Kentucky Kernel: March 9, 2023

Historic windstorm causes damage to UK campus, downtown Lexington

On March 3, severe storms blew through central Kentucky, bringing high winds, heavy rain and damage to structures across Lexington. According to the National Weather Service, winds reached speeds of 70 mph. Downed trees and power lines caused power outages for many Lexington residents; there were still over 5,000 power outages across the commonwealth on Wednesday, according to data from poweroutage.us.

Portions of UK’s campus sustained damage and isolated traffic light power outages on Friday. However, university spokesperson Jay Blanton said the campus was very fortunate.

Blanton said while some campus facilities had structural damage, repair efforts began immediately.

The glass windows of the pedway connecting UK’s Cornerstone Garage to campus shattered from the high winds, leaving pieces of glass in the walkway and on South Limestone Street below.

The pedway was temporarily closed to pedestrian traffic but reopened the morning of March 6, boards covering the damaged windows. Downtown Lexington also saw damage from the high winds; the Fayette County Circuit Courthouse on Short Street lost part of its roofing, temporarily blocking the roadway.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Nico Cooper, a first year grad student, walks around shattered panes of glass on the pedway connecting South Limestone Garage to campus on Friday, March 3, 2023, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

A fallen tree covers Administration Drive near the Gatton Student Center after damaging wind gusts hit the area on Friday, March 3, 2023.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Cars drive past shattered panes of glass that fell from the pedway connecting South Limestone Garage to campus on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Humans(?) of UK:

Student center piano strikes a chord with UK students

By Grace Medley features@kykernel.com

This is Humans of UK, inspired by the Humans of New York Instagram series by photographer and author Brandon Stanton. This series dives into the individuals of UK as well as their stories, strifes and passions.

The Gatton Student Center is constantly teeming with people. Among the hustle and bustle of the daily commute, one thing remains constant — the building’s piano.

Across from Starbucks sits a lone piano, stationed snugly in the corner it calls home. It isn’t uncommon for students to be greeted with its music as they walk through the entryway.

Often overlooked as people come and go, the student center piano offers a creative respite to those so inclined.

Students and non-students alike have found joy in striking an impromptu tune. No previous experience is required – you don’t have to be a professional to indulge in a song.

Junior biology and psychology major Norman Chan finds himself frequenting the piano. “There’s a therapeutic quality to music that makes the bad times good and the good times better,” he said.

These keys have been tickled by hesitant hands and deft digits. From classical pieces to adaptations of pop songs, the piano has played it all.

“I’m self taught and don’t know how to read music, so the easiest way for me to play is to write my own music,” Chan said.

Groups of friends have gathered round the formidable instrument, enjoying each others’ company as they play whatever comes to mind. Similarly, individuals have set down their sheet music and lost themselves in the creation of sound.

Jackson Greene, a freshman majoring in trumpet perfor-

mance, said he visits the student center’s piano roughly once a week, playing everything from Broadway show tunes and 80s songs to Christian music.

“I think it’s nice to have a way to express yourself,” Greene said of the piano. “Music is, I think, one of the best ways to express yourself.”

Greene also said he thinks that a lot of students like to study next to the piano while someone is playing a melody.

Chan and Greene are not the only regular pianists, though. Students who regularly play have created a group chat after hearing each other’s music.

“The piano has become a great place of unity and community at UK. It’s no secret that music connects us all. I’ve probably met more people on the piano than at any other place on campus. Every year, I’m excited to see what new faces I’ll see in the student center lobby playing that old Steinway,” Chan said.

While the piano’s sound resonates throughout the building, its presence is understated.

Hearing a skillfully done sonata, nostalgic melody or all-time favorite track can alter anyone’s mood — even if the piano remains unnoticed.

Whether it be through the hushed awe of passersby as someone executes a piece with the skill of a maestro or the gleeful recognition of a television theme song, the piano has a little something to offer everyone.

The wide array of music the piano plays contributes to the ambience of the student center. It brings life to a place that students pass through every day.

Whether they’re an expert pianist or a novice looking to have some fun, the piano will be patiently waiting for students. Though it can’t speak, it invites newcomers to pick up the torch as the final notes of a finished song hang in the air, waiting.

Rayleigh Deaton, editor-in-chief editor@kykernel.com

Hannah Stanley, managing editor

Gray Greenwell, copy editor Kendall Staton, news editor news@kykernel.com

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Samantha Money & Ali Cetinok, asst. sports editors

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On the front cover: ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF

Joe Bologna stands in front of his portrait on the 50th Anniversary of his pizzeria on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at Joe Bologna’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Lexington, Kentucky.

BRADY SAYLOR| STAFF

A student plays the piano in the Gatton Student Center on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Lexington, Kentucky.

SGA disqualifies unofficial student body president and vice president winners, names new official winners

By Kendall Staton and Natalia Garcia news@kykernel.com

One day after the disqualification of Sutherland and Hudson, SGA retabulated the votes and announced Lizzy Hornung and Jason Marcus as the official winners of the election, according to SGA Attorney General Kamryn Stewart.

Polls for the student body presidential and vice presidential elections closed on Feb. 28. Later that day, SGA announced the Sutherland/Hudson campaign as the unofficial election winners.

Sutherland and Hudson focused their campaign on increasing communication within the community in order to “bridge the gap” between the students and different organizations throughout UK. They said they hoped to continue minimizing this gap throughout their term.

“One of the first things I want to do is recruit the most diverse and most populous application class for SGA because we want it to be competitive so we can choose the right representatives for campus,” Sutherland said.

Prior to their disqualification, Sutherland and Hudson said they felt privileged to represent the student body and wanted to remind students that they remain their priority.

The SGA Supreme Court opens a filing period where students running for office can make “claims” of other campaigns potentially violating SGA governing codes. If the court finds these claims to hold merit, disqualification points are awarded to the violating campaign.

Once a threshold of disqualification points is met by a campaign, they are

disqualified from the race for office.

The SGA governing codes set that threshold at 10 points, but the court has discretion to change the number should they see fit, according to Attorney General Stewart.

Sutherland said two other campaigns filed claims against his campaign team, totaling to nine claims.

According to Chief Justice Dus-

tyn Sams, to determine the merit of a claim, the justices decide if the evidence shows there is a higher chance of a violation than a chance of compliance.

“The question we ask ourselves is, ‘Is it more likely than not — is it over (a) 50% chance — that somebody has violated the code section?” Sams said.

The SGA Supreme Court held a

hearing on Tuesday, March 7, where it decided to disqualify Sutherland/ Hudson for violating SGA governing codes during their campaign. SGA Election Commissioner Jacob Keeton announced the disqualification via a statement shared on Instagram the following day.

See page 5

TRAVIS FANNON | STAFF

Lizzy Hornung, left, and Jason Marcus were named the 2023 student body president and vice president on March 8.

Continued from page 4

Sutherland/Hudson are aware of the claims the court found they violated, however the specific substantiated claims have not been shared with the public yet.

Sutherland described the disqualification as “heartbreaking” and said his team did their best to campaign in a fair manner.

“Me and Mallory did try to the best of our ability to run a fair, clean campaign,” Sutherland said. “It is incredibly difficult to do everything right in the campaign and election cycle, and we really did try.”

The official opinion of the SGA Supreme Court, explaining why they allocated Sutherland/Hudson disqualification points, will be released in the following weeks on BBNvolved, according to Stewart.

Upon publication and review of the opinion, Sutherland said he and Hudson will consider an appeal.

“We’re not going to do anything out of a selfish desire. If the students want (a different campaign) to be their representatives, then we’re going to allow that to happen — especially for the students,” Sutherland said. “But we also want to ensure that students are being heard in a way that is proper.”

After the disqualification of the Sutherland/Hudson campaign, UKSGA convened at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, to recount the votes cast by students.

Later that night, Stewart told the Kernel SGA recognized Hornung and Marcus as the official winners of the election.

“This is the official result … there are no other avenues of appeal for (the losing campaigns) within SGA,” Stewart said. “The claims process is the only appeals process that we have.”

Hornung called the process an “emotional roller coaster,” but

CARTER SKAGGS | STAFF

thanked the student body for the support shown to their campaign.

Hornung and Marcus both spoke to unmet promises of previous student body representatives and said they want to make real change at the university.

After a tough battle for the winning seats in the election, the team agreed they want to keep academic success at the forefront of students’ minds. Hornung said they have outlined goals their team wants to

meet, with a large focus on increasing student feedback.

“One of our biggest goals is to set incentives for students to complete their teacher course evaluations because we believe that this is gonna have a really big impact on student daily life as far as the changes that it can make,” Hornung said. “Setting an incentive for that is only going to help us get more feedback.”

Marcus said even though he

and Hornung have won the titles of student body president and vice president, this does not mean their opinions matter more than other students. He said all students are “on the same level,” and the goals their team wishes to accomplish puts students first.

“We’re grateful for the support, we’re grateful for the love and compassion that people have in us,” Marcus said. “We cannot wait to uphold those promises that we made.”

Isaac Sutherland and Mallory Hudson pose for a portrait on Monday, March 6, 2023, at Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Laurel Swanz news@kykernel.com

Two evangelists, who declined to give their names, attracted large crowds to the lawn by White Hall Classroom Building on Wednesday, March 8.

They held a sign that read “HOMO SEX IS SIN” on one side and “LIVE HOLY OR HELLFIRE” on the other while preaching their anti-LGBTQ religious beliefs to passersby for more than four hours.

“Homo sex is worse than murder,” one of the evangelists said. “If you don’t stop being a sinner you’re going to hell. Jesus would not turn water into wine for you kind of people. Jesus is the ultimate homo destroyer.”

This messaging sparked a protest from members and allies of the LGBTQ community, who began arguing with the speakers and waving pride flags and signs.

The protest started when Z Frizzell, a freshman geological science major, heard the evangelists say that transgender people are going to hell on their walk back from class around noon.

“As a queer, trans person, I was not comfortable hearing that. I walked up to them and was like ‘I am trans, why do I deserve to burn in hell for just trying to be myself?’” Frizzell said.

People noticed Frizzell challenging the evangelists and started to pitch in, questioning the evangelists beliefs and loudly chanting “love is love” and “gay sex.”

“I wish it could’ve been more of a conversation. But every time we tried to have a conversation, it devolved into them shouting back at us and not letting us talk,” Frizzell said. “So through that and other people seeing us and trying to advocate for themselves, people

Anti-LGBTQ evangelists sparked controversy on campus Wednesday

came to support.”

Frizell left the protest and came back with pride flags from their room. Many other students did the same, including Alex Nacke.

Nacke passed out handheld LGBTQ pride flags to protestors and waved an American flag featuring Nicki Minaj, a known LGBTQ supporter.

“I think it’s stupid as hell,” Nacke said. “I’m a Christian and I’m also trans and queer, so I just think it’s hateful for no reason. It’s something that the university does not need on its campus.”

Ally Petty, a sophomore at UK, also identifies as Christian and agreed with Nacke that the evangelists had the wrong approach to Christianity. Petty heard about the events occurring on Snapchat and rushed home to make a sign about how God loves all people before coming to the protest.

“I want people to understand that we don’t have a God of anger or one who we should be fearful of,” Petty said. “We have a God who loves people no matter where they are.”

Senior Blake Buis agreed that the focus of Christianity should be love, not hate.

“I don’t think spreading hate like this is very Christian, either because to me Christianity is all about love and acceptance,” Buis said. “I just don’t support them or what they’re saying at all.”

Not everyone who encountered the evangelists disagreed with their message. Computer science major David Webster supported the message but not the approach.

“I support the ‘against homosexuality.’ Our campus really needs that,” Webster said. “I think he could probably be a little bit nicer about it.”

Not much is known about the evangelists themselves. When asked what

organization they were with, they responded, “the body of Christ.”

The younger of the two evangelists said that they have been to many college campuses before, including Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Tennessee, the state he said he is from.

He had a camera strapped around his waist, which he said was for “the crazy people” and “bad cops.” Onlookers expressed a suspicion that he was filming so if he was assaulted, he could receive financial restitution using the video evidence.

Protestors did not let the evangelists’ anti-LGBTQ+ message get them down.

“Spreading such a hateful message

to young people is not good for the community that we’ve built, but I like seeing all the people coming together and spreading their message back at him,” freshman Emily Hightman said. “I think it’s powerful.”

Frizzell said the protest allowed them to connect with the LGBTQ community on campus and feel empowered.

“I am really proud of the amount of people that have joined us here. It means a lot to me that there are so many people willing to protest against people shouting hateful things about us and at us,” Frizzell said. “If they’re going to be loudly protesting my existence, then I’m going to be loud saying I’m allowed to be here.”

TRAVIS FANNON | STAFF

Kayla Walker, left, and Molly Godbey kiss during a demonstration outside White Hall Classroom Building on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

Seeking safe spaces at UK in light of Kentucky’s SB 150

By Casey Sebastiano features@kykernel.com

As Kentucky legislators debate a bill determining the fate of LGBTQ individuals in schools across the commonwealth, groups at the University of Kentucky are working to make campus more inclusive.

Senate Bill 150, “AN ACT relating to rights in public schools,” passed on Feb. 16 with a 29-6 vote.

The bill will require educators to disclose a child’s sexual orientation to their parents, even if the student does not give them permission. Educators will no longer be required to use a student’s preferred pronouns if they do not conform with the sex stated on the child’s birth certificate.

“The Kentucky Board of Education or the Kentucky Department of Education shall not require or recommend policies or procedures for the use of pronouns that do not conform to a student’s biological sex as indicated on the student’s original, unedited birth certificate issued at the time of birth pursuant,” according to the introduced SB 150 document.

The day after the Senate approved SB 150, legislators sent the bill to the House of Representatives, which filed House Floor Amendment 1.

This action is a move to “delete provision forbidding local school district from requiring the use of pronouns that do not conform and replace with a provision requiring school personnel use names and pronouns requested by a parent or guardian,” according to the House Floor Amendment 1 summary written by the Kentucky General Assembly.

SB 150 working its way through Kentucky legislation has left many outraged. The work of Kentucky legislators has the LGBTQ community and its allies at UK feeling stressed and anxious for

what’s to come.

Evelyn Huth, a freshman at UK, said the bill is “awful for students who could be figuring out their identity or who identify differently than most people.”

For these students at UK, the LGBTQ* Resource Center serves as an open space where visitors can visit to eat, talk and simply hang out, whether they identify as queer or not.

J’Lissabeth Faughn, the center’s director, said students see the resource center as a place “that they can get away and that they’re safe.”

Since the LGBTQ* Resource Center is part of the Center for Student Success, Faughn describes her job as being charged with the responsibility to help students succeed in the classroom as well as life in general.

There are 11 student organizations that stem from the LGBTQ* Resource Center such as OutGrads, OUTlaw, Med Pride, QPA: Queer People of Color Association, GSA: Gender Sexuality Alliance, StemGQueers and other college-specific organizations.

Faughn encourages students to look for the Safe Zone stickers that residential advisors and UK faculty might have on their doors or in their offices. These stickers signify allyship and indicate a place where students can go if they are struggling with their sexuality or gender identity.

“It basically just indicates that we’re a safe space to talk with,” Emily Greenwell, a residential advisor for UK undergraduate housing, said.

Safe Zone is a national program that offers training sessions that teach those attending about the LGBTQ community, micro and macro aggressions and how to be an ally to those in the community.

According to Faughn, in Kentucky, 23% of people under the age of 25 never return home after coming out. This statistic shows the level of support the LGBTQ community is in need of.

“We have students who are legally emancipated or who have not spoken to their parents in years,” Faughn said.

Faughn said that the most vulnerable people right now are those of the trans-

gender community. The bills moving through Kentucky’s legislature will directly affect members of the transgender community both mentally and physically.

The LGBTQ community has one of the highest rates of suicide ideation, but the transgender community specifically has the highest rate for suidide ideation, according to Faughn.

“It’s going to kill people, it’s literally going to kill someone. People’s blood will be on the hands of these legislatures,” she said.

LGBTQ resource centers like UK’s are vital to opening the conversation, showing support and “(stopping) people from harming themselves,” Faughn said.

In addition to providing support for the LGBTQ community in light of SB 150, Faughn expressed a clear need for awareness regarding the legislature on UK’s campus.

One student, a freshman who chose to remain anonymous, was unaware of SB 150 entirely.

“This university has a responsibility to educate,” Faughn said.

The LGBTQ* Resource Center is working on counter programming as SB 150 is making its way through Kentucky’s House of Representatives, according to Faughn. These counter programming meetings will teach students about what SB 150 means for the people of Kentucky and the LGBTQ community.

The Resource Center is working with UK’s counseling center to provide support for students who are struggling during this time.

Meetings held by organizations such as these will give students a place to process what is happening in Kentucky’s government.

Those experiencing a mental crisis can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

‘It’s literally going to kill someone.’

CASEY SEBASTIANO | STAFF

Pride flags hang in the Dinkle-Mas Suite for LGBTQ* Resources in the Gatton Student Center on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Alexis Baker features@kykernel.com

Joe Bologna’s Restaurant and Pizzeria is widely recognized as a staple for the Lexington community, but its famous pizza and bread -

sticks aren’t the only thing that keep customers coming back time and time again.

The driving force behind the restaurant’s success is its owner — Joe Bologna.

As a result of Bologna’s com -

mitment to his establishment, patrons often feel more at home at the pizzeria than in traditional eateries.

“It felt like a little neighborhood place,” Lois Gillespie, a Joe Bologna’s patron, said after eating

lunch during the week of Joe Bologna’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Over the past 50 years, there has been hard work put into the restaurant to create this environment for the community.

See page 9

‘It’s like a big ol’ family.’

Joe Bologna’s Restaurant and Pizzeria celebrates 50 years

ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF

A 50th anniversary banner hangs on a wall on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, outside of Joe Bologna’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Lexington, Kentucky.

Continued from page 8

Leading up to the creation of the restaurant, Bologna said he was continuously surrounded by the food industry. He worked in fast food, washed dishes in his neighbor’s Italian restaurant, observed and recreated his grandmother’s recipes, cooked for 3,000 people in Vietnam while serving in the Air Force and taste-tested pizza crust around Lexington, failing to find one better than his wife’s.

“My wife was making bread one day, she rolled it into the first pizza crust and she had some neighbors over, and they said that there’s nothing like that in Lexington,” Bologna said.

With his experience and recipes in hand, Joe Bologna opened his original location at 903 West Maxwell Street in Lexington before moving to its current location at 120 West Maxwell — a renovated Jewish synagogue, with its tall ceilings and stained glass windows still intact.

For many businesses, this relocation may have been a risky move, but customers stayed loyal to Joe Bologna’s for its quality food and service.

Jane and Greg Hosley have been patrons of Joe Bologna’s since it was at its original location. They started dining at the restaurant in their 20s, and Greg is in his 70s now. Over the years, the Holseys said they’ve come to know Joe Bologna’s as inviting and unchanged and Bologna himself as a “sweetheart.”

Jane Hosley said that she participates in hospice volunteering in Frankfort, Kentucky, and when her organization hosts galas, Bologna always helps out.

“It hasn’t changed,” Greg Hosley said. “It’s still the same good tasting, good quality from 50 years (ago).”

The entrance of Joe Bologna’s serves as a stairway of history. There is an abundance of antique decorations and memorabilia that is capable of unearthing fond memories and

invoking positive demeanors for all that enter.

Currently, the memorabilia is appropriately juxtaposed near Bologna’s 50th-anniversary decorations.

Over the course of Bologna’s 50 years running the restaurant, he said he faced challenges. One of a restaurant owner’s biggest nightmares came true for Bologna when kerosene got too close to the water heater. According to Lex Today, a fire broke out in 1979, and the restaurant shut down for 10 days.

Another shutdown was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other restaurants, Bologna had to adjust to curbside service and socially distanced dining, but the restaurant prevailed.

Bologna said that all of his employees came back after reopening and that most of them are still working at the restaurant today.

“I’ve had employees that have worked for me going on to their own professions saying working here made them put extra effort into their jobs and they were very successful,” Bologna said.

Three current lawyers who worked for him during college still come to the restaurant for a reunion.

“Those were always great memories,” Bologna said. “It’s fun to see them come back after that many years.”

Sue Coffey, a Lexington native and one of the employees, has been working at the restaurant for 27 years. With little experience, Coffey was hired by Bologna, who wasn’t in much need of employees at the time but hired her anyway.

Throughout Coffey’s over two decades at Joe Bologna’s, she has formed bonds with fellow employees, regular customers and Bologna, who she said treats her like a daughter.

“It feels like you’re home,” Coffey said. “It’s like a big ol’ family.”

ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF

A waitress walks up the stairs with pizza during the 50th anniversary celebration on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF

Joe Bologna stands in front of his portrait on the 50th anniversary of his pizzeria on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

‘A catalyst for conversation.’

Student-led musical tackles mental health through song

By Owen Chesemore features@kykernel.com

Most students graduate high school with a sense of freedom, never looking back.

Devin Landis, however, utilized the insight and observations he gained throughout his high school experience to serve as the foundation for “Lucidity: A New Musical,” which was student-led and written by Landis.

The first “Lucidity: A New Musical” performance occurred on Feb. 28 at Briggs Theatre, while the second was held on March 3 at the Lexington Children’s Theatre.

Landis, a junior majoring in arts administration and theater at the University of Kentucky, said he became interested in musicals during high school. He wrote his first show as a freshman.

“I was really into musical theater. I really delved into the scenes and started participating in community theater and regional theater,” Landis said. “I was also really active in the show choir and my high school’s choir as well. I liked the idea of combining all of it together into musical theater.”

The idea for “Lucidity” first arose in 2019. Landis said he began writing the script then and collaborating with Aaron Soltis, the composer

for the show. Soltis currently studies music composition at Nazareth College.

“We worked on a couple (of) songs in 2019, but once the pandemic hit and we went to college, it was difficult to be able to put this show together,” Landis said.

However, as time passed and the two moved on to college, they got more time to work on the musical and reconvened.

Landis and Soltis soon found themselves, once again, brushing the dust off their project and beginning afresh.

“Six months ago, I reached out to (Soltis) again, and we collaborated and finished the show,” Landis said.

After Landis placed the final period upon his script, he delivered the draft to Soltis, who then wrote the songs. Afterward, Landis said he approached Emily Gardner, “Lucidity’s” stage manager, and the musical’s assistant director, Kara Powell.

Landis asked Gardner, a UK senior majoring in arts administration and minoring in theater and communication, to help produce the show.

“As soon as he approached me about (the show, I knew) it was a very exciting opportunity,” Gardner said.

Gardner primarily handled the communications for the project. “We’ve been working closely with the department of fine arts (and the Department) of Theater and Dance,” she said prior to the musical’s debut.

A small team of students worked together to produce the musical, which required every member to pull the extra weight that accompanied the endeavor.

“We’ve got a team of six people trying to put on a musical, and none of us have ever produced a musical from the ground up,” Gardner said.

Landis said the crew and the cast of nine is entirely made up of students.

He explained that some cast members are his friends, but most are people he has never worked with before.

While the cast was small and the resources were limited, the team still managed to deliver a performance that touched on many important themes surrounding mental health.

As Landis explained, the musical focused on escapism and how young people retreat from their lives to “rid their (lives) of the daily monotony.”

He said he hoped that, through engaging the audience with these heavy themes, more people would become inspired to open up about their struggles and experiences from high school.

“I think (our play) serves as a catalyst for conversation. (It raise)] awareness for (the) younger generation’s mental health and how it’s been declining over the years, and we need to do something about it,” Landis said. “What we can do is create a conversation through a piece of theater that we’re all really proud of.”

MICHAEL SMALLWOOD | STAFF Students rehearse “Lucidity: A New Musical” before the opening performance on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at Briggs Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky.

Construction should be used to improve learning environments, not just for appearances

By Gracie Moore opinions@kykernel.com

There hasn’t been a single day without construction since I first stepped foot on UK’s campus.

I understand the desire to improve infrastructure and modernize the campus, but UK needs to choose better construction projects and spread their funds equally around all colleges and buildings.

Current projects on campus include updates to the Chemistry-Physics building, the construction of Alumni Commons and renovations to Frazee Hall.

The proximity of the construction on Chem-Phys and Rose Street created an expansive area that blocks off widely used walking routes and resulted in the relocation of accessible routes.

The accessible route placed on the side of Chem-Phys facing Rose Street is blocked by construction, so the closest and only route available is on the other side of the building facing White Hall.

Entrances and exits to the Mining and Minerals Resources building and the Hilary J. Boone Center are also blocked off. Construction areas bleed onto Funkhouser Drive and the Rose Street walkway.

The inconvenience of these projects wouldn’t be so terrible if they were completed

in a timely manner or heavily worked on over breaks.

But despite UK’s unrealistic projections, construction is far from finished.

Current project descriptions and timelines can be found on the UK Construction website.

According to the website, the Chem-Phys modernization was scheduled to be completed by early 2022, while the renovations on Frazee Hall were set to be finished in July 2022.

While the exterior of ChemPhys is modern and futuristic, most of the interior continues to remind me of a high school with no change in sight.

Frazee Hall is still surrounded by construction tape and barriers.

The construction of the fu-

ture Alumni Commons on Rose Street is scheduled to be finished by June 2023, but with other projects almost a year overdue, I think it’s safe to assume that the project will linger for at least another year.

This project could have absolutely waited until the construction on Chem-Phys and Rose Street was completed. Rather than focusing on outside appearances to bring more students into an already overwhelmed university, it would be more beneficial to focus on the inside where learning occurs.

The lack of communication regarding construction updates and the lack of attention to other buildings and colleges is unfair to students and faculty.

In 2018, UK outlined a $500 million campus modernization project. This included the expansion of the College of Engineering and new homes for the College of Communication and Information as well as the College of Design.

Very few of these projects have begun.

The College of Communication and Information was relocated from Blazer Dining to the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, which is far from a permanent residence solely for the college.

Ground has been broken on the former Reynolds Building for the new home of the College of Design, but the updates given on the college’s website are quite vague for a project expect-

ed to be completed at the end of this year.

I expected more progress from the university for the amount of money spent and the time that has passed.

I find it unfair that so many colleges are spread across multiple buildings and don’t have one place to call home, while others continue to be upgraded. Many offices and colleges are forced to relocate often.

Just because certain colleges bring in more money to the university doesn’t mean they can neglect other ones.

All students deserve a modern and welcoming environment to learn, regardless of their major. Renovations shouldn’t be based on what college creates the most money.

As an equal opportunity university, UK has an obligation to their students and faculty to make every building safe, comfortable and somewhat contemporary.

Even if all buildings can’t have the same renovations, the gaps between the nicest buildings and the worst are far too large.

Rather than starting a half a billion dollar project that cannot feasibly be completed by the projected time, think about making small changes across campus to ensure that everyone has the appropriate resources and space necessary to teach and learn.

BRADY SAYLOR | STAFF

Fencing blocks off an area under construction near White Hall Classroom Building on Monday, March 6, 2023, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

By Quézia Arruda Cunha opinions@kykernel.com

Those colorful and vibrant leaves are at rest for now. The branches are drier and it looks like the trees are longing for some watercolor in their foliage. But it’s just a fleeting season like any other.

It’s almost spring, and along with it, we have the famous and beloved spring break.

It’s the perfect time to have a little more color in our daily lives, even if the trees don’t follow our path. It’s time to see beauty in the pause, in stopping little by little.

With spring break right around the corner, I decided to investigate students’ most popular spring break destinations and found something in common.

Finding home away from campus: Students’ favorite

spring break destinations

Aidan Greenwell, a foreign language and international economics major student, said, “I’m going to Boston over break to visit my sister who is doing a co-op for a fashion design company, and I’m also visiting a friend who goes to school up there.”

Greenwell said he’s never been to Boston before and is super excited to be visiting for the first time.

His reasons are quite interesting.“Boston was the first major American city so it has a lot of really cool history and museums so I’m really excited to check it out,” Greenwell said..

Without us even noticing, it’s clear that the destinations chosen during spring often have a deeper meaning.

We are constantly looking for a place that brings us peace

and allows our passions to flourish, even if it is for the history of our country.

Manuela Blanco, a communication and integrated strategic communication major, said, “I’m going back home to Bogotá, Colombia, and I’m going back because I wasn’t able to go for Christmas. I’m going to spend some time with my friends and family. Also, there is a music festival that I really wanted to do, and it is exactly during spring break so everything just worked out”

That sentence hit my heart in a way that I was not expecting.

As an international student, as well as a Latina, I felt so close to the feeling of coming back, even for a week, to the smell of home — going back to a safe haven.

Facing a new world alone is

not a task for just anyone.

Like Blanco, I believe that many other international students seek to find traits that remind them of home, even many miles away.

This is the best time to go back to the roots, and not only international students feel this need.

“I’m going to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I’m going there because my family has been going there since I was born, and it’s a beautiful place with many fun activities including tennis, going to the beach, and swimming,” said Summer McCune, a computer science major student.

An island, isolated, but this is also home.

On spring break, students like McCune look for everything that brings them some iso-

lation from the hard and intense life of a college student.

Of course, other destinations, such as Florida with its beaches and sun, were the big winners on the list of places to go during the break.

But these three stand out because they genuinely seek to go back to the roots of what reminds us of being safe, whether visiting a historic museum in Boston, going to concerts in their hometown or spending time on an island like in an episode of “Outer Banks.”

I don’t think there is a list of the “best spring break destinations.”

What actually exists are homes scattered around.

What’s missing is just you and me looking for what brings us peace and harmony, even if only for a week.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE HALL

Inspiring people to know for Women’s History Month

By Jennifer Sadler opinions@kykernel.com

March is Women’s History Month, which allows us to reflect on all of the women who have had a great impact on the world. Though this list can vary from person to person, the Kernel opinions staff will be offering its selection of inspirational women each week in March.

As a person who has been involved in the arts my whole life, I have always appreciated the female figures who have inspired me and my passion. One such woman is Viola Davis.

Davis was born into a poor family in 1965 and got involved in theater while she was in high school. She was recognized for her acting talents and eventually attended the Juilliard School for four years.

Since then, Davis has created an extremely successful career for herself, initially acting in off-Broadway shows then moving to television and film, from which she has gained notoriety for her roles in “How to Get Away with Murder,” “The Help,” “Fences” and several other performances.

Her work has earned her EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) status, a title very few performers have been awarded, and she’s the

only African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. She continues to act and inspire viewers today.

Another woman I believe has changed the world from an environmental perspective is Rachel Carson.

Carson began her career as a marine biologist but eventually became a full-time nature writer by the 1950s. She initially wrote about ocean life

but quickly became interested in conservation and environmental problems she believed were created by pesticides.

She published “Silent Spring” in 1962, which described the impact of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and other chemicals on both the environment and human health.

Though she was initially met with backlash, her book

inspired the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s and eventually led to the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Carson died of cancer shortly after the publication of her book, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Carter, and her legacy lives on today.

Another woman I believe

should be more widely known is Ida B. Wells.

Wells was a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and carried out her fight for equality through investigative journalism.

Living in the South in the 1890s, Wells began documenting lynching in the U.S. and exposing it as a “barbaric” practice by white people to intimidate and oppress Black people who they viewed as economic and political competition through a series of pamphlets titled “Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in all its Phases, and The Red Record.”

Though she was outspoken for much of her career, she remained an ardent supporter of the civil rights and women’s suffrage movement for her entire life.

She died in 1931 from kidney disease but was posthumously honored with a Pulitzer Prize citation for her reporting on lynching.

While these women all worked in different fields at different times in history, they have all played a huge role in shaping the world we know today.

Without their contributions and courageous efforts, the worlds of entertainment, environment, civil rights and women’s suffrage might not be the same.

IDA B. WELLS

By Samantha Money sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky womens basketball concluded its postseason play over the weekend as the team lost in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals to Tennessee 80-71 in Greenville, South Carolina.

After finishing the regular season 10-18, it was evident that Kentucky’s record was not going to pave the way to the NCAA Tournament on its own and that its only hope to go dancing relied on taking home the win in Greenville.

While the Wildcats were unable to repeat history as the reigning SEC Tournament champions, becoming the first No. 14 seed to advance to the quarterfinals in SEC history was an achievement in its own right, though not quite one that would get the team into the tournament.

Entering with a 2-14 conference record before upsetting No. 11 Florida 72-57 and No. 6 Alabama 71-58, Kentucky finally began to show the fight it had in it all season but struggled to find during regular season play.

After defeating the Crimson Tide, head coach Kyra Elzy and the team discussed how the Wildcats had a new mindset going into the tournament, but that poses a question: where was

COLUMN: What went wrong with Kentucky womens basketball?

this mindset during the regular season?

When basketball started up in November, Kentucky looked solid in light of having 10 new players on the team. With an expected amount of wins and losses barring an upset here or there, things suddenly took a turn when league play kicked off.

Despite that, a team with three near-consistent double figure scorers and a defensive leader like Jada Walker could not pull off a win.

Perhaps the very inability to win is what kept the team down all season long. It is understandable that being on a significant losing streak can affect mindsets, even when every coach and player is doing their best to stay positive and look to the future.

In times of adversity, it is easy for those negative attitudes to seep in and greatly affect performances on the court.

Then, in January, Kentucky picked up its only two league wins of the regular season over Florida and Missouri but even with the taste of SEC victory four of the Wildcats’ games that month resulted in losses that saw Kentucky lose by a number within five points.

It wasn’t until February, a month in which the Cats

would remain winless, that the score at the final buzzer would properly reflect Kentucky’s increasing struggles to keep up with its opponent. With that being said, it would not be surprising if the high tensions and pressures the team faced trying desperately to shake its losing habits were the reasons why Kentucky would so often run out of stamina in the second half and fail to pull through.

Focusing back on the

SEC Tournament specifically, the Wildcats illustrated what a team that has nothing to lose can do in March.

Even when Kentucky lost to Tennessee in the quarterfinals, the Wildcats succeeded in keeping up with the Vols and played through until the end, something that they failed to do when they took on the team just five days prior to meeting in the tournament.

It is unfortunate that Ken-

tucky’s regular season did not go the way that neither fans nor the team would have liked to see, but the small history the Wildcats made in the SEC Tournament goes to show the potential this team had.

Unfortunately, with the recent announcements of the departure of Walker and Kennedy Cambridge, untapped potential may end up being all that ever comes from this team.

CARTER SKAGGS | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats forward Zennia Thomas (24), head coach Kyra Elzy and guard Robyn Benton (1) walk off the court after the No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Tennessee womens basketball game in the third round of the SEC Tournament on Friday, March 3, 2023, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

By Drew Johnson sports@kykernel.com

When one thinks of the SEC, what comes to mind?

Maybe it’s the storied college football rivalries like Auburn and Alabama, Georgia and Florida or Kentucky and Tennessee.

Maybe it’s the dominance of programs like Georgia, LSU and Alabama, who have won all of the last four national championships on the gridiron.

What they probably don’t think about is the hardwood.

Only three of the conference’s 14 teams have ever won a national championship (Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas), and only

COLUMN: Has the SEC simply caught up to Kentucky?

half have made a single final four (Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, LSU, Auburn, Miss. State, Georgia, South Carolina).

On the off-chance people do think about SEC basketball, they’re most likely referring to the one saving grace of the conference’s basketball landscape for much of its existence: the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Wildcats have won 49 regular season conference championships, with LSU being the closest school to that record with just 11.

The Cats have also won 32 of the conference’s tournament championships, with Alabama being the next closest with just seven.

Kentucky has dominated SEC basketball for as long as the sport has been around, but things seem to be changing as the Wildcats haven’t won a conference championship since 2018.

Since then, three different programs have taken control of the conference trophy, excluding 2020 when no SEC tournament was held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This fall from complete dominance is not all due to a drop in quality on Kentucky’s end, though the program has been less successful in the last three years, as another important part of the shift has been the rise to power of other programs.

Auburn is perhaps the biggest example of this shift.

In the time since Kentucky won its last SEC championship, Auburn has won a conference tournament championship of its own, made the final four and received the programs first ever No. 1 ranking in the AP poll.

The Tigers have also beaten UK directly four times in the two’s last seven matchups.

Another example would be Alabama, which has risen to power this season as a top-3 team in the NET Rankings, boasting one of the best resumes in the country and being the No. 1 seed in the conference.

That resume includes a beatdown of the Kentucky Wildcats by over 20 points in Tuscaloosa.

All of these programs have received a substantial boost in funding over the last few years, causing more program success and more fan craze over basketball which has resulted in more teams investing in their own basketball team.

Because of this cycle, it’s not just the top of the conference that’s getting bolstered recently either as the middle of the road teams have received a big boost too over the last few seasons.

KenPom, a metric that ranks teams based on defensive and offensive efficiency, is a website that has become increasingly relied upon to determine the best teams in the country.

If you take all the years that KenPom has been recording this data from 2004 until now, you can see there is a big gap in yesterday’s SEC compared to today.

If you divide these numbers up into five year increments starting in the 200304 season, you’ll find that from 2004-08 there were an average of 3.6 teams in the KenPom’s top 30 rankings from the SEC, from 2009-13 there were an average of two teams, from 2014-18 there were three teams and, final-

ly, from 2019-23, there have been an average of 4.6 teams in the KenPom top 30, a 48% jump from the previous average. This figure includes three seasons in which the SEC had six teams in the top 30.

Programs like LSU, Mississippi State and Texas A&M have all been able to put together seasons much better than they have historically. These types of results are great for the conference as a whole but pose an important question for UK fans: can the Wildcats ever return to such routine dominance again?

While it’s very likely Kentucky will return to the top of the conference, perhaps even soon, it’s hard to imagine stretches like that of 1992-01 when Kentucky won eight conference championships in 10 years.

Kentucky will likely be a contender in the conference for years to come, but sheer dominance seems unattainable in the modern game.

With the SEC tournament right around the corner, Kentucky will get another opportunity to add to its extensive trophy case, but it certainly won’t have an easy time doing so.

Until the final whistle blows in the SEC title game, the future of SEC basketball continues to be up for grabs.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari watches his team during the Kentucky vs. No. 5 Tennessee mens basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Kentucky mens basketball seeks 33rd SEC Tournament championship in Nashville

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky mens basketball enters the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, in search of its 33rd tournament championship in program history.

Having over three times the amount of tournament titles as any other team in the conference, the Wildcats had been the epitome of success in the SEC for decades, being the first college basketball program to reach 2,000 wins and claiming a staggering 49 regular season SEC championships.

Despite that, a potential win in Nashville would mark the first conference tournament championship for Kentucky since 2018, having won the regular season title in 2020 before the tournament was canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since that 2018 title, Kentucky struggled to regain its glory, missing the NCAA Tournament for only the second time of the John Calipari-era in 2021 and being upset by No. 15 Saint Peter’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season after falling to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

While the Vols did go on to win that tournament, outlasting potential bid thief Texas A&M, the only thing many Kentucky fans took from the result was one thing: it had

officially been five years since the Cats brought home gold.

The start of the 202223 season brought a load of promise for Calipari’s Cats to once again restock their trophy case, with the team earning the No. 4 slot in the preseason AP Top 25 and the inaugural No. 1 spot in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, which gauge teams based on defensive and offensive efficiency.

Unfortunately for the Cats, they would never go above No. 4, rather dropping out of the top 25 entirely after the week eight poll and beginning conference play 0-1 with a 89-75 loss to Missouri in Columbia.

While the Cats would bounce back with a win over then 12-1 LSU, the Tigers would go on to finish dead last in the conference.

Things would reach a new low when they would be obliterated by 26 in Tuscaloosa against Alabama before losing a 28-game home winning streak with a loss against South Carolina, a team who went on to finish in the bottom four of the conference.

After that wake up call, the Cats would surge, conquering then No. 5 Tennessee in Knoxville and going on a six-game conference winning streak that included wins over Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Florida.

While the Cats would

lose three more conference games before the end of the season, a 32-point thrashing of Auburn and a win at Arkansas would leave fans optimistic heading into the conference tournament.

Entering the SEC Tournament with an overall record of 21-10 and a 12-6 conference record, the Cats earned the No. 3 seed in the conference, earning a double bye in the bracket.

Not playing until game 10, Kentucky is due to face either Vanderbilt, which it split its season series against, or LSU.

The Commodores, to their credit, finished the regular season with several key wins, including at Kentucky, finding themselves in the “next four out” of the NCAA Tournament bubble according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

Having plenty to prove and a reason to fight, the Commodores are an opponent that Kentucky fans may be particularly hoping to avoid in the tournament.

Assuming Kentucky advances beyond its first game, the road doesn’t get any easier, with Kentucky most likely facing either Texas A&M, which is riding plenty of momentum into the tournament with a win over Alabama, or Arkansas, of which Kentucky split its regular season series against.

Beyond that, the championship game would almost

certainly be against either Alabama, which Kentucky hasn’t seen since the thrashing in Tuscaloosa, or Tennessee, which has struggled since losing Zakai Zeigler to a torn ACL. Another potential opponent would be Missouri, which snuck its way back into the AP Top 25 in the final week of the regular season.

Regardless, Kentucky will

face an uphill battle if it wishes to once again bring home gold to Lexington. The journey will kick off for the Cats on Friday, March 10, at 9 p.m. EST. The game will be aired live on the SEC Network.

In the meantime, Vanderbilt and LSU will tip off at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 9, with that game airing live on the SEC Network as well.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) shoots the ball during the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt mens basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.