The Patriot - May 2, 2014

A let ter from the editor

Dear readers of The Patriot,

This is it the last issue of the semester. Just like many of you who may be making that crucial push to finish strong before preparing for finals, we’ve trudged valiantly through these last few weeks and I believe we’ve laid it all on the line.

For some of our staff, this will be their last time contributing to The Patriot; for others, it’s still just beginning. To those of you who may be leaving: I would like to thank you for all you’ve done to help keep this publication running smoothly. All of your efforts are greatly appreciated I’m not sure how you will ever be replaced With the utmost honesty, you will be missed.

And to any other senior who may be graduating soon: good luck in the future While leaving college may seem like a dream come true, it can also be a rough, confusing time. More often than not, nothing is certain beyond the haven of your campus. You may not know what to do or where to turn. But if you’ve managed to survive four years of exams, late-night cram sessions, countless gallons of coffee (or energy drinks), lengthy papers and possibly a bad roommate or two, then you’re far more equipped for the world than you were when you started. Whatever you go off and do after graduation, do it well and do it proudly.

We all want to create something that will outlive us; something that survives in the hearts and minds of humanity forever. While that is a rather lofty goal, it isn’t too farfetched to imagine that if each of us were to live to the best of our abilities, take more time to actually be grateful not only for what we have but what each of us are worth and set proper examples for those learning from and molding themselves after us, we could impact the world, if not as a whole, at least through the eyes of those who are watching

Sur v iv ing finals week

A quick , easy set ofguidelines to help get you through the roughest four days of the semester

BY J I L L CA R PEN T ER

StaffPhotographer

The last week of classes this semester is almost within reach. The light at the end of a tunnel full of tests, homework and papers is almost in sight, right? Not quite. The only thing standing between us and summer vacation is the one thing we could all live without: finals week. The rest of the semester may have been stressful, but it's nothing in comparison to four days completely full of nothing but tests, papers, and projects that are worth a large percentage of our grade. It's enough to make anyone have a mental breakdown However, when you take on finals week just right, you can make it an easier experience.

First of all, being prepared is everything. In respect to tests, that means starting to study during the last week of classes at the latest It ensures that you don't have to skip sleeping to study. By studying at least a week before, you have the option of studying a little bit at a time, which always beats trying to memorize as much as you possibly can all at once We all know that all-night study sessions don't benefit anyone's test grade much, if at all. Besides, memorizing all at once is the worst possible finals week tactic out there Trying to study all night to make a decent grade on only one test is difficult enough. Trying to stay up all night studying for two or more tests at once turns another day during finals week into an educational massacre It would be hard enough to keep your eyes open for the duration of the exam, much less remember that one piece of information that's on the tip of your tongue. In respect to projects and papers, nothing good has ever come from a project or paper completed the night, or even the hour, before it was due In most classes, you know exactly what the final project or paper is about on the first day of class after reading your syllabus. You can start planning it, piece by piece, at any point in the semester If it's a project, do one piece of it per day If it's a paper, you can work on it one paragraph at a time. A 2,500 word paper seems much less intimidating if you decide to do around 500 words a day over five days. Coming from personal experience, trying to do more than one project the night before a horrible way to spend finals week. Last semester, I had a six page paper, a portfolio, and a project, all due on the same day, and I decided to finish them all the night before I didn't sleep at all, because I was working on all of the assignments I had up until the first one was due.

To make matters worse, each assignment required their own presentation, which was something I was not awake enough to tackle. I got decent grades on each of the assignments, but it wasn't worth all the stress and lack of sleep.

Speaking of sleep, getting enough of it each night is important. If keeping your eyes open is a battle in itself, you can't expect to tackle the exam in front of you and win, can you? When it comes to finals week, it can be difficult to keep yourself from studying all night even if you have more than enough time studying beforehand. It isn't going to hurt to go over everything one more time, right? If it cuts into you sleep, then, yes, it will hurt. Rather than staying up late to study, it's a better idea to go to bed early, and get up early to go back over the material Not only will it give you the opportunity to study more, it's better to take a test when you've had time to wake up, instead of jumping out of bed and straight to the exam room

Study tactics are also very important. By this point, you know what you need to do in order to best learn the material. This could be flash cards, saying the material out loud, or even explaining the material to someone else Don't simply read the book or look at the tests if you know that isn't going to benefit you Sometimes, the way you best study goes hand in hand with the way someone else studies. My freshman year, a friend and I both had a population biology final exam to take the next day I study best by explaining the material, and he studies best by hearing the material over and over. I explained the material, chapter by chapter, while he listened, stopping me to ask questions along the way. We both got high A's on the final exam

Finals week can strike terror in the heart of even the toughest college student. Why wouldn't it? One test or project at a time is stressful enough, having several in a few days is enough to give someone a heart attack However, if you tackle it the smart way, it can turn into less of a massacre, and more of a walk in the park.

Spo tlig ht: the fi nal few

A dramatic, inside-look at The Spolight’s final three contestants before the finale

BY J E S SI E EL DR I D GE StaffWriter

Spotlight, formerly known as Cumberland Idol, is always a highlight of the year. It’s where students get to show their talent and be a rock star for a few weeks. This year ’s contestants in the singing competition were Cassie Walden, Rachel Kristen Humfleet, Sara Jo Hampton, Shawn Nelson, Tim Smith, Jordan Infield, Ashley Dixson, Brandy Norman, Sydney Freeman, Ezra Keegan Anderson, and Chloe Fogle. These 12 have done a wonderful job in this competition but it is a competition so there has to winners and losers and we have gotten down to the final three and they are senior Jordan Infield, freshman Sara Jo Hampton and senior Brandy Norman. A few days before the finale the top three contestants were nice enough to take the time out of their day to answer a few questions.

Jessie Eldridge: How has this experience in Spotlight been different from the others?

Jordan Infield: The last time I was a contestant my freshman year, it was called Cumberland Idol and I must say so much great change has come since then. The voting system is fairer, the atmosphere of the event is even better; everything has just been a more professional experience Shout out to CAB/Lisa Bartram for putting in the work to make it the most fantastic it has been yet. For me personally, I believe by the grace of God that I have become a much more confident and skilled musical performer Also, I’d like to give a shout out to the music professors and my band OH! Divide for having a huge part in helping me learn and improve.

Sara Jo Hampton: My experience in spotlight has been amazing! I have met so many great people and made a lot of friends while getting to do what I love more than anything in this world

Brandy Norman: I think this experience in spotlight has been different for many reasons. For one, I'm a senior now so I'm not as intimidated by the audience because I know most of them Also, it's helped me a lot with voting As a freshman and sophomore I didn't have a lot of people to vote for me because I didn't know anyone. I think my age and experience has definitely helped me out this year and I'm so thankful for my friends, family and fans

How have you approached this event?

JI: I have approached it with so much excitement and enthusiasm! I started planning songs I wanted to do and strategic performances a year ago when I was helping as an instrumentalist for the 2013 Spotlight contestants.

SJH: I spend a lot of time preparing for Spotlight each week to make sure that I know my songs forward and backward.

BN: When it comes to singing I approach it like I do everything else in life. I wing it. I wish I could say I practice all the time and freak out and get nervous but I don't I learn the song and go with it Whatever happens, happens

Do you have what it takes to win?

JI: Well, I honestly hope I have done what it takes to win. I guess we will find out though. With that being said, I definitely feel humbled and honored to be in the top three and regardless who wins I pray that God will receive the glory for giving Him my all.

SJH: I think I do have what it takes to win, but at the same time I realize that Jordan and Brandy are fantastic singers and performers so my competition is tough.

BN: Do I have what it takes to win? Well, that's not up for me to decide. Trust me if I could hand myself $1,000 I would, but it's not my opinion that counts I think all three of us deserve our spots There was and is a lot of talent this year. But everyone hears differently. Just like beauty, my voice is in the ear of the listener.

What are some of your strengths in the event and some weaknesses?

JI: I would say something that I have found to be a surprising strength and weakness at the same time is my musical creativity in performing songs.

Some people seem to love my musical creativity and other people seem to view my creativity as "gimmicky." Whatever the case I just try to keep things musically exciting because for me personally I despise being bored at a show I would say my experience in performing on stage is a definite strength. Since being in college I have played somewhere around 200 musical events This has made me more comfortable on stage Another strength would be versatility I have been pleasantly surprised to find that most people seem to enjoy what I am doing no matter what genre I'm singing. I would say a weakness would be the fact that I am a baritone in vocal register. Although I hit some tenor notes I tend to be more comfortable in a baritone register in which most popular songs don't seem to be written. Another weakness is the fact that I am not always up to date on the biggest pop songs. I have had to learn a couple songs from scratch this competition

SJH: I think that my weakness in this competition is that I am a freshman competing against two seniors But I'm up for the challenge My strengths are that people don't expect the voice that I have to come out of me because of my size and my experience in music.

BN: My strengths are that I don't really get nervous, I learn songs quickly and I've been doing this for years so I'm used to the stage. Weaknesses? I can't play instruments to save my life and I don't feel like I have a lot of online voting.

Do you have any secret weapons you’re going to use on the last show?

JI: I think I actually have a couple of surprises in the mix for the last show. We will see though, I always love busting out with a couple surprises IF things go as planned I am hoping to bust out two instruments I haven't used yet for Spotlight this year. The song I personally chose I am hoping to add some exciting vocal lines that are not in the recorded version of the song, one of the vocal lines will hopefully be reminiscent of Steven Tyler. That's all I can say.

SJH: Of course I have secret weapons that I plan on using for the last show. [Laughs.] They're secret so you'll have to watch to see them.

BN: I have no secret weapon. I never even know what will come out of my mouth pitch problems, wrong words, spit who knows what you'll get to hear or see I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for a great ending to a great season

Five Netflix s hows wor th summer binge-watching

BY R YA N P OY N T ER StaffWriter

Summer break is a welcome time in all our lives where the weather has warmed and classes have ended. Our responsibilities, at least in part, have melted away in the summer heat and we are, for the first time in a while, able to relax and do whatever we want. It’s a welcome vacation from the things that tie us up during the semesters.

But what will you do with all that free time? Don’t worry; Netflix has your back. Here are five great shows worth spending all your summer on:

Mad Men:

“Mad Men” comes from the folks at AMC, the same television network that brought us shows like “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead ” That alone is enough of a sales pitch to entice most viewers into watching.

But let’s just assume you’re not swayed by big names or high ratings How about history? “Mad Men” is an authentic and captivating look into the extinct culture of 1960s Manhattan. It’s like a time capsule, dug up, dusted off and repurposed into something great by the cast and crew behind this gripping television drama Don Draper and the folks at Sterling Cooper advertising agency give us an honest look into the highs and lows of the era, as pressed suits and greased hair dominated the New York streets, and the topics of racism and misogyny dominated conversations It isn’t always pretty, but it’s compelling, and it offers a slew of characters that fit snugly into a world that feels as much foreign as it does utterly American

House of Cards:

This show is a pioneer in the field of television. As one of Netflix’s first original series, “House of Cards” is watchable only via instant streaming, and each season of the show is released in an all-at-once format, where every episode can be accessed by viewers right away once a season becomes available It’s a risky formula unlike what we’re used to seeing with cable television, but it seems to be paying off for the folks at Netflix -- there are two seasons of “House of Cards” available for streaming so far, and a third is already on its way

The show stars Kevin Spacey as slimy democrat Frank Underwood, a true sociopath on a political quest for revenge. After being passed over for the position of Secretary of State, Frank seeks to right this wrong in a number of ways that only make sense in the context of Washington D C ’s political landscape. It is both an entertaining and eye-opening experience that, thanks to its unique distribution format, is ideal for summer binge-watching

Lost:

“Lost” is the television equivalent of that friend you have who always answers your questions with another question Sometimes you love him, sometimes you hate him, but you never deny his entertainment value or lack of predictability. This show may take you all summer just to digest.

The six-season journey across this enigmatic island with the survivors of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 is a wild one. Along the way you’ll meet a host of unforgettable characters, visit some unique and unexpected island locales, and you’ll revel in delightful confusion as you attempt -- often unsuccessfully -- to solve any of the island’s many mysteries. The show is not without fault (the series finale alone managed to polarize both fans and critics), but, for all its shortcomings, “Lost” and its island inhabitants are well worth the journey

Arrested Development:

“Arrested Development” is a character-driven comedy from the brilliant mind of Mitch Hurwitz. It centers around the Bluths, an unusually quirky but wholly endearing family held together by the strings of straight-laced Michael Bluth, who is tasked with managing his family and running their business after his father, George Bluth, is arrested.

It’s an intelligent comedy that rewards repeated viewings with overlooked snippets of dialogue or sight gags that add new, thick comedic layers to an already dense -- but in a good way -- television show. It’s a show where subtle

misunderstandings and recurring themes make up the skeleton of its comedic composition. The true funny bone, though, is in the interactions between family members, where an ideal cast comes together to create a group that is as dysfunctional as it is hilarious.

Breaking Bad:

“Breaking Bad” is the crowning achievement for cable television in the last five years. Maybe in its history. Even amongst shows such as “Mad Men,” “The Walking Dead,” and “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad” is in a league of its very own. It is a shining example of the depths of television as a medium, and an experience that everyone should see.

To describe “Breaking Bad” as a show about a high school teacher turned meth-cook is the TV drama equivalent of calling “The Voice” a round of karaoke. Yes, that’s the basic premise -- but not really. It’s a show about, to quote main protagonist Walter White, the “growth, transformation, and decay” of one man and the effect that process has on the people around him It’s about the skewed perception of the American dream -- the decomposition of a man’s heart beset with greed It’s a journey ideal for binge watching this summer, or for any other time Just, please, do yourself the favor of watching it

BY AU T U M N COON E Y StaffWriter

Life is like bowling

An insider’s perspective on UC Bowling’s first season

University of the Cumberlands head bowling coach Kevin Reigle says it best when talking about his team. "The women's team has had an amazing first season For a group of five freshmen to come out and finish like they did is incredible. This is a great group of ladies and they are a great representation of the University. I'm also really proud of the men’s that they were able to step up on the national stage and make such high-quality shots It was an amazing first season for us and it was great to end it with such a strong showing at nationals."

To be a first-year team at a college level is an amazing hurtle in its own way, but it’s nothing compared to being a new team where at least 90% of the members are freshman. But that didn’t stop us or intimidate us in the least Being such a young team just made us want to prove ourselves to those around us more. From the beginning of the season the men and woman of the bowling team took off like a wild fire, growing closer and building more as a team as they took on each tournament they faced

Jazmine Traylor, a freshman female bowler from Birmingham Ala., had this to say about our season, “For it to be a first year sport here at UC and all of us being all freshmen with no subs I have to say we have had a successful season. The best experience that I had this season was not only making it to NAIA National Championship and getting to experience competing against some of the best teams in the nation But, knowing that we are ranked 12th in the nation out of 44. It let us know as a team that if we continue to bowl like we know how to, we can be just as good as all the other top teams and even be ranked higher in our upcoming seasons ”

Taylor Harris, a freshman female from Middletown, Ohio added to that sentiment, saying, “It was an amazing freshman experience for me. We came together as five freshman and overcame every obstacle that came at us, especially involving injuries We made it to nationals and did well in every tournament we went to. I’m proud of my ladies and the hard work we did I love them and can’t picture having any other girls beside me than them ”

Our Assistant Coach Brandy Hensley, was an NAIA National Champion among other great things. I believe she explains it best, “How everyone else bowls and how we bowl are completely different We have to be able to read an oil patterns, which by the way, there are many, know ball layouts,

know how to make an adjustment for a shot we will throw in 10 minutes, know our game plus our team mate's games so we can help them line up, watch every shot our team throws to know exactly what the lane is doing, all while completely blocking out a thousand screaming people while we make our own shot. We have to be accurate within two inches from 40 feet away Not to mention the pressure Imagine you are throwing a shot for a national championship, there are seven people behind you on the lane and even more waiting and watching from home, could you handle it? To others, it’s just rolling a ball to knock some pins down To us, it means everything ”

That’s the word you can use for The University of the Cumberlands Bowling Teams first season. Everything, we put everything into our first season Whether it was just our game, our hearts, or even our tears, we held our own this year. Our woman’s team placed second in our Conference, the Men close behind placing seventh. But the Conference itself was nothing compared to our NAIA Tournament Imagine being in a building with 42 or more teams all around you, fans screaming left and right while you stand on a lane knowing you have to knock all of ten pins down for your teammates who hold their breath behind you Sounds pretty intense, right? Well, that’s exactly what we went through each shot. No words can describe how much joy, laughter, adrenaline, anger, tears, relief, contentment, and happiness we went through in one day In the end, we fought our way through and ended up with an impressive end to our season.

Amanda Kelly, a freshman female from Georgetown Ky., talked about the NAIA experience, saying, “The best part of going to the national championship was being able to compete amongst the best teams in the nation. It gave me the insight of what it takes to be a top team and we proved we have what it takes to be one of those teams ”

The woman’s team started from the bottom of the rankings but then worked our way up as a team and ended up placing 12th in the nation as an all-freshman team The Men’s team proved themselves as well as they worked their way to the top, all while taking out top schools who have been bowling for years compared to our men who only had just months behind them. But the men showed tremendous strength, placing 16th in the nation. With this being our first year, just imagine how much we will grow as the years go on and we continue putting everything we have into our sport.

Five things I learned freshman year

BY CH R IS T I N RO T T EN BERGER StaffWriter

The first year of college was… interesting. College is obviously different from high school, especially where I’m from I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, which is roughly three hours north of Williamsburg. I attended a Seton High School, which is a private, Catholic, all-girls school. We had uniforms, nametags, and seven classes a day Needless to say, venturing to college was a whole new world for me. I went from seven classes a day five-days-a -week to roughly two classes per day five-days-a-week. I have the freedom to wear anything I want, assuming it’s “Cumberland Appropriate” of course Although having classes with guys for the first time since eighth grade wasn’t a big change for me since I was in marching band in high school, which was co-ed.

With that being said, my freshman year of college was quite the experience. I have learned so many things about not only myself but other people and life in general. I have experienced so much in the past seven months and I am so grateful for every good time, every bad moment, or anything in-between that has been thrown my way. I could rattle on for ages about all of the things that college has taught me so far, but I’ve managed to shorten it to five things

1. Colle ge is ha rd.

As silly as that might sound, it’s true Of course I came to college knowing that there would be a lot expected from me and that I would be busy, but I guess I wasn’t quite prepared for how big of a toll it would actually be. There were your standard classes, homework assignments, projects, and exams Then on top of that I was balancing marching band, which was three days a week from 3:15-5:30. I was trying to cram all of these priorities together along with attempting to maintain a decent social life I’m not Superwoman, so trying to balance all of these things on top of each other wasn’t successful and came crumbling down on top of me. Although it was rough to go through at the time, I’m really glad that it happened because it taught me time management and how to prioritize better

2. N ot ever y thing is set in stone.

I came into college very excited about the major I chose I felt like I was totally ready for it and that nothing would bring me down. Boy was I wrong. I had no idea that my major would be as demanding as it was Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed my time when I was in that field, but by the end of the semester I realized that I enjoyed my major as a hobby and I couldn’t handle

it as a career. A person may come into college thinking they know what they want from their life, but it’s very likely that they will change their major at least once, and that’s perfectly okay.

3. Help is ou t there.

Sometimes you’re going to take a class that doesn’t exactly come naturally to you. Struggling in classes isn’t a foreign concept and it happens to nearly everybody One of my biggest struggles was learning to speak up and ask for help if I needed it. Making friends with someone in your class is one of the biggest gateways for assistance if you’re having trouble. The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is also available for tutoring and any other help needs a student might have. I learned to stop being afraid to ask for help because my peers and professors would much rather see me ask for help than see me fail.

4. Decora ting is key.

We all know that college dorm rooms aren’t the liveliest looking places. The best way to liven up your dorm and make it feel more like home is to bring things from home. Pictures, posters, even stuffed animals from home can transform a simple dorm room into a bedroom that looks like it came straight from home Having a fully decorated room might come back to get me when it comes time to move out for the summer, but it really helps cure homesickness and makes me feel more comfortable with dorming when I walk into my room to pictures of my friends and family along with miscellaneous posters and other things.

5. Home is where t he hear t is.

I would be lying if I said there weren’t times when I get insanely homesick, contemplating whether or not I should hop into my car and start my threehour journey up I-75 to go home The small-town life sometimes drives me mad sometimes because of the lack of things to do But when push comes to shove, I really do enjoy the time that I get to spend in the ‘burg. I even find myself saying “When I get home I have to clean my room,” when referring to Williamsburg Spending time away from my Cincinnati home made me realize that the phrase “Home is where the heart is,” is actually pretty true. As long as I make the most out of my time here, everything will be okay and I can consider it my home away from home

Sara Do nahue: friend to all

BY LY DI A H UG GI NS GuestWriter

Sara Donahue is late to the interview which takes place in her own office in Academic Affairs When she opens the door, her face lights up with a bright smile and she’s enthusiastic to begin chatting about her life She sits down at her desk and replies to some emails before she finishes her workday. As her fingers are tip-tapping across the keys, she explains that she was late because she was helping a friend When she starts telling her story, somehow she keeps taking the spotlight off of herself and emphasizing others who have made a great impact on her life

Donahue is a human services major and senior of the University of the Cumberlands from Harlan, Ky. She is involved with the drama team of the Baptist Campus Ministries, Campus Activities Board and Mountain Outreach. She works at Academic Affairs, plays intermural volleyball, sings with UC singers, enjoys music and going to concerts. In addition to being a movie fanatic, she adds, “I'm a girl, so obviously I enjoy shopping. Like, who wouldn't enjoy that?” She is much more than that She’s a wonderful friend to everyone she encounters.

“There are not many things that I am excellent at doing, but I try my best to be a really good friend to people,” expresses Donahue “I just really like spending time with family and friends.”

Being a friend is very important to Donahue. She followed her desire to help others into the field of human services When she came to UC, she was going to major in elementary education. Instead, she found her passion in actively serving others.

“I really enjoy helping people, whatever the task is small or big,” says Donahue. “My cup is absolutely over flowing after doing stuff like that. I knew human services was what I needed to do. A lot of people had like social work or counseling like very specific and I don’t even care where I go I don’t

even care what it is, I’ll do whatever.”

Donahue’s longing to aid others is evident in her many pursuits for a career She would love to do something in ministry in the church, particularly with youth, but would also love doing something on a college campus. Her interest in stopping sex trafficking by helping the victims get counseling and reassessed into the real world is also a dream of hers Even with serious subjects, Donahue likes to lighten the mood. She jokingly mentions about becoming a country singer, because she is going to learn to play the guitar this summer

Also this summer, Donahue will be a graduate assistant at CAB working with Lisa Bartram, director of student activities. In the fall, she will be interning at the boys’ and girls’ club in her community while studying for her master ’s in pastoral counseling at UC. She will continue her job as a graduate assistant at CAB in the spring.

“Sara is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever known,” says Bartram “She’s been great in CAB. She always has a positive attitude and gets everybody on board. And just makes everybody feel great. It’s been a joy having her ”

CAB has also been influential in Donahue’s life, as much as she has been to them. She’s gained a lot of friends there and learned a lot about the nittygritty part of organizing an event The experience from serving on MO’s spring break trips for the past four years has been beneficial to her as well. Donahue says she connects really well with the families that they assist. “Sara encompasses what a woman of God is,” says UC senior Abbey Cherry, Sara’s college friend and roommate. “One of the most beautiful marks of a Christian is the ability to be relational and I think that’s Sara’s greatest strength is her ability to reach out to anyone and find something to relate with them

on. Her beauty is shown in her heart for others.”

Donahue’s empathy and compassion for others has been useful to her not only in the states, but also in Russia where she went on a mission trip. “As cheesy as it is, love is an international language. Like that love is something that is understood by everybody,” says Donahue. She thinks of a little boy in particular, who she left a little bit of her heart with, when she says this.

“I would always love to go back to Russia,” Donahue says longingly “I just made a ridiculous connection with the people that we worked with over there I have really good friendships with them. So I would love to go back there.”

A friendship with Donahue is not short lived. “Sara wasn’t one of the first people I met on campus, but she’s one of the ones I know will have one of the longest lasting impacts on my life from my time here,” says Cherry “I’ve taken her home with me multiple times. She’s part of my family now. She’s more than a friend, she’s family I know that sounds really cheesy, but it’s the truth and my family will attest to that She’s my sister ”

Donahue becomes family by being a good listener to people and show that she cares The power of prayer is also very important to her friendships. She expresses that she will pray for someone as soon as they need prayer no matter how small or big the issue is.

“Loving people and showing them love through action and through helping and just being servants to those who need it and helping them out,” says Donahue emphatically. “That’s all about everything that Christ is about ”

Shiyi “C hlo e ” Gu: internationa l woman o f myster y

BY BI L L T U R N ER GuestWriter

Most people would pass by Shiyi “Chloe” Gu without a second glance if it weren't for her fashion sense If you were to open the door in her closet you might have several moments were you stare with a blank expression of utter disbelief and confusion. Yellow, black, red, purple and a pair of hot dog pants hang, as if screaming to be worn that day, all together Most times Chloe gives into her clothes But not today I was expecting Chloe to show up dressed in a whirlwind of colors across the whole spectrum of the color wheel but she was almost a black and white version of herself She was wearing jeans and a blue hoodie from Melbourne University which read “Postera Crescam Laude,” which a brief trip to Wikipedia told me meant, “Later I shall grow by praise.” And, of course, her dark round-rimmed glasses, which I think Harry Potter stole from her Since it was 9:30 a m , she had just woke up and came straight over to my office with no time for her fashion consultation from her closet. “I don't believe fashion has to be expensive,” Chloe says with a smile. “I get clothes from department stores to thrift stores Whatever speaks to me at the time ”

She has an extensive eye-glass collection that would rival any LensCrafters. Round, square, wire-frame, metal, plastic, solid color, multicolored. She has glasses that can match what mood she is in that day The only thing that comes close to her eyeglass collection is her hat collection. They come in every shape and size in this extensive collection and come from all corners of the world.

We meet in one of the loudest office buildings on campus The Multi-Media and Sports Information Office in the Brown Building. Music of all kinds is playing from various offices as music is being put to videos used to lure in freshman for next year Laughter can be heard from downstairs varying in every octave and pitch on the scale. Two doors down there is a girl and her mother talking on the phone speaking in French; they appear to be arguing but we will never know.

There are two sides to Chloe and most people on campus only see one. The quiet, reserved and almost timid Chloe is who most people see, including the people she works with. Her closest friends see the other side, which is spontaneous and light hearted. “We will just make random trips to places,” Chloe gently laughs, “could be a trip to Wal-Mart at 3 in the morning ” England, France, Holland, Scotland and America are just a few of the places Chloe traveled during spring break. Chloe is an international jet-setter. When some women in today's culture can't go to the bathroom by themselves; Chloe traveled to all these far far away lands all by herself She is very comfortable being by herself and there is one thing that gives her courage: her trusty Canon digital camera Photography is her passion and one look at the photographs she uses as wallpaper in her room you will instantly know she is good at it. Whether she is behind or in front of the camera you see Chloe's true sense of self shining through. She has a very unique and creative eye for capturing life around her

“She's a phenomenally talented photographer, but she's also extremely humble about it. Any time I've ever heard someone compliment her photography or her writing, which happens often, she acts so surprised even though she shouldn't be.” Jeremiah Massengale, assistant professor of communication arts and journalism, said “The world is better because she shares her gifts with it ”

Chloe hails from Jaixing, China and is majoring in business administration and minoring in journalism. “I hate business,” Chloe shockingly remarked, “but most Asian kids get a business degree ” Journalism is her thing and she is very good at it. She is applying for graduate schools to study digital communication or television programming.

So how does a young worldly traveler make it from China to a small Christian school in Williamsburg? Her English teacher in China and UC’s Rick Fleenor, who visited her hometown, introduced her to the University of the Cumberlands.

“It's A Small World” keeps playing in my head as I'm writing this What advice does she give to other international students thinking about UC?

“Push yourself to make friends, English friends,” advises Chloe. “Don't be shy, people are friendlier and more open here then in other parts of the world And you have too get used to ice in your drinks ”

Where did the name Chloe come from? She has had several other English names over the years, sometimes it was because it sounded like her Chinese name other times because of the meaning of the names themselves The first English name she was given was “Grace” and she had many others after that but then came the name “Chloe.” Chloe means “green shoot” or verdant and blooming I believe her English teacher had a divine hand guiding her to that name for Shiyi.

“You can tell that she is just starting to come in to her own. Her photography and journalism skills are growing everyday,” said Alyssa Burke, an administrative assistant at UC who has worked with Chloe for several years.

Chloe will have that proverbial door of opportunity put in front of her after graduation She will get too choose which she opens and which she walks past. Whatever decisions she makes in life her creativity and understanding of others will send her on an amazing journey and I'm sure her trusty camera will be right there beside her

SOMETH IN G TO TALK ABOU T: a Q&A with Spotlight winner, Brandy Norman

BY R Y A N P OY N T ER StaffWriter & T I MO T H Y W Y AT T Editor-in-Chief

The Spotlight has become somewhat of a hot commodity among University of the Cumberlands students as of late. It’s a full-on production lights, cameras, the whole shebang drawing its spectators to Gatliff Chapel, the backdrop for the singing competition since its inception. Many talented vocalists have participated in the event over the years, each vying for the title of “best,” accompanied by a giant check in the amount of $1,000

This year ’s installment was no exception, with plenty of exciting moments and jolting defeats. Though, at the end of the gauntlet stood only one lone singer: Brandy Norman Being a senior, Norman is no stranger to this competition finishing third her freshman year and in the top six the following year. And while her place at the top was only cemented by a single vote, a win is a win We sat down with Norman after the finale and talked to her about the experience, what she feels gave her an advantage this year versus previous years and what it was like to perform in front of a large group of people

money, I’m going to go buy something cool.” Now, I’m a senior and I’m about to graduate, and I’m like, “I’m going to have to put this toward an apartment or a student loan or my car ” Just, you know, something “big girl,” and I don’t really want to do that, but I have to. [laughs] If I didn’t have to, I would probably go somewhere. I would put it toward going on a trip of some sort Just chill out, you know Not anything adult-like

You’ve participated in The Spotlight prior to this year. Why do you think you didn’t do as well the other two times?

I wasn’t involved in a lot my sophomore year and I didn’t really talk to a lot of people, so I feel like I lacked in voting And the voting was different then, too. I really like the voting change.

What’s changed that you feel helped you?

First off: how does it feel to have won it all and what are you going to do with the money?

Um I’m kind of excited, but I’m kind of not I feel like my freshman year when I was in the top three I was thinking the whole time, “If I win this

Before, it was just online voting. So, basically, anyone and their families could sit and vote an unlimited amount of times Now, they have an in-house vote, which I think is super awesome because it should matter to the people that are actually there that come, because what you see on the live stream although it’s such good quality compared to the past it’s so different when you’re there live So having the in-house vote really helped And then the judges get to put in their percentages too.

Did you know either of the other two finalists and, if so, what is your relationship like with them?

I have to admit, I was really sad when Jordan didn’t win and I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but, like, my heart broke because I wanted him to win. We had already talked about it; we both kind of felt the same. Just because we came in together, and we were picked for duet partners our first time here, and that’s how we met Then it was like we were going out together, too And it was our senior year, so it kind of made it great that at least one of us got to win. And Sara Jo, the times that I got to talk to her, she’s just a very sweet girl Very, very nice, and I think she has a beautiful voice, and I think that eventually, if not next year she’ll end up winning if she auditions again.

And what about the people who were eliminated before? Any strong relationships with them? Were you sad to see anyone go?

I didn’t know Chloe beforehand, but she was my duet partner, and I just thought she was a really sweet girl It was kind of like she was a freshman and I was a senior, and I kind of felt like she was under my wing. So, when she got eliminated, it kind of broke my heart not that we were great friends. It was just that I think she has a really good voice too It was kind of sad to see her go.

Being in front of all those people must be nerve-wrecking. Do you ever have any kind of performance anxiety?

Not really I don’t ever get nervous or anxious about singing unless I’m singing with a track or the song has more than two verses, like the song I sang, “Fancy,” by Reba McEntire, that song had, like, six verses. It was so hard for me to keep those in line Like, I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got out there because I kept trying to do it in my head and I kept messing up and I actually did leave out a whole verse when I performed. I messed up the band and everything which, was kind of payback because, when I got there for my rehearsal on Monday night, they had not learned one of my songs because of some miscommunications. So we both kind of, the band and I, went back and forth kind of taking turns messing each other up, I guess. [laughs] But, um… even getting there Monday and having them not know my song, like, I wasn’t even concerned with it. I was like, “Whatever [laughs] It doesn’t matter ” Because, at the end of the day, singing is really one of the only things that makes me truly happy. So, as long as I’m out there and I’m doing what I love and I’m having fun, like, “It doesn’t really matter what anybody else thinks ”

BY N ATA SH A JON E S Managing Editor

Debate team receives hig h ho no r at na tio nal co mpetitio n

After a successful season of advancing on to out rounds in almost every competition attended this year, UC’s speech and debate team were very pleased to leave the 2014 National Christian College Forensics Association Tournament with the prestigious National Champions Quality Sweeps Award.

The Quality award is an award that is awarded to the team with the most points per student competing. Professor Jay Bourne, who is faculty advisor and coach of the team explained, “Our motto is always preparing everything for nationals I always want us to do well, but I’d rather us be in peak form at Nationals. And this year for the most part, I think we maxed out our potential.”

This semester the team had 11 members, and six members qualified for Nationals Attendees included Katie Detherage, Brian Johnson, Matthew Kelley, Caleb Stoffle, Jenette Mitchell, and Rob Jones.

In addition to being awarded the Quality award, Matthew Kelley and Caleb Stoffle reached octofinals (top 16 ) in team debate, and Rob Jones and Jenette Mitchell were national semifinalists (top four) in team debate Two team members also won individual medals for their debating. Rob Jones was honored as a national champion gold medalist and won Novice individual debate and Katie Detherage was awarded a silver medalist

Detherage said, “Placing in a national tournament was amazing, especially my first year on the team. I'm thankful for the opportunity to compete in this activity and for all of the wonderful friends I've made on the team this past year.”

Jones was competing at Nationals for his second year. Jones took two Debate and Argumentation classes before joining the team Christopher Leskiw, associate professor of political science recognized Jones’s real natural ability for debate in his Introduction to Political Science course that Jones took as a freshman

“He has a gift in the ability to explain complex issues in easy to understand terms. One reason I think that Rob has experienced such success in the Debate arena is that he actually listens to the opposing argument,” said Leskiw Bourne soon took notice of Jones’s ability when he saw how willingly Jones was to step up against one of the best debaters in his Argumentation and Debate course

Jones said, “Debate is beneficial to both my major and minor due to typically debating political science topics and communications that give me advancement in oral speaking and communicating my ideas.” Jones also said debate has helped him to think on his feet and be understood in a clear and concise manner

The team does two types of debating, individual and pairing up with a partner. The team never gets to debate as a group, as they are always either alone or teamed up in a minimum of two people pairs to compete At competition, a topic is announced that varies every round and they have 15-20 minutes to talk about it as a team and develop strategies and then go off in debate. It can always be random but a lot of the time the topics are foreign or domestic policy dealing with the US government

“That’s the thrilling and the scary part about it, it’s always something different we don’t know ahead of time what it is, and that makes it interesting A lot of time if you have a well-rounded background and you keep up to date on news, you should be ready to take most of what you need,” said Bourne. Bourne said the initial goal of the team is about making students better speakers and more persuasive people, the end result will be that they’ll be more confident and better in communicating. Often students, who took part in the team, come to Bourne and tell him of how participating or receiving awards on the team helped them get jobs, or scholarships for graduate school because they demonstrated oral communication skills.

The team has been very driven and worked really hard this year, and their work has paid off as their awards have spoken for themselves Seven of the current members have committed to participating again next year and Bourne is looking forward to what the team will achieve in the future.

BY K I M OL I V I ER

GuestWriter

Julie Paris: miss io ns minded

Gatliff Chapel is one of the places on the University of the Cumberlands’ campus where graduating senior Julie Paris has spent most of her time After being a leader in the Baptist Campus Ministries for four years and part of the Disciples Drama Team for about as long, Paris has spent countless experiences in this sanctuary Ministry, and specifically missions, is what Paris’ heart beats for. Her heart for ministry and missions has not only influenced her decisions of what to do after graduation, but it has also influenced her impact and presence on the campus as well

After growing up in a home that was missions minded, the mission field quickly became Paris’ passion. Her father, Floyd, was a pastor with a huge burden for foreign missions

“He led the church in a very mission-minded type of way, but I actually kind of ran from it for a while,” she explained.

After he had led and sent a number of trips to Africa to reach out to the people there, sharing the experience with his family became something of great importance to him.

He found it important to bring his children along to show them what the mission field looked like, specifically in Africa. This experience combined with the 1:8 Leadership Experience (a mission opportunity through the Kentucky Baptist Convention & Baptist Campus Ministries) truly ignited the passion in her heart for foreign missions and even domestic missions.

When I asked her if Africa, in the nursery schools her father and others have worked so hard to build and support, was where she wanted to be, she gave me an answer I wasn’t expecting.

“No, and that’s really hard for me to say. I do have strong ties to Uganda and those people will always hold a special place in my heart But my heart doesn’t beat for Africa the way that his does. People are called to different places, and I feel that I am called to Greece. Of course I’m going to go to Uganda, I’m leading a trip during Christmas break and I am so excited to take people. But while Dad’s heart beats for Africa, mine beats for Greece. So, it’s the same and different,” she expanded.

Greece was where Paris spent the overseas portion of the 1:8 Leadership Experience with her team this past summer, which is when God really started heavily laying missions on her heart.

“God literally just opened up my eyes and said ‘I’ve created you for this and for this purpose,’” Paris shared

This revelation governed her decision to minor in missions and ministry at UC. But her studies aren’t the only aspects of college life that have been influenced by the passions God’s put inside of her

When Paris first started attending UC as a freshman, she knew that she had a heart for people. She sought out opportunities to be around people and love on them She found great opportunities with Appalachian Ministries to get to show love to children while building relationships with other Christian students on campus.

She also found that her passion for people and missions collide in the ministry of the BCM Drama Team.

“What I want people to understand is freedom in Christ. That’s where I found my freedom To express it through dance and through skits and that’s why it’s where both of those worlds collide to me,” Paris said.

She hasn’t done it all on her own though. Paris talked to me in great detail about some of the people who have encouraged her and poured into her all along the way. One of these people or mentors is Kelsey Day. Day is one of the interns at UC’s Baptist Campus Ministries; Paris said Day has such a passion to pour into girls as freshmen and watch them grow through their time at UC.

“I think Julie is the person I think about most often. I think the thing with Julie is that she’s allowed God to transform her into the woman of God that she is today. And so she might be my favorite person to see how she transformed,“ said Day.

Leaving a legacy on this campus is an understatement for the impression that she’s left here. I asked Paris what she hoped people thought of her after she is gone and this is what she had to say.

Paris says, “I hope people see me as caring in all capacities I hope people saw me as intentional What I really want people to understand about Christ is the freedom He wants for them. Christ wants freedom for you and for your life I really want people to grasp that and to walk in that ”

When I asked her to narrow that down for me she explained, “Caring fun and relational but all of that centered in Christ, and centered in the freedom that He’s given me “

I told her that I think she’s accomplished that she laughed and said, “Yeah, well you’ve only known me for a semester.”

And honestly that’s all it’s taken for me to see the absolutely beautiful things God has used Julie Paris to do at UC with the sweet spirit He put inside of her.

BY A M A N DA K EL LY GuestWriter

Trav is Burk ha r t: natura l lead er

Travis Burkhart comes up to the steps of the campus library looking unsure and tired from a long day. He just finished a two-hour photo shoot for his graduation invitation. He doesn’t even scoff at the news of having to take a couple of more photos at the end of the interview. We walk up the flight with stairs he’s climbed on several occasions; he takes each step surefooted and with familiarity. As he takes his seat in the group study room, he squirms with nervousness in his chair before the recorder begins collecting his thoughts and feelings from the past four years of his life.

“I don’t like talking about myself or what I think or how I feel,” Burkhart says right before the first actual question. He’s hesitant to speak out, but once he relaxes, a confident, collected tone of voice comes across to anyone who talks to him

Like a lot of freshmen starting out at the University of the Cumberlands, Burkhart majored in biology. Over the first few years, he says he changed his major to psychology and accounting and finally decided on business administration. Officially, he’s a business administration major with a minor in public health.

“I’m more of a business-minded person,” Burkhart says with slight conviction. “I’m more of a leader.” His dream job is working at a hospital, preferably in the area, as a healthcare administrator. He simply wants to help people

“I thought that administration would be something I could do in health care and still help people and make a difference in someone’s life without having to suffer through the biology,” Burkhart says with humor and sincerity.

Finding the aim for a career, a passion, is one of the primary goals in a college student’s life and Burkhart found his during his four years: helping and leading others. He’s a natural leader and he desires to help others translates into various parts of his life, especially when it came to being the only senior on the bowling team, which is comprised of mostly freshmen.

Before the first season of bowling began, Burkhart says he had no intention on bowling, but coach Kevin Reigle came to him, asking him to bowl Burkhart says someone told Reigle about him after an intramural bowling tournament during his junior year Burkhart joined the team in the fall and was the only senior amongst freshmen.

“I feel like they needed somebody who was a little more mature, someone who had a little more understanding of college,” Burkhart says The season was over quickly and his first and only year has finished. “I wish I could bowl a couple more years, which is why I’m excited to come back as GA,” Burkhart says with joy

A week after the season finished, he asked Reigle about the newly unoccupied position. After some consideration, Reigle gives him the position as the graduate assistant for the next season Brandy Hensley, the previous graduate assistant for the bowling program, gives Burkhart her blessing.

“I think he will do a great job with the bowling team next year,” Hensley says “He is a dedicated student of the sport and his knowledge will benefit the team.”

Though Burkhart hasn’t coached bowling before, he says, “Coach Reigle gave me a big study guide on how to be a coach ” Yes, an actual study guide on how to be a coach. With his natural leadership skills, Burkhart is an excellent choice for the team since he just came off a season of collegiate bowling and he knows the underclassmen on the team

“They needed somebody they knew close and could work with them instead of someone from some random school coming in and taking the position,” Burkhart explains Burkhart brings 14 years of bowling experience to this new position. He says he’s been bowling since his father hooked him on the sport. However, Burkhart considers he has grown the most from this past year ’s experiences as a collegiate, competitive bowler He has acquired new skills that will go towards him coaching next season.

“I have a better understanding of how to help people,” Burkhart says. “I can guide them ”

UC has been home to Burkhart for the past four years and London, Ky. has been home to him for his entire life. He’s a leader, a contributing member, in his community; however, one major aspect of his life is still a shock to most people.

“Believe it or not, most people don’t know I’m married,” Burkhart says in a matter-of-fact tone “I don’t know why people don’t know ”

Burkhart married his long-time girlfriend, Emily Brock Burkhart, in the gazebo on the soccer field located on UC’s campus on Aug. 4, 2012.

“We really wanted to do it somewhere that was really special to us and I know we met each other in high school, but we’ve really grown together here at Cumberlands,” Burkhart says. He gives a faint smile while thinking about the memory He says the two of them began dating freshmen year of high school and decided to get married between their sophomore and junior year at UC.

In his community, Burkhart maintains his married life. The couple is like many college students: they go to class, socialize with friends and Burkhart is a student athlete. But they also pay the rent, pay bills, and Burkhart has a job at Cumberland Valley Psychiatry in London, Ky. as the receptionist

“You name it, I do it,” Burkhart says. “I’m the go-to man.”

Burkhart, a self-proclaimed go-to man, comes off as quiet and reserved at a first impression However, his wife, Emily Burkhart, says he’s nothing like what his first impression alludes.

“At first glance, most people think he is very reserved, quiet, and shy,” Mrs Burkhart says “But when he's comfortable or needs to get something done, he's actually very outspoken and extroverted.”

Burkhart stands out when it comes to being a leader. He takes charge and helps out wherever is needed, whether it is in his job, on the bowling team, or at home. “I want to be a good leader and role model,” Burkhart says. His desire to help others comes through with such a strong conviction that it is impossible to ignore

BY M ICH A EL D OW GuestWriter

Jess U pchurch: a true patrio t

It’s a warm Tuesday night in the Kleist Hall lobby The silence of the hall is suddenly broken when the front doors swing open. 21-year-old senior physical education major Jess Upchurch walks in; her blonde hair is tied up in a bun and she is wearing grey sweat pants and a white Nike shirt. She looks just like an athlete (which is what she is) but at the same time she looks gentle, kind and smart. She smiles her infectious smile as she sits down Her smile makes anyone around her smile and would make anyone completely comfortable and ready to start an interview.

Upchurch has had an impressive journey here at University of the Cumberlands Everyone who knows her knows Upchurch is an extremely talented athlete. Just ask her former teammate Sierra Anderson who says, “I always enjoyed playing basketball with Jess, she is very competitive, talented and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met ”

When asked about her athletic experience at UC, a big smile covers Upchurch’s face and there’s a nostalgic glow in her eyes as she begins to reminisce about her sophomore year when they won the Mid- South Conference Championship. “That is an experience I will remember forever,” she says, “and I’ve got the championship ring to prove it.” She begins to laugh

In her four years at UC Upchurch has spent countless hours on the court and in the weight room. Even though she admits that at first it was hard to balance both athletics and academics she said it became easier, and her academic accolades are proof to that. Upchurch has made both the all-conference and all-American academic teams. She is very proud of these achievements but also very humble and makes sure to let people know she is very thankful to all her coaches, teachers and teammates who have helped her through the years.

She says that all her teachers and coaches were amazing when it came to helping her balance basketball and school work.

You can tell by just looking at Upchurch that she is a friendly person, so it is no surprise that she has made many friends here at UC She holds her friends very close to her heart and will go to great lengths to ensure her friendships last a lifetime. Upchurch loves to travel and said she’s glad

that a lot of her friends at UC are foreign so that she can travel the world to visit them after college. One of her closest friends and teammate, senior Thali Rodrigues is from Sweden When asked to describe Upchurch, Rodrigues says that Upchurch’s favorite quote by famous basketball coach John Wooden is what describes her best. The quote is “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you ”

Rodrigues says, “Jess is always trying to help those in need and is just a very giving person.” Rodrigues quickly adds that there are many other great things about Upchurch and continues praising her by saying, “Jess also loves to practice her faith and love towards God and is a very joyful and kind person.”

Upchurch lifts up her arm, which is in a very thick cast and points to it. “Are you going to ask me about this?” she says with a charming smirk on her face. She says that it might be important and that readers might get bored by just reading about her achievements and would rather know about her hardships. It shows how tough and confident Upchurch is when she is willing to talk about her hardships and you can’t help but be even further impressed by her

Her latest injury is a torn ligament in her thumb. She says that she is used to being injured and that her list of injuries is long. The list includes three surgeries including knee surgery on her meniscus, ankle ligament surgery and her recent thumb surgery. Any average person would probably have given up on basketball to avoid any more serious injuries but her toughness, dedication and love for her team mates willed her on and helped her to stay strong through tough times. Upchurch has also suffered through four concussions, which were so severe that she couldn’t even practice or be in a basketball gym because of the loud noises and bright lights. She says that the concussions were the hardest of all her health problems because she couldn’t be around her team mates. But it is in Jess Upchurch’s nature to find the bright side in all situations She says, with an optimistic look on her face, “These hardships have helped me grow as a person and become closer to God.”

Upchurch once again starts talking about her friends and how much she is going to miss them all and just all the people in general. Her smile turns into a stern look and she says, “Don’t think I’m always happy and that I’ll miss everything I will not miss the café food at all!” She sticks her tongue out and makes a disgusted face. She thinks intensely for a moment and then shouts out, “Don’t forget to mention how annoying the security guards can be ” She is trying to sound firm and angry but the tone in her voice is friendly and only half serious, further proving her natural kindness.

Upchurch is more than happy and even a little excited when asked what something nobody knows about her is. That smile that has been seen so many times during this interview returns to her face. She says not to judge her or think she is weird when she says that she is obsessed with her pillow. “I take it everywhere and love to smell it,” she explains with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. As if to confirm that she’s not crazy, she starts to explain that her granny made it for her and with the most serious and intimidating look I’ve ever seen on her face she says, “If anyone messes with it I’ll have to hurt them.” Unable to bear an unjoyful moment she changes the subject and explains that when she was younger she loved cupcakes so much that she wouldn’t just ate the cupcake but the wrapper as well, to ensure she got all the icing. She looks around to make sure nobody heard her and laughs, which brings back the fun and pleasant atmosphere to the room.

Upchurch is spreading her love for God and for helping others by going on a missionary trip to Uganda beginning on June 11, 2014 Upchurch has combined her love for helping others and for travelling two times before when she went on mission trips to Peru and Jamaica.

“I have always dreamt about going to Africa ” Upchurch says with an excited expression across her and her body. She’s almost leaping out of her seat and radiating with passion and joy as she explains that she can’t wait to teach the love of God to the little children of Uganda She continues by saying, “I know the livings conditions are bad and that it can be dangerous but that is not going to scare me. My passion to help those that are less fortunate gives me all the strength I need ”

The final question asked to Upchurch is about her plans for the future. Without a moment’s hesitation she answers by saying, “I’m going to get my master ’s in occupational therapy ” She says this so confidently that anyone that can hear her believes without a doubt she will achieve it. But this isn’t her only goal for the future. Upchurch also wants to one day coach

basketball and pass on her knowledge to other aspiring athletes She also wants to continue going on mission trips every two years and travel the world as much as she can

After the interview, she stands up and smiles one last wide smile which, of course, lights up the entire room. Upchurch then shares one last thought by saying, “I just want people to remember me as a caring and always happy person As for the future, it doesn’t scare me because I know as long as I’m helping those in need and living my life for God everything will be ok.”

Christine Moo n: a bright future

BY SY DN E Y F R EEM A N GuestWriter

A montage of old running photos combined with happy pictures of friends and family, along with quirky, brightly colored drawings decorated the small wall that was Christine Moon’s side of the little dorm room in Harth Hall She sat cross legged on her bed, tossing her sketch book aside as I walked in the room. She picked up a massive pink pillow and hugged it close with a lighthearted smile painted on her face, looking alert and ready, as always, to begin talking.

“Unique” seems to be the go-to word that would sum up the kind of person that Christine Moon is Moon has been a part of the track and cross-country teams at UC for the past four years, she can draw, she reads books like it’s her job, she loves to laugh but hates comedies, and she doesn’t eat meat She doesn’t eat grapefruits either because, “One time, being the risk-taker I am, I tried eating one of those things but then it squirted me in the eye Never trying that again ” This May, she will be graduating the University of the Cumberlands with a degree in public health and a minor in psychology. All of these things add up to make Christine Moon a fun, well-rounded young woman, but she is even more than that; she is also big-hearted and has always had a powerful drive to make a difference.

“I thought for so many years that I wanted to be a nutritionist Actually, I was convinced that I would be doing that for threeand-a-half years of going to school here. It just seemed to fit. I’ve always been extremely health conscious because as a runner, you have to be. Diet is extremely important for runners, and I am ac-

tually a vegetarian However, lately, I see my future going in a completely different direction. I’m graduating in May, so it is too late to change my major, but I see myself doing something in the social work field ”

Moon has recently realized that, although nutrition and athleticism have and will always be a huge part of her life, her real passion lies with children

“It actually started my junior year of high school. My dad said that I could either go to prom or he would just give me the money that I would have spent on a dress and a limo, and I could do whatever with it. Instead of going to prom, I decided to “adopt” a little girl through World Vision. I put the money towards Hugette, who was my first girl Every year, part of my Christmas money goes towards it. She graduated from the program this past winter, so I adopted a different little girl.”

As of now, Moon is planning to move to Ohio, where all of her family is from. From there, she can begin a program in Cincinnati that will allow her to start pursuing her career in the social work field “I will miss her like crazy Christine is one of the best friends I have ever had,” stated Rebekah Henderson, a UC sophomore. “I don’t know what I will do without her here next year She is beautiful, inside and out and seriously one of the most unique people I have ever met. She’s always joyful, positive, and she’s just as quick to sit and listen if you need a friend as she is to sit and chat your ear off for an hour That girl may be long-winded, but really is a great listener.”

“She is hilarious I remember freshman year, she literally ate like cottage cheese and beans for every meal. For seriously like the entire school year,” stated Kyle Marsh, a close friend of Moon’s, provoking an eruption of laughter from the rest of the lunch table, where Christine Moon had become the subject of the conversation, “She would say after year ‘this is it, I am transferring!’ and we would say our goodbyes, and sure enough she’d be back the next semester She couldn’t stay away.”

Well, I am glad she didn’t transfer I don’t know what I would’ve done this year without her!” said freshman, Bonnie Nutt, “She knew how to lighten the mood at every cross-country meet When I think ‘Christine’ I think of the girl who could be in the middle of the race singing ‘What does the fox say?’ in one breath and laughing ‘just kill me now!’ in another. I am going to miss her like crazy next year.”

“Oh my gosh, I remember that!” Moon laughed as I read out loud the comments her friends had made about her, “You’re not going to put the cottage cheese thing in there are you?” I shook my head no with mischievous grin, but she knew better, “Oh gosh, it’s a good thing I am graduating, cause after you write this I would never make friends!”

“Kyle’s right though,” she continued, with a thoughtful look on her face, “I was convinced at the end of every year that I would transfer closer to home but something kept bringing me back. All the connections, memories, and friends I made make this place feel almost like another home, really Do I think UC is perfect? No And I definitely don’t agree with all the policies here, but I love the people I love them so much that it kept me here for four years, and the past few months I even debated whether or not I would try and get an apartment and job here in Williamsburg, just for a couple of years to stay close to everyone.”

It is no doubt that those who have had the pleasure of knowing this young woman will be forever affected by her unique spirit. She will have left her mark on the University of the Cumberland’s as she makes her way out into the world to leave her stamp on it.

Moon says, “I want to do something that is important Not important just to me, like nutrition. That’s a lifestyle, in my opinion, not my choice career. I want to do something that is important to a lot of people. I’m here to make a difference.”

“After graduation, I plan to go to my community college back home to get my Certified Nurse's Aid license and get a CNA job while I look for my first full time teaching job. I hope that eventually I find the perfect place where I can really make a difference!”

Wha t a re your pla ns af ter graduatio n?

BY CH L OE GU StaffPhotographer

Amber Hipsher

From: Morristown, Tennessee

Major: Elementar y Education

“After graduation I will stay here in America, I will coach soccer in some club teams around here and work as a personal trainer for now, I would like to work in a professional soccer team here one day! I want to do a masters in Exercise Physiology. I also plan on get married with my girlfriend Kendra.”

From: São Paulo, Brazil

Major: Fitness and Spor t Science

Bradley Pearce

From: Lexington, Kentucky

Major: Communication

From: Hiroshima, Japan

Major: Communication

“I am trying to find a job in the multimedia industry. I have a passion for video production and graphic design and wish to pursue those interests in the future. In the future I would love to own a branding agency where I would help make logos and commercials for companies.”

“I will go back to Japan and get a job that I can make opportunities for people all over the world to communicate with various countries people. My dream is let many people know about Japanese culture as well as other cultures around the world.”

BY S OL OMON W H I TA K ER StaffWriter

ASP : Atmo sphere Spa ce Patrol

2068. The dark blue ship sped through the open, blue sky of Earth. It was headed straight for the International Bank that rested in Washington D C Inside, two creatures that had light grey fur and were built like humans sat in the two pilot seats. They had darkened goggles over their eyes and brown leather jackets. The Agolians sat in silence and stared longingly at their destination, the twenty-story building. The International Bank held reserves for many countries and was a branch out of the United Nations. For extra security, the safe had been built on the top floor, where no one would think to look for it The Agolians had acquired schematics for the building and were on their way to the ship-landing platform on top of the building Ships were coming in all the time for interstellar trade, ships were coming in all the time and that helped them to be inconspicuous

The Agolians softly landed on the platform on top of the building. The window of the ship opened and both of the aliens jumped out. “Where do I need to start drilling at?” asked the one on the left

“Four tiles to the left of the center landing light according to these schematics,” replied the one on the right The Agolian on the left was named Riechteck and the one on the right was named

Moltek. Riechteck carried the long, metal drill over to the tile Moltek described and started setting up. The drill went through the safe in a few minutes and then a circle form was cut wide enough for the Agolians to get in. They both jumped in and ten minutes later had all the money stowed in a bag The bag was quickly deposited in the ship and they lifted off in haste, knowing it would only be a few a minutes before what they did was discovered

“This is ASP Headquarters to all units, we have a heist in progress Subjects were seen flying an Agolian Cargo ship Possibly members of the Agolian Crime Syndicate.” A hand quickly punched the talk button on the touch screen dash of the ASP Flying Unit

“Copy Headquarters, Unit 7 is in pursuit,” replied the man who had punched the talk button The 28 year-old man in the passenger side, Zack Linden, was dressed in the black uniform of the ASP, a patch on his right should indicated his rank and unit The 32 year-old man in the drivers seat was dressed likewise and his name was Genaro Farrell. Blue LED lights flashed on the outside of the ASP Flying Unit’s side-view mirrors The Flying Unit switched from the inbound lane going towards Earth

to the outbound leaving Earth.

Genaro hit the talk button,” Computer, find any Agolian Cargo ship in this lane ” A screen that showed the outbound lane highlighted one ship in red. He quickly put the thrusters on full and wound his way through traffic The Agolian Cargo ship shifted to the right in the traffic flow and started speeding as well. Once they saw that the other ship knew they were in pursuit, Zack activated the targeting computer for the gun mounted on the Fling Unit. He waited till it got a lock and pressed the button to fire on the dashboard touch screen A laser bolt fired from the ASP Flying Unit and struck the bottom of the Agolian Cargo ship causing smoke to come out The ship pulled out of the traffic and to the side The Flying Unit shot out a grapple cable and the claw at the end caught onto the ship.

“Headquarters, this is Unit 7, we have the Agolians in custody,” called in Zack

“Unit 7, you can bring the Agolians to Headquarters. Congratulations, you passed your Unit exam on apprehending interstellar criminals,” came the prompt reply. Genaro and Zack looked at each other and shook their heads in amusement.