We’re All Choked Up
Letter From the Editor
Dear readers,
If you haven’t all been washed away by torrential downpour, here’s a lifeline in the form of a new issue of The Patriot. The following articles cover some of the most recent events on campus, as well as a playlist for those who abstained from Valentine’s Day this year. Hopefully this issue will brighten, and inform your day.
As we paddle our way through this semester it’s important to try and keep your head above water. This means getting the right amount of sleep, not skipping meals, and exercising. Keeping a weathered eye on your health is key. With the whirlwind of midterms quickly approaching, it’s easy to shirk studies because of increased stress. Set small goals to finishing assignment, and portion larger assignments into smaller parts. This will not only promote a sense of accomplishment, but it will also prevent last minute procrastination.
The raging sea of assignments and tests are stressful, and sometimes it’s a struggle not to just take a minute and wait it out. Your college education is meant to stretch you and work you into an adjusted individual, and employee, who can sustain a higher workload. The following section of this semester is crucial to your final grade, and it’s important to not get lost in the hectic life of being a student.
This is my final semester at UC. I just picked up my cap and gown, finished my senior thesis, and now all I have to finish are this semester of general courses. Senioritis has set in without a doubt! In retrospect the time I’ve had at UC has been invaluable. I’ve grown; as a student, as a person, and as a friend, and I’m excited to transition into the next phase of my life. I made it through; you will too!
Best regards,
Eric Ford Edwards
Editor-In-Chief
Eric Ford Edwards
Managing Editor
Megan Willoughby
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Taylor Duke
Leanne Gregory
Tyler Kohn
Megan Muggridge
Nichole Sharp
Zane Ross
Editorial Review Board
Lisa Bartram
Marianne Worthington
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 weekly 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. Thursday, February 15, 2018
Across The Devise
UC improv troupe attends the KCACTF showcase
On February 7, 10 members of the Patprovs, the campus improv troupe, and UC theatre professor Dr. Kim Miller set off in a 15-passengervan. Our destination: Americus, Georgia and the Region IV Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The KCACTF hosted schools from all over the region to practice, perform, and showcase the different skills and styles of theatre, including the devised theatre piece that we prepared. Devised theatre is a type of theatre created by a group for that group to perform. It can be anything from a dramatic thought piece on the injustices of the times to a witty commentary on the hilarity of pop culture. It can also take many forms.
Our piece was a dialogue-heavy short play. Others produced interpretive dances or more abstract pieces involving less realistic elements. Our piece, titled “Eye of the Beholder,” focused on the stories of several people inside an art gallery. It was based on the national prompt, “He/she/they never met a stranger.”
We were tasked with turning this prompt into a fully-formed 20-minute show. We, along with several other groups, performed our finished show in a showcase on Friday afternoon where we received feedback on our concept and performance from industry professionals. Apart from the devised theatre showcase, we were able to participate in several workshops and classes and see several shows that were invited to perform at the festival.
Sophomore Ashley Hulgan says, “It was fun and educational. The invited productions were amazing and really inspired me. I’m really excited about what I saw and learned. I can’t wait to use the knowledge I picked up and can’t wait for next year.”
Hulgan is referring to the many workshops we were invited to
attend. These classes covered everything from what a stage manager should know about lighting boards, to Russian movement and dance. These classes were highly specialized and offered the opportunity for all members of the theatre community to better their craft somehow.
Nick Kidd, a UC junior, says, “I think KCACTF really opened up my eyes to the different opportunities out there. Not only did I see opportunities, I saw passion that helped me as a person involved with theatre to go on and follow my dream.”
Kidd knows what’s up. While the festival is meant to be a fun experience, more than anything it is an opportunity for aspiring professionals in the theatre community. Its workshops and scholarship opportunities gave many students a foothold to better themselves in their chosen field. It was more than just a learning experience though. The KCACTF is a chance for students to meet and befriend others who are passionate about theatre.
Sophomore River Phillipe says, “My time at KCACTF was wonderful and I would love to do it again. The week started out as a bunch of schools at a theatre festival, but by the end it was a unified group of thespians. The lessons I learned there will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Phillipe, like many of us who attended, aspires to greatness in the field of theatre and has taken to heart the lessons he learned and connections he made. Many students representing many skill and experience levels attended, and by the end, we had formed close bonds. We emerged a better-connected web of young artists prepared to take on the field and leave our marks. It is true that we all arrived as strangers, but in the world of theatre, no one has truly met a stranger.
Photo by Dr. Kim Miller
The Patprov troupe takes a bow after their performance.
CHOKERS
BY TYLER KOHN
Staff Wrtier
Hello there fellow throwback enthusiasts! In this issue, our focus is not on an outfit at all, but rather, the accessories. The voices in my head would all agree that tasteful accessories can elevate an outfit from something dull and plain, to something completely fresh and new. This power is exemplified in a very trendy and versatile throwback piece: the choker necklace. Whether you are going for something classy and sophisticated or something with a little more spice, you can find what you need in a choker.
The choker has its beginnings in ancient times, when women wore jewelry to protect important body parts as well as give them “powers” through special amulets or charms. After many of these empires fell, the choker fell out of fashion too. It resurfaced on and off again until Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales popularized them again in the late 19th century. Her lavish and fashionable chokers lead the way for their popularity to soar through the 1920s, only to fall out of fashion yet again in the 1930s. It wasn’t until the 1970s that chokers became popular again, although not on the same scale as before. That brings us to now: chokers are making another comeback and some students have some very interesting opinions on that.
Freshman Keithan Harris has given some thought to the popular accessory, although he does not find many occasions to wear them himself.
Harris says, “They are a good thing for a girl to wear to tie her outfit together, because if its a neutral color it can tie it together and add flair.” That is an excellent point if I do say so myself. The right accessories can completely bind a look together and chokers are a perfect on-trend accessory to do the job.
Other students aren’t fans. Freshman Katelyn Lewis feels that chokers aren’t as great as they are made out to be. Lewis says, “I just don’t like things squeezing my neck, plus it gives me flashbacks to 2004.” Well, Miss Lewis, that is an excellent point. It is important to note, though, that the year 2004 wasn’t all bad. We had newsboy caps and those fun belts that didn’t actually hold anyone’s pants up, and honestly what epitomizes classic fashion more than that? I mean honestly bring back the Juicy Couture tracksuits! Those were the best! I think the real takeaway here is that trends cycle, but what really matters is how you feel. Society likes to pressure us toward certain styles based on beauty standards that don’t actually matter, but everyone should feel free to accessorize as they see fit. So, to all of my little fashion-lovers out there: wear your chokers or don’t, but don’t let anyone choke your style!
Photo by Leanne Gregory Taylor Duke poses in her choker.
SOFTBALL OPENER
The UC softball team opens the season with a double-header
BY MEGAN MUGGRIDGE
Staff Writer
On February 9, the University of the Cumberlands softball team started their season with a doubleheader against the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan University at the UC Softball Complex. The Patriots fell short in both games with a loss of 4-1 in the first game and 3-0 in the second. After both games the Patriots drop to 0-2 for the year so far.
In the first game, UC scored early on with a single hit by Tara Comer. Her single sent teammate, Kailin Yantz, from second base to home plate, giving the Cumberlands a 1-0 lead to start the game. The Patriots held their lead until the top of the fourth when the Bulldogs tied the game at 1-1. Later in the game, Tennessee Wesleyan put a runner on second and a few batters later a single to center scored another run, leaving the Bulldogs with a 2-1 lead over UC. Tennessee Wesleyan seized another opportunity to add points to the board when they scored on a lone hit and a Patriot error at the top of the seventh. After a hardfought first game against the Bulldogs, UC fell to their opponents 4-1.
UC sophomore Aryanna Cannoy said, “I think that even though it was a loss, it was a good start. It gave our coaches more of a chance to see us play against another team instead of just each other or seeing us in practice.”
Leading the Patriots offensively, UC junior Tara Comer, had two hits and an RBI for the Patriots while teammate Hannah Stephenson had two hits of her own. Kailin Yantz also had a hit and a run as Elisa Mauldin earned a double in the game. Sidney Maynard pitched 5.1 innings for the Patriots and allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned)
with two strikeouts. Aryanna Cannoy pitched an inning for UC, allowing a hit and two runs (one earned) while Megan Meyers pitched 0.2 innings for the Patriots.
The second game began with the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan taking an early 2-0 lead against the Patriots with back-to-back singles followed by one more single to gain the lead. UC was successful at getting runners on but could not push the runners across the plates in order to score. After loading the bases in the sixth inning, the Bulldogs brought in another run that increased their score to 3-0. The Patriots continued to fight hard as the game came to an end, but they were unable to overcome their opponents and fell to the Bulldogs 3-0.
Hayley Kilburn, Tara Comer, and Elisa Mauldin had two hits apiece in the second game. Comer also recorded a double in the game and pitched 1.1 innings for the Patriots. She pitched without allowing a hit or a run and recorded two strikeouts for UC. In her collegiate debut, Sidney Pennycuff pitched 5.2 innings for the Patriots and allowed seven hits and three runs (all earned) with two strikeouts.
Cannoy added, “I think overall we just needed that first game to get used to playing together and playing as a team. After practicing since the first two games I can already tell a difference in the chemistry and our playing level.”
The Patriots take the field again at 1 p.m. on February 17. They are set to host the tenth-ranked Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan University in a non-conference doubleheader.
Photos by UC Sports Aryanna Cannoy pitches the ball.
Hayley Kilburn prepares for the pitch.
Hiding in Plain Sight
A review of ‘Among the Hidden’
Review: ‘Colors’ by Beck
BY LEANNE GREGORY Staff Writer
Recently, due to the influence of my Adolescent Literature class, I was introduced to a novel that acquainted me to a new and intriguing genre. Because of the eclectic nature of both the novel and the genre it encapsulates I was inspired to share what I found with the rest of the student body with a review of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s “Among the Hidden.”
HHHII
Midday Mixtape
Page 7 Features
BY EMILEE AGEE Staff Writer
BY THE PATRIOT STAFF
On Friday, Oct. 13, Beck released his new album titled “Colors” which follows his last album “Morning Phase” from 2014, which won him a Grammy for album of the year. The album as a whole relies heavily on catchy hooks and repetitive lyrics like any pop album would, but with fresh melodies and obscure lyrics are still true to Beck’s quirky style, while “Morning Phase” is more orchestral, acoustic and heartfelt. These songs carry very different feelings compared to “Colors” which is just as sensitive but not as heavy. Beck echoes an cheerful message of independence and hope. When he sings of going through hard times, he never fails to circle back to living free and to use life as a way to grow.
the attention of its readers and keeps it with its distinct, succinct prose and vivid insight into the mind of a young adolescent. The chapters are kept short and to the point, allowing the reader to quickly finish the book while remaining invested in every new conflict that arises.
Isolation and loneliness are emotions every college student has come face to face with at some point over the course of their college career. These negative emotions can be debilitating to experience and can cause an individual to feel like an outcast even among people they have known all their lives. This complex issue is one that ultimately went on to become the main conflict of the dystopian novel.
In the novel a terrible disaster has rendered the country unable to sustain its burgeoning population, prompting the passage of a law that outlaws families from having more than two children at a time. Of course, such a restriction is impractical to keep. Thus, it is that the story begins following the life of an illegal third child Luke as he struggles to come to terms with his existence in a world that he feels he never should have been a part of in the first place. Along the way, Luke discovers that the world he thought he knew is not so black and white as he has been told to believe and he finds that he must make a choice between staying within the boundaries of the life he has always known and taking that life and turning it upside down in a radical decision that may lead him to change the world he lives in forever.
The novel instantly captures
The album starts strong with “Colors”, an upbeat and infectious track that is an instant hit. Despite it not being lyrically complex, it is energetic and fun. The second song “Seventh Heaven” is more mellow but serves up off-the-wall lines such as “I want to see you with the pharaoh’s curse the apple flower doggerel” while maintaining a dreamy melody. Songs like “Dreams”, “Dreams - Colors Mix”, “Wow”, “Dear Life” and “Up all Night” are all featured on the album after already being released as singles months prior, so fans would know the lyrics and have a glimpse into his different sound before the rest of the album was released. The only downside to this is that these songs make up almost half of the album, leaving audiences with just six truly new tunes, and as singles are typically the best from the album, it had the potential to fall flat.
The themes of optimism and freedom are a strong main focus
Likewise, the issues that it deals with are treated with a beautiful double edge philosophy that will have the reader questioning everything they believe as they follow the story arcs of each of the main characters as they try to find remedies to a situation that has no clear cut answers or solutions. Each character that is introduced feels like a real person. With dialogue that flows as it naturally would in real life, and character descriptions that give the reader just enough information to understand the mannerisms and personality of the character described without inundating the reader with blatant connects the dot outlines that take away from the reader’s immersion into the novel’s world.
throughout the album as “Dear Life” features lyrics that say “I’m holding on,” and the track “I’m So Free” has a hardhitting electric guitar riff accompanied by Beck’s joy at breaking out of a rut. “No Distraction” is a classic inner conflict that comes from deciding whether to investing in relationships when it comes with an array of negatives as well as positives. Although this song has deeper lyrics, it remains high tempo as all the other songs have. Beck underlines the classic idea that we should accept the good and bad in life because everything is going to be alright and we might as well have fun. The best example is in “Square One” where he sings, “Cause this is life and it’s alright”. There is room for critics to disapprove of the lack of profundity in the album, but the artistry is not compromised in the instrumental composition, and Beck still finds ways to tap into something unique.
Patriot Highlight
There are some issues with the novel that may prevent readers from fully enjoying it. These issues lie in the novel’s pacing, writing style, and stringent first-person perspective. Throughout the first half of the book the reader is confined to reading about events that feel eerily similar every chapter, and while the concept serves as a perfect metaphorical illusion about the struggles the character is going through throughout the course of the book, it can become tedious and repetitive to read after a while due to the novel’s penchant for utilizing straightforward sentences that don’t leave a lot of wiggle room for dynamic bursts of action or storytelling.
“Fix Me” is the one song that is slower and refers to “dark skies”. He says, “Nothing’s going to do you harm except yourself” meaning we have the power of choice. The words “I’m set free” also circles back to the song “I’m so Free” in the way that it is inspirational. This is important because it creates a bittersweet sound that allows listeners to feel sad for a moment before transitioning into the last song “Dreams” and bringing them back to life.
“Colors” proves that Beck is still unpredictable and does not shy away from transforming his sound. As some might say his transition to pop was inevitable or selling-out, he has not yet lost his rebellious charm and the essence of his cool.
favorite Boys said, “The New York Yankees have always been my team. They are the first team here. Teams in the U.S. practice more often and the schedule is a lot more hectic here.”
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo by Taylor Duke
Finding Forgiveness
a Devotional
BY EMILEE AGEE Staff Writer
If God is in control of everything, why does He not stop so much of the pain innocent people experience? Maybe He’s demonstrating His power, or maybe He wants Christians to reach out to those who are broken. That’s another reason we forgive. We trust that what we go through is according to His plan, or that He is sovereign. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph speaks to his brothers who sold him into slavery and how God used the situation for his good.
We forgive because there’s so much we can’t control. In verse 21 he speaks kindly to his brothers and ultimately doesn’t hold their actions against them. We forgive because we live in a flawed world. When we forgive one another, who know they don’t deserve it, it confuses them because we know the love God shows us every day is also undeserved, yet it allowed us to grow. That’s mind-blowing to us because we think we should treat others good or bad depending on the way they treat us. This is partly why it’s so hard to forgive when we are far from God, because not only the forgiveness He gives but the grace He shows defies our flawed and limited logic.
My freshman year I made two incredible friends. These girls were special because not only did our thought processes align really well but also I felt comfortable around them in such a short time. After growing closer to them over the course of the school year, they both decided to transfer. I was confused for a while, wondering why God would give me friends and then take them away, leading me to believe that God didn’t have a hand in the situation at all, and I could not have been more wrong.
Eventually, I realized that God just wanted to bless me, even though I had done nothing to deserve it. God wants to love us and when we understand this, we want to love people in return. Asking Him to forgive me for doubting Him was humbling, but He always will, and that’s the way we should be with others, immediately willing to give more chances. No matter how long it’s been or how far you’ve drifted from your faith, or if you’ve never been close to God to begin with simply doesn’t matter; there’s a way to be close to God. God will always forgive you, but often, we can’t bear to forgive ourselves and we believe the lie that this must mean God can’t either. But God is perfect, and He can do whatever He wants (Psalm 115:3), and what’s incredible about Him is He wants to forgive us and be close with us. If we are supposed to reflect God, we should try to show forgiveness for what they’ve done to us (Colossians 3:13). We all sin and when we don’t pardon those who hurt us, we are saying that we are the only ones allowed to mess up. It’s crazy how highly we can think of ourselves sometimes, especially fellow Christians because we don’t think our sins are nearly as bad as those of unbelievers. We see unspeakable acts of evil in our world on a daily basis by people that still deserve love—a far cry from a secular view that says those people are “bad” and we are “good.” James 2:9-11 says if we’ve committed one sin, we’ve committed them all. The truth is that we are all capable of the same capacity of sinfulness, and until we know that, it’s very difficult to forgive others. The good news is we can be “cleansed of all unrighteousness” if we just confess (1 John 1:9).
PHOTO BY UNSPLASH’S AARON BURDEN
