The Graduate.
Letters from the Editors
I’ve learned more at UC than a conventional education could ever provide. I learned how truly terrible I am at the sciences. I found that the hobbies I enjoyed in my adolescence would shape my future, and I realized that even after I graduate on May 5th the need for my continued desire for education is vital. I feel so different from who I was as a freshman. I was so wide eyed and clueless about— everything. Life, people, good food, everything seemed so new. During my time here I’ve traveled across the country twice, I got snowed in at a hotel in Time Square on spring break, I camped out in a hammock at the bottom of Cumberland Falls, I talked to Seth Myers, I almost got on stage at “The Price is Right,” I saw Jerry Seinfeld do stand-up, I had the privilege of being the editor of the best college newspaper in southeastern KY, and I’ve met some amazingly talented people along the way. I have so much gratitude for those who have helped me and mentored me along the way. These people and the experiences have influenced who I am today and I’m happy I found myself here. I want to thank everyone who invested in me and helped me through my time in college. Without these people I wouldn’t be here. So goodbye, Patriots make the best out of your time here!
Eric Ford Edwards
Patriots,
I’ve written countless papers for class, but this letter has been one of the hardest tasks yet. How do I narrow my sappy feelings into one letter? Words cannot describe how I feel about my experience at UC. Not only was I able to live my dream of playing a collegiate sport, but I also found a home in the Communication Art’s Department as Managing Editor of The Patriot. Reminiscing on these past three years, most of my time here on campus was spent in the gym, writing, hiking, or watching the best show ever created, The Office. I am most grateful for the large spectrum of people I have met through this University: students, professors, and coaches. Each person I’ve encountered is uniquely different with a story to tell. It’s been my privilege to serve this campus through my writing and athletic ability. I hope you have enjoyed the issues we have sent this year at The Patriot. This issue especially will hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who has impacted my life on this journey, especially faculty members Jeremiah Massengale and Jordyne Carmack who have challenged my writing skills and helped me grow as person. I will forever be grateful for your belief in me.
Megan Willoughby
Editor-In-Chief
Eric Ford Edwards
Managing Editor
Megan Willoughby
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Taylor Duke
Leanne Gregory
Tyler Kohn
Mike Krzyston
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.
We’re in our final week of classes and it’s time to say our last goodbyes to friends, especially those graduating. We’ve compiled a playlist of songs for your journey home, reflecting on your year and looking forward to the future.
The journey to graduation h
BY NICK BOYS
Guest Writer
Rounding third and flying home
A Reed Spata profile
UC senior Reed Spata strolled to the plate during the second inning of a baseball game against Hiwassee College and completed his familiar pre-pitch routine. On a beautiful spring afternoon, Spata taps the plate once, then whirls his bat in a circular motion landing his hands comfortably by his ear just like he has done hundreds of time. This was Spata’s 635th trip to the plate during his eventful four-year career as a Patriot and it ended in the same fashion as many others before it: a hit.
As he reached second base, he turns to face the dugout letting out a small smirk, which is about the only emotion you will see from Spata between the white lines. This stoic, even keeled persona hides the determined, driven individual that lies within chasing down his dreams and goals of playing college baseball and becoming a commercial pilot all while living life to the fullest.
“He’s a very focused and goal-oriented person,” says UC head baseball coach Brad Shelton. This focused approach to all facets of his life has allowed Spata to continue to chase his goals and aspirations while living with no regrets.
“The biggest thing baseball has taught me is to just stay the course. Whether it’s on the field or in life, you don’t want to get too high or too low. If you stay even keeled then eventually things will turn out the way you want them to,” says Spata. This focused and borderline methodical approach to life combined with his inherent fear of the mundane reality of a ‘normal life’ fuels Spata to dream big.
“My goal is to live a life where I’ll have no regrets and have as much fun as possible,” he says, “I’m the type of person that when I want to do something, I’ll just make it happen.”
Spata has also never let his ego get in the way of following his dreams. While several of his friends chased the title of being a Division 1 athlete, with the majority fizzling out with minimal or no playing time, Spata chose the road
less traveled in the NAIA and has logged significant at bats across all four years. Being a college athlete that plays consistently all four years of their career is something that happens a lot less than the average person may realize, but it is an achievement that is certainly not lost on Spata.
“I wasn’t just going to go to a D-1 to say that I’m a D-1 athlete. I wanted to play,” says Spata. “It is a blessing to play at the next level but to be on the field all four years and see the ups and downs of the program is something I’m very fortunate to have been a part of,” he adds.
Since first touching down at Cumberlands Spata has excelled both in the classroom and on the field, showcasing himself as the model of consistency. He has done this all while pursuing the kickstart of his career aspirations of becoming a commercial pilot. Spata has been around planes his whole life as his father Damian has worked in reservations for Delta Airlines for 37 years but his passion for aviation came to fruition as he contemplated his career plans in high school.
“I’ve always wanted to do something different. I was sitting on my porch one night in high school and this might sound like something out of a movie, but I saw a plane and I said that’s what I want to do,” Spata explains. Spata’s desire to be different, an admirable quality in today’s day and age of conformity, initially led to his pursuits in aviation and he has spent his college summers working on his accreditation. Flying an aircraft is not a task to be taken lightly and Spata can attest to the stressful times and painstaking tests he was subject to.
“I’ve done spins in an airplane where you stall the aircraft and literally start spinning towards the ground which was very nerve racking,” says Spata, “and there was one time when I first started learning that I actually threw up all over myself from the stress.”
Photos courtesy of Sports Information Reed makes connection with ball.
While the inflight regimen proved to be quite rigorous, Spata also found it challenging balancing his aviation pursuits with both school and baseball. Last fall, Spata was enrolled in sixteen credit hours while also studying every night for his written test to obtain his pilot accreditation. He was also practicing every day for baseball to compete for a starting job on the team and finding time to fly himself to prepare for the in-flight test. All the hours of studying and flying all came to fruition in November of 2017 as he officially became a licensed private pilot.
“It was one of the best feelings of my life knowing how hard I’d worked for it and especially as a college student playing a sport,” he says with a warranted sense of accomplishment, “and then I thought about all the guys back here I wanted to take up.”
This immediate thought of the others around him he can share the experience with hints at another aspect of Spata’s personality in how much he cares about his friends and teammates. While flying is a largely solo venture and Spata is a focused individual on his own goals, he would certainly not be considered selfish or self-centered by those closest to him.
“He’s a great teammate and he plays hard,” says Coach Shelton, “he’s fit in ever since he first arrived.”
“He is a selfless person and always puts the team ahead of himself,” said fellow second baseman Daniel Diaz of Spata. Diaz added, “He leads by example.”
Even Spata acknowledges that his Cumberlands experience would have been vastly different without the caliber of people he has encountered. “If it weren’t for the people I probably still wouldn’t be here. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go but I’ve stuck it out for four years because great people keep coming in,” says Spata.
Along the journey, Spata has definitely seen a shift in his attitude in regard to his priorities from freshman year to now as he readies to walk across the stage and in to the rest of his life.
“I think four years ago I felt like I was just here to play baseball but now I’ve come to realize that I’m also here to be a good leader both on the team and around school. Unfortunately, I know that baseball doesn’t last forever so I’ve started to think more about things that will set me up for the rest of my life,” says Spata.
Spata also has a distinct passion for travel making piloting all the more sense for a career choice. He has traveled to Europe the past two summers and this is ultimately where he wishes to fly in and out of.
“The ultimate goal is to fly the Paris route for Delta and work eight days out of the month. That’s the goal,” says Spata with a smile on his face. After he graduates this Spring Spata plans to attend flight school where he will begin on his 1,500 hours of flight time he needs to accumulate before being able to work for an airline as a commercial pilot.
So, if you happen to travel to Paris in the next five to ten years keep your ears pealed for the captain’s name. If Captain Reed Spata comes over the loudspeaker just know you’re in safe hands as long as he follows his best advice from college baseball: “Stay the course.”
Reed swings at a pitch.
Fierce on the field
BY TRISTYN HUDSON Guest Writer
A collective “woah” erupts from the crowd as Becan Hennighan mows over the opponent in a ferocious attempt at the ground ball. She doesn’t even look back at her bewildered competitor as she adeptly scoops up the ball, weaves in and out of oncoming traffic and passes up to the attack.
Often referred to as “the Becan” by her teammates, this move is often the epitome of Hennighan’s fiery lacrosse performances at James H. Madison stadium. When asked about the best part of being a defender Hennighan states that she’s always felt most successful when she could stop someone and states that her defense is “controlled aggression.”
As a spectator sitting in those stadium seats you may only get a glimpse at her aggressive, competitive side but when she steps off of the turf field the facade falls and what’s underneath is even more complex.
There’s no debate that Hennighan has a very domineering figure as she stands 5’5 equipped with an athletic build and sinewy calves that give her the ability to run up and down 110 yards of lacrosse field for 60 minutes straight (with the occasional half time). Facially we see a softer side with her Irish background bestowing her with fair skin and a speckle of freckles around her nose.
Starting the 2015-16 lacrosse season at UC with nine total teammates Becan wistfully looks back at her time as an incoming freshman.
“Our numbers were definitely a difficult,” she states. She added that that at one time they didn’t even know who their coach was going to be for the season.
As she reflects on this presumably stressful time she states calmy that, “In the beginning we practiced on the IM field, we didn’t have a locker room, we had nothing.”
Hennighan details how her and her freshman teammates had to figure out the lacrosse situation on their own while also balancing being their lives as new college students.
In this current season the UC women’s lacrosse team has gone 17-1 nationally and 9-0 in their conference and are on their way to the conference championships; a huge step up from when the lacrosse program was started three years ago.
She says, “From where we started to where we are now there is a huge difference and I’m just really proud of not only my class but also all of the classes that have come and built the program to what it is now.”
As someone who was an NAIA All-American as a sophomore and has totaled 100 ground balls and 50 caused turnovers in her lacrosse caree,r there is no question that Hennighan’s tenacious attitude has contributed a lot to this team’s success.
Photos courtesy of Sports Information Becan looks down field for a pass.
Becan clears ball away from goal.
“You call that easy?” she lightly scoffs and quips when asked to describe herself but goes on to say that she’s an introvert at heart and tends to enjoy her alone time cuddled up with a good book.
As someone who personally describes herself as hard working we see this work ethic transferring into the classroom as she maintains a 4.0 GPA to end her graduating year. Being able to maintain a perfect grade point average while also being a stellar athlete is no easy feat and everyone around her recognizes this.
“I think Becan’s best quality is her determination to get things done both on the field and in the classroom,” says Jessica Truelove, a fellow teammate.
Originally Hennighan was in a predicament many freshmen experience in which she had no idea what she wanted to study in college and went in undecided all of freshmen year. Slowly she added more psychology classes into her schedule because she found them interesting and “couldn’t get enough” to where she decided to fully commit to becoming a psychology major.
When asked what her hardest class as a psych major was she contemplates the question for a moment and then states her answer: forensic psychology. Now with most people there is a strong correlation between having a difficult
class and disliking it for this reason but Hennighan says she was up for the challenge. “Actually that’s one of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken so far,” she states while lightly chuckling.
She adds, “My parents really emphasized working hard and being humble. Success will come through even if you work hard in silence.”
Hennighan gives off an aura of gratitude when her parents were brought up in conversation and this compassion towards others is also reflected in her friendships here on campus as well.
“She gives herself to you, she gives her time, she gives her emotions,” states Morgan Huenegarde, her close friend here at Cumberlands. Hennighan is known to have a very shy demeanor but Huenegarde states, “When she does open up to you you know that you can rely on her and that she’ll always be there for you.”
After she graduates this May, Hennighan will be attending Widener University in the fall to begin her doctorate in psychology. “That will be the next five years of my life,” she says in an excited tone when thinking about her future.
When asked what she would tell her freshman self she states, ”Be confident in who you are; don’t let others try to dictate who you are.”
Sage advice that we all could take from the wise Becan Hennighan.
Family, friends and farewells
BY TAYLOR DUKE Staff Writer
Most might know Megan Willoughby from her fierce looks and killer hits on the volleyball court but there’s much more to this familyloving phenom than just that. At 3:05 p.m. on any given day, you’ll most likely find Willoughby walking to the Starbucks on University of the Cumberlands’ campus. Her usual drink you might ask? An iced coffee with a shot of hazelnut and too much creamer or else it tastes like “leaf water” …Oh Megan, don’t you know that coffee is made from beans?
From the court, to the campus newspaper office, to class, Willoughby has always taken on leadership roles. She says, “It’s not like I sign up to do these sorts of things. I really don’t know why people listen to me.” She pauses and laughs awkwardly.
Willoughby knows how to give everything her all. “She’s just dedicated. Dedicated to volleyball, school, work, and especially her family,” said Tara Routliffe, a teammate and friend to Willoughby.
Willoughby started playing volleyball when she was 8. She had dreams of playing college volleyball and years later, here she is.
“She just brings this sort of joy and energy to everything that she does. Like, on the volleyball court, we could be playing really badly and just need a boost and Willoughby is just there to make it happen”, says Megan Jackson, teammate and Willoughby’s self-proclaimed “worry buddy.” Not only is she is dedicated in her passion, but in also her love.
When talking about the mix of volleyball and family Willoughby said, “He [her dad] would practice with me for hours in the backyard after he got home from work.”
“Everything she did was to try and get home,” adds Jackson delicately. Even by the way Willoughby walks across campus with her large strides and bag tucked perfectly under her arm as if it assists in the aerodynamics of her movement, there’s no doubt that she knows exactly where she needs to go.
“Probably the funniest thing I can remember about Willoughby is that this one time at the end of freshman year she asked us how to get to Wal-Mart. Like Williamsburg is so small, how can you get lost?” says Jackson as both her and Routliffe begin cackling.
Photos by Mike Krzyston
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Willoughby is only about two and a half hours away from the people she calls home. Her family is comprised of her parents and a younger brother, Jackson, that means the world to Willoughby. When talking about how it felt leaving the nest, Willoughby put it this way, “I am the first person to attend college so when I left it was the most painful thing for my immediate family.”
Although her family is there, they aren’t the only things that keep Willoughby making the journey back home every Thursday night after her classes. There’s Christian Bonn. Willoughby started dating Christian right before making the transition into her first year.
“It’s really funny actually. When we were younger he messaged me on Facebook and said ‘ur hawt.’ Who does that?” says Willoughby reminiscing.
Bonn and Willoughby have been together for her entire college career. When talking about their relationship, Willoughby said, “We got together right before I came here. For three years we did long distance and
I now I can’t wait to be able to see him and my family literally everyday.” Megan has been digging deep in order to set up her future. For four semesters out of her six, Willoughby managed to take over 18 credit hours while play volleyball and earning All-American All-Conference every season. One of the biggest accomplishments Willoughby talked about was when she received the Champions of Character Award at her last NAIA Mid-South Volleyball conference. “I remember the announcer talking about a senior who was graduating in three years and I was like, ‘That’s me!’”
Although Willoughby has crammed her college career into three years, she says she doesn’t have a single regret. The impact she’s made on the volleyball court and UC’s campus will be remembered by her teammates, coworkers and professors. Willoughby will graduate with a bachelors of arts in communications arts with an emphasis in journalism. After that, she’s looking forward to moving back to Louisville and exploring her career options in the communication field.
Get to know the editor
BY MIKE KRZYSTON Staff Writer
Eric Ford Edwards is a senior from Brookville, Indiana, and has served for the past year as the editor of The Patriot. Recently I sat down with for to discusss his time on campus, and his goals for the future. In this interview we talk about his favorite memories at The Patriot, his career plans, and the advice he would give his younger self.
How has being editor-in-chief helped you grow?
It’s a long list. Every week there was a lot of individual problems for every issue that you have to work around and work through. An article ends up not coming up on time or different obligations that you have and you have to re-work your schedule. Those are things that you learn from and grow from. I would say that there is potential for facing adversity in this job. Depending on how you run the paper, I’ve run into that. You definitely learn a lot of leadership skills that I’ve learned in this job. You definitely have to learn how to work with people and work with different skill sets and different personalities. You have to figure out their leadership model and how they accept leadership. Those are just a handful of skills I’ve learned through this
job and it helped me improve on skills that I already had.
Who has been the most influential you’ve met here?
I would say Jeremiah Massengale or Jordyne Carmack. Both of those people have really just invested in me and have been important in my life, in a lot of different ways. I could count on them to help me with assignments whatever was in their classes, because the majority of my classes with either with Jeremiah and Jordyne. They were always super willing to help and just listen and help me work through problems, whether they were collegiate or not. That’s been an awesome experience, because that’s not true at every institution.
What are your plans after graduation?
I just got a job at a company called The Holler Creative. It’s a media organization. We basically help Corbin, and the surrounding areas’ media presence for small businesses and stuff like that. Social media advertising, videography, graphic design, a lot of different stuff. So it was nice to find a job right out of college and a job in my field.
Photos by Mike Krzyston
What is your advice for incoming freshmen?
I have a lot. Latch onto people who can pour into your life. Whether that’s friends who know better and are more intelligent or just mentors who can help direct you in your path. I feel like that’s one of the best things that you can do for yourself, as far as a career goes. That goes for life too, because surrounding yourself with people who are only going to inherit what you do, you’re going to grow and you’re going to become. Branch out and then latch onto those people. Have fun, but learn something.
Why did you choose UC?
I grew up here actually. Uh, my parents went here and I lived within spitting distance of this very building, for about seven years. So when I was applying to colleges, I applied to UC on kind of a lark. They ended up giving me a lot of scholarships. So I was, you know, in between UC and Ball State. I came to UC with the inclination that I was going to major in art or something creative, as far as that goes. It was between English and art I think. After taking some art classes, I was like, “Well, photojournalism would be a cool job.” As a job it involves photography and you don’t really get paid well as a photographer by itself. So, I started taking journalism classes and of course majoring in journalism and PR, and then later as a sophomore I found out about the IDC minor.
Was journalism something you always wanted to get into?
No, I really got into journalism because of photography. I started into photography when I was about five. I got my first camera, which was a Polaroid camera, when I turned five. It was a Christmas present from my grandma. Ever since then I was always picking up and saving money to buy new dinky cameras that was in my price range. I went through like four or five before I first got my Canon. After that I always just kept it going.
How did you get involved with the campus newspaper?
It was definitely a very natural transition for sure. I’m pretty outspoken as far as classes go, and when you start taking classes with specific professors in the journalism field, you end up getting involved in the paper. My involvement just kind of grew because I found a group of people that really just poured into me and latched onto me. That really helped me improve and so that was a really positive bag of experiences, early on.
A sarcastic study guide for finals
How to survive
BY TAYLOR DUKE AND HANNAH REYNOLDS
Staff Writer and Guest Writer
The young Lana Del Rey sings a song of “Summertime Sadness,” but to me, there’s nothing sad about summertime. The excitement of summer can overshadow the looming responsibility that is studying for finals. With that said, finals are next week and we might all be doomed. In hopes of making studying for finals less painful, here are five tips to help you!
Procrastinate
By procrastinating, there is less to worry about because you don’t have enough time to worry about it. Pull that all-nighter, chug that RedBull and start studying for that final at 8 a.m. Cramming a semester’s worth of information will definitely work this time, right?
Don’t Sleep
Finals week means that you need to be reviewing every second of the day. There is absolutely no time for sleeping, or taking breaks to get dinner at the Caf. For this short period of time you are eating, sleeping, and breathing information, no exceptions! The most longed for break, summer break, is right around the corner! You can sleep all you want then.
Do Everything All At Once
There’s nothing worse like feeling unprepared for everything. So work on everything all at the same time! You can’t feel unprepared if you’re working on everything! Don’t even worry about mixing up all the work from different classes. During finals week, only the impossible is possible and you’re basically a master multi-tasker. In an article written about multitasking for Slate by Annie Murphy Paul, she wrote, “Evidence from psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience
suggests that when students multitask while doing schoolwork, their learning is far spottier and shallower than if the work had their full attention.” You already know everything, so you don’t need to give studying your all.
Prioritize
College is a constant balance between academics and having a social life. What we all really need to do is prioritize, especially during finals week. Do you really need that extra hour of study time when you could go out to watch a movie or see that live band at You and Me in Corbin? Like I said earlier, you should just procrastinate. Positive thought are all you need when thinking about your tests. If you think positive, then you will be positive!
Distract Yourself
Lastly, try and keep the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram tabs open! Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. There is no better way to be distracted then to be on social media! Finals is temporary, but social media is forever! Sending a quick chat to your homies most certainly will not turn into a Buzzfeed Video binge fest. Shia Labeouf once said, “Just do it!” That my friends, is my advice to you when you question yourself about opening up that notification.
I hope I am able to sprinkle some knowledge on you! I wish you all the best of luck during finals week. Don’t forget what time is coming up. (Summertime!)
Deep and Wild: The Lenee Figliola story
BY MORGAN HUFF Guest Writer
As Lenee Figliola stresses about her answers and pulls at her face, she paces laps around Moss Hall’s spiral staircase. She flits around Moss’s lobby stating it helps her think as if the questions being asked are about some subject which she has no prior knowledge. Hours after the interview has concluded she texts me trying to change several of her answers.
Sarah Setters, Figliola’s boss, describes her as “deep and wild” and says, “I just love how open Lenee is; she is just completely honest 24/7.” That same mood carried throughout the interview, as she danced around she racked her brain for the perfect and most honest answer. On several occasions she would only give an answer after I forced her by having to count to five.
While University of the Cumberlands women’s wrestling team is what brought her to UC it is not what kept her here. Figliola feels the meaning of life is to build a relationship with God and with others and wrestling was distracting her from those two things.
When she described her departure with wrestling she said, “Time is love and I was wanting to spend my time more on others. In order to completely direct my passion from wrestling to God I had to completely cut wrestling out of my life because going to practice to just be a mediocre wrestler just didn’t make any sense emotionally.”
She stated, “Only a fraction of life is physically accessible and most of life is like, if I travel the world twice I won’t have near the adventure as if I experience the layers of friendship and the layers of overcoming struggles with God”.
This year Figliola has developed friendships through her job as a resident assistant in Moss Hall. Resident, and junior at UC, Rachel Gray says if there is one thing she could say about Lenee it would be that, “Lenee is the best hugger, she just puts so much effort into the hugs it just shows how caring and nice she is”.
Figliola says, “The greatest accomplishment anyone can ever having is loving someone.” But there are two things she loves maybe just as much as she loves people; dandelions and rooftops.
“One of my favorite memories is running through all the dandelions on campus and making as many of them as possible take flight. I just love dandelions. I’m just so passionate about dandelions.” she rambles on about her love of them then suddenly stops as she looks out the front door of Moss as if she’s refraining from going out and frolicking in them this second. “Oops I didn’t mean to get so heated about dandelions,” she says sheepishly. She finally attempts to sit on the couch in Moss’s lobby but then stops herself and interjects, “I can’t sit here. It’s the spider couch.” For those of you that lack back-story, once upon a time in August of 2017 a spider crawled out from said couch and ever since it has been negated to a “no sit zone.”
Unfazed she continues on about rooftops.
“I haven’t been to the roof of the music building since last year when they locked it because they caught me. Now I can never go up there ever again but that was my favorite place. It was so peaceful,” she explains.
She has also gotten into trouble on other occasions with her exploration of random rooftops including an abandoned building or so she thought. She has since learned her lesson…maybe.
She said, “I don’t have any regrets but I have made mistakes but I wouldn’t change them.” She uses all her experiences as ways to learn from them which will be useful when she graduates in May and pursues a job in counseling and to serve children.
When speaking about her future she says, “The Lord has given me a vision recently to grow out my hair and to dedicate the next two years of my life to underprivileged children and loving them.”
While speaking of children she touches on her unique sense of style relating it to, “You know how kids just pick one thing like rain boots and wear them when it makes absolutely no sense besides the fact that they just love them and it makes them feel alive? That’s how I pick out my clothes.”
I’m sure the children will appreciate her love of dandelions and good hugs just as her friends at UC have. It looks like she’ll accomplish the love in which she deemed the greatest accomplishment anyone can ever have.
Photo by Mike Krzyston
Robe and Mortar
Five facts about the cap and gown
BY LEANNE GREGORY Staff Writer
Graduation is a rite of passage for many scholars around the country. Every year, seas of billowing, midnight fabric pass across glistening fields and wooden stages towards their futures, hurtling their tasseled, flat-topped hats into the air in celebration of their achievements. What makes the ceremony even more spectacular, outside of the years of hard work and dedication, is the vibrant history associated with the cap and gown garb worn by the graduating students. In honor of the time-honored tradition, here are five facts about the cap and gown.
1. Religious origins
The use of robes and caps in academia is said to have begun in the Middle Ages when scholars were asked to take clerical vows during the course of their study due to the overarching control of the church over formalized institutions. The lengthy robes were also used to differentiate the students from the common town folk and provide warmth in the colder seasons.
2. Colorful purpose
The variations of color on the trimming, tassels, and hoods on the cap and gown worn by faculty members are often representative of the area of study and the official colors of the university conferring the degree. At some institutions, doctorate scholars who have earned more than one doctorate degree have their respective degrees indicated by a color gradient laced into the velvet trimmings.
3. Degree of style
Depending on the type of degree being earned the length and cut of the academic dress is drastically different. For bachelor degrees the sleeves of the robe will typically be cut in a pointed style designed to be worn closed at the wrist. Masters degrees bear oblong sleeves cut so that front is curved in a subtle arc, with the back hanging down in a singular, rectangular strip, designed to be worn open or closed, and doctorate degrees will slope down the wearer’s arms in a rounded bell-like shape that is likewise designed to be worn open or closed around the wrist.
4. Tassel Hassle
Though many institutions request that students keep their tassels towards the right side on the front of the cap before being given their degrees, technically speaking there is no formal regulation stating which direction the tassel on the top of the graduation cap should face before or after graduation.
5. Decoration Situation
Though not required, decorating the cap at graduation to showcase a graduate’s personality and style has become one of the most beloved traditions of the ceremony. Decorations can be made of anything and arranged in any manner the graduate desires.
God is speaking, but are you listening?
a devotional
BY HOPE AUSTIN Guest Writer
Graduation is only a short time away for the seniors at UC. You have all come so far in life, and it is about to pay off. A popular question most seniors, and college students in general, are asked is “What are your plans after college?”
Most people will be able to answer that without a doubt in their mind, but there are some who are still not sure. The first step when thinking about what you want to do is to seek God and ask Him what His plans are for your life. If you seek Him, He shall answer. On the other hand, what if you have already chosen your path? What some people may not realize is even if you think you know what you are doing, it is important to still seek God’s will for your life.
Seek God’s will and make sure this is what He wants of your life and not what you would want. Luke 9:23 (NKJV) says, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” What this passage is saying is that if you chose to truly follow God, you have to deny what your wants are for your life and take God’s will for your life. While this may sound like a lot to come to terms with, we must realize that Scripture tells us that His plan is greater than our own. You may want to be a doctor or nurse, and He may be calling you to missions.
The ways in which God can call us are infinite. He can call us to do anything at any time. With that in mind, that also means He can call us somewhere else. When God puts us somewhere, that does not mean that is where we must be for the rest of our days. He can be placing you there for a certain amount of time for a purpose and call you somewhere else later down the road of life. Sometimes while we are searching for His will for our lives, it can sometimes feel like God is not paying attention to you or that He is not listening. The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us.”
The Lord is always working for the good of those who seek him. Try to stay patient and listen for Him and when He sees the time right, He will speak to you. The main point in all of this is that it is important that we as a people always search for God. We should not get too comfortable or stuck in our ways or with where we currently are in life. If we do that, are we really picking up our cross and following God? To all the graduating class of 2018, always look for the Lord’s steadfast hand and He will take you places greater than that which you can imagine.
