Letter from the Editor
Dear Patriots,
It is officially the halfway point of the spring semester, meaning there are plenty of eager seniors out there who are that much closer to graduation. For many, this last half is a race to make their grades better, as well as an anticipation to every student’s favorite season: sweet summertime. Just imagine, in a couple of months’ time, we’ll all be free of school work, the daily grind of early mornings filled with sitting in classes and exams. Personally, I’m excited for “Chicago dogs” from my local hot dog vendor and daily trips to Lake Michigan (the best of the Great Lakes, for anyone who was wondering).
Today is the last day of February, which is also the month that celebrates African-American history. For this reason, issue six is dedicated to celebrating our diverse campus and fellow students.
It’s easy to overlook something as culturally important as these months; I’m Mexican and I often forget to fully celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Yet, this is an important part of many people’s years and lives. If you know me, you know that I have great pride in where I’m from, my heritage, and how it made me who I am. I think that may be one of the most important parts of every individual person. Everyone has different backgrounds and stories that deserve to be heard and celebrated. And as Americans, so many different cultures influence our own, so learning about others may be key to understanding ours.
After this issue, we at The Patriot are going on a short hiatus, due to our trip to the Big Apple next week and spring break the following week. So I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue, and learn a little bit about some influential people on our own campus you may not know about.
I also want to extend a personal thank you to you, the readers. We’ve been getting a lot of great feedback and comments from you all the past six weeks, and you don’t really understand how much that means to us. We’re excited to work every day for you guys, and we’ll continue to do our best for the final six issues we will publish. Fire it up,
Mike Krzyston, Editor-in-Chief
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Krzyston
Faculty Adviser
Jeremiah Massengale
Staff
Emilee Agee
Haley Bullock
Taylor Duke
Abigail Fletcher
Leanne Gregory
Jessica McFerron
Alex Nunn
River Phillippe
Jenna Rose
Dan Williams
Maranda Young
Front cover by Mike Krzyston
Back cover by Taylor Duke
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.
The Black History Month mindset
A bittersweet feeling
BY BRIAN MAHADEO Guest Writer
Black History Month is a bittersweet time for me. I love the appreciation on all the social media outlets. I love the respect shown to pioneers from the past, dead or alive. I love to learn every year about a new, black hero that contributed to society. For young black children it shows them the other side of black history that some schools fail to. We were not just slaves stolen from Africa. We were not just a group of people terrorized by white America. We were scientists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians and world-class athletes. We were strong and brave, and we persevered through some of the most inhumane things a man could deal with.
On the bitter side of the game, I feel that the appreciation of black people starts on February 1st and ends on February 28th. Some people only care to learn about their ancestors during February and leave it at that. I also feel that Black History Month has been used to compensate for all the lack of representation that black people have gotten throughout history. When I was coming up in elementary school and high school, the only time my history teachers would include blacks was during Black History Month, nothing more and nothing less. The older I get, the more I realize how problematic that is.
Moving forward I want to propose a challenge to everybody regardless of race and skin color. The first part of that challenge is personal. I challenge everyone to utilize his or her resources. Whether you are a college student, or a pup in middle school, make it your duty to educate yourself. If you have access to a library, go. If you have
access to the Internet in your homes, use it for more than Instagram and Twitter. There is so much history that has not been touched by your schoolteachers, and it’s right at your fingertips. Once you have utilized your resources, share that knowledge with your neighbor. Challenge your friends to educate themselves. Break myths and stereotypes. Stand up for people that are oppressed by stereotypes. Use your privilege to make a difference.
If you are willing to answer this challenge, then you are willing to change the world. That’s what black history is. Thousands of women and men who answered the call. They went that extra mile to educate themselves and decided to change the world with that knowledge.
Erik Willis, a resident hall director at UC, had a few words to share about Black History Month. His favorite figure was the late Frederick Douglas for his involvement in civil rights, in addition to women’s rights.
As far as the steps to be taken in the future, Willis says, “Things are still not where they need to be. I think Americans should respond by honoring people that have showed courage and gave their lives to further equality by recognizing these people in a greater way.”
Devon Goings, another UC resident hall director, believes that America needs to merge black history into American history as a whole. Goings says, “I think America should respond by integrating black history in an appropriate fashion into the rest of American history…Africans don’t get nearly the credit deserved. And that’s an issue.”
Soul of a nation
Photo by Taylor Duke
Reflecting on our changes
From a normal day to a service day
BY EMILEE AGEE Staff Writer
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man dedicated to loving and celebrating one another no matter who they are, what their background is, and more predominantly, what their skin color might be, and starting in spring of 2017, UC decided to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which occurs on the third Monday of every January. With the change to Engage, there has been more of a focus on service events taking place like Pats Serve and now, The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, which although not required, is highly encouraged.
Holly Kessler, a UC freshman, said,“Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be more important to the school. I think there should be more effort throughout the school to make it a point to talk about things.”
When asked what she hopes for now that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on campus, Dr. Emily Colman, Vice President for Student Services said, “My hope is that our day of service grows. When we first started not having class, and having that day of service, it was very small, and we had very limited student participation. We’ve slowly, every year, grown and expanded the service opportunities that are happening on that day.”
Coleman says that this year there were over 400 students participating and that it is great to see how it’s growing and she can’t wait to see what it grows into.
Coleman went on to say that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a day where we should take time to be able to give back to our community and continue to increase that emphasis on servant leadership that UC values.
“We want to show the importance of community, giving back to the community, and do that through our time and talents.” Coleman said.
Dr. King’s mission was equality and giving a voice to the oppressed, and it only makes sense that students honor him through serving others and letting them know that they are seen and respected.
Dr. King once said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
There will soon be a student satisfaction survey coming out to learn what students think about this service component and give their honest feedback on this day of serving the community.
Graphic by Taylor Duke
The mind behind the music
BY ABIGAIL FLETCHER Staff Writer
An eruption of cheers sounded from the crowd as another performance from Spotlight season seven ended. Cyr Wilson, a UC senior of music, stood in the wings of the stage, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart in his ears. After his name was announced, Wilson walked onto the stage taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. He longed for the familiarity and comfort of the piano. The walk across the stage seemed to last forever, but when he finally sat in front of the piano; he was home. He released a final breath and everything seemed to stop.
Music has planted its roots into Wilson’s family through his mother’s side. There had been several members of the family to go on tour and travel. For example, Wilson’s great uncle, Johnny Graham, was in the band Earth, Wind, & Fire. All of this would result in the natural ability Wilson has in music.
Wilson states, “I think the music runs through me very freely and naturally. I don’t have to work hard for a lot of it, but I do work hard to get better.”
His musical background growing up is very extensive. This is due to the education presented to him and the after school groups he participated in.
The earliest memory of music Wilson experienced was when he was two years old. His family enrolled him into a Kinder-Keys program. This program teaches young children how to play nursery rhymes on the piano. When he got into elementary school he joined the after school program, Louisville Leopard Percussionists. The program utilized kids strength in playing by ear. Wilson was enrolled in Noe Middle School and Ballard High School, schools focused on performing arts. Wilson explained the schools by saying, “Being in a performing arts school, we had seven classes which means you take three arts classes a day for four years. We had band class, theory, and oral skills. We just get a lot more opportunities to play.” This would aid him later in life when he joined Legends Drum & Bugle Corps and Legacy, now known as 317, then further on the campus of University of the Cumberlands.
Since being at the university, Wilson has truly made a name for himself with the music program. Being able to play a total of eleven instruments, he
can aid in all ensembles. When asked about his major in music education Wilson said, “I picked it because I wanted to be a band director. I actually decided this when I was a sophomore in high school. I just stuck to it. It is the only thing I really wanted to do.”
Wilson has had a lot of instructor experience from helping high school percussionists and even helping other college students.
When it comes to being an instrumentalist, nerves have been something that have subsided for Wilson.
“At this point, performing feels like another thing I do in the day,” Wilson states, “When I was younger, I used to get really bad stage fright. I do it so much now that I would prefer to perform over anything else.”
Cyr Wilson has made it into the top 10 of season seven of Spotlight so far. When asked about his experienced he said, “Spotlight has been a weird and new experience for me. I have always been an instrumentalist, but now to be a vocalist and to contend as it appears, I do get nervous when I am about to go sing on stage.”
Wilson explained if he gets top three in Spotlight he plans to use the prize money for the Praxis exams. With his extensive musical background Wilson looks hopefully into the future of being a music educator.
Wilson has a great connection with music. Music has flown through his family and on to him. Wilson got to utilize that ability by being in performing arts group from the age of two until the present. He has gotten many performance opportunities and to him it is just another day. Wilson recalled his favorite performance to date, “It was with an EP release with the artist by the name of Rosario. We planned the show expecting 200 people to show up but 600 showed up. It was a packed house and people were really digging the vibe. That was a project that the musicians and Rosario worked really hard on creating from the ground up. It was just nice that people really appreciated it on that level.”
Wilson’s explained his continuing involvement in music by saying, “Music brings the most joy and balance in my life. If I am not playing music I am not going to be very happy.”
Photo by Mike Krzyston
Proclaiming truth Connecting cultures
A Q&A with Rejoice OlaOlorun
BY TAYLOR DUKE Staff Writer
Name: Rejoice OlaOlorun
Year: Junior
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in Nigeria, well, I lived there until I moved to Louisville, Kentucky, six years ago.
Q: How do you feel about Black History Month?
A: I didn’t grow up celebrating or learning about Black History Month in Nigeria. So, it’s cool to learn that about the culture and partake in it here in the States. We have good black influences like Martin Luther King Jr. and we remember what they did for us. They went through things in their own time. So, now, I can be an influence in the lives of people and generations coming up.
Q: Do you think UC does a good job of helping students explore other cultures?
A: Um, I mean, I want to say yes. International Students Services does a good job of making the transition for international students. Something I think that UC can work on is having more events showcase the many different cultures we have on campus. I’m a part of BCM on campus and we help out with the International Food Nights and everything. I help find international students who want to cook and help get the ingredients ready. I enjoy it because one, I can form relationships with international students as we cook and two, it’s foreign food so it’s good!
Q: What is something from your culture that you love the most?
A: Easter is definitely celebrated differently here. It’s more of a celebration, I mean it is a celebration that Christ rose up from the dead but there no spirit in it. If you’re back in Nigeria, everyone knows it’s the Easter season just like its Christmas here. There aren’t parades but we dress up. We go to the market and get fancy clothes and fancy ingredients to cook food. Because, after the church service, we have a celebration where we eat together. So, it’s just a hustling and bustling of things. Here, it’s just a normal Sunday. Whenever it’s Easter here, it’s like its come and gone. There, it involves itself in the culture.
Q: How do you feel you have affected the lives of students on campus?
A: I’m a really bubbly person. I’m involved in most things on campus. So, with that involvement, I try to make someone smile everyday. Or I just try to make their day. Hopefully, that goes a long way rather than just having a shallow conversation.
BY MARANDA YOUNG Staff Writer
A Q&A with Devon Goings
Name: Devon Goings
Year: First year Seminary
Hometown: Rockmart, GA
Q: Have you experienced conflict due to cultural differences?
A: Personally, no. Williamsburg Kentucky is different than Georgia, but I have never had any kind of issue of malice or division. Praise God since that’s the case. Frankly, I believe it is because the faculty and staff are on a mission for the Kingdom. The beauty of culture in general is that there are black people who are cultured differently than I am and there are white people who are cultured the way I am. It’s just a matter of how and where you were raised.
Q: What is your passion?
A: I have a passion for the gospel. I love learning about it and sharing it. I became a Christ follower around my junior year of high school. When I started as a student here at University of the Cumberlands I was involved with FCA. The Lord has been continuingly sanctifying and drawing me closer to Him.
Q: What has your journey through college been like?
A: I originally came here to “rassel” *laughs* (wrestle), for the most part that was it. As a student I was involved in FCA. As an athlete your hobbies are your sport, but I also played a lot of league of legends. I enjoyed chilling with friends. My freshman year I became a RA and then, after a year and a half, I got involved in being a student life assistant for a year and a half. Finally, I became a resident hall director the second semester of my senior year. I am currently a resident hall director at Rob Cook.
Q: Are a morning or evening person?
A: I believe mornings are the best. You have the opportunity to do things while everyone else is asleep. Good and ready for the day. Ready for breakfast as well. I love breakfast; eggs are the best. I mean, you can add some other stuff, but eggs are the fundamental piece of the meal.
Q: What is one of your long-term goals?
A: I like the direction that the university is going. I don’t know 100% if I will be here in the next ten years but, if I am, I want to reach the students more, I want to proclaim the truth and learn the Word more. I want to do things for the sake of the gospel. As of now, I am going to be one of the campus ministers, but the goal is to eventually become a professor in missions and ministries.
Love without construct
Reflections from interracial couples on campus
BY JESSICA MCFERRON AND HALEY BULLOCK Staff Writer s
When the Baptist Campus Ministries, also known as the BCM, held a discussion labeled “Gospel & Racism” last semester in October; many students attended it and involved themselves with the conversation. Chad Everhart, the campus minister, said that one of the most asked questions of the night was about interracial marriage. Many years ago, interracial relationships were controversial in the United States. However, today discrimination and inequality can still happen.
The dating community on campus is very diverse when it comes to significant others. There are many types of couples on our campus, including interracial couples. Kayla Skaggs, a UC junior and her boyfriend Robbie Garvin, a UC senior, make up one of the many interracial couples on campus.
Skaggs says, “We met through mutual friends at UC. Our friend group would hangout in the mid-BCC and study or play board games almost every night. We began to grow close, and we later decided to date.”
Often times, couples can attribute many positive aspects of their own self to their significant other when it comes to the impact on their lives after being in the relationship. Garvin says, “Kay has helped me grow in so many ways. I’ve truly learned what it means to love someone and to date with intentionality. She helped me with learning to see the good in people in the midst of a tough day and seeing why Jesus loves them even when I’m in need of being convinced of it myself. She helps me organize my life and serve so much better than before. She’s helped my patience with myself and others and understanding there is so much more to life than my selfish desires.”
When it comes to interracial relationships, many people wonder what it is like to date someone who is perceived as different from them. Interracial couples can face discrimination is areas that are not diverse in terms of their population.
Skaggs says, “It’s honestly something I never saw coming. I never expected myself to be in an interracial relationship, especially growing up in a small town in Ohio where there is little to no diversity. It can be a challenge at times, just like any other relationship.”
Skaggs also says, “Our families reacted very differently, while meeting our significant other. Robbie’s family observed me and didn’t say much, but my family asked him a million questions and was very talkative. It took me a while to realize that they interacted in a different way than I was used to and that’s okay! My parents love Robbie and his parents love me, so that’s all the approval we need.”
Ashton Siebers and her boyfriend Aaron Johnson, both UC sophomores also have an interracial relationship.
Seibers says, “Where I’m from it’s not ethnically diverse, so it does seem more uncommon.” Her boyfriend, Aaron Johnson, adds it is not uncommon where he comes from. Discrimination can be common when it comes to interracial couples. When it comes to facing discrimination, Johnson says, “We’ve never really had any problems being an interracial couple.”
Skaggs adds, “I’m sure we get an occasional dirty look or prolonged stare from people who disapprove, but we don’t pay attention to it. We’re just thankful God brought the two of us together and surrounded us with amazing community here at UC, in Ohio and in Georgia.”
Photo by Taylor Duke
