kentuckykernel 5
Thursday, September 16, 2021 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel
The current update on COVID-19
8 Sustainability at The 90
13 Up, Up and UK: See page 15 for more photos
Name, image and likeness
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
Humans of UK:
kentuckykernel
Victor Avalos searches for success By Julia Renz news@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. Freshman Victor Avalos takes every opportunity to enjoy time with people on campus and explore Lexington, but as he finds his place at UK, he still keeps his family in mind. Avalos, a first-generation student majoring in computer science, grew up in Woodford County, Kentucky, just 20 minutes from Lexington. He lived in a small town with his parents and two younger brothers. He visits them every weekend and enjoys cooking with them, playing with his younger brothers and working with his father. Looking for a better life for their children, Victor’s parents emigrated from Mexico, hoping to find a new life for their children. “I see them struggle every day,” Avalos said. “For me, I personally feel like going to college will be an accomplishment because … all their frustrations won’t go in vain.” Avalos said he wants to be successful, but not just in the sense of having a
MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF Victor Avalos, a freshman computer science major, poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Lexington, Kentucky.
good job. He also hopes to inspire his family. “My biggest dream is showing my accomplishments to my parents,” Avalos said. “Make good money, have a good family and just be a good role model for my brothers as well, because I am the oldest child, and I have to show them, ‘hey, I did it;
you can do it too.’” Though some members of his family still live in Mexico, Avalos keeps in touch with them and hopes to make the trip to visit. Avalos recently got to see two of his grandparents when they visited the U.S., but before that, he had not seen them in four years.
“In four years, a lot of things changed,” Avalos explained. “I grew taller, I got out of high school, I came to college and, believe it or not, I didn’t have all this hair.” Avalos has still never met many of his relatives, and he has not seen one of his grandmothers since he was four or five. Though Avalos did not specify any career goals, he currently has a job on campus as a website developer and said he is very thankful for the work environment. On the weekends, he works with his father trimming horse hooves across Kentucky. “Honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything big in life yet,” Avalos said. “Am I going to graduate successfully? That’s the part I don’t know. I just want to become successful in life, pretty much.” Avalos also passes the time playing the pianos around UK and listening to music. He prefers to listen to non-lyrical music and simply hear the instruments. Since coming to UK, Avalos said he has found new opportunities to achieve success and freedom to find his own place in the world. “There’s more to life. During K Week, I felt so much inner joy,” Avalos said. “I was so happy. I just felt actual joy for once.”
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On the cover:
JACK WEAVER | STAFF UK students ride in a hot air balloon during UK Campus Housing’s Up, Up and UK on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Pieratt Field in Lexington, Kentucky
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features
Rayann White is popping off: A Lexington success story
By Sophia Shoemaker news@kykernel.com
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have chosen to quit their jobs or change the course of their career completely. Rayann White, owner and founder of Rayann’s Popcorn, is one of these individuals. Before opening her gourmet popcorn business full-time, White worked for two years in development for the Salvation Army, three years in sales and marketing for the Lexington Herald-Leader and three years in public relations for the Christian Appalachian Project. White initially began making popcorn to give as gifts, but it wasn’t until she had some encouragement from a friend that she began marketing and selling her popcorn. At first, she was just doing it part-time and selling to local grocers. However, in November 2020, she made her popcorn business her full-time job. “It felt like God was saying to me, ‘It’s time to move on,’” White said. After going full-time, White moved her business into Julietta Market on West Loudon Avenue. “I think the market is a great place for entrepreneurs that are just starting to really showcase their products and their services. It also gives us the opportunity to build a customer base,” White said. “I do like it here, but I think my next step is a brickand-mortar [location].” White said she loves serving people her products. She said she can make popcorn all day, but seeing customers’ reactions to tasting a product she works hard to create is one of the reasons she loves her job. “They will come up with slogans for me, or they’ll text and call me,” White said. “To me, that [connection] is more important than anything.” All of White’s popcorn is GMO-free and gluten-free, and she handmakes it from scratch every day. The company’s Instagram account, @rayannspopcorn,
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JACK WEAVER | STAFF Rayann White, owner of Rayann’s Popcorn, talks to a customer on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Julietta Market in Lexington, Kentucky.
displays the wide range of flavors White offers, from spicy cheese to sea salted caramel. “When people come to Rayann’s Popcorn, they know it will be fresh every time; that’s a guarantee,” she said. White left a job that she knew to do what she loves: deliver a gourmet, fresh product to customers. “What really fuels me is knowing that my customers appreciate the time and effort that I put into it,” White said. “It means a lot to me to produce not just a good product, but one that is quality that I know people will enjoy.”
Thursday, September 16, 2021
COVID Update:
news
One goal achieved but more progress to come, Capilouto says By Sarah Michels news@kykernel.com
Over 80 percent of the campus community is fully or partially vaccinated as of Sept. 9, UK President Eli Capilouto announced to UK’s Board of Trustees Friday. With an 81.5 percent vaccination rate, the university has surpassed its initial goal of 80 percent, set before the start of the fall semester. However, Capilouto said there is more progress to be made. “That 80 percent was never the finish line but a starting point,” he said. This week, Capilouto is set to announce compliance measures for those who are unvaccinated but are not completing their required weekly COVID testing. He said he will also introduce employee and student organization vaccination incentives. “We are going to keep pushing and pushing until those rates are certainly going to exceed 85 percent, and I hope more than 90 percent,” he told the university’s staff senate Thursday. As of Sept. 8, 80.7 percent of students, 88.8 percent of faculty and 81.3 percent of staff are at least partially vaccinated, according to UK’s COVID dashboard. Additionally, UK has conducted 8,558 tests since the semester began, with a 3 percent positivity rate. At UK, there are 102 total active COVID cases as of Sept. 8, with a seven-day rolling aver-
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age of 126 cases. In the broader Lexington-Fayette area throughout the past week, the seven-day rolling average is 255 new cases each day, a figure approaching the levels of the third wave peak around November 2020, according to Lexington-Fayette County Health Department data. The state as a whole isn’t faring any better, according to Gov. Andy Beshear’s Monday update. Kentucky’s positivity rate is at 13.7 percent, with over 2,400
COVID patients hospitalized in the state’s hospitals, 70 percent of which currently have critical staffing shortages. Over a quarter of Monday’s new COVID cases involved children under 18. This rising community spread has many UK faculty and staff members concerned for their safety as the campus returns to in-person learning. As of Sept. JACK WEAVER | STAFF 14, an open letter calling for Cap- UK president Eli Capilouto speaks to new students during the Wildcat ilouto and Acting Provost Robert Welcome Ceremony on Friday, Aug. 20, 2021, at Kroger Field in LexingSee COVID on page 7 ton, Kentucky.
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
news
The future is now, and it can deliver Starbucks
By Emily Girard, Corrie McCroskey and Jessica Kinsella news@kykernel.com
At the start of the fall semester, UK introduced electric food delivery robots to its campus. Made and operated by Starship Technologies, these robots deliver meals and drinks to students and staff. Starship Technologies, founded in 2014, states on its website that it is “the world’s leading robot delivery service for university college campuses.” Headquartered in San Francisco, the company has tested its services in over 100 cities in both the U.S. and Europe. They began delivering to universities in 2019. Today, Starship has robots on over a dozen campuses, including UCLA, UT Dallas and Bowling Green University. Thirty robots were introduced to UK’s campus on Aug. 16 and began full operations on Aug. 23, the first day of classes. Andrew Russell, the Starship Technologies Site Lead at UK, manages the day-to-day operations of the robots and addresses issues between customers and vendors. He said there were no major issues encountered in implementing the robots at UK, and the launch went “very smoothly.” “Both parties [UK and Starship] worked diligently for months to launch,” Russell said. “I’m proud of UK Dining, the restaurants and the students for working with us.” Customers can order meals and set pickup or delivery locations on the Starship Deliveries app. Multiple on-campus restaurant options are available, including Panda Express, Subway and Starbucks. Each robot is equipped with sensors and turn signals to navigate around objects. They also have speakers that allow them to communicate with people. Once an order is placed, customers are able to track the robot to ensure that they meet at the correct time and place. When a customer’s robot arrives, they can scan a QR code on the robot to unlock it and retrieve their food. “I think they are pretty cool and keep up with modern technology,” sophomore Madison Mooney said. Customers pay a $1.99 delivery fee in addition to the cost of their order. They can pay in the app using credit cards or UK Flex accounts. Kylie Hodge, a freshman pre-nursing major who has ordered Papa John’s and Eiffel Pizza through the robots, said the process is “very efficient.” She said she liked the convenience and the inexpensive delivery fee. Starship declined to give specific details about its contract with UK, but Russell said UK has not paid for a set number of robots, and the fleet size may change based on
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PHOTOS BY JACK WEAVER I STAFF A Starship robot crosses Hilltop Avenue in front of the Jacobs Science Building on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
business demands. Russell also saidsaid the robots do not have a set price. Starship reported at a 2018 AI conference that each robot costs $5,500, but the company has goals to lower the price to $2,250. Sophomore Thomas Mooney said he would order from the robots, but he also expressed concerns about the robots creating fewer fewer opportunities for social interaction in a world already full of contact and distance restrictions. “It’s the problem of less person-to-person contact, even verbally, because it takes another element out of interacting with people,” he said. Christian Wallace, the marketing manager at UK Dining, said there isn’t yet “sufficient data” to determine whether or not the robots will cause a decrease in in-person dining. “We will have to wait a bit more and see,” he said, pointing out that the robots have been on campus for only
a month. Other concerns are more logistical. Tess Hodge, a freshman who has had Starbucks and Eiffel Pizza delivered by the robots, complimented the convenience and security of the robots’ locking feature, but she noted that they do not always keep food and drinks stable inside once the cargo compartment is locked. “[The food] just comes in, and it’s already ready for you,” she said. “Sometimes there can be stuff spilled at the bottom, but that’s the most I’ve seen.” Some students are concerned about the robots’ ability to navigate around cars and pedestrians. The robots only travel on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, and they are monitored in case they get stuck or run into hazards during their route and need service. However, they are still not immune to vehicular collisions. On Aug. 31, law student Rachel Bierman posted a See ROBOTS on page 7
Thursday, September 16, 2021
news
ROBOTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
video to TikTok showing a robot being hit by a turning car while trying to cross South Limestone Street. As of Sept. 14, the video has over one million likes. “I thought [the robot] was cute waiting at the crosswalk and how it was going to cross. I didn’t know it was going to get hit,” Bierman said. While Bierman thinks the robots are “cool little bots,” she does not believe drivers have “great awareness” of them. “I honestly didn’t know they crossed roads until I saw that one,” she said. “I remember seeing one Instagram post from [UK] about them being on campus, and that’s it, so I assume the person in the car probably didn’t know either.” Delivery robots are officially classed as pedestrians and allowed to drive on public streets and sidewalks in 14 states. According to a database of state laws on RList, Kentucky does not have any specific laws covering delivery robots. Russell said that when accidents like the one Bierman filmed happen, Starship takes action to prevent them. In that specific case, the robots’ paths were changed so that they only cross Limestone if it is necessary to make or return from a delivery. “We assess the situation and take the proper steps to determine what happened and why,” he explained. “Paths and routes can be changed to protect the safety of people and the robots.” Despite these concerns, some students still show inter-
COVID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
S. DiPaola to implement a vaccine mandate has received over 2,300 signatures from faculty, staff and students. According to the letter, it was sent to administrators on Sept. 9. Others have asked UK administration to allow them to switch modalities, from in-person to hybrid or online, without having to wade through administrative red tape. Monday night, the University Senate passed a resolution once again requesting a mandate. Capilouto said he “found the discussion and dialogue to be thoughtful, respectful and substantive” and that the community “will be better for it,” but reit-
“ I honestly didn’t know they
crossed roads until I saw that one. I remember seeing one Instagram post from [UK] about them being on campus, and that’s it, so I assume the person in the car probably didn’t know either.
”
- Rachel Bierman
est in the robots. “They’re sort of weird as a new thing,” Thomas Mooney said. “They will take some getting used to, but I think people will use them slowly.”
erated that right now, a vaccine mandate is not part of the administration’s current strategy to increase the campus-wide vaccination rate. Capilouto cited three reasons for this approach. First, he explained that UK is already making rapid progress without a mandate, through a combination of education, communication, incentives and compliance measures. UK spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Kernel that Capilouto and senior administrators have held conversations with faculty, staff and student leaders throughout the past weeks to continuously adapt the university’s policies to the pandemic. “The proof of what we are doing is in the numbers,” Blanton said. “The plan is working. Second, Capilouto said a vac-
cine mandate would be controversial. “Vaccines are a deeply polarizing measure — at least vaccine mandates — in what is already a deeply polarized world,” Capilouto said. “National polls show it, and a number of state actions prohibiting mandates underscore it.” During a student government meeting, SGA president Michael Hawse echoed this, saying that the likelihood of the university enforcing a vaccine mandate is low, possibly because of the potential political response in Frankfort. “I don’t think it’s going to happen in the near future because we’re in a special session for the (Kentucky) legislature, and I think the last thing they want to do is make news to the legislature
Alexandra Burns, a staff member who works in the College of Fine Arts Building, closes the lid to a Starship robot on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
while they’re in session,” Hawse said. “There is a large Republican population in the Senate — it’s a supermajority — and states where that has been similar have been making mask mandates … [and] vaccine mandates illegal.” The third reason UK gave for not pursuing a vaccine mandate at this time is the subsequent requirement to accept religious, medical and other exceptions. Capilouto spoke about the flu vaccine mandate implemented at UK last year, which only succeeded in vaccinating 65 percent of the student population, as support for the idea that even a mandate would not be a guarantee. In contrast, the university does not have the same requirement to honor exceptions regarding testing requirements. “Although a mandate has
many benefits, as I continue to take in all of the available information, I believe we have the right approach at this time to continue increasing campus vaccination levels,” Capilouto said. “If new information of circumstances become available, we will pivot.” In an interview with the Kernel in late August, Capilouto said he was worried about the spread of the virus, and that UK would have to rely on the campus community taking on the responsibility of doing what is best for them and those who are close to them. “This is not going to be a case of zero risk. What we’re going to have to do is reduce it. And by taking the vaccine, you rightly reduce the harm if one were to be infected. There’s nothing more powerful than that vaccine.”
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
news
‘A serendipitous situation.’ UK dining hall offers local, sustainable food options Story by Emily Girard | Photos by Michael Clubb
Students eat at The 90 dining hall on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
news
The Fresh Food Company at The 90 has been dedicated to local, sustainable operations since its construction in 2015, and it has recently implemented programs to further this goal. The University of Kentucky works with the distribution company Aramark to source food and uniforms for the over 88,000-square-foot dining hall located on south campus. Lee Hendrickson, director of operations at Aramark, said sustainability was a talking point between Aramark and UK during the 11 months of the Fresh Food Company’s construction. “There was a great push for sustainability that originated in the actual contract,” Hendrickson said. “It was something that UK Dining Services was already working on prior to [Aramark] coming in, so that expectation was that we continue growing that program, and we’ve been able to do that really well at The 90 through local purchasing.” The 90’s partnerships with local farmers
UK launched two local food initiatives in 2018, partnering with local farms to increase the farms’ business and ensure food quality. One of these partnerships is the Marksbury Farm Whole Animal Project. The project entails Marksbury Farm and other local farmers categorizing their different cuts of meat based on how they will be prepared. This ensures that as much of the animal is used and gets the farms the most competitive price for their product. “Making sure the whole animal moves [through the distribution process]…keeps us from having to stop things because some other part of the animal is piling up somewhere,” said Cliff Swaim, who handles the farm’s wholesale business. “It seems very logical, but it was extremely difficult to pull together. It’s been working quite well for the last four years.” In addition to the advantages this program brings to UK Dining, Swaim said this program has a “major impact on local farmers.” UK purchases five hogs and two heads of cattle per week, which Swaim described as a “decent bit of revenue” for farmers. “To be able to write those checks to those farmers that are right here … it keeps
Students eat at The 90 dining hall on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
all the money close to home, and I know that’s something that’s very important to us,” Swaim said. “It’s important to these farm families who are trying to provide a way for the next generation.” The Fresh Food Company also features local restaurants in food stations, which change annually. “Right now, we’ve come across quite a few really good [restaurants], and … we’re always looking to change things up a little bit to keep them fresh,” Hendrickson said. “I don’t want the layout that’s here to be the same five years from now.” This year, the local restaurants featured at The Fresh Food Company are Zen Wok, Smashing Tomato, Taste of India, Woke Vegan, Taylor Belle’s Ice Cream and Nathan’s Taqueria. “For me, I like Smashing Tomato the most,” said Isaac Stevens, a freshman majoring in biosystems engineering. “I’ve been eating Smashing Tomato since I was
See THE 90 on page 10
Students eat at The 90 dining hall on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
news
“I’m just happy that we were able to weather the pandemic,” Ashford said. “I would love to see our program grow and expand; I think there’s lots of other opportunities.” Both Marksbury Farms and UK Sustainability hope that the programs they have implemented in UK Dining will eventually spread. Swaim hopes to see local farming initiatives like UK’s spread across the country, especially in institutions that are already partnered with Aramark. He said the university’s program has been a “litmus test” for other colleges to implement in the future. “You’re creating lots of opportunity all over the country for farmers that want to do grass-fed and local [farming] and want to see their animals stay close to home,” Swaim said. Ashford also hopes that UK’s sustainability model will be duplicated in other locations. “I really think it sets UK as a leader in Kentucky for some of the composting efforts,” Ashford said. “I’m hopeful that us doing it proves to other larger corporations and cities that it’s a possibility for them to do, too.”
A student picks up a slice of pizza at The 90 dining hall on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
THE 90 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
really young, so I like that it’s here.” Each restaurant’s menu changes daily, offering a rotating selection of food options. “The quesadillas at [Nathan’s Taqueria] on Friday are the best part,” said freshman chemical engineering major Luke Ransom. “I wait for Friday every day.” Sustainability at The 90
In 2019, as part of a collaboration between UK Sustainability, UK Dining and the College of Agriculture, UK began adding food waste from The Fresh Food Company to its composting program. UK Recycling Coordinator Joanna Ashford said UK Sustainability had been working on a food waste collection program for 12 years,
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which they could finally develop once “all of the right partners were at the table.” “It really was a serendipitous situation where all of the pieces fell into the right place,” said UK Recycling Coordinator Joanna Ashford. “Composting has been happening; it’s just the incorporation of the food waste that was new.” The 90’s efforts to divert food waste include pulping leftover food from customers’ plates into a compostable material. “You put your plate on a conveyor belt … and then the staff in the back of the house cleans off those plates. Anything left on the plate — that’s a whole piece of pizza, that’s a chicken bone, that’s napkins — all of that goes into the pulper,” Ashford said. “It essentially grinds the material and extracts about 50 percent of the water. What’s left over looks a little bit like sliced cabbage. It makes a really nice uniform material to be composted.” This material is then sent to the C. Oran
Little Research Center, a UK-affiliated farm in Woodford County, to be combined with farm waste and composted. Ashford said the program has received “nothing but positive feedback,” despite some concerns about odors and pests. “I can understand that if somebody said they were gonna bring food waste containers into my office, I’d be a little leery, but all of the people at the table have been in this industry long enough to know…what can we do to prevent those [odor and pest] issues,” Ashford said. The composting program had to be altered in the 2020-2021 school year, since dining hall seating was reduced. The program increased its focus on reducing kitchen production waste as opposed to waste left by dining hall customers. UK Sustainability also began collecting coffee grounds from Starbucks locations at both the Gatton Student Center and the William T. Young Library.
“ To be able to write
those checks to those farmers that are right here … it keeps all the money close to home, and I know that’s something that’s very important to us. It’s important to these farm families who are trying to provide a way for the next generation.
”
- Cliff Swaim
Thursday, September 16, 2021
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
sports
Across the (By)Line: Chattanooga Mocs By Hunter Shelton sports@kykernel.com
The “Across the (By)Line” series will give Kentucky football fans an in-depth look at their opponent for this week — from the mind of the opposing school’s sports editor. This week: Peyton Gray, The University Echo, UT Chattanooga For the uneducated, how would you describe Chattanooga’s football program?
Peyton: For the uneducated, I would say UTC’s football program consists of young guys who haven’t played much football over the past year but can still put up numbers. UTC had only one game last fall and only played four this past spring. They began the spring 3-0 and jumped to the No. 9 ranking (FCS obviously.) They began this fall ranked No. 18 but fell short to Austin Peay in the first game of the season. What do you expect UTC’s game plan to be this Saturday?
Peyton: I honestly couldn’t tell you what the game plan is for Saturday. UTC has one game like this every year. They’ll play Tennessee, Alabama, Florida St. etc. but they have yet to come out on top. I believe, other than receiving a handsome payday, UTC’s overall goal is to go out there and compete with an SEC football team, gain experience and come back to Chattanooga better than when they left. Ailym Ford rushed for 114 yards his last time out, how important is he to the UTC offense?
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Peyton: Ford is a staple in the Mocs offense and has been since his freshman year. As a freshman, he was 10 yards shy of setting the single season record for rushing yards. That was 2019. He played in the lone fall game last year but didn’t see any action this spring. Though he’s not been on a field much, I think it’s safe to assume he’s bigger, faster and stronger than he was two years ago. I think he’ll be touching the ball a lot Saturday. Will the Mocs defense have any answer for Chris Rodriguez or the UK receivers?
Peyton: That question will just have to answer itself come Saturday. But if it’s any consolation, I think the SEC could have trouble with Rodriguez this year. UTC has played two different quarterbacks in the team’s first two games. Who will be under center for the Mocs on Saturday?
Peyton: Since coming to UTC a few years back, Rusty Wright has shown that he likes to run a two-quarterback system. It was all Drayton Arnold against Austin Peay; all Cole Copeland last week. For this game specifically, I think you can expect to see a mix of the two. Who are some players that Kentucky fans should watch out for?
Peyton: Offensively, UK should watch for Arnold, Ford and Regi Henderson. Arnold can pass and run the ball. Ford plays just straight in your face football. Henderson can make big plays. Defensively, Jay Person and Brandon Dowdell seem to make the big stops.
JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (7) stiff arms a defender to score a touchdown during UK’s game against Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. UK won 35-28.
Stats: Kentucky •O ffense — 1,083 total yards, 60.87 percent third down conversion rate, 11 touchdowns •W ill Levis — 28-44, 546 yards, 5 TD’s, 2 INT’s •C hris Rodriguez Jr. — 46 rush, 331 yards (7.2 per carry), 4 TD’s •W an’Dale Robinson — 10 rec, 226 yards, 2 TD’S • Josh Ali — 7 rec, 166 yards, 1 TD •D efense — Square, 12 tackle (9 solo), 3.5 TFL, 1 sack; Weaver, 3.5 sacks; Corker, 11 tackle (8 solo)
Chattanooga •O ffense — 538 total yards, 5 touchdowns •D rayton Arnold — 11-26, 147 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT’s •C ole Copeland — 10-21, 98 yards, 2 INT’s •A ilym Ford — 40 rush, 174 yards (4.4 per carry), 2 TD’s •R egi Henderson — 8 rec, 91 yards, 1 TD •D efense — Boeck, 15 tackle (9 solo), 3 TFL, 1 sack; Maxwell, 3.5 sacks; Jones, 12 tackle (7 solo)
Thursday, September 16, 2021
sports
‘Now we can reap all the benefits.’ Student-athletes celebrate name, image and likeness opportunity
By Sophia Shoemaker sports@kykernel.com
For years, student-athletes have been unable to profit off their name, image or likeness. But as of July 1, 2021, the yearslong legal debate is over. Two months ago, new NCAA rules and state laws officially went into effect that provided athletes with various levels of new opportunities to make money by selling their name, image and likeness (NIL). The law served to protect “amateurism,” the notion being that since collegiate athletes are not professionals, they do not need to be paid. The NCAA believed that scholarships and stipends were sufficient payment. Student-athletes faced the possibility of suspension if they violated the rules. While there have been many lawsuits involving the NCAA and NIL rules, nothing changed until 2019 when California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that allowed college athletes to sign endorsement deals while protecting their collegiate eligibility. Newsom’s push posed many questions as to what would happen to athletes, but its effects were limited to the state of California. That is no longer the case; now, the NIL rules allow everyone to profit. More than 100 of UK’s 500-plus student-athletes have taken advantage of the law change already by entering into nearly 300 NIL agreement transactions, said Tony Neely, UK’s assistant athletic director for athletics communications and public relations. One is junior rifle shooter Mary Tucker, newly-crowned Olympic silver medalist in the mixed team air rifle event. Tucker said that participating in NIL opportunities promotes her sport to a wider audience. “Rifle is a small sport and not many
people pay attention to it,” she said. “One of the ways we can help ourselves is through sponsorships.” Tucker added that the equipment is expensive and if she and her teammates wanted nice suits in the past, they would have to pay out of pocket. Currently, Tucker has a contract with Pardini, a sports firearm brand, but she hasn’t received any money so far. “With rifle being so small, most of the companies only do equipment,” she said. Tucker said she thinks the new law is going to help a lot of athletes stay in collegiate sports, since they will be able to make money while in school. She did run into some problems with the process, though. “It was kind of inconveniently timed,” Tucker said. “They told us about this July 1, and those of us who went to the Olympics left around July 16. I had a week and a half to figure these laws out and get sponsors before the Games.” Tucker said that UK did a good job of answering her questions about the NIL process, which demonstrates what Neely said was years of preparation by the university’s Brand and Content Unit. Its “student-athletes first” approach has been focused on amplifying student-athlete voices for years, he said. The university has also formed relationships with social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter and is now the first client of INFLCR, a content access and distribution app. INFLCR allows student-athletes to access photos and videos as well as enter the details of their NIL agreements for approval by the athletics compliance department. Junior Masai Russell, a hurdler on UK’s Track and Field team, has submitted a lot of those forms for approval. She currently has about seven NIL contracts with comSee NIL on page 14
Mary Tucker poses for a portrait. Photo provided by UK Athletics
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Thursday, September 16, 2021
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panies including Hulu, Champs, Eastbay and Starface, an up-and-coming skincare line, and she said she is in the process of obtaining more. “I had the followers, I had the platform. It was an opportunity to make me greater than just track and field,” Russell said. “Track isn’t going to last forever. So, if I can do a big partnership or be a brand ambassador that’s something that could last for years.” Russell thinks that NIL provides athletes a good opportunity to showcase their personal brand, who they are both inside and outside of sport, through social media. “I’ve never seen the point of why we weren’t able to,” she said. “Now we can reap all the benefits and run with it.” A year ago, junior golfer Marissa Wenzler didn’t think much about NIL. She figured it was mostly for the bigger sports, like football and basketball. However, as the 2021 Women’s Western Amateur Championship winner and qualifier for the 2021 Women’s Amateur Championship — where she made it to the round of 32, defeating a No. 1 seed golfer as a No. 64 seed in the process — Wenzler was in a good position to make sponsorship deals heading into this year. Wenzler has learned how to negotiate deals and work with people in the classroom as a business major. Now, as an
ambassador for Tour Line Golf and Slate Milk, she can put that knowledge to real-life use. Wenzler said she’s learned she shouldn’t wait for people to come to her; if she likes a product, she needs to reach out, too. She currently has several deals in the works and hopes to partner with Perfect Putter, her trusted equipment brand, in the future. Tour Line pays Wenzler for sponsored posts on her social media, but she said that’s just the first step. “Once you become a part of their company, that’s not the only thing that you’re going to do,” she said. “We have this agreement for two months, and then, if [Tour Line founder Christian Heavens] likes working with me and I like working with him, then we can continue that agreement and do a couple more other things as well.” Wenzler has received $200 and some equipment from her partnership with Tour Line so far and Slate Milk pays her with the product. Although the deals are small, Wenzler said they make a difference. “People may argue student-athletes [are] getting paid with scholarships. Yes, however, it’s also nice to be able to make money for yourself that you wouldn’t really be able to make anyways because you don’t have time for a job,” Wenzler said. “You’re not making crazy deals like the football players are right now, but it’s definitely nice to make some side money and to help out, and it’ll add up in the long run.”
STAFF FILE PHOTO A helmet rests on the field during the University of Kentucky Football media day on Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky.
“ I had the followers, I had the platform. It was an opportunity to make me greater than just track and field. Track isn’t going to last forever. So, if I can do a big partnership or be a brand ambassador that’s something that could last for years.
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- Masai Russell
Kentucky wide receiver charged with leaving scene of an accident; driving without insurance By Hunter Shelton sports@kykernel.com
Kentucky football wide receiver Josh Ali is scheduled to appear in court next week on charges of leaving the scene of an accident without rendering aid and driving without insurance,
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according to WDRB’s Jason Riley and Eric Crawford. Ali is also reportedly facing a lawsuit that was filed against him by Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in June. The lawsuit claims that Ali owes damages paid to a man he rear-ended in a wreck that oc-
curred on Feb. 12. A citation was filed on March 9, in which Ali reportedly told the Lexington Police Department that he was “falling asleep” when he drove into the vehicle in front of him. The citation states that Ali left the scene of the wreck but did tell
police that he had notified his insurance company of the incident. Ali was then charged with failure to maintain insurance on April 14. He is scheduled to appear in Fayette County District Court on Sept. 20. Through two games this season, Ali has seven catches for 166
yards and a touchdown. The fifthyear senior became the 31st player in school history with 1,000 or more yards receiving on Saturday in Kentucky’s 35-28 win against Missouri. UK Athletics is yet to release a statement. It is unknown if Ali’s status with the team has changed.
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Up, Up and UK PHOTOS BY AMANDA BRAMAN AND JACK WEAVER
On Sept. 8, Campus Housing put on Up, Up and UK, an event featuring hot air balloons, inflatables and food. This year’s event, held at UK’s Pieratt Field, was the first since the pandemic and drew crowd of students lined up for a ride.
A student takes a selfie while riding in a hot air balloon during UK Campus Housing’s Up, Up and UK on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Pieratt Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
Students ride in a hot air balloon during UK Campus Housing’s Up, Up and UK on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Pieratt Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
A student takes a selfie while riding in a hot air balloon during UK Campus Housing’s Up, Up and UK on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, at Pieratt Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
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