Letter from the Editor
Our staff just returned from the National College Media Convention hosted in Louisville this past weekend, I mention this because it always makes me think about how much of a difference people can make through media whether that difference is good or bad. I think that us being a part of the most technologically advanced generation leaves us with a responsibility to really consider what we create and share whether it be through print, video, audio or social media. Media is one of the most influential powers in the world; it is everywhere and is accessible at the tips of your fingers. Why is this important to you? Because anyone can create anything and say itâs true. I want to give you all a couple of tools that you could use to discern when something your reading or viewing is false information so that you arenât tricked this Halloween or any other time this semester.
If you arenât aware, there are a handful of fact-checking websites that can help you to discern fact from fiction; a few of my favorites include snopes.com and hoaxy.com. Snopes is best for many âurban legendâ type stories you might see or widely popular stories that have spread incredibly far through social media. Hoaxy is a bit more technical and will track stories to the first person that posted it which is incredibly helpful in discerning whether the article in question is legit or fake. The overall lesson? Check your sources. It isnât just important for your essays. At The Patriot we do our best to provide you with accurate information to ensure you are up to date with what is going on here on campus, so check out how your classmates served the community, Dr. Levinâs unraveling of the myths of serial killers and the news about our KBC dissolvement.
Sincerely,
Zane Ross, Editor-In-Chief
Editor-In-Chief
Zane Ross
Managing Editor
Emilee Agee
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Haley Bullock
Leanne Gregory
Tyler Kohn
Mike Krzyston
Rebecca Lewter
Jessica McFerron
Alex Nunn
Jenna Rose
Nichole Sharp
Tara Todd
Hunter West
Dan Williams
Kenzie Wright
Maranda Young
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.
Happy Halloween Patriots!
Cover photo by Mike Krzyston
Pats serving the community
UC students participate in community service around Williamsburg
HALEY BULLOCK Staff Writer
The University of the Cumberlands held the first Pats Serve event on October 19th for the UC Engage program to offer the students a community service opportunity.
Pats Serve is a new initiative in which UCâs administration sets aside one day each semester for the UC students to provide community service to the Williamsburg area. Pats Serve offered many ways to contribute to the event like: trail and park cleanup, aiding in yardwork for the elderly, window washing in the community, various ministry opportunities, and more. Around 700 members involved at the university got involved with the project to better the aesthetic quality and function of Williamsburg.
The University of the Cumberlands prides itself in its goal of serving others and encouraging others to do so, and Pats Serve did just that. The hard work among the students was evident with the final products at the end of the day. Servant-leadership is a priority among the community at UC and the faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to complete service during their time on campus.
Yeshua Wolf, a UC freshman, was among the many students that were a part of Pats Serve. Wolf said, âI helped clean trash by the river bank, I really enjoyed it. I liked the idea of cleaning up the community as a group. Iâd like to do it again.â
Over 15 large groups set out to fulfill their designated service they signed up for. While the population involved for Pats Serve mainly included freshman, as this service was a part of UC Engage, many upperclassmen got involved as well, which diversified the population to better represent the student body at the University of the Cumberlands. As 20 hours of community service are required to graduate at this university, Pats Serve and many other campus-led service projects, like Shoes 4 the Soul, are ways to complete the requirement, as well as other opportunities available that are off-campus.
The Student Voice
What did you do for Pats Serve? How did you feel about the experience?
1 I went to First Baptist church and put mulch down in the playground.
2. I enjoyed it, although there were too many people just standing around not knowing what to do.
1. I cleaned up the park at Briar Creek by the football field. I cleaned the bridge with a rake and painted over it with four other people.
2. It was an opportunity to give back to the community. I also enjoyed it because I got to do it with my friends and other people, so I had a good time
1. I recieved the Mahan T. E. Service Award and I participated in painting boards for the Williamsburg school.
2. I enjoyed this because this event gave students the opportunity to give back to the community.
1. My group went to a local park near campus. We were just trying to make the park as clean and renewed as possible.
2. I am passionate about volunteer work in all aspects of my life, it is a simple way to make a big difference in our community. We are sharing the gospel of what we stand for and using it to give back to the people that surround us.
Amber âNicâ Lewis Grant Bryant
Michael Garnon
Hannah Burchfield
Photo By Jordyne Carmack UC student wahses window as part of Pats Serve
Going Our sepArate ways
BYZANE ROSS Editor-in-Chief
On Friday, October 26, the University of the Cumberlands made the official announcement that they would be parting ways with the Kentucky Baptist Convention, an association that has been a major part of UC since its inception as the Williamsburg Institute in 1889.
UC is currently working with the Kentucky Baptist Convention leaders to take steps to dissolve the Covenant Agreement between the two institutions. The proposal, which is subject to the approval of the messengers to the 2018 KBC Annual Meeting, provides for the University to elect its own trustees.
This past summer, the University approached Dr. Paul Chitwood, Executive Director of the KBC, and the Administrative Committee of the Mission Board to request a modification to the 1986 Covenant Agreement between the Convention and University. One of the changes requested by University leaders was the opportunity to have the sole responsibility for appointing trustees. At present, all trustees for the University are elected by the KBC.
âWeâre always looking for people who can live out the mission, especially alumni,â said Dr. Chris Leskiw, Vice President for Academic Affairs. âWe want people who live out the mission, live out Christ-focused values, that have reached success in various capacities and who could open doors for us. Why we would exclude them from their alma mater, the institution that helped build them up?â
âCumberlands has many distinguished alumni and friends who could provide expertise and resources for the University,â said Dr. Larry L. Cockrum, President of University of the Cumberlands. âAt present, the University is unable to include some of these outstanding alumni on our Board of Trustees because they are Methodist, Presbyterian, or members of other Christian denominations.â
The initial announcement was shocking to many UC undergrads who
wouldnât have considered that a dissolvement like this would be likely to occur. There are some students whose thoughts on the matter is that once the steps to sever UCâs ties to the KBC are formally completed that the University will have the freedom to implement more changes in the future aside from appointing their own trustees.
âI honestly didnât believe it at first,â said UC senior Nick Kidd, âIt didnât seem true. Itâs not necessarily bad, I guess it allows for more opportunities; although, Iâm Baptist, personally. I think now we can integrate more things in and around campus.â
âI think itâs a good thing,â added UC freshman Emily Loredo. âThe campus itself will be less restricted. Itâs future decisions on what to do campus and religion-wise wonât be controlled by the KBC. UC can be more effective and open for new campus decisions.â
According to UCâs official press release, The KBCâs Administrative Committee, meeting in August, decided it wasnât in the best interest to maintain a formal agreement with UC if the KBC had no voice in the selection of its trustees. After continued discussions, the Universityâs Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a request to dissolve the Covenant Agreement between the University and KBC.
âUniversity of the Cumberlands is grateful to the KBC for our many years of shared ministry and for the generous support of Kentucky Baptists,â said Cockrum. âCumberlands remains committed to fulfilling its mission as a Baptist institution encouraging intellectual and spiritual growth, leadership, and service through educational programs enriched with Christian values.â
For some students, choosing to attend the University was influenced by their religion and values. Dr. Emily Coleman, Vice President for Student Services, said, âStudents have already had the opportunity to put their faith in action and will continue to have that opportunity. Whether it is through
UC in process of dissolving Covenant Agreement with KBC
Appalachian Ministries, mission trips, worship, Pats Serve or Shoes 4 the Soul, all of those things will still be here to put that faith into action.â
While asking the KBC to approve the termination of the old Covenant Agreement, the Universityâs Board expressed its hope that the University and Convention will find new ways to cooperate in future ministries.
Chad Everhart, UC campus minister, said, âI think this is really going to catapult us in a lot of ways, spiritually speaking. This is my third year in campus ministries and half of my students are not Baptist. A lot of them are Pentecostal, non-denominational or something else and theyâve been involved, but I think there has been a thought that it might not be as inclusive to them. I think that in the end this is going to help a lot and we arenât stopping. Weâre going to expand more and weâre going to go further and further. This isnât going to slow us down.â
As a show of appreciation and good will toward the KBC, Cumberlands is making a $1,000,000 gift toward KBC church planting efforts. Cumberlands will also return nearly $350,000 in Cooperative Program funds received from Kentucky Baptist churches during the current fiscal year, dating back to June 1, 2018.
KBCâs Administrative Committee has expressed its appreciation for the monetary gesture and voted to endorse a motion to amend the Covenant Agreement and a subsequent motion to terminate the Covenant Agreement immediately.
The KBC provides the University with about 75,000 dollars in scholarship funds annually. Recently, UC has announced their Cumberlands Commitment, a plan that will allow students to enroll at the University at a more affordable rate than previous years. Fortunately, student scholarships that were once provided by the KBC will not be affected by the dissolvement of the Amendment because it had already been included in the budget during the Commitmentâs conceptualization.
âEven when we were doing the work for the Cumberlands Commitment, at the heart of that was âhow are we going to make college more affordableâ and âhow are we going to make it clearer to understand,â explained Larry Rector, the UC Director of Financial Aid. âWhen [the steps to dissolve the Covenant Agreement] came about it was âhow do we continue to do that?â Weâre going to make sure that the Cumberlands Commitment scholarship includes what scholarships would have been lost.â
Financial aid aside, Leslie Ryser, Director of University Relations, assured that the KBC makes up a small amount of the Cumberlandsâ overall budget and that, due to the growth of student enrollment, the school will not suffer any negative economic impact.
Barry Fields, a member of the KBC Administrative Committee who also chairs the Agency & Institutions Committee of the Mission Board, has called a special meeting to discuss the Universityâs request.
âThe actions being proposed simply create the potential for a faster end to the existing covenant agreement rather than a 4-year termination period that is currently stated,â Chitwood said. âThis proposal, according to our legal counsel, is permitted because the terms of the covenant agreement can be amended at any time if both the UC board and KBC messengers agree to the amendment.â
Chitwood added that he anticipates the issue would be discussed at the next Mission Board meeting, set for November 12 in Pikeville.
Illustration by Mike Krzyston
Murder He Spoke
UC hosts famous murder specialist
BY EMILEE AGEE
Managing Editor
Dr. Jack Levin is a famous murder expert. He has been featured on âDateline NBC,â â20/20â and â48 Hours.â Heâs attended trials as an expert witness and even interviewed serial killers himself, and he has come to UC to clear up some of the myths and misconceptions about killers. From Northeast University in Boston, Massachusetts, Levin spoke on Extreme Killing: understanding serial and mass murder up close and personal in Gatliff Chapel on Oct. 23 at 7p.m.
What is a serial killer and how does it differ from mass murder? Serial murder is three or more victims over weeks, months or years. A spree killing is three or more victims in a shorter period of time, often days and mass murder is three or more victims simultaneously. What makes serial killers different is that they can go an average of 5 years without being caught. Upon establishing the difference in the different types of killings, Levin started to explain the myths that people tend to believe about them. First, serial killers are driven by jealousy or revenge. The truth is, according to Levin, serial killers are often the most ordinary people, very ânormalâ. They tend to kill for power, recognition and control. They want to be famous for their crime and for people all over the world to know them. That being said, they do not necessarily want to get caught, they get enjoyment from what they do. They just like to play the game. Another common myth is that serial killers are almost always sexually sadistic. This misconception possibly stems from the show âCriminal Minds,â of which Levin says is inaccurate for its portrayal of behavioral analysis being far more reliable than it is in reality. Ken Bianchi, known as the Hillside Strangler, contributed to this myth after murdering and raping 10 women and dumping them on a hillside. Levin tells a story of an interview he did with Bianchi where as he leaned in for a handshake, Bianchi grips his hand so hard, Levin remembers almost crying out in pain. At the end of the interview, Levin wanting revenge, shakes Bianchiâs hand with the same force he endured, and rather than hurting Bianchi, Bianchi just laughs. This demonstrates the
enjoyment he felt from getting a response from Levin. He found a twisted pleasure in the pain that he caused and even the pain he felt.
Another myth society believes about serial killers is that most of them are insane, when they are actually sociopaths. Sociopaths are people who are not capable of feeling remorse for their actions; they do what they want without fear of the result. There is some debate about what kind of impact a troubled childhood has on whether or not that child develops sociopathic tendencies, but not all sociopaths become serial killers. Animal abuse is often an early sign of sociopathy. But because these killers can be so careless, they can make mistakes that can lead to their capture. David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam who killed six people, was caught after double parking, receiving a ticket and being tracked and arrested at his residence. Another example Levin gave was when Joel Rifkin, who killed nine women, had not noticed that his license plate had fallen off and when he was stopped by police, the officer saw the body in the truck bed and he was arrested.
Gazing up at slides of victims over the decades, it is easy to understand the fascination Levin developed throughout his career studying these killers and his need to share his research with the world. There have been magazine covers, action figures, trading cards, and comic books all dedicated to serial killers. There is this idea that serial killers are more common than they actually are.
âYouâre more likely to get malaria or leprosy than be killed by a serial killer,â Levin said.
There are about 200 deaths at the hands of serial killers a year but 15,000 single homicides. Levin wrapped up by emphasizing his main point that he talks about these killers as a career, not to glorify them or treat them like celebrities, but to teach the ugly truth and put them in perspective in a world that has become desensitized to death.
Photo By Maranda Young
Dr. Levin gives a speech about the myths surounding serial killers
This is Halloween (2018)
A review of Halloween (2018)
A A A AA
4/5
BY ZANE ROSS Editor-in-Chief
The notorious serial slasher, Michael Myers (Nick Castle), has returned to Haddonfield one final time to finish what he started in John Carpenterâs cult-classic, âHalloween (1978).â âHalloween (2018)â wipes the slate clean, ignoring the installments that followed the original film from forty years ago. The new film establishes the canon that Michael was captured at the end of âHalloween (1978)â and has been imprisoned since that faithful night. As Michael awaits the day that he will be able to wreak havoc upon a new generation of Haddonfield. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode, a survivor of the Halloween murders who prepares her entire life for her final face-off with the shape of evil himself.
This film grounds itself in reality more than any âHalloweenâ sequel before it, extinguishing the storyline of Laurie being Michaelâs younger sister which was established in the original sequel, âHalloween II.â In the new storyline, Laurie is simply a survivor of Michaelâs murder spree who is dealing with the ramifications of knowing that there is no safety while Michael Myers walks the earth. Instead of being a victim, Laurie trains herself in firearms, trap engineering and, assumedly, martial arts. âHalloween (2018)â asks two questions: who is the predator and who is the prey? Characters like Laurie Strode have been portrayed as prey, the scream queens who run upstairs when they should run out the front door. Michael has always been the predator, an unstoppable force with an insatiable appetite for killing. This film flips the script with Laurie no longer being the prey, no longer being the victim, but taking on a predatory role, learning from her past experience and using that knowledge to become Michaelâs equal which is shown through chilling callback shots to the original film.
Although the film succeeds in showing the evolution of Laurie and the continuation of her story with Michael, it fails to establish an entertaining B-plot. Allyson (Andi Matichak) is the granddaughter of Laurie and, seemingly, a callback to the scream queen character archetype just like Curtis in 1978. Allysonâs storyline mimics a condensed telling of the original movie with her in the place of Laurie, but somehow not as compelling. The issue that Matichak faces in this role that makes her less interesting than Laurie (in 1978) is that Allyson isnât the main character. Allysonâs purpose in the film is as a plot device used to bring Laurie and Michael together for their final confrontation. The two storylines feel like different films from different eras of cinema and maybe that was the intention, but the approach caused the entire B-plot to suffer for it. Overall, the film gave fans something that they had been waiting a long time for and that was a return to the roots of the franchise. There isnât any magic, no psychic connections, no overly edgy remake sins. âHalloween (2018)â has its flaws, but it is honest in where it originates from and follows a set path that never once strays from the source material. It is awesome, a perfect addition for Halloween this year and every year to follow.
Halloween. The iconic time of year when witches and ghosts fill the streets and tricks and treats abound. For inspiration on your spooky night, give this trick or treat playlist a try.
Song
Spooky, Scary Skeletons
Artist
Andrew Gold
Thriller Michael Jackson
Dragula
This is Halloween
Rob Zombie
Danny Elfman
Superstition Stevie Wonder
Disturbia
Rihanna
Black Magic Woman Santana
Monster Mash Bobby âBorisâ Picket & The Crypt-Kickers
Werewolves of London Warren Zevon
Howlinâ For You The Black Keys
I Want Candy Bow Wow Wow
Ghostbusters Ray Parker, Jr.
I Put A Spell On You
Creedence
Clearwater Revival
Getting Away With Murder Papa Roach
Feed My Frankenstein Alice Cooper
Photo credit Universal Studios
