Letter from the Editor
Well good morning Williamsburg,
Itâs Valentineâs Day week and you know what that means, Patriots. Arenât you just super pumped for couples to be super lovey-dovey on the viaduct as you have to push through them to get to class? Well, Iâm excited about it. Considering its consumer-driven, Hallmark Holiday status, I try to really make Valentineâs Day about myself. But, you know Iâm going to go ham on the discounted chalky-candy hearts on February 15.
In this past week, Iâve really set my personal boundaries and communicated them to those around me. A part of me feels that a lot of people get caught up in the romantic side of the holiday. Itâs important to turn the focus internally because no one will come to appreciate the wonderful person you are as much as you yourself. I know that Valentineâs Day can seem lonely some years but relationships come and go. Unlike elementary school, the mandatory valentines are no longer required so it seems as time drowns on, we feel less appreciated. Although it may be forgotten, we all have support systems made up of family, friends, teammates and/or coworkers. Itâs important to let the people around you know how thankful you are for them. These winter days seem long and never-ending. These heavy rains arenât helping. If youâve been needing a sign, this is it. Make this period of your life the best. You deserve your own self-produced happiness.
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 Abigail Fletcher
Back cover by Maranda Young
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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.
Williamsburg High-Rise
Impact of the early February flooding on local communities
BY M AKAY l A DU rh AM A n D h A l EY BU ll OCK Staff Writer and Managing Editor
Due to the immense rainfall, flood warnings were sent out to warn residents of Whitley county of the rising water levels at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4. According to the National Weather Service, at its highest point, the flood waters reached up to 32.34 feet on Feb. 7. One way that the flooding has affected local areas is, according to the News Journal, by the tragic death of Knox County citizen Ronnie Bryant. Bryant, 74, went missing on his way to work as high flood waters swept his car into a pond, which resulted in his death. A search team found his vehicle when water levels decreased.
This is the worst amount of flooding the county has seen in over 40 years. Many people have lost their homes and businesses due to the flooding over the weekend. The town of Williamsburg set up an evacuation center at the Williamsburg Convention Center to offer aid to citizens in need. School districts in the flooded areas cancelled schools on Friday due to high waters and the risk of traveling. Edward Dunn, a UC junior, says, âI heard from some of my cousins that it hasnât rained this bad in a while, which really sucks because it caused some families to be trapped in their houses for a few days.â
For on campus students at the University of the Cumberlands, most have never seen flooding this bad, especially upperclassmen who have seen it reach the football field but never cover it entirely. Rachel Meadors, a UC senior, says, âIt seems like thereâs always a big rain that comes into town and it usually drowns the baseball field and sometimes the football field is affected as well, but this is the worst flooding that Iâve seen. The record was in 1977, of course, but this one has come in [second] under worst floods [in] Williamsburg, and the pictures and devastation certainly speak for themselves.â
The water levels reached well over the fencing that surrounds the football stadium at a height of 25 to 30 feet. It was even high enough for a local Williamsburg resident to take a joy ride on his own jet ski over the Briar Creek area and onto the football field because of the connecting water to the Cumberland River.
Randy Greer, head cross country and track and field coach, said, âThe water level is higher than I ever seen. It has been bad timing with our indoor conference meet coming up next week but we have dealt with this before. We will have to wait for the water to go down before we can estimate the amount of damage done. At the end of the day, we will be just fine.â
Matthew Brock, a UC freshman, says, â[My uncle] lives right next to a very large creek and [on Friday] it really started to rise at one in the morning. We had to call over there and wake him up and get him up because his truck was over there, his white SUV was over there, the Ford Escape was over there. He wasnât able to get his van [away from the flood] in time and it got about half a foot over his engine. The whole interior was flooded and there was just mud in the van. Underneath in his basement he had two lawnmowers, two four-wheelers all just completely covered and destroyed.â
Overall, the flood has impacted many locations around Kentucky and has done damage to many homes, properties and peopleâs lives. However, even with continued rainfall, the water levels have been receding.
Photo by Abigail Fletcher
Brees to speak at the Excellence in Leadership Series
Students react to Drew Brees as this yearâs speaker
BY A Big A il Fl ETCh Er Staff Writer
Each year, the University of the Cumberlands hosts the Excellence in l eadership Series event to inspire students with personal testimonies about how to be successful. This year Drew Brees, quarterback for the new Orleans Saints, has been announced as the eventâs keynote speaker. The event, sponsored by Forcht group of Kentucky, is scheduled for April 7 at 7 p.m.
Brees won the Super Bowl in 2010 with the Saints and was also named Super Bowl X li V MVP. Brees, who holds the n F l record for career pass completions, and has been elected to 14 Pro Bowls, is often considered among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Off the football field, Brees established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003 to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and provide care, education and opportunities for children in need.
The entire student body is required to be in attendance at this upcoming event for UC Engage credit. This announcement has led to various reactions from students on campus.
Some students shared a reaction of excitement for Drew Brees. William Daughtery, a UC junior, said, âFirst off, when i saw he was going to be our guest speaker, i was pumped because what all he has achieved isnât common. iâm excited to get to learn from the future hall of Famer and get advice on how to tackle life.â A similar reaction came from hannah Sizemore, a UC freshman, who said, âi donât really follow football, but iâm really excited for all our football players to have the opportunity to see someone they can see as a hero. iâm excited to hear what he has to say and iâm sure itâll be great.â
While some students were really excited for the big-time football player, some students were anticipating the impact it would have on small town Williamsburg. Tammy Brock, a UC senior, said, âDrew Brees is an amazing selection for this yearâs upcoming selection. he has accomplished a lot on the field, and overcame a lot off the field. To have someone like him come to a small college in rural
Kentucky is a reminder to the children in the area that they matter, [they] have not been forgotten by the rest of the world, and they can overcome hardships too.â Sydney hulgan, a UC sophomore, said, âi donât know much about Drew Brees besides that heâs a football quarterback. But, iâm excited for him to come speak at our convocation and see how he reaches both athletic and non-athletic students with his speech.â Additionally, Zach Brogan, a UC senior, said, âAs an avid sports fan i would say Drew Brees is the most prominent athlete we have gotten since i have been at school. he is still very relevant to the game and a true master of his craft. With that being said, i feel like we could have gotten someone who wasnât an athlete because a lot of our students donât relate to athletes.â
Although some students were excited for Drew Brees, some said there was not a good representation of other fields in the choice. Whitney r ogers, a UC sophomore, said, âi would love to see a representative on this campus who isnât an athlete or a politician. There are other departments, such as the arts, that are important too.â Similarly, r iver DePetris, a UC senior, said, âWeâve had several athletes speak at the conference. it would be nice to get a different perspective on leadership. granted, all the athletes that have been here have done more than just being an athlete.â
Community members will be welcome to attend the event. Community tickets, which are free, may be reserved at www.ucumberlands.edu/tickets beginning on March 2.
Photo courtesy of Brook Ward
Linguistâs lore
A writerâs guide to writing
BY lEA nn E gr E g Or Y Staff Writer
As a university student, writing essays is par the course for any major, and is either the most beloved or abhorred part of academic study. The process of finding a topic, doing research, and composing the paper itself can be tedious and frightening, even for English majors like myself who enjoy writing and do it frequently. That is why this guide aims to explain four writing tips that will make writing essays easier, no matter the length or style.
1. Interests
âImpossible. My professor wants a formal, academic paper. I canât write about what I like.â This simply isnât true. The goal of an essay is to formulate a poignant thesis that can be logically proven through discourse, not write like an instruction manual. If your topic is to prove why the mitochondria is vital to the cell and you enjoy sports, then write a paper showcasing how your favorite player wouldnât be able to play without the energy provided to them by the mitochondria inside their cells. So long as you can prove your topic, and it is relevant to the prompt, there really is no limit to what you are allowed to write.
2. Vocabulary and Formality
Everyone has preferences about the type of writing they will enjoy, but engaging the audience has importance. One way to do this is by choosing vocabulary that suits your writing style and purpose. If you use writing that you would not enjoy reading, or wording you would never normally use, then the essay will sound disingenuous. Understanding the level of formality being asked of you is important because it can influence the way you display your vernacular. For instance, you would be less likely to listen to me if I had written something like, âIndubitably, loquaciousness will bequeath thy linguistic capabilities,â even if I do write like that naturally because that amount of verbosity doesnât fit the type of writing I am trying to achieve here. Instead, because my tone is genial, conversational and centered around talking to you instead of around you; it brings more authority to my points.
3. Structure
In terms of structure, Dr. Jolly Sharp, an English professor at UC, said, âCritical reading and critical thinking are essentials before critical essay writing.â I agree. Now that you know what you want to write about and how you wish to sound when writing, the next item to consider is the way you want to say it. Even if it is a small part of the writing process, the arrangement of your words can affect the portions of your argument the reader chooses to emphasize. For instance, with the example of the mitochondria say you wrote a sentence that went, âMitochondria are yellow and three inches long, though it may be longer depending on the structure of the cell.â Obviously, factual inaccuracies aside, the fact that the mitochondria are yellow isnât the point. Because it comes first in the sentence, however, your reader will subconsciously attribute more importance to it. This is because the English language has an ingrained order for adjectives, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, that makes it impossible for anything that doesnât follow the opinion, size, physical form, shape, age, color, origin, material, type, and purpose model to be interpreted the way the writer intended.
4. Research
Research is an intensive process that requires you to read through numerous texts to determine if the piece will prove or disprove your thesis. This can be frustrating if the research doesnât give you the quote or research position you need. That is why writing about your passions, finding the right words and figuring out how to use them should be the first steps you take when writing essays`. If the research your finding isnât exactly what you need, having a topic you genuinely believe in, and knowing what you want to say, will make it easier for you to take that research and present it as a counter argument you can disprove with your ideas. If your ideas are supported by academic literature, then you have a method by which to say, my topic is of interest to other people, but here is how my work will expand upon their ideas.
Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360
Spotlightâs Paradise
Looking at a throwback to the â90s
Photos by Maranda Young StaffWriter
Above: Sebastin Calmes sings âgive it Awayâ by r ed hot Chili accompanied by Matthew Chichura on bass.
Above: nikki Patterson sings âKilling Me Softlyâ by The Fugees.Top l eft: Smith Pepper sings âBelieveâ by Cher. Middle l eft: Jacob Davis sings âCheck Yes or noâ by g eorge Straight. Bottom l eft: Martize Smith sings âitâs so hard to Say g oodbye to Yesterdayâ by Boyz ii Men.
The Circle
BY M AKAY l A DU rh AM
Staff Writer
The original Netflix series titled âThe Circleâ debuted on Jan. 1 and takes its own twist on reality television mixed with social media. The show is hosted by Michelle Buteau and included 13 contestants within its first season of 12 episodes. The show is a mix between âBlack Mirrorâ and âBig Brotherâ but with the included twist of only online communication being put into a reality game show. The objective of the game was to be the number-one influencer and to flirt, befriend and possibly catfish others around them to win the grand prize of $100,000. The players are isolated in their own apartments and only allowed to communicate with others that are playing the game through âThe Circle,â a computer program that takes what you say and puts it into text for others to see on a screen. Since the contestants have no other interaction with other players, besides what they put into âThe Circle,â you have the opportunity to be whoever you want to be, and that means anyone, which is where the catfishing can come into play.
At the start of the game, the players create a profile much like what you would see on any social media platform, it includes pictures and a description of themselves that helps others in the game make assumptions on who is real and who is a catfish. At various times in the show the players are given a chance to rate their fellow contestants based on their profiles and personal chatting through âThe Circle,â the two with the top votes became the influencers of the game until the next rating. The job of the influencer not only means they are safe from leaving the game but that they, and the other top-rated influencer, choose who is a catfish and deserves to be blocked and immediately eliminated from the game. After the individual is blocked from the game they have the chance to meet one other player face-to-face based on their interactions with them through the computer system, they also have the choice to
release a video to all other contestants to prove if they were or were not a catfish.
As fast as old players are being blocked, new players are being introduced and adding their own profile onto the âThe Circleâ to enter in a chance to win the money prize. To help break the ice between the participants the computer system has âalertsâ that informs the players of any new ratings or competitions that are going to help or worsen anyoneâs chance at making it to the end of the game. Some examples of competitions would be trivia, cake baking, guess the celebrity and painting.
The great thing about the show is in the end the truth is what matters, how you treat others and how others see you can highly influence their opinions. When watching this show there is a lot of appeal for the diversity being shown and the different personalities that are seen from everyone participating in the game. What I took most from the show was the new friendships that were blooming between players that may have never happened in real life. Seeing people that have never met before, trusting strangers they met just days before, can show the true impact communication can have. Finding someone that understands where you have come from and willing to do anything for you is a type of friendship that you canât force, it shows itself in a true form that you wouldnât have found if not for a coincidence. Breaking the stereotypes of what it means to be rated number one is shown in this show through societyâs view of people and how they are feared of being judged, but it also shows how judging can come first from yourself before others because of past experiences. I give this show a 4 out of 5 stars, and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to binge watch this dramatic and highly inspiring game show.
Blasts from the past
With Spotlight entering its eighth season, we here at The Patriot decided to pick some of the most iconic songs that have been sung throughout Spotlightâs history for this weeks playlist. We hope listening to these classic tunes reminds you of wonderful memories and freinds old and new.
Photo courtesy of Studio l ambert
