A letter to patriots
Seasons Greetings,
Now that Thanksgiving has been thoroughly celebrated, it’s time to prepare yourselves for constant Christmas tunes, final testing, holiday decorations, and the customary late night food events thrown by CAB, SGA and local churches. Again, I encourage all UC students to not catch the end of the year slump, and power through with the help of late night snacks and copious amounts of coffee. These final weeks are what can make or break a student’s final grade. This is what you’ve been working toward. All those years of papers and assignments have prepared you for finals this year; don’t stress.
This issue marks the 15th anniversary of The Patriot newspaper. It has been an honor to be a voice for students at UC for the last 15 years and we will endeavor to continue for many years to come. I’d like to thank all of the faculty and staff for your continued support, and I’d like to thank our students for your readership. I’m constantly humbled by the students I have the privilege to work with. Their dedication is what
Editor-In-Chief
Eric Ford Edwards
Managing Editor
Megan Willoughby
Faculty Advisor
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Taylor Duke
Kathryn Green
Leanne Gregory
Tyler Kohn
Megan Kelly
Nichole Sharp
Shandi Lindsay
brings every edition to life, and for them I also give thanks.
Keeping with the spirit of the 15th anniversary, in this edition we have a letter from The Patriot’s first editor-in-chief, Kelly Foreman. Foreman gives further encouragement to students and reminds us that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Don’t forget to enjoy the final weeks of the semester, and appreciate those friends that you’ll be away from till next semester begins. A little gesture can go a long way this Christmas season. If you can, shell out some money for a gift and remind those close to you that they’re appreciated.
Thanks for cracking open this issue of the paper and don’t forget to unwrap the rest of the articles inside.
Best regards,
Eric Ford Edwards
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.
Thanksgiving Pursue the unparalleled investment
BY KELLY FOREMAN
Editor Emeritus
Fifteen years ago, I sat anxiously at my computer, carefully selecting the words for my first column in The Patriot’s inaugural edition. As editor in chief of the new campus newspaper, I remember reveling in how far we had come and how close we were to holding the first edition in our hands.
Bringing the publication to fruition had taken more than a year of meeting, planning and dreaming. We had made great progress, and the future was bright.
I had no idea how bright.
Today, it’s mind-boggling to reflect on The Patriot’s growth in the years since its inception. I didn’t know what would happen to our little campus newspaper when I graduated from Cumberland in 2004.
Yet, year after year, The Patriot found new editors and staff members with vision, excitement and moxie to keep improving the publication. And I couldn’t be prouder.
Building a campus newspaper from scratch was tough. But I have carried the experience and lessons it taught me throughout my journalism
career, serving as a foundation for my future.
After college, I was hired as a reporter for the Times-Tribune, the Corbin newspaper where The Patriot first was published. As much as I thought I knew about writing and reporting, I quickly learned life at a daily newspaper is a fast-paced adventure of the unexpected.
I spent four years working for two Kentucky dailies before earning a feature-writer’s role for Kentucky Law Enforcement magazine. Today I serve as writer and editor for the publication, and every day, still, is a new adventure.
The hard work you invest in college – whether in the classroom, newspaper office or on the field – is an unparalleled investment in your future. Every experience and opportunity you engage in during your time at Cumberland prepares you for the path God has designed for the years ahead.
Don’t let those opportunities pass by. Write for the newspaper. Join the team. Finish your degree. In 15 years when you look back at the impact those experiences made in your life, I guarantee you will not regret it.
Thanksgiving blues
A different perspective on what international students do for
BY GRACE UEBEL Staff Writer
Where did you go this Thanksgiving? Well, if you’re from almost anywhere in the United States, the average answer would always be “home.” What about those among us who do not live in the states? What about the University of the Cumberland’s students whose fastest way home is an all-night flight? Have you ever considered what our international student population does for Thanksgiving break where a long plane ride is out of the question? Do you ever wonder if they are happy during the holiday season or if they miss home more than anything?
When asked what she did for Thanksgiving, Diana Eneh, a UC sophomore and international student, replied with a simple, “sleeping in my dorm room.”
The reality of this was a hard one for many students here at UC. It is so important to be sensitive and loving to maybe your roommate or your best friend. In the future, take them home with you, involve them with a local family, or get them in a church family who may literally take them in for the week.
Thanksgiving is all about a time of giving back and remembering everything that has been done for you. At this time of year, during the entire holiday season, reach out to your friends and make sure they have as much as you do on Thanksgiving. Do not forget others in your holiday festivities and spread the love you have been given to everyone else.
Imagine the idea of staying on a deserted campus, having eaten Thanksgiving dinner in the cafeteria, and then going back to sleep in your dorm room alone. That’s definitely not a very festive mental picture. Hooking your friends up with some nice food, a place to stay, and letting them help you decorate your house for Christmas will definitely build some memories that will not be forgotten. Loving the people around you and helping them find a place to stay should come naturally.
Photo contributed by Kelly Foreman
Photo by Nichole Sharp
University of the Cumberlands concludes its golden can food drive competition with Union College
BY ZANE ROSS Staff Writer
On Nov. 15 the Golden Can Food Drive competition between University of the Cumberlands and Union College came to an end and a winner was announced by Kentucky Harvest Southeast, a non-profit organization that helps raise food for families in need. The outcome? Union College claimed the Golden Can in this year’s competition. The Golden Can food drive competition has been active between the two colleges since 2011, but it was only last year, in 2016, that UC was able to take home the gold by reaching a total of 18,513 pounds of food.
Although unfortunate for UC not to be able to claim the prize for the second year in a row, the food drive was a huge success and made an impact in the lives of many this holiday season. UC's goal this year was set at 17,500 pounds of food and by the end, the university raised almost 29,000 pounds of food in total. Union College had raised about as much as the UC, but the competition is based on raising 10 pounds of food per staff member and student on campus.
UC held a handful of different events, during the month of competition, in order to help incentivize students on campus to give to the cause. The Campus Activities Board re-opened their “swag store” that they started the previous year where students could exchange canned food for items such as DVDs and t-shirts. In addition, UC’s residence halls held a Penny War where each dorm competed to raise the most money, which was then used to purchase canned food, with the incentive of a pizza party for the dorm who raised the most. There were also a few events where if a student brought canned food they would receive something extra such as with UC’s Bingo night students would receive extra Bingo cards.
“I’m really proud of what this campus pulled off,” says Dr. Emily Coleman, Vice President for Student Services. “The food that was raised went to First Baptist Food Bank who shared with three other food banks in the county, the Williamsburg Family Resource Center, the Whitley county Family Resource Center, the Corbin Area Technology Center, Shiner Church of Christ Food Pantry and Cedar Ridge Ministries. This region, to have that much food pushed into it, at this time of year, when food banks are hit up so heavily is a real blessing.”
The final score
Life after the game ends
BY MEGAN WILLOUGHBY Managing Editor
Being an athlete is not just attending games and practices each and every week, it is a slow process and an adapted way of life. By playing a sport, an individual’s personality transforms into a warrior of discipline and scheduling. For years, an athlete must learn to balance their social lives along with the athletic career they wish to pursue. By taking a basic skill and working its craft into a final product, an athlete approaches their final score board only to reminisce on the journey they have taken. As senior year shocks its athletes, they are left with the lingering question: What happens after the game ends? The initial ending may not hit all at once. Like a long-term relationship, it’s hard to break off the comfort of living with the sport due to the longevity of its friendship. Connor McJunkin, UC football senior, explains his sorrows for his career coming to end after 11 years.
“It’s weird in the sense that it doesn’t feel over. It feels like a regular offseason right now. The emotional part of playing the last game is gone and over with so I really don’t think it will hit me hard again that football is over until they start offseason lifting and spring ball and I know I won’t be out there. It does feel good to have some free time but I still just feel weird that I’m not doing anything after classes now,” McJunkin says.
Athletes must face the sudden emptiness that has filled such a large part of their hearts throughout their academic careers. Without their sport, they
must find a new identity. Bailey Carson, UC senior, has ended her volleyball career with a positive attitude toward the future.
“I’m sad in a way because it is a sport that I’ve known for six years and for six years of my life I have given my time, energy and emotions to this sport. It was a big part of my life and now I no longer have that as part of my identity. On the other hand I do have something to be proud of, it’s a career that I can use for resumes and it has taught me so much professionally as well about my own character,” Carson says.
She adds, “I also have so much more free time that I can dedicate to other hobbies which is a plus. Overall there are good aspects of it being over but it is definitely something I will miss.”
Carson and McJunkin are not alone in their bittersweet feelings. UC has several athletes who will meet this fork in the road whether it be in the fall or coming at a later semester.
When the game ends, it doesn’t mean the athlete’s talent ends. It will transpire into an employee who has learned the value of time management, self-respect, work ethic, and many other core values of a successful individual. The final score will buzz, but the game will never be laid down in the heart of an athlete who created an unconditional love for it.
Photo by Bill Turner
Connor McJunkin hikes the ball at a UC Football game.
Hanging of the Green
The green was hung by the community with grace with hopes that Christmas break will come at a fast pace
BY MEGAN WILLOUGHBY Managing Editor
On Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m., the annual Hanging of the Green celebration kicked off the holiday season at Gatliff Chapel. Students, faculty, and members of the community gathered with Christmas spirit, continuing the tradition that started more than 50 years ago at the University of the Cumberlands.
Dr. Jeff Smoak, professor of music, department chair, and Chamber Choir director, reflects on the history of the Hanging of the Green saying, “Dr. Wartman, who was former music department chair holder, started the Madrigal Dinner tradition and The Hanging of the Green tradition around the same time in 1967.” Smoak adds, ”It is the ushering in of the Christmas season on our campus and in the Williamsburg community.”
Nichole Tracy, senior band member, explained her experience with the celebration and the mood it initiates for her by saying, “It creates a wonderful mix of ministry and music that we don’t see for the rest of the year. The atmosphere is positive, especially with little kids running around.”
Dr. Larry Cockrum, president of the University of the Cumberlands, kicked off the celebration with a quote by American comedian, Bob Hope, to lighten the mood. “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” Cockrum said.
Beautiful holiday pieces and hymns were sung by the Williamsburg Independent High School choir, Chamber Choir, and the Cumberland Singers
choir creating an utter silence among the crowd who listened intently. Songs such as “Glory to God”, “Sleigh Ride” and “Joy to the World” were sung in harmony.
Various Scriptures were read at this event, but arguably the most captivating was read by Jordyne Carmack, assistant professor of communication arts. Carmack not only described the symbolization of the poinsettias and their meaning to the Christmas season, but she also connected the significance of these flowers to the word of Scripture. The audience was awestruck by the performance of the small children assisting in the placement of the poinsettias.
“The star-shaped formation of the red leaves suggests the guiding star of Bethlehem. The crown of flowers reminds us of him who was born the infant king. The blood red leaves foreshadow the cruel cross that lie ahead for the King and underneath the abundant green, the reflection of abundant light,” Carmack said. The celebration was concluded with two stanzas of “Silent Night” lead by the Cumberland Singers. Smoak asked that the audience would join the congregation in performing this well-known hymn. The voices in Gatliff echoed the room, filling the air with a captivating melody.
Afterward, everyone was invited to the Boswell Campus Center to enjoy holiday sweets. At the reception, attendees were greeted by Dr. Cockrum and his wife to show their appreciation for attending the event.
Photo by Eric Ford Edwards s Cumberland Singers Perform st Hanging of the Green.
Christmas films
A compilation of the newspaper staff’s favorite Christmas films
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
This movie brings nostalgia, romance and comedy together. Its heart-warming message will remind you to cherish the life that you have been given. It is something the whole family can watch together. This magical film takes you back to the 1940s and through the universal struggles of overcoming trials and being truly thankful for what you have.
-Emilee Agee
Elf (2003)
If you want to laugh this movie is perfect. It’s an outrageous story that’s full of quotable moments and an instant modern classic. It touches on the importance of being with the ones you love during the holidays. Follow Buddy on his journey to New York to spread Christmas cheer, find his dad and fall in love.
-Emilee Agee
A year without a Santa Claus (1974)
The movie tells a heartwarming story about being able to find the Christmas spirit even when there seems to be nothing worth celebrating. With charming animation, an invigorating musical score, and beautiful cinematography the movie dazzles the eyes at the same time it works at capturing the heart. Mainly the movie achieves these goals through its focus on telling its tale through the eyes of lesser known Christmas characters.
-Leanne Gregory
A Christmas Story (1983)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The film casts actors/actresses such as Taylor Momsen as Cindy-Lou Who and Jim Carey who plays the Grinch perfectly with his hilarious comedy and famous curling smile. The movie is funny and witty with a dark side to it. While portraying the normal holiday traditions it also offers a fun, entertaining twist to the way many people celebrate Christmas.
-Megan Muggridge
A Christmas Story, as everyone knows, is always on repeat on Christmas Day. This movie is constantly playing in my house and is one of my families’ favorite Christmas movies. Ralphie is so lovable and his personality is hilarious. My favorite part of the movie is when he walks down the stairs in a pink bunny costume.
-Megan Kelly
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause movies are my absolute favorite Christmas movies because they are very funny and are heart-warming. It’s a tradition to watch these movies before Christmas in my family because they always put us in the Christmas spirit. I like them because they contain a bit of magic but not enough to make it seem fake.
-Megan Kelly
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
It’s an amusing film about multiple generations of the Griswold family and in-laws getting together under one roof for the first time ever. It gets better every time you watch it because you catch a little more of the witty humor that you didn’t quite get the first time around. Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold in the film and his dry humor in this movie is hilarious. The film is perfectly pieced together with its heartfelt moments and hysterical comedy.
-Megan Muggridge
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers
Photo courtesy of MGM
Photo courtesy of Rankin/Bass Productions
Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema
Photo courtesy of Liberty Films II
Break your routine
Refreshing ideas to keep you sharp
BY EMILEE AGEE
Staff Writer
Living on campus for a long period of time in a small town, especially around the holidays or finals, can cause our days to feel monotonous. If you’re getting stuck your routine, these five tips may be worth considering.
1. Go Outside
One of the most important things students need when finals are coming up or they are doing copious amounts of studying is to just put down the flash cards and close the laptop. You can either hang in your hammock, take a short hike or explore places you haven’t been yet, but taking your mind off whatever if stressing you out for a couple hours with fresh air is how you can refocus.
2. Volunteer
UC has a requirement for students to get 40 hours of community service, and they have provided ample opportunities to get involved. Not only is reaching people in need always a productive way to spend your day and get your required hours in, but you it can be a way to meet new people and possibly form friendships.
3. Cook
When you are bored and stuck on campus, gather some friends and ingredients, cook dinner and sit down to enjoy it together. Everyone loves food and making it yourself means you get a break from eating in the cafeteria
or Grill like you normally do. Also, you can get creative with it. Enjoying something you made yourself is more satisfying and gives you a sense of accomplishment.
4. Exercise
Typically, exercising is not considered fun, but it is a fantastic way to relax. It releases endorphins, and when you’re done, you likely will not have a problem falling asleep at night like you normally might. If you do not like the idea of a treadmill, or the Wellness Center machines scare you, gather some friends and go for a run.
5. Set Goals
When we are doing the same thing every day, it is easy to forget what we are working toward. If you create a list of goals, long or short term, you can look to it in order to stay motivated. Keep the goals where you can see them. Make them realistic and make them lofty, but have them in your mind and set aside time to accomplish them. Just remember why it’s your goal in the first place.
Whether you take time for yourself or dedicate it to others, make sure that you change things up so that you can keep yourself engaged with your most important responsibilities. We should jump at opportunities we do not normally get or take a break from daily life so staying committed to our studies isn’t overwhelming.
Photo by Megan Willoughby
5 reasons to binge-watch The Walking Dead
BY NICHOLE SHARP Staff Writer
In the seven years that AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ has been a thing, it has went from a small success to one of the biggest and most known TV shows on the air. With the audience tripling and the plot thickening it’s become one of the most watched shows. There are those who fangirl over the show and ship characters and those who just love the show as a whole. However, it’s still a tough cookie to crack for some who can’t get past the zombie-gore part. Nonetheless, here are five reasons to jump on the bandwagon with the majority of TV viewers and binge watch “The Walking Dead.”
1. Character development.
There is absolutely nothing better than watching characters develop into the strong independent people they truly are. Carol (Melissa McBride), for instance, before was an abused spouse who was weak-minded and couldn’t defend herself. Now, she is one of the most strong and beloved characters on the show. Maggie (Lauren Cohan), as well, was a farmer’s daughter who turned into one of the leaders of the camps. They represent the whole strong female characters trend a lot. Also, Carl (Chandler Riggs), the son of the sheriff, was morphed from a child into a grown man defending his family and friends. Others to look out for are Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), Enid (Katelyn Nacon), Sasha (Sonequa Martin), even Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). 2. The actors are attractive as well as average.
We can all appreciate good-looking actors on TV shows and fangirl over them on Twitter. However, “The Walking Dead” gives you these characters but they give you a little more too. These characters, like Daryl, Rick, Maggie, Rosita (Christian Serratos), Beth (Emily Kinney), etc. All have one thing especially in common; they’re all in an apocalypse! This means they’re
not always going to look so hot or it would just look fake. These characters transform from being attractive actors/actresses to being realistic human beings beaten down by life in an apocalypse. They’re dirty and grimy and they still rock it!
3. Viewers hate that they love the villains as much as the heroes.
We all love a good villain. The villains in “The Walking Dead” play their roles to a point that you care about them just like you would any other heroic character. You absolutely hate to love them. First it was the Governor (David Morrissey) who made us pity him and just want to help and then there are villains like Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who have this charm and you just can’t shake him but you still don’t really want him dead either.
4. Plot twist, there’s more than just zombies going on.
“The Walking Dead” isn’t just about the dead; believe it or not. This show reflects the lives of individual people and how this apocalypse has affected each one of them. It depicts the lives they must live in order to survive. You get more than just the flesh-eating zombies attacking people. They’re trying to survive, they’re trying to outlive the dead.
5. There are so many seasons and episodes!
A lot of people who haven’t given it a chance will think it’s gone on too long. Wrong! There is absolutely nothing worse than getting into a television show or even movie and it just up and ends too soon. “The Walking Dead” has eight full seasons of episodes upon episodes that pull at your heart strings and break out your inner apocalyptic fighter as well. It’s full of individual stories and is able to pull them all in together to create an amazing plot that’s all cohesive with one another.
Photo courtesy of AMC
BY BRIAN MAHADEO Staff Writer
At the University of the Cumberlands we love our bingo! That’s right bingo! While most schools stand behind their football team or their basketball team, you can always expect students at Cumberlands to have a huge turnout for bingo. Thanks to the folks over at the Campus Activity Board, we were able to wrap our heads around why bingo has become a huge success. The reason for all the patriot bingo lovers will go right over your head. Bingo is an easy and effective way to make sure everybody is engaged and there’s free stuff to win. Bingo takes little to no effort, and the prizes speak for themselves. Who wouldn’t want to win free gift card or an Eno hammock? Who can say no to the chance at winning a Nintendo Switch or flat screen TV?
When asked about bingo and all the buzz it’s been getting around campus, Lisa Bartram, director of CAB, said she was just as shocked as we all are. She told me that an average of 250 students show up to bingo night. The biggest night so far was the most recent one where 370 students were in attendance. Perhaps it was the UC engage credit that went with being there or that the grand prize was a Nintendo Switch gaming console. During welcome week, the attendance for bingo was 324 students. The grand prize was a flat screen television. Surprisingly, only 240 people showed up to bingo night when the grand prize was an iPad pro. The lowest attendance so far was 220 students when the grand prize was a Yeti cooler. Bartram began to tell me just how packed a bingo night can be. “We started in the mid-bcc and it was packed, there was nowhere to go so we had to move up [to the grill area]. People were on the floor and just spread out everywhere. Even in the grill people are everywhere. I ordered 75 extra chairs from maintenance and they were all used.” Bartram said.
For students like junior elementary education major Hannah Bowden, bingo night is still a fun time even though she has never won. “It is fun to go just to take a break from school and hang with friends. Plus, the prizes can be pretty great sometimes and you never know if it will be your lucky night.” Bowden said. To all students and faculty members that have yet to go to a bingo night, what do you have to lose? Who knows, maybe CAB will buy your books back or throw in a hefty gift card to Wal-Mart or Subway.
Christmas crossword
Across
3: What type of tree is a Christmas tree?
4: Who is the most famous reindeer of all?
8: What Christian saint inspired the Santa Claus myth?
9: Kids typically ride on this when it snows.
10: The decorations on Santa’s sleigh that make noise.
12: Who lives in the North Pole?
14: What is the name of the hook shaped candy?
17: Who are Santa’s helpers?
18: Who wrote the “A Christmas Carol” novel?
Down
1: The actor who played Buddy in the movie “Elf”
2: Decorations that are hung up around a Christmas tree
4: What pulls Santa’s sleigh?
5: What does Santa ride in?
6: When standing under this, you must kiss.
7: Name of the holiday where you put up a decorative tree.
9: What falls from the sky when it gets cold?
11: Kids build these out of snow.
13:. What do kids wake up to on Christmas day?
15: The location of Santa’s workshop. 16: Who is the main character in the movie “Home Alone”
Working off-campus
BY EMILEE AGEE
Staff Writer
Almost every college student will find themselves having to pay unanticipated fees or will need extra money during the semester, even if it’s just for gas, and when not all students qualify for work-study, they might have to turn to jobs off-campus. Is balancing a job and at doing at least 12 hours of class reasonable?
One benefit of an off-campus job is simply getting away from campus. Living in the same area that you go to classes in can put you in a rut. It’s good to remember that there is a community outside of campus where you can meet and serve other people. Obviously, making extra money is the greatest thing about having a job, especially if it’s not work-study because that means you can do as many hours as you think necessary and can spend the money in any way you choose. Having to manage class and work also helps a student develop time management skills that will come in handy later with having a career and other obligations. A student can gradually learn to depend on themselves rather than their parents for financial help as well.
Kenzie Gaines, junior and exercise and sport science major at UC, works at a Kroger pharmacy every other weekend. Gaines said, “My advice to other students who are trying to work off-campus is to use your free time to your advantage and
Be kind to servers
BY FORD EDWARDS Editor-in-Chief
make homework a priority.”
She mentioned that keeping a planner or a calendar to remain organized keeps her on track.
A major con of working offcampus? Stress. Having assignments piling up can be intimidating in itself. Working takes a chunk of hours you could be working on these assignments. The thought of doing both, not to mention extracurricular activities and athletics, means sacrificing sleep and time with friends, which just adds to the pressure of everyday life.
Gaines said her athletic schedule was sometimes an issue. She said, “For me, it seemed like every tournament weekend fell on days I was scheduled to work. If something happened where you had to trade days with a coworker, it just mixed up the whole schedule. It also seemed like the only free weekends I had, when I wasn’t working or spending time with my family, was the one weekend everyone else went home, so it was kind of hard to make weekend plans with your friends.”
If you find yourself having difficulties managing everything, it is important to take days off to get caught up in other areas. Having a source of income is often essential for bills, but passing classes means getting through school and advancing toward the career that you’re actually passionate about.
How much do you leave for a tip? Consider it for a second. Say you’re out with friends, it’s your turn to pay, and the total comes out to around thirty dollars. You wonder how much should you tip? The server didn’t forget any food, they refilled your water promptly, and they were happy to be attentive. How much do you tip? Two? Three dollars? Let me ask you to rethink that. The job of a server is to feed hangry patrons, and make sure their night out was worth leaving the house.
In addition to my obligations on campus, I’m also a server, and to be honest it’s not always the most glamorous job. After my classes are over, I change clothes and drive to work, sometimes at the same time. I catch my breath and figure out the section I’ll be serving, and I make sure that the last server cleaned all the tables and I wait for customers. Sometimes there’s almost more people than I can handle and sometimes I might only serve four tables in a night. The job is a lot more difficult than people give servers credit for, and if you’ve served tables or had a bad server you might understand.
The process of taking orders is a tricky one. As any one who has waited tables will know taking an order is one of the most important parts of the process. The most complicated orders come from the most complicated people, and if the order is mis-
understood, or not prepared the way the customer intended then you could make your job drastically more difficult. If the customer wanted Pepper Jack cheese and they got American, I’m in trouble and whether or not they specified the type of cheese is irrelevant. The cheese will have already melted on the burger and the customer will have to wait another 22 minutes for another well-done burger.
After the customers have finished their meals it’s time to wager who’s paying and how it’s split up. This is another thing that can affect your tip. The minimum wage for servers is $2.13 an hour. Every night I take home that tips that I made and that alone is my income. The hourly wage that I make goes directly to taxes, and the majority of my checks range from .50 cents to a one-dollar. In other words whoever is serving you is depending on the tip from their customers’ bill. Tipping is taken into account when calculating how much servers should make, it’s assumed that customers will tip at minimum 10% of their bill. That’s why servers make $2.13. In other words if after an hour of service a customer doesn’t tip, that server made $2.13 for that whole hour and they still have to clean up that seat for new customers.
So please, tip 15% to 20%, slow down when giving your order, don’t trash the booth you’re sitting in, your server has to clean it too, and be kind.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
