley Blackburn

Faculty

news@kykernel.com

Academia has a diversity problem; in recent years, universities across the country have begun diversity initiatives that focus on recruiting faculty to more accurately represent the student population. One of the key benchmarks in this nationwide conversation is the unequal proportion of male and female faculty; UK is not exempt from this conversation.

According to UK’s Interactive Fact Book, in 2018 and 2019 57.9 percent of all UK faculty members were male and 42.1 percent were female. Meanwhile, the student population was majority (55.2 percent) female in the fall of 2018.

UK’s gender discrepancy between faculty and student populations is in line with nationwide trends; gender representation among faculty has become a serious research topic in recent years. At UK, the mismatch in gender demographics is present across rank and position of faculty members.

For the 2018 - 2019 academic year, UK’s Interactive Fact Book listed 747 faculty members that were categorized as full professors, 553 (74 percent) of

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42.1%

Full Professors

26% 57.9%

74%

Female

Male

Female

Male

*Data from UK’s Interactive Fact Book, 2018 and

*Data from UK’s Interactive Fact Book, 2018 and

2019.

2019.

which were listed as male and 194 (26 percent) listed as female.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, around 73 percent of faculty members ranked as professors nationwide are male, consistent with the numbers seen here at UK. In addition, STEM fields are known for having noticeable gender gaps from as early on as elementary school and continuing into the workforce demographics of today, including in higher education.

According to a 2019 report by the National Science Foundation, in 2017 women made up 38 percent of science and engineering doctorates employed in higher education across the country, which is up 13 percent from 1997. The NSF report also found that women accounted for 32 percent of full-time senior faculty (including full professors and associate professors) in 2017, which had nearly doubled from 1997.

The proportion of male to female faculty varies widely depending on the

discipline. Nursing is a female-dominated STEM field, whereas physics is largely male-dominated.

While these numbers do show the growth of the female workforce in STEM, it still leaves women in the minority in the field as a whole.

UK’s Interactive Fact Book only lists faculty selections by college, so it cannot be used as a measurement tool because STEM programs are spread across nearly every college on UK’s campus. However, Some STEM department

chairs were able to provide department specific numbers to the Kernel.

Al Shapere, chair of the UK physics and astronomy department, said with physics being one of most male-dominated fields worldwide, he has seen this discrepancy first hand and even in his own department where only three out of 31 employees are female.

Shapere said his department and the entire College of Arts and Sciences is working to increase their number of female employees.

“The College of Arts and Sciences has 106 Assistant Professors, of whom 62 are female, or about 58 percent. These are all faculty hired within the last six years,” Shapere said. “This number shows the College’s strong commitment to increasing the number of women faculty.”

As for the discrepancy in faculty ranking, Shapere said, “These things can’t be changed overnight, but eventually most of these assistant professors will become full professors, and if hiring continues at its current rate, we should be at 50 percent within seven years or so.”

The Department of Biology, also housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, paints a different picture of a male to female faculty ratio in STEM. Vincent Cassone, chair of the UK biology department, said the department currently employs 15 female faculty members and 22 male faculty members; however, he said the department will continue recruiting not only female faculty but also continue increasing their overall faculty numbers to fit the growing number of biology majors at UK. “These are hard times for higher education, and biology has too few faculty

Monday, November 2, 2020

news for the numbers of biology and neuroscience majors here,” Cassone said.”We desperately need to grow at a time when resources are scarce.”

Faculty members and students at UK and across the country have taken note of gender discrepancies and the issues they cause, and some are now focusing the conversation on solutions.

One of the main concerns in this mismatch between student and faculty demographics is the effects it can have on student success.

“When students have fewer role models and mentors who are women full professors this can certainly also impact how students understand possibilities and obstacles for women in higher ed, and for themselves,” said Cristina Alcalde, associate dean of inclusion and internationalization in the College of Arts and Sciences and Marie Rich Endowed Professor of gender and women’s Studies. “The picture is starker for BIPOC populations, who are less likely to find Black, Latinx, Asian, and Native American women in senior leadership positions.”

Susan Gardner, a professor in the UK physics department, said she has seen this same issue in her classes. However, she saw the opposite effect for those students who were taught by faculty that they identified with.

“I do have the impression from interacting with my students and chatting with my faculty colleagues that female students may feel particularly encour-

aged to succeed when they are taught by female faculty,” Gardner said.

Katherine Paullin, faculty lecturer in the UK mathematics department, said she has similar concerns for the STEM field, saying that this representation matters especially in the fields where women are often underrepresented in hopes that it will draw more females to be comfortable in the field.

spanish dual degree, said she hadn’t noticed a gender discrepancy in her classes until she reached her higher level courses, where she noticed most of the professors are male and there are fewer female students.

“Girls will always be drawn to science in the same way young male scientists are fascinated by it.

The real issue is paving the way for women to stay interested and showing them

Physics and Astronomy Department 9.7%

STEM but universitywide.

Alcalde manages several initiatives within the college to better diversify faculty not just by gender but also other forms of diversity.

Alcalde said while the college itself has a DEI plan, each department is developing its own version to discuss a path to a more diverse faculty at that level.

The College of Arts and Sciences also cre-

al other topics.

The college also has the Faculty inclusion Fellows Program to support faculty-proposed initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion efforts to benefit students.

“We have funded several STEM faculty-led initiatives through this, including initiatives to bring in more women speakers in Math and Statistics and efforts to further diversify

A&S Assistant Professors

42% 90.3%

Female

58%

Male

*Data from Al Shapere, chair of the UK physics and astronomy department.

“Students need to see faculty that look like them in order to believe that they can achieve success in that field. This applies not just to gender, but also to race and class, and starts long before students come to college. Having more women in STEM faculty increases our chances of having more female STEM majors,” Paullin said.

Darcy Adreon, a sophomore biochemistry and

that they are equally capable of becoming involved in science,” Adreon said.

Adreon and Paullin both said solutions to this issue, beyond UK, begin with changing how the public perceives STEM and the stereotypes surrounding it.

Aside from departments and students, colleges and the university as a whole are also taking steps to work toward a more diverse faculty not only in

Female

Male

*Data from Al Shapere, chair of the UK physics and astronomy department.

ated a College Diversity and Inclusivity Committee, including 10 faculty, staff, and students from the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences who discuss diversity and inclusion.

They are only developing DEI modules for international students, which include materials on trans allyship, gender pronouns, and LGBTQ histories, linguistic diversity, and sever-

Biology peer instructors,” Alcalde said.

The university as a whole is also making efforts to continually increase diversity and educate others on the subject through numerous initiatives such as the new online graduate certificate in diversity and inclusion.

Katheryn Cardarelli, senior Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development and

an Associate Professor of Health, Behavior & Society at UK, said she and her department work directly to increase diversity by gender, race, ethnicity, and a wide range of other forms of diversity Cardarelli said her department keeps workbooks to track the progression of diversity at the school, especially tracking how many female employees are moving into tenure eligible positions.

Cardarelli also said her office is currently working to expand section on diversity recruitment in their Faculty Hiring Toolkit, a guide for colleges and departments to use in the hiring process, Cardarelli also said that there were offices and people all across UK that were committed to this same initiative, including the Vice President for Research and the Dean of the College of Engineering.

“We want all of our students to be able to look across the faculty ranks in their college and see someone who looks like them and or who has had experiences like them,” Cardarelli said. “We want to cultivate a community belonging for everyone.”

While Cardarelli said her office is hard at work toward the goal of diversity, she does understand that UK’s commitment to bridge the gap between faculty and student demographics is far from over.

“If everyone looks one way and then students look another way that that’s not going to work. I do think that we’re getting better,” Cardarelli said. “I do think we have a long way to go.”

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Monday, November 2, 2020

sports

Lens eye view: UK vs. UGA

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton tries to break a tackle during the University of Kentucky football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Josh Ali (6) runs the ball up the field during the football game on Saturday at Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Richard LeCounte (2) holds the ball up after picking up a UK fumble during the University of Kentucky football game on Saturday at Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF A UK football usher stands at her position before the University of Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Earnest Sanders IV (13) runs the ball up the field during the University of Kentucky football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Kroger Field.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats defensive tackle Marquan McCall (50) celebrates an interception during the University of Kentucky football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Kroger Field.

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Monday, November 2, 2020

news

‘A little sense of direction.’

By Sarah Michels news@kykernel.com

Many UK undergraduate students are navigating their college experience partially in the dark. It might not be immediately noticeable, but over a quarter of the students walking around campus, studying in Willy T. and attendcording to UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.

First-generation students are those students whose parents and grandparents did not complete a bachelor’s deyet, in the 2019-20 school year, 34.8% of undergraduate of all students. This is the highest number and percentage school year.

First-Generation Student Advising, UK Student SupSocial Justice are hosting the inaugural First Generation Student Conference this year to offer guidance to these students, especially amid the added complications that COVID presents.

The one-day conference will be held Nov. 7 from. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Zoom. In addition to offering networking opportunities, mentorship and motivation, the event will them as trailblazers, said Martina Martin, associate director of student transitions and family programs.

The deadline for free registration is Nov. 5.

Martin said that people often negatively stereotype than continuing generation students. One of the conference’s goals is to address the inaccuracy of that stigma.

“In reality, those students are very highly intelligent,” Martin said. “They are highly capable, they’re resilient, they have grit, they have that determination. Unfortunately, they just need a little sense of direction.”

That sense of direction is increasingly important now, with the pandemic hindering students’ abilities to form connections with their peers and professors.

“Those relationships help us understand where to go and help us feel comfortable with being able to ask questions” Martin added. “During COVID it’s much more dif-

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Fallen leaves collect under a row of trees outside of William T. Young Library on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, in Lexington, Kentucky.

really embrace campus life.”

The First Generation Student Conference will have several focus areas, including career and professional development, social justice, graduate school and mentorship.

Martin said they wanted to show students how they can be advocates for themselves and their community, as well

man years, they wanted to offer sophomores a leadership opportunity. These members of the 1G Living Learning senters and promoted the event.

The panel of presenters will include Carol Taylor-Shim and Brandon Colbert, diversity director and social justice educator for the Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice of-

direction they may not get from their families. “(First-generation students) are very creative and can make things happen,” Martin said. “Except they don’t take the traditional route, because they don’t know what the traditional route is, nor do they have the family members that can actually say, here’s what to do.”

The conference, originally scheduled for April, was

Martin said her goal is to reach 100 attendees for the inaugural event. However, if just 10 participate, she will still consider the conference a success. “(If) those 10 students take away and come out of this conference feeling more prideful and proud of being First

as part of an EXP class. Martin said that since so much of

ness as they navigate their college experience,” she said.

“I would be absolutely thrilled.”

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Monday, November 2, 2020

opinions

Plastic pandemic: How dangerous is plastic usage from COVID-19? positions across the U.S. More online ordering has caused Amazon to increase their use of plastic in packaging, whereas before people were going directly to the store to buy their items.

By Luke Williams opinions@kykernel.com

COVID-19 took the world by storm and created a time of unknowns for people all over the globe. Many people lost their jobs or started working from home, toilet paper became scarce and events became virtual. The virus changed our way of life.

We also see the same trends in the food industry. One 2020 science journal published in Science Magazine said that “packaged take-out meals and home-delivered groceries contributed an additional 1,400 tons of plastic waste during Singapore’s eight-week lockdown.” We see a massive increase in plastic usage by restaurants because they have transitioned from reusable plates and utensils to carry-out containers and bags.

Companies were forced to change the way that they operated to control the spread of the virus. Restaurants began to focus on carry-out and delivery. For these and many other reasons related to the pandemic, we have seen our plastic usage shockingly increase.

We need to take initiative to decrease our plastic use for the sake of our future world.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area of the Pacific Ocean known for holding an alarming amount of trash. But trash is also strewn in many other areas of the ocean. In fact, 2019 research shows that the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans was at least 5.25 trillion pieces, weighing over 250,000 tons. This amount of trash would be the same as 19,230 garbage trucks dumping into the ocean, and it is only expected to increase! The same study shows that this plastic is expected to increase by an order of magnitude by 2025.

There have been many efforts to clean this plastic and initiatives everywhere for a reduction in plastic usage.

For example, organizations such as Starbucks and Kroger have incentivized reusable cups and grocery bags in the past year. These companies were helping make positive strides towards less plastic usage, but then the world was affected by the COVID-19 virus.

One of the most prominent uses of plastic during the pandemic has been face masks. Government officials are setting mask mandates for the public, and schools

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We cannot let the coronavirus setback be the reason we lose our war on plastics.

This is even seen in the University of Kentucky dining halls. Students who eat at the dining halls once a day, five days a week are using about 75 disposable containers in their fall semester.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Trash piles up in a trash bin on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, outside The 90 in Lexington, Kentucky.

are forcing children to wear masks if they want to attend classes. A 2020 article published in The Science of the Total Environment reported that China produced approximately 14.8 million medical masks a day in February. The number of COVID cases and mask-wearing people has skyrocketed since then.

The article goes on to show how the plastics within the mask could break down and damage our environment. The increase in the production and use of masks during this time will have an astounding effect on our environment that will show itself in the upcoming years.

Of course, many people try to look at a positive aspect of the pandemic on the environment. While it is true that fewer people have been driving, signifying less air pollution, and gas prices have fallen

as a result, there are more layers to be revealed.

Many people do not know that gas and plastic prices are related. A 2020 Plastics Today article shows the trends in plastic pricing throughout this pandemic. In the March report, we see prices of polyethylene and polypropylene are flat and down, respectively. Polyethylene and polypropylene are the two main types of plastics used in the production of single-use plastics, the main polluters of our environment. The mid-June report shows that polyethylene prices slightly increased and polypropylene prices were flat. This low plastic pricing is not helping companies such as Amazon cut back on their plastic usage. In early 2020, Amazon reported a huge rise in sales. A TWICE article said that Amazon announced it would be seeking 100,000 new full and part-time

Once one considers how many students are eating on campus, this number becomes very concerning. The university has a reusable container program for only ten dollars, but a lot of students are not aware of this. The number of food containers being sent to landfills during this time due to carry-out ordering is very concerning.

The numbers do not lie; our plastic usage is increasing, and this problem will have a much more lasting effect than the virus. Our use of plastic now has a high chance of affecting the way we view plastic usage in the future. We cannot let this trend become the new norm or else our environment may never look the same.

Be conscious about your usage of plastic.

Consider what you can do to help make sure that your child’s world is not a littered mess. Some ways you can start to do better are to create washable masks made of cloth or buy reusable grocery bags.

Monday, November 2, 2020

A study of emergency care involving victims of severe traumatic brain injury is to be performed in this area.

The University of Kentucky is conducting a research study to identify the best way to deliver high dose oxygen under pressure (hyperbaric oxygen) so that severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients can recover with less disability.

All patients will receive standard of care for their TBI. Because head injury is a life threatening condition requiring immediate treatment, some patients will be enrolled without consent if a family member or representative is not rapidly available. Before the study starts, we will consult with the community. We welcome your feedback and questions.

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For more information or to decline participation in this study, please visit: hobittrial.org Contact study coordinator: Theresa Mims, RN, Phone (859) 218-5540 Email theresa.mims@uky.edu Study Survey: https://redcap.uky.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=JFK74ATX4N

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Monday, November 2, 2020

opinions

When pragmatic support becomes passionate

By Luke Schlake opinions@kykernel.com

It was a fantastic turnout. On my way from Cincinnati to Louisville yesterday, I witnessed nearly 100 cars, complete with billowing MAGA flags and political decals, streaming down the highway in a show of support for President Trump. It was an impressive feat of coordination and an ingenious way to campaign for one’s candidate.

But this highway rally, so brazen in display, saddened me, because I knew many of the participants were Jesus-following Christians. On that same drive, I passed a house proudly displaying the Christian flag and the Trump flag sideby-side on the front porch.

Being a Christianis not irreconcilable with supporting Trump; the vote of reluctance and pragmatism in the face of poor alternatives is how many Christians reasonably justify their support. As evangelical leader and apologist Frank Turek put it, “Demeanor is not the main reason I’m voting for somebody to be president...I’m going to have to go with the least-worst choice, and in this case, that appears to be Trump.” If you are a Christian more concerned with policy than persona, a vote for President Trump may be rational.

But if your vote is reluctant, let your pride in Trump be so also. We can admit that Donald Trump is no paragon of Christian virtue. Think of the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I doubt a full recounting of his ethical escapades are necessary to prove that these words don’t describe the president.

You may respond, however, that 12 | kentucky kernel

“God can use sinful people to accomplish his will.” And this is true! The Bible is chock-full of examples. But wary support for a candidate out of necessity is one thing; manifest pride in them is another altogether. If we hang both the Christian flag and the Trump flag from our front porch, how will we stop the world from conflating them? How will it be communicated that Trump is just a pragmatic choice and Jesus a heavenly one?

Think back to 2016: everyone lamented the fact that they had to choose between the “least of two evils.” Many Republicans would have preferred candidates of higher moral fiber. Mitt Romney, a religious man, was the standard bearer of the Republican party just eight years ago; now, he’s the black sheep of the party. What’s changed? Have the past four years blurred the line between reluctant, resigned support and enthusiastic, approving support? In the seductive fervor of elections, did we mistake our pragmatic policy positions for stances on ethics and good leadership?

I understand the sense of obligation felt by so many (and by many of my closest friends and family) to vote for Trump, whether or not he’d be their ideal choice. If you are a pro-life voter, you may feel you don’t have much of an option. If you are opposed to the idea of a public healthcare option, a vote for Joe clearly isn’t on the table. But when you vote in the coming days (and endure the ballot counting), remember that unabashed pride is not a policy stance; it is an ethical stance. It is a statement about what type of person, not just policy, we support.

Jesus surely ate with sinners, but he didn’t campaign for them.

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