The Patriot - January 23, 2020

Letter from the Editor

Hey Patriots,

Getting back in the groove of classes, practices and CAB events may require a bit more effort than the fall semester. I know the colder months can make getting out of those warm, cozy beds hard. For some of us, the only thing standing between the present and May 2nd is actually going to and passing classes. With this being the third week of the semester, I encourage all of you to finally, like Tyler Childers sings, “Shake the Frost” [off].

This semester, we’ve got a lot of awesome news and content to let you know about! As the new editorin-hief, I am excited for all of the new things coming campus’ way! Spring semester is easily my favorite because there is so much activity and there’s a longer break at the end of the term. Many sports teams are in season this semester as well as a new Spotlight season heading underway. So many great things are on their way.

Considering this is my first issue as ole boss lady, I just wanted to take some time to be grateful. I want to thank my wonderful coworkers, my faculty advisor and all you wonderful readers. Without all of you, there would be no need for my job or a physical paper. I am a firm believer that print journalism isn’t dead. So, I sit here, thanking all of you for allowing me to do what I am passionate about. Enjoy the issue.

Keep surviving and thriving,

Taylor Duke, Editor-in-Chief

Editor-In-Chief

Taylor Duke

Managing Editor Haley Bullock

Faculty Adviser

Jeremiah Massengale

Staff

Emilee Agee Makayla Durham Abigail Fletcher

Leanne Gregory Alex Nunn Maranda Young

Front cover by Taylor Duke Back cover by Hayley Bullock

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.

UC honors MLK Jr. with a day of service

UC community serves Whitley County on Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

BY: ALEX NUNN Staff Writer

The MLK Day of Service at UC has come and gone, and as such the campus is taking time to appreciate the hard work of all those who contributed to giving to the community. On January 20, around 550 UC students, staff, and alumni came together to clean local schools, help at the Cedaridge Recycling Center, clean the Lane Theater, alongside 12 other service opportunities. Jamirae Holbrook, executive director of extended services at UC, said, “MLK Service Day is a day where there are no classes, offices are closed, and so the campus is asked to celebrate through service. We honor the legacy and life work of Dr. King by helping others.”

Martin Luther King Jr. pushed for change in a way very few others had with his actions and words of a better future. Dr. King wanted to prepare a world for future generations, and through UC’s service day, cleaning the community and spreading a positive message to others, the University of the Cumberlands may keep such ideals going and growing for each generation. Holbrook shared her hope for the University of the Cumberlands to continue to be a good neighbor, and to be engaged in service locally and regionally. “To not only give back to the communities that welcome and embrace our students but also to provide our students with service-learning opportunities that will shape their future thinking. Our students didn’t just show up; they participated with smiles, laughter, and energy. The community groups that UC served on MLK Day got our very best,” said Holbrook. Although it was their day off, many students not only attended, but also enjoyed helping for the day.

UC sophomore Luke Hupp explained his love to both help out and integrate within the community, “I was able to be a leader of one of the groups working at Williamsburg Independent. It was awesome to have fun with our project, all of us with the same mindset. It definitely makes me proud of my school.”

Hupp also explained that he hoped UC would be able to make a huge impact all around the Williamsburg community but he said, “If it comes down to it and we only made an impact on a few people’s lives, it was worth doing.”

Kaylee Gilbert, also a UC sophomore, expressed her love for giving back to the community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She said, “I think that it is a blessing within itself to be able to serve others, just like Christ served us. I feel as if the people who served with me made such a big difference, because it shows how Christ-like the community here at the Cumberlands really is. Not just one of us can change the world, but I truly believe that if we all work together it will change for the better.”

It’s events such as these that bring not only the community together, but the students too. Sharing an experience by choosing to be a part of something bigger is a guaranteed way to make memories with others.

If you missed MLK Day of Service, and want to give back to your community still, it’s not too late. If you go to the UC website, and search for “Season of Service” you can sign up for the next opportunity to take part in something bigger.

The inside of the Lane Theater which in its hayday was used as a temporary courthouse and movie theater.

Photo by Taylor Duke

Right: UC students gather around two bedframes that were assembled on the service day.

Left: UC students hold up kind notes they left for the students of Whitley Central Intermediate School.

Photos courtesy of University of the Cumberlands Communications and Marketing Department

Win spotlight, you might

Five tips on how to win Spotlight from a previous winner

BY ABIGAIL FLETCHER Staff Writer

Spotlight, the popular singing competition, is back for another season at the campus of the University of the Cumberlands. It has been a huge hit on campus and is now on its eighth season. The unity it brings to the campus and gives students is something to look forward to. Spotlight wouldn’t be able to run smoothly without the hosting of the Campus Activities Board and the advising of Lisa Bartram. Jaclyn Jewell, a UC senior, is the winner of last year’s Spotlight. Jewell gave her personal opinion of five tips on how to be successful in Spotlight.

Tip 1: ”Pick a song that the audience will like.”

Ballads are wonderful but engaging the crowd leaves a huge impact. If there is a song that’s popular on the charts and upbeat the audience can have fun with it. It will make your performance come off the stage and make people move around. Giving the crowd something to move around to makes you more memorable.

Tip 2: “Pick a song you already know.”

Having a personal familiarity to a song is a strategic way of participating in Spotlight. This way you’re not learning a completely new song, and if you know the song that means you have a personal connection to the song. Also, your time is limited. Learning an unfamiliar song in a stressful time frame varying between performances may lead to unnecessary nerves, when you could sing a song you already have under your belt.

Tip 3: “ALWAYS have a drum of some sort.”

Spotlight has restrictions of instruments you can use in performances. Acoustic arrangement is what is allowed in Spotlight when it comes to live instruments. This means piano, guitar, cajon, or any drum besides a full drum set. Besides the finale where they provide a full house band, they want an acoustic setting or instrumental track. Having a drum or beat of some sort will help fill empty gaps in the sound. It’ll drive the song and keep the audience engaged. A beat underlying any song makes it more powerful.

Tip 4: “Don’t be too stressed about it.”

Performing is difficult. It is not easy to get in front of a whole crowd your peers to sing. Remember that you were selected for a reason. The judges believe in you and want you to succeed. It will be a time to grow as a performer, so don’t get too freaked out. The crowd will be confident in you if you’re confident in yourself.

Tip 5: “Have fun with it!”

The most important thing to remember to enjoy yourself up there. It is a time for you to broadcast your talent to the campus body. A live stream goes on as well during the performance, so if your audience is even bigger than the chapel. The cash prize is wonderful, but the most important thing is to enjoy the experience.

Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm

Photo llustration by Abigail Fletcher

The wisdom from Jaclyn Jewell gives the inspiration to make a photo bringing to life the Yoda-like wisdom for Spotlight.

Jaclyn Jewell stands with her check totalling $1,500 for winning Spotlight season 7.

Photo by Mike Krzyston

Season 8 auditons

Photos

from Spotlight’s season 8 auditions on January 14th and 15th

Right top photo: Molly Malone and Hallie Brackett hold bid numbers meant for persons auditioning.

Right center: Dylan Johnson belts out notes while performing for the judges.

Bottom right: Smith Pepper smiles as he listens to feedback.

In the middle: Judges Dr. Smoke, Dr. Jordan Carmack and Dr. Mike Dickman speak about Spotlight with Lisa Bartram.

Bottom keft: Nikki Patterson sings as she plays the guitar.

Middle left: Jacob Davis listens to the judges’ comments and critiques.

Photos by Makayla Durham and Maranda Young

Starting the year off right

Five tips on keeping your health-based New Year’s resolution

BY: HALEY BULLOCK Managing Editor

A common New Year’s resolution is to become healthier by adapting a healthier lifestyle. However, according to the U.S. News & World Report, 80 percent of people do not complete their resolution(s). Outlining, developing and executing a routine to become healthier is not something that can be done overnight. It takes hard work and dedication to commit to becoming the healthier self that one envisions around New Year’s. These four tips are ways that one can slowly become healthier:

Tip #1: Substitute soft drinks and/or coffee with juice and water.

Trying to quit something cold turkey can be difficult if you’re addicted to a stimulant like caffeine, a main ingredient in soft drinks and coffee. Cutting yourself off completely from caffeine can result in headaches, making it difficult to stay motivated in abstaining from those drinks; especially since many of those drinks also contain sugar as a sweetener which improves the taste. Slowly cutting your intake, drinking fewer cans and cups of soda and coffee, allows your body to slowly adjust to the change, making the repercussions, like headaches, less severe. If you aren’t used to, or do not like water, switching from soda or coffee to a juice is a good substitute to start with. While juice still has a fairly high amount of sugar, usually around 20 grams of it in one cup, a soda can contain around 30 grams and coffee creamer contains around 5 grams per teaspoon. Juice also has more nutrients in it like potassium, vitamin C and some protein.

Tip #2: Replace chips with healthier options.

Resisting the crispy crunch of a potato chip can be difficult, but chips contain very little nutrients; so replacing them with a healthier option is a step on the way to a healthier lifestyle. Healthy food doesn’t always mean that it tastes bad. There are plenty of options, like fruit, that have natural sugars which are healthy for you. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an unhealthy diet can lead a increased risk for getting one of the main causes of death such as: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis and many different forms of cancer. So, if becoming healthier to look or feel better about yourself wasn’t enough motivation, working to prevent these diseases with hefty side effects might add more motivation to

stay dedicated and take the plunge to develop a more healthy lifestyle.

Tip #3: Set up a sleep schedule.

While many similar lists to this one recommend tasks like “get more sleep,” setting up a sleep routine is more beneficial in the long run. In terms of getting healthy, a lot of people just focus on the nutritional side of being healthy, but mental health and sleep hygiene can be just as important. Many people sleep as often as they can, taking naps interspersed throughout their days during the week, but, according to the National Sleep Foundation, a sleep schedule “helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.” The sleep schedule allows your body to naturally become more tired around the time that you usually go to bed and makes it easier for you to get up in the morning when you’re supposed to. This means that incorporating this tip into your steps for becoming healthier will make all of the other ones easier.

Tip #4: Incorporate walking into your schedule at least twice a week.

One of the hardest parts of becoming healthier is the physical aspect of it, especially if you are a usually inactive person. Becoming active and being active consistently is easier if you slowly incorporate it to your weekly schedule. Walking is one of the easiest low impact, meaning not as hard on your body, workouts that are great for beginners. Not everyone can do pushups, sit-ups or run a whole mile, so walking is an easy way to accomplish becoming more physically fit. As a college student, one could walk more by walking to your classes instead of driving and one could even take the long way to class if there is available time. As a non-college student, walking could be incorporated more, for example, at a strip mall. Instead of driving to each store, just walk to the next one you want to go to. This is an easy way to get some more steps in without becoming too overwhelmed because the buildings are very close together.

Becoming healthier isn’t an easy New Year’s resolution or task for anyone; it requires a lot of hard work and dedication to achieve the goal. Slowly adding these four tips into your daily life are easy stepping-stones for dipping your toe into the world of healthy living.

Photos by Maranda Young

A woman performs a leg workout in the Wellness Center.

Junior Sergio Castell checks his form as he does an arm workout .

An online big team

Cumberlands’ Esports team is making a name for themselves

BY ALEX NUNN

Staff Writer

Esports is an ever-growing phenomenon in the world of athletics that has taken the world by storm. Playing games professionally was at one point a crazy concept, yet it’s also forgotten just how long the idea of playing games competitively has been around. It was the year 1972 at Stanford University where the first video game competition was held. Competitors gathered to play “SpaceWar,” and the winner was awarded a year-long subscription to the Rolling Stone magazine. Skip forward to now, where prizes range in the millions of dollars. To this day, even with the legitimacy of the athletic title for professional gamers, some still doubt the titles backing. With the dedication eSports athletes have for their teams, the strategy and cooperation they show when working with each other, and the time sacrificed to perfect plays, it is the same as the dedication other more-traditional athletes bring to their respective sports. This is just as true at the University of the Cumberlands.

There are currently 24 athletes on the UC eSports team, who play games such as “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” and “Smite.” UC junior and team captain of the Smite team, Edward Dunne, spoke about the team and his game saying, “It’s my favorite game on the team simply because I’ve always been so interested in mythology.” Dunne also spoke about how he plays more seriously competitively versus when he’s hanging out with friends. Dunne’s favorite professional player is Smite’s “Trixtank”, saying, “He’s what I aspire to be.” Dunne also stated that if there was one thing he wanted people to know about eSports, it would be that, “It is real, and it is massive.

The competitive aspect of video games has been around since they were created, and believe me that eSports will continue to grow and change for

a very long time. I personally am excited to see what the world of competitive video games has to offer.”

Talon Ledford, freshman UC student and “Overwatch” player, talked briefly about his experience with Overwatch, mentioning how he enjoyed it because he has bonded to it since playing it on it’s release. When asked about the team, and how people could learn more about it Ledford said, “Just ask one of our guys. Just treat us like any other sport, this is what we excel at and it’s what we like to do.”

There are a lot of differences between the athletes of the team, too many to include them all, but one thing that shows is the dedication to both the team, and the games these athletes have honed their skills in.

With such a growth in just three years, the UC eSports team has gone from a club, to a varsity team. Jeremiah Brown, UC eSports coach, said, “Our teams in the past were new and young, with room for error, but also a lot of room for growth. Now our teams are doing better, with better leadership, and are being supported by me as a coach, and the NAC eSports Organization. Our teams can only get better, they are full of athletes eager to progress and grow.”

And as for what he wants people to know about the team, Brown said, “Here at UC, we have amotto of ‘One Big Team.’ Everyone supporting each other, no matter the sport or degree path. This also extends to eSports, so expect to have the full support from everyone around you, expect to find a family.”

Photos by Taylor Duke

Freshmen Lucas Worley and Jonathan Ball warm up for practice by playing a match of “Overwatch.”

Talon Ledford looks on to teammate’s screen as he warms up playing “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. “