Kentucky Kernel: September 22, 2022

UK Board of Trustees discusses facility names, enrollment statistics

By Alexis news@kykernel.comBaker

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees met Sept. 16 to induct new members, discuss enrollment statis tics, approve new job postings and name the new indoor track & field fa cility.The board approved the Jim Green Indoor Track & Field Center, the new name of UK’s indoor track & field facility. Members also approved the Rose Street redevelopment park proj ect to be named Alumni Commons.

Additionally, university president Eli Capilouto gave a report about this year’s enrollment statistics. Since fall 2021, the total enrollment increased 4.5%, from 31,536 to 32,955. When looking at the incoming first-year class specifically, since fall 2021, en rollment increased 29.6%, from 4,721 to 6,120.Capilouto highlighted an increase in racial diversity and first-generation students. For freshmen, the under represented minority rate increased 23.5%, from 891 students to 1,100. Overall, there was a 15.9% increase in Black, non-Hispanic students, a 26.8% increase in two or more races and a 31.4% increase in Hispanic or Latinx students, regardless of race.

The board also unanimously ap pointed Rosalie Mainous as the new dean of the College of Nursing.

In addition, Michael Banahan, Benny Bell Williams, Dermot Ryan, Lynn Jones, Bill Thomason, Jamie

Eads and Chauncey Morris were all reappointed the Board of Directors for the Gluck Equine Board of Research Foundation. These appointments carry a two-year term.

Six new Board of Trustee mem bers were inducted at the beginning of the meeting: Tom Able, a re nowned, board-certified ophthalmol ogist, who received his undergrad uate and attended medical school at UK; Todd Case, UK alumnus and owner of many prominent business es across the commonwealth; Aaron Cramer, professor of electrical and chemical engineering at UK; Brenda Gosney, who received her Bachelor of Health Science in Physical Ther apy and a Masters of Science degree in higher and adult education, as well as being a prominent figure in health care; Andrew Laws, a senior at UK studying public policy on a pre-law track. Laws is the student body presi dent and is involved in a multitude of other student organizations on cam pus. Trustee E. Britt Brockman, the chair of the University Healthcare Committee, shared a report on the 2021 fiscal year and the UK Chil dren’s Hospital 25th Anniversary.

“Vice President Mark Bird whistell gave a report to the commit tee on the status of UK Healthcares’s Medicaid-directed payment program. UK Healthcare has successfully im proved its performance year [after] year in this program,” Brockman said.Dr. Mark Newman gave the report

JACK WEAVER|STAFF

UK president Eli Capilouto gives a speech during a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

regarding UK Healthcare’s 2022 fis cal year unaudited finances.

UK Healthcare’s Chief Financial Officer, Craig Collins, and Chief Operations Officer, Peter Gilbert, also delivered an operational and financial update for the July fiscal yearThe2023.chair for pediatrics at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s physician-in-chief, Dr. Scottie Day, also gave an update to the commit tee about the hospital’s recent 25th

anniversary celebration.

“The healthcare committee rec ommended approval of 4 FCRs and approved a UHCCR to cre ate a corporation under the Be yond Blue corporation to organize affiliated community practices and form a limited liability company to expand and improve patient access,” Day said. “Lastly, the committee approved the list of privileges and appointments submitted by the UK healthcare active medical staff.”

Humans of UK:

David Bradshaw explores the language of philosophy

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By Emily features@kykernel.comGirard

This is Humans of UK, in spired by the Humans of New York Instagram series by pho tographer and autho Brandon Stanton. This series dives into the individuals of UK as well as their stories, strifes and pas sions.

David Bradshaw, chair of UK’s Philosophy department, has been a UK professor for 25 years. However, his pursuit of philosophy began over 30 years ago, when he started writing his book, “Aristotle East and West.”The book tracks the evolu tion of enérgeia, a Greek con cept for divine energy. It details the word’s history from the fourth century B.C.E., when it was coined by Aristotle, up to its use in the 14th century in the ByzantineAnotherEmpire.focus is the dif ferences between Greek and Latin Christianity and the way they describe divine energy. Bradshaw explained that many differences center around lan guage.“A lot of works in early Christian thought that were written in Greek were not trans lated into Latin, and so people didn’t have them during the Middle Ages,” Bradshaw said.

“In the Middle Ages, theolo gy in the West kind of went in its own direction … I’ve been writing about that for the past 20 years, in one way or anoth er.”Bradshaw currently teaches ancient Greek philosophy, me dieval philosophy and political philosophy; however, he stud ied physics as an undergrad uate. It was only in graduate

school that he took classes cov ering Greek language, idioms and philosophy — main points of his“Somebook.of the research really just came through doing regular course study in ancient Greek philosophy, but I also read other authors that would not normal ly be part of that study, because they do use this word [enér geia], and they’re important for

how the word evolved and took on a new meaning,” Bradshaw said.Though his book is now finished, Bradshaw said he is grateful to UK for allowing him to further discuss his interests through teaching. In addition to teaching, he has given multiple talks about the topic of divine energy.“I’ve been able to teach a lot of good students over the years, and talking with them about these issues has been a huge help to me. I’m grateful that we have a strong philosophy program,” he said. “I’m also connected now with the Lewis House, right off campus, and they’re going to become a center of Christian scholarship right here at UK. That also is a connection that I’m very, very grateful for.” Bradshaw encouraged any one who wants to write a book of their own to read extensive ly about the subject they cover.

“Find out what’s already been said about the thing that interests you, and then what you want to say that’s differ ent,” he said. “It might be that people have said things you think are wrong that you want to correct, but it might also be that they’ve just not even noticed or thought about the thing that you recognize is so important.”

Rayleigh Deaton, LeeAnnaKendallKendallJackeditor@kykernel.comeditor-in-chiefWeaver,managingeditorKaciMcCarthy,audienceengagementeditorkmccarthy@kykernel.comHannahStanley,newseditornews@kykernel.comStaton,asst.newseditorEmilyGirard,featureseditorfeatures@kykernel.comColeParke,sportseditorsports@kykernel.comBrooklynWalters,opinionseditoropinions@kykernel.comJackWeaver,photoeditorphoto@kykernel.comAbbeyCutrer,asst.photoeditorAkhilaNadimpalli,leaddesignerAllieHall,asst.designerStaton,newlettercoordinatorGracieMoore,TwittermanagerSavannahKennedy,Instagram/FacebookmanagerRavenRolle,TikTokmanagerBarriger,multimediamanagerKENTUCKYKERNELOFFICES340McVeyHallUniversityofKentuckyLexington,KY40506

On the front cover:

BRYCE TOWLE | STAFF

An attendee observes portraits on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, at the Lex Arts Hop in Lexington, Kentucky.

MARIA RAUH | STAFF

University of Kentucky Philosophy Chair David Bradshaw poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in his office in Patterson Office Tower at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

CARES Center increases retention and community for minority students

By Emily features@kykernel.comGirard

Located in McVey Hall, the Center for Academic Resources and Enrichment Services, or CARES, offers academic and social resources to students who need ad ditional support in their college careers, especially students of color.

Aku Fiagbeto, the CARES Adminis trative Support Associate, described the center as a “secondary admissions office.”

“Our CARES students have their own counselor … They do the exact same things as an admissions counselor would do and like their advisor would do, and they help them throughout their entire ca reer at UK,” Fiagbeto said.

According to its website, UK’s Vice President for Minority Affairs established CARES in 1978 to focus on increasing re tention among minority students.

CARES also provides tutoring and monitored studying sessions, particular ly focused around math and science, in multiple study rooms and common areas around McVey.

“It’s quiet here,” freshman dietetics major Jaden Cobbins said regarding the CARES Lounge. “I usually just come in here and do work and then head down stairs to my UK 101 class.”

Many of the students CARES tutors received the William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship. Fiagbeto emphasized that the center does not give out the scholarship; it only provides resources to recipients. These recipients include freshman psy chology major Naveah Crowe and fresh man sports communication major Ava

Abel.Crowe said she and Abel attended a meeting for scholarship recipients and were put in a CARES Canvas course. From there, they received information about study room locations and tutoring opportunities.“Forthestudy groups, you have to do an hour each [week], based on the type of classes that you take,” Crowe said. “I take chemistry, so I have to take an hour study ing every Studentsweek.”who are not currently enrolled in math or science classes instead attend monitored study groups, where they can study any subject. However, Crowe said many students simply attend monitored study due to a lack of space for homoge nized study sessions.

CARES also offers work-study pro grams for students who are eligible for federal aid to hold a job as a student. Se nior Jada Peden works in the CARES front office through the work-study program.

“Most work-studies allow you to be able to study why you’re at work. It’s like a low, minimal job of working the front desk. It’s okay for you to work on some [school]work while you’re at work, and they’re very flexible with their schedule,” Peden said. “It’s a good amount of mon ey.”Peden said she also appreciates the close proximity her job puts her to advi sors.“The counselors are happy to talk to me whenever I need to, and they can help me out with any resources I need,” she said. “I used to go to the counselors for academic help, student involvement, learning about

new clubs, financial help, all kinds of stuff likeInthat.”addition to its in-house services, CARES also partners with the MLK Cen ter and the UK Counseling Center to orga nize programs like My Brother’s Keeper, Sisters Inspiring Sisters and Brothers Chill ‘N Chat, all groups aimed at creating com munity and increasing retention within students of color.

CARES Freshmen Counselor and Pro gram Advisor Howard Johnson transferred to UK from BCTC wanting to improve student support.

“I applied for this position three times. I really liked the focus because it was focused more on students of color and students that are systematically disadvan

taged,” he said. “I really wanted to see how we could improve retention.”

Johnson said he advises students on both a day-to-day basis and around more crucial times in the semester, such as mid terms and finals.

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CARES Administrative Support Associate Aku Fiagbeto poses for a portrait on Wednes day, Sept. 21, 2022 at the CARES Center in McVey Hall at the University of Kentucky.

Eat Around the World invites students to travel world, without leaving UK’s campus

By Taylor features@kykernel.comMoon

University of Kentucky’s Student Activities Board (SAB) hosted “Eat Around the World” on Sept. 16, an event designed to introduce students to the food, traditions, music and people of other cultures and countries.

The event drew a large crowd of stu dents and gave people the opportunity to explore the many cultures represent ed on Studentscampus.were given the chance to experience and taste new things through the festival, allowing them to travel the world on their own campus.

“It’s really important to learn about each other; without these opportunities we might not be able to,” UK student Pascalle Le Roy said.

Many students were drawn to the food trucks, whose lines spanned the parking lot with people eager to try new things they had not experienced before.

“It’s good to try new things and see different people, and get in touch with other students on campus,” junior psychology student Sydney Parham said.The energetic atmosphere was con tributed to by many vendors who set up booths and brought information and items from their culture for students to learn about.

To some, this event was more than just a food activity; it was a place where they belonged, and it was a taste of home.The Brazilian Student Association (BRASA) decorated its booth with a large Brazilian flag covering the table, as well as a colorful poster board that shared information about the group.

The festival gave people like Camila Pimental, president of BRASA, the op portunity to share their culture and feel a sense of comfort.

“We do events like these to promote Brazilian culture. I think the community here is great,” Pimental said, “Usually I feel homesick, so BRASA and organi zations like this help us to feel kind of like home.”

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Students wait in line for Nathan’s Taqueria food truck at the Eat Around the World SAB event on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, at the Universi ty of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

‘A lesson in humility.’ NPR, Fox journalist Mara Liasson offers advice to UK students

By Brooklyn news@kykernel.comWalters

Nationally reporting journalist Mara Liasson encouraged the audience in her Sept. 15 speech on the University of Kentucky’s campus to keep an open mind when covering politics because

things are often not what they seem.

Liasson works as a correspondent for NPR and a contributor for Fox News and a panelist on “Fox News Sunday.” She began working for NPR in 1985 and for Fox News in 1997.

“The other thing that I’ve learned from my many, many decades covering

politics is that covering politics is a les son in humility,” said Liasson.

Liasson said that in her years of jour nalism, she has seen many changes in the dynamics of politics, but lately, she has been seeing more polarization.

She said that it used to be a joke that the media was also polarized, but that

has become a reality. Liasson cited her self as the exception to that, saying she says the same things on both NPR and Fox.“Too many of us look to the media for affirmation, not information,” Li asson said. “You can’t have a civil de bate unless you start with the same set of facts and work your way to different opinions, as opposed to the other way around.”

She offered the audience ways that American citizens can combat the polar ization of the political climate.

Among her suggestions were being engaged and voting, running for office, having institutional reform, becoming more politically moderate, making elec tion day a national holiday and having a redistribution of the population.

Liasson said that democratic institu tions in America need to be reformed be cause they haven’t been since the 1920s.

“Part of the American dream was if you work hard, play by the rules and get an education, your kids are going to do better than you. Well, that’s disappear ing, along with the rise of tremendous economic inequality,” Liasson said.

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ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF

NPR journalist Mara Liasson speaks in the Worsham Cinema on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

‘Not a building.’ Kentucky Theatre hosts benefit event for Appalshop in wake of flooding

By Rayleigh news@kykernel.comDeaton

The Kentucky Theatre hosted “And The Creek Rose,” a fundraising event benefiting Appalshop and the Appala chian Media Institution (AMI).

Held on Sept. 16, the evening featured local musicians, a reading by Silas House and the premiere of the 2022 AMI films.

Sponsored by local supporters like 21C, WRFL, Kentucky Rural Urban Ex change and UK’s College of Communica tion and Information, 100% of the tick et sales went to support Appalshop and AMI’s relief efforts.

In the wake of the devastating floods in July, businesses, homes and structures across Eastern Kentucky were left with widespread destruction. Kentuckians had to pick up the pieces of their lives, mud died and Appalshopdamaged.and

AMI were no excep tion.The media, arts and entertainment center Appalshop is headquartered in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Since its birth in 1969, Appalshop has been dedicated to helping Eastern Kentuckians tell their stories through film, radio and theater. Its film workshop, AMI, has introduced more than 1,200 young Appalachians to media production, according to Appalshop’s website.OneAMI alum, Willa Johnson, is now director of films at Appalshop. She said the goal is to encourage young filmmak ers to document Appalachia and its com plex issues without a “stereotypical or romanticized lens.”

The program welcomes eight to 12 young people aged 14-22 each summer

and teaches them to shoot, edit and pro duce a film on a topic of their choosing.

In July 2022, the newest AMI cohort was in the middle of filming and editing its films in preparation for a screening on July 29, an event which is the culmination of the eight-week program held at Ap palshop’s headquarters.

The morning of July 28, a flash flood caused by record-breaking rainfall swept through Appalachia, claiming lives and destroying buildings. The renovated warehouse that Appalshop calls home was flooded with six feet of water, endanger ing the archive that goes back decades.

“You can imagine how devastated (the AMI cohort) were when they found that the building that they’ve been working in for eight weeks was now underwater, and their films gone,” Jessica Shelton, direc tor of AMI, said.

Since then, Appalshop employees and volunteers from around the country have worked to salvage and restore what they can, putting rolls of film and video on freezer and refrigerator trucks to be taken to laboratories and digitized.

Shelton said Appalshop’s archive con tained around 24,000 items, from photos and papers to films and videos, making the project a large undertaking.

“We’re definitely going to lose some, but hopefully … we’re saving as much as possible,” Shelton said.

Two complete 2022 AMI films and one partial one were salvaged and able to be shown for the first time. Offering Appa lachian perspectives on artists and iden tity, the overturning of Roe v. Wade and gaming/Dungeons and Dragons, the three films all included thanks to Eric Van

RAYLEIGH DEATON | STAFF

Hoose, Appalshop’s systems administra tor, for his work in preserving the footage.

The event also included a reading by writer and Kentucky native Silas House documenting the aftermath of the flood for “Garden & Gun” magazine.

“So many are in the depths of the worst kinds of grief,” House said, read ing from his article. “You can feel it … when you see people living in tents and shelters. When you see children trying to play when they know their family has lost everything they own.”

Local musicians Daniel Martin Moore and Wayne Graham played original songs for the audience in a uniquely intimate setting, situated in a corner of the stage with all of the house lights up.

The evening concluded with a show ing of “Buffalo Creek Revisited,” an Ap palshop film from 1984 documenting the 1972 Buffalo Creek flood that devastated Eastern Kentucky and bore a resemblance to the flooding from July 2022.

Johnson called the recent events a “challenging time for Appalshop,” but she still offered hope for the organization, and Eastern Kentucky as a whole.

“It’s one of those things where you realize you’re not a building, and you re alize that the work really truly matters in the community,” Johnson said. “And so, while it may be difficult, it may be chal lenging, it’s also reassuring and reinvig orating to help us remember the root of what we’re here for.”

The Kentucky Theatre hosts “And The Creek Rose,” a fundraising event benefiting Ap palshop and the Appalachian Media Institution (AMI) on Sept. 16, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

UK Athletics recognizes Jim Green with naming of new track and field facility

By Alexis sports@kykernel.comBaker

UK Athletics released a press re lease regarding the naming of a new track and field facility on Friday, Sept. 16, deciding on the Jim Green Indoor Track and Field Center.

The name of the facility was ap proved at the UK Board of Trustees Meeting, which took place the same day.The facility was named in honor of Jim Green, the first Af rican-American student-athlete at Kentucky to win NCAA and SEC Championships.Greenearned All-America hon ors six times and won eight SEC individual events, including the indoor 60-yard dash in 1968 and 1971, outdoor 100-yard dash in 1968, 1970 and 1971, and outdoor 220-yard dash in 1968, 1970 and 1971.“I

am elated! It is a great hon or and so very exciting – to have your name attached to something like this is special,” Green told UK Athletics after the decision. “I want to thank the university for everything they have done for me.”Upon the facility’s naming, Derrick K. Ramsey, board of trust ee member and former Kentucky

quarterback and professional foot ball player, spoke on the progress that UK has made for racial equal ity since his time as a Wildcat.

“I had the chance to speak with my old friend Jim Green,” Ram sey said. “More than 50 years ago Jim attended this great university. During that time it was not only tough on the track, but it was equally as tough walking on this campus as an African-American male. And so it is with great pride [that] here we are 50 years later that he is being recognized for his greatness. It’s our second naming of an African-American on this campus, so I just wanted to say that it doesn’t go unnoticed. Yes, there are trying times, but things are getting better. I would have just been remiss if I didn’t com ment about the naming of that fa cility behind the great Jim Green.”

The new facility will give the track & field, as well as the cross country, athletes additional re sources to improve their training regiment, and will be located next to the UK Outdoor Track.

A University of Kentucky track and field athlete getting ready for a race during the Jim Green Invitational at the Nutter Field House on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, in Lexington, Kentucky.

The prominent contributors to this project are Joe and Kelly Craft, who pledged $7.5 million dollars as a gift to be applied to the facility, as well as the reno vation of the current indoor track and soon to be football-specific in door practice facility Nutter Field House.The monetary donation was not the only thing the crafts pro vided to the facility, with the name

also having been recommended by the donors.

“I am thankful it has come to fruition and equally excited about how the Crafts have asked us to recognize this gift in honor of Jim,” Kentucky athletic direc tor Mitch Barnhart said. “The gift also underscores the Crafts’ com mitment to our football program while supporting the 100 students who compete in track and field.”

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF FILE PHOTO

UK football players sue Lexington police officer over 2021 felony charges

By Alexis Baker and Hannah sports@kykernel.comStanley

Five current and former Uni versity of Kentucky football players filed a lawsuit Sept. 21 against Lexington Police De partment (LPD) officer Cory Vinlove for false charges with out probable cause leading to defamation.According to a press release from Loevy & Loevy Attorneys at Law, the players attended a party at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity where they claimed that fraternity members and guests at the party were saying racial slurs and assaulting them.

Former players Reuben Ad ams and Joel Williams and cur rent players JuTahn McClain, Andru Phillips and Devito Tisdale were temporarily sus pended and experienced dam age to their educational and professional careers, according to their attorneys. McClain was absent from the party.

A sixth player present at the initial party incident, Earnest Sanders, is not involved in the lawsuit. He transferred to Sagi naw Valley State and is no lon ger enrolled at the University of Kentucky.

“Each of the players coop erated with the criminal inves tigation. Despite learning from the beginning of the investiga tion that it was members and guests of the fraternity who verbally and physically as saulted the players, Lexington

Police Officer Vinlove refused to charge the culpable individ uals – the white fraternity mem bers and guests – and instead set out to make a name for himself, initiating false felony charges against the players,” according to a press release from Loevy &

Loevy Attorneys at Law.

The Fayette County Grand Jury found that Vinlove falsely testified, as well as ignored and fabricated evidence. LPD issued a nationwide release afterward with Vinlove’s fabricated alle gations.

The players have faced re percussions from the public since the event. Adams’ parents, Lisa and Rueben Adams, said their son was targeted and vic timized by Vinlove and his su pervisors.“Theremnants of this unjust act continues to have an impact on my son and our family. RJ was ostracized on campus, in the city of Lexington, in our hometown of VA, and on so cial media,” the press release said. “We are seeking justice, accountability, and an apology for the false charges brought against him when he was a vic tim of a racial attack.”

Adams, McClain, Phillips, Tisdale and Williams are be ing represented by Elliot Slo sar, Amy Robinson Staples and Margaret Campbell of the civil rights law firm Loevy & Loevy Attorneys at Law.

Staples aims for the lawsuit to repair the players’ names and prevent future lawlessness.

“Instead of focusing on their education and football careers, they have been forced to de fend themselves not only in the criminal justice system but also in the court of public opinion,” Staples said.

LexArts HOP explores connections and artistry in Lexington

By Nate news@kykernel.comLucas

LexArt hosted its fifth bimonthly art HOP of 2022 on Sept. 16. The event hosted about 35 lo cations where hoppers are able to connect with lo cal artists and view their work.Due to the size of par ticipating galleries and sites, a walk from the most eastern location to the furthest western loca tion is an hour long. Most venues are concentrated in the middle of downtown Lexington to help visitors discover the most art they can during the three hour event.Funded by the city of Lexington and the Ken tucky Arts Council, this year marks LexArts’ 50th anniversary. It helps over 40 regional artists and or ganizations deliver their message through art in Kentucky.LexArts is also a Unit ed Arts Fund where the money raised goes direct ly back to the community to continue engagement.

The ArtsPlace serves as a multifunctional build

ing where artists take up studios in the basement, galleries are held on the first floor and profession al dancers occupy the up stairs.On the night of the HOP, President and CEO of LexArts Ame Sweetall was stationed at home base in the ArtsPlace with a bucket as water leaked from the ceiling. She ex plained that a younger dancer had accidentally left the sink upstairs on.

“It’s a 1904 build ing – originally a YWCA (Young Women’s Chris tian Association),” Swee tall said. “So it’s got some old bones, but we love it.”

The HOP is one way to get people connected physically and financial ly to the heart of the city through“LexArts,art. one of our true missions, and what I really feel in my heart, is that we are trying to make art the fabric of a community,” said Swee tall. “Arts is jobs. Arts is ticket sales… (Art) drives (a city) to be a place where someone wants to live.”

The LexArts Gallery is currently hosting ‘The Commonwealth of Ken

tucky’ by Kelly Brewer. The exhibit is composed of 70 Kentuckians, each painted by Brewer in por trait form. Right next to the painting, there is a QR code that can be scanned to listen to each person’s oral autobiography along with a small reading.

“I lost my mom to can cer in January of 2020,” Brewer said. “On the year anniversary of her death,

my father gave me a jour nal of hers …She had writ ten at the bottom of the page, ‘What are you doing with your privilege?’ And it really just hit me across the face because other than being a mother and a wife, my greatest privilege is that I get to be an artist.” Brewer had already created the Jo B. Robert son Charitable Founda tion in her mother’s name,

when she decided to chal lenge herself as an artist. The original idea was to sell art to help raise mon ey, but she said it grew into the exhibit organical ly.

“The reality of having someone come and sit for you and paint them from life is intimidating,” Brewer said. “So I started with my friends, and my very first one that I did

was my daughter’s best friend.”Brewer’s notion of everyone being connect ed rang true. Her project rapidly advanced after her subjects recommended other people they thought she should paint.

‘The Commonwealth of Kentucky’ will be on display at LexArts Gallery until Oct 1. The next Lex Arts HOP will be Nov. 18.

BRYCE TOWLE | STAFF

Attendees observe art on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, at the Lex Arts HOP in Lexington, Kentucky.

BRYCE TOWLE | STAFF

BRYCE TOWLE | STAFF

BRYCE TOWLE | STAFF

Lex Art posters are displayed on the Lex Arts Gallery building.

Attendees observe portraits by various artists.

An art piece made of recycled materials is displayed.

oetry collection by Safia Elhillo addresses black girlhood and the beauty in bluntness

By Karrington opinions@kykernel.comGarland

It is always refreshing for me to read from a poet of col or who comes from a different cultural background than I do. Mostly because when I read work from poets who come from different parts of the black diaspora, I tend to learn new shades of blackness from them and how they learned to navigate the world alongside it.

I also love how women of color have always been at the forefront of poetry. Through their poetry, they continue to create literature that show black and brown women in a more humane and realistic light.

Sometimes, when I read from poets such as Audre Lorde, Gwendolyn Brooks or Joy Priest, I am overwhelmed by a sense of belonging and understanding of a collective Black American girlhood that is not rooted in anything other than the fact that I am a black woman in America. Not to say their poetry isn’t important but, it is comfortable and familiar to me and helps me better see my place in my own tiny eco

system.However, when reading Sa fia Elhillo’s book “Girls That Never Die,” I am swept into a world of blackness that is so

similar but so unlike my own. Elhillo is American born and proud of it, but her Sundanese heritage is rich throughout this book and painted perfectly in her own prose for her readers to see.Iam always intrigued by worlds and insights on life in poetry. How, through the lens of poetry, a poet’s reflection of self and the world they live in diverges and converges beau tifully with the lives of their readers. I think Elhillo does this well throughout her book. She teaches her audience the ails and beauties of Sudanese culture, all the while reassur ing them of their own pains and that there is freedom in un derstanding and healing from them.

There are so many different realities that girls and women of color face as we grow into our bodies and our identity in societies run by men and no tions that our bodies are not our own. This is a reality all wom en are faced with, but there is a specific and alarming dismissal women of color face, all over the world, when dealing with issues of violence against their bodies and the rights they have to protect them.

In Elhillo’s book, she ex plores this issue best in her poem “Taxonomy.” This fif

teen line, cleave poem depicts a haunting picture of the environ ment some girls are raised into. Raised to become brides and mothers at ages where they can barely take care of themselves.

“Water was my language first,” Elhillo writes. “watch ing women dye their hair in the bathroom at night/each turn of the moon tugs new blood/re membering [GIRL] married at sixteen/to join my other loss es/married is the only word i know.”Her words are powerful and blunt, which is why I love to read her Elhillopoetry.isnot afraid to paint an uncomfortable picture for her readers, almost demanding them to see the atrocities the women before her have gone through, the pain she has gone through, and the pain women of color everywhere go through when it comes to the shame, they feel of not having owner ship of their own bodies.

We see this in “Taxonomy” as she parallels the realities of some girls brought up in Su danese culture and a world where their childhoods are not stolen from them. These atrocities done to them are asandnormalizedignored,silenced,wecansee

in the last lines of “Taxonomy”: “I call out to whatever made me/a girl running outside/go ing copper in the sun/& the white moon resumes it’s quiet swim/imagining a girl/imagine nothing is done to her.”

Elhillo’s poetry is also packed full of allusions. Her poem “Orpheus” is the only poem in the collection that directly plays on a myth. Or pheus is a typical allusion that poets gravitate to, but Elhillo uses this myth to reflect on her womanhood and her relation ship with men and how they do not view her without the idea of how they can control her body. In their eyes, she is never separate from it.

Her other poems paint her experiences and the experienc es of women who have grown up in Muslim girlhood as lore or myths

themselves. She paints brown and black girls as divine and holy through myth and prose. I think literature like this is es sential to the canon of literature out there for women and girls of color.Itis essential for us to be represented the way we are, but it is also essential for us to be able to unapologetically ex press ourselves and our pains through prose and Safia Elhil lo’s collection “Girls That Nev er Die” is a perfect example of this.It

is perfect for someone who wants to read a blunt collection of poems explor ing black and brown girlhood, the shame that can come from growing into womanhood and the idea of a world where wom en of color are freed from these shames.

Seeing past the curtain: One autistic journalist’s perspective

By Emily opinions@kykernel.comGirard

The best advice I ever re ceived came from Veda Mor gan, a writer and director of engagement and diversity at the Louisville Courier-Jour nal. During a panel discus sion, I asked her how I could detach myself more from my reporting. I was able to main tain objectivity, but my iden tity and my brain kept getting in the way of what I was able to cover.“Don’t detach yourself,” she

Isaid.had a unique view of the world, and I needed to lever age that to see issues that oth ers

Asmiss.an autistic person, this really resonated with me.

I’ve always been aware of spaces and trends that oth ers tend to miss. I constantly bombard the Kernel’s Slack channels with images of ran dom signs around campus, asking, “Can we cover this? Can we cover this?” Some times, no one has seen the sign before me. Sometimes, we actually cover those events or patterns, and they end up be ing pretty good features.

One time, I stopped look ing at what was actually writ ten on these signs and start

ed wondering how the signs were printed and designed. I proceeded to write a 1,900word feature about UK’s de sign processes that gave the Kernel’s designer a heart at tack when he found out how long it was.

I knew I wanted to be a journalist before I even knew I was autistic. As a child, I would put on an incorrectly fastened tie and write articles about my favorite cartoons.

In high school, I started reading Pulitzer Prize-win ning articles for fun. It gave me a way to connect with the outside world. I felt comfort in staying behind a notepad or a camera and telling peo ple’s stories. It was one of those things that immediately clicked with me.

It was also one of the only things that immediate ly clicked with me. Nothing came naturally to me growing up, except for maybe walk ing, crying and other things that babies do. But speaking patterns, writing styles, so cial interactions and just dayto-day functioning were all sourced from others.

Many of these trends, es pecially societal ones, don’t come naturally to me and need explaining. (Typical au tistic trait.) But when I learn

a new concept or am told about a principle in society, you cannot get it out of my head with a blowtorch. I’ll figure out that the giant float ing wizard head at the end of the yellow brick road is just a projection created by a little man behind a curtain, and it’ll instantly make Understandingsense.is the key to my happiness. If some thing is explained to me, and it makes sense, I am happy. I will also carry that knowledge with me for the rest of my life, and it will help me understand the world and people, and life will be easier and we’ll all live happily ever after.

The problem comes when I turn around and realize ev eryone is still staring at the giant floating wizard head.

I have learned that some societal trends, especially problematic ones, fall into an infuriating category known as Things That Do Not Make Sense On Purpose. Racism, sexism, homophobia, those kinds of things. I cannot be gin to process them, no mat ter how many times they are explained or even recounted to me. Just let people be peo ple, people. I understand that unlearning internalized things is hard, especially if you were raised in a particularly hostile

environment, but some of the things I’ve seen people do to antagonize a particular group are pretty concerning. They are also impossible for me to come to terms with.

Sometimes when I hear about these things, I stay up until the wee hours of the night, thinking. Wondering what I was missing to make this make sense. Not the point, obviously. The point is that it doesn’t make sense. No amount of ruminating will

make it make sense. But it has to. It has to make sense.

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opinionkernel

Getting real about BeReal

By Grace opinions@kykernel.comMedley

For an app based on the candidness of its users, BeReal can be as fake as it gets.Viral app BeReal has taken the world by storm. According to busines sofapps.com, the app has 28 million downloads and 2.93 million daily us ers.If you haven’t heard of BeReal, here’s how it works: the app will send

out a notification to every user at the same time letting them know it’s time to take a picture. The user then has two minutes to take a picture with their front camera and then one with their back camera. If the user doesn’t take a picture in that timeframe, they have the option to post late.

The entire point of BeReal is to show your friends what you’re do ing at the exact moment the notifi cation gets sent out – so why do so many people take their pictures hours

after the two minute window has passed?Theanswer lies in our constant need to perform for an audience.

Even on an app where only our friends can see what we post, there’s still that inherent need to prove how interesting our lives are to others. So, one might “forget” to post until they’re doing something interesting. I, too, am guilty of We’vethis.created an imaginary pres sure for ourselves on a platform built

on uncontrived moments in our daily lives.If I know that I’ll be doing some thing interesting later like hanging out with someone or going to an event, I’ll most likely wait until I’m doing that activity to post my BeReal – even if it’s hours after the posting timeframe. I want to project a certain image of myself – one that doesn’t involve me doing school work or laying in my bed.

When I think about it, this seems ridiculous. Everyone I have added on BeReal is a friend – why do I feel the need to prove anything?

I think this need to fabricate candid ness comes from years of social media use. Being completely honest can be terrifying when we only ever post the best of ourselves, even with our friends.

So, has BeReal officially joined rank with social media giants like In stagram and Snapchat and become just another way to show an idealized ver sion of ourselves? Not quite.

There’s a lot we can still learn from BeReal. While, yes, I have definitely waited many times to post until I’m doing something interesting, there are just as many posts of me eating pizza bagels in bed or watching a show.

The more I’ve used BeReal, the more candid my posts have been. If I’m walking to class, I’ll post from there. It isn’t as contrived anymore. It’s a way for me to share the most mundane parts of myself with my friends.BeReal is showing us that we can be casual on social media again. It’s a slow process, and definitely isn’t the cure to social media performativity, but it’s a start.

With the team on his shoulders, Will Levis must be cautious on the run

By Luke opinions@kykernel.comFetzer

Call him what you want: a scram bler, dual-threat or just a jack-of-alltrades, there is no denying that Will Levis is not afraid to put his head down and run the ball.

In the 2021 season alone, Levis ran the ball 107 times compared to his time at Penn State where he attempted 133 rushing attempts during his two years with the Nittany Lions, ironical ly finishing his career in Pennsylvania having attempted more rushes than passes, as Sean Clifford held the pass ing quarterback duties.

Still, there was no denying Levis’ potential as both a rusher and a passer.

Transferring to Kentucky as a ju nior, Levis immediately took over the starting role and has become the focal point in the now revitalized offense under Mark Stoops and offensive co ordinator Rich Scangarello.

Being the main catalyst of the young but promising Wildcats of fense, Levis knows that he must take leadership, but his coaches have said he should become more conservative on the Whenrun.Levis decides to run the ball, he will not stop until someone brings himStandingdown. at 6’3 and weighing 231 pounds, his rushes may be successful against smaller teams (both in size and prestige), but when it comes to re vered opponents, Levis cannot be as reckless against the domineering de fenses in the SEC.

Look at UK’s trip to Florida in week two.

Fans’ hearts catapulted into their mouths when Florida’s defensive end Justus Boone came flying unmarked into the chin of Levis, knocking his helmet off as gasps filled the air.

While the hit was on a sack and not a rush, it is not uncommon to see similar hits on quarterbacks when they rush, especially ones that don’t rush out of bounds or give themselves up at first danger.

Miraculously, Levis got up and shook it off like any other hit.

But what if he didn’t?

On the depth chart, sophomore Deuce Hogan is next in line should the worst occur to Levis.

Since transferring from Iowa, Ho gan has played one career snap for the

Cats, being the play in which Levis was forced to head to the sidelines af ter his helmet came off and targeting was not called.

While he handed off the ball to Smoke, Hogan was probably praying that Levis could return soon, which, to answer Wildcat prayers everywhere, he did.Most recently against Youngstown State, the Cats were able to establish the run game earlier on, using the partnership of Kavosiey Smoke and La’Vell Wright to kill the clock and gainLevisyards.had one notable 24-yard run, but again, instead of sliding, Levis al lowed himself to take the hard hit. His dual-threat capability makes

him both an unpredictable foe, and an offensive liability.

Levis might feel the need to tuck and run, mainly due to the lack of depth in the running back position with injuries and senior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. still serving his suspension, and, while Smoke is a tal ented prospect, he fills the two back role alongside Rodriguez Jr. better than by himself.

It’s possible we may see Levis ease up on his scrambling decisions when Rodriguez returns against Ole Miss, but that is still weeks away.

Not just a powerful runner, Levis is a smart runner until it comes time to give up and he takes the hit instead.

Perhaps he feels like his size might be able to keep him safe, being a strong and confident quarterback, with proof of his ability coming against Louis ville in the final game of the 2021 reg ularLevisseason.ran for four touchdowns and compounded that with a gravity-defy ing hurdle, carrying the ball 14 times in that game, only two less than the starting running back Rodriguez Jr.

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JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) dodges a tackle from Florida Gators line backer Brenton Cox Jr. (1) during the No. 20 Kentucky vs. No. 12 Florida football game on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.

By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke

Coming off a 31-0 win over Youngstown State, the first shutout under current head coach Mark Stoops, Kentucky turns its sights to wards its final non-Louisville non-conference matchup of the season: Northern Illinois.

The Huskies are fresh off a 9-5 season that saw them hoist the Mid-American Con ference title and come up just short 47-41 in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl.

sportskernel

Wildcats look to kennel the Huskies in week four

That said, 2022 has been a very different year for the Huskies, who currently boast a 1-2 record, with the only win coming against an FCS opponent in Eastern Illinois.

The win was far from pret ty as well, with Northern Illi nois coming out on top 34-27, a one-score game.

Since that week one es cape, NIU has fallen short 3835 at Tulsa and most recently 38-28 to Vanderbilt at home.

One possible explanation for the significant drop in pro duction is the loss of star wide

receiver Trayvon Rudolph in the preseason to a non-contact knee injury that has had him sidelined.Tomake matters worse, starting quarterback Rocky Lombardi sustained a non-contact sliding inju ry against Vanderbilt, leav ing him questionable for the match against Kentucky.

The potential of Lombar di being out or at least limit ed leaves much of the work load expected to fall to NIU’s sophomore running back trio.

Harrison Waylee, Antario

Brown and Mason Blakemore will likely shoulder much of the load for the Huskies, with the team having rushed for 464 yards and 20 first downs on 102 attempts thus far this season.IfLombardi is able to re turn with minimal limitations, the Huskies’ pass attack has been even more lethal than the rushing game, having se cured 654 yards, an average of 8.3 yards per pass.

Lombardi boasts much of the credit with 530 yards and five touchdowns, an average of 176 yards per game.

While not on the same level, backup quarterback Ethan Hampton is not inca pable of slinging the ball, amassing 124 yards after Lombardi left the Vanderbilt match with injury, connect ing on 63% of his passes for twoBytouchdowns.farthefavorite target of either QB has been Cole Tucker, who boasts 278 re ceiving yards for three touch downs.While not having as many yards with just 62, Kacper Rutkiewicz also boasts three touchdown receptions, likely indicating him to be a lethal red zone threat.

While the offense, barring injuries, may be stout, one thing NIU does not have go ing for it is a sturdy defense.

Never having been a dom inant defensive team, the

Huskies have allowed 1,298 yards of total offense, more than they themselves have amassed. They’ve also been out-scored by opponents 11090.Now going against a Ken tucky team that has high ex pectations placed upon its offense, even without starting running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., thanks to the strong, but not always consistent, arm of Will Levis and the strong receiving unit that includes Tayvion Robinson, Dane Key and Barrion Brown.

Looking on paper, the only figure the Huskies have go ing for them is the trap game potential UK may be falling

into.NIU comes just one week before the Cats travel to Ox ford, Mississippi to battle No. 16 Ole Miss in one of the toughest tests for the entire year.Whether or not Kentucky is able to keep focus and put Ole Miss on the back burn er to take care of business against Northern Illinois may serve as an important sign of the maturity of the team.

Whether or not this comes to fruition is to be seen, with Kentucky and Northern Illi nois scheduled to tip off, with UK as a 26.5 point favorite, at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 24, inside Kroger Field with the game airing live on ESPN2.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver DeMarcus Harris (4) is tackled during the No. 9 Kentucky vs. Youngstown

State football game on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

Across the (By)Line:

Northern Illinois Huskies

By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke

The “Across the (By)Line” series will give Kentucky football fans an in-depth look at their opponent for this week — from the mind of the opposing school’s sports editor.

This week: The Northern Star, Skyler Kisellus, North ern Illinois

Coming off a season where NIU won the MAC, what has gone so wrong so far this season and which offseason loss do you think has been felt the most?

Coming off a MAC title, the expectations were high going into the season. The first signs of trouble came in the season-opener at home against an FCS team in East ern Illinois. After building a dominating lead as most were probably expecting, they let Eastern Illinois make a comeback attempt. The Panthers’ running game was a chore for the defense while their QB was deliver ing some impressive passes. They very well would’ve taken the game to overtime had the clock not ran out on them first.

Since that game, some of our play calls have cer tainly been head-scratchers.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

We’ve been having an itch to hand it off on first downs which teams, as expected, are wisening up on. Still hasn’t stopped us. We also had a couple fourth down calls the other day that should’ve been punts, especially with a back up QB in the game and an SEC defense on the other side. If I recall correctly, Hammock himself took responsibility for that Vandy loss. I’d have to pin the “gone wrongs” of the season on multiple things: Part on playcalling, part on injuries, and part on the sim ple fact of facing more talent ed opponents.NIUwasfortunate enough

to not sustain many major losses over the offseason. I feel they’ve been able to re place the production that Jay Ducker and Clint Ratkov ich had here before they left. Kyle Pugh’s return from his season-ending injury last sea son helps fill in the void left by Lance Deveaux Jr. I’d say the biggest loss the team has felt so far was not a departure, but rather an injury. NIU lost its top wide receiver, Trayvon Rudolph, right before the sea son started after he sustained a non-contact knee injury in practice. Rudolph opened up another dimension of the of fense with his blazing speed.

Although NIU’s done well enough in their receiving corps with sixth-year Cole Tucker and two of our new est arrivals, Shemar Thornton and Kacper Rutkiewicz, it’s hard to overlook what could have been had we had Ru dolph’s speed in certain situ ations.

Having said that, what is it about this NIU team that you think Kentucky will have the most issue with on Saturday?

The answer to this has changed quite significantly after our loss to Vanderbilt. Previously, I would have said

that [Rocky] Lombardi and the passing game were going to give the Wildcats prob lems on Saturday. However, Lombardi sustained an injury in our last game that has a lot of uncertainty around it.

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Youngstown State Penguins running back Jaleel McLaughlin (8) is tackled by a group of Kentucky players during the No. 9 Kentucky vs. Youngstown State football game on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

No. 9 Kentucky shuts out Youngstown State 31-0 to remain undefeated

By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke

Kentucky football released its 2023 football season on Tuesday, de tailing the home and away matchups the Wildcats will take on next season.

The Cats start the year like any year, at home in Kroger Field, taking on a Mid-American Conference oppo nent in Ball State on Sept. 2.

Kentucky then hosts FCS in-state rival Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 9 be fore hosting Akron in the first part of a three-game scheduling contract on Sept.

Finally16.

hitting the road in week four for its first conference game, Kentucky again lucks out, getting Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, as its first conference opponent on Sept.

23.While

Kentucky doesn’t look to be tested much in the first four weeks, it may be to the benefit of the program assuming starting quarterback Will Levis doesn’t return as a graduate stu dent which, based on his current pro jections in the NFL Draft, is unlikely.

Possibly bringing in a new transfer quarterback if backups Deuce Hogan and Kaiya Sheron don’t earn the job, Kentucky will have a lot to figure out entering the new year.

Levis would be far from the only loss as well, with both starting and second string running backs Chris Ro driguez Jr. and Kavosiey Smoke cur rently being seniors, along with trans

fer wide receiver Tayvion Robinson.

That, in and of itself, is only look ing at graduating classes and not even touching on which athletes may or may not have opportunities to play in the WithNFL.all

that being said, four rela tively easy games may be a must for Mark Stoops in his 10th year at the helm of UK.

The Wildcats have only faced Ball State and Akron once in the history of all programs, with UK winning 28-20 over the Cardinals in 2001, and 47-10 over the Zips in 2010.

As for Eastern Kentucky, the Wild cats have hosted the Colonels twice since 2013, the first year under Stoops, winning both times by a combined score of 61-43, with both games being decided by less than two touchdowns.

Looking at Vanderbilt, the Wild cats currently boast a six game win streak over the Commodores, most recently winning 34-17 in Nashville in 2021, with the 2022 edition of the matchup yet to take place.

Vanderbilt, like several others on the schedule, are mainstays on UK’s schedule, alternating home and away everyFollowingseason.

Vanderbilt, Kentucky has its first test in week five, hosting the Florida Gators on Sept. 30.

While Florida will likely be in its second year under head coach Billy Napier, and Kentucky got the better of the former Ragin’ Cajuns coach 26-16 in Gainesville, Florida, this sea

son, the Gators always stand as a big matchup on every schedule, also alter nating home and away every year.

While UK’s 2022 victory was sig nificant in marking the first time since 1977 that the Cats had recorded backto-back victories over the Gators, Kentucky hasn’t had a longer win streak over Florida since 1951.

Further on that point, in the histo ry of both programs, both of whom have faced off 73 times, Kentucky has only had a win streak of three or more twice.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Dane Key (6) celebrates with tight end Josh Kattus (84) during the No. 9 Kentucky vs. Youngstown State football game on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Robert Screen’s free-kick seals victory as the Cats move to seven straight wins

By Luke sports@kykernel.comFetzer

No. 6 Kentucky mens soccer (50-2) fought through a second half comeback attempt by No. 21 Lip scomb (5-1-1) to defeat the Bisons 3-2 on Tuesday.

The Cats took an early advantage after forward Eythor Bjorgolfsson fired home a cross from senior Nick Gutmann in the 10’.

After the early goal, UK began to struggle defensively as sloppy mis takes coming from the defense saw Lipscomb knock on the door, but the Bisons still failed to find an equaliz er in the half.

The Wildcats came out firing from the second half whistle, find ing the net once again not even two minutes in as Bjorgolfsson scored his second from a well-placed cor ner

Headkick. coach Johan Cedergren was incredibly pleased with the Norwe gian’s

“Theperformance.twotimesthat he came free today, he scored two great goals,” Cedergren said. “He does so many things for us on set pieces. He comes back and he presses so very happy with

Theit.”Bisons were not willing to let the Cats go home easily though and the 58’ saw forward Tyrese Spicer volley home a shot from the top of the box to give the Lipscomb a chance.

Lipscomb went on to complete ly flip the script when Ploutarchos Alonefti netted the equalizer just three minutes after Spicer got the first.

While Cedergren knew his players had lost focus, he was determined to ensure that Lipscomb would not be having the last laugh.

“Our heads went down a little bit, and if you’re the number six team in the country and it’s 2-2 at home, well, that’s the time to grind.” Cedergren said. “We took a couple minutes, but

then we Shortlyresponded.”afterinthe 69’ the Cats re sponded just as Cedergren said they would off a free-kick just 22 yards fromFifth-yeargoal.

captain Robert Screen was the kick taker and knew he had the ability to take it on and change the game back into the favor of UK.

“Walking up to it, I knew that we needed something.” Screen said. “I’ve been practicing them a decent amount, and I saw the goalkeeper creeping and I knew it was a good opportunity.”

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Call 859-954-8725.

Kentucky football unveils 2023 schedule

By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke

Kentucky football released its 2023 football season on Tuesday, de tailing the home and away matchups the Wildcats will take on next season.

The Cats start the year like any year, at home in Kroger Field, taking on a Mid-American Conference op ponent in Ball State on Sept. 2.

Kentucky then hosts FCS in-state rival Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 9 be fore hosting Akron in the first part of a three-game scheduling contract on Sept.

Finally16.

hitting the road in week four for its first conference game, Kentucky again lucks out, getting Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee as its first conference opponent on Sept.

23.While Kentucky doesn’t look to be tested much in the first four weeks, it may be to the benefit of the pro gram assuming starting quarterback Will Levis doesn’t return as a grad uate student which, based on his cur rent projections in the NFL Draft, is unlikely.Possibly bringing in a new trans fer quarterback if backups Deuce Hogan and Kaiya Sheron don’t earn the job, Kentucky will have a lot to figure out entering the new year.

Levis would be far from the only loss as well with both starting and second string running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Kavosiey Smoke currently being seniors along with transfer wide receiver Tayvion Rob inson.That, in and of itself, is only look ing at graduating classes and not even

touching on which athletes may or may not have opportunities to play in the WithNFL.all that being said, four rela tively easy games may be a must for Mark Stoops in his 10th year at the helm of UK.

The Wildcats have only faced Ball State and Akron once in the history of all programs, with UK winning 28-20 over the Cardinals in 2001, and 47-10 over the Zips in 2010.

As for Eastern Kentucky, the Wild cats have hosted the Colonels twice since 2013, the first year under Stoops, winning both times by a combined score of 61-43, with both games being decided by less than two touchdowns.

Looking at Vanderbilt, the Wild cats currently boast a six game win

streak over the Commodores, most recently winning 34-17 in Nashville in 2021, with the 2022 edition of the matchup yet to take place.

Vanderbilt, like several others on the schedule, are mainstays on UK’s schedule, alternating home and away everyFollowingseason. Vanderbilt, Kentucky has its first test in week five, hosting the Florida Gators on Sept. 30.

While Florida will likely be in its second year under head coach Billy Napier and Kentucky got the better of the former Ragin’ Cajuns coach 26-16 in Gainesville, Florida this season, the Gators always stand as a big match up on every schedule, also alternating home and away every year.

While UK’s 2022 victory was sig

nificant in marking the first time since 1977 that the Cats had recorded backto-back victories over the Gators, Kentucky hasn’t had a longer win streak over Florida since 1951.

Further on that point, in the histo ry of both programs, both of whom have faced off 73 times, Kentucky has only had a win streak of three or more

twice.On Oct. 7 Kentucky’s schedule only gets harder, traveling to Athens to duel the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs currently boast a 12-game win streak over Kentucky, though they have yet to face off in 2022, with the Cats winless in Ath ens since 2009, only having won on the road over Georgia four times in 73 matches.Returning home on Oct. 14 Ken tucky hosts the Missouri Tigers, of whom the Cats hold the overall series 8-4 with only one home loss to “Miz zou.”Having a bye week on Oct. 21, the Cats return to action on Oct. 28 when they host Tennessee, who they hav en’t beaten at home since 2017, with the matchups always sure to pack the home stadium with vitriol.

JACK WEAVER | STAFF

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops and associate head coach Vince Marrow watch their team during the No. 9 Kentucky vs. Youngstown State football game on Sat urday, Sept. 17, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

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