FEATURES

from Kentucky Kernel Year in Photos 2020 - 2021

by Kentucky Kernel

CAMPUS

APRIL 10, 2021

A horse and its foal roam a field at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

OCTOBER 20, 2020

A rainbow trout wiggles in the hand of a trout stocking participant during a hike in the Red River Gorge in Pine Ridge, Kentucky. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

TROUT STOCKING

In the hills of Red River Gorge , a scattered group of 15 trudged six miles downhill to Dog Fork Creek, each person laden with precious cargo - a plastic bag filled with a couple of gallons of water and 18 live brook trout, wriggling against the backs of their carriers. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife conducts trout stocking in the Gorge every October and April. Because of rising temperatures, the population of trout introduced is not yet self-sustaining, so volunteers stock the fish on hikes like this one where Kernelites accompanied a fisheries biologist and members of a conservation group to carry trout in to streams in the Gorge. When the group reaches the stream, they spread out along the banks and empty their bags of trout into the water from chest height in order to startle the fish into starting to swim. Mission complete, it’s then back up the trail for the volunteers, who share a camaraderie and love for nature.

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Fisheries biologist Justin Heflin holds open a bag as fish are poured into it for a trout stocking trip. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Fisheries biologist Justin Heflin talks to a volunteer during a trout stocking hike. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Rainbow trout jostle for space in a bucket as they wait to be loaded into bags, which will then be carried by volunteers down to a stream as part of a trout stocking hike at the Red River Gorge in Pine Ridge, Kentucky. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

ALMOST NORMAL

Though every presidential election is a momentous occasion, the 2020 election was even more so. With the United States in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, for many voters the election was a stark choice between saving lives and losing them. COVID-19 also transformed the act of voting. In Kentucky, a bipartisan plan to expand voting access for the November election led to three weeks of early voting, universal mail-in ballots and more flexibility in polling locations. In Lexington, Election Day was awash in energy as the city witnessed a wave of first time voters, both young and old, that became a clear national trend. Though democratic engagement was the theme of the day, the Kernel wanted to explore what the day looked for those not at the polls. This photoseries showcases local business owners on Election Day 2020, as they discussed their clientele’s reactions, the energy in the city and if they were able to take off work to vote (didn’t have to - early voting meant they did not have to schedule off). At the end of the day, business owners said one of the most historical and pivotal days of the year was, for them, business as usual.

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Admiral, resident cat of vintage shop the Domestic, stares down the camera as he poses for a portrait in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Rodney Washington of Fades Barbershop gives his son, Jacob Washington, a haircut during the afternoon lull on Election Day. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

J. Michael Courtney assists a customer in his bookstore, Black Swan Books, in the afternoon of Election Day in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Boston terrier Chloe lays in a sunny patch in front of the door to Imperial Flowers.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Gayle Stockdale, owner of Imperial Flowers on Waller Avenue, holds her dog Chloe as she poses for a portrait at her desk on Election Day. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

Myles Racino, a BCTC student and barista at Third Street Stuff and Coffee, prepares an order for a customer.

APRIL 10, 2021

A Bellaire Blooms employee gathers flowers at the Lexington Farmers Market at Fifth Third Pavilion in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

APRIL 10, 2021

A group of UK students dances during the virtual 2021 Dance Blue marathon.

APRIL 10, 2021

Skylar, 21, rides his skateboard down a ramp at Woodland Park.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

ONE DAY IN 2021

Kentucky, the country, the world, are in a time of transformation, teetering between a known world and a possible one, straddling the line between the COVID-19 pandemic and whatever comes next. This liminal period can be confusing, with each day a seeming clash of opposing forces. Where some of your neighbors have resumed their pre-pandemic activities, others have recommitted to staying indoors. Where Lexington children are happy to be back in the classroom, Lexington dogs are sad that their playmates are no longer at home. Where vaccine providers were once overwhelmed by demand, some sites now struggle to fill vacant appointments. This second COVID spring is bound up in all those changes as we get a small taste of normalcy. On Saturday, April 10, Kernelites set out to document this strange new world we find ourselves in, one half open and half closed, where Lexingtonians are tentatively emerging from their shelters to find things aren’t quite the same. From horse racing to youth soccer, art museums to skateboard parks, we aimed to paint a portrait of what Lexington, Kentucky was like for one day in 2021. The 12 hours represented in this photoseries don’t tell the whole story of what we saw around town. But they tell most of it, and they tell us that we’re all in this together.

APRIL 10, 2021

Horses run down the track during morning workouts at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

APRIL 10, 2021

Dark Moon Hollow band member Trey Reinhart plays guiter and sings during a show at The Burl distillery and event venue.

APRIL 10, 2021

Kentucky Wildcat forward Ben Damge (27) puts his hands up after a foul call during the University of Kentucky vs. Old Dominion men’s soccer game. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

APRIL 10, 2021

A horse gets washed down during morning workouts at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. PHOTO BY MICHAEL CLUBB

APRIL 10, 2021

A UK student walks through the rain at the University of Kentucky. PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER

APRIL 10, 2021

Luna England holds the leg of her mother, Lucy England, while the pair purchase flowers from from Bellaire Bloom while enjoying their weekly farmers market visit.