B EATLEMANIA Tribute show hits Lexington See POP, page 3
KENTUCKY KERNEL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009
WWW.KYKERNEL.COM
CELEBRATING 38 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE
Hospital reaches new heights Ceremony recognizes expansion’s progress By Brandon Farmer news@kykernel.com
More than 2,000 people were in attendance as UK Hospital reached a milestone Wednesday at its “topping out” ceremony, highlighting the installation of the hospital addition’s highest beam. The beam was signed by more
than 500 hospital workers. The event recognized progress made on the hospital construction, emphasizing the benefits it would bring to the university and the Commonwealth. Attached to the beam were an American flag, a Kentucky flag and an evergreen tree, which symbolizes the growth of the hospital and university as a whole. UK President Lee Todd, Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and Gov. Steve Beshear were in attendance. Beshear said the project was impor-
tant because it would attract better doctors, boost the economy, improve research and promote employment. “The new UK hospital is paving the path toward the future and proving its commitment to the very highest quality care to the people of the Commonwealth,” Beshear said. The new additions will strengthen the foundation of UK and health care as a whole, as well as provide new technology that will boost the reputation of See Hospital on page 5
PHOTO BY ADAM WOLFFBRANDT | STAFF
UK employees and students sign the beam that will be installed as the hospital addition’s highest point at the “topping out” ceremony on Wednesday morning. More than 2,000 people attended the event.
DriveSafe.ly makes texting on the road less dangerous
BUILDING TENT CITY
By Tommy Stuart news@kykernel.com
PHOTO BY ADAM WOLFFBRANDT | STAFF
Junior forward Josh Harrellson and freshman guard John Wall play cornhole with fans camping out for Big Blue Madness tickets on Wednesday evening.
Madness makes its mark
Text messaging while driving is a danger many people are drawn in to. This problem has become so rampant that Heath Ahrens, founder of iSpeech.org, decided to help alleviate the situation by creating DriveSafe.ly. DriveSafe.ly is a mobile application program that runs on smartphones that reads texts and e-mails aloud in real time. “Unfortunately, peoples’ lives are put at risk by distracted driving every time we text or e-mail while operating a vehicle,” Ahrens said. “We developed DriveSafe.ly to allow people to stay connected via text messages and e-mails, but to do so in a responsible and safe way.” In addition to reading text messages and e-mails aloud, DriveSafe.ly also features an optional customizable “auto-responder” that will respond to messages without physical input from the user. “The problem of texting while driving is already huge and steadily growing,” Ahrens said. “With the advent of mobile e-mail and text messaging, people are constantly reading and typing messages out on their mobile device, even while behind the wheel.” According to a study conducted by the See Texting on page 5
By Metz Camfield
The Madness begins As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the fans outside Memorial Coliseum had made themselves at home. A quick survey of the campers showed there were:
23 cornhole sets
57 basketballs and footballs
222 tents
300 chairs
365 sleeping bags
For tickets ■ For those waiting in line, tickets will be available Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6 a.m. at Memorial Coliseum. ■ Tickets are also available from Ticketmaster.com. A service fee will be applied.
mcamfield@kykernel.com
Lexington has some new, unconventional residents. The first regular season men’s basketball game doesn’t tip-off until Nov. 13 when UK takes on Morehead State, but fans have been camping out since midnight on Wednesday to get tickets to the Cats’ first scrimmage. Big Blue Madness, a glorified scrimmage that brings UK fans together from across the state, is Oct. 16. The tickets are being released Oct. 3 at Memorial Coliseum at 6 a.m. “It’s a blast,” said Brian Noe, an electrician from Versailles, Ky. “It’s just a big party, everybody’s here for a common goal.” UK fans have come out in full force by camping out for Big Blue Madness in years past, but 2009 has proven to be a year unlike any other. According to UK Athletics, as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, there were 191 tents around Memorial Coliseum. That’s 15 more tents than there were the day before tickets were released last year. “This beats even when Pitino first came,” said Todd Courtney, a factory worker from Versailles, Ky. “Back when Pitino first came, things got rowdy. But this is special here. This is the way UK basketball is supposed to be.” Courtney and Noe have been friends for the past ten years and traveled to Lexington to spend the week “camping on campus.” The two set up a large UK canopy across from Wildcat Lodge with two cornhole boards they made. The two boards, with two
If you go What: Big Blue Madness When: Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Where: Rupp Arena Admission: Free INFORMATION COMPILED BY STAFF
www.kykernel.com
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PHOTO BY SCOTT HANNIGAN | STAFF
Forestry junior Paul Elliot sets up his tent in front of Memorial Coliseum to wait for men's basketball tickets for Big Blue Madness on Wednesday. basketballs sitting in the holes, have been signed by current and former players, along with two UK basketballs. Courtney said the boards would be glazed over once they got signatures from everyone on the team. Courtney said junior forward Josh Harrellson and sophomore guard Darius Miller came over and played cornhole with his group and “won more than they lost.” In addition to getting the tickets, the fans agreed the experience of camping out for Big Blue Madness was about as much fun as the event itself. “Of course you get the tickets Saturday morning,” biology sophomore Shawn Gipson said. “But it’s really all the fans coming together in unison and meeting new people and enjoying each other’s company.” “It’s the fans,” said Mike Bean, a truck driver from Bell County.
“Everybody coming out and hanging out, it’s all about Kentucky basketball.” Bean said he loves meeting new people each year and then seeing them again the next year. Bean, like many fans, is using his vacation days from work to camp out. With hoards of tents, cornhole boards, lawn chairs and ladder ball games filling up the grass around Memorial Coliseum, the experience isn’t like any other. Members of the basketball team come by and talk to the loyal campers and hang out with them during the camping. “(Patrick) Patterson’s probably one my favorites this year,” Gipson said. “I met him last year. He’s a great guy, really nice to the fans.” Along with the highly touted recruiting class numerous recruiting services have called one of the best
Fresh perspective Visiting author, musician ‘inspires’ students through tales of past By Nate Fain news@kykernel.com
This is special here. This is the way UK basketball is supposed to be.”
Members of campus have the opportunity to hear an author and musician’s process of writing one of his most famous novels and how his mother’s past led him to find his identity. James McBride will focus on his personal experiences of getting to know his mother better and his book, “The Color of Water.” McBride’s mother, who is a white Jew, ran away from home at 17 to Harlem and married an African-American man in 1941. She was twice widowed and had a total of 12 children, all of whom she sent to college despite her low income, according to McBride’s Web site. The book was required for incoming freshmen to read last summer under the Common Reading Experience program. Freshmen were given the book by their advisers during their orientation.
— Todd Courtney, UK fan, on camping out for Big Blue Madness tickets
See McBride on page 5
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See Madness on page 5
‘Green Dot’ program heads to Ky. high schools to combat dating violence
First issue free. Subsequent issues 25 cents.
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SG holds members accountable for attendance Newsroom: 257-1915; Advertising: 257-2872
PAGE 2 | Thursday, October 1, 2009
PORTRAIT OF RED FOX
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In the small town of Red Fox, Ky., lives Clarren Williams. A native to Red Fox, Clarren is 91 years old and has lived in the town for nearly half his life. I was fortunate enough to meet Clarren while down in Knott County for the Picture Kentucky Workshop two weeks ago. Listening to him speak, his wisdom resonated through his words and gestures. After finishing our conversation, Clarren wished me a good evening before heading in to watch the Reds game. "They'll break your heart," he said before closing the door. — ALLIE GARZA
Couples just as hot offscreen Anna & Stephen True Blood's Anna Paquin, 27, and Stephen Moyer, 39, are inspiring castmates to look for love. "They are so adorable together!" costar Ashley Jones tells Us of the couple, who announced their engagement in August. "They met in a screen test, so I need to get on that. Maybe I will find someone!" Though they used to be low-key Paquin's onscreen brother, Ryan Kwanten, admits, "I was, like, the last to hear about Stephen and Anna" now they flaunt it. "He dotes on her," says an onset source. "He gives her back rubs between takes and brings her coffee." The actor, who proposed with a vintage platinum ring boasting a gray starsapphire cabochon center, has two kids from previous relationships: son Billy, born in 2000, and daughter Lilac, born in 2002. Lilac's mom, Lorien Haynes, and Paquin have "become the best of friends," says a Moyer source. "They have a mutual respect for one another."
Penn opens up to Us Penn Badgley is usually tight-lipped when it comes to girlfriend Blake Lively, but at the recent Renaissance New York Hotel 57 opening, the Gossip Girl actor, 22, couldn't help but gush about
working with his gal, 22. "We're lucky," he tells Us. "I mean, some would say it's a double-edged sword, but in our case, we manage to balance it well."
Chris & Caroline's family time Chris O'Donnell's method for staying close to wife Caroline, 36, and their five kids, all younger than 11: on-set visits! The NCIS: Los Angeles star, 39, says his brood loves hanging out with him while he films. "They hit craft service," he tells Us. "And my daughter [Lily, 10] likes to get her hair done in the makeup trailer." And, of course, the actor says his children are his biggest fans. "They like seeing all the billboards around town."
Dexter couple: Our life at home He plays a murderous vigilante on Showtime's Dexter, but at home with his new wife and costar, Jennifer Carpenter, actor Michael C. Hall is only called in for creepy crawlers. "Yeah, sometimes there are bugs around the house that I have to take care of," Hall, 38, tells Us. Chimes in Carpenter, 29, beaming at her husband: "You take care of a lot." COPYRIGHT 2008 US WEEKLY
online www.kykernel.com
Horoscope To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 9 — You say what you mean today. But do pay attention to the response you get. It matters. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Romance extends beyond personal relationships to include your work and extracurricular creativity. Enjoy! Gemini (May 21-June 21) — Today is a 7 — When talking about your feelings, remember those of the other person. A female may challenge your social position. Cancer (June 22-July 22) — Today is an 8 — You warm up to the
Buy photos online. All photos that appear in the Kernel are available at ukcampusphotos.com.
subject right after your first cup of coffee. Others chime in, and suddenly you have a plan. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — All systems are go for fun, profit and love! Take advantage of the moment. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Take care of details today (as if you don’t always do that). Conversations lead in positive directions. Take notes. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Open your mouth. Try not to insert your foot. Instead, serve yourself some sweet remarks. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Actually, the gods are on your side today. Use this advantage to get what you need from a female.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — All systems are go. Record your message early, and replay it frequently. That way you believe it yourself. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 7 — You have a hard time balancing all of your acts today. Respond to e-mails or letters that were on the back burner. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Usually talk is cheap. Today, not so much. Spend your words carefully. You may have to eat them. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 7 — This month you get to do just about whatever you want. Take advantage of that, starting today. (C) 2009 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Kernel POP
Bringing back the beat
Thursday, October 1, 2009 Page 3
Beatles performers recreate the live musical experience
Megan Hurt Features Editor Phone: 257-1915 mhurt@kykernel.com
By Megan Hurt mhurt@kykernel.com
The musical mega-group The Beatles broke up in 1970, before most students walking UK’s campus were even born. Which means most students never got the opportunity to see The Beatles live, singing the music we’re familiar with because of our parents’ albums or from playing the new video game “The Beatles: Rock Band.” UK students will now have the chance to see what The Beatles sounded like live with the show “RAIN — The Beatles Experience,” a onenight-only event this Sunday at the Singletary Center for the Arts. The RAIN concert uses four performers who play the Beatles’ band members, and through live music and
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singing, multimedia, costumes and backgrounds, the show re-creates the experience of seeing the Fab Four perform in a realistic way, said Steve Landes, who has played John Lennon for RAIN since 1998. “It’s more of a productionvalue show,” said Landes. “It’s almost like a Broadwaytype show ... It’s top-grade, not a typical cover band.” RAIN began as an actual cover band, named “Reign,” in the California area in the 70s, and received national attention when the band recorded the music for the made-for-TV movie “Birth of the Beatles” in 1979. In the 80s, some of the band members of “Reign” began performing in the Broadway show “Beatlemania,” but it wasn’t until “Beatlemania” ended that the members of
If you go What: “RAIN - The Beatles Experience” When: Sunday at 7 p.m. Where: Singletary Center for the Arts Admission: $31.50 to $47.50 depending on seating location For more information: www.singletarytickets.com “Reign” formed RAIN and began to tour the world in an attempt to create a live show. “It’s been on-going really, kind of constant. I’ve had maybe two to three months off at the most,” Landes said. Landes said The Beatles have been a big influence on him for most of his life, and he especially admired Lennon. “I saw the person (Lennon)
It’s almost like a Broadway-type show. ... It’s top-grade, not a typical cover band.” — Steve Landes, John Lennon in RAIN, on the production of “RAIN - The Beatles Experience”
Green with envy The green-eyed monster. One of the seven deadly sins. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. However you look at it, jealousy is an emotion that is never good for any relationship, right? Not KATIE exactly. SALTZ Jealousy Kernel is something columnist we all have. You wish you had her dress, his car, that cell phone or even … his girlfriend, her boyfriend. While jealousy can lead to some pretty icky situations or just overall epic relationship failures, jealousy can serve a healthy function in relationships. Any couple that swears they don’t get jealous is just full of it. I don’t care who you are or how secure you are in your relationship; you get jealous. It is nothing to feel bad about — jealousy is a basic human emotion. You’re perfectly fine that he is still such good friends with his ex. False. You have no problem with guys hit-
was,” Landes said. “He took on the peace movement and grew as a person during the short time he was on the Earth, which is important.” Landes believes The Beatles were influential during an important part of our country’s history — the civil rights and counter-culture movements — and through the performance, Landes hopes people can begin to understand how important The Beatles’ music was during that time period. “You can hear songs with a newfound respect for what they go through, like with newsreel footage of what was going on in the 60s. They were not only affected by their times, they changed the times,” he said. Even if a UK student has yet to discover the music of The Beatles, Landes encourages everyone to come and see the show to experience live music. “You can instantly download a song, but you still can never feel what it’s like to hear music performed live,” he said. “You can’t ever go see The Beatles, so this is the next best thing.”
How jealousy can help or harm a relationship
ting on her at the bar. Lie. But what positive function does jealousy have? For the person feeling it, maybe none. But for your partner, it can make them feel wanted. When your partner knows you are jealous, it reaffirms that you want them. It may seem needy, but it’s true. Knowing that their partner is a little jealous can make a person feel attractive. It makes them feel desirable, like they are worth being jealous over. Ladies, if an attractive guy is flirting with you and your boyfriend doesn’t care at all, how would you feel? Guys, if you are clearly being pursued by a hottie at the bar and your girlfriend shows no sign of jealousy, does that not bother you in the least? We can pretend like we wouldn’t care, but deep down it might sting. No one wants to feel expendable, like their partner isn’t worried about losing them. Jealousy tells you that your significant other cares and wants to keep you. Now a small, scarcely-used dose of jealousy can be good medicine for a relationship, but this is a feeling that can become
a problem quickly. Jealousy overload is a relationship killer and can border on dangerous. If you feel your sweetie is turning an ugly shade of green, do not put up with it. It is easy to tip the scale and go from harmless jealousy to “Fatal Attraction” crazy. If you sense your partner is overly jealous, or if you feel you have to alter your behavior to prevent a jealous episode, please rethink your relationship. Too much jealousy is toxic and can result in violence if you are not careful. Talking about jealousy when it occurs is a good way to avoid bigger fights later and recognize bad envy levels early. Most of us don’t want to risk sounding clingy, but solving jealousy issues is as simple as, “Hey, it bothers me when this happens.” This gives your sweetie that subtle confirmation that you care while addressing the issue at hand. Jealousy is an unavoidable part of relationships, so we might as well see what positive value it can have and work for just that. Katie Saltz is a journalism senior. E-mail theheartbeat@kykernel.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MERLE FRIMARK ASSOCIATES
Top: Joey Curatolo, left, Ralph Castelli, top, Joe Bithom, center, and Steve Landes, right, portray The Beatles in “RAIN - The Beatles Experience.” Above: Joe Bithom, left, and Steve Landes perform as George Harrison and John Lennon in “RAIN - The Beatles Experience.”
Kentucky rapper hopes to start new UK fan craze By Roy York
ryork@kykernel.com
As if the UK-Louisville rivalry needs any more fuel added to the fire, one Kentucky-born rapper has an answer for the L-sign thrown up by Cardinal fans. Kasper from the K, stage name of Tom Hoggard, wrote his song “K Sign” as a testament to his love of Kentucky and UK sports, but he wasn't done there. Kasper invented a variation of the signlanguage letter K, instructing fans in his song, “peace up, peace up, A-town down/ put your thumbs in the middle/ it's the K sign now,” and he wants UK fans to throw up their K signs during his Thursday performance on campus. “It's the new Kentucky anthem,” Kasper said. Kasper's rhymes have gained national recognition, and he has performed at radio stations from Ohio to Nevada. Kasper said people throw up the K sign no matter what state he visits. “I'd like to get all the cheerleaders and coaches and players to the show,” Kasper said. “I think Coach Cal would really embrace (the K sign).” Kasper's inspiration is not drawn only from a love of UK athletics. Members of Nappy Roots have been “like brothers” to Kasper, and he said the idea for the K sign
grew from a friendly rivalry with the band that originated from Bowling Green. “We always joked about how Louisville and UK fans can't stand each other … so I had to come up with something,” Kasper said. Kasper's first show was a hip-hop performance at his elementary school, What: Kasper and he began ex- from the K panding his career When: Thursday five years ago, at 8 p.m. recording songs and Where: Memorial playing festivals Hall amphitheatre across Kentucky. Admission: Free Kasper said being invited to play on campus was “a dream,” and he wants UK students and fans to embrace his music and the K sign and use it to electrify UK players. “My dream is to play (Big Blue) Madness or play a halftime show at Rupp,” Kasper said. Kasper From the K will be performing his hip-hop music for the Student Activities Board’s Backyard Beats music series Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Hall amphitheatre. In the case of inclement weather, the show will be moved inside Memorial Hall. The concert is free.
If you go
Thursday, October 1, 2009 | PAGE 5
HOSPITAL Continued from page 1 the university, Todd said. “Our pharmacy building is beginning to come to completion, and that will then be the largest academic facility in the state of Kentucky and one of the largest in the nation,” Todd said. “This is the beginning of our medical
campus of the future.” The hospital could influence other parts of the country too, Newberry said. “This facility is already changing the landscape of our city and soon, I am confident, it will change the landscape of health care in America,” he said. Among the guests, speakers, university employees and health care workers in attendance, there were also
a number of students. “I think it’s a great project. I believe it will really help out the health care of the state and the economy,” said undeclared freshman Andy Northcutt. “I’m looking forward to seeing it completed.” The completion of the hospital additions will take place within the next two years, with the emergency department opening in July 2010 and the Pavilion in spring 2011.
TEXTING
MADNESS
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
Virginia Tech Transportation Institution, a driver who is texting is 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident. “We’re pretty much for anything that makes the roads safer,” said UK Police Captain of Support Services Kevin Franklin. “This program sounds beneficial from what I've heard, but the best way is to stop doing anything while driving." The free download, available on the company’s Web site, features a female voice and reads 25-word messages, while the premium download features male and female voices and reads 500-word messages. The free download may also include advertisements at the beginning or end of messages. The premium download can be purchased for a one-time fee or on a subscription basis. DriveSafe.ly is available for smartphones running on Google Android, Blackberry 4.5 or higher and will soon be available for Symbian, Windows Mobile and iPhone (with beta versions available for the latter two operating systems).
in the history of college basketball, the new head coach has the fans in a frenzy. “I wish we had gotten (UK head coach John Calipari) a couple years back,” Courtney said. “But sometimes timing is what it is ... He hasn’t coached a game yet, but I like the way he’s embraced us as fans, he’s embracing Wildcat Nation and he’s enjoying it and I like the idea that he’s truly enjoying it.” Most fans agreed a Southeastern Conference Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight or Final Four was an expectation
they believed could be fulfilled. After not even making it to the NCAA Tournament last season, that would be quite the feat. “I think we’re going to get results from (Calipari),” Gipson said. “A lot better than the old coach who won’t be named.” Tickets are free again this year, but there will be a limit of two tickets per person if you wait in line outside Memorial Coliseum. If you decide to order tickets online at Ticketmaster.com, a minimal service fee is attached. “The last few years Kentucky hasn’t been Kentucky,” Noe said. “Now (being the favorites again) is starting to be what we’re expecting.”
MCBRIDE Continued from page 1 The Common Reading Experience was started to improve new students’ transition to campus and retain them with a fulfilling college experience; it is part of UK’s drive toward top20 status, according to its Web site. This is the program’s first academic year. “His story, his mom’s story and the book inspire me to push through life’s struggles and difficulties,” said business freshman Anthony Hendren. Michelle Ashcraft, coordinator of the Common Reading Experience, said after students read the book, they discuss it in small groups and participate in a variety of events on campus throughout the year. McBride’s book will be the central theme in these discussions. “This is a program that we hope will extend to the entire campus in the future, but it is just for first-year students right now,” Ashcraft said. A committee of students and staff formed in 2008 to decide which book to choose for the program, Ashcraft said. The committee picked McBride’s book over six others, she said. “Many institutions that have
If you go What: James McBride lecture When: Thursday at 7:15 p.m. Where: Singletary Center for the Arts Admission: Free This event fulfills the cultural requirement for UK 101 and is a TallyCats event.
been recognized for having great first-year experience programming picked this book and loved it,” Ashcraft said. “Some schools also had McBride come on campus to give a presentation like he will this week, and said he was fantastic.” After the lecture, there will be a question-and-answer session, Ashcraft said. “It will be interesting to hear McBride share a little more of what was going through his head while he was getting to know his mom,” Hendren said. Ashcraft urged students to attend the event because McBride’s ability to relate to students will help them set goals and chase their dreams. “I feel like McBride is an inspiration to students that have a lot of interests and aren’t really sure how they are going to make them all work,” Ashcraft said.
OPINIONS Thursday, October 1, 2009
KERNEL EDITORIAL BOARD Kenny Colston, editor in chief Austin Schmitt, asst. opinions editor Melissa Vessels, managing editor Ben Jones, sports editor Allie Garza, managing editor Megan Hurt, features editor Wesley Robinson, opinions editor The opinions page provides a forum for the exchange of ideas. Unlike news stories, the Kernel’s unsigned editorials represent the views of a majority of the editorial board. Letters to the editor, columns, cartoons and other features on the opinions page reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the Kernel.
Page 6
Scholarships ultimate priority for academic success ■ KERNEL EDITORIAL A college degree is becoming more necessary to achieve success in a future career, but attaining an affordable education isn’t becoming any easier. As a result, scholarships are crucial to the survival of a large percentage of college students. UK’s general endowment, which includes the scholarship endowment, has taken a significant hit in the unsettling waters of this tough economic downturn. According to a Sept. 22 Kernel news story, those holding un-
dergraduate scholarships are not in jeopardy of losing their award. At the same time, UK is dedicated to increasing the amount of scholarship money given to students. This is a stand-up move by UK, as the cost of tuition steadily increases each year but students’ scholarships aren’t being taken away. Such an incremental increase makes it seem as if needbased scholarships are beginning to outweigh merit-based reward. Now that UK has cleared the air on the issue of whether or not undergraduates will lose their
scholarships, UK must work to increase the endowment for university scholarships. When an incoming student decides to attend the university, many factors come into play, the one overriding factor in this economy is affordability. The student may receive a scholarship to cover a certain percentage of their tuition cost, and he or she depends on that percentage to stay consistent throughout the four years of education. What happens if tuition is raised by $500 the next year and the year after that?
That student must find alternate ways to fill that gap because his or her scholarship is also not increasing by that percentage — which is why increasing scholarships for current holders is so important. That extra $500 may mean the difference between getting an “A” or a “C” grade in a class because that student must pick up extra hours at a part-time job to pay the difference and not focus on studying that extra couple hours. College is becoming a need more than a luxury. The key to getting a foot in the door these
days is a college degree. Without a degree, that résumé you worked so hard to build over the years will either be instantly thrown out or shuffled to the bottom of the pile. While it is tough at every university across the country, UK must keep their efforts focused toward making college affordable for its students. This starts by keeping the students’ scholarships in mind when tuition is raised every year or looking to give a little more to the incoming freshmen class. The idea is currently in place, now UK must follow through and do its part.
Council’s lack of Sparkman’s legacy deserves justice student input taints housing decisions As the initial proposal of the new student housing plan formed by the Student Housing Task Force was set in, many questions were left unanswered. How has a plan like this gotten AUSTIN this far withSCHMITT out being Kernel debated? columnist What will this mean for the students living off campus? How can UK allow something like this to happen to its students? The first question can be answered quite simply. When this committee was formed in 2007 to further research the issue of density, there was a missing link. The SHTF combines many important figures surrounding this issue except one: students. This is unfair representation at its finest — so much that the Founding Fathers of America are probably spinning in their graves as I write this. Sure, members of the task force could argue that they included the Student Government President at the time, Tyler Montell, but what about now? Ryan Smith currently holds the position Montell left as the “voice of the students,” but he is new to the situation and probably isn’t as informed as, say, Tony Blanton, UK dean of students, also a UK representative on the SHTF. While other committee members had two years to study the statistics and form an educated decision, the student representative is essentially thrown into the fire with no prior knowledge of the situation. This is wrong. If you are going to institute laws that will have a profound impact on the lives of over 13,000 people, you’d better give them better than 6 percent (1 out of 17 members) representation. Only four individuals from UK preside on the committee, equaling less than one-quarter of the total body. Consistent student representation on this committee will lead to a whole-hearted decision by the task force and the city. Just as they are in the plan, the students are getting the short end of the stick once again by being “crowded out” of the discussion. UK’s involvement in this process is still puzzling. As much as it wants to be a part of students’ lives, UK seems to be taking a backseat in this debate when they should be more proactive. In an interview with the Kernel Editorial Board last Wednesday, UK President Lee Todd said, “ … we’ll watch what their proposal is and listen to the arguments and take a position some later time when it gets closer to a vote.” Now is not the time to sit back and watch. With four members from the UK faculty and staff, the members need to be proactive and glue this thing together. Besides, for the student representation, this is the most crucial part of the
whole discussion. UK can bring the landlords and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government members together to iron this thing out. Craig Hardin of Hardin Properties, a local student living property owner and member of the SHTF, believes UK has taken a pass on the issue. “UK has passed all responsibility to the community – city government, neighborhoods and property owner landlords,”Hardin said. In order to get this measure done the right way, UK must get involved and make its presence known. Hardin echoed this sentiment. “Until UK steps up and participates in a solution with the community in a meaningful way, this is not likely to have a long-term solution,” Hardin said. UK’s “wait and see” mentality cannot continue or else the university will fall behind its benchmarks in this category. Hardin pointed out that taking responsibility for its students off campus is something that is consistent with what UK’s benchmarks do, according to the committee’s research.
Consistent student representation on this committee will lead to a whole-hearted decision by the task force and the city. One of the considered plans by the SHTF is one that Ohio State University uses. The plan involves such things as providing a relationship between the neighborhoods and the university on a consistent basis, rideshare transportation policies, university involvement in the community, a system of rating landlords and an office of off-campus services. While the plans are still being debated, landlords and students are scrambling to get a grasp of the future under these possible scenarios. Hardin said the possibility of going bankrupt has crossed his mind. That is why he is spending every dollar and volunteering every moment of time he can to get this legislation right. Hardin said that landlords have tried to play by the rules. “You can’t just reverse course and change the rules,” Hardin said. As far as students are concerned, the plan will inconvenience them increasingly. Students will be pushed farther and farther away from campus, only creating more problems. Jokingly, Hardin posed the question, “And you think UK has a parking problem now?” Well yes, UK does, but from the way they’ve reacted to this problem, it doesn’t seem much to bother them. Students will once again get stripped of something they can call their own and they will once again be given unfair representation. So is the way things work in the bureaucratic world. Austin Schmitt is a finance sophomore. Email opinions@kykernel.com.
I noticed a piece of news on Tuesday saying that police are still investigating the case of Bill Sparkman as a possible suicide. Sparkman, a cancer survivor who taught children as a substitute teacher and as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, was a part-time AUSTIN census worker for the HILL Contributing federal government. Sparkman was columnist found hanged Sept. 12 outside the Daniel Boone National Forest by people who were visiting a nearby cemetery. He was hanging from a tree, his feet and hands bound with duct tape, a gag in his mouth, and his census badge taped to his shoulder area with the word FED inked on his chest with a felttipped pen. The area in Clay County where Sparkman was found has a reputation for marijuana fields, meth labs and possible bootlegging, as it is a dry county. According to interviews and news stories nationwide, Sparkman was warned about approaching houses in the Clay County area, as even door-todoor polling could be misconstrued as a visit from Johnny Law. Sparkman, however, apparently had better faith in humanity, ignoring what he appeared to be stereotypes of the area and forged ahead the job he was being paid to do, in addition to working as a substitute teacher and
Boy Scout leader. A job that he took seriously enough to make sure he did properly to accrue accurate results for the federal government. Now the government owes him the same respect. It is understandable to rule out all possible scenarios when investigating any crime, as there are too many instances where people get falsely accused or framed for things they did not do. When Steve McNair was murdered, it took several days to investigate whether or not a professional could have been to blame for the death, as the gunshot wounds McNair suffered were too precise to have been left by a reckless crime of passion. Again, though, they took a few days, and despite the doubt remaining in the eyes of the families left behind, the evidence drew the conclusion of a murder-suicide. We are now closing in on October and Sparkman’s adopted son, the only kin he left behind other than his mother in Florida, deserves some answers. In an interview posted to WLEXTV.com on Tuesday, Jay Sparkman, Bill Sparkman’s adopted son, still had nothing but questions. Rightfully so, he has condemned authorities for still treating this as an accident, or a suicide, calling it “dishonorable.” The fact that Sparkman’s feet were found on the ground when the body was discovered apparently has police thinking this was not a typical hanging, but like most information in such a case, the police have re-
mained mum about certain details. One could deduce he was left to stand there propped against the tree or that the branch sagged over a few days with the weight. Families deserve better in these times. When you turn on the news and see the drug pushers and bootleggers attempting to run over authorities with their cars and staging standoffs, it’s hard not to believe the death wasn’t an accident. If the head of the Census Bureau, as a caution, has called off door-to-door polling in that area indefinitely, it probably means there are other factors at work. It’s one thing to err on the side of caution, but honestly, if they still believed there was a chance Sparkman did this himself, why is there any danger of polling? I have read blogs online speculating this was a possible crime of payback on an alleged sexual predator, which enrages me. It is an insult that we now live in a society where a man who taught children, who adopted one, who was an Eagle Scout who shared his knowledge with kids, must have questionable character. It is only a shame that there are not more good men who give to the world a role model for all its generations. He deserves to be recognized as such, his family deserves peace, and whoever is responsible for his absence deserves much worse than the system will grant them. Austin Hill is an English senior. E-mail opinions@kykernel.com.
SG services impact campus activities It’s hard to believe that it’s already October. It seems like fall football weather has finally caught up to us this week, as well as the return of the wind tunnel around RYAN POT. SMITH I hope Contributing everyone’s columnist first couple rounds of exams have gone well so far as we work our way into the semester. I know campus has been crazy the past few weeks with all that has been going on, but now that fall has fully arrived, time is going to fly faster than ever. First off, I’d like to personally thank all of you who showed up last Tuesday for the march on City Hall during the housing proposal discussion. Standing up for your rights as students and coming together as one for a common good spoke volumes to the City Council members and committees. The weather wasn’t ideal, and you were still willing to take the hike downtown, which was amazing. So, thank you for your support. If you haven’t already
circled it on your calendars, the opening weekend of Keeneland is right around the corner. Horse racing has always been a major part of Kentucky history, and this year Student Government would like to give everyone a chance to experience why it plays such a huge role in defining Kentuckians. We know that not everyone has a means of getting around Lexington, so on Oct. 9 (College Scholarship Day) and 10, SG will fund two buses each day to charter students to and from Keeneland at no cost. The buses will leave from the flag plaza in front of Memorial Coliseum at two separate time intervals and return as the races come to a close. So if you’ve never been to Keeneland, or you just want to hang out with friends and have a chance at winning a scholarship, plan to join us on the buses. This past Tuesday, student organizations had another chance to get their name out there and recruit as SG and the Office of Student Involvement hosted an involvement reception. We had 84 clubs sign up for the event, with two members from each club present to give a short speech about
what each club offers and does around campus. It was great to see so many people out and involved, and we hope you’ll continue to make that push to find your calling on campus. Our office, as well as the Office of Student Involvement, is always willing to help get students and student organizations involved on campus, so please don’t hesitate to stop by. The Academic and Student Affairs Senate Committee also met last week to review the childcare grant applications. Our No. 1 priority is to help the students in any way possible, and we are happy to be able to award $6,500 to 11 families. There will be another chance to receive a grant in the spring, so be sure to watch our Web site or stop by the office to ask when the next application will be available. It has been great to see the number of people out at TallyCats events across campus. With September wrapping up, the first round of prizes will be given out next week as we award the top TallyCats attendees. Thanks to our sponsors we have some awesome prizes to give away, from GPS systems to basketball
tickets to football tickets and transportation down to the UK/Vandy game, and many more. If you didn’t get a chance to check out many of the events this month, remember that we are awarding top point winners for each individual month, as well as overall top points at the end of the semester, so there are still plenty of chances to get involved. In fact, we have three events left this week: “The Color of Water: Mediation on Identity” with author James McBride, the women’s soccer game versus Georgia on Friday and the women’s soccer game versus Tennessee on Sunday. It’s an exciting time of the year, not only on the weekends with the heart of the football season approaching and Keeneland right around the corner, but in the heart of campus as well. Freshman Senate elections are two weeks away, the DanceBlue team deadline is approaching and student organizations across campus are in full swing. I hope to see you all taking full advantage of all that’s going on around us. Ryan Smith is a political science senior and SG president. E-mail opinions@kykernel.com.
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Thursday, October 1, 2009 | PAGE 7
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PAGE 8 | Thursday, October 1, 2009
Calipari earns high marks 6 months later Six months ago Thursday, John Calipari was introduced as UK men’s basketball head coach. You think Cal will be called into Mitch Barnhart’s office JAMES PENNINGTON Thursday for a Kernel progress columnist report? It may be tough to judge progress on how he’s done so far. After all, he is a basketball coach and his team hasn’t played a single game yet. But wasn’t so much of the reason for Billy Gillispie’s dismissal unrelated to basketball? In that case, maybe we can judge Calipari. So if Barnhart conducts a sixmonth progress report, how will it play out? Surely he’ll look at those non-basketball factors on which Gillispie struck out so badly. Consider this the sixmonth evaluation of Calipari.
Ambassador for the program If you ask Barnhart, he’ll tell you UK basketball is bigger than any one person. “Kentucky basketball influences when weddings are held and causes its followers to get in a car and drive 12 hours to Omaha on a Monday night,” Barnhart said on March 27, referring to UK’s National Invitation Tournament appearance last season against Creighton. In his first six months, Calipari seems to have a pretty good grasp of that. Even the day he showed up, he wasted no time in expressing how much basketball means to this state. “First of all, let me thank
Dr. Todd and Mitch for giving me this opportunity to coach the Commonwealth's team,” Calipari said at the April 1 news conference. It was a pretty good first impression, I’d say. Even better is the job he’s done since then to maintain that impression. Better than Gillispie, Calipari understands that he not only is the face of the university, he is likely the most well-known person in Kentucky. He’s also well on his way to becoming the most well-liked. In August and September, he spanned the entire state on a two-week book signing tour, building up goodwill for the program and for himself. His trip started in Lexington, spanned nine more Kentucky cities, and also featured stops in Cincinnati, New York and Boston. All along the way, he proudly represented the university and embraced fans from all over. And in case Cal didn’t know before, he knows now: UK fans are all over. Those fans appreciate his willingness to accept a little spotlight, even if it isn’t explicitly spelled out in the contract (or the memorandum of understanding, for that matter). Calipari has met a bit of controversy, though. In an effort to publicize the program and “get all the way to the White House,” Cal sent a No. 44 UK jersey to President Barack Obama. Although it seems like a nice gesture, some Big Blue fans in this red state didn’t appreciate the notion. Calipari apologized to fans who read too deeply into the whole thing, and that was that. Either way, the way Calipari has spent his time promoting the program and
serving as an ambassador, it feels like he’s been in town longer than six months. Grade: A
Recruiting Calipari came to town with a plan to succeed. “There's three keys to winning championships,” Calipari said April 1. “The first thing is, have really good players. The second thing is have really good players. And I hate to tell you, that's the third thing.” So far, so good. Before so much as moving into his house in Lexington, Cal lured John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Darnell Dodson and Eric Bledsoe to UK. He also held over Gillispie commit and Kentucky native Jon Hood. The Cats’ recruiting class went from outside the top 20 by most straight to No. 1 by most. No. 1 by a longshot, at that. Because of Calipari’s recruiting, Sporting News ranked the Cats as No. 2, with just one of last year’s starters (Patrick Patterson) projected to start this year. Hard to do better than that, let alone in just six months. Just make sure those players take their own SATs. Grade: A+
Media relations As much as Gillispie shied away from speaking to the Rotary Club and inevitably shooting Central Bank and Paul Miller Ford commercials, I feel his biggest fear was speaking to the media. Yet he had to do it three or four times a week, at least. Gillispie seldom made himself available, and his quick tongue made it tough to ask him anything without risking an embarrassing response.
So far, Calipari hasn’t held many news conferences. But he’s been receptive and thoughtful when he has met with local media. At least he hasn’t been rude. Again, so far, so good. Now, Calipari does have a little mean streak in him reserved for his detractors. In a story on Yahoo Sports, Calipari reacted to one reporter whose name was not disclosed: “There’s one guy I don’t like,” Calipari said. “I know he’s a scoundrel. If I keep reading it, I’m going to punch him right in his mouth if I see him. So I’m better off not reading it.” Maybe a knee-jerk reaction, maybe not. Either way, he’s not afraid to speak his mind. Gillispie was, no matter how he felt. Broken down that way, it looks like Calipari’s done a pretty good job so far. As long as he keeps it light instead of heavy when he gets criticized. Grade: B Considering how Calipari’s stayed in the spotlight even during the offseason, it’s hard to imagine he hasn’t yet coached a single second of UK basketball. Cal’s staying in the news with recruiting trips and book tours, and he’s staying in the fans’ minds with Twitter, his shiny semi-premium Web site, Papa John’s coupon codes and anything else he can get his brand on. If you ask me, he can’t do much more to emphasize that where Billy Gillispie failed, he will succeed. At his next progress report, Barnhart and Calipari should have a bit more to talk about, and they’re both chomping at the bit for it. James Pennington is a journalism senior. E-mail jpennington@kykernel.com.
Volleyball back to form after loss By T.J. Walker sports@kykernel.com
UK volleyball was perfect. Some were pronouncing it the best team on campus. On Sept. 16, then No. 16 UK and Louisville met for the first time after taking a three-year break. Behind a raucous crowd, the Cards outlasted the Cats in five sets and ended the Cats’ perfect season. “I think everyone was upset and disappointed, we didn’t win an in-state rival match,” UK head coach Craig Skinner said. “At the same time, we wanted to get back at it, get to work in the gym to make things better.” A lot of teams might dwell on a heartbreaking loss to your rival. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, the Cats (13-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) went back to work and went to practice the next week preparing for an entire new season — SEC play. “It made us refocus and realize what we needed to work on,” freshman defensive specialist Stephanie Klefot said. Since then, the Cats have moved up to No. 15 in the polls. They haven’t dropped a set and are a perfect 3-0 in conference play. Louisville (7-5, 1-0 Big East Conference) on the other hand, is 12 since beating UK. “Since we were off to a good start, from a loss you can go two ways or stay the same,” junior outside hitter Sarah Mendoza said. “As a team we decided we need to work harder than we have
Senior setter Sarah Rumely celebrates after a point in UK’s Sept. 8 win over Cincinnati. PHOTO BY BRITNEY MCINTOSH STAFF
been working, and we have improved since then. We improved instead of getting worse because some teams can do that after a loss.” The Cats haven’t blinked since the Louisville loss. Although they lost by only two points in the fifth set on the road, the Cats were still inefficient. UK committed 33 errors, including 9 service errors, yet they still found a way to stay in the match. However, Skinner said they didn’t change practice too much. “We didn’t necessarily do anything different, we obviously worked on our blocking because they hit for way too high of a percentage against us,” Skinner said. “We didn’t really change how we went about things or how we trained.”
Skinner said they appeared tight against Louisville, but now during matches they appear to not be as pressured. After UK gets a point, you can nearly guarantee three things: celebrating, smiles and laughter. “This team has been a pretty loose and competitive group that has the ability to focus pretty easily and I think that started in the spring,” Skinner said. Although everyone on the team wishes they hadn’t lost the Louisville game, Skinner isn’t looking too far into it. “The goal is never to go undefeated in non-conference,” Skinner said. “It’s been more about improving and getting better all the time, and every week I have seen us do something a little better.”