It is my sincerest hope that each one of you were able to attend this year’s Excellence in Leadership Series event. Not only was our guest the first celebrity to be verified on Twitter, but he also offered wise advice to all in attendance. Also, the excitement in the air held by the attendees was contagious. Upbeat music pumped the venue and cameras flashed to get the best photos possible of Dr. Shaquille O’Neal.
Our publication would like to thank UC Communications and Marketing for granting us media privileges to attend this event, so that we could provide you with the best news coverage possible. This experience provided our next editor-in-chief and me with hands on, event coverage during our time as students in journalism.
It was uplifting to see a new attitude from the student population as they entered the Engage event. This wave of energy fueled my curiosity and encouraged my passion for writing, two major components required of a journalist. While I realize not every student is a journalism major, I believe these elements can still be utilized strongly in any area of study. I know I am biased, but a strong foundation in writing can always be used to your benefit. Furthermore, curiosity is required to keep your interests engaged and always guessing what you might learn next.
Everyone needs an ignited fire to push him or her forward as they pursue the education that will lead them to their future career. If you, like me, are a graduating senior then you know this notion feels more tangible now than ever before.
Please enjoy this issue we have to present to you here at your campus newspaper, The Patriot.
Editor-In-Chief
Assistant Editor
Faculty Advisor
Yours,
Ashton Rector
Ashton Rector
Trenton Canada
Massengale
Marianne Worthington
BY HOPE AUSTIN Staff Writer
On April 28th and 29th University of the Cumberlands will be holding their first women’s conference titled Colliding with Grace. This name was inspired by keynote speaker Holly Prosser’s book, “Colliding with Grace,” a story about hope and adoption.
Prosser’s book tells how a similar tragedy brought two women miles apart together through friendship and grace. The overview of the book shows the story is about redemption and how God can heal everything if allowed to do so.
Holly Prosser will incorporate parts of her book into her presentations during the conference.
The Friday night service (beginning at 7 p.m.) will consist of worship and some speaking from Holly Prosser, while on Saturday morning (beginning at 8 a.m.) there will be five different breakout sessions in which attendees can pick which to join.
of the Board of Directors of 127 Worldwide, an organization that helps with orphan and widow care around the world.
Carmack’s session will discuss orphan care and how it is for more than just missionaries.
“The life transformed by Jesus is also a life transformed by the power of orphan care and adoption. This session will dive into the orphan crisis around the world…” says Carmack.
“The enemy will try to throw something in our paths everyday. We have to be prepared for these battles by contending for the heart of God.”
All the breakout sessions will be lead by local women in the community, including several women who are employed at UC.
-Jasmine Newport
Associate campus minister, Jasmine Newport, will also be holding a session titled, “Prayer is a Weapon,” where she will speak about remaining persistent in prayer when battles arrive.
“The enemy will try to throw something in our paths everyday. We have to be prepared for these battles by contending for the heart of God,” says Newport.
Another breakout session leader is Jordyne Carmack, an assistant professor of communication arts at UC. Carmack also serves as a member
Another breakout speaker, Jessie Thomas, is a Bible teacher, college ministry leader, and discipleship trainer at Cornerstone Community Church.
Thomas’ session is titled, “Being Mary in the World of Martha.” The session will discuss the journey from being a skeptic to a world changer, and explain though one’s spiritual life may be stalled, they should always move forward so God can help grow them in love, grace, and faith.
Working as the hospitality team for the conference is the campus organization Bigs and Littles.
Senior leader of Bigs and Littles, Hannah Foster, mentions the conference is expecting visitors from nearby college campuses like EKU and Union College.
Foster says “Members will be signing people in at the registration table, making sure speakers have everything they need, making sure we have enough food and making everyone feel welcome.”
For more information about the conference, visit uccampusministries. wixsite.com/womensconference.
How we met Shaq
Dr. Shaquille O’Neal visits the University of the Cumberlands
BY ASHTON RECTOR Editor-in-Chief
On April 5, 2017, the 12th annual Excellence in Leadership Series at the University of the Cumberlands welcomed a visitor of different stature than those of years past. Not only was this guest known in differing realms of athleticism, entertainment, and business, but also his towering 7’1” set him well apart from previous guests.
Dr. Shaquille O’Neal, “A man who needs no introduction,” as Dr. Larry Cockrum described, took to the stage as crowds gathered in the O. Wayne Rollins Center to hear the NBA hall of famer speak not just to the crowds but also to students whom had prepared specific questions for him for the Q-and-A portion of the evening.
Our staff was given the opportunity to speak with O’Neal before he took to the stage. When asked how he deals with loss or disappointment, he explained that in order to succeed one much first learn to fail.
“It depends on what I’m doing when I lose. I may be a little down on myself, but not to the point where I’m going to give up,” said O’Neal.
O’Neal added, “I’m the type you have to beat me a million times before I even think about giving up. So if I don’t go perfect the first time, laugh
at your mistakes and keep striving.”
UC student, Shawn Davidson, was given the chance to meet O’Neal at the banquet preceding the commencement of the main event and says his experience was phenomenal. (Davidson is also featured on the cover of this issue alongside O’Neal.)
Davidson said, “I love that Shaq is involved with the community and trying to help out teenagers who are stirring down the wrong path.”
Another UC student, Elvis Eneh, made it his goal to meet O’Neal and get a photograph with him. Eneh waited near two hours outside the Boswell Campus Center in hopes that he would be successful.
Eneh explained, “I was called ‘baby Shaq’ growing up because I played basketball and sucked at free throws so you can imagine how it must have felt to meet him.”
“Growing up and being a huge fan of basketball and the NBA it was just like a kid on Christmas morning to shake his hand,” Eneh added, “But that photo made up for the wait.”
Photo by Eric Ford Edwards
Top left: O’Neal answers student questions during the Q & A portion of the event.
Top right: O’Neal deliever his opening speech.
Bottom left: O’Neal pictured in the media briefing before the event.
Bottom right: Dr. Cockrum and O’Neal listen to the questions students have prepared.
Photos by Eric Ford Edwards
The curtain closes and the lights dim on another spectacular season of the University of the Cumberlands’ Spotlight competition. On April 18, UC students turned out for what was to be a suspenseful and long-awaited outcome of who would be victorious and take home the prize of $1,500. Each of the three finalists in the on campus singing competition gave it their all and truly showed their talents as performers, but at the end of the night it was UC sophomore Anne Russell who was declared the winner of the 2017 season. Elizabeth Steward placed second; Jordan Yaden received third place.
When asked about how she felt about her win, Russell said, “I am elated and honestly surprised. I knew it was anyone’s game at this point, especially since Elizabeth was in it last year. I was like, ‘I don’t know; this is kind of her time to win now.’ Also, Jordan is a good performer so it was just kind of, ‘We’ll see.’”
Russell impressed the audience and judges with both of the songs she performed, the first being a Regina Spektor song entitled “Eet,” and the second (chosen for her by CAB) was the more well-known Paramore song,
“Still Into You.”
Russell said, “Literally from my audition, Spotlight judge Jordyne Carmack said, ‘Have you ever done a Regina Spektor song? You should totally do a Regina Spektor song.’ It never really came up throughout the competition though because of the themes. Then people were picking songs for me and the judges didn’t pick a Regina Spektor song for me. So, when I got to pick my song I said, ‘Gosh, I’m going to do a Regina Spektor song.’ I kind of fought against it for a while because I know people don’t really know that song that I chose.”
Although hesitant, it seems that Russell made a great choice in choosing to perform a not-so-well-known song because the audience loved it. Spotlight judge Jordyne Carmack even told Russell that she [Carmack] had seen Spektor in concert before and in her opinion Russell “blew Spektor out of the water.” Carmack even teased Russell by saying, “Someone should put it online so that Regina Spektor can see just how much you showed her up tonight.”
On top of bragging rights and the on campus fame that comes with winning UC’s famous Spotlight competition comes the first place cash prize of $1,500. What does Russell plan on doing with her new wealth?
“Well, I really need a new pair of chacos, so I think I might buy a pair of those,” she laughs, “But, I’m also trying to study abroad so I will probably save up so I can go to Spain or Costa Rica at some point.”
Not quite the trip to Disney World, but something just as exciting to look forward to for UC’s 2017 Spotlight champion, Anne Russell.
Elizabeth Steward, a crowd favorite, placed second in the singing competition for the second year in a row.
Photo by Taylor Duke
Spotlight’s top three perform
Photos by Taylor Duke
Russell bursts into joy as she is announced the winner of Spotlight season five.
Right: Russell and Steward share congratulations with one another.
Left: Jordan Yaden belts out his final song to the crowd.
Steward preforms a final round on the Spotlight stage.
Power Rangers
BY BRETT BIRNBERG
Guest Writer
The Power Rangers series may have started nearly 25 years ago, but Lionsgate’s 2017 film reboot has brought in the next generation of viewers. Old school Power Rangers fans will jump for joy at the fair amount of fan service from the original TV series while also ushering in a way to make the characters contemporaries to this generation of fans. The reboot also bravely steps into the forefront as the first superhero movie to include, among other progressive things, an autistic superhero while simultaneously normalizing traits once thought of as taboo for heroes or their audiences.
Old school revamped
The cheesiness of the original “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” series has been replaced by a more serious tone while still throwing in appropriate jokes for the viewers to decompress
fans. She genuinely made me jump for the majority of the film but eventually rights herself as the maniacal ruler who wants to destroy our precious Earth. Some of the jokes tend to fall flat or can outright cause you to cringe because of its content but many of them are delivered by a well-maintained cast of young actors so that it really pays off to get through them. The film has a slow build to the action-packed third act yet still kept me interested in the story by focusing on the characters (including Bryan Cranston’s Zordon) and developing them rather than just focus on said action. Overall, I hope that its ending and mid-credits scene set up the film for many more adventures down the line.
from the action. Rita Repulsa, the main villain of the film, played with gusto by Elizabeth Banks, manages to give off an incredibly unnerving and horrific take on her character compared to the campy old witch that is generally known to the original show’s
Temples’ volcanic eruption
BYEMILEE AGEE Guest Writer
Temples’ newest album Volcano, released March 3, 2017 is just in time for summer and is the band’s second album since Sun Structures in 2014. Their sound is a mix of futuristic falsetto, psychedelic, and funky pop. The echoic quality of lead singer James Bagshaw’s voice makes it perfect for background or soundtrack use.
The first track, “Certainty,” opens the album with plenty of energy and effectively prepares listeners for the dreamy road trip it will take them on as the audio moves lithely throughout each speaker, gifting the ears with an added three-dimensional experience.
The second song,“All Join In,” is more instrumentally focused. Listeners may have an urge to bob their heads, but the unsettling and haunting vibes that are carried throughout the album don’t escape. Although Volcano needs hardly any attention to lyrics, which are fragmented and cryptic, to appreciate its mood-boosting abilities, this isn’t to say they lack complexity or depth.
One of the stand-outs, “Born into the Sunset” consists of lyrics like “the world doesn’t end at your feet” and “you feel the eruption of free” which enable different interpretations, further catering to their freethinking audience.
The tones of Bagshaw’s guitar paint lively scenarios in any listener’s head, each song taking on diverse rhythms and tempos, divorcing the idea that having a smooth and blended theme to an album means all the songs sounding the same. For example, the track “In My Pocket” separates itself a bit by using acoustic guitar and taking on a simpler structure. Overall, Volcano deserves 4 out of 5 stars for its originality and, dare I say, explosiveness.
Tale as old as time
BYMEGAN WILLOUGHBY Guest Writer
A tale as old as time can still grasp the heart of its viewers, bringing an animated fairytale from their childhood come to life. Disney’s newest film, a live-action “Beauty and the Beast” starring Emma Watson as Belle, illustrates the perfect image of a strong independent woman who seeks far more than the average town she lives in. Belle, the daughter of a locksmith, finds herself indulging in books to escape the reality in which she lives while recovering from the absence of her mother who died when she was a young girl.
This fantasy/romance exceeds expectation, blowing Disney’s 1991 animated version out of the water. The storyline is told in great detail, giving the viewer a better insight about Belle’s life and the Prince’s past, which were told only briefly in the previous Disney adaptation. Also, the use of character dialogue lines up precisely with the animated version’s intended tone. The vivid details, precise architecture, and brilliant costuming create the atmosphere in which one would only dream of. The use of scenery truly creates a mysterious environment, including the eerie castle in which the Beast is habitant.
The film allowed Watson the chance to express her emotions toward feminism. Her views inform and transform Belle, allowing her to portray a strongwilled woman who seeks nothing less than what she wants in life. The director, Bill Condon, also has created some controversy, as you may have already heard about, over Josh Gad’s portrayal of LeFou, a flamboyant assistant who seeks attention and approval from Gaston, the egotistic brute who tries to marry Belle. The presence of this societal controversy over the depiction of LeFou’s character may spark some arguments, but the magical nature of this film will not stop viewers from reliving their childhood memories.
4.5/5 Stars
Photo courtesy of Disney
Photo courtesy of Temples
BY ASHTON RECTOR Editor-in-Chief
Bonnie Cohen and Jon Shenk’s Netflix documentary, “Audrie and Daisy,” is not one to pass by. Powered by stories of sexual assault among teenage women and the backlash they faced from their peers, this film opens the door for new conversations on a national level.
Cohen and Shenk are both award winning directors, including their 2011 work “The Island President” which discusses the troubles the president of the Maldives faces as a rise in sea level could submerge the island entirely.
The directing duo tackles another of the world’s yet unsolved issues as they take a deeper look into sexual assault among teenagers and present flawless work.
Daisy Coleman and the family of Audrie Pott recount their thought provoking stories of sexual assault in order to shed light over this touchy subject of sexual assault and teens’ inappropriate usage of technology. For instance, there is mention of teens sending nude photographs and how they can quickly they can travel around student populations.
However, “Audrie and Daisy” goes further than merely outlining the wrongdoings of a group. The film illustrates the lasting effects and struggles of sexual assault on victims and their families.
Audrie, a 15 year old from Saratoga, Ca., After Audrie’s story is told, viewers can feel the weight of her pain that leads to her suicide.
It is valuable that this documentary contains real testimonies from two of the males who were perpetrators in Audrie’s case. Valuable information from the incident is revealed through these two first-hand sources.
Also, the identities of the two men are kept anonymous through animation. The animation is still engaging and lifelike and works well to ensure the identity of these minors remains private. The same type of animation is used to set the scene as Daisy recounts her story.
Daisy, a teenage girl from Maryville, Mo., is the second main character of this film. She thoroughly outlines the events that occurred the night she and her friend were sexually assaulted when she was 14 years old, and the injustice that followed when her offenders were not prosecuted.
Several instances within this film, again, use animation to demonstrate chats via Facebook or text message, which is helpful to the audience so they can visualize the types of conversations that occurred between the teenagers
and their means of communication with one another.
Most importantly, this film serves as a platform to start conversations about some of these uncomfortable issues of sexual assault, teen suicide, nude photography, and online bullying. The weight of these actions by the perpetrators and the vicious comments made online will cause teens to consider their actions and the effects they might leave with other people.
Directors Cohen and Shenk comment on the documentary website, “It is because of the stories of Audrie and Daisy and the Pott and Coleman families that we ourselves have been able to have open, honest conversations with our own children about these difficult-to-broach subjects.”
Trenton Canada, author of an article about sexual assault advocate Katie Koestner’s visit to the University of the Cumberlands campus, says that this is a sensitive topic for several reasons.
“We have so many questions about sexual assault. Why do people commit rape? Is it ever the victim’s fault?” Canada adds, “Because of the very nature of sexual assault, we become uncomfortable. We don’t like that feeling so we choose to ignore it.”
Canada explains we try to assign blame as a way to shield ourselves so that we can believe we are safe from assault.
“If someone breaks into our home, we may be able to dissociate from that much easier, but with sexual assault this is an attack on our bodies and our spirit,” says Canada.
Cohen and Shenk also add, “We view ‘Audrie & Daisy’ as an opportunity to address these complex issues in a refreshingly concrete manner.” Their film accomplishes just that. “Audrie and Daisy” removes the “he said, she said” element from the conversation to better focus and reevaluate the complexity of issue as a whole.
“Audrie and Daisy” serves as a phenomenal resource that should be viewed in high school settings nationwide. Maybe then, perceptions will change and a proactive approach will be taken to combat these issues.
The power of words
A devotional
BY HOPE AUSTIN Staff Writer
Most people have probably heard their parents or grandparents say something along the lines of, "If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all."
When thinking about it, it is easy to see how important that statement really is. If God can speak the words and create the Earth, doesn’t that show us how much power is in our words? While we are not God, and cannot bring Earth or another planet into existence, we can bring a person happiness or misery with our words.
Think back to a time when you complimented someone, or said something nice to someone. Do you remember feeling mad afterwards? Typically, the answer would be no. When you speak kindly to someone, the typical response is that you will feel happy in return.
Proverbs 18:20 says that man’s stomach shall be filled by the fruit of his mouth. Whatever you say is what will have an influence on you. It is easy to get caught up in gossip, or to be consumed by rumors about someone else. However, when speaking in that way about someone, it is choosing to speak death, instead of life. The things people say could easily destroy someone.
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
If we speak life, there will be happiness and love in our lives. However, if we do the opposite and speak death, it will bring darkness over our lives. We must be careful as to what we say to others, and in how we speak of other people.
The Bible also tells us in Proverbs 10:11 (KJV), “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.”
Those who speak evil will have evil over their lives, such as how this verse explains. But when we speak life, we will be full of love and kindness. The Lord will bless those who continuously speak life.
Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” When you speak, you have the ability to either heal or break a person. You should choose to speak love over their life, and to show them the grace that the Lord shows you daily.
When you find yourself struggling with speaking negatively about others, or even about yourself, just say nothing at all. Ask the Lord to help you control your tongue, and He will help you.
