The Patriot - January 30, 2014

Moredangerousthanyoumaythink

Keeping The Patriot moving fo r wa rd :

A let ter from the editor

Dear readers of The Patriot,

First and foremost, let me take a moment to thank each and every one of you Our readers are a very important part of what we do. You’re just as vital to the process of producing this paper as we are and I appreciate your continuing support.

Spring is generally a time of growth and renewal This semester is also a time for growing. As I take on the role of editorin-chief it’s likely I will stumble a bit as I find my stride (after all, editor emeritus Christin Miller left some giant shoes to fill), but with each awkward step I promise to keep moving in the right direction.

Yet I don’t want all this invigorating energy to end with me No In fact, I want to wish you all the same luck in your own walk this semester; whatever it may be, however different your beliefs or lifestyle may be, I hope your pitfalls are minimal

In the last year our publication has seen a fair share of changes, whether those changes be cosmetic, staff related or otherwise But through the many changes there was always one goal in mind: improvement We believe that we have an obligation to ourselves as well as all of you to make The Patriot the best it can possibly be, issue by issue This semester will be no exception We are planning a variety of tweaks that will help push our paper further into the realm of magazine-style design, including new features that will hopefully serve our readers even more, all while keeping with our biweekly schedule

I want to make The Patriot more of something that students can relate to I want to make it more accessible to everyone on campus without anyone feeling left out or marginalized I want it to be the voice of our student body as a direct representation of who they are and what they think If there is something you want to see highlighted inside these pages, let me know I’m open to any topic, issue or event within reason.

Additionally, I want to strongly encourage any and all feedback anyone may have for my staff and I Letters to the editor are always welcome and could possibly be included in an upcoming issue Please direct those to our mailing address at the top of Page 3 or email them to thepatriot@ucumberlands edu

I hope 2014 treats you well, valued reader. Here’s to a quick semester, hopefully filled with only open-book tests, the most nominal amount of homework possible and completely void of 10-page essays (looking at you, professors). Seriously though, let’s make it a good one

Si l Editor-in-Chief

r i o t . W e

h a v e a v a r i e t y o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s

a v a i l a b l e t h a t a r e n ’ t l i m i t e d j u s t

t o w r i t i n g , s u c h a s p h o t o g r a p h y,

g r a p h i c d e s i g n , o r e v e n o r i g i n a l

a r t w o r k i n t h e f o r m o f c a r t o o n s

o r c o m i c s t r i p s . I f y o u h a v e a n

i n t e r e s t i n p a r t i c i p a t i n g m a k e s u r e

t o a t t e n d o u r n e x t a s s i g n m e n t

m e e t i n g o n W e d n e s d a y, F e b . 1 2 a t 5 p . m .

BY N ATA SH A JON E S Managing Editor & AU T

N CO ON E Y StaffWriter

When the clo ck s trikes midnight

In the words of our favorite green ogre, Shrek, why it is always midnight? Midnight, it’s the beginning and end of every day The hour of 12 a m holds quite a bit of responsibility thanks to fairytales like Shrek and Cinderella where a character sets out to accomplish a goal before midnight.

In today’s culture we hold ourselves to similar lofty goals When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, in America we celebrate the New Year by gathering around television sets with loved ones, watching a shiny ball drop and last, but not least, making those New Year ’s resolutions

Parade com claims that despite it not being timed with our New Year ’s Day, the practice of New Year's resolutions originated in pre-Christian era with the Babylonians, then grew in popularity during the Roman Empire History com reports that Roman emperor Julius Caesar instituted January 1st as the first day of the year This change was partly to honor the month's namesake, Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future

Should you make a New Year ’s resolution? That is the question that every person faces each year. The New Year is an ideal time to readjust and recalibrate. Some people set their goals for a self-change

According to statisticbrain com, 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year's resolutions, but only 8 percent of people are successful in achieving their resolutions.

Dr. Haley Turner, an assistant professor of psychology at UC, says, “I definitely think they [resolutions] can be helpful The research on enduring commitments is fairly clear in the

psychology literature; commitments are more effective if they are made public. If the person making the resolution tells others (or in our world posts the resolution on Facebook or Twitter), they are more likely to stay committed than if they just privately make a resolution ”

“My New Year ’s resolution is to continue growing as the person I wish to be, but to also continue on the path that God presents me with,” said UC freshman Sarah Barnes Rebecca Sanders, a UC junior says, “My New Year's resolution is to do the absolute best in my sport this season, and to avoid Dairy Queen at all cost this semester."

Some chose not to make a new resolution for the New Year but chose to continue to work toward goals they’ve already started Sammy Jackoby, a UC junior explains, “My New Year ’s resolution hasn’t changed in the last three years. My goal is to get my diploma and to graduate so that I can make my dreams become a reality ”

Even though it’s traditional to make goals on January 1st, there really is no difference in the day from any other. If you really want to accomplish something, there’s never a bad time to start and work toward making yourself a better you

After all, Cinderella’s fairy godmother may have given her till midnight to be whoever she wanted to be, but it was Cinderella’s actions after that night at the ball that really lead her to her happily ever after.

The Musical Summit

BY CA R L EEN F L E T CH ER

Editor

An interesting musical collaboration presenting the works of Jayson Smith, a junior music education major, and Alexis Tickle, a senior mathematics major and music minor, is coming up on Saturday, Feb 1 The two will be having their joint music recital Tickle said, “Anyone is more than welcome to attend as long as they will fit in our little recital hall ”

The dual recital will be an hour long, consisting of a mixture of Smith performing percussion solos and Tickle performing clarinet solos and ensemble work for a total of 30 minutes each from both performers At the end they will play a piece in which they will perform two movements together as a duet.

“Recitals have to be strategically put together when it comes to the stage and getting everything set up, otherwise it’ll end up taking two hours if you just randomly perform pieces,” Tickle said. The recitals require a lot of planning and are an essential component in the field of study.

“They are the fulfillment of whatever type of degree we are getting I am getting a minor and he is getting a music education major, so he has to do a junior and a senior recital, but I was only required to do a half senior as a minor,” Tickle added.

The two decided it would be better to collaborate instead of separate performances Smith said, “She came to me and told me she was going to have to have a half recital, and I could be the other half an hour, just so it wouldn’t have to be a half-hour concert.”

“There wasn’t really anyone else, but we just also happened to be friends, so it just worked out,” added Tickle

When Smith was asked about how performers prepare for their recitals, he laughed saying, “Oh boy I have been working on my pieces since the beginning of last semester I’m playing two marimba pieces, a multi percussion piece it has four drums and a set of bongos, and then also a snare piece that has three movements.”

Tickle and Smith want to emphasize the difference in recitals as opposed to other performances They aren’t typical like the many departmental performances they students have to play or sing at throughout the semester. “It’s even more scrutinized at a recital than your juries, which is the final exam for your lessons at the end of the semester; you just go in those and play a couple pieces” Smith said

He went on to compare, saying, “For a recital it is the upmost professional and all of the music you play has to be polished to an insane degree ”

The recitals are very important to the two performers since the recital is one of the final steps toward getting a degree while also being the culmination of what they have worked their

entire time for as music students

“The senior recitals are the biggest thing you will ever do. Next year, he [Smith] will do his senior recital and it will be the biggest thing he will ever do, you know, other than his wedding day,” Tickle said, causing them both to laugh

Tickle went on to point out, “It’s going to be an interesting one. It’s very uncommon for an instrumentalist to be doing a recital with a percussionist because the amount of literature where you can do it together is very scarce ”

Explaining the variety within the pieces, Smith said, “There is a lot of fun, interesting, moving music and it’s a lot of fun Just with the two marimba pieces I’m doing, one is really bombastic, it’s called “Frogs;” it’s just insane and crazy, but then the other marimba piece is called “A Little Prayer”, and it’s like a choir singing it or an organ, it’s really moving and flows really well and it’s just a beautiful piece I love playing ”

Smith and Tickle are looking forward to the recital, despite all of the stress and pressure Smith said, “All of the attention for that entire concert is either going to be on me or on Alexis. It’s going to be a lot of fun though; I’m looking forward to it I am nervous, but excited all at the same time ”

Both Smith and Tickle say they don’t let the stress get to them, since they understand there are always improvements that you can make

“You’ll never play a piece of music and be 100 percent perfect all the way through There are things that even if you get all the notes right, all the rhythms right, all your musicality is still there; there are still things that you can improve upon,” Smith said

For Tickle, this will be the first time many of her family members will see her perform during her college career. “I am pretty excited. It’s actually the first time the family I have coming will be hearing me since I was back at home; so that’s cool They will be seeing an actual four year progress for me,” Tickle said

Tickle adds, “I can’t wait for the feeling of having it over. I am excited for it, but just to have that feeling once it’s over I am just excited for that feeling too It’s gonna be a good performance ” She then turns to Smith and jokes, “Don’t mess up ”

The two interacting was great to see, definitely making the performance date something to look forward to

Cheerlea ding in the age o f co ncussions :

BY BR A N DY NOR M A N StaffWriter

Kendra McCollum had been cheerleading since she was four years old the last time she attended a stunting practice at UC After 17 years of doing what she loved, a blow to the head caused her to miss out on her senior year of college cheerleading

“We were trying to do a new stunt that I hadn’t done before and when I came down, I knocked the back of my head on the back spot’s shoulder,” said McCollum. “I immediately got a headache that lasted for months The whole side of my face went numb and that went on for a while, too.”

McCollum’s headaches and numbness lasted long enough that she was sent to the doctor that week It was then that she was highly advised by her doctor to never cheer again The number of her concussions and severity were concerning and putting her at danger of brain injuries if she suffered from another one Who would have thought that cheerleading, a sport without a ball or tackling could cause such life-threatening injuries?

According to Peggy Haus, head athletic trainer at UC, concussions were not always something people paid close attention to Since concussions became a big deal, the focus has primarily been on football From tiny, young boys to large, grown men, the sport of football revolves around tackling each other to the ground and fighting for an oblong, pigskin-covered object It’s a dangerous contact sport and that much is blatantly obvious to anyone who has ever watched it. Of course concussions are going to happen in football but other sports have just as high of statistics for concussions that never get as much attention.

Cheerleading tends to be forgotten In some cases, it’s not even considered a sport A girl standing on the sidelines shaking pom poms really doesn’t seem like a strenuous activity. An observation that is correct However, that’s not all cheerleading consists of and what seems to be overlooked is that the sport has really evolved over the years. From various stunts to the gymnastics that’s incorporated, a college cheerleading practice

looks a lot like being on the battlefield. The difference is cheerleaders use their bodies as bullets with no protective gear, flying from one end of the mat to another, making a hazardous situation.

“Concussions vary for any team,” said Haus. “There is no predictability about when these types of things will happen which is scary. We teach preventive skills and show the videos but that doesn’t mean that anyone can stop a concussion from happening Even if you, yourself is doing everything correctly, you can’t control the other people around you.”

Contact collision sports, such as football are such an issue and seem glorified in the concussion world because of intent It’s not because one sport has more than the other or is more important, according to Haus, it’s just that football is a contact sport where someone sets out to hit another person Although cheerleading is not traditionally categorized as a contact collision sport, collisions most definitely happen and therefore so do concussions

“I see more people in the base position get concussions because they are hurling people into the air and catching them but a lot of flyers suffer them, too Sometimes when someone is free falling, they do things that are beyond your control and that leads to head injuries regardless if you’re catching that person or you’re the one falling The main thing is predictability You can’t predict what someone else is going to do and that goes for contact sports and cheerleading,” said Haus.

How do you know what a concussion is and how do you diagnose one? According to the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators website, a concussion is a potentially serious injury to the brain and can cause life-altering symptoms Historically, concussions have been evaluated and given a graded severity, usually including “I”, “II” and “III” grades Recently, trends have emerged for a timeline type test for an athlete’s return or what they call at UC a “base line” test.

“We do base line testing on everyone It’s a standardized

concussion screening program where we have everyone declare symptoms so that we have something to go by to see if they improve or worsen,” said Haus “A lot of times it’s the only way to know if someone gets better but if they choose to let their concussions go unrecorded, we have no way of knowing and that’s very dangerous ”

Alex Patrick, current UC cheerleader and former football player has had his fair share of concussions and admits that some are off the record

“Sometimes I wouldn’t say anything just so I could still participate,” said Patrick.

He has suffered four recorded concussions, three of those a level II and one of them a level III The others, he claims, were not recorded because he didn’t think they were all that serious After only participating in cheerleading for around 6 months, he has already experienced a few blows to the head from the sport.

“After experiencing both sports, it's hard to say which is more dangerous,” said Patrick “Mainly because when I played football the recent rules implemented for concussions were not emphasized by doctors or referees Today with the new rules and equipment football players have, such as the Riddell 360 helmet that is designed to disperse energy from frontal impacts, I have to say cheerleading is more dangerous because we do not have any equipment to protect our heads ”

Cheerleading is an athletic activity that involves risk. That risk can be managed and performed safely if the right procedures are followed but still yet, cheerleaders have nothing to protect themselves with other than experience and knowledge. The National Center for Catastrophic Sports ranks cheerleading as second in injuries behind football and third for concussions, behind hockey. A catastrophic injury is a severe injury to the spine, spinal cord, or brain, and may also include skull or spinal fractures

The Consumer Product Safety Commision (CSPC)

Three victims, one injur y and a forgot ten spor t

reported an estimated 4,954 hospital emergency room visits in 1980 caused by cheerleading injuries, in 2010, the numbers had increased to 36,288. Head and neck injuries accounted for 19 3 percent and facial injuries accounted for 6 3 percent Of those head injuries, 1,579 were concussions, 361 contusions, and 2,292 internal injuries. Although 98 percent of the cheerleaders were released, 291 athletes were hospitalized A major factor in this increase has been the change in cheerleading activity, which now involves gymnastic type stunts. The growth of the sport skill-wise is what people tend to overlook

“Just for a mental picture there are sometimes that I am probably a good 7 to 9 feet off the ground doing a flip backwards and if I don't get around or land properly on a flip my head is going to hit the ground and I can’t wear a helmet to protect myself like I could in football,” said Patrick. “And when we throw girls into the air, we have no idea what is going to happen, we just have to trust ourselves ”

Both cheerleading and football carry extreme risks. In each sport, there are positions vulnerable to life threatening injuries In football, players being tackled are at greatest risk But in cheerleading, cheerleaders who fly into the air or are at the top of pyramids are in danger, as well as everyone below them The major thing to know is that football carries the lead in concussions, according to Haus, because of the size of the team The more people you have, the more chances there are for dangerous injuries and football teams will always tackle cheerleading in size.

Michael McKamey, a former UC football player and former UC cheerleader relates to McCollum and Patrick with his concussion experiences.

“I had a total of seven concussions during college,” said McKamey “Honestly for me, I think football is a tougher sport mentally but it’s not nearly as dangerous as cheerleading after doing both sports. If you compared the average competitive cheerleader to a football player at the end of their respective seasons, the cheerleader will have sustained more injuries, per-

haps even more severe ”

According to UC’s Athletic Training room records, it’s hard to say which sport is more dangerous or produces the most concussions because a lot of factors come into play The size of the team, the honesty of participants, the severity of the injury and the absence or presence of protective gear are all determining factors

“Even people who are experienced and have knowledge of concussions and what’s going on will continue to get concussions It doesn’t matter what sport you play or which team is more susceptible to concussions, things are going to happen I had a golfer get a concussion not too long ago, tell me how that happens You just never know,” said Haus

Although that much is true, it doesn’t take away from the fact that football seems to be the main sport people concern themselves with in regards to concussions In the media and even in the MRSA/Concussion seminar the UC Athletic Training room holds for UC athletes, football is always the main focus

“I think we show football players getting concussions more often and talk about it so much because concussions used to not be such a huge deal until football teams started noticing things in their players after suffering head injuries,” said Haus “Every sport suffers but I’m not exactly sure why the focus stays on football, especially when cheerleading is just as dangerous and you’re right, there is no protective equipment ”

Haus says that it doesn’t matter who comes in at the end of the day, everyone is treated equally with a base line test and all that they can hope to do is educate everyone on the severity of concussions and how to prevent them.

“As far as prevalence with concussions, the size of the team will always be the determining factor as to which sport has more injuries in general, statistically speaking,” said Haus. “I think people who don’t realize how dangerous cheerleading is are people who don’t understand what they do I’ve seen the stuff UC cheerleaders do and it’s hard to even watch it’s so

dangerous ”

Concussions are suffered by all athletic teams, not just football and cheerleading. Although, the two are the most dangerous in terms of concussions and head injuries According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a brain injury is complicated, and every person responds differently to concussion It is critical for coaches to recognize signs of concussion and for athletes to report their symptoms Until a health care professional experienced in evaluating for concussion says an athlete is symptom-free, athletes who have experienced concussion should stay out of play and practice; depending on the severity, potentially forever.

“I don’t think I’ve had major memory loss but I do have major headaches frequently and my eye twitches a lot on that side of my head I hit,” said McCollum.

“Yeah, I'm not as sharp as I was before my concussions I'm not as quick to recall information and my short term memory isn't nearly as good as it used to be,” said McKamey.

“As far as long term effects, I have no evidence to prove that I have any long term effects that are a direct result of a concussion but if I had to guess, my headaches and the ringing I sometimes hear are probably related,” said Patrick

Concussions in cheerleading happen regardless of the attention that they do not receive. It’s important that people understand just how danger out the sport is and recognize that it is in fact a sport Why do football teams get more attention? Maybe because there isn’t a Fantasy Cheerleading League and people don’t watch a cheerleaders every move through media and ESPN Regardless, the two sports go hand in hand and are in first and second place for head related injuries.

“I will leave you with this,” said McKamey. “I got injured more in two years of cheerleading than I ever did in 13 years of football.”

Exceeding his limits

BY A L E X W I L L I A MS StaffWriter

Being an international student is hard Not only do they move from their country to an unfamiliar one, but they leave behind all of their friends and family. Some have to pick up a completely new language while others have to grasp the new customs and norms of their new home Thankfully, there are a few people that are willing to help the international students. Ryan Thomas, a senior at the University of the Cumberlands, is more than willing to lend a hand

Thomas has been helping the international students for two years, although it started by coincidence, saying, “It was something that just sort of happened.” At first he began helping out many international students because he is known for being a tutor at the Academic Resource Center, but his relationships grew with his students

“They’d come to me because of an essay that needed help correcting, then we started to become friends Then I made friends with more international students because I’d help them with their homework and talk out their problems,” Thomas said

His interest in international students also stems from his interest in other cultures.

“I want to have new experiences and meet new people I want to experience things through the eyes of an entirely different lifestyle that’s different from my own,” Thomas said. Next summer, Thomas plans on studying abroad in Japan.

Kaori Suzuki, a UC sophomore, is one of the international students from Japan that has received one-on-one support from Ryan “He would help me with my homework and my English. If I have personal problems, Ryan will talk to me and I’ll feel better,” Suzuki said

Thomas has also helped out Thai Ta from Vietnam Like Suzuki, Ta also says that Thomas has aided him both inside and outside the classroom. “He helps me with homework and, if I don’t understand a question, then he explains it to me If I don’t understand something about American culture then he’ll explain it to me He’s just very friendly,” Ta stated.

Thomas is also part of the international club at UC. While he states that it doesn’t have much recent activity due to busy members, he has hope for the future “I want the international students to feel like they belong here, that they’re no different from anybody else. I feel that if they have a club, they will feel they’re a part of campus,” Thomas said “I want them to find their place in this world ”

Thomas expects great things when he graduates UC Alongside an interest in computers, Thomas also has interests in international studies. One day he hopes he can bring countries together “I want to bring together businesses like China, Japan, Germany, Austria and America I want everyone to act seamlessly together and cooperate with one another.”

Thomas has done a lot on campus to help out many of the international students While he is at UC, he hopes to accomplish even more “I want to see how far I can go as a person. Not just physically, but mentally as well. When I hit my limits, I want to go farther,” Thomas stated “There’s a lot in this world that we all still don’t know about and I want to discover that for myself ”

a Q&A with

Coach Mat t Rhymer Sustaining success:

BY T I MO T H Y W YAT T Editor-in-Chief

Replacing a successful individual is never an easy task But when you’re the one chosen to try and follow them up, it’s even more difficult That’s exactly where University of the Cumberlands’ new head football coach Matt Rhymer finds himself.

After a season of such wild success, a trip to the national championship and some slight controversy, many questions were raised about the future of the football program at UC Rhymer, a former UC football player and coach who began his coaching career under John Bland as a graduate assistant, hopes to quell those uncertainties during his first season at the helm for the Patriots.

I recently sat down to talk with him about what the process was like getting hired as a first-time college head coach, the pressure to live up to expectations and what it really means to him to be a coach

TW: Obviously, there was a pretty quick turnaround at the head coaching position. What was the process of getting hired at UC like?

MR: It was exciting It was very humbling to even be in consideration I felt confident about it. From the very beginning I felt like this is where I wanted to be for sure I was praying about it that if it were the Lord’s will he would open the door. There’s been a lot of affirmation and confirmation through the process and I’ve received so much support from the community and administration, which really makes it easy to come to work every day

Aside from being an alumnus, what was something that brought you back to UC?

A sense of passion and commitment to the community. You know, I go to church here, my wife is from here, my family is from Harlan which is just about an hour east of here so I just felt like it was home to me. I love it here It’s just a special place to me so it was really where I wanted to be

What has the team’s reaction been to you?

How have they received you thus far?

Unbelievable, really. The effort and energy has been through the roof The guys have been so excited; they’ve been so respectful I think a lot of that has to do with Coach Bland and the way he developed and molded these guys during the time that he was here But I couldn’t have asked for them to have responded any better I think they’ve been at peace with me being the coach and we’re already developing a sense of relationship. It just seems like an awesome group of guys to be around

What kind of experience do you have with recruiting?

When I worked here before as an assistant coach I was a strong recruiter. I actually recruited a few of the guys that are here now. So, recruiting is probably going to be a strong suit for me. I understand the importance of recruiting: if you want to be good, you recruit good players; if you want to have good people around you, recruit good people; if you want hard workers, recruit hard workers. And so

that’s an enjoyable part of my job I really like the communication with families, the building of relationships and seeing those kids come to school here to grow and develop and become who they’re supposed to be

What do you think will be your biggest hurdle being head coach of a college program?

I think the biggest hurdle will just be sustaining success. There’s teams at the top, there’s teams at the bottom and all those are very few, but there’s a whole lot of teams in the middle of the pack. We want to stay at the top. It is one part of the process to get to the top, but to stay at the top is really, really difficult because from here on out and it’s been that way for a while every team we play will play their best game against the University of the Cumberlands. We will be everybody’s game that they circle in their locker room A lot of hype will go into trying to beat us because everyone wants to knock the person off the top.

Speaking of being at the top: do you feel any pressure having to follow-up UC’s best season in the history of the program?

Yeah, I think if you’re a competitive person with a competitive nature, there’s always pressure I put a lot of pressure on myself I tell our guys sometimes that it really is just like being in a pressure cooker: you’ve got to go to the point where you just think you’re about to explode and that’s when something really great comes out of it. You know, it’s a refining process But we’re going to have pressure on

us, yes, because we’re good but put pressure on ourselves We want to be the best We want to be at the top.

During your two seasons at South Laurel the team didn’t fare so well. What do you see yourself doing differently at UC to keep from repeating the past?

I tell a lot of people that there are two reasons why I was there. One was to realize why I coach Because when you’re getting beat a lot it’s easy to have those thoughts of “God, why am I here? Why have you put me here?” And what I learned was that if you’re just in this for wins and losses, you’re missing the whole boat. You’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing So, I learned why I coach is a lot bigger than football It’s about developing young people. It’s about making a difference in somebody’s life that has nothing to do with the scoreboard and that you have to keep striving to do that no matter what. The other thing I learned was about the message that I believe and share I am a professed Christian and I have a close, personal relationship with the Lord and I try to share that with people I try to express my beliefs in him through what I do. It’s easy to do that when you’re winning or when all is well But when you’re losing and getting beat, what I learned is that the message never changes. God is still God. My Savior is still my Savior whether I’m winning football games or losing football games

Faces fro m auditions

BY CA R L EEN F L E T CH ER

Editor

Ezra Anderson: Senior, Psychology major, theater minor

I auditioned first with “Impossible” by Shontelle and then with “Love Me” by J.J. Heller. I thought my first attempt was okay, but mistakes were made; the judges were stricter than what I expected. They made an exception and let me try again and I did much better; my nerves were gone

I auditioned with my own original piece I want to be a catalyst for others to be able to do what they want. There is a lot of talent here I’m expressing talents through lyrical flow There is a girl auditioning too who raps, Ashley Dixson; I hope to get to perform something with her

Bonnie Nutt: Freshman, Physical Education major

I auditioned with “Someone Like You” by Adele. I thought that went good, but the lights were intimidating and the judges were tougher than I expected. I think next time I will definitely prepare more; I decided to do it more last minute

Swords: Sophomore, Athletic Training major

I auditioned with “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum I thought that I did okay, but I’ve got things to work on I am excited though.

Jud ge in The Spo tlight: a Q&A with Dr. Mike Dickman

BY K R IS T I N A SM I T H Design Editor

Dr. Mike Dickman may have all semester to dish out a grade for his communications students, but within the next two months he will also be partly responsible for deciding who wins $1,000 as one of three judges during the upcoming season of The Spotlight, a singing competition taking place at the University of the Cumberlands. The winner walks away with not only the money, but also the satisfaction of carrying around those all-too-important bragging rights So, needless to say, Dr Dickman has a big decision to make I recently had the opportunity to meet up with him and get his take on being a judge for The Spotlight. We discussed t i h hi f it ments in Spotlight history, what it’s l and his love-hate relationship of The

KS: How long have you been a jud MD: I actually started the first year th one of the regular judges. I would co come if someone was sick It was the came a full time judge So I started t the second year I was full time

Do you have any favorite moments from The Spotlight?

There is a couple When Zach Bell would sing his soccer player buddies would do chants up in the balcony and bring the flag out I thought that was great One time when Marissa Hedrick sang everyone in the crowd shut up and listened, and that never happens I just remember a big hush came over the crowd and I thought “Wow, I’m seeing something pretty cool here ”

What do you look for the most in contestants?

Voice For me the voice is everything

When it comes to picking people to advance, or to even win, how difficult is that?

The first part is fairly easy We’re pretty inclusive But the hardest part for me is when we get down to the five or six, and then getting down to the final three. That’s when it gets h d b th ll ll eally good singers. At that point you just nce rather than judging their talent

al musical preferences?

stuff – classic rock is my favorite to listen ne thing, I’m a huge Beatles fan, but I he Beatles. It almost never works.

r fellow judges agree on contestants? nk. When it gets to the top three is when re, but at that point really anybody could ost part

ou looking forward to the most this sea-

I really enjoy the crowds. It’s one of the hen I’m at Cumberland that it feels like at a college event People are having fun think that’s important.

BY J I L L I A N CA R PEN T ER StaffPhotographer

Musical I nteractions

The University of the Cumberlands theatre department brings a different style of musical to their audience this semester. Typically, the performances by the theatre department provide the audience with an unchanging plot unfolding before their eyes. “The Mystery of Edwin Drood", originally written by Charles Dickens and adapted by Rupert Holmes, puts the decision in the hands of the audience. The original work by Dickens was meant to be a series of books written and released over time, but he died before he finished them. Making the story the perfect specimen to be made into the interactive musical it has been adapted into

The audience not only gets to interact with the characters before and during the performance, but they also get to vote on how the musical ends. The audience gets to vote on who they think killed Edwin Drood Also, since no one wants to end a performance on such a dark note as murder, the audience also gets to choose two characters to be "love interests" and these two will sing a love song to close the performance. All in all, this musical has a total of 24 possible endings

When it came to choosing the spring semester musical, there were many aspects about “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” that interested Dr. Kim Miller, director for the musical. Miller said, " It's a play within a play There's the Drood play which is set 30 years earlier than 1892, and the actors have to play that play, but they're also actors putting on a play ” This type of performance not only allows the audience to speak to the actors one on one before the play begins, but also interact with them as they are on stage This play encourages as much audience interaction as the audience chooses to give the performers “There's a chairman

played by the library's Nick Harris who is going to invite the audience to cheer and boo for different actors. The high level of audience interaction was another selling point for us,” said Miller.

Along with the level of interaction, this Vaudevillian style play also offers a lot of dance There are quite a few dance numbers in this piece; one even included a few stunts. This aspect of the play affected the way the stage would look. Miller said, " Our work study team have put down a dance floor which looks like what the Victorian stages looked like We knew we were going to have twenty or more people dancing, we needed to open the stage up to make it as safe as possible for the dancers."

Emily Scott, UC senior, is joining the cast of “Drood” for her first musical Scott said, "I've performed in front of people, both singing and dancing, in ways that required interacting with the audience. This musical made me want to try that interaction with the added challenge of acting as a character ”

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood" opens Feb 20 and closes March 1 The challenge for the actors and the new experience for the audience provide much anticipation for this musical. The theatre department welcomes you to come and enjoy a play with an ending of your own design

BY T I MO T H Y W YAT T Editor-in-Chief

Making a case for MLK Day

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter ”

-Dr Martin Luther King, Jr

Last week while the vast majority of America’s students ranging from primary school to college were free to decide how they celebrated one of the nation’s greatest figures in its vast history of influential people, University of the Cumberlands students were stuck in the classroom. In case you missed it, since, you know, you were in a classroom, Monday, Jan 20 was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; a federal holiday annually dedicated to Dr King on the third Monday in January The holiday is set aside to recognize his countless achievements, such as those made during the Civil Rights Movements, and serves as an observance of his birthday, which is the 15th.

Actually, since the inception of MLK Day back in 1986, UC students haven’t once spent that time outside of the classroom. Dr. Michael Colgrove, vice president of student services, said, “I think if you check out the holiday itself, it’s kind of up to the organization, business or whatever on how they observe that ” In lieu of calling off classes, UC chooses to observe the day by instead opting for a convocation program dubbed “Founder ’s Day,” a time set aside by the university intended to honor Dr. King.

Yet, it seems like it may be at least

slightly counterproductive. Dr. Colgrove said he wasn’t able to attend this year ’s convo because of a scheduling conflict, but that he had heard nothing but positive feedback from the event, a stark contrast from that of the views of some students who voiced their opinions via social media. Students who, by the way, basically had no say whether or not they participated since it acts as one of the two required major convo events for the semester

Why not let students have that time to attend an MLK cerem Why not let them ha with one of the many take place around th simply take the day decide how they wis has played such a lar world a better place?

a little inconvenient timing of it right af said Dr Colgrove, think to say somethin time of the year is comment, but, you k three weeks off, so c right then it’s kin tough to squeeze a other day in.”

While Dr Colgrove stressed that UC’s decision to maintain a regular

class schedule on this holiday was in no way a sign of disrespect a statement that isn’t being challenged it seems like a stretch to think that an extra day couldn’t be tacked on to the end of the semester. Also, take into account the fact that we get Labor Day off in the fallsemester which essentially occurs around the same time as MLK Day does in the spring semester and students get the entire summer off prior to the fall semester It all boils down to one day. Allowing

Things you may not know about Mar tin Luther King, Jr.

• He star ted college at age 15.

• In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace prize at age 34, making him the youngest to win the award at the time.

• In 1971, he won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for “Why I Oppose the War in nearly ased in 1958 man with a pener durook signing d a C in his class durar in nar y.

Taken care of The wo rld race

BY H A Y L E Y DAV IS StaffWriter

“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins ” - Hebrews 10:4

Well, that’s encouraging Great! Why did our Jewish ancestors waste their finances, best animals, and all that effort, if their sacrifices didn’t even work? Countless verses in the Old and New Testament declare this statement. Did God’s followers finally figure out that it wasn’t working out?

If you read all of Hebrews 10, you’ll find the answers to those questions Guess what? We asked for the Ten Commandments, so God gave us some rules that he knew we couldn’t achieve. That wasn’t enough for us, so he gave us some more rules You can read all about those in Leviticus. But all these rules, all these sacrifices, all these rituals they were not the justification for our sins They were not the salvation for our lives. Our ancestors sacrificed thousands upon thousands of animals as a reminder of their sin, and that sin had to be taken care of

We now live in a world in which our sin has been taken care of, and so we tend to forget about it What? I lied? Jesus will forgive me for that. I cheated on a test? God understands how hard college is; he invented it! Excuse after excuse, only to find ourselves farther from our ancestors and sometimes not as well off either. We read the Bible and slander those dumb Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years, but I wonder how many of us are wandering right this very minute. I know I do, so many times. In a day A week A year All my time is not devoted to God like it should, and no matter how many rules God, the Church, my parents, or myself put(s) before me, I cannot live up to it I can’t

I’m sorry. I’m a sinner, really. I hear that is step one, though: admitting And that’s what I aim to tell you – I be far from perfection, but just because I’m in a fallen world and sinning daily, is that a good enough reason to stop trying? I certainly hope not That’s like saying because I dirty my teeth every day, I shouldn’t bother brushing them We both know that’s far cry from the truth Just because society applauds and the majority of rules does not mean the Savior can’t reign in my life, and if I give him the reins, he will, no matter what society tells me to think.

So, we forget about our sin’s redemption We know the story, but forget the details That’s why the Jews did all those sacrifices – to remind themselves that sin had to be taken care of properly

Jesus took care of our sins properly.

It wasn’t easy It wasn’t comfortable It wasn’t promising, even Jesus voluntarily walked to the kings of the country and said nothing through his trials He was beaten and whipped and spat upon, and he showed no signs of hatred towards anyone the whole time. Everybody thought this was the end of this radicalism movement Jesus was a goner; he was losing the battle by “giving in” instead of fighting.

When Jesus “gave in” and took the form of a servant, our battle over spiritual death and sin was won. His crucifixion and resurrection represents our promotion to a land of paradise with a King whole unconditionally loves us, if we so accept the one-way ticket.

“Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe ”

BY A BBE Y CH ER R Y StaffWriter

Eleven countries Four continents Eleven months.

In just a few short months, beginning in July, LeAnn Wright, will begin her race around the world.

Wright is a 2013 graduate of UC with a degree in Christian Ministries She was the acting Baptist Campus Ministries semester intern over the past year In that time she led women's Bible Studies, organized campus worship services, led ministry teams around the Whitley county area, and led missions teams to Northern Ireland and Guatemala.

It was also within the past year that Wright felt the call to participate in The World Race. The World Race acts under the foundational truth of "serving the least of these" and that is exactly what Wright will be doing.

Over the next four months, she will be on a missions team going to eleven countries in eleven months. "My passion is just to take the Gospel to the nations," stated Wright

This call of surrender and obedience to God is something Wright is excited about, but the journey isn't going to be easy. Over the next five months she has a financial mountain to climb but is resting in the faithfulness of God

We are all called to serve and proclaim the Gospel. Maybe right now you can't physically go, but how can you be a force of change for the Kingdom of God on earth?

Here are four ways that you can help support Wright:

1 ) "Send Me" Baseball T's are available for purchase at weekly campus worship services and at the Angel Dale House $20 gets you a t-shirt and helps fund the trip and materials.

2 ) Threads of Hope are bracelets that Wright is selling Threads of Hope is a company that seeks to provide income for the economically depressed in underdeveloped countries, specifically the Philippines. Half the proceeds will support Wright, while the other half serves as a source of income for those who make the bracelets in an effort to get those women off the streets These bracelets and lanyards can be purchased at weekly campus worship services and at the Angel Dale House for as little as $2-$5

3 ) A simple donation is always welcomed. Although you won't be receiving anything tactile in return, there is a joy that comes in giving Follow Wrights blog at leannwright.theworldrace.org to follow her fundraising progress and also have the opportunity to donate online

4.) Pray. Pray for Wright as she walks in obedience for God's call on her life. Pray for her boldness and protection as she serves Him In addition, be praying for those who she comes in contact with and that they may receive a blessing from Wright and her fellow World Racers

BY S OL OMON W H I TA K ER StaffWriter

Staring into grey eyes

The expedition had been a long one A group of men, four scientists and two hunters, were making a trek into the heart of the of the Amazon rainforest. Last year, in 1921, the leader of the expedition, Dr Gerald Friis, had discovered a lost journal entry from Christopher Columbus In this log, an account of a “triangle of light” fell from the sky in a southeastern direction Dr Friis had been able to calculate where the object would have landed Now here they were, making their way deeper into the green world.

Dr Friis led the group, his passion being exhibited in every swing of his machete “We need to find a place to camp, it’ll be getting dark soon,” stated the burly man that followed up the rear of the group His name was Pete Stowell and he was a hunter; a huge double-barreled shot gun was cradled in his hands.

“Indeed, you are correct,” replied Dr. Friis as he cut down more underbrush They found a clearing near a brook,

a lucky find in the maze of the jungle A fire was quickly kindled and some fish were caught As the night drew on, darkness enveloped everything except what the light from the fire touched Everyone was sleeping except Pete because he was on watch A growl came from the rainforest as wind blew through the trees. He raised up his gun toward where it came from Nothing happened Lowering his gun, he went back to staring at the fire Bushes rustled as an enormous black panther pounced on one of the scientists, mauling him. Like the sound of thunder, a shot was fired at the panther It fell over, but was back on its paws in a second It turned toward Pete and took off in a sprint. Pete reacted swiftly, getting a shot off The panther fell dead, a bullet in its head

“I’ve never seen that in my life After that first shot, the panther should have stayed down,” exclaimed Pete. He walked over to the beast. Its eyes were black with grey lines going toward the inside “Come look at it doctor ” Dr Friis

PhD Co mics

made his way over to the panther, Pete pointing at its eyes

“We’re getting close,” Dr Friis replied as he saw the changed pupils.

The next day they buried their fallen comrade and got on with the journey After hiking another couple of miles, they found a giant hole in the ground, foliage growing into it. The contingent gathered around the crater Inside was an arrowshaped ship, its grey outer hull was weather worn “Let’s get to clearing off this ship. This is the discovery of a lifetime: proof of visitors from another world,” stated Dr Friis, full of adrenaline The sound of sticks cracking reverberated off the canopy. They turned to find a grey creature shaped like a bullet with pure black eyes standing there There was a flash of light and they all collapsed They were never seen again, but tales of grey creatures haunt the Amazon to this very day.

A new year means a new pool of overly promoted films to hit the theaters and take over our local cinemas. There are quite a few long-awaited films to see in 2014 and here’s a list of five of the most highly anticipated films we can expect to see this year

1. Th e LE GO Movie

In movie theaters: Friday, February 7, 2014

From the directors of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” the first-ever theatrical Lego adventure, from Warner Brothers Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures

Follow the story of Emmet, an ordinary average Lego mini-figure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world He joins a fellowship of other Lego mini-figures on an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant who wants to glue together the world Based on Lego construction toys and incorporating some of the Lego world’s most popular figures while introducing new characters for fans, we can look forward to experiencing a unique Lego world as never seen before

Com ing s oo n: Five of the mo st anticipated movies of 20 14

BY N ATA SH A JON E S Managing Editor

2. Mup pe ts M ost Wa nted

In movie theaters: Friday, March 21, 2014

On a world tour, the Muppets gang find themselves in an international crime when Kermit is framed by his looka-like, Constantine, the world’s number-one criminal While Kermit remains held captive, Constantine poses as Kermit to his loved ones but his act begins to fall through as Kermit’s loved ones start to notice the difference in their friend

In the official trailer, Kermit the Frog promotes the film as taking us, "places we've never been before And trust me this frog has never seen so much international flavor. I think audiences will eat it up the entertainment, that is "

3 . Va mpi re Academy

In movie theaters: Friday, February 14, 2014

That’s right! Another vampire novel film adaption hits theaters this February. It’s been a while since we’ve had the suspense sucked out of us from a set of fangs Based on the bestselling book series "Vampire Academy" written by Richelle Mead, this film tells the story of two teenage best friends who have been on the run from their hidden boarding school, for mortal and peaceful vampires, where they believe their lives are in the most jeopardy. The pair is soon captured and sent back to St Vladamir ’s Academy Rosa Hathaway, portrayed by Zoe Deutch, is a Guardian in training with a rebellious streak. Her best friend Lissa Dragomir, portrayed by Lucy Fry, is a royal vampire Princess who struggles to reclaim her status once she returns to school Meanwhile, Rosa trains with her mentor who poses as a love-interest, Dimitri (portrayed by Danila Kozlovsky), and is guaranteed her place as Lissa's guardian Rosa will stop at no means to protect Lissa from those who try to exploit her from within the Academy and the dark forces of Strigoi, the immortal, evil vampires, who hunt her from outside of the sanctuary

The six titles in the book series have sold more than eight million copies in 35 countries

4. The Fa ul t In Our Stars

In movie theaters: Friday, June 6, 2014

A film adaptation of John Green's bestselling novel, "The Fault in Our Stars," which won an EW Best Fiction of 2012 pick. The film stars Shailene Woodley ("The Secret Life of The American Teenager") who is playing the role of Hazel Lancaster, a cancer patient who has an oxygen tank as a constant companion. At a cancer support group Hazel meets Augustus Waters (Gus for short), who is played by Ansel Elgort Gus has a prosthetic leg and bonds with Hazel over a mutual disdain for the conventional and the two develop an epic love that takes them on a journey

The major success of the novel has already jumpstarted a huge fan base for this film. USA Today reported the novel has spent over 75 weeks on USA TODAY's BestSelling Books list and reaching No 4 in Bob Minzesheimer's four-star review. Green has already created a lot of buzz by microblogging about the making of the film by sharing photos and videos on his personal social media accounts such as Twitter and Instagram.

5. Into the Woods

In movie theaters: Thursday, December 25, 2014

A modern take on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical that follows the tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel; all tied together by an original story about a baker his wife's quest to have a child despite a witch putting a curse on the couple

The cast list does look very impressive with a list of several A-list stars such as: Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Emily Blunt set to bring the characters to life