Letter from the Managing Editor
Dear Patriots,
It’s been three weeks since the first day of classes. I don’t know about you, but it feels like it was just yesterday and like it was a year ago, all at the same time. Everything is new; we are all trying to find out what is normal this year. Our “normal” lives have changed so much. It’s easy to be overwhelmed in this season, college is an incredible experience, but it’s also a lot to take on any year, not to mention during a global pandemic.
Although many aspects of our lives are different, I can’t help but feel such pride for our campus because, amid an ever-changing pandemic, the one thing that has stayed the same is the community at UC. We have experienced uncertainty, mourning, and stress in the last three weeks. Even so, I have such fond memories from each day. I’ve witnessed our Student Success Coordinators reaching out, campus ministers being supportive, and friends leaning on each other.
Students, allow those around you to be there for you, to love you. Strive for success and lift each other up because we genuinely are #onebigteam. Ask the “big questions” in life, they matter, and we all have them. I am excited about the growth and the experiences that this semester will bring for each of us.
I am thankful for the opportunity to be the managing editor of The Patriot. I know that I have a responsibility to the students on UC’s campus to be a voice for them. I hope that what I contribute to The Patriot represents you well and is often uplifting. My life has multiple occasions that are a testament to God’s sovereignty. In this instance, He put me exactly where He wanted me to be exactly when He wanted. I know His plan is good.
Make the most of this year at UC, support one another, and strive for growth,
Only by grace,
Editor-In-Chief
Haley Bullock
Managing Editor
Jenna Rose
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee Makayla Durham Abigail Fletcher
Alex Nunn Maranda Young
Front cover photo by Maranda Young
Back cover by Abigail Fletcher
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 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.
Jenna Rose, Managing Editor
TikTok Takeover
The highly popular app that has users addicted
BY ABIGAIL FLETCHER Staff Writer
TikTok’s initial release was in September 2016, but soon merged with the popular app Musical.ly in August 2018. Now in 2020, TikTok has over 800 million active users worldwide. Despite the app’s popularity, President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in August 2020 because users sabotaged his rally. Users of the app requested tickets to the president’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The rally ended up being cancelled completely due to the non materialized crowds.
The app uses a “For You Page” that has an algorithm that makes a whole page of videos similar to what you like or share, accounts you follow, comments you post and content you create. This means what some people see on their “For You Page” or “FYP” may be completely different from someone else’s. It really is tailored to each user’s interests. The algorithm seems to work well since users on the app can be seen in the comment section saying; “this algorithm is getting really specific.” The personalization is what creates the different “sides” TikTok. Mainly there are two main sides of TikTok, there is “Straight” TikTok and “Alt” Tiktok. Straight TikTok has nothing to do with sexual identity preferences but is known as the more typical side of TikTok. This is the side of TikTok that does the lipsyncing, dances and point-of-view (POVs) videos. The straight side of TikTok is where a lot of big content creators like Addison Rae, The Lopez Brothers and Lil Huddy are shown.
do the words they didn’t sing. It is almost impossible to list and describe all the trends because the platform is ever changing.
Choreographed dances are a huge part of TikTok. This is where a creator will make a dance and other content creators might do the dance like popular creators Charli Damelio or Addison Rae, which may cause everyone else to do the dance. Some popular dances have been to Say So by Doja Cat or WAP by Cardi B. While the dances are super popular, so are the “sounds” of TikTok, which are audio clips from videos that others can use to create their own. Most sounds are under one minute, however, Tiktok has recently updated to allow three minutes sounds. These sounds can be remixes of favorite songs, bits from TV shows, clips from content creators or anything you can imagine. The popular sounds are very catchy and something a lot of users incorporate in their everyday life. Trends like singing in cursive is something a lot of users incorporate into their daily lives. Popular sounds like ‘This is for Rachel’ are sounds most TikTok users know by heart.
A student from the University of the Cumberlands has become a content creator and gained a strong following on TikTok.
On top of the specific sides of “Alt” TikTok there are subcategories that are ever-growing on TikTok. For example, there is Willy Wonka TikTok, Frog TikTok, Witch Tiktok, Skater TikTok, Bean Tiktok, Prison Tiktok. The list goes on and any category you can probably think of has a side of TikTok. While there are so many different sides of TikTok there are also trends and specific dances that sweep the app.
There have been a lot of worldwide trends coming from TikTok. There has been the roast trend where groups of people will roast each other saying “it’s the [insert insult] for me” or doing the makeup inspired by the HBO show Europhia. There has also been the trend of “popcorn” singing where users will upload singing every other word in a song and you’re challenged to duet and
Brennan Shortridge, a UC sophomore, says, “ I downloaded TikTok because it reminded me of Vine. I loved all the original content and it had me hooked. I wanted to be a content creator because I enjoy making people laugh. I know that the goofy things I see on my ‘For You Page’ definitely brighten my day. I just thought I could have the same effect on others.”
When describing his content on his TikTok page, Shortridge says, “[It’s] ridiculous. My page doesn’t have a certain theme. I also try to keep a clean image and use funny but appropriate sounds. I want you to be able to show your mom my videos.” Shortridge also admits how much time he spends on the app, “I spend probably 2 hours on TikTok every day. It really is addicting. TikTok is the same feeling as taking a nap for 3 hours but it feels like 3 seconds.” Brennan Shortridge has obtained 80k followers. If you are interested in joining the addiction that is TikTok, it is free to download in any app store and you can follow UC’s own Breannan Shortridge whose username is @_toastmalone_.
Photo by Maranda Young
Brennan Shortridge does “the Woah,” a move from TikTok.
‘Switch’ing It Up?
Which video game console is right for college students?
BY ALEX NUNN
Staff Writer
With more time indoors than ever before, some people may look for a way to help the time go by faster. One of the many indoor pass-times for students is gaming, anything from PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. Everyone has their favorite, but when you’re on campus, which one is best suited for college?
PlayStation is known for its exclusive titles that are released often, including games such as “Uncharted,” “The Last of Us,” and “Ratchet & Clank.” Xbox is praised for its social aspects, being the best party-game experience with an achievement system, rewards and backward compatibility. With the Nintendo Switch’s portability and access to multiplayer games, you can invite a whole room to play, and classic franchises are receiving new titles often. It’s no wonder why you see so many people around campus with Nintendo Switch carrying cases because portability and ease of access have many students currently trying to get one for themselves. Jonathan Ball, a UC junior, mentions that the exclusives for the Switch, like “Smash Bros. Ultimate” and “The Legend of Zelda,” are some of the best, and that “It’s extremely portable, and big-name studios are adding games to the switch all the time.”
Throughout 2020, high demand for consoles has led to most of them being out of stock. However, of all the systems facing this drought, the Switch has been the most noticeably affected.
With the convenience of the Switch, this lack of stock makes since, as UC senior Geoff Denny says, “It was nice to be able to play both at my TV and around the house. It made it feel like I was less stuck because I could play all around the house, and change up the scenery, so it never got boring.”
Though one can’t deny the qualities of the other consoles, the online aspect of both the Xbox and PS4 is more of a selling point, the Switch finds a place in everyone’s pocket or backpack and is the same price as both the Xbox and PS4. With one of the largest collections of party games and local multiplayer alike, the Switch makes the time in your dorm feel less like being cooped up, as mentioned by Andrew Hackler, a UC Junior.
With these student opinions on which console was best suited for campus-life, one can’t overlook that the perks of portability and such a broad array of party-games make the Switch the contender for the most fitting system for a student. Though there is a place for the other systems when it comes to more demanding, competitive games, Nintendo has always, throughout the generations of consoles, been the lead at bringing people together. So if you are on the move often and want something to occupy time no matter where you are, it would seem the Switch is the console for you.
“The Avatar Returns”
A review after rewatching ‘Avatar: the Last Airbender’ as an adult
BY HALEY BULLOCK Editor-in-Chief
Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (ATLA) is a cartoon that ended in 2008, but it is something that is heavily adored by fans, and it’s catching even more attention now that it is available to stream on Netflix again. The three seasons of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko’s series follows the journey of 12-year-old Aang and his friends as he navigates learning how to utilize his abilities as the Avatar, the master of all four elements: water, earth, fire and air. Even though many people watched the show on Nickelodeon’s network when it first aired, it is still something that many of us can rewatch and enjoy today.
The series begins with two Southern Water Tribe siblings Sokka and Katara, the only waterbender left in their tribe, as they are trying to find fish for their village. The two accidentally stumble upon Aang, the Avatar who has been missing for 100 years, resulting in a global war with Fire Lord Ozai, leader of the Fire Nation, trying to take over the entire world. From the moment the original trio of Aang, Katara and Sokka get together, the show immediately plays into its comedic aspects that keep viewers watching episode after episode. Between Sokka’s never-ending jokes and Aang’s playful personality batted up against Katara’s more motherly nature, these three make up the majority of the group that dubs itself as “Team Avatar.” “ATLA” is a show that has taught us many lessons that we can still use in our daily lives now. Characters like Uncle Iroh from the Fire Nation is the main source that people look to when it comes for inspiration or advice. Some of his best quotes are: “Good times become good memories, but bad times make good lessons.” and “It is important to draw wisdom from many different places.” Even though this is a cartoon generally aimed at children, the lessons and themes in the show is something that can resonate with older audiences as well.
The different styles of bending in the series are animated beautifully, as well as the scenery because all of the colors are very saturated and vibrant. Each character truly feels like their own person. I find myself attached to even the more obscure characters like the “Cabbage Man” that viewers see intermittently throughout the show’s duration. Each of the main characters went through some sort of transition before the season 3 finale. Still, the
creators did an excellent job of not letting their personal growth transitions take over and replace the personality of the characters that we grow to love as we watch their journeys, which is something that can often happen in television and movies.
Not only is the art style and animation something that many critics and fans praise, but the music is something that I am also a huge fan of. While there is no opening theme song that fans can sing along with before each episode, they do start with the same monologue from Katara that many fans, or maybe just me, have memorized by heart and can speak along with her. Since the show’s bending styles are based on various aspects of martial arts, many different pieces in the “ATLA” soundtrack are of Asian influence, especially a recurring work titled “The Avatar’s Love,” which plays throughout key scenes.
If you’re watching “ATLA” for the first time as a young adult or if you’re rewatching it as one of your favorite childhood shows, there’s truly something in it for everyone. Whether it’s the comedy, the story of friendship, the redemption arcs or you just want to see why everyone is talking about a 15-year-old cartoon, you won’t regret pressing the play button and going along with Team Avatar’s many adventures. More than likely, you’ll get way too emotionally invested and sob your heart out when you finish it (again.)
I absolutely have to “ATLA” a 5-star rating because while this show is spectacular in so many ways. There truly is something in this cartoon for everyone. This is a show you can watch when you’re young, something you can enjoy with your siblings/children or something you can shamelessly watch by yourself in your dorm room when you need a “pick-me-up.” If you find yourself wanting more from the Avatar universe once you finish “ATLA,” the spin-off series, “The Legend of Korra” (TLOK), is also now available on Netflix. There are also many comics released about “ATLA” and “TLOK,” as well as some comics and novels featured around a previous well-known earthbending Avatar, Avatar Kyoshi. This show has changed mine and many others’ lives and perspectives on the world for the better. The life lessons you learn are things that you will carry with you no matter how old you get, or how old you are when you hear them for the first time.
Photo by Makayla Durham
Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon
Disney Does It Again
Will Mulan be a Success Without Mushu?
BY JENNA ROSE Managing Editor
I remember the roar of excitement when the original announcement of a live-action “Mulan” was released. Like many others, my excitement withered away after every new article published about the making of the film. No Mushu, no Li Shang, no music? What’s left if you take all that out? I felt as though the movie would be a disgrace to all Disney lovers. The thought of a “Mulan” movie that was missing such classic elements left many people saying to Disney, “Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow!”
The day that I was finally able to view the film was one filled with excitement and extreme apprehension. I didn’t expect great things from the film. However, I am thoroughly impressed with the execution of the legend, and I advise you not to disregard the movie before viewing it. Enter into watching the film with the knowledge that it is not a replica of the classic that we know and love, and you will likely be impressed. Disney’s bold decision to take the elements that we quote and love out of the film was not a decision that they made lightly. I believe that Disney understood the severity of their decision because the producers of the film didn’t allow the characters and music not to be represented well in the new movie.
In the live-action film, Disney honored the legend that the film is based on and their original animated work by implementing Mushu, Li Shang and music in a new way. For example, in the 1998 film, Mushu is sent to protect Mulan on her journey to fight in the war; in the 2020 film, a phoenix is sent to protect her in the same way. The music from the original
made an appearance as well. I noticed that at times when Mulan was doing something bold or courageous, “Reflection” would be the instrumental playing in the background.
The producers also split Li Shang’s character into two roles in the new film. Commander Chung plays Li Shang’s leadership role of getting the men prepared to fight. He even says, “We are going to make men out of every single one of you.” I’ll admit that when the song didn’t begin playing in this scene, I was disappointed. I should have been singing “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” at the top of my lungs, but I appreciated the reference. The part of Li Shang’s character in which he builds a bond with Mulan is present through a fellow soldier named Chen Honghui. Don’t worry, everyone, he was easy for me to like.
I feel as though the original legend that Mulan is based on is well told in the new film. It is presented in a more serious, sophisticated manner as an action-film. I don’t mind this because Disney has done this before. I would compare the changes made to “Mulan” to the changes made in “Maleficent,” one of my favorite films. It is still a tale with magic and a happy ending but with less comedy and more feeling. I hope that you will view the film because I believe it is a well-done work of art.
Photo courtesy of Disney
‘Umbrella Academy’ Review
The emotional journey of modern day superheroes
BY MAKAYLA DURHAM Staff Writer
The Netflix original, “The Umbrella Academy,” tells the story of a dysfunctional family that has to test the limits of time and their own abilities to save the world from its ultimate doom. Created by Steve Blackman and developed by Jeremy Slater, the original idea for “The Umbrella Academy“ was a fantasy movie until 2017 when Netflix announced the green light for a series based on the stories. Based on a comic that was co-created by Gerard Way from the band My Chemical Romance, the musical excellence is to be expected.
The first season was released on February 15th, 2019 and the second season was teased in May of 2020 with a dancing scene before its initial release on July 31st, 2020. Using twists and turns throughout the first season and even more mind games in the newly deputed second season, the series surly has you questioning what is real and what is a figment of the imagination.
Giving this series a 4 out of 5 stars based on all the things they have done right with great execution, let’s get into why it didn’t receive the 5th star. The biggest issue that I have taken into notice is trying to remember all the names, within the first episode we are introduced with 10 new main characters. And going into the rest of the first and second season this matter only worsens with more characters being presented. Each character that is brought into the show has an importance at some point of the series and in order for you to connect the dots towards the mysteries that lie behind the curtain, you must pay attention to everyone.
The diversity that is represented with “The Umbrella Academy” is unlike any other TV show I have watched, having main roles being
compromised of a truly diverse cast. Even though these characters are covering such a wide range of representation, the characters are special based on their own lives, not surrounding how they appear different compared to other individuals in the show.
The first thing I notice when watching any show or movie is the music and soundtrack and how they create the scene with the theme of the sound. For “The Umbrella Academy” the soundtrack is extraordinary and gives main character vibes, imagine yourself, showing up late to class with an iced coffee in hand and these songs in the background.
Steve Blackman, a writer for the show, stated at a recent panel, “Unlike most shows, we don’t add the music after the shoot. We write the music into the show. It’s in the scripts.” From classic hits, throwbacks and even original covers created just for this show to give a creative side to the moments that are being seen throughout the series.
This series produces the needed mystery, action, drama and romance to fulfill all of your binge-watching needs. With great focus on seeing how a show can create top tier-acting and dialogue from more than just one focused individual type and execute it well at that. I’m highly recommending this to anyone looking for a hold on to the edge of your seat type of performance with a giving soundtrack that will have you always wanting more and searching for the right answers.
Photo courtesy of Universal Cable Productions
