Faces of Change
Women ’ s soccer team prepares for mission t r i p to Haiti
Sen ding
hopE to Hait i
BY A SH T ON R E C T OR StaffWriter
Members of the Patriot women’s soccer team will be spending their spring break spreading the gospel of Christ in Haiti. The team has partnered with the mission group A Door to Hope, founded by Brent Gambrell Ministries, to venture almost 1,500 miles away. Assistant coach Brittney Gadd says the idea was sparked after UC’s campus minister Dean Whitaker recommended the team attend a revival held at Main Street Baptist Church where Gambrell was the guest speaker. Gambrell offered Gadd the idea to bring the Patriot Women’s soccer team to Haiti.
A Door to Hope has been ministering and building relationships with local communities and churches since 2003, but after the tragic earthquake in 2010 their work has become more concentrated in the capital of Port-Au- Prince and its surrounding areas
Freshmen soccer player Erin Bolas will be attending the trip. Bolas said, “It’ll be interesting to
see how they’ve been able to move on from that [earthquake] and been able to cope with their lives and for us to go over there and be able to help them; it’ll be awesome.”
The aftermath of the earthquake was nearly 316,000 casualties and countless damaged homes and broken families. Gadd said, “There is hope, that there is something much bigger to life, much bigger, and if you rely on the Lord and put your faith in Him, you’re full of life. You’re no longer dead ”
While in Haiti, the team will spend their time in communities that are in extreme poverty. Senior Hannah Starner said, “We’re just planning on loving on the kids, playing soccer, teaching them soccer, and using soccer as a way of leading them to Jesus ”
Gadd not only expects the team to be personally affected by the trip but she also believes emotions will be transferred into the game of soccer.
“It’s going to create more unity and we’ll get a better understanding of what it is to truly sacrifice, as far as playing soccer [we’ll learn] what it means to sacrifice on the field for each other.” Some of the soccer players have taken this task on personally by proposing fundraiser ideas. Currently, the team is selling t-shirts on booster.com where they hope to sell 100 shirts
“I took it as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’ve always wanted to do one [mission trip] and it felt like it fell into place,” said Starner
Gadd says there is encouragement they would like to share with the people of Haiti. She added, “The key is love and I think if we focus on that, the heart of the gospel is going to people in their brokenness and just loving them. That’s the message we want to send is love and hope ”
Has M in ecraft beco me an add ictio n?
BY H A N N A H T Y L ER GuestWriter
Eyes locked on the computer screen staring at the world you created in front of you You wish you lived in the virtual world you designed instead of the one you currently live in Every part of the world is something you thought of. Everything you say goes. If this sounds like you, or someone you love, then you might be obsessed with the video game “Minecraft.” Sarah Walden, a University of the Cumberlands junior, says her brother is the “definition of addicted to ‘Minecraft ’”
“Every time we are ready to leave the house, my brother begs for just five more minutes He will throw a fit,” says Walden, rolling her eyes. “If we leave before he finishes and saves the game he claims that everything will be lost So consequently, we are late for everything,” she added.
“Minecraft” allows its users to build freely whatever they want from the materials they mine from the ground. You have to work for
your materials The game has no objectives, you only build on your own terms
Since 2009 when the video game first launched, over 35 million people purchased the game In 2012, it was actually awarded a Golden Joystick Award in the category Best Downloadable game.
While some people may think that “Minecraft” is an addiction, one thing is for sure, it is very popular. The game has grown at an unbelievable rate
The overwhelming popularity of this product sparked the interest in a buyout from Microsoft This year, Microsoft purchased Mojang, the company that develops “Minecraft,” for $2.5 billion. Who knew a game could be worth so much money?
But the money coming in with “Minecraft” is not only limited to the game itself, there is also merchandise sold in all kinds of stores as well as upgrades on the game itself. “My
brother owns a sword, tried to make one of the heads and owns several t-shirts,” said Walden Benjamin Tyler, an eighth grader, tried to explain how “Minecraft” in his opinion is not an addiction at all, but rather a goal “Once you start something you need to finish it. It’s like that with all things, ‘Minecraft’ is no different”. Tyler said that he plays every day for about two hours. Watching him play the game is fascinating, he moves so quickly it’s hard to keep up.
“The game is player friendly There are opportunities on the game just like there are with others. You can earn things and reach new levels It’s rewarding” he said Tyler has the game downloaded onto his desktop, iPod and Kindle. The developers made sure that you could access the game no matter where you are
Microsoft has said of the “Minecraft” family, “The Minecraft players have taken the game and turned it into something that surpassed all our expectations.”
I s Y i k Ya k j u st o u t o f w h a c k?
BY H A L E Y DA M RON GuestWriter
One of the current trends that has been booming on the University of the Cumberlands campus in the past few weeks is the Yik Yak app. This app has been commonly described as an anonymous Twitter that allows its app users to post whatever is on their mind without someone knowing who posted it. Users have described it in a variety of ways being both positive and negative.
The Yik Yak app is described in the Apple app store as a “local bulletin board for your area by showing the most recent posts from other users around you. “This app requiring an iOS 7 0 device or later that is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is a social networking app used to spread the word by using your current location App users have up to 200 characters to post what is on their mind Each post can be “up voted” if users like it or “down voted” if they dislike it. However, once it has been “down voted” so many times, the post will be removed
This app has been featured on many top news sites and shows since its controversial creation due to it being meant for users of 18 years of age and older, but is still open to users of any age despite the crude and controversial content that some
users choose to anonymously post. University of the Cumberlands students have just recently discovered the world of “yakkers” and it is a trend that has many wondering when it will fade.
When UC student Paige Edwards was asked about Yik Yak, she described the type of posts on the area’s feed to be, “slanderous most of the time ” Edwards added, ”There is a lot of gossip and people desperate for attention. “
It is obvious that there are people that are using the anonymity of the app as an opportunity to bully people, teams or the school in general
Lydia Huggins, a UC student, stated, “While there might be positives such as building a new since of community on campus, the negatives far outweigh them The amount of negativity keeps me away from even downloading the app There is enough negativity around the world anyways that I do not need or desire to be flooded with more negative topics and slander “
While many students feel that Yik, Yak is strictly negative some people have seen that it does have its positives
For example, UC student Thomas Rally mentioned, “Depending on how people interacted, it has brought some
groups closer together.”
Even though a lot of users describe the negative things that are posted on Yik Yak, there are, however, positive posts. For example one of the post that actually got 28 “up votes” after being posted on Sunday October 26, 2014 said, “What a blessing to see another day. Hope everybody has a great Sunday ” Yik Yak has its positive and negative characteristics, however, it is something that has been a major conversation topic throughout campus. Currently there is a lot of hype around campus and it would almost be unusual to go around campus without hearing someone talking about a post on Yik Yak if not the app in general. Even though there is such a strong amount of excitement surrounding the anonymous app, all six people that were interviewed regarding this article believed that the app’s popularity would quickly fade.
Anyone considering downloading the sensational app should take into consideration the types of controversial or explicit things that they may read. Also, before “yakkers” choose to post something they should remember the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all ”
BY
1 s t
First Place: Shay King as Starfire
3rd costume contest winners
Second Place: Cari Kidd as Barbie
Third Place: Russell Ridenour as Harr y Pot ter
2nd
BY J EN N I F ER M A R SH Associate Professor ofSpanish
I remember the fanfare that accompanied the publication of Tom Brokaw’s bestselling book, The Greatest Generation, in 1998 The book is a tribute to the brave men and women who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War. The term “the Greatest Generation” was coined by Brokaw, an acclaimed television journalist. As Brokaw made the rounds of various news outlets and talk shows to publicize his book, I remember my parents and grandparents agreeing with Brokaw’s premise that the people of the generation referred to in his book were different. The feeling was that, during that time in history, people were braver, more willing to sacrifice. Brokaw contends that recent generations would have a hard time withstanding such serious adversity as the World War II generation had to endure. I heard the same sentiment after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001: “Let’s hope we don’t get involved in a long-term war abroad This younger generation just would not be able to handle it”.
Granted, Brokaw could
In praise of all veterans Equa lly Great Equally G reat Equally G reat
not have foreseen the events of 9/11 or the ensuing military involvements in Iraq and Afghanistan. In recent years he has spoken highly of our current members of the military. But in his book he states, “I would like to think that if the United States were attacked we’d band together, but I’m not sure. If there’s a common lament of this generation, [the World War II generation] that is it: where is the old-fashioned patriotism that got them through so much heartache and sacrifice?” I challenge this premise of The Greatest Generation, the notion that it does not seem likely that any future generations can compare to the people of the World War II era in terms of bravery, dedication to duty, and love of country.
Brokaw uses the stories of individual men and women to share his praise of the World War II generation There is the story of Captain Charles O. Van Gorder, who worked under dangerous conditions in field medical facilities and was later taken prisoner by the Germans He risked his life helping other Americans to escape and was finally able to escape himself
and return to the U.S. in the spring of 1945
There is Joe Foss, an ace fighter pilot in the Marine Corps and a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor He played a key role in the air combat of the Guadalcanal Campaign There is Jeanne Holm, who commanded a basic training company of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. She continued with her military career and in 1973 became the first woman to be promoted to the grade of major general. Brokaw details these stories and those of many other worthy heroes.
We have also witnessed many military success stories among the post-9/11 generation Captain Kellie McCoy was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. In 2003 she directed her unit during an ambush in Iraq, repelling insurgents and preventing U S fatalities Master Sergeant Sarun Sar was awarded the Silver Star. He slowed a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in 2005, allowing his team to clear an enemy area Army Sergeant 1st Class Leroy Petrey, after being deployed twice to Iraq and during his sixth deploy-
ment to Afghanistan, was involved in a raid on a Taliban target He was able to protect the men around him by picking up and throwing a live grenade that had been tossed at them; he lost his hand in the process and was awarded the Medal of Honor Sacrifice is a common theme in Brokaw’s book. He commends those who stepped forward to serve:
“The nation turned to its young to carry the heaviest burden, to fight in enemy territory and to keep the home front secure and productive They understood what was required of them, and they willingly volunteered for their duty.” Those last words about volunteering for duty have been especially true for the post-9/11 generation. We have an all-volunteer military now, with the draft having ended in 1973. This is a tremendous difference between today’s military and that of the World War II era and one that I believe increases the measure of the bravery among today’s troops.
I am proud to have had the honor of serving on active duty in the U.S. Army though I was fortunate to have done
so during peacetime in the 1980’s I served with a number of Vietnam veterans who shared with me their harrowing stories of those war years They represent their own greatest generation and I honor their service. Though I worked very hard at the headquarters of a Military Police battalion, and later served as a general’s aide, I cannot compare my relatively pleasant duty with the courageous service of those in our post-9/11 military. As our nation’s armed forces continue to face dangerous challenges around the globe and as we prepare to honor our veterans this November 11th, I think about our current generation and I agree with the sentiment of historian Arthur Schlesinger: “I am a short-term pessimist but a long-term optimist I think some future crisis will rally the country and bring out new leaders These are the cycles of history.” Certainly the young men and women who exemplified bravery and sacrifice during World War II were a great generation But I find this post- 9/11 generation to be equally great.
An apple a day keeps the PA away
Physician assistants on the rise at UC
BY A SH T ON R E C T OR Staff Writer
Her small bare feet rapidly swung back and forth as she sat on the kitchen counter She took a deep breath upon every command while the stethoscope glided across her back. Every time she heard the worn out phrase, “Say ahh,” the wooden tongue depressor would touch her tongue, as she laughingly would show her tonsils Her voice echoed through the entire home just like she hoped. Although the 8-year-old girl may have mockingly nicknamed herself the “lab rat”, she was always proud to help her dad as he made his way through the physician assistant program
Scott Rector, a recent physician assistant graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, recalls instances where his daughter would be his mock patient as he prepared for basic wellness exams. Rector now practices at a primary care facility in his hometown of Oneida, Tennessee
The American Academy of Physician Assistants website says, “It's estimated that by 2020 there will be a shortage of 90,000 physicians in the United States.” Mid-level providers such as physician assistants are the cure for the professional health world’s ailment.
This absence of doctors can be attributed to the high availability of health care to the general public. Rector says, “I think you’re seeing more people have access to health care, more people have health insurance and starting to see more people come into the practice.”
Since 2010 to the present day, the Affordable Care Act has increased the availability of health insurance for all Americans. This means people who have never had the opportunity to seek medical care now can attain it on a regular basis. The Physicians Foundation estimated in 2012 a physician alone could see approximately 20 patients a day. However that same physician can supervise multiple mid-level providers who can each see the same number of patients as him.
“You’re hired there to make life better
for the physician, assist the physician and help him in his clinical practice,” says Rector.
The University of the Cumberlands offers a 27-month program to complete a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Most programs can be completed typically in two to three years This time is composed of classroom time as well as clinical experience. This type of program follows a model similar to medical school After graduation, the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam must be passed before the new graduates can practice Since the training period is quite shorter than that of a doctor, physician assistants can enter the field of practice hastily
Also, in 2010 the Affordable Care Act has created incentives for physician assistant students “Financial support [is available] for the education of PAs who intend to provide primary care services, especially in rural and underserved communities,” says the AAPA website
A prospective physician assistant student Marki Hall expects to take advantage of these benefits and fulfill her assistant position in the medical field in a small community. She says, “Heading back to a rural area will help lighten some of the loads of your few physicians.”
A career as a physician assistant has also proven very versatile They can be found anywhere from the emergency room to a specialist office. Hall plans to specialize in orthopedics because of her athletic career “I feel like having previous knowledge of sports and how sports injuries could happen would contribute to the knowledge of how the bones and muscles work,” says Hall.
Rector remembers comments from Dr. Williams that capture the essence of his experience, “You truly start to learn in practice because nobody can prepare for the things you see everyday You have the knowledge base of the disease and the condition, but every patient presents differently.”
BY N ATA SH A JON E S Managing Editor
How hard are you willing to work fo r it?
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’ t work hard
Upon the beginning of our school year, I heard one too many freshmen mention the statistics of the average salary of their intended major Of course it was great that students were planning ahead and thinking of the future, but what kind of dream is worth chasing if you’re only doing it for the dollar amount attached to it?
As I talked to more and more freshmen and college students in general, I see a trend of always having a debate between what they want to do with their lives, and what they think they need or should do with their lives. Most students start college with the anticipation of getting a degree in something that makes a good living, even if they have to sell some of their happiness doing it
Going into anything halfhearted is going to set you up for a disadvantage of succeeding Someone once said, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” You can find in almost every aspect of life that this phrase is true. Doing anything with less than all of your capability is a waste of not only yours, but also everyone else’s time.
Too many people set their goals with the intention of having the end result be mostly about material items. Nobody mentions that if you hate the field you’re studying or going into, you’re a lot less likely to finish or continue to stay in that occupation
Don’t focus too much on the statistics; trust that if you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to accomplish your goals It won’t happen overnight, or even in the next five years, but if you’re not willing to work hard, you won’t achieve anything Maybe you won’t end up on the exact path you thought you’d be on at the beginning of your journey, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find the right path for you.
It won’t be an easy climb You’re going to struggle, perhaps barely survive, and yet if you stay focused, you’ll find your stride Don’t let all the pressure and stress tarnish your time. Sometimes the trip there is the one of the sweetest parts of the journey Make some memories and enjoy the ride. Instead of focusing your goals on one end result, try doing something you really love.
BY CH R IS T I N RO T T EN BERGER StaffWriter
Filters, captions and likes, oh my! Selfies are basically the self-portrait of the 21st century and have taken over the social media realm It is almost impossible to scroll down your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter feed without seeing duck-faced selfies right and left. Selfies are so popular that a new television series has debuted titled “Selfie ” Crazy, I know.
There are even timer apps, apps that allow you to change your appearance for a selfie such as YouCam Perfect and Selfie Photo Editor, and a “selfie stick” that allows you to take the perfect picture at a wider angle.
Selfies are a way to show off a new shirt, haircut, makeup design, or simply a way to let your followers know you’re still active A selfie doesn’t even have to be just of one person. Sometimes called “usies” or “wefies”, selfies involving more than one person are just as popular as a selfie involving a single person. Although taking selfies is mostly attributed females, males are just involved in selfie culture whether or not they
But fi rst ... let me t ake a se lfie
would like to admit it
Some people are very fond of selfies while others tend to be annoyed by the number of self-portraits that are seen while scrolling down their newsfeed. There are those that also seem to think that selfie culture is a bad thing, causing our generation to become selfish and worried that the number of likes that they get on a selfie determines their self-worth. Others view selfies as a great way of self-acceptance in a world full of self-esteem issues.
I would end this article with a catchy paragraph, but I have to go take a selfie. Happy snapping!
Endurance
BY T Y L A R B A K ER StaffWriter
Running a race is just like living an everyday life. We are all running around trying to keep up with the popular demand of society
And even though we may not see it, we are sinning every step of the way. It’s just like carrying around a bag of 50 pound weights Sin is heavy and it wears us down to where we feel like we are nothing. Every day we are battling our own struggles, temptations form society and the pressures of life. It can be so overwhelming that it slows us down to a crippling crawl Ever been there before?
I have. But I have found that the more I read Scripture and the more time I spend with God in my private time, the more I find that He is ready and willing to take the pressure of life off of me. Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV) says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God ”
This verse is staple because it shows us that we are surrounded by people who are willing to support us Since we are surrounded, throw it off. I know that may seem easier said than done, but its true. If you want freedom from your circumstance and be able to run with endurance throw it away. Whatever it may be, throw it out and allow the people around you to help They will run along side of you. They will be there when you need them. But the best part is, even if they fall away, God always remains close to you! Don’t cower down, and don’t give in Trust God and stand back up to run!!!
“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.” –Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
