TikTok has officially been banned on a mass amount of networks since the passing of Senate Bill 20 on Friday, Feb. 10. This will not apply to devices connected to University of Kentucky Wi-Fi.
The university’s wifi is owned and operated by the UK Information Technology Services (ITS), not controlled by the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government, according to Marci Adams, the Assistant Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement for UK’s Information Technology Services.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 3 and sent to the state and local government on Jan. 5. The following month the bill entered the process of being passed.
In both the original proposal and amended bill, it read that the bill is a step toward protecting the privacy, safety and security of the commonwealth and its people from external governments.
According to the Kentucky Lantern, bill sponsor Sen. Robby Mills said, “We need to protect the data that exists on our state devices.”
Since the bill’s proposal, it was amended from a ban on all government-issued de-
JACK WEAVER|vices and networks to a more extensive umbrella of networks.
The revised bill redefined what devices would qualify under the ban.
The bill was amended “to prohibit the use of TikTok on any device connected to a network owned, operated, or under the control of the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government,” the Kentucky General
Assembly’s website said.
After the bill’s third reading, it passed with a 31-0 vote.
UK students had mixed opinions on the bill.
Tenise Hughes, a freshman business management major at UK, said that if someone is older than 16, they should have access to TikTok.
“If your government is preaching freedom of speech, why are you trying to
stop people from expressing themselves,” Hughes said.
On the contrary, Bryce Brodbeck, a junior information communication technology major, said that the ban is beneficial.
“It’s kind of a distraction I think in my opinion. That’s why I’m not really on it myself too much,” Brodbeck said. “It will definitely help people focus more on real-life things than stuff that’s going on on your phones.”
According to Marci Adams, the Assistant Director of Communications & Strategic Engagement for UK’s Information Technology Services, UK Information Technology Services (ITS) is UK’s Wi-Fi provider and it is owned and operated by UK ITS. The bill will not apply to UK’s Wi-Fi because it is not controlled by the Commonwealth Office of Technology and the legislative branch of state government.
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.
Kondwani Phwandaphwanda, or as his students and colleagues know him, Dr. K, is not only a fierce educator but a passionate musician and a talented soccer player.
Hailing from Malawi, Africa, Phwandaphwanda traveled to the United States in 1995 to pursue his graduate education at the University of Arkansas and has since found his home in Lexington, Kentucky.
As the director of college life for the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College, Phwandaphwanda has the unique opportunity of orchestrating orientations for new college students, giving them the first taste of their college experience.
“Everything from orientation, reaching out to students over the summer to connect them with their peers, this time of year is my favorite because for the first time these students are beginning to transi-
tion from high school, leaving things behind and connecting with each other,” he said.
Coming to the United States as an international student proved very difficult for Phwandaphwanda. Everything from the language to the food, and even the weather arose a new set of challenges. Having to learn a new culture and a new education system became the most challenging, he said.
Growing up in Malawi, English wasn’t something Phwandaphwanda was introduced to, so he said he usually memorized what he was
told for exams.
“When I came to the United States, that had to shift into understanding things and applying them,” he said.
The language barrier forced Phwandaphwanda to push himself to learn something new in order to further his education.
Having earned multiple degrees, ranging from master’s in music education and political science to a doctorate in education, Phwandaphwanda uses his experiences coming from Malawi as a student to fuel his mantra for education.
“It starts with understand-
ing the needs of students,” he said.
According to Phwandaphwanda, the reason he loves his job so much starts with the understanding that “college is a new experience,” and his goal is to make each student feel at home at University of Kentucky and like they have someone they know they can count on.
Outside of work, Phwandaphwanda enjoys making and producing his own music, as well as playing soccer.
Playing instruments such as guitar, various percussion and singing, he enjoys writing traditional songs with roots in Malawi that he grew up around. Phwandaphwanda has his own Soundcloud on which he produces all the content on his own.
In addition to his artistic side, Phwandaphwanda loves taking to the soccer field and playing midfielder. A unique left footed kicker, Phwandaphwanda said he uses his skills by coaching youth soccer.
He said he tries to inspire and fuel the passions of those around him.
“Be open to other people’s ideas,” he said. “There’s a reason why we get in classrooms as students; be open to learning and growing from each other.”
Rayleigh Deaton, editor-in-chief editor@kykernel.com
Hannah Stanley, managing editor
Gray Greenwell, copy editor Kendall Staton, news editor news@kykernel.com
Cole Parke, sports editor sports@kykernel.com
Samantha Money & Ali Cetinok, asst. sports editors
Karrington Garland, opinions editor opinions@kykernel.com
Gray Greenwell, features editor features@kykernel.com
Jack Weaver, photo editor photo@kykernel.com
Abbey Cutrer, asst. photo editor
Akhila Nadimpalli, lead designer Allie Hall, asst. designer
Kendall Staton, newletter coordinator Gracie Moore, Twitter manager Savannah Kennedy, Instagram/Facebook manager Raven Rolle, TikTok manager
9 Blazer Dining University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506
On the front cover: ABBEY CUTRER| STAFF
Crowds gather to worship on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Hughes Auditorium at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky.
The UK Rosenberg College of Law’s LGBTQ organization, OUTLaw, held its first Love is Love Banquet at Limestone Hall in Lexington on Feb. 16.
The event focused on the legal history and future rights of the LGBTQ+ community and has been in the making since the beginning of the fall 2022 semester, according to Dakota Shugars and Tate Craft, OUTLaw’s Co-1L Representatives.
“OUTLaw hoped to bring together members of the legal community to spark thoughtful conversation about the future of
LGBTQ+ rights. The current US Supreme Court is a scary place to look for LGBTQ+ support/ affirmation so knowing how to adapt legal arguments is critical when opinions like Dobbs (overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey) are narrowing the scope of privacy rights,” said OUTLaw treasurer and second year UK law student, Will Baird.
Along with opening up the legal aspect of the conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, these events also provide support to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Baird attended highschool in Eastern Kentucky where
there were no LGBTQ+ organizations. He then attended the University of Louisville where the LGBTQ+ community was constantly thriving.
According to Baird, moving to Lexington for law school is what pushed him to get involved in OUTLaw. There are organizations in Lexington, such as JustFundKY, that aim to provide support to other organizations in Kentucky.
“These organizations are so critical in halting the tide of oppression against LGBTQ+ people, like the bills we see working their way through the General Assembly at the moment,” Baird said.
The event featured UK professor Daniel Canon as the keynote speaker, in which he shared his experiences of being a civil rights attorney, educator and writer.
Canon attended the University of Louisville for both his undergraduate and law programs. He currently works as an attorney as well as a law professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.
As an attorney, Canon’s focus is on civil rights cases and fighting for the rights of marginalized persons. He is most known for his role as lead counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case which granted same-sex couples the freedom to marry.
Canon was chosen to give the keynote address as he is “a well respected civil rights attorney in Kentucky and Indiana, and his work with Bourke And Love (Kentucky cases that were consolidated on appeal into Obergefell) was instrumental in the Supreme Court’s decision for marriage equality,” Barid said.
Canon has attended events similar to OUTLaw’s Banquet over the years. He said he delivers these keynote addresses for the students.
“Students — especially those from historically marginalized or underserved communities — need to know that they have support from law professors and the legal community in general,” Canon said. “They need to hear honest words of en-
couragement and affirmation.”
Canon spoke to attendees about the progress made over the last 50 years regarding LGBTQ+ inclusivity and protection laws. He said while the laws are what make a written change in our country, the support attorneys provide to members of the LGBTQ+ community is what drives these changes.
“Our work is not always to win, our work is to provide support,” Canon said.
While not every case is won in favor of the LGBTQ+ community, that does not mean progress is not being made.
“Change starts with people and if one person left that room inspired to commit themselves to calling a state legislator, running for office, taking on a LGBTQ+ civil rights client, etcetera, then the event was a smashing success,” Baird, who also spoke to the narrative that progress consists of more than just winning a case, said.
According to Canon, the support the LGBTQ+ community has today would not have been possible in 1972, not even 20 years ago; any more possible than Richard John Baker and James Michael McConnell winning their case and being granted the freedom to marry in 1972.
“Rule change equals real change,” Canon said.
Canon received a standing ovation once his address had concluded.
See page 5
Continued from page 4
Canon was not the only attorney present. There were a handful of law firms that attended the Banquet, including Baird & Baird, Dinsmore, Frost Brown Todd, McBrayer, and Stites & Harbison.
Other attendees of the legal community included members from the Human Rights Campaign and the UK General Counsel’s office. The 22nd Kentucky Judicial Circuit, which represents Fayette County, was represented as well.
“It is amazing that many of them are dedicated to educating themselves on the current standing of LGBTQ+ rights,” Baird said.
Faith Gingrich-Goetz, UK Law graduate, former OUTLaw president and former campaign director of the Human Rights Campaign, was also in attendance.
Gringrich-Goetz said she feels that events such as this banquet open up the conversation to people who may not pay attention to the issues surrounding LGBTQ+ rights.
Baird stressed the importance of learning how to fight for LGBTQ+ rights in a constantly changing political climate.
Canon said the best thing someone can do to get involved is to organize.
“Call the activists and organizations that are already involved in this work and ask how you can contribute,” said Canon.
With UK OUTLaw, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Their next event is their annual OUTLaw Drag show on March 23 at 8:00 p.m. held at The Bar Complex.
Preferred candidate for the position of Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Jake Lemon spoke to a room of staff and students on Monday, Feb. 20, in the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
The forum served as an opportunity for campus community members to get to know Lemon and his vision and qualifications for the position as part of the hiring process.
Lemon has been in contact with UK for over a year regarding this position. He is the preferred candidate as of now, and further consideration will be enacted following review of feedback from forum attendees.
It was not announced at the event when the hiring decision is expected to be finalized.
Anyone with a linkblue ID can watch a recording of the forum and submit feedback here.
Lemon currently serves as the CEO and President of the University of Connecticut Foundation, the school’s fundraising department. He has worked in university philanthropy departments for the past 18 years, including at Florida State University and the University of Alabama Birmingham.
Lemon said these years of experience shaped him into a “solid” gift officer.
The UConn Foundation has
BRADY SAYLOR| STAFF
Jake Lemon, president of the UConn Foundation and candidate for Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, speaks during an open forum on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the Gatton College of Business and Economics in Lexington, Kentucky.
closed its three highest fundraising years on record with Lemon on board, according to UConn Today. Lemon said that his team has doubled UConn philanthropy’s production “from a sustainability standpoint.”
Despite seeing such success at UConn, Lemon, a Mississippi native, wants to move to UK for personal reasons after losing some family members and feeling disconnected from loved ones over a year ago.
“The idea of coming back to the Southeast, drivable to family and friends at a major successful public flagship institution, is something that I’ve been looking at, and looking at very selectively,” Lemon said. “I’ve gotten to know a lot (about UK), and the alignment in my mind
just keeps moving in the right direction, the potential fit just keeps moving in the right direction, and that’s why I’m here with you today.”
Lemon presented a 20-minute slideshow before taking questions from attendees. The slideshow allowed Lemon to explain his path to success in previous roles and plan to bring that to the role of Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at UK.
Lemon’s presentation emphasized the importance of flexibility in a leadership position, core values such as empathy, accountability and collaboration, clear communication and fostering authentic relationships with coworkers and donors.
These values are how Lem-
on builds and sustains what he calls “the winning team.”
“I think the worst thing right now, from a culture standpoint, is when decisions are made in a vacuum at the top, passed down, and you’re just supposed to follow,” Lemon said. “That’s not what we do at UConn and that’s certainly not what we would do here.”
If hired, Lemon will replace Kentucky native and UK alum Mike Ritchey, who worked in philanthropy at UK for 25 years. President Eli Capilouto announced Ritchey’s retirement via email in 2021.
During this time, UK raised “more than $2.5 billion to support scholarships and infrastructure,” and Ritchey established a “foundation of excellence,” according to the email.
At the forum, Lemon assured attendees that he won’t try to be Ritchey but that he will keep Ritchey’s legacy alive.
“I know the amazing work that Mike Ritchey did, I know that this job is a build-on-success job and builds on the legacy that he certainly created,” Lemon said. “(I plan on) being me, being authentic and not trying to fake my way into being Mike Ritchey because I will never be Mike Ritchey. I won’t have that institutional knowledge. I won’t have that ‘true Kentuckian’ but I would be a warrior for the University of Kentucky and for this division and for everyone here.”
Professor Nora Rubel delivered a lecture, “Too Jewish? Imagining the Ultra-Orthodox and America,” on Feb. 19, as a part of the Zoom webinar series “Jewish Orthodoxy Today,” sponsored by UK’s Jewish Studies Program.
Rubel teaches at the University of Rochester as an associate professor of religion. She spoke along with Sheila Jelen, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky.
Rubel is an accomplished author. Her book “Doubting the Devout: The Ultra-Or-
thodox in the Jewish American Imagination (Religion and American Culture)” delves into how films represent ultra-Orthodox Jews and unpacks the “struggles (for Jews) to balance religion, family, and culture.”
Her upcoming book, “Transparent and Queering the Jewish Family on TV,” remains under contract and is in the process of being released.
Rubel reflected on her introduction to Judaism class, where she assigned a book with a character that irritated quite a few students.
Rubel spoke of how some young learners believed the character went to “extremes”
in her spiritual search and called her a “fanatic.”
She explained that many American Jews, through the lens of post-Enlightenment thinking, view this character’s commitment to her studies as strange. They found her approach of immersing in old Jewish texts to be distasteful.
This perspective informs the way some American Jews represent pre-Enlightenment Jews on television. Rubel referenced movies like “Fiddler on the Roof” and the limited series “The Patient” to support her point.
Just as the reformed and liberal students had tension with the ultra-Orthodox Jews presented through the book, so does a similar tension arise in “The Patient.”
Throughout Rubel’s lecture, she made further connections between films and books to important issues and discussions in Jewish communities. She spoke about novels like “Lovingkindness” by Anne Roiphe and “The Outside World” by Tova Mirves.
These books focused on strained relationships between Jewish parents and their children. A child might, for example, adopt a more rigid structure for their life, which their liberal parents might protest against. Other times, tensions arise because
a child makes changes to fit into their new culture, Rubel said
“Ironically, American Jews often change their name from the past to acculturate, to sound less Jewish,” Rubel said.
After the meeting’s con-
clusion, Jelen facilitated a Q&A. Jelen read student questions and directed them toward Rubel to answer.
The next lecture in this series is on Feb. 27 with the guest speaker Zalmen S. Newfield.
Appalachia may be known for its scenic mountain views and dense forests, but the region also happens to be home to the highest cancer rates in America, according to the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries website.
Based on the high cancer rates and education needs specifically in Eastern Kentucky, the idea for the Appalachian Career Training In Oncology (ACTION) Program was born.
The ACTION Program was started in 2016 by its current director Nathan Vanderford at UK’s Markey Cancer Center. Having grown up in an Appalachian county in rural Tennessee, and ultimately losing his father to cancer in 2010, Vanderford said he understands firsthand the impact that cancer has on the Appalachian community.
Working as the main founder and director of ACTION since its beginning, Vanderford has been able to take the difficulties he faced and turn them into something much bigger.
“Having the same characteristics as students from (Eastern Kentucky), it really is a passion project of mine to do this kind of work to help students from the area to be successful,” Vanderford said.
Each year, ACTION has 20 high school participants and 16 undergraduate participants. The program is based around
“hands-on, problem based, experiential” learning, Vanderford said.
The goal of ACTION is to recruit students from Eastern Kentucky and help support them academically, specifically trying to prepare and motivate them for careers in cancer research and treatment. The program’s hope is that those who choose to stay in a healthcare-related field would be trained in oncology and would practice in their home communities or somewhere nearby, Vanderford said.
The program has three main components: research, education and outreach. Through ACTION, students are able to participate in an abundance of educational activities that can
either earn them academic credit or help them gain experience in this field. These activities range from helping with cancer research to going out into their communities to help better educate the people of Eastern Kentucky about the cancer problem that is plaguing the state, Vanderford said.
According to Vanderford, the lack of access to health care, low education rates and high poverty rates are just some of the factors that contribute to the cancer epidemic in Kentucky.
“It’s a complicated mix of issues that create really a perfect storm for why cancer rates are so bad here,” Vanderford said.
Although ACTION is a newer program, its impact can
already be seen. Of the 40 alumni from the program, 33 are in graduate school or professional school, and 25 of them are at UK. All high school students that have gone through the program have graduated high school. Some undergraduates are even published authors.
“I think this is evidence that we’re having an impact and the program is being effective doing what we hoped it would do,” Vanderford said.
Olivia Thornsbury, a sophomore biology major on the pre-med track, has experienced these impacts first hand.
A Pikeville, Kentucky native, Thornsbury first heard about this program from a high school teacher who had a son go through the program while he was at UK. Being from Eastern Kentucky herself, Thornsbury, like Vanderford, has also been affected by Appalachia’s cancer crisis.
“I feel like it’s pretty common for most people from Appalachia to have some sort of connection to cancer just because of all the environmental factors that are there,” Thornsbury said. “You hear the word cancer a lot to the point where it’s like ‘Oh really?’ but it’s not surprising.”
The impact that ACTION has had on Thornsbury is nothing she could have expected.
“I’ve screamed it to the rooftops of anyone that will listen … it’s truly changed the trajectory of my undergradu-
ate career,” Thornsbury said.
Thornsbury currently participates in prostate cancer research and is also helping Vanderford reach more high schools in Eastern Kentucky to promote the program.
Being involved and active in the program, Thorsnbury is hopeful that ACTION will have a great impact on the Eastern Kentucky community.
“I don’t think anybody has the passion to care for Appalachia like those from it … I think that this program helps put you in the mindset of building that passion for helping people and strengthening your ties to your community and changing that trajectory of cancer incidences,” Thornsbury said.
While the program itself has been successful, it’s the passion and participation of those students looking to better their communities that really makes the biggest difference, Vanderford said.
“It’s a phenomenal program, and we’ve been so successful and it’s really the students that make that magic happen,” he said.
With a growing scholarship fund, Vanderford hopes to recruit more students to ACTION. The program is currently recruiting undergraduate students. Applications are due on Friday, April 7, at 5 p.m. Vanderford urges all students who are interested to visit the program’s website and apply.
A crescendo caused crowd members in the chapel to hold their arms and heads to the sky. A baby held by their mother reached their arm out, too, as if they were mimicking others.
As the song that was playing ended, its chorus hung in the air and was met by applause after it dissipated. Someone overtaken by the moment openly wept.
“I cried all day, every day,” said Riley McChord, a freshman communica-
tions major at Asbury University.
This was the scene at Asbury University, a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky, where students had participated in a nonstop worship service since Feb. 8, which attendees called a “revival.”
A revival holds different connotations for different churches.
According to Asbury’s website, it means a spontaneous worship that involves prayer and praise lasting multiple days. Asbury has now been the site of nine revivals. Their largest revival before this year occurred in 1970, and
their most recent occurred in 2006.
This year’s revival has received international attention.
Visitors include groups from other states and even other countries such as Indonesia, Canada and Brazil. Asbury University President Kevin Brown told NBC News about two-thirds of the attendants are from out of town.
The revival had grown so large that it had spread to four other buildings on Asbury and its neighboring seminary’s campus where the ongoing service was simulcasted from Hughes Auditorium.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, the Asbury
revival experienced its first day of a scheduled opening and closure from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Before this, Hughes Auditorium remained open 24 hours. Some students slept on mattresses and continued worship quietly during early morning hours.
The line for the revival on Thursday night stretched to the gate that marks the start of campus. Someone at the end of the line was overheard mentioning how long it took them to get in a few days prior, and they estimated that it would take them two hours that night.
See page 9
Continued from page 9
Outside, volunteers made sure that those waiting in line were fed while others watched the door of Hughes Auditori um and ensured that the building kept its capacity at about 1,200 people.
Inside the building was a service that flowed and evolved with its participants. People came and left, ushers helped open seats and music rose and fell.
At the front of the auditorium, those under 25 could enter through a door and sit in reserved seats at the front. They were also invited to sit on the stage, where a pianist, a percussionist, a guitarist and vocalists led worship with Christian songs and hymns.
The rest of the room was filled with people who had flocked to the quiet town of Wilmore to infuse it with the sound of their worship. The crowd at the revival held a white majority but included people of different races and backgrounds, their clothing adorned with Brazilian flags and Bible verses.
McChord was extremely moved by the revival and said that she had prayed for it the whole morning before it happened. She slept in Hughes Auditorium from the revival’s first night, Wednesday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 12.
“It just felt like holy ground, just being at the foot of the cross and just being with your father, and just being saturated … in his presence,” McChord said of sleeping in the auditorium.
McChord left the original service to go to a class she had a presentation in.
She said that the next thing she knew, someone had opened the classroom door, interrupting class to announce “God is doing something really cool upstairs,” and she proceeded to leave the classroom as students followed.
After that, McChord said that a number of students skipped their classes to join the worship.
That worship would grow into the revival in the days following.
McChord claimed to have seen a number of healings and miracles happening during the revival, including a man’s neck tumor disappearing.
Asbury encouraged attendants in Hughes Auditorium not to use social media, use flash photography, live stream or record for too long out of respect for others and what God is doing.
“God can do his own PR work,” McChord said.
However, Asbury still understood the importance of social media in amplifying the message they were preaching.
“It definitely spread the fact that it’s happening through social media, but I’m really encouraged by Asbury making a statement,” said Alison Perfader, Asbury student body president.“I think we’re all trying to respect everyone’s privacy in there, which is important.”
Historically, revivals are a culmination of outside cultural movements. Many have been dominated by a singular preacher leading the movement, reinventing the way their congregation thinks about their faith. However, at Asbury, there was no clear
leader.
“I think (the revival) was sparked by division in general and a need in a thirst for God and community in general,” said Perfader, “I think technology has a huge part in that and coming off of that as distraction. I also think that the division of COVID and the political unrest of 2020 was huge in our generation specifically.”
With the advent of media and outside visitors, Asbury has been the subject of plenty of attention.
“Everyone’s been so nice, it scares me,” Perfader said Thursday. “Today there was a lady handing out food that she had bought from her house, little sandwiches wrapped in cellophane.”
For Perfader, the revival was about forgiveness and the rekindling of relationships with others.
“For years (I) have struggled with anger,” Perfader said. “Super, super bad. And I had a list of people I hated a
week ago … And I had no interest in fixing that about myself either … I have worshiped and sang with people I really didn’t like a week ago and I’ve, they’re my friends.”
Perfader said experiences like hers “can happen in your kitchen,” and “you can be freed from anything anywhere,” attributing the revival to a relief of drama in her life, paraphrasing a hymn saying “the things of earth will grow strangely dim” feeling as there is “a refocusing of priority for each other.”
Even with the spectacle occurring on campus, Asbury still asked for the academic responsibility of its students.
“A lot of people skipped (classes) the first couple of days,” Perfader said. “What’s really happening is we’re going to class for 15 minutes and then just coming back.”
As students remained in attendance at the revival, some took their studies into the chapel, doing homework and
working on projects while listening to what was going on around them.
“There are still classes, midterms are happening, students have to be students,” Jennifer McChord, Asbury vice president of enrollment and marketing, said. “And we are a university. And we are here to educate our students. So we have to be sure we’re taking care of our students.”
In a statement published on Feb. 21, Brown announced that Thursday, Feb. 23 would mark the revival’s end at Asbury University and the Asbury Theological Seminary. Brown clarified that, while the revival itself may come to an end, its mission will not.
“I have been asked if Asbury is ‘stopping’ this outpouring of God’s Spirit and the stirring of human hearts,” Brown said in the statement. “I have responded by pointing out that we cannot stop something we did not start. This was never planned.”
Absences add up quickly, and with the usual two or three absences allotted for individual classes, they can be gone quicker than one might think. Because of this, the overall impact attendance should have on students’ grades should be no more than 10%.
The University Senate Rules document provides a list of acceptable excuses for absences, including significant mental and physical student and household illnesses, deaths of family members and major religious holidays.
With this long list of viable reasons for failing to show up to class, students still must verify their absences for their professors if asked to do so.
Gracie Tenner, a triple-major student at UK, studying political science, psychology and modern classical languages, with a focus in Latin, has had her fair share of absences during her time here.
Just this year, Tenner received the DRC accommodation for flexible attendance from her psychiatrist. With this accommodation, Tenner has found her teachers are more understanding of the reasons behind her absences.
“The thing was, the biggest impact on my grades was my attendance, it was not my
performance, it was my attendance that absolutely tanked all of my grades,” Tenner said.
Most of the time, Tenner wasn’t aware how much of an impact her attendance had on her overall grade for classes due to her professor putting in her attendance grades at the end of the semester.
For example, at the beginning of her WRD 111 class, Tenner had a low A, but due to her attendance and participation points being put in at the end of the semester, Tenner’s grade dropped to a C, and she was left confused and scrambling for a remedy for her grade drop.
“It was during finals week, I had to talk to my psychiatrist back home and have him write a letter that told her (the instructor) to excuse those absences for me, because it was extraneous circumstances and I had been struggling,” Tenner said.
Tenner says that some of her teachers have asked her if she needed help or resources for her struggles, which she has been getting for years.
“I’m getting help, but it’s not a swift kind of thing” Tenner said. “It just takes time to heal these kinds of things, I’ve gone through therapy, I’m coping as best as I possibly can right now, however that still sometimes means it’s gonna take me two or three weeks
to recover because it’s a mental and not a physical illness.”
Tenner said she believes teachers should reward those who come to class and participate, especially if students come and show a clear interest in course content. When students do well in course content, but don’t show up, teachers should consider if something else is going on.
She also believes it is easier to get professors to understand extraneous circumstances regarding absence in higher level classes, since they are smaller and tend to have more opportunities to connect with
teachers.
Regarding excused absences or being absent from class with an extraneous circumstance, it is always best for students to communicate with professors to ensure that these absences are not affecting their grade severely.
If students have excused absences that are a total of 20% of an individual class, they can request withdrawal, or their instructor can mark the course as incomplete.
With everyday life back to relative normalcy after the pandemic and classes no longer all-online (unless students
chose the online route for classes), attendance policies are no longer laxed due to the virus.
And some students may be getting back into the flow of fully in-person classes still.
After being forced into quarantine for almost two years and living during an unprecedented pandemic, the path to regaining normalcy is different for everyone.
Not to mention, since we are paying for our education at this institution (and since most of us are adults), we should have a right to decide how our educational journey will go.
See page 11
Continued from page 10
David Griffith, a junior political science major at UK, said that when he took Peace Studies 201, his grade also dropped from an A to a C due to attendance.
Since Griffith is on the debate team at UK, he racks up a lot of absences due to traveling for events.
“For Peace Studies, I remember, there was an attendance requirement, but it wasn’t clear what it was,” Griffith said. “It was more of a participation grade and not so much an attendance requirement and it wasn’t clear what days that the participation assignments would be on, and they weren’t put into canvas until the very end of the semester.”
Attendance points should be put into Canvas while the semester is going on, not at the end when students are focusing on finals or getting last minute assignments in.
Most, if not all, students understand that attendance is important, and to understand course content and keep up to date with assignments, it’s necessary.
But students shouldn’t face steep declines in grades — especially if they are continuing to turn in their assignments on time, understanding the course content and communicating with their teachers regarding their absences.
A student dealing with mental health strife during the semester should be allowed more than two or three excused absences.
A student dealing with the death of a family member should be allowed more than two or three excused absences.
So, too, should students who have to schedule doctors’ appointments during class times be excused. We shouldn’t be penalized for seeking healthcare, especially if we are communicative about it with our instructors and willing to make up assignments within a reasonable time.
That’s why a baseline percentage is needed when calculating attendance into a student’s grade. The weight that attendance carries in our overall grade in individual classes for a semester can be heavy.
Participation points should also be separate from attendance and cumulative throughout the semester, especially since there are students who actively go to class and participate during class or group discussion, while on
the other hand, there are students who go to class and simply sit and retain information but don’t utter a word or contribute to the discussion.
Students can attend class and not actively participate. With both of these categories separate, students who attend class and participate can be awarded for it, but those who attend and don’t participate will not face a penalty — they just won’t receive the specific points for participation.
And participation can be tracked in different ways, from discussion boards, in class assignments or by answering a question in class. If students participate, they should be awarded. If they don’t, they simply should not receive the points for it.
Attendance, much different than participation, should be worth 10% across all college departments. That way, it impacts students across the board in the same way.
Then, it is up to students to decide if they wish to take more time to deal with mental health issues, grief or even take an appointment during class time.
If a student exceeds the usual number of two or three excused absences allowed in a class, their grade shouldn’t drop by a lot, especially if they are keeping up with the curriculum, assignments and communicating with their professor.
Most students at this university understand that going to class is important, but when unforeseen circumstances happen,
mental health declines, tragedy strikes in a family or any other perfectly reasonable explanation communicated to a professor occurs, students should be allowed the time to deal with it. And that time should not be reflected in students’ attendance grades — especially if they understand course content, continue to do well on exams and turn in class assignments on time.
College is hard enough on students with its high costs and the added stress that comes with juggling jobs and extracurriculars as well as the pressure to perform academically. The least UK can do is put a limit on how much students’ grades will be affected by attendance.
Minor spoilers ahead for “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
The tiny-but-mighty AntMan and Wasp duo returned in theaters Friday, Feb. 17 for a third feature-length film in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
New faces Bill Murray and Jonathan Majors joined familiar stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer in this third installment.
Majors, who plays Kane the Conqueror, will return in several Marvel films over the next three years as the newest overarching villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is the first of six films set to release in Phase Five of the Multiverse Saga.
Phase Four recently ended with the release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
The Multiverse Saga, which was preceded by the Infinity Saga, is Marvel Studios’ newest venture following “Avengers: Endgame.”
Phase Five is set to continue with “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” and “The Marvels,” which will be released in May and November of this year respectively.
Trailers for “Quantumania” had fans expecting new insight into the mysterious quantum realm, a subject mostly skirted around in the first two “Ant-Man” movies.
Personally, I was expecting a deeper dive into the thirty years Janet Van Dyne (Pfeiffer) spent in the realm.
The film delivered, for the most part, on what was advertised.
The main conflict of the film begins when Cassie Lang’s quantum satellite device goes haywire, and the whole gang is sucked into the subatomic universe. The scene reminded me of the “Jumanji” movies when the main characters are trans-
ported into a jungle-themed survival game.
Once in the quantum realm, Scott and Cassie are separated from Hope, Hank and Janet and struggle to find each other in amongst a labyrinth of worlds.
It is revealed that the quantum realm is a lot more than the colorful matrix mush that was portrayed in the previous movie, “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”
Perhaps the one thing missing from the movie is credit to George Lucas. The filmmakers may not have meant to almost copy some of the worlds from the “Star Wars” franchise, but it was very similar.
The initial scenes in the quantum realm looked like what you would get if you instructed an artificial intelligence app to draw “Tatooine” or “Naboo.” At one point, Hope, Hank and Janet visit a bar to meet Lord Krylar (Murray), and I experienced so much deja vu — it was so similar to scenes in Jabba’s throne room bar on Tatooine.
The scenery was very mesmerizing; I think the use of color and different creatures was fantastic, though I can’t say it felt like pure originality. But then again, is mockery not the best form of flattery?
A lot of time is dedicated to Janet’s back and forth
stance on her life in the quantum realm. Honestly, I think the whole wavering dynamic from Janet was too drawnout.
Obviously, her life in the quantum realm was abnormal and would be hard to explain to the people she left on Earth, and I don’t think the writers ignored this fact, but I do think Janet’s lines were written in a way that made her character seem immature and petty.
I think it is important to note that even when we do start to see a little bit more into Janet’s life in the realm and finally begin to grasp the meaning of life in the quantum realm, it is still not enough.
Granted, we do not really know that much about the quantum realm, but I felt like the filmmakers were throwing in random elements and just crediting everything to being a part of the mystery of the unknown.
As we move into the later phases of the MCU, I think it is important to remember that we are no longer in the age of origin stories.
I have to remind myself of this after watching some of the newer movies because I miss the build up of the hero.
But the period of build up is over, and now we must watch our heroes continue their journeys.
With SEC play for Kentucky men’s basketball nearing an end, student tickets have been selling out left and right, with hundreds of students in line hours ahead of tipoff to get to the best possible seats.
Men’s basketball season tickets sell very quickly every year, with handfuls of students ready to buy single-game tickets the second they go online. When basketball fans outside of Big Blue Nation look at a game such as Kentucky versus Kansas, it’s evident why people across the nation consider the University of
Kentucky one of the premier basketball schools.
In a time where attendance numbers for sporting events have declined in the aftermath of COVID-19, Rupp Arena has managed to stay crowded and rowdy for almost every game, yet Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari hopes to make student
engagement even better and make UK into a trailblazer in college basketball.
“We lead the nation in attendance almost every year.” Calipari said. “Our student attendance is really good, but student attendance overall in the country is moving down. Let’s be that school again where we’re doing stuff that
other schools emulate.”
While Kentucky’s non-conference games at the beginning of the season have a respectable number of seats full depending on the opponent, Calipari hopes to see more empty seats filled by students who may not have an opportunity to come to every game.
See page 14
Continued from page 13
“I want every one of these students that wants to experience this (Kentucky basketball) to have that opportunity with nothing in the way of it,” Calipari said.
In response to Calipari’s desires, many student basketball fans had their own opinions about student engagement during the start of the season.
“I think it’s not just the players, but it’s the energy,” sophomore Anthony Fannin said. “It’s everyone coming together who enjoys the sport, to be part of something bigger. It’s not just basketball in itself. I think the players make it special.”
While plenty of students sung the praises of how the student engagement has been during the season, others have ideas about what they think is limiting the amount of fans who can make it out to games.
“They make it so hard to get the ‘eRUPPtion Zone’ seats,” Kentucky student Coleman Whitmill said. “Reserved (seating) has kind of exploded recently, so then when you don’t get any of those you’re up in section 240, so I feel like it could be a little better.”
Another prominent issue students spoke of is the location of Rupp Arena itself, with many students citing that as the reason they are unable to get out to games but are more likely to make it to a football game.
Rupp Arena is situated in downtown Lexington, sitting on West High Street, blocks away from Kentucky’s stu-
dent center, which in itself sits across campus from the Woodland Glen dorm buildings, which house hundreds of students.
“Probably the biggest factor is just how far the arena is from campus, but I know that’s not really an easy fix,” senior Tucker Clark said.
The mens basketball team played inside Memorial Coliseum, situated right across the street from the student center, before moving to Rupp Arena in 1976.
While the arena is much farther than Memorial Coliseum, it provided a massive increase in maximum capacity, with Rupp Arena able to hold
over 20,000 fans.
Calipari also recognized that there is a limited number of lower-level student tickets, which he cited as part of his motivation to give back to students.
“The reason this building is where it is is so we can take care of season ticket holders and students,” he said. “The issue becomes, alright, we’ve got all these good seats, but we’ve got seats up top. All I’m saying to the students is if you’re here and in this building, we want to do some stuff to reward you.”
It’s also important to mention that, while many students enjoy the eRupption Zone ex-
when his friends drag him out to Rupp Arena, citing the location as his biggest complaint and saying he’d rather “be on the side more than behind (the basket).”
The eRUPPtion Zone is also controversial for another reason, with approximately 2,500 tickets being set aside for students each game, only around 500 of whom will make it into the “EZone.”
In comparison, for the 2022-2023 basketball season, 15,372 tickets were sold to non-student season holders, explaining why there is little flexibility on where the student section can be placed.
perience, not all fans are in love with its location being right behind the basket.
Unlike several other college basketball arenas that feature student seating behind both baskets, Kentucky’s is only behind one basket, with many students feeling that the location simply doesn’t make sense.
“It doesn’t get rowdy enough at these smaller games,” senior Matthew Just said. “I think a lot could change if they expanded the student section to the lower levels a lot more.”
Another student, sophomore Aaryan Joshi, said he only comes out to games
“Because of all the donors that give money to buy the tickets, those seats and all that money generated from this program pays for a lot of programs here,” Calipari said. “So, how do we give students more access, yet not take away from tennis or track or baseball? It’s a hard juggling act.”
At the end of the day, Calipari said he wants students to remember that he is not only at Kentucky for his players, but for the entire student body, even saying that he welcomes students to stop by his office if they want to talk to him or have complaints, though whether or not students could actually do this is uncertain.
Whatever students request for bettering engagement, whether it be shuttles to Rupp Arena, locker room tours, open practice visits or otherwise, Calipari expressed interest in making it happen.
See page 15
Continued from page 14
“When I was at Memphis, I did something at my house,” Calipari said. “I put up a big tent and had the student group come to my house. I would do that here. I would do the same thing. I would do all of that stuff to let the students know that we’re here because of you.”
With the 2022-23 season entering the home stretch before the postseason and the current No. 1 recruiting class coming into Kentucky next season, quality of play should hardly be a factor in student’s decisions to
come to games.
At the end of the day, the student experience is the heart that makes college basketball so special, so if something is limiting that experience, it’s important for the team and university to make changes to keep its heart healthy.
While some fans may feel Calipari doesn’t care about the average fan, it was in fact the hall of famer who proposed the idea in the first place, expressing a personal desire to improve the experience of students and maintain a healthy budget for all
UK Athletics teams. There may be no easy solution to perfecting the student experience at Rupp Arena, but after a season that saw a divide so deep that fans were calling for Calipari to leave the school, the goals and desires of both Calipari and the fans may be much more closely aligned than some may think.
It’s clear that Calipari wants fans to be a bigger part of the Kentucky basketball experience. The only question that remains is whether or not that will actually happen.
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari watches his team during the No. 19 Kentucky vs. Florida A&M mens basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Kentucky basketball, despite being one of the largest brands in college basketball, has long been criticized for its lack of a true student environment.
While there are a variety of factors that could be contributing to the issue, the location of the arena may be near the top, with students, particularly those living on south campus, often complaining about the distance between their dorms and the arena.
“I’d love to get to more basketball games. It was a great atmosphere the one time I went but it’s difficult to find ways there from where I live,” freshman Gus
Howlett said.
Howlett is far from the only one to feel this way, though with sophomore Liam Dreesen echoing the sentiment.
“Being a student at UK, I just feel like I should have easier access to be able to go to the games, especially with the best sport on campus being basketball,” he said. “Transportation is one of the most annoying things about Rupp Arena’s location because it’s a pain to walk there, and parking is its own annoyance.”
While the trip from south campus to downtown Lexington may not be too bad for students with proper transportation, Howlett was unsatisfied with the accommodations the university
made.
“It’s 100% easier for north campus students to get to Rupp, you can pretty much walk from there,” he said. “Buses won’t take you there. I can’t drive my car because I’ll have to pay for parking.”
Caleb Sloan, a freshman at Kentucky, agreed with Howlett’s sentiment.
“I haven’t been to any basketball games this year actually,” Sloan said. “I love basketball but I don’t want to pay for an Uber on top of the ticket, and I don’t want to walk to get my truck and drive over there.”
While some students may be willing to bite the bullet and pay to park, they’re faced with another task. Students at UK, in large, park
at Kroger Field, Kentucky’s football stadium in the complete opposite direction of Rupp Arena.
The trip to Kroger gives students the exact same dilemma: whether or not to walk to Kroger Field or wait on a bus, which students already established were unreliable.
Sophomore Holly Burwig spoke about how, for south campus students, going to a basketball game at all requires prior planning.
“It’s more convenient for people on north campus to attend games,” she said. “They can kind of go on a whim because Rupp is right there, whereas students that are farther away need to plan more around getting there.”
While students like Bur-
wig may be willing to plan ahead to go to games, others, including freshman Cooper Fogle, often just don’t go to games.
“My parents are season ticket holders, but I don’t have a car, so I don’t make it to many games,” Fogle said. “I usually go on the weekends when my parents are able to pick me up.”
While there were students who took a more objective stance, such as sophomore Carson Schirmer, the overwhelming response from students on south campus was that Rupp Arena’s downtown location with no reliable form of transportation, made getting to basketball games unnecessarily tedious and, in some cases, not worth it at all.
Ever since Kentucky men’s basketball captured its eighth national championship at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season, fans have been hungry for title number nine.
Although the team made consecutive appearances in the Final Four in 2014 and 2015 and reached the Elite Eight in 2017 and 2019, it hasn’t recorded an NCAA Tournament victory since.
Fans thought that last year’s No. 2 seeded team was poised to make a deep tournament run, but those hopes ended very quickly when Saint Peter’s became only the tenth No. 15 seed to upset a No. 2 seed in the first round of the tournament.
Many fans were hopeful for the team, returning the bulk of its production including reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, to redeem itself in 2022-23, but it would be fair to say the season has been one of the most underwhelming of the John Calipari era.
Despite Saturday’s big win over Tennessee, Kentucky stands at 19-9 overall and 10-5 in the SEC, both of which fall short of the team’s totals from last season (26-8, 14-4).
The Wildcats have been on or near the tournament bubble for the majority of the year, despite starting the season projected to be the No. 1 overall seed.
Perhaps the lowest point for the Cats this season was a home loss against South Carolina on Jan. 10, with a fan even getting ejected from Rupp Arena after holding up a sign reading “Please go to Texas” to Calipari.
The disappointing season led to conversations regarding student attendance, something that was already a hot topic within the UK community with debates about things such as whether or not the student section should be larger or if transportation accommodations for people who live on central campus would help.
For some students though, the team’s underwhelming performance is a dealbreaker.
“I’ve always been a fan of Kentucky, but if they’re not doing good, it doesn’t really make me want to go watch,” said freshman Tate Hanks. “I feel like that goes for all my friends too.”
To others, myself included, though, going to a basketball game at the school you attend is a rite of passage, especially because of things like the team’s legacy and historic success.
An argument could be made that every game is worth attending even if the Wildcats aren’t consistently winning games like many people are used to.
The season as a whole could hardly be described as hopeless too as, despite disappointing losses to teams like Georgia and South Carolina throughout
this season, the team has come through with some impressive wins, including a sweep of Tennessee and quadrant-1 victories over Texas A&M and Mississippi State, all of which seemed to spark joy within the team’s fanbase.
Even in home games where the Cats did not come out on top, such as against Kansas on Jan. 28, there was a line stretching down the road just to get into the arena for the matchup.
“I still believe in going to the games to support the team and the school,” first year graduate student Brandon Adams said.
“We have had a rough year but honestly, sports teams go through that.”
From my experience, even though it can be very tempting to leave a game once it starts to seem like your team doesn’t have a chance at winning, sticking it out until the end just to see the team fight can be very rewarding.
It can be easy to give up on a team like Kentucky that was knocked out of the opening round of the tournament by a school many people have never even heard of, but sticking with a team through the good and
bad times is important.
In fact, after Saturday’s win over Tennessee, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Cats projected back in the NCAA Tournament flat out instead of on the bubble, which was surely a sight for sore eyes after the Cats dropped out of the field entirely just over a week ago.
There’s many things that may keep fans from attending a game inside Rupp Arena on a given day, but team performance shouldn’t be one of them. Being a fan of a team means you’re always a fan, even when they seem to reach rock bottom.
