Managing Stress
Patriots,
Midterms are approaching with full force. Like you, I am swamped with various papers and assignments. Unfortunately, I am allowing myself to reach far beyond the âstressedâ level. We are all wondering how we are going to push through the rest of the semester. In pure confidence and support, I assure you that that you are not alone. I highly encourage you to focus the positives and maintain what you can control. Everything else will fall into place.
With homecoming week under our belts and fall break approaching, we are all anticipating Halloween festivities. The leaves are turning fast and the air is getting colder by the minute. In the mean time, allow yourself to enjoy the fall weather while watching campus change into a kaleidoscope of color.
within society and events occurring around campus. We are faithfully continuing our weekly distribution to provide more entertaining content for the student body. We appreciate the positive feedback we have received over the past few weeks for it has fueled us to make each issue better than the last.
Remember to be grateful for what you have.
Sincerely,
As for the staff at The Patriot, we are thoroughly excited about this weekâs issue discussing miscellaneous trends
Megan Willoughby
Editor-In-Chief
Eric Ford Edwards
Managing Editor
Megan Willoughby
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Anna Brown
Taylor Duke
Kathryn Green
Leanne Gregory
Megan Kelly
Tyler Kohn
Shandi Lindsay
Brian Mahadeo
John McCoy
Megan Muggridge
Zane Ross
Editorial Review Board
Lisa Bartram
Marianne Worthington
Email comments, concerns or tips to: thepatriot@ucumberlands.edu or call us at 606-539-4172
7000 College Station Drive Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769
The Patriot is the weekly student publication of the University of the Cumberlands. Our goal is to provide timely and original content by highlighting campus news and views.
Award-winning member of the Associated Collegiate Press and Kentucky Press Association.
The bestsellerâs menagerie
University
book club
is set to meet again this year
BY LEANN E GREGORY
Staff Writer
There is nothing in the world quite like reading, for there is nothing else in the world that enables a single person to be able to learn about people from myriad cultures, time periods, and races that are vastly different from their own in one setting through the idiosyncrasies of written words alone. For book lovers at the University of the Cumberlands, this unique opportunity of traveling the world has become more accessible through the reconvening of the Best Seller Book Club. The club was established over ten years ago by University staff members as a way to keep up with the most current literature available, or what members of the club were most invested in reading at the time. The club chooses the books that will be discussed at the club meetings through the selections present on the New York Times Best Seller Lists, and the books themselves can range in genre from fiction to non-fiction.
âWe keep in mind that not everyone can buy a book every month,â Nick Harris, the circulation supervisor at the University Library, said. âSo we look at prices, we look at what libraries in the area have and try to keep our selections more or less based on that,â Harris noted.
The Best Seller Book Club will have its first meeting on Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. in room 201
at the Hagan Memorial Library. The book that is to be discoursed during the October meeting is âSmall Islandâ by Andrea Levy, an international bestseller that was the winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, The Orange Prize for Fiction: Best of the Best, The Whitbread Novel Award, The Whitbread Book of the Year Award, and the Commonwealth Writersâ Prize according to Amazon.com. In November, the club will be delving into the Agatha Christie mystery novel âDeath on the Nile.â The meeting will mark the first time the club will be deliberating Christieâs literature since the club was founded.
Anyone who is affiliated with the University of the Cumberlands is welcome to attend the club, including students, staff members, faculty, and the spouses of faculty and staff members. Attendance is not mandatory for club members, nor are club member required to pay a fee in order to participate in club activities, but club members are encouraged to bring their own personal copies of the book that is to be discussed at the meeting to be able to participate fully in the club discussion.
BY SHANDI LINDSAY Staff Writer
Q: What are some good study tips for students that havenât found their study groove yet?
A: Studying is different for everyone. If you feel more confident when you talk with someone about the content before taking a test, then studying in groups may be a good option. But if you prefer to work things out on your own or get easily distracted, then studying alone may better suit you. Make sure the room is quiet; you may think having the TV on low or having music playing is helping but it may just be causing a distraction. A lot of people choose to work with index cards but for me most college classes donât usually depend on memorization, which is all youâll learn with index cards. So, the best option for me is to actually read the book. Read when youâre supposed to. I know itâs a tedious task but I promise it really will help; you also wonât feel like you have to cram the night before a test. And if you feel like youâre just not understanding the class, donât be afraid to ask for help from the ARC or your professor.
Need advice? Have a question? Send your queries to thepatriot@ucumberlands.edu. Your question might be answered in the next issue.
Photo by Eric Ford Edwards Martha West glances over the novel to be read by the Bestseller Book. Club.
Sincerely, Shandi
Photo by Shandi Lindsay
Pumpkin spice, everything
BY HANNAH REYNOLDS Staff Writer
For most college students in the past few years, it seems that the beginning of fall doesnât start until Starbucks gets their Pumpkin Spice Latte brewing again. Pumpkin spice is no longer just a drink at Starbucks though; it extends to cereal, candles, hair dye, lip colors, popcorn, cough drops, crackers, butter, pretzels and yogurt, along with almost every other junk food you can think of. What makes pumpkin spice so popular? How did one little latte become the epicenter of all things autumn? Students across the UC campus have been awaiting the arrival of the PSL and if you canât tell by the even longer line than usual, itâs here. Iâm sure every college professor in walking distance of a Starbucks are tired of the students coming in to class late, disrupting class, with a PSL in hand, I know I am. Thanks, Starbucks. So what makes the Pumpkin Spice Latte so popular that it would spur such a trend?
Allie Browning, a UC junior says, âIf you ask my opinion, the more pumpkin spice, the better!â Browning is very enthusiastic about her love for the
PSL, and it seems a large number of campus is on the pumpkin spice bandwagon with her.
Red, White and Brew employee and UC junior, Grace Uebel, says, âI personally love everything pumpkin spice. Itâs tastes so warm and cozy in your mouth. At Starbucks we have the hot and iced latte and a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. Everyone seems to be super excited about getting the fall drinks and they are very popular at UC right now!â As an employee, Uebel has a upclose and personal experience with the PSL, as she has been working with it everyday and seeing the enthusiastic responses by students and staff alike. On the other hand, some students arenât so keen on the trend. âPersonally I love Starbucks, but the pumpkin spice craze has never affected me. Iâm glad it hasnât because it would create an even bigger hole than it already costs me with iced coffee and caramel Frappuccinos. I guess Iâm just not a Pumpkin Spice person,â says UC senior Megan Willoughby.
Photo by Ford Edwards
John McCoy viciously consumes Pumpkin Spice Cheerios.
To meat or not to meat? the vegetarian dilemma on campus
BY TYLER KOHN Staff Writer
As I sit peacefully on the steps to the library, eating my delightfully meatless wrap from Tossed, I see a poor, defenseless little worm struggling on the concrete. âThis is it,â I tell myself, âThe moment youâve trained for.â I set down my dinner and approach the tiny creature. Carefully, I move it into the grass and then resume eating with all the self-congratulations that one can rationally entertain after such an event. My particular brand of vegetarianism is perpetuated by events such as this. The thought of eating a hamburger or squishing a sweet little worm can easily send me into a spiral of moral and political aversions so deep I may never emerge. Other vegetarians choose this lifestyle for health reasons or simply because they dislike the taste of meat.
Leshae Smiddy, a UC freshman, has an interesting perspective on vegetarianism. âIâve been a vegetarian since January 1, 2017,â she beamed. âIt started as a new yearâs resolution but for health reasons I donât see myself ever going back to eating meat. I actually plan on going vegan on January 1, 2018.â Smiddyâs account of her resolution-turned-lifestyle may sound chipper and optimistic, but her everyday struggle to find appropriate nutrition on campus is certainly not. âItâs really hard to be a vegetarian here because the only options are salad at âthe Caf,â or french fries, or greasy pizza. And salad gets tiring every day,â she said, while munching on a typical dinner of cheese pizza. Smiddy was quick to point out that while salads can be quite healthy, they are really not ideal for every meal, which means that in order to get enough calories or grab a bite to eat quickly before class, vegetarians on campus must eat alternatives such as pizza.
Sophomore Taylor Duke became a vegetarian while studying Hinduism in high school and hasnât looked back since. Duke said, âI donât feel as heavy, and I just donât feel the âmeat sweatsâ anymore. I went back to eating meat for a little bit, but I really just didnât like it anymore. I donât like the taste and [eating meat] is kind of gross when you think about it.â Duke makes a point echoed by many other vegetarians: that eating meat is just gross. Whether they come from the âKilling animals is disgusting and cruelâ perspective or the âThis was once alive and now Iâm consuming its dead fleshâ perspective, many vegetarians are disgusted by the thought of consuming meat.
For sophomore Brian Mahadeo the choice to become a vegetarian just made sense for his lifestyle. Mahadeo said, âIt started about three years ago in my senior year of high school. I was wrestling and it was easier to cut weight at the time if I just cut meat out of my diet. Also, I fast at the beginning of every year so I do a vegan diet. When we watched a documentary in health class about mass production of meat in America that kind of just did it for me. I didnât really turn back after that.â Mahadeo also emphasized that being a vegetarian doesnât make it hard for him to stay healthy. He added, âA lot of people ask me how Iâm this big if I donât eat meat. I just tell them that there are a lot of ways to get protein other than meat.â Much of the stigma around being a vegetarian does stem from a lack of understanding and confusion over what protein substitutes are available. Vegetarians substitute proteins with eggs, beans, tofu and even yogurts and other dairy products.
Vegetarianism on campus is nowhere near as prevalent as the traditional omnivore approach to nutrition; in fact, a study published by âVegetarian Timesâ in 2008 states that only 3.2% of American adults follow a vegetarian-based diet, but it is important to know that vegetarians have varying reasons for choosing this lifestyle, and every vegetarian is different in the way they eat and maintain their health. I know that when the urge comes for me to reach for that chicken nugget or hamburger, it is almost immediately overpowered by thought of some precious little cow or a sweet, fluffy chicken dying to indulge my desires. My abstinence from the consumption of meat is something that brings me closer to others who choose this lifestyle, regardless of their motivations, and is indicative of my love for animals of all types, from the greatest whale to the smallest little worm, writhing on the sidewalk.
Photos by Ford Edwards
Brian Mahadeo eats broccoli .
Tyler Kohn is elated about her gift of lettuce.
A fresh spin
WCCR begins new season of college radio
BY MEGAN MUGGRIDGE, HANNAH REYNOLDS, KIM BUNDY Staff Writers
Since the summer of 2004, UC has been home to 94.5 WCCR, an on-campus radio station located in the Grace Crum Rollins Fine Arts Building. This semester several students have debuted new programming on the station.
UC senior Zane Ross is among the students that are on the radio for the first time this semester. Ross hosts âThe Time Warpâ at noon on Wednesdays and says heâs enjoying his time on the radio. Ross said, âAn hour doesnât sound like a lot, but during my first show I was extremely nervous. Itâs a weird feeling knowing that your voice is being heard by so many people. But being a part of WCCR is probably one of the most fun things that I have ever been a part of.â
The radio station is creating a fun and interactive environment for WCCRâs new staff. For some, working for the station is opening doors for a brighter future and career in radio broadcasting.
Another student, UC junior Clara Arnold, is thrilled to have the opportunity to work for WCCR. Radio broadcasting is her intended career for the future and she hopes to someday have a talk show on a Christian station such as WAY-FM or K-LOVE. Until then, Arnold hosts a show on WCCR called âClarifyâ where she plays contemporary Christian music on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Arnold says, âI want to discuss things like my testimony and whatâs happening in my spiritual life while on the air in hopes of encour-
aging others in their walks, and Iâm so happy that WCCR gives me the freedom and means to do just that.â
UC students like Ross and Arnold are putting a lot of hard work and dedication into their shows and it is starting to pay off. Dr. Keith Semmel, professor of communication and also the station manager for WCCR, said, âThe new students are doing a great job; they are getting more comfortable on the air. And they are playing some great music.â
All UC students, faculty and staff that are interested in helping with the radio station are encouraged to become involved. You do not have to be a communication arts major in order to participate with WCCR.
UC sophomore Brian Mahadeo calls his new radio show, âEasy Listening,â which airs every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Mahadeo says that on his show he plays a lot of Gospel tunes, because thatâs what he himself enjoys, and plans to continue with this theme throughout the semester. An enthusiastic Mahadeo says, âAs of right now I love radio broadcasting and I wouldnât be opposed to volunteering for the radio station after this semester.â
Photos by Ford Edwards J.P. hosts âThe Prog Hoursâ on Wednesday, Oct. 4 2017.
Too much of a good thing
The downfalls of binge-watching
BY ERIC FORD EDWARDS Editor-In-Chief
My version of binge-watching as a kid consisted of finding the Disney tapes I wanted to watch, realizing I hadn't rewound them, waiting for what seemed like years for the film to return to the right side of a VHS, and then finally pressing play on a film I'd lost interest in. Today we have access to thousands of films and shows and at times I find myself feeling really jaded. Binge-watching isnât a new trend, but it seems to be one that doesnât seem to be slowing down. Devon McMillin, a UC sophomore, defined binge watching as the action of, âsitting down and watching multiple movies or TV episodes at a time over a long period of time.â
Since the demise of Blockbuster and the advent of digital content the way we consume media has changed. For few shows do we anxiously wait in front the TV for commercial interrupted broadcasts? In response to this, the phrase, âIâll wait till itâs on Netflixâ has become has become very common. Part of this gift of modern technology is near instantaneous access to thousands of movies and TV shows. When I was younger I can remember taking trips with mom to the video store to pick up a movie to keep me occupied. Now, we have Netflix.
A roomâs worth of content, all perfectly organized by genre on the userâs screen, what could be better? I spoke with some of UCâs students to get a better grasp on the topic.
Seth Melton, a freshman at UC, states after watching others around him binge watch shows, like âGreyâs Anatomy,â heâs come to realize how
time consuming it can be.
Melton went on to explain, âItâs a lot of time that could be more useful.â Personally Iâve found myself looking at the clock slipping into a âNetflix comaâ and realizing I just watched a whole season, and I havenât moved for hours.
Wes Parrot, a UC sophomore, echoed this, saying that when he bingewatches âVampire Dairies,â with friends that they âget nothing done.â Netflix doesnât stop you from jumping on to the next episode after completing the previous one, and when it does ask if youâd like to continue, it seems like youâre too deep into the season to stop. Trenton Wheeler, a UC senior, added, âIt can be fun, but it can be very distracting.â In enticing shows like, âHow I Met Your Mother,â Wheeler says itâs hard for him not to get caught up in the love life of Ted Mosby.
McMillin concluded that he doesnât believe binge-watching is bad. He adds, âAs long as youâre not irresponsible with it.â He prescribes that those who do binge-watch for hours to get up and move periodically, see friends, and maybe eat some food.
This generation is lucky to have some much information and entertainment at our disposal. With the ease of ingesting all this content, itâs easy to become an entertainment glutton, gouging yourself with televised pleasure, but itâs important to remember moderation, and understand that too much of a good thing is just that.
Photo by Ford Edwards
Trenton Wheeler looks at his computer screen.
