Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
Dear Patriots,
Change is inevitable. Itâs something that we canât stop even though we might want it to, but change can be a good thing. Since coming to UC almost three years ago, Iâve seen countless changes in my own life and in those around me. Some were good, some were bad, but I like to think that things happen for a reason. The seasons are changing, campus is growing, renovations are being made, the way we get our education has changed and we are changing as people too.
Valentineâs Day has come and gone, Patriots. Though there are mixed feelings about this typically romance-centered holiday, I still like to think itâs nice that there is an entire day devoted to love. We often take our loved ones, whether thatâs family or friends, for granted. So, itâs nice to see all of us take a pause on our busy lives to let those of us around know how much we truly care about them.
Campus has changed almost astronomically since I enrolled in the fall of 2018. With the 57 percent tuition drop, we have seen an increased rate in students. We have new meal swipe options including Peteâs Eats and the Marketplace. The dorms have switched between which dorms are menâs and which are womenâs, plus there has been the addition of Templeton Hall as an off-campus womenâs dorm. The latest change at UC is the renovation to our library. Our new learning center will now include the newly renovated Grover M. Hermann Library and Cumberland River Coffee. I get so excited with each change to UC because I have the opportunity to grow as my university does. Not everyone can say that, so I believe this is a special privilege.
The point is, change isnât always necessarily a bad thing. It may not seem all that great in the moment, but things will turn out eventually. Though change is scary and unfamiliar, everything was new to you once. If you have that mindset, change can be something you embrace rather than fight against.
Do the good things,
Haley Bullock, Editor-in-Chief
Editor-In-Chief
Haley Bullock
Managing Editor
Jenna Rose
Social Media Coordinator
Abigail Fletcher
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Makayla Durham
Nathan Evans
Cassidy Howard
Kristin Mitchell
Masyn Mitchell
Alyssa Morningstar
Alex Nunn
Maranda Young
Front cover by Abigail Fletcher
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.
Haley Bullock
Coffee on Sunday Afternoons
University of the Cumberlands students enjoy local coffee shop
BY ALYSSA MORNINGSTAR Staff Writer
At 1:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon, there is a sudden rush to the small coffee shop located in downtown Williamsburg, with a line outside the door of college students anticipating their first taste of caffeine.
As a college student, quiet places to study and coffee are the surviving tips for doing well in classes. The city of Williamsburg, Kentucky, has grown to become a college city with blooming restaurants and shops like âCumberland River Coffee.â
When you walk into the little hole of a wall coffee shop, immediately the smell of coffee beans and sour espresso hits the coffee consumer. With natural light from the wide sunny windows and scattered tables throughout the shop, the atmosphere gives a homey vibe that allows any student a safe environment to get to work.
Cumberland River Coffee, which opened Aug. 25, 2020, has served locals fresh coffee, bakery goods and other breakfast items throughout this school semester, including throughout COVID-19 pandemic.
The coffee shopâs door continually opens and closes from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The line runs along the windows. The baristas constantly work mixing drinks for the customersâ first sip.
A local barista, Susanne Woodford, works full time at the coffee shop. She says, âThis coffee shop is a very popular place on campus and is completely different than the Starbucks we have on campus as well. The atmosphere is different, and people like to come here and socialize, whereas Starbucks is a come and go.â
College students supporting their local businesses have been a massive help to the Williamsburg area, and the increase of restaurants in the past year has helped the little town. The University of the Cumberlands also allows the coffee shop to accept meal swipes, which draws a huge crowd of students to the local business.
Some of the top drinks are the white chocolate mocha lattes, iced chai tea, and more recently Valentineâs drinks: Sweetheart latte, Razzledazzle Apple and strawberries and cream Frappuccino.
The University of the Cumberlands celebrates Williamsburg local businesses and promotes the stores and restaurants on their social media. This gives the Marketplace, where the coffee shop is located, more business and attention.
Woodford says, âWe are starting something new where every Friday we are trying to incorporate a new flavor of coffee or special drink for the customers to enjoy.â Woodford has said she had seen a big difference with locals coming to support the business, and even the president of the University of Cumberlands, Dr. Larry Cockrum, has made many appearances.
The University of the Cumberlands has grown in size over the years but has given back to the community in many ways by providing local shops and businesses service.
In recent interviews published by UCâs department of communications and marketing, Dr. Cockrum has mentioned that supporting local business will help UC attract students and promising new hires, provide great local shopping and dining options, and contribute to local community leadership and entrepreneurship.
There is recent news of more developments surrounding the coffee shop and the Marketplace for downtown Williamsburg. According to Geoff Marietta, who looks over the development with the small businesses in this town there will be more opportunities for the locals and students at the University of the Cumberlands.
Ryann Bryant, a student at UC who lives downtown in Williamsburg says, âIt is so nice to have a coffee shop that is conveniently close and provides good coffee. I can easily walk down the street, grab my coffee, and study for a little bit, then I can walk home.â
Having a coffee shop that provides good service, good coffee, and a good atmosphere allows students that safe space to study and be confident in the work that they do at the coffee shop.
Photo by Alyssa Morningstar
The Streaming Wars
Streaming services battle over customers
BY NATHAN EVANS Staff Writer
If you take a good look at the entertainment industry today, one of the things you would probably notice is how big streaming services have become and how they are only growing. Of course, Netflix was the one that started it all, and as it began to grow in subscribers, other corporations such as Disney and Warner Media thought they would hitch the cart to the horse that is Netflix. Disney and others would make deals with Netflix to put their movies and TV shows on Netflixâs service. Then smaller streaming services like Hulu started to pop up. As the years went on and companies like Disney saw how much Netflix and other streaming services were making, that is when they thought it was time to get their own horse. That brings us to today and what a lot of people are calling âThe Streaming Wars.â
The term âstreaming warsâ started to pick up steam around September 2017; thatâs when Disney announced they would be launching their own streaming service, Disney+, and Disney would not be the only one to try to join in. Some other noteworthy streaming services announced were Apple TV+, Peacock and HBO Max. Something to note is that before all these companies launched their own streaming services, most of them were putting their content on Netflix. So, when these companies went out on their own, Netflix lost and is in the process of losing a lot of its content. Now that there are so many streaming services and only a limited amount of money in our wallets, we are faced with the questions of which ones we want and the ones we can do without, and because of those questions, the streaming wars have really started to pick up.
Here is a list of the top five most popular streaming services, according to a February 2021 article by Digital Trends, to give an understanding of whatâs going on in the streaming wars: Netflix with 203.7
million subscribers, Prime Video with 150 million subscribers, Disney+ with 86.8 million subscribers, Hulu with 38.8 million subscribers, HBO Max with 37.7 million subscribers. Something to take note of when talking about Prime Video is that Prime Video is directly connected to Amazon Prime, so those numbers are not a direct result of Prime Video by itself.
Now that we know the streaming wars major players and their standings, we should talk about what these companies are doing to build their subscriber count. Obviously, the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020 shut down theaters, and because of that, a lot of movies that were going to be released in theaters got moved over to streaming services, and that looks like that will be the case for the first part of 2021. However, for HBO Max have said the Warner Bros. whole slate of movies for 2021 will release in theaters as well as on HBO Max the same day. If you take a look at the list above, you will see that HBO Max is at the bottom of the list. This is perhaps their way to play catch-up to the rest of the streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu.
There is one victim in the streaming wars that we have yet to talk about, and that is the movie theater owners. If COVID-19 wasnât enough already, movie theater chains now have to deal with the fact that a lot of the biggest blockbuster movies are now releasing on streaming services the same day as they come out in the theaters, which is leading some people to believe that the end of the movie theater is near. Needless to say, the streaming wars are only getting more interesting
Graphic by Haley Bullock
Welcome to Westview
A review over the Marvel series WandaVision
AAAAA
BY MAKAYLA DURHAM Staff Writer
After the events of the marvel movie âAvengers: Endgameâ characters Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) now have their own side show called âWandaVisionâ that focuses on the two love birds. Produced by Marvel Studios and directed by Matt Shakman, this limited Disney+ series premiered on January 15, 2021 and only contains nine episodes. Each episode is released on Friday morning and focuses on a new decade in time.
Bettany has been in the Marvel universe since 2008 playing as J.A.R.V.I.S in the movie âIron Man.â In âAvengers: Endgameâ Vision was killed once by Wanda in order to protect the mind stone that he was made up of. Then he was brought back to life and killed again by the antagonist, Thanos, because he needed the mind stone in order to âsnap.â In the first episode of âWandaVisionâ we learn that Wanda has created her own reality in the town Westview where she can live her life with Vision like nothing ever happened. But what we are starting to learn as the episodes continue is that Wanda isnât the only one controlling the town and the events that have led up to the series finale.
The writers of the show really know how to keep raising the stakes and keeping watchers coming back for more. The first episode is seen in black and white because it is set in the 1950s, at the end of the second episode (taking place in the â60s) the set changes into color. This indicates a change of decades and allows viewers to see a glimpse into the next episodeâs set. As each episode continues more characters start to break the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera. This is a
significant addition to the script because the individuals that are being held in Westview underneath a bigger power start to become self-aware of the situation.
Another great incorporation into the show is the music and catchy sitcom theme songs. Since each episode does take set in different decades, the opening theme song to the show changes after each switch. The opening scenes are also filmed to match a popular type of show that came out with the corresponding year. In the latest episode of âWandaVisionâ when a new character was introduced into the show, they even got their very own theme song. And since these new theme songs have become so popular to listen to by viewers, soundtracks are now available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Even though the series was short the number of twists and turns allowed the audience to stay engaged and counting down the days to Friday. The amount of planning and details that have been included in the show goes to show how deep-rooted Marvel actually is toward its characters. Connections are being made with every new episode release and the realization of the truth of Westview is starting to become apparent. I highly recommend any Marvel fan to watch this truly fascinating show, and even if you are not a Marvel fan it is still a captivating show to enjoy!
Photos courtesy of Disney+
Things in College that are Awkward
...but shouldnât be
BY ABIGAIL FLETCHER
Social Media Coordinator
Most people can agree that navigating college can be very difficult. For some people it is the first time on their own from their parents and others have been on their own for a lot longer. Either way, college is scary and can be overwhelming. It is a big step toward the rest of your life, so why in the world is it so awkward sometimes? I have composed a list of things that I personally find to be awkward to experience during college that shouldnât be. Move-In Day
A day that has to happen but is always unbelievably awkward. For me, I think it is carrying all of my random things past my resident assistants. It is me trying to not act tired and quickly carrying things to my skeleton of a dorm. Also, I donât know if it is like this for everyone, but families can get so frustrated at each other. Watching grandmothers yell at mothers yelling at their daughters on the sidewalk is a lot to see and is uncomfortable. Seeing your roommate get outwardly frustrated with their side of the room because you got there first and chose the good side is also awkward. Using an Umbrella on Campus
This to me is the absolute worst. I think it might because when I walk past a group they have to dodge my huge umbrella. I have had a person walk under my umbrella, so for a brief second, we were sharing the umbrella. Also, when its windy and umbrella flips inside-out⊠that is the worst. It is awkward to carry in class. I stress that someone is going to slip on the little pool of water it makes. I try my best to shake out the water, but sometimes it just isnât enough.
Doing Laundry
We gotta have clean clothes. I mean you donât want to be the smelly kid in the dorm, but I swear doing laundry is a whole marathon. There are so many things that could go wrong. You go downstairs with no laundry to see if one is open. Okay, one is open so you bolt back upstairs come down and someone is in the middle of putting clothes in the only open washer. That is horrible. Say you go down with a whole basket of laundry and someone is switching stuff to a dryer. You have to awkwardly wait with your dirty clothes. The best scenario is never to see anyone else in the laundry room. Carrying Food back to your Dorm
I am a one-trip person. I will not make a second trip for anything. Whether it is fast-food or groceries, I am going up in one trip. Imagine this, you got like six bags of food because you only go shopping once a month because you hate grocery shopping. You had to get a lot of stuff. You have two 12-packs of whatever drink, plus your backpack. You go inside and thereâs your RA on duty watching you struggle. They ask if you need help you reject because it can be very embarrassing to have an RA help you. You lose circulation in both of your arms just to protect yourself from going back down a second time
Photo courtesy of Matt Ragland
Get Ready for the Glow-Up
the top ten tips for the most effective workout
BY KRISTIN MITCHELL Staff Writer
1. Always warm up and cool down
Take five to ten minutes before and after your workout to properly regulate your heart rate.
2. Vary your routine
Change up your routine, moves, order, weight, sets, reps and/or rest periods every few weeks to get the most out of your workout.
3. Listen to your body
If you feel sick or fatigued, hold off on exercising. If you find yourself unable to finish a workout, experiencing persistent pain or feeling faint, listen to your body and stop exercising.
4. Drink plenty of water
Sufficient water consumption is vital for an effective workout. Water is sufficient for regularly paced workouts. However, if you are exercising especially hard, water may not be enough. So, be sure to choose a drink that replenishes fluids and essential electrolytes.
5. Focus on form
When strength training, good form is absolutely essential. Do not rush or use heavier weights if it compromises your form. Bad form could lead to an ineffective workout, but more importantly, it can cause serious injury.
6. Dress appropriately
Dressing to workout is not simply about looking good; itâs about feeling good. Appropriate exercise attire should keep you cool, comfortable and aid in blood circulation.
7. Challenge yourself
Once your body adapts to a workout, it becomes less effective. Up the pounds, increase your time or add more reps. Push yourself. Youâre capable of more than you think.
8. Sleep
One of the biggest keys to effective fitness is getting the proper amount of quality sleep. Allow your body to rest and restart before jumping into more exercise. Remember, sleep is vital to your health.
9. Be consistent
It can often be difficult to maintain a routine, but consistency is important. Whether youâre eager to exercise or whether it is the last thing you feel like doing, you must remain consistent for your workouts to remain effective.
10. Listen to music
Listening to music while you exercise can increase your drive and focus. It improves your endurance and relieves your boredom. Listening to music will bring you one step closer to the most effective workout.
Pats Ultimate Workout Playlist
If youâre looking for some good tunes to play while working out in the BCC, this playlist is for you!
Photo by Maranda Young
