Kentucky Kernel: April 14, 2022

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Thursday, April 14, 2022 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

OFF TO THE RACES

features

6 The story of Crank & Boom

opinions

What makes celebrities memorable?

12

sports

18

Questions about football's spring season

Thursday, April 14, 2022

news

Nonprofit organization Concordia holds summit in Lexington

By Sophia Shoemaker news@kykernel.com

The nonprofit organization Concordia held its first ever Lexington summit on April 7 and 8 at the Lexington Marriott City Center.

Founded in 2011, the organization is a non-partisan entity that “enables public-private partnerships to create a more prosperous and sustainable future,” according to its LinkedIn page. Concordia is known for holding summits where government leaders, business owners and students gather to share ideas and address challenges.

The summit began as an annual event in 2011 in New York City. The organization has since held summits in Miami and now Lexington. Participants are also able to join any summit virtually.

“Ever since I started Concordia with my best friend Nick Logothetis, I’ve always wanted to do something that focused on the United States,” Matthew Swift, co-founder and CEO of Concordia, said.

“Kentucky is within 24 hours of 90% of the country. It’s a manufacturing hub, it’s an infrastructure hub, transportation hub. It’s such a great story.”

Notable speakers included UK president Eli

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Capilouto, Mark Stoops, Lt. Col. Amy McGrath, Gov. Andy Beshear, former President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe and former President of Uruguay Luis Alberto Lacalle.

In order to hold the Lexington Summit, Concordia partnered with Rubicon, a Lexington waste company.

Nate Morris, the CEO and founder of Rubicon, advocates for Kentucky to be considered a hub for business and commerce.

“Nate could locate his global company anywhere,” Capilouto said.

“But he has chosen to be here [Lexington] because he understands the potential of this place. He is passionate about the promise of UK, of this community, of this Commonwealth.”

University of Kentucky colleges, such as the Gatton College of Business and Economics and the Rosenberg College of Law, were programming partners for the Concordia Lexington Summit.

Among the sessions held at the summit was “Student Perspectives on the Future,” which featured UK students such as SGA president Michael Hawse.

Swift urged students to use their programming to learn and use the platform to share their ideas.

“My advice to the stu-

SOPHIA SHOEMAKER I STAFF Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Concordia CEO Matthew Swift speak during a fireside chat on transportation and innovation at the Concordia Lexington Summit on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

dent population of the University of Kentucky is don’t let opportunities pass you by,” Swift said.

“Seize the moment, seize the opportunities that exist.

Do internships, learn about your home state, learn about the country, learn about the world. Participate in our programming. Come in with an open mind.”

Another student on the

panel was senior Veronica Reyes, President of the Economics Society and DACA student. When the panel was asked to debate the merits of socialism versus capitalism, Reyes offered her perspective.

“I lean more capitalist because I grew up in an area that didn’t have the opportunities that my whole family came to America to give

me,” Reyes said. “I have a very different perspective on it. I think that we should lean a little more capitalist because we have that sense of opportunity that I didn’t have in my country.”

According to Swift, her responses during the session were so moving that many of the Latin American politicians participating in the summit wanted

to meet with her.

“My family had to leave everything behind. I didn’t know how to speak English when I came to America,” Reyes said.

A few other sessions held at the summit were “Tackling Hunger in the Heartland,” “Equitable Economic Recovery” and “Fixing America’s Black Mental Health Crisis.”

Thursday, April 14, 2022

kentuckykernel

Humans of UK:

Lilly Whitley works it out

By Charlotte Hauck 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.

College students have much to balance; school, jobs, extracurriculars and social activities add up to create hectic schedules for students, sometimes causing physical fitness and mental wellness to be put on the back burner.

University of Kentucky student Lilly Whitley is defying the odds by not only prioritizing her physical and mental wellbeing but also by documenting the journey on social media.

Whitley is studying dietetics at UK. While she is a sophomore, she will be graduating early in December 2022, as she graduated high school with college credits that allowed her to accelerate quickly through her program.

“I’ve always just been a very driven individual

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Lilly Whitley poses for a portrait on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

my whole life,” Whitley said. “You can probably tell from my social media, but I’ve always been goal oriented.”

Whitley creates motivational content on TikTok (@lillydawnn) and Instagram, where she has a combined 10,000 followers. On her social media, followers can find motivational content including daily vlogs and workout videos.

“I really started making social media a priority,” she said. “I realized

it is truly impacting other people’s lives and motivating others.”

What inspired Whitley’s passion for dietetics was a realization that came to her in high school. She was a competitive cheerleader, and in high school, the busyness of being a student-athlete did not leave much time for prioritizing her diet.

“I was always on the go,” she said. “Fast food was very much an everyday thing for me.”

Whitley noticed that she was consistently low on energy, and that’s when she took the plunge and went “all in” with healthy eating and researching its benefits.

“My first experience going to the gym was a hot mess,” Whitley said.

“I walked in so scared – I didn’t know what to do.”

Whitley empathizes with students who feel intimidated entering the gym. Not long after that first gym experience, she found herself working in gyms and coaching spin classes while taking an accelerating course load at UK. She said that because she is so self-motivated, it’s great that she has supportive staff and faculty at UK to help her build connections and guide her entrance into the workforce at such a young age.

Whitley also had some words of encouragement for UK students who are looking to improve both their physical and mental health.

“Everything happens for you and not to you,” she said. “This obstacle in your life is there for a reason and you need to push to overcome that.”

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JACK WEAVER | STAFF Horses race during the first day of the Spring Meet on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

spring 2022 | 3

Thursday, April 14, 2022

features

UK Hispanic Studies department promotes diversity through film

By Abbey Cutrer features@kykernel.com

The Department of Hispanic Studies at the University of Kentucky is holding an LGBTQ Spanish Film Series throughout the spring semester.

The series began showings on Feb. 1 in the University of Kentucky Athletics Auditorium in the William T. Young Library.

The idea for this series started with Spanish linguistics professor Haralambos Symeonidis. Symeonidis is the chair of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee of the Hispanic Studies department, which started its work in 2020.

The committee wanted to start making changes to improve diversity in its department, so the members sent out a questionnaire to the faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in the Hispanic studies department.

The results of the questionnaire revealed a gap between the graduate students and the faculty, but the committee wanted to include the graduate students in consultations.

“Last year in the fall, before we started, I got in contact with the graduate students and said, ‘Well guys, what about starting an LGBTQ+ kind of film series in Spanish?’ and they

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liked the idea,” Symeonidis said.

The series has run smoothly this semester, with four previous film showings in addition to the complete semester of films last semester.

“Last semester, we started with some movies that weren’t focused on anything specific, but of course, we wanted to be very diverse, including different Spanish-speaking countries,” Symeonidis said.

Now, however, the committee is looking for something different.

“This semester, the committee wanted movies more centered and focused on Afro-Latinx, which is almost impossible to find because it’s so specific,” Symeonidis said.

In order to find the movies presented in the series, the department created a document where everyone could write their ideas and suggestions.

“That process was amazing because we ended up with more than 60 movies in a week. It was really good that everyone was participating,” Paula Ruiz, an instructor and Ph.D. student in the Hispanic Studies department, said.

The committee decided on the LGBTQ theme to focus on for this semester, and the suggestions from the students impacted that.

However, the film series doesn’t only consist of

watching the film.

Symeonidis said that once the series is decided and the movies are approved to be screened, the film is presented with English subtitles and each student presents the movie at the beginning. They give background to why the student chose this movie and give a brief statement to explain the origin of the movie.

Once the film is over, there is an in-depth conversation about the students’ thoughts.

“At the end, what we really want to do, and it’s been really encouraging because we’ve been getting a lot of undergraduate students, which is the best thing, there is a 10-15 minute discussion about what they think of the movie,” Symeonidis said.

“Elisa y Marcela” was screened on Tuesday. It takes place in Spain during the early 1900s and shows the tension, fear and passion in a forbidden love.

The film shows the two women growing together in a time that was so cruel toward even the idea of samesex attraction.

When the film ended, the room holding undergraduate and graduate students, professors and even children, began discussing their thoughts and feelings about the film.

The film series is just the beginning of the actions

ABBEY CUTRER I STAFF Graduate student Daniel Batten, left, professor Haralambos Symeonidis, center, and professor Paula Ruiz, right, stand to present the upcoming film in the Spanish Film Series in the UK Athletics Auditorium on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

being taken by the diversity, equity and inclusion committee. They have held workshops and have also spoken to publishers in order to make some of the textbooks more inclusive.

“The first semester, the students learn about language, and we thought this is where we give some idea of what we stand for and maybe be more inclusive about that,” Symeonidis said.

The committee found that in the “Facetas” textbook, the photos were very “white-oriented,” and there was no representation of the LGBTQ+ community in sections referring to re-

lationships or couples in general.

“We felt that something people do not know here is that Spain and Argentina have been pioneers in gay marriage,” Symeonidis said.

Symeonidis said that the Facetas publishers wanted to hear their comments, and said he is glad they were open to hearing suggestions.

The efforts made by Symeonidis and the rest of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee (DEI) have provided diverse perspectives to undergraduate and graduate students through not only the film

series, but the workshops as well.

The DEI committee consists of Haralambos Symeonidis, Paula Ruíz, Kelly Ferguson, Ruth Brown and Heather Campbell-Speltz.

The specific film series committee also includes Kelly Ferguson, Daniel Batten and Daniela Calvache. The students and faculty learned how to be inclusive in the classroom, and how to use inclusive language in Spanish during the workshops.

The last film in the series will be screening on April 26 and focuses on the third gender in Mexico, referred to as “Muxes.”

Thursday, April 14, 2022

features

How often are students using their university-designated tech?

By Claire Osterfeld features@kykernel.com

Nearly every freshman, sophomore and junior at UK has been provided an iPad, but how often are these iPads utilized?

In 2019, the university announced that it was beginning a partnership with Apple Corporation. The same year, UK paid $1.5 million to give up to 5,900 iPads to the incoming freshman class.

Since that year, every incoming UK student has received an iPad, a keyboard and an Apple pencil.

“The iPads will help close the digital divide on campus,” said Eric Monday, UK’s executive vice president for finance and administration, via a press release.

“Our goal is to provide equal access to technology, and through this initiative, we hope to create myriad opportunities for our students to become more innovative, creative and collaborative.”

The iPads were implemented as part of the university’s Smart Campus Initiative Strategy. According to a university press release, “the initiative is aimed at improving learning, graduation rates and leveling the technological playing field.”

The iPads were also a huge help to students with limited access to technology during the pandemic, a time when all studies were moved online. It allowed each student a way to connect with their courses, peers and instructors.

Some students love their iPad and use it as a tool to help with

JACK WEAVER I STAFF A UK student takes notes on an iPad in Jill Day’s History & Philosophy of Physical Education & Sport class on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, at White Hall Classroom Building in Lexington, Kentucky.

their studies.

“I use my iPad 3-4 days a week for about an hour each day to take notes in biology. I would not be able to complete all my assignments effectively without my iPad,” junior Candice Dillon said.

Other students like the iPad as well but do not rely upon it to complete their assignments.

“I use my iPad maybe 1-2 times a week. Usually if I have a test that I have to write out something I will use the iPad notes.

Other than that I use Hulu and Netflix,” junior Jade Thornbury said.

Certain students choose to use the iPad for help with their notes, but others use it for the bulk of

their work.

“I use my iPad almost every day when I go to class in person.

I like that it’s much lighter to carry around than my computer is,” sophomore Sophia Stokes said.

“To clarify, I’m a media arts and studies major, so the computer I use is heavy and a pain to take with me to class every day.”

Despite receiving the iPad from the university at no extra charge, many students choose to purchase their own computers as well.

“An iPad is easier for moving around campus, but a computer has different features that you cannot access on an iPad. Websites are not built for mo-

bile devices,” sophomore Allison Shockley said.

Certain features available to desktop users, such as the “What If” grades on Canvas, are not available to the iPad users.

Although some students prefer their computer over the provided iPad, most of them seem grateful to have it.

“The iPads are perfect for students, and I don’t believe there is any other technology that could be provided as a replacement,” Dillon said.

Many students today use a multitude of Apple products. This is beneficial to those students, as the iPad is compatible with their phones, headphones, laptops and

more.

“The iPad, I think, is the best option there is for something provided by the school,” Stokes said. “In my opinion, the iPads are just as beneficial as a cheaper and lighter laptop would be. If I could choose between the two, I actually prefer an iPad over a non-Apple computer because it works better for me personally in that it’s compatible with all my other Apple products.”

Other students use their iPad daily but still believe there are other things the university could have spent the money on.

“I use my iPad almost every day for homework, note-taking, et cetera. Personally, having the money that an iPad costs would benefit me more than the iPad itself, but I do know many people that really needed the iPad,” freshman Maria Bennett said.

After establishing their partnership with Apple in 2019, UK has since been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2021-2024 term.

According to a university press release, “Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of innovation, leadership, and educational excellence. They use Apple technology to inspire creativity, collaboration and critical thinking in learning, teaching and the school environment, and have documented results of academic accomplishment.”

Whether or not all students fully utilize their iPad, the program has definitely helped expand UK’s technological efforts.

It is another step toward UK becoming one of the country’s most innovative campuses.

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Thursday, April 14, 2022

features

Love story turned local legend

By Alexis Harmon features@kykernel.com

The butterfly effect is the idea that seemingly small, insignificant events eventually lead to much bigger consequences. The concept also applies to ice cream.

Toa and Mike Green met in 2004 when they both worked at Lexington’s Habitat for Humanity. Toa was the organization’s marketing coordinator, her first real job out of college, and Mike was on its board. Besides talking about potential stories and marketing techniques in passing and in board meetings, the two didn’t really fraternize and were simply coworkers.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, regarded as one of the most disastrous and deadly catastrophes in modern history, many of India’s communities were wiped clean. In late 2005, 60 Kentuckians were given the opportunity to travel to India to rebuild one of the villages. Toa and Mike both jumped at the opportunity, oblivious to the fact that the other would be joining the journey.

“I ended up actually quitting and leaving my job and just going to India, waiting to go on the next adventure. And who did I find there? Mike Green,” Toa said.

India is where the couple got to really know each other and found out they related on levels beyond just work. They built bonds

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while building new homes for people who had lost everything and learned how the other cared about communities and compassion.

“That’s where our story started,” Toa said. “We got to know each other, found out that we enjoyed each other’s company and decided, later, to hang out forever.”

The Greens married in 2008 and began their real adventure together, this time knowing the other was all in.

With the birth of a new marriage came the birth of a new business. Toa’s family-owned restaurant, Thai Orchid Cafe, had been missing something. They served spicy and salty food, but they just needed some sweetness.

With only a small homemade ice cream maker, they started serving coconut flavored ice cream as a dessert option, as it conventionally pairs well with Thai flavors. The owners soon noticed that people were coming in to order only the ice cream with no meal to go along with it.

The demand for ice cream became so big that the Greens started looking into creating a side business solely for their ice cream dreams to come true.

Named after an inside joke between Toa and her college roommate, Crank & Boom became a reality in 2013.

Initially, the company was just a couple of vending carts used at events

such as weddings, festivals and other kinds of parties with only a few simple flavors to choose from. After gaining lots of traction and popularity throughout their community, the co-owning couple looked into purchasing a permanent location for the company to thrive.

In 2015, Crank & Boom Ice Cream Lounge found a forever home in the Distillery District located on Manchester Street in downtown Lexington. Since then, a second location for the shop has opened up right off of Clays Mill Road.

Forget plain vanilla and chocolate, rocky road or butter pecan. Crank & Boom offers sweet toothed consumers creative, Kentucky specific flavors on its menu made with fresh, local and homegrown ingredients from all over the state.

Some of the most popular flavors C&B has to offer are Bourbon and Honey, made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Hosey’s Honey from Midway; Kentucky Blackberry and Buttermilk, made with Windstone Farm blackberry jam and buttermilk from JD Country Milk in Russellville; and Martine’s Pistachio Cake, which includes bits of pistachio cake from local bakery Martine’s Pastries.

Lexington natives turned their out-of state friends and family into such big fans of C&B that the company began shipping pints of their beloved

STAFF FILE PHOTO ​A scoop of ice cream is served at Crank & Boom, located at the old Pepper Distillery Campus off of Manchester Street in Lexington, Kentucky.

flavors nationwide through a shipping company called Goldbelly. Now anyone in the U.S. can enjoy their favorite C&B flavor!

Look up reviews and one can see how much of an impact the company has on the community.

One Yelp reviewer wrote, “I can’t believe I’ve never written a review for Crank and Boom! This place is everything, best ice cream you can find, phenomenal cheerful staff, support to community like no others. I’ve never had a bad experience here nor expect to ever have one with this company.”

Another reviewer wrote, “Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve been ‘wowed’ by ice cream. What an experience for my taste buds.”

Along with supplying

its community with one of the most delicious desserts, C&B incorporates community service into its everyday functioning. Visitors will sometimes find tables of food and supplies in the C&B stores that they can donate to, which are given to various charities throughout the community.

There are also weekly limited edition flavors known as Small Batch flavors. These pints cost slightly more than the typical pint, but all the money they generate is used to support local charities.

In November 2021, the Greens decided to expand on the C&B brand by opening a soft serve shop. Bobi Cones, named after the couple’s children, Bodi and Bindi, is located in Palomar Centre. It features even

more unique flavors one won’t find at a typical ice cream store.

C&B has won multiple local awards, such as being named Small Business of the Year by Commerce Lexington, and has been nationally recognized in publications such as People, Buzzfeed and the Cooking Channel.

Imagine if Lexington Habitat for Humanity had never opened, if either Mike or Toa had not gone on that community service trip to India, if their Thai restaurant had not been missing its sweet counterpart.

Lexington would not have one its most integral local businesses.

It’s crazy how one little love story turned into such a local legendary success.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Campus pantry fights student food insecurity

By Kendall Staton features@kykernel.com

Research conducted by university faculty in fall 2017 showed that 43% of UK students who were surveyed had experienced some degree of food insecurity in the past year. Big Blue Pantry is working to change that.

Big Blue Pantry (BBP), not to be confused with Wildcat Pantry, is a free on-campus food pantry open to all enrolled UK students. The pantry is located in the basement of White Hall Classroom Building in Room 025.

Stocked with food, personal care products, menstruation products and more, Big Blue Pantry was established as a student initiative in 2014. After a student hunger strike, BBP became university supported through the development of a staff position in 2020. Current BBP manager Andrew Perkins is only the second person to hold this position.

BBP receives most of its stock through donations but is also allotted a yearly budget from the university. Perkins uses this money and other monetary donations to buy food from Kroger that cannot be easily donated.

“My primary focus for Kroger are things that generally don't get donated, and that is mostly things that have to be refrigerated,” Perkins said. “Since those items go the fastest, we just have to keep them in stock.”

Those looking to donate can give food, money or make a purchase for the pantry from its Amazon wishlist. All types of donations are encouraged, but Perkins wanted those donating to be mindful of what is in high demand for BBP shoppers.

Perkins said ease of use is a large factor in what comes off BBP shelves. Microwavable meals and other ready-to-eat foods are

often quick to be grabbed, but canned vegetables could remain on pantry shelves for weeks at a time.

Perkins said that while the pantry does not need green beans, corn, carrots, peas or things being thrown out because someone didn't want it, he will accept any and all donations.

“At one point we had over 1,000 cans of green beans. College students do not eat green beans,” Perkins said. “I’m a 35-yearold adult, and I eat green beans maybe once or twice a week. For crying out loud, nobody's going to open up a can of green beans. It's not what they want.”

Through a recently formed partnership, BBP has begun donating food items it doesn't need to another on campus food initiative. Farm-to-Fork, a division of Campus Kitchen, uses surplus foods from locations on campus to cook and serve fresh meals to UK students on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Funkhouser Building room 207.

Farm-to-Fork co-chair Micaila Oberle said the reliability of the pantry is very helpful when Farm-to-Fork is unable to get all the materials they need from grocery store surplus.

“Since we are dependent on grocery stores for our food, it's hit or miss with what we get each week,” Oberle said. “The nice thing about this Big Blue Pantry partnership is that since a lot of their food is canned, we can utilize that in our meals.”

Through donation drives and Kroger runs, Perkins is able to keep the pantry mostly stocked throughout the week. Offering canned foods, dry goods, pasta, milk, eggs, fresh produce and more, BBP has run into a space problem.

Big Blue Pantry is located in a small room at the bottom of White Hall Classroom Building. Perkins feels this location,

while not only being stock restricting, contributes to a stigma around use of BBP. Some students feel they have too much financial freedom to use the pantry, but Perkins insisted that BBP is for everyone.

“The most important thing is to let people know that this is here, and it is available,” he said. “I’m just here to give people food. If you're here and you want food, take it.”

Big Blue Pantry is currently accepting

features

donations for the 2022 SEC Food Fight, a friendly competition created to help fight food insecurity on college campuses. All individually packaged items, as well as each dollar raised between April 8-21, count as one point towards the SEC Food Fight.

Food can be dropped off at the pantry anytime from April 8-21. Monetary donations must be made through the BBP gift fund website.

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Thursday, April 14, 2022

features

Branding a university:

The story of UK’s marketing materials

By Emily Girard features@kykernel.com

Whether they are promoting vaccine incentives, student events or the university to prospective students, promotional materials are omnipresent on UK’s campus.

Designing, printing and distributing these advertisements is a multi-step process taken on by a plethora of UK offices under several sets of standards.

Julie Balog, UK’s chief marketing officer, oversees UK’s branding. She works with the Enrollment Management and Student Success offices to produce UK marketing materials, ranging from recruitment materials sent to prospective students to promotional banners attached to light poles around campus.

“When we develop these things, we put it through the lens of the brand standards,” Balog said. “We know what our brand is, we know what we stand for. And so we really try to bring it to life through those types of activations.”

In 2019, UK changed its brand slogan from “see blue” to “Wildly Possible.”

With the brand redesign came a new set of graphic standards. The 160-page brand manual, which is available to download for anyone with a linkblue ID, contains specific guidelines on the phrases, fonts and colors that should be used on UK promotional materials. UK chose these fonts and colors after surveying focus groups. Balog said that after constructing “mood boards” with different photography styles and color palettes, UK showed them to students, staff and alumni, asking which styles were most appealing.

The graphic standards booklet contains four primary fonts: Avenir, Surveyor, Trade Gothic and Blackbike Rough. Mercury can also be found in promotional materials,

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JACK WEAVER | STAFF Yard signs line a sidewalk outside White Hall Classroom Building on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

usually in logo lockups. The booklet also contains several color palettes: a neutral palette with various shades of gray, a primary palette that features the iconic Wildcat Blue and a secondary palette, containing emphasis colors like a light blue called Bluegrass, a yellow called Goldenrod and a pale orange called Sunset.

“Prior to this iteration of Wildly Possible, there weren't secondary colors that were available. It was blue, white or gray,

and you could have shades of blue, white or gray, but there wasn't a lot of secondary colors,” Balog said. “That was a process where we got a lot of feedback.”

Laura Reese, a junior computer science and math major, said she appreciates the rebranding.

“It does feel a little cheesy, but it definitely does have a much more positive connotation,” she said. “You're coming to UK, you're actually doing something,

you're really learning how to do it … as opposed to just like, ‘see blue’ and school spirit. I think that, in terms of rebranding, [it] probably was the way to go.”

Online branding mostly follows the same standards as print materials, with the exception of some fonts. Since Avenir and Surveyor are not available on all platforms, UK offers Arial, Georgia, Lora and Muli as See MARKETING on page 9

Thursday, April 14, 2022

features MARKETING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

open source alternatives for web design.

Once materials are designed, they are sent to a vendor on UK’s approved vendor list for printing. UK has used an RFP process, in which vendors send proposals to UK to be approved or declined, presenting their skills and how they can support production, to pinpoint vendor specialties.

“If you need something embroidered with a logo, let's look at these two or three [vendors]. If you're needing signage, look at these two or three,” Balog said. “So we ask people to just go to the purchasing website, look at who those vendors are, and then use one of those approved vendors for our process. That's what we do, and then that's what we ask people around.”

In regard to the future of the brand, Balog is looking to expand it, creating more templates for departments outside of UK Marketing to develop promotional materials that still align with the unified brand standards.

“I look across the campus, and I see a lot of ways in which the execution of this is going really, really well,” she said. “One of the things you want from a brand is you want to be able to look at it and recognize it … and that's not just in the design part. It's in the photography; it's also in the the way you write headlines or the way you write your copy. And so when I look around, I see a lot of really good work that's happening all around campus.”

Balog said she’s not involved with the process of designing and distributing promotions for student-led events, though.

That responsibility falls to UK’s Student Activities Board, which has a team of student designers producing signs and posters. One of these designers is Maddie Gatewood, a junior biology major and a co-director of graphic design at SAB. Gatewood’s design process can begin a semester before an event is even scheduled to happen, as SAB events are approved and scheduled.

“The board has a specific way of getting events set in stone, and we usually propose them a semester out. We have a list of all the events for this semester,” she

explained. “We have a specific due date that's about two weeks outside of when the actual event is supposed to happen. We usually try to get them in as early as possible, because there are different levels of approval that the graphic has to get.”

Gatewood said that SAB collaborates with directors of events, usually associated with the Student Organizations and Activities, on what they want designs to look like, but with the exception of not being allowed to use some university symbols or mascots, they do not have to abide by strict graphic standards like UK Marketing does.

“We can't use any UK specific logo, so like Bowman is difficult because all of that is controlled by the university. And even though we're a university organization, we're not allowed to promote on the behalf of the university. So it makes things a little bit difficult to use. I've made stickers before with Bowman on them, and we're not allowed to use them because the university won't approve them because that's a university standard,” she said. “But other than that, we don't really have any restrictions.”

Gatewood uses this opportunity to get creative with her designs – a welcome relief from her normal curriculum.

“It gives me a nice little break from my classwork, which is majority STEMbased,” she said. “It's really fun to look at the draws of the event and what it's about and then use that as a kind of basis to make the graphic.”

When designing graphics, Gatewood ensures that they are accessible and appeal to the widest audience possible. She described making sure fonts are large and legible enough so that people with varying levels of vision can read them, as well as monitoring drawings to make sure they depict a diverse range of people.

She specifically recalled her experience designing promotions for the SAB Splash Bash, which took place on Saturday, March 26. When designing the graphic, which featured a group of people in inner tubes, the vice president for promotions at the time informed her that she had only featured white individuals in her design and recommended she add more diversity.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, of course I didn't even think about it.’ Because when you're making graphics, sometimes you don't really notice that kind of stuff,” she

said.

Gatewood proceeded to add designs of more gender-neutral people and people of different ethnicities to ensure that the final product featured “a multitude of different individuals.”

“I've been a lot more cognizant of that because that happened two years ago when I first started in this position,” Gatewood said. “Since then, I've made a point to make sure that the images I'm using are inclusive, and if they're not, making sure that there's a way I can make them inclusive.”

Senior language economics major Andrew Butkovich is SAB’s vice president for promotions. While Gatewood and other designers are in charge of making the promotions themselves, Butkovich and the other SAB executives approve, print and distribute the designs.

The design, social media and information-gathering process for promotional campaigns is mostly contained to UK; for example, Gatewood designs materials with Adobe Illustrator through her UK-linked Adobe account.

“A big advantage in this that has to do with just going to an institution like UK is that we have a lot of resources available to us through the university,” she said. “UK pays for the Adobe suite for all students, and you can just get it through using your linkblue. That has been super helpful for me because if I didn't have that I would have to pay for it on my own.”

When it comes to actually printing signs, however, UK works with the printing companies Ricoh and Monster Color.

Butkovich described these relationships as “very, very nice,” with both companies being “super responsive.”

Butkovich said that SAB prioritizes posters and yard signs for its events, putting the promotions in high-traffic areas like the William T. Young Library, the White Hall Classroom Building and the Gatton College of Business. For larger events, SAB will also create handbills to distribute to students. Event announcements are also posted on SAB’s social media, and the “availability and accessibility” of these multiple channels is something that Butkovich appreciates. However, He also recognizes the detriments of in-person advertising, especially with virtual learning still being prevalent.

“People don't see that stuff all the time, and I've talked to people who are like, ‘Oh, I didn't know that that was happening.’

Sometimes especially, [with] COVID, people aren’t walking on campus as much, and then if they don't follow us on Instagram or go to a website, they don't see that stuff,” he said.

Reese, who gets most of her information about SGA events from campus signage, had this same issue.

“Last year, when I wasn't walking around as much, I didn't have as much contact, or I didn't see them as often, so I didn't know many other SGA events,” she said. “My roommates were involved, and they did go to a couple of SGA events last year, so I knew about them through word of mouth. But aside from that, there's not any other place that I really see them.”

Reese said she finds the signs convenient and accessible.

“They're just in a really centralized location on campus,” she said. “They're bright, they're colorful. I think they're well designed. They very clearly have the date and the time, and you really quickly, just by looking at the poster, get an understanding of what the event’s going to be.”

I look across the campus, and I see a lot of ways in which the execution of this is going really, really well.

One of the things you want from a brand is you want to be able to look at it and recognize it … and that's not just in the design part. It's in the photography; it's also in the the way you write headlines or the way you write your copy.

And so when I look around, I see a lot of really good work that's happening all around campus.

- Julie Balog, UK chief marketing officer spring 2022 |9

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Win, place and showing off at Keeneland's Spring Meet

AMANDA BRAMAN | STAFF A horse is walked through the barns the during morning exercises on the first day of the Spring Meet on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.

10 | kentucky kernel

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF A horse is cleaned during morning exercises on the first day of the Spring Meet.

Thursday, April 14, 2022 To the left: JACK WEAVER | STAFF A group of spectators dance for a 360-degree video during the first day of the Spring Meet.

To the left: JACK WEAVER | STAFF Two horses are worked during morning exercises on the first day of the Spring Meet.

To the left: JACK WEAVER | STAFF A spectator smokes a cigar during the first day of the Spring Meet.

fall 2021 | 11

Thursday, April 14, 2022

opinions

Life in the limelight:

The stories of today’s icons

By Morgan Luster opinions@kykernel.com

As new, fresh faces and rising stars are presented each year, only a handful are truly remembered for their tremendous impact in their industry.

The rise to fame must be a thrilling journey, as a multitude of celebrities and public figures climb the ranks of popularity.

However, in an age where anyone can become famous through various social media platforms, perhaps the term “icon” is used too loosely. Today, I think deeming something or someone as “iconic” too often has deteriorated its true meaning.

While many celebrities come and go, a true icon transcends their time by forging a pathway for the generations to come.

When I picture an icon, Beyoncé is one of the first people who comes to mind. The moment I laid my eyes on her “Single Ladies” music video as a child is when I fell “Dangerously in Love” with her.

From getting her start as a teenager as a member of the girl group Destiny’s Child to soaring into an overly successful solo career, there is no question that Beyoncé is one of the greatest entertainers of all time as she continues to make history.

By having a career spanning over the course of two decades and being the most awarded female artist, Queen Bey has undoubtedly solidified her reign by constantly creating a buzz.

With her distinctive voice and

12 | kentucky kernel

eccentric flow, Nicki Minaj has proven time and time again why she is one of the best female rappers of all time.

Her debut album “Pink Friday” was released in 2010 and would go triple platinum, propelling Minaj into superstardom, according to Biography.

Since I discovered her music at eight years old, the rapstar has never left my playlist, as I have been a proud Barb ever since. Through her unique ability to capture her audience, Minaj shows that staying true and authentic to one’s self will open doors that imitation can’t.

Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, has dominated the entire music industry by dropping constant hits that take their rightful place on the Billboard charts.

The Toronto rapper began his career on the teen show “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and eventually made his transition to music in 2006.

According to Insider, following his Grammy-nominated lead single “Best I Ever Had,” Drake would become “the first-ever artist to log eight straight years on the Hot 100.” Despite many questioning his credibility as a rapper, Drake’s career is “So Far Gone” as he continues to reach new heights and climb to higher “Views.”

After the tragic passing of her brother Gianni Versace, fashion designer Donatella Versace has kept the legendary fashion house name alive throughout the decades. According to BoF, she is the recipient of numerous acco-

lades such as the “Fashion Icon” award at the Fashion Awards, “Designer of the Year” presented by both British GQ and GQ China, the “Fashion Icon Award” at the Berlin GQ Awards and the CNMI Award at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards for recognized sustainability.

Aside from running a renowned luxury brand, Versace is also an active philanthropist, as she has served as patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The iconic logo of Versace, the head of Medusa, has endured as a legendary symbol as the brand continues to turn their competitors to stone.

Julie Andrews is someone who needs no introduction. With her career spanning over seven decades, according to Biography, the acclaimed actress received an Academy Award for her supercalifragilisticexpialidocious performance as the charismatic nanny in “Mary Poppins” and another nomination for her portrayal of Maria von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” the following year.

As a child, I was first introduced to Andrews from her portrayal as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney’s “The Princess Diaries” series, which turned me into an instant fan, despite not knowing that she was an icon well before that time. Apart from showing her face on screen, Andrews has lent her unforgettable voice for characters such as Queen Lillian in the animated movie series “Shrek” and Lady Whistledown in the Netflix series “Bridgerton.”

No matter her role, Andrews con-

tinues to shine bright like “a drop of golden sun.”

In the winter of 1984, Akron, Ohio, would become the birthplace of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James. Showing a promising future at a young age, James would become the number one pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. According to NBA, the sports legend would receive countless accolades, including four-time NBA Champion, four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Year and four-time NBA Finals MVP. Outside of the court, James is an active philanthropist, as he is the founder of the LeBron James Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a stronger community in his hometown through education and extracurricular activities. As a Laker, James continues to bring the heat on the court and is an ultimate example that no matter where one comes from, the sky's the limit.

Pop star and beauty mogul Rihanna certainly has had an “Unapologetic” career. Born and raised on the island of Barbados, the singer left her home as a teenager to pursue a music career in America. By taking this momentous chance, Rihanna would cause a major storm in the music industry forcing everyone to hold on to their “Umbrella.”

All throughout her career, Rihanna has consistently added remarkable music to her discography, including my personal favorite albums “ANTI”

Since I discovered her [Nicki Minaj] music at eight years old, the rapstar has never left my playlist, as I have been a proud Barb ever since.

Through her unique ability to capture her audience, Minaj shows that staying true and authentic to one’s self will open doors that imitation can’t.

- Morgan Luster and “Loud.” The superstar has received countless prestigious awards, including a Grammy in 2012 for her album “Unapologetic” and the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award in 2014, according to Biography.

Later on, she extended her reach into the world of beauty by launching her empire Fenty Beauty in 2017, which would catapult her into a well-deserved billionaire status.

Above all, ascending to a level of an icon is not only about being consistent; it is being persistent.

As proven through these prominent figures, icons do not happen by accident but by breaking through barriers and defying the odds.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

opinions

New Disney movie has parents ‘Turning Red’ in the face

By Lindsey Davis opinions@kykernel.com

The newest Pixar film, “Turning Red,” is surrounded by controversy due to its themes of periods and puberty. It’s basically an animated “coming of age” film.

The main character, Meilin Lee, who goes by the nickname “Mei,” is a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl growing up in Toronto. Mei is going through puberty, which includes mood swings, periods and acne.

This all seems pretty normal, but that’s not really the case. You know when you feel such strong emotions, you might not quite act like yourself? Maybe you’ll throw a fit or say something you don’t mean.

Well, Mei, on the other hand,

turns into a giant red panda. Keep in mind that this is Pixar, the same company that created universes where cars can talk, toys come alive and rats can cook.

As it turns out, Mei’s ability to morph into the creature is genetic. Her mother, Ming, reveals that this “curse” was passed down by their ancestor, Sun Yee, who had a supernatural connection with the animal.

The first time Mei turns into the giant red panda, her parents believe that it is caused by the confusion she experienced when she got her first period.

Some things to note about the movie are that it is the first Pixar film directed by a woman, Domee Shi, and features a lead character of Asian descent (second to the 2009 film, “Up.”) The film currently has a rating

of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, you, like myself, may be wondering, “What’s the problem?”

A grown man, CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O’Connell, had a lot to say about it.

In his initial review, he wrote that he didn’t like the film about an Asian-Canadian teenage girl going through puberty and getting her period because he couldn’t relate to it.

He also said that the story was too “limited in scope” to be enjoyed by the general population because the Asian community in Toronto is too specific.

Perhaps Pixar’s next movie will be about a man who feels a strong sense of confusion after not being able to relate to a young girl getting her period and has to write an apology Tweet to the public.

In his apology, O’Connell

said, “I’m genuinely sorry for my Turning Red review,” and “It is clear that I didn’t engage nearly enough with the movie.”

CinemaBlend Editor-in-Chief Mack Rawden also said, “We failed to properly edit this review, and it never should have gone up.” The review has since been retracted and reassigned to someone else.

As you can imagine, Twitter had an absolute field day with O’Connell’s review. NPR’s Linda Holmes tweeted, “I too prefer more universally relatable heroes such as cars with eyeballs.”

Rosalie Chiang, the voice of Mei, defended the film.

“This is a coming of age film,” she said. “I think different people of different cultures are going to go through it differently, but at the end of the day, the core messiness

and change is something everyone can relate to.”

Now, parents are leaving negative reviews of the film because they think talks of periods and puberty are inappropriate for children.

I’m not sure what the big deal is, to be completely honest. I don’t see how periods are “inappropriate.” They’re a natural part of life.

The film is rated “PG” for “Parental Guidance.” It’s up to the parents to decide whether or not the film is something that they want their children to see.

I think the film would be beneficial to show to children who are going through puberty and getting their periods.

It’s time to normalize these kinds of conversations and make sure children are educated about what’s happening to them.

Sign up for the Kentucky Kernel newsletter for FREE! Go to kykernel.com and find the paper airplane on the homepage to stay up to date on everything UK! fall 2021 | 13

Thursday, April 14, 2022

sports

Rhyne Howard drafted No. 1 overall in 2022 WNBA Draft, makes UK history

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky womens basketball star guard Rhyne Howard was selected No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2022 WNBA Draft on Monday.

With Howard going No. 1 overall, Kentucky becomes just the 15th college program to have a player going first overall in the WNBA, after Texas and Oregon both became 13th and 14th in the back-to-back years prior.

Howard played four years at Kentucky, going down in history as one of the best to ever don the UK uniform across both mens and womens basketball.

During her tenure, Howard accumulated 2,290 points, etching her name as the second leading scorer in UK history across both the mens and womens programs.

Looking at single-season accomplishments, Howard was the only player in the country to record 600-plus points, 200-plus rebounds, 100-plus assists, 70-plus steals and 35-plus blocks.

For her impressive senior year, Howard recorded a plethora of awards, including being a finalist for the 2022 WBCA Wade Trophy and the 2022 Cheryl Miller Award, as well as being named a semi-finalist for the Naismith Trophy Women’s National Player of the Year. She was also featured on the ballot for the Wooden Award as well as the Dawn Staley Award for a third straight year.

She earned first-team honors from a number of sources, being featured as a first-team player for the WBCA, Associated Press,

14 | kentucky kernel

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Rhyne Howard walks off of the court after her final home game on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

Wooden Award and the United States Basketball Writers Association, joining elite company in Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner as the only three-time First Team All-American honorees.

During her final season at UK, Howard was instrumental in the Wildcats’ 10-game winning streak to close the season, a complete turnaround that landed the team in the NCAA Tournament after earning the second ever SEC Championship in program history, and first in 40 years, with the Cats knocking off eventual national champions No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC title game.

Kentucky’s final home game

of the year, usually reserved for “Senior Day” celebrations, was dedicated to the star and dubbed “Rhyne Howard Day.” Howard responded to the honors accordingly, dropping 32 points, the most by any UK senior during a game honoring seniors, by recording a school record eight 3-pointers, with the Wildcats eventually winning 90-62.

Howard’s success was far from exclusive to her senior year, with the Cleveland, Tennessee, native averaging over 20 points per game in three of her four seasons and a double-digit point-pergame total in every season in Blue and White.

During her freshman year in Lexington, Howard brought home eight SEC Freshman of the Week honors, was named a USBWA Freshman of the Week, earned the SEC Freshman of the Year Award from league coaches, was dubbed SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press and was an honorable mention for the WBCA All-America team.

Howard continued to etch her name into UK’s history books, becoming the highest drafted Wildcat in the WNBA Draft, beating out Evelyn Akhator, who went No. 3 overall to the Dallas Wings in 2017.

Going first overall puts How-

ard with elite company once again, joining the likes of Ionescue (2020), A’ja Wilson (2018), Griner (2013), Nneka Ogwumike (2012), Candace Parker (2008) and Sue Bird (2002) as players who have gone first.

Howard’s new team, the Dream, went 8-24 in the 2021 season, being one of only four teams to not have a postseason, securing the No. 1 pick via trade with the Washington Mystics after originally possessing the No. 3 pick.

Not confident Howard would still be on the board, and likely for good reason, the Dream sent over the third and 14th overall picks.

Howard’s now former coach, Kyra Elzy, felt confident in the star’s ability to turn around whatever team she joins, speaking about the upcoming draft after UK’s 69-62 upset loss to Princeton in the NCAA Tournament.

“Whoever is smart enough to draft her, they’re going to have a talent,” Elzy said. “She’s going to make people better. She’s competitive and her basketball IQ is unbelievable, but it's her versatility at the next level. She’s a 6 [foot] 2 [inch] guard with a great frame, she can play multiple positions, and I think in time she will be the face of the WNBA.” With those being big shoes to fill, Howard will have her work cut out for her, but the road has been mapped as of Monday, as the new future of the Atlanta Dream has been selected.

Howard will kick off her professional career in the WNBA likely in the first game of the Dream’s season, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 7.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

sports

Rhyne Howard on her future in the WNBA

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky guard Rhyne Howard made history on Monday, becoming the first Kentucky womens basketball star to ever go No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft, as she was selected by the Atlanta Dream.

Howard, while remaining true to her humble and calm nature, felt the weight of the moment and the historic feat she’d just accomplished, even if it had been expected as a possibility since the season began.

“I don’t even have words for it right now,” Howard said. “I’m still kinda shaking. It was super exciting, and I’m proud of what I’ve done, proud of myself and thankful for everyone that’s been on this journey with me and has helped me to get here.”

Howard’s success was hardly a shock, with the guard being named Miss Tennessee Basketball and Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year during her senior year of high school in 2018.

A five-star prospect heading into college, Howard was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and entered the freshman season as the eighth ranked recruit in her class, making

her a highly touted recruit for then head coach Matthew Mitchell.

Once in college, despite her expectations, it's unlikely anyone could predict just how far she’d go, immortalizing herself as one of the best to ever wear blue and white.

Currently in the history books as the second alltime leading scorer in UK history, across both mens and womens teams, Howard scored 2,290 points, second to only Valerie Still.

With her trophy case full of awards and accolades, Howard looks to her future with the WNBA, with all questions now surrounding how her talent will carry over to the next level.

Howard, despite the pressure surrounding being the No. 1 overall pick, expressed confidence and faith in herself to be able to succeed in the pros.

“I think it’s my competitive spirit and my will to never give up and always fight,” She said. “I maintain my composure and stay calm and collected. I think that’s really what helped me to become successful. I really just want to have an impact on the team when I get there and continue to make everyone better.”

When asked if she’s ready to make the jump and

compete against many of the best womens basketball players in the world, Howard once again expressed confidence in herself and her ability.

“I personally do think I’m ready,” she said. “Just because I’m so competitive like I mentioned before, but I am ready to keep improving on how hard I’m working, just doing the little things that teams are going to need. Personally I think I’m very versatile, so whatever position I need to play, I like to master those positions and if they need me to work on a specific thing, whatever the case may be, I’ll be able to do it.”

The team that drafted her, the Atlanta Dream, also had personal significance to the star, being just around 150 miles, or a two hour drive, from her high school in Cleveland, Tennessee.

“For it to be so close is huge,” Howard said. “It will mean a lot of family and close friends will be able to come and support me.”

The Dream finished the 2021 season with a 8-24 record, the second lowest in the WNBA, something Howard seemed determined to change even in her first year with the team.

“I want to be part of a

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Rhyne Howard smiles after getting a jump ball call during the UK vs. Presbyterian College womens basketball game on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

winning team, that's the end goal,” she said. “I met with [Renee Montgomery and Tanisha Wright] a couple of times and they just asked me simple questions, like how do I compete and how do I lead, and asked me if I could step up to the challenge and work hard everyday whether it’s practice or games. I was like, ‘Yeah, I believe I can.’ I was basically selling myself and proving to them why I believe I’m the right fit for them.”

While Howard is the kind of athlete to focus the majority of their time and effort to their craft, she also recognized the role she now has as an influencer, being an inspiration to potentially generations of young girls to come.

When asked if she had any advice for those who will look up to her, she offered the same advice she herself followed to allow her to get to the WNBA as a No. 1 overall pick.

“Always believe in

yourself,” she said. “If somebody says you can’t do it, then you have no choice but to prove that you can. Always work on your craft and keep those who want to see you succeed around you. Never doubt yourself.”

With the WNBA season scheduled to begin in less than a month, Howard will have her first chance to prove herself on Saturday, May 7, when the Dream open their season against the Dallas Wings.

fall 2021 | 15

Thursday, April 14, 2022

sports

Column: Kentucky once again stares in the face of disappointment

By Hunter Shelton sports@kykernel.com

With the end of the regular season under two months away, Kentucky finds itself in a familiar place — not good enough.

A ho-hum record of 2013 (4-8 Southeastern Conference) plants the Wildcats in the bottom half of the SEC. Their four in-conference wins are tied for second worst in the league, beating out only Missouri, whom the Cats will take on this weekend in Columbia.

As of April 6, D1Baseball.com does not have Kentucky making the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have not made the field of 64 since their miraculous run to the Super Regional in 2017, where they fell to rival Louisville.

UK has made the tournament just seven times in program history, making it out of its regional group just the one time five years ago.

Barring a turnaround in SEC play to finish the regular season, there will once again be no opportunity for June baseball for the Cats.

It won’t be an easy turnaround, either.

With 22 games left in the season, 10 will come against currently ranked opponents, headlined by a three-game set with No. 1 Tennessee in Lexington from May 5-7. The Volunteers tout a remarkable

16 | kentucky kernel

31-2 record, having dominated all challengers in and out of the SEC. The easy answer for Kentucky’s struggles this season comes from the pitching mound. The Wildcat staff owns a 5.08 earned run average, the 112th best in the nation out of 293 teams. While this is in the top half of the country, UK’s ERA checks in at 37th in the Power Five conferences, which comprises 65 schools.

Head coach Nick Mingione was thrilled about his staff coming into the season, as the Cats returned all 12 SEC wins on the mound from a year ago, while adding in some pieces from the transfer portal.

“They consider themselves the tip of the spear.

I’m excited about our pitching staff, this is the first time we actually have pitching experience. Maybe the most that we’ve had since 2018,” Mingione said at UK’s annual media day in February.

That experience hasn’t turned out to pay off, as many of the players to toe the slab this season have not been up to snuff.

Prior to his injury on March 25 against Georgia, Cole Stupp, while considered the “ace” of the staff, wasn’t giving the Cats the kind of Friday night performances they needed to consistently win games. Stupp will finish the season with

a 6.31 ERA in six starts, winning and losing a pair of games each. Batters hit .357 against the 6-foot-4 junior this year.

After a promising start to the season, right-hander Seth Logue has failed to reach the fourth inning in his last four starts. Over those four starts, Logue has allowed 18 earned runs.

South Carolina transfer Magdiel Cotto has been less than impressive, as he has an 8.05 ERA in eight appearances, six of which were starts.

The lack of longevity from the starters has taken a toll on the bullpen over the course of the season.

While there have been some bright spots in relief, such as turned-starter Darren Williams who is now out for the season with injury, and Tyler Guilfoil, six relievers own ERA’s over 6.00.

While ERA isn’t the only stat that matters on the mound, it’s a hard one to ignore when the numbers tell a story that isn’t in favor of the Cats. Kentucky has allowed seven or more runs 11 times this season, losing seven of those games.

In the early goings of the season, it appeared that it didn’t matter how mediocre the pitching was going to be, the bats were going to put up enough runs to win games. Before SEC play began, this proved to be true.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats infielder Daniel Harris IV drops a fly ball during the UK vs. Bellarmine baseball game on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

In the 18 games before UK’s SEC opener against Arkansas, the Wildcats scored five or more runs 16 times, winning 12 of those games. In seven of those games they even eclipsed the double-digit mark, pounding opposing pitching.

Since the competition has ramped up and SEC pitchers have begun to take the rubber, the run output for UK has seen a significant decrease. In the 15 games since the opener against the Hogs in Fayetteville, the Cats have been held to four or less runs nine times, losing all nine games.

Third baseman Chase Estep is on his way to an All-SEC season, batting .344 with a stellar OPS of 1.107, leading the team. A pair of transfers in Hunter Jump and Daniel Harris IV are the only other Cats who can claim an average of over .300.

Slugger Oraj Anu has been sidelined with an injury since early March, but the graduate student was batting a whopping .375 prior to being sidelined.

Princeton, Kentucky, native Jase Felker has been a nice addition to the lineup since SEC play began, collecting seven hits in five starts.

It’s not that the lineup isn’t capable of producing, it just can’t carry the weight on a daily basis against the best teams in the nation.

The season is by no means over for Kentucky.

In front of the Cats lie multiple opportunities to build a résumé solid enough to squeak into the field of 64 in June. It just feels unlikely.

Mingione is in real danger of his team missing the tournament for the fifth time in six seasons, and there’s a lot of work left to do if Kentucky is to right the ship and set its sights on Omaha and the College World Series.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

sports

To leave or not to leave:

Kentucky basketball roster update

By Hunter Shelton sports@kykernel.com

As the offseason pushes onward and the transfer portal continues to take over the college basketball landscape, Kentucky is once again wondering what its team will look like come the 2022-23 season.

The summer is usually filled with unknowns for head coach John Calipari. As has become customary in Lexington, Rupp Arena is usually a pitstop for star athletes who are on their way to the NBA. Big Blue Nation knows not to get too attached to the players, because it's likely they’ll only see them play in blue and white for one season.

With the addition of the portal and its newly found free reign, college basketball rosters become even more uncertain following March Madness. Over 1,000 players have entered the portal following the conclusion of their season, meaning there are plenty of names to go around for a coach who needs to fill out their roster.

Two of those players come from the Wildcats, in Dontaie Allen and Bryce Hopkins. Allen, a fan favorite in Lexington, played three seasons under Calipari, never quite living up to the potential that was envisioned for him. The Falmouth, Kentucky, native scored just 2.3 points per game this year while averaging 6.7 minutes a night.

Allen has since announced that he is transferring just a few hours west to Bowling Green to play for Western Kentucky.

As for Hopkins, his landing spot is still undecided. The 6-foot-6 forward leaves UK after just one season. He made 28 appearances for the Cats this year, averaging just 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

Hopkins made a statement late in SEC play, as he provided 13 points and four rebounds in a crucial win over LSU on Feb. 23. Calipari hoped to find some playing time for the freshman, but it never materialized down the stretch.

Just one Wildcat has fully committed to the NBA Draft as of April 13. TyTy Washington Jr. has hired an agent and will be entering the draft pool. Projected as a lottery pick, Washington’s decision was not a surprising one. The freshman averaged 12.5 points and 3.9 assists on his way to a Second Team All-SEC selection, as well as an All-SEC Freshman nod. He was an instrumental part of UK’s success, being the only freshman to contribute consistent, meaningful minutes.

As for testing the waters of the draft, at least a pair of Wildcats will be doing so.

Junior Keion Brooks Jr. was the first to announce, fresh off of a career year in which the Fort Wayne, Indiana. native averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Brooks’ name has not been mentioned on draft boards as the year has progressed, but the forward is maintaining his college eligibility and has the decision to opt out of the draft by June 1. If he is to remove his name from the pool, it is unclear if he will return to Kentucky or seek a move in the portal.

Joining Brooks in that venture is Jacob Toppin. The junior has now completed two seasons in Lexington, with year two showing massive improvement. Playing around 18 minutes a game, the Rhode Island transfer brought in 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per night. In addition to new highs in scoring, he also earned personal bests in blocks, assists, field-goal percentage and 3-point field-goal percentage. It’s likely that Toppin will not commit to the draft, with many believing that he will be back for a third go-round with the Wildcats.

One of the two potential X-factors in the draft, Shaedon Sharpe is rumored to head to the draft but maintain his eligibility, as of now. Travis Branham of 247Sports reported that the reclassified freshman phenom was going to test the waters, but no official announcement has been made.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Dontaie Allen shoots the ball during the UK vs. Central Michigan mens basketball game on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sharpe infamously did not play a game for the Cats this season after joining the team in January.

Calipari assured BBN that it was all a part of the plan, and that Sharpe will spend the offseason getting ready to play for UK next year. It appears as though the London, Ontario, native may be heading in the pro direction, with draft projections coming in as high as the fifth pick in the draft.

While Sharpe’s decision is a big one, all eyes remain on unanimous National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe. The big man has announced that a decision on his future is coming “very soon, from the big guy upstairs.” While his draft stock has shot up, as he claimed almost every award there is to win in college hoops, there is hope around Lexington that Tshiebwe will return for one more run with Kentucky. His

decision will severely impact how Calipari and his staff attack the transfer portal, as the make-up of the team will look completely different if he is not in the picture.

Despite the massive amount of uncertainty, Calipari does already have some pieces coming in for the 2022-23 campaign.

After a freshman season that saw him score just 2.9 points per game, Daimion Collins announced that he will be returning for his second season with UK. Joining him will be Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick, who missed the last season due to a hamstring injury. There’s hope that both players will play significant roles on the roster for next season.

A pair of incoming freshmen will look See ROSTER on page 19

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Thursday, April 14, 2022

sports

Questions answered and remaining after Kentucky football’s spring scrimmage his nature to face his opponents head on and diving for the pylon, in an effort to secure the touchdown in his first drive.

“It’s part of his toughness and the style of player he is, and it’s why he has a bright future,” offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said. “Since the day I walked in the door we talked about it, he’s been really mindful of it in practice, practicing sliding and practicing getting down. He’s thinking about it, he understands what’s at stake.”

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky football held its annual spring game on Saturday, pitting offense against defense in a display of where the program is ahead of the summer dead period.

With every offseason of college athletics posing numerous questions regarding returning players, holes from departing players and how transfers will fit into the roster, the spring scrimmage provided many of those answers.

That said, with every question answered, another question is posed, and this is no different after the blue and white took the field this past weekend.

Before looking into what is now unknown, here’s what was learned from the spring game: QUESTIONS ANSWERED “How will Kentucky’s offense look without Wan’Dale Robinson?”

Just fine by the looks of it.

In the absence of the reigning Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, many onlookers worried his production would be irreplaceable after he declared for the NFL Draft.

This does not appear to be the case, as Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson and freshman Dane Key both stepped up to make athletic catches and evade defenders with flashy moves.

Tayvion Robinson secured three receptions for 42 yards,

18 | kentucky kernel

QUESTIONS UNANSWERED “How will the offensive line hold up?”

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Cole Lanter (81) scores a touchdown during the UK football spring game on Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

with an average of 14 yards per reception, bringing in 75% of his targets.

He also showed a bit of spice, wasting no time spinning and evading defenders in his initial 24-yard reception.

Meanwhile, Key caught two passes for 43 yards, bringing in half of his targets.

“He has a really good feel for the game,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said about Key. “For a guy that could be playing spring sports in high school right now, he’s very mature in his approach.

He’s been very consistent.”

While it’s still entirely pos-

sible that Wan’Dale Robinson’s loss will still be felt, the offense made it clear that it will not give up on the passing game just because it lost its star receiver and its offensive coordinator.

In fact, based on the small sample size, it might’ve just found a new star or two to replace him and allow the team to rely on the passing game even more.

“How much will Will Levis improve from last season?”

While it’s hard to predict how a quarterback will stand in the world of college football based

on a spring scrimmage, one thing is undeniable: Will Levis looked like a star.

Only being given two drives before his day came to an end, Levis made the most of his opportunities, going 7-8 in passing attempts for 98 yards, recording a passing touchdown in both drives.

He finished the day with a quarterback rating of 272.9, by far the highest of any Wildcat who found themselves under center.

Levis even ignored the unwritten rules for a quarterback during a spring scrimmage, sticking to

Stoops may have commented that he was happy with how the line held up from where he stood on the field, but from above, it was much harder to notice anything of significance.

While the offensive line ideally wouldn’t draw attention to itself, it also didn’t provide many answers for questions surrounding its sturdiness on Saturday, even when put under a critical lense.

Simply put, the spring scrimmage was a golden opportunity for the offensive skill players to show what they can do, but it didn’t provide much of the same opportunity for the linemen.

The defense wasn’t passive by any means, but it hardly stacks up to a live SEC defense during the regular season with a potential See FOOTBALL on page 19

Thursday, April 14, 2022

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FOOTBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

playoff spot on the line.

It’s unlikely the state of the offensive line will be fully known and able to gauge until a few games into the regular season, at earliest after UK’s week two game at Florida.

“How good is the defense?”

If the offensive line wasn’t set up to have a strong showing in the spring scrimmage, the defense was truly thrown to the wolves.

Rather than a traditional scrimmage style, Kentucky opted to instead feature the white team as all-time defense, while the blue team was all-time offense, mak-

ing much more sense of the 32-0 final score.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the defense was set up to fail from the get-go, defensive coordinator Brad White further admitted he didn’t exactly set his guys up for an easy day.

“I put these guys in a pretty tough situation,” White said. “I wanted to see how they would compete and how they would respond to some of those situations. To say, ‘How was the run defense?’ is probably not fair to the defensive structure as a whole, I put them in some pretty tough situations that allowed some leaky yardage.”

With defense having been one of the biggest question marks for Kentucky last season, being the sore spot at several moments throughout the

year, eyes were lasered in on how they would bounce back during this glance into the future.

Unfortunately, that answer is still unclear.

“What is the new offense going to look like post Liam Coem?”

While it may come as a shock that the offense is still a question mark after all the harping over quarterback and receiver play, Stoops and Scangarello made it known that what was displayed on Saturday was just a fraction of what the final product will be.

“When it’s all said and done we’re very excited about where we’re going,” Stoops said. “We get we were relatively basic today, but there’s quite a bit of carryover; you can see some nuances.”

Levis even went as far as to say what was displayed was merely “25 to 30%” of what will be in the final game plan. “[Scangarello] didn’t wanna give anything away,” Levis said. “I don’t know if you guys realized or not, but there was one drive where we ran the same play in the red zone three times in a row, he didn’t want to show any other concepts in the red zone.”

With the offense being kept extremely basic, it’s still unknown what this offense will look like by the time the season rolls around, though Levis did clarify that many of what was actually shown will be critical pieces of the Wildcats’ offensive identity.

WHAT IS THE TAKEAWAY?

“Was there any point to the extremely simplistic and watered down ‘scrimmage’?”

While the spring scrimmage certainly didn’t offer as many answers as most would have liked, it’s still incredibly important in looking ahead to the season in the fall.

While the scrimmage wasn’t set up for the defense and line to thrive, it still provided live experience and reps for players who may not have gotten many opportunities prior.

Furthermore, for the upcoming freshmen like Key, who ventured to Lexington for the scrimmage, getting integrated into the offensive scheme, no matter how basic, could be the difference between early success or sitting second or third on the depth chart

for two years.

With dead period arriving sooner than coaches may wish, having a scrimmage that exposes potential strengths and weaknesses within the individuals is critical, as it allows the ones who are serious about their craft to hone in on those particular skills before returning to the team after the break.

“There’s a lot of work to still be done, but I like the foundation we layed out,” Scangarello said.

“Now we can have a plan going into the summer and into August in the first game where we create our identity with the types of guys we have. I’m excited about what we have as a nucleus and how football smart they are, so we’ll see how far we can take it this year.”

ROSTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

to play the role of “diaper dandies,” as McDonald's All-Americans Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston will carry plenty of hype to next year’s team.

Aside from Tshiebwe, just two major players from this season’s team have decisions to make. Starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, honoring the best PG in the nation. His 6.9 assists per game was good for third best in the country, while he added an average of 10.1 points.

There has been no sign as to what decision Wheeler is going to make.

Lance Ware concluded his second season with Kentucky as a backup for Tshiebwe, seeing his minutes stay sporadic over the course of the season. If Tshiebwe is to come back to Kentucky, Ware will likely hold that backup position once again if he doesn’t make the move to the portal.

Calipari will surely attack the portal for all that it's worth, especially given the amount of uncertainty that currently surrounds his team. A multitude of decisions will begin to play out over the next few weeks, as Kentucky once again begins its annual rebuild.

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr., right, puts his arm around forward Jacob Toppin, left, during the UK vs. Alabama mens basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

fall 2021 | 19

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