Kentucky Kernel: November 3, 2022

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

news ‘It’s not okay.’ United Campus Workers campaign for student wage increase across UK

By Alexis Baker news@kykernel.com

United Campus Workers (UCW) gathered on Oct. 27 to launch their campaign to increase UK student minimum wage to $15 an hour.

According to their website, United Campus Workers of Kentucky is the “wall-to-wall campus and public healthcare employees union for the Commonwealth of Kentucky representing faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate workers.”

UCW’s mission for the campaign was to bring attention to student wages and shine a light on the mistreatment of student workers and the neglect from UK. “We’re trying to get more union mem-

bership, and we’re launching our petition that we want to spread all around campus and get as many people as possible to sign, so we can present it to the President and hopefully get it passed,” April Eling, a junior natural resource and environmental science major, said.

In 2020, UCW campaigned for and won $15 an hour for all employees, but student workers were not included in that raise.

“We do a lot of the vital work on campus, and we feel like the university needs to put its money where its mouth is,” Erin Maines, a sophomore forestry major with UCW, said.

“It says that it values its students, but … the minimum we found, (was) $8 an hour.”

UCW held the campaign outside UK’s Main Building and encouraged attendees to

sign a petition for the minimum wage increase upon arrival.

Representatives for UCW took turns sharing “horror stories” about their experiences with UK employment.

Workers highlighted personal instances of racism, lack of staff, lack of training, unclear standards and compensation that did not match the job requirements.

Maines worked at one of UK’s Agricultural Research Farms over the summer where she dealt with a variety of problems.

She said that she was often working long days because there was minimal staff and doing tiring work in the sun with no lunch break for $12 dollars an hour.

“Something in me just snapped,” Maines said. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Hunter Hulett, a first-year graduate student in the linguistics department and representative for UCW, carries a frustrating workload with little compensation in his teaching assistant position.

“There is a lot of work I have to do every week … I would like it to be more standardized … I would like to be paid a lot more,” he said. “It would be great if there were more TAs working at this job specifically, linguistics … it’s a big workload per person.”

The UCW campaign emphasized to the attendees that students deserve a better quality work experience and more pay for the services they provide.

“I work two jobs to be able to afford to live, and I make more than a lot of people,” Eling said. “It’s not okay.”

UK student among dead after stampede in South Korea

By Kendall Staton news@kykernel.com

A UK student is among over 150 dead after a crowd surged in Seoul, South Korea, late Saturday night, university president Eli Capilouto said via campus-wide email Sunday afternoon.

Junior nursing major Anne Gieske died alongside at least 153 people and 133 injured after a Halloween celebration turned into a deadly stampede late Saturday night, according to CBS News. The National Fire Agency said most victims are in their 20s.

According to the email, Gieske traveled

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to South Korea with a group of other students in an education abroad program. The email said the three other UK affiliates present on the trip have been contacted by the university and are safe.

A crowd of over 100,000 people on the way to clubs, bars and restaurants in South Korea’s Itaewon neighborhood crowded into a narrow alley, excited to participate in some of South Korea’s first large Halloween celebrations since the COVID pandemic.

As the death toll continues to rise, South Korean officials are working to provide an official count of those injured and killed.

The email detailed various mental health

resource programs available on campus for those affected by the events. Capilouto encouraged students to support one another in trying times.

“There aren’t adequate or appropriate words to describe the pain of a beautiful life cut short. It isn’t fair, nor is it comprehensible,” Capilouto said in the email. “It is loss and it hurts in ways that are impossible to articulate.”

Gieske posted about her 20th birthday celebration on Instagram two days ago, celebrating by South Korea’s Han River.

According to NPR, the Yongsan district, where Itaewon is located, has been

Anne Marie Gieske. Photo provided by Samantha Gieske.

declared a special disaster location.

This classification denotes the South Korean government will pay for the cost of funerals, medical treatment and family consolation.

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Humans of UK: Ruth González Jiménez celebrates community and history on Día de los Muertos

By Emily Girard features@kykernel.com

This is Humans of UK, inspired by the Humans of New York Instagram series by photographer and autho Brandon Stanton. This series dives into the individuals of UK as well as their stories, strifes and passions.

Though Ruth González Jiménez was born in Jalisco, Mexico, she said she never traditionally celebrated Día de los Muertos, a holiday largely developed in Mexico.

“I celebrated more-so in the Catholic tradition, in the sense of All Saints Day,” she said. “(There were) other components that are very much Mexican, but we never had the ability to buy all the things we needed for an altar. So growing up in the United States, I never got to have that.”

Now, though, she coordinates UK’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration. On Nov. 1 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., UK’s Martin Luther King Center held its sixth annual Día de los Muertos event at the Gatton Student Center.

The event featured crafts, face painting, music, Latin American dances and a shared meal.

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Latino Student Community Specialist Ruth González Jiménez poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, at the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

“The biggest love language is eating together,” González Jiménez said.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is traditionally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2.

However, González Jiménez said that construction of the ofrenda, an altar honoring dead loved ones, can begin as early as Oct. 27. The altars are usually taken down on Nov. 3, but in a first-time

move, UK’s ofrenda will remain in the student center for two weeks.

González Jiménez said that the event honors the unity of cultures at UK and in the wider Latino and Hispanic communities.

“Celebrations like this really highlight our indigenous roots, our African roots and of course, our colonial European roots,” González

Jiménez said. “Particularly in the United States of America, where it’s a place that was created essentially for us, by us, by immigrants, by natives here, we come to share together.”

González Jiménez graduated from UK in 2017 with a degree in history. Currently, she works as the Latino Student Community Specialist at the MLK Center. She is also an alumnus of the Omicron Zeta chapter of the multicultural sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma, which collaborated with the MLK Center on the Día de los Muertos event.

González Jiménez said she hopes UK’s ofrenda will connect all students on campus to Día de los Muertos and allow them to honor lost loved ones, no matter what their cultural background.

“I have a grandfather who just passed, and you know, (I’m) dealing with that,” she said. “We’ve honored UK students who have passed away, or bigger, internationally known cases also, like Breonna Taylor and folks who have died to police brutality … I’ll honor the people who have come before us … or folks we never knew of but history tells us once existed.”

CONTACT

Rayleigh Deaton, editor-in-chief editor@kykernel.com Jack Weaver, managing editor Kaci McCarthy, audience engagement editor kmccarthy@kykernel.com Hannah Stanley, news editor news@kykernel.com Kendall Staton, asst. news editor Emily Girard, features editor features@kykernel.com Cole Parke, sports editor sports@kykernel.com Samantha Money & Ali Cetinok, asst. sports editors Brooklyn Walters, opinions editor opinions@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 LeeAnna Barriger, multimedia manager KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICES 340 McVey Hall University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the front cover:

PHOTO BY JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Adou Thiero (3) dunks the ball during Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

sports How Kentucky’s loss to Saint Peter’s is preparing the team for upcoming season

By Tyler Russell sports@kykernel.com

The pain and embarrassment Kentucky basketball fans and players alike felt after being eliminated by No. 5 Saint Peter’s in last season’s NCAA Tournament is far from forgotten. With a new season on the horizon, the loss continues to motivate the returning Wildcats more than ever.

Following a season with much anticipation, including a 20-plus victory over eventual national champions Kansas, the Wildcats were stunned as the Peacocks became just the tenth No. 15 seed to defeat a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, taking down the Cats 85-79 in overtime.

Prior to the defeat, media outlets across the country raved about how the 2021-22 Wildcats had real potential to bring the ninth national title to Lexington, but instead of a late run with excitement and joy, an early exit was all Kentucky had to look forward to.

“I was worried about my guys going into a dark place, and some of them did,” head coach John Calipari said when remembering the loss. “The kids got crushed. I had to send guys home to be with (their) families.”

Following the initial shockwaves, Calipari was tasked with trying to find a way to build from the loss and not let it linger as a complete failure.

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MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF FILE PHOTO Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe, left, and head coach John Calipari hold their heads in their hands during a press conference after the Kentucky vs. Saint Peter’s mens basketball game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis.

“We have a great group of guys who are great teammates that pick each other up and challenge each other, that gives you a chance,” Calipari said. “For me it was more about how do I get these guys right? You use it as fuel.”

SEC Preseason player of the year and reigning consensus national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe agreed with the sentiment.

“We let (the loss) go, but we learned from it,” Tshiebwe said.

“Even if we play Division-II, for me it is a big game because of what happened to us with Saint Peter’s.”

Tshiebwe described the loss as “motivation” as he and the Cats look to once again attempt to bring home the ninth national championship in program history.

Not all players react to the

loss the same though. While players like Tshiebwe used the early exit as fuel, some players like senior Jacob Toppin just want to move on.

“I am just worrying about the present and future,” Toppin said.

While Toppin isn’t dwelling on the past, he said that he does have a chip on his shoulder for the upcoming season.

“Every single coach tells you

what you want to hear,” Toppin said. “Coach Cal really told us what we didn’t want to hear. ‘You are not given anything and you have to work for everything.’”

With Kentucky ready to work for what it wants, the revenge tour begins on Nov. 7 as the Cats host the Howard Bison inside Rupp Arena with all focus on redeeming the wrongs that fans witnessed less than one year ago.

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

sports

Kentucky looks to be the superior Cats against the Tigers in Mizzou

By Samantha Money sports@kykernel.com

Kentucky football is desperate for a bounce-back win against Missouri after a tough 44-6 loss to No. 3 Tennessee this past weekend.

The Cats unraveled at the hands of the Vols, who dominated the field and stifled any attempt from the Cats to gain momentum.

Tennessee almost doubled the total number of interceptions this season for a frazzled Will Levis, who left the field with four sacks and three interceptions.

While Kentucky looked for open chances with Chris Rodriguez Jr. and had some defensive successes, the Cats’ performance against the Vols is arguably their worst of the season.

Kentucky has already experienced two losses this season against Ole Miss and South Carolina, but the one to Tennessee shows just how badly the Cats need to find their footing again if they want a chance to beat Missouri.

Just a few short weeks ago a matchup between Missouri and Kentucky would have had the Cats predicted to win confidently, but now ESPN analytics leans just 50.8% in Kentucky’s favor, the equivalent of a toss-up.

Missouri will be playing the

Cats with confidence after upsetting No. 25 South Carolina last weekend, the same team that also upset Kentucky last month.

Furthermore, the Tigers, despite their 4-4 overall record this season, have come close to getting the better of several notable teams.

Missouri led No.1 Georgia 15-6 at the half just a few weeks ago, having the college football world thinking the biggest upset of the season was about to happen.

While the Bulldogs ultimately recovered and came back to win the game 26-22, Missouri still gave Georgia a real threat and solidified itself as a sleeping giant killer.

There’s no doubt Missouri knows how to feed into that confidence with the following game after Georgia seeing the Tigers come up just short again against the Florida Gators 2417, but once again threatening to upset a favored opponent.

It’s fair to say that Missouri has not been one of the best ranked SEC teams this season, but its performance and near upsets prove it should not be underestimated.

Knowing that Missouri’s defense can hold strong, the Cats must step up their offensive game if they hope to escape Columbia with a win. Looking at the numbers, Levis has acquired

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (24) runs towards the end zone during the Kentucky vs.

Missouri football game on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

1,733 passing yards this season compared to the 1,652 from Missouri’s Brady Cook.

Despite the close numbers, Cook has only thrown half the touchdowns Levis has, but has less interceptions as well, a testament to the Tigers’ run-heavy offense.

Kentucky running back Rodriguez Jr., who was held to only 64 rushing yards against Tennessee, just slightly leads Missouri’s Cody Schrader with 459 rushing

yards compared to Schrader’s 444 yards this season.

Despite that, Missouri does average nearly 40 more rushing yards per game than the Cats.

When it comes to how many points the offensive teams are putting up, Kentucky and Missouri are neck-and-neck with the Cats averaging 23.9 points and the Tigers right behind with 23.8 points per game.

The defenses of both teams are strong, but Kentucky at its

peak defensively is more than capable of defeating this team.

With the game being the last on the road for the Cats, a win is crucial for Kentucky’s regular season to not be seen as a total loss amongst the waves of disappointment fans already feel.

Kentucky and Missouri are set to kick off on Saturday, Nov. 5, at noon EST inside Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, with the game airing live on the SEC Network.

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sports

Kernel Sports predicts 2022 college basketball seasons

By Sports Editors sports@kykernel.com

With a new season on the horizon and Kentucky’s two basketball programs in very different positions, speculation is running rampant as to how either team will do.

Here at the Kernel that is no different.

On the sports desk, all three editors are passionate sports fans and rife with opinions of their own when it comes to Kentucky’s programs.

With the womens team looking to reinvent itself after a roller coaster of a season and the mens team hoping to bounce back after a crushing tournament defeat, nobody is certain how the 2022-2023 season will go, but everyone has thoughts.

Here’s ours: WOMENS TEAM How good will the womens basketball team be in the 2022-2023 season?

Cole Parke, sports editor: “Don’t expect the Wildcats to win another SEC title. I simply don’t see it happening this year. The Wildcats have plenty of talent on the roster, but only five of them have played together prior to the opener and that is always difficult for teams to overcome.

Do I think Kentucky will make the NCAA Tournament? Yes. Do I think it’ll be anything higher than a No. 6 seed? No. Expect this to be a rebuilding year for womens basketball and

one where the team looks to come to terms with its identity and what it really wants to be.”

Samantha Money, assistant sports editor: “The absence of a leader like Rhyne Howard will no doubt be missed on the team this year, but I think the potential of having a successful season is definitely there. The return of Blair Greene from injury will be a huge asset both on and off the court, helping with making baskets and being a leader to the ten new players. I see this team blending well, but it will take time to reach a level that is capable of another SEC tournament.”

Ali Cetinok, assistant sports editor: “Last season’s SEC Tournament win was something that will not happen again this season for the Cats.

With only five returning players from last year’s squad, I expect a lot of growing pains for this team. Exciting new faces will bring a sense of change in the building, but not much will change from a result standpoint.

This team will be largely the same as last year’s squad: a middle-ofthe-pack SEC team that isn’t spectacular or horrible. I see this team being seventh in the SEC regular season standings.”

What is the key to the success of the womens basketball team?

Parke: “Chemistry. When you have a roster of 15 players with only five returners, chemistry is the biggest concern. Many of these transfer players like Maddie Scherr are used

MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF FILE PHOTO Kentucky Wildcats forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) hypes up the crowd during the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt SEC Tournament quarterfinals mens basketball game on Friday, March 11, 2022, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.

to very different systems and playing with other athletes with different playstyles. It is going to take some time for this team to mesh. Theoretically if the players mesh quickly this could be a good basketball team, but that is a big if.”

Money: “There is talent and experience from the new players coming in, but it’s going to be how they blend that talent with the returners on the court. I think Green is more than capable of successfully being that leader on the team, but even she has been out for a year and is going to have to find her footing.”

Cetinok: “Experience from Kentucky’s transfer players such as

Scherr, SEC transfers Eniya Russell and Ajae Petty and Adebola Adeyeye from Buffalo will add much needed experience to this squad. Freshman Cassidy Rowe will also be someone to watch for Kentucky this season.”

MENS TEAM How will the mens basketball team be in the 2022-2023 season?

Parke: “It’s hard to imagine anything less than a national championship being disappointing for this team. With how much talent the team returns, including the consensus national player of the year, and how much talent it has brought in,

the sky's the limit for Kentucky. The goal is clear and the players seem to understand it: bring a ninth national title to Lexington.”

Money: “I have high hopes for this season because of the wide variety of talent that each player brings to the court. This team is hungry for a trophy this year and, as seen with the majority of Kentucky teams, it is very capable of achieving that goal.

It just comes down to handling that pressure, but the returners this year are not going to let that be their demise again.”

Cetinok: ‘What is a good season for Kentucky? Does an Elite Eight appearance count as a great season See page 7

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

opinions or bad one? Realistically, this team should win, not just the SEC, but a national championship as well.

The talent coming into Lexington is not anything new and will not stop anytime soon, but with the Saint Peter’s loss last season still fresh in the minds of many Big Blue Nation, fans want to see a good college basketball team, not an NBA Factory with weak mentalities when it comes to actually winning.”

What is the key to the success of the mens basketball team?

Parke: “Offense. I think the only thing that may hold this mens team back is the offense, which is weird to say based on how much talent it has.

That said, watching the team’s exhibitions it’s clear that there will be dry spells for this team. Ideally the more the team plays together then the more the players would get comfortable and the offensive production would pick up but until that happens there may be some bumpy games to start the season.”

Money: “It’s rare that such a blend of veterans and freshmen come together for Kentucky basketball, but it only serves to benefit the Cats. Calipari mentioned how much faster things go at practice and how he doesn’t have to teach new drills to the new players. This leaves lots of room to really get into the game and I think that this year’s team has the balance needed to make it far.”

Cetinok: “Scoring is something that will need to improve in order to get back where Kentucky wants itself to be at. Experience from some of the older guys paired with new talent should be exciting to watch at Rupp Arena and it will be interesting to see if the two different aspects of the team will mesh together or if there will be growing pains for the team.”

Rich Scangarello is the reason for Kentucky’s offensive struggles

By Drew Johnson opinions@kykernel.com

As it currently stands, Kentucky football has ruined a season that could have potentially been a turning point in the program.

It was still a salvageable season after a gritty loss against Ole Miss as a frustrating last three minutes could be chalked up to just plain misfortune. It was even still salvageable after an ugly loss against South Carolina, although that loss now meant Kentucky would have to beat either Tennessee or Georgia to make up for it, but now, to not only lose to arch-rival Tennessee, but to be absolutely drummed by the Volunteers, the season is unsavable.

What many fans were hoping would be a 10-2 team is now looking to be 8-4 at best, as the rest of Kentucky’s schedule can only hurt the team with a loss, with the exception of the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Wildcats have been putrid offensively, showing out only against FCS competition and falling apart against SEC opponents.

The unit as a whole had 205 total yards for one touchdown and went 2-13 on third downs against Tennessee, while NFL prospect Will Levis finished the game against the Volunteers with three interceptions and only 98 passing yards for zero touchdowns.

There’s no debate about

whether the offense is talented or not, Levis is a likely firstround pick in the NFL draft this offseason, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is undoubtedly one of the best running backs in the history of the program numbers-wise and Kentucky added a multitude of weapons in the receiver room.

While the offensive line has been struggling, there’s been improvement over the course of the season, and the unit simply isn’t bad enough to single-handedly tank the season.

When you have that much talent on your roster, the blame then has to be directed at the coaching staff, and in this instance, the blame goes to offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello.

Head coach Mark Stoops could even potentially be feeling the same way, as he seemed to take a shot at “Scang” in his press conference on Monday.

“You certainly better look at it, you better address it, and you better get it fixed or you’re not going to last,” Stoops said when describing aspects of the team that haven’t been meeting standards.

Kentucky’s offensive play calling has been absolutely terrible this season. It’s become so bad that many fans watching from home or in the crowd can almost guess what is going to happen from play to play: run the ball on first down, run the ball on

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello walks off the field after the No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 14 Ole Miss football game on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

second down and then throw either a deep ball or a screen pass on third down.

It’s an incredibly predictable gameplan, and Tennessee finally exposed it, holding the Cats to a measly six points throughout the entirety of the game.

This isn’t the first time Scangarello has struggled as an offensive coordinator, either. He was fired from the Denver Broncos less than a year after his hiring as offensive coordinator when the Broncos ranked in the bottom of the NFL in nearly every offensive category.

His only experience in an offensive coordinator position at the collegiate level is at FCS Wagner in 2016, before he left

for the 49ers the next season.

In a college football landscape, where offense is far-andaway the most important thing to a team’s success, Kentucky is looking at an offensive coordinator who has struggled with previous coordinator positions and struggled to maintain a consistent job in the industry having taken on 10 different positions since 2009 with five in the last five years.

All of that may lead one to wonder if Scangarello is truly the right fit for the job at UK because, if he is, then he certainly needs to show it and improve drastically before Kentucky can make those next steps as a football program.

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sports

UK mens basketball will host Howard to start highly anticipated season

By Cole Parke sports@kykernel.com

Starting No. 4 overall in the preseason poll, Kentucky basketball looks to open its season with one thing on its mind: bringing the ninth national championship to Lexington.

Kentucky fans may be getting tired of the anticipation that always surrounds the basketball program as it begins every year with one of the most talented rosters in the country just to come up short in the end. That said, this season could hardly be described as anything other than one with a lot of potential.

Following last season’s disastrous first round upset to No. 15 Saint Peter’s, Kentucky returned the bulk of its talent and production.

Starting point guard Sahvir Wheeler returned to the program and, while an injury suffered in Kentucky’s first exhibition may keep him out to start, will be a pivotal leader for the program.

On top of that, names like Jacob Toppin, Daimion Collins, Lance Ware and CJ Fredrick all also returned to the program and look to have larger roles in the season to come, in addition to returning consensus

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JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats guard Sahvir Wheeler (2) shoots the ball during the Kentucky vs. Ole Miss mens basketball game on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe.

On top of that, the Wildcats bring in talented freshmen like Cason Wallace, Chris

Livingston and Adou Thiero, on top of veteran transfer Antonio Reeves, to replenish the losses of TyTy Washington Jr., Keion Brooks Jr., Bryce Hop-

kins and Shaedon Sharpe in the offseason.

With a roster like that, many fans struggle to set the bar at anything less than a

ninth national title coming to Lexington, and it seems like the players recognize that and have their eyes set on a similar goal.

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sports

Whether or not that goal will be recognized is yet to be seen and won’t be for another half a year, but the path to that point starts on Monday, Nov. 7, inside Rupp Arena as the Wildcats host Howard in their season opener.

Howard is a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in Washington, D.C., most famous for being the alma-mater of many important figures such as the first African-American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and current Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Bison play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), despite plans to leave the conference in the offseason that ultimately didn’t come to fruition, finishing last season with a 16-13 record before bowing out in the first round of the MEAC Tournament to Coppin State.

Following the Bison, Kentucky hosts Duquesne, also inside Rupp Arena, on Friday, Nov. 11, before traveling to Indianapolis for the 2022 Champions Classic against Michigan State the following Tuesday.

With two easier opponents prior to the Champions Classic, the Wildcats hope to set themselves up to succeed early on, not looking to have any early setbacks like the loss at Notre Dame one year ago.

Whether or not it succeeds or not is yet to be determined, with the path to gold beginning this Monday.

Kentucky womens basketball prepares for a new season with new faces

By Ali Cetinok sports@kykernel.com

Last season was truly a mixed bag of emotions for Kentucky womens basketball.

The team finished with a 1912 record and a seventh place finish in the SEC regular season before going on and winning the SEC Tournament for the first time in 40 years … just to be knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the hands of Princeton.

Following the loss, team star Rhyne Howard left for the WNBA, becoming the first Wildcat to go No. 1 overall in the womens draft, while key contributors such as Dre’una Edwards, Jazmine Massengill, Olivia Owens and Treasure Hunt all left for the transfer portal.

As a result, Kentucky enters the new season with a lot of fresh faces with only five out of 15 total players being returners to the program.

Those five familiar faces are Robyn Benton, Emma King, Blair Green, Nyah Leveretter and Jada Walker.

Desperate to not be flooded with inexperienced youth, Kentucky added much needed transfers to the squad in the offseason including the likes of Eniya Russell from South Carolina, Ajae Petty from LSU, Lexington native Maddie Scherr from

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Kentucky Wildcats head coach Kyra Elzy coaches from the sideline during the Kentucky vs. Ole Miss womens basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Oregon and Adebola Adeyeye from Buffalo.

The Wildcats still added a fair share of youth as well including Virgie, Kentucky, native Cassidy Rowe, who is expected to make an impact for the Cats this season as well.

The Wildcats open their season at home inside Memorial

Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 7, against Radford.

The Highlanders finished last season with a 7-23 record, including a 83-31 loss to West Virginia, which Kentucky went on to beat by 23 points.

Following the season opener, the Cats host Morehead State, Coastal Carolina and

Bellarmine before traveling to the Bahamas from Nov. 2123, where they will take on more formidable foes such as Virginia Tech and Dayton for the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship.

The Cats then return to Lexington to play UNC Greensboro on Dec. 4 before playing their first true road game at Minnesota just three days later.

With a mostly easy slate heading toward Christmas, the Wildcats host their biggest test early on in the season as they host in-state rival and pre-season No. 7 Louisville inside Rupp Arena on Dec. 11.

The Cats then finish their non-conference schedule at home against Murray State, Florida Gulf Coast and Ohio.

With mostly new faces on the squad and the ever present grind of the SEC, which has three teams ranked in the preseason top 25, including No. 1 South Carolina fresh off a national championship, and five more receiving votes, Kentucky faces no easy task in hoping to defend its SEC title.

A new era for Kentucky womens basketball dawns upon Lexington as Kyra Elzy’s Wildcats look to prove they can play with the best once again while also reinventing themselves as a team.

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news

Kentucky Kernel, KRNL bring home lessons in journalism and national awards from MediaFest22

By Hannah Stanley news@kykernel.com

The Kentucky Kernel and KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion were named finalists for the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Pacemaker award, the most prestigious honor in collegiate journalism recognizing exceptional student-led media organizations.

The ACP and Pinnacle collegiate journalism awards ceremonies took place at MediaFest22 on Oct. 27-30 in Washington, D.C. The Kentucky Kernel was nominated and received multiple awards, most notably first in the Pinnacle’s best yearbook sports page/spread category, first in ACP Story of the Year breaking news story and first in the ACP Story of the Year editorial. KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion received second in the ACP’s feature magazine for 4 year campus category, as well as third in best coverage of faith for Pinnacle.

“I was very surprised to win the breaking news story award,” UK graduate and former Kernel assistant news editor Sarah Michels said. “Like so many journalists, I have a bit of imposter syndrome, so

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it was reaffirming to get that kind of national recognition.”

Michels now works as a regional reporter at the Bowling Green Daily News through the nonprofit service organization Report for America where she said she’ll use the national recognition as a confidence boost moving forward.

“We have a variety of very talented students who do great work at a national level, and the community here at the University of Kentucky should be very proud of them,” UK student media advisor Ryan Craig said.

The annual convention partnered with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), College Media Association (CMA) and ACP, which hosted countless educational sessions, award ceremonies, critiques and more.

Alongside Craig was student media coordinator Bryce McNeil who attended the convention for the first time with the Kentucky Kernel. McNeil said he has not missed a CMA convention since 2008 but this was the largest group he’s traveled with to a national conference.

“It was quite interesting to be able to kind of walk in with

this army of talented, dedicated students, a great sense of responsibility, I guess to be looking after that many talented people,” McNeil said.

Keynote speakers Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spoke to hundreds of journalists on Friday, Oct. 28, during which they discussed the process of investigative journalism and their personal adventure through the Watergate scandal.

Kentucky Kernel editor-in-chief Rayleigh Deaton said the session not only confirmed that journalism is what she wants to do but inspired her even more.

“I really appreciated them talking about how we need to dig deeper as journalists and not give up,” Deaton said.

“Sometimes when the doors are closing around us, we need to find a way to open those doors or find another way in, and just don’t give up, know who you are, know why the story’s important and be willing to do what it takes to get the story written.”

Deaton walked into her first year of editing the Kernel in 2021 as a six-year legal battle between the university and the newspaper was being

Kernel staffers and alumni pose with their Pinnacle awards at MediaFest22 on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

settled. The editorial became one of the first stories she had ever edited in the position and would later earn her her first national award.

“That story was so important and so many years in the making, I really wanted to do it right. I am so thankful that not only myself, Gillian (Stawiszinski) and Brooklyn (Kelley), the other two reporters on that story, received that recognition, but that the story itself and all the generations of editors before us received that recognition also,” Deaton said.

Craig said the editorial was

written so such a situation would never happen again and was probably one of the best editorials ever written at the university.

He continues to hold onto the goal he gave himself four and a half years ago when first starting the job that people will recognize the Kentucky Kernel for its excellence and will one day be the best.

“I feel like that we are really heading in the right direction; we’re among the elite in the country, but we still have more that we can do and that’s exciting,” Craig said.

news

Kernel, KRNL Awards ACP Best in Show Advertising Special Newspaper Section - 8th Feature magazine for 4 year campus KRNL 2nd Newspaper/Newsmagazine - 9th Website - 5th Photojournalism - 6th Maria Rauh Podcast - 5th KRNL Jaya Durrah Pinnacle Best newspaper front page - honorable mention Best social media main page - KRNL honorable mention Best yearbook division page/spread honorable mention YIP Best yearbook news page/spread - honorable mention YIP Best yearbook sports page/spread - 1st YIP Best breaking news photo - 2nd Best general news photo - honorable mention YIP Best sports feature - 2nd Best sports investigative story - honorable mention Best online sports section - 3rd Best breaking news story - 3rd Best coverage of faith - KRNL 3rd Best investigative story - honorable mention Best news package - 3rd KRNL and Kernel Pacemaker finalist Kernel ACP 100 ACP Magazine page/spread - KRNL 3rd Peyton Fike Yearbook page/spread - Callie Justice honorable mention for Year in Photos Photo slideshow - 2nd Jack Weaver Blog - 3rd KRNL Riley Hostutler News/breaking news photo - 2nd Jack Weaver Feature photo - 2nd Michael Clubb Sports game/action photo - 5th Michael Clubb Sports feature photo - 2nd Jack Weaver Reporter of the year - 5th Sarah Michels Breaking news story - 1st Sarah Michels Editorial - 1st Gillian Stawiszynski, Brooklyn Kelley, Rayleigh Deaton

‘A lot of work to do.’ Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein offer perspectives on journalism

By Rayleigh Deaton news@kykernel.com

Bob Woodward was asleep when he got the call from his Washington Post editor.

There had been a break-in overnight at the Democratic National Headquarters, and Woodward, who had been working at the Post for nine months, was sent to the courthouse to cover the hearing.

“June 17, 1972, was one of the most beautiful days in Washington, ever, and so the editors sat around and said, ‘Who would be dumb enough to come in and work today?’

And they immediately thought of me,” he said.

On Oct. 28, Woodward and his long-time shared byline, Carl Bernstein, spoke to a throng of student journalists, advisers and professionals in the media industry.

The two were keynote speakers as part of MediaFest22, a convention in Washington, D.C., bringing together journalists from across the country.

The discussion, moderated by Society of Professional Journalists President Claire Regan, covered topics ranging from Watergate to Woodward and Bernstein’s more recent projects.

The journalists described uncovering and breaking the Watergate story, offering a unique insider view of the process. When they started to piece together that the bigger story extended beyond

just an isolated break-in, Woodward said that he and Bernstein decided to “start from the bottom” rather than going directly to those at the top.

“These people are not going to talk to us,” he said. “We can’t go to the Nixon campaign. We can’t go to the White House. So we’ve got to knock on the doors, and this was the Bernstein method, which I think everyone still uses.”

Evidently, another part of the Bernstein method is to have exes in high places; he and Woodward obtained a list of employees on the Nixon campaign from one of Bernstein’s old girlfriends.

One of the people on that list was a bookkeeper whom Bernstein went to visit in hopes that she would have information to share.

“It became clear early on that the bookkeeper was intimidated and scared to talk, and yet she wanted to,” he said. “People want to tell the truth.”

Meanwhile, Woodward was working with his anonymous informant, known at the time as Deep Throat, who turned out to be former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt. Together, Woodward and Bernstein uncovered more and more of the scandal, publishing more than 200 stories related to Watergate in the span of a year and a half.

Woodward said that it was this collaboration that allowed the duo to be so successful in their reporting.

“If I have one criticism of

ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Journalists and authors Bob Woodward, left, and Carl Bernstein speak to a crowd at MediaFest 22 on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

current journalism, there’s not enough collaboration. People work alone or in a team of five,” he said. “A team of two is really ideal, particularly when you have different backgrounds and there’s an element of competition, and quite frankly, for a while, it’s distrust.”

Once the story had broken and Richard Nixon resigned from office, Woodward and Bernstein received a letter from legendary Post publisher Katharine Graham cautioning them to “beware the demon pomposity,” advice that Woodward said rings true even today, in “this world of selfcongratulation,” as he described it.

Regan steered the conversation toward the journalists’ more recent projects, referencing their comparison of former president Donald Trump to Nixon.

“Woodward and I came to use the term while we were covering

Watergate, ‘the best obtainable version of the truth,’” Bernstein said. “And I think one of the amazing things that’s happened and will continue to happen, given what we know about Donald Trump, is how what is truthful is so spectacular in its mendacity, in terms of its assumptions, that there are no rules, there are no restraints, there is no untruth that will not be told.”

Woodward said that both Watergate and the Jan. 6 attack were directly targeting the democratic system America was founded on.

“It was breathtaking, what we now know Nixon and his people did. They destroyed the process of nominating and electing a president,” he said. “So we better think hard about the vulnerability of that system and the system that the Jan. 6 Committee has exposed … and so for everyone here, there is a lot of work to do.”

kentucky kernel | 11

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

news

Tricks and treats: UK 4 Paws for Ability hosts puppy fashion show

By Kristen Roberts news@kykernel.com

On Oct. 27, the UK organization 4 Paws for Ability hosted a Puppy Fashion Show as a new fundraising event.

Pets and handlers dressed up in Halloween costumes and strutted down the runway in all sorts of characters, everything from a minion to a dinosaur.

Some handlers based their costumes on their dogs’ name, such as a homage to the movie “Ratatouille” featuring a dog Linguini.

The goal of the event was to fundraise for future activities and families, and to spread awareness about the club itself. The program also hosts similar fundraising and social events, collaborating with other organizations to raise awareness about what 4 Paws does.

“4 Paws for Ability is a non-profit organization based out of Xenia, Ohio.”

Alyssa Rigney, recruitment coordinator, said. “We train, raise and place service dogs with children and veterans.”

Over 100 members of handlers and sitters aid 4 Paws for Ability in its main goal, socializing dogs and preparing them to soon become full-fledged service dogs.

“A lot of other organizations on campus love having our dogs at the events, so we are usually at other organizations’ events once a week,” 4 Paws President Megan Hwang said.

4 Paws puts all money received from fundraising into socialization trips for the dogs and to raise money for families in need.

“They say socialization comes first; we want a confident dog – a dog who is really unfazed by anything,” Rigney said.

12 | kentucky kernel

MARIA RAUH | STAFF Handler Megan Smith and dog Airlie dress up as a pilot and an airplane for the Puppy Fashion Show on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, in the Cats Den at The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

“What comes next is their obedience.”

In the past, 4 Paws took dogs to the zoo to better prepare them for any chaotic environments they may have to face as service dogs. “Doing things like that throughout the semester makes it a lot easier once they get placed to work for their kid or their veteran in the future,” Fundraising Officer Shelby Fugat said.

Another responsibility of the club is raising money and awareness for families who may need service dogs or other things. It recently raised around

$1,200 for a family to put towards a wheelchair accessible van, Fugat said.

“It was just difficult for them to get her to school, to get her to doctor’s appointments, to go to the grocery or anything, and they couldn’t do it without her mom and her sister being there,” Fugat said.

Fugat said families 4 Paws for Ability matched with animals in the past have shown up to 4 Paws meetings to inform everyone on the positive impact the dogs have created in their lives.

Most of the time families who matched with dogs will share updates, pictures and other information with the handlers about the dog they raised.

Fugat’s previous dog’s family gives her many new heart-warming updates all the time.“He snuggles right up with (his owner) at night,” Fugat said. “Her mom will send me videos of her singing songs about how much she loves him.”

Fugat said it is difficult to give the dogs back after raising the animal for about a year and a half, but she has seen what good it does.

“It definitely makes it worth it,” Fugat said. “You know that they are much happier doing that then they ever would have been staying with us.”

Rigney talked about how one of her favorite things about 4 Paws is seeing where the dogs end up.

“Just seeing the dogs graduate, and be the most perfect service dogs for their kids and veterans is just so amazing honestly,” Rigney said.

Hwang is in her fourth and final year of the program. She said she has seen many benefits throughout her time.

“I absolutely love getting to work with dogs for a reason that’s bigger than just wanting to have a pet,” Hwang said.

A lot of 4 Paws members talked about the strong connections they have made from participating in the organization, with the dogs and trainers, and what an amazing community it is, where everyone bonds over their mutual love for helping dogs and others.

4 Paws places service dogs all across the country. Anyone at UK can sign up to become a trainer and train puppies for a year or more until they go off to get more advanced training.

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

news

Does UK have school spirit?

By Savannah Garnett features@kykernel.com

The culture of school spirit often comes into question as the school year gets closer to the prime time for college sports. For many colleges, the spirit depends on two things: how well their teams are playing and the overall support of the school.

Up until recently, the University of Kentucky had been undefeated and, at one point, ranked seventh out of all SEC schools in football. Students, alums and fans all were extremely excited to see the Cats playing so well. Spirits were high, and support ranged far.

“Coming from a smaller school, when I came here, I can’t stop seeing people wearing blue,” said Drew Singerman, a medical student from Louisville. “Everyone wears blue, everyone’s excited for football, basketball, Big Blue Madness. I guess it’s just all over the place. You can’t really get away from it.”

UK blue-colored shirts can be found in almost every store, and it never falls out of fashion. Wearing the color is a statement of unification and identity among students and fans. As they all travel to the stadium, it is clear which side they are rooting for.

As the season has gone on, the University of Kentucky has not kept its status. The team now ranks further down and is no longer undefeated. As the University of Kentucky has not done as well in football, fans have been less optimistic, although the support for the team is still there.

After UK’s loss to Ole Miss, fans were upset but also recognized the

JACK WEAVER | STAFF Students cheer during the Kentucky vs. Miami Ohio football game on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

effort and work put in. Twitter user @ JordanLoveFan replied to @UKFootball on the results of the game.

“I know a lot of people will be upset but considering what Kentucky football has been in the past I’m just happy to be here. Good effort,” @JordanLoveFan said.

Fernanda Fuentes, a freshman information communication technology major, said that there is pride associated with going to the University of Kentucky.

“I think everyone here at UK … is proud to be a UK student. I feel like

school spirit is based off of the attitude that students have towards the school.

I don’t think it’s necessarily things that the school might do,” Fuentes said.

In the student sections at football and basketball games, the spirit and encouragement is recognizable. On football game days, students arrive hours before kickoff to get the best seats and wristbands to cheer on their fellow peers.

Football and basketball do receive the most publicity, but they are not the only sports that receive support.

Overall, the University of Kentucky tries to highlight all athletes at their

school. From tennis to the diving team, UK tries to broadcast all achievements and competitions.

On the UK Athletics app, schedules of all sports can be found along with their time and place. They also send out multiple emails letting students know upcoming dates. Many posters and pamphlets can be found on UK campus informing students on matches.

“I think they’re supported by everyone,” Megan Leibold, a communications major said. “It’s just knowing about them and when they’re happening and how to go.”

kentucky kernel | 13

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

features

What it takes to be a cheerleader at UK

By Jemi Chew features@kykernel.com

UK’s cheer team competes at the Universal Cheerleaders Association Division I-A College National Championships and has won 24 national championships, but victories are not earned in a day.

Cheerleaders have practices four days a week that last around two to two-anda-half hours. They also have workouts three days a week that last for an hour.

“If you wanna be great, you do what you have to do to be great,” Hunter Henderson, a cheerleader and senior majoring in health promotion, said. “I think a lot of the people in our program have a really strong mindset and are incredibly willed. I think that they all have the same goal in mind.”

In addition to that, cheerleaders have the option of attending an open gym session, which is a time period outside of practice where they can work on improving their skills.

“It’s not abnormal to see three-fourths of the team in here on the days that you don’t have practice for three to four hours,” Henderson said. “The open gym is not mandatory … When there’s an opportunity to put extra work in, I think the majority of us would rather put the extra work in than not put the extra work in.”

Then there are games to cheer for.

The cheerleading team is split into a blue squad and a white squad. The blue squad cheers for home and away football games, mens basketball games and gymnastics. The white squad cheers for home football games, volleyball games and womens basketball games.

“It’s all one big team, but then it’s

JACK WEAVER | STAFF UK cheerleaders perform during Big Blue Madness on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

split so that they don’t have to be somewhere literally every night,” Timothy Letcher said.

Letcher is the website coordinator for UKathletics.com and contact for cheer, dance and STUNT. However, there are still times when cheerleaders have back to back games to support. Ashley Dinda, a cheerleader and senior majoring in biology, recalls periods when she had a game to attend every night. Times where basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and football could all have games going on in the same week.

And during those games, they have a job to do.

“We’re here to be ambassadors for the university and to support those sport teams, so we spend the whole year making sure that we’re able to do that to the

best of our abilities,” Henderson said.

Cheerleaders contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of any game by cheering on the team and boosting the energy of the crowd, regardless of how well UK is performing on the field or court. Dylan Gessner, a cheerleader and graduate student, commented that win or lose, cheerleaders still showcase their skills – stunts, baskets and pyramids – and enjoy themselves while doing so.

On top of cheering for games, both blue and white squads compete at UCA College Nationals, an experience vastly different from a four-hour football game. Cheerleaders only have two minutes and 30 seconds to execute three to six skills perfectly. One chance is all they get.

“You prepare for the whole year, and

you have two minutes and 30 seconds to prove that you are the best team in the country, and I think that brings out a special type of athlete,” Henderson said.

Cheerleaders are also not exempt from juggling their responsibilities as students. On top of a packed cheerleading schedule, they have assignments from classes to complete. Rachel Littrell, a cheerleader and sophomore majoring in clinical leadership and management, says that time management, and finding opportunities to get coursework done, is the key to balancing school and cheer.

And their schedule only gets busier.

“You’re about to go into the season where you’ve got football and basketball going on at the same time, so they might have four games in a week, in addition to going to school, in addition to life, so yeah, it’s a lot,” Letcher said.

Cheerleaders have resources they can use to help them with their academics, such as CATS, The Center for Academic & Tutorial Services. But they also rely on each other for help.

It’s really nice to have a family and say, ‘Hey so-and-so, I know you’re a physics major, you’re a biology major, you’re a communications major, can you come help me with this homework?

Can you come help me study for this test? Or do you have some extra notes or anything I can look over?” Henderson said.

The power of community extends beyond the walls of their gym as well. The cheerleading team often makes appearances at surrounding schools, nursing homes, hospitals and any event where their presence might be needed.

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Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

opinions “It’s not just about cheering on the sports teams, it’s about cheering on everyone,” Gessner said.

And if there is anything the cheerleading team can do to support members of their local communities, they will.

“I don’t think there’s an appearance that Coach Ryan would say no to,” Henderson said about Ryan Martin O’Connor, the head coach for UK cheerleading. “This is the only sport where we’re competing or doing our job and executing our skills while trying to support another program.”

And yet despite their work ethic and drive for excellence in their sport, their school, their studies and their communities, there are still doubts about what it really takes to be a cheerleader.

“Oftentimes we are undermined; people don’t really get to see, sometimes, what we do. So we are blessed to have something like what we did for our Big Blue Madness routine. To be able to show our peers this is what we do, this is what we are capable of,” Henderson said.

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT: In a world of Starbucks, UK needs more local coffee options

By Jennifer Sadler opinions@kykernel.com

Coffee is my favorite way to treat myself.

It gives me something to do, tastes amazing, is (usually) cheap and provides instant gratification.

What’s even better is how readily available it is. If I need a pick-meup after class, I can easily go to the library, student center or business building to get my fix. Though we are blessed to have these resources, the options presented to us leave something to be desired.

I’m sure we’ve all enjoyed Starbucks – either on campus or off. Though perhaps a slightly pricier option than other chains, Starbucks is a reliable option for coffee, tea and other food and drink items. Even though Starbucks and other coffee chains

offer a comfortable set of menu items familiar to many, sometimes I wonder if replacing these familiar franchises with locally sourced coffee shops may be more beneficial.

Lexington has so many different and unique places to get coffee. Anywhere from Third Street Stuff and Coffee to Old School to Chocolate Holler, local businesses have been fueling local consumers for years.

Though many of these places are independently successful, many of them have a large student-based clientele and may benefit from a partnership with the university.

It’s not that Starbucks or any other chain is necessarily bad – I still enjoy a strawberry acai refresher or vanilla sweet cream cold brew as much as the next girl.

But, at the same time, I find that a lot of their drinks are overrated and overpriced, especially in comparison to many of the other local places I’ve been.

Having local coffee shops on campus would add character to a campus that, to me, seems to be overly commercialized. Even though I love UK’s campus and the spaces available to students, I think it could definitely benefit from partnerships with local businesses in order to create more “homey” places for studying, meeting and socializing.

Not to mention, students would appreciate the diversity of coffees offered by these small businesses. Because they do not have the same resources and reach as places like Starbucks,

they are constantly changing and updating menu items in order to attract customers, creating new and unique drinks as a result.

A change like this would excite students while also benefiting local Lexington businesses.

Though it may be difficult for the university to make this switch, I believe it would be extremely beneficial to make the change from Starbucks to a local business. Getting students excited while also helping Lexington businesses helps the university and the city. Creating a closer relationship between the city and the UK campus will help students and workers alike become more connected with one another, and allow for greater opportunities for everyone.

Taylor Swift’s 'Midnights' offers reflection and vulnerability

By Gracie Moore opinions@kykernel.com

Taylor Swift needed an era of healing and reflection, and “Midnights” accomplished that and more. The anticipation was built up beautifully: between the slow release of song titles and lyrics being plastered around the world, Swift sure knows how to drop an album.

Her 10th studio album was released at midnight on Oct. 21, breaking multiple records including the most streamed album and artist in a single day on Spotify.

Swift is known for her eras: “Reputation” was her comeback and revenge album, while “folklore” and “Evermore” drifted from her own life into storytelling. “Midnights” begins

a chapter of reflecting without dwelling on past mistakes.

The genre changes with the new era. It diverged from the melancholy, indie feel of “folklore” and “Evermore.” While her stunning lyricism still stands, “Midnights” incorporates techno-pop, synthesizers and vocal effects like she’s never done before. It sounds like a futuristic combination of “1989” and “Reputation,” which are two of my personal favorites, so the genre switch did not disappoint me.

The most unique aspect of “Midnights” is the call-backs to previous songs and albums.

Each song hints of a past era, whether that be in lyrics or the sound.

The first song of the album has been the most obvious ‘sister song’; the tone of

“Lavender Haze” fits perfectly with “I Think He Knows” off of her 2019 album “Lover.”

The track “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” off of her 3 a.m. bonus edition has lyrical reflection on Swift’s past relationship with John Mayer. In the song she says she “never would’ve danced with the devil at nineteen.” “Dear John” off of “Speak Now” was the first song about her relationship with Mayer and its dramatic ending, but the new song about the relationship shifts from dwelling to trying to heal and move on.

Overall, it’s a solid album. Per usual, amazing lyricism aided by Jack Antonoff’s outstanding producing has created yet another hit album.

The unique thing about this album is that

every song could have been used in a different era, feeding on her tagline that it’s a ‘collection of sleepless nights.’

“Lavender Haze” easily could have been on “Lover.” Not only does it sound extremely similar to “I Think He Knows,” but the upbeat, cheeky lyrics fit right into the 2019 record.

“Midnights” is real and it’s vulnerable. She divulges into her frequent thoughts of revenge, confidence issues and past relationships. This album is a way for her to reflect on her past while moving forward and healing.

With the catchy vocals and relatable lyrics, “Midnights” has the potential to win Taylor Swift many more awards and to break many more records.

Now, we wait for a tour announcement and hope we can get tickets. Good luck, Swifties.

kentucky kernel | 15

Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022

opinions

Creative writing in the ordinary life

By Quézia Arruda Cunha opinions@kykernel.com

There are cameras and pencils everywhere. At every corner, a different angle of your face is captured. At each corner, another chapter of your journey is narrated.

When I put my headphones on during my daily walk, that’s the character I embody. No matter how tragic the day was, listening to songs rich in storytelling and with a strong presence of creative writing is what moved me to bring this caricature to life.

It’s almost impossible not to be a mad woman while listening to the song of the same title by Taylor Swift on her iconic album “folklore.”

In fact, I believe that, without even realizing it, we are the fruits of fictional narratives that live circulating in our imagery memory.

A great example of this phenomenon is the magical, clichéd, comforting spirit of the “Gilmore Girls.”

Despite being just another series from the early 2000s, it actually represents a lifestyle of great impact until the most recent days.

With its romanticized tone in its narrative, the classic “La La Las” at the beginning of each episode symbolizes my singing from the moment I listen to the soundtrack of the series during class breaks.

The autumn weather itself, with its smell almost the same as a hot coffee on a Sunday afternoon, is an example of a creative narrative, even when its climaxes are not predictable.

The fall of the leaves in this season is like the main character in the story. We can picture its aesthetic when we walk and smell the organic air full of colors from the same palette as “Gilmore Girls” or Taylor Swift’s cardigan while producing

16 | kentucky kernel

ILLUSTRATION BY AKHILA NADIMPALLI

her poetic album.

As individuals influenced by what we see, hear and read, the media plays a role in interfering with our creative imagination.

Thinking back to my childhood, I can vividly remember how my daily attitudes were directly immersed in the world of Disney.

Despite being fictional productions, my passion for the stories and characters’ personalities affected my real life through this colorful and creative narrative. This led me to create romanticized images of different thematic elements commonly seen

in this type of media.

To this day, with physical and mental maturity, I still romanticize a starry sky, a movie night with my best friend or a live jazz and bossa nova show at a cool coffee shop.

Despite being natural or banal events, the creative spirit coming from the media speaks louder in our minds.

I believe that this is also a natural mechanism of the human essence. The act of creating is like a cultural mandate that is present throughout human history as a call for survival.

We have the need to create imaginary characters, typical in creative narratives,

more interesting than ourselves. We are painters of the most colorful and innovative canvases because we are just monochromatic. We are screenwriters of what we want to see on typically gray and tasteless days.

As strange as that sounds, I like to see everyday life as a long and confusing creative writing task. I find it comforting to write in my mind simple, authentic narratives in the midst of ordinary life.

As I write this article, I still believe there are cameras and pencils everywhere. I still believe that I am the main character in my own cliché movie.