The City of Lexington held its annual comic and toy convention at Rupp Arena from Thursday, March 23, to Sunday, March 26.
Attendees could meet up and take pictures with multiple pop culture figures, such as actors, cosplay artists and directors.
Standouts included director Sam Raimi, most known for the original “Spider-Man” trilogy, and actor Jason Lee, who played Dave in “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” according to the comic con’s website.
Christian Barlow is a cosplayer that attended the event to have fun with his friends. He attended in costume, dressed up as the “Bugle Boy” variant of Spider-Man.
“I’m also here to actually meet Yuri Lowenthal, who is not only the voice of Spider-Man in the current video game by Insomniac, but he also voices older Ben 10 which is a cartoon — another cartoon I’m a big fan of,” Barlow said.
Barlow said he had three other cosplays planned for the weekend’s event, including a “Ben 10” portrayal.
Barlow is from Memphis, Tennessee, but decided to come to the comic con to meet with his two friends, David Cashman and Johnathan Frost.
“My dad brought me last year, and my uncle came with us as well,” Barlow said. “My dad’s a big comic fan and he really got me into all this comic book stuff, and I owe him a lot for that.”
Although Barlow traveled from Memphis, he was not the member of
the trio that had to travel the farthest for this year’s comic con.
“I traveled like 16 hours to get here,” Cashman said. “I used to live in Kentucky, I moved out to Oklahoma, and it’s just kinda like something my friend John and I did last year because you know, why not? And it turned out to be a really fun experience.”
Cashman cosplayed as a tourist “Spider-Man” variant. He shared Barlow’s excitement to meet Lowenthal and Raimi.
“I’m a huge fan of Spider-Man. Sam Raimi, (is) obviously the director of the first three Spider-Man movies, which is what got me into the character as a kid. It’s just phenomenal movies,” Cashman said.
Many attendees were also seen in anime-inspired costumes.
Kat Stevens is a cosplayer who dressed up as Chocola from the anime video game “Nekopara.”
“I watch a lot of anime, I read a lot of manga, and I play a lot of games revolving anime,” Stevens said.
Stevens has attended six comic cons, all of which have been in Lexington. She said her favorite part about the event is hanging out with her friends, making new ones, cosplaying and being around people that like the same things as her.
“Nyeh nyeh!” Stevens said, in character.
Professional wrestlers are also a common sight at comic cons around the country.
Cosplayer Demi Jones dressed as the Buc-ee’s Beaver and came to Lexington Comic Con from Atlanta to see wrestler Danhausen.
“I’m obsessed with wrestling … WWE and All Elite Wrestling and
all that type of stuff,” Jones said.
Others populated the convention in the main ballroom. Many of them were local Kentuckians with booths wanting to market their art.
At one of these booths was Justin Stewart, the co-illustrator and co-author of the book “Kentucky Kaiju.”
“It’s a fake field guide to giant monsters that live in Kentucky,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the book has a giant horse monster for Louisville already, but his team is saving Lexington’s monster for volume two.
“We had an internal debate on what’s too cliche … but I would like
to do a wildcat horse hybrid,” Stewart said.
He said he’s been a comic book maker since 2005 but describes himself as a Swiss-Army knife.
“I write, draw, letter, color, pencil, ink, all that good stuff,” Stewart said. Stewart shared the booth with his friend, fellow artist Zach Joseph.
The two met through a live art group in Lexington called Six Bomb Boards.
“Once I met Justin, started doing more of that live art events it just kind of built confidence and then started selling my art at stuff like this,” Joseph said.
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.
Angie Airth, a freshman merchandising, apparel & textiles student at the University of Kentucky, is preparing to embark on a summer study abroad trip to London.
A first-generation college student, Airth is one of 60 students accepted into a study abroad program, which is being made possible through UK’s new First-Generation Career Readiness Education Abroad program.
Anticipating the journey ahead of her this July, Airth looked back on the time leading up to the beginning of her collegiate experience and said her freshman year at UK was preceded by mixed feelings of anxiousness and excitement.
Airth attributed these feelings to being the first person in her family to attend college.
“My parents didn’t really know what to do, so they were kind of learning with me,” she said. “UK was a really good
guide; they would send emails step-by-step on everything I had to do (as a first-generation student). I felt more prepared because of them.”
Airth stressed the importance family has in her life and how going to college was a big step for her to branch outside of her bubble.
“My parents are always supportive of everything I do,” she said.
In her free time, Airth enjoys
thrifting and modeling, the latter of which she’s been able to pursue since coming to UK. In high school, she was a majorette, and she said she’s been practicing in hopes of auditioning next year.
For Airth, much of the significance of being a first-generation student comes from setting an example for her siblings.
“I feel like it helps me set a good example for my younger sisters, not that going to college is that big of a deal, but if
I follow my dreams, I feel like they’re gonna want to do the same,” she said.
UK’s new First-Generation Career Readiness Education Abroad program affords students who may not have had the opportunity before to travel abroad, according to Niamh Minion, the acting director of the university’s Education Abroad and Exchanges Office.
Minion said the goal of the program is to prepare students like Airth to feel ready and comfortable when expanding their skills and experience within their career paths.
Airth also noted how this new opportunity will allow her to obtain the real-world experience she needs to branch out into her career.
“I really feel like it would be beneficial to the career I want to do, and UK will give me a better chance to learn more about that and having real life experiences,” she said.
Beyond that, Airth said she’s excited to use the opportunity to reach beyond her own “bubble,” having minimal travel experience.
“I just want to be able to experience more than what I’m used to right now in the United States, and I just want to see how different it is because I’ve never left the country before,” she said.
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9 Blazer Dining University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506
On the front cover: ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF DanceBlue chairpersons dance on stage during the 2023 DanceBlue Marathon on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky’s Circus Club will host its first public performance on Friday, April 28.
The club, founded in 2021, offers students opportunities to learn or practice circus arts, such as juggling and aerial arts.
They will have showcases at 5 p.m. at 7 p.m. in Barker Hall room 104. Admission will be $1.
“We have a whole bunch of talents that will be there,”
MJ Camarato, a UK junior and member of the Circus Club, said. “Acro balancing, aerial skills, definitely
juggling ... We are going to do routines that are done and ready and play music too in the background.”
Jess Farace, founder and first president of the club, said a class that merged circus arts and philosophy inspired her to create the club. She wanted other students at the University of Kentucky to have the opportunity to experience circus arts too.
Kylee Pipgrass, a second year graduate student at UK, is the current club president.
“My favorite thing about Circus Club is the supportive community,” Pipgrass said. “I am a very competitive person ... Circus (Club)
is the first experience that I have had with something physical that wasn’t just to be competitive or to do something better than someone else beside me. We’re all working to build skills together, and (Circus Club) is a skill-sharing club.”
The Circus Club meets every Friday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Barker Hall room 104. Students don’t need prior knowledge or experience in circus arts to attend club meetings, but signed waivers are required at the beginning of each session. More information about the Circus Club can be found on their website and their Instagram.
June 14, 1932 - March 14, 2023
Bosque Farms, NM
James Howard Wells, died after a brief illness at his home in Bosque Farms, NM. Born in Howe, TX., the son of Howard and Vallie Wells, James graduated from Frenship HS class of 1949. He then attended and graduated from Texas Tech and UT at Austin garnering a BS, MS and a PhD in Mathematics. In 1953 he married his sweetheart Dorothy Lambert and they were blessed with two children Greg and Valerie. Professor Wells professional career began with the US Army at the White
Sands Proving Ground in NM, where he tested rocket trajectories with a slide ruler. This then was followed by a position with Boeing in Seattle, WA. Dr Wells then attained the positions of Assistant Professor at Chapel Hill, NC, UC Berkeley and the University of KY respectively. He became a full professor at UK in 1968-2004, becoming the Chair of the Mathematics Dept from 1969-1972, and 1989-1992, and also the Chair for the Computer Science Dept from 19821986. He was a member of the American Mathematical Society. Professor Wells was prolific in Mathematical publications
during his career and a major contributor to the formation of nationally recognized Mathematics and Computer Science programs within the University of Kentucky. Jim enjoyed the
challenges of his chosen profession, the friendships of his colleagues, and the successes of his students. He was a man of keen intelligence, wit, and set a high bar of ethics. He led by example, a true role model to all who knew him.
Following retirement, he and his wife Dorothy of 69 years enjoyed traveling domestically and internationally with their friends. More recently, the couple relocated to sunnier skies in New Mexico where he relished being a “ Gentleman Farmer”. He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Vallie Wells and brother
Donald. He is survived by his wife Dorothy Wells, daughter Valerie Wells, son Howard Gregory Wells, daughter-inlaw Robynn Wells and grandson, Alex Wells. The Wells family would like to request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to :
The University of Kentucky Office of Philanthropy
“Dr. James H. Wells Student Award in Mathematics Fund”
210 Malabu Drive, Suite 200 Lexington, KY 40502
The preceding was a paid obituary.
The University of Kentucky Center for Health Equity Transformation hosted the “Elevating the Stories of Black Women: Dr. Virginia Alexander and Shirley Chisholm” event with Dr. Vanessa Northington Gamble and Nikki Brown.
Held on Monday, March 27, this marked the second event of the Center’s “Elevating Speakers” series. Gamble discussed the adversity she faced in her journey to becoming a physician along with the story of a historic physician, researcher and advocate Virginia Alexander.
Brown, associate professor of history and Africana/African American studies at UK, joined Gamble on stage to lead a discussion on empowerment through storytelling.
Gamble created a course at the University of Wisconsin in the late 1980s to open people’s eyes to the history of race and racism in American medicine.
“I wanted my students to learn … I also wanted my colleagues to know that there was a history of African Americans in medicine, and also the importance of learning about the history of race and racism in American medicine,” Gamble said. “I wanted my students and my colleagues to know that this field existed and the other thing I wanted them to know is to understand how race and racism has had an impact in the history of American medicine and healthcare.”
Gamble said she became aware of Alexander’s story through the guidance of her college mentor,
Helen Dickens. While doing research to prepare course material and sources for her biographical work, Gamble noticed the power in
Alexander’s story.
“One of the things I want to do in this book … is not to present her as this heroic Black woman against
the odds,” Gamble said. “She was a woman who had flaws, who had failures, who had disappointments and also joys and accomplishments.”
Alexander failed her first year at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, due to prejudice and even heartbreak, but eventually returned, according to Gamble.
“I understand the loneliness of being the one and only. I understand what it means when someone does not think that you are the physician … Virginia Alexander, she would go to a hospital and people would treat her with disrespect,” Gamble said.
Lafe Taylor, a member of the Community Action Board with the Center for Clinical and Translation Science, brought his daughters to hear Gamble speak. He saw the talk as an opportunity for Gamble to encourage and motivate the future of medicine and humanity as a whole.
Younger generations have become well aware of the gaps within the healthcare and social systems and are looking for ways to alleviate the stress this places on society. Maya Owens, a University of Kentucky graduate student, also attended the event. She is looking to become a doctor and scientist.
“I want to gain the trust of Black individuals and people of color. There (has been) a lot of distress in science and medicine over the years because of different events that have happened in history,” Owens said. “So I want to first gain the trust of people of color and improve bringing awareness first to people that may not want to go into medicine but maybe lobbying to local politicians that this matters.”
The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning hosted the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame 2023 Induction Ceremony at The Kentucky Theatre on March 23.
The Carnegie Center’s Executive Director, Shayla D. Lynch, and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton introduced the start of the ceremony, giving thanks to the sponsors, the committee members and the Kentucky Arts Council that helped organize the event.
“Here in the heart of the Bluegrass we cherish the art of writing and we celebrate our authors. Fine writing is a Kentucky tradition,” Gorton said.
The inductees were the late Madison Cawein, the late Blanche Taylor Dickinson, Richard Taylor, Suzan Lori-Parks and Marsha Norman.
Tom Eblen, literary arts liaison for the Carnegie Center, presented several writers from Kentucky who had reputable and awarded pieces from last year. The list included those who wrote novels, playwrights, poems and songs.
The event showcased the writers’ pieces and upcoming projects they may be bringing into the 2023 year.
“Kentucky writers are so numerous and talented, it’s hard to keep up with everyone,” Eblen said.
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón spoke via video in admiration for the Carnegie Center and the honor of requesting her attendance, though she could not attend in person due to a prior commitment. Limón praised being a Kentuckian and the state for holding such high honors toward writers.
“Kentucky is such an incredible place to be a writer and all of you who are in the audience know that it is an exceptional community of writers — of friends — that lift each other up and never fail to
celebrate one another,” Limón said.
Eblen spoke of the late Cawein, a Louisville native known for his romantic poetry. Cawein was born in 1865 and died in 1914.
Louisville writer David Dominé read a few select poems from Cawein, all of which highlighted the nature and beauty of Kentucky’s land.
Late inductee Dickinson was a poet, short story writer and journalist. Dickinson was among other Black poets of the Harlem Renaissance, whom people praised for highlighting the difficulty of Black women’s lives.
Richard Taylor is a sixth-generation Kentuckian known for poetry and novels. Many of Taylor’s pieces focus on the history and landscape of Kentucky.
Taylor read from his piece “In Praise of Sycamores.”
Lori-Parks, from Fort Knox, Kentucky, was the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for drama. The musician, novelist, playwright and performer couldn’t attend the induction in person due to her upcoming play premiere, but she sent a video to give her thanks and appreciation for being recognized in the ceremony.
Instead of showcasing a written piece from Lori-Parks, actors performed scene five from her play “Topdog/Underdog.”
The final inductee of the ceremony, Norman, is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. The Louisville native has also won a Pulitzer Prize, Tony Awards and received many other accreditations. Norman chose a song from her musical, “The Secret Garden,” to be performed instead of reciting her literary works. Kelli Jo Summers performed the song, “Hold On,” with accompaniment by Caleb Ritchie.
No amount of sleep deprivation could hinder the excitement of everyone involved with DanceBlue when it was announced that they raised over $1.6 million on Sunday night.
Despite having spent the last 24 hours on their feet, dancers jumped for joy, cheered and embraced as celebratory music played and confetti cannons sent streamers flying.
An adoring audience screamed supportively from the stands of Memorial Coliseum.
After the total was announced, dancers completed the 24th run-through of their hourly line dance before collectively collapsing on the floor.
“The last three hours I would say were the best, the most fulfilling, and really helped you remember why you were dancing,” first-time dancer and junior Kara Morris said. “That was helpful because at that last little bit you really need to sit down.”
The last few hours of the marathon consisted of a talent show featuring acts by patients of the DanceBlue Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic and presentations sharing their stories, one of which was given by UK junior Johnny Kirkpatrick.
Kirkpatrick was diagnosed with leukemia three months into his freshman year of college and treated by the DanceBlue clinic. He is now cancer-free and wanted to express how much DanceBlue’s mission means to him, inspiring him to go from patient to dancer.
“It was special. Even though my journey was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, there’s so many other kids in the clinic that have it worse,” Kirkpatrick said. “So it’s nice to give back to them while giving back to all the doctors and nurses and other people
working at the clinic.”
The typically boisterous bunch fell silent when a slideshow honoring DanceBlue patients lost to cancer played around the 23-hour mark. Dancers held each other up, literally and figuratively, as tears streamed down their faces.
“DanceBlue is not just some torturous fundraiser that you got to be a part of. It’s a family,” founder Jennfier Mynear said to the crowd. “And it’s a family that has built a house of hope, and of love and of joy. For the kids, like all the families you’ve seen and the ones who can’t be here, who are facing the battle of their lives. And also for the families who’ve lost the battle.”
Mynear founded DanceBlue after her son Jarrett lost his battle to cancer at 13 years old in 2002, inspired by his final wish to raise money to improve the Pediatric Oncology Clinic at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, according to the organization’s website.
The first marathon occurred in 2006 and raised $100,000. Since then, it has been on what Mynear called “an absolute meteoric rise,” raising over $20 mil-
lion in its history (including this year).
DanceBlue has taken place every year since its founding, albeit virtually in 2021 and with masks and restrictions in 2022 due to COVID-19.
This year’s marathon was fully in person with no COVID-19 restrictions, creating an experience that has been missing the past few years.
“DanceBlue has embedded into our college life and experience,” DanceBlue veteran and third-year pharmacy student at UK Candy Lu said. “Going through a pandemic changed a lot, but this year it feels more normal again.”
This year marked Lu’s fourth time dancing and her dance partner and fellow third-year pharmacy student Payton Serafini’s third time. The two agreed that the hardest part of a DanceBlue marathon is getting through the physical pain, especially during the 16th, 17th and 18th hours.
“Knowing that these kids go through so much, remembering that they go through so much more than the temporary pain that we are going through keeps me going,” Serafini said.
Morris said that keeping a positive attitude is what kept her dancing.
“It’s really a mind game of remembering why you’re doing it and just thinking, ‘I’m not the only one doing this, this is bigger than me, look at all these other people, they probably are tired, they probably hurt too,’ but thinking of it as a group effort,” Morris said.
The first place Morris went following the marathon was Local Taco, then the shower, and then to bed, where she stayed for 12 hours. She was surprised to wake up Monday with minimal pain.
“I did crash last night,” Morris said. “My legs are a little heavy but I stretched a good bit last night and during the marathon, so I’m really doing pretty good.”
Some students participated in DanceBlue for loved ones impacted by cancer. This was the case for Lexie Meade, marketing chair of DanceBlue, who lost a close friend to pediatric cancer. Meade’s friend’s experience with the DanceBlue clinic over the course of his fight inspired her.
“I got to see how much him and his family loved DanceBlue and how much the DanceBlue clinic was able to ease the burden cancer had on him and his family,” Meade said.“I knew when coming to the University of Kentucky, DanceBlue was something I had to be involved in to carry on his legacy.”
Everyone on the dance floor last weekend shared the mindset that participating in DanceBlue is well worth it for the kids, or FTK as their motto says.
“We all work for a time when we don’t need your hope and we don’t need your love and we don’t need your joy. But until then, we have DanceBlue,” Mynear said to the dancers and audience. “And we have you, all of us have you. There are no words to express how much that means and the difference that every single one of you has made.”
DanceBlue chairs reveal that DanceBlue raised $1,650,857.26 during the 2023 DanceBlue Marathon on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.
By Alexis Baker news@kykernel.comUK DanceBlue hosted its annual 24-hour, no sleeping or sitting dance marathon March 25-26, which raised $1,650,857.26 for the DanceBlue Hematology & Oncology Clinic at
the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Dancers covered the floor of Memorial Coliseum from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday.
The DanceBlue staff planned the marathon with themed hours, line dancing, games and other stations, such as “The Snack Shack” and
“Hydration Station,” to keep dancers nourished throughout the event.
“I definitely think they’re encouraging you to stay hydrated, eating a lot. We get fed every three hours,” Mia Provenzanol, a sophomore marketing, management and economics major, said.
A distinctive themed hour from the marathon was “Rave Hour.” Organizers gave dancers light sticks provided by the UK Student Activities Board at 4 a.m. Sunday to kick off “Rave Hour,” as a DJ provided music for the crowd.
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According to Janie Gleaves, the programming chair for DanceBlue, her team chose the themes and activities for each hour. The themes served as a way to keep dancers entertained.
“One that we have every year is our Rave Hour. That is 4 a.m. to 5 a.m., and it is just when you’re starting to hit the first wall,” Gleaves said. “It’s a really great opportunity to change the dynamic of the marathon and get people started really strong on the back half of the really tough part.”
The DanceBlue staff accommodated dancers, along with alumni, friends and family.
Lauren Grant, the community relations chair for DanceBlue, worked directly with alumni for the event.
Grant said the alumni had a reception with breakfast and got to participate on the floor for an hour.
“I think they just love to come back and see how much it’s grown because we always say DanceBlue stands on the shoulders of giants and just to know that their legacy is being carried on,” Grant said.
Dancers were entertained throughout the day with a space to socialize. There was a collective feeling of support for DanceBlue’s goal.
Andy Tindell, a freshman social work major and member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, said his fraternity encouraged members to get involved with DanceBlue.
“These kids need something to look forward to. It’s heartwarming. Doing anything I can to help them. I was re-
ally pushed to do anything I could with DanceBlue,” Tindell said.
In the last few hours of the event, DanceBlue hosted a talent show consisting of acts by patients of the DanceBlue Hematology & Oncology Clinic at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
Soon after concluding the event, the DanceBlue staff revealed the fundraising total number by number.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“It’s really great for the community of our school to see all of these people come out and dedicate their time and money to such a worthy cause,” Molly Berthiaume, a senior nursing major, said.
According to a press kit given to media outlets covering the marathon, DanceBlue has raised more than $19.2 million during its 16 years of opera-
tion. DanceBlue raises funds throughout the year through mini-marathons, restaurant fundraising events and an annual 5K.
Lexington Christian Academy donated $63,945 to DanceBlue, which was the largest “mini marathon” donation.
In total, local schools donated $408,073.11, which they raised through mini marathons.
The press kit said the money is donated directly to the “Golden Matrix Fund,” which benefits the children at the DanceBlue Clinic.
The fund helps support patients and families by funding gas, food and housing expenses and by providing life and school intervention. The fund also funds cancer research at the Markey Cancer Center, the press kit said.
All across the Bluegrass, Kentucky hosts many historic sites, with many of them recognizing the state’s equestrian or bourbon industries.
But in light of Women’s History Month, the Mary Todd Lincoln House stands out for many reasons.
Born in Lexington on Dec. 13, 1818, Mary Todd was the wife of the United States’ 16th President Abraham Lincoln. Here in Lexington, visitors can find her historic home located on West Main Street, not far from the newly renovated Rupp Arena.
The Mary Todd Lincoln House has been a part of Lexington’s history since 1806 and was once the home of the Todd family. In 1977, the home was opened to the public as a museum.
The house is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday from March 15 to Nov. 30.
“We have almost 14,000 people who come through in that eight-and-a-half-month period. So quite a few people and we have people from all over the country and other countries as well. So usually we hit all 50 states,” Gwen Thompson, executive director at the Mary Todd Lincoln House, said.
But even outside of its pub-
lic opening period, work at the museum doesn’t stop. The museum employees remain working during these months in preparation for events such as Presidents’ Day and Mary Todd’s birthday.
“Operating the museum on a daily basis, and serving all of our visitors, is one aspect of what we do. We also offer additional programs, educational programs and public programs,” Thompson said.
Those who have a passion for history, guests and historians alike, will find inspiration inside the walls of the Mary Todd Lincoln House. Those who tend to the museum play a large role in sharing the house’s history with visitors.
The site allows history lovers to apply for positions at the museum, often as a docent –which Polly Elam, who works at the museum, called “a fancy word for a tour guide.”
“I knew that I wanted to try out museums to see if I wanted to go to graduate school for museum studies. So I saw that they had openings for docents. And so I applied,” Elam said.
Elam described how she “didn’t know much about her,” referring to her knowledge of Lincoln and the house before becoming a docent.
The Mary Todd Lincoln House lends reading material to employees in order to enhance their knowledge
on subjects pertaining to the museum.
“I am a big consumer of knowledge and learning and so here they give us reading material to read if we want it and things like that to supplement our knowledge,” Elam said.
Others like Thompson, who have worked at the Mary Todd Lincoln House for a longer period of time, have extensive knowledge of subjects pertaining to the life of Lincoln.
Thompson described the life, experience and passion of Mary Todd in great detail, starting from her birth in the Todd family’s original home located near 511 W Short Street. The Todd family
moved to the now historical site when Mary Todd was 13.
While the life of Mary Todd is a driving factor in visits to the museum, the home is the site of a November 1847 visit from Abraham and another reason for its significance.
“(Mary) was born here in Lexington, and they moved into this home when she was 13. She was born here, but her birthplace no longer stands,” Thompson said
Thompson said that, while the Todd family did own slaves and is historically recognized as a privileged family, Mary Todd and four of her siblings chose to side with the Union during the Civil War.
Mary Todd’s mother grew up in a large family with 13
other siblings. She died when Mary Todd was only six years old. Their father, Robert Smith Todd, quickly remarried Elizabeth “Betsy” Humphreys.
Mary Todd was considered a reserved child, remaining unconfined during her pursuit of extensive education.
“She really had an impressive education. She was fluent in French, which she learned … at school of Charlotte Mentale, which was about two and a half miles from here,” Thompson said.
Mary Todd’s high education and knowledge of different subjects would have led others to consider her to have a “masculine mind” by 1800s standards.
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“She would have learned subjects that in that time period may have still been considered more male subjects, such as geography and literature, mathematics,” Thompson said.
With nine years of schooling under her belt, Mary Todd was fluent in French, wellversed in politics and known for reading newspapers.
Mary Todd left the Todd family’s home in 1839, moving to Springfield, Illinois, with her sister Elizabeth, where she met then young lawyer Abraham.
According to docents at the Mary Todd Lincoln House, the first time Mary Todd met Abraham was at a festive party, where he said to her “I want to dance with you in the worst way.” Later that night, Mary Todd told her cousin that “he certainly did.”
The couple got engaged not long after in 1840, but Abraham inexplicably ended the engagement in early 1841. The couple didn’t reunite until fall 1842 .
The Lincoln’s had four children: Robert Lincoln, Edward “Eddie” Lincoln, William “Willie” Lincoln and Thomas “Tad” Lincoln.
While the expectation of women during the 1800s was to be a wife and have children, docents and employees of the museum said that Mary Todd did much more.
“Mary Todd Lincoln was a woman in the 1800s and while she was in a position to, you know, have a lot more opportunities than other women of her day, she still was confined by the gender norms, expectations, and the constraints of her time period,” Thompson said.
After Abraham was elected president in 1861, it didn’t take long for Mary Todd to use her high level of knowledge in pursuit of her own cause.
“She was the First Lady during the Civil War, so she was involved with soldiers and wounded soldiers, so she would visit wounded soldiers in the hospital. She would take them gifts of flowers or fruit and read them letters and things of that nature,” Thompson said.
Mary Todd vehemently opposed the confederacy and was considered to be a tireless supporter of the Union.
“Mary’s cause was supporting the efforts of the Civil War by supporting the soldiers,” Thompson said.
Kentucky’s first First Lady set some expectations for future First Ladies as her cause was valiant. Things are not much different for First Ladies today, according to Thompson.
“The role of the First Lady has really not changed a lot over the years. Which is interesting that the expectations and the role of the First Lady have not really evolved a ton,” Thompson said
After the assassination of Abraham in 1865, Mary Todd wore black for the remainder of her life as a constant reminder of mourning for her husband. She passed away in 1882.
Mary Todd’s rich history remains deeply rooted in Lexington at her former home, highlighted by those that work there to show her significance.
Those who wish to learn more about Mary Todd and her house are encouraged to visit the site during its operating hours or go to their website.
Dryer sheets, socks and scent beads lay scattered across the floor.
Sidestepping the damage, I bundle up my clothes and shove them in the nearest washer only to discover the machine is out of order.
The problems facing campus laundry facilities — ongoing maintenance issues, steep prices and lack of cleanliness — aren’t new.
I’ve had my fair share of issues with the laundry room in my dorm.
I’ve had to pay extra money to dry my clothes multiple times, and people have taken my laundry out of the dryer without my permission.
There have been days where I’ve sat in the laundry room and waited over an hour for an open washer.
At one point last semester, my dorm only had four washers available for 300 residents. The other two washers were out of order.
I often question if do-
ing laundry here is worth all the hassle.
One load of laundry costs $1.50 to wash and another $1.50 to dry. These costs can add up quickly over a year and pose a financial strain on students.
I’ve spent $350 on laundry this school year, not including detergent and softener costs.
That’s $350 I could’ve spent on textbooks, food or other necessities.
The sticker price of room and board at UK is over $14,000. Why aren’t laundry expenses included under the category of “room?”
After all, doing laundry is an essential part of living in the dorms. Students don’t have to pay extra to use the communal kitchens or bathrooms depending on which room layout they choose, both of which involve similar water and energy usage to washing machines.
If we don’t have to pay to use basic utilities such as toilets, showers or microwaves, why should laundry machines be any different?
Room and board excludes the costs of tuition, books, trans-
portation, groceries and personal items. These additional expenses put a financial strain on low income students.
For students who are used to living at home and having access to shared family items, college life can be financially taxing. Charging students to clean their clothes adds even more weight to their burden.
Other universities provide free laundry services for their students, including Northern Kentucky University, The Ohio State University and Xavier University.
The University of Louisville offers a weekly laundry stipend for students. Each resident receives two wash cycles and two dry cycles each week, free of charge. The amount for these expenses is pre-loaded onto their student ID cards.
No student should have to lay their clothes out to dry when they already paid for a dryer.
No student should have the added burden of planning trips home just so they’ll have something to wear.
No student should have to worry about laundry fees.
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Laundry fees should be the least of our worriesPHOTO BY BRADY SAYLOR | STAFF
The Kentucky General Assembly overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of Senate Bill 150, which places a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The Herald-Leader said that the override began Wednesday in the Senate, the chamber of origin, and received a 29-8 vote. The House followed with an override vote of 76-23.
Both the Kentucky House and Senate are Republican supermajorities, which prevents gridlock on major legislative decisions.
Protestors gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday in response to the override.
The Lexington Herald-Leader said that in the
House, the Kentucky State Police forcibly removed several protesters from the gallery and arrested 19 on charges of third-degree criminal trespassing.
According to the Herald-Leader, not only will the bill ban puberty-blockers, hormones and surgeries for individuals under the age of 18, it will also affect transgender youth at school.
The Herald-Leader said that the bill will ensure the ban on gender identity and sexual orientation lessons, prevent transgender students from using bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity and stop school districts from requiring teachers to use students’ pronouns if they don’t align with their sex assigned at birth.
By Gracie Moore opinions@kykernel.com
Film has many genres and subgenres. Comedy ranges from slapstick to satire and science fiction travels from dystopias to the supernatural.
But the horror film genre seems to be the most extensive of them all.
Horror movies don’t normally have much meaning. They raise adrenaline and keep you on the edge of your seat. They’re meant to scare.
But recently, they’ve started to break genre norms and symbolize a bit more. One of these first shifts is in the production and style.
Most scary movies are set in the dark. Ghosts and serial killers have
historically favored the night in the film world.
I never thought much about it, but after watching “Midsommar” for the first time, I discovered a small sub-genre known as “daylight horror.”
This sub-genre sets horror films during broad daylight or in well-lit interiors rather than favoring night or dark interiors like most tend to do.
Iconic examples would be “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Birds.”
A handful of recent horror films utilize this fear tactic very well, like “Nope” and “Smile.”
With brightness and light comes clarity and detail. Movies set in the day increase the detail of violence and disturbing scenes,
eliciting more fear from the audience.
“Midsommar,” directed by Ari Aster under the production company A24, is almost entirely set in the daylight.
This is also one of the most disturbing horror films I have seen.
The brightness of the movie is completely contradictory to the plot, highlighting the unsettling themes and wildly gory elements.
It elicits fear from disturbing scenes and shots, and the daylight allows the audience to see those moments in greater detail. If you’re looking for a truly disturbing daylight horror movie recommendation, I would pick “Midsommar.”
If you want some -
thing less disturbing but still thrilling and suspenseful, “Bird Box” is a great example of daylight scary movies.
Along with visual differences, the horror genre has been experiencing thematic and deeper changes.
I would argue that horror films have more social commentary now than ever before.
“Nope” had plenty of themes examining humans’ desire for fame and using anything as a spectacle.
“Smile” discussed the impacts of trauma and mental illness. “Hereditary” tackled familial relationships and the generational impacts of mental illness.
I think the reality of these themes can make a film even more terrifying.
My top recommendation for a movie with meaning is “Nope.” Admittedly slightly goofy and bizarre, it has a great commentary on people doing whatever it takes to get their moment of fame.
“Get Out” offers amazing commentary on interracial relationships and “the anxiety of what it is like to be a black in America,” as said by Medium.
I like finding deeper themes in movies, so I am all for this shift in the message behind horror films. I’m also fascinated by the contrast between the style and editing of movies like the increasing use of daylight.
It’s safe to say I’m pretty excited to see what the rest of the year has to offer in the category of horror.
New horror movies set in daylight branch out from convention
As winter slowly transitioned into spring, the college baseball season was quickly approaching, meaning it was the time of year for publications to release their preseason conference rankings.
What did most of these rankings of the SEC have in common? Kentucky baseball rounded out the bottom of the conference.
“Hoo boy. Kentucky lost almost all of its notable players from last season, and this isn’t a program that typically recruits at the same level as its top SEC counterparts,” 247Sports published.
The SEC coaches poll confirmed the thoughts of most of the media, placing Kentucky at sixth in the Eastern Division, ahead of only Missouri.
With its back against the wall and fans growing impatient, Kentucky baseball has done nothing but drown out the words of its critics.
Standing at 22-3 on the season, the Wildcats just concluded a 17-game winning streak, which included a dominant series win over Alabama and a sweep of Mississippi State, a team that won the College World Series just two seasons ago.
Prior to its ending, the 17game streak marked the longest in Division-1 baseball.
The winning streak also saw the Cats start SEC play 5-0, the best start to their conference slate since 1992 – 30 years ago.
What’s even more interesting about this team’s success is the change of style from head coach
Nick Mingione.Primarily a hitters coach, Mingione gave UK the nickname “the Bat Cats” in his early days coaching the program because of its success at the plate. With this team, however, the veteran head coach has combined his historically good hitting
with an impressive rotation of pitchers to create a roster that can beat you anyway it pleases, with the “Bat Cats” name still standing despite the change.
It’s not often you find a program that is among the top in the country in multiple different statistics across offense and defense, as teams are typically not well rounded enough. This hasn’t been the case for Kentucky so far this season though, as it finds itself all over the statistical rankings on both sides of the ball.
On the hitting side, the Cats have a knack for finding their way on base, sporting the 11th best on
base percentage in the nation at .434. They are also in the top 50 in batting average (45th, .304) and in triples recorded (tied for 20th, nine).
The Cats sport an offense that doesn’t necessarily prioritize the home run, but instead fills the bases with a collection of extra base hits to trickle in runs throughout an inning.
The strategy is in big part why the Cats tend to win most of their games by just scoring in around three innings, but scoring a plethora of runs during those innings.
Hunter Gilliam is the poster boy of this Kentucky offense, boasting a .398 batting average and 35 RBIs in the young season. The transfer from Longwood is also one of the few sluggers on the team, sporting five home runs on the season thus far.
On the defensive side, Kentucky’s pitching gives opponents a rough time at the plate, with the eighth lowest ERA in the country at 3.16. It is also sixth in the country in WHIP at 1.13, showing that it rarely makes multiple mistakes in the same inning.
With an air tight pitching rotation that smothers the opponents offensively and a lineup of bats that attacks
you with long series of base hits, it should come as little surprise to see the Cats on a run of form like they one its had, with one player having a rough day doing little to stop the momentum of the overall team.
Although the SEC is a notoriously difficult conference, with nearly every team in the conference being ranked inside the top 25, it is hard to imagine that a Kentucky squad with this type of swagger and confidence is not capable of ranking within the top 15 eventually if it continues playing how it has been.
It’s obviously not realistic to expect them to continue to mow through college baseball as they are right now forever as they’re sure to cool off eventually, especially as tougher competition approaches, but there’s no longer any doubt that the team is much better than previously expected and has something to prove in SEC play this season.
Now looking to regain its win streak, Kentucky is set to host Missouri, a team ranked within the top 25 by several outlets, in a threegame series from Friday until Sunday. The first pitch for game one is set for 6:30 p.m. EST on Friday, March 31, and is set to air live on the SEC Network+.
scored 14.
By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.comNo. 16 Kentucky softball is set to face No. 10 Georgia in Athens for a three-game series beginning on Saturday. The series will act as a key bounce-back and resume-building opportunity for a Kentucky team that suffered an uncharacteristic defeat against Texas A&M last weekend.
The Wildcats and Aggies found themselves in a slugfest in game one of the series before, despite scoring 13 runs, Kentucky was bested by Texas A&M, which
Coming out for game two, which was part of a double header, Kentucky was obliterated 10-0 in five innings, marking the team’s worst defeat since it lost to No. 1 Oklahoma 11-0 to end the Oklahoma Tournament.
Surprisingly though, Kentucky came back in game three and won 10-2, salvaging a potential sweep and ensuring the Cats only fell five spots in the USA Softball Top 25 poll.
Despite the bounce-back game three, the result didn’t stop the Cats from suffering their first conference series
loss of the year after sweeping Missouri in early March.
Kentucky seemed to maintain its game three form in the midweek, defeating Louisville, which just missed out on the top 25, 7-4 on Wednesday.
While it may seem that things are picking back up for the Cats, the Bulldogs pose a unique threat, being the highest ranked team Kentucky will have faced since those fateful games against Oklahoma. Even worse, Kentucky has a 1-3-1 record against teams currently within the top 10, of which Georgia currently rounds out.
Kentucky recorded that one top 10 win over current No. 9 Washington, which the Cats defeated 11-3 on Feb. 23.
Other than the Huskies, Kentucky reached a controversial 4-4 tie against current No. 8 Texas to wrap up the 2023 NFCA Lead-Off Classic in early February, was defeated 6-3 by current No. 4 UCLA in the 2023 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and was swept 18-0 and 11-0 by the aforementioned No. 1 Oklahoma.
With that in mind, it’s clear that the matchup against the Bulldogs will be key in demonstrating whether Kentucky will be able to compete with the teams that make up the upper epsilon of
collegiate softball this season or if it is doomed to simply be a good-but-not-great team once more.
The Bulldogs, for their part, enter the series with a 27-6 record after sweeping Mississippi State by a combined 13-0 in a twogame series after game three was canceled.
Going further, including a 9-0 midweek win over Kennesaw State and a 8-0 win over Texas A&M to ensure a series sweep, Georgia hasn’t allowed even a single run in its last four games.
The Bulldogs are also undefeated in their last nine games, having not lost a game since its 6-5 loss to No. 23 Auburn on March 10. It’s also worth noting that the Bulldogs did win that series against the Tigers anyway, winning games two and three by a combined 10-4.
Back to Kentucky, the Wildcats are boosted by a familiar face: graduate student Kayla Kowalik.
Kowalik, who has somewhat become the face of the program in recent years, is currently batting a .443 average with 43 hits for 12 RBIs on the season.
Kowalik is joined by a plethora of other returning stars to the program, including the likes of Erin Coffel, Rylea Smith, Vanessa Nesby and Margaret Tobias, all of
whom also made an impact with the bat last season.
In the circle Kentucky is led by ace Stephanie Schoonover, who stands at a staggering 12-1 on the season, followed by Alexia Lacatena, who is 7-2. Apart from Schoonover and Lacatena, all other pitchers of record combined to be 1-4 on the season.
Schoonover has pitched in 20 games this season, starting in 15 of them and pitching a complete game in 12 of them. She’s pitched 10 shutouts, not allowing a run in half the games she takes the circle, earning her an ERA of 1.45.
Lacatena, to her credit, has pitched 12 games and started in five, adding two more shutouts to Kentucky’s total. While she’s never completed a game, she has earned a respectable 2.54 ERA, which stacks up especially well against Kentucky’s next best pitcher, Izzy Harrison, who has a 7.68 ERA in eight games played.
Overall, Kentucky will be under the spotlight over the weekend against Georgia. The only question that remains is whether or not it will shine or crumble.
Kentucky and Georgia are set to kick off their series on Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. EST in Athens, Georgia.
With the news that veteran point guard Sahvir Wheeler has entered the transfer portal, it’s safe to say that portal season is now in full effect in college basketball.
The Wildcats, no stranger to the portal themselves, fielded a roster in the 2022-23 season that comprised of five transfers including Jacob Toppin, from Rhode Island, CJ Fredrick, from Iowa, Wheeler, from Georgia, Antonio Reeves, from Illinois State and reigning consensus National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, who came to Kentucky from West Virginia.
While the team itself benefitted from the portal, it also lost several names to the portal, many of which were active on other teams in the 2022-23 season.
With that in mind, several Wildcat fans with a keen memory may have asked themselves one question: what became of the former Cats around the league?
Going all the way back to the 2018-19 season, few fans may remember redshirt freshman Jemarl Baker, who averaged just 2.3 points per game and 0.5 rebounds per game at Kentucky.
Baker transferred to Arizona and played two seasons in Tucson, averaging 12 points
per game as a redshirt junior when he entered the portal once more.
He found his final home within Fresno State, where he competed in the 22-23 season, averaging 12.5 points per game and three rebounds per game.
He helped lead the Bulldogs to a 11-20 record before they were defeated 67-65 in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament by Colorado State.
Moving on to the 2020-21 season, after Kentucky went 9-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament, two players who transferred took part in the 2022-23 season.
First, infamous guard Devin Askew transferred to Texas after leaving Kentucky and, after just one season in Austin, transferred to Cal ahead of the 22-23 season.
At Cal Askew averaged 15.5 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game on a Golden Bears’ team that finished 3-29 before being bested 6952 in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament against eventual NIT competitor Washington State.
The 15.5 points were a major step up for Askew, who averaged just 6.5 points per game at Kentucky and an even worse 2.1 points per game at Texas.
From the same class as Askew, freshman forward
Cam’Ron Fletcher left the
Wildcats in favor of Florida State, where he has been since. Having averaged just 1.7 points and rebounds per game, Fletcher has seen improvement with the Seminoles, averaging 6.8 points last season and moving up to 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 season.
Unfortunately for Fletcher, despite his development, the Seminoles finished the season 9-23, having their season ended in the first round of the ACC Tournament in a 61-60 loss to Georgia Tech.
Finally, looking at last season, four players transferred away from head coach John Calipari’s squad following the team’s disappointing loss to Saint Peter’s in the first round
of the NCAA Tournament.
Most notably, freshman Bryce Hopkins joined Providence, where he quickly developed into a star many expected him to be at Kentucky.
Hopkins averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for Providence, starting in 33 games for the Friars, which was a major step up from his 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game without a single start at Kentucky.
Hopkins led the Friars to a 21-12 record and a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where it was defeated by Kentucky in the first round. Hopkins recorded seven points and eight rebounds in the loss after being guarded by Toppin.
Another big name to leave
the Cats was Keion Brooks Jr., who joined Washington for the 22-23 season. As a Husky Brooks Jr. averaged 17.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game after three years at Kentucky, where his peak was 10.8 points per game.
Brooks led Washington to a 16-16 record before being defeated by Colorado in the first round of the Pac12 Tournament.
Local talent Dontaie Allen also entered the portal after last season, joining Western Kentucky where he averaged 9.3 points per game, a significant step up from the 2.2 points per game he averaged as a sophomore at UK.
WKU finished the 202223 season with a 17-16 record before firing head coach Rick Stansbury.
The final Wildcat to enter the portal was Zan Payne, who transferred to Louisville to join his father and former Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne, who was named the head coach of the Cardinals.
Payne averaged 0.2 points and 0.6 rebounds per game on a Cardinals team that finished 4-28.
Whether or not Wheeler will see an improvement wherever he ends up is yet to be determined, but one thing is for certain: former Wildcats seem to be a wildcard around the world of college basketball. For better or for worse.