Letter from the Editor
Dear Patriots,
The leaves are finally changing and the air is crisp, homecoming has passed and the school is buzzing with good energies. It was a time to celebrate the current and former students and faculty of this university, and remember the times we had in this beautiful town.
Through my college years, I learned that home is a feeling, not a place, so the term homecoming means a great deal to me. I think itâs crazy to think that what weâre doing today will just be stories in years to come, leaving only memories and impacts of our time here. As the semester slowly comes to an end, you realize that what youâre doing right now matters. The people around you would be totally different if it wasnât for your impact, and what youâre learning in classes will help you change the world in a few years, just like a lot of these people coming back have done already.
I hope you all enjoyed the homecoming festivities, and maybe got to see the people you miss that have graduated before you. Itâs a beautiful weekend to spend with beautiful people. Rah Rah go Pats.
Fire it up,
Mike Krzyston, Editor-in-Chief
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Krzyston
Managing Editor
Taylor Duke
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Haley Bullock
Whitney Couch
River DePetris
Makayla Durham
Abigail Fletcher
Leanne Gregory
Alex Nunn
Jenna Rose
Sara Sherman
Elizabeth Spires
Maranda Young
Front cover by Mike Krzyston
Back cover by Mike Krzyston
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Coming back to the burg
Alumni return for homecoming at UC
BY ABIGAIL FLETCHER Staff Writer
College is one of the most memorable times in someoneâs life. Lifelong friends are made and future stepping stones to a career are set. At the University of the Cumberlands, there is a week dedicated to alumni stepping back to remember their time at the burg. Not only is this a time for alumni, but also the current students to enjoy events and a time of reflection. The Campus Activities Board hosted several events during homecoming week. CAB kicked off the week with Movie Night at the TriCounty Complex. The movie night event has always been a big hit to UC students. Rachel Meadors, a UC junior, says, âI think theyâre great. I like being able to see a [free] movie with friends and I like that itâs late at night, so I can be off work to go and see it.â Throughout the week of homecoming, CAB likes to shed light onto sporting events going on throughout the week, like the womenâs volleyball game against Georgetown which took place the week of homecoming.
UCâS Fellowship of Christian Athletics and UCâs Baptist Campus Ministries also hosted events on campus during homecoming week. Following the events held by FCA and BCM, CAB held a block party on the BCC lawn. Michael Garnon, the graduate assistant for CAB, says the goal of the block party is âan opportunity for students and alumni to hang out. It is like the Patriot Party, and it is a chance for students to get involved in some fall activities.â The last event that is the cherry on top of homecoming week is the football game. UC played against Campbellsville and during this game the homecoming court was in attendance.
Although the CAB hosts events throughout the week of homecoming, there are other things going on campus during the week. The music department hosted the homecoming concert, featuring the UC jazz ensemble, Cumberland Voices, and the chorale. Matthew Brock, a UC freshman and a jazz ensemble performer, says, âPersonally, I am really excited about performing in this homecoming concert. I think it is a great opportunity for our different ensembles to perform, and for the alumni to see how programs have evolved.â
Every year a theme is chosen to represent homecoming, and this year âPeace, Love, Cumberlandsâ was the theme chosen to represent homecoming. Erica Harris, executive director of alumni relations, is one of many working behind the scenes to make homecoming happen. When asking Harris about the inspiration of the theme, she said, âLooking at the years...we are marking the class of 1969âs 50th reunion. So, in terms of marketing, we felt the late â60s and early â70s were a great period of time in the US history. We thought it would be a fun idea to go with that throwback look.â Homecoming is a time to let alumni of UC to come back to their roots and get a feeling of nostalgia during this time. This year in particular was a year of good numbers of alumni visiting campus.
When thinking about the tradition and overall importance of homecoming, Harris, says, âNostalgia is important, particularly for alumni who have been graduated for several years. It is an opportunity to get back together with your friends from your college years who really helped shape who you are...you make your lifelong friends in college. There is just something about getting back on campus and reliving some of those memories visiting some of your favorite places on campus. It is just nostalgia.â
The time of homecoming is a time of fellowship and looking back on past memories. The CAB has hosted great events during the week of homecoming. The music department has put together a concert for alumni, faculty, and current students to enjoy. People are working all week behind the scenes to prepare a week of remembrance to a very influential time of peopleâs lives. Although to alumni it is a time of remembrance, to current students it is a time of inspiration to look forward. Someday people that are students now will be walking back on the campus of the University of the Cumberlands to reminiscence on the memories made here.
UC students through the years
In honor of homecoming, the staff thought it would be nice to look back at the University of the Cumberlands yearbooks and see what our student body was up to before we got here. Hereâs a a smal portion of what we found.
The 1997 homecoming king and queen, Stephen Brown and Carlee Ballard, escorting each other on the field.
During a pep rally for the 1960 homecoming, the UC student body held a bonfire.
The entirity of the homecoming court of 1969 with the king and queen in the middle.
1974 choir participating in Madrigals. The choir dresses up as a medieval court and perform music relevant to the medieval era.
1927 Cumberland College baseball team.
Q&A with the Homecoming Queen
Falon Bell reminisces on her time at UC
BY LEANNE GREGORY AND MARANDA YOUNG Staff Writers
Falon Bell was crowned UCâs 2019 Homecoming Queen on Saturday, Oct. 26. Bell is a senior double majoring in exercise sports science and Christian studies with a minor in Spanish.
Maranda Young: What is it like being homecoming queen? Falon Bell: I feel very very honored; itâs a special thing.
MY: What are some of your favorite college memories?
FB: So last year, or this past summer, I worked with Appalachian Ministries, and it was amazing. We got to work a lot with kids. We live in a poor community and so we were literally spending time with kids who lived in shacks, and like Canadatown. Some of my favorite college memories have been like working with ministry and doing stuff like that. But outside of that, being involved in church, honestly. I love driving around with people; I think thatâs my favorite thing to do, so I usually get a group of girls together and we go sunset chasing and stuff like that. If you go down Highway 92 past Walmart, thatâs like where the sun is west, and so we could always go out and drive and do stuff like that and blare music. Itâs so fun.
MY: So, what made you choose Cumberlands?
MY: So, going back to the homecoming queen, what was going through your head when they announced that you were the winner?
FB: We,ll I was not really expecting it honestly, and so itâs just such an honor that I was on it [the committee]. When I got the email saying I was on it I was like âWhat the heck people like me?â and so when they said my name I was super, super surprised and then just like this feeling of wow. This is such a great school and it was really an honor, I just felt really, really honored and didnât really know how to embrace it at first, but I was very excited and very flattered and honored for sure. I was surprised mostly.
MY: Who was your role model, whether itâs here or growing up?
FB: I think that everybody--like my grandmothers and my mom and also mentors like Magan Elizabeth from the mission and ministries department--it is just a combination of my family and people who have led me. I can take aspects from all of them into what I ultimately want to be. And so I would say my mom and my two grandmothers and Magan Elizabeth.
FB: Honestly, my tour here. Iâm from Georgia so itâs never cold; it doesnât snow. I came here and my tour was during the biggest snowstorm of 2016, and so it was like a foot full of snow. Iâm sure my tour guide was annoyed that he had to give a tour in the snow but I fell in love with how beautiful campus was, with the mountains and the snow, and so honestly the aesthetics brought me here. But I was also recruited for swimming as well and I ended up not staying on the swim team but I definitely do not regret, cause when most people quit with a sport they leave and I thought about leaving, and so I stayed and its been amazing. I really loved their Christ-centeredness and thereâs always like a big community of people that are Christ followers that I get to hang out with and do ministry-based opportunities with and I really enjoyed that.
MY: So what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
FB: I definitely want to leave a legacy of being, as clichĂ© as saying âI want to be everybodyâs friendâ is, I think that everyone wants to be seen and heard, and just want to be felt and so I want to leave behind the legacy of being that for people. I donât necessarily have a friend group, I donât have a friend group actually, but I have friends at church and I have friends at work and I have friends from my RA position and then I have friends at my residence and so I donât necessarily identify myself in a specific clique or group. I just want to be there for everybody. I think its important to set yourself apart and to be Christ-like and to be the love and light wherever you go.
MY: And whatâs your favorite part about being a patriot?
FB: My favorite part of being a patriot is, because itâs a smaller school we really are #onebigteam, and so I love being able to walk around campus and literally know everybody; I love it. Because it is small everybody knows everybody whether you want to or not and so I think my favorite part of being a patriot is having that family. On our campus everybody knows each otherâs names and you can say hi to somebody and it not be weird cause you see the same people everyday, so its kind of gets awkward if you donât say hi.
MY: And what do you plan to pursue in your future?
FB: I am not entirely sure. I found out every time I make a plan God says differently so my plan is whatever Gods plan is because right now I have no clue, not in the slightest. My goal is to be as fluent as I can be in Spanish before I graduate and use that somehow but other than that I have no idea how Iâll use it.
MY: Is there any advice you want to give to freshman or just anyone?
FB: I definitely have so much advice for freshman because I felt like I was in such as vulnerable place as a freshman. If I were to give advice to freshman it would be to be your own freaking person and to not adapt to the people around you because in college when you first get here you want to fit in and you want to be happy and everybody tells you the not so very true statement that you college days are the best days of your life and so you want to achieve all of these things and be all of these things and do all these things but really youâll be so much happier if you live for Christ and you live as yourself. I donâtâ want to live to fit in with this person or this group of people. I found so much happiness once I stopped labeling myself as âIâm just a swimmerâ or âIâm just a member of Immanuelâ or âIâm just a student.â Iâm a lot of things and I think I became a lot happier once I realized that I can do what ever I want. So my advice to freshman is to just be your own self and not let anybody influence you the wrong way.
Top photo: Courtesy of Falon Bell Bottom photo: Courtesy of UC Communications and Marketing
Riverâs Review: Joker
5 out of 5 stars
BY RIVER DEPETRIS
Send in the Clown! I want to spoil âJokerâ because it is an astonishing watch. The production of this movie as a whole easily shot this movie to my favorite movie of the year. I could not stop myself from saying âsame,â every so often. The writing and execution creates an atmosphere that is relatable. Also at the same time it makes you wonder if you need to see someone. This movie not only highlights the struggle of the poor and working class, but those in that position that deal with mental illness.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, the Joker, the work done here is worthy of every award out there. As an actor, I am curious to see what he did to prepare. His body language was well done. The smile to deadpan adds to the tension in each scene. âJokerâ just hits a chord that you can understand. All Arthur wanted to do was bring happiness and joy to other people. We live in a society which can break down your dreams. He refused to be the but of the joke and decided his life was just a comedy.
The elements of this film have depth and lure you into another trip to see it. I canât get the score out of my head.The movie has moments that are weird, but compelling. No words just poetry with motion. After seeing this movie, I see the long staircases on campus and I just want to recreate that iconic scene. Millions everywhere will go to the Bronx and recreate the scene. Also be advised that Arthur smokes at least five packs of cigarettes in each scene. You may get second hand smoke if they ever make the movie in 3D. There was some writing that catches you off guard and makes you question everything. Editor-in-Chief Mike Kryston and one of our friends tagged along to see it, they both told me they felt tense in every scene. The movie was shot with cold tones that added a level of despair all the way until the end. I do not want another Joker movie because this one was more than enough and I will die on that hill.
Joaquin Phoenix is an actor I look up to, part of it is because of his brother River Phoenix. He did not hold back in this film and he managed to not send dead animals to his cast mates. He has played a few iconic roles at this point but I believe this movie will help define his legacy as an actor. I hope to see him do more. In closing, I hope that you all will go out and see this movie for yourself. It is a great change of pace within the world full of happy superhero movies. Go see this movie and give in to it.
Straight Nostalgia
The staff wants you to get nostalgic, get listening and get groovy, Patriots! Enjoy this weekâs â70s-themed playlist.
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
