The Patriot - May 2013

BY NATASHA JONES

Assistant Editor

Out with the old and in with the new —School Year in Review

As the 2012-2013 school year is nearing its end, we, the student body, look back at how we have each changed individually over the school year. Freshmen may reflect on the type of character they were while in high school, compared to who they’ve become in college. Sophomores and juniors may reflect on how their career plans or passions have changed throughout their college years. For some seniors who are preparing to say goodbye, they may look back at how they have changed during their time here at UC. As us students grow and change through the course of a year, we tend to forget that are professors, advisors and even our school has been growing and changing too. Here’s a look at how UC has changed throughout this school year:

Reconstruction of BCC

September3, 2012

Through the first three months of the fall semester, students observed the ongoing construction of the Boswell Campus Center. This construction had started in May of 2012 as Phase II of a III phased project. Kyle Gilbert, vice president of operations, and his crew of construction workers renovated and upgraded the student center, redid all of the plumbing

and the electrical wiring, as well as remodeled the kitchen in the grill. All the renovations were made to support Phase III of the overall Health and Wellness Project.

Convocation Changes

September5, 2012

Until this past fall semester, convocation had been held on Monday or Wednesday between 10-10:50 a.m. This past fall semester there were a number of convocation opportunities, each varying in topic, that were held at different times throughout the week. These changes were made to give students and professors a little more flexibility by allowing teachers to have class during the 10-10:50 hour.

February 11, 2013

The response from the student body about the new convocation changes had been mixed until the spring semester when many students were turned away from a major convocation event that was in the Gatliff Chapel. To try and avoid this problem in the future, Student Services started distributing reserved seating tickets for convocation events. The number of seats that were available for the event was how many tickets were distributed. However,

students could come and wait for standby seating. Ten minutes before the program is supposed to start, an administrator would let any students that were left waiting know if there are any extra seats available.

From Cumberland Idol to The Spotlight

January 22, 2013

For the past seven years, Cumberland Idol had been a highly anticipated and entertaining event to hit campus every spring semester. This year, however, the Campus Activity Board decided to change things up.

They renamed the program The Spotlight, added a new host and a new stage. The judges consisted of: Dr. Charles Pilant of the history department, Dr. Michael Dickman of the communication arts department, Dr. Gina Herring of the English department, and UC’s women’s basketball coach, Melissa Irvin.

The option of in house voting, which consists of the audience being allowed to cast a vote as they exit, was also new to the program. However, audience members and online viewers can still vote online. After seeing the buzz about Spotlight on social media and the big crowds that came out to Gatliff chapel on performance nights, I believe we can declare The Spotlight a success.

Hutton to Moss and Moss to Hutton

February 25, 2013

At an informational housing meeting, it was announced that, due to the excessive need for housing for males, Hutton Hall and Moss Hall would be swapped. Hutton Hall would become a male dorm and Moss Hall would become a female dorm again.

UC Coffeeshop

March 19, 2013

Acoffee shop opened in the grill, located on the top level of the Boswell Campus Center. The coffee shop’s hours are 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. and is open 7 days a week. Though purchases will not be included in student meal plans, beverages that will be sold are hot chocolate, coffee, and fountain drinks. This also opened up more positions on campus for students in UC’s Federal Work-study Program.

Recording, Flying Colours, and Brett Ratliff

BY SOLOMON WHITAKER Staff Writer

“ you know whatever music the band makes reflects on the producer... ”

On UC’s campus, there are a lot of musically talented people, whose voices and instrumental talents can be seen at The Spotlight, an event sponsored by CAB. What people might not know is that there is now a recording studio close by.

Brett Ratliff, an alumnus of UC, has recently opened a recording studio called Sowing Season Studios at his house in Jellico, Tenn. Ratliff graduated in May 2008 with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. He is currently working at Jellico Community Hospital as an ITTechnician. Although this is the job that Ratliff holds right now he has another passion- music. So, Ratliff loves music, but why would he want to open a recording studio in his house? Ratliff says, "I love making music and helping others. Alot of bands don't have the funds to go professional and I had the space. In Nashville they have entire houses devoted to it. It was something I started from the ground up so I wouldn't loose any money I sunk into

The journey to get the studio started three years ago when Ratliff's band, The Sowing Season, was looking to record an album. They had saved up money and had the choice of either going to a studio or buy some gear to do it themselves. They chose to buy the gear and do it themselves. After working on the first few songs, Ratliff realized he was good at recording and mixing. Along with being skilled at this process, Ratliff was also passionate about it.

"I found I could record myself at a higher quality than what I could afford in studio," Ratliff said. Slowly over the next few years Ratliff collected more and more gear to where he could start helping friends that didn't have a lot of funds record. Now, his studio is at the point where he could open it up for bands to book and record.

Due to how recently Ratliff has gotten his studio up and running, he does not have a long list of bands that have recorded, but

nonetheless, he does have a few bands under his belt. These bands include The Sowing Season, OH! Divide, and Flying Colours.

Tyler Bird of OH! Divide had this to say about his experience with Ratliff, “Guitar and vocals were the hardest to record. It took me about three hours to record my guitar tracks. Vocals were easier to record, they took less takes. Brett definitely gave some helps and suggestions because I had never recorded vocals. It was great and a lot of fun.

The Flying Colours is the most recent band that he has worked with. Ratliff had this to say about the process of recording with Flying Colours, "As a producer you know whatever music the band makes reflects on the producer. I trusted them and let them have free reign. Whenever they wanted to try something crazy, we did it. I could throw out my opinion and they could throw theirs back.

Sometimes I would suggest something and they would be on board and at other times would not. The same thing happened

with me as they threw ideas out. In the end we could see that some things I suggested worked and some didn't; some of the ideas they suggested worked and some didn't. I think the finished product really suits them. It's definantly my best project yet." To hear the latest project that Ratliff has completed, you can go to the Flying Colours Facebook page and click the link to their Bandcamp page.

So far for 2013, Ratliff has two projects lined up, one with Brent Foley and one with his roommates worship team. His studio has also now been moved to part of a church that is across form the Jellico City High School. Bird says, “I wish we would’ve had more time to work with him. He’s grown a lot as a producer since then. We were the guinea pigs and I felt like he did a great job with the time he had. Jordan Infield of OH! Divide said this about his experience with Ratliff, “My experience working with Brett was exciting, enjoyable, and professional.”

What I Learned from Catalyst One Day

BY SOLOMON WHITAKER Staff Writer

I sat in my seat, enthralled by what I was hearing. The church sanctuary looked more like an auditorium than the churches I had been in. The thousand-plus seats were filled to the brim. The stage was huge and had the instruments of the band set up on it. Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point church in Georgia, sat on his chair beside his little table; any time I’ve ever seen Andy Stanley, he always had that chair and table. If I was going to have to teach for 45 minutes or more, I would too.

"Do not confuse giftedness with anointing," he said in his smooth voice. There is so much truth in that statement. What he had been talking about is how in the church we think that there are only a few people who are anointed to preach, teach, and lead "worship."

The truth is that pastors and teachers are just gifted at speaking and teaching. "Worship" leaders are gifted at playing music and leading other musicians. (The reason I put worship in quotes is that we also have the idea that worship is just music when it is really everything we do.) Anointing on the other hand is something that every Christian receives once they make Jesus leader of their lives.

Just like a king was anointed as king in ancient times, we are anointed sons and daughters of God. The inherent danger in this belief is it makes the pastor, teacher, or "worship" leader above everyone else and this is not good leadership. Even though I woken up

at 5:30 a.m. and this was the second session out of four, needless to say I was enveloped.

Catalyst One Day in Lexington, Kentucky started at 9 a.m. and went until 5 p.m.

There were four sessions in which the High Point Worship Band performed followed by a message from Andy Stanley and/or Craig Groeschel. For lunch, the other 25 UC students, five professors, and I got to enjoy Chick-Fil-A. In session three, Craig Groeschel talked about creating a "Culture of Self-Awareness." What he was talking about is that it is easy to be self-deceived. In this culture everyone claps for you and pats your back, even if you were terrible at what you did. They'll tell you "great job."

Therefore, we might think we're good at something and really aren't. A"Culture of Self-Awareness" is basically allowing your working environment to be honest; this is from the perspective of a leader because it was a leadership conference. Through having this, people can be comfortable to give corrections and help each other get better at the things we are not good at. All in all, Catalyst One Day was awesome and I learned a lot on that day.

BY HALEY DAVIS Staff Writer

Hallways with No Windows

Patience. That’s a virtue I rarely have. Even when I get close to owning the wait-itout walk, I’m left in debt to my sinful, slaving self, irritated that things aren’t my way and irritated that I’m irritated about things going my way. Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense to me either.

But seriously. Anybody know anyone who has patience? Like, maybe for a split second, but frankly, I don’t think humans are very patient people in general. Why do we long so much? Why are we aching at night?

Why are our emotions borderline bipolar when we stand in a simple line? Complicated questions, but there has to be an answer somewhere.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”

Romans 8:22-24 NIV.

Moments like right now all I want to do is sigh. Am I content with where I am in my life? To a degree, of course; I have an amazing family, gracious friends, outstanding mentors, uplifting church families, and plenty more. But what about where I dwell spiritually? Eh, I could have more. Couldn’t we all?

Sometimes, I just want the door to open. I just want the semester to end, summer to end and to be a graduate. Anyone feel me there? We all get in those moods. Even though I

know I’m not ready for the future, sometimes I just get sick of waiting in the hall with no answers and no encouragement.

I at least want to know what I’m doing is going to be worth it, since I center my life around myself so much anyway. But, when you are in that hallway between your dreams and your reality, you build the best spiritual muscles. Faith really takes place in the hallway where there’s no windows and no eyes watching. Where you find yourself broken, hungry, tired, and lost. You come face to face with your need for a glory-driven grace. Beat the wall all you want – lessons are best learned through these tough challenges, rough experiences, and hard circumstances.

“I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalm 130:5 NIV.

I’m not saying the walk is outrageous, but the walk is not alone. Even when you feel alone, you’re not. Even when you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s purpose. Even when you’re afraid to take a wrong step, God’s there. Patience is a stage we all must walk through, crawl through, and endure through. With God, all things are possible… and this includes those moments when someone was obviously praying patience for you. Whether you’re in a dry spell or a flooded storm, God is right there, and he has not and never will leave or forsake you. So knit while you wait. Sing while you sit. Learn while you can, and just remember that God has not left you. God has not forgotten you. A window or a door will come open soon. You just keep praying, following and obeying.

That funny thing: Time

BY TIMOTHY WYATT Assistant Editor

Time is a funny thing, but it is more of a concept than an actual thing. What is even funnier than time itself though, is how different individuals treat and use it. Some of us squander it. Some of us cherish it. Some of us don’t have enough of it.

The real problem with time is that it doesn’t wait for you. It doesn’t take a break to let you figure out who you want to be or what you want to do with your life. Even worse is that it only moves faster as you get older. Remember how long summer break felt in elementary school? Remember how it wasn’t quite as long in high

school? Now, in college, it is almost nonexistent, right? No one sped up the clocks. There is a lesson that comes with the understanding of time. And it’s that it doesn’t last forever.

True, maybe it goes on infinitely, then again, maybe it doesn’t. Who knows? One thing is for certain: our time is finite, fragile, fleeting.

I’m reminded of an excerpt from William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury.” Afather is going through the generational rite of handing down a watch to his son. As he does so, he says, “I give it to you not that you may remem-

ber time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment, and not spend all your breath trying to conquer it.”

And that is what so many of us try our best to do: conquer time. Time conquers all. It is a gift and a curse. Regardless of what it is that you want to do, just do it. Do something. Do anything. Start right now. This moment is the one that could define the rest of your life. Not to be cliché, but time really is of the essence. Make the most of it.

The Chromebook –The Laptop Takes to the Skies

BY CALEB VANDER ARK Staff Writer

Asubstantial trend in computing over the past several years is the introduction of the ominous “Cloud.” Not the big, puffy, sheeplike objects in the sky that are most definitely made of cotton candy; rather, it is the term attached to data stored and streamed via the Internet. Some basic examples of cloudbased services are: Internet-based email applications, video streaming sites, social media, and music streaming sites. All of these services utilize data that is stored remotely on a server far, far away.

As Internet speeds have grown exponentially over the past decade, so have offerings of cloud-based applications. Since speeds are higher, larger files and commands can be transported with greater ease and efficiency. The opportunities brought on by this rapid increase in technology are virtually limitless. One such opportunity is the rise of Google’s Chrome Operating System; it transforms the way operating systems handle data. This operating system is the core of Google’s first attempt at the laptop market: The Chromebook.

The fundamental premise behind the Chromebook is integration with the cloud. The system runs everything from the Chrome Internet browser. It is simple, minimalistic, and quick – startup times clock in at less than 10 seconds. All applications and programs are run through the Chrome browser. They are distributed through the Chrome web

store, which features thousands of apps –both free apps and paid apps, many of which are similar to common tablet and smartphone apps.

These include the various Google apps such as Google Docs, calendar, and more. The browser itself can be kept in sync with all of your other devices that run Chrome, such as desktops, other laptops, and smartphones. Thus, whatever apps and bookmarks you have on your Chromebook will be synced across all of your devices. Each of the four models offered comes with a free 2-year subscription to Google Drive with 100 GB of storage space. This allows you to access any of your documents or photos stored on your Chromebook from any other device in the world with an Internet connection (for more on Google Drive, see the corresponding article).

Obviously, the Chromebook relies on an Internet connection for the best experience. However, it also is able to work offline with most of its apps. Any work you do on documents or photos offline will be automatically synced with the online versions once the device is reconnected to the Internet. Chromebooks are available at many retailers, and start at $199. For the price, it is a wellrounded and solid machine, provided you can do everything you want through an Internet

Google Drive – Never Forget to Bring Your Homework Again

BY CALEB VANDER ARK Staff Writer

We have all had it happen. You’re halfway to class when you realize that you left your 24-page paper back on your desk. Not only that, but your flash drive is in your other jeans. Oops. Thankfully, new technology has made it possible for your precious hard work to be never more than a click away.

The wide-spread adoption of Cloudbased technology has given rise to a slew of Internet storage programs designed to make your work accessible from any computer, anywhere. Offerings such as Microsoft’s Skydrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox offer free entry-level storage that is perfect for storing all of your documents and presentations.

Each of these programs allows you to download an application that exists as a folder on your computer. Anything you save to that folder will automatically be uploaded to the Internet, where you can access it from any device with an Internet connection; all you have to do is go to the website of whichever program you’re using, sign in, and voila! All of your files in that folder are within reach. You can also create subfolders to better manage your files as well.

The benefits of signing up for one of the aforementioned programs are immense. If your computer dies, your work is safely backed up in the cloud. If you need to access

a presentation on your desktop from your tablet or laptop, all you need is an internet connection. I personally use all three of the programs mentioned above, but typically use Google Drive as I run everything else through my Google account anyway. It is also a good idea to download the folder application to all of your devices. In my case, I have folders on both my laptop and desktop so that both devices have physical copies of my documents and other files.

Try it for yourself! Google offers 5 GB of free space, Microsoft offers 7 GB (plus more if you buy Office 2013), Dropbox offers 2 GB, but you can refer friends to Dropbox and pick up an additional .5 GB for each one that signs up.

Previously in The Experimental War...

Ashaan, the leader of the human colony on Planet 20, and Shinzar, the leader of the alien colony on Planet 20, led their troops into a battle against each other. Ashaan had a memory of an interrogation in which he learned that both colonies were warring pawns in a plan of genocide for the aliens, for they could not remember anything before a week earlier. Soon, Ashaan found himself no longer the leader of the troop and questioning the leaders of the colony, the white coats. Later that night, Ashaan found out that the white coats were involved in the plan, and after breaking

into one of their buildings he discovered that they had built a “bio bomb” to destroy the aliens and were releasing it the next day. The hero was caught and chained on a platform under the building by the evil Dr. Kingard, who had helped in his mind wipe. Ashaan was left to die.

Shinzar stood perfectly still behind the green foliage, his eye on a furred, pig-like creature not ten yards in front of him. Bending down on his legs, he whispered into the ear of a smaller, green, lizard-like creature, his son Prockar. "Bring the rifle firm against your shoulder, breath in, pull back the

trigger, breath out." Prockar pulled the trigger and breathed out, the laser blast shot out and nailed the creature.

"Wow dad, did you see that, I can't believe I just did that," Prockar exclaimed. Shinzar smiled down at his son.

"Yes Prockar, that was a great shot. Now, go bring it in and we'll get to eating," replied Shinzar with a very proud voice. Shinzana, Shinzar's wife, looked up out of the water pool and smiled at her husband. "He's learning quick. I just hope he don't have to face the humans anytime soon," remarked Shinzar, knowing the statement behind Shinzana's eyes.

"He's got a great teacher. He'll survive if the time ever comes," she replied. Shinzar felt confidence rise up in his heart again.

"Hey dad, here's the..." Prockar was saying when laser blasts were heard. Since they were on the southern edge of their colony, the family quickly made their way into the center of the colony, where they found many of the other Lizards hiding behind objects, rifles up and firing at a troop of humans that were hiding behind the trees and foliage.

"Quickly, get back to the hut," yelled Shinzar to his family, quickly getting the rifle from his son. His family quickly made their way back and Shinzar took his place on the backside of an abandoned hut, firing at will into the trees.

In the trees, the humans kept the laser blasts flying. Every now and then an alien Lizard would be hit, but that was not the focus of this attack. It was a distraction to keep the Lizards occupied while the bio bomb was being assembled, the men in front protection for it; the bio bomb came in pieces because once it was fully assembled it would detonate in ten seconds. The end to this war was near and with every piece assembled, that end drew nearer.

Ashaan sat with his knees under him and his arms held up by the restraints. It had been hours since Dr. Kingard had walked away, his plans to wipe out the Lizards on Planet 20 close to fruition. Ashaan couldn't believe this was going to happen and all he could do was sit here. Acreaking noise echoed through the underground chamber and he saw the door on the opposite side of the room slowly starting to open. The figure of a man started walking toward Ashaan and all he could think was this was Dr. Kingard coming to tell him that all the Lizards on Planet 20 were wiped out.

As the man got into the light, Ashaan immediately saw that this was not the case, for a man dressed in camouflage stood in front of him. His face had recently been clean-shaven, but the hair had been growing, so he knew he wasn't one of the white coats. "Major Towers, is that you," he asked. Immediately, Ashaan started to remember this man.

"Shane, Shane Hibird, what are you doing here," replied Ashaan with another question. The man looked stunned at hearing his name. "So you are remembering, I couldn't tell, but something in my gut told me you were,"

replied Shane in exasperation. He went over to Ashaan, pulled out a laser pistol, shot off the restraints, and helped him up.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? Now, I know it must be a shock seeing me like this, but what exactly is going on here. I know that I've been mind wiped, something's going on with Planet 17, and they're wanting to wipe out the Lizards, but what does this have to do with me?" asked Ashaan, the feeling of finally getting the full picture flooding through his body. Shane's face turned downcast.

"Well, I see not everything has returned. Your name is Rick Towers and you were in the Marines. The invention of Hyper Drive has given us the ability to travel galaxies at very quick speeds. It came at the right time, because Earth's population was overrunning and we needed somewhere to start a new colony. So, all of the nations sent ships out to find a planet identical to Earth. Planet 17 is that planet; the only problem is that the planet is home to over one million of the aliens we call Lizards. So our leaders, in their arrogance, have decided that we are more important than that species.

So, they developed a plan to ‘mind wipe’ a group of physically fit humans and pit them against a group of the Lizards, like it was an experiment. We were against this action, but we knew we had to act quietly, but they came to you and wanted you to lead the operation. You resisted, so they gave you the mind wipe and fabricated a new existence for your mind. This planet, Planet 20, is where they decided to carry out the plan of pitting the two sides against each other. I snuck onto the delivery ship that brought you here and have been waiting for the opportune moment," explained Shane.

"Thank you my friend, you have given me my name back and given me hope that we could actually win. Now, let's finish this,"

exclaimed Ashaan as he put his hand on Shane's shoulder. They quickly turned towards the exit door and made their way to the second metal building where the white coats lived.

At the Lizards camp the battle was still going on intensely. Shinzar looked around to see only a few Lizards still standing. They were not made for this kind of fighting. All that mattered to him was that his family was kept safe, so he kept firing into the trees.

Hidden in the foliage of the jungle, the humans continued the onslaught. "I hope that bomb is almost complete because we're losing men up here," yelled Bachee, the leader of the troop, in a frustrated tone. One of the two men assembling the bomb put in the final piece and the top of the metal orb glowed blue. It was activated.

"It's ready sir, do want me to deploy it now," retorted the man who put in the last piece. Bachee looked back and gave him a death stare.

"Yes, you idiot, activate it," yelled back Bachee. The man pushed the blue button and a green gas was forced into a mile radius through an explosion. The humans watched in victory as the Lizards tumbled to the ground. The gas was designed to only kill the Lizards and not harm humans. After a few seconds, the human troops went and checked the Lizard colony.

There were no survivors.

As Ashaan and Shane sneakily made it to the entrance to the second metal building, there was an explosion to the south. They quickly turned to see a gas cloud in the sky. They've done it," whispered Shane. Ashaan's heart sank and with a quick turn he shot the handle off the door, kicking it open. They both walked in, made it to the main quarters where the white coats lived, and pointed their guns at them. They all stared in shock at their intruders.

"So, you've come to take vengeance for those creatures, how touching," sneered Dr. Kingard and then he took a run towards Ashaan. Shane raised up his pistol but was blocked by a guard who tried to take the laser pistol from him. As Dr. Kingard hit Ashaan, they both went flying back into a glass table that shattered. Dr. Kingard was on top and he started beating Ashaan's face.

"This is the end of the road for you," Dr. Kingard sneered in triumph.

Having gotten satisfaction from beating Ashaan's face, Dr. Kingard put his hands around Ashaan's throat to finish the job. Shane, although in a chokehold, saw his laser pistol on the floor and kicked it to Ashaan. Ashaan grabbed the laser pistol and shot Dr. Kingard in the heart. He quickly slumped off of Ashaan. As Ashaan looked around at the other white coats, whom quickkly surrendered; a humming sound and voice came from the communications device across the room.

The voice said, "Captain Mills to Dr. Kingard, I hope that bio bomb of yours has killed those aliens because if not I'm going to replace you." Ashaan ran over to the device and picked up the transmitter piece, pushing the talk button as he did.

"Dr. Kingard will not be replying to your message, Captain Mills. This is Major Rick Towers, one of the people you mind wiped for your purposes. You are guilty of the murder of both aliens and humans, along with being involved in the process of genocide against a sentient race. If this is what we've become, I want out. If you want a war, you've got one," replied Ashaan to the voice. He dropped the transmitter piece and went to find his wife and son.

The End?

BY RYAN POYNTER Staff Writer

Summer is approaching quickly, and with it comes a fresh set of opportunities for college students. Some of us will be looking to spend the time between May and August on vacation, with our feet planted firmly in the contours of sand around the ocean or our bodies positioned comfortably in a lounger between two trees with an easy-to-read book. For others, though, the downtime that comes after finals week in May will serve only as a transition period into a different kind of work. But there, we’re not looking to earn good grades or other academic accolades – we’re laboring for cold, hard cash. Dollar bills. Cheddar. And we’re willing to do some pretty odd things to earn it.

“I spent three summers in college bottling Coke products by hand,” said Dr. Tom Frazier, English department chair at the University of the Cumberlands. “It was dur-

Job Days of Summer

ing the summers of ’67, ’68, and ’69. I made minimum wage at the time, which was $1.65 an hour.” Frazier said that he was working to have money to spend throughout his semesters at Cumberland. He often got “threatened to be fired,” he said, for trying to make the job more fun by doing things like cranking the bottling machinery far past its intended threshold to see how fast they could bottle.

“That job is the reason I’ll never drink a Coke out of a glass bottle anymore,” Frazier said. “The bottles that got recycled were nasty. And the soap we used on ‘em would eat through the leather on your boot if you dropped any.” Coke bottling is done almost exclusively by machine now, so it’s a good thing Frazier has since found a new way to occupy his summers.

Caleb Vander Ark, a junior political science major at UC, also spent some time

working in a unique summer position.

“In the summer of 2010, I was hired to be a part-time field representative on the reelection campaign of United States Congressman Fred Upton,” he said. “I oversaw ground operations for five counties along with a team of four other staff members.”

Vander Ark worked in this position for two summers – in 2010 and again in 2012 –and it provided him some interesting opportunities.

“One of my favorite roles was acting as support staff at fundraisers,” said Vander Ark. “I got to smile and wave at people who were paying $200 each to be there while I was getting paid to eat fine food. It was a good life.” But his job wasn’t without struggles. “It's very stressful work, as I was required to always keep my composure and speak tactfully around constituents,” he said. “You

never know when a reporter is going to be around.”

Summer means different things to different people. Some of us will be working typical, nothing-out-of-the-ordinary jobs, some of us will be working exciting or unique jobs, and others of us will be working hard to avoid working at all. But no matter the case, summer is a break from college life – it’s a chance for students to rest and recharge for their remaining semesters, and that’s true for everyone, whether they’re on the beach, in the woods, or in the workplace.

BY BRANDY NORMAN Staff Writer

WEIGHT a minute, a Pinterest obsession

If you’re a female, you know the pains of trying to maintain a certain body image for the American eye. Even if you aren’t willing to admit it, you diet and you work out to feel a sense of accomplishment and to build your confidence. Not always to be “perfect” but to be healthy. Even if you don’t do those things, you’ve probably struggled with self-esteem at some point. Why? Because you’re a woman and Victoria’s Secret makes you feel ashamed of your curves! The media, fashion, and websites create an expected body image and one of those sites is Pinterest.

Pinterest is one website that women are crazy about right now. Besides the fact that most females are obsessed with “pinning” new clothes onto their boards and creating their perfect virtual wedding, there is also another category that gets a lot of attention: the fitness and health category. If you are familiar with Pinterest, you know what I’m talking about. If you aren’t familiar, then just know that the site is plastered with beautiful women with amazing bodies-most likely perfected by Photoshop. What does that say about America and what does that do to the average female?

“I do actually look at Pinterest especially when I need some extra motivation. I see the women on there and think if they can look like that so can I. But it is discouraging at the

same time. It's seems like the harder I work at looking that way the further away I am,” said UC senior Jaimie Bengie.

She’s not the only one who feels that way and, in fact, you’re surrounded by girls at UC who feel the same way you do.

“I will admit that I have never had that perfect body that Pinterest throws around. It does affect me, however. Just looking at a couple of photos makes me feel guilty for not eating lettuce for 354 days in a row. Maybe if I was more active they would encourage rather than make me feel guilty. Whoops!” said UC junior Joy Coleman.

It’s not just always college girls though and it’s not always high school either. Body image affects everyone, every gender and every age.

“I was with my middle school group at my church last Christmas break and they were singing and dancing. One girl, who is easily less than 100 pounds, wasn’t participating. One sponsor embarrassed her by making her join in. She was still so angry and asked through gritted teeth, “Did you see what she wanted me to do? Clap my hands! What if everyone saw my arms jiggling! Why would she do that to me?” Tears filled her eyes and that is when I realized we had a bigger problem in our society than people care to admit,’said Coleman.

“It was so bad in my school that if you were overweight, people made fun of the way you looked every day,” said UC junior Corrine Jackson.

It’s true. Women are starting to care more and more about the way they look and some will do just about anything to become what they are surrounded by in society. Many websites have banned accounts who promote eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and the use of laxatives to lose weight.

However, there are still many websites that we visit on a daily basis that are still enabling people to promote this idea of obsessing over your body. Pinterest included. So the question is, is the Pinterest “fitspiration” just as bad as pro anorexia and pro bulimia sites? Maybe, because regardless of what you’re doing in life, you should never obsess. It doesn’t matter if it’s an eating disorder or exercising, excessive amounts of it can cause health issues. So, why do so many users on Pinterest insist on promoting this obsession?

“I think Pinterest is not really unhealthy unless you make it that way. For me and some of my friends it is a good way to motivate us to work out, but to others it can make them hate their body so much that they become desperate to look like the girls in the photos,” said Jackson.

Pinterest can cause unrealistic goals and dreams for normal women and is consuming females everywhere. And it’s not just about fitness. Pinterest has caused this epidemic in America where women want to get married more than ever, paint their nails every day, cook on a daily basis and then go workout. It is discouraging when society expects average people to be super models.

Who is to blame for this? Do we hold each other to certain standards of weight and beauty or does the media? What came first? Honestly, it’s hard to say but if Photoshop and makeup were never created, would it matter what we looked like anymore? Pinterest is great for planning your wedding but not so great for confidence if you expect to look like the women on the site.

“To me, a perfect body image is overall feeling happy and confident in how I look. It, of course, also includes trying my best to take care of my body. I realize that I will never have a perfect body but as long as I ensure I am healthy and happy, everything else will take care of itself. I think the worst thing a person could do for their body image is compare themselves to someone else because as cliché as it sounds: you aren’t them, you’re you and your own unique person,” said UC junior Katelynn Hardin.

Let’s face it, sports are a big deal in American culture. Sure, not everyone cares about them (if that’s you, then go ahead and skip to the article about Justin Timberlake on page 17), but just as many as those who don’t, if not more, do. Myself? I fall into the latter category. Some may even say that I fall into the category of people that care too much; but who is really listening to those people anyway?

Usually, I’m quite the optimistic sports fan. The refs make a bad call? They will make up for it later. My team falls short in a close game? Eh, we will win the next one. But, with this being The Patriot’s last issue of the semester, I’ve decided to spill my last ounce of pent-up, wintery, acrimonious belligerence onto this page before we all leave to bask in the glorious warmth of the sun.

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Assistant Editor

•Alabama wins the BCS

What’s new, right?

•Ravens win the SuperBowl

(See my article on page 15.)

•The Miami Heat’s “almost” historic win-streak

Now, I may be the only person left in America who can still find the energy to hate on the Heat – and that’s cool – but I just can’t find it in me to like them. I fondly refer to this team as “the Yankees of basketball.” If you can just buy up talent, then you’re going to dominate. Considering the Heat’s roster, steamrolling through 27-straight opponents isn’t very impressive to me.

•Baylorwins the NIT

The National Invitational Tournament is set aside for the “better” teams that just miss the NCAAtourney. So congratulations, Baylor, for being the best-worst team in the country.

•FGCU makes it to the Sweet Sixteen

The first 15-seed to ever make it to the Sweet Sixteen! I have nothing bad to say here, I just wanted to include it. It’s a shame that “dunk city” couldn’t keep winning.

Welcome to “the Cynical Sports Guy.”

•Louisville wins the National Championship

You’ll have to excuse me for a moment while I gain some composure for this one…well, it was worth a shot. This is the most undeniably grotesque thing to happen to sports in a long time, and let me remind you that the Heat won the NBAFinals last year. Even if I could somehow get past the fact

that “Loserville” actually won it all, I refuse to look over how weak the college basketball spectrum was this year. And that “jump ball” in the waning minutes of the Final Four matchup against Wichita State was a crock. But… moving on, did anybody see that championship game? It looked like a couple of good — not great — high school teams battling it out.

Those were the two “best” teams in college hoops? Puh-lease.

Women’s swimming team makes a splash in Oklahoma City

BY TIMOTHY WYATT Staff Writer

Oklahoma City, Okla. was arecent destination for University of the Cumberlands’ men’s and women’sswimming teams as they traveled to compete in the 2012-13 NAIA National Championships on Feb. 27 through March 2.

The men’s team, overall, did well, bringing home a sixth place finish, the highest in seven years. But it was the women’s team who stole the show, placing third—tying the highest ranking ever by the UC women—and landing five swimmers on the All-American list, including Charlotte Parent, who won the National Championship in the women’s 200 IM with a time of 2:05.30.

Parent went into the race as the favorite,

but for her that wasn’t enough reassurance. Parent said, “It was a race that I wasn’t expecting to win. I mean, I came in as the first seed, but I knew that other people were going to be faster than me because, in season, you don’t always give your best, so I was really surprised.”

Head swimming coach Eric Skelly thought Parent’s win really rallied the team, saying, “It was a big win for us because it was only the second event for the women, so it really helped set up the points for us and we were able to hold off a lot of teams later on. It was very important for us to get that win on day one and just establish some momentum.”

Skelly also received Coach of the Year

honors at the National Championships. “It was a complete shock. I didn’t expect it.

We’re allowed to vote for ourselves and I didn’t even vote for me, but I recognize that the coaches in the NAIArecognize what we’re doing here at Cumberland,” said Skelly.

Recognition was received from more than just the other coaches in the conference.

Parent said she surprisingly received plenty of her own when she returned to campus.

“The thing that makes me the most happy is that I got recognition from a lot of people that I wasn’t expecting. Alot of people, when I came back to school, were like, ‘Wow. Congratulations. Good job.’I always knew my family would be proud of me, but having

that many people at school recognizing what I did is one of the most amazing things from this,” Parent said.

Running for the Pros

BY BRANDY NORMAN Staff Writer

For most college players, their athletic career ends on senior day. Getting to participate in an intercollegiate sport is a blessing within itself for aspiring athletes and for a few football players at UC, they are working on making their dreams a reality. UC junior Terrance Cobb has high hopes for the future and plans on doing whatever it takes to make it.

Many weeks ago, two NFLscouts came to UC’s campus to interview Cobb and several other players. They had Cobb do an evaluation of his college career up until the point he’s at right now as a junior.

“It was kind of like a job interview,” said Cobb.

On another day, the players ran for the scouts from the Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans. Cobb, a running back, ran

two 40-yard dashes in an impressive time. It also impressed the scouts who came all the way from other states to the small town of Williamsburg, Kentucky to get a look at these young men.

According to UC’s head football coach, John Bland, almost all of the juniors or soonto-be seniors got the chance to run for NFL scouts. For this team, the scout day was very important as this evaluation of the athletes is for the 2014 NFLdraft. With a total of 12 juniors who got the opportunity to try out in front of the scouts, Cobb did an outstanding job in comparison.

“They all ran well for the conditions of that day. It was 45 degrees and drizzling rain outside. Terrance Cobb and Willie Gibson ran exceptionally well and the scouts pretty much guaranteed that teams from the NFLwould

be making their way to Williamsburg to evaluate some more during the season,” said Coach Bland.

Cobb, a leader on the football field, is from Knoxville, Tennessee where he attended Fulton High School. Cobb started his football career as a child and has chased his dream through adulthood, as this time next year; he will be a senior with high hopes of making it to the NFL.

“It was a starting process of a long to journey to the NFL,” said Cobb. “This means a lot to me because I think it’s an honor to be able to get an opportunity to play pro football. I feel as if it’s something big for me but also something big for the school as well. It’s big for the kids coming up and the players that before me.”

The other juniors that tried out included:

Willie Gibson, FaQuan Calloun, Weston Hazlehurst, Adrian Hightower, Kel McCarter, Reggie Murray, Ryan Northcut, Nick Smith, Shane Turnipseed, Terrell Wlison and Mitchel Mascaro, whom according to Bland, all did an outstanding job.

BY TIMOTHY WYATT

Assistant Editor

In my opinion: Flacco’s payday spells mayday for Baltimore

Remember last offseason when Joe Flacco said he was an “elite” quarterback? OK, to be fair, it was his agent that said that. Instead, Flacco went on Baltimore’s WNST 1570 and said, “I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback. I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best.”

Joe Flacco? Elite? Bah. I scoffed at that comment for weeks. I scoffed at that comment for most of the season. To be honest, I scoffed at that comment all the way up to the Super Bowl. Then, of course, when the final seconds ticked off the clock in the MercedesBenz Superdome, it was the Ravens who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at midfield. The worst part of it though: Flacco was named the

MVPof the game. So, it seems as if my precognition skills are pretty poor at times, but don’t think that is going to stop me jumping the gun again.

More recently, Flacco signed a deal with the Ravens that made him not only the highest-paid QB in the league, but the highestpaid player…period. According to nfl.com, Flacco’s signature raked him in a little over $120 million over the next six years. All I can say is I hope his big paycheck with all those numbers on it makes him happy next season, because he sure won’t be finding that same solace in the win column. Sorry, Ravens fans. Let’s explore this for a minute. Prior to this year, Flacco’s nickname was “Fluke-O.” That isn’t a name you’re just given, you earn

it. Yeah, he has had some great games. Yeah, he has helped his team get to the playoffs all of his five years as a starter. Yeah, Baltimore has had plenty of good, solid wins with him at the helm, but it has also consistently had a good, solid defense to bail him out; which, speaking of, they just lost.

The NFLfree-agency-bonanza is always an interesting phenomenon, but, for Baltimore, it was even more so this year. We already knew this past season was legendary linebacker Ray Lewis’last hoorah before retirement—which was probably a bigger component to the Ravens’Super Bowl run than Flacco.

What we didn’t know was the amount of Super Bowl starters that would be purged

from the team’s roster this offseason. Amove that—aside from wide receiver Anquan Boldin (Flacco’s “go-to guy”)—devastated the defensive side of this team. By the time this editorial runs, the situation will probably be even worse.

Maybe I wouldn’t go as far to say that the Ravens won’t make the playoffs next season (though, I wouldn’t be surprised), but I will guarantee we won’t see them in the Super Bowl next year…or anytime in the foreseeable future. Thanks, “Fluke-O.”

BY CHLOE GU Staff Writer

“Life of Pi” must be the most beautiful and most thought-provoking movie of the year. It is a 3D live-action and computer-animated adventure drama film based on Yann Martel's 2001 novel of the same name.

Directed by Ang Lee, the film is based on an adapted screenplay by David Magee, starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Gérard Depardieu, Tabu and Adil Hussain. “Life of Pi” won four Oscars in 2013 for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Direction and Best Original Score.

It tells the story of a 16-year-old Indian boy named Pi, who survived a shipwreck that his family did not, and who finds himself stranded in the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

The story is told in a flashback style by

Life of Pi Review

the adult Pi who relates the tale to a Canadian writer who wants to use Pi’s tale for a book.

In the story, Pi and Richard encountered many marvels — a sky full of flying fish, an ocean swimming with iridescent jellyfish, and a carnivorous island. All these wonders and more are brought to the screen with dreamlike intensity. The lyricism and visual magnificence makes “Life of Pi” an experience you don’t want to miss, especially in 3D.

The dialogue in this movie gives some clues to pave the way for the following. Like Young Pi said, “Animals have souls, I have seen it in their eyes.” Pi’s father warned, “If you believe in everything, you will end up not believing in anything at all.” What is and isn’t real, what stories can be believed and

why, could be important themes of “Life of Pi.”

The music in this movie by Mychael Danna is amazing. It has about 30 different pieces music. At the beginning, audiences can feel a strong atmosphere by some smoothing Indian songs. Then, the melody become up and down when the fight scenes appear. Sometimes, some sad and quiet music makes the audience process the thought-provoking material.

When I was watching this movie, my mood was nervous all the time. It was undulating by the developing of the magical plots. However, Pi’s perseverance and the relationship between Pi and the tiger have touched me deeply.

In the end, it is the story that matters

most. When you get to the twist ending, it is up to you to make a decision as to what to believe. The surprising ending shocked me and kept me in deep thinking even after I went out the theatre.

People have rights to doubt all the beautiful things, or receive a cruel truth, but life is beautiful, and faith is great.

BY TIMOTHYWYATT Assistant Editor

After a seven-year hiatus, ’N Sync front-man turned solo-artist turned actor turned social media mogul, Justin Timberlake, has returned to the music scene. Well, it’s less of a return than it is a buzzing of the tower in an extraterrestrial vehicle that only seats two people.

Just think: the last time Timberlake released a full-length album, there wasn’t even such a thing as an iPhone. JT’s “The 20/20 Experience” successfully explores pop, rhythm and blues and soul music in such a way that is almost Prince-like at times and has generated almost as much hype as the yearly release of each new, butnot-so-different, version of the aforementioned phone.

Aquick skim through the 10-song-line-

Timberlake brings music back with ‘The 20/20 Experience’

up doesn’t do this album justice, and not just because there is only one track that falls under the five-minute mark. Each track is a world of its own—a journey. Make sure you can devote ample time to it before embarking.

But the extended length of “20/20,” occasionally, borders on self-indulgent. Most of the songs on this album could easily be cut at four or five minutes and be just as effective. Instead, several of them blow well past seven with repetitious, if not outplayed, rhythms and melodies. The upside though: at least they’re catchy.

It is obvious that Timberlake put a lot of time into this record (no pun intended). The production quality of the work, as a whole, is so polished that it’s nearly flawless with

JT’s vocal delivery just as pure and refined. “20/20” is also very dynamic. Tracks like “Mirrors” and “Tunnel Vision” are powerful, edgy; they get your heart racing—not to mention your subwoofer bouncing. “Spaceship Coupe” and “That Girl” are more lounge like, with the latter being so smooth that you just want to lie back and wade in the wave of the horns, bass, and jazz guitar while being carried away in a blissful trance by Timberlake’s voice. Then, there’s “Let the Groove Get In” that is sure to make many appearances on club’s loudspeakers, because you just can’t sit still when it comes on.

JT’s musical progression over the past decade is pretty obvious with “20/20” when compared to 2002’s “Justified”—heavily

influenced by rock with more than a handful of forgettable songs—and 2006s’ “FutureSex/LoveSounds”—just as many, if not more, forgettable tracks coupled with a contrived feeling of overindulgence. This record feels far more organic, more cathartic.

Another thing is clear in this album: it doesn’t matter what JTis saying, just as long as he is the one saying it. I mean, what does “with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul, I can tell you there’s no place we couldn’t go…” mean anyway? Who cares? It sounds good.

Two years in the spotlight have changed his starry-eyes.

BY ERIN MCMULLEN Staff Writer

Bruno Mars’sophomore album, “Unorthodox Jukebox,” is not for the romantic at heart. Unlike his freshman release “Doo-Wops and Hooligans,” there is bitter chill underlining his bad boy lyrics. His sweet melodies from his debut have gone sour. In 2010, hits like “Grenade” and “Just The Way You Are” gave the album a gushy, romantic quality. Mars’lyrics could have swept even the evil stepmother off her feet with songs like “Marry You”. This time around, he is trading his fedora for a bad boy persona. In songs like “Gorilla” and “Money Make Her Smile,” it is safe to say Mars’lyrics are of less than a classy taste. The album is appropriately named “Unorthodox Jukebox” because he is venturing from his traditional charismatic identity.

Despite his turn from endearing themes, the album still brings together the solid, well thought-out lyrics fans have come to love. In

“When I Was Your Man,” we might get a hint as to why he is singing to a different tune now. He outlines all of his wrongs in a relationship with an ex where he was “too young and too dumb to realize…all the things [he] should have done.”

Whether his lyrics are charming or icy, one thing is certain – Mars’lyrics are always honest. You can feel the changes that have occurred in his life through songs like “Young Girls,” which talks about how fame and fortune have taken a toll on him, saying,

“All these roads steer me wrong, but I still drive them all night long.” The authenticity of Bruno Mars’music is what keeps people wanting more and this album is no exception.

Playing Oz: Fake it until you make it

BY KRISTINA SMITH Staff Writer

Audiences across the nation will be raving about “The Great and Powerful Oz” for the next few months – and then it will disappear into film history. Worth the two hours and money spent, this Sam Raimi film captures both children and adults alike into the magical world of Oz where it seems truly anything (except high quality acting) can occur.

James Franco plays the role of Oz – a small-time magician with big-time ambitions and absurdly repetitive pick-up lines. After a brief suspenseful show run with the circus, Oz finds himself humorously fleeing for his life and through a twist and turn of events lands in the eye-catching area promptly labeled as Oz. From there, the film turns into an intriguing battle of emotions for Oz in which viewers are left wondering if he will leave his corrupt ways behind for a life as a “good man” in this mystical world.

The character of Oz is aptly developed and more than exceeds expectations for the film. However, the same cannot be said for Franco’s supporting actors. Mila Kunis plays the “Shrek” reminiscent, naïve, witch-monster Theodora whose performance was at times painful to watch. Michelle Williams looks stunning as the good witch Glinda who is awkwardly kind and smiling through three-

fourths of the film. Still yet, the good news is that those slight falters in acting are about as bad as the movie gets.

Opening in a crisp black and white shot with a shortened frame area, the film later turns into an explosion of color that engulfs the full movie screen. The animations and picture quality rivals that of “The Hobbit” which was so renowned for its clarity earlier in the year. I imagine that “Oz” would be wonderfully mind-numbing in IMAX theaters.

The film also has some nice modified tieins from the classic “Wizard of Oz”. There’s a hilarious monkey with wings in a bell hop uniform that follows Oz everywhere he goes. Finley the monkey looks strikingly like the old minion monkeys from “Wizard of Oz” but he is a lot nicer than they ever were. Of course “The Great and Powerful Oz” also couldn’t make it without a replication of the “Wizard of Oz” Emerald City. It’s just a little more believable and a little less sparkly than we’re all used to.

Overall, “The Great and Powerful Oz” is a fine and enjoyable way to pass a couple hours. By no means though is it worthy of an Oscar. “Oz” is pleasant, not remarkable. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t join Oz and leave Kansas for a while.

BY WHITLEY WEST

Staff Writer

Foals, the rising Oxford indie/math rock band, released their newest album Holy Fire on February 13, 2013. “I can’t get enough… SPACE!” yells Yannis Philippakis beginning the chorus of their song “Inhaler”. Well I can’t get enough… of this album!Out of the three albums they have released (Antidotes 2008, Total Life Forever 2010, and Holy Fire 2013) the latest definitely takes the cake.

Foals provides their listeners with lyrics that sometimes lack considerable importance, but make up for that with songs that progress with incredible momentum and loads intriguing undertones.

Antidotes was criticized for being too top

Review: Best Out of Three

heavy and lacking sound variety. They stepped up their game entirely with the release of Total Life Forever and even more successfully done in Holy Fire.

Holy Fire is a more balanced album that definitely shows the group’s versatility, with the dance rock track "My Number", the heavy and almost grunge-y track "Inhaler", and the slower and more personal track“Bad Habit” continuing the musical variety seen in their earlier album Total Life Forever. The ominous cover art for the album indicates darker and heavier music than seen in their previous albums.

Foals was originally formed as a way to

protest against the progressive sounds that were popular in Oxford at the time, so I’m impressed that they have successfully created a more diverse song selection in the two most recent albums without jeopardizing their signature funky sound and tight interplay.

It is safe to say this new variety will significantly increase their fan base, and maybe even spark the same interest in American pop culture as they undoubtedly did overseas, as Holy Fire reached the number one album spot in Australia.

If you listen to music that’ll make you dance until you drop or even slower, more serious tunes, then you’ll wear this album

out. Be sure to check out Holy Fire and enjoy!

The Spotlight Finalists: a Q-and-A

BY RYAN POYNTER

The first season of Spotlight here at the University of the Cumberlands has ended. The final votes have been cast, the last songs have been sung, and the winner, Jake McPheron, has been chosen. But let’s go back for a moment, if we may. Earlier this month, I sat down with our three finalists, Jake McPheron, Tyler Bird, and Hannah Roehrborn, before the Spotlight finale to ask them a few questions. Here are their comments about how they have struggled throughout the season and what they’ve learned from this experience.

Q: It’s been a long season. In what ways has participating in the Spotlight challenged you, and what have you learned from it?

Jake McPheron: Well, honestly it’s been interesting more than anything. I didn’t want to do it originally. I like to write my own music more than anything; it’s hard for me to get my songs chosen for me sometimes. Brad Pearce actually convinced me to do it. He had asked me a couple times and actually called me the last day of auditions… so, I went and made it and that is what made me do it. But yeah, it has been challenging… as far as working with duets

and stuff – I guess the most challenging thing was the judge’s pick day – I had to learn a song that I wasn’t familiar with and that was just challenging. But it’s been a great experience just meeting a lot of guys that I’ve never talked to before and just being recognized for it, you know? It’s just cool to know that I almost didn’t even do it and here I am in the top three.

TylerBird: I feel like it’s been challenging in the sense that – coming up with an arrangement, and finding a song that fit. Spiritually, just remaining humble and realizing that it isn’t about me [has been challenging]. It’s like… “Okay, you didn’t get this far because of your ability. God has allowed you to go this far.” It’s just been a humbling experience that way. And I’d say musically, it’s been challenging just trying to learn a new song, trying to learn all the lyrics, and find an interesting arrangement… This group was so awesome to work with and I think that’s what has made it such a good experience. Everybody was phenomenal and it was a really fun time.

Hannah Roehrborn: Okay, I think that… Challenge-wise, it has forced me to organize my time. This is my last semester on campus, I’m taking all of my capstone courses, and I’m extremely busy, but some-

how I still make it a priority to find songs, learn them – at least one song a week – and practice it and try to get it down as best I can. I’ve also learned that the world isn’t exactly fair… because there were a couple people on the show who I think should have made it into the finale who are at least better than me… I know the system has changed a lot since last year, but I don’t think it’s completely fair… but, what are you going to do? And I’ve learned that I shouldn’t dance on purpose. If I just start dancing, that’s one thing, but if I force stage presence and start dancing, I find that I look like a fool…

Q: What has been the most rewarding or yourfavorite part of participating?

Jake McPheron: The most rewarding part was that, when I went into this, I just talked to God to myself, you know, and just said, “I want to glorify you.” And so I auditioned with a Christian song – I didn’t have the opportunity to do a Christian song in any of the shows, but the judge’s pick song actually had some lyrics in it that were challenging on purpose. They said, “just praying to a god that I don’t believe in.” So, I got to actually be a witness by changing the lyrics and

saying, “just praying to the one god I believe in.” and that was the most rewarding, knowing I got challenged on a song and I still got to be a witness through this thing. I just want to be recognized by my talents for God, so that was just a good opportunity.

TylerBird: Oh man, there have been a lot of things that have stood out that were just really exciting and satisfying and enjoyable. Then like the friendships – I’m competing against two amazing artists and that’s been cool. Just the sense that, you know, the sense that God has given me a gift and allowed me to use it and people actually enjoy it somewhat.

Hannah Roehrborn: Financially, obviously, getting top three… because at least now I’m getting a little bit of money from it. And getting to know all of the people has been really great. I’ve gotten to know a bunch of new people in different groups. All the people that I’m friends with in Spotlight I met through Spotlight – I didn’t know them before, so that’s been great. And then, kind of just becoming a better performer. It just gives me the opportunity to perform all the time and get better at it.

Red Dawn Review

BY ABBEY CHERRY

We’ve all heard it before – “Why fix something that isn’t broken?” Running parallel with that statement is this one: “If something is broken, then it will be fixed.” At least, that was the intention of Dan Bradley’s 2012 remake of the 1984 teen-cult classic, “Red Dawn.”

In the clichéd plot line of rebel teens rising up to overcome a colossal adversary, Bradley holds true to good portion of the original film. However, viewers will be blindsided as he shoots to resolveas much as he could of the plot.

The action/adventure film stars up-andcoming actors Chris Hemsworth (“Thor”), Josh Peck (“Drake and Josh”), and Josh Hutcherson (“The Hunger Games”). Hemsworth and Peck portray the Eckert brothers, who lead what would appear to be –in reality – a bunch of meddling kids who should be riding around in the mystery van.

The brothers battle one another’s inner wars amongst the outer conflict of the invasion of North Korean soldiers.

With potential to hit the bull’s-eye for a great TVaction/drama show, the writers missed the mark by trying to overload the script. The viewers get to know four of the characters while all the others on-screen are in the background; the writers barely nicked the surface of developing those characters.

While the script may be poorly written, the fight scenes made up for the lack of character development. The cinematography in this film allows the audience to get in on the action, or at least believe they are for a moment in time.

Killer explosions may have been what dodged the bullet from turning “Red Dawn” into a “Bed Yawn.”

At 1 a.m. in a suite lobby inside Harth Hall, there’s a blaring sound of a TVbut there’s no TVin sight. While walking toward the door of the first room, you can hear that she is watching “Friends” and softly giggling by herself as Ross rambles about something no one understands. With a knock on her decorated door, Katie Osborne swings it open and shouts out at me in a very serious tone, “What if I was asleep?”

For most people, 1 a.m. is late so the shouting is understandable; but it’s not late for Katie Osborne and everyone knows that because she stays on Twitter until all hours of the night. As she laughs at my reaction, she plops on the bed while unraveling a piece of chocolate and stares at me.

“This is it, this is my room; this is where all the magic happens. And by magic, I mean this is where I put on my leggings before I go to class every morning,” she says with a serious face.

Osborne is a senior from Lexington, Kentucky. She is a double major in political

Katie Osborne: the Comedic Swimmer

BY BRANDY NORMAN Staff Writer

science and history and plans on attending law school after taking the LSATthis summer and spending a year off from the hustle and bustle to enjoy time as a post graduate. The political science and history department have influenced Osborne’s decision a lot in determining her future, as she admits that although it might be corny, she loves her professors and department.

Osborne is also a swimmer at UC and has dedicated all four years to a sport she loves and will miss dearly as well as being a senator for Student Government Association and confesses that she will miss helping out the school and community through the organization.

When asking Osborne how she felt about graduating in May, her face revealed sadness as she replied, “I’m actually kind of scared, honestly. I think a lot of people in this position are because it’s a month away and everything is just kind of coming down to it and I’m going to miss everybody.”

As she grabs her Mason jar to take a sip of water she adds, “And after I graduate, I can’t walk into my friend’s room and ask if I look stupid. So next year, I’m going to have to go out in public looking stupid and then have someone tell me.”

Osborne is known around campus as

someone who can make you laugh. With her big, golden-brown eyes and wide smile, she’s always the life of the party in any situation.

When asking UC junior Jessica Speake to explain their relationship she says while laughing, “My first impression of her is that she was really loud and open minded which I really love about her. We met my freshman year and she was in the suite next to me. We became close friends and lived together the next year.”

Osborne’s greatest quality, perhaps, is that she is an all-around nice and funny person, making her an awesome friend. Not only is she amusing, she’s also honest, dependable and kind. And if you don’t believe the honesty part, follow her on Twitter.

“Katie is always full of energy and is sure to make you laugh,” said UC senior Jaimie Bengie. “We lived together in a suite my junior year and she’s very honest and hilarious.”

While continuing to talk to Speake, she boasted about how great her friendship with Osborne is and how sad she’ll be when she’s gone. When asking Speake what three words came to her mind when she thought of Osborne, she chuckled and replied, “Mountain Dew, which only she would understand, naps, because we take one at the same time every day and swimming because

I never knew anything about swimming until I met her.”

Everyone seems to have a mutual agreement that Osborne is somewhat of the class clown among their group of friends but what is her take on it? Conveniently enough, she answers that question without even being asked.

“I know people will probably think the things I have said are stupid but hopefully they just think I’m funny and get a good laugh out of it,” she says while checking her phone.

After she finally mutes the blasting TV and we regain our hearing, we discuss this profile over laughter and Dove milk chocolate.

“I can’t believe you’re really writing about me. I’m going to send that article home to my mom and she’ll be like ‘Why would someone write about you?’and I’ll say ‘Because mom, I have friends. Well, not really but I have one friend and she wrote about me so don’t worry about it!” as she laughs at herself hysterically. “I’m going to be famous after this, except not really.”

SENIORPROFILE: Kristen Keller

Naturally clad with a smile, she walks me to her suite’s lobby. Everything about her seems down to earth and easy going – right down to her fuzzy, purple slippers. While sporting a t-shirt and gym shorts, every hair still looks in place.

Kristen Keller seems to be everywhere on campus. She is a resident director in Asher Hall and a student life assistant in Archer. She still finds time for extracurricular activities such as Chamber Choir. She attends Main Street Baptist Church where she also sings. It is no surprise that someone so involved at the University of the Cumberlands was chosen as the representative for this year’s Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival.

“I am not a pageant girl,” says Keller about herself. “I was like, ‘Oh it will be fun to do the interview and stuff,’but I never expected to actually get it,” she adds. The Indiana native says that she is most excited for the overall experience. “There are a lot of

BY ERIN MCMULLEN Staff Writer

things I’m never going to be able to do again, like I’m never going to be able to ride in the back of a car with a derby hat on during a parade,” she states.

The annual festival will start on May 23 in Pineville, Kentucky. The festival has a coronation of a queen each year, chosen from a group of representatives from colleges all over Kentucky. The 20-year-old student was nominated along with other representatives to attend a reception held by a committee that would make the final choice. This committee included Linda Carter, UC dean of student life and Lisa Bartram, director of student activities.

“She will make a great representative for our school,” close friend Auburn Debruler says. “She is a classy girl,” Debruler adds. Class is not all Keller will need for the festival. Each representative is chosen based on merit, involvement, and certain academic requirements. Keller easily fulfills all of these and more. Not only does she look good on paper, but she also has a good heart.

Back home in Greenville, Ind. Keller attends Graceland Baptist Church where she is involved in a worship group. “It’s one of

the most important things in my life; it’s always been a part of me,” Keller says of her involvement in church. “Ever since I knew what it actually meant, a personal relationship with Christ has always been number one to me,” she adds.

The psychology major hopes to one-day work in pediatric therapy. This past summer Keller had the opportunity to work with Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville. Through Kosair’s, she was able to help with a handwriting camp for kids. Her love for kids will come in use during the festival when the representatives help with the Little Miss Kentucky Mountain Laurel Pageant.

Fellow chamber choir member Bethany Sturdivant says, “She is really easy to be around and easy to talk to. Kristin comes from a beautiful supportive Christian home with fabulous morals and she has just been raised really well. She will represent our school in an elegant way.”

Keller will be trading in her purple slippers for a pair of high heels for the festival. On Memorial Day weekend, women from all different universities from across Kentucky will arrive in Pineville for the festival. On

Thursday, there is an introduction ceremony and a concert that night. On Friday morning, there is a training session, a picnic, a tea, and a parade. On Saturday, the queen, chosen by secret judges, will be crowned. Finally, on Sunday, there will be a brunch to celebrate the queen.

While her preparations for the festival are in full swing, she is getting a little taste of the newness of the experience. Her latest venture of curtsey lessons was definitely something fresh and exciting for Keller. “It’s something incredibly new for me,” she adds. She smiles the biggest grin when she shares that she will be shopping for her dresses for the festival this weekend.

There is no doubt that Kristin Keller will be a fabulous representative for the University of the Cumberlands for the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival. She is classy and elegant, yet somehow manages to be down to earth and make everyone around her feel at ease.

BY TMOTHY WYATT

Assistant Editor

Abrunette woman sits in a lounge chair toying at the keys of her laptop. The room around her is quiet and cramped, with the only sounds being the faint voices of children coming from outside the room and the subtle tapping of her keyboard as she types. She looks content in her surroundings—comfortable. Her black, thick-rimmed glasses showcase her brown-eyed gaze as they reflect the soft light of the computer screen. In an instant, she closes the laptop lid and reaches to the floor for a McCafé cup. “Are you ready to get this over with?” she says to me laughingly.

Elise Brewer, originally from Holtville, Calif., is a human services major in her final semester at University of the Cumberlands. To those who don’t know her, she may come off as reserved, but then again, those people don’t know her. Actually, she is far more outgoing.

“She’s very happy and comforting. She can put me in the best mood so easily,” says

SENIORPROFILE: Elise Brewer

close friend Jamie Wolfe.

But it is undeniable that Elise’s forte isn’t talking about herself. She spends much of the interview playing with the lid of her coffee cup, clicking the flap opening in and out of a little notch on the top. Finally, she thinks of a word that she feels best describes herself: “different.”

Why? Because Elise truly has a melting pot heritage, with roots that lie here in Appalachia and others that are anchored south of the border. “I’m related to Cesar Chavez,” she states in a very off-the-cuff manner. My laughter arouses her defense. “No, really. We get invitations to the family reunion.” Avery comical, light-hearted debate soon ensues. One that is only ended by her phoning her mother to confirm the story. Apparently, they have t-shirts to prove it.

As the interview furthered, Elise started to look more and more like the person she was before it started—the one who

seemed very comfortable—and began to open up more.

“I have an obsession with reality-TV,” says Elise when asked to share something most people wouldn’t know about her, “I love the ‘Real Housewives’series. I could tell you what is happening in every single season because I watch it so much.” Wolfe speaks to that, teasingly saying, “‘Toddlers and Tiaras’ is probably one of her top-five shows.”

“Oh, something else no one really knows: I love playing badminton,” states Elise with a coy smirk, “Seriously, if they had a badminton team here I would be on it.”

What sets her apart though, isn’t her supposed relation to a famous civil rights activist or her badminton fetish or even her questionable obsession with reality-TV, it is her passion to help children.

“I’ve always liked kids, but I really knew that I wanted to work with them after my niece was born because I really enjoyed spending time with her and working with her

and trying to teach her new things.” she says with a smile, “I love all kids. If you brought some in here right now I would just try to color with them or play with them. I think they’re fascinating. They’re whole learning process and the way they think is so interesting.”

After graduation, Elise plans to be doing an internship with the Boys and Girls Club in Tempe, Ariz. working with at-risk children in Phoenix.

“Instead of going home after school and taking care of themselves, these children can come to a program like the Boys and Girls Club and do activities and other stuff that helps their learning, social skills and stuff like that. I will be doing after-school programs and day camps and working with students from Arizona State University.”

With a sense of humility, Elise says, “I think if I can make a difference in any kid’s life, as far as, like, helping them in any way, I will really enjoy it.”

A missionary in Uganda

BY KRISTINA SMITH

Staff Writer

Elephants may have chased University of the Cumberlands senior Abbey Cherry through the Ugandan savannah, but Cherry is in pursuit of something much larger.

“I actually got caught in a herd of elephants. I was within twenty feet of five or six elephants and they started stampeding towards our van. Our driver, Andrew, told us that when elephants start to warn you they will flap their ears at you and they will lift their trunks and kick up dust at you. When they started doing all of that, Andrew said we had to get out of there. We gunned it and they then came chasing after us,” Cherry said. In the summer of 2012, Cherry left her home in Cincinnati, Ohio, to live among the people of Uganda, Africa. For two weeks Cherry roamed Uganda with a carefully selected group of missionaries. However, the trip wasn’t without its fair share of trials and tribulations.

Since she was in middle school Cherry has participated in local missionary work through her church, but until her trip to Uganda she had never been involved in a project so large. It would take her months of preparation before she could even go.

Funds had to be gathered, paperwork had to be filed, shots had to be administered, and prayers had to be spoken.

Despite having a laugh that would loudly resonate through a room, Cherry acknowledges the fact that picking up and traveling to

Uganda would be no laughing matter for her. Cherry also had to face a giant that none of her fellow missionaries had to deal with: diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes as of 2011. Still yet, it is possible for most of that 8.3 percent of the population to access the healthcare and education needed to maintain their diabetes. In Uganda, that’s a different story.

“I had packed more medical supplies with me than a whole village in Uganda might even have. They had some needles at their hospital, but not much. While in Uganda my insulin also had to stay cold. So, we even had to rent a generator just to keep my insulin cold because for a whole week we were without electricity. I had to really learn how to deal with my diabetes in a general sense,” Cherry said while squinting behind her dark rimmed glasses.

Cherry’s courage to continue on with the mission trip despite possible danger to her health proved to be an inspiration to those around her. Michelle Pratt traveled to Uganda with Cherry and was one of those people awed by Cherry’s work.

“Abbey sacrifices and gives up so much for God. She has Type 1 diabetes and going to Africa and having Type 1 diabetes is not the best mix. So she risked a lot traveling to

Uganda, but she knew that winning people for the Kingdom was more than worth it. It’s so hot there and there isn’t much electricity. To keep insulin cool is a hard thing to do,” Pratt said.

Despite the difficulties, Cherry knew that traveling to Uganda was the right thing for her to do. Bright eyed with rosy cheeks, Cherry beams with excitement when speaking of doing missionary work.

“I had thought about going to Uganda for years. One of my best friends here at school, Julie, had talked to me about her family doing it all the time and it just sounded awesome. I had to just really pray about it, and then some missionaries who came to campus for worship started talking about going to Uganda. I found it really random that they would speak about the place that I had been thinking about so I took it as God talking to me. As soon as we left worship that night I called my mom and told her I knew I had to go,” Cherry said. For Cherry’s friend of three years, Julie Paris, the question of Cherry’s fit into the missionary team was a no-brainer.

“One of the reasons I knew that she’d be great for the trip is because she is a natural leader. She has had experience with Appalachian Ministries and leading things like Vacation Bible Schools. While she was in Africa, I knew she would be working with children and could implement those same strategies. Her experience and her passion for

ministry made her an excellent asset to the team,” Paris said.

Most of all, Cherry is a firm believer in the idea of putting others before yourself. Constantly active on campus, it’s not unusual to hear of her taking a moment to help the Campus Activity Board with an event or of her assisting youth camps with Appalachian Ministries.

“I’ve been involved in church my whole life. If you look at Jesus and his life, his call here to earth, then you see he was a servant,” Cherry said, “so I definitely believe I need to have a servant’s heart. Giving back to people and being able to share about Jesus is so awesome. Also, being able to give back to kids is an amazing feeling. I still have pictures up in my room of all the kids I met while in Africa.”

Cherry dreams of going back to Uganda some day with an agenda bigger than the herd of elephants that tried to run her down during her first visit. Atopic close to her heart, Cherry knows the importance of proper medical care when sickness arrives. She hopes to bring a medical team to the villages she once visited in order to provide them with the care they desperately need. Even now, the rambunctious college student has that plan in the works with the aid of her parents and hometown church.

BY CHLOE GU Staff Writer

Kathleen Edwards: ‘A Great Teacher’

She drags her feet with a heavy pace and comes into the room with her schoolbag, laptop, and a sheaf of files held in her hands. After she drops all of her stuff on her desk, she topples over on her bed, sighing wearily. She looks worn out. Turning on her bed, she hugs a pillow tightly, and says “Oh! I miss my bed so much.” There are no less than 10 pillows on her bed. She likes to sleep and watch movies in this soft and crowed bed when she can, which is not very often.

Edwards is a UC senior from Calhoun, Georgia. Well, Edwards is not in fact from Georgia. She was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and grew up in the Arab Republic of Yemen. These special experiences give her a different perspective on life. She communicates with a lot of people from different countries and has learned much about different cultures as a result.

As an education major, she has worked as a tutor in the Academic Resource Center since she was a freshman. When asked why she has decided to work in the ARC for so long, she responds by saying: “It is gratifying to see a student’s improvement in different subjects,” confessing that she had never really thought about it. She seems to be thinking very seriously when she says, “I don’t necessarily do it because I feel like ‘I play a role’ or am ‘partly responsible’for my peers’success. I don’t do it because I ‘want to make a difference,’but because it is a fascinating blessing to be able to witness a person’s growth as a human being.”

“I have worked with Kathleen in the ARC for the last four years. In those four years, she has tutored more people than anyone else, and been more willing and happy to help a student who needed it than anyone else. I have never seen her turn away a student, even when she was busy or sick,” Edwards’colleague Caleb Hetrick says, with a very respectful voice, “and she was not just being nice. The quality of her teaching exceeded the quality of most, if not all, of the other tutors’teaching.”

“She is a very kind and patient person, and never refuses to offer her help to others,” says international student Xiaoyu Hu with sincerity, “Kathleen grew up outside of the United States and was influenced a lot by international cultures, which makes her feel comfortable and happy to participate in international students' different experiences in the U.S.”

Edwards also sets up sessions specifically for international students to help them learn English. “It’s hard to imagine what would be

going on for me without her help. Kathleen helps me a lot with my English, she also teaches me how to accommodate myself to new circumstances,” says international student Maria Mahmut, with a look of gratitude. She goes on to say that it was the ARC which kept her at UC. “During my sophomore year I was at a point in my life where I thought God might be telling me to transfer. When I thought about what was most important to me about UC, academically, it was the ARC. I thought about how much I loved the ARC, even with the busyness of it, and I knew there would not be an opportunity for me to teach like that in another school,” she says with a smile.

After finishing this statement, she takes a bite of an apple. This hard worker doesn’t always have time to eat meals.

Edwards is also in the Student Teaching program, which is something she must complete as an Education major before she graduates. She has completed her experience in both primary school and high school at Whitley County. She likes being with her students, and she treats them as her own kids.

When asked about what kind of experience it has been for her, she considers for a moment before answering, “Jumping into teaching in a school the first time is both thrilling and intimidating,” says Edwards, “and understanding how children think is sometimes an enigma; however, I find nothing more exhilarating than the moment when a person’s eyes brighten, their eyebrows raise, and their mouths form the words, ‘I get it!’”

Her own eyes seem to become bright as she thinks about it, “I would sit for three

hours with a student, explaining a concept one-thousand-and-one ways so that they could understand, and be fulfilled by the challenge every moment. That is the part of teaching I live for.”

“I have been friends with her almost four years,” says Hu, “She wants to be a teacher in the future and I have 100 percent confidence that she will be a good teacher.”

“She is still a teacher even in daily life,” says Hetrick. “Her life is not limited to teaching, though. She is just as great as a friend” Hetrick adds.

Edwards is always busy, but when she finally has her own time she enjoys learning new languages, reading and researching different cultures. She likes to listen to music from many countries and watch movies in other languages. Indian movies and Korean dramas are her favorite. “There are several ways to learn about another culture, but aside from jumping a plane and immersing yourself in the culture, the best way is to watch their media: listen to their music, watch their movies and television, and read their news reports,” say Edwards. When she concentrates on a movie or show, taking her mind off things can occasionally make this busy girl feel relaxed.

Just as we finish the interview, Edwards receives a text message: someone wants to know if she can proofread a paper for them. Edwards takes a quite look at the clock, and replies “What time?”

Growth Spurt: Christin Miller

BY NATASHA JONES Assistant Editor

“Growth Spurt,” a word Christin Miller, a senior at University at the Cumberlands, used when asked to sum up her college experience in just one word.

She comfortably lounges in an office chair in a small cramped room, the student newspaper office, in Grace Crum Rollins Center where Miller has spent a great deal of time in over the past four years doing design on the campus newspaper, her attention being divided between the Mac computer in front of her and her close friend beside her giggling.

As she brushes a strand of her red hair behind her ear and looks ahead. I can tell she isn’t looking at me or the wall behind me, but looking to the past. Miller tells me her first memories of UC, was the tour she took when she was a high school senior. “My response was, I don’t want to go here, I hate it,” says Miller.

Being homeschooled Miller was very intimated by the thought of moving to UC, away from her family and everything she had ever known. She lived in Knoxville, Tennessee till the age of seven and then moved to the small town of Lafollette, Tennessee. From the first grade on, Miller was homeschooled; she met with a small group of homeschooled children once a week and then had class at home the rest of the time so she was typically around very few strangers.

Miller started college majoring in music with a minor in psychology, but decided dur-

ing her junior year decided to swap the two. This set her back a semester from graduating but her advisor, Dr. Eric Stephens, professor of psychology, said, ”She’s handled switching majors very well. She’s had to take a lot of upper level classes but she’s handled it very well.”

She had been terrified of moving away to school but shortly after arriving she had found that many of the horror stories of harsh professors and impossible to pass exams in a land of new faces had been false.

“I really was blessed; I was randomly placed with upper classmen suitemates in my dorm, I didn’t know any of them and we all got along great. I had one that actually took me under her wing and showed me around”, says Miller. The atmosphere in Miller’s classes only continued to calm her worked up nerves, she says,” The majority of my professors were amazing, nice and just genuinely caring as a person.”

After arriving and surviving it didn’t take long for Miller to being her striving. Her first year of college she had been so terrified of performing in front of large crowds, she had almost considered changing her major. Like many of the other things she had herself so worked up about, Miller also learned she could handle the pressure. For her workstudy job she was also randomly placed at the campus newspaper where she today is the editor-in-chief of The Patriot.

She has worked at The Patriot during all four years of college and has had the posi-

tions of photo editor, design editor, managing editor and now editor-in-chief as since January 2013.

Her position at the campus newspaper is just the start of Miller’s extracurricular activities. She also is heavily involved in the Jazz Ensemble on campus. Along with that she was in band for the first time last semester and has been in UC’s Chorale since her sophomore year and she has also kept a parttime job back home where she works on the weekends.

When asked what her biggest obstacle to overcome in college has been, Miller said, “Getting out of my comfort zone, I was a piano major and I always hated performing, I didn’t want to be in the center of anything. I trusted myself to do that and I found out I loved it.”

With all her responsibilities Miller has become no stranger to being in front of a crowd. Being the center of attention was something she greatly feared before coming to college but she now says performing is probably one of her favorite things about college.

Though she began enjoying school soon after arriving, Miller told me, “It wasn’t till my second semester of my sophomore year that I really warmed up to people. I started playing games in the music building after practice and that’s when it became more fun because I learned to come out of my shell a little.”

If you were to ask those she has spent

most of her time with at UC, they would tell you Miller has grown just as much as a student as she has a performer and person. Dr. Stephens described Miller as a, ”model student, in the sense that she works very hard and is always in class participating, doing her assignments. I think many students would benefit following her ethics.”

Joanah Renner, Miller’s roommate for the past year also said, “She’s hardworking and loyal, which is one of her strongest traits.” I asked Stephens where he sees Miller after graduating college, Stephens said,” I think Christin will be successful doing whatever she chooses to do, due to her pleasant attitude and her work ethics.”

Her roommate, Reener, said, “I can see her working with both design and psychology, the stuff she’s doing now.”

When asked how she feels about graduation Miller says, ”Excited but terrified. Exciting to know I’ve accomplished it but the unknown is scary, knowing that nothing is set in stone after I leave here.”

The place she most feared has become a home and a stage for Miller where she’s found success, growth, new experiences, confidence and a lot of friends. Though she’s nervous about leaving what has become her home for the past four years, those around her and myself have no doubt Miller will conquer the world, just as she has this campus throughout her college years.

BY RYAN POYNTER Staff Writer

He knocks only twice before realizing the door’s open, walks in and sits down on the couch across from me. It looks like he’s been hurrying. His T-shirt and blue jeans sag just a little from the moisture that comes from running. Strands of hair have swooped down and fastened tight with sweat to his forehead in a way that looks like he meant it to happen. His breath is heavy. He swallows once and grins so big you can tell it from the nose up.

“Sorry if I’m late,” he says. But he wasn’t, and, honestly, it wouldn’t have made a difference even if he were. Caleb Hetrick, a senior business communications major at the University of the Cumberlands, is not the kind of person you get mad at.

It isn’t because he’s tall, though, or because he’s got a deep, earth-toned voice. It’s got nothing to do with the way he looks. It’s just because he’s the nicest and most genuine person you’ll likely ever meet. It’s hard to be mad at a guy like that. He’s 22 years old, and he’s from Richmond, Ky., where he grew up with his two siblings in a family full of people just as good-hearted as he is.

Hetrick starts our interview by telling me what to do. “Ask me some questions,” he says playfully. I’m still not mad at him, even after that, though I will admit that it’s an unconventional way to begin an interview.

Caleb Hetrick: No Worries

But rarely would anything that he does be considered “conventional.” Let’s review: He smiles more than any person I know. He likes to juggle, but only when someone is on his shoulders. He considers playing chess to be “one of his hobbies.” He sleeps in a sleeping bag in his dorm room. And when most folks are looking for something with four wheels to get them around, he’s most comfortable pedaling on one.

If unique people are cut from a different cloth, Caleb’s made out of cardboard. “The first time I saw the guy… he took off down the road on his unicycle,” said Dave Baker, Hetrick’s good friend of four years, about the first time they met. “It was just the most oddly inspiring sight I had ever seen.” Clearly, he’s great at making first impressions.

But for all the things he does that separate him from the crowd, Hetrick has never had much difficulty finding his place in it. When asked about the number of things he’s been involved in during his time here at UC, he simply responded with, “too many.”

In four years’time, Hetrick has been a STAR, an RA, a tutorial assistant, he’s been on the radio, he’s started an on-campus ministry called “Coffee House,” he’s worked in a real coffee shop, he’s been the president of

House Council, a life group leader for BCM, and he’s written for the school newspaper. And he stopped listing things there only because he ran out of breath.

Which of these activities does he find most satisfying to be a part of? He smiles again and reaches back with a long arm to scratch his neck.

“Tutoring,” he says. “It’s satisfying to be helping someone who might not pass a class… They’re still here at college because they passed that class.” He talks to me about how fulfilling it is to enable others to succeed. Helping people is just in his nature. “He just wants to make others feel good about themselves,” said Raul Maya, Hetrick’s former roommate, when asked about what makes him different from other people. “He is always teaching me new ways to become a better person.”

And, for Hetrick, his time at UC is only a small portion in a lifetime of helping people. “I want to go to grad school for linguistics and become a Bible translator,” he says. He tells me there are almost 2,000 languages in the world without a translated Bible. Hetrick has done his research.

“Need constitutes a call…” is what he says to me when I ask him why he wants to do that with his future. “Need is the same

everywhere, but there are people here at home to help. Plenty of them. We’re here in America getting tired of the Christmas story, and there are people out there who haven’t heard it once.”

Hetrick breaks eye contact with me for the first time to look down at his feet. I can’t see it – not physically – but there’s something heavy on him, and it’s making him sweat. His brow bends out of shape as he wipes his face with his hands. He looks afraid.

“I worry I can’t do it,” he says. He pauses for a moment, looks back to me and postures his back. He’s sitting up again. He takes a deep breath. “But even the people in the field think they can’t do it… People with master’s degrees who have been doing it for so long – every day, they think, ‘I can’t do it.’ They have to rely on God.” He channels a kind of supernatural strength.

“I feel like I might not be the best at it. I might fail in many ways. But somebody has to go,” he tells me. “I’ve got to go and at least put my hand to the plow and see what I can do. And if I fail, I mean… Alot of people fail, so… no worries.” With that kind of attitude, it’s hard to do much else but succeed.

UC’s Drama Queen: Mary Beth Lee

BY ABBEY CHERRY Staff Writer

Lounged back on the couch with her feet stacked up, she sits with her iPad and two iPhones. She scrolls through work emails as her phone whistles with floods of incoming texts and the occasional phone call. Covered in a “Little Mermaid” blanket, Mary Beth Lee delicately balances her director job, student teaching, and plans meeting times for her ministry team. Within a handful of minutes, she sets all forms of technology aside, looks up with a smile, and innocently says, “Ask away.”

Lee is a senior from Harlan, Kentucky. As an only child, with her parents actively involved in the Pentecostal church, she grew up walking a narrower path than most. With a blushed face, Lee’s best friend, Roxie Blankenship laughs as she reminisces on first meeting her. “I always thought she was different and weird, but really friendly. You could tell she was really organized and prepared for school.”

Blankenship breaks the light-hearted spirit by transitioning into a serious state and says with sincerity, “But the first thing I did notice about her was that she wore a purity ring and I knew she was different.”

It wasn’t the purity ring or her over-zealous school efforts that would set Lee apart. She was destined to step up to a bigger platform.

In her four years at the University of the Cumberlands she has worked in the dorms as

a resident assistant, student life assistant, and now as a residence hall director in Asher. She has been active in Baptist Campus Ministries and began her own ministry on this campus.

“Eleven years,” she says as she counts off on her fingers in a low mumble, “I was in sixth grade and it all started with a lady from my church. The lady who was over our drama team really poured into me the passion she had for worship. Then God just really took it and it grew from there.” She has danced her way over the years from the background of the stage, to performing leads, to now leading her own drama team.

“In January my freshman year, I started the drama team,” she says with a quirky grin, going on to say, “We started with seven people and then the following year we jumped to around 20 people. Since then, we have fluctuated from 20 to 30.” She pauses for a brief moment choosing her words with diligence, “It’s been a major transition for me learning how to lead that many people and then to choreograph for that number.”

Leading this drama team hasn’t always been an easy task. While shaking her head side to side, with wide eyes, Blankenship says, “Believe me, she has had to grow with the team. She has always been in leadership roles, but this was overwhelming at times.”

Lee’s leadership training ground began long before she ever began this ministry. With leading drama at her home church from the

very young age of 12, on top of being the pastor’s daughter, she had no other option then to step into this leadership role.

After making this very blunt statement, Blankenship adds, “Saying that, it has been great to see her growing experience. It has been a very humbling to know everything going on behind the scenes, in her personal life, on the team and then to see how she has developed in learning how to handle this leadership role.”

To the outside eye, many would agree that Lee handled being thrown into these roles with grace. While leading 20 students in ministry, continuing to help with her drama team in her home church, having a semester of student teaching, and being a director of a dorm, Lee would be the first to say that she herself couldn’t have done it all; rather it was the work of God through her in her obedience.

“It was difficult learning how to do deal with different types of people because where my age is the same as theirs,” says Lee. “I had to learn to lead in a way where I kept myself separated enough to where they respect me, but be enough of a friend so that when we’re not in the practice or performance zone we can still be friends.”

Despite the stress, Lee has remained rooted to the path that God made on her life here at Cumberlands. Drama team member Julie Paris did not blink once before saying that the

one word to describe Lee is passion.

“Everything she does, she does with passion,” Paris states with a grin of confidence, “The reason the drama team has been so successful is because she is passionate about what she does. The joy and excitement she gets when working with drama can’t be contained; it’s infectious.”

As if it isn’t enough to see passion spilling from Lee while working and performing with the drama team at UC, Lee candidly says, “If I could do anything, I honestly would join the Chosen dance team. I would go to school to get an understanding of how to run a drama team and get a youth ministry degree from the ministry school of Ramp.”

Ramp is a ministry whose mission is to awaken a generation, equip them, and then send them out to start a spiritual revival. Chosen is Ramp’s ministry team, who through dance, drama, preaching and teaching, and worshiping, has been called and call their generation to live out radical lifestyles of holiness.

Smiling in agreement at these high aspirations Blankenship says, “I see God calling her to a ministry with teenagers. I have seen the compassion and genuine affection she has on that age group. Regardless of if her ministry focus is drama team, I see her being obedient to His call by going on to be very influential in the lives of others for God’s purpose.”

BY SHELBY MUFF Staff Writer

Audrey Springer: Dedicated, hard working, and fun

As she rushes into her messy dorm room while slamming the door behind her, she is relieved to finally relax and escape from her crazy, hectic day. As she throws her tired body on her zebra print bed she brushes her long, blonde hair out of her face and shoots me a smile asking if I’m ready to begin the interview. She immediately puts me at ease with her friendly disposition and relaxed tone.

With her carefree, spontaneous nature, no one would ever be able to guess that she is balancing a full time internship to complete her major, competing in her senior year track and field season while trying to find a job after graduation.

Audrey Springer is a senior at the University of the Cumberlands and interns at St. Joseph London Hospital to go along with her public health major. She came to UC originally as biology major but soon changed to public health. When asked what inspired her to enter the healthcare field, she replied that her sister was diagnosed with a serious life-changing disease that branched from an athletic injury about five years ago and her

story has always been her motivation.

I asked if she had any cool or unusual stories to share about being in the Emergency Room, she gave a quirky smile and replied,

“too many to name.”

Springer gives a cautious look and says,

“One of the days I spent in the birthing center I was able to see a live birth. It was one of the most influential experiences I have ever witnessed. Most think that it would be gross or painful to watch, and trust me it was somewhere along those lines; but it was more of a happy moment.

The 17 hours of labor, eight stitches, blood, and pain was all worth it when the mother heard that first cry from her baby.

Although it was only the first birth I had ever seen, it made everyone in the room want to cry to be a part of a new life entering the world.”

This has definitely been chaotic semester for Springer. In the little spare time she does have, she says she does whatever she can to not stress about graduation or school work. She mentioned the easiest ways for her to relax are going for a run, watching movies

and hanging out with friends. “I typically feel like I’m moving 100 miles per hour,” she says.

Springer has almost perfected her time management skills this semester. “I don’t know how Audrey does it; I know she has so much on her plate but she seems to handle it so well, says close friend and UC student, Kayla Johnson.

Springer enjoys constantly being on the go, “I feel like I’m actually doing something productive with my day plus, I love helping people,” says Springer in a sweet but determined tone. It’s easy to see that she will go far in the medical field; she has plenty of passion and drive.

When asking Springer an interesting fact about herself, she gave me a sheepish smile and told me how she enjoyed playing the guitar. I asked her to play a few chords for me and she was rather timid at first. Once she brushed off her guitar and built up enough courage, I got to hear a true talent. “Stairway to Heaven” had never sounded better. After she finished she looked up at me with a nervous expression and held her breath.

She looked like a nervous high school graduate receiving an acceptance letter, quite nervous to hear my opinion. This shows the way Audrey never takes herself too seriously. During the interview it was also rather impressive to hear about her gigantic and interesting family. Audrey is actually one of nine children.

“Audrey is so dedicated and hardworking but at the same time, she always manages to have fun with her friends,” said Casey Anderson, a friend and UC student.

As long as Springer remembers what motivated her to get involved with the medical field, her strong work ethic, and time management skills, she should have no problem being successful. She is concentrating now to find a full time position in Knoxville at one of the local hospitals.

Jered Medina: Refusing to Fold

BY KRISTINA SMITH Staff Writer

He has a good poker face – well, sometimes. Jered Medina’s dark eyes dart back and forth – analyzing each player. Eventually it’s dwindled down to just two. Medina’s still in the game despite my doubts with his low cards. He’s trying to pull the bluff, but his competition doesn’t know that.

There’s no real money on the line here, although any bystander would think they were witnessing a minor-league version of the World Poker Tour. Tension. Lots of tension. Betting. Lots of betting, and Medina is leading the way.

One final raise and I can’t help but look at Medina like he’s lost his mind. He responds with a simple cocked eyebrow and a quizzically calm, “What?”. The competition called his raise and the showdown soon ended.

Medina lost. He was just bluffing after all. Aquick shrug of the shoulders and a weary smirk then he says, “Anybody else would have folded.”

That seems to be a common theme for Medina throughout his life however. As a high school star-wrestler, cross country and track competitor, and golf player he admits he stayed pretty busy during those years.

Reflecting upon his athletic feats which includes wresting state championships and setting school records for track and field, Medina rather nonchalantly says “I was one of the best in my high school.”However, that was a bumpy road paved with obstacles.

“My sophomore year, two weeks after track season started, I broke the fifth

metatarsal in my left foot playing missionary soccer,” says Medina. After a brief sidetrack explaining how he grew up in Las Vegas, Nev., playing missionary soccer, which is soccer where the goal is just a piece of wood constructed into a platform, Medina continues on.

“Since I broke my foot I went out for golf so that I could letter in another sport. To be honest with you, that’s probably the best thing I ever did because in Vegas they have a lot of 5-star golf courses that are around $200 to $500 to play on and I got to play for free,” he says. He refused to fold.

Eldest brother Andre Medina explains, “Jered was the youngest of five boys who most of which had tons of success in the sport of wrestling. He had a lot to live up to.”

Andre then goes on to enthusiastically explain the story of how his youngest brother lost to a wrestler in district tournaments and a week later came back to beat the same wrestler in the state tournament.

“When he is challenged his hard work ethic kicks in,” says Andre. Co-worker Cody Mason agrees to this statement.

“Jered is one of the hardest working people I know. He is always there to help anyone out if they need it too,” Mason says.

Currently employed at the Patriot Steakhouse as a server, Medina is wellknown to rise above expectations in difficult situations in order to help his work team.

Mason says, “Jered does what he’s asked of work and tries to do it to the best of his

ability. I remember one time at work we were short staffed in the kitchen and I asked him to come back there with us to help us out and he was more than happy to. He didn’t know a thing about what he was doing but despite the pressure he did well. He helped us out a lot that day.”

Medina just shrugs off this praise by simply stating, “I just feel like there’s always something that can be done or that you can be doing at the workplace.”

Most people don’t realize though that Medina’s refusal to give in goes beyond high school sports and the workplace.

Graduating in May from the University of Cumberlands at age 28, Medina admits there have been setbacks when it came to receiving a college degree.

“Nobody here believes how old I am. I went to a junior college in Tuscon, Ariz., for two years after high school until I decided to go back home and get a job there for the next five years. Looking back, I wish I would have stayed in school because I would have been graduating a long time ago,” Medina says.

Still yet, always an optimist, Medina remarks, “But I did find a really good job while I was working. I worked my way up into a management position. I regret coming back home but I definitely learned a lot of things and got experience in a lot of different ways.”

However, in 2008 brother Josh Medina had the chance to pursue his master’s degree

at the University of the Cumberlands. With the completion of three online classes Jered had the opportunity to travel to Ky. with his brother to further his education and return to wrestling while he was at it.

After this explanation, Medina remarks that for him it was a straight forward “Why not?” moment and jumped at the opportunity.

Five years of classes at UC and a MidSouth Conference Wrestler of the Week Award later, Medina is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in exercise sport science.

When asked where he goes from here, Medina lets out an anxious round of halfhearted laughter, throws out some potential job possibilities which includes coaching wrestling and teaching special education, but ultimately he ends with a “I guess we’ll see.”

Afew rounds of poker later, with a depleting stock of chips, Medina’s ever so slightly nervously-shaking hands pushes his stack all in.

His eyes once again are darting back and forth – this time from his vulnerable stack of chips to his competitor. Once again, tension. Waiting.

His opponent doesn’t fold, but instead flips his cards to reveal a worthless hand. Medina had won.

I’m bewildered but Medina just looks and gives that same curt shrug of the shoulders, a sly smirk, and gathers up his valueless winnings.

“I win sometimes,” he says.

BY WHITLEY WEST Staff Writer

SENIOR PROFILE: Steven Jeffries

Inside the door of a red candy canestriped bungalow, Steven Jeffries is lounging on the couch with his music blasting - surrounded by Jimmy Buffet posters, Penguins Hockey team merchandise, and classic rock posters hanging from the walls leaving little white to show behind them. He turns the music down creating a long, awkward silence when he struggles to think of an answer to the question, “What is something unusual about yourself most people wouldn’t have guessed?” With much thought, he finally responds, “Hmm. Maybe not what you’re looking for, but I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan.”

Jeffries, a senior biology major at UC, chose to begin his journey at University of the Cumberlands because of the convenience in having a school practically at his doorstep. He has always been very family-oriented, and has enjoyed having the opportunity to go to school in his hometown of Williamsburg, KY surrounded by his family, quite literally. He is next-door neighbors with his brother, grandmother, parents, and aunt, as they all have homes on a large hill that the family jokingly calls “The Jeffries Compound.”

After graduating from UC, he plans to finally leave Williamsburg in hopes of attending medical school at University of

Kentucky, University of Pikeville, or Lincoln Memorial University. He has had a passion from the medical field ever since his childhood. Family influence also played a huge role in helping him decide his career path, as his father is a dentist and his brother Aaron is currently in medical school at Lincoln Memorial University.

“Medicine’s just something I’ve wanted to do since I was little. I remember being like 7 or 8 and reading the encyclopedia about cardiology and the heart, as dorky as that sounds. I wasn’t able to understand hardly any of it but I learned enough to know the four chambers of the heart by memory and where they were. I basically have wanted to go into cardiology ever since then, although I called it ‘heart doctor’at the time,” Jeffries said.

His brother Aaron Jeffries said, “He is very selfless and is always willing to drop what he is doing and help you out in any way that he can.”

"Steve is selfless, kind, hard-working and endearingly awkward," said his longtime best friend, Kenley Bidwell.

“Selfless” is the word that always comes to mind when asked about Steven. He shared with me countless times where he didn’t

mind to do whatever he could in order to help who needed it. Here are few of the many he named.

“I guess it was about three years ago that I built a fence around my sister’s yard. I also went and painted her deck and porch around the same time, and I just fixed her toilet about two or three weeks ago. I fix my brother’s gutters about once a year. Here in the next few weeks I’m going to be building an endtable for my sister, a blue-bird box for my mom, a platform for the computer at my dad’s office, and lay tile in my Mamaw’s and aunt’s bathrooms. I’m also about to start mowing and weed eating for my dad and grandmother here in a few days, although I do that every summer.”

He’s a regular handyman. Steven can repair practically anything you throw his way. When I asked him how he acquired these many skills he earnestly said, “Pap. I learned so much from working with him. All of it. The first summer I worked for him I built a pool house. Over the years, I gained experience in plumbing by putting in my sink and replacing my apartment pipes. I also learned electrical work, roofing, flooring, and building furniture too, among other things.”

He went on to say that his grandfather had to

be the biggest influence in his life because of the never-ending list of valuable things he taught him before he passed away last December.

When he isn’t running, working out or helping someone out Jeffries is an assistant coach for Williamsburg Middle School’s football team where he has been in charge of the offense and calling plays for the past four years. With his help, the team became state champions a few years ago.

I asked Steven how he would describe himself in three words and he responded, “Quiet. Laid back. Easy going.” Three words that perfectly describe this guy. He is just going with the flow of life, excited to see where it will take him. In ten years, Steven Jeffries sees himself becoming a doctor and staying in the area, taking his passion for people to the next step, into his career.